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1Re: Life in a Different World from Zero
2Volume 02
3
4
5
6
7PROLOGUE
8THE ROAD TO REDEMPTION BEGINS
9
10
11—Even now, she deeply recalled the feelings she had at the time.
12
13Familiar sights had flames all around them; people she knew had turned into silent corpses.
14
15A world coming to an end. A closed world. A thankless world.
16
17A world that was harsh, senseless, and brought nothing but pain.
18
19Even so, she reached out with her hand, moved her fingers, quivered her lips, and pleaded.
20
21After all, while it was a world beyond saving, it was still the only one she had.
22
23It was a world that always had its back turned to her, locked away before her eyes, a world she could gaze into only from afar.
24
25She wanted to abruptly tear down that wall; squint at the broad, dazzling world before her; and carve into her unopened eyes the color of sunbaked skin, the color and smell of burned meat, the color of the beautiful “horns” that danced in the sky— Here was the world about to end, and what was she thinking about?
26
27For even then, she could still remember the feelings she had at the time— Thereafter, she devoted each and every day to expunging her guilt over those feelings above all else.
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29
30
31
32
33CHAPTER 1
34SELF-CONSCIOUS FEELINGS
35
36
37
38(1)
39
40
41The first thing that flew into his eyes as they blinked open was an artificial sense of dazzling white. Beyond the light, a broad ceiling spread before him, with crystals attached to it providing flickering light that illuminated the room’s interior.
42
43Confirming in his head that he was waking up, Subaru’s mind immediately grasped how good his wake-up felt.
44
45“…The pillow feels different, huh. Smells better, too… Definitely higher class than usual.”
46
47Subaru savored the feel of the blanket and the other fine scents as he sat up in bed.
48
49At a glance, he knew it was a room for the upper class. Subaru had slept in a king-size bed that could fit five people to spare; the room was about ninety square feet, oddly spacious with only a bed in it.
50
51“The quality of the painting on the wall is so high it makes the room feel lonelier, huh. A guest room, then?”
52
53Subaru, now completely awake, gently swung his legs over the side of the bed and checked his physical condition. He made sure he could rotate his legs and shoulders, finally pulling up his clothes and gingerly touching his belly.
54
55“Abdominal wound…totally gone. No bruises, of course no scar, either… This world’s medical tech is pretty awesome to not leave sewing marks. Assuming my big scene wasn’t all just in my imagination, anyway.”
56
57He recalled the string of events leading up to his abdomen being deeply slashed.
58
59Subaru, a completely ordinary Japanese schoolboy, was abruptly summoned to another world in a painfully cliché manner, coming face-to-face with death, literally, on multiple occasions.
60
61That he was still alive was thanks to a string of coincidences that one could only call miraculous.
62
63“But how much time’s passed since then… No way to tell the time, huh?”
64
65He glanced all around the room, unable to find any sign of calendars, clocks, or anything similar. The gold-glowing crystal above the door stood out; the darkness outside the window told him it was night, which was news to him.
66
67Subaru slumped his shoulders and took a deep breath. Then, he voiced the inescapable conclusion on his lips and finally resigned himself to face reality.
68
69“Any way you slice it…this time I managed to avoid Return by Death, huh?”
70
71
72
73
74
75(2)
76
77
78“First time, it was a pathetic death; second time, it was a bold death; third time, I died like a dog; fourth time, I got involved in mortal combat and died from a stray blow—is what I would be saying if I hadn’t overcome that development. Man, if I died then, I’d be on a one-way ticket to mob-ville.”
79
80Flopping back into the bed, Subaru counted the causes of his deaths on his fingers.
81
82Looking back on it, armed robbery included, he’d been slashed to death every time. He didn’t want to see a blade again anytime soon.
83
84At any rate, he’d somehow managed to avoid Return by Death and had finally been able to move time forward. The fact that he was all right after sustaining a plainly lethal wound meant…
85
86“Considering the situation, it was that girl’s…Emilia’s healing magic, huh?”
87
88An image arose in the back of his mind of a beautiful lilac-eyed girl with silver hair—Emilia.
89
90He thought it was safe to assume she’d healed his abdominal wound. Having had a wound healed by Emilia once before, it was a natural assumption for Subaru to make. Subaru reasoned that, as a result, the guest room he was resting in was part of a mansion owned by Emilia. Then again…
91
92“It’s entirely possible this mansion’s connected to Reinhard’s family… But, well.”
93
94Glancing toward the door, Subaru let out a dissatisfied sigh at the lack of information on his current situation.
95
96“Normally, there’d be a pretty girl at your bedside when you open your eyes, saying, ‘Are you awake?’ And there weren’t any pretty girls when I was summoned, either. For a summons, this one sure has some glaring inadequacies…”
97
98This summons was definitely third-rate. He couldn’t slice through armies, and he’d barely had any meaningful encounters.
99
100“Besides, nothing’s happening so far… So it’s up to me to do recon and make myself comfortable.”
101
102Subaru practically leapt to his feet and put his hand on the door. The refreshingly cool air blew in through the open doorway and the floor transferred the cold directly to his bare feet.
103
104When he left the room, the walls and floor of a corridor, all in warm colors, unfolded before him. The passageway continued on and on to both the left and right.
105
106Frighteningly, he couldn’t see either end of the corridor.
107
108“It’s so much like a palace that all I can say is whoa. It’s insanely huge… Can’t even tell if anyone’s here.”
109
110Delicately walking down the corridor on bare feet, Subaru scowled at the silence. It was as if he couldn’t hear any signs of life that should normally be there.
111
112“It’s too quiet, even for the night… Makes me not wanna raise my voice…”
113
114Personality-wise, Subaru was geared toward asking, Is anybody here?! in a loud voice, but the present circumstances made that too dangerous.
115
116After all, Subaru had not yet determined whether this was a safe place for him or not.
117
118Subaru had accepted as a matter of course that the host was friendly, but in the worst case, it was possible the assassin with a love of slitting bellies might have returned and abducted him.
119
120All the same, he wouldn’t be able to lift a finger if he assumed everything was doomed.
121
122“Kenichi once said, life must be lived. That’s what I think, too.”
123
124Incidentally, Kenichi was Subaru’s father. It was very fitting that a person like him was his father.
125
126Subaru’s steps forward did not falter. But after walking awhile, Subaru twisted his neck a bit.
127
128“I’ve walked this much, but I haven’t hit a bend. Is that even possible?”
129
130Unsurprisingly, he could not contain his misgivings. Subaru turned around, thinking about going back the other way.
131
132Then he raised an eyebrow and remarked, “Huh…? That painting… I think it was right in front of me when I came out of the room…”
133
134Subaru crossed his arms as he stood in front of the oil painting decorating the corridor.
135
136The painting was of a forest scene at night. He felt like it was the same as the one he’d seen when he stepped out of the room.
137
138Unless Subaru had moved at the literal pace of a snail, he jumped at the only possibility he could think of.
139
140“Maybe the floor has some trick that makes it move around on its own or…could it be that the corridor loops around…?”
141
142He’d probably turned in the opposite map direction after going a certain way. It was a field trap like you’d see in an RPG.
143
144“If the corridor’s looping, maybe it’s got something to do with Return by Death.”
145
146Subaru, hoping someone out there agreed with him, grasped the doorknob of the closest room and opened it. When he did, a no-frills room that had nothing within greeted him. Of course, no one was in it, either.
147
148“A looping corridor with any number of rooms… So if I don’t find the right one, I can’t get out?”
149
150Though he hadn’t yet truly accepted he’d been summoned to another world, here he was facing a new fantasy element right after waking.
151
152“So if this goes according to cliché, it could take me hours to find the right one. I’ll go hungry; my mind’ll give out, then my body will, too. If that’s the case…” The situation made Subaru want to hold his head.
153
154Taking a deep breath, Subaru wiped the sweat off his brow and took the first decisive step forward.
155
156He twisted the doorknob of the door facing the oil painting—in other words, the door that looked like the one Subaru had exited.
157
158“I’ll sleep in my room till someone comes. Maybe that first room was the goal anyway.”
159
160Speaking his characteristically flippant thoughts, Subaru entered the room—
161
162
163“…How do you look like such a deeply irritating person, I wonder?”
164
165
166Within the book-filled archive that Subaru had no recollection of seeing earlier, a girl with curly hair glared right at him.
167
168
169
170
171
172(3)
173
174
175—It was a room that truly screamed book archive at you.
176
177The breadth of the room was about twice that of the first one, chock-full of bookshelves that rose to the ceiling. Each shelf was lined with books; it hurt to even try to guesstimate.
178
179“Man, here in a place full of books and I can’t read a single one… What a bummer.”
180
181His breath caught when he looked all around the bookshelves, unable to find a single one with the title on its spine in Japanese.
182
183It wasn’t some sort of alphabet, either; rather, these were characters like those he saw in the royal capital—the characters in common use in that world.
184
185Subaru let out a sigh as he looked over the characters he couldn’t read no matter how hard he tried.
186
187“Looking all over someone else’s bookshelves, and sighing on top of that… Are you trying to offend, I wonder? Perhaps I should respond in kind?”
188
189“Your pretty face’ll go all to waste if you’re that prickly. C’mon, smile, smile!”
190
191“I am simply pretty by nature. I suppose my contemptuous sneer should be enough for the likes of you.”
192
193Putting the tips of her fingers to her cheeks, the girl formed a cruel smile.
194
195Betty was a sweet, lovely girl—a sight he’d seen several times in this world already.
196
197She looked younger than Felt in the slums, no more than eleven or twelve years old. Her frilly hairstyle matched her ornate dress, both framing her lovely face.
198
199Her pale, cream-colored hair was worn long, distinctive for its swirling rolls. If she’d only smile properly, there was no one’s heart she’d fail to melt.
200
201She held a large book in her hands as she sat on a wooden footstool, from which she looked up at Subaru.
202
203“You know big words like contemptuous sneer, huh…and you’re in a bad mood because I got it right in one go? My bad! I’ve been doing stuff like this since way back.”
204
205Subaru Natsuki had a knack for picking the right answer to difficult questions with many options, without hints, on the first try. In the past, Subaru had unwittingly ruined many a scheme like that. The corridor from before made one more on the list.
206
207“All my hard work constructing the domain, all for naught, just like that… It is quite horrid.”
208
209
210
211
212
213“I suppose GMs would want me to trigger all their events instead of skipping to the end, so I get it. My bad, my bad.”
214
215Subaru made a light wave of his hand in apology while the girl glared at him with half-lidded eyes. Apparently, it was this girl’s scheme that Subaru’s thoughtless act had foiled.
216
217“Well, let’s make that water under the bridge. Could you tell me where this is?”
218
219“Hmph. It is my archive, my sleeping quarters…my private chambers, perhaps?”
220
221“Shouldn’t that make me feel kind of sad for you? I mean, you don’t have your own bedroom to sleep in? That’s horrible. Or about you using a library as your private chambers…maybe I should just laugh?”
222
223“Are those remarks intended with a touch of teasing, I wonder?!”
224
225The annoyed girl replying with blunt sarcasm, who called herself Betty, puffed out her cheeks and advanced upon Subaru.
226
227“I am finally reaching the limit of my patience. You should be put in your place a little, I suppose.”
228
229“Hey, whatever you’re planning, let’s not? I’m just an ordinary guy, no combat ability at all here?”
230
231His eyes became smaller and damper as his body made tiny quivers in a showy pose. But the speed of the girl’s soft footsteps increased.
232
233“—Stay right there.”
234
235Suddenly, Subaru was assailed by a feeling like a chill up his spine.
236
237The girl, already before his eyes, stretched out her hand all the way to Subaru. Subaru froze as the girl, her height not reaching near his upper chest, stared at him with pale blue eyes.
238
239His skin broke out in goose bumps as a quiet, high-pitched ringing echoed inside his skull.
240
241“Is there something you wish to say…?”
242
243As the girl posed her question, he unfroze for a moment. Subaru searched for the best thing to say during the instant he had been permitted. Subaru’s gaze wandered as his lips quivered.
244
245“I-it’s not gonna hurt, is it?”
246
247“Should I applaud your devotion to your flippant tongue, I wonder?”
248
249Speaking with a tone of genuine admiration, the girl reached her hand to Subaru’s chest. Her palm pushed against his breast, her fingertips pressing softly against the surface. It felt ticklish. And—
250
251“Bwah…!”
252
253—the next moment, Subaru felt like his entire body was on fire.
254
255Something was running wild inside him, making him feel like he was on fire from the tips of his fingers to the very ends of his hair. The eerie pain was as if a finger of flame were tracing his internal organs.
256
257His vision darkened. When Subaru came to, he had fallen onto his knees, a large amount of tears flowing from him.
258
259“It seems you did not faint. Perhaps you are as sturdy as I heard?”
260
261“Wh-what did you do, drill loli…”
262
263“I simply interfered with the mana inside your body. Does the circulation feel slightly off, I wonder?”
264
265The girl calmly murmured as she knelt down and jabbed a finger into Subaru’s body.
266
267“Well, it would be good to confirm whether you had hostile intent or not. And, for your rudeness toward my hard work, your mana should be confiscated before letting you go, I suppose.”
268
269Subaru, having reached his limit, was unable to remain upright from the jab, his head falling to the floor. Despite this, he was able to slowly use his neck, looking up as the girl glared down at him with a sadistic smile.
270
271“You’re not…human, are you? And I don’t mean your personality….”
272
273“You are quite slow to grasp that for someone who has met Puckie already.”
274
275The girl looked down with amusement as Subaru crawled. She looked younger than her choice of words hinted at, feeling like the sort of little girl who’d rip the wings off an insect in a cruel game.
276
277“Correction… Your personality’s…inhuman, too…”
278
279“Surely a sublime being far beyond your ability to measure, human.”
280
281It was an overly glacial statement coming from the lips of a little girl.
282
283Subaru felt the inside of his chest smolder. But he had no strength left to describe the heat with words. Subaru’s consciousness sank into darkness against his will.
284
285—Geez, I just woke up and I’m getting knocked out again?!
286
287“If you died here, your husk would be troublesome to remove. I shall speak to the others.”
288
289—Don’t say husk, it makes me sound like an insect, you little brat—
290
291Subaru returned to sleep once more, unable to move even his frivolous tongue.
292
293
294
295
296
297(4)
298
299
300“My, it seems he has awakened, Sister.”
301
302“Yes, Rem. He is awake.”
303
304When he next awoke, two girls spoke, their voices sharing the same timbre.
305
306He was in the same soft, comfortable bed as before. The slight opening of the curtains let in the dazzling rays of the sun, burning sleepy Subaru’s eyelids. He instinctively assumed it was morning.
307
308“Ugh, I’m not so much nocturnal as I am a denizen of the night. Waking up in the morning makes my chest burn…”
309
310Wide awake, Subaru sat up as he remembered that his day and night cycles were inverted while school was out. He looked around, rotated his shoulders, and shifted his hips toward the window as he looked in that direction.
311
312“Dear Guest, it is now Seven Solartime.”
313
314“Dear Guest, it is about Seven Solartime.”
315
316Their friendly voices conveyed the time of day. Seven Solartime—he didn’t know what that meant, but he guessed it meant something similar to seven AM.
317
318“That being the case, if you don’t count the wake-up earlier, I’ve slept for about a whole day, huh? Well, my record is two and a half days, so this is no big deal, really.”
319
320“Sister, did you hear? Quite a lazy thing to say.”
321
322“Yes, Rem, I heard. Quite a good-for-nothing thing to say.”
323
324“So who’re these ladies who’ve been chewing me out in stereo here?!”
325
326Subaru sat up quickly, taken by surprise at the girls, sandwiching the bed from both sides. The girls rushed a short distance to a corner of the room, joining hands and drawing their faces close as they looked at him.
327
328Standing side by side, their faces were two peas in a pod; the girls were obviously twins.
329
330Both stood about a hundred and fifty centimeters tall. Their big eyes, pink lips, and the soft, youthful loveliness of their faces made them outright adorable. Both wore their hair in short bobs, with their hair parted to fall across one eye—the right eye on one and the left eye on the other.
331
332The way their hair was parted and the fact that one had pink hair and the other blue were the only visual clues to tell them apart.
333
334The twins watched Subaru carefully. His mind quivered, as though it were all scratched up, as he suddenly realized.
335
336“No way… There are maid outfits in this world, too?!”
337
338
339They wore black apron dresses with white accents and white lace headpieces on their heads. These outfits were specially modified to expose their narrow shoulders, which, combined with the short skirts, flaunted their body lines in scandalous ways. Subaru didn’t know a whole lot about maid outfits, but he was certain the level of skin exposure represented the designer’s personal taste…though the twins who wore them were beautiful regardless.
340
341“I thought maids were supposed to dress modestly…but I think I’m a fan!”
342
343“This is terrible, Sister. Right now, in Dear Guest’s head, you are the subject of obscene, degrading thoughts.”
344
345“This is dreadful, Rem. Right now, Dear Guest’s head has become filled with completely disgusting thoughts about you.”
346
347“Don’t take my mental capacity for granted, ladies. You’re both going to star in my fantasies!”
348
349Subaru crossed his forearms and made suggestive motions with his fingers. The gesture made the two maids’ faces tremble; the girls wrapped around each other, releasing their hands and pointing at each other.
350
351“Please forgive me, Dear Guest. Let me go and defile Sister instead.”
352
353“Please stop this, Dear Guest. Let me go and humiliate Rem instead.”
354
355“Where’s the sisterly love here?! I mean, selling each other out and making me some archvillain?!”
356
357The two maids pushed the role of scapegoat onto the other, looking at Subaru as if wondering which one he’d sink his evil fangs into first. That was when he suddenly noticed…
358
359Knock, knock. The girl stood inside the open door, tapping it softly while looking at the three of them.
360
361“…Couldn’t you wake up with less drama?”
362
363Today, she was letting her long silver hair hang naturally all the way to her hips. Her outfit was not the robe he’d seen at the capital but rather, an outfit that accentuated her light skin and slender physique with its design.
364
365The skirt was unexpectedly short; Subaru, marveling at how it showed off her long legs, pumped a fist.
366
367“I get it! Whoever chose this, I get what they were thinking!”
368
369The silver-haired girl—Emilia—gawked at Subaru’s praise.
370
371“…I’m not quite sure what you’re referring to, but I’m veeery disappointed that I know it’s something meaningless.”
372
373In one move, Emilia’s sudden visit had greatly improved Subaru’s mental state.
374
375In a place full of unknowns—his incident with the first little girl he had met was especially poignant—seeing Emilia, a friendly face he’d known since just after his summoning to another world, made it all the more special in his mind.
376
377“To think I was worried a bit when I heard Beatrice was rough on you when you were low on blood… I really shouldn’t have bothered.”
378
379“I’m in a super good mood from waking up to your face, though. And I’m a little afraid to ask this, but…”
380
381With Emilia giving him a suspicious look, Subaru put both his hands together and timidly looked at her with upturned eyes.
382
383
384
385
386
387“You, ah…remember all about me, right?”
388
389“That gesture, for some reason I don’t like it. Also, that’s an odd question. I don’t think I’d forget someone who stands out as much as you do, Subaru.”
390
391With Emilia smiling charmingly at him and calling his name, Subaru slumped his shoulders in relief. Then, realizing that for once a girl was calling him by name, he was rather flushed.
392
393“Please listen, Lady Emilia. This person was terribly humiliating. For Sister, that is.”
394
395“Hear this, Lady Emilia. This man has trapped and violated girls. Rem, that is.”
396
397The twins left Subaru behind, who was now red to the tips of his ears, as they rushed to Emilia’s side to make their baseless charges. Emilia made a strained smile at their slander and glanced sideways at Subaru.
398
399“I…don’t know Subaru enough to say I know he wouldn’t do that, but I trust that he probably did not. Don’t tease him too much, okay?”
400
401“Yes, Lady Emilia. Ram shall reflect on this.”
402
403“Yes, Lady Emilia. Rem will reflect on this.”
404
405Despite their statements, the twins didn’t appear to mean it even a tiny bit. Emilia showed no signs of objecting to their attitude; perhaps she was simply used to it.
406
407“Anyway, Subaru, are you doing all right? Nothing feels wrong anywhere?”
408
409“Mm, oh, yeah, before I slept I felt like my whole body was on fire and I was going to die, but I don’t feel one bit of that now. I actually feel like I slept a bit too much.”
410
411“If you’re no worse than that, good. Can you handle a little stroll?”
412
413“Stroll?”
414
415Emilia was making a small smile as Subaru tilted his head.
416
417“Yes, a stroll. I try to go into the garden once a day, and this seems like a good time for it, no?”
418
419“Once a day…doing what? Watering the flower bed?”
420
421“Not exactly. One of the conditions of my pact with the various spirits is that I make contact and speak with them every morning.”
422
423When Emilia said spirit, Subaru thought back to the cat spirit he’d seen with Emilia.
424
425A stroll and a chat with the spirits. It was a nice idea that provided fodder for his curiosity—and his ulterior motives.
426
427“Sounds like great rehab to me, Emilia-tan. How about I stroll around the garden and exercise while you’re talking to the spirits?”
428
429“Well, if you don’t talk loudly or make a big fuss, sure… Eh? What did you say just now?”
430
431“Okay, it’s a deal. Let’s go to the garden!”
432
433“Hey, what did you say? What is tan? Where’d that come from?”
434
435The pet name seemed to throw off Emilia. Subaru was hiding his blush at having her call his name so openly when he turned toward the faces of the two maids standing side by side. “Hey, maid sisters. Where are my old clothes? Feels like I got in a hospital gown while I was out. I figure the mansion here lent this to me, but…”
436
437“Do you understand, Sister? Perhaps he means that drab gray rag?”
438
439“I understand, Rem. He means that bloodstained mouse-colored piece of filth.”
440
441“Some guts there, calling it filthy and looking like a dirty rat. If it’s in one piece, could you hand it over?”
442
443Faced with Subaru’s request, the twins turned to Emilia. Their looks said they wanted permission. When Emilia responded with a nod, the twins politely bowed and left the room.
444
445“You don’t need to hear this from me, but you mustn’t strain yourself. You were terribly injured.”
446
447“You closed the wound perfectly, though. Oh yeah…”
448
449As if remembering something, Subaru straightened his posture and slowly bowed his head to Emilia.
450
451“Thank you for healing my wounds, Emilia-tan. You saved me. I really am scared of dying. I’d like to do it only once.”
452
453“Normally once is all you get…? But, mm-hm, never mind that…”
454
455After the spontaneous verbal jab, Emilia’s purple eyes wavered as she looked at Subaru.
456
457“I should be the one thanking you. You risked your life for mine when you barely knew me. Healing your wounds was the least I could do.”
458
459Subaru’s breath caught at her sincerely apologetic look.
460
461He hated himself for being unable to give her the reply he wanted to.
462
463—Emilia had said never mind that at her saving him. Yet it had been Emilia who’d saved him first.
464
465But the only record of that was inside Subaru’s memories.
466
467Subaru smiled, holding in the gratitude he could never properly convey.
468
469“—Well, since we saved each other, I think we’re all square here.”
470
471“Square…?”
472
473“It means that neither of us owes the other a thing, so let’s get along, brotha!”
474
475If he were talking to a resident of the Poor District, this would be the time for him to kindly clap them on the shoulder. But at that moment, it was all Subaru could do to cover up his embarrassment and blushing face as best he could. Emilia made a small smile at Subaru.
476
477“Do I really need a younger brother this weird?”
478
479“That’s a pretty harsh comment?!”
480
481He slumped his shoulders at the casual put-down.
482
483Both laughed at the exchange as the door opened and the twin maids returned. Subaru straightened as he saw them carrying the top and bottom of his tracksuit, one part each.
484
485“Guess it’s time to restart the day.”
486
487His first day since surpassing Return by Death was truly beginning.
488
489
490
491
492
493(5)
494
495
496Subaru shook his head when the maids offered to dress him, changing clothes by his own power before heading to the manor’s garden with Emilia.
497
498Subaru let out a sigh of admiration as he looked over the broad garden.
499
500“This is really big, too. The mansion’s huge, but this is more a grassland than a garden.”
501
502He’d seen gardens of the manors of the well-off in manga and anime from time to time. They were the sorts of places where you held dinner parties. There, in the middle of the huge garden, Subaru began stretching exercises to begin his rehabilitation posthaste.
503
504Emilia looked on curiously as she watched Subaru’s movements.
505
506“Those are odd moves. What are you doing?”
507
508“Oh, don’t you do warm-ups here? You do them before starting strenuous exercise.”
509
510“Hmm, I haven’t really seen much of that. But I do understand it’s dangerous to make sudden, hard movements.”
511
512“So people don’t do stretching in this world? Oh well, it can’t be helped—how about I teach you? Genuine warm-up exercises from my homeland, passed down through the generations!”
513
514Emilia seemed to yield in the face of Subaru’s confident proclamation. “R-right. Just a bit, then,” she said, copying Subaru. Subaru stood beside Emilia and gave out instructions.
515
516“Morning Warm-Up Part Twooo! Reach high with your hands and stretch that back~~!”
517
518“Eh, what, no way?!”
519
520“Just do what I do. I’ll pound the essence of radio calisthenics into you yet!”
521
522With Emilia lost, Subaru scolded her and followed the beat of a routine famous around the nation.
523
524Emilia was still bewildered at first but proved a quick study. When both finished making their final deep breaths, Subaru spread both hands into the sky.
525
526“And last, raise your hands. Victory!”
527
528“V-victory!”
529
530“Okay, there you go, Emilia-tan, you are now a Radio Calisthenics Novice!”
531
532Having finished doing calisthenics with all her might, Emilia’s face showed the new title had made a deep impression. But she made a face like she’d just remembered her original purpose.
533
534“Right. Things really got off the beaten path, but if I forget this, they’ll be upset.”
535
536Emilia, making a thin, pleasant smile as she spoke, brought out a green crystal from her pocket and showed it to Subaru.
537
538“Ah, that’s…”
539
540“A crystal for spirits to inhabit. You know, like Puck.”
541
542“The kitty cat that slept through all the big stuff? Bet he doesn’t know about my heroic scene, then?”
543
544The crystal glowed as if to rebuke Subaru’s taking him lightly. The indifferent voice came from the crystal at first.
545
546“Oh, not at all, Subaru, Lia told me all about it after things got wrapped up.”
547
548Finally, light poured out of the crystal and condensed into an outline forming atop Emilia’s palm.
549
550“Heya. Morning, Subaru. Nice weather.”
551
552“It’s been an up-and-down night and morning for me, though. First the looping corridor, then that menacing little girl. Now I’m past that and working up a sweat with Emilia-tan…”
553
554Emilia’s lips tapered into a pout.
555
556“People will get the wrong impression if you say that.”
557
558Emilia then looked at Puck, sitting atop her palm.
559
560“Good morning, Puck. Sorry for pushing you so hard yesterday.”
561
562“Good morning, Lia. I’m the one sorry for yesterday, though. I almost lost you. I can’t thank Subaru enough, really.”
563
564Puck looked up at Subaru with his round black eyes as he stroked his pink nose with his paw.
565
566“Well, I owe you something. I wonder if there’s anything you want? Something I can do, I mean.”
567
568Subaru’s reply to Puck’s grandiose statement was immediate.
569
570“All right, let me touch that fur of yours to my heart’s content.”
571
572Puck’s and Emilia’s eyes went wide. Apparently, the speed of the reply had surprised them as much as the content.
573
574“Sh-shouldn’t you take a little longer to decide? Puck might look small and unreliable, but his power level really is quite something.”
575
576“Hey, to me, being able to feel fur like from the finest fabrics is a really huge thing. I wouldn’t take any amount of money over it. No, seriously.”
577
578As Subaru spoke, he indulged his right and stuck his finger toward Puck: first belly, then chin, and the ears to finish him off.
579
580“Oh, these ears are addictive! I’m totally into your fluffiness here!”
581
582“I know from reading the surface of your thoughts, but to hear you actually say it, wow.”
583
584Subaru liberally toyed around as Puck made pleasant noises from his throat.
585
586Emilia let out a sigh of resignation as she watched Subaru and Puck play.
587
588“Well, I’m going to talk to the lesser spirits, then… It’s fine if you two play, but don’t interfere, okay?”
589
590“So, she dumped us.”
591
592“Yep, she dumped us.”
593
594As both slumped their shoulders, Emilia made a point of ignoring them as she softly went to a corner of the garden. She gave the ground a light brush before sitting down. Emilia closed her eyes as pale lights began to surround her.
595
596—He’d seen that sight before.
597
598“Lesser spirits, huh?”
599
600“That’s right. Most are classified as lesser or greater spirits…though a lot are outside of those categories.”
601
602“Not that it doesn’t help…but I don’t know how to classify them.”
603
604Subaru knew that the lights frolicking around Emilia were lesser spirits because Emilia had said as much during the loop in the royal capital.
605
606As Emilia sat, she spoke softly to the minor spirits, smiling from time to time; the minor spirits seemed to brighten or fade accordingly.
607
608“You said ‘a pact with minor spirits,’ but, like, what is that?”
609
610“A ceremonial pact with a spirit—forging a covenant.”
611
612Subaru frowned at the term he hadn’t heard before.
613
614“Err, you see, a Spirit Master can’t use spirit spells unless she makes a pact with spirits first. The details of the pacts differ according to the spirits. Still with me?”
615
616“So it’s not like interest and collateral for a bank loan, then. Gotcha.”
617
618“My name’s not Gotcha, but let’s move on. So individual spirits want different things…but minor spirits like that just want pacts with simple conditions like contact with the caster.”
619
620“So it’s like easy stuff for beginners. I take it that doesn’t work for other spirits?”
621
622“It helps that you’re quick on the uptake. This won’t get far if you keep going off on tangents, though?”
623
624Oops, said Subaru with a blushy smile. For his part, Puck gave him a warm look as he toyed with his own whiskers.
625
626“Right, it’s a bit harder to satisfy a spirit with a mind of his own, like me. I’d like to give to the pact maker as good as I take…but my conditions with Lia are pretty strict.”
627
628“It’s been on my mind since earlier, but Lia, that’s a cute nickname.”
629
630“Your Emilia-tan’s even cuter, though. I should call her that, too.”
631
632“—Don’t. Seriously. I’m begging you.”
633
634With puffed-up cheeks, Emilia cut into their silly games.
635
636As Emilia returned, the spirits around her winked out; apparently Spirit Talk Time had come to an end. Subaru stood up and brushed the grass off his rear.
637
638“Quality time over? That felt easier than I expected.”
639
640“I was mindful of you two, so I asked them to keep it short. We have things we need to discuss today.”
641
642As Emilia spoke, she offered up her palm; Puck leapt from Subaru, landing upon it. Puck’s round eyes turned toward Emilia with what seemed like a small, satisfied smile.
643
644“It’s all right. I got a good feel for him, and I can’t find one shred of malice, hostility, or intent to do harm. Subaru’s a good boy, though his personality is a bit weird.”
645
646“Now wait a…”
647
648Aghast at Puck appraising him to Emilia on various levels, Subaru could only gape.
649
650“Why did you… Even if it’s true, isn’t saying it in front of him hurtful?”
651
652“Oh, ah, that’s fine! I’m a complete stranger to you, so of course you’d check me out. You’re right to doubt. But that part at the end really hurt, Emilia-tan!”
653
654Emilia quickly covered her mouth with a hand and made a pained smile at Subaru.
655
656Subaru hadn’t touched Puck all over without a reason. He’d expected this to come up. Emilia and the others weren’t so careless as to accept Subaru without knowing a single firm thing about him. No doubt that partially explained Ram’s and Rem’s demeanor.
657
658“That said, I don’t have any good way to explain.”
659
660There was obviously no preexisting record of Subaru in this world. Explaining that he’d been summoned was a tough sell, with good odds he’d be treated as a lunatic.
661
662That being the case, letting Puck get a good read on him was the best option. Words from Puck, trusted by Emilia and able to read conscious thoughts, were a lot more convincing than anything Subaru could come up with.
663
664“It’s all right, Lia. Oh, and I know what you were up to, Subaru. Naughty boy, using my mind reading like that.”
665
666“I’m honored. Let’s get along famously, my friend!”
667
668How Subaru addressed them put a look of shock on Puck’s face; he then broke into a wide smile.
669
670“It’s been a while since I got this kind of treatment. I like it.”
671
672“I’d rather hear those words from Emilia-tan. Oh well, as they say, to take down a general, first take down his horse… Well, you’re kind of a cat so does that still make sense? …I wonder?”
673
674A surprised look came over Emilia as she watched Subaru put a finger to his chin and sink into serious thought.
675
676When Subaru curiously raised his eyebrows, Emilia inhaled a bit.
677
678“—Really, Subaru, you are so strange.”
679
680“Huh?”
681
682“Giving leading looks to a…half-elf like me who speaks to spirits like it’s a normal thing…it surprised me, even as a joke.”
683
684In his heart, Subaru countered, Would you be as surprised if you knew it wasn’t a joke? But he forgot all about that as he fell for Emilia’s charming smile.
685
686This smile was on par with the one she’d given him when they’d exchanged names at the royal capital. It seemed fleeting and fickle, which only made his heart flutter all the more.
687
688Her beautiful, flowing silver hair was as surreal as dew in the moonlight; her skin was as pale as the first snow. Her violet eyes seemed to hold Subaru’s mind firmly in their spell and wouldn’t let go.
689
690He knew she was sublime, beautiful, with a heart of gold wrapped around an unshakable core.
691
692Subaru wanted nothing more than to put his hands on his cheeks and give thanks to Mother Nature, but he abstained.
693
694“Huh, wonder what’s with those two?”
695
696And, as Emilia mentioned something she’d noticed, Subaru looked toward the manor.
697
698The twin maids were walking down from the mansion. Both gave formal bows before Subaru and Emilia, speaking in perfect stereo, not off by the slightest bit.
699
700“—Master Roswaal, lord of the manor, has returned. Please come this way.”
701
702Their perfect combo surprised Subaru, but the maids’ change of demeanor surprised him more.
703
704Their earlier frivolousness was nowhere to be found, replaced by a sense of dignity befitting servants of the upper crust.
705
706“I see. Roswaal… We’d best go see him, then.”
707
708“Yes, and he said to bring our Dear Guest as well, should he be awake.”
709
710Puck wriggled into Emilia’s silver hair. Emilia’s face stiffened a bit as she patted down her hair. Watching her from the side, Subaru cracked his neck slightly at being addressed.
711
712“So, who is this Roswaal guy, anyway?”
713
714“Lord of this manor… Ah, that’s right, I didn’t explain.”
715
716Emilia put her palm to her mouth as she realized her own slip.
717
718“Err, right. Roswaal is… You’ll understand when you meet him.”
719
720“You gave up on that explanation too fast! What, he’s too plain to describe?!”
721
722Emilia, Puck, Ram, and Rem all replied in unison…
723
724“—No, the opposite.”
725
726Subaru’s jaw dropped open in a face of surprise multiplied by four. The blue-haired girl gently closed his mouth from below with her hand before giving a solemn bow.
727
728The pink-haired maid standing beside her motioned to the mansion.
729
730“One cannot describe the likes of Master Roswaal with words alone. You shall understand when you meet him, Dear Guest. It is all right; he is a kind lord.”
731
732The twins met each other’s gazes and nodded, with the repeated affirmation serving only to deepen his doubts.
733
734With Subaru bewildered, Emilia looked like she grudgingly agreed with the twins as she gently reached out to him. Giving Subaru’s shoulder a couple of pats, Emilia murmured in a grave voice.
735
736“—You’ll probably get along just fine, Subaru. He’ll wear you out, though.”
737
738
739
740
741
742CHAPTER 2
743THE PROMISED MORN GROWS DISTANT
744
745
746
747(1)
748
749
750In the dining hall the twins led them to, where breakfast was to be held, the girl with curly hair said in place of a greeting, “Watching from above, I felt…dismay at seeing your considerably disappointing head, I wonder?”
751
752Emilia had split off midway to return to her room to change clothes, so at that moment, only Subaru and the curly-haired girl were in the dining hall. Subaru made a sour face at her sarcasm.
753
754“What’s with talking like that on a fine morning like this, loli?”
755
756“What is that term, I wonder? I have never heard it, yet it feels distinctly…unpleasant.”
757
758“It means you’re not on my list. I never go for girls younger than me.”
759
760“…Perhaps I should pity you for having insulted me so?”
761
762Deliberately ignoring the sarcastic girl’s words, Subaru looked over the dining hall.
763
764A table covered in a white cloth was at the center; the plates had already been set. If one was set for Subaru, it was surely the lowest seat at the table.
765
766“I don’t know anything about table manners. How about I let you give me pointers?”
767
768“Is that arrogance, I wonder? If you do not understand, simply say so and lower your head.”
769
770“If I could do that much, I might as well just sit in the big chair and really irritate you.”
771
772The girl shook with anger, her face going red as Subaru waved with a palm and sat in the big chair. It’d probably be Emilia or the lord of the manor who’d sit there, with fifty-fifty odds for each.
773
774Seeing Subaru genuinely unable to get comfortable in the chair, the curly-haired girl shook her exasperated face.
775
776“Well, fine. More importantly, have you no words with which to thank me?”
777
778“Thanks? I asked for help just now and you brushed me off, didn’t you? And what kind of person asks to be thanked? I’d wanna see the look on your dad’s face for that one!”
779
780“What are you angry for, I wonder?! I should be the angry one! After all I did…!”
781
782They kept egging each other on.
783
784The girl, her voice flustered at Subaru’s reply, never quite finished her sentence. Mindful of the unnatural pause, Subaru prompted her to continue, but…
785
786The door to the dining hall opened and the twin maids came in pushing a cart.
787
788“Pardon us, Dear Guest. I shall set the meal.”
789
790“Pardon us, Dear Guest. I shall set the tableware and the tea.”
791
792The blue-haired girl laid out an orthodox breakfast menu consisting of salad, bread, and the like, while the pink-haired girl briskly poured and placed cups of tea. The warm scents made Subaru’s stomach grumble out of nowhere.
793
794“Whoa, not bad at all. Now this is a breakfast fit for nobility… I was worried it was going to be some weird out-of-this-world thing.”
795
796Subaru, worried that any strange thing could potentially be served here, was considerably relieved.
797
798When he looked all around, he couldn’t place anything in particular that seemed to pose physical or mental danger.
799
800His enthusiasm rising, Subaru leaned back against the chair, making it creak. The sound echoed throughout the dining room, bringing a hint of annoyance to the girl’s soothing face.
801
802For some reason, Subaru couldn’t resist needling the curly-haired girl. Wanting to see her soothing face break down further, Subaru, full of mischief, decided to move his butt all around the chair.
803
804However, before he could do so, a new individual entered the dining hall, his happy-sounding voice interrupting everything else.
805
806“Ohhh my. You certainly seem raaather spry. That is good, veeery good.”
807
808He was a tall man, at least half a head above Subaru’s height, wearing his dark blue hair long to nearly cover his entire back. But his body seemed not so much slender as delicate, with his skin color ghastly pale.
809
810Combined with the look of his face, he somehow seemed like some sort of pretty boy. The effect was further accentuated by his left and right eyes being different colors, the first yellow, the other blue.
811
812—Well, it might have if he wasn’t decked out in that weird outfit and makeup that made him look like a clown.
813
814“…Man, you hired a jester to entertain us before breakfast? I’ll never get how rich folks think.”
815
816Beatrice watched and commented.
817
818“I have some idea what you must be thinking, but I shall not get in the way.”
819
820“Don’t be that way, Betty. We’re friends, right? Let’s do some more small talk.”
821
822“What kind of relationship do you and I have, I wonder? Also, do not speak my name so casually.”
823
824The girl snubbed him with a shrug and withdrew from the conversation.
825
826Subaru scowled at her behavior as the clown walking into the dining hall opened his eyes wide, looking at both her and Subaru.
827
828“Oh my, it is raaare to see Beatrice here. Is it not fortuitous thaaat you decided to share a meal with me after so looong?”
829
830“If that man over there is the only optimist, wouldn’t that already be too many, I wonder? I wait for Puckie and Puckie alone.”
831
832Brushing off his chummy statement, the girl—Beatrice—shifted to behind the clown. The silver-haired girl, having finished changing her attire, entered the dining hall a bit after the clown.
833
834“Puckie!”
835
836Practically leaping from her seat, Beatrice ran over, her long skirt swaying. Seeing a smile like a flower in bloom come over her was so adorable that it made him forget how he’d pegged the girl as “cheeky.”
837
838Her gaze was trained on Emilia, but it was not Emilia who replied.
839
840“Heya, Betty. It’s been four days. Have you been happy and ladylike?”
841
842Beatrice nodded at the words of the buoyant little gray kitty popping out of Emilia’s hair.
843
844“I have been eagerly awaiting your return, Puckie. You would enjoy spending the day together, I wonder?”
845
846“Yeah, that’d be great! Both of us can take it easy for one day.”
847
848“That is wonderful!”
849
850Puck leapt off Emilia’s shoulder to land upon Beatrice’s outstretched palms. As she caught Puck, Beatrice lovingly embraced him and ran around in circles then and there.
851
852Subaru was struck senseless by the happy, carefree scene as Emilia walked over with a teasing smile.
853
854“Tee-hee, aren’t they merry? Puck and Beatrice are very close, you see.”
855
856“Nobody uses merry anymore…”
857
858When Subaru gave Emilia his stock reply for when she used outdated words, Emilia went, “Mm?” and pointed Subaru’s way.
859
860“Er, Subaru, that chair…”
861
862“Oh, right! Uh, it’s not what you think. I mean, a cold chair really throws you off, so I figured I’d warm it up a little. It wasn’t that I just wanted to sit where you usually sit, like an indirect sit-down, really.”
863
864“Sorry, I’m not really sure what you mean, but that’s Roswaal’s seat.”
865
866With Subaru’s big scheme foiled, he slid off the chair in front of the wide-eyed Emilia.
867
868“Oh, there’s no need for concern. I see, your warmth may not reach Lady Emilia, but I shall treasure it greatly.”
869
870The clown reached out and patted Subaru’s shoulder, smiling at him in consolation. The touch to his shoulder and the gently smiling, made-up face drew a sour frown from Subaru.
871
872“This clown’s acting real chummy. It’s not polite to touch the dancing girls, you know?”
873
874“Since when did you become a da… Er, no, Subaru, this man is…”
875
876“My, my, myyy, I do nooot mind, Lady Emilia. Considering how he went from being at death’s door to being in such high spirits, shooould we not be quiiite grateful?”
877
878The clown’s tone of voice excelled at getting on one’s nerves, yet his statement was extremely sensible. The others continued to watch the clown as he slowly sat down in the chair—the very chair at the head of the table that Subaru had been seated in just before.
879
880“Hey, now. Not that I should say this, but sitting in someone else’s chair is gonna tick people off.”
881
882Emilia made an exasperated face at Subaru’s statement as she murmured, “No need to worry about th… You, ah, really should introduce yourself to Subaru.”
883
884It seemed Emilia’s exasperation was also directed toward the clown.
885
886“What do you mean?”
887
888“In ooother words, she meeeans…this.”
889
890The clown seated in the chair replied to Subaru’s query as he spread his arms out wide.
891
892“’Tiiis I, lord of this manor, Roswaal L. Mathers. It is goooood that you feel so safe and comfortable under my roof, Subaru Natsuki.”
893
894And so, the deviant noble dressed as a clown introduced himself in a lively manner thoroughly devoid of shame.
895
896
897
898
899
900(2)
901
902
903Beginning with Roswaal in the seat of honor, they sat in prearranged seats and began breakfast.
904
905“Mm…this is better than usual…”
906
907Subaru was admiring the food before his eyes reminiscent of salad and soup. Roswaal nodded back, seeming to take personal pride in Subaru’s appraisal of the cooking as he looked at Rem.
908
909“Mm-hmm, iiindeed, indeed. She may not look it, but Rem’s cooking is quite something.”
910
911When Subaru looked at Rem, too, she made a fox sign with a hand. Subaru didn’t know what it meant, but it might’ve been this world’s version of making a V with your fingers.
912
913Subaru made a frog with both hands in reply.
914
915“So the blue-ha… Is calling you Rem fine? So you cooked this?”
916
917“Yes, Dear Guest. Rem handles the meals in this household. Sister is not especially good at it.”
918
919“Oh-ho, so it’s like, you twins have different specialties. So, your sister’s really good at cleaning?”
920
921“Yes, Sister specializes in cleaning inside and doing the laundry.”
922
923“So since you’re good at all the cooking, you’re not so good at cleaning and laundry, Remrin?”
924
925“No, I excel at all domestic chores, including cleaning and laundry, more than Sister.”
926
927“What’s she here for, then?!”
928
929An older twin sister worse at everything under the sun than her little sister? This was a new one.
930
931The older sister seemed to pay no heed to Rem’s statement. Subaru couldn’t prove it, but he guessed the words were true. So why wasn’t Ram bothered by it at all…?
932
933“So maybe it’s different fields, huh? Ramchi does combat stuff and the other does more domestic stuff?”
934
935“Not a baaad guess. Though Ram and Rem make a poor first impression because of their idiosyncrasies, yes?”
936
937“Hard for that to stand out now when their master’s so unique, Rozchi.”
938
939By Rozchi, Subaru was addressing the man in charge by a pet name, but Roswaal let the statement pass with practiced ease. Subaru had an ingrained tendency to get a rise out of people, but not so here. That said, the items on the menu vanished from the plates one after another before they knew it.
940
941“It’d be something of a dilemma if the food wasn’t good, but it’s delicious, so no prob. Right, Emilia-tan?”
942
943Emilia wiped her lips with a napkin, grimacing at Subaru’s carefree words. Subaru tilted his head, wondering what was up, as Emilia exhaled slightly.
944
945“You know, Subaru, you shouldn’t speak at the dinner table. It’s rude to Ram and Rem, who prepared this all by themselves. Without proper manners, you’ll make blunders during important occasions, so…”
946
947“No one uses blunder anymore… Table manners, huh. Kind of late to learn them now, though, right?”
948
949Subaru delivered his cliché while motioning toward the dining hall with his hand. In spite of the spacious hall, Subaru was sitting right beside Emilia.
950
951By rights, the two would be seated quite far apart to make full use of the dining table.
952
953“But I moved closer because I wanted to eat with Emilia-tan. Roswaal didn’t say he minded, so what’s the big deal? I mean, you can give me any veggies you don’t like.”
954
955“All right, you can have my green bepper— Wait, that’s not the point. I’m being an idiot.”
956
957Subaru laughed, finding it cute how Emilia tapered her lips in a pout at being outdone in their verbal jousting.
958
959After that, Subaru belatedly brought up an issue Emilia’s words had raised.
960
961“Incidentally, Rozchi, I thought I heard Emilia-tan say this household has only two maids working here?”
962
963“Ahh, yeees, such is currently the caaase. Ram and Rem are the only ones left.”
964
965“Two people handling a place this huge? You’d think people would die from overwork no matter how good they are. That said…it doesn’t feel like you’re going to be hiring any new maids here?”
966
967Roswaal was silent to Subaru’s question, crossing his arms at the table. Roswaal’s face displayed a smile, but the eyes with which he regarded Subaru had subtly changed.
968
969“You truly are a mystery, having come to the house of Mathers at the far reaches of the Kingdom of Lugunica, yet you do not know the circumstances? Amazing that you made it past royal customs.”
970
971“Well, I am kind of an undocumented immigrant in a sense…”
972
973Subaru’s casual reply startled Emilia; she gave him a glare like she was scolding a young child.
974
975“I can’t believe it. If you say things like that so easily, bad people will make mincemeat out of you.”
976
977“Nobody uses mincemeat anymore.”
978
979“Don’t joke about this. Hey, Subaru, is that really true? Is everyone where you come from like this, or is it really just you who doesn’t know?”
980
981Subaru, feeling bad at how Emilia was genuinely worried, reflected upon his own behavior.
982
983“Err, more like my education’s especially lacking. So if it’s no bother, I really would be grateful if you filled me in.”
984
985“You seem an educated enough child to me from the big words you’re using, but…”
986
987“I mean, this here’s my debut with high society. I mean, there’re things you don’t know either, Emilia-tan? Honorifics like that and extra-polite words seem to throw you off?”
988
989“Err…you do have a point.”
990
991Emilia seemed to shrink at Subaru’s observation. Seeing Emilia like that surprised him, but it was not the wilting Emilia who followed up but Roswaal, previously silent in the seat of honor.
992
993“I do understand what you are saying, but Lady Emilia is cuuurrently studying such things, you seeee.”
994
995“Studying, huh. Wait, you mean we lost her when we were talking earlier?”
996
997“You truly do have an active mind. It is because you think so much that you can make such thoughtless-sounding statements.”
998
999Subaru slouched from Roswaal’s apparent praise before giving his own chest a thump.
1000
1001“Thinking while you live is just common sense. It’s the duty of every man to think on his feet for when the chips are down. That or your guts get spilled all over the floor.”
1002
1003“I feel like your guts kind of did spill on the… Ahem. Back to the other subject… Subaru, do you know this country’s…the Kingdom of Lugunica’s situation at the moment?”
1004
1005“Not the smallest, tiniest bit.”
1006
1007“Hearing you say it like that, I’m shocked you’ve lived this long.”
1008
1009That doesn’t sound like praise to me, Subaru thought while looking fondly at Emilia. He wasn’t trying to arouse her protective instincts, but she was certainly giving him that mother-hen feeling.
1010
1011“By ‘situation’…you mean the country’s in a bad spot?”
1012
1013Roswaal carefully chose his words.
1014
1015“A fairly difficult situation, yes, for Lugunica currently lacks a king.”
1016
1017Subaru’s breath caught as it sank in. He gave the man in performer makeup a guarded look as he sat straighter in his chair.
1018
1019“There is no need for suuuch concern. The gravity of the situation is alreeeady well known to the public, you see.”
1020
1021“Well, that’s good. I was thinking I’d learned a dangerous secret and would never get out alive.”
1022
1023“It’s sad you’re hearing it first from us… Anyway, the nation’s highly unstable right now,” Emilia said.
1024
1025I see, thought Subaru as that sank in. A kingdom without a king was in a very precarious situation. The sudden death of a king, from natural causes or otherwise, could shake a country to its core.
1026
1027“But isn’t that usually dealt with by having a child of the king inherit and take over?”
1028
1029“Usually, that iiis the case. Howeeever, that went awry due to an incident half a year ago when a great plague struck inside the palace walls.”
1030
1031As Roswaal told it, they announced that the epidemic only affected those of a particular bloodline. And so, the king and his descendants dwelling in the castle perished.
1032
1033“Can’t blame them for getting sick and dying. But what’s gonna happen to this country, then? If there’s no royal bloodline, what, start a democracy and elect a prime minister?”
1034
1035“I do not cooomprehend the latter part of your statement, but presently, a Council of Elders manages the affairs of the country, formed from great families decorating the kingdom’s history. The country will continue to operate. However…”
1036
1037After pausing a moment, Roswaal grew tenser.
1038
1039“…a kingdom must have a king.”
1040
1041“I suppose so.”
1042
1043Even if just for show, you couldn’t have an organization without someone at its head, let alone a kingdom.
1044
1045“I see,” reflected Subaru. “I’ve got the gist of it. In other words, the country has no king and is in a jumble while it’s trying to pick a new one. Your relations with foreign countries are deteriorating and you’re in international isolation. So a mysterious foreigner like me appearing is…super suspicious?!”
1046
1047“Fuuurthermore, by making contact with Lady Emilia, you have become associated with the House of Mathers, you see… Though the evidence is circumstantial, that is all some would need to…”
1048
1049Roswaal lowered his eyes and traced a line across his throat with his thumb. Though Roswaal looked like he was joking, Subaru suddenly broke out in a cold sweat.
1050
1051He had a bad feeling about something. He’d picked up on it earlier, but it loomed larger and larger with each passing moment.
1052
1053“Why is…the lord of the manor calling Emilia-tan lady?”
1054
1055The golden rule of any household was that everyone paid respect to the person of the highest rank.
1056
1057When Roswaal laughed, Subaru felt like the bud of anxiety in his chest had begun to bloom.
1058
1059“Is it not naaatural to address someone of higher rank than I with proper reeespect?”
1060
1061Subaru froze with his mouth open. He looked at Emilia so robotically that you could hear the gears turn in his neck. The girl, a grimace on her face, sighed with resignation.
1062
1063“I don’t want you to think I was pulling the wool over your eyes, all right?”
1064
1065“—Err, in other words, Emilia-tan, you’re…?”
1066
1067Subaru stubbornly stuck to the nickname as she seemed to drive in the final nail.
1068
1069“Currently, my title is royal candidate, one of those seeking to become the forty-second ruler of the Kingdom of Lugunica…with the backing of Roswaal’s House, that is.”
1070
1071Her words made Subaru feel like he’d insulted Heaven itself.
1072
1073
1074
1075
1076
1077(3)
1078
1079
1080—So the pretty girl he’d stumbled upon in the other world was a queen.
1081
1082That word alone firmly established that this was a true-blue fantasy world.
1083
1084Technically, she was a candidate to be queen. When he remembered his time in contact with her now…
1085
1086“Man, three lives aren’t enough to pay for this, are they…?”
1087
1088“Sorry to surprise you this much. I really hadn’t meant to keep quiet about it, but, well…”
1089
1090“Hey, I’m not upset. You truly are as kind as an angel, Emilia-tan.”
1091
1092“Eh?!”
1093
1094Subaru’s overly direct words made Emilia’s face look shocked, then scarlet.
1095
1096“Well, you know, you’re the reason everything’s happened since I’ve been here, Emilia. You’re seriously E M T (Emilia-tan’s a Major Treasure), that’s my honest opinion!”
1097
1098“…Sigh. Now I think I understand how I got involved with you. You’ll brush off anything from anyone. Let’s just get to the point, shall we?”
1099
1100Traces of redness still on her face, Emilia clapped her hands to reset the scene. Though still seated, the earlier sense of distance seemed to return; Subaru was forced to go along.
1101
1102“I feel like I am interruuupting, but regardless, let us indeed get to the poooint, shall we? Is that fiiine with you, Subaru?”
1103
1104“Based on my head not flying off my shoulders, I’m guessing it’s nothing all that bad.”
1105
1106Roswaal whistled at Subaru’s words. Emilia looked equally taken off guard, for both surely saw Subaru’s words and actions as a sign that he had a firm understanding of their intentions.
1107
1108Of course, both were reading far too much into it, but that flew way over Subaru’s head.
1109
1110“Well, that’s what I guessed about the ‘point’ based on your telling me Emilia-tan’s a royal candidate and why that’s important, right?”
1111
1112Emilia made a belated remark.
1113
1114“…Subaru, are you actually smart, or are you simply wrong in the head?”
1115
1116“Those are two extreme choices, you know?!”
1117
1118Subaru agonized as Emilia stuck out her tongue at him a little. She was cute, so all was forgiven.
1119
1120Notwithstanding Subaru’s internal simplicity, Roswaal followed up after Emilia’s “apology.”
1121
1122“Your guess is quite on target. This matter is deeply related to what shall become of you. Lady Emilia?”
1123
1124“Mm, I understand.”
1125
1126Emilia, nodding when called, pulled out something and set it on the table. Her white fingertips pushed it forward. Subaru raised his brows when he saw it.
1127
1128“—That’s that badge from…?”
1129
1130Glittering atop a white cloth, it was a badge with a dragon motif, a jewel embedded in the center of its maw. It was also the key item stolen by the light-fingered Felt, which Subaru had returned to Emilia, its proper owner, coming back from three deaths to do it.
1131
1132The deep, serene twinkle of the jewel struck Subaru’s eyes, filling him with newfound awe.
1133
1134“The dragon is the symbol of Lugunica, you see, enough that it is known by the rather graaand name, the Dragonfriend Kingdom of Lugunica. Castle walls and weapons are often adorned with this symbol, but this badge is particularly important.”
1135
1136When Roswaal took a pregnant pause, Subaru looked at him to urge him to continue. Roswaal shifted his gaze to Emilia to suggest she proceed. Emilia closed her eyes as her lips trembled.
1137
1138“It is one’s qualification as a royal candidate—a test to determine if the person is worthy of sitting on the throne of the Kingdom of Lugunica.”
1139
1140Her statement, said in a strained voice, made Subaru’s eyes go wide. The badge sitting on the table, a dragon with wings outstretched on the glittering jewel, supported the proof of her claim.
1141
1142“H-hold on here… You lost the badge that proves you’re a royal candidate?!”
1143
1144“That’s putting it rather crudely. A light-fingered girl stole it!”
1145
1146“Same difference—!!”
1147
1148With that great shout, Subaru smacked his palms against the dining table as he rose to his feet. The impact threatened to make utensils fall to the floor, but Rem’s quick follow-up prevented that. Subaru paid that no heed as he spoke.
1149
1150“Wait, seriously, what’d happen if you didn’t have it?! That’s, like, the type of item that’s really, really bad to throw away, right?! They can’t issue another one?!”
1151
1152“Weeell, if a candidate loses it, it won’t end with just talk and excuses, yeees?”
1153
1154With Subaru all flustered, Roswaal adjusted the lapel of his unnecessarily large outfit as he spoke.
1155
1156“A king carries the kingdom on his shoulders. It is thought that a person who cannot protect a single small badge cannot be entrusted with a responsibility as grave as an entire land.”
1157
1158“Well, that figures. If anyone knew, it’d be a huge scandal… Which means?!”
1159
1160The strife in the royal capital over the stolen badge and the warm reception now—it could mean only one thing.
1161
1162Subaru continued, “It’s really bad if the public finds out you lost the badge. That’s why Emilia-tan was looking for it all by herself.”
1163
1164Emilia replied, “…Yes, that’s right.”
1165
1166“Felt was the one who stole it, but Elsa was the client, and she said someone else put her up to it…meaning someone’s trying to stop Emilia-tan from becoming queen?”
1167
1168“That wooould appear to be the case. There is no simpler way to disqualify someone than to steal the baaadge.”
1169
1170Inside Subaru, everything that had taken place the day before started to come together.
1171
1172How Emilia stubbornly refused his help; Felt and her client, Elsa; Subaru being murdered three times over—all of it was rooted in the value of the badge. So, too, was why Subaru was there at the manor.
1173
1174“Man, looking back on it, I did a super good job! Man, I need a bigger reward, huh!”
1175
1176Subaru was full of himself now that he suddenly knew the importance of his own actions. He looked down at Emilia haughtily, wagging his finger teasingly. He was waiting for the punch line. But.
1177
1178“Yeah, you’re right. You’ve been a huge help to me, Subaru. So much that merely saving your life isn’t enough. That’s how much this means to me.”
1179
1180The way she lifted her hand to her breast, giving Subaru a serious look, put him at a loss for words.
1181
1182The stiffness of his cheeks didn’t match the tense, serious aura all around him.
1183
1184—Oh man, I seriously suck at reading the mood.
1185
1186Subaru’s inability to read the tension in the air clashed with the serious look on Emilia’s face. Finally, amid his great embarrassment…
1187
1188—
1189
1190“…What are you doing?”
1191
1192“Er, my hand just kind of reached out.”
1193
1194With Emilia staring at him, Subaru had gently brushed his fingertips into her hair, not so much stroking her head as simply passing his fingers through the hair and enjoying the feeling.
1195
1196“I’m an easygoing guy. I was thinking this would be reward enough for me.”
1197
1198“…You stroked Puck’s fur, too. Subaru, do you have some kind of hair fetish?”
1199
1200Subaru let out a yell at the harsh assessment.
1201
1202“Hey, wait, fur and hair aren’t the same thing at all! Your silver hair’s really pretty!”
1203
1204Emilia’s silver hair truly felt smooth as silk; its soft charm bewitched Subaru in an entirely different way from Puck’s fur.
1205
1206But for some reason, Subaru’s words made Emilia lower her eyes with a pained look. Subaru tilted his head, not knowing the reason for Emilia’s action. His head was still like that when he felt a gaze from behind.
1207
1208“Ah, perrrhaps we are in the way? We could leave you two to yourselves?”
1209
1210“Your concern’s the dictionary definition of none of your business. And it’s still my turn to ask questions.”
1211
1212Subaru continued enjoying the feel of Emilia’s hair as he used his free hand to point at Roswaal.
1213
1214“I understand Emilia-tan being a candidate for becoming queen, but what about this business of you backing her?”
1215
1216“You really aaare rather observant. You’ve picked up the preeevious matters quite well, though this is aaall second nature to any human born and raised in the city.”
1217
1218“I’m honored to have your praise, Count. Though simple anime and romance novels kind of prepared my mind for this fantasy stuff.”
1219
1220Like any reader, he’d been thrust into original scenarios with confusing, hard-to-remember world-building. Stuffing this level of background info into his head was no big accomplishment.
1221
1222“Well, it is not something I was trying to conceal. My title is the Kingdom of Lugunica’s…I suppose technically I am lord of the outer regions, but my role sounds better expressed as…court magician, perhaps?”
1223
1224“Court magician…? So you handle magic use at the castle?”
1225
1226Emilia picked up where Subaru’s words left off.
1227
1228“Yes. That’s the magician of the highest rank… He’s the foremost magic user in the entire kingdom.”
1229
1230She looked a little dissatisfied nonetheless. Roswaal seemed nothing but pleased with Emilia’s reply, smiling as he brought some tea to his lips.
1231
1232“So continuing the earlier topic, I stand in support of Lady Emilia’s royal candidacy. I am the shield behind her, her patron, sooo to speak.”
1233
1234“Patron, huh.”
1235
1236A representative for those backing her. So that was the position of the man before his eyes.
1237
1238Subaru looked anew at the tall man in clown makeup before gently trading a glance with Emilia.
1239
1240“I don’t mean to put this the wrong way but…Emilia-tan, you sure about this guy?”
1241
1242“It can’t be helped. He’s the only one in the kingdom I can ask for support. In the first place, only a meddlesome eccentric like Roswaal would help someone like me, so…”
1243
1244“Ah, I see. Process of elimination.”
1245
1246“Quiiite a conversation you two are having right in front of your patron, if I maaay say so…”
1247
1248Perhaps feeling somewhat slandered, Roswaal gave off an adult chuckle rather than anger. Maybe he had really thick skin—that or he simply took pleasure in ignoring people.
1249
1250“So, back to the point, Rozchi. I get that you’re Emilia-tan’s sponsor. It’s cute how she goes from one extreme to another to hide how she’s a bit of an airhead, but acting on her own like she did yesterday in the capital, that’s kinda rare, huh?”
1251
1252“I wooould call it unprecedented. Thooough Ram should have been with her…”
1253
1254Roswaal made a strained smile as he shifted the topic to Ram. When Subaru looked at her, he saw she had the same hairstyle and face as Rem, standing beside her. At least you could nicely tell them apart by their hair color.
1255
1256“Man, that totally smug ‘I got away with it, just as I hoped’ look gets on my nerves.”
1257
1258Whether she intended to reflect on her error or not, he had her over a barrel. However, Emilia raised a hand in her defense with an awkward look on her face.
1259
1260“Um, it’s not Ram’s fault. Yesterday I split up from Ram because I…lost out to my curiosity and wandered all around.”
1261
1262“What’s that doe-eyed little-girl excuse?! Emilia-tan being a big airhead doesn’t change the fact that she didn’t fulfill her lord’s commands. Is that all right…?”
1263
1264With Emilia trying to cover for Ram, Subaru pointed a finger from each hand at her before he shifted them over to Roswaal.
1265
1266“You dooo have a point, thoooough I share responsibility for Ram’s lack of discretion. But what are you trying to say, I wooonder?”
1267
1268“Simple. You’re the ones who dropped the ball by taking your eyes off someone important like Emilia-tan. That’s where I came into the picture. I’m saying, if you had it all covered to begin with, none of this would’ve happened.”
1269
1270Subaru’s little speech changed the looks on everyone’s faces.
1271
1272Emilia raised her eyebrows, one of the twins looked apologetic while the other glared with hostility, Beatrice still had her heated gaze trained on Puck while Puck was precariously stuck headfirst into the egg yolk on the dish before her…and Roswaal made a pleasant smile, nodding as if he agreed.
1273
1274“I seeee. Certainly Lady Emilia’s worth exceeds my considerable personal fortune. It is appropriate that you should seek a reward only from me, as her sponsor, iiis it nooot?”
1275
1276“Yep. And you’re not gonna say no, are you, Rozchi? I mean, I saved Emilia-tan’s life and stopped her from dropping out of the royal selection. I’m totally her savior!”
1277
1278Subaru rose from his seat and posed with a finger pointed up to the sky.
1279
1280“I muuust admit that it is the truth. Now, then, would you care to elaborate?”
1281
1282Roswaal, too, rose from his seat, looking down at Subaru from his superior height. Emilia looked worried as she watched Subaru and Roswaal stare each other down.
1283
1284“Whaaat is it that you seek from me? I cannot refuse your request, if only to prevent this matter from becoming public knowledge. Nooow then, what is your desire?”
1285
1286“Heh-heh-heh, that’s a noble for you; you really get it. Whatever reward I want! And you can’t say no, Rozchi! A man doesn’t take back his word!”
1287
1288“That is quiiite a saying! I see, a man should make no excuses. No reneging on his word.”
1289
1290Subaru’s petty villain behavior made him hear his popularity meter drop in his mind, but the entire effort was devoted to dragging that one statement out of him.
1291
1292Roswaal’s consent made Subaru’s inner self smile.
1293
1294“I want one thing and one thing only. I want you to hire me.”
1295
1296Compared to the extended foreplay, Subaru’s declaration was plain and simple.
1297
1298The girls behind Subaru were in shock at his statement. The looks on the twins’ faces became mildly conflicted, whereas Beatrice looked seriously perturbed. As for Emilia…
1299
1300“I-it’s not for me to say, but that’s kind of…”
1301
1302Her eyes were so wide that even the sublime beauty she was born with lost half its power.
1303
1304“You’re cute when you’re surprised, but are you that against the idea?”
1305
1306“It’s not that; you want so little!”
1307
1308It was like Emilia was angry for him as she slapped the table and closed the distance with Subaru.
1309
1310“It’s not just the thing with Puck, okay? It’s…like when you asked me my name back in the royal capital.”
1311
1312Emilia listed the rewards Subaru had claimed to the best of her knowledge. Emilia knew what he’d done to get those rewards; she shook her head like she really didn’t understand.
1313
1314“You don’t…understand how grateful I feel. I can’t…repay you at all for saving my life and more, if you ask for so little!”
1315
1316Emilia’s inflection tapered off as she pressed a palm to Subaru’s chest and lowered her head.
1317
1318Hearing Emilia’s lament, Subaru painfully understood his own thoughtlessness.
1319
1320Emilia had always felt indebted to him. She wanted to pay him back in some suitable way.
1321
1322But the same went for Subaru. Subaru had always been indebted to Emilia. And twice he had become indebted to her in a way he could never repay.
1323
1324He could not repay kindness that had “never happened.”
1325
1326Before him, Emilia raised up her wavering violet eyes. Seeing the serious look with her plea, Subaru abandoned all thought of kidding around or papering it over.
1327
1328Subaru decided to convey to Emilia how he really felt with all the seriousness he could muster.
1329
1330“You don’t understand, Emilia-tan. At the time, that was what I truly wanted from the bottom of my heart, you see?”
1331
1332“—Huh?”
1333
1334“At the time, I wanted to know your name. I think being in a new, uncertain land with no idea what would come the next day, if I’d stopped to think about it, there were lots of things I could’ve considered— But I’m a man who can’t lie to himself.”
1335
1336It was a reward for which he’d died three times.
1337
1338For nothing more than to see the smiling face of the silver-haired girl before his eyes and to learn her name.
1339
1340—At that moment, there was no greater reward he could wish for.
1341
1342“My request to Rozchi’s like that, too. Right now, I’m completely, totally broke. Sure, I could ask for a pile of gold, but why not set myself up so I can make a living long-term?”
1343
1344“…If you wanted that, you could ask to just live here for free, not as a manservant, you know?”
1345
1346“Oh, I could’ve done that?! Hey, Mr. Roswaal, could you let me live as a fr—”
1347
1348Looking at Roswaal as Subaru tried to amend his wish, the man crossed his hands above his head in an X mark.
1349
1350“I shall honor the first request. A man does not take back his word, dooooes he?”
1351
1352“Whoa! You’re right! A man doesn’t do that, huh?!”
1353
1354Subaru tearfully found his request denied because someone had to open his big mouth earlier.
1355
1356“And I thought for a moment there you seemed actually serious… I must have just imagined it.”
1357
1358“And then Emilia-tan lowers my rating! That’s kicking me while I’m down!”
1359
1360Subaru realized he’d passed up the chance to establish the perfect easy life in a fantasy-world environment. He didn’t need to lower the beautiful girl’s opinion of him on top of that.
1361
1362“Anyway…that’s how it is, so…I mean, Ramchi and Remrin must be straining to take care of this place all by themselves, so please let me work under them.”
1363
1364“It iiis true that is an actual concern… Though I beeelieve it is as Lady Emilia said, it is indeeeed asking rather little?”
1365
1366With Roswaal showing a strained smile for once, Subaru put up his left and right index fingers and wiggled them.
1367
1368“I’m a super greedy guy, actually. I mean, living under the same roof as a super cute, beautiful girl who’s totally my type, what guy wouldn’t want that? Close in body is close to the heart, and opportunities abound!”
1369
1370“…I seeee, certainly it is as you say. It is rare one gets to work by the side of girls one is interested in, iiis it not? Quiiite pleasant for you.”
1371
1372“Well, besides.”
1373
1374Subaru stopped wiggling his fingers and used them to scratch his unkempt hair.
1375
1376“Besides, you’re not gonna let a guy you know nothing about like me just pack up and leave. And to me, the pros and cons say I should stay with Emilia-tan.”
1377
1378Subaru knew a few too many inconvenient things. He was declaring his belief that nothing good would happen to him if he left the manor without any means of protecting himself.
1379
1380If Roswaal had never considered any such thing, no doubt he would have taken extreme offense. But in contrast to Subaru’s awkward feelings about it, “Then it shall be as you ask—I hope we geeet along very nicely.”
1381
1382Roswaal’s instant reply came with one eye closed, looking at Subaru with his yellow eye alone.
1383
1384Subaru couldn’t read what he was thinking behind that suspicious twinkle.
1385
1386
1387Incidentally, Subaru was very embarrassed inside from having made such a strong public confession.
1388
1389But when Subaru timidly looked at Emilia’s expression…
1390
1391“Goodness, you really are a hopeless child… Did something happen?”
1392
1393Her perfectly calm reply left Subaru at a loss for words.
1394
1395Maybe he was overthinking it? This was just the result of his lack of experience with being around a beautiful girl.
1396
1397“Man, dealing with a girl I like this much is gettin’ me all worked up…”
1398
1399Emilia, watching Subaru get fired up on a tangent instead of dealing with more pressing matters, murmured in a little voice, “Which one’s more your type, I wonder…Ram or Rem?”
1400
1401Emilia put a finger to her lips in a huff, taking what he’d said earlier completely the wrong way.
1402
1403
1404
1405
1406
1407(4)
1408
1409
1410—With the long breakfast taken care of, the matter of what to do with Subaru was largely settled.
1411
1412Seeing this, the first to stand was the girl with curly hair—Beatrice.
1413
1414“I see the discussion is settled, so may I take my leave with Puckie, I wonder?”
1415
1416Beatrice was quick to finish her own meal so that she could leave as soon as possible. Grimacing even then, she seemed about to leave without bothering to put her plates in order when Subaru wagged a finger at her.
1417
1418“Wait, there’s no need to be in that much of a hu— Hey, at least introduce yourself. I don’t know what your place is here at all. You Rozchi’s little sister?”
1419
1420“Treating me as that thing’s relative? You are quite accomplished at angering me.”
1421
1422Beatrice let out a sigh full of disgust as Roswaal, thoroughly bad-mouthed, smiled in amusement. Subaru slumped his shoulders as Beatrice shot him a nasty glare when Puck spoke up.
1423
1424“Betty’s the librarian of the archive of forbidden books here in Roswaal’s manor!”
1425
1426“Puckie?!”
1427
1428Just when it seemed like an argument was about to break out, the gray cat’s statement tore it to shreds. Puck was busy nibbling on the heel of a loaf of bread glazed with sugar for a luxurious dessert.
1429
1430“Sweet, tasty, meow…”
1431
1432“Hate to bug you when you’re on a sugar high, but could you tell me more?”
1433
1434With Puck lost in a sweet daze, Subaru touched Puck’s heavily sprinkled ear, urging him on.
1435
1436Subaru was toying with it quite a bit when Puck raised his face from the plate.
1437
1438“It’s because Roswaal’s a pretty accomplished magician, plus he comes from a pretty old family. There’re lots of books here that aren’t for other people to see. So, he made a pact with Betty for her to protect them.”
1439
1440“Yes, that’s true. How is Puckie always so right, I wonder?”
1441
1442Beatrice seemed to agree without thinking, speaking as her hand sprang out to Puck’s other ear. A lovely look came over her as her fingers felt the fur of his ears.
1443
1444It was the first time Subaru had seen Beatrice with an expression that suited her loveliness.
1445
1446Subaru’s breath caught. The odd girl out, Emilia tilted her head a bit as she watched.
1447
1448“You two look like you’re really getting along nicely while playing with the cute kitty there.”
1449
1450“Getting along nicely with this person is a little…!”
1451
1452“How could I ever get along with this person, I wonder?!”
1453
1454Subaru and Beatrice both shot down Emilia’s idea. For his part, Subaru was hiding a blush; for her part, Beatrice looked quite serious.
1455
1456“Hee-hee. I’m so scary, making two people at odds with each other into my slaves… Meow meow meow!”
1457
1458Puck was busy being the literal center of attention when Emilia’s outstretched fingers grasped him. Puck was in Emilia’s fingers, unable to move, as she sighed.
1459
1460“All that said, being the guardian of an archive of forbidden books… The sound of it really tickles a guy’s mind.”
1461
1462Beatrice was giving Subaru a sullen look as he tickled Puck, but Subaru’s suggestion softened her expression. She toyed with her own long rolls as she gave what was, for Beatrice, a frank reply.
1463
1464“Perhaps you did not hear Puckie’s explanation? It is the room you entered earlier.”
1465
1466“Oh, the one with all the books!”
1467
1468Remembering the great volume of books chewing up all the floor space, Subaru could accept it being that kind of archive. On the other hand, the idea that all those volumes were somehow forbidden made him feel like it was a crime on a completely different scale.
1469
1470“Don’t tell me this loli’s your unwitting partner in crime…?!”
1471
1472“That word annoys me every time I hear it. And to answer your question, the very thought that I am an innocent victim annoys me enough, couldn’t I just die, I wonder?”
1473
1474“Don’t be so prickly, shrimp. It takes calcium and a calm heart to get taller. If you were about as tall as Emilia-tan and me, we’d have quite a little love comedy going on here…”
1475
1476He left Beatrice to stew indignantly at his comment as he gave Emilia an amorous glance. But Emilia let that comment slide and pressed a different issue with Beatrice.
1477
1478“Wait a minute. Beatrice…don’t tell me you let him into the archive?”
1479
1480“…I shouldn’t have to tell you. Why would I ever need to let in a stranger such as him on purpose, I wonder? No, he solved the riddle of the Passage all on his very own.”
1481
1482A vein bulged on Beatrice’s forehead as she roughly stood up and pushed open the dining hall door.
1483
1484Subaru, faced with the incomprehensible scene before him, asked like a complete idiot, “Ah? The hallway just…?”
1485
1486Before his eyes, the open door that should have led to the manor’s hall beyond had opened to a huge room lined with bookshelves. He almost swooned when he remembered that he’d seen it once before.
1487
1488“This is the Passage. You are trembling as its sublime beauty burns itself into your eyes, perhaps?—Come on, Puckie.”
1489
1490Beatrice stepped into the archive of forbidden books, looking triumphantly at Subaru as she stretched out her hand. Puck leapt from Emilia to land upon her outstretched palm.
1491
1492Upon this, Beatrice closed the door behind both her and the cat.
1493
1494Ram didn’t say a word as she opened the shut door. Subaru’s eyes widened in total surprise.
1495
1496“Whoa, that’s incredible.”
1497
1498Beyond the door, closed so roughly a moment before, Subaru walked with his own feet into the hallway beyond. The scene before him a moment before was like a mirage.
1499
1500“I see. In other words, magic makes it so any door here can connect to any room. Pretty neat for recluses who need to find the john in a pinch.”
1501
1502Emilia seemed a bit thrown off.
1503
1504“You actually look less surprised than I expected. What’s a recluse?”
1505
1506“A guardian who sacrifices himself holding down the fort at home, waiting for weary family members to return.”
1507
1508“Er…that sounds noble. Are you a recluse, Subaru?”
1509
1510Emilia was full of concern when a puff of smoke interrupted her and Subaru, tickling his nose.
1511
1512“Achoo!”
1513
1514“Yes, yes, shall we continue the introductions? Ram, Rem.”
1515
1516“Pleased to make your acquaintance. I am Rem, employed as chief maid by this household.”
1517
1518“Nice to meet you. I am Ram, working as an ordinary maid in Master Roswaal’s mansion.”
1519
1520Subaru crossed his arms.
1521
1522“Wow, you sisters suddenly got nice and formal. Well, not that I’m one to talk, but…”
1523
1524The twins joined hands and looked at Subaru.
1525
1526“But Dear Guest…or rather, Subaru, you are our coworker now?”
1527
1528“But Dear Guest…or rather, Barusu, you work under us here now?”
1529
1530“Hey, Big Sis. You’re throwing my name back in my face here.”
1531
1532That was the one thing you absolutely did not do at your first formal introduction. Of course, there was no way for Ram or Rem to know of that rule of Japanese society. Subaru endured the mockery as he turned toward Roswaal.
1533
1534“So that’s my standing, huh? Not so much a butler as an apprentice maid?”
1535
1536“In this situation, your doing odd jobs at their discretion seeems best. Dissatisfied…?”
1537
1538“If I was gonna be dissatisfied I’d have only myself to blame. Well, had to be done, so no regrets. Take good care of me, my seniors. I’m gonna work super hard and break a leg!”
1539
1540“Break a leg.”
1541
1542“So it would seem.”
1543
1544The three seemed to instantly agree on the never-before-raised term. With a yeah! Subaru raised his hands and they high-fived each other. They were already getting along.
1545
1546“Harmonious relations are a beautiful thing. As your employer, I think it iiis just fine, so long as there are nooo ill feelings, yeees?”
1547
1548“For some reason, we kinda get along. A lot better than that loli! Way better than with her!”
1549
1550“You really don’t want to be seen as Beatrice’s friend, do you…”
1551
1552Emilia’s pitying murmur signaled the end of the gathering.
1553
1554
1555
1556
1557
1558(5)
1559
1560
1561“Well then, shall we be off, Barusu?”
1562
1563So spoke Ram, commanded by Roswaal to be Subaru’s personal tutor. Her little sister, Rem, was off to the side meticulously cleaning up the dining hall; Ram made no effort to help as she reached for the dining hall door.
1564
1565“So you intend to call me that full-time, huh?”
1566
1567“Yes, I do, Barusu. Master Roswaal commands it, so I shall show you around the mansion. Can you at least make sure not to wander off?”
1568
1569“I’m not Emilia-tan, so I won’t let curiosity get the best of me.”
1570
1571Emilia’s cheeks puffed up at being teased about getting lost in the capital.
1572
1573“Su-ba-ru!”
1574
1575Emilia was about to split off to continue studying various ceremonial roles, mandatory for a royal candidate. Subaru was making a point of burning Emilia’s beauty into his eyes before she left.
1576
1577“Well, with minor regrets, let’s be off. Lead the way.”
1578
1579“Yes, let us, Barusu. Until later, Lady Emilia.”
1580
1581Ram held the hem of her skirt, bowing courteously as she left. Subaru started to follow behind her.
1582
1583“Subaru. I will, too, but…try hard, okay?”
1584
1585“Wow, I’m super happy to hear that. I’m really pumped for this!”
1586
1587Mimicking Ram, Subaru held the collar of his track jacket as he bowed. Emilia shot him a strange look as he did so before leaving the room. Ram had a grimace on her face, waiting as he walked into the hallway.
1588
1589“That’s quite a sour face, Big Sis. I was just playing around a little. I’m not so ignorant of maid culture to the point that I think a maid is the same as a manservant. Oh yeah, what about clothes?”
1590
1591He didn’t think it was very likely he’d be starting life as a servant in his tracksuit.
1592
1593Prompted by Subaru, Ram put a hand to her mouth and nodded.
1594
1595“Certainly, clothing is very important. Let’s see, clothing in your size… Yes, we should have some.”
1596
1597“Awesome. Okay, let’s get me changed, then. I think formal actually suits me pretty well. Let’s make me a refined, high-quality man!”
1598
1599Subaru smiled with a thumbs-up and a twinkle of his eyes when Ram led him upstairs to take his measurements.
1600
1601“The servant quarters are on the second floor, so you’ll change there. Your clothing size should be similar to Frederica’s, who quit several months ago.”
1602
1603“Huh, interesting timing to quit. This Frederica…is a woman?”
1604
1605“Her dimensions should be right about the same as yours.”
1606
1607“But she’s not the same gender, right?”
1608
1609Ram stopped walking and gave Subaru a cold look. She looked tired as she put her hand to her forehead.
1610
1611“Clothing that is formal, refined, and high quality…which of these do you have a problem with?”
1612
1613“How about all the above?! Emilia-tan looked like she was gonna pay me and everything, so why do I have to borrow a maid outfit?! What if people think I’m some kind of weirdo?! I don’t want that!”
1614
1615A trip to a fantasy world without any special talents, save cross-dressing. Subaru would almost have rather died. But, since Subaru had a frightening ability, death was no consolation.
1616
1617Guided by Ram, he continued to the west side of the manor. Roswaal Manor had a main wing in the center, with a corridor connecting it to the east and west wings. The dining hall and Roswaal’s private study were in the main wing, whereas the empty servants’ quarters were on the western side.
1618
1619“An empty room on the second… Yes, any room that has no plate above it is fine. Pick whichever you wish for your private quarters and I shall drop off your change of clothes there.”
1620
1621“Okay, roger that. Hmm, which one…”
1622
1623Having been granted private quarters in the mansion, Subaru surveyed the candidates from the end of the corridor onward. Having said that, surely only the locations differed; the contents would remain the same. Being near the stairs was convenient, so…
1624
1625“All righty, I’ll pick this room over h—”
1626
1627He opened the door with no special consideration. At that moment, he spied what looked like a loli playing with a kitty cat in a library.
1628
1629“Fuwaah, you’re so wonderful, Puckie. Your fur is the best fur ever…”
1630
1631The girl with the long curls noticed Subaru and slowly shifted her gaze toward him. Subaru looked back at Ram, standing in the corridor, as she shook her head. Subaru gave her a big thumbs-up.
1632
1633“Don’t worry, I won’t say a thing. That feeling turns all of us into blithering idiots…”
1634
1635“Could you cut short the magnificently stupid statement and close the door already, I wonder?!”
1636
1637“Gyaha!”
1638
1639Some invisible power, likely something magical, threw Subaru back, and he flew hard into the corridor wall. The impact to the back of his head made Subaru’s eyes spin as he saw out of the corner of his eye the door slam shut with a ferocious sound.
1640
1641Shaking his head, Subaru retraced his steps to complain about the violence of a moment before.
1642
1643But when he opened the door, an empty room within greeted him. The Passage had done its magic.
1644
1645“Once Lady Beatrice conceals her aura, one cannot know which door it is. She will not emerge unless you go opening every door in the entire mansion.”
1646
1647Ram spoke like he should bluntly accept defeat. From behind, she patted his shoulder. That feeling made Subaru admit he had lost this—
1648
1649“Oh man, she annoys me. She acted like I did something wrong there!”
1650
1651Or not.
1652
1653Brushing off Ram’s hand, Subaru turned and sprinted down the corridor full force. In front of wide-eyed Ram, he ran straight to the door at the other edge of the hallway.
1654
1655“Here!!”
1656
1657“—Hyah?!”
1658
1659The girl yelped as the gray cat made a sound of admiration.
1660
1661“Impressive, Subaru.”
1662
1663This time, seeing Beatrice’s face rocked at his having broken the Passage a second time, he instantly made a roll into the archives so that she couldn’t blow him out again.
1664
1665Beatrice’s eyebrows rose with anger at something one simply did not do in any library, never mind these archives.
1666
1667“You are kicking up dust!”
1668
1669“Well, you should’ve dusted it better, then!! And you don’t bring cats into the library anyway! You get claw marks all over the covers!”
1670
1671“It’s fine, Lia trims my claws really short!”
1672
1673The odd man out, Puck’s casual murmur failed to reach Subaru and Beatrice as they argued. They looked ready to shout loud enough that the echoes would carry through the entire mansion.
1674
1675Ram, belatedly entering through the door leading to the archive of forbidden books, looked at the arguing parties and said in a small voice, “If not friends, you certainly are birds of a feather.”
1676
1677Roswaal Manor seemed to shake from their combined shouts.
1678
1679“—Absolutely not!!”
1680
1681
1682
1683
1684
1685(6)
1686
1687
1688And so, Subaru’s life as a servant started with a bang.
1689
1690With the conclusion of the unexpected session with Beatrice, Subaru used a dressing room to put on the servant’s attire that Ram had given him. It was a white shirt with a black jacket and matching pants, doing no violence to Subaru’s preconceived image of a butler. The problem lay elsewhere.
1691
1692“Hey, Ramchi, I put on the outfit, but…”
1693
1694Ram, waiting outside the dressing room until he’d finished, entered when called.
1695
1696“Though I’d like to say something about how I’ve been addressed, is there something wrong with…?”
1697
1698Ram, complaining as she made her way in, stopped mid-sentence as she got a good look at Subaru, putting her hand to her forehead.
1699
1700“Indeed there is. Your shoulders, and also, your legs are too short.”
1701
1702“You mean my height?! The shirt’s fine, but the jacket’s real tight on the shoulders. I’m decently athletic, not that it gets me anywhere, but this super tight top makes me look like a macho man here.”
1703
1704Just as Ram had indicated, the shoulders were stiff because the sleeves were a poor fit. In particular, the armpits were far too tight for his shoulders to move. Subaru wondered if this was a natural problem when dealing with hand-me-down servant uniforms.
1705
1706“I can roll up the sleeves, but the top’s no good like this. I suppose I can handle shortening sleeves on my own, but…”
1707
1708“So you have unexpected talent, Barusu… We cannot have you working in such a sorry outfit. It will bring the manor’s, and Master Roswaal’s, standards into question.”
1709
1710“He dresses like that and he worries about standards?”
1711
1712Though Ram had a neutral expression, the tilt of her head made plain her displeasure, so he shut up. Subaru’s “zipping” his lips with his finger brought a sigh out of Ram.
1713
1714“We can do nothing for what is inside, but we can at least make you look presentable. At any rate, let’s leave the shortening of the legs for later and just fix the top.”
1715
1716“Easier said than done, though? I don’t have any experience with that, either.”
1717
1718Maybe I could manage anyway, voiced Subaru as he assessed the limits of his sewing skills, but Ram countered, “No need for concern. Rem, come over here.”
1719
1720“Come over here…? She’s not gonna pop right in just ’cause you…”
1721
1722“You called, Sister?”
1723
1724“Waaaaah!”
1725
1726As soon as she was casually called, Rem appeared right beside them, giving Subaru quite a fright. It was as if they were playing a joke.
1727
1728The twins tilted their heads in unison as they watched Subaru’s shocked, frozen reaction.
1729
1730“What are you so surprised for?”
1731
1732“What are you so scared for?”
1733
1734“I’m not s-scared! Just a little surprised! That Twin Power thing’s really something!”
1735
1736Maybe it was some kind of twin “sympathy” they talked about on those supernatural investigation shows; that thing where they could read the other even when apart.
1737
1738Seeing Subaru so shaken, Ram made a hmph sound.
1739
1740“Of course it is no such thing. I spotted her happening to walk by and called out to her. Perfect timing.”
1741
1742“That last part sounds like it’s rubbing it in somehow?”
1743
1744Ram cut in.
1745
1746“So what is it you need? I do not have much time to waste on Subaru.”
1747
1748“That uncaring attitude really hurts, geez! I’m the new guy! Be gentle!”
1749
1750But the truth was that Rem was indispensable for maintaining the manor. Delaying her for any real length of time was surely a bad thing, yet Ram looked at Rem, pointing to Subaru as she stated, “Rem, surely you have noted Barusu’s pathetic appearance?”
1751
1752“His shoulders rotate oddly and his legs are too short. Also, his face is terrifying. And?”
1753
1754“You just had to poke at two things I can’t do anything about!! It’s not like clothes; you can’t change how your face looks no matter how hard you try!”
1755
1756The sisters ignored Subaru’s complaints as they continued to converse. Subaru, the odd man out despite being the subject, was left with nothing better to do than to roll up his sleeves.
1757
1758“Barusu, hand Rem your jacket. You will have to do without it until tomorrow morning.”
1759
1760“That’s a big help, but…sure about this? You’ve got a mountain of work, right?”
1761
1762“Of course I am quite busy. However, handing it over saves time and trouble later.”
1763
1764“Ahh, right. Please and thank you.”
1765
1766Swayed by the sound argument, Subaru stripped off his jacket and handed it to Rem. Upon taking the jacket, Rem pointed to the dressing room and motioned with her chin for him to get in.
1767
1768“I need to take your measurements. You can’t take them yourself, can you?”
1769
1770“…I feel sorry for making you go through all this trouble.”
1771
1772“I do not mind. Someday, you shall repay me for this. With interest.”
1773
1774“That doesn’t sound quite right, but you seem dead serious. So scary!”
1775
1776Subaru and Rem left the haughtier-than-thou Ram in the corridor and went into the dressing room.
1777
1778The dressing room held not only servant uniforms but various changes of clothes for Roswaal as well. Everything felt like it came straight from a circus dressing room.
1779
1780When his gaze left the area with lord’s attire of rather poor taste, several more flowery outfits drew him in. One of them was an outfit he’d seen at the royal capital, so these were no doubt outfits for Emilia.
1781
1782“I’d love to have her model all of those, twirling around and showing them off…”
1783
1784“What are you mumbling about? Get over here, please.”
1785
1786Summoned by the especially sharp voice, Subaru obeyed without further kidding around. The middle of the dressing room had no booth for trying on clothes, but it did have a divider for that purpose, and there awaited Rem with a slender measuring tape. The elaborate imprint on the tape marked it as a high-quality item.
1787
1788“Stand straight over there. Stretch out your arms so I can measure your arms and shoulder height.”
1789
1790“Okay, roger that. Thanks.”
1791
1792Turning away from Rem, Subaru reached out both arms as she had instructed. Subaru stretched his short frame as much as he could while Rem wrapped the tape around his arms and back.
1793
1794Subaru’s shoulders quivered with a sensitive sound when he suddenly became aware of her soft touch and breathing.
1795
1796“Please do not make strange noises, Subaru. It is unpleasant.”
1797
1798“I couldn’t help that! This is tough on a guy on more than one level!”
1799
1800Faced with Rem’s cold, heartless words, Subaru searched his mind for any change of subject.
1801
1802“By the way, there’s Rozchi’s and Emilia-tan’s clothes in here, but I don’t see any dresses for you, Ram, or the loli. They in another room?”
1803
1804“Lady Beatrice changes her clothes in her private quarters. Sister and I do not wear clothes other than these, so we do not require different outfits. We change in our own quarters.”
1805
1806Subaru raised his eyebrows at Rem’s matter-of-fact reply. Then Rem, having just finished measuring him, wrote something on a nearby memo. Subaru crossed his arms and looked at her.
1807
1808“You don’t have any other kinds of outfits, so what, it’s all maid outfits? What about when you go out and days off?”
1809
1810“It is no hindrance to our work here at the manor or when accompanying Master Roswaal in public. I think it is a quite logical way to present our status without need of an explanation.”
1811
1812“Logical ain’t the point here… I think a beautiful girl has a duty to wear pretty clothes and bring joy to others.”
1813
1814“Sister may be another matter, but no one would be pleased were I to dress up.”
1815
1816“Maybe I would?”
1817
1818“Would pleasing you do me any good, Subaru?”
1819
1820“Maybe it’ll make me work harder at the servant’s life. That’s logical, isn’t it?”
1821
1822Rem had the slightest look of surprise at Subaru’s comeback. Subaru, pleased at cracking her neutral expression, twisted the corners of his lips into a grin.
1823
1824“I do not know why you would go so far as to say that, Subaru.”
1825
1826“Even your hairstyles and outfits are the same! Your personalities are different so at least pick different clothes! …Or something like that. I mean, the maid outfits look good on you, and it does kinda work for twins like you girls.”
1827
1828In her current outfit, she was cute with room to spare, but their attire was identical down to the haircut. Precisely because they were twins, he wanted to see some individuality, the essence of human emotion.
1829
1830That was how Subaru felt, but…
1831
1832“—ness.”
1833
1834“Eh?”
1835
1836“None of your business. What is wrong with my being the same as Sister?”
1837
1838It was hard to believe, but Rem’s expression was more glacial toward the wide-eyed Subaru than before. Subaru unintentionally hemmed and hawed, the exchange of small talk until just earlier seemingly long forgotten.
1839
1840“…Let us go back and not speak silly things. I cannot leave Sister waiting any further, and there is a great deal you must learn, after all.”
1841
1842Her demeanor permitting no dissent, Rem turned her back on Subaru and headed to the room’s entrance. Subaru, more confused than before, walked behind her as he murmured.
1843
1844“That’s being a little too into your big sister…”
1845
1846He sighed, concerned about where his relations with the seemingly unflappable girl would go.
1847
1848
1849
1850
1851
1852(7)
1853
1854
1855With the measurements done, they linked back up with Ram in the dressing room, and Rem went her separate way.
1856
1857In spite of being pressed by work, Rem said, “I will re-stitch your jacket overnight and deliver it before morning once it is done.”
1858
1859She shot Ram a look rich in meaning as she left. Their eye-to-eye message system made Subaru give Ram’s shoulder a soft poke.
1860
1861“Hey, what did Rem say with that eye-contact thing just now?”
1862
1863“She said, ‘Subaru gave me perverted glances when we were alone’…You beast.”
1864
1865“So you got that much from just th— Hey, don’t back away, that hurt my feelings!”
1866
1867Though Ram’s retreat from Subaru, clutching her own shoulder, pained his heart, his time as a servant at the manor finally began in earnest.
1868
1869The west wing contained the servants’ quarters, spare furniture, and normal books not meant for the archive. In contrast, the east wing had suites for welcoming visiting nobles, with rooms for entertaining guests and other facilities, with few functional differences from the main wing.
1870
1871“You have now toured nearly all the manor. All that remains are the gardens outside the buildings and the front yard between the manor and the gate. You can see those later. Any questions so far?”
1872
1873“Shouldn’t the tour have been something Emilia-tan would’ve done?”
1874
1875“Not at all, since we will be getting to work immediately.”
1876
1877During the guided tour, Ram’s personal disposition and Subaru’s penchant for stopping and going off on tangents made her easily fend off Subaru’s latest line.
1878
1879Subaru wasn’t sure if that meant the last several hours had brought them closer or he’d simply dug himself into a deeper hole, but…
1880
1881“My chores for today are maintaining the garden and front yard and checking the surroundings. I will be assisting in preparing lunch, and at Eight Solartime, I must wash the silverware… You shall assist me, Barusu.”
1882
1883“Sure thing, but what’s that Solartime you mentioned?”
1884
1885It was a term he’d heard when he’d awoken that morning. He’d guessed that Solartime referred to time during the day, but…
1886
1887“So Eight Solartime indicates the time… Do you have a clock or something?”
1888
1889“Clock…? If you mean a magic time crystal, they are all over the mansion, including right over there.”
1890
1891Subaru looked where Ram pointed and saw a crystal emitting a dim light. The crystal hung from the upper part of the mansion’s wall—pretty much right where a big clock might be back in his world.
1892
1893Subaru squinted as he stared at the flickering green light emitted by the crystal.
1894
1895“It’s a little weird, but I guess it’s just another clock. How do I read it?”
1896
1897“Solartime is Wind Time from zero to six, then Fire Time for the next six. Lunartime goes from Water Time to Earth Time— To not know this, are you some kind of barbarian, Barusu?”
1898
1899“An actual barbarian wouldn’t answer yes to that, you know?”
1900
1901He hated hearing it, but Subaru’s lack of common knowledge made that appraisal hard to shake.
1902
1903Thinking back, there was a magic time crystal in the room Subaru awoke in, too. Subaru felt that the crystal had been a lot greener then.
1904
1905“So, what, the color gets brighter as time passes?”
1906
1907“…Wind Time is green, Fire is red, Water is blue, Earth is yellow. Anything else you want explained?”
1908
1909“I’m okay with the time stuff now. Solartime and Lunartime are kind of like AM and PM from the sound of it.”
1910
1911No doubt he’d have to endure many other clashes with what passed for common sense in a fantasy world.
1912
1913Subaru crossed his arms and nodded. Ram seemed tired as she put a hand to her forehead.
1914
1915“It’s hard enough to train you for the job from scratch, but having so little common sense… When did I go from domestic help to an animal trainer?”
1916
1917“It’s scary just to hear words like animal trainer, so maybe you could pick different ones, boss?”
1918
1919Ram’s eyebrows twitched at being called boss. Feeling that she either didn’t care or wasn’t too bothered, Subaru switched gears a bit.
1920
1921“By the way, there were only you two taking care of the place earlier, but it wasn’t gonna be like that forever, right? I mean, you had that maid who quit before?”
1922
1923“…Master Roswaal has relatives living at various lesser manors, so most of our coworkers have come from there until now. Rem and I work here at the main residence so that we may attend to Master Roswaal personally.”
1924
1925“Main residence and lesser manors… So, um, this is the main residence?”
1926
1927“Master Roswaal is head of the Mathers family, so of course he lives at the main residence. And I say relatives, but his relations with the other branches of the Mathers family are not particularly deep.”
1928
1929Perhaps Subaru should have expected that a nobleman like Roswaal would have a complex relationship with his family. Now that Subaru was working for the man, he couldn’t consider himself a bystander in that; besides, he was closely related to Emilia, a royal candidate.
1930
1931“Even if you’re just looking after Rozchi, this mansion’s too huge for two people to handle, right? Can’t you hire more people?”
1932
1933“—Circumstances make that impossible at the moment. Also, the time for idle talk is over.”
1934
1935Ram clapped, signaling the end of that line of discussion as she calmly walked forward.
1936
1937Subaru wanted to ask her more about stuff, but he could do that and pick up more common knowledge as he worked. He needed to put his back into the work first, to keep her happy if nothing else.
1938
1939“Haven’t worked like this before, but I feel really positive for some reason. I guess it’s the beautiful-girl thing?”
1940
1941“Flattery will get you nothing. No kindness, no mercy.”
1942
1943“You should learn a little modesty from your little sister, geez!”
1944
1945Subaru threw that out, still chewing over the conversation with Rem back in the dressing room.
1946
1947
1948
1949
1950
1951(8)
1952
1953
1954“Oww—!”
1955
1956Subaru was half in tears as he yelped at the fresh wound, wet with red blood.
1957
1958Ram, engaged in the same work right beside Subaru, narrowed her eyes as she watched him wave around his bleeding left hand.
1959
1960“That is what thoughtlessness gets you. Basuru, do you know the meaning of improvement?”
1961
1962“But this is the first time I’ve dealt with any tableware that’s not chopsticks!”
1963
1964Subaru stuck his cut finger into his mouth as he complained, his cheeks puffing as the metallic taste filled his mouth.
1965
1966They were in the kitchen, shortly before noon. After wrapping up in the garden with Ram, the two returned to the dining hall to help Rem prepare. That being said…
1967
1968“I understand me, but making your big sister peel stuff, too? I mean, where’s the dignity?”
1969
1970Ram was quick with a counter.
1971
1972“We have worked and lived together a long time, so we divide work by our specialties. This is not my place to shine.”
1973
1974“I thought I heard earlier that she’s better than you in every area, though?!”
1975
1976He’d heard earlier how Ram came in behind Rem at cooking, cleaning, washing, sewing, and pretty much every other chore. Ram did seem pretty experienced at peeling veggies, though.
1977
1978“Are both of you going to be done soon?”
1979
1980Rem spoke, seemingly wide-eyed at the two she’d entrusted the peeling to as she put them to shame with her ferocious meal preparation. Rem’s practiced hand was far beyond the norm, making her cooking feel like a type of highly polished performance.
1981
1982…Completely unlike the other two, doing menial work off in a corner.
1983
1984Rem looked back as she poured ingredients into a huge frying pan and mixed them. Silently looking over her big sister peeling and Subaru bleeding, Rem nodded like nothing had happened.
1985
1986“As usual, Sister, the sight of you peeling vegetables is worthy of a painting.”
1987
1988“Your favoritism is so obvious, it’s refreshing! I’d love a comment for the work I’m doing, too!”
1989
1990“I feel sorry for the farmer who grew those vegetables.”
1991
1992“Stop, you’re wounding me!”
1993
1994Rem was looking at the atrocious wreckage of the vegetables Subaru had peeled. The potato-like vegetables had been cut down roughly halfway, yet, skin remained on them. Furthermore, fairly deep cuts to his hand had left the table wet with blood.
1995
1996Ram, peeling her potatoes very prettily, glanced at the still-bleeding Subaru and offered advice.
1997
1998“You handle a knife poorly, Barusu. You’re cutting yourself because you’re moving the knife, not the vegetable. When peeling, keep the knife steady and rotate the vegetable around.”
1999
2000Her form was excellent; her peelings had no interruptions from head to tip. She continued, “I will have you know, my specialty is steamed potatoes.”
2001
2002“You actually looked proud when you said that! Damn it, just watch. My beloved blade Shooting Star will put you in your place!” Frustrated, he picked up the knife and tightly grasped the wooden handle. It was a completely ordinary knife for peeling, but from that day onward, it would be Subaru’s precious Shooting Star.
2003
2004“Uoaaah—!”
2005
2006Raising his voice, he hunched over and held the knife steady, rotating the vegetable just as Ram had advised. The first cut was still rather deep, but he was surprised inside at how smoothly the rest went.
2007
2008When he glanced over, he saw Ram looking proud of Subaru doing as she had instructed.
2009
2010Genuinely grateful, Subaru concentrated on peeling without a word, when suddenly—
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016“…What? If you stare at me like that I’m gonna start blushing.”
2017
2018Subaru looked up when he realized it was Rem who was staring at him. Rem looked slightly taken aback as she tried to counter. But whatever she was trying to say, Ram’s words interrupted.
2019
2020“—She is staring at how pathetic you look, Barusu. In particular, your head is quite lacking.”
2021
2022Her words made Subaru tilt his head.
2023
2024“I thought this haircut was a lot better than it used to be, though…”
2025
2026“At the very least, it deserves a failing grade, given that you are a servant… Right, Rem?”
2027
2028“…Ah, yes. I suppose so. It does seem just a tiny bit lacking.”
2029
2030“Looks like it really bothers you! Geez, sorry!”
2031
2032Their plainspoken low assessment of the work he’d taken some pride in put Subaru down a bit. As Ram watched Subaru, she made a hmph noise through her nose.
2033
2034“Incidentally, Rem handles people’s hair here at the manor. She dresses me and does my hair every morning, you see?”
2035
2036“Yeah, that’s how you twins are the spitting image of… Wait, that sounds wrong?”
2037
2038The way she said it just then made it sound like Ram did all the work by herself. But faced with Subaru’s retort, Ram folded her arms and boldly replied.
2039
2040“It is exactly as you think, Barusu.”
2041
2042“Help out your little sister a bit, geez!”
2043
2044Ram’s boldly declaring herself to be the good-for-nothing older sister made Subaru shout with a look of feigned shock. Then, Ram stroked the pink hair that Rem had combed, looking at her younger sister.
2045
2046“Rem, would you mind giving Barusu’s hair a little cut?”
2047
2048“Now hold on, having a girl playing with my hair is really gonna throw me off here!”
2049
2050“Sister…?”
2051
2052Ram’s sudden suggestion threw off both Subaru and Rem. Ram trained her red eyes on her sister’s questioning look, slightly lowering the tone of her voice.
2053
2054“…You were looking at Barusu because of his hair, yes?”
2055
2056“…Yes, that is correct. A little combing and styling would make it look much better.”
2057
2058“You should let her do as she says, then. Rem’s hands are heavenly, I assure you.”
2059
2060“That makes it sound like a kind of perverted request, you know…”
2061
2062It seemed like the older sister was giving Rem the excuse to indulge in her unexpressed interest.
2063
2064Maybe it was an issue of personalities. Unlike Ram, already giving Subaru no quarter, Rem apparently hadn’t decided yet how she should act toward him. Subaru agreed with the need to close the distance, but…
2065
2066“If you don’t want to, then you don’t have to. I kind of hope you do, though!”
2067
2068“No, not at all. It is true that it bothers me slightly, very slightly, just a little.”
2069
2070Knowing that it was really bothering her, Subaru lost more confidence. He thought he was just indulging in his individuality—but with such thoughts on his mind, three voices sounded as one.
2071
2072“—Ah.”
2073
2074The edge of Shooting Star shifted from a potato to Subaru’s thumb. Subaru yelled out as he shallowly peeled the wrong kind of skin.
2075
2076“Whoaa! Oh man! It took off a little—!”
2077
2078“It seems it is displeased to be called your ‘beloved knife.’ Since your love is so one-sided, perhaps you should try calling it your favorite knife instead?”
2079
2080“Sister, the water is boiling, so let’s put in the vegetables you cut—”
2081
2082“You two love hazing the new guy, don’t you?!”
2083
2084Their prioritizing of the work was admirable, but Subaru lacked the mental strength to praise it.
2085
2086
2087
2088
2089
2090(9)
2091
2092
2093—And so, half a day flew by.
2094
2095“So tired—!”
2096
2097As Subaru spoke, he flopped completely onto the bed, all his strength exhausted.
2098
2099He was in the servants’ quarters he’d been given. From that day onward, it would serve as Subaru’s private quarters and sleeping space. It was a frugal room with a cheap bed, desk, and chair, so of course it lagged far behind the standards of the guest room where he’d been a patient.
2100
2101“Well, the expensive stuff is really stifling, so this is A-OK…”
2102
2103Burying his face into the pillow, he decided it still smelled and felt up to high-class standards. Now that he was off work, Subaru quickly changed from his uniform to his tracksuit, intending to go to sleep in clothes that he was more accustomed to.
2104
2105“Man, they worked me to the bone. Work’s hard work. I seriously get why Dad and they are so awesome in the working world. Even one day of this is nothing to sneeze at.”
2106
2107He let out honest admiration as he loosened his creaky body, thinking back on his first day at work.
2108
2109Sure, there were lots of little details he didn’t know, but he was still depressed at how bad a job he’d done.
2110
2111The saving grace was perhaps Ram’s attitude as an instructor.
2112
2113“She’s blunt and to the point, but she’s gentler and more polite than I expected, really… Ah?”
2114
2115He lifted his face at the abrupt knock on the door. As he did so, he heard a voice from the door’s direction.
2116
2117“It’s Rem. Subaru, is now a good time?”
2118
2119“Ah, sure, sure. I’m not doing anything weird, so come on in!”
2120
2121“That makes it sound more suspicious rather than less, but pardon me.”
2122
2123Rem opened the door and entered the room, still dressed in her maid outfit. For a moment, Subaru raised his eyebrows at Rem’s visit, but he understood the reason as soon as he saw the black jacket she had in her hands.
2124
2125“Wait, you don’t mean you’re done already? This redefines the words fast job.”
2126
2127“It is nothing so grand as re-tailoring it altogether. I would have to take more care if it were one of Master Roswaal’s outfits, but this will do for you.”
2128
2129“That made it sound like you, um, really cut corners?”
2130
2131Rem made no reply as he took the jacket, briskly opening it and putting his arms through the sleeves. Before, the outfit’s armpits were too tight and his shoulders could barely rotate, but…
2132
2133“I hate to admit it, but you did it perfectly. My arms can go round and round… Ah, does it look good on me?”
2134
2135“When combined with the rarity of your gray-colored clothing, nobody else’s strange outfits could compare.”
2136
2137“Okay, that didn’t sound like a compliment. Guess even I can tell that much!”
2138
2139Having the manservant’s jacket over a T-shirt made Rem’s assessment a natural one. Indeed, it must have taken considerable effort not to laugh. But…
2140
2141“What shall we do about the cuffs?”
2142
2143“Cuffs… Ah, you mean for the pants. Crap, I forgot. With a needle and thread I could do it myself, though.”
2144
2145“I have brought some with me. Shall I adjust them now?”
2146
2147It was a good-faith suggestion with no apparent ill will from Rem’s side. She’d slipped in some choice words with it, but that was her style, so he let it slide.
2148
2149Either way, Subaru wanted to repay the favor somehow.
2150
2151“Okay, hand the needle and thread over here. My sewing skills are gonna get a whole new grade today!”
2152
2153“I should expect more from the person who had showed such dexterity while struggling to peel vegetables for dinner today?”
2154
2155“Keh-keh, underestimate me while you can. And by all means, prepare to be shocked!”
2156
2157Looking like she was giving up on Subaru, sky-high with confidence, Rem took a fantasy-world sewing kit out of a pocket and handed it to him. He took it, finding that the contents matched up pretty nicely with what he could expect from home. With a practiced hand, he passed the thread through the needle and pulled the cuffs of the trousers up over his knees.
2158
2159“Mmm, hmm, mm-hmm.”
2160
2161As Subaru made a singsong sound, Rem let out a sigh of admiration.
2162
2163“…I am shocked. You really do have experience.”
2164
2165Subaru moved the needle in a brisk, lively fashion. Before he finished humming, he pulled it up.
2166
2167“Okay, one side done. Take a good look. I sewed it right, didn’t I?”
2168
2169Subaru stretched out the pants to show off his own work. Rem drew in her chin in plain acknowledgment.
2170
2171His mood improved by the reaction, Subaru began working on the other cuff when Rem spoke abruptly.
2172
2173“Ah…Subaru, about the conversation at noontime…”
2174
2175“Mm, noon? Noon, what happened then?”
2176
2177“Ah…er, if you have forgotten, it’s quite all right.”
2178
2179Rem made a small shake of her head in front of Subaru, who still had his head down. Narrowing his eyes at her reaction, he recalled that they’d discussed fixing his hair when preparing dinner.
2180
2181“Oh, about the hair? I half thought that was a joke. You gonna do it?”
2182
2183“No, I just thought it was very impertinent of me. You may be a coworker, but you are also Lady Emilia’s savior, so our positions are different.”
2184
2185“That kind of stiff attitude will just crimp my style… Wait, that’s what you think?”
2186
2187Her statement, that she couldn’t treat him as a simple coworker because they stood apart, stuck in his ears.
2188
2189Seeing Rem raise her eyebrows at the question, Subaru began roughly tugging on the hair on his head.
2190
2191“To be honest, I’m not good at picking up on stuff like that. Sorry to…make you worry about it.”
2192
2193“No, I am simply saying it cannot be helped. Please forget about it.”
2194
2195“I can’t just let that go so easily. People are petty like that. Now, then…”
2196
2197Subaru put a hand to his forehead, lowering his eyes as he looked at Rem. She seemed not so much regretful about her slip of the tongue as she seemed chastened by Subaru’s admonition. That helped him decide what to say.
2198
2199Subaru lifted a finger as he made a suggestion.
2200
2201“Okay, I’ll give you my one condition. If you’re okay with that, I’ll totally forget what you just said.”
2202
2203Rem closed her eyes briefly before nodding with a look of resignation.
2204
2205“Condition…you say? I understand. I will hear you out.”
2206
2207Subaru made a strained smile, not intending to draw out that big a reaction, and then said…
2208
2209“If you fix up my hair and give it a little brushing, I’ll forgive you.”
2210
2211“…”
2212
2213Unable to take Rem’s silence in the face of his counteroffer, Subaru raised his voice.
2214
2215“The silence is kind of painful to me here, you know.”
2216
2217Rem’s pale blue eyes reflected Subaru in them as she sighed a little.
2218
2219“Lady Emilia already pointed this out, but you desire very little, Subaru.”
2220
2221“That’s weird. I thought we’d be making up instead of you getting all shocked like that…”
2222
2223“As I have heard from Sister how you gave her perverted looks when you were alone, I was rather resigned to something less decent.”
2224
2225“Slander’s a horrible thing!!”
2226
2227He was scared that Ram’s gossipy statement would make sparks fly with Emilia in short order. He’d have to establish a direct lifeline with Emilia before that could happen.
2228
2229Subaru was still plotting countermeasures against Ram in his head when Rem grasped the hem of her skirt.
2230
2231“I accept your condition—I shall go along with your idea.”
2232
2233And so, with a prim and proper bow, she accepted his suggestion for smoothing things over.
2234
2235Her performance drew a laugh out of Subaru as he looked down at his hands.
2236
2237“Hey, I wrapped up shortening the legs while we were talking. I did it right, huh?”
2238
2239The work complete, Rem took hold of the trousers, acknowledging his work…
2240
2241“…Yes, you did. You get full marks for sewing. But much like yourself, I do not think it will be of use, Subaru.”
2242
2243…then poured cold water all over him.
2244
2245“Huh?! I thought we just made up here?!”
2246
2247Combined with Subaru’s retort, the earlier awkward atmosphere had fully lifted.
2248
2249Subaru returned the sewing kit to Rem before stroking his own forehead.
2250
2251“So, about my hair…when do you wanna do it? It’s tough to do it today ’cause it’s so late.”
2252
2253“That is true. I would like to get it done as soon as possible, but I will be working in the evening for several days…unfortunately.”
2254
2255“We’ll just have to make the time. Man, it’s really been a while since I had my hair styled!”
2256
2257He’d been cutting his own hair since he got into middle school, nearly five full years earlier. He was good enough to do it by touch without using a mirror.
2258
2259“Well then, it is getting late, so I will excuse myself. You will be working in the morning as well. Can you wake up on time on your own?”
2260
2261“Honestly, not all that sure there. I’m good at waking up if I have a clock, but there’s nothing like that here, so maybe not? Don’t you have roosters or something?”
2262
2263Faced with Subaru’s unreliable reply, Rem reluctantly launched him a life raft.
2264
2265“…This seems severe, so Sister or I shall wake you in the morning.”
2266
2267“Seriously? I feel bad to use my seniors in place of a clock, but…”
2268
2269“It shall do us no good to have you sleep into the afternoon, after all.”
2270
2271“What kind of oversleeper do you take me for?!”
2272
2273“Someone who could sleep away the entire day, I imagine?”
2274
2275It took a while for Subaru to realize that this was a joke, by Rem’s standards.
2276
2277After the banter, Subaru thanked Rem as she left for accepting his suggestion.
2278
2279She passed through the doorway and waved a hand as she went out of sight.
2280
2281“Whatever comes out of their mouths, they’re sisters through and through, huh.”
2282
2283Rem was superficially polite as she slipped in the dagger; Ram was arrogant. But just the same, they were considerate to the point of overbearing, something Subaru thought was highly desirable in coworkers.
2284
2285
2286
2287
2288
2289(10)
2290
2291
2292—Later.
2293
2294“So then, how was Subaru after all that?”
2295
2296It was evening—the sun had already set in the west, just as the crescent moon took its place in the night sky—when the secret report took place.
2297
2298It was a large room. The center had a table and tall chairs for receiving guests; farther within, the room was furnished with a chair and desk for its owner to conduct his writing affairs. The ebony desk had sheets and feather pens strewn over it, beside which stood a cup that was still steaming, a gentle aroma wafting up from it.
2299
2300This was the uppermost floor in Roswaal Manor’s main wing, the private study of its lord, Roswaal L. Mathers.
2301
2302His voice was like a whisper, but it reached its mark with no difficulty. Of course it did.
2303
2304The small body of Roswaal’s speaking companion was sitting right across his lap.
2305
2306“It’s been five days since that spectacle—time enough for you to see how this shaaall proceed?”
2307
2308“I suppose so— He is no good.”
2309
2310Ram heard her master’s voice in her ear as he stroked her pink hair. Roswaal and Ram were the only two people in the room; there was no sign of the twin’s “other half,” Rem.
2311
2312Put simply, that day’s report was about the issue of Subaru and Ram’s education of him. With her stating that his education was going most poorly, Roswaal stared for a moment before laughing.
2313
2314“Ahaaa, is that so. Completely useless?”
2315
2316“Barusu really can do nothing at all. He’s no good at cooking, clumsy at cleaning, and the very thought of entrusting laundry to him disturbs me. He’s oddly skilled at sewing, but besides that, nothing can be left to him alone.”
2317
2318“In a place with so many girls, that, too, is a grave matter, is it nooot?”
2319
2320At that age it cannot be helped, Ram seemed to say with a strained smile, looking up at her master as she thought back on the details of the previous four days. In that brief but vivid time, even a stranger would have noticed the grimace replacing Ram’s graceful, neutral expression.
2321
2322“It is quite raaare to see such a face on you. Is he so worthless?”
2323
2324“Worthless through and through. It is not that he is clumsy; it is that he does not know. I cannot but think he was raised poorly. However, he is also lacking in culture.”
2325
2326“So haaard on him.”
2327
2328Roswaal held back a laugh. Ram sighed a little, shifted her position in her master’s arms, and sank farther against him. He gave Ram’s pink hair a good stroke with his palm.
2329
2330“So, Ram, the important part— Do you think he is involved?”
2331
2332Roswaal maintained his smile, his tone of voice unchanged from before. The subject was unstated, but she knew what he wanted to hear. Ram closed her eyes, thinking for a little while.
2333
2334“I cannot rule it out, but I think the possibility is low.”
2335
2336“Hmmmm. Why is that?”
2337
2338“He stands out too much to have been sent to infiltrate this House… Not in a good or b… No, in an especially bad way… In the first place, Barusu himself is…”
2339
2340The words seem to pour out of her mouth.
2341
2342It was, in a fashion, a reply to his question, so Roswaal greeted her answer with a satisfied smile. It was the smile of a master that said: It makes perfect sense. Though the smile was not being sent her way precisely, Ram realized her cheeks were burning nonetheless.
2343
2344“I see, and I must agree with that. Meaning he truly is a benevolent bystander.”
2345
2346As Roswaal spoke, the chair creaked as he shifted positions. He turned opposite to the desk, straight toward the large window through which shone the moonlight.
2347
2348
2349
2350
2351
2352Roswaal’s oddly colored eyes seemed to twinkle; the corners of his lips rose at the scene below.
2353
2354“I muuust say, he certainly doooes not discourage easily.”
2355
2356The private study overlooked the manor’s garden. There, in one corner of it, he saw a black-haired boy speaking and laughing with a silver-haired girl. As was typical, the young man made one-sided conversation, but the girl didn’t seem to mind.
2357
2358“How chaaarming. I no longer possess such passion.”
2359
2360His words were like a soliloquy, but Ram looked into Roswaal’s eyes from close up as she replied.
2361
2362“Women are happy when they’re pursued.”
2363
2364But in contrast to the luster in her eyes, Roswaal’s eyes narrowed in a teasing look.
2365
2366“Perhaps you measure Subaru higher than I thought?”
2367
2368“…He is no good at all, but I do not think poorly of him. He knows nothing related to the work, but what he simply does not know, he can be taught.”
2369
2370Responding to the dissatisfaction in Ram’s eyes and her chilly voice, Roswaal used the hand with which he had brushed her hair to caress her cheek. Ram seemed too enchanted to speak as Roswaal pondered her reply.
2371
2372It was rare for Ram to speak of others like this.
2373
2374Her unexpressed counsel to her master was, Let us get to know him better. It seemed the two maids were quite fond of the black-haired young man. There is beauty in enthusiasm, Roswaal thought with a nod.
2375
2376“Based on my position, I shooould probably intercede, yeees?”
2377
2378Roswaal commented as he looked down on the cute rendezvous in the garden with his yellow eye alone.
2379
2380“Both are such children. Nothing will happen regardless.”
2381
2382“You do have a point.”
2383
2384Faint laughter filled the private study as they pulled the curtain over the window overlooking the rendezvous between the boy and girl below.
2385
2386—What happened after that, not even the moon was given the privilege to see.
2387
2388
2389
2390
2391
2392(11)
2393
2394
2395With the moon still lingering in the center of the night sky, Subaru was full of optimism.
2396
2397He stretched out the wrinkles visible through his manservant outfit’s sleeves and checked how he looked in the window. It’d already been four days since he was wearing these clothes, so he thought it was about time he felt used to them.
2398
2399“Not bad, not bad at all. I can do this. Right out of the bath, I look fifty percent sexier in the mirror. I feel like this is gonna work!”
2400
2401Whether it was objectively 50 percent was another question, but it was important to reassure himself.
2402
2403Trying to at least surround himself with an attractive aura, Subaru took a long, shallow breath and stepped forward. He was walking on the shortly mowed grass of the garden, heading for a green-covered corner lined by high trees, a place where the blessings of the moon were all the more remarkable.
2404
2405There sat a girl, her silver hair twinkling in the moonlight as a pale light surrounded her.
2406
2407Subaru now knew that the firefly-like pale glow actually came from spirits. That fact added to how watching the surreal scene bewitched his heart, like a demoness that wouldn’t let go. He unintentionally stopped in place, his breath catching.
2408
2409Perhaps sensing him, the girl’s closed eyes abruptly opened. The two amethyst jewels caught sight of Subaru approaching.
2410
2411“Oh, hi. R-real coincidence bumping into you like this?”
2412
2413“You come like this every day, you know. As for coincidence…don’t we live under the same roof?”
2414
2415One glance from being spotted before he could speak threw Subaru off his game; for her part, Emilia sighed at the already typical line from him. Undeterred by his slip, Subaru smiled at Emilia.
2416
2417“Hearing the words under the same roof really gives me a tingling…”
2418
2419“The word tingling really sends a shudder up my spine. For some reason, I don’t like it.”
2420
2421With Emilia staring up at him, Subaru scratched his cheek and sat next to her like it was perfectly normal. They were a mere three hands apart, proof that the sense of distance between them had lessened.
2422
2423Emilia, by now used to Subaru sitting next to her, did not bother to point out the distance.
2424
2425Between her daily morning ritual and mealtimes, his sitting beside her was something she now took for granted.
2426
2427It was unclear whether she was silently permitting it or simply giving up on forbidding it, but either way, Subaru was happy to be so close.
2428
2429“So, what are you doing?”
2430
2431“Mm? An extension of the morning routine. I can meet most of them in the morning, but I can meet some of them only at night, so…”
2432
2433Subaru nodded in response, readily accepting Emilia’s reply.
2434
2435He was finally accustomed to living in a world where time was measured in “day” and “night.”
2436
2437Incidentally, daily life over a twenty-four-hour period was largely as one would expect. Living in accordance with the body’s internal clock brought a sense of tranquility like nothing else.
2438
2439His four days of training as a manservant had also been four days acquiring that world’s common knowledge. That said, learning servant work came ahead of academics, so his overall comprehension was still rather thin.
2440
2441“Gives me new perspective looking back on my school days with the weekends off…”
2442
2443Subaru had often disparaged his Spartan instructor during the last four days. But such one-sided comments from Subaru still furthered the friendly conversations he had with Emilia at night.
2444
2445Subaru silently watched the side of Emilia’s face as if bewitched by the dreamlike scene.
2446
2447Emilia suddenly commented, perhaps finding it rare for Subaru to be lost for words.
2448
2449“It’s no fun to watch, is it?”
2450
2451How Emilia somehow sounded apologetic made Subaru sit up and shake his head.
2452
2453“Nah, I could never be bored being with you, Emilia-tan.”
2454
2455“Wh—”
2456
2457The straight-hitting statement made Emilia’s breath catch as her cheeks reddened. Seeing Emilia’s face flushed from the surprise attack made Subaru redden up to his ears.
2458
2459After all, the line he’d said just then had been the complete, literal truth.
2460
2461Subaru rapid-fired his words as if trying to explain away his blushing.
2462
2463“Ah, er, I mean, we hadn’t had a chance to settle down and talk for days, right?”
2464
2465Emilia nodded in full agreement.
2466
2467“Th-that’s right. Seems you’ve had quite a time learning how to work at the manor… You’ve been working your heart out, huh?”
2468
2469“Hearing that makes me so happy I wanna cry…”
2470
2471Glossing over the atmosphere, they buried that topic in a deep hole and turned it into an unintentionally bittersweet moment.
2472
2473Assessments of Subaru’s work over those four days had been rather harsh, and even if he managed to somehow bribe his superiors, it would not change his score of “totally useless.”
2474
2475Subaru’s first job, since he was lacking ability in the domestic fields of cleaning, laundry, and cooking, was to acquire the skills required of a servant at a manor. His current grade for all of the above was stuck at C.
2476
2477“Shortening the sleeves of my uniform and putting buttons on an apron got me top marks, but that’s it.”
2478
2479“You really are exceptional in only one area.”
2480
2481“Well, I tried to grow up to be a guy with an edge instead of perfectly round and flat…”
2482
2483Subaru’s skill at sewing was a product of how his parents had raised him, but he, too, wondered what in the world they’d been thinking.
2484
2485Emilia, not knowing of Subaru’s introspection, gave honest praise for his self-confidence.
2486
2487“I see, is that so. I’m glad that you’re confident in something, too.”
2488
2489Subaru made a rather conflicted smile at the sight of Emilia being happy for him.
2490
2491“Besides, it’s not like you’re awful at the other jobs. Ram and Rem keep this quiet, but they have been praising you, you see…”
2492
2493“Seriously? So I’m making ground even with my seniors here? So, what, cutting myself with the knife, knocking over the bucket, and messing up the laundry, it all raised my relationship points?!”
2494
2495“I think you should reflect on that just a little.”
2496
2497Emilia made a pained smile at Subaru’s stating his glaring failures. Her violet eyes gently narrowed, looking at Subaru, examining him carefully at close range.
2498
2499“But work’s hard every day, isn’t it?”
2500
2501“Super hard, totally tough. It makes me wanna borrow Emilia-tan’s arms and breasts and lap for some low-stress healing.”
2502
2503“Yes, yes. If you’re making light of it, you must be all right.”
2504
2505Emilia reached with a fingertip and gave Subaru’s forehead a light push. Subaru, weak to the pressure, could not resist Emilia’s fingertip, making a showy tumble backward onto the grass.
2506
2507He let out a pleasant sigh as he felt the soothing coolness of the grass and gazed up at the star-filled sky. A world without city lights made Subaru appreciate the beauty of the stars and the moon in the sky more than ever before.
2508
2509“—The moon’s so pretty, isn’t it?”
2510
2511“There are some places you just can’t reach, right?”
2512
2513“I wasn’t asking for it at all, and you hit me with something like that?!”
2514
2515“What, did I say something bad?”
2516
2517Subaru’s attempt at dropping a romantic line fell flat due to cultural differences in a different world. He pressed a hand over his heart to show he was apologetic, startling Emilia.
2518
2519“Ah…”
2520
2521“Oh, darn it! I was tryin’ to hide that…”
2522
2523Subaru tried to hide his blushy smile as he moved the hand Emilia was staring at behind his back… The left hand that had borne the brunt of his repeated failures at work.
2524
2525Subaru stuck out his tongue to try to gloss over it, but Emilia lowered her eyes with a serious look.
2526
2527“So, everyone else is working hard, too.”
2528
2529Emilia’s murmur sounded like she was criticizing herself.
2530
2531Subaru silently acknowledged what Emilia was thinking as she spoke to herself like that.
2532
2533Subaru wasn’t the only one learning something at Roswaal Manor. Emilia was in the middle of absorbing a wide variety of things that she had to learn as a royal candidate.
2534
2535Subaru and Emilia were after much different things. To compare the pressure on the two of them was nearly outright rude.
2536
2537Bearing such heavy burdens must have been exhausting. Perhaps Emilia carried worries that she couldn’t discuss with anyone.
2538
2539Belatedly, Emilia asked a question.
2540
2541“…How about I cast a healing spell?”
2542
2543“Nah, it’s fine. I’d rather not heal it and leave it like this.”
2544
2545“Why’s that?”
2546
2547“Mm, it’s hard to put it into words… It’s kinda a sign of how hard I’ve worked?”
2548
2549Subaru thought that they weren’t typical words coming from him as he strongly clenched his beat-up hand.
2550
2551“I don’t mind working hard as much as I thought I would. Being able to do things I couldn’t do before…it ain’t bad. It’s hard, it’s really tough, but it’s kinda fun. I mean, Ram and Rem are surprisingly strict, that loli’s annoying, seen less of Rozchi than I thought I would, though…”
2552
2553“Roswaal would probably get prickly if you told him that.”
2554
2555“Nobody uses prickly anymore…”
2556
2557Subaru bent a hip to emphasize his bending the conversation. Then, rising to his feet like a spring-loaded doll, he brought his right hand to his forehead in a tidy salute toward Emilia.
2558
2559“Well, just need to knock down the problems one by one. I mean, this is the only place for me to live… Either way, it’s fun, see?”
2560
2561In his original world, living “easy” had been just fine with him. But he couldn’t expect that kind of peaceful daily life in this world. Hence, Subaru sought as much “ease” as he could.
2562
2563Having been senselessly tossed into that world, one could call it Subaru’s stubbornness toward his fate.
2564
2565Subaru’s display of determination made Emilia’s expression freeze like time had stopped. Only her eyes moved, blinking several times over, before a smile suddenly came over her.
2566
2567“That’s right. Yeah, I think that, too… Goodness, Subaru, you’re such an idiot.”
2568
2569“Wait, isn’t that reaction weird?! Shouldn’t we be falling back in love or something?!”
2570
2571“I wasn’t in love to begin with! You really are such a… I’m an idiot, too.”
2572
2573Subaru looked hurt at the exaggerated reaction. Emilia’s final murmur never reached him.
2574
2575Emilia’s smile deepened. The softness of her charming smile was as if the earlier pressure on her was long forgotten, like Subaru had unintentionally bewitched her with his own spell.
2576
2577He couldn’t express how Emilia looked at that moment with mere words like pretty or cute.
2578
2579“E M D (Emilia-tan’s Majorly Divine)!”
2580
2581“I’m genuinely grateful and you joke about it like that…?”
2582
2583Emilia tapered her lips in a slightly annoyed pout and pushed a finger into Subaru’s forehead again.
2584
2585It was likely not Subaru’s mere imagination that these occasional touches carried more warmth than they had before.
2586
2587“Having said all that…it’s nice that you’re trying hard, but how’d you get your hand all beat up like that, anyway?”
2588
2589“Oh, this one’s simple. This afternoon, I tagged along when Rem went shopping at the village close to the mansion. The kids were playing around with me when this little dog-ish thing chomped on me.”
2590
2591“So it’s not the product of hard work?!”
2592
2593“Nah, it’s so big you can’t notice the traces of hard work… I didn’t think I was the type animals hated, though…”
2594
2595Back in his own world, children and little animals loved him—that, or he just looked like a pushover. That made the former result odder still. But his effect on kids was still going strong.
2596
2597“The village kids… They smacked me, kicked me, and blew snot on me, too. That sucked, damn it.”
2598
2599“Somehow you seem good at looking after little kids, Subaru.”
2600
2601“That’s taking it the wrong way, Emilia-tan. Winning them over now means I’ll reap the rewards when they grow up. I’m a long-term thinker, see.”
2602
2603“Yes, yes. I will admit you’re honest about your petty stubbornness.”
2604
2605Emilia, accustomed to Subaru’s silliness, let it roll over her as she stretched and looked up at the sky.
2606
2607“I’d best return to my room now. How about you?”
2608
2609“I can’t sleep by Emilia-tan’s side, so I’ll head back, too.”
2610
2611“You get that job only when you’ve polished your skills with your current work.”
2612
2613“Now you said it. Just watch, they’re gonna write legends about me…!”
2614
2615Subaru took Emilia’s words to heart, burning with enthusiasm. Emilia made a strained smile as Subaru looked back and raised a finger.
2616
2617“Ah, right. Would you come with me tomorrow when I give the village brats some payba—er, a lovey-dovey da—er, go to watch the cute little animals?”
2618
2619“Why did you correct yourself several times…? And, ah, I…”
2620
2621Emilia lowered her eyes, seeming hesitant as she murmured, “I don’t mind going with you, and I’m curious about that small animal, so…”
2622
2623“Okay, let’s go, then!”
2624
2625“But it might be troublesome for you to have me with you like…”
2626
2627“Got it, let’s go!”
2628
2629“…Are you really listening?”
2630
2631“I’m listening! I could never let a single word or phrase from Emilia-tan escape!”
2632
2633“Oh, Subaru, I just hate you!”
2634
2635“Aaa! Aaa! Sorry, what was that?! I can’t hear you!”
2636
2637How Subaru covered his ears, spectacularly taking back what he’d said the moment before, made Emilia break out in laughter, all ills forgotten. Then, she wiped a teardrop from her eyes with a finger as she looked at Subaru.
2638
2639“Goodness…but only after I finish my studying and you finish all your work, Subaru?”
2640
2641“Oh yeah! Roger that! I’ll so totally get them done!”
2642
2643With the date arranged, Subaru made a dramatic fist-pump pose.
2644
2645Watching Subaru’s self-satisfied look, a charming smile came over Emilia as she let out a little sigh.
2646
2647“I was thinking, watching you makes my worries seem so small, Subaru.”
2648
2649“No way?! I mean, you might become queen; worries and social stress like that would turn my stomach inside out!”
2650
2651Emilia, unable to hold back any more, burst out laughing, her mirthful voice making Subaru laugh, too.
2652
2653The two laughing like that announced that their rendezvous for that night had come to an end.
2654
2655Let it be noted that there was one final exchange.
2656
2657“Come to think of it, why are you dressed like that after work?”
2658
2659“Ah, I thought it’d make a good impression on you… So, what do you think? Pretty handsome, huh?”
2660
2661“Mm, I suppose so. It has that ‘I’m a capable servant’ look.”
2662
2663“Well, there you go crushing my hopes!”
2664
2665
2666
2667
2668
2669(12)
2670
2671
2672Subaru had his hand on the door, peeking in as he spoke in a casual voice.
2673
2674“Huh, do you actually sleep right, loli girl? If you stay up too late, you won’t grow as tall as you should and you’ll end up as an adult that short.”
2675
2676Beatrice replied with resentment in her voice.
2677
2678“…Do you breach the Passage as if it is a matter of course, I wonder?”
2679
2680She sat on the wooden stool well within the archive as she glared at Subaru.
2681
2682“Did you have a reason to come see me, I wonder?”
2683
2684“Not really. I thought I’d say hi before I went to bed. I was gonna give up if I didn’t get it in three tries, but I got it in one, so…”
2685
2686“Truly, what kind of intuition do you have…?”
2687
2688Beatrice had a tired look as she pulled on one of her rolls. When her fingers released it, the stretchy, elastic roll bounced the other way. The sight struck Subaru profoundly.
2689
2690“Can I try it, too?”
2691
2692“Only Puckie may touch the likes of me… Would you go away already, I wonder?”
2693
2694“Not fair only you get to play. Oh well. I’m in a good mood, so I’ll forgive you.”
2695
2696Still buoyant from the promised date, Subaru headed out as Beatrice glowered at him. But the moment before the door closed, he thought he heard a voice speak with a lonely echo.
2697
2698“—That has nothing to do with me.”
2699
2700The voice tugged at him.
2701
2702“Huh, gotta open the door so I can give her a good comeback.”
2703
2704The once-open door to the secret archive now led to a simple guest room once more.
2705
2706He tried opening and closing the door in front of him to see if he could catch it connecting to the archive again.
2707
2708Rem looked beside herself as she watched Subaru there, opening and closing the door.
2709
2710“…What have you been doing? Checking the condition of the lock?”
2711
2712“Oh yeah, I thought I heard a creak in the hall the last few nights… So that was you, Rem?”
2713
2714Rem was carrying a silver tray with nothing on it in one hand as she watched Subaru feel up the door.
2715
2716“Is something bothering you?”
2717
2718“Nah, this led to the archive of forbidden books with the loli girl till just now; it’s gone, though.”
2719
2720“Did you want something from Lady Beatrice? You could ask me if you prefer…?”
2721
2722“Just saying hi before going to sleep. Nothing…big.”
2723
2724The phrase he heard from Beatrice just before the door closed was on Subaru’s mind, but he shook his head—it wasn’t something he needed to press her about at the moment.
2725
2726“What, you’re still working, Rem? Better turn in. Morning’s coming quickly.”
2727
2728“I’ll sleep after I do the dishes. At the moment, Sister is serving tea to Master Roswaal, you see.”
2729
2730“What the heck are those two doing at a time— Ah, well, that’s fine.”
2731
2732It was almost past midnight; he didn’t much care for Roswaal and Ram having a private chat, discussing some lively topic between just the two of them.
2733
2734Not my business to say, though, Subaru reflected. He suddenly realized that Rem was watching him. Her pale blue eyes were staring in the direction of his head.
2735
2736“Don’t suppose chances like this come up much. Doesn’t look like it bothers you any, though.”
2737
2738“…No, until now it has not bothered me that much, or somewhat, or even a little bit.”
2739
2740“Geez, downplaying a bunch of times back-to-back makes it sound like it really bothers you!”
2741
2742The sharpness and intensity of Rem’s gaze increased to the point that his capacity for speech faltered.
2743
2744Subaru wrapped up work rather late and Rem had been constantly busy, so few opportunities presented themselves. What the heck, thought Subaru with a grimace when Rem raised her hand a bit.
2745
2746“If you like, how about I do it now?”
2747
2748“What… Now? It’s pretty late, isn’t it?”
2749
2750“A quick cut and wash will not take very long. If I do not, I cannot fulfill the cherished desire you confided in me from your own lips, Subaru.”
2751
2752“Cherished desire is a little much!”
2753
2754For such a neutral expression, Subaru saw Rem’s eyes brimming with fierce determination. Subaru scratched his face, realizing it must have annoyed her quite a bit over the last four days.
2755
2756He wanted to do something about that annoyance if he could, but—
2757
2758“Sorry, Rem. I’ve made a promise to go out with Emilia tomorrow. I’ve gotta get up early and take care of work quickly, so I really can’t do it tonight…”
2759
2760“Is that so… No, I was being unreasonable. I’m sorry.”
2761
2762Using the just-made promise as his reason for putting off the promise he’d made to Rem before, at his own suggestion, weighed on his conscience. But Rem was a practical girl and tried to take Subaru’s circumstances into account.
2763
2764Feeling guilty about Rem’s position, Subaru felt his words left a bitter taste in his own mouth when suddenly, “How about tomorrow night?”
2765
2766“…At night, you say?”
2767
2768“My condition for the promise with Emilia is getting all my work wrapped up. There’s no special work scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, so after that, since it’s still on your mind…”
2769
2770As he spoke, he was truly shocked with himself for arranging dates with two girls on the same day. Not that his feelings toward Emilia and Rem were in the same vein to begin with…
2771
2772With Rem, he felt fondness toward a fellow coworker. He still didn’t really know how he felt toward Emilia.
2773
2774Faced with Subaru’s suggestion, Rem closed her eyes and made a small nod.
2775
2776“Understood. Tomorrow night it is. This is a firm promise, you understand?”
2777
2778“I don’t know why it bothers you that much, but yeah, a promise it is. Tomorrow night, then.”
2779
2780He thought about making it a pinkie promise, but he hesitated, not knowing if such a thing existed in that world’s customs. As he hesitated, Rem made a polite bow, turning around with a small flutter of her skirt.
2781
2782She departed with quiet, gliding steps. Subaru watched her go before heading back to his room, biting down a yawn as he mentally went over his schedule for the coming day.
2783
2784“I have to thank the kids for creating the reason for a date all the way to the village tomorrow. Oh, before I do that, got to find out where the best flower gardens are…”
2785
2786As he entered his room, he held his nose high and puffed out his chest, full of hopes and dreams for the coming day. Subaru stripped off his butler uniform, giving himself a makeover with the tracksuit as he crawled into bed.
2787
2788As his head hit the pillow, his eyes were open, thoughts racing about the next day, not conducive to sleep at all.
2789
2790Faced with his mind betraying his body, Subaru immediately switched mental gears and resorted to his secret weapon. Namely…
2791
2792“One Puck, two Pucks…”
2793
2794In the back of his mind, little gray kitty cats were running around and frolicking as he counted them one by one. Subaru linked his fantasy Puck to the real one, letting his memory of the fluffy feline lead him to a happy place. His mind slowly sank, pulled into dreamland.
2795
2796“One…hundred and four Pucks…”
2797
2798Picturing a fluffy paradise, warmth enveloped his mind—and finally vanished.
2799
2800
2801
2802
2803
2804(13)
2805
2806
2807As Subaru awoke, he felt like his consciousness was rising as if poking his head through the water’s surface.
2808
2809Suddenly released from the suffocating feeling, his eyes opened, waiting several seconds to take in the world. He felt like he’d woken up in a different place than where he’d gone to bed.
2810
2811He felt sunlight burning his eyes. Subaru sat up his slightly sluggish body and shook his head.
2812
2813His head was a bit heavy. Perhaps he was tired from not being entirely used to his new life yet.
2814
2815But this was not the day for such weak thoughts.
2816
2817Wide-awake, Subaru went over the date promise he’d made with Emilia the night before. “That’s right, Subaru Natsuki—today’s the time to leap into action!”
2818
2819The day was a day with a happy future. A day he’d awakened to crisply, a day of promised victory. But…
2820
2821“—”
2822
2823Pink-haired and blue-haired twin sisters looked upon Subaru’s determined face in surprise.
2824
2825Subaru, blushing to the tips of his ears, buried his face in the pillow to hide it.
2826
2827“What! You were there?! Then you should’ve said something! Aw man, I’m so, so embarrassed!”
2828
2829The fact that they’d stopped rousing him awake two days before made him careless. To think that both of them would visit on that particular morning…
2830
2831As usual, the twins’ expressions did not change much as Subaru groaned on top of the bedding. Though it did seem like they were fighting the temptation to point at him and break out laughing.
2832
2833“Er, hold on, you two. I mean, that reaction kinda hurts. I’m a delicate soul here. There are other reactions, right?!”
2834
2835He was looking forward to their at least engaging in the cold verbal abuse to which he was accustomed.
2836
2837—Subaru realized afterward that it was quite awful for him to actually be looking forward to the verbal abuse.
2838
2839“Sister, Sister. He’s greeting us as if he knows us somehow.”
2840
2841“Rem, Rem. He’s greeting us in a very chummy fashion.”
2842
2843It didn’t feel right. Their murmurs brushed against something in the back of Subaru’s mind.
2844
2845“Er, ah? Something weird? My seniors coming to wake me up is one thing, but playing pranks on me is bad taste, you know?”
2846
2847Certainly the two were always blunt, but—something felt off.
2848
2849As Subaru spoke, he began to realize why he felt that something was off with them.
2850
2851—Their eyes.
2852
2853The way they looked at Subaru. The familiarity from the previous night was gone; they’d gone back to treating him like a complete stranger. Then, decisive proof came flying at him.
2854
2855“Sister, Sister. Our Dear Guest seems to be a little confused?”
2856
2857“Rem, Rem. Our Dear Guest seems to be a little touched in the head.”
2858
2859—Subaru was aghast at being called “Dear Guest.”
2860
2861The polite echo made Subaru feel like something sharp had gouged out the back of his stomach.
2862
2863Subaru pressed a hand to his chest to hold back the phantom pain.
2864
2865He didn’t know what it all meant. Their reactions, it was as if—
2866
2867“You two… Ha-ha, this really isn’t…funny…”
2868
2869With both of them still looking at him like a complete stranger, Subaru abruptly brought up his left hand to block them from his view. But Subaru instantly regretted doing so…
2870
2871…because he saw that the bandage on his left hand was gone.
2872
2873The rough fingertips from kitchen work, the callouses from handling knives in ways he wasn’t used to, the bite marks from the puppy that had bitten him while the children toyed with him—they, too, were gone.
2874
2875—Somewhere distant, he heard what sounded like a bell tolling.
2876
2877The ringing came over him in a rush, crashing against him over and over again like a wave.
2878
2879Subaru didn’t realize that the pain that came with the sound was from him pulling out his own hair.
2880
2881The temple of his head really hurt; he felt a hot, nauseous feeling in his nose. But Subaru’s mind focused instead on the sharp pain and taste of blood from biting his own lip, as if he were using it to drown out the sense of loss that felt like someone had carved out his internal organs.
2882
2883The facts at hand forced Subaru to accept reality.
2884
2885Feeling his eyes grow hot inside, Subaru buried his face in the pillow for an entirely different reason than before.
2886
2887—For he absolutely, absolutely did not want anyone to see his face at that moment.
2888
2889Not the people he’d grown so fond of.
2890
2891Not the people who’d seemed to grow so fond of him.
2892
2893He absolutely didn’t want to cry in front of people looking at him like he was a stranger.
2894
2895“Why’d I…go back?!”
2896
2897—And so, Subaru was dragged back into the loop anomaly that had brought him so much suffering.
2898
2899
2900For the second time, his first day at Roswaal Manor began—
2901
2902
2903
2904
2905
2906CHAPTER 3
2907THE SOUND OF THE CHAIN
2908
2909
2910
2911(1)
2912
2913
2914“Dear Guest, Dear Guest. You look rather unwell. Are you all right?”
2915
2916“Dear Guest, Dear Guest. You look like your stomach hurts; did you soil yourself?”
2917
2918As Subaru hung his head in shame, the sisters called out with voices of concern.
2919
2920They were familiar voices, even after such a short time. The voices were sometimes annoying, sometimes relieving, voices that he could trust.
2921
2922—But now those voices sounded entirely different, ringing harshly against Subaru’s eardrums.
2923
2924Responding to the feel of their gazes, Subaru put his breathing in order and lifted his face.
2925
2926“Sorry to…make you worry. I’m just a bit…dense when I’m waking up.”
2927
2928Somehow, the rage surging within him had dissipated while he pressed his face into the bedding. Though the initial shock had subsided, he felt as if he were bound with silk string, a sense of loss that made him feel a sob rising from his chest.
2929
2930—Thinking how wonderful and infuriating it would be if only this was all just some mischievous trick Roswaal was playing on him. The pretense in his own mind making him feel somewhat better, Subaru opened his eyes and looked straight ahead.
2931
2932“—Ah, that’s right.”
2933
2934After an instant, the blurry world became clear and reality forced itself upon the young boy.
2935
2936Subaru saw the twins standing on both sides of the bed, their hands on the bedding. The familiar faces of Ram and Rem were gazing expressionlessly at Subaru, as per usual.
2937
2938Neither pair of eyes contained any emotion toward Subaru whatsoever. The four days that he had lived with them, growing closer to each other bit by bit, had evaporated like morning mist.
2939
2940“Dear Guest—?”
2941
2942With bewildered voices, both of their lips wove the words in unison.
2943
2944Their gazes chased after Subaru, now sitting up in bed. But Subaru, seemingly feeling a chill in the air, obeyed his feeling of unease and rose in great haste, putting distance between them.
2945
2946“Dear Guest, you mustn’t move suddenly. You are not yet well rested…”
2947
2948“Dear Guest, it’s dangerous to move suddenly. You have not yet soundly rested…”
2949
2950Subaru’s body reflexively pulled back from the two girls and their concerned voices. The cold response made their eyes tighten with hurt looks, but Subaru was too frantic to notice such a thing.
2951
2952He was having a very hard time dealing with the feeling that he knew them but they did not, in turn, know him.
2953
2954It was only a few days prior that Subaru had the same feeling in the busy street, the back alley, and the dilapidated shop.
2955
2956But it was completely different now. The situation was different. The time was different. The experience was different.
2957
2958It wasn’t like when he’d redone things with Emilia and Felt when he’d barely known them.
2959
2960Certainly he’d done some arm-twisting to redo things with the people he trusted. But now, faced with having people he knew turn back into strangers, Subaru was gripped by an unshakable, faceless terror.
2961
2962The maid twins before Subaru’s frightened eyes had begun to sense that something was terribly wrong.
2963
2964Silence descended upon the room. Neither side could say or do anything. That was why…
2965
2966“Sorry—I can’t do this right now!”
2967
2968…Subaru’s action, gripping the doorknob and practically falling into the hallway as he rushed out, was just a moment faster than the twins’ move to stop him.
2969
2970Subaru ran, the bare soles of his feet soaking up the cold of the hallway, drawing heavy, ragged breaths as he went. He ran fiercely, in a daze, with no particular destination in mind.
2971
2972He ran. He fled. Yet he didn’t comprehend what he was running from.
2973
2974All he knew was that he couldn’t bear to remain in that place a moment longer.
2975
2976Subaru ran down a corridor lined with similar-looking doors, his strides still tenuous, like he was about to fall over at any moment.
2977
2978Then, out of breath, Subaru put his hands on a door as if it led right to it—
2979
2980—and, as he tumbled in, he was greeted by the great mass of bookshelves in the archive of forbidden books.
2981
2982
2983
2984
2985
2986(2)
2987
2988
2989With the door shut behind him, the archive was completely sealed off from the outside world.
2990
2991The only remaining way to intrude into the room from the outside was to open every single door in the entire mansion.
2992
2993Subaru no longer sensed pursuit. He slumped his shoulders, leaned back against the door, and sank to the floor.
2994
2995He wasn’t squatting, and yet, his knees were shaking. So were the fingers he stretched out to try to hold them in place.
2996
2997“If I were playing paper sumo, I’d cut some crazy lines right about now, ha-ha…”
2998
2999Even his self-mockery had no bite to it. His dry smile seemed to contain nothing but hollowness.
3000
3001The scent of old paper in the air of the calm archive gently sprinkled a sense of ease and tranquility into Subaru’s mind. Though Subaru knew it was shallow comfort, it was the only thing he had to cling to at the time.
3002
3003One after the other, after another…he desperately took deep big breaths.
3004
3005As Subaru gasped like a fish out of water, a scornful voice spoke from within the archive.
3006
3007“—Quite a rude thing you are, barging in without so much as a knock.”
3008
3009There was a footstool sitting straight ahead from the entrance, well inside the dimly lit room. A girl sat upon it.
3010
3011It was Beatrice, guardian of the archive of forbidden books, keeping her distance from Subaru, the same as always, not a single hair of difference.
3012
3013With a loud sound, Beatrice closed the book, altogether too large for her tiny body, and looked at Subaru.
3014
3015“I wonder, how do you breach the Passage…? This makes twice now.”
3016
3017“Sorry, a little while is fine, so let me stay here a bit. Please.”
3018
3019Subaru put his hands together, bowed his head in supplication, and closed his eyes without waiting for her reply.
3020
3021—This is a quiet place with no one here to bother me. I’ve gotta get a grip on the facts. What’s my name, where am I, who are the two twins from earlier? What’s the name of the girl in front of me, and who is she? This weird room? The four days I spent? The promise I made, to be with someone, tomorrow, who—
3022
3023“Oh yeah, Emilia…”
3024
3025He recalled her silver hair, twinkling under the moonlight, her bashful smile…
3026
3027He remembered the promise he had made with Emilia, with the moon and the starry sky shining above them…
3028
3029“Beatrice…”
3030
3031“…Are we close enough for you to be calling my name, I wonder?”
3032
3033“You said I breached the Passage just now, and once before, too?”
3034
3035Beatrice made a sour look at being addressed like an acquaintance and having a question foisted upon her. However, Beatrice valiantly maintained her poise as she replied, “You and your thick skull barged in here not three or four hours ago.”
3036
3037“The time I came in, messing with your setup, and you got mad so you bullied me. Got it.”
3038
3039Though there was no strength behind it, he did not neglect his sarcasm toward Beatrice, getting further under her skin.
3040
3041—Subaru had encountered Beatrice three to four hours earlier, she’d said.
3042
3043Her words could only mean when he had first awakened at Roswaal Manor, when Subaru had, without any thought whatsoever, broken through the looping corridor on his first try. When he next awoke that morning, Ram and Rem were in front of the bed.
3044
3045“In other words, this is the…second time I woke up in the manor, then.”
3046
3047Subaru gathered up memories from all over the place to piece together his circumstances.
3048
3049The only time the twins had both been present when Subaru woke was that morning. They’d alternated after that. Furthermore, the first day was the only time when he’d had the social status to use the bed in the guest room.
3050
3051“In other words, I went five days ahead, and I’ve gone four days back…?”
3052
3053Just like in the royal capital, Subaru had gone back in time. That summed up his present situation.
3054
3055But understanding it was one thing; accepting it was something else.
3056
3057Subaru clutched his head and tried to think of what could cause him to go back in time.
3058
3059When Subaru had gone back in time at the royal capital, it was triggered by death, which he’d dubbed Return by Death. He’d decided that, having died three times over before saving Emilia, he’d left that loop behind.
3060
3061In point of fact, he’d spent five days at Roswaal Manor in absolute peace and quiet, hadn’t he?
3062
3063And then, poof, suddenly going back in time—he hadn’t received any warning whatsoever.
3064
3065“Did the conditions change from before…? I made myself think dying sent me back, but maybe it goes back on auto after one week…? No, if that were the case, then…”
3066
3067If that was so, there was no reason for him to have awoken on the first day at Roswaal Manor at all.
3068
3069The principles underpinning going back in time remained unclear, but loops like the one at the royal capital surely followed certain rules.
3070
3071One rule was definitely the place where you were reborn. If Subaru hadn’t been freed from that loop, he should have awoken right in front of the owner of the fruit shop with the scarred face, as he had three times over.
3072
3073“But it wasn’t a scarred middle-aged man, it was those angelic maids. Guess I’ve moved on up…”
3074
3075That part made him feel like he’d traded Hell for Heaven.
3076
3077With several pats, Subaru felt up his own body and ensured that he was uninjured. You wouldn’t think anything had happened.
3078
3079“But if I died, how did I die? Everything was normal before I slept during the fourth night. At any rate, it didn’t feel like any situation I’d die in my sleep before reaching the fifth day.”
3080
3081He wondered if instant death without any conscious knowledge of it whatsoever was truly possible.
3082
3083He tried to picture dying from poison or gas in his sleep, but that meant being assassinated.
3084
3085There was no reason anyone would assassinate Subaru, so the preliminary conditions simply hadn’t been met.
3086
3087“So does that mean it’s a forced loop unless I reach clear conditions…?”
3088
3089If you looked at it like a game, it was like a Game Over that happened if you didn’t trigger the necessary flags.
3090
3091Not knowing who’d put up the flags or why was bad enough, but not knowing the triggers—that was pretty dismal game design.
3092
3093“Besides, I’m the kind of gamer who gives up quickly and runs off to read a strategy guide…”
3094
3095A scornful smile came over Beatrice as she watched Subaru sink into an ocean of introspection. She sounded bored when she spoke.
3096
3097“It’s become rather boring around here with all the mumbling you’ve been doing. Death this, life that—this is why humans are so boring, I suppose. It’s all deceits and conceits to the very end. This is why I can’t hold a conversation with your kind.”
3098
3099It was a blunt, even cruel way of blowing him off. But Subaru was relieved that Beatrice’s attitude hadn’t changed a bit. He rose up, dusting off his rump as he turned to face the door.
3100
3101“Leaving, I suppose?”
3102
3103“There’re some things I’ve gotta figure out. I’ll leave moping around for sometime later. Thanks.”
3104
3105“I have done nothing at all… Would you leave already, I wonder? I really must readjust the Passage.”
3106
3107Though there was not even a sliver of gentleness in her tone, for some reason, Subaru found that reassuring.
3108
3109Beatrice herself may not have had any such intention, but Subaru felt like her words were pushing him onward. He twisted the doorknob; a cool breeze blew as he took his first step outside.
3110
3111The wind made his short hair sway; he covered his face with an arm as he felt a faint prickling in his eyes.
3112
3113Then, the wind stopped, he felt grass under his bare feet, and his breath caught a bit as he spotted the silver-haired girl in the garden, making his heart leap for joy.
3114
3115“Ahh, she really is so radiant.”
3116
3117Well, this is a nice touch, he thought, internally pouring out a string of invectives at the cheeky guardian of the archive.
3118
3119“—Subaru!”
3120
3121Upon noticing Subaru, the girl’s violet eyes opened wide as she urgently rushed to his side. Those three bell-like syllables pouring from her lips were in the highest pitch she could make.
3122
3123Subaru spontaneously shifted his feet toward the fast-approaching girl. As she gazed at him from head to toe, the corners of her eyes descended in relief. But she immediately snapped back to her senses and returned to her normal look.
3124
3125“Don’t make me worry like that. Ram and Rem were really worked up, running all around the mansion making a big fuss because you ran off right after you woke up.”
3126
3127“Rare for them to get that worked up, huh. And sorry. Beatrice held me up for a bit.”
3128
3129“Again? I heard she picked on you once already before I got up, but…”
3130
3131As Emilia’s beautiful face drew near with an expression of concern, her defenseless look made Subaru reach out his hand to her, as if his own weak heart were trying to cling to her for support.
3132
3133But it was far too abrupt a place for it. If he did that, calming down in the archive would lose all meaning. It wasn’t his goal to make a scapegoat out of Beatrice.
3134
3135All Subaru could do, seeing Emilia’s anxious face, was respond with a vague expression.
3136
3137It wasn’t very Subaru-like behavior, but Emilia’s formality didn’t permit her to dig much deeper.
3138
3139Of course it didn’t. Emilia hadn’t spent a single hour with this Subaru since meeting him; there was no way she could know that.
3140
3141The four carefree days Subaru and Emilia had spent together had been tossed into the gutter; four carefree days that had really happened, that Subaru knew but Emilia did not.
3142
3143“What is it? Is there something on my face?”
3144
3145“Yeah, there are cute eyes, nose, ears, and mouth all over your face… Er, I’m glad that you’re all right.”
3146
3147Emilia’s face, scowling as if to complain about the initial sweet talk, immediately nodded at the last part.
3148
3149“Yes, I’m quite all right, because you protected me. How about your condition, Subaru?”
3150
3151“Ah, all good, all good. Thanks to blood loss, mana drain, and the shock from when I woke up, I’m a bit weak and my mind feels like it’s been beaten with a bat, but I’m feeling good!”
3152
3153“I see, that’s won— Eh? That sounds like you’ve been taking a beating all over…”
3154
3155“I’m fine. See?”
3156
3157He spread out both arms and turned all around to show Emilia that he was in good health.
3158
3159He did seem to be returning to top form, bit by tiny bit. The gears were turning, the tongue was moistening the lips; he had to start being Subaru Natsuki.
3160
3161“Well, that’s fine and good… Er, are you going back to the mansion? I have a little bit of business, actually.”
3162
3163“Ah, chat time with the spirits, huh? I won’t be in the way, so can I stay? And lend Puck to me, would you?”
3164
3165Emilia tilted her head and spoke as if speaking down to a child.
3166
3167“That’s fine, but you really have to stay out of the way. This isn’t a game.”
3168
3169Emilia’s sisterly behavior was just so adorable that it made Subaru’s spirit burn with determination.
3170
3171“Okay, Emilia-tan, let’s get this show on the road! Time is short, the world is big, and our tale has just begun!”
3172
3173“I suppose s… Eh? What did you say just now? Where did this ‘tan’ come from…?”
3174
3175“It’s okay, just go with the flow!”
3176
3177With Emilia expressing surprise at his intimate pet name, he pushed on her back as both headed to that spot in the garden.
3178
3179Her losing the will to keep “correcting” him and grudgingly accepting how he spoke to her had been one of the bonds built up between them during those four lost days. Emilia still wore a face of resistance as Subaru walked behind her and murmured very quietly.
3180
3181“—We’ll get them back.”
3182
3183As they stopped, he gazed at her long silver hair, and then shifted his eyes to the sky.
3184
3185—He spitefully looked at the sun rising in the low sky of the east.
3186
3187This and four more and he’d be right at the appointed hour.
3188
3189All he needed to fulfill the promise with this girl like the moon was to greet the arrival of the sun.
3190
3191—He had time. And he knew what the answer would be.
3192
3193“I dunno who’s got it in for me, but I’m gonna take it all back and make you cry. Don’t underestimate how tenacious I can be after I fell madly in love with the smile I saw that night.”
3194
3195He shook a fist toward the sky and declared war to no one in particular.
3196
3197It was Subaru’s first declaration of open defiance at the “summons” and “loop” that had brought him to that world.
3198
3199He had begun his battle against the second loop. All so that he could move past his week at Roswaal Manor and learn how those days would continue.
3200
3201And to protect and fulfill the promise he had made that night—
3202
3203
3204
3205
3206
3207(3)
3208
3209
3210Subaru’s caustic words to the rising sun raised the curtain for his second “first day” at Roswaal Manor.
3211
3212All he had to do was see the sun rise five times.
3213
3214Subaru’s plan was to spend the intervening time doing the same things to the fullest extent possible.
3215
3216In accordance with his resolution in the garden, Subaru’s final objective was to fulfill the promise he’d made to Emilia on the final day. To do that, he had to get to that fourth night and make that promise once more.
3217
3218This was because he’d concluded that loops were, to a certain degree, set in stone. If he followed the same path, the story would “conclude” at the same place.
3219
3220If things followed the same flow as before, it was a natural result. Factoring in the thought processes and behavior patterns of the people involved, things would surely head to the same place. To Subaru, the important thing was to redo everything and change up only the end result. That was the best way to proceed he could think of.
3221
3222In other words, the best way to reach his objective was to see the loop through. With sublime mischief, Subaru resolved to save and load his way forward, leading events to the conclusion he desired.
3223
3224“So, what is this…? Did I mess up somewhere…?”
3225
3226In the steamy bath, Subaru opened his mouth wide and blew bubbles as he looked back on his first day.
3227
3228As far as his plan was concerned, everything after that moment of resolve that morning had been a complete disaster.
3229
3230First, he’d finished his daily morning routine with Emilia and awaited Roswaal’s return to the manor before speaking to him in the dining hall.
3231
3232Put bluntly, he didn’t have confidence he could reproduce all the fine points of an in-depth conversation, but surely he’d touched on all the high notes from last time. He’d got to touch Puck as a reward, addressed Emilia like a friend, discussed Emilia’s candidacy for the royal succession, and determined where he stood in relation to Roswaal Manor.
3233
3234Just as before, Subaru had charmed his way into becoming an apprentice servant at Roswaal Manor. Afterward, he’d gone off with Ram to be shown around the manor and begin his first day of work, but that’s when things went off the rails.
3235
3236Subaru, his face the only part not submerged in the bath, let his chin ride upon the water of the tub as he murmured with dismay.
3237
3238“Then why was everything different from last time? I feel like a student who went through all the trouble of writing cheat sheets when they changed all the subjects on the test… What was the point of redoing it?”
3239
3240Subaru’s whole plan had been to redo everything exactly as he’d done before. However, the details of the training for his new post and the duties Ram had imposed on him were completely different from before. He felt like it went from Odd Jobs 101 to Odd Jobs 401.
3241
3242“They were still all odd jobs, but…there was waaaay more to them than last time.”
3243
3244Perhaps he needed to look at it as trusting him with higher-level work and more of it?
3245
3246“Last time everything just ran me ragged, but this time it was hard as nails… Damn, I thought it was gonna be easy, all the same stuff.”
3247
3248Subaru was not merely venting complaints at his expectations being so cruelly disappointed. He’d decided he really wasn’t in a good situation.
3249
3250This was the result of his trying to spend his time like before. With so many details of his first day altered, he could not rationally expect things would be like last time on the second and following days.
3251
3252Overlooking the fine details, he was terrified that a much larger problem might yet rear its head.
3253
3254“I still don’t have any real clue why I went back this time around…”
3255
3256This time, he’d gone to sleep “normally” and woke up having gone back in time. Unlike the death loop he had been in before, he had no way to avoid something he couldn’t anticipate. Just the thought of it made his head hurt.
3257
3258“With this many differences, can I rely on my memory at all…?”
3259
3260He thought back to that fateful day when he met Emilia in the capital.
3261
3262A mountain of little details differed, but things were still proceeding in largely the same direction. He didn’t know how to escape from the big event. The only thing that stood out differently from the last time in Subaru’s mind was the promise he’d made with Emilia.
3263
3264Surely, if he made it that far, he’d be able to change the results and get past this.
3265
3266Subaru sank into the bathtub, put his thoughts in order without a breath of oxygen, and poked his head out of the bathtub once more.
3267
3268“Well, hello. Maaay I join you?”
3269
3270The sight of the bare-naked nobleman before him, hands on his hips, made Subaru deeply regret that he required air.
3271
3272They were close enough to touch as he stood in the nude, his crown jewels swaying between his legs as he looked down at Subaru.
3273
3274“It’s currently occupied. I refuse.”
3275
3276“The facilities in my own manor are my personal belongings, are they nooot? Allooow me to freely enjoy them.”
3277
3278“Then don’t ask. You don’t need my permission to get in the tub!”
3279
3280“Oh my, so haaarsh. You do not understand. The bath is certainly my personal possession…”
3281
3282Roswaal went down on one knee as his hand reached out and gently lifted Subaru’s unresisting chin.
3283
3284“…but in the capacity of my servant, are yooou not as well?”
3285
3286Chomp.
3287
3288“No hesitation, I seeee.”
3289
3290After biting the creepy fingertips holding his chin, Subaru swam backward, putting distance between Roswaal and himself.
3291
3292The bathroom’s size was firmly in the realm of “stupidly huge,” with a tub as broad as the oldest, best bathhouses. Plainly, it was the habit of nobles to use an excessively large amount of space, but he had to admit that monopolizing all that space felt pretty satisfying.
3293
3294“Another twist I didn’t expect, geez…”
3295
3296—During the previous four days, he hadn’t encountered Roswaal in the bathtub even once.
3297
3298During the last loop, Roswaal had been extremely busy; the two barely saw each other. No doubt the twins had tended to his needs, but Subaru barely had any contact with him outside of mealtime, their initial meeting excepted.
3299
3300“Damn it, every little thing’s happening in completely different ways than what I expected…”
3301
3302“Althooough I know not what troubles you, not eeeverything in this world goes according to plan.”
3303
3304Roswaal moved to Subaru’s side as he spoke of it being a tough world. He leaned back against the wall of the bathtub and let out a long sigh, somehow looking like any other man in the world enjoying the pleasures of the bath.
3305
3306“I only just noticed, but I guess even you take off your makeup for hot baths.”
3307
3308“Mm? Aaahh, that’s right. Oh my, Subaru, I wonder iiif this is the first time you have seen my face unadorned?”
3309
3310“I suppose it is. I’m like, you look totally normal. No need to hide your face like that.”
3311
3312“Cosmetics is a hobby of mine. ’Tis nooot out of any need to hide my face. It is not as if the curl of my lips or the arch of my nose are abhorrent to the eye… Oh my.”
3313
3314“Don’t look at me while saying that stuff. Make three doe-eyed blinks and I’m keeling over here and now.”
3315
3316Being born with bad looks was a serious drawback when making first impressions. And if Subaru wanted to complain about the face he was born with, what could he say? He looked exactly like his mother.
3317
3318Remembering his parents, Subaru had a conflicted look on his face as Roswaal changed the subject.
3319
3320“Aaare you getting along nicely with Ram and Rem? They’ve worked here for quite a while, so they are suuurely passing things along to their junior?”
3321
3322“Well, I haven’t talked to Rem much, but I’m getting along well with Ram. If anything, Ram is a bit too friendly. Even with us senior and junior, she hasn’t treated me any differently from when I was a guest.”
3323
3324“Weeell, Rem will make up for that shortcoming. It is only right sisters support each other. Those two are verrry well suited for each other in that sense.”
3325
3326“From what I see and hear, Ram’s the weaker sister, while Rem always covers for her.”
3327
3328In every sense, it was clear which twin sister had the superior ability at domestic work. Rem had first-rate skills across the board while Ram would have needed to work hard to come close to second-rate. Normally, that setup would give Ram an inferiority complex, but…
3329
3330“But all I hear is, ‘Ram’s amazing because she’s older.’ Being so bold is unreal.”
3331
3332“If you wish to speak of being bold, I think you are quiiite the specimen? But I see. I wonder if you replied and said the same things to her? It is quite a thing you are treading upon without reserve, which is quite maaarvelous.”
3333
3334“The emphasis there doesn’t sound like praise at all, you know?”
3335
3336Subaru didn’t hesitate to intrude on other people’s personal turf because he was so bad at reading the mood. That aloof disposition made it easy for him to get isolated. You might say that it was his bad habit to get on other people’s nerves.
3337
3338At Subaru’s reply, Roswaal closed his right eye and looked up at the ceiling with his yellow left eye alone.
3339
3340“It is not sarcasm. I truly believe it is a gooood thing. Those girls are a little too perfect for each other, you see. Quiiite likely, some things change only when someone comes from outside and gives a liiittle…push, yeees?”
3341
3342“Something like that, huh?”
3343
3344“Something like that, indeeeed.”
3345
3346The two immersed themselves into the bathtub up to their necks, letting their entire bodies soak up the sensations. A little after that, Subaru raised his eyebrows, remembering something.
3347
3348“Oh, right. Ros, there’s something I wanted to ask you. Is that all right?”
3349
3350“Weeell, if it is within my vast personal knowledge, I wooould not mind.”
3351
3352“That’s the most roundabout way of saying ‘I’m really smart’ that I’ve ever heard. But ah, anyway, how is this bath heated?”
3353
3354Subaru knocked a couple of times on the bottom of the tub as he addressed what had been nagging him the whole time.
3355
3356The bathtub Subaru and Roswaal were soaking in was made of stone; its pleasant smoothness made him think of marble. The bath was in a corner under the mansion, and of course it was for both genders. To begin with, everything in the bath was swapped after each time, so he had no special sense of fulfillment from getting in after Emilia.
3357
3358Subaru added a thought.
3359
3360“Not that I’m boiling in here. I just noticed before I got in.”
3361
3362“From time to time, your inquisitive spirit truuuly astounds me. I wonder if it is youth…although I wonder if I would have had that thought when I was your age?”
3363
3364Roswaal seemed to see a rare dazzle in Subaru’s youth as he nodded.
3365
3366“Regardless, the answer iiis quite simple. You seeee, there is a fire-attuned magic crystal under the bathtub that heats it. When triggered by the mana of someone entering the bath, it activates and brings the water to a boil. Surely you used such a thing in the kitchen?”
3367
3368“So that’s how that pot worked. I was wondering how you cooked here without gas.”
3369
3370After Rem had made brief use of it, it’d been Subaru’s turn to peel vegetables. In the first place, not understanding the meaning of words like it runs on mana, spoken like an obvious, everyday thing, probably meant the dawn of Iron Chef Subaru was still a long time away.
3371
3372“I mean, if it’s mana, does that mean only magic users can use it?”
3373
3374“Nooot at all. All life forms have ‘gates.’ Nooo plant or animal is an exception. If ’twas not so, we could nooot achieve a society built on the use of magic crystals.”
3375
3376Subaru puzzled over the new piece of vocabulary. Roswaal, watching Subaru like that, cleared his throat and raised a finger.
3377
3378“Very well, shaaall we indulge in a lesson here? I, teaching magic tooo you, the somewhat unenlightened?”
3379
3380“I’ll ignore the way that stuff came out and accept with grace.”
3381
3382Responding to the lecture proposal, Subaru turned to face Roswaal, who was kneeling in the center of the bathtub. None of that changed the fact that both were buck naked.
3383
3384“Verrry well. First, the basics. Subaru, you know what a ‘gate’ is, do you not?”
3385
3386“No, you say it like it’s obvious, but you don’t know what you don’t know…”
3387
3388“Your voice sounds very low all of a sudden. So you do not know of gates…or shall I saaay, totally? Mm, did I use that correctly?”
3389
3390Roswaal checked on the proper use of the word totally. Among all the little expressions Subaru had imported that originated from his world, he’d used that one especially frequently, so Roswaal was quite accustomed to it.
3391
3392Subaru gave Roswaal full marks for good usage. After making a high five, they returned to the lecture.
3393
3394“So, what is a gate, anyway? Is that something you have or don’t have?”
3395
3396“Put very simply, a gate iiis a doorway that leads inside your own body. Mana enters through the gate; mana leaves through the gate. A basic rule ooof life.”
3397
3398“Ahhh. It’s like a faucet connected to MP…”
3399
3400He grasped Roswaal’s simple explanation. So that was a gate; his ears had heard the term several times over. So it was pretty much what he’d guessed.
3401
3402“So if everyone has a gate, I have one, too?”
3403
3404“Weeell, you surely would, if you are confident that you aaare human. So, are you?”
3405
3406“There’s no purer human that’s been thrown into another world, ever. Totally normal. Totally mob-grade.”
3407
3408Situations that required combat strength to bust through them were completely new to him. His scientific know-how was fairly below average; his hand-eye coordination was pretty high, but his endurance was a sore point. His Acquired Skills were Sewing and Bed-making.
3409
3410One-way trip to becoming cannon fodder.
3411
3412But Subaru wasn’t hung up on that; this was the second thing to be happy about since arriving in a different world. Enthralled by the word magic, his heart thumped, his eyes twinkling with hope.
3413
3414“Of course the first thing I’m happy about is meeting Emilia, but this is pretty awesome! Finally, I can fulfill my dream of being a magic user… I’ve waited my whole life for this!”
3415
3416“Weeell, I am glad speaking of magic pleases you so, but becoming a magic user is largely dependent ooon fortune. In the first place, the properties of gates matter a great deal. You are uuunlikely to be as blessed as a genius such as I. I boast only because I must.”
3417
3418Roswaal’s behavior made Subaru hear a little ding as a flag rose in his mind.
3419
3420In spite of Roswaal’s overwhelming confidence, he didn’t know that Subaru, soaking in the bathtub in the nude before his eyes, was a “guest” summoned from another world.
3421
3422Tradition held that those summoned from another world possessed special abilities. So far, weapon skills were out, intellect was out, his luck modifier was either zero or somewhat negative, but: magic!
3423
3424“My new hope is in your hands, Rozchi. Magic, magic, let’s talk magic some more! There’s a magic wave here, and my twinkling future’s surfing on it!”
3425
3426“Is that sooo? Then let us continue. Did you knooow that magic has four basic affinities?”
3427
3428“Nope!”
3429
3430“Ahaaa, it feels good to have someone so senselessly, pointlessly guileless and ignorant before me, so I shall explain. The four elements of mana are fire, water, wind, and earth. Dooo you understand?”
3431
3432“Got it; these are the basics, huh? Consider them absorbed. Go on, go on!”
3433
3434Subaru’s request seemed to rub Roswaal the right way, so he nodded and continued his explanation.
3435
3436“Fire element relates to temperature. Water element regulates life and healing. Wind element functions outside the bodies of living things. Earth element functions inside the body. So, most affinities are divided by these four categories, aaand normal humans have an affinity for one of the four! Incidentally, I shall have you know I have an affinity for aaall four.”
3437
3438“Whoa, the boasting’s annoying but I’ll praise you anyway. That’s fantastic! How do you figure out someone’s element?”
3439
3440“Naaaturally, a magic user as accomplished as I can discover that through mere touch.”
3441
3442“Seriously?! This is what I’ve been waiting for. Well, do it and tell me!”
3443
3444As Subaru begged like a puppy that hadn’t been housebroken, Roswaal gave him a halfhearted look and pressed his palm to Subaru’s forehead. The eyes of both completely nude men twinkled at the scene.
3445
3446“Well, if you shaaall excuse me. Myon myon myon myon…”
3447
3448“Whoa! A magical sound! Total fantasy immersion!”
3449
3450Subaru was taken in by the invigorating scene before his eyes, forgetting his many sources of worry for that moment.
3451
3452—Magic. Finally he, having been summoned to another world, would get fangs of his very own.
3453
3454His eyes twinkling in certainty of his hope, Subaru awaited the results of the scan.
3455
3456“—Yeees, I see.”
3457
3458“Here it comes! What, what is it? Maybe fire element that burns like I do? Or water for when I’m calm and composed, the coolest guy in the room? Or maybe wind because of my refreshing nature, like the breeze blowing through the grass? No, no, it’s gotta be earth for my being such a laid-back, big-brother-type nice guy, definitely!”
3459
3460“Yes, it’s Dark.”
3461
3462“None of the above?!”
3463
3464Doubting his ears at the scan result, his reaction was like someone being told he had cancer.
3465
3466Roswaal then spoke in a grave tone that seemed to fit that image perfectly.
3467
3468“You are completely, uuutterly Dark. Your connection to the other four elements is quiiite weak. Put differently, though, this iiis exceedingly rare…”
3469
3470“So what is Dark, anyway?! It’s not in the other four categories? Some kind of reject?”
3471
3472“I did not mention it, buuut there are also elements beyond the basic four, namely Dark and Light. Hoooweeever, very few people have those affinities, so I diiid not bother to explain.”
3473
3474Meaning Subaru was far, far off the beaten path.
3475
3476Hearing Roswaal elaborate made Subaru feel less buffeted and calmed him down.
3477
3478Yes, this was a rare, limited element: in other words, a special power!
3479
3480“It’s gotta be a really awesome element. Like some super-special power that comes only once in five thousand years.”
3481
3482“Yes, Dark element magic is quite famous…able to obstruct an opponent’s vision, sever him from sound, slow his movements, and the like. Rather convenient uses.”
3483
3484“I’m a Debuffer?!”
3485
3486A Debuffer was a specialized support class dedicated to so-called debuffs—skills that weakened the enemy.
3487
3488He’d had his hopes up that he could use magic of peerless, legendary destruction, able to rend the sky and split the earth, but Roswaal was breaking it to him that his magic would have crowd-control and attribute-lowering properties.
3489
3490He really did seem apologetic, so it was no doubt the truth.
3491
3492“Summoned from a world without weapons skill, intellect, or cheat codes…and a magical element for debuffs…”
3493
3494“Incideeentally, you have no talent for magic. If my limit is a ten, yours is about three.”
3495
3496“I wanted to hear that even less! This place is forsaken by God and Buddha!”
3497
3498Subaru opened his mouth and made a loud groan as he immersed himself in the bathtub. Until a few moments before, it had been a theoretical hope, but expectations, once sprouted, were not so easy to brush aside.
3499
3500“Well, using it at all is good, I think… Or maybe being a debuffer makes me kinda cool…?”
3501
3502“Putting aside the level of coolness, there is nooo harm in learning. If you wish to use magic, by all means, learn. Fortunately for you, there is indeeeed a specialist in Dark spells here at this mansion.”
3503
3504“I see, that’s it! I suppose I should be satisfied with learning magic for situations where you wanna slow someone down. Okay, let’s get this show on the road!”
3505
3506Subaru was eager to have Emilia guide him into magic, drawing both of them closer together. His prior goal of following the same route as last time was long forgotten.
3507
3508“You seem to harbor a misunderstanding, buuut the specialist in Dark spells is nooot Emilia, you know?”
3509
3510“The heck?! Are you enjoying playing with someone’s heart like this?! So who’s the specialist, you, the elite magic user with all elemental affinities?! This sucks!”
3511
3512“It is Beatrice.”
3513
3514“That’s worse!!”
3515
3516With a great kerplunk, water spray leapt everywhere as he let loose his loudest shout of the evening.
3517
3518
3519
3520
3521
3522(4)
3523
3524
3525“Damn, that was all over the map. Damn that Roswaal, working me up and down like that like I’m on Buddha’s palm!”
3526
3527In the washroom, Subaru’s face was red as he put his hands through the sleeves of his change of clothes. With the affinity scan in the bathtub ending in dejection, Subaru got out of the bath first.
3528
3529He’d been worked up during the conversation with Roswaal, but his face felt heavy from the effects of the long bath. After all, it hadn’t been a full day yet since being healed from his wound; he had to expect some anemia.
3530
3531“Plus I’m gonna have serious aches and pains tomorrow. Ugh, damn you, Ram; you remember this, just because I’m better than last time doesn’t mean you have to work me like a dog…”
3532
3533“I will remember that as you wish.”
3534
3535“Fwaaaah?!”
3536
3537The timely reply, coming just as Subaru was leaving the washroom with his laundry in a basket, surprised him enough to make him jump. As Ram stood in the corridor before the washroom, his underwear, scattering out from the bouncing basket, fell to her feet.
3538
3539“My goodness.”
3540
3541Ram crouched, plucked Subaru’s underwear off the floor, and stuffed them into a garbage bin right beside her.
3542
3543“There’s a guy carrying a basket heading to the laundry right in front of you, y’know?!”
3544
3545“I’m sorry, I was gripped by psychological distaste the instant I picked them up. I had to get rid of them without a single moment to spare.”
3546
3547“Considering all that, your form was very relaxed, huh?!”
3548
3549Subaru tearfully recovered his underwear from the garbage bin and turned to face Ram. Seeing Ram serenely standing in the hallway, he tilted his head and wondered what she was up to. Ram seemed to reply to his unasked question.
3550
3551“Unfortunately, I have already bathed, so my clothes will stay on no matter how long you wait.”
3552
3553“I didn’t say anything!! And ain’t that backward for a maid?!”
3554
3555“I jest. I am simply waiting for Master Roswaal to finish before helping him dress.”
3556
3557“That’s pampering him a little too much. I’m sure he can dress himself.”
3558
3559Apparently, in this world, there existed people who’d never in their lives worn a single shoe without a servant slipping it on their foot. Roswaal surely fit the bill.
3560
3561“Don’t tell me you both help him put on that weird makeup. My low trust’s falling even further.”
3562
3563“There shall be no rudeness toward Master Roswaal in my presence. Next time I shall spank you.”
3564
3565It felt like a warmth-filled warning, but seeing that she wasn’t kidding, he knew he ought to take it to heart.
3566
3567In point of fact, Ram had explained his chores at the mansion with great care and patience, but she had a look that suggested she’d make him work in the hog house if he asked her the same question twice.
3568
3569“I’ll save myself the grief, then… If you’ll excuse me. See you tomorrow.”
3570
3571“Basuru, what are you doing later?”
3572
3573“I’m just heading off to sleep. Morning comes early after all? Damn it. Those mornings are really tough.”
3574
3575At Subaru’s reply, mixing rebelliousness with weakness, Ram nodded a bit and closed her eyes.
3576
3577Subaru was just about to ask the silent Ram if there was something she wanted to say when she opened her eyes.
3578
3579“Wait in your room, then. I’ll be there later.”
3580
3581Subaru’s response sounded very obtuse.
3582
3583“—Huh?”
3584
3585
3586
3587
3588
3589(5)
3590
3591
3592Subaru Natsuki, as he’d declared several times over, was firmly in Emilia’s corner.
3593
3594Perhaps it was because he’d never encountered such beauty, either in this new world or the one from which he came, but Emilia stood out in Subaru’s mind.
3595
3596It was partly pure physical beauty, but also the beauty of each and every action.
3597
3598Consequently, there was simply no room for anyone else in his heart, no matter what she looked like.
3599
3600“That’s why this perfectly made bed has one purpose: for me to get a good night’s sleep!”
3601
3602Subaru forcefully thrust an accusing finger at his bed, venting to no one in particular.
3603
3604Subaru, having returned to his room after leaving the bath, had wasted all the intervening time on putting his bed in order. He’d abandoned his laundry, working up quite a sweat in spite of having just bathed.
3605
3606“There’s no deep meaning to it. No deep meaning to it! Mundane thoughts out, mundane thoughts out. Calm down, calm down. One Emilia, two Emilias, three Emilias… Is this Heaven?!”
3607
3608“Be quiet, Barusu. It’s night already; do be quiet.”
3609
3610“Yikes!”
3611
3612He made a large leap and slammed into the wall. Ram, having opened the door without a sound, was standing at the entrance to the room.
3613
3614“And just after I told you to be quiet. You are hopeless.”
3615
3616“What’s with rules that apply for only you?! Anyone would jump from that! What do you want from me here?!”
3617
3618Ram made a muted hmph at Subaru as he vented. Subaru, struck by the humiliation of not being worth a proper word, had no good option left but silence.
3619
3620Then, cutting in front of the silent Subaru, Ram entered the room—and headed straight to a writing desk in the corner.
3621
3622It was something every room was supplied with, but to Subaru, who couldn’t read that world’s books, it was a worthless piece of junk, so he had not turned in the desk’s direction until then.
3623
3624“What are you standing there for? Come here, Barusu.”
3625
3626Subaru made a dispirited face at being spoken to like a dog being taught manners, but he was resolute to not get wrapped up in Ram’s pace. Besides, screwing around was Subaru’s job.
3627
3628He headed toward her with a steely resolution to not be swayed no matter what wacky statements she might dish out. Subaru felt like he was going to war as he stood before Ram, puffing out his chest.
3629
3630“And? What impossible trial awaits me this time?”
3631
3632“What are you talking about? I told you, sit down quickly if you want me to teach you how to read.”
3633
3634“That’s news to me!”
3635
3636His steel heart was instantly shattered.
3637
3638Subaru could not hide his unease at having his hardened resolve so easily broken. He sucked in his breath as he beheld the pure white note page spread atop the table, joined by a feather pen and a reddish-brown bound book.
3639
3640Apparently, this was neither a joke nor a prank; she truly intended to teach him how to read.
3641
3642“But why now, all of a sudden…”
3643
3644Ram’s reply to the bewildered Subaru’s question was extremely straight and to the point.
3645
3646“I realized while watching you work today that you could not read. So I will teach you. If you cannot read, I cannot send you to buy groceries or leave you notes.”
3647
3648Ram showed Subaru the red-bound book as his mouth flapped like that of a fish caught off guard.
3649
3650“We shall begin with a simple picture book meant for children. I will accompany you for study every night from now on.”
3651
3652No doubt it was an offer he should be grateful for, but Subaru’s bewilderment was stronger than his gratitude at that moment.
3653
3654Like the events that unfolded in the bath, this situation was one that was unthinkable last time. And, according to Subaru’s senses, his intimacy with the twins still fell far short of what he’d experienced on the fourth day last time.
3655
3656“Why are you being nice to me like this?”
3657
3658“It is obvious. I… No, it is to make things easier.”
3659
3660“Man, you’re hard-boiled. You didn’t even say what you corrected…”
3661
3662“It is only natural. As your work increases, mine decreases. If my work decreases, Rem’s work will naturally decrease as well. It’s all for a good cause.”
3663
3664“That means a ton of work falling on me, though?!”
3665
3666“…?”
3667
3668Ram tilted her head like she couldn’t understand what he was getting at. He was at a loss for words.
3669
3670But even if he was at a loss like this, he was happy that Ram was showing him such concern.
3671
3672“Okay, roger that. Let’s get this studying started, shall we?”
3673
3674“Since you already have the spoken language down, it should not be all that difficult. After all, now is the time to correct your vulgar word selection.”
3675
3676“Tossing in insults with your help, huh?”
3677
3678As he spoke, he sat down at the desk and completed preparations, feather pen in hand. With light and rather smooth and speedy strokes, he wrote his first words one ought to use to commemorate a visit to another world.
3679
3680“Subaru Natsuki enters stage left… There we go!”
3681
3682“You do not have the free time to be scribbling. Time is limited. Morning comes quickly, after all.”
3683
3684“Well, this is actually my mother tongue… Guess it wasn’t obvious, huh?”
3685
3686He’d held out hope that their being able to talk might mean she’d be able to read his writing, but nothing so convenient unfolded. Just like Subaru, she was unable to read the other side’s language.
3687
3688“First, we’ll begin with basic I-script, moving on to Ro-script and Ha-script after you’ve perfected I-script.”
3689
3690“So there’re three types, huh? Sucks to hear that.”
3691
3692It was tough to have your spirits discouraged right before a lesson in a new language. He recalled how foreigners felt when trying to clear the high hurdle of the hiragana, katakana, and kanji when learning Japanese.
3693
3694“You can read the picture book by grasping I-script. Time is limited to one hour. Tomorrow is another day, and Ram is sleepy, too.”
3695
3696“That last bit sounded like the real story. Not that I mind…”
3697
3698“I think my honesty is one of my selling points.”
3699
3700He didn’t know if her unhesitant reply was serious or a joke. It really felt like she meant it, so Subaru dove right into the script lesson.
3701
3702Fundamental to learning any new language was grasping the characters through repetition of the writing process. He copied the basic characters Ram wrote down, filling the page with them. It was enough drudgery to break him, but it was necessary, indispensable labor. Subaru felt fatigue and sleepiness pile up when, seized by a somewhat mushy feeling, he conveyed his honest thoughts to Ram.
3703
3704“Y’know, even if you said it’s to make things easier for you, I’m still glad.”
3705
3706The feather pen made a faint sound as it ran along the paper. Subaru thought back to the four days from last time while writing down the same characters page after page.
3707
3708Now that he thought about it, he was chasing after Emilia every day whenever he had the chance, but he’d spent the most time with Ram during that period.
3709
3710Subaru was basically an amateur at all the chores of the mansion. Of course teaching him was bone breaking, all the more so because Ram was doing that on top of her regular duties.
3711
3712The burden naturally fell on Rem as well. In addition to that, he hadn’t had much contact with Rem during those four days. Subaru knew that the highly competent Rem was covering for a portion of her sister’s chores, so Subaru owed her for indirectly shouldering his burden, too.
3713
3714“Honestly, I didn’t think you liked me that much.”
3715
3716It was natural that educating a useless newbie like Subaru was a pain. Certainly that was the opinion Ram voiced, but Subaru felt used to it already.
3717
3718“I hate to weigh you down, but thanks. I want to be useful as soon as possible.”
3719
3720Subaru was thanking her from the bottom of his heart for then and for the future. For her part, Ram quietly went…
3721
3722“Guu.”
3723
3724…making a cute sleeping sound atop the immaculately made bed.
3725
3726The feather pen made a sharp sound as it snapped.
3727
3728
3729
3730
3731
3732(6)
3733
3734
3735Subaru, surrendering to his sudden impulse, opened his mouth wide and yawned.
3736
3737He brusquely wiped away the wetness from the corners of his sleepy eyes and stretched all the way up. The sinking sun of the evening sky had left an orange tint as its parting gift to the leisurely passing clouds, thanking them for another day’s work.
3738
3739Subaru watched the clouds as he rotated his arms, legs, and neck to make sure everything was in working order. Effects remained from heavy labor, but he didn’t feel the same fatigue that he had on his first night.
3740
3741No doubt it wasn’t that his body had grown tougher; rather, he’d become more accustomed to his chores, the greater efficiency leaving him less beat.
3742
3743Since his body didn’t get any stronger with Return by Death, he had to rely on learning through experience.
3744
3745“Sorry to make you wait, Subaru— Are you all right?”
3746
3747“Mm. Yeah, I’m totally okay. Finished your shopping, Rem?”
3748
3749“Yes, no holdups. It seems you were rather popular.”
3750
3751Holding a carry bag containing the things she’d bought and complimenting Subaru was the blue-haired girl—Rem.
3752
3753Wearing her maid uniform, Rem was holding down her windblown hair as she looked at Subaru—his servant’s outfit stained with mud, dust, tears, and snot—with a slightly hardened expression.
3754
3755“Kids have taken a liking to me since way back. I guess they really fell for, you know, motherly stuff that I just can’t keep bottled up?”
3756
3757“It’s because children are just like animals and naturally decide a hierarchy. They instinctively recognize whether it’s appropriate to make light of a person or not.”
3758
3759“That doesn’t sound much like praise!!”
3760
3761Sharp comments like that were what made him accept that Rem and Ram were actually sisters.
3762
3763Ram was direct; Rem was roundabout. You had to have a thick skin to stick around them. Of course, their job was one that could not be accomplished without physical toughness as well.
3764
3765The village closest to the mansion where Subaru and Rem were at was called Auram.
3766
3767Though Roswaal dwelled in the hinterlands, he was nonetheless a minor lord possessing several pieces of land. Everywhere within them, and Auram Village was no exception, the residents welcomed Subaru and Rem like it was the natural thing to do, speaking to them in a very friendly manner.
3768
3769Apparently, just the fact that the twins spent a lot of time in contact with them in the course of shopping meant word of Subaru’s existence had passed around. The shock at the speed rural rumors traveled surprised Subaru, but still, though it was awkward, Subaru was happy for the warm welcome.
3770
3771“Having said that, what’s with those brats getting all clingy like that… Don’t they know that touching everything just gets your fingers burned? Can’t they tell I’m putting out a hard-boiled aura here?”
3772
3773“It seems your pretending to be a ‘motherly’ adult kept you quite busy all by yourself.”
3774
3775“The ‘by yourself’ part sounded a bit sharp there, but it would’ve been nice being busy without getting mobbed like that. I really should’ve stuck with you going shopping…”
3776
3777Since Subaru’s inability to tell ingredients apart made him useless, Rem had him kill time in the village while she was shopping. The kids found him and he was immediately abducted.
3778
3779“Man, they just don’t have any respect. That’s why I can’t really get to like kids.”
3780
3781“When it comes to lack of respect, you look plenty childish to me…?”
3782
3783“A very sound theory! Having said that, I think taking someone for granted from the get-go is a little different… Ram’s really good at that, though.”
3784
3785“Sister is incredible.”
3786
3787They were speaking past each other somewhat. The way Rem seemed full of herself as she boasted about her sister, plus the fact that her sister wasn’t watching, made Subaru surmise they were her true feelings.
3788
3789“Feels like Ram’s personality causes a lot of conflict, though.”
3790
3791“Her unflinching demeanor is part of her charm. It is not something I can pull off…”
3792
3793Subaru, hearing a sad undertone to the words she added at the end, knit his brow but didn’t press the point.
3794
3795With Subaru suddenly at a loss for words, Rem seemed to snap back to normal as she changed the subject.
3796
3797“Come to think of it, how is your studying going?”
3798
3799“I’d like to say…steadily, but it’s not as simple as that. Stuff like this needs time to slowly nurture and develop…just like love!”
3800
3801“As long as you don’t give up midway.”
3802
3803“There wasn’t much tenderness in that comment just now!”
3804
3805Seeing that his shout brought a slight smile to Rem’s face, Subaru also smiled in relief.
3806
3807—It had already been four days since Ram had offered him personal lessons. He’d heard Rem might take over, but she hadn’t actually assumed the instructor’s position as of yet.
3808
3809Ram being that busy meant that the burden on Rem was all the greater.
3810
3811Subaru kept smiling and waved to Rem, who was acting slightly hesitant for once.
3812
3813“Don’t worry about it. I’m not going to give up or disappoint Ram. I just wish she wouldn’t fall asleep on my bed in the middle of the lesson. It’s really distracting.”
3814
3815“Sister is probably acting that way to spur you forward.”
3816
3817“Man, your total worship of your sister is way past normal. Totally demon possessed.”
3818
3819“Demon possessed…?”
3820
3821Rem tilted her head at the latest word trend Subaru had coined.
3822
3823“Like possessed, except by a demon instead of a divine spirit. Demon possessed. It works, huh?”
3824
3825“Do you like demons?”
3826
3827“Better than gods. I mean, gods don’t give you anything, but a demon will have a good laugh with you over a chat about the future.”
3828
3829Talking about the last year seemed especially popular with them. Subaru remembered the image of the Red Demon and the Blue Demon hugging each other as they laughed themselves silly, when he suddenly realized there was a definite smile carved upon Rem’s face.
3830
3831“Whoa…”
3832
3833He’d seen her faintly smiling several times over, but this was the first time he’d seen a real smile on her face. Subaru didn’t know what had tickled Rem’s thoughts, but he snapped his fingers.
3834
3835“That smiling face is worth a million-volt skyline.”
3836
3837“I will tell on you to Lady Emilia.”
3838
3839Subaru straightened himself and meekly pleaded for forgiveness.
3840
3841“I wasn’t trying to hit on you!”
3842
3843Rem lightly raised her eyebrows toward Subaru.
3844
3845“What happened to your hand?”
3846
3847“Mm? Oh, that mangy mutt with the kids went all chomp-chomp on me.”
3848
3849His left hand, covered in bite marks, had already stopped bleeding, but it still looked somewhat pathetic.
3850
3851Incidentally, it was only after he returned to the mansion that he realized that the middle of the back of his servant outfit was stained with snot.
3852
3853“May I heal that wound?”
3854
3855“Eh? What, you can use healing magic, too, Rem?”
3856
3857“Only simple magic up to first-aid level. Perhaps you prefer Lady Emilia?”
3858
3859
3860
3861
3862
3863“Mm, that is a pretty attractive suggestion, but…I’ll pass on both.”
3864
3865Subaru declined her offer while gazing at the bite marks on the back of his left hand.
3866
3867He’d decided that scars, in a way, were a good thing. The fact that everything, up to and including his scars from the previous loop, had vanished when he’d begun this play-through weighed heavily on Subaru’s mind.
3868
3869The presence or absence of scars was a great way to tell if he’d done a Return by Death or not. If the dog hadn’t happened to bite him, he’d have been forced to cut himself with a sharp feather pen.
3870
3871“Well, it’s a mark of honor. No one lives as prettily as on the day they were born.”
3872
3873“It is said that scars are a man’s medals, though all you accomplished on the battlefield were mistakes.”
3874
3875“That might have a kernel of truth, but don’t say stuff so cold, geez!”
3876
3877The way Rem tilted her head and looked at him indicated she didn’t realize what a venomous tongue she had. That was even scarier.
3878
3879“Besides that, I’ve cut my hand lots of times in front of you before, so why offer to heal me all of a sudden? I mean, you never offered to do it before?”
3880
3881“That’s because I thought you’d forget if it didn’t hurt, so you should keep the wounds as a warning.”
3882
3883“That’s educational policy straight outta Sparta… So why’d you offer now, then?”
3884
3885He wanted to know the reason why this case was different from the others, making her unable to let this one go.
3886
3887After Subaru posed his question, Rem kept her silence for a while.
3888
3889Looking at her face from the side, Subaru thought it might have to do with the little smile from earlier.
3890
3891“The futon flew on. The kitten catnapped. Who’s the one who said a pun?!”
3892
3893“Did you suddenly go wrong in the head?”
3894
3895“You’re jumping to conclusions. No, I thought I’d find out for sure why you were all smiles earlier.”
3896
3897Though, considering her reaction to the demon talk earlier, he thought it could be that, too…
3898
3899“I thought you’d really go for cheap gags. So I wondered if I tried it, maybe it would put you in a good mood and make you want to be nicer to me, or something like that.”
3900
3901“Do not expect you will get a chance to have me heal your wounds ever again.”
3902
3903“You’re that angry?!”
3904
3905“I have been this angry since earlier from your bad-mouthing Sister behind her back.”
3906
3907“I do that a lot lately!”
3908
3909The look Rem shot at Subaru grew sharper still thanks to that last comment.
3910
3911Fearful, Subaru gave up on apologizing, closing his mouth and gazing at the sky. Evening was slowly giving way to night. That was when he felt his limbs stiffen.
3912
3913—After all, it was his second time in that world reaching the fourth day.
3914
3915“So the challenge is to get to tomorrow morning safely—but before that…”
3916
3917…Before that came another important challenge: making sure that he actually had a promise with Emilia for a date to begin with.
3918
3919
3920
3921
3922
3923(7)
3924
3925
3926For the second time, Subaru Natsuki was approaching his greatest crisis during his first week at Roswaal Manor.
3927
3928With things having gone so much against his experiences during the first loop, he couldn’t really call it smooth sailing, but the greatest danger was indeed that moment.
3929
3930And so, with a slight blush, Emilia said to him…
3931
3932“So, since Ram and Rem both said they weren’t going to show their faces here tonight, I’ve come to supervise your studying in their place. Not that I can do much to help…”
3933
3934…and cutely stuck out her tongue.
3935
3936With Subaru sitting facing the desk, having Emilia sitting on the bed, watching him like a hawk, was ferociously whittling down his endurance.
3937
3938—Here was a cute girl in the room of a teenage boy, just the two of them, late at night like this… Surely no one could blame Subaru for losing his concentration as he struggled against his baser instincts?
3939
3940“Hmm. You’re taking studying more seriously than I expected, Subaru.”
3941
3942Subaru was desperately chanting innocent inside his head, unable to feel innocent at all, when Emilia got up and voiced her admiration. Apparently she’d bathed just earlier; the faint hint of warmth hovering around Emilia, mixed with her own scent, were two more sharp blows to Subaru’s state of mind.
3943
3944Subaru fumbled with his notebook as he opened it to show Emilia where he’d gotten in his studying.
3945
3946“R-right now I’m learning basic I-characters by writing them. My current goal is to read this picture book for kids, since it’s mostly written in I-script.”
3947
3948“Hmm, the goal is a picture book… Ah!”
3949
3950“What, it’s got an interesting story or something?”
3951
3952Emilia lightly shook her head at Subaru as her hand stopped midway through browsing the picture book he was using for reference.
3953
3954“Well, nothing big, but yes, a little. When you can read this, too… Yeah.”
3955
3956Audibly closing the book, Emilia sat on the bed once more and got comfortable. Subaru was unable to conceal how Emilia’s refined but unguarded nature left his mind all jumbled.
3957
3958“Normally I wouldn’t be doing this for someone I met only a few days ago, but I’m giving you special treatment…to thank you for your hard work.”
3959
3960“Sheesh, that’s not a whole lot of thanks, Emilia. If you want to show your thanks, how about a massage? Something to melt away and heal all the aches and pains of a hard day’s work, geh-heh-heh.”
3961
3962Emilia clapped her hands as she scolded him.
3963
3964“That sounds perverted somehow, so no. And don’t change the subject. Keep going, will you?”
3965
3966Subaru turned back toward the desk as he fought his worldly desires.
3967
3968Subaru chanted innocent, innocent in his head as he wrote the characters onto the notebook, driving out idle thoughts as he focused his head on one thing at a time.
3969
3970“Goodness, you can do it just fine if you don’t let yourself get distracted.”
3971
3972“That’s because I lose track of everything around me once I’m into something. That’s why I’m straight-like-an-arrow aimed at the person I like!”
3973
3974“Hmm, is that so? It’d be nice if the person you like notices that sooner rather than later.”
3975
3976Certainly, Subaru’s statement had been very frivolous, but Emilia brushed it off like it had nothing to do with her. The fact that she clearly didn’t see herself as the target of Subaru’s affections gave him no route to follow up.
3977
3978“Hey, Subaru… Why don’t you take work as seriously as you do studying?”
3979
3980“My motto is to be diligently un-diligent…is what I would say, but this isn’t the right mood for that. Uh?”
3981
3982“It’s a serious matter—Ram was complaining about it a little, too. From time to time it feels like you’re holding back.”
3983
3984Naturally, Emilia’s words and expression both held distaste at having to convey such a message. Hearing this, Subaru could make only a pained grimace, for she had hit the mark.
3985
3986Ram was correct in her assessment that Subaru was holding back from work, for the truth was that Subaru wasn’t taking the work seriously.
3987
3988More precisely, he was deliberately trying to produce the same outcome as the last time. Compared to last time, when he hadn’t learned the first thing about being a servant, Subaru was at least a little bit better. His slight adjustments hadn’t escaped the veteran maid’s attention.
3989
3990“…So you do feel guilty about it. It feels like you’re honest to a fault in some odd places, Subaru. You’re not slacking off studying, after all.”
3991
3992“Well, there’s some little circum… I guess that’s not an excuse. I’ll put everything into it starting tomorrow, so please forgive me, Your Highness!”
3993
3994“Mnn, I have no objections… Ah, was that a little off?”
3995
3996Emilia cutely tilted her head, perhaps wondering if she’d been a little too haughty.
3997
3998Subaru, relieved at seeing Emilia’s stance softening, firmly resolved to honor the pledge to Emilia he’d just given.
3999
4000At the very least, there’d be no need to copy the last time after that night was done.
4001
4002He’d work very hard to repay the debts he owed to Ram and Rem from over those four days.
4003
4004…Not that he thought easing up on the brakes would turn everything around overnight…
4005
4006“Feelings are real important here. I want my renewed hard work to completely provoke those two sisters!”
4007
4008“And there, another splendid moment completely wasted… Are you finished studying?”
4009
4010“I managed to get today’s part done! Hey, Emilia, would you listen to a little request of mine? I’d like a reward for working hard from tomorrow on, so…?”
4011
4012“A reward? Just so you know, I don’t have a lot of money I can spare.”
4013
4014“Wow, you sure were brought up strict. Now, now, just hear me out. I’ll work seriously starting tomorrow, so…let’s go on a date!”
4015
4016Subaru posed with a full smile and a thumbs-up as he made his proposal to Emilia.
4017
4018Faced with the greatest smiling face in Subaru’s arsenal, Emilia’s big eyes blinked slowly.
4019
4020“Um, what’s a date?”
4021
4022“Heh. A date is when a guy and a girl go out all by themselves. What happens between them, only the Goddess of Love knows!”
4023
4024“Then you went on a date with Rem today, Subaru?”
4025
4026“Nooo, an unexpected counterattack?! Please, that didn’t count, that didn’t count!!”
4027
4028Certainly that counted as going out with a beautiful girl, but Subaru was hoping for something a little more mutually involved than buying groceries for the household.
4029
4030“I understand you want to go out with me, but where?”
4031
4032“Actually, there’s this village close to the mansion with this super lovely mutt. It has flower gardens, too. I wanna use my metia to record for all eternity you standing among the blooming flowers.”
4033
4034Subaru went to a corner of his bedroom, where his shopping bag with his few, precious possessions from his original world were stored. The cell phone and cup of ramen were still in there, having survived the ferocious combat at the fence’s shop.
4035
4036“If the battery holds up, I wanna fill the whole memory card with pictures of Emilia…”
4037
4038“Ah…the village, huh?”
4039
4040In front of the person who wanted to drag her out from her daily routine, Emilia put her hand to her cheek, deep in thought. Subaru recalled that she’d hesitated considerably before the last date invitation, too.
4041
4042Somehow he’d gotten her to say yes the last time. Subaru made his teeth shine to recreate that memory.
4043
4044“The dog’s super cute. Let’s go!”
4045
4046“But it might cause you quite a bit of trouble, Subaru. The villagers….”
4047
4048“The kids there are completely innocent, totally a bunch of angels. Let’s go!”
4049
4050“…All right already. It can’t be helped. I’ll just have to go with you.”
4051
4052“The flower gardens are magical and wonderful and… Wait, seriously?”
4053
4054He was struck senseless at how Emilia seemed less resistant to the idea than last time.
4055
4056Subaru was still thrown off as Emilia tapered her lips and drew in her delicate shoulders.
4057
4058“If that’ll make you work hard from tomorrow on, I’ll go with you. So don’t go drifting off anywhere, okay…?”
4059
4060“Nope, nope, will do no such thing! My soul’s already burning with determination to finish all my work perfectly!”
4061
4062“Your soul’s burning for something like that?!”
4063
4064Emilia’s shocked face at Subaru’s burning drive sent them both into laugher.
4065
4066After laughing like that for a while, Emilia nodded a bit and got up from the bed. She passed by Subaru’s side and looked out the window, making a faint, charming smile up at the sky.
4067
4068“Mm, the stars are so pretty tonight. It’ll probably be clear tomorrow, too.”
4069
4070“—Yeah. It’ll be a day I’ll never forget.”
4071
4072“There you go again, Subaru…”
4073
4074Emilia turned around and leaned against the windowsill as she began to admonish Subaru for his frivolity. But her tongue stopped moving when she saw the expression on Subaru’s face.
4075
4076—No doubt it was because, when she hadn’t been looking, Subaru’s expression had become uncharacteristically serious.
4077
4078“If you stay here too long, I’m gonna end up falling asleep and mistaking you for a squeeze pillow till morning…”
4079
4080“Just now… Ahh, it’s nothing.”
4081
4082“You know, if you suddenly stop talking like that, it really makes guys nervous…?”
4083
4084Emilia, perhaps set off by his probing the deeper meaning of her actions, remarked, “It’s nothing!” as she left the window and cutely strode past Subaru. She went straight to the doorknob before looking back.
4085
4086“Now then, Butler Subaru. Work hard come tomorrow. Rewards come only to children who work hard for them.”
4087
4088She made a light wave of her hand to bid him good night, followed by a smile and a toss of her hair. Without waiting for Subaru’s reply, the silver silhouette vanished past the doorway.
4089
4090He could stretch out his hand, but it could not reach. All that remained in his room of the lovely girl was the faint scent of her perfume in the air.
4091
4092But—
4093
4094“Hold on, hold on, seriously? Geez, I’m getting real popular here. Seriously.”
4095
4096The promise had been made once more. Now, Subaru could challenge the night again.
4097
4098It was six hours to get through the fourth night. Six hours before the promised morning of the fifth day.
4099
4100“Now, Mr. Fate, let’s do this—”
4101
4102
4103
4104
4105
4106(8)
4107
4108
4109Subaru was sitting on the floor with his back against the bed, anxiously passing each moment as he waited for daybreak.
4110
4111The coldness of the floor hadn’t really registered in the two-plus hours he’d spent sitting there. But Subaru’s body was extremely, almost excessively aware of the cold. The reason was simple.
4112
4113“Who could sleep with his heart pounding like this anyway?!”
4114
4115His heartbeat was fast and loud, making large thumps that he could swear were ringing in his eardrums. His senses were keen to the point of feeling his blood coursing through his whole body; his fingers throbbed nonstop like they were numb.
4116
4117“Here’s what I get for looking forward to the promise with Emilia. Geez, I haven’t had this much trouble sleeping since before that picnic in first grade…and I ended up oversleeping for the school trip. Really takes me back…”
4118
4119His reminiscing distracting him somewhat, Subaru glared at the sky he’d been looking up at for hours on end.
4120
4121—Still a long time, he belatedly thought.
4122
4123It was about four hours until morning. He didn’t feel sleepy whatsoever, but remaining on guard for whatever might occur had frayed his nerves. Thinking of the possibility of an attack made it impossible for him to focus on anything else to kill time.
4124
4125Besides, continuing to think was the only thing Subaru could do.
4126
4127He’d redone the last four days, as in, four days for the second time.
4128
4129There were numerous differences in discord with prior events. They had heavily affected the path he’d taken to reach that night. But Subaru had surely checked off the majority of the events in his memory.
4130
4131However, what nagged at him was that he still didn’t have a clue how to avoid causing a new loop.
4132
4133Relations with Emilia were good. He felt like relations with Ram and Rem were getting better, but…
4134
4135He hadn’t encountered Beatrice since that night.
4136
4137The last time, it wasn’t for long, but Subaru had been in contact with Beatrice. Setting that aside, he had barely seen Beatrice this time around. Strict time management had prevented him from exchanging more than a few words with her.
4138
4139“Just like before, she gave me a good tongue-lashing just from seeing my face, sheesh…”
4140
4141He didn’t recall having much discussion with her, but it was most certainly Beatrice’s being there that had saved Subaru’s mind from shattering when confronted with facing his “second” first day.
4142
4143It was the sheer normality of how she blew him off that made Subaru feel calm enough to find himself.
4144
4145“I should’ve thanked her for that somehow.”
4146
4147Not that Beatrice would appreciate what he was thanking her for, and no doubt she’d make quite a sour face if he did, but Subaru still wanted to share his thoughts with her.
4148
4149With a smile, he thought back on the thorny conversations the two had instead engaged in.
4150
4151If he made it to the next morning, there would be lots and lots more that he could accomplish.
4152
4153He had things he wanted to say, not just to Beatrice but to Ram, Rem, and even Roswaal. Of course, he wanted that to be after first exhausting ten thousand words on Emilia.
4154
4155Looking back on it, he had to smile. Putting last time and that time together, it was eight days all told.
4156
4157Maybe it was the mushy feeling inside him that made his eyelids seem a bit heavier, though there were still three whole hours until morning.
4158
4159“This isn’t an MMO. It’s no joke if I fall asleep here…”
4160
4161He rubbed his eyelids as the sudden sleepiness faded away. But the sleepiness had come with a chill; he made a bitter smile as his body began shivering out of the blue. He cradled both shoulders, trying to raise his body temperature. But the chill wouldn’t leave him no matter what he did. Still, the sleepiness gradually got worse.
4162
4163—Subaru, so gripped with optimism, realized that the situation had changed.
4164
4165Looking closer, he saw that the skin under the sleeves of his track jacket had goose bumps all over. Chilled to the bone, he couldn’t stop shaking. It wasn’t normal. The season of this other world was like late springtime in his own world. The days were almost too warm for long-sleeve shirts. So why were his teeth chattering like this?
4166
4167“This is bad; don’t tell me this is…?!”
4168
4169Feeling a chill that came not from cold but from fear, Subaru nervously put his hands on the floor. But with the shaking already spreading through his whole body, his arms could not support him. When he got up, his knees felt creaky enough to break apart; Subaru was aghast at how sluggish and nauseated he felt.
4170
4171“S-somebody…”
4172
4173Subaru’s heart rate, so strong just earlier, had weakened, and his breathing was hard as he left the room. He wanted to call for help, but his raspy voice caught in his throat. His legs were cramping as if his lungs weren’t accepting oxygen from the dry air that hovered in the dark corridor.
4174
4175This is bad, was the thought that dominated the back of Subaru’s mind. He didn’t have any tangible understanding of what was happening to his body. The one thing he did know was that his life was in danger.
4176
4177Subaru sluggishly walked forward, groaning as he made his way toward the stairway going up.
4178
4179Each step through the familiar passageway was labored enough that it seemed to shave off another piece of his soul.
4180
4181“Haa…haa…”
4182
4183Reaching the stairs, he climbed up one step at a time on hands and feet. He wondered how long it would take him to reach the top. Just thinking about it deflated Subaru as he crawled deeper into the hallway.
4184
4185The insides of his body seemed to be melting; he felt like everything was turning into some kind of soup. The vomit that welled up dripped from the corner of Subaru’s mouth onto the corridor; his face was stained with tears.
4186
4187Subaru, crawling so pathetically, had only one thing, one person, in the back of his mind.
4188
4189—Emilia. Emilia. Emilia. I have to get to Emilia.
4190
4191Responsibility, or perhaps duty—Subaru was driven by an emotion he couldn’t put into words.
4192
4193In that moment, Subaru had none of the self-preservation instinct common to all species.
4194
4195Subaru, crawling his way to Emilia’s room, was already barely breathing. His arms too weak to bear the weight of his body, he leaned against the wall and slid his way forward. Anyone watching would have felt less pity than disgust at his having lost the dignity of walking upright like a man.
4196
4197“—”
4198
4199His whole body was sluggish. His breaths were ragged as his ears continued their high-pitched ringing.
4200
4201So it was pure happenstance, one might even say dumb luck, that Subaru noticed the strange sound.
4202
4203—The sound he noticed was like the clank of a chain.
4204
4205Getting a bad feeling, he stopped moving. His shoulder slid down the wall; he pressed his head against the floor.
4206
4207“—Uh?”
4208
4209The next moment, an impact blew Subaru back.
4210
4211Subaru’s body, flopping to the floor but a moment before, flew. He bounced several times, his face literally wiping the floor, as Subaru realized something had hit him incredibly hard.
4212
4213There was no pain.
4214
4215However, he felt a malaise like everything from the tips of his fingers and toes to the middle of his chest had gone through a blender.
4216
4217“What happ…”
4218
4219What happened, he started to say as he tried to put his hand to the floor to lift himself.
4220
4221But his shaking hand had no strength to grip the floor. That was strange. He had no balance. His right arm was working so hard; what was his left arm doing? Where’d it run off to?
4222
4223Annoyed for no tangible reason, Subaru glared at his useless left arm.
4224
4225—That was when he realized that everything left of his shoulder had been torn off.
4226
4227“—Ah?”
4228
4229Falling on his side, Subaru gazed dumbfounded at his amputated left arm.
4230
4231A large quantity of blood gushed out from the wound carved into him that had sent his left arm and shoulder flying, dyeing the hallway red.
4232
4233A moment after he noticed the existence of the wound, Subaru was wracked with pain like lightning coursing through his whole body.
4234
4235Subaru, no longer able to process the pain and heat, flailed around like a stranded, dying fish and slammed himself against the ground several times, too choked up to even scream.
4236
4237His vision faded, with red and yellow light mixing together as Subaru’s consciousness faded from the mansion.
4238
4239I wanna die. I wanna die. I wanna die. I wanna die. I wanna die. I wanna die. I don’t wanna live. I just wanna die. I’ll die soon. I’m dead. I don’t know anything. Everything’s far off. Can’t remember anything. Don’t care about anything. Just let me die already.
4240
4241As if responding to Subaru’s earnest plea—
4242
4243“The sound of a chain…”
4244
4245That faint sound was the last thing he heard before his skull was smashed, granting his wish.
4246
4247
4248
4249
4250
4251(9)
4252
4253
4254“—!!”
4255
4256Waking up screaming was an experience that was bad for the heart.
4257
4258Subaru, thrusting off the sheets as he woke, breathed raggedly as he absorbed the shock.
4259
4260“L-left hand… It’s here; it’s here, isn’t it?”
4261
4262He stretched his left hand into thin air as if grasping for something with it.
4263
4264His severed, blown-off left side was intact. Clutching his right arm to confirm it, too, was there, the sense of loss Subaru absorbed for a while made him shake and feel sick to his stomach.
4265
4266Subaru felt like his heart was wrenching as he looked at his restored left hand.
4267
4268Of course, there were no scars, either, not from being blown off, not from the dog biting the back of his hand.
4269
4270“I’ve gone back again…”
4271
4272The vanishing scars meant that Subaru had lost his bout against fate.
4273
4274He’d gone back in time. Perhaps one could instead say that he’d been given another chance for a rematch.
4275
4276At any rate, he had to confirm the time—and as he arrived at that thought…
4277
4278“Ah, sorry. Good morning.”
4279
4280Subaru finally realized that the twins were clutching each other in a corner of the room as they watched him.
4281
4282Like small animals keeping their distance, neither replied to Subaru’s completely out-of-place greeting. Subaru scratched his head as he wondered what he should do.
4283
4284Ram and Rem had no doubt forgotten about Subaru. That pained Subaru’s chest somewhat, but Subaru ignored the pain and formed a smile.
4285
4286He’d show his sincerity as the first step to getting along. After all, even if they’d forgotten him, he hadn’t forgotten them.
4287
4288“Sorry for the trouble. Subaru Natsuki, rebooted and ready to go!”
4289
4290Subaru strongly rose from bed, standing and pointing his index finger to the heavens.
4291
4292Disregarding the twins’ surprise at his sudden approach, Subaru remained in his dramatic pose and said, “By the way, what’s the date and time?”
4293
4294—And so began his first day at Roswaal Manor for the third time.
4295
4296
4297
4298
4299
4300CHAPTER 4
4301A DEADLY GAME OF TAG
4302
4303
4304
4305(1)
4306
4307
4308—Looking back on his memories of the four days, Subaru came to a conclusion.
4309
4310“So when I went back the first time, it was debilitation causing death in my sleep…”
4311
4312As Subaru waited for morning, he’d been assaulted by unbearable cold and sleepiness. That feeling of having his mental and physical strength drained away was plenty strong enough to shave away his life in a short time.
4313
4314Someone hit by that while asleep and defenseless would simply never wake up.
4315
4316“But what about the sound of the chain…?”
4317
4318He couldn’t come up with any connection between that chain sound and his debilitation hypothesis.
4319
4320It was a sound specific to long, heavy metal chains. That was probably the deadly weapon that had carved a chunk out of Subaru.
4321
4322Just remembering the injury made his lost body parts throb and go numb. Though his body hadn’t experienced it, his soul was rejecting the memory.
4323
4324“So there was an…attacker, then? Not that I know if the debilitation and the chain were by the same person.”
4325
4326What he’d gleaned this time around was only enough to judge there was a perpetrator.
4327
4328Someone had attacked Roswaal Manor on the fourth night. Subaru’s name was on the list of pitiful victims. He didn’t know if any other residents of the manor were on it.
4329
4330“If I’m included, it’s probably everyone. No doubt related to Emilia’s royal candidacy, just like with the fence…”
4331
4332But having thought that far, Subaru clutched his head. He’d come to understand there’d be an attack on Emilia and the others. That much was a success.
4333
4334“But even if I know it, I don’t have any proof to explain it with, and I’m too green to have any way to stop it…”
4335
4336You could say that the problem with Return by Death was that you had no way to explain the information you got before you died.
4337
4338That went double for a prediction of an attack on the manor. Even if he got Roswaal to take countermeasures, it wouldn’t help if the attacker changed his plans.
4339
4340Beyond that, there was the option of driving away the attacker himself, but Subaru’s low combat ability and ignorance of the opponent’s capabilities ruled that out.
4341
4342It’d probably end like last time: him crying like a baby while getting beaten to death.
4343
4344“I’m just too pathetic. Plus I didn’t see the opponent’s face or weapon. A total dog’s death, geez…”
4345
4346He couldn’t begin to plan to drive off an opponent he knew nothing about.
4347
4348Beatrice, seated in the middle of the room as Subaru paced around her in a circle, spoke with ill humor from the bottom of her heart.
4349
4350“—You are so gloomy I could die. Either stop right now or I shall blow you away. Choose.”
4351
4352Subaru glanced back at the dangerous look Beatrice was giving him and innocently stuck out his tongue.
4353
4354“Sorry, sorry. But for some reason, making something other than my head turn around gets my head turning, too. So let it slide, okay? We’re buddies, after all.”
4355
4356“Is there such a relationship between us, I wonder? We have met only twice, after all?”
4357
4358“The heart speaks louder than words. I mean, you did let me in here.”
4359
4360“You broke through the Passage all by yourself, I suppose. It is really quite unbelievable.”
4361
4362In typical fashion, Beatrice did not hide whatsoever her hostility toward Subaru. Subaru had made his way to the forbidden book archive on the morning he woke back up, feeling saved by her cold demeanor once more.
4363
4364He’d meant to see it through, but being treated by Ram and Rem like a complete stranger was hard, after all. Unlike last time, he’d properly excused himself as he left the room, but it was truly the only place he could cling to.
4365
4366“Well, I won’t cause you any trouble. Let’s have some tea and take it easy.”
4367
4368“We shall do no such thing. You truly are irritating.”
4369
4370The corners of Beatrice’s lips twisted in annoyance as she toyed with one of the curls of her hair.
4371
4372Watching Beatrice like that, Subaru suddenly had a thought.
4373
4374“Come to think of it, you don’t look like it, but you’re a magic user, right?”
4375
4376“Your choice of words offends me. Will you not associate me with such second-rate imbeciles, I wonder?”
4377
4378“…You don’t have many friends, do you?”
4379
4380“How did you leap from that subject to this one, I wonder?!”
4381
4382“Er, I don’t have any friends, either, so I picked up on it, but that’s not good for you. Being so high-handed at such a young age is going to affect you later in life. Should adjust that now while you can.”
4383
4384Feeling the glare of Beatrice’s reddened face, Subaru coughed to clear the air. There was something Subaru really wanted to ask Beatrice, the magic user with the dissatisfied look on her face. And that was…
4385
4386“Is there magic to…weaken someone and kill them in their sleep?”
4387
4388Subaru wanted to clear up whether the debilitation inflicted on him was via magic rather than poison or illness.
4389
4390In hindsight, he suspected that the terror and lethargy assaulting his entire body had been caused by magic.
4391
4392For one thing, he didn’t know of any disease with an onset that rapid that debilitated and killed you within hours. Even if it was another world, it was still a little hard to believe.
4393
4394He’d thought about assassination via poison, but he just couldn’t put good odds on it. When you added the fact that someone had bludgeoned Subaru to death, attacking both with poison and by weapon just didn’t make any sense.
4395
4396Listening to Subaru’s question, Beatrice raised her eyebrows and shrugged her small shoulders as she replied.
4397
4398“Such things do exist.”
4399
4400“They do, huh?”
4401
4402“It is closer to a curse than a spell, I suppose? Shamans specialize in such arts, as suits their devious natures.”
4403
4404Bewildered, Subaru added the new profession shaman to his lexicon as Beatrice raised a finger and elaborated.
4405
4406“Inflictors of curses, or shamans, hail from the nation of Gusteko to the north and practice an offshoot of magic and spiritualism. They are all worthless sorts unable to use their talents for anything better, I suppose.”
4407
4408“But how do you call someone who can kill someone else with a curse ‘worthless’?”
4409
4410“Because that is all they can do—curses have no use except to inflict harm on others. That is why they are the pettiest of all mana practitioners, I suppose.”
4411
4412Apparently, aversion to the dark arts was so ingrained that Beatrice could not hide her disgust. Subaru wasn’t trying to stick up for curses, either; he simply craved all the information he could get, visibly prodding her for more.
4413
4414“So curses can do things like what I said earlier?”
4415
4416“I believe they can. But are there not simpler methods than a curse, I wonder?”
4417
4418“Simpler?”
4419
4420“I believe you have experienced it already.”
4421
4422As Subaru inclined his head, Beatrice turned her palm toward him with a cruel smile. The malevolent smile that in no way suited a little girl clued in Subaru as to the true meaning of her words.
4423
4424“You mean…I could’ve died from that invasive mana-drain thing?!”
4425
4426“Mana is the force of life itself, I suppose. Had I continued draining you so strongly, I could have indeed weakened you until you died. It is a much easier and more reliable method than relying on a shaman.”
4427
4428“So that thing you used at our first…I mean, the first day! You mean one slip and I was a goner?!”
4429
4430“I held back because having your husk in here would be too much trouble, I suppose.”
4431
4432“Don’t say husk! That sounds like I’m a bug!”
4433
4434Subaru himself wondered why he felt such tranquility there when Beatrice truly thought of him as nothing more than that.
4435
4436“Don’t tell me you were the one who killed me…”
4437
4438“It would be more peaceful if I had killed you and we weren’t having this conversation. Unfortunately, I am quite busy, so I lack the time to bother to kill you, I suppose.”
4439
4440Beatrice held her hands behind her back, striding past Subaru to stand before the bookshelf. The hem of her goth loli outfit quivered as the little girl stretched, trying to get to a place just a little bit higher than she could reach, when…
4441
4442“Is it this one?”
4443
4444“…The one next to it. Give it to me already?”
4445
4446“Yeah, yeah.”
4447
4448Subaru took the unexpectedly thick tome off the bookshelf and handed it to Beatrice, whose cheeks were puffed out. Beatrice kept up a sullen look as she accepted the book from him, not speaking a single word of thanks as she sat on a stool in the center of the room.
4449
4450He’d seen her several times like that in the archive of forbidden books. It probably suited her better than an actual chair.
4451
4452“What kind of book are you reading, anyway?”
4453
4454“One that contains a method for driving an insect out of a room.”
4455
4456“A bug in an archive, huh… Sounds horrible. What kind?”
4457
4458“It has large black eyes and a foul mouth. Also, it thinks rather highly of itself.”
4459
4460“That’s pretty specific for an insect, there…”
4461
4462He looked around the area, thinking of driving it off straightaway if he could.
4463
4464As Subaru twisted around his neck, his eyes fell upon the book once more. Beatrice went, Ahem.
4465
4466“Is there still something you want, I wonder? If not, could you please go?”
4467
4468“Ah, er… Right, is that mana drain something anyone can do?”
4469
4470“Should I feel slighted, I wonder… In this manor, only Puckie and I can perform such a feat. Even Roswaal cannot.”
4471
4472“Huh. I thought he said he could do it all.”
4473
4474So Roswaal was indulging in vanity? That or mana drain was an unexpectedly rare skill given the simplicity of its effect.
4475
4476“Anyway, um, don’t go sucking people dry too much, okay? Especially me—I’m seriously short on blood right now, so I’d weaken and die pretty easily.”
4477
4478“Ah, because the flesh was all restored but the blood was not? Well, I had no obligation to go that far regardless.”
4479
4480To Beatrice’s declaration, made with a shrug of her shoulders, Subaru tilted his head and went, “Mm?”
4481
4482The grammar she’d used just then implied something rather odd.
4483
4484“The way you said that just now, it sounded like you closed my wound. Don’t tell me you’re petty enough to take credit for Emilia’s work?”
4485
4486“That half-baked little girl lacks the power to heal a fatal wound. She and Puckie stopped the bleeding, but I healed the wound… What of it, I wonder?”
4487
4488“Er, I’m seriously super conflicted here!”
4489
4490The circumstances of Subaru’s recovery had been exposed in highly unexpected fashion.
4491
4492Subaru had been absolutely certain that Emilia had healed his wounds just like she’d done in the alley previously, but…
4493
4494Though he narrowed his eyes suspiciously and made a look of doubt, Beatrice was unmoved.
4495
4496Barring her being a liar of exceptional gall, the truth was no doubt as she’d spoken.
4497
4498Meaning Beatrice was…
4499
4500“Then you’re a big filthy liar! Lot of gall you have there. Bottom-of-the-barrel personality!”
4501
4502“And you have quite some gall to not politely accept the generosity of others!”
4503
4504Subaru’s rude statement and Beatrice’s angry shout resulted in a staring contest between them, one Beatrice finally resolved by sending Subaru flying back with magic until he smacked into a wall.
4505
4506As Subaru bounced off the wall and rolled head over heels before her, Beatrice slowly stroked one of her long curls.
4507
4508“Could you finally leave, I wonder? Your hands aren’t shaking anymore, so it would seem you’ve put your fears behind you.”
4509
4510“…So you noticed, huh?”
4511
4512“You were trying to hide it, I suppose. I’m offended you tried to play me like that.”
4513
4514Beatrice made a bored-sounding snort and shooed away Subaru with her hand like he was an annoying insect.
4515
4516Her words and how she lifted her hand before Subaru’s face made his fingertips forget to tremble.
4517
4518He’d died a total of five times so far, but he most certainly wasn’t used to it. Quite the opposite; the more times he died, the more the accumulated experience made his knees quiver from his raw fear of experiencing death again.
4519
4520That went double for the cause of death being first-degree murder. Upon his return, Subaru’s heart creaked from despair; surely no one could blame him for his courage not reaching the tips of his fingers and toes.
4521
4522“Guess there’s no more time for excuses. Man, you’re not nice at all.”
4523
4524Sighing away the last cobwebs, Subaru got up and reached toward the archive’s door.
4525
4526Subaru looked back and made a bitter smile toward Beatrice, who wasn’t even looking at him.
4527
4528“Sorry, but thanks. See ya next time.”
4529
4530“I shall take more mana from you next time, so could you simply stay away, I wonder?”
4531
4532Her eyes remained fixed on her book as she verbally brushed him off. Feeling Beatrice’s attitude spurring him onward, Subaru turned the knob and slipped through the Passage. Then—
4533
4534“Wait, the insect from earlier—don’t tell me you meant me?!”
4535
4536“You want to leave not on your feet but through the air, I suppose?!”
4537
4538And so, he flew out of the Passage.
4539
4540
4541
4542
4543
4544(2)
4545
4546
4547In the garden, the silver-haired girl looked down at him.
4548
4549“Er, may I ask if you’re all right?”
4550
4551“That kindness alone heals my wounds. That much is no lie.”
4552
4553Subaru slumped his shoulders as he spoke.
4554
4555Sent flying by Beatrice’s magic, Subaru had been rammed through the Passage and shot out of a second-story terrace window facing the garden, tumbling onto a flower bed below. He’d almost died from a domestic dispute.
4556
4557“The theory that she killed me is getting more and more convincing…”
4558
4559“I think Rem fertilized that flower bed with manure yesterday…”
4560
4561“Whoaaaa, three-second rule—!!”
4562
4563Having been thrust into the flower bed for more like thirty seconds than three, Subaru leapt out. He desperately tried to brush the mud—and perhaps things other than mud—off him as he stood before Emilia at an oddly close distance.
4564
4565“It doesn’t count! It doesn’t count, right?! That was yesterday and all!”
4566
4567“Well, just think of it as: When bad luck is with you, good luck is not far away.”
4568
4569“And Emilia’s already in Consolation Mode!”
4570
4571As Subaru wiped away small tears with his sleeve, Emilia, a bitter smile on her noble face, must have felt pity for him as she touched the pendant between her breasts.
4572
4573“—Puck, wake up.”
4574
4575The green crystal flared lightly, responding to Emilia’s call. The light formed first the contours, then the full image of a little cat that materialized and rested on Emilia’s palm.
4576
4577The little kitty heavily stretched its little body, looking like it was making a yawn.
4578
4579“Mm, good morning, Lia. Ahh, Subaru’s up already.”
4580
4581“Good morning, Puck. Sorry to wake you all of a sudden, but could you wash Subaru, please?”
4582
4583Puck, watching with one eye as Emilia pled her request, suddenly oohed as he looked in Subaru’s direction. Looking at Subaru’s mud-covered appearance, he nodded, apparently agreeing with the girl’s request.
4584
4585“Time for a bath, then. There!”
4586
4587“Bath is putting it mildly. I… Whoa?!”
4588
4589As Puck thrust out both hands, the dazzling, pale light that came from them turned into a large amount of water the next moment, slamming into Subaru’s upper body with incredible force, scrubbing away all the world’s impurities.
4590
4591“That’s a water cannon—!!”
4592
4593“Whoops, I threw off his balance a little.”
4594
4595With Subaru’s body turning around from his upper body being bathed in water, Puck adjusted the water flow in the other direction with a little too much oomph. Subaru was unable to resist being turned right to left, round and round.
4596
4597“See? You’re all clean now. Isn’t that nice?”
4598
4599“Wh… When you play with me like that…my heart goes…round and round…”
4600
4601Subaru, sitting on a soggy patch of grass, was groggy with his eyes still spinning. He wiped his face with his soaked sleeve and somehow rose up despite his wobbly state.
4602
4603“Man, if you’re that rough, I’ll start seriously thinking you’re the culprits?”
4604
4605“I’m not sure what I’m being suspected of, but I’m deeply, deeply hurt… Nyaa?!”
4606
4607As the little kitty floated in midair, pretending to be upset, Subaru pressed a finger to his narrow forehead and turned him toward Emilia as he cried out.
4608
4609Somehow, this was the most frivolous, wonderful reunion he’d had so far. Putting aside that Emilia should have been tearfully rushing to greet Subaru upon his revival from mortal injury…
4610
4611He wondered what he should say as his first step to resolving the situation—
4612
4613“Bwa.”
4614
4615“Huh?”
4616
4617“Bwahaha! I’m sorry, I can’t, ah-ha-ah-ha-ha-ha! What are you two doing… Ah, my sides hurt; I’m going to die…”
4618
4619Suddenly Emilia, unable to hold it in any longer, burst out laughing, driving away all his worries.
4620
4621As Emilia pointed at Subaru, who looked like a drowned rat, her normally neatly arranged expression was gripped by mirth. The unexpected reaction made Subaru look at Puck, who was floating right beside his face.
4622
4623“Well, my initial bad impression’s all gone! Thanks for the assist, Dad!”
4624
4625In response to Subaru’s impudent suggestion, Puck puffed out his chest haughtily.
4626
4627“Who are you calling ‘Dad’?! You won’t have my daughter that easily!!”
4628
4629Upon hearing this, Emilia’s loud, laughing voice filled the whole garden.
4630
4631
4632
4633
4634
4635(3)
4636
4637
4638Having finished her laughter, Emilia was watching Subaru as she spoke.
4639
4640“I heard Ram and Rem were heading for the garden, but they’re a little late…”
4641
4642Emilia was still wiping the vestiges of the tears from her eyes from laughing so hard. Subaru, the chief culprit, toyed with Puck in the middle of his hand.
4643
4644“Huh. So when you say they’re late, can I take it that you’ve been waiting here for my sake?”
4645
4646“Uh, isn’t it the other way around? It’s true that I should thank you, and if I moved without thinking, we might miss each other and I don’t want that, but it’s just coincidence that I stayed here with you.”
4647
4648“Right, it’s just coincidence, Subaru. She makes me drag out my grooming for one reason after another and speaks to the lesser spirits about the same things over and over… She says it’s all just coincidence.”
4649
4650As usual, just as Emilia was in the middle of completely self-destructing, Puck added fuel to the fire.
4651
4652“Sheesh, Puck!”
4653
4654“She should just be honest with herself. That’s a cute thing about Lia, though…don’t you think, Subaru?”
4655
4656“Oh, definitely! Everything about Emilia-tan is the brightest star in my sky!”
4657
4658“Now Subaru’s teasing me… And what is that ‘tan’? Where did that come from?”
4659
4660She was finally voicing some doubts about the way he was speaking to her.
4661
4662Up until last time, it was a subject Emilia had managed to let slide. Subaru put a hand to his chin and made what sounded like some kind of diabolical chuckle.
4663
4664“It’s a sign of my affection. It’s like how Puck calls you Lia… A way for two people to show how close they are to each other.”
4665
4666“…Not that I remember being quite that close to you?”
4667
4668“Wow, that statement kind of hurts, you know. I was kind of making a down payment. I’m totally planning to have a relationship with Emilia-tan that goes hand in hand with the pet names. Okay?”
4669
4670At the very least, he hoped to get close enough to her by a few nights from then that she’d forgive him for it.
4671
4672Emilia’s face expressed surprise at Subaru’s strong approach, then her cheeks reddened a bit.
4673
4674“F-fine. I’ll accept that. Hey, don’t look at me like that!”
4675
4676“Er? I thought I was getting brushed off? What’s that positive reaction? Explain this, Mr. Puck.”
4677
4678As Emilia turned her face aside, Puck sat on her shoulder and twirled his mustache.
4679
4680“My daughter doesn’t have many friends, so being called by an intimate nickname makes her happy. Put simply, she’s easy.”
4681
4682Subaru exclaimed in surprise, “My leading lady’s easy!”
4683
4684He thought he’d merely climbed a treacherous wall, but he felt the sudden realization that it was more. He continued, “But we’re still a long way apart… I need to learn a little more about this whole nobility thing.”
4685
4686“Ugh…could you not mention something I really don’t want to talk about?”
4687
4688“I just want to reach an agreement on E M P (Emilia-tan’s Majorly Pretty). Oh?”
4689
4690Subaru pressed silliness onto Emilia when he abruptly looked back at the mansion and narrowed his eyes. Emilia followed Subaru’s gaze, tilting her head as she watched the twins come out of the mansion.
4691
4692“Ram and Rem, huh… It’s a bit too soon to be breakfast time, though…”
4693
4694The image of the sunlight reflecting off her silver hair seemed to burn into Subaru’s eyes as he confirmed that events were proceeding.
4695
4696It was the time of Roswaal’s return. The twins simultaneously bowed their heads before them.
4697
4698They spoke with the same stereo effect he’d now heard many times over.
4699
4700“Master Roswaal, lord of the manor, has returned. Please come with us.”
4701
4702Subaru watched Emilia nod to them as he turned toward the twins with a hand casually pressed to his rear.
4703
4704“Sister, Sister. Since last we saw him, he has become a muddy drowned rat.”
4705
4706“Rem, Rem. Since last we saw him, our guest has become a stained, filthy rag.”
4707
4708Subaru made a pained smile at their sharp comments as he looked up at the sight of the mansion.
4709
4710He would change clothes, tidy himself up, and head to meet Roswaal for a fresh start.
4711
4712—Because this time, he intended to take a completely different approach than before.
4713
4714
4715
4716
4717
4718(4)
4719
4720
4721—And so, his first week at Roswaal Manor began in earnest for the third time.
4722
4723For this third loop, Subaru wanted to emphasize gathering information.
4724
4725“My keywords are magic and chain…but that doesn’t tell me anything yet.”
4726
4727The only thing he knew for sure was that someone would attack in the dead of night on the fourth day.
4728
4729Under the present circumstances, if he told Roswaal and the others, they’d no doubt ignore him. Subaru simply couldn’t explain where he got his information. Subaru could even get himself suspected as one of the assassins arrayed against them. If he at least had a physical description of the attacker, things might be different, but…
4730
4731“That’s why I’ve gotta spend this time gathering intel. If the Return by Death conditions are the same as before…”
4732
4733On the royal capital loop, he’d died three times and had a breakthrough on the fourth. If things were as before, he’d be able to return one more time. So this time he’d gather the intel he needed for a breakthrough the fourth time around.
4734
4735“To be honest, I don’t like picking a plan that’s giving up from the start…”
4736
4737However, his options being very limited, he had to resign himself to some sacrifices. At any rate, he had no intention of throwing away his opportunity. It was the difference between resolving to redo everything and aiming from the start to overcome the challenge. This time, he’d focus entirely on getting out of the loop.
4738
4739“For that, I had to tell Puck under the table to keep Emilia safe.”
4740
4741In the middle of playing around with Puck in the garden, Subaru had whispered to Puck to pay attention to Emilia’s surroundings. The little kitty could read minds; Subaru figured he’d know Subaru’s earnestness was no lie.
4742
4743“I made things pretty vague, but he seems genuinely protective of Lia.”
4744
4745After all, he’d given Subaru’s pushy suggestion a warm reception. He could now assume that Emilia would be relatively safe.
4746
4747It wasn’t much, but it did relieve a bit of the burden on his shoulders.
4748
4749“After that, there’s Roswaal and the loli… But after that, what?”
4750
4751Subaru scratched his head all over, plucked out a hair, pinched his feather pen under his nose, and stretched his back.
4752
4753His head hurt from the difficult dilemmas. That being said, he had to do whatever he could. If possible, he wanted Ram and Rem, and of course Roswaal and Beatrice as well, to get through those four days safely. He had his reasons for not running no matter how formidable the challenge.
4754
4755“My concentration just ain’t cutting it. What to do… Huh?”
4756
4757As he leaned back against his chair, it made a creaking sound when he heard a voice from outside.
4758
4759“Pardon me, Dear Guest.”
4760
4761Faster than Subaru could reply, the door opened and he saw a pink-haired maid—Ram.
4762
4763Subaru raised an eyebrow as Ram came in with a steaming cup sitting on a tray in her hands.
4764
4765“Oh my, Dear Guest, you really are studying.”
4766
4767“That’s super rude, you know. I am kind of an actual guest at the moment?”
4768
4769“Dear Guest, you are the manner of houseguest known as a freeloader.”
4770
4771Looking calm and composed, Ram let herself into the room and began serving tea.
4772
4773Watching from the side as she worked, Subaru could not conceal his bitter smile at her words.
4774
4775A houseguest and freeloader—he thought the terms fit all too well.
4776
4777“Here you go, Dear Guest.”
4778
4779“Oh, thanks. Hot-hot-hot…”
4780
4781When he took the cup and looked down into it, he saw steam rising from the surface of the hot amber liquid. The tea of this world was nearest to black tea in appearance and taste. The rich aroma was just as easy to enjoy.
4782
4783Ram’s attitude was very blunt, but it was odd that she’d come in to serve tea like this. As he watched Ram’s polished movements, Subaru slowly tasted the tea he’d been offered, nodding.
4784
4785“Mm…really does taste awful.”
4786
4787“This manor serves tea using leaves of the highest quality, so that is quite a statement.”
4788
4789“If it tastes bad, it tastes bad. I just can’t think of it as anything but black tea. Tastes like…plant.”
4790
4791Ram coldly watched Subaru’s scowling face as she served herself tea that she had brought like it was the most normal thing in the world, sitting down on the bed and stretching her legs without a care.
4792
4793“I don’t have words for the guts you have, slacking off in front of a guest.”
4794
4795“I believe you were the one who said to take it easier, Dear Guest? I am doing this only to respond to your request. You should be thanking me.”
4796
4797“This is, like, even pushier than you were before, though?”
4798
4799Subaru voiced his complaints as he sank back in his chair and made a loud sound. Ram listened to that sound as she wet her tongue with black tea, finally giving Subaru a sideways glance.
4800
4801“And, Dear Guest leaving in two days, have you made any progress?”
4802
4803Subaru broke out in a small, bitter smile as he listened to her exceptionally dry delivery.
4804
4805—It was already the second night since he had begun the third loop.
4806
4807For this third time around, Subaru had been treated at the mansion like a guest, a sharp difference from before. That was because Subaru had requested as much at that first breakfast.
4808
4809Now that he was being treated as a guest, Subaru had his own room and Rem and Ram took turns serving him as he continued the language study he’d begun the last time.
4810
4811—All of it was to justify his leaving the mansion temporarily without creating a stir.
4812
4813He was forming plans in his head while his fingers continued copying I-script almost automatically. His movements were robotic enough to make one’s stomach twist, but nothing was really getting into his head.
4814
4815“Are you always this bad, or is your foolish head unable to concentrate?”
4816
4817“Got some nerve saying that to a literary enthusiast like me. Aren’t you inspired from watching me give this desk my all back there?”
4818
4819“An uncouth statement to match such sloppy writing—I am aghast you call yourself a literary enthusiast, Dear Guest.”
4820
4821“This is the first time I’ve seen a maid talk to her guests like you do.”
4822
4823Ram politely ignored Subaru’s resentful statement and browsed with apparent interest the pages filled with characters. Even with the distance so close, he glared as he watched the side of her face, unable to stop the feeling that his insides were being wrung.
4824
4825Unlike the previous occasions when Subaru had been treated as a servant, he’d had little contact with Ram this time around. Beyond his time spent in pursuit of Emilia, he’d mainly stayed in his room writing characters like this. Though once in a while he spared some time to go tease Beatrice a little…
4826
4827So the distance between Ram and Rem and himself felt far greater than when he was treated as a servant.
4828
4829In spite of that, here was Ram visiting Subaru in his room, spending time with him and speaking to him like a very blunt friend. He couldn’t help but find it strange.
4830
4831“If you do not stop staring at me like that, I shall slap you, Dear Guest.”
4832
4833“Hey, the only one making the inside of my head go pink is Emilia… Oh, that’s right.”
4834
4835Trying to deflect his unease as he averted his eyes, he set aside the tea and picked up a book with its back cover facing up. This was the picture book he was using as learning material; he was finally able to understand the characters in it.
4836
4837“In other words, I want to make all this studying feel like it got me somewhere.”
4838
4839“It contains only common stories you should be ashamed not to know. You need to master basic I-script before calling yourself a ‘literary enthusiast.’”
4840
4841“Does calling myself that tick you off that much?”
4842
4843Ram made no reply to Subaru’s question as she poured the remaining contents of her cup down her throat. She then reached for Subaru’s cup.
4844
4845“Wait, you’re gonna drink all the tea you brought here?!”
4846
4847“You do not need it if you are making a face like that when you drink it. At least it shall be enjoyed by someone with a properly functioning tongue.”
4848
4849“I told you, I just can’t get that plant taste out of my h… Oh, never mind. I’m gonna focus on this book, so you can kill time or head off, whatever you want.”
4850
4851Subaru made a brusque wave before leaning forward in his chair and opening the picture book.
4852
4853First came the author’s preface and the table of contents; after that came the body, written in the characters he’d now grown accustomed to.
4854
4855“Err, let’s see…a long, long time ago…”
4856
4857So fairy tales start the same way in every world, huh, he accepted with strange ease as he continued reading the story. The fact that it was in a picture book meant the story was exceptionally concise with a clearly defined introduction, body, and conclusion. Child-level comprehension was prioritized, with pictures used precisely where there was room for imagination.
4858
4859Incidentally, if one asked Subaru which fairy tale he liked best, he would reply, “The Crying Red Demon.” If one asked Subaru which fairy tale he hated most, he would reply, “The Crying Red Demon.”
4860
4861“It’s, like, a happy ending and a bitter ending slamming into you at once. Why can’t it all be happily ever after?”
4862
4863“Sorry to intrude on your deep thoughts, but are you finished reading?”
4864
4865“I’m finished reading. The things that went against common sense were fun, so it was more interesting than I expected. Guess that’s another world’s culture for you. Maybe I should bring in fairy tales from my own homeland, too, like ‘The Crying Red Demon’?”
4866
4867“‘The Crying Red Demon’…?”
4868
4869Subaru was mumbling about the copyright issues in another world’s jurisdiction when Ram’s eyebrows trembled in response. Huh, went Subaru, getting a rare rise out of Ram.
4870
4871“It’s the title of a fairy tale from where I come from. How about I tell it to you?”
4872
4873Ram did not reply as Subaru made the suggestion with a thumbs-up. However, the way she sat on the bed with her hands on her knees, shifting her gaze to Subaru, clearly conveyed that he should get on with it.
4874
4875“All right, attention, please. ‘The Crying Red Demon.’ A long, long time ago, in a certain land, there was…”
4876
4877The fairy tale began with a bitter argument. “The Crying Red Demon” was a tale of friendship between the Red Demon, which wanted to become friends with humans, and his best friend, the Blue Demon—and what came between them.
4878
4879It went something like this: The two demons living on the mountain tried various things to get the Red Demon in the good graces of the villagers, culminating in the Blue Demon committing wicked deeds upon the village, only to be driven off by the Red Demon, who thus befriended the human beings. The tale ended with the Blue Demon leaving; the Red Demon, dispirited at the Blue Demon’s display of friendship, cried for the Blue Demon’s sake.
4880
4881“And so, the Red Demon read over and over the letter left at the Blue Demon’s house and cried… The end.”
4882
4883Subaru finished conveying to Ram a somewhat abridged version of the fairy tale. It was a fairy tale Subaru himself had read many times over. He thought he was as faithful with his words as possible, keeping his own opinions out of it.
4884
4885Ram lowered her eyes as she listened to the tale. Subaru stayed in the same position as when he’d finished the story, waiting for her to speak. Finally, Ram let out a small sigh.
4886
4887“…A rather sad tale.”
4888
4889“I suppose so. But I think it’s a happy story, too.”
4890
4891“I think the cast of characters was full of idiots… The Red Demon, the Blue Demon, and the villagers, too.”
4892
4893“Well, that’s being a tough critic. Not that you’ll get any argument from me…”
4894
4895He agreed that none of the three sides had enough introspection. The villagers were pure suckers, and if the two demons had spoken more to each other, they might have found proper common ground. At the very least, surely they could have avoided the need for one to put distance between him and the other for the rest of their lives.
4896
4897“That’s why I love this story and hate this story. The Blue Demon’s self-sacrifice was super cool, but he was an idiot beyond saving, too. I like to think I can save myself through putting in the effort…”
4898
4899“So you think that about the Blue Demon…I think it is the Red Demon who is beyond saving.”
4900
4901Ram’s reply made Subaru lift his head. Ram was looking at Subaru as she bit her tongue.
4902
4903“He wrapped the Blue Demon in his own desires, losing nothing when the Blue Demon lost everything. I think that is a rather horrible result.”
4904
4905“What do you think the two demons should’ve done, then?”
4906
4907“…If the Red Demon truly wanted to be friends with the humans, he should have gone to live in the village, even if it meant cutting off his horn. He should have done that long before the Blue Demon left.”
4908
4909“Man, that’s a pretty extreme position, there!”
4910
4911Subaru raised his voice at the radical view she’d provided, but Ram simply stroked her own short hair like she was saying, Is it now? She proceeded to toy with the ribbon holding her hair in place.
4912
4913“Making the Blue Demon pay for something he wants is unforgivable. If the Red Demon wants it, the Red Demon should pay the price. The Blue Demon robbing him of that chance is a problem, too.”
4914
4915“That’s a really strict view of it. Do you have something against demons…?”
4916
4917“—Dear Guest, which of the two demons would you rather befriend?”
4918
4919Subaru blinked at Ram’s question. He hadn’t really thought about it.
4920
4921“…Which of the two?”
4922
4923Ram nodded and stretched out both hands toward Subaru, raising one finger from each.
4924
4925“On the one hand, the Red Demon who asks and asks and leaves others to pay the consequences, or the Blue Demon, the idiot drowning in his own martyrdom. Which?”
4926
4927“Geez, you make both of those choices feel bad… So what, I’m a villager who just arrived here?”
4928
4929It was rather rare for the point of view of the villagers to come up in a discussion about “The Crying Red Demon.” Either way, Subaru was a little lost as he stared at the two hands Ram presented before him when she said, “…What an uninteresting reply.”
4930
4931“Don’t say that! Since I’ve read ‘The Crying Red Demon,’ I sympathize with the two of them, so I want to help out both, okay?”
4932
4933Subaru gently pressed both his hands onto both of Ram’s hands. Subaru’s reply drew a long sigh out of Ram; she glared at Subaru, who of course was close enough to touch.
4934
4935“So you’re the type who understands neither his position nor that of others… When distance grows, your type gets left behind by both.”
4936
4937“Distance, huh. Why not just tell people how you feel while they’re still close? The Red Demon’s not a bad guy for wanting to get along, and the Blue Demon’s not a bad guy for wanting to help him, either. I’m the type who likes demons, not the type to just drive ’em off the island at the drop of a hat.”
4938
4939Ram sighed at the grinning Subaru and looked at her own two hands as he grasped her raised fingers. As she brushed him off, Subaru shrugged and sat back in his seat, readjusting himself to face Ram again.
4940
4941“You know, Ram, you seem to like ‘The Crying Red Demon’ quite a bit.”
4942
4943“Dear Guest, you will someday regret fickle, indecisive thoughts such as wanting to be friends with both.”
4944
4945“I don’t remember that being what we were talking about here?! I thought we were talking about demons?”
4946
4947As Subaru shouted and shook his head, Ram made a small clap of her hands to indicate the subject was closed. Her quick-tempered behavior tugged at him, but Ram pointed to the book on the desk before he could say a word.
4948
4949“Setting aside the tales from our Dear Guest’s homeland… What did you think of the stories of this land?”
4950
4951“Let’s see… I suppose the one that stood out was the dragon one in the middle of the book and the witch one at the end. No matter how I slice it, those two are different somehow.”
4952
4953Subaru gave a wandering reply as he browsed the book. Those were the two tales that had left the deepest impression upon him. The former definitely got special treatment. As for the latter…
4954
4955“The witch story was like…they felt they had to put it in but they went halfway. It completely ignored story structure…like a bunch of highlights.”
4956
4957“…That cannot be helped. We are in Lugunica… Of course the dragon story gets special treatment.”
4958
4959Subaru nodded as he flipped the pages of the picture book on the desk.
4960
4961“Right, ‘Dragonfriend Kingdom of Lugunica,’ right? Now I get why it’s called that.”
4962
4963Apparently the large kingdom Subaru was staying in was called the “Dragonfriend Kingdom of Lugunica.” On world maps, it looked like the easternmost nation in the world, but apparently it had good reason to be called the “Dragonfriend Kingdom.”
4964
4965It was a simple tale, really. Long ago, the kingdom had come under the protection of a dragon, forming a pact.
4966
4967“The dragon is said to have lent its power to Lugunica, protecting it in times of famine, plague, war with other nations, and other various predicaments.”
4968
4969“So that’s why they call it ‘Dragonfriend,’ huh. It did say in the picture book that the royal family made a pact with the dragon. This is less of a fairy tale than ancient history, right?”
4970
4971“I suppose so. It’s a true story, after all. Even now, the dragon protects the peace of this land from under a great waterfall far away until the day its promise to the royal family comes to an end.”
4972
4973Subaru cleared his throat as he listened to the oh-so-strict Ram speak such words.
4974
4975A promise made with a dragon in ancient times… The picture book had not drawn the details, but it was a big enough deal that the kingdom had been saved from crisis many times over.
4976
4977Thinking of that, Subaru suddenly realized something about the royal family that’d made the pact with the dragon.
4978
4979“Hey, the family that made the promise with the dragon…didn’t it just die out?”
4980
4981“It did, and suddenly at that.”
4982
4983“Isn’t that, like, bad? Er, not that I’d know what bad means here.”
4984
4985No doubt the dragon had been promised something considerable in return for protecting its promise all that time. Yet with the royal family that would be granting it dying off on him like that, who would honor that obligation?
4986
4987Ram began.
4988
4989“No one knows what the dragon seeks, so it was not put in the picture book. Only gods know what the dragon will do in this situation…”
4990
4991At that point, Ram paused for a moment.
4992
4993“Rather, Dear Guest—only the dragon knows.”
4994
4995Subaru’s breath caught. He wasn’t warm, but he felt sweat on his brow regardless. He chewed over Ram’s words, swallowed them, and breathed in and out hard enough to make his stomach churn.
4996
4997Negotiating with the mighty dragon was the responsibility of the ruler of the kingdom. In other words…
4998
4999“That has to be a mountain of pressure on Emilia, then…”
5000
5001“Yes. The dragon can protect the kingdom or destroy it on a whim… Thus, the kingdom and its destiny rest upon Emilia’s shoulders. Just thinking about it makes it seem like a story from that picture book.”
5002
5003There’d been a conflicted look on Emilia’s face when she saw the picture book on the last night of the previous loop. Now Subaru understood why Emilia’s hand had stopped when she was flipping the pages.
5004
5005The size and weight of Emilia’s burden had far surpassed Subaru’s expectations. His mind wanted to cry out just from thinking about the heavy responsibility borne by those delicate shoulders.
5006
5007“It cannot be helped.”
5008
5009“—Ah?”
5010
5011“Everyone was born with a role to play and the responsibility to live up to it. This is what Lady Emilia was born to do. It is a path she must walk, no matter how treacherous it may be.”
5012
5013Subaru’s voice was shaking with anger from a source he couldn’t place.
5014
5015“One girl’s supposed to shoulder the whole burden like that?”
5016
5017For her part, Ram’s voice was cold and logical.
5018
5019“I believe it is best if others can carry it with her. However, sooner or later, Lady Emilia must be seen to climb that summit herself.”
5020
5021Subaru slumped his shoulders when he realized Ram was holding back to not fuel his anger further.
5022
5023He could vent at Ram all he wanted, but he’d be mistaken. Ram wasn’t responsible for the weight of Emilia’s burden; at any rate, Subaru had no right to be angry. That part really burned him.
5024
5025“Oh, right. Ram, about that other story…”
5026
5027Wanting to do something other than apologize, Subaru changed the subject and pointed at the picture book.
5028
5029Contrary to how the story of the dragon in the center of the book had received special treatment, the story of the witch had only a few pages drawn for it at the very back of the book.
5030
5031The story was titled, “The Witch of Jealousy.”
5032
5033“So this witch story…”
5034
5035“I do not wish to speak of it.”
5036
5037Just like that, she seemed to verbally cut things off after the story of the dragon.
5038
5039Subaru opened his eyes wide without thinking as Ram briskly got up, tray and cups in hand.
5040
5041“I have been here too long. I do not wish to cause Rem too much trouble. Dear Guest, I shall call you again for dinnertime.”
5042
5043“R-right…”
5044
5045Ram, turning her back like she would brook no argument, immediately headed out of the room.
5046
5047But just before her hand reached the door, Ram stopped and looked back at Subaru, left in her dust.
5048
5049“About the demon story from earlier…”
5050
5051“Mm, right. ‘The Crying Red Demon.’ What of it?”
5052
5053“Don’t tell Rem that story. She would probably find it distasteful.”
5054
5055Surely no one would have that kind of reaction over a simple fairy tale. Regardless, Subaru, feeling overwhelming pressure from Ram’s words, could only nod meekly in response.
5056
5057Seeing this, Ram finally left. Subaru, feeling drained, flopped onto the bed.
5058
5059It felt like there was something more to Ram’s last action than just banning him from telling Rem a fairy tale.
5060
5061“What the heck’s up with all that…?”
5062
5063Venting at the ceiling, Subaru picked up the picture book and flipped through the pages.
5064
5065The final chapter, “The Witch of Jealousy,” was a short tale only four pages long.
5066
5067“A scary witch, a frightening witch, it is terrifying to just speak her name. That was why everyone called her ‘The Jealous Witch’—”
5068
5069There was no story structure, just contents conveying the raw terror of the witch. It was straight-up eerie, doubly so when written in characters meant for small children.
5070
5071“And after all the trouble of studying to read this thing…”
5072
5073His feelings of success, satisfaction, and the glow of having just read a book seemed to fall by the wayside.
5074
5075Subaru turned in bed and switched his head to a different subject: thinking of what he could do for the remaining two days of that loop.
5076
5077He’d put his preparations for the last day in order and shifted to what he’d do two mornings hence.
5078
5079Subaru squished his countless worries one by one until he finally fell asleep.
5080
5081
5082
5083
5084
5085(5)
5086
5087
5088“Err, my time here’s been brief, but thanks for taking care of me.”
5089
5090In the mansion’s entry hall, all the human beings in the mansion (meaning only four people, with Beatrice not included) were seeing Subaru off as he made his good-byes.
5091
5092Subaru had asked that he be allowed to stay for three days. That time had passed; that morning, he would journey onward.
5093
5094Subaru wore his tracksuit and carried the convenience store bag containing his starting equipment, but he also carried a knapsack over his back that Roswaal had generously provided. The knapsack was fairly heavy from a decent sum of coinage, Roswaal explained simply.
5095
5096“My thanks for taking care of Lady Emilia.”
5097
5098Among those seeing Subaru off, Emilia called out to him, a look of deep concern on her face even then. Subaru, grateful for Emilia’s feelings, vividly thumped his chest.
5099
5100“I’ll be fine. I’m just gonna take it easy. When I become a strong, wise, and rich man suitable for you, I’ll come riding back on a white horse.”
5101
5102“You have your handkerchief? And drinking water, lagmite ore, and, and…”
5103
5104“She’s totally acting like she’s my mom?!”
5105
5106Emilia fussed about this and that. The way she asked last, “Can you sleep all by yourself?” made Subaru wonder just how much she longed for the company of others. Or perhaps she was acting on instinct, voicing the unease Subaru was desperately shoving down inside him.
5107
5108Roswaal came to shake his hand.
5109
5110“Weeell then, be in good health, Subaru. It has beeeen a short time, but it was quite enjoyable. Do not be concerned about my parting gift. Consider it a smaaall reward for the memories you created these last three days.”
5111
5112Roswaal added a wink to the last part. Subaru could guess what he meant; the knapsack over his back was jingling just from their shaking hands.
5113
5114“I get it; you’re paying me to keep my mouth shut. I won’t say anything. I swear on the dragon.”
5115
5116“It will keep others from approaching you as part of some wicked scheme. Besides, in this nation, to swear upon the dragon is to make the highest of oaths. It is not that I doubt you, but strive not to forrrget that.”
5117
5118Subaru raised a hand in response to Roswaal’s reminder; he then turned to the twins, standing behind the clown-faced nobleman. The two stood silently as Subaru reached and patted them both on the shoulder.
5119
5120“You two were a huge help, especially Rem with those really delicious meals. Ram… Mm, well, she cleans toilets really well?”
5121
5122“Sister, Sister, the Dear Guest’s flattery is despairingly awkward.”
5123
5124“Rem, Rem, the Dear Guest’s flattery is a complete disaster.”
5125
5126“Well, excuse me, I really couldn’t think of anything else! But thanks.”
5127
5128Having said his good-byes to everyone, he pushed open the front doors before he got cold feet.
5129
5130From the entrance of the manor, he cut through the garden, passed through the metal gate, and continued on to the forest path that was a straight shot to Auram Village. Subaru’s stated plan was to head from there to the nearest highway, hire a passing carriage, and head to the capital—but that plan was a feint.
5131
5132“Subaru, thanks for everything. If anything happens, come back anytime, okay?”
5133
5134With Emilia’s statement of farewell, her words gentle until the bitter end, Subaru departed, walking the path toward Auram Village. The silver-haired girl waved until she could no longer see Subaru from the mansion. Her oh-so-adorable behavior dulled his worries and made his sense of duty burn once more.
5135
5136—After heading down the path to the village for a while, Subaru stopped and cautiously looked around the area. When he was sure no one was around to watch him, he left the path and dove into the woods. He did so regardless of Ram’s and the others’ admonitions that this was dangerous due to the many wild animals within.
5137
5138Ignoring their warnings, Subaru pushed his way through the foliage as he headed deeper into the forest. At some point, he ascended a slope, not slowing his pace when branches and briar patches scratched him.
5139
5140He proceeded up the mountain like that for about fifteen minutes.
5141
5142“Okay, I’ll do it here.”
5143
5144Subaru left the greenery, the soaring sky greeting his vision. Subaru had cleared the forested slopes, arriving at a foothill nestled among the mountains. He could watch the mansion below from the cliff right in front of him.
5145
5146From there, he could observe the familiar, luxurious sights of Roswaal Manor. He’d circled around from the forest path and cut through forest and mountain to arrive at the perfect observation point.
5147
5148“It has an especially good view of Emilia’s room. I’ll see anything weird happening right away.”
5149
5150He could make out the window to Emilia’s room even at a distance. He couldn’t see inside, but it was a good spot for watching for any signs of trouble. And on the night of the fourth day, trouble would surely come.
5151
5152“In other words, tonight. All that’s left is to wait for something to happen.”
5153
5154From that morning, Subaru had about sixteen hours to kill—surely he could hold his concentration that long.
5155
5156This way, he could figure out what would happen at Roswaal Manor beforehand and rush back to the manor immediately. This time Subaru would have the element of surprise on his side.
5157
5158If he’d remained at the mansion, Subaru would be one more victim of the attacker’s curse. With limited means of counterattack and low overall combat ability, Subaru couldn’t take on the attacker straight up. He desperately needed any shred of information he could get on the assassin.
5159
5160So, what to do? Subaru had come up with a simple answer.
5161
5162“This time, my goal is to identify the attacker and nail down the details of the attack…even if it kills me.”
5163
5164Having died twice so far, Subaru had determined that the attack was an assassination having to do with the royal succession. He didn’t know if he’d been collateral damage with Emilia as the main target or if he’d been killed as some kind of message to her. But having been murdered twice already, Subaru considered it highly likely everyone close to her was being slaughtered.
5165
5166“Putting aside if countermeasures will work…seems like Roswaal has his guard up anyway…”
5167
5168Subaru based that on the premise that Roswaal, the nobleman with a scheming mind behind his clown face, was not such a fool as to leave his king piece, bearing the name of Emilia, defenseless on the chessboard. The existence of Ram and Rem, the two servants he’d left behind at the mansion, was further evidence.
5169
5170“To be honest, at first I thought it was nuts to have just two maids taking care of a huge mansion like that, but…”
5171
5172They were lord and vassal, their mutual trust rock solid, bonds of loyalty formed through long service. Seeing Ram’s slavish devotion and Rem’s adoration of her had told him that much.
5173
5174Roswaal had surely surrounded Emilia with people who would never betray him. The fact that one maid had retired several months before, yet, according to Ram, no replacement would be hired, assured him Emilia would be protected.
5175
5176“The problem is, I don’t know if they’re on guard enough, given that I died from the attack already. If I’m the only one who died, well, good… Wait, that’s not good.”
5177
5178If Roswaal’s defense plans simply didn’t account for Subaru, a wild card, then all was well and good. If it wasn’t so, that meant Emilia would come to harm as well.
5179
5180And Subaru, having died three times at the capital and two at the manor, was accustomed by now to reality foiling the best of plans.
5181
5182You needed to expect the worst case…and then expect worse than that.
5183
5184“Here, the worst case is that Roswaal’s guard is down and Emilia gets assassinated. Of course, that’d mean Roswaal, Ram, Rem, and then Beatrice get slaughtered, too… Ugh, damn it.”
5185
5186Just picturing the worst-case scenario filled him with disgust.
5187
5188Though it was to stop all that, he wanted to vent at his entirely logical decision to watch events unfold from the outside.
5189
5190Of course Subaru, who wore his heart on his sleeve, planned to stay on guard the whole time, ready to instantly rush back to the manor if anything happened, running around and warning of the enemy attack, but…
5191
5192“Well, it’d be nice if the guy’s super cautious and runs off just from my yelling at him, right?”
5193
5194Subaru voiced the optimistic view as he pulled a rope out of his knapsack. It was a rather long rope he’d borrowed from the manor’s warehouse. Subaru firmly tied one end around the trunk of a nearby tree and the other around his own waist. He used complex knots along the way as if his life depended on it, which it kind of did.
5195
5196“And last, the knife to cut the rope… She’d probably be ticked off if she knew I was using it like this.”
5197
5198As he spoke, he took out the knife that he’d lovingly dubbed Shooting Star. In the present loop, he’d been in a position to lay his hands on it for the first time only that day.
5199
5200“I used it a whole bunch during the four days of the other loops, though.”
5201
5202During his time doing odd jobs as a servant, Subaru’s kitchen duties mainly involved peeling vegetables and washing tableware. Shooting Star was the beloved blade that Subaru had used to cut potato-like veggies, apples, and, from time to time, his own hand. When, this time, he’d come up with a plan that required a knife, he grabbed that one without a second thought.
5203
5204“Hopefully just for cutting the rope, but if worse comes to worst…”
5205
5206The knife was not only to facilitate his escape but to wound himself if the time came, for surely stimulation from the pain of self-harm would make him able to resist the gnawing sleepiness of the curse.
5207
5208If worse came to worst, he might have to turn that blade upon the enemy. And if it was worse than that—
5209
5210“For suicide, huh? Geez…can I do that? Something that scary…”
5211
5212Subaru looked at himself reflected in the blade’s edge as a laugh at his own expense came over him.
5213
5214As he looked at the blade in his hand, memories of Ram and Rem rose in the back of his mind. Ram had insulted Subaru for his clumsy knife work; Rem had shot him shocked sideways glances when he’d cut his own hand with the knife. They angrily shouted things like, Do not cut what you are not supposed to.
5215
5216“…They’d be angry with me for misusing it like this, too, wouldn’t they?”
5217
5218He could totally picture in his mind both girls angry with him, with Ram glaring down at him and Rem looking aghast.
5219
5220Ahh, that scene was just—
5221
5222“They’d be totally pissed, huh… I hope they would be…”
5223
5224The longing words leaked out from his lips. One way or another, he truly wanted to bury himself in that day-to-day life again.
5225
5226“I don’t wanna die— I don’t wanna let them die…”
5227
5228Subaru said it for his own benefit as he remembered the faces of the people he’d only just said good-bye to.
5229
5230Subaru had cast away Emilia and the others to prepare for the next loop. Yet this time, just like the last times, he’d formed definite bonds with the girls.
5231
5232He suppressed his throbbing chest. This was his punishment, the natural price to pay for what he had done.
5233
5234It was a cross to bear that Subaru, having formed a plan premised on losing something, could not shirk. He had to carry both the sweet and the bitter thoughts with him.
5235
5236Subaru had spent those thrown-away four days prying open that raw wound, enduring pain like that of having his flesh gouged and his bones broken, all so that he would remember it.
5237
5238“You said it yourself, Subaru Natsuki. Even if everyone else forgets…you’ll remember.”
5239
5240That was why he couldn’t think of this time as something he could forget.
5241
5242Subaru had to continue to crave a happy ending until the last possible moment. No one had the right to decide that Emilia and the others were no more than bubbles on the edge of the time stream.
5243
5244Subaru kept hidden among the trees as he observed Roswaal Manor. The resolve permeating his presumably stressed body quieted his breathing and lowered his heart rate.
5245
5246He felt like his body was acting in accordance to his will in a way it never had before.
5247
5248Trusting his body to that hard-earned feeling, Subaru stayed put and waited for time to pass.
5249
5250
5251
5252
5253
5254(6)
5255
5256
5257As evening drew near, the setting sun bathed the hill Subaru was on in an orange light. Squinting from the sun’s rays, Subaru moved his tense body around, shaking out the cobwebs.
5258
5259He’d already been watching the manor for something like eight hours. During that time, there had been no sign of anything unusual; the mansion remained entirely peaceful. So things really were fine there until night fell.
5260
5261“Come to think of it, Rem didn’t go shopping this time…”
5262
5263There had been no sign of the Day Four event of Rem going shopping. Perhaps she simply didn’t need to because Subaru’s departure meant one less mouth to feed. It was an odd discrepancy.
5264
5265When Subaru realized he was smiling at the memories, his sense of tension lifting, he pinched his own cheek. This wasn’t the place or time to let up on his concentration.
5266
5267“Like I can do something stupid like that with eight hours to go. Concentrate, concentra—”
5268
5269He stopped mid-word. For better or worse, it was at the very moment Subaru switched gears that the attack came.
5270
5271“—!”
5272
5273The instant his eardrums detected a faint sound, Subaru dove to the side without hesitation.
5274
5275He’d devoted his five senses to determining when to do the evasive maneuver he’d settled on beforehand.
5276
5277The next moment, he heard something exceptionally heavy make a smashing sound, snapping trees in two. The trees all around him, plus their leaves and branches, came down with a wild cacophony of snapping sounds.
5278
5279Amid all that, Subaru rushed straight for the cliff and leapt straight down.
5280
5281“—Aa!”
5282
5283Even clenching his teeth, he couldn’t stop himself from letting out a faint cry, his insides turning over from the weightless feeling of falling. But his lifeline cut that short after two long seconds. He let out an anguished cry from the pain of the ropes biting in.
5284
5285“Emergency escape…!”
5286
5287Cutting the rope with his knife, he resumed his descent, the bottoms of his shoes digging into a slanted rock face. Sliding and hitting his shoulder, Subaru landed on the ground roughly, somehow keeping his footing, and ran without pausing for breath.
5288
5289He tossed away the knapsack to lighten the load, breathing raggedly as he ran without a care for proper form.
5290
5291“I saw it! Yeaaaah…I totally saw it!”
5292
5293The object that had attacked Subaru by surprise and mowed down various trees was a spiked iron ball as large as a man’s skull. It was basically a killer bowling ball on a really, really long chain—the weapon known as a “morning star.”
5294
5295Subaru had hit the dirt when his eardrums picked up the faint metallic sound of that horrible weapon’s chain.
5296
5297Having witnessed its fiendish power for himself, Subaru still wasn’t biting with his teeth lined up right.
5298
5299The way that thing had flown at him, his body probably would have been splattered if it had connected. Now Subaru could understand how half his body had been sent flying.
5300
5301“But…he came here, huh?!”
5302
5303He stomped on branches, leapt across a gulch, and raced across areas with poor footing.
5304
5305Subaru had anticipated that he might be attacked. Having distanced himself from the manor, he determined that an attack on him was just as possible as a raid on the mansion itself. If the objective was to kill anyone involved, Subaru was still on that list.
5306
5307“But that’s based on knowing I was at the mansion since days ago!”
5308
5309That would mean the assailant had been observing the mansion for several days, drawing up plans in secret.
5310
5311“—!”
5312
5313Out of breath, he’d lost his way, focusing on not tripping as he headed down a game trail.
5314
5315Subaru, breathing roughly, clicked his tongue at the scene unfolding before him.
5316
5317“So I’ve been totally dancing on the other guy’s palm?”
5318
5319Dismayed, Subaru stood before a cliff that hemmed him in.
5320
5321Looking at the hard, jagged rock wall, it was like a natural fortress for resisting all attempts to climb. Naturally, Subaru had no way at the moment to overcome that obstacle.
5322
5323Subaru turned around and girded himself, taking deep, ragged breaths.
5324
5325The forest before him had grown darker at some point, with the trees filtering out the setting sun, making him feel cut off from the world and very, very alone.
5326
5327“If you’re coming, bring it on…!”
5328
5329Subaru shoved away his misgivings, opening his track jacket in front and stripping it off. He spread out the track jacket with both hands, quietly waiting for his assailant to arrive.
5330
5331He was being pursued. He’d been backed into a corner. That moment, Subaru felt as helpless as prey caught in a predator’s trap. But he wasn’t so cute and helpless that he’d let himself get eaten without a fight.
5332
5333He’d make the other guy earn it.
5334
5335“Damn it…you coming or not?!?”
5336
5337Subaru’s body demonstrated uncanny reflexes toward the lethal attack before his eyes.
5338
5339He raised the track jacket aloft with both hands, catching the flying iron ball from below, enveloping it as he barely evaded by the skin of his teeth a ferocious strike to his body.
5340
5341But the top was ripped from his hands as his body smacked against the wall with an undiluted impact.
5342
5343But the moment Subaru lifted his eyes and saw that the iron ball, having missed its target, was stuck in the face of the cliff just as he’d hoped, he got a firm grip on the elongated chain.
5344
5345Then he glared down the chain he gripped—in the direction of the assailant holding the other end.
5346
5347“Now, show yourself, bastard! I’ve gone through a lot of trouble to see your face!!”
5348
5349He raised an angry shout and talked trash to lift his own spirits.
5350
5351Gripping the chain in one hand, he used the other to re-grip the knife he’d cut the rope with earlier. He resolved to swing it in the assailant’s face if worse came to worst. If it came to that, Subaru wouldn’t hesitate.
5352
5353His eyes hardened. He wouldn’t run no matter who or what came out.
5354
5355His life was in grave peril, but somehow, he was still alive. Maybe he didn’t have to throw away this time; maybe it was still possible to drive off the assailant.
5356
5357Having already given up once, Subaru desperately reached out for any glimmer of hope.
5358
5359Perhaps that glimmer was Emilia. Perhaps it was the maid twins. Perhaps it was that cheeky little girl or maybe Roswaal. Without intending to, Subaru forgot his situation, remembering the collection of memories he thought he’d shoved aside.
5360
5361He’d made promises. Promises he had to keep.
5362
5363But then…
5364
5365“—You leave me no choice,” she said.
5366
5367The chain made a sound. He felt slack in the chain as its wielder drew closer.
5368
5369But Subaru didn’t pick up those subtleties as his eyes opened wide.
5370
5371He couldn’t speak. His lips quivered as a whimper came out of his throat. Unintentionally, his fingers grasping the chain let go as he made a small, listless shake of his head, as if rejecting the reality before him.
5372
5373Walking on the grass, stepping over branches, a young girl emerged from the darkness.
5374
5375She was wearing a black, rather short apron dress. She wore a white lace hairpiece. She gripped a handle chained to the iron ball thoroughly unsuited to her small stature.
5376
5377Her blue hair rustled in the wind as she made a familiar tilt of her head, a neutral look on her face.
5378
5379“…You’re kidding, right, Rem?”
5380
5381One of the girls Subaru had meant to protect was wielding the fiendish iron ball before him.
5382
5383
5384
5385
5386
5387(7)
5388
5389
5390Instantly, the back of Subaru’s mind was completely filled with white noise.
5391
5392He desperately wanted to deny the sight before his eyes, but he could think of nothing that would let him.
5393
5394—Subaru’s thoughts were white, pure white, with nothing in them whatsoever.
5395
5396His breathing stopped. His heart seemed to stand still, like it had forgotten to keep beating.
5397
5398What freed Subaru from that state was the cold feel of the drop of sweat rolling down the skin of his forehead.
5399
5400—This is bad. Bad bad bad bad bad bad.
5401
5402His empty thoughts became filled over and over with violent unease and panic. No rational thoughts came. Was this truly Rem before his eyes?
5403
5404Was this truly the Rem Subaru knew, her polite words sliding in like daggers, punctual to the point of obsession, doting on her impudent sister, harboring a serious inferiority complex?
5405
5406With Subaru having lost his earlier will to fight, Rem looked at him as she ran her free hand through her hair.
5407
5408“If you do not resist, I can grant you a quick end?”
5409
5410“—You really think I’m gonna say yes? That’s like telling me to eat shit.”
5411
5412
5413
5414
5415
5416“How very rude. Yes, I suppose that is in your nature, Dear Guest?”
5417
5418Rem was behaving just like she had at the mansion, her curtsy and polite speech so thoroughly out of place that he felt like he really was seeing things.
5419
5420But that could not make him dismiss the brutal foreign object in Rem’s hand.
5421
5422“I’ll grant you that a girl with a blunt weapon is kind of hot, but…”
5423
5424A spiked iron ball on a chain. A blunt weapon that could turn an opponent into mincemeat with one blow. Rem had to be quite a sadist to pick a weapon like that. Subaru, having tasted its might and losing his life to it once already, knew only too well that Rem’s control of the iron ball was absolute.
5425
5426Little by little, Subaru ground the reality down between his teeth, his mouth forming the words he was reaching for.
5427
5428“It’s kinda cliché to ask, but…why are you doing this?”
5429
5430“It is nothing complicated. You are suspicious, so I will render judgment as a maid should.”
5431
5432“Haven’t you ever heard of ‘love thy neighbor’…?”
5433
5434“I am fully committed to this, so…”
5435
5436Rem looked at Subaru like she expected a prompt response, apparently having no intention of letting him play for time. If he moved now, she’d kill him for sure.
5437
5438It was less of a stalemate than staring down the barrel of a gun. Subaru’s brain spun as he desperately tried to wring a little info out of this without his anguish lowering his guard.
5439
5440“—Does Ram know about this?”
5441
5442Abruptly, he invoked the name of the sister sharing Rem’s face.
5443
5444Ram wore three crowns: she was arrogant, rude, and overbearing. As a maid, she was inferior to her little sister in every respect, but Subaru had spent more time with Ram than anyone else at Roswaal Manor. If even Ram had become his enemy—what did those days they spent together mean?
5445
5446That was why Rem’s reply was the one Subaru had sought without knowing it.
5447
5448“I intend to finish this before Sister is aware of it.”
5449
5450Subaru took a deep breath and looked back straight into Rem’s eyes. Rem raised her brows as she watched Subaru lick his lips as if he’d come back to life.
5451
5452“So you decided this on your own? Roswaal didn’t order you?”
5453
5454“I will eliminate all who oppose Master Roswaal’s wishes. You are merely one.”
5455
5456“Man, can’t he train his lapdogs not to bite at people just passing thro— Ugh?!”
5457
5458Subaru taunted Rem a little to probe Rem’s true feelings, only to have the chain leap in from the side.
5459
5460“You shall not insult Master Roswaal.”
5461
5462The blunt impact made his vision waver; a sharp pain conveyed the vertical cut in his left cheek.
5463
5464With the iron ball still stuck in the rock face, she’d smacked Subaru by using the chain as a whip.
5465
5466So that was the price he paid for his flippant taunt. But he’d gotten something for it.
5467
5468At the very least, he could now confirm that Rem’s loyalty to Roswaal was the real thing. She no doubt really believed silencing Subaru was for Roswaal’s benefit. She’d decided that Subaru’s leaving Roswaal Manor was disadvantageous for Roswaal, who was supporting Emilia’s candidacy.
5469
5470In other words, this was—
5471
5472“Ah, that’s what it is— That’s how little you trust me, huh?”
5473
5474“Yes.”
5475
5476Her grudging nod made Subaru feel pain equal to a sharp blade being thrust deep into his chest.
5477
5478Subaru had dreaded that answer, for accepting it meant looking at his days at the manor in an entirely different light. So Subaru didn’t say it. He locked that horrid feeling deep in his chest. But he couldn’t help himself from laughing at his own obliviousness.
5479
5480“Damn, just look at me. I thought I’d done all right, but I was so wrong…”
5481
5482“…My sister—”
5483
5484“I don’t wanna hear it—! Take this!”
5485
5486Rem hesitated slightly for one instant as Subaru shouted and drew his cell phone from his pocket, thrusting it before him.
5487
5488—The next moment, a white light cut through the darkness of the forest, freezing Rem momentarily.
5489
5490“—Raaah!”
5491
5492Subaru screamed as he leapt in and tackled her small body, knocking her away.
5493
5494Rem was able to wield that violent device with unbelievable force, but in a straight-up collision, Subaru’s greater height and weight won out. His charge held nothing back, sending her small body flying; she lost her balance and stumbled to the ground. Subaru didn’t spend even a moment to look at her as he rushed past.
5495
5496He wheezed as he shoved air into his lungs and thought as he ran.
5497
5498If this was Rem’s decision alone, Subaru had two options for survival. One surely was to return to the manor and speak directly to her master. But if Roswaal thought the same way Rem did, he’d simply be going from the frying pan into the fire.
5499
5500“But even so…there’s Emilia…!”
5501
5502His memory of her shone brighter than that of any other. If he could trust anyone, it was her.
5503
5504
5505—But would she, a royal candidate, trust Subaru’s words when she had the most to lose from doing so?
5506
5507
5508“—?!”
5509
5510Instantly, the voice from the back of Subaru’s head struck him with the force of a thunderbolt.
5511
5512Without any doubt, it had been his voice that doubted Emilia’s heart. It was Subaru himself who had doubted her, knowing how she was forthright, earnest, and unhesitant to put herself in harm’s way for others.
5513
5514“Why…am I doing…!”
5515
5516His standpoint had changed, and so had his thoughts. But to doubt Emilia?
5517
5518If Subaru couldn’t even trust the person he’d resolved to protect, who could he believe in?
5519
5520He was pathetically fleeing through the mountains because of the big plan he’d formed to protect the life of someone whose heart he doubted. How sane was that?
5521
5522—He’d gather intel this time? Yeah, right.
5523
5524Why was he here, under threat from a completely unexpected direction, running for his life like this? He’d been too proud. He’d been naive. He hadn’t thought it through.
5525
5526His breath ragged, half running and half falling down a slope, Subaru was awash in regrets.
5527
5528He whined as tears clouded his vision. His steps grew clumsy. Suddenly, the trees opened wide into a clearing; Subaru saw that night was creeping across the sky. Then— “—Ah?”
5529
5530A blade of extremely concentrated wind lashed out, slicing off Subaru’s right leg at the knee, sending it flying away.
5531
5532Subaru watched his right foot leap and bounce with great force as he lost his balance, slamming into the ground. The impact made the cut on his cheek bleed again; his shoulder bone sounded like it’d exploded as it rammed into the rock. Subaru screamed, the cut across his whole body jabbing into his brain like an electric shock.
5533
5534“Aaaaaaagh! M-my leeeeeg?!”
5535
5536It didn’t hurt, and that felt scarier.
5537
5538Pieces of his lost lower leg were blown off, sailing into the thickets ahead. A delayed gush of fresh blood dyed the ground reddish-black; only then did the pain invade his nervous system in earnest.
5539
5540“—!”
5541
5542He clawed at the ground as unspeakable pain rippled through him.
5543
5544He pressed down on the wound, thrashed his body, pounded his free right hand against the ground, smacked a tree, and clawed at the bark as his consciousness boiled from the heat. It hurt, it hurt, it really hurt.
5545
5546He felt the pain shaving away his nerves as if a carpenter’s plane were whittling him from the inside out. Having lost so much blood so quickly, it gradually dawned on him that he was dying.
5547
5548“Mana of Water, grant thy healing.”
5549
5550A soft palm abruptly pressed down on Subaru’s thrashing body. Unable to move, Subaru shifted his bloodshot eyes and noticed the girl in the maid outfit at his side.
5551
5552It was the blue-haired Rem. Rem, who had tried to kill Subaru just now, enveloped her palm in a pale light, pouring warm magical energy onto Subaru’s amputated right leg. He felt the itch of healing magic.
5553
5554The pain didn’t vanish completely, but shock seized Subaru at the surreal scene. Subaru didn’t know why Rem was healing him at a time like this. Sensing Subaru’s gaze, she gave him a soft, casual smile. What seemed like a tiny ray of hope died with the words that followed.
5555
5556“I will not be able to ask you anything if I let you die so easily.”
5557
5558It truly sank in what an optimistic idiot he was.
5559
5560Rem stood up as she finished her first aid, making a sound with her chain as she pulled along the iron ball.
5561
5562Subaru was lying faceup with the iron ball gouging the earth as it neared him. The closer he saw it, the clearer it looked like the crude, unrefined, specialized tool for violence that it was, existing only to take life.
5563
5564Rem had deliberately brought it where he could see. Her intentions were crystal clear.
5565
5566It was the easiest way for her to demonstrate that his life was in her hands.
5567
5568“—I am confiscating this.”
5569
5570Rem spoke as she crouched and opened up Subaru’s firmly closed hand. His hand had been locked around the knife since his encounter with Rem, unable to let go.
5571
5572Rem roughly pried open his fingers and took the knife, turning it around in her hand.
5573
5574“Had you stabbed me with this earlier, you would have been able to flee a little farther.”
5575
5576Rem knitted her brows, speaking like she couldn’t comprehend Subaru’s illogical act. But Subaru, suppressing his breathing amid the throbbing pain, shook his head.
5577
5578—There was no way he could have stabbed Rem with that knife.
5579
5580That knife had been the implement in his hands when he’d spent such busy and gentle times with Rem’s back to him as Ram taught him how to peel vegetables. He couldn’t stab Rem with that.
5581
5582—Subaru’s heart lacked the strength for that.
5583
5584As Subaru continued shaking his head without a word, Rem sighed and discarded the knife into the forest thicket.
5585
5586She seemed to refocus her attention as she made the chain clank and coldly looked down at Subaru.
5587
5588“I ask you, are you working with one of Lady Emilia’s rival claimants to the throne?”
5589
5590“…My heart belongs to Emilia.”
5591
5592The moment he spoke, the chain ferociously lashed Subaru’s upper body. His shirt, scratched all over during his flight, easily tore open, as did the skin underneath.
5593
5594Subaru’s scream echoed through the forest.
5595
5596“Who hired you and on what terms?”
5597
5598“E-Emilia-tan’s smiling face is…priceless.”
5599
5600She moved her wrist the other way and did the same thing again. Feeling like she’d lashed him in precisely the same place, he knew his anguished cry served as praise for her skill.
5601
5602She asked more questions like that. He made more replies like that.
5603
5604Several times more, the chain rang out. Several times more, Subaru’s painful cries matched it.
5605
5606When his consciousness faded, Rem treated him with healing magic. Trapped in a hell of repeated healing and violence, Subaru’s spirit frayed; he lost consciousness several times like that.
5607
5608Yet, his heart did not submit to Rem’s lashings.
5609
5610Rem must have felt tired of Subaru’s obstinate attitude when she wiped the blood spatter off her face and looked up at the sky.
5611
5612“If I do not get back soon, I will be late preparing the meal…”
5613
5614“…Dinner, huh. What’s on the menu today, huh…”
5615
5616“Let’s see. How about mincemeat pie?”
5617
5618“S-sorry, I think I’ll have to skip it…”
5619
5620Rem finally showed some sign of emotion as she sighed at Subaru’s behavior, flippant to the bitter end. After that, she fell silent for a while before looking down at Subaru, her eyes colder than ever before as she interrogated him.
5621
5622“—Are you a member of the Witch Cult?”
5623
5624Subaru knit his brow, perplexed at having vocabulary he’d never heard before thrown at him.
5625
5626He didn’t know what those words meant in regards to the place, the circumstances, or Rem’s real thoughts.
5627
5628“Answer, please. You are one of the Bewitched, yes?”
5629
5630“…Be what?”
5631
5632“Do not play games with me!”
5633
5634Agitated, Rem’s pale blue eyes shot daggers through Subaru in a rage. It was literally the first time Subaru had seen Rem worked up like this since they’d met.
5635
5636Rem’s pale face glowered as she looked down at Subaru with pure hostility.
5637
5638“I don’t know them… My whole family’s atheist to begin with…”
5639
5640“Still denying it? It is plain you are involved with the witch. Her stench is all over you!”
5641
5642Hatred. Rem’s eyes seethed with dark hatred as they glared at Subaru. Subaru’s eyes widened, feeling like this part of Rem, this vortex of emotion, put every single thing she’d done in a completely new light.
5643
5644“Even if Sister or no one else notices, I can smell it on you! The leftover stench of that monster makes me want to spit in disgust!”
5645
5646Subaru fell silent. Rem, standing before him, bit her lip so hard that she seemed to be grinding her teeth.
5647
5648“I was anxious and angry when I saw you speaking with Sister. You, someone involved with the one who put Sister through so much…weaseling into our precious home—!”
5649
5650Her words of undiluted malice mercilessly bathed Subaru in bitterness.
5651
5652“I have been watching you since Master Roswaal welcomed you…but the entire time, it hurt to watch you. I could not bear it.”
5653
5654Subaru had been unable to say a word. Then, Rem drove the dagger home.
5655
5656“Even if I knew that the whole time Sister was taking care of you, she was just pretending to be friendly!”
5657
5658“—”
5659
5660Rem seemed to be making up for her seemingly inadequate emotions by slamming all her bottled-up resentment at Subaru in one go. Rem stopped speaking as her shoulders shook, her eyes filled with rage as they glared at Subaru. Then, her anger abruptly wavered from surprise.
5661
5662“—What the hell…?”
5663
5664For, as Rem spoke words filled with hatred, Subaru had been crying quietly.
5665
5666“I knew it was…something like that.”
5667
5668Sobs came up his throat, hot tears slipping out of his eyes and falling upon his cheeks.
5669
5670The flood of seemingly ceaseless tears continued as Subaru said in a sorrowful, halting voice, “So that’s what it was… I knew there was some reason behind all the kindness. But…I was too afraid to ask…”
5671
5672It was the two of them who had drilled the basics of work into good-for-nothing Subaru.
5673
5674Ram had scoffed at him for not knowing how to put on a butler outfit. Rem had re-tailored the ill-fitting suit and taught him how to put it on. Ram had patiently stuck with Subaru when he’d been painstakingly learning characters. After the promise to have Rem cut his hair, she’d often been staring at him; he’d been happy to have people paying attention to him and urging him on.
5675
5676They were all kind memories he could never forget.
5677
5678“I finally learned how to peel veggies without cutting my hand. I learned how to do laundry right. Didn’t finish learning how to clean the place, but…”
5679
5680He couldn’t have hoped for more in four days. But he’d thought that, if he could get past those four days, there was much more to learn in the days to come.
5681
5682“Reading… It’s just the simple stuff, but I can do that now. I studied like I promised. I read the picture book. It’s all thanks to you two…”
5683
5684“What are you…talking about?”
5685
5686The tone of Rem’s voice fell, like she was creeped out by Subaru’s rambling words. Subaru looked straight up into Rem’s eyes.
5687
5688“I’m talking about what you two have done for me…”
5689
5690“I recall no such thing.”
5691
5692“—Why don’t you remember?!”
5693
5694The sudden burst of rage made Rem take a step back without thinking.
5695
5696Subaru forced his lying body to rise, glaring at Rem with his teeth bared as he shouted.
5697
5698“Why’d everyone leave me behind…! What did I do to you…! Tell me what I did to you…!”
5699
5700He couldn’t control his emotions. He knew full well he’d be ripped to pieces, but Subaru’s heart, his very soul, could not stop shouting.
5701
5702He’d been summoned to another world, subjected to senseless things, and in spite of it all, he’d gritted his teeth and pushed forward.
5703
5704But he’d reached his limit.
5705
5706“What’d I do wrong? What’s wrong with me? Why do you girls hate me that much…? Even…that promise… I’ve always…”
5707
5708“—I—”
5709
5710“I’ve always lo—”
5711
5712—The impact did not permit him to say any more.
5713
5714The sudden force bent back Subaru’s body; it gently hit the tree trunk behind him.
5715
5716Subaru heard nearby sounds like faint breathing and frothing water. When he shifted his gaze, he immediately discovered the cause.
5717
5718“—”
5719
5720His throat.
5721
5722Half of Subaru’s throat had been ripped out. He was gurgling air and bubbles of blood from the middle of his windpipe.
5723
5724Dumbfounded, he looked at Rem’s face as she stared at the wound.
5725
5726Having seen that much, Subaru’s eyes lost their spark, going dizzy and white.
5727
5728He couldn’t speak. His mind felt like someone had turned off the switch.
5729
5730Everything grew distant. There was no pain, no sadness; he left behind all his emotions.
5731
5732But in the end, he had the faint sense he could hear someone’s sad voice.
5733
5734“—Sister is too kind.”
5735
5736
5737
5738
5739
5740CHAPTER 5
5741THE MORNING HE YEARNED FOR
5742
5743
5744
5745(1)
5746
5747
5748“—!!”
5749
5750He wasn’t aware of the exact moment he returned to consciousness.
5751
5752The sound of heavy rain kept ringing in his ears. His vision flickered between red and white.
5753
5754The world was bent and warped.
5755
5756Unable to feel his arms or legs, he made a thick, anguished scream as if someone were wringing his intestines like wet laundry.
5757
5758He twisted his body and leapt, every movable part of his entire body unleashing fierce incomprehension.
5759
5760—He didn’t know what was going on.
5761
5762The burning pain of his leg being severed and the scars of his body being lashed all over by the chain were…gone.
5763
5764He’d lost his blood. He’d lost his life. He’d died.
5765
5766He hadn’t wanted to die. He hated the pain, the suffering, the sadness, the fear, all of it.
5767
5768He wanted to push it all away. Everything he could see, everything he could touch, everything he could feel.
5769
5770“—!”
5771
5772He heard something. He heard someone’s voice.
5773
5774He heard a voice, like someone was desperately trying to calm a wild beast.
5775
5776The meaning didn’t get through. He didn’t understand the meaning. He didn’t want to understand the meaning.
5777
5778It was useless to listen. Listening would only get him hurt. Listening wouldn’t change a thing.
5779
5780Yet as he rejected all, color returned to the world, as did sound, as did shape.
5781
5782The senses of his entire disheveled body told him, correctly, that blood was reaching his limbs.
5783
5784His flailing hand hit something, breaking fingernails and ripping the back of his hand, making it bleed. The sharp pain jabbed into his brain, somewhat lessening the force of his scream.
5785
5786Then he realized it. Someone had grabbed and wrapped up his hurting arms.
5787
5788He felt something similar on his legs. Something was covering him, making him unable to move either leg.
5789
5790Right above him, his returning vision saw the familiar white ceiling he’d seen several times over now.
5791
5792He realized he was lying faceup on the soft bed.
5793
5794He finally breathed out, strength draining from his stiffened body, when…
5795
5796“Dear Guest, Dear Guest. Have you finally calmed down?”
5797
5798“Dear Guest, Dear Guest. Have you finally stopped flailing?”
5799
5800The instant his ears heard the two familiar voices, Subaru remembered to scream.
5801
5802
5803
5804
5805
5806(2)
5807
5808
5809Subaru’s fourth first day at Roswaal Manor had begun in the worst way possible.
5810
5811Subaru lived with the shame of having already died six times since arriving in that world.
5812
5813They were most certainly not peaceful deaths. Each death came with its own commensurate sense of loss.
5814
5815You didn’t get used to the pain and suffering of it. Though he picked himself up each time, no one could understand the loneliness, the desolation, the anguish he felt.
5816
5817He’d resolve that no matter what pickle he might find himself in, his heart, at least, would not falter.
5818
5819But that resolve had been shattered by his latest Return by Death.
5820
5821His sense of loss, of despair, of loneliness, gouged Subaru just as deeply as the bonds formed over the days before.
5822
5823There was no way he could recover. He didn’t have the strength to recover.
5824
5825Emilia, sitting on the bed beside Subaru, smiled at him as she patted his injured right hand.
5826
5827“—All right, done. I think it’s nicely patched up, but you mustn’t thrash around like that, okay?”
5828
5829—At that moment, Subaru and Emilia were the only two people in the room.
5830
5831The two maids who had been present when Subaru awoke retreated in the face of Subaru’s disgraceful behavior right after waking, leaving things to Emilia.
5832
5833“Ram and Rem were really so worried about you.”
5834
5835Subaru reflexively raised his face at the mention of two names he didn’t want to hear.
5836
5837Subaru’s reaction put a bit of surprise on Emilia’s face, but she instantly brushed it off with a small shake of her head.
5838
5839“They’re feeling unusually down, thinking they may have offended you somehow. How about you say something to them next time you see them?”
5840
5841“Offended, huh? No, they didn’t do anything… There’s nothing between those people and me.”
5842
5843Emilia’s feminine eyebrows softly grimaced at the insensitive tone of his voice. Her reaction was in the corner of Subaru’s vision, but no apology or excuse came from his lips.
5844
5845Instead, what came out was a question without the slightest hint of sarcasm.
5846
5847“Hey, Emilia, do you…think I’m a bother?”
5848
5849Emilia raised a finger and seemed to speak rapid-fire to hold Subaru in check.
5850
5851“How could I think you’re a bother? You saved my life, Subaru. What are you supposed to do if someone you owe a debt to just gets up and leaves? It’d really put me in a bind.”
5852
5853Subaru listened in silence, belatedly realizing that he was staring intently at every detail of Emilia’s face and actions.
5854
5855“Whoa, I was seriously…”
5856
5857He was disheartened that it was he who’d given Emilia such a look of distrust.
5858
5859Emilia had unexpectedly hit the nail on the head, had she not?
5860
5861To stop thinking of your benefactor as your benefactor was the lowest thing you could do.
5862
5863Emilia was the only oasis Subaru had in an uncertain world. Subaru, having lost everything else he’d set his heart upon, had nowhere else to turn.
5864
5865“—”
5866
5867He suddenly had a small thought.
5868
5869Perhaps it was to Emilia that he should reveal the truth of the Return by Death?
5870
5871“That’s right…”
5872
5873Now that he thought about it, Subaru had tried to change his dead-end reality completely on his own so far. But all he’d achieved was a dead-end fate, with both the future and the past blocked off.
5874
5875Breaking through that stalemate required fundamental change.
5876
5877Maybe the answer was to form a bond of trust with a third party, someone he could rely on?
5878
5879“—Emilia, there’s something I want to tell you.”
5880
5881The clouds seemed to lift as Subaru’s feelings of hesitation and unease parted inside him.
5882
5883Hearing the tone of Subaru’s voice fall like that, Emilia sat back down in a chair, looking at Subaru with a face tense with concern.
5884
5885Watching himself reflected in her violet eyes, Subaru thought of how he should begin this.
5886
5887How should he talk about Return by Death? Perhaps Subaru ought to first find out if it was something that happened to other people of that world, too?
5888
5889It was a pretty funny story, really. The chances were high she’d think it was a big joke.
5890
5891But Emilia would listen to Subaru tell it, wouldn’t she?
5892
5893Then and there, that was the hope that kept Subaru going.
5894
5895—He’d talk to her about Return by Death. And that he hoped she would lend him her strength.
5896
5897Subaru, well aware that here he was, already receiving her gratitude and yet making another request, opened his mouth.
5898
5899They’d change this extremely confusing situation. They’d fight against Fate and win…together.
5900
5901—Or so he thought.
5902
5903“Emilia. I c—”
5904
5905He began his confession. The moment the thought formed, it came.
5906
5907“—”
5908
5909Discomfort. Something’s wrong, Subaru’s mind told him.
5910
5911What’s wrong, he wondered back, but he immediately noticed why.
5912
5913Sound. Sound was gone. There was no sound anywhere.
5914
5915His own heartbeat. Emilia’s breaths. The sounds of morning filtering through the window. All had completely vanished from the world.
5916
5917And that was but the prelude for what was to come.
5918
5919—Next, movement followed sound, vanishing from the world as well.
5920
5921The passing of time lengthened. A single moment extended to eternity. The next second simply never arrived.
5922
5923Emilia’s serious expression remained before his eyes, unmoving. She was like an ice statue, her next motion an eternity away.
5924
5925Subaru was the same. He couldn’t move. His mouth, his eyes, nothing for eternity.
5926
5927Sound had vanished, time had stopped, and Subaru’s hand could not even reach out to beg.
5928
5929For some reason, only Subaru’s mind continued on during the phenomenon beyond his understanding.
5930
5931—And then, suddenly, it came.
5932
5933A black cloud. Subaru, unable to blink, suddenly saw it fill his vision.
5934
5935In a world where nothing could move, only the cloud was still in motion. The cloud wriggled and changed shape. Its mass was such that it could be held in the palms of one’s hands. Bit by bit, the contours of the cloud took form, and it finished changing shape.
5936
5937—Subaru saw something like a black palm.
5938
5939It had five fingers. It didn’t reach to an elbow, but he could definitely make out a forearm.
5940
5941The black fingers shifted. The gentle movements of what clearly had the shape of a hand swam through the air. Subaru’s mind gasped when he saw where it was headed.
5942
5943The black fingers slowly reached to Subaru’s chest…and seemed to go right in.
5944
5945Subaru felt the feeling straight to his soul. The feeling of the fingers brushing against his internal organs, stroking his rib cage…
5946
5947Discomfort and unease gripped Subaru. The black cloud wouldn’t stop moving.
5948
5949It was as if it hadn’t found what it was looking for and had to look deeper, deeper into Subaru’s chest.
5950
5951—Hey, hold on here.
5952
5953His voice wouldn’t come out. His body couldn’t resist. Subaru’s mind let out a terrified yelp.
5954
5955—This isn’t funny.
5956
5957Subaru was shaken beyond what he could call his innards, to the very core of his being.
5958
5959Could anyone put into words why having your internal organs damaged hurt?
5960
5961The question is pointless.
5962
5963No one needs to think about it.
5964
5965In that instant, Subaru felt no need to put into words what that excruciating pain felt like.
5966
5967It was really simple. Having his heart mercilessly squeezed felt like his very soul was being crushed.
5968
5969He couldn’t scream. He couldn’t writhe from the pain.
5970
5971
5972
5973
5974
5975There was only suffering. And along with suffering came something that made Subaru wish he could scream.
5976
5977The pain was pulling apart the person called “Subaru.” His mind was frayed, twisting, falling apart. Subaru was being cut into pieces, unable to remember what a logical thought felt like— “—baru,”
5978
5979“—?”
5980
5981“Subaru, what’s wrong? Don’t go all quiet like that. It worries me.”
5982
5983Her hands were on his thighs as the silver-haired beauty gazed into Subaru’s eyes with concern.
5984
5985Subaru seemed to stop holding his breath when he was sure his fingers were moving as he intended. He gingerly touched his own chest, confirming from the outside that his heart was making quiet beats.
5986
5987His body moved. His voice came out. He couldn’t feel any pain from his heart.
5988
5989—But the fear remained.
5990
5991Subaru fell into despair, for it had ripped his one hope to shreds.
5992
5993Just thinking about defying it a second time made him see the swaying black cloud in his mind.
5994
5995Subaru had no choice but to face facts.
5996
5997Unable to hold back her emotions, Emilia put her palm against Subaru’s face, at a loss as she asked an uncertain question.
5998
5999“—Wh-what’s wrong? You’ve been acting weird since earlier. If something’s wrong…”
6000
6001“—I want to ask you a favor.”
6002
6003Subaru cut off Emilia’s worried voice midway, lying down and turning away his head.
6004
6005He couldn’t face her. His features probably looked horrible.
6006
6007If he looked at Emilia in his current emotional state, there was no telling what he might say to her.
6008
6009Working all out to keep his mind steady, Subaru could manage to say only one thing.
6010
6011He threw away the words he wanted to say. He threw away the feelings that wanted her to hear.
6012
6013He threw away everything.
6014
6015“Don’t have anything to do with me.”
6016
6017Listlessly, that was all he said as he curled into the bed. He didn’t even look at Emilia’s shocked reaction.
6018
6019Unconsciously, Subaru had firmly grasped a single fact the moment the palm touched his chest.
6020
6021—He would not be permitted to break free.
6022
6023Subaru was alone. And he would remain alone.
6024
6025
6026
6027
6028
6029(3)
6030
6031
6032Having brushed off Emilia, Subaru gloomily began his fourth loop.
6033
6034Roswaal went to Subaru’s room after he’d hurt Emilia with his heartless statement.
6035
6036Subaru largely didn’t remember what they’d talked about. But he felt like he’d been appraised like an expensive vase. He didn’t know if that was just this time or if it had happened before and he just hadn’t noticed.
6037
6038“I shall treat you as a guest for as looong as you prefer.”
6039
6040Subaru felt like he’d said something convenient like that.
6041
6042He also felt like the details didn’t matter anymore.
6043
6044If he left the mansion, they’d shut him up for good. That was certain. But even if he was dead weight in the mansion, he couldn’t avoid getting ground into mincemeat in the near future.
6045
6046He felt like his saved game guaranteed a BAD END. The fact that it was autosave made it extra brutal.
6047
6048“—”
6049
6050Subaru was on top of the bed and not moving much, but his breaths were quick and ragged.
6051
6052Fearful of falling asleep, Subaru had used the feathered pen in his hand to cut the back of his other hand several times. Every time his eyelids seemed to droop, he forced his consciousness awake through pain. If he slept, he didn’t know what he’d wake up to.
6053
6054He’d already died three times.
6055
6056In the royal capital loop, he hadn’t experienced more than three deaths. To Subaru, plunged into that first day for the fourth time around, dying a fourth death was unknown territory.
6057
6058—Maybe, if he died here, he’d never come back.
6059
6060He couldn’t find a way to avoid death. But still, he didn’t want to die.
6061
6062He distrusted all and struggled against all in his desperate fight to live. He forgot the passage of time, the churning of his empty stomach; Subaru became eager to simply exist.
6063
6064The pain of his wound felt like affirmation of his existence. The spaces between the holes in his hand vanished.
6065
6066Pain. Joy. Pain. Joy. Pain. Pain. Pain—
6067
6068Suddenly, his face shot up when he abruptly heard a little girl’s voice.
6069
6070“—You certainly have a cowardly look about you.”
6071
6072A girl was standing at the entrance, leaning against it, shooting Subaru a look like she was gazing at a beast.
6073
6074Beatrice, whom he had yet to meet even once during this loop, had come to visit.
6075
6076Subaru’s vigilance ratcheted up at the unprecedented change of circumstances.
6077
6078“—So it’s you this time?”
6079
6080He belatedly realized that his voice was low and scratchy. It surprised him. His voice held more hostility in it than he’d imagined. Maybe he was voicing his feeling that the world was cursed.
6081
6082“What an incorrigible fool, to waste away like this in the span of a day or two.”
6083
6084“No one asked you— What’d you come for?”
6085
6086Beatrice, having mocked Subaru’s disgraceful sight and received his sullen retort in turn, narrowed her eyes slightly.
6087
6088“…Puckie and that little girl asked me to pay you a visit.”
6089
6090“Puck and…Emilia?”
6091
6092“You were acting oddly since you awoke, I suppose, so they suspected that I had done something to you when you first woke up. A rather rude suggestion, if I may say so.”
6093
6094It was true, and Beatrice was innocent, but those things didn’t register with Subaru.
6095
6096Surely Subaru’s heartless words had hurt Emilia, yet she was concerned for Subaru all the same, enough to speak directly to Beatrice, even if her suspicions were misplaced?
6097
6098As a result, Beatrice, with a weakness for Puck to begin with, had Puck begging her to help them, so here she was, reluctantly showing herself in Subaru’s room.
6099
6100Emilia’s concern for him brought just a tiny bit of warmth to Subaru’s heart.
6101
6102Even if it was meaningless as far as breaking the stalemate was concerned…
6103
6104“Got it. I’m all right now. You came to apologize, and that’s enough.”
6105
6106Beatrice’s lips twisted as Subaru tried to brush her away.
6107
6108“Why must I apologize to you, I wonder? Before anything else, I will not be leaving until that misunderstanding is cleared up.”
6109
6110Instead of leaving the room, she marched over to the bed. Subaru was about to pile on more complaints when…
6111
6112“—Hm?”
6113
6114Subaru watched as she crinkled her nose and tilted her head. If she just stayed quiet she’d look pretty adorable, but…
6115
6116Beatrice looked displeased at being stared at and covered her face, glaring at Subaru.
6117
6118“’Tis not just your dull face, I suppose, that is rotten. It is quite thick all around you.”
6119
6120“—Huh?”
6121
6122“Perhaps I speak of the scent tickling my nose? It would be wise to avoid meeting the twins for a while.”
6123
6124Beatrice pinched her nose and waved with her free hand as if driving off an unpleasant scent.
6125
6126“—”
6127
6128But Subaru’s mind couldn’t let go of the keyword scent.
6129
6130Scent. Certainly someone had used that word around the end of the third loo— “A smell coming from me…?”
6131
6132“—The scent of the witch. Perhaps your nose is broken?”
6133
6134He remembered that word. He’d come across that piece of vocabulary only recently. So that meant— “The jealous witch?”
6135
6136“In today’s day and age, there is none other who would be called witch, I suppose.”
6137
6138Her statement, belittling him as a petty idiot, aroused only more questions in Subaru.
6139
6140“Why is that scent coming from me?”
6141
6142“Who is to say? Perhaps the witch took a liking to you, or perhaps she hates the very sight of you. Either way, the witch giving you special treatment makes you attract trouble.”
6143
6144Beatrice slumped her shoulders, her gloomy behavior indicating any further talk about it was unwelcome.
6145
6146Witch—a being shunned throughout the world to the point that the fairy tale “The Witch of Jealousy” would not record her name.
6147
6148But Subaru had no connection to the witch or the story; he’d read about it only in a book.
6149
6150Naturally, without any memory of having met the witch, he had no memory of how he might carry a lingering scent from her touch.
6151
6152—Rem had also said he stank of the witch, hadn’t she?
6153
6154He felt that the overwhelming hostility was related in part to the scent of the witch. If that was so, he’d earned her hatred through something he had no memory of; with one slander piled on another, she felt she had no choice but to silence him.
6155
6156Subaru, having grasped something that was wholly outside his control, sighed at length. As Subaru remained silent, Beatrice looked at him as she reached toward the doorknob.
6157
6158“If nothing’s wrong with you, I’m leaving. I should tell Puckie that we had a chat and what we talked about, I suppose.”
6159
6160She seemed ready to vanish into the Passage when he called out to stop her.
6161
6162“Wait a sec.”
6163
6164Beatrice looked distinctly displeased as she looked back at him.
6165
6166Subaru stubbornly arrived at the words and tossed them out.
6167
6168“You feel bad about what you did to me, don’t you?”
6169
6170He didn’t know if it meant anything or not—but he thought it was worth a shot.
6171
6172Beatrice shot Subaru a sour look as Subaru knocked against the bed and asked again.
6173
6174“Do you feel bad about it? Yes or no?”
6175
6176“I think no such thing.”
6177
6178“I’ll tell Puck on you.”
6179
6180Beatrice repositioned herself to face Subaru, crossing her arms and raising her nose with a haughty air.
6181
6182“Ugh…perhaps I think it a teeeeeny bit.”
6183
6184“I’ll forgive you if you’ll do one little favor for me.”
6185
6186“…Would you speak it, I wonder?”
6187
6188“Could you protect me until sunrise on the fifth da— The morning after tomorrow?”
6189
6190It was a thoroughly shameless request to make of a girl who looked younger than he did.
6191
6192Beatrice was silent for a while in the face of Subaru’s heartfelt request.
6193
6194“That is a rather vague statement. Perhaps there is a reason someone is after you?”
6195
6196The question Beatrice countered with was quite natural and sensible.
6197
6198Beatrice kept Subaru in her sights as she paced around the room.
6199
6200“In the first place, I do not want to bring discord to this manor. This manor is a place that, to me, I must not lose, I suppose.”
6201
6202“…I don’t want to cause any trouble. I just wanna put out any sparks that fly.”
6203
6204“That is quite a sentiment coming from someone trying to make it another’s problem?”
6205
6206“For once, I don’t have a comeback.”
6207
6208Beatrice sighed as Subaru bowed down before her.
6209
6210Subaru was still bowed as he thought he heard a sound like the door being closed from the inside.
6211
6212The sound of Subaru’s request being denied and Beatrice returning to her archive.
6213
6214The moment he heard that sound, Subaru’s threadbare hope snapped.
6215
6216“Could you put out your hand, I wonder?”
6217
6218With Subaru filled with resignation, Beatrice walked to the side of the bed and offered her tiny hand.
6219
6220Beatrice’s irritation sent Subaru, in complete shock, rushing to take her hand. As he did, Beatrice scowled as she looked at the damaged back of his hand.
6221
6222“Disgusting. Perhaps you are an unsalvageable deviant who delights in self-harm?”
6223
6224“Roswaal’s got the deviant market locked up. I was just trying to give myself a tattoo and messed it up.”
6225
6226“Your artistic sense, skill, and talent for lies are completely lacking… There is no saving you from that.”
6227
6228Exhaling, Beatrice put her tiny palm on top of Subaru’s hand, as if trying to cover the wounds. Her smooth fingers invited his in until their hands intertwined.
6229
6230“—I shall grant thy wish. By the name of Beatrice, the pact is formed.”
6231
6232Beatrice’s solemn statement left Subaru completely at a loss for words.
6233
6234Suddenly, the girl before his eyes looked completely different than before. As her fingers gripped his, the warmth they conveyed made his mind see the aura of mystique surrounding her.
6235
6236“Makeshift or not, a pact is a pact— Perhaps I have been moved by your irrational request.”
6237
6238Beatrice released his fingers and crossed her arms once again. Subaru bowed before her, suppressing the wave of emotion that hit him.
6239
6240He didn’t put the emotions into words, but they gushed from a bottomless well deep in his heart.
6241
6242He didn’t know how to react to being offered salvation from the least expected source.
6243
6244“Seriously…a little girl’s gonna make me cry…”
6245
6246“Could you not say little girl, I wonder? Also, I will never forgive you if you say one word to Puckie about this.”
6247
6248“So that’s the important part?! Desperation gets you demon-possessed, I tell you.”
6249
6250Subaru made a bitter smile in response to Beatrice’s look of genuine hostility.
6251
6252His fourth loop had begun with despair. It was a small smile, the only of this loop, but it was there.
6253
6254
6255
6256
6257
6258(4)
6259
6260
6261By forming a temporary pact with Beatrice, Subaru gained a tiny but tangible piece of security. However, the circumstances pressing down on Subaru had not fundamentally improved at all.
6262
6263As was his wont, Subaru continued life as a hermit in the room he had been granted; Beatrice was not hovering around Subaru, protecting him twenty-four hours a day.
6264
6265The problem was from the night of the fourth day to the morning of the fifth—to reduce the effort needed to protect him during that time, he’d be leaving the room, not showing his face again until the appointed hour.
6266
6267In return, the one who visited Subaru time and again, and currently nodding while sitting on the side of the bed with a charming smile on her face, was Emilia.
6268
6269“I see, so Beatrice came to properly apologize. I’m glad. A job well done.”
6270
6271For Emilia to approach him like this after Subaru had treated her so poorly, which weighed heavily on his conscience, it was no exaggeration to say he thought of her like a goddess, his one light in a dark world.
6272
6273When Emilia visited again and he tried to apologize for his initial rude statement, she simply brushed off Subaru’s horrible words.
6274
6275“You were just overwhelmed, right? It can happen to anyone. It can’t be helped. Ram and Rem will be pleased to hear you say that, though.”
6276
6277Subaru gave no proper reply to the gentle request she’d slipped in at the end.
6278
6279Their loyalty was so great that they’d kill someone merely for knowing an inconvenient truth. Subaru had experienced that firsthand, but he couldn’t hate them for it even so.
6280
6281He closed his eyes and thought back on his days at the manor. Back then, during those memories, were there not moments when Subaru and the sisters drew closer together?
6282
6283—Maybe he just wanted to believe it was so.
6284
6285Emilia looked at the tray left on the side of the bed and the untouched meal, slowly going cold, resting upon it as she murmured in a sullen tone.
6286
6287“So you really didn’t eat breakfast, did you?”
6288
6289“…Sorry.”
6290
6291After snapping at Emilia, Subaru had become more quiet and withdrawn. Though Subaru acted like that, Ram and Rem diligently went about their duties as servants.
6292
6293Even when they knew he would never touch the food nor thank them for it.
6294
6295One was rude, while the other was polite only on the surface, but both were very formal and professional at heart.
6296
6297Subaru knew that. Despite knowing that, he could not accept the food.
6298
6299—For all he knew, it might be poisoned.
6300
6301That was the thought that passed through his mind when he looked at it.
6302
6303He hated himself for doubting the two of them. However, Subaru knew a future existed where the sisters waved around horrid weapons to kill him.
6304
6305He knew they had many virtues, but they’d try to kill him anyway.
6306
6307It was when Subaru had accepted that fact that his despair had truly begun.
6308
6309“Maybe it’s tough, but it’s bad for you if you don’t eat at least a little bit.”
6310
6311“My stomach won’t take it… Well, maybe if Emilia-tan went ‘Say aah’ for me I could eat, but…”
6312
6313Subaru cursed what an incurable joker he was, sending such a flippant remark Emilia’s way when she was genuinely worried about him.
6314
6315However…
6316
6317“Here, then. Say aah.”
6318
6319
6320
6321
6322
6323“—Eh?”
6324
6325“I said, say aah—”
6326
6327Emilia had set the food tray on her lap, lifting a spoon and looking at Subaru.
6328
6329She used the spoon to scoop up some soup, which was still somewhat warm, and gently brought it toward Subaru’s mouth.
6330
6331Subaru immediately shook his head, unable to understand what Emilia was trying to do.
6332
6333“No, nonono, wait, hold up, Emilia-tan, what are you doing?”
6334
6335“What do you mean, what? You said you’d eat if I did this, didn’t you? So eat. I’m saying ‘say ahh’ and everything.”
6336
6337“Err, this is like a ritual that girls don’t actually do; their faces just go bright red and that’s as far as it goes, I thought?”
6338
6339“If you’re going to speak like a child, you can’t be embarrassed at being fed like one. That would be silly.”
6340
6341As Subaru dragged his feet, Emilia went “Say aah” again with a powerful, compelling stare. Subaru finally buckled under the pressure, feeling like he’d gone red to the tips of his ears as he opened his mouth.
6342
6343“A-aah…”
6344
6345“There, swallow. Here’s the next one. Here, here, here, here, here.”
6346
6347“That’s too fast!! Was that aah just to get my guard down?!”
6348
6349The way Emilia carried soup to his lips, automatically with no wasted motion whatsoever, made him wonder if she’d been in a fast-feeding competition or something. Subaru tried to keep up with one spoonful after another before roughly waving his hand midway.
6350
6351“T-time-out, time-out! Can we stop? It’s going down my th-throat the wrong way…!”
6352
6353“Goodness, and it was going so well, too… Subaru?”
6354
6355“Cough, cough, r-really, my throat feels…all weird…”
6356
6357Subaru averted his face from Emilia, faking coughs to try to make the action seem more natural. He didn’t want Emilia to see his face just then.
6358
6359Something hot was welling from deep in Subaru’s eyes. He opened his eyes to give his tears somewhere to run and desperately tried to stop them from flowing.
6360
6361She continued to be kind to him in a world where he could see no hope.
6362
6363He wondered if he was truly worthy of such treatment…
6364
6365…for Subaru Natsuki was in despair precisely because he rejected that he was.
6366
6367“Hey, Subaru.”
6368
6369As she called out to him in concern, Subaru lightly cleared his throat and tested his voice as he got back in order.
6370
6371“…Mm, ahh, ahh. Okay. Yeah. I’m all right now. I think. I’m all right.”
6372
6373He made the richest expression as he turned toward Emilia…
6374
6375…and met her extremely gentle eyes, looking right at him.
6376
6377“Let’s continue.”
6378
6379“…The way you put that makes this feel really naughty somehow…”
6380
6381“—?”
6382
6383Emilia, tilting her head, apparently hadn’t noticed the risqué, bewitching nature of her statement.
6384
6385Or maybe it’d all been in his head to begin with.
6386
6387And so he finished eating, with Emilia offering a ‘Say aah’ and him opening his mouth, cheeks red from shyness and complicated sentiments. With the meal finished, Emilia clapped once in satisfaction.
6388
6389“Good. Now, what do we say when we’re done eating?”
6390
6391“That was great.”
6392
6393“That’s bad manners. Once more, and say it right.”
6394
6395“Thank you for the food.”
6396
6397“You’re very welcome.”
6398
6399Faced with Emilia’s broad smile, Subaru patted his belly, which strangely felt nice and full.
6400
6401His stomach felt no discomfort at having been stuffed after two days of going empty.
6402
6403“Ram said, ‘He hasn’t eaten properly in a while so we must be gentle on his stomach,’ and that’s how Rem made it. They’re such good girls, aren’t they?”
6404
6405Emilia’s words, as if boasting on behalf of the sisters, stabbed Subaru’s doubts like a dagger.
6406
6407If that was the truth, he’d be happy enough to cry at such a show of concern. But Subaru knew better. The very pain of the delusion made him want to cry.
6408
6409If only their gentleness and kind treatment didn’t have that lurking behind it.
6410
6411“Well, now that you’ve eaten, too, you must be tired, so I’ll head back and let you rest.”
6412
6413“You could always sleep here beside me?”
6414
6415“Good, good, seems you’re already your usual self. Now, I do have things I need to be doing, too. Don’t tell anyone I was slacking off, okay?”
6416
6417Emilia winked and stuck out her tongue.
6418
6419Subaru, remembering what Emilia would normally be doing at a time like this, felt deeply ashamed.
6420
6421Emilia had a kingdom resting on her shoulders; she didn’t have one second to waste as she spent each day striving for a better future. She shouldn’t have been wasting a single second of that precious time on someone worthless like Subaru.
6422
6423“—Emilia. Keep your door locked at night and don’t let anyone in, okay?”
6424
6425Perhaps he said it because Emilia’s kindness had rekindled the tiniest spark of the will to defy Fate.
6426
6427Emilia brushed back her silver hair and inclined her head ever so slightly at Subaru’s sudden admonition.
6428
6429“Or you’ll sneak in?”
6430
6431“Right, exa… No!! Hey, that was Puck not Emilia just now, wasn’t it?!”
6432
6433“Wow, got it in one.”
6434
6435Puck popped his head out of Emilia’s hair and grinned at her and Subaru. He swished his tail as Subaru glared at him, no doubt having been listening in that hiding place from the very beginning.
6436
6437“I didn’t want to intrude on such a lovely scene, but your emotions suddenly turned serious, huh? That got my attention.”
6438
6439“…I just have a bad feeling, okay? You take good care of Emilia, now.”
6440
6441With the black cloud lurking, Subaru had to be evasive when speaking about the future. Even so, Puck, able to read emotions, accepted his words without question.
6442
6443“I’ll have you know I really don’t like feeling left behind in this conversation,” Emilia complained.
6444
6445“It’s just saying a cute girl like you should always be careful about night visits, and to watch out for cars and men. Right, Dad?”
6446
6447“That’s right, Lia. Daddy forbids you from seeing men…bad-looking, dark-haired men in particular.”
6448
6449“Brutus?!”
6450
6451Puck laughed out loud as Subaru invoked the name of the famous betrayer. Emilia pinched the laughing Puck and shoved him back into her hair, this time rising to her feet.
6452
6453Subaru saw both of them off and, now alone in the room, flopped onto the bed.
6454
6455He’d gotten them to watch out more, but it was a small comfort. To begin with, the current crisis had little to do with either of them, so he figured they’d be all right.
6456
6457“Aw, no…”
6458
6459The instant Subaru’s mind felt a smidgen of relief, his consciousness dove into a deep sleep.
6460
6461The pangs of sleep that he’d kept at bay with pain for so long suddenly rushed back, robbing Subaru of his will.
6462
6463And his stomach was full, too. His consciousness felt like it was sinking downward, unable to resist.
6464
6465
6466
6467
6468
6469(5)
6470
6471
6472Subaru’s consciousness felt like a floating cloud, trapped between dream and reality.
6473
6474He’d heard somewhere that dreams had the side effect of organizing the waking brain’s information. That would explain why Subaru, having delayed his sleep so long, beheld a string of such clear and vivid memories, as if they meant to haunt his dreams.
6475
6476Subaru’s vivid, “dead” memories replayed over and over, etching themselves deeper into his mind.
6477
6478He moaned, tossed, turned; he made anguished sounds as sweat drenched his entire body. Immersed in tears and faint sounds, his soul was whittled down, down, down, and when the final thread was cut, surely nothing would remain.
6479
6480That was how far he had been worn down, both mentally and physically.
6481
6482“—”
6483
6484Abruptly, the tension in Subaru’s body vanished.
6485
6486It was as if the cold and terror that made his body shake had been swept aside.
6487
6488—It was his hands.
6489
6490Someone was holding Subaru’s hands.
6491
6492Someone’s touch from the real world pulled back Subaru, drifting in unconsciousness in the bed. It was a warm sensation, a gentle sensation, one that conveyed compassion.
6493
6494He felt like he’d been saved. He felt like a gentle breeze blew into his tattered mind. His ragged breathing eased; he forgot his suffering and returned to peaceful sleep.
6495
6496Who did it? What was it? Was it real or just a convenient trick of the dream?
6497
6498He continued to feel warmth lingering between the palms of his hands—
6499
6500
6501
6502
6503
6504(6)
6505
6506
6507“—Just how long are you going to sleep, I wonder?”
6508
6509“Whoaaaa!”
6510
6511Subaru cried out in pain, having been violently kicked, followed by a hard landing on the floor.
6512
6513When Subaru shook his head and rose up, Beatrice was there, scowling, one leg raised in an unladylike manner. Beatrice snorted, once again unable to hide her displeasure.
6514
6515“You were sleeping quite comfortably while I bothered to come at the appointed hour.”
6516
6517“It’s like, you’ve got to put people down even when you don’t have to?”
6518
6519As Subaru talked back, he broke out in a cold sweat at having unintentionally slept. He’d gone as far as to hurt himself to stay awake and to keep his guard up.
6520
6521“Sleeping on the all-important fourth day. Maybe I really do have a death wish.”
6522
6523“Would you cease your muttering, I wonder? There are more appropriate places for it.”
6524
6525Beatrice, looking down and watching as Subaru lightly poked himself, sat on her stool as she spoke. Seeing her in her usual position like that, Subaru realized something was off and looked all around.
6526
6527—He was already in the archive when he awoke.
6528
6529“Well, this is a surprise. Did you carry me in my sleep?”
6530
6531“I would not like to spend time in a room filled with that scent of yours, I suppose. This archive is my place and none other’s. Could you behave yourself while here, I wonder?”
6532
6533Subaru decided that Beatrice’s actions, taken without asking him, had improved his situation.
6534
6535Beatrice’s Passage would keep an assailant from narrowing down Subaru’s location. Surely Rem had no sure means of breaching the Passage herself.
6536
6537“You actually thought this out, huh?”
6538
6539“Do not just sit on the floor mumbling. Would you like to be swatted like an insect, I wonder?”
6540
6541Oh, so that’s what you’re reading, said Subaru, looking at the pages open before Beatrice as he stuck out his tongue.
6542
6543Apparently, thinking of this as consideration would be overstating the case. Subaru rose from the floor, abruptly staring at his own two hands.
6544
6545An odd sensation remained. Someone had held his hand as he slept, hadn’t— “Hey Beatrice, don’t tell me you held my hand while I was asleep?”
6546
6547“I won’t be telling you such a thing, I suppose. I would not, even if Puckie asked me to.”
6548
6549“What a thing to say… But hey, at least we can die together!”
6550
6551“No. Absolutely not.”
6552
6553Beatrice, rather sour, tapered her lips as Subaru looked around the room once more.
6554
6555The archive, filled with books as usual, lacked any convenient place to sit.
6556
6557“How am I supposed to kill time in here…?”
6558
6559With the time limit so close, his anxiety and stress were heightened; it was an open question as to how long he could keep his cool. If he could just immerse his head into something and forget the passage of time— “Oh, right. Are there any books here written just in I-script?”
6560
6561“—To think that you cannot read but the simplest things. How many humans do you think would cry with joy at just the thought of entering the Mathers family’s archive of forbidden books?”
6562
6563“Well, I do feel bad for them… So what, you’re here full time?”
6564
6565Subaru had never seen Beatrice walking about except at mealtimes. Aside from the exception of her having visited his room the day before, Beatrice was always in the archive on her stool.
6566
6567Beatrice lowered her head a little at Subaru’s question.
6568
6569“Such is the pact I have made.”
6570
6571“Another pact, huh? Maybe I shouldn’t say this when you’re helping me, but isn’t it rough?”
6572
6573Beatrice closed her eyes and spoke as if to cut off all further inquiry.
6574
6575“All the pacts, they are things I desire, I suppose.”
6576
6577He’d heard the term pact several times since arriving in that world, always with heavy overtones.
6578
6579Beatrice spoke the word with the same weight as Emilia and Puck did for the spiritual pact they had. Subaru appreciated as much, having formed one temporarily with Beatrice himself.
6580
6581Beatrice looked so young, yet here she was, in and upholding a pact—for some reason, Subaru felt something like an unendurable ache deep in his chest when he looked at her.
6582
6583“Hey, are you really fine with all— Whoa!”
6584
6585“Your questions are becoming annoying. You can read something and be quiet, I suppose.”
6586
6587She underscored her statement by tossing a book at him. When Subaru caught it, he realized that the book he’d caught was written in I-script, down to the title.
6588
6589When Subaru lifted his face, Beatrice had already lost interest in him, lowering her eyes to the book in her own hands, making a show of declining conversation.
6590
6591She seemed to be strenuously insisting that he leave his half-asked question unfinished.
6592
6593While her demeanor left no room for words of thanks, Subaru was grateful and happy.
6594
6595
6596
6597
6598
6599(7)
6600
6601
6602Time in the archive of forbidden books passed gently and quietly.
6603
6604With neither exchanging words, only the sounds of the pages being softly turned echoed within the archive.
6605
6606That said, Subaru’s heart wasn’t into reading at the time; all he was doing was turning the same page over and back again, making the same page sound like a prank.
6607
6608—Shut in the archive of forbidden books, he had no way to know what was going on outside.
6609
6610Beyond the room not having windows, the very nature of the archive was to be in a separate space, locked off from the outside world.
6611
6612He had no way to tell the time of day or feel the passage of time. He wondered what time it was by then.
6613
6614By simple logic, being in the room for half a day would get him through the problematic night. But he had only a vague sense of just how much time had passed while he’d been in the archive.
6615
6616He couldn’t trust his own senses, but he also hesitated to ask Beatrice.
6617
6618It wasn’t for any reason as simple as not wanting to stop Beatrice while she focused on her reading. Subaru was afraid that any action he initiated might stir up something.
6619
6620His fingers turning the pages of the book were numb. The tip of his tongue begged for water.
6621
6622His heart was beating like an alarm bell. He was out of breath.
6623
6624How long could he remain strong against such tension, he wondered?
6625
6626If the start had been so brutal, the end might be without any warning whatsoever.
6627
6628A murmur abruptly echoed through the silent archive.
6629
6630“—Calling.”
6631
6632Subaru’s face seemed to leap up as Beatrice put down her book and slid her legs onto the floor.
6633
6634Rather than speaking to Subaru, it felt like she was murmuring to herself.
6635
6636“A call for me, I suppose?”
6637
6638Beatrice waved a finger as she spoke. The next moment, Subaru’s whole body felt ill as space bent.
6639
6640Subaru made a small moan as his entire body shuddered from the sensation that most resembled floating. Hearing this, Beatrice looked at Subaru as if only just remembering he was there.
6641
6642“Ah, you were there, weren’t you? I forgot, I suppose?”
6643
6644“That’s a bad joke, forgetting about a guy right in front of your face…”
6645
6646“—Puckie is calling. It would seem this is an urgent matter.”
6647
6648With that as Subaru’s only warning, Beatrice strode past him to the door like it was the natural and obvious thing to do. Subaru’s voice shook as he called out to stop her.
6649
6650“W-wait, hold on! If you go out now…”
6651
6652“You can stay shut in here if you like. Perhaps you will be safe here?”
6653
6654Beatrice left behind her words of obvious sarcasm as she passed through the door. Subaru, blood rushing to his head from her attitude, seemed to kick away his chair as he leapt up and reached toward the door. He’d hesitated for only a few seconds, but…
6655
6656“Aw, to hell with it. What’s the big deal, right?!”
6657
6658Spurring himself on with the foul-mouthed statement, he roughly opened the door and stepped outside.
6659
6660The next moment, it hit him.
6661
6662“Ah—”
6663
6664Without thinking, Subaru’s voice leaked out of his lips like a complete idiot.
6665
6666His hand shielded his eyes from the piercing sunlight of the morn that greeted him.
6667
6668Deeply moved, he waved his hand in the air as if to confirm it. Subaru’s body wobbled forward toward the window just on the opposite side of the corridor that peeked out over the inner garden—beyond which the sun had just begun its rise.
6669
6670It was the morning of the fifth day that he’d yearned for but had never reached.
6671
6672“You mean…I made it? Past the fourth night…?!”
6673
6674Unable to believe the result before his eyes, he pushed open the window, almost pounding it.
6675
6676Holding down his hair as a cool breeze blew in, Subaru took a breath of the fresh morning air.
6677
6678He stumbled, bumped his back against the wall, and slid down, having lost the will to stand.
6679
6680He could do nothing but stare in shock.
6681
6682He’d given up. He’d surrendered to despair. He’d been worn to the bone.
6683
6684And yet, Subaru had passed beyond the fourth day and arrived at the fifth.
6685
6686“Ha-ha-ha…”
6687
6688Without realizing it, a dry laugh came over him.
6689
6690Once it began, he knew no way to stop it.
6691
6692“Heh-heh, ha-ha-ha. What is this? Hey, what is this? This is just… Ha-ha…”
6693
6694He couldn’t think of any rational way to show how he felt at that moment.
6695
6696Hugging his knees, Subaru remained squatting in the hallway, laughing like a madman.
6697
6698He thought it was a far-off place that his hand would never reach.
6699
6700He couldn’t speak. He couldn’t find the words. Finally, Subaru had—
6701
6702Suddenly, a voice like a bell interrupted Subaru’s hollow joy.
6703
6704“—Subaru?”
6705
6706Lifting his gaze in annoyance, he saw a silver-haired girl standing deeper in the hall—Emilia. He was able to find her safe and sound, here on the morn of the fifth day.
6707
6708Both of them had gotten past the fourth night. That fact made Subaru tremble.
6709
6710He’d hoped for this chance. If the morning of the fifth day greeted both of them, they could rekindle that promise and have it granted.
6711
6712He’d introduce Emilia to the kids in the village, they’d both walk around the blooming flower garden together, they’d form the same memories together—and yet…
6713
6714“Emilia…?”
6715
6716Subaru began feeling a sense of accomplishment that barely seemed real while Emilia watched him in silence. Then, as if Emilia had remembered something, she rushed over to Subaru.
6717
6718“Subaru, where did you go?”
6719
6720“Er, I…”
6721
6722“I mean… No, that’s fine. It’s fine, just…come with me.”
6723
6724Emilia pulled up Subaru with surprising insistence and ran off with him. She looked like she wasn’t going to take no for an answer as a smirk came over his face.
6725
6726“Where are we going… Hey, Emilia, listen to me. I’ve worked really hard to get to this point…”
6727
6728Subaru stared at the side of Emilia’s face as he tried to find the words to convey his success.
6729
6730“Why are you making a face like that? I mean, it all turned out all right…didn’t it? I’m safe and sound, and you’re… Yeah. Let’s go to the village…together, and then…”
6731
6732“—”
6733
6734“There’s lots I want to do with you and talk about with you. A lot’s happened. I wanted you to know th—”
6735
6736“—Subaru.”
6737
6738With one brief call of his name, she interrupted him. That was when he noticed the momentary wavering in her eyes, the irritation she could no longer conceal.
6739
6740The look she had was like when they’d been fighting for their lives at the fence’s shop.
6741
6742“What in the world h—”
6743
6744Happened, he tried to ask but couldn’t. For before he could put the word on his lips, a different sound slammed into his eardrums.
6745
6746—He thought it was a yell. Perhaps it was a wail instead.
6747
6748It was a long, high-pitched sound filled with sadness that scarred the very soul.
6749
6750The morning air of the manor was rent by the unending cry of pain, as if someone were being torn asunder.
6751
6752They passed through the corridor and headed up the stairs. The east wing of the second floor of the manor was for the servants’ bedrooms, where Subaru’s room on previous loops had been.
6753
6754Emilia led him by hand to the innermost room. And there stood…
6755
6756“Roswaal and…”
6757
6758…The man with long indigo hair narrowed his eyes as he saw both rushing over. Beside Roswaal stood Beatrice, leaning her back against the wall as a gray cat curled up on her shoulder.
6759
6760With the three of them having arrived, Subaru was about to ask about the circumstances when Roswaal spoke simply.
6761
6762“Inside.”
6763
6764Roswaal motioned to the open door of a bedroom beside him.
6765
6766When Subaru turned toward Emilia, she nodded to him as well. Emilia’s clear violet eyes settled things for him.
6767
6768Holding his breath, Subaru walked in.
6769
6770Here, too, the yell continued unceasingly, filling the whole of the room. Subaru entered, his eyes wide open, frozen from tension—and then he saw.
6771
6772It was an immaculately preserved room. It looked like a girl’s room with minimal furnishings employed to maximum effect, a reflection of a steadfast maid’s personality.
6773
6774Though Subaru had received an identical room, it felt different.
6775
6776For a moment, such feelings let Subaru forget the sight before his eyes. But the moment passed as the horrible truth crashed upon him, a truth from which he found nowhere to run.
6777
6778“AaaaaaAAAAAaaaaaaaAAAAaaaaA—!”
6779
6780It was Ram yelling, tears pouring out, her deep sadness threatening to rip her throat asunder.
6781
6782—And there lay Rem, still clinging to her older sister when she had breathed her final breath.
6783
6784
6785
6786
6787
6788(8)
6789
6790
6791How many times had his mind gone blank from what he’d experienced?
6792
6793How many times had he come face-to-face with tragedy beaten into him?
6794
6795Wasn’t it time someone saved him from this?
6796
6797“—”
6798
6799The blue-haired girl lay upon the bed, no longer breathing. Her skin was pale; her eyes would never open again. She was dressed in a delicate negligee that somehow seemed perfect on her.
6800
6801Subaru abruptly realized that he hadn’t seen Rem out of a maid uniform once.
6802
6803“Why did…Rem…”
6804
6805As Subaru murmured, brushing his short hair back with his hand, he fell to his knees.
6806
6807His head hurt. His brain came up with the wonderful suggestion that the sight before him was all in his sleep-deprived imagination.
6808
6809This was his fourth loop at the manor. To Subaru, who’d already died and gone back three times, Rem was the person he was most wary of.
6810
6811“Then why…why was Rem killed…?”
6812
6813Surely it was Rem who killed Subaru, not the other way around.
6814
6815Suddenly, a little devil on Subaru’s shoulder whispered—maybe she wasn’t really dead?
6816
6817Maybe it was all a trick, a trick to make Subaru drop his guard? A joke in exceptionally poor taste was incomparably better than the nightmare before him being real.
6818
6819
6820
6821
6822
6823He approached Rem to check her pulse, but…
6824
6825“—Don’t touch her!”
6826
6827As he reached out to touch Rem, his hand was slapped away, hard.
6828
6829When Subaru yelped and looked up, Ram was glaring angrily at him. The tear-filled rage on her face easily drowned out any words of retort Subaru might have used.
6830
6831“Don’t…touch my little sister!”
6832
6833She refused to let anyone come between them.
6834
6835With a tearful voice, Ram repeated herself as she clung to Rem’s body, tears flowing quietly down her face.
6836
6837There was no sign that the devoted, pain-filled older sister expected her little sister to ever awaken.
6838
6839That made the truth clear.
6840
6841—Rem really was dead.
6842
6843As Subaru wobbled out of the room, Roswaal stood by the doorway and voiced his deductions.
6844
6845“Appaaarently, death by debilitation. Her vigor was stolen as she slept, her heartbeat gennntly slowed, and the fire of her life puttered out, likely the work of a curse rather than magic per se.”
6846
6847Subaru’s eyes snapped open at the word curse, the word for what the clown believed to be the cause of death.
6848
6849Death by debilitation via a curse: that was the direct cause of Subaru’s deaths during the first and second loop. In other words, Rem had died from the same curse that had previously killed Subaru.
6850
6851“But I thought the curse came from Rem…”
6852
6853The second loop, Subaru had died from debilitation via curse as well as having his head smashed by an iron ball.
6854
6855Subaru had deduced from that night’s circumstances that the witchcraft and the iron ball were linked. But Rem herself being killed by a curse had ripped his hypothesis to shreds.
6856
6857“Then the shaman and Rem are separate…?”
6858
6859Subaru’s mind was in chaos as the thought of a new, separate shaman arose.
6860
6861Rem had slain Subaru out of loyalty to Roswaal. At the very least, that was the only answer if Rem’s words during the third loop were true.
6862
6863He wondered if Rem, who’d killed him by her own hand, and the shaman were connected somehow. But if that was the case, Rem being killed this time around made no sense whatsoever from the shaman’s point of view.
6864
6865So maybe Rem and the shaman weren’t connected to begin with…?
6866
6867The first time, the magic of a shaman had slain Subaru; the second time, the shaman’s spell had debilitated Subaru when Rem murdered him for whatever reason. The third loop, Rem had eliminated him with no connection to the shaman whatsoever.
6868
6869“The fourth time…I didn’t do anything, so Rem was the target instead…?”
6870
6871It was baseless supposition, but based on the circumstantial evidence, it was the only reasonable conclusion.
6872
6873If Subaru had been the target for reasons related to the royal succession, he could understand it as an indiscriminate preemptive strike against Emilia’s side. The victim, be it Subaru or Rem, was random.
6874
6875“You appear to be in raaather deep, serious thought?”
6876
6877The mismatched blue and yellow eyes looked down, reflecting Subaru in them. Subaru’s eyes rose as he felt like Roswaal’s scrutinizing gaze was seeing into his very soul.
6878
6879“It pains me to ask such a thing…but do you have aaany idea about what happened, good guest?”
6880
6881“Wh-why would you think…I…”
6882
6883“Myyy, forgive my rudeness. I am simply somewhat…displeased at the moment, that one of my pretty retainers has suffered such a fate, you see?”
6884
6885Roswaal abruptly shifted his gaze from Subaru to the painful sight inside the room.
6886
6887Looking at the side of his face, it truly sank in to Subaru just how precarious his situation had become.
6888
6889Subaru had no way to prove his innocence. This time, Subaru had done nothing to earn the slightest smidgen of trust from the others.
6890
6891Emilia tugged on his sleeve, speaking with an anxious voice.
6892
6893“…Subaru.”
6894
6895When he looked, the shimmer in her violet eyes seemed to be pleading with him: If you know anything, please say it.
6896
6897Her eyes and her calling his name told him that much.
6898
6899The implication of answering Emilia’s earnest request hit Subaru hard.
6900
6901He’d have loved to tell everyone what he knew. He wanted to shout it at the very top of his lungs.
6902
6903When Subaru made no reply, Emilia’s small fingers trembled a little as they held his sleeve.
6904
6905He’d thought that repeating the past would lead to a better future, yet here he was, every silver lining having a dark cloud, with the outcomes worse than he ever imagined possible.
6906
6907“Subaru…”
6908
6909Confusion clawed at the inside of his head. He’d thought that it would all be swept aside and things would be better someday.
6910
6911No, he thought they’d become better already.
6912
6913—And the moment he thought it, this happened.
6914
6915“—”
6916
6917The moment he pictured the black cloud and the world stopping, ceaseless pain gripped his head.
6918
6919His breath caught. The sensation of Emilia touching his sleeve made Subaru’s stomach twist in pain.
6920
6921If Emilia kept her pleading look trained on him, Subaru’s heart would falter. Even if he didn’t, Puck, able to read emotions, could easily expose the fact that Subaru was hiding something. But still, Subaru couldn’t explain anything about Return by Death.
6922
6923And that meant the torture would continue, pain without end, over and over.
6924
6925He felt his tongue quickly dry. Unable to resist his urge to flee, he took a small step back.
6926
6927“—If you know anything, you’ll never escape me.”
6928
6929To the girl crying her eyes out inside the room, Subaru’s small action looked like nothing more than an attempt to flee for his own convenience.
6930
6931Instantly, a raging gust of wind made the door violently shake, its passage blowing Subaru’s hair down flat. The moment after the sudden gust made him close his eyes, a sharp pain heralded a vertical cut on his cheek.
6932
6933“Ow…!”
6934
6935He immediately touched his cheek, moistening his palm with blood. Wind. The wind had wounded him.
6936
6937From within the room, Ram was shooting Subaru a hate-filled look as she trained her palm toward him.
6938
6939“If you know something, spill it!”
6940
6941“Wait, Ram! I…!”
6942
6943Can’t, Subaru was about to say, but the word died instantly on his lips, since he knew what would befall him.
6944
6945But he was coming up empty for any way to kick that can down the road.
6946
6947With Subaru holding his tongue, Ram shot him another gust of wind as a warning of what would follow.
6948
6949Had he been able to calmly assess the matter, he would have called it a Blade of Wind.
6950
6951Wind magic—magic that inflicted cuts like the whirlwind monsters of lore. The sharp slice had enough power to leave a cut on the floor between Subaru and Rem, slice the door in half, and stop right at Subaru’s cheek; such was the power she threatened him with.
6952
6953If that hit him full force—faced with the phenomenon before his eyes, Subaru forgot to breathe. But Beatrice extended her cream-colored palm in front of Subaru and countered the Blade of Wind.
6954
6955“—I am one who keeps her promises.”
6956
6957She gave her raised palm a small shake, as if that were no great feat, as she looked back at Ram.
6958
6959“I have made a promise to protect this man from harm while he stays at the manor.”
6960
6961“Lady Beatrice…!”
6962
6963Whereas Beatrice’s demeanor was elegant, Ram bit her tongue with indignant anger.
6964
6965As Ram raged to the side, Beatrice looked up at Roswaal, still standing right beside them.
6966
6967“Roswaal. Your maid is being quite rude to your guest.”
6968
6969“Certainly. I find that sinceeerely unfortunate. If possible, I wooould like to welcome him anew as my guest, as soon as he breathes out what he is holding within, to feel all the lighter.”
6970
6971“How could he be involved in this matter, I wonder? He was in the archive of forbidden books all night.”
6972
6973“This is too grave a matter to simply drop. Surely you cooomprehend this?”
6974
6975With negotiations having failed, Roswaal shrugged and raised his palms into the air. Subaru saw the multiple orbs of differing colors that floated from his palms.
6976
6977They were red and blue, yellow and green—even Subaru, untrained in the ways of magic, understood that those four colors represented magical power. Their beautiful glows contained energy beyond his imagination.
6978
6979“It is just like you to engage in petty tricks. Just because you have a little talent, a little more power than others, a pedigree just a little finer than others, you need to flaunt in others’ faces… You are quite a child, I will have you know.”
6980
6981“How very haaarsh of you. Is the difference between we, who walk about normally, and you, passing time in a room where time has stopped, sooo great? Perhaaaps we should put it to the test.”
6982
6983He could feel the magical tension between them making the very air twist. Subaru was becoming a third wheel as hostility rose.
6984
6985“Hooowever, to think that you would go through such trouble…are you truly sooo fond of him?”
6986
6987“Your jokes are in as poor taste as your makeup, Roswaal. Puckie is my ideal partner. That human cannot match such lovely fur.”
6988
6989Beatrice looked defenseless as she stood before Roswaal’s four glowing, floating balls.
6990
6991However, the “simply standing” girl projected something around her so powerful that it made the air itself bend. Something invisible but frightening was about her.
6992
6993As the situation became explosive, with both wielders of supernatural power glaring at each other, Ram’s shrill voice wedged itself between them.
6994
6995“Who cares about that? Who cares?!”
6996
6997Everyone looked at her as she stormed over, hands holding the hem of her skirt.
6998
6999“Let me through and do not interfere. If you know something, say it, all of it. Help…help me avenge her!”
7000
7001It was a sad, painful plea. The words gripped Subaru’s heart. He truly wanted to tell her what she wanted to know.
7002
7003But Subaru had no words to offer her.
7004
7005Ram shot Subaru a despondent, despairing glare. Emilia stood beside Beatrice, as if they were both shielding Subaru from her hostile gaze.
7006
7007“I’m sorry, Ram. I still believe in Subaru.”
7008
7009Emilia put her palm toward Ram to hold her in check while looking back at Subaru from the corner of her eye. Her eyes wavered, trying to find the words, before dropping for but a moment.
7010
7011“Subaru, please. If there’s something you can do for Ram and Rem…please.”
7012
7013Her compassion made Subaru feel more ashamed.
7014
7015Emilia had sided with Subaru, even in such extreme circumstances, even though Subaru had said such horrible things to her at the start of the week, even though he was still holding his tongue in silence…
7016
7017“I’m sorry—!”
7018
7019As if crushing Emilia’s concerns under his heel, Subaru stepped not forward but back.
7020
7021In that instant, Emilia’s eyes went silent as her emotions raced. They spoke of shock, sorrow and, above all, unbearable disappointment that her trust was about to be betrayed.
7022
7023What Subaru truly saw in Emilia’s eyes was his own despair. He knew his actions had opened the door to a nightmare and could never be taken back.
7024
7025That was when Subaru, no longer able to meet Emilia’s eyes, turned his back on her.
7026
7027Instantly, Emilia reached out toward his back. But this was to block the Blade of Wind before it reached Subaru.
7028
7029The wind crashed against pure magical power; mana bounced off mana as Subaru ran.
7030
7031“Subaru—!”
7032
7033Shaking off the voice trying to stop him, Subaru rushed down the corridor in a daze. He felt the magical confrontation behind him increasing in severity, but Subaru lacked the courage to look back.
7034
7035He was weak. He was fragile, unable to do anything.
7036
7037That was why he’d run out on Emilia, who’d trusted him after all that, and Beatrice, who’d tried to save his life, spurning their goodwill and good intentions.
7038
7039He didn’t know what to do anymore. What he did know was that Ram shouted behind him like she was spitting blood— “—I’LL KILL YOU!!”
7040
7041Having lost her other half, the girl pursued him with a cry that threatened to tear her asunder.
7042
7043Covering his ears, shaking his head, making wordless sounds, Subaru ran. He ran.
7044
7045And he kept running.
7046
7047
7048
7049
7050
7051(9)
7052
7053
7054With his attention devoted solely to running, he didn’t know how much time had passed. Out of breath, his knees begging for mercy, sweat dripping down his chin, he kept running. If he didn’t keep running, the incoherent emotions following behind him might catch up.
7055
7056And when they caught up with him, this time everything would be finished.
7057
7058Ram’s sad, painful yell, and the malice and hatred it contained, still rang in his ears.
7059
7060He couldn’t go back.
7061
7062Now that he’d run, Ram and Roswaal would not spare him; surely Emilia and Puck could no longer trust him for keeping his mouth shut. Beyond that, he’d abandoned Beatrice despite forming a pact with her. She would not be his ally any longer.
7063
7064“I can’t help it…! I want to…but I can’t!”
7065
7066He didn’t know how it’d come to this. He didn’t know what he’d done wrong.
7067
7068Subaru didn’t know what he might do so that the world would forgive him.
7069
7070“After it was…so much fun…!”
7071
7072Suddenly greeted by another world, he’d had no choice but to live within it. For Subaru, surrounded by a vast desert of anxiety, the manor that had welcomed Subaru had been his oasis.
7073
7074Those beloved days, that beloved time, which didn’t amount to a single week, seemed so far from Subaru in that moment.
7075
7076He’d redone, he’d relived, and the world had sunk its fangs into him.
7077
7078—Can’t do it anymore.
7079
7080Suddenly, that was the murmur that arose in the back of his mind.
7081
7082—There wasn’t any point in trying anymore.
7083
7084Bewitched by his own voice pleading with him to give in, his pace relented.
7085
7086If he did as the words said, it really would be easier, he thought. Subaru, after all, was the type of person who looked for the easiest solution to any situation.
7087
7088It wasn’t just Subaru. That’s what people in general did. When faced with two unpalatable choices, they looked for a third way.
7089
7090Who could blame him for feeling like there was a third, Heaven-sent option?
7091
7092Blood suddenly drained from his head, making his heart, beating so powerfully, feel distant.
7093
7094His limbs grew heavy; he found himself dragging his feet as if they were rejecting him.
7095
7096“—”
7097
7098It was right around when he stopped that he noticed the trees all around him. He was in the forest. Having rushed out of the mansion, he’d apparently gone off the road to the village, getting himself lost on a mountain path.
7099
7100The gloom from the sky being blocked off and the briars all around him made Subaru think it resembled where he’d died the third time around.
7101
7102The instant he recalled his own death, the third choice hit him in the face.
7103
7104“If I die…”
7105
7106—Would it save him?
7107
7108“Yeah, that’s right. If I die, this’ll change.”
7109
7110When he said it with his own lips, they formed a smile as if there could be no finer idea.
7111
7112He’d died three times. He’d arrived at the fourth world, where he failed at anything and everything.
7113
7114This time he’d valued only his life. This time, his life was the only thing he had left.
7115
7116What was the meaning of continuing to struggle and struggle if this was the result?
7117
7118“If you’re gonna do it, do it already. It doesn’t matter what happens to me anymore…”
7119
7120Biting his lip, he aired his bitter hatred of the situation he’d become wrapped in.
7121
7122The blue sky unfolded before Subaru’s eyes, reflecting his hate right back. And…
7123
7124“…A cliff.”
7125
7126Surely this was made-to-order by God himself.
7127
7128Answering that one prayer surely meant there was a Heaven he should be grateful for.
7129
7130—So that the foolish and pathetic Subaru Natsuki could find peace.
7131
7132The cliff seemed to invite him as he headed toward it, wobbling and dragging his feet.
7133
7134The wind was strong. Using the sleeve of his jacket to shield himself from the strong headwind, Subaru stood at the cliff’s edge, peering into the blue sky beyond. Below him was a precipice with a face lined with sharp rocks, a drop dozens of meters onto a rocky place below. If he fell from this height, nothing would greet him but death.
7135
7136Subaru panted heavily as he looked down at the rocks below, able to acutely picture his own death.
7137
7138He heard the loud heartbeat he had forgotten once more. His lungs let out the air they’d been holding. His entire body was drenched with sweat, making Subaru feel cold as he closed his eyes.
7139
7140—If he kept his eyes closed and took one step forward, it’d all be over.
7141
7142Subaru wondered what would happen if he died this time.
7143
7144Would he return to the first day at the manor and begin the loop anew? He thought he wouldn’t mind.
7145
7146If he did actually return to the first day, Emilia would be there, and so would Ram, Rem, everyone. Subaru would work as a servant, see everyone’s faces, and die peacefully in his sleep on the fourth day.
7147
7148If he continued that over and over, at least Subaru would be immersed in a little day-to-day peace.
7149
7150It seemed like a good plan. If he could not hope for greater salvation, death wasn’t so bad, he thought.
7151
7152“—”
7153
7154And yet, Subaru’s body, standing atop the cliff, did not move forward. Only his knees moved—to shake.
7155
7156He reached down to stop his knees from trembling, collapsing the moment his hips bent. Falling to his knees, it was as if he were prostrating himself before the sky. Subaru bit his lip at how pathetic he was.
7157
7158“Just one step… I can’t even do…one simple thing…”
7159
7160—Perhaps he simply lacked the courage.
7161
7162Even under pursuit, he lost to his impulses, too indecisive to put it into action.
7163
7164His resolve and determination were so frail it was funny; Subaru could only remain on his knees and cry.
7165
7166He didn’t know why he should live, yet he was too afraid of death to die.
7167
7168Subaru wailed, clawing at the ground at how truly pathetic and unsightly he was.
7169
7170He continued to weep and mourn his own wretchedness until his endurance finally gave out.
7171
7172
7173
7174
7175
7176(10)
7177
7178
7179Subaru thought that the scene he saw while unconscious was a nightmare.
7180
7181He was in a well-lit room, at a dining table with Emilia. Roswaal was in the seat of honor, with Beatrice there pouring black tea to Puck, his head diving into a plate right beside her.
7182
7183Emilia chided Puck for kidding around at the dining table, and Rem wove in and out, performing her duties, while Ram attended to Roswaal, ignoring all else.
7184
7185Subaru just laughed. The others laughed with him.
7186
7187—And so, he saw a nightmare full of happiness and warmth.
7188
7189It was a bitter dream, a dream that brought sadness and a sense of wrenching loss.
7190
7191His soul whittled down to the point of pain, Subaru’s agony made him forget to breathe.
7192
7193“—”
7194
7195Suddenly, his face eased.
7196
7197He realized someone was holding his hand.
7198
7199The warmth conveyed to his palm seemed to push aside his negative emotions.
7200
7201Then, he saw a light.
7202
7203A white light. A dazzling light. A light that seemed to guide his consciousness back to—
7204
7205
7206
7207
7208
7209(11)
7210
7211
7212“—Are you finally awake?”
7213
7214When Subaru opened his eyes, the orange sky of the setting sun was right in front of him.
7215
7216He realized, too, that he’d passed out on the ground lying face up. He recalled, too, what he’d been thinking about just before, as if it had consumed his consciousness.
7217
7218—Namely, that he’d chickened out from suicide, wept shamelessly, and fell asleep from exhaustion.
7219
7220It was too shameful to be funny or pitiable. He’d acted like a baby. No, Subaru was far lower than a baby, for they had no capacity to sin.
7221
7222“Could you say something, I wonder?”
7223
7224“…Something.”
7225
7226“What an old, rotten joke. You are quite something, joking with that glum face.”
7227
7228Beatrice spat out a bitter reply as she tossed aside the hand of Subaru’s she was touching.
7229
7230Beatrice was wearing the same dress as always, something that looked extremely out of place on top of the cliff. It was like a landscape painting where a lone little girl stood out.
7231
7232“…No sane person goes hiking dressed like that.”
7233
7234“I had no intention of hiking in rustic mountains to begin with. Perhaps you should not have fled to a place like this and cried yourself to sleep?”
7235
7236Beatrice was waving the sleeve of her dress, making her annoyed statement, when Subaru realized just what Beatrice was doing outside the manor, to the point of showing up all the way over here.
7237
7238“Why…?”
7239
7240“Why what, I wonder?”
7241
7242“Why did you come? I…”
7243
7244—While Beatrice had honored her pact to protect Subaru, he could tell her nothing.
7245
7246Seeing Subaru’s words catching, Beatrice made a sour, exasperated face and snorted.
7247
7248“I made a pact to keep you safe. Having you toss yourself off a cliff to kill yourself would be an affront to my dignity.”
7249
7250“Weren’t you supposed to be my bodyguard only till…this morning?”
7251
7252“—I do not recall saying anything about a time limit. You assumed incorrectly that there was one, I suppose.”
7253
7254Subaru groped through his memories while Beatrice, looking at him out of one eye, glanced away. Beatrice was using that contradiction between their “assumptions” about the details to continue her pact with Subaru.
7255
7256It suddenly struck Subaru how a girl with a viper’s tongue and a foul-tempered horse’s personality like Beatrice could show such deep compassion.
7257
7258Beatrice had not forsaken him. If that was true, then just maybe—maybe he didn’t have to give up?
7259
7260“This is no time for vain hopes.”
7261
7262“—!”
7263
7264Beatrice shook her head, pouring cold water on Subaru’s easy way out.
7265
7266“You cannot regain what you have lost. There is little more I can do for you. You can no longer explain things to the older sister. You threw away that chance.”
7267
7268“I—!”
7269
7270I’d have told her if I could, he wanted to shout.
7271
7272Subaru would have confessed all and pled for forgiveness if his heart wouldn’t have been crushed in the process.
7273
7274Not because it would help Ram—he knew it wouldn’t. Simply for his own peace of mind.
7275
7276“At a time like this. Am I an idiot?…Yeah, I’m an idiot.”
7277
7278Subaru had come this far by putting on a face, apologizing, pleading, protecting himself over and over. And now, he’d been driven to the top of a cliff, physically and mentally, with nowhere to run.
7279
7280Run, run, run, and run some more was exactly how Subaru had arrived at this point.
7281
7282“If you know I can’t go back…what do you plan on doing for me?”
7283
7284“At the very least, I will have you die where I cannot see, so as not to disturb my dreams, I suppose. If you wish to flee, I shall take you beyond this domain.”
7285
7286Beatrice’s kindness, wrapped in severity, cut deeply into his heart.
7287
7288Beatrice’s expression was cold, her gaze acidic, as if beholding an annoyance. Even so, the kindness of the intent behind her words struck Subaru like none other.
7289
7290No doubt Beatrice spoke the truth. If he desired to flee, she would agree and aid him. He didn’t know what waited for him after fleeing. But it couldn’t get any worse than this.
7291
7292His own foolishness having wrecked his oasis, what was wrong with throwing away everything and running?
7293
7294“—”
7295
7296Blood trickled a little from the painful cut left on his cheek by the Blade of Wind.
7297
7298Touching the wound, Subaru realized too late that he’d felt its kind before. Subaru’s very soul remembered its sharpness.
7299
7300When he had been fleeing from Rem in the mountains, a Blade of Wind had severed Subaru’s right leg at the knee. As he touched the wound, Subaru’s instincts told him it was the same magic.
7301
7302“The magic that gouged out my neck at the end, too…? So they…double-teamed me…”
7303
7304His late understanding of how he had died deepened the silent despair in his heart.
7305
7306Even now, he could still hear Ram’s hate-filled roar, her heartrending wails from losing Rem.
7307
7308That was the moment. That was the point of no return.
7309
7310Subaru ought to have never fled the manor. Even if he didn’t have the resolve to endure the pain, he should have faced Ram and spoken to her.
7311
7312He’d missed his chance, and now their hearts were separated forever.
7313
7314Having let it slip through his hands once, Subaru could never have it back.
7315
7316—At least, in that world.
7317
7318With a low, gloomy voice, Beatrice interrupted his silent contemplation.
7319
7320“The older sister endured for the younger. The younger sister lived for the older. Neither could exist without the other.”
7321
7322Beatrice ran her fingers through her own ornate hair, not looking back at Subaru as she continued to speak.
7323
7324“Now that one half is lost, the whole can never return. Roswaal is unlikely to forgive it, either.”
7325
7326“What do you mean by that? What do you know…?”
7327
7328He felt like she was avoiding something. Something really important.
7329
7330Subaru urged Beatrice to share her true thoughts. But she moved her fingers from her hair to Subaru’s sleeve, tugging and gently pulling him to the ground as she extended her foot.
7331
7332Subaru was in shock at how he seemed to flow right onto the ground. Beatrice tossed back her hair.
7333
7334“Does it truly matter to you, I wonder? These last four days, you spent most of your time holed up in your room and had little contact with them. Would the older sister let you press her about these matters now? I think not. It has nothing to do with you.”
7335
7336“It’s not like…!”
7337
7338Like I don’t know anything about them, he would have said, but Subaru’s words died on his tongue.
7339
7340His repeated loops had given him more than two weeks of time with them. Subaru could have responded that he’d forged memories with them during the time that this Beatrice knew nothing about, but he did not, for he suddenly realized something.
7341
7342Subaru realized it was possible he knew nothing of Ram and Rem, not their true faces, their feelings, or the bond between them, just as Beatrice had stated.
7343
7344Subaru wondered what he really had learned about them during those first three lives.
7345
7346What was the point of Subaru feeling such loss and despair when he didn’t truly know anything about them? Was it all really just a bad dream?
7347
7348What was it that Subaru could draw on to refute Beatrice, who looked sternly down at Subaru at that very moment? Or did Subaru not know anything, not a single thing, about the two of them?
7349
7350Even though he’d thought of them as precious people he wanted to protect…
7351
7352“So in the end, I got worked up and pathetic all on my own, not knowing, not understanding anything…?”
7353
7354—It has nothing to do with you.
7355
7356Subaru knew nothing. He’d beaten away all his chances. He had nothing left but the skin on his back.
7357
7358Within the darkness covering his eyes, the memories of the days he’d spent at the manor broke apart, one by one, into dust. Subaru’s heart, too, shattered.
7359
7360Lying on his back, Subaru put his palms to his face and wailed at his own powerlessness.
7361
7362Had it all been a utopia beyond his reach from the beginning? Was everything Subaru had seen simply a dream, the time he’d spent there a mere illusion?
7363
7364Subaru looked like he was about to break out in tears when Beatrice called to him.
7365
7366“…How long are you going to stay like that, I wonder? Stand before she finds you.”
7367
7368Impatient from Subaru still not moving, she roughly grabbed the palms covering his face and yanked them up.
7369
7370As his field of vision opened, the lightweight girl used her entire weight to haul Subaru to his feet.
7371
7372“—”
7373
7374The sensation conveyed by her palms took away his thoughts.
7375
7376Ignoring Beatrice’s intent in rousing Subaru so insistently, he felt her palms, weighing how they felt.
7377
7378“H-hey. What do you think y— Why so interested in my palms, I wonder?”
7379
7380“I’ve felt these hands before, just like this… Earlier, did you?”
7381
7382“…I shall regret it for the rest of my days. Perhaps you were simply too wretched as you slept like that?”
7383
7384Abruptly, Beatrice looked away, giving him only her cheek. Subaru flexed his hands several times, reflecting on the warm, peaceful sensation he’d felt from them while he slept.
7385
7386—While Subaru had his nightmare. A dream with an agonizing sense of despair and loss, over and over again.
7387
7388That hadn’t been the only time he’d felt warmth when in pain. It’d happened before— “Back then…someone held both my hands…”
7389
7390Beatrice suspiciously raised an eyebrow. Subaru brought not only his right hand before him but his left as well.
7391
7392It was difficult for one person to hold both hands of someone who was asleep. He doubted a single person could lie on a bed alongside another and hold both hands without difficulty.
7393
7394“—”
7395
7396So why did he feel like both his hands had been held? The reason was simple.
7397
7398“Ram. Rem.”
7399
7400Both had held Subaru’s hands while he slept.
7401
7402It had been here on the fourth loop, before anything had happened at Roswaal Manor. Seeing Subaru suffer as he slept, both of them had taken pity on him and given him some small measure of compassion.
7403
7404“—”
7405
7406I will kill you, the hate-filled voice had cried out, her rage pounding into him like a curse.
7407
7408The cruel words had scarred his heart. But more than that…
7409
7410“—Can’t you make the crying stop?”
7411
7412It was Ram’s sad cry of despair at having her other half ripped from her that never left his ears.
7413
7414Some corner of Subaru’s heart, which should have been shattered already, cried out.
7415
7416—By nature, Subaru was the sort to pick the path of least resistance.
7417
7418He didn’t want to feel pain, suffering, despair. Just the thought of living with such burdens made him want to run.
7419
7420“What…stupid things am I thinking here…”
7421
7422For he thought he didn’t want to run anymore. He wanted to do something.
7423
7424“I lived this time and everything…”
7425
7426His shameless plea to Beatrice had allowed him to reach the fifth day with ease. It was the thought of what had greeted him that very day that settled Subaru’s decision.
7427
7428“That’s right. My life’s mine. That’s why—”
7429
7430What was wrong with fighting for an easier, more enjoyable life?
7431
7432“—I’ll decide how to use it.”
7433
7434The moment Subaru said it, he crossed a line inside. There was no going back.
7435
7436Beatrice furrowed her brows at Subaru’s words. However, before he could ask her why she was doing that, her eyes looked toward the forest, full of caution.
7437
7438“—You dithered too much.”
7439
7440Beatrice’s regret-tinged words came as the rustle of the wind through the forest’s trees deepened. Mixed with the sounds of the swaying leaves, the sound of footsteps reached Subaru’s ears, too.
7441
7442He turned around. A girl with pink hair stood before him.
7443
7444
7445
7446
7447
7448(12)
7449
7450
7451Ram, the forest at her back, glared at Subaru.
7452
7453“I’ve finally found you—you will go no farther.”
7454
7455Pain swept over Subaru’s heart as he beheld the look on Ram’s face, thick with hatred.
7456
7457As she stood there, Ram had none of her usual meticulous look. Branches had torn and punctured her skirt; there was no sign of the headdress normally on her head. Her pink hair, buffered by the wind, had lost its usual beauty.
7458
7459—The sisters dressed each other and did each other’s hair.
7460
7461Subaru knew this. He remembered that they’d told him at some point.
7462
7463He knew several other secrets between the two sisters.
7464
7465“Would you relent, I wonder? So long as the pact is active, I cannot hold back against anyone.”
7466
7467“Lady Beatrice, it is you who should stand aside. I cannot hold back against you, either.”
7468
7469“A joke, I suppose. Did I hear you say to hold back in regards to me?”
7470
7471“Perhaps you have forgotten you are not in the mansion, Lady Beatrice? Do you truly believe you can protect that man away from the archive, here in the forest?”
7472
7473Subaru held his silence as the two girls continued to square off before him.
7474
7475Beatrice’s words of regret proved that Ram’s words were no empty boast. Beatrice’s strength came with limitations, and this situation was beyond them.
7476
7477Even so, Beatrice stubbornly refused to move, upholding her pact in front of Subaru.
7478
7479From behind, Subaru reached out toward Beatrice. Then…
7480
7481“Boing…”
7482
7483He grabbed hold of the girl’s two ornate hair rolls and pulled on them, hard.
7484
7485He let go. The large amount of hair bounced quite generously. Bouncy-bouncy— “Mm, that felt pretty good.”
7486
7487“W-w-w-wh…”
7488
7489Her eyes wide open, her tongue quivering, Beatrice turned around, all flustered.
7490
7491Subaru inclined his head slightly as he looked at her.
7492
7493“Mm?”
7494
7495“What are you doing, I wonder?! You have a death wish, I suppose?!”
7496
7497“Don’t be silly. I don’t wanna die one tiny bit. When you die, it should be one time, to end your life for good. I truly believe that.”
7498
7499As he spoke, he patted Beatrice on the shoulder and calmly walked past her.
7500
7501Straight ahead, Ram glared at Subaru’s face with astonishment. As Subaru walked before her, she heightened her guard, exhaling from pursed lips.
7502
7503“Quite some nerve. Finally resigned to your fate?”
7504
7505“Not exactly. More like…I decided to do something.”
7506
7507Not understanding Subaru’s intent, Ram scowled.
7508
7509“—What?”
7510
7511“Sorry. Because I was sloppy, I brought you girls so much sadness.”
7512
7513“—! So you did do something to Rem…?!”
7514
7515“No, sorry, but I honestly don’t know. There’s so much I don’t know. But…”
7516
7517Subaru’s words trailed off as he took a moment to breathe.
7518
7519“There’s so much I don’t know, but I think I know one thing now.”
7520
7521“—What’s the point?!”
7522
7523Ram shouted back, unable to accept Subaru’s display of resolve as anything but childish games.
7524
7525Ram swung down a foot, kicking the earth like she was stamping her feet.
7526
7527“Rem’s already dead! There’s no taking that back! What good is it that you know something now?!”
7528
7529“I’m not gonna say I can do anything. It’s because I couldn’t do anything that things ended up like this. I know more than anyone that’s not gonna convince anyone.”
7530
7531He wasn’t being defiant. Even now, regret deeply pierced his heart.
7532
7533He hated himself for his own stupidity and weakness. If you could die from shame, he might have been dead already.
7534
7535Still, his shameful behavior, his shameful living, his pathetic helplessness—these had brought him to this place.
7536
7537And, thus, to his conclusion.
7538
7539“And what is it you know about Rem and me?!”
7540
7541“…You have a point. I don’t know any of the important stuff between you. But…”
7542
7543Subaru had spent almost twenty days together with them. They didn’t know that, and he was unable to tell them.
7544
7545But Subaru remembered.
7546
7547Even if they had forgotten, Subaru’s soul remembered. He’d seen them. Laughed with them. Spent time with them.
7548
7549The worlds Subaru had walked with Ram and Rem—those worlds really had existed.
7550
7551Which was why—
7552
7553“There’s no way you girls knew this, but…”
7554
7555“What…”
7556
7557“—I! Love! Both of you!”
7558
7559The blunt, worrywart big sister.
7560
7561
7562
7563
7564
7565The sarcastic, superficially polite little sister.
7566
7567Subaru thought fondly of the days he had spent with both girls.
7568
7569They were precious memories to him, even though they had killed him more than once.
7570
7571Enough that, if he had the choice to spend time with them once more, that was a choice he would make.
7572
7573Subaru’s shout made Ram open her eyes wide, freezing in shock.
7574
7575Of course it did.
7576
7577From Ram’s point of view, Subaru’s declaration was meaningless, empty nonsense.
7578
7579Furthermore, he’d already abandoned them in an instant.
7580
7581Ram’s thought process froze for only a moment. In the next instant, her body thawed and leapt into action.
7582
7583But a momentary opening was an opening nonetheless.
7584
7585“—!”
7586
7587Subaru’s sprint was just a moment faster than Ram’s switch to anger-filled attacking.
7588
7589Turning his back to Ram, Subaru rushed past Beatrice, his body moving like the wind—making a beeline toward the cliff.
7590
7591“Wait—!”
7592
7593Behind him, a girl’s high-pitched wail reached out.
7594
7595Subaru’s mind never caught up to which girl’s voice it was.
7596
7597He’d meant to be determined, but now his thought process was in tatters, like someone had clawed it apart.
7598
7599His heart beat hard, but his body creaked all over, as if to betray his mind. His limbs felt like leaden weights.
7600
7601He was running with all his might, but the world seemed to move in slow motion. It was as if Subaru’s mind were putting off the results of his change of heart as long as it possibly could.
7602
7603—So stupid. He was conflicted even then.
7604
7605He knew why. He’d tenaciously clung to living without shame to that point.
7606
7607Even when he’d wanted to die, he’d chickened out in the end, able only to fall to his knees.
7608
7609But Subaru could do it now.
7610
7611“It’s rude to Beatrice, huh…”
7612
7613With those words, Subaru voiced his final regret and left everything behind.
7614
7615He raced to the cliff. A few steps more. He was too scared to count them. Pathetic. Insane. He had the urge to laugh. But he didn’t laugh. He couldn’t laugh.
7616
7617All that he was leaving behind was a life of living death. To Subaru, giving up on a future in that place meant he’d already died inside.
7618
7619If he could live as a dead man walking, he could do “something” with that life.
7620
7621And that decision, to do something instead of doing nothing, was one only Subaru could make.
7622
7623“—I’m the only one who can do it.”
7624
7625His feet left the ground. He clawed at the air. He could touch nothing. He could reach nothing.
7626
7627So fast. The wind was strong. His eyes hurt. His head hurt. The ringing in his ears was distant. He felt like he’d left behind his beating heart. He couldn’t hear the ringing. The ringing inside his skull was like a broken record.
7628
7629If it ended with his death, that was that.
7630
7631But if, if only he could go back, then…
7632
7633For she had cried out, “I’ll kill you.”
7634
7635If he could go back—
7636
7637
7638“—I’ll save you, I swear!”
7639
7640
7641The moment after he voiced his determination, his head smashed into the hard ground.
7642
7643He heard the echo of something spectacularly breaking apart, and then nothing.
7644
7645
7646The hate-filled voice could not chase him any longer. Nothing could, not anymore—
7647
7648
7649
7650
7651
7652(13)
7653
7654
7655—All that was there was “nothingness.”
7656
7657Absentmindedly, he looked around the nothingness of his mind.
7658
7659Perhaps looked around was not the proper phrase.
7660
7661Eyes did not exist within his mind. Nor did hands, nor feet, nor any pieces of his body. All that remained was his incorporeal, floating mind.
7662
7663Knowing nothing, aware of nothing, he looked about.
7664
7665Darkness. A room with nothing.
7666
7667A room that was a world without a floor or a ceiling, covered in pitch-blackness so great that it defied thought.
7668
7669Suddenly, in the world of everlasting darkness, there was meaning.
7670
7671A silhouette abruptly emerged in “front” of his mind.
7672
7673The contours of the silhouette were slender and as pitch-black as the rest, the upper body more of a fog, rejecting his mind’s recognition.
7674
7675With the emergence of the human shape, the mind gained its first strong desire.
7676
7677He felt a breach in the cold as the shadow gently moved, as if to convey something to his mind.
7678
7679He didn’t understand. He was aware of nothing.
7680
7681But for some reason, his mind could not avert itself from the shadow— “—I cannot meet you. Not yet.”
7682
7683With that faint whisper, the dark world abruptly vanished, and in so doing, the shadow, and his mind, went with it.
7684
7685
7686
7687
7688<END>