Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

*Ring ring ring!*

It was an all too familiar chime to any denizen of metropolitan Japan, but perhaps non more than the young man absent-mindedly perusing the convenience store shelf stocked full of manga and the odd translated comic book. He picked one out, seemingly at random and scanned its pages with half-lidded eyes.

“Ah,” He said, as if suspicions had been confirmed, “That’s how they draw you in.”

His seemingly disinterested gaze rises slightly to the window to watch a young couple wearing school uniforms outside pass him by. His eyes follow them absent-mindedly along the street until having to spy any longer would require turning his head.

Seemingly satisfied with his brief analysis of the book in his hands, he set it back on its shelf, where perhaps a less cynical reader may have their interest piqued enough to make a purchase. After grabbing a carton of instant noodles and snack chips so self-assuredly it was clear this was a routine, he looked down the aisle, and saw it was partially blocked by another customer at the far end. It wouldn’t be so awkward so simply mutter ‘excuse me’ and squeeze past, but he opted to take the long way around and walk the neighbouring aisle to the cashier’s desk. He reaches into the pocket of his tracksuit bottoms to fish out his wallet as he approached, avoiding eye contact to the best of his ability.

The young man behind the counter greeted him with a smile, but it was clear this employee was close to the end of his shift by the weakness in the corners of his lips and the bags under his eyes. The tracksuit wearing boy sets his goods on the counter before beginning to dig through his wallet.

"That'll be three-hundred-and-sixty-three yen, please." 

The boy retrieves a copper coin from his wallet which he hesitates on.

"Oh, a groove-edged ten." He mumbles, stuffing it back in his wallet and retrieving alternative coins he sets on a small plastic container on the counter, which the employee graciously accepts.

With a half-hearted nod, the tracksuit wearing boy took his leave, his convenience store haul in a plastic bag dangling from his fingers.

*Ring ring ring!*

The automatic chime went off again as he tripped the sensor, his sneakers hitting the concrete street.

“…”

“…”

“…?”

“Eh?” He reacted, jerking his neck around to find the source of a non-existent disturbance. His eyes set upon nowhere in particular in front of the convenience store for a moment, looking for that sound that wasn't there and that flash of a vision he didn't see.

“I guess anyone’s eyes would be tired after spending all day holed up in their room gaming.” He yawned, groaning to himself as he rubbed his groggy eyes. Coming to the main road, he looks to his left as a set of headlights whizzed past, then to his right.

Shaking his head clear of whatever oddity he sensed a moment ago, he crossed the road.

“-signia-!“

The young woman’s breath catches in her throat in shock as she instinctively freezes up. Her body momentarily a statue, she promptly scanned her drastically unfamiliar surroundings, the only sound she was able to generate a quickened, adrenaline surged breath. She quickly made note of the concrete jungle surrounding her – a far cry from the hodge podge of wooden shacks and dirt path she had been walking until now.

Making some sense of this alien environment, she exhales a deep breath.

“Where…Am I?”

Her voice was soft and quivering slightly. She mumbled to herself, thinking aloud her observations of the strange architecture of the street and the foreign writings upon the neon signs attached to the sides of the buildings. “Oh-!” She exclaimed angrily, as if coming to a realisation…Or making one up. “That thief must have used some kind of teleportation magic!”

She growled, though with her gentle tone it wouldn’t likely intimidate a child. Sighing, she pressed her fingers against the brilliant green gem hanging below the garment around her neck. “Puck, could you come out? I need your help.” She waited for a few uneventful seconds, evidently not receiving the desired response from the jewel as her brow furrowed and the corners of her lips turned into a frown.

“Ah-“ She sighed, her mind catching up with the time of day as her eyes turned to the moon above. “I didn’t realise I was inside that ‘loot house’ for so long.” At least…That was the justification she was going with. In her mind, she could’ve sworn it was still sunset…

She held her chin in thought, searching her mind both for an explanation of her sudden change of circumstance as well as a plan moving forward. With a thoughtful hum, she relaxed her posture and lowered her head into a deep concentration. “Maybe the spirits can tell me something?”

She closed her eyes…

Reached out to someone, anyone that may be listening…

Whatever ritual she was performing right now, any onlookers would find her strange indeed. Her brow furrowed again in frustration as whatever ‘person’ she was trying to contact either wasn’t listening or just…

Wasn’t there?

Finding no success, she snapped herself out of her trance. “This is…Strange.” She murmured in defeat as her glance shifted about the street she stood upon. “This certainly isn’t the Capital…No, I’ve never seen this type of architecture anywhere in Lugunica.” She pressed her fingers against her lips as she walked down the street, making further mental note of her bizarre, alien surroundings.

It was quiet, at least, maybe eerily so. For the moment, she was thankful that wherever in Lugunica she was right now, at least it wasn’t crowded and noisy, giving her at least some breathing room to process all of…This. In fact…She couldn’t spy a single soul on either length of the street. Sure, it was late, but even the Capital had the occasional night crawler or guard doing the rounds…And just what were these dragon-less carriages whizzing past her anyway?

Another one whirred past, so smoothly and without the crashing sound of a dragon’s feet hitting the concrete the gentle gust of wind its passing generated ironically frightened her. She considered hailing one of them to stop so she could ask for help or directions, but she didn’t quite feel comfortable enough to try interacting with anyone. Not only that, but were there even people inside these ‘carriages’? They looked so alien and…Cold.

“For all I know,” She mused, “That girl could’ve transported me somewhere dangerous. Maybe it’s best if I keep to myself.”

She continued watching any points of interest as she passed, hoping to find some clue as to where she was. But…

“This writing…I don’t understand it.” She mumbled to herself, thinking aloud to keep her mind on track as she quizzically tried to make sense of these foreign symbols she assumed was written language. “Could it be I’ve been sent to…Hm.” She held that thought a little longer as small details of certain buildings caught her attention. The oriental style of certain roofs, or the occasional decorative statue, it all seemed to match descriptions of-

“Kararagi?” She uttered in disbelief. “But that…Can’t be possible. There’s no way that little girl could’ve…Not this far.” She shook her head, pushing that possibility to the back of her head as she began to panic. “Oh-“ She groans, the discomfort of her circumstances really starting to hit her, “Puck, where are you…”

Her pace quickens as the stress becomes clear in her quickened breath and the faint, worried murmurs escaping her lips. She presses her fingers to the gem above her chest again…And once again, no response. She tries it again, with more pressure, and again, and again, until finally she violently taps it with her fist – more to display her frustration than really damage the artefact, so it’s a very weak and restrained strike.

“Puck! Please…!” She exclaims in a whispered voice. She takes several deep breaths, wordlessly telling herself to calm down and keep to rational thought. The last thing she needed was to make a scene of herself in an unfamiliar place where she couldn’t know the people around her’s intentions, much less their reaction to a crazy half-elf spouting inane nonsense in the middle of the street.

She settles on a meek whimper in the vain hopes someone just might be listening. “Please…Anyone, I don’t want to be alone.”

“…”

“I’m scared.”

She straightened out her dress as she came to a crossing in the road (only now noticing her own slightly dishevelled appearance from her small panic attack), her vision of the street ahead somewhat blocked by a building at the corner. She could at least make out the sight of a short structure ahead filled with an unfamiliar, artificial light. Even looking at it from a distance was intimidating; just how many torches or lagumite ore were required to generate such vibrancy? She had seen a similar phenomenon with those signs attached to the sides of various buildings bearing that foreign writing, but not on this level. Not only that, but the building obscuring her right further compounded this unease, as if something alien could be lying in wait for her to turn the corner.

She stands at a pause, unsure what to do. She could in theory cross to the other side of the street to the left, giving her some distance should something leap out at her as she approaches, but…Those dragon-less carriages move very fast, are very quiet in comparison to the vehicles she’s used to, and she has no guarantee they’re even operated by living, sentient beings to begin with. An image of her being crushed under the uncaring wheels of an automated dragon-less carriage flashes in her mind, before she shakes her head clear of that idea.

“I can’t contact Puck or any lesser spirits, so there’s no guarantee I can even use any magic to defend myself with, either.” She ponders aloud, further cementing her weakened position. “It’s not possible that thief girl had the strength to sever my connection to the spirits, so something else…”

Her thoughts trail off as she stops speaking them. After her outburst minutes prior, she’s clearly had some time to calm herself as she crosses her arms in concentration. “Maybe someone else is the culprit of this? Perhaps the thief had a skilled magic user lying in wait to send me away, preventing me from giving chase should she run away. To use such potent teleportation magic, though…”

She loses herself in thought, again ruminating over what little information she has and the events that lead her here.

“That girl, the thief…She couldn’t have been any older than a teenager. And she was just a petty thief from the slums…It doesn’t make any sense that she would’ve been able to teleport me here. That kind of magic is far too ancient and obscure for someone like her to have learned it.”

She ponders. The only example of ‘teleportation’ she has encountered is that used by the curious girl in an extravagant dress she occasionally sees around the mansion, used to keep prying eyes out of her private library. Whoever this thief is, she is without a doubt nowhere near the level of the moody guardian of the Forbidden Library.

“Perhaps…The elderly giant? He seemed surprisingly intelligent, despite his thuggish appearance…”

The girl stays her tongue, catching herself out of guilt for so casually speaking ill of another. In truth, she remembers that old man to be quite amicable. She naturally recalls how close he kept his massive club, and his readied stance made it clear he was prepared for a fight at a moment’s notice, but…

“They didn’t seem like the types of people who would do bad things for the sake of it.”

She wasn’t what you would call “worldly”, and very often castes, factions and other social norms and their subtle ques would go over her head. She wasn’t ignorant to the average man’s struggle, though, and nowhere had this been made more obvious to her than the slums she more and more preferred to this cold, concrete world.

“I don’t hate that thief, or the old man protecting her…And maybe they didn’t do this, but…”

Her thoughts trail off as she puts off her approach up the street as long as she can. She continues running the past few hours’ events through her head, poking at every minute detail of her memory for clues on how she could have ended up here. Did she overlook something? Was there a tell for a spellcaster who may have been lying in wait? Maybe if she hadn’t been so hasty, she wouldn’t be in this situation in the first place?

“I should’ve just listened to Roswaal.”

She exhales a sigh, wordlessly scorning herself. With a new wave of self-loathing entering her thoughts, her mind goes even further off tra-

“-!”

A figure turns the corner at the far end of the street. In a panic, the girl doesn’t even immediately recognize them as human, and second by second she finds herself running out of time to consider her next move as they approach her.

As far as threatening elements go, this person doesn’t seem like one. She notes his meek appearance and his gaze glued to the ground – perhaps it reminds her of her own behaviour these past few minutes…A desperation to avoid drawing attention to one’s self.

Forcing herself to act natural, the girl opts to put off social interaction for just a bit longer. She breaks into a power walk, dropping all fear of whatever might be around the next corner – whoever this person might be, they didn’t seem to have trouble on the next street, so why should she be afraid? She positions herself on the opposite side of the sidewalk parallel to the stranger and holds her breath as the two pass by each other.

In the moment they pass, she takes many mental notes. His clothes are peculiar – they seem refined and clean, not a set of rags like those worn by a commoner by any stretch of the imagination, and made of a material she hadn’t seen before. His black hair, too, though unkempt, was clean and deliberate. In his free hand not stuffed in his pocket, he carried a small bag made of another material she wasn’t familiar with. His eyes, though she couldn’t get a good luck at them, were wide and scary looking from this angle.

That was about all the information she could gather in the instant, and in all her staring in the moment  it did seem like the boy’s gaze shifted upon her as she watched him from the corner of her eye so maybe she should stop looki-

“Hey, ah-“

He suddenly stopped and spoke out to her from behind, and in reflex the girl froze up on the spot, her breath hitching in her throat.

“I really like your cosplay.”

Chapter Text

“Huh?”

She instinctively spins on her heel to meet the young man’s brown eyes, strained as if from exhaustion. He awkwardly shoots her a smile, his gaze veering off to the side at the brief moment of eye contact they both make.

“Uh-“

He backtracks his words, caught completely off guard by the girl’s confused look she holds.

“I just mean…I mean, it’s a great cosplay. I don’t know the character, but you clearly put a lot of effort into it with the ears and the contact lenses…And your wig looks so real, too.”

Quietly exhaling a breath, she finds some relief that this stranger is at least friendly and amicable. It isn’t until the man lets what can barely be described as a chuckle (and more accurately described as a plea for a response) that she realises she’s holding a doe-eyed stare to Kararagi and back. What did he say? Her ears? Wig? Out of reflex, she runs a hand down her long, flowing silver hair that reaches her lower back.

“Uhm, sorry…I don’t know what a ‘cosplay’ is, but I’m not wearing a wig…”

So is her response. There were likely a many more useful things she could have said, but evidently the girl is far too polite than to ignore whatever this stranger is talking about. The stranger in question tilts his head slightly, his lips frantically curling at the corners in all manner of smiles, from amused to confused and everything between.

“Damn…You’ve even got the fantasy elf-girl act down, too. That’s awesome.”

“Act…?”

Sliding the small bag’s handles up the length of his arm to free up his hand, the boy suddenly slaps his cheeks and rears himself up with an ‘Okay!’

“I can play along, I bet all my isekai manga reading experience has been leading to this precise moment…!”

He grins, holding his chin in a dastardly manner. Closing his eyes in a moment of thought, the elf-eared girl raises a hand to interject-

“Sorry, I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I was wondering if you could help-“

-When he suddenly bursts into a song and dance to further confuse this scenario.

“My name is Natsuki Subaru! A lowly knight in service to this kingdom! What I lack in skill and experience I make up for in determination and loyalty to fair maidens everywhere!”

“Ah-!”

He continues, giving the girl no opportunity to diffuse his ramblings. He triumphantly raises his arm to the sky, his finger pointing to the heavens themselves.

“And speaking of fair maidens…”

His menacing grin returns as he lowers his posture and directs his finger-point to the so-called fair maiden in front of him.

“I have come to you to offer you my sword! By my life, I will defend you, on my name, and on my family’s name! And on that note…”

His teeth show as his smile can’t be contained to just his lips. The so-called knight presents his hand, as if offering a handshake, before suddenly snapping his fingers in a dramatic fashion.

“Tell me your name, o fair maiden.”

There’s a pause. A long pause. An awkward silence that, even socially inept as she is, the elf-girl can feel the tension in the air. Her gaze naturally locks to the “knight’s” presented hand that continues to hold its position in front of her, waiting for a response. Unfortunately for him, his “fair maiden” struggles to make sense of what he even said in the first place.

What did he say? He mentioned he was a knight-

“Oh-!” She blurts out, having found an answer for his display. “You’re a knight? Maybe you can help me!”

She smiles, perhaps the first smile she’s been able to muster since finding herself in this place. The “knight”, Subaru, backs down somewhat at her pleased expression, a faint shade of red overtaking his face as if to say, ‘wait, that worked?’

“My name is Emilia.”

She could swear she just heard a low gasp in excitement escape Subaru’s lips. Perhaps at the fact she so willingly gave her name, or because the small amount of sarcasm and self-awareness in his introduction was not present at all in Emilia’s.

“Emilia…” Subaru mumbles the name back to himself.

“It’s…Really embarrassing to say, but I’m lost. Where am I?”

She asks her question so frankly that Subaru spends a moment taken aback. He arches an eyebrow and, as if gaining the awareness that he’s been staring top to bottom of Emilia, directs his gaze to the street surrounding them.

“Well! Well…You’re on Sugamobashi Street right now. Uh-“ He directs his thumb over his shoulder. “-The nearest train station is that way, you can’t miss it.”

Emilia tilts her head quizzically.

“Sorry…I don’t know what a ‘train’ is.”

Subaru opens his mouth in astonishment, his eyes widening as he lets a quiet ‘whoa’ escape.

“You’re incredibly good at this.” He compliments; though, Emilia isn’t exactly sure what he’s complimenting, she smiles a half-hearted smile in gratitude nonetheless.

“Good…At what? You’ve been saying some very strange things, Sir Subaru.”

“The whole ‘cute fantasy elf’ character you’re playing!” Subaru motions his arms in an exaggerated manner to point out Emilia’s clothes, hair and ears. “The robes look so genuine, and I have no idea how you made those ears look so real and- Wait…Did you just call me ‘Sir Subaru’?”

Emilia gives the boy a bewildered look as he catches himself mid-sentence.

“Well…You did just say you were a knight, right?”

Subaru palms his own face, scolding himself in a groan. “I can’t compete with that! As high as my otaku levels are, even I can’t help but break character in my own shame!”

His posture and arms droop dramatically and Emilia presses two fingers to her lips out of concern she said something wrong. Honestly speaking, the girl had half a mind to simply apologise, turn around and walk away. But…Something kept her in place. Maybe it was her kind, patient nature, or maybe it was a fear that not everyone in this place would be quite so open to friendly conversation as this apparent knight named Natsuki Subaru.

“Okay!” The boy apparently finds his confidence once more as he crosses his arm over his chest with a closed fist. “I deeply apologise for my poor conduct, Lady Emilia! Please, if you could find it in your noble heart to forgive me, this lowly knight will offer his unconditional support and services!”

Emilia finds herself losing her patience, finally. Her brow furrows, and her cheeks puff out into a cute pout.

“Please calm down, Sir Subaru! Honestly, you’re acting unlike any other knight I’ve ever met or heard about.”

Her comment seems to sting Subaru somewhat as his eyebrows soften and a gentle ‘sorry’ escapes his lips. Noting this and the guilt that comes with it, Emilia continues.

“I’m sorry.” She amends her previous statement. “I’m hardly one to talk, after all. I can’t even keep ahold of a simple insignia, and I’m supposed to be-“

She trails off, her tone quieting until she stops herself from speaking further.

“Never mind.”

An awkward pause takes over the two. Subaru gives her a pained expression as she criticizes herself. What position was she in to tell a knight how to act? A little girl and her grandfather were enough to outwit Emilia, and for all she knew her own carelessness and reckless decision making has landed on her on the other side of Lugunica…Or worse.

“Look…The lines between ‘character’ and ‘real problem’ are starting to blur a little bit, ‘Emilia’”

Subaru speaks up. He chooses his words carefully, and bends his fingers in airquotes at the girl’s name.

“I’ll be honest, I’m crazy confused right now. I dunno if you’re just really good at playing the character, or if there’s something genuinely wrong and I’m just too much of a socially awkward loser to pick up on it…So…”

He sighs, having dropped any pretence of keeping up his knight persona.

“If you’re really, genuinely lost, where do you need to go? I’m not great with directions, but I’ll do my best.”

A ray of hope. Emilia perks up as the conversation shifts her way and holds her chin in thought.

“Well…I don’t know where I am, for one thing. Only a few minutes ago, I was in the Capital, but…”

She takes a brief respite, considering her words carefully. This man may be a knight, but she doesn’t even know where she’s been sent to. Given her complicated status as a half-elf and potential candidate to be ruler of Lugunica, she isn’t ignorant to the fact that rivals in the selection will be looking for any advantage any tiny smidgen of information she provides could give.

“I think a criminal may have used teleportation magic to send me somewhere else, but-“

She turns her neck to scan her surroundings. Again, she finds this unfamiliar language written everywhere – on shop stalls, road signs, even on the small white bag held in Subaru’s hand.

“I don’t recognize this place or this writing from anywhere. I haven’t the faintest clue where I could be in the world…I’m completely flabbergasted.”

Subaru mutters beneath his breath. “Flabbergasted? Haven’t heard that one in a while…”

“Huh?”

“Nothing.”

Subaru gives Emilia a long disbelieving stare, his eyebrow raised in silent question. Emilia tenses up; she wasn’t ignorant to the fact that the mere mention of teleportation magic was difficult to believe, and what kind of situation could she have found herself in that warranted its use in the first place? What kind of criminal would go so far out of their way to use such an extreme school of magic on this conspicuous silver-haired half-elf?

“You’re…Still doing the fantasy elf girl act, right? Seriously, don’t make fun of me for asking! Like I said, the lines are getting real blurry right now.”

This knight, Subaru, keeps mentioning that. A ‘fantasy elf girl’ act? What kind of base level misunderstanding was happening here, right now? Emilia sighs in frustration as she comes to a potential realisation at the turn this conversation is taking.

“Okay, yes. I’m a silver-haired half elf. But!”

She raises her voice, allowing the boy no chance to comment.

“I have no relation to the witch. It’s honestly an extremely unfortunate coincidence! Please, I’m not doing anything nefarious! Something precious has been stolen from me, and when I tried to get it back…”

She exhales, her tone having grown more and more pleading and desperate.

“I suddenly found myself here. And I have no idea where ‘here’ even is!”

She holds a pained expression as she collects herself. Subaru seems thoroughly ‘flabbergasted’ himself, now, as he mutters half-words and unfinished responses.

Finally, he decides on an answer.

“Wait a minute…Don’t tell me.”

“?”

A wide grin takes over Subaru’s face.

“Okay, for real, don’t make fun of me if this is all an elaborate prank to pick on the shut-in NEET, because you’re seriously convincing me right now.”

“I don’t-“

All of a sudden, Subaru points at Emilia dramatically and exclaims-

“Were you transported to modern day Japan from an isekai fantasy world!?"

It’s been a few minutes since Subaru had his mild freak out in the middle of the street. Once again, Emilia had no idea what he was talking about; between his shock and awe at the pointiness of her ears to inane ramblings about something called “reverse isekai”, she had to stop herself from slowly backing away to leave the madman to his own devices.

But, if nothing else, the fact he seemed to at least know what he was talking about inspired her with the confidence to stick this uncomfortable situation through, at least to gather what information she could.

“Sorry about that.” The young man amends his hysterics with a half-hearted apology.

The two have crossed the street and sat themselves upon a short wall outside a nearby “convenience store”, as Subaru called it. It wasn’t a term Emilia had ever heard ever before, and even now she was saying it back to herself to commit it to memory.

“Conbini, conbini, conbini…”

“Oh, that’s right!”

Subaru interjects, eager to educate.

“You guys probably don’t have modern store-fronts in your world, right? It must be all like…Family run stalls and open air marketplaces.”

And in one sentence, Subaru has overwhelmed her with information once again. ‘Her world’ wasn’t an implication she liked the sound of one bit, nor Subaru’s casual understanding of it. She hopes to put off thinking about it for a little longer, and lets her eyes wander.

 Now illuminated by the intense light shining through the windows of the convenience store, Emilia is able to get a proper look at Natsuki Subaru.

Despite his unkempt hair and the exhaustion in his eyes, Subaru is a well-kept looking man. His face – despite his intimidating, narrow eyes, is clean and youthful. His clothes, while foreign and strange are also tidy and lacking in any dirt or grime, suggesting that his attire isn’t a simple work outfit. Perhaps he truly is a man of some status that he takes the time to ensure his appearance is so immaculate when compared to the common worker?

Having not received a response to his question, Subaru continues.

“So…Let me get this straight. You must have been in an epic battle against an evil wizard or something along those lines, right? If they went out of their way to teleport you to an alternate world, you must have been winning…So I bet you’re incredibly strong, right?”

Emilia shakes her head as the conversation at least vaguely strays into territory she can comment on.

“Nothing so dramatic, Sir Subaru.”

The young man quietly gasps at the valiant title provided to him. Emilia ignores it, and continues.

“As I said, something very important was stolen from me. I had tracked the thief to her hideout, but, well…”

She trails off, going silent long enough for Subaru to squeeze in a sarcastic remark. “That still seems pretty dramatic to me! I guess the standard is different in medieval fantasy, huh…So, after that…?”

“I don’t know what happened next. I blinked, and suddenly I was here.” She shrugs. “To be honest…”

Throughout their conversation, Emilia has been putting the small pieces of information she’s gathered together. It isn’t a pretty picture, and the more she ponders over it, the less she likes it, and she wants to probe Subaru for more info even less than that.

Her breath hitches and she feels her eyes beginning to strain in emotion. The past twenty minutes have been such an information overload that Emilia has scarcely had time to even process her own feelings on the matter. The small amount of relief she’s found in a seemingly kind-hearted knight alone makes her want to collapse into tears and scream her despair in the hopes he’ll resolve everything.

Heck, even just a simple ‘Everything will be okay’ might be enough to stabilize her emotions a little while longer.

Subaru scratches his head and directs his eyes to the sidewalk in thought.

“It’s a little unorthodox as far as this kind of story goes,” He mumbles to himself, “But I don’t see how it’s so out of the question…Well, besides the obvious…”

Emilia watches him ponder, her long list of questions growing by the second.

“Wait a minute, am I insane for even thinking this in the first place? There’s no way this is real…”

He turns to look at the girl sat beside him once again, as if to ensure his eyes aren’t deceiving him.

“It is a little too convincing to just be a simple act…”

Emilia feels a little more at ease that this stranger seems to be putting so much thought into her situation. Certainly, it wasn’t a kindness she expected to receive from anyone; the taboo nature of her appearance was so blatantly obvious to any denizen of the world, after all.

“Hey, listen, Sir Subaru.” She interrupts his thoughts and, becoming aware of her quivering lips, fakes a cough in an effort to hide her weakness.

“?”

“You’ve said some very strange things, but I feel like I’m starting to gain some understanding of it.”

This place so far removed from her own, with such fantastical technologies she couldn’t even begin to comprehend and a writing system that had no resemblance at all to the systems so ingrained into Lugunican text. History books and mythical tales she read occasionally spoke of ‘great waterfalls’ at the edge of the world, with many theories about what may lie beyond.

She was beginning to think more and more about that Great Waterfall by the second.

And she hated how it made her feel.

Emilia looks to Subaru with wide, pleading eyes, shifting the conversation to him and his hesitance to give a clear answer. Even after mulling things over it’s clear Emilia’s conundrum isn’t a question he can easily answer. He doesn’t seem to be ignorant to the fear and worry that’s begun to take over Emilia as he speaks matter-of-factly, without the excitement and over-the-top bravado that was present in his mannerisms moments prior.

“Okay, Emilia, I’m not really sure how to say this – this is kind of a first for me, too. I-I mean your situation! Not the fact I’m speaking to a girl-“

He cuts himself off, scolding himself internally for his loose tongue.

“Look, Emilia.”

The girl’s eyes widen further as she prays for an explanation – no, a solution to her predicament.

“In this world, we have this genre of stories called ‘isekai’…”

Emilia couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

If this man, Sir Subaru-

Okay, well, first of all, it turns out he isn’t a knight. Apparently that was just an idle fantasy of his.

So, if this man, Subaru was to be believed, Emilia had been moved to…A completely different reality? Her brain hurt just trying to wrap her head around the concept. She wasn’t a scientist by any means, but all research into the known world she had ever read about only ever operated in three-dimensional space.

You can walk forward, backwards, you can jump – or if you’re a very good magician, even fly. To put it in easy to understand terms, the world is like a giant box; you can move anywhere you want in that box, or build towns and cities, make friends,  have a life, a family, and aspirations…

It’s all contained within that box.

I mean, obviously, right? That’s just what happens, that’s how the world works. It’s so obvious that the fact Emilia had to even actively think about such a second-nature law of space and time made her feel she was losing her mind.

But what Subaru was saying…

“…So, you were just in that giant box…”

Subaru is using two small objects he fished out of the little bag he was carrying to use as a visual aid. According to him, they’re containers with food inside them. He places his finger on atop a tall cup as a representation of Emilia, then slowly moves towards the small bag that makes an unpleasant crinkling sound as he prods it.

“And, somehow…You’ve been moved to a completely different box.”

Subaru initially described it as a ‘fourth dimension’, but it was such an alien concept he had to fall back on this simplified explanation. With the visual aid, Emilia finds herself understanding the concept at least, but she can’t even begin to fathom how this could be a reality.

To say nothing of the despair she felt building in her heart.

Of course she couldn’t expect Subaru to understand her life story, (even without the inevitable cultural barriers) so she forces that lump in her throat down for just a little longer.

She stares at the boy’s hand for long, thoughtful pause. She feels her heart rate rise in terror of believing this reality, and she struggles to keep herself from hyperventilating. She looks at Subaru, moisture welling up in her violet eyes.

“So…You think this is what happened to me?”

Frankly, Emilia wasn’t aware of the sheer emotion in her voice. In her eyes was a plea, either for Subaru to tell her that her situation wasn’t quite so dire or a solution to this problem. Subaru is clearly taken aback and not used to his words having so much weight on another person’s feelings, so he tries his best to soften the blow.

“Honestly…I don’t know, this is just my theory based on the stories I’ve read that are similar to your situation, Emilia. I’ve never heard of a place called ‘Lugunica’ before, and we don’t have elves or half elves or any other non-human races in this world, so…It’s the most logical conclusion I can come to.”

“Oh.”

Well, that must settle it, right? By the sounds of things, this ‘world’ (going off the assumption Emilia was indeed in a parallel universe) is so foreign and removed from such common concepts that Emilia was used to, she is at least far out of reach of lands she’s familiar with. The fact she hasn’t been able to contact any spirits or even feel any mana in the air supports the theory that this is truly a different universe with different rules, as well.

It’s overwhelmingly impossible to process. Emilia runs so many possibilities through her head in denial: what if this man is just lying, and trying to manipulate her to gain an advantage for his faction in the royal selection? Could it be she’s in some kind of…Elaborate dream world induced by a spell she’s never heard of before?

“This is…”

She can’t even finish a sentence as the implications flood her mind.

She rests her hand on the concrete wall she’s sat upon and feels its course texture against her palm. It’s an unpleasant, cold material to run her fingers against…And very real. She looks into Subaru’s eyes, and sees the genuine concern in them.

The time spent deliberating reminds her of something: she really, really wants to cry right now. She curses so many things at once; she curses that thief for luring her into a trap, she curses whoever it was that sent her here, she even curses this boy for ripping off the band-aid and telling her how piss-poor her circumstances are.

She takes in a deep breath. What could she do?

“This must be how fish out of water feel.” she thinks to herself for comparison. Though, it’s a little underwhelming a metaphor for her circumstances.

A completely parallel dimension, separated from the existence she knew before. She felt out of place in her own world as a silver-haired half-elf, but now…Well, this was taking the phrase ‘out of place’ and making it very, very literal.

That was it, then. At least for the moment, there was no way she was aware of that would allow her to get ‘back’ to her own world. She still couldn’t feel any mana in the air, and she wasn’t in a hurry to test if she could still use magic for fear of wasting what precious mana might still be in her body that she’ll never get back.

That was, assuming there even was a form of conventional magic that existed that would allow-

Well, no. Technically, in this new reality…As far as she could assume, no magic existed. She had tried contacting the lesser spirits earlier, and heard nothing. Puck, her dearest companion and magical aid, was gone too. And now, she couldn’t even feel such a basic resource as mana in the air – An intense stress momentarily takes over her as she wonders how she’s even able to stand without such a vital essence, but figures she can safely assume it’s just another ‘rule’ she won’t have to follow here.

She exhales, and turns to her new companion.

“What do you think I should do, Natsuki Subaru?”

“Well-“

Emilia’s question gives Subaru pause. He looks away from her to consider the girl’s options. Speaking frankly, her chances aren’t great. Any currency she might be carrying on her person will be worthless in modern day Japan, she can’t read the local language, anywhere she goes she’s going to look out of place, and worst case scenario she could become a subject of international intrigue as scientists everywhere look to study her and her peculiarities.

Coming to a decision, Subaru turns to face Emilia again.

“Want to come and live with me and my family?”

Chapter Text

So, this is where Emilia was at, now. Lost in an unfamiliar place, following a strange man she barely knows home in order to live with him for the foreseeable future.

Well, at least there wasn’t any fighting this time.

She thought back to the last time she was in a situation like this. Puck, her contracted spirit and dearest companion and father figure had been providing her company for as long as she could remember in the Elior Forest. It was a peaceful enough existence: there were many things she didn’t understand, and many places she wanted to explore and learn about, but at the time she was content with her daily routine.

As long as the fluffy little cat spirit named Puck was with her.

It wasn’t until a tall, eccentric magician named Roswaal L. Mathers approached her home that she realised the world was so much bigger than she could have anticipated.

Of course, Emilia didn’t have time to ponder such things, as her father leapt to her defence and attacked Roswaal. After a duel to shake the heavens calmed down, the three came to a ceasefire and conversed.

Roswaal said many things that Emilia didn’t understand, and even less of them did Puck like the sound of. But…

In the end, it was Emilia’s decision, and so she followed the eccentric wizard with his face slathered in make-up like that of a jester or clown to his oversized mansion.

‘Desperate times call for desperate measures’ is the expression that comes to mind as she looks back on it. Of course, none of that really mattered anymore, and her anxiety further compounds as she begins to think about all the responsibilities and people she’s ‘left behind’ in her own world, so for the moment, she pushes such thoughts to the back of her mind.

“So, uh-“

The young man leading her along the street interjects into her thoughts with an awkward announcement.

“I should probably re-introduce myself, right? Without the whole…Knight thing.”

Emilia directs her dazed gaze from the pavement to him. “Yeah, about that-“

“J-Just don’t think too much about it, okay!” Subaru rushes to interrupt, “I thought it’d make me look cool to a cosplay girl if I played along with her super cute character-“

The boy continues to justify himself, and Emilia’s thoughts wander. There’s that word again – ‘cosplay.’ She still doesn’t know what it means, but apparently Subaru thought she was one? Emilia resigns herself to ask about it later as Subaru calms himself, apparently satisfied with his excuses.

“Anyway…Hi. My name’s Subaru. And…”

Emilia tilts her head. “And…?”

“…”

“…?”

“Okay! I can’t think of anything else!” Subaru stomps the ground in futility and, apparently having used up his energy in his tantrum, sighs. “I’m just Subaru.”

The boy seems more than a little dissatisfied with such a mundane introduction, certainly compared to his bombastic knight routine earlier on. In all honesty, she sensed a certain…Pain in Subaru’s manner.

“It’s nice to meet you, Subaru.” Emilia gives an encouraging smile, “I’m…Just Emilia, I guess.”

Subaru’s eyes widen, and an intense flush brightens up his face. He gently gasps and, hoping to draw attention away from his flustered state, idly scratches his cheek.

“E.M.T…”

“Huh?” Emilia could swear she heard him mumble something, just now…

“Oh, uh-“ Subaru stuffs his hands in his pockets, “Nothing. Come to think of it, I’d better call my parents and let them know.”

Ah, that’s right.

According to Subaru, he still lived with his parents. Honestly, Emilia was struggling to place his exact age, but with that knowledge she felt she could safely assume he was still very young. Perhaps in the thirteen to fifteen range? She didn’t have very much experience with people younger than herself (or other people in general), so she struggled to pick up on subtle ques in physical stature and facial structure to help determine one’s age. Saying that though, Subaru was awfully tall for someone apparently still so young…

The boy in question rummages through his pocket and fishes out a small, peculiar looking device. Even stranger, it changes shape as he ‘flicks’ it forward and a glass screen of sorts lights up!

“Uhm, Subaru…What’s that?” Emilia absent-mindedly asks.

“Ah, this-“ He clears his throat, indicating his explanation will be fraught with embellishment. “This is an incredible device that allows me to communicate with people far, far away! It even has secondary functions, like making sure I wake up on time, and a built-in light source! It’s called a ‘Cell Phone,’ the pinnacle of modern technology and convenience!”

Emilia breathes a ‘wow’ at the sight of such a compact, but apparently powerful device. Looking back, the description reminded her of similar contraptions from her own world. ‘Metia,’ they’re called – magically infused objects with specific functionality that allow inexperienced or non-magic users to access mana’s benefits. Such advanced technology seemed to be commonplace here, however, and despite her continued efforts Emilia still couldn’t sense any mana in the atmosphere…

“Hey, Subaru.”

“What’s up?”

Emilia spends a moment pondering how to word this. In such a far-removed world with such different concepts and rules to her own, such talk could come off as insanity, she wonders.

“I haven’t been able to contact any spirits or sense any mana in the air since I arrived here. Do…You think something bad could’ve happened when I got transported here?”

Well, acting as though everything is the same as her own world is the decision she goes with, in the end.

“So there is magic in your world, Emilia-tan! Incredible.” Subaru scratches his head. “Oh, er- I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but we’re pretty boring here on Earth, so magic doesn’t exist.”

“Oh.” Emilia mutters in disappointment. So that’s the name of this place? ‘Earth.’ Subaru mentioned another place earlier, as well: ‘Japan.’ At least she had some terminology to start her research from, but with such a second-nature concept as magic being absent from everyday life, she was beginning to worry about just how difficult adjusting to life here would really be.

Well, actually, the priority is ‘find a way home’, not ‘adjust to life in an alien dimension’, right?

Just then, something sticks out that Subaru had just said.

“Wait…‘Tan’?”

Subaru waves a hand dismissively. “Ah, just trying it out. I’ve never been able to give a girl a cute nickname…What do you think? It totally fits your gorgeous visage!”

“Sorry, I’m not sure I understood what you just said entirely, Subaru, but if you like the nickname I’ll trust that it’s not something rude or demeaning.”

“I’ll accept that reaction!” Pleased with himself, Subaru turns his eyes back to his ‘cell phone.’ Emilia watches as he presses several different buttons, which seems to manipulate what the glass screen is displaying. The girl finds herself asking several questions to herself, but opts to save them for later.

“Alright, Emilia-tan, I’m just gonna let my parents know that we’re…on…our…”

Subaru trails off, his tone dropping as he seemingly comes to an unpleasant realisation.

“Wait…Wait…”

“…?”

“I just remembered, how the hell am I gonna explain you to my parents!?”

Emilia tilts her head at Subaru’s exclaimation. “Well…We can tell them the truth, right?”

That suggestion gives Subaru’s newfound hysterics pause. “Ah, Emilia-tan, just how pure-hearted are you? Evidently enough to calm my anxious heart and soul…”

“Subaru.”

“Sorry, never mind.” Subaru holds his chin in thought and shakes his head. “Much as I trust mom and dad, I think the ‘girl from a fantasy world’ revelation should come later…I mean, I’m just trying to figure out how suddenly coming home with a beautiful woman in tow won’t arouse suspicion…”

The ‘beautiful woman’ comment flying over Emilia’s head, she gives Subaru a quizzical look. “Is my sort of situation quite rare?”

“I’m pretty sure this is the first time this situation has ever come up in the history of…Ever, Emilia-tan.”

Subaru’s matter-of-fact tone provides Emilia with a new wave of understanding. Even in her own lands – which contained magic, dragons and all manner of examples of exceptional circumstances, the idea of an alternate reality seemed impossible. If it was equally as impossible here, in a more mundane world…

“Still,” Emilia presses her point, “If they’re your parents, they should understand, right?”

Truth be told, Emilia didn’t have a whole tonne of experience in family dynamics and relationships. She probably did have a family at some point, but as far as her memory could serve, the only life she ever knew was that in the snowy, barren Elior forest alongside Puck. There were…flashes, faces she couldn’t recognize and yet somehow found familiarity in. It wasn’t unlike waking up from a dream: You might roughly remember the events of the dream, but ultimately any details are unclear and only grow more distant as time goes on.

“Emilia, my parents ask questions when I eat a different flavour of instant ramen.” Subaru remarks, “I’m pretty sure they’d launch a police investigation if we walked through the door, hand in hand-“ A devilish grin takes over the lower half of his face. “-Although…I heard that in Las Vegas, spur-of-the-moment marriages are a thing…”

“Sorry, I don’t know what a ‘Las Vegas’ is, but you said we’re in a place called Japan, right?” Intentionally or not, Emilia sidesteps the implication of Subaru’s words, her polite and dainty attitude maintained through the sheer viciousness of the act.

“Shot down in flames!?” Subaru plays it off comically, even recoiling dramatically for extra effect.

“Subaru.”

At Emilia’s one-word request to keep the conversation on track, he relaxes. “Right, right. I’m thinking, I’m thinking…”

To be perfectly honest, Emilia didn’t fully understand why there was any need to circumvent the reality of her situation to Subaru’s family. She wasn’t completely ignorant to the fact that it might be a result of her overly trusting nature however, as she recalls several times Puck warned her to choose her words carefully around Roswaal, and even the doting maids of the mansion, Ram and Rem. Perhaps deep down, she just wanted to believe everyone would understand if she only told the truth and never went out of her way to hurt people.

More and more since leaving the forest however, she was learning that other people aren’t quite so simple.

“Alright, I think I’ve got an idea.”

Subaru turns his eyes to his cell phone and manipulates the screen again. Watching curiously, Emilia sees that strange writing again: So, it is a written language after all? And Subaru seems to understand it…Yet they both spoke the same tongue more or less word for word, Emilia’s outdated phrases notwithstanding.

A wave of inadequacy rushes over her at the thought that she’s suddenly unable to read or write such a commonplace writing system.

Subaru brings the cell phone to his ear, prompting a tilt of the head from Emilia in question.

“Hey, mom.”

And then he suddenly starts talking! Confused, Emilia reactively responds. “Uh, Subaru- I’m not your-“

She’s cut off as Subaru turns his head to her and presses his finger to his lips in a ‘shh’ expression. He points to the device in his hand, pressed against his ear. “Yeah, yeah, just on my way home now. Yeah, I’m fine…”

So this is what he meant by ‘communicate with people far away’? It’s a lot more literal than Emilia was expecting, with her only experience in non-verbal direct communication being the telepathic bond she shared with Puck. If there’s no spirits or magic in this world, however…She resigns for it to be another question for later.

“Yeah, so, I was calling because-“ Subaru pauses, silently asking himself if this is truly the approach he wants to go with, “-My friend from overseas is visiting, and she sorta arrived a day early before check-in…Can she spend the night with us?”

‘Overseas’ is another term Emilia makes mental note of to look up in a dictionary…Then she makes a mental note to learn how to read the language here so she can look it up in the first place.

“Yes, I said ‘she!’ C’mon, don’t make this weird-“

What follows can only be described as a desperate wave of justification, misdirection and talk around the core of the issue between a concerned, suspicious mother and a boy clearly more than accustomed to this kind of frantic argument.

And Emilia was only hearing one side of the line.

“Well, I’ll sleep on the couch, obviously-“

“Her Japanese is good! Fluent, actually-“

“We met in one of my online games-“

“I guess I forgot to mention it earlier-“

“She’s not my girlfriend-!”

Emilia held her gaze to the ground as she weathered the storm.

Emilia found this area to at least be somewhat less overwhelming than the main street she had been following in most of her time in this new world. It was something Subaru called a ‘suburb,’ and consisted of many houses clustered together in an otherwise quiet residential area. Interestingly, Emilia drew many similarities in the structure of such an environment to the slums she had been exploring just an hour or so prior. Certainly this place was much cleaner, but the unsettling quietness and comparatively shabby nature to the rest of this city remained consistent with large settlements in her own world.

‘Even in a completely different world, people are the same.’ Is the thought that runs through her mind.

“Alright, my house is just up ahead.”

So Subaru said, with a tone as if he were almost warning Emilia. On her right is something that Subaru called a ‘train track,’ apparently a large vehicle follows along it, so the two had to be careful crossing the track minutes prior. Based on what Subaru said, an alarm would sound and a barrier would block the road if a ‘train’ were approaching, so there was nothing to really be concerned about…But  Emilia still found herself hurriedly crossing the track regardless, turning back to make sure Subaru crossed safely.

“Alright, Emilia, let’s go over the plan again.”

Subaru suddenly comes to a stop and casually beckons the elf-eared girl, his hands stuffed in his jacket pockets. Emilia holds her chin as she ponders, running the boy’s instructions through her head one more time.

“I’ve just got to ‘act natural’, as you said.” She nods her head, “So no talking about magic…Or dragons…Or complicated monarchy systems. Oh, and-!”

Emilia places a hand atop her head and, after fumbling around for a few seconds, manages to undo her pretty braid, the now loose hair falling into place. After taking some time to mess up her beautifully styled hair, she’s able to cover up her pointed ears with silver locks. Emilia lets out a faint sigh as she runs her fingers against her newly plain style and pouts angrily.

“Just so you know, someone very important to me styled my hair today, so he’d be very unhappy that you convinced me to ruin their handiwork!”

“Wait-“ Subaru suddenly turns his head to the side to hide a distressed expression, “-A…Boyfriend?”

“Huh? No…Not a boyfriend- Wait, why did you ask?”

Shaking his head, Subaru returns to the task at hand, a faint sigh of relief escaping his throat. “Nah, never mind. So, we’re explaining away your admittedly awesome fantasy outfit as being a cosplay-“

“Mm.” Emilia interjects with a brusque hum, “I’ve been meaning to ask…What does that word mean?”

“Heh…Don’t worry about it, remind me to show you later.”

Subaru goes through his oddly specific plan step-by-step, laced with instruction on obscure social cues he expected Emilia to abide by. For the most part, Emilia resigns herself to let Subaru do most of the talking, delegating herself to smile and nod and, occasionally chime in with a ‘Yes, that’s right!’

Honestly, Subaru didn’t come off as a particularly threatening boy, so what’s the worst that could happen from a small misunderstanding by his parents?

Incidentally, the two had been standing before the front door to his home for a good thirty seconds now.

“Is…This your house, Subaru?”

It’s a humble one storey abode, with a small but well kept ‘garden’ (from the lack of grass and abundance of concrete, Emilia hesitated to call it so) leading to the entrance. Sidled up against the wall is yet another strange contraption Emilia doesn’t have a word for…It seems to be another form of vehicle, with two wheels and a seat. Yet another oddity of this world that the girl adds to the list of things to ask about...At first glance however, she does wonder how the thing can stay upright on only two wheels.

The otherwise modest appearance of Subaru’s living arrangements continues to shatter Emilia’s initial thoughts of him. While his claim to knighthood turned out to be false, she at least got the impression he heralded from a noble and wealthy background based on his strange attire that she assumed came from a place of extravagance. More and more, Subaru was coming off as…Plain.

It gave her a strange sense of comfort she couldn’t quite describe.

The boy takes a deep breath as his narrow eyes stare down the porch. “Yeah, it is. Well…Here we go.”

With another exhale to psyche himself up, Subaru slowly creaks open the front door. He carefully peaks through the crack in the door and, apparently satisfied, takes a step into the landing. After slipping off his trainers and setting them at the genkan (and motioning for Emilia to do the same with her long boots) he takes a step into his home proper.

Emilia was just slipping out of her footwear when Subaru turns the corner at the end of the corridor-

“CONGRATULATIONS, SON OF MINE!”

-And in an instant, a taller, more muscular version of the young boy dashed down the hallway and tackled his son to the ground.

Emilia was at a loss for words.

Well, really, that was something of a trend this evening.

Subaru’s family were incredibly welcoming, so she wasn’t going to begin to complain about anything. His mother, Naoko, promptly got to work on making some tea for Emilia after introductions. She felt…Oddly at ease around the woman: whether it was her soft spoken voice or meek stature, Emilia felt a certain amount of tension dissipate as she introduced herself to Naoko.

Subaru’s father, on the other hand…

Well, to be honest, Emilia was still in a state of mild shock at watching poor Subaru’s comparatively small frame wrought into submission. “Wrestling” is what Kenichi called it – yet another word she would have to put some research into…Emilia was beginning to regret forgetting her journal when she went out today, to say the least.

Kenichi’s apparently playful and yet thoroughly brutal to look at violence only seemed to extend towards his son, at least, as he was more than cordial when inviting Emilia into his home…Even if he seemed to share a similar look of disbelief that’s been present on Subaru’s face numerous times.

But, nonetheless, Emilia was still at a loss for words. Make no mistake – the Natsuki household was warm, cozy and well kept, but…

There was just no end to the unfamiliar objects and mind boggling technologies present in such an apparently mediocre home.

‘The Television’, for example. After the initial shock wore off when Kenichi activated the device, Emilia had to physically restrain herself from jumping at the sight of it. There were people trapped inside this glass screen! What’s more, they didn’t seem to realise, and she was just peering into their activities and conversations!

And of course, she had to ‘act natural’ as Subaru put it, and feign normalcy at all of this.

“Here you go, Emilia.”

Emilia takes in a sharp breath in shock at the ironically gentle voice of Naoko, the woman in question offering her a cup and saucer of pleasantly scented tea.

“Ah…Thank you, Natsuki-san.”

As the half-elf sheepishly takes the cup and saucer, Naoko shakes her head, her gentle smile never faltering. “There’s no need for formalities, just Naoko is fine.”

Setting the tea set on her lap to wait for it to cool, Emilia returns the smile. “I’m really grateful for how welcoming you’ve been, I know this is all so sudden…”

While she had some time to ease the awkward tensions around Naoko, Emilia hadn’t actually seen much of Kenichi or Subaru in these past fifteen minutes or so beyond initial introductions after walking through the door. She wasn’t so dense as to not be able to deduce that Subaru was explaining her seemingly random appearance to his father, which reminded her that she owed the boy an apology…Or maybe a thank you? Probably both.

“It’s no trouble at all,” Naoko responds, “It’s lovely to meet you…To be honest, neither of us even knew that Subaru had such a close friend.”

Maybe it was just Emilia’s imagination, but she felt a certain implication in Naoko’s easing statement. She takes a moment to think on whether or not it would be ‘safe’ to make smalltalk like this; with her big mouth and general lack of experience in socialising, she was liable to slip up and ruin the ‘normal girl from this world’ act she’d been keeping up relatively well to this point.

But, well…

She cautiously takes a sip of tea just barely cool enough not to scald her tongue as she considers her words. “Does Subaru not tell you about his friends very often?”

The question gives Naoko pause, enough so that her smile wavers and her gaze trails off as she spends a moment of her own in thought.

“I’m sorry,” Emilia attempts to retract herself, “If it’s not a good question…”

“No, no, it’s okay.” Naoko’s lips curl into a smile once more, “Thank you for being such a good friend to my son.”

Emilia feels her heart waver momentarily. Thinking back on it, she had never really been ‘thanked’ for anything: It was always her thanking Puck for tying her hair, or one of the twin maids bringing her tea, or Roswaal for educating her on political structures. As far as she could recall, Emilia had never done anything worthy of thanks.

So what was this cruel irony that her first ‘thank you’ was for something she hadn’t even done?

Pushing that pang of guilt to the side for the moment, Emilia smiles at a loss for words. She absent-mindedly runs her fingers through her hair, both out of nervous reflex and also to make sure her pointed ears remain concealed.

“Do you like Japan, so far?”

“Mm!” Emilia hums, a sip of tea still in her mouth. She swallows it, clearing her throat to buy a precious second to formulate her next response. “It’s so different to what I’m used to.”

She considers speaking further, like how she can’t read a single thing anywhere, or the ridiculous scale of some buildings she saw off in the distance, or even everyone’s clothes…

She was already familiar with Subaru’s peculiar choice of attire, and she saw similar elements in his parents’ dress. His mother’s shirt for example, was far more colourful than would be expected of a commoner’s attire, with a light-pink stripe pattern covering the white cotton. This, alongside the cleanliness of their home, the incredible technologies held within and the healthy state of the whole family suggested the Natsuki family lived a life of luxury to Emilia.

And yet…They were all just so moderate and humble.

Naoko presses her fingers against her lips as she stifles a giggle. “A lot of visitors from overseas say the same thing, from what I gather. For all of that, though, your Japanese is just so good, Emilia. You sound so fluent when you speak!”

Another question comes up in Emilia’s mind. She seems to be able to speak the language in this completely different world, and yet she can’t read the writing system? And, assuming her perception the implication in Naoko’s words is on point, there must be other languages in this world, right?

So why does her completely detached home world speak the same tongue as…

Yet another question for another day, it seems.

“Did the two of you meet in an online game?”

At such a baseless question, Emilia stammers her words. “Uh- online game-? Y-Yes! Yeah, we met there, a long time ago.”

Tilting her head somewhat, Naoko nonetheless accepts the response. “The internet is incredible these days, isn’t it? I’m glad Subaru has his own ways of meeting people-“ She cuts herself off with a short laugh, “-Even if I don’t always understand it.”

Pot meet kettle, to say the least. There were several words in that last sentence that Emilia could’ve used a bit more context on. Internet? What?

‘Just smile and nod,’ is the action she defaults to.

“Y-Yeah, Subaru has been a really good friend to me,” She expertly diverts the conversation down a path she can actually comment on, “I don’t really have a lot of experience with friendships, but for as long as I’ve known Subaru he’s been kind to me.”

Emilia half-lies. She’s hardly known the boy in the tracksuit long enough to call him a “good friend,” but he has certainly gone above and beyond for her up until now. It was her usual expectation to be treated with scorn and suspicion due to the negative connotations associated with her race and appearance, and yet…Since coming to this world, all the people she’s met have done nothing but nice things for her.

Subaru offered a place to stay and complimented her, if a bit incessantly.

Naoko made her some tea without hesitation and speaks to her with kindness as if it were second nature.

And Kenichi-

“So!”

Natsuki Kenichi bellows into the open plan kitchen and living room from a separate room, the comparatively meek frame of Subaru in tow.

“I think I’ve bullied Subaru about his surprise friend enough, girls,” He chuckles as Subaru slips past him, rolling his eyes. “Isn’t that right?” He motions to his son (who awkwardly seats himself on the same couch as Emilia, al beit with a foot distance between them) rhetorically, earning another, exaggerated eye roll.

Snickering, Subaru’s father takes a seat opposite the younger generation next to his wife. Emilia has…Several questions as to what the two had spent the last quarter of an hour talking and/or arguing about, but she opts to just play by the jovial mood and let out a quiet giggle of her own at Subaru’s blushed complexion.

“Uhm- Natsuki-san- Er…Kenichi,” Taking a small risk and dropping the honorific, she averts her eyes around the room, “Your home is wonderful and friendly, and I’m so grateful for you all being so accommodating.”

“Not at all!” The well-built man raises a finger in protest, “To have come all this way from America and be barred at check-in? It’s the least we can do for such a close friend of Subaru’s.”

Kenichi tops it off with another mischievous look directed at his son, who does his best to ignore it and finally chime in on the conversation. “Emilia-tan, you must be exhausted, my room is-“

“Aha!” Kenichi intrudes, “You’re a terrible liar, Subaru! Pet names? Tan?” He places a special, mocking emphasis on the choice of nickname…While Emilia may have initially not paid it much mind, by Kenichi’s reaction and the playful, yet scolding look Naoko gives Subaru’s way, she makes another mental note to push for an explanation on that at a later point.

Cringing, but avoiding a direct response, Subaru continues as he points to a connecting door. “My room’s just there-“

“-And we’ll make sure he doesn’t sneak in during the night!” Naoko decides to chime in, showing her own devilish side that Emilia couldn’t possibly have imagined based on first impressions.

Subaru holds his head in his hands, his arms just barely hiding the flush on his cheek liable to set his face on fire.

A gentle knock on the door spurs Emilia out of her thoughts.

“Hey,” Subaru cautiously peeks through the crack as he opens the door partway, “I brought some pyjamas!” He slips into the room, holding the neatly folded nightwear in question. “They’re uh- they’re my mom’s, but both you guys look to be about the same so…Maybe they’ll fit?”

Emilia smiles in gratitude as he approaches, pulling a strange looking chair on wheels out from his desk to sit opposite the bed she was sat upon.

“Your room looks really unique, Subaru.”

Her eyes had already been wandering the past few minutes since she unceremoniously crept in here. At the various little figures lining the shelves, the bright, colourful posters across the wall depicting…Well, Emilia wasn’t quite sure. Many of the characters plastered around the room were extravagantly dressed young women, with the occasional art of some…Giant machine that she didn’t have a word for.

Somewhere amongst all of this foreign culture was a simple bedroom in a family home, and Emilia was at the centre of it, stealing the master of the room’s bed for the night.

“That’s…A kinder word than I expected for it.” Subaru chuckles as he sets the hand-me-down pyjamas next to Emilia before taking a seat. “Sorry about my parents, they’re...”

“They’re wonderful.” Emilia interjects matter-of-factly.

Subaru arches an eyebrow. “Eh?”

“They’ve been so kind and accommodating for me, just like you. It’s…A little strange, and I didn’t like lying about some things, but I seldom meet people who treat me so-“

Emilia stays her tongue, a stop so sudden that an awkward pause follows it. Subaru ultimately shrugs his shoulders, figuring it’s not worth pushing the subject as he casually leans back in his chair. “Well, I get that all this must be pretty weird to you, to say the least. Even I’m still trying to figure out what we should do in the long run…”

Finding a way home would be the ideal outcome. The sheer number of responsibilities Emilia was shirking, right now…She didn’t want to think about it, but now it was the only thing her thoughts encompassed.

But, even Subaru, who quickly gained an understanding of her unique predicament, had no ideas on where to go from here. That realisation at how hopeless her chances were probably stung the most out of everything.

Emilia starts to feel her throat tighten, and a deep well of emotion begins to build up.

“I think I’ll get some sleep now,” She politely implies for her companion to leave her be, “Thank you for everything, Subaru.”

“Ah, yeah, sorry.” He stands up and, after slotting the chair on wheels back by his desk, makes for the exit. “Good night, Emilia.”

And once he flicks the light switch off and that door shuts, Emilia is left with…

Silence.

Well, that and the sound of a thousand accusatory voices clawing at her eardrums.

She lies down, her gaze naturally falling to the carpet, dimly lit by the faint moonlight peeking through the blinds. The girl exhales deeply, finding a brief moment of respite from her anxieties that quickly crawl back into her mind.

What was Puck doing, at the moment? The implications of her unique and intense relationship with the feline spirit didn’t bode well in her thoughts. What if she were in his position? What if one day, without warning, it was her father figure who disappeared without a trace?

Then she’d be all alone.

But she was alone right now, sort of.

She didn’t want to downplay Subaru’s efforts and compassion, but she struggled to feel comfortable around other people. There was always a certain anxiety in her mind – no matter how much kindness she was being shown, or how much she was enjoying herself, she would always prefer if it were just…Herself and Puck.

It sounds horrible and selfish as she thinks about it, but it was a truth she couldn’t lie to herself about. Even in her own world, Emilia felt she never…Belonged. Now, she finds herself quite literally in a place she doesn’t belong: she’s an alien, an anomaly, an…Intruder.

She thinks back on all the promises she can no longer keep. Oaths she made to Puck, to Roswaal, and perhaps most importantly, to herself. An image of a frozen forest flashes through her mind and a sea of faces she’ll never be able to free, now. A world she once sought to improve just…Didn’t exist anymore.

And now, more than ever, without Puck or Roswaal or Ram or Rem or anyone to keep her true to her goal, there were…Briefer flashes. Faint images of names and faces on the outskirts of her mind. She sees a matured woman, with silver hair like herself, smiling alongside a robed man: these people she knows that she knows…And yet she doesn’t. She sees a large tree and the secluded village that it overlooks, the residents at work in their simple day to day existence.

And now, when she can picture these vague memories more clearly than ever before, they matter the least than in her entire existence.

It’s a hopeless, grim thought that could drive one to-

Emilia chokes up, and a pained gasp escapes her throat. The buildup of anguish finally erupts as she realises tears have been streaming from her eyes this past minute, and she devolves into a snivelling whimper.

Why was she here? Why now? Why when she was finally beginning to find purpose in her meaningless existence? How many people has she let down? How many people will suffer for her own incompetence?

Maybe no one will. Maybe her life mattered so little that her removal will barely register as a blip on the radar. Maybe even Puck will move on…

Incomprehensible whimpers continue to escape her throat. She buries her teary eyed, snot nosed face in the pillow and curses this world – she curses her own world, and she curses herself.

She finds nothing to latch onto in her mind. In her life before, no matter how bad things would get she could always confide in her father, and now she’s lying to the only people who were willing to take her in. Above all else, dishonesty was her most hated flaw but now…

What choice did she have? The best person she could trust right now was Subaru, so all she knew how to do was play along with another’s idea, and she couldn’t believe someone talked her into being so…

And now she was blaming Subaru. The first person to pay her any mind, the only helping hand she could find in this damned world.

‘I’m pathetic’, is the rhetoric in her head.

I’m supposed to be a royal candidate. I’m supposed to represent Margrave Roswaal Mathers. I’m supposed to serve as an example for my new ideology.

And yet here I am, relying on a child and his parents to get through the night.

“I should have stayed in the forest.” She murmurs,  “The universe would be better off if I stayed hidden away.”

Silver haired half-elf. Witch. Spawn of Satella.

Roswaal probably never believed in her, anyway. Ram always looked at her with disdain. Rem was only ever doing as ordered by her older sister.

Even Puck probably just took pity on her. No doubt, his life will be far easier now that he doesn’t have to babysit such a hopeless child.

And now…

Subaru, Naoko, Kenichi...

Will be next in the long line of people whom Emilia disappoints.

Chapter Text

Emilia must have looked awful, right now.

Her eyes were caked in dried tears and her complexion was noticeably sullied by how poorly she slept last night.

“A nightmare…”

She couldn’t really remember the details, but it wasn’t a pleasant dream, to say the least. As she thinks back on it, it’s a…Familiar scene, for reasons she can’t quite pinpoint. She sees blood splattered across the wooden floor and pooling around her, and she recognizes the weapons on display across the walls, as well as the vague silhouettes in her unconscious mind. A chill runs down her spine, and her hair stands on end as she plays the scene back in her head over and over.

She decides to open her eyes, and let the pleasant sunrise spilling into the room envelop her vision. A gentle groan escapes her throat as she stretches her limbs until a satisfying ‘crack’ signals she’s fully limber and ready to climb out of bed.

“I’ll have to apologise to Subaru.”

She lifts her upper body to sit up straight, and recognizes the unpleasant stain on the edge of her (well, Subaru’s) pillow as her own snot and mucus.

“I don’t want him to know I was crying, though…”

She knew in her heart that sooner or later she was going to have to learn to trust somebody in this world in order to get by, much less find a way home. Could she really afford to close off her heart like that forever? Didn’t she at least owe some trust to the boy who took her in and showed her an unconditional kindness she only ever saw in-

“Puck…”

A long winded sigh blows through her lips.

Emilia carefully lifts her blanket off to the side and sits on the side of the bed, her bare feet meeting the carpet.

“Oh. I forgot.”

Naoko’s nightwear is strangely comfortable. The pants are a gentle pink colour and made of a material Emilia had never really worn before; a thick, cozy cotton that insulates heat very well. On the shirt is more of this incomprehensible writing she couldn’t read…Which reminded her that she needed to get started on learning this system, at some point.

She stands up to have one more stretch of her arms above her head and has a look around Subaru’s room. Now with some natural light flowing in, she’s able to get a thorough look at the boy’s bedroom. There’s those cute figurines and statuettes on the shelves, with rows of books and…Huh, what’s this?

She approaches the shelf row and pulls out what she originally thought was a book, but it’s clearly not made of paper. On what seems to be a front cover is artwork of a knightly looking fellow who wouldn’t look out of place in her own world. Examining this…Case? Case, she finds indentations for one’s fingers to grip hold of…Maybe you need to open this to use it?

There’s a tiny amount of resistance, but Emilia is able to pry the case open with a distinct ‘click’ that startles her. Inside is…Huh.

“Some kind of…Disc object?”

The same artwork that was on the cover is on this disc, and for the life of her Emilia couldn’t figure out what purpose this object could serve. They clearly must be important to Subaru however, as there are many more cases likely containing similar objects lined all the way across the shelf row.

“If only I could read this text, it may give me some clues…”

Sighing as it can’t be helped, Emilia closes the case until it clicks into place and slots it back on the shelf.

“I really shouldn’t be so nosey, but…”

Emilia was a naturally curious woman. Truthfully, as she looks back on it, part of her reason for accepting Roswaal L. Mathers’ invitation was so she could see more of the world and experience the thing known as ‘civilization’ and all the discoveries the hermit known as Emilia would find.

“So selfish.” She sighs, berating herself as she approaches another foreign object.

Now, this…Emilia wasn’t even sure where to begin. On top of Subaru’s desk was a large…Thing. It had a glass screen in which Emilia could faintly see her reflection in (a detail that brings her noticeable discomfort) which harkened back to Subaru’s ‘cell phone.’ In front of this large screen was some kind of…Control panel? There were countless buttons along it, and Emilia’s initial assumption was that this may be a scaled up version of a ‘cell phone.’

She rests her finger atop a button at random, and carefully presses it-

“Uh-!”

She takes a step back as suddenly, the screen lights up, as well as the control panel! A vibrant display of colour forms an elaborate spinning pattern across all the keys that Emilia finds herself mesmerized by for several seconds. After admiring the rainbow display (and ensuring she hasn’t inadvertedly started a chain reaction leading to an explosion) her gaze rises to the screen, which on closer inspection seems to be displaying…

Well, Emilia couldn’t read it.

“It seems my hypothesis was correct though, at face value it has a really similar function to Subaru’s cell phone…”

The biggest issue now was finding a name to give these objects when asking Subaru about them. ‘Girl statues’, ‘Clicky case’ and ‘Big cell phone’ would have to do for now with her minimal understanding.

“All of these machines, the ‘cell phone’, ‘television’ and whatever this thing is are so similar to what I’ve heard about metia. But if there’s no magic in this world…How do they function?”

Needless to say, letting her childlike curiosity run wild was doing wonders for taking her mind off her anxieties.

The next fifteen minutes were similarly spent roaming the bedroom and digging through Subaru’s belongings to see what modern technologies may be hidden within or alien equivalents to items that already occurred in Emilia’s own world.

“What does this thing do- Wah!”

She yelps as a desk fan whirs to life and sends a small gust of cool air straight at her face.

“Subaru pressed this button last night- Ooh, wow…”

Artificial light suddenly fills the room, the origin point a glass bulb hanging from the ceiling.

“What could be in- Oh. Well, even in my own world I don’t think this would be any of my business…”

She mumbles, a faint blush lighting up her cheeks as she closes an underwear drawer.

“I’m sure Subaru wouldn’t mind if I just examined a couple of his belongings, right…?”

…

…

…

Before she knew it, Emilia was sat in the middle of the room, various mundane objects strewn across the floor. To the half-elf from a comparatively low-tech world, this room was a treasure trove of advanced, inconceivable technologies and convenient upgrades to items she was already familiar with.

“A pen with all of its ink stored inside of the pen itself…?”

“That spinning thing actually has a pleasant cooling effect, now that I notice…”

“A wooden sword? Maybe Subaru really is practicing to be a knight…”

“Tick, tock, tick, tock…I’m not sure what this thing does, but it’s a calming sound.”

She  certainly wasn’t being inconspicuous. Emilia’s discomfort at borrowing someone else’s lodgings for a night seemed to dissipate from her newfound obsession with foreign objects.  Granted, an intrigue in the unknown was a trait she already had in her own world, but this was something else, to say the least. She would have to make sure to tidy up before she left-

“Goooooood morning, Emilia-ta-!“

The door suddenly opens.

She yelps and promptly shifts her gaze over her shoulder to meet Subaru’s sly expression.

“E-Emilia-tan, poking through a guy’s personal effects sends a certain message, y’know…”

How was Emilia going to explain herself out of this one?

Many ‘sorry’s and ‘I can explain’s later, Subaru’s room was tidy once more.

The boy’s reaction was far better than Emilia expected. He didn’t even seem to mind the dirtied pillow case – he just smiled, asked no questions and promptly replaced it with a clean one.

“Don’t worry about it, Emilia-tan. I bet I’d be the same way if I got transported to your world, heh.”

He shoots her a thumbs up and bares a toothy grin after setting one of the ‘girl statues’ back on the shelf. Notably, he was wearing different clothes this morning – perhaps they’re his own pyjamas? On close inspection of his shirt, there seems to be a graphic of…

A dragon?

So did they exist in this world as well?

Of course, Emilia had never even seen a dragon in her own world. She was well aware of the story of “The Dragon”, as it was intrinsically tied to her fate as a royal candidate, and the creature depicted on Subaru’s shirt seemed to match descriptions and illustrations she had seen…

“In fact, I think this is an opportunity to start getting you accustomed to this world!”

Following the boy’s lead, Emilia resigns herself to ask about dragons at a later point.

Now, Emilia’s next order of business – getting washed. She made a point to quickly rinse her face off in the sink (After being shown how a mono tap works) to get rid of the flakes and grime from last night’s crying. Whether Subaru didn’t notice or was just being kind by not asking, she wanted to hide that weakness as soon as possible.

She was just finishing up when Subaru returned to the bathroom with a couple of towels.

“Alright, Emilia-tan.” He explains as he sets the towels in her outstretched arms. “The bathtub basically works the same way as the sink so…Uh, yeah-“

He awkwardly sidles away and makes for the door- “Just yell if you need any help-!”

“Subaru.”

-But is stopped in his tracks by Emilia’s words.

“I’d like to have someone to talk to.”

An intense blush takes over the boy’s face.

Truth be told, among the many other things Emilia struggled to grasp in socializing, ‘decency’ was one she only had a basic understanding of. Her first clear memories were of waking up in the snow of the Elior Forest, completely nude and sat before her cat spirit companion, Puck – so, not a great start to her social graces.

She understood the concept, anyway. Sort of. She does recall on one of her first days in the Roswaal manor, being scolded by Puck for casually striding out of the large bathhouse without even putting a towel on.

“Lia, don’t you think you’re forgetting something?”

“Hmm…Ah! I didn’t wash behind my ears, right?”

“Lia…”

A faint smile finds its place on her lips as she reminisces.

So, maybe it was a little unfair on Subaru to put him in this situation-

“It’s a damn lucky thing that my dad’s at work and my mom’s gone to the convenience store, y’know…”

-But, even with her exciting spelunking through a young adolescents personal effects, Emilia still felt the weight of her anxieties in her mind. To sit in a tub all on her lonesome with nothing but her thoughts for company…She knew she wouldn’t be able to stand it.

“I’m sorry, Subaru…And thank you.”

The short silence that follows only adds to Emilia’s self-loathing. With Subaru sitting on the floor outside the bathroom, averting his eyes to the best of his ability while calling through the creak in the door for conversation, she isn’t able to get a read on his mood from his facial expression.

“It’s a pretty crazy to question to ask, now that I think about it,” Subaru exhales, resigning himself to make the most of the opportunity to chat, “What do you think of…Well, this world?”

…

…

“I miss home.”

“Ah, yeah-“

“Not that your world is bad or anything!” Emilia interjects to continue, “Everything is so clean and well kept, especially in your home. I’ve always been the curious type, I think, so I love exploring new places. And you and your family have been so kind to me…There’s only one other person who’s ever shown me kindness like you have, Subaru.”

“Huh…”

A sigh escapes Emilia’s throat. “I miss him.”

Another pause follows. Emilia takes the time to open a bottle of what she assumes is the shampoo Subaru pointed out to her and lather her hair…Needless to say, it’s a much different experience to washing than she’s used to. The shampoo itself has a wonderfully pleasant scent – like a fruit, but not something she could place a name on. She wonders for a moment if it indeed might be edible with how pleasing the aroma wafting from her hair is…

Fittingly in time with her running her fingers through her silver hair, Subaru asks,

“Why was there only one person in your world who was nice to you?”

Ah.

She figured this question might come up at some point, but she wasn’t sure if she was prepared to talk about it yet.

Does it really matter if people in this world learn about her history and cultural taboo?

Well, that wasn’t really the problem…

It was just a painful subject.

But…

“Okay, Subaru. I at least owe you my trust…”

“Nah,” the boy retorts, “You don’t owe me a thing, Emilia. If it’s none of my business, it’s none of my business.”

Well, she had to tell him now.

After taking a deep breath to gather herself, Emilia exhales.

“Four hundred years ago, a very evil woman named The Witch of Envy destroyed half of the world.”

“Ah-“

“She hurt so many people, and even after a sage, hero and dragon fought her tirelessly, she still lives on to this day.”

“I s-“

“People say she doesn’t know how to communicate with others. They say she’s never experienced love for how awful she is. Even saying her name can make people feel uncomfortable or outright frighten children.”

“Wh-“

“She is the most vile, despicable villain to have ever existed. Fear continues to grip our nation simply because of the fact she lives on, sealed away in a forgotten tomb where she belongs. If there were ever an act that could bring joy to others, it would be her death.”

Emilia lets out a long-winded breath to gather herself.

“She’s a silver haired half-elf…Like me.”

It was…Strange to talk like this about the taboo nature of her appearance.

In the context of Emilia’s world, knowledge of the Witch of Envy – Satella was so commonplace and second nature, just the sight of Emilia’s visage was enough explanation for anyone she happened upon. She couldn’t hope for any of her words to reach the hearts of anyone, so more and more as she integrated into society, she just…

Didn’t.

It was regular practice for her to hide her face with magical means. Being scorned by others was a norm for Emilia not unlike…Breathing, or blinking. It wasn’t something she or anyone else had to think or talk about, it was just…The natural reflex of the world.

To be in a position where she could and had to explain this, let alone being able to have a conversation with another person in the first place…

It was…Surreal.

“I think you’re pretty as hell.”

“Huh?”

After all that, that was certainly the last thing Emilia expected to hear after such a long, awkward silence.

“Like, really pretty. Beautiful, even. And cute!”

Emilia finds herself at a loss for words.

“Seriously. When I look at you – Which I’m not right now – I see the cutest girl I’ve ever met and probably ever will meet.”

An intense flush takes over Emilia’s face. She growls Subaru’s name out of embarrassment and…Confusion.

“Sorry.” He amends himself, “I’m crap at complimenting girls, I know. I guess…I just wanted you to know there’s more than one guy who sees how awesome you are.”

But why was that? Emilia had done nothing but take advantage of Subaru’s hospitality while doing nothing in return for him, not to mention the fact that the two barely knew each other.

“No, no, don’t apologise. I’m sor-“

She lets out a sigh, berating herself.

“Thank you, Subaru. For everything…”

Emilia could hear a faint, yet distinct gasp escape the boy’s lips.

Another silence follows, during which Emilia slides herself further down the bathtub, lowering her upper body. Shutting her eyes, she dips the back of her head into the water, drenching her silver locks and turning the once clear water murky with shampoo as she rinses her hair out. Her ears submerged beneath the surface, she can only faintly hear Subaru call out “I’ll be back in a minute” and lets out a quiet hum in acknowledgement.

And then…

Silence.

She lay like this for several minutes, losing herself in the pleasant feeling of her body submerged in soothingly hot bathwater. In terms of the bath itself, it couldn’t compare to the master bathroom of the Roswaal manor, which was constantly kept to a perfect temperature through use of magic fire crystals (as well as extremely careful engineering, considering the explosive nature of the gems.)

But, saying that, even with the tension Emilia felt bearing over her since coming to this world…There was a certain pressure not present that she regularly felt in the extravagant Roswaal Manor. Thinking on it, she comes to a conclusion as she raises herself to sit up straight once again.

Water trickles from the strands of her hair, making a thousand tiny splashes in the tub as she speaks beneath her breath.

“Subaru is…Honest with me.”

She still felt a discomfort due to several factors, and she still wasn’t thrilled about going along with the elaborate lie to his parents, but the first person she met in this world wore his heart on his sleeve. His up front compliment earlier…Emilia wasn’t sure how to react. It wasn’t that she disliked it, it was more along the lines of…

She didn’t think that someone who could be so kind to her who wasn’t Puck could exist in the first place.

Roswaal, Ram and Rem were polite and amicable during her stay, but there was always a certain…Distance. She hoped she’d at least be able to make friends with the twin maids, but it was as if the maids just doing their job named Ram and Rem were completely separate entities to the individuals Ram and Rem, and not once had Emilia ever had the opportunity to meet the latter.

Of course, she already knew this. Puck was very good at reading people and warned her well ahead of time about the untrustworthiness of those three, but still…

She had just hoped that by being herself and being friendly, those barriers could be broken.

“Always the optimist, Lia” as Puck would say.

But Emilia didn’t feel this emotional distance in Subaru.

She…Liked it.

Now all that was left was for her to take the leap and accept his kindness wholeheartedly.

She hears the floorboards outside the bathroom creak under Subaru’s footsteps, though notably she doesn’t notice him take his seat beyond the slightly agape door again. A minute later, and she suddenly hears…Sizzling? As if something were on fire?

“Subaru?!” She exclaims, clumsily climbing to her feet in the smooth, slippy bathtub-

“Nah, nah!” He responds assuredly, his voice reaching from what must have been the kitchen, “Don’t worry about it, Emilia-tan! Just makin’ bacon!”

‘Bacon’?

Just what was that boy doing out there…

Well, before she could find out, Emilia still had the rest of her body to clean up.

Emilia’s hair was very long, to say the least, with how it reached all the way to her lower back, so it took quite a while for her to dry it all – a fact Subaru seemed thankful for, as it gave him time to practice his first time ever cooking…And go through several strips of burnt bacon in the process.

Of course, Emilia never saw those failed experiments, as Subaru had already eaten the evidence, leaving only a plate full of greasy, filling breakfast before Emilia as she takes a seat at the dining room table just outside of the modest, compact kitchen. She takes a moment to take in the scent of the meat: So this is bacon?

“It smells very smoky.” She absent-mindedly mutters, her mouth beginning to water. It seems in all of her stresses and anxieties, Emilia neglected to think about just how hungry she was.

Having just finished cleaning up the frying pan, Subaru takes a seat opposite Emilia. “So you guys don’t have animals like ours? Pigs, cows, chickens…”

In line with her sheer hunger, Emilia had already begun to stuff her face before Subaru even finished his sentence. “Mm-mm,” She hums a negative tone, “I don’tch know wha thoshe are…”

Her tastebuds seem to be moving slower than her stomach, because she suddenly feels it: a wave of pleasant flavour filling her mouth. Wow! Generally speaking, Emilia wasn’t much of a meat-eater. It was certainly the toughest part of a meal for her – quite literally speaking, so she often found herself cutting her meals into tiny portions just to manage all the chewing required.

But this was…Very different.

“Thish ish sho nishe, Shubaru…”

She ravenously tears through three strips of bacon, splits the fried egg in two with her cutlery and downs the lot, before deciding to take her time with the slightly burnt toast.

“Damn…To be honest I was a little worried, Emilia-tan.”

“Hm?”

Subaru waves his hand dismissively, averting his gaze to the side. “Nothing, nothing. Looks like I made breakfast just in time!”

“I guess I was really hungry.” Emilia carefully bites into the slice of toast, holding it in such a way to ensure the inevitable crumbs fall on her plate. “I wasn’t really thinking about it with…Everything going on.”

“Heh,” Subaru chuckles, “So…How does Earth food compare?”

“It’s very…Soft, easy to eat. In the house I lived in, when we were served dinner the meat would be very tough and difficult…I never realised you were such a skilled cook, Subaru.”

Subaru chuckles awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head. “Ahah, well…”

Emilia was of course, unaware of modern food processing. In her world, many things are still done by hand – Harvesting, cleaning, preparation, cooking and so on. This presented many more opportunities for human error, and made the preparation of food a skill that required much more trained hands. A memory sticks out in her head of her first day in the Roswaal manor, and her introduction to the twin maids who oversaw it in their master’s absence…

“Roswaal-sama, Honoured Guest, welcome home.” The twins speak in unison with a monotone voice.

“Ah, Emilia-sama. Allow me to introduce you. Ram and Rem are my faithful servants, and will provide you the same excellent treatment and loyalty they have always shown meeeee.” Roswaal extends his final vowel, raising his tone slightly towards the end.

“H-Hello, it’s nice to meet you. I hope we can be good friends.”

Both maids simply tilt their heads forward in a respectful bow, their lips maintaining a neutral expression.

“Ram is the elder of the two, so naturally it would be best to approach her with any concerns first and formost.”

“Thank you, Roswaal-sam-“

“However!” The eccentric lord of the manor interjects his pink-haired servant, “She is also very laid-back and prone to making mistakes, yeeeeees? While it may be best to address her with your troubles, Emilia-sama, you can expect Rem to be at your beck and call.”

As if this had been rehearsed several times over, the younger of the two maids with blue hair and opposite bangs steps forward.

“Yes, Emilia-sama. My older sister’s talents are best used elsewhere in the mansion, so I will handle many of the day-to-day tasks on her behalf.”

 “Indeed. Now, on that note, Rem, would you please show Emilia-sama to her bedrooooooom?”

With a silent nod, the younger maid beckons for Emilia to follow. Taking the que a second late, the half-elf mouths an ‘oh!’ in realisation and trails behind her.

The corridor through this wing of the mansion seemed to stretch for miles, and Emilia started to feel a slight discomfort at the lack of conversation. She had never met another woman before, so she only ever had herself as a reference for many things – appearance, voice, height…She even sometimes wondered if her pointed ears were a trait of her gender, rather than her race.

“I promise I’ll do my best not to be a burden to you or your sister, Rem-chan.”

Emilia's choice of nickname gives the slightly shorter girl pause.

"I'm sorry." Emilia retracts herself, "I heard that was a friendly nickname, so I wanted to try it out..."

"...No, it's fine." Rem shakes her head. "Roswaal-sama views you as a superior, thus so do my sister and I. You may refer to me however you wish, Emilia-sama."

The girl’s fast intake of the complicated social standing between Emilia and the lord of the mansion was astonishingly in sync. Emilia required quite the extensive explanation of societal structure and some base level political teachings for her to understand Roswaal’s intense respect of her.

“I’m sorry, Rem. I haven’t met very many other people so I know I’m not very good at this. Either way, I promise to do my best and contribute to everyone’s efforts here.”

Rem simply hums in acknowledgement, her neutral gaze pointed forward.

The memory from one year ago seems to end there in Emilia’s mind, as the rest of her first day in Roswaal manor turns into a blur.

As she reminisced, Emilia’s eyes must have noticeably glazed over. Suddenly realising this, she shakes herself out of her daydream and presents a smile of gratitude to Subaru.

“Thank you for breakfast, Subaru. You’ve already done so many nice things for me without asking for compensation…”

The boy waves his hand in dismissal.

“Seeing your pretty eyes light up is plenty compensation, Emilia-tan.”

“It just makes me feel so guilty, because I know I’m going to ask for your help again…”

By now, Emilia has finished her breakfast entirely. Subaru collects her plate devoid of everything except breadcrumbs and sets it in the sink as the conversation continues.

“Right. We’re gonna investigate how to get you home.”

Emilia hums in agreement, a hint of shame on her face as she averts her eyes.

“It’s supposed to be my responsibility, and if I do get home there’s no guarantee I’ll be able to repay you…”

Subaru chooses not to respond to Emilia’s lamenting, and takes his seat opposite her again.

“Well, every good investigation starts with getting dressed, I’d say.”

He was of course, pointing out the obvious fact that the two were still in their pyjamas. Well, in Emilia’s case they were borrowed from Natsuki Naoko. Speaking of whom, she still hadn’t returned…But thinking about it, the ‘convenience store’ was a little bit of a walk away, so maybe it was to be expected she would be out for a while.

Subaru continues.

“It might draw some unwanted attention if you go out wearing your admittedly awesome medieval fantasy outfit…Do you mind borrowing more of my mom’s clothes, at least for now?”

While Emilia already had a pretty good impression of the clothing in this world (the soft, fuzzy material of Naoko’s pyjama pants felt particularly pleasant on her skin) she felt guilty at the thought of borrowing even more of the Natsuki family’s possessions. There was also the fact that her robes she wore had a certain…Sentimental value to her. The garment was more or less the only thing she brought over from Lugunica, as Ram had been minding her supplies and belongings during her fateful day out in the Capital.

She nonetheless opts to trust Subaru’s judgement, and nods her head with an approving smile. “Okay.”

It was really quite fortunate for Emilia that she and Subaru’s mother were such a similar build and body type. After neatly folding her borrowed Pyjamas on her borrowed bed in Subaru’s room, changing into her borrowed clothing was effortless - It was a far cry from the meticulous measurements and days of waiting for the sewing of her outfits in the Roswaal manor.

That was of course, to say nothing of how comparatively plain the choice of attire Subaru had picked out for her was. As she slips into a simple white low-cut t-shirt, puts her arms through the cozy, cream-coloured cardigan and finally puts on a lengthy, comfy skirt that reaches her knees, she’s left with a sense of…Humbleness.

In some sense, it reminded her of the clothing she clumsily sewn herself when she lived in the Elior forest. Or rather, it was a feeling she lost when her clothes were meticulously designed, crafted and prepared specifically for her. She recalls Rem’s indepth explanation of such…

“Emilia-sama, I hope this garment is satisfactory.”

Emilia shifts her body and turns her neck to peak over her shoulder, looking over the extravagant white and purple robes she’s just changed into.

“They’re very comfortable! And they fit really well…With my old clothes I had to tighten a rope around my skirt to make sure it didn’t fall down, and sometimes if I were moving around too much my shirt would slip off…”

Rem gives the girl a puzzled stare.

“In any case, Roswaal-sama specifically wanted to play to your natural appearance with this garment. He paid special mind to the colour and length of your hair, as well as your amethyst eyes when deciding a colour scheme.”

To Emilia, who’s only concern was making sure Puck wasn’t scolding her for accidentally exposing her chest or some such, much of that talk about fashion went over her head.

The plain appearance of the attire she was wearing now gave her a certain…Homey feeling.

Satisfied with the fit, she finds the collar accessory mixed in with her usual clothing. While the purple accents on it might’ve clashed with the rest of her outfit, the brilliant green gem at the front of the collar has an obvious sentimental value to her. She grips it tightly and presses it to her chest.

“I’m doing okay, Puck.” She whispers, “I’ve met a really nice person, and he’s going to help me find a way home.”

Finishing her short ritual with a longing sigh, Emilia puts the accessory on, and presses her fingers to the gem once more.

“I’ll find a way back to you, somehow…”

Giving herself one last look over to make sure she had put these clothes from a different dimension on properly (she didn’t want to take any chances,) Emilia exits Subaru’s room, and meets him in the main room of the house.

“Gosh, Emilia-tan…Do you look stunning no matter what clothes you put on?”

The boy in question had also gotten himself ready for the day, and was back in the black and yellow outfit he had been wearing last night (a “tracksuit” as he had called it.)

“Huh? ‘Stunning’? But you’re able to move around just fine, Subaru…”

His obvious flirt either accidentally or willingly ignored, Subaru lets an awkward chuckle escape as he leads Emilia to the front door.

“So, my thoughts were to trace your steps. Maybe if we go to the street where you first showed up in this world, we’ll find clues.”

It was about the only place to start, really, so Emilia couldn’t argue.

“Mm.” She hums in agreement, “I’m not very observant, so it’s possible I missed something when I was panicking last night.”

The two come to the genkan, where their shoes are stored. Miraculously, even Naoko’s shoe size was close enough to Emilia’s to be comfortable, so for the time being she would have a loan of a pair of the older woman’s slip ons.

As Subaru ties his laces, he continues.

“After that, in the case we can’t find a way to easily go back to your world, we’ll need to figure out a long term plan for where you’ll be staying.”

Technically, Emilia was only supposed to be staying at the Natsuki household for one night, then move onto her so called ‘accommodation’ that didn’t actually exist.

“I can sleep outside, if needed.” Emilia offers a less than ideal solution. “I used to camp out on some nights when I lived in the forest, so I’d be used to it…I guess it would just be a little lonely.”

“No way,” Subaru protests, “Do you know how many creeps and dangerous people roam the streets at night? I can’t put Emilia-tan in that kind of danger.”

Standing up, Subaru quickly checks through his pockets, making sure he has everything for the day ahead.

“We’ll figure something out, I promise.”

Emilia nods, accepting the boy’s determination.

And then…

Subaru opens the front door, and the morning light spills over her.

And Emilia’s first day in another world begins in earnest.

Chapter Text

The drink known as ‘Coffee’ was the newest addition to the list of discoveries Emilia was making today.

Well, that and this contraption called a ‘vending machine,’ inside of which was, according to Subaru, many varieties of hot and cold drinks to choose from. Through a glass pane taking up the upper half of the machine, Emilia can indeed see many containers with colourful illustrations on them of fruits, logos and more ‘Japanese’ that she couldn’t read.

She watches in curiosity as Subaru inserts some coins (it was good to know the concept of currency was consistent across universes) into a slot on the beverage filled machine and, after some rumbling caused by the inner machinations, she’s startled by a large ‘thump.’ Subaru grins at the little jump she does, before retrieving two metal cans.

“They’re pretty cool, huh? Easy and convenient, and no awkward social interaction required!”

Subaru’s adverse comment on meeting other people confuses Emilia. While she too was socially awkward, and struggled to understand the subtleties of conversation, she always relished the opportunity to improve her skills even if she stumbled.

Subaru grips the metal can tightly and digs his thumb underneath some kind of latch atop the can-

Click! Tsss…

The metal suddenly snaps, and an opening from which to drink from is formed as a distinct hissing sound follows.

“Wow…What was that?”

Subaru shrugs, and hands her the opened can of ‘coffee.’ “Air pressure or something.”

A vague explanation, but an explanation nonetheless. Emilia accepts the beverage – it’s comfortably warm to the touch, so much so she forgets for a moment she’s supposed to drink it. Subaru repeats the process with his own drink (the click of the metal again startling her) and takes a sip.

Holding the can in both hands (both out of unease at trying such a foreign beverage and also the soothing heat warming her hands), Emilia carefully brings her lips to the opening and tilts the can forward…

“Mm?”

She makes a distorted face at such a strange flavour.

“Ahah, so you guys don’t have coffee in your world?” Subaru grins.

“It’s very bitter! Although, it’s no comparison to Ram’s ‘improvised tea.’”

Ah yes.

It was an oddity of the Roswaal mansion Emilia and Puck always noticed, but no one else seemed to acknowledge.

Put simply, the elder ‘head maid’ Ram was undeniably less talented at her job compared to her younger sister, so much so that it was blatantly easy to discern who had done the cleaning that day, who had made the beds that day or who had prepared dinner.

The intensely bitter flavour reminds her of something…

“Emilia-sama, my sincerest apologies. We are out of the usual tea leaves for today, so while my sister is making an emergency visit to the village to restock, I have improvised an alternative for your morning tea.”

“Ah, it’s okay, thank you very much, Ram.”

By this point, Emilia had been staying at the Roswaal manor for several months. Her early days of awkwardness were well past her, as she had settled into a comfortable, if still distant relationship with the twin maids.

It was nigh impossible to strike up a conversation with either of them (though Rem usually seemed more willing to take time out of her day for a chat), so Emilia still knew very little about their history, hobbies or anything beyond their professional roles within the mansion.

While Rem may have been more willing to socialize, the older maid carried a far more confident aura. She was prone to striking a cocky grin as she presented the fruits of her labour, or sneak a sarcastic remark into her etiquette which, at first set Emilia on edge, but over time she grew to enjoy it as a ‘sign of life’ of sorts in the typically monotone maid.

Emilia brings the porcelain cup to her lips without really thinking, and takes a careful sip of piping hot tea-

“Mmnph!”

Her face distorts as she’s caught between spitting the putridly bitter liquid back into the cup and forcing it down.

“Emilia-sama?”

Her good manners gaining the better of her good judgement, an audible ‘gulp’ signals Emilia found the strength to withstand the unpleasant tea. On closer inspection, the bitter drink swirling in the cup is a distinct…Brownish green colour, and not at all appetizing to look at.

“It’s very…Bitter.”

She swallows several buildups of saliva in an effort to rinse her mouth of the taste.

“My apologies, Emilia-sama. I had hoped copious amounts of milk and sugar would offset the bitter flavour of Roswaal-sama’s preferred tea leaves, as I’m aware you prefer a sweet drink.”

Setting the cup back on its saucer on the table, Emilia clears her throat. Just what kind of fortitude did Roswaal L. Mathers’ tastebuds have to endure this overwhelming tea?

“I think I’ll just wait for Rem to return…”

Emilia takes another sip of coffee, one that she has a far better reaction to.

“I think it might’ve just been because I didn’t know what to expect, though....”

She takes another sip.

“I usually only like sweet or mild flavoured things…”

Another sip.

“Like…Fruity stuff, for example.”

Sip.

“I guess I’m the type to put a little extra sugar in my tea, as well.”

She happily brings the drinking hole of the can to her lips again.

“But it’s really not so bad. Definitely a little bitter, but it’s a nice aftertaste…What’s it called again?”

“Coffee.”

Subaru says that with a noticeable smirk on his lips. Emilia hums in acknowledgement, before downing a big gulp of her newfound obsession. By the slight pout she forms with her cheeks, it’s evident that she’s already glugged down the majority of the can.

“E.M.C…”

So Subaru mutters beneath his breath, stifling a chuckle.

Though, it’s not a comment that goes unnoticed by the caffeine heightened senses of Emilia.

“You say a lot of strange things, Subaru. What does that mean?”

“Oh, er-“

Clearly not having planned for himself to be heard, Subaru stumbles on the spot.

“Emilia-tan, Major Coffee-addict, or…Emilia-tan, Major Cutie, which one do you prefer?”

“I am not an addict!” Emilia promptly ignores the second option with her lips forming another cute pout, “It’s just…A very unique flavour, so I’m trying to understand it.”

In jest, Subaru speaks to himself aloud.

“I wonder if Emilia-tan wants to sneakily have some of mine…But wait-! Wouldn’t that be an indirect kiss!?”

Punctuated with a fake gasp of terror and widened eyes at his own audacity, Subaru feigns an attempt to hide another laugh.

“Absolutely not.” Emilia shakes her head, “You bought this one as a gift for me, so I’ll accept it – to try and steal some of yours would be incredibly rude.”

Having dodged two of Subaru’s attempts at flirting in rapid succession, the young man relents and the two walk the suburban street.

“You showed up not far from where I first met you, right?”

“Mm.” Emilia hums in affirmation, “Near the uhm...Convincing store.”

“Convenience store.”

“Right, that.”

Subaru corrects her, a grin on his face. Meanwhile, Emilia thoughtfully holds a finger to her lips as she ponders something.

“On that note, Subaru. There’s a lot of things I’m really amazed by in this world, and I’m hoping you can explain some of them to me.”

The boy suddenly raises a fist to the air triumphantly.

“Yes! I’ve always wanted to have some cross-cultural education with someone from an isekai fantasy world!”

“R-Right...So,” Emilia takes that as an admission, and clears her throat. “There’s a lot of nifty contraptions in your world, and they remind me of devices we have in mine...But those devices run on mana. But, if there isn’t any mana in this world…”

“Nobody really says ‘nifty’ anymore...Anyway.”

With a confidence that he expected this sort of question and had prepared an explanation beforehand, Subaru clears his throat continues.

“It all started when Thomas Edison invented the lightbulb...Well, it probably started before that, but anyway...Electricity! It’s pretty awesome. I bet you guys haven’t harnessed electricity yet, huh?”

“Electricity? Do you mean when lightning strikes during a storm?”

Subaru shakes his head. “I guess that’s a no. Anyway, I’m no engineer or anything, but we use electricity to power a bunch of stuff. Then, in the 1960’s some guys way smarter than me found out you can carry electrical currents through silicon and use it to store information! And thus, cell phones, computers, and other wild inventions."

‘Way smarter than me’ was the prevailing comment, here. To begin with, Emilia’s expertise in the technology of her world was limited to ‘if it isn’t obvious, it probably runs on magic’ so she wasn’t sure where to even start on this one. She nonetheless nods her head, accepting that terminology like ‘silicon’ and ‘electrical currents’ could be researched later.

“Anyway, that’s how we power a lot of stuff in the modern age, with electricity. Like the TV, my cell phone, artificial lights, my computer…”

“I...See.”

Emilia’s puzzled response makes it clear she hasn’t really received the answer she wanted, but she opts to continue the conversation from another angle regardless.

“There’s another thing, I want to be able to study the new and amazing things I come across, but…”

“But…?”

A faint blush of shame takes over her face.

“I can’t read any writing, here...So I was hoping maybe you could...Teach me?”

Subaru grins devilishly.

“I get to be Emilia-tan’s Japanese teacher? Uh, yes please? Man, the only way this could get any better would be if you called me Subaru-sensei.”

Emilia gives the notion a moment of legitimate thought, before gently nodding her head.

“I guess that’s only fair, I would owe you the respect of a teacher after all, Subaru-sensei.”

“I was kidding! Kidding!”

Subaru’s face positively lights up, a fact he tries to hide by pressing his palms to his cheeks and turning his head to the side. Seemingly gathering his composure, he lets out a gentle sigh, before turning back to face his companion.

“Jeez...Gonna make my heart stop dead at this rate, Emilia-tan. Come to think of it...Hm.”

Emilia watches patiently as the young man holds his chin in thought.

“I just sorta realised how strange it is that we both speak the same language, and yet you can’t read our writing system.”

“Mm, yeah...”

To begin with, Emilia was still a bit shaky with her literacy, even in her own world.

She had no memories of her childhood, but she assumed she must have learned most of her writing and communication ability when she was young since, on waking up in the frozen wasteland of the Elior forest, she was easily capable of communicating with Puck and any others she sporadically happened upon in her travels.

Saying that, though, on coming to the Roswaal manor, it eventually came to light that her comprehension and vocabulary weren’t up to the standards of someone of her physical age.

“Emilia-sama, Rem and I have finished grading your literacy test.”

The twin maids stood in the doorway to Emilia’s private quarters, having just politely announced themselves with a knock on the door and a courteous introduction. In Ram’s hands was a small stack of paper that she presented to Emilia during the maids’ approach.

“Oh! That’s great, Ram. How did I do?”

“…”

“…”

Both Ram and Rem hesitate to respond. Emilia gives them a concerned look and opens her mouth to speak, though she’s a fraction of a second too late before Rem follows up.

“...Just below a passing grade I am afraid, Emilia-sama.”

“Oh.”

The blue-haired maid continues, taking a step forward to emphasize her point.

“But I don’t think there is any need to be discouraged, Emilia-sama. My older sister and I will be happy to help you catch up.”

Nodding, Emilia gives the girl a smile – though, her disappointment is clear in her eyes.

“I think that would be great, but...I thought I was at least good enough for a passing grade…”

“It is to be expected, Emilia-sama. Due to the issue of your amnesia, we cannot be certain as to how long you’ve spent outside of modern society. My sister and I have both noticed this in-”

Ram cuts herself off, hesitating to speak further. Emilia holds her gaze expectantly, waiting for the pink-haired maid to finish.

“...Your outdated lingo and terminology.”

“There sure is some weirdness not typical to your average isekai fantasy here, huh…”

Subaru ponders aloud.

“Usually the language barrier is non-existent for the protagonist's convenience, but it couldn’t be a coincidence that we share a spoken language and not a written one…”

Thinking about such questions really didn’t matter to Emilia in the grand scheme of things and in fact, if she were thinking practically, she really shouldn’t have been bothering to devote time into understanding this world. After all, the goal that the two were setting out to accomplish today was to find a way to transport her home, right?

“Anyways, let’s see how our investigation goes today.”

Emilia nods at Subaru’s suggestion. By now, the duo have crossed the boundary of the suburb Subaru’s home is located and passed into a more centralized area. The half-elf is once again astounded by the comparatively massive buildings that comprise this area of the city - She wonders how something so tall can possibly stay upright all the time, or not sink into the ground from the sheer weight of its own structure…

“Wow…”

Taking some pride in his own universe, Subaru plays off of Emilia’s amazement.

“Modern construction practices are pretty cool, huh?”

“I can’t believe people can live in places so tall,” She nods, “The biggest building I had ever seen up until now was the mansion I lived in, and that was only…Four storeys. I think I’m getting vertigo just from here!”

It was inconceivable to Emilia how someone could comfortably live so high up off the ground. Of course, to her, up until a year or so ago, the tallest thing she could imagine was a very aged tree, and naturally she wasn’t expected to reside atop one of those for very long outside of foraging for fruits or sticks and leaves in the case she needed to build a make-shift shelter for the night.

So even the Roswaal manor was an intimidating structure to her, and during her stay she often preferred to stick to the bottom two floors. There was always a certain anxiety in her mind – ‘What if the floor collapses?’ ‘What if there’s a fire and I need to quickly escape?’ - that compounded with her social awkwardness and the unnerving effect that the lord of the mansion had on her to ensure that she never truly let her guard down in the Roswaal manor.

“But, even in the village…”

She whispers that thought to herself quietly enough that it isn’t heard by Subaru.

Naturally, a quiet, small scale hamlet was perfectly suited to one so afraid of scale such as Emilia, not to mention her naturally humble outlook on life gelling well with the simple existence of a small, tightly knit community.

But, as she had explained to Subaru earlier, integrating into any society was next to impossible to Emilia due to her unwarranted association with ‘The Witch of Envy.’

“Just for the sake of information gathering, could you give me the rundown of events leading up to you being isekai’d?”

“Isekai’d…?”

Subaru had said that term a few times now so at this point, Emilia could safely assume it had something to do with her transportation to this world. She holds her chin as she gathers her thoughts, before nodding.

“I was in the capital city of my country for the day, and I was exploring when I technically wasn’t supposed to be…”

“Oooh, Emilia-tan the rebel…”

She brushes aside Subaru’s comment and continues.

“Anyway, a thief suddenly pickpocketed something very important to me and ran off. I managed to chase her to her hideout, and I was trying to tell her to give it back to me, before…”

She nods her head, affirming that that is where her understanding of the situation ends.

“I see, I see...Did anything out of the ordinary stand out? Maybe the thief had set a trap for you?”

“It’s possible...I’m really not sure, though. It didn’t seem like she expected me to catch up to her, so I don’t know if she would’ve had time to set a trap.”

In all fairness, it wasn’t likely that many would’ve been able to keep up with that spry girl. Her agility was unlike anything Emilia had ever seen, being able to effortlessly scale walls and leap from building to building in her evasion of Emilia. More than likely, the half-elf would’ve lost track of her easily without the assistance of Puck.

“If it was her hideout, though...Maybe she had friends watching her back? Ah, maybe ‘friends’ is too nice a word...Cohorts.”

Subaru’s comment was certainly an apt way to describe a thieving ring, though even if the thief did act immorally, Emilia didn’t feel comfortable attributing such negative terminology to her.

“There was a large, elderly man as well. At first, I thought he was a bartender, but he seemed to be protecting the thief. I don’t think he did anything, though...He didn’t attack me, he was just prepared to protect his friend.”

Emilia had never seen such a giant of a man before, nor such a giant of a weapon being wielded. The crude yet unimaginably heavy and definitely powerful club was likely a weapon only its equally crude and powerful owner could wield effectively.

“Hm, Hm...So there aren’t any obvious culprits.”

Subaru exhales, having racked his brain as much as he can for the moment with such limited information.

“Well, hopefully we’ll be able to find more clues as we explore the point-of-isekai- Ah, speaking of I think that’s the convenience store over there. And-”

A figure could be seen daintily walking down the street, one that Subaru initially paid little mind to. In an instant of closer inspection, he recognized them as-

“Ah, it’s my mom.”

He raises his hand in a wave to greet his mother as she approached, a bright smile on her face. Naoko likely would’ve returned the gesture, were her hands not pre-occupied holding a pair of plastic shopping bags.

Emilia too raised her hand in a wave, far more enthusiastically than her companion and with a bright smile on her face.

She only got to briefly talk with Natsuki Naoko last night, but it was a comforting conversation nonetheless.

“Subaru, could you hold these bags for me for a moment?” Is the first thing Naoko says on reaching speaking distance with the two.

“Wow, mom.” Her son responds sarcastically, “We could’ve had something really urgent come up and that could’ve been why we came looking for you, and the first thing you ask is for me to handle your errands for you?”

“Mm.” She responds positively, presenting the boy with the somewhat weighty bags that he ultimately yields to and accepts. “Thank you, Subaru. You wouldn’t mind carrying them the rest of the way, would you?”

“You said ‘a moment’!”

“Mm.” Naoko repeats her positive response, to which Subaru rolls his eyes. Emilia unknowingly grins at the familial banter happening before her, a gesture Naoko takes notice of and snickers to.

“I certainly wasn’t expecting to see the two of you here, though. Is your accommodation this way, Emilia?”

In response to her lie entering the conversation, Emilia by reflex runs her fingers through the sides of her hair in an effort to make sure her pointed ears are covered.

“Er, well, Y-Yes-”

Subaru further confirms the bogus story, nodding his head as he speaks. “Yeah, I’m just making sure she doesn’t get lost along the way.”

“Ah.” Naoko nods, accepting the cover story. “So...Not a date?”

“We aren’t on a date!”

She covers her lips in a fake attempt to mask her laughter at her son’s flustered reaction.

“Oh, that’s good to hear. I was worried I might’ve made this very awkward for you by asking you to carry the shopping home while you were out with your friend.”

“Well, now that you’ve outright said it, it’s very awkward thank you very much!”

Emilia giggles to herself at the two’s back and forth, a reaction even she finds quite strange.

She quickly regrets drawing attention to herself like that, however.

“Ah, Emilia, I wanted to mention...Why are you wearing my clothes?”

Darn you, Subaru.

It was an awkward conversation, but Naoko seemed to accept Emilia and her sharing clothes for the day.

“I mean it’s not so weird, right? Girls share stuff all the time.”

“Oh? Is that right, Subaru? Well in that case, I think boys need to do some sharing as well. You wouldn’t mind buying an early lunch for the three of us, would you?”

“It’s only 10am and we already had breakfast! Also, I’m carrying your shopping bags as is so I’ve done my good deed for the day!”

Of course, Emilia voiced her opinion that she wouldn’t have minded having another meal, and Subaru’s tune promptly changed.

She was still very hungry, to be fair – not that she didn’t appreciate Subaru having made breakfast earlier, but all of her stress throughout last night really did take her energy away.

Granted, even in her own world, she always looked forward to her meals. While Ram and Rem would often have their meals separately, the fact that they stood ready in the dining hall to meet any requests presented an opportunity for conversation.

“Roswaal-sama, Emilia-sama, today I have prepared a roast with a selection of vegetables to choose from.”

So said young Rem, setting the various dishes across the table before her superiors. She brandishes a kitchen knife sat on the tray, and begins cutting into the steaming, mouthwatering meat that is the centerpiece of the meal.

“Emilia-sama, concerning the Royal Election...”

Roswaal begins his professional update with an imposing tone.

“Various officials will be visiting over the course of the next few weeks. I trust Ram and Rem have been ensuring you’re ready to meet with them?”

“A-Ah, yes. Yeah.” Emilia nods her head, “We were just studying the history of the covenant with the dragon yesterday, and Ram says we’ll be rehearsing a script on how to speak with any officials, soon.”

“Excellent. Most likely I will be able to handle most of the talking as I am your sponsor, but it never hurts to be over-prepared rather than undeeeeeeeeeer, yes?”

As the two speak, Rem fills their plates with cuts of meat and various vegetables, starting with of course Roswaal’s meal, before graciously presenting the lord with his dinner, then moving onto Emilia.

“Emilia-sama,” She inquires, gesturing towards the freshly cooked meat, “How much would you like?”

“Oh...Just a little bit, please. I’m really not much of a meat-eater…”

She still wasn’t used to be served like this. It didn’t feel natural to have someone else provide your food quite literally on a silver platter, in due part to her humble nature but mainly because of her lifestyle she had been used to up until this point.

In the forest, Emilia’s daily routine typically went as follows: Wake up, get dressed, tidy her living quarters, forage for berries and fruits in the trees and bushes, gather firewood, before returning to her tree-home to relax, chat with Puck, and practice various essential skills her surrogate father would educate her on, like simple writing and mathmatics.

Barring her teachings and emotional support gained from Puck, it was a very self-sufficient existence, and one that Emilia grew to prefer more and more as she felt herself gradually becoming more of a bother to the residents of Roswaal L. Mathers’ mansion.

“Ah, I think you would be missing out, Emilia-samaaaaaa.” Roswaal interjects as he cuts a second piece of meat from his helping, “This roast is clearly your handiwork, Rem, wonderfuuuuuuuuuul.”

“Thank you, Roswaal-sama. I would never have been able to cook it so well without my sister’s expert advice and direction.”

“You sell yourself short far too oooooooften, Rem. Don’t you think so, Emilia-sama?”

With a hint of discomfort at commenting on someone else’s personality (especially while they’re present,) Emilia nods her head. “I think you’re very talented, Rem! You’re really good at cooking and cleaning, so good that sometimes I wish I could have the chance to help with some of the chores...But you always get them done before I can even think about it.”

Refusing the compliment, Rem responds in her usual monotone voice. “Thank you, but it is only with my sister’s observations that I’m able to work with efficiency.”

The maid sets Emilia’s meal on the table, before taking her place at Roswaal’s side.

“Are there many sushi restaurants overseas, Emilia?”

“Sushi-?”

In her unpreparedness, that question spurs Emilia from her thoughts.

“Uh...N-No, I don’t think so. I’ve never had it before, anyway.”

Naoko gives her a quizzical look as the three wait to be seated in an establishment so far removed from what Emilia expected from a restaurant.

Of course, she had never really dined in a public space before in the first place. Her meals were always provided to her by the twin maids, and the mere thought of exposing herself unnecessarily in public presented many difficulties, both due to her taboo nature and the political complications of her standing as a royal candidate.

Thus, she was forbidden from straying too far from the Roswaal manor unless accompanied by Ram, Rem or Roswaal himself. What limited freedoms she did have however, she did take advantage of as much as possible – Usually through regular visits to the nearby village to interact with locals (whilst wearing a magical cloak woven by Roswaal himself to conceal her true identity, of course.)

Of course, her decision to sneak away from her guide, Ram, during the two’s visit to the Capitol made a showing of just how vulnerable she really was…

A young woman standing behind a counter near the entrance way that the three are seated in calls out:

“Number 387!”

“Ah, that’s us.”

Naoko and Subaru stand up, with Subaru wordlessly motioning for Emilia to follow suite, his gaze pointed elsewhere.

What was happening now? Wanting to avoid making a scene of herself, however minor, Emilia complies and rises to her feet. She follows the attendant and both Natsukis through the restaurant, until they’re presented with their table.

“Please enjoy.” The attendant says with a smile, before tilting her upper half forward in a slight bow, not unlike the gesture Emilia often saw the twin maids perform.

The three take a seat, Subaru and Emilia on one side and Naoko by her lonesome opposite them.

Looking around the restaurant's setup, several things fall in line with Emilia’s expectations: There are of course, other customers sat at other tables down the aisle, though its a sparse population, likely due to how early in the day it still is. With this in mind, it’s a surprisingly quiet environment for such a public space, though the sounds of cooking and cutlery can still be heard coming from what can be assumed to be the kitchen.

One detail in particular catches Emilia’s eye several times, or rather, it causes her to noticeably jump in reaction. Periodically, maybe every thirty seconds or so, a plate of food suddenly wooshes past her on some kind of conveyor system to one of the other tables!

Naoko doesn’t seem to take notice at least, as she’s busy gazing at some kind of device that Emilia assumes runs on electricity, like Subaru explained earlier.

“Mm...Hm. Are you much of a fish person, Emilia?”

The older woman absent-mindedly asks as she runs her finger along the screen of the device, which on closer inspection Emilia comes to understand is a menu, just based on the pictures of food accompanying the illegible text.

“I don’t think I’ve ever eaten fish before, hm...I lived very far away from any big bodies of water, so we never really got any seafood.”

Her incriminating use of past tense that Naoko doesn’t seem to pay much mind to aside, Emilia couldn’t recall ever seeing, let alone eating a fish. She had read about certain varieties of life that dwell in lakes and ponds, like the Pardochia Fatty Bass, a fish native to the northern, frigid regions of Gusteko. Its namesake originated from the impressive ratio of fats in its body in comparison to its size, a feature it likely developed to cope with the incredibly cold climate of its homeland.

Emilia, however, had no visual reference what creatures dwelling in the water could look like, let alone how they could taste.

“I really like vegetables, though. I think that’s a safe bet for me.”

Bearing this in mind, she opts to stick to what she knows with her suggestion.

“Mhm, mhm, got it.” Naoko elegantly taps the screen several times until she’s satisfied with her selection, before teasing her son in her motherly way. “And I think I already know what you’d like, Subaru.”

“…”

“Subaru?”

His gaze is fixated...Somewhere, his eyes narrowed as he intently focuses on something neither Emilia nor Naoko can recognize as being out of the ordinary when they turn their heads the same direction.

Emilia gently rests her hand on his shoulder-

“Bwuh-!”

He shakes himself out of his trance, giving both girls quite the shock.

“Uh- Yeah, salmon I guess- S-Sorry.”

Shifting in his seat to properly face his mother, Subaru presses his palms against his eyelids to wake himself up. “Yeah, uh...Pass the tablet here, Mom.”

Taking the ‘tablet,’ he runs his finger along the screen and taps several times, before seemingly settling on a decision and handing it back.

Both girls look at him, concern in their eyes.

“Is everything okay?”

Naoko asks that, her eyebrows softening and any semblance of previous mockery evaporating from her tone.

“Yeah, yeah. Sorry, I just thought...Thought someone was calling my name, was all.”

Subaru rubs the back of his neck awkwardly. “Heh, I got kinda scared someone from middle school was here and recognized me.”

“I’m sure they’d be very jealous of you, Subaru.”

Accepting her son’s A-okay, Naoko winks teasingly, a gesture Emilia fails to pick up on.

“Don’t even go there, Mom. If I were taking a girl on a date, I wouldn’t be taking my parents along as well.”

The older woman presses the tips of her fingers to her lips, stifling a giggle. Emilia can only tilt her head, the word ‘date’ going completely over her head as she cocks a smile to play along with the jovial conversation.

Naoko gives the ‘tablet’ one last look over before, with a satisfied grin, makes one final tap and sets it back on the far end of the table. “There we go then, Conveyor Belt-san will deliver us an early lunch soon.”

Naoko’s comment (and odd decision to grant an honorific to an inanimate object) affirms Emilia’s suspicion that this highway of plates travelling back and forth on her side was how your food would be delivered.

A few seconds of silence follow. Subaru’s gaze once again trails off, his attention diverting to a place only he could see...At least, that was the explanation Emilia would go with.

“Is this your first time visiting Japan, Emilia?”

“Mm.” The undercover half-elf nods in response to Naoko’s question. Being that it isn’t technically a lie (though it isn’t the whole story, either,) Emilia feels confident in answering. “I’ve never been before, so a lot of things...Even this restaurant for example, are really strange and different to what I’m used to.”

“Ah.” Subaru’s mother pauses for a moment, before nodding in understanding. “I imagine I would feel the same way about a lot of things in America.”

Having no inclination as to what this nation she now comes from (according to her cover story, that is) called ‘America’ might look like, Emilia simply nods, maintaining her neutrality.

…

…

Subaru continues to uncharacteristically stay silent.

“Do you like to visit lots of places abroad, Emilia?”

“N-No, no. This is my first time, I think.”

The next conversation already off to a rocky start, Emilia continues.

“I mean, I usually stayed at home where my father took care of me.”

It wasn’t entirely untrue.

She did of course, omit the part about the twin maids taking care of her every inconvenience, but between daily studies Emilia would more often than not spend her time in Roswaal Manor in her bedroom, talking the hours away with Puck.

“Oh?”

Her answer seems to intrigue Naoko, who raises her eyebrows as if to silently ask further. When no further elaboration leaves Emilia’s lips however, she simply nods.

Minutes pass.

Emilia’s gaze wanders.

Subaru is still completely engrossed in something at the far end of the restaurant, but again as Emilia looks for it she only sees the staircase that the three entered the building from.

A little girl sat at a table opposite theirs is staring at her. Emilia awkwardly smiles, and the little girl smiles back, before tugging on what could be assumed to be her father’s sleeve. “Dad, look how pretty that lady’s hair is!”

Emilia gently giggles to herself at the amazement from such a cute little girl, a compliment Naoko follows up on.

“Your hair is very beautiful, Emilia.”

“Ah, ahah...Thank you. My father helps me with it usually, so it’s very messy today now that he isn’t around.”

She once again checks to make sure her ears are covered as she speaks, a gesture that can be easily explained away as a simple nervous tick.

“It sounds like you get along really well with your parents.”

“Mm.” Emilia nods. “Well, it’s just my father, really. I bet he’s so worried about me, ahah…”

Naoko chuckles along, her eyes briefly turning to her son with a soft hint of sadness in them before she continues the conversation.

“That’s good to hear, that just means he cares, after all.”

Emilia hums in agreement and her thoughts trail off once again.

…

…

What was Puck doing at the moment, anyway?

Emilia had noticed it already, but the meaning only dawned on her this morning.

The brilliant green gem on her collar accessory, a symbol of her life-long contract with the little spirit was still well intact.

So, the two were still linked. It’s a realisation that calms Emilia’s nerves somewhat, and she does her best to hide a deep exhale of relief at the thought of it.

But still.

He must be worried sick, right now. Where would he even begin to look? What would his initial reaction have been when Emilia suddenly dissapeared in the first place?

Suddenly, Subaru, sat on the outside seat, stands up.

“I’m just getting some air.”

“Oh.”

Emilia didn’t mind being sat with just Naoko, as the kind-hearted woman had already unintentionally eased some of her anxieties – but, it was quite strange how abruptly he announced his leave.

“...Well, alright.”

His mother seems ready to protest, but ultimately relents. “Make sure you come back! Remember, you’re paying!”

“Yeah, yeah…”

And with that, Subaru makes his way to the stairs out of the basement floor restaurant, a noticeable haste in his step.

Naoko follows him with her eyes until he’s out of sight, concern covering her face that she tries to hide with a roll of her eyes.

“I certainly hope he isn’t always this much of a handful around you, Emilia.”

“N-No,” The half-elf shakes her head, “At least, I don’t think so...He’s very relaxed in comparison to a lot of other people I’ve met.”

Again, not technically a lie, but was it really fair to compare Subaru to the drastically different background Emilia’s previous acquaintances come from?

There is of course, Roswaal L. Mathers, a very important and very rich individual with a long and respected family history.

Ram and Rem, his twin maids, expertly trained in the art of service and dignity.

And, lastly, the Great Spirit of the Forbidden Library, a young girl Emilia seldom met. Based on initial impressions however, she gathered that Beatrice was similarly dignified.

In comparison, Subaru carried a far more simple aura.

With the distinct sound of ceramic rattling about, several plates suddenly arrive via the conveyor belt positioned beside the table, giving Emilia a mild jump.

“Ah, there we go.”

With her nonchalant expression, Naoko collects the plates and sets them on the table.

“Cucumber and avocado for Emilia, salmon for Subaru, and eel for me.”

Giving her meal a look over, it was yet another delicacy Emilia had never seen before. At first glance at least, the ingredients weren’t so foreign: rice, and vegetables native to this world, how bad could it be?

“Ah, Emilia…”

Searching the table for some cutlery, Emilia looks to Naoko.

“How are you with chopsticks?”

Emilia was, to put it politely, not very good with chopsticks.

She had certainly heard of them, and it was intriguing that the exact same concept was present in certain cultures in her own world, like Kararagi.

In any case, after struggling to wrap her brain and fingers around these simple wooden sticks, Naoko eventually requested a fork from a member of staff, and Emilia was able to have her lunch with dignity intact.

“Mmm.” Emilia hums approvingly as she chews the clump of rice and vegetables known as sushi. “Food here is so tasty…”

“Hehe, I’m glad to hear it. I sometimes hear that a lot of foreigners are put off by Japanese food, but…”

Pausing to choose her words carefully, Naoko continues.

“Well, let’s just say I’m not a fan of overly greasy burgers.”

Not knowing what a ‘bagah’ is, Emilia does her usual response of smiling and nodding to keep up her act.

“But, that Subaru…”

Naoko’s eyes shift to the empty seat beside Emilia.

“At this rate, I’ll have to steal his...And we still need someone to pay the bill, don’t we?”

“I can go check on him, maybe he’s just a little tired?”

Naoko has a look on her face as if to say “No, let me,” but she ultimately nods her head.

“Please, if you could. Somehow I wonder if he’d prefer…”

“…?”

“Never mind, sorry. Please make sure Subaru is okay, Emilia.”

Sidling across the long seat, Emilia climbs to her feet and, after gathering her bearings of the establishment, locates the staircase to street level.

The restaurant has grown slightly more crowded in the twenty minutes the three have been here, but she’s nonetheless able to squeeze past anyone in the somewhat tight aisles with little difficulty. As she climbs the stairs, she’s able to recognize Subaru’s distinct black jacket and pants even from behind, and softly calls out his name.

“Subaru.”

...No response.

She reaches the top of the stairs, and tries again.

“Subaru.”

…

“...Emilia-tan?”

Having gotten an answer to her call, she breathes a sigh of relief.

“Mm, yeah. Is everything okay? Your mother is very worried, you know…”

“Wh…”

He still hasn’t really turned around to face her, so Emilia opts to scoot around herself to meet Subaru’s eyes head on.

“You’re acting very str-”

“-!!!!”

A loud shriek bellows from Subaru as he locks eyes from Emilia, and several gazes of passers by on the street turn to find the source of the disturbance.

He gasps, and fights to catch his breath amidst what seems to be a panic attack. Emilia takes a step back, caught completely off guard by such a sudden outburst.

“S-Subaru!?”

She quickly rushes forward again to rest her hand on his convulsing back, still desperately wheezing and coughing to stabilize his breathing.

“Subaru, what’s wrong!?”

Beads of sweat trail down his forehead, and a panicked shriek dominates his frantic breaths.

Finally, after what feels like eons, he weakly raises his head to meet Emilia’s frightful eyes.

“E-Emilia.”

“C’mon, let’s go back in. I think you need to sit down…”

Her heart racing, Emilia’s first priority is to get the young man back to his mother. This situation was quickly spiralling out of territory she could comfortably handle.

“W-Wait, Emilia, there’s something…”

“…?”

He stands up straight and takes in a deep breath, having seemingly composed himself. His eyes narrow into a determined gaze that meets Emilia’s, and he opens his mouth to speak.

“Just now, Emilia, someone who looke-”

“-!!!!”

He clutches his chest in pain, growling and gasping in agony once again.

Panicking more and more, Emilia feels just about ready to scream to the heavens for help...At least if Naoko hears, maybe she would be able to handle this…

Finding his composure again, Subaru slowly begins to relax his muscles, never letting go of the tight grip on his chest.

“Subaru.”

He looks left and right, as if looking for someone.

In amidst quickened breaths, he coughs out a statement.

“I think this is where you first appeared in this world.”

Chapter Text

“-ove you.”

“…?”

…

…

A new sensation tip-toed on the fringes of Natsuki Subaru’s subconcious.

He saw himself wandering an empty existence, a black mist rolling through and obscuring everything.

That was how he would’ve described it, anyway.

It’s sorta surreal and impossible to put into a visual reference, though.

Like...Your brain is just a big system of electrical impulses all working together to process information your senses like sight, smell and touch all take in into an understandable context. Not to mention the abstract nightmare of describing what the sensation of thought itself feels like. Computer and video game analogies were Subaru's forte, but even he couldn't oversimplify that element of human biology.

This was different to that, though.

Like...That process, but in the opposite direction.

He saw himself inside the neurons of his own mind, and that in turn was a result of him seeing himself inside the neurons of his own mind, which was converted into understandable information by the information gatherers like his eyes and nose, so that he could see himself physically manifest inside the neurons of his own mind.

Maybe this was how he always felt?

Yeah...Maybe it isn’t so new.

Maybe this is...How every person feels, like, inside their head.

I mean, I’ve only got myself as a reference.

Pfft. How stupid can you get, Natsuki Subaru.

Did you seriously just forget how to formulate your own thoughts?

…

…

...

“-Please-”

“-ive me-”

“-Love y-”

Someone is here.

Can you hear that, Emilia-tan?

“Are there many sushi restaurants overseas, Emilia?”

“Sushi-?”

Sushi?

Oh, that’s right.

I’m buying sushi for everyone.

I hope Emilia-tan likes it.

I wonder what kind of food they have in an isekai fantasy world.

“-ov--y--u--lo--you--”

…?

There’s someone else here.

“I lo—u--”

Do you guys hear that?

“Su-----ru--”

“S--baru--”

My name.

Who’s calling my name?

Is it someone I know?

“I’m s--rry--”

God damn, what the hell is wrong with my ears.

...I kinda hope we don’t find anything today.

“L-L-L-ove y--”

…

Someone is here.

Who are they?

Is it someone I know?

God, I hope it isn’t.

“--ease forg--me--”

Oh, we’re walking again now.

Maybe I’ll find the source of that voice in here?

…

…

I hope Emilia gets to stay here.

An isekai fantasy girl…

I’m friends with an isekai fantasy girl.

A majorly cute isekai fantasy girl.

“I love you.”

…?

Eh?

It wasn’t that employee…

It wasn’t Emilia-tan.

It wasn’t Mom, thank god. That’d be embarrassing.

“Please, forgive me.”

God damn, it’s hard to see.

When did it get so foggy?

“...Subaru?”

It’s so damn noisy, too.

Everyone shut up for a second.

EVERYONE SHUT THE HELL U-

“Bwuh!”

WHO THE HELL IS TOUCHING ME GET AWAY FROM ME

O-Oh, it’s just Emilia-tan.

And Mom, too.

“Uh- Yeah, salmon I guess- S-Sorry.”

What’re you guys looking at me like that, for? Can’t you hear…

…?

“Yeah, uh...Pass the tablet here, Mom.”

What do I want, what do I want, hm, hmm, hm, what do I want

“-Want you.”

Ah there’s that friggin’ mist again.

Salmon, salmon, yeah that’s what I said, let’s go with that, whatever, who cares

You’re both still freakin’ staring at me like I’m losing it.

…

“Is everything okay?”

...Losing it.

Loser.

“Yeah, yeah.”

Yeah.

“Sorry, I just thought…”

“-ove-”

“Thought someone was calling my name.”

“-----baru----”

Who the hell is calling my name.

...Who cares.

Better question is why

Who cares enough to call my name.

Someone outside is calling my name.

“Heh, I got kinda scared someone from middle school was here and recognized me.”

Pfft.

Like anyone would devote the precious brain cells to commit my existence to memory.

“I’m sure they’d be very jealous of you, Subaru.”

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

“Don’t even go there, Mom. If I were taking a girl on a date, I wouldn’t be taking my parents along as well.”

“—Please---et---see---you--”

Huh?

I’m starting to think this is more than just my own stupid voice in my head.

“--ust once--”

Think about something else.

Emilia-tan.

Where should we go on our first date?

Well, assuming we don’t find a way to get her home.

…

...God I hope we don’t.

...Asshole.

I’m an asshole.

Well, this isn’t a date, that’s for sure. Doesn’t count, Mom’s here.

“—PLEASE LET ME SEE YOU PLEASE LET MY LOVE REACH YOU LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE PLEASE--”

“___________”

“___________”

“I’m sorry.”

…

…

Jeez, fine.

Dunno what you think I’m gonna see, though.

“I’m just getting some air.”

“Oh.”

Yeah, it pains me too, Emilia-tan.

Stupid Subaru Head Voice won’t shut up, though.

“...Well, alright.”

Thanks for your permission, mother.

Alright, let’s see what this stupid crap is.

Excuse me.

Sorry.

Lemme just squeeze past here, thanks.

‘Scuse me.

Blegh, stairs…

Already did my workout for today.

Gotta build up those muscles for Emilia-tan.

Yeah, just watch. Gonna up it to...One-fifty reps a day.

Work on my sword skills some more. She’s from an isekai fantasy world, so I bet she’ll approve.

And it all starts with these damn stairs.

…

…

...

Yeah.

See?

Just a crowded street.

Thanks, brain. Here’s the morning rush hour for you. Satisfied?

Now-

…

H-Hey.

Whoa, hey. What...The hell is this.

“Ah…”

“...”

"I got to see you..."

"..."

“I love you.”

...

Is anyone else seeing this?

Emilia.

…?

Emilia?

"I'm sorry."

...?

"Please, forgive me."

Sorry...?

“I’m sorry. Please forgive me. I’m sorry. Please forgive me. imsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorry imsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorry imsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorry imsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorry imsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorry”

Emilia.

Emilia.

Weren’t you…

How did you…

Never mind, what is…

What’s wrong?

“thisisntwhatiwantedthisisntwhatiwantedthisisntwhatiwantedthisisntwhatiwanted”

N-No, Emilia, it’s okay. We’ll find a way for you to get home, I promise.

Here, take my hand.

It’s okay.

Just you watch, Natsuki Subaru will-

“—HGK-”

“Ah…”

“I…”

whatishappeningwhatishappeningwhatishappeningwhatishappeningwhatishappeningwhatishappeningwhatishappeningwhatishappeningwhatishappeningwhatishappeningwhatishappeningwhatishappeningwhatishappeningwhatishappeningwhatishappeningwhatishappeningwhatishappeningwhatishappeningGET AWAY FROM ME GET YOUR DAMN HANDS OFF ME EMILIA THIS IS NO JOKE WHAT THE H-

“Subaru-kun.”

STOP

STOP IT

LET GO

LETGOLETGOLETGOLETGOLETGOLETGOLETGOLETGOLETGOLETGOLETGOLETGOLETGOLETGOLETGOLETGOLETGOLETGOLETGOLETGOLETGOLETGOLETGOLETGOLETGOLETGOLETGOLETGOLETGOLETGOLETGO

breathing down my neck cold hands clutching my shoulders gentle lips whisper in my eardrums

“I love you.”

…

…

...

I can't feel anything.

Is time still passing?

...

...

...

"Subaru."

...

...

"Subaru."

...

“...Emilia-tan?”

Emilia-tan.

“Mm, yeah. Is everything okay? Your mother is very worried, you know…”

EMILIA

EMILIA

EMILIA HOW DARE YOU TALK TO ME LIKE THAT AFTER-

“Wh…”

STOP DON’T COME ANY CLOSER DON’T LOOK AT ME WITH THOSE EYES

“You’re acting very str-”

“AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!”

i’m scared

imscaredimscaredimscaredimscaredimscaredimscaredimscaredimscaredimscared

HELPICANTBREATHEHELPICANTBREATHEHELPICANTBREATHE

GO AWAY

DON’T-

“Subaru!?”

Subaru.

Subaru- kun.

“Subaru, what’s wrong!?”

..

…

…

…

…

Hn.

Wh-

Emilia.

It’s Emilia.

Emilia…

It’s just Emilia-tan.

“E-Emilia…”

Emilia.

“C’mon, let’s go back in. I think you need to sit down…”

Wait, Emilia.

Can’t you see…

Oh.

She’s gone.

…

“W-Wait, Emilia, there’s something…”

This has to be important.

Need to tell Emilia.

“…?”

Think.

ThinkthinkthinkthinkthinkthinkTHINK

what was it

what happened

who

“Just now, Emilia, someone who looke-”

…

“Shhhhhh.”

Wait…

Hey, wait a second.

This is no joke.

Do you hear me?

Sto-

“-!!!!!!!!”

SHARP FINGERS TICKLE MY HEART CAN’T BREATHE GOING TO DIE GOING TO DIE GOING TO DIE

I’M GOING TO DIE

I DON’T WANT TO DIE

EMILIA PLEASE SAVE ME

SAVE ME

PLEASE

"I love you."

“-!!!!”

...

WHERE

WHERE ARE YOU

where…

gone.

I can breathe.

I’m alive.

I’m alive…

“I think this is where you first appeared in this world.”

I’m alive.

Chapter Text

“Emilia-sama.”

It had been roughly two months since Emilia arrived at Roswaal L. Mathers mansion to stay during her campaign as a candidate for the royal selection. During that time, she had been exposed to many new and exotic societal norms she never got to experience while living as a nomad in the frigid, remote Elior Forest.

It’s strange. As she looks back on it, those two months seem like a much longer period of time than they actually are.

“I have news you should find most exciting, Emilia-samaaaaa.”

On a day not particularly exceptional or important in itself, Emilia was sat at the extravagant table in the dining hall of the mansion. She sat opposite the far end of the long table to the lord of the manor himself, Roswaal L. Mathers, his maids Ram and Rem stood by his side should he have any requests.

Her breath hitches slightly at Roswaal’s conversation starter.

While she did have legitimate enthusiasm for her role as potential king of Lugunica, and indeed had a set of principles and ideals she wished to promote throughout the country, her primary reason for such a drastic shift in her life was unimaginably smaller in scale.

A simple promise, but an important one nonetheless.

Her eyes widen as she looks to the clown-faced lord with a face of expectation.

“...You have been accepted to partake in the royal selection.”

She releases a baited breath she never realised she was holding. Maybe, just maybe...She had hoped.

“Oh, I see. That’s...Good, right?”

“Indeeeeeed. Emilia-sama.”

Roswaal holds his thoughts in deliberation as he elegantly sips from his glass of wine, before raising his heterochromic eyes back to the half-elf opposite him.

“In roughly two months, we shall attend a ceremony in the Royal Capitol in order to introduce you to Lugunica, more specifically the Council of Elders.”

In reflex, she gulps down her anxieties.

“Oh.”

Roswaal hums in contemplation, a devilish smirk forming on his face.

“Hmm. I worry I may have frightened you, Emilia-samaaaaaaa.”

“A little bit…But…”

She takes too long to finish her response, and Roswaal’s conniving tone interjects from across the room.

“Ah, but there is nothing to be afraid of, Emilia-sama. Just as with everything, I will do most of the talking, and Ram and Rem will do their utmost to ensure you’re well prepared for your role in all of thiiiiiis.”

Emilia had yet to visit the Royal Capitol. She had certainly heard and read many things: the sprawling streets filled with endless waves of other people...A societal hub, within which all walks of life across Lugunica would gather.

Her heart raced from the thought of a visit to nearby Arlam village. How would she be able to cope being surrounded by so many people at once? Let alone having to address herself in public, a skill she had no experience in whatsoever.

She simply hums in agreement, unable to properly articulate her feelings on the matter.

“Good, good, Emilia-sama. Everything will work out according to plan, yeeeeees?”

Roswaal seems to be speaking to himself just as much as he’s speaking to the anxious half-elf across the table.

“...Will people in the capital be afraid of me like the villagers in Arlam?”

Emilia asks that, her voice quivering somewhat as a sad gaze forms in her eyes.

“...I would expect a similar reception.”

Emilia wasn’t happy with this, not one bit.

“Subaru, I still think you should go home and rest for a while.”

Natsuki Subaru seemed to have had some kind of...Panic attack all of a sudden, and Emilia was severely lacking in context as to why, to say the least.

“No, we can’t. We might not get this chance again…”

The two returned to the sushi restaurant after calming down, and were able to put on their best ‘everything is normal’ act as they could for Natsuki Naoko. Despite Subaru mouthing inane ramblings to himself and Emilia’s intense discomfort, the older woman seemed to accept it.

So, early lunch proceeded as normal. Sort of.

Once the two were on their own, Emilia knew she had several questions for her companion’s shocking behaviour, but for the moment, she kept her smiling demeanor. She was able to deduce that some oddity was affecting Subaru that likely had some relation to her or her world just based on his vague statement.

“I think this is where you first appeared in this world.”

She ponders what that could mean as she bites into her last piece of sushi.

In fact, she found herself so absorbed in her own thoughts, the outside world – which is to say, Naoko, Subaru, and their conversation slowly faded away, turning into...Empty background noise to the main attraction that was her own anxiety.

What on earth could have sparked such an outburst from the otherwise jovial Natsuki Subaru? If his words are to be believed, and something in relation to Emilia is nearby…

But what does that mean? Did she…Inadvertently drag something along with her when she was transported here? Is this part of the spell that sent her here?

...Is someone else from her world here as well?

It certainly wouldn’t be out of the question. The fact she was so seemingly easily sent here in the blink of an eye would imply it’s not as impossible as she originally thought. If someone else from Lugunica currently resided here on “Earth”, then…

That could be very dangerous.

While Emilia lacked the self-confidence to say it herself, she was a kindhearted woman to her core. She wished no ill will on anyone, despite the verbal abuse she regularly endured from those who would see her scorned, harmed or, if Roswaal’s numerous warnings were to be believed, murdered.

“The Witch Cult…”

She had very little knowledge of the loosely organised religious faction naming themselves The Witch Cult, only that they followed a doctrine of worship of the Witch of Envy, as well as…

…

“Oh! Ram, is it your turn to make a supply run to the village? Can I come?”

Emilia had been hard at work these past few days, scrambling to study and prepare herself for the upcoming audience before the Council of Elders in two months. Her evenings felt arduous and yet at the same time monotonous as she revised Luginican history, memorised important figures’ names and rehearsed introductions and speeches.

It all felt so fake and artificial, when all she wanted was to unfreeze the…

Wait, no. She wanted to push her ideals of equality and compassion to the populace. To fulfill her role as the Lugunican monarch.

“...I’m afraid not, Emilia-sama.”

All of that premeditated frustration and boredom made Ram’s rejection sting all the more.

Even if Emilia had to hide her true appearance were she leaving the mansion, even if the one time she showed herself honestly to the villagers of Arlam (without Ram’s permission) she was scorned and forced to leave, even if the fear of rejection gripped at her heart anytime she was around other people…

She loved seeing the simple lives of Arlam’s inhabitants. She loved watching the children play, the adults at work and the elders reminiscing on the past. It was such a peaceful and easygoing existence that every fiber of her being wished she could be a part of.

So, to be denied that opportunity to be a part of that lifestyle, even vicariously…

“Oh...Why is that?”

“Roswaal-sama is concerned for-”

Ram stiffens her lips, cutting herself off as she reconsiders her words.

“It is an urgent visit, and I’m afraid there will be no time to mingle with the locals. Please understand, Emilia-sama.”

Emilia wanted to press the pink-haired maid on what Roswaal was ‘concerned’ about, but in her innocence she accepted the revised reasoning at face value.

But why would someone be targeting her? Even after leaving the Elior forest, she had kept an exceptionally low profile. Roswaal himself had gone to extreme measures to ensure their political activities were done with utmost secrecy; meetings with potential supporters were meticulously planned so as to avoid drawing attention, Emilia was rarely if ever permitted to leave the mansion (and if she did it would be under magical guise to conceal her identity) so as far as anyone outside of the inhabitants of the mansion and the nearby village should know…

Emilia practically didn’t exist to any outside factions.

Even so, the possibility of the conniving witch cult she had vaguely learned of during her time in her world being involved wouldn’t leave her thoughts.

Would they really be targeting her just because of her outward appearance?

It was a baseless accusation, Emilia had no evidence to be able to suggest any one particular group or individual was involved in her transportation to this world. But…

She couldn’t stand not having a reason for being here. Just the thought that she was sent to this parallel world beyond the Great Waterfall for no reason at all – her whole life forcefully abandoned and for what?

For nothing. She had no purpose here.

It was a new anxiety, on top of all the others.

She needed someone to be at fault, all of this...It can’t have been for nothing.

And…

That brought her back to the present moment. She must have been acting on auto pilot these past twenty or so minutes as her mind catches up.

“Subaru.”

She had been following her companion aimlessly these past few minutes. After finishing up in the restaurant, the two parted ways with Natsuki Naoko who would then make her way home, and now she found herself alone with her thoughts as Subaru led her on some….Wild goose chase through back alleys and metropolitan streets.

“Subaru.”

She announces his name again, receiving no response as his gaze intently scans his surroundings as they walk. On the odd ocassion that he turns his head enough that she can see his face, he seems to be...Muttering something to himself, though Emilia can’t make it out over the distant sounds of crowds and those vehicles she doesn’t have a name for.

It went without saying, but Subaru’s behaviour was setting off several red flags. While he had put on a smiling face when seeing his mother off and telling the bogus cover story of escorting Emilia to her hotel, he promptly dropped to an incredibly serious expression when he began his “search” of the local area. Numerous times up until now, Emilia had asked, “What are we looking for?” and received only a vague, disinterested answer along the lines of “Not sure.”

While part of Emilia was overjoyed she had found someone so dedicated to helping her find a way home, at the same time…

“Subaru!”

She firmly takes hold of his arm from behind, bringing the two to a stop in the middle of an alley connecting two main streets. Startled by Emilia’s sudden grasp, Subaru shudders and turns to face her amethyst eyes, his brow furrowed as if he were about to snap at her – an expression that quickly gives Emilia pause as she freezes up on the spot at his glare.

“…”

“Emilia.”

His expression relaxes into a look of relief after a moment, before he stuffs his hands in his pockets and exhales a deep sigh.

“Subaru, let’s just stop for a moment and talk, okay?”

Taking another deep breath after several seconds of deliberation, Subaru reluctantly nods. Emilia exhales similarly, though her sigh is laced with stress.

“Right. Okay. What is going on? What have you found?”

Subaru doesn’t immediately respond. He looks to his left and right and checks his back before returning his gaze to Emilia, chewing his lip in anxiousness.

“I tried to tell you earlier, but I saw-”

…

…

“…!!”

After cutting himself off for a moment, he suddenly grips his chest in pain, growling and swearing beneath his breath. Emilia rushes to his side, resting her hand on his shoulder for support.

“Subaru…?”

She gently whispers in concern as whatever is troubling him seemingly subsides and, after several hoarse breaths, Subaru meets Emilia’s eyes again, a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead.

“...I don’t know.”

He takes a step back, breaking contact with Emilia and leaning against the wall.

“I dunno! Maybe...Gah, maybe it really is nothing. Yeah, that’s gotta be it.”

He stands up straight again and, triumphantly holding his hands to his hips beckons for Emilia to follow him again.

“You’re right, Emilia-tan. I think I’ve just gotta chill out for a while...Er, sorry.”

“Sorry?” Emilia tilts her head, “For what?”

“I guess we didn’t find anything to help you get home, so...Sorry.”

Oh, right.

Finding a way home…

To be honest, Emilia completely forgot. Seeing Naoko, having ‘sushi’, then Subaru’s outburst and her concerns regarding his wellbeing…

It was...

She shakes her head clear of her selfish thoughts.

“N-Never mind that...Are you sure you’re okay?”

Subaru shoots her a thumbs up and a toothy grin. “Emilia-tan’s concern cures any ailment!”

A deep pang of guilt hits Emilia like a truck.

Something had clearly happened that’s bothering Subaru, and it wasn’t a coincidence that it suddenly started here, in the general area she had initially appeared in this world. Should she press the issue further? The boy is clearly concealing something, but…

Maybe now just isn’t the time. Emilia lacked the assertiveness to press Subaru for a concrete answer, and yet at the same time felt an immense responsibility for having put him through so much apparent pain.

An impossible deadlock…

“Subaru.”

“Emilia-tan?”

Having dropped his triumphant pose, Subaru arches an eyebrow at Emilia’s serious tone.

“Please don’t take this the wrong way, because I really want to keep being friends. But...I don’t think it’s safe for you to be involved with me.”

“Emilia-!”

“I’m not saying we should stop being friends-”

Subaru retracts his interjection, exhaling a sigh of relief.

“-I’ve never really had a friend before, so you’re my first...I really like it, even if I’m putting you in danger. It’s really selfish, I know...”

While Emilia had an inseparable bond with her cat-spirit companion Puck, their relationship was closer to that of a surrogate father and daughter and, while she would never for a moment take that for granted, she was at her heart a young woman who longed to expand her horizons and forge new relationships.

She had tried throughout her entire stay in the Roswaal Manor to form some kind of connection with the inhabitants.

Ram and Rem were friendly, amicable, dedicated and...Distant. Emilia hoped with all her heart she could form a meaningful bond with those two – anytime they were in the room, she would try and make conversation, offer to help with the chores and she always relished the opportunity to spend time with them. And yet...It never seemed as though they truly cared, and were only acting within their duties as the household’s maids.

Roswaal himself was a little scary, and Emilia could never find it in her heart to drop her barriers around him. His conversation topics always inevitably steered towards the intimidating subject of Emilia’s role in his plans, or some political update on the Royal Selection. Not to mention Puck’s intense distrust of him...

On the sporadic occasion Emilia even met the Spirit of the Forbidden Library, Beatrice, their interactions never went further than a simple hello, and Emilia got the impression the spirit in the shape of a little girl held a certain distaste for her.

That was what made Subaru so special. In many ways, Emilia felt she could relate to him – a bond she had never been able to form with anyone else, even Puck. She thinks back to when they first met, only yesterday, and his over-the-top act as a ‘knight.’

In many ways, Emilia understood those...Delusions of grandeur.

She was a silver haired half-elf from the middle of nowhere. Her background was in foraging for fruits and nuts in bushes and trees to survive, her knowledge of any academic subjects was limited at best, and her ability to communicate with, much less lead people as a figure of authority was even more stunted.

And yet she was thrust into an incredible position and responsibility. The potential to be king of Lugunica.

Who was she to deserve such an honour? What does a king of Lugunica even look like? How do they act? What do they do?

Even as she watched that royal seal glow at her touch to confirm her qualification, Emilia couldn’t believe that could be her.

In many ways, was she any better than the young man with a dream to be more than what he was.

She nods her head to reaffirm her stance.

“But...Please let me deal with my search to find a way home by myself. I can’t let you be hurt because of my mistakes.”

She was a candidate to rule a nation. She finds herself in the situation she’s in because of her own missteps, her own poor judgment.

What kind of monarch would she be, were she to rely on a boy’s enthusiasm alone to solve her problems?

“But…”

Subaru intently listens. He opens his mouth once or twice to speak, but quickly backtracks the decision to let Emilia continue.

“...Please continue to be my friend, Subaru.”

Even she felt disgust at her own selfishness.

Subaru had done so much for her already, of his own volition – not because he had something to gain from her, or to trick her.

So she denied his desire to help her further.

And yet here she was, picking and choosing what kind of support she wanted from him. She wanted a friend, and yet she didn’t want anyone getting hurt by being involved with her.

...Emilia didn’t want to be alone.

“I really, really like being your friend, Subaru. Even if you say things I don’t understand sometimes, or if you push yourself so much like you have already today. It’s so selfish because we only met yesterday, and you’ve already done so much for me…”

She already got the impression that Subaru wasn’t going to tell her what happened today to bother him so much. But that was okay, at least for now.

...All she knew was that she didn’t want to lose her first ever friend.

Whether it was through him getting hurt, or Emilia being forced to distance herself to protect him, she didn’t want to lose her one and only friend in this vast, frightening world.

So she put forward this arbitrary, half-and-half relationship.

Please be my friend.

But don’t get involved with me.

A gentle breeze blows through the back alley that the two stand in, though thankfully Naoko’s cardigan keeps Emilia snug and warm.

“I still don’t really know what I’m going to do...I know I’m going to ask for your help with other things not related to finding a way home, which is again, really selfish.”

She was after all, still lost in a parallel universe.

She couldn’t read the language. She didn’t have any money, nor a place to stay. She was a half-elf in a world without anyone else of her kind, so she would no doubt draw unwanted attention to herself if she wasn’t careful.

And again, above all else, Emilia didn’t want to be alone.

“But, please, Subaru. Please don’t push yourself until it hurts like you have today. I don’t know what happened, and maybe I never will...And I think that’s okay, as long as you don’t let yourself be hurt for my sake again.”

Silence falls upon the two. Another breeze flows through the alley, ruffling Emilia’s borrowed clothing slightly.

“Please…”

After some deliberation, Subaru says with an affirmative smile:

“...Let’s go on a date, Emilia-tan.”

“Huh? ‘Dayte’?”

Subaru dramatically points a finger towards Emilia, his grin widening as he puts on theatrics.

“I’ll agree to your terms, on the condition you let me take you out on a date!”

Tilting her head to the side, Emilia whispers the foreign word back to herself.

“Date…?”

“It’ll be an official start to our relationship! As friends, with room to grow— But that’s besides the point. We’ll do something fun, something only a man and woman can enjoy together! That is the heart-pounding excitement of a date!”

A faint flush suddenly covers his face as he scratches his cheek.

“Uh, don’t take that the wrong way.”

Subaru’s usual jovial tone gives Emilia pause, though not because she dislikes it. The accidental secondary meaning in his explanation goes over her head, naturally.

“Hm…Something fun...Okay!”

Nodding her head, Emilia agrees to Subaru’s proposal.

“I’ll go on a ‘date’ with you.”

She exhales a sigh of relief. To be honest...She was expecting this to be more difficult. Subaru had every right to be upset, after everything he had done thus far for her…

She makes a vow for herself to never take him for granted, ever.

In his excitement, a gentle gasp escapes Subaru.

“E.M.T…”

He clears his throat, gathering his composure.

“A-Anyway, alright, awesome...But, you do know if you need help with anything, even dangerous stuff, you just need to ask.”

The two begin making their way back the way they came, exiting the back alley connecting two increasingly busy streets. With the crowds growing, Emilia finds herself taking advantage of she and Subaru’s slower pace to walk closer to him, her worry being that the two might separate and get lost in all the people.

“Mm.” She hums affirmatively, “Thank you, Subaru.”

…

“For everything.”

“Puck, what do you think about all of this?”

“...I don’t like it, Lia.”

It was a typical evening for Emilia and Puck in their relatively new home of the Roswaal Mansion. Typical in the sense that this was how they usually spent the end of each day – chatting about the day’s events, confiding in each other’s points of view, or in Emilia’s case, seeking the advice of her surrogate father in the free hours they had before he inevitably had to disappear for the night in order to conserve energy.

Only, both of their thoughts weren’t so typical.

Only hours prior, Emilia had been informed of her acceptance as candidate to partake in the Royal Selection, the conclusion of which would determine the new monarch to rule all of Lugunica.

Lying on her back in her oversized bed with Puck resting atop her head, Emilia deliberates on her situation.

She would be up against four other candidates all competing for the same goal. Crusch Karsten, Priscilla Barielle, Anastasia Hoshin and a fourth, currently unknown rival.

Her days ahead would be spent researching all known information Roswaal L. Mathers, her official sponsor, had gathered on her opponents. In his words, she would need every advantage she could find throughout the entire Selection in order to beat out her competition. She would need to be ruthless, uncompromising, with all her effort – no, her entire being focused on her goal of taking the throne for herself.

But…

“...Mm. It’s a little scary, but I’m going to do my best to be myself and stick to my principles.”

“Lia, with that Roswaal at the helm, I’m not sure that will be an option forever…”

Puck speaks with concern in his voice. He has no desire to ridicule or criticize his daughter’s approach to things, in fact he wishes with all of his being that Emilia could just…

“Save the world with a smile, Lia.”

He quietly laughs, though not out of amusement. Sighing, he continues.

“If only everyone in this world were like you. Maybe we really could solve everyone’s problems with kind words…”

Throughout her studies these past two months, Emilia had learned about many complex issues throughout history. At first, it was difficult to wrap her head around many things. Why do people try and hurt each other? Why do kings hoard wealth for themselves, refusing to share it with the populace?

...Why did the Witch of Envy do the things she did.

Over time, she learned of all these horrid things done unto others throughout history, learned of the unpleasant reality that not everyone always does things because they’re the right things to do. Even now, it was an alien concept she struggled to comprehend.

And, if Roswaal’s words were to be believed, Emilia herself would need to degrade her moral sensibilities in order to succeed in the trials ahead.

Above everything else, perhaps that was what frightened Emilia the most.

She couldn’t understand that line of thinking, it didn’t make sense. Were she to take the throne, she would push her ideals of equality, fairness and the respect of others. What hypocrisy and delusion would it take to be able to abandon her moral code in order to encourage others to follow it?

But, again, if Roswaal is to be believed, such sacrifices of character will be necessary.

She couldn’t expect her rivals to forgo any potential advantages over her.

That too, confused and frustrated her. Would her rivals not be contending against her in order to push their own ideals, and make the world a better place according to their own world view? With that in mind, out of respect for their potential future nation and its people, did they not owe Lugunica respect, dignity and honesty in their practices?

That was what Emilia felt, anyway.

Despite Roswaal’s words, Emilia had no intention to change her principles, the ideals of kindness she believed were present in all walks of life.

In the forest, she occasionally ran into bandits who would try and steal from her or others. She would drive them off – or harm them, should she need to defend herself. It bothered her deeply then, but part of her wanted to believe that people like that were a minority – a tiny fragment of the world’s population, and not at all representative of a common morality.

Sometimes, she met innocent travellers passing through. Every time, she hoped she could be their friend and, every time her hopes were dashed by the curse that was her coincidental resemblance to the Witch of Envy.

Again, she had hoped this was a small minority. Perhaps people lost in the snow grow paranoid and frightened, and it wasn’t specifically Emilia they were shunning.

Those hopes were dashed too, on her first visit to Arlam Village without her magical concealment cloak.

Emilia hums in agreement at Puck’s musings.

…

…

“...Puck, do you regret forming our contract?”

“No.”

His frank and to the point response alleviates a small anxiety in the back of Emilia’s mind.

“It would have been safer for us to stay in the forest. That Roswaal shouldn’t have gotten involved – I wanted to prepare you for the larger world slowly, so things wouldn’t be so overwhelming and scary for you. Here, in this mansion, dealing with all of this Royal Selection nonsense...I think it’s dangerous, and I don’t want to see you hurt.”

“...Mm.”

“But I’ll never leave your side, Lia.”

...

“Never…”

For the moment, Emilia had decided to take her time in this new world.

Her rush to find a way home inadvertently resulted in her first real friend experiencing a great deal of pain.

She didn’t know what caused him such trauma, and she resigned herself to accept his unwillingness to be open about it, at least for now.

It was a difficult decision to make, one she felt a great deal of unease making on her own. Under any other circumstance, she would confide in her surrogate father, Puck, on anything she may have been setting her mind to, and she always felt comfortable in trusting his judgement.

But here, in ‘Japan’, on ‘Earth,’ she found herself having to grow more independent.

It wasn’t that she didn’t trust her new friend, Natsuki Subaru, far from it. Despite only knowing him very briefly, in Emilia’s eyes Subaru had already proven his kindness and dedication to supporting her.

Her unwillingness to confide him stemmed from a feeling she hadn’t really experienced before, at least not to this degree.

Pride?

Responsibility.

Her predicament was her responsibility. It wasn’t fair to place her otherworldly burdens on a simple young boy, and the possibility that something relating to Emilia herself was the cause of his immensely unpleasant experience earlier today…

No more. No one else would be hurt because of her own incompetence.

And yet, her righteous decision making falls apart at her hypocrisy to continue to rely on Subaru for help anyway.

She needed someone to support her. Even in this comparatively peaceful world, Emilia knew she wouldn’t survive on her own, not due to physical danger or lack of ability, but her own peace of mind.

Her reliance on someone she’s only just met creates a certain unease in Emilia’s heart.

Was it really this easy for her to just...Replace Puck?

“No, no, of course not…”

Finding her way back to the life she belonged in was still her priority. Puck, Roswaal, Ram, Rem...Emilia played an important role in all of their lives, and she wasn’t for a moment even going to consider abandoning their trust.

She just needed time. She now realised how serious her predicament was, and that it wouldn’t be solved in one morning. Her lack of urgency wasn’t due to newfound complacency, but a deliberate mindset to avoid any mistakes like earlier.

She would find a way home.

Everything depended on it.

Find a way home...

With her decision to calm down and change her approach to finding a way home to a more long-term strategy, Emilia more than ever needed to learn to understand this world. She did have a slight head-start in the fact she at least spoke the common language of the nation known as Japan, even if the written word was completely different (a detail that continued to perplex her.)

In addition, the support of her companion, Natsuki Subaru alleviated many anxieties in her mind. Their ‘date’ to, in Subaru’s words, ‘seal the deal’ would be postponed to tomorrow, as there were many important issues she needed to resolve.

First and foremost, she needed a place to stay.

“I think I might be able to work something out with my parents for you to stay with us in the long-term, but…”

“We’ve already lied to them several times about who I really am…”

The two were certainly caught in an awkward situation, one they both had been wracking each other’s heads over this past hour, sat in a small park just off of the main street they had been walking.

Subaru holds his chin as he mutters his thoughts aloud.

“Yeah, we did...But, my parents are a bit different to me in regards to views on the parallel fantasy...I mean, even I didn’t believe your situation could actually happen, Emilia-tan.”

Even so, Emilia didn’t entirely agree with that justification. As unbelievable as the idea of being transported across time and space like she had was, she knew she wouldn’t hesitate to be up front about such circumstances to her own parental figure, Puck.

“I still think we should just be honest with them, Subaru. Your parents seem so supportive and understanding, after all…”

He furrows his brow in thought.

“I’ll accept that compliment towards my family. But...I mean, I was planning to, anyway...Eventually. I wanted to ease them into it, y’know? I thought it’d be a better idea for them to get to know you and see how much of an E.M.T. you are, first.”

“Sorry, I’m not sure what you mean by that, but...Does it really make a difference if we tell them now or later?”

Subaru shrugs his shoulders at Emilia’s on point logic.

“Procrastination is every shut-in’s best friend, I guess.”

The two go quiet for several minutes, periodically sipping their second coffees of the day Subaru had picked up before they sat down. Emilia wasn’t entirely sure what Subaru had meant with his last remark, but the last thing she wanted was for this to escalate into a full argument, so she allowed him to think for himself on their conundrum.

Would it really be so difficult to convince Natsuki Naoko and Natsuki Kenichi of the truth of her circumstances? While she hadn’t had the chance to speak with Kenichi very much at all, the impression she had quickly gotten of Naoko was that of a fair, understanding and patient woman. It was also very much evident that the family dynamics between all three Natsuki’s were healthy to the point Emilia felt a sting of jealousy.

Jealousy not only in the fact she missed Puck, but that as far as she was aware, she had no experience in the ‘normal’ family that Subaru had-

Hm.

“Strange…”

Subaru perks his head up at Emilia’s mutterings. “Eh?”

A memory hangs on the side of Emilia’s mind, speaking words she couldn’t discern in a voice she couldn’t recollect, the speaker she couldn’t place a name or face on.

It was similar to the sensation of being unable to remember a specific word, yet it being ‘on the tip of the tongue.’ Emilia noticed anytime the thought or conversation of families such as Subaru’s entered her thoughts, these faint pieces of a memory would again enter the realm of her thoughts. The memory she could never recall knocks on the door of her brain, yet she’s unable to let it in.

“What’s strange?”

And just like that, she lets go of the memory and it fades away, unable to be grasped again until some seemingly arbitrary event triggers it into the fringes of her conscious once again.

Scrambling for a response to Subaru’s inquiry, she casually takes a sip from her pleasantly warm, yet bitterly tasting beverage.

“The, um...Drink. ‘Cough fee.’ It’s still a little strange…”

“Pretty sure most addicts start out apprehensive before they get used to it.”

So Subaru remarks, the corner of his lips forming a smirk.

“Hmph. You’re teasing me again...I’ll prove to you that I’m super-duper good at self-control.”

Emilia’s cheeks form into a cute pout as she scolds Subaru, though the weight of her proclamation diminishes somewhat as she promptly tilts the coffee can back for another drink.

“Super-duper, huh…Emilia-tan is way too young and cute to have learned such an old phrase.”

Their conversation and thus line of thought trailing further and further from the matter at hand, Emilia continues to entertain Subaru’s teasing.

“I’ll have you know I’m very much a full adult, Subaru. In fact, I wonder if you’re even old enough for this ‘coffee!’ I sincerely hope you’re not taking advantage of the fact I’ve never heard of it before to get away with beverages your parents wouldn’t allow you to have…”

“What is this, underage drinking? It’s just coffee, Emilia-tan. Besides...I’m gonna be eighteen this year, so we can’t be that far apart.”

Emilia tilts her head at such a revelation.

“Really? I really thought you were so much younger than that, Subaru.”

“Eh?! How old did ya think I was!?”

Having clearly struck a nerve, Emilia watches as a blush forms across Subaru’s face.

“Maybe...Thirteen? Fourteen! That range. Those funny games you like to play about being a knight-”

“Th-That was just because I thought you were really into your cosplay! I don’t actually go around introducing myself to girls like that…”

Truth be told, Emilia wasn’t entirely certain of her own age. Of course, at face value, she had the face and body of a young adult past their adolescence, but elves and their mixed blood variants such as herself were renowned for living long lives and retaining their youth. With no memories of her childhood or anything further back than her awakening in the Elior Forest, she never had an easy answer for the question of ‘how old are you.’

She holds her index finger to her lips to stifle a laugh, revelling in her companion’s flustered state.

“Hehe...I still don’t know what that word means, but I bet you’ll be more careful the next time you try and get a rise out of me.”

Subaru comically droops his posture in defeat, surrendering to Emilia’s surprising show of wit.

“I never realised Emilia-tan could be so brutal…”

As she giggles to herself, having won this exchange of banter, Emilia realises something.

She had never had such a jovial conversation like this before.

Certainly, she was on more than friendly terms with Puck, but there was a very real sense of...Carefulness in Puck’s demeanour during their conversations. In his role as a source of emotional support and advice to Emilia, there was never really an opportunity for banter and teasing in their relationship.

Which wasn’t to say the two were uncomfortable around each other, far from it. It was just the manner of relationship the two had built into and, being that her bond with Puck was more or less the only meaningful one Emilia had ever formed, this idea of joking and poking fun at someone was a new experience.

“Well, back to the matter at hand…”

The time for joking passing them by, Subaru proposes his thoughts.

“In regards to my parents, what if we frame it as though...Me and you decided for you to stay with us for your stay in Japan, so you cancelled your hotel to save some money?”

Emilia’s brow furrows at the suggestion.

“That would make me seem even more selfish than I already feel…”

With that plan, not only would Emilia continue to take advantage of Subaru’s kindness and hospitality, but Naoko and Kenichi’s as well. And to say she had already overstepped her boundaries, as she looks to her borrowed clothing in frustration, was an understatement.

“Hey, I’ll be taking responsibility for it. If my parents are gonna get mad at anyone, it should be me. It’s not like you’ll be in anyone’s way – you’ll be sleeping in my room, and I’ll make sure to pay for any additional shopping we need to do to account for you.”

“You’re really going to go so far out of your way for me…”

It was another reality check on Emilia’s conflicting opinions of the arrangement. On one hand, Subaru consistently kept going above and beyond for a person he had only just met, and on the other hand, the dishonesty he had to show in order to support her bothered her.

After some thirty seconds of pondering, Emilia reaches her conclusion.

“Okay, I’ll agree to the plan...But my conscience will only be happy if you agree to a condition.”

One condition that would allow her to justify maintaining this lie.

“We have to tell your parents the truth after one week.”

Chapter Text

Natsuki Naoko was, at least on the surface, your perfectly average person for a woman in her position.

She wore perfectly average and plain clothes, usually consisting of a patterned t-shirt and a long skirt to show her decency, as well as a pair of comfortable slip ons when leaving the house to travel to the convenience store. She enjoyed cooking, sewing and the occasional drama show on TV.

Her daily routine often consisted of preparing breakfast in the morning, cleaning the house and other menial chores, before sitting back to watch the television for several hours. Sometimes, she would spend a day out in the more metropolitan side of town to shop for a new shirt or a decoration for a shelf in her home, before picking up a mocha to go in her favourite cafe and returning home in time to make dinner.

She was a mother, and very much filled the stereotypical role of a traditional housewife. While unemployed and very much overshadowed by her husband’s success, she nonetheless played a vital role in the Natsuki household.

Her husband, Natsuki Kenichi, was an unbelievably busy person. It could be said that some weeks, or even months, he spent more time in the office than at home. His life was that of success, and all the stresses, urgency and time investment that came with it.

So, early on in their marriage, at the joyful news Naoko was pregnant, the decision was made for her to take a back seat as it were. As Kenichi’s career further progressed, and he found further and further success and thus further and further income, he conversely found less and less time. Time for himself, for his wife, and most importantly, time for their son who would be born in nine months.

Sometimes Naoko missed the independence of having her own job, contributing her own earnings to the family funds. She missed the personal pride in being a woman not content to allow her husband to handle everything in a culture that, at the time, still on the whole held many traditionalist values when it came to family dynamics.

She missed working as an opportunity to meet new people. Naoko was a quiet, unsociable person, she struggled to convey her feelings in conversation, and often people she spoke to found her to exude an awkward, uncomfortable energy in her manner of socializing. Thus, it was difficult for her to meet new people to talk to, and even if on a superficial, “hi how’s your day going” kind of level, working in a job gave her the opportunity to make even the most basic amount of human interaction such as that.

She missed these perks of her independence before her marriage and newfound responsibility in her pregnancy, it bothered her.

Well, it may have been more accurate to say it frustrated her – It frustrated her immensely. She could recall many an argument with her husband, only one year into their marriage. She resented the success that seemed to come so naturally to Natsuki Kenichi. She resented his confidence in socializing with and meeting people, how it was so easy for him to get on others’ good sides, and how ruthlessly he made use of that skill in his climb up corporate ladders.

For a woman like Natsuki Naoko, whose brief employment history consisted of low-skill jobs and little to no progression in her roles within the companies she hopped between, this ability to so effortlessly earn a promotion or wage increase was maddening.

Kenichi was an extroverted, confident man in which other people flocked to. His air of natural wit and self assuredness seemed limitless, and he had little struggle in appealing to people of all backgrounds and ages with his kind words, sense of humour, good looks and general energy that just seemed to elevate the moods of those around him. Indeed, Naoko herself was drawn in by this seemingly ideal image of a man in the first place.

Even that resentment was wrought with conflict. With her husband’s success, came income, which allowed the two to move into a quiet, desirable suburban neighbourhood in a home built for the oncoming modern age. They could afford great new gadgets like videogame consoles and large televisions with ease, comfortably invest into expansions for their single-floor home, and even a computer with access to the internet. With her pregnancy progressing further, and the expected period for her child to be born, now more than ever these luxuries were appreciated.

But still. Natsuki Naoko wished she could do both of these things. She wished she could be a mother, and an independent woman. She hated being relegated to a secondary role in the household, so stereotypically greeting her husband at the door after his long day at work having left her alone. She struggled to make friends, so her days were often spent in solitude. Sometimes, she found herself making conversation with her own stomach, addressing her then-unborn child with names she had in mind for that fateful day on what essentially came down to conversations with herself.

She would voice her hopes that her child would grow up a kind-hearted individual, one who looked at their mother fondly. A child she could devote herself to, find meaning in her life for. Sometimes she just spoke her thoughts aloud, made conversation like what one would with another sentient person.

Sometimes she thought she was going crazy. Was she really qualified for this? Did she deserve to have the responsibility of a child’s life? She would often berate herself over petty insecurities like her unpleasant, frightening eyes, how she was afraid she would scare her own newborn child into tears immediately on leaving the womb just with her narrow gaze and small pupils.

Shouldering the responsibility of another’s life like this terrified her, let alone the life of a newborn child. She would wonder aloud if her own mother felt the same way, and it further compounded her self-loathing as she compared herself to how much she respected and appreciated her parents. How could she meet the same standard they set in raising her? What would happen if she messed everything up? The thought of her child growing up unhappy due to her own faulty parenting set off anxieties in her mind she couldn’t possibly have conceived before then.

Her days mostly spent alone, this frustration, self loathing and resentment boiled to its breaking point over those nine months.

And then her son was born.

Natsuki Naoko felt a love she thought couldn’t possibly exist. The kind of love that could push her to give her life for a person, the kind of love that made all her frustrations seem so petty and irrelevant in hindsight. This love washed over her, it cleansed her, revitalised her, and through it she experienced a joy so surreal and encompassing her entire being she began to cry.

Her son, Subaru.

When she first saw her newborn son, she felt as though a switch had been turned in her mind. As if she transformed into an entirely different person, and all of her life up until this point was the memories of a different Natsuki Naoko.

Her life started over from that moment, as Natsuki Naoko.

Her whole being was cleansed by this unconditional love.

Even to this day, she just wasn’t able to articulate the gratitude she felt.

Gratitude for her son, Natsuki Subaru, and how he saved her life in that moment.

Naoko thought herself the happiest person in the world. Her relationship with her husband improved, she couldn’t recall a single argument in those seventeen and a half years. She would happily prepare dinner, clean the household, and any other menial tasks that ultimately amounted to nothing significant in her life. What previously felt demeaning and beneath her she now treated as her immense responsibility.

She would ensure her son grew up in a loving family. This responsibility – No, this blessing granted to her, she would live up to it.

In ensuring their home was clean, and their dinners fresh, Subaru would grow up healthy and avoid illness. Parenting tips on the internet advised regular interaction and play with one’s child, so she did. If Subaru wanted to play – or as he got older, wanted to talk, Naoko never hesitated to entertain her son. She treated his feelings as the most important in the world, and never lashed out when things became stressful or difficult. She never took him for granted and adhered to a strict principle of never dismissing her son’s feelings or fears. She recalls, on Subaru’s first day of school, when he was fearful for being away from home on his own for several hours, how she walked him to school, and insisted to the principal that he allow her to stay on the premises in order to help her son feel more comfortable.

Naoko’s love for her son became who she was. Many on the outside may have found her obsessive, and might silently suggest that she “get a life.”

But for Natsuki Naoko, as long as anything she did in her life contributed to her son’s happiness, it was a worthwhile endeavour.

Subaru was a shy, quiet boy, at least in his first couple of years. He was hesitant to interact with other children, and would often cling to his mother or father if they were ever out anywhere. Naoko adapted herself to this behaviour – She remained unemployed, allowing herself the maximum possible time to talk to, teach and play with her son.

Subaru quickly learned how to use the videogame consoles that both Naoko and Kenichi had a small hobby for. Naoko and her son would often waste their afternoons away, playing Mario Kart 64. She recalls using Final Fantasy 7 as a means to help teach Subaru to read, a skill he was struggling with in his early days of school.

Yes indeed, Naoko spoiled her son, and proudly so. She saw many news outlets warn against the dangers of videogames and other fear mongering tactics directed at parents. She would see families treat their children with strict adherence to arbitrary rules, and even stricter punishments. She would see a push in others for their children to pick up secondary skills, such as an instrument or drawing.

But for Natsuki Naoko, as long as her son was smiling and laughing as she lost another race on Choco Mountain, or he was gleefully doing his best to imitate and quote Goku in the latest episode of Dragon Ball, she was proud.

Proud that her son was the kindhearted, fun loving child that saved her life. In Subaru’s smile, she found a meaning for her existence.

But, things are not always so simple.

Psychologists often say that boys are more likely to imitate their fathers. Naoko wasn’t so sure as to how accurate this statement was, but she certainly observed it in Subaru.

Natsuki Kenichi was an open, sociable man. He had no fears in approaching others and gaining their favour – a skill built on a natural confidence and mental fortitude. A confidence and fortitude that Subaru was far too young to have developed.

As Subaru’s childhood progressed, he began hanging out with a larger and larger circle of friends. With his invincible father as an example, Subaru pushed himself to attract more and more friends. He wanted everyone to like him, everyone to appreciate him. As a young boy thriving on positive reinforcement from others, Subaru needed – or felt he needed, to be the centre of attention – no, the centre of the world.

At first, Naoko was happy. She was glad her son had found his social confidence, and branched out to mingle with other children his age from school or in their local area. She would meet him as he finished school, a wide grin across his face from having made a new friend, and later on he would leave the house to play with his new friends until dinner time. She’d see him having the time of his life in his brief period of childhood innocence, and while a part of her was afraid for his safety, and wanted to always be there, a constant eye on him for her own peace of mind,

She remembered the vow she had made out of love. To ensure her son, Subaru, would live the happiest life she could provide, and allow him the freedom to find that life.

That ideal was, unfortunately, not immune to the corruptible concept that is reality.

She recalls that evening, when her heart sank.

The evening a police officer knocked on their front door, escorting a dishevelled little Natsuki Subaru home.

The boy’s hair was messy, his clothes covered in paint and grime, and his face holding an expression of guilt.

How long had her Subaru been acting out of such delinquency? How many evenings were spent defacing public spaces, trespassing on private property and harassing locals? Just what kinds of people were her precious son’s friends that they could push him to make these decisions?

That night, she didn’t know what to think.

She calmly asked Subaru to go to bed for the night, and to an outside viewer it would seem she handled the situation as well as any caring, mature parent could. She didn’t shout – no, she didn’t even know if she had the capacity to hurl such scorn at her son in the first place.

That night, she felt those insecurities from before come back for the first time in years.

This was my fault. I should have taught him better. I should have paid more attention. No, Kenichi should have set a better example. No, I should have set a better example. We both should have set a better example.

In her shame, she couldn’t bring herself to face her son until after Kenichi spoke with him the next day. She hated herself. She caused this. Something she did led her son down this path. She wasn’t qualified to be a mother after all. Was she qualified for anything? All this time spent unemployed, devoting herself to this singular purpose and she still failed at it.

She couldn’t blame her husband, not with the sheer amount of work he put in for the family every day. The reason they were in their comfortable home, in their quiet suburban neighbourhood, with all their modern comforts was due to Kenichi’s hard work.

So she blamed herself. Out of the two parents, Subaru spent the most time with her, and her influence. Who else could be at fault?

She would try to control her son’s behaviour from that point on, to no avail. Throughout the boy’s life, Naoko had always encouraged him to enjoy himself, to do the things he wanted to do – not because they were constructive, or even the right decisions, but because he wanted to make them. She only blamed herself. She scorned her own lackadaisical attitude, her airheaded demeanour, her parenting style that allowed this corruption to manifest in her son.

Subaru would continue to come home later on in the evenings doing god knows what with god knows who. Sometimes the same situation as that night from before would repeat – escorted home by a police officer, and Naoko would again feel helpless as she watched everything she had worked for fall apart at the seams.

Kenichi would do his best as well, with many man-to-man talks over dinner. He too, didn’t know how to punish a child – or even if punishment was the right decision in the first place. Their simple lives as a family of three had been so easy until now, and neither parents could bring themselves to stand in the way of their son’s decision making. Not only that, but Kenichi was rarely in the position to be able to intervene in the first place – his life was still to be spent in an office out of necessity, hours upon hours devoted not to the household but to business deals, clientele, and the next promotion.

So Naoko spent her days alone again. In the times Subaru wasn’t at school or out with his friends but in the house, Naoko ironically felt lonelier than she ever had before.

In her perceived failure as a mother, she chose to distance herself from everything. From Subaru, Kenichi, everything.

The Natsuki household grew cold for several weeks.

And it only became colder.

She recalls one evening, when Subaru came home at dark, tears in his eyes, snot dripping out of his nose.

All of her insecurities fell to the wayside as her parental instincts kicked in, and she rushed to her son’s side. Her heart raced, and as she looked him over she found no bruises or cuts as the source of his anguish, and yet he snivelled and whimpered more than she had ever seen before.

“Mom...Everyone’s gone…I’m sorry...”

That was the moment.

That was the moment Natsuki Naoko remembered why she was the person she was.

When everyone had abandoned her son, when all his so-called friends showed their true colours and abandoned him, she remembered her vow to dedicate her being to ensuring Natsuki Subaru would never be alone.

She held Subaru close as he cried and cried until he eventually calmed down. She took him to the convenience store to buy some ice-cream, and when they got home the two sat down to play Mario Kart again after all this time.

And as she lost for the umpteenth time on Choco Mountain, and Subaru celebrated his victory with a wide grin and a scoop of ice-cream,

Natsuki Naoko remembered why she was here.

She was on this Earth to, no matter what, bring a smile to this young boy’s face.

In her allowance and carefree approach, Subaru suffered.

In her inactivity and disconnection, Subaru suffered.

So she would simply stand up, dust herself off, and try again. She would do better. She would learn, improve, become the woman she needed to be to ensure her son would be the happy child she always hoped for.

Because that was the vow she made out of love.

As Subaru’s social circle grew smaller and smaller, he fell back on the things he liked to do as a young child more and more. Going through his teenage years and middle school, his free time was devoted more and more to TV, videogames and the internet. For his fourteenth birthday, Naoko bought him a modern, powerful laptop, and for that Christmas a next-generation console. With Subaru’s routine changing into that of a quiet, subdued lifestyle, the Natsuki household seemingly settled into a comfortable existence.

But, as Naoko would often say, mothers watch their children more closely than they realise.

Subaru was no longer the energetic, optimistic young boy of his younger years. Naoko would see the marks under his eyes indicative of his lack of sleep the night before as he finally left his room at one in the afternoon. His lack of enthusiasm in any trips the three would make, his inability to devote energy to anything beyond the bare minimum of getting to school on time, coming home, and maybe a trip to the convenience store for a cup of instant ramen at midnight all pointed towards something being wrong.

She watched not a sudden event to hurt her son, but a slow degradation of his happiness over half a decade. As middle school came to a close and Subaru moved onto high school, he showed a brief display of that same energy and enthusiasm – the desire to meet new people, to become better than what he was,

And that too, was seemingly a continuation of Subaru’s long path of misery. At his first month of high school, she recalls the first day he ‘called in sick.’ Sick days would turn into sick weeks, until eventually even Subaru dropped the facade of being too ill entirely, but that he in fact just…

Didn’t want to go to school.

Didn’t want to do anything.

He was a lazy good-for-nothing who only wanted to waste away his life on videogames and shallow friendships across the internet. His income from the government went towards collectable game and anime merchandise that he surrounded himself with in the hermit’s den he called his bedroom.

But Naoko wasn’t that ignorant.

She tried so hard to understand what hurt her son on the inside so much. What sapped his energy, what removed that smile she recalled so fondly from years ago. Conversations were brief, and her own inability to communicate would resurface as she could never choose the right words, never ask the right questions, and ultimately never find a true understanding of Subaru’s pain.

And it made her heart ache deeply.

She saw her son suffer, and wished with all her being that she could just...Heal the pain.

She wished she could provide him a circle of trustworthy friends. She wished she could provide him a loving girlfriend, a road to success and self-fulfilment, a cure for the very same self-loathing that dominated her own life before her child saved her from it.

Her son, Subaru, saved her life seventeen and a half years ago.

And her inability to save him hurt her more than all of the pain she had suffered without him in her life combined.

Days would pass. Weeks would go by. Subaru could never be coerced to leave his room outside of dinner and bathroom breaks. Naoko and Kenichi would continue to try to find a solution for their son’s pain the only ways they knew how.

“Your dad’s taken this week off, why don’t we go to that village with all the deer again? It’s been so long since we did anything as a family.”

“We’re having a movie night tonight, Subaru, won’t you join us?”

“Why don’t we play that Mario racing game again, for old time’s sake?”

More often than not, her attempts and hopes to be able to at least barely fill the void in her son’s life would be met with a disinterested “No thanks.”

It pained her to her very core. On the surface, she would simply smile, nod her head and cheerily say “That’s okay.” in an airy voice, but deep down…

Each rejection felt like a failure of her own responsibility as a mother.

Naoko was unfamiliar with the things her son had an interest in. She recalls the last anime she watched being Sailor Moon, in her own teenage years, and her only experience in videogames were the games she would play together with Subaru when he was a child. As such, she struggled to relate to Subaru and his more modern interests. She hoped she could strike up conversation about what he was watching or playing, but Subaru always seemed uncomfortable talking about such things with his mother, so after a while she stopped trying.

This cycle would repeat for months. Naoko’s heart whittled down with each passing day, watching Subaru’s slow cycle of self-destruction unfold.

Until that evening when Subaru walked through their front door, a pretty, silver-haired young girl around his age from overseas in tow.

Of course, Naoko already had forewarning from the awkward conversation on the phone, but,

She couldn’t believe the energy Subaru exuded that evening.

Naoko wasn’t sure what to think of the young lady named Emilia, and her sudden appearance in Subaru’s life. She was a polite, humble and shy girl at first glance, and she seemed to share a lot of Subaru’s interests just off of her peculiar costume she was wearing. Part of Naoko felt overly-protective and apprehensive around this foreign girl, and didn’t appreciate the surprise of allowing a stranger to spend the night in her home all of a sudden.

Who is this strange woman coming home with our son? Why have I never heard of her before? Why does she get all this special treatment from Subaru when as far as I and Kenichi are aware, she just suddenly popped into existence this evening?

It brought her an immense discomfort. The Natsuki family didn’t have many close friends, particularly Naoko herself and Subaru. Even Kenichi – certainly he had many acquaintances and colleagues he was friendly with, but at its core both parents’ hearts were reserved exclusively for eachother and their son. As such, it was rare for any of the three to meet others for a day out or invite them to their home, they were ultimately a very self sufficient trio with little to no close bonds outside of their family circle.

And yet,

She saw her son put himself so far on the line for this girl. His often disinterested, lethargic mannerisms were swept aside for an intense burst of energy and enthusiasm for his friend from across the ocean. He smiled, played along with his parents’ teasing, showed an interest in something new and exciting.

Naoko’s son wasn’t alone anymore.

Had they been friends for a long time? Did Subaru’s depression at least partly stem from the distance between he and his close friend from overseas?

Naoko knew the answer to neither of these questions. But she saw her son was happy again, if even for an evening.

If a strange girl with dyed hair and an extravagant cosplay from America could do this for Subaru’s still heart…

Naoko would choose to trust Emilia.

For her son, Natsuki Subaru, Natsuki Naoko would support Emilia and whatever relationship she may have with Subaru.

She had many questions, most definitely. When she found the chance, her son could expect a very motherly interrogation out of a mixture of concern and gossipy curiosity, though mostly the latter.

But for now, Natsuki Naoko saw her son smiling again. She saw him energised, eager and full of…

Hope.

Perhaps Naoko herself felt a sense of hope more so, but in those frightening eyes so like her own Naoko saw a hope for the future in Subaru.

Perhaps, all along, Natsuki Naoko was never meant to save her son. Maybe her role in life was to teach Subaru how to save himself, to find his own happiness.

She grins to herself, so amused by how simple a realisation this is, but yet such an insurmountable task at the same time.

She nods to herself.

She wasn’t meant to be the centre of her son’s life. She couldn’t insert herself into that position.

Subaru needed to find that by himself.

With that realisation,

Natsuki Naoko would trust Emilia.

Natsuki Naoko would trust Subaru.

Chapter Text

“One week...Hmm…”

Natsuki Subaru hums to himself in thought, mulling over Emilia’s stipulation from a moment ago.

The stipulation was in relation to Subaru’s suggested plan for her potential accommodation for the foreseeable future – continuing to live with him and his parents in their family home, taking up their space, their food, and their money.

It was an incredibly humbling offer, and as she kept on piling debts towards her new and only friend in this world, she felt a weight in her heart grow heavier and heavier.

This was different than when she stayed in the Roswaal mansion for a year, back in her own world. There, the master of the mansion, Roswaal L. Mathers stood to gain from her co-habitation. Roswaal himself always spoke vaguely, so Emilia never fully came to understand why he was so dead-set on co-operation, but Emilia was at least able to discern she was doing the clown-faced lord as much of a favour as he was doing for her, if not more so.

Thus, in the long run she didn’t really feel any guilt for the extra work required in her living in the mansion, be that time and effort devoted to her by the maids Ram and Rem, or Roswaal’s numerous meetings with important clients on her behalf, in regards to the royal selection.

Certainly, she did at first, it was all very awkward for her. The idea of having her daily needs catered to at a moment’s notice by someone else didn’t at all mesh with her life of self-reliance she had been living up until that point, so whenever possible she instinctively found herself offering to handle things by herself, prepare her own dinner, tidy her own room, repair her own clothes. (Though her sewing ability left much to be desired.)

And while she did continue this behaviour of self-reliance where possible, she did eventually grow accustomed to Ram and Rem’s roles in the mansion. In their case, servitude was their jobs; it was what they were paid and trained for.

But,

It would be wrong of her to expect that same thought process from Subaru and his parents.

They all had their own lives, their own priorities beyond a selfish, dimwitted fool like herself.

In this sense, lying to two of the people she would be relying on was the metaphorical cherry on top of the guilt cake being made in her mind. How ungrateful and manipulative of her, to bite the hand that fed her, so to speak.

But, even this demand of good intentions brought her conflict.

Natsuki Subaru must have had good reason for his decision to fabricate this scenario in the first place, even if Emilia didn’t fully buy into assumption that Naoko and Kenichi couldn’t be trusted with her true origins. But, didn’t Emilia at least owe him some amount of trust, even if she didn’t agree with his methods? He had done so much for her and asked for essentially nothing in return, besides a ‘date’ which in concept seemed a remarkably humble demand in return for how much support he had provided.

In this sense, Emilia felt she was already taking Subaru for granted as a friend, after not even an hour ago vowing to never do so.

Her hypocrisy, incompetence and overall foolishness continued to grow as a heavier and heavier weight in her heart.

She gently nibbles on her lip in her anxiousness as she watches Subaru hold his chin, before he nods his head.

“Alright, I’ll tell my parents the truth after one week starting tommorow, Emilia-tan. I guess I was planning to eventually anyway...This just means we gotta ease them into it even more urgently!”

Emilia gently exhales in relief, delighted at Subaru’s enthusiasm as he shoots her a thumbs up.

“I’m sorry.”

That was the only response she could muster in her shame.

“Sorry?”

“I’ve already asked so much of you, and I’ve just ruined your plan you must have put a lot of thought into...And I know I’m going to keep asking more of you on top of that.”

There was still so much she needed help with. She needed to learn the language, she needed someone to show her how this world was different to her own, all in all it was as if Emilia was an uneducated child with the body and mind of a fully grown woman.

In some sense of irony, it wasn’t at all unlike when she first arrived in the Roswaal manor, and came to rely on Ram and Rem to teach her the many realities of civilized society she had little to no exposure to. It frustrated her back then, so to be going through this cycle again…

When would she finally become a reliable person, able to help others rather than be helpless herself?

“Y’know...”

Subaru’s gentle tone spurs Emilia from the self-loathing consuming her.

“It feels way better when someone says ‘thank you’ rather than ‘sorry.’”

“Oh…”

Emilia feels as though that’s a sentiment she would’ve liked to pass on.

“Plus...It’s crazy cute when you’re expressing gratitude, you get this little flush on your cheeks that you try and hide…”

Subaru snickers to himself as he giddily sneaks a flirt into his sentiment, one which prompts a quick response from Emilia as she presses her fists to her hips, the telltale blush lighting up her face with comedic timing.

“Oh...You’re teasing me again, Subaru! You dunce...I think that’s a good sign, though, at least I hope it is...I haven’t seen you get upset with me yet, so I don’t know if I can be sure.”

“Pfft, I could never get mad at Emilia-tan. All it takes is a smile and any bad feelings seem to melt away...So,”

Scoffing, Subaru illustrates his point as he presses his index fingers to the corners of his lips, raising them into an exaggerated grin.

“Smile, Emilia-tan.”

At that comment, Emilia’s posture relaxes and for a very brief moment her anxiety and self-loathing disappears as all she can do is smirk at Subaru’s goofy, exaggerated, teeth-bearing grin. She gently giggles to herself, holding her hand to her own lips in an attempt to stifle it.

“Hehe...Okay.”

She clears her throat to feign a sense of composure, though she can’t help but crack a smile as she speaks.

“I’ll try my best. I think I’m still going to feel really guilty asking you for help all the time...But I’m going to try my best to smile.”

“Good, good.” Subaru raises his shoulders triumphantly, clearly pleased with himself he managed to get a laugh out of Emilia. “Emilia-tan is too beautiful to be sad all the time. Oh, also…”

“?”

“Dunce? Who says that in this day and age…”

Having reached an agreement on how to manage Kenichi and Naoko’s knowledge of Emilia’s real origins, Subaru and Emilia made their way back to the suburban side of town the Natsuki’s resided in. Along the way, Subaru once again fished out his ‘cell phone’ from his pocket, making use of it to contact his mother.

“Hey again, Mom.”

This manner of communication was still very strange to Emilia. That wasn’t to say the idea of communicating outside of a standard face-to-face interaction was unbelievable, as she had many a secret telepathic conversation with Puck when in a stressful situation to help calm her nerves...

...

...

“Now...Emilia-sama, would you be willing to tell me a little about your background?”

Today was Emilia’s official introduction to the Royal Selection. A representative on behalf of the Council of Elders had arrived to the mansion slightly earlier than expected, leaving the half-elf with an hour less than she would have liked to mentally prepare herself.

Despite his elderly appearance so stereotypically fitting of a representative of a group titled ‘The Council of Elders’, he was an imposing man, so much so that Emilia didn’t dare think of stretching the truth or hiding embarrassing details of her humble, otherwise uninteresting history – at least, what she could remember of it anyway.

Emilia clasps her hands together atop her lap, hoping to hide her anxious state with a relaxed pose – Though, with how straight she was sitting and the bead of sweat trickling down her forehead, it was evident to anyone in the room she was anything but calm.

Typically, Roswaal would handle any questions in regards to Emilia and anything about her in relation to her campaign to take the throne, but the representative threw them both a proverbial curveball in specifically directing his question towards Emilia.

In line with this, Roswaal opens his mouth to handle the query.

“Ah, I can easily answer that question, if it is agreeeeeable?”

With a shake of his head, the representative promptly dismisses Roswaal’s offer and thus Emilia’s hopes to stick to her routine of smiling and nodding this entire meeting.

“Hearing her history directly from Emilia-sama will ensure it is as accurate as possible.”

He speaks very matter-of-factly, with no obvious hostility as it’s clear his approach is a logical one – something neither Roswaal or Emilia could argue with.

Roswaal closes his eyes and smiles with a look that says ‘it can’t be helped’, Signalling he has no intention to argue with the representative. Emilia, taken aback, widens her eyes as she hurries through her brain on what to say.

“Oh, er...Well…”

Her mind goes blank.

What could she say? This well dressed, well spoken man no doubt has knowledge of her rivals: Crusch Karsten, heir to a powerful, respected family well known throughout the nation. Emilia only knew a little, but she was said to be fiercely determined, and terribly cunning when the situation called for it. Emilia, on the other hand, was neither cunning or fierce.

Anastasia Hoshin, who through intelligence and wit, climbed up corporate ladders, forged alliances and won favour until through sheer success and hard work found herself in a position to potentially rule a nation. What had Emilia done in comparison to her? The half-elf was still just barely able to even understand how the political systems that allowed Anastasia to take her position even worked, and she was expected to be her rival?

Priscilla Barielle, daughter to an emperor of a faraway land, and said to be incredibly ruthless, powerful and above all else capable of taking whatever she wanted. Emilia knew even less about her, but Roswaal made special mention to warn her of the political power Priscilla could wield. Once again, Emilia was out of her depth, expected to campaign against someone infinitely more capable than her.

Ignoring the currently unknown rival who would surely be just as overwhelming an opponent, how could Emilia compare to the likes of these people?

She opens her mouth to speak several times, ultimately backtracking on the decision as she retreats to her thoughts once again.

“...Lia.”

The gentle echo whispers in her mind.

“Just be yourself.”

Puck, holding her hand with his soft little paw.

That was what it felt like, anyway. As her eyes look downward, she finds no traces of her contracted spirit.

“You have nothing to be ashamed of.”

She opens her eyes, a new determination in them.

“I come from the Elior Forest in the north east. At least...I’m fairly certain I do. A lot of my history is unknown to me, you see...I have amnesia, and my earliest memories are from the snowy woods that were my home until several months ago.”

Her sudden burst of confidence gives the representative pause as his eyes widen behind his spectacles. After a few seconds, he nods in understanding, and begins hastily scribbling notes and memos on a sheet of parchment.

“Until recently, the only life I’ve ever known was very simple and underwhelming...I lived inside a hollowed out tree and usually spent my time foraging for whatever fruits and berries I could find in the forest. Sometimes I would see other people like travellers or explorers, but they usually got scared and ran away because of, well…”

She never really knew how to address this elephant in the room, the ever present curse that was her pointed ears, silver hair and purple eyes directly linking her to the infamous Witch of Envy. Just like her first time approaching the villagers of Arlam…

“I’m aware of how much I resemble the Witch of Envy,” She continues, having collected her thoughts, “And I can confirm I have no relation to her beyond my coincidental appearance. The bad looks and insults I sometimes get only serves to remind me that there are so many other people who experience much worse discrimination, strengthening my resolve to take the throne and change Lugunica for the better.”

By the disappointment in Roswaal’s eyes, it’s clear that this portion of Emilia’s speech was not part of the plan.

“I came to this mansion only a few months ago, and I’ve learned so much already...I know I’m not nearly as impressive as any of the other royal candidates, but I’m just as committed to making the world a better place as they are.”

A short silence follows, mitigated only by the quiet scratching of the representative's pen on parchment as he takes more and more notes of the conversation.

“That was great, Lia.”

Puck’s telepathic voice eases Emilia’s racing heart, and she takes a deep breath to collect herself.

“Just be yourself...”

...

...

“Yeah, so...Yeah, I’m on my way home now.”

The actual conversation taking place, as foreign as the method was, spurs Emilia from her memories. Subaru visibly cringes, gritting his teeth as he tightly closes his eyes in embarrassment which makes it pretty clear his mother just said something to tease him again.

“Yeah, about that…”

He deeply exhales, a gesture that just screams ‘you aren’t going to like this.’ Emilia once again feels a pang of guilt hit her, feeling responsible for having put Subaru in this awkward situation.

“Would it be okay if Emilia stayed with us for another week? It’s completely on me, by the way! I made the suggestion, not her!”

He quickly clarifies himself, taking extra care to divert blame away from Emilia and back onto himself – again, Emilia feels a wave of self loathing at taking advantage of his unconditional kind-hearted nature towards her.

“Y-Yeah, I suggested it to her so she could save some money rather than spend it on accommodation. Eh? Well...I’m running it by you right now, aren’t I?”

Not hearing the other side of this conversation, besides the barely audible questioning tone of Natsuki Naoko leaving the cell phone’s speaker made this whole scenario that much more awkward and strange to Emilia.

Subaru listens to the other end of the phone intently, slightly nodding his head – an odd gesture to make, given that Naoko can’t even see him right now. A tense, guilty expression is plastered on his face, and it’s clear he’s making this up as he goes along.

Again, Emilia can’t make out what Naoko is saying on the other end, but whatever it is it’s important – or intimidating enough that Subaru dare not say a word to interject. There’s a very real tension in the air as the two walk the sparsely populated street, the midday sun looming over them.

Again, Emilia spends this time berating herself. She put Natsuki Subaru in this precarious position. She was so incompetent as to have to rely on a random family in a parallel universe for a place to stay, food to eat and bed to sleep in.

And yet as much as she lay these criticisms upon herself,

She didn’t want to be alone.

So if given the opportunity, she would continue to take advantage of the Natsuki family’s hospitality, of Subaru’s kindness.

She continues to chastise herself. How inept, how coldhearted is she that she follows Subaru silently, unable to even speak for herself in a situation entirely orchestrated for her benefit? Subaru was clearly enduring some sort of scolding and was all in all putting himself into a difficult position as an intermediary between Emilia and his parents, and Emilia simply kept her mouth shut, leaving everything in his hands, expecting him to handle everything for her as if she were a lost child looking to her father for help.

Her father…

Maybe she really had replaced Puck so easily.

“...Okay. Thanks. Seriously, thanks.”

Subaru exhales in relief, clearly having at least gotten a desirable outcome from the tense conversation. He ‘hangs up’ the phone (Emilia was fairly sure that was the correct term) and stuffs it in his pocket, before turning his head to face Emilia with a weak smile.

“I...Think I’ve reached an agreement with my mom.”

Subaru chuckles to himself, awkwardly scratching his nose as something of a nervous tick.

“I mean, she says it’s okay, yeah. Now we just need to figure out how to break the truth to them in a week…”

Relieved, Emilia nonetheless had queries,

“Is your mother upset? I’m really sorry if it was a difficult conversation…”

“Eh? Pfft, nah. I’m pretty sure my mom never had anger programmed in. It was just kinda like...You know, embarrassing, concerned mother talk.”

Emilia wasn’t sure what the word ‘programmed’ meant, nor was she familiar with what a concerned mother might sound like, having no experience in a female maternal figure – as far as she was aware – to speak of.

“I see...Um...Subaru.”

She pauses after calling Subaru’s name, prompting him to turn his head to face her again, one eyebrow slightly raised.

“Eh?”

“Thank you. Again.”

Emilia speaks with such finality and emotion in her voice, Subaru’s natural attempt at wit is shot down before it starts, leaving him with an awkward smirk as he averts his gaze.

“Ah, er, yeah, you’ve got it.”

“I really mean it.”

Clasping her hands in front of her chest, Emilia continues.

“You keep doing such nice things for me, without asking for a reward. I even had to ask you to ask for a reward, earlier, and all you wanted was to just spend more time with me…”

“I can’t think of anything better than a date with Emilia-tan, though.”

Finding his awkward charm again, Subaru shoots a thumbs up in Emilia’s direction.

“Still…”

Emilia forms a pout, scrunching up her cheek slightly as she hums in defeat.

“I just feel like I owe you so much more.”

That sentiment hangs in the air for a few moments. Emilia had a feeling that all this talk about owing so many debts was growing annoying, but she couldn’t deny that it was a weight bearing over her that grew heavier and heavier every time Subaru devoted time and energy for her benefit, while she had nothing meaningful to offer him.

“I mean...If it means that much to you, I guess there is something…”

Emilia quickly nods her head, revelling at the opportunity to show her gratitude.

“I guess it can kinda be a preview on the stuff we’ll talk about on our date tomorrow, so…”

Emilia gulps. Having no idea as to what a ‘date’ even is besides Subaru’s vague description earlier, she hasn’t the faintest on what to expect in what it entails.

“Tell me what kind of awesome magic you can use!”

“...Ah?”

In the moment, Subaru had clenched his fists, holding them in a sort of power pose as he spoke.

“I mean, there is magic in your world, right?”

It wasn’t so much the question itself that gave Emilia pause, rather the...Mundane nature of it, at least to her. She does indeed need to momentarily remind herself that she is in an alternate universe, one where the concept of magic didn’t exist outside of fantasy and fiction.

“W-Well, yes, there is…”

“And you can use it, right?”

Subaru continues, rapid firing his interrogation and giving Emilia little time between. She takes a moment to think back – having spent over a day without absorbing or even sensing any mana in the air was...Peculiar. It wasn’t unlike the idea of having gone a week without water – a drought long enough to end anyone’s life by dehydration, and yet…

She felt fine. Mana was such a vital resource she was so intimately familiar with, and what perplexed her the most wasn’t its absence, but rather her lack of a need for it.

That distance made it somewhat difficult to even remember the kinds of magic she made use of on a regular basis in her own world. Perhaps magic was something of a ‘sixth sense’, and having been deprived of such a deep connection, it was difficult for her to even picture in her mind.

She digs through her memories, searching for a reference to explain her magical abilities.

…

...

“Good morning, Lia.”

Emilia felt really good, today.

It had been several days since she first met the fluffy little spirit calling himself Puck.

That in itself was something of a strange way to put it, at least to her. It was also Emilia’s first memories of...Existing.

According to Puck, she had been trapped in ice when he found her, but she had no recollections of this.

As far as she was concerned, her life began just a few days ago. Her first sight was the feline creature in front of her, sobbing and apologizing. As she rummaged through her scattered mind in these first few moments of her sudden existence, she came to have a fundamental understanding of several concepts.

Breathing. Blinking. Talking. Language. Smiling. Moving her arms. Listening. Touch. Warmth. Comfort. Love. Parents.

Was this what being born was like?

She had no comparison to base her own circumstances off in that moment, so she simply asked.

“Are you my father?”

The little creature responded affirmatively.

In the days that passed, Emilia came to understand that Puck most likely wasn’t her actual father, but she had already formed such a deep bond with him that she could no longer see him as anything else.

Which brought her to this morning.

Emilia felt really good, today.

She and Puck had found a thick, hollowed out tree on that day she was ‘born.’ As she got used to the use of her legs and the motion of walking, running, jumping, the two happened upon the eerily well built tree-home in the snow. Eerie in the sense that, it had a door, furniture, a fireplace – as if someone else lived here, long, long ago.

In any case, last night, the two had finally finished tidying the place up of dead leaves, grime and animal droppings. This was another concept Emilia found some natural familiarity with – a ‘home.’

A home was a place where you lived with your loved ones, like your family, your spouse or your friends. It was a safe place, a warm place, a comfortable place. In this sense, by cleaning this hollowed out tree up and staying in it with Puck, she had found her home.

It made her feel so warm and happy.

So, having had a nice long rest through the night after her hard day’s work yesterday, Emilia felt really good.

“Good morning, Puck.”

She smiles sweetly as her fluffy friend gently lands atop her silver-haired head, and reaches a hand to pet his chin with her finger.

“What would you like to do today, Lia?”

Puck grins in enjoyment at the thorough chin-scratch he receives, while Emilia hums in thought.

“Hmm...I think I’d like to do something fun, today.”

Up until now, all she had known was hard work. Learning how to walk without falling over. Learning how to look for berries and fruits in the trees and bushes. Looking for a place to sleep during the night. Making sure her new home was clean and tidy…

She knew there was more to life than just the bare minimum of keeping one’s self alive, but she didn’t know what it could look like.

She knew of the concept – the concept of having fun, doing something not because it keeps you alive, like eating or sleeping, but because it’s enjoyable.

“Fun, huh...Alright then. But only if you remember to get dressed!”

At that, Emilia throws off her bed covers in comedic timing, revealing her primitive attire of cloth the two had stitched together that does the bare minimum to conceal herself.

“I just kept my clothes on from yesterday so that even if I forget, I’m already wearing them!”

Emilia bares her teeth in a wide grin, pleased with herself that she cheated the system so. Puck doesn’t seem quite so impressed as he folds his paws over each other, but he nonetheless concedes.

“Well...Close enough. Let’s go.”

With a “Humph” from Puck and a “Yay!” from Emilia, the two made their way outside, Emilia’s bare feet causing the snow to crunch beneath her weight. She didn’t fully understand why the bitter cold of the air around her and the snow on her feet didn’t bother her – as her understanding told her, cold was an unpleasant feeling. Puck’s suggestion for her to find shelter from the snow the day she ‘woke up’ confused her somewhat, as she felt perfectly comfortable surrounded by the sea of chilling white that encompassed the Elior Forest.

Well, she wouldn’t complain. The lack of an effect that the icy cold had on her meant she didn’t need to worry about finding or making warm clothing to stave off the chill, and if she was caught out in a snowstorm the only risk was that of getting lost rather than freezing to death.

As she breathes in the refreshingly icy air, Emilia turns her gaze upward, to Puck still sat atop her head.

“What fun thing would you like to do today?”

Puck rests a paw on his chin in thought.

“I dunno. This was your idea, wasn’t it?”

“Oh...Yeah.”

That was true. Emilia was the one who decided to rush outside without cleaning her teeth, brushing her hair, washing her face or even picking the grime out of her eyes.

She had made a decision. She did something not because Puck told her to, but because she wanted to.

“But...I don’t know what fun things are.”

That revelation hangs in the air, as a chilling wind blows past the two.

Indeed, while many concepts came naturally to the amnesiac Emilia these past few days – breathing, eating, sleeping, talking – there were many more complex feelings she only knew about, but didn’t necessarily know how to achieve them. Enjoyment, satisfaction, love – she knew these feelings existed, and she accepted the possibility that she had unknowingly completed the required steps to experience them without realising, but an understanding of these emotions and their triggers still eluded her.

Suddenly-

“Wah!”

Recoiling and shielding her eyes, Emilia is startled as a crystal of ice materializes from thin air above her head, before being hurled into the ground. The source – Puck.

“P-P-Puck! That was scary! Did you do that…?”

She stammers and exclaims her words, stomping her foot to the snowy ground in her futile anger at being frightened so. Puck presses his paws against his hips, taking on a smug look.

“You were dozing off a little, Lia, and you said you wanted to do something fun, right?”

“W-Well, yes...But...Actually…”

Emilia watches the perfectly formed and frighteningly sharp crystal of ice embedded in the snow slowly disintegrate, not melt. Her understanding of snow and ice was that it could turn into water, and she had used this trick several times now to quench her thirst, but this wasn’t normal ice, it was like….

“...Magic?”

What a peculiar sensation.

In the blink of an eye, a wave of understanding and knowledge washes over Emilia’s concious. Mana, gates, od and the mental imagery required to cast spells. Was this knowledge from before her amnesia? Was she…?

“...I can use magic too, right, Puck?”

“Hmm.”

Puck’s empty response, amounting to little more than a thoughtful hum, unsettles Emilia slightly.

“Puck?”

“Ah, yeah, yes! Sorry. I dunno, Lia...Why don’t we try it out?”

The little spirit frantically nods his head, returning himself to the conversation at hand. Emilia finds herself taken aback; Her? Cast magic? She had just moments ago learned of magic’s very existence...Or, rather...Remembered.

Maybe…

She stiffens her lip and nods her head, a look of determination upon her face.

“Okay, I’ll try. Can you help me?”

Puck gently taps Emilia’s head, reinforcing his presence to her with his soft paw.

“I’ll be here just like I always am, Lia. Now...Close your eyes.”

Emilia does so.

“Now...Relax, and focus.”

Emilia takes a deep breath, and gradually begins to loosen her muscles. As the tension in her arms and legs loosens, so too are concerns and anxieties she had been pondering these past few days flushed from her mind.

“Picture the mana flowing through you, Lia.”

So far, her memories were lining up accurately with Puck’s instructions. Mana, mana...What does it feel like? What does it look like? As much as she was remembering these concepts, she lacked any sort of visual reference to put to them.

She furrows her brow, attempting to form an image of mana inside her body, failing that, her attention diverts and her mind wanders.

The cold air blowing past her…

A clump of snow falls from a tree branch, making a distinct crunching sound as it meets the ground.

The chill coursing through her bare toes on the frigid snow-

There it is.

“Haaaaah!”

In an instant, it materializes before her, a deadly projectile of ice, its tip lethally sharp.

Emilia opens her eyes to marvel at her creation.

Only, on laying eyes upon this creation of mana and ice, Emilia is filled not with a sense of awe and satisfaction,

but fear.

With this newfound knowledge – or rather, remembered knowledge – Emilia now possessed the ability to maim, hurt and kill.

This concept didn’t exist to her before this moment.

But as she ran her eyes along the frigid edge of this chunk of ice fashioned into a tool to kill, Emilia remembered.

This was a world where people would hurt each other. This was a world where life was as beautiful as it was easy to take away. Somewhere in the deep recesses of her mind, Emilia possessed the knowledge, practice and perhaps even the will to kill. At some point in her life, before being found by Puck, before being frozen beneath a layer of unmeltable ice, Emilia had learned how to create this weapon.

The implications of this revelation frightened her.

That was the first instance of Emilia losing her innocence.

That was the first time Emilia hated herself.

…

…

“...I’m a user of fire magic.”

Subaru lets an “Oooh” escape his lips, eager to hear more.

“My speciality is using ice crystals as projectiles, but really I’m not very powerful or skilled on my own...I rely on my contracted spirit most of all when it comes to using magic.”

Subaru intently nods and, in jest raises his hand as if he were a student in a classroom.

“Sensei, what’s a contracted spirit?”

Well aware she was being teased again, Emilia recalls that she was providing Subaru this knowledge out of the debt she felt she owed, so she chooses to let it slide.

“Well...I think forming a contract with a spirit means different things for different people, but in my case I have a very close bond with one specific, very powerful spirit...Sort of like a sentient being formed from mana, and he helps me cast magic. I can also communicate with lesser spirits: spirits who haven’t had enough time to become sentient creatures yet.”

Flicking his fingers, Subaru adds to that explanation.

“And mana is the energy you use to cast spells, right?”

Emilia nods, affirming his assumption with an “Mhm.”

“Wait...Subaru, how did you know that? I thought there wasn’t any mana in this world…Does that come from your ‘isekai’ stories?”

The thought that the realities of her world and by extension her life were simple fantasy and fiction in this world was...Unsettling for Emilia.

“Er...Well, y-yeah, I guess so.”

Rubbing the back of his neck as he speaks, Subaru quickly seeks to change the topic away from the stories he likes to read.

“You said you use fire magic...But you use it to shoot ice projectiles?”

“Mhm. I tried using spells like Goa, but…”

Subaru tilts his head at Emilia’s incomplete statement. “But…?”

“Well...I think I’m scared of fire.”

That admission earns a mischievous smirk from Subaru, who attempts to stifle his snicker.

“Emilia-tan keeps finding new ways to be adorable...But wait, if lesser spirits aren’t sentient, is there any point in trying to talk to them?”

That rude assumption earns Subaru a pouty look and a furrowed brow from Emilia, who presses her fists to her hips as she continues her lecture.

“The lesser spirits are actually very kind and helpful, you know! They even notice things that the most intelligent beings might miss. Some people are actually very intimately connected to lesser spirits, and can only cast magic with their help.”

By now, the two’s conversation had lasted them long enough that they had passed into the suburbs where Subaru’s home was located. Having walked down these streets a couple of times now, Emilia was beginning to make a mental map of the area, and recognized small landmarks like roadsigns and the ‘train tracks’ that required crossing over.

“I guess every parallel fantasy has its own rules…”

So Subaru mutters to himself, before turning to face Emilia again.

“You mentioned you had a close bond with your contracted spirit, is that your dad that you’ve mentioned a few times?”

“Mm,” Emilia hums as she nods, a certain sadness in her tone. “Puck. He’s really important to me, and I really miss him.”

Emilia chooses to speak no further on that subject, as she had chosen to keep any pain she was feeling being isolated from the world she knew to herself when she vowed to solve this problem by herself. Subaru too, has a look that implies he isn’t sure how to comment, being that he agreed to Emilia’s terms of partial-self-reliance.

“...Just let me know if you ever need any help, alright?”

“...Mm.”

A short silence follows, before Emilia finishes her magical explanation.

“I’m really not very good at using magic, though. Puck needs to disappear in order to recharge his mana reserves after sunset, and sometimes he might be gone for a few days in order to have a rest. It’s at that point that I’m most vulnerable, since compared to most magic users I’m little more than a novice…”

“Ah,” Subaru scoffs, “I bet you’re just selling yourself short, Emilia-tan. If your beauty is anything like your magic powers, I bet they’re awesomely powerful.”

Emilia still hadn’t quite gotten used to this regular occurrence of being called ‘beautiful’ by Subaru. She had managed to work towards a personal understanding that other people besides Puck were capable of complimenting her, or even being nice to her, but it still felt a little strange. Not in a bad way, by any means, if anything she felt a certain...Fluttering in her chest anytime Subaru said nice things to her, and it seemed to instinctively bring a smile to her face.

As if on cue with that instinct, Emilia turns her smiling face to her companion.

“You’re so very strange, Subaru.”

“Eh!? That’s not the response I was expecting!”

Emilia stifles a giggle at his flustered reaction, though to Subaru’s credit Emilia couldn’t figure out a way to properly articulate how she felt in this moment.

“I don’t mean it in a bad way! It’s just...Strange. You keep asking for such underwhelming rewards for all the kind things you’ve done for me.”

“Ah, Emilia-tan, my poor heart…”

Clutching his chest in an overly dramatic fashion, Subaru continues.

“Emilia-tan, maybe the things I’m asking for are underwhelming for you, but for me…”

He pauses, thinking to himself how best to word the next portion of his explanation.

“I’m not a forward-thinking kind of guy, y’know? I want what I want when I want it. So earlier today, I wanted to go on a date with you, and I wanted it more than anything in the world...So I asked for it. Just there, I wanted to learn more about your world and the awesome magic you can use in it, so I asked about it. I guess in some ways that makes me pretty simple and stupid, but in the end I at least know what I want, or at least what I think I want, in order to find my happiness.”

Emilia’s eyes widen slightly at such an honest, self-deprecating admission.

After all, she, for all intents and purposes followed the exact opposite philosophy.

She was a very forward thinking person. She wanted to become King of Lugunica to enact her ideals to the world, and to follow up her personal agreement with Roswaal L. Mathers. She would spend her hours alone deliberating on what her next step should be, how best to further her long-term goals.

And yet she found herself completely incompetent and incapable of following through with any of these plans. When asked how she was going to become King, she would simply stutter, offer a half-answer or deflect the question somehow. She didn’t even know if she really wanted to be King for the sake of being King, or if she was just following these schemes for her own selfish reasons.

Subaru knew what he wanted, and even if it was only for short term gain, he wasn’t afraid to take it.

Emilia didn’t know for certain what she wanted, and as much as she tried to think and plan, she could never figure out how to achieve it.

The comparison humbles her and shows to her her own inadequacy that she feels compelled to apologise.

“I’m sorry, Subaru. I didn’t mean it in a bad way...I’m glad you asked me to go on a ‘date’ with you, and that you asked me about my magical abilities.”

“Y-Yeah!?” A burst of excitement is promptly toned down by Subaru’s shame as he clears his throat. “Yeah? Because, y’know...I’m looking forward to our date, like, a lot.”

Pressing her fingers to her lips to stifle a laugh at Subaru’s enthusiasm, Emilia reciprocates the sentiment.

“Me too.”

Chapter Text

The one storey building that was the Natsuki household was a lot more...Intimidating than the last time Emilia was here, only several hours ago. She finds herself idly running her nails through the hair on the side of her head, both out of a nervous reflex and also in an effort to cover her distinctly out of place pointed ears with strands of silver.

Was her unease warranted? That was yet another conundrum running through her mind at the moment. She knew she was very much taking advantage of the Natsuki family’s kindness and hospitality, and this reliance tormented her incessantly – Even when it had directly been offered to her by Subaru – She couldn’t shake the feeling that she was doing something wrong in placing all this responsibility in Naoko, Kenichi and Subaru.

And yet, on the other hand, the Natsuki family had proven themselves to be caring, patient and trustworthy already. Was Emilia not doing a disservice to them by second-guessing her decision to trust them?

And ultimately, it wasn’t as if playing all these mental gymnastics would change anything. Emilia knew for a fact she needed someone by her side, especially in this entirely separate reality to her own. She could toil and berate herself all day like she had already been doing, but in the end she knew she would still try and convince Subaru to look out for her. The fact he so willingly offered her his hand in assistance just sped up that process.

Subaru takes in a deep breath in an attempt to pep himself up to meet his parents again.

Emilia told herself time and again she would find a way to make all this up to her newest friend’s willingness to be put in the line of fire, so to speak. No doubt he was in for a real scolding from his parents for all of these spur-of-the-moment decisions, just like when Emilia tried to sneak off with Mother Fortuna’s-

…?

Her eyelids flutter in momentary bewilderment.

The front door of the Natsuki’s home opens, and the oddity in Emilia’s mind passes.

“We’re home!”

Subaru calls out across the entrance hallway as he pulls off his shoes onto the genkan, a politeness Emilia still found herself grappling to understand but nonetheless copies, slipping out of her borrowed pumps.

A pleasant aroma wafts in the air, and combined with the distinct sound of meat sizzling against a pan, Emilia could deduce dinner was being cooked. She shuts her eyes for a moment to breath in the scent as, she did feel herself growing somewhat hungry in the hours after her early lunch this morning.

“Hello, hello!” A voice very much like Subaru’s, if a little deeper in tone calls out above the noise in the kitchen, signalling that Kenichi is the one at work there. In time with this realization, Emilia spots him poking his head out from the kitchen to look down the hall, a wide grin across his face. “Pasta for dinner! Make yourself at home, Emilia!”

“Pass...Tah.”

Emilia absent-mindedly mutters the word back to herself as Subaru leads her through the familiar household. The clean, smooth and laminated wooden flooring feels remarkably comfortable on her bare feet, and the modest, small space of the main living room area gives her a cozy feeling, at least in comparison to the massive scale of Roswaal’s mansion. She spends a few moments admiring the décor – an observation she didn’t have the chance to take this morning. Various little figures and knick-knacks in the shape of foreign, cute animals Emilia didn’t have names for line a shelf just at the end of the hall, the rustic carpet between the sofa and “television” blends nicely with the smooth wood floor, and the pleasant smell of whatever “pasta” is wafts from the kitchen into the living room.

It was so unbelievably cozy, and yet so...Sad.

It reminds her of the feelings she harboured for Puck.

This was what family felt like.

“Hey, Emilia...How about you make yourself at home? I gotta talk to my dad about some things.”

“Oh, er- If that’s what you think is best. I’m not really…”

Subaru tilts his head slightly at Emilia’s hesitation to finish her sentence.

“I’m not really sure how to ‘make myself at home.’”

He breathes a laugh at her social ineptitude, and motions an arm to the comfortable looking couch in the room.

“It just sorta means like, ‘treat my home like it’s yours’, so if you wanna sit down, or if you wanna sneak away with a snack from the fridge, feel free to. If you wanna poke around in my room some more...Well...A man needs to be able to make sacrifices for the greater good.”

“Oh…”

Brushing aside that Emilia had no idea what a ‘fridge’ was, or what Subaru was referring to with the word ‘sacrifices’, she was beginning to see some similarities between this arrangement and her time in the Roswaal manor, so the concept of treating someone else’s home like her own wasn’t entirely foreign. There was, however, an important distinction in her mind.

In the mansion, she adhered to a strict schedule. Dinner was always served at a specified time, study in the evening, maybe she’d have an extra hour to sleep in in the morning but when it came down to it Emilia was as much working a job as she was living in a home. With her agreement with Roswaal, certain freedoms were limited: She wasn’t allowed to leave the manor grounds after dark, and even during the day she required an escort by Ram or Rem. She was allowed extremely limited contact with people outside of the inhabitants of the mansion: Puck was the only real exception, and if she wanted to interact with the villagers of Arlam she either needed to wear her concealment cloak or seek permission from Roswaal himself.

Subaru’s lackadaisical approach was…

It was different, in an important way.

Emilia carefully takes a seat on the couch as Subaru leaves the room for the kitchen. Now with nought but the faint sounds of boiling water in the adjacent room to distract her, Emilia’s thoughts began to linger.

“Mother...Fortuna.”

What is this name dancing on the fringes of her mind? Who does it belong to? Does Emilia know them? Why does Emilia know them, by name...?

She could recall several occasions since she arrived in this world that some faint, vague thought resembling a memory would briefly pop up in her thoughts, triggered by something seemingly random and irrelevant. She would hesitate in a moment of grasping to understand it, and just as suddenly as it appeared, it would dissipate into the deep recesses of her conscious. It was, however, especially peculiar, as after the fact, she could recall the event of the ‘memory’ occurring, but not the memory itself. Like the profound ‘tip of the tongue’ sensation, she knew there was something she wanted to remember, and she could fathom a blurry, incomplete idea of what the memory was – a face, a voice or a location, but enough elements would be missing that she couldn’t form a coherent thought about it.

Except for that name.

Fortuna.

Somehow she had been able to...’Grasp’ it and not let go, minutes ago when it appeared in her head.

But that was all it was, just a name.

Well, no, maybe it was slightly more than a name.

The momentary fondness she felt for it lead her to assume whoever this person it belonged to was important to Emilia, somehow. And, with a title like ‘Mother’…

But that fondness had passed. The references in her memories were gone, and even though she knew she had experienced them – if very briefly – She couldn’t convince her heart to resonate with this name again.

It was profound and frustrating.

So, Fortuna was all she lingered on.

That name, and Emilia’s brief reverence for it.

“Hey.”

…?

“So...Thanks.”

Emilia’s thoughts derail once again as her pointed ears pick up on the faint conversation in the kitchen between Subaru and his father. She can only just make out Subaru’s awkward gratitude over the sizzling sound of “pasta” being cooked, but she nonetheless feels a certain amount of guilt in inadvertently eavesdropping like this.

With no response from Kenichi, Subaru reaffirms his gratitude.

“Seriously, thanks. I’m gonna say it to mom, too, but I know I’m really pushing my luck.”

A faint chuckle can be heard from Kenichi.

“Hah...Wish you could’ve told us sooner you had such a close friend, kiddo.”

“...Sorry.”

There wasn’t really an excuse Subaru could make, considering Emilia was in fact, not a long-time friend visiting from a different country within the boundaries of this universe, so Subaru’s apology in defeat made sense. The sincerity of it all seems to take Kenichi aback, as he quickly switches to a jovial tone.

“Ah, it’s all good, son. I’m sure your mother will want to talk about stuff, as she likes to do, but I’ve no qualms about your choice in girlfriend.”

Subaru hums in thought and agreement, before a distinct realisation about what his father just said hits him.

“Hmm, hmm…Wait hold on a sec! Did you just imply something…!?”

“Got three seconds left to deny it, kiddo.”

One second to process the information, another to formulate a response, and a third moment to-

“Now hold on a second-!”

“Too late! Ah...I’m so proud, my son’s finally found his soul mate.”

The conversation quickly devolves into chuckling and a long-winded groan from Subaru, until Kenichi gets all of his laughs out. Despite Subaru’s bickering, just based on hearing them speak it’s clear to Emilia the two are enjoying the familial banter...Even if she isn’t entirely able to pinpoint what Kenichi is mocking his son for in the first place.

“Ahah...But, well...There is something, Subaru.”

“Eh?”

“Since your Mom and I seem to be doing such a big favour for you...”

“I’m not going to school, Dad.”

The finality in that statement brings the conversation to an abrupt halt, and even Emilia finds herself taken aback by the seriousness of Subaru’s tone.

“...Alright.”

Defeated, and clearly lacking the will to argue the terms of an agreement he himself suggested in the first place, Kenichi hums thoughtfully, ending the conversation. A few more seconds pass, and the sound of Subaru’s footsteps approach as he re-enters the main room of the house.

“Hey, Emilia-tan, want to get started on learning some Japanese?”

Well, this was truly peculiar. Numerous things, in fact.

Subaru had activated his device known as a ‘computer’, for one thing – an incredibly complex metia (if that term was even applicable in this world) for the purpose of holding, storing and gathering information. Sitting on a spare chair to watch him manipulate the peripherals called a ‘mouse’ and ‘keyboard’, Emilia’s eyes frantically follow the stream of text, images that constantly shifted and change as Subaru expertly made use of this seemingly complex tool.

Based on his explanation, this ‘computer’ was connected to a massive network of other ‘computers’ spanning the entire world, and each and every user of those computers both contributed to a massive pool of information and records, as well as using it for the purpose of communication.

“Could this be...The Od Laguna of this world?”

The concept wasn’t so alien to Emilia. Od Laguna was said to be the “core” of her world, from which all mana flows from and eventually returns to. As mana and its interaction with one’s Od was the essence of life – at least in her world, she had often read theories and speculation that life itself may originate from Od Laguna, and perhaps return to after death.

Whether these theories had any truth to them or not, the concept of life contributing to a singular point over time made some amount of sense to Emilia with her previous research on concepts from her own world.

Saying that however, she couldn’t really see how this relatively small device could have such capabilities as to connect across the entire world, but then again she had no real reference to understand the information on the screen in the first place.

“Right! Time for your introduction to Japanese.”

Besides the unfathomable device before her, the other peculiarity that surprised Emilia was just how ...Easy to understand she found this completely alien language. Truly, the basic rules of her own writing system were present in the script called “Hiragana” and so, for Emilia, picking up this entirely different language seemed to be little more than memorizing different symbols with the same pronunciation and meaning.

The two had been practising using flashcards for the past half an hour. Subaru would show Emilia a symbol, and test whether she could remember the pronunciation of it. With her stellar consistency, backed by how naturally she understood the concepts, Subaru eventually needs to ask:

“Jeez, Emilia-tan...Are you sure you’re not fluent?”

Emilia holds her chin, thinking how best to explain herself.

“It’s so strange to say but...Your ‘Japanese’ is strangely...Familiar. Looking at these ‘Hiragana’ symbols, it’s structured similarly...Exactly the same way as i-glyphs from my language.”

“Huh…”

That revelation gives Subaru pause as he sets the stack of flashcards on his desk to ponder.

“Hmm...Now there’s something else that can’t be a coincidence…”

Subaru holds his chin, closing his eyes in thought. In all honesty, Emilia didn’t think much of the similarities between their writing systems beyond how much easier it was going to make learning Japanese, but with Subaru so lost in thought about it, she couldn’t help but wonder herself.

She had limited knowledge of nations outside of Lugunica since all of her studies during her time at Roswaal’s manor were on Lugunican politics and history, so Emilia couldn’t say whether or not the rest of her world all spoke the same tongue. In fact, the idea of a different language in the first place was...Unfamiliar to her, since she had only ever learnt and spoken the common tongue of Lugunica.

With that in mind, was it really so strange that her world and this one were so similar when it came to communication? Was it an expectation for a differing nation or indeed universe to also come with a different language?

Again, Emilia did not know. She had no reference for concepts such as this.

“Could it be…”

Having reached some sort of conclusion, Subaru’s eyes open and he raises his finger to make his point. Emilia tilts her head, waiting for him to continue.

“Well...It’s just a theory at the moment, but...If we accept that our worlds are linked enough that people can travel between them, then...It only makes sense that someone from my world could have been sent to yours at some point, right?”

Emilia nods intently, her gaze fixated on Subaru’s determined eyes. Her circumstances in mind, it wasn’t so outlandish to think that the same thing that happened to her could also happen in reverse. In some ways, the thought that such an occurrence wasn’t exclusive to her gave her a sense of optimism that there may be someone out there with the answers she was looking for...And a method to return home.

“Hmm. Hmm...I think I understand what you mean.”

With the similarities piling up between these two supposedly unrelated universes, the possibility that Emilia may in fact be able to find a connection to her own world in this one presented itself. Could it really be such a coincidence that she and Subaru spoke the same tongue? That their writing systems followed such a similar set of rules and concepts? Heck, just the fact that Emilia didn’t have any sort of deathly allergic reaction to the food in this world suggested her biology was similar, if not near identical to the people of this one, save for her pointed ears and comparatively pale skin.

This revelation in mind, Subaru’s next words throw her for a loop.

“Right? That means there’s the possibility I could visit your awesome fantasy world!”

Chapter Text

It could be said that Natsuki Kenichi was the spitting image of the ideal man.

He was athletic and physically capable, maintaining a healthy, muscular body through a mixture of a generally active lifestyle as well as a daily exercise routine, well into his late forties. Many people he knew in his age group stayed relatively fit through passive exercise, like walking to work, rushing to catch a train or riding a bicycle as opposed to taking the car. Kenichi stood out among his peers with his regimen of weight lifting, push-ups and ensuring he never skipped leg day.

He was attractive and charismatic, carrying a natural energy that caught the eye of women of any age or demographic. He was tall and often in a suit as he travelled to and from work, earning the gaze of mature ladies and single mothers everywhere, and yet his smooth skin, unkempt hair and easy-going personality was appealing to those twenty years his junior. He could recall many a time he had to politely decline a sudden invitation on a date in the middle of the street, as well as the mixture of flattery and discomfort that comes with a group of teenagers ogling you from a distance.

He had a natural talent for seemingly any activity or skill he wanted or needed to pick up. An instrument, jogging, singing, technology – With a little bit of practice and time to learn the basics, Kenichi’s range of abilities seemed vast and effortless.

He played the role of a ‘provider’ for his family, enjoying a successful career in his work life that ensured a comfortable life for his wife and son. His seemingly natural ability to come to grips with any challenges presented to him made climbing a corporate ladder a mere matter of time rather than any technical limitations. His charm and overall charisma made it easy to sway a manager to his side, gain the support of his peers, and ultimately allow him to play the system in whatever office he was stationed at.

He had a wife whom he loved and protected dearly, a son he would give his life for, and a life that seemed so like the ideals he had heard of in the concepts of a traditional “nuclear family” from overseas, he earned the envy of those around him.

“Naoko and you are so easygoing, do you really never have any arguments?”

“I’m so jealous of how well you get along with your family, it’s hard for us to keep away from eachother’s throats!”

“Your son is so quiet and well behaved for his age, how do you do it?”

Indeed, Natsuki Kenichi’s life seemed the peak existence for any man. A loving spouse, a successful career, a healthy body, a quiet, pleasant neighbourhood and a son to live for and carry on his legacy. Barring the occasional inappropriate flirting sent his way by women who weren’t aware of his marriage or just too young to know any better, Natsuki Kenichi really had nothing to complain about.

Truly, he was the most successful failure he knew.

Natsuki Kenichi first met his wife-to-be Naoko in the early nineteen-nineties, a period he looked back on with nostalgia, much like many in their middle-age who looked back fondly on the tail end of Japan’s “golden age” of technology, culture and economic boom. Kenichi wasn’t a man who struggled to meet women – be it in a bar, a colleague from work or just an old friend he wanted to catch up with, it could be said he was spoilt for choice on who he wanted to take on a date or indeed have a relationship with.

He wasn’t wasteful with money, so he could always take a girl to a nice place to eat. He was attractive, flirty and always knew the right thing to say. He could recall countless dates that ended with a “Let’s do this again sometime,” only for him to delete their number and sever all ties, rationalizing that she wasn’t “the one.”

So what was it about the plain, unremarkable young woman named Naoko that had Natsuki Kenichi coming back for more?

Well, perhaps it was their first meeting that set her apart, for one.

“Hey, hey, hey babe. How’d you like to earn some quick and easy money this evening?”

Compared to many other cities around the world, Tokyo was a notably safe city. Crime rates had never been lower than they were in recent years, and with the nation’s strict laws, access to harmful weapons was extremely difficult.

“Oh, good evening! Hmmm...I guess it couldn’t hurt, if you really need help with something.”

But, even so, in any population, if humanity’s worst is going to strike, it will be at night.

Natsuki Kenichi was no stranger to a lonely, dimly lit walk home after overtime at work. His commute would regularly take him through his local area’s red-light district, where “girl bars”, regular bars and any number of other gentleman’s clubs were the local business.

None of it was prostitution, not really. While many of Kenichi’s peers looked down in disgust at the women employed in the seedier sides of town, Kenichi wasn’t ignorant of the boundaries set in a so called “hostess-club”, where a customer hires a woman to have a drink, conversation or meal with them. Kenichi had once tried it himself, and enjoyed the experience well enough – it was...Freeing, to talk with a complete stranger about whatever might be on your mind that night. The hostess might not care – She’s just doing her job, after all – But for the customer, it is a real opportunity to vent your troubles and just have someone to talk to for an evening.

So, the sight of a ditzy, friendly and maybe airheaded young woman employed in the red-light district wasn’t an unusual one for Kenichi.

“Oh yeah, that’s good. It’s super simple babe, simple voiceover gig, just need you to make use of that sweet, sweet voice you’ve got for an hour or two.”

But, something about the conversation happening to Kenichi’s left as he passed rubbed him the wrong way.

While official businesses of course had clear boundaries for what their hostesses could and couldn’t do, you were obviously asking for trouble if you even so much as humour a shady peddler on the street offering any form of employment in the dead of night. From the corner of his eye, Kenichi honestly couldn’t fathom why this attractive young woman hadn’t turned tail and walked away in disgust, as he makes note of the haggling man’s slumped posture, thinning hair and unpleasant choice in attire that made it abundantly clear he didn’t represent any sort of legitimate business.

With the goal of ‘rescuing’ this young woman from herself set, Kenichi had only a split second to plan out his approach. Aggressive? He was a tall, muscular man, so it would likely be a simple thing to intimate this creep, and if it came to it, he was no stranger to punching someone in the jaw – School life isn’t always an easy thing, after all.

“Gotta think of something fast; worst case scenario, this innocent young woman might find herself involved with all the wrong people…!”

With remarkably fluidity in his change of posture, Natsuki Kenichi puts on his best ‘drunken idiot’ personality.

“Oooiiii! Good evening you three...Two.”

Bringing himself to a stop, he slips into the conversation, physically placing himself between the creep and the young lady with an exaggerated, giddy smile on his face, hiding his utter contempt for the scum in front of him taking advantage of a desperate, overly trusting or just downright lacking in street smarts woman.

“Sorry, sorry, am I interrupting something? Anyway, bit lost, can you point me to-”

Continuing his fake drunken tirade, Kenichi tops off his performance with a gradual increase in the slurring of his words, before cutting himself off with a sudden hiccup that hurts his throat to force.

Truly, this wasn’t Natsuki Kenichi at his most graceful, but-

“The sacrifices men make for the greater good…” Is how he justified it.

“...Can you point me to...Uh...To...Somewhere I’ve forgotten.”

The young woman promptly offers him an arm for support, his spur-of-the-moment and poorly planned attempt at looking like as much of a drunken slob as possible having apparently worked.

“Oh my goodness...You have to be more careful in the future! Why aren’t your friends helping you home?”

Maybe it wasn’t so out of the ordinary his performance had earned the rapport of the young woman: after all, a slob legitimately in his state was just as common a sight in the evening streets as a female employee of the surrounding establishments.

“Nah, nah, I’m perfectly fine! Watch-”

Lifting himself up in an attempt to straighten his posture, Kenichi instead tilts his weight back a little more than necessary, pretending to almost fall on his ass before he catches himself with a few hops backwards as he finds his balance again.

“Jeez...I should be an actor, at this rate.”

His inner thoughts notwithstanding, his continued display seems to have worked. Clearly having realised this whole situation wasn’t worth the trouble, the weirdo who had been peddling his so called ‘work offers’ has made himself scarce, as Kenichi spies him at the far end of the street, no doubt cursing the drunken lunatic that ruined his easy mark.

Well, that was what Kenichi was going to tell himself, anyway.

“Please be careful! Are you okay? Let’s see if we can find a place for you to sit down...”

The young woman holds her hand to Kenichi’s back for support in an effort to stop him from toppling over, and her genuine concern wounds Kenichi’s heart somewhat as he wonders if his dishonest approach was the right way to handle this.

With no need for the continued theatrics, seeing as the threat had moved on, Kenichi tones down his performance and stands up straight.

“Ah...I think I’m okay now. Thank you very much, miss.”

“Are you sure? You can find your way home? Remember to drink lots of water before you go to sleep!”

And so, after dismissing some more motherly worries, Kenichi returned home that night, something of a spring in his step from his good deed for the day. At the time, he wasn’t entirely certain why he intervened – it wasn’t really any of his business, and it was questionable just how much danger the ditzy young woman was really in in the first place, but he had seen enough news stories about young women working in red-light districts being lured in and taken advantage of that he just had a bad feeling on that street.

He thought about that airheaded young woman a lot the next day. Even if her sharp eyes and small pupils were a little offputting, the way she carried herself was so heartfelt and caring. How quickly she leaped to the aid of a stranger on the street both impressed Kenichi and left him feeling a little guilty at his dishonesty. She had such cute brunette hair tied in a long ponytail, and in hindsight her soft voice brought a warm smile to Kenichi’s face.

He sighed, and returned to the mundane task at hand in his repetitive office job. As much as he tried to steer his thoughts away, he couldn’t help but continue to run the night before in his head again and again. Maybe there was another way he could’ve handled it. Maybe he should’ve told her the truth of why he interjected into her conversation, instead of just stumbling down the street like a moron until he was out of sight.

Something about the woman...Was different. Special.

Another late night shift over, and Kenichi was once again taking his lonely walk home, cutting through the red-light district. It wasn’t particularly because he even liked this side of town, it honestly was just the fastest route home from his place of work.

Well, that wasn’t entirely true.

Part of him hoped he might see that woman again. I mean, if she worked here, there was the chance, right?

It was a lot of different assumptions all piled up into a slightly irrational decision about his commute, butit really...Couldn’t...Hurt…?

Well, he certainly got his wish that night.

“Hey...Good evening, sweetheart. Something tells me a lovely face like yours stands to earn some easy cash tonight.”

“…? Oh...Hello! It’s you again, you certainly disappeared off somewhere the last time we talked, hm?”

Was this fate? The exact same situation presented itself to Natsuki Kenichi, like a second chance to properly introduce himself to this woman. Here she is, confronted by the exact same shady guy from last night, once again presenting her a most likely dishonest offer for work that would quickly take a dark turn were she to accept it. For a moment, he wonders if this is Groundhog Day, deja vu, or if this woman really is this airheaded…

Well, he knew he wasn’t going to screw it up this time.

Taking a deep breath, he approaches the two and introduces himself.

“Hi, good evening, guys. Sorry, do you two know the area well? I’m trying to find…”

With a look of fake shock on his face, Kenichi pretends as though he’s begun to slowly recognize the woman who “helped” him the night before.

“-Sorry, weird question, have we met?”

The woman’s smile widens and she nods her head excitedly, clearly having recognized Kenichi herself.

“I thought I recognized you! From last night? How are you? Did you get home okay?”

Subtly breathing a sigh of relief, Kenichi finds some solace he’s managed to interject into the conversation – probably the most difficult part of his plan. He nods his head in return, chuckling to himself as he thinks back to the state he pretended to be in yesterday.

“Yeah, I managed okay I think. It was really kind of you to help me out – Maybe it’s fate that I got this opportunity to say thank you?”

The woman giggles to herself, holding her finger to her lips to stifle it. The fact his pickup line had such an effect leaves Kenichi with a fluttering feeling in his chest, and he finds himself at a loss for words as he stares for a moment.

“Ah, come on, buddy. Are you for real? This was supposed to be so easy…”

The shady guy, having clearly lost his patience both from Kenichi’s intrusion last night and today, lets an aggravated groan escape him as he furrows his brow and becomes more and more stand-off-ish.

“Can’t you just keep your freakin’ nose out of other people’s business? I had this mark all lined up, easy target, simple to manipulate…”

Having made his intentions clear and given up, the shady guy turns and begins making his way down the street, muttering to himself.

“Oh...Was it something I said?”

After a few seconds of awkward silence, the young woman poses her question, apparently still completely ignorant to what had actually just transpired. To anyone else, her dimwittedness would seem comical, but to Natsuki Kenichi…

He felt an overwhelming desire to protect the simple kindness this woman seemingly felt for all things.

It was a feeling that now, moment to moment, grew more intense in his heart. Unable to offer a real answer to the woman’s question, he simply states,

“My name’s Kenichi.”

Without missing a beat, the woman responds, a sweet smile upon her face,

“I’m Naoko.”

Kenichi and Naoko would stay in contact after that night, maintaining friendly relations even if Kenichi never really explained the danger he suspected Naoko was in and how he orchestrated their meeting the way he did in the first place. Their simple stance as acquaintances would quickly progress as they began dating, dating would turn to romance, romance would change to living together, and within a year the two were engaged.

Many would suggest that the two were taking things too quickly, not approaching their relationship with a cool head and letting their hormones rule their decision making. Kenichi recalls his colleagues’ shock when he broke the news to them, and even the petty rumours that started around the office later that day.

“Kenichi flirts with everyone around the office, he’s kidding himself if he thinks he can settle down like that.”

“Wonder what kind of girl it takes to turn the great, womanizing Natsuki Kenichi into an honest man.”

“Probably no one special.”

On the outside, Kenichi was a womanizer, a fickle man who moved from girl to girl as he saw fit. He would meet someone, easily attract them with his charisma, and after weeks of dating suddenly cut contact. Anyone who knew him could never get a read on what his actual intentions were: did he care this little for the feelings of others? Were the girls he dated a simple distraction from his exhausting work life, something to fill an evening when he needed to unwind?

Honestly, sometimes Kenichi didn’t even know.

He didn’t like to believe he was such a heartless person. He would tell himself, ‘she isn’t the one’, and that for all his charm and good choice in words, he never knew how to reject someone.

So he would just remove himself from their lives, and move onto the next girl.

When he looked at his actions that bluntly, and how they looked from other peoples’ perspectives, it would raise those questions in his mind again.

All of that didn’t matter anymore, though.

In the young woman named Naoko, he had found not only the girl who seemingly filled this gap in his heart, but someone he could protect.

That was the feeling he experienced that night as he prevented her kindness from being taken advantage of, the need to protect something – in this case, Naoko’s soft heart and gentle smile.

Perhaps that was what he was missing all along: Some primal instinct to protect a person less physically capable, less socially experienced, someone innocent.

Kenichi didn’t like to think of it like that. When asked, his default response was just “She’s special.”

And so Naoko would adopt the surname Natsuki as she and Kenichi would be wed after what seemed such a short time.

Kenichi thought himself the happiest guy in the world. Work was still work – Monotonous, uninteresting and a literal chore, but every day he would come home to Naoko’s warm smile. A deal could go poorly, a manager could give him a hard time or there could just be one too many annoyances during his commute, but at the end of the day, Natsuki Kenichi was always revitalized by a comfy evening around the TV, a pleasant dinner or however else he and Naoko felt like spending their free time that day.

It wasn’t always so easy, of course. The two argued, and while Kenichi didn’t always understand what the problem was, he never went out of his way to try and hurt Naoko. The two were polar opposites – Naoko was laid-back, quiet and dim-witted at times, while Kenichi was outspoken, energetic and always on alert, so it was only natural they would butt heads on occasion.

But, when all was said and done, they could never hold a grudge, and any disagreements were always quickly settled with a hug or a gift in good faith in the end.

Then came Naoko’s pregnancy.

And what a reality check that was for Natsuki Kenichi.

In nine months, he would be a father.

Would his child be a boy, or a girl? Would they resemble him or their mother more closely? Did he have a preference to begin with?

But the biggest question that permeated Kenichi’s mind was,

How.

How does one take responsibility for a child’s life.

How do you care for something so vulnerable, so innocent?

He felt he should be able to manage something like this, that he shouldn’t feel such anxieties. He committed himself to his wife specifically for her vulnerability and her innocence, why was this any different? He was a man, a strong, confident man, there should be no one more fit for the job of protection than him.

And yet,

He was scared.

It was a specific kind of fear, the kind that felt like a hole in your stomach and leaves you with a horrible, anxious feeling. He would wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, his heart racing and his head pounding in pain so intense he failed to fall asleep again. Many a day was spent in exhaustion, the only thing keeping Kenichi going being his third, fourth or fifth cup of coffee for the day.

Unrest in the Natsuki household would increase, as it wasn’t just Kenichi feeling the pressure. Naoko didn’t want to talk as often, and if the two did it became far more likely conversations could take a sour note over petty nonsense. Was the trash sorted by recyclables and non-recyclables? Is the fridge stocked up? Is the milk out of date? It felt as though even these minor mistakes were enough for Kenichi to see the worst of his wife, a side of her he didn’t think existed.

Passive aggressive comments, the cold shoulder, even an outright explosion of anger that would ultimately end in a sorry state of tears as she broke down from her anxieties.

Kenichi didn’t know how to deal with these things, so sometimes he would respond in kind. His health would decline to its lowest point as he skimped on his workout routine more and more, his eyes were more often than not baggy from lack of sleep, sometimes he would forget to eat for a day before realising just how hungry he was towards the end of the day-

He became a zombie, only kept animate through copious amounts of coffee and a need to keep up appearances.

I’m fine.

Things are going good.

You bet I’m excited to be a dad.

Showing the cracks in his confidence wasn’t in Kenichi’s nature, he didn’t know how to do it. It wasn’t that he considered such honesty to be a weakness, only that…

He only knew how to be whatever the world needed him to be.

His parents wanted him to do well in school, so he did.

His friends wanted someone fun and talkative, so that’s what he was.

Girls wanted someone attractive and well built, so he worked out.

He needed good income to afford rent, so he climbed corporate ladders and never missed a promotion.

Naoko needed someone to protect her, so Kenichi became her shield.

Did he really want to do all these things? Deep down, did he really value his school life and the work he put in? Or was he just pushing himself to reach those high grades, because that was what the world – his parents, told him was the ‘right’ thing to do.

Was he truly such an outgoing personality in his own mind? Or was that too, only a front to garner positive reinforcement from his peers.

With all his failed relationships, did Kenichi even truly care about others the way he claimed to?

All of these doubts came to the forefront of his mind as Naoko’s pregnancy progressed. The feeling that, all of his life he was only doing things because that was what was expected of him – like an unfeeling machine, programmed to act with efficiency and lacking the capability to disobey an order. Kenichi came to question that, despite his seemingly ideal circumstances – A stable job, physical health, a loving wife and a child on the way – Whether or not he was actually in the position in life he wanted to be.

Some days he would think about just...Running away from it all again. Secretly pack some clothes and supplies while Naoko wasn’t looking, and take the next train to Sapporo. Block her number, find some residence in a hostel as he searched for work and ultimately start his life over again. And maybe this time, he would find what actually makes him happy.

Another heart broken on Natsuki Kenichi’s empty road called life.

He never went through with it of course, but the thought often entered his mind and he hated himself even more for it.

All this unease, all this anxiety, all this...Pain, why was it that something so beautiful as the thought of a newborn child – His child – That made Natsuki Kenichi experience these feelings?

In just those nine months, he could recall the lowest points of his life.

His needless arguments and insults towards colleagues and friends at work over petty issues.

His first and only experimentation with self-harm.

The biggest decline in his physical health in his entire life, gaining weight and losing sleep.

Naoko even threatened to leave him once their child was born during a particularly heated argument.

Natsuki Kenichi witnessed firsthand his life falling apart at the seams until,

The day everything made sense to him again.

The day that whatever kind of man Kenichi was beforehand, none of it mattered now.

The day he knew that he was put on this earth to protect the life of another.

The day his son, Natsuki Subaru, was born.

As he watched Naoko cradle their newborn son in her arms, Natsuki Kenichi felt a new sense of purpose and strength in his heart.

No, it wasn’t ‘new’, it would be more accurate to say ‘incomplete.’

His son, Subaru, was the missing piece in Kenichi’s life. A new life, to protect, to treat with love and kindness, to teach and to prepare for the future.

To be better than his father.

That was what Kenichi needed all along.

Someone who could learn from their father’s mistakes and failures, who could be the person they wanted to be, not the person that the world wanted them to be.

Natsuki Kenichi needed someone to find that kind of happiness where he could not.

And conversely, succeeding in that, Kenichi would find his happiness.

Realising this, Natsuki Kenichi vowed to ensure his son would be happy. Natsuki Kenichi would become the person that his son needed him to be – Not because Subaru asked him to, but because Kenichi wanted to.

He would continue to work his hardest to give his son the best opportunity he could, and the freedom to choose what kind of person he wanted to be.

Natsuki Kenichi never really had that kind of choice in his life, after all. There was always something external influencing his decisions – Parents, friends, colleagues, bosses – And he was always altering his personality, his goals, his entire being in order to become the person that the world needed, wanted him to be.

He would not let his son fall into this same trap. He vowed that Subaru would be allowed to become his own person, the person he wanted to be, no matter what other people thought or wanted.

Natsuki Kenichi, the most successful failure, would give his son the opportunity to define their own success.

Chapter Text

The sound of a doorknob shifting and hinges creaking on their axis cuts through the silence of the dimly lit study.

“Ah, welcome home.”

A short figure, just barely taller than five feet, bows in submission after she enters the room.

“Thank you.”

Her voice is quiet, matter of fact, devoid of passion or emotion towards her master or the heinous acts she had just bore witness to.

The taller figure across the room who welcomed his servant home maintains his gaze out the window, towards the sparkling moon staring down at him.

“Now,”

His voice is seeped in malice; a strange, yet conniving tone.

“What of my plans?”

The shorter figure nods her head, her meek silhouette only barely visible through the moonlight spilling into the room.

“It is done. The area is prepared for your arrival. You will encounter no resistance.”

“Ah, wonderful.”

Another silence follows. The shorter figure stands on alert, her back straight and her hands daintily held in front of her.

“...Yes, wonderful. No doubt it was a stressful assignment. I only hope the sight wasn’t too unpleasant.”

“…”

The shorter figure hesitates to respond.

“...I will perform any task you ask of me.”

A devilish smile takes over the taller figure’s lips.

“I know.”

“…”

“...Yes, I know,”

He continues, his voice softening ever so slightly.

“You’re exhausted, I see. Come here…”

The shorter figure nods her head and, on command, approaches the opposite end of the room.

“Yes...Please.”

They both look into the distance together. The silent moon holds its gaze above them.

Through fields and forests, they held their gaze. Perhaps when day breaks, if the sky is clear enough, they would catch a glimpse of the fruits of their labour in the distance.

The cold, empty town that now laid silent.

Perhaps some deity somewhere would one day judge them for the evil they committed this night.

Judge them for their massacre, how the innocent were little more than piles of meat for the slaughter in their eyes.

She sits upon his lap, eagerly awaiting her reward. As he runs his finger along her forehead, he smiles cruelly.

“My dearest wish will come to fruition yet.”

Roughly two days have passed since Emilia materialised in her new world. In that time, she had been forced to suddenly adapt to many new sensibilities that come with an entirely separate reality: Technology, culture, clothing, food, communication...”Fish out of water” didn’t begin to explain how overwhelmed she was.

But she wasn’t alone.

As lonely as she felt, as much as she already missed the life she had been living mere days ago, and the people in it, the fact of the matter was she wasn’t alone.

The Natsuki family, despite not even knowing them for a week, had already welcomed her into their home with a smile and open arms. She didn’t even want to think about where she would be had fate not also smiled on her and allowed her to meet Subaru mere minutes into her sudden arrival in this world...Though, the thought did cross her mind on occasion anyway.

But, regardless, thanks to Subaru, she wasn’t alone.

And that was what she was afraid of more than anything else.

She wasn’t alone.

Now, in this moment perhaps, more than ever.

“Emilia-chan, are you dozing off again?”

“Oh, er- S-Sorry.”

Emilia raises her head and posture at Natsuki Naoko’s timely wake-up call, as an irritating jingle signals to both women that it is safe for them to cross the street. Even so, she still felt unsafe crossing the road, when one of those dragonless carriages...”Cars” could suddenly spark to life and run her over.

With a ground dragon, Emilia knew the obvious tells that would indicate its intent to take off: The sound of the carriage-drivers reins hitting off the dragon’s back, the unmistakable ‘clip-clap-clip-clap’ of the animal’s hooves shaking the ground, and the sound of the carriage’s wheels plowing through dirt, small stones and imperfections in the road, all of which provide plenty of time to react and get out of the way.

With these vehicles however, the road they dashed across was so smooth, and their acceleration was almost too fast for Emilia’s eyes to even keep up.

Ultimately, she wasn’t so much placing her trust in a blaring jingle indicating it was safe to cross, as she was trusting Naoko’s call-outs – Emilia even had to stop herself from reaching to hold the older woman’s hand just to make her feel more comfortable when crossing the line of fire of these casual death machines called “cars.”

Naoko stifles a short giggle as the two cross the street.

“I’ve always heard that the roads in America are busier and more dangerous than here...What makes you so nervous about crossing the street, Emilia-chan?”

Having seen right through her, Emilia gently gasps in surprise, something she hoped Naoko wouldn’t notice.

“Ah, oh, er...What makes you say that?”

Naoko brings her palm to her lips to cover a short laughter again before she responds.

“It might be my maternal instincts…”

Maternal instincts...Emilia wondered what that could mean. She never heard of such a thing from her own mother...Or, wait, no. She didn’t have a mother, at least that she knew of.

Well, she probably had a mother. Someone she inherited the facial features of, or her hair colour, or her good manners…

Someone like-

“Anyway, I’m just worried because it seems like you’ve been a little nervous on our day out today, Emilia-chan.”

It was true that Emilia was uneasy, although it was no fault of Naoko. She actually very much enjoyed the opportunity to get to know another member of the Natsuki household besides Subaru a little better.

Subaru no doubt would have relished the opportunity, but alas their date would have to take place later that day. For this morning, Subaru was helping his father with some work around the house, as part of what Kenichi called a “girlfriend debt.” Of course, Emilia had no idea what that could mean, but judging from Subaru’s flustered reaction, she could safely assume it was an inside joke she didn’t have the context for.

“I’m okay...I think I’m just still getting used to how different things here are.”

“Ah,” Naoko nods her head, “I hear lots of people from overseas who visit Japan experience some culture shock.”

“Culture shock?”

Emilia parrots the unfamiliar term as the two women begin entering the noisy, busier side of town that the restaurant they ate dinner at the day before was located.

“The difference in language, the physical distance from your home, the political and cultural differences...I imagine it can be very overwhelming at first...Not that I’ve ever experienced it – We’ve never left Japan before. But, I think I can understand how you’re feeling, at least a little bit, Emilia-chan.”

“Ah…”

It was as good a term as any to describe Emilia’s state of mind, ‘culture shock.’ She would have to make a mental note to remember that one, too.

With their conversation continuing, Emilia had just now noticed Naoko was referring to her with the ‘-chan’ title and, come to think of it, it was the first time she could recall ever being referred to as so. Puck adopted the ‘Lia’ nickname shortly after the two met in the Elior Forest, while the denizens of the Roswaal mansion referred to her as ‘Emilia-sama’...Well, except for the great spirit of the library, who refused to even call Emilia by name in the first place in their extremely limited interactions.

Emilia rather liked the friendly nicknames she had been receiving in this new world, now that she thought of it. Even if, in the case of Subaru’s ‘-Tan’ she didn’t know that the title meant.

“Ah, I’m sorry…”

“Huh?”

Naoko’s sudden apology and regretful tone sets off a small anxiety in Emilia, as she turns to face the older woman’s awkward smile.

“I’m sorry if I’m overstepping my boundaries making assumptions like that. It wasn’t fair of me to attribute your nervousness to culture shock.”

“Oh- N-No, not at all, Naoko-san! Um, I think you’re absolutely right, actually. I think I’m still getting used to all the things that are different here compared to where I’m from…”

Emilia still hated being so vague about her origins around Subaru’s parents, and so very much wished she could speak more honestly and in more detail about these things.

Naoko simply smiles and nods her head, accepting the flustered girl’s half-truths.

“Alright then...But please, let me know if I’m being too forward, okay?”

There were a lot of things Emilia wanted to say in protest, such as how kind the Natsuki family had already been to her, and that being ‘forward’ was the least of the troubles she usually had to deal with when it came to other people, but in the end she opts for a simple “Okay.”

“Now, then…”

Naoko begins speaking as the two approach an unbelievably huge building...Well, in reality all the buildings in this part of town were impossibly large to Emilia, but the fact that it seemed Naoko was intending to enter the structure in front of the two pronounced it more in the half-elf’s mind.

“We can’t very well have you wearing your pretty costume best reserved for special occasions all the time...Or borrowing my clothes, so a certain benefactor has provided you a budget to buy some new clothes, Emilia-chan.”

Well, Emilia finally knew what Naoko’s secret plans for the day she hinted at this morning were, at least.

“A secret benefactor…? You don’t mean...Subaru has lent me some money, do you?”

The coy smile Naoko shows provides a clear answer to even Emilia, who often struggles to pick up on subtly in another person’s body language.

“Ohhh...I can’t believe he would go so far for me…”

A low, frustrated growl escapes Emilia’s throat, prompting a short giggle from Naoko.

“Is it so surprising, Emilia-chan? You clearly mean a lot to Subaru...I would say, let him have this. I think you’ll be doing him as much of a favour as you think he’s doing you one.”

Emilia knew she would need to give a stern look and a pouty face to Subaru later on for doing her so many favours, but something else catches her attention in Naoko’s words.

“I...Would be doing him a favour?”

Naoko briefly pauses, taking in a deep breath as she seemingly finds the words to articulate a difficult topic.

“Mm,” she hums, “It’s good that Subaru has a close friend like you to put his effort towards. If I’m being honest...Kenichi and I were worried he would always be…”

The older woman stops, apparently the end of her sentence presenting some difficulty to her. The two had naturally, wordlessly agreed to postpone entering any shops, and found a bench within the massive building to sit on as they spoke.

Shrugging her shoulders, Naoko continues.

“...Lonely and unhappy, I suppose.”

That revelation gives Emilia pause, as due to Naoko’s somewhat vague choice of words, she doesn’t immediately even understand what is meant.

“Subaru is...Unhappy?”

“Ah...I’m sorry, I just assumed...Well, rather I had hoped he had talked to you about it, Emilia-chan.”

This information was certainly news to Emilia, as right from the get go the impression Emilia had of Natsuki Subaru was the exact personality he had openly presented – Upbeat, eccentric, confident and honest...Perhaps honest to a fault.

“But...Yes, Subaru has been very unhappy for a very long time now, I think. Especially recently...He’s stopped going to school, scarcely leaves his room, and never really seems like he wants to talk to either myself or his father. Up until he told us about you, we were led to believe he didn’t have any friends to talk to, either.”

Naoko’s words seem to carry a lot of pain in them, as her thoughtful expression and gentle tone seems to indicate. Emilia finds herself at a loss for words in the moment as her eyes soften at Naoko’s emotional voice.

“I didn’t know…”

“Mm. He’s very good at hiding these sorts of things...But a mother can put two and two together, after all.”

Naoko musters a weak smile.

“Ah...I’m sorry to drop that on you, Emilia-chan. You aren’t...I wasn’t trying to imply…”

She sighs.

“I’m not trying to imply that you’re responsible for my son, I shouldn’t have even...Brought it up, I just thought- I assumed he would have spoken to you-”

“It’s okay, Naoko-san.”

Emilia interjects to put Naoko’s anxious words at ease. The older woman lets another sigh escape her, though more as a release of tension.

“I’m just really grateful that you’ve been such a good friend to Subaru, Emilia-chan.”

Emilia smiles, hoping she can put together some kind words as a response but, the reality is...She isn’t a ‘good friend’ to Subaru. As well as he had treated her, as as much as she had come to rely on his help, the reality is that Emilia only barely knows Natsuki Subaru as a person.

“Alright...I think that’s enough unhappy thoughts. As I recall, you have a free licence to treat yourself today.”

With Naoko’s renewed smile, the two stand up to search the massive marketplace, or ‘mall’ for a suitable change of clothes for Emilia.

Emilia didn’t have a particular eye for fashion in her own world, having never had to pick out her own clothes in her entire life...As far as she could recall, anyway. Her beautiful robes were provided by Roswaal L. Mathers as, in his own words, ‘A garb appropriate for the one who should be king’, and any wardrobe changes were catered to by the doting twin maids of the mansion, Ram and Rem.

And before even that, she wore only tattered garments she sewn herself with Puck’s guidance. In fact, if it weren’t for her companion’s advice, she likely would’ve spent her days in the Elior Forest dressed in what she was wearing when she first thawed out of the ice – Which is to say, nothing.

She didn’t fully understand why, but Emilia’s affinity for ice magic seemed to have the side effect of staving off cold itself from her body, essentially making her immune to negative side effects of the cold like hypothermia. Her magical talents having seemingly been removed from her in this new world however, Emilia found it difficult to cope with the unpleasant, bitter chill that runs up her spine anytime a harsh breeze passed her by, or the temperature drop that came each evening.

With that in mind, as she and Naoko browsed a clothing store within the ‘mall’, Emilia made sure to pick out anything that looked or felt to be made of a particularly insulating material. That was easy, but the obvious problem was…

“Um...Sorry, Naoko-san...Do you know if Subaru gave me enough for this?”

So she says holding a wool sweater in one hand, and a small bundle of the paper currency she didn’t have a name for in the other.

Here was her inability to read the language of this world, coupled with her lack of knowledge on the value of currency in general much less a foreign one, back to bite her.

Naoko, after checking a small tag attached to the sweater, nods her head.

“Mhm. Subaru loaned you five thousand yen...And that’s one thousand plus tax.”

Having learned the name of this world’s currency, Emilia mouths the unfamiliar word back to herself.

“Yen…”

“It’s awfully warm for a such a stuffy sweater, don’t you think?”

Naoko’s comment catches Emilia off guard, and she holds a doe-eyed stare before even realising what the older woman said.

“Oh! Ah...I just get cold really easily, I think. It also feels really comfy…”

“Have you been feeling cold the past couple of days? I’ll have to show you where the air conditioning controller is...”

The genuine concern in Naoko’s tone is unmistakable, and leaves Emilia somewhat hesitant to respond. That, and she isn’t entirely sure what ‘air conditioning’ is. Nontheless, after finding the words, Emilia is quick to try and alleviate Naoko’s concern.

“Oh, no, no, it’s okay. I think I’ll be okay with this. It feels really cozy after all, and I don’t want to be a bother to anyone else in the house.”

“Nope! It’s too late, Emilia-chan. You’ve awakened my motherly instincts, and now my first order of business when we get home is to turn the heating up.”

Naoko presses a finger to her lips to stifle her short giggle, the self awareness of her proclamation not entirely being lost on Emilia, who playfully pouts in response.

“Ohhhh...You remind me a lot of my own mother, Naoko-san.”

“Oh? Really? And what’s she like?”

Emilia’s sudden comparison draws curiosity out of Naoko, who tilts her head in anticipation.

“Hehe...If I ever so much as sneezed or shivered, Mother Fortuna would always promptly fetch my blanket and start a fire for me in the fireplace...She always-”

Emilia’s voice hitches in her throat as she catches these memories that have arisen in her subconscious. The shocked expression that takes over her face invokes some concern in Naoko, as she waits for the half-elf to finish.

“...Emilia?”

“...Oh, ah...I’m sorry about that, Naoko-san. Hm.”

Emilia shakes her head, forcing herself into a state of lucidity long enough to finish the conversation she herself started.

“You’re really sweet and kind, Naoko-san, and that reminds me of my mother.”

There was that name again...Mother Fortuna. Natsuki Naoko’s kindness brought on a thousand warm feelings to wash over Emilia and just as soon as Emilia fondly smiled at the thought of them, all of a sudden any emotional attachment she might have to the motherly figure encapsulating those memories was gone.

Something felt a little bit different this time, though. Emilia could still...Remember some things. In the instant she saw a previous life flash in her mind, she managed to ‘grab hold’ of some memories, but…

At least right now, it was too much for her to focus on anything specific. Her mind was an overwhelming rush of images and moments, moments that must have been her own memories, as she was present for them, but yet...She couldn’t remember being there.

It wasn’t unlike seeing a photograph from when you’re extremely young, too young to remember, but it’s unquestionably a photograph of you. Memories that must have been hers, yet they had no presence in her own recollection of history.

Emilia presses her palm to her forehead, trying to make some sense of this bombardment of her own mind.

“Emilia, is something wrong?”

In all of her mental struggles, Emilia forgets she’s still in the middle of a clothing store, with Natsuki Naoko looking at her, concern in her eyes.

“Ah, I’m sorry, Naoko-san. I think I have a headache.”

It’s a hasty lie, and Emilia’s delivery leaves much to be desired in the way of believability, but Naoko seems to buy it...Which doesn’t at all make Emilia feel any better.

“Is it the crowds? Subaru and I don’t always do very well in crowds, either...Here, I’ll handle the shopping for you.”

“No, no, it’s okay. I’m sorry, I think I’ll be okay.”

Naoko’s offer is swiftly rejected, with Emilia shaking her head back to her senses. Her thoughts were more and more feeling like mess of bright lights and loud noises by the moment, making it difficult to focus or formulate a sentence. Nonetheless, Emilia was determined to...Immerse herself in this world, even if admittedly the massive emporium stuffed with fellow shoppers was an unfamiliar and overwhelming experience...Coupled with this mess of thoughts overtaking her.

“Well...Okay. We’ll compromise by finding a place to sit down once we’re done, alright?”

The quiet, yet satisfying sound of a lead pencil scribbling against paper feels like a godsend to Emilia, who has just spent the last several hours split between being surrounded by crowds and trying to avoid being separated from Natsuki Naoko.

She lets loose a deep exhalation at the thought of it.

“Feels like this morning has been more stressful than it actually was in the moment, now that I think of it…”

Maybe the cozy softness of her new sweater made it all worth it, at least. Previously, she struggled to concentrate on practising her Japanese writing due to the unpleasant chill constantly running up and down her spine.

“Hmm. It’s sort of funny, now that I think of it…”

She mutters to herself as she writes each symbol of the ‘Hiragana’ table on a grid, occasionally refreshing her memory using a textbook Subaru had provided her. Normally, Subaru himself would be in the room like their first practice session, to answer any questions she had or help out, but, she and Naoko had returned home an hour prior to find the house empty.

“Learning this language...It’s sort of like when I studied for the Royal Selection.”

That too was a mundane, repetitive task of memorising things. The big difference was of course, instead of having to remember different types of etiquette, the names of important figures and historical events relating to Lugunica’s politics, Emilia was committing an alien writing system to her muscle memory.

That type of study wasn’t entirely foreign to her, at least. After all, she previously had to study the i-glyphs, ha-glyphs and ro-glyphs of her native language, which…

Well, at the time it felt embarrassing, to say the least. After all, she was for all intents and purposes a fully matured adult, and yet as she once heard the pink-haired maid Ram mutter one evening, her ability to read and write was ‘less than acceptable.’

“Come to think of it...”

Was this even a different language that she was learning? Certainly the people she had spoken to this world had different styles of speech to what Emilia was used to in her own world, and there were many new terms for objects she otherwise didn’t have words for that she had to learn, but, on the whole, the fact Emilia could understand the speech of the people of this world seemed to suggest something that...Couldn’t be a coincidence.

It didn’t help that this ‘Japanese’ system felt so...Familiar to her. The structure of the script she was memorising came so naturally to her, as if she was essentially learning the exact same system she already knew, but with different symbols to represent the sounds.

In fact, that was exactly the case.

“So strange…”

Indeed, the structure of this ‘new’ writing system...Maybe wasn’t so new after all.

“It couldn’t be a coincidence…?”

There was definitely a certain satisfaction in this process, though. Emilia felt she could scribble these symbols for hours – This ‘pencil’ felt so much easier to write with than the ink and quill she was so used to, and the scratching sound it made against the paper wasn’t at all unpleasant.

In this moment, Emilia felt a certain sense of...Calmness, something she struggled to find these past few days she had been in this world. She wasn’t worrying about her home, her responsibilities and duty, or even Puck, she was just...Scribbling on some paper, her mind focused on the relatively simple task of memorising how to write some strange symbols.

She liked it. She liked the quiet, especially considering how stressful her morning had been...Not that she wanted to fault Natsuki Naoko by any means, not at all. Naoko had been extremely kind and conversational the whole time at the ‘mall’, and Emilia herself did want to experience more of what this world had to offer to begin with.

She had certainly found a new appreciation for the quiet, suburban neighbourhood that the Natsuki family lived in, though. The side of town she had spent her morning in reminded her a lot of the Lugunica capital, with the immeasurable number of people surrounding her at any one moment, the hustle and bustle, and the...Ironic loneliness.

In the Roswaal mansion, and indeed the Natsuki household, Emilia could count the number of people around her with her fingers, a distinction she much preferred.

“With Naoko-san, Kenichi-san and Subaru, I know they won’t try and hurt me or give me strange looks, but…”

Even in a different world, Emilia couldn’t shake the feeling of unease at being exposed in public. Even in this world where prejudice against her position as a half-elf didn’t even exist, it felt so...Ingrained in her subconscious for her to try and hide herself.

Of course, she wasn’t wearing her identity concealing cloak when she was transported, and even if she was, it was unlikely it’s magical properties would even take effect in this world seemingly devoid of mana.

“We’re home!”

The energetic tone of Subaru’s voice, though muffled, still reaches Emilia through Subaru’s bedroom wall.

“Welcome home! Emilia-chan is in your room, Subaru.”

So Naoko remarks coyly, earning a prompt, flustered response from her son.

“I wasn’t going to ask!”

“Uh huh.”

And, after some footsteps, the door to Subaru’s room creaks open.

“Hey, Emilia-tan! It’s time for our-!”

Having already stood from her chair to greet Subaru, Emilia is given a clear view of his blushing, surprised face as he looks over her purchased attire from this morning.

“Whoever picked that sweater for you has incredible taste!”

Naoko-san did say that Emilia was doing Subaru more of a favour than he was for her, after all.

Chapter Text

“Roswaal-sama.”

A bitter chill can be felt in the air. Snow crunches underfoot as the two make their way through a misty clearing.

“Hmm?”

The pink haired girl does not continue for a moment. Perhaps she wasn’t sure what she wanted to say in the first place. Perhaps the malice in her master’s grin gives her pause.

“Please, do speak your mind, Ram.”

Whatever the case may be, the girl finds her courage.

“Surely there must be a better way, Roswaal-sama.”

He chuckles, the kind of laughter that would instil dread in most…But not her. Here, in this empty forest,  as snow gently wafts to the ground and towering trees can just barely be made out through the icy cold air…There is only peace. Tranquility. Stillness.

The end of the world.

“Do you mean to tell me you have found an alternative solution?”

They continue to trudge through the snow. Though a defiant spark still lies in the hornless oni, she can only meekly mutter:

“…You are the most powerful magician.”

“Hmm.”

He hums in amusement.

“Possibly true. Who can really say for certain? And it is a recourse I had considered. I know you don’t think so little of me that you wouldn’t have already assumed that.”

…

…

…

“…I don’t want to lose anyone else.”

Her pained plea now gives Roswaal L. Mathers pause.

“My…We truly are in a hopeless situation, are we not?”

The girl has no more words.

“By all accounts, we should’ve tried to kill each other hours ago. A conflict that would have, most likely, ended in your death, Ram.”

A biting cold breeze passes them by, though neither feel its chill. In these moments – any one of which could be their last, there is only focus.

“We were only ever…Reluctant allies. Your servitude for you and your sister’s protection.”

Ram exhales deeply, her breath hitching in her throat.

“I have failed to uphold my end of our bargain, have I not?”

“…Damn you.”

She grits her teeth to hold back a flood of venomous words.

“Indeed…I have failed in a great many things, as of late. First Emilia-sama’s disappearance, the loss of Arlam village to mabeasts, Rem’s mysterious death by sickness…”

The atmosphere is hollow and quiet as Roswaal pauses.

“Suffice to say, due to this turn of events, I find myself doubting even my own abilities. I would never have believed I would have felt need to turn to the Great Spirit of the Library for aid in reaching a resolution to our current circumstances but she refuses to see me still.”

Ram clicks her tongue in frustration at the sheer audacity of how much her master’s plans have fallen apart.

“Truly, I hold all the attributes of a failure of a magician, do I not, Ram?”

“…”

“And yet here we are. Reluctant allies. By necessity? No…By desperation. And that is all we should be, and yet…”

Finally, it comes into view through the mist. A structure made of stone, a staircase leading to its mouth through which there is only darkness.

“There is something more.”

Emilia was...A little bit nervous, though she couldn’t really pinpoint why. By all accounts and Subaru’s description, a ‘date’ was a simple, easygoing affair. The two would simply spend time doing something that they enjoyed as a pair, such as talking, having dinner somewhere or walking somewhere pleasant.

By definition, it was already in line with how Emilia had already been spending her time with Subaru. The two were...Well, friends. It was no business relationship, like what she had with Roswaal and the denizens of his mansion, nor was it a maternal one, like what she shared with Puck.

And, despite Emilia’s inexperience in friendships, Subaru being her first and only friend, she at least understood enough that spending any time with a friend was meant to be an enjoyable experience.

Basically, Emilia struggled to see why the distinction of a ‘date’ was even necessary, which made this butterflies-in-the-stomach feeling all the more confusing to her.

Her gaze, that had been fixated on the pavement as she was mulling all this over, shifts to Subaru walking by her side. Truth be told, it was mainly his excitement and energy over the ‘date’ that was keeping Emilia on track. She of course, had next to no idea as to what exactly was happening, and was more or less following Subaru’s lead on this venture, so seeing him in a good mood kept her feeling optimistic that this was going well.

“Man...I can’t believe it! A date with a cute half-elf girl from a fantasy world...It’s almost too unbelievable just from the cliché factor alone!”

Of course...Emilia still didn’t always know what he was talking about, but she appreciated his energy nonetheless.

“So, Subaru…”

Emilia interjects, prompting her date to hop to attention at her word.

“Yes! Whatever you need! As the second-half to my very first date, it’s my honour bound duty to answer your call, Emilia-tan!”

Subaru’s...Eagerness gives Emilia pause for a moment, as she entirely forgets what she was even going to say for a moment.

“Uh, thank you, Subaru...But, uhm...You still haven’t told me where we’re going, or what we’re going to do on our ‘date’.”

Emilia’s inquiry must have stirred Subaru’s theatrical tendencies again, as with a confident smirk he takes on a grandeur tone.

“What indeed, Emilia-tan? Only the gods of love can know what might occur when a boy and girl practice the ancient ritual of dating…”

“Ancient ritual…?”

Emilia tilts her head, having had no awareness that their ‘date’ would have so much history and precedence behind it.

“This must be a very sacred tradition in this world, then…?”

“Indeed! A tradition so old and ingrained to our culture, there is no record of when its practice even began!”

“The gods...Hmm…”

Subaru’s mention of deities piques Emilia’s interest, and her mind trails off from this conversation.

If there are beings in this world that could be called ‘gods’, perhaps one of them might be able to explain why Emilia was transported here? Maybe even help her find a way home? At least, her base level understanding of the mythology of her own world seemed to imply that a deity by its very nature must be all knowing and all powerful, so perhaps this route of questioning may yield her some answers?

“Ahah! Here we are!”

Emilia’s eyes had glazed over somewhat, so she doesn’t immediately register the large structure before the two that Subaru so clearly points out. From inside, she can hear an upbeat, yet incredibly alien music, alongside a constant buzzing of electronic sounds she didn’t have the vocabulary to describe. On closer inspection through the front entrance, she could make out groups of people huddled around contraptions with lit up screens not unlike Subaru’s ‘computer’, though these devices were much larger and with less buttons.

“What is…”

“This, Emilia-tan...Is an arcade!”

Left, right, up, left…No, that wasn’t it! These arrows move far too quickly…Left and right at the same time? How could she ever…Oh, two legs, of course. Left, left, right, right, up, down, up and down…Okay, so there’s a rhythm to these movements…Argh! Missed it again! Just need to focus…Senses need to be in harmony with the body…

The way Subaru described this game in no way prepared Emilia for how intense it would be.

“It’s a dancing game! All you need to do is step on the arrows here as they pass those outlines on the screen. If you get multiple in a row, you’ll start a combo for more points! I’ll set it to ‘easy’ since you’ve never played before, Emilia-tan.”

Easy. Right. No, left. Left, left, right, right, up- No, right! Breathe! This is so exhausting…

Emilia finds herself getting more than a little frustrated at every step she mistimes. She starts “getting it” and has a series of in-time notes, before missing one and ruining her “combo”, as Subaru called it.

Left and right, up and down, up, up, down, down…Exhausting…

Okay, maybe she’s finding her rhythm again. In time with the music…Come to think of it, the music is quite nice…Unlike anything she’s ever heard before, but still nice. Then again, Emilia never really had the opportunity to listen to music, before. No one in the mansion could play an instrument as far as she was aware, and if anyone from the village could, she wasn’t really able to spend enough time with them to find out.

Up, down, up, down, up and down, left and right, left and right- And…it stopped? Exhausted…Huh. Exhausted…Why?

Her heart races. Her legs ache. Her body warms more and more. The oxygen her lungs need becomes more and more difficult to stay on top of. She manages to catch a glance at Subaru, who seems to be having no such problems on his end.

“FINISH!!!”

“You Lose…”

A voice separate from the music comes from the machine. Emilia looks at the screen in bewilderment, as she fights to get air into her lungs. Seeing no more arrows floating to the top, she comes to a rest. It must be over, then?

“Whew! Not bad for your first time, Emilia-tan! Although…I guess your score is still kinda abysmal…”

Emilia couldn’t really say what Subaru meant by “score” since, to begin with, she couldn’t read the text on the machine’s screen anyway. Given Subaru’s triumphant grin, it was safe to say he “won” this game.

“Pretty fun, huh? Maybe I should’ve gone easier on you though…I…Might have accidentally set it to ‘hard’” He chuckles, “Sorry about that.”

Subaru rests against the handguard at the back of the machine as he catches his own breath, a reprieve Emilia also takes advantage of.

“It was still fun, though I’m still not sure I understand it…”

Her words leave her between winded breaths.

“Man, I’ve never had someone to show off to in this game. To think all my years of practice are finally paying off during my first ever date!” Subaru devilishly grins to himself.

Emilia tilts her head. “What do you mean? I thought you said you accidentally set it to ‘hard’…But you wanted to show off?”

“Oh, er…I said that out loud, didn’t I?”

Having essentially self-reported himself, Subaru raises his hands in defeat.

“Sorry, Emilia-tan. I did want to show off, that’s why I set the difficulty to hard.”

“I knew it. You’re teasing me again, Subaru!”

Emilia pouts. A pout she tries to hold as long as she can, before the two break down into a shared laughter. This was what having a friend was like, then…It’s an unusual relationship, to say the least. On one hand, Emilia felt a certain level of trust towards Subaru, but on the other hand, there are jabs like this that would normally be offensive and rude and yet…In this context, Emilia found herself liking it.

“It’s so strange…”

Subaru tilts his head in curiosity. “Eh? Oh, yeah, you probably don’t have anything like this in your world, huh?”

“No, not that…”

Emilia exhales deeply, her heart racing in her chest such that she could feel her pulse in her ears.

“In my world, something like this would be light activity, and yet I’m so worn out…I never realized how much I relied on mana for everything…”

All of this wasn’t to say Subaru wasn’t a little winded, by any means, but he was certainly less exhausted than Emilia. Her breaths gradually stabilize, though her heart continues to race and sweat drips down her forehead. She shuts her eyes, the noise of the “arcade” re-entering her senses now that her focus wasn’t pointed at those darned arrows. It was loud…Not loud enough to drown out her conversation with Subaru, but loud enough that she felt overwhelmed. Her eyes scan the room, finding other groups of people playing different games she no doubt couldn’t even begin to comprehend.

A duo sat in adjacent chairs, their hands gripping some kind of wheel.

A line of friends all hunched over on their individual “arcade cabinets” as Subaru called them.

And two people hitting drums in time with music, not too dissimilar to the game Emilia and Subaru had just played.

All of it was noise, lights, laughter and energy.

And yet…All these people here were enjoying themselves. Enjoying each other’s company. They were friends, here with each other for no other reason than for its’ own sake.

Truly, there was nothing like this back home.

Home.

…Did she ever even have a home?

“Want some water, Emilia-tan?”

Her eyes open to see Subaru standing beside her, presenting her with a bottle and having stepped off his… ”dancing machine”.

“Oh…Please, thank you, Subaru.” She sleepily eeks out her words as she graciously accepts it. If nothing else, she had at least figured out how these “bottle cap” things work. Twist the cap counter clockwise and it eventually comes off…

Bringing it to her lips, the water lets loose a pleasant chill throughout her core. As one with an affinity for ice, feeling coldness throughout her body was still so alien to her…Though, at least in this instance, not entirely unpleasant.

She glugs it down until about half remains, before exhaling deeply.

“Thank you again, Subaru. Here you go.”

On passing it back, Subaru goes to take a drink himself…

“Wait a sec…”

?

“If I drink from this bottle…”

…

“Won’t that be an indirect kiss!?!?”

In many ways, Emilia was glad to have left that “arcade”.

It was loud, overwhelming and exhausting. An assault on her senses from every direction. To her, noise often meant danger: A demand for her to be on alert.  Whether she was in the middle of magic training, or a group of thugs on the street were giving her trouble, noise usually meant she had to defend herself.

Perhaps, in some ways, she was defending herself in there…Her pride, at least. She still couldn’t believe how physically inept she had become in this world…Her lack of magic still made her feel…Uncomfortable. She never considered herself a talented person in general, nor even particularly talented when it came to spirit arts.

But it was something she could do, at least. Mana in the air and her spirit contract gave her strength she could use to protect others, those she cared about.

…Would she be able to defend the Natsuki family?

“Maaan! I still can’t believe it, y’know?”

Subaru holds his arms to the back of his head to rest on as the two walk a quiet Tokyo street, looking awfully pleased with himself. Emilia still hears the distant drone of electronic noise from the arcade they just left, and her ears still experience a faint ringing as they adjust to the drastically lower volume out here.

“Are you going to say something weird that I don’t understand again, Subaru?”

He grins to himself.

“Who knows? I feel like the god of love is smiling on me tonight, Emilia-tan…”

So that was a definite yes. Emilia rolls her eyes.

“No, seriously! You gotta see this from my perspective. I’m on a date with an awesome, beautiful elf from a fantasy world where we’ve just played a bunch of arcade games, and are now taking a romantic evening walk! And that sweater is still gorgeous!”

Emilia was at least thankful for the sweater right now. It holds back the unpleasant evening chill flowing in the air, making this walk a very nice detox from all the sounds and colours of the arcade.

“Well…It has been a nice “date”, though…I’m still not sure I understand what it means.”

“Never fear, Emilia-tan!” Subaru interjects, “I’m planning many more dates to come, so we’ll both become extremely familiar with the word!”

“Many more, huh…”

Maybe that wouldn’t be so bad.

Was there even anything for her back in her world? There was Puck, obviously, but…

The Royal Selection. The bigotry she would experience throughout its course. Would she even succeed in taking the throne? What would happen when she fails? All the odds were against her, after all…

She couldn’t even really remember who she was in that world. She was more of an idea than a person…Or maybe a tool? A silver-haired half-elf promoting ideas of equality and vying for the throne. It sounds nice, idealistic even. She had intended to present herself as a beacon that challenges peoples’ preconceptions of what to expect from someone like her…But was that even who she was? Who she wanted to be?

There were…Are flashes. She had been seeing some of them blinking in her mind these past couple of days. Memories buried deep. Memories of the snow, trees and…

Love.

Pain and death.

Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if those memories stayed buried.

Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if she could stay here, away from those memories’ source.

Maybe here in this new world was where her purpose was.

It’s not like she ever did much good in her world, anyway. Would anyone really miss her? Could good ideas and an optimistic attitude really change the world the way she wanted to? How much would that world take away from her in the process?

Perhaps part of her knew the answer all along.

That world would take everything from her, and still demand more.

In many ways, Emilia was glad to have left that world.

Chapter Text

“Roswaal L. Mathers.”

“Ah.”

The beast’s immense voice seems to vibrate the very world itself. Fresh snow falls from the porch’s shingles, and the entire Mathers mansion itself seems to shake in awe and fear.

“Then, it is safe to assume these gales and the snowfall are your doing, Great Spirit.”

There is a brief pause, during which the snow on the ground piles faster than should even be possible, even with the heavy snowfall. It is as if it is materializing out of thin air…Or mana.

“Where is Lia?”

A sly smile curls on Roswaal’s lips, his chin sharpening with it.

“You intend to attempt to destroy this world, then.”

Another pause, which Roswaal takes as his opportunity to continue.

“…We are both aware whether I could stop you in this is undecided, Great Spirit, but I have no doubts that the Sword Saint will make his way here. Will it be tomorrow? In a week? How much destruction can you truly wrought on this world before Reinhard Van Astrea is forced to act?”

“There will be no word games or tricks, magician. Where is Lia?”

Again, the earth shakes under pressure. Objects falling to the ground, smashing into pieces can be heard from within the mansion’s walls.

“…I do not know.”

The beast’s eyes narrow. He bears his teeth and his breaths threaten to snap trees from their stumps.

“…But I intend to find out.”

The tension in the air hangs heavy. The beast says nothing, his pride not allowing him to indulge the wizard any further. Instead, he silently demands his rival continue the conversation.

“My gospel does not account for our current circumstances, Great Spirit, but its source will.”

“Roswaal-sama.”

“Hmm?”

The great stone tomb looms over the two. Through its entrance, nothing can be seen. No light penetrates the clouds and mist that permeates the land, and no light sources can be seen within. The wind whistles through the hallway, gently echoing off the walls.

“Will the spirit keep his word?”

Roswaal quietly chuckles to himself, enough that it is barely audible over the cold wind passing by.

“I have always admired your ability to speak frankly at the most important moments, Ram.”

The pink haired girl narrows her eyes.

“Yes. I believe he will. Simply for the fact that he has no other choice if he truly wishes to continue his contract with Emilia-sama.”

“If that were the case…Why has he refused to clear the snow?”

“Hmm. Why indeed…The world ending blizzard has ceased, but the progress towards the world’s end has not been reverted.”

Roswaal places his hand to his chin in contemplation. As with every action he takes, however, it is unclear if this is in sarcasm or genuine thought.

“I believe he is afraid. So afraid, that he believes we need the threat of the world ending looming over us for sufficient motivation to find Emilia-sama.”

Ram interjects, her warm breath condensing in the cold air.

“He does not actually wish to destroy this world.”

“Precisely. I don’t believe he does. Part of him believes Emilia-sama is still alive, somewhere. His wish for their contract to continue permeates every facet of his decisions.”

Ram clicks her tongue, as if scoffing at the thought.

“You are no stranger to the feeling of love for another, Ram. You of all people are in no position to judge.”

Something in Roswaal’s words deeply offends his maid.

“…I hope you do die in there.”

Roswaal’s smile softens at her vile comment, his eyebrows unfurrow and he looks to his servant in understanding.

“Neither am I, I suppose…I am truly sorry you had to experience such confusing feelings in your final moments.”

Those final moments continue for a few seconds longer. Ten seconds. Twenty. Thirty. Perhaps a minute passes. Time seems to have lost its meaning in the stillness of the snow and the constancy of the unpleasant breeze.

“There is one final thing I don’t understand, Roswaal.”

The defiance and brashness in Ram’s voice can be heard beyond just her willingness to drop the honorific in her master’s name now, at the end. No…They were no longer a master and a servant. Their relationship was now so twisted, so far removed from its original purpose, that for Ram to continue pretending she had any respect for this man was just an insult to all those who had died in this past week.

“Why did you lure the Great Rabbit to Sanctuary to devour the villagers?”

Roswaal turns his back to her, facing the empty homes that can just barely be made out through the mist.

“It was not a decision I enjoyed making, if that is your concern.”

Ram dared not even bother to consider if there were any survivors in that quiet, snowy village. She doubted she would find any human remains, any specs of blood still splattered on the floor, anything to indicate that a quaint, peaceful community thrived here just days ago.

“And I do apologise for putting you at risk in sending you here to confirm my plan was carried out.”

Ram simply listens. Her fringe is rustled by the icy breeze.

“…That demi-human would have created even more complications. He would have suspected I am responsible for the blizzard and snowfall, the commotion at the mansion that could no doubt be heard from here, and perhaps most concerningly, he wouldn’t stand for me attempting what I am about to do. I couldn’t risk his interference when our position is already as precarious as it is.”

Ram’s eyes widen and her eyebrows narrow. She grits her teeth and her blood begins to boil. She clenches her fists and seems to consider a brash decision…

And the moment passes.

She exhales. Perhaps she realises the pointlessness of her grief. Perhaps now, with nothing left to live for, she was truly at peace with what comes next.

“…Bastard.”

In less than a week, she had watched her own life fall apart around her. Everything taken away from her. Everything she sacrificed, every decision she had made, every hour spent deliberating whether she did what was right for her sister, every evening spent crying as she mourned her parents.

Every irritating order her master made. Every time she scrubbed the bathroom clean. Every hug she shared with Rem. Her horn sliced off as she leaped to her sister’s defence when they were young. Every time she had to degrade herself to allow her master to restore her mana. Every morning spent watering a garden she cared nothing for. Every time she kneaded bread in preparation for dinner that day. Every stuck-up delegate from the capital that visited the mansion on royal business. How many of her days were wasted doing things she didn’t actually want to do, all for the sake of ensuring her sister would be safe?

All of it meant nothing now.

Even that fool boy Garf was gone, now. Reduced to tatters. No, less than tatters. No trace of him existed, anymore. How many of that infinite beast could he destroy before he was overwhelmed? How many extra seconds did he add to the lives of the helpless villagers watching their friends and family be devoured? No one would ever know.

Perhaps the occasional traveller will stumble upon these ruins over the next few years. Wonder why such a pristine, well kept village is devoid of people, their belongings still exactly where they left them. Perhaps it will be looted and plundered for petty valuables and raw materials until all that is left are empty shacks forgotten amongst the trees.

The futility of it all just made Ram angrier.

And it was all because of that silver-haired half elf who she never even gave that much of a damn about in the first place.

Part of her hoped she was dead. Maybe in a ditch somewhere, murdered unceremoniously by a bigot or a bandit in a back alley. The thought of her blood pooling beneath her as she takes her final breaths brought Ram a sick, visceral satisfaction.

Part of her wanted to revel in this world’s destruction. Attack her former master. Even if it was a fight she would inevitably lose, she enjoyed the idea of his desperate last-ditch effort failing too. She was filled with so much spite and hatred for this world that she could go to her bloody, violent death with a smile on her face knowing just a few more people would end up as truly hopeless and ruined as she was in this moment.

But, somehow, through all of this, some part of Ram knew she needed to do what was right. If nothing else, because she knew it would make her sister smile if she were here.

And what was right was for the people who were left to have the opportunity to find the happiness she was denied.

“…It is time.”

Roswaal turns once again to face the black hallway before him. Ram brandishes her wand, gazing at it longingly.

“I am truly grateful for all you have done for me all these years, Ram.”

Ram closes her eyes as she points her wand to her former master in focus.

“When Emilia-sama is found, and this world is saved, I will conduct a ceremony befitting maids to the Mathers’ mansion as loyal as you and your sister were.”

“…”

“…”

“…”

She exhales, uncaring if she is remembered or not.

“Ul…Fula…Shield.”

It begins as a gentle breeze surrounding Roswaal. The gust starts at his feet, kicking up snow and dust as it rises and envelops his entire body. As seconds pass, the winds pick up in intensity, the microscopic material they carry reflecting light in such a way that they appear almost like razor-sharp blades surrounding the magician. A storm of wind and dust surrounds Roswaal, Ram’s ingenious idea of repurposing her typically offensive style of magic into a shield.

“…H-Hurry up. I only have as much as your stingy ass gave me.”

Ram’s words are strained, her eyes narrow and focused, yet weak. Already, the strain on her mana reserves to maintain a series of powerful Fula spells such that they could form a shield – magic she normally purposed for singular projectiles – was overwhelming. And, as an oni without her horn, she had no way to restore lost mana into her body beyond having it directly donated to her by another person.

Roswaal smiles as he takes a deep breath,

“You are truly incredible, Ram. Thank you.”

And steps forward-

“Hrghk-!”

Like a razor, it strikes him, unseeable yet very real. Blood begins to ooze from the wound at his stomach, just barely visible through the cut in his clothes, before it begins to stain the immaculate purple fabric red.

The Witch of Greed’s tomb has rejected Roswaal L. Mathers.

He takes another step, and immediately feels the next blade approach. He braces himself for another laceration to his body…

“N-No…!”

The strain of Ram’s spellcast only allows her to whimper. A wind blade surrounding Roswaal intercepts the attack, parrying it to the side for it to slice one of the stone slabs that make up the floor in two.

He takes another step into the darkness. As if the cavern itself is offended by his willingness to continue walking despite the warning shots, the floodgates open. Blades of raw mana assault his body from all directions like a swarm of piranhas seeing meat in the water. Each one of them is deflected to the side to the sound of metal striking metal for them to gash and cut the walls in their infinite sharpness. Ram immediately feels the pressure of so much mana rushing towards the target of her spell, eliciting a gasp as she hastily finds her focus again.

“Echidna…You will see me…Or I will die.”

An invisible strike finds a blind spot at the neck-

“Goa!”

Roswaal exclaims his spell swiftly. The blade that threatened to end his life in an instant clashes with the flash of molten fire, its edge immediately dulling against the heat and vaporising.

“There are no other options.”

He holds his abdomen and grits his teeth, feeling the sting of his wound and the warmth of blood covering his fingers as he continues on.

“The silver haired witch must be found. The tome of wisdom does not account for a scenario such as this, Echidna, so this must be what you intended.”

Each step the wizard takes, the assault on his body intensifies. He feels it, inside and out. A horrible nausea forms in his stomach, as if his own body begins to reject this cursed place as much as it rejects him.

“Hrk-!”

Ram sputters blood and stomach fluid to the ground. A thin stream of red flows from her nostril. Her concentration falters for an instant-

“Goa!”

Roswaal catches the blade aimed at his heart in another burning ember.

“Ram is nearing her limit, then.”

Trusting his life to this wind shield causes Roswaal to feel an intimate bond with it and its caster, and through that he feels his former servant’s life beginning to leave her body.

“Ram…You truly are full of love, no matter how twisted by pain it may become.”

The pitch-black corridor shows no signs of ending. All Roswaal could see beyond the chaos of mana converging on him was the void.

“Even for a devil such as me.”

Through her blurred vision and rapidly declining consciousness, Ram can no longer see Roswaal. The blood streaming from her nose oozes over her lip and into her mouth, its sickly metallic taste barely registering as she feels her senses failing her. Is he even still alive? Her body is unable to tell at this point as she diverts all of her attention to maintaining the spell. A spell that for all she knew, could just be surrounding the body of a dead man.

“Useless…Failure of an oni…”

She berates herself between pained coughs as she falls to a knee, her legs beginning to give as they no longer have the strength to support her.

“Was supposed…To be more than this.”

She coughs blood, splattering the floor with red.

“Supposed…To find something better for us.”

Crimson begins to leak from the wound on her forehead where her horn used to be.

“We were…Supposed to save ourselves.”

Her wand wobbles in her hand, her arm having lost its strength to hold her spellcasting posture. Her breath is heavy, her lungs no longer having the capacity for the sheer amount of air they need.

“Be more than what fate demanded we be.”

Something behind her eye snaps, and red floods over her vision.

“This is all I can do, now.”

The blood pouring from her forehead trickles onto her eyes, but she can no longer feel the stinging sensation.

“All I can do…”

She can’t feel anything, anymore.

“Is die.”

Something in her breaks. A horrible sensation in her chest overcomes the pain and numbness wracking her body, and Ram collapses to the ground. When did her supply of mana run out? How much of this spell was powered by her own life force?

It didn’t matter now. She had no more life to give.

“Rem…”

Tears mix into the blood trickling down her face that is pressed against the stone.

“…It’s cold.”

“…”

“…”

“Hrgk-!”

The last of Ram’s life leaves her body as she coughs another splattering of blood onto the stone.

Roswaal instantly feels it, his sorrow promptly overtaken by intense focus as the last echo of Ram’s life, the shield she had granted him, fades from a violent storm into a gentle breeze,

And then to nothing.

With no barrier between him and the hostile magic of the tomb, Roswaal feels pain wrack his own body. Lacerations assault him, slicing his side, his arm, his thigh, his cheek, he can no longer keep track of the direction these attacks come from as he instinctively raises his arms to his vitals to protect them.

“Hrgh-! U-Ul Goa!”

Bullet-sized embers stream from his body, intercepting the flashes of magic that threaten to cut him to ribbons. Every second, one of the hundreds of attacks breaks through his barrage, penetrating his flesh, muscle and sinews.

“I will succeed.”

His voice is pained, strained and desperate.

“I must make my wish come true.”

He must place his focus on defending his vitals – his head, his neck, his heart, lungs and other organs. The magic of this cursed corridor finds many blind spots on his legs, his arms, his back and shoulders. Strips of clothing fall to the ground behind him as he pushes through, revealing the uncountable wounds covering his body.

“Too many have given up so much for it all to have been for nothing.”

The sickness in his stomach has become overwhelming. Roswaal feels his own magical prowess weaponised against him. His heart thumps in agony in his chest, as if the mundane parts of his biology struggle against the mana coursing through his Gate to power his constant barrage of Goa.

“Ah…The rejection is more violent the more capacity for mana one has.”

He smirks to himself.

“It’s as if you designed this place specifically to keep me away, Echidna.”

It came off as being a sick joke. The most powerful magician in the world was struggling to walk down a dark corridor.

“You have truly become twisted in all these years.”

Even if there was a suitable candidate with such low magical ability whom Roswaal could trust enough to send in here to fulfil his wish on his behalf, he had walked too far in now. To attempt to retreat would most certainly mean death, as the light from outside seemed so distant compared to just a few minutes ago.

“Then…Who were you expecting, I wonder?”

The small explosions colliding with the mana around him begin to create an unpleasant ringing in Roswaal’s ears. Pain surges through the lacerations across his body, and he begins to feel his own impossibly large reserves of mana begin to dwindle as he struggles to match the sheer volume of attacks coming his way.

“Surely it was not ‘that person’ whom Beatrice-sama spoke of.”

Another blade strikes his side, and Roswaal grunts in pain.

“Hrgk-! Echidna…If that were the case…Then perhaps I am not the only one whose plans were ruined by recent events.”

He attempts to chuckle, but is cut short by a strained cough.

“Amusing, is it not?”

If he were anywhere else, Roswaal may have been able to defend himself with Ul Goa indefinitely through his sheer ability to take mana into his body. But the mana in the air here is rejected by his gate. His body is repulsed by it, just as it is repulsed by him.

“Hahahaha…”

A vile liquid escapes his stomach and he brings up saliva and mucus onto the ground. His body demands that he leave this place. His instinct to survive screams at him that he will die here.

“No…I cannot give up yet.”

His vision blurs. Through his failing senses, he can see a faint glow at the end of the tunnel.

“The silver haired witch will make my wish come true. She is still alive, somewhere.”

A momentary falter in his Goa barrage allows another attack to break through, cutting his leg deeply and reducing his walk to a weak limp. His head pounds in agony, warning him of his dwindling mana reserves.

“Almost…”

Roswaal drags his ruined leg behind him, the warm sensation of blood trickling down his knee to his ankle.

“Echidna…You will see me. You will-“

He falls.

“Ahk-!”

He tumbles down the set of stairs at the end of the hall. Pain surges through his legs as he lands on his knees in the chamber at the end. Here, there is a door, and a warm, blue glow filling the room.

“So this is the end.”

He drags himself across the floor to the door as he unleashes one final barrage of Goa to protect himself.

“I will…”

He reaches out to the door.

“I must…”

…

And nothing.

The door does not budge.

And Roswaal L. Mathers feels fear in his heart for the first time in 400 years.

“No…”

He throws his body at the door with what strength he has left, pain wracking his shoulder as it collides with the metal.

The makeshift shield of flames that had been protecting him fades, exposing him to the raw agony of a thousand cuts slicing his body every second. He curls into a fetal position, holding his arms to his chest and covering his neck and head with his forearms and fists as blood streaks across the floor around him.

“ECHIDNA!! YOU WILL SEE ME!!”

In one final act of defiance, Roswaal L. Mathers’ scream echoes through the central chamber and into the hallway out.

And then consciousness leaves him.

…

…

…

…

…

…

A prickly feeling tickles the skin on his cheeks. He opens his eyes to find himself collapsed on the grass, a warm light juxtaposing the darkness he experienced moments prior.

Strength returns to his body. He no longer feels the sick heat of blood pouring from wounds. His heart is calm, his breaths measured, his mind at peace.

His eyes begin to adjust to the pleasant sunlight streaming over him.

“You are the person I expected to see here the least.”

A woman wearing a long black dress with white hair, sat beneath a parasol, a teacup in hand, grins in amusement at the fool slouched before her.

“…Sensei.”

Chapter Text

“Big sister.”

“What is it, Rem?”

The Roswaal mansion found itself in the most chaos it had ever experienced in…At least centuries. An impressive feat, considering it currently only had four residents, one of which arguably shouldn’t be counted as she had locked herself away, refusing to speak to anyone.

“What has happened to Emilia-sama?”

The oni with blue hair covering her right eye looks to her elder with a look of concern on her face. She holds a dignified posture: Her back straight, her hands clasped together at her waist and a neutral expression. Her attire, a formal, yet pleasing black and white maid dress is immaculately clean, with nary a single crease to be found. She was clearly the epitome of a well-practiced, well-trained and dedicated maid.

“…Emilia-sama has disappeared.”

Her sister, who could almost be considered her own clone were it not for her pink hair instead covering her other eye, narrows her eyebrows as she looks to the ground.

“While at the Royal Capital?”

Ram turns to the side while she considers her words carefully, as if in shame.

“…Yes. I lost sight of her for a moment, and she was gone.”

“Big sister…”

There is a short pause in the conversation. Rem’s expression sinks to face the ground alongside her sister’s, while Ram releases an exasperated sigh.

“I have taken full responsibility. Roswaal-sama is…Displeased with me.”

Rem’s eyebrow furrows in concern for her sister.

“Roswaal-sama has already organised a thorough search of the city over the past several days. The Sword Saint has also led his own effort to find her…To no avail.”

“The Sword Saint…”

A title that would inspire awe in any resident of this world. Reinhard van Astrea, the legendary knight. Undefeatable in combat and quite possibly infinite in his ability to resolve problems plaguing the nation.

To Ram and Rem in this moment however, his involvement, and failure, could only mean one of two things.

“If he is unable to find her…”

Rem’s heart sinking into her chest can be heard in her voice. She is unable to find the courage to finish her sentence.

“Emilia-sama is either dead…Or…”

Rem breaks her dignified posture to place a hand on and tug at her older sister’s sleeve, encouraging her to continue. The look on her face gives away her worry, her panic and…Feelings of hope withering away.

“Roswaal-sama suspects something…Unknowable may have happened to Emilia-sama.”

“Unknowable?”

The elder sister’s gaze turns up to bask in the sunlight streaming through the foyer’s windows.

“That girl is incompetent and inexperienced, but she is not weak. She would not simply fold over and die where she to be attacked in the street. She is also nauseatingly idealistic, so I, as well as Roswaal-sama, do not believe she would simply abandon her duties to flee somewhere far away.”

A tinge of disgust can be heard in Ram’s voice as she describes a person who is, by all accounts, her superior.

“So something...We have not, and perhaps can not consider an option has happened to her.”

Silence falls upon the room for a minute. Ram occasionally lets loose a sigh of frustration, while Rem fidgets. She tugs at her dress, rubs her hands and her gaze turns to different sides of the room seemingly at random.

“Big sister…”

Any pretence Rem had of maintaining her appearance as a dignified maid seems to fall apart past a certain point. She leans into her sister, resting her head upon her shoulder and holding onto her arm.

“What will happen to us? If Emilia-sama is not found…”

Ram gently reciprocates her sister’s embrace.

“She will be found. Roswaal-sama is currently making plans to discover her location. The Great Spirit of the Library is currently…Uncooperative, but Roswaal-sama knows of an alternative solution.”

“…What of the Great Spirit that accompanies Emilia-sama?”

The mention of a second great spirit gives Ram pause.

“…He has not shown himself…Yet. I expect he will, soon. The fact he has not immediately appeared lends further credence to Roswaal-sama’s theory that Emilia-sama is still alive. However, we must assume he will eventually notice Emilia-sama has not summoned him for a time and investigate. Unless of course, he has also disappeared alongside her.”

Rem’s unease only seems to heighten as her sister details the increasingly problematic situation the two find themselves in.

“..Regardless, Emilia-sama must be found. Roswaal-sama knows this well.”

“Big sister…”

Ram’s cold demeanour softens further as she takes her sibling into her arms in embrace.

“I know, Rem. I believe everything will be okay. I believe Roswaal-sama’s plans will come to fruition.”

“…I’m a little bit scared.”

Ram exhales a quiet sigh, a hint of understanding on her face.

“…I know. But we must support Roswaal-sama. We must believe he can resolve this situation. We must believe he can protect us. We must support him with all our ability, just as we always do.”

Rem gently hums in understanding. Her sister softly breaks the embrace, and the two share a brief, meaningful eye contact.

“To that end, we are low on stocks of bread. Please go to the village and buy some, Rem.”

The blue haired oni nods after rubbing her glazed over eyes with her sleeve. She finds her composure and once again adopts her proper, maid-like stance as she walks towards the door.

“Oh, Rem-“

Ram calls out to her,

“Please remember to wear your coat today.”

“…”

“…It’s cold.”

“Hey! Big sis! Come over here!”

Rem turns to face the young boy beckoning her over, bags of supplies nestled in her arms that she was preparing to leave the village with.

“…What is it?”

She speaks coldly, but nonetheless follows the boy.

“We found a puppy! I think he might be sick, though…”

Rem gently sighs. She most certainly had more important things to be doing right now, but something…Compelled her to follow along with this nonsense.

“…Fine, I’ll take a look.”

Arlam village was quaint and quiet. The villagers seemed to respect the Margrave well enough, so Rem was always welcome when she visited for supplies for the mansion. Passers by would smile at her, if a little awkwardly as she never felt the need to make conversation. She smiled back, sometimes, but as her mind was usually on her next task, and returning to her sister’s side, a desire to talk to the locals and build friendships never seemed necessary to her.

All she needed was to support her sister. Distractions from that would be counter productive to her goals.

Her sister was, after all, infinitely more talented than her. Yet Ram no longer had the ability to express that talent, due to Rem’s failures as an oni. So, it was only right that it was Rem’s responsibility to be the talent that Ram was denied the opportunity for.

Whether that was cleaning the floors at the mansion, buying bread from the village or casting spells to deal with mabeasts that intruded on the Margrave’s property, Rem knew it was her responsibility to complete these tasks in the place of her sister.

Perhaps that’s why she was following along with this ridiculous situation about a stray dog.

It just…Seemed like something Ram would do.

And so, Rem would handle it in her place.

At the other side of the village, a group of children had gathered. In the centre, a young girl with dark blue hair holds a creature in her arms.

“I found someone who can help!”

The boy grins a toothy grin, beckoning Rem to inspect the dog closer.

“Ummm…”

The girl with dark blue hair mumbles shyly, looking for the words.

“I found him on the edge of the forest…I think he might be hurt or sick, though…You can help him, right, big sis?”

Kneeling down, Rem examines the creature more closely. It’s a ratty looking thing, obviously having been abandoned either by its parents or its owners. A bald patch on its head sticks out to Rem as being unusual, but she chalks it up to being a result of whatever illness it is suffering from. It whimpers, as though in pain, prompting the girl to repeat herself.

“Please, big sis. Please help him!”

“…Fine. Hold it still for a moment.”

She reaches out, resting her hand on the creature's head. She begins to focus a healing spell, before-

“Ah-“

She recoils as the dog suddenly bites down on her hand, leaving a shallow puncture wound that starts to bleed. Normally she would have reacted in time, but her eyes were shut as she began to focus her spell. While the pain is negligible, it does sufficiently annoy her enough such that she loses interest in this situation.

“…I don’t have time for this. Goodbye.”

Rem stands and turns to make her way back to the mansion.

A wicked grin curls on the young girl with dark blue hair’s face as she turns to face a break in the barrier keeping mabeasts from entering the village.

Ram was a special oni.

After she was born, it was quickly obvious to her parents and everyone in the village that she was special. A prodigy.

Her magical talents were far beyond the limits any other oni could reach by the time she was only a young child, and her potential to grow more powerful seemed endless.

Magic that would take months or even years to master, it took Ram days, perhaps even hours.

She was hailed as a saviour. Her village had long been forgotten, having been ostracized from wider communities many years ago. Many of her neighbours believed she would show the world the value that oni could bring, allowing them to be accepted once again.

Of course, her parents were exceedingly proud of her. She had no shortage of positive reinforcement from those around her. Every day she was reminded of how special she was, how important she was, how no one else like her had ever existed before and likely wouldn’t again.

Every day she trained, someone would come by and compliment her.

“That’s our Ram! Keep at it, kid!”

Thanks.

“Your parents must be so proud. I know I would be!”

Yeah.

“You’re gonna do great things, Ram. I just know it.”

Sure.

But Ram didn’t really care about any of that.

All Ram cared about was her sister, and all the love she had for her. So much love, that she sacrificed her destiny as a supposed saviour of the oni to keep her sister safe.

Being a saviour for everyone seemed so troublesome, anyway.

Rem was a quieter girl who always lagged behind her sister. Every fireball she casted was always a little bit smaller. Every healing magic she would cast always left at least one bruise still there. By all accounts, Rem was a perfectly talented oni, especially for her young age, but…

Anyone would look useless when standing next to the prodigy, Ram.

Rem didn’t really mind, though.

There was no end to the love her sister showed her.

When disappointed gazes came her way, when her parents tried to assure her that “her time would come”, when she heard others in the village gossip and whisper about how much of a waste she was,

Rem didn’t really mind it, all that much.

Because no matter what, she knew Ram would always show her an unconditional love to revitalize her spirit and heal her soul.

As Ram, the oni who would save her race, who would be more than what fate decreed she be, who would protect the last of her family,

Ram, who had no end of love for her younger sister,

Ram, the oni who failed,

As Ram lay breathing her last breaths, coughing up the last of her blood at the entrance to the Witch of Greed’s tomb, unsure if her master’s plan to discover Emilia’s whereabouts would even work,

Ram, who was full of anger and hatred for this world that had taken everything from her,

Ram, who sent her sister to her death.

Ram, who awoke the morning after the day Rem went to the village, to find her sister having died of magically induced sickness in her sleep, the cause of which there wasn’t even enough time to investigate before the end of the world approached,

Ram, who despised herself with all of her being.

Ram, who would be forgotten to history,

The destined saviour of oni who would fade away into nothingness,

Ram, whose every reason to continue living had been ripped from her by this cruel world,

As she lay there on the cold stone, welcoming death as an end to her pain,

She thought of her sister and all the love she still had for her.

Love that would never reach Rem ever again.

In her final moments, her anger and hatred leaves her, and tears stream down her cheeks as she thinks of her sister’s smile.

“You are the last person I had expected to see here.”

“…Sensei.”

The woman wearing a long black dress tilts her head for a moment, before sipping from her teacup.

“Sensei? I’m flattered. There’s no need, however, least of all from someone like you.”

Roswaal lifts himself from the grass and onto his knees, before taking a breath. He looks over his body to find it is, once again, in pristine condition, his clothes intact, and his emotions remarkably subdued – a far cry from his sorry state mere moments ago. He places a hand to his chest to feel his heartbeat, before taking a deep breath and opening his eyes.

“…Echidna.”

The witch hums in satisfaction at her reputation having preceded her, a coy smile on her lips.

“Hmm. But, this is strange, isn’t it? You do not have the qualification, and yet you’re here. You didn’t even have to pass any of my trials to get here. How interesting.”

Roswaal lifts himself from his knees to stand. He takes a moment to examine the space he now occupies: As far as he can see, there is only an infinite field of green, with the table Echidna is sat at atop a shallow hill.

“…It is obvious that you allowed me to come here as a special exception then, Echidna.”

The witch hums in amusement as she sips her tea once again.

“Is it? I don’t recall ever having any obligation to make special exceptions for anyone. Perhaps I will just send you back and allow you to be ripped to shreds once again, we could consider that an ‘exception’ as well. Perhaps I would consider it a fitting punishment for someone such as you.”

A threat that would make anyone reconsider their words, but Roswaal chooses to stand his ground.

“…Echidna. I believe we both stand to benefit from what I would like to propose to you.”

Her curiosity piqued, Echidna sets her teacup back on its saucer, before resting her elbow on the table to hold her chin in a dignified manner. Roswaal takes this as is que to continue.

“…The silver-haired witch has disappeared. I do not know where – I believe I have no way of knowing, in fact.”

Echidna stifles a giggle as she holds her fingers to her lips, as though she feels indignant at the mere mention of the half-elf.

“I’m flattered that you went through all of that just to bring me good news. I almost feel compelled to hold a celebration now.”

“…Echidna.”

The Witch of Greed lifts her teacup again, taking a sip: Roswaal, however, could tell she is simply less interested in her tea itself, and more interested in appearing aloof in discussing the half-elf.

“Truly, I was already immediately aware. Knowledge of this world cannot escape my attention, after all.”

A sense of pride in Echidna’s words tips Roswaal off to a knowledge she has, but won’t be willing to share.

“…Of course, it is appropriate that the Witch of Greed would not allow anything to evade her desires.”

The witch hums in agreement as Roswaal continues.

“…The silver-haired half-elf has evaded me despite approaching the search for her from every angle. I have considered every possibility, every magical and supernatural scenario that could have led to her disappearance, as well as every location she could realistically have been moved to.”

The magician’s sigh of defeat seems to amuse Echidna as she grins, taking another sip of tea.

“I almost feel pity for you, having to exert so much effort looking for garbage such as her.”

She stifles a laugh again, revelling in her apparent scorn.

“So many more pleasing…Props have been sacrificed by your hand in order to bring back something that would make the world less pleasing to admire. Those quaint villagers, the demi-human, and even your most loyal servant. And, you don’t even have a guarantee that the half-elf can be returned to you in the first place.”

She scoffs again at the absurdity of it all.

“Why, I could only point it out for what it is; insanity. You seek to make the world less interesting for me, and yet you believe you can bargain with me.”

There is a short pause as Roswaal considers his next words carefully.

He could not deny the monstrous actions he had taken over the course of his life, much less in this past week. He was cold and calculating; other people were simply pawns for him to manipulate, while putting himself at minimal risk. When the Great Spirit began to destroy the world, Roswaal was not like Reinhard van Astrea, who would no doubt fight to defend this world at any cost were he forced to. Roswaal was instead a negotiator, carefully using the information he knew to lead on his opponent just long enough so that he could turn a situation to his favour.

Why did he allow the villagers of Sanctuary to be slaughtered by the Great Rabbit? Simply because they were inconvenient. There was a chance their continued existence would make his plans more difficult to execute, and so now they are gone. Ram killing herself by pushing her magic beyond its limit bought Roswaal just enough time to make it to the central chamber of the tomb, and Rem served her purpose adequately as a loyal servant of his. He understood he was supposed to be regretful of their deaths, and perhaps through that understanding he felt a twisted form of half-guilt, but he struggled to feel true emotion at the thought of it.

At the end of the day, the only correct solution was his own survival. Risks taken by him personally were calculated, meticulously so, which made the feelings of dread he felt as it appeared he would truly be skewered to pieces minutes ago all the more disturbing.

Of course, Echidna was not judging him for his sins by any stretch of the imagination. Her interests in criticising him were purely hedonistic.

That, at least, was something the two still shared.

“For me, it could be compared in terms using my domain you find yourself in. These rolling green fields, clear skies and warm sunlight are pleasing, aren’t they?”

Having taken too long to respond, Echidna drowns out Roswaal’s thoughts as she continues.

“Imagine if a grey cloud were to form above us, a flock of irritating birds flew overhead, or perhaps a rotting corpse dropped onto the table I’m trying to enjoy my tea in peace at.”

An elaborate analogy, but Roswaal decides to play along.

“It would most certainly detract from our picturesque surroundings, indeed.”

Having gotten her point across, Echidna scoffs as she sets her teacup down again and folds her arms.

“Hmph. She was always an unsightly nuisance on this world. It’s only right she be sent to one as dirty and ragged as her.”

Roswaal immediately perks up and seizes his opportunity.

“’This world’?, ‘sent’?”

Echidna’s propensity for her emotions to affect her judgement fail her in that moment, and she goes quiet.

“…Echidna. It is no secret to me that you are the Witch of Greed, who desires to own everything – including knowledge.”

Her lips seal tight as she refuses to divulge any further.

“The half-elf is destined to bring great change to this world. She will set in motion events that will draw out more hidden truths than either of us can begin to fathom.”

Echidna’s eyes shut as she pouts and turns her chin up, crossing her arms over her chest tightly.

“I believe something has happened that was not supposed to happen. The half-elf was supposed to remain here, and…”

Echidna’s true desires are clear as her interest is piqued by the “and” Roswaal delays on. She opens an eye, hesitantly glaring at him.

“…Someone else was supposed to join her. Someone…Unique.”

A tense silence falls upon the scenic landscape.

“…”

“…”

“…Ohhh…!!”

Echidna suddenly stands up and stomps her foot on the grass in anger and futility. She balls her hands into fists at her waist as she fumes in a childish tantrum. Neither of them could deny now that the Witch of Greed had well and truly been beaten at her own game.

“Echidna. To gain knowledge on a being that was denied to both of us...Knowledge that is supposed to be impossible for anyone to obtain, knowledge mentioned in your tome of wisdom that never arrived…It is perfect for the Witch of Greed who desires everything, is it noooot?”

Roswaal’s playful, exaggerated style of speech returns to him as he realises he finally has the upper hand. It surprises him somewhat; he hadn’t realised quite how seriously he had been taking his truly dire situation.

Echidna continues to huff and growl. She knows her opponent is right about her, and words could not express how deeply it frustrated her.

“Fine! You’re almost as insufferable as her…If nothing else, at least I’ll get to watch her fumble and fail as she fights her unwinnable battle.”

She exhales a breath, finding her composure as she takes a seat once again. A switch seemingly turns in her, and she returns to her dignified, if somewhat condescending mannerisms.

“…The half-elf is no longer in this world. I will speak honestly; even I do not know exactly where she is.”

Roswaal’s eyes widen.

There were theories of separate worlds existing beyond the one people knew. It was research very much on the fringes of academia, as it served no real practical purpose and, as such, few expressed an interest in pursuing it or taking it seriously.

But, Roswaal had heard the stories. Stories of people expressing behaviours and knowledge that did not belong in this world. A particular rumour leaps out to him about Priscilla Barielle, or, specifically, her peculiar knight. There were no records of the so-called Aldeberan’s existence dating back 20 years ago, an age he most certainly exceeded. It was as if he just suddenly…Popped into existence one day.

Which should be impossible.

Which left one possibility.

“Ah. You are not completely ignorant.”

Echidna could see the gears turning in Roswaal’s mind, a sight that seemed to bring her some amount of amusement.

“In that case, to find the half-elf, you know that you only have one choice, now.”

Roswaal didn’t want to believe it. For as much effort and thought he had spent controlling for every variable, he knew he had already been trusting his plans to a certain amount of chance and uncertainty at this point. But…This…

This was absurd.

To hinge everything on mere legends, something that had never been proven – Was perhaps, impossible to prove.

But, he couldn’t deny he had no other choice. Not with what little time he had left. The Great Spirit would threaten to destroy the world at any moment, and no doubt the Sword Saint would win their inevitable battle. Even if Roswaal were to locate Emilia and bring her back, he had no doubts she would refuse further cooperation if her beloved Puck were gone.

Finally, he accepts his next course of action.

“…The Great Waterfall at the end of the world.”

“…Ah.”

A hot, sick pain engulfs Roswaal’s entire body.

“…I am still injured, then.”

As his blurred vision begins to focus, he finds himself still lying on the cold stone in the chamber at the end of Echidna’s tomb, a small pool of his own blood beneath him.

“Echidna…”

It was at least in character for her. For him to have made it through all of that and obtain the information he almost died for, only to succumb to his wounds at the end...Maybe her hesitance to be forthcoming was in the hopes Roswaal’s physical body would bleed out on the floor while in her realm.

“…Hahahahaha.”

He chuckles in between pained breaths as he forces himself to stand. He holds his arm to his stomach, where the bulk of his wounds, and blood loss, seems to be.

“…It seems I have at least earned the qualification.”

Indeed, this place no longer seemed to be rejecting him. He looks to the corridor out of the tomb, following the trail of his own blood and pieces of tattered clothing with his eyes. At the mouth of the corridor, faint orange light peaks through the cracks in the mist outside, indicating the sun was beginning to set.

“Or…The Witch of Greed has made an exception.”

He limps through the chamber and drags himself up the small set of stairs into the corridor, gritting his teeth at the sting in his ruined leg as he forces it to climb with him.

“The Great Waterfall.”

Very little was known about the Great Waterfall.

It surrounded the known world in its entirety, its rushing, seemingly infinite waters falling into a void that couldn’t be seen beyond.

It was believed to be the edge of the world. What that meant, no one could guess. Tales often spoke of people who fell from it and were sent to another world, or, people from other worlds appeared at the top of it. These were, of course, heresy, and impossible to prove. After all, people who left this world never returned and people who supposedly entered this world had no way of proving they came from somewhere else.

Which, of course, created an obvious problem in Roswaal’s mind.

Were he to leap from the Great Waterfall, and by some miracle end up in the same world Emilia did, there was no guarantee he would even be able to return with her.

Yet, he couldn’t deny he had no other choice. Emilia must be brought back to this world for his goals to be achieved. There was no replacement for the half-elf in his plans. No compromises could be made. Emilia must be at his side, vying for the throne with his support, or he will not reach the end he desires with all his being.

By breaking it down to this simple logical fact, Roswaal is able to rationalize his decision.

And yet…

His next course of action was built on absurdities on absurdities. He was not lacking in self awareness not to laugh at himself a little bit at just how desperate he had become.

It was in that moment, he accepted he had truly lost his mind.

“Ah…Ram.”

The sight of her cold corpse at the entrance, illuminated by an orange glow does bring some amount of grief to Roswaal’s heart, a feeling that brings him a certain amount of surprise. Perhaps the previous days had humbled him somewhat, or maybe being pushed as much as he had was bringing out an emotional state in him.

Perhaps this was just another sign of his madness.

He carefully kneels down to retrieve her in his arms, finding just enough strength in his body to support her light weight and his own as he grunts in agony.

“Ram…”

He looks upon her.

Her gentle features were spoiled by blood and snow. Her once pristine pink hair was unkempt, ruffled and sullied by dust and dirt. From her eyes, a thin stream of tears once flowing down her cheeks have frozen into brittle ice.

It made Roswaal’s heart ache to look at her in his arms.

A truth that disturbed him.

“…Come, Ram. We will see if there are supplies in the Sanctuary I can use for my wounds.”

“Ah.”

Roswaal tightens the bandage onto his arm, gritting his teeth at the unpleasant sting that shoots through his body.

Normally, he would be much more dignified about this. He liked to maintain an air of aloofness and disinterest in things as part of his strategy for manipulating others. He always felt it made him appear more confident and in control of the situation, which did wonders for getting others to support his goals.

Now, though…

As he rummaged through a vacant house looking for medical supplies, whose owners were simply meat for the Great Rabbit, while the corpse of his most loyal servant lay on the bed on its side judging him…

He really didn’t feel any need for pretences anymore.

“…I doubt anyone could deny I have all the hallmarks of a failure now. Hmm, Ram?”

While phrased as a question, no change in the tone of his voice made it seem like one. He grunts again as he wraps a new bandage around his stomach, gradually working his way up his torso and covering each cut until the roll of bandage is spent. He ties it into a knot on itself at the end, before pulling it tightly to compress the wound.

“Ah.”

He chuckles to himself after the wave of agony passes.

“Ram…Perhaps it’s strange to say, but even if you were able to, I don’t believe I would order you to do this for me.”

The corpse has nothing to say in response.

“No...I think we would both agree this is my responsibility.”

By now, Roswaal has managed to cover his legs, arms and most of his torso in bandages. The once white cloth has quickly become stained with blood seeping through, necessitating a second layer of bandages which he promptly begins to apply.

“…Besides the obvious, I do feel some amount of guilt I am unable to apologise to the residents of this home that I am taking advantage of their hospitality by using up their supplies, Ram.”

The orange light streaming in from above has gradually dissipated, and night has begun to fall upon the Sanctuary, leaving it pitch black in the misty air outside.

“…I am sorry to you as well, Ram.”

As he wraps the bandage along his leg, he smiles faintly in his former servant’s direction.

“You understood just as much as me there was no other logical course of action.”

As the minutes go by, he layers over the bandages on his other leg, to his pelvis, to his stomach, and finally his torso once again. The unpleasant sting from his wounds was less intense on the second layer, at least.

“…I’m only glad you didn’t have to see just how desperate and illogical my course of action would become, Ram.”

A half-hearted chuckle escapes his throat.

“Part of me wonders if you would get a sick enjoyment out of that.”

Taking a moment to look himself over, Roswaal seems satisfied with how he patched himself up. Some of the white in the fabric of his second layer of bandages remains unstained, suggesting this will be enough to allow himself to heal. He begins to dress himself once again in his tattered, ruined attire.

“…I do intend to uphold my promise to hold a ceremony for both of you.”

Having dressed himself as well as can be with what remains of his clothes, he slowly raises himself onto his feet, the agony from his wounds having been reduced to a dull, unpleasant ache, now that he’s had a chance to rest. Roswaal approaches the bed Ram lays upon, a tinge of regret showing on his face.

“Ah…Ram…”

He looks her over again, allowing his guilt to wash over him. With his vision no longer blurred by agony and dwindling consciousness, Roswaal could finally see what a sorry state his servant was in during the moments before her life left her body.

“I cannot leave you like this.”

He turns and scans the room for a few moments, before finding what he needs: A washbasin with a sponge still floating in the water. Perhaps one of the residents was preparing for an evening wash before…

“A loyal servant of the Mathers’ estate must be pristine at all times, Ram.”

He drags the bucket along the ground until he reaches the bed, before beginning to wipe the blood, dirt and dried tears from Ram’s face. He lifts her fringe, finding a circle of dried blood on her forehead where her horn used to be.

“You pushed yourself so far for me.”

He rubs the sponge against her forehead and face until her pale skin is pristine.

“No one could have asked for more.”

He stands, satisfied with his handiwork, at least as far as he can do right now. He looks over the oni once again, a faint feeling of sorrow gripping his heart.

“…It’s terribly cold, Ram.”

He pulls the blanket over her, carefully tucking it underneath her body to trap as much warmth on her body as possible. A smile forms on his face as he looks at her.

So peaceful.

So beautiful.

So serene.

“…I will never forget you, Ram.”

Roswaal sat there for a time. Perhaps it was hours. He knew he didn’t have the strength to make the long journey back to his mansion, and to make such a journey late at night while he was weakened would be foolish anyway. So he sat there, in a wooden, handmade chair that belonged to one of the innocent villagers he had murdered, looking over his servant who pushed herself to death on his orders.

Despite knowing what he needed to do next, Roswaal found his mind to be…

Empty.

There were no plans formulating in his head, no schemes for who he could take advantage of next.

In these next few hours, all Roswaal could consider was the body of the girl in front of him.

“Ah…This must be that feeling.”

He grins to himself, as if amused at his own stupidity.

“It must be, right, Ram?”

He looks to the ceiling as he rests his head on the back of the chair.

“The feeling that has pushed all of us to do what we have done. You, your sister, the Great Spirit…And now me.”

It seems so simple and obvious as he says it now, but it was truly a revelation for the Margrave Roswaal L. Mathers.

“The feeling of love for another.”

“Took you this long to figure that out, huh?”

A gentle voice from behind catches Roswaal’s attention. Having not the strength to stand, he simply turns his head to face the being floating in the middle of the room. It’s a small, feline like creature, with grey and white fur, turquoise eyes and a single earring in its right ear. A faint blue glow emanates around him, suggesting he had just materialised from his mana form moments ago.

“Magician.”

Roswaal closes his eyes for a moment and nods.

“Great Spirit.”

Puck floats towards the Margrave overlooking his deceased servant.

“…Your plan was successful, I take it.”

So Puck says as he looks upon the grim sight that is a dead maid and her master covered in tattered clothes and blood red bandages. Circumstances considered, it’s unclear if that was his attempt at dark humour.

“…Yes, it was. I believe I know where we must search for Emilia-sama.”

“Well, go on then, out with it.”

Roswaal raises a finger in protest.

“First, you will agree to one condition. Whether or not you are happy with what I’m about to tell you, you must undo the current weather conditions.”

Puck pauses for a moment.

“…Fine.”

Did Roswaal really care that much if the layer of snow and freezing mist remained upon the land? It was difficult to say. He would likely be the first to admit he wasn’t making the most logical decisions, right now.

“…Emilia-sama is alive. She has somehow been moved to a different world.”

Puck’s eyebrows furrow in discontent.

“Keep talking.”

There is a short pause in Roswaal’s words as he considers whether or not to truly lock in his next decision.

“…I intend to travel to the Great Waterfall in search of her.”

A short while later, the two would leave the one storey cottage in the quiet village, the snow beneath them beginning to melt. Roswaal takes one last look inside the house, at the peaceful, pink haired girl snuggled in blankets.

"...Goodbye, Ram."

And the door was gently shut.

Chapter Text

“Wh-Whoa…!”

Well, this was new.

The enormous “train” vehicle…Thing suddenly jolted awake! The drastic acceleration prompts Emilia to grip the bar above her tightly, and she firmly plants her feet to the ground so not to fall over. It accelerates further and further, and the ‘clunk clunk’ sound of the wheels sliding along the tracks speeds up more and more with it.

Subaru had warned her beforehand this thing would move very rapidly, but…

“This is a little bit too fast, isn’t it, Subaru!?”

She exclaims in panic, her volume drawing the attention of a few other passengers. Subaru holds out his hand, gently holding onto her arm to help her balance.

“Calm down, Emilia-tan…”

Looking outside the window, Emilia sees the surroundings pass her by more and more rapidly. It threatened to make her head spin as she attempted to process just how quickly the “train” zipped past the buildings outside, the artificial lights becoming an incomprehensible blur in her eyesight.

“W-We’re not going to crash, are we!?”

Subaru shakes his head as he chuckles to himself.

“That’s pretty unlikely…We’ll be fine.”

Emilia is able to stabilize her balance as she deeply exhales, her heart racing in her chest. She briefly looks at her fellow passengers, many of which were now looking at her with a curious stare with the small commotion she was making. How was everyone else being so calm about this? She struggles to make sense of how she was the weird one, here.

“S-Subaru, what if we did crash? All these people…”

“Everything’s fine, Emilia-tan. Some of us use this every day, actually…It’d be pretty unacceptable if trains were accident prone on the regular.”

Subaru speaks in a hushed whisper as he gently pats Emilia’s arm. By now, the “train”’s acceleration seems to have reached its peak, and Emilia’s balance evens out after a few seconds. She exhales a deep breath to release some tension. As she opens her eyes, she realises that people are still staring at her.

“O-Oh…Er…”

An awkward tension overtakes Emilia as she realises she’s been disturbing everyone else’s peace, something Subaru did warn her about. She quickly starts to feel guilt rising in her chest as she struggles to find words to explain herself.

“I-I um…I’m sorry-“

“She’s my friend from America,” Subaru interjects, hoping to explain Emilia’s odd behaviour to the passengers staring at her as he awkwardly chuckles, “It’s her first time using a train so she’s just a little nervous.”

One by one, the fellow passengers seem to lose interest as their gaze returns to whatever it was they were doing before. One man resumes looking at his cell phone, another buries his face in a newspaper and a lady closes her eyes to catch up on some sleep.

Subaru leans in closer, allowing him and Emilia to have a hushed conversation.

“I don’t usually speak up in public like that…I bet I looked really brave and cool, huh?”

He speaks with a somewhat self-deprecating tone at what a small victory it really was. Emilia couldn’t really criticize him, though…She was someone who had, in the past, fought off bandits and mabeasts, yet being the centre of attention in a public space was a more stressful situation to her. Some things never change, she supposes…

“So, um…Where are we going again, Subaru?”

She hesitantly looks out the window again, but the sheer speed at which outside objects pass them by was liable to make her dizzy. She shakes her head and diverts her attention to the floor, allowing her brain to catch up with what her eyes were seeing. As such, she doesn’t see Subaru staring at her, a blush on his cheeks while he struggles to find the words to describe her ditzy display.

“E.M.C…”

Emilia perks up to wordlessly inquire about whatever nonsensical acronym that was, her eyebrow raised.

“Oh- Er…”

Subaru stammers on his words, before Emilia interjects:

“You’ve said something like that a few times, Subaru…What does it mean?”

Subaru’s lips tighten shut, a visible bead of sweat sliding down his forehead. Although it’s clear Emilia won’t let this one go after a few seconds of awkward staring, she continues to pressure him further.

“Because…If it’s something rude, that would make me feel very upset with you.”

A grin takes over Emilia’s lips as she finds her leverage. Subaru knows that she’s playing him, but…

“…Emilia-tan, Majorly Cute…”

“…Mejuhlee kyuutu? I don’t think I’ve ever heard those words before…Just as I was beginning to think we were onto something with your ‘Japanese’ and my world’s language being so similar.”

Emilia sighs. This feeling about not understanding words still bothered her very much. It made her feel like she was illiterate, especially after she had put so much effort into learning during her time at the mansion.

“Ah, no no-“ Subaru is quick to alleviate her fears, “They’re uh…Words from another language we have in this world.”

“Oh?” Emilia’s eyes widen slightly, “I never realised you were multi-lingual, Subaru.”

Being placed under a microscope as they talked around the elephant in the room – Which is to say, Subaru’s embarrassing acronym for Emilia, had him speaking in an uncharacteristically reserved tone.

“I’m…Not,” He chuckles to himself, “I just know a few words from some video games and anime and…I guess some TV from overseas.”

Subaru just said a few words Emilia still didn’t know the meaning of. Sick of not knowing, she decides to press him on it.

“Tee-bee?”

Subaru nods, evidently relieved the conversation was shifting to another angle.

“Yeah, the…Screen we have in my house, right? The one…Jeez, how do I describe it to someone who’s never seen one before…” He holds his chin as he searches for something adequate, “It might’ve looked like…There was people trapped inside it, I guess?”

Emilia gasps as Subaru hits the nail on the proverbial head.

“That’s what I thought it was!” She exclaims in a hushed whisper, “I was scared you and your family had a dungeon for keeping criminals in when I first walked into your house…A very…Compact dungeon.”

Her voice trails off slightly as she comes to realise the absurdity of that concept.

“Jeez…That’d be way too cruel, Emilia-tan,” Subaru chuckles to himself, before continuing, “But yeah, no…So, that’s the TV. In this world, we have devices that let us record people’s voices or actions, and then we broadcast those recordings to people around the world for entertainment.”

“Oh…”

The concept wasn’t actually all that foreign to Emilia, in fact, it was a fairly logical combination of concepts she had at least read about. While she had never attended one, she had read about famous theatre plays and equally famous actors whom people from all over her world would travel miles just to go and witness. She had read about an intriguing metia used in the town hall in the city of Kararagi, which allowed for “broadcasting” voice and music, with it often being used for important news updates so that everyone in the entire city could hear it at once. This, in fact, made her wonder even more about the similarities she was seeing in ‘Japan’ when compared to what she had read about regarding that city…

In any case, the only gap in her immediate understanding was on how to record these things in order to play them again at a later point in time, as she couldn’t recall ever reading about anything like that that existed in her world, but it at least made logical sense to her.

Emilia hums to herself, having reached her understanding.

“I see…I actually think I understand, Subaru…What about that other thing…Gemu?”

“Oh, jeez…” Subaru scratches his head, “I’m actually not sure how to explain that one, Emilia-tan. Hmm…”

He holds his chin in thought for a few seconds, before reaching an explanation he’s apparently satisfied with.

“Remember my cell phone? And the big screen with the buttons in front of it in my room?”

Emilia thinks back to her morning spent rummaging through Subaru’s belongings…

“Oh! Cell phone and big cell phone, right? I was wondering about those things…”

Subaru can’t help but smirk at her overly simplistic and childlike view of things, a gesture he quickly reigns in to avoid seeming condescending.

“R-Right, yeah. Anyway…Y’know how I can press buttons on them, and they register those inputs? I guess a videogame is like…Using that concept but for making a fun game out of it. Kind of like those arcade games we played, actually! Though they aren’t always as tiring as that, Emilia-tan…Maybe we can play together once we get home.”

The prospect of that seems to redden Subaru’s cheeks somewhat, though Emilia couldn’t say why. Regardless, she finds herself more focused on that word. She says it back to herself in her mind several times as the train comes to a stop. The doors open for a moment, and several passengers walk out, leaving the train car mostly empty save for a few stragglers at the far end who were far out of earshot of the two’s conversation.

So focused on her thoughts was Emilia, that this whole process doesn’t seem to confuse Emilia like so many of her new experiences in this world did. She didn’t even find herself panicking as the train picks up in speed again and she instinctually grips the bar above her and steadies herself so not to fall over. Maybe this was what it felt like to acclimatise to a new environment?

“Home…”

Maybe the Natsuki household really could be Emilia’s home from now on…

“…Emilia-tan?”

Realising she just said that out loud, Emilia spurs herself out of her thoughts to question Subaru on the final word she didn’t understand.

“Sorry, Subaru…I feel like I’m being really annoying right now but…”

“Your wish is my command, Emilia-tan.”

He holds out his outstretched arm and presents his free hand not gripping the bar above him, echoing his knightly performance from the evening they first met, a gesture that brings a smile to Emilia’s face.

“The other word you just said…Aneeme?”

“Oh, that’s easy.” Subaru returns to a neutral stance, “It’s just one of those shows you can watch on the TV.”

“Hmm, hmm…”

Emilia seems to recall something…

“Oh! I think you mentioned that before…There are shows like that with features from my world, right?”

That was it. From what Emilia was able to gather, concepts like magic, dragons, half-elves and witches were often featured in works of fiction in this world. But what did that mean? If these things didn’t exist in this world, how could the people here know enough about them in order to make stories about them?

“Pretty weird, huh?” Subaru echoes that sentiment, “I guess I don’t really have an explanation for you there, Emilia-tan. I mean, my mind was blown once I realised you were from a fantasy world! Not to mention your sheer beauty, of course…”

There certainly were a lot of coincidences piling up, here, and Emilia wasn’t sure what to make of it. Before Emilia could respond, Subaru continues:

“Man, it’s actually really cool in a way to be answering questions like this…I mean, besides the fact I’m having a conversation while on a date with you, Emilia-tan.”

Emilia tilts her head inquisitively, wordlessly asking Subaru to elaborate.

“Just, like…Sometimes I wonder what it’d be like if someone from…A thousand years ago was suddenly moved through time to today. How would they would react to seeing technology that didn’t exist back then? How much would it blow their mind? Stuff like that. Anyway, I guess in a way, something like that is happening for you, Emilia-tan.”

She hums in agreement.

So that must mean a lot of the incredible things she has seen in this world were relatively recent inventions? Emilia often read about incredible metia that made peoples’ lives easier, and on occasion Roswaal would have a newly developed gadget from the capital delivered to the mansion to make tasks more efficient, so the concept of technological progress wasn’t new to Emilia.

“Mm. I wonder if something similar would happen if you were moved to my world?”

Subaru eagerly nods.

“Right? Too cool. After all, it’s basically mandatory that the shut-in NEET from Japan gets to have completely overpowered magic or abilities he can use to save pretty girls and complete quests with no issue to make up for how useless he is in his original world…Of course, you’re the pretty girl I’d save first and foremost, Emilia-tan.”

Taken aback somewhat and not at all understanding half of what he said, something in Subaru’s ramblings catches Emilia’s attention.

“Subaru…Did you just call yourself useless?”

That’s what he was doing, right? The tone in his voice was…Even more self-deprecating than usual.

“Ah- Well, eheh…Yeah, I guess I did.“

He laughs it off, but the hesitation in his words concerns Emilia.

“…Why?”

The train begins to slow down again, and a voice from…Somewhere Emilia couldn’t pinpoint interrupts the two’s conversation, spurring her to look up in search of the source.

“The next stop is…Yokohama, Yokohama. The next stop is…Yokohama.”

“…This is where we get off, Emilia-tan.”

Emilia found this side of the city to be very pleasant. She couldn’t recall ever actually seeing or even being near the ocean in her life, and she welcomed the new experience. The scent of sea air and the sound of ‘seagulls’ flying overhead was incredibly calming to her. It also helped that this side of town felt more peaceful compared to elsewhere this date had taken her.

She takes a deep breath, enjoying the crisp, salty air as her and Subaru walk the waterfront. It’s quite late and dark by this point, so she can’t even begin to see just how far the ocean truly stretches for. Off in the distance, at the other side of the ‘Tokyo Bay’ as Subaru called it, she can see the artificial lights of buildings.

“They almost look like little stars from this distance, don’t they Subaru?”

She points to the distance, spurring Subaru out of his thoughts to comment after a moment of bewilderment.

“…You’re too cute, Emilia-tan.”

She pouts, gently tapping Subaru’s shoulder to playfully scold him.

“You should know by now that a lot of these things are still very impressive to me!”

“My bad, my bad. It’s true though!” Subaru idly taps his cheek, “Part of me is still blown away by the fact a cute fantasy girl got brought here, and I’m hanging out with her like it’s no big deal.”

Emilia couldn’t argue with that, so she hums in agreement, skipping over the ‘cute’ part in her mind. She had only just been here for about three days now, and as far as the two of them knew, nothing like her situation had ever happened before. Yet…

It was only three days, but she was beginning to feel so…Comfortable here.

“Mm. It makes me wonder, though…Why me?”

Indeed, of all the people in her world to have something so unusual happen to them out of the blue, Emilia was by no means anyone noteworthy in her own eyes.

“The universe must’ve just recognized how great you are. Maybe it’s fate?”

Emilia tilts her head again.

“Fate?”

“Yeah. It’s sort of like…Something happened because it was supposed to happen. We like to say it when things aren’t going our way, I guess. If you say that something you weren’t expecting happened to you because it was fate, it might mean there’s something you’re supposed to do with the opportunity.”

Subaru shrugs before he continues,

“I like the idea, at least. Maybe you were brought here because it was fate for us to meet, after all!”

Emilia’s eyes look to the path as she considers the word carefully.

“Something happened because it was supposed to happen…Hmm.”

“I kind of figured I’d be of no help to anyone, so the fact I get to be involved in helping you adapt to life here and find a way home…Maybe this is my fated heroic deed, right?”

Subaru trails off, sounding disappointed at the prospect of Emilia leaving.

“…Say, Subaru.”

Something sticks out in Emilia’s mind, alongside Subaru’s casual self-deprecation on the train.

“…You mentioned that you think you’re useless…Does it have something to do with your father asking you to go to school?”

She recalls overhearing Subaru and Kenichi talking the night before. It was the only sense of animosity she had sensed thus far in the Natsuki household, so she didn’t want to press it at the time, but…

“Ah? Oh…You heard that, huh. Er…Well…”

“Subaru?”

Emilia decides to press him on it, if only gently, something she immediately realises is…Out of character for her.

“…Yeah. I guess…Before you got here, Emilia, I didn’t really do anything.”

Subaru deeply sighs. Emilia turns her head to look at him to see him wearing a weak smile.

“What do you mean?”

“As in…Never left the house, never did anything useful, never looked for a job, never made any friends…And, yeah, I never go to school. Think I’ll be hitting my year-long absence streak soon.”

He chuckles to himself half-heartedly.

“Heck, I’ll be eighteen this year and I’ve basically never done anything meaningful with my life, and probably won’t ever.”

A short pause follows as Emilia connects dots in her mind.

“Subaru, is that why you said you wanted to go to my world?”

The boy chuckles again as he stuffs his hands in his pockets.

“It sounds pretty stupid, doesn’t it? I mean, people who think an isekai could be real and dream about going to one is one thing, but I’ve somehow found myself in the unique position to learn that they really do exist, and I bet it still sounds dumb.”

Emilia hums in acknowledgement, giving him space to continue as it seems he’s collecting thoughts.

“I guess I just thought…Maybe if we do find a way back to your world…I think I want more than anything to be able to go with you.”

That proclamation gives Emilia pause, prompting Subaru to reiterate himself.

“And that’s not me teasing you. I seriously mean it.”

“…Why?”

It was the only word that could escape Emilia’s lips, and it prompts Subaru to consider his words for a moment. The two come to a stop in their walk, with Subaru leaning his shoulder against a lamppost, and Emilia looking to him for his response.

“…I’m useless in this world. I guess I thought…Maybe if I got transported to a fantasy world, I’d get awesome magic or a special ability I could use to do cool things. Save people, fight monsters, defeat the demon lord…That’s what happens in all the light novels, anyway.”

He laughs at himself again.

“Damn, it sounds so stupid when I say it out loud, but it could actually be a real thing.”

“But, Subaru…”

Emilia finds herself taken aback by all of this. Up until this moment, Subaru seemed so…

Idealistic.

“Your parents care about you so much…”

Subaru shrugs in defeat.

“…Yeah, wanting that does probably make me a pretty selfish, ungrateful loser.”

Emilia’s eyebrows contort to show her concern as she struggles to make sense of what she’s hearing, prompting Subaru to continue.

“I don’t know what it was you were trying to accomplish in your world, it seems like it was really important from how you talk about it, but I think if I could be with you by your side helping you do it…”

He shrugs again.

“I dunno. I think that’d make me happy.”

Emilia couldn’t lie to herself and say that some part of her didn’t like the sound of that.

Maybe things would’ve been different that day in the capital if Subaru was with her. Maybe her insignia wouldn’t have been stolen in the first place? Maybe she would’ve tracked that little girl who stole it faster, maybe…

Maybe she would be happy too.

“Subaru…You can’t just say something like that willy nilly.”

She chooses to deny her true feelings on the matter.

“In my world, I-“

She sighs.

“I have responsibilities only I can keep…They aren’t anyone else’s burden but mine.”

Subaru shakes his head as he raises his voice.

“They don’t have to be, Emilia. They don’t! I’m stupid, lazy and useless, but I know I would throw myself at any problem over and over if it meant I could help you, even just a little bit!”

Emilia responds in turn, raising her own voice as the two begin to argue back and forth.

“I’m…Fighting to be the ruler of Lugunica! There are so many impossible expectations that I’ve placed upon myself, and so many people more capable than me who will try and stop me!”

“I still don’t know what Lugunica is but they’d have to recognize how amazing you are!”

“I’m a silver haired half-elf who looks like the witch, everyone will hate me no matter what I do!”

“I would support you no matter who tries to get in your way!”

“That’s not your responsibility, Subaru!”

“I don’t care! It’s what I want to do!”

“I would never allow it! You could get hurt and I would never forgive myself!”

“If you’re by my side nothing could truly hurt me!”

“Don’t say that! There are a lot of dangerous people in my world!”

“And I bet I’d get some awesome main character privileges to show them who’s boss!”

“I don’t know what that means but you need to take this seriously!”

“I’ve never done anything worthwhile in my life and helping you do great things could finally give my worthless life a purpose-!”

Subaru seems to notice his outburst as his arms droop and he exhales in defeat.

“…Anything, no matter what it is, as long as I’m helping…It’d have to be better than who I am right now.”

His gaze turns to the ground in shame.

“…Sorry, Emilia. For shouting.”

There is a short pause as the two catch their breath. Emilia finds that her emotions have begun to get the better of her, and an unpleasant lump has formed in her throat, making her voice quiver somewhat.

It hits her in that moment that this is the first time Subaru and her have felt any animosity. She feels it deeply hurt her in her heart.

Why would he want something like this? To devote everything to a silver-haired half elf from another world who he only just met the other day? How could be so selfish to so quickly give up the love his parents have for him?

Emilia couldn’t understand it. She wanted to believe that decisions should be made for a greater purpose, rather than for selfish desires.

That was what she was doing, after all…Right?

Her plan was still to return to her world, to resume her campaign for the throne and bring about her ideals. And…

To return to Puck.

…Right?

Emilia’s eyes focus once again as she looks to Subaru.

“…Subaru, I don’t think you’re worthless at all.”

“Emilia…”

She places a hand to her chest, taking one last deep breath to stabilize herself.

“…You’ve been so helpful and kind to me. You’re the kindest person I’ve ever met…Maybe if you were with me in my world, things would’ve gone differently. But…That wouldn’t be fair on you, not one bit.”

“I feel like nothing’s been fair on me for a long time now, Emilia. If I was helping you doing all the great things you do, at least then I’d be contributing to something meaningful.”

Emilia is quick to snap back at Subaru.

“Just why do you think what I’m doing is so great, anyway? For all you really know, Subaru, I could just be…No one special, living in a forest in the middle of nowhere and everything I said about being the ruler was just a lie.”

“It’s because I lo-“

Subaru stops himself mid sentence.

“It’s because I know you’d never lie, Emilia. And even if you were a nobody, I’d still want to help you with all my might.”

Finding herself talking in circles, Emilia breathes deeply to collect herself as she grows increasingly frustrated.

“…Say, Subaru.”

“Yeah?”

“If you do feel like you never do anything meaningful…Would it help if you did go to school?”

Subaru quickly shakes his head.

“Nope. No way.”

“But why?”

Subaru hesitates for a moment, before deciding to be honest.

“Well…No one likes me at school, I guess. And I figure…Since I’m never gonna accomplish anything anyway, what’s the point?”

Emilia found something in Subaru’s words difficult to believe.

“No one likes you? Subaru…That can’t be true.”

He shrugs, “Well, it is. I’ve tried to make friends for years, but never have. Maybe it’s because I’m the loser who likes manga and games, or maybe it’s ‘cause I’m ugly, or maybe God himself is conspiring against me.”

He smirks at the absurdity of his last point.

“I dunno. Either way, I already feel pretty lonely all the time, but being at school just makes it like…Ten times worse.”

Emilia’s eyes widen as something becomes clear to her.

In a strange way…

Emilia understood Subaru’s position perfectly.

She had always wanted to make friends too. She always wanted to be accepted by people. She always wanted to help others in need and she always wanted to accomplish great things.

But something always got in the way.

She’s an illiterate from the Elior Forest. She’s socially inept. She’s overly idealistic and naïve.

She looks like the Witch of Envy.

All of these things prevented Emilia from making friends in one way or another. The twin maids had no interest in her as they were employees of the mansion first and foremost, there by obligation rather than any real desire to spend time with her. She worried that the people of the village would run from her in terror, or worse, ostracise her and hurl insults her way. And Roswaal…

As her main supporter in the Royal Selection, Roswaal should be Emilia’s most trusted partner, and yet she could never truly let her guard down when he was in the room. Just what was he plotting at any given moment in time? What wasn’t he telling her? Why was he so interested in supporting her in the first place?

And Puck…

Emilia wasn’t sure how to describe what she felt for Puck in this moment.

As she thinks on it, it feels like…A distance had been created, besides the obvious literal one. She remembers feeling such a strong emotional connection with him, but gradually over these past three days, she struggles to even remember what that connection felt like.

And so,

Emilia too, was lonely. And yet the world itself seemed to consciously try to prevent her from filling the void that loneliness created. People judged her based on superficial attributes like her appearance. She didn’t know how to talk to people, and trying to always made her feel scared she would inadvertently make the person hate her. Maybe the fact she resembled the Witch was indeed an act of God to conspire against her, specifically to make her life more difficult.

And indeed, even being among other people, as she tried so awkwardly and desperately to gain rapport, Emilia felt more lonely than she ever could if she was alone in her room reading a book, or taking a walk to the village and back.

And yet she believed she could be King? She spoke of her ideals of equality and people being treated fairly, but she knew in her heart she pursued those goals for herself first and foremost. And yet, when it came time to make decisions towards that goal, she was all too eager to let Roswaal take the lead, to protect her from her fear of being ostracized by others, or for making a fool of herself. How could someone like her convince others of her ideals when she didn’t even truly believe them herself? How could she make friends, if she cowered in her room and always returned to her comfort zone with Puck anytime things got difficult? How could she put herself out there in the world, if every time she left her small pocket in the mansion to visit Arlam, she kept her concealing cloak on so that the villagers would never see the real her?

Perhaps in this way, Subaru was the most like her than anyone else could be. The only one who could truly understand her.

The only one who could truly care about her.

So what was really stopping her from doing all those things she wanted to do in her world?

…Maybe to an extent, the problem was her.

“Subaru…”

Subaru appears emotionally drained as his breathing stabilizes and a small smile is held on his face.

“Emilia?”

“…I understand how you feel.”

“…”

“I really do,” Emilia reiterates herself as Subaru has no more energy to argue with, “More than I think I could ever explain to you.”

There is a short pause as Emilia considers her next words.

There was without a doubt some cruel irony in the fact that the only person Emilia could find who was like her was in another world entirely. 

Maybe she really was supposed to be here, right now.

Maybe it was fate.

“…I don’t think I can tell you to do something you don’t want to do, or prevent you from doing something you do want to do. I don’t think I have any right to do that.”

If Emilia was selfishly pursuing a goal for herself first and foremost, rather than for the greater purpose she claimed, who was she to criticize Subaru for wanting the same? He had just as much right as her to pursue things he felt would give his life meaning and bring him happiness.

A low gasp escapes Subaru’s lips. He seems to think about something for a few seconds as his gaze drifts to the side, before meeting Emilia’s eyes once again.

“…I’ll go to school, Emilia-tan. Tomorrow. I promise.”

Chapter Text

The Roswaal manor was little more than a hollow shell of its former self on this day.

With the clouds, mist and snow cleared, the sun shone more brightly than ever through the glazed windows in the foyer. The flowers in the garden bloomed in an array of colours just like they always did, and yet…

This residence meant little to its inhabitants anymore. There appeared to be a grey tint on the world around it, even as the sun shone as brightly as it did.

It made it difficult for demi-human known as Frederica Baumann to stay motivated to continue her duties, especially considering she was requested to return here on such short notice with Roswaal’s maids’ untimely demises, the details of which she still didn’t quite know. While loyal to the Margrave, as was her job, in her heart she knew maintaining this place was an arbitrary and pointless task when the mansion effectively had a single resident, not counting herself and the Great Spirit who relegated herself to a hidden room inaccessible to anyone else.

But, it was her duty nonetheless, and so as she continues her round of watering the flower garden, she does so with dignity, the vibrant sunlight complimenting her long blonde hair as she does so. She passes by a joint grave in the garden she had dug herself this morning and pays her respects to her predecessors with reverence.

“Rem, Ram…Two beloved sisters, loyal servants to the Margrave Roswaal L. Mathers, who fought to change fate itself.”

What that could have meant, Frederica did not know, as it was Roswaal’s request to mark the grave as such. Nonetheless, she did feel a certain degree of responsibility as she looked over their grave, wearing a maid’s uniform just as they did, continuing to fill the same role they did in life.

She wondered what had happened to them, especially considering the grave only contained Rem’s body, with no explanation for where Ram might have been. Frederica had not had the chance to press the Margrave on it, having only arrived that morning, with Roswaal having spent the day locked in his study.

She feels a pang of sadness in her heart as she recalls looking at Rem, this morning.

She seemed so peaceful, laying in that bed, the blanket pulled over her as though she really were just sleeping. 

Laying her in a coffin, setting her in her grave this morning...

At least now, Rem would be able to rest forever.

Frederica just wished that Ram could lie with her.

Judging by the injuries Roswaal had sustained, Frederica had decided to remain patient and allow the Margrave to recover, at least for the time being. She had many questions, however, such as regarding the sudden snowfall that covered the Margrave’s property and surrounding regions that mysteriously vanished overnight, the disappearance of Royal Selection candidate Emilia, as well as her concern for the safety of the secluded village of Sanctuary that fell under the Margrave’s property.

Where her half-brother, Garfiel Tinzel resided.

Given the sudden, tragic slaughter of the nearby village of Arlam by mabeasts…

Frederica found her patience to be running quite thin, and was eager to abandon her duties and investigate herself should she be unable to get an answer out of her master soon.

Having completed her loop of the garden and sufficiently watered it, she begins to make her way back to the mansion’s entrance to begin dusting and cleaning the floors, the gravel crunching beneath her black boots with every step.

“…Hm?”

In the time she turns to take in the sight of her handiwork, Frederica notices…A figure in the distance. They have already passed through the large gate at the entrance to the property, and gradually walk the long gravel path towards the mansion itself. Even from this distance however, she could make out his gleaming white uniform and distinct, unmistakable red hair.

“…Reinhard van Astrea?”

While surprised, and more than a little nervous at the Sword Saint’s appearance, Frederica could make some educated guesses as to why he was here. She stands at the entrance to the mansion, ready to greet her honoured guest when he arrives, her heart feeling a certain degree of tension at what his arrival might mean.

…

…

…

…

“…Greetings, honoured guest.”

Frederica bows as any trained maid would once the Sword Saint is within speaking distance. Reinhard pauses for a moment before he responds, curiously examining the mansion now that he is up close to it. He seems to attempt to peer into the windows, before his gaze turns to look over the flower garden Frederica had just watered, before finally responding to his welcome.

“…Thank you. I must speak with the Margrave, if it isn’t any trouble.”

Frederica had never actually met the Sword Saint in person before. She had read many stories and accounts of his deeds of course, as well as of the long history of the Sword Saint title and how it came to fall on him. As such, she had little idea on what to expect from his visit, much less what he might have to discuss with her master. At his hip, Frederica could see the Dragon Sword in its sheathe, a sight that does give her a moment of pause as the last thing she had expected to see today was the legendary blade she had only read about in books.

“…Of course. Please come in, Reinhard van Astrea, and I will fetch the Margrave.”

She motions for the Sword Saint to enter the mansion’s front door into the foyer, a gesture he amicably obliges with a polite nod. She follows him in, before shutting the door behind her.

“Please make yourself at home.”

Entering the foyer, she bows once again, before making her way up the staircase onto the first floor, where Roswaal’s study is located. As she walks the long corridor, she wonders something.

Reinhard was the first person she spoke to, beyond her brief welcoming by Roswaal himself, since she arrived this morning. The mansion was undoubtedly more lonely and empty without Rem, Ram and Emilia’s presence, a realisation that brings an amount of sorrow to her heart. She had often heard of Beatrice, the Great Spirit of the Forbidden Library, who supposedly resided in the mansion. She had, however, never had the opportunity to meet Beatrice, and wonders about her.

“…She must be lonely without Emilia-sama’s Great Spirit to keep her company.”

Part of her hoped she might get to see Beatrice during her renewed tenure at the mansion, if nothing else so she could potentially make a new friend to fill the void in her heart Rem and Ram’s passing created.

“…So many things left unsaid. I would have liked to have been more than just colleagues, I would have liked to have been…Your friend, Ram, Rem…”

She sighs longingly, before arriving at the Margrave’s study. Hesitating for a moment, she gently knocks on the door.

“You may enter, Frederica.”

After a delay, Roswaal’s muffled voice from the other side prompts her to gently open the door, carefully peeking through the crack before it is fully open and she enters the room.

Roswaal is sat at his desk, stacks of books, paper and notes in front of him. He finishes writing something, before setting his pen back in its ink pot and turning to face Frederica. His injuries were difficult to ignore, as various cuts and scrapes on his face were still in the process of healing, and a fresh layer of bandages on his body could be inferred, thanks to his shirt being unbuttoned, revealing his bandaged collarbone.

The last thing Frederica notices…He had still yet to put on his signature makeup, today.

“…A guest has arrived, Roswaal-sama. Reinhard van Astrea wishes to speak with you.”

Roswaal holds his gaze at his servant for a moment, before standing and buttoning the rest of his shirt such that it hides the bandages beneath it.

“…I see. Very well, please lead the waaay, Frederica.”

Truth be told, Frederica always intensely disliked her master’s exaggerated way of extending his vowels. She was not ignorant to the condescension in his mannerisms, and she was in little mood for it considering the current circumstances.

Nonetheless, she performs a respectful curtsy, before leading her master out of the room and back down the corridor.

“…Roswaal-sama. I wish to ask about what happened to Rem and Ram.”

She decides to take this opportunity to press him for information. Roswaal hums to himself, though his tone is remarkably…Subdued.

“It is indeed a tragedy, Frederica. There are no words adequate to describe the sorrow I feel at their paaassing.”

Not the response she was hoping for, and it frustrates her enough to grind her bestial teeth behind her closed lips.

“Roswaal-sama.”

She presses him firmly with her voice.

“I owe them enough respect not to relay the details of who they were in their most tragic moment, Frederica. Surely you understaaand. We will hold a ceremony in due time to remember them as they truly were: loyal, kindhearted and hardworking maids of this mansion.”

As it was still a conveniently vague answer, a low sigh escapes Frederica’s lips as she realises her time to question her master has run out, with the two arriving at the staircase leading down to the foyer. Reinhard quickly takes notice of them as Roswaal begins to descend to the ground floor, Frederica watching the two from atop the stairs.

“Roswaal-san. Good afternoon.”

The Sword Saint, who had been examining various decorations around the foyer, approaches the bottom of the stairs to greet the master of the house.

“It is not every day we are able to greet the Sword Saint at our humble estate, especially as I can safely assume you have travelled from the capital. While I’m sure it was a simple task to travel such distance in a short time, it is only reasonable for me to inquire as to the reason for your viiisit, Reinhard-san.”

Roswaal reaches the bottom of the stairs, prompting Reinhard to turn his back to face the window as he contemplates.

“…There are several problems to be discussed.”

Roswaal quietly hums in acknowledgement as he listens.

“First, I must apologise for a failure of mine,” Reinhard continues, “I regret that I have still yet to locate Emilia-sama.”

“Ah, no one could ask for more than the effort you have expended in her seeaarch, Reinhard-san.”

“…Regardless, I have failed to uphold my promise to you, and for that, I apologise.”

Reinhard’s words are cold and spoken matter-of-factly.

“Second, in relation to this, I must inform you that if Emilia-sama is not found, she, as well as you, will be forced to withdraw from the Royal Selection.”

Roswaal hums in acknowledgement.

“…I will continue my search efforts, as it is the least I can do as recompense for my failure to uphold my promise,” Reinhard adds to his point, “But for as much as I have tried to dissuade them, the Council of Elders have reached their decision as such.”

There is a short pause. Frederica finds herself stunned; she had not realised quite how dire her master’s situation was such that Reinhard himself was searching for Emilia, nor that there was a risk he would have to pull out of the Selection entirely. It only serves to add yet another layer of worry to her mind.

“Third, I wish to relay an update on current events regarding the Royal selection to you. As the remaining candidates still in play, Priscilla Barielle, Anastasia Hoshin and Crusch Karsten are seizing the opportunity Emilia-sama’s disappearance has presented to improve their own standing. I am only currently aware of Crusch-sama’s activities. She is preparing a hunt for the White Whale…Which I believe will end in failure.”

Roswaal nods intently as Reinhard continues.

As one of the three Great Mabeasts, very few people of this world hadn't at least heard the stories of the White Whale. Its capacity for destruction through sheer force was known to most, but only a few were aware of a much more terrifying power that it holds; the ability to completely erase individuals from existence. While not understood at all, over the years, people had been able to piece together that the Whale was capable of unleashing a mist that would cause those caught in it to not only die instantly, but the world's memories of them would also be erased. These poor souls would be truly lost to time, as all evidence of their existence would be removed from the world in the process. Many had attempted to slay the beast over its four-hundred year reign of terror, including the previous Sword Saint, all of which always ended in complete annihilation of the attack force.

In a sickening way, Crusch Karsten's intentions to make her own attempt served as a pleasant surprise to Roswaal, as it only meant a potential obstacle down the line would be eliminated for him without him having to lift a finger. With how desperate his situation had become, he was learning to appreciate these victories, however small they were.

“I am sorry, but it appears Emilia-sama, and by extension your position in the Selection worsens by the day. Many of her supporters have lost faith, believing she has abandoned her duties. Public opinion has shifted and she is widely viewed as a coward who ran away, in addition to the negative stigma she received due to her appearance.”

The grimness of the situation can be heard in Roswaal’s low, displeased tone of voice.

“That does indeed complicate matters further…”

“I am doing what I can do sway the peoples’ minds, to attempt to convince them something out of Emilia-sama’s control has happened to her, however…”

Reinhard closes his eyes and deeply sighs,

“It appears at this current rate, even if she were to be found, there is no realistic chance of her regaining her footing in the Royal Selection. Her rivals have gained too much ground over her and have benefited too much from the increased campaigns of slander against her name. Which is to say…”

Reinhard sighs again,

“I do not believe Emilia-sama has any hopes of becoming king.”

A question is raised in Frederica’s mind: Why would Reinhard be so adamant about supporting Emilia? From what she had heard through news from the Capital, the Sword Saint had been searching for a fifth candidate he believed existed to support for his own agenda. Wouldn’t assisting Roswaal be counter-productive to his own goals?

“…Fourth, and the primary reason for my visit, if you will forgive my intrusion on your property, Roswaal-san.”

“Please, continue.”

Reinhard’s expression contorts somewhat as he hesitates to continue.

“…I understand something terrible has happened in the village nearby. We also received reports of a sudden, unexplained blizzard in the area, one that seemed cold enough to freeze people to death.”

Frederica does recall this, though at the Margrave’s second property that she normally overseas, the unusual weather was limited to a light snowfall and heightened winds, the cold easily staved off by lighting the fireplace. If a sudden blizzard, with supernatural, deadly properties had struck this area…What could that have meant?

“Of course, I recognize now that the weather has returned to normal, but I felt it pertinent to investigate and provide what support I can.”

Roswaal holds his chin in thought for a moment.

“Hmm. Your offer is greeeaaaatly appreciated, Reinhard-san. Arlam village…it is undoubtedly a tragedy, one I feel deep shame for. The woods nearby were known to be infested with mabeasts, and as such I had ensured a defence system was put in place at the edge of the village to deter the beasts.”

He softly sighs,

“Alas, whether due to failure, or perhaps sabotage, we have learned that a breach in this perimeter allowed the village to be overrun. With how short staffed I am at present, I have been unable to mount a real investigaaaaation. As for the undue weather…I am afraid I do not have an explanatioooon. ”

Reinhard’s eyebrow furrows, indicating the fate of the villagers has deeply bothered him.

“…I would be willing to investigate on your behalf, Roswaal-san. If there is a culprit involved in this, it is only right that justice is delivered for the villagers’ sake.”

Roswaal smiles, his exact demeanour somewhere between condescending and appreciative.

“Your noble heart is always welcome in troubling times such as these, Reinhard-san, and I am deeply grateful for your ooooffer. If I might be so bold however, I would like to request that you continue the search for Emilia-sama in the capital.”

Reinhard’s shoulders droop, making his disappointment clear. He nonetheless relents, gently exhaling.

“Of course. I will return to the capital promptly.”

“Please, allow Frederica to prepare some tea for you. It is only fair I accommodate you as an honoured guest of the Mathers estate considering you have travelled so faaar.”

Reinhard respectfully raises a hand to decline and shakes his head.

“The offer is appreciated, but I must return to my task…For both of our sakes.”

He makes his way for the door, before Roswaal’s voice calling out to him stops him in place, prompting him to turn around.

“Reinhard-san…Before you leave, if I might be so bold again as to sate my curiosity…How has the search gone for your own Royal Candidate to suppooort?”

The question seems to give Reinhard pause, such that Frederica could feel his hesitance to respond, and see the sorrow and frustration on his face as he turns his head to face the mansion’s residents again.

“…A commotion in the capital’s slums led me to an establishment, where I found the bodies of two people, both with their stomachs cut open. One, an elderly man, and the other…”

Reinhard grits his teeth as he exhales deeply.

“…A young girl, who I believe was the one I was searching for.”

A tense silence overtakes the foyer for a few moments, only broken by Roswaal’s delayed response as it seems he realises something.

“Ah…And that as why you wish to help me locate Emilia-sama.”

Reinhard nods. “Yes. Of the remaining candidates, I believe she offered the best chance for this nation to become the best version of itself. I have failed in my own duty…But that does not mean Emilia-sama should also fail in her’s.”

“Your kindness humbles me, Reinhard-san.”

Roswaal’s compliment seems to bother Reinhard, and he opts not to accept it as he turns once again for the door.

“…Goodbye, Roswaal-san. Thank you for your time. I will return with news of Emilia-sama as soon as I am able.”

Roswaal holds his chin in thought as Reinhard leaves the mansion, muttering something to himself that Frederica is barely able to hear.

“Their stomachs cut open…Hmm.”

Frederica wasn’t fully informed of what exactly the two had been discussing, but she could at least tell two things:

One, the mention of the victims’ stomachs being cut seemed to pique Roswaal’s interest for reasons she couldn’t place, and two, Reinhard was extremely motivated to find the silver haired half-elf. Perhaps it was just his kind nature and belief in Emilia’s ideals, but Frederica felt it was something…Else.

She could see the pain in his eyes and frustration in his furrowed eyebrows even from where she was standing. Perhaps in finding Emilia, he felt he would be redeeming himself for his own failure to find and protect his own Royal Selection candidate he wished to support?

“Frederica.”

Her master’s voice spurs her out of her thoughts as she stands at attention.

“I will return to my study. Please resume your tasks as you weeere.”

“…Yes, Roswaal-sama.”

Frederica had no intention of remaining at the mansion.

She would make for the Sanctuary in search of her brother.

A brother she would find no trace of.

“Hmph. You were gone for a while, magician. Was starting to think you ran off.”

Roswaal ignores Puck’s hostility as he steps back into his study.

“It would seem your grandstanding piqued the Sword Saint’s interest, Great Spirit.”

The mention of Reinhard gives Puck a moment of pause, an opportunity Roswaal uses to shift the topic.

“Now, then, shall we continue our conversation? I believe you were explaining to me a plan you have devised to find Emilia-sama.”

Puck nods his head as Roswaal takes a seat once again by his desk, the spirit lazily floating beside him.

“…So, first of all, I’ll admit I haven’t been entirely honest with you, Roswaal.”

The magician’s eyebrow arches, his curiosity piqued.

“I actually already knew Lia was still alive due to our contract still being in effect.”

A pang of emotion suddenly strikes Roswaal’s heart, which he promptly supresses.

“…Continue.”

“Our bond is…Special, so even though she is in another world, I could still faintly…’feel’ her. It’s hard to explain, but under normal circumstances, Lia is…There. I can feel her life in my own heart, her smile always occupies my thoughts and I can vividly hear her soothing voice at all times if I picture her. Since she disappeared…It’s become so faint, pushed to the back of my consciousness such that I need to stretch my arms with all my might just to barely touch her.”

Roswaal hums as Puck continues,

“But she is still there. If she was truly gone, then our contract would be broken, and I wouldn’t feel her at all.”

“Perhaps you will forgive me for asking an ooobvious question, Great Spirit, but…Wouldn’t it have been pertinent to tell me this before?”

Puck shrugs before he assumes a ‘laying down’ position mid-air, resting his head on his paws crossed behind him.

“Maybe. I guess I just didn’t feel like it.”

Roswaal chuckles as an attempt to mask the small feeling of anger he feels welling up, goading the spirit to elaborate.

“Maybe it’s ‘cause I don’t like you, magician. Wanted to see you taken down a peg.”

An unpleasant thought enters Roswaal’s mind.

What if the spirit had informed him of this? Would he have been able to use that information to deduce himself the half-elf is for certain still alive and instead moved to another world? Would he have been able to convince the Council of Elders to allow him more leeway in finding her? Would risking life and limb to gain an audience with Echidna have been unnecessary?

…Could Ram’s sacrifice have been avoided?

The last consideration prompts him to furrow his brow in frustration, another pang of emotion that he chooses to supress.

“I will be honest, Great Spirit, I’m displeased…But It wouldn’t do to endanger our alliance, however fragile it might be.”

Puck has little to say in response, instead scoffing at Roswaal’s magnanimity.

“But,” he continues, “Your emotional outburst at the half-elf’s disappearance very nearly created a failing situation neither of us would be able to come back froooom.”

“…Reinhard.”

Roswaal nods, “Hm. It does go without saying that the Sword Saint would have little difficulty in stopping your attempt to freeze the world, an altercation most certainly ending in your death. Which would, without any doubts, mean that the half-elf would forever be unable to return to this world, as we are the only ones capable of bringing her baaaaack.”

Having it explained to him in no uncertain terms was definitely condescending to Puck, not least in part thanks to Roswaal’s exaggerated and unique way of speaking, an annoyance that narrows his eyes.

“…Whatever.”

Satisfied that he’s regained some control in the conversation, Roswaal smirks.

“Now, then, Great Spirit…Explain to me your plan.”

Puck rests himself atop Roswaal’s desk, whether because he got bored of floating, or as a sign of disrespect, Roswaal couldn’t say.

“You’re a half-decent wizard, so you probably know Nect, don’t you?”

Setting aside the obvious insult ‘half-decent wizard’ was intended to be, Roswaal nods.

“A spell that allows the user to share the senses of another. See the world through their eyes, hear their thoughts and act in perfect harmony with what they intend to do. Yes, I know of it, though I can’t say I’ve had a use for it reeeecently.”

“Yeah, that one. It’ll obviously be unpleasant for me, but I’ll allow you to use Nect so that you can ‘feel’ Lia’s presence. Hold onto that ‘feeling’ of her, however faint it’ll be. Focus on it with all your might, engrave it on your very soul if you have to, I don’t care.”

Puck’s eyes finally meet Roswaal’s to emphasize his point.

“’Cause you’ll only get the chance to do so once before I sever my contract with Lia…Temporarily.”

Roswaal’s eyes widen, indicating this was the last thing he expected to hear.

“…Continue.”

“We still don’t have a guarantee you’ll be able to find a way to get back here once you find Lia wherever she is, and a spirit as unique as me can only forge one contract at a time, so…We’ll forge a temporary contract. Through that, I’ll be able to ‘feel’ your presence, and cast Al Shamak to bring you and Lia back here.”

Roswaal thinks for a moment before voicing a concern.

“…And what of the half-elf’s wellbeing in the time your contract with her has been severed? I am well aware of how much of her being relies on the unique bond you share.”

Puck softly sighs in defeat.

“…I will apologise to Lia when she’s finally home.”

To say Roswaal didn’t like the sound of this plan was an understatement. Again, he found himself in an uncertain situation, with so many variables, so many opportunities for things to go wrong, so many things out of his control.

Al Shamak was a very powerful, very old and very unique spell. Roswaal himself had never casted it (though as a master of all six elements, he was undoubtably capable of it), and in fact he considered it a wasteful, pointless spell. The spell was normally (on the exceedingly rare occasion an individual was capable of using it, and found themselves in a situation it would serve a practical purpose) used to move a target to a different dimension entirely, trapping them forever in an inescapable prison. However, there was nothing to suggest it couldn’t also be used for the purpose of moving a target between specific dimensions, or in this case, worlds.

But…He could say with certainty it had never been used for that purpose in all of recorded history. Whether or not it would actually work for that purpose…Neither of them could know for certain.

“Hm.”

Roswaal simply hums in thought.

He and the Great Spirit would travel to the Great Waterfall, share each other’s senses with Nect, allowing Roswaal to pinpoint in his mind where the half-elf had been moved to. The Great Spirit would then sever his contract with the half-elf and forge a new one with Roswaal for the time being.

 After that, all Roswaal needs to do is…Plunge himself from atop the waterfall.

Focus on the half-elf’s presence. Find where she is in the infinite sea of nothingness. Float through the ether for however long it takes him to find the world she is in. Once he is in that world, he would find her wherever she is physically located and if needed, convince, or force her to return with him.

Then, through their connection, the Great Spirit would be able to focus Al Shamak onto him, allowing Roswaal, and, should the search be successful, the half-elf, to return to this world.

“I’ll give you three days to find Lia. Just like how my connection with Lia is too faint to communicate with her, we won’t be able to relay information to each other. After three days, I’ll cast Al Shamak wherever it is I feel your presence. And if Lia isn’t with you when you’re back…Well, this world isn’t worth existing if she isn’t in it.”

The plan was completely ridiculous. But then, the two of them were in a completely ridiculous situation. Even if in the event Roswaal had to find an alternative method to return to this world, Puck’s decision to freeze the world would be inevitable if Emilia is not returned after those three days. His death at the hands of Reinhard would also be inevitable, and with the Great Spirit’s demise, the half-elf would refuse to cooperate…If she were even capable of making decisions in the first place with her spirit broken as it inevitably would be.

Worse still, Roswaal still hadn’t fully healed from his injuries. Despite time being of the essence, he knew he still needed several days before he would have the strength to handle whatever dangers he might come across in another world entirely. What would happen to the half-elf in that time? Just how far behind her rivals in the Royal Selection would she fall? Would further attention be brought to the Mathers’ mansion as a result of Puck’s actions, even further complicating things?

What a well and truly hopeless situation.

Roswaal attempts to consider any possible alternatives. What of Beatrice, the Great Spirit of the Forbidden Library? Her knowledge of Al Shamak would of course skip some risks in the plan, allowing the Great Spirit to maintain his contract with the half-elf, and her healing magic - The only form of magic Roswaal was unable to cast - would allow the journey to the Great Waterfall to begin today, but…

Roswaal had been unable to get in contact with her. The Great Library was closed to him, and even if he were to force his way in somehow, Beatrice had never particularly liked him to begin with, had no interest in the half-elf’s return, and in particular…

Recent events seemed to have had a…Profound effect on her.

Roswaal couldn’t say why, but…The demise of Rem and Ram, the loss of the half-elf, Puck’s attempt to freeze the world…

Beatrice would never allow anyone into the Forbidden Library ever again. Maybe she had sensed just how dire the situation outside her library had become, or maybe Puck's decision to freeze the world had alienated her from the one being she enjoyed the company of, or maybe she did just want to spite Roswaal L. Mathers for the sake of it, but either way...

The faint feeling of hope Roswaal always sensed in her, that could be felt in the mansion’s walls themselves…

It was gone.

Wherever Beatrice was now, whatever she was doing…

She had lost all hope of ever meeting ‘that person’ she so desperately needed. There was no possibility of a contract being forged between Roswaal and Beatrice, and no hope of Beatrice ever leaving the Forbidden Library ever again.

“…Great Spirit, perhaps you will answer another obvious question of miiine?”

“Not like I have a choice.”

“…I can trust you to stay true to your word, can I not?”

It was less of a question and more of an ultimatum judging by Roswaal's tone of voice...Or a threat. Puck nods, though an expression of disgust can be seen on his face.

“Won’t have a choice there, either. For as long as our contract holds, I will be unable to betray you or do anything that might bring harm to you. And severing our contract just to strand you in some far away world, while it would be satisfying for a moment…This is my only chance to see Lia ever again.”

“Hm,” Roswaal retorts, “But that same rule won’t apply to the half-elf once your contract with her is severed, will it? What would compel you to stay loyal to her?”

Puck’s eyes turn to the ground for a moment, before he mutters:

“…Lia is special. Nothing will make me forget how much I love her…Even if our contract is severed.”

Roswaal hums in thought again.

“Then we must hope that she will feel the same way.”

Chapter Text

Today was the start of Emilia’s fourth day in her new world.

Four days ago, she had been in the Lugunican Capital on trip with one of the loyal maids of the mansion, Ram, during which she decided, on a whim, to separate from the maid to explore the city on her own terms. As she looks back on it, she still doesn’t quite know why she decided to do that. Maybe her natural curiosity about the world got the better of her, or maybe she got lost in the abundance of things to see and do in that bustling city.

Maybe she was just so sick of being railroaded through her own life like she had been that past year, and this was her only way of defiance.

She should have been fine. She knew some amount of magic that she could use to defend herself, and if things were to really go awry, she knew she could always summon her contracted spirit, Puck to support her.

So, when things did go awry, and an important object that had been entrusted to her – An insignia bearing the crest of the Lugunican royal family – Was pickpocketed from her, she promptly called Puck and began her chase of the thief. A thief who was frustratingly agile, as she leaped from building to building, ducked through alleyways and strategically created obstacles to throw off the chase.

While Emilia did eventually lose sight of her target, with the advice of some lesser spirits she was able to learn the location of a popular meeting place for thugs and lowlifes in the city’s slums. A “loot house”, where stolen treasures were stored, traded and bartered off to the highest bidders. With no other leads, Emilia made her way to it, pushed open the door and, by some miraculous coincidence, the very thief she was hunting was taking shelter in the loot house that evening.

“There you are! You’ve caused me a lot of trouble you know, little girl!”

Emilia growls like an older sister would finding their sibling having dropped and shattered a vase on the ground as she forces her way into the ramshackle tavern. The young blonde thief recoils in surprise, the silver haired half-elf she easily evaded this afternoon being the last person she expected to see again, especially so soon. Behind the bar, an immense, giant of an elderly man stands up from his seat as he considers reaching for the oversized wooden club leaning against the bar.

“W-Wah! How did you know to look for me here!?”

The little girl reaches for and rests a hand on the short blade in its sheathe at her lower back, though she hesitates to actually draw the blade. Seeing this, Emilia raises her hands in preparation to cast a spell, a pane of ice forming into a shield in front of her.

“Look, I don’t want to hurt you! That insignia is very important to me, so if you give it back to me I promise I’ll forgive you and I won’t tell anyone about what you did!”

“Felt…Just what have you gotten yourself into this time?”

The old man mutters under his breath, just barely audible. His eyes are focused like a hawk’s on the immediate danger in the room, that being the very upset half-elf spellcaster.

“She wasn’t supposed to find this place, Rom-ji! That creepy lady told me this would be simple…”

The young girl, Felt’s breath hitches in her throat briefly, as if she were genuinely emotionally distraught at the current turn of events.

Emilia had no time to consider who this ‘creepy lady’ might be as the three stare each other down for several moments, neither willing to make a move for fear it might be their last. Except…

In Emilia’s case at least, she was being honest when she said she didn’t want to hurt either of these people, as she hoped her aggressive display would be enough to intimidate the thief into giving up the insignia.

“Now, now...” The old man, Rom, attempts to diffuse the situation, “One of us is going to get hurt if we keep this up. Why don’t we be adults about this and talk about it?”

Emilia considers taking him up on his offer. She knew she would certainly prefer a nonviolent approach…But considering these two were thieves, one of which had already stolen from her…Could she really trust them? Would they seize the opportunity to stab her in the back if she allowed them it? Her eyes trail off to the side for a moment, as she seriously considers it, before regaining her focus.

“I really mean it! I’m going to give you five seconds to agree to give it back to me!”

Finally, Emilia delivers her ultimatum. Felt and Rom’s eyes widen as they realise the time to make a decision is upon them.

“Four…”

A set of ice crystals form around Emilia, ready to be thrown at their targets.

“Three…”

Felt grips her blade in its sheathe tighter. Rom places his hand on his club, ready to raise it in defense of himself and his surrogate daughter.

“Two…”

The floorboards beneath them softly creak, Emilia feels a dreadful presence over her shoulder and all three ready for a real fight.

“One…”

Felt shrieks in terror.

“…Please, just give me back my insignia-!”

And then Emilia blinked.

And she was no longer in the loot house.

Four days later, and Emilia was still no closer to finding a way back to her world than when she started. But where could she even start? While she and Subaru searched the general area she had initially appeared in, the great distress that was brought upon her companion forced them to put their search on hold (something which Emilia still hadn’t received an explanation for). From that, she decided that, in order to avoid anyone but herself being put at risk, she would conduct her investigation alone.

And on this morning, Emilia is reminded how hopeless she really is at this sort of thing.

As far as she could tell, there was no information of value to be found in the area she first appeared in this world. It was…Just another street, one of countless in this city. So, with zero leads to follow up on, Emilia found herself stuck.

As she looks through her memories leading up to her summoning to this world, something sticks out to her.

The horrible presence she felt on her shoulder as the floorboards creaked, as if someone was sneaking up on her and the young blonde girl named Felt’s shriek of terror.

Initially, Emilia had assumed someone must have been hiding in a corner somewhere. If they were a powerful spellcaster, it served as a good enough explanation as to why she was sent here. After all, thieves were known for thievery, not murder, so it would make sense for a thief to want to solve complications in their plans through nonviolent means. If a mark you stole from has tracked you down, how better to evade them than to just…Send them somewhere else?

It certainly made some amount of sense, but two things didn’t add up with this explanation.

First, did it really make much sense for a spellcaster powerful enough to send someone to another world to be holed up with some petty thieves in the slums? Emilia figured that someone with that talent would be able to meet higher aspirations in life than that. And second…

Felt’s shriek of terror.

It wasn’t a battle cry or a plea for peace, it was something much more raw, something that, in the brief moment Emilia heard it, pierced her ears with a cry for help and a fear of death. It was the kind of noise a person only makes when they realise they are about to die and there is nothing they can do to stop it.

As much as she had been trying to appear so, Emilia was very aware she wasn’t a very intimidating person, so from her perspective it made little sense why Felt would suddenly cry out in fear like that.

So why…?

She struggles to make sense of it between flashes of distant memories still plaguing her waking thoughts. Every hour since she had arrived here, the flashes felt more vivid, and yet they passed just as quickly as they appeared. Names, places, memories…And something evil.

She sighs and resigns herself to climb out of Subaru’s bed she was still borrowing. She looks down at the fuzzy pyjamas that belonged to Natsuki Naoko that she was still borrowing, before reaching for and dressing herself with the sweater and long skirt she had purchased yesterday using money she borrowed from Subaru.

Always borrowing and never giving back, Emilia was. Just like in the mansion.

After getting dressed, tidying the bed and neatly folding Naoko’s pyjamas atop it, she makes for the door into the main room of the Natsuki household.

“Ah! Good morning, Emilia-chan!”

Natsuki Naoko’s voice continued to be a bright light in the fog that was Emilia’s mind as she sheepishly peeks through the open door, before stepping into the main room. It takes her a moment find the source of Naoko’s voice, as the woman herself was partially hidden by some furniture separating the living room and the kitchen.

“Good morning, Naoko-san. How are you?”

A gentle smile forms on Emilia’s lips as she walks towards the kitchen area, where it seemed Naoko was preparing breakfast. Judging by the other two Natsukis’ absence, Emilia safely assumed that Kenichi had already left for work, and Subaru was elsewhere in the house getting ready for school.

“I’m very well, thank you. Would you like anything?”

Emilia shakes her head, al be it hesitantly.

“I can’t ask you to do even more favours for me, Naoko-san…”

While Emilia and Subaru had agreed to tell the truth to Naoko and Kenichi in one week, now six days, she still felt guilty taking advantage of their hospitality while at the same time lying to them.

“I take it that’s a yes, then? Omelette? Coffee?” The older woman stifles a giggle as Emilia finds herself unable to really argue, “Omelette and coffee it is.”

Truth be told, Emilia was eager to try ‘coffee’ again. Her experience trying it the other day did seem to give her a big pick-me-up…

“You really are one of the kindest people I’ve ever met.”

Emilia wasn’t sure what to say in response. She didn’t want to say ‘sorry’, and she didn’t want to just say ‘thank you’ again, nor did she want to reject Naoko’s kindness. The only thing that made sense in the moment was to acknowledge what a wonderful person the woman in front of her was.

“Nonsense! I’m sure your family in America could teach me a thing or two!”

Emilia still wasn’t sure what an ‘America’ was, but she figured she could safely assume it referred to another nation, not unlike how her own world was separated into differing political states. If nothing else, she had at least learned to interpret the word as being a placeholder for ‘where she was from’.

“Hm…There are some very kind people where I’m from…”

She thinks of Rem and Ram, of the villagers in Arlam, she even wanted to believe that thief and the old man had kindness in their hearts too.

“…I think you, Kenichi-san and Subaru are the kindest, though.”

“Hmm…I suppose I have no choice but to accept the compliment then! Thank you, Emilia-chan.”

Smiling, Naoko gestures towards an appliance in the kitchen.

“By the way, could you grab the eggs from the fridge for me?”

Eager to help, Emilia hurries towards the ‘fridge’, “Of course!” She finds what she assumes is the handle to open it at the bottom right side of the door and, with some resistance, pulls it open, unleashing a wave of chilly air from inside that somewhat catches her off guard.

“Eggs…Eggs…” She mutters to herself, before finding a pallet of what look to be ‘close enough’ to what she associated with eggs looking like in her own world. She sets them on the counter beside Naoko, who is already getting to work on preparing to cook.

“Thank you. I’ll take it from here, Emilia-chan. Could you check if Subaru is ready, yet? I think he’s in the bathroom.”

Ah yes, that was right. Today was the day Subaru had agreed to go to school, after having apparently been absent for a very long time.

Emilia still wasn’t really sure why he agreed to, especially considering he said so following their heated argument during their date the night before.

She nods, before making her way to the other side of the house to gently knock on the bathroom door.

“Subaru?”

“Yes, Emilia-tan! Your noble and loyal knight will be ready shortly!”

Just by his muffled voice behind the door, Emilia could tell he probably instinctively made a very official looking salute and was standing at attention as he spoke. She smirks as she turns to face Naoko at the other side of the room, who presses her hand to her lips to stifle a laugh, before returning to the older woman’s side.

“Is there anything else I can do to help?”

“You’ve done plenty already, Emilia-chan. Why don’t you take a seat? I’ll just be a few minutes.”

Emilia wasn’t sure she believed she had done ‘plenty’ at all, considering she was still eating the Natsuki family’s food, leaving Subaru without his room and necessitating he sleep on the couch and dress himself in the bathroom, as well as borrowing articles of Naoko’s clothing. She opts not to argue though, and takes a seat by the small dining table just beside the kitchen.

“You’ll have to tell me what magic you pulled off to convince Subaru to go to school today sometime.”

While undoubtedly phrased as a joke, the irony that in another world Emilia really was capable of using magic led to something of a twisted interpretation of Naoko’s remark.

“O-Oh, well…I don’t think I did anything, really…Um, we were just on our date, and Subaru suddenly told me he was going to.”

“Hm. I wonder.”

A distinct sizzling sound fills the room as Naoko begins to cook the eggs. She pauses for a few moments, before continuing.

“Perhaps you’re having a positive effect on him?”

“A positive effect?”

Emilia looks into the kitchen for clarification, Naoko’s back turned to her as she focuses on cooking.

“I think Subaru is very fond of you. And…He’s always been a very driven boy. He just needs…A reason?”

Struggling to find the words, Naoko takes a second before attempting to rephrase.

“I think he would push himself to death if he thought he could be useful to someone he cares about.”

“Oh…”

Emilia wasn’t sure she liked the sound of that, and she hopes that her friendship with Subaru would never have to come to that.

“Which isn’t to say I think you would put him in a situation like that, Emilia-chan,” Naoko clarifies, “I just think…You’re bringing a part of Subaru out that perhaps even he forgot about.”

Pondering for a few moments, Naoko finishes her explanation.

“I said it yesterday, but I’m very grateful he has such a good friend in you.”

Emilia nods, a smile forming on her face again.

“I’m grateful for him too. I’m grateful for how kind all three of you have been to me…I’m not sure I can put into words how special it is.”

The room goes quiet for a minute, save for the sizzling of eggs cooking in the pan and the quiet voices coming from the television in the living room. Emilia’s thoughts wander…

She had posed the question to herself numerous times since she arrived here, but…

She was going to return to her world if the opportunity presented itself, wasn’t she?

That was the most logical decision. It would mean things could return to normal. It would mean all of her studies and effort expended this past year preparing for the Royal Selection wouldn’t be wasted. It would mean she would be able to continue her goals of thawing the Elior forest and its people. It would mean all the people she knew in her world would be able to see she was unharmed, and she would be…Home.

Whatever ‘home’ meant, at this point.

“Oh, by the way, Emilia-chan…”

Naoko’s voice spurs her out of her thoughts.

“I understand that at the end of the day, your visit to Japan is a holiday, and I wouldn’t want you to be alone and bored while Subaru is at school…Would you like to come to the onsen with me, today?”

There was another word Emilia didn’t know the meaning of.

“Onsen?”

The older woman hums response. “I like to visit the onsen at least once a week. They say it’s good for your health, after all…But really, I think most would agree we’d all go even if there weren’t any health benefits.”

She chuckles to herself again, Emilia awkwardly smiling as she tries to pretend she knows what Naoko is talking about.

“Um…Y-Yeah, I think that sounds nice. I’d like to go to the ‘onsen’ with you, Naoko-san.”

“Wonderful. It’ll be just the thing to give you that proper Japanese experience!”

The sound of a lock turning from the bathroom indicates Subaru would announce his presence momentarily, leaving Emilia to think about what she’s just agreed to for later.

“Eeeemilia-tan! Your knight is read-“

Bursting from the bathroom door, Subaru’s face freezes in horror as he realises his mother is in the room.

“…Well, you’ve settled into the ‘tan’ nickname quite nicely, haven’t you?”

Naoko giggles, having turned her head to get a look at her son.

“A very knightly uniform too!”

Subaru’s cheeks light up a vibrant red as he buries his face in his hands. Indeed, Subaru was dressed much more formally than Emilia had seen him before. With his formal looking jacket, shirt and pants, Emilia figures he wouldn’t look too out of place were he to be working as a butler for the Roswaal mansion right now…Assuming he properly fixed his red tie and did the top button of his shirt, anyway.

“To my credit, mom, I thought you’d have gone to the convenience store by now!”

Naoko hums in contemplation as she turns to face the kitchen counter again.

“Mm…I was going to, but Emilia-chan had a look on her face that just screamed ‘I need an omelette and coffee’ and my motherly instincts couldn’t say no.”

Subaru’s arms droop in defeat as he makes his way to the dining table Emilia is sat at.

“Defeated by unconditional kindness…”

Emilia stifles a giggle, thoroughly enjoying the familial banter she was bearing witness to.

“I think your uniform looks very dapper, Subaru. Maybe you really could be a knight!”

Of course, her remark that positively lights up Subaru’s eyes had a double meaning that the chuckling Naoko wasn’t privy to. Subaru seats himself opposite the half-elf, resting his arm atop the back of his chair.

“Say, Emilia…Wanna walk to school with me?”

Still blushing in embarrassment intensely, Subaru nonetheless makes his request in a hushed voice, hoping his mother wouldn’t hear.

Emilia considers it for a moment. She didn’t think she would get too lost finding her way back, as she could recall a select few landmarks along the way to keep her right. She also wanted the opportunity to talk about things with Subaru, so…

She nods her head. “I’d like to.”

Subaru makes a triumphant gesture with his fist, muttering a “Yesss” in victory.

“Before that, though,”

Naoko interjects the two’s conversation, a sly tone to her voice indicating she most definitely overheard.

“Emilia-chan needs her energy, Subaru. You’re not going to ask a girl to walk you to school on an empty stomach, are you?”

Naoko leaves the kitchen, a plate of omelette and a mug of coffee in her hands which she sets before Emilia.

And Subaru’s face lights up once again in embarrassment.

A distant alarm catches Emilia’s attention as she and Subaru walk the suburban street, the source of which was a flashing red light at the end of the street.

“Huh? Subaru, what’s that?”

It was certainly a very attention grabbing sound, something that would warn you of an imminent danger or if something were wrong.

“Oh, that? It’s just the train signal, Emilia-tan.” He points to the train tracks behind a safety barrier adjacent to the path the two were walking, “Just means there’s a train coming so you’ve gotta wait for it to pass before you can cross.”

“The train…”

To say Emilia had less than fond memories of those things would be being charitable. The two arrive at the crossing, where a barrier has been automatically lowered to prevent anyone from stepping onto the tracks. Emilia finds herself looking to her left and right, hoping to pre-emptively spot the train before it whizzes by and catches her off-guard.

After a few seconds, she sees it, though Emilia could immediately tell this one was moving slower than the one she rode last night. It passes by the two, its wheels creating that ‘clunk clunk’ sound against the tracks and a gentle gust of wind flowing behind it that ruffles Emilia’s hair.

“Wasn’t so bad, huh? They tend to slow down in residential areas like this so not to make much of a disturbance.”

The alarm stops, and after a few seconds, the barrier raises again. Emilia hesitates until she sees Subaru begin to cross first, at which point she follows his lead.

“Those things are incredible…In a scary kind of way.”

“There must be crazier things in your world, Emilia-tan. Like…Crazy strong wizards, giant monsters, dragons…”

Subaru seems almost giddy with excitement thinking about the possibilities.

“I suppose there are things like that…I never really got to encounter them before though. Except for, well…”

She digs through her memories, filtering out the ones she knows she personally experienced with the ones that were simply vague flashes. Subaru’s interest seems positively piqued as he awaits with baited breath for her to continue.

“I’ve only read a little bit about them but…In my world there are three monsters known as the Great Mabeasts who have been terrorizing the world for a very long time. I believe I personally encountered one of them…Or, well…Part of it. The Black Serpent. I think its name is a little bit misleading, because when I saw it, it was less of a snake and more of a mass of…Something. I don’t know what it was trying to accomplish, but it seemed to just be aimlessly wandering around, looking for food.”

“And that’s when you defeated it with your awesome magic, right?”

The talk of monsters and magic seems to have gotten Subaru in an excited mood, something Emilia finds endearing in a way.

“It was mostly Puck…I’m not actually very strong without his help, but…Yes, we managed to fight it off.”

“I bet you’re just selling yourself short, Emilia-tan. The best fantasy girls are always the most modest, after all!”

Emilia tilts her head at that remark.

“Huh?”

“N-Nothing, nothing,” Subaru idly scratches his cheek, “What about those other two…Great Mabeasts, was it?”

Emilia nods as she looks back on the various books of her world’s history she read in the mansion.

“Hmm…There’s the White Whale, but I don’t think people know very much about it…It probably causes a lot of destruction and pain, but…There have been very few reports of deaths caused by it.”

“That’s pretty weird, right?” Subaru interjects, “You’d think something with the title of ‘Great Mabeast’ would have a lot of carnage attributed to it. Lots of old legends, tragedies…Just more motivation for an awesome hero to rise up and defeat them!”

Emilia hums in agreement.

“Mm. It is strange. The only confirmed death caused by it that I ever read about was that of the previous Sword Saint.”

Subaru raises his hand as though he were in a classroom, a gesture which carries even more irony considering where the two were walking to.

“Sensei, what’s a Sword Saint?”

Emilia rolls her eyes with a smirk on her face, knowing full well Subaru was teasing her again. If anything, his line of questioning, and how he was phrasing them, came off as a little bit insensitive...Emilia decides to think nothing of it, at least this time.

“Dunderhead…Anyway…I only know a little bit, but I believe being the Sword Saint means you are exceptionally powerful and unmatched in skill with the sword. The current Sword Saint is a man named Reinhard van Astrea, the grandson of the previous.”

“Reinhard…Yeah, that’s definitely a master swordsman’s name.”

So Subaru mutters to himself in response, prompting Emilia to continue.

“I only met him very briefly…He seemed like a very kind person. To be honest…”

A faint blush takes over Emilia’s cheeks.

“…I might not have made the best impression when we first met. I had been visiting the Capital on an errand, and I happened to bump into him in a crowd and spilled some appa juice on his clothes…”

“That does sound like something someone as adorable as you would do, Emilia-tan.”

Subaru snickers to himself, attempting to hide it by covering his mouth, earning a swift, al be it gentle slap from Emilia to his shoulder.

“I’ll have you know I was very embarrassed!”

Forcing his chuckle to a stop, Subaru feigns a cough. “Sorry, sorry…But everything must’ve turned out okay if he’s so nice, right?”

“Mm. He just smiled and said hello, then we spoke for a little while…I think I only realised who he was a few minutes after the fact.”

“Man…Super powerful, super nice, probably super handsome to the ladies too…Think he’d take on an apprentice? I mean, I’ll be off to a good start with whatever my special abilities are, so all that’s left would be to train under a master swordsman!”

Truth be told, even though she reconciled the idea in her mind somewhat, Emilia still didn’t like the idea of Subaru following her to her world. Part of her wants to argue, but she decides not to, given how light-hearted the tone of their conversation was.

“I’m not sure…I guess you would need to ask?”

The idea seems to bring a wide grin to Subaru’s face.

“Damn, that’d be so cool…Er. So, what about the third Great Mabeast thing?”

Digging through her studies again, Emilia recalls…

“The Great Rabbit.”

Subaru arches an eyebrow.

“Huh? Well, that one doesn’t sound so bad.”

“I only know a little bit about it as well, but…People say it’s not just one creature, but rather hundreds, thousands…Maybe never ending? There’s been a lot of reports over the years of small villages disappearing, with no trace of the inhabitants left. The only explanation could be that they were…Consumed by the Great Rabbit.”

Taken aback somewhat, Subaru’s eyes widen.

“Jeez…I guess I take it back, that one does sound pretty bad.”

Emilia nods, her tone becoming softer.

“I don’t want to think about how many people might’ve been hurt by it…By all of them. I always wished there was something I could do to stop it.”

The conversation clearly having bothered Emilia somewhat, Subaru attempts to lighten the mood.

“Hey, don’t worry about it, Emilia-tan. I bet when we find a way back to your world, the two of us together, between your awesome magic and all the overpowered special abilities I’ll get, we’ll put a stop to those monsters!” He strikes a pose, flexing his arm to emphasize his point.

By now, Emilia starts to see many other boys and girls wearing a similar uniform to Subaru, suggesting that the two were nearing his school. Emilia turns her head to look at Subaru, a faint smile on her face.

“You’re always so optimistic and upbeat, Subaru.”

“Eh? Where’s this coming from?”

Emilia’s smile widens slightly as she gulps down a lump of emotion in her throat.

“You’ve been such a supportive friend to me. I do really wonder if things would be different if you were with me in my world…”

A faint blush forms across Subaru’s face and he idly scratches his cheek in an attempt to hide it.

“Er…Y-Yeah, I mean…Who wouldn’t wanna support you, Emilia-tan? And I really did mean what I said last night. If you were ever having a problem you needed help with, I just know I’d keep trying until we figure it out.”

He shoots her a thumbs up, showing his teeth in a wide grin. Emilia’s smile turns to a somewhat melancholy one, however.

Perhaps the idea Subaru would go so far for her is what made her worry the most.

“H-Hey, sorry to cut this short, but-“ Subaru points to a large building in the distance that’s come into view, a gate at the front of which numerous other people wearing the same uniform as Subaru were shuffling through, “That’s my school, gotta run.” He breaks into a power-walk, calling out to Emilia as he goes. “Remember! Just go in a straight line back until you reach the train crossing, then turn right!”

Emilia nods as she exclaims in response. “Mhm! And I remember what your house looks like, I think!”

Now that the two were quite a few steps separated, and the chattering of other students drowned each other’s voices somewhat, Emilia only barely makes out Subaru’s last instruction:

“And if the alarm at the crossing is blaring, don’t cross! Okay see you later, Emilia-tan!”

Subaru waves one last time, before passing through the gate into the school grounds and out of view.

And Emilia lets out a deep exhale, realising she was effectively alone now, for the first time since…Well, since she arrived here. Ever since she and Subaru met, she had always been within arm's reach of him or his parents.

Oh, that’s right. There was something important she wanted to talk to Subaru about before they got side-tracked.

Darn it.

She found herself at a bit of a loss on what to do next, so she simply watched all the other students shuffling into the school grounds for a few moments. Until-

“Um, excuse me, but…”

A sheepish voice from behind catches her attention. She instinctively spins on her heel, realising that this will be the first time she would be speaking to someone not of the Natsuki family since she arrived in this world. She turns to find a young girl, maybe a year or two younger than Subaru and slightly shorter than Emilia herself, with medium length brown hair and wearing the same uniform Subaru is, al be it with a skirt instead of pants.

“G-Good morning!” Not knowing what else to say, Emilia defaults to a hello.

“Good morning…Um, are you from overseas?”

So it wasn’t just the Natsuki family making that assumption, whatever ‘overseas’ meant. Emilia politely nods, instinctively bringing a hand to the side of her head to make sure her pointed ears were still covered by her hair.

“Y-Yes! I’m from there,” while awkwardly phrased, the girl seems to accept it as Emilia continues, “I’m visiting…Er…Japan for a little while.”

The girl’s eyes widen and her lips open into a wide smile. “Wow…Your hair and your eyes are so pretty…Um…”

An intense blush takes over the girl’s face.

“Are you that boy’s girlfriend?”

Emilia doesn’t even have time to process the question as she was only now realising the girl so freely complimented her. The girlfriend question seems to go completely over her head as she responds, stammering on her words:

“Oh, th-thank you very much! Some other people have complimented me since I got here too…It makes me very happy.”

What kind of world was Emilia living in that complete strangers – Subaru, Naoko, Kenichi and now this girl, so freely showed her kindness? Her, of all people? Even though she was very aware she was in a world where the stigma against her as a silver haired half-elf simply didn’t exist, it was still a constant mental barrier she felt she had to contend with, and it meant every compliment about her appearance always came as a shock.

A pleasant shock, but a shock nonetheless.

“You speak Japanese so well too…I bet that boy is very lucky.”

Emilia couldn’t say what the girl meant by that, so she opts to simply reciprocate the compliment she received.

“I think you’re very pretty too!”

She earns another smile from the girl, who begins to make her way past Emilia for the school gate.

“Thank you very much, miss...Um, I’m sorry, but I have to go or I’ll be late for school. It was nice talking to you! I hope you have a lot of fun in Japan!”

And just as soon as her conversation with a new person started, it was over. Emilia waves goodbye, unable to find words to describe exactly how that interaction made her feel. She finds herself standing in a trance for a few moments, more uniform wearing students passing her by, the occasional boy or girl looking at her with a smile or muttering something under their breath.

“Whatcha think an American girl is doing here anyway?” A boy whispers to his friend as he walks by, “She’s really cute, though…”

“Her hair looks so natural! I wish my parents would let me dye mine.” A girl sighs longingly, Emilia barely catching the comment in the sea of whispers.

“Could she be a transfer student? An overseas classmate would be so cool…”

Perhaps normally, comments like these would be considered rude and inappropriate. People not minding their own business, staring at strangers on the street, being nosey…But, to Emilia, who always had to hide who she was with a magic concealment cloak, or hide away in her study rather than interact with the villagers of Arlam, for fear of insults and venom thrown her way…

These comments were…Comparatively…Normal

Emilia felt…Normal.

In this moment, she was just…Emilia. These people didn’t see a silver haired half-elf or a witch, they just saw…

Her.

Realising how much attention was being drawn to herself, while not necessarily negative, does prompt Emilia to snap out of her trance and begin making her way back to the Natsuki household, if nothing else so she could find a quiet space to process all of this.

“…People here are so kind.”

Chapter Text

“O-Oh…”

An overwhelmingly pleasant warmth engulfs Emilia’s entire body as she lowers herself into the onsen bath. She practically feels her heart smile as her soul is cleansed by the revitalizing waters. She closes her eyes, before inhaling and exhaling a deep breath, a satisfied smile finding its place on her face. “O-Oh my goodness…” are the only words that escape her lips as her senses were overwhelmed in pure bliss.

“It’s lovely, isn’t it, Emilia-chan?”

Across from her on the other side of the bath was Naoko, who was wearing a similarly pleased smile on her own face. Her mind somewhat melting thanks to the wave of enjoyment filling her body, Emilia could only muster up a sleepy hum of agreement in response.

The sensation wasn’t too unlike soaking in great bath at the Roswaal mansion she used to wash herself in, which was kept at a pleasant temperature through strategic use of magic fire stones. Of the two, however, Emilia found herself much preferring this; it was just a bit warmer such that she felt like she was entering heaven, though not so much that she felt she would overheat.

Truth be told, at first, Emilia wasn’t sure about this. The idea of being openly nude in public, as seemed to be required by this ‘onsen’, brought her sensibilities into conflict.

On the one hand, she really…Didn’t care that much. Societal norms like table manners and indeed keeping oneself covered up still didn’t entirely make sense to her. As someone who had spent the majority of her life (that she could remember anyway) mostly alone and away from where these social norms were expected, with her only companion being Puck, who didn’t wear clothes anyway, the concept to this day didn’t quite come naturally to her. She had only learned to abide by these norms because she had been taught, and told to by Puck. She always, and especially since coming to this world, found herself having to make something of a conscious reminder to use a knife and fork at the dinner table, and indeed to properly dress herself before letting others see her.

But, at the same time…She had been told to abide by these norms by Puck. If there was anyone in this world…Or, well, her world, who’s opinion she valued above all else, it was her contracted spirit’s, so breaking this rule she had set herself, even in this unique circumstance, felt odd to her. Enough that as she walked into the bathhouse, she still felt a need to cover herself up using her provided ‘modesty towel’ and her free arm.

The fact that all of the other patrons of the bathhouse (Emilia did her best to hide the fact she was peeking at them from the corner of her eye) around her didn’t seem to mind did alleviate her concerns at least, as it at least made it clear to her that this was ‘normal’.

“Is this your first time going to an onsen?”

By now, Emilia had found herself resting her head against the edge of the bath. At this rate, she felt she was at risk of falling asleep from how comfortable this felt.

“Y-Yes, I think so…Um, there’s something similar to this where I’m from…But it’s not nearly as wonderful as this ‘onsen’, Naoko-san.”

Her voice is airy and lazy, as though she were only half-listening to what Naoko was saying.

“Ohhh…Like a jacuzzi, you mean?”

Emilia had no idea what that word Naoko just said was, and quite frankly she felt as though her brain had turned into too much mush to contemplate it, so she just lazily nods. “Y-Yes, I think so…”

Beforehand, Naoko had warned her that getting her hair wet here was considered rude, so Emilia spent some time tying it up in such a way that still hid her ears. It took some trial and error, but she managed to pack the majority of her hair into a ponytail such that the sides of her head, including her pointed ears were still covered by a layer of silver.

“So, Emilia-chan…What do you do at home in America?”

Unprepared for a line of questioning on her ‘real’ self, especially considering her brain was really only half working at this moment, Emilia stammers on her words, digging through her memories for something she could twist into being appropriate in this world…She spent a lot of time reading in the mansion…She learnt so much this past year…Subaru went to school this morning…

“O-Oh, I um…I’m studying.”

Naoko’s eyes seem to light up at that statement, while Emilia felt her own eyes struggle to stay open from the overwhelming comfort embracing her entire body. “Oooh, really? What do you study?”

How to talk to official delegates. The history of Lugunican royals. How to defeat my rivals in the Royal Selection. How to be King of a nation. Naoko’s otherwise airy and soft voice almost feels like the most intense interrogation Emilia had experienced ever since…Maybe talking with those Royal Selection delegates.

“I study…Um…Politics.”

“Really!?” Naoko seems positively shocked by the revelation, “That’s quite a coincidence…So did I, for a while at least.”

Her interest piqued, Emilia finds the energy to open her eyes again to meet Naoko’s, though she finds herself getting lost in the light fog of steam filling the air due to her half-asleep state.

“For a while? Does that mean you stopped?”

Naoko’s eyes trail off somewhat as she seems lost in thought for a few moments…Though, part of Emilia wanted to believe the older woman was experiencing the same lethargy she was.

“Mm,” she hums, “I dropped out partway through my studies.”

While Emilia had never heard the phrase ‘dropped out’ before, she could at least infer it referred to ceasing studies. “Did you not like it, Naoko-san?”

Naoko shakes her head, a faint, wistful smile on her face. “No…Not exactly. I think I very much enjoyed it. I learned so many things, and…Hmm.”

She pauses for a moment, searching for the words. “…I think it very much helped to shape my view of the world. I’ve…Never been a very ‘bright’ person, I don’t think,” she giggles at her own self-deprecation, “I think a lot of people would say I’m very slow and dim-witted…”

Emilia feels the urge to interject and deliver a positive appraisal, like how kind-hearted she is, how comfortable Emilia feels around her…She didn’t like hearing people speak ill of themselves, like how Subaru did last night. She could, however, tell that the woman had more she wanted to say, so she opts to stay her tongue.

“Maybe they’d be right,” Naoko chuckles to herself again, “I’m always the last one to get a joke, and I don’t always pay attention to important details…But, I like to believe I try to do what I believe is the right thing.”

Emilia nods intently as she finds some focus in amongst her sleepy brain.

“Going into politics…Just made sense to me, at the time. I thought maybe if I were educated enough, I could try and make positive changes in the world, make peoples’ lives better…Save the world with a smile.”

She smirks at the silliness of the statement. Emilia’s heart skips a beat at the familiarity she finds in the sentiment.

Naoko holds her chin in thought for a moment, before continuing. “As I’m sure you can attest, Emilia-chan, when you study politics, you learn about a lot of bad things that bad people have done. You see that…Maybe some people in this world don’t do things because they’re the right thing to do. And maybe…In order to do the right thing, you have to do some things you would usually think are bad.”

Emilia nods, considering Naoko’s words carefully as she feels a new understanding and feeling of relating to someone hit her.

She herself had come to the unpleasant realisation that she would be expected to do things that went against her moral code in order to succeed in the Royal Selection. Any advantage she could get over her rivals, be that tarnishing their names to make them look bad to their supporters, sabotaging their efforts not unlike how she was with the theft of her insignia or perhaps even worse…She recalls being told numerous times throughout her studies in the mansion that these underhanded tactics may be necessary. If her enemies were willing to take such action, then she would be sure to lose to them if she did not also take those same advantages.

She did wonder if the theft of her insignia and being sent to this world had been a deliberate ploy by her rivals to undermine her position, even now.

“Maybe I’m a little naïve for not understanding some of these things. I do understand that the world is quite complicated, and so the best solution to a problem won’t always be the easiest…”

A weak smile forms again on her face as she leans back, resting her head against the edge of the bath.

“I suppose I just didn’t like the idea that, were I to keep going down that path, I might be forced to do things that I would normally think are bad things.”

This really was quite the coincidence, wasn’t it.

“Oh…”

Naoko’s eyes meet Emilia’s again as the older woman’s smile raises once again, as if amused by her own simple view of the world.

“It sounds quite childish, doesn’t it?”

Emilia promptly shakes her head in response. “N-No, I don’t think so at all, Naoko-san! I think I understand…”

Perhaps Emilia understood more than anyone else.

“I think I’ve also felt the same way…Sometimes.”

Emilia considered herself to be quite simple-minded too. She wanted to believe she could simply smile, help someone or show kindness to another, and if she did that enough, she would bring about the change in the world she believed in. When she was in the mansion, she wanted to believe that helping Rem and Ram with chores would bring them just a little bit of happiness. When visiting the village, even if it was with her concealing cloak on, she wanted to believe that by speaking with the locals, playing with the children or helping one of the elderly with a task, she would also increase the happiness in the world.

It was so much easier for her to go on believing this was how the world worked, and that, if she did enough kind acts, helped enough people, eventually after an arbitrary point, the world would be more like what she wanted it to be. The total amount of happiness in the world would, eventually, be increased to a point she could be satisfied with if she just kept doing things she thought were ‘right’.

That was why she was fighting to be King after all, so she could deliver this kindness on the wide scale she needed. It was simply the most logical course of action in her mind: With the resources and influence being the ruler of the nation would bring, she would be able to do even more kind things for more people more quickly, bringing about the positive change she wanted in the world more efficiently.

But, more and more as she studied at the mansion, as she saw the differences in ideology her rivals had and as Roswaal advised her, doubts developed in her mind if that was how the world really worked. A horrible anxiety would form in her mind: If by some miracle she beat the odds and became King; her, a silver haired half-elf from the middle of nowhere, and she attempted to enact her kindness on the world…Would it even work? Would she be forced to do bad things in order to maintain her position as ruler? Would the people even accept the things she wanted to do for them?

And, most importantly…How much of herself and her principles would she have to give up to even be in that position in the first place?

Naoko seems to consider something for a moment, before giving Emilia an encouraging smile.

“Well, Emilia-chan…I’m going to tell you what I told myself all those years ago.”

“Huh?”

“There are other ways we can bring happiness into the world.”

Naoko sits up straight again, leaning over slightly to emphasize her point.

“We don’t have to be the biggest, most important, most powerful people in order to do the right thing, to make the world a better place,”

Emilia spurs herself into an alert state as she recognizes the significance of Naoko’s words.

“I like to believe that’s all everyone is trying to do, at the end of the day. We all just want to make the world a better place…And we all have our own styles for accomplishing that.”

“Naoko-san…”

Emilia mutters the woman’s name as she listens.

“For me, going into politics wouldn’t have worked for the kind of person I am…I think it would have ruined what I love the most about the world if I stuck to it.”

“What you love most about the world…”

It was as if this woman could read minds with how in-sync the two were. 

“I like…Small acts of kindness, I think,” Naoko continues, “I like making breakfast for others in the morning, I like bringing treats back from the convenience store, I like giving hugs and…”

She smiles again, “I love my family. Through Subaru and Kenichi, I love this world.”

“Oh…”

“So find what it is you love most, Emilia-chan. Let it wash over you like this onsen, let it drive you and let it become who you are…Because I think, in order to bring more love into this world, first we must love the world. And…”

She hums in contemplation.

“Maybe we don’t need to change the world, even if we think it would be for the better. Maybe…We just need to leave the world alone, and let others make the decisions they want to make.”

“I’m not sure I understand…”

Naoko pauses for a second, considering her words carefully.

“Even if I believe with all my heart that something is right, that doesn’t mean it will be the right thing for everyone. Something might seem nice in my head, but if put in to practice across all of Japan, it could potentially make some peoples’ lives worse. If I try to force everyone to treat each other equally, then I’ve taken away peoples’ freedom to believe in what they think is right. Not only that, but what I believe qualifies as ‘equality’ might be different to what someone else does. And even if I disagree with their opinion, it’s still their right to believe in that opinion, as an example.”

She pauses for a moment before continuing, “So…Maybe we aren’t supposed to change the world. Maybe we’re supposed to respect the wills of others, and let them make the choices they think are right.”

Even in her bliss-addled brain just barely keeping itself awake, Emilia feels a profound realisation from Naoko’s words…Something she would have to think on when she was a little more cognitively alert.

“…Thank you, Naoko-san. I think you’re right…”

Could things really be that simple? Could simple acts of kindness on such a small scale really be enough to bring about the positive change she wanted?

Well…

Emilia couldn’t deny that the Natsuki family’s kindness had been having a colossal impact on her own happiness. What if she hadn’t met Subaru on that lonely, frantic evening? Where would she be? What if the family wasn’t as kind-hearted and selfless as they were? What kind of position would Emilia be in, right now if it weren’t for that?

Even if they were on a small scale, Natsuki Subaru, Naoko and Kenichi’s act of kindness had saved her that evening, it changed her circumstances immensely in a positive way and had been gradually making her happier day by day. She absolutely had no intention of dismissing these acts of kindness as being ‘not enough’ or ‘too small’ because for all intents and purposes,

They had saved her life.

“Finding what I love most about the world…”

Emilia murmurs it to herself.

So did she really need to be King in order to do the right thing? To bring the kindness she wanted to the world? Or could she find her own way of doing the right thing?

Maybe all she wanted was to be a part of those villagers in Arlam’s lives. The joy in her heart she felt when she made the children smile, when listening to one of the elderly’s stories or helping one of the workers with a menial task was enough to make her day – her week, even. 

If she could find a way to perform these acts of kindness regularly…Maybe something like that could be enough, maybe that would be okay. And maybe she didn’t need to change the world. As Naoko said, maybe what the world needed wasn’t huge scale changes, as much as she believed they would be the right things…

Maybe all the world really needed was just more small acts of kindness.

But then…

If she were to abandon the greater purpose in her reasoning of fighting for the throne – that being to spread her ideals, if she were to accept that kindness on a small scale was what she truly believed was right, then all that would leave her with…Was her selfish reasoning.

Could she really justify her campaign to become King just based on her selfish desire to unfreeze the people of the Elior forest? A position that should be filled by someone with a desire to improve the world according to their ideals, and Emilia would just use it for the sake of a small, self-centred goal? And if she were to accept this as being immoral in itself, wouldn’t that mean the year she spent studying and preparing was just…Wasted?

…Emilia wasn’t sure she was able to confront that dilemma, yet.

The two go quiet, allowing the intense, blissful warmth of the onsen to embrace them. Truth be told, as wonderful as this was at first, Emilia was finding herself growing fatigued…She found herself in an awkward middle-ground: The waters were pleasant beyond belief so she didn’t want to leave, yet she felt she might pass out from her body beginning to overheat.

As if reading her mind again, Naoko speaks up. “Emilia-chan…I’m sorry if I’m making too much of an assumption, but you seem very groggy.”

“O-Oh,” The half-elf mutters, barely audible as she beckons herself awake from her half-asleep state, “Y-Yes, I think a little bit…”

That was putting it mildly. She had half a mind to fall asleep at any moment, and by now, the once pleasing heat of the water was making her dizzy as her temperature began to overheat.

“Well, there’s only one solution for it then!” Naoko promptly stands up, a thousand water droplets falling from her and splashing into the bath, “We need to equalize your temperature back to normal and wake you up again.”

By how she described it, Emilia wonders if Naoko is about to explain a form of magic everyone had been keeping secret from her all this time.

“The cold bath!”

Emilia’s eyes widen in horror.

“A…Cold bath?”

Emilia wanted her magical affinity for cold more than ever, in this moment.

“Glug…Glug…Glug…Pwah~!”

Emilia feels life returning to her body as she guzzles down the chilly glass of water, its refreshing coolness reaching her chest and leaving her with a pleasantly icy feeling coursing through her.

“Goodness,” Naoko seems to have a similar reaction to her own beverage, “We really were in there for a long time, weren’t we? You don’t realise just how dehydrated you can get when sitting in an onsen for so long…”

Emilia looks around the small café the two have retreated into. It’s just next door to the onsen, and about a 20 minute walk from the Natsuki household according to Naoko. She sees several other customers sat at other tables across from her, chatting amongst themselves in between bites of their meals, some of which Emilia didn’t have the words for. On one person’s plate, she spots a…Round…Bread thing with a hole in the middle, covered in sugar. Another takes a bite out of a sandwich, while another cuts a flat bread thing covered in whipped cream in half.

Emilia takes a deep breath, feeling rejuvenated from her body once again starting to be properly hydrated. “You’re right, Naoko-san…I’m sorry I made us sit there for so long.”

“You will absolutely not apologise, Emilia-chan!” Naoko playfully scolds her in a way only a mother could, a smile on her face that made it clear to Emilia she was joking, “If there’s one thing I’m eager for, it’s an excuse to spend as much time in the onsen as I possibly can, after all.”

“Well…It was really nice…”

Reluctantly, Emilia defers to Naoko’s generosity, a smile on her face.

Admittedly though, the two did spend a very long time in there. After chattering her teeth together for a minute in the cold bath, Emilia felt herself sufficiently ‘equalized’ to return to the hot bath once again. The cycle repeated several times before, finally, Emilia started to feel an unpleasant headache coming on, which in hindsight, was probably due to dehydration. 

It was certainly strange to have such an excess of free time to sit around and do nothing in a hot bath; even in the mansion and its bathhouse, Emilia’s priority was more often than not placed on washing herself and getting out to move onto whatever tasks she had planned for that day. Whether it was studying, helping the maids around the mansion or with a supply run to the village, magic practice with Puck, a strategy meeting with Roswaal or, rarely a meeting with a delegate from the capital, Emilia felt she scarcely had much time in her days to just…Relax.

Arguably since she had arrived in this world, she hadn’t really been doing anything important in general. Part of it made her anxious; she did feel something of a compulsion to try and make herself useful in anyway she could, but on the other hand it was just…

Nice.

She had spent the past few days doing nothing of any real importance, contributing nothing of any real value, and yet nobody was scolding her or trying to make her feel like she was useless. Subaru, Kenichi and Naoko did truly just seem grateful for her company, as if by simply existing and being in their presence, she enriched their lives…Somehow. 

She still didn’t entirely understand what it was the Natsuki family saw in her that she was allowed to make herself such a burden, but she couldn’t deny that she enjoyed it. Whatever ‘it’ was.

“Welcome,” A young man dressed in fairly formal attire approaches the two’s table, holding two sheets of paper which he sets in front of the two girls, “Here is our menu. Please take your time.”

He politely bows, his demeanour very reminiscent of the twin maids’ own manners, before taking his leave. Naoko smiles at him throughout, with Emilia holding something of a doe-eyed stare as the experience is almost eerily reminiscent of her interactions with the twin maids, even down to the uniform the member of staff was wearing.

“Oooh…I’ve been looking forward to this all day!” Naoko eagerly leans over to scan what Emilia now realises is a menu, “What would you like?”

Oh. That’s right.

As Emilia’s eyes follow the text on her own paper menu, she quickly remembers.

She still can’t read anything in this world.

It probably wouldn’t be so bad if her illiteracy was revealed to others besides Subaru, so she does consider outright telling Naoko. But, on the other hand, she does foresee it leading to potentially other questions that she wouldn’t have good answers for, such as ‘how can you be so fluent when speaking yet at the same time be unable to read?’ not to mention that Emilia did feel a certain amount of personal shame from it.

“Oh…Er…Hmm,” She holds her chin, pretending to analyse the nonsensical symbols on the paper as though she understands them, “I’m not sure…What do you think you would like, Naoko-san?”

“Well that’s hardly fair is it, Emilia-chan? Didn’t I ask you first?”

Emilia musters an awkward chuckle, looking to Naoko once again for advice. The older woman pouts playfully before, after a few moments, accepting defeat.

“Well…Alright, I’ll let you off this time. Hmm…” Naoko once again looks at her own menu for a moment, before apparently reaching her conclusion. “I think I’d like…The pancakes, and…An americano.”

Emilia couldn’t say for the life of her what either of those things were, but she feigns understand and nods all the same. “Er…Y-Yes, I think those look nice too,” she pretends to read the menu again, “I think I’d like to get the same thing, if it’s okay.”

“Great!”, Having decided what they wanted to eat, Naoko raises her hand to beckon the member of staff over again. He smiles before making his way over, clasping his hands over his waist formally. 

“How can I help?”

“Hello!” Naoko leads the interaction, Emilia taking on the role of ‘awkward smiler and nodder’, “I would like the pancakes and an americano, and…My friend would like to have the same, please!”

Huh.

There it was again, that word.

Friend.

It wasn’t so out of the question to say that Emilia and Naoko were friends at this point, the half-elf very much understood that the two were taking part in similar friend-like activities like that she and Subaru had been, but…Hearing it so casually said still takes her aback a bit. Considering how monumental an occasion it felt when Emilia made the realisation Subaru was her friend, she is surprised to find the word being used just like that.

In any case, she finds it to be a pleasant realisation.

The member of staff nods his head before taking his leave. 

“Emilia-chan, do you have any hobbies?”

“Huh?”

Having been lost in thought, Naoko’s question takes a moment to register.

“I think you mentioned you met Subaru through one of his online games, so I was just wondering if there was anything else you do for fun.”

“Oh, ah…Um…Hm.”

Emilia kind of draws a blank on this one.

She did a lot of reading in her world, but that was mostly in study to prep for the Royal Selection. She practiced magic daily, but this was more out of necessity as a tool for defending herself with rather than out of any passion for magic itself. She liked to spend time with the villagers of Arlam, but so rarely had the opportunity to that she couldn’t really call it a hobby. She would chat with Puck in the afternoon after her chores were done for the day, but she wasn’t sure she could really call that a hobby in the first place. If she felt lonely and Puck wasn’t around, she would converse with any lesser spirits who might’ve been around.

And regardless, she was already well aware none of these things were applicable in her new environment, so…

What did Emilia do for fun?

“Umm…Y-Yes, so…I think I just like the same things Subaru likes.”

A terribly awkward method of phrasing it beyond a shadow of a doubt, but after a moment, Naoko seems to accept it in a way, giggling at Emilia’s awkwardness.

“Hehe…I think I understand, Emilia-chan. Subaru is shy to talk about the things he likes with me, too. Hmm…”

Naoko rests her chin on her hand, her elbow on the table supporting her as she seems to analyse Emilia’s features.

“You obviously must be passionate about your hair enough to dye it silver and style it so intricately…And you have your pretty costume you were wearing the other night…And you’re still wearing your gorgeous contact lenses…”

Emilia gulps, bringing her hand to the side of her head to make sure her ears are still covered which she attempts to play off as a nervous tick.

“Aha! I think I’ve got it. You love to cosplay, don’t you?”

“…Ah?”

There was that word again, ‘cosplay’. Emilia hadn’t heard it for a few days now, Subaru having initially assumed she was a ‘cosplay’ during their first meeting.

“I’m not really in the loop on a lot of modern games and anime like Subaru is, but you must like to cosplay a character from one of the shows he likes, right?”

“Ah…Uhmm-“

Still uncomfortable with lying, Emilia tells herself that she’ll apologise next week when it comes time to reveal the truth.

“Y-Yes, I do. Ahahah…”

Having no frame of reference whatsoever to what she’s admitting to, Emilia simply chuckles at herself.

“Mhm, mhm…” Naoko, seemingly pleased with herself, continues her train of logic verbally, “In that case, you must like to watch a lot of anime in addition to the games Subaru plays, right?”

“Ah…Y-Yes, I do!” Emilia remembers that she actually does know what these words mean now thanks to Subaru’s short lesson last night, so she finds herself eager to comment, “Yes, uhm…I really like to watch anime on the television, like the one you have at home, Naoko-san!”

Again, awkwardly phrased, but Naoko seems to find that, and Emilia’s tendency to stiffen her back as though she were standing at attention when responding to queries, increasingly endearing as she stifles a laugh. “Hehe…Never underestimate a mother’s intuition, Emilia-chan.”

The word ‘mother’ brings that flash to Emilia’s mind again. One she had spotted at least once before these past few days.

Of a woman who looks much like her; the same amethyst eyes, the same silver hair (al be it shorter) and the same pointed ears. The image dances on the fringes of Emilia’s mind much like the flashes always do, but this one lingers for a moment. Emilia could focus on it, she could examine it from all angles, she could process it and consider it.

Who is this woman?

She obviously must hold some relation to Emilia by how similar she appears. And the name she absent-mindedly uttered before…

Fortuna.

Mother Fortuna.

It can’t be a coincidence a word as specific as ‘mother’ brought this image to the forefront, Yet Emilia felt…Nothing. This image does not register as being a memory of hers, nor does it prompt an emotional response. It was as if she were looking at a complete stranger, despite how obvious it appeared the person in this image wasn’t a stranger at all. In fact, Emilia felt more of a maternal bond between herself and Naoko right now, if anything.

Before the distant memory can be lost again, Emilia ‘catches’ it. She stuffs it into a proverbial box in her mind so that it can’t escape her again, such that she can examine it further later.

“…Emilia-chan?”

The half-elf must’ve been holding something of a doe-eyed stare that whole time, as she shakes her head back to reality again.

“Oh, ah…Sorry. I think I’m still feeling a little bit groggy from the onsen…”

Naoko’s brow furrows in concern as she looks at Emilia for a moment, before apparently accepting her reasoning. “I’ll ask for some more water when the staff member comes back, it’s important to stay hydrated!”

“You’re right, Naoko-san...You’re a very good mother.” Taking that que, Emilia brings her glass to her lips again to finish her drink, the refreshing sensation reminding her that she was indeed still very much thirsty. 

Emilia hadn’t even really intended to compliment the older woman like that, it just sort of…Came out. Every action Naoko took seemed to be out of concern for others, or serving the purpose of making those around her smile, it only felt right to Emilia to show she was acknowledging the unconditional kindness that seemed to flow from this woman. It seems to take Naoko aback for a moment as she considers the compliment, a faint blush on her cheeks.

“You think so? Hm…”

“I’m sorry if it’s getting annoying but I really am so grateful you all have been doing so much for me, Naoko-san. Even now I can’t promise you that I’ll be able to pay you back for the food we’re going to have here…”

Emilia quite literally couldn’t make that promise. If all were to go to plan, when she finds her way back to her own world, she would likely never meet the Natsuki family ever again. All the debts she had racked up these past few days would likely remain unpaid forever. And as much as Subaru had been pushing to join her, and as much as Emilia relented in the face of that push, she secretly hoped something would come up that prevented him from doing so. 

As hypocritical as it was to selfishly work towards her own goals and yet deny another the opportunity to the same, and as much as Emilia selfishly wanted a trustworthy friend like Subaru by her side, she couldn’t in good conscience rip him away from his life here.

“Emilia-chan,” Naoko scoffs at the notion of repayment entirely, “I’m not doing things for you because I want you to do something for me…I’m doing things for you because I want to do something for you.”

That unrelenting selflessness again confuses and humbles Emilia. The concept of altruism like that still confused her. Everything in her life up until coming to this world was transactional; The twin maids served her and did chores on her behalf because they were paid to do so. Roswaal supported her in the Royal Selection because he stood to gain from her success as well. She even looks back on her relationship with Puck being that of cynical mutual benefit: They both received emotional comfort from each other’s presence and they both protected each other from danger in roughly equal amounts, after all.

The transactions between her and the Natsuki family seemed almost entirely in her benefit. She received everything she asked for from them which benefited her immensely, while they received practically nothing in return. Emilia could at least understand the concept that their lives could be enriched by her mere existence, but it still didn’t really make logical sense considering that, for all intents and purposes, even Subaru barely knew who she was as a person.

She recognized that she did aspire to show altruism to others herself, so it was hypocritical of her to refuse altruism being shown to her, so…Maybe she just needed to get used to it?

“…Thank you, Naoko-san.”

Naoko nods her head, a smile on her face to indicate she’ll at least accept simple gratitude.

Perhaps eventually Emilia would come to accept the Natsuki family’s kindness whole-heartedly, without a layer of self-loathing and insecurity keeping her from truly enjoying it to its fullest.

“Oooh, I think this might be ours.” Naoko motions to point out the member of staff returning, a tray with two plates and glasses atop it. From here, Emilia could at least recognize the drinks as resembling that coffee beverage she had couple of times now, but the food, the ‘pancakes’ she didn’t know what to expect. It looked the same as one of the meals another patron of the café had been having earlier, so that at least confirmed it was edible…

“Please enjoy. I’ll bring your water refills shortly.”

Setting the plates down in front of the girls and taking the empty water glasses, the member of staff takes his leave as quickly as he arrived again.

“Well then…Thank you for the meal!” Naoko remarks as she takes her knife and fork and begins working away at her ‘pancakes’. She cuts a piece off before taking a bite, holding her cheek and humming in a pleased way at the flavour.

Well…It’s definitely edible, and Emilia had no reason not to trust Naoko…

She cuts a piece off, covered in whipped cream. She takes a bite and-

Emilia’s eyes widen.

Oh, wow.

It’s delicious.

“I’m hoooome.”

Subaru groans in exhaustion as he walks through the door to the Natsuki household, slipping off his shoes at the genkan and entering the main room of the house.

“Welcome home!” Naoko turns around in her seat to get a look at her son, a warm smile on her face, “How was school?”

“It was…School.” Subaru says bluntly, half paying attention as he rubs his eyes, “Where’s Emilia?”

“She’s right here-!” Naoko motions to the silver haired girl sat in another chair placed around the TV, an awkward smile on her own face as she waves her hand in greeting.

Even though it had been explained to her, actually watching the ‘TV’ was still strange. Emilia couldn’t quite get past her initial assumption that there were people trapped inside this little box who had no idea people were watching them, so she had been hesitating to actually hold her gaze on it since sitting down with Naoko. Especially since, somehow, the man inside the TV seemed to be making predictions about the weather! If magic didn’t exist in this world, then how…?

“Ah-!” As if a switch turns on in his head, a burst of energy seems to hit Subaru, “Sorry, Emilia-tan, I guess I’m so tired from school I didn’t see you there…!”

Suddenly so animated, he hurries to the kitchen, beckoning to the girls in the other room, nary leaving Emilia a chance to even say hello as the sound of drawers and cupboards being frantically opened and shut can be heard. “Do you guys want some coffee? I could get started on dinner although…Probably need help since I still can’t cook…Say, mom, where do we keep the coffee filters, again?” He peaks his head out from behind the wall separating the living room and kitchen, holding a plastic bag full of goods, “I brought stuff back from the convenience store, by the way!”

“Oh…Just come and sit down with us, Subaru!”

Naoko and Emilia share a short laugh at Subaru’s expense as he approaches the chairs all set out around the TV, an eager grin on his face.

“Fine, fine…So uh…Did you guys have a good day?”

Making small talk like that didn’t seem to come naturally to Subaru, as he hesitates between words. He takes a seat, setting the bag full of ‘stuff’ on the coffee table. Naoko and Emilia share another look, before Naoko nods.

“We had a lovely day at the onsen and café, didn’t we, Emilia-chan?”

Taking that as her que to finally chime in, Emilia nods as she hums in agreement. “Mhm! It was really, really nice…”

“Emilia-tan went to the o-onsen, huh…” A faint blush seems to form on Subaru’s cheeks.

“Nope!” Naoko suddenly interjects at Subaru’s mumbling, “I am officially making a rule that those thoughts aren’t allowed in this house, Subaru.”

Subaru raises his fist in protest. “I wasn’t thinking that at all! For your information, I was thinking about how it’s been a long time since I’ve been to the onsen! And even if I was thinking that, how would you enforce a rule against thoughts in the first place!?”

Emilia tilts her head, having no frame of reference for…Whatever this was about.

“Aha! So you’ve had enough guilty thoughts that you’ve deliberated on the logistics of getting around my thought-rules…”

“You’ve never made any thought rules before this point so that’s absolutely not the case, also don’t change the subject!”

“I think it’s all related though, Subaru…You haven’t been to the café in a long time either, yet your mind leaped onto the onsen…”

“Th-That’s only because you mentioned the onsen first, so it’s the piece of information I received first and thus had the most time to spend thinking about!”

“Hmph! We’ll see how that holds up in thought-court.”

“Er…But! But…I brought ice-cream and potato chips! Truce?”

“Aha! Bribery! The surest sign of a guilty party!”

Suddenly, Emilia feels a grin form on her lips. Something clicks in her brain, and…

She bursts into hysterical, high-pitched laughter.

“Ahahahahaha! I’m sorry, I’m sorry- Hahahahaha! It’s just…It’s just…”

Whatever this was, whatever this non-serious argument happening before her was about, it was…Absolutely hilarious. She holds her stomach as tears of pure joy form around her eyes.

Subaru and Naoko watch her giggle to herself, smiles on their own faces as they break into their own laughter.

Why was Emilia laughing so much? The jovial nature of sitting in the living room, watching a silly non-argument between two family members very obviously playing a mind game of sorts (the exact nature of which she still couldn’t find the meaning of) with each other was part of it, that much she could recognize.

But Emilia realises something in addition to that as she begins to calm down. Something that brings her great joy she couldn’t entirely put into words.

Sitting here like this, doing nothing in particular and having no expectations placed on her to do otherwise…Or indeed, being sat in a café eating delicious pancakes, or resting in a heavenly bath for almost two hours…

Emilia realises why she likes it.

It was a new form of freedom, in a way.

The freedom to…Simply exist.

She was allowed to exist, and that was okay.

Chapter Text

“Hmm…Mm.”

Emilia hums to herself as morning light spills through the blinds, spurring her from her sleep as it finds her closed eyes. Her eyelids flutter for a moment, her face contorting slightly as her conscious mind kicks itself into gear.

“I’m still here…”

Those flashes seemed to be worming their way into her unconscious thoughts, now. Without her waking thoughts getting in the way of them, they almost organised themselves into a series of coherent memories that Emilia could now vaguely recollect as the dream she had last night.

“The snow, ‘Fortuna’, myself and…’”

Her brow furrows.

“…An evil woman.”

She could only vaguely recollect the woman’s features, not unlike a person whose vision is impaired might view things without their glasses. It’s blurry, out of focus, undefined, only able to recall the silver colour of her hair, and the white garment she wore.

Somehow in this barely defined image, Emilia could still sense the evil in whoever this person was.

“…Why am I seeing these things? Did something happen when I was transported here? And I just don’t remember it…?”

Perhaps these visions might hold a clue for why she was sent here, then. But…Emilia still had absolutely no frame of reference on where to start deciphering the correlation, here. To begin with, she still wasn’t even entirely sure if these were her memories at all. While ‘Fortuna’ resembled her in many ways, enough that it might be a stretch to call it a coincidence, Emilia still felt no attachment to her and no attachment to the memories themselves. It was as if they had been placed in her head by someone else, rather than her actually experiencing them for herself.

Not only that, but was it really so much of a stretch to say this 'Fortuna's' resemblance to her was a mere coincidence? Emilia had of course, frequently been compared, or even outright mistaken for the Witch of Envy, Satella, and she was confident without a shadow of a doubt she had no relation to her.

So, if she were to assume these memories were not her own, and instead someone else’s that had been placed in her head, the question becomes…Why?

“Maybe somehow, these flashes could explain why I’m here…If I could only make sense of them.”

She looks around Subaru’s room again. While it was smaller than what she was used to in the mansion, that only served to make it feel that much more comfortable to her. While many of his belongings’ exact purpose was still a mystery to her, the fact that Subaru had packed his room full of things he liked, like those little figures, his ‘computer’, ‘video games’ and countless other nick knacks, served to make the room feel so…Homey. A real human called this room his own, and Emilia could find proof of that in what he chose to fill it with.

By comparison, Emilia had little to no belongings to call her own in the mansion, leaving her room comparatively barren. Everything she had were also provided to her by the twin maids and Roswaal, and usually those items were to be used for purposes relating to the Royal Selection. Textbooks on history and politics, magic manuals, her insignia, even her clothes weren’t by her own choice and were instead picked for her to give her the appearance of a noble, ‘proper’ Royal Selection candidate.

Perhaps in this way, Emilia was only serving the purpose of a tool to be used for furthering a goal. She never had the opportunity to become a real person.

“…Does Puck have something to do with these flashes?”

It couldn’t have been a coincidence that these flashes started not long after her connection to Puck was severed. And yet…

“…Somehow, I still feel…An echo of him.”

Maybe severed was the wrong word. Hampered? Still, it spoke to the strength of their connection that even across worlds, Emilia still felt a remnant of her contract with the Great Spirit. Nonetheless, it was a weak link, and Emilia had been feeling it grow more and more distant with each passing day, with the flashes growing more and more frequent and vivid at the same time.

“…What will happen when I can’t feel Puck’s presence at all?”

She scrunches her lip in discomfort, preferring not to think further on that eventuality. After a few more minutes of laying down, Emilia finds the energy to drag herself out of bed, dress herself and make for the Natsuki residence’s main room, where she, though subconsciously, expected to receive a welcome to her next day in Japan from Natsuki Naoko.

“Good morning, Emilia-san!”

“O-Oh, good morning, Kenichi-san.”

Seeing Subaru’s father still home comes as something of a surprise to her, as he’d usually have gone to work by this time. Emilia rubs her eyes as she processes it, opening them again to smile at Kenichi to find him rummaging through a box of tools – wrenches, hammers, nails and so on – sat on the chair in front of the TV.

“I’ll apologise about the noise in advance, Emilia-san. I’m just going to be doing some work around the house…Need to replace a couple of roof shingles first of all.”

Emilia sleepily nods her head, having still not quite woken up as can be heard in her airy voice. “Oh…I see…Is it a lot of work?”

“I guess it’s enough work that I had to take the day off to have enough time to do it all. I can’t really ask Naoko to do it, and Subaru is off to school already…”

Leaving Kenichi to work while Emilia lazes around the house didn’t sit right with her in this moment. The Natsuki family were putting all their effort into being productive every day, so…

“Umm, Kenichi-san-“

Subaru’s father looks up from his toolbox, waiting for Emilia to continue with a small smile on his face.

“I don’t really have any experience in this sort of work, but even so…I’d like to help you if I can.”

Emilia was tired of feeling like a leech all the time. Now was her moment to feel like she was contributing to the Natsuki family, however small a contribution it might be.

“I appreciate the offer, Emilia-san, but…I mean, I can’t ask you to waste your day helping an old man with some chores. You’re on holiday, right? You should go out for the day and see the city! After all, you travelled so far to get here, right?”

Setting aside the fact that Emilia had no idea what activities there would even be to do in the city, how she would get back to the Natsuki home, or if there would even be anything she could do to begin with considering she had no money to her name to speak of, she knows she would prefer to at least try and pay back her increasing debt she felt she owed the family.

“I’d really really like to help if I can,” She shakes her head, “You’ve all done so much for me over the past few days, so I would never forgive myself if I didn’t try to make it up to you.”

“Awfully dramatic, huh?” Kenichi chuckles to himself under his breath, then pauses for a few seconds. “Alright, looks like I can’t convince you otherwise…But Subaru would never forgive me if you got a splinter or scraped yourself, so I’m only gonna let you do some smaller tasks, like passing me the tools as I need them or moving the ladder around, alright?”

Satisfied with the compromise, Emilia nods her head. “Okay. Thank you, Kenichi-san.”

“Hey, I should be thanking you, kiddo.” A sly smirk finds its place on Kenichi’s face, though Emilia couldn’t say why.

As the two make their way to the front door, just before the genkan, Emilia speaks up again.

“Kenichi-san…What did you mean ‘Subaru would never forgive you’?”

Her question elicits another chuckle from him.

“Hah. Don’t worry about it.”

*Tap, tap, tap, tap!*

The gentle hammering of a nail sends a slight vibration through the roof which Emilia could barely feel. Normally, that would be negligible, but with how precarious she felt sitting atop the Natsuki household’s roof, even the most minor of vibration practically felt like a small tremor that threatened to send her tumbling to the ground. The house was just a one storey abode, so worst case scenario Emilia would just probably just land with a few more bruises and scrapes to her name. Nonetheless, she makes sure to at least keep a hand gripping the roof for her own sense of safety.

“Alright, that’s one almost done…Emilia-san, could you pass me the adhesive gun?”

“…O-Oh, right, yes!”

Having been so focused on ensuring she didn’t tumble over and fall, Emilia forgot for a moment what she was even doing up here. She reaches into the toolbox, finding the device Kenichi described to her as the ‘adhesive gun’. She pauses for a moment before handing it to him, doubting if she’s even retrieved the right tool.

“…It’s this one, right?”

Taking Kenichi’s head nod as a cue, Emilia carefully passes the tool to him. He slightly lifts the roof tile he just hammered down before applying some adhesive below it, then lowering the tile into place again where it sticks to the roof.

Emilia looks across the Natsuki home’s roof, seeing that there were several other damaged tiles to go with this process.

“I’ve been putting this off for a few months now, to be honest,” Kenichi chuckles to himself in self-deprecation, “The normal wear and tear of time I think I can justify procrastinating on, but we had a pretty bad earthquake a few weeks back, which I guess was a wake-up call for me to make some time for these repairs.”

Emilia tilts her head slightly. “Earthquake?”

Kenichi passes the adhesive tool back to her to secure inside the toolbox as he carefully shuffles himself to the next roof tile to replace. Emilia follows in suite, carefully sliding the toolbox with her and ensuring it didn’t suddenly start to slide off the slightly tilted roof.

“I’ve heard you guys in America can get bad earthquakes too, huh? Hope you’re keeping safe at home, kiddo.”

Emilia couldn’t say she had ever experienced an ‘earthquake’ in her own world, but the word itself was pretty self-explanatory so she was hardly confused by it. It certainly sounded like a…Scary prospect. The ground shaking? What kind of force could even cause that? As far as Emilia’s concept of the world went, it only made sense for something like that to be done by magic, which obviously wasn’t the case here.

“Emilia-san, could you pass me another tile?”

“O-Oh, right, yes.” Spurred out of her pondering, Emilia retrieves a roof tile from inside the toolbox and hands it to Kenichi. An awkward silence follows for a couple of minutes as the two slowly work their way across the roof, something that strikes Emilia as…Unusual.

Subaru and Naoko were always incredibly talkative around her, always leading a conversation and never short on things to discuss with her. By comparison, Kenichi seemed…So much more reserved. Emilia watches him quietly focus on each stage of applying the roof tile; She passes him the flat tool that he uses to ‘scrape’ out a damaged roof tile which he sets aside, before passing him a new one which he hammers into place, which he then secures using the adhesive tool she passes him. The two really become quite efficient at swapping tools back and forth as needed, which brings Emilia some amount of exhilaration from feelings of competence at actually helping another person for a change.

Still, the fact Kenichi was so quiet throughout this process strikes her as odd. She had barely seen him in her day to day since moving in with the Natsuki family, as he would usually be at work, and the few times he was at home she would often be preoccupied with something with Subaru. Nonetheless, Emilia got the impression from their first meeting when he tackled his son to the ground that he would be just as talkative as Subaru always is.

“Er…Kenichi-san,” The silence having sufficiently gotten to Emilia’s nerves, she decides to attempt to strike up a conversation, “What do you do for work?”

“Ah, come on,” He takes on a jovial tone, maintaining his focus on the task at hand, “I doubt you’re actually all that interested in the boring old job of a boring old man.”

“Huh?” Not having expected that reaction, Emilia is taken aback for a moment, “N-No, I really mean it, Kenichi-san. I feel like I’ve gotten to know Subaru and Naoko-san so well, but I barely know anything about you…”

“Hmm…Well,” Kenichi seems to consider something for a moment, before a grin takes over his face. “Coincidentally, I barely know anything about you, Emilia-san…So why don’t we make a game out of it?”

Emilia tilts her head. “Game?”

“I’ll let you ask me a question, which I have to answer honestly, and in exchange I get to ask you a question that you also have to answer honestly! Sounds fair, right?”

Maybe Subaru really is just like his father, because this idea seemed exactly like the sort of silly game he would play. Emilia felt a little bit unsure about the terms of this game, taking into account the risk it might jeopardize her ‘normal Earth girl’ routine she’s been maintaining, but…Well, at this point, to deny the terms would just seem unusual and suspicious in itself.

“Okay, I think that’s fair too, Kenichi-san.” She nods.

“Great! I’ll start by answering your question then…Though I can’t say the answer will be particularly interesting.”

Kenichi spends a few moments focusing placing and applying adhesive to the next tile, before continuing.

“I’m a salaryman. Basically, Emilia-san…Imagine the least interesting, least productive and most arbitrary use of your time, and maybe multiply that by ten. Or a hundred. Usually I’m just punching some numbers into a spreadsheet for hours on end, organising financial documents into the correct drawers or making some phone calls to clients who somehow sound even more bored than me.”

“Oh…”

Emilia couldn’t say what half of those words meant, but she could at least gather Kenichi wasn’t particularly passionate about his work.

He chuckles. “Yeah, sorry. I warned you it’d be boring.”

Shaking her hands in disagreement, Emilia quickly interjects. “Ah! No, I didn’t mean- I mean, your work must be very important for Subaru and Naoko-san, after all.”

“Hmm. Yeah, it’s true I’m the main source of income for the house, and we are pretty fortunate to be in a situation where we can get by just on that. Still…”

Emilia looks to him, waiting for Kenichi to ponder his next words.

“Been thinking about asking Subaru to apply for a place in the company once he turns eighteen. If nothing else, I know he’d make things more interesting around the office!”

They both quietly laugh amongst each other for a few moments, before Emilia offers her own input.

“I think that would be really nice, Kenichi-san! I think it’s wonderful if family and friends can work together like that.”

“You know, Emilia-san…You’re the one who gave me the idea to ask him in the first place.”

“Huh? Me?”

Kenichi firmly nods. “Yep. You’ve only been here a few days, and already we’ve been seeing some positive changes for Subaru. I mean, heck, he’s at school right now. If you’d told me last week my son would break his year-long absence streak…”

Naoko said that too. That Emilia had been having a ‘positive effect’ on Subaru, bringing out a side of him even he forgot. By the sounds of it…Maybe his parents had forgotten that side, too?

“Anyway, it’s incredible. It was kind of the shot in the arm me and Naoko needed to…”

He hesitates, before shrugging his shoulders.

“I think if things keep going like they’ve been going, Subaru might actually say yes if I invite him to work at my company, and I think I’ve got you to thank for that, Emilia-san…So, thank you.”

“Ah- No, I don’t think I’ve really done anything worthy of thanks…”

Emilia didn’t dislike receiving thanks per say, rather…The things she had been doing just felt like the natural thing to do as thanks for everything the Natsuki family did for her.

“Well, too bad kiddo, you have done something worthy of thanks, and you can’t stop me from saying thank you.” Kenichi shoots her a toothy grin reminiscent of Subaru’s own smile, giving her no opportunity to argue, “Now…I believe it’s my turn…”

The two continue the process of re-tiling the roof for a few moments, before Kenichi decides on his question.

“Now, it might be my insecurity in my own parenting skills talking, but I’m a little curious about your own dad, Emilia-san. What’s he like?”

“Oh…Hmm…”

What could Emilia say about Puck? What couldn’t she say? By the rules of the game, she wasn’t allowed to lie…But, at the end of the day, her relationship with her father figure was unlike anything that even existed in her own world, and that’s without mentioning that he was a floating, talking, magic cat, which Emilia was fairly certain didn’t exist in this world period.

“…He’s the person I trust more than anything else in the world. I’m not very good at making friends, and I’m always a little scared what people will think of me if they get to know me, but I know that no matter what I say, or what mistakes I make, my father will always be patient with me and support me through thick and thin. I think…Everything I am today, everything I believe in, everything I know and everything I want to work towards are because I believe he taught me what it means to be a good person.”

Kenichi’s breath seems to hitch in his throat for a moment before he breathes a ‘wow’ sound.

“Sounds like I’ve got him to thank as well then, huh? Your dad sounds like an incredible guy, Emilia-san.”

Kenichi seems to ponder something, something that emotionally resonates with him judging by his wistful expression. 

“Are you okay, Kenichi-san?”

The man chuckles to himself for a moment, before finding his composure.

“Ah, yeah, I’m just glad you’ve got good people looking out for you, kiddo.” He gently coughs, clearing his throat before continuing, “Now then, it’s your turn.”

Emilia forgets for a moment what the two were even doing. She finds her mind filled with thoughts of Puck. She wonders how he was doing at this moment? Was he thinking of her? As distant as she had been feeling from him since being brought to this world, Emilia knew in her heart that she did love him deeply, and she wanted to believe that, when they were reunited, their bond would be just as strong as ever.

“He must be so worried about me…But I’m sure Beatrice is keeping him company…”

“Oh yes, umm,” Emilia spends a moment thinking what next to ask Kenichi, “…What do you do outside of work?”

That question earns another chuckle from the man as he finishes working on another roof tile.

“Hah. Almost feel bad for you with how you’re wasting your questions.”

“Huh?”

“Sorry to say, but I don’t have an interesting answer for that one, either. I work out, and I used to practice some martial arts…Much to Subaru’s dismay,” He grins, “but besides that I’ve got no time for hobbies, these days…Well, sometimes I take a walk through the park near here, but it’s been harder to stay motivated for that ever since Subaru stopped coming along.”

Emilia frowns, both out of disappointment but also sympathy. Kenichi really was such a busy person, then…Emilia had gathered that enough just by the fact he spent so much time at work, but hearing confirmation of it stung a little bit.

Emilia had been sitting up here for so long, she was actually starting to grow a little accustomed to semi-precariously being at risk of falling from a height of ten feet. She hands Kenichi the next roof tile, before he asks his own next question.

“I hope this isn’t an offensive question, and I’m certainly not complaining or anything, Emilia-san, but I’ve been wondering…Just how do you speak Japanese so fluently? I get to meet some people from overseas through my work here and there, but we always end up having to use English…Which, in my case, I’m woefully underprepared for.” He chuckles at himself, “Anyway, it’s just strange, in a good way I mean, that you speak the language so well.”

Oh, this one was difficult.

For one thing, despite her new identity detailing her as being from ‘overseas’, Emilia had no understanding whatsoever of this ‘English.’ She had deduced it was another language of this world, and that perhaps some of the strange terminology she had been learning may have originated from it as an explanation.

“Oh, er,” She hesitates, considering carefully how best to respond truthfully without saying anything compromising, “I’m not sure…I learned to speak at home, and my father and some other people I lived with helped me a whole bunch…”

“Some other people meaning…Your family?”

“Er…”

Realising what an odd phrasing that was, Emilia wonders.

Obviously, she could just lie and say ‘yes’, but that didn’t sit right with her, especially considering the rules of this game she was playing.

Did she consider the denizens of the Roswaal mansion a family? In some ways, they could’ve been considered a ‘family’ in their own right that she was in the process of integrating into. Each member filled a certain role – The twin maids saw to the daily chores of the household, Roswaal was the head of the household and held the responsibility of decision-making, and Emilia…

Well, Emilia didn’t do much of anything or hold any particular responsibilities beyond her studies, so perhaps that made her the ‘child’ of the dynamic? She knew children would go to school to prepare them for taking up important responsibilities, so that must’ve been the role she had taken up.

She doesn’t like looking at it that way, but…It was at least logical.

“Y-Yes, my family, I mean.”

Kenichi holds his chin as he speaks, “I see, I see…Does that mean your family can speak some Japanese, too?”

Emilia could most certainly communicate with Ram, Rem, Roswaal and Puck, suggesting that they all spoke the same tongue…Which, with that logic, would mean they would have just as much competence in communicating with people from Japan as she was right now. In a way then, everyone she knew in her own world spoke Japanese too. With this, al be it twisted logic, Emilia decides her response is sufficiently ‘not a lie’ by her own standards.

“Yes, that’s right, they helped me learn.” She nods.

When she arrived at the mansion, her vocabulary left much to be desired. When she was found by Puck, her communication was quite simple, and she often didn’t have the words to describe what she wanted to convey. While he taught her as best he could over their seven years in the Elior forest together, by the time Emilia arrived at the mansion, there were still many gaps in her literacy. She couldn’t write at all, for example, and formal speech or communicating complex ideas still didn’t come naturally to her. By the time of her fateful day in the Capital, however, the support of Ram and Rem in her studies had brought her up to a level of speech and writing perfectly appropriate for someone in her position…Besides her occasional tendency to use an outdated word or phrase, anyway.

“Jeez, that’s impressive. You guys must really love Japan then, huh?” Kenichi laughs, “I hear a lot of people overseas really love our country, which is really pretty encouraging.”

“Encouraging?” Emilia tilts her head in question.

“Yeah…You see a lot of people here who seem to want us to close ourselves off from the rest of the world, again. Lots of people who say really nasty things about overseas people who come to visit…I think if those people got to see someone like you, it would change their tune.”

Kenichi’s words imply that discrimination similar to what Emilia experienced as a silver-haired half-elf also occurred in this world. She almost couldn’t believe it, considering just how kind everyone she had met in this world had been to her all the time.

“I’m not sure I could do anything like that.” Is all she can say as a flustered response.

“Hmm. Well, it’s your turn now, Emilia-san. Looks like we’re almost done here, so this’ll be the last round, I think.”

Emilia looks over the roof as she considers her last question. Indeed, the two had done some good work this morning; while the clean, brand new roof tiles clashed somewhat with the weathered ones surrounding them, they at least weren’t cracked or broken in two.

“Umm…”

Emilia was kind of drawing a blank, here. She was sure there were all sorts of things she would like to learn about each member of the Natsuki family; after all, showing an interest in their lives was the least she could do to repay all they had done for her. But, in this moment, she felt a little bit like she was put on the spot, and that she needed to make the most of her opportunity for a ‘free question’ as it were.

What did she want to know? What burning questions had been bothering her?

Well…

“…Why do you think Subaru is unhappy?”

She asks her question on reflex the moment the thought enters her head, something she didn’t entirely intend to do. She considers backtracking on it, but the contemplative look that finds its place on Kenichi’s face causes her to second guess that too. 

“Hmm. That is a good question.”

Emilia had gotten some idea of why Subaru was dissatisfied with his life from their argument the other evening. He was lonely, felt like he had accomplished nothing and seemed to have a yearning for a greater purpose in life than what he currently had, which he hoped he would attain by following Emilia to her own world.

“I’m sorry, it was an inappropriate of me to ask that…I just blurted it out.”

“Maybe a little bit, but I guess I don’t mind that you asked. Heck, maybe it’s reassuring in a way…Part of me assumed you would already know the answer to that.”

Emilia presses her fingers against her lips in a look of concern. “What do you mean?”

“Ah, maybe it was inappropriate of me to assume, come to think of it. I figured with how close you and Subaru are, he’d have opened up about things that he’s too embarrassed to talk about with me and Naoko.” Kenichi idly scratches his cheek, before continuing. “Anyway, if you ask me – which you did – it’s because he’s too much like his dad.”

“I’m not sure I understand, Kenichi-san…”

“Heh,” he let’s a brief chuckle escape, “Come to think of it, maybe I don’t entirely understand either. Sorry I don’t have a better answer to that one, I’d say you really got the short end with our question game, huh?”

Emilia considers pressing him further on what he meant by ‘too much like his dad’, but by the finality in Kenichi’s voice, she could tell that would probably be all he was willing to say on the topic.

She wants to say something. She feels an overwhelming urge for it.

“I promise to do everything I can to help Subaru.”

It feels like the right thing to do. Her way of repayment for everything. She couldn’t say she fully understood what hurt Subaru so much, and she couldn’t say she would ever come to understand, which…Bothered her all the more that there was no way she could reasonably promise to be able to do anything about it. For all she knew, by next week she could be gone from the Natsuki family’s lives forever.

A promise was something important, something you lived by, something that you kept. As much as Emilia wanted to, she couldn’t in all good conscience say she would be able to live up to that promise were she to make it.

“Anyway,” Kenichi finishes on, as far as Emilia could see, the last remaining damaged roof tile, and begins to hand her the tools he was using for her to stuff into the toolbox, “Think it’s time for my last question, isn’t it? I’m sure you get this one a lot, so I apologise that it’s so unoriginal…”

“…?”

“What’s with the hair dye? Silver, I mean. Are you that dedicated to your cosplay?”

Emilia’s heart drops in her chest.

Again, by the rules of the game, she couldn’t lie.

So…

“…It’s…Um…I’m not a ‘cosplay’, it’s my natural hair colour. It actually creates a lot of problems for me where I’m from…”

Did she really just say that? And using a verb as a noun as well? She knew she was supposed to make up a bogus lie to justify her relative oddities for this world, but some kind of ‘lock’ she had placed in her heart refused to let her…

“…Ohhhh, I think I get it.”

“Huh?”

A sound of clarity in Kenichi’s voice was the last response Emilia expected to receive, there.

“Sorry, I realise now that might’ve been insensitive of me, Emilia-san. If it’s a condition you have, I won’t pry any further.”

“Huh?” Ah, n-no, that’s not-“ 

She cuts herself off, recognizing she somehow wormed her way out of a bad situation and that she shouldn’t discard the opportunity.

“Anyway, looks like we’re done here, kiddo. You head down first, and I’ll pass you the toolbox.”

Emilia was still a little shaken that she had almost given herself away as she feels her heart racing, and only now beginning to calm down. She jolts herself out of it, frantically nodding and slowly working her way back along the roof to the ladder to the ground.

As she does so, something sticks out to her from this lengthy conversation she had with Natsuki Kenichi.

“Oh, ah…Um, Kenichi-san…”

“What’s up?”

“There’s no need for the honorific in my name. Um…If it’s okay, just ‘Emilia’ is fine.”

Being referred to so formally felt a little strange to her. She certainly didn’t feel like she was deserving of it for one thing, but she had also gotten used to the informality in Naoko referring to her as ‘Emilia-chan’ or Subaru’s ‘Emilia-tan’.

“Hey, I’ll drop the honorific as soon as you do. It’s only fair, right?”

Kenichi grins at her, having caught her in a ‘unstoppable object meets an immovable force’ kind of impasse.

“Oh…Right…Um, okay…Kenichi.”

“Thanks for your help this morning, Emilia.”

Chapter Text

“Woah!”

A chirpy tune coming from the TV in the Natsuki household’s living room is interrupted by a cartoonish exclamation.

Darn it! Lost again…

“I forgot what button I was supposed to press, again…”

It was okay, though, Emilia still had four ‘lives’ left, which was something of a morbid concept to her, come to think of it…But she didn’t really have time to dwell on that.

Let’s see…So it was the control stick to move…Okay, the little person moved. She needed to remember how to jump, now…Wait, where was that button, again? Emilia fumbles around, pressing several incorrect buttons before she looks down at the controller, and-

“Woah!”

The little character is seemingly killed, having apparently been hit by something deadly in the moment Emilia wasn’t looking.

“Oh…I’m sorry!” Emilia blurts out, as if the orange animal person on the screen was a real entity that had just lost its life, making her responsible for manslaughter caused by negligence. Subaru softly chuckles to himself, placing his hand over his mouth in a vain attempt to hide it. Emilia considers scolding him, but her mind is quickly drawn to a stark realisation.

Three lives left, now…

Emilia groans in what begins to be frustration, and a moment later she (or rather, the character she was controlling in the game) is sent back to the start again. She turns and looks to Subaru for guidance, who she finds to be wearing a sarcastic smirk that he quickly tries to hide.

“Oh-Er, you can do it, Emilia-tan! Just like in real life, you have to keep trying, right?”

Emilia frowns, realising that it can’t be helped. She couldn’t even ask Kenichi or Naoko to help here either, as both were currently out somewhere, leaving the house to her and Subaru for the day. She moves her character forward, skipping over most of the fruits floating conspicuously off the floor, before reaching her ultimate opponent again.

“There’s that goat…”

She waits several agonizing moments, looking for her opportunity to walk around and hesitating every time she thinks she sees it. Finally, the tension gets to her, and she pushes the control stick forward-

“Woah!”

-To lose yet another of her dwindling extra lives.

“Darn it!” She growls weakly, raising her arms in the air in defeat. “Subaru…I really really don’t think I can play this game.”

“It’s fiiiine, Emilia-tan! It’s just a game.”

Emilia sighs, collecting herself for her next attempt. She pushes forward on the control stick and begins to mentally prep herself for the unbeatable obstacle she knows is ahead. She takes a moment to find the jump button again, pressing it in time with pushing forward on the control stick in order to get over a small log blocking the character’s way.

“That’s a very impressive castle off in the distance…”

Her attention is drawn to a background detail in the game, an enormous castle that wouldn’t look out of place in her own world. What an interesting coincidence that something like that would be in this strange type of game-

“Woah!”

And just like that, she realises at the last moment she was absent-mindedly still holding forward on the control stick, and makes contact with her newest arch-enemy: the goat enemy which sends her back to the start of the level again, one life lower.

Down to one life, now…

Finding a renewed sense of determination, Emilia’s eyes narrow and her focus lasers onto the TV screen. She walks forward through the first few steps of the level, pushing back on the urge to look at that grand castle off in the distance, and reaches the goat again. She brings her player character to a stop in front of it so she can consider her next move.

“I’m too slow when I try to walk around it…So what if…”

She presses the jump button a few times, watching her character leap into the air and land each time. Subaru watches the cogs turn in her brain with bated breath.

“If I’m able to jump over the log, then maybe…”

She makes the character jump a few more times, testing the height he actually reaches and comparing it to the size of her obstacle. Seemingly satisfied, she takes a deep breath and then…Presses the jump button again, holding forward on the control stick at the same time. She closes her eyes, fully expecting to hear that ‘woah!’ sound yet again…

…

And all she hears is the chirpy background music, continuing as always.

“Subaru, did I do it?” She hesitates to open her eyes, instead looking to Subaru for confirmation.

“Well, it’s not how I would’ve gotten past the first obstacle in the game, but…You did it, Emilia-tan.”

Emilia gasps in surprise and joy, opening her eyes finally and seeing that yes indeed, she finally made it past that goat enemy. Her character stands precariously close to it, having barely made the jump over the obstacle, prompting Emilia to push forward on the control stick again to make some distance for the sake of her own feeling of safety.

A feeling of pride seems to tug at her. Here she was, playing a ‘video game’, something that about fifteen minutes ago she had absolutely no concept of which to conceive of, and while she still needed to keep glancing down at the controller in her hands to remember where all the buttons were, as well as remind herself what those buttons even did, she had managed to overcome a real obstacle in this ‘video game’.

She begins to walk forward again, seeing her first change of scenery since starting this first ‘level’. Her character trudges through some water, and she sees more of those fruits mysteriously hovering off the ground. As always, nothing noticeable seems to happen when her character touches them, so she thinks little of it.

“Say, Subaru…What did you mean when you said you would’ve gotten past that goat in a different way?”

“Oh, er…Well…”

Subaru carefully reaches over to the controller in Emilia’s hands, taking special care not to accidentally make contact with her for some reason. He points to a specific button on the controller, “See this one? Try pressing it.”

Emilia did wonder why there were so many buttons on this device, yet she was only using one of them that made her character jump and the ‘control stick’ that was used for walking around. She presses the button with a square symbol on it, and in response her character rapidly spins in place!

“Wow…What is that for?”

Certainly it was an interesting function of that button, but Emilia couldn’t even begin to wonder what it might be for. Being able to move around and jump were self explanatory in why they would be useful, but that spinning technique’s use eluded her.

“It’s an attack, Emilia-tan. You can use it to defeat enemies in the game so you don’t need to worry about them anymore.”

“Oh.” Emilia absent-mindedly presses the square button a few more times, watching the character comically spin his entire body in place, before she realises something and begins to pout. “But wait a moment, Subaru…Why didn’t you tell me that before? Are you teasing me again?”

“Eh? No way, Emilia-tan!” Subaru raises his hands in defeat, “I just…Wanted to see what would happen if I gave you no direction? As an experiment of sorts?”

“That still sounds like you wanted to mess with me!” Emilia softly growls, prompting Subaru to press his hands together in pleading.

“I’m sorry, Emilia-tan. Please forgive me!”

“Well…Okay, I accept your apology, Subaru.” Emilia turns her attention back to the screen and resumes playing, pushing her character through the puddle covering this next section of the level. After the puddle of water, and neglecting a box with a picture of a mask on it, she sees a hole in the ground to the left side of the pathway, and carefully approaches it. “This is dangerous, right Subaru?”

“Er…Yes, it’s a bottomless pit. If you fall in, it counts as dying.”

“I knew it!” Emilia carefully moves her character around the pit, “I bet the game was trying to trick me into thinking something was down there. I’ll just keep moving forward, then…Oh.”

A few more steps ahead, Emilia wonders if this might be some kind of sick joke.

“There’s another one of those goats…”

Truth be told, Emilia was nervous about this. She still only had one life left, and she felt like she had only overcome the last obstacle completely by sheer luck as opposed to any mechanical skill on her part. She brings her character to a stop a few steps away from the goat as it paces left and right of the pathway, just like the first one near the start of the level.

“Why don’t you try the spin attack move on it?”

Subaru’s suggestion makes some amount of sense, for one it would give Emilia the opportunity to test whether the ‘spin attack’ actually works as he described. She finds herself wracked by indecision: does she attempt to jump over it again? Wait for an opportunity to walk around it when it’s on the opposite side of the path? Or risk it all on this new move she’s learned?

“Well...Okay, I’m going to trust you, Subaru.”

She takes another deep breath, reminds herself which button is the spin attack by testing it (it’s the square button) and then, throwing her good sense to fear these goat enemies to the side, moves her character towards it, pressing the square button just before she makes contact with it-

“Ah!” She exclaims, fully expecting to hear that ‘Woah!’ sound again, “Oh...It worked!”

She looks at the screen for a moment in slight disbelief, but she could clearly see her avatar in the game still had his life, and the goat had seemingly been thrown off-screen and defeated. Truth be told, her heart was racing somewhat, and she only now realises that this entire time she had been moving and contorting her own body in time with the actions she took in the game. So that when she pushed forward on the control stick, she would tilt her upper body forward, when she jumped, she would hop slightly in her chair and when doing that spin attack move, she thrust herself forward slightly, as if trying to punch the air with the controller in her hands.

Was this a normal thing to do when playing ‘video games’? The actual experience of pressing a button and seeing that it had an effect on an avatar in the game world seemed to naturally have this visceral effect on Emilia, so she wonders.

“Awesome, Emilia-tan! At this rate, maybe you’ll beat the entire game…”

That almost sounded like sarcasm coming from Subaru, but Emilia opts to maintain her focus on the game. For the next stretch of the level, all she needed to do was move forward some more and jump over some wooden barriers. She reminds herself which button makes her jump (it’s the button with a criss-cross shape on it) and easily overcomes this harmless obstacle. Truth be told, Emilia was starting to feel a little bit more confident about this...She now knew of a way to eliminate obstacles in her path as opposed to needing to go around (or over) them, and she was even starting to develop some muscle memory for where the jump and spin attack buttons were. She moves forward some more, coming to another puddle containing a friendly looking frog-

“Woah!”

And on making contact with said frog, her character seemingly loses his life once again through a bizarre scene that Emilia doesn’t even have time to register. A moment later, a new scene plays where an evil looking mask figure appears on the screen.

“Game over…”

“Subaru, what does that mean?” Emilia tilts her head, looking to her companion for guidance.

“Ah, bad luck, Emilia-tan. It means you lost all your lives, so the game is over.”

“Oh...I’m sorry.” She lets out a sigh of disappointment, both in herself but also at the prospect of a ‘game over’.

“Eh? What’re you sorry for?”

“If the game is over, then that must mean we can’t play anymore...I’m sorry I ruined your game, Subaru.”

“Nonono,” Subaru chuckles to himself at the colossal misunderstanding happening here, “It doesn’t literally mean the game is over, like...Forever. It just means you get sent back to the start of the level again. Like...You didn’t manage to get this far, but a bit later in the level you can get a ‘checkpoint’, so that even if you lose a life, you don’t start at the beginning again. If you get a game over, you lose that checkpoint.”

“Oh, I see.” Emilia feels a wave of relief hit her, “So you can still play your game?”

“Yes,” Subaru grins at Emilia’s naivete, “Don’t worry about that, Emilia-tan, you haven’t destroyed the game by dying a few times in it.”

“Thank goodness,” Emilia sighs in relief as she sets the controller down, “I think I’d like to take a break from this game. I think it’s fun but...Stressful.”

Nodding, Subaru reaches over to the small box-like device (the ‘games console’) sat beside the TV and presses a button on it. Instantly, the TV screen turns black, the previous image from the game having been erased from it. It catches Emilia off-guard, but she decides to assume this just a normal way of turning the game off for the time being.

Come to think of it, as she sits back in her chair to gather herself, something sticks out to her from that game…

How the enormous castle in the game background reminded her of structures she had seen or read about in her own world. It was yet another odd similarity between her world and this one, and there had been so many that she was beginning to question if she could really rule it out as a coincidence.

“Say, Subaru...Why do you think so many things from my world are known about in this one?”

While the two had briefly discussed it here and there, neither had been able to reach a satisfying conclusion on the matter.

“Yeah…Hmm.” Subaru holds his chin in thought, “I’ve been thinking about it too. Because it is pretty weird that your word has magic, elves, superhumans, monsters and stuff, while here we write stories about them without them actually existing.”

“Not only that,” Emilia adds, “But…”

In her world existed a city by the name of Kararagi. She had never ventured there before, having had no reason to make such an enormous journey during her time in her world. But, in her studies, she had read and seen sketches of the city, and much of those sketches depicted architecture strikingly similar to that which she had been seeing here in Japan. Not only that, but…

“Emilia-sama, I have prepared a special lunch for you today.”

Emilia had been living at the Roswaal mansion for several months, now. Every day she studied rigorously, both to improve her basic skills such as reading and writing, as well as gathering knowledge she would need for the Royal Selection. By now, she had very much settled into a routine: She would wake up early in the morning, wash and dress herself, make her way to the dining area for breakfast, before retiring to her quarters for her first studies of the day. After a few hours, she would return to the dining area just in time for Rem to have prepared her lunch for her.

Which was what perplexed her most at this moment.

Normally, lunch would consist of breads, vegetables, fruits and such. Rem and Ram had long since learned that Emilia wasn’t overly fond of meat, so they tended to prepare a sandwich filled with vegetables, or a soup for lunch for her.

Which was not at all what she saw before her at the dining table.

Her arched eyebrow and confused expression is taken notice of by Rem, who begins motioning to each part of the meal in explanation.

“Roswaal-sama deemed it necessary for you to expand your culinary horizons. As your opponents in the Royal Selection will have come from different corners of the world, you must gain an understanding of their background and culture, which includes the food they eat.”

“I...See. That makes sense…”

Emilia looks over her meal, trying to see if she can recognize anything here while Rem continues.

“As you already know, Anastasia Hoshin originates from Kararagi, who are world famous for their unique architecture, manner of speaking and above all else their food and drink. Thus, my sister and I have prepared a Kararagi-style lunch for you, Emilia-sama.”

Before her was an array of small dishes which included rice, beans, mushrooms, vegetables and noodles as well as a small bowl of soup. She remembers reading about some of these dishes yesterday while reading “The Great City-States of Kararagi: A Primer”, but the book itself didn’t include any pictures, so she didn’t have any expectation on what they would look like.

“Um, Rem...Could you tell me what this is?”

Emilia points to a plate containing several portions of sticky rice, enclosed in which were several varieties of vegetables.

“This is sushi, a famous delicacy commonly eaten in Kararagi. Thanks to my sister’s excellent guidance, I was able to prepare it despite my own lack of experience, Emilia-sama.”

Rem speaks with a certain amount of pride in her sister, which was something Emilia had grown used to her doing over these past few months.

“Sushi…”

“...I’ve noticed that much of the food and culture here in Japan is also replicated in some parts of my word.”

“Seriously?” Subaru recoils in disbelief, “So it’s a two-way relationship between our worlds...Elements of both have spilled into the other…”

He ponders for a few moments, holding his chin with his eyes shut and occasionally humming to himself. While Emilia does her best to consider the possibilities, still a satisfactory explanation eludes her.

“Aha! I think I’ve figured something out.” Subaru nods to himself, spurring Emilia from her own thoughts as she waits with bated breath for him to continue. “So, we already know it’s possible for people from your world to come here, since...Obviously,” He gestures towards Emilia as his example, “So, logically, it’s not so far-fetched for us to assume that someone from my world could be moved to yours, right?”

Emilia nods. This was of course, the logic that she and Subaru were following in their assumption that there must be a way for her to return home, after all.

“So, what if...At some point in the history of both of our worlds, someone from the other was sent to the opposite world and lived there long-term? What if they used their unique otherworldly knowledge to influence things in the other world? In this case, someone from your world could’ve been moved here and then wrote books about dragons and magic, which then carried over throughout our history, while someone from my world could’ve brought knowledge about Japanese architecture and culture to your world!”

The prospect of this was making Emilia’s head spin a bit, but she at least thought she understood the logic Subaru was putting forth. She nods absent-mindedly as she runs it back again, making sure she heard Subaru properly.

“Jeez,” Subaru’s brow furrows and his lip contorts slightly in discomfort, “It’s both a cool thought but maybe also a little...Existential dread-inducing? If it’s true, then we’d have to wonder just how much of our culture has been shaped by people coming over from your world and vice versa, right?”

That was true. As Subaru said, if the two were to assume his hypothesis was correct, then they’d have to wonder where exactly would it end? How many ingrained things in Emilia’s life that she took for granted – Such as her world’s language, architecture and food – weren’t even originally created by people of her world? And likewise, how much of Subaru’s culture had been shaped by people from across dimensions?

“It’s a little bit mind-boggling, to be honest.” Emilia’s voice quivers slightly.

“Don’t hear ‘mind-boggling’ that often these days...But, man,” Moving past his own remark, Subaru leans back in his chair as he deeply exhales before he begins to ramble to himself, “I guess it was naive of me to assume anything about this situation would be simple, but I mean we are dealing with actual dimension-hopping here! Plus it’s the norm for this kind of story not to dwell on the realism either! Then again, it’s unusual for the one from the fantasy world to be sent to Japan in the first place…Unless the people from Emilia-tan’s world deliberately planted the seed for simplified isekai narratives as a misdirection to hide the truth from the public? This could be a serious government conspiracy we have on our hands, here…”

Emilia’s eyes widen slightly, though she wasn’t even sure where to begin on how to comment on this.

She had only spent six days in this world, not even a week-

Come to think of it...Was the concept of a seven day week even unique to her world? Or Subaru’s? Could there be other worlds out there beyond the two she was aware of, and this benign concept originated from one of them instead?

What a terrifying prospect.

Anyway, she had only spent six days in this world, and she felt like...She was learning truths that no person was ever supposed to learn. If...Well, when she gets back to her world, she wonders if she’ll really be able to just move past this? Surely her discovery of another world warrants further study? She almost feels like the Royal Selection was secondary to her at this point, instead being replaced by a growing desire to investigate the secrets of how other worlds beyond hers and this one might fit into the scope of the universe. Or...Multiverse, as it were. After all, how important was becoming king in the grand scheme of things when she was now aware of much larger things?

“I guess there’s not much we can really do about it right now.” Subaru’s point is unsettling, but true. Emilia was beginning to realise she might be dealing with factors far beyond her own control, here. After all, even the most powerful and knowledgable magicians of her own world, as far as her studies had shown her, had none of the knowledge she was now privy to. That could only mean that whatever force sent her here had power beyond magic she could even conceive of, meaning…

If there was an entity out there that for, whatever reason had decided they wanted Emilia to be in this world, then could Emilia really say she had any ability to argue or fight back against them? Even in her own world her magical ability wasn’t particularly noteworthy, but here she was especially out of her depth to have any influence on things.

Maybe a few days ago, this harsh reality would’ve made her upset, but now…

If she were to be stuck in this world for the rest of her life, maybe…

Maybe that wouldn’t be so bad.

Chapter Text

“Great spirit.”

“You know, just ‘Puck’ is fine. I might despise you, but even I have to accept we have no choice but to be allies, now.”

“Hm.” Roswaal hums in amusement at the thought. “Even soooo, we are only allies by necessity, are we not? It is but a temporary measure, our goals only happen to align in the moment due to circumstance.”

Puck shrugs his shoulders. “Sure.” He looks below to the fields and villages they pass by in their flight. If Puck was being honest with himself, seeing a human…Or, something resembling a human, whatever Roswaal was, flying, it unsettled him somewhat.

“No doubt if…Hm.” Roswaal hesitates before correcting himself, “I shall remain optimistic, when we retrieve Emilia, we will return to avoiding each other at all costs.”

Puck clicks his tongue in frustration. The word ‘retrieves’ seems to bother him, as though Roswaal only sees Emilia as an asset to be ‘retrieved’ and used to further a goal, which…Well, there was no ambiguity here, the spirit did know for certain this was the case. The magician’s goals were always unclear to him, even in times of relative normalcy, but especially now…

With how desperate Roswaal was to bring Emilia back, even without the additional motivation of the Beast of the End looming over his shoulder, Puck could only wonder what grander schemes the magician had. Part of him felt allying like this was a mistake – Could someone as fanatical as Roswaal appeared to be really be trusted, especially in the long term? Was he unwittingly dooming himself, or worse, Emilia, by playing into Roswaal’s hands?

But what could he do? Puck knew he couldn’t do this alone, and as little as he trusted the magician, he knew that realistically there were no alternatives. Roswaal had called his bluff – The spirit didn’t really want to destroy this world while a slither of hope that Emilia could be brought home still remained, and that understanding alone made Roswaal the most viable candidate for working with in this endeavour.

“But,” Roswaal continues, “I am also not ignorant that even were the best case scenario to occur, and I can return from the ‘other world’ in which she has been moved to…I wonder of things will truuuuly be able to return to something resembling normalcy?”

Puck’s ear perks up for a moment. “What do you mean?”

“Arlam village is but a mass grave. My staff – Rem, and Ram, have lost their lives too.”

Puck hums in agreement.

“Perhaps I should only speak for myself, but…We, too, have been changed by this experience, have we not?”

“…Are you starting to get cold feet, magician?”

“Not at all.” Roswaal firmly responds. “I remain resoluuuute in my goals and my dream. I am simply being realistic in our situation: Emilia will have to adapt to a new way of life…Potentially for the third time. She will return to a gloomier, more hostile home. Not to mention…”

“…?”

“…You’re certain severing your contract with her, to temporarily forge one with me, is the correct course of action?”

Puck hesitates for a moment as he considers his answer.

“…Yes.”

“And you have no doubt already considered the risks to her own well-being this course will likely cause.”

“…More than you can comprehend.”

The last week or so had been torture, for Puck. His bond with Emilia was special – It was something forged under the assumption they would never be apart for longer than a few hours every night while the spirit rested. His connection with the half-elf was so ingrained into his being, it was like…Breathing, or blinking. It was just something that…Happened, without thinking about it. Always Puck felt Emilia’s presence, her feelings, as though they were his own.

Even now, worlds apart, Puck could sense…A tiny fragment of her, constantly fading, always too far away to truly grasp, but it was something, and he could tell it was her. It felt like drowning, barely making it to the surface for a moment of air before being plunged beneath the waves to do it all over again.

It was agony.

And to lose this fragment…Puck knew it could destroy him. It could destroy Emilia, assuming she was even still holding onto her sanity at this point to begin with.

But what choice did he have? With how faint their connection was right now, he couldn’t communicate with her, and to cast Al Shamak to bring her back unharmed would require verbal permission – Something impossible to receive right now.

In the distance, coming into view over the horizon, the terrain below began to change in biome. The two had been flying over the Lugunican countryside for several hours now, so he was wondering when they’d begin to see noticeable signals of their progress. Grasslands and disparate farms gradually shifted to craggy ridges and dusty expanses, the local temperature rising bit by bit as fields changed to savannah. Off in the distance, the duo could see the sandy expanse that was their goal coming into view.

“...Say, you were pretty cryptic earlier. Wanna actually explain to me why we’re going to this end of the world specifically?”

Puck’s inquiry invites a low chuckle from Roswaal, before he hums thoughtfully.

“Surely we can assume that because I have reached such a conclusion – Our present circumstances in mind – That we are going this direction because there is no other choice?”

“Yeah, yeah.” Puck finds his patience for these games already wearing thin, “Explain it to me like I’m a little kid anyway. Y’know, because you love hearing the sound of your own voice and all.”

“...There have been reports of activity to the east.”

“You’re still being cryptic. Just hurry up and come out with it.”

Roswaal holds a serious stare with the spirit, a stare that communicates more than words ever could.

“...Oh. Activity as in…”

“Indeed. Her activity appears to have intensified coinciding with Emilia’s disappearance. “

“How coinciding, exactly?”

“...The day Ram lost sight of Emilia in the capital, Reinhard van Astrea was ordered to investigate the area immediately. The shadow that constantly emanates from that tomb...According to his report he provided me just yesterday, its reach is growing, gradually engulfing more of the desert.”

“...And you think it’s related, somehow.”

A sense of discomfort permeates Puck’s voice as he puts pieces together in his mind. Roswaal pauses for a moment, seemingly doing the same.

“The evidence seems clear, does it not? This is of course without even mentioning...Obvious resemblances.”

“Say another word and our partnership is over.”

Puck suddenly snaps at the mere mention of what is, without a doubt, the elephant in the room. Roswaal’s voice hitches in his throat as he is cut off and he takes a moment to consider his next words.

“...Very well.”

A tense silence, mitigated by the wind brushing against the two’s faces as they fly across the dry expanse below them follows.

“...Anyway,” Puck scoffs taking Roswaal’s silence as proof he ‘won’ the exchange, “I think I’m getting it. You think there’s enough significance to the Witch of Envy’s recent activity that you’ve felt the need to incorporate it into your scheming.”

“Yes,” Roswaal explains, “I do not think it is outlandish to say the both of us are entering uncharted territory.”

“Right.”

“Stories of individuals from another world arriving here have been passed down through the ages – however, that is all they have ever been...Stories. Fanciful tales of rumour for gossip on the street or eliciting wide-eyed wonder from a little one. But, we now have undeniable proof that there is some truth to these stories.”

Puck nods, intently listening. A wave of warmth overtakes him as the sun seemingly grows brighter as the terrain beneath him grows dustier and dryer.

“However...We can only assume these ‘world travellers’ had no control over their situations.”

“What do you mean?”

“I have never been aware of Emilia possessing the ability to travel beyond our world, and I can only assume she has never told you of such.” Roswaal smirks slightly, a hint of sarcasm slipping into his tone of voice.

“Well, sure.”

“So we must assume this magic...Or whatever it might be was performed by another.”

Puck’s brow furrows in disbelief. “And...You think Satella is the culprit?”

Roswaal holds his chin. “I have not ruled out the possibility. That is, however, ultimately unimportant and only secondary to my motivations. Instead, because Emilia had no control over this magic, we must assume she was unable to control her destination, either.”

“Go on…”

“So, we must assume I will have no control over my destination, either.”

Puck stifles a chuckle. “Hah. That does sound like surprisingly important detail to leave to chance.”

“Indeed. For all that we know of this...’world-hopping’, which is of course very little, we cannot rule out the possibility that I will end up…”

“...At the wrong destination.” Puck finishes the magician’s sentence for him.

“In all likelihood, with catastrophic results.”

“Yeah, I can imagine...Who knows how many worlds are out there.” Puck’s gaze turns to the distance.

“Or the space between them. I must say, I am not in a hurry to end up lost in an empty void for all eternity.”

Puck chuckles again, almost enjoying the idea.

“So, what does this have to do with Satella?”

Roswaal sighs, “We cannot lie, Great Spirit, our chances are already pessimistic to their core, and we have all the information we can ever get. Not only that, but if Satella’s activity continues, who is to say she won’t grow even more active with time? We must assume she is yet another time limit constraining us.”

“As if things couldn’t get any worse, huh…”

“All we can assume is that there is significance to Satella and more importantly, her location, in regards to Emilia’s world-hopping. If those assumptions are correct, then…”

“When you throw yourself off the world, we have something vaguely resembling a guarantee you’ll end up in the same one Lia did.”

Roswaal does not audibly respond, simply satisfied that Puck understands his reasoning. By now, the rocky outcrops beneath the two have turned into a sandy, dry and merciless desert. The Augria Sand dunes. Despite the intense heat now bearing down on them, they both feel...A horrible chill on the wind and an evil surging through their very being.

“Wait a minute, do we have any guarantee that we won’t have to contend with the witch herself out here?”

Puck suddenly breaks the silence with a seemingly obvious concern.

“...No, we do not. Reinhard told me he retreated from the area quickly, so we do not know if the witch poses a threat to us.”

“Damnit...Y’know, I’m getting real sick of every single thing in this world being against us right now.”

“We also of course, must not discount the unknown magic that guards the watchtower.”

Puck sighs as he sarcastically remarks, “Right, how could I forget…Guess with everything else on my mind that one slipped through the cracks.”

The Pleiades Watchtower’s proximity to Satella’s tomb was no coincidence. It was built to stand guard over Satella, to ensure she did not escape her prison, and to watch for others who might try to free her. In the centuries since her imprisonment, no realistic attempt had been made by anyone to attempt to storm the tower.

Except for one.

“So, if even Reinhard couldn’t get past the tower’s defenses, what exactly are we gonna do?”

“It is my hope that because we do not intend to enter the tower and instead bypass it, whatever barrier impeded Reinhard will be of no concern to us.”

The duo’s goal was now growing so close. Once past the watchtower the two would find Satella’s shrine in which she was imprisoned, and beyond that, the edge of the known world. If Roswaal’s theory was correct, then proximity to Satella was key to ensuring he would be transported to the same world Emilia was, necessitating yet another risk in their plan left to so much chance.

“Jeez...Well, we’re already this deep in, what’s one more thing that could go wrong, I guess.”

“It would not have been my first choice either, Great Spirit, but approaching Satella’s presence ultimately demands we pass the Watchtower.”

Knowing that an end to Roswaal’s life – Not a particularly big concern to Puck – and an end to their plan to save Emilia – Puck’s real concern – could be over in an instant, brought yet another layer of tension to the air as the duo flew above the sands.

According to Reinhard’s report, the Watchtower is defended by an unusual magic that ultimately makes approaching it impossible. Reinhard himself was unable to discern its nature and he was ultimately forced to retreat – one of the Sword Saint’s few actual failures.

If Roswaal’s theory was correct however, this should not be a concern.

“What do we know about these defenses anyway?

“...Very little. We know they are a magic not seen anywhere else in this world, and that due to them approaching the tower is impossible. There is also a population of mabeasts patrolling the surrounding area, and while under normal circumstances we could assume they will be of no concern to us, we must also assume that Satella’s activity will have affected them somehow.”

“...And?”

Puck chimes in, fishing for more information, however Roswaal’s silence speaks volumes.

“...Damnit, that’s really all we’ve got, huh.”

Silence takes the air once again. Roswaal would never admit it, but he began to feel his heart race and a bead of sweat drip from his forehead. No doubt he would attribute it to the searing heat bearing down on him in these desert sands, but it couldn’t be denied he was approaching the climax of his plan. In the next few hours, whether or not he would be able to return Emilia to this world would be decided and, with that, fate would decide if his most cherished goal could ever come to fruition…

“Hmm.”

In the distance, Roswaal takes notice of a change in the weather fast approaching. An immense storm of sand and dust kicks into the air, shrouding the desert ahead of them in a cloak of sand. The wind carries smaller streams of this debris, battering Roswaal and Puck with dust and sand.

“Tch,” Roswaal shields his eyes, “Great Spirit, we will fly above the sandstorm.”

“Yeah, good call.”

Changing their trajectory skyward, Roswaal and Puck rise in elevation until the sandstorm becomes little more than a cloud obscuring the ground beneath them. However, a new problem presents itself…

“Well, isn’t this just great.” Puck remarks, “Now we can’t see anything.”

“We will simply have to keep moving and hope the storm clears, Great Spirit. The Augria Sand Dunes are inhospitable at the best of times, after all.”

“Tch,” Puck scoffs, “Scared of a few mabeasts, wizard? Not like anything could even reach us up here…”

“That is not my main concern, no.”

Rolling his eyes, the feline creature retorts. “Yeah, yeah. Uncharted territory, witch’s influence, I know.”

The Witch of Envy’s shadow over this realm could not be denied. While it could not be physically seen – at least not yet – even with the sandstorm below obscuring the ground, both Puck and Roswaal could feel its influence. What started as a violent chill running down Roswaal’s spine was gradually changing to an omnipresent evil circulating the air. This shadow twisted emotions, mangled the soul and sapped life from the world itself. Being such powerful magic users, neither Roswaal or Puck felt particularly burdened by it, but they also could not deny its presence and influence.

“...Yeah, Reinhard wasn’t kidding, was he,” Puck remarks, acknowledging the unseen shadows attempting to creep into their souls, “I won’t be sticking around here long, that’s for su-”

A horrid sense of danger dominates the duo’s senses for a split second.

“Move!!”

Puck’s frantic voice echoes as a sharp wind passes between them as they dart to one side, one that could be mistaken as a gentle breeze that had broken off from the sandstorm beneath them. Looking skyward, however, Roswaal catches a brief, telltale glimpse of light reflecting off what was very nearly his own doom.

“What the hell was th-”

“Great Spirit, to me!”

Fight or flight overtakes any desire to argue or discuss as Roswaal and Puck operate on instinct. The spirit promptly approaches Roswaal, who raises his arm to the air and casts his incantation:

“Ul Dona!”

In an instant, particles of sand caught in the winds beneath them form into an earthen cocoon to surround them in a protective shield. Roswaal exhales, having created a moment for the two to understand what had even just happened.

“We seem to have attracted hostile attention.”

“Yeah, you don’t say. Pretty sure whatever the hell that was almost took your head off.”

Roswaal’s brow furrows as he considers the duo’s next move. “That almost sounded like concern for my wellbeing, Spirit.”

“Yeah, don’t get ahead of yourself.”

In the next few moments, the two wait to see what would happen next. What was essentially a giant rock floating in the air made for an easy target, but it would provide the two the breathing room they needed to assess if they were truly being attacked. Peeking through the small cracks in the magical rock allowed Roswaal some visual awareness of his surroundings.

“See anything?”

“...No.”

Their environment had not changed, as far as the eye could tell. Roswaal was unable to spot any other flying entities sharing their airspace, which could only mean…

“Our foe is within the sandstorm.”

What was their play, here? If they left their sanctuary, they risked another attack – One they may not be so lucky to avoid. Yet if they stay, they never make it to their destination, not to mention their vulnerability to any other threats that might present themselves.

“…!!!”

“What the-!”

Suddenly, Roswaal throws himself to the other side of the cocoon and, an instant later, a flash of light cuts through the space in the rock he was peering through. The light ricochets like a bullet off the wall of the cocoon, bouncing three times faster than the eye can see before dissipating against the rock, inches away from Puck’s body.

“...What the hell was that!?!”

“...Our foe has excellent aim.”

Indeed, to squeeze a magical projectile through such a tight space and into their sanctuary, from what seemed to be ground level…

“Ul Dona!”

Roswaal chants his spell again, plugging the space he had been using to survey the area and truly encasing the two in an impenetrable shell. Puck deeply exhales, having found a new appreciation for...Still having his head attached to his body.

“I’m sure you already know this, but we can’t stay here.”

“Indeed. If nothing else however, I have bought us time to form a strategy.”

In the next few moments, their foe seems to forgo precision, as the sound of supersonic metal hitting rock can be heard from outside. One after another, projectiles crash against the cocoon, harmlessly ricocheting and fading away into the ambient mana in the air.

“This thing’ll hold, right?”

“It will hold, Spirit. As you say however, we cannot stay here.”

Crack, crack, shwin, swhoosh crack, crack. The sound of projectiles hitting rock and flying through the air at supersonic speed is all that can be heard outside as their foe searches for a weakness in their shield. Bits of crumbling rock can be heard breaking off; Not an immediate concern, as Roswaal was confident in his ability to maintain and repair the shield as needed. Minutes pass as the two sit in tense silence, considering their next move carefully.

Eventually, puck lets out a frustrated groan.

“Tch. It’d be easier to come up with something if I could hear myself think…”

“That may very well be our foe’s intention, Spirit.”

“What do you mean?”

“I have fought and won many a battle, Spirit. Most contests of magical prowess are over in an instant – a single spell made with quicker reaction time and your enemy is defeated. Many confrontations however are longer, drawn out and a test of endurance rather than skill. It is in these engagements that your goal becomes goading your opponent into making a mistake.”

“Tch, clever…”

Puck couldn’t help but admire the ingenuity of their foe. Whoever they were, they must have recognised they weren’t going to break through this defense anytime soon, meaning that their goal was not to destroy the Ul Dona cocoon, but to lay down pressure to make it as difficult as possible for Roswaal and Puck to form a counterattack, or to push them into making a hasty, panicked decision.

“I figured they were just needlessly wasting their own mana, but I have to admit their strategy of annoying me is pretty effective at throwing me off.”

Minutes feel like hours as tension permeates the air like electricity. A single wrong move could spell instant death for either Roswaal or Puck as their opponent shows terrifying skill and accuracy with these projectiles that travel faster than the eye can follow. It also didn’t help that, thanks to this accuracy, they were forced to deprive themselves of their one advantage – a relatively safe sight-line now that Roswaal had filled in any gaps in the shield.

“Their choice of weapon is devilishly efficient, one must admit.” Roswaal speaks up in a rare case of commending his opponent, “This spell is unlike anything I have seen before. It is purely concentrated killing power.”

“How do you mean?”

“Many spells carry with them an air of intimidation and flair; fire, wind, ice and so on. They might match the user’s preferred style of attack and in this way communicate an element of their personality. This, however…”

“I think I see what you’re getting at.” Puck nods, “Whoever our opponent is, they’ve chosen to forgo any of that pomp and chest-puffing in favour of killing their target efficiently and quickly.”

“Precisely. I seldom see a spell so fast and so immediately deadly.”

“I guess in its own way,” Puck remarks, “We’ve learned something about the enemy’s personality through that.”

Roswaal thinks for a moment before concurring, “True enough.”

There is another short pause, the background noise of supersonic mana striking rock vibrating what was now a rocky prison with each impact.

“You figured out a plan for us yet, magician?”

“Our opponent seems confident they can keep attacking us without worry of needing to stop.”

Puck shrugs at the obvious statement, “Which means…?”

“They are either foolish...Or there is no risk of them being deprived of mana anytime soon.”

Puck sighs at the reality of their situation, “I’d like to believe in the first one, but, y’know...It’s not like anything else has gone our way so far.”

“There is another factor we need to consider,” Roswaal continues, piquing Puck’s interest, “Our foe attacks from below, meaning they are within the sandstorm. While I assumed flying overhead would be to our advantage, it appears our foe has turned it against us. Clearly they are able to somehow see through the sandstorm and hit us with pinpoint accuracy, so it can’t be denied our position makes us an obvious target to them.”

Puck sighs again. “So when we do make a move, we’ll have to rush into the sandstorm and hope it gives us some cover.”

“There is no guarantee, but staying in the open as we currently are will most certainly be a death sentence.”

“Tch...Hate getting sand in my fur...Well, when are we going for it?”

This whole time, the enemy’s assault had been relentless. The constant sound of projectiles striking rock had become monotonous against the faint sound of blustering wind kicking up the sandstorm beneath them, the tension like electricity in the air. Roswaal sits in silence for a moment, his eyes shut as he contemplates the duo’s next move.

“...Momentarily. Prepare yourself, Great Spirit.”

This was it, then. The instant in which all would be decided was fast approaching. What was their play? Would the sandstorm provide enough cover for them to make an escape? Judging by how accurately their foe was able to target them through the sandy shroud, this seemed unlikely. Yet at the same time, a counterattack seemed doomed to fail too as they were clearly at a disadvantage.

Their only choice now was to act on instinct and react accordingly.

“...Now.”

The instant Roswaal speaks, the cocoon that had provided them safety dissipates before their eyes and a flash of pointed light whizzes past, inches away from his cheek. The attacks had come on a consistent pattern, about every two seconds, meaning Puck and Roswaal had two seconds to make their decision.

“Into the sandstorm!!”

Puck springs into action, diving and disappearing into the chaos beneath him. There was no time to argue now as Roswaal plunges into the winds.

“Gah…”

He shields his eyes as a stream of sand batters and buffets his exposed face. Where was the spirit? Surely it would be impossible to regroup here.

No, the chaos of battle had taken over. The brief reprieve and time for planning was over. Now was the time to act and react as needed.

“Hrk-!”

As if on cue, a projectile pierces through the sandstorm, a metre or so shy of striking Roswaal. His two seconds were up, and in another two another attack would come.

“I will have to hope that lapse in precision will continue, then.”

Roswaal begins to descend through the sandstorm, fighting back against the wind and dust biting at his face. While his information was limited, he knew that his foe was somewhere below him, given that’s where the projectiles had originated.

Another attack comes, again a relatively comfortable distance short of striking its target.

“The Great Spirit will no doubt have come to the same conclusion.”

His next goal then, should be to regroup with Puck. Their foe was surely dangerous and unlike anything Roswaal had encountered before in his life, making attacking together the wisest choice.

A flash of light illuminates the sand filled air as another projectile misses its mark.

Roswaal continues to descend, flying in something of a ‘snake’ pattern as he darts from left to right, hoping that it would make aiming at him as difficult as possible. Something strikes him as odd, though.

“...Their accuracy has diminished.”

No matter where his foe was positioned, they would have been contending with the sandstorm as an obstacle when aiming for their target. As they were below, it could be reasonably assumed they were themselves casting from within the storm...Which made it all the more strange that only now were they consistently missing their mark.

It could reasonably be assumed then, that Roswaal’s notion of shrouding himself in the storm as well had presented an additional layer of cover, obscuring his opponent’s vision just enough to make precise aiming impossible.

“...Hm.”

He hums in thought as he descends further into the storm and closer to the source of projectiles whizzing past him. While he had found some security and confidence that the enemy’s upper hand had been diminished somewhat, he had completely lost track of Puck. Finding him in this storm would be impossible, making the only logical choice...To continue his approach to the enemy and hope Puck had reached the same decision.

The two second intervals between spells had been gradually increasing in pace as the travel time of the projectiles themselves is shortened relative to Roswaal’s position. Within a minute, Roswaal could begin to faintly hear their source...And another?

“…!!”

A gentle, ice-blue light could be faintly seen through the storm. Roswaal darts forward, closing the distance between himself and his ally in seconds as a stream of projectiles follow behind him, all missing their mark by mere inches now.

“Oh, hey, what took you so long!?”

He finds Puck, rapidly darting from side to side, hurtling icy projectiles back towards the ground, roughly in the direction that the projectiles from below were coming from. It seems Roswaal had found his explanation for why his opponent kept missing so drastically; they were preoccupied with a barrage of attacks coming from Puck, making precise aiming in Roswaal’s direction an impossibility.

With no time to ponder the debt he owed the spirit right now though, Roswaal joins his ally in raining suppressive fire towards their foe:

“El Goa!”

A barrage of flame erupts from Roswaal’s hands, piercing through the sandstorm at what he hoped was his opponent. The foe returns fire, but again the attack misses its mark; Roswaal and Puck’s suppressive spells were working, for the moment.

“What have you learned, Spirit?”

“What!?”

As the two dart from side to side, hurling spells amidst the violent storm, it was apparent that communication was difficult.

Roswaal sighs as in the brief moment he had opened his mouth to speak, a sprinkle of sand had gotten in.

“What have you learned, Spirit?”

“Well, you’re looking at what I’ve learned! Whoever they are, they’re still dangerous!”

Having raised his voice somewhat, Puck and Roswaal balance evasion, attacking and communication in the midst of all this chaos.

“So what the hell do we do now!?”

“We must close the distance!”

Puck scoffs at the idea. “Yeah, you go ahead then! I’ll keep you covered I guess!”

The spirit’s sarcasm did hold some truth. The closer the two got to their opponent, the less time they would have to evade an attack. Right now, the fact there was two targets both moving erratically gave them the chance to avoid being instantly skewered, but that advantage would quickly wear thin the closer they got.

“We must distract them somehow, Spirit! Enough to give us time to get closer!”

“Yeah, yeah! Hold on, I’m thinking…”

Even just a few seconds would be enough time. If the opponent’s attention could be diverted elsewhere for mere moments to alleviate the pressure they were laying down, Roswaal could close the distance and make a decisive strike. The dance of evasion and flame lighting the skies continues for what was under a minute, but every second felt precious. Any time Roswaal felt an opportunity to approach, he hesitates – and his instincts save his life, as he barely avoids a projectile that would have no doubt made its mark had he a fraction of a second less time to react to it.

“I’ve got an idea!” Puck suddenly exclaims, “Just trust me and go for it!”

“You are asking for much, Spirit!”

“Yeah well have you got any better ideas!?”

“…”

With nothing to retort with, Roswaal had no choice but to admit defeat.

“Very well! Make your play, Spirit! I will…”

Roswaal’s voice softens, enough to be inaudible over the storm.

“I will trust you.”

Puck narrowly dodges a projectile, his small size no doubt having made the ordeal slightly easier for him. Roswaal turns away from him, facing downward as he inhales a deep breath to mentally prepare himself for what felt like a suicide run.

“...Now!”

Roswaal sees his moment – Well, the best moment he was going to get. It was the briefest of moments, the fraction of a second between attacks coming their way, and in it he darts forward. Half a second later, a glancing strike takes with it some of the material on his sleeve and Roswaal feels his nerve falter momentarily.

No, he could not back out now. To retreat would mean returning to the never ending dance in the skies he and Puck had been maintaining – but for how long would that work? All it would take is one wrong move, one misjudged dodge and they would both be dead.

A shadow suddenly loomed over him. Was it the witch? Was it his impending death? No, it was...Something else. Roswaal glances over his shoulder for a moment to see yellow eyes towering over him and piercing through the sands.

“It couldn’t be…”

But he had no time to question his ally, he would just have to trust Puck wasn’t doing something so drastic as transforming into the Beast of the End. Time seemed to freeze as adrenaline took over, the world moving in slow motion as Roswaal fought through the sandstorm. Two seconds passed, and his head was still very much attached to his shoulders, his arm still attached to its socket and his torso still intact, a revelation that surprised him somewhat. It could only mean one thing:

“-ust die!”

Puck’s gambit had worked, and Roswaal could faintly hear their distracted enemy over the storm.

“Why won’t these two just die!?!”

It was a woman’s voice.

“Damnit...Just…!”

This was it.

She fruitlessly hurled projectiles at Puck’s towering presence to – judging by her frustration, no effect. Roswaal had no idea what kind of stunt his ally was pulling, but he knew he would not get a better opportunity than this. To turn away from his goal in this moment, even for a split second so as to try and get a better idea of what Puck was doing, risked both of their deaths.

In the next moment, something faintly comes into view through the storm – a gleaming white structure. Roswaal immediately inferred what he had found, and even the significance of the fact he was about to set foot upon it, but he had no time for that.

“…!!!”

A distinct click of his shoes meeting the Pleiades Watchtower immediately alerts his foe to his presence, but it was too late for her. In the most critical of moments, her judgement had failed her and the world around Roswaal had faded to nothing and his eyes were focused on a singular target. He leaps forward, holding out his arm and fingers such that they were rigid and forming into what was effectively a deadly spear that could easily pierce flesh. His foe raises her arm to cast magic, but she must have realised this was a pointless endeavour as Roswaal was already too close to allow her the time to cast. Instinct overtakes her and she shields herself with her arms – again, a fruitless defense, as Roswaal’s hand thrusts like a spear into his foe’s torso with the warm feeling of blood on his arm confirming he found his target.

“Master...I’ve...Failed.”

Crimson splatters Roswaal’s clothes as he finally identifies the enemy who had given him and Puck so much trouble: A scantily clad, brunette woman, her hair styled into a ponytail resembling a scorpion's tail and whose attire consisted of a black and orange cape, bra and short-shorts.

She coughs up blood which stains Roswaal’s clothes further, gasping for air as life immediately begins to leave her face.

“I’m...Sorry…”

Roswaal pulled his arm out from her chest, and she slumps to the ground, limp.