Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chapter 1: The Beginning

With a single blink of his eyes, he experienced an unforgettable game.

But when the game ended and he opened his eyes again, what greeted him was not his familiar room.

The black-haired, black-eyed young man in a tracksuit, Subaru Natsuki, looked at the scene before him — buildings straight out of a Western fantasy world, crowds mixed with beastmen and girls with animal ears, and wooden carts pulled by strange, unknown creatures — all of it made it clear: this was another world.

His fierce gaze, inherited from his mother, swept across the surroundings.

With a sigh and a changed mindset, Subaru Natsuki fully understood: he had transmigrated.

Unfortunately, right now he had no desire for an isekai journey — he just wanted to go home and see the parents who always worried about him.

He wanted to have a good heart-to-heart with them, talk about how he had been trying in his own way all these years, why he hadn’t gone to school, share stories about the close friends he made in the game, and then start a new life and work hard toward new goals.

These were the things the boy named Subaru Natsuki wanted to do.

He didn’t want an isekai adventure when he was already so eager to return home.

He didn’t need a fresh start in a new world — because in that game, he had already found the direction in which he wanted to move forward.

‘What the hell is that bastard god doing? Didn’t he say he’d send us all home? Why the hell am I in a completely unfamiliar other world? Hurry up and send me back!’

Thinking this, Subaru Natsuki sighed and sat on the edge of a nearby fountain, hoping the deity would realize they had sent him to the wrong place and come to retrieve him.

But as time passed, second by second, Subaru Natsuki’s expression went from calm to anxious, his legs from slight to rapid trembling, until he could no longer bear the scorching sun and stood up to leave the spot.

He’d had enough of waiting around like a fool for contact that might never come.

During this time, he might as well figure out where to eat and sleep first — and enjoy the culture of this world while waiting for the god’s arrival.

With the power of whatever god it was, they should know where he was and when to send him back.

That wouldn’t be a problem.

So for now, solve the food and shelter issue, and then patiently wait.

Even if the god didn’t come to find him — why couldn’t he find his own way home?

Even if it took time, it was better than never going back at all.

And if it were his best friend, they’d definitely shout “how unlucky!” and survive while searching for a way home.

During this journey, if he met people who needed help, he would lend a hand — because that’s the kind of person his best friend was.

Thinking this, a faint smile appeared on Subaru Natsuki’s face.

His previously anxious heart was now calm.

With a new attitude, he began to stroll down the street.

Of course, it wasn’t aimless wandering.

While strolling, he was gathering the information he needed.

After thirty minutes, Subaru Natsuki sat on the steps beside an apple stall, holding a wooden stick and scribbling on the ground while mumbling things others couldn’t understand.

“Communication isn’t a problem — they speak Japanese in this world,” Subaru Natsuki recalled the people he had interacted with.

They definitely spoke Japanese, and their lip movements matched the language.

“That’s a good thing, but the writing is different,” Subaru Natsuki looked at the wooden sign on the fruit stall next to him.

He could make out the numbers at most, but the characters representing currency were unknown.

Lowering his head, he continued scribbling incomprehensible symbols while softly muttering.

“My initial understanding is that this is a traditional fantasy world.

It’s not too different from the ones in novels.

Probably has magic and such. And although there are beastmen mixed in the crowd, some beastmen-run shops don’t welcome humans and have poor attitudes.

They probably dislike humans. Maybe there was some conflict in the past… yeah, that’s very likely. This is another world, after all.”

“Hey, can you go sit somewhere else?”

Subaru Natsuki heard a voice but didn’t think it was directed at him.

He had just arrived — no one would talk to him, and he wasn’t bothering anyone by sitting there.

So subconsciously, he thought it wasn’t meant for him and continued planning his next moves.

“Because I can’t read the language, I can’t do easy jobs.

As for heavy labor — with beastmen around representing muscle in this world, no one’s going to want someone like me. Ah… yeah, I know, I look weak…”

After a bit of self-deprecation, Subaru Natsuki figured out the kind of job he could do — service work.

Hotels needing general labor were the best choice.

With some luck, they might even provide room and board.

Plus, he had a skill to offer: sewing.

Even if all else failed, he had his phone from home as a backup.

Subaru Natsuki pulled out his phone and wallet for a look.

These were the things he had brought with him when he was preparing to go out, only to be dragged into a divine-chaos battle royal game before he even stepped out the door.

“Hey! I’m talking to you, you damn brat!”

Subaru Natsuki heard the loud shout and thought there was some kind of argument.

He looked up and saw a big, scarred, green-haired man glaring at him.

Realizing the man was talking to him, Subaru Natsuki sheepishly scratched his head and said,

“Sorry, sorry. I was thinking about something else just now. Is there something you need from me?”

Hearing Subaru Natsuki’s apologetic tone, the strong and fierce-looking green-haired man’s expression softened a bit, though he still looked a little displeased.

The green-haired man gave Subaru Natsuki a good once-over before speaking:

“You’re from out of town, aren’t you?”

“Ah, yeah,” Subaru Natsuki clearly knew that his appearance was completely different from the people around him.

It was only natural he’d be seen as an outsider.

“You’ve been muttering to yourself next to my stall this whole time. Thanks to you, no one’s coming to buy my fruit. Go sit somewhere else.”

Subaru Natsuki was stunned for a second before he understood the man's point.

Still, he couldn’t help but retort:

“Isn’t it just because your expression is too scary, old man? That’s why no one’s coming, right?”

Hearing that, the fruit stall owner’s face grew even more furious.

Seeing this, Subaru Natsuki quickly raised his hand and said,

“Hahaha, just joking, don’t take it personally. But seriously, old man — if you want better business, maybe try not looking so scary. Smile a little more, like me. See?”

With that, Subaru Natsuki gave a bright smile and said, “How about it, old man? Doesn’t it feel good? You try it too.”

“…”

The fruit stall owner looked at Subaru Natsuki’s beaming smile.

The anger on his face disappeared. He crossed his arms and said with a troubled look,

“It’s not like I want to look like this. I can’t help it. And if I smile, the guards would probably come after me.”

“Hahaha, fair enough,” Subaru Natsuki chuckled and stood up.

Looking up at the burly man who was a full head taller than him, he said,

“You must be a pretty amazing guy, old man. I mean, you look like someone who’s had enough of war, found peace, and is now quietly selling fruit.”

Chapter 2 – The Old Man

Hearing Natsuki Subaru’s words, the old man at the fruit stand looked into his eyes and saw nothing but sincerity.

His tone wasn’t flattering—he spoke more like he was stating a simple truth he believed in.

“I’m not some great person. But it’s true that I found my place in life, and that’s why I’ve settled down and honestly sell fruit.”

The anger vanished from the old man’s face as he walked back to his fruit stall, picked up a red fruit, and tossed it to Subaru.

Subaru quickly caught it with both hands, confusion plain on his face. The old man waved his hand and said:

“That fruit’s for you. Come over here and talk—it’s hot out, standing under the sun like this.”

“Thank you, old man.” Subaru thanked him and walked over to the stand, though he didn’t enter the stall.

At that moment, the old man pulled out a small chair and placed it beside the stall.

“Sit.”

“Thanks.”

Subaru obediently sat down, looked at the fruit in his hand, and asked:

“What kind of fruit is this?”

“Huh? You kidding, kid? That’s an Appa—an Appa!”

Seeing Subaru’s dawning realization, the old man shook his head helplessly.

“Where are you from, some rich boy’s house? Don’t even know what an Appa is.”

“The apple where I come from don’t look like this,” Subaru said as he instinctively wiped the apple on his shirt and took a bite. The flavor instantly won him over.

“Delicious! I’ve never had such a good Appa before!”

“Of course. The fruit I sell is top quality.”

The old man’s proud expression made Subaru nod in agreement.

As Subaru devoured the Appa, the old man couldn’t help but smile faintly.

He’d never met anyone quite like Subaru before.

“But the reason no one comes to your stall is definitely because of your scary face, old man. You really should smile more.”

“You little brat! You’re eating my Appa right now! And I’m not in the mood to smile at people who can’t afford fruit.”

“But old man, I’m also broke—a total penniless bum. If I don’t find food and shelter soon, I’ll be sleeping on the streets tonight. That’s what you call a genuine, certified poor guy.”

“Can’t understand why a pauper would say that so proudly.”

“I’m just stating the truth. And just because I’m poor now doesn’t mean I’ll stay poor.

Even if I’m poor in the future, I believe things will change eventually.

My best friend’s the kind of person who, no matter how unlucky he is, believes he’ll overcome it one day.”

As Subaru spoke about his close friend, his eyes sparkled with admiration. His tone was filled with pride and longing.

After listening, the old man blinked in surprise and patted Subaru on the shoulder.

“Good attitude. When you’ve got money in the future, you’d better drop by my fruit stand often.”

“Of course. But if next time you’ve still got that scary look on your face, I’m buying from someone else.”

After finishing the Appa, Subaru stood up, looked up at the towering old man, and smiled.

“To make sure I can buy fruit from you in the future, I think I’ll teach you how to smile, old man.”

“Kid, didn’t I say if I smile, the guards will come question me!”

The old man’s roar made Subaru laugh. He wagged his finger and said:

“You can’t say that. Smiles come from the heart. No matter how scary someone looks, a genuine smile from the heart won’t be off-putting.”

Saying this, Subaru looked seriously into the old man’s eyes and continued:

“I bet you’ve never seen what your smile looks like, have you?”

Subaru pulled out his phone from his pocket and aimed it at the puzzled old man.

“You said you’ve found your place in life, right? What are your loved ones like?”

The old man paused at that question.

A smile slowly formed on his stern face, softening his fierce features.

As he gently talked about his family, Subaru silently snapped a picture of the old man smiling.

After glancing at the photo, Subaru nodded in satisfaction and quietly listened to the old man speak warmly about his family, his voice filled with affection.

“Jeez… how did I end up spilling everything?” the old man grumbled.

Just as he was about to warn Subaru to forget what he’d said, he noticed the photo.

Subaru pulled his hand back, smiled, and pointed to the man in the photo with his other hand.

“See? A heartfelt smile. Does that really look so scary?”

As if worried the old man couldn’t see it clearly, Subaru handed him the phone.

The old man stared quietly at the photo for a while.

“…Alright, I’ll admit it, you’ve got a point, brat.” He handed the phone back to Subaru.

Just as Subaru took it, the old man suddenly grew serious.

“That thing of yours—it must be one of those legendary magic tools, right? Don’t go waving something so valuable around like that. You’re scrawny and weak. If the wrong person sees it, your life could be over.”

Subaru froze at those words, then tucked his phone away.

He decided not to sell it unless he absolutely had to.

The old man’s words were a clear warning—this was another world, and the things he carried were rare and dangerous here. And he was weak.

“You really are a good person, old man.”

“Hmph. I just don’t dislike you, that’s all.”

“That attitude might be charming on a cute girl, but not on a scary-looking old guy.”

“I don’t know what you mean by ‘charming attitude,’ but I’m sure you’re mocking me!”

Subaru stepped away from the stall, waved goodbye, and said:

“Well, old man, see you later. If I don’t find a job and a place to stay soon, I’ll really be sleeping in the streets.”

“Wait! What’s your name?”

“Natsuki Subaru. That’s my name.”

“Strange name… but kid, if you really can’t find work, come find me. I’ll still be around in the evening. I can give you food and a place to sleep.

But it’s not free—once you get a job, you pay up and move out, got it!”

Seeing the old man avoid eye contact, Subaru shouted back:

“I will! I don’t want to die so soon anyway! But I still feel a bit bad about causing you trouble, old man. I’ll work hard to find a job! So wish me luck, or your house will be stuck with a freeloader!”

With that, Natsuki Subaru turned and dashed off, beginning his first-ever job hunt—and one in another world at that.

Chapter 3: The Giant Old Man

Even though he tried hard, Natsuki Subaru still couldn’t find a job.

Reflecting on the reasons, he figured it was probably because his strange clothing looked too out of place.

“Guess I have no choice but to go find that old man…” Subaru looked up at the setting sun and sighed at how hard it was to find a job.

This experience strengthened his resolve: once he got back home, he had to study hard.

Finding a job in a world without modern conveniences was that difficult.

If he didn’t study back home, he might just end up as a parasite living off his parents—a future Subaru absolutely didn’t want.

Subaru stood up and sighed.

To be honest, he didn’t want to trouble that old man.

The fruit vendor was a good person and willing to help him out of kindness. But Subaru couldn’t accept that kindness with a clear conscience—he needed to provide enough value to deserve it.

Subaru took out his smartphone and, after a moment of hesitation, decided to sell it.

Only by doing so could he accept the old man’s help.

With some money, at least he could pay for food and shelter for a while as he looked for his first job.

‘There must be a dark side to this world.

There’s definitely a slum area—after all, I’ve seen some beggars.

Maybe there's a place in there where I can fence the phone. But that’s too dangerous… That’ll have to be the last resort.

Then maybe I should look for a noble to sell it to instead? Hmm… Nobles…’

Thinking about how nobles were portrayed in movies and shows, Subaru decided that was still a risky option.

But the other safer options weren’t really accessible to him.

‘Guess I’ll have to look for someone who doesn’t know the item’s value but seems safe to deal with.’

With that thought, Subaru looked around at the pedestrians.

Most of them seemed like commoners—likely unable to afford the phone.

He sighed, stared at the phone in his hand, and decided it would be better to at least check out the slums.

As long as he didn’t explain the phone’s functions, no one would understand its true value.

Plus, he might not even find a fencing spot there.

Even if he did, he could always assess the risk—like whether they'd rob him—before deciding whether to hand the phone over.

Having made up his mind, Subaru found a beggar and asked where the slum was.

After getting directions, he headed that way. After walking for a while, Subaru arrived.

Walking along the dirt road, a foul stench hit his nose—probably one of the main reasons people avoided this place. Around some shabby wooden huts, he noticed several children eyeing him.

Judging by their physiques and tattered clothing, Subaru silently lamented, This really is another world.

The sight left him somewhat uncomfortable, but he understood that he couldn’t help these people.

Even if he had the power to help, he couldn’t save everyone.

That was something only the country’s rulers could deal with.

He wondered what his best friend would do in this situation.

He probably couldn’t do much either, Subaru thought.

Shaking off those thoughts, Subaru approached a weary-looking man sitting on a rock by the road.

“Hello, sir. May I ask you something?”

The man turned toward him, looked him over, and replied:

“What do you want to know?”

“Um, is there a place around here where I can fence some goods?”

“There is. Just up the hill ahead, there’s a wooden hut. That’s where Old Man Rom and Felt handle stolen goods. If you’ve got something to deal with, go find them. But listen, rich boy—you’d best stay away from this place.”

“I see. Thank you, sir.”

The man just waved a hand and turned back to his daze.

Subaru glanced at him and sighed internally before heading in the direction he was told. Before long, he arrived at the wooden hut.

Taking a deep breath, Subaru tried to calm his nerves.

He was about to step into this world’s underworld. Clenching his fists, he steeled himself.

‘Even if I run into some really bad guy, I should be able to escape. After all, the game I played wasn’t exactly peaceful—I did learn a few escape tricks.’

Subaru reached out and knocked gently on the wooden door. From inside came a voice—aged but full of energy.

“For dealing with rats.”

Subaru froze. He hadn’t expected there to be a password. And of course, he didn’t know it. Better to just explain himself.

“Um, hello. I’m here to sell something.”

There was a moment of silence.

Then, the door opened—and Subaru found himself staring at a giant! No, more accurately, a massive, over-two-meter-tall man radiating raw strength.

“Kid, you’re the one selling something?”

“Uh… yeah. Could you… not block the doorway…?”

The man didn’t respond. He just stared at Subaru for a moment, then stepped aside.

“Come in.”

Subaru’s heart pounded.

He already regretted coming here, but he was in too deep now—might as well go through with it.

Besides, someone this bulky probably wasn’t very fast.

Anxious but resolved, Subaru entered the hut under the giant’s watchful gaze.

Inside, he saw a cramped space filled with all sorts of goods. Behind him, he heard footsteps.

He quickly turned around and backed up a step, watching the towering man cautiously.

But the man didn’t attack. He just picked up a massive wooden club, walked behind a counter, and sat down.

“Alright, kid. What are you selling?”

Subaru approached the counter and sat down across from him.

After adjusting his mindset, he spoke:

“Just so we’re clear—I’ve hidden the item in a place only I know. Don’t even think about smashing me into a meat patty.”

“Who’d do that?! We’ve got rules in this business.”

“But it’s just the two of us. If you killed me, no one would know…”

“Kid, are you selling or not? If not, get out. I don’t have time for nonsense.”

Seeing the man’s displeased expression, Subaru fell silent, then began explaining his smartphone’s functions.

After the explanation, he added:

“I’m not lying about what it can do. I’ll show you a demonstration after we come to an agreement.”

“Hmm… Sounds like some kind of Metia. If what you say is true, it’s probably worth ten gold coins—no, maybe twenty. If the right buyer shows up, it could even fetch a higher price.”

Chapter 4: Felt

"But that’s only if this thing actually exists. Though you do look pretty fair-skinned and tender like a noble, nobles aren’t as stupid as you."

"Ah! You just called me stupid, didn’t you?! Sure, I’m not a noble, but I’m definitely not stupid!" Natsuki Subaru slammed the table hard, clearly annoyed at being called dumb.

"You may have had the sense to hide the item before coming here to negotiate, but if someone were to just grab you and torture you a bit, a soft-skinned kid like you wouldn’t last long."

The old giant spread his arms as he expressed his thoughts.

But just as he finished speaking, another loud slam hit the table—and now, a small white box lay on top.

"Sorry, I’m even dumber than you think." Subaru flashed a dazzling white smile and gave a thumbs-up to the old man.

The old man fell silent upon hearing this.

Subaru said nothing more and picked up his phone to snap a photo of the giant old man. Since it was still daylight, the flash didn’t activate.

"This is the ‘magic’ I was talking about."

"A Metia?"

"Yeah, yeah, that’s right—it's a Metia. So, when do I get my twenty gold coins?"

Subaru placed the phone on the table and slid it over to the old man.

The man stared deeply at Subaru, then picked up the phone and scrutinized the image.

After a long silence, he finally spoke.

"You should be glad you’re doing business with me."

"I may look weak—well, I am weak—but I do have some skill at running away.

Besides, ever since I stepped through that door, your whole vibe’s been more good guy than bad.

Even if you’re not a good guy, you’re at least not evil. So I figured I didn’t need to hide anything."

"Hmph… I don’t even know how to describe you." The giant old man pushed the phone back across the table.

"Take it back. I don’t have that many holy gold coins on me."

"Hey, come on! This is the only valuable thing I’ve got! Even if you can’t give me twenty gold, at least take it off my hands for something!"

"Then how about five gold coins?"

"How long can you live here on five gold coins?"

"Ten gold is enough for a whole family for a year. Wait a minute—do you seriously not know anything at all?!"

Seeing the shocked expression on the man’s face, Subaru laughed.

"That’s not important. Let’s just settle on five gold coins, alright?"

"..."

Watching the silent old man, Subaru crossed his arms in annoyance.

"You’re not gonna say you don’t even have five gold coins, are you? Or are you thinking about just killing me and taking it?"

"I’ll give you ten gold coins. By the way, kid—what’s your name?"

"Natsuki Subaru. Since I told you mine, how about telling me yours, old man?"

"Just call me Old Man Rom. That’s what everyone around here calls me. And I gotta say, I owe you for bringing me a small fortune."

"No big deal. We’re all just trying to survive out here." Subaru waved his hand nonchalantly, not caring at all about selling the phone at a loss.

To him, it was just a stopgap—he really wanted to try working part-time in another world.

Then, when he went back home, he’d already have experience balancing school and work.

Old Man Rom laughed and poured Subaru a cup of milk.

"You’re the strangest kid I’ve seen in all my years. Here, drink up—you’ve earned it."

"Saying someone else is strange... I think you are the strange one, Old Man Rom. You make a living fencing stolen goods, but you act like a decent person. I like that about you, though."

The two shared a laugh. Subaru took a sip of the milk and was just about to explain how the phone worked and what its weaknesses were when there was a knock at the door.

"A customer?"

"Probably that girl Felt. Hold on, I’ll get it."

Subaru slowly drank his milk as Rom walked toward the door.

Watching the giant man’s massive figure again reminded Subaru of the intimidating aura Rom gave off.

Still, he’d seen worse—much worse—in that game world.

There were even weaker-looking enemies who were far more dangerous, not to mention creatures that were straight-up inhuman.

"How do you deal with rats?"

"With poison."

"How do you deal with white whales?"

"With a fish hook."

"And how do someone like us deal with noble dragons?"

"Feed ‘em crap!"

Sitting by the counter and overhearing the exchange, Subaru almost choked on his drink. What kind of ridiculous password system is that?! He had expected something with a little class, not… this.

He set his cup down just as Rom opened the door and stepped aside to let in a cute blonde girl with red eyes.

She was dressed in rather skimpy clothing—clearly too poor to afford much fabric.

"Rom, who’s this guy?"

"Him? He’s a customer of mine. A dumb one who just handed me something worth more than twenty gold coins."

"Hey hey hey! I’m sitting right here, Rom! You really gonna ruin my first impression like that in front of this unknown, blonde-haired girl? There goes my dashing introduction!"

"You never had a good impression to begin with. My first impression of you was just ‘idiot.’"

"What an utterly un-cute girl," Subaru said, shrugging as he continued to drink his milk.

He had to admit, the milk in this world tasted pretty good… although, he couldn’t quite be sure if it really was milk.

"Alright, Felt. Did you get your target?" Rom asked as he shut the door.

He returned to the counter and refilled Subaru’s glass.

Apparently reassured by Rom’s behavior, the girl—Felt—let her guard down and sat down one seat away from Subaru.

From her pocket, she pulled out a triangular black emblem with a glowing red gem in the center, ringed by golden dragon motifs.

It looked stunningly ornate.

"Of course I got it. That client of mine was just too clingy. If it weren’t for that, I’d have been back even sooner. But it’s fine—by now, the buyer should be on their way."

Subaru quietly sipped his milk. Whatever they were discussing had nothing to do with him.

He was just waiting to get his ten gold coins, show how the phone worked, and then leave.

"So, what did this guy trade with you to earn you twenty gold coins?" Felt asked.

"That Metia on the table."

"This thing’s a Metia? Never seen one like it before."

"First time for me too. But based on its function, it’s definitely worth around twenty coins—maybe even more."

"Wow, this guy really is a dumbass."

Listening to their conversation, Subaru put down his cup, declined Rom’s offer for a refill, and said:

"Can you stop calling me that already? How about saying I’m a handsome messenger of fortune instead?"

"Messenger of fortune, huh? Not bad. Too bad you don’t look the part—you don’t look like a messenger or a kid."

"The important part is the ‘handsome,’ not the ‘kid’!" Subaru sighed and decided to stop caring about titles.

He was just about to explain the phone’s functionality to Rom when—once again—there was a knock at the door.

The words were stuck in his throat.

He opened his mouth but couldn’t get anything out.

"Must be my client. I’ll go answer it."

Chapter Five: The Battle Begins

Natsuki Subaru looked at Felt, who had jumped down from the chair.

He didn’t concern himself with what she was doing—after all, she was dealing with her own guest.

He and Old Man Rom would just handle their own matters.

“Come on, Old Man Rom, let me explain how to use this cellphone.”

“Let’s talk about it later. I still need to keep an eye on Felt.” Subaru saw Old Man Rom’s hand twitch, and knew he must have gripped that huge wooden club.

“Old Man Rom, what’s your relationship with Felt? You seem to really care about her.”

“Felt’s a child I’ve watched grow up. So sorry, kid, but just wait a little, would you?” As he said this, Old Man Rom poured more milk into Subaru’s cup.

Looking at the brimming cup of milk, Subaru sighed and decided to just drink and wait.

It wasn’t like the phone was going to run away.

With that in mind, Subaru picked up the cup to enjoy the milk slowly when Felt’s voice came from behind him.

“Ugh… It’s you? You’re really persistent!”

Hearing this, Subaru turned around, resting one hand on the table and looking toward the doorway.

There stood an extraordinarily beautiful girl, with long white hair and purple eyes.

Though she was stunning, it was nothing special—after all, that game world was full of handsome men and beautiful women.

At least, it should have been like that.

Yet Subaru’s heart suddenly started racing, making him uncomfortable.

His gaze was one of admiration and curiosity, so there should’ve been no reason for his heart to pound.

Why, then, did it feel like it was thumping just like a little bunny’s heart?

Subaru’s expression became guarded.

This feeling had occurred in the game as well—when encountering people with charm-related abilities.

But it didn’t quite make sense. The girl looked like a naive, sweet type.

He took a small sip of milk to calm his heart and silently observed the situation unfold.

“I finally found you. Give me back what you took—it’s something very important to me.”

“Well, you should’ve kept better watch over it. I got it, so it’s mine now.”

Upon hearing this, the white-haired girl raised her hand, and her expression turned cold. Around her, ice spears began to form.

“Then I’ll have to use force to take it back.”

Seeing this, Subaru finally understood.

The white-haired girl standing at the door might appear cold and ready to attack, but she was no different from the one in the game—the girl who could’ve killed him but let him go with an excuse, and who even stepped in when he was on the verge of death.

While Subaru remained calm, Old Man Rom, who was behind the counter, stood up. Looking at the girl at the door, he murmured:

“White hair… Elf magic… Are you a half-elf…? Girl, what’s your relation to the Witch?”

“No relation. I just look like her. That resemblance causes me a lot of trouble too!” The white-haired girl waved her hand with a frown, clearly indicating how troubled she was.

“Felt, return the item to this girl.”

“Huh? Old Man Rom, whose side are you on!? Whatever, the item’s mine now!”

“Felt!”

Old Man Rom shouted loudly, causing Felt to hesitate.

From his tone, it was clear he was serious.

“Well, I don’t know how much what you stole is worth, but if it’s returning it to her, then just do it. Besides, the deal I made with Old Man Rom was about you. It’s no different, right?”

After Subaru said this, Felt reluctantly muttered:

“Fine, but watch your stuff better next time, or I’ll steal it again.” With that, Felt began to take out the stolen item.

Just when everyone thought things had calmed down, Subaru—mid-sip of milk—suddenly widened his eyes and shouted while spraying milk from his mouth:

“Behind you! Watch out!”

The white-haired girl turned around upon hearing his shout.

A glowing curved blade was coming down on her.

At the critical moment, a shield of ice rose to block the blade’s path.

With a sharp clang, an ice spear immediately shot out at the attacker.

The woman dodged and flipped over the white-haired girl, landing in the middle of the room.

“Phew, thanks, kid.” A white cat poked its head out from the white-haired girl’s hair and thanked Subaru.

He responded with—

“Cough, cough, cough.” Subaru coughed while covering his mouth with one hand and waved with the other.

“Wait! Weren’t you here to buy the badge!?” Felt shouted, though she also took a step back.

The woman in the room, now surrounded by everyone, wore a smile and brandished her curved blade.

Every motion of hers, from her gaze to her steps, radiated undisguised killing intent.

“As expected of slum trash. You couldn’t even handle a simple task and let the owner follow you here. Oh well, guess I’ll have to kill everyone here now.”

Wearing a black cloak and with short black hair, the woman was indeed beautiful, but her words sent chills down everyone’s spines.

“Wha…?”

“Curved blade, black hair… You’re the Kingdom’s wanted criminal—The Bowel Hunter!”

“Cough, I appreciate the introduction, Old Man Rom. But shouldn’t you be grabbing your weapon by now?” As he spoke, Subaru got off the chair, muscles tense, staring at the enemy.

Old Man Rom also stepped out from behind the counter, wielding a massive club.

“Can I have a weapon?”

“Can you fight?”

“Nope. But at least I can try to put up a little resistance.”

“It’s so rude to leave your guest aside and chat so happily over there.

And that boy really understands me well~~ I’m curious to see what color your intestines are. Today’s going to be a wonderful day~~”

Subaru smiled bitterly and accepted the shield and sword that Old Man Rom took down from the wall.

“I don’t understand you.

I’m just sensitive to your undisguised bloodlust.

But compared to others I’ve felt, yours is a bit weaker.

Also, my intestines have no desire to meet the outside world, so I’ll pass on your kind offer.”

With that, Subaru held the shield in one hand and assumed a defensive stance, facing the black-haired woman.

“Hey, little miss, if possible, could you let my precious daughter go? Then we wouldn’t have to fight.”

“Sorry, I refuse. It’s not just because of the job—I also want to see what a spirit’s intestines look like.”

“Puck!”

“Looks like there’s no other way. Then, little girl, I wish you luck.” The white cat called Puck adorably raised a paw as if bidding farewell to the black-haired woman.

It would’ve looked cute if not for the massive ice spear forming above.

The moment Puck finished speaking, the battle began.

The current situation: four people and a cat versus one person.

Chapter Six is Still Ongoing

As Puck launched his attack, Subaru Natsuki saw a floating little cat in mid-air, raising its calculating hands... or rather a pair of front paws, continuously firing off densely packed icicles.

From the smile on its face, it was clear that the cat wasn't the slightest bit nervous—it looked like... or rather, it was just playing around.

In contrast, the woman whom Old Man Rom called the "Bowel Hunter" was incredibly agile, moving around the small wooden house in a way that didn’t seem human.

She darted about, occasionally using the curved blade in her hand to shatter the icicles.

More importantly, she also had a smile on her face, as if enjoying the fight itself.

While the person and cat fought, they also continued to chat in casual tones, like two friends having a decent conversation.

Watching the fight, Subaru realized he had absolutely no chance to intervene—not that he ever intended to in the first place.

He had taken the sword and shield only for self-defense and to help someone if things got critical.

"Old Man Rom, I think after this fight, you probably won’t have a place to live."

"Is now really the time to be saying that? You sure don’t seem the least bit nervous."

"Watching their battle from the sidelines feels just like a game—seriously, no tension at all. Also, looks like the cat has the upper hand right now."

Just as Subaru said this, he saw the Bowel Hunter pause, and Puck’s medium-pitched voice reached everyone’s ears.

"Well then, goodbye, little lady!"

A massive ice pillar shot toward the Bowel Hunter, but at the last moment, the woman dodged the attack.

"To be honest, I really don’t like it when girls do things like that."

The Bowel Hunter was balancing on one foot—the one that had been frozen earlier.

To escape, she had used her blade to slice off part of her own sole.

Everyone watching widened their eyes in horror, a wave of revulsion welling up from deep inside. At this moment, Subaru suddenly spoke.

"Hey, little cat over there—your name’s Puck, right?"

"That’s right, little bro. My name is Puck—I'm the father of the girl behind me, y’know."

"Though there’s a lot I could complain about in that sentence... Could you maybe stop playing around? She’s really dangerous."

Subaru said this with a serious expression.

A person who could be so cruel to herself definitely wasn’t someone to be taken lightly.

Meanwhile, the woman had already crafted an ice shoe on the spot and stuck it to her foot with a smile.

"Little bro, you’re right. Looks like I’ll have to get serious."

As those words fell, the now-serious Puck revealed his overwhelming power. The entire room was filled with icicles surrounding the Bowel Hunter.

In the next moment, they all shot out at once.

A white mist then obscured the view.

From behind Subaru, Old Man Rom shouted:

"Did you get her?!"

"Hey hey hey! This is not the time to say stuff like that!"

"Ahhh~ That felt amazing. Well then, let’s move on to round two~~"

The Bowel Hunter’s cheerful voice came from within the mist.

When it cleared, she was standing there without her cloak.

"That last attack was really dangerous. If not for my cloak being able to block one magic attack, I think I’d be dead by now."

"I’d love to finish her off, but that move used up all my mana."

Yawning, Puck floated into the white-haired girl’s palm and said:

"If you’re ever in danger, make sure to summon me—even if it costs energy. Now I’ll go take a nap."

"Okay, go rest, Puck."

"Little bro over there, I’m counting on you to take care of my daughter."

Puck suddenly addressed Subaru, which caught him off guard.

"Sorry, I might not be able to. I’m really weak. Instead of relying on me, you’re better off asking Old Man Rom."

"What, it’s over already? That’s a shame—I wanted to see what a spirit’s insides looked like."

The Bowel Hunter, staring at Puck as he faded away, looked genuinely disappointed.

"Little bro may be weak, but he’s clever and perceptive. So, I’m counting on you guys."

Before Subaru could say anything, Puck’s figure vanished.

And then came another dangerous line from the Bowel Hunter.

"Though one of you is gone, the rest of you are still here. Let’s start with the half-elf."

Subaru watched the Bowel Hunter rush toward the white-haired girl.

Compared to the previous fight, there was no energy or excitement—she couldn’t keep up with the Bowel Hunter’s speed and could only block attacks without counterattacking.

"Little bro, what do we do? This doesn’t look good!"

Felt, hiding beside Old Man Rom, asked frantically.

But Subaru didn’t have a good answer. He wasn’t some human combat expert.

"Even if you ask me... there’s really no way.

The safest plan now is for one person to go for reinforcements.

There are still guards in the royal capital. We’ll have to rely on them to catch this twisted woman."

The plan sounded reasonable, but Felt had no idea how long they could hold out.

And more importantly, who should go?

"Then little bro, you go! You were dragged into this. If anyone should run, it’s you."

Hearing that, Subaru turned and looked at Felt. Seeing her guilty expression, he turned back and replied:

"If you feel guilty, then don’t do this kind of shady work again. Besides, I’m older than you. You’re the youngest, so logically, you should be the one running. I’m an outsider—there’s a real chance I’ll get lost on the way. So, you’re the best choice."

"But..."

Before Felt could finish, a white blur slammed into the counter.

"Felt! Listen to him! There’s no time to hesitate. Plus, you’re fast! Go now!"

Seeing the white-haired girl losing, Old Man Rom immediately charged forward with his massive club.

"Old Man Rom!!"

"What are you crying about?! Just go! If you really don’t want me to die, then run like your life depends on it!!"

Subaru’s shout snapped Felt back to her senses.

Gritting her teeth, she ran for the door.

At that moment, the Bowel Hunter, who was tearing up the living room, suddenly threw her curved blade toward the defenseless Felt.

Without thinking, Subaru ran forward into the blade’s trajectory and raised his shield to block the flying weapon.

"Run! Don’t just stand there!"

Felt stopped briefly, eyes reddening.

She left only the words, "Don’t die," before running out the door.

"To think you’d discard your weapon while fighting me! Pay the price for your arrogance!"

"I’ve still got more weapons, and besides—I don’t feel like dancing with you anymore. I’m actually a little angry now!"

From who-knows-where, the Bowel Hunter pulled out two new curved blades.

Dodging Rom’s attack, she jumped into the air and swung both blades at the back of his neck.

Just as Rom had no time to react, a longsword came spinning through the air and struck the Bowel Hunter’s weapon.

Though she blocked it with one blade, the interruption gave Rom just enough time to dive forward.

Though his neck was still slashed, the wound wasn’t deep.

Falling to the ground, the Bowel Hunter’s ever-present smile vanished.

She looked at Subaru, who had grabbed another longsword from the wall, and said:

"You’ve really pissed me off."

Facing her words, Subaru stepped slowly over to Rom’s side and said with a smile:

"Well, I’m really sorry about that. But I promise—I’ll do it again. And Rom! Don’t just lie there! I definitely can’t beat her on my own!"

"You saved my life."

Rom got up, touched the back of his neck, and looked at the blood on his hand.

With a grim expression, he picked up his giant club and resolutely said:

"You should go. I can still stall her for a while. Just... take care of Felt for me."

"If there’s something you want to do, go do it. I’m not leaving you behind."

Chapter 7 End

"You guys ignoring me like this, isn’t that a bit much? You let one get away just now—now, none of you are going anywhere."

Upon hearing this, Old Man Rom and Subaru Natsuki stopped arguing at the same time.

The Bowel Hunter standing before them was not someone they could afford to ignore.

Rather than continuing to debate whether to flee or not, it was better to focus on surviving against this overwhelmingly powerful woman.

"Is it really necessary to kill us all? Felt has already gone to get reinforcements. If you don’t leave now, you might not be able to later."

Subaru smiled as he tried to persuade her to leave.

But instead of compromise, he got a cold response.

"Dealing with the two of you won’t take long. I’ll kill you both, and then I’ll leave."

"Should I say you’re confident, or just arrogant?" Subaru glanced toward the counter and shouted:

"Now!"

As soon as Subaru shouted, Old Man Rom rushed forward again.

Facing the fierce charge, the Bowel Hunter casually shattered the ice spikes shot at her from the side.

After doing so, she glanced at the white-haired girl behind the counter before charging at Rom again.

The two were once more entangled in fierce combat, leaving the white-haired girl unable to offer effective support.

‘So it really isn’t that easy, huh…’ Subaru adjusted his position, ready to jump in and disrupt the Bowel Hunter’s attacks at any moment.

Facing such an agile opponent, the already injured and aging Old Man Rom clearly wouldn’t last long.

Just as Subaru had feared, Rom’s speed and strength began to fade, and his breathing grew more labored.

Subaru kept a close eye on the fight, gripping his weapon tightly, muscles tense.

They just had to hold on until reinforcements arrived. Then they’d be safe.

So long as they could support each other, this was still possible.

Subaru only hoped the girl behind the counter could be of some help—even just a little.

With that thought, he sprang into action at the right moment.

Rom, fatigued from prolonged combat, exposed an opening that the Bowel Hunter immediately seized.

She noticed Subaru charging from the side but didn’t hesitate—her curved blade continued swinging toward Rom.

Subaru, who had already closed the distance, swung his longsword toward the Bowel Hunter. If she didn’t pull back, her arm would be severed by Subaru’s sword.

"Subaru, watch out!" Surprisingly, it was Rom, who should’ve been the one under threat, who shouted for Subaru to be careful.

But it was already too late.

The Bowel Hunter’s other curved blade flew toward Rom.

The one aimed at Rom abruptly twisted mid-air to intercept Subaru’s sword.

Subaru’s pupils widened—he had underestimated the strength of the Bowel Hunter.

He’d assumed she was all agility, but the force behind her strike sent his sword flying and knocked him backward.

Time seemed to slow in Subaru’s eyes as the curved blade came slashing toward his stomach.

He quickly raised his shield to block the attack. It worked, but only barely—it deflected the blade just slightly. His clothing at the abdomen was torn open.

Before the pain could even register, a long leg struck Subaru’s neck, sending him flying to the side.

Subaru tumbled across the ground several times.

Lying there, he could feel the pain in his neck and abdomen. Warm blood flowed from his stomach.

He didn’t need to look to know it was his own.

Enduring the pain in his neck, Subaru looked toward the Bowel Hunter.

She had already retreated several steps and caught her curved blade, now raised high in her hand.

"Kid! Are you okay?!"

Subaru looked at Rom, who had retreated to his side, and said bitterly:

"Ah… still hanging in there… But at this rate, I don’t think we’ll last much longer…"

"Missy over there, thanks for saving me. But now I need you to take this kid and run. We can’t hold out much longer." Rom looked solemnly at the Bowel Hunter.

If not for the white-haired girl behind the counter, he would probably already be lying dead on the floor.

"But what about you?"

"Now’s not the time to hesitate, young lady. You’re kind-hearted, and I apologize for associating you with the witch earlier. But now, please take Subaru and go. I’ll buy you time!"

With those words, Rom charged forward again.

The white-haired girl looked at Rom’s reckless charge, then at Subaru lying on the floor. Gritting her teeth, she ran to his side and helped him up.

"You must hold on."

She lifted Subaru and prepared to leave, but he pushed her away.

"What are you doing?! We need to go!"

Subaru glanced at the anxious white-haired girl, turned around, and picked up the shield that had fallen to the floor.

"If we’re going to leave, we all leave together. If not, then you and Rom should go, and I’ll cover the retreat. Rom can’t die here—Felt would be devastated.

If I’m the one who dies, no one will be sad, so I can’t go."

"What are you talking about?! Don’t you have family?!"

"I do. But if I leave Rom behind now, I’ll live in guilt for the rest of my life."

Subaru moved his feet forward, enduring the pain in his neck and stomach, eyes filled with fierce resolve as he charged.

With each step, he left a trail of blood.

"Ah, how touching. Then I’ll just send you all off together for a reunion."

"Subaru, just go!!"

"Shut up! If you have something you want to do, do it yourself! I’m not going to take care of Felt for you.

Live and take care of her yourself! Who could just watch someone throw their life away like that?!"

Shouting these words, Subaru raised his shield and charged at the Bowel Hunter.

She narrowed her eyes, once again annoyed by how troublesome Subaru was.

Ice spikes flew past Subaru and shot toward the Bowel Hunter.

She tried to dodge, but Rom’s massive club blocked her escape. Subaru charged head-on, shield-first.

The Bowel Hunter gave up on blocking the non-lethal ice attacks.

She stepped toward Subaru, dodging Rom’s strike.

As she was hit by Subaru’s shield, several wounds from the ice appeared on her body.

Subaru continued pushing her back with his shield. The Bowel Hunter swung her curved blade at Rom’s neck.

Seeing this, Subaru stopped and threw his shield at her arm, knocking her strike off-course and saving Rom’s life once again. But now, Subaru was left defenseless.

The injured Bowel Hunter glared viciously at Subaru and brought her blade down upon him.

"—This is the end!"

Chapter 8 – Natsuki Subaru Dies

Suddenly a man fell from the sky and crashed through the ceiling landed between Natsuki Subaru and the Bowel Hunter with overwhelming force.

As the dust settled and Subaru opened his eyes, he saw a man with red hair dressed in an elegant white outfit.

The red-haired man, with his back to Subaru, turned around with a smile and said,

“You’ve done well. Leave the rest to me.”

Just one glance was enough for Subaru to be sure—this guy was definitely a protagonist.

He was handsome, powerful, and exuded a reassuring sense of righteousness.

“Then I’ll leave it to you. Be careful—she’s strong.”

“Thanks for the warning. I’ll take this seriously. You should rest now.”

“Let’s go, Subaru,” said Old Man Rom as he carried Subaru over to the white-haired girl and gently laid him down.

“Rom-jii! Thank goodness you’re okay!”

A voice from the doorway made Rom look back.

It was Felt, her eyes red as she ran in with a relieved smile.

Before Rom could say anything, she saw the battered Subaru lying on the ground.

She rushed to his side, knelt down, and asked in a panic,

“Hey, you’re still alive, right?!”

“As the guy who saved your grandpa multiple times, I’d really like proper treatment. Otherwise, I might actually run out of breath here.”

“Thank goodness… You’re okay,” Felt said with a smile. Her smile brought Subaru peace.

He now understood why his close friend had fought so desperately.

Fighting for such a smile—it wasn’t a bad feeling. It was fulfilling.

“You’re really reckless,” Subaru muttered, watching the white-haired girl kneel beside him and place her hands gently on his abdomen.

A white light blossomed in her palms, and his wounds began to heal.

“Thanks.”

“I should be the one thanking you. If it weren’t for you, that old man and I wouldn’t have made it. So this is something I must do.”

Subaru smiled but said nothing more. Instead, he turned to Rom.

“Rom-jii, help me up. I want to see their fight.”

“No. Just lie still and receive treatment!”

“He’s right, Subaru. Just rest.”

Despite their protests, Subaru refused.

He just couldn’t rest easy.

“Please, Rom-jii.”

Having been saved by Subaru multiple times, Rom couldn’t refuse.

He owed Subaru too much. So he helped him up so he could watch the battle between the red-haired man and the Bowel Hunter.

“If I’m not mistaken, he’s the Sword Saint of the Kingdom. So you can relax, Subaru.”

Just as Rom said, the red-haired man stood in the center of the room, easily fending off all the Bowel Hunter’s attacks.

He did it so effortlessly that Subaru’s belief that this man was the protagonist grew even stronger.

“He doesn’t seem like he’ll run out of power like Puck, right?”

“I’m not sure what you mean by running out of power, but if it’s him, no one can defeat him,” the white-haired girl explained.

“Then why doesn’t he just finish her off? He’s toying with her. It feels unreliable, just like Puck.”

“Probably because I’m healing you. If he goes all out, the mana in the air will be drawn to him.”

“Then can you hurry up?”

“Geez, I’m already doing my best! Just stay still!”

Subaru nodded helplessly, staying quiet as he continued to watch the fight. The more he watched, the more he realized how powerful both fighters were. If Felt hadn’t brought help, they would’ve all died.

Time ticked by. Eventually, the white-haired girl said,

“It’s done.”

The red-haired man, upon hearing this, forced the Bowel Hunter back with a single strike and said,

“Let’s end this farce. I’d appreciate it if you surrendered.”

“Do you think that’s even possible now?”

“Then, I’m sorry,” said the red-haired man, announcing his name and title.

“Reinhard van Astrea, Sword Saint of the Kingdom.”

“Elsa Granhiert, the Bowel Hunter.”

As they exchanged names, Reinhard raised his ordinary-looking sword.

Mana from the air gathered around it, and it emitted a blinding light, dimming everything else around them.

As he swung the sword down, Subaru closed his eyes to avoid being blinded.

A thunderous sound followed—and then silence.

When Subaru opened his eyes, everything in front of Reinhard was gone. The entire wooden house was obliterated—there would be no salvaging it.

Looking at Reinhard’s sword, which was now turning to ash, Subaru murmured in awe,

“He’s strong… So it’s over now, right?”

“Yeah, it’s over. But I only came to finish it off. Without you, she would’ve gotten away.”

Subaru smiled at Reinhard’s humble words and said,

“I wish I had your strength. Then I wouldn’t be this beaten up.”

With Rom’s support, Subaru stood and walked toward the red-haired man.

“You’re wrong. Even without power, you’re already strong person. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Reinhard van Astrea.”

“Being too humble can discourage others, you know? I’m Natsuki Subaru.”

“I see. Then I apologize if I’ve offended you, Subaru.”

“Even if it’s true, hearing it still stings…” Subaru began to express his thanks—but suddenly, a soft sound interrupted them, and Reinhard’s expression turned tense.

“Watch out!”

Everyone was shocked.

Subaru quickly turned toward Felt and the white-haired girl.

Thankfully, he hadn’t gone far due to his weakness.

The heavily wounded Bowel Hunter was charging at the white-haired girl, brandishing her curved blade.

At the last moment, Subaru used the last of his strength to push her out of the way.

“Damn it! How long are you going to get in my way?! Whatever… you’ve paid the price now.”

The Bowel Hunter left behind chilling words:

“Take good care of your guts. Someday I’ll come back and split them all open.”

She fled.

Reinhard tried to chase her, but stopped at the sound of everyone’s cries.

He rushed back to Subaru’s side.

Subaru lay on the ground, coughing blood. His breathing grew weak.

Everyone looked at him, nearly sliced in two, their eyes filled with sorrow.

Amidst the voices calling to him, Subaru smiled weakly and said to Reinhard in a faint voice,

“Reinhard… better stay less humble… next time…”

Before he could finish, Subaru’s life came to an end.

“I will, Subaru. Even though we didn’t know each other long, I’ll never forget your words. I won’t let this happen again.”

“Why…! You’re the Sword Saint! Why did Subaru have to die?! Why did you let her escape?!”

“Felt…” Rom gently called out to her, who was gripping Reinhard’s collar.

Then, without stopping her, he walked to the counter, picked up the cellphone lying there, returned to Subaru’s side, and placed it on his chest.

He lifted Subaru’s now-cold hand and placed it over the phone.

“Thank you, Subaru… This is your belonging—take it with you at the end.”

Chapter 9: Ability

"Did I die...? If I died, then why do I still have consciousness?"

Surrounded by complete darkness, he couldn’t feel the existence of his body.

Subaru Natsuki couldn’t make sense of what was happening, and indeed, he literally couldn't wrap his head around it.

Just as Subaru was about to continue pondering philosophical questions, a voice—so vague it was barely audible—came from behind.

Come to think of it, it was strange.

Even though he couldn’t see anything or feel his body, his consciousness could clearly tell that the voice came from behind.

At the very moment the thought of “behind” arose in his mind, Subaru’s consciousness was suddenly cut off.

“Stop sleeping. Get up.”

Hearing the voice, Subaru Natsuki slowly opened his eyes.

He looked around in confusion.

No matter how he looked at it, this was just an ordinary, unremarkable room.

He was currently lying on the only bed in this room.

Getting up from the bed, Subaru looked toward the source of the voice.

He saw a shadowy figure sitting there.

Other than the silhouette, nothing could be discerned—but Subaru was familiar with that figure.

“You finally showed up. Do you have any idea that you sent me to the wrong place? Hurry up and send me back. Someone like you shouldn’t be the kind to go back on their word!”

Subaru walked over and sat down at the table in front of the figure.

He glanced at the hot tea on the table, then looked around the room again—seeing that besides him and the other person, there was no one else—before picking up the teacup and taking a sip.

“I did indeed send you back. It’s just that someone else pulled you over there again.”

“Hah?” Subaru put down the teacup in confusion and gave the other person a look, signaling them to explain.

But the person didn’t say a word. This made Subaru realize that they wouldn’t explain anything.

Since he couldn’t make them talk, Subaru gave up on questioning and changed the subject.

“So, are you here to send me back this time?”

“Nope. I just came to give you your gift.”

“Are you kidding me?!”

“I’m not joking. I really did send you back as promised. But you got taken away by someone else—that’s not my responsibility anymore.”

Hearing that, Subaru clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and asked, trying to suppress his emotions:

“Then what do I have to do to get back...?”

“Take a guess~~~”

“I already knew you were twisted, but you really have a terrible sense of humor.”

Subaru finished the tea in his cup and suddenly remembered something.

“If you're not sending me back, does that mean I’m going to be resurrected back into that other world?”

“No. You should remember what ability you got in the game, right?”

“Yeah. Save point. The trigger condition is death.”

“Right. That’s the ability you got in the game, and it only worked inside the game.

But the person who pulled you into the other world gave you the same kind of ability.

So you don’t need me to revive you.

I said from the beginning, the reason I pulled you here was just to deliver a gift.

But because of all this mess, the original gift I prepared won’t be of any use to you now, so I switched it for a new one.”

“What gift?”

“You’ll find out in a moment. You can leave now.”

“Wait! No matter what, at least tell me how I can get back!”

“Sigh, you’re really persistent. Well then, just keep living over there for now. When I feel like it, I’ll send you back. Bye-bye.”

Before Subaru could stop him, the surroundings suddenly changed again.

In a world of blank white, a floating window appeared before Subaru.

Just by seeing the window, Subaru understood what his gift was.

Simply put, it was something that could enhance him—much like a system in a novel.

Enhancing himself required points, and points would only refresh after dying and returning. Also, this thing only appeared after death.

It was like it was encouraging him to die more.

Thinking that, Subaru let out a sigh and began to seriously examine the features on the screen.

It was a very basic, standard point-allocation system.

The options available were Strength, Defense, Agility, and Superpower.

Below these four options, there were a few other categories as well.

“Mana capacity? What’s that? Whatever, I’ll look at the others... Hmm... ‘Gate Quality’? That’s it?! That’s all?!”

Subaru looked at the panel in frustration and sighed.

“Forget it. Anyway, he said earlier that the person who dragged me into the other world gave me the same save-point ability from the game.

I wonder if it’s every two hours like in the game.

Ah! I forgot to ask how many times I can die! In the game I only had 20 save-point uses... hopefully it’s not too few.

Considering the Bowel Hunter’s abilities, and since I don’t even know how much the stats will boost me—”

“I guess I’ll put points in Agility. That way I can at least rescue myself and dodge attacks like in that situation earlier.”

Thinking that, Subaru reached out and tapped Agility.

Of the 50 points available, 10 disappeared.

A white bar appeared in the Agility section.

He tapped again, and another 20 points disappeared. The bar grew slightly longer.

Subaru frowned—it felt like he’d seen this point-allocation style somewhere before.

After thinking for a while, Subaru suddenly widened his eyes.

“Isn’t this the stat screen from a certain atelier game?! This... that was from an eroge! Was it really necessary to be this lazy?!”

Feeling conflicted, Subaru finally understood what this thing was.

He sighed and then allocated two points to Defense.

After using up all his points, Subaru blankly pressed the "Deploy" button in the top right corner.

His consciousness was suddenly cut off again.

Subaru opened his eyes wide and clutched his stomach, collapsing to his knees. Pain flooded his mind.

Kneeling on the ground for a while, Subaru finally caught his breath and slumped down onto the ground.

Looking up at the blue sky with white clouds drifting across it, he let out a dry laugh.

“I feel like the world’s out to get me... This ability is way worse than a proper save system. What kind of system makes you still feel the pain of dying even after returning to a save point?!

Who dies with a fully aware consciousness of pain?! Making someone consciously experience the pain of death—it’s like a personal attack!”

After a bit of complaining, Subaru stood up and looked around.

He realized he was back at the place he had been before heading to the slums.

He checked his pocket—his phone was still there, and his clothes were intact.

Most of it was still like in the game. Other than that one annoying issue, it wasn’t too bad...

Subaru couldn’t help but remember how he had used that ability in the game to get his best friend all the way to the final round.

But... even though his best friend knew Subaru could use save points, he never allowed him to use them lightly.

Every use came only after the friend had died.

Subaru had asked, “Why did you save me?! You know my ability! That means you didn’t have to die!”

His friend had answered:

"Do you even need to ask? What’s wrong with saving someone?

Just because you have this kind of ability doesn’t mean I should just stand there and let you die.

That would be wrong.

Even if you have that kind of ability, you shouldn’t treat your life like it’s expendable. If you still don’t get it, I don’t mind punching some sense into you.”

“Ah... even a twisted god is encouraging me to treat my life like a disposable item... You’re the only one who ever valued every single life so much. And in the end, during the final match, that white-haired, red-clothed bastard just forfeited.”

Subaru took a deep breath and patted his cheeks.

“Subaru Natsuki has resurrected! Now begins a new journey!”

With that loud declaration, Subaru stepped forward and left that place.

In his eyes appeared the back of his best friend—and Subaru smiled faintly as he ran toward that figure.

Extra: His Encounter with Him Natsuki Subaru was living in disgrace, fearing death, displaying a form so ugly one could hardly bear to look at it—even crying in pain, even begging and pleading.

Yet, Natsuki Subaru still could not escape from this so-called game.

Natsuki Subaru was just an ordinary person.

At most, he exercised regularly, and his physical abilities were slightly above the average person's, but in this place, he was still nothing more than an ordinary person.

On this island of unknown size, Natsuki Subaru had already seen far too many dead bodies.

He had also seen many individuals with extraordinary powers—people who could break a one-meter-thick tree with a single punch, or leave a crater in the ground with a single kick. These were inhuman beings in human form.

“This is a nightmare! I don’t want any superpowers, I don’t want to go to another world, I don’t want any wish—just let me go back... just let me go back. I don’t want to die anymore...”

On the verge of a breakdown, Natsuki Subaru curled up under a tree.

Curled into a ball, he looked like a quivering lump of flesh.

Given the circumstances, this was hardly surprising.

When one dies, pain is often no longer felt—not because it doesn’t exist, but because the brain can no longer process the signals properly.

But for those other people, death meant the end.

They could not come back.

He was different.

For him, the pain of dying would all hit him again when he revived.

Natsuki Subaru had never endured that kind of agony before.

After just three times, he had gone from being full of determination to complete mental collapse.

This game, orchestrated by some so-called god, was both absurd and horrifyingly brutal.

Many of the people here looked like heroes or good people on the surface, but there was only one prize.

And so, people from different worlds began to fight—for that one wish, for the sake of their own worlds.

Killing and being killed repeated endlessly.

If you refused to kill, you’d simply be killed.

In this place, kindness and conscience had no right to exist.

“Are you alright?”

Subaru stopped trembling.

His heart was cold and hopeless.

He looked up at the spiky-haired man who had appeared in front of him at some unknown point.

Probably arrived while Subaru had been trying to escape from everything.

“Are you here to kill me too?”

“......”

“At least... let me die without pain. I can still revive seventeen more times.

Every time I die, time resets by one hour—that guy said it was some kind of compensation.

But someone like me, who has no power at all, how can I possibly fight those monsters with just this kind of thing?”

“......”

“Just let me die without pain. If I die seventeen more times, surely I’ll stop coming back... Go ahead, do it.”

Natsuki Subaru showed a faint smile and slowly closed his eyes, waiting for the person in front of him—who seemed to be around the same age—to make his move.

But after a long wait, all he heard was a single sentence:

“Kamijou Touma. That’s my name.”

Subaru felt someone grab his left hand.

When he opened his eyes, he stared blankly at the man in front of him—a man wearing a bitter smile, looking thoroughly unlucky.

“Why...?”

“What do you mean, why?”

“Why didn’t you kill me?”

“Why should I kill you?”

“Because if you don’t kill me, that’s one more enemy for you.

Your chances of winning are lower.

That so-called wish that can supposedly grant anything won’t end up in your hands.”

Kamijou let out a sigh, firmly pulled Subaru up, and began walking step by step toward the unknown ahead—carrying Subaru on his back.

As he walked, he answered Subaru, who continued to look at him with disbelief.

“Ah, I don’t really have some great wish I’m dying to make come true.

If I had to say, I guess I just wish I wouldn’t be so unlucky anymore.

But then again, misfortune has been with me for so long, I’m not even sure I want it to go away. My classmates even called me the 'Misfortune Absorber'.”

Subaru stared blankly at Kamijou’s smiling face, then turned away to avoid the blinding light and spoke:

“You’ll die being that naïve. Those people really do want to kill everyone else. For all you know, I could be faking weakness and stab you in the back at any moment.”

“The fact that you’re saying something like that means you won’t do it.

Besides, the way you looked just now? You were completely falling apart.

Don’t act like you’re still capable of stabbing me.”

“Shut up! I’m telling you, you’ll really die acting like this! I saw someone who didn’t want to kill me—killed right in front of me in an instant!”

“...Is that so...”

Kamijou’s expression turned serious. He slowly opened his mouth and said:

“Are you in pain?”

“Wha—”

Subaru couldn’t respond.

Maybe because, finally, there was someone he could talk to, he had temporarily escaped the shadow of death.

But Kamijou’s words now pierced straight through his heart like a blade.

He remembered it.

That girl had stood in front of him.

She could have killed him with a single swing of her weapon.

Yet, she hesitated, unable to bring herself to strike.

When he turned and ran, someone pushed him away. He fell. When he picked himself up and looked back, the girl was already dead before his eyes.

Kamijou looked at Subaru’s face, watching the waves of emotion roll across it.

He looked away and gazed forward as he spoke slowly:

“She shouldn’t have died. So many people shouldn’t have died.

Every one of the people I met looked like kind, gentle souls.

But for the sake of one wish—who even knows if it’s real—they actually believed that so-called god. I can’t forgive that person.”

“And what can you even do? Even if he’s not a real god, there’s no way you could beat him.”

“It’s not about whether I can or can’t do it. It’s that I have to do it.

While everyone else is killing each other for a wish, I have to defeat that man before even more people are sacrificed!”

“How can you even say something like that... Aren’t you afraid of dying? You don’t look like you’ve got any powers either. You really think you can beat those monsters?”

Kamijou's steps came to a halt—not because he chose to stop, but because Natsuki Subaru had stopped walking.

He looked toward Subaru, who now wore a serious expression.

For some reason, Kamijou felt as if he could see a plea hidden within that seriousness—a silent prayer begging him not to leave.

Not "leave" in the literal sense, but on a deeper, emotional level—don’t abandon me.

The pathetic, broken Subaru didn’t want to be left as the only one bearing such shame.

And so, he hoped Kamijou Touma would become his "companion."

The silence didn’t last long.

In that brief stillness, they heard a monster's roar in the distance, followed by a red orb flying overhead.

Then came a powerful tremor and fierce wind—all of it telling them one clear thing: this was not their battlefield. Here, they were just helpless two-legged sheep waiting to be slaughtered.

Both of them understood that deeply.

As they stood there facing each other, Kamijou finally opened his mouth and spoke slowly:

“I know. The people out there are absurdly powerful.

But I have to go—even if it means dying—just because I don’t want to see senseless deaths.

If you think something’s impossible and refuse to act, then let me be the one to shatter that illusion! I’ll put a stop to all of this.”

Kamijou shifted his gaze away from Subaru and began walking forward again, dragging him along.

Subaru, on the other hand, kept his head lowered and said nothing.

“If you don’t believe me, then at least watch me do it.

To be honest, I’m terrified—scared out of my mind.

I just... really wanted to sit down and talk with those people, even if just for a while.

So, if you’re behind me, watching me—I’d be really grateful.”

“...You’re going to die...” Subaru muttered.

“Yeah, I know. But the misfortune that’s always stuck with me hasn’t killed me yet, so it won’t this time either. Kamijou-san is just that kind of unkillable cockroach.”

Chapter 10: Unspeakable

Weaving through the crowd on the street, he kept running, his eyes scanning the sea of people for a man with distinctive red hair.

Time was tight — he had to find Reinhard as fast as possible and head to the slums.

Only by doing this could he save everyone.

‘The last provisional save was about three hours ago. In one and a half hours, Felt will definitely meet the owner of the insignia in the wooden hut, and then the Bowel Hunter will appear. I must find Reinhard quickly.’

Even though the goal was clear, he had no idea where Reinhard actually was.

He could try heading straight to the wooden hut to warn them and avoid the Bowel Hunter’s pursuit.

However, as a stranger meeting them for the first time, Rom-ji and the others had no reason to believe a word he said.

This wasn’t a game.

Not everyone looked at others without suspicion like his dear friend would.

So that option had to be postponed.

The best plan was still to find Reinhard.

Even though he had the system now, Natsuki Subaru wasn’t foolish enough to think that just adding a point to agility and defense would let him take on the Bowel Hunter.

She and Reinhard were inhuman beings — only the inhuman could confront the inhuman.

At least until Natsuki Subaru became stronger, this logic wouldn’t change.

Time ticked by.

Natsuki Subaru had been searching for almost an hour.

The sky had already been dyed red by the setting sun — something that normally would’ve seemed beautiful to him.

But now that he knew someone would die in that wooden hut before long, the color of the sunset became a signal.

Natsuki Subaru pulled out his phone to check the time.

He gave up the idea of searching aimlessly through the streets for Reinhard and decided to ask the guards for help — maybe that would get results.

Even if it didn’t, he could inform the guards about the wanted criminal, the Bowel Hunter, in the hope that this would lead to Reinhard.

After all, Reinhard bore the title of "Sword Saint" and must be someone of high status.

“Wait, guard!”

Subaru stopped a man in armor.

The guard glanced over Subaru’s outfit and asked,

“Is there something you need, young man?”

“Quick question — how do you compare to Sword Saint Reinhard in strength?”

“What are you talking about? How could someone like me possibly match up to Lord Sword Saint? We’re on completely different levels.”

“Then how about compared to the Bowel Hunter? Do you think you could beat her?”

“The Bowel Hunter? You mean the kingdom’s wanted criminal, Elsa?”

“Yes, I saw her wandering around the slums, that’s why I came to find you!”

After hearing Subaru’s words, the guard’s expression turned serious.

He spoke solemnly:

“Are you sure you didn’t see wrong, young man?”

“No mistake. She’s a woman, dressed in dark purple, wielding two curved blades.”

“That matches the description of the Bowel Hunter. Alright, young man, take me there to check it out.”

Subaru nodded, ready to lead the guard to the slums, but then paused.

He turned to the guard and asked,

“Can you handle her?”

“I don’t know. Not many people know how skilled the Bowel Hunter really is. What’s certain is that everyone she kills ends up gutted.”

“Shouldn’t you get more people? What about calling Reinhard the Sword Saint?”

“Someone like me, just a patrol guard, doesn’t have access to a big figure like that. But you’re right, I should bring backup. Wait here a moment, young man.”

“Wait — how long will it take for you all to gather?”

“Around twenty minutes, I suppose.”

Hearing that, Subaru gritted his teeth.

Twenty minutes to gather the guards, plus travel time — it might be too late.

He tried to calm his rising anxiety and feigned fear as he said,

“I... I’d rather not face such a dangerous criminal. I’ll tell you the location, and you can head there yourselves later.”

“Are you lying to me? False reports can get you arrested.”

“I’m not! If you go and find no one, you can come to the bridge over there — I’ll be waiting until the sun goes down.”

Seeing the skeptical guard, Subaru had no way to make him believe.

In the end, he could only reveal the location of the wooden hut before leaving.

After parting ways with the guard, Subaru sped up toward the slums.

The guard, watching Subaru’s retreating figure, frowned in thought before deciding to bring a few colleagues to check out the location.

Even if it turned out to be a false lead, they’d just waste some time and could blame it on Subaru later.

And if it was real, it’d be a huge accomplishment.

This was the royal capital — the heart of the kingdom.

Being cautious was no problem.

Letting a wanted criminal roam near the capital would certainly make citizens question their competence.

With that thought, the guard took off toward HQ — but was suddenly stopped by a voice.

.

.

.

“I must make it in time. Even if I can’t help them escape beforehand, I must at least hold out until the guards arrive with reinforcements. I should’ve asked where Reinhard lives before I died... No, even if I did, with my unknown identity, I probably wouldn’t get to meet him. Also... how did Felt meet Reinhard in the first place?”

With such thoughts, Subaru quickly reached the slums.

Without hesitation, he ran toward the wooden hut.

During this run, Subaru realized that the two points he added to agility did make him faster, though the improvement wasn’t significant — probably because it was too little.

Even so, Subaru was satisfied.

Being stronger meant a slightly better chance of survival — a slightly better chance to save people.

After five minutes, Subaru reached the wooden door.

He raised his hand and knocked heavily. There was no response from within.

A bad feeling rose in Subaru’s heart, and he knocked even harder.

“Why the hell are you knocking?! You didn’t even give the password!”

Hearing the familiar voice, Subaru breathed a sigh of relief.

Sure enough, it was Old Man Rom who opened the door. Without hesitation, Subaru said,

“Rom-ji, hurry! Someone’s going to kill you and Felt!”

“Who the hell are you? I’ve never seen you before — how do you know our names?”

Seeing Rom-ji’s unfriendly expression, Subaru wasn’t afraid.

He immediately said,

“I’m here to save you! Even though this is our first time meeting in your eyes, we’ve actually met before. Please, you have to believe me!”

“I have no memory of you. You’d better give me a good explanation, or else...”

As Rom-ji revealed the wooden club in his hand, coupled with his current expression, Subaru knew that if he didn’t give a convincing explanation, Rom-ji might smash his skull... probably...

“It’s like this — I have a power. I can die and come ba—”

Before the last word left his mouth, time froze.

Though his consciousness remained, Subaru felt a dreadful presence creeping in.

Once again, he sensed someone standing behind him.

A cold touch caressed his cheek — a hand that slowly moved downward and rested on his chest.

Subaru felt that the hand passed through his skin, through the bones protecting his organs, and reached his heart.

“Ah…”

Rom-ji looked curiously at Subaru, who had suddenly clutched his chest in pain.

He hadn’t even finished his sentence before this happened.

Not understanding what was going on, Rom-ji frowned.

Regardless of Subaru’s condition, he decided he must keep him here for questioning. Glancing around, Rom-ji reached out and lifted Subaru by the back of his collar, carrying him into the wooden hut and closing the door.

Chapter Text

Chapter 11: No Time Left

Thrown roughly to the ground, Subaru Natsuki clutched his butt, brushed off the dirt, and stood up.

He looked slightly upward at Old Man Rom in front of him.

He opened his mouth, but no words came out.

What he had just experienced made it clear—this place was not like when he was inside the game.

This ability wasn’t something he could tell others about.

That hand that had just touched his heart hadn't even applied pressure, yet it made him clearly feel how close death was.

"You brat! Before I smash you into minced meat, explain what you just said!"

Hearing Old Man Rom’s blunt words, seeing the look in his eyes toward a stranger like him, Subaru wasn’t exactly surprised, but it still hurt.

However, that discomfort was soon overtaken by urgency.

What he had already experienced wouldn’t be enough to knock him down again!

"Old Man Rom, whether you believe me or not, it’s going to get really dangerous soon. We have to leave here as soon as Felt gets back."

"What nonsense are you spewing? A guy like you, clearly a foreigner with unknown background—you think I’d trust someone like that?!"

Old Man Rom reached out and grabbed Subaru’s collar.

His massive strength lifted Subaru off the ground.

Facing someone who could kill him at any moment, Subaru wasn’t the least bit flustered.

He had already learned what kind of person Old Man Rom was last time.

He knew what was important to him.

That’s why—just by describing a cruel future, he could plant the idea of escaping with Felt into Rom’s mind.

Even if the man didn’t want to believe him, if the future he described was real enough, it could still accomplish that goal.

"Yeah, I know very well that you won’t just believe me like that.

But to you, whether I live or die doesn’t really matter, right? You only brought me here to question me because I knew Felt’s name and said she would die.

You just wanted to get information out of me, right?"

Before Old Man Rom could respond, Subaru continued.

He didn’t need confirmation.

He raised his hand and grabbed the wrist holding him up, gripping it tightly even though it was far too thick for him to hold properly.

"Felt’s customer is definitely no good. That person is a kingdom-wanted criminal—the Bowel Hunter! You should know who that is! No matter how things might turn out, you shouldn’t take that risk—because it could get someone you care about killed!"

After hearing Subaru’s words, Old Man Rom loosened his grip and tried to pull his hand back. But the hand Subaru had grabbed held him in place.

"There’s still time! Make a decision. Even if you kill me right here, I won’t have any complaints. Will you gamble that Felt’s customer isn’t the Bowel Hunter? Will you bet that her customer won’t slaughter all of you once the deal is done? Or will you choose to avoid that tragic future by getting Felt out of here?"

Old Man Rom forcefully pried Subaru’s hand off, stepped back a few steps, and looked at the boy standing before him.

His eyes weren’t lying. His expression was sincere and serious.

There was even concern and worry in his voice. His words had hit Rom’s weak spot precisely. It even made him wonder if he’d met Subaru somewhere before.

"Kid, your name...?"

" Natsuki Subaru. That’s my name. So now, could you say the name I already know?"

"Rom... Kid, when Felt gets back, you’re coming with us. But if things don’t turn out the way you said, you know what’s going to happen to you, right?"

"More than happy to accept."

Old Man Rom was stunned again. He saw that Subaru showed no fear of death, nor any hesitation at the idea of leaving with them.

"Then go sit over there and wait. Felt should be back soon."

Saying that, the hostility in Rom’s eyes faded.

It looked like he had accepted Subaru’s words.

The two of them sat down at the counter, with Rom’s massive club resting by his side.

It wasn’t there to guard against Subaru—Rom saw Subaru as a weakling with no combat ability.

The more he looked at Subaru, the more he felt the boy might be a merchant or noble’s son.

But neither seemed to fit.

Merchants always put money first—they’d demand all kinds of conditions to sell information. Someone like Subaru didn’t have any “juicy profits” to be had.

And nobles? They were proud, extravagant folks who would never step foot into a slum, which to them was nothing but filth.

Even if they did come, they would never do something so foolish for someone like him.

Rom turned away and looked toward the entrance, quietly waiting for Felt to return.

Only a minute passed before all kinds of scenes flashed through his mind—all born from Subaru’s words.

"Old Man Rom, you look nervous."

Rom turned to look at Subaru sitting beside him and said with irritation, "Isn’t it because everything you said sounds so damn believable?"

"Don’t worry. Felt won’t be in danger before she gets back. And she should be back soon." Subaru glanced out the window.

The outside world had turned crimson—it was clear that night would fall soon.

Just then, a knock came at the door. Old Man Rom rushed to the door and opened it. The sight of him in such a hurry stunned Felt, who stood outside.

"Old Man Rom, what’s up? Why do you look so panicked?"

Hearing the conversation at the door, Subaru left his chair and walked to stand beside Rom.

"Let’s go. If we don’t leave now, it’ll be too late."

"Old Man Rom, who is he? Your guest? And where are we going?"

Rom placed a firm hand on Felt’s shoulder, asking seriously:

"Felt! The job you took this time—who gave it to you?! Was it a woman? A black-haired woman with purple eyes?!"

"Ouch, Old Man Rom! Yeah, the client was a woman and looked like that. But how do you know?"

Upon hearing Felt confirm it, Rom didn’t say a word.

He rushed back to the counter, grabbed his club, returned to the door, exchanged a glance with Subaru, and looked at Felt.

"The customer you took on is likely the Bowel Hunter—a wanted criminal of the kingdom. We need to lay low."

"Huh?! Old Man Rom! Wait!"

Without answering, Rom grabbed Felt and rushed toward a backup hideout he had prepared. Subaru quickly followed.

But they had only taken a few steps when they heard Felt’s voice:

"How did she follow us here?!"

Hearing this, Subaru and Rom both looked toward the direction Felt was staring.

A white-haired girl stood there, watching them—or more precisely, watching Felt, whose hand Rom still held.

After taking a careful look at the white-haired girl, Rom’s expression turned grim.

"White hair... half-elf... Felt, she’s the owner, right?"

"Yeah, I didn’t think she’d actually find this place."

Rom regretted it deeply at that moment.

He should have told Felt more about this!

A girl who looked so similar to the Witch—there was no way anything peaceful would be near her!

Whoever had hired Felt to steal from a white-haired girl had to have had a reason.

Felt should never have taken that job!

But it was too late to say anything now. The white-haired girl had already walked up to them and spoke:

"You’re that child’s accomplices, right? Return the insignia. It’s a very important item."

Just as Rom was about to tell Felt to return it, Subaru’s voice rang out:

"Old Man Rom, there’s no time. Get ready. I should’ve brought some weapons."

Rom let go of Felt’s hand and turned to face the direction Subaru was watching.

The Bowel Hunter had arrived.

She hadn’t approached yet, but she had already seen them—and now held a curved blade in her hand.

Chapter 12 – It’s a Promise

"Isn’t that my employer? Why are you and Rom-ji being so cautious, little guy? Shouldn’t you be wary of the owner instead?"

However, neither Rom-ji nor Natsuki Subaru responded to Felt’s question.

Since Subaru hadn’t brought a proper weapon this time, he stepped to the side, extended his arm to block Felt, and forced her to retreat, putting distance between her and the Bowel Hunter.

For Rom-ji, Felt’s importance went without saying.

He had to be assured of her safety in order to fight freely.

Even if they weren’t a match, holding on for a bit shouldn’t be a problem.

As long as they could stall until the guards arrived, they might not have to die this time.

"What the hell are you doing?! You keep backing up! We’re getting too close to the owner!"

But Felt, who had no idea what was really going on, couldn’t understand Subaru’s desperate intent.

From her perspective, the white-haired girl was probably the enemy.

"You can’t be this stupid! Just look at Rom-ji’s attitude, can’t you tell? It’s so obvious, don’t ask stupid questions, dumbass!"

Felt was about to snap back, but seeing Rom-ji’s expression, she finally spoke again in an uncertain tone:

"She’s the enemy?"

"Yeah, that woman hasn’t had good intentions from the start.

She’s a wanted criminal, and you were stupid enough to make a deal with her without knowing that? How have you even survived this long? Rom-ji’s just been protecting you too well, huh?"

"My my, even though I haven’t gotten close yet, I can feel your hostility from a distance. Can someone tell me why you’re all so hostile toward me?"

The black-haired woman slowly approached, stopping at a distance that wasn’t too close nor too far, her gaze shifting to the white-haired girl who also seemed unaware of the situation.

"I see, so you're on guard because I failed the mission? Well, a failure is a failure. I'm not that unreasonable, you know."

"Kingdom-wanted criminal, Bowel Hunter. Cut the act. If you're going to fight, then do it already. I’ll fight to the end."

"Looks like I guessed wrong. I wonder how you found me out? I thought I’d hidden myself so well... Even that slum kid didn’t notice."

The Bowel Hunter said this with a smile as she raised her curved blade and lowered her body into a fighting stance.

"Um... what exactly is going on?"

Hearing this, Subaru glanced at the white-haired girl, then turned to the stunned Felt and sighed as he said:

"Hey, beautiful girl over there, could I ask you to take care of this kid? I know she stole from you. We’ll return the item, so could you look after her for a bit?"

"What are you saying, little guy?! I can fight too! I don’t need her protection. And there's no way I'm giving that thing back! It's her fault for not keeping it safe!"

Subaru twitched at her words, then swiftly delivered a karate chop to Felt’s head.

As she covered her head and was about to protest, Subaru cut her off:

"This isn’t the time to fool around! Give the thing back to her, then stay out of this and keep yourself safe! This fight has nothing to do with a kid like you!"

"Why should I listen to you?! And you don’t even look that much older than me!"

Hearing her complaint, Subaru placed a hand gently on Felt’s head and spoke:

"Even if I’m not that much older, as long as I look older, I should protect you. Don’t make things harder for Rom-ji and me. We won’t lose."

Felt swatted his hand away, turned her head, and refused to look at him as she said:

"Hmph! Just because you say that doesn’t mean I’ll listen to you. This is our first meeting. I’m not going to accept your random kindness when I don’t even know what it’s about!"

"Is that so? I’m just a passerby who happened to learn a bit of information and wanted to play the hero. So as the beautiful girl being saved by the hero, could you please let this ordinary guy take the spotlight?"

"What kind of nonsense reason is that?! Who would believe that crap!"

"Felt! Listen to the boy!"

Hearing Rom-ji shout, Felt snorted in frustration but nodded and walked over to the white-haired girl.

"Wait, what about my opinion?" The white-haired girl flailed her hands nervously as Felt approached.

"Your opinion? Didn’t you already agree silently? Besides, you seem like a good person, so please don’t break my impression of you. I’m counting on you!"

"Little guy, I know you’re complimenting my daughter, but don’t you think dragging her into this is a bit much?" came the voice of the white cat Puck, emerging from the white-haired girl’s long hair, sounding a little annoyed.

"Let’s be honest, it was that girl who stole from my daughter. Now you’re asking us to protect her and dragging us into your mess with that other girl. Aren’t you underestimating me?"

"Puck, it’s fine. I don’t mind."

"Emilia, you stay quiet. Let me handle this. You’re too kind, that’s why this kid is taking advantage of you."

Subaru paused, then, facing Puck’s unfriendly expression, opened his mouth and said:

"Sorry for acting on my own. But the one who hired Felt to steal your stuff was that woman.

She’s a wanted criminal and wouldn’t target you for no reason.

So, from the moment Felt stole from you, you were already dragged into this. Even with that in mind, I still shouldn’t have forced Felt on you."

"But... she’s strong. So strong we don’t think we can protect her. Just like you want to protect your daughter, she’s important to us too. So, I’m begging you. Take her and run. Rom-ji and I will hold that woman off."

Puck looked at the bowing Subaru in silence.

After a moment, the white-haired girl beside him spoke up:

"Puck..."

"Hmph, I’ll let it slide this time, little guy. But don’t expect a next time. We probably won’t see each other again after this anyway. So for my daughter’s sake, I’ll agree."

After speaking, Puck turned to the girl named Emilia beside him.

"Let’s go, Emilia. Leave this to them."

"But what about them?"

"Don’t worry about it. That’s what they want. We just need to take the girl and leave."

"But—"

As the girl and cat exchanged words, the Bowel Hunter finally made her move.

Rom-ji, who had been on guard the whole time, charged in to meet her.

"Here’s your stuff back! I’m not leaving Rom-ji and you guys behind!" said Felt as she threw the stolen Insigna to Emilia and tried to leave, but Subaru stood in her way.

"Out of the way, little guy!"

Subaru didn’t answer.

He looked at Puck, silently pleading.

When Puck nodded, Subaru looked guilty as he stroked Felt’s golden hair and said:

"Sorry."

Before Felt could respond, Puck cast a spell, putting her to sleep.

Subaru caught her, carried her over to Emilia, and placed her legs gently on the ground in front of her.

"Please take care of her."

Saying that, Subaru turned around and ran in the direction of the battle.

"Let’s go, Emilia."

"Puck!"

Emilia shouted Puck’s name loudly again.

Puck placed his front paws on his forehead and shook his head helplessly.

"Alright, alright. But promise me this—if the girl isn’t down by the time limit, you must leave them behind.

Though honestly, I’m just saying that. You can go to the royal capital and bring back reinforcements. So, it’s a promise."

"Okay."

Hearing Emilia’s response, Puck smiled.

His face carried a grin, but his eyes, serious and filled with danger, turned toward the Bowel Hunter who was fighting Rom-ji.

Chapter 13: Eat My Serious Punch

After resolving the matter with Felt, Natsuki Subaru quickly ran to within five meters of Old Man Rom and the Bowel Hunter.

In truth, this was a very dangerous distance—five meters could be crossed in just a second or two by a two-meter-tall man like Old Man Rom or a swift assassin like the Bowel Hunter.

Moreover, the battle between the two didn’t resemble a brawl as much as it did the dance the Bowel Hunter often referred to.

It was just that this dance was fatal.

Subaru was acutely aware of his own weakness, and of the enemy’s strength.

Precisely because he knew how powerful the opponent was, Subaru insisted on staying at a distance where he could rush in to save someone in a crisis.

Although he had no weapon, just adopting a fighting stance—even if the opponent saw through his weakness—would still force her to spare some attention on him.

This could help Old Man Rom hold out a bit longer.

But in the end, it was just a little trick. If the Bowel Hunter spotted a single opening and swung her deadly scimitar, Subaru’s bluff would be exposed, and his life would hang by a thread.

Still, for now, the bluff worked somewhat.

Subaru could clearly see that part of the Bowel Hunter’s focus was on him.

If he could just stall for time until the guards arrived, there was a high chance the Bowel Hunter would retreat, ensuring everyone’s safety.

However, Subaru didn’t know for sure if the guards would come at all.

If they didn’t, the worst outcome would be dying and trying again.

There were no other possibilities, because Subaru would never abandon Old Man Rom to save himself.

Having watched his close friend fight repeatedly in the game, Subaru had run away for long enough—he no longer wanted to run.

Influenced by his friend, he wanted to become someone like him.

He had made his friend’s ideals part of his own—because an ideal where everyone returned smiling was so beautiful.

When he saw the smile on Felt’s face last time, he fell deeply in love with that feeling.

"Step back, kid. Leave it to me now. You’re just getting in the way."

As those words fell, an ice spear drove the Bowel Hunter back.

Subaru turned and saw Puck floating in the air, then looked toward the white-haired girl.

He was a bit annoyed that she hadn’t run away, but it was true that Puck was the strongest presence on the battlefield, even if he couldn’t last long.

So Subaru quickly shouted:

"Old Man Rom, fall back! Leave it to him now!"

Hearing Subaru’s words, Old Man Rom immediately retreated, putting distance between himself and the Bowel Hunter.

Once that gap was established, countless ice spears shot toward her.

"Are you okay, Old Man Rom?"

"Yeah… I’m fine. Just tired..."

"Let’s go back to Felt."

Having left the battlefield to Puck, Old Man Rom and Subaru ran over to the white-haired girl.

"What happened to Felt?"

"Don’t worry. She tried to help you earlier, so I had the little cat knock her out so she could be taken away. But it seems they didn’t want to leave."

As Subaru said this, he looked toward the white-haired girl, his gaze asking why she hadn’t fled.

Emilia understood Subaru’s look and replied with some irritation:

"I know this child is important to you. But if you’d abandoned her and died, she’d be heartbroken."

"Thank you, young lady. But can that spirit really beat the Bowel Hunter?"

"Puck is really strong!"

Subaru glanced at Old Man Rom, who was holding Felt in his arms, then looked back toward the battlefield.

This time, Puck had a serious expression.

He likely wouldn’t hold back like last time.

"Be careful! That cloak she’s wearing is a magical item that can block one magical attack!"

Subaru’s warning reached both Puck and the Bowel Hunter.

Puck narrowed his eyes and intensified his attacks.

The Bowel Hunter shot a cold, harsh look at Subaru.

"You know far too much. Whose side are you on?"

"Young lady, looks like the boy was right. But is it wise to be distracted while fighting me?"

Under Puck’s relentless attacks, the Bowel Hunter’s feet were eventually trapped, just like last time.

But this time, she was surrounded by countless ice spears, making it impossible to escape even if she sliced off her own feet.

Reluctantly, she activated her magical cloak.

As smoke filled the air, she sliced off the soles of her feet to dodge Puck’s second area-wide attack.

When the giant ice pillar struck the ground and shattered, sharp shards riddled her body with wounds.

The most severe injury was a gash on her abdomen caused by a fragment. When the smoke cleared, the Bowel Hunter was half-kneeling, clutching her stomach.

Puck, observing her condition, fired one last ice spear.

She shattered the ice spear, and Puck’s voice reached everyone:

"Lia, it’s time for you to leave. I’m sorry—I don’t have any power left to deal with her."

Emilia caught Puck in her hand and said:

"Thank you, Puck. We’ll take it from here."

"Leah, we made a promise. As a spirit arts user, you should know what to do."

"Old Man Rom, give Felt to her. It’s our turn now."

Subaru said this as he stepped forward.

Old Man Rom, looking at Subaru’s back, handed Felt to Emilia and said:

"I’m counting on you."

With that, Old Man Rom ran past Subaru, swinging his giant club at the Bowel Hunter.

Subaru also charged in, though a sense of dread filled his heart—the guards still hadn’t arrived.

"Let’s go, Lia. I’m going to rest now. That little girl’s already badly injured. Even if they can’t kill her, they can delay her for a long time. Let’s go."

Watching Puck disappear from her palm, Emilia remained silent for a moment, then carried Felt and ran toward the royal capital.

The Bowel Hunter dodged Rom’s strike, glanced at Emilia fleeing, and drew another scimitar. Her gaze turned cold and dangerous.

"You’re all in the way."

With those words, she vanished from sight, shocking both Rom and Subaru.

She should have been seriously injured—why was she still so fast?

Both men looked around warily, when suddenly Subaru turned and sprinted toward Emilia.

"Old Man Rom! Her target is Felt and the others!"

"What!? Damn it! Hurry!"

Subaru saw Emilia's back—and also saw the Bowel Hunter rapidly closing in behind her.

He and Rom couldn’t catch up in time.

The white-haired girl might be capable in combat, but carrying Felt meant she couldn’t last long.

"Old Man Rom, throw me!"

Rom froze for a second, then grabbed Subaru by the collar, spun once, and hurled him toward the Bowel Hunter.

On the other side, Emilia heard something behind her. When she looked back, the Bowel Hunter had already closed the distance, scimitar raised to strike.

"You bastard! Eat my serious punch!"

The sudden shout made the Bowel Hunter turn in surprise.

A fist grew larger and larger in her vision.

At that moment, she showed just how formidable she was—twisting aside, she gave up the chance to kill Emilia to instead strike at Subaru.

An ice spear knocked her attack slightly off course, but her blade still slashed open Subaru’s side.

Blood sprayed into the air.

Unable to stop himself, Subaru crashed into Emilia, sending all three of them tumbling.

Chapter 14: There's Still Hope

The three of them who collided rolled a considerable distance.

Emilia, lying on the ground, shook her head and looked at the people beside her.

There, Natsuki Subaru lay unconscious, his life or death uncertain.

Blood flowed from a wound on his side, and his body was covered in dust and mud.

Sand had even gotten into his wound.

Next to him lay the unconscious Felt, face down, showing no sign of waking.

Upon seeing the wound on Subaru, Emilia immediately came to a conclusion: if he wasn’t treated quickly, he would surely die here.

Kind-hearted Emilia rushed to Subaru’s side and reached out her hand to heal him, when a cold voice rang out from behind her.

“Have you forgotten about me?”

Hearing that divine-sounding voice, Emilia turned her head.

The Bowel Hunter stood there with a smile, raising her curved blade and swinging it down toward her.

In that critical moment, Emilia felt someone bump into her, knocking her to the side.

Her eyes widened as she saw the curved blade strike down mercilessly onto Subaru’s body.

Blood sprayed, splattering onto the Bowel Hunter’s face.

However, Subaru, who should have collapsed, reached out and grabbed her hand before she could pull it back.

With a weak voice, he muttered:

“Old man... Rom...”

The Bowel Hunter's pupils contracted, and she turned to look behind her—only to see a wooden club swinging at her with immense force. She quickly tried to sever Subaru's hand with her blade in order to escape.

But a powerful blow struck her in the abdomen, sending her flying.

The club that old man Rom had swung was caught effortlessly by a hand.

Reinhard frowned as he glanced at the unconscious Subaru and called out to Emilia:

“I leave him to you, Lady Emilia!”

“Yes!”

After receiving her reply, Reinhard looked at old man Rom and said:

“Leave the rest to me. Stay here and protect him.”

Rom retracted his giant club and nodded.

Standing before Reinhard, who was even taller than him, he was at a loss for words.

Seeing Rom’s nod, Reinhard turned and ran in the direction the Bowel Hunter had been sent flying.

Rom averted his gaze—there was no need to watch.

The Sword Saint Reinhard had arrived. The outcome was already decided.

What he now cared about more was Subaru’s condition.

“How is he? Can he still be saved?”

“I don’t know, but I’ll do my best.”

Hearing Emilia’s reply, Rom’s face could not hide his guilt.

He had fully accepted this mysterious young man.

The resolve in Subaru’s cry earlier was what made him want to bash both the Bowel Hunter and Subaru into pulp.

At that moment, he had no other choice and felt guilty toward Subaru.

He knew very well that he had no chance against the Bowel Hunter.

Fortunately, Reinhard’s arrival meant he didn’t need to make that tragic choice.

For that, he felt deeply grateful to Reinhard.

But looking at Subaru’s condition, he thought Subaru probably wouldn’t make it.

“Subaru, can you hear me? If you're going to die, at least leave a final word.”

“Oh, be quiet! If you can’t help, don’t interfere with my healing! He can be saved!”

“But just now you said...”

“Yes, earlier I thought he was beyond saving. But now, there's a good chance he’ll survive.” Emilia said this as she looked down at Subaru, unconscious on the ground, her eyes full of complex emotions.

She realized that although his wounds looked terrible, it was not as bad as it seemed.

The slash across his chest hadn’t reached the bone, sparing his internal organs.

The most serious injury was to his side, which, lacking bone protection, had damaged his organs.

But what puzzled her was that, given the Bowel Hunter’s strength, the strike should have destroyed his insides completely—but it only partially did.

She didn’t understand why, but it was a good thing.

With some effort, the wounds could heal.

The key now was whether Subaru could hold on long enough.

Sometimes, even if the injuries are severe, if the person doesn't give up hope, there's still a good chance to survive.

She truly hoped that this person who had saved her wouldn’t die.

She really wanted to know: why did he save her? Why did he treat her differently from everyone else? And why, at that moment when he pushed her away, did he have a faint smile on his face, eyes full of satisfaction and completely devoid of fear?

“You’re such a strange person...”

On the side, old man Rom finally relaxed upon hearing that Subaru still had hope.

A smile appeared on his face as he shifted his gaze to Felt.

He walked over, picked her up, and brought her to Subaru’s side.

Looking at Subaru’s sleeping face, still faintly smiling, Rom felt more and more that this was someone who could be trusted.

He even wondered if he should keep Subaru by his side, so that if anything happened to him in the future, there would be someone reliable to protect Felt.

As if sensing Rom’s thoughts, Felt—who had been unconscious—fluttered her eyelashes and opened her eyes. When she saw Rom’s face, she cried out:

“Old man Rom! You’re okay!”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Rom gently patted Felt’s back as she clung to his neck, comforting her as she sobbed.

“Thank goodness you're safe. If anything had happened to you, I would never forgive that bastard!”

“Felt, look over there first...”

Hearing Rom’s words, Felt let go and wiped her tears, following the direction he indicated. There, lay someone who looked like he was on the verge of death.

“Him...”

“Felt, it was Subaru who saved you...” Rom didn’t finish the sentence, but Felt understood what he meant.

Though she grew up in the slums, under Rom’s care, she remained a kind girl.

She knew well who treated her kindly and who didn’t.

Subaru, who told her to run and then let her pass out, had ultimately done it for her sake.

Though she had been annoyed at his actions at the time, upon seeing his injuries, that irritation had long faded.

“Can he still be saved?”

“With this girl here, he’ll be fine.”

“Really? That’s great... Then maybe one day I’ll be able to return the favor.”

Chapter 15: A Member of the Royal Family

Reinhard was feeling a little angry—not at the Bowel Hunter, but at himself.

It had been a rare day with no duties, so he had decided to take a walk.

In the evening, he had seen a strangely dressed person talking with a guard.

After the conversation ended, he called the guard over to ask what had happened.

Once he heard the details, he told the guard he would take care of it himself.

However, at that time, Reinhard didn’t rush over immediately.

Instead, he strolled along, helping some people along the way, and only after that did he arrive at the slums.

That was when he saw Subaru Natsuki pushing Emilia out of the way and grappling with the Bowel Hunter in a desperate attempt to bring her down with him.

He had thought the oddly dressed young man had fled, but instead, he was risking his life to save others, trying to die alongside the Bowel Hunter.

Reinhard saved him, and when he saw the wounds on Subaru’s body and the faint smile on his face, he felt ashamed for not taking the matter more seriously from the start.

Fighting the Bowel Hunter barehanded was no challenge for him.

If he wished, he could defeat her at any moment.

His earlier strike had already left her gravely wounded, slowing her movements significantly.

However, Reinhard couldn't go all out—not until Emilia had finished treating Subaru.

Though he considered drawing the battle away, the Bowel Hunter refused to cooperate.

She stayed close and kept pressing the attack, clearly aware of Reinhard’s reservations.

So, the fight became a standoff in one spot.

Then suddenly, the Bowel Hunter stopped her attacks.

She glanced behind Reinhard, then looked directly at him and said:

“Looks like I failed this mission. Give them a message for me—tell them to take good care of their intestines. I’ll be back to rip them out one day.”

With that, she vanished before Reinhard’s eyes.

Though he wanted to pursue her, he stopped.

He still couldn't be sure whether she had accomplices or traps waiting.

So, he gave up the chase and returned to check on the others.

As long as he was present, no one would be able to harm them.

.

.

.

“How is he, Lady Emilia?”

“His condition is stable now, but the wounds will still take time to heal.”

“I see… I'm relieved. If something had happened to him, I don’t think I could’ve forgiven myself.”

Reinhard stared at Subaru’s face and silently apologized in his heart.

If only he had arrived sooner. He resolved to apologize properly once Subaru woke up.

Everyone fell silent, quietly waiting while Emilia continued to treat Subaru.

After a while, she pulled her hand back and wiped the sweat from her forehead.

“He’s going to be fine now. But he’ll need to rest for some time.”

“Thank you… If it weren’t for you, Felt, and Subaru would all be dead.”

“It’s alright. He saved my life too.”

Grandpa Rom didn’t say anything more and was just about to carry Subaru away when two voices spoke up.

“Do you know him?”

Rom looked curiously at the white-haired girl and the Sword Saint, then shook his head.

“No, I don’t. This is the first time I’ve met him. All I know is his name: Natsuki Subaru. If there’s nothing else, may I take him with me?”

“Um… I know it’s a bit impolite to say this, but your conditions probably won’t allow him the quiet rest he needs. Would you let me take him instead? I’d like to repay him properly.”

“Lady Emilia, if you don’t mind, I’d like to take on that responsibility.”

“No, it’s alright. He saved my life—it should be me who takes care of him.”

“I see. Then I’ll leave it to you, Lady Emilia.

But once he wakes up and is ready to leave, please bring him to the royal capital. There are things I’d like to say to him.”

“Understood.”

Rom looked at the two and realized it would be best to entrust Subaru to them.

Their status and resources would ensure he received proper care.

And since the white-haired girl had agreed to bring him to Reinhard later, Rom didn’t have to worry about never seeing Subaru again.

“Please, I’m counting on you. Once he wakes up, tell him to come visit me.”

“Of course. I will.”

With everything settled, Felt walked over holding a dust-covered insignia.

“This is important to you, right? You dropped it over there. If it’s that valuable, be more careful next time.”

Felt extended her hand to return the insignia to Emilia.

Emilia patted her pockets and realized it was indeed missing—she must’ve dropped it when Subaru knocked her away and they both rolled across the ground.

“Thank you. I’ll be more careful.”

Just as Emilia reached out to take the insignia, a hand suddenly grabbed Felt’s wrist.

“Ouch! What the hell are you doing?! Let go!”

“No way…”

Rom’s expression froze.

He quickly reached out and grabbed Reinhard’s hand.

“Sir Sword Saint, don’t you think this is a bit much—grabbing my granddaughter like that?”

Reinhard, realizing his blunder, let go.

He looked at Felt—now hiding behind Rom, glaring warily at him—and apologized.

“Sorry, that was rude. But I have a few questions. Would you answer them?”

“Um… as long as it’s not too personal.”

“How old is your granddaughter?”

“Ah, she’s thirteen. Still not of age.”

Hearing this, Reinhard frowned. A giant like Rom having a granddaughter like Felt didn’t add up. His tone became sharper.

“Please stop lying. How old is she really? And what’s her connection to the royal family?!”

Rom was silent for a moment.

Then suddenly he lunged at Reinhard, shouting:

“Felt! Run!”

But he was facing Reinhard. With just one punch, Rom fell unconscious.

“What the hell are you doing?!”

“I believe she’s a lost member of the royal family who was kidnapped fifteen years ago. So I need to take you both in for questioning.”

“Royal family?! I’m no royal! Ever since I can remember, I’ve been with Grandpa Rom!”

“Reinhard, are you sure about this?”

“There’s no mistake. Her features match, and earlier the insignia glowed in her hands. She’s definitely a member of the royal family.”

With that, Reinhard hoisted Rom onto his shoulder and prepared to take Felt by force.

But she shouted:

“Put Grandpa Rom down! Didn’t you say I’m a royal? Then I order you—put him down! If you want to verify anything, I’ll go with you alone!”

Chapter 16: Twins?

"A ceiling I don't recognize... Am I not dead?"

Rubbing his eyes, Natsuki Subaru sat up and looked around the lavish room.

His clothes had been changed, and when he pulled open the pajamas and looked at his abdomen and chest, there wasn’t a single wound.

“I’ve been healed... it was probably her. But where am I now? Felt and Old Man Rom should be okay, right?”

With a flood of unanswered questions, Subaru got out of bed, barefoot, and opened the room door.

Stepping into the hallway, he was stunned by the long, grand corridor.

He’d never stayed in such a massive house before.

Only someone like Reinhard the Sword Saint could afford to live in a place like this.

‘So Reinhard saved us? I’ve gotta thank him when I see him.’

As Subaru walked, he took in his surroundings.

The grandeur of the place reaffirmed Reinhard’s prestige.

However, something felt a little off — Reinhard didn’t seem like the flashy type, so why live in such a lavish house?

“Is anyone here?!”

Subaru stopped and called out, but there was no response.

Though he knew it wasn’t polite to wander around someone else’s house, he desperately wanted to know what happened after he lost consciousness.

Did his efforts pay off? Did the people he tried to save survive? That thought made Subaru anxious.

The sun was already up, which meant his save-point ability couldn’t rewind to that moment anymore.

If the ones he tried to save had died, he would be devastated.

Failing his first attempt at saving someone would be a crushing blow to someone chasing after the back of his close friend.

In a rush to find someone, Subaru randomly chose a door, opened it, and found a library filled with bookshelves.

Sitting in the center, directly facing the door, was a blonde girl dressed in gothic clothes, holding a book and staring at him.

Seeing someone, Subaru smiled and quickly stepped in.

“Hey, do you live here? Do you know where Reinhard is?”

“What a rude person. Betty does live here. But if you’re looking for Reinhard, you should go to the royal capital, not here. If you’ve got no business, please leave.”

“Wait, I’ve got a lot of questions! Isn’t this Reinhard’s place?”

“No, this is the residence of a clown.”

Subaru froze.

A clown? Could someone like that live in a place like this? Clearly not.

That meant the girl must be familiar with the homeowner, someone who could be described as a clown.

But Subaru couldn’t recall anyone matching that description—let alone someone who’d live in such a grand house.

After thinking a bit, Subaru remembered the silver-haired girl who likely healed his wounds.

Of all the people he’d met since arriving in this world, she was the second most likely person to live in a place like this.

“Then do you know where the others are? There’s something really urgent I need to ask.”

The blonde girl, who called herself Betty, frowned, clearly annoyed by Subaru’s endless questions.

“If you’d stayed in your original room, someone would have come to see you. Now, please leave Betty’s library!”

Hearing the irritation in her voice, Subaru quickly apologized.

“Sorry, I got a little impatient. I’m really sorry for bothering you. I’ll leave now.”

Turning to leave, Subaru walked toward the door, which had been closed at some point.

Just as he was about to open it, he glanced back at the girl—and caught a fleeting glimpse of disappointment and loneliness on her face.

But before he could get a better look, the girl noticed he hadn’t left and raised her head.

“Don’t tell me you can’t even open the door. What a useless person.”

“It’s not that... I just wanted to say thanks. Thanks for answering my questions. Goodbye.”

As he finished speaking, Subaru opened the door—only to find the hallway replaced by the very room he had just been in.

Standing there stunned, Subaru turned back, ready to ask a question, but a sudden force pushed him through the door, which immediately glowed.

Now back in his room, Subaru blinked at the sudden change.

Curiously, he opened the door again—but this time it led to a regular hallway, not the library.

‘Magic, huh? Pretty convenient.’

With that thought, Subaru peeked out into the hallway—still no one in sight.

Remembering what the blonde girl said, he resisted the urge to go back and ask what kind of magic that was.

Instead, he closed the door and sat on the bed alone.

However, his mind couldn’t settle.

Anxious to know what happened next, Subaru, restless and jittery, finally spoke to himself:

“If I don’t do something, I’m going to go crazy. I guess I’ll get in some training.”

He then got down and started doing push-ups.

Sweat soon covered his forehead with each repetition.

“Thirty-two... thirty-three... thirty-four... thir—”

“Big sister, big sister, the guest is doing something weird.”

“Little sister, little sister, the guest is doing something indecent.”

Startled by the sudden voices, Subaru lost his breath and collapsed face-first on the floor.

As he got up, he saw two girls in maid outfits standing at the door—identical twins, or so it seemed, except their hair and eye colors were different.

“You’re finally here! Can you tell me where I am? Is this the royal capital? Are Felt and Old Man Rom okay?!”

“Guest, guest, we don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Guest, guest, we don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Hearing the twin maids speak in unison, Subaru felt a headache coming on.

Normally, he might be excited to see two cute maids—but right now, he just wanted answers. And on top of that, the idea of maids gave him a bit of PTSD…

After all, there was that terrifying maid with throwing knives from the game… He and his best friend had died five times at her hands...

“Hey, can you please stop talking like that? And could you take me to the person who saved me? I really need to ask something important!”

Chapter 17: Natsuki Subaru Gets Closer

Upon hearing Subaru Natsuki’s words, the two maids exchanged a glance and then respectfully bowed in unison.

“Guest, please change your clothes and join us for breakfast. Lord Roswaal has prepared a sumptuous meal.”

The blue-haired maid stepped forward and handed Subaru his tracksuit, then both she and the pink-haired maid turned and left the room.

Subaru glanced at the tracksuit in his hands, then at the closed door.

He walked to the bed and began putting on his familiar outfit. It didn’t take long.

Once changed, he looked over the tracksuit again.

Technically, this outfit had two large tears in it before.

But now, unless one looked very closely, there was no sign of damage. If examined carefully, a few traces of stitching could still be seen.

‘Such great workmanship… I thought I’d have to fix it myself.’ Subaru smiled with satisfaction, feeling fortunate that the person who saved him hadn’t discarded his clothes.

This outfit was one of his few mementos from his original world.

Compared to his basically useless cell phone, the tracksuit held far greater significance.

He had worn it through an unfriendly game-like world and into this fantasy realm.

Until the god who sent him here returned him home, this outfit served as proof that he didn’t belong to this world.

It was also a guidepost—a reminder not to lose sight of his goal in this otherworld. Subaru genuinely hoped that god wouldn’t wait until he grew old to send him back.

‘I really do need to learn more about magic. Maybe there’s a spell that could return me. This outfit might be the key to getting back.’

With that thought, Subaru gave his cheeks a few light slaps to focus, calmed his mind, then opened the door. Looking at the two maids standing on either side, he spoke:

“Thanks for waiting.”

“Guest, this is our duty,” said the pink-haired maid politely, and then she and the blue-haired maid began leading the way.

As Subaru followed, he asked,

“By the way, were you the ones who stitched up my clothes?”

“Rem was the one who repaired them,” answered the pink-haired maid.

“I see. Thanks a lot. That really helped.”

“This was just something Rem should do,” Rem replied softly and humbly, then fell silent.

“Is this outfit really important to you?” Perhaps not wanting the silence to stretch, the pink-haired maid asked another question.

“Yeah, it’s really important. It’s one of the only two things I have from my hometown.

And even if you say it was your duty, I still want to thank you. If you’d thrown it away, I would’ve been really upset.”

“I see…”

With that, the conversation ended.

The three of them walked in silence until they reached the dining room.

The décor was equally luxurious.

Several people were already seated along the long central table.

Subaru, standing in the doorway, watched as the two maids took up positions on either side of the head of the table, saying nothing. He couldn’t help but admire them.

‘Now this is what a real maid should be—adorable and dignified. And they don’t look like they have much combat ability either.’ Of course, that was just his impression.

“Don’t judge a book by its cover”—a lesson he’d learned the hard way through the game.

Shifting his gaze from the maids, he looked toward the blonde girl.

She looked at him briefly, then turned her eyes away.

“Good morning. And thanks again for earlier,” Subaru said, trying to greet her.

But she didn’t respond. His raised hand slowly and awkwardly dropped.

“Find a seat. Don’t block Beatrice while she’s waiting for her brother.”

Her cold tone made Subaru smile awkwardly.

He stepped out of the way and looked at all the available seats but wasn’t sure where to sit.

So instead, he just stood there, looking toward the door, waiting for the person he wanted to see most.

He didn’t have to wait long.

A silver-haired girl entered from the hallway. Subaru’s eyes lit up, and he rushed over to her.

“Um, are you the one who saved me?”

Emilia stepped back, startled by Subaru’s closeness.

Maybe sensing her discomfort, a small cat floated out from beneath her long hair and pushed Subaru back with its paw.

“Kid, I understand your eagerness. Even if you saved my daughter, that doesn’t mean I approve of you. So could you back off a bit?”

“Ah, sorry—I got too excited.” Subaru took a step back.

He stared at the floating white cat.

It was ridiculously cute—super, super fluffy. Subaru, who loved petting animals, had a strong urge to scoop it up and give it a good rub.

“Big brother!”

“Beatrice, it’s been four days. Have you been a good, spirited little lady while I was gone?”

“I’ve been eagerly waiting for you to return, big brother. Can we spend today together?”

“Of course. Let’s have a relaxing day together.”

Watching the interaction between the golden-haired girl—Beatrice—and the eccentric cat, Subaru thought to himself that this was how a young-looking loli character should act.

As the two left, Subaru turned his attention back to Emilia.

“Um… After I passed out, are Felt and Old Man Rom okay? Did they survive?”

Perhaps Subaru’s emotions were too intense—Emilia took another step back.

To her, he looked desperate and uneasy, his expression heavy and frightening.

Taking a breath, Emilia finally answered:

“They’re fine. Thanks to your effort and determination, they’re both safe.”

Hearing this, Subaru’s eyes lit up, and his gloomy expression turned to joy.

He couldn’t hold it in—he jumped up and shouted:

“Yes! Yes! They’re safe! I actually saved someone for the first time! This means I’m one step closer to him!”

Emilia looked at Subaru’s radiant smile—so heartfelt and bright.

It was clear that, to him, saving someone he hadn’t known for long was a huge achievement.

Clenching his fists, Subaru calmed down and looked at Emilia apologetically.

“Sorry for scaring you. And… thank you for saving us.”

“I only healed your wounds. The one who saved you was the Kingdom’s Sword Saint, Reinhard.”

“Huh? Really? But… I don’t think I know any Sword Saint...”

“Oohhh~~ is everyone here already? Beatrice too? It’s been days—so happy you decided to join me for breakfast today~~”

The flamboyant voice behind Emilia made Subaru freeze.

He turned toward the speaker, whose over-the-top outfit made him look just like a clown.

At that moment, Subaru remembered what Beatrice had said about a “clown.”

It wasn’t hard to connect the dots—this man must be the owner of the mansion. And earlier, the pink-haired maid had called him “Lord Roswaal.” So it had to be him.

Chapter 18: The Dragon-Friendly Kingdom

"Please don’t flatter yourself. Maybe one day, if you change that ridiculous outfit, Betty might consider having a meal with you."

"Such harsh terms! Well, I’ll give it a try someday~~~ So, is this the person who saved Lady Emilia? He really is quite the fine-looking man~~ ah."

Hearing this, Subaru Natsuki shuddered.

The person dressed like a clown and speaking in such a bizarre manner was unsettling.

"'Fine-looking' is far too generous. I’m just an ordinary, plain NEET."

The clown-like man, addressed as Roswaal by the pink-haired maid, looked deeply at Subaru and smiled.

"Since everyone is here, let’s not just stand around chatting. Let’s sit down and talk while we eat. Ram, Rem."

"Understood, Lord Roswaal."

"Please have a seat, honored guest."

"Oh…" Led by Roswaal, Subaru approached the dining table.

After watching Roswaal and Emilia take their seats, he hesitated for a moment, then moved to sit next to the blonde girl.

"Please don’t sit next to Betty. You’ll be disturbing my time with my brother."

Hearing the blonde girl's cold words, Subaru froze mid-motion.

She wouldn’t even look at him, speaking with her eyes closed and a tone of complete indifference.

Her aura made it painfully clear she was not someone easy to approach.

"Sorry… It’s just that I felt a bit of a sense of security sitting next to you…"

"Are you a newborn chick? Mistaking the first person you see as someone who gives you a sense of safety? You really are simple-minded."

"I’m not like that. It’s just…" Subaru glanced at Emilia across the table, still reluctant to sit beside her.

Although she had saved him and seemed like a good and kind person, the feelings he had when they first met—truly met—still left him uneasy.

"Ma~, Betty, don’t worry about it. We’ll be together all day anyway, so there’s plenty of time."

"If my brother says so, I’ll allow it. But don’t disturb our time together."

"Thanks… really."

Subaru exhaled in relief and sat down.

Once he did, the two maids placed food in front of him.

Having not eaten anything since yesterday, Subaru eagerly moved to begin eating.

"What a rude guest—you’re already starting before Lord Roswaal has even touched his food."

"Ram, it’s fine. He’s a guest, after all."

"Yes, Lord Roswaal."

"It’s no problem. Please go ahead, guest. Don’t mind what Ram said."

Looking at the maid called Ram, then at the master of the mansion, Subaru hesitated before asking,

"Are you sure I can eat?"

"Yes, go right ahead."

Relieved, Subaru looked down at the knife and fork.

Having never used them before, he clumsily tried to imitate the dining manners he’d seen in movies and TV shows.

Compared to everyone else—who ate quietly without even the sound of utensils touching the plate—Subaru’s clattering, though not loud, was painfully awkward in the silence.

Giving up, he put down the knife and fork and picked up a spoon, tears in his heart as he began to eat.

"Wow, this is really good!"

"It looks plain, but Rem's cooking is pretty good."

"This dish… the blue-haired girl… Can I call you Rem?"

"You may call me however you like, guest. Rem has no objections."

At that moment, Roswaal spoke up.

"By the way, guest, none of us have introduced ourselves yet. I’ll start. My name is Roswaal L. Mathers. This is Ram, and that’s Rem."

"Hello, guest. I am Ram."

"Hello, guest. I am Rem."

"The one beside you is Beatrice, and over here is Lady Emilia."

"And I’m Puck~! I’m Lia’s father, you know!"

After hearing the introductions, Subaru mentally noted each of their names and said,

"Then I guess it’s my turn. Um… I’m Subaru Natsuki. Just your average, commonplace shut-in."

After Subaru finished his introduction, Roswaal looked at him and said,

"Now that the introductions are done, let’s get to the main topic."

"Main topic? Isn’t eating the only important thing right now?"

Subaru took another sip of the food Rem made, growing more impressed by its flavor.

"While eating is important, there’s something even more pressing. Before that, I’d like to ask—why did you come to Lugunica?"

"Lugunica? Is that the name of this country?"

Surprised by Subaru’s question, Roswaal paused before replying.

"You really are a curious one—coming to the Mathers domain on the border of Lugunica without knowing a thing about it."

"Why? Is there something wrong with this country?"

Roswaal fell silent for a moment, then slowly answered,

"The nation is unstable. After all, Lugunica currently has no king."

Subaru blinked in surprise, then returned to a calm, flat expression.

"Oh, I see. Let me ask—this isn’t some top-secret information, is it? If it is, I should probably start running."

"Don’t worry. Everyone in the kingdom knows about this."

"Then I won’t get silenced. That’s a relief."

"You’re quite the joker. You saved Lady Emilia. We’d never do such a thing."

"Good. Well, it doesn’t really concern me anyway. These things have a way of sorting themselves out. I just need to live my life and stay out of trouble."

Saying this, Subaru picked up his breakfast and resumed eating.

As he saw it, he only saved someone because they were about to be killed.

What happened afterward in the kingdom had nothing to do with him.

His goals were to return home eventually and get some work experience in this other world—so when he got back, he wouldn’t get fired for being clumsy.

"Just as you say—but I’m afraid you might not be able to stay uninvolved anymore."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Because the person sitting across from you, Lady Emilia, is one of the royal candidates."

"Eh????"

"Since there’s no king, and a kingdom can’t be kingless, it was decided that the Dragon Priestess recognized by the dragon would be chosen from among the candidates."

"Dragon?"

"Looks like you truly know nothing.

Lugunica is a dragon-friendly kingdom—founded under the dragon’s protection.

So, when the royal family was wiped out by plague, naturally, the next ruler had to be chosen based on the dragon’s will."

"I understand what you're saying… but what does any of this have to do with an ordinary shut-in like me?"

Chapter 19: Job Confirmation

"Because your origin is unknown, Natsuki Subaru."

The atmosphere in the living room grew heavy.

However, upon hearing this, Natsuki Subaru paid it no mind—or rather, he didn’t notice the shift in atmosphere at all.

He was just a normal shut-in with absolutely no experience in matters involving royalty.

So, Subaru spoke up plainly:

"I know my identity is suspicious. From your point of view, I probably seem like someone who intentionally approached Emilia. But I didn’t come to this place by choice.

If I could, I’d like to go back to my hometown. Besides, I didn’t intentionally get close to Emilia. When it comes down to it, it’s just because her stuff got stolen and I happened to run into her, Old Man Rom, and Felt."

"At that time, I just wanted to help someone. I came here entirely because you people brought me back."

"How surprising. You don’t seem afraid at all."

Hearing this, Subaru looked straight into Roswaal’s eyes, smiled, and said slowly:

"Because everything I did came from the heart. I just did what I wanted to do. I have no desire to get involved in your affairs."

"I see. I apologize for doubting you, Natsuki Subaru. Please forgive me.

After all, this is a crucial time. The Royal Selection is about to begin, so I had to be extra cautious."

"No worries. It’s not like I lost anything. Honestly, anyone would be suspicious of me."

"Then, let’s talk about your reward now."

"Reward?"

"Yes. To put it simply, you saved Lady Emilia and also recovered the insignia of the Dragon Priestess for her."

"The insignia of the Dragon Priestess? You mean that badge? I wouldn’t say I recovered it, I just returned something that had been stolen. Wait—so that thing’s really important?!"

The room went silent.

Subaru followed Roswaal’s gaze toward Emilia, who had her head bowed like a child who had done something wrong. She spoke quietly:

"Yes… That insignia proves I’m eligible to participate in the Royal Selection. It’s very important..."

"I mean, come on... You let something that important get stolen? Isn’t that kind of careless?"

"..."

Subaru sighed, sorted out the information in his head, and spoke:

"If that thing is so important, then if people found out it had been stolen, they’d probably say she isn’t qualified to participate in the Royal Selection, right? So this so-called reward is basically hush money to make sure I don’t spread that information, isn’t it?"

"Exactly~~ You’re quite clever~~"

"Anyone could figure that out. Looks like this is one reward I can’t refuse.

Just to be clear! I didn’t know any of that back then, and I didn’t save her expecting a reward."

"I understand. So, Natsuki S..."

"Just call me Subaru. In my hometown, that’s more casual. Using my full name feels a little too stiff… Of course, if you prefer it, you can call me Natsuki."

"Then… Subaru..."

"Yeah, I’m here. What is it, Emilia?"

"You saved me and got the insignia back for me. So, if there’s anything you want, just tell me. This isn’t the same as Roswaal’s reward—this is me thanking you personally for saving me."

Hearing this, Subaru thought for a moment and then said:

"Anything I want?"

"Yup! Anything at all."

Subaru grinned mischievously, and Emilia’s eyes filled with unease.

"Then what I want is..."

"What I want is..."

"Help me find a job."

Subaru dropped the mischievous smile and said it calmly.

But because his request was so simple, everyone looked at him in surprise.

"Don’t be so shocked. Sure, I’d love a huge sum of money and to live an easy life away from here. But I’m not ready for that kind of life yet.

Feels like it would rot me from the inside. So, I just want a job.

I’ll work hard no matter what kind of job it is. So give me a job! That’s the reward I want."

After hearing Subaru’s words, everyone fell silent.

Then, the silence was broken by Puck:

"Subaru, you really are a good person. My opinion of you just went way up."

"I don’t really care what you think of me.

Besides, this is probably the last time we’ll see each other. Whether you like me or not doesn’t matter. Of course, if you want to be friends, I’d be happy to raise your opinion of me."

"Friends, huh…" Puck glanced at Emilia. As someone who was always by her side, he knew what she was thinking and said:

"Then, do you have any conditions for becoming friends?"

"Do you need conditions to be friends? As long as we can laugh and chat about everyday stuff, that’s enough."

"Then Subaru, would you be willing to become my daughter’s friend? Due to various reasons, Lia doesn’t have a single friend.

Since I think quite highly of you, I’m allowing you to become Lia’s friend—even if you have ulterior motives."

"Puck!!"

"What ulterior motives?! It’s wrong to be friends with a hidden agenda! And that doesn’t even count as real friendship! But if it’s just being friends, sure. Still, it’s up to her to decide."

"Lia, you heard that~~"

"Um… Subaru, can I be your friend?"

"Of course."

"Really...? You don’t mind how I look?"

"Why would I? Do you need to look a certain way to be someone’s friend? Shouldn’t you be getting to know someone’s personality and heart instead?"

"Ugh..."

Subaru tilted his head in confusion at Emilia, who looked down bashfully. Suddenly, he was punched in the face.

Turning his head, he saw Puck smiling happily.

"Subaru! You really are a great guy!"

"I’m not that amazing. Just an ordinary shut-in. And how dare you hit me? Time for some payback!"

With that, Subaru reached out and grabbed Puck, feeling around with both hands.

The more he touched, the more his eyes sparkled.

"Ooohhh! I’ve always wanted to touch this fluffy fur! It’s so soft, I could pet it all day!"

"Hahaha, stop that! It tickles!"

Puck broke free from Subaru’s hands and flicked his tail, smacking Subaru in the face. Subaru, pretending to be angry, reached out to continue petting, when a voice interrupted him:

"Subaru-kun~~~ Since you’re looking for a job, how about staying here and working?"

"Stay and work?"

"Exactly~~~ You can see this place is huge.

Even though Ram and Rem manage things, it’s still too much for them. If you work here, food and lodging are taken care of. And more importantly, as Emilia’s first friend, I’m sure she’ll be thrilled."

"I don’t have a problem with that... Wait, I’m her first friend?! Seriously, what kind of father are you?!"

"Well, there are a lot of complicated reasons… So, Subaru, do you want to stay?"

"I’ve got nowhere else to go. If I get food, a place to sleep, and I can pet your fur every day, there’s no way I’m turning that down. So please take care of me! I’ll work hard for sure!"

Chapter 20: Starting Work

Subaru Natsuki stood inside a room—or rather, it was more like a closet.

The space was filled with luxurious clothes; it was a wardrobe room.

As for why Subaru was here, of course, it was because Ram and Rem had brought him.

From this moment on, he was officially a servant of this mansion.

His life of working in a different world was about to begin.

He couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous.

Though he had boldly claimed that he would take the job seriously, the truth was he had no prior work experience at all. So it was only natural to feel a little uneasy about the tasks ahead.

Still, that bit of anxiety was nothing serious.

As long as he kept moving forward, any difficulty could be overcome eventually.

Besides, it was supposed to be simple work—not some high-level task.

Subaru was confident he could adapt to it.

“Alright, Barusu, raise your arms,” Ram said.

“Hey, big sis, since when did my name turn into some kind of cursed incantation? And weren't you calling me ‘guest’ just earlier?”

Subaru obediently raised his arms.

They were now taking his measurements.

They had searched for clothes that fit him just now, but... well, there were technically some that did—except they were all women’s clothes.

“Because Barusu has now evolved from a guest into a servant, Ram no longer needs to call you ‘guest.’ Also, the things you say are completely incomprehensible,” Ram replied.

“Well, whatever. Call me however you like, senpai.”

“Mhm. At least you’re self-aware. You’ve quickly accepted your place,” Ram said with a smirk.

While chatting, Ram finished measuring Subaru’s chest and other dimensions.

She picked up the butler uniform Subaru had tried on earlier and handed it to Rem.

“Of course. Self-awareness is the key to survival... This isn’t a game anymore... although it’s not all that different,” Subaru muttered.

Ram glanced at Subaru but didn’t say anything further, instead standing quietly to the side while Rem adjusted the clothes.

Subaru watched Rem work with the fabric.

“Whoa, Rem, your sewing skills are amazing. I thought sewing might be the one thing I’d be useful at.”

“Subaru, you know how to sew?” Rem asked curiously.

Subaru nodded in response.

“Yeah, it’s probably the one thing I’m relatively good at. But compared to you, it’s not even close. Looks like I’ll have to really work hard to be of any use around here.”

After a little while, Subaru changed into the outfit Rem had tailored.

He looked himself over and moved around a bit—it fit perfectly, with nothing feeling off at all.

“Whoa!!! It fits perfectly! Rem, you’re good at everything, aren’t you?”

“No, if my sister wanted to, she could do it even better than me.”

“Really?”

Subaru looked toward Ram, but she didn’t respond to his question.

Instead, she said,

“Barusu, can you do something about your eyes?”

“Hey now, senpai, that’s too much to ask! It’s not like you can fix eyes with a needle and thread. Besides... these eyes were given to me by my mom. Even if I could change them, I wouldn’t want to.”

Subaru smiled wistfully, thinking of his parents.

He turned to face the mirror and murmured softly,

“If possible, I really wish my parents could see their son looking so cool.”

“Subaru, may I come in?” came a voice from the door.

“Emilia? Yeah, you can.”

Emilia walked in, looked at Subaru in his new outfit, and said,

“It fits really well... but somehow, it doesn’t suit you.”

“Eh? Really? I thought it looked pretty good on me.”

“It does fit well, but your overall vibe doesn’t match,” Ram chimed in.

“Is that so? Well, I’ve never worked before, so I can’t help it if I don’t have the right aura.”

“Honestly, Barusu, you seem more suited to being a gatekeeper. Those fierce eyes of yours could scare off a lot of people.”

“Hey, hey, hey, senpai! I know my eyes look scary! But can you not say it like that? I may look fierce, but I’m actually a kind person!”

“That’s great to hear. I was worried you might not fit in around here, but looking at how you’re getting along with Ram, I guess I don’t need to worry,” Emilia said with a smile.

“You sound like an old lady or something. But don’t worry, Emilia. No matter what, I’m going to work hard.”

“Okay then, good luck. I’ll leave you to it.”

“Mhm.”

Watching Emilia walk away, Subaru patted his cheeks with both hands and turned to Ram and Rem, standing up straight as he spoke earnestly:

“Alright, senpai! Please assign me my tasks! I’ll carry them out even if it costs me my life!”

“Well then, Rem still has other things to do. I’ll take you around the mansion to help you get familiar with the place,” Ram said.

With that, Rem left, and Subaru followed Ram as she gave him a tour of the mansion.

Along the way, Subaru kept his brain in full gear, memorizing the layout and every explanation she gave.

If he didn’t, he could easily get lost in such a huge mansion, and that would make him seem totally unreliable.

“This is the last stop—this is the bathroom. Once I finish explaining this, I’ll take you to help prepare dinner.”

“It’s already that late?”

Subaru reached out and opened the bathroom door.

But what he saw wasn’t the bathroom—it was the library he had visited before. And in the center of the room, Beatrice was playing with Puck but froze upon seeing him.

“Oh! It’s still surprising the second time. What kind of magic is this?” Subaru said.

“......”

“And earlier this morning, I thought you and Puck seemed pretty close. Now I’m certain of it.”

“Get out! Don’t interrupt Betty and big brother’s time together!”

“Eh—?”

Before Subaru could react, he was sent flying once again by the same force he had felt earlier that morning.

Compared to now, the morning push had been downright gentle.

“She’s such a not-at-all-gentle loli,” Subaru muttered.

Dusting himself off, he opened the door again.

This time, it really was the bathroom—though a little too fancy for Subaru’s taste.

After a quick glance, he closed the door.

“Hey, Ram, what was that just now?”

“That was Lady Beatrice’s room. It’s also the mansion’s library. Lady Beatrice usually stays inside.”

“She doesn’t come out often? Doesn’t she have any friends?”

“She only comes out when Lady Emilia returns. Normally, we bring her meals to her.”

“So... she has no friends... I wasn’t imagining things earlier...”

“What are you mumbling about, Barusu?”

“Nothing. Anyway, senpai—let’s start working!”

Chapter Text

Chapter 21: Beatrice

Standing in the kitchen, Subaru Natsuki was currently gritting his teeth in a fierce struggle with a potato.

It was his first time peeling potatoes, and completely inexperienced, Subaru faced the task like he was battling a formidable enemy.

"Ah!!! I cut myself again!"

Putting the injured finger into his mouth, Subaru glanced at the mess he had made and let out a sigh.

"This is so hard. I feel like the potato is about to turn into diced cubes."

“You’re really useless, Barusu.”

“I told you already, this is my first time working!”

Subaru looked at Ram, who was expertly peeling potatoes beside him, and couldn’t help but admire her as a seasoned pro.

The skin came off cleanly, just like how his mom used to peel apples.

“Barusu, didn’t you say you were going to work seriously? Why are you slacking off now?”

“Oh! I’m not slacking off, look, I’m about to finish these potatoes!”

Subaru picked up the knife again and resumed peeling, only to cut himself once more soon after. Ram, unable to keep watching, came over and started demonstrating how to peel a potato properly while explaining it to him.

“Oh, so that’s how it’s done!”

After listening carefully, Subaru lowered his head and tried to imitate Ram’s technique. While he couldn’t keep the skin in one piece like her, he was showing improvement.

Focused completely, Subaru seemed to enter his own world, his eyes locked solely on the potato.

Ram, after giving him a glance, walked away and joined Rem, who was chatting nearby.

“Rem.”

“Yes, sister?”

Ram looked at Rem, who had just turned her gaze away from Subaru. Without saying much, she simply shook her head and said,

“He’s really useless.”

Rem stayed silent for a moment before nodding.

“Yes, he really is useless.”

“I did it... I did it! Look, senpai! I did it!”

Holding up a rather misshapen potato, Subaru beamed as if he had accomplished something incredible.

“Barusu, that’s just one potato—and it looks terrible.”

“But potatoes are meant to be eaten, right? Do looks even matter?”

“Rem thinks your potato isn't acceptable. Even though it’s meant to be eaten, how the food looks is still important. If the sizes aren’t uniform, it’ll ruin the appetite.”

“Cut me some slack, senpais! I really have no experience in this! But I’ll work hard to meet your expectations!”

.

.

.

After finishing a day’s work, Subaru collapsed onto his bed and let out a sigh.

“Working really is tough. I’ve started to understand how hard earning money is. What was I even doing with myself before...”

Lying on his stomach, he turned his head to look at his new room.

Compared to the ridiculously large and luxurious one he had in the morning, this room was much simpler.

But that suited Subaru’s tastes better. It felt more comfortable.

“Alright, time to sleep. I’ve got work tomorrow too... I need to try even harder...”

Despite saying that, Subaru didn’t have the energy to even change out of his clothes. Having used up all his energy, his eyes slowly closed—only to be interrupted by a knock at the door.

“Who is it?” Rubbing his eyes, Subaru got up and opened the door. Ram stood there.

“Senpai? Is something wrong? I thought work was over for the day.”

Without answering immediately, Ram stepped into Subaru’s room and went over to his desk before speaking.

“True, your work for the day is done. But this morning, I noticed that you don’t know how to read or write. So I’ll be teaching you now.”

“I appreciate that, really, but... can we do this tomorrow? I’m really tired today...”

“No. How can you be a servant in the mansion if you can’t even read?”

“...Senpai, are you just trying to train me into a capable servant so you can slack off more? I’ve figured out your true motives!”

“Tch.”

“You just clicked your tongue, didn’t you!? I heard it!”

“What are you talking about, Barusu? I don’t understand at all. Now hurry up and sit down quietly.”

With a deep sigh, Subaru sat at the desk.

Though exhausted, he knew the road home would be long and that he’d need to read magical texts to find his way.

So he forced himself to stay awake and began studying the language of this world.

Eventually, unable to fight the fatigue, Subaru dozed off at the desk.

Ram saw him sleeping and didn’t wake him.

Instead, she walked over, took a blanket from the bed, covered him, and left the room after turning off the light.

.

.

.

The next morning, Subaru stretched as he woke up from the desk, his body making satisfying cracking sounds.

Rubbing his eyes, he remembered what happened the previous night and glanced around his now-empty room.

His eyes settled on the blanket that had slipped off him. Smiling slightly, Subaru was full of energy again.

“Time to work hard again today!”

After washing up and leaving the bathroom, he was heading to find Ram to ask about the day’s schedule when he suddenly stopped and looked at a nearby door.

Thinking for a moment, Subaru opened the door—and as expected, it was the library.

“Good morning, Beatrice.”

“How do you always manage to break through Betty’s random door?”

“Just a hunch. I thought it might be this one, so I opened it to say good morning.”

This time, Subaru didn’t step inside.

He simply stood at the entrance and watched Beatrice reading. After being kicked out twice before, he didn’t want a third time.

“What an irritating way to put it. Since you’re a servant now, you should address Betty properly.”

“Understood, Lady Beatrice.”

“You sure don’t hesitate.”

“Because I’m staff here now. It’s working hours, so I have to act like it.”

“Well then, servant boy, if you understand that it’s working hours, what are you doing wasting Betty’s time?”

“It was just a simple greeting. Also, with all these books, and considering how I dozed off halfway during yesterday’s lesson on this world’s script... I think I left a bad impression with Ram-senpai. So I was wondering, Lady Beatrice, if I could come to you at night to study the language.”

“If Ram is already teaching you, there’s no need for you to come to Betty. Now leave.”

Subaru nodded in slight disappointment and closed the door with a sigh.

He understood that he didn’t need to come to Beatrice—but her loneliness had bothered him. That’s why he had such a thought.

“Oh well. I’ll just bring a book with me tonight. Surely she won’t turn me away... probably...”

With that, Subaru began a new day.

Chapter 22 – The Promise Between Puck and Natsuki Subaru

If one were to describe what working feels like, for Natsuki Subaru—who had never worked before—the feeling could be summed up with one word: exhausting.

If he were allowed two words, it would be: fulfilling.

Yes, while work was tiring, what Subaru felt even more than exhaustion was fulfillment.

Every day he had things to do, he learned new things through his work, and every single day he could clearly see that he was moving forward.

He could distinctly tell that he was not the same person today as he was yesterday.

The experience from yesterday's work had improved his efficiency today—even if just a little, it was still progress.

For someone who had stood still for so long, eventually giving up on moving forward, and watched as others passed him by, until he was left alone—that tiny progress meant everything.

At that time, he had wanted to start over and get closer to his father.

But when high school started, he failed.

After being late one day without thinking, he slowly stopped going to school, becoming a shut-in.

If it hadn't been for the friend he met in a game, the life of Natsuki Subaru would have been nothing but failure.

Because of all this, Subaru now took everything seriously.

No matter how bitter or exhausting things became, he refused to stop.

He wanted to become someone who could stand proudly beside his father and be introduced as his son.

He wanted to be able to look his dearest friend in the eye and say, "Thank you."

“Subaru.”

“Is there something you need me to do, senpai?”

“No… I’m just curious—why do you push yourself so hard? These tasks don’t seem to be worth such effort.”

Subaru paused for a moment and then smiled.

Taking his gaze off of Ram, he continued polishing the vase in his hands and slowly replied,

“Senpai, you’re right. These things might not need to be taken so seriously, but life should be lived seriously. I once strayed from the right path and wasted a lot of time.

That’s why now I need to work even harder, to take everything more seriously, to do each task well, and to treat every single day with earnestness.”

Ram was stunned upon hearing that.

At first, she had thought Subaru resembled the Rem of the past, but after listening to his words, she realized there was a fundamental difference between them—even in the same resolve.

“Barusu, the morning’s tasks are all done. Go take a break.”

“Huh? But aren’t there still a lot of things that need to be done?”

“Those can wait until the afternoon.”

Even after hearing that, Subaru didn’t immediately put down the vase in his hands, nor did his face light up with joy at the thought of a break.

“Senpai, this is only my second day on the job. There are still many things I’m unfamiliar with. I’d prefer to rest tonight. Besides, this is actually a good thing for you, right? Didn’t you reveal all your thoughts last night?”

“What are you talking about, Barusu? Last night, aside from teaching you to read, I didn’t say anything else.”

“Yes, yes, of course—senpai said nothing last night.”

“Barusu, as a servant of the mansion, your task right now is to go take a break.

Also, didn’t you become friends with Emilia yesterday? Go talk with her on the lawn.”

“But—”

“Subaru! This is an order!”

Seeing Ram’s serious expression, Subaru helplessly nodded and said,

“Understood. I’ll go start my new ‘task’ now. If there’s anything troublesome or any heavy lifting needed, just call me, senpai.”

After finishing, and seeing Ram nod, Subaru placed the now sparkling vase back in its spot and walked away. He spent a bit of time reaching the courtyard, where he saw Emilia chatting with Puck from afar.

“Yo! Good morning, Subaru.”

“Mm, good morning, Puck. Good morning, Emilia.”

“Good morning, Subaru.”

Reaching Puck, Subaru extended his hand.

Seeing the sparkle in Subaru’s eyes, Puck helplessly shook his head and landed on Subaru’s palm.

Subaru gently stroked Puck’s fur.

All the fatigue he’d accumulated that morning seemed to vanish—of course, only mentally.

“Subaru, are you done with work for today?”

“Not yet. I’m currently carrying out a task that Ram-senpai gave me.”

Puck closed his eyes in comfort and asked,

“What kind of task?”

“Well, Ram originally wanted me to take a break. But after I refused, she told me to chat with Emilia, who I just became friends with yesterday.”

“That definitely sounds like something Ram would do. I’ve seen you working a few times, and I also think you should rest.”

“Really? I actually think being tired is great—it feels fulfilling.”

While speaking, Subaru continued stroking Puck’s small head and sat down beside Emilia.

“You really are something else,” Puck said as he floated off Subaru’s hand and perched on Emilia’s shoulder.

“From the moment we met, I haven’t sensed a single trace of deceit from you. Your heart feels so full.”

Emilia, noticing Subaru’s puzzled look, explained,

“Puck can sense people’s hearts. That’s why he said what he did.”

“Really? Do all spirits have that kind of ability, like you, Puck?”

“Yep. Spirits are a pure bunch. But not every spirit is like me.

Spirits are divided into types. I’m a Great Spirit—capable of destroying the world.

Then there are micro-spirits. Their intelligence is lower, so they’re even simpler.”

“I see. But looking at you, Puck, you don’t look like you could destroy the world at all. You’re just cute.”

“Don’t be fooled by my cuteness! When I get angry, I’m scary! Destroying the world would be a breeze. So don’t go having any funny ideas about my daughter!”

“You didn’t say that yesterday. You really like teasing people, don’t you, Puck?”

Subaru laughed as he replied.

He never had any intentions toward Emilia in the first place. So whether Puck was joking or not didn’t matter to him.

“I wasn’t teasing! We spirits don’t like lying. And we hate it even more when someone breaks a promise. So if you ever sign a contract with a spirit, Subaru, make sure you never break it.”

“Why do you think I’d sign a contract with a spirit?”

Puck crossed his arms and thought seriously.

“Because I feel like you have something that spirits like. I can’t quite explain it, but I just know. You’re definitely someone that spirits would like.”

Hearing that, Subaru looked over his outfit, sniffed himself, and still couldn’t figure out what Puck meant.

Ultimately, he chalked it up to this being another world and stopped questioning it.

“Oh right, Subaru—yesterday, because it was Lia’s first time making a friend, she was so happy she forgot to thank you. She already told me what happened. Thank you for saving her back then. If you hadn’t, I might’ve really had to destroy the world.”

“So I ended up saving the world without realizing it, huh? But Puck, we’re friends, right? There’s no need to thank me for that.

But if you really want to thank me, just let me pet your fur when I’m tired—that’s enough.”

Puck looked at Subaru’s smiling face, and he too smiled as he said,

“Then it’s a promise. Friend!”

“Oh! And friend—you better not break this promise~~~!”

“Subaru, as your friend, can I ask you something?”

“What is it?”

“When I’m not by Lia’s side, please protect her.”

“What are you saying? Do you even need to ask? Isn’t looking after a friend just something that should be taken for granted?”

Subaru said this with such sincerity in his expression and emotions that Puck couldn’t help but feel reassured and happy from the bottom of his heart.

Chapter 23 – Courting Death

"I'm telling you, I'm not a kid anymore. If you keep treating me like this, I'm going to get mad."

The voice that came from the side drew both Puck and Subaru’s gaze to her face.

The expression of feigned anger was so cute that anyone seeing it would have to comment on it.

But sitting on Emilia's shoulder, Puck could see deeper into her eyes than just that playful irritation. As her contracted spirit and protector, he could read her clearly.

The time they'd spent together was more than enough for Puck to understand that Emilia actually had a lot she wanted to say.

Sensing this, Puck chose to stay silent and left that brief moment to the two of them.

Subaru Natsuki was technically a servant of the mansion.

As someone working here, he should have referred to Emilia as “milady.”

However, neither Puck nor Emilia saw Subaru as a servant — they saw him as a friend.

Yes, a friend.

Puck liked Subaru’s personality, and Emilia was genuinely happy and cherished having someone she could call a friend.

"That’s true. Emilia, you're not a child anymore. But that doesn't mean I can’t protect a friend I care about, right?"

"I don't need your protection! I can take care of myself. If anything, Subaru, you should be protecting yourself. You're still way too weak compared to me."

When she said that, the expression on Emilia’s face turned serious.

"I know. I understand how weak I am. Compared to you guys, I might as well be completely useless. But strength isn’t something that can be measured purely by power."

As Subaru said this, his gaze shifted from Emilia’s face and turned toward the mansion.

But his eyes weren't focused on anything in particular — instead, they seemed to pierce through time and space, seeing old friends who had walked long roads with him, and the shadow of the father he had always chased after.

A gentle smile bloomed on Subaru’s face.

Puck and Emilia both fell silent upon seeing that expression. Even if they didn’t know what he was thinking, it had to be something beautiful.

Because that smile was so soft, and the light in his eyes so bright.

"Subaru?"

"Ah, sorry — just remembered something."

"It’s fine." Emilia waved her hand, signaling that Subaru didn’t need to apologize. The previous topic was now over.

"By the way, Subaru, are you really satisfied with just this as your reward?"

Hearing that, Subaru sighed and turned his head toward Emilia, speaking seriously.

"Of course. This is enough. Honestly, if it weren’t for wanting to ease your minds, I might’ve left without asking for anything."

"But… you saved me and almost died doing so. Are you really okay with such a small reward?"

"I think it's fine. You are the one who thinks it’s not enough, right? Then why not change your way of thinking?"

"Change my way of thinking?"

Seeing the confusion on Emilia’s face, Subaru nodded and raised one finger, shaking it lightly as he spoke.

"Exactly. Change your perspective. Emilia, you think that me risking my life to save you is this massive favor, right?"

Emilia nodded and averted her gaze from Subaru, lowering her head and speaking softly.

"Yeah… You worked so hard to save me, and yet you ask for so little in return… and just want to be my friend… And because of me—"

"That’s it!"

"Eh?"

With a displeased look, Subaru placed his raised finger on Emilia’s forehead, flipped his hand, and gave her a firm flick.

As he pulled his hand back, he looked at Emilia, who was now holding her forehead, and said seriously:

"Emilia, you think that I got hurt because of you, don’t you?"

"Yes—"

"I didn’t say you could speak."

"..."

"Listen carefully, Emilia. I saved you to repay a debt."

As he said that, Subaru's gaze moved to Puck.

When he saw Puck nod slightly, he turned to look toward the mansion and continued:

"This whole situation started because of Felt. She stole your insignia, almost got herself and Old Man Rom killed, and put you in danger. But back then, you agreed to my request and even had Puck help us. You were so kind to us. I owe you for that.

Saving you was my way of repaying that debt — so really, you don’t owe me anything anymore.

More importantly, you even saved me. So if anything, I’m the one who owes you now."

After speaking, Subaru glanced at Emilia, who was now covering her mouth and silent, and he smiled.

"You can talk now."

"But… wasn’t the Bowel Hunter targeting me? If it weren’t for me, none of this would have happened, and you guys wouldn’t have been in danger."

"Yeah, that’s one way to put it. Because of you, we were hunted and dragged into danger."

Subaru nodded as he spoke, his face showing full agreement.

Seeing him stand there with his arms folded and nodding, Emilia’s expression turned despondent.

"So it's all my fault."

"That’s right, it's all your fault."

"I knew it… I shouldn’t have entered the royal selection, right?"

"Exactly. You shouldn’t have entered the royal selection."

Hearing Subaru's agreement, Emilia, whose thoughts were already in disarray, felt tears begin to well up in her eyes — no, they were already there, ready to fall.

Her voice trembled as she continued speaking.

"Someone like me, a half-demon—"

"Then why don’t you just die?"

At those words, Emilia lifted her head, her tear-filled red eyes locking onto Subaru’s face.

At that moment, a streak of blood appeared on his cheek.

The temperature around them dropped drastically.

"Subaru Natsuki… if you don't know how to speak properly, I won’t mind making you shut up forever!"

Floating down from Emilia’s shoulder and now standing between them, Puck raised his hands toward Subaru.

The extreme coldness surrounding them was entirely his doing.

"Puck…"

Emilia reached out, wanting to pull him back and leave, when she heard Subaru speak again:

"Come on, Puck. Didn’t you say you could destroy the world? Then start now — destroy the world."

"Subaru! What the hell are you saying?!"

Emilia shouted loudly.

Standing up, she could no longer hold back her tears or the sadness in her heart. The tears streamed down her cheeks.

Seeing this, Subaru’s eyes held no guilt. Not even Puck’s murderous aura or the deadly chill could make him flinch in the slightest.

Subaru stood up. Just as he opened his mouth to speak to Emilia and Puck, an icicle shot past his other cheek.

His cheek went numb, and he felt warm liquid start to drip.

"Shut up! For Emilia’s sake and your own intentions, I’ll spare your life — but tomorrow, you need to disappear from our sight!"

Emilia opened her mouth at those words, then lowered her outstretched hand. She didn’t say anything more. Subaru, who saw all this, sighed and spoke earnestly:

"I’ll resign today. But there are still things I have to say. Even if you silence me forever right now, Puck, I’ll come back again and say the same thing next time."

"Ohhh~ So you can resurrect, huh? I honestly couldn’t tell. Then do me a favor — show up again after this."

"Puck, no!"

An icicle shot from Puck’s hand, and Subaru didn’t dodge. It pierced through his side and sent him flying into a pillar, impaling him.

Blood spurted mid-air. But hanging there, Subaru still smiled. Looking at the floating Puck, he said:

"You’re really not much of a father… Just a bodyguard, huh?"

"Is that your dying message, my friend?"

"Subaru!"

"Sorry, Lia. Stay right where you are now. I can’t forgive someone who makes you cry like this. Even if that person is my friend and means no harm… For me, you are what matters most."

Chapter 24: Puck’s Vow

As he spoke, Puck immobilized Emilia in place. After doing so, he turned his gaze to Natsuki Subaru, who was hanging from a pillar.

"Let’s hope that this death teaches you what things should and shouldn’t be said."

"Ah… Sorry, I only have one life… But even if I die, I won’t change..."

Puck's eyes flickered with a trace of surprise as he looked at the hanging Subaru, visibly shocked.

He couldn’t understand—Subaru’s words were too sincere. He could feel it. Logically, Subaru should have been lying now!

While Puck was still reeling in confusion, Subaru had already averted his gaze from him and was now looking at the immobilized Emilia.

"Don’t cry… I’m just atoning… After all, based on your logic, my mere existence in this world makes me a sinner. Because of me, someone else had one less meal.

Because I was powerless, those kids in the slums might die of hunger today… If I die… maybe someone else can eat one more meal..."

"You—!"

Puck panicked at Subaru’s words.

His small body trembled, even though cold should’ve meant nothing to him.

The extreme cold surrounding them vanished.

Subaru could no longer feel the cold. From earlier on, everything had felt warm to him—like soaking in a hot bath.

"Emilia… your words earlier meant just that… So if everyone living in this world bears some form of sin, then Puck destroying the world would be wrong… right? So why do you not see yourself as being wrong either…?"

Subaru's vision blurred, and as he lost his strength and closed his eyes, he still spoke:

"Emilia… the fault isn’t just yours… it’s everyone’s… It’s because everyone shares some blame that tragedies happen… Learn to hold your head up… This is my final advice to you as a friend… Be more confident..."

As his words fell, Subaru lost consciousness. His life was slipping away rapidly.

"Subaru! Wake up! Don’t die! Please don’t die! I was wrong! It was my fault! I’ll be more confident from now on—just don’t die, my very first friend!!!"

Beside the unconscious Subaru, now placed on the ground by Puck, Emilia was weeping bitterly as she desperately tried to keep him alive. Floating above them, Puck paused in his healing when he saw Emilia looking up at him.

"Father, save Subaru!"

Puck said nothing but descended, placing himself on Subaru’s abdomen.

His mana surged violently into Subaru’s body.

"Oh my, what’s going on here~~? Why is my new servant in such a state?"

Roswaal appeared out of nowhere, smiling as he casually strolled up. At his sides stood Ram and a weapon-wielding Rem.

Both maids had complicated expressions upon seeing Subaru’s condition.

"You were watching this whole time, weren’t you?"

"Mm~~ yes. But I didn’t want to interfere in your business, so I stayed on the sidelines and watched the drama~~ Though I must say, he really doesn’t fear death."

Roswaal's tone shifted to a more normal one as he looked at Subaru with suspicion.

Finally, he crouched beside Subaru and extended his hand.

"These wounds really are serious. Ram, go bring Beatrice out. Tell her it’s by my request."

"Yes, Lord Roswaal."

Watching Roswaal’s actions, Puck was silent for a moment before speaking:

"Thank you. Otherwise, I may never have forgiven myself, nor received Lia’s forgiveness."

"Well, well. The Beast of the End actually said thank you. But don’t mind me—I just think this new servant is quite interesting. He might bring me what I’ve been looking for."

Puck glanced at Roswaal but said no more.

After some time, Subaru’s life was stabilized, and when Beatrice finally arrived, she healed Subaru’s wounds rapidly.

.

.

.

Subaru opened his eyes and looked up at the familiar ceiling, wondering why he didn’t feel the pain of death like last time. He only felt some fatigue.

Just as he was about to sit up to confirm whether he’d died, a small cat floated into view.

"Looks like I survived… That’s a relief..."

Subaru leaned back against the headboard and extended his palm.

Seeing Puck quietly sitting in it, he laughed.

This time, he didn’t pet Puck’s fur—instead, he used his other hand to flick Puck’s small forehead hard.

"Alright, I forgive you."

"..."

"Really, that’s so unlike you, Puck."

"I’m sorry, Subaru… I thought you really wouldn’t die… Why did you say something so misleading at that time? But it’s true, whether it's just one life or another that appears before me again…"

"Sorry, I can’t explain it."

"No, I’m the one who should apologize. I almost got you killed. I knew from the beginning you meant no harm."

Subaru glanced at Emilia, who was asleep beside the bed.

He didn’t wake her, just shifted his gaze back and gently rubbed Puck’s little head.

"I was wrong too. I really made her cry back then. You’ve spoiled her too much, which made her misunderstand things."

"To me, Emilia is the most important thing in the world. As long as she lives under my protection, that’s all that matters."

"I get that you're strong, but didn’t you also say you wanted me to protect her? You know you can’t always be there for her, right?"

"I lost control… When I saw her crying, I completely lost my mind."

"Puck."

"I’m here."

"You’re not a good father."

"..."

Subaru stopped his hand and said with a serious face:

"A father’s job is not just to protect, but to teach a child how to grow up strong and healthy.

A father is someone a child should aspire to catch up to, not just rely on like a bodyguard.

As a father, you’re falling way short."

"I’m reflecting on that..."

"Well, you’re a spirit, so it’s understandable you don’t get it. But from now on, be a proper father. Don’t ruin the image of fatherhood I have in my heart.

Besides, I’m your friend. The things you can’t do—I’ll help with. But only within the scope of friendship. Most of it is still up to you."

"Subaru… I, Puck—the Great Spirit and Beast of the End—vow that you will be my dearest friend. As long as you ask for help, I will aid you no matter what."

"No need to be so formal."

"This is my atonement, friend."

"Well then, friend, let me reintroduce myself. I’m Natsuki Subaru, just your ordinary shut-in. Let’s get along from now on."

"Likewise, Subaru. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me and for Emilia."

The spirit and the boy exchanged a smile—everything was understood between them without needing any more words.

Chapter 25 – Awakening

"But at that time, I really thought I was going to die."

Hearing those words, Puck looked at Subaru Natsuki’s exaggerated expression with an awkward face.

"It's because you said such harsh things, Subaru."

"I saw you nod your head!"

"Yeah, I knew what you were trying to do, but the way you said it was really misleading.

It made me so angry. You said something cruel without any malice, but it deeply hurt Lia."

Puck scratched his head, looking completely embarrassed.

Before Subaru said those extreme words, he looked at Puck, who nodded, indicating Subaru should handle Emilia's emotional state. But it all ended up going wrong.

Sometimes, communication between people is just that strange—laughing and calling each other brothers one moment, then fighting the next, almost to the death.

"Fine, I was also in the wrong. I just couldn’t stand how Emilia was thinking. Anyway, how long was I asleep?"

"About a day."

Hearing Puck’s reply, Subaru glanced at the sleeping Emilia at his bedside.

After a brief silence, he said:

“Puck, let her sleep a little longer.”

"Got it." Puck left Subaru’s hand, floated to Emilia, cast a spell, then turned to Subaru and said:

"Then, Subaru, please help lay Lia back on the bed."

Subaru looked over his shoulder at Puck with a helpless expression and spread his hands.

"I still feel weak, and this kind of thing shouldn’t be something you need help with."

"Subaru, I’m giving you a chance. Isn’t Lia adorable? Seeing her like this—beautiful and cute—doesn’t your heart skip a beat?"

"Forget about opportunities. Come on, Puck, stop messing around. I still have to work."

Saying this, Subaru slipped on his slippers and got ready to change into his work clothes and head to work.

Puck sighed, grew larger, gently lifted Lia onto the bed, covered her with the blanket, then shrank down and said:

"You said you're still weak, yet you're going to work now? Don’t tell me those two maids are more attractive than Lia?"

"Geez, can we not steer the conversation in that direction every time? Are you some kind of nagging aunt?"

Subaru glanced at Emilia on the bed, then walked to the door and added:

"Weak or not, I still have to get up after a whole day’s sleep. I haven’t been given a day off, and if my pay gets docked, that’d be a problem."

"Don’t worry, Subaru. No one’s docking your pay. If Roswaal dared to do that, I’d make sure he coughed up double!"

"Whoa, whoa, don’t say scary stuff with such a scary face. Roswaal’s still my boss, you know. I just don’t like sitting around doing nothing—there’s a lot I want to accomplish."

Saying that, Subaru opened the door. Puck glanced at the sleeping Emilia, then floated to sit on Subaru’s shoulder.

"You’re not going to watch over Emilia?"

"She won’t be waking up anytime soon. I think I’d better follow you, just in case you overexert yourself and collapse again."

"Well, thanks for the concern."

Subaru closed the door and headed toward his room with Puck.

"By the way, was it you and Emilia who saved me back then?"

"Not just us. Roswaal and Beatrice were involved too."

"Really? I guess I should thank them later."

Puck looked at Subaru’s face, paused, checked that no one else was in the hallway, then said seriously:

"Subaru, you have to be careful with Roswaal."

"Roswaal?"

"Yeah. Originally, Lia and I were living somewhere else.

Roswaal found us and made a deal, which led to Lia entering the royal selection to become the king.

I can’t see through what Roswaal really wants. He’s not someone to be trusted."

Subaru looked at Puck’s serious expression, thought for a moment, then replied indifferently:

"Well, it has nothing to do with me. I’m just a servant working at the mansion. Whatever the boss wants to do has nothing to do with me."

"I hope that’s true."

They stopped talking, and by the time their conversation ended, Subaru had arrived at his room.

He reached for the door—but it opened from the inside.

"Senpai? Why are you in my room?"

"Oh, it's the lazy Barusu."

"That was an unavoidable circumstance! But still, why are you in my room, senpai?"

"Hmph, because some brainless idiot pissed off Lord Puck and got a hole stabbed clean through his body. His clothes ended up torn, and Ram had to do more work because of it."

"So you came to deliver my work clothes? I'm sorry for sleeping a whole day, but I don't think your workload increased much because of it. Rem-senpai is the one fixing my clothes, right?"

Subaru walked into the room, looked at the work uniform on the desk, walked over, and picked it up to inspect it.

"Hmph. Ungrateful Barusu. Ram should’ve just let you sleep forever back then."

"Don't say such scary things! Anyway, thank you, Ram."

"Ram doesn’t care about thanks from Barusu. So why aren’t you resting properly? And what about Lady Emilia?"

"Of course, I’m getting ready for work. I already caused you senpai a lot of trouble.

If I keep lying around, I’ll feel really bad. As for Emilia, she’s still sleeping in the room."

After saying that, Subaru turned to look at Ram, only to see her step back, clutch her chest in shock, and say:

"Barusu… You actually did something perverted while Emilia-sama was asleep? Disgusting. Lewd!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Why are you slandering me like this?! I’m not that kind of person! Do I really seem that indecent to you, senpai?!"

"Yes! In Ram’s eyes, Barusu is just a disgusting, lewd, utterly useless, infuriating piece of trash."

Subaru sighed and said:

"Alright, senpai, please close the door. I’ll get ready and come help with work."

"No need, Barusu. You’re useless right now anyway. Just go back to doing your gross, lewd stuff. Ram is leaving."

Subaru didn’t stop her. After the door shut, he looked down to find Puck hiding in his chest. Puck poked his tiny head out and floated up.

"Puck, why were you hiding?"

"If I were there, you two couldn’t have that kind of conversation."

"Well then, thanks."

Subaru put down his clothes.

The earlier conversation had been Ram’s way of telling him to rest instead of forcing himself to work.

Subaru looked at the book placed on the upper-right corner of the desk, thought for a moment, and said to Puck:

"Puck, let’s go find Beatrice. Even if I’m not working, I still want to study more."

"No problem. Since you’re not working, I won’t interrupt your time with Betty.

I’ll go back and keep an eye on Lia. Subaru, if anything happens, be sure to call my name."

"What could happen in the mansion? You're being overly cautious, Puck. Well then, see you tonight."

Chapter 26: Beatrice’s Guidance

After parting ways with Puck, Natsuki Subaru stood in front of his desk, gathered his study tools, changed out of his white pajamas, and into his ever-reliable tracksuit.

Stretching out his hand to smooth the wrinkles in his clothes, Subaru stood tall, took a deep breath with his book in hand, and left his room.

As he walked through the long hallway, his eyes scanned the doors on either side until he found the one he was looking for.

Stopping at the door, Subaru reached out and opened the entrance to Beatrice’s library.

“Yo, good morning.”

With a vibrant smile, Subaru cheerfully greeted Beatrice, who was seated in the library. The reply he received, however, was one of irritation.

“I’ve had enough. Why can you always just open Betty’s library door so casually? And what’s with that disgusting smile?”

“How cruel, Beako! Calling my smile disgusting when I actually think it’s pretty charming.” Subaru said as he entered the library, shut the door behind him, and walked up to Beatrice.

Beatrice glanced at Subaru standing in front of her, then lowered her head to continue reading her book as she asked casually,

“So, what do you want with Betty?”

“Well, I kind of overslept the other night due to some unexpected stuff. I missed our study session, so I thought I’d take advantage of today’s rare break to come by.”

“Betty doesn’t remember ever agreeing to teach you. And I don’t like having noisy people around me, so just go away if you have nothing to do.”

“I actually came to thank you. Puck told me—you saved me back then, didn’t you? Thank you for that.”

“Oh, that. Don’t get the wrong idea. I only helped you because Brother asked me to.”

“I see… but even so, no matter what the reason was, I think it’s only right to thank the person who saved me. As a reward for saving me, I’ll do anything you want!”

“Is that so? Then leave Betty’s library.”

“Ah… Can we maybe choose something else? Look, I even brought study tools! Don’t be so heartless.”

As Subaru spoke, he sat down next to Beatrice, placed his study materials on the floor, opened the book Ram had taught him from last time, and began reviewing.

“You really are just full of big words. If you can’t even leave Betty’s library, don’t say things like that.”

“I’m not just talking big. I really don’t know how to properly express how grateful I am. So I figured I’d come up with my own way to repay you.”

“Hmph, do whatever you want. Nothing you do is going to make Betty happy anyway.”

Subaru glanced at Beatrice, but said nothing and continued reading quietly.

The conversation came to an end, and neither Subaru nor Beatrice spoke again.

Only the sound of pages turning filled the room.

Subaru, after all, was just an outsider.

Ram’s one-night lesson hadn’t taught him much, so when he tried to get Beatrice to teach him again, he saw her reading with a serious expression.

She had such a cute, beautiful profile.

Subaru couldn’t understand why her expression seemed lonely at that moment. Why did she look so disappointed?

Brushing away those thoughts, Subaru exaggeratedly said,

“Beatrice, I don’t know the next character. Help me out!”

Hearing this, Beatrice balled up her small hand and looked at Subaru with clear annoyance.

“Are you just here to cause trouble!?”

“Trouble? But I didn’t see you doing anything important. I just asked a question.”

“Betty tolerating your presence here is already generous enough! I’ve told you before I’m not going to teach you!”

Subaru silently pulled back his book and pretended to—well, not entirely pretended—ponder the meaning of the characters seriously.

Then he heard a sigh. Beatrice’s voice reached his ears.

“That character is pronounced ‘dragon.’”

“Oh, it’s ‘dragon’!” Subaru repeated, then picked up a sheet of paper and began copying the character from the book.

Then he heard her again.

“You wrote that character wrong.”

Puzzled, Subaru handed the pen and paper to Beatrice.

She took it, and under his gaze, wrote the character correctly.

Subaru took it back and began practicing in earnest.

Once he got through it once, the second time didn’t feel so far off. The third was less clumsy. Fourth, fifth, sixth...

As the number of repetitions increased, Beatrice, at some point, closed her book and started supervising Subaru’s studying.

Time passed unnoticed. One person teaching, the other learning.

Neither realized that something between them was slowly beginning to change.

Beatrice watched Subaru seriously practice his writing.

She didn’t understand why she was doing this herself. Maybe she was just bored from the long years of waiting. Maybe she simply wanted Subaru to learn and leave the library sooner.

She had said she didn’t want to teach. She had acted like she didn’t want to.

And yet, she was now teaching him seriously, just like a real teacher.

“All done! How’s this, Beatrice-sensei? How’s my writing?”

“It’s exactly what I’d expect from you—completely unsightly.”

“Ah! You’re insulting me, Beatrice-sensei!”

“If you don’t want to hear that, then work harder to improve your handwriting.”

“I’ll do my best, Beatrice-sensei! I’ll write perfectly to repay your guidance!”

“You really are weirdly energetic. Just got a hole opened in your stomach by Brother, and you’re acting like nothing happened.

Also, what’s with calling me ‘sensei’ all of a sudden? Betty doesn’t remember ever accepting a hopeless disciple like you.”

“Humph humph humph! Natsuki Subaru is like a cockroach—you can’t kill him!

A hole in my stomach’s nothing! As for calling you ‘sensei,’ it’s because you’re strict like one. Think about it—a loli teacher helping me study, isn’t that great?”

“The word ‘loli’ really gets on my nerves. But seeing as you’re at least self-aware enough to know you’re a bug, Betty will let it slide.”

Beatrice waved her hand dismissively, clearly wanting Subaru to keep his distance.

Subaru smiled without saying anything.

He didn’t know if this kind of exchange, this kind of time spent together, helped ease Beatrice’s loneliness.

But since she never talked about it, this was all he could do to try and dispel that solitude.

Subaru lowered his head again and resumed practicing.

Beatrice watched his progress. At this rate, he’d probably be able to read most simple books in a few days.

When that time comes, would he still come here? Would the next person to open the library door still be him...?

And the one she was waiting for—when would they come...?

“That character is pronounced ‘thought.’”

“Got it, Beatrice-sensei! Please teach me more!”

“Hmph. Betty just thinks you’re too noisy. Once you’re done learning, you won’t bother Betty anymore.”

“Huh? Why would I do that?”

“Didn’t you come here to study with Betty? Once you’re done, why would you still come?”

“Because it’s fun being with you, Beatrice-sensei. And I get to learn so much.” Subaru looked up at her, eyes sparkling.

“I want to know more and more. I want to learn everything I can. That way, when I go back, I’ll be able to tell my parents all sorts of stories.”

“Is that so... If you can stay quiet, then Betty might continue teaching you.”

“Mission accepted, Beatrice-sensei!”

Chapter 27: Once Again

Since there was no clock-like object in the library, Natsuki Subaru had no way of knowing how much time had passed since he entered.

It should be said that after he began receiving Beatrice's teachings, his sense of time had already become vague.

A long time may have passed, or perhaps only a short while.

However, when he noticed the fatigue in his body, Subaru concluded that quite a lot of time had gone by since he entered the library.

The time spent in the library was extremely peaceful. Although Beatrice taught him and he asked her questions, much of the time was spent in quietude—him writing, her watching.

Subaru put down the pen in his hand, stretched, and let out a yawn.

At that moment, Beatrice glanced at him and said:

"Someone outside is looking for you. You should go."

Subaru froze for a moment when he heard that.

Although he didn’t know who was looking for him, it was true that he should take a break and go see who it was.

"Understood, Beatrice-sensei. Then, see you tomorrow night."

“…”

Beatrice didn’t respond. She merely watched as Subaru packed up and walked toward the door.

A thought arose in her heart—but she quickly buried it deep inside.

Subaru opened the door to the library. Just as one foot stepped out of the room, he turned back and said to Beatrice:

"Beatrice-sensei, next time I come, I’ll bring you a cup of black tea."

With those words, Subaru left the room.

As the door closed behind him, Beatrice immediately relocated the position of the library.

She lowered her head and reopened the book in front of her, but found that she could no longer concentrate on its contents.

Four hundred years had been more than enough time for her to finish reading every book in the library.

Perhaps the book she held had already been read more than once. But other than reading, she had nothing else to do.

Day after day, year after year, four hundred years passed by in the blink of an eye.

It wasn’t as if no one had opened the door to the library during that time—but none of them were the person she was waiting for.

And Subaru wasn’t that person either.

She knew that… he wasn’t the one, because the future was no longer recorded in the books. Originally, she thought she could go on waiting, just as she always had.

After all, she was used to this lonely time.

But why did she feel so lonely now?

Beatrice’s gaze shifted from the book to the floor beside her.

"That criminal of a human finally left… now Betty can wait in peace…" she muttered, but her gaze, filled with sorrow and loneliness, was fixed on the spot where Subaru had been sitting.

In the silent library, not a single sound remained.

Even the sound of pages turning, which had echoed through the last four hundred years, had vanished.

.

.

.

Meanwhile, completely unaware of Beatrice’s feelings, Subaru was walking away holding a book in his arms, smiling and wondering whether he should bring some sweets for the evening.

‘Hope Beatrice-sensei won’t refuse… Though if I leave crumbs on the books, she’ll definitely scold me harshly.’

As Subaru walked, deep in thought, he suddenly heard footsteps behind him.

He stopped and turned around, only to see a white-haired Emilia running toward him, worry in her eyes.

"Emilia?"

"Subaru! Come back with me!"

With a firm tone, Emilia grabbed Subaru’s hand without explanation and began dragging him back the way she came.

"Emilia?"

“…”

"Well, being grabbed tightly by a beautiful girl is a new and exciting experience, and it’s making my heart beat faster, but what’s going on?"

"Why did you run off…?"

"Ah, because I saw you were sleeping soundly, and I didn’t want to stay in bed anymore, so I went to see Beatrice-sensei to learn more about the written language of this world.

Emilia, I can read and write a lot of words now!"

Hearing Subaru’s explanation, Emilia stopped walking.

Subaru also halted and asked:

"Emilia? What’s wrong?"

"Are you an idiot!?"

Subaru was startled by her angry shout and took a step back.

His eyes focused on Emilia’s face, which was now filled with fury. It was an expression he had never seen before.

"Don’t you know you almost died yesterday!?"

As she spoke, Emilia stepped closer to Subaru.

He smiled nervously and backed away to maintain distance—he felt like if she got any closer, she’d definitely hit him.

"But I’m fine now, aren’t I…?"

"No, you’re not! You need to rest properly!"

"Emilia, calm down. I really am fine. Do I look like someone who's still sick?"

"You! Need! To! Rest! Subaru!"

"Okay, okay! I’ll rest properly with you, so please stop being angry.

I’m really scared you might slap me, kind and gentle Emilia!"

But Subaru didn’t expect that Emilia would suddenly take a big step forward and grab his hand again. The two of them stopped moving.

Then, Emilia lowered her head, and a faint voice came from her lips:

"Subaru… why did you do something so dangerous yesterday? Couldn’t you have just lied… I know you were trying to help me, but you almost got…"

Before she could finish, the sound of a book falling to the floor rang out, and Subaru used his free hand to firmly smack the top of Emilia’s head.

"Ah, you really are so stubborn. I clearly told you already, and yet here you are again making the same mistake.

I know people don’t change overnight, but Emilia, you really are too hard-headed."

Subaru sighed and gently pressed his hand onto her head.

"If you still don’t get it, then I’ll say it again. If you still don’t get it after that, then I’ll say it a second, a third time! Until you finally change.

The one who hurt me wasn’t you, Emilia—it was Puck’s fault.

And Puck already apologized to me, and we made up. I almost died, yes—but that has nothing to do with you.

Don’t blame yourself for everything.

You have to learn to stop at the right point. Of course, putting all the blame on others is also wrong.

But I want you to understand this.

If you become king with your current personality, wouldn’t you just end up depressed early on?"

"Depressed?"

"It’s an illness. A very dangerous one. Anyway, Emilia, don’t keep thinking everything is your fault."

Emilia let go of Subaru’s hand and lowered her head.

She didn’t know how to respond, nor how to face Subaru.

She couldn’t understand—why did Subaru do so much for her? He saved her and nearly died. To make her realize her mistake, he nearly died again… Why?

Why did he want to be her friend? She had nearly gotten him killed multiple times—did she even have the right to be his friend?

"Subaru… why are you willing to be my friend? Why did you save me? Why did you say those things… even if it meant almost dying…"

"Geez, didn’t I already say this before? Fine, since you forgot, I’ll say it again.

I saved you because a kind and beautiful girl was running off with Felt. And besides, you can’t just watch someone die and do nothing.

As for why I want to be your friend—of course it’s because you’re a beautiful and kind person.

And I said those things because your thinking was really unbearable. As your friend, it’s only natural for me to help you fix that."

Chapter 28

Emilia looked into Subaru Natsuki’s eyes, and before tears could fall, she turned away.

The hand that had been resting on her head also withdrew at that moment.

“Then now, Subaru, you should go back and rest.”

“No! No way! I feel like I’ll rust if I just lie in bed! And I really am fine now! Puck, come out and prove it!”

“L-Lia... Subaru really is fine...” Puck’s head peeked out from behind the hair but was immediately shot a glare by Emilia.

Feeling guilty, Puck scratched his head and floated over to Subaru, striking a helpless pose.

“Subaru, why don’t you just go rest for a bit...”

Hearing that, Subaru glanced at Emilia’s back and quietly whispered to Puck:

“Is there any way to avoid just lying down and resting? I really don’t want to go back to bed.”

“Sorry, I have no idea. But Subaru, you really should get some rest.”

“I already slept for a whole day!”

“Then just pretend to rest for a while and play while lying in bed.”

Subaru glanced at the window in the corridor.

The sky outside was still bright, and it was clearly afternoon.

If he actually followed Emilia’s plan, he might end up staring blankly in bed the entire afternoon.

To Subaru, that would be pure torture — no computer, no TV, no manga, no novels — just lying in bed.

It was basically a punishment! Maybe after the whole afternoon, Subaru would be able to put on a performance of his soul leaving his body.

Thinking about that, Subaru shook his head frantically.

Puck, seeing Subaru’s expression, sighed.

“Well, then you’ll have to tell Lia yourself.”

Hearing this, Subaru’s gaze shifted to Emilia, only now noticing she’d been eavesdropping the whole time.

You could tell by the way she was quietly listening with her head tilted.

“Emilia, I really don’t need to rest.”

Emilia’s body trembled.

After composing herself and adjusting her expression, she turned to face Subaru, but as soon as she saw his face, her carefully held expression collapsed again.

She wasn’t a girl who could hide her emotions well.

Subaru had already said more than once that he didn’t need rest. Maybe if she insisted more firmly, he’d obediently go rest.

“Are you really okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“Really?”

“Really!”

Emilia was silent for a moment, then nodded in reluctant agreement but still said:

“You mustn’t do anything too strenuous. Even though your wounds are healed, your body is still weak.”

“Understood. Then I’ll go for now.”

“Okay.”

Watching Subaru’s retreating back, Emilia’s feelings grew increasingly complicated. At that moment, Puck’s voice came from her ear:

“Subaru is really an incredible person.”

“Hmm.”

“Maybe entrusting Lia to Subaru is actually a good idea.”

“Hmm.”

Emilia, responding out of habit, suddenly snapped back to reality, blushing deeply as she turned to look at Puck — who was smirking mischievously.

“Puck! What are you saying!”

“But Lia, you were staring at Subaru’s back like you were entranced just now.”

“That’s... that’s because I’m worried about Subaru’s health.”

Puck looked at Emilia’s flushed face and smiled, not exposing her cover. His expression then turned serious.

“Lia, I hope you’ll think more about your feelings for Subaru.”

“Why?”

Puck didn’t answer Emilia’s question. Instead, he looked toward the direction Subaru had left.

The time spent with Subaru, the conversations, and his behavior all proved that Subaru was a good person, someone worth relying on.

But precisely because Subaru was so outstanding, Puck noticed Emilia’s growing feelings for him.

If she didn’t realize her own heart soon, Subaru might be taken by someone else.

What would Emilia do then? Although her feelings for Subaru hadn’t deepened to that level yet, Puck had seen how she acted after yesterday’s incident.

If Emilia and Subaru continued spending time together, her feelings would surely grow larger and deeper.

If Subaru ended up with Emilia, everyone would be happy... but if not, Emilia would be unable to escape those feelings.

Though Puck could try to keep Emilia away from Subaru, he was her first friend, and doing that would be too cold-hearted.

Plus, he doted on Emilia too much. Despite this, Subaru’s words made him want to change his attitude a bit.

‘What should I do to help Subaru and Lia’s feelings reach that level?’

Meanwhile, back in his room, Subaru put down the book he had picked up before leaving, glanced at the work clothes on the bed, and then out the window.

After a moment, he changed into his work clothes and left the room.

Wandering through the mansion, Subaru entered the kitchen.

“Senpai! I’m here to help!”

Greeting them, Subaru approached the cooking counter under the watchful eyes of Rem and Ram, ready to start handling ingredients. Ram’s voice reached his ears.

“Barusu, I already told you this morning — you can’t really help right now. To avoid troubling Rem and me, Barusu, you should just go back.”

Subaru was taken aback, but instead of answering immediately, he picked up some ingredients and started working.

“Ram, I’m really fine now, and I’ve rested enough. As a servant in the mansion, I have to do my best.”

“Tch, there’s no arguing with Barusu’s words.”

Subaru smiled as Ram turned her head in silence and continued preparing the ingredients. After cleaning them, he carried them over to Rem.

“Senpai Rem, the ingredients are ready.”

Hearing Subaru, Rem glanced at him and said:

“Thank you.”

“It’s my duty.”

Rem watched Subaru put down the ingredients and walk over to Ram to work on the next dish with her.

They chatted and laughed while working. Rem’s gaze lingered on Subaru’s back, her feelings complicated.

Since Subaru arrived at the mansion, she had spoken to him very little — fewer than ten times.

Before yesterday, she had secretly watched him, as there was a faint but unpleasant scent about him that kept Rem wary.

But after what happened yesterday, and hearing Emilia’s account, Rem felt she might have misunderstood Subaru.

After watching for a while, Rem withdrew her gaze.

Even though she suspected she had misjudged Subaru, there wasn’t much to talk about between them.

As long as she didn’t have to be on guard, that was enough.

Chapter 29 Will You Be That Person?

“Lord Roswaal, Subaru has arrived.”

“Thank you for your hard work, Rem.”

Standing aside, Subaru glanced at Emilia and Roswaal sitting at the table, then asked,

“Lord Roswaal, did you call me for something?”

“Of course, to invite you to eat together~~~”

“I’m a servant, so I’ll eat with Ram and the others,” Subaru said firmly, refusing Roswaal’s invitation.

“Very well, I will see you later then Subaru~~~”

,

,

,

“Barusu, why did you refuse Lord Roswaal’s invitation just now?”

Hearing this, Natsuki Subaru looked up briefly at Ram sitting across from him, then lowered his head again to continue struggling with the food on his plate.

“Because I’m a servant. I’ve only been here a few days, and I can’t embarrass my seniors, so of course I can’t accept.”

The moment Subaru finished speaking, Rem’s voice cut in.

“Subaru, you’re lying.”

“Yes, Barusu is lying.”

Subaru was stunned, looking at the two sisters strangely and asked confusedly,

“Why do you think I’m lying?”

“Intuition.”

“Got it.”

“Rem-senpai’s intuition is pretty good, but I prefer Ram-senpai’s words more,” Subaru said with a smile as he speared a piece of meat with his fork.

“To be honest, I actually wanted to have dinner with both of you seniors. Besides, I don’t really understand etiquette, and it’s uncomfortable to eat in such a large space with so few people. It’s much more comfortable to sit together at this small table. Don’t you think it feels like family?”

Hearing Subaru’s words, Rem and Ram both paused, then leaned back and retorted,

“Hmph, little Barusu thinks he can become our family? Don’t be so arrogant.”

“Yeah, sister’s right. Rem’s family will always be just us two sisters, there’s no place for Subaru.”

“That’s not true! If I marry one of you in the future, wouldn’t we be family then?”

Subaru said this and saw the two of them lean towards each other, grabbing each other’s hands and trembling all over as they said in unison,

“Little sister, little sister, Barusu has finally shown his true colors; let’s bury him.”

“Sis, sis, Subaru has finally shown his true colors; let’s kill him.”

Subaru twitched at the corner of his eye watching their act, sighed, grabbed a steak from his plate, and bit into it.

Wiping his mouth on a nearby rag, he looked at the dishes set aside and said,

“I’m going to bring food to Beatrice.”

Leaving those muffled words behind, Subaru carried the food and left the kitchen.

After walking down the corridor for a while, he found Beatrice’s room door and opened it with one hand.

“Beatrice, dinner’s ready~~~”

Beatrice looked at Subaru with displeasure and said,

“What’s with that tone like you’re feeding a pet?”

“You’re overthinking it, Beatrice-sensei,” Subaru replied as he closed the door, carrying the food and standing in front of her. Looking around, he noticed there was no table.

“Beatrice-sensei, how do you usually eat?”

“That’s none of your business. Put down the food and leave.”

Beatrice closed her book, jumped down from her chair, put the book back, then approached Subaru and took the food.

“What are you still standing here for?”

“I was just curious how you eat since there aren’t any tables around.”

Beatrice glanced at Subaru, then sat back down and placed the tray on her lap.

“All right, now that you know, you can leave.”

Subaru looked at Beatrice for a moment in silence, then rubbed his stomach and said,

“Hahaha, actually, I didn’t eat enough earlier, so can I stay here a bit longer?”

“Huh?! Get your position straight! Betty would never share her food with you!”

“Even though I’m hungry, I really can’t eat anything more. It’s just that I feel hungry in my heart. Watching Beatrice-sensei eat beside me fills that hunger psychologically.”

When Subaru said this, he suddenly noticed the atmosphere around him felt strange.

The next moment, he saw Beatrice raise her hand. A bad thought flashed through his mind and as he tried to say something, he was suddenly knocked away.

With the door shutting heavily behind him, Subaru rubbed his back while leaning against the wall and sighed, looking at the closed door.

“Eating alone like this is so lonely. If I stayed nearby, you wouldn’t feel so alone, right?”

Muttering quietly, Subaru stood up and dusted off his clothes, about to leave when a voice came from nearby.

“Subaru, you really like Beatrice, huh~~ Could it be you’ve fallen for her~~ If that’s the case, I might be able to help you~~”

Hearing that tone, Subaru pictured Roswaal’s clownish expression.

Turning around to face Roswaal, Subaru replied,

“Who wouldn’t like a girl like Beatrice? But it’s not the kind of like that leads to romance. So, Lord Roswaal, I’ll have to decline your kindness.”

“Subaru, you really don’t have to be so formal. Even though you’re working in my mansion now, you can be more casual~~ You’re actually a big help to me~~”

Subaru looked at Roswaal’s smiling face and shook his head.

“No. Work is work. Besides, I don’t even remember helping with any big favors.”

“Subaru, you’re really modest. Let alone saving Lady Emilia, you’re working here as a reward so I can conveniently watch you. I heard about what you did yesterday~~ You really helped me a lot.”

“So the real reason you made me work here was to keep an eye on me! Ah! I quit, I resign!”

“Subaru, you really love to joke. I’m a bit scared that if you don’t work here, I’d have to use some unpleasant means.”

Subaru stared at Roswaal’s smile, his expression stiffening as he asked,

“You’re joking, right?”

“Yeah, just joking~~”

“But why do I feel like you’re thinking about where to bury me right now?”

“Hahaha, Subaru, you really love joking. No matter what, you’re Emilia’s savior and friend. I’d never do that.”

Just as Subaru sighed in relief, Roswaal’s voice suddenly turned cold.

“I’d only lock you in the dungeon, and only let you out when Emilia becomes queen.”

“····”

“Don’t be so nervous. There’s no dungeon in my mansion.”

“Don’t say such scary things! I almost ran away!”

Roswaal chuckled without responding, then changed the subject.

“Subaru, it’s getting late. Go rest early~~~”

“Ah... okay...”

As Subaru prepared to go back to his room to get a book and then visit Beatrice again, a faint voice reached his ears.

“Will you be that person?”

Turning around, Subaru looked, but Roswaal had already walked a long distance away.

Chapter 30: Waiting

Natsuki Subaru watched Roswaal’s departing figure, feeling more and more that this employer who hired him was not as simple as he appeared on the surface.

On second thought, someone who could live in such a large mansion, and who was the lord of this border territory, could never just be a clown on the outside.

With that thought, Subaru withdrew his gaze and headed toward his room.

To him, this place was just his workplace; he could never stay working here forever.

According to Subaru’s plan, he intended to work here for a while, and if no god came to send him back home, then he would leave with the money he had saved from work and try to find his way back on his own.

However, he guessed that would take quite some time.

Not knowing the language well would cause him many problems in searching for a way home.

More importantly, Beatrice’s library had so many books that perhaps he could find a method to return home somewhere in there.

Therefore, he needed to study and work even harder and rummage through those books — though he wasn’t sure if Beatrice would even let him do that.

When Subaru reached his room and opened the door, he saw Ram sitting by the bedside sipping a cup of hot tea.

“You’re too slow, Barusu. Hurry and sit down. Since you rested all day yesterday, today’s study progress needs to speed up.”

Under Ram’s watchful eyes, Subaru walked into the room and said while walking, “Senpai, there’s something I want to discuss with you.”

“What is it, Barusu? If it’s about slacking off and not studying, Ram won’t agree. After I teach you, I can slack off.”

Subaru sighed and started tidying the books on the desk. “Ram, have you completely given up trying to hide it? I no longer feel that you deserve the title of senpai and respect. Actually, Rem fits the title of senpai much better.”

Hearing this, Ram raised an eyebrow.

“Pfft! You, a mere Barusu, actually want to be on equal footing with Ram? You’re hundreds of years too early.”

“Why do you come to that conclusion?”

“Because you don’t want to call me senpai — which means you want to be my equal.”

Subaru looked at the books he had arranged, then turned to Ram and said, “Actually, what I want to say is, I might not need your help teaching me anymore.”

“What? Are you saying you’ve already completely learned the language?”

“No, it’s not that. But since you like to slack off so much, as your junior, I naturally want to consider your well-being.

So I plan to have Beatrice teach me the language.

Besides, I wasn’t just idle after going to work this afternoon — I spent the morning and noon having Beatrice teach me.

So, for the sake of your sleep quality, I plan to go ask Beatrice for lessons now.”

Ram looked at Subaru’s sincere smile, then gripped her cup tighter. Although Subaru’s idea was good, Ram felt somewhat uncomfortable.

If this had been before yesterday, she would definitely have agreed with Subaru’s plan, but what happened yesterday had dispelled her suspicions about him — or rather, it made the suspicion that Subaru was a spy almost vanish.

Since Subaru arrived at the mansion, everything he did looked completely unrelated to being a spy.

At first, he didn’t know anything except sewing skills, which were useful.

He worked diligently even if he was bad at it, and always asked Ram or Rem for advice.

He felt fulfilled whenever he completed a task.

Even when he was tired after a day’s work, when he knew he was supposed to study, although he said “tomorrow,” he still studied until he collapsed on the desk asleep, never asking to rest.

Moreover, he truly didn’t understand the writing at all.

Sending a spy who can’t read a single character is pointless—how would they pass on intelligence? And with what happened yesterday, a spy wouldn’t collect information but instead teach and watch over the target, which is very strange.

Ram’s suspicion had basically disappeared, and she was willing to spend more time on him.

“Barusu, your evenings belong to Ram. Though I like to slack off, I don’t like to leave things half-done.”

“But senpai, don’t you usually give me tasks to do while you work?”

“That’s to train you.”

“Then why is it different with teaching me?”

“To let someone who knows nothing learn by themselves?”

“No, what I mean is, since Beatrice is willing to teach, Ram senpai should be able to go to bed earlier, right?”

“Because Barusu is so clueless, to prevent you from causing trouble for Lady Beatrice, Ram has no choice but to reluctantly teach you.”

Subaru saw the troubled look on Ram’s face and didn’t know what to say for a moment.

“Also, Barusu, why do you want Lady Beatrice to teach you so badly? Are you trying to make a move on her?!”

Subaru didn’t answer immediately.

After a short silence, he said embarrassedly, “Actually, it doesn’t matter to me who teaches me. It’s just that Beatrice stays alone in the library every day and might feel lonely.

And although she looks so cute, we rarely see her smile. So I want to try making Beatrice smile more, so she doesn’t stay in the library all the time.”

Hearing this, Ram stood up and, with Subaru’s puzzled gaze following her, walked toward the door.

“If this is what you really want to do, Barusu, then go ahead. But I will check your progress from time to time, just in case my slacking plan fails. I’ll head back now.”

.

.

.

After finishing her meal, Beatrice looked at the book in her hands, but she was not very focused.

Her gaze kept drifting toward the tightly shut door. Once, she used to look forward and patiently wait for the person she expected.

Now, she had basically given up glancing at that door from time to time.

Now she resumed the habit again, but it was no longer in expectation of someone’s arrival, but rather waiting for the new servant in the mansion.

After some time passed, Beatrice’s expression grew somewhat downcast.

She closed the book, took a black-covered book from the nearby pile, and hesitated for a moment before opening it again after many years.

The pages were blank — the book contained no writing, just emptiness.

“Betty already knew... he’s not that person. So why did she still think there would be any change...”

Beatrice put the book back and took another book to read for a while.

Then, she looked toward the door again, but still, no one opened it.

Lowering her head, the only sound left in the library was the rustling of pages.

Feeling mentally exhausted, Beatrice closed her eyes and fell asleep.

Chapter Text

Chapter 31: Going to the Village

Beatrice had a dream.

In the dream, the book was no longer blank.

The person she was waiting for appeared at the door of the library, but their face was completely indistinct.

Yet Beatrice felt happy—finally, the person she had waited for so long had come, and thus her contract would be fulfilled!

She watched the blurry figure slowly walking toward her.

But as the figure approached, Beatrice felt she had seen this person somewhere before. When he finally came in front of her, she clearly saw his appearance.

He embraced her, and it seemed like something was wrapped around him, making his body feel warm.

Beatrice understood it was a dream.

Though she didn’t know why she dreamed of him, it didn’t matter anymore; at least in this dream, she could forget about the contract.

The sky gradually brightened.

Opening her eyes from the bed, Beatrice was momentarily stunned to realize she was still lying down.

She quickly sat up and looked to the side, only to see Subaru asleep leaning against the edge of the bed.

He was sitting on the floor surrounded by scattered sheets filled with writing, with several storybooks nearby, and an open book resting on his knees.

His head was resting against the bed’s edge, and he seemed to be sleeping soundly.

Beatrice withdrew her gaze and glanced at the blanket that had slipped down onto his stomach.

She knew that apart from the sleeping Subaru, no one else would have done such a thing.

Her eyes lingered involuntarily on Subaru’s sleeping face.

Asleep, he looked even more like a young boy than when awake.

“If the person Betty has been waiting for is you…”

Before she could finish speaking, Beatrice shook her head.

The book was blank, so he wasn’t the person she was waiting for—he was merely a passerby.

Beatrice got off the bed and looked out at the sky.

It wasn’t fully bright yet, and at this time the temperature dropped significantly.

She picked up the blanket and gently covered Subaru with it, then sat down beside him and looked at the sheets covered with writing on the floor.

His handwriting had improved a lot, though to Beatrice’s eyes it was still barely readable.

But for Subaru, this was already very good progress.

Beatrice didn’t know how to view this person who had intruded into her monotonous life.

She wondered: if she got used to this noisy person sleeping soundly in the lady’s room, what would happen when he left… or if he died? Would she still be able to hold on afterward?

Once again, Beatrice hoped this person who disrupted her life was the one she was meant to wait for.

Many had broken through the gate of fate before, but none of them were like him.

Those others, after entering, were thirsty for the knowledge in the library.

Their eyes were fixed on the books and wouldn’t linger on her.

But Subaru, after entering the library, first noticed her.

He was only slightly surprised at the books around but kept his gaze on her.

Maybe he didn’t understand how many people dreamed of this knowledge.

But undeniably, he looked at her… cared about her.

Beatrice lifted her hand and gently touched Subaru’s cheek.

The moment she touched him, she felt as if struck by electricity and immediately pulled back. She stood up and left Subaru’s side.

‘I can’t continue like this. If it goes on, what will happen to Betty later…?’

Returning to her seat, Beatrice casually picked up a book to read but couldn’t concentrate at all.

She forced herself to read, forced herself not to think, forced herself not to focus too much on him.

Time passed painfully.

The sky brightened fully, and Subaru, who had been sleeping beside the bed, slowly opened his eyes.

Looking dazed, he rubbed his eyes. Seeing Beatrice’s back, he yawned and stood up to stretch his stiff body.

“Good morning, Beatrice.”

“Hmph! You dare to touch a lady’s body without Betty’s permission? Who said you could be in Betty’s room? You really deserve to die a hundred times!”

“That’s not my fault. Seeing a cute little girl sleeping in a chair, anyone would worry she might fall off. Besides, sleeping in a chair is a bad habit.”

Rubbing his eyes, Subaru walked up to Beatrice and asked,

“Beatrice, do you want to have breakfast together?”

“You clearly don’t reflect on your mistakes. Betty doesn’t want to see you anymore.”

“Huh?” Subaru didn’t understand what was going on but was pushed out of the library by Beatrice.

Leaning against the wall, Subaru looked at the closed door, confused.

The sunlight in the corridor was dazzling, and knowing he had work to do, Subaru put this matter aside and ran to his room.

Inside the library, Beatrice stared at the unopened door for a while.

Then she turned to the black book lying in the pile and slowly reached for it but ultimately gave up taking it out.

.

.

.

After a few days of work, Subaru could handle some tasks alone and even joke with Ram while working.

Work wasn’t so tiring anymore; after getting used to it, even exhausting work felt somewhat light.

At noon, Subaru was cleaning the gate while Ram stood nearby, arms crossed, watching.

In her words, she was supervising and assessing him.

In any case, Ram was not slacking off. After a while, Rem came over.

“Sis, the kitchen ingredients are running low. I’m going to the village to restock.”

“Not enough? Is it because of Barusu’s big appetite?”

“Yes, sis. Since Subaru arrived, the food storage in the mansion can’t last until the day after tomorrow.”

“Hey! Don’t think I can’t hear you just because I’m working seriously! I’m not a big eater and don’t eat much! This is slander!”

“But it’s true. Since Barusu came, the food that was supposed to last until the day after tomorrow is already running out today.”

“Yes, sis is right. It’s because Subaru eats too much.”

“That’s just normal consumption!”

“In any case, the food storage is insufficient.”

“Ram, I see through your idea. You just want to change the topic, right?”

“Yes, sis. So someone needs to go to the village. Rem will go restock.”

“Wait, Rem, since it’s because there’s an extra mouth, let Barusu go with you.”

Hearing this, Subaru looked at the two sisters.

“I don’t mind at all. I didn’t know people still lived around the mansion. I thought we were completely isolated.”

“Barusu, what are you talking about? Lord Roswaal is a border count, so he naturally has his own managed territory. How could a count have no people in his domain?”

“I had no idea. Then I’ll go together with Rem on this trip. She must be carrying a lot. Since I’m the only male servant here, if I don’t go, then who will?”

Ram looked at Subaru, who was smiling proudly.

She quietly whispered something to Rem. Rem nodded and looked at Subaru.

“Well then, Subaru, let’s go to the village.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 32: He and She Are Not Alike at All

Not far from the mansion, there was indeed a village.

Although the population was small, many people there were very kind.

Speaking of which, Natsuki Subaru suddenly realized that he seemed to be quite popular among the children.

As for why he was popular, even Subaru himself couldn’t clearly explain it.

Putting aside his narcissistic feelings, objectively speaking, his eyes did look somewhat fierce. Normally, fierce eyes should make children a little scared.

But reality was the opposite—these village children not only didn’t find him scary but rather gathered around him asking all sorts of questions.

However, Subaru didn’t pay much attention to this. He actually liked these kids.

Because he was so popular and got swarmed, Rem, who had given him permission to move freely, told him that while he could act freely, he could only use that time to play with the children.

Therefore, Rem took care of all the food supplies.

After she finished everything, she came to the village center looking for Subaru and saw him doing some strange movements with the children.

Rem didn’t call out to Subaru but quietly stood aside, watching him and the children perform those movements.

After a while, with Subaru and the children shouting loudly, they stopped their strange actions.

“All right, that’s enough for today. I have things to do, so I won’t play with you anymore,” Subaru said.

“Eh~~ Don’t go! Play a little longer, Subaru~~”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Subaru looked at the children who had surrounded him again, looking troubled.

He showed a helpless expression and said,

“But I still have to work, and I’d feel bad keeping people waiting. How about this: I’ll find time to come and play with you all in the future.”

Seeing the kids cheer happily, Subaru’s smile suddenly disappeared, and he put on a serious expression.

“But there’s a condition!”

“Condition?”

“What condition?”

“Why is there a condition for playing?”

The children all talked at once, and Subaru put out his hand to calm them before speaking:

“Of course, there has to be a condition. I don’t like to play with kids who don’t listen. So if you listen carefully to your parents before I come next time, I’ll teach you some new fun games.”

“Really?”

“Yes, Petra, I won’t lie to you. So before I come next time, be good kids, okay?”

After making this agreement with the children, Subaru stood up and walked toward Rem.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“It’s okay.”

“Then leave it to me to carry these things,” Subaru said, looking at the large wooden barrel nearby.

He squatted down, picked up the barrel, and was about to head back to the mansion with Rem when a girl named Petra came over and tugged at Subaru’s shirt.

“Subaru, we have something we want to show you.”

“Can’t it wait until next time?”

“Subaru played with us for so long today; we really want to show you this.”

Subaru looked at Rem, a bit troubled.

Requests from children that weren’t too much were hard for him to refuse.

More importantly, Petra’s pitiful expression made it really difficult to say no.

Seeing Subaru and Petra’s expressions, Rem was silent for a moment, then nodded.

“There’s still some time. Subaru, you can go.”

Rem watched the children pull Subaru away. After waiting a few minutes, Subaru returned alone—but it looked like he was bleeding from his hand.

“What happened, Subaru? Were you bitten because you tried to molest a little girl?”

“Not at all! I was just bitten by an unfriendly little dog. I thought children and animals liked me.”

“Maybe it’s because you’re like a child yourself that the kids like you.”

“Oh, so I’m popular because I’m a kid too—they think I’m their peer.

Makes perfect sense... nonsense! I’m definitely not a kid! Can’t it just be because I’m so handsome that I’m popular?”

“Subaru, Rem thinks you should always carry a mirror so you won’t misunderstand your appearance.”

“...Rem and Ram really are sisters. But compared to Ram, your tongue isn’t quite as sharp.”

“Of course, Ram is definitely fiercer than me.”

Hearing this, Subaru went to the wooden barrel, lifted it, and walked toward the mansion with Rem.

“But I think Rem is a bit stronger than Ram.”

“No, sister is the strongest.”

Subaru turned to look at Rem, a bit puzzled.

Her face was serious, clearly meaning what she said.

This made Subaru wonder if, as Rem said, Ram really was that powerful.

But recalling the recent work period, Subaru felt more and more that Rem was indeed stronger compared to Ram.

“Is that so? Maybe Ram is hiding her real abilities? That’s possible, after all, Ram does like to slack off.”

“As long as sister wants to do something, she can do it best—even slacking off.”

“Well, hearing that, should I say Rem, you have too much confidence in Ram? Or should I say, no wonder Ram is the strongest at everything she does?”

“Both.”

Subaru thought for a moment and said,

“Then I’ll have to ask Ram for more guidance when I go back.”

Rem looked at Subaru’s thoughtful face and asked,

“Subaru, why do you work so hard?”

“Hm? Why work so hard? Well... if I have to say, it’s because I want to catch up to someone.”

Hearing this, Rem recalled something Ram said not long ago: “Rem, I feel that Barusu is very similar to you.”

She wondered who that person Subaru wanted to catch up with was. Was it someone like Ram...?

“Want to catch up to someone?”

Subaru looked a little embarrassed and turned his head away.

“Actually, I used to be a pretty lazy person. But because I met him, I pulled myself together.

I want to follow in his footsteps.

Besides, I wasted a lot of time before, so I need to work harder and be more serious. Only then can I proudly say, ‘I am his close friend.’”

“Doesn’t that make you tired?”

“Tired? Why would I feel tired? Even though I want to proudly say I am his close friend, everything I do benefits me.

If I just change my mindset, studying and working won’t feel so tiring.”

“...”

Rem looked at Subaru’s face, which didn’t seem fake or forced.

She realized... they really aren’t alike at all...

Chapter Text

Chapter 33: The Second Death

Since the night of the great fire in her childhood, Rem has been stuck in that one night—time in her heart stopped flowing there.

She could never forgive herself for what she thought when she saw her sister’s horn get cut off that night.

Everything she did was for her sister, not for herself.

This was the biggest difference between her and Subaru. After hearing Subaru’s words, she finally understood how completely different they were.

For Subaru, his effort was to catch up to someone he was pursuing; his seriousness was for himself, not for others.

Unlike Rem, who did things for others, Subaru’s actions were solely to fulfill his own wishes.

Not knowing what Rem was thinking, Subaru continued speaking.

“Work is tiring. I’m not a robot; I do get tired. But as long as life is full of joy and energy, I believe I can keep going.”

With that sentence, neither of them spoke again.

After some time, they returned to the mansion. As soon as Subaru entered, he placed the wooden bucket down.

“I’m exhausted…”

Wiping sweat from his forehead, Subaru barely caught his breath before hearing Ram’s voice.

“Welcome back, Rem. Oh, and Barusu.”

“Am I just tagging along? Well... I don’t want to complain anymore. Did you used to go out alone to gather food?”

“That’s right. I’ve always gone out alone.”

“Did you always carry this much each time?”

Facing Subaru’s question, Ram didn’t answer immediately but looked at Rem.

Understanding Ram’s meaning, Rem spoke.

“Well then, sister, I’ll take the ingredients to the kitchen.”

Subaru watched as Rem easily lifted the wooden bucket and walked toward the kitchen. Seeing this, Subaru slowly turned and looked at Ram, who was smiling.

His throat moved hesitantly before he asked,

“Um... senpai, can you lift it too...?”

“No.”

“Then...”

“But there’s another way.”

Subaru fell silent.

He felt that he might never be able to look at maids the same way again.

Aren’t maids supposed to be cute, soft creatures without much combat ability who simply obey their masters’ commands?

Ah, this is another world... maybe in this world, maids like these are normal.

So, Subaru concluded that he must be the abnormal one.

“Barusu, if you’re just spacing out here, hurry up and get to work.”

“Understood, senpai. I’m on it now.”

After spending some time preparing dinner, Subaru returned to his room.

Yawning, he changed out of his work clothes, tidied up his books, and was about to go find Beatrice but felt unusually exhausted today.

A few days ago, on the first day of settling in, he had felt this tired, but today felt even more draining.

He guessed it was because carrying that wooden bucket had used up too much energy.

‘I’ll just rest for a bit today.’

Thinking this, Subaru lay down on the bed and quickly fell asleep.

He didn’t know how long he slept. When he opened his tired eyes, he felt an unusual chill and weakness.

His body’s strength and warmth were rapidly draining.

In a short time, Subaru realized something was definitely wrong with his body.

However, since he didn’t know much about this world, Subaru couldn’t clearly identify what was wrong. But he was sure it wasn’t just a cold.

He climbed out of bed and walked toward the door.

When he opened it and stepped into the corridor, it was pitch black—everyone must have already gone to sleep.

Subaru hadn’t walked far down the hall when he vomited. His mental state was failing. He called out weakly,

“Is anyone... there...?”

Even this simple sentence was a struggle.

At that moment, Subaru thought of Beatrice. She must know a lot about knowledge and maybe could help save him.

Thinking so, Subaru glanced at the doors along the corridor. After confirming which door to seek, his body staggered as he moved in that direction.

His ears began ringing, accompanied by footsteps and something dragging along the floor. Thinking it was all hallucinations, Subaru felt the world sway.

He fell to the floor after only a few steps.

Looking at the door just ahead, Subaru crawled forward and weakly called out,

“Bea...trice.”

He lifted his hand and touched the doorknob but had no strength to turn the door, which normally opened easily.

His hand fell limply, hitting the door with a faint sound. Subaru’s gaze at the door lost its light.

His life force vanished. The boy named Subaru lay still at the door.

Footsteps approached Subaru. A shadow was closing in.

When the figure was just a short distance away, the door in front of Subaru opened.

“What’s wrong with you? Running around in the middle of the night instead of sleeping—”

Beatrice’s voice stopped mid-sentence. She slowly crouched down to check Subaru’s vital signs.

The impatience on her face disappeared, and the gleeful look in her eyes turned to sorrow. Beatrice silently looked at Subaru’s profile.

“Betty knows... you’re not that person... Betty worried about you for a long time... So why did you die just when Betty allowed herself to be troubled by you...?”

“Lady Beatrice? Subaru?”

Beatrice glanced at Rem standing at the door but said nothing, knowing the duties of Ram and Rem.

Although maids, they were also responsible for the mansion’s security.

“Lady Beatrice, what happened to Subaru?”

“He’s dead.”

Hearing this, Rem was stunned.

Her gaze moved to Subaru’s body. She had come out because she heard noises but didn’t expect to see this scene.

Regarding Subaru’s death, Rem didn’t feel much emotional fluctuation—only the question of why he had died.

“I’ll go find Lord Roswaal immediately.” Regardless of what anyone thought about Subaru’s death, the fact that something adverse was happening in the mansion was enough to inform Lord Roswaal.

Soon, the mansion’s lights all turned on.

Except for Emilia, everyone gathered at Beatrice’s door.

When Rem called them, Beatrice turned Subaru’s body over and placed his hands folded on his chest.

Roswaal looked at Subaru and furrowed his brows tightly.

He had thought Subaru was “that person,” but it seemed now he was not.

Beside Roswaal, Ram looked at Subaru’s face with a trace of sadness.

After all, in her heart, Subaru was still a good friend and junior.

Chapter Text

Chapter 34: Ability Enhancement

Sitting cross-legged on the ground, Natsuki Subaru stared at the skill point allocation screen in front of him.

His expression was somewhat sour.

Although he could enhance himself again, the experience of dying so inexplicably, even without much pain, was frustrating! Frustrating to death.

He had been working seriously, but suddenly died for no apparent reason.

Anyone would be annoyed.

It was like playing a game—just after leaving home, you die inexplicably, and worse, there was no death replay function.

But that wasn’t the worst part.

The worst was realizing after dying outside that it was actually a teammate who had dealt the fatal blow.

That feeling was as disgusting as having eaten something foul—though Subaru had never actually eaten anything disgusting.

Subaru kept pondering how exactly he had died, and who could have attacked him.

The first thing to consider was the possibility that someone inside the mansion had done it.

But soon Subaru discarded that idea; he really couldn’t think of a reason why anyone inside the mansion would want to harm him.

After all, he had been living there for a while, and even if he thought with maximum malice, the only thing he could come up with was that it had something to do with that badge.

However, living and working inside the mansion meant he was constantly under their watch, so it was unlikely anyone inside would attack him.

The remaining possibility was that someone outside wanted to harm the mansion’s inhabitants, and Subaru, being too weak, had become the first target.

Before confirming how many times he could use his abilities, Subaru found it hardest to accept dying so senselessly.

With these thoughts, Subaru looked at the skill point screen. Last time, he had used up his points on defense and agility. This time he had 60 points. Upgrading defense required 30 points, and upgrading agility also required 30 points.

Thinking about how to allocate points this time to avoid dying unfairly, Subaru spent 30 points on defense. With the remaining points, he added two points to strength. Now his stats read Defense 3, Agility 2, Strength 2.

Subaru nodded in satisfaction.

Defense would prevent him from being one-shot, agility would let him defend quickly, and strength would allow him to deliver powerful blows.

Considering his original strength was already formidable, once he found the enemy, he would definitely fight well!

“No matter what your purpose is, I will catch you!” Subaru declared as he reached out and pressed the “Deploy” button.

With his consciousness suddenly disconnecting and reconnecting, Subaru immediately opened his eyes.

The first thing he saw was the ceiling.

Noticing something had changed, he realized the time was off! The save time didn’t match the first save time.

Before Subaru could figure out this save system, a cat appeared in his line of sight.

Seeing this, Subaru instantly understood what time period this save corresponded to.

“Subaru, you’re awake.”

Subaru didn’t answer immediately. Sitting up, he glanced at Emilia sleeping curled up by the bed and then said,

“Puck, I have a question I want to ask you.”

Hearing this, Puck paused and nodded.

“Puck, in what circumstances does a person’s body start to feel cold and powerless, as if life is slowly draining away?”

Puck fell silent. Sensing Puck’s mood, Subaru quickly added,

“Ah, I’m not blaming you. I don’t blame you at all! The question I’m asking isn’t about what I felt back then!”

Feeling Subaru’s tone, Puck thought for a moment and then said,

“That’s definitely the feeling right before death.”

“….” Subaru sighed.

Looks like he would have to ask someone else.

Puck was clearly feeling guilty and remorseful about what he had done to Subaru, so he probably wouldn’t provide a useful answer right now.

Subaru stretched out his hand again, and Puck landed in his palm just like before.

“Puck, this isn’t like you. Even though you did something excessive to me, that was because I handled things poorly. Neither of us really did anything wrong.

You got hurt because of Emilia; actually, you just wanted to stop me from continuing.

And I wanted Emilia to understand how ridiculous her thoughts were, which caused our conflict. On this point, we both didn’t do the right thing in the right way.

So I don’t blame you. But Puck, if you consider yourself Emilia’s father, don’t be too overprotective.

Children will grow up eventually, and a father is their support, someone who protects them from behind, helps them, and guides them.”

Puck quietly listened to Subaru’s words.

As a spirit, he had never been a father before, and only after hearing Subaru did he realize that maybe he was too overprotective of Emilia.

Subaru reached out and gently rubbed Puck’s small head.

“Puck, do your best to become a good father. Help your daughter become an outstanding person.”

“Even now, Lia is very excellent, but… I admit she still has some issues. So, my friend, can you help me, a useless father, support Lia?”

“Of course! I’m your friend. Of course I’ll do that.”

Puck looked at Subaru’s smiling face, his own expression serious and solemn.

“My friend, I swear in the name of Puck, the Beast of the End. From now on, if you ever need help, I will definitely help you.”

“Honestly, Puck, we’re friends, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“So, Puck, you actually don’t need to swear. Friends helping each other is normal, right?”

Puck was silent for a moment, then laughed.

Even if Subaru refused the vow, he would unilaterally keep it.

After talking with Puck for a while, Subaru left the room. Walking down the corridor, he found Beatrice’s room and opened the door.

“Yo, good morning, Beatrice.”

Beatrice looked at Subaru barging into the room and was about to complain, but Subaru spoke first.

“Thanks for saving me, Beatrice.”

“Hmph. Betty only saved you because of the elder brother’s request.”

“Ah, I know. That’s just the normal way a blonde tsundere loli talks.”

“You’re really infuriating sometimes.”

“Beatrice, I need your help with something.” Saying this, Subaru’s expression grew serious and solemn.

Chapter Text

Chapter 35: History Is Always Astonishingly Similar

Beatrice looked at Subaru’s expression and spoke.

“Betty has no reason to help you, nor the time or desire to do so.” Saying this, Beatrice lowered her head to continue reading the book without looking up.

“Although I don’t know why you came to ask Betty for help, or for what purpose, Betty isn’t the kind of gentle person you think I am.

So you should go find someone else.

I see the little girl your brother protects is quite willing to help you.”

Hearing Beatrice’s rejection, Subaru didn’t turn to leave.

This matter didn’t necessarily have to be discussed with Beatrice; he could have gone to Roswaal instead.

But Subaru didn’t want to do that—he simply couldn’t understand Roswaal.

The clown-like outfit, strange way of speaking, heavy makeup—all these were disguises, and Subaru couldn’t trust Roswaal.

This wasn’t just because they communicated so little, but also because of what Roswaal said when Subaru just woke up in the mansion, and their last exchange after Subaru left Beatrice’s room.

All these reasons combined became an obstacle to Subaru’s trust in Roswaal.

“Beatrice, only you can help me with this.”

“What’s with this dependence of yours that comes from nowhere? Don’t think that saying that will make Betty help you. Your little schemes are empty.”

Hearing this, Subaru sighed and scratched his head as he stepped in front of Beatrice. When he stood before her, he saw Beatrice raise her head to look at him. Her displeased expression made Subaru clearly understand that she was very annoyed with him.

“Beatrice, what I’m about to say might sound ridiculous to you, but I have to say it: Someone might be acting against the people in this mansion.”

Hearing this, Beatrice frowned. Subaru had expected her to laugh at him and dismiss the matter.

“Why do you think that?”

“Sorry, Beatrice, I can’t tell you why, but what I say is true, so I hope you can believe me.”

“Huh?! Who do you think you are?! Why would Betty believe you? What reason do you have to be trusted?”

“...”

Beatrice looked at the silent Subaru and continued mercilessly:

“You’re just a servant, someone who only recently arrived at the mansion. Betty has no reason to believe you. And right now, you’re extremely suspicious. During that meal the other day, you acted like a clueless fool.

Why would you wake up today and say someone might be against the people in the mansion? You’re an outsider who’s been working in the mansion all this time.

Where did you get this information? You want Betty to trust you without revealing the source? Be reasonable and self-aware, aren’t you abnormal because my brother nearly killed you?”

After she finished, the library fell silent.

Neither Beatrice nor Subaru spoke.

Beatrice looked at Subaru’s mute expression, then lowered her head and said emotionlessly:

“If you have nothing else to say, you can leave now. Since you came in, the air in the library has gotten foul.” Saying this, Beatrice waved her hand, signaling Subaru to leave.

Subaru looked at Beatrice’s gesture, opened his mouth to speak, but gave up on revealing the source of his information.

Since last time, he realized he couldn’t disclose his abilities.

Besides, Beatrice’s current favorability toward him was low.

He remembered the time they spent together, but she had already forgotten and wouldn’t trust him.

Not everyone believes in you like a best friend does.

“Beatrice, can you teach me how to read?”

“No, Betty doesn’t have time to waste on you.”

Hearing this, Subaru didn’t show disappointment but smiled and said:

“Is that so? Then I’ll leave you be.”

Saying this, Subaru left the library.

Standing in the hallway, his gaze was resolute.

Since Beatrice didn’t trust him, he would ask someone else—and that person was Puck.

If it was Puck, Subaru was certain he would trust him.

Even if no one else believed him, Subaru would handle this matter by himself.

If he ignored it, he wouldn’t be able to proudly say he was Subaru’s best friend anymore.

With this determination, Subaru returned to his room and met Ram.

Their interaction was much the same as last time. After Ram left, Subaru tidied his books and left the room.

He now needed to enter Beatrice’s library again—not to seek her help, but simply to accompany her.

Though she said such heartless things, she was right, and that didn’t stop him from wanting Beatrice not to feel lonely.

With that thought, Subaru opened the library door once more. Seeing Beatrice’s puzzled gaze, he raised his hand with a smile and said:

“Beatrice, I’m here to study.”

“You really don’t understand human speech, do you?!”

“I do understand. You just said you won’t teach me, so I’ll study by myself here.”

“Betty doesn’t welcome you here!”

However, Subaru ignored Beatrice’s words, took a book, and sat beside her.

Opening the book, he said under Beatrice’s watchful eyes:

“Don’t worry, Beatrice, I won’t speak or disturb you.”

“You’re already disturbing Betty just by being in her library.”

“But I’m weak right now, and this is the only place where I can learn.”

“Why not in your room then?”

“There aren’t any books there. What if I encounter characters I don’t know?”

“Even if you’re here, these books aren’t ones you can understand. And even if you encounter unknown characters, Betty won’t tell you.”

“I know... It’s just lonely being alone, and I don’t want to trouble the seniors... So if Beatrice is nearby, I won’t feel as lonely.”

“... Hmph! Whatever! If you disturb Betty, Betty will throw you out. You’re an adult but afraid of loneliness—how laughable.”

After saying this, Beatrice stopped speaking.

Subaru smiled and lowered his head to continue studying seriously.

Time passed bit by bit, and Subaru noticed that Beatrice had started teaching him again, just like last time.