The black haired man wakes up in guest quarters once again. He slowly sat up, with a dreadful and weary look in his face. He brings his shaking hands near his throat, trying to check if it's still there. Even though the previous cycle has passed, he could still feel the large gash on his neck and the sharp pain on his leg when he died. I'm alive … again. Her curse … is still there …, He mumbled to himself as he stares into his open palms with his shaky sight. He could also feel the pain that his body felt when the enraged maid began torturing him.

As the pain and dread slowly subsided, he sees the door swung open. The twin maids enters his room. As always, the elder maid has a tray in her hands while her younger sister follows her. After a few seconds in the room, Rem notices the stench that was emitting out from Shiro. "Good morning, dear guest. Did you sleep well?" Ram asks as she places the tray on a nearby table. "N-No …" Shiro muttered as he notices Rem's glare piercing through him. Did … the stench became worst? She's looking at me more intense compared in the previous cycle, he says to himself as he began to feel nervous. "I see. Is there something wro-"

"Could you … leave me alone? I want to be left alone right now." Shiro said as he bowed his head. His hands are shaking, but he tries his best to hide it from the blue-haired maid. The more nervous he'll look, the more cautious she'll be. "Alright. As you wish, dear guest." Ram said as she bowed her head. Before leaving, she notices her younger sister glaring at the black-haired man. "Rem. We're leaving." She said as she taps her sister on her shoulder. Hearing her elder sister's words, Rem's trance-like state was cut off and she follows her sister out of the room.

Now in solitude, Shiro could finally breathe easy. He then takes his time recalling what happened in the previous cycle. I have to know where I went wrong. Why was Rem so hostile towards me in that previous cycle? I acted the same way like in the first cycle, so I don't get it, he whispers to himself. He reviewed his actions, but he can't find any fault. Does Rem hates me that much? Wait. She mentioned the stench of the witch, so is that a reason for her hostility? Tch. How the hell am I supposed to find my answers, he mumbled to himself.

After a while, the silver-haired girl and her familiar enters the room. "Good morning, Shiro! I heard from those two that you had a bad dream, so I dropped by. How are you feeling?" Emilia asks with a radiant smile on her face. "A-Ah. Emilia. I'm … okay now, I guess." Shiro said as he gives her a weary smile. "Are you sure? Don't push yourself too hard, okay? Do you want breakfast in bed?" She asks once more as Puck plays on top of Shiro's head. "Sure. I'd like that, but … can I ask for the pink-haired maid to bring my food alone? I know, it sounds weird, but I feel uncomfortable when the blue-haired maid is around." He replies. Emilia nods and stands up. "Alright, I'll be right back!" She said as she exits the room, leaving Shiro and Puck to themselves.

"Hey, uh, familiar. Do you … sense anything about me?" Shiro asks the cat-like familiar who was resting on top of his head. Puck haven't been formally introduced by Emilia to him, so he can't outright call him by his name. "Hm? I have a name, you know. My name's Puck, and let's see … you look really bad right now." Puck replied as he began floating around Shiro. "A-Ah? That's all? Oh. Sorry. The name's Shiro. Pretty sure we met during the loot house incident, but, pleased to meet you." The black-haired man said with a slight nod. "Yup. I can sense when someone's lying, but I'm not a mind reader, Shiro." He replies as he taps his paw on Shiro's forehead. Shiro was about to ask if Beatrice can sense the stench of the witch, but stops himself. Currently, no one haven't introduced the library's dweller to him, and asking for her would rose suspicion towards him. A few minutes later of idle chatter, the door swung open. A flamboyant looking man enters the room with Emilia and Ram behind him. "I see that our guest has awaken. Welcome, dear guest! Welcome to my manor." Roswall said as he bowed his head.

"T-Thanks for having me." Shiro said as he bowed his head. "I am Roswall, the owner of this land and Emilia's benefactor." Roswall said as he introduces himself to their guest while Ram begins to set up Shiro's breakfast on his bed. "I'm Shiro. Just a drifter or some sorts." Shiro said as he returns the pleasantries. "Pleased to meet you, Shiro-kuuun. Before anything else, I want to thank you for saving and assisting Emilia in the capital. Since you saved a roy-" "Can I ask something for my reward?" Shiro asked, cutting Roswall mid-sentence. "What do you yearn for? You can ask for anything, dear guest. As long it's within my powers." The flamboyant man replies with a chuckle. He has a curious look in his eyes as he observes Shiro.

"It's quite simple. Can I … stay here for a while? Like three days? After that, I'll leave." Shiro said as he begins eating his breakfast. "Hm? Why are you leaving so soon, Shiro? Hey, Ram, didn't you mention that you need a helping hand besides from Rem?" Emilia asks Ram. "Sorry, Emilia but, I don't plan staying long. Back to my request, do you guys have a library?" Shiro said as he turns down Emilia. "We do, dear guest. Do you want to visit it from time to time?" Roswall replies. "If I can, yes please." Shiro said with a bow. "Formalities from a ragged-looking man, heh. Sorry, Shiro-kuun. I can't help but to chuckle, but that aside, I therefore grant your request. Feel free to explore the grounds if you wish to. Also, if you need assistance or whatsoever, feel free to call for Ram." Roswall said as he lets out a chuckle and taps on Ram's shoulder. "I'll try to meet your expectations, dear guest." Ram said with a bow.

The first day passed like a blur. Aside from resting and regaining his mental strength, Shiro kept on reviewing his past actions in the previous cycle and some of his memory fragments. He can somehow remember more of his childhood and how lonely it was. He could also remember a memory where he's in a harsh snowstorm. That one feels … a bit recent. Tch. It's no use. There's something that's triggering this memories to pop up, he said to himself. Before resting, he went to the Forbidden Archives to introduce himself to Beatrice. As usual, the blonde-girl treated him harshly, but after meeting her thrice now, he grew accustomed to it.

During the morning of the second day, Shiro went out to the garden with his pack of cigarettes in his hand. Stressed from thinking too much, he lights a cigarette and began lounging near his room. To think it's this peaceful … Am I really fated to die here? Is it because of her curse why I keep on living this moment, he asks himself. As he stares blankly at the vast sky, the blue-haired maid, who was busy with her morning tasks, takes notice of him. Again, she notices the stench of the witch that was emitting out from the black-haired man. Shiro sees her glaring at him once again. "A-Ah, sorry if I stink. I'll be leaving now." He said as he stands up and returns to his room. Watching him put out his cigarette and walking back towards the entry, Rem was quite baffled by his words. "Am I … overthinking things? Hm. I'll go ask Nee-sama if she could something from him." Rem said to herself as she went back doing her chores.

During the afternoon, Shiro went to the Forbidden Archives to study with Beatrice. As per his request, Beatrice has no option but to accommodate him when he visits the archive. Shiro asks Beatrice about curses once more, and gets the same response from the previous cycle. "Hmm. Can anyone in this mansion sense a curse, Beatrice-san?" Shiro asks Beatrice as he helps her get a book from a high shelf. "I'm not aware of the others, but I can sense curses. Speaking of sensing curses, you do have this … unusual aura, I suppose." Beatrice replies as the two sits down. "Ah, I see. Could you … tell me what's the source of this curse?" He asks her once more.

For a brief moment, Beatrice focuses on Shiro's stench. As she closed her eyes, a dreadful feeling enveloped her. A sense of danger forced her to stop. Sweat began to trickle down and Shiro sees a rather distressed look on her face. "Oy, are you okay?" He asks the girl. "T-that aura … I see that you're a rather unlucky fellow. To be cursed by the woman, is a death-sentence, I suppose. Where did you get it?" Beatrice asks as she wipes away her sweat. Shiro wanted to talk about his curse and how he could return in time, but he has to play safe. There's no guarantee that this girl in front of him would end up like those two who he tried telling his curse to before. "I … can't say. I'm sorry. It's just always … like this." He replies.

After spending some time with the tenant of the archives, he went back to his room. It was already almost sunset when the pink-haired maid enters his room with his dinner in her hands. "Good evening, dear guest. I brought you your dinner." Ram said as she carries the tray towards Shiro. "Evening. Uhm, Ram? Could I ask some of your time later? I want to talk to you about something." He asks the maid who sets his dinner in front of him. "Hm? Why not now while you eat?" The maid replies, to which made Shiro sigh. "Alright, alright. Tell me, does your sister hate me?" Shiro asked as he begins to eat. "What? Well, she did asked me if I could smell anything off about you," Ram replied as she takes an obvious sniff in front of Shiro, smelling the scent of tobacco. "Eck. You stink." She remarked which made the black-haired man laugh. "It's from my cigarette. Don't worry. I'll take a bath later." He said. "Anyway, where is this coming from?" Ram asks before answering his question. "Well, you know what I'm talking about. I'm pretty sure you've noticed how she would glare at me. Anyway, does she?" He replies while keeping his attention on the pink-haired maid.

"It's complicated. Rem … is just cautious of you, dear guest." Ram replies as she keeps her eye-contact with the black-haired man. "Is it because I look like a hoodlum or some mercenary?" Shiro said to which made Ram chuckle. "Perhaps. I'm so-" "Be frank with me, and stop with the formalities. Keep that up, and I'll probably have the worst dinner ever." Shiro said with a chuckle. "Alright, if you really are that curious, let's just say that something happened in our childhood, and because of that, Rem is quite cautious to strangers." Ram replies as she sits down by the guest bed. "Tell me more. I'm interested on why she's like that to me." Shiro instructed. For a second, his request baffled the pink-haired maid. "Dear guest, what do you get from knowing our past? You're leaving in a few days, yet you're so interested in us." Ram asks the black-haired man. "What do I get? Well, her eyes seems to follow me whenever she's in the vicinity. I just can't help but to feel discomfort. I … just want to understand the reason before leaving. It'll give me some peace of mind." Shiro replies with a rather curious and determined look in his eyes.

The pink-haired maid sighs. Seeing the determined look in Shiro's eyes, Ram resigns and begins to tell her childhood to their guest. "Our village was attacked before. I and Rem are the only survivors. Roswall-sama saved us and took us in," Ram said. "Everyone in the village was killed. The elders, our fellow kids, even our parents. None was spared that night. Those cultist attacked us while most of us were sleeping." She said as hearing something perked Shiro's attention. "If I may ask, what are those cultist?" Shiro asks, cutting her from narrating her story. "Huh? You haven't heard about the witch cults? Were you sleeping under a rock, dear guest?" Ram remarked. Hearing her sharp words made Shiro grin. "Perhaps." Shiro said with a chuckle.

"Anyway, since you were sleeping under a rock, I'll explain them to you. There are witch cults out there that follow different witches. They devote their entire lives for their witches of sin. You could call them zealots since they tend to burn anything that would reject their respective witch's teachings," Ram said as Shiro focuses his full attention towards to her. "Greed, Sloth, Lust, Pride, Wrath, Gluttony, and lastly, Envy. Those are the witches of sin that those zealots follow. Like I said earlier, my village is a victim of those people." Ram said as she ends her story. "I'm sorry to hear that." Shiro said with a solemn tone in his voice. "It's alright, it's already in the past. Perhaps Rem is cautious of you since you …"

Ram stops in her words and points an open palm of hers towards Shiro. "Tell me. Are you a cultist?" Ram asked. The air around them began to spiral towards the maid. Again, someone asks me that question, Shiro said to himself. "No. That's the reason why I asked you. To be honest with you, I … have a rather unique stench that your sister might noticed. I've already talked to Beatrice and she acknowledges it." Shiro replies as he continues eating. "Is that so …" The maid muttered as she keeps her open palm pointed towards him. "You could check with her if you must, but, thank you for telling me your story. If I encounter a cultist, I'll be sure to give them a good whack." Shiro said with a grin. "Oddball." Ram mutters under her breath as she lets out a sigh.

Just like that, it was already the third day. As Shiro lounged in his room, he watches the two maids work from afar. This time around, he is the one who's watching Rem's actions. Is it just because of the stench of the witch why she became hostile to me? I … do understand where she's coming from based on her sister's story, he whispers to himself. As he watches the blue-haired maid, some memory fragments began to pop up in his head.

That won't do, senpai. We have to do better if we want Dr. R-man- to stop complaining.
Wait. I'm not complaining! Da-V-nc- help talk some sense to these guys!
Bullying the good doctor is really your hobby, ah, Ma-h-?
"Geez. You guys are so noisy, you know?"

A warm and fuzzy feeling enveloped his mind. He felt nostalgic, homesick, as a carefree image appeared in his memory. A pink-haired kouhai who would always nag him yet support him without any hesitation, a lax brown-haired doctor who would back them up and occasionally be bullied, and a brown-haired lady whose carefree attitude could break the ice around him, those were the people who were always by him in his previous world. I can't … remember their names that well, but those people in that memory … are important to me, huh? I mean, why would I feel so homesick when I remembered that fragment, right, he said to himself with a mellow chuckle.

Why did I hesitate though? I was supposed to knock her out, right? But, when I remembered that pink-haired girl and how she resembles Rem due to her looks and her personality, I completely stopped. I surrendered. I know that there's a warm feeling inside of me whenever I remember that girl, but did she mean so much to me that I couldn't even harm a girl who simply just resembles her, he asks himself once more. Knowing that asking himself those questions will never bring him answer, Shiro sighs and lies down. He brings out his card and stares at it. A few moments later, his consciousness slips and he falls to a slumber.

"Sensei, tell me, why do you want to be a hero of justice? Why would you continue following that path when you know it could lead you to your destruction?"
Why are you suddenly serious? Hm. Well, I just find that dream, beautiful. I know it'll eventually lead to my downfall, but hey, helping others is my salvation, it gives me peace of mine. Besides, I got you, T-hsak- and Sak-r- to back me up.
"I don't get it. What's so special about being a tragic hero?"

He wakes up a few hours later. Just like that, he wasted an entire day by sleeping. I dreamt about a fragmented memory, huh, Shiro mumbled to himself as he sat up.A memory that was purely static, yet he feels like it means so much to him. He didn't see anything, yet he feels so close to the voice who was talking to him. Well, being an amnesiac in a foreign world with this curse is rather tiring, he mutters to himself as he lets out a sigh. He looks at the mirror and sees it was already night-time. Feeling a bit better compared to his previous state, he stands up and begins to stretch his arms. Okay, since I can't seem to get a concrete answer if that blue-haired maid bears an ill will on me or not, I have to change my goal. My goal for this cycle now is to pinpoint the source of the curse, he mumbles to himself as he brings out his card.

The night sky was illuminated by the moon's glow as the lone man stood vigilantly at one of the mansion's upper balconies. While he was cleaning in the previous cycle, Shiro stumbled onto this vacant balcony. Not only it can serve as a resting spot for him, it also serves as a lookout-point since it oversees the entrance of the manor and its surrounding walls. He puffs out some smoke as his kept walking from point to point, trying to keep himself awake. Still no sign of the shaman, he mumbled to himself. To ensure no one could notice his presence, he used a magic art that gives him some sort of camouflage from a distance.

The night continued and soon, his weary eyes sees the rising sun. He sluggishly pushed himself up from the tiled floor. No one attacked last night. If someone entered the grounds, I would've sensed them, he mumbled to himself. Though his magecraft is quite limited and lacking, his instinct remains as his strong point. He rubs his eyes as the morning sun began to illuminate the land with its orange glow. "Time to rest, I guess. I better talk to Emilia if I'm really going to leave later, he said to himself. As he begins to descend down, his eyes were so heavy that he can barely keep himself awake. Reaching the third floor, he knelt down, trying to shake off his sleepiness.

Aaaaaargh! How did this happen?! Who did this?!

A sudden wailing nearby caught his attention. Recognizing the familiar voice who was crying in a nearby room shook off Shiro's tired state. He pushes himself up and slowly made his way towards the cries. It came … from that room, that one beside Ram's …, he muttered to himself. He reaches the open door and slowly peeks in. There he saw the elder maid, weeping by her sister's bedside. She was holding onto her younger sister's hand while her sister was lying down in her bed. "What's wrong? Did your sister overslept or something," Shiro asked as he slowly enters the room, still a bit sluggish from not resting. Ram peeks towards his direction. Her pink eyes glared at him as she clenches her teeth. "Did I … say something wrong? Sorry, it was onl-"

"She's dead. Rem's dead." Ram muttered as her tears continuously to flow down from eyes. She held onto her sister's hand firmly as her words stunned Shiro. "W-What are you talking about," Shiro said as he quickly began to observe Rem's body from afar. He sees no wounds, no blood, or anything at all. At best, the younger maid looked like she was simply sleeping. "Don't joke around like that. See? She's just probably having a goo-" As Shiro touched Rem's hand, the coldness of her skin made his skin crawl. He gently caressed her hand, and sensed no warmth, or anything. Her body was pure cold, like her life was sucked out while she was in a deep slumber.

"B-but she looks peaceful … like she's having a dream …" Shiro muttered as he takes a step back. "She died … in her sleep. Someone sucked her dry of her mana while … Damn it! Who did this?!" Ram cried out as she hammered a closed fist onto the wooden floor. "Wait. Did you just say that someone drained her mana? Are you sure this isn't poison or anything?" The black-haired guest asked. "No! Rem's sharp enough that she would quickly notice if there was something off in our meals! Besides, no one in the manor … would do that …" Ram muttered as she slowly looks up to Shiro. The man quickly recognized the look in her eyes, a certain look that he was quite familiar with.

Ram has the same look as her sister once had when she saw him as a threat to the mansion, but this time around, it was filled with sorrow and suspicion, like she was simply desperate to find answers. "I didn't do it." Shiro said as he tries to remain calm. He didn't want to act so abrupt all of the sudden, which could lead to Ram assuming that he killed her younger sister. "Then, where were you last night?" Ram asked as her glare seems to pierce right through him. "I was watching the two of you clean the lawn around midday. I fell asleep and woke up near midnight. I went up to one of those upper balconies and stood there as a watchdog." He calmly stated. "That's your alibi? Where's your evidence, huh?" She asked once more.

He's not lying, Ram. I saw him.

A masculine voice said as footsteps were heard by the open door. The flamboyant owner of the manor and the silver haired royal candidate enters the room. "I heard the screaming. What happened here?" Emilia asked as she approaches their guest. "But, that doesn't prove that he didn't kill her!" Ram cried out as Roswall slowly approaches them. "Would a killer kill someone then go up to a balcony to watch the grounds? Well, I haven't heard a case like that before, but I believe our dear guest is innocent." Roswall replies as he begins to inspect Rem's body from afar. "Kill … her? What are you talking about, Ram-san? What happened to Re-" "She's dead. She's was cursed." Shiro muttered.

As the death of the younger maid began to sink in in Shiro's mind, the feeling of guilt began to overshadow him. I was watching the grounds last night, so how? How the hell did someone, or something managed to curse her from afar? How the hell did it managed to … wait a minute, he said to himself as he suddenly remembered something from the first cycle. From what the elder maid said, Rem had the same symptoms as his just a few moments before his first death. He was lucky enough to wake up and try to call for help while Rem was drained in her sleep. There has to be something connecting us. Something happened to her when … what … the hell, he muttered as he inspects Rem's hand. He sees a bite mark in one her hands. He quickly realizes that it was the same bite mark that he received before they went back from the village.

"Ram … where was Rem yesterday? Where did she went?" Shiro asked as he gently placed down her hand. "She … went out to the village to get some groceries. Why? Did you find anything?!" Ram replies as the man beside her sat down on nearby chair. Is it really a curse, or a severe case of rabies? No, there's no way. A small pup like that isn't capable enough to pack a huge curse, right? There has to be something else, there has to be, he mumbled to himself as the other three watches him from a distance. As he was trying to find the root of this curse, a fragmented memory popped out in his mind. Since he was already lost in his thoughts, that memory began to overshadow everything that he was thinking off at that very moment.

You have to pick. Can you sacrifice the lesser for the sake of the greater? Scratch that, can you kill a few people to save a lot of them?
"I guess so, if I have to. I mean, you'd still save the lives of those people, right?"
Even if they're innocent?
"…"
Geez. It's like that dream became a sickness, or some sorts. Tell me, why do you want to follow his steps?
Why do you want to be a hero of justice?
"Like what sensei said, living for the sake of others, that … selfless kind of dream … is quite beautiful."

As his memory disappears into his mind, an idea slowly resurfaced from his inner-most depths. A dream that his mentor once had, a dream that he tried to reach. He doesn't know if he managed to reach it in his previous world, but now, he has this opportunity, an opportunity to finally reach that dream and see the end of it. To live … for the sake of the others. To save … everyone and to give them … a happy ending. A hero of justice, he mumbled to himself. A sudden smirk appeared in his face. A person just died but … why the hell am I smiling, he asked.

"W-What's wrong, Shiro? You're being a bit weird over there." Emilia asked the black-haired man as he slowly stands up. He wipes the grin off his face and slowly approached the weeping maid. "I've found the answer. It's quite a long shot and I have to confirm it, but will you allow me to try to find it?" Shiro asked Ram as he brings out the blank card out from one of his pockets. "W-What are you talking about? You know that answer? You know who killed Rem? Then tell me! Tell me who did this, please!" Ram cried out. Shiro gives her a reassuring smile. "I'll do my best then. I might leave a mess, but please bear with me." He said. Before Emilia could point out the sudden change on Shiro's aura, a blink of light flashed in front of them. The black foreign blade materialized in Shiro's hand. "Huh? W-What are you doing, Shiro? Why did you bring that out?" Emilia asked. Shiro simply looks at her and smiled.

"I'll save her."

Emilia's eyes were left wide open as the man in front of her fell down to his knees. Blood spewed out everywhere as the black blade was left lodged into his neck. Even Ram and Roswall was left dumbfounded in his action. "W-What … what are you … talking about?" Emilia muttered. They were looking for answers and when they thought he could even give them some, he only left them with more questions. One of them though, is now etched onto Emilia's mind.

Why were you smiling when you sliced your neck open?