Chapter 2: Aftermath

"Wake up, kid, you're sleeping on my merchandise! I swear to the Sage, if you dented that box…"

Subaru opened his eyes. He was still in the carriage and was still using the merchant's box as a chair. Now that he thought about it, the box didn't really seem to have anything inside. But that'd be silly, right? Who would get so worked up about an empty box?

"Kid!"

He finally opened his eyes. The carriage was just like he remembered it. Through the opening at the back, Subaru could see the sunlight shine through. It wasn't much, so it was probably still early in the morning. Outside of the carriage, he could hear some chatter with other sounds mixed in: sounds like steps, wheels on stone, and…some animal noises? They sounded like birds, too, but…

"Fine. If you won't get off I'll just have t-"

"I'm up! I'm up." The merchant was still standing outside the carriage and peering through the opening. Subaru stretched his legs (as best as he could inside such a cluttered space) and gave the merchant a thumbs-up. "I'll tell ya, old man, you sure know how to wake someone up. Don't you know better than to mess with a teenager's sleep?"

The merchant chuckled as Subaru stepped outside the cramped box and spoke, "Teenager? You're older than my kid! C'mon, out with you."

"If you want me gone so badly, why did you even agree to carpool me in the first place?"

"'Carpool?' What's that even mean? You know kid, I'm starting to think one of those bandits might've hit you in the head, hah!"

Subaru looked at him. Bandits? What bandits was he…oh, that's right. The previous day really happened. He seriously wanted it to be a dream, just a nightmare that he'd forget when he awoke.

Clearly that would not be the case.

As the black-haired boy stepped outside and the merchant stepped in, the former questioned, "Say, do you happen to know anyone that can take me across long distances? I know it sounds weird but I live far away and…"

The merchant responded as he looked over his wares, carefully examining each of them for a hint of the slightest scratch the boy might've caused. "Well I don't know how far you need to go, but there's a friend of mine who's willing to transport people for the right price. Oh, you wouldn't happen to want to go to Vollachia, would you? Because this guy…whew! I'm telling you kid, give him a sword and some drinks, and the idiot thinks he can take on the Divine Generals by himself!"

Subaru cursed his lack of knowledge about this world's geography. Where could he go? West? Maybe to the west would not be so bad. "No, I'm, uh, going west..? Yep, going west, that's where I live!"

After looking over the crate his newfound companion had used as a seat, the merchant turned and looked down on him with a mixed expression: half surprise, half elation. "You're from Kararagi!? I should've guessed! What were you doing in Margrave Mathers's land then? Oh, I get it now…"

Bracing himself for the worst, Subaru inhaled sharply and asked, "You get what now..?"

"Well, I thought it was obvious! That eccentric bastard is hosting a half-devil, and what's more, he's also the Court Mage! Ah, that clever little bastard Hoshin, sending you to spy there, to meddle with OUR nobility…she needs to stay where she belongs!"

"Yep! I mean…yeah I wasn't happy about taking the job but…it was good money."

"I can't blame you kid." The merchant stepped down from the carriage and moved to pat Subaru's back, but refrained from doing so when he remembered the blood stains on his clothes. "But I mean, tough luck: Hoshin sends you there and you get attacked by bandits? If I didn't know better I would say she was trying to get rid of you! Hah!"

"I hope that's not the case, heh…"

"Eh, don't worry kid, you just hurry back home and wipe that blood off yourself. On second thought, don't; Hoshin's gonna freak when she finds out you got robbed, and I fear it may be YOUR blood being spilled next time. My advice, kid? Get your things and leave that company. Friend of mine did that and he's so much better off now."

Simply nodding at the merchant's advice, Subaru looked around from where the carriage had stopped. It seemed like a blend between a parking lot and a stable. A stabling lot? Whatever it was, it seemed like this place was clearly popular with merchants and the like; Subaru could see a couple more carriages sticking out from their…"stables" wasn't the right word, but it's the only one he knows that can describe the place. It was like if those food cars from back in Japan hosted a convention and filled up half a football field.

"Kid, come here."

At hearing those words, Subaru stepped closer to the carriage and glanced at the merchant. The man was holding the phone and, after looking it over a couple of times, moved towards Subaru and handed it to him, remarking, "I told you I'm a man of my word."

Subaru simply took the phone and nodded. "Say, you mentioned someone that can take me to Kagaragi? How can I find them?"

"Kararagi. Well, we're near the central market square. My pal Iseri prefers to sell down at the slums. It's possible he went out for now, but that rarely happens. Hell, he hasn't left since that loot house collapsed some time ago! If anything, he's been celebrating since."

"He knew that man? Rom?"

"I'm more surprised YOU know him, but yeah, Iseri and him were kind of…'rivals' when it came down to business. Course, the old man was about to put him out of business when that whole thing happened! Can't believe it, word is; even the Sword Saint was involved!"

"This, uh, Iseri, how do I recognize him? Does he have some giant neon sign or something?"

"I dunno what 'neon' means kid, but trust me, you'll recognize him. Apart from his…questionable…fashion sense, he never lets go of that damn book of his. It's some nonsense scribbles and yet he holds onto it for dear life. If he wasn't one of my oldest friends I'd have called his sanity into question some time ago, heh."

"Bad fashion, weird book, probably insane. Is that him?"

The merchant nodded. "Skip the 'probably' and yeah, you got him. Seriously, I would send him to Vollachia just to see what he'd do!"

With a "mhm" to show he'd heard the merchant's words, Subaru offered the man his hand and said, "Listen, I owe you big. If we ever meet again I'll become one of your customers, alright?"

"I don't see what you'd need fire stones or oil for, but alright kid. I'll hold you to it! If you want to find me, ask the Merchant's Guild for Clovis Robiquet. That's me!"

After speaking, Clovis hopped down from the carriage and shook Subaru's hand. And, with that, Clovis set off walking to a nearby building, muttering something about registering his wares for a sale or something.

Now alone, Subaru took a second to get some air. He walked toward the same building Clovis had gone to and stopped in front of the entrance to the "stabling lot." After examining his surroundings, he began walking in the direction of the slums, hoping that the alleys would be enough to draw attention off of him and his bloodstained clothed for long enough to find this Iseri person.

"Now, now, my dea~r Ram, I would like you to ple~ase keep calm. Everyone understands that this is a difficu~lt situation, heh, but losing your temper will do more harm than go~od."

Such were the words of Margrave Roswaal L. Mathers, and, despite the Court Mage's efforts to appear calm, everyone present could tell that his smile was only a façade for the concern hidden underneath.

"Everyone present," of course, refers to the manor's residents. All of them had gathered to discuss the situation at hand. All of them, except two: Rem had been placed in her room to recover and would remain there until the affair was sorted out, and the great spirit Beatrice had refused to come out of her library.

After the events of the previous evening, which had included Roswaal setting off in search of the accused witch cultist, Ram almost destroying an entire room out of rage, and an extensive session of healing for the wounded maid, the Emilia Camp was more than ready to talk about what they believed had transpired.

Having reunited everyone in the main dining room, Roswaal believed that Ram should speak first and tell everyone what Rem had said in the forest.

"It is as my sister said, Lord Roswaal: that lowly rat we hosted, the man who Miss Emilia had brought from the capital, was – and remains – a witch cultist."

"That can't be," said the estate's other resident great spirit, Puck. "I promise you, if he had been a cultist, I would have skewered him the first chance I got. The boy was a little overenthusiastic about Lia, sure, but that's no reason to bunch him up with those murderers."

The next to speak was the camp's most important member, the silver-haired half-elf who would one day participate in the royal selection. "I'm sorry Ram, but I find it a bit hard to believe. Subaru might've been a bit clueless and sort of a nincompoop, but he can't possibly be part of…of that band of criminals."

Ram slammed her hand on the table and looked directly into Emilia's eyes. "Miss Emilia," she began. "My sister could smell the Witch's scent on him! And, in the rare case that he wasn't part of those killers, he could have simply explained it to Rem, don't you think? If he's not a cultist, why did he…why did he do such a brutal thing to my little sister!?"

"Maybe~ it was in self-defense…"

The three people on the table looked at the speaker, Roswaal, with varying amounts of disbelief. Puck nodded his head, Emilia covered her mouth in shock, and Ram simply stared at her lord with enough conflicting emotions to give anyone who tried to read her mind a headache.

Then the table exploded into chatter.

"Roswaal! You can't say that! It's true that Rem dislikes the cult more than anyone else here, but she would never go so far as to attempt to hurt Subaru based on some smell! Right?"

"I have to agree, Roswaal. It's no mystery that Rem detests that cult, and – frankly – I do too, but that doesn't excuse attacking him with such scant evidence. This was nothing short of attempted murder."

"At-, attem-, great spirit Puck, surely you aren't so blind as to see what happened! My sister is the one who laid on the verge of death, not that scum! The least he can do is turn himself in to face justice! Better yet, if he comes back, I'll judge him myself!"

While those three bickered, Roswaal looked down at the table, his smile and optimism gone. The fact that he remembered all of this means that the boy did not use his ability to loop time. This is very problematic to Roswaal; it suggests that either Natsuki Subaru is a cultist, or his power has somehow been deactivated. Both options were a massive hindrance in Roswaal's plan, but he rejoiced in the fact that Subaru lived. Maybe, things could be set right, some way or another.

"Ahem, if I ma~y? I suggest we pu~t aside the question of mister Natsuki's affiliation to the cult, and fo~cus on more pressing matters, like the recent Wolgarm attack."

The chatter stopped, and all present on the table paid attention to the manor lord's words.

"While I looked for our de~ar guest, I encountered a pack of Wolga~rm in the forest near Arlam. Of co~urse, I did the sensible thing, and eli~minated them all."

Emilia, surprised by her sponsor's declaration, asked, "Really? I hadn't heard of this…did that have anything to do with why you took so long to return yesterday?"

"Not exa~ctly, miss Emilia. I discovered that the leader of these Wolgarm was no~ne other than a young beastmaster. Fortunately, she has been apprehended, and is curre~ntly in the basement's holding cell."

"Wow, Roswaal, even I did not expect you to kidnap someone like that," Puck commented with a small frown.

Roswaal snickered. He would not let the opportunity his Tome had presented slip by. Maybe with this, he could begin to fix the maid's mistake.

And right now, the key to fixing this situation was a little girl currently residing in the manor's holding cell.

The sun was completely overhead by the time Subaru finally approached the slums. Now he was on the final stretch of his journey, all he had to do was find this traveler and pay him to smuggle him out of the country. Yeah, that's all there was to it. Definitely nothing suspicious about fleeing a country after viciously attacking a servant of the Court Mage.

"When I think of it that way, it kinda sounds bad…"

While walking to where the loot house once stood, his mind began to wander. Having to leave for that "Kalagari" place was very unfortunate and definitely would not help him in the short-run. If he gets arrested, what's he going to tell the court? "Yeah, I ran away because I'm completely innocent?"

But there was no choice. If he stayed, he knew it was only a matter of time until Roswaal or someone working for him caught up, and being delivered to that clown like a present? Worse, what if Ram found him first? Subaru could think of few fates worse than that.

So, he has to leave. Again, not something he would like to do, but Subaru doubts the police can chase him into another country. On the other hand, Roswaal might decide to get revenge himself and come get him. Subaru doesn't know what the ramifications of that could be, but he can assume they would not be good. A noble from one country abducts a lawful, law-abiding citizen from another? It'd be a surefire way to get his reputation dragged through the mud. Both his and…

Emilia's. He couldn't simply abandon the girl, not after she was so kind to him. He would write to her, yes. Slowly, he would learn to read and write, and with that knowledge, he could send letters to Emilia. Subaru had to explain to her what happened, he had to get the truth across. It was the only way. Surely, she would understand. She could beg Roswaal to let him return. Puck might be unconvinced, but he could still be persuaded. But even if she convinced that strange weird mage to let the boy return, there was still one not so small obstacle in the way.

Could Subaru return after having…done that to Rem? Maybe, maybe, she survived through some miracle. Maybe Roswaal lived up to his title and healed her completely. But, maybe he didn't. Maybe her wounds were too grave, or maybe Subaru actually did more damage than he thought. Could he live in that mansion knowing he deprived it of one of its inhabitants? No, more importantly, could he live with himself, knowing he killed a person?

It was too much. He needed a knife or something, he had to restart. That hellish ability of his, that cursed "Return by Death," it was his only way out. There was no doubt about it; he had to die, so Rem could live. It was the right thing to do.

But…why should he? Rem was the one who sought him out to kill him. Rem was the one who would probably have tortured him based on some suspicion of hers. What was it? Did Subaru really just give her such a bad vibe that she just had to kill him?

Well, too bad. She knew what she was doing. This isn't about some stupid mistake like eating too much ice cream and feeling sick afterward. Rem decided to play judge, jury, and executioner, and she clearly underestimated him. How ironic: she tried to kill the very person who now has the power to save her. The thought, despite being morbid, somewhat amused Subaru.

"Oi, friend, you alright? You look like you just came back from the dead."

Quickly turning to the source of the voice, Subaru looked over his shoulder. There sat a carriage with various signs and objects that appeared to be on sale. The carriage itself looked like it was being drawn by an overgrown iguana that had a dazzling green-blue color.

There was also a man in front of the iguana.

Slightly taller than Subaru, with short, multicolored hair that made him look like a 3-year-old's art experiment. Although his hair was only a bit longer than Subaru's the man's bangs covered most of his face from the nose upwards. Add the mix of colors, ranging from red to purple, to the man's unnaturally white skin, and he looked like some sort of painting canvass come to life.

Despite the man's clearly unusual appearance, what truly baffled Subaru was the man's choice in apparel. Clearly, this man had met Roswaal and decided not to be outdone by the clown. Subaru couldn't decide what looked the worst on him: the gray robe that was missing a sleeve, the blue ripped pants, the plain white shirt, the lace-less shoe on his left foot, or the sandal on the other.

What stuck out the most, however, was the plain black book on the man's hand.

In the Mathers mansion, Ram stood near the main door, tapping her foot out of both annoyance and worry. As soon as Rem's treatment was completed the previous day, Roswaal had called for extra help. Ram alone could not take care of the entire house, and Rem's recovery would take a long time. On top of that, Roswaal had effectively suspended the blue-haired maid and placed her on a probationary period; she would remain in the manor as a guest until the truth about her encounter with Natsuki Subaru came to light. Depending on that, Rem would either regain her employment or…

Ram gulped. If her sister was found to have attacked an innocent man, and one who had somehow gotten on the Margrave's good graces, she could expect exile at the least.

The pink-haired maid really couldn't understand her employer. She loved him, yes, but he could be extremely strange at times. Now, he seemed ready to completely tear Lugnica apart just to find that moronic fugitive. Even stranger, he refused to notify the guard, saying that this was a "matter of ma~ximum discretion." Ram understood her employer's worries at least; if anyone got word that the famous Court Mage had hosted a cultist, Emilia would never see the throne, and Roswaal might actually be forced to become a jester.

Now, Ram waited patiently at the door, waiting for her sister's…" temporary repla~cement" … to arrive. She had met a great number of the Margrave's other employees, and she genuinely did not know who was the one unlucky enough to be called back. All were acceptable, she supposed. She heard some negative opinions regarding a certain butler named "Clind," but she doubted that, out of all the employees available to Roswaal, he would pick the most controversial one.

It didn't matter who was picked, however. In Ram's eyes, they'd never be as good as her sister.

"So I take it you're Iseri? A guy named Clovis told me to find you since I neede-"

"Yep! That'd be me! Iseri in the flesh, my friend!"

"Alright…anyways, I wanted to ask you for transportation. I need to go to Kar-"

"Kararagi? Got it! No problem, I know those roads like I know myself!"

Subaru had to admit that, despite the trader's amicable nature, his enthusiasm was at least a bit off-putting. Subaru couldn't get a full sentence in without his new, horribly-dressed acquaintance interrupting. If this was how Iseri was going to behave the whole time, then he'd just have to keep his mouth shut the whole trip. A pair of ear plugs would also do wonders.

"Say, friend, you do realize Kararagi's a long way out, right? How are you gonna pay for that trip?"

Subaru grinned. With his bloody clothing, he looked like a maniac telling their next victim the names of everyone they killed. Fortunately for the colorful trader, Subaru was no maniac. So, raising one hand to the sky and placing another on his waist, the boy proclaimed, "Sorry to disappoint, but I'm completely broke!"

Staring at his potential customer, Iseri chuckled slightly. "You know, friend, maybe you don't have to pay me with coins. There is something you can do for me…"

"What is it? I'll do anything!"

"Anything...?"

"Alright, I rescind my offer!"

With a nod of his head, Iseri responded, "No worries, the task I need you to do is pretty simple. Even a child could understand it."

"Well, out with it then! What is it, what is it!?"

Holding up the plain book, the trader said, "There's a market in the eastern city that has a special store. It's run by a young woman with orange hair and blue eyes. Her name is Marian. She has an order I need picked up, and you are going to be my delivery boy. The order is a book exactly like this one."

Subaru gave a thumbs-up and spoke, "Got it! I'll get that book for you no problem!"

"Glad to hear that. Before you go, however…"

Iseri reached into the carriage and pulled out a set of clothes. A plain white shirt, like the one he wore, and some short pants. He handed them to Subaru. "You'll need these. Can't have you walking 'round the market like you just killed someone."

"Hey, I just told you, I'm broke! How do you want me to-"

"Pay for it? No worries. It's on the house!"

With joy and slight suspicion of the trader's generosity, Subaru walked away and searched for a spot in which to change his apparel.

Roswaal couldn't stand still.

He probably paced around his study more times than years he's been alive and, yet, he cannot find a solution to the recent problem. The Tome told him that, if he imprisoned the purple-haired beastmaster in the manor's basement, he would eventually find his time-bending acquaintance.

As he completed another full pace around the study, Roswaal continued thinking. The fact that Natsuki Subaru had not yet utilized his power could have disastrous consequences. Roswaal had to find the boy, he had to get back on the path to his teacher, and he absolutely had to follow the Tome's guidance. Without it, he was lost. But with it, there was still a chance he could win.

A chance he could be the Last Roswaal.

There came a knock at the study's door. Putting on the best smile he could, Roswaal stepped towards the door and opened it.

Outside of the study's entrance stood a tall woman, almost exactly his height. With blonde hair, green eyes, and sharp teeth befitting of a demi-human, she was one of the Margrave's previous employees, one who he sent away once the royal selection drew near.

"My, my, Frederica. It's de~finitely good to see you again. I trust you have be~en informed of the circumstances?"

Frederica nodded. "Yes, Lord Roswaal, though I still have a few questions."

"By a~ll means, come in. I will answer what I ca~n."

After she stepped inside, Frederica waited until the Margrave sat down on his chair and questioned, "If I may ask, is it true? Was one of the guests here a witch cultist?"

Roswaal shook his head. "I am afraid that we do not yet kno~w. Poor Rem was attacked by him, tho~ugh there is still no evidence that our visitor was one of the wi~tch's followers."

"I understand, sir. Also, how is Rem?"

"At the moment, she is reco~vering. Luckily for us, dear Bea~trice knew he~aling magic, and she was able to stabilize Rem's wounds."

With a faint smile, Frederica nodded just slightly. "That is good to hear. I cannot imagine how poor Ram must be feeling."

Roswaal's smile faded. With seriousness in his eyes, he looked at Frederica and said, "Frederica. I must entrust you with an important matter. There is a meeting I must attend soon, and I will be gone from the mansion for a couple of days. I trust you and Ram will be able to keep it in top shape and care for its inhabitants."

"Yes, Lord Roswaal. I will get started immediately."

Once the conversation finished, both left the study. Frederica had to get started on her work in the mansion, and she still wanted to visit Rem.

Roswaal had a Tome to follow.

Finally in the market, Subaru took a quick glance around. It was early afternoon, and a quick glance at his phone gave the time as 3:12 pm (how accurate that reading was in another world, Subaru did not know). He had asked for directions to this "special store" and believed to be getting close to it.

Of course, if he got lost, there went his chance to carry out his plan. If it wasn't for his concentration on finding the store, Subaru might have found himself worrying to death. For all he knew, Roswaal would drop from the sky and bring him back one way or another. For all he knew, he could get Iseri his damn book and find him dead of a heart attack, leaving him stranded in the one place with the most guards.

Too many variables. Subaru couldn't even focus on the big picture, since it was made of little pictures. He had managed to at least put off worrying himself to death until he was in Kararagi.

Worrying to death, huh? Maybe he would welcome it…

No! Why would he want to go back? To save a coldhearted killer?

Not a killer, a friend. One who made a mistake!

Friends don't kill each other multiple times!

She made a mistake!

No! She-

Subaru shook his head and slapped his temple softly. There was no use arguing about it, especially not now. He could think of what to do once he was away from this place. And the only way he could leave was by getting that book.

A couple of minutes later, he found himself in the middle of a crowded square there were various stores around and none of them seemed…

There! Behind the counter on one of them was an orange-haired woman with blue eyes.

He walked over to the store and entered it. It seemed to sell a myriad of items, from books to daggers. Once inside, Subaru noticed that there were no other customers. It was strange; there was no shortage of people outside and yet they all avoided this store.

"Hello! I'm here to pick up an order! It's a black book, pretty plain. A friend asked me to get it."

The woman – Marian – looked at him much like one would look at a dead fly. Subaru hadn't noticed it until now, but her eyes were lifeless. She looked more like a very realistic doll than an actual person. Her gaze looked through him, as if he wasn't there.

Before Subaru could repeat himself, Marian bent down below the counter and picked up a book exactly identical to Iseri's. She turned a couple of pages, shifted her eyes between Subaru and the book, and finally nodded. Depositing the book where she grabbed it from, she also picked up another.

"Man, it must be a bestseller if everyone's reading it! Tell me, what's it about!? Does it have dragons? Knights? Wait, that must be pretty commonplace for you guys right?"

Completely ignoring the boy's questions, Marian extended the book toward him. Subaru grabbed it and looked it over. It was, unexpectedly, just a book. Nothing special. He didn't even bother opening it since he was technically illiterate here.

"Thanks," he told Marian. "Say, I don't have to pay, right? Did the guy pay?"

When Marian nodded, he smiled and walked away. Once he said goodbye to the stoic shopkeeper, he began retracing his steps. He wanted to hurry; the sooner he was gone, the better. Some minutes later, he found himself in front of a small bridge when he heard it.

"Natsuki! Natsuki Subaru!"

Looking around, Subaru saw nothing out of the ordinary. It took him a while to register what was happening.

"Natsuki Subaru, it's me!"

Once more turning toward the voice, he looked through the crowd and spotted the speaker.

Iseri. He was being escorted by a guard of some sort, and seemed frantic to get some message across to Subaru. Of course, the situation worried Subaru greatly: if his only way out of the country had just been arrested, then he was done for. Something else confused him, however, and that was…

"Iseri? But how? I never told you my name!"

"It doesn't matter! Listen! Keep the book! You'll ne-"

The guard punched him in the stomach, making Iseri bend over in pain. The guard must have hit him hard, because Iseri fell to his knees and clutched his chest using his cuffed hands.

Subaru, who was still watching from afar, could see what the guard couldn't: Iseri stuck his hands in his robe and pulled something out. When the guard forced him to his feet, Iseri lifted his hands and, with a forceful throw toward the ground, shattered a small, redd-ish crystal.

Then him, the guard, and several bystanders were turned to embers.

Still reeling from the sudden explosion, Subaru did what he could. He ran. He ran as far as he could from the scene unfolding here. Did Iseri just blow himself up? What was that crystal? How did he know Subaru's name? He told him to use the book, something about needing it…

Once Subaru found a deserted alleyway, he snuck into it. Hiding his entire body behind some trash, he looked at the black book in his hands. He opened it to the first page and noticed the three words written in flawless Japanese:

"Natsuki Subaru's Gospel"

AN: Hey guys, Prophellwinter here. Thanks for all the favorites and reviews, they mean a lot to me.

I wanted to say some stuff about this fic:

1) I will probably be updating spontaneously. I will try to get chapters out as soon as I can but there is no set schedule.

2) I have up until chapter 5 planned out, but I want to make this story longer. As you've seen, the chapters are extremely short, so I will make up for it by having many chapters.

3) I will be naming characters and locations based on whichever spelling I prefer. For example, the kingdom will be named "Lugnica" instead of "Lugunica" and stuff like that.

Again, thanks for all the support! If you see an error, whether in the story or the grammar, put it in a review and I will fix it!

AN 2: Fixed an error about Roswaal since he doesn't have healing magic.