Chapter 3 – Remorse and Resolve
"Do you promise not to choke me with that thin-GHK!" Subaru's question was interrupted by a measuring tape suddenly surrounding his neck, his face contorting into a ridiculous expression as he was strangled by the blue haired maid called Rem.
"Please stay still Subaru-sama, I can't properly take your measurements if you move so much." Responded the petty servant with a calm tone and expression, the total contrary to her behavior up until that moment.
"Gah! You did that on purpose! I know you did!" Subaru complained with a rightful yet equally petty glare.
"If you are done complicating my sister's job, I suggest you stay quiet and let her take your measurements, Barusu." Ram said from the entrance to the closet.
"The hell you mean 'complicating'! Your sister is trying to- OWCH!" The poor boy moaned in pain as Rem unceremoniously slapped his lower back.
"Straighten your posture, you are slouching. We have a lot to do today and just because you are not a butler, it does not mean you don't get your share of household duties. The quicker we fix you an outfit fitting for your job, the quicker we can get back to doing actual work, Subaru-sama."
"What do you mean an outfit that matches the job? My armor and suit are good enough for that!"
"Your weird armor and perverted skin tight suit are battered and dirty, not to mention ugly. You represent Emilia-sama now, and by extension, Roswaal-sama as well. As such, you need clothes that denote such an honor, even if you are just Barusu." Ram replied, not really caring for his complaints.
"How dare you! Tony Stark made those suits! THE Tony Stark! They are probably worth millions back in my world, they are state-of-the-art technology!"
"*sigh* Fine, state-of-the-art ugly then." The pink haired maid responded once again, shaking her head at the boy's stubbornness to defend the unsightly in her eyes. "Regardless, poor Ram and Rem have neither the time nor business in dealing with your flawed sense of beauty. Hurry up and let's get back to work."
"Grrr~" Subaru growled in a low tone. "…It's not ugly." He muttered to himself with an annoyed expression.
"You are very muscular for how lanky you look, but your legs are short and your eyes are scary, you really do look better in the ugly armor." Rem chimed in after finishing the measurements.
"Do you have to keep pointing out my ugliness at every turn?! And my eyes come from my mother, I can't do anything about them so don't mock them!" A now exasperated Subaru retorted.
"Oddly enough, some of the female clothing suits you."
"Should have expected of Barusu's degeneracy, to want to dress in female clothing. Heh!" Ram chuckled.
"Oh, you two are having a field trip doing this, aren't you? I haven't even worn female clothing and I'm still getting mocked for crossdressing…" Subaru shed a tear in mourning of his destroyed pride.
"For the moment, I'll handle you a shirt and jacket that fit you somewhat. We have a lot to do today, so get ready."
"Okay, mom."
After Subaru got dressed in the clothes handed out to him, he proceeded onto the hallway where the twins awaited with unamused poker faces. As they strolled down the corridor, though not alerting to a danger, Subaru's senses tingled. He turned to his left, to what looked to be a bathroom's door, and opened it. Inside he saw no toilet or sink but the pair of great spirits playing together in the old library.
"You are so great, Bubby! Your fur is the best!" As the blond little girl lifted the grey cat in the air while lying on the bed, she instantly stopped the moment she noticed her audience.
"Don't worry, we won't tell a soul. It's actually kind of endearing to see you play as the little girl you are so-WHOA!" Subaru dodged a gust of wind that almost expelled him out of the room.
"Don't dodge it! Get out, in fact!"
"I wager it's better if you listen to Betty on this one Subaru." Puck suggested while scratching behind his ears.
"Geez, fine, sorry about that I guess…" Subaru left the room closing the door behind him. Immediately after doing that, he walks to the door beside it, opening it to reveal the same scenario the group had just seen.
"That's actually impressive, you know?" Puck said with surprise, seeing Subaru so quickly after he left.
"How do you keep doing this?!"
"I have sharp senses, I guess?" A smirking Subaru replied. "Sooo… You never really explained what the Forbidden Library really is."
"…Well, you'll be working here now. You have the right to at least know, I suppose." Beatrice reasoned while not looking amused by the situation. "This Forbidden Library contains magical knowledge worth 400 years and Betty is the Great Spirit contracted with overseeing it."
"Roswaal-sama descends from the line of the greatest court mages in the history of the kingdom. As such, he possesses knowledge that should not be seen by others."
"Now that you've satisfied your curiosity, leave." As she said this, Beatrice's gust of wind finally managed to land on Subaru, launching him away through the door as it closed.
*WHOOSH*
*THUD!*
"Ugh… She didn't need to push me away…" Subaru said while getting up, dusting himself off.
"I'm rather impressed with how fast you are able to find Beatrice-sama's Door Crossing. Usually, it takes us opening every door in the mansion to find her."
"Well, as I said, my senses are quite sharp. I just kind of have this sixth sense that- hold it, all the doors? You mean to say that the library really is like its own pocket dimension or something?"
"I don't know the details; those are privy only to Roswaal-sama and Beatrice-sama. But if I had to say, yes."
"Huh, neat. I never asked about Dr. Strange's portals, but I figure that Beako's door-thingy works similarly. Is there a nomenclature on how they create the portals? I mean, yeah, its magic, but that just cannot be a concluding explanation. There has to be more I wager. What are the physics behind it? And the implications? Maybe it's like an Einsten-Rosen Bridge, but the sheer gravity of the pull would normally just crush a person. Is there like a way to control the-?"
"I'm going to have to stop you right there. Partly because I can't explain your job while you ramble and because I did not understand a single thing about what you've just said." Ram interrupted, her patience on the brink of collapsing due to the annoyance.
"Y-yeah, sorry, my bad."
"…Anyways, for the moment you will be helping me out with my duties today, as a way to familiarize with the mansion. These duties include tending to the gardens, preparing lunch and polishing of the tableware."
"Damn, that sounds-"
"Airing out the blankets, laundry, bathroom duties and the monthly soot cleaning."
"…Please tell me that's it."
As the group moved onto the garden, Ram began making a mess of the bushes, only for Rem to somehow magically fix them right after. Subaru decided to at least trim the trees that were higher up, being that the pair seemed busy in their own little world. He climbed onto the walls and then stood on them, parallel to the ground, while pruning the branches.
"Barusu really is a creep, climbing and standing on the walls like that. Wouldn't do for Emilia-sama's new bodyguard to spy on her poor servants through the window while they change clothes. I can only hope you drop your voyeuristic tendencies once you realize the seriousness of your job here." Ram joked around at his expense once more.
"Always straight for the heart, huh? It kind of hurts for you to degrade my powers to 'voyeuristic tendencies'. 'Sides, it's not like I'm attracted to you two, kind of hard considering… you know… that you tried to bash my head in this morning?" Subaru answered, ticked off by her berating.
"On the topic of that, I'm genuinely grateful you did not choose to punish us. I mean it." All of a sudden, Ram's demeanor turned serious. "I have to wonder, however, why? You cannot seriously expect me to believe you spared us just because it was a misunderstanding. Now that neither Emilia-sama nor Roswaal-sama are listening, would you mind giving us an explicit reason?"
"As I've said before, you are not special for trying to kill me. Sure, it was mean of you to do it, but my life has been attempted against before. By an entire army even but-"
"But you should have pushed for the punishment regardless." Rem interrupted while gazing intently at him.
"…Have you cooled your head already Rem?" Subaru asked in a manner that would normally seem like a joke, but with a serious expression. "What you did COULD have costed my life, yeah, but it didn't. Now, I'm not justifying it. I mean, if there was a police force around I would have you arrested and all, but there's not, your society just doesn't work like that. I figure the only thing I can do is just show you how wrong your judgement of me was and hope you won't be so trigger happy next time something like this happens. That and, I'd feel guilty for being the root of all chaos the moment I arrived at Emilia-tan's home."
"…I see." Rem answered while turning away from him.
"I say we are finished with the garden, so let's move onto the kitchen." Ram added, trying to salvage the mood from dropping.
"Bold of you to say WE are finished, you just made more work for your- HEY!" Subaru suddenly yelled while dodging a branch thrown at him by Ram.
"My apologies, I just saw an insect I deemed worthy of smiting. Were you saying something just now?"
"*sigh* …No, I guess nothing relevant."
"Good, then... Onto the next task."
As the group moved back into the mansion, a certain half-elf was watching them from the windows above. It did not seem like she could listen in on their conversation, but Emilia´s expression was just unreadable, she looked to be in utter confusion at Subaru's behavior. They tried to kill you. How can you act so carefree around them now?
"Now, we'll be preparing lunch. I assume you know how to peel a tato, right?"
"Don't you mean potato?" Subaru asked while holding the vegetable on one hand and a knife on the other.
"Poor Barusu, he doesn't even know the names of vegetables."
"Ugh, what am I missing here? Do the people of your world have different names for stuff? Next you are going to tell me apple is not a thing here." He said while reaching for the red fruit on the table.
"I assume by 'apple' you mean appa." Rem answered.
"Peppers?" He pointed out to another ingredient.
"Peppirs." Ram answered.
"…Coffee?" He pleaded now.
"You mean coff?" Ram reasoned. "Your people are weird."
"If anything, you people are the weirdos to me. At least tell me you don't cook on hearths or something."
"Of course we don't." Rem began boiling up water in a pot. "We have stoves, we are not savages. We just have to ignite the fire pyroxenes of the Metia in order to make it work."
"Fire pyroxenes?" Subaru said while grabbing one from under the stove.
"You are not going to tell me you don't have that where you come from, are you?" Ram asked rolling her eyes. "And be careful with it, you shake it too much and I won't be responsible for it blowing up your hand. How do you even cook your meals, anyways?"
"Well, we usually just have gas powered stoves. Although, there are also electric stoves." Subaru explained with certain pride while examining the rock. "For when you go camping, you can just use a fire or a portable stove, however."
"Portable stove?" Rem asked with curiosity.
"Oh, you don't have those? Well, I guess we've figured out the first thing I'm introducing to your world then." Subaru smirked while pocketing the rock. "Can I keep it, by the way? I want to try my hand with it."
"Just don't get yourself killed with it, moron."
"*sigh* Sure." He said while shaking his head and grabbing a potato and a knife. "Actually, I'm rather surprised, you know? I thought you would be amazed at knowing you weren't the only civilization out there."
"I can't say anything about Emilia-sama, but for nee-sama and I, and perhaps Roswaal-sama and Beatrice-sama, whether there are more people beyond the borders of the world is irrelevant. After all, how could their existence influence ours? There are a few tales of people coming from beyond the Great Waterfall, so don't think yourself so unique."
"Well, for one, I'm here. I'm pretty sure I've influenced your existence in the past day." Subaru responded. "Secondly, you seem to seriously underestimate the impact of culture exchange. From what I could tell from just one day at the Capital was that not everyone could afford the luxury of a stove. Creating a miniature, affordable version could put an entire economy upside down. And finally, if my world has been invaded by other-worldly forces hell-bent on destroying it before, who is to say your world can't suffer the same fate?"
"…Perhaps your world was just unlucky."
"I'd say all the worlds are rather unlucky, what with half the population of the universe dying and all."
"…Universe? And half the population dying? What do you mean?" Rem asked in a sudden tone of worry, her sister looking tense as well.
"Wait, hold it, why are you asking me 'what do I mean'? You are aware of what happened, right?"
"I'm afraid your rambling has me completely lost, Barusu."
"Thanos, the big purple guy I mentioned before, during breakfast! That's what I mean! He snapped his fingers and, like, half of everyone died five years ago!"
"I'm afraid you must be confused. The only being capable of something so absurd is the Witch of Envy, and she's been sealed for the past 400 hundred years, after destroying half of the world." Rem concluded, not wanting to discuss further.
"And I already told you I didn't know about a Witch of Envy or whatever until today. Wait, what do you mean with half of the world? You mean, like, killing half of the population?"
"Indeed, though that happened long ago, as history dictates." Ram responded. "She was sealed away by the first Sword Saint, the Divine Dragon and the Sage."
"…Huh, I see." Subaru said back in a short, conclusive manner, thinking over what Ram and Rem just said. So the stones most likely flung me onto another planet and into the future then… and because this is a less developed civilization, they attributed the death of half of the population to the Witch, as they did not know about the Infinity Stones or Thanos… At least that's the theory. But if that's the case, what happened to the half that should have been resurrected, like me?
"Alright, enough talking, you are getting distracted."
"Huh?" Subaru asked only to realize the mangled mess he had made of the potato he was peeling.
"I feel sorry for the farmers that grew that poor tato."
"*sigh* Just, just pass me another one."
As the group moved from task to task, Subaru grew more and more annoyed. It didn't tire him, it was just all so tedious, he couldn't help but sigh. By the time they were finished, it was already sundown, and the boy wanted nothing more than to sit down. He passed his jacket to Rem so she could sew some adjustments later and plopped on top the grass as the trio basked in the dimming sunlight.
"I hope you liked your tour around the mansion, even if you ended up tired as the weakling you are."
"I'm not tired, I'm exasperated. I know I joked about it before, but I can't believe there's only two people taking care of this whole place."
"Well, we-"
"Subaru." A voice interrupted the pink-haired girl.
"Oh, Emilia-tan!" Subaru replied as he got up. "What's up? I already toured the mansion; want to talk about my new job? I have a few ideas about-"
"Please, come with me." As Emilia said this, she glared at Ram and Rem, who were standing behind Subaru now. Subaru noticed this and promptly answered, trying to defuse the situation.
"Oh, uh, sure, let's go. Er, go where, actually?"
"I just want to talk. About this morning. In my room."
"…Awfully bold I might say, but you are the boss I guess." The boy smiled at the girl's straightforward insinuation, or at least what he thought was one.
"Emilia-sama, if you need anything just ask and we-"
"I don't need anything from either of you." The girl cut the blue servant short. "Just, don't overstep your boundaries again. Subaru might have forgiven you but I…"
"Emilia-tan, c'mon, I already said that they-"
"Let's go. That's final." The half-elf defiantly said as the air around them got slightly colder.
"O-oh… okay." Subaru answered while gulping. "Uh, you two, don't let it get to you. I actually want us to talk more, so, see you later!"
As the pair left the maids behind, Ram decided it was a good moment for her sister to open up. "So, what do you think now?"
"…I don't know." Rem meekly responded. "From what I could tell he is just an oddly good person. With the confirmation of his actions and story by Puck-sama and Beatrice-sama, then he might actually be a grander-than-life person, but… The stench around him… It scares me, nee-sama. It wells up memories I'd rather forget."
"Rem… maybe there is another reason to the smell? It could be that he has encountered a cultist before, without knowing. After all, if he came from beyond the waterfall, who is to say a loathsome witch cultist did not cross it as well?"
"Yes, but… If the implication is that he is not a cultist, then all I've done up until now would have been…"
"You are scared of admitting you threatened an innocent man?"
"…I'm afraid of the implication of what it means for me to threaten an innocent man while knowing he was innocent." Rem concluded with a worried expression.
"Honestly, it'd be better if you could just apologize. Then, you could cut the cold façade short."
"Nee-sama…" Rem cooed while leaning her head on her sister's shoulder.
"Fu fu~, what a troublesome little sister." The older twin smiled while patting her head. "Still, I just hope Barusu can still save us some face in front of Emilia-sama."
Subaru and Emilia were in her chambers now, Emilia sitting on the chair beside her desk, while Subaru was sitting by the side of her bed. Although she had invited him to talk, there was nothing but a tense silence between them. After some uncomfortable five minutes passed, Subaru's expression changed from troubled to feigning relaxation as he spoke his next words. "So, uh, nice house, I mean, mansion. It's pretty big, and kind of pompous, but it sure is nice to not have to worry about the noise of the outside or the other rooms, with how thick the walls are. That and the fact that it's so far away from the city, in the countryside. It seems… peaceful." The guy was just rambling, trying to hold onto every little detail he could salvage of the manor.
"…As if." Emilia muttered in a low growl while looking at the floor.
"Huh?"
"How is it peaceful when you almost got killed?" Emilia looked at him with hurt in her eyes. "Did you know? When you passed out in the Loot House, Reinhard offered to take you home. However, I denied his offer because I thought that I ought to repay you for saving my life and my candidacy. I thought I could keep you safe. But when we arrived here, the very servants I entrusted you with attempt to kill you the moment I turn around. It sure is good to know that I hold no power to command others or even to help those that have helped me." The girl said in a melancholic tone while looking back down.
"…"
"Say, Subaru… Why did you forgive them?"
"Well, there is no police force to arres-"
"Be truthful." Emilia glared at him.
"…I-I… I just… I don't want to judge people on their worst mistakes." Subaru admitted, giving a different reason he gave to the maids. "Look, just because you've been wronged… or because someone wants to kill you… it doesn't mean that they are not people worth saving. Take Felt, for example. She stole your insignia, but did she deserve to get gutted by Elsa?"
"It's not the same; she just took the insignia because she was tasked with it. She didn't know what it was." Emilia quickly replied. "But Ram and Rem knew you saved my life and even still they disobeyed my orders, trying to kill you."
"Yeah, they assumed I was a spy or cultist or something. Or perhaps that I was with the assassin. They were looking out for you, in their own sorta messed up wa-"
"You are justifying it!" Emilia got up, fuming at his words.
Oh crap, she's right. Great, now I'm a hypocrite AND a liar. Subaru face palmed in his mind.
"Subaru… This isn't kindness, it can't possibly be… Why are you so… Why do you hold so little value for your life?" The half-elf asked with a troubled expression on her face.
"…" Subaru mulled over her words for a couple of minutes. "I once… I once begged for my life, you know? I was confronting…" He wondered whether to speak the next words, fearing the dark force would threaten him again if he implied his death. "I was confronting an impossible situation, and I begged my mentor to help me, even though I knew he couldn't. Begged him to save my life, even though it was selfish…" So if I don't explain the how or the fact I really did die, nothing happens. "Are those the actions of someone who doesn't value their own life?"
"…But even so, that doesn't explain forgiving someone who attempted to kill you."
"All I'm trying to say is that I do value my life. But I also… I also value others…"
"More than yours?"
"…"
"Subaru…"
"I… The moment before I came here… I braced myself for death. Everything I've been through, my parents deaths, my uncle's… The possibility of never even saying goodbye to my aunt… Or of never seeing Mr. Stark or my friends again… I made peace with that decision." He paused, trying to prevent his voice from cracking. "And now that it turns out I lived, it feels… It feels like I shouldn't be. Like I wasn't supposed to come out of that alive."
"You idiot… That's not how you should be feeling!" Emilia got up, hurriedly stepping closer to him.
"Emilia-tan?!"
"You have people that must be worried sick about you! If you died… You cannot return to them!" She sat beside him, looking him straight into the eye.
"I-I know! I just-"
"If you knew, you'd care a little more about yourself! And now, you are tied down, working here!" The girl realized the implications of his earlier decision to work for her as well as Subaru's current predicament of being far from home. She was now huffing annoyed at his stubbornness. "And I've yet to even repay you."
"I told you, I'm just-"
"Doing your part, yes, you said that already in the Capital. But that will not do here mister! I WANT to repay you, so… at least let me do so. No Roswaal or Puck to interfere, just us." She inched closer without realizing.
"U-UHM-I mean, thank you, I guess? But can I think over this?" Subaru was looking away from her, the evening light coming through the window masking his blush. "Th-the only thing coming to mind right now is stupid stuff, li-like lap pillows or-" Emilia grabbed the side of his head all of a sudden, Subaru's nervousness overriding his senses and preventing him from dodging. She then pushed him all the way to her lap. By the time he realized what was going on, she was caressing his hair as though he was a cat while he used her soft, tender thighs for comfort. "Wha-what are you doing…?"
"You said you wanted a lap pillow just now." She replied innocently with a smile. "I realize that perhaps you could want more, but I'll listen to those demands afterwards, when you've thought it over. For the moment, this is the only thing I can do. Don't expect me to do it all the time, however, I'm busy as well." She said this last part feigning a serious tone, clearly trying too hard to regain the authority of the situation. "Also, stop looking up here; I think I'm finally realizing why you called this 'stupid stuff', close your eyes." She finalized while finally reddening at her actions, poking his cheek with her finger and forcing him to face ahead instead of at her.
"I-I see…"
"So… You were in a battle before, huh? How are you feeling?"
"Well, I'm fine now, I guess? I mean, beyond a bandaged right hand, you already treated the rest of my wounds, so…"
"Are you tired?" She caressed once more.
"Not really, just…"
"Are you troubled?"
"Please, if you keep doing that I'll…"
Emilia inched close to his ear and whispered. "It's been rough, hasn't it?"
Subaru froze. His parent's faces flashed before him. Uncle Ben's. May. Tony. Ned. Everyone. His fear of death coursed through his mind. Every time he fought someone, every time he got shot at, every time his life was in danger. Thanos with the gauntlet, the stones shining menacingly and then Thanos fading away. It all just… crumbled away at her words.
"It was rough." The tears rolled down. "It was painful; I was so scared, I was so sad… It hurt so much I thought I'd die..." And I did die! He thought without saying it.
"Hm." Emilia kept caressing his hair, nodding and smiling as he cried, while looking at him, relieved that he was opening up to her.
"I-I tried! I tried so hard!" He sniffled, trying to speak without his voice breaking, to no avail. "I was so desperate… t-to make everything right for everyone! I-I've never tried so hard at anything in my life! It's the truth!"
"Yes, I know." She whispered once more.
"Because I loved them… I loved everyone so much and I-I wanted to- I wanted to save them! I couldn't bear… *hic* seeing someone die on me again! I couldn't help but feel shame for begging for my life! I couldn't… I couldn't help but hate myself so much for being like that! And now- and now I might never see them again!"
As Subaru cried away on her lap, the hours passed. It was now nighttime and Rem was looking for Subaru, in order to hand him his jacket. She then remembered that he was with Emilia, but she felt too guilty to approach her room just yet. However, as she thought this, she saw how some slight moonlight crept through the open door. She peeked inside to see… Subaru lying asleep on Emilia's lap.
"I know you are there." The half-elf said in a slightly threatening tone.
"…Emilia-sama, I just… I wanted to-"
"If I'm being honest, I don't know if I can even look either of you in the eye anymore…"
"I'm sorry." The maid said while lowering her head.
"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to. But… Subaru would probably get mad if I just punished you after he let things go." Emilia replied while shaking her head. "*sigh* He really is a dunderhead."
"…"
"Subaru is a good person. Surely, you've realized that by now?"
"Yes, I have. Looking at him sleep… I can hardly say he looks like a man close to 18. He most definetly couldn't be a cultist."
"Yeah, he looks like a child." Emilia smiled while looking down at him. "In any case, he trusts you. At least I think he does. Otherwise, he would not have fooled around with you as he did while you worked together."
"He is an odd man… But, he was at least sincere in regards to wanting to help others."
"Rem… I'll give you and your sister one more chance." Emilia turned around to look at her, her eyes judgmental and determined. "Trust Subaru."
"I… I will." Rem left, heading for Subaru's room, leaving Emilia to play with his hair as he slept.
It was now daytime once again. The sound of birds chirping came from the forest and the trees in the garden, the daylight shining bright as it entered through the windows and the wind blowing gently on the curtains, making them flap and move about. Subaru, however, was not appreciating any of this. He was instead walking circles around a blonde-haired girl who was annoyed by his existence. "How much longer do you plan on acting like a buffoon, I suppose?"
"I'm-I'm sorry, okay?! I just- Please let me vent! I can't believe what I did yesterday!" Subaru answered while covering his face. "L-look, I just cried all over a girl I met two days ago! I mean, sure, she is real pretty. And kind. And gentle. And-"
"If you just came in here to gush about the half-elf then you can just leave, in fact." Beatrice deadpanned.
"Oh, come on! You are so boring Beako! Cut me some slack, will you?"
"Just because you work here doesn't mean I- Hold it. What did you just call me right now?!"
"Beako! I think it suits you, nicknames are pretty important between friends, don't you think?"
"You are assuming we are even friends to begin with!" Beatrice glared at the pleased teenager. "It's disgusting how quickly you assume things!"
"I think it's a cute nickname. It certainly fits your childishness." Karen talked back from Subaru's wrist to the spirit.
"Who are you calling 'childish' you annoying bracelet?!"
"Hey Karen, thank you for not interrupting yesterday. I know you have your reservations about the twins, and even Emilia, but I'm glad you are done with hating on them."
"It's no problem, I'm just glad you've let out your frustrations out of your system."
"If you two are done patting each other on the back, can you leave?"
"A-actually, no. I have something to ask of you, if it's not too much trouble."
"It is, now leave." Beatrice shot a gust of wind at him, but Subaru grabbed one of the shelves, preventing her from expelling him out.
"At least let me say my thing!" He set his feet on the ground again. "Look, Rem left me this jacket in my room, with a note I cannot read. I was hoping you could help me… well… learn how to read your language."
"And why should I?" Beatrice got up from her stool and pointed at him. "If you need help in learning how to read, you could just ask one of the maids. You are a bodyguard, so you hold more authority within the household than they do. Ah, but they tried to kill you then again. You are trying to say you don't trust them to do a good job, I wonder?"
"It's not that I don't trust them, it's that I don't want to burden them. After seeing all the stuff they have to do, having them teach me would be kind of a nuisance."
"As if you weren't already a nuisance, in fact."
"Hey! That's so mean!"
"Why should Betty help you then? You've yet to explain that."
"Well, you are a librarian, right?"
"I suppose I am, yes."
"That means you like knowledge, right?"
"…You are not exactly off the mark."
"Soooo, if I can offer you knowledge from MY world… You could in return teach me! How about that?"
"…You are offering me otherworldly knowledge in exchange for the ability to read. Don't you realize how unequal an exchange that is? No wonder Roswaal tricked you into becoming the elf's pet."
"Woah, now that's just rude."
"*sigh* Fine. Betty can make time to teach you, I suppose. Just come by in the afternoon, will two hours per day suffice?"
"Yes! Thank you so much!" Subaru held the little girl up, elevating her over himself with his arms.
"UwAaAaAa~! Let me go!" Beatrice immediately launched a gust of wind, knocking him over.
"Ugh… sorry, my bad." He answered face down on the floor.
"Hmph! What a brute you are." Beatrice complained while dusting herself off. "But remember, your tales better be worth it."
"Promise, pinky promise even!"
As Subaru promised this, he promptly left the room with a spring to his step. He wanted to help the twins out in preparing breakfast, before setting out to the village outside of the state. He also wanted to greet Emilia and thank her for what she did, but he still felt too shameful to show his face yet. As he entered the kitchen, the pair turned to look at him with unreadable expressions. "Hey you two, I know we began on a sour note yesterday, but I get the feeling we can get alo-"
"Subaru-sama, if I may." Rem interrupted.
"-ng, sure go ahead."
"I… I mean, Rem wanted… I want to apologize. About… Everything. What I said and did yesterday, it was unbecoming of a maid… and of the gratitude I should owe you for sparing me from punishment." Rem bowed after letting out her feelings. Her face reflected a mix of various emotions, but the most prominent seemed to be regret.
"Uh- sure, apology accepted." Crap, seeing her so sad makes things awkward… Like, yeah, sure, she's the one at fault but… Subaru did not know how to approach the situation, it's not every day your would-be killer says 'I'm sorry' and actually mean it. "Erm- for the moment, do the two of you need any help? I-I mean, I was planning to introduce myself to the villagers today, after all, it does seem like I'll be here a while. But I do have some time right now if you need help with anything."
"After your sorry display yesterday peeling tatos, I'd rather not risk putting you in charge of breakfast." Ram hurled at him from across the counter. "Having said that, we do need to restock on some spices and ingredients; we are running short, you see. I'll make you a list so-"
"I-I don't know how to read. Your written language, I mean. Otherworldly, remember? I already asked Beako for help, but she'll teach me during the evenings."
"…Hmph, Barusu sure is useless. Very well, I'll send you with Rem in the afternoon. For the meantime, do what you want. Just, don't go salivating over Emilia-sama's thighs again."
"You don't have to mention that!" Subaru grabbed an apple from the counter. "Also, don't expect me for breakfast, I wager I'll be back by lunch."
Subaru felt relieved seeing that the animosity of the previous day had dissipated. It seemed like it would take a while before he could talk to Rem without her formalities, but at least it was progress on his part. As he thought this, he made his way towards the mansion's main door intending to sightsee around the domain's village. However, before he could reach it, a silver-bell like voice called out from behind. "Subaru?"
"Oh! H-hey Emilia-tan! Beautiful morning, isn't it?" He responded as if in autopilot.
"Um, yes! I-it is a rather effulgent sun today!"
"No one says 'effulgent' anymore? Or more like, when did they say it?!"
"Don't tease me! Sheesh…" Emilia pouted at his response, but then her gaze turned soft once they locked eyes. "So, do you feel better now?"
"…Yeah, actually. It's kind of embarrassing, looking back on it, but I'm glad you helped me, so… Thanks Emilia"
"You are welcome! See, saying 'thank you' is better than 'I'm sorry'." She smiled.
"Yeah, I guess so." Subaru rubbed the back of his head while blushing a bit. "S-so, hey! I was wondering if I could do something to thank you for what you did."
"Subaru, it's fine, you don't need to-"
"But I want to! Tell you what, let's go to the village. I was on my way there right now actually, wanted to introduce myself and all."
"The village?" Emilia's face suddenly looked troubled. "I don't know, Subaru…"
"Well, I can check it out today and we go together another day, make an evening out of it. You know, a date."
"A… date?"
"You are getting rather bold, all of a sudden." Karen chimed in from his wrist.
"Oh, shut it, you! So, what do you say?"
"Well… I don't know what a date is, but I do owe you still…" Emilia contemplated for a moment. "*sigh* Fine, but only if I have time after my studies."
"Great!" Subaru celebrated while reaching for the entrance door. "Alright, better get going, then. I'll be back by lunch, I think, so please get along with Ram and Rem until then!"
"It's so frustrating how you can still vouch for them… But fine, I promise I will."
Subaru then made his way towards the road to the village. Being that he had been accustomed to the city life, seeing so much green made him feel weird. It was relaxing, on one hand, to breath so much fresh air. In addition, the orderly scenery of the road was comforting. On the other, he also missed the tall structures. He didn't think up until now how he could miss swinging from building to building. "I suppose I just took some things for granted back home…" While he talked to no one, he realized how close he was to the village. Although he couldn't be sure, it looked as though less than a hundred people lived there. He took off his jacket and threw it over his shoulder and then he rolled up his sleeves, giving himself a more casual look than before. As he entered, the villagers noticed him and stared with curious looks at the stranger, while some of the kids hid behind their parents. Subaru noticed their apprehension and moved onto clearing their suspicion. "*cough cough* Sorry to bother you all, but I mean no harm. I swear." He clarified. "My name is Natsuki Subaru, I'm the new guard hired by lord Roswaal L. Mathers. I just came here to get a look around the domain I shall be serving from today onwards. So… yeah, nice to meet you people!"
At his clarification, some of the adults got near him, wanting to greet back. However, a little girl with blue eyes and reddish-brown hair got the upper hand by approaching him first. "Hey mister! Nice to meet you! My name is Petra Leyte!"
"Petra, eh? Nice to meet you too!" He greeted her while patting her hair. "So… I take it those boys looking at me nastily from the side are your friends?"
Before anyone had noticed, it was high noon, already lunchtime at the mansion, and Subaru had yet to come back. Emilia had kept to herself, not really talking that much with the maids, but when the boy had yet to show himself she wondered if something could have happened to him. "He said he was going to the village, why would it take him so long to come back…" She muttered to herself.
"U-um, Emilia-sama, Rem can go check on him if you want." The blue girl suggested. "I have to go to the village to resupply the pantry anyways. A-and I swear, I won't try anything!"
"…I appreciate your concern, but I'm sure he-"
"I say you give her a chance, Lia." Puck made his presence known by manifesting behind her.
"Puck?"
"You told Subaru you'd get along with them. Or at least tolerate them." The cat winked at her. "In the end it's your decision."
"…*sigh* Fine. I did promise, after all… Rem, go check on Subaru. And do give him a piece of my mind for being late for lunch."
"Understood, Emilia-sama!" Rem seemed relieved at the prospect of Emilia's proposal. It seemed like a new opportunity to make amends.
As Rem made her way to the village, shopping list in hand, she noticed in the distance a commotion. "1, 2 and… Victory!"
"Victory!" A bunch of kids and the older villagers were doing the same weird motions Subaru had done the previous two mornings. As they finished, some of them looked sweaty, but visibly smiling and relaxed. They were thanking Subaru, an old woman going as far as slapping his butt, to which the boy recoiled in fear for his chastity.
"Rem? What are you doing here?" Subaru turned around to see the maid looking at him. "I thought we'd come together after lunch to refill the pantry?"
"It is already after lunch, Subaru-sama." The servant answered matter-of-factly.
"Wait, what?! Did I really take that long?!" The guy panicked at the implication. "I swear it felt like only five minutes! Oh, Emilia is gonna be so mad…"
"What is… this, exactly?" Rem asked while pointing at the villagers and children.
"What? Oh… Well, I introduced myself as planned, but then the village kids asked me if I could play with them, so I did. Then we kept messing around until I showed them some of my warm-up exercises. I also made a swing for the girls with my web shooters, look." He pointed towards a tree, where Petra and one other girl were swinging from, attached to some white string-like thing.
"…Web shooter? Is that one of the things of your Metia? I must say, it seems oddly creepy that you go around shooting white strings at people, especially little girls."
"…That's the kind of insult I expected from Ram, you know?" He looked at her with a disillusioned face. "But, hey! At least you are joking around. I guess the water's clear between you and me now, huh?"
"Hmph, don't assume so much. I just came here to check on you and make sure you came back to get properly punished by Emilia-sama." Rem turned around and insulted the guy, not letting Subaru see her softened gaze.
"All 'tsun' and no 'dere', c'mon. At this point I can only hope you cut me some slack eventually."
"Maybe. Eventually." Rem said before entering the village's shop.
"Welp, seeing as I'm about to get punished, might as well enjoy my leftover freedom." He turned around to face the kids that were gathering around him. "You said you had something to show me before, didn't you? Um…"
"Meili. Meili Portroute."
"Meili, yeah. So… was it this? This puppy-" The moment Subaru and the puppy locked eyes, his spider-sense went haywire. It screamed of the danger in front of him. Subaru froze for a couple of seconds while looking at it.
"Mister? Is everything fine?" The blue haired girl asked, tilting her head to the side.
"What…? Oh! Uh… Yeah, um, sure, everything's fine…" He answered in a daze. As the kids stared at him expectantly, he went to pat the dog against his better judgement, only for the mutt to bite him. "YOWCH!"
"Haha! He bit you too!" One of the boys laughed while pointing at Subaru.
"She is a girl, after all. I guess you were too brutish." Petra giggled from beside him.
"Are you not gonna get worried about me?! You guys are so cruel!" He fake-cried. His spider-sense kept ringing in alarm, however, similar to how it did on Titan, before getting dusted. His smile faded as he got up and blurted an excuse to leave. "Anyways, I-I'm kind of busy at the moment, what with having to go back to the mansion and all, so… see you guys tomorrow!"
Rem and Subaru were now on the road back to the mansion, each of them carrying rather heavy boxes. "I'm surprised."
"Huh?"
"You quickly befriended everyone at the village."
"Oh. That." Subaru answered. His focus was still not all there, as his senses kept screaming at him. "Well, I guess I'm just popular like that, especially with children." He puffed his chest, wanting to lighten the mood by showing off.
"If by popular with children you mean letting them dry their snot with your pants and pull you around, then sure." Rem giggled a bit, looking visibly more relaxed. "Still… It is impressive. My sister and I… We've been working for Roswaal-sama for years now, but we've never interacted with the village outside of the necessary…" She reminisced with some sadness. "I'm sure my sister would be friendlier with them if I wasn't around to sour the mood…"
"Hey, come on now. I don't exactly get it, but don't you think you praise Ram too much?"
"Not at all. If anything, I undervalue her. All the time, even." Rem looked down. "Back when you came to the mansion, I was the one that instigated violence against you. She just followed along to protect me… And even before that, I-" As Rem descended in a self-deprecating spiral, Subaru interrupted.
"I think you are judging yourself way too harshly." He firmly admitted. "Yes… It was totally not cool of you to just attempt to kill me… But she didn't just follow along, she tried as well. She's not some innocent white pigeon. And, also, she seems like even more of a mess at working than me! Sure, I ruined the potato-"
"Tato."
Subaru rolled his eyes. "…tato yesterday, but looking at how you were preparing breakfast today, or rather, that you were the only one cooking, I'd say she is just not nearly as good a servant or worker as you make her out to be." Rem glared at him slightly. "You are fanatical like a demon."
Rem stopped on her tracks, looking at him in surprise and confusion. "Fanatical?"
"Yeah, like a demon." Subaru answered back, turning to look at her. "They didn't have it in America, but in Japan, demons would celebrate New Year's along with you. You know, you'd tell your plans for the new year and they would laugh along. They would laugh their heads off!"
Rem stared at him for a few seconds. "Do you… like demons, perchance?"
"Well… I've met a god, if only on the battlefield. The other one I know about almost destroyed my world… Demons, in comparison, sound rather tame. They can't be as insane as their counterpart, can they? I'd like to meet one, in fact!" Subaru smiled while answering.
"…I see" Rem smiled sincerely, not caring to hide it from him.
"…You know, a sincere smile fits you far more than a maid's poker face." Subaru blurted out after seeing her expression.
"I shall tell Emilia-sama you were flirting with me." She said as she picked up the pace to the mansion.
"Hey, hold up! I wasn't! You'll ruin our future date!"
"What is a date?"
"Huh? Oh, it's when a man and a woman go out together, alone, to… you know… do stuff like sightsee and… things." Subaru couldn't really explain what exactly a date was without sounding weird, to which Rem picked up immediately.
"Wouldn't that mean we were on a date just now? You sure are lecherous…" Rem chuckled while opening the gate to the mansion.
"Wha- NO! No, we weren't! Please, don't go around giving her weird ideas!" As Subaru protested, a tall man dressed in a formal outfit called out to them.
"Well, well. I see you were fine after a~ll, Subaru-kun." Roswaal said as Ram passed him his jacket.
"Hey, Roschi, where are you going?"
"What a ludicrous name to give to your employer, Barusu." Ram glared from besides the clown.
"Alright, seriously, what's with the formal get-up?"
"Well, I'm visiting someone who is rather anno~ying to deal with in my normal clothes, so I had to dress up fo~rmally for our meeting." The man smiled.
"You are going out?" Rem wondered.
"Indeed, I am. I received a… troublesome me~ssage you see. So I'll be leaving for a day or two." Roswaal adjusted his hat and looked at his staff. "Ram, Rem, take care of things."
"Yes, sir." The twins answered in unison.
As the lord walked away from the pair, he suddenly stopped besides Subaru and looked at him. "I'm counting on you too, Subaru-kun. Take good care of Emilia-sama."
"Yeah, sure, you can count on me!"
Roswaal stepped away from him and turned his head upwards. "Look after things in my stead no~w." He then floated upwards and flew into the horizon.
"So he can fly, huh?"
"Surprised, are you?" Ram smugly asked.
"Eh, not really. If anything, his startup looked lame. Mr. Stark and Thor make it look cool." He didn't notice Ram's disgusted face.
"Hmph!"
As they entered the mansion, Emilia was there, in front of the staircase, glaring at the door. "So, lunch huh?"
"Ahahaha…" Subaru bowed and rubbed his head apologetically.
It was evening now, and Subaru's ear was about to fall from how much Emilia had pinched it. "Owowowow… She didn't have to pull…" As he complained, he made his way to Beatrice's library, hoping today's language lecture could wipe his mind of his worries. His spider-sense had kept tingling the entire time, so he thought he might have contracted something in the village.Perhaps she'll have some book on medicines or something… He opened the door to see her already with the material for their lecture.
"Be thankful for my time, human. You better understand, however, that the moment you know how to read and write I'm kicking you out, I suppose."
"Yeah, yeah…" He answered without really sweating it. "Actually, before we begin, can I ask you something Beako?"
"What a sickening nickname, and you already did, in fact."
"Oh, haha, another comedian." He sarcastically commented. "But seriously, I need to ask. I've been feeling sort of… awful since coming back from the village. To be precise, since a puppy bit me. I was wondering if I'm not allergic to dogs of your world or if I contracted something-"
"Did you just say a dog bit you?" Beatrice turned serious.
"Huh? Oh, yeah." He answered, confused at her change in tone.
"There's not supposed to be dogs in that village, I suppose. If someone brought one, it either came from the outside or… it wasn't a dog at all."
At this, Subaru's expression turned serious as well. "…What do you mean?"
"I mean that there is a possibility you are not allergic to dogs from my world. Let me check." At this, the spirit held his hand and took a look at his wound, only for a black smoke to emit from it as she healed it. "…As I thought. You aren't allergic to dogs of this world; you were cursed by a Wolgarm, in fact."
"Wolgarm…? Wait, cursed?!" An alarmed Subaru questioned.
"It's a type of mabeast, and if a 'puppy' bit you, chances are it was a pack leader that was capable of transforming itself. I've already lifted the curse, but what really troubles me is how exactly did it enter the village. The barrier should have prevented it from doing so."
"Dammit… I'm such an idiot!" Subaru yelled while turning away and heading for the exit.
"H-hey! Where are you going?!"
"Beatrice, I wasn't the only one bitten by that thing. The children were too!"
"What?!"
Subaru ran to his room and suited up in a hurry, laying over the suit his armor. He then began yelling for Ram and Rem desperately as he ran down the hall. "Ram! Rem! We have an emergency! Come here, ASAP!"
"You are so loud, these are supposed to be thick walls Barusu. How come I can hear your moans?" Ram complained, coming out from the kitchen with her sister in tow.
"Sorry, but no time for jokes, we have an emergency." He cut short her berating. "The puppy that bit me on the hand at the village? It wasn't a dog; Beatrice said it was a Wolgarm or something, a shape-shifting pack leader!"
Ram and Rem looked appalled.
"When it bit me, it cursed me. Beatrice already healed me but the children were bitten as well! We have to go! Like now!"
"Hold it!" Ram stopped Subaru in his tracks. "Roswaal-sama's orders dictated that we look after everything here in his stead."
"Exactly. Of everything in his stead. He is the Lord of the village, right? Would that not mean that if something happens to the villagers, it is all his responsibility?"
"You sure can be cunning when you want to…" Ram answered exasperated. "Very well. I'll send Rem with you."
"Nee-sama?!"
"That's fine. If they are with the assassin from the Capital, chances are they are here for Emilia. We'll be safer if we leave someone behind to take care of things in the mansion."
"Rem, I shall go and confirm with Beatrice-sama. You make sure that Barusu is worth Roswaal-sama's employment and help with the children."
"Nee-sama… I… I will."
"Good, let's get going then!"
"Where are you going?" An apprehensive Emilia looked at the group.
"Ah, Emilia-tan. We have a situation at the village."
"Situation…? Wait, are you going off into another mess again?!"
"Sure am. Sorry, but we may be facing another assassin, so it'd be better if you stay here." He looked apologetic but resolved while saying this.
"But I-!"
"Emilia-sama, Barusu is right." Ram reasoned, backing Subaru. "Were this a trap to lure you out, we'd be falling right in. It is better if we send him instead."
"You- Ugh! Fine then!" Emilia huffed at their logic, not being able to refute it. She approached Subaru, placing her hand on his chest. "Looking at you with your armor on, I can tell I can't stop you. So… May the blessing of the spirits be with you."
"Uhhh… So what was that?"
"It's a sendoff prayer. It means 'come back safely.'"
"…Heh. Thanks, Emilia-tan!" Subaru chuckled for a moment before answering with a grin.
Right after this, Rem and Subaru ran out of the mansion, leaving Emilia sighing as their forms grew smaller. "I just hope nothing goes wrong…"
Rem and Subaru were sprinting towards the village as they suddenly heard the commotion in the distance, accompanied by the light of torches as they replaced the setting sun. "Hey! What's going on?!"
"Subaru-sama!" One of the young men answered. "The children! They are gone!"
"What?!" At Subaru's exclamation, his A.I. activated.
"Subaru, I detect a trail near the border. A fence is broken with many small footprints surrounding it."
"There!" The three of them turned to the fence Karen had indicated. "Alright, you gather everyone, Rem and I are going in!"
"U-understood!"
"Subaru-sama, if the fence is broken, that means the barrier is as well." Rem pointed out while signaling to a broken green stone. "Mabeasts most likely crossed and took the children. Probabilities are that they already… I mean, what if this is the distraction they need to attack the mansion?"
"Regardless, I'm not about to let a bunch of kids die because of a suspicion." Subaru declared. "You can go back to the mansion and tighten the security if you want… But I'm not leaving those children behind, regardless of the order."
"Why go so far?! You could risk both your life and employment!"
"Did you know? Petra wants to be a tailor in the Capital when she grows up. Her mom taught her how to sew and that's all she can talk about now."
"What?"
"Lucas wants to be a woodcutter, Mildo wants to make a flower crown for his mother, Meina is going to be an older sister soon, Meili has an older sister she likes to imitate, Dyne and Cain are always fighting over Petra…" Subaru reminisced about the children with a smile. "They matter to me. And even if I didn't know them, I'd jump in to help. Because that's what a hero does."
Subaru did not even flinch when saying such words, and it impressed Rem how he could simply rush ahead into a life-threatening situation. "I'm going to play with them again tomorrow, and perhaps show them a cool invention or two. If I want to do that, they need to be safe first."
"Very well… Just, don't do anything suspicious." Rem said with a smile. As they crossed the fence, Rem took out her morning star.
"That thing is far too big to keep under your skirt, where were you even hiding it?"
"You don't want to know." She finalized.
"You do understand that just makes me more curious, right?"
"Up ahead." As they ran into the thick of the woods, Karen informed Subaru of her discovery. "There are small heat signatures ahead. Those must be the children."
Within a clearing that the moon shined on, Subaru and Rem founded the missing kids. "Oh thank goodness, they are alive!"
"Don't celebrate too soon." Karen informed. "Their bodies' temperature is rapidly dropping."
"Most likely it's the curse kicking in." Rem suggested. "I can't dispel it, but I can try and alleviate the pain, at least."
"So you can heal too, huh? Thanks!"
"Still… they are very weak. We have to carry them ba-"
"Subaru…?" Petra called out in a weak voice.
"Petra! Everything is going to be fine, we'll-"
In her eyes, the funny man from earlier had come back to save her in a shining armor, so despite her pain and the danger to her life, she decided to trust him. "One is… Meili… in the… forest…" She pointed up ahead, towards the trees before passing out.
"!" Subaru looked around, not seeing the blue haired little girl with a braid. "She's right, Meili isn't around." He admitted, frustrated. He was about to run into the woods again until Rem called out to him.
"Hold it! You can't be seriously thinking about charging in there alone, right?! If the mabeasts took her then she is most likely…"
"Petra showed concern for her friend before herself, Rem. How can you ask me to ignore that?"
"But even still…"
"I want to respect Petra's feelings and do what's right. I know it sounds corny… But that's what I've resolved to do."
"Your back will break from all that greed…"
"Hey, I never said I wasn't greedy." Subaru chuckled. "I want to save people without anyone dying. Is that so wrong?"
"Yes, it is. You can't do everything…"
"Yeah, I know that. And trust me, I know my limits. But this is something I can do without exceeding them. So, in the meantime… take those children back to the village. I'll catch up once I've rescued Meili."
"What happens if you don't come back? What happens if I can't find you?"
"Don't worry. That won't happen… After all, all you need to do is smell and you'll find me."
"…Don't make it sound so gross." Rem pouted.
"Hehe, sorry. But anyways, I promise to come back alive. I trust you… so please, trust me."
"…*sigh* Fine, I did promise Emilia-sama, so I'll promise to you too. I'll trust you for now."
"Hehe, that's all I needed to hear!" He sprinted towards the woods.
"Don't you dare die, alright?! I don't want to be held accountable for your mess-up!" She exclaimed while picking up Petra.
Subaru turned to her just before exiting the clearing and yelled back. "Don't sweat it! I'm demonically inspired today!"
AUTHOR'S NOTES
I honestly wanted to reach the actual fight with the mabeasts in this chapter, but I suppose it'll be better to have an entire chapter focused on it. Anyways, I already have Subaru's first few deaths planned, but I don't plan on making them so close to each other or them happening that soon. I wanted to focus more on Rem, but I guess this should do for now. As always, feel free to comment and suggest stuff and I'll see how to implement it.