-Roswaal's Room-
"Roswaal-sama, what in the world happened to you?!" Rem asks with a raised voice, worried and confused as to why someone as powerful as him would be in such a rough condition.
"I was going to slap you hard for neglecting your responsibilities but…what the heck happened?" Subaru asks. "You look like a mummy."
"What could have hurt you so badly?" Emilia also wonders. She then turns to Subaru with an inquisitive look, "What's a mummy?"
"A fantasy creature that is known in my land. They are undead creatures that cover their entire bodies with bandages like him." He points to Roswaal.
Emilia timidly nods, more or less understanding his explanation. Undead?
While the three of them ask about his severe condition, Ram heads to the opposite side of the bed to dutifully stand by his side. Rem moves closer to him and begins to pour out her mana in an attempt to heal him.
"I must admit it's quite embarrassing for you all to witness me in such a sooooorry state, but where shall I begin?"
"Wait." Subaru puts a hand up, preventing Roswaal from speaking further. "Before you start, the alliance with Crusch-san is on. Are you now satisfied with the results you got from abandoning all of us in our time of need?"
Roswaal tilts his head forward slightly, shuts his eyes lightly, and smiles sweetly at them. "Indeed, most satisfied. Truly, truly. You really are one of a kind Subaru-kun. And Rem, while I appreciate what you're trying to do, my injuries are simply far too many for you to try to heal them all at once. Save your strength."
"Right? There is no one like him." Rem smiles at her master while complying with his command, pleased that he appears to see Subaru in a very positive light just like her. "Are you certain I should stop? I still have plenty of mana left."
He silently nods.
Ram makes a barely audible huff that no one hears.
Emilia inquires, "Roswaal, where exactly are we? I know it's called the 'Sanctuary' but so far, it's felt anything but. In fact it feels more like…"
"The Witch's Graveyard?" He finishes for her, showing a faint sinister smile. "Doesn't it make faaaar more sense to call it that?"
"Hold on…what did you just call this place?" Rem instantly inquires, her suspicion levels drastically rising.
"A fitting name, isn't it? This is where the Witch of Greed, Echidna, met her end long ago. As such, I believe this place is worth calling a 'Sanctuary'".
"Echidna? Witch of Greed?" Rem's eyes widen initially, as if the name is vaguely familiar to her, but dismisses it. Subaru does the same. Her eyes then narrow, "What do you know about her?"
"Far more than you could ever know, my dear Rem." He cryptically answers.
Rem frowns, I don't like how he answered that. What does he know?
Ram looks at her sister with a small pitiful expression.
"Why are you overseeing such a place with that sort of backstory?" Subaru asks.
"It's very simple. This land has been overseen by the heads of the Mathers family for generations.
"Then the Mathers family and the Witch of Greed have-" Emilia starts before being interrupted by Roswaal.
"Echidna." He draws out the syllables in her name. Again, he smiles widely, "Please when you speak of her, doooo use her name. The name 'Witch of Greed' makes her sound so evil. That's not very nice, is it?" He waves an index finger.
"Roswaal-sama, with all due respect." Rem addresses him sternly, "I absolutely refuse. Why do you believe this Witch of Greed is deserving of any respect? Especially considering she's associated with the Witc-"
"Rem." He utters her name in a low tone while an eyebrow twitches. He maintains his bright smile. "I would suggest refraining from speaking about individuals you have never met before. It's not right to judge someone based solely on their title or race alone, riiiiight?"
She backs down, "Y-Yes Roswaal-sama, but-"
"Then that's all there is to it. Now, you all wish to know how I ended up this way, cooorrect?"
"Y-Yes, that's right." Emilia confirms.
"Weeelll first, I must say that we are all under house arrest."
"What?!" All three of them are very startled.
"You wished to know why we hadn't returned yet from the Sanctuary, this is why." Ram explains. "All demihumans that enter this territory, due to the barrier, are not allowed to leave."
Subaru puts the pieces of the puzzle together, "I remember some of the villagers being demihumans. So that means…"
A door suddenly slams open. A rough and gruff voice responds to Subaru's thought process. "That's right! Yer villager buddies are all stuck 'ere!"
Subaru, Emilia, and Rem all turn around to see Garfiel standing there, smiling just as proudly as he was earlier that day.
"And Emilia-tan…"
"Yep! Since she's a half-elf, she's stuck 'ere too!" Garfiel finishes.
"No wonder no one returned…" Rem mumbles. "How did I forget this? If I had remembered, then Emilia-sama wouldn't of-"
"Don't blame yourself Rem." Ram speaks up. "I likewise forgot about the barrier before crossing."
"Don't sound so proud about your failures!" Subaru says to her, unable to believe how guiltless she sounded just now. He then shouts, "Now you're saying Emilia-tan and the other demihumans are trapped here?! How are we supposed to get out?"
"Passin' the graveyard trials, obviously!" Garfiel answers while crossing his arms. "Till that happens, no one is leavin'! An' not just any ole person can take it. If a non mixed-blood tries takin' it. Well, the results are right before ya!" He gestures to Roswaal.
"So that means Roswaal-sama tried to take the trials?" Rem concludes.
"Thaaaaat is correct! As you can see, I'm a fully fleshed human, so the results were quite disaaaaastrous!" Roswaal answers in his usual nonchalant dramatic way.
"We 'ave all the villagers rounded up in one place. So long as they try nothin' we won't hurt 'em. They even get three meals an' a nap every day! Luxurious livin' if I do say so myself."
Subaru, Emilia, and Rem all give looks of apprehension to Garfiel. The lattermost of them, now giving a determined look and no longer grinning, states, "Tis is our demand. Break the barrier surroundin' the Sanctuary. The only one allowed to undertake the trials is her." He focuses on Emilia. "If ya can't break it, none of the villagers will get to leave. Of course, tis naturally extends to ya as well!"
Emilia looks at him with both shock and a bit of horror. However, she eventually shakes her feelings of fear and self-doubt away and looks at everyone with a determined look on her face. "I understand. I will set forth to take on the trials and liberate everyone from this place. When should I do them?"
"Tis the attitude I've been waitin' for! Ya can start right away."
"Alright, let's go-"
*Rumble*
Suddenly, Emilia is rudely interrupted by a noisy gurgling sound. Everyone's gaze slowly turn towards her midsection.
"Oh, is my dear Emilia-tan feeling a little famished? Perhaps a little mayo will cheer you up." Subaru teases.
Emilia blushes hard in embarrassment. She hides her face in her hands, "Euuugh! Stop teasing meeee!"
"Rem, Ram, go into the kitchen and prepare a meal for everyone present. I imagine tonight will be rather eventful." Roswaal orders his maids.
"Yes, as you wish Roswaal-sama." Ram bows.
"Of course Roswaal-sama." Rem also bows, albeit with a hint of reluctance. Roswaal-sama, why do you speak highly of this Witch of Greed? It makes no sense. She's with the Witch's Cult. That same organization you saved us from. Are you hiding something from us?
-Kitchen-
Despite being in an unfamiliar cooking environment, the twin sisters begin their meal preparation as if they were back at the mansion. They first bring out bowls, spoons, and any other cooking utensils they will need. As they do so, Rem strikes up a conversation, wanting to talk to her sister about what she's just heard.
"Nee-sama?"
"What is it Rem?"
"Does anything Roswaal-sama just said bother you at all?"
She thinks back for a moment before shaking her head, "Not particularly. Why? Are you concerned about what he said about Echidna?"
"How…how can you say her name so casually? She's a witch! One of the witch's those cultists worship! Those cultists who destroyed our village!" Rem shouts with frustration, slamming some flour onto a table.
"I know that she's a witch. But Rem, I have a strong feeling that in spite of that, she's not responsible for what happened to our village."
"What makes you feel confident about that?"
"She's been dead for a long time now. Several centuries in fact, long before we were ever born. Even our village hadn't begun to exist until probably a few hundred years after her death."
"Really?" Rem asks, still feeling a small amount of doubt. However, considering this is Ram telling her this, she can safely assume it is true. "If that's so, then how do you know about this?"
"Roswaal-sama told me about it. He appears to know quite a lot about her."
"He told you? Why didn't he tell me about this? I never knew any other witches besides the Witch of Envy existed until recently." She feels quite hurt and betrayed that Roswaal told Ram something of this magnitude and not her. Was she not deserving enough to know? Is she just the weak, pathetic, and useless little sister who can't handle big grown up topics like this?
Ram takes a moment to think of a response. She cracks a couple of eggs while she does this, with one of the yolks failing to get into the bowl. She has to grab a nearby towel to clean it up. "Roswaal-sama knew how shaken up you were about what happened with our village. He didn't want to burden you with this knowledge and bring up those painful memories again."
So he really did view me as a weak child who couldn't handle troubling subjects such as this. Rem muses, feeling disheartened. Does Subaru-kun view me the same way? Her mind naturally wonders. He won't tell me what is troubling him either. It's not like they're obligated to, but…
Putting on a brave face for her sister, she replies with a small smile. "I see. That's thoughtful of him."
Unfortunately for Rem, in this moment she forgot about her Synesthesia ability that she shares with Ram. It unconsciously activates and Ram is able to get a sense of what her sister is truly feeling.
I'm sorry Rem. Telling you the full truth would only hurt you more. She tilts her head downwards ever so slightly, feeling a little guilty.
Deciding to leave this awkward topic alone, Ram asks her sister about all of the adventures she's been on since she went to the capital with Subaru and Emilia.
Her carefree behavior finally returning for the first time since traveling towards the Sanctuary, Rem passionately tells her nearly everything that occurred. And by nearly everything, she did not delve into her suspicions regarding Subaru. Nor did she mention her long, very emotional talk with Subaru when he was about to give up on himself and everyone else.
Ram mostly listens to her stories silently while giving periodic nods. She does say how proud she is of her for helping deal with the White Whale and the Witch's Cult. She likewise feels satisfied knowing that her dear younger sister, who has hated the Witch's Cult with every fiber of her being since they destroyed their village, was finally able to get some sort of revenge on them after all these years of not being able to do anything.
It is only when Rem talks about how Gluttony and the other individual attacked Crusch and her army, along with their subsequent memory loss, does Ram's blood run cold. Hearing how Felix originally suggested she go with Crusch only for her to turn around and beg to go with Subaru, Ram realizes just how close Rem's fate to being an amnesiac and possibly comatose individual was to coming true.
In a rare case of acting solely on her emotions, Ram envelopes Rem tightly.
"N-Nee-sama?!" She's taken aback by this sudden display of affection. Yet she welcomes it.
"Thank goodness Barusu took you with him. If he hadn't, then…no. I don't even want to think about it. Please, look after yourself more. You worry me when you say things like that."
"Nee-sama…" Rem is silent for a few moments. They've always deeply loved each other ever since they were babies. Constantly looking out for one another, they'd always make sure not to leave the other behind or in dangerous situations. As time passed and they grew up, the time they would spend with one another would slowly dwindle. They were still very close, but it wasn't the same as it once was. This has especially been the case ever since Subaru arrived at the mansion. With Rem slowly prioritizing him more and more as time went on, they've naturally spent even less time together. Case in point, aside from their brief reunion back at Arlam village, this is the first time they've seen each other in a week or two. They've never been separated for such a prolonged period of time before, at least as far as she can remember.
So it feels quite good to hear how much Ram cares about her, more so than usual. "I'm sorry for worrying you like that. But I'm right here, and with my memories intact. It's all thanks to Subaru-kun that I'm able to hug you right now as myself."
Ram separates herself from her and promptly resumes meal preparation. "Barusu just got lucky. And you were the one that had to beg the poor dense fool into letting you go with him. If anything, you saved yourself from your own fate."
"I don't know about that." Rem smirks a little, remembering what she said earlier. "Something tells me you're actually rather grateful towards him."
"..." Ram says nothing and carries on as if she didn't say anything. However, Rem does notice her awkwardly looking away whenever she tries to read her expression.
-Roswaal's Room-
"Myyyy, the meals prepared by you two are delicious as always." Roswaal comments satisfactorily on the quality of the dishes the sisters made. Or more accurately, Rem mostly made.
"Your words humble me and fill me with great joy Roswaal-sama." Ram replies to his praise.
"Yeah, this is great!" Subaru puts out a thumbs up as he chows down on his food.
"Thank you Subaru-kun! I'm really happy to hear you're enjoying it." Rem flutters internally with happiness.
Emilia, Otto, and Garfiel are also amongst them, eating their meals as well. While they eat, Otto discusses with Roswaal about the deal Subaru made with him and the other merchants. That deal being that Roswaal would purchase the cargo Otto and the others were selling in exchange for them assisting in escorting the villagers to safety.
Subaru is initially nervous that the master of the mansion would get furious at him for performing a deal like this behind his back. However, his worries are all for naught as he agrees to pay Otto for the cargo. He takes it a step further and decides to give him a little extra bonus for all the trouble he went through to get here to meet with him. Unfortunately for Otto, payment would have to wait until Roswaal was able to return to his mansion.
Subaru looks at Emilia, who seems to have eaten considerably less compared to everyone else. This prompts him to ask, "Emilia-tan, are you worried about the trials?"
"Hm?" She swallows a bit of food she just put in her mouth. "Not really…"
"Are you sure? Cause even if you are, we're all here to lend you our support." He gives a reassuring smile. "Knock it out of the park Emilia-tan!"
She puts a hand to her mouth and giggles, "You sure say some weird things Subaru. But thanks. I think that gave me the last bit of confidence I needed."
"I pray that you are successful Emilia-sama." Otto gives his support, even if it's simply motivated by a desire to get out of this creepy and run-down place as soon as possible. The atmosphere of the village they traveled through really sent a chill down his spine and he has thus far not enjoyed his time here whatsoever.
"Good luck Emilia-sama." Rem says to her. Ram does the same.
"Yes, goooood luck indeeeeeed!" Roswaal says.
"Teh sooner ya take the trials, the sooner we get outta 'ere!" Garfiel scowls lightly as he chomps down his food.
Subaru looks around the table and is delighted to see how much support Emilia is getting from everyone. Even from Garfiel, who manages to encourage her in his own grouchy way.
Following the meal, everyone cleans up and prepares to head for the location of the first trial, which Garfiel will escort them to. As soon as everyone prepares to head out, Roswaal calls out to Rem.
"Rem, could you stay back here for one moment? I have something important that I need to tell you."
She glances between the group and Roswaal before walking towards the latter, telling everyone else to go on without her and that she'll catch up.
"Yes, Roswaal-sama? What do you wish to tell me?"
"The trial may prove to be quiiiiite difficult for Emilia-sama. I want you to procure a few ingredients to make a nice soothing tea for her when she returns."
"What ingredients should I obtain?"
He hands her a piece of paper. "It is all listed there, along with the location."
Rem bows, "Understood. I shall take my leave immediately then." She leaves the room.
Catching up with the group, she says that she's been given a task to do by Roswaal and will be back later. They nod in understanding. Rem wishes Emilia success one last time before heading off for real.
"Before we go for the trials, there's one more thing I'd like to do." Emilia announces to the remaining members still with her.
"What would that be, Emilia-sama?" Ram asks.
"I'd like to let the villagers know about what is going on and for them to not worry. Can you show me where they are staying Ram?"
-Cathedral-
"They are all in here. The atmosphere is rather tense, to put it nicely." Ram explains upon their arrival to the Cathedral. It's a giant building that looks like a standard church, though the amount of moss and vegetation along with the number of cracks in its foundation definitely shows its age.
"I see, thank you." Emilia gives a smile to Ram. "Subaru, could you come in with me? I think my presence alone might scare them more than calm them." A sullen expression forms on her face.
Feeling a little irritated at the thought of the villagers scorning Emilia simply for her appearance yet again, he quickly agrees to her request and they enter together.
They spend about five minutes in there quickly bringing the villagers up to date on the situation. They also explain the matter regarding the trials and how Emilia will need to be the one to do them. Subaru asks for them to put their faith in her, while Emilia reassures everyone that she means absolutely no harm to any of them and she simply wants them to be happy, healthy, and she wishes to be friends with all of them.
The villagers are a little apprehensive at first regarding Emilia's motives. However, the village head, Milde Arlam, is willing to believe in her as long as she is completely honest in explaining her reasons for wishing to free them and to take on the trials. Thankfully, Emilia's heartfelt speech about reuniting their families and her feelings on that matter convinces them that her motives are honest and pure. Milde and the rest of the villagers all wish for her friendship in return.
Subaru heads out of the Cathedral while Emilia wraps things up. Ram, who had been observing from outside the door the whole time with a small smile on her face, gives her thoughts on the matter, "Emilia-sama seems to have changed a bit. I wonder if you did something to inspire a change in her."
"It's the result of her thinking things through on her own. You shouldn't assume all of her decisions come from someone else. She's grown up enough to decide for herself what she wishes to do."
She crosses her arms, "You're right. I was in the wrong this time. She's matured a bit."
"And what about me?" He looks at her expectantly.
"You're the same clumsy fool as you were the first day you arrived, Barusu."
"Ouch!" He dramatically puts a hand to his chest as if he'd taken a fatal arrow to the heart. "And you're just as brutal with your remarks as the day I first met you Ram!"
"I say it's one of my charms." She smirks. Her face then grows serious as she calls his name, or well, nickname, in a totally different tone than before.
"Barusu."
"W-What is it?" His voice becomes slightly anxious in response.
"I really do not appreciate how you keep putting Rem in extremely dangerous situations. What were you thinking, pitting her up against the White Whale, one of the strongest beasts to roam the land and the Witch's Cult, one of the most dangerous organizations around the known world? Were you thinking about her well-being at all?"
Oh crap! She must've told her everything we've done since going to the capital! Subaru panics in his mind. He initially stutters his reply, trying to ease her anger, "O-Of course I was! Rem-tan is one of the most important people to me! I'm always thinking about her well-being. She really wanted to help me and since she's so good at fighting and controlling ground dragons I figured she was relatively safe the whole time. I would never put her in a situation where she would be unable to get out safely."
She frowns more deeply than usual, "That sounds like nothing more than selfish gratifications. How pathetic Barusu. I am highly disappointed." And he's calling her Rem-tan, does that mean he views her the same way as Emilia-sama?
He slumps over in defeat, "You're right, I'm just making it sound better for myself." He straightens himself back up. "But still, everything I said is true. If her life was ever truly in danger, I'd throw myself completely in harm's way to save her. That I can promise you. She's done so much for me that there's no way I could ever repay her."
Ram looks at him with a completely expressionless face, making it nearly impossible to read her. However, another tiny smile creeps up. "Well, when you say it like that, I suppose I have no choice but to accept it."
A few moments later, as Emilia comes out of the Cathedral, she whispers, "Thank you for saving her from Gluttony."
"Hm, did you say something?" Subaru asks as he hears mumbling.
She says nothing and only gives a glare in response. Though Subaru finds this glare to be a bit more…tender.
-Trial Ruins-
Taking a deep breath, Emilia decides to meet with the lesser spirits to help calm her mind. She does so for about a minute before sending them off. Subaru, Ram, Garfiel, and Otto are all present not far behind her.
"Wow, teh bright lights sure are somethin'!" Garfiel comments, finding what Emilia is doing to be rather cool.
"Emilia-tan always looks so calm and dignified when she does it. It's like seeing a totally different person." Subaru says.
"You guys say too much…" Emilia blushes a little from embarrassment before turning to the ruins that hold the first trial. "It's time. Though I admittedly would like one last cheer before I go."
"Go Emilia-tan! Go Emilia-tan! E.M.C! E.M.C! Emilia-tan Major Challenger!" Subaru chants while consistently pumping up his left and right arms like a cheerleader would.
"O-O-Ok! Ok! T-Thank you Subaru, that's enough now." Emilia quickly puts an end to his chanting. Now she feels even more embarrassed than before. Internally, she's quite grateful to have his support, even if he does it in his own weird way.
Walking towards the ruins, the entire landscape glows a turquoise hue.
"That means ya are qualified ta enter!" Garfiel says.
"Ok, I'm going now." Emilia steels herself and enters the ruins.
"You know, with how much you and the others are wanting to leave here, why haven't you done this yourself?" Subaru asks Garfiel.
He clicks his tongue and crosses his arms, mumbling, "If I could, I would, damn it."
The hue on the ruins goes out mere seconds after it began. Subaru gets slightly worried by this new development, "H-Hey, is she going to be ok?"
Garfiel looks anxious as well, "Ta light ain't supposed to go out while the trial is goin' on…"
"Shoot! Emilia-tan!" Subaru rushes towards the ruins after her.
"Barusu!" Ram also runs after him.
The ruins begin to glow once again, but this time for Subaru. Ram halts, "What the, why?"
"I don't get it, but if that means I can get to Emilia-tan, that's good enough for me!" He makes a quick glance back at the others, "Just stay there! I'll yell if I need something!"
-Inside Trial Ruins-
Entering, he immediately finds Emilia passed out on the floor. He barely gets enough time to call her name before a loud voice shouts in his head.
"First, you need to face your own past."
-Two Minutes Later-
For Subaru, it felt like the trial lasted several hours. In reality, it merely lasted a couple of minutes. He slowly regains consciousness on the floor, having successfully passed the first trial. That trial being facing his past with his parents.
He slowly gets up, coughing numerous times. "Where…" The memories of the trial flash by before his eyes. "Oh right…I went through and passed the trial."
Turning to his right, he sees Emilia, still lying completely on the ground with her eyes closed. Though now, she's making a lot of whimpering noises in distress, as if she's having a terrible nightmare.
"Emilia!" He reaches out a hand and only barely manages to grace her cheek before her eyes shoot open. The eyes he sees in her are ones filled with utter fear and despair. Instantly shutting them again, she whimpers a bit more while clenching her fists and scrunching her face. As if trying to force whatever is within her out via pure physical means.
"Emilia! Hang in there!" He pulls her up and into his arms, holding her somewhat awkwardly as he isn't exactly sure how to react.
Slowly opening her eyes, she comes back to reality for a moment and recognizes the person in front of her, "Subaru…?" She turns her head and looks around. "Right…I was undergoing the trail and…" Her pupils shrink and her teeth chatter, seemingly going through something horrifying in her mind.
"Um…Emilia?" Subaru unintentionally gives her a stern look.
"I-I'm…it wasn't me!" She shouts, "It wasn't! And yet…I keep telling you! It wasn't me!" She puts her hands on her face, attempting to hide herself.
"Hey, calm down! Look at me Emilia!"
"No! Don't look at me like that! No! No!" She frantically shakes her head, refusing to look at him. "It wasn't me!"
"It's okay! Come on, it's okay!" Subaru tries to ease her anxiety.
"All alone!" Emilia shrieks in a somewhat loud tone.
"I'm here! You're not alone! I'm right here Emilia! I won't leave you alone!" He brings her closer to his chest, hugging her tighter. From head to toe, her body trembles in place.
"Oh, Father. Puck…Puck!" She cries. Neither of them answer her pleas.
-Trial Ruins-
Picking her up, he exits the ruins while still trying to calm her down. Ram, Garfiel, and Otto, who are all still waiting for them, are shocked at seeing how distressed the two of them are.
"What happened Natsuki-san?!" Otto is the first to inquire on the situation.
"I…I don't know! Emilia is nearly hyperventilating and is scared out of her mind. We need something to calm her down, now!"
"Looks like she failed teh trial…" Garfiel states with disappointment, but he does appear to look worried about Emilia.
"Bring her to Roswaal-sama, he likely has something that-" Ram, trying to explain what they should do next, suddenly collapses onto her knees fully wide-eyed, gasping for breath, as if all the air got sucked out of her body in one fell swoop.
"Ram?! What teh heck is going on with ya?!" Garfiel shouts, looking at her with ten times the amount of concern he had for Emilia.
"R-Rem! Rem's…in danger!" She shouts in between breaths. Her synesthesia ability activated automatically, allowing her to feel what Rem is feeling. The only feeling she obtained was extreme pain. Now, while the pain for Ram is completely mental, she is aware that there is a high chance the pain she just experience may very well be physical pain.
"Not just Emilia, but Rem too?!" Subaru cries, unable to believe that both of his precious girls are in extreme distress or danger at the exact same time.
"There's no time! I must find her immediately!" Ram begins to run back towards the village as fast as her legs will carry her.
"Wait! What about Emilia-tan?!" He yells at her.
"Figure that out on your own Barusu! Rem takes priority! Her life is in danger!" She shouts without looking back.
Merely having seconds to decide his next move, Subaru must make a major decision.
Does he stay with Emilia in an attempt to soothe her, or does he go with Ram to find Rem?
"Otto!"
"Y-Yes Natsuki-san?" He jumps back a bit, startled at hearing Subaru shout his name so loudly all of a sudden.
"Take Emilia-tan and bring her to Roswaal! Do whatever he says to help soothe her mind. I'll be back as soon as I can!" He drops her off in his carriage that he has been sitting in the entire time.
"W-Wait! Are you sure I should be trusted with this sort of responsibility?!"
"You're the one I trust the most out of everyone here right now! Please Otto, I'll do whatever you want after this is over with!"
Nervously looking back at Emilia, who is still muttering Puck's name, he quickly shakes his head, then nods. "R-Right!"
He is shocked that Subaru would trust him so much that he'd leave one of his most precious girls in his care. However, he does not intend to make light of that trust that he has been so graciously given. Having worked for years in the merchant business, Otto knows more than anyone just how valuable trust amongst his clients and business partners.
With that, Otto keenly takes off straight for Roswaal's temporary home. Subaru meanwhile runs full speed after Ram. He is just as worried about Rem as he is about Emilia. But unlike Emilia, Rem likely has no one around her to help her. This is his reasoning for prioritizing her at this specific moment.
Please don't be dead Rem-tan! Please don't be dead! Subaru begs internally, praying he will not see Rem's corpse yet again.
-Author's Corner-
A/N: I skipped over the entire first trial with Subaru as I felt no need to go over it in detail. The trial he faces is the same one he faces in canon. Don't worry, I plan to describe Rem's trials in detail when it gets to that.
Also, this is chapter 10! Thanks to everyone who has favorited, followed, and reviewed the story so far! I'm very grateful for each and every one of them.
Danbooru god: Interesting predictions! Let's see if you're right later on.
Iseepandas: Thank you! I'm really happy to hear you're enjoying it more than you expected too.
Maximum Rhapsody: There's a reason why Echidna is allowing Rem to take on the trials. It'll be explained in due time. Not sure what you mean by a power up for Rem. Would you mind clarifying what you mean by that?