Subaru groaned, and rubbed his eyes. He always seemed to be doing that when he looped. As respawn animations go, I suppose it could be worse. If I caused a flashy light-show every time I Returned by Death, I would probably attract too much attention.
Something felt wrong. His eyes weren't seeing clearly yet, and he couldn't feel his weight on his feet. In fact, he seemed to be lying down, on soft cloth.
"Aw man!" He bolted upright. "Did I faint again? I'm so sorry…"
He paused, when he realised no one else was in the room with him. It was a fancy place, the walls decorated with patterns, and large windows were set into one of the walls.
"Wow. Am I in a fantasy world mansion? That means I didn't die!"
He checked his stomach, and couldn't even find a trace of a scar. "Which means she must have saved me. Emilia saved me."
Then he noticed that he was decidedly not wearing his tracksuit. Which meant someone changed him out of it. A seed of horror grew in him. "It was Puck." He decided. Definitely Puck. He wouldn't even question his hosts.
"So who's mansion is this? It would either be Emilia or Reinhard. I'll put my hopes on the former."
He got out of bed, testing his limbs by swinging them and doing some light stretches. Everything feels fine. Healing magic is amazing!
"Now, I could stay put for the next few hours, and greet my hosts later in the morning." He said, looking out at the pre-dawn light. "Or…"
He threw open the door. "I could explore!"
Various expensive looking paintings and vases lined the hallway walls. Subaru didn't touch them. Knowing his luck, they'd crack and force him to take on massive debts, which would see him working as a debt slave to Emilia, doing whatever she asked of him…
He reconsidered touching, just a little bit.
"That painting looks familiar." It looked remarkably similar to the one outside his room. In fact, it looked identical.
"So either this mansion's owner is stingy on getting unique paintings to hang up, or this is one of those looping hallways. The way it usually goes, the exit is through the room you came from!"
He opened the door, and rather than his bedroom, saw a grand library on the other side.
"How aggravating, I suppose."
"First NPC found! The ghost of the mansion, who plays tricks on poor, defenceless humans! Well, how did I do?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about, in fact."
"Don't be like that! Such a cold attitude will make people flee from… this place. Where are we anyway?"
"This is Betty's forbidden library, I suppose." She slapped her book closed, and got up from her stool.
"Forbidden huh. Wait, does that mean I'm trespassing?"
The girl approached him, and placed a hand on his stomach. "Too late to worry about that, I suppose."
Subaru looked down at the girl apprehensively. "This won't hurt, will it?"
His answer was a jolt of fire running through his veins, the feeling that something was wrong inside him. He collapsed onto the floor, his mind growing dimmer.
"If I die now to a library ghost, I'm going to be very upset." He ground out.
"You're talking nonsense, in fact. Betty was more gentle than she needed to be with such a rude boy, and can now say that you are no threat to the mansion, I suppose."
He tried to spit out some kind of retort, but his mouth was sluggish, and his mind drifted back into the embrace of sleep.
Subaru looked up at the ceiling, clearly the same one he had seen earlier, before his encounter with the ghost.
"It seems our guest has awakened, sister."
"Yes I agree, he is awake, Rem."
"Man, I am on a roll. Waking up under a roof is the best! I should sleep in to commemorate the occasion."
"What a poor thing to say. Did you hear that sister?"
"Yes Rem, I heard. Clearly our guest is a vagabond and a layabout."
"Oi! Who are these two voices criticising me in stereo?" Subaru sat up, and turned toward the girls' voices.
His breath caught, as he saw two matching maids, clearly twins, one pink-haired, the other blue, standing away from the bed, clasping hands together. They had the same ethereal beauty he'd come to expect from everyone in this world. "Though come to think of it, doesn't that just mean my average appearance has just moved to below average!?"
"How horrible sister, our guest believes his looks can be called below average."
"A tragic occurrence Rem, clearly he has never looked in a mirror."
"Hey, hey! I know my eyes can be a bit nasty, but this is the face my parents gave me! I won't let it be insulted so!"
A gentle knocking came from the door. Emilia entered, wearing a short dress, somehow even more elegant than what she had worn in the capital.
"Can't you wake up a little quieter? I was worried when I heard you ran into Beatrice, but I see I shouldn't have been bothered. Are you feeling alright?"
"Never better!" Subaru exclaimed, getting out of bed for the second time that day. "If anything, I feel I slept too much. How did things end up yesterday? How were Felt, Rom, and Reinhard?"
"Reinhard isn't really someone you need to worry about. He took Felt away when he saw her with my insignia, but he said he'd treat her carefully. Rom… that was the old man's name?" A guilty expression appeared on her face. "Um, I healed him completely, but he was still unconscious, and I was so worried about healing you, that I kind of… forgot about him."
"You left an injured old man in the ruins of a shabby building!?"
"I didn't mean to! By the time I remembered, we were already half-way back here. And if I delayed, we mightn't have gotten back in time for Beatrice to heal you properly!"
She seemed quite desperate, it seemed likely to Subaru that she was already beating herself up about leaving the giant in such a state. "Well, I'm sure he'll be fine. The people around there really look up to him, you know?"
"That's good." She sighed with relief. "I felt terrible about just leaving him there. Um, would you feel up to a walk? Puck would like to thank you for yesterday, and it would be easier if he could do it while I speak to my other spirits."
"A walk through the fields with you? I'd love to! Just, erm… could I have my tracksuit back?"
He managed to recover his clothes, to find someone had already washed and repaired them. One of the maids, maybe. Or Puck. The mental image of Puck trying to use a needle brought a smile to his face.
"From the feeling of your thoughts, I'm getting the strangest shivers." The cat spirit told him.
"It's nothing." Subaru said. "I'm just over the moon to have all my troubles behind me. It was rough in the capital."
"Don't I know it. Speaking of, are you sure that you don't want anything? I'd happily let you pet me whenever, and a request from one of the great spirits is quite valuable."
"Truthfully, there isn't anything I know to ask for. I'm rather new to this area."
Puck covertly looked over to where Emilia was conversing with her other spirits, and then floated up to Subaru's eye level. "If you're having problems because you can't go back to your homeland, I could take some time to try and sort those out. Though I'd hate for Lia's new friend to disappear so suddenly."
Subaru chuckled. "Even if you could help me get home, I wasn't really living life to the fullest over there. I'll try my luck out here for the time being."
"Well, if you're sure. But if you do find something you need, I'll be happy to help."
"What are you two talking about? I get the feeling that you're criminals planning a heinous crime."
"Heinous? That's a strange word to use." Subaru couldn't think of a single time he had heard it used in an actual conversation.
Emilia pouted at him as she walked up to them, the spirits fading into the air behind her.
Puck flew over to her, settling into her palm. "Don't worry Lia. I didn't find a shred of villainous feelings, even if he is a bit weird, and looks like a criminal with those nasty eyes."
"Hey! You can't be saying things like that right in front of me. You're supposed to talk smack about people behind their backs!"
Emilia frowned at him. "I don't think that's any better. Puck, you shouldn't say those kinds of things, even if they're true."
"Even if they're true!? That kind of hurts, Emilia-tan!"
She smiled apologetically. "Well, I like your eyes. They seem firm. Reliable, kind-of."
Subaru blushed, and covered his face with his hands. "Even though that was a half-hearted kind of compliment, I'm completely defenceless!"
"Lady Emilia, honoured guest," two voices called in unison.
Subaru looked up, to see the main twins had silently crept up on them. They bowed, and continued, "Lord Roswaal has returned. He wishes to speak with you over lunch."
"Thank you, Ram, Rem." Emilia said. "We'll be there soon."
They nodded, and left down the path to the manor.
"So what kind of guy is the lord?" Subaru asked. "What should I expect?"
"Well, he's… eh… um, you'll know when you meet him."
"Is he that plain and boring, that you can't even describe him?" Subaru asked.
"No, definitely not that." Emilia told him. "It's just hard to describe. You'll probably get along, you are similar in some ways."
"I'm interested to see who gets worn out first." Puck laughed.
"I'm going to guess that you aren't actually a ghost, considering that you can leave the library easily. Ghosts can't leave their resting place."
"Whatever a 'goast' is, they must be incredibly lazy creatures, I suppose." Beatrice replied, cradling Puck in her arms. "Betty is a great spirit, like bubby, in fact."
"I'm not sure you can really call them lazy, though. Well, I guess you don't have them here. Or maybe they're called something else."
His pondering was interrupted by someone coming in through the door, wearing the most flamboyant purple outfit imaginable. He looked like a jester right out of a circus. Subaru was almost about to say as much, but he saw Emilia giving them a nervous look, and remembered Puck's comment as they were entering. "Am I right in assuming that you are not, in fact, a clown come to entertain the lord of the mansion while he eats?"
"Oh?" The jester said, forestalling Emilia's explanation. "What would cause you to think thaaat?"
Subaru looked into his eyes, one blue and one yellow. Now that he looked closer, there was a weight to the person in front of him. Like with Elsa, or Reinhard. This was not just some jester, he was certain of that fact. "Just a feeling."
The clown considered him for a moment, then sat down at the head of the table. "You have gooood instincts, then. I am Margrave Roswaal L. Mathers, the court mage of Lugunica."
Internally, Subaru screamed with relief. Not saying whatever popped into his head had already payed off. He should try that more often. Externally, he merely took his place at the table, next to Emilia, and opposite Beatrice and Puck. They spent the next while eating, with only the occasional idle chatter.
"This is really good. It's better than any soup I've eaten in my homeland."
"Yes, despite her appearance, Rem is an excellent cook."
Subaru almost spat out his soup in shock. Despite her appearance!? So she is considered below average here in this isekai world!? Maybe they weren't wrong when they said I was below even that!
"I can't help but feel you're thinking something re~ally silly right now." Emilia said. "Your face is always twisting up so strangely."
Subaru struggled to defend himself, until Roswaal laid down his cutlery and moved onto the main topics.
"From what you've said, I believe you don't really understand the inner workings of this kingdom properly."
"I've only been in the capital for three days." Subaru said apologetically. "I heard from a merchant that things have been chaotic."
"That is one way to put it. You see, very recently, the entire royal family has died out."
"Ah."
"You needn't worry, it's not a secret." Roswaal added when Subaru's face went pale. "I wouldn't tell you something, only to silence you becaaause of it."
"Ah, got it." Subaru sighed in relief. "I thought it would be something like, 'Now that you know our secret, you won't leave here alive.' Or something like that."
"It's nothing as draaastic as that. However, there are some circumstances to Lady Emilia's position."
Subaru stilled. "Hey, you're the lord of the manor, but you're calling her 'lady'?".
Emilia wouldn't meet his eyes. "I… may have forgotten to tell you my rank. I'm a candidate for the royal selection, aiming to take the throne of Lugunica."
"So you're a princess!?" Subaru cried out.
"I didn't mean to lie to you, it just never came up!" Emilia said hurriedly.
Subaru wasn't listening, burying his face in his hands in mock despair. "Ugh, I meet a cute girl, but now it turns out she's way beyond my station? What kind of shitty rom-com is this?"
"Are you listening to me? You don't seem all that upset about this."
"I feel like I maaay be interrupting, but this is not unrelated to what will become of you, Subaru. Lady Emilia, if you would?"
Emilia took out her insignia, and laid it on the table.
"That item is what qualifies Lady Emilia to take part in the royal selection. If not for your tiiimely interference, she would have lost that qualification."
"So I really saved you there." Subaru said, abandoning his charade, and leaning back in his chair. "I think I'm beginning to understand. You can't let me blab about how Emilia lost the insignia that proves she is a princess, and you figure that a reward is a good way to get me to remain silent."
"Indeeeed. As the court mage and a margrave of Lugunica, I have more resources at my disposal than you can probably realise. Whatever the price for your silence is, I shall pay it."
"Uwaaa, scary! You really shouldn't write black checks like that! But, I'll take you up on the offer." Subaru stood and placed his hands on the table. "Hire me to work here!"
There was a moment of silence, then Emilia tentatively said, "Are you sure that's all you want? You've asked for basically nothing, my name, petting Puck, and now a job?"
Subaru shook his head. "I can't deny that I'm a suspicious person, and you probably wouldn't feel comfortable if I was out and about with this knowledge. This way, I stay close enough to be monitored, while also getting paid!"
"That is quiiite thoughtful of you." Roswaal said. "It would have been somewhat vexing to have to send watchers to follow you around."
Emilia sighed and placed her head in her hands. "I don't see why you couldn't just ask to be a guest here."
"Eh!? That was an option!?"
The next few days passed in a blur. Subaru hated to admit it, but he wasn't very good at any of the jobs presented to him by the twins. Rem was impressed by his sewing, but that was his only good trait. He cut his fingers while peeling tatoes, dropped plates while washing them, and damn well nearly chopped his entire finger off with the gardening shears.
He liked to think he was improving, since he messed up less often as time went on, but maybe the twins were just getting better at putting him in the corner while they did the real work. Or rather, while Rem did the real work. She did so much more than Ram and Subaru that it made the two of them look like useless layabouts. Which wasn't far off in Ram's case, but Subaru would never say that out loud. She already disrespected him enough, what with her turning his name into a blinding curse.
From then on, he had to stand with the maid twins while Emilia and Roswaal dined, which was somewhat disappointing. He ate separately, in the servants' quarters with the maids. Thus, there was no time to properly talk with Emilia, since she was always locked in her room studying. "But today will be different!"
"I re~ally don't understand you sometimes. Did something special happen today?"
The two of them were standing out under the stars, as Emilia finished talking with her spirits. Subaru had finished early enough that he was able to catch her outside, and finally have a conversation with her.
"Not really, but I did go down to the village with Rem. I didn't actually do much, but I met all the kids, and a dog bit me."
Emilia frowned at him. "A dog? What happened?"
"Yeah, it didn't like me for some reason. It was really good with the kids though, so no need to worry."
"But what about you?" Emilia snatched his hand, covered in bandages and a faint bite mark. "You've been hurt. I can heal them for you."
"It's nothing." Subaru insisted, pulling his hand back. "They're like badges of honour. The proof of all my hard work. It's been fun, these last few days, though I haven't really seen you or Roz that much. "
"I re~ally don't think you should be calling him that. You are supposed to be a servant."
Subaru laughed. He couldn't help it. Emilia looked so cute when she was trying to be stern. That just made her pout. "What are you laughing at?"
"Sorry, sorry. I'll make it up to you. How about, tomorrow, we go down to the village, and we can have a date."
"A dayt? Are you sure that's a word? And I have a lot of studying to do."
"Come on, it's not good to be constantly working. It's important to have some time to relax so that you can jump into your work more effectively!"
Emilia looked conflicted. "Fine, if I have enough done tomorrow afternoon, I'll consider it."
"Success! Operation village date is a go!"
"But only if you finish you're work first, alright!"
Subaru was practically jumping on the way back to his room. He had cleared his evening schedule with Rem, which meant he'd be free as soon as Emilia was. Now all he needed to do was figure out how to ditch the kids, and find all the best flower fields. Maybe Petra would help him. She was a sweet girl.
I'll never go to sleep like this. Plenty of time for plans in the morning. For now…
One Puck, two Pucks, three Pucks…
He slowly drifted into sleep, his breathing slowing.
Light filled his eyes, and he rubbed them tiredly.
"Aw, crap, did I sleep in? Rem said she'd wake me if…"
Slowly, he became aware of sounds, of talking, of laughter, of the rumble of lizard-drawn carriages.
A pit of horror opened up inside him. He blinked his eyes, and looked around, trying to find something, anything, that would prove that this was just a dream, a horrible nightmare.
But this was no nightmare, he knew instinctively. The sun shone brightly overhead, far harsher than it could in any dream.
People moved around, shopping from stalls, chatting with friends, or simply walking to another place.
He was in the capital once more.
Subaru Natsuki had died in his sleep.
AN: This is where the changes actually start. Return by death doesn't update, Subaru is always sent back to the capital.
I had a choice between starting the story here, or starting it where I did. I decided that it was easier on me to start from the point of change, rather than the end of this chapter.
I've tried to make things interesting enough anyway, but it does mean that these first two chapters have been more of a recap or prologue than the beginning of the story, but hey, I'm still learning :)
I'll be uploading the first few chapters faster to make up for it.