-Roswaal's Room-
"Rem." Roswaal gives a cryptic smile. "Doooo remember your position within the Mather's estate. Usually maids would be severely punished for taking that tone with their master. Buuuuuuut I'm a benevolent individual, so I'll let it slide just this once."
Rem calms down slightly but maintains her stance. "My apologies Roswaal-sama." She gives a small bow. "Will you please answer my and Subaru-kun's question?"
"But I already have. I knew Subaru-kun would deal with the Witch Cult splendidly in my absence. There was no need for me to return. And besides, haven't I done quite a bit by bringing the villagers here to safety?"
Her dissatisfied expression returns, alongside her more disrespectful attitude towards her master "That's not an answer. Do you have any idea what Subaru-kun has suffered through because of your absence?"
Hearing this, Subaru feels like there is a knot deep within his stomach slowly tightening. He's not entirely sure why, but it feels very discomforting. Why do I feel so uneasy all of a sudden? Why is Rem-tan saying things like she knows what I'm going through? I want to feel happy about Rem-tan sticking up for me like this, but…
This all feels way too accurate.
"What do you mean?" Roswaal leans forward a little. "Eeeeverything went according to plan. Emilia-sama was protected and Subaru-kun came out of the situation unharmed."
"I'm with Roswaal-sama on this one Rem. I really have no idea what you're talking about. Barusu may be stupid and reckless, but even I must admit he handled the task of eliminating the Witch Cult from the mansion and village rather well considering the circumstances."
"A genuine compliment from Ram?! Am I dreaming?" Subaru blinks a few times and pinches himself to see if he's dreaming or not. He feels the pain from the pinch, confirming it really happened.
"Hah, don't get too full of yourself Barusu." Ram gives him a small smirk.
Rem clenches her fists and sighs, "So that's how it is huh…" She chuckles sadly to herself, "I see. So this is what he goes through."
"Hm? Did you say something Rem-tan?" Subaru asks.
She shakes her head, "Nothing. Anyway, Roswaal-sama. You know Subaru-kun can't fight. Putting him in such a situation that he'd be at a high risk of getting killed by that abhorrent cult…how could you?"
"Reeeeeem, I'm really not liking this attitude of yours. I'll answer this last one, but no more, oooookay?" He gives a blank expression that is nearly impossible to read. "This goes with everything else Subaru-kun wishes to know as well. Why did I conceal information that I should have disclosed to Emilia-sama? Why was I not present at the mansion when the Witch's Cult was preparing to attack? There is but one answer to all of these questions. To ensure that I would not have to confront the Witch's Cult myself. I personally…led these events to happen." He finishes with a small grin.
Subaru gasps. Ram looks on with a perplexed expression. And as for Rem:
"You…what?" She takes a step back in utter shock.
"After all, if I had solved the problem myself, there would be no way for Emilia-sama, nor you, to claim any credit." Roswaal puts his arms out to his sides, "It had a tremendous effect, did it not? The attitudes of the villagers of Arlam toward Emilia-sama are drastically different than they were before the Witch's Cult attacked. They now see her not as an incomprehensible relative of the witch, but as one who contributed to saving their lives."
No one could deny that what he is saying is false. Emilia's reputation has indeed drastically improved ever since the defeat of the Witch Cultists. Her chances of winning the Royal Selection has likely gone up a bit due to this event.
In spite of knowing this, Rem closes her eyes and breathes in deeply. Then she exhales loudly and reopens her eyes. Walking up to Roswaal's side, she leans down and slaps his cheek really hard. The force of the slap is intense enough that his head shifts halfway across the bed.
"Rem! Why did you do that?!" Ram runs up and checks Roswaal's cheek and finds a light bruise forming.
Rem replies coldly, "You wouldn't let Subaru-kun do it, so I did it for him. Although I must admit I also wanted to do it for my own sake too."
"Thanks Rem-tan." Subaru smiles at her before switching to an expression of anger at Roswaal. "Roswaal, do you have any idea what you're saying?! That's only how it looks in hindsight! Do you know how many people died because you weren't there and didn't tell anyone anything?!"
"Ah, that stings." Roswaal complains as Ram soothes his cheek. "I do express my condolences for all those on our side who were lost. Or would you rather hear me apologize?"
"Yes, to Suba-" Rem tries to reply but is cut off by Subaru's shout.
"No no no! That's not it! That's not what I want! If I was still the useless trash that couldn't do anything, what would you have done?! If none of the villagers, or Emilia, could've been saved-"
Roswaal smiles and interrupts, "I had faith in you. I trusted that you would do anything in your power for Emilia-sama, give your best effort in establishing an alliance with Crusch-sama, put your life on the line to stop the Witch Cult's attack, and that you would complete all of these tasks with excellence."
"What the heck do you mean you had faith in me?! Last time I saw you, I was complete trash! I only got a little less useless after all that! And no one else even has any idea what happened after that!"
"That's not true Subaru-kun! Don't say you're trash. Don't EVER say you're trash! I won't have it! I WON'T have it! You hear me?! Because I know just how much you've suffered!" Rem shouts at him, appalled and outraged that for all he's gone through on his own and how many accomplishments he's achieved after much suffering, he still views himself as useless to some extent.
"W-Wha?" Subaru is astonished by how angry she is. "I…I'm sorry. But really Rem-tan, I know you see me as this super duper awesome guy or whatever. But you also know that I'm way more pathetic than I look. Like I know you will likely want to take on the trials, but I really need your and Ram's help."
"Huh? What are you talking about Barusu? Rem is not a mixed-blood. She cannot-"
Ram is cut off by a sudden shriek by her sister. Her eardrums nearly explode by how loud it is.
"AAAAHHH! No! No no no no no! Not the trials! Not the trials!" With another scream and putting her hands to her head, Rem runs out of the room.
Everyone's jaws drop at this. What in the world just happened?
"Rem!"
"Rem-tan!"
Ram and Subaru call for her respectively, with them both running out of the room to chase after her, leaving Roswaal all alone.
His face twitches a little in anxiousness. Waiting for a few moments to make sure no one returns to his room, he reaches for a pillow behind him and lifts it up. A black book reveals itself before him. Quickly picking it up, he fumbles through the pages at an accelerated rate. Reaching his desired page, he reads line by line for the mention of a certain name.
"Why? Why isn't she mentioned here? She's been mentioned numerous times in the past. Why is it that ever since the White Whale has been defeated, her name hasn't appeared in here? That merchant, Otto-kun, also doesn't appear at all. What is going on?! And what's worse, she's obviously growing belligerent of me. It was mentioned that she would grow very close to Subaru-kun. But I feel this is getting to be a bit too much. And Subaru-kun has still not prioritized Emilia-sama like I've expected him to. Hmmm…I'll observe for now. However, if things do not change soon, I may have to get more direct with him.
"I will revive her no matter what it takes. Wait for me, my dear Echidna." He whispers towards the ceiling with a determined expression, promising that he'll bring her back to the mortal world and see her once more.
A minute later, Emilia pokes her head from behind a wall into Roswaal's room, not saying a word.
"Helloooooo Emilia-sama." Roswaal smiles brightly at her. "What brings you to my room this late at night?"
"Um…" She looks at Roswaal hesitantly as she reveals herself in the doorway. "I just heard a loud scream. What's going on?"
-Outside Roswaal's House-
"Rem!"
"Rem-tan!"
Ram and Subaru call out her name once more once they get outside, to no response. Looking all around them to see if they could see her figure, they spot nothing.
"Dang it! She got away so quickly! I really cannot underestimate you Oni's." Subaru says bitterly. Turning to look at Ram, he expects some snarky remark to what he said. However, to his shock, he instead finds a deeply disturbed look on her face.
Frowning at that expression, he looks down and says with a lower voice than normal, "I know. Rem has been acting really aggressive this evening. With her going berserk in her oni form, shouting at me, and getting angry with and slapping Roswaal hard on the cheek. And not a soft slap either. It's like one of those super hard slaps you'd give someone if they betrayed you after spending many years together and you two trusted each other with all of your hearts. And then…"
"I know Barusu, I know her better than you do. I can feel her emotions after all." Ram replies, trying to have some snark in her tone before quickly leaning towards a tense and clearly anxious one.
Rem mentioned that she knows how much I've suffered. A quick thought about her knowing about Return by Death flashes in his mind. Equally as quick, he discards it. Hah. There's no way she'd know about it. The witch has made certain it doesn't get out to anyone.
But still, there's no explanation as to why her interaction with Meili completely changed without his interference. Additionally, aside from her comment about knowing how much he suffered, she completely freaked out at the mention of her taking the trials. He knows in the last loop that she completed the first trial and was either in the middle of or just finished her second trial when he died. He felt awful for undoing all of her hard-earned progress like that, but since he's looped back, she should've expressed her desire to take them like before. Or at least be neutral about it, as she was at first. Freaking out about the trials should imply that she had some sort of horrible experience with one of them. Specifically the second one, since she passed the first one with flying colors. But again, he died and looped back to before she took the second trial. She should have no recollection of either the first or second trials.
"It doesn't make sense…" He groans after a few seconds of silence have passed.
"I can't help but agree with you. We have yet to ask her what happened before she went out of control. And then her reaction to the trials was really concerning. She doesn't have the capability to undertake them, yet she was clearly traumatized by them."
"Traumatized?!" He exclaims. His level of perturbation, already sky high, shoots to new heights. Nothing makes sense anymore. The only thing they can do is track Rem down and ask her themselves. "Ok now I'm really concerned about her. Why would she be traumatized about the trials?! We need to find her, now!"
"I'm about to cast Clairvoyance, give me a moment." Closing her eyes, she focuses her strength on synchronizing with the animals around her so that she can share their vision.
Her vision quickly flicks through multiple different animals. First she sees through a bird, then a snake, then a grasshopper sitting on a leaf. None of these animals are able to see Rem. Trying many more animals, she finds out that most of them are too far into the forest to see the village clearly.
"Ram? Are you okay?!" Subaru asks upon seeing her knees buckle down and blood starts to trickle down one of her eyes.
A moment later, she blinks as her vision returns to her actual eyes. Feeling a warm liquid under her right eyelid as soon as she blinked, she brings up a hand to wipe it away and stains her hand red.
"I overworked it…" She announces with disappointment. "I couldn't find her. She's somewhere where the animals cannot see her. So she may have gone into one of the homes. Or she took off deep into the forest."
"Didn't you say you could track her down with your Synesthesia like a GPS system?"
"When have I ever told you that? And stop using terms I cannot understand. Anyway, I can track her general location. However, I cannot pinpoint the exact place she is. As it stands now, I know she either is somewhere in this village or in the outermost part of the forest. As for what street or part of the forest she could be at, I have no idea."
Subaru is about to respond how that doesn't really help when he sees Garfiel walking up to them.
"Yo, got a sec?" He asks as he arrives with a lantern in hand.
Subaru is surprised to see him. Throughout all the crazy happenings that have occurred both at the Sanctuary and at the mansion, he's not had many chances to get to know Garfiel. "Um, we're pretty busy at the moment."
"What? Are ya doin' somethin' shady with the clown in there?" He asks, immediately getting accusative with him.
"No! Of course I'm not!" Coughing once into his arm, Subaru continues, "We're trying to find Rem, she just ran out on us."
"I did hear some yellin' a moment ago. It was here, huh?" He bares his teeth into an irritated frown. "Well anyway, I still need to talk with ya."
"What is it you're so desperate to talk with me about anyway? Is it something about the Sanctuary?"
Garfiel points an accusing finger at him, "Of course! What the hell else did ya think I'd wanna talk with ya about?!"
"Could've been about Ram. Y'know, with how into her you are and everything."
"When did I ever tell ya 'bout that?!" Garfiel lightly blushes at saying that, clearly feeling a little embarrassed. Especially considering the girl in question is right there with them.
"Barusu, stop saying unnecessary things. We need to find Rem, now." She sharply urges, crushing Garfiel's spirit in the process.
Despite that, he seems to recover rather quickly, "Sorry Ram, as much as I wanna help ya look for her, I hafta talk with him. And 'esides, I ain't the only one that has business with him."
Subaru shifts his view between Ram and Garfiel, unsure of what to say. He really wants to find Rem, but there is something he's been wanting to discuss with Garfiel ever since he was in Emilia's room.
If Garfiel and Frederica are siblings, then how come Garfiel is here, but Frederica is back at the mansion? How did Frederica escape from the barrier? If there's an answer for this, then perhaps Emilia-tan can avoid taking the trials. I also want to know how good of a fighter Frederica is. If I can rely on her, Rem-tan, and Ram, perhaps all three of them together can defeat Elsa. Presuming we somehow can't avoid her. I don't like putting them in severe danger like that, but I can't think of anything else to do. I truly hope we can avoid fighting altogether by getting everyone out before she arrives.
Ram gives a stern look to Garfiel before relaxing her body and sighing. "Very well. Go with him Barusu. I've got it from here."
"But-"
"I'll ask the villagers to assist me. One of us will find her, I can promise that at least."
"I…ok. I'll be counting on you Ram."
Hearing that, she takes off. After she does, Garfiel clicks his tongue.
"Why are you so grouchy tonight?" Subaru asks him. He's always seen Garfiel act rather gruff about everything, but he seems even more so than usual.
"Seein' ya actin' so close with Ram is really pissin' me off."
"I wouldn't say we're close though…"
"Yer talking with her so casually. How are ya not? Tch. Well whatever. We can't discuss it here, so follow me."
Now that I think about it, he's never come to talk to me like this before. Subaru notices that he's never done this in the previous loops. First Rem-tan, now him. What is going on?
-Forest-
The two walk in silence for a little while with Garfiel leading the way. The atmosphere is rather tense since the two don't know each other very well. Garfiel's irritated attitude towards Subaru didn't help either. Regardless of that, the latter decides to speak up about what's been on his mind regarding him and Frederica.
"Hey, so you and Frederica are siblings, right?"
"Yeah. So what about it?"
"How long has it been since you've last seen her?"
"Why the hell should I tell ya that, huh?" He scoffs at his question.
"I just thought it couldn't hurt to ask."
"Hah! She's already left this place. She ain't none of my concern anymore."
"That's the thing. You're Frederica's brother, which means she meets the mixed-blood requirement too. So why isn't she here?"
"Why ask me? Ya know the barrier won't open till someone passes the trial. Nothin's gonna change that."
"Knowing why will give us more options. I'm the type of guy that wants to have all the information before wracking my brain for answers." Subaru explains.
"We're here." Garfiel announces as they come upon a field.
-Field-
This field is flat and surrounded by forest, just like the one Rem was at when she picked the herbs and got attacked by Meili. However, this field is at least three times the size of the smaller field. Standing in the middle of the field is Ryuzu, wearing a white cloak that covers her mouth. It's different from the black cloak she's worn before. In her left hand is a black and red staff with a few blue jewels of various sizes embedded within it.
They approach her and Subaru understands that she must be the other party Garfiel mentioned. "You're the one who wanted to talk to me, Ryuzu-san?"
"You may interpret it that way if you wish." She replies calmly. "Young Gar is my attendant, after all."
Subaru looks around and realizes just how calm and peaceful this field is. He'd easily camp out here if he had the proper supplies for it. The moon and the stars are shining brightly, it's rather warm, and he can hear a few crickets chirping in the forest around them. "Is this where you come to relax or something? If you invited me out here, are you going to start sharing your secrets with me soon?"
"What a smooth talker you are." Ryuzu smiles with amusement.
"So, are you going to answer the question I asked Garfiel regarding how and why Frederica left the Sanctuary?" Subaru asks.
"If I do answer you, what do you intend to do with that information?" Ryuzu inquires.
"I'll use it to get everyone out of the Sanctuary." Comes a confident reply. "That way, no one will have to undergo the trial."
"Logically speaking, you are right." Ryuzu says. "But why are you so obstinate about avoiding the trial?"
"I think obstinate is a little much, but I would like Emilia to avoid going through the trials if possible. Also…" He thinks about how terrified Rem was when the trials were mentioned. He wants to mention what happened there and ask if there's some way the trials can influence a potential taker before they even take it. However, this sounds absolutely bonkers and even if he were to somehow explain it, he'd have no logical explanation for how Rem can even take the trials in the first place. What's he supposed to do, mention that they met Echidna at a tea party in another dimension of sorts and gave them special permission to take them? He couldn't just bring that up nonchalantly like that.
Ryuzu initially gives a blank stare while processing his explanation. Forming an innocent smile, she replies, "That may work for the trial, but it does not do to constantly run away from hardship-"
"It's not about running away." Subaru interrupts. "It may not be now, but I'm sure someday down the line Emilia will eventually have to face her past."
"You want to give her an escape, but not from the things that will hurt her the most?"
"She'll beat it without running away. I have complete faith she'll do so." He smiles proudly.
Garfiel, who has been silently listening with has hands crossed and his eyes closed the whole time, decides to unwrap his arms and speak up, "Tell 'im, old hag! Tell 'im it's like a gadgy gwadzeadd tryin' to hide in the mountains."
"Erm…I appreciate that, but I have no idea what you said just now." Subaru admits with an embarrassed smile.
"What Young Gar is trying to say is that there is no convenient path by which to escape. Frederica's exit was something of an exception. She does not meet the conditions for being held within the barrier." Ryuzu explains.
"Huh? So there's something else that determines whether you're able to leave or not besides being a half-blood?" Subaru asks.
"No, there are no exceptions." She shoots down that theory instantly. "The barrier determines one's mixed-blood status by the amount of each race in their blood. If they possess human and non-human blood in equal amounts, they will be held within the barrier. However…"
"If you're less than half-blood…" He catches onto what she's meaning by this. "Like say, if you're a quarter-blood, then the barrier can't hold you in, right?"
"Precisely." Ryuzu smiles.
"So then…" Subaru turns his head around and looks at Garfiel expectantly for an explanation.
"We have different dads. I'm Garfiel Tinzel. I'm pretty sure Frederica uses a different surname now."
Recalling back when Frederica introduced herself at the mansion, Subaru remembers her specifically introducing herself as Frederica Baumann. Tinzel and Baumann couldn't be further different from one another.
Giving a single nod, Ryuzu says, "She was born to a human mother and a mixed-blood father, making her a quarter-blood. Therefore, she can enter and leave at will."
"Hah!" Garfiel scoffs, "Enter and leave at will? Don't make me laugh! She hasn't been back here in over ten years! Frederica abandoned this place!"
"Young Gar." Ryuzu gives him a stern stare, implying he should tone it down a notch. He grumbles, but complies.
Tilting her head down and sighing, she continues, "And now you know. I apologize for making you listen for so long only to learn so little."
"Nah, don't mind it." Subaru waves a hand, "A little information is better than none at all. It's a lot better than being stuck with completely unusable options. But still, looks like the trials are unavoidable huh…" He gives a tired sigh. Thinking back at how Emilia and Rem have responded to the trials makes him apprehensive of approaching them again.
"Anyway, Garfiel, Ryuzu-san, I have a suggestion I'd like to make."
"A suggestion, huh?" Ryuzu appears unamused.
"I'm going to try to get Roswaal and Emilia on board with this. Hopefully Rem and Ram won't mind it either, especially Rem…" He again thinks back to her reaction. Just what made her react like that? "But until then, I'd appreciate it if you two told no one about this."
Garfiel growls a little while Ryuzu lowers her head ever so slightly and closes her eyes thoughtfully. The latter promises, "Very well, we will tell no one. Tell us whatever you wish."
Looking at Garfiel, then back at Ryuzu, Subaru declares his desire, "I want to undergo the trial in Emilia's place."
"Huh?!" The two say in unison, shocked.
"When I entered the trial to help Emilia, I came back unharmed, right? That means I possess the qualifications to take it. And as Garfiel saw, I passed one of them."
Glancing at Ryuzu's blank expression, Subaru takes a jab at what she's feeling right now, "'Things have gotten complicated.' Is that what you're thinking, Ryuzu-san?"
"I cannot deny you took the words right out of my mouth. But now I understand your point." Shifting her gaze to Garfiel, she gives a single nod before returning to look at Subaru. "Young Su, there is something important I must tell you, too."
"What is it?"
"Right now, I need you to be quiet and behave yourself."
"Huh?"
Then, to the complete shock of Subaru, Garfiel swoops in front of him and grabs him by the neck, lifting him up into the air. Naturally, he begins to have trouble breathing and tries to grab his arm in order to release himself.
"I know you must be wondering why this is happening." Ryuzu calmly says. "But I will not ask for your forgiveness. As promised, I will tell no one what you told me. I swear it on the name of Ryuzu Shima."
Subaru's struggles are in vain. Eventually he falls unconscious from the lack of oxygen reaching his brain due to Garfiel's tight grip on his neck.
-A Dark Room-
In a cold, damp and empty room with a stone floor, Subaru lays quietly on said floor. How long has he been here? Nobody knows, or at least, he doesn't. Regaining consciousness, he opens his eyes. However, only pure darkness greets his vision. He tries to breathe. Thankfully, it appears his nose works perfectly fine. Then he tries to speak. That's when he notices his teeth are tightly clenching onto something.
What is it? The item is large enough to grace his lips slightly. The material feels rather rough and stringy in a way. Moving his lips a little, he gains a slightly better understanding of the material. It's likely to be rope. He tries to open his mouth as wide as he can so he can remove the rope. Unfortunately, his mouth will not listen to him.
That's when the memories of what happened prior to falling unconscious come flooding back to him. He was discussing about the trials with Garfiel and Ryuzu when the former suddenly picked him up violently by the neck, practically squeezing the breath out of his lungs and forcing him to go unconscious. Going by that logic, it's very likely he blindfolded him, tied his mouth with a rope, and placed him in an abandoned room. Truly a pitiful fate.
He tries to move his arms so as to untie himself, only to realize that they too are tied up, being held behind his back. He tries to move his legs, again only to realize they are being restricted by rope. He can't separate them.
That's when Subaru truly understands that he's trapped and unable to move. He attempts to shout through the rope for help.
"Ya awake now?" A voice says to him, having evidently heard him just now. He's able to quickly decipher the speaker as Garfiel from how rough and gruff it sounds. "I'll untie ya."
Right before he does so, he warns, "And just so ya know, it ain't no use cryin' out for help." Untying the rope, Subaru's mouth is finally free to move about.
He takes full advantage of that and ignores Garfiel's words, shouting "Someone help!"
"I just said it wouldn't work! This is a part of the Sanctuary no one knows about." Untying his blindfold, Garfiel lifts Subaru up and slams him against the cold stone wall. Subaru swears his cheekbones nearly got crushed with that slam.
Then Garfiel threateningly puts his hand close to Subaru's face. With how long and sharp his black nails are, he could easily slice Subaru's face apart with little effort.
"Ain't no need to save someone who wants to die, right?" Garfiel says.
Subaru's voice is a little hoarse, but he complains, "I don't know what you're talking about!"
"Ya guys are pretty famous for bein' a bunch of weirdos."
"Seriously…what are you…" He gets put up against the wall again when Garfiel realizes he loosened up accidentally.
"Don't play dumb! There's miasma oozin' out of every pore in your body! You're a Witch Cultist!"
Not him too… Subaru thinks despondently. While the environment is vastly different, this is exactly what happened between him and Rem. Sensing the witch's miasma on him and accusing him of being a Witch Cultist solely because of that. And considering his attitude right now, it's likely Garfiel is just as violent as Rem when it comes to dealing with threats to them or their loved ones.
Garfiel continues in an accusing and hostile tone, "The smell's been stronger since ya came outta the trial. Not many people have this much miasma. So I was gonna let you go if ya swore ya wouldn't try nothin'. But ya say you wanna take the trial in the princess's place? That ain't no joke! Also, who's to say that the scream from Rem was caused by none other than you?" Pushing his nails against Subaru's neck, he punctures the skin and two small wounds open up, allowing some blood to leak out. Subaru clenches his hands but otherwise makes no visible complaints about the pain.
He croaks out, "You can smell…the witch's scent on me? Just like…Rem?"
"Hah! That's a funny thing to call it. But hm? Did ya just say Rem can smell it too?"
"Yeah, what abou-" Subaru is unable to finish is sentence before Garfiel throws him back onto the ground.
"What did ya do to her?" Garfiel's tone suddenly gets very low. "Tell me ya bastard, how did ya manage to manipulate her like that? What's your big plan? Can't be anythin' good if the witch's tomb is a part of it."
"I did not…manipulate her. I would never do that." Despite being in pain and being held against the floor, he speaks this with as much confidence as he can muster. "And…if you hate me that much, why not kill me?"
"Hah! Cause you have a way of winnin' people over. Like her! Even if ya used shady tactics to do it!"
"I'm telling you, I didn't-"
"Stop spoutin' crap like that! There's no way Rem would ever willingly work with ya knowin' ya have the witch's miasma!" Clicking his tongue, he continues, "Anyway, I don't wanna kill you and have it blow up in my face like the fall of the Tesla Fortress!"
"Then what are you gonna do with me?" Subaru asks, giving a nasty-eyed glare at him. However, there's also some amount of fear in those eyes.
"For now, I'll just say it's all up to Emilia-sama." Lifting him up once more, Garfiel slams him into the ground face first. Picking up the various ropes he used to tie Subaru up, he ties him once more in the same three areas.
"Don't try anythin' funny! What pisses me off more than anythin' is that attitude of yours! Your eyes look just like that Roswaal bastard's eyes!"
With that, Garfiel kicks him around a little more and proceeds to leave the dark room. Subaru glares at him with severe anger for what he did to him.
All I can hope is someone notices I'm gone and finds me here. Or I break out of here somehow on my own. Subaru muses, continuing to struggle against the binds of the ropes.
-Sanctuary Village-
Meanwhile, as Subaru was talking to Garfiel and Ryuzu before being taken away by the former, Rem has been running absentmindedly through the village. She hasn't made any more loud sounds since her scream in Roswaal's room, but her mind is a completely different story. Images of what she experienced in the trial, primarily of her torturing and killing of Subaru, run rampant.
Why?! Why was I in the same room as him?! I'm not worthy! I'm just a rotten monster that needs to be thrown away and forgotten!
Pulling on her hair until it comes out dozens of times, her scalp slowly begins to bleed. She runs as fast as she's able to while closing her eyes tightly, trying to rid those awful experiences from her mind. As she does so, she eventually runs right smack into someone and tumbles backwards onto her bottom.
"Ow!" She yelps at the sudden jolt of pain throughout her system. The other person likewise does the same.
Lifting her head up and opening her blue eyes, she attempts to get a look at the person she collided with. With an audible gasp, she recognizes the person.
"O-Otto-san?!"
Rubbing his forehead, Otto looks up upon hearing her voice and calls her name, "Rem-san? What are you doing running out this late at night? You nearly killed me!" He exaggerates.
Looking at him further, she narrows her eyes as if she remembers something about him, and not in a good way. Otto reacts to her gaze by backing away a little and nervously clenching his teeth.
"Get out of my way." Rem states in an icy tone as she uneasily returns to her feet. She remembers in one of the many loops Subaru died in that Otto callously pushed Subaru out of the wagon upon realizing he was attracting the White Whale to them. All so he could save his own skin while sacrificing another's. She didn't want to be involved with such a heartless person.
"Wait!" Otto puts a hand out to her as he quickly shifts his legs into a standing position. "Your head is bleeding! We need to get you checked out!"
"Leave me alone!" She shoves away Otto's hand that was trying to examine her bleeding scalp.
"But-"
"I said leave me alone!" She attempts to shove Otto out of her way and continue forward. However, she quickly finds a hand grip onto her own hand.
"What did I just-" Rem is about to go on a tirade against him as he won't listen when he says something that stops her completely.
"It's about Natsuki-san, isn't it?"
She blinks a few times, wondering if she heard correctly. "Huh?"
He sighs as he lets go of her hand, "I figured that was the case. Aw man, what have I gotten myself into? My bad luck is showing its ugly head again…" He lowers his head despondently for a moment before looking up at her with renewed confidence.
"How did you…"
"Call it intuition. Well, it's really not. But how can I explain it? It's honestly kinda embarrassing…" He blushes a little.
"I don't care for anything you have to say." Rem resumes in a cold, hostile tone. Turning around and intending to continue on her way, Otto calls out to her again.
"Um, I really don't understand why you're being so mean to me, but would you like to talk to me about it?"
"Why would I talk to you of all people?" She casts another hateful glare at him.
"Eep!" Rem's intimidating and near killing aura forces Otto to cover his eyes with his arm for a moment. Slowly lowering it, he says in a quieter and clearly frightened tone. "W-Well, if you already have someone lined up, then please go to them. B-But, if you don't, I-I think it'd make you feel better if you told at least someone about what you're struggling through."
"That's impossible."
"Huh? Why? Don't you have someone you can confide in? Like your master Roswaal-sama or your sister?"
"Don't bring him up." She demands with no room for negotiation. Continuing, "And no, I cannot bring it up with her. Since she won't let me, and she's part of the problem."
"Is she really that insensitive?! I thought you two were close!" Otto is shocked at how poorly Rem is talking about Ram.
"No! Nee-sama is absolutely precious to me!" Rem shakes her hands and head and quickly explains the misunderstanding. "It's just…she's done some awful things to Subaru-kun, and she doesn't remember it anymore."
Once again Otto is shocked to hear this, but he doesn't reply to this and instead shakes his head slowly. "You managed to stop by right in front of the home Roswaal-sama is letting me have for the time being. Would you like to step inside? I'll brew you some tea." He gives a friendly smile.
-Otto's Living Room-
Somehow, to her own amazement, Rem finds herself nodding and lets Otto guide her into his home. Maybe it has something to do with the friendly aura he's permeating or that he's possibly a smooth talker? She doesn't really know, but what she does know is that a moment later she finds herself sitting down on one of the couches in the living room.
After she does so, Otto asks her to wait a moment as he brews some tea for himself and her. She slowly nods and waits. As she does, numerous images of what she saw in the trials fly around in her head over and over again. It's unbelievable how much Subaru has suffered. And for all she knows, she's only seen the tip of the iceberg in regards to how much he's died. She nearly screams out again to cope with such traumatic images, but restrains herself just barely.
After what feels like hours, Otto eventually returns with the tea and sets a cup down a long wooden table in front of her. Heading to the opposite side of the table, he sits down on a separate couch across from her. Compared to a few minutes ago, her intimidating aura has largely dissipated. Instead, fear and anxiety seem to have taken its place.
A few moments of awkward silence pass by as Otto sips his tea, while Rem can barely contain the tea within her cup due to trembling so much. After what feels like an eternity, Otto decides to break the ice.
"I don't know much about Natsuki-san, and I especially don't know him as well as you do, but I'd like to voice my thoughts about him if you don't mind."
She raises a suspicious eyebrow at him, but otherwise does not respond. Otto takes this as the go ahead to speak.
"He's a weird fellow who appears to have a high image of himself. His sense of humor could really use some work too. He always makes fun of me!"
Rem gives him a glare as Subaru having a high image of himself couldn't be further from the truth. However, Otto continues:
"But despite that, he did help me out of a rough situation. See, I've always had bad luck and I had another super bad case of it right before I met Natsuki-san. I'm sure you already know of it, but I really misread the market trends and the price of oil plummeted right after I bought gallons upon gallons of the stuff! I was going to spiral into deep debt. There was no way I would've been able to pay it back. At best I would've been exiled from merchant work forever. At worst, they would've wanted my head!" He shivers at the thought of being beheaded. "Anyway, if you and Natsuki-san hadn't come in at that time to buy the oil off of me in Roswaal-sama's stead, I would've been finished! And as I heard from you and Roswaal-sama before, the idea to buy the oil in exchange for our help in protecting the villagers was all Natsuki-san's idea. So honestly, I have him to thank for saving my head from rolling around on the ground."
Rem listens in silence. Considering how he acted in that loop, she expected him to have a more negative opinion of Subaru overall. But to her surprise, Otto largely had positive things to say about him.
"Then, on top of all that, he was kind enough to allow me to come with you guys so that I could guarantee my payment for the oil from Roswaal-sama himself. Even though he can't exactly pay me at the current moment, I do believe that you all will uphold your end of the promise between merchants." He gives a smile that shows exactly how trusting he is of not only Subaru, but Rem, Roswaal, and the other affiliates of Roswaal's manor as well. "Overall, I find Natsuki-san to be a strange but kind fellow. I wouldn't mind having him as a business partner in the future."
Silence befalls the two as Otto exhausts primarily everything he knows about Subaru and expresses his overall opinion of him.
After drinking some more of her tea, Rem responds with, "Are those your true feelings of him?" Doubt still exists as she asks that question.
"Yes." He instantly replies with confidence.
"Let me give you a hypothetical scenario then." She briefly closes her eyes and sets her teacup down before giving a hard stare at him. "Say you and Subaru-kun are on a wagon together with some goods that need to be delivered somewhere. Suddenly there's a giant mabeast chasing after you both, what do you do?"
Otto scratches the back of his neck, appearing to be embarrassed, "I hate to say it, but I'm not exactly the best fighter out there. There's no way I'd be able to fight the mabeast. I'd probably do what we did back when we fought that Sin Archbishop, try to outrun it as best as I can while Natsuki-san uses whatever he can to fight it. If he runs out of options, we'd try to outrun it and shake it off our tail."
"Alright, how about this then." Rem crosses her arms, "What if Subaru-kun had a sort of scent emanating off of him that caused the mabeast to always be drawn to him? There would be no way to shake it off as Subaru-kun would be its target that it can always track without fail."
Otto frowns as he thinks about that very unfortunate scenario. Shaking his head, he replies with, "Then in that case, we'd go to the closest guard station we can find and beg them to help us. I'm not really sure what else to do in that scenario unless Natsuki-san comes up with some crazy plan to get us out of that mess."
This answer shocks Rem, "You wouldn't betray and abandon him to die because he's the one attracting the mabeast?"
"What?! No!" Otto shouts, appalled that Rem could even suggest such a thing. "There's a golden rule among the merchants, and that is to never abandon their clients, ever! Even if Natsuki-san was the one attracting the mabeast, I'd do whatever I could to help save him. He's already practically saved my life once, so it's only fair I look out for him in return."
Rem's eyes widen upon hearing this. With how strong his conviction appeared just now, it doesn't appear that he's lying. She feels that she can actually maybe trust him. However, she's still a bit wary of him. After all, wasn't Subaru his client in that loop? Or did she misunderstand their relationship? Perhaps Otto didn't see Subaru as a client, or as someone worth risking his life for.
His response also made a lot of logical sense. Only after Subaru did something very noteworthy for him did he see him as someone that he deeply values. Rem is no different. She thought very little of Subaru until he saved her life from the Wolgarms, and then a second time from herself when she went berserk in her oni form.
Did she judge Otto too harshly? Is he actually a better man than she made him out to be? And if she considers how she thought of him before learning of his betrayal in that loop, she actually held a respectable opinion of him.
"I see." She eventually responds. "Thanks for that. I believe I understand how you think of him a little more now." And for the first time, she cracks a small smile towards him.
Otto chuckles nervously at her sudden change in demeanor, "Well, it's still absolutely nothing compared to the relationship you two have. I can tell you two deeply trust one another, which is why I'm surprised that you're having issues with him. Sorry if this sounds insensitive but…did you two fight?"
She shakes her head, "No…it's nothing like that. I want to be by his side. I want to do everything in my power to help him out. I want to be his Rem."
"I'm not exactly sure what you mean by that last part, but if you want all of that, why aren't you with him now?"
"I…I…I…" The multitude of images of her torturing Subaru in one loop and then killing him in another loop return to the forefront of her mind at full force. Before she knows it, tears are spilling down her cheeks and onto her nightgown below.
Otto freaks out a little, "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to bring up something painful! H-Here." Reaching into one of his pockets, he brings out a handkerchief and hands it to her.
She carefully looks at it and then shifts her head up to gaze at Otto, as if silently asking for permission to take it. He nods. Rem gracefully takes it and wipes her tears as well as blows her nose.
"I'm sorry for showing such a disgusting side of myself…" Rem apologizes for her unsightly appearance.
"No! I'm sorry for being insensitive just now."
She gives a small sad chuckle, "Hehe…you're a lot like him."
He raises an eyebrow in confusion, "Like who?"
"Subaru-kun."
"W-What?!" He jumps back, unable to believe her. "No! That's not true! He's much cooler and braver than I could ever be."
"You're right about that."
"H-Hey! This is the sort of time where you're supposed to say 'you're wrong' and console me! Not agree with me!" He gives a large pout of dissatisfaction.
This only causes Rem to laugh again, this time more vigorously. "Haha. Sorry, but Subaru-kun will always be the greatest man in the world to me. And that's why…" Her cheerful face suddenly switches to a severe disheartened expression, "I have no right to be with him."
Otto's cheeks stiffen at the newfound gloomy atmosphere, "Listen, I don't know what happened between you two, but I highly doubt that's true."
"No!" Rem bangs a fist on the table, nearly knocking over her teacup, "You're wrong! I have no right to stand by his side any longer!"
"Why?"
"Because I did horrible things to him!" She cries out. "Terrible things! Unspeakable things! Unthinkable things! It's all my fault, if he had never met me, then he would've never…"
"Rem-san." Otto calls out her name resolutely, "Listen, I don't know exactly what has happened between you and Natsuki-san. I can tell you don't really want to talk about it in detail either, so I won't force you to. However, I'm certain of one thing."
She wipes away a few tears before looking at him with a heartbroken expression. Otto can tell immediately that whatever she did to him, she felt really awful and guilty about it. "I'm certain that Natsuki-san doesn't regret meeting you."
Rem understands that he's likely right about that. That doesn't change the fact she should be nowhere near him.
"I mean, it's obvious when you think about it. The way he looks at your face, the kind words he speaks to you all the time. Plus I heard from Natsuki-san himself that you got into a nasty situation with some mabeasts. By the way, are you feeling alright from that?"
"It doesn't matter how I'm feeling from that. He should've just left me alone. I deserve it. I deserve to rot away and die alone." Rem brings her knees up to her face and hides behind them.
Otto frowns at how self-deprecating she is about herself. He is really curious about what in the world she did to him that was so awful that she's wishing such harmful things upon herself. At the same time, he feels a sense of anger welling up within himself.
"So? You're throwing all of Natsuki-san's efforts into the garbage?" He asks with a harsh tone.
"What?!" She suddenly stands up in shock and anger. "Of course not! Subaru-kun has done so much for everyone that we could never possibly repay him! Where do you get off saying such offensive accusations?! I'd never downplay or ignore any of his efforts!"
He displays a small expression of fright seeing her get fired up like that. However, he expected and prepared for this response, otherwise his level of fright would've shot up exponentially. "Yet you have just now."
"Huh?" Her irate expression slowly shifts to one of confusion.
"Natsuki-san risked his life and put a lot of effort into saving you from the mabeasts. Yet here you are talking down on his efforts, saying he shouldn't have ever bothered even though he really cares about your well-being. You also haven't even expressed your thanks for what he's done even once."
Hearing that, Rem's eyes widen immensely as she shakes her hands, "No! No no no! I'm not saying that! I appreciate everything he's done for me! Really!"
"If you are, you're not doing a great job of convincing me of that. And anyway, from observing your behavior tonight, it seems like you're trying to avoid him too, why?"
"B-Because…he doesn't deserve me…" She tilts her head down.
"Who said you could decide that?" Otto asks in a way that suggests she's an idiot.
"What?" Lifting her head, she turns to him and finds the most serious expression she's ever observed of him.
"I apologize for being frank about this, but this isn't your decision to make."
"What?" Rem repeats.
"Natsuki-san is the one who bears the responsibility of choosing whether you deserve to be with him or not. Not you. And it's clear to me from his behavior tonight that he really cares about you and believes you deserve him. Also, if my skill of observing people is accurate, which I must say I believe is one of my better skills despite my rotten luck, I think he's already forgiven you for whatever you did to him. Otherwise, I find it hard to imagine he'd be as amicable with you as he is now. But, since you're still struggling to move on from it, I suggest bringing it up with him. Talk with him about it and let him make the decision as to whether you're worthy of staying with him or not. That's what true friends would do."
"True friends?" She repeats in confusion.
"Yes." He nods, "If you two truly care about one another, which I believe is the case here, then it's only natural that you'd bring up issues that you're facing with one another. Especially if said issues involve the other directly. Running away from your problems is only going to make things worse. For you and for him." Then Otto timidly scratches the back of his neck, "Well, that's what I think anyway. It's not like I've had any real friends so I'm not completely certain that's how it goes. But well, that's how I'd want it to be."
Rem stays silent for a long while, contemplating over what Otto said to her. What he's said does make a lot of sense. After all, she's been wanting Subaru to tell her everything that bothers him, no matter how minor it may be. She got frustrated when he wouldn't divulge what he was internally struggling with for a few months now. This is because while she hasn't shared everything she's struggled with throughout her life to Subaru, she'd easily tell him anything he'd want to know. At least, she would if he ever actually asked.
Now she knows what he's been going through, along with the fact that the witch cruelly denied him the right to speak of his curse-like ability to others. Aside from that, he's quite literally told him everything about himself, outside of his childhood. He's revealed how weak and fragile he is. How stubborn he is. How frustrated he is. How angry he is at being unable to do anything. He revealed all of this plus many more negative emotions right to her face that day.
She initially resolved to stand by his side and do whatever she could to assist him in his goals. This resolve only strengthened immensely when she underwent the second trial and figured out Return By Death. Then, to her horror, she realized that she herself has been part of the pain and suffering he's went through. Brutally murdering and torturing him, she committed unforgivable sins.
But were they truly unforgivable?
She thought so. That's why she's been running away this whole time. She is an unforgivable monster that should have nothing to do with the being known as Natsuki Subaru, whom she stained her hands with his blood. However, from what Otto has been saying, alongside her own understanding of Subaru's character and personality, she realizes deep down that Subaru had already forgiven her long ago for it. Actually, it's more accurate to say she realized all the way back when she was taking the trial. She just didn't want to believe it. She didn't want to believe that Subaru was so heartless that he would forgive a monster like her for murdering and torturing him. His unrelenting kindness would've hurt too much.
But now, upon hearing Otto's sharp, hurtful, yet accurate words of her thoughts and behavior, she now understands that running away would not solve anything. Subaru would likely continue to keep dying in various ways. Dying in ways that she could've prevented. And like Otto said, who was she to decide for herself whether she was worthy of Subaru? It's Subaru who should make that call, as he was the one who was wronged by her in the first place.
Smiling a tiny bit, Rem finally says, "I see. I really am an idiot. You're right. Running from my problems isn't going to fix anything. That would just trample on what Subaru-kun has done for me tonight, along with everything else he's done for me until now. I know it's going to be very tough and painful but…I have to talk with him about this. He needs to know I understand, and how sorry I am for what I did to him."
Otto smiles widely, "It seems you've resolved yourself then. I'm happy for you! I'm sure Natsuki-san will listen to what you have to say."
She clenches a fist, "Right!" Turning to Otto, she bows deeply before him, "Thank you Otto-san for everything you've done tonight. I really needed to hear everything you said. It opened my eyes. I promise you that as soon as we leave the Sanctuary, we'll pay you rather generously for the oil. I know Roswaal-sama has already approved of your payment, but if he ever backs out of it for some reason, I guarantee you'll still get paid. Even if it must come out of my own pocket."
Otto frantically shakes his head, "That's way too heavy of a promise! But still, thank you. You're a very nice girl Rem-san. Natsuki-san is lucky to have someone like you by his side."
She smiles warmly, "Well, I'm still not entirely sure on that. It'll all depend on what he says. I hope that's the case though despite all I've done to him."
"Let's hope for the best then." Otto tilts his head and closes his eyes, mirroring Rem's smile.
Suddenly, there's a knock on the door.
"Hm, weird to have a visitor this late." Otto comments as he heads for the door and opens it. The visitor he sees is one he least expected to see.
"Emilia-sama? What a surprise!" Otto says.
"Emilia-sama is here?" Rem asks, slightly shocked.
"Rem! There you are! Ram has been worried sick ever since you ran out of the house!" Emilia scolds her like a little child, similar to what she does to Subaru sometimes.
Rem bows to her, "I deeply apologize. I had…a rough moment a little while ago. I'll return back now."
Emilia smiles before shifting her gaze to Otto, "Otto-kun, thanks for looking after her."
"Oh! It's no problem Emilia-sama."
"Actually, I have one other question. Have either of you seen Subaru?"
"No, why? Is he in trouble?!" Rem's anxiety shoots through the roof. Did he go somewhere dangerous?
"Um, I don't know about that. Ram told me he went with Garfiel-san somewhere but it's been a while since he's returned. Garfiel-san has come back and I asked him where Subaru is, but he said he went into the forest for some business. He's yet to come back. I'm starting to get a bit worried."
"Did he tell you what sort of business?!" She asks quite intensely, more so than she intended.
She shakes her head, "Sadly no. I'm sorry to ask you two of this, but can you help us search for him? The entire village is already out and about searching for him. They were searching for you as well Rem, but since you're here we can tell them you've been found."
Rem nods vigorously, "Absolutely! I'll do anything to find Subaru-kun, no matter what."
Otto also nods, "Yes, I'll also help out. I owe him quite a lot after all."
Emilia smiles, "Thank you two. Sorry for the trouble, I'm just worried he's gone off and done something dangerous and troublesome again."
"I am too Emilia-sama, we'll find him one way or another. I can promise with certainty."
Since I haven't looped back to the field with Meili, Subaru-kun is alive out there somewhere. I just have to track him down somehow. And if someone has captured him…
Let's just say they're not going to be on Rem's list of allies.
With that, Emilia, Rem, and Otto head out of the lattermost's home with the intention of finding Subaru.
-Author's Corner-
A/N: Whew! This chapter turned out longer than expected. Hopefully the wait was worth it.
So for this chapter I decided to finally include some significant screen time for Garfiel and Otto. Subaru, Garfiel, and Ryuzu Shima's conversation largely goes the same as it did in canon, with some slight alterations to dialogue. Additionally, Subaru doesn't suspect Frederica of being an enemy like he does in canon, but he's still curious about how she managed to escape the barrier.
If you expected some major showdown between Rem and Roswaal, sorry to disappoint you. Don't worry, there's more planned interactions between them down the line!
Some of you may be surprised it's Otto who managed to get Rem out of her deep self-loathing. I can't really say exactly why, as I can't put it into words that well, but I felt Otto was the right person for her to discuss this with. I considered having Emilia be the one to talk with her instead, but I decided against it for two reasons. One, she's not in the greatest condition herself mentally. Two, I wanted to give Otto some time to shine, and I felt this was a great way to do it. Let me know what you thought of their conversation please.
danielsantiago4545: Thank you so much! And yep! She doesn't have nearly the same amount of loyalty towards Roswaal as Ram does. She's very much willing to question him about his intentions if they put Subaru (who she cares about far more than Roswaal) in danger.
Mathis B: Yeah! Pretty cool, right? As of right now I have made no concrete plans regarding arc 5. Once I finish arc 4, I'll consider writing arc 5 presuming enough people are interested in seeing this continue. I can guarantee that Rem will remain in a prominent role if I do decide to do arc 5.
BigSmokeYeet: I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter!
Guest: Heh, well, she is my favorite girl character in Re: Zero by far. And yes, you're likely right about that, from Rem at least anyway. What you said about Ram is interesting, as I've had the same thought as well. Ram can usually ignore other people and their thoughts and feelings on various things. But when it comes to Rem and Roswaal, that's a totally different story. As for Garfiel and Rem, I think I'll let the future chapters say what happens between them. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
demon god noir: Sadly Rem did not figure out about Roswaal's knowledge of Subaru looping, at least not yet anyway. But yeah, Rem is very likely not going to be very happy if she ever realizes that Roswaal is responsible for a lot of the things Subaru went through so far (primarily hiring Elsa and Meili). Actually, she is a tiny bit aware of Roswaal's manipulation behind the scenes. Since she is now aware that he purposefully did not intervene with the Witch Cult's attack on Arlam Village, albeit so Subaru and Emilia could gain credit for defeating them.
Maximum Rhapsody: Rem and Ram have started to have a bit of conflict regarding their conflicting feelings towards Roswaal. Rem finally realized that she cannot run from her problems thanks to Otto and will now properly talk to Subaru about it. Now that you mention it, I hope (and honestly need to) be able to squeeze in the fact that Subaru now has Invisible Providence. Thanks for the reminder. And about the WHDAAA spin off, if I get a really good idea I like and want to do that doesn't conflict with any existing WHDAAA spin offs (or the original), then I'll likely write it.
Deathenglegamers1144: I have to ask, did you actually eat popcorn when you read my last chapter? If so, I feel honored! Sorry that Roswaal didn't reveal everything here. However, this won't be the last we see of him, don't worry. And thank you!
Iseepandas: Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter. I hope you enjoyed this one as well.