Chapter 1:The loss of a hero's memories but a Bond tighter than that.
"Who am I? Why am I in a dungeon?" muttered a young man. He had sharp eyes, raven-black hair with streaks of bony white running through it, and wore a torn tracksuit, now barely holding itself together.
The young man took a moment to survey the room. He noticed two things right away: first, the room was freezing cold, and second, there was a little girl with blue hair sitting quietly in another cell nearby.
"Excuse me, little girl, are you awake?" the boy with sharp eyes asked. His voice echoed softly in the dungeon.
The girl stirred and mumbled something in response, but it was too faint for him to make out.
"Nothing, huh… Welp, what else can I do—" Before he could finish his thought, a heavy door creaked open.
"Excuse me, b-but are you awake now, Meili?" a young girl's voice called out, echoing down to the dungeon.
The blue-haired girl, slowly waking up, replied in a groggy tone, "I am no~w, Petra."
"Great! So, Meili, could you tell me if Mr. Pride is awake?" the voice asked.
'Mr. Pride? Is that me? Or is that some alias I go by?' thought the boy, now referred to as [Pride]. He glanced toward Meili, curious about what was going on.
Meili stretched and yawned before responding cheerfully, "Yup! The scary-looking Onii~san is awake now, Petra." She smiled at [Pride] as she said it, making him feel slightly self-conscious.
"That's great to know! I've got breakfast ready for the both of you," the voice, belonging to Petra, chirped as footsteps descended the stairs. Soon, a girl appeared carrying a tray with two plates of food.
[Pride] observed her carefully. She looked no older than 15, with orange hair tied back by a green headband, and she was dressed in a frilly maid uniform. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Petra opened Meili's cell first and handed her the food before approaching [Pride].
"U-uhm, here's your food, sir—I mean, Mr. Pride," Petra stammered as she placed the plate in front of him, her movements nervous.
"Mr. Pride… Is that my name?" [Pride] asked, taking the plate. His sudden movement caused Petra to flinch slightly.
"Well, that's what Frederica-nee—I mean, that's what the head maid of this place told me to call you," Petra explained, fidgeting slightly.
'I see… There's a head maid here, too,' [Pride] thought, tilting his head in curiosity. He was about to ask more questions but decided to try the food first. Taking a quick bite, his eyes widened in surprise.
"This is great! Whoever made this must be pretty talented. Especially this cute sausage shaped like a rabbit," he said with genuine admiration.
Petra blushed, her nervousness momentarily replaced with pride. "R-really? That's nice of you to say, Mr. Pride. I… I made that."
"Really? You did this? That's amazing. Whoever you cook for in the future must feel really lucky," [Pride] said with a smile. Petra turned an even deeper shade of red, unused to receiving compliments.
"But, looking around… where exactly is this place? And could you tell me who I am?" [Pride] asked, continuing to eat.
Petra snapped back to reality, her blush fading as she hesitated. "W-well, Mr. Pride, I can't really tell you who you are. The head maid only told me your name… and, um, to be cautious around you." She looked down, feeling conflicted.
"That's fine. I must have done something bad to end up here, so don't be too hard on yourself," [Pride] said, surprising her with how calmly he accepted the situation.
"But could you answer the first half of my question? Where are we?" [Pride] asked, now finished with his food. He waited patiently for her response.
"Uhm… G-gimme a moment to think," Petra said, pondering whether she should reveal the truth. Deciding to trust him, she replied, "Well, Mr. Pride, we're in a dungeon built under the Miload family manor."
"So, I'm in a dungeon beneath a noble house… Whatever I did must have been pretty bad," [Pride] muttered, trying to piece things together. "But Miload doesn't sound familiar. Could you tell me where we are? In Japan, perhaps?"
"Ja-pan? Sorry, Mr. Pride, but I don't know anything about that place. We're currently on the easternmost side of the world—Lugunica," Petra explained with a proud smile, happy to share what she knew.
'Lugunica? That doesn't sound like anywhere on Earth,' [Pride] thought, his mind racing. Slowly, the realization dawned on him. 'I MUST BE IN ANOTHER WORLD.'
His sharp eyes widened in excitement, and a smile crept onto his face.
Meili, now finished with her food, noticed his expression. "You know, Onii~chan, those scary eyes and that smile don't look so n~ice," she said teasingly, drawing [Pride]'s attention.
"You're Meili, right? You seem young. How did you end up here?" [Pride] asked, genuinely curious.
"Hmmm? Well, Onii~san with the scary eyes, I may not look it, but I'm an assassin who u~ses Mabeasts," Meili replied with a playful smile.
'An assassin… who uses Mabeasts? I don't know what Mabeasts are, but they sound dangerous,' [Pride] thought, giving a nervous smile in return.
Seeing his unease, Petra stepped in to reassure him. "Don't worry, Mr. Pride. Meili is harmless right now. She can't use her ability here because there are no Mabeasts around. She's just as harmless as me."
Petra's comforting words calmed [Pride, and he nodded. "I see. That's good to know."
"Awwwwww, you're so mea~n, Petra! I was only telling Onii~san what I do," Meili said playfully, feigning a tear from her eye.
"But what you said obviously made Mr. Pride uncomfortable," Petra argued back, crossing her arms.
"You didn't have to men~tion that I can't use my Mabeast control right now. Who knows when Onii~san might decide to attack me?" Meili smirked at [Pride, who looked shocked at the implication.
"I would never! You're so young, you almost look old enough to be my little sister," [Pride] said defensively.
"Hehehe, you make this too easy, Onii~san, but I wouldn't want to be related to someone like yo~u," Meili laughed at his attempt to defend himself.
"Hey, what's so bad about me being your brother?" [Pride] asked, feeling slightly hurt by her remark.
As the banter continued, Petra began laughing at the playful exchange between the two. Time passed quickly until the trio was interrupted by the sound of the large dungeon door opening, followed by a new voice calling out.
"Petra, you're taking quite a while in there. Are you alright?"
The group turned to see a blonde maid with sharp teeth entering the room.
'Whoa, those sharp teeth… That's surprising, but also kinda cool,' [Pride] thought as he observed her.
"Yes, Frederica Nee-sama, I'm alright. And Mr. Pride is awake now," Petra said with a smile.
"Oh, it seems our guest is finally awake," Frederica said as she gave [Pride] a polite bow.
'Wow, she's so professional. She must be the head maid or someone with a lot of experience,' [Pride] thought to himself, impressed by her demeanor.
"Your name is Frederica, right? Are you the head maid of this place?" [Pride] asked, trying to confirm what he had deduced.
"Yes, that's partially correct, though not entirely true," Frederica replied, somewhat cryptically.
"Huh? Sorry, but could you explain what you mean?" [Pride] asked, tilting his head in confusion.
"That's fine. To introduce myself properly, my name is Frederica, the head maid of the Roswaal manor. However, due to certain events, I and everyone else from the Roswaal manor moved here, to his branch family's estate—the Miload family manor," Frederica explained.
"I see… In that case, could you tell me who I am and why I'm here?" [Pride] asked, hoping to finally get some answers.
Frederica nodded. "I understand your confusion. If you don't mind, could you first tell me what you do remember? That might help us figure things out."
"Well… I remember being far from here. I lived with my parents, but I sort of forgot my name and anything about how I ended up here," [Pride] said, struggling to recall details.
"Alright, thank you for sharing what you can remember," Frederica said, her tone understanding.
"To answer your second question, you were brought here by Beatrice-sama. She wanted you taken away from the royal prison where you were originally being held," Frederica explained.
"Royal prison…? Beatrice-sama…? Sorry, but could you explain both of those things?" [Pride] asked, feeling overwhelmed.
"Of course. Beatrice-sama is the resident librarian who lived in the Roswaal manor. She is also the Great Spirit of Yin," Frederica explained.
'A Great Spirit? Is that some sort of magical being? Did she summon me here?' [Pride] thought, but he decided not to press further for now.
"And the reason you were in the royal prison in the first place was because—"
Before Frederica could finish, the dungeon door flew open once more.
"That should be all he needs to know, maid, I suppose," declared a girl with blonde twin-drill pigtails. She wore a pink frilly dress, a tiny crown on her head, and a pink butterfly pattern in her blue eyes.
"Oh! Beatrice-sama, I'm surprised to see you here already. I thought you wouldn't return for another two weeks with the others," Frederica said, startled by her sudden arrival.
"Hmph. I don't care about them. I only care about my contractor, I suppose," Beatrice replied, walking closer to the group.
"So, does that mean Emilia-sama asked you to come here earlier?" Frederica asked, trying to confirm her thoughts.
"I do not care what that silly girl thinks. I came here for my real contractor—thatboy over there, in fact" Beatrice said, pointing at [Pride].
'I'mhercontractor? Well, that's surprising, to say the least,' [Pride] thought, processing what Beatrice had just revealed.
"But Beatrice-sama, you've been with Emilia-sama ever since Puck-sama left," Frederica said, trying to make sense of the situation.
"I know what I said, maid, and it's entirely true I suppose. I can feel my connection to him as we speak, in fact" Beatrice said firmly as she moved closer to [Pride].
When she reached his cell, she used her magic to break the door open, stunning everyone in the room.
"Beatrice-sama! Why did you do that? Roswaal-sama specifically said not to let him—" Frederica began, but Beatrice interrupted her.
"That master of yours gave me permission to do as I please. I'm freeing this man, I suppose," Beatrice declared, stepping inside the cell.
"Hello there. You must be Lady Beatrice—" [Pride] began respectfully, but he was quickly cut off.
"Beako, in fact," Beatrice corrected him.
"Huh?" [Pride] blinked in confusion.
"Call me Beako. That's what you've always called Betty, I suppose," Beatrice said, her voice trembling slightly. It sounded as though she was holding back tears.
"Ah, okay, Beako. I'll call you that as many times as you want, so don't cry" [Pride] said softly, moving closer to hug the Great Spirit.
"I'm not crying, I suppose. But thank you for fulfilling Betty's request, in fact," Beatrice said, accepting his hug.
"But since you're my contracted spirit, do you know who I am?" [Pride] asked, hoping to finally uncover the truth.
"Yes, I suppose. You are Natsuki Subaru, Betty's only contractor and the knight of Emilia, in fact," Beatrice revealed.
"So, I'm a knight of this person named Emilia," Subaru said, smiling as he finally learned his true identity.
"Yes, you are, I suppose," Beatrice confirmed with a nod.
"Who is this Emilia person I am knighted to, if you don't mind me asking?" Subaru asked, curious about who Emilia was.
"Just a silly girl who is running to be queen of the kingdom we're in, I suppose," Beatrice replied in the simplest terms.
"Kingdom… Queen? Are you saying this Emilia person is that important?" Subaru sought clarity on the matter, but Beatrice didn't seem to care much.
"That will become more relevant in the future, when they come back from their trip. Do you have anything more important to ask in the current moment, I suppose?" Beatrice said, avoiding the topic.
"Ah, yes. You said my name was Natsuki Subaru, right? Why did Petra call me [Pride] then?" Subaru asked, wondering about the sudden name change.
"I see. Well, that was the name the royal council gave you when they accused you of crimes. But Betty knew who you truly are, thanks to our contract, I suppose," Beatrice explained.
"So, does that mean you know why I was imprisoned in the royal dungeon?" Subaru asked, hoping to get some answers, though Beatrice's expression suggested otherwise.
"That doesn't matter now. What matters is that you are right where you belong, I suppose," Beatrice said evasively, brushing off the question.
"Alright… But if it's okay with the maids here, could I take a bath? I feel kinda slimy in these clothes," Subaru said, eager to freshen up.
"That should be fine. I can show you where the bathrooms are, Subaru-sama," Frederica said as she approached to help him up from the floor.
"That would be much appreciated," Subaru said, taking her hand and standing up.
"Petra, since every chore in the manor has already been taken care of, you can spend the rest of the day tending to Meili-san," Frederica said, giving her protégé permission to take a break.
"Alright then, Frederica Nee-sama! Don't mind if I do," Petra said, smiling as she realized she could hang out with Meili for the rest of the day.
As Subaru began following Frederica, he felt a tug on his sleeve. "Huh? Beako, what's up?"
"Nothing, I suppose. Just joining you," Beatrice replied, smiling at her contractor.
"Huh? But I think that's a bit inappropriate. It feels weird since you seem a bit too old to share a bath with me," Subaru said, worried about Beatrice's comment.
"But you always let Betty bathe with you, and you were okay with it," Beatrice lied blatantly, knowing Subaru had no way to fact-check her claim.
Before he could figure out whether she was lying or not, Frederica led them to the baths.
"Here we are, Subaru-sama—the manor bathing area," Frederica said, gesturing toward the baths. She glanced at Beatrice, who was standing behind Subaru, silently signaling for Frederica to leave with a look in her eyes. Catching on, Frederica bowed and excused herself, saying she needed to prepare dinner.
"She's such a professional maid, but it felt a little odd how quickly she left," Subaru said, looking back at the spot where Frederica had stood. Before he could think further, he felt Beatrice tugging his arm, pulling him closer to the baths.
"Let's go take a bath already, I suppose. Betty can tell you more about yourself in there," Beatrice said, pulling Subaru into the changing room.
With no better option, and not wanting to risk making Beatrice cry again, Subaru reluctantly followed her.
'What a troublesome spirit partner I've gained… Well, hopefully, I'll learn more about myself and the people in this manor,' Subaru thought, preparing himself for the bath.