Chapter 14 - Chapter 4 - A Deadly Game Of Tag

4.1

 —Looking back on his memories of the four days, Subaru came to a

conclusion.

 "So when I went back the first time, it was debilitation causing death in my

sleep…"

 As Subaru waited for morning, he'd been assaulted by unbearable cold and

sleepiness. That feeling of having his mental and physical strength drained away

was plenty strong enough to shave away his life in a short time.

 Someone hit by that while asleep and defenseless would simply never wake

up.

 "But what about the sound of the chain…?"

 He couldn't come up with any connection between that chain sound and his

debilitation hypothesis.

 It was a sound specific to long, heavy metal chains. That was probably the

deadly weapon that had carved a chunk out of Subaru.

 Just remembering the injury made his lost body parts throb and go numb.

Though his body hadn't experienced it, his soul was rejecting the memory.

 "So there was an…attacker, then? Not that I know if the debilitation and the

chain were by the same person."

 What he'd gleaned this time around was only enough to judge there was a

perpetrator.

 Someone had attacked Roswaal Manor on the fourth night. Subaru's name

 was on the list of pitiful victims. He didn't know if any other residents of the

manor were on it.

 "If I'm included, it's probably everyone. No doubt related to Emilia's royal

candidacy, just like with the fence…"

 But having thought that far, Subaru clutched his head. He'd come to

understand there'd be an attack on Emilia and the others. That much was a

success.

 "But even if I know it, I don't have any proof to explain it with, and I'm too

green to have any way to stop it…"

 You could say that the problem with Return by Death was that you had no

way to explain the information you got before you died.

 That went double for a prediction of an attack on the manor. Even if he got

Roswaal to take countermeasures, it wouldn't help if the attacker changed his

plans.

 Beyond that, there was the option of driving away the attacker himself, but

Subaru's low combat ability and ignorance of the opponent's capabilities ruled

that out.

 It'd probably end like last time: him crying like a baby while getting beaten to

death.

 "I'm just too pathetic. Plus I didn't see the opponent's face or weapon. A total

dog's death, geez…"

 He couldn't begin to plan to drive off an opponent he knew nothing about.

 Beatrice, seated in the middle of the room as Subaru paced around her in a

circle, spoke with ill humor from the bottom of her heart.

 "—You are so gloomy I could die. Either stop right now or I shall blow you

away. Choose."

 Subaru glanced back at the dangerous look Beatrice was giving him and

innocently stuck out his tongue.

 "Sorry, sorry. But for some reason, making something other than my head

turn around gets my head turning, too. So let it slide, okay? We're buddies,

 after all."

 "Is there such a relationship between us, I wonder? We have met only twice,

after all?"

 "The heart speaks louder than words. I mean, you did let me in here."

 "You broke through the Passage all by yourself, I suppose. It is really quite

unbelievable."

 In typical fashion, Beatrice did not hide whatsoever her hostility toward

Subaru. Subaru had made his way to the forbidden book archive on the

morning he woke back up, feeling saved by her cold demeanor once more.

 He'd meant to see it through, but being treated by Ram and Rem like a

complete stranger was hard, after all. Unlike last time, he'd properly excused

himself as he left the room, but it was truly the only place he could cling to.

 "Well, I won't cause you any trouble. Let's have some tea and take it easy."

 "We shall do no such thing. You truly are irritating."

 The corners of Beatrice's lips twisted in annoyance as she toyed with one of

the curls of her hair.

 Watching Beatrice like that, Subaru suddenly had a thought.

 "Come to think of it, you don't look like it, but you're a magic user, right?"

 "Your choice of words offends me. Will you not associate me with such

second-rate imbeciles, I wonder?"

 "…You don't have many friends, do you?"

 "How did you leap from that subject to this one, I wonder?!"

 "Er, I don't have any friends, either, so I picked up on it, but that's not good

for you. Being so high-handed at such a young age is going to affect you later in

life. Should adjust that now while you can."

 Feeling the glare of Beatrice's reddened face, Subaru coughed to clear the air.

There was something Subaru really wanted to ask Beatrice, the magic user with

the dissatisfied look on her face. And that was…

 "Is there magic to…weaken someone and kill them in their sleep?"

 Subaru wanted to clear up whether the debilitation inflicted on him was via

magic rather than poison or illness.

 In hindsight, he suspected that the terror and lethargy assaulting his entire

body had been caused by magic.

 For one thing, he didn't know of any disease with an onset that rapid that

debilitated and killed you within hours. Even if it was another world, it was still

a little hard to believe.

 He'd thought about assassination via poison, but he just couldn't put good

odds on it. When you added the fact that someone had bludgeoned Subaru to

death, attacking both with poison and by weapon just didn't make any sense.

 Listening to Subaru's question, Beatrice raised her eyebrows and shrugged

her small shoulders as she replied.

 "Such things do exist."

 "They do, huh?"

 "It is closer to a curse than a spell, I suppose? Shamans specialize in such arts,

as suits their devious natures."

 Bewildered, Subaru added the new profession shaman to his lexicon as

Beatrice raised a finger and elaborated.

 "Inflictors of curses, or shamans, hail from the nation of Gusteko to the north

and practice an offshoot of magic and spiritualism. They are all worthless sorts

unable to use their talents for anything better, I suppose."

 "But how do you call someone who can kill someone else with a curse

'worthless'?"

 "Because that is all they can do—curses have no use except to inflict harm on

others. That is why they are the pettiest of all mana practitioners, I suppose."

 Apparently, aversion to the dark arts was so ingrained that Beatrice could not

hide her disgust. Subaru wasn't trying to stick up for curses, either; he simply

craved all the information he could get, visibly prodding her for more.

 "So curses can do things like what I said earlier?"

 "I believe they can. But are there not simpler methods than a curse, I

wonder?"

 "Simpler?"

 "I believe you have experienced it already."

 As Subaru inclined his head, Beatrice turned her palm toward him with a cruel

smile. The malevolent smile that in no way suited a little girl clued in Subaru as

to the true meaning of her words.

 "You mean…I could've died from that invasive mana-drain thing?!"

 "Mana is the force of life itself, I suppose. Had I continued draining you so

strongly, I could have indeed weakened you until you died. It is a much easier

and more reliable method than relying on a shaman."

 "So that thing you used at our first…I mean, the first day! You mean one slip

and I was a goner?!"

 "I held back because having your husk in here would be too much trouble, I

suppose."

 "Don't say husk! That sounds like I'm a bug!"

 Subaru himself wondered why he felt such tranquility there when Beatrice

truly thought of him as nothing more than that.

 "Don't tell me you were the one who killed me…"

 "It would be more peaceful if I had killed you and we weren't having this

conversation. Unfortunately, I am quite busy, so I lack the time to bother to kill

you, I suppose."

 Beatrice held her hands behind her back, striding past Subaru to stand before

the bookshelf. The hem of her goth loli outfit quivered as the little girl

stretched, trying to get to a place just a little bit higher than she could reach,

when…

 "Is it this one?"

 "…The one next to it. Give it to me already?"

 "Yeah, yeah."

 Subaru took the unexpectedly thick tome off the bookshelf and handed it to

Beatrice, whose cheeks were puffed out. Beatrice kept up a sullen look as she

accepted the book from him, not speaking a single word of thanks as she sat on

a stool in the center of the room.

 He'd seen her several times like that in the archive of forbidden books. It

probably suited her better than an actual chair.

 "What kind of book are you reading, anyway?"

 "One that contains a method for driving an insect out of a room."

 "A bug in an archive, huh… Sounds horrible. What kind?"

 "It has large black eyes and a foul mouth. Also, it thinks rather highly of itself."

 "That's pretty specific for an insect, there…"

 He looked around the area, thinking of driving it off straightaway if he could.

 As Subaru twisted around his neck, his eyes fell upon the book once more.

Beatrice went, Ahem.

 "Is there still something you want, I wonder? If not, could you please go?"

 "Ah, er… Right, is that mana drain something anyone can do?"

 "Should I feel slighted, I wonder… In this manor, only Puckie and I can

perform such a feat. Even Roswaal cannot."

 "Huh. I thought he said he could do it all."

 So Roswaal was indulging in vanity? That or mana drain was an unexpectedly

rare skill given the simplicity of its effect.

 "Anyway, um, don't go sucking people dry too much, okay? Especially me—

I'm seriously short on blood right now, so I'd weaken and die pretty easily."

 "Ah, because the flesh was all restored but the blood was not? Well, I had no

obligation to go that far regardless."

 To Beatrice's declaration, made with a shrug of her shoulders, Subaru tilted

his head and went, "Mm?"

 The grammar she'd used just then implied something rather odd.

 "The way you said that just now, it sounded like you closed my wound. Don't

tell me you're petty enough to take credit for Emilia's work?"

 "That half-baked little girl lacks the power to heal a fatal wound. She and

Puckie stopped the bleeding, but I healed the wound… What of it, I wonder?"

 "Er, I'm seriously super conflicted here!"

 The circumstances of Subaru's recovery had been exposed in highly

unexpected fashion.

 Subaru had been absolutely certain that Emilia had healed his wounds just

like she'd done in the alley previously, but…

 Though he narrowed his eyes suspiciously and made a look of doubt, Beatrice

was unmoved.

 Barring her being a liar of exceptional gall, the truth was no doubt as she'd

spoken.

 Meaning Beatrice was…

 "Then you're a big filthy liar! Lot of gall you have there. Bottom-of-the-barrel

personality!"

 "And you have quite some gall to not politely accept the generosity of

others!"

 Subaru's rude statement and Beatrice's angry shout resulted in a staring

contest between them, one Beatrice finally resolved by sending Subaru flying

back with magic until he smacked into a wall.

 As Subaru bounced off the wall and rolled head over heels before her,

Beatrice slowly stroked one of her long curls.

 "Could you finally leave, I wonder? Your hands aren't shaking anymore, so it

would seem you've put your fears behind you."

 "…So you noticed, huh?"

 "You were trying to hide it, I suppose. I'm offended you tried to play me like

that."

 Beatrice made a bored-sounding snort and shooed away Subaru with her

 hand like he was an annoying insect.

 Her words and how she lifted her hand before Subaru's face made his

fingertips forget to tremble.

 He'd died a total of five times so far, but he most certainly wasn't used to it.

Quite the opposite; the more times he died, the more the accumulated

experience made his knees quiver from his raw fear of experiencing death

again.

 That went double for the cause of death being first-degree murder. Upon his

return, Subaru's heart creaked from despair; surely no one could blame him for

his courage not reaching the tips of his fingers and toes.

 "Guess there's no more time for excuses. Man, you're not nice at all."

 Sighing away the last cobwebs, Subaru got up and reached toward the

archive's door.

 Subaru looked back and made a bitter smile toward Beatrice, who wasn't

even looking at him.

 "Sorry, but thanks. See ya next time."

 "I shall take more mana from you next time, so could you simply stay away, I

wonder?"

 Her eyes remained fixed on her book as she verbally brushed him off. Feeling

Beatrice's attitude spurring him onward, Subaru turned the knob and slipped

through the Passage. Then—

 "Wait, the insect from earlier—don't tell me you meant me?!"

 "You want to leave not on your feet but through the air, I suppose?!"

 And so, he flew out of the Passage.

4.2

 In the garden, the silver-haired girl looked down at him.

 "Er, may I ask if you're all right?"

 "That kindness alone heals my wounds. That much is no lie."

 Subaru slumped his shoulders as he spoke.

 Sent flying by Beatrice's magic, Subaru had been rammed through the

Passage and shot out of a second-story terrace window facing the garden,

tumbling onto a flower bed below. He'd almost died from a domestic dispute.

 "The theory that she killed me is getting more and more convincing…"

 "I think Rem fertilized that flower bed with manure yesterday…"

 "Whoaaaa, three-second rule—!!"

 Having been thrust into the flower bed for more like thirty seconds than

three, Subaru leapt out. He desperately tried to brush the mud—and perhaps

things other than mud—off him as he stood before Emilia at an oddly close

distance.

 "It doesn't count! It doesn't count, right?! That was yesterday and all!"

 "Well, just think of it as: When bad luck is with you, good luck is not far

away."

 "And Emilia's already in Consolation Mode!"

 As Subaru wiped away small tears with his sleeve, Emilia, a bitter smile on her

noble face, must have felt pity for him as she touched the pendant between her

breasts.

 "—Puck, wake up."

 The green crystal flared lightly, responding to Emilia's call. The light formed

first the contours, then the full image of a little cat that materialized and rested

on Emilia's palm.

 The little kitty heavily stretched its little body, looking like it was making a

yawn.

 "Mm, good morning, Lia. Ahh, Subaru's up already."

 "Good morning, Puck. Sorry to wake you all of a sudden, but could you wash

Subaru, please?"

 Puck, watching with one eye as Emilia pled her request, suddenly oohed as he

looked in Subaru's direction. Looking at Subaru's mud-covered appearance, he

 nodded, apparently agreeing with the girl's request.

 "Time for a bath, then. There!"

 "Bath is putting it mildly. I… Whoa?!"

 As Puck thrust out both hands, the dazzling, pale light that came from them

turned into a large amount of water the next moment, slamming into Subaru's

upper body with incredible force, scrubbing away all the world's impurities.

 "That's a water cannon—!!"

 "Whoops, I threw off his balance a little."

 With Subaru's body turning around from his upper body being bathed in

water, Puck adjusted the water flow in the other direction with a little too much

oomph. Subaru was unable to resist being turned right to left, round and round.

 "See? You're all clean now. Isn't that nice?"

 "Wh… When you play with me like that…my heart goes…round and round…"

 Subaru, sitting on a soggy patch of grass, was groggy with his eyes still

spinning. He wiped his face with his soaked sleeve and somehow rose up

despite his wobbly state.

 "Man, if you're that rough, I'll start seriously thinking you're the culprits?"

 "I'm not sure what I'm being suspected of, but I'm deeply, deeply hurt…

Nyaa?!"

 As the little kitty floated in midair, pretending to be upset, Subaru pressed a

finger to his narrow forehead and turned him toward Emilia as he cried out.

 Somehow, this was the most frivolous, wonderful reunion he'd had so far.

Putting aside that Emilia should have been tearfully rushing to greet Subaru

upon his revival from mortal injury…

 He wondered what he should say as his first step to resolving the situation—

 "Bwa."

 "Huh?"

 "Bwahaha! I'm sorry, I can't, ah-ha-ah-ha-ha-ha! What are you two doing…

 Ah, my sides hurt; I'm going to die…"

 Suddenly Emilia, unable to hold it in any longer, burst out laughing, driving

away all his worries.

 As Emilia pointed at Subaru, who looked like a drowned rat, her normally

neatly arranged expression was gripped by mirth. The unexpected reaction

made Subaru look at Puck, who was floating right beside his face.

 "Well, my initial bad impression's all gone! Thanks for the assist, Dad!"

 In response to Subaru's impudent suggestion, Puck puffed out his chest

haughtily.

 "Who are you calling 'Dad'?! You won't have my daughter that easily!!"

 Upon hearing this, Emilia's loud, laughing voice filled the whole garden.

4.3

Having finished her laughter, Emilia was watching Subaru as she spoke.

 "I heard Ram and Rem were heading for the garden, but they're a little late…"

 Emilia was still wiping the vestiges of the tears from her eyes from laughing so

hard. Subaru, the chief culprit, toyed with Puck in the middle of his hand.

 "Huh. So when you say they're late, can I take it that you've been waiting here

for my sake?"

 "Uh, isn't it the other way around? It's true that I should thank you, and if I

moved without thinking, we might miss each other and I don't want that, but

it's just coincidence that I stayed here with you."

 "Right, it's just coincidence, Subaru. She makes me drag out my grooming for

one reason after another and speaks to the lesser spirits about the same things

over and over… She says it's all just coincidence."

 As usual, just as Emilia was in the middle of completely self-destructing, Puck

added fuel to the fire.

 "Sheesh, Puck!"

 "She should just be honest with herself. That's a cute thing about Lia,

 though…don't you think, Subaru?"

 "Oh, definitely! Everything about Emilia-tan is the brightest star in my sky!"

 "Now Subaru's teasing me… And what is that 'tan'? Where did that come

from?"

 She was finally voicing some doubts about the way he was speaking to her.

 Up until last time, it was a subject Emilia had managed to let slide. Subaru put

a hand to his chin and made what sounded like some kind of diabolical chuckle.

 "It's a sign of my affection. It's like how Puck calls you Lia… A way for two

people to show how close they are to each other."

 "…Not that I remember being quite that close to you?"

 "Wow, that statement kind of hurts, you know. I was kind of making a down

payment. I'm totally planning to have a relationship with Emilia-tan that goes

hand in hand with the pet names. Okay?"

 At the very least, he hoped to get close enough to her by a few nights from

then that she'd forgive him for it.

 Emilia's face expressed surprise at Subaru's strong approach, then her cheeks

reddened a bit.

 "F-fine. I'll accept that. Hey, don't look at me like that!"

 "Er? I thought I was getting brushed off? What's that positive reaction?

Explain this, Mr. Puck."

 As Emilia turned her face aside, Puck sat on her shoulder and twirled his

mustache.

 "My daughter doesn't have many friends, so being called by an intimate

nickname makes her happy. Put simply, she's easy."

 Subaru exclaimed in surprise, "My leading lady's easy!"

 He thought he'd merely climbed a treacherous wall, but he felt the sudden

realization that it was more. He continued, "But we're still a long way apart… I

need to learn a little more about this whole nobility thing."

 "Ugh…could you not mention something I really don't want to talk about?"

 "I just want to reach an agreement on E M P (Emilia-tan's Majorly Pretty).

Oh?"

 Subaru pressed silliness onto Emilia when he abruptly looked back at the

mansion and narrowed his eyes. Emilia followed Subaru's gaze, tilting her head

as she watched the twins come out of the mansion.

 "Ram and Rem, huh… It's a bit too soon to be breakfast time, though…"

 The image of the sunlight reflecting off her silver hair seemed to burn into

Subaru's eyes as he confirmed that events were proceeding.

 It was the time of Roswaal's return. The twins simultaneously bowed their

heads before them.

 They spoke with the same stereo effect he'd now heard many times over.

 "Master Roswaal, lord of the manor, has returned. Please come with us."

 Subaru watched Emilia nod to them as he turned toward the twins with a

hand casually pressed to his rear.

 "Sister, Sister. Since last we saw him, he has become a muddy drowned rat."

 "Rem, Rem. Since last we saw him, our guest has become a stained, filthy

rag."

 Subaru made a pained smile at their sharp comments as he looked up at the

sight of the mansion.

 He would change clothes, tidy himself up, and head to meet Roswaal for a

fresh start.

 —Because this time, he intended to take a completely different approach

than before.

4.4

 —And so, his first week at Roswaal Manor began in earnest for the third time.

 For this third loop, Subaru wanted to emphasize gathering information.

 "My keywords are magic and chain…but that doesn't tell me anything yet."

 The only thing he knew for sure was that someone would attack in the dead

of night on the fourth day.

 Under the present circumstances, if he told Roswaal and the others, they'd no

doubt ignore him. Subaru simply couldn't explain where he got his information.

Subaru could even get himself suspected as one of the assassins arrayed against

them. If he at least had a physical description of the attacker, things might be

different, but…

 "That's why I've gotta spend this time gathering intel. If the Return by Death

conditions are the same as before…"

 On the royal capital loop, he'd died three times and had a breakthrough on

the fourth. If things were as before, he'd be able to return one more time. So

this time he'd gather the intel he needed for a breakthrough the fourth time

around.

 "To be honest, I don't like picking a plan that's giving up from the start…"

 However, his options being very limited, he had to resign himself to some

sacrifices. At any rate, he had no intention of throwing away his opportunity. It

was the difference between resolving to redo everything and aiming from the

start to overcome the challenge. This time, he'd focus entirely on getting out of

the loop.

 "For that, I had to tell Puck under the table to keep Emilia safe."

 In the middle of playing around with Puck in the garden, Subaru had

whispered to Puck to pay attention to Emilia's surroundings. The little kitty

could read minds; Subaru figured he'd know Subaru's earnestness was no lie.

 "I made things pretty vague, but he seems genuinely protective of Lia."

 After all, he'd given Subaru's pushy suggestion a warm reception. He could

now assume that Emilia would be relatively safe.

 It wasn't much, but it did relieve a bit of the burden on his shoulders.

 "After that, there's Roswaal and the loli… But after that, what?"

 Subaru scratched his head all over, plucked out a hair, pinched his feather pen

under his nose, and stretched his back.

 His head hurt from the difficult dilemmas. That being said, he had to do

whatever he could. If possible, he wanted Ram and Rem, and of course Roswaal

and Beatrice as well, to get through those four days safely. He had his reasons

for not running no matter how formidable the challenge.

 "My concentration just ain't cutting it. What to do… Huh?"

 As he leaned back against his chair, it made a creaking sound when he heard a

voice from outside.

 "Pardon me, Dear Guest."

 Faster than Subaru could reply, the door opened and he saw a pink-haired

maid—Ram.

 Subaru raised an eyebrow as Ram came in with a steaming cup sitting on a

tray in her hands.

 "Oh my, Dear Guest, you really are studying."

 "That's super rude, you know. I am kind of an actual guest at the moment?"

 "Dear Guest, you are the manner of houseguest known as a freeloader."

 Looking calm and composed, Ram let herself into the room and began serving

tea.

 Watching from the side as she worked, Subaru could not conceal his bitter

smile at her words.

 A houseguest and freeloader—he thought the terms fit all too well.

 "Here you go, Dear Guest."

 "Oh, thanks. Hot-hot-hot…"

 When he took the cup and looked down into it, he saw steam rising from the

surface of the hot amber liquid. The tea of this world was nearest to black tea in

appearance and taste. The rich aroma was just as easy to enjoy.

 Ram's attitude was very blunt, but it was odd that she'd come in to serve tea

like this. As he watched Ram's polished movements, Subaru slowly tasted the

tea he'd been offered, nodding.

 "Mm…really does taste awful."

 "This manor serves tea using leaves of the highest quality, so that is quite a

statement."

 "If it tastes bad, it tastes bad. I just can't think of it as anything but black tea.

Tastes like…plant."

 Ram coldly watched Subaru's scowling face as she served herself tea that she

had brought like it was the most normal thing in the world, sitting down on the

bed and stretching her legs without a care.

 "I don't have words for the guts you have, slacking off in front of a guest."

 "I believe you were the one who said to take it easier, Dear Guest? I am doing

this only to respond to your request. You should be thanking me."

 "This is, like, even pushier than you were before, though?"

 Subaru voiced his complaints as he sank back in his chair and made a loud

sound. Ram listened to that sound as she wet her tongue with black tea, finally

giving Subaru a sideways glance.

 "And, Dear Guest leaving in two days, have you made any progress?"

 Subaru broke out in a small, bitter smile as he listened to her exceptionally

dry delivery.

 —It was already the second night since he had begun the third loop.

 For this third time around, Subaru had been treated at the mansion like a

guest, a sharp difference from before. That was because Subaru had requested

as much at that first breakfast.

 Now that he was being treated as a guest, Subaru had his own room and Rem

and Ram took turns serving him as he continued the language study he'd begun

the last time.

 —All of it was to justify his leaving the mansion temporarily without creating

a stir.

 He was forming plans in his head while his fingers continued copying I-script

almost automatically. His movements were robotic enough to make one's

stomach twist, but nothing was really getting into his head.

 "Are you always this bad, or is your foolish head unable to concentrate?"

 "Got some nerve saying that to a literary enthusiast like me. Aren't you

inspired from watching me give this desk my all back there?"

 "An uncouth statement to match such sloppy writing—I am aghast you call

yourself a literary enthusiast, Dear Guest."

 "This is the first time I've seen a maid talk to her guests like you do."

 Ram politely ignored Subaru's resentful statement and browsed with

apparent interest the pages filled with characters. Even with the distance so

close, he glared as he watched the side of her face, unable to stop the feeling

that his insides were being wrung.

 Unlike the previous occasions when Subaru had been treated as a servant,

he'd had little contact with Ram this time around. Beyond his time spent in

pursuit of Emilia, he'd mainly stayed in his room writing characters like this.

Though once in a while he spared some time to go tease Beatrice a little…

 So the distance between Ram and Rem and himself felt far greater than when

he was treated as a servant.

 In spite of that, here was Ram visiting Subaru in his room, spending time with

him and speaking to him like a very blunt friend. He couldn't help but find it

strange.

 "If you do not stop staring at me like that, I shall slap you, Dear Guest."

 "Hey, the only one making the inside of my head go pink is Emilia… Oh, that's

right."

 Trying to deflect his unease as he averted his eyes, he set aside the tea and

picked up a book with its back cover facing up. This was the picture book he was

using as learning material; he was finally able to understand the characters in it.

 "In other words, I want to make all this studying feel like it got me

somewhere."

 "It contains only common stories you should be ashamed not to know. You

need to master basic I-script before calling yourself a 'literary enthusiast.'"

 "Does calling myself that tick you off that much?"

 Ram made no reply to Subaru's question as she poured the remaining

contents of her cup down her throat. She then reached for Subaru's cup.

 "Wait, you're gonna drink all the tea you brought here?!"

 "You do not need it if you are making a face like that when you drink it. At

least it shall be enjoyed by someone with a properly functioning tongue."

 "I told you, I just can't get that plant taste out of my h… Oh, never mind. I'm

gonna focus on this book, so you can kill time or head off, whatever you want."

 Subaru made a brusque wave before leaning forward in his chair and opening

the picture book.

 First came the author's preface and the table of contents; after that came the

body, written in the characters he'd now grown accustomed to.

 "Err, let's see…a long, long time ago…"

 So fairy tales start the same way in every world, huh, he accepted with

strange ease as he continued reading the story. The fact that it was in a picture

book meant the story was exceptionally concise with a clearly defined

introduction, body, and conclusion. Child-level comprehension was prioritized,

with pictures used precisely where there was room for imagination.

 Incidentally, if one asked Subaru which fairy tale he liked best, he would reply,

"The Crying Red Demon." If one asked Subaru which fairy tale he hated most,

he would reply, "The Crying Red Demon."

 "It's, like, a happy ending and a bitter ending slamming into you at once. Why

can't it all be happily ever after?"

 "Sorry to intrude on your deep thoughts, but are you finished reading?"

 "I'm finished reading. The things that went against common sense were fun,

so it was more interesting than I expected. Guess that's another world's culture

for you. Maybe I should bring in fairy tales from my own homeland, too, like

'The Crying Red Demon'?"

 "'The Crying Red Demon'…?"

 Subaru was mumbling about the copyright issues in another world's

jurisdiction when Ram's eyebrows trembled in response. Huh, went Subaru,

 getting a rare rise out of Ram.

 "It's the title of a fairy tale from where I come from. How about I tell it to

you?"

 Ram did not reply as Subaru made the suggestion with a thumbs-up.

However, the way she sat on the bed with her hands on her knees, shifting her

gaze to Subaru, clearly conveyed that he should get on with it.

 "All right, attention, please. 'The Crying Red Demon.' A long, long time ago, in

a certain land, there was…"

 The fairy tale began with a bitter argument. "The Crying Red Demon" was a

tale of friendship between the Red Demon, which wanted to become friends

with humans, and his best friend, the Blue Demon—and what came between

them.

 It went something like this: The two demons living on the mountain tried

various things to get the Red Demon in the good graces of the villagers,

culminating in the Blue Demon committing wicked deeds upon the village, only

to be driven off by the Red Demon, who thus befriended the human beings. The

tale ended with the Blue Demon leaving; the Red Demon, dispirited at the Blue

Demon's display of friendship, cried for the Blue Demon's sake.

 "And so, the Red Demon read over and over the letter left at the Blue

Demon's house and cried… The end."

 Subaru finished conveying to Ram a somewhat abridged version of the fairy

tale. It was a fairy tale Subaru himself had read many times over. He thought he

was as faithful with his words as possible, keeping his own opinions out of it.

 Ram lowered her eyes as she listened to the tale. Subaru stayed in the same

position as when he'd finished the story, waiting for her to speak. Finally, Ram

let out a small sigh.

 "…A rather sad tale."

 "I suppose so. But I think it's a happy story, too."

 "I think the cast of characters was full of idiots… The Red Demon, the Blue

Demon, and the villagers, too."

 "Well, that's being a tough critic. Not that you'll get any argument from me…"

 He agreed that none of the three sides had enough introspection. The

villagers were pure suckers, and if the two demons had spoken more to each

other, they might have found proper common ground. At the very least, surely

they could have avoided the need for one to put distance between him and the

other for the rest of their lives.

 "That's why I love this story and hate this story. The Blue Demon's self-

sacrifice was super cool, but he was an idiot beyond saving, too. I like to think I

can save myself through putting in the effort…"

 "So you think that about the Blue Demon…I think it is the Red Demon who is

beyond saving."

 Ram's reply made Subaru lift his head. Ram was looking at Subaru as she bit

her tongue.

 "He wrapped the Blue Demon in his own desires, losing nothing when the

Blue Demon lost everything. I think that is a rather horrible result."

 "What do you think the two demons should've done, then?"

 "…If the Red Demon truly wanted to be friends with the humans, he should

have gone to live in the village, even if it meant cutting off his horn. He should

have done that long before the Blue Demon left."

 "Man, that's a pretty extreme position, there!"

 Subaru raised his voice at the radical view she'd provided, but Ram simply

stroked her own short hair like she was saying, Is it now? She proceeded to toy

with the ribbon holding her hair in place.

 "Making the Blue Demon pay for something he wants is unforgivable. If the

Red Demon wants it, the Red Demon should pay the price. The Blue Demon

robbing him of that chance is a problem, too."

 "That's a really strict view of it. Do you have something against demons…?"

 "—Dear Guest, which of the two demons would you rather befriend?"

 Subaru blinked at Ram's question. He hadn't really thought about it.

 "…Which of the two?"

 Ram nodded and stretched out both hands toward Subaru, raising one finger

from each.

 "On the one hand, the Red Demon who asks and asks and leaves others to

pay the consequences, or the Blue Demon, the idiot drowning in his own

martyrdom. Which?"

 "Geez, you make both of those choices feel bad… So what, I'm a villager who

just arrived here?"

 It was rather rare for the point of view of the villagers to come up in a

discussion about "The Crying Red Demon." Either way, Subaru was a little lost

as he stared at the two hands Ram presented before him when she said, "…

What an uninteresting reply."

 "Don't say that! Since I've read 'The Crying Red Demon,' I sympathize with the

two of them, so I want to help out both, okay?"

 Subaru gently pressed both his hands onto both of Ram's hands. Subaru's

reply drew a long sigh out of Ram; she glared at Subaru, who of course was

close enough to touch.

 "So you're the type who understands neither his position nor that of others…

When distance grows, your type gets left behind by both."

 "Distance, huh. Why not just tell people how you feel while they're still close?

The Red Demon's not a bad guy for wanting to get along, and the Blue Demon's

not a bad guy for wanting to help him, either. I'm the type who likes demons,

not the type to just drive 'em off the island at the drop of a hat."

 Ram sighed at the grinning Subaru and looked at her own two hands as he

grasped her raised fingers. As she brushed him off, Subaru shrugged and sat

back in his seat, readjusting himself to face Ram again.

 "You know, Ram, you seem to like 'The Crying Red Demon' quite a bit."

 "Dear Guest, you will someday regret fickle, indecisive thoughts such as

wanting to be friends with both."

 "I don't remember that being what we were talking about here?! I thought

 we were talking about demons?"

 As Subaru shouted and shook his head, Ram made a small clap of her hands

to indicate the subject was closed. Her quick-tempered behavior tugged at him,

but Ram pointed to the book on the desk before he could say a word.

 "Setting aside the tales from our Dear Guest's homeland… What did you think

of the stories of this land?"

 "Let's see… I suppose the one that stood out was the dragon one in the

middle of the book and the witch one at the end. No matter how I slice it, those

two are different somehow."

 Subaru gave a wandering reply as he browsed the book. Those were the two

tales that had left the deepest impression upon him. The former definitely got

special treatment. As for the latter…

 "The witch story was like…they felt they had to put it in but they went

halfway. It completely ignored story structure…like a bunch of highlights."

 "…That cannot be helped. We are in Lugunica… Of course the dragon story

gets special treatment."

 Subaru nodded as he flipped the pages of the picture book on the desk.

 "Right, 'Dragonfriend Kingdom of Lugunica,' right? Now I get why it's called

that."

 Apparently the large kingdom Subaru was staying in was called the

"Dragonfriend Kingdom of Lugunica." On world maps, it looked like the

easternmost nation in the world, but apparently it had good reason to be called

the "Dragonfriend Kingdom."

 It was a simple tale, really. Long ago, the kingdom had come under the

protection of a dragon, forming a pact.

 "The dragon is said to have lent its power to Lugunica, protecting it in times of

famine, plague, war with other nations, and other various predicaments."

 "So that's why they call it 'Dragonfriend,' huh. It did say in the picture book

that the royal family made a pact with the dragon. This is less of a fairy tale than

ancient history, right?"

 "I suppose so. It's a true story, after all. Even now, the dragon protects the

peace of this land from under a great waterfall far away until the day its

promise to the royal family comes to an end."

 Subaru cleared his throat as he listened to the oh-so-strict Ram speak such

words.

 A promise made with a dragon in ancient times… The picture book had not

drawn the details, but it was a big enough deal that the kingdom had been

saved from crisis many times over.

 Thinking of that, Subaru suddenly realized something about the royal family

that'd made the pact with the dragon.

 "Hey, the family that made the promise with the dragon…didn't it just die

out?"

 "It did, and suddenly at that."

 "Isn't that, like, bad? Er, not that I'd know what bad means here."

 No doubt the dragon had been promised something considerable in return for

protecting its promise all that time. Yet with the royal family that would be

granting it dying off on him like that, who would honor that obligation?

 Ram began.

 "No one knows what the dragon seeks, so it was not put in the picture book.

Only gods know what the dragon will do in this situation…"

 At that point, Ram paused for a moment.

 "Rather, Dear Guest—only the dragon knows."

 Subaru's breath caught. He wasn't warm, but he felt sweat on his brow

regardless. He chewed over Ram's words, swallowed them, and breathed in and

out hard enough to make his stomach churn.

 Negotiating with the mighty dragon was the responsibility of the ruler of the

kingdom. In other words…

 "That has to be a mountain of pressure on Emilia, then…"

 "Yes. The dragon can protect the kingdom or destroy it on a whim… Thus, the

 kingdom and its destiny rest upon Emilia's shoulders. Just thinking about it

makes it seem like a story from that picture book."

 There'd been a conflicted look on Emilia's face when she saw the picture book

on the last night of the previous loop. Now Subaru understood why Emilia's

hand had stopped when she was flipping the pages.

 The size and weight of Emilia's burden had far surpassed Subaru's

expectations. His mind wanted to cry out just from thinking about the heavy

responsibility borne by those delicate shoulders.

 "It cannot be helped."

 "—Ah?"

 "Everyone was born with a role to play and the responsibility to live up to it.

This is what Lady Emilia was born to do. It is a path she must walk, no matter

how treacherous it may be."

 Subaru's voice was shaking with anger from a source he couldn't place.

 "One girl's supposed to shoulder the whole burden like that?"

 For her part, Ram's voice was cold and logical.

 "I believe it is best if others can carry it with her. However, sooner or later,

Lady Emilia must be seen to climb that summit herself."

 Subaru slumped his shoulders when he realized Ram was holding back to not

fuel his anger further.

 He could vent at Ram all he wanted, but he'd be mistaken. Ram wasn't

responsible for the weight of Emilia's burden; at any rate, Subaru had no right

to be angry. That part really burned him.

 "Oh, right. Ram, about that other story…"

 Wanting to do something other than apologize, Subaru changed the subject

and pointed at the picture book.

 Contrary to how the story of the dragon in the center of the book had

received special treatment, the story of the witch had only a few pages drawn

for it at the very back of the book.

 The story was titled, "The Witch of Jealousy."

 "So this witch story…"

 "I do not wish to speak of it."

 Just like that, she seemed to verbally cut things off after the story of the

dragon.

 Subaru opened his eyes wide without thinking as Ram briskly got up, tray and

cups in hand.

 "I have been here too long. I do not wish to cause Rem too much trouble.

Dear Guest, I shall call you again for dinnertime."

 "R-right…"

 Ram, turning her back like she would brook no argument, immediately

headed out of the room.

 But just before her hand reached the door, Ram stopped and looked back at

Subaru, left in her dust.

 "About the demon story from earlier…"

 "Mm, right. 'The Crying Red Demon.' What of it?"

 "Don't tell Rem that story. She would probably find it distasteful."

 Surely no one would have that kind of reaction over a simple fairy tale.

Regardless, Subaru, feeling overwhelming pressure from Ram's words, could

only nod meekly in response.

 Seeing this, Ram finally left. Subaru, feeling drained, flopped onto the bed.

 It felt like there was something more to Ram's last action than just banning

him from telling Rem a fairy tale.

 "What the heck's up with all that…?"

 Venting at the ceiling, Subaru picked up the picture book and flipped through

the pages.

 The final chapter, "The Witch of Jealousy," was a short tale only four pages

long.

 "A scary witch, a frightening witch, it is terrifying to just speak her name. That

was why everyone called her 'The Jealous Witch'—"

 There was no story structure, just contents conveying the raw terror of the

witch. It was straight-up eerie, doubly so when written in characters meant for

small children.

 "And after all the trouble of studying to read this thing…"

 His feelings of success, satisfaction, and the glow of having just read a book

seemed to fall by the wayside.

 Subaru turned in bed and switched his head to a different subject: thinking of

what he could do for the remaining two days of that loop.

 He'd put his preparations for the last day in order and shifted to what he'd do

two mornings hence.

 Subaru squished his countless worries one by one until he finally fell asleep.

4.5

 "Err, my time here's been brief, but thanks for taking care of me."

 In the mansion's entry hall, all the human beings in the mansion (meaning

only four people, with Beatrice not included) were seeing Subaru off as he

made his good-byes.

 Subaru had asked that he be allowed to stay for three days. That time had

passed; that morning, he would journey onward.

 Subaru wore his tracksuit and carried the convenience store bag containing

his starting equipment, but he also carried a knapsack over his back that

Roswaal had generously provided. The knapsack was fairly heavy from a decent

sum of coinage, Roswaal explained simply.

 "My thanks for taking care of Lady Emilia."

 Among those seeing Subaru off, Emilia called out to him, a look of deep

concern on her face even then. Subaru, grateful for Emilia's feelings, vividly

thumped his chest.

 "I'll be fine. I'm just gonna take it easy. When I become a strong, wise, and

rich man suitable for you, I'll come riding back on a white horse."

 "You have your handkerchief? And drinking water, lagmite ore, and, and…"

 "She's totally acting like she's my mom?!"

 Emilia fussed about this and that. The way she asked last, "Can you sleep all

by yourself?" made Subaru wonder just how much she longed for the company

of others. Or perhaps she was acting on instinct, voicing the unease Subaru was

desperately shoving down inside him.

 Roswaal came to shake his hand.

 "Weeell then, be in good health, Subaru. It has beeeen a short time, but it

was quite enjoyable. Do not be concerned about my parting gift. Consider it a

smaaall reward for the memories you created these last three days."

 Roswaal added a wink to the last part. Subaru could guess what he meant; the

knapsack over his back was jingling just from their shaking hands.

 "I get it; you're paying me to keep my mouth shut. I won't say anything. I

swear on the dragon."

 "It will keep others from approaching you as part of some wicked scheme.

Besides, in this nation, to swear upon the dragon is to make the highest of

oaths. It is not that I doubt you, but strive not to forrrget that."

 Subaru raised a hand in response to Roswaal's reminder; he then turned to

the twins, standing behind the clown-faced nobleman. The two stood silently as

Subaru reached and patted them both on the shoulder.

 "You two were a huge help, especially Rem with those really delicious meals.

Ram… Mm, well, she cleans toilets really well?"

 "Sister, Sister, the Dear Guest's flattery is despairingly awkward."

 "Rem, Rem, the Dear Guest's flattery is a complete disaster."

 "Well, excuse me, I really couldn't think of anything else! But thanks."

 Having said his good-byes to everyone, he pushed open the front doors

before he got cold feet.

 From the entrance of the manor, he cut through the garden, passed through

the metal gate, and continued on to the forest path that was a straight shot to

Auram Village. Subaru's stated plan was to head from there to the nearest

highway, hire a passing carriage, and head to the capital—but that plan was a

feint.

 "Subaru, thanks for everything. If anything happens, come back anytime,

okay?"

 With Emilia's statement of farewell, her words gentle until the bitter end,

Subaru departed, walking the path toward Auram Village. The silver-haired girl

waved until she could no longer see Subaru from the mansion. Her oh-so-

adorable behavior dulled his worries and made his sense of duty burn once

more.

 —After heading down the path to the village for a while, Subaru stopped and

cautiously looked around the area. When he was sure no one was around to

watch him, he left the path and dove into the woods. He did so regardless of

Ram's and the others' admonitions that this was dangerous due to the many

wild animals within.

 Ignoring their warnings, Subaru pushed his way through the foliage as he

headed deeper into the forest. At some point, he ascended a slope, not slowing

his pace when branches and briar patches scratched him.

 He proceeded up the mountain like that for about fifteen minutes.

 "Okay, I'll do it here."

 Subaru left the greenery, the soaring sky greeting his vision. Subaru had

cleared the forested slopes, arriving at a foothill nestled among the mountains.

He could watch the mansion below from the cliff right in front of him.

 From there, he could observe the familiar, luxurious sights of Roswaal Manor.

He'd circled around from the forest path and cut through forest and mountain

to arrive at the perfect observation point.

 "It has an especially good view of Emilia's room. I'll see anything weird

happening right away."

 He could make out the window to Emilia's room even at a distance. He

 couldn't see inside, but it was a good spot for watching for any signs of trouble.

And on the night of the fourth day, trouble would surely come.

 "In other words, tonight. All that's left is to wait for something to happen."

 From that morning, Subaru had about sixteen hours to kill—surely he could

hold his concentration that long.

 This way, he could figure out what would happen at Roswaal Manor

beforehand and rush back to the manor immediately. This time Subaru would

have the element of surprise on his side.

 If he'd remained at the mansion, Subaru would be one more victim of the

attacker's curse. With limited means of counterattack and low overall combat

ability, Subaru couldn't take on the attacker straight up. He desperately needed

any shred of information he could get on the assassin.

 So, what to do? Subaru had come up with a simple answer.

 "This time, my goal is to identify the attacker and nail down the details of the

attack…even if it kills me."

 Having died twice so far, Subaru had determined that the attack was an

assassination having to do with the royal succession. He didn't know if he'd

been collateral damage with Emilia as the main target or if he'd been killed as

some kind of message to her. But having been murdered twice already, Subaru

considered it highly likely everyone close to her was being slaughtered.

 "Putting aside if countermeasures will work…seems like Roswaal has his guard

up anyway…"

 Subaru based that on the premise that Roswaal, the nobleman with a

scheming mind behind his clown face, was not such a fool as to leave his king

piece, bearing the name of Emilia, defenseless on the chessboard. The existence

of Ram and Rem, the two servants he'd left behind at the mansion, was further

evidence.

 "To be honest, at first I thought it was nuts to have just two maids taking care

of a huge mansion like that, but…"

 They were lord and vassal, their mutual trust rock solid, bonds of loyalty

 formed through long service. Seeing Ram's slavish devotion and Rem's

adoration of her had told him that much.

 Roswaal had surely surrounded Emilia with people who would never betray

him. The fact that one maid had retired several months before, yet, according

to Ram, no replacement would be hired, assured him Emilia would be

protected.

 "The problem is, I don't know if they're on guard enough, given that I died

from the attack already. If I'm the only one who died, well, good… Wait, that's

not good."

 If Roswaal's defense plans simply didn't account for Subaru, a wild card, then

all was well and good. If it wasn't so, that meant Emilia would come to harm as

well.

 And Subaru, having died three times at the capital and two at the manor, was

accustomed by now to reality foiling the best of plans.

 You needed to expect the worst case…and then expect worse than that.

 "Here, the worst case is that Roswaal's guard is down and Emilia gets

assassinated. Of course, that'd mean Roswaal, Ram, Rem, and then Beatrice get

slaughtered, too… Ugh, damn it."

 Just picturing the worst-case scenario filled him with disgust.

 Though it was to stop all that, he wanted to vent at his entirely logical

decision to watch events unfold from the outside.

 Of course Subaru, who wore his heart on his sleeve, planned to stay on guard

the whole time, ready to instantly rush back to the manor if anything happened,

running around and warning of the enemy attack, but…

 "Well, it'd be nice if the guy's super cautious and runs off just from my yelling

at him, right?"

 Subaru voiced the optimistic view as he pulled a rope out of his knapsack. It

was a rather long rope he'd borrowed from the manor's warehouse. Subaru

firmly tied one end around the trunk of a nearby tree and the other around his

own waist. He used complex knots along the way as if his life depended on it,

 which it kind of did.

 "And last, the knife to cut the rope… She'd probably be ticked off if she knew I

was using it like this."

 As he spoke, he took out the knife that he'd lovingly dubbed Shooting Star. In

the present loop, he'd been in a position to lay his hands on it for the first time

only that day.

 "I used it a whole bunch during the four days of the other loops, though."

 During his time doing odd jobs as a servant, Subaru's kitchen duties mainly

involved peeling vegetables and washing tableware. Shooting Star was the

beloved blade that Subaru had used to cut potato-like veggies, apples, and,

from time to time, his own hand. When, this time, he'd come up with a plan

that required a knife, he grabbed that one without a second thought.

 "Hopefully just for cutting the rope, but if worse comes to worst…"

 The knife was not only to facilitate his escape but to wound himself if the time

came, for surely stimulation from the pain of self-harm would make him able to

resist the gnawing sleepiness of the curse.

 If worse came to worst, he might have to turn that blade upon the enemy.

And if it was worse than that—

 "For suicide, huh? Geez…can I do that? Something that scary…"

 Subaru looked at himself reflected in the blade's edge as a laugh at his own

expense came over him.

 As he looked at the blade in his hand, memories of Ram and Rem rose in the

back of his mind. Ram had insulted Subaru for his clumsy knife work; Rem had

shot him shocked sideways glances when he'd cut his own hand with the knife.

They angrily shouted things like, Do not cut what you are not supposed to.

 "…They'd be angry with me for misusing it like this, too, wouldn't they?"

 He could totally picture in his mind both girls angry with him, with Ram

glaring down at him and Rem looking aghast.

 Ahh, that scene was just—

 "They'd be totally pissed, huh… I hope they would be…"

 The longing words leaked out from his lips. One way or another, he truly

wanted to bury himself in that day-to-day life again.

 "I don't wanna die— I don't wanna let them die…"

 Subaru said it for his own benefit as he remembered the faces of the people

he'd only just said good-bye to.

 Subaru had cast away Emilia and the others to prepare for the next loop. Yet

this time, just like the last times, he'd formed definite bonds with the girls.

 He suppressed his throbbing chest. This was his punishment, the natural price

to pay for what he had done.

 It was a cross to bear that Subaru, having formed a plan premised on losing

something, could not shirk. He had to carry both the sweet and the bitter

thoughts with him.

 Subaru had spent those thrown-away four days prying open that raw wound,

enduring pain like that of having his flesh gouged and his bones broken, all so

that he would remember it.

 "You said it yourself, Subaru Natsuki. Even if everyone else forgets…you'll

remember."

 That was why he couldn't think of this time as something he could forget.

 Subaru had to continue to crave a happy ending until the last possible

moment. No one had the right to decide that Emilia and the others were no

more than bubbles on the edge of the time stream.

 Subaru kept hidden among the trees as he observed Roswaal Manor. The

resolve permeating his presumably stressed body quieted his breathing and

lowered his heart rate.

 He felt like his body was acting in accordance to his will in a way it never had

before.

 Trusting his body to that hard-earned feeling, Subaru stayed put and waited

for time to pass.

4.6

 As evening drew near, the setting sun bathed the hill Subaru was on in an

orange light. Squinting from the sun's rays, Subaru moved his tense body

around, shaking out the cobwebs.

 He'd already been watching the manor for something like eight hours. During

that time, there had been no sign of anything unusual; the mansion remained

entirely peaceful. So things really were fine there until night fell.

 "Come to think of it, Rem didn't go shopping this time…"

 There had been no sign of the Day Four event of Rem going shopping.

Perhaps she simply didn't need to because Subaru's departure meant one less

mouth to feed. It was an odd discrepancy.

 When Subaru realized he was smiling at the memories, his sense of tension

lifting, he pinched his own cheek. This wasn't the place or time to let up on his

concentration.

 "Like I can do something stupid like that with eight hours to go. Concentrate,

concentra—"

 He stopped mid-word. For better or worse, it was at the very moment Subaru

switched gears that the attack came.

 "—!"

 The instant his eardrums detected a faint sound, Subaru dove to the side

without hesitation.

 He'd devoted his five senses to determining when to do the evasive maneuver

he'd settled on beforehand.

 The next moment, he heard something exceptionally heavy make a smashing

sound, snapping trees in two. The trees all around him, plus their leaves and

branches, came down with a wild cacophony of snapping sounds.

 Amid all that, Subaru rushed straight for the cliff and leapt straight down.

 "—Aa!"

 Even clenching his teeth, he couldn't stop himself from letting out a faint cry,

 his insides turning over from the weightless feeling of falling. But his lifeline cut

that short after two long seconds. He let out an anguished cry from the pain of

the ropes biting in.

 "Emergency escape…!"

 Cutting the rope with his knife, he resumed his descent, the bottoms of his

shoes digging into a slanted rock face. Sliding and hitting his shoulder, Subaru

landed on the ground roughly, somehow keeping his footing, and ran without

pausing for breath.

 He tossed away the knapsack to lighten the load, breathing raggedly as he ran

without a care for proper form.

 "I saw it! Yeaaaah…I totally saw it!"

 The object that had attacked Subaru by surprise and mowed down various

trees was a spiked iron ball as large as a man's skull. It was basically a killer

bowling ball on a really, really long chain—the weapon known as a "morning

star."

 Subaru had hit the dirt when his eardrums picked up the faint metallic sound

of that horrible weapon's chain.

 Having witnessed its fiendish power for himself, Subaru still wasn't biting with

his teeth lined up right.

 The way that thing had flown at him, his body probably would have been

splattered if it had connected. Now Subaru could understand how half his body

had been sent flying.

 "But…he came here, huh?!"

 He stomped on branches, leapt across a gulch, and raced across areas with

poor footing.

 Subaru had anticipated that he might be attacked. Having distanced himself

from the manor, he determined that an attack on him was just as possible as a

raid on the mansion itself. If the objective was to kill anyone involved, Subaru

was still on that list.

 "But that's based on knowing I was at the mansion since days ago!"

 That would mean the assailant had been observing the mansion for several

days, drawing up plans in secret.

 "—!"

 Out of breath, he'd lost his way, focusing on not tripping as he headed down a

game trail.

 Subaru, breathing roughly, clicked his tongue at the scene unfolding before

him.

 "So I've been totally dancing on the other guy's palm?"

 Dismayed, Subaru stood before a cliff that hemmed him in.

 Looking at the hard, jagged rock wall, it was like a natural fortress for resisting

all attempts to climb. Naturally, Subaru had no way at the moment to overcome

that obstacle.

 Subaru turned around and girded himself, taking deep, ragged breaths.

 The forest before him had grown darker at some point, with the trees filtering

out the setting sun, making him feel cut off from the world and very, very alone.

 "If you're coming, bring it on…!"

 Subaru shoved away his misgivings, opening his track jacket in front and

stripping it off. He spread out the track jacket with both hands, quietly waiting

for his assailant to arrive.

 He was being pursued. He'd been backed into a corner. That moment, Subaru

felt as helpless as prey caught in a predator's trap. But he wasn't so cute and

helpless that he'd let himself get eaten without a fight.

 He'd make the other guy earn it.

 "Damn it…you coming or not?!?"

 Subaru's body demonstrated uncanny reflexes toward the lethal attack

before his eyes.

 He raised the track jacket aloft with both hands, catching the flying iron ball

from below, enveloping it as he barely evaded by the skin of his teeth a

ferocious strike to his body.

 But the top was ripped from his hands as his body smacked against the wall

with an undiluted impact.

 But the moment Subaru lifted his eyes and saw that the iron ball, having

missed its target, was stuck in the face of the cliff just as he'd hoped, he got a

firm grip on the elongated chain.

 Then he glared down the chain he gripped—in the direction of the assailant

holding the other end.

 "Now, show yourself, bastard! I've gone through a lot of trouble to see your

face!!"

 He raised an angry shout and talked trash to lift his own spirits.

 Gripping the chain in one hand, he used the other to re-grip the knife he'd cut

the rope with earlier. He resolved to swing it in the assailant's face if worse

came to worst. If it came to that, Subaru wouldn't hesitate.

 His eyes hardened. He wouldn't run no matter who or what came out.

 His life was in grave peril, but somehow, he was still alive. Maybe he didn't

have to throw away this time; maybe it was still possible to drive off the

assailant.

 Having already given up once, Subaru desperately reached out for any

glimmer of hope.

 Perhaps that glimmer was Emilia. Perhaps it was the maid twins. Perhaps it

was that cheeky little girl or maybe Roswaal. Without intending to, Subaru

forgot his situation, remembering the collection of memories he thought he'd

shoved aside.

 He'd made promises. Promises he had to keep.

 But then…

 "—You leave me no choice," she said.

 The chain made a sound. He felt slack in the chain as its wielder drew closer.

 But Subaru didn't pick up those subtleties as his eyes opened wide.

 He couldn't speak. His lips quivered as a whimper came out of his throat.

 Unintentionally, his fingers grasping the chain let go as he made a small, listless

shake of his head, as if rejecting the reality before him.

 Walking on the grass, stepping over branches, a young girl emerged from the

darkness.

 She was wearing a black, rather short apron dress. She wore a white lace

hairpiece. She gripped a handle chained to the iron ball thoroughly unsuited to

her small stature.

 Her blue hair rustled in the wind as she made a familiar tilt of her head, a

neutral look on her face.

 "…You're kidding, right, Rem?"

 One of the girls Subaru had meant to protect was wielding the fiendish iron

ball before him.

4.7

 Instantly, the back of Subaru's mind was completely filled with white noise.

 He desperately wanted to deny the sight before his eyes, but he could think of

nothing that would let him.

 —Subaru's thoughts were white, pure white, with nothing in them

whatsoever.

 His breathing stopped. His heart seemed to stand still, like it had forgotten to

keep beating.

 What freed Subaru from that state was the cold feel of the drop of sweat

rolling down the skin of his forehead.

 —This is bad. Bad bad bad bad bad bad.

 His empty thoughts became filled over and over with violent unease and

panic. No rational thoughts came. Was this truly Rem before his eyes?

 Was this truly the Rem Subaru knew, her polite words sliding in like daggers,

punctual to the point of obsession, doting on her impudent sister, harboring a

serious inferiority complex?

 With Subaru having lost his earlier will to fight, Rem looked at him as she ran

her free hand through her hair.

 "If you do not resist, I can grant you a quick end?"

 "—You really think I'm gonna say yes? That's like telling me to eat shit."

Illustration 6

 "How very rude. Yes, I suppose that is in your nature, Dear Guest?"

 Rem was behaving just like she had at the mansion, her curtsy and polite

speech so thoroughly out of place that he felt like he really was seeing things.

 But that could not make him dismiss the brutal foreign object in Rem's hand.

 "I'll grant you that a girl with a blunt weapon is kind of hot, but…"

 A spiked iron ball on a chain. A blunt weapon that could turn an opponent

into mincemeat with one blow. Rem had to be quite a sadist to pick a weapon

like that. Subaru, having tasted its might and losing his life to it once already,

knew only too well that Rem's control of the iron ball was absolute.

 Little by little, Subaru ground the reality down between his teeth, his mouth

forming the words he was reaching for.

 "It's kinda cliché to ask, but…why are you doing this?"

 "It is nothing complicated. You are suspicious, so I will render judgment as a

maid should."

 "Haven't you ever heard of 'love thy neighbor'…?"

 "I am fully committed to this, so…"

 Rem looked at Subaru like she expected a prompt response, apparently

having no intention of letting him play for time. If he moved now, she'd kill him

for sure.

 It was less of a stalemate than staring down the barrel of a gun. Subaru's

brain spun as he desperately tried to wring a little info out of this without his

anguish lowering his guard.

 "—Does Ram know about this?"

 Abruptly, he invoked the name of the sister sharing Rem's face.

 Ram wore three crowns: she was arrogant, rude, and overbearing. As a maid,

she was inferior to her little sister in every respect, but Subaru had spent more

time with Ram than anyone else at Roswaal Manor. If even Ram had become

his enemy—what did those days they spent together mean?

 That was why Rem's reply was the one Subaru had sought without knowing it.

 "I intend to finish this before Sister is aware of it."

 Subaru took a deep breath and looked back straight into Rem's eyes. Rem

raised her brows as she watched Subaru lick his lips as if he'd come back to life.

 "So you decided this on your own? Roswaal didn't order you?"

 "I will eliminate all who oppose Master Roswaal's wishes. You are merely

one."

 "Man, can't he train his lapdogs not to bite at people just passing thro—

Ugh?!"

 Subaru taunted Rem a little to probe Rem's true feelings, only to have the

chain leap in from the side.

 "You shall not insult Master Roswaal."

 The blunt impact made his vision waver; a sharp pain conveyed the vertical

cut in his left cheek.

 With the iron ball still stuck in the rock face, she'd smacked Subaru by using

the chain as a whip.

 So that was the price he paid for his flippant taunt. But he'd gotten something

for it.

 At the very least, he could now confirm that Rem's loyalty to Roswaal was the

real thing. She no doubt really believed silencing Subaru was for Roswaal's

benefit. She'd decided that Subaru's leaving Roswaal Manor was

disadvantageous for Roswaal, who was supporting Emilia's candidacy.

 In other words, this was—

 "Ah, that's what it is— That's how little you trust me, huh?"

 "Yes."

 Her grudging nod made Subaru feel pain equal to a sharp blade being thrust

deep into his chest.

 Subaru had dreaded that answer, for accepting it meant looking at his days at

the manor in an entirely different light. So Subaru didn't say it. He locked that

horrid feeling deep in his chest. But he couldn't help himself from laughing at

 his own obliviousness.

 "Damn, just look at me. I thought I'd done all right, but I was so wrong…"

 "…My sister—"

 "I don't wanna hear it—! Take this!"

 Rem hesitated slightly for one instant as Subaru shouted and drew his cell

phone from his pocket, thrusting it before him.

 —The next moment, a white light cut through the darkness of the forest,

freezing Rem momentarily.

 "—Raaah!"

 Subaru screamed as he leapt in and tackled her small body, knocking her

away.

 Rem was able to wield that violent device with unbelievable force, but in a

straight-up collision, Subaru's greater height and weight won out. His charge

held nothing back, sending her small body flying; she lost her balance and

stumbled to the ground. Subaru didn't spend even a moment to look at her as

he rushed past.

 He wheezed as he shoved air into his lungs and thought as he ran.

 If this was Rem's decision alone, Subaru had two options for survival. One

surely was to return to the manor and speak directly to her master. But if

Roswaal thought the same way Rem did, he'd simply be going from the frying

pan into the fire.

 "But even so…there's Emilia…!"

 His memory of her shone brighter than that of any other. If he could trust

anyone, it was her.

 —But would she, a royal candidate, trust Subaru's words when she had the

most to lose from doing so?

 "—?!"

 Instantly, the voice from the back of Subaru's head struck him with the force

of a thunderbolt.

 Without any doubt, it had been his voice that doubted Emilia's heart. It was

Subaru himself who had doubted her, knowing how she was forthright, earnest,

and unhesitant to put herself in harm's way for others.

 "Why…am I doing…!"

 His standpoint had changed, and so had his thoughts. But to doubt Emilia?

 If Subaru couldn't even trust the person he'd resolved to protect, who could

he believe in?

 He was pathetically fleeing through the mountains because of the big plan

he'd formed to protect the life of someone whose heart he doubted. How sane

was that?

 —He'd gather intel this time? Yeah, right.

 Why was he here, under threat from a completely unexpected direction,

running for his life like this? He'd been too proud. He'd been naive. He hadn't

thought it through.

 His breath ragged, half running and half falling down a slope, Subaru was

awash in regrets.

 He whined as tears clouded his vision. His steps grew clumsy. Suddenly, the

trees opened wide into a clearing; Subaru saw that night was creeping across

the sky. Then—

 "—Ah?"

 A blade of extremely concentrated wind lashed out, slicing off Subaru's right

leg at the knee, sending it flying away.

 Subaru watched his right foot leap and bounce with great force as he lost his

balance, slamming into the ground. The impact made the cut on his cheek bleed

again; his shoulder bone sounded like it'd exploded as it rammed into the rock.

Subaru screamed, the cut across his whole body jabbing into his brain like an

electric shock.

 "Aaaaaaagh! M-my leeeeeg?!"

 It didn't hurt, and that felt scarier.

 Pieces of his lost lower leg were blown off, sailing into the thickets ahead. A

delayed gush of fresh blood dyed the ground reddish-black; only then did the

pain invade his nervous system in earnest.

 "—!"

 He clawed at the ground as unspeakable pain rippled through him.

 He pressed down on the wound, thrashed his body, pounded his free right

hand against the ground, smacked a tree, and clawed at the bark as his

consciousness boiled from the heat. It hurt, it hurt, it really hurt.

 He felt the pain shaving away his nerves as if a carpenter's plane were

whittling him from the inside out. Having lost so much blood so quickly, it

gradually dawned on him that he was dying.

 "Mana of Water, grant thy healing."

 A soft palm abruptly pressed down on Subaru's thrashing body. Unable to

move, Subaru shifted his bloodshot eyes and noticed the girl in the maid outfit

at his side.

 It was the blue-haired Rem. Rem, who had tried to kill Subaru just now,

enveloped her palm in a pale light, pouring warm magical energy onto Subaru's

amputated right leg. He felt the itch of healing magic.

 The pain didn't vanish completely, but shock seized Subaru at the surreal

scene. Subaru didn't know why Rem was healing him at a time like this. Sensing

Subaru's gaze, she gave him a soft, casual smile. What seemed like a tiny ray of

hope died with the words that followed.

 "I will not be able to ask you anything if I let you die so easily."

 It truly sank in what an optimistic idiot he was.

 Rem stood up as she finished her first aid, making a sound with her chain as

she pulled along the iron ball.

 Subaru was lying faceup with the iron ball gouging the earth as it neared him.

The closer he saw it, the clearer it looked like the crude, unrefined, specialized

tool for violence that it was, existing only to take life.

 Rem had deliberately brought it where he could see. Her intentions were

 crystal clear.

 It was the easiest way for her to demonstrate that his life was in her hands.

 "—I am confiscating this."

 Rem spoke as she crouched and opened up Subaru's firmly closed hand. His

hand had been locked around the knife since his encounter with Rem, unable to

let go.

 Rem roughly pried open his fingers and took the knife, turning it around in her

hand.

 "Had you stabbed me with this earlier, you would have been able to flee a

little farther."

 Rem knitted her brows, speaking like she couldn't comprehend Subaru's

illogical act. But Subaru, suppressing his breathing amid the throbbing pain,

shook his head.

 —There was no way he could have stabbed Rem with that knife.

 That knife had been the implement in his hands when he'd spent such busy

and gentle times with Rem's back to him as Ram taught him how to peel

vegetables. He couldn't stab Rem with that.

 —Subaru's heart lacked the strength for that.

 As Subaru continued shaking his head without a word, Rem sighed and

discarded the knife into the forest thicket.

 She seemed to refocus her attention as she made the chain clank and coldly

looked down at Subaru.

 "I ask you, are you working with one of Lady Emilia's rival claimants to the

throne?"

 "…My heart belongs to Emilia."

 The moment he spoke, the chain ferociously lashed Subaru's upper body. His

shirt, scratched all over during his flight, easily tore open, as did the skin

underneath.

 Subaru's scream echoed through the forest.

 "Who hired you and on what terms?"

 "E-Emilia-tan's smiling face is…priceless."

 She moved her wrist the other way and did the same thing again. Feeling like

she'd lashed him in precisely the same place, he knew his anguished cry served

as praise for her skill.

 She asked more questions like that. He made more replies like that.

 Several times more, the chain rang out. Several times more, Subaru's painful

cries matched it.

 When his consciousness faded, Rem treated him with healing magic. Trapped

in a hell of repeated healing and violence, Subaru's spirit frayed; he lost

consciousness several times like that.

 Yet, his heart did not submit to Rem's lashings.

 Rem must have felt tired of Subaru's obstinate attitude when she wiped the

blood spatter off her face and looked up at the sky.

 "If I do not get back soon, I will be late preparing the meal…"

 "…Dinner, huh. What's on the menu today, huh…"

 "Let's see. How about mincemeat pie?"

 "S-sorry, I think I'll have to skip it…"

 Rem finally showed some sign of emotion as she sighed at Subaru's behavior,

flippant to the bitter end. After that, she fell silent for a while before looking

down at Subaru, her eyes colder than ever before as she interrogated him.

 "—Are you a member of the Witch Cult?"

 Subaru knit his brow, perplexed at having vocabulary he'd never heard before

thrown at him.

 He didn't know what those words meant in regards to the place, the

circumstances, or Rem's real thoughts.

 "Answer, please. You are one of the Bewitched, yes?"

 "…Be what?"

 "Do not play games with me!"

 Agitated, Rem's pale blue eyes shot daggers through Subaru in a rage. It was

literally the first time Subaru had seen Rem worked up like this since they'd

met.

 Rem's pale face glowered as she looked down at Subaru with pure hostility.

 "I don't know them… My whole family's atheist to begin with…"

 "Still denying it? It is plain you are involved with the witch. Her stench is all

over you!"

 Hatred. Rem's eyes seethed with dark hatred as they glared at Subaru.

Subaru's eyes widened, feeling like this part of Rem, this vortex of emotion, put

every single thing she'd done in a completely new light.

 "Even if Sister or no one else notices, I can smell it on you! The leftover stench

of that monster makes me want to spit in disgust!"

 Subaru fell silent. Rem, standing before him, bit her lip so hard that she

seemed to be grinding her teeth.

 "I was anxious and angry when I saw you speaking with Sister. You, someone

involved with the one who put Sister through so much…weaseling into our

precious home—!"

 Her words of undiluted malice mercilessly bathed Subaru in bitterness.

 "I have been watching you since Master Roswaal welcomed you…but the

entire time, it hurt to watch you. I could not bear it."

 Subaru had been unable to say a word. Then, Rem drove the dagger home.

 "Even if I knew that the whole time Sister was taking care of you, she was just

pretending to be friendly!"

 "—"

 Rem seemed to be making up for her seemingly inadequate emotions by

slamming all her bottled-up resentment at Subaru in one go. Rem stopped

speaking as her shoulders shook, her eyes filled with rage as they glared at

Subaru. Then, her anger abruptly wavered from surprise.

 "—What the hell…?"

 For, as Rem spoke words filled with hatred, Subaru had been crying quietly.

 "I knew it was…something like that."

 Sobs came up his throat, hot tears slipping out of his eyes and falling upon his

cheeks.

 The flood of seemingly ceaseless tears continued as Subaru said in a

sorrowful, halting voice, "So that's what it was… I knew there was some reason

behind all the kindness. But…I was too afraid to ask…"

 It was the two of them who had drilled the basics of work into good-for-

nothing Subaru.

 Ram had scoffed at him for not knowing how to put on a butler outfit. Rem

had re-tailored the ill-fitting suit and taught him how to put it on. Ram had

patiently stuck with Subaru when he'd been painstakingly learning characters.

After the promise to have Rem cut his hair, she'd often been staring at him;

he'd been happy to have people paying attention to him and urging him on.

 They were all kind memories he could never forget.

 "I finally learned how to peel veggies without cutting my hand. I learned how

to do laundry right. Didn't finish learning how to clean the place, but…"

 He couldn't have hoped for more in four days. But he'd thought that, if he

could get past those four days, there was much more to learn in the days to

come.

 "Reading… It's just the simple stuff, but I can do that now. I studied like I

promised. I read the picture book. It's all thanks to you two…"

 "What are you…talking about?"

 The tone of Rem's voice fell, like she was creeped out by Subaru's rambling

words. Subaru looked straight up into Rem's eyes.

 "I'm talking about what you two have done for me…"

 "I recall no such thing."

 "—Why don't you remember?!"

 The sudden burst of rage made Rem take a step back without thinking.

 Subaru forced his lying body to rise, glaring at Rem with his teeth bared as he

shouted.

 "Why'd everyone leave me behind…! What did I do to you…! Tell me what I

did to you…!"

 He couldn't control his emotions. He knew full well he'd be ripped to pieces,

but Subaru's heart, his very soul, could not stop shouting.

 He'd been summoned to another world, subjected to senseless things, and in

spite of it all, he'd gritted his teeth and pushed forward.

 But he'd reached his limit.

 "What'd I do wrong? What's wrong with me? Why do you girls hate me that

much…? Even…that promise… I've always…"

 "—I—"

 "I've always lo—"

 —The impact did not permit him to say any more.

 The sudden force bent back Subaru's body; it gently hit the tree trunk behind

him.

 Subaru heard nearby sounds like faint breathing and frothing water. When he

shifted his gaze, he immediately discovered the cause.

 "—"

 His throat.

 Half of Subaru's throat had been ripped out. He was gurgling air and bubbles

of blood from the middle of his windpipe.

 Dumbfounded, he looked at Rem's face as she stared at the wound.

 Having seen that much, Subaru's eyes lost their spark, going dizzy and white.

 He couldn't speak. His mind felt like someone had turned off the switch.

 Everything grew distant. There was no pain, no sadness; he left behind all his

emotions.

 But in the end, he had the faint sense he could hear someone's sad voice.

"—Sister is too kind."