Subaru had identified two major hurdles he needed to clear in order to survive his first week at the Roswaal mansion.
The first was winning the trust of the mansion's inhabitants — not only from
If he failed to meet their standards — or his master's — there was a very high probability that his life would be quietly eliminated under the pretense of silencing a liability.
This was the conclusion he had arrived at after turning it over in his mind countless times during the previous loop, with time to spare.
Similarly, venturing outside without their permission fell into the same category. Suspicious behavior led straight to a DEAD END — a point where the utmost caution was warranted.
As for the second hurdle — he hadn't even found a lead on that one yet.
Specifically, the identity of the curse user who attacked the Roswaal mansion.
The practitioner of curse arts who had taken Subaru's life the first time, shattered his mind and body the second time, and killed Rem in the fourth iteration of this world.
By the fifth iteration, he had not yet caught so much as a glimpse of their identity. His goal this time was twofold: to track this person down, and to defeat them.
To sum it up: earn the quiet trust of Ram and Rem, and if on top of that he could defeat the evil sorcerer, he might have a shot at breaking the loop.
Four deaths, and only now could he finally see the conditions for victory.
On top of that, there were still vast unknowns surrounding the actual fulfillment of those key conditions — he couldn't deny the feeling that he had come back without any sort of plan.
It was enough to make him sigh at the sheer adversity of his prospects, but Subaru shook off the headache-inducing weight of it all and turned his gaze forward.
No matter how towering the walls before him, he had no choice but to challenge them.
He had gone so far as to take his own life to return here. He had gambled on conditions that might not even allow him to come back — and still, Subaru had returned.
He had once proven his willingness to die by his own hand.
If that was the case, then he should face what lay ahead as though he were already dead.
—That was the resolve Subaru had settled on.
※※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ "So then, Ram? How do you rate him, from your perspective?"
It was the hour when the moon hung in the night sky. In the top-floor study of the Roswaal mansion, the private conference was underway.
Two participants: Roswaal, master of the mansion and owner of the room, and seated across from him, the pink-haired maid — Ram.
Hands clasped on the desk, lips curled into a faint smile, Roswaal posed his question. Ram tilted her head slightly as she considered.
Her hesitance to deliver her report prompted Roswaal to raise a single eyebrow, as though witnessing something rare.
"Hmm, for the typically decisive Ram to be pondering — now that's something you don't see every day. Was one day not enough to measure him?"
"That's not exactly it."
The denial came quickly, but its substance was, once again, somewhat lacking in clarity. She touched a finger to her lips, a trace of unease still lingering, and continued.
"He — this Barusu — is, well, completely incompetent from a skill standpoint. His performance as a servant is barely a step above a civilian with a coat of fur on. Whether he's suited for the work or not is beside the point — he's simply outside the scope of evaluation."
"Mm, and yet he was the one who insisted on working for us. That's quite the curious thing."
Roswaal chuckled to himself, recalling the breakfast table.
He remembered the moment he had invited his newly awakened guest to dine, and they had discussed his accomplishments and their appropriate reward.
In Roswaal's estimation, the boy was 'a youth who has received a reasonable education, possesses passable wits, and can manage a basic degree of self-preservation.' Not a poor assessment — though in another sense, one that warranted vigilance.
Which was precisely why he had assigned Ram to serve as his tutor under the guise of surveillance, and why he had set aside this regular reporting session.
He hadn't expected results from the first day. But if, on the contrary, Ram's attitude was producing this kind of sense of unease, then the boy was a more troubling prospect than anticipated.
"There's something strange about him, though…"
"Go on. Tell me everything — hold nothing back."
"Skill-wise, he is utterly lacking, but Barusu is… how should I put it… disturbingly optimistic?"
It sounded less like she was choosing her words and more like she was searching for them entirely. Roswaal furrowed his brow.
He supposed Ram herself was aware that her account was failing to hit its mark. Her expression remained one of frustration at her inability to find the right words.
"He keeps talking in that manner of his, and even when he fails, he never loses his smile — if anything, he behaves with a kind of excessive devotion toward us…"
"And what do you think of that yourself?"
"I'd heard from
To Roswaal's low question, Ram offered only that.
He could not perceive the particular doubts she harbored — his contact with the boy had been too brief. But these were the observations of sisters who had accumulated considerable experience within the mansion. Considering the trust he placed in them, her counsel was certainly worth heeding.
"In any case, not being able to read someone on the first day is hardly unusual. He did save Emilia-sama, and we owe him a debt for that. —Let's give it a little more time and observe, shall we?"
"…In the worst case?"
It was perfectly clear that she did not want to hear what came next.
Her expression hadn't changed, yet Roswaal could sense it — perhaps a byproduct of their long association. He regarded this rare crack in Ram's composure with his yellow eye, then shook his head slightly.
"If it comes to that, then it comes to that. I would much prefer to handle the matter as gently as possible. —Do make sure Rem doesn't rush ahead on her own."
That blue-haired girl had a tendency, on occasion, to act unilaterally — even when she had correctly grasped his intentions. She rarely contradicted Roswaal's judgment or directives, but there had been moments when her impulse to nip threats in the bud proved troublesome.
This time, in particular, there was a strong possibility that such decisiveness would lead in a very unfavorable direction.
"The danger has been eliminated," she might report — and then, "However, my relationship with Emilia has deteriorated." That would be no laughing matter. It would be deeply inconvenient.
For Roswaal, all three were indispensable pieces on the board.
"Oh, by the way, Ram. Is the report finished?"
"…Yes. I'm sorry I couldn't provide anything more substantial."
"Now, now, I wouldn't think of blaming you for that. Rather, shall we attend to tonight's duties? —It's been two nights. You must be quite… aching?"
At the gesture of Roswaal's fingers beckoning her, Ram followed with an expression bordering on enchantment. She had been standing before the desk; now she drifted toward him with steps that seemed to sway, and gingerly settled herself onto the lap of the seated man.
"Tonight as well, forgive my intrusion…"
"It is merely the exercise of a proper right. It's nothing new, and there's no need to be shy. Your body is precious — and it doesn't belong to you alone."
He traced a finger along her cheek, tilting her face upward as she faintly closed her eyes. With his other hand he stroked through her pink hair, Roswaal closed one eye, gazing down at Ram with the blue one that remained.
"Now then — just what kind of existence are you to us? I do so hope we can remain on friendly terms."
He murmured those words within the confines of his mouth alone, and from that moment on, Roswaal switched off his awareness to everything else.
His eyes saw only Ram. His consciousness sank into Ram alone.
The first night deepened.
—Capped off by the eerie private audience between the master of the mansion and his maid.
※※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ "Good morning! Another clear day — perfect for laundry! Good for me, good for you, good for everyone! Good smile!"
Greeting the dawn of the second day with a threefold cheer of celebration, Subaru raised his voice in hearty applause.
Standing in the center of the garden, he let the sunlight scorch his eyelids, then dispelled his sleepiness by moving his entire body at full stretch.
The morning calisthenics — blood flowing properly through his limbs, the energy accumulated during sleep dispersing throughout his entire frame.
Finally, he thrust both hands toward the sky and shouted, "Victory!" — marking the true beginning of the day's beginning.
Light sweat beaded on his forehead. Subaru wiped it away crisply, then turned around.
"—You really are energetic first thing in the morning."
"Energy? I'm beyond energy — I'm super-energy! My energy is everyone's courage! I love you, you love me, we all love! Let's give it our all!"
At the far edge of the garden, in the shade of the trees surrounding the little grove, Emilia was going through her morning routine with a wry smile. Floating near her hand was a small gray furball — or rather,
"Watching you wash your face like that — you're totally a cat. On a different note, do spirits, like, get sleepy too? Ever oversleep?"
"You guys get tired when you're worn out too, right? When a spirit's mana reserves — our source of activity — start running low, it's pretty much the same thing. If you haven't gathered enough mana, the sleepiness just keeps going… nyaa…"
As Puck yawned, Emilia pressed her palm to her own lips and let out a small yawn as well. Subaru shrugged at their display and struck a playful pose.
"You two stay up too late, don't you? It's gotta be that thing, right? Staying up way past midnight talking about your favorite person — the usual late-night gossip session, right? Hey, hey, let me in on it too! My favorite person? Hmm, well, you see — it's really embarrassing, but—"
He clasped his hands together, lowering his eyes while casting glances toward Emilia. At his behavior, Emilia waved her hand dismissively, murmuring, "Okay, okay."
"The person I like is Puck, and the person Puck likes is me. End of story."
"A mutual love affair!? Where do I fit in!? Is there any room for me!?"
"Not a smidgen. Riá is absolutely smitten with my charms. Subaru, you might not have been a bad guy, but compared to me, you don't stand a chance. Just give up on this girl gracefully… nyu-nyu!"
Puck deflected the approaching Subaru with an air of superiority from on high.
Producing a hand towel from somewhere, Puck bit down on it and squealed — and Subaru, likewise, grabbed both their ears without mercy: Puck's ear as the cat thrashed about and bristled his whiskers, and Subaru's ear as he writhed on the ground wailing.
"Both of you, stop egging each other on! If you keep that up, I'm going to get angry, you know."
"Ow, ow — she's angry, she's angry!" they chorused in unison.
At Emilia's little punishment, one boy and one beast answered together in perfect harmony.
Released from her grip, they each rubbed their sore spots. Emilia let out a small sigh.
"It's good that you two get along, but don't use other people as props for your fun. Understood? Answer me."
"Yeees."
They were prompted by the hand she extended, and ended up nodding almost by momentum.
He couldn't shake the feeling that he was being played, but looking at her satisfied smile, such trivial concerns seemed to fade away — strangely enough.
A gentle smile surfaced through the sense of relief. As Subaru felt the sensation of his own lips loosening, he quietly panicked on the inside and forced the smile into place.
"What is this fluttering in my chest? Pulling the older-sister act on a guy who's already got the mature thing going — Emilia-tan, your appeal rush is way too intense, and I'm caught between grateful and screaming!"
"Grateful but also screaming… what does that feel like?"
"Something like: Kyaa-hyaaan! Right? Something like that!"
He placed both fists beneath his chin, bent one knee, and did a little hop. It was the kind of cutesy pose an old manga character might strike — but to his own surprise, the reproduction quality was surprisingly high.
"I dunno why, but it hit me way harder than expected."
"Underwhelming reaction! Why!? This is where the world and I part ways again — how tragic!"
Emilia let her shoulders slump in response to Subaru's full-commitment performance. The classic manga pose — the 'Sheeeh' — had drawn nothing from her.
The attack fizzled out, his energy drained away, and he crumpled to the spot.
"Physical gags sure do fall flat most of the time…! I mean, it's one thing when stuff like 'my life' or 'my flames' doesn't translate — you can't exactly picture that — but to not land the bewitching pose that's captivated audiences from children to adults? Just how harsh is the comedy market here…!?"
"I don't know what wall you just crashed into, but it's fine. Here — Subaru. Come here, come sit."
Emilia, seated cross-legged on the grass, lightly patted the spot beside her toward Subaru, who was on his hands and knees looking as though he might burst into tears.
The instant he understood the invitation — 'come sit here' — Subaru moved fast. He practically bounced into the air, slid in beside her, and announced: "Called, delivered, slid in, and arrived — that's me! What, what? What kind of timing is 'just right'? The man whose hand can reach the itchy spot on your back that you can't reach,
"I just invited you to come sit next to me, and the response was beyond anything I expected — what do I do now…"
"…………"
Emilia managed a wry smile in the face of his explosive energy. In the palm of her hand, Puck sat in silence, touching his own whiskers.
Perhaps deciding Puck was no help, Emilia began with a tentative "Umm" and turned to face Subaru.
"So, how was yesterday? Were you able to do your job properly?"
"Oh, eighty percent failure!"
"I see. You said that so confidently… wait. Failure? Eighty percent!?"
"No, sorry — that's a bit much. It was probably more like, if you're being generous, sixty… no, seventy, maybe fifty-five percent…?"
"That's still pretty bad…"
Something in Emilia's demeanor shifted, and Subaru felt an unexpected twinge of conscience, his own shoulders shrinking in response. Seeing Subaru deflate in turn, Emilia quickly waved her hands.
"But look, you got twenty percent right on your very first try! That's fine — you'll definitely get better. Come on, have some confidence!"
"Hey, yeah! Twenty percent on a first try — that's actually a pretty solid batter, isn't it? With the wind at my back and momentum on my side, I might just get carried away!"
"Don't let it go to your head — make sure you actually reflect on it."
"So demanding!? — Ah, no, no, you're right, I'm sorry!"
Beneath the force of Emilia's deadpan stare, the shoulders that had just begun to rise shrank back down, and Subaru hunched over.
In any case, "Well, honestly, with Ram and Rem backing me up, I've been managing to scrape by. I went all-in and still only landed twenty percent — there's nothing to be done about that at this point. I'll save my disappointment for next time and aim for a better result tomorrow!"
"If you're not that bothered by it yourself, then there's really nothing I need to say…"
At Subaru's optimistic posture, Emilia pouted her lips with a hint of petulance. That childlike gesture was so unexpectedly adorable that Subaru felt a constriction in his chest, his body flushing warm.
But he rallied every ounce of self-control and killed the impulse.
Subaru struck a playful pose and pointed at her with both index fingers.
"Now, now, now — that's how it is, this is how it goes, and so forth. Today, just like yesterday, I'll be putting in my hours as a servant while the maid sisters boss me around, teach me things, and punish me. When I'm completely worn out from all that, I'll come flying to Emilia-tan's lap — so make sure you keep it open, okay?"
"…Listening halfway, that actually sounds about right."
"A sweet face with a cutting remark! But hey, if you're listening halfway, that means one knee is up for grabs! Consider Emilia-tan's left knee reserved for tonight — and don't you touch it, Puck."
He shifted the finger he was pointing and fired off a declaration of war at Puck instead. The cat, receiving it head-on, didn't budge from his air of composure.
"Hmph, no matter what you say, Riá has already pledged body and soul to me under contract. At this stage, this relationship isn't changing — nyanyanyan."
"Don't go changing the terms of the contract without my knowledge."
Emilia plucked both of Puck's ears without mercy and suspended him in the air, shaking him.
With his entire body weight borne by his ears, the punishment would be unimaginable if inflicted on a human — but Puck weighed about as much as a cotton ball, so the damage appeared negligible. He swayed along with the motion, his expression remaining its usual pleasant calm.
"Well then, now that we've recharged our morning energy — time for work, I suppose?"
"Recharged energy? Did we even do anything?"
"Of course — Emilia-tan and I were having our little lovey-dovey time, so my love gauge is all charged up. That's two full bars, meaning I can fire off two ultimate techniques. It's settled, then."
"You're always so full of yourself like that. If you keep teasing people like this, when you finally say something serious, nobody's going to believe you. Haven't you ever read a fairy tale?"
"I know the genre! But honestly, that story was basically his own fault, so I don't think there's much room for sympathy…"
"*That's* coming from Subaru…?"
Emilia's gaze carried the weight of the proverb 'look at another's mistake and reflect on your own.' Subaru stuck out his tongue, laughing sheepishly, and got to his feet.
He brushed the grass off his behind, twisted his waist, and stretched.
"I'd better get going for real or I'll actually get in trouble. I'm starting with breakfast prep this morning. Oh, and Emilia-tan — you don't like bell peppers, right? I'll set yours aside."
"I don't like them but I still have to eat them… wait, did I ever tell you that, Subaru?"
Emilia tilted her head in puzzlement. Subaru left a small smile behind and waved as he went.
He was just a little pleased to have caught her off guard.
He swayed left and right as he walked, putting on a show until he disappeared from her sight.
Consciously — consciously — he kept the smile from fading.
※※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ Watching Subaru disappear unsteadily from view, Emilia let out a small sigh and looked down at her hand.
There, in her line of sight, the gray kitten was watching Subaru's retreating back. Sensing Emilia's gaze, the cat looked up.
"What's wrong? You've got kind of a gloomy look."
"I just feel… muddled. I can't really put it into words."
Hesitant, Emilia struggled to give voice to the confusion swirling inside her. But the attempt fell short, and in the end, all that emerged was a silent sigh dissolving into the air.
As Puck observed her inner conflict, he touched his pink nose and narrowed his eyes.
"Could it be about Subaru? That's rare — for Riá to care this much about someone else."
"Don't just go around saying things like I'm bad with people. It's not that I'm poor at socializing — I just never had many opportunities!"
She puffed out her cheeks and grumbled to the gray cat she had known for so long.
The childish display was something she would never let herself make if others were around — it was her particular way of being affectionate, reserved for Puck alone, a bond forged over many years.
Puck, receiving this display, wore a gentle expression.
It was the look of a parent delighted by a child's growth — though in his case, that was quite literally how he felt. Nodding with that same serene look, he spoke.
"Well, it's no wonder you're confused. Things have gotten a bit troublesome, after all."
"Troubled…?"
Though laid-back as always, Puck had said something she couldn't ignore, and Emilia's expression sharpened.
Generally speaking, Puck maintained the same demeanor regardless of the situation. Whether this was a trait unique to spirits or simply a matter of Puck's personality, Emilia couldn't say — but the weight of his words was often left for the listener to judge. Which meant, ultimately, that Emilia was the one who had to decide.
Despite the serious look she directed at him, Puck's composure did not waver.
Fiddling with the tip of his short whiskers, he said in his perpetually unhurried tone: "I poked around a little, you know. Subaru's heart — it's quite the tangled mess. Inside and out, all jumbled together. At this rate, I wouldn't be surprised if he wore himself down before too long."