[User] With the measurements done, they linked back up with Ram in the dressing room, and Rem went her separate way.

[Assistant] In spite of being pressed by work, “I will re-stitch your jacket overnight and deliver it before morning once it is done.” She shot Ram a look rich in meaning as she left.

[User] Their eye-to-eye message system made Subaru give Ram’s shoulder a soft poke. “Hey, what did Rem say with that eye-contact thing just now?”

[Assistant] “She said, ‘Subaru gave me perverted glances when we were alone’…You beast.”

[User] “So you got that much from just th— Hey, don’t back away, that hurt my feelings!” Though Ram’s retreat from Subaru, clutching her own shoulder, pained his heart, his time as a servant at the manor finally began in earnest. The west wing contained the servants’ quarters, spare furniture, and normal books not meant for the archive. In contrast, the east wing had suites for welcoming visiting nobles, with rooms for entertaining guests and other facilities, with few functional differences from the main wing.

[Assistant] “You have now toured nearly all of the manor. All that remains are the gardens outside the buildings and the front yard between the manor and the gate. You can see those later. Any questions so far?”

[User] “Shouldn’t the tour have been something Emilia-tan would’ve done?”

[Assistant] “Not at all, since we will be getting to work immediately.” During the guided tour, Ram’s personal disposition and Subaru’s penchant for stopping and going off on tangents made her easily fend off Subaru’s latest line. Subaru wasn’t sure if that meant the last several hours had brought them closer or he’d simply dug himself into a deeper hole, but… "My chores for today are maintaining the garden and front yard and checking the surroundings. I will be assisting in preparing lunch, and at Eight Solartime, I must wash the silverware… You shall assist me, Barusu.”

[User] “Sure thing, but what’s that Solartime you mentioned?” It was a term he’d heard when he’d awoken that morning. He’d guessed that Solartime referred to time during the day, but… “So Eight Solartime indicates the time… Do you have a clock or something?”

[Assistant] “Clock…? If you mean a magic time crystal, they are all over the mansion, including right over there.”

[User] Subaru looked where Ram pointed and saw a crystal emitting a dim light. The crystal hung from the upper part of the mansion’s wall—pretty much right where a big clock might be back in his world. Subaru squinted as he stared at the flickering green light emitted by the crystal.


[User] "It’s a little weird, but I guess it’s just another clock. How do I read it?”

[Assistant] "Solartime is Wind Time from zero to six, then Fire Time for the next six. Lunartime goes from Water Time to Earth Time— To not know this, are you some kind of barbarian, Barusu?"

[User] "An actual barbarian wouldn’t answer yes to that, you know?” He hated hearing it, but Subaru’s lack of common knowledge made that appraisal hard to shake. Thinking back, there was a magic time crystal in the room Subaru awoke in, too. Subaru felt that the crystal had been a lot greener then.

[Assistant] "So, what, the color gets brighter as time passes?"

[User] “…Wind Time is green, Fire is red, Water is blue, Earth is yellow. Anything else you want explained?”

[Assistant] “I’m okay with the time stuff now. Solartime and Lunartime are kind of like AM and PM from the sound of it.” No doubt he’d have to endure many other clashes with what passed for common sense in a fantasy world. Subaru crossed his arms and nodded. Ram seemed tired as she put a hand to her forehead.

[User] “It’s hard enough to train you for the job from scratch, but having so little common sense… When did I go from domestic help to an animal trainer?”

[Assistant] “It’s scary just to hear words like animal trainer, so maybe you could pick different ones, boss?” Ram’s eyebrows twitched at being called boss. Feeling that she either didn’t care or wasn’t too bothered, Subaru switched gears a bit.

[User] “By the way, there were only you two taking care of the place earlier, but it wasn’t gonna be like that forever, right? I mean, you had that maid who quit before?”

[Assistant] “…Master Roswaal has relatives living at various lesser manors, so most of our coworkers have come from there until now. Rem and I work here at the main residence so that we may attend to Master Roswaal personally.”

[User] “Main residence and lesser manors… So, um, this is the main residence?”

[Assistant] “Master Roswaal is head of the Mathers family, so of course he lives at the main residence. And I say relatives, but his relations with the other branches of the Mathers family are not particularly deep.” Perhaps Subaru should have expected that a nobleman like Roswaal would have a complex relationship with his family. Now that Subaru was working for the man, he couldn’t consider himself a bystander in that; besides, he was closely related to Emilia, a royal candidate.

[User] “Even if you’re just looking after Rozchi, this mansion’s too huge for two people to handle, right? Can’t you hire more people?”

[Assistant] “—Circumstances make that impossible at the moment. Also, the time for idle talk is over.” Ram clapped, signaling the end of that line of discussion as she calmly walked forward. Subaru wanted to ask her more about stuff, but he could do that and pick up more common knowledge as he worked.


[User] "Haven’t worked like this before, but I feel really positive for some reason. I guess it’s the beautiful-girl thing?" He needed to put his back into the work first, to keep her happy if nothing else.

[Assistant] "Flattery will get you nothing. No kindness, no mercy."

[User] "You should learn a little modesty from your little sister, geez!" Subaru threw that out, still chewing over the conversation with Rem back in the dressing room.

[Assistant] “Oww—!” Subaru was half in tears as he yelped at the fresh wound, wet with red blood.

[User] Ram, engaged in the same work right beside Subaru, narrowed her eyes as she watched him wave around his bleeding left hand. "That is what thoughtlessness gets you. Basuru, do you know the meaning of improvement?"

[Assistant] "But this is the first time I’ve dealt with any tableware that’s not chopsticks!" Subaru stuck his cut finger into his mouth as he complained, his cheeks puffing as the metallic taste filled his mouth. They were in the kitchen, shortly before noon. After wrapping up in the garden with Ram, the two returned to the dining hall to help Rem prepare. That being said…

[User] "I understand me, but making your big sister peel stuff, too? I mean, where’s the dignity?"

[Assistant] "We have worked and lived together a long time, so we divide work by our specialties. This is not my place to shine." Ram was quick with a counter.

[User] "I thought I heard earlier that she’s better than you in every area, though?!" He’d heard earlier how Ram came in behind Rem at cooking, cleaning, washing, sewing, and pretty much every other chore. Ram did seem pretty experienced at peeling veggies, though.

[Assistant] "Are both of you going to be done soon?" Rem spoke, seemingly wide-eyed at the two she’d entrusted the peeling to as she put them to shame with her ferocious meal preparation. Rem’s practiced hand was far beyond the norm, making her cooking feel like a type of highly polished performance. …Completely unlike the other two, doing menial work off in a corner. Rem looked back as she poured ingredients into a huge frying pan and mixed them. Silently looking over her big sister peeling and Subaru bleeding, Rem nodded like nothing had happened.

[User] "As usual, Sister, the sight of you peeling vegetables is worthy of a painting."

[Assistant] "Your favoritism is so obvious, it’s refreshing! I’d love a comment for the work I’m doing, too!"

[User] "I feel sorry for the farmer who grew those vegetables."

[Assistant] "Stop, you’re wounding me!" Rem was looking at the atrocious wreckage of the vegetables Subaru had peeled. The potato-like vegetables had been cut down roughly halfway, yet, skin remained on them. Furthermore, fairly deep cuts to his hand had left the table wet with blood. Ram, peeling her potatoes very prettily, glanced at the still-bleeding Subaru and offered advice.

[User] "You handle a knife poorly, Barusu. You’re cutting yourself because you’re moving the knife, not the vegetable."


[User] "When peeling, keep the knife steady and rotate the vegetable around.” Her form was excellent; her peelings had no interruptions from head to tip.

[Assistant] “I will have you know, my specialty is steamed potatoes.”

[User] “You actually looked proud when you said that! Damn it, just watch. My beloved blade Shooting Star will put you in your place!” Frustrated, he picked up the knife and tightly grasped the wooden handle. It was a completely ordinary knife for peeling, but from that day onward, it would be Subaru’s precious Shooting Star.

[Assistant] “Uoaaah—!” Raising his voice, he hunched over and held the knife steady, rotating the vegetable just as Ram had advised. The first cut was still rather deep, but he was surprised inside at how smoothly the rest went.

[User] Ram is looking proud of Subaru doing as she had instructed.

[Assistant] Genuinely grateful, Subaru concentrated on peeling without a word, when suddenly—


[User] "Dear Guest, Dear Guest. You look rather unwell. Are you all right?" The sisters call out.

[Assistant] "Dear Guest, Dear Guest. You look like your stomach hurts; did you soil yourself?" The sisters call out.

[User] Subaru hung his head in shame.

[Assistant] Subaru put his breathing in order and lifted his face. "Sorry to…make you worry. I’m just a bit…dense when I’m waking up."

[User] "—Ah, that’s right." After an instant, the blurry world became clear and reality forced itself upon the young boy.

[Assistant] "Dear Guest—?"

[User] "Dear Guest—?"

[Assistant] But Subaru, seemingly feeling a chill in the air, obeyed his feeling of unease and rose in great haste, putting distance between them.

[User] "Dear Guest, you mustn’t move suddenly. You are not yet well rested…"

[Assistant] "Dear Guest, it’s dangerous to move suddenly. You have not yet soundly rested…"

[User] Subaru’s body reflexively pulled back from the two girls and their concerned voices.


[User] Subaru is gripped by an unshakable, faceless terror as the maid twins before his frightened eyes begin to sense that something was terribly wrong. Silence descended upon the room. Neither side could say or do anything.

[Assistant] "Sorry—I can’t do this right now!" Subaru's action, gripping the doorknob and practically falling into the hallway as he rushed out, was just a moment faster than the twins’ move to stop him. Subaru runs, the bare soles of his feet soaking up the cold of the hallway, drawing heavy, ragged breaths as he went. He ran fiercely, in a daze, with no particular destination in mind. He ran. He fled. Yet he didn’t comprehend what he was running from. All he knew was that he couldn’t bear to remain in that place a moment longer. Subaru ran down a corridor lined with similar-looking doors, his strides still tenuous, like he was about to fall over at any moment.


[User] Subaru puts his hands on a door - and, as he tumbled in, he was greeted by the great mass of bookshelves in the archive of forbidden books.

[Assistant] With the door shut behind him, the archive was completely sealed off from the outside world. The only remaining way to intrude into the room from the outside was to open every single door in the entire mansion. Subaru no longer sensed pursuit. He slumped his shoulders, leaned back against the door, and sank to the floor. He wasn’t squatting, and yet, his knees were shaking. So were the fingers he stretched out to try to hold them in place.

[User] "If I were playing paper sumo, I’d cut some crazy lines right about now, ha-ha…" Even his self-mockery had no bite to it. His dry smile seemed to contain nothing but hollowness. The scent of old paper in the air of the calm archive gently sprinkled a sense of ease and tranquility into Subaru’s mind. One after the other, after another…he desperately took deep big breaths. As Subaru gasped like a fish out of water, a scornful voice spoke from within the archive.

[Assistant] "—Quite a rude thing you are, barging in without so much as a knock." Beatrice sat upon a footstool straight ahead from the entrance, well inside the dimly lit room.

[User] Beatrice closed the book, altogether too large for her tiny body, and looked at Subaru. "I wonder, how do you breach the Passage…? This makes twice now."

[Assistant] "Sorry, a little while is fine, so let me stay here a bit."


[User] “Please.” Subaru put his hands together, bowed his head in supplication, and closed his eyes without waiting for her reply.

[Assistant] —This is a quiet place with no one here to bother me. I’ve gotta get a grip on the facts. What’s my name, where am I, who are the two twins from earlier? What’s the name of the girl in front of me, and who is she? This weird room? The four days I spent? The promise I made, to be with someone, tomorrow, who—

[User] “Oh yeah, Emilia…” He recalled her silver hair, twinkling under the moonlight, her bashful smile… He remembered the promise he had made with Emilia, with the moon and the starry sky shining above them…

[Assistant] “Beatrice…”

[User] “…Are we close enough for you to be calling my name, I wonder?”

[Assistant] “You said I breached the Passage just now, and once before, too?”

[User] Beatrice made a sour look at being addressed like an acquaintance and having a question foisted upon her. However, Beatrice valiantly maintained her poise as she replied, “You and your thick skull barged in here not three or four hours ago.”

[Assistant] “The time I came in, messing with your setup, and you got mad so you bullied me. Got it.” Though there was no strength behind it, he did not neglect his sarcasm toward Beatrice, getting further under her skin.

[User] —Subaru had encountered Beatrice three to four hours earlier, she’d said. Her words could only mean when he had first awakened at Roswaal Manor, when Subaru had, without any thought whatsoever, broken through the looping corridor on his first try. When he next awoke that morning, Ram and Rem were in front of the bed.

[Assistant] “In other words, this is the…second time I woke up in the manor, then.” Subaru gathered up memories from all over the place to piece together his circumstances. The only time the twins had both been present when Subaru woke was that morning. They’d alternated after that. Furthermore, the first day was the only time when he’d had the social status to use the bed in the guest room.

[User] “In other words, I went five days ahead, and I’ve gone four days back…?” Just like in the royal capital, Subaru had gone back in time. That summed up his present situation. But understanding it was one thing; accepting it was something else. Subaru clutched his head and tried to think of what could cause him to go back in time. When Subaru had gone back in time at the royal capital, it was triggered by death, which he’d dubbed Return by Death. He’d decided that, having died three times over before saving Emilia, he’d left that loop behind. In point of fact, he’d spent five days at Roswaal Manor in absolute peace and quiet, hadn’t he? And then, poof, suddenly going back in time—he hadn’t received any warning whatsoever.

[Assistant] “Did the conditions change from before…?”


[User] "I made myself think dying sent me back, but maybe it goes back on auto after one week…? No, if that were the case, then…”

[Assistant] “If that was so, there was no reason for him to have awoken on the first day at Roswaal Manor at all. The principles underpinning going back in time remained unclear, but loops like the one at the royal capital surely followed certain rules. One rule was definitely the place where you were reborn. If Subaru hadn’t been freed from that loop, he should have awoken right in front of the owner of the fruit shop with the scarred face, as he had three times over."

[User] "But it wasn’t a scarred middle-aged man, it was those angelic maids. Guess I’ve moved on up…” Subaru pats himself to check for injuries. “But if I died, how did I die? Everything was normal before I slept during the fourth night. At any rate, it didn’t feel like any situation I’d die in my sleep before reaching the fifth day.”

[Assistant] "So does that mean it’s a forced loop unless I reach clear conditions…?”

[User] “Besides, I’m the kind of gamer who gives up quickly and runs off to read a strategy guide…”

[Assistant] A scornful smile came over Beatrice as she watched Subaru sink into an ocean of introspection. "It’s become rather boring around here with all the mumbling you’ve been doing. Death this, life that—this is why humans are so boring, I suppose. It’s all deceits and conceits to the very end. This is why I can’t hold a conversation with your kind.”

[User] Subaru got up and dusted himself off, turning to face the door. "Leaving, I suppose?"

[Assistant] “There’re some things I’ve gotta figure out. I’ll leave moping around for sometime later. Thanks.”

[User] “I have done nothing at all… Would you leave already, I wonder? I really must readjust the Passage.”


[User] He twisted the doorknob; a cool breeze blew as he took his first step outside. The wind made his short hair sway; he covered his face with an arm as he felt a faint prickling in his eyes. Then, the wind stopped, he felt grass under his bare feet, and his breath caught a bit as he spotted the silver-haired girl in the garden, making his heart leap for joy. “Ahh, she really is so radiant.” Well, this is a nice touch, he thought, internally pouring out a string of invectives at the cheeky guardian of the archive.

[Assistant] "—Subaru!" Upon noticing Subaru, the girl’s violet eyes opened wide as she urgently rushed to his side. Those three bell-like syllables pouring from her lips were in the highest pitch she could make.

[User] Subaru spontaneously shifted his feet toward the fast-approaching girl.

[Assistant] As she gazed at him from head to toe, the corners of her eyes descended in relief. But she immediately snapped back to her senses and returned to her normal look. "Don’t make me worry like that. Ram and Rem were really worked up, running all around the mansion making a big fuss because you ran off right after you woke up.”

[User] “Rare for them to get that worked up, huh. And sorry. Beatrice held me up for a bit.”

[Assistant] “Again? I heard she picked on you once already before I got up, but…” As Emilia’s beautiful face drew near with an expression of concern, her defenseless look made Subaru reach out his hand to her, as if his own weak heart were trying to cling to her for support. But it was far too abrupt a place for it. If he did that, calming down in the archive would lose all meaning. It wasn’t his goal to make a scapegoat out of Beatrice. All Subaru could do, seeing Emilia’s anxious face, was respond with a vague expression. It wasn’t very Subaru-like behavior, but Emilia’s formality didn’t permit her to dig much deeper. Of course it didn’t. Emilia hadn’t spent a single hour with this Subaru since meeting him; there was no way she could know that. The four carefree days Subaru and Emilia had spent together had been tossed into the gutter; four carefree days that had really happened, that Subaru knew but Emilia did not.

[User] “What is it? Is there something on my face?”

[Assistant] “Yeah, there are cute eyes, nose, ears, and mouth all over your face… Er, I’m glad that you’re all right.”

[User] Emilia’s face, scowling as if to complain about the initial sweet talk, immediately nodded at the last part. “Yes, I’m quite all right, because you protected me. How about your condition, Subaru?”

[Assistant] “Ah, all good, all good. Thanks to blood loss, mana drain, and the shock from when I woke up, I’m a bit weak and my mind feels like it’s been beaten with a bat, but I’m feeling good!”

[User] “I see, that’s won— Eh?"


[User] “That sounds like you’ve been taking a beating all over…”

[Assistant] “I’m fine. See?” He spread out both arms and turned all around to show Emilia that he was in good health. He did seem to be returning to top form, bit by tiny bit. The gears were turning, the tongue was moistening the lips; he had to start being Subaru Natsuki.

[User] “Well, that’s fine and good… Er, are you going back to the mansion? I have a little bit of business, actually.”

[Assistant] “Ah, chat time with the spirits, huh? I won’t be in the way, so can I stay? And lend Puck to me, would you?”

[User] Emilia tilted her head and spoke as if speaking down to a child. “That’s fine, but you really have to stay out of the way. This isn’t a game.”

[Assistant] Emilia’s sisterly behavior was just so adorable that it made Subaru’s spirit burn with determination. “Okay, Emilia-tan, let’s get this show on the road! Time is short, the world is big, and our tale has just begun!”

[User] “I suppose s… Eh? What did you say just now? Where did this ‘tan’ come from…?”

[Assistant] “It’s okay, just go with the flow!” With Emilia expressing surprise at his intimate pet name, he pushed on her back as both headed to that spot in the garden. Her losing the will to keep “correcting” him and grudgingly accepting how he spoke to her had been one of the bonds built up between them during those four lost days. Emilia still wore a face of resistance as Subaru walked behind her and murmured very quietly. “—We’ll get them back.” As they stopped, he gazed at her long silver hair, and then shifted his eyes to the sky. —He spitefully looked at the sun rising in the low sky of the east. This and four more and he’d be right at the appointed hour. All he needed to fulfill the promise with this girl like the moon was to greet the arrival of the sun. —He had time. And he knew what the answer would be.

[User] “I dunno who’s got it in for me, but I’m gonna take it all back and make you cry. Don’t underestimate how tenacious I can be after I fell madly in love with the smile I saw that night.” He shook a fist toward the sky and declared war to no one in particular. It was Subaru’s first declaration of open defiance at the “summons” and “loop” that had brought him to that world. He had begun his battle against the second loop. All so that he could move past his week at Roswaal Manor and learn how those days would continue. And to protect and fulfill the promise he had made that night—


[User] Subaru plans to spend the intervening time doing the same things to the fullest extent possible.

[Assistant] In accordance with his resolution in the garden, Subaru’s final objective was to fulfill the promise he’d made to Emilia on the final day.

[User] To do that, he had to get to that fourth night and make that promise once more.

[Assistant] This was because he’d concluded that loops were, to a certain degree, set in stone.

[User] If he followed the same path, the story would “conclude” at the same place.

[Assistant] If things followed the same flow as before, it was a natural result.

[User] Factoring in the thought processes and behavior patterns of the people involved, things would surely head to the same place.

[Assistant] To Subaru, the important thing was to redo everything and change up only the end result.

[User] That was the best way to proceed he could think of.

[Assistant] In other words, the best way to reach his objective was to see the loop through.

[User] With sublime mischief, Subaru resolved to save and load his way forward, leading events to the conclusion he desired.

[Assistant] "So, what is this…? Did I mess up somewhere…?" Subaru opens his mouth wide and blows bubbles as he looked back on his first day in the steamy bath.

[User] As far as his plan was concerned, everything after that moment of resolve that morning had been a complete disaster.

[Assistant] First, he’d finished his daily morning routine with Emilia and awaited Roswaal’s return to the manor before speaking to him in the dining hall.

[User] Put bluntly, he didn’t have confidence he could reproduce all the fine points of an in-depth conversation, but surely he’d touched on all the high notes from last time.

[Assistant] He’d got to touch Puck as a reward, addressed Emilia like a friend, discussed Emilia’s candidacy for the royal succession, and determined where he stood in relation to Roswaal Manor.

[User] Just as before, Subaru had charmed his way into becoming an apprentice servant at Roswaal Manor.

[Assistant] Afterward, he’d gone off with Ram to be shown around the manor and begin his first day of work, but that’s when things went off the rails.

[User] Subaru, his face the only part not submerged in the bath, let his chin ride upon the water of the tub as he murmured with dismay.

[Assistant] "Then why was everything different from last time? I feel like a student who went through all the trouble of writing cheat sheets when they changed all the subjects on the test… What was the point of redoing it?"

[User] Subaru’s whole plan had been to redo everything exactly as he’d done before.

[Assistant] However, the details of the training for his new post and the duties Ram had imposed on him were completely different from before.

[User] He felt like it went from Odd Jobs 101 to Odd Jobs 401.


[User] “They were still all odd jobs, but…there was waaaay more to them than last time.” Perhaps he needed to look at it as trusting him with higher-level work and more of it? “Last time everything just ran me ragged, but this time it was hard as nails… Damn, I thought it was gonna be easy, all the same stuff.” Subaru was not merely venting complaints at his expectations being so cruelly disappointed. He’d decided he really wasn’t in a good situation. This was the result of his trying to spend his time like before. With so many details of his first day altered, he could not rationally expect things would be like last time on the second and following days. Overlooking the fine details, he was terrified that a much larger problem might yet rear its head. “I still don’t have any real clue why I went back this time around…” This time, he’d gone to sleep “normally” and woke up having gone back in time. Unlike the death loop he had been in before, he had no way to avoid something he couldn’t anticipate. Just the thought of it made his head hurt. “With this many differences, can I rely on my memory at all…?” He thought back to that fateful day when he met Emilia in the capital. A mountain of little details differed, but things were still proceeding in largely the same direction. He didn’t know how to escape from the big event. The only thing that stood out differently from the last time in Subaru’s mind was the promise he’d made with Emilia. Surely, if he made it that far, he’d be able to change the results and get past this. Subaru sank into the bathtub, put his thoughts in order without a breath of oxygen, and poked his head out of the bathtub once more.

[Assistant] "Well, hello. Maaay I join you?" The sight of the bare-naked nobleman before him, hands on his hips, made Subaru deeply regret that he required air. They were close enough to touch as he stood in the nude, his crown jewels swaying between his legs as he looked down at Subaru.

[User] “It’s currently occupied. I refuse.”

[Assistant] "The facilities in my own manor are my personal belongings, are they nooot? Allooow me to freely enjoy them."

[User] “Then don’t ask. You don’t need my permission to get in the tub!”

[Assistant] "Oh my, so haaarsh. You do not understand. The bath is certainly my personal possession…" Roswaal went down on one knee as his hand reached out and gently lifted Subaru’s unresisting chin. "...but in the capacity of my servant, are yooou not as well?"

[User] Chomp.

[Assistant] "No hesitation, I seeee." After biting the creepy fingertips holding his chin, Subaru swam backward, putting distance between Roswaal and himself. The bathroom’s size was firmly in the realm of “stupidly huge,” with a tub as broad as the oldest, best bathhouses.


[User] Plainly, it was the habit of nobles to use an excessively large amount of space, but he had to admit that monopolizing all that space felt pretty satisfying. "Another twist I didn’t expect, geez…" —During the previous four days, he hadn’t encountered Roswaal in the bathtub even once. During the last loop, Roswaal had been extremely busy; the two barely saw each other. No doubt the twins had tended to his needs, but Subaru barely had any contact with him outside of mealtime, their initial meeting excepted. "Damn it, every little thing’s happening in completely different ways than what I expected…"

[Assistant] "Althooough I know not what troubles you, not eeeverything in this world goes according to plan." Roswaal moved to Subaru’s side as he spoke of it being a tough world. He leaned back against the wall of the bathtub and let out a long sigh, somehow looking like any other man in the world enjoying the pleasures of the bath. "I only just noticed, but I guess even you take off your makeup for hot baths."

[User] "Mm? Aaahh, that’s right. Oh my, Subaru, I wonder iiif this is the first time you have seen my face unadorned?"

[Assistant] "I suppose it is. I’m like, you look totally normal. No need to hide your face like that."

[User] "Cosmetics is a hobby of mine. ’Tis nooot out of any need to hide my face. It is not as if the curl of my lips or the arch of my nose are abhorrent to the eye… Oh my."

[Assistant] "Don’t look at me while saying that stuff. Make three doe-eyed blinks and I’m keeling over here and now." Being born with bad looks was a serious drawback when making first impressions. And if Subaru wanted to complain about the face he was born with, what could he say? He looked exactly like his mother. Remembering his parents, Subaru had a conflicted look on his face as Roswaal changed the subject.

[User] "Aaare you getting along nicely with Ram and Rem? They’ve worked here for quite a while, so they are suuurely passing things along to their junior?"

[Assistant] "Well, I haven’t talked to Rem much, but I’m getting along well with Ram. If anything, Ram is a bit too friendly. Even with us senior and junior, she hasn’t treated me any differently from when I was a guest."

[User] "Weeell, Rem will make up for that shortcoming. It is only right sisters support each other. Those two are verrry well suited for each other in that sense."

[Assistant] "From what I see and hear, Ram’s the weaker sister, while Rem always covers for her." In every sense, it was clear which twin sister had the superior ability at domestic work. Rem had first-rate skills across the board while Ram would have needed to work hard to come close to second-rate.


[User] Normally, that setup would give Ram an inferiority complex, but…

[Assistant] “But all I hear is, ‘Ram’s amazing because she’s older.’ Being so bold is unreal.”

[User] “If you wish to speak of being bold, I think you are quiiite the specimen? But I see. I wonder if you replied and said the same things to her? It is quite a thing you are treading upon without reserve, which is quite maaarvelous.”

[Assistant] “The emphasis there doesn’t sound like praise at all, you know?” Subaru didn’t hesitate to intrude on other people’s personal turf because he was so bad at reading the mood. That aloof disposition made it easy for him to get isolated. You might say that it was his bad habit to get on other people’s nerves.

[User] At Subaru’s reply, Roswaal closed his right eye and looked up at the ceiling with his yellow left eye alone. “It is not sarcasm. I truly believe it is a gooood thing. Those girls are a little too perfect for each other, you see. Quiiite likely, some things change only when someone comes from outside and gives a liiittle…push, yeees?”

[Assistant] “Something like that, huh?”

[User] “Something like that, indeeeed.” The two immersed themselves into the bathtub up to their necks, letting their entire bodies soak up the sensations.


[Assistant] A little after that, Subaru raised his eyebrows, remembering something. “Oh, right. Ros, there’s something I wanted to ask you. Is that all right?”

[User] “Weeell, if it is within my vast personal knowledge, I wooould not mind.”

[Assistant] “That’s the most roundabout way of saying ‘I’m really smart’ that I’ve ever heard. But ah, anyway, how is this bath heated?” Subaru knocked a couple of times on the bottom of the tub as he addressed what had been nagging him the whole time. The bathtub Subaru and Roswaal were soaking in was made of stone; its pleasant smoothness made him think of marble. The bath was in a corner under the mansion, and of course it was for both genders. To begin with, everything in the bath was swapped after each time, so he had no special sense of fulfillment from getting in after Emilia. Subaru added a thought. “Not that I’m boiling in here. I just noticed before I got in.”

[User] “From time to time, your inquisitive spirit truuuly astounds me. I wonder if it is youth…although I wonder if I would have had that thought when I was your age?” Roswaal seemed to see a rare dazzle in Subaru’s youth as he nodded. “Regardless, the answer iiis quite simple. You seeee, there is a fire-attuned magic crystal under the bathtub that heats it. When triggered by the mana of someone entering the bath, it activates and brings the water to a boil. Surely you used such a thing in the kitchen?”

[Assistant] “So that’s how that pot worked. I was wondering how you cooked here without gas.” After Rem had made brief use of it, it’d been Subaru’s turn to peel vegetables.


[User] In the first place, not understanding the meaning of words like it runs on mana, spoken like an obvious, everyday thing, probably meant the dawn of Iron Chef Subaru was still a long time away.

[Assistant] "I mean, if it's mana, does that mean only magic users can use it?"

[User] "Nooot at all. All life forms have 'gates.' Nooo plant or animal is an exception. If 'twas not so, we could nooot achieve a society built on the use of magic crystals."

[Assistant] Subaru puzzled over the new piece of vocabulary.

[User] Roswaal, watching Subaru like that, cleared his throat and raised a finger. "Very well, shaaall we indulge in a lesson here? I, teaching magic tooo you, the somewhat unenlightened?"

[Assistant] "I'll ignore the way that stuff came out and accept with grace." Responding to the lecture proposal, Subaru turned to face Roswaal, who was kneeling in the center of the bathtub. None of that changed the fact that both were buck naked.

[User] "Verrry well. First, the basics. Subaru, you know what a 'gate' is, do you not?"

[Assistant] "No, you say it like it's obvious, but you don't know what you don't know…"

[User] "Your voice sounds very low all of a sudden. So you do not know of gates…or shall I saaay, totally? Mm, did I use that correctly?" Roswaal checked on the proper use of the word totally. Among all the little expressions Subaru had imported that originated from his world, he'd used that one especially frequently, so Roswaal was quite accustomed to it.

[Assistant] Subaru gave Roswaal full marks for good usage. After making a high five, they returned to the lecture. "So, what is a gate, anyway? Is that something you have or don't have?"

[User] "Put very simply, a gate iiis a doorway that leads inside your own body. Mana enters through the gate; mana leaves through the gate. A basic rule ooof life."

[Assistant] "Ahhh. It's like a faucet connected to MP…" He grasped Roswaal's simple explanation. So that was a gate; his ears had heard the term several times over. So it was pretty much what he'd guessed. "So if everyone has a gate, I have one, too?"

[User] "Weeell, you surely would, if you are confident that you aaare human. So, are you?"

[Assistant] "There's no purer human that's been thrown into another world, ever. Totally normal. Totally mob-grade." Situations that required combat strength to bust through them were completely new to him. His scientific know-how was fairly below average; his hand-eye coordination was pretty high, but his endurance was a sore point. His Acquired Skills were Sewing and Bed-making. One-way trip to becoming cannon fodder. But Subaru wasn't hung up on that; this was the second thing to be happy about since arriving in a different world. Enthralled by the word magic, his heart thumped, his eyes twinkling with hope. "Of course the first thing I'm happy about is meeting Emilia, but this is pretty awesome!"


[User] "Weeell, I am glad speaking of magic pleases you so, but becoming a magic user is largely dependent ooon fortune. In the first place, the properties of gates matter a great deal. You are uuunlikely to be as blessed as a genius such as I. I boast only because I must."

[Assistant] Roswaal’s behavior made Subaru hear a little ding as a flag rose in his mind. "My new hope is in your hands, Rozchi. Magic, magic, let’s talk magic some more! There’s a magic wave here, and my twinkling future’s surfing on it!"

[User] "Is that sooo? Then let us continue. Did you knooow that magic has four basic affinities?"

[Assistant] "Nope!"

[User] "Ahaaa, it feels good to have someone so senselessly, pointlessly guileless and ignorant before me, so I shall explain. The four elements of mana are fire, water, wind, and earth. Dooo you understand?"

[Assistant] "Got it; these are the basics, huh? Consider them absorbed. Go on, go on!"

[User] "Fire element relates to temperature. Water element regulates life and healing. Wind element functions outside the bodies of living things. Earth element functions inside the body. So, most affinities are divided by these four categories, aaand normal humans have an affinity for one of the four! Incidentally, I shall have you know I have an affinity for aaall four."

[Assistant] "Whoa, the boasting’s annoying but I’ll praise you anyway. That’s fantastic! How do you figure out someone’s element?"

[User] "Naaaturally, a magic user as accomplished as I can discover that through mere touch."

[Assistant] "Seriously?! This is what I’ve been waiting for. Well, do it and tell me!" As Subaru begged like a puppy that hadn’t been housebroken, Roswaal gave him a halfhearted look and pressed his palm to Subaru’s forehead.

[User] "Well, if you shaaall excuse me. Myon myon myon myon…" The eyes of both completely nude men twinkled at the scene.

[Assistant] "Whoa! A magical sound! Total fantasy immersion!" Subaru was taken in by the invigorating scene before his eyes, forgetting his many sources of worry for that moment.


[User] His eyes twinkling in certainty of his hope, Subaru awaited the results of the scan. "—Yeees, I see."

[Assistant] "Here it comes! What, what is it? Maybe fire element that burns like I do? Or water for when I’m calm and composed, the coolest guy in the room?"


[User] "No, no, it’s gotta be earth for my being such a laid-back, big-brother-type nice guy, definitely!”

[Assistant] “Yes, it’s Dark.”

[User] “None of the above? !” Doubting his ears at the scan result, his reaction was like someone being told he had cancer.

[Assistant] Roswaal then spoke in a grave tone that seemed to fit that image perfectly. “You are completely, uuutterly Dark. Your connection to the other four elements is quiiite weak. Put differently, though, this iiis exceedingly rare…”"

[User] “So what is Dark, anyway?! It’s not in the other four categories? Some kind of reject?”

[Assistant] “I did not mention it, buuut there are also elements beyond the basic four, namely Dark and Light. Hoooweeever, very few people have those affinities, so I diiid not bother to explain.”

[User] Meaning Subaru was far, far off the beaten path. Hearing Roswaal elaborate made Subaru feel less buffeted and calmed him down. Yes, this was a rare, limited element: in other words, a special power! “It’s gotta be a really awesome element. Like some super-special power that comes only once in five thousand years.”

[Assistant] “Yes, Dark element magic is quite famous…able to obstruct an opponent’s vision, sever him from sound, slow his movements, and the like. Rather convenient uses.”

[User] “I’m a Debuffer? !” A Debuffer was a specialized support class dedicated to so-called debuffs—skills that weakened the enemy. He’d had his hopes up that he could use magic of peerless, legendary destruction, able to rend the sky and split the earth, but Roswaal was breaking it to him that his magic would have crowd-control and attribute-lowering properties. He really did seem apologetic, so it was no doubt the truth. “Summoned from a world without weapons skill, intellect, or cheat codes…and a magical element for debuffs…”

[Assistant] “Incideeentally, you have no talent for magic. If my limit is a ten, yours is about three.”

[User] “I wanted to hear that even less! This place is forsaken by God and Buddha!” Subaru opened his mouth and made a loud groan as he immersed himself in the bathtub. Until a few moments before, it had been a theoretical hope, but expectations, once sprouted, were not so easy to brush aside.

[Assistant] “Well, using it at all is good, I think… Or maybe being a debuffer makes me kinda cool…?”

[User] “Putting aside the level of coolness, there is nooo harm in learning. If you wish to use magic, by all means, learn. Fortunately for you, there is indeeeed a specialist in Dark spells here at this mansion.”

[Assistant] “I see, that’s it! I suppose I should be satisfied with learning magic for situations where you wanna slow someone down. Okay, let’s get this show on the road!” Subaru was eager to have Emilia guide him into magic, drawing both of them closer together. His prior goal of following the same route as last time was long forgotten.


[User] "You seem to harbor a misunderstanding, buuut the specialist in Dark spells is nooot Emilia, you know?"

[Assistant] "The heck?! Are you enjoying playing with someone’s heart like this?! So who’s the specialist, you, the elite magic user with all elemental affinities?! This sucks!"

[User] "It is Beatrice."

[Assistant] "That’s worse!" With a great kerplunk, water spray leapt everywhere as he let loose his loudest shout of the evening.

[User] "Damn, that was all over the map. Damn that Roswaal, working me up and down like that like I’m on Buddha’s palm!" In the washroom, Subaru’s face was red as he put his hands through the sleeves of his change of clothes. With the affinity scan in the bathtub ending in dejection, Subaru got out of the bath first. He’d been worked up during the conversation with Roswaal, but his face felt heavy from the effects of the long bath. After all, it hadn’t been a full day yet since being healed from his wound; he had to expect some anemia. "Plus I’m gonna have serious aches and pains tomorrow. Ugh, damn you, Ram; you remember this, just because I’m better than last time doesn’t mean you have to work me like a dog…"

[Assistant] "I will remember that as you wish."

[User] "Fwaaaah?!" The timely reply, coming just as Subaru was leaving the washroom with his laundry in a basket, surprised him enough to make him jump. As Ram stood in the corridor before the washroom, his underwear, scattering out from the bouncing basket, fell to her feet.

[Assistant] "My goodness." Ram crouched, plucked Subaru’s underwear off the floor, and stuffed them into a garbage bin right beside her.

[User] "There’s a guy carrying a basket heading to the laundry right in front of you, y’know?!"

[Assistant] "I’m sorry, I was gripped by psychological distaste the instant I picked them up. I had to get rid of them without a single moment to spare."

[User] "Considering all that, your form was very relaxed, huh?!" Subaru tearfully recovered his underwear from the garbage bin and turned to face Ram. Seeing Ram serenely standing in the hallway, he tilted his head and wondered what she was up to.

[Assistant] "Unfortunately, I have already bathed, so my clothes will stay on no matter how long you wait." Ram seemed to reply to his unasked question.

[User] "I didn’t say anything!! And ain’t that backward for a maid?!"

[Assistant] "I jest. I am simply waiting for Master Roswaal to finish before helping him dress."

[User] "That’s pampering him a little too much. I’m sure he can dress himself." Apparently, in this world, there existed people who’d never in their lives worn a single shoe without a servant slipping it on their foot. Roswaal surely fit the bill. "Don’t tell me you both help him put on that weird makeup. My low trust’s falling even further."

[Assistant] "There shall be no rudeness toward Master Roswaal in my presence."


[User] "Next time I shall spank you.” It felt like a warmth-filled warning, but seeing that she wasn’t kidding, he knew he ought to take it to heart. In point of fact, Ram had explained his chores at the mansion with great care and patience, but she had a look that suggested she’d make him work in the hog house if he asked her the same question twice.

[Assistant] “I’ll save myself the grief, then… If you’ll excuse me. See you tomorrow.”

[User] “Basuru, what are you doing later?”

[Assistant] “I’m just heading off to sleep. Morning comes early after all? Damn it. Those mornings are really tough.” At Subaru’s reply, mixing rebelliousness with weakness, Ram nodded a bit and closed her eyes.

[User] Subaru was just about to ask the silent Ram if there was something she wanted to say when she opened her eyes.

[Assistant] “Wait in your room, then. I’ll be there later.”

[User] “—Huh?” Subaru’s response sounded very obtuse.


[Assistant] Subaru Natsuki, as he’d declared several times over, was firmly in Emilia’s corner. Perhaps it was because he’d never encountered such beauty, either in this new world or the one from which he came, but Emilia stood out in Subaru’s mind. It was partly pure physical beauty, but also the beauty of each and every action. Consequently, there was simply no room for anyone else in his heart, no matter what she looked like.

[User] “That’s why this perfectly made bed has one purpose: for me to get a good night’s sleep!” Subaru forcefully thrust an accusing finger at his bed, venting to no one in particular. Subaru, having returned to his room after leaving the bath, had wasted all the intervening time on putting his bed in order. He’d abandoned his laundry, working up quite a sweat in spite of having just bathed.

[Assistant] “There’s no deep meaning to it. No deep meaning to it! Mundane thoughts out, mundane thoughts out. Calm down, calm down. One Emilia, two Emilias, three Emilias… Is this Heaven? !”

[User] “Be quiet, Barusu. It’s night already; do be quiet.”

[Assistant] “Yikes!” He made a large leap and slammed into the wall.

[User] Ram, having opened the door without a sound, was standing at the entrance to the room. "And just after I told you to be quiet. You are hopeless.”

[Assistant] “What’s with rules that apply for only you?! Anyone would jump from that! What do you want from me here? !”

[User] Ram made a muted hmph at Subaru as he vented. Subaru, struck by the humiliation of not being worth a proper word, had no good option left but silence. Then, cutting in front of the silent Subaru, Ram entered the room—and headed straight to a writing desk in the corner. It was something every room was supplied with, but to Subaru, who couldn’t read that world’s books, it was a worthless piece of junk, so he had not turned in the desk’s direction until then.

[Assistant] “What are you standing there for?”


[User] "Come here, Barusu.”

[Assistant] Subaru made a dispirited face at being spoken to like a dog being taught manners, but he was resolute to not get wrapped up in Ram’s pace. Besides, screwing around was Subaru’s job. He headed toward her with a steely resolution to not be swayed no matter what wacky statements she might dish out. Subaru felt like he was going to war as he stood before Ram, puffing out his chest.

[User] “And? What impossible trial awaits me this time?”

[Assistant] “What are you talking about? I told you, sit down quickly if you want me to teach you how to read.”

[User] “That’s news to me!” His steel heart was instantly shattered. Subaru could not hide his unease at having his hardened resolve so easily broken. He sucked in his breath as he beheld the pure white note page spread atop the table, joined by a feather pen and a reddish-brown bound book. Apparently, this was neither a joke nor a prank; she truly intended to teach him how to read.

[Assistant] “But why now, all of a sudden…”

[User] “I realized while watching you work today that you could not read. So I will teach you. If you cannot read, I cannot send you to buy groceries or leave you notes.” Ram showed Subaru the red-bound book as his mouth flapped like that of a fish caught off guard. “We shall begin with a simple picture book meant for children. I will accompany you for study every night from now on.”

[Assistant] No doubt it was an offer he should be grateful for, but Subaru’s bewilderment was stronger than his gratitude at that moment. Like the events that unfolded in the bath, this situation was one that was unthinkable last time. And, according to Subaru’s senses, his intimacy with the twins still fell far short of what he’d experienced on the fourth day last time. “Why are you being nice to me like this?”

[User] “It is obvious. I… No, it is to make things easier.”

[Assistant] “Man, you’re hard-boiled. You didn’t even say what you corrected…”

[User] “It is only natural. As your work increases, mine decreases. If my work decreases, Rem’s work will naturally decrease as well. It’s all for a good cause.”

[Assistant] “That means a ton of work falling on me, though? !”

[User] “…?” Ram tilted her head like she couldn’t understand what he was getting at.

[Assistant] He was at a loss for words. But even if he was at a loss like this, he was happy that Ram was showing him such concern. “Okay, roger that. Let’s get this studying started, shall we?”

[User] “Since you already have the spoken language down, it should not be all that difficult. After all, now is the time to correct your vulgar word selection.”

[Assistant] “Tossing in insults with your help, huh?” As he spoke, he sat down at the desk and completed preparations, feather pen in hand.


[User] With light and rather smooth and speedy strokes, he wrote his first words one ought to use to commemorate a visit to another world. “Subaru Natsuki enters stage left… There we go!”

[Assistant] “You do not have the free time to be scribbling. Time is limited. Morning comes quickly, after all.”

[User] “Well, this is actually my mother tongue… Guess it wasn’t obvious, huh?” He’d held out hope that their being able to talk might mean she’d be able to read his writing, but nothing so convenient unfolded. Just like Subaru, she was unable to read the other side’s language.

[Assistant] “First, we’ll begin with basic I-script, moving on to Ro-script and Ha-script after you’ve perfected I-script.”

[User] “So there’re three types, huh? Sucks to hear that.” It was tough to have your spirits discouraged right before a lesson in a new language. He recalled how foreigners felt when trying to clear the high hurdle of the hiragana, katakana, and kanji when learning Japanese.

[Assistant] “You can read the picture book by grasping I-script. Time is limited to one hour. Tomorrow is another day, and Ram is sleepy, too.”

[User] “That last bit sounded like the real story. Not that I mind…”

[Assistant] “I think my honesty is one of my selling points.” She didn’t know if her unhesitant reply was serious or a joke.

[User] It really felt like she meant it, so Subaru dove right into the script lesson. Fundamental to learning any new language was grasping the characters through repetition of the writing process. He copied the basic characters Ram wrote down, filling the page with them. It was enough drudgery to break him, but it was necessary, indispensable labor. Subaru felt fatigue and sleepiness pile up when, seized by a somewhat mushy feeling, he conveyed his honest thoughts to Ram. “Y’know, even if you said it’s to make things easier for you, I’m still glad.” The feather pen made a faint sound as it ran along the paper. Subaru thought back to the four days from last time while writing down the same characters page after page. Now that he thought about it, he was chasing after Emilia every day whenever he had the chance, but he’d spent the most time with Ram during that period. Subaru was basically an amateur at all the chores of the mansion. Of course teaching him was bone breaking, all the more so because Ram was doing that on top of her regular duties. The burden naturally fell on Rem as well. In addition to that, he hadn’t had much contact with Rem during those four days. Subaru knew that the highly competent Rem was covering for a portion of her sister’s chores, so Subaru owed her for indirectly shouldering his burden, too. "Honestly, I didn’t think you liked me that much.”

[Assistant] It was natural that educating a useless newbie like Subaru was a pain. Certainly that was the opinion Ram voiced, but Subaru felt used to it already. "I hate to weigh you down, but thanks.


[User] “I want to be useful as soon as possible.” Subaru was thanking her from the bottom of his heart for then and for the future.

[Assistant] Quietly went… “Guu.” …making a cute sleeping sound atop the immaculately made bed. The feather pen made a sharp sound as it snapped.

[User] Surrendering to his sudden impulse, opened his mouth wide and yawned. He brusquely wiped away the wetness from the corners of his sleepy eyes and stretched all the way up. Subaru watched the clouds as he rotated his arms, legs, and neck to make sure everything was in working order. "Sorry to make you wait, Subaru— Are you all right?”

[Assistant] “Mm. Yeah, I’m totally okay. Finished your shopping, Rem?”

[User] “Yes, no holdups. It seems you were rather popular.” Holding a carry bag containing the things she’d bought and complimenting Subaru was the blue-haired girl—Rem.

[Assistant] Wearing her maid uniform, Rem was holding down her windblown hair as she looked at Subaru—his servant’s outfit stained with mud, dust, tears, and snot—with a slightly hardened expression. “Kids have taken a liking to me since way back. I guess they really fell for, you know, motherly stuff that I just can’t keep bottled up?”

[User] “It’s because children are just like animals and naturally decide a hierarchy. They instinctively recognize whether it’s appropriate to make light of a person or not.”

[Assistant] “That doesn’t sound much like praise! !”


[User] “Having said that, what’s with those brats getting all clingy like that… Don’t they know that touching everything just gets your fingers burned? Can’t they tell I’m putting out a hard-boiled aura here?”

[Assistant] “It seems your pretending to be a ‘motherly’ adult kept you quite busy all by yourself.”

[User] “The ‘by yourself’ part sounded a bit sharp there, but it would’ve been nice being busy without getting mobbed like that. I really should’ve stuck with you going shopping…” Since Subaru’s inability to tell ingredients apart made him useless, Rem had him kill time in the village while she was shopping. The kids found him and he was immediately abducted.

[Assistant] “Man, they just don’t have any respect. That’s why I can’t really get to like kids.”

[User] “When it comes to lack of respect, you look plenty childish to me…?”

[Assistant] “A very sound theory! Having said that, I think taking someone for granted from the get-go is a little different… Ram’s really good at that, though.”

[User] “Sister is incredible.”

[Assistant] They were speaking past each other somewhat. The way Rem seemed full of herself as she boasted about her sister, plus the fact that her sister wasn’t watching, made Subaru surmise they were her true feelings. “Feels like Ram’s personality causes a lot of conflict, though.”

[User] “Her unflinching demeanor is part of her charm. It is not something I can pull off…”

[Assistant] Subaru, hearing a sad undertone to the words she added at the end, knit his brow but didn’t press the point. With Subaru suddenly at a loss for words, Rem seemed to snap back to normal as she changed the subject.

[User] “Come to think of it, how is your studying going?”

[Assistant] “I’d like to say…steadily, but it’s not as simple as that. Stuff like this needs time to slowly nurture and develop…just like love!”

[User] “As long as you don’t give up midway.”

[Assistant] “There wasn’t much tenderness in that comment just now!” Seeing that his shout brought a slight smile to Rem’s face, Subaru also smiled in relief.


[User] Subaru kept smiling and waved to Rem, who was acting slightly hesitant for once. “Don’t worry about it. I’m not going to give up or disappoint Ram. I just wish she wouldn’t fall asleep on my bed in the middle of the lesson. It’s really distracting.”

[Assistant] “Sister is probably acting that way to spur you forward.”

[User] “Man, your total worship of your sister is way past normal. Totally demon possessed.”

[Assistant] “Demon possessed…?” Rem tilted her head at the latest word trend Subaru had coined.

[User] “Like possessed, except by a demon instead of a divine spirit. Demon possessed. It works, huh?”

[Assistant] “Do you like demons?”

[User] “Better than gods."


[User] "I mean, gods don’t give you anything, but a demon will have a good laugh with you over a chat about the future.”

[Assistant] Talking about the last year seemed especially popular with them. Subaru remembered the image of the Red Demon and the Blue Demon hugging each other as they laughed themselves silly, when he suddenly realized there was a definite smile carved upon Rem’s face.

[User] “Whoa…” He’d seen her faintly smiling several times over, but this was the first time he’d seen a real smile on her face. Subaru didn’t know what had tickled Rem’s thoughts, but he snapped his fingers.

[Assistant] “That smiling face is worth a million-volt skyline.”

[User] “I will tell on you to Lady Emilia.”

[Assistant] Subaru straightened himself and meekly pleaded for forgiveness. “I wasn’t trying to hit on you!”

[User] Rem lightly raised her eyebrows toward Subaru. “What happened to your hand?”

[Assistant] “Mm? Oh, that mangy mutt with the kids went all chomp-chomp on me.” His left hand, covered in bite marks, had already stopped bleeding, but it still looked somewhat pathetic. Incidentally, it was only after he returned to the mansion that he realized that the middle of the back of his servant outfit was stained with snot.

[User] “May I heal that wound?”

[Assistant] “Eh? What, you can use healing magic, too, Rem?”

[User] “Only simple magic up to first-aid level. Perhaps you prefer Lady Emilia?”


[User] “So when I went back the first time, it was debilitation causing death in my sleep…” Subaru waited for morning.

[Assistant] “But what about the sound of the chain…?” He couldn’t come up with any connection between that chain sound and his debilitation hypothesis.

[User] “So there was an…attacker, then? Not that I know if the debilitation and the chain were by the same person.”

[Assistant] “If I’m included, it’s probably everyone. No doubt related to Emilia’s royal candidacy, just like with the fence…” Subaru clutched his head.

[User] “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…”

[Assistant] “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.

[User] “—You are so gloomy I could die. Either stop right now or I shall blow you away. Choose.” 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.

[Assistant] “Sorry, sorry." Subaru glanced back at the dangerous look Beatrice was giving him and innocently stuck out his tongue.


[User] 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."

[Assistant] "Is there such a relationship between us, I wonder? We have met only twice, after all?"

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

[Assistant] "You broke through the Passage all by yourself, I suppose. It is really quite unbelievable.” 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.

[User] “Well, I won’t cause you any trouble. Let’s have some tea and take it easy."

[Assistant] "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.

[User] “Come to think of it, you don’t look like it, but you’re a magic user, right?"

[Assistant] "Your choice of words offends me. Will you not associate me with such second-rate imbeciles, I wonder?"

[User] “…You don’t have many friends, do you?"

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

[User] “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…

[Assistant] “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.

[User] “Such things do exist."

[Assistant] "They do, huh?"

[User] "It is closer to a curse than a spell, I suppose?


[User] "Shamans specialize in such arts, as suits their devious natures.”

[Assistant] Bewildered, Subaru added the new profession shaman to his lexicon as Beatrice raised a finger and elaborated.

[User] “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.”

[Assistant] “But how do you call someone who can kill someone else with a curse ‘worthless’?”

[User] “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.”

[Assistant] 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?”

[User] “I believe they can. But are there not simpler methods than a curse, I wonder?”

[Assistant] “Simpler?”

[User] “I believe you have experienced it already.” As Subaru inclined his head, Beatrice turned her palm toward him with a cruel smile.

[Assistant] 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? !”

[User] “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.”

[Assistant] “So that thing you used at our first…I mean, the first day! You mean one slip and I was a goner? !”

[User] “I held back because having your husk in here would be too much trouble, I suppose.”

[Assistant] “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…”

[User] “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…

[Assistant] “Is it this one?”

[User] “…The one next to it. Give it to me already?”

[Assistant] “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.


[User] “What kind of book are you reading, anyway?”

[Assistant] “One that contains a method for driving an insect out of a room.”

[User] “A bug in an archive, huh… Sounds horrible. What kind?”

[Assistant] “It has large black eyes and a foul mouth. Also, it thinks rather highly of itself.”

[User] “That’s pretty specific for an insect, there…”

[Assistant] 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.

[User] Ahem. “Is there still something you want, I wonder? If not, could you please go?”

[Assistant] “Ah, er… Right, is that mana drain something anyone can do?”

[User] “Should I feel slighted, I wonder… In this manor, only Puckie and I can perform such a feat. Even Roswaal cannot.”

[Assistant] “Huh. I thought he said he could do it all.”

[User] 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.”

[Assistant] “Ah, because the flesh was all restored but the blood was not? Well, I had no obligation to go that far regardless.” Beatrice shrugs her shoulders.

[User] “Mm?” Subaru tilts his head. 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?”

[Assistant] “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?”

[User] “Er, I’m seriously super conflicted here!”

[Assistant] 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…

[User] “Then you’re a big filthy liar! Lot of gall you have there. Bottom-of-the-barrel personality!”

[Assistant] “And you have quite some gall to not politely accept the generosity of others!”

[User] 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.

[Assistant] “Could you finally leave, I wonder? Your hands aren’t shaking anymore, so it would seem you’ve put your fears behind you.”

[User] “…So you noticed, huh?”

[Assistant] “You were trying to hide it, I suppose.


[User] "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.

[Assistant] “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.

[User] Subaru looked back and made a bitter smile toward Beatrice, who wasn’t even looking at him. "Sorry, but thanks. See ya next time.”

[Assistant] “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.

[User] Feeling Beatrice’s attitude spurring him onward, Subaru turned the knob and slipped through the Passage.

[Assistant] “Wait, the insect from earlier—don’t tell me you meant me? !”

[User] “You want to leave not on your feet but through the air, I suppose? !” And so, he flew out of the Passage.


[Assistant] In the garden, the silver-haired girl looked down at him. “Er, may I ask if you’re all right?”

[User] “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.

[Assistant] “The theory that she killed me is getting more and more convincing…”

[User] “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.

[Assistant] “It doesn’t count! It doesn’t count, right?! That was yesterday and all!”

[User] “Well, just think of it as: When bad luck is with you, good luck is not far away.”

[Assistant] “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.


[User] The little kitty heavily stretched its little body, looking like it was making a yawn. "Mm, good morning, Lia. Ahh, Subaru’s up already.”

[Assistant] “Good morning, Puck. Sorry to wake you all of a sudden, but could you wash Subaru, please?”

[User] 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!”

[Assistant] “Bath is putting it mildly. I… Whoa? !”

[User] 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.

[Assistant] “That’s a water cannon—! !”

[User] “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?”

[Assistant] “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?”

[User] “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.

[Assistant] “Bwa.”

[User] “Huh?”

[Assistant] "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.

[User] 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!”

[Assistant] 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! !”

[User] Upon hearing this, Emilia’s loud, laughing voice filled the whole garden.


[User] 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?”

[Assistant] “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.”

[User] “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.”

[Assistant] As usual, just as Emilia was in the middle of completely self-destructing, Puck added fuel to the fire. “Sheesh, Puck!”

[User] “She should just be honest with herself. That’s a cute thing about Lia, though…don’t you think, Subaru?”

[Assistant] “Oh, definitely! Everything about Emilia-tan is the brightest star in my sky!”

[User] “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.

[Assistant] 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.”

[User] “…Not that I remember being quite that close to you?”

[Assistant] “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.

[User] 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!”

[Assistant] “Er? I thought I was getting brushed off? What’s that positive reaction? Explain this, Mr. Puck.”

[User] 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.”

[Assistant] 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.”

[User] “Ugh…could you not mention something I really don’t want to talk about?”

[Assistant] “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.

[User] Emilia followed Subaru’s gaze, tilting her head as she watched the twins come out of the mansion.


[User] “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.

[Assistant] 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.”

[User] 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.”

[Assistant] “Rem, Rem. Since last we saw him, our guest has become a stained, filthy rag.”

[User] 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.


[Assistant] “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…

[User] “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.

[Assistant] “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.

[User] “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.

[Assistant] “I made things pretty vague, but he seems genuinely protective of Lia.” After all, he’d given Subaru’s pushy suggestion a warm reception.


[User] “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.

[Assistant] “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.

[User] "Pardon me, Dear Guest." Faster than Subaru could reply, the door opened and he saw a pink-haired maid—Ram.

[Assistant] Subaru raised an eyebrow. "Oh my, Dear Guest, you really are studying.”

[User] “That’s super rude, you know. I am kind of an actual guest at the moment?”

[Assistant] “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.

[User] "Here you go, Dear Guest.”

[Assistant] “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.

[User] “Mm…really does taste awful.” As he watched Ram’s polished movements, Subaru slowly tasted the tea he’d been offered, nodding.

[Assistant] “This manor serves tea using leaves of the highest quality, so that is quite a statement.”

[User] “If it tastes bad, it tastes bad. I just can’t think of it as anything but black tea. Tastes like…plant.”

[Assistant] 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.

[User] “I don’t have words for the guts you have, slacking off in front of a guest.”

[Assistant] “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.”

[User] “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.


[User] 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?"

[Assistant] Subaru broke out in a small, bitter smile as he listened to her exceptionally dry delivery.

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

[Assistant] "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?"

[User] "An uncouth statement to match such sloppy writing—I am aghast you call yourself a literary enthusiast, Dear Guest."

[Assistant] "This is the first time I’ve seen a maid talk to her guests like you do."

[User] Ram politely ignored Subaru’s resentful statement and browsed with apparent interest the pages filled with characters.

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

[User] "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.


[User] "In other words, I want to make all this studying feel like it got me somewhere."

[Assistant] "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.’"

[User] "Does calling myself that tick you off that much?"

[Assistant] 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.

[User] "Wait, you’re gonna drink all the tea you brought here?!"

[Assistant] "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."

[User] "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.

[Assistant] "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.

[User] "It’s, like, a happy ending and a bitter ending slamming into you at once. Why can’t it all be happily ever after?"

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

[User] "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’?"

[Assistant] "'The Crying Red Demon’…?" Subaru was mumbling about the copyright issues in another world’s jurisdiction when Ram’s eyebrows trembled in response.

[User] 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.

[Assistant] "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.


[User] "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.

[Assistant] Ram lowered her eyes as she listened to the tale.

[User] Subaru stayed in the same position as when he’d finished the story, waiting for her to speak.

[Assistant] Ram let out a small sigh. “…A rather sad tale.”

[User] “I suppose so. But I think it’s a happy story, too.”

[Assistant] “I think the cast of characters was full of idiots… The Red Demon, the Blue Demon, and the villagers, too.”

[User] “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…”

[Assistant] “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.”

[User] “What do you think the two demons should’ve done, then?”

[Assistant] “…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.”

[User] “Man, that’s a pretty extreme position, there!” Subaru raised his voice at the radical view she’d provided.

[Assistant] Ram simply stroked her own short hair like she was saying, Is it now?


[User] 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."

[Assistant] "That’s a really strict view of it. Do you have something against demons…?"

[User] "—Dear Guest, which of the two demons would you rather befriend?" Subaru blinked at Ram’s question. He hadn’t really thought about it.

[Assistant] "...Which of the two?"

[User] 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?"

[Assistant] "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.

[User] "...What an uninteresting reply."

[Assistant] "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.

[User] 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."

[Assistant] "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."

[User] 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.

[Assistant] "You know, Ram, you seem to like ‘The Crying Red Demon’ quite a bit."

[User] "Dear Guest, you will someday regret fickle, indecisive thoughts such as wanting to be friends with both."

[Assistant] "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.


[User] “Setting aside the tales from our Dear Guest’s homeland… What did you think of the stories of this land?”

[Assistant] “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.

[User] “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.”

[Assistant] “…That cannot be helped. We are in Lugunica… Of course the dragon story gets special treatment.”

[User] 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.”

[Assistant] 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.

[User] “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.”

[Assistant] “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?”

[User] “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.”

[Assistant] Subaru cleared his throat as he listened to the oh-so-strict Ram speak such words.

[User] “Hey, the family that made the promise with the dragon…didn’t it just die out?”

[Assistant] “It did, and suddenly at that.”

[User] “Isn’t that, like, bad? Er, not that I’d know what bad means here.”

[Assistant] “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.


[User] "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…

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

[User] "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."

[Assistant] 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.

[User] "It cannot be helped."

[Assistant] "—Ah?"

[User] "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."

[Assistant] 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?"

[User] "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." For her part, Ram’s voice was cold and logical.

[Assistant] 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.”

[User] "So this witch story…"

[Assistant] "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.

[User] 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."

[Assistant] "R-right…"


[User] “About the demon story from earlier…”

[Assistant] “Mm, right. ‘The Crying Red Demon.’ What of it?”

[User] “Don’t tell Rem that story. She would probably find it distasteful.”

[Assistant] 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.

[User] “What the heck’s up with all that…?” Venting at the ceiling, Subaru picked up the picture book and flipped through the pages. “A scary witch, a frightening witch, it is terrifying to just speak her name. That was why everyone called her ‘The Jealous Witch’—” “And after all the trouble of studying to read this thing…”

[Assistant] 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.


[User] “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 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.

[Assistant] The knapsack was fairly heavy from a decent sum of coinage. Roswaal explained simply.

[User] “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.

[Assistant] “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.”

[User] “You have your handkerchief? And drinking water, lagmite ore, and, and…”

[Assistant] “She’s totally acting like she’s my mom? !”

[User] The way she asked last, “Can you sleep all by yourself?”

[Assistant] Subaru wondered just how much she longed for the company of others.