The First Archbishop - Aktrain - Re:ゼロから始める異世界生活 (2024)

Chapter 1: Ordinary day

Chapter Text

In one house, which is located in the land of the rising sun, a little boy sleeps peacefully. Though, given his eyes and his longish hair that reached his shoulders, it would be easy enough to confuse him with a girl. That boy's name was Subaru, a proud member of the Natsuki family. And right now, this little pride had no idea that his deep sleep would soon be brazenly interrupted.

A mysterious figure stood over little Subaru's sleeping body. It looked at the boy with a tense gaze that clearly did not bode well. The figure's malicious and vile intentions were obvious. It began to approach him closer and closer until.........

— Nii-Nii! — joyfully exclaimed a little girl who jumped right on top of the poor boy.

— Ohmygodforwhat!? — quickly muttered Subaru, who was trying to realize what had just happened and who had decided to wake him up so cruelly.

Subaru's mind gradually began to clear up after his sudden awakening. His eyes were now able to see the reason why he had left dreamland.

On his body lay a little girl who was hugging him tightly with a joyful smile on her face. It was his younger twin sister, Natsumi Nozomi. The little girl was the same height as Subaru and had hair the same color as his. However, that was where their similarities ended and the noticeable differences began. For example, her eyes were bright blue in color and were not “evil” like her twin or her mother's. Their faces were also different. Nozomi's face was much cuter and prettier compared to Subaru's, who also had a pretty cute face due to his young age. And that “cute” face was now brazenly violating Subaru's personal space by lying on him and his bed.

In fact, Nozomi almost always slept together with her brother in the same bed, so purely technically it's “their” bed. When the twins turned 6, their parents decided to move to a new house where the twins could have their own rooms instead of one for two. However, they both took the idea extremely negatively and despite their parents' entreaties, they still shared one room.

— Hehehehehee~ ohayo, Nii-Ni... Ouch! - Nozomi falls to the floor while placing both hands on her forehead, rubbing the bruised area vigorously.

— Why!!!? — the little troublemaker exclaimed indignantly, looking at her brother with a sense of betrayal in her eyes.

— Don't pretend like you don't know why! You almost killed me!

— Huh!? I'm not heavy enough to kill you with such a harmless fall! — Nozomi immediately forgot the pain of the slap because of Subaru's comment about her heavy weight (at least that's what she thought of it).

— Even if you were three times lighter than me, it wouldn't make it better! Who would jump on their sleeping brother at full speed like some Mexican wrestler!?!? You're an idiot!

— No, you're an idiot! You're a fool! Wimp! Car! Creepy eyes!

— I can't do anything about that last one at all!

After a while, they were still able to stop arguing, as they both realized how long they could drag this out.

— Okay, let's forget about that...... How long has it been? — Subaru asks tiredly. The adrenaline rush from the sudden awakening is already gone, and most of the energy from it was spent arguing with his sister.

— Ah! It's 7:30. — Nozomi calmly answers his question.

— What time is it!? — Subaru's reaction was far from calm. After all, if it's really that long, that means....

— We're going to be late at this rate! Why didn't you wake me up earlier!? Although, forget about you, why didn't mom or dad wake me up!!!? — Resenting, Subaru began to quickly search for all the things he needed and put them into his school backpack.

— Well... Naoko was busy cooking and Kenichi was on the phone with his coworker. So they asked me to be the one to wake you up.

— Why did you wake me up just now!?

— I was wondering how I could wake you up so that you'd be awake and energized in the morning! — Nozomi's face shone with pride, clearly pleased with her ingenious plan.

— If you had woken me up earlier, I could have perked up myself! Now I'm more panicked than full of energy! — yells at her sister Subaru, trying to find an English textbook in parallel.

— You're such a nerd... Okay, as soon as you're done packing, then come down to the kitchen. Naoko's probably already prepared everything, so we'll all be waiting for you. — With a voice full of boredom Nozomi informs while leaving their room.

Subaru breathed a sigh of relief as his sister left the room. Normally he wouldn't have been so abrupt with her, but Subaru really didn't want to be late for school and ruin his perfect attendance. After all, unlike Nozomi, Subaru was much more serious about school and his own progress.
However, after calming down, Subaru still started to feel a little guilty for his rudeness towards his sister a couple minutes ago. Normally there was nothing wrong with that, they were always teasing each other and occasionally throwing insults at each other. The twins were well aware that it was just jokes and neither of them would seriously call each other that. However, today Subaru was actually a bit serious in his words, which his sister most likely realized as well. It wasn't that Subaru was angry for no reason, but he still felt guilty.

In fact, due to the rather strong external differences, Subaru had once, to his shame, doubted his true parentage to Nozomi and demanded the truth from his parents about his sister's origins. However, his parents explained to him that twins are not always identical or at least similar to each other, especially if the twins are of different genders. Of course, the child's stubborn mind did not want to recognize his own misconceptions at first, but after a while his parents were still able to convince him. Since then, Subaru began to feel guilty about his doubts. Especially considering how much Nozomi had always loved and cherished him, even if she was sometimes insufferable and capricious.

He always wanted to be like his amazing father, but that day Subaru almost violated one of his main principles “Family is the most important thing!”. After all, with his suspicions, Subaru could have brought discord to his own family and ruined his relationship with his sister forever. Subaru was lucky that he had the sense not to make his accusations in front of Nozomi, or he would have been unable to look her in the eye.

Subaru still berated himself for his idiocy, however. After all, even if Nozomi wasn't his own sister, would he treat her differently? Of course not. Well, at least that's what he wanted to believe. After all, despite all their fights and fancies, Nozomi was always the first to apologize in the end, even if it was obviously Subaru's fault. She always tried to be there for him, trying to cheer him up if he was sad or if he was hurt by someone. She even fought with the other girls and boys a couple times when she learned the names of her brother's abusers. Subaru admired Nozomi afterward at times like this, for it was in situations like this that she was often much braver and bolder than him.

That's why after that small incident, Subaru began to care more about his younger twin. In this way, he wanted to assuage his guilt towards his sister in some way. In a way, that incident helped strengthen the twins' relationship, even if the younger one doesn't even realize it.

Pushing the gloomy thoughts away, Subaru decided to continue getting ready for school. He had already put away all of his school supplies and now only his uniform remained.
Opening the closet, Subaru blushed slightly at its contents. Among the everyday clothes and school uniforms, a couple of small dresses and sundresses could be seen. And these things clearly didn't belong to his sister, as they still kept their belongings in different closets. However, Subaru himself clearly didn't hang girl's clothes in his closet, so the culprit of this action is obvious.

— Eh... Natsumi Schwartz is going to show off her brilliance again tonight... — Subaru, who had accepted his fate very easily, said tiredly.

Nozomi for some unknown reason really liked dressing up her own brother in girly clothes and accessories. Subaru initially resisted his sister's similar desires, but eventually her persistence won out. To his shame, Subaru even liked it. He actually looked a lot prettier after all the manipulation of his appearance. And considering that he was already often mistaken for a girl, only a blind man would mistake him for a boy after his transformation. He was so different from his former self that the twins decided to come up with an alter ego for the character. In the end, they decided to call her “Natsumi Schwartz.” Since then, Subaru had already become interested in this so-called “crossdressing” on his own, but without showing the same interest as Nozomi. If she found out that he liked it as much as she did (if not more), she would be as interested as Nozomi. If she found out he liked it as much as she did (if not more), his male pride would suffer!

That's why he tried to remove all girl's clothes from his closet in ostentatious protest. However, since those sets of clothes had reappeared in his closet, his sister's plans after school were pretty obvious.

Quickly banishing the ungodly thoughts of what they would be doing with his sister today, Subaru picked up his school uniform and began to change. Once he was done, Subaru left the room and went to the bathroom to quickly wash his face and brush his teeth. Once he was done with that as well, he immediately grabbed his backpack from his room and began to walk down to the kitchen.

In the kitchen, his sister, mom, and dad were already sitting at the table. As soon as they noticed him, the head of the family, Natsuki Kenichi, in his usual manner decided to greet his son.

— Good morning son! I hope you're ready for our morning ritual called “Cheering up my sleepy son”! — Kenichi asked with a cheerful smile, already kneading his shoulders.

— I can barely walk after that, and I don't have much time already, so no way! — Subaru was outraged, clearly not wanting to fall victim to this “ritual” again.

— Oh, and I've already prepared the candles and cards. What a pity... — Naoko Natsuki, the mother of the family, said sadly.

— Honey, you do realize that I'm not calling it “ritual” in the literal sense, right...? — Kenichi asked a little awkwardly, amazed at his wife's ability to take everything too literally.

— You can't take important things like rituals so lightly! I even ordered a ritual knife for this. — Naoko explained her position.

— You're going to sacrifice me or something!? — Subaru exclaimed with great concern.

— Ignaiih... ignaiih... thflthkh'ngha... Yog-Sothoth... — Nozomi, meanwhile, took out a book and began to whisper incomprehensible words in a low, creepy whisper.

— Don't play along with her! — Subaru decided to ignore their willingness to sacrifice him and finally sat down at the table.

— What are we going to eat today by the way? — Subaru asked out of childish curiosity.

— Ah, mom has prepared something special today! — Naoko answered her son's question with a smile on her face. She then stood up and went apparently to get that “special” dish.

Meanwhile, hearing such a reply, the male half of Natsuki's family visibly tensed up. Father and son looked at each other with nervous expressions on their faces, as if trying to come up with an escape plan from a brutal execution. They realized that if Naoko was saying something like that, it could mean two different options. The first one, which they both hoped meant that Naoko had really cooked something delicious today and they would all be in a good mood for the rest of the day today. The second one, however, which was the most likely and the one they were so afraid of, meant....

— Bon appetit! — Naoko said, interrupting the thought process of the two desperate men by placing a huge mountain of broccoli on the table.
Kenichi and Subaru look at the plate with that green mountain with disdain, as if those vegetables had personally ruined all their hopes and dreams. This was exactly what they were so afraid of, the so-called 'green breakfast'.

Naoko, not noticing their mental anguish, began ruthlessly putting portions of these greens to everyone else but herself. The only one who didn't show any signs of discomfort was Nozomi. She immediately started eating the broccoli, glancing at her brother with pity in her eyes before doing so, knowing full well how much he disliked eating greens. She didn't even look at Kenichi.

— My darling, my favorite, my sunshine-

— As much as you praise me, you'll have to eat it all. — Naoko interrupted her husband's subservience.

All the confidence of the head of the household immediately faded away and he began to eat his broccoli melancholically. However, the son of the family did not want to accept his fate so easily.

— It's not fair mom! You didn't put this infernal pile for yourself, so why should we eat it!? — Subaru was reasonably indignant.

— Well, you know that your mom can't eat foods that resemble small trees — Naoko gave her answer with a serene expression, as if it really made any sense.

— That doesn't explain anything at all! — Subaru still relented, however, as he realized the pointlessness of arguing with his weird mom.

For a while, the family, with the exception of Naoko, continued to eat that green mountain, until...

— Don't even think Kenichi — Nozomi said with irritation, pushing her plate away from him.

— That's not fair! You let your brother put broccoli on your plate, so why can't I!? — Kenichi asks in desperation.

— You're an adult, so accept your fate as an adult and don't set a bad example for Nii-Nii. — coldly replied his daughter, who didn't seem to notice her brother putting his heavy burden on her plate.

— My daughter! You can't be so indifferent to the fate of your father! You're my favorite child, so please help your daddy!

— Hey... — Subaru had already decided to ask questions about his “favorite” child, but he was successfully ignored.

— In that case, since I'm your favorite child, surely you can spell my name correctly? — Nozomi looks at the head of the family with a cute smile but a sneer in her eyes.

Kenichi is once again dejected at his inability to do so and his own daughter's ruthless refusal. This time giving up completely, he still began to eat the broccoli through pain and agony.

— And why do you dislike them so much anyway? I certainly agree that they're not particularly tasty compared to the same seva, curry or udon, but are greens really that bad for you?

In response, Subaru, Kenichi, and even Naoko looked at Nozomi as if she was some new kind of human or alien.

— My imouto is really amazing.... — Subaru is now looking at her like she's some kind of celebrity or a member of the imperial family.

— Is she definitely human...? — Kenichi on the other hand looks at his daughter with awe.

Naoko on the other hand didn't comment on that in any way. She just looked at her daughter with her mouth slightly open and a misty look.

Nozomi in response to this reaction from her family just rolled her eyes and continued eating her broccoli, and almost all of Subaru's broccoli as well.

After about 15 minutes, the family finished eating breakfast. The twins were already standing at the exit, finishing their last preparations before leaving for school. Subaru was dressed in a white shirt and black pants, while Nozomi was wearing a white matron with a blue bow and the same color skirt. She also had a blue flower barrette in her hair. Usually Japanese elementary schools didn't have rules about school uniforms, but their school was a small exception to the rule.

Their parents also helped them get ready, at the same time saying typical phrases of worried parents, such as, “Are you sure you have everything?”, “Did you remember your homework?”, “Did you bring your personal bottles of mayonnaise?”, etc. After answering all the questions, the twins started to leave.

— Ah! Nozomi, did you--

— Yes, I drank all I needed. You don't have to ask that every five minutes, Naoko. — Nozomi answered her mother's question rather rudely. She just smiled, though there was a slight sadness in her smile that was uncharacteristic of her. Subaru was embarrassed by his sister's answer, and taking her hand, he started to walk out of the house.

— Good luck in school! — Their parents shouted after them, wishing their children a good day at school.

After leaving the house, the twins headed to school. The distance between their house and the school wasn't long, so their parents let them walk there on their own.
While they were walking, Nozomi stopped abruptly.

— Ah! Wait Nii-Nii! — she removed her hand from his grip and put her briefcase on the ground.

— Nozomi, we're going to late... — Subaru was about to start rebuking his twin, but then she pulled out some small rectangular box, which she immediately gave to Subaru.

— Isn't that... Bento...? Nozomi, when did you...

— Well, I found out about Green Monday yesterday, so I just used yesterday's leftovers and some untouched food to make you a bento today. I knew you wouldn't be eating breakfast today, so I couldn't have you at school completely hungry.

Hearing his sister's reply, Subaru blushed a little and put that bento into his backpack.

— Thank you... — Subaru felt embarrassed. He hadn't even apologized for their recent quarrel, and his sister had gone to the trouble of cooking for him yesterday. She can be a really nice little sister when she wants to be, so Subaru should thank her and make it up to her like a caring older brother.

— Now carry me— Nozomi said as if nothing had happened.

— Huh? — Thoughts of gratitude had flown out of Subaru's little head as soon as he heard his younger brother's request... no, his little sister's command.

— Why are you looking at me so surprised? You're my Nii-Nii, so it's your duty to take care of me and my tender feet, right? — Nozomi looks at her brother like an idiot who doesn't understand the fundamental principles of the universe.

— Whoa, whoa, whoa! So that was a bribe!? — His twin's cute act is starting to lose value by the second.

— Hmm? How could you think so lowly of me? I would have asked for it even without that bento. You can consider it as my selfless offering. — Nozomi, who is still waiting for the fulfillment of her request, explained with dignity.

— So it's a bribe after all! Tsk...

— Hey, did you just tsk-tsk at me? Hey. — Nozomi, who for some reason really didn't like it when Subaru tsked at her, quickly reacted to his displeasure.

— My answer is no, so stop acting like a child and let's go already — said the 8 year old and grabbed his sister's hand again.

— Nii-Nii, Aniki, Onii-san, Onii-chan, Onii-sama...

— Okay! Okay! Enough already! Are you trying to embarrass me to death or what!? — surrendering under his sister's pressure, Subaru still ducked down, allowing her to climb on top of him.

— Yay~ I love you, Onii-chan~! — Pleased with her victory, Nozomi immediately climbed on top of him and began to suck up to Subaru in a very cute voice.

Subaru, on the other hand, sighed exaggeratedly and continued walking to school, now with the little parasite on his back. It wasn't really anything difficult. Despite his sister's comments about him being weak and squishy, he was actually quite strong for a boy his age. Nozomi was also, despite Subaru's comments, very light. One might even say too light, as she was underweight, which was not normal. This often bothered Subaru and his parents and they couldn't understand the reason for it. Though, even her unimpressive weight didn't stop Nozomi from winning fights with other kids. It wasn't like it was affecting her in any negative way, so Subaru tried not to think about it too much.
As they continued on their way, though it would be more accurate to say that only Subaru was doing so, they met a group of adults who were talking amongst themselves. All of them looked to be around 50-60 years old. As soon as one of them noticed them, he waved to the twins with a smile.

— Wow, you're Kenichi-san's children, right? — Asked that good-natured-looking uncle who looked almost an old man.

— Uncle Naegi! You know us very well, so stop playing up your forgetfulness. — Subaru muttered grudgingly, feeling his sister's displeased look.

— Haha! I'm sorry, it's just a habit. Still, I haven't seen you for about two years now. You've grown so much in that time... Especially you, Subaru-kun. Every year you're becoming more and more like your father, haha! — The man laughed warmly, as if remembering old times.

Subaru cheered in response to those words, as any comparison to his amazing father was a joy to him. He wished he could grow up sooner already and finally get rid of his girlish appearance.

Subaru was still troubled by something though, causing his joy to be slightly diminished. He noticed that Nozomi was surprisingly quiet during the conversation. She was also clinging to his clothes quite a bit, giving further confirmation that she didn't feel comfortable right now.

And this wasn't the first time Subaru had observed this behavior from her. His sister was surprisingly distrustful and cautious when interacting with anyone other than Subaru. With him, she was selfish, brash, co*cky, sassy, but still a sweet and caring sister. But with others, it's like she becomes a different person.

After talking to Uncle Naegi some more, Subaru quickly ended the conversation, wanting to not be late for school and get his sister away from the discomforting situation.

While they (Subaru) were walking, Nozomi decided to suddenly ask a question.

— Nii-Nii... Why do you want to be like Kenichi so badly? — Quite quietly and seriously, she said it right above Subaru's ear.

— Why, you ask... Well, daddy's so cool! You know how many people praise and admire him, right? When I grow up, I want to be as cool and admirable as him! — Subaru said all this with a joyful smile and a conviction that is not typical of 8 year old children.

Nozomi was silent for a while after that. Frankly speaking, Subaru even became uncomfortable with her uncharacteristic silence. He was already beginning to seriously worry about his twin's well-being, when suddenly....

— Femboy — Nozomi shot that unexpected word right at his self-esteem.
— Gkha! — Subaru almost stumbled as he tried to recover from the sudden
verbal attack.

— Exactly. Such a boy with a girlish face would never receive praise from anyone but his precious and gracious imouto. — Nozomi smirked arrogantly, mercilessly striking directly at his ego.

— Ah so... Ah SO..... Then I look forward to your future support, MISO-CHAN! — However, despite all the sword blows to his poor heart, Subaru didn't give up and attacked her with heavy artillery.

— Argh! — hearing that cursed nickname, Nozomi nearly fell off her brother's back, completely hurt by his counterattack.

Subaru smirked, realizing how much his sister hated that reference. And it wasn't hard to see why. She had originally been called that by her classmates once they became friends with the guys in first grade. They had given her the affectionate and short nickname Mizo-chan. However, there was one problem with that nickname. It sounded a lot like miso soup. And considering that most kids their age still had trouble pronouncing the letter z and mostly their attempts to pronounce it ended up pronouncing the letter s, she inadvertently became known as inherently Soup-chan. Honestly, Subaru himself would be furious if his wonderful name was mangled in such a way.

— I propose a draw... — Nozomi grit her teeth and put forward her proposal, wishing to end their noble battle of wits for the time being.

— Fine... Even though you started it! — Subaru's indignation at that moment must have been heard by the entire neighborhood.

In the end, the twins still reached the school without further incident. Near the gate, Nozomi finally got off the Subaru and once again holding hands they walked inside the school.

— I'm still amazed at your laziness... It's understandable that you hate going to school, but not that literal! — Subaru still decided to mention to Nozomi about her unwillingness to walk to school on her own.

— Hmmm... Isn't letting other people do what you can do yourself the best example of being human? — Nozomi expressed her philosophy with an extremely serious face.

— Huh? Why are you talking like you're so smart? And it sounded like the slogan of some very irresponsible people! — A little surprised at the way Nozomi was trying to show her intelligence, Subaru still criticized his sister's words.

— You don't understand how the world works.... That's alright, your imouto-sama will always be by your side to guide you. — Nodding to herself, Nozomi started stroking Subaru's head, who was extremely displeased from her condescending attitude towards him.

— Eh... You really are a terrible person. A really terrible person — Subaru sighed exaggeratedly, not wanting to let Nozomi relax too much from their truce.

— Hey! You don't have to say that twice! It's hurting! You're really hurting my tender heart! Hmph! — Nozomi expectedly resented her brother's words and snorted at him and turned away in feigned offense.

— Enough with the resentment, let's go to class already. — Subaru started dragging his sister behind him right inside the school
.
— Okay~ — Nozomi stopped pretending to be offended and followed her brother without resistance.

They finally finally reached their classroom. As soon as they entered, the twins immediately noticed the wall clock. It was now 8:20, so they were successfully able to arrive 10 minutes before the start of their first class.

Subaru sighed in relief, and Nozomi just yawned. They really did have very different opinions on school and studying in general. In fact, despite her reluctance, the younger twin almost never missed class anyway.

Although that was mostly to her brother's credit. If he was as lazy as she was, her school adventures would be legendary. Of course, she wouldn't accomplish heroic feats or great achievements in them, but the rarity of these events would definitely be worthy of legend.

Subaru and Nozomi began to walk over to their desk, greeting all of their classmates in passing. In fact, due to their successes and achievements in both sports and academics, they were quite famous and popular students in their school. So not only their classmates knew them, but also almost all the students in the school along with their teachers. And yes, even Nozomi, despite her lazy nature, was about on par with Subaru in terms of studies.

— Hi Subaru!

— Good morning Subaru!

— What's up Nozomi?

— What are you going to do after school Mizo-chan?

At the last address, Nozomi's face creased expectantly. Subaru chuckled a little at that and received an equally expected elbow strike in response. Subaru was actually glad that Nozomi had friends to keep her company. After all, other than him, she hardly socialized with anyone. It wasn't that she didn't know how to socialize with people or was really afraid of strangers. It was just that, in her own words, she had no desire to interact with strangers except for her favorite Onii-chan. However, during these three years of junior high school, she still managed to make friends with most of their classmates.

Finally, after saying hello and chatting a bit with all of their classmates, the twins began to wait for class to start.

After a while, school finally ended. There weren't many classes today, so the twins started to go home when the sun hadn't even reached its zenith yet. Having already left the school, the twins began their journey back home.

— I'm telling you, Dragon ball is a great anime! — The twins were arguing with each other as usual, though this topic was especially sensitive for them. After all, they were discussing their favorite anime.

— What's good about it? It's just a bunch of pumped up guys and aliens punching each other with regular fists and sometimes screaming with faces like they're constipated. Oh, and they sometimes glow and their hair suddenly grows back. And all this over a bunch of seasons with a bunch of episodes! — Nozomi obviously didn't like her twin's tastes. She didn't understand how she could watch something so long and yet so lacking in variety.

— Ha! So what's the difference between Dragon ball being boring and your ridiculous Pokémon? It's all about weird pocket monsters fighting each other, like that yellow rat or that undodragon, right? — Grinning, Subaru looked at Nozomi defiantly.

— Hey! Don't you dare insult Charizard! You just don't get the point of his cuteness. — Nozomi snorted and defiantly turned away.

— How can you even remember all their names... Is that why you're so good at remembering nonsense and good or useful things don't linger in your head!? — Nozomi did have a good memory, but due to her laziness and disinterest, she rarely tried to put such talent to good use.

— That's not true! I remember more than just nonsense! — Nozomi started waving her hands up and down vigorously, as if these movements could make her words more convincing or truthful.

— So you admit that it's nonsense after all! Okay, now that you're talking like that, then.... when's my birthday? — Subaru asked a very easy question. Only a complete idiot would answer it wrong, right?

— Uh-..... Is it in the summer? — Nozomi answered hesitantly, thus fully justifying Subaru's fears.

— ...And when is your birthday...? — Why did Nozomi feel uncomfortable? And why is he looking at her like he sees some kind of evolutionary failure?

— Ah! That's easy! April 1st, of course. Ow! Ow! Stop it! — As soon as Nozomi finished speaking, Subaru immediately started giving her a bunch of slaps. Not wanting to walk around with a sore forehead all day, Nozomi chose to run away.

— Idiot! We're twins! It's our birthday on the same damn day! — Subaru started to catch up with her sister, wanting to talk to her about her not-so-big brain.

— Why are you hitting me?! I was just kidding! Help me! Oni Onii-chan trying to beat me up! Get out of here! — While they were running, Nozomi took something out of her backpack and threw it at Subaru.

The item ended up hitting Subaru right in the head. This thing was quite weighty, so Subaru immediately lost his balance from the force of the blow and fell straight to the ground.

— Ouch, ouch ouch ai.... What did that brat throw at me? — He looked at the cause of his fall and realized that it was a rather thick book. On the cover was its title in English. Subaru didn't have to translate or understand the title, because it was a book that almost all of humanity knew, even if many of them had never read it.

— The Bible...? This idiot reads something like that? — Still in a bit of shock from the blow and the discovery of his sister's strange reading tastes, Subaru began to slowly stand up. Meanwhile, the book owner had already reached his brother and helped him stand up with a slightly guilty look.

— Hehehe... Sorry.... I didn't think I'd get this hard to throw or even hit you at all.... It's pretty heavy, so I thought it would just fall right next to you... — Rather shamefacedly, Nozomi apologized to her brother, checking him for bruises at the same time.

— I appreciated it heaviness... Aren't you ashamed to be so cruel to your big brother? — Subaru wasn't injured from the impact and fall. There might be a small bruise on his forehead. He realized that, so he decided to defuse the situation so that his sister wouldn't feel too guilty.

— Oh, weren't you the one who yelled at the top of your lungs that we were twins born on the same day? Why did you suddenly pull out the “big brother” card? — Nozomi, realizing her brother's intentions, decided to play along and forget about her mistake for a while.

— But I was born first. Fourteen minutes early, I might add! — Subaru immediately made a proud face and crossed his arms in front of his chest, proving his primogeniture.

— You were born first because you were closer to the ass. I'm amazed at how you can talk about it with such pride... — Nozomi looked at her brother with pity and compassion.

— I'll hit you again. — Subaru had already started to raise his fist.

— I love you Onii-chan~! You're the best~! — Nozomi immediately turned on her sucking up strategy. Subaru, on the other hand, grinned and was inwardly glad that Nozomi had stopped thinking about his downfall.

Surprisingly, not many people paid attention to their little incident. Only a couple of old aunts and some teenager looked at them. The twins eventually continued walking home, hoping not to set themselves up in any more ridiculous ways.

But their hopes were in vain. Halfway down the path, Subaru suddenly stopped and slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand. Nozomi jumped slightly and let out a small startled squeak of surprise.

— Hm? Nii-Nii, what's wrong? — It was as if she instinctively wanted to say something funny, but she managed to fight the urge and look at her brother worriedly.

— I left my Japanese notebook at school... — Subaru looked like he was about to fall into despondency. After all, he couldn't do his homework without it, and to get it back, he'd have to walk back to school.

— Hey, let me go. I wanted to take a little walk anyway.... — With a slight blush, Nozomi suggested. However, Subaru's reaction to her suggestion was not at all what she thought it would be.

— Who are you and what have you done to my sister!!!? — He abruptly let go of her hand and started looking at her with extreme suspicion.

— HEY! I'm selfish, but I'm not that bad! I mean, I want to be a good little sister sometimes! — Nozomi, who had pouted her lips and crossed her arms in front of her flat chest, is now looking at her brother with bright red cheeks.

— Oh... Well, since you want to help so badly, it can't be helped... — Almost exactly repeating his sister's pose, Subaru turned away with his face red with embarrassment.

— Hehehe~ Nii-Nii is such a tsundere~ — Saying that last, Nozomi ran back to the school.

Subaru, hearing her last sentence perfectly, blushed even more and muttered something irritated to himself. He watched as the small figure of his twin grew smaller and smaller until it disappeared from sight.

He had no idea that this would be his last memory of her.

After enjoying one last look at Nii-Nii's cute embarrassed face, I ran back to the school.

In fact, my intentions weren't exactly pure.... After all, the more Nii-Nii is grateful to me, the more he'll let me play with 'Natsumi Schwartz'. And the more chances I have to make him even cuter and cuter! Although he's cute enough that I have to restrain myself from squeezing and kissing his cute face every day! I just wish he wasn't such an unhealthy boo..... But I guess that's probably my fault too. Sometimes I really do make him too angry and annoyed. Unfortunately, it's the only way to distract him from trying to copy and praise Kenichi. After all, it's only when he's annoyed that he starts acting like.... himself? The rest of the time, though, Nii-Nii is constantly trying to imitate Kenichi, including when it comes to me. He even tried to do Kenichi's hair a few times! Thankfully, I was able to talk Nii-Nii out of it, at least for now.... But how long will my clowning work? I mean, he's getting more and more stubborn every year about wanting to be “his son”. And all others do is feed his disgusting obsession. Why doesn't anyone want to see Nii-Nii the way I see him....

— Ha... Ha... Great! Now I'm in a bad mood! It's really contraindicated for me to think. — Lost in my thoughts, I didn't notice that I was starting to get out of breath. I've never been a fan of sports, or any physical activity for that matter....

— Uh... Well, I guess I could use a few minutes of respite. — I looked around and saw a bench near a small store. Without wasting time, I immediately went over to it and sat down happily, wanting to give my legs and lungs a rest.

— Something I was really running too fast.... Just a couple minutes and already so tired.... — Sitting on the bench, I felt very drowsy. My eyes started to close on their own. Well... If I take a nap for a couple minutes, it won't be a bad thing, right? I've already run quite a lot already, so I have plenty of time before Nii-Nii starts to worry.

While weighing the pros and cons, I let the feeling of fatigue consume me and send me to dreamland...

...Suddenly, through the dream, I felt cold. Actually, it wasn't just him. It was also like something else was...dripping on me? And those drops were cold too. It was logical to conclude that I was in the rain. However, that simply couldn't be the case. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky, and the weather forecast was broadcasting bright sunny days for at least a whole week. Even considering the sudden change in weather, which is extremely rare in our city, I couldn't have fallen asleep for so long, could I? Everything I'm feeling right now can't be rationally explained, so the only reasonable conclusion I can come to is that this is all a very realistic dream.

But the cold wind, the well felt dampness in the air, and the icy raindrops made it impossible for me to write it all off as a dream, no matter how realistic. I could feel it all too well and clearly to have the strength to ignore it. My body had been shivering and demanding warmth for a long time now. That's why I can't afford to be so carefree anymore.

— I swear, if this is someone's stupid joke, I'll knock his teeth out........ А? — Finally opening my eyes, I realized that the idea of having an extremely realistic dream wasn't so delusional. After all, I couldn't give any normal explanation for what my eyes saw.

I was sitting on some kind of wooden board that was lying on the wet ground surrounded by miscellaneous debris. Apparently, I was in an alleyway between two small buildings. The house on the right had broken windows and apparently the nearby splinters were from there.

The next thing I realized, it was indeed raining. It wasn't heavy, but the scalding coldness of the small drops of water made up for it quite a bit. As if just realizing this, my body began to shiver even more.

My breathing became heavier and more rapid. My eyes ran back and forth, hoping to realize what was even happening. Feelings of genuine panic and fear began to consume me. And there's no surprise about it....

— Where am I.....? — After all, I didn't recognize this place at all.

Chapter 2: Down the rabbit hole

Chapter Text

sh*t

I was taught not to express myself this way, and I don't like it too, but I can't describe my situation any other way.

I'm in the middle of nowhere, it's raining, my school uniform is completely soaked, it's very dirty and smells like stink. And all this is happening at night when I'm completely alone and don't know what to do.

How did I even get myself into something like this!? I mean, I just decided to take a short nap on a bench and then I ended up here! Did someone kidnap me? But there were tons of people outside, so the mysterious kidnapper couldn't have done it without being seen... And I couldn't have slept that soundly! And not for that long! What the hell is going on!?

— Damn, damn, damn... — my body is already really cold. I can't even stand up straight because of the shivering. And even if I did get up, where would I go? I definitely don't know the place, and it's so dark outside that I can't see anything further than my alley. The buildings near me look abandoned and there are no lights on in them. Even if someone lives there, I doubt I'd want to talk to the occupants of such buildings....

But just sitting here is obviously a bad option... We've been taught, of course, that in situations like this we shouldn't go anywhere so that adults can find us more easily. But if I stay here like this, I'm afraid they might find me too late....

— Come on, Nozomi..... You're a big girl... We have to go back to Nii-nii, remember? If we don't go back, he'll be very angry..... — Trying to cheer myself up, I start to slowly get up from this cold, damp board. I had to repeat my attempts several times, as my legs were constantly shaking and couldn't hold me up properly. Eventually, though with difficulty, I managed to stay on my feet.

As soon as I did, I immediately felt the nasty mud under my feet. My little feet felt like they were drowning in it. It made it seem as if the disgusting odor was even stronger. Had I stepped on something drowned in this mud? I shake my head and try not to think about it, or I'm gonna throw up..

I started trying to take careful steps forward, but it was even harder than just standing up. It was like my feet were glued to this mud that didn't want to let me go. How could something so wet and damp be so sticky? Try as I might, I still managed to take a couple steps. Thankfully, I never once fell into the filth.

While I was trying to continue my way forward, I heard someone's voice. It was very unintelligible and strange. The only thing I realized was that this voice belonged to a man. If I was just lost, I would have been happy to hear the voice of an adult who could surely help me. But given my extremely strange circ*mstances, my paranoia and fear instantly killed any trust and desire to call for help. So as soon as I heard that voice, I immediately froze in place and tried not to make a sound. It was too late to go back and even if I tried, I would make too much noise with my attempts to walk through this mud.

— f*ck.... Those were pretty much the last ones... Eek.... Damn bastard can't treat a longtime friend for free for once.... ick...... — An inarticulate male voice appeared to be practically at my alley by now. His manner of speech was very strange and interrupted. It was as if he couldn't speak properly. In fact, it wasn't the first time I heard something like that. Sometimes Nii-Nii and I would meet people with the same strange way of speaking during our evening games in the park. They would hiccup all the time and sometimes walk funny. It was like they were trying to do some kind of dance, but they were extremely clumsy at it. We asked Kenichi and Naoko a couple times about these people, but they kept telling us to ignore them and stay away from them. Their last warning was as good a time as any right now.

I tried to completely freeze, hold my breath, and not make a sound. But it was a futile effort. My legs were still shaking from fear and cold. My breathing became intermittent and nervous. And my heart was beating so hard that it could probably be easily heard through my body. Meanwhile, the footsteps grew louder and more distinct. The disgusting squelch of mud and the approaching sense of danger made me shiver more and more with each passing second.

— That son of a bitch.... He kicked me out like a mutt..... А..? — Suddenly the footsteps stop and the thing I was afraid of happened. The man had stopped right at the exit of the alley and was now looking right at me. I couldn't make out his face, but his height was already reason enough for me to be terrified. He was at least two meters tall. I'd never seen a man that tall in my entire life. And now this huge man was blocking my only way out of here.

— You... You've come to laugh at me too, haven't you!!!? — Suddenly, the man's voice became much louder and fiercer. Even though I couldn't see his face, there was surely a grimace of anger on it now.

— It must be so much fun watching the stupid peasants lose their jobs, huh!?!!? — he began to approach me. His voice became more and more furious with every word he spoke. If a couple of seconds ago I had some doubts about the danger of this man, now they were definitely gone.

— M-Mister, I d-don't know what this is about, but I-I wasn't l-laughing at you! I was just lost, that's all! — My voice sounded pathetic as I tried to calm the man down. However, my attempt had the exact opposite effect.

— Shut up bitch! You don't fool me, you damn noblewoman... You robbed me of my job, my wife, my son, and now you've come for the last vestiges of my dignity!? — I didn't know what he was talking about, but it was clear he wanted to hurt me. Trying to push the fear away, I quickly ran straight to the exit of the alley, trying to avoid this man. However...

— Where do you think you're going, you little bitch? — He caught my arm right away. He didn't even move for that. No matter how fast I tried to run, the damn mud wouldn't let me get up enough speed to escape.

— Why people like you live at all....? My good boy could have survived instead of you.... and a whor* like you continues to bask in luxury, right? But that's okay..... Now you're gonna get what you deserve. — His voice had lost its former fury, but it made me even more scared.

— Gha...! — I suddenly felt a strong pressure on my neck. Then it was as if I was lifted into the air and pressed against a cold wall.

The first sensation I experienced after the shock of the sudden grab was pain. It hurt terribly. My throat was clenched tightly in this man's large and strong hand. He would squeeze his hand sharply or apply periodic pressure, making my sensations even worse.

— You can feel it, right? All that pain you.... ick.... caused me and my family........ — he didn't even look at me as he muttered to himself. But it didn't really bother me in the current situation.

I tried scratching his arm, kicking him, and wriggling around in every way possible, but it was futile. This man was not a kid my age that I was used to fighting. Even though he was clearly inadequate and shaky, my pathetic resistance was futile. With each passing second, I could feel my lungs aching more and more, already eclipsed by the pain from my clenched throat. Tears began to flow uncontrollably down my face, which couldn't help me in any way.

I'm really going to die like this? In some rotten alleyway at the hands of a man I don't even know? Will I never see Nii-Nii again? Will I never hear his voice again? Will I never be able to say I love him again? Impossible, impossible, impossible, impossible, impossible, impossible, impossible, impossible, impossible, impossible, impossible, impossible, impossible, impossible, impossible, impossible, impossible.....

— AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! BITCH!!! — I feel the grip on my throat disappear and I fall into the dirt. As soon as that painful pressure is gone, I immediately start frantically filling my lungs with oxygen. This brings no less pain than during the choking, but it won't kill me..... I guess.

In my hand is a hairpin with a blue flower, which I was able to pull out of my hair and stab this man right in the eye with it. It wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. My strength wasn't enough to instantly pierce the eye. If this giant wasn't in such a bad condition, my chances of success would have been nil. But in the end, I managed to escape the clutches of death. Right now, the man is wallowing in the mud, just like me, desperately clinging to the spot where I robbed him of his eye.

I try to gently rise to my feet, eager to get out of the mud. I'm still having trouble breathing, but if I want to get out of here, I don't have time to be distracted by this. The man, on the other hand, continues to shriek, lying with his back on the ground. My panicked eyes stare straight at him. Even though he now lies completely defenseless and wounded, the residual feeling of his hand on my throat prevents me from feeling any peace of mind.

Rising to my feet, I start to walk over to him. I can feel my hand gripping the hairpin tightly. A couple more steps and I'm already standing right above him. He seems to have even forgotten about me by now, as he just continues to incoherently scream about the pain and the eye. I doubt he's even capable of standing up now. I take the hairpin with both hands and thrust it straight into his throat with all my might.

It doesn't accomplish anything, though. The most I achieve is a small scratch on the man's neck. The hairpin wasn't sharp enough for that thick-skinned neck.... But there is something sharper in this place.

My gaze immediately fell on the shards of glass that were lying nearby. Walking over to them as quickly as I could, I grabbed one of the larger shards with my bare hand and walked back over to the man. He didn't pay any attention to my first attempt at all and continued to squeal. This noise is annoying... If anyone hears it, I'll be in trouble... So, I thrust my implement right into his neck with all my might.

— Gkha-ha! Ha-kgahaha...! — As soon as I did that, blood started pouring out. At first, there was a whole stream that went straight into my face and onto my clothes, thus completely coating me in this scarlet liquid. Then the flow began to subside, and the giant began to open and close his mouth, desperately trying to breathe. His current state reminded me of the time I caught a fish in the river. It was also, like him, floundering desperately on the ground and trying to get a drop of oxygen.

I don't know how long I've been standing over him, looking shocked at the result of my actions. But he's not moving anymore. His pupils are severely dilated and glazed over. He was still bleeding from the cut, but definitely not as much as the first few minutes after the wound. It was only by this coin that the realization of what I had just done began to reach me. I look down at my hands, covered in his blood. Even being in the rain, I am still covered in that scarlet liquid. Finally recovering from the shock, I start running away from here as fast as I can, trying not to look back at the body of my first victim.

About two weeks have passed since then, 325 hours, 27 minutes and 19 seconds to be exact. In that time I have realized a lot of things. First and most importantly, I am a complete idiot. What kept me from just running away the moment I poked his eye out?! I should have just caught my breath and gotten out of there, but nooooo, I started making excuses for the problems I'd have if he stayed alive. Now I'm not gonna have any problems, right, past me?! Idiot, idiot, idiot!

His death has brought me many different problems, even if you don't include the fact that I'm now a murderer. For example, his blood is still on my clothes and hair. The rain never completely washed it off of me, and I haven't been able to find the nearest river. And it's dangerous to go near the local well, because if people see me, I'm dead. So I have to hide in dark corners or outside the village.

Oh yes, I forgot about another important discovery. It's that I've traveled to another world. Too many different facts point to that, so there's no point in denying that I'm in another world. First of all, there are people here with animal features. I've seen people with cat, dog, fox and other ears and tails a couple times. Some of them even looked like humanoid wolves. Secondly, it's a different language. Well, only the writing is different, but they all spoke Japanese. Third, this place is on the level of the Middle Ages. I've never seen a single car, TV, wire or any trace of electronics. And fourth, everyone here is talking about some witch that consumed half the world about 10 years ago and was eventually sealed away by the three heroes. Everyone talks about this event in whispers and great fear, which isn't surprising if this story about swallowing half the world is true.

Perhaps under different circ*mstances, I would be happy to be in a fantasy world like this, but my current situation kills any joy I might have had. My throat still hurts a lot after that incident with that giant and my voice is damaged. It really hurts me to speak and swallow. Also that man apparently pinned me against the wall too hard and I was bleeding from the back of my head. I didn't notice it at first, but then I started getting headaches and vomiting. Another injury was caused by my idiocy. I had picked up a shard of glass with my bare hands, so my poor palms were deeply cut. I didn't know why I didn't feel any pain at the time, but after a while I felt the full consequences of my rash actions. Literally my whole body ached, both on the outside and on the inside.

In addition to that, I had nothing to eat or drink. I ended up drinking from muddy puddles because of my thirst, and I had to look for food literally around every corner. The only things I had with me from the old world were in my backpack. And there wasn't much in it that was useful. Aside from crumpled school books, there were only my own books and a bottle of mayonnaise. Only the latter was of any value to me at the moment, but I decided to save it for a very last resort. The books I had first thought of selling to someone and getting some local money. But given my appearance, which made it unlikely that anyone would want to do business with me, and the very different writing of this world, made me give up on that idea. Besides, those books were one of the few reminders of home and Nii-Nii...

Ah, yes.... Ever since my separation from Nii-Nii, I haven't been able to sleep properly. I was never able to do so in the old world either, let alone this one. However, it's even worse now. I had a constant feeling of emptiness ever since I realized that I was unlikely to ever see him again. This feeling was even worse than the hunger and thirst I've been constantly feeling lately.

But I still didn't want to give up completely. Since I had become a isekai protagonist, I should have special abilities, right? Maybe when I have them, I can find a way to return to Nii-Nii.

But time passed, and my abilities never appeared. Now I look more like an ordinary homeless person rather than a manga or anime heroine. My appearance is terrible, my school uniform is covered in blood and almost completely worn out, I have a foul stench, and I have no idea what to do next.

It's scary to try to talk to anyone, because it's easy to guess from my appearance that I've killed someone. I have no money, and where to get it I had no idea. I was already sneezing and coughing, at the same time provoking more sore throats. I think I have a fever. I'd have to find a new place to sleep, because the old one was occupied by a group of similarly homeless kids. I tried to convince them to let me stay there at first, but when they saw me they tried to beat me up. Luckily, I only got a couple of bruises. But I still had to leave my place. That's a big problem. I couldn't just fall asleep in any random alleyway, because I would be easily discovered, which would be highly undesirable given my previous experience.

I ended up spending practically the entire day looking for a new place to sleep. And it ended up being extremely unsuccessful. There were few places like my old one, and if I did find any, they were always occupied by either an adult or other children. I didn't have the energy to fight anyone, so I had to grudgingly walk away from each potential temporary home.

After spending all day and not finding what I needed, I had to resort to the last resort. I decided to leave the village and spend the night in the forest. I was well aware of the risks, because there could be all sorts of fantasy monsters, but it was the only workable way out of the situation. So when it was already completely dark and most people had gone to bed, I cautiously walked out of the village.

At the entrance to the village, there was a small fence and a couple sentries that guarded the passage around the clock. However, there was still one small hole in the wooden fence that surrounded the village that I could fit through, albeit with difficulty. I discovered it while I was exploring the village during my first week. Thus, I left the settlement for the first time.

Damn, what a dark place...

As I reach the forest, I realize that my idea is even more lame than I thought. And I was still complaining about the darkness in the village. Ha! It's bright as day out there, compared to this darkness...

Would it have been so hard to give a sweet little girl some space?! Why are there so many homeless people in this village anyway?! Oh, yeah. I thought someone took a bite halfway around the world recently... What a glutton...... I still find that hard to believe, but at least it explains the large number of homeless people.

In the meantime, I've already reached the forest. I don't want to go straight into the deep, so I'll try to settle somewhere right at the exit of the thicket. Even so, it's all getting creepy. All I can hear is the howl of the wind and the sound of rustling leaves. No birds, insects, or any other animals. It feels like this forest is dead and the green trees and bushes are creating the illusion of life to lure travelers.

I have read many fairy tales where children get lost in the forest and trouble happens to them. First, I read fairy tales that were rewritten for today's children. These were the versions that Disney mostly based their cartoons on. These fairy tales were much more softened versions of the originals. When I found this out, I was able to get Kenichi and Naoko to give me the original versions of the fairy tales. And they turned out to be really creepy. The vast majority of these stories ended tragically, especially for children. So my slight phobia of forests was well justified in my eyes. Maybe I really should have listened to them then and not read those stories...

Trying to overcome my fears and body aches, I began “building” my bed. I took fallen leaves, broke off branches from bushes and young trees, stripped moss from the bark of large trees, and tried to gather it all into a manageable pile. In the end, it didn't turn out so well. The only consolation is that it hasn't rained for a long time and my materials haven't had time to get wet. Otherwise, I'd have to dig myself a house and live underground..... Which sounds even sillier than my current venture.

Nevertheless, my weak and sore body didn't care what I was lying on anymore. Once I finally lay down on my makeshift bed, my consciousness immediately began to fall asleep. I hadn't slept in over 80 hours, and I was already feeling more and more awful by the hour. The fact that I have lived this long at all is a miracle in itself. But I feel like it's going to stop soon. I don't have the energy to try anymore. That awful emptiness inside is getting bigger and bigger, brutally reminding me of my separation from Nii-Nii. I really wanted to go back to him, I really did, but my hope for that is almost gone. I hope he'll forgive his stupid imouto....

I'm really sorry for being so pathetic...

— AAAAAAAA!!!! — I screamed with all my sore throat. My eyes instantly opened as I felt an unbearable pain in my leg.

I jumped up from the bed and looked at my leg. It was covered in deep bites. God.... Is that my bone!? Someone's been eating me!?

I didn't have to wait long for an answer to my question, because I felt another bout of pain, but this time from my back.

— Argh...! — It didn't hurt as much, but it wasn't pleasant.

A bunch of strange creatures flying near me looked like rats, but with black wings. On their heads I could make out small horns. Their eyes were red and glowed in the darkness, predatorily scrutinizing their prey. But the creepiest thing about them was that my blood was dripping from their little faces.

Don't they even let me die in peace? Why do they keep trying to kill me over and over again?!? To hell with you, I'd rather die in my sleep thinking about Nii-Nii than by a pack of some flying nasty rodents!

Gathering my strength, I ran away from them. I didn't even realize where I was going, because despite all the pathetic speeches in my head, I was terrified. Being eaten alive definitely sounds like an extremely horrible way to die, so my mangled and half-eaten legs ran on pure self-preservation instinct.

Predictably, however, my speed failed me again. With my legs so mangled, there was no way I would have gotten far. So, deep in the forest, I collapsed beside a large tree. I couldn't even run away without getting a couple more bites from those things while running. I was bleeding thickly from my back as well as my legs. It wasn't gushing like the other guy's, but the amount of it still horrified me. Was it really all mine...?

The vile squeaking of those flying rats was getting closer and closer. Though my vision is blurry, but I am able to clearly see the approaching red eyes in the darkness of the forest. No matter how hard I try, I can't get up. I have no strength left at all. Even the fear of being eaten alive didn't help my body move a muscle. All I could do was watch my impending doom. But I didn't have the courage to do that either. I closed my eyes tightly in fear, crying and praying for it to be over as quickly as possible.

But ten seconds passed. Then thirty. Then a minute. I felt no pain. Could it be that I was already dead? Wrong answer, since the old pain still remained. Maybe they've lost me. That was doubtful, because I couldn't get far away from them, and my moans of pain must have been audible. But how could I explain to myself the fact that I was alive and not in pain because of their little jaws? And should I even be happy? I won't even be able to stand up because of these wounds. The world just changed my fate from a quick and painful death from those beasts, to a slow and perhaps less agonizing death from blood loss.

Great... Just great... I start sobbing again... How much more humiliation and pain will I have to endure before this damned fantasy world finally lets me-!

— How wonderful... Such a wonderful will to live. Your struggle, your diligence and your determination are so admirable that I just can't get past.... — suddenly I heard a voice. It was like perfect silk, just as smooth and velvety. It felt as if all my problems and worries could disappear just by listening to that hypnotic sound.

— But your condition is really terrible. To my regret, the world won't let you survive on your willpower alone. It's really cruel, isn't it? It would be sad if such a beautiful creature like you disappeared so without a trace.... So, I'd like to make you an offer. — The beautiful voice sounded closer and closer, as if trying to drown me in its calmness. I couldn't even pay attention to the words of the mysterious owner of the voice, trying to just enjoy its sound as much as possible.

But I was still distracted by the sound of rustling grass from where the winged rodents had approached me earlier. I froze. My body remembered again the recent fear of death. But what came out of there was not at all what I expected.

Because out of the darkness came the most beautiful creature I had ever seen.

Chapter 3: Welcome to the Cult

Chapter Text

Before me stood the most beautiful girl I had ever seen.

Her height was small and her face young enough to mistake her for an early teenager. But such minuteness and youth only added to her beauty. Her long hair was the color of purest platinum. Even through the darkness of the night forest, I could see the soft glow that seemed to emanate from her silky straight fibers. Her skin was pure white in color with not a single drop of dirt, blemish, or imperfection on it. She wore nothing but a simple white cloth, something resembling a poncho, and a blue ribbon that was sewn onto the cloth and tied in a bow. In her hair was a similar ribbon tied in the same way. Such a choice of clothing would normally indicate poverty, but in her case it only further emphasized her purity and angelic appearance. But the most beautiful and breathtaking detail of her appearance, at least to me, were her eyes. I had always been proud of my eyes, the color of which was very unusual for native Japanese, but compared to the eyes of this mysterious stranger, they were pale and unremarkable. Even the very comparison between them could be called a sin. Her eyes were a deep dark blue shade, as if they were the embodiment of a vast ocean. It was hard to even call them eyes, they were more like gemstones, like blue spinel. Her slightly closed eyelids and long white lashes further emphasized the splendor of her eyes. If there is an ideal of beauty, it is standing right in front of me. And forgetting about pain, fear and my impending death, I tried to savor the sight of this divine being as much as possible.

— Let me begin by introducing myself. I am Pandora, the Witch of Vainglory. Can you say your name now? — she sweetly tilted her head to the side as if she were a curious child. But as much as I wanted to answer her and enter into a dialog with her, to hear more words from her beautiful little thin lips, it was beyond me. Even if I wasn't wounded by these monsters and bleeding here, my throat hurt too much for me to utter a single word right now.

— Ah, I apologize. I didn't take your predicament into consideration. You can introduce yourself to me later if this meeting ends well. — bowing slightly, Pandora said her apology in the same calm and soothing tone. I don't know why, but her last words scared me a little. But those emotions quickly flew out of my heart, replaced again by admiration for this girl.

— You have a desire, don't you? A desire so strong that you, against all odds, managed to live up to this moment. It's really marvelous. Your will is definitely worthy of praise. — she began to lightly clap her hands as if applauding me. Applauding a barely alive body that was about to die.

— But like I said, will and desire alone are not enough. No matter how hard you try, your will is doomed to fail. That's life, so don't blame yourself. — Pandora said all this with the same peaceful tone. It was as if her voice was unaffected by emotion. I tried to concentrate on her words as much as possible, even if my consciousness was beginning to fade.

— However, there is no need to be sad. Because I'm here to help you. I’m going to give you a gift that will help you achieve your dreams... — having finished, Pandora walked closer to me and crouched down a little so that we were approximately at the same level. She extended two hands towards me and...

— I'll give you Hope — Having said that, two strange objects appeared in her tiny hands as if from nowhere. On her left hand was a small black box, which for some reason made me feel a little panic, and in her right hand was a black bound book.

— They will be your trusty tools to help you in the pursuit of your dreams. — This time I could faintly catch the slight excitement mixed with anticipation in Pandora's voice. She placed the two items in my bloody hands and stood to her full height again.

— I do not require you to accept my gift, but if you choose to continue your journey alone, I will be forced to honor your wish and leave immediately. — Pandora now looks at me expectantly.

I, meanwhile, felt that I had little time to think. If I refused her "gift", I would die anyway. There would be no other options. But what if I accept it? Would it cure me? Will it give me something that will help me return to Nii-Nii? In that case, the choice is obvious. With all my remaining strength and ignoring the pain, I opened the small disturbing box...

— Ah... How beautiful... How amazing... It's even better than I could have imagined... — Pandora's cheeks turned red and she started crying as soon as I opened the box. Something that looked like dark, thick smoke came out of it and it immediately felt like it was entering me. I expected it to affect me in some way. Like I would be healed immediately or at worst die painfully if this girl had tricked me. But I didn't feel anything. Even when this thing entered me, I didn't feel anything at all. However, Pandora immediately became excited as soon as it all happened. It was as if her voice became much more joyful and happy.

— I'm really glad that I found you... You are undoubtedly perfect... О? — Without finishing her monologue, Pandora was suddenly surprised by something. It was the second emotion I saw, apart from her usual calmness. Suddenly, a second box appeared in her hand, which was identical to the one I was holding.

— So that's how... It might be a small change, but if there's a mishap, it'll be easy to fix. — smiling again, Pandora again handed me the box, replacing the empty one. Having realized what was required of me, I opened it again.

It was the same dark haze, only this one seemed thicker. But when she entered me, I perfectly felt the changes in me, unlike the previous time. And it wasn't a good thing. After all, I began to feel Hunger.

I have never felt such hunger at all, even during my entire stay in this world. It feels like something has turned that disgusting emptiness in my soul from my separation from Nii-Nii into a very real and monstrous emptiness in my stomach. I wanted to put something in my mouth. I don’t care if it’s my own hand or the bark of nearby trees. I want to eat! Give me food! At least something!

— It's amazing... It's fantastic... You were able to take two. You can't be satisfied with just one, right? — Pandora's face had now taken on an expression of sheer ecstasy. It made me want to eat her even more...

— However, you're not in the best shape to have a conversation right now. Let me finally fix this... — I couldn't hear what she said next. And I didn't really care. Right now, all I wanted to do was take a bite out of her soft and smooth...

Looking around, I realized that I was no longer in the forest. I was now inside some sort of... building? At least, the stone walls and high ceiling clearly hint at that. But I don't see a single window. And this place has an unpleasant feeling. It's like everything here wants to crush me. The only thing that helps give this place some coziness is the pile of candles that light up this large hall and the far corridors. I also notice that the second box has disappeared from my hands, but the book remains.

— You don't have to worry, you are out of danger in this place. — suddenly a voice comes from behind me that made me jump up and squeak in fright.

However, looking at the owner of the voice, I immediately remembered who she was. The same beautiful girl who found me bleeding to death in that forest. I remember feeling an unreal sense of pleasure just looking at her. Now I feel almost the same, but much more muted. Maybe I had those emotions because of my near-death state?

— Don't sneak up on me so suddenly! Are you trying to scare me to death?!? — To my surprise, I loudly and confidently spat out my outrage in front of Pandora's face. She didn't seem offended by it and just continued speaking in the same calm tone.

— I apologize if my emergence has affected you so much. I assure you that was not my intention. I just wanted to continue our conversation in a more comfortable environment and without further risks to your health. — Pandora bowed slightly again. I tried to remember what kind of conversation we were talking about. Almost all the details I had already reconstructed in my memory, but to call it a conversation would be a great exaggeration.

— If that's the case... Let me finally introduce myself. My name is Nozomi. Natsuki Nozomi. — After stating my first and last name, I looked at Pandora with curiosity and anticipation.

— Nice to meet you, Archbishop Nozomi. I hope our future cooperation will be fruitful. — wait... what?

— Uh... Archbishop? Cooperation? I don't recall us touching on such a thing. — the feeling of discomfort grew even stronger. The sight of Pandora didn't so much reassure me anymore, and her words sent a small chill down my spine.

— You must have misunderstood me, Archbishop. I have no desire to force you to do anything. I told you this would be my gift, didn't I? It's just that if we join forces, our goals will be much more attainable. Isn't that right? — Pandora tilted her head questioningly again. When she's not acting creepy, she's really cute.

— It turns out... You're inviting me to some kind of organization...? Some kind of church? — at least that's the only conclusion I can come up with based on the title “Archbishop.”

— That's almost right. You're not the only one in this world who wants something badly, are you? However, just like you, not everyone is able to fulfill those desires. At least more... In ways that most sentient beings are accustomed to. That's why we exist. Our organization is called the Witch Cult. Here, we want to achieve a future that brings us happiness. Even if it may seem ridiculous or unrealistic to some. — when Pandora finished her explanation, I got nervous. There was one little detail mentioned here that worried me very much.

— Pandora. You called yourself a witch, didn't you? — I asked in a slightly shaky voice.

— Yes, I am indeed called that. — Pandora replied promptly, ignoring my concern.

— If it's the Witch Cult... Does it worship you? — Though it might seem as if I was afraid of an affirmative answer, but in fact I am afraid of the opposite...

— No, I'm an important member of the cult, but I'm not the one to whom all the prayers of the faithful are addressed. — without changing her face, Pandora is letting my paranoia grow.

— Then it turns out... The Witch of Envy is worshipped here? — It was just a guess. If there's Pandora who is a witch, then there must be witches besides her. But there was one person who actually made that word a household name. In fact, that's all anyone ever talked about her like that. The witch who destroyed half the world.

— That's right. Many people are here to worship Satella. — Pandora replies calmly.

— I seeeee..... In that case, I'm going to decline. — my answer was quite logical. After all, this so-called “Satella” was actually the equivalent of Satan in this world. So it's a Satanist or demon-worshiping cult. I love creepy stuff, but I have no desire to participate in it myself. And the idea of worshipping anyone gives me a bad taste in my mouth.....

— I guess you already know about her bad reputation. But you have nothing to worry about. I won't force you to worship Envy. The only thing I will ask you to do is to help us sometimes. In return, we will help you and I will provide you with everything you need. That sounds like a very favorable arrangement to me. — Pandora's words did sound tempting... in a way. I know next to nothing about this world and its rules. I also have no home, acquaintances, or any means of livelihood. I don't even know where I should start looking for a way to get back to Nii-Nii. But on the other hand, I will be joining a very questionable group of people who worship the local living apocalypse. I doubt my “help” will consist of peace talks or anything like that. However, if it gets me even a little bit closer to Nii-Nii.....

— Whew... I agree... — with a sigh, I made the decision to join the cult.

— Wonderful... I'm glad that your eagerness helped you choose this path. It would have been quite disappointing if you had left without recognizing your Authorities. — Pandora's smile grew a little wider and happier. Her cheeks flushed slightly again. I can't understand what is causing her mood to rise so dramatically.

— Authorities...? Is that some kind of local term or...? — her words didn't mean much to me. I could barely follow the conversation as it was.

— Let's save that discussion for another time. Right now, I suggest you follow me. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask. I will answer to the best of my ability. — Without answering my first question, Pandora started walking towards one of the corridors. Having no other options, I followed her.

— Uh... I probably should have asked this right away, but where are we anyway? — As we walked down the corridor, I decided to find out a little more about the place.

— We're in the southwest cathedral. Somewhere between the border of Kararagi and Vollachia. — that kind of answer didn't get me anything at all.

— I see... Why are there no windows in this cathedral at all? — it was all just bugging me. I mean, what's the point of making a building without windows?

— This cathedral was built in a cave system. These caves were undiscovered by any of the countries, so they were a good hiding place for the faithful. — well, then no windows makes sense.

— By the way... What's that book you gave me? And those little boxes with something in them... — that was probably the question that bothered me the most. Still, a black haze coming into you is definitely a concern.

— We’ll talk about the latter another time... And as for the first, this is the Gospel. This book will help you on the path to your goal. — such vague answers from Pandora are already starting to irritate.

Now we are in a hall that was even larger than the first one. And unlike the previous one, it was much more beautiful and cozy. There were a lot of big carpets on the floor, which blocked the view of the stone tiles, which were not the most pleasant to the eye. There was also a variety of furniture, from a huge bed to mirrors. The light here came not only from candles, but also from some strange stones. All in all, this room looked more like a king's bedroom than a normal cathedral hall.

— Wow... — I couldn't help but admire the beauty of this place. Of course, because of the general atmosphere of this cathedral, this abode lost some of its coziness, but it was still much better than expected.

— For the time being, you will be staying here. I hope this suits your needs? — Pandora came up behind me and placed her small hands on my shoulders. Even through my school uniform, I could feel how gentle they were.

— O-Of course! I'm really going to live here!? — Pandora just nodded her head to my amazement.

— Yes, I promised to provide you with everything you need. It would be cruel of me not to give you a place to live in. — she spoke as if it was a matter of course. But to give me something like this as my “room”.....

— By the way, there's someone here to see you. Do you mind if they come? — Hmm? Who's she talking about? Apparently, there's at least two of them. But why do they want to meet me? They can't possibly know me in any way, can they? Or did Pandora tell them about me? Either way, my curiosity wanted answers.

— Well. I guess it won't be a big deal. Are they cult members too? — still, I wouldn't want to accidentally anger the fanatics by not expressing my desire to worship this Satella in front of them.

— In a way... But don't worry, their loyalty doesn't belong to Envy. — well, that's quite reassuring.

— Then when are they coming? — I haven't seen anyone else in this cathedral, so they could be somewhere else.

— They'll be here soon... Ah, there they are. — as if on cue, into my newfound room came two..... teenagers?

The first thing I noticed about them was that they were clearly twins. A girl and a boy who, unlike me and Nii-Nii, actually looked almost identical. They both had yellow hair and blue eyes. Their height and build were also the same. The only thing that helped distinguish their gender was their hairstyle and type of clothing. The boy wore some sort of black vest over a white shirt, black pants, the same color shoes, and a yellow tie. The girl, on the other hand, wore a black dress, the same color shoes, a yellow bow around her neck, and a black bow in her hair. They were taller than me, and from the looks of it they were about 14 years old. They were about the same height as Pandora. The twins looked at me with a smile, but something in their eyes made me uncomfortable....

— Greetings, Archbishop! — the girl and the boy greeted me synchronously, and just as synchronously bowed exactly 90 degrees. It was not only sudden, but also a bit frightening.

— These children's names are Hansel and Gretel. They expressed their desire to meet you as soon as they heard about you. — Pandora told me a little about the twins. However, it didn't explain their behavior at all. I liked their names, though. Back when we went to kindergarten, Nii-Nii and I played the fairy tale Hansel and Gretel in a small play. So their names evoked a pleasant feeling of nostalgia in my chest.

— Miss Archbishop, allow us to serve you! — raising their heads slightly to look at me, the twins spoke again at the same time.

— Huh? — for me, such a request was a shock. I had already had a lot of strange things happen to me, and suddenly some creepy twins wanted to serve me.... Although compared to being transported to another world, teleported and instantly healed, it doesn't sound so absurd.

— Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!... Why do you even want to serve me? We don't even know each other! — they probably don't know my name either, because I introduced myself to Pandora a while ago, and she hasn't disappeared since, so she wouldn't be able to tell them about it.

— Let me get this straight. You are now an Archbishop, which puts you pretty much at the top of the Cult's hierarchy. Their desire to become servants to such a person is understandable. — Pandora tried to explain the situation to me again, but it still didn't make sense to me. Isn't everyone here trying to accomplish their own goals? Or to worship Satella? What do they even get out of serving me?

— Didn't I say? Everyone here is trying to find their way to their own happiness, even if that happiness looks absurd or abnormal to others. So I'm asking you to treat these children with understanding. — as if reading my mind, Pandora answered my doubts. And come to think of it, that's really kind of how she originally described the cult....

— So... You'll be content just serving me...? — such an endeavor seemed strange and unnatural to me, but if that was really the case, then....

— Of course, Archbishop! It would be our greatest honor to be your servants! — again answering synchronously, Hansel and Gretel stared at me, waiting for my answer. Now I seemed to understand why I didn't like their eyes at first. After all, they were filled with obsession for me. Their gaze reminded me of Pandora's when those dark smoky things were being absorbed into me. There was the same adoration and affection in their eyes....

— Well... if you want it so badly, I don't see a problem... — though they seemed a bit creepy to me, the thought of having someone serving me didn't sound so bad.... Plus, there's no telling how they might react to the rejection.....

— We thank you! We promise we will try our best to serve you! — the twins straightened up and bowed again. Their voices were filled with euphoria and joy, as if two children had been given the most welcome Christmas gift.

— By the way, here's my first request. Make me something to eat... I'm going to starve to death..... — yes, I was still hungry all this time. Healing and Pandora's presence has helped me get my mind off it, but if I don't eat soon, I'm afraid my stomach will just digest itself.

— Of course, ma'am! We'll be right there! — bowing once more, Hansel and Gretel immediately ran out of the hall in a direction unknown to me. Their voices were filled with a little panic, as if afraid of disappointing me. It was a bit pleasant...

— I suppose we can leave each other alone for the moment. Try to get used to this place, as you're not likely to be leaving it much anytime soon. I'll visit you again tomorrow to continue discussing certain details. In the meantime, get some rest, you've earned it. — as Pandora finished speaking, she suddenly disappeared. There were no effects or words when magic was used. It was as if she had never been here in the first place. This added another item to my list of Pandora's creepiness. She was just as beautiful and divine in my eyes, but now I just couldn't ignore things like that.

After a while, the twins returned with a bunch of trays of food. They actually finished quickly. The plates were full of dishes of varying degrees of exoticism and quality. There were simple mashed potatoes as well as huge chunks of appetizingly cooked meat with beautiful looking salads. It's amazing that they managed to cook it all in such a short time. I almost jumped on them while they were carrying it all.

When they had already laid everything out and handed me a fork and spoon and knife, I finally started eating. My first course was a juicy piece of meat from an unknown animal. I didn't really care what poor thing ended up on my table. The only thing on my mind was to satisfy this hunger that was destroying me from the inside out. The smell of it was so strong that it was like I could taste it before it even entered my mouth. I took this piece of meat to put in my mouth and I immediately started chewing it greedily. The cooked muscles were breaking down and chunks of fat were dissolving in my mouth. Warm juice began to roll from my lips and then down my chin. I immediately tried to lick this juice off with my tongue so as not to lose a drop of the energy value of this dish. I could taste the iron flavor in my mouth, which is a sign of weak frying. I usually didn't like this kind of thing, but now this mixture of natural fatty juices and unusual iron flavor gave this meat a special nutritious flavor. There wasn't much seasoning, but it paired perfectly with the fatty meat broth and tender flesh. The flesh wasn't salty, but it wasn't bland either. But it wasn't tasteless either, it was more like the perfect combination for the most comfortable eating and satisfying of taste buds. The pale red liquid began to actively flow from my mouth as I tried my best to chew the soft meat in hopes of learning more of the flavor it might be hiding from me.

Finally finished with that piece, I started on the other dishes. I consumed, gulped, chewed, crushed, drank, and devoured everything on the table. Eventually, after about half an hour, there was nothing left. Everything disappeared from the table almost as much as Pandora had disappeared. The twins' eyes widened in shock at the sight of my appetite. But even so, when I'd already eaten a bunch of dishes, my hunger hadn't gone away. Yes, I felt a little pleasure, but I didn't get the full satisfaction.

— Ahem... I should probably go to bed. You can leave me. But I'll expect the same banquet tomorrow. — the twins came out of their stupor, immediately bowed and left, not wanting to disturb me.

— Eh... On the one hand, life seems to be getting better, but on the other.... — sighing, I got up from the chair and jumped onto the huge bed, putting my gospel on the nearest nightstand.

The bed was very comfortable and soft. I had never laid on something so comfortable. It felt like I was lying on a cloud.... I hadn't slept in a bed in about two weeks, so I immediately felt incredibly blissful about my current position. Now, I can finally sleep...........
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Chapter 4: Birth of the new Star

Chapter Text

It was dark everywhere.

I couldn't discern anything in this darkness. Darkness is the absence of light. But it feels like this darkness has taken on a physical form of its own and consumed the entire place. I didn’t even understand where the bottom was and where the top was. I was just swimming in this black impenetrable sea until I heard a voice.

— Wow~ So that's how all things turned out~..... — the voice was male. It seemed to be distorted by interference, but it was still easy to identify the man by the sound.

— Just look at you~! Did you get what you wanted~? Are you happy with your position as a discarded trash~? — the voice was clearly mocking someone. The poisonous grin was so obvious that I myself involuntarily began to feel disgust.

— But your own humiliation was not enough for you. You also decided to turn me into a member of the “insignificant” club, right? — this time any playfulness and fun disappeared from the voice. He was serious. I could even say a little angry.

— I really feel lousy~ And it’s your fault, you know~? Although, no matter how much I would like to continue to throw mud at you, not only you are involved in this situation, but also this stubborn fool~ Seriously, what was she even counting on~? Was she really hoping for a miracle~? Hihi~ Apparently, even someone like her is still capable of this~ Although, that's the only thing she knows how to do...~ — the previous seriousness quickly disappeared, as if it had never existed at all. I didn’t understand at all what this mysterious voice was saying. I was already inundated with riddles and I don't need any new ones. Let me rest already...

— Why are you silent~? Nothing to say~? Basically, what do I expect from a crushed insect~? No matter how beautiful this insect looks, if you step on it or tear off its wings, there will be little left of it~ What motivates you anyway~? Hatred~? Passion~? Just don’t say friendship and love, I beg you~ Otherwise you’ll definitely finish me off like that~ — the unknown person continued his mocking speech. I can't understand what he's trying to achieve. Does he just enjoy torturing someone?

— Everything you achieved and succeeded was just thrown away~! As well as yourself~! They don't need you anymore, you know~? You disgust them~ You disappointed them~ All of that wasn't enough for them, and you gave them more and more until there was nothing left to offer~ Your words and actions became too small a sum for their greedy hearts, right~? But you still want to cling to the illusory opportunity to fix everything~ Hahahahahaha~! It's so cheesy that it's even funny~! In this regard, you are really not much different from her~! Maybe that's why she...... Oh~? — suddenly, the voice stopped its mocking monologue. He was silent for a few seconds before continuing to speak in a calmer voice.

— She declared another failure~? It's quite annoying~ I'm not eager to disappear, you know~? You and the others will be fine, heh~ But I'm not too happy with my fate~... Horewer, do you really think that someone like me will accept their fate so easily~? — After that I didn’t hear anything. The poison that filled my ears finally disappeared.

Rejoiced at the newfound peace, I allowed the pleasant darkness to engulf me in order to enjoy a restful sleep....

At least that's what I hoped.

I'm now lying on my bed in a very bad mood. After all, I never managed to sleep properly. Even so tired, I still can't sleep properly without Nii-Nii. And even if it does, it’s only for a couple of minutes before I wake up again. Also, that stupid dream... In general, forgive me bed, but it’s not about you, it’s about me.

Raising my torso, out of habit, I decided to look out the window, but then I remembered that there were no windows here. Perhaps sleeping underground without access to the sky also played a role in my poor sleep. Although, there is something that influenced me much more...

That wild hunger still torments me. Sometimes I wanted to cry from this unbearable pain, but this would probably make me even hungrier. And it all started with that dark thing that entered me. Why did it happen so? With the first one everything was fine and it didn’t have any negative impact on me... At least, I didn’t notice it. Maybe that thing cut my life in half, or maybe the consequences will appear later. I definitely didn't like this prospect...

Today I will definitely get the answers I need from Pandora. This secrecy doesn't suit me. If this continues, I will definitely bite off my leg or arm. My fatigue doesn't help in this matter either...

— Hansel! Gretel! Are you here!? — still lying in bed, I call my newfound “servants”. Having subordinates who are also older than me still gives me feelings of doubt and misunderstanding, but I don’t want to complain about this. And I don’t really have the strength for this.

— Did you call me, Lady Archbishop? — Gretel came into my hall ... bedroom... room in general. She was wearing the same black dress as yesterday, but something was still missing.

— Wait... Where is your brother? — my face probably looks very surprised. After all, this is the first time I've heard the voice of one of the twins without their eerie synchronicity. Of course, I only met these two yesterday, but they left quite a strong double impression...

— My younger brother is now busy cleaning the halls of the cathedral. We would not want Madam Archbishop to be in a dirty environment. — Bowing humbly, Gretel explained to me the reason for Hansel’s absence. So that means he's the younger twin... Hmm...

— Gretel, is your brother a good cook? — I had a sudden urge to know something very important...

— No. Unfortunately, cooking is not easy for my younger brother... For him, preparing something more complex than a boiled egg or mashed potatoes is already an impossible task. — Gretel answered a little shyly, trying not to look at my face. My suspicions from such an answer only intensified...

— And you’re good at cooking, right? — if she answers yes to this, then...

— A? How did you guess? Although, this is to be expected from you! — At first Gretel was surprised, but then she was delighted.

—....Is this Hisui and Kohaku undercover...? — my brain began to work at full capacity to find the answer to this mysterious coincidence.

— Is something wrong, Lady Archbishop? — Gretel asked with concern, noticing my deep thoughts.

— ...A? N-no, nothing... By the way, can you stop calling me “Lady Archbishop”? This makes me feel a little awkward... — returning to reality, I decided to ask the older twin to stop calling me that formally. I’m not used to this, and besides, “Lady Archbishop” sounded too long...

— Oh... Well, since this is the mistress’s order, then I obey. I will also pass this on to my younger brother. — bowing again, Gretel only half fulfilled my request. And she also regarded this as an order.

— This... Okay, forget it. I actually called you to find out when they would bring me food. — finally returning the conversation to the right direction, I asked what I was going to ask.

— Ah! This minute, mistress's! — Bowing again, Gretel quickly left me.

Eh... All this officiality still confuses me. It's not that I was against it... It's just that such a respectful attitude is very confusing, especially when no one has treated me the same way before... Except for our games with "Natsumi Schwartz", where "she" played the role of mine maid. Nii-Nii played very naturally back then...

— Good morning, Archbishop. I hope you had a good night's sleep. — an angelic voice suddenly becomes audible in my bedroom. This time I manage to maintain my composure and not get scared. At least externally...

— Good morning to you too. As you can see, I slept just fine. — the sarcasm in my tone was obvious. Although I haven’t looked at myself in the mirror, I’m sure that my appearance clearly does not hint at a “well-rested person.”

— Glad to hear that. We have an important conversation ahead of us today, so you should be full of energy for this. I have already informed those children about the place where we should meet. So as soon as you finish your business, I will ask you to come to me immediately. — having spoken, Pandora disappeared as suddenly as she had appeared. I sighed once again and mentally tried to prepare for this conversation.

After a while, both twins came back to me with a bunch of plates of food. This time there were even more of them. Apparently, they took into account my yesterday’s demonstration of my huge appetite after all...

I wish I could say that I was definitely full this time, but my body says otherwise. Even when I ate all this huge amount of different dishes, my hunger didn’t even think about letting up. Although this was not the only thing that struck me. After all, I was somehow able to eat it all in just a measly 20 minutes. How was I even able to pull this off? And my tummy did not increase from so much food consumed. The longer I'm here, the weirder things get...

Still resigned to my inability to satisfy my hunger, I asked the twins to take me to Pandora. They bowed and obediently began to lead me in an unknown direction.

— By the way, do you know anything about Pandora? — While we were walking where we needed to go, I still decided to ask a question about this mysterious girl. A danger foreseen is half avoided, right?

— We ourselves know practically nothing about Lady Pandora. — Hansel was the first to answer. Unlike his sister, his voice usually sounded rather distant. Not in the sense that he doesn’t care about everything, but in the sense that he’s flying in the clouds.

— However, her existence is a secret within the cult. Very few members are aware of her presence or position. As far as we understand, she is one of the founders of the cult, or knew one of them. — Gretel added on her own. On the contrary, she spoke very energetically. She seemed to be trying to hide her emotions, but her more emotional nature was obvious.

— I see... But how did you even meet? Did she also give you some boxes and a black book? — although I still don’t understand what they are needed for. Are they some kind of cult artifact or what?

— Boxes...? We don’t know anything about them, but she gave us the Gospels. And we met before the Great Calamity. We were then sheltered by elves who had not yet lived in the Elior Forest and their leader was not that hysterical woman. Although we didn’t particularly like her brother either. It was there that we met Lady Pandora. — Having finished her story, Gretel continued to walk forward. I tried to process these crumbs of information. Much was, of course, incomprehensible to me, but I caught the main essence.

After some time we reached one of the wooden doors. Hansel and Gretel stopped near her and looked at me expectantly. Apparently the conversation will be private...

Knocking on the door, I heard a calm “come in,” and immediately opened the door. Walking inside, I was a little surprised. After all, everything here is quite different from the general internal appearance of the cathedral. This room has wooden walls and floors, various paintings hanging and a couple of marble sculptures. In general, there was not a lot of furniture here like in my room/hall. And compared to her, there was much less space here. And in the center of this room, sitting on a comfortable sofa, is the one who invited me here in the first place. As soon as I walked in, she immediately nodded her head to the opposite sofa, telling me where to sit. Having finished a quick inspection of the room, I sat down on the indicated sofa opposite Pandora. Between us there was only a small table with cups of tea on it.

— I'm glad you've finally arrived. I'm guessing you have a lot of questions, don't you? — Pandora sounded very affectionate, as if she was really glad to see me, although only half an hour had passed since her “morning invitation”. But she's right. I'm already tired of this secrecy, so I have to get at least some answers from this conversation.

— You guessed it... I really want to clarify a lot of things for myself... For example, what kind of terrible hunger am I starting to experience all the time? — I tried to make my voice as serious as possible, but it was more cute than serious. Realizing the futility of my attempts to look more mature, I simply began to drink tea and wait for Pandora's answer.

— So that's how it is...... Apparently, the effect of Gluttony turned out to be stronger than I thought... Perhaps your hunger is equal to Daphne’s hunger... — Pandora again looked slightly surprised, but then quite curious. It was as if she was looking at a beautiful butterfly that she had only seen once before.

— Gluttony...? Daphne...? I hope I don’t need to explain that all this means nothing to me? — the meaning of the words is clear. Gluttony is... Well... Gluttony, and Daphne is the name. But what’s what is absolutely not clear to me.

— Sorry, I think I got carried away again. What I called Gluttony is a witch gene or factor. Daphne was its previous owner. — Having driven away curiosity, Pandora explained this to me in her usual tone.

— So... That black thing that came out of the box was the witch factor of Gluttony? — considering that my hunger appeared immediately after this, it was not difficult to connect the dots.

— Right. Unfortunately, Daphne, the Witch of Gluttony, died in the desert over seven years ago. Since then, her witch gene remained without an owner. Well, at least until yesterday. — Pandora’s smile became a little wider. She was really happy about it.

—...Why did you even give it to me? What is the point of it if it makes its owners suffer so much? — I’ve only had this “gene” for a day, but I already want to get rid of it as soon as possible. It's simply unbearable. This parasite will simply kill me at this rate...

— I’m sorry if the side effect of Gluttony is causing you so much trouble. Your predecessor shared your torment. But witch genes are not exclusively harmful entities. If the owner of the gene is sufficiently compatible with the desired sin, then he will receive a unique power that can destroy the logic of Od Laguna itself. — to be honest, her explanations did not diminish my desire to get rid of Gluttony.

— Let's say I'm intrigued by this... But what is Od Laguna anyway? — I heard some people in that village saying “Oh my Od” or something like that. Is this some kind of local god?

— Od Laguna... I think for now it will be enough to say that it is the whole world. And witch factors are able to resist him and impose their will. Is their scale of power clearer to you now? — After thinking a little, I nodded my head. After all, the forces that are capable of distorting the world at will are undoubtedly extremely powerful.

— The forces that arise after the absorption of factors are called Authorities. How they manifest will depend mainly on the personality and desires of the owner. Compatibility with sin also plays a role. — Having sipped some tea, Pandora finished her explanation. But this did not explain my condition. I didn't want to be hungry forever, right?

— ...It turns out that I was incompatible, since I am tormented by such hunger? Although I loved to eat deliciously, calling it Gluttony... — it was the only option I could come up with. I have never been fat or overweight. I was the skinniest girl in school and did not abuse junk food. There is little that connects me with this “sin”.

— I assure you, your compatibility with Gluttony is extremely high. There is no need to look at this sin as a simple need for food. The gene responded to your desire more strongly than other sins, in addition to the first one you absorbed, so it would be extremely unwise to deny your connection. — such explanations confuse me even more... Okay, at least we sorted this out somehow, now I would like to know a couple more things...

— I guess I won’t be able to get rid of him just like that, right? — Pandora only nodded her head affirmatively in response. In principle, this was expected. I doubt that my predecessor would have endured this hunger until her death if there had been a way to get rid of these factors.

— What kind of life is this... Okay, let's leave this topic for later. Now I'm interested in something else. What sin was in the first box...? — is the question of the day. If with Gluttony the consequences are at least noticeable, then the first factor did not manifest itself at all. And this uncertainty was as frightening as insatiable hunger.

— Ah... I'm glad that this interests you so much. The first box contained the Pride gene. — Pandora became very inspired as soon as I asked about my first factor. However, I did not share her enthusiasm.

— .....Huh..? Pandora, are you kidding me now? — I almost dropped my cup from her answer. After all, this seemed absurd to me even more than my compatibility with Gluttony.

— I understand, I was also extremely surprised. Your compatibility with Pride is so great that I can’t help but feel emotional...— Pandora actually became very emotional again. Just like when I first absorbed the first factor.

— At first I didn’t even believe it. After all, not a single witch or warlock had such a connection with their sins... For the first time I see something like this... You are truly extremely amazing... — she began to cry again and applaud me. She started talking nonsense again...

— It seems to me that you were really mistaken. I cannot have such high compatibility with Pride that you claim. — I firmly rejected her statements. After all, they didn't make sense. I couldn't have even an iota of compatibility, let alone this high.

I was well aware of how pathetic I was. I was lazy, annoying, weak and useless. When I tried to do something good, it usually ended badly. Even my desire to help Nii-Nii with independence from the image of Kenichi's son was just a pathetic attempt to stroke my ego. An attempt to prove to myself that I am doing at least something for his sake. But that was a lie. And my entry into this world further strengthened the fact of my insignificance. I still remember how I couldn’t do anything at all to that man or the other homeless people. I remember drinking from muddy puddles and crawling through dark alleys in search of some kind of food. I remember almost being eaten by those flying rats. If it weren't for Pandora, I would have died there. How can we even talk about Pride here? Just a pathetic girl who can't figure out when to stop.

— It’s very unfortunate that you think so. I’m not saying that I couldn’t make mistakes, because everyone makes mistakes and there’s nothing wrong with that. But all the facts speak of the correctness of my words... Even if you don’t understand it yet, one day everything will fall into place. And your Pride too. — Pandora was still trying to convince me. These were futile attempts, for who knows me better than myself? I am me, so the opinions of these factors or anyone else should not really concern me.

— Whatever you say, whatever you say... Although, wait a minute... What happens if a person is incompatible with the witch gene? — such a scenario was interesting to me, since most likely this is what happened to me and my factors.

— In this case, the gene will change the personality and mind of the owner, trying to make him as compatible as possible. This usually ends in complete madness or death of the owner of the gene. — I understand, I understand, I’m silent. It seems like I’m still alive and haven’t gone crazy... sort of... So this option is out of the question. Do I really have a little compatibility that keeps me from going crazy?

— The longer this conversation goes on, the more I don’t like these factors... How did you even understand which of them would not kill me? And why didn’t these Authorities appear to me? — I’ve already been told about cool abilities, but so far I’ve only received disadvantages.

— The genes themselves chose you. Unless you try to absorb them by force, they are unlikely to connect with an incompatible user. Pride and Gluttony were the friendliest to you, so I decided to give them to you. Although I must apologize to you for this. Typically, people can't handle multiple factors at once, so giving you two at once came with certain risks. But everything ended well, right? — such a carefree attitude towards my life, of course, was a little upsetting, but I couldn’t be angry with her for long.

— But about your Authorities... I can’t help you here. Authorities users usually instinctively know how to use them. If you don’t understand yet, then it’s not time yet. — Pandora still had a slight smile on her face, but from her tone you can understand that she was a little saddened by this fact. Or it just seems so to me.

— By the way, since I answered your questions, you will try to listen to me, okay? — in response to her request, I nod my head and take another sip of tea. It's almost gone now.

—You see, we need to give you a new name. I'm not asking you to give up your current one, but given the secrecy of the cult, throwing around real names could be quite counterproductive, don't you agree? — that actually makes some sense.

— In that case, let's call you...

— Wou-Wou! I actually can give myself a pseudonym! — I interrupt Pandora before she can call me anything. By this time my tea had already run out.

— Of course, if that is your wish. — Pandora easily gave in to me. Her tea is almost untouched.

— Hmm.... Hmm...... — my thoughts have been going on for about five minutes. Pandora doesn’t comment on this and just continues to look at me, waiting. We need to come up with something cool and memorable...

— It's decided! My name will now be Veritas von Antares! Or just Veritas. — A-a-a-a-a-a-a-a! What a shame! What kind of chuni name is this!? That's where my common sense is when I need it so much!?

— Great... — Pandora started crying again... I think she will be delighted, even if I call the whole world flat... Her behavior really raises a lot of questions.

— This is truly a wonderful name... Now that we've got that out of the way, let me show you something. — some kind of black robe with a hood appears in her hands. She's quite small, even smaller than Pandora herself, so it's clearly not hers. And just imagining her dressed in black is already nauseating....

— These are the clothes of cult members. Wearing it is not mandatory, but I still recommend wearing it on certain occasions. And now there will be just one of these cases. — Pandora slightly adjusts her long hair while she gives me an explanation.

— A? What is the situation? — does she already need something from me!? But I'm not ready yet! It's too sudden and...

— We are going to the Elior forest. The current largest residence of the elves.

Chapter 5: My God is My Light

Chapter Text

— We're going to the Elior Forest. The current largest Elven residence. — after saying that, Pandora handed me this black robe and I quickly put it on.

I have to admit, this robe is very comfortable. It's very loose and yet it fits me perfectly. It's clear that it was made specifically for me, not just some random kid. Maybe Hansel and Gretel worked on it. Although, where did they get my measurements from...? It doesn't matter. If my clothes turned out so comfortable, I was willing to overlook the questionable ways of getting my measurements. The only thing that was too big, or rather too long, were the sleeves. The sleeves hung loosely from my arms and, in my opinion, were about 15 centimeters longer than necessary. However, it didn't really bother me. I even liked it. Long sleeves made me look cuter. Wait a minute... They couldn't have known about my clothing preferences, right?! It's just a coincidence, right!?

— Archbishop Veritas, are you all right? — with a cute tilt of her head, Pandora inquired about my well-being. Apparently, the panic of my speculation was reflected strongly on my face.

— It's fine, I was just thinking.... So we're going to the elves? Why would we even want to go there? More importantly, why would I want to be there? — pushing away thoughts of the creepy twins, I inquired about the purpose of our visit to the forest. After all, my involvement didn't make much sense.

— I need to go there to discuss something with the current Guardian. And my decision to take you with me is directly related to your goals. Therefore, your presence there is in your best interest. — having finished her explanation, Pandora finally sipped some tea from her nearly full cup.

— So... If that's really true, I'll go with you, of course. — but how will that get me any closer to going home? It doesn't matter, though. If it increases my chances by even 1%, I'll definitely take it.

— In that case, we'll be leaving soon. Take your Gospel before we go, it'll help you in case of anything. — after telling me that, Pandora covered her eyes and continued to enjoy her tea.

I still don't understand what this book is supposed to do or how it can help me at all. I was about to leave the room, but Pandora turned to me again.

— By the way... Have you met anyone else besides those children in the cathedral? — Pandora's gaze was directed at me, and in it I could catch a slight curiosity.

— Uh... No? Should I have? — I was puzzled by her question. There was no one else in the cathedral besides her and the twins. I didn't hear anyone's voices either. Considering the size of this place, it was extremely creepy and strange. It couldn't have been built for just a couple people, right?

— That's how... I apologize for the distraction. You can continue on your way. — without answering my own question, Pandora continued to drink her tea. Does she just enjoy confusing me or what?

Shrugging my shoulders, I just accepted her strange question and left the room. Still standing in the hallway were Hansel and Gretel, who immediately bowed at the sight of me.

— Mistress, did your conversation with Lady Pandora go well? — excellent, there's that synchronicity again... Given my recent thoughts about their suspicious knowledge of my clothing preferences, their level of creepiness reached a new level.

— It was better than I thought it would be... By the way, did you make that robe? — I walked back to my room/hall/chambers. The twins followed right behind me on either side of me.

— Yes! Did you like it? — Gretel replied enthusiastically. Her eyes seemed to twinkle, eagerly awaiting my praise. It seems ridiculous, since I'm probably about half her age. It's almost equivalent to a high school student expecting praise from a junior high school student as well.

— Sister, but I'm the one who made it... Ouch.... — Ganzel's attempt to stop his sister from taking all the credit was interrupted by her. She stepped hard on his foot while trying to maintain an innocent look. She wasn't very good at it.

— Oka-a-ay... Well, the robe really came out great... even too... — Gretel's cheeks turned slightly pink at my answer, and her smile became brighter and wider. Hansel's face didn't change. Maybe he was offended by Gretel's actions. It doesn't look like it though... Anyway, if he's really upset, I'll personally thank him.

Eventually, we reached my chambers. I told the twins about my imminent departure, to which they reacted rather worriedly at first, but then I managed to calm them down. By the way, they talked about living with elves before, right? So they might know something about.... No, they weren't in the Elior forest then. Those elves moved there after the Great Calamity.

Slightly upset at the loss of potential information, I told the twins to prepare something for my return. They bowed and left me. I walked over to the nightstand where I had left my gospel. I took it in my hands and leafed through the pages, hoping to understand its meaning. But they were all blank. How was this supposed to help me?

— Well, it's a fantasy world... Anything can happen. — sighing, I decided to hope for the best and not be disappointed prematurely. I put my gospel in the inside pocket of my robe, which apparently had been sewn into it for just that purpose. Quite convenient.

— Now, it's time to get back to Pando-

Suddenly, my entire surroundings changed before I could even finish my sentence. It worries me that I'm starting to get used to these instantaneous movements.

— So where am I this time...? — it's not hard to guess whose fault it is that I'm here. I just wish I knew why she sent me here in the first place.

I was in a small room of some sort. The walls were stone, but the ceiling, floor, and door were wooden. There was a medium sized carpet on the floor. There was a small wooden table next to me, with a couple books on it and... an inkwell? Isn't that what it's called? It doesn't matter. Most importantly, there's a window! And from the looks of it, it was very early morning. The sun had just left the horizon, so it was pretty dark outside. I also realized that I was in the forest. So I'm kind of in the right place. But where's Pandora?

— Uh... Who are you? — suddenly, I heard a very young voice behind me. From the looks of it, its owner is even younger than me.

Turning around quickly, I saw a little girl who couldn't have looked more than five. She had medium-length silver hair, violet eyes, and a very cute face. She was lying on a small crib and was now looking at me with a bit of confusion and apprehension. How did I not notice her at all!?

— Why do I deserve this...? — that probably wasn't the best way to start my explanation.

In the meantime, while the little Archbishop of Sin was trying to think of a way to not get into more trouble, a beautiful platinum-haired girl appeared inside one of the elven huts. She was so beautiful that not even a god would dare touch her. As if proving it, there was never a single trace of dirt or damage on her body. Even her bare feet were never dirty. This living embodiment of perfection was now looking at one elven girl who had not yet managed to realize the presence of such a sublime entity. She looked to be an early teenager, but given the longevity of her race, it would be a mistake to judge her age by appearance alone. She had shoulder-length silver hair and violet, slightly intimidating eyes. She was currently sitting at a desk reading what appeared to be some sort of report. Such an ignoring of an unexpected guest was rather rude. However, the beautiful girl was not angry or outraged at such disrespect, because suddenly it was something very important to this elfess, right? But she had a lot of important things to do as well, so as much as she didn't want to distract this hard working girl from her work, she has to make herself known.

— I hope you are in good health, Guardian. — her words shattered the silence in the hut, and the elven girl immediately turned her attention to her. And as soon as their eyes met, the elven girl was immediately filled with anger.

— YOU! — the girl got up from her chair and took an attacking stance.

— How dare you come here after all you've done! Pandora! — the girl's words were filled with unspeakable rage and bitterness. Pandora, on the other hand, showed no sign of wariness or retaliatory aggression. Her placating smile never once left her doll-like face.

— I don't understand the reason for your dislike of me. Perhaps we can discuss this calmly? — Pandora suggested a peaceful way for their further interaction, but to the angry girl, those words sounded more like mockery.

— Are you serious now!? You don't even realize your guilt to them!?!? — the elven girl's eyes widened in disbelief. She couldn't understand how Pandora could be so nonchalant in the face of her accusations.

— There was no conflict of any kind between me and Procyon. And I didn't cause them any harm. — trying to calm the girl down, Pandora tried to speak in an even calmer and hypnotizing voice. It even had an effect for a few seconds, but the girl just shook her head, as if trying to remove the obsession, and stared at her guest with even more fury.

— Stop messing me around! Are you saying that it wasn't your fault that sister was trapped!? That it wasn't because of you that my brother was so desperate?!? — the girl clearly couldn't think rationally. Her resentment at the loss of her two loved ones was too strong to even try to act less impulsively.

— None of this was my intention. Procyon was struck with doubt and guilt, the weight of which was too great to continue the fulfillment of our contract. His beloved met her end purely of her own accord. I did not even expect her to be the first to die. It was truly a sad incident..... — despite her words, Pandora didn't look sad at all. Her facial expression didn't change at all during this entire conversation.

— Shut up... I won't believe a single word that comes out of your filthy mouth! You knew exactly how this was gonna end, didn't you?! You just lured my brother in with your lies and promises! And look where it got us! Now you've come here to take Emilia away from me!?! How many more broken lives do you need before you finally die in hell?!?! — the elf's patience was clearly wearing thin. Her seething anger is about to explode.

— I assure you, I kept nothing from Procyon. He was well aware of the risks and dangers of our plan, but he still decided to do it for the sake of his people and his beloved daughter... Isn't that kind of bravery admirable? — that was the last straw for the girl. She screamed and rushed straight towards Pandora, wanting to strangle the monster in the form of a little angel with her own hands. However, before she could realize her intentions.....

— I can assure you that my coming here has nothing to do with my desire to see the witch's daughter. — those words stunned the elf for a moment. Even her blazing rage faded for a moment.

— If you're not here for her... Why come here at all...? — the girl's voice became very calm. However, the cold hatred in her tone and the disdainful gaze never left her.

— Why don't we discuss it? After all, it will be much better if we can resolve our disagreements amicably. — at those words, the elfess' suspicions grew even stronger....

— I'm telling you, the world can't be flat! — my voice was full of indignation and irritation.

— But it is flat! Sis Fortune told me so! And it's written in books about it! — the little elf just kept bending that ridiculous line.

How did I even get to this point? Arguing with some strange girl about the shape of a planet... Well, not a complete stranger. Once this elf girl got a better look at my robe, she immediately calmed down and said that I was one of, and I quote: “those strange people who sometimes bring us things.” After that, she introduced herself to me and called herself Emilia. Quite a pretty name. We quickly found common ground, as she turned out to be quite a curious and energetic girl. Although... Shouldn't I be repulsed by that? After all, I've always had a hard time socializing with people I don't know well.... Alright, never mind.

The only thing that made me wary was her appearance and elven heritage. Still, the Witch is described specifically as a silver-haired half elf with violet eyes. But I chalked it up to coincidence. Maybe that's what almost all elves and half elves look like around here, who knows?

But after chatting for a while, we both got bored. I didn't feel like going out, as this area was unknown to me and I had no desire to meet any elven guards. And Emilia had been forbidden by someone to leave this room. Apparently, it was the same “sis Fortuna” who had said all that nonsense about the flat world. It was because of her (and boredom) that we started arguing about all sorts of things. Whoever this person is, I don't like her already. Why lock such a little girl in here and talk all this nonsense about the world being flat?

— If the world was flat, there would be no day or night! The sun doesn't revolve around the planet! — my arguments were ironclad. The world simply could not function properly with a flat shape.

— Uh.... A planet? What is that? — Emilia tilted her head questioningly, while I sighed tiredly, about to enlighten this unintelligent child about some elementary terms.... again...

The elven girl, also known as Fortuna, looks at Pandora with tension, who doesn't look hostile or uneasy at all. Fortuna had only seen her a few times before, but she didn't like her right away. Of course, she was initially enamored with the appearance of this beautiful girl. Fortuna
almost choked then, as she was too enchanted by the sight of this beautiful stranger. But luckily, her brother was able to clarify for her the true nature of this innocent monster.

She was a witch. A creature that did not follow common sense or morality. Despite her young age, even by the standards of humans, Fortuna had heard of many sinister rumors and stories about witches and warlocks. She knew that nothing good could be expected from them. However, her brother had made a contract with her for some reason. Fortuna didn't know all the details of their contract, but those few details were enough for her to strongly question her brother's sanity.

As it eventually turned out, her suspicions were not unfounded. He began to smile falsely, his smile was almost always strained. His formerly cheerful eyes were full of fear and suspicion. Sometimes he showed sudden bursts of aggression, but always apologized for his behavior afterwards. And he began to look at that Seal more often.... It was as if he was hypnotized.

And it all started after she arrived. Their peaceful lives began to fall apart because of that blue-eyed witch. Of course, Fortuna's prejudices about witches were lessened with time, especially after meeting her sister-in-law. She, unlike most other witches, genuinely wanted to help others. So she was happy when her brother and sister decided to become lovers. They were both very kind and tried to take care of others, so they made a good couple. But their happiness didn't last long....

— Do you really think I'm going to believe you so easily? You have no other reason to be here other than to take Emilia with you, so stop lying! — Fortune will never believe that girl. She won't repeat her brother's mistake.

— There's no reason for me to do that. I realize she's still too young. I don't want to rush things, especially when that rush could ruin everything. — Pandora's soothing voice was like the honey she used to lure insects. There was a great desire to simply agree with her and fall into her net, but Fortuna had enough will to avoid this terrible fate.

— Stop talking nonsense! It didn't bother you then, so why should it bother you now!?!!? — Despite the logic of her words, Fortuna still didn't believe her. Monsters like her didn't follow rules or common sense. Anything could be expected from them.

— Let's calm down a bit, okay? We're not going to get along if you keep accusing me of lying. I assure you, I wouldn't lay a finger on a witch's daughter. Your prejudice about my relationship with Procyon is misplaced. Why don't we just talk like two civilized individuals? A little friendliness on your part would go a long way....

Before she could finish speaking, Pandora was torn apart by a pile of ice crystals. Fortuna's face contorted with anger and contempt. She could no longer stand the nonsense that came out of that thing's mouth. Now there was a dead girl lying on the floor with almost nothing left of her beauty.

— Here's my friendliness...... I should have done this a long time ago... — Fortuna's voice was full of relief and a kind of sad*stic joy. Truth be told, she hadn't even hoped that such an attack would actually kill her. After all, she was the only witch to survive the Great Calamity. Fortuna had expected her to be more survivable or defensive. But this result suited her just fine.

— Brother... sister... I have finally avenged you... — tears began to flow from her eyes. The adrenaline from killing the hated monster began to subside and was replaced by a feeling of satisfaction. After all, she was able to exact vengeance on the one who had taken her family.

— Your lack of cooperation is truly disappointing... But since that is your response, I will respect it. However, I hope you will be ready to accept with the same respect the measures that I now have to take. — Fortune froze. The voice of the one whose dead body had bled out on the wooden floor just seconds ago disturbed the elf's hearing again. She turned around and saw Pandora, whose body was not mangled and pierced by a bunch of icicles. It was as if Fortuna's murderous attack hadn't reached her at all.

— But I'll keep my promises. I wouldn't want to spoil my relationship with you too much. After all, promises are important, right? — tilting her head questioningly, Pandora stared directly into Fortuna's panicked eyes.

— And this is the desert! Sis Fortuna said there was sand everywhere! Even though I've never seen it, it's beautiful in pictures! — Emilia and I are sitting on her bed right now reading, or rather looking at, a picture book. She was pointing her finger at one of the pictures that depicted the desert. The text of this book was in the written language of this world, so I couldn't read it. Therefore, Emilia was happy to read to me anything she could read herself. That girl was really happy that she could be better at something than me. Or maybe it was the fact that I was relying on her now. It's still better than continuing to argue about the shape of the world.....

— But there's practically nothing there but sand. And the heat is unbearable... — I'm not bad with heat, but the desert temperature would be too much for me. And I drink a lot of fluids, so I won't last long. Especially with my current hunger. Which already makes me look at Emilia's delicate little hands for too long sometimes....

— You're right... Besides, I wouldn't be allowed to go there anyway... Let's read fairy tales instead! — Emilia got a little downhearted at these silly rules that forbid her to go outside, but then tried to distract herself with some children's fairy tales.

I still didn't understand why someone locking this cute little girl in here. She didn't seem like a harmful or naughty child. Sure, there can be a lot of dangers in the forests (I learned that from my own experience), but couldn't anybody just assign her a caretaker or some kind of bodyguard?

— There! It's a tale of a knight and a princess! — Jumping on the bed again, Emilia opened another picture book. While she read it aloud, I was immersed in my own thoughts.

Emilia had already managed to read me a couple of fairy tales before. And I'd noticed something odd about them. At first I just dismissed it as a coincidence, but the more I heard, the more my suspicions grew. The plot of these books was suspiciously similar to the fairy tales in my world. Some things were changed to suit the people of this world, but the essence remained the same. They hadn't even changed some of the names! And the book Emilia is reading right now has Princess Rapunzel imprisoned in a tower!

This just can't be a coincidence. Which means that I'm not the only one who has fallen into this world! And, if I to trust Emilia's words, he could be a cult member too! I mean, all those books were brought by people dressed like me! I should definitely find him... If I don't starve to death by then!

The rumbling of my stomach has become the only sound I can hear now. Emilia was apparently too engrossed in reading to pay attention to my tummy's pleas. I should have brought something with me...

But I could still see my salvation. On a wooden table that stood exactly in the middle of the room lay a round, juicy, appetizing and untouched red apple. It was time for me to check my eyesight, for somehow I hadn't noticed the apple right away. I didn't see Emilia right away either.... Nevermind. The important thing is to have something to eat.

— Uh... Emilia? Can I eat that apple over there? I haven't eaten in a long time, so I'm a little hungry... — pointing at the apple, I waited for Emilia's affirmative answer. And it better really be affirmative, or else I’ll start salivating not for the apple, but for something else.......

— Huh? What's an apple? Besides, I don't have anything edible here. — Emilia looked in the direction of the apple as if she didn't see anything. She's now looking at me with a puzzled look.

— Haha, very funny Emilia, but I really need to eat something, or else...

I stammered mid-sentence as I decided to look at the apple again. What was it that surprised me so much about it? Oh nothing, it was just that a miniature black cylinder had appeared on the apple. It had arms and legs. The hands had white gloves on them. It reminded me of the old Disney cartoons when everything was still black and white. Then Mr. Apple had a cane in his hands and started tap dancing, or saidi. He danced quite skillfully. My hunger hallucination is pretty cute.

— (ಠ_ಠ)

— Veritas... Are you alright? - Little Emilia's face looked really worried. Unfortunately, I would like to find the answer to that question myself.

— Yea-a-ah...? No-o-o-o...? — meanwhile, the apple was back to normal. Gone are the arms, legs, cane and cute little cylinder. My desire to eat that apple was also gone. Emilia, by the way, laughed at my response. Apparently my face did look quite funny to her.

— You're weird! But funny! Let me find another fairy tale, and then we'll ask sis Fortune....

What she wanted to say next, I could no longer hear. For I had a sudden impulse to open my gospel. I don't know how to describe it, but it's like when something is really itchy. And to get rid of it, I need to open up the gospel.

As soon as I did, my eyes widened a bit. For there were words on the first few pages. And I could understand them. The sentence was short, but very clear: «Archbishop Veritas von Antares and Emilia will leave the room to find the Seal.» Okay, maybe I was a little hasty with the clarity. It didn't explain anything to me at all. But Pandora said this book would lead me to my desired future, right? While I find that very suspicious and questionable, I don't have any other options right now. Besides, I can't sit here all day.

— Emilia, would you like to go outside? — as if casually I ask the little elf girl, who looked at me with surprise and a little judgment.

— We can't! Sis Fortuna forbade me to go out! I promised her! — was that a ban or a promise? Apparently, she didn't realize it herself.

— But we'll only be gone for a little while. And she won't even know it! Besides, I have to leave soon, and I won't be able to see you for a while. — I'm embarrassed to manipulate her like this, but I have to. It's obvious that Emilia has no friends at all, and she hasn't talked to anyone besides Fortuna. So saying something like that should have some effect on her...

— B-But... I made a promise... — little tears are starting to form in her eyes. A heaviness appeared in my chest, but I tried to ignore it. I walked over to Emilia and bent down slightly and hugged her tightly.

— But are you really okay with this? How long have you been sitting here? Don't you think it's unfair for your sister to keep telling you to stay locked up? — despite my selfish intentions, my words were sincere. She reminded me a bit of Nii-Nii with her obedience, so I was a bit more angered by her situation than I expected.

— Do you want to be like Rapunzel? Are you just going to sit here and wait for that “prince”? But how long do you have to wait? — her sniffles slowly subsided. She looked up and there was a bit of anger in her eyes.

— Y-you're right! Sis Fortune keeps telling me what to do! I'm sick of it! I want to go outside! — my words had an effect. Even though she was really small, she still had a little bit of rebellion in her.

— All right! Now, let's find a way out of this priso-

— Huh? But the door's open. — interrupting me, Emilia went to the door and gave it a little push. It did open.

— ...I think my recent speech is a little devalued... — I certainly have nothing to complain about, but I will.

After leaving this room, Emilia joyfully began to look around. Had she really never been released at all? In that case, my burden of guilt had lessened a bit. By the way, it turns out her room was right inside the tree. That was... Pretty typical of elves. There were a bunch of similar structures inside trees around here. Apparently, other elves lived there. I didn't see anyone outside since it was still early morning.

Since we were out, I opened my gospel again, hoping for any further instructions or clues. But its contents hadn't changed. Just the same words about the “Seal” and coming out of that tree. And where this “Seal” is, of course, no one will tell me. Eh...

— Eh... — I've been sighing a lot lately.

— Veritas! Come here! The fairies are here! — Emilia's voice across the hall was full of enthusiasm and fun... Wait, fairies?

Looking towards Emilia, I saw a bunch of small glowing lights. They were circling around her, causing her to cheer and burst into fits of giggles. As undignified as it sounds, I wanted to be there, too.... No! You're a big girl, so you shouldn't be tempted by those pretty lights!

— Well, as the eldest, I'm supposed to look after her, right? So I can join her for a while... Oh? — when I already wanted to approach Emilia to pla- ahem... keep an eye on her, another little light appeared in front of my face. It was yellow and larger than the others. It started circling around me, which was kind of funny.

— Huh? Where are you going? — suddenly, the smaller fairies started flying away from Emilia towards the forest. Yes, we were in a forest, but there were houses and at least some signs of civilization. And there were only trees and the unknown. And of course, Emilia ran after them.... Eh. Well, it's not for me to judge.

— Emilia! It's dangerous! I've talked about freedom, but this is too much! — I tried to catch up with her, but she was surprisingly fast. Sorry, my little yellow friend, but I'll have to play with you later.

— The fairies will protect us! Besides, there's no mabist's here, sis Fortuna told me that! — Emilia stopped and waited for me to get to her. These fairies stopped too, as if waiting for me.

— Mabist's...? It doesn't matter. It's still dangerous! And...

But before I could finish speaking, these lights continued to fly somewhere. Emilia grabbed my hand and dragged me after her. Strong! How can this girl be so strong!? She's about to crush my hand!

After some time, the lights stopped, and my hand finally stopped being tortured. Emilia did not let her go, but now she held her much more tenderly. I tried to understand where we are now. It was a small ordinary clearing, free of trees. Okay, I’m lying, it’s not “ordinary” at all. First of all, everything here was white. The grass, small flowers, and even some of the nearby trees seemed to be discolored. Secondly, in the middle of the clearing stood IT. A large, incomprehensible structure that resembled a door. Compared to it, we looked tiny.
It even caused some trepidation in Emilia. But looking at this, I only felt a strange feeling of... hatred? I don’t know why I’m so disgusted to look at THIS, but my whole gut demanded to get rid of it...

— Wow... It's big! I didn’t even know that we had something like that in our forest... Veritas? — Emilia’s voice was full of admiration at first, but then for some reason she sounded scared.

— V-Veritas... If you don’t like it here, then w-we can leave... — she began to stutter slightly. Apparently, I really let my emotions come out a little. Hm...

— Yes... Let's better get out of here. I still wanted to introduce you to someone...

As we were about to leave this ominous place, I again felt the call to open the Gospel. Emilia walked ahead of me, so I could quietly open the book with my free hand and read the new instructions. And the new words turned out to be even stranger than the first. «EAT HER.» That's all that was written there. It wasn't even strange, it was downright scary. In what sense do I need to eat her?! Of course, I'm very hungry, but I'm not going to...!

Suddenly, something clicked in my head. I looked straight at the place where our hands joined. The hunger became stronger. But now I knew how to weaken it.

— Emilia... Can you let go of my hand...? — my voice was sluggish. I couldn't stand it anymore.

— Huh? Well, okay... — she was a little disappointed by this, but still complied with my request. What a sweet and obedient girl she is...

— Emilia...— then I licked my left hand and then there was only darkness...

Chapter 6: Purification

Chapter Text

There were two shadows in the room. Their shape or outlines were hard to discern. The only thing that could be made out was their difference in height. One of the shadows was definitely taller than the other. But that was it. They didn't move or make a sound until.....

— ...Do you really want to ask this thing for help? — the first, and coincidentally taller shadow, finally broke the silence in this endless void. From the sound of his voice, it was a young man. He couldn't have been older than 30, but he didn't sound younger than 20 either. He was very tired and anxious.

— We could use any ally, even one as unreliable as this.... — the voice of the second shadow was very soft and calm. It was clearly a girl. But she sounded just as tired as the first shadow, if not more so.

— I can't trust this... Even taking your story into account, it's still-!

— I can assure you that our new comrade's goals are quite similar to our own, so it would be trivially disadvantageous for this one to betray us. — the first shadow sounded slightly panicked, but the second shadow immediately tried to calm him down. However, if listened closely, one would realize that she didn't fully believe it herself.

— Ha... Goals then, huh? Keep your friends close, and your enemies even closer.... In that case, when do I get to meet our new “ally”? It's rude to talk behind this thing back all the time, even for an asshole like me. — sighing tiredly, the first voice tried to dilute the depressing atmosphere with a little humorous self-criticism, but he managed to do it very sluggishly and forcefully.

— You've always been bad at jokes.... Although I'm not really qualified to be a judge. — but the other voice was obviously happy about it. Her voice became more lively and peaceful.

— Hey! I'm not that bad! Everyone laughed at my jokes, even you! — the first shadow sounded offended, but it was more of a playful pretense than actual outrage.

— I just laughed when someone else laughed. Everyone else was doing the same thing. — slightly teasingly, the second shadow decided to play along with this little spectacle.

— Wh-What? But there was at least one person who was genuinely laughing back then, right!?!? — now the first voice sounded really worried and even a little desperate. Apparently, his career as a comedian wasn't as successful as he thought.

— You were the first to start laughing after your own jokes. And then it was just a chain reaction. — the second voice sounded much more cheerful than before. She was really enjoying this casual conversation.

— Really!? Then don't call this. I don't want to embarrass myself in front of anybody else.... — the girl's words finally killed the first shadow.

— Even aside from your tragedy, I doubt you'll be able to meet.... Still, the rules say you can't interact with someone like that. — chuckling slightly, the second shadow still brought the conversation back to a more serious topic.

— I would say with something like that, not someone.... Don't tell me you're starting to feel sympathy for it? Your connection to me is already restricting you a lot. — the first shadow's voice became serious again. Apparently, 'this thing' really bothers him a lot.

- About this... You don’t need to worry. Let's talk better next time. Otherwise, you will soon lose consciousness if you don’t sleep properly at least once. - although the abrupt change of topic was quite obvious, the second shadow sounded sincerely concerned about the state of his interlocutor.

— You're right... At this rate, I'll sleep on the go. Maybe I should ask Daphne to make me an equally comfortable coffin with legs, heh...

Head hurts...

This is the very first thought that came to me after I woke up. I was now lying on my soft bed and in the robes of a cultist. It is so comfortable that you can wear it as pajamas. Another plus of this robe. If I had known about them in advance, I would have joined the cult purely for their sake.

— I see you have already woken up, Archbishop Veritas. — a magnetic voice disturbed my ears. Even without opening my eyes, I could immediately guess who was next to me now.

And indeed, as soon as I opened my eyes, I immediately saw Pandora sitting on the edge of my bed, looking straight at me. Only she could possess such a beautiful voice....

— I can congratulate you on the awakening of your Authorities. The goals of our stay in the Elior Forest were eventually even exceeded. Unfortunately, my negotiations with the Guardian were slightly unsuccessful, but the outcome was still very satisfactory. I hope you're just as pleased with your result. — after saying a bunch of things I can't understand again, Pandora stared at me curiously.

— What did I do...? — I knew exactly what I had done, but I didn't believe it. Or didn't want to believe it...

— When I brought you back to the cathedral, you were unconscious. You ended up lying like that from wind time to water time. Apparently, you were able to awaken both of your Authorities during our temporary separation. It's really amazing... — she really doesn't know...? Or is she hiding something? And how do I know what wind time and water time are...? Oh yeah, that's why......

— Pandora, what happened to Emili-

But before I could finish my sentence, a small yellow ball of light flew out of my robe. It was the same fairy that flew up to me in that forest. That little ball of light started circling around me again.

— Oh, we have an unexpected guest.... I understood that you have a high affinity for spirits, but to attract one so immediately.... Even if so immature one. — for spirits? Isn't that a fairy? That's what Emilia called them. That's what they called them in the books that I read with sis Fortuna... Wait.....

— Don't worry, little one. We have the right anchor for you. You're pretty brave for choosing to be so close to the bearer of miasma, right? — Pandora looked directly at that ball of light this time. Can it understand us?

— I didn't tell the twins about your temporary disability. Those children can be quite restless, so I decided not to disturb them again.. But if you want to tell them, that's your choice. — after saying that, Pandora disappeared right before my eyes again.

And I didn't understand any damn thing again...

About 3 months have passed since then. I still decided not to tell the twins about the incident in the forest. Otherwise they would have gotten even more annoying.... They want what's best, of course, but that kind of overprotectiveness can tire out even a lazy person like me.

In all this time, Pandora never sent me on any new “missions”, so I had a lot of free time. Which I immediately started spending on studying and learning about this world. I was able to learn some details from Emilia's memories, but her knowledge was rather superficial, for obvious reasons. For example, she called spirits as a fairies, though that title referred to malevolent spirits. It was mostly because of the books she read in her room. Still, the terminology of our world and this one was sometimes quite different. Oh yes, Emilia wasn't five years old or less, as I had originally thought, but thirteen! At least, that was her approximate physical age, based on her memories. Her appearance and behavior did not contradict that, for she was half elf. And a prisoner in fact. She learned the world mostly from children's tales and conversations with Fortuna. I don't know how elves grow up, but mentally she was definitely a child younger than me. Maybe that's why I was able to remain myself and not let Emilia's memories overshadow my own...

Speaking of which. Turns out I was able to use my Authority of Gluttony back then. I haven't quite figured out how it works yet, but apparently it allows me to “eat” the memories of others. What happens to my victims I don't know. But after consuming Emilia's memories, I felt my abnormal hunger subside a bit. It wasn't for long, but the effect was noticeable. It was much better than just stuffing my tummy with physical food. Unfortunately, I couldn't do it again. After all, the only people in this cathedral were myself, my twin servants, and Pandora. For obvious reasons, I wouldn't try something so risky on them. Therefore, the issue of Gluttony had to be put on hold for the time being.

But that's not all. If Pandora's words are to be believed, I was able to use two Authorities. That is to say, I used Pride there as well. But with that, it wasn't all that obvious anymore. I tried a bunch of moves, shouts, words, and other techniques from the anime to try and activate Pride. But other than my shame, it never did anything. However, about a month ago, I saw that apple again, which made me question my sanity. I first thought I was hallucinating again, but this time Hansel and Gretel were also able to see it. I was puzzled and tried to touch it, but it immediately disappeared. After conferring with Pandora, we decided to come up with a couple hypotheses as to what it could have been. In the end we settled on the opinion that it was a manifestation of my Authority Pride. Further events confirmed this. The twins started seeing strange rectangles on the walls sometimes (they were TVs), oddly shaped crystals (they were light bulbs), and a bunch of other things. I saw something like that too, but less often than the others. Even Pandora reported it sometimes. From what I had seen, I concluded that the essence of my first Authority was the creation of illusions. I was a little disappointed by this at first, because usually such powers were extremely weak or highly situational, but Pandora told me not to get discouraged early on. Who knows, maybe there is something more to Pride.

Besides solving the riddle of my Authorities, I've also been studying magic. Still, the subject was far more exciting to me than some stange and probably very evil ability. But my enthusiasm quickly waned. First of all, the current study of magic in this world is quite mediocre. The few who really understood it and delved into this “science” were the Great Sage and the Witch of Greed. And they were both dead. That's even sadder. Of course, there is one magician here named Altair, who lives somewhere in Lugunica, but judging by Pandora’s words, he is unlikely to want to take students now...... Secondly, my compatibility was very rare. I had Yin and Yang. Shadow and Light. Having one of them was already considered rare, and having two of them at once was almost unthinkable. It seemed like luck, but in reality it is not. Because of this “rarity”, these two schools of magic were studied even worse than the main four. But there was a silver lining to the whole situation. I had a huge library at my disposal, which contained some of the books of that Witch of Greed and the Great Sage. But even that wasn't so great. Without a teacher, my progress would be very long. First understanding the basics, then figuring it all out, and I'd also have to put it all into practice... I mean, being self-taught sucks. Pandora couldn't help me, since she couldn't use magic, and the twins were just as simple-minded as I was. Gretel had Yin compatibility and Hansel had Yang compatibility. Of course, other than the most basic concepts and spells, they had nothing to offer me. But it was something. By the way, it turns out that the books that Emilia had were written by the very same Sage. And he was dead before I got here. That sucks.

I have a new friend, by the way! Turns out that “fairy” from the forest was a lesser Yang spirit. Pandora knew a lot more about spirits than magic, so I had some basic information about them after all. And this little balloon wanted to make a contract with me. That wasn't surprising, since I have a pretty high affinity for spirits. Plus, like I said, Yang magic users were quite rare. However, Pandora was still quite intrigued by this.... Oh well! I ended up making a contract with him anyway. To my surprise, he didn't ask for much in his terms. Only to occasionally play with him and at least occasionally praise him.... Of course, after such conditions, I just couldn't do anything to him. Otherwise, I would have committed harakiri on the spot. After the contract was signed, I didn't let him out of my hands for almost a month. Training with spirit and spiritual arts? Ha! As if I'd let that cute boy get hurt! Or get tired! Or get bored! Or...!

Ahem... Anyway, I have a spirit now, yes. In the end, Pandora and the twins finally persuaded me to study with the spirit. Oh, and he himself was showing enthusiasm... I had to give in to them, though four against one isn't fair....

I named him Spes. The name immediately seemed stupid to me and I tried to come up with another one, but he was still happy with it. I don’t quite understand how I manage to understand this, but it seems to be normal, especially with my affinity. It was still quite strange and ridiculous to me, but I could live with it. However, there was something that made my humility difficult...

— I hope now you understand why this world is flat? — Pandora and I were again in the room in which she gave me the cult robe. We decided to conduct our “lessons” here. Pandora was my teacher and tried to help me understand this world better. It was from her that I learned about “Gate”, “Od” and so on. She didn't go into too much detail, but she still explained the basics. That's just...

— No. It still doesn't make sense. — I was adamant. After all, it was absurd. The world cannot be flat.

— If it is really flat, then how does day and night come? — please answer differently than I think. Please answer differently than I think. Please don't answer the way I think...

— Thanks to Od Laguna. — Pandora answers exactly as I thought.

— Argh... — my face falls on the table and I grumble in irritation.

This is not the first time I have heard such an “explanation”. Where did magic come from? Od Laguna. Where did people and other races come from? Od Laguna. Why is the world flat? Od Laguna. Why is there a huge damm waterfall here that flows into nowhere and the water in it never ends? Od Laguna Od Laguna Od Lagoon Od Laguna! Everything can be explained here by this. I understand that this is a fantasy world with magic and dragons, but isn't there something here that could give an answer other than "because!"

— Where is this Od Laguna even located? — having almost come to terms with the poor design of this world, I wanted to find out where this almighty crap lives.

— It's unknown. — I swear, she’s definitely mocking me...

After my regular daily workout with Spes, I decided to go to the library once more. There really were tons of books there, so I can't complain about the meager selection. I'm still having a little trouble reading the local script, but Hansel and Gretel are teaching me well, so my progress in understanding the local scribbles has been pretty good. Of course, with my memory it was much easier to learn writing, but all sorts of exceptions and rules still required me to study not only the alphabet itself.

I had trouble reaching most of the shelves on my own, even with a stepladder, so I had to grab books from the lower rows. Luckily, there was a book there that interested me. It was about «Miasmas.»

This term was familiar to me. The so-called miasm theory had been popular in medicine for a very long time. It was put forward in the fourth century B.C. It was disproved towards the end of the 19th century. But in this world, miasmas are very real and mean about the same thing as in my world. It's a term applied to corrupted mana. Given that mana here is the source of all living things, the danger of these miasms is quite obvious. However, I was very interested in this. First of all, where did the miasms come from in the first place? Apparently, they come from witch factors and their carriers. But there are some people who acquire them for no reason at all. Why? Secondly, although it is considered tainted or contaminated mana, it is still mana at its core. In a different form and with different properties, but in essence quite similar. At least that's what it seems to me. Many people are afraid of it, especially after the Great Calamity, but miasmas are not as scary as one might think. In small doses, it doesn't seem to affect those around you at all. To be honest, they remind me of radiation. I wonder if it was once in vogue here to put miasmas on everything? Hm....

— Mistress! Lady Pandora calling you. — Hansel has entered the library. Contrary to his usual stoic demeanor, he was quite excited now. Something really important, ha.... What a pain...

— Coming, coming... — putting the book back on the shelf disappointedly, I followed Hansel.

I had already adapted to the local maze, but the twins still insisted on accompanying me. At least one of them was always, if not next to me, then definitely not far away. It was tiring sometimes, but it was a price to pay for all the delicious food they made for me.

Walking through a couple corridors and doors, we eventually reached one of the small halls. There were 5 large halls and 13 small halls in this cathedral. One of the larger ones was exactly where my bedroom was. It was pretty empty here, even compared to the rest of the small halls.

As soon as we entered it, I immediately saw Pandora, a very annoyed Gretel, and another... who is that?

— Ah, thank you for your prompt arrival, Archbishop Veritas. May I introduce your new comrade, Archbishop of Wrath, Hama-

— I can introduce myself. And I don't recall you mentioning “comrades”. — a rough and bassy tone brazenly interrupts Pandora's gentle voice.
The cause of Gretel's bad mood is established.

The stranger looked like a man of about 25 years old. He had black, short, disheveled hair and the same color eyes. His face was very scowling, yet still quite well groomed. He was also taller than any of the people present. He was about 170-180 centimeters tall. He was wearing a long black coat that completely covered his body and further enhanced the gloomy atmosphere around him. All in all, this guy clearly likes to party.

— What is this place? An orphanage? Okay, you're a witch, but who are these brats? And one of them is the Archbishop? Are you mocking me? — in keeping with his sin, this guy was quite aggressive. This can be easily understood by his posture, face and voice. He's clearly not happy to be here.

— Hey! Don't you dare insult the mistress! — Gretel is the first to react to his words, but it's like he didn't even seem to hear her. He only continues to glare at the unperturbed Pandora.

— Please be patient, Archbishop Hamal. We don't need any unnecessary conflicts....

— Tsk. — with a clicking, Hamal took Pandora's head off with a sharp blow of his hand.... What...?

— What? — I froze in place as I didn't know how to react. Just like that? My savior and so-called witch took her life so suddenly?

Her head flew straight in my direction and crashed into me. The speed of the severed head was enough to knock me to the ground. Right now, that very head was lying on my chest and was actively covering me with blood. What? How? Wait a minute. That's not right. I can explain. I can-- No. No. No. No.

— Please refrain from unnecessary acts of violence. I hope this doesn't happen again in the future. — Pandora speaks. No head on my chest. No blood. What?

— Tsk. — with another tsk, he just walked out of the hall as if it didn't surprise him at all. Why?

In the meantime, Hansel came over to me and helped me up. Come to think of it, he didn't seem surprised either. Neither did Gretel. Like this was the norm.

What the hell is going on here!?

Chapter 7: Through other eyes I

Chapter Text

Petelgeuse Romanée-Conti
Defective Spirit
A month until Hamal arrives.

Petelgeuse Romanée-Conti was a hardworking man. Although, it would be more accurate to say a hardworking spirit than a man. Despite his physical form, his true "self" will always be a spirit. In this regard, he stood out greatly compared to other representatives of his species. Adult spirits usually either remained in their original form or took the forms of different animals. Quite rarely did they decide to look like humans. But Petelgeuse did not take on human form. He inhabited them. This may seem extremely creepy and cruel to some, but it wasn't that bad. Those people voluntarily gave their bodies to him. Be it out of a sense of duty, altruism or a simple desire to help a friend. Petelgeuse would not forcefully take someone's life. He would like to abandon this sinister method altogether, but otherwise he simply would not be able to exist normally. But he couldn’t disappear. He has not yet paid his own debt. Although, in his eyes, the debt was so huge that even a million years would not be enough to pay it off.

Even so, Petelgeuse still tried to do it anyway. He would labor and toil tirelessly if it would help give his saviors some peace. He wouldn't be able to live with a clear conscience if his master's labors went to waste...

Now he and a few cultists loyal to him were in one of the northwestern cathedrals. This particular cathedral was located right next to the Gusteko Snow Mountains, so its isolation from prying eyes was quite effective. They had recently finished recruiting new cult members, so it wouldn't be long before their small group would be leaving this place. After that, Petelgeuse wanted to visit the Elior Forest again and check on Fortuna. He hadn't seen her in... 4 months? Time really does fly fast, especially for creatures like him. Alec had recently given him some more translated books, so he already had a gift for.... Wait, who was he going to give a gift to...?

— Are you leaving these parts already, Archbishop Romanée-Conti? — Suddenly, an angelic voice sounded from behind him. But Petelgeuse was not at all pleased at the appearance of the owner of the voice. Concentrating not to be overwhelmed by her beauty, he turned around and bowed to her perfectly.

— Good afternoon, Mistress Pandora. What brings you here? — his voice might have sounded polite and calm, but in reality it was far from calm.

— You need not be so formal with me, Archbishop Romanée-Conti. After all, we've known each other for many years, so there's no need for deference. — shaking her head slightly, Pandora took a seat on one of the crates of supplies.

Although she said it, Petelgeuse still tried to remain as professional and unopen-minded as possible. He knew her better than he would have liked, so the extra caution wouldn't hurt.

— And as for my visit... I've come to bring you good news. The position of Archbishop of Pride has recently been filled. — after she said that, Petelgeuse's eyes widened a great deal. They were now so big that it looked almost comical.

— W-what do you mean filled!? You gave the Pride gene to someone!? Why didn't you discuss this with me!?!? — the former calmness was gone. Petelgeuse turned to outright shouting, which was quite atypical for such a meek and modest person.

— It was... An emergency. There wasn't much time for either of us to think. Plus, she was perfectly compatible. Seemed to me to be a very good outcome. - Pandora ignored the spirit's panic. In her opinion, he was worrying too much about a lot of frivolous little things.

— It was still too hasty! We were forbidden from giving out those damn factors so recklessly! If Master Fluegel found out, he would...!

— Archbishop Romanée-Conti... Do you doubt the choice of your dear friend? — interrupting him, Pandora decided to press the most vulnerable spot of the spirit.

— Flügel personally assigned me Pride, Gluttony, Lust and Greed. Would he do that if he had the slightest doubt in me? — Pandora tilted her head slightly and stared intently at the silent Petelgeuse. He took a deep breath and tried to quiet his trembling.

— That was even before the witches died... The situation could have turned out very differently than the master had expected. The fact that the Master trusted you enough back then doesn't mean anything...

— But it turned out exactly as he said, didn't it? You took custody of Sloth without question and let me take the other four genes. But when something breaks out of your belief system, you question it. Is your loyalty and faith so fragile? — though her tone didn't change, it seemed as if she was rebuking her interlocutor. He was unable to contradict her in any way.

— In any case, the choice had been made, and there was nothing to be done about it. I hope you can think about it more calmly. The official Archbishop of Sin will be expecting you in the southwest cathedral, which is located in the cave system. We look forward to your arrival. — having finished, she immediately disappeared.

Petelgeuse exhaled in relief as soon as this beautiful girl evaporated from his sight. He had never been able to communicate with her. And he still doesn't understand how Master Flügel managed to do it. Nevertheless, he had a new task besides visiting the Elior Forest. The earth spirit hoped that the new gene carrier would be much easier to get along with than his predecessors...

Moritz van Klein
Unlucky nobleman.
A month and a half before Hamal’s arrival.

A dark figure in a black robe walked along the long corridors. This person did not bother to put on a hood, so his appearance was easily visible to everyone. Not that it matters here, though.

This man's name was Moritz van Klein. He looked like a fairly slender, if slightly frail, man who was about 35-40 years old. He had shoulder-length light brown hair and dull green eyes. He was once one of the most important figures in the kingdom of Lugunica, but that is now a thing of the past. Now, he is an ordinary member of the Witch's cult. How could his life change so dramatically?

Literally two years ago, he was one of the three camerari of King Farsele himself, the last Lion King. Moritz guarded the royal treasury and some archives, which placed him quite high in the royal hierarchy. The salary was high, and honor was also included. Even after the Great Calamity, his life did not change much. It is worth noting that he was not a hereditary nobleman, unlike the overwhelming majority in Lugunica. Moritz was a war veteran who took an active part in the conflicts between his kingdom and the Vollachia Empire. Although he was the son of a simple blacksmith, he was still able to curry favor in the face of the then commanders and noble knights. He was so successful that rumors about him reached all the way to the king. As a result, he was appointed to rather insignificant royal positions, but Moritz was again able to climb the career ladder and “win” for himself a place in the sun. Having become much richer and more successful, he was eventually able to buy himself an estate and got himself a wife. Two years after marriage, they already had their first child. It was a girl whom they decided to name Alma.

Pretty good life, especially after a major disaster. But this idyll collapsed quite unexpectedly for Moritz. One day, royal knights burst into his bedroom and accused him of treason. Having recovered from the shock, he, of course, began to make excuses and try to prove his innocence, but all this was fair. It turns out that someone from the royal court was able to smell how he stank of miasma. Moritz himself was once again shocked by such accusations. After all, firstly, he did not believe in it and considered it simple slander, and secondly, he did not even suspect about it. How could he even smell like that damn Witch? He lived a great life and didn’t notice anything like that at all. But even such superficial evidence was enough for the knights to despise him. Actually, like his family. They also heard about his miasma, and after that they hastily ran away from him. Moritz did not even have time to say a word to them.

In the end, he had to flee. Somehow fighting off the knights, he ran to his dragon and galloped away. During the journey to nowhere, Moritz thought for a long time about how to clear his good name, but nothing sensible came to his mind. He did not want to give up everything that he had earned with such great difficulty. As a result, when he was already near Karsten’s possessions, he was discovered by the Cult. At first, he was suspicious of these suspicious guys in robes, but it turns out that many of them faced the same problem as he did. They also had the scent of a Witch.

There were many people in this so-called cult whose lives were ruined for many different reasons. Some had his case, others joined due to increased prejudice against demihumans, and there are still those who were so horrified by the Great Calamity that they began to worship this Calamity.

In the end, he still agreed to join this Cult. Moritz understood that this was an inherently illegal underground organization, but he did not have much choice. He couldn't be on the run forever, and he never figured out a way to clear his reputation. He, of course, could try to live for a while in Gusteko or the newly formed Kararagi, but this still would not save him from being wanted or the chance of being discovered by another "sniffer". And there could be no talk about Vollachia at all, because he was a very recognizable figure there... for obvious reasons.

He had lived in this cult for two years already, but was still far from his goal. He was given the Gospel, which sometimes suggested how to act in order to achieve his desire. He sometimes had to act dishonestly, but the prospect of being unfairly accused of treason and continuing to receive hatred and disgust from his own family frightened Moritz much more than committing a couple of not entirely legal offenses.

And so this routine would go on until a little black-haired girl appeared in their cathedral. And with her appearance, she immediately made a lot of noise. Mostly among those so-called “fanatics” who seemed to revitalize after her arrival. Those terrifying twins, who had previously just been keeping order in the cathedral and smiling anxiously, had begun to follow her around all the time.

Some of the cultists tried to talk to her, but it was as if she didn't hear them. Just a complete disregard. She wouldn't even dignify them with a glance. Of course, some were enraged at such insolence and tried to talk to her 'more directly', but those twins wouldn't allow it. Their power was seen by almost everyone, so no one had the desire to clash with them. Even an experienced warrior like Moritz didn't dare to fight with those little monsters. And who knows what that little girl is capable of. It’s better not to tempt fate and continue to live the way you know how.

Veritas von Antares
Two weeks after the incident in Elior Forest.

Veritas von Antares looked carefully and intensely straight into the eyes of the platinum-haired beauty, sitting opposite her. They were in the same office as last time.

— Did you want something from me, Archbishop Veritas? — Pandora also looked straight into the eyes of her interlocutor, but, unlike her, her gaze was filled with slight anticipation and curiosity.

— ...You said in that forest there will be something that is directly related to my goals. But I still didn't understand what you meant. — after a couple of seconds of silence, Veritas still decided to ask Pandora about her previous words.

— You saw the Seal, didn't you? - instead of a direct answer, Pandora, as always, began to speak in some riddles

— Seal...? The only thing I saw there were houses in the trees, Emilia, spirits and that strange huge thing in the form of a door... — Vertas tilted her head and straightened her already slightly overgrown hair.

— The latter is the Seal. It is its discovery that will give you the long-awaited return home. — smiling a little wider, Pandora briefly closed her eyes.

—......Then why don't we...

— This cannot be done yet. I want its discovery no less than you, but unfortunately such an option will not be available for a long time. — already guessing about Veritas’ question, Pandora did not wait for the end of her sentence and quickly gave her answer.

— ...

— I can assure you that your desire will not lose its value over time. The time flows between the two worlds are quite different, so you don’t have to worry about the death of your loved ones. — Pandora successfully ignored how the little girl’s eyes widened at her words. — In any case, if we continue our cooperation... Oh? Are you leaving already? — Pandora watched as Veritas, who could barely stand, tried to hobble to the door.

— I have a headache... We will continue the conversation later... Now I need to put it all in my head... — leaving the room, Veritas went to her chambers, almost falling a couple of times along the way.

— Hmm... Am I going too far? Well, it's not really important. She's doing pretty well already, so a little discomfort won't hurt her.

Hansel
Good child.
A month until Hamal arrives.

Hansel was a good child.

He obeyed his older sister, did not talk to strangers, was clean and polite. If he was asked for help, he always tried to fulfill these requests. He was smiling and good-natured. But he was bad at smiling, and he didn’t particularly like it, so Hansel simply copied the smiles of his older sister.

Hansel did not remember his childhood well. The only thing he definitely remembered from those times was the presence of his older sister. He didn't even remember his parents. Did he even have them? Well, Hansel didn't really care. But a good child must love his parents, so he will love them.

Hansel did a lot of good things. For example, he and his older sister were the ones who burned one of the evil witches in a big fire. There was another wicked witch who ran away from them into the desert. Then they managed to chase her back and forth without any rest, though without.... What did his big sister call him? “Depressed asshole”? Well, without him, Hansel don't think they could have done it. Still, that witch was very powerful. But in the end, they were able to starve her to death. Although the witch did manage to curse them. He and his older sister looked into the two eyes of this voracious witch, and from then on they began to feel constant hunger. Nothing could quench their new monstrous appetite. At least not until the Mistress arrived.

As soon as Hansel saw her, he immediately felt relieved. This hunger has disappeared. And apparently, the older sister does too. Therefore, they did not want to be too far from the mistress, because hunger could return. But this was not the only source of their affection. The twins seemed to be drawn to the little Archbishop. What kind of feeling it was, they could not understand.

Hansel is a good child, so he cleans the halls and corridors of the cathedral almost all the time. He doesn't need sleep anyway. Today he was cleaning again, this time in the kitchen. Right now his older sister was finishing cooking for her mistress. Hansel had already finished mopping the floors, so all that was left was to wait until his older sister finished cooking so he could wash the dishes.

— Hansel! The warehouse is already running out of meat! Bring more! — Gretel’s tone was rather irritated and grumpy. In principle, she was rarely happy, so such behavior was rather the norm. She tried to hide this ugly side of her from Veritas, but the rest of the time she behaved again as before.

— But it’s too far to walk to the shops, I won’t have time...

—Then just catch something in the forest! I swear, you are of no use! — Interrupting her brother with an angry cry, Gretel continued cooking without even looking in his direction.

—...

Hansel is a good child. He listened to his elder sister and left the cathedral to hunt. In his hands there was only a heavy one-handed hatchet and several bags for loot. Although he had a couple of throwing knives and needles hidden in his clothes. Hansel is a smart child, so he tried to be prepared in case of danger.

Walking through the forest for some time, Hansel heard several sounds that were clearly not made by him. Stopping and listening, he realized that deer were grazing nearby. Although this seemed strange to Hansel at first, since deer did not usually live in these forests. The nearest largest reindeer pasture was located to the west, on the slopes of the mountains.

Hansel is a good child, so he decided not to miss out on potential prey and went straight to the source of the sounds. When he arrived, he saw a small wooden house with light visible from inside. Did someone live there? But the sounds are coming from there. Maybe, if Hansel asks nicely, the residents will share one deer. Hansel is a good child, so of course he'll pay them.

When Hansel approached the house, he knocked on the wooden door several times. But no one answered. Only the sounds of deer became louder. Maybe no one is home right now? But the light inside is on... Maybe something happened to them?

— Um... Sorry, are you okay? — Hansel is a kind and polite boy, so he decided to inquire about the health of the residents. But again no one answered. Only the sounds of deer became louder. Maybe the deer offended them? They are much stronger than most ordinary people, so this option is possible.

Having reached a logical conclusion, Hansel decided to save these people from the evil deer. After all, Hansel is a good child. He quickly swung his hatchet and hit it right on the door. It immediately broke from the force of the young man’s blow, allowing him to enter inside.

As soon as Hansel crossed the threshold of the house, he saw exactly what he expected. Two large deer looked at him extremely aggressively. Behind them were small fawns, which for some reason had only one horn on their foreheads, unlike their parents. But it is not important. Hansel never saw the people inhabiting this house, so the deer most likely already ate them. Hansel is a good child, so he felt sad about the fate of those unfortunates, but he could take revenge for them.

While Hansel was indulging in reflection, the biggest deer swung right at him. But it was too slow for the lad, so with a deft swing of his axe, the head of that deer was no longer connected to the torso. The head rolled across the floor while blood was actively spouting from the neck of the falling body, which unfortunately splattered Hansel. The small deer cubs began to howl even harder, and the second large deer seemed to go into shock. Without wasting any time, Hansel made a quick dash right next to the stunned deer and slashed its belly with a sharp blow of his axe. Intestines, stomach, liver and and other internals began to crawl out of the sloppy cut. The deer fell to the floor, leaning against the wall. After a couple seconds of silence, the roaring of the little deers became even louder than before. They huddled against the farthest corner of the house, as far away from the boy with the axe as possible. Their legs shook frantically, preventing them from even trying to get up and run away. Though given Hansel's speed, their escape wouldn't be long.

After looking at the corpse of the deer for a couple more seconds, Hansel began to walk over to the little deers. Once right in front of them, he once again took note of their little oddity. It was the first time he had ever seen a deer with a single horn on its head, so childish curiosity briefly took over. But having finally gotten over that feeling, Hansel decided to finish his hunt. He brought his axe over the head of the first little deer and quickly smashed through its skull. At least that's what Hansel had hoped for. The second little fawn was still able to find the strength to jump right under the axe's blow, thus protecting the first fawn. A sloppy diagonal cut severed the front left leg. Bleeding on the floor, he shouted something to the first fawn. He stood up abruptly and ran straight for the exit of the house. But before he could even cross the threshold, both of his hind legs were pierced by a pair of long throwing knives. While that fawn screamed in pain, Hansel decided to end the suffering of the other fawn. With a strong blow, the head detached from the body. Hansel walked over to the last of this family of deer and did the same procedure of killing it.

After the hunt was over, Hansel pushed the bodies of the two fawns, along with their heads, into the first bag, but the bodies of their parents had to be chopped up to fit into the second bag. Hansel was glad, for not only was he able to find plenty of meat for his mistress, but he was also able to get rid of the bloodthirsty deer that could hurt innocent people. Unfortunately, this will not bring back the masters of the house, but at least new victims will be avoided. Hansel is a good child.

Back at the cathedral, Hansel noticed many strange looks from the other cultists. He couldn't blame them, for the blood completely covered his clothes, face and hair. There was also quite a bit of it dripping from the bags. He'd have to scrub the floors again. But that was for later. He would have to go to his older sister and show her his loot. Hansel hoped she would be pleased.

— Hansel, what took you so long! Did you at least bring any.... thing... - while his older sister complained about the long absence, Hansel pulled the carcasses and heads of the deers out of the bags, placing them on the cutting table. Gretel stared shocked at her little brother's booty until.....

— You idiot! I told you not to cut open the bellies! And what's with the holes in the little one's legs!? The other one's missing almost a quarter of her body! How hard did you hit them?! Why can't you just do something normal for once?! Well, at least the twins can serve as a delicacy. I'm surprised they weren't traditionally killed... — well, at least Hansel screwed up again, but big sister's a little less grumpy. That's already a success.

Leaving the fate of the dead deers to his older sister, Hansel went to wash up. Having washed and changed his clothes, he was about to go to clean the corridors dirty with blood, when suddenly he met Veritas on the way. She must be on her way to the library again.

— Oh! Hansel, you're cleaning the hallways again? — Veritas stared at him curiously.

— Yes, ma'am. I got the south corridors a bit dirty after returning from hunting, so I need to clean up there again. — making a perfect 90 degree bow, Hansel informed his mistress like a good servant.

— Oh? Does this mean you brought meat? Um... Can you tell me what it is? — While Veritas was saying this, her stomach managed to loudly announce its hunger several times.

— This is venison, mistress. — Hansel is a good child, so of course he will answer his mistress.

— Hmm... I've never eaten it. I wonder what it tastes like! — as if completely forgetting about Hansel, Veritas continued her way to the library with a satisfied smile.

Gretel.
Bad child.
Three weeks until Hamal arrives

Gretel was in the majestic hall of her beloved mistress. She finished preparing dinner and wanted to inform her mistress about this, but before her eyes there was a rather strange sight...

— Hehehehe~ *Hic*! Hehe~ — Veritas was lying in bed with a stupid smile on her face. A slight blush covered her cute cheeks. Gretel had already tried to talk to her several times, but she only giggled intermittently in response.

— Hansel, what is this? — кemaining calm, Gretel decided to ask the one who had been next to Veritas for the last few hours.

— Mistress. — Hansel’s voice was calm. It was as if this situation didn't bother him at all.

— I see. Why is she like this? — Gretel restrained the impulse to hit her stupid brother.

— Like this? — Hansel didn’t see anything unusual.

— Like this. — Gretel's patience was running out.

— Like this what? — Hansel bowed his head.

— WHY IS SHE DRUNK, YOU STUPID OAF!? — unable to bear it, Gretel yelled at her younger brother. Veritas didn’t pay any attention to this at all, and Hansel’s face still maintained complete equanimity.

— The mistress discovered a warehouse where we store barrels of wine. — Hansel answered calmly.

— AND...? — trying to calm down, Gretel decided to continue her questioning.

— She asked what was in them.

— And what did you answer...?

— I said there was wine in there — Gretel clenched her fists tightly.

— And she...? — Gretel hissed through clenched teeth.

— She wanted to drink. — not noticing his sister’s growing anger again, Hansel continued to dig his own grave.

— And you...? — Gretel’s face was already starting to turn red.

— I poured it for her. — the hole got deeper and deeper...

— And how much did she drink...?

— Three barrels. — Hansel seems to have finally realized that he will soon feel bad. Therefore, he began to slowly leave the hall, trying not to attract the attention of his sister, who was burning with anger.

— IDIOT! — almost all the cultists in the cathedral heard this cry.

Gretel did not remember her parents. She didn't even remember when they became orphans. All she remembered was their constant attempts to live another day. She and her brother were already 10 years old, and now they lived in one of the villages, which was located in the kingdom of Lugunica. They lived in a small dugout that used to be owned by an elderly couple, but a few months ago they died and the twins quickly took over the vacated territory. These old people were unsociable, so the fact of their death was not yet known to anyone. Of course, this will be discovered sooner or later, but until then, the brother and sister will happily continue to use their new home.

— S-Sister, are you sure t-this is a good idea...? — The little boy’s voice trembled a little while his sister tried to give him the right hairstyle.

— Don’t tell me that you’ve chickened out again? You just need to tell that rich bastard off so he doesn't bother me anymore.

— B-But... — Hansel’s weak voice still fell silent, not wanting to continue contradicting his older sister.

He was dressed in a simple white dress that Gretel had previously worn. He had a white bow on his head, and his hairstyle was almost the same as his sister's. In general, no one will understand that he is a boy. Now Hansel was a completely identical copy of his older sister. Even their voice was the same.

— Shut up! Where do you think we have so much money now? If I hadn’t fooled that thick-headed son of the headman, you wouldn’t have eaten so well! — having finished with his hair, Gretel began to straighten his dress.

— B-But why can’t you refuse him yourself... And why would you even-

— Because this frog face decided to date more “seriously”! And I’d rather die of hunger than kiss this fat toad! And I’m sending you because you run much faster, so if something happens, you can run away, but I can’t. You don't want your big sister to get hurt, right? — Gretel said the last sentence a little threateningly. Hansel began to quickly shake his head in response, not wanting to anger his older sister again.

— That is great. Then go ahead. And make sure that pig understands my reluctance to see him. — Hansel nodded and reluctantly left the dugout.

Gretel heard a faint knock on the door late in the evening. She frowned in irritation. Her stupid brother had been gone for 5 hours. What took him so long? Rising from the straw pile, Gretel walked to the entrance and opened the door.

Before her stood Hansel. But he looked nothing like he had five hours ago. His arms and face were bruised, his hair was disheveled and he was covered in dirt. His white dress was torn in several places and was no longer wearable. He reeked of a mixture of strange vile odors, ranging from trivial dirt to urine and... and fish? fish?

— I... I..... — Hansel was covered in tears and snot. He was sniffling and grunting, trying to get a word out.

— Ew! What pile of sh*t did you fall in that you stink so bad?! Tsk. You're sleeping on the floor tonight. And as far away from me as possible. — Gretel just stepped away from the door and lay down on the pile of hay again. Hansel, still whimpering and shivering, slowly walked into the house and closed the door. As soon as he did, he just sat down with his knees pulled up to his crying face.

— I hope that nasty bastard doesn't come near me again.... Did it go well? — Gretel turned sideways toward her brother.

— They... They found out I was a boy. — Hansel answered in a surprisingly even and calm tone. He was still hiding his face

— Huh?! Great, then we'll have to get out of here sooner than we thought.... Wait, did you say “they”? — Gretel asked, noticing the slight oddity in her brother's answer.

— Yes... He wasn’t alone...— this time Hansel’s voice trembled a little.

Gretel simply shrugged her shoulders in response and lay down on her other side, not perceiving her brother’s words as something important. After a while she fell asleep while Hansel cried quietly in his little corner.

Marcus.
Always a disgruntled guy.
Three days before his arrival.

Marcus ran away from home at the age of 14. Since then, he traveled first around his own country, then Marcus went south. But he did not stay there long, as Satella, the Witch of Envy, began to wreak havoc. He managed to return to Vollachia in time before the madness of that Witch could reach him. Few people were also lucky back then, but this didn’t really bother Marcus. In fact, he was surprisingly calm while all this was happening. Those who survived the rampage of Envy began to share their stories about the horror it caused them. Marcus treated them with contempt.

Now he was in a room that he had rented for the night in one of the taverns. In his hands was a small black box, which he examined carefully.

— What are you...? — Marcus’s voice was thoughtful and wary, which was rare for him. And the reason for this was the ominous feeling that came from this box.

He stole this suspicious little thing from an unlucky merchant whom he saved from bandits. Then, as a thank, this merchant invited him to drink at his own expense. Agreeing to this, Marcus and the merchant walked to Iwada. Stopping at a local inn, a merchant who called himself Alec ordered a bunch of alcohol. When he was already drunk, Marcus robbed him and fled to Lugunica. He even felt a little sorry for this guy. It’s how unlucky you have to be to stumble upon robbers who usually didn’t patrol the area so close to cities, and also to be saved by a person who then robs you. Although, considering how much he droned on about his miserable life, this should have been the norm for him.

Nevertheless, Marcus did not stumble upon this merchant by lucky chance (at least for him). The fact is that Marcus heard rumors about how in the group of heroes who were able to seal Satella, there was one unremarkable merchant. And his description perfectly matched the appearance of this Alec. Therefore, he was of particular interest to Marcus.

— And yet, how can a simpleton like him be...

— Well, apparently Alec couldn’t cope with this task. But it ended up in quite suitable hands. I hope he doesn't blame himself too much. — Marcus was interrupted by a beautiful voice, the owner of which suddenly appeared in his room.

Veritas von Antares.
A month before Hamal arrives.

As always, I was in the library and read a bunch of books. During this day I was already able to read about five in full. For an eight-year-old girl, this would be quite a difficult task, but I had one unpleasant feature that allowed me to be so productive.

This was also noticed by Kenichi and Naoko, who were amazed at my marvelous memory. I could name the date of fairly long-standing events down to the second, simultaneously telling what the temperature was then, how many people they met, how many words or letters a certain person said, and so on. This was no longer amazing, but something beyond the bounds of fantasy. As a result, I was sent for examination, where I was diagnosed with hypermnesia. But even this could not explain such absolute memory. I was taken to a whole bunch of doctors and various specialists, but they all simply shrugged their shoulders and could not understand such a phenomenon.

It might sound cool to remember everything the first time and without any stress, right? You don't need to sit for hours in front of textbooks to remember rules and memorize school topics. You don't have to worry forever about forgetting something. For example, about the birthday of a friend or distant relative. Just once and that's it. It's forever in your head. So, this is not at all as rosy as it might seem. Undoubtedly, all the advantages are true and it can really make life much easier. But among all these advantages, people usually forget about the disadvantages. You will remember everything. Everything. Even things that you would like to never remember. For example, how you embarrassed yourself at school in front of the whole class. Or how you were afraid of something very scary, after which you could not sleep at night. Of course, emotions from these memories can be overcome, but in reality it is much more difficult than in words. Especially when you remember every little detail that happened in those days.

I've encountered all of these things. For example, me and Nii-Nii had a light colored kitten named Spes. Nii-Nii gave him that name as he really liked Latin names and titles. We adored this fluffy ball of cuteness and loved playing with him. But one day he ran out into the road. We didn't quite realize how dangerous the road was at the time, so we just continued our ball game in the yard. However, a couple seconds later, we heard a loud honk. When we turned around, the wheels of the car were already a meter away from Spes. Less than a second later, his tiny body was crushed crisply under the wheels of the car. It was like he'd been squeezed and cut in half. There was nothing cute left of him. Only crumpled flesh, blood and internal organs that were spilling out of his dead carcass in an extremely distorted form. It all happened in an instant, but I remembered all of it. The sound, the smell, the emotions, the mangled body. Spes... Really was a stupid name. Nii-Nii was able to come to terms with it after a while, but not me. It became even harder for me to sleep, as the memories of the moment of our pet's death replayed over and over in my head.

And such instances of misfortune or sorrow were not very rare. And they would all be in your head forever. However, even that wasn't the biggest disadvantage of absolute memory. Unfortunately, our brain cannot store an infinite amount of information in it. A limit exists, which is a huge problem for me. Memorizing a huge pile of absolutely unnecessary information, my brain was banally overflowing. My headache was getting worse and worse every day. Pills helped, but we all knew that it was only a temporary measure. Someday I would get so bad that I just wouldn't want to live. When I found out, I asked Kenichi and Naoko not to tell Nii-Nii about it. I even called them dad and mom for the first time.

And so, when I had almost come to terms with all this, I was sent into this world. A world where the first thing I did was try to kill some guy, whom I then killed with my own hands. I try my best to ignore it, but the feeling of his blood on my hands and the sight of his lifeless body still haunts me. I killed someone. Even if he himself tried to do it first, the feeling of killing another person does not go away so easily. Then the period of my “Grand Homelessness” happened. I also remember very well the disgusting dirty water from puddles, rotten food, cold nights, unsanitary conditions and other delights of homeless life. I’m generally silent about the forest where a flock of winged rats tried to eat me alive. The range of sensations then was indescribable. Overall, absolute memory really interfering.

"It can't be that she is my sister!"
...
...
...

...Really, such a memory not funny......

Chapter 8: Arrival

Chapter Text

I was summoned to another world!

Natsuki Subaru still couldn't believe it. Undoubtedly, he sometimes dreamed of it, but he still considered it to be an ordinary pipe fiction. However, his current situation proves the reality of such an event. After all, how could it not be an isekai?

Walking down the street, Subaru had already managed to notice a bunch of evidence that he was now in a fantasy world. What's more, there's that giant reptile that he saw first thing. There were even demihumans here! Some of them looked like fully anthropomorphic animals, and some of them had only a couple of traits that showed they belonged to a different race from humans, like ears and tails. Although, he hadn't met any catgirls yet, to his great regret....

There was also the typical medieval architecture. The roads, though paved, were clearly quite low quality and squalid. Subaru didn't know what medieval roads were supposed to look like, but it still looked pretty pathetic. However, the buildings looked pretty decent, even cozy. He was probably not in the richest county right now, so this kind of condition of the buildings was quite surprising.

— Still, what should I do now...? — muttering quietly to himself, Subaru continued to wander the street aimlessly.

Wasn't he supposed to be met by the beautiful girl who summoned him!? Well, or at least some kind of guide. Even if he was a guy, Subaru wouldn't be too disappointed. After all, a hero should usually have a loyal friend/guide to help out throughout the great adventure, right? Subaru hasn't had any friends his age in a long time, so he wouldn't mind having a friend.

After a while, he's already managed to get himself into a few messes. For one, his attempt to use magic to save a child who was being ridden by a carriage ended in failure. In the second, he was yelled at by an angry merchant who wouldn't accept his money. Third, he accidentally walked into the women's restroom where he was promptly slapped. Fourth, he walked into a place that doesn't serve people and some thug accidentally threw him into the river. Now he's sitting in some alley, taking off his tracksuit and leaving it on the ground to dry.

— What the hell... Shouldn't I be the main character?!? — screaming to the heavens, Subaru tried to let out his frustration.

Things were not going at all as he had hoped. Where were his super powers? Where was his luck? Where was his charisma? And most importantly...

— Where is the beautiful girl who summoned me after all... She can't just abandon me! — shouting meaninglessly into the sky once more, Subaru hung his head in frustration.

If things continue like this, he's not a survivor. He had food, of course, but it was only a bag of chips and instant ramen. Everything else was pretty useless. Even his cell phone, which had lost its reception. Subaru could easily end his life in misery and die in the dirt as the pathetic excuse of a man that he is.

— Although maybe that's not such a bad thing..... — the boy's already depressed look became even more despondent. The face of the one he had once let down began to plague his thoughts again. He would have continued to be melancholy if he hadn't heard footsteps coming from the dark side of the alley.

— Was it!? The very beauty who had summoned me..... — Subaru's newfound enthusiasm immediately evaporated as soon as he saw the figures emerging from the shadows.

The first one looked like a rather skinny guy of average height. He was dressed in a tattered gray shirt, which further reinforced the image of a street urchin. He also had a rather long tongue, which he kept sticking out for some reason. The second one, as if in contrast to the first guy, looked like a bulky man. Aside from his size, he had no particularly noteworthy details. The last of the bunch looked like a midget. He had a potty haircut, which, combined with his height, made him rather ridiculous.

— What is he muttering about? — asked that same ridiculous little guy.

— Never mind, better look at his clothes, he’s clearly from some rich family. — grinning, the skinny guy came up and grabbed Subaru by the dark T-shirt.

“Damn, here comes the event…” Subaru thought to himself, trying to find a way to get out of this situation.

— From the road! — suddenly, a young girl screamed from the end of the alley. As soon as she ran towards them, Subaru was able to get a better look at her.

She looked like a short girl with short golden hair and bright red eyes. She was wearing a black top and leggings of the same color, which seemed to be torn on one side. She was also wearing a brown vest and a red scarf wrapped around her neck. Despite her rather poor appearance, she still looked cute and attractive.

— And here she is! The beautiful girl who called me! — rejoicing at the arrival of his savior, Subaru was already relaxed and preparing for his first feat.

— A? I do not understand what you mean. I don't know what you've gotten yourself into, but I need to hurry. Live strong! — stopping briefly, the girl still destroyed Subaru’s hopes. After her words, she rushed through him and the trio of robbers at incredible speed. With the same speed and grace, the girl jumped onto the roof of the building and then disappeared completely. Subaru was amazed at such speed, but at the moment he had more serious concerns.

— Em... Maybe now you've changed your mind about robbing me...? — Subaru decided to try his luck.

— No way. We're even meaner now. — the thug's reply marked the failure of the luck test.

It was expected. But Natsuki Subaru still found the strength to calm down. After all, one of the main rules of isekai is that the protagonist has superpowers, right? He may not be able to master the art of magic yet, but his trusty hands and feet are always with him!

Subaru sharply aimed his fist straight at the face of the thug. He looked the most dangerous of the trio, so eliminating him was a priority. The skinny guy couldn't hold Subaru in his grip, and the bulky guy's reaction was too slow, so the fast flying fist successfully reached his face. He immediately fell to the ground from the impact. Immediately afterward, Subaru stamped the short man into the wall with his foot from a U-turn. He looked the weakest of the two, but the skinny guy had already managed to move away, so there wasn't much choice of targets.

— Heh, this is the first time I've ever hit someone. Even my arm hurts... But my adrenaline is off the charts now! Now you're answering my rage, you walking bags of experience! — after gaining courage, Subaru charged straight at the last guy standing. However, the latter suddenly pulled out a couple of very convincing arguments.

— Excuse me, pardon me, please have mercy! — Natsuki Subaru immediately lost all fervor as soon as he saw the two knives in the skinny robber's hands. Hoping not to be stabbed, he immediately assumed a dogeza pose and began to apologize vigorously.

Of course, that didn't save him from the thugs' wrath. The skinny guy kicked Subaru in the face, but the big guy and the short guy had already recovered. Now the three of them were kicking the hapless teenager, who could only moan in pain, unable to offer any resistance.

— Interesting... What are you doing here? — suddenly, from the end of this cursed alleyway for Subaru, came a rather monotonous voice.

The irritated trio of muggers and the beaten teenager immediately looked in the direction the voice was coming from. And as soon as Subaru saw its owner, he immediately lost his breath. Although, it might have been caused by the repeated kicks to his chest, but in order not to spoil the moment he successfully ignored it.

A beautiful girl who looked to be about 12 years old looked at them. She stood out a lot even compared to the inhabitants of this world, who might have animal features or unusual colored hair. One of her most noticeable features was her pallor. It felt as if her skin had not been tainted by exposure to sunlight since birth. The skin was like the purest marble or pearls. The girl also had shoulder-length silver hair that emphasized her 'noble whiteness' even more. Her face was very cute and pretty despite her rather emotionless expression. Her nose, lips and eyebrows were quite thin, which once again showed off her cuteness and youthfulness.

The girl's outfit was also awe-inspiring, though it still caused Subaru some embarrassment. She was wearing an obviously expensive and noble blue and white dress. It didn't look lavish or overly pretentious, though it was covered with several blue gems. The sleeves were longer than the girl's arms, and also appeared to be separated from the dress. Around her neck was a pendant with a bright blue gem in the center. Just below tied with a simple bow was a blue ribbon. This outfit would have been perfect for Subaru's eyes, but a few questionable design decisions made him feel a little uncomfortable. The fact was that the top of the dress raised quite a few questions. For one thing, the girl's shoulders and about half the size of her arms were exposed. And that might not have been so conspicuous if it hadn't been for that open neckline. Practically the entire area of her young breasts was open to the eyes of others. The dress only slightly covered her lower half of her breasts. If it was worn on some puffy-breasted beauty, Subaru would have no problem with it. But such 'openness' looked rather inappropriate for such a young member of the fair sex.

The last thing Subaru noticed was her eyes. And he didn't like them right away. They didn't look boring, ugly or unappealing, rather even the opposite. The girl's eyes were mesmerizing. They were deep-blue, almost the same color as the gems attached to her dress. Her pupils were vertical, similar to the pupils of a cat or reptile. But the beauty of her eyes could not obscure one extremely disturbing detail. They looked dead. It wasn't in the sense that one was depressed or about to commit suicide. They literally looked dead. The vast blue skies of her eyes were as if hidden behind huge black clouds. The neutral expression on the girl's face further increased the unsettling feeling Subaru had from contemplating her eyes.

— You've been making quite a lot of noise. Are you in some kind of trouble? — tilting her head slightly, the girl asked their question in the same neutral tone.

Her voice was actually more associated with calm and peacefulness than a complete lack of emotion. Sure, her eyes slightly spoiled that image, but the pleasant sound of her words still pleased Subaru's ears.

— Heh, this is a bad time to indulge your curiosity, little girl. — being pleased with the appearance of the girl who was clearly some noblewoman, the skinny guy wanted to turn his attention to her, however....

— Hey, Rachins, wait... Take a closer look at her... — the bulky guy suddenly stopped his comrade. The skinny guy looked perplexed at first, but after he took a closer look at the girl, he turned a little pale.

— Tsk... It's not worth it... Let's go guys! — at his command, they started to leave that alley together.

Subaru couldn't understand why this trio suddenly decided to leave him and that girl alone. But he could deal with that later. Right now his priority was to thank this girl.

— T-Thank you for helping me. Without you, I would have died here... — barely standing up, Subaru tried to express his gratitude for saving him through his wheezing.

— Hmm? What are you talking about? I just heard a noise from here and was curious. — his savior was puzzled by the sudden gratitude, but then she just shrugged and moved closer to him.

— You have a stupid face. — Subaru almost fell down again. He had been called a weirdo a couple times by his own classmates, but to hear such a thing from such a little girl with such a nonchalant face was quite unexpected.

— Huh...Well, I got kicked in the face a couple times, so I probably look like a beaten dog.... But it was still rude! Oh... — with a sharp exclamation, Subaru almost fell to the ground again. His head began to go round and his legs could barely keep him standing.

— I wouldn't recommend you to be so vigorous. Head injuries can be an extremely serious problem, especially if not dealt with in time. Stand still and don't move. — walking almost right up to him, the girl placed her two tiny hands right on his sides. Subaru was at first a little embarrassed by such actions on the part of the silver-haired girl, but still decided to follow her instructions.

Suddenly, Subaru felt a rather pleasant sensation all over his body. The pain from his recent beating was beginning to pass, and the dizziness wasn't as serious. Looking down, he saw a small glow coming from the girl's hands. Subaru got a much better view of her cleavage, which made him look away in embarrassment. But he did notice that her breasts were quite nice for a girl her age. Because of her small stature, her breasts gave a much bigger impression than she really had.

— That's all. If anyone asks, I was just helping you, okay? — taking her hands off his waist, the girl raised her head. That last gesture was rather strange as she just stared up at the sky.

— I see... Wait, you just used magic right!!!? — after regaining his strength, Subaru immediately wanted to know what this mysterious girl had done to him.

— Just basic healing magic, nothing special. I don't know much about it, so don't expect a quick recovery. — hearing his voice, the girl lowered her head this time so that she could see his face.

— But it's still amazing! Listen, do you happen to be... — but before Subaru could finish, the girl grabbed his arm and dragged him towards the exit of the alley. He barely had time to grab his grocery bag and tracksuit.

— Whoa, whoa, whoa! Wait! Where are you going all of a sudden?!

— I don't want to be in there any longer than necessary. And I need you as an alibi. — again without letting him finish, she continued to pull him with surprising force. Realizing the futility of resistance, Subaru simply let her lead him.

— Alibi? What are you talking about? — he was still curious about this girl. Even though Subaru wasn't a lolicon, she was still the most beautiful yet mysterious girl in his short time in this world. Suddenly she was the main character...? Wait, doesn't he sound like a lolicon right now!?

— I have a couple overprotective servants who are overly concerned for my safety. And since I ran away from them, I needed a decent excuse to butter them up. And you turned out to be a pretty good one. — the girl made her self-serving intentions quite explicit. So he's basically just being used. Although Subaru was a bit resentful of this, it wasn't such a big price to pay for saving his life.

After leaving the alley, the girl began to walk much slower. She was still holding his hand, which was rather embarrassing and awkward for him. They didn't look like brother and sister, much less father and daughter. Passersby would occasionally throw perplexed and curious glances at them. Subaru hoped he didn't look like a kidnapper or a lover of little girls in their eyes.

— Uh... Why don't you let go of my hand? Otherwise it could lead to certain misunderstandings.... — still surrendering under the pressure of embarrassment, Subaru wanted to release his hand from the girl's tight grip. Her small hand was warm and tender, but the risk of being accused of pedophilia was spoiling the desire to continue the bodily contact.

— No. Otherwise I'll lose you. There are too many people and too many voices. — without even stopping, the girl rejected his request. On the one hand it was logical, but on the other hand Subaru stood out quite a bit among the locals. His Asian appearance and dark hair were quite remarkable amongst all this crowd.

— Okay, okay... Let's get to know each other. We're already holding hands, but we don't even know each other's names! The development of our relationship missed a few points! — the girl's neutral face didn't change even though Subaru was acting weird in her thoughts.

— Let me begin. My name is Natsuki Subaru! And I'm completely broke and completely lost! — taking a strange pose, he loudly said this strange sentence. This was noticed by quite a few people, thus causing Subaru to cover his face in embarrassment.

— Natsuki... That's an unusual name. Are you from Kararagi? — the girl herself hadn't paid attention to his ridiculous pose, and now turned her head toward him with mild curiosity.

— Oh, Natsuki is not a name. In my homeland, we say the last name first, and then the first name. — trying to push away the embarrassment, Subaru quickly corrected the girl's mistake. He didn't know what Kararagi was, but perhaps it was some country or another continent.

— Hmm... Alright, since you gave your name, it would be rude of me not to give you mine. You can call me Aurora. — turning her head away from him, Aurora continued to lead them forward.

— Aurora... It's a beautiful name. — although such words were trite, Subaru sincerely felt that way. He was a bit fond of names of Latin origin, so he was happy to hear such a name from such a beautiful girl.

— Hmm... Thank you. — after thanking him for the compliment, she turned her head towards him again for a second, but then turned away from him again.

They continued on their way in awkward, at least for Subaru, silence. Aurora led him through the various stalls and asked the merchants about their wares. Not only were her questions sometimes quite strange, but the merchants themselves seemed quite nervous as soon as she approached them. Subaru guessed that Aurora might be some kind of big shot, but did almost everyone here really know her? Even that trio recognized her, otherwise their abrupt reluctance to continue with the robbery plan was hard to explain.

On the way, Subaru asked Aurora when she would finally let him go, to which she replied: “When they find us and I don't need you anymore.” Such an answer again made Subaru slightly angry, but he still decided not to voice his displeasure. Aurora didn't look like a typical evil little princess in Subaru's eyes, but he didn't want to provoke her. No matter how it went down, it was likely that one word from her would be enough to send him to the scaffold.

They would have continued to wander aimlessly through the local stalls until they heard some small child crying. Subaru immediately turned his head in the direction of the crying and saw a girl with silver hair trying to soothe the crying girl. Although Subaru couldn't see what this girl looked like from the front, but as if by some sixth sense he guessed that she was a real beauty. He also noticed her slightly pointed ears, which could only mean one thing. She was an elf! A real fantasy elven! Elf girls were one of Subaru's passions, aside from white hair. So an elf with white hair was doubly attractive to him.

— Hey, Aurora... There's a child crying, why don't we help her...? — he felt slightly disgusted that he was masking his selfish desires by helping this crying girl. But he couldn't think of a better way to meet that elf girl.

— No. I have other more important things to do than help every child I meet. — after turning him down, Aurora was about to lead them both away.

— Wait! According to the traditions of my homeland, I have to do at least one good deed a day, so.....

— You will have already done a good deed when you tell my servants about my good deed. — not buying Subaru's excuses, Aurora continued to pull him again.

— Wait, wait, wait, wait! Uh... Let's if you agree to help her, I'll tell you stories from my homeland! — Subaru decides to play one of his aces.

— Hm? I'm quite familiar with the culture and history of Kararagi, so something like that won't entice me.

— Heh! Luckily I'm not from Kararagi! I'm from a distant island country in the east called Japan! — with a slight chuckle, Subaru decided to correct Aurora's misconception about his nationality.

— Huh? Don't be ridiculous. Lugunica is the easternmost country. And I've never heard about “Japan” — Aurora still stopped and turned her head to Subaru with a little interest. He was a little nervous, as his history was apparently full of holes.

— Look, I'm really not lying! I realize I don't sound very convincing, but if you give me a chance, I swear to prove it! — Subaru first wanted to say that he was a otherworlder, but he changed his mind. After all, he would surely be considered insane if he started claiming the existence of other worlds.

— Hm..... Okay, I have nothing to do right now anyway. — shrugging her shoulders, Aurora agreed surprisingly easily.

— And a minute ago you said you had a lot of important things to do! — a little indignant at the behavior of this fickle person, Subaru led them straight to the crying girl and the elf.

— C-Come on... I'm sure your mom is around somewhere... — as they got closer, Subaru heard the girl's attempt to comfort the green haired girl. It ended in failure as the girl only began to cry louder.

On reaching them, Subaru showed the girl the coin trick, after which the girl immediately cheered up. Once he was able to calm the girl down, he immediately looked into the elf girl's face. As expected, she was beautiful. Her facial features were delicate and lovely, making her look like a goddess in the flesh. She looked about the age of a late teenager, which probably made her the same age as Subaru, and that made her legal! No threat of being convicted of seducing minors!

Subaru blushed almost immediately, and the elfess meanwhile began thanking him for his help. Aurora, on the other hand, stood a little to the side, staring as if into the void. Subaru and the elf girl talked for a bit and decided that they would look for the girl's mom together.

To Subaru's slight regret, he had to take the girl in his other hand as Aurora continued to hold his first and the elf girl took the girl's other hand. A few attempts at flirting with the girl also went sideways for him, as it was as if she couldn't understand his hints at all. Aurora even giggled a couple times, clearly amused by his failed attempts at hitching.

In the course of the conversation, Subaru found out that some important item had been stolen from the girl, and she now wanted to find the thief and return the stolen item. Aurora immediately asked why she didn't go to the knights or the local guards, to which she responded with a rather suspicious excuse, even by Subaru's standards. She said that she'd be in trouble if any of the country's politicians found out about her stolen thing, so she couldn't trust law enforcement with the matter. Aurora immediately started asking around about what the thing looked like, before making a promise not to tell anyone about it. Once she heard the description of the stolen item, she became a little more serious and with a simple: “I see,” she offered her help in finding the thief.

Of course, Subaru decided to take a chance and offered the girl his help as well. The girl had been reluctant at first, but gave in under rather... strong pressure from Aurora, she accepted their help after all.

After a while, they did find the girl's mother. Rejoicing at this, the elfess began to describe the thief's appearance. And it just so happened that Subaru had already met a persona with a similar description. From her words, the thief looked exactly like the golden-haired girl who had run through him and the three robbers.

— In that case, she must be a slum dweller. That's where thieves and the poor mostly live. In that case, we must hurry before she sells your... “jewel” to someone. — Aurora joined the conversation and offered her idea of the thief's whereabouts.

— But I've heard that the slums are quite large and winding..... It would still take us a long time to find her... — the elf was a bit worried. Still, it's not an easy task to survey such an area looking for one person.

— We can just ask the slum dwellers. If anything, we could just pay them for the information! — Subaru proposed his plan.

— Uh...

— In that case, you'll have to go without me. I'll just be in your way. Here's some money for you. — after interrupting the girl, Aurora took out a small bag of coins. The elfess took it with embarrassment and thanked her again.

— Thank you, of course... But what about our agreement? And I haven't helped with your alibi yet.... — even if she used it, Subaru still felt indebted to this mysterious girl. And when she gave them the money, he even felt ashamed. She might be rich, but that didn't cancel out his growing gratitude to her.

— That'll be my problem. Besides, I can get you anywhere even if you're over the Great Waterfall. I'll see you around. — with a slight smirk and a rather peculiar goodbye, Aurora began to walk away from them.

— Now, that last part was pretty creepy! You couldn't do without it!!!?

After reaching the slums, Subaru realized the reason why Aurora had left them. Because of her appearance, they were either shunned like the plague or would try to rob them every five minutes. Although Subaru and Emilia looked like rather wealthy citizens, they were not even on par with Aurora's luxurious and noble appearance.

By the way, during this time, Subaru was able to get to know the half elf better. In the first place, she turned out to be a half elf, not a pureblooded elf. Secondly, he was still able to recognize her name. She called herself Satella. He liked that name as well, though her reaction to it was quite strange. He also met Puck, Satella's contracted spirit. Subaru didn't really understand what a spirit was, but Puck looked like a rather cute magical flying cat, so Subaru had nothing against his presence.

After a while, they were still able to get the information they needed. After giving a poor man a few coins, he told us the possible location of Felt, the thief who had stolen an important item for Satella.

They followed the direction the beggar pointed and reached a rather dilapidated looking shack, which was being held together by a fair amount of money. This was basically how things looked here, which made Subaru sink into gloomy thoughts. Still, poverty is much more noticeable in medieval times than in modern times.

Pushing away the gloomy thoughts, Subaru knocked on the rather large door, hoping in passing that it wouldn't collapse from the slightest touch. However, there was no response. Subaru knocked louder, but there was still no answer.

— Hey! Anybody there?! — this time, almost without restraint, Subaru started pounding on the door with his fist.

As soon as he did so, rather loud footsteps and creaks from the floor could be heard outside the door. Subaru even felt like the building was wobbling with each new sound of footsteps.

— What a ruckus! No password, no sign! I'm in the middle of a big deal, and all of a sudden some jerk decides this is the perfect time to bother me! — out of the door came a highly irritated old man who definitely looked over two meters tall.

He had a rather bulky figure, though hunched over. The old man was bald and had an unusual purple symbol on the left side of his head. His face expressed a clear unwillingness to see them.

— I came here for something that was stolen from me! Give it back to me please and we can forget about this incident. — standing between Subaru and the old man, Satella announced her intentions.

— Hmm? So you're the owner of... Tsk. I told her to be more careful at work. — the giant muttered briefly to himself, then looked at them carefully.

— Sorry, lady, but that's not how it works. You want the trinket back, offer more money than the customer. Although, you can wait until the deal is finalized and steal your piece from her already. I don't care.

— Old man! What took you so long! — while the old giant was explaining to them the nature of the local customs, a voice familiar enough to Subaru sounded from the shack. As soon as the giant heard it, he simply went inside, leaving the door open.

— But... But this belongs to me! It was stolen from me! — clearly unhappy with this arrangement, Satella's eyes widened slightly in disbelief.

— Calm down, Tella-chan! Don't forget that we still have money left from Aurora, and I have a few trump cards up my sleeve. — Subaru decided to reassure Satella at least a little, after all, they still had a chance to buy back her item.

— But...!

— Go for it, Lia. We won't lose anything from it, and if we do, we can just return the stolen item by force. I know how much you don't like that method, so let's at least try the first option, shall we? — Puck still decided to intervene in their conversation and support Subaru's plan.

— But... Okay.... Only then we will definitely give that girl her money back, agreed? — Satella looked seriously at Puck and Subaru. They both nodded at her words.

When they went inside, they saw... Nothing out of the ordinary. The shack didn't look particularly better from the inside. The only thing that caught their eye were the three individuals who were now watching them closely. Two of them were already familiar to Subaru and Satella. It was that old man and that thief named Felt. But it was the latter that neither of them had met yet.

It was an elven. Her ears were clearly longer than Satella's, so she was most likely a pureblood. She was almost the same height as Felt, maybe a little shorter. She had long blonde hair, and her eyes were grayish purple. Her face was, as expected of an elven, refined and pretty. Though she was a beauty by many criteria, she didn't look particularly memorable compared to Aurora or Satella. Her clothes were quite unusual though. She was dressed in a rather expensive looking black officer's uniform, with gold lines and a white front. Above her chest area was attached a gem that was the same color as her eyes. On her belt was a very thin sword without a sheath, which because of its thinness looked a bit like a rapier. Satella immediately stared at her in surprise, especially at her ears.

— Huh?!!! Old man, why did you let her in! — Felt was a bit shocked and angry at the old giant's act.

— They want to buy back that jewel. According to the rules of my business, they have the right to do so. Yeah and you shouldn't be so quick to dismiss it either. Maybe they'll have a better offer..... — the old man's words seemed to calm Felt down. And the mysterious elfess looked at them with a steely gaze.

— Exactly! I'm sure that from our patron you will get much more favorable cooperation! — mentally apologizing to Aurora, Subaru placed the money pouch on the table.

Felt immediately stuck her hand into the pouch and her eyes slightly rounded. After whispering something to the giant, they both opened the money pouch wide and now both of their jaws almost fell to the floor.

— Old man Rom, isn't this...

— Yeah... There's at least an accumulation of three aureus, which can be translated into seventy-five holy coins... — Felt's eyes almost popped out at that statement. Satella's eyes were almost the same. Subaru didn't understand the local monetary system, but apparently the amount was indeed large.

— H-How much is the c-customer offering...? — still not recovering from the shock, Felt asked the old man a little shakily.

— Unfortunately, I only have twenty holy coins with me. — having raised her voice for the first time, the elf was quite calm and collected despite the obvious loss on her part.

— Then there's nothing to think about! I'm sorry, but you should have brought more money with you! — already rubbing her hands together in anticipation, Felt stared hungrily at the bag of coins.

— Indeed... Well, too bad. — as soon as the elfess said that, Felt's head flew with great speed straight into the flimsy wall of the hut.

The others in the building didn't even realize what had happened at first. It wasn't until Felt's headless body slumped carelessly on the floor that the first scream was let out.

— AH YOU BITCH! — grabbing a huge, nail-covered club, Rom lashed out at the only living blonde with unrestrained fury.

— I'd ask you not to use that kind of language. I'm still a child after all. — deftly dodging the first lunge, the elfess brought her right hand up to strike.

A second more and Rom's head would have been separated from his body as well, if not for Satella and Puck launching several large ice crystals at the attacker, causing her to be forced to stop her attack. Satella's gaze was full of sadness as she looked at the headless corpse of the red-eyed girl, and Puck, although he looked rather unperturbed by what was happening, was still quite tense. Subaru, on the other hand, still couldn't process what was happening. Like an idiot, he looked from the corpse to the severed head of the girl who hadn't even realized what had happened to her.

— You f*cking twitchy thing!!! — Rom once again tried to hit the elf, but she was too fast for him. It was like she wasn't even trying to dodge. The blonde just tilted her body slightly and took a couple steps to the side.

— I asked... — sighing, the elf pierced through the giant's body with her hands. She was too low to hit the heart or lungs, so the blow went straight through the old man's stomach and intestines.

— Bitch... — however, it wasn't enough to knock out Rom. With the little girl's hands in his body, he took another swing with his club.

But it was a futile attempt as well. The elfess immediately split the old man's body in half. The torso separated from the pelvis and legs. The amount of blood that came out of that huge carcass was unbelievable. Satella and Puck sent sharp ice crystals at the killer even more violently, but they were all shattered against the girl's body. Turns out she might not even have been to dodge them. The smile disappeared from Puck's face.

— Lia, we have to run. — Puck's voice was devoid of any playfulness.

— But-! — before he could object, the hand that held her heart came out through Satella's left breast.

— Thinking too much. — pushing Satella away, who would die in a couple seconds, the elven woman threw out her heart right in front of Puck's shocked gaze.

— AH YOU-!

— Already heard it. — Puck's feline body was ripped to shreds in an instant, after which it crumbled and white dust scattered in the air.

Subaru couldn't even drop a word. He was frozen in place like a statue. While there was a natural carnage going on, the Japanese teenager's mind was unable to react to what was happening. It all happened too fast. Perhaps not even half a minute had passed. And all he did was just stand there and watch the golden-haired girl, Rom, Satella, and Puck die. And now it was probably his turn. He knew that. But his body still refused to move a muscle. The only thing he could do was cowardly close his eyes, waiting for his own demise.....
...
..
.

But nothing happened. No pain, no light at the end of the tunnel. Could it be that he was so dumbfounded that he couldn't even feel his own death?

Gathering what few crumbs of courage he still had left, Subaru opened his eyes. He was still alive. And standing in the same spot. The elfess didn't even look at him. She simply walked over to the corpse of the red-eyed girl and took from her the very jewel that had caused the massacre. Putting it in the pocket of her uniform, the elfess began walking towards the exit of the shack, without casting a glance at either the corpses or the Subaru.

That's it? She's just going to walk away? Killed four people and run away with impunity? But then why didn't she kill him too? Was he so unthreatening in her eyes? Or was it just some twisted logic on the part of the killer?

Regardless of the correct answer, Subaru couldn't take it anymore. With a loud scream and tears in his eyes, he pounced straight at the girl's retreating figure with great speed. Just as his fist almost reached the back of her head, his field of vision suddenly changed. What had happened? Why was he now only seeing her feet...? Wait, what's that fallen......? Oh.......... That's his body........... So that's how.............

Natsuki Subaru died.

[1 death: Headless]

Chapter 9: First taste of death

Chapter Text

— Hey, guy! Are you all right? — some man's voice disturbed Subaru's consciousness.

Opening his eyes, he saw in front of him the same angry apple seller with unusual green hair, whose face now looked a bit worried.

— ...Huh? — blinking a couple times, Subaru looked around perplexedly.

— You suddenly turned pale and seemed to freeze. Are you not feeling well? — the merchant's voice was hardly worried, but a small amount of concern could be heard.

Not quite recovering yet, Subaru put his hand on his neck and squeezed it lightly a few times. His tracksuit wasn't wet, and neither was everything else. Could it be that he was just dreaming? Wait, but then what about...

— Right... They're in danger!

— Hey! — Subaru suddenly ran, leaving the slightly worried salesman even more confused.

Subaru ran through the crowd, hitting random passersby a couple times, to which he received angry shouts and a couple insults in return. But that didn't matter to the teenager right now. He had to find either Satella or Aurora. Maybe one of them could clear up what had happened to him...

— Ouch... — Subaru suddenly crashed into someone, to which the hapless pedestrian let out a rather emotionless “ouch” and, judging by the sound, fell to the ground. Subaru himself wasn't hurt from such a sudden collision, but his heart skipped a beat as soon as he realized exactly who he had hit.

— A-Aurora! — Subaru hurriedly gave her a hand to help her up. But it was as if she didn't even notice her and stood up without his help.

— I'm sorry! I didn't know where to find you, so I had to run all over the neighborhood looking for you, and-!

— Calm down and don't yell so loud. First of all, this is the first time I've heard you. Have we met before? — Aurora tilted her head and stared at the Japanese teenager with a little suspicion.

— Aurora, this isn't funny! We have to find Satel-! — but before Subaru could finish speaking, Aurora covered his mouth. He was in a slightly hunched state, so she had enough height for that.

— Look, I don't know what bar you got so drunk in, but I suggest you keep your mouth shut, or you might live the rest of your life without it. — this time her tone was unusually stern. Subaru was stunned at first, not so much by the girl's words, but by the surprisingly mature voice that didn't match her appearance.

— Now I'm going to let you go and you'll calm down. And don't even try to say that name again, do you understand? — Aurora said in a slightly softer voice.

Subaru nodded in response, whereupon the little girl's hands stopped holding his lips. They hurt a little from her squeezing force, but it was bearable.

— Now, I'd appreciate it if you'd give way to me. I have a bunch of other important things to do, so I don't have time to talk to a drunkard....

— You just said you had nothing better to do! Stop using that excuse! — just as Aurora was about to leave, Subaru loudly reminded her of her own words. She immediately turned to him again with a bit of surprise.

— How did you know about that? — Aurora asked with a slightly raised eyebrow.

— I'm telling you to stop joking around! If we don't hurry up, then... then.... Wait, you really don't remember me...? — having calmed down a bit, Subaru looked straight into Aurora's blank eyes with realization. The noble girl simply nodded her head in response.

— Huh... — still in a bit of frustration, he looked up at the sky. If think about it that way, the time was already nearing sunset when they reached that loothouse in the slums. And now the sun was roughly at its zenith again.

Locking himself against the nearest wall, Subaru began to think. His brain still had a hard time accepting this, but with the current facts he knew, two conclusions could be reached. The first — his power lies in foresight. He somehow activated his new power and saw a rather nightmarish future. The second was far more dire for Subaru. And, unfortunately, the most likely. He could come back after death. And not just come back, but roll back time to a certain point. Some sort of save point. Subaru chuckled a little bitterly. Fate really does have a nasty sense of humor. Or maybe it was just payment for his uselessness and arrogance. Wanted to get power like in games or anime? Get it and sign your name.

Of course, it could just be "very advanced" foresight, with a full range of sensations, so to speak. But it still felt all too real. The feeling of his own life fading away still haunted him. So until there's some refutation, Subaru will stick to the theory about «Return by Death».

— I'm glad you like this wall and today's weather so much, but don't you think it's a bit rude to suddenly ignore me like this when you started insisting on talking to me? — the teenager's musings were interrupted by Aurora's monotone voice.

— I-I'm sorry! I was just trying to put my thoughts in order. — Subaru quickly straightened up and looked at Aurora guiltily.

— So... Are you gonna tell me what's going on with you? You don't smell like alcohol... Maybe you're on drugs?

— Hey! I know I'm acting weird right now, but don't just assume I'm on drugs! — Subaru definitely didn't want to get that kind of reputation. Even though he thought he was a lowlife, drugs weren't a line he wanted to cross.

— Calm down, I'm just kidding. No need to make your stupid face even stupider. — Subaru stared at Aurora with skepticism. It was very hard to tell when she was joking, given her stony face. And why did she call his face stupid again!? He wasn't beaten this time!

When Subaru was about to explain the situation to Aurora, he abruptly changed his mind. If he told her about it, he would most likely be considered crazy. There might be all sorts of soothsayers and seers in this world, but the risk was still too great. Besides, he just didn't want to put such a little girl in danger. The killer wouldn't spare her. She cut off Felt's head without any hesitation. It happened so quickly that Subaru's eyes and mind couldn't see it.

— I apologize for disturbing you. I was a little out of sorts. I hope I didn't waste much of your time. — after bowing and saying that, Subaru ran off in an unknown direction.

— Wait. — Aurora wanted to stop him, but it was too late. The boy's figure disappeared among the crowd.

— Haaa... What's wrong with him? What a strange boy... — I sighed and continued to stand in the same place. I no longer heard his steps, so chasing him was pointless.

This guy suddenly bumped into me and started saying some pretty absurd things. Just look at his attempt to pronounce Satella’s name. If even one of the passers-by heard about this, he would be in trouble.

— "Tell me what he looked like." — I asked my question to one of my servants through a mental connection.

— "This simpleton looks like a typical bandit. His stupid face is ugly, and his eyes are looking for a victim for his lustful fantasies." — a mocking voice answered me, in which there were notes of contempt and discontent typical for its owner.

—"He had black hair and brown eyes. His clothes are unusual, as are the items in his... bag? He doesn't look like a peasant or a member of the lower class, but he doesn't act like a nobleman either. I didn't feel anything malicious intentions from him. For a spy, he stands out too much and is rather absent-minded. He did not notice us and is currently heading towards the slums." — this time a much calmer and neutral voice answered me, which gave me a more helpful and informative one answer.

— "Okay. Continue to monitor him. Do not do anything without my command." — having given them further instructions, I closed the mental communication channel between us.

Judging by his description, he is unlikely to be a native of Lugunica. This appearance is more typical for people from Vollachia or Gusteko. But it still seemed pretty unlikely. His voice and attitude were too soft for someone from those countries. Of course, there are exceptions everywhere, but this is the last explanation I want to resort to.

Besides, this boy didn't know me. Yes, he knows my name, but that wasn't unusual. Rather, it is a matter of not knowing who exactly I am. Still, almost any resident of Vollachia will treat me with contempt, and people from Kararagi will try in every possible way to please in order to gain my favor. Only with Gusteko my family has practically no conflicts or connections, but even there I am quite well known.

His attitude was too familiar and impolite. For this, I could easily put him behind bars, even if he was a nobleman, and no one would say anything against it. He was panicking and nervous, but it was unlikely that it was because of me. Besides, for some reason he was sure that I knew him. There is also this smell that envelops him too tightly.....

— Are you all right, Lady Archduch*ess? — a gentle and extremely friendly voice disturbed my ears, thereby bringing me out of my reverie.

I would recognize this voice and colossal presence anywhere. It was impossible to confuse or compare it with anyone else. Only one person could have such strength and power. Apparently I was really thinking too much, since I didn’t notice his approach.

— I'm fine. Thanks for your concern, Reinhard van Astrea. And you don't need to be so formal. I still only hold this title formally. — I answered, turning in his direction.

— Nevertheless, you have done an excellent job with all your responsibilities all these years. Everyone in the kingdom considers you more than worthy of this title. Plus, there's only a year left until your official title ceremony. — even his voice made it clear that he was smiling very sweetly now.

— Well, if you say so..... Okay, forget it. Why don't you tell me what you're doing here? Are you on some kind of Council assignment? — I could feel the people around us practically gone. I guess the presence of two rather famous personalities has put the common folk off a bit.

— No, it's my day off. I decided to do something useful on this day, so I'm patrolling the neighborhood.

— Hmmm... Interesting.... Listen, can you do me a little favor?

While Aurora and the strongest man of this world were having their conversation, Natsuki Subaru had already managed to reach the slums.

Unfortunately for him, he didn't remember the way to that huge old man's house very well. He was too focused on seeing Satella's beauty at the time. He had to get lost a couple times before he decided to ask the local vagrants and beggars. Most of them refused to give any information for nothing. Subaru didn't have Aurora's money this time, so he had to look for someone who would still show the way for free.

Surprisingly, he was still able to do it. Following that person's directions, Subaru started walking towards that very shack, but...

— Ouch! — on the way, he bumped into some passerby again. This time only he fell down. Why is he so inconsiderate today?

— I'm sorry! I was in a big hurry, so I didn't notice... — standing up quickly, Subaru started to apologize. But looking at the two figures he bumped into, his throat drastically dried up.

— Oh, it's nothing~. — The woman who was wearing a dark hooded cloak was the first to reply. Her voice was sweet and seductive. But for some reason, there was a powerful aura of danger emanating from her.

— ... — The other figure was simply silent and watched the boy carefully. It was she who caused Subaru to feel a strong sense of fear. After all, it was the same elven woman who had cut off his head.

The cloaked woman looked curiously for a couple of seconds, first at the frightened expression on the boy's face, and then at the studying and calm gaze of her companion. She chuckled a couple times and then continued on her way. The elven girl followed her.

After the scary couple had moved far enough away from him, Subaru exhaled with great relief. Encountering his own killer is pretty bad for the mood. And apparently she wasn't alone. That lady, though not present in the previous loop, her ominous presence was hard to miss.

While shaking his head, Subaru jogged towards the house where Felt would be making a deal with the assassin. Perhaps if the deal went well and Felt sold the stone not to Satella but to an unknown elven woman, she wouldn't kill everyone. But Subaru didn't want to rely on the mercy of the assassin. Besides, he had already promised to give Satella back what he had stolen, even though it happened in the first loop. This time, she doesn't even know him. However, that didn't matter to Subaru. This girl was kind enough to help a complete stranger's child, even though something very valuable was stolen from her just recently. How could he not help someone like her?

On finally reaching the right shack, Subaru started knocking on the wooden door very loudly.

— Old man! I've come to bargain! — after his knocking and shouting, the door was opened by a very annoyed giant. He looked even angrier than the first time.

— Why are you yelling!? No sign, no password! I've got a headache and you're making noise! — the old man's cheeks were a little ruddy. He must have been a little drunk.

— If you drink less, you won't get a headache! However, you didn't die here lately...? — Subaru looked directly at the place where that girl had pierced him through with her hands, and then separated his lower and upper body as if with scissors. That image in his mind still seems surreal, so Subaru unknowingly asked the old man a rather strange question to most.

— Hahahahaha! My glorious years are long behind me, but I definitely don't plan on dying! — the old giant was surprised by the question at first, but then laughed quite a bit, treating the guy's words as a joke. Well, for Subaru it was only a plus. He had lifted the old man's spirits and avoided any suspicion of his sanity.

— Listen, it's about... what's her name....? Oh, right! Felt! She wouldn't happen to have any orders or anything like that right now, would she?

— Why would you want to know that? And how do you even know about it? — although the old man had cheered up, Subaru's question still made him rather suspicious.

— Uh... I'm a competitor of her customer! It just so happens that the goods she stole are on my patron's list of interests, so I've come to buy them back! — trying to screen out the giant's suspicions, Subaru made up a reason for his arrival at this place.

— Hmm... This case is getting murkier and murkier.... I told her to think before taking on something so serious... — muttering to himself, the old man began to walk inside. He didn't close the door behind him, so Subaru took that as a sign of permission to enter.

Walking inside, Subaru saw nothing new. Still the same bar and a bunch of different bottles on the shelves, the same wooden chairs and tables. It really was the same here as when he first came in, at least before the massacre.

— Felt's not here yet, so you'll have to wait for her. — standing behind the counter, the old man poured the contents of one of the bottles into his mug.

— Huh... Of course, it can't be that simple... — sighing, Subaru sat down at one of the chairs and began to wait for the little thief.

Behind them stood Felt, who looked at them with bewildered suspicion, especially the brown-eyed young man.

— Oh! There you are at last! The lovely loli has arrived! — jumping up from his chair, Subaru grinned and made a strange pose, pointing his finger directly at the red-eyed girl. The girl took a step back in surprise and looked at him even more suspiciously.

— Old man! I told you not to bring your alcoholic friends tonight! — recognizing the Japanese teenager as the old man's drinking buddy, she turned to the giant and demanded an explanation.

— Calm down, Felt. He's a nice guy! And I don't drink with young men like that. Besides, he's a potential buyer. — after the old giant's last words, Felt's eyes sparkled and a satisfied grin appeared on her face. With that expression on her face, her cute little fangs were especially visible.

— Why didn't you say so in the first place! So you're a competitor of the customer, Nii-chan? — instantly losing all her claims to the guy, she sat down next to him without hesitation.

— Uh... We happen to have a little conflict of interest. — although chopping his head off is hardly a little conflict...

— Well, I don't care who gets that thing. If you pay more, I'll gladly sell it to you. — Felt looked at him with a hint of interest. The old man also looked interested.

— That's how it is... Well, let's face it, I don't have the money. But I've got something much better! — slipping his hand into his pants pocket, Subaru pulled out his cot phone.

— What's that? — Felt and the giant stared curiously at the device they were unfamiliar with.

— It's a magic item that has the ability to stop a moment of time! — after saying that, Subaru took a picture of the old man and the girl, making them wipe their eyes from the bright flash. Felt was a bit indignant afterward, but then Subaru showed her the picture.

— With this, you don't even need paintings. Just one click and it's done! - Subaru began to talk like those huckster on TV who try to sell their merchandise to anyone they can get their hands on.

— It's really useful... Though I look prettier than it shows. — Felt was definitely surprised and interested in this unusual device, but she still decided not to let it show.

— If you look this good without makeup and in these conditions, you have nothing to complain about.... Anyway, what do you think about it? Will we be able to barter a deal? — Subaru looked at the giant. From his conversation with him, he realized that he was a fence, so he was the one to turn to when it came to price.

— From the looks of it, these are metia.... Special magic items that even magic-deprived people can use.... Such a thing would definitely cost a lot. Maybe fifteen... no, twenty holy coins. And there would probably be people who would pay even more for it. — with an appraising gaze, old man Rom began to examine the Subaru's phone. As soon as he mentioned the approximate price of the phone, Felt's eyes immediately widened and her smirk grew even wider.

It was definitely less than the amount offered to Subaru the first time. Back then, they had money gifted by Aurora, who was clearly some kind of noblewoman. So he was worried that this amount wouldn't be enough for the purchase. But judging from their reactions, those worries were in vain. Of course it hurt him to part with the things that bound him to his home, but when people's lives (and his too) were at stake, sentimentality would take a back seat.

— That's great! Since that's the case, let's go out and celebrate! — with a cheerful gait, Subaru was about to get as far away from this bar as possible.

— Stop right there. What's your hurry? No one's going anywhere until the customer offers her payment. — at Felt’s words, the young man’s cheerful gait immediately deflated. Things were going too well, so fate decided to set him up again.

— Uh... Life is short, so you have to cherish every second...

— Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Don't give me any lip. You're a little jumpy, Nii-chan. — Felt's eyes narrowed slightly, looking suspiciously at Subaru again.

— Felt, I don't think that... — when Rom was about to intervene, a sudden knock on the door interrupted him. Subaru's heart began to pound vigorously.

— Oh! It's probably for me. — standing up from her chair, Felt began to walk towards the door.

— Wait! It's dangerous! She's going to kill us all! — Subaru shouted in panic, but Felt ignored him and opened the door. Old Man Rom, on the other hand, tensed behind the counter and picked up a huge club.

— Kill? I wouldn't do such a terrible thing to anyone. — contrary to Subaru's expectations, it wasn't the assassin who stepped out in front of them, but Satella, whose voice was like a silver bell.

— Gkgh! You! What a stubborn one! — Felt was clearly not happy to see the victim of her robbery. She stepped back closer to the old giant and eyed the half elf with tension.

— I want what you stole back. If you don't resist, there will be no problems between us. — putting one hand forward, ice crystals began to form around the silver-haired girl, which were aimed directly at the others present in the bar.

— If it were any other mage, I might have done something, but right now I recommend you give in to her, Felt. — the giant behind the bar began to scrutinize the girl.

— Huh!? What's the matter with you, old Rom? It's not like you to give up right away! — the young thief looked at the old man with surprise.

— Girl, you are an elf, right?

— Ha... No, not exactly. I'm a half elf. — Satella answered Rom's question with obvious reluctance, perfectly aware of the reaction that would follow.

— Wait... Silver hair... Violet eyes... You're a-!

— No! It's just a very inconvenient coincidence! That's all it is! — after Satella's response, Felt and Old Man Rom immediately began to look startled. The reactions of these two surprised Subaru since they hadn't reacted the same way before. Come to think of it, Aurora also reacted extremely strangely to Satella, or rather her name. Hmm...?

— Puck! Protect her! — Subaru's loud shout caught the attention of everyone in the building. Meanwhile, a large shield of ice appeared behind Satella, protecting her from a powerful blow to her back. One of the crystals immediately flew towards her attacker.

— Not a bad reaction! I'll have to thank you somehow. — a small talking cat appeared on the half elf's shoulder and winked at Subaru.

— Yeah, I'm surprised I was able to notice it too... — Subaru replied with a nervous grin. He looked directly at the intruder.

— Huh... And here I was wishing for it to be over quickly. Do you like disturbing other people that much? — the same elf who cut off his head took a fighting pose with a sigh.

— You're the only one in the way right now! We were doing fine here until you-!

But no sooner had Subaru continued his distracting bravado than the blonde elfess attacked Satella again at great speed. She hit the ice shield again, but it immediately shattered. The hand that changed its direction slightly because of the shield pierced through Satella's shoulder, causing her to cry out in pain.

— You... — Puck's face immediately contorted with anger. A whole bunch of ice spikes and spears flew at the attacker, forcing her to move away from the wounded half elf.

— That lady's too fast... They can't beat her. — having given his verdict, old man Rom picked up his club.

— That's right. If we don't join up, we can hardly escape. — Felt pulled out her knife.

Meanwhile, the wounded Satella and the enraged Puck were trying their best to fend off the very dodgy elven woman. It was very difficult for them to follow her nimble movements, and her lunges were too swift and powerful. And she hadn't even drawn her sword yet. Puck strained to think of how to save his daughter from this situation. He would have to leave soon, and without him, Emilia wouldn't stand a chance. If things continued like this, she would have to use her Od.

As the battle continued, Subaru couldn't help but feel uneasy. And it wasn't even about the fact that they might get killed again. This whole battle seemed strange to him. He remembered very well how Satella's ice attacks didn't hurt the assassin at all, and now she was dodging them again. And she was moving much slower than in the first loop. Back then, Subaru couldn't see her movements at all, but now he could, albeit with difficulty. Is she underestimating them for some reason?

Old Man Rom continued his attempts to hit the dodgy elfess while Satella and Puck also tried to hit her with their magic. The stream of ice hail became much smaller as they tried not to hit the old giant.

— You know, three on one isn't really fair.... — lazily dodging the blows with club, the assassin looked at the old man apathetically.

— I don't want to hear it from you! You attacked in the back like a rat! — flattening the floor once more, Rom directed his fastest attack.

He wasn't just swinging his club mindlessly. The giant was trying to corner the assassin to cut off her escape routes. The spirit user must have realized his plan, so she tried to cover most of the floor with ice and spikes so that the attacker couldn't easily escape their trap.

Swinging with all his might, Rom delivered a vertical strike at the pinned elfess against the wall. There was no way for her to dodge in this position.

— H-Ha!? — as soon as Rom hit her with his club, his weapon immediately broke against her.

— This is already getting tiresome. I hope you won't hold a grudge against me. — saying that, the elfess immediately thrust her hands right into the same spot she had hit in the previous loop.

— Old man Rom! — Felt with a scream filled with pain, threw her dagger right at the elfess. It simply bounced off her as if it had collided with a rock.

Looking in their direction, the elfess pulled her hands from Rom's body and started pacing towards them. The ice beneath her immediately broke without giving her any difficulty. Old man Rom had just fell down in that corner, but judging by his breathing and moans, he was still alive.

Satella, however, was unwilling to let this assassin get anywhere near the two children. Another volley of ice spikes flew towards the blonde, but those simply broke against her body. As an answer, the same one Felt dagger, which the elf had picked up along the way, flew into Satella’s stomach.

— Gkha! — grabbing her stomach, Satella immediately fell to the floor.

— LIA! — Puck immediately flew up to the bleeding half elf. A faint glow began to emanate from his paws, and his face was contorted in panic and fear.

The assassin, on the other hand, simply continued to approach Subaru and Felt. The latter was already barely standing and looking at her approaching demise with tears. The old man's injury and the demonstration of the enemy's strength had put the poor girl in a stupor.

— What's... What's your problem!? — with a shout full of anger, Subaru stared at the elf girl with frightened eyes. He had already accepted his death, but watching the suffering of those who actually did nothing wrong was too unbearable for him. And Felt's eyes that looked at Rom's bloody body were all too familiar to him...

— What are you talking about? I'm just doing my job. It's nothing personal. This thief couldn't do her job, and eventually the owner of the stolen goods was able to find her. That's what she gets for failing. I also overheard your conversation, so your interest in this case is why I added you to my target list. And I don't even need to talk about the half-devil. — finishing her monotonous narrative, she swung toward Felt.

— Don't even think about it! — however, Subaru was able to grab her in time and bring them both to the floor, allowing them to avoid the deadly attack.

— Nii-chan...?! — Felt didn't realize what happened at first, but then she looked at Subaru's feet, causing her to be very startled.

— Kha... Apparently, I'm not much of a hero...... — Subaru hissed through clenched teeth. His reaction was too slow, so he paid for it with a severed foot. Now there was a useless piece of flesh lying on the ground, and his foot was bleeding.

— Ha... Are you a masoch*st? If those two failed, what chance do you have against me? You're just prolonging your agony, aren't you? — sighing once again, the elfess began to approach the two lying children. Their fate was obvious. Closing their eyes, they embraced each other and waited for their lives to end.

— Enough! — after these words, which were uttered by an unknown person, the ceiling of the hut collapsed.

A handsome red-haired man emerged from the smoke. His hair was like a bright flame, and his eyes were a clear sky that brought calmness and hope to those around him. His face was also an ideal of beauty that would surely win the hearts of many ladies.

— I will not allow this outrage to continue. Surrender, and we'll have no more casualties. — the face of the knight in the white uniform was serious. He looked around and saw those who had already suffered from this battle. With bitterness in his heart, he once again cursed his slowness.

— Red hair and blue eyes... And that legendary sword... It's unexpected to meet someone like you here, Reinhard van Astrea. — the elf’s eyes narrowed, and her posture became much more tense.

— I would like to interrogate you, so I will once again ask you to surrender. You will be tried under the laws of Lugunica and may avoid the death penalty.

— Your persuasion skills are rather poor. What idiot would agree to such conditions? El Lux. — having uttered the last words, the entire room was illuminated by a sudden flash of light, from which all the remaining conscious people quickly covered their eyes. The light was so bright that it was simply impossible to open their eyes. When this radiance ended, the elf was no longer next to them.

— Did she really run away...? — Subaru's voice was rather weak from the loss of blood. He was already starting to feel numb, so the pain didn't bother him much. Felt, meanwhile, was trying to put him in a more comfortable position, trying to minimize his blood loss.

— I'm sorry I arrived so late. Don't worry, the healers will be here shortly. — the knight walked over to them and got down on one knee, apologizing to them.

— That's how... I hope they'll have enough mana or something like that..... — after saying that, Subaru's consciousness began to fade away.

— Nii-chan...? Nii-chan! — The last thing he heard was Felt's panicked scream.

— So that's how... And you're saying that this boy has nothing to do with you? — Aurora asked her question to Felt, who wiping away her tears.

— Y-Yes... He was already here when I came... He and old man Rom looked like they were having a good time.... But they didn't know each other before that. — the golden-haired girl looked sadly at the two unconscious bodies that were being treated by one of the twins who had arrived with Aurora.

— This is the first time I've seen him too... I thought he was one of your accomplices at first.... — said Emilia, who was still having trouble moving. Puck was able to heal her wound, but it took a lot of strength from both sides.

— Huh... Anyway, no one has seen him and no one knows about him.... Just a nice portfolio... What do you think? — Aurora turned with a sigh to Reinhard, who was standing aside with a guilty expression.

— I didn't sense any bad intentions from him. On the contrary, he sincerely wanted to help you, Lady Emilia.

— Help? What do you mean? — the half elf stared questioningly at the red-haired knight.

— Perhaps he wanted to return this... — awkwardly reaching under her brown vest, Felt pulled out the thing that had caused all of today's events.

— That's my...!

— ...! — but before Emilie could finish, Reinhard suddenly grabbed Felt's arm.

— H-Hey! What are you...!

— What's your name? How old are you and what is your last name? — Reinhard's face was unusually serious. Aurora caught the anxiety in his voice and decided to approach him.

— That doesn't sound like you. Do you really like little girls? Should I be wary? — ignoring her barb, Reinhard whispered something in her ear, causing her eyes to widen slightly.
.
— That's how... Does she really look like that? And the stone reacts to her? — Aurora said in a near whisper.

— Exactly. You must realize that there's no way we can ignore something like this. — looking at the whispering of these two, Felt's patience began to run out.

— What are you two whispering about!? And let go of me! — she tried to break free from his grip, but the blue-eyed knight's strength was too great.

— Unfortunately, I cannot fulfill your request. I will have to ask you to come with me. — though he said it as a request, his gaze clearly hinted at the impossibility of refusal.

— R-Reinhard, I hope this isn't about the theft? — Emilia asked worriedly.

— Although it's a serious crime, but it has nothing to do with my desire to take the young miss away. Don't worry, no one will punish her. — Reinhard smiled slightly to reassure both girls.

— O-okay, you can do what you want, but I have a condition! — normally, Felt wouldn't have let her be so easily manipulated, but the recent stressful situation and the presence of the holy sword along with the Archduch*ess had made her accept the current state of affairs.... for now.

— Of course. Anything you wish. — the knight answered her with a radiant smile.

— Uh... Okay? Anyway, if you take me, then take those two with you! — a little embarrassed by his behavior, Felt expressed her request, pointing at the unconscious Rom and Subaru.

— I can still understand the first one. After all, you treat him like a grandfather. But why do you need this boy? — turning toward her, Aurora asked. Felt didn't like her at all, especially her creepy eyes.

— W-Well... He saved my life in the end... And the old man obviously liked him... Anyway, I'm not going anywhere without them! — Felt tried to look directly into Aurora's eyes, but quickly looked away due to nervousness.

— I have nothing against it. And you, Mrs. Emilia? — Reinhard asked the confused half elf.

— Uh... Well, I'm also grateful to him in a way... But since she wants to take him, I don't mind... — she sounded a little uncertain. It was probably due to Aurora's disdainful stare that she had been drilling her with since her arrival.

— It's been decided. Hansel will help carry the giant to the carriage. And once we get there, I need to have a serious talk with you, Reinhard.

The man nodded in response while the two candidates for the throne looked at them in bewilderment. Eventually, Emilia was met by a pink-haired maid who immediately took her away as soon as she heard what had happened. Aurora, her servants, Reinhard, Felt, and the two unconscious men went to the Astrea family's residence afterward.

Chapter 10: Declaration of hatred and pity.

Chapter Text

There was a corpse in front of me. The corpse of a teenager who looked very familiar.

His throat was cut and one of his legs was missing. There were tears in his eyes. He lay in some forest in which there was not a sound. Although he was already dead, his face clearly expressed regret, anger and sorrow. I felt sorry for him...

The next time I saw this boy again. His stomach was ripped open and his pink intestines could be seen. The floor was completely covered with his blood. His face looked shocked. Apparently the death was sudden. I felt sorry for him...

The scene changed again. Now I see an ice statue that exactly replicates the boy’s appearance. He was on his knees, and in his arms was a girl whose limbs were broken and twisted at an unnatural angle. He looked towards the large mansion. His expression could be described in just one word. Despair. Why am I so cold...? I felt sorry for him...

I saw rabbits. Their little teeth chattered happily as they devoured their prey. It was painful. It was very painful. There wasn't even a bone left of the boy. I felt sorry for him...

It's not my fault...

7 months have passed since Hamal joined the cult. He's certainly a little difficult to deal with... I would say so if he weren't a complete jerk!

He's never satisfied with anything! It's too dusty here, there's not enough salt in his soup, I'm walking somehow wrong, I'm too small, I'm asking stupid questions... It's annoying! Why did Pandora bring him here in the first place?! I'm not much use either, but at least I don't complain about life every three seconds. I'd rather have me and Pandora and the twins in this cathedral.

My sleep has gotten even worse, by the way. My only outlets have been my two new faithful friends! And the first is called alcohol! It's a wonderful remedy. It relieves headaches and helps me sleep. But after I sleep, I feel even worse. But I have to do it. Otherwise, I'll die of sleep deprivation. And I don't want that. My second true friend is....

— Mistress, your dinner will be ready soon. And here is what you asked for. I made sure older sister wouldn't notice. — says Hansel, who has just entered my bedroom. He puts two bottles filled with my much desired liquids on my desk.

— Great! You can go back. I'm going to walk the halls for a while....

After my words, Hansel bowed politely and went about his business. I, on the other hand, got out of bed and walked over to the table to pick up those two bottles. Before I left, I slipped my hand into one of the pockets of my robe to make sure I had my other 'friend'. I also picked up two dolls, one that looked like me and one that looked like “Natsumi Schwartz”. They were once made by Nii-Nii. He usually took the second doll with him, but that day his briefcase was completely full of textbooks, so I had to take both of them.

When that... "incident" happened when I met Hamal, Pandora decided to compensate by finding and returning my backpack that I had lost a long time ago. I'm really grateful to her for that. It contained a lot of things important to me, along the lines of these two dolls. It was also in it that I found a new “friend”.

My heart was pounding a bit, but I still decided to leave my room. Spes had mentally communicated his concern before doing so, but I ordered him to wait for me. He was obedient, so there was no problem with him obeying me. I also left the crystal to which Spes was bound, just in case.

Along the way, I opened two bottles of alcohol. The first one had a low quality but fairly high-degree beer in it. I didn't like beer. I much preferred wine or some sweet drinks. The second bottle, on the other hand, was a berry cider, which although it was just as low quality, its flavor was much preferable to me.

By the time I reached the room I wanted, I had already managed to drink the first bottle completely. My head started to spin and my movements became rather erratic. I was feeling slightly nauseous and sleepy. But it still wasn't enough.

I walked into the room I had been walking to all this time. It was the bathroom. Well, or rather as close to that room as possible. Still, in medieval times, you're not likely to find modern bathrooms. However, it had everything I needed. A sink, a barrel of water with a hand-washing tap and a mirror. Oh, well, there was also a toilet.

I'd love to drink wine, but I have to save money. Still, one of Hamal's quibbles was quite enlightening. I drink and eat too much. Of course, my Gluttony makes me eat so much, but the cult's supplies don't care too much about that. So I've started drinking wine only when I really want to do so, not when I'm trying to sleep or spending my “affairs.”

In the meantime, the cider was completely drunk. I bit my lip a little and nodded, pleased with the result. It had gone numb. Basically, like almost the rest of my body. It's not full-blown numbness, but it's enough to make it almost impossible to feel the pain of the bite.

— Oh, well..... — I took a deep breath and pulled my "friend" out of my pocket.

It was a clerical knife. It was longer than my small palm. Its frame was red and one of its sides was open. In it, I could see the blade that was inside for now. I slowly began to lift the slider upwards, while savoring the sound of the blade coming out with a kind of painful pleasure.

Once it was completely out, I rolled up the sleeve of my robe on my right hand and brought that hand over the sink. The left hand that I was holding the knife with, I brought it up to the wrist of my right hand. This was a little difficult to do as all my limbs were shaking due to the heavy intoxication.

I'm not quite sure how it came to this myself. The first time I did it was five months ago. I was in a particularly lousy mood then. I'd had too much to drink. And a whole bunch of other reasons I don't feel like mentioning. Anyway, one thing led to another, and now my wrist was covered in a couple of cuts. I never thought I could do something like that. I was a coward. And I was afraid of pain.

— One... Two... Three... — I closed my eyes and counted to three. After I finished counting, I quickly made an incision.

It didn't hurt that much. The hardest part of this case is deciding to do it. Even after so many repetitions, I still have to muster up the strength to make the first cut. After that, it's already much easier.

I opened my eyes and looked at my new wound. It was slowly starting to bleed. It wasn't as much as I expected. The first time I did this, I was expecting whole streams of blood. But it was much more boring. It didn't even flow for the first second. I could see some sort of light gray layer under my skin. Was it the inside of my skin? Or was it already fat? Whatever.

After a couple seconds, I felt a slight chill in the incision area. It felt a little pleasant. It stung a little, but it was bearable. My slippery eyes noticed a couple drops of blood that fell into the sink. Time to do the next ones.

I couldn't harm myself without getting drunk beforehand. Sober it was too scary. There's less pain when I'm drunk.... I guess. My right arm already has 7 cuts. When did I do that? It doesn't matter. Time for the left hand.

Want a fun fact? A stationery knife cuts soft human skin better than a regular knife. I've tried experimenting with different blades before. The knife was not as effective. I don't know much about knives, so I can't give a reason for this fact. Or maybe I'm wrong. Who knows.

I feel bad. I feel really, really bad. No, I don't feel bad. I feel really, really f*cked up... The beer was too strong. I feel nauseous. But I never stopped. I kept cutting myself. The two dolls I put by the door stare at me with unblinking eyes. Don't look at me. I don't like people looking at me...

Lately, I started seeing eyes. They were everywhere. On the walls, on the ceiling, in mirrors, in my brain, even in my mug! They keep looking and looking.... Have I done something to displease you? None of my business. Go away...

Every time the twins, Hamal or Pandora look at me, I want to tear their eyes out. After all, why would they look at me? I don't like it. But I like their eyes very much. They'd look better in my hands. Spes may not have eyes, but I still want to take them out. He's gonna let you do it for me, right? Right...

My headache is getting worse... I'm going to throw up... I hate it so much...

I make another cut. I hate my life. It's disgusting. Nasty. And painful. At first, I bragged about my memory to everyone. I felt special. I was praised. But then the pain started. Then the nightmares started. My heart also began to weaken. And when I overheard Kenichi's conversation with Naoko and learned about the results of the tests, I wanted to disappear altogether. I would either slip into a coma forever, or my pain would become so severe that I would beg for death myself. I didn't like that.

Every time I try to help someone or do something good, it always ends in failure. Want to play in the yard with your cat and brother? Well, the cat has already lived long enough in this world. Wanted to help someone grandmother cross the road? She will trip and break her pelvis. She screamed painfully for ten whole minutes until the ambulance finally arrived. Wanted to help your brother with his complexes? Congratulations, he now considers you just an annoying creep who tries to interfere with him in everything.

"She's not my sister!"

“You just like hurting him, don't you~?”.

I also hate Kenichi and Naoko. Why can't they see that? His sick, unhealthy obsession to please everyone. Why am I the only one who sees it? Aren't they his parents? They should have noticed it, right? They also constantly feel sorry for me. I didn't ask for this. I do not need it. I don't need you either. You...

It's starting to ring in my ears... It's okay. It's all right. It's okay. It happens a lot, so it's okay. I feel great. Another incision. That hurt. Why did that hurt so much?

I hate this place. Eyes are constantly watching me. It reminds me of a school from my past world. Everyone is looking at me and whispering about me and Nii-Nii. Stop it or I'll hit you. I knocked out your tooth? What a pity...

Everything here puts pressure on me. Walls and ceiling. It's like they're trying to crush me. I haven’t seen either the sky or the sun for almost a year. Every time I try to find a way out of here, it's like something teleports me back. This is definitely Pandora. This bitch... She's probably laughing at me. I just want to avoid cramped conditions, is that too much to ask?

I can't trust anyone here. Pandora, my “servants” and especially Hamal.

Pandora's soulless eyes look straight at me. There is no life in them, no hint of consciousness. Her warm blood flows through my body...

One day I walked into the kitchen. And there I saw Hansel, who with a grin was disemboweling the bodies of two people, whose severed heads for some reason had horns. Of course I ran away. I didn't want to end up on the cutting table. Of course I was silent. I didn't want to end up on the cutting table.
"It smelled so good, right~?"

They brought me food that same day. Of course, I didn't run away. I didn't want to end up on the cutting table. Of course, I was silent. I didn't want to end up on the cutting table. I ate and ate. A girl's finger surfaced in one of the soups. It was small, almost the same size as mine. I ate it. The twins grinned, pleased with the sight of their hungry mistress.

Pandora is scary. She can teleport, resurrect, heal any injury, and more. She's just toying with me. There is no warmth or tenderness in her eyes. I was fooled by her at first, but now I'm smarter, I can't be fooled that easily.... Heehee... Stop watching me...

She doesn't care about me. I'm just an 'interesting anomaly' to her. She shoved two Witch genes into me, even though she knew humans couldn't handle more than one. Except for the Sage. What was she even thinking then?

I'm not talking about Hamal at all. He's just a jerk who could blow my pretty head off at any moment. A barbarian in a word.

But most of all I hate myself. After all, I'm a coward. Many times I wanted to have a normal conversation with Nii-Nii, but I never had the courage to do it. I wanted to tell him how much his obsession with Kenichi's image hurt me. How much I hate that he listens to the words of adults like some kind of religious fanatic. But now I won't be able to do it.

I won't be able to cry and tell him about my situation now. I forbade Kenichi and Naoko from telling him about it. Because I didn't want him to start treating me differently. There would only be pity in it. Even if he hates me, he should have felt at least a little pity. I wanted this. I wanted to tell him a lot. But because of my cowardice, I couldn’t.

Venous bleeding is a constant and uniform flow of dark-colored blood caused by damage to small or large veins. While in the first case the blood can stop spontaneously due to the active work of platelets, in the second case, there is an increased risk of major blood loss, which poses a serious health risk.

Compared to intense arterial bleeding, venous bleeding is relatively safer for a person. Nevertheless, one should not delay. The first important thing to determine is where the vessel is injured. For example, a neck vein injury may be the cause of cardiac arrest due to embolism - the entry of air into the vessels, which can cause blockage.

Attention! If veins or arteries are damaged, bleeding must be stopped by applying a tourniquet above (for arterial) or below (for venous) the wound. With deep damage to the skin and muscles, the edges of the wound do not meet. After providing first aid, you should consult a doctor.

What? Why do I need this information now? Stupid brain...

— You really are an idiot, aren’t you~? — I heard a voice behind me. He was very familiar and at the same time not. There can't be so much venom and sneer in my voice.

— Huh...?

— Why are you so surprised~? Don’t pretend like you’re talking to me for the first time~ — the voice came from behind. She mocked me. This is unforgivable. Can't you see that I'm feeling bad now? Don't you have an iota of pity?

— Pity for you~? Ha~ha~ha~ha~! Nice joke~! At least there is some pleasure from this conversation~ — I turned to the doll. I almost fell while trying to do this. Blood was actively flowing from my badly cut wrists. How long have I been here?

— About two hours~ You passed out sometimes, so the damage was not as serious as it could have been~ — I saw the doll’s face. She didn't have that sweet smile that Nii-Nii had carefully put on. Her mouth was distorted into an evil grin, and her eyes expressed amusem*nt and sadism. I don't want to see it on my face.

— And what is this nonsense...? Is this some kind of cheap Chucky or Annabelle cosplay...? No one has been interested in creepy dolls that have come to life for a long time... — it’s hard for me to say. It feels like something is squeezing my throat. Also this weakness...

— Oh~? Even in this situation, are you kidding~? Well, that means it’s not all that bad~ Maybe you’ll hold out for another five minutes~— the voice came as if from a doll, but her mouth never opened. Although why would a doll open its mouth to speak?

— You’re just a hallucination... As soon as I feel better, you’ll disappear... So you can stop your pathetic attempts to hurt me... You’re not even real... — it was true. I'm smart enough to know about the deceitfulness of dolls.

— Gihihi~ You keep lying~ Your entire mental monologue was so saturated with lies that even you could be poisoned by it~ I just decided to help you a little~ — her small head tilted slightly. It just seemed like it to me.

— .....What are you talking about...? You're talking nonsense...

— Says the one who talks to her own doll~ Well, never mind~ The thing is that all your words about “desire to help”, “love for your brother” and “fear of talking about your problems” are just complete nonsense~ i>

— Huh? Are you saying I'm lying!? What don't I like Nii-Nii!? — this doll is already starting to piss me off. How dare she say such a thing!?

— Hehe~ Not really~ You really love him, but your “love” is just saturated with selfishness~ For you, he is just an object on which you can throw your feelings, right~?

— NOT TRUE! Are you calling me selfish!? I've done nothing but try to help the whole time...

— Help him~? Don’t make me laugh even more~! — a very distorted and slightly mechanical laugh began to come from the doll — You just pretended that you wanted to help him, but in reality you don’t care about his feelings~ Do you need to remind how much your attitude towards your parents bothered him~? I'm surprised how he could tolerate all your insults towards them~ You didn't even try to be polite to them, at least in his presence~ There was no need for that, right~?

— This...!

— Oh~! You still remembered that old lady who broke her pelvis~ You didn’t care about her screams at all~ Even your initial desire to “help” was just a performance to show people how “good girl” you are~ You didn’t care about that grandma as well as hers suffering~ But here you are again trying to pretend to be an innocent angel for whom life is very unfair~ I’m sick of your attempts to force pity~

I couldn't listen to it anymore. I ran up to this abomination and grabbed it by the neck. She looked so small and fragile in my arms...

— Wow~ You decided to turn to violence as soon as you heard something you didn’t want~? Well, I like this approach too~

I didn't have the strength to break it. So I just threw it into the far corner, away from me.

— By the way, you can be considered a cannibal, right~? You knew very well what the dishes served to you consisted of, but you still devoured them with appetite~ You know, those children looked even younger than you~ But your Gluttony didn’t care about that, right~?— she continues insult me... What choice did I have?

— Ho~? It's convenient to say that you had no choice, but we both know that you liked it~ — why am I grinning?

— Let's not pretend that we care about others~

After this the doll was silent. No, that's not true. She never spoke initially. The tinnitus is getting worse... I need to calm down. I make hasty decisions when I don't follow logic. Dolls cannot talk. It was just a hallucination.

I need to calm down... I make hasty decisions when I don't follow logic. Emotions prevent me from thinking. Ha? Someone called me? Doesn't matter.

I took both dolls and left the room. There are even more eyes on the walls. Every step was given to me with great effort. I need to find someone... Otherwise my eyes can hardly see anything anymore. I just want to let my eyelids close and fall into a calm and peaceful sleep. But I can’t... I still need...

— ...! — I felt a sudden, very strong pain in my head. It was as if my head had been pierced with a huge hammer. I couldn't bear it, so I immediately fell to the floor.

— ...Oh my Od! — the last thing I heard before losing consciousness was an unfamiliar male voice.

Chapter 11: Vain thoughts

Chapter Text

You know, some of my idiotic behaviors make me want to stab myself sometimes.

Opening my eyes, I immediately felt all the “wonderful” consequences of my idiocy. My head ached, my whole body ached, my mouth felt dry as a desert, and my brain felt like it was begging me to close my eyes again and return to the realm of dreams.

Gathering all my remaining will into a fist, I tried to ignore my body's protests and try to understand what had happened after I passed out.

First of all, I was now in my room, covered with several layers of blankets. Secondly, there were no cut marks on my wrists. Crap. This means that the twins now probably know about my “hobbies.” Of course, in principle, Pandora could have done this, but... for some reason I have a hard time believing it. Besides, she could completely heal me, as she already did after our first meeting. So now I have to listen to them lament...

Okay, the problem with the twins can be solved later. Now I need to think about something else...

You know, those kids looked even younger than you~

Most likely, the doll’s words and those terrible memories were the result of my Authority. This was not the first time that my powers got out of control and tried to instill all sorts of nonsense in me. However, I still don't understand why this happens. Shouldn't the factors of sin help me? Although, given the side effect of Gluttony, the harmful effects of sins should not surprise me...

Eh... Spes will probably be angry too, right?... All these problems are causing such pain that it makes me want to hang myself...

Joking. Of course I won't do that.

I'll still have to figure out who found me. I didn't recognize that voice, so there must be someone else in the cathedral besides me, Spes, Pandora, the twins, and the jerk. Is it someone new? Or have I just never met this unknown person?

Okay, I can find out about that later... Right now, I don't have the energy left to think. Hopefully, a little more sleep will help me just a little...

It's been two weeks since that incident. As expected, the twins were not happy from the result of my shortsighted actions. Especially Gretel. She scolded me for about 3 hours until Hansel calmed her down. Although he didn't look the most pleased either, but at least he took the incident much more calmly.

The most angry one was Spes. Despite the original terms of our contract, he had boycotted me and stopped interacting with me. He was adamant about it. I even kneeled before him while begging for forgiveness, but his stance didn't change. Although he clearly didn't like it either, he didn't want to forgive me until I “reflected on my behavior”.

Well, he can't sulk forever, so he'll forgive me soon.... probably.....

Now I was lying on the rather comfortable couch that was in Pandora's office. In general, Pandora herself rarely visited this room, but no one comes in here but me and her, so I decided to call this place that.

Pandora, like Hansel, did not react practically to my situation. However, she “insisted” that she would keep an eye on me for a while. To avoid 'further unwanted incidents' in her own words.

This is why I have to spend most of my time in her office with her. Of course, she has also started staying here much longer than she used to.

But we weren't idle. Pandora was always looking over some documents and signing some of them. I once asked what they said, but Pandora called the papers mere 'reports' and wouldn't let me read them.

I used to read books all the time, though. It was my only way to pass the time and ward off boredom. Besides, as much as I didn't want to burden my brain with more information, I vitally needed any knowledge of the world. I wouldn't want to die for lack of understanding of local norms, etiquette, or rules. What if I offend some nobleman by accidentally striking a “disrespectful” pose? Or go into a place I shouldn't?

There are four books lying around next to me that I've already read. Each of them outlined the current most powerful nations. From their history to their geographical features.

Lugunica was probably the most standard “medieval magical kingdom” type. Many examples of the same could be seen in manga and visual novels. It used to be called the “Lion Kingdom”, but was renamed the “Dragon Kingdom” after making a covenant with the Divine Dragon Vulcanica.

The Sacred Vollachia Empire was a bit more interesting. It was the largest nation in this world and had the most optimal climate. I wouldn't want to go into their jungle though... Oh, and the imperial election sounds like a not very funny event...

The Holy Kingdom of Gusteko can be described quite simply. No one wants to go there. The very harsh snowy climate and the large number of mountainous elevations make those lands not only extremely difficult to conquer, but also completely unnecessary. There is no food there, no sunshine, no unique resources either. Therefore, no one fights them or even wants to think about them.

Kararagi seems the most interesting to me at the moment... It was founded relatively recently by a certain “Hoshin of the Wastelands”. And if my assumption is correct, then he may be a human from Earth like me! A lot of the things and ideas that Hoshin used to create Kararagi and further develop it were probably taken from Earth. He's probably also Japanese! I hope I can meet him sometime....

However, although all of these books were interesting in their own way, at the moment I was most drawn to the book I was reading right now.

«Malleus Maleficarum»... In my world, there is a book with the exact same title. It was written by Heinrich Kramer, a German monarch and one of the main proponents of the so-called “Witch Hunt”.

That book was total obscurantism. Everything in it was based on prejudice and ridiculous speculation. Though it was also quite interesting, even if it didn't bring much new to the conduct of exorcisms or inquisitions.

This book, however, was different. There are indeed witches in this world and the “special evil powers” they use. That absolutely does not mean that there can't be historical assumptions and misrepresentations here as well, but the credibility of this work would still be much higher than its counterpart from Earth.

I learned quite a bit from this book, but most of my questions remain unanswered. Also, the information from this book contradicts some information from other books. Fortunately, I have another interesting and easily accessible source of knowledge. Albeit having to base that knowledge on my source's word of honor....

— Hey, Pandora-chan

— Do you need something, Archbishop Veritas? — without paying any attention to my new address to her, Pandora tore herself away from her papers and looked at me with her typical smile.

— I told you, you can just go by Veritas.... Okay, never mind. I wanted to ask you something. — I was starting to get annoyed at being addressed at such length, but no matter how many times I repeated my pleas to stop, it still didn't help.

— Of course, if it's to the best of m-

— Yes, yes. If it's to the best of your ability... You don't have to tell me every time. We're not in an anime to say the same line for the deaf. Anyway, I'll get right to the point. How did the witches die and why are you still alive?

After my question, Pandora's facial expression didn't change in any way. She only covered her eyes and mumbled something thoughtfully. Even such a minor action made me shudder and want to take a closer look at her.

— That's a rather unexpected question... May I ask what caused it? — after a few seconds of silence, she opened her eyes and began to glare at me again.

— It wasn't very polite to answer a question with a question. But okay. — I closed the book and raised it higher so Pandora could read the title. I was still lying on the couch the whole time, and I didn't want to get up.

— It says here that the witches were killed by some "hunters". But there's no mention of them in the rest of the writings. And the death of the witches is attributed not to them, but to Satella. Allegedly, she was the one who consumed them. Can you explain that?

— I see. In that case, let me make it clear. Satella only killed one witch. The others suffered a different fate. As for me, I was just a little more survivability than the others. — Pandora said, twisting a strand of her hair lightly on her finger. I flinched a little as the scene of her “survivability” demonstration replayed in my mind.

— And...? From what you said, witches have been doing a lot of bad things for years, and everyone was too afraid of them to stand up to them. Why are all witches dying all of a sudden? And in such a short period of time? — it was really strange to me. Witches were considered almost natural disasters that could only be escaped. Why did the balance of power shift so dramatically?

— If you corner an intimidated mouse, even it can fight back.... After the Great Calamity, people just got tired of living in constant fear of witches. Or maybe, after realizing how destructive witches could actually be, they were even more frightened. Eventually, with determination and some help, certain people were able to eliminate the threat that witches posed to them. Isn't this kind of courage and desire to protect one's future wonderful...? — a-a-a-and.... here she is crying tears of joy and delight again. I sometimes can't figure out, is she too insensitive or too emotional?

— I seeeee.... But who was helping these “hunters”? Couldn't they have used determination and pitchforks and torches alone to kill the rest of the witches? And what “help” are you talking about?

— You can ask those children about that. They are better informed on the subject than I am. — Pandora calmed down and refused to answer that question. I doubt very much that she does not have the necessary information to answer. But why send me to the twins? They are still children themselves, albeit a little older than me. I don't think they will have the answers I need.

I sighed and decided to just continue my reading. I still can't seem to find the right approach in communicating with Pandora. Though I'm pretty bad at communicating with other people too... Even with Nii-Nii, I've been having trouble... Okay, just a little more and I'll finally get depressed! Away with the gloomy thoughts, away!

— You're taking it surprisingly easy... — Pandora suddenly interrupted my attempts to push away my gloomy thoughts. Her voice was quieter, her gaze narrower and more intense. To be honest, it made me feel a little uncomfortable....

— Uh... What are you talking about? — maybe I'm just dumb, but this question seems pretty incoherent. We were discussing witches, right? So why is the question suddenly about me?

— Everything. I may not fully understand your situation, but you're not from this world, right? You've been torn from your home, lived in alien and violent conditions, killed a man, suffered serious and painful injuries... And eventually you were on death's doorstep. But when I returned you to your proper state, you were surprisingly calm. Even a grown man would have been in shock after all that. The only time you were in an unhealthy state was after you used your Authority on the Witch's daughter. The recent incident further solidified my suspicions. You were again on the brink of death, but after you recovered, you didn't pay much attention to it. Do you yourself believe you can remain calm after all this? Don't get me wrong, I'm not criticizing you for it. On the contrary, it's very commendable. But nevertheless, it's still quite far outside the norm for human children.

After Pandora finished speaking, there was a long silence. It may have only lasted a few seconds, but to me it felt like it stretched into hours.

And really, if you look at it that way, my behavior is not normal. Hell, I sobbed over the death of our cat for over a year and refused to eat meat for a while, and now I'm not bothered by the two times I was at death's door and got blood on my hands for the first time? Yes, I sometimes have nightmares about it, but it hasn't had a particularly strong effect on me. And even though I'm aware of this abnormality, it doesn't bother me much....

— ...Pandora-chan, you mentioned that the Sin Factors can affect the personality of the bearers, right? — I decided to break our awkward silence. Although, it was probably only awkward for me....

— Yes, it was. Do you think that's your problem?

— Maybe so. But why would my gene do that in the first place? I thought they were trying to hurt me. — but that kind of attitude is a plus for what happened to me. I'm weak mentally and morally, which I know. Without that kind of attitude, I'd probably die of stress. But if the Witch gene wants my survival, why inflict some very disturbing hallucinations and dreams on me? Especially when I'm most vulnerable to such influences, like when I'm drunk.

— Witch factors are highly unpredictable and poorly understood entities. They affect their host differently each time. There can be logic and illogic in their action and influence at the same time. Maybe you yourself are able to understand the intentions of your gene? — tilting her head slightly, Pandora stared at me expectantly.

.....

The whole 7 deadly sins thing seemed pretty murky to me from the start. There is no Christianity in this world. No hint of Catholicism or Orthodoxy. Nevertheless, the concept of the 7 sins is still present here. Even the other 2 sins that have been “forgotten” in most branches of Christianity exist.

Lust — an intense passion for something or someone. Unbridled bodily desire for the sake of seeking pleasure. Lustful people are incapable of loving God because they give themselves over to their primal urges and see themselves and others as mere objects
for pleasure. Those accused of Lust lust crave the body so that they can forget the inner ugliness of themselves and others.

Gluttony — a lack of temperance and over-consumption. A hungry mouth that always has not enough. Gluttonous people are incapable of loving God because they refuse the gift of Reason and seek only momentary satisfaction for their “hunger”. Those accused of Gluttony throw away restraint and indulge their own weaknesses, thus harming themselves even more.

Greed — a desire to possess anything. A greedy heart whose desire for its own happiness pursues only a miserable empty illusion. Greedy people are incapable of loving God, for all they care about is what God has given them, not God Himself. Those accused of Greed desire immanent things and are unable to recognize what is truly valuable.

These three sins are quite similar to each other. They can all be summarized by the word “want” or “desire.” If keep it simple, they can be categorized as follows:

Lust — pleasure.

Gluttony — consumption.

Greed — the very fact of having something.

It can be made even simpler. For example, Lust is simply the desire for sex, Gluttony is the desire to eat as much as possible, and Greed is the desire to get as much money as possible. But something like that would be too simple and down-to-earth. Did I read the Bible for nothing? Okay, let's continue.

Sloth — a desire for an easy and idle life. A slothful hand that is incapable of reaching out to someone else. Slothful people are incapable of loving God, for they have no desire to strive for His love. Those accused of Sloth refuse to change and make the world a better place, for it takes too much effort.

Wrath — a desire for justice based on emotion. A spirit blazing with a bright flame that burns away all that it dislikes. Wrathful people are incapable of loving God, for they see the world he created as unjust and imperfect. Those accused of Wrath feel it is their duty to fix the world, unwilling to pay attention to the consequences of their actions.

Envy — malice toward others, born out of one's own inferiority. Envious eyes that are incapable of seeing the misfortunes of others. Envious people are incapable of loving God, for they think others are more beloved. Those accused of Envy refuse to see the kindness and sympathy of others, for it will only make them envious more.

These sins are also similar to each other. They both aim to harm the world around them and the creatures that inhabit it. Wrathful people may well kill for a simple insult that hurt their feelings, and envious people will seek to ruin the lives of anyone who is “better” than them.

Melancholy — “forgotten sin,” disillusionment with everything. A broken faith that has lost its innocence and hope for the best. Melancholy people are incapable of loving God, for they consider his love to be a lie. Those accused of Melancholy do not care about others, the world, or even themselves. Why hope and try for anything if things will only get worse in the end? Unlike Sloth, Melancholia doesn't make an effort not because it doesn't “want” to, but because it doesn't see the point of it.

Vainglory — “forgotten sin”, the inability to live without lying. An outward beauty that hides one's true self from others. Vainglory people are incapable of loving God, for they do not consider their true selves worthy of love. Those accused of Vainglory will lie and manipulate others to get their love. But they will never realize that someone can love them without all the lies.

Many people think Vainglory and Pride are similar, but I disagree. After all, their essence is too different...

Pride — the source of all sins. The «Ego» that cares about nothing but itself. Proud people are capable of loving God, because they are love. They are the very God they love. Those accused of Pride do not follow the laws of others, do not follow the morality of others, do not follow the obedience of others. After all, what does it matter what others think? Pride does not need anyone, because it is completely self-sufficient and does not depend on the opinions of others, unlike Vanity.

It was Pride that led to the fall of Lucifer. After all, he refused to follow the will of his Creator. He decided to think differently. In the future this will lead to the appearance of people. They were given a choice and decided to choose their own path, which went against God's plan. But was it really their own choice? Or was it simple Vanity that hid the temptation of people to follow the will of Lucifer?

Okay, I'm getting into some real deep waters here. Pandora is still waiting for my answer, and I've been staring stupidly at the ceiling for about ten minutes now. She's really patient, what can I say...

— Well... Maybe Pride is trying to test me... Setting up a spiritual test to see if I'm worthy of owning it? Or maybe it doesn't want to be subjugated by anyone and is trying to carry out rebellion attempts? Or maybe...

— Your conclusions are indeed interesting, but I may have a better answer. The sin factors are not used to being together in the same vessel, so there can sometimes be a little conflict between them. In time, your Pride and Gluttony should get along. — Pandora interrupted my deep philosophical thoughts and gave me a much more logical and down-to-earth option.

— Well, then why bother asking my opinion at all!? I almost wrote out a whole essay in my head, and you turn out to be just mocking me?! — my indignation was absolutely justified. And this reptile doesn’t look even a little sorry... In response to my cry from the soul, she just covered her small mouth with her palm and giggled quietly a couple of times.

— I’m glad you have so much energy, Archbishop Veritas. In this case, I hope you will be able to carry out your joint task with Archbishop Hamal with the same good spirit. — after that, Pandora began filling out the papers again, as if she had not said anything important or extremely unnerving for me.

— Um... Pandora-chan? You weren't angry that I yelled at you, right? You were just joking, right!?

My pleading cry was ignored, as were my subsequent attempts to challenge this decision. Apparently, the coming days will be extremely difficult for me...

Chapter 12: Heart Seeker

Chapter Text

For the first time in a long time, I was able to fully exit the underground cathedral and breathe in the clean air without any rush.

It was a forested area with a fairly warm climate. The trees were mostly deciduous and sprouted in large clusters. However, the number of trees was still not enough for them to hide the clear blue sky with their foliage and branches.

According to the position of the sun, it was now about ten o'clock in the morning. The weather was pleasant and did not portend any change. The warm morning breeze caressed my pretty face, as if filling me with invigorating energy.

I had no idea how much I needed it. Being in the dark and cramped corridors of the underground cathedral for so long was definitely starting to make my head spin. I would definitely turn into a vampire with this lifestyle.

— Praise the sun! — I straightened up and raised my arms to the sky, looking toward the sun. I looked like I was trying to embrace the warmth of the sun's rays with my whole body. It was a surprisingly pleasant start to the day.....

— Hey, little brat! Cut the bullsh*t and get your frail ass over here!

.....Of course, my peacful time couldn't be long.

I turned to the owner of the angry voice with an annoyed sigh. To my great regret, this jerk has to accompany me for the duration of the mission. Speaking of which...

— Jerk, do you even know what we are going on this “friendly journey” for? — I said, following him. He was still wearing the same clothes as the first day we met. He was holding a rather large leather sack slung over his shoulder. I, on the other hand, was wearing the cult robe that had become my choice of clothing for all occasions. Not that I had much choice. In my school uniform, I couldn't go out in nature, and I'm not talking about attracting attention to my modest person. I was once already taken for a rich person and I do not want to repeat this experience.

— Tsk. If you call me that again, you'll lose a couple ribs. And I have no idea what that psycho wants us to do. All she said was that we should bring her something. She didn't bother to tell us what it was. She said we'd figure it out. What a bitch. Treating me like I'm some kind of dog. — he grumbled to himself and continued on his way. He was obviously no more pleased with the whole thing than I was.

— My opinion of you is getting lower and lower. Threatening an innocent little girl like me? You have no shame. And don't give me any more of that clucking.... — he didn't even pay attention to my comment.

My eye twitched slightly at his ignoring me, but still, he was right about something. Pandora's decisions didn't make any sense to me. She can teleport, right? So why give us a fetch quest? Wouldn't it have been easier for her to get it herself?

Okay, my complaining won't help matters. The decision has already been made, so there's no point in challenging it. I hope this journey won't be a long one at least...

— Did she at least tell you where we're going?

—Yes. We're going to Flanders.

...What......?

— Um... You were joking, right...? — I asked with a nervous smile. Because if it's not a joke, I'll take back what I said about the detrimental effects of dungeons.

— Do you think I'm a personal jester to entertain you? Stop with the stupid questions and move your feet. — snapped irritably at the jerk before continuing to make his way through the thorny bushy area.

— I see... — since things are like this, there can only be one way out...

Marcus, now known as the “Archbishop of Wrath, Hamal”, was as out of sorts as ever. Today even more so than usual. He never liked being bossed around, and when that arrogant bitch did it, the feeling was even stronger.

And the most infuriating thing about it all was that Marcus himself couldn't do anything about it. He was well aware that he didn't stand a chance against this witch.

In their first encounter, she hadn't even attacked him, and he could already be considered a loser. After all, Marcus simply couldn't take his eyes off her. And it had nothing at all to do with caution or anticipation of attack. He was completely bewitched by her beauty and angelic presence. He couldn't even take a breath then, that's how peerless she seemed.

He was only able to save himself through dumb luck. His hands relaxed completely due to loss of concentration and that little box fell to the floor. Its lid opened from the fall, so its contents immediately came out. It was only when this 'something' entered in Marcus that he was able to regain his senses for a moment. This moment was enough for him to use his so-called “Authority” and get rid of the influence of this witch's beauty. If Marcus had procrastinated then, he would have simply died of suffocation. Or an even worse fate would have awaited him...

It still wasn't enough, though. The witch refused to die no matter how many times he “killed” her. That battle ended with his body simply losing all of its strength. Eventually, he was given an offer he couldn't refuse. And now Marcus has to be not only an obedient dog, but also a babysitter. Speaking of which...

— Why are you so quiet? Did you learn to keep your mouth shu.....t?— when Marcus turned to tease the little brat, he noticed one oddity. Namely the absence of the person who was supposed to be following him.

Gnashing his teeth tightly with anger, Marcus began to stomp back, while remembering all the reasons why he hates children.

— Let me ask you this... What the hell are you doing here? — asks the clearly angry jerk who standing over me and blocking the sun as if to spite me.

I lay on the soft grass and stared blankly at the sky. I hoped he would forget about me and continue on without me, but after half an hour of peacefully doing nothing, he still came back for my miserable soul.

— I'm not going.

— Huh!? — my reply made the jerk's eye start twitching vigorously. I could even see the vein that swelled at his temple.

— I don't want to go. If I understood correctly, we're almost in the westernmost part of the world, and Flanders is almost the easternmost city! I can't stand it! How can you expect me to cover all this distance on my own?!? I don't want! I don't want! I don't want! — I started pounding the ground with my little fists and loudly proclaiming my unwillingness to travel such a huge distance. Who wouldn't!? This world is about the size of Eurasia, and these crazy people want to make me walk from one end to the other!!!?

— Really? Hysterical? I'm not your babysitter, so stop being childish and get up. Otherwise, we're gonna have a bad talk.

— I.DON'T.WANT!!! I.DON'T.GO!!!

In the end, thanks to my skillful diplomacy and high level charisma, I was able to talk the jerk into carrying me to the nearest town where we'd get the earth dragons. Yeah, turns out we weren't going to make it to Flanders on foot. How hard was it to tell me that in the first place!?

— Tsk. Stop pulling my hair, you capricious bitch! — the jerk yanked my leg hard, causing me to almost fall off his shoulders.

— Try to walk more carefully, then! You're so fast, I have to hold on to you tighter than we'd both like! And stop clucking at me!

And that's how it's been for most of our journey. We either complain about each other or just keep quiet and inwardly curse our forced cooperation. The nearest town was quite far from the cult's cathedral, so there was no way we would have gotten there in one day. So, as soon as evening came, we made a stop and organized a rest stop. My survival skills were absolutely nil, so the jerk did all the work.

— Hey, Sasuke, let's at least get to know each other better since we have to work together anyway. — feeling bored, I decided to start some dialog. My gospel was still silent, so I had nothing to do.

— You and I have nothing to talk about. And who is Sasuke?

— No reason, you just look like him... And stop being such a jerk! I don't like you. You don't like me. It's incredibly obvious. But if we keep getting on each other's nerves, it's not gonna do us any good!

— If you want to get along, you'll have to learn to call me by my proper name first. And what do you even want to know from me? My life is not unique or exciting. I was born an ordinary child in Vollachia and lived an ordinary life there. At least until I met that bitch.....

— I'm curious! Also, I've never been to Vollachia, so I'd like to hear something from you!

— Hmm? Aren't you from Vollachia yourself? — I just shook my head in response — Then are you from Gusteko? — I shook my head again, causing him to look a little puzzled.

— Are black-haired people really that rare? Hasn't anyone ever seen a black-haired from Lugunica or Kararagi? — yes, I was already aware of this unusual trait among the people of this world. People with black hair were only seen in Vollachia or Gusteko, and they were very few in number. And that was even before the Great Calamity. There are people with green, purple, blue, pink, and even white hair, but they are still far outnumbered by black-haired people.

— If such exist, no one has heard of them. Although, given the influx of refugees, that could be quite likely..... Okay, the hell with this. There's not much to tell about Vollachia. It's just as sh*tty as everywhere else. Life was hard enough as it was, but after that sh*tty witch went on a rampage, it got even worse. The country's in decline, just like the rest of the world. There's a lot of death, and the old and young generations are traumatized. Some are afraid to even leave the house. Others have been devastated by the death of loved ones or the loss of their homes and possessions. Such people usually can't stand it and soon.... — Hamal was silent for a few seconds and glanced at me. I couldn't understand what he was trying to see, but after that he just sighed tiredly and looked as if he had aged a couple of years.

— It doesn’t matter... In general, nothing good is happening these days. And in the coming centuries it is unlikely to get better. Now stop messing around and help in some way. Otherwise you will be left without food.

I made a few sounds of protest, but still decided to help a little. I collected some dry sticks and branches that I could find nearby so that the jerk could start a fire. After he said "Goa", a small flash of flame quickly came out of his hand and lit a fire for us. We didn't talk much after that, so after dinner we went straight to bed. Well, more precisely, only I lay down, and the jerk remained on watch.

— Brat, wake up!

— I'd have to sleep first before waking up.... — muttering tiredly, I opened my tired and probably red eyes from lack of sleep.

— Keep your complaints to yourself. We've been robbed. We need to get out of here as fast as possible!

The jerk picked up my sluggish body and started carrying me like I was some sack of potatoes. He then quickly looked around and ran in the direction we needed to go.

— What do we even have... — I felt the urge to yawn and covered my mouth with the palm of my hand like a well-mannered lady. The jerk's speed made the morning breeze cool enough to blow my whole body, but even that wasn't enough to overcome my drowsy state. — What did they even steal from us...?

— Everything! We have no food or money! Even the map, those bastards stole it. It cost me a fortune! — after he said that, my fatigue disappeared.

— W-Wow... Y-Yes, it's really bad...

— Tsk. The thing that pisses me off the most is that it's my fault. Being so sleepy and distracted isn't like me....

— W-Well, everyone has bad days.... So no need to worry about nothing, hahahahahaha...! — my laughter turned out to be too nervous. Even the busy jogging jerk noticed it.

— What's wrong with you, little brat? I thought the missing food would hit you a lot harder, considering how much you complained about the amount of supplies we had yesterday.

— Whatever! Stolen and stolen, the hell with it! You said yourself that life is sh*t right now, so don't pay attention to it! — my attempt to get off the subject clearly failed, given the suspicious look the jerk threw at me, but luckily he didn't care about that right now.

Finally, after about 7 hours of running, we reached a small town. As much as I disliked the jerk, I had to give him credit, he was really fast. And stamina too. Running for that long and at that speed is supposedly impossible for a human, but he barely looks tired! Only small drops of sweat on his forehead and slightly confused breathing give away the results of his “small” run.

— Here we are... Whew... Once we get the dragon, everything will be much easier. — after saying that, the jerk just let go of me and I fell to the ground with a loud squeak. Luckily, only my poor ass was hurt. Wait, that wasn't lucky at all!

— Hey! You have no delicacy! What if I'd fallen on my head?!? — at my cries of outrage, he just tsk at me and walked straight down the street.

I felt my face turn red with embarrassment and indignation, but there was nothing I could do about it. So taking a deep breath followed by an exhale, I meekly stomped after him.

After a while, however, I noticed an oddity. It was too quiet in here. Where are all the people? We've been walking around this town for about 5 minutes now, but we haven't met a soul. I also didn't hear any talking or shouting or at least the opening of doors. It was like a ghost town. That said, the houses and stores were in relatively good condition. This place looked abandoned and not at the same time.

— Hey, what's here...

— We're here. — before I could speak, the jerk stopped abruptly, causing me to slam into his hard back.

Lightly rubbing my poor forehead, I looked over his back and saw what he was talking about. The place looked something like a stable. Only instead of horses, there were so-called 'dragons' tied up here. As soon as I read about them in one of the books, I was very excited. There are real dragons in this world! And you can ride them! However, my enthusiasm quickly waned. These “dragons” were nothing like I had imagined them to be. Sure, there are real dragons here, along the lines of Vulcanica, but as riding animals, these creatures were quite far from dragons. They were more like dinosaurs from the theropod family (at least these looked like that. Maybe there are other varieties). Don't get me wrong, that was cool too, but when you hear the word “dragon” you expect...? More...?

— What are we gonna do? We don't have any money. And who do we-

— There's a backup plan for exactly this kind of thing.

— What are you talking about?

The jerk suddenly grabbed me by the waist and threw me on the back of one of those dragons. The one immediately started kicking as I desperately tried with all my body to stay in the saddle. The jerk then climbed onto the same dragon and used only his hands to break the thick rope that tied the dragon to the stall. Of course, he immediately ran away, trying his best to throw us off.

— YOU IDIOT! What the hell were you thinking!? That's stealing!

— Shut the f*ck up and don't whine! I've just made our journey a lot shorter, so don't you dare complain! If you don't like it so much, you can jump right into the guards' clutches!

Although no one was chasing us, I still didn't feel like jumping off the dragon at such a high speed be a good idea. However, given the dragon's apparent reluctance to carry stowaways like us, my desire to stay in the saddle was getting harder and harder.... Even the jerk was having trouble. No matter how hard he pulled on the harness, that dragon wouldn't settle down.

— What a stubborn bastard... I told you to stop kicking!

After saying that, he just..... slapped our new riding animal on the face. I blinked a couple times in bewilderment and was about to yell at the jerk again, when suddenly.... the dragon just calmed down. He wasn't rushing around like a rabbit anymore, and he wasn't trying to shove us off. His muzzle was still expressing displeasure, but he didn't look mad anymore.

— What are you....

— It doesn't matter. We can't relax yet. I don't want to go to jail, so let's run as fast as we can! And no nonsense this time! — he said the last phrase, leaning right up to the dragon's ear. The dragon made a sound that was probably an expression of annoyance, but he obeyed and immediately rushed forward, as far away from this city as possible.

As the jerk said, our journey became much easier. We still had to make a few stops to give the dragon a break and stop at villages for supplies (where the jerk was getting the money from I chose not to ask), but compared to walking it was like chalk and cheese.

We had almost reached Flanders by now. At this point we made our last rest stop. Immediately at dawn we will continue our journey to the city. What will we do afterward... That is still a mystery. Though right now I have a more pressing problem to deal with....

I'm standing right over the sleeping body of the jerk. If I move a little closer, the dripping drool from my mouth will fall right on his face. He was supposed to be guarding as always during our overnight stop, but with my little help, his mind decided to rest for a while...

I just couldn't stand it anymore. The copious amounts of food that the twins had prepared while I was at the cathedral had helped me keep my urges at least somewhat in check. But now that the quantity and quality of the food I was eating had decreased significantly, it was becoming too hard to control myself.

It won't hurt him, right? I'll just touch him, what could be wrong with that... Nothing happened to Emilia, right? So everything will be alright...

I touch his bare neck with my left palm. His face frowns slightly at the physical contact, but with the help of Pride I manage to calm him down. Having removed my hand from his neck, I now look at her with a slight grin.

— Hamal... — licking my left hand, I wait for the same relief that I experienced for the first time when I used my Gluttony. However, as soon as I did this...

— Hgmk...!? KGHA!? — my throat immediately caught fire. Not literally, but the pain of it really did feel like I had swallowed an entire fireball.

I immediately fell to the ground, barely holding the upper half of my body with my trembling hands. I felt as if something in the bowels of my stomach was trying to escape. Unable to hold back that gagging urge, I emptied the contents of my stomach right under me. Thankfully, my robe was barely affected by it.

As I was relieved, I unconsciously looked at what came out of my body. It was the remnants of the food I had eaten right before 'sleeping'. They were covered in some strange black and oily substance. If you looked closely, you could see a few drops of my blood, as if something had actually cut my throat from the inside.

Shaking my head and not wanting to continue looking at this abomination, I slowly stood up and looked thoughtfully at my hand. Why did this happen? I did everything the same, right? Gluttony was clearly activated, but why did it hurt me so much? And as luck would have it, the hunger did not subside at all...

— You irritate me without even being conscious... You really are a jerk... — looking displeased at the peacefully sleeping jerk, I was forced to stop my plans. It was as if some instinct told me that this would be a waste of energy and time. Is it because he is also an Archbishop? Or is there some other reason? Well, it doesn't matter now.

— If I try to eat grass, I’ll only make myself even hungrier... In this case, the only option left is... — I slowly turned my head towards our sleeping dragon. As if sensing my predatory intentions, he immediately woke up and stared at me like a deer in headlights.

— Don't worry... It won't hurt at all... — I slowly approached him, trying to calm the nervous dragon down at the same time. But it didn't work. He quickly got into a threatening pose and growled at me.

— Damn it... It didn't work... Does it work worse on animals? — my attempts to... to have a polite conversation with our riding animal also failed. Guess I'll have to be patient for a couple more weeks....

Walking away from the unfortunate animal, I walked towards the small lake we had stopped near. We always made sure to take breaks near water sources, as we were running out of water very quickly and our dragon needed to drink a lot of it. I also frequented these springs, as my need for drinking had also increased considerably since I had gotten Gluttony sin factor.

When I finally reached the lake, I immediately began to fill my flask so that I could drink its contents immediately. I could have scooped water with my hands, but it was more convenient.

— Ah... Well, at least there are no problems with water. If only it was a lake with tea or wine... Wait, what is that sound? — hearing the sudden rustling of the bushes behind me, my head immediately turned towards the noise and.... are you kidding me.....

Several pairs of bright red eyes, as if filled with scarlet blood, looked at me. And their owners looked as menacing as their eyes. These were creatures somewhat similar to dogs or wolves. If it weren’t for their overly frightening appearance, I would classify these dogs as Dobermans. They had black-brown skin, their backs were covered with spikes, and on their faces there was a sharp spike, somewhat reminiscent of a rhinoceros horn. They all looked quite large. In other words, I'm in sh*t again.

— J-Jiwald! — quickly casting a spell, several bright beams came out of my fingers and were directed at the heads of these creatures.

Of course, due to my inexperience, most of the beams missed, but some still hit the faces of these dogs. But it had little to no effect. My strength was only enough to leave a couple of burns. That only made them angry. In that case, it's time to proceed with plan R. RUN!

Running quickly in the opposite direction from them, I realized that I was running into the forest again. Is this some kind of joke? However, as much as I didn't want to, running towards our campground would just give me up to be eaten. So once again, I have no choice. To hell with this. Even if I scream at the top of my lungs right now, that jerk is too far away from me! Why I wanted to pull my plans on him today!!!?

My situation is now quite difficult and I don't know how I can get out of this predicament...

I looked down and saw the same picture. A pack of these dogs had surrounded the tree I had managed to climb and now clearly didn't want to let me go in peace. My tired blue eyes met with hungry red ones. Now it was a test of patience. Whoever got tired the fastest or whoever got bored the fastest lost.

How did I end up in this position? Well, as it turned out, escape tactics using my standard 8 year old human girl physical abilities were pretty ineffective against fantasy, magical killer dogs. So, finding myself in a desperate situation again, I had to use my super pumped up “yard monkey” skills to climb the tallest tree near me. On the plus side, these dogs didn't have my amazing abilities, so there was no way they could get to me. On the downside, I was now forced to hang here until they left.

— Not only was I hungry, but now I'm bored..... Hey, you want to hear the story about monkey and crab? No? All right. — after receiving nothing but a growl, I decided to continue contemplating the night sky. I only now realized that the arrangement of stars here is quite different than on Earth, even though it's not the first time I've looked at the sky. Although there are some similarities. For example, a rather bright star in the south, which does not move from its place, something similar to our Polaris. I wonder if Nii-Nii would like that star...? Although if this world really is flat (I still don't believe it is), shouldn't all the stars be standing in the same place?

While I was indulging in my thoughts, something bright sparkled in the thicket of the forest. Because of the height of my tree, and the very thick crown of the other trees, I could only see a yellow flash. And each successive flash got closer and closer..... The dogs noticed it too and became visibly wary. They're not so interested in me now.

— H-Hey, why don't we call a truce...? No? All right. — receiving threatening growls in response again, I was left with nothing to do but watch this outbreak approach.

After a while, a bright beam of light emerged from the shadows of the trees, something reminiscent of my Jiwald. However, this beam was much more powerful. And as proof of my thoughts, that beam literally incinerated one of the dogs that had been guarding me. Seeing the fate of their fellow man, the vicious dogs quickly rushed towards the place where the beam had come from. But their attempt to fight back the mysterious assailant was futile. Almost instantly, several more beams flew out of the shadows, each hitting the target without leaving a single dog. I was about to merge and become one with the tree to avoid being seen by this obviously more dangerous threat, but as soon as the threat emerged from the shadows I saw.... a little girl? And by the looks of it, my attempts to hide from her wouldn't do much good. After all, her dark blue eyes were looking right at me.

— The source of the miasma has been discovered. A new generation of witches? Observation: required.

Chapter 13: Unfamiliar ceiling

Chapter Text

— I don't know this ceiling... — those were the first words Natsuki Subaru uttered after a long sleep.

As soon as Subaru was halfway awake, however, his eyes fully noticed the foreignness of his surroundings.

The room he was currently in was undeniably luxurious. Even not particularly knowledgeable about furniture or decor, Subaru realized that. Of course, there were no golden statues or chocolate fountains, but the rather wide and very comfortable bed, along with the huge space for a bedroom, showed the financial status of the room's owner quite well.

Subaru was also wearing a very comfortable robe, which a citizen with a small or medium income could hardly afford.

— And yet, how did I end up here? The last thing I remember is... — trying to remember the last thing that had happened before he passed out, Subaru's eyes widened dramatically and he immediately pulled off the blanket.

Luckily, his fears were in vain. His leg was intact and unharmed. Subaru didn't want to be crippled for the rest of his life. That outcome would definitely be better than death, but he wanted to live with intact limbs no less than just to live.

— I was healed after all... It must have been her! The beautiful elf who decided to help her hero and took him in!

— I'm sorry to disappoint you, but..

— WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?! — letting out an extremely manly and definitely not squeaky scream, Subaru looked panickedly at the guest who had interrupted his monologue.

It was a boy who looked to be 14 or 15 years old. His height was quite average for his age. His hair was blond and his eyes were blue. He was dressed in rather formal clothes, something reminiscent of a butler or waiter from an expensive restaurant. Ah, he also had a rather disturbing smile that made Subaru not feel comfortable around him.

— I apologize if I startled you, honored guest. I just wanted to clarify that it was not Lady Emilia who healed you, but me. And you are currently at the Astrea estate.

Despite the unnerving presence, the boy appeared surprisingly polite. Though his words proved quite disappointing to Subaru. Well, at least he knew her name now. But why did she choose to call herself Satella in the first place?

— Oh... Well, thank you so much for saving me from an even lazier lifestyle! Hahaha... — after calming down a bit, Subaru laughed awkwardly and thanked the boy. He also felt a surge of shame, for he had literally just called this boy creepy in his thoughts, even though he was the very person who would prevent Subaru from becoming a one-legged pirate.

— No need for that. You'd better thank the mistress who ordered you back to normal, or I wouldn't have laid even a finger on you. — said the boy, still maintaining his unnerving smile.

— Now that's really creepy! You're just kidding, right!? You weren't just going to stand there while I slowly bled out, were you!?!? — Subaru shouted indignantly, while feeling his gratitude towards the creepy boy plummeting rapidly.

In response, he only tilted his head, as if he didn't understand the reason for Subaru's outrage. But then the boy simply shrugged, finding nothing of importance in the teenager's tantrum.

— Mistress will be pleased to see your very successful recovery. Please follow me, dear guest. Soon it will be time for the afternoon snack and there you can swear eternal loyalty to Mistress for saving your worthless soul. — the creepy boy left the room.

— Now you're just insulting me already! And I won't swear an oath to anyone! — although he might make an exception for Emilia....... Okay, this was taking him somewhere wrong.

With no other choice, Subaru decided to follow the boy. And along the way, he realized why this place was called an estate. Seriously, who even decided to make these corridors so long!? Although, there wasn't much luxury here. Either the owner of the manor wasn't as rich as Subaru thought he was, or he just didn't want to show off his wealth.

After a couple minutes of silently walking through the corridors, they finally reached the dining room. It was already occupied by a girl who looked suspiciously like a creepy boy. And she was smiling as well... But there was someone else who Subaru recognized this time.

— Old man Rom! — Subaru cheerfully exclaimed as he approached the old man. The boy, meanwhile, approached the girl and they began to arrange the dishes and cutlery together.

— Ho? You're awake at last. I thought I'd start digging your grave.

— Can't you have a little faith in me? I'm not gentle enough to be written off so easily! — despite the indignant shouts, a smile could easily be seen on Subaru's face.

Still, he was really worried about the old giant who had suffered much more serious injuries during the battle. Seeing him alive and well, Subaru was greatly relieved.

— That depends on which way you look at it. You had to recover for about five days, so don't try to look tougher than you are. — Rom said with a small chuckle. The twins, meanwhile, had finished setting up everything they needed and were off somewhere. Probably for food.

— I slept for five days!? Damm, I feel like I just took a nap for a couple minutes... — rubbing his head in embarrassment, Subaru sat down next to Rom.

— It could have been worse. That girl was like steel! If she had been a little more serious, then... — Old man Rom suddenly stopped talking and looked at Subaru very seriously. He immediately tensed up, not understanding the reason for the old man's sudden change of mood.

— Boy, thank you. — The old giant said in a firm, but at the same time very grateful and vulnerable tone.

— А...? — Subaru was even more confused. Seeing his bewilderment, Rom decided to convey his words in more detail.

— If it wasn't for you, little Felt would have died there. She's the most precious thing I have left. With her death, the little that gives me hope for tomorrow would have died. Which is why I am immensely grateful to you.

After saying those words, Subaru's face visibly reddened. He wasn't used to receiving words of gratitude, much less such words. On the one hand, his brain was telling him to just accept it, after all, isn't that what it means to be a hero? That's what he wanted, right? But on the other hand, Subaru was still a withdrawn teenager for whom such sincerity was more embarrassing than desirable.

— I-It's okay! There's no need to sugarcoat it like that.... Especially since I practically didn't do anything... — Subaru looked at his feet with guilt. This was another reason why he couldn't in good conscience accept the old man's gratitude.

— Don't be silly. If it weren't for you, Felt would have gotten the death blow immediately. And don't even try to argue that, because she told me so herself. Besides, thanks to you, the Sword Saint came with that rich girl. They were able to drive that psycho away and fix us up.

— Huh? But I don't--

— I'm inclined to agree with Rom-san.

— And where did you come from!? Seriously, is this a ninja world or what!?

Suddenly, a new face entered the conversation between the old man and the young man. It was a very handsome guy who looked to be only a couple years older than Subaru. His most distinctive feature was his bright red hair and sky-blue eyes, which seemed to radiate calmness and friendliness. As a matter of fact, so did his smile. If Subaru wanted to describe this man in one word, it would be "Main Protagonist".

— I apologize for interrupting your conversation so rudely. I just didn't want you to minimize your merit. Without your assistance, that day could have been much more tragic. — it would seem his smile couldn't have gotten any kinder. But somehow he still managed to do it.

— Wow... Your good guy stats are really off the charts....

Subaru didn't like good-looking guys. This dislike stemmed from many reasons, ranging from bad experiences with such guys to his own complexes. But something about this guy just made it hard for Subaru to have negative feelings for him. Yeah and it didn't feel like he was some arrogant rich asshole....

— I'm not sure what you mean, but I appreciate the praise. Although someone like me hardly deserves it. — Subaru felt even more awkward after saying that.

— Don't you think you're being too critical of yourself...?

— You two are perfect for each other! — Rom, who had already been forgotten by both boys, grumpily exclaimed.

— Hey, don't you think that comparing the two of us is a bit...? — Subaru didn't have time to finish his sentence as another person suddenly came into the dining room. A very pissed off person, considering the loud slamming of the door with which this stranger announced himself.

— RAINHARD! — a loud and angry voice echoed throughout the dining room. The voice sounded very young and most likely belonged to a girl.

And Subaru was not mistaken. Turning his head in the direction of the scream, he saw the very same slum thief. Also known as Felt. However, she had changed a lot since the last time Subaru had seen her. She looked much cleaner and better groomed. She was no longer dressed in her worn out but very practical clothes for her line of work. Instead, she was wearing a rather puffy yellow dress with a couple accessories. She was also wearing white gloves and red shoes.

— Lady Felt, are you upset about something? — without changing his good-natured demeanor asked the guy, who, by all appearances, was called Reinhardt.

— I upset about something!? Do you have any idea how hard it is for me to put up with that damn...! Wait... Nii-chan!? — Felt, who was focusing her anger on Reinhard, didn't even notice the Japanese kid behind the knight's back at first. But after getting close enough, she was still able to spot him, after which she abruptly calmed down.

— Alive and well! And how are you doin- GHA!? — after raising his hand in greeting, Subaru was suddenly hit right where his leg had been cut off. The blow itself was initiated by Felt coming up to him, who kicked him with her own foot.

— For what?!

— Hm! So he's really healthy, since it didn't fall off a second time. — grinning, Felt crossed her arms in front of her chest and looked at Subaru with amusem*nt.

— I'm not a Lego constructor to have my limbs fall off so easily! And did you have to do it with a swing!?!? — despite his screams, Subaru didn't really feel much irritation or pain from Felt's blow. And she really looked alarmed as soon as she saw him.

— You're saying strange things, Nii-chan... Well, at least you don't apologize every five seconds of conversation like that one knight kidnapper does.... Speaking of which. — suddenly remembering why she came here in the first place, Felt turned towards Reinhardt with newly arrived anger.

— Lady Felt, I can understand your outrage, but...

— No buts! This is unbearable! I'd rather starve for a month than have another etiquette lesson with that arrogant bitch!

— Lady Felt! Please don't use such inappropriate language! Especially to the Archduch*ess! She's only trying to help you! — Reinhardt seemed really upset by Felt's words. He tried to calm her down, but judging by the look on her face, he wasn't very successful. Even old man Rom shook his head disappointedly, seeing his granddaughter's outburst of anger.

— Uh... Felt, I don't know who you're talking about, but don't you think talking like that is really a little too much...? — Subaru tried to intervene in the argument, but that only made the red-eyed girl even angrier. Old Man Rom, on the other hand, put his hand on Subaru shoulder as if to say "leave it alone".

— It's not "too much"! It was compliments for her! If that arrogant c*nt calls all my efforts "unsatisfactory" one more time, I-!

— Lady Felt!

— It's okay, Reinhardt. Let her continue. I'd love to hear the rest of her “compliments”. — Reinhardt's attempt to stop Felt from another stream of invective was interrupted by another new voice entering the dining room.

Subaru recognized her immediately. It was Aurora. She was still wearing the same dress she had worn when they first met in that alley. Unlike Felt, her appearance hadn't changed at all. He also wasn't wrong in thinking that she was some kind of big shot. He didn't know much about history, but the title, which was identical to the titles of the rulers of Austria during the Holy Roman Empire, was easy to recognize.

As soon as Felt heard Aurora, her face immediately became even angrier. Though, she looked cute rather than threatening right now.

— Oh, believe me, as soon as that "Mr. Sorry" leaves, I'll immediately shower you with a lot of praise! I'll describe you in every color! — Felt walked right up to Aurora and made a sound somewhat similar to a growl.

Felt was taller than Aurora, but that height difference wasn't particularly significant. Aurora was shorter than Felt by half a head at most.

— I'll keep that in mind. Now, since you ran away from my lessons anyway, why don't we finally sit down at the table? — without even making eye contact with Felt, Aurora walked around her and sat on the right side of Subaru and Rom. Felt looked even angrier, but seeing that her words had no effect on the object of her dislike, she decided to follow the example of the others and just sit down at the table. She decided to sit to the left of Rom.

After that there was a rather awkward silence. Felt was furious. Rom looked like he didn't want to have anything to do with it at all. Subaru basically shared that aspiration. Reinhard, on the other hand, looked upset and a bit depressed. And Aurora... She was just staring into the void. Subaru couldn't tell from her emotionless face what she was thinking right now.

— Ahem... It's good to see you again, Aurora... — Subaru decided to break the oppressive silence. Aurora simply turned her head in his direction in response to his greeting and gave a quick nod of greeting. After that, she once again stared at the wall with a blank stare....

— Ha!!!? Do you know this c*nt, Nii-chan!!!?

— Lady Fel-!

— Yeah, yeah, I got it. Act like a lady and blah blah blah. — Felt threw an annoyed look at Reinhardt and turned to Subaru, waiting for his response.

— Well... Not that I know her, it's just that she saved me from muggers in an alley....

— HUH?!?!? So that f-! — but before Felt could finish her sentence, she immediately felt Reinhardt's disapproving gaze on her. Coughing slightly, she continued — So that this aristocrat, yes to help someone?! You must have hit your head then and made it up.

— In that case, my hallucinations were suspiciously specific..... — could my past life be considered just a nightmarish hallucination? Considering that all those events technically didn't happen, then.... Wait.

Suddenly, Subaru's eyes widened and his heart pounded hard. He threw a quick glance at Aurora, afraid to see her reaction to his words.

It was as if she wasn't paying attention at all, however. Had she not heard it? If so, she must have a really serious hearing problem. But more likely she just didn't pay much attention to what he said. Or else she just thought of him as a drunk again....

After about 10 minutes of Subaru's persistent thinking, the dining room door was opened again. It was the same creepy twins returning, carrying in their hands several trays of very appetizing looking and smelling food.

Subaru thought at first that these were the only dishes that would be served to the table today, but that turned out not to be the case. After putting the food on the table, they went out again and after a couple seconds they brought a few more dishes. Then they did so one more time. And so it went on until the entire table was covered with food.

Subaru looked at the whole mountain with shock. Did they really expect to be able to eat it all!? One could live for a whole month with such a supply, and not save money in any way!

However, after looking around, Subaru realized that he was the only shocked person here. Everyone else looked like there was nothing unusual about it. Even Felt and Rom, who lived in the slums, didn't comment on it in any way! Felt looked at all of this with annoyance rather than surprise.

Not wanting to be the black sheep, Subaru decided to just accept it and take it as a given. Maybe such excesses were part of some local tradition? But it still seemed like overkill...

Five minutes later, there was no trace left of the mountain of food. It had been mercilessly annihilated as if it had been sucked into a black hole.

— How...?

— Take a guess. — in response to Subaru's confused question, Felt simply nodded towards Aurora. Her face became even more displeased after that.

It wasn't hard to understand what exactly she was implying. But believing it was very much so. After all, how was he supposed to take the fact that this little loli's body could fit all that Everest of food in that small body of hers!? Especially in five minutes!? She doesn't even look like she ate that much!

— And it's been like this ever since we were forced to live here. And that's just a snack. You haven't seen her full meal yet. — Felt looked really pissed off by that fact. And it was hard for Subaru to blame her for that. For someone who had lived in poverty for a long time, something like this must be quite unpleasant....

— By the way, I never got a chance to ask why you look like that. Did you decide to become a princess or something like that? — Subaru decided to change the subject and tease Felt a little so that she would stop sitting with a frown on her face. However, it had the exact opposite effect.

— Imagine that! Those two were talking nonsense about the royal selection and the fact that I now have to participate in it! — Felt's mood seemed to have fallen even lower.

— Huh? Selection? Doesn't the king already rule here...?

— Ah, you're a foreigner, right? The Archduch*ess has already mentioned it. Unfortunately, the last member of the royal family recently passed away from an unknown illness. Because of this, the throne of our kingdom is empty and the covenant with the Divine Dragon is in jeopardy. A royal selection is being held for this very purpose. Five candidates, chosen by the Divine Dragon himself with an insignia, will compete for the throne of Lugunica. And it just so happens that Lady Felt is the fifth candidate, marking the beginning of full preparation for the royal selection. — after finishing his explanation, Reinhard smiled warmly at Felt, to which he received an angry look in return.

— W-Wow... So Felt is really a princess now?

— Over my dead body! I have no desire to compete for the stupid throne of this rotten country! And I certainly have no desire to associate with or even be around those arrogant nobles!

— If you don't want it so badly, then why are you still here? — Subaru didn't ask the question out of malice, but even for a tactless person like him, it sounded like some kind of mockery. Felt only clucked and glared angrily at Aurora again.

— I don't know much about it myself, but according to the law, she has to show up at least for the announcement of the selection. Otherwise, we could both be in trouble.... And this whole circus of learning manners should help us avoid making enemies among the nobles. A blow to their egos is almost the only thing that can make them do something..... — Rom decided to clarify the situation instead of Felt. Hearing this, Reinhardt's smile became more strained.

— It could have been explained more successfully..... But Mr. Rom is right. If Lady Felt intends to declare her withdrawal from the selection, then it should be done without any conflicts and unnecessary arguments. And knowing Lady Felt's sharp tongue... It would be quite difficult... — Reinhard let out a resigned sigh, not noticing Subaru's pity-filled gaze. He knew better than anyone what it was like to teach rather stubborn individuals not to insult others at every opportunity...

No. Don't. Best not to think about it...

After a couple minutes, the twins, who hadn't touched their food at all and were just standing to the sides of Aurora, cleaned up all the dirty dishes. Why do they have to be twins...?

— By the way, Reinhard, I'm going to need to be gone for about a week. I have a meeting with Roswaal. So in the meantime, you'll be training her alone. — after Aurora's words, Reinhardt looked like a beaten puppy, and Felt almost jumped on the table with joy.

— Who is this Roswaal?

— The Margrave is one of the greatest wizards in the kingdom, if not the greatest. His family has served our country faithfully for generations. — Reinhard answered Subaru's question.

— You're coming with me, by the way. — said Aurora, turning toward Subaru.

— Huh? And why do you need me there? I don't know this Roswaal guy, so....

— He is the sponsor of that half elf girl. She asked me to bring you along to thank you for returning the insignia and saving her life...

— So she's a princess too!? — Subaru's joy was unbounded. Not only did the girl of his dreams ask to meet him, but she's also a potential candidate for king! Queen? Never mind!

— You've convinced me! I'm coming with you!

— HA?! You're going to leave me alone in this boring manor!? — Felt immediately spoke out against it, thus causing Subaru to smirk.

— Hehehe, I'm only going away for a week, remember? But if you're so desperate for my company that you can't contain yourself, I might consider coming early.... OUCH! — Subaru's face was immediately hit by one of Felt's shoes, which she threw quite aptly. Now that would leave a bruise...

Chapter 14: Clown Mansion and Sacred Well.

Chapter Text

The carriage shook quietly while Natsuki Subaru looked at the rapidly changing scenery outside the window with interest. This time he was dressed in a rather strict suit that looked a lot like a butler's uniform.

As Aurora had said yesterday, they were traveling to meet a certain Roswaal, who was one of the coolest mages in the kingdom or something like that. Well, Aurora was the one who was going to meet him. Subaru, on the other hand, was traveling with her for a completely different reason. And that reason shouldn't be too hard to guess.

— I still can't believe it! She's obviously just divinely beautiful, but for her to still be a potential queen!? If she's not the main heroine, then I don't know....

— You know, it's not very polite to praise one girl in front of another. I have a girl's heart too, you know? — Subaru's enthusiastic monologue was interrupted by the monotonous voice of the little girl who had been in the carriage with him the whole time.

Subaru chuckled nervously in response and scratched his head shamefully. He had really gotten quite carried away talking about all of the half elf's virtues.

— In my defense, you're pretty quiet.... When you're distracted and not talking to anyone, it's pretty easy to drift off into yourself...

— You gave the same excuse 15 minutes ago. And before that, 27 minutes ago. And it's been going on since we left. Also, calling a girl inconspicuous is not a good excuse either.

...She was really quiet, okay!? He wasn't a tactless idiot like most isekai protagonists, okay!?

After that, the inside of the carriage became quiet once again. This actually made Subaru quite nervous. He was used to being in silence when he was alone, but here it was uncomfortable in the presence of other people. Perhaps it was because of his rather energetic and somewhat odd parents? Or maybe it just reminded him of high school, when the whole class would fall into an awkward silence after his antics...

Hansel and Gretel (that was the name of the blue-eyed twins who served them food) were the coachmen, so only Subaru and Aurora were inside the carriage itself. Natsuki himself wasn't used to being alone with the opposite sex at all, even though there was quite a bit of space between them. Aurora's appearance didn't help matters either. She was undeniably beautiful. She wasn't the epitome of feminine or (god forbid) sex appeal for Subaru, but as an aesthetic attraction, on the likes of flowers, paintings, or sculptures, she was unrivaled. However, even that was spoiled by several factors. First, there was her outfit. He had mentally resented her rather... open choice of clothing. Secondly, it was her demeanor. He wouldn't call her unemotional... more like she wasn't particularly interested in anything. Something like that went against the way Subaru thought girls her age behaved. Even Felt, who had adapted to life in the slums, still retained some childish traits.

— Ahem... It's pretty nice out there, isn't it? — Subaru wanted to jump out of the carriage right now and die to reverse what he had just said. Didn't he have any other topics to talk about!?!?

— First you act tactless around me, and now you're making fun of me so brazenly? I'll give you credit for having the courage....

— Wait! Now what did I say wrong!? — Subaru didn't like the way he tried to make conversation, but was it really that bad!?!?

— Hmm? Is your heart that black? You don't even see a problem with discussing the beauty of nature with a lady blind from birth? Maybe if I blinded you, you'd become a little more sympathetic..... — tilting her head slightly and correcting the white flower she wore in her hair, Aurora looked up at Subaru with her dead... seeing nothing eyes.

— HA!? Are you blind!!!? This...! Actually explains a lot of things...

Subaru had originally thought that Aurora was just a brooding and cloud-hovering girl. Now that he was remembering all of his previous interactions with her, the lack of vision made her behavior much less strange... Ah, that means Subaru actually dug his own grave...

— I'm so sorry! I really didn't mean to hurt you! It's just a misunderstanding! — Subaru immediately dropped to his knees and bravely begged the little girl for mercy.

— Relax, I'm just kidding. I was just surprised that you didn't know about it. I've long since accepted my blindness, so something like that wouldn't offend me. You can even joke about it if it can save me from boredom. — Aurora said with a slight smile as she played with her flower in her hair.

Subaru, on the other hand, exhaled with great relief at her answer and sat back in his seat. He knew very well how sensitive people could be when the topic was about their injuries or disabilities. So the fact that Aurora was taking it so calmly could be considered a great stroke of luck....

— You make it sound like I'm your personal buffoon or something... Stop! If you're blind, why did you call my face stupid?!? — instantly forgetting his recent fear for his life, Subaru let out a loud and indignant shout.

— I realized it from your voice.

— How!?

— I really feel sorry for you, since you can't realize it yourself....

— For your information, I have a great and manly voice! My karaoke scores are proof of that! And in vocal lessons, I was one of the best!

— I don't know what karaoke is... But I would love to hear your falsetto singing after your castration.

With a loud and manly squeak, Subaru pressed himself as close to the seat as possible and crossed his legs. Dangerous loli, on the other hand, just giggled a couple times, clearly picking up on the man's fear of losing his manhood.

After a while, they finally reached the mansion. Subaru had already admired it when they first drove up to it, but this mansion looked even better up close.

It was definitely bigger than Astrea's family's mansion, and it looked more solid. Although, Aurora had explained to him back in the carriage that that mansion was not their main residence.

Subaru was the first to leave the carriage. Aurora followed him out, helped down by her twin servants.

Near the entrance to the mansion, two pretty girls in maid costumes were already waiting for them. They were both beautiful. Although, if think about it like that, then Subaru has not yet met a single ugly or even average girl. The only thing that spoiled Subaru's mood at the sight of them was...

Twins...? Again...? Are you kidding me...

Trying with all his might to suppress his inner bitterness, Subaru followed Aurora to the entrance of the mansion.

— Welcome, dear guests. We are honored to have you as our Lord's guests. — the twin maids said this in unison and made an elegant curtsey. Unlike the Aurora twins, they were able to do this without the uncanny valley effect...

— Great. But why didn't Roswall himself come to greet us?

— Lord Roswall and Mistress Emilia are absent at the moment. Don't worry, he should be back soon. — Aurora's question was answered this time only by the pink-haired maid. The color of their hair did a good job of distinguishing them... Ah, they also had different sized breasts. Subaru wasn't being vulgar, it was just an obvious visual fact!

— So he's keeping me waiting again... Allright, I'll tell him about it later. Show us to our rooms for now. My servants will bring in our things later.

Bowing, the twins let them enter the mansion. From the inside it seemed even bigger than the outside. Every hallway was full of paintings and expensive looking pottery. And most surprisingly, every room they passed through was in almost perfect cleanliness. Subaru hadn't seen any other servants besides those two maids, so this order made a huge impression on him.

— ...Hm....? — while they were walking down yet another corridor, Subaru suddenly stopped near one of the doors to a room.

He himself didn't realize what interested him so much about this door, but it was as if all his senses were begging him to open it.

Normally, Subaru would have been extremely skeptical of such a sudden urge. But he's in a fantasy world now, right? So, something like this could have signaled the further development of the plot! Alternatively, it could have been a huge death flag... Well, luck smiles on idiots........

— That's the... Library? — as soon as Subaru dared to open the door, a rather vast room with a bunch of shelves of books appeared before his eyes.

— How rude, I suppose! Who gave you permission to barge into Betty's room like that? — suddenly, a rather annoyed yet childish sounding voice came from somewhere.

Looking a little farther away, Subaru saw a little girl sitting on a small chair reading some kind of book. She looked like she had stepped out of the pages of children's fairy tales. The girl looked to be about ten years old. Her hair was braided into a rather bizarre coiffure in the form of drills. Her eyes were sky blue with pupils in pink patterns, resembling a butterfly. She was dressed in a pink dressy dress with white trim and an open front leaving her legs visible, completely covered by pink vertical stripe tights. Her head was adorned with a small crown that perfectly matched her childlike and fairy tale appearance. All in all, if Subaru wanted to describe this girl in one word, it would be.....

— CUTE! — Subaru announced his conclusion with a shout of joy. However, the girl herself didn't look particularly happy about it.

— And even yelling at Betty too, I suppose? Betty doesn't have time to deal with such boorish behavior. Shoo, shoo. — waving her hand as if to ward off an annoying cat, the little girl went back to her book. Subaru wanted to approach her at first, but suddenly the door in front of him just slammed shut. He tried to open it again, but as soon as he did, it revealed a completely different room to him.

— What the...

— Apparently, you've met Mrs. Beatrice. Ram is surprised that you were able to find the entrance to her private chambers so easily. Even the worst rogues and scoundrels found it difficult. — said the pink-haired maid, who came up to him with the others.

— What group of people do you want to put me in!? And don't look at me like I'm trying to commit a crime!

— Hey, brother~ Mister is trying to peep on a little girl here~

— Heehee~ I wonder if he enjoyed it when we helped mister with his needs~? — the blue-eyed twins giggled nastily, joining the maid's verbal attack.

— Why am I so quickly becoming an object of suspicion!!!? Could you please just a little...! Wait... What's this "helping with needs" thing...?

This question was successfully ignored by everyone. The maids continued pointing the way to the guest rooms while poor Subaru's brain did a complete reboot to rid itself of any speculation of dubious content.

— Wow~ Wooow~ I have rather unuusual guests today, don't I~?

About an hour after their arrival, the owner of the mansion himself also arrived. Everyone was now in the dining room at the same table, at the head of which sat an extremely... eccentric man.

If Aurora hadn't warned about him beforehand, Subaru would have immediately called him a clown. Roswaal L. Mathers was a tall man with long indigo colored hair and heterochromatic eyes. The right eye was blue and the left was yellow. His face was covered with strange makeup to accompany his unusual attire, reminiscent of a clown or jester costume.

Subaru had certainly read about the unusual nobles that existed back in his world, but this already seemed like overkill...

— You're too late. Again... - Aurora said unhappily.

— Pleeeease accept my sincere apologies. Mrs. Emilia and I had a few things to take careeee of~

— I-I apologize too! We wanted to come earlier, but the situation in the kingdom has been very turbulent lately.... I'm reaaaaally sorry... — Emilia really looked very guilty for their tardiness. Such innocent sincerity couldn't help but touch Subaru's heart.

— Come on, Emilia-tan! You're only a little late, so it's no big deal! You couldn't do anything about it, right? So there's no need to blame yourself! — Subaru jumped up from his chair and looked directly at Emilia, trying to inject as much sincerity into his words as possible.

However, Subaru immediately realized that this was not the best of his ideas. Everyone immediately turned their heads in his direction and looked at him like he was an idiot or a circus monkey. Even Aurora's gaze became even more blank. Only Emilia herself looked at him with confusion, instead of quiet condemnation or hidden amusem*nt. Subaru even had a headache, whether from his own stupidity or embarrassment.

— Anywaaaay, as Lady Emilia's current sponsor, I'd like to start by thanking the person who saaaaved her life and helped get her insignia baaaack~ — Roswaal closed his right eye and looked at Subaru intrigued.

— Huh? You mean me? — Subaru pointed his finger at himself in confusion.

— Who else would it beeeee~? I've already been informed that it's thanks to you that she's alive and weeeell and that her status as a candidate for the throne is not jeopardized. So, as my gratitude, I'm wiiiiilling to do whatever you aaaask~ If it's within reason, of courseeee~

— You're surprisingly generous today... — Aurora said, turning her head towards Roswaal.

— Of course I aaaam~! All those under my caaaaare are very important to meeee. So there will be an appropriate rewaaaaard for their rescue~ — Roswaal replied cheerfully, causing Aurora to snort slightly.

Subaru, meanwhile, was in his own thoughts. Yes, if he hadn't called Reinhard, they wouldn't stand a chance. So purely technically, it was indeed to his credit. But Subaru was well aware that it was just blind luck. He originally didn't want to involve anyone in all this at all, but on his way to the slums, he met Reinhard, who called himself a knight. After thinking hard, Subaru decided to tell him about the assassin's attack after all. But if he never met Reinhard, then death would be inevitable..... That was why Subaru didn't feel that his actions were truly praiseworthy. He had saved Emilia and the others not through his own efforts, but through a series of fortunate circ*mstances....

— Uhm... Can I voice my request later...? I just can't think of anything sensible right now....

Roswaal's eyes widened for a moment at Subaru's response, but he immediately returned to his sly smile.

— Well, it's reasonaaaable! But I stiiiill recommend that you hurry up with your chooooice~ We're living in a rather turbulent time, sooooo....

— We'll be visiting you for about a week. I'm sure he'll think of something during that time. — after interrupting Roswaal, Aurora whispered something to the twins and then they left the dining room. The maids frowned slightly at the disrespect for their master, but Roswaal himself only chuckled at that.

Subaru sighed quietly as he looked at the portion of food on his plate. For some reason, it seemed to him that this week would be very long... Although, perhaps he was just exaggerating. He won't end up under torture after all, right?

Wait... Did I just raise a red flag!?

Capella Emerada Lugunica.
Pubertal ulcer

The rhythmic sound of gears echoed in the rather cramped space as a certain girl tapped her foot in irritation, waiting for the so-called "elevator" to stop.

This girl was Capella Emerada Lugunica, the current Archbishop of Lust. She was also known as "Mama" in one of the guilds with extremely questionable working conditions.

Although she was a carrier of the Lust gene, it was more disgust than lust when you met her. And it wasn't even about her extremely open choice of “clothes”, which looked extremely inappropriate on such a young member of the fair sex. It was the fact that her personality was simply awful. Even among the Archbishops of Sin, who were considered to be almost the main scum of society, she was particularly vile and repulsive. Though, in her own opinion, that was just the yapping of pathetic losers who couldn't realize their own insignificance.

And now she's coming down to meet one of these losers, which was the reason for her extremely bad mood. She didn't like interacting with her "coworkers" as it was, but there was one among them that Capella especially couldn't stand...

Capella received a proposal for a meeting a week ago, but of course she completely ignored it. She was going to do this again, but this time the offer came along with a messenger... And it just so happened that this messenger was one of the few individuals that Capella could not cope with...

— I understand your dissatisfaction, but sometimes you need to take into account the interests of others, right? Therefore, I ask you not to escalate the situation between you, because you must cooperate...

Remember the words of that witch, Capella only became angrier. If this sack of crap called her again because of some trivial matter, then this beautiful lady would no longer be so patient.

After about 20 minutes, the elevator finally came to a stop with an extremely obnoxious creak. As soon as Capella stepped out of it, she immediately crinkled her face in disgust.

Ahead was an extremely poorly lit hallway that only led straight ahead. There were several cultists lying on the floor that could easily be mistaken for corpses. The only thing that prevented one from classifying them as dead were their faint inhalations and exhalations. It was extremely rare to hear their quiet giggles. But other than that, they did nothing. Even tearing off their limbs didn't wake them up, she'd already checked that out. And so these "corpses" were lying all over the place, like some discarded trash.

But for Capella, that wasn't the main reason for her discomfort. If she looked closely, she could see a dark purple haze that spread like a fog throughout the corridor, and it was especially thick at foot level. Capella knew exactly what it was, and normally it wouldn't have harmed her, but such a large concentration in such a small room? She doubted even the Archbishops could handle it.

Mirrors of various sizes hung all along the corridor as well. Capella didn't understand what they were here for, but she just discounted it to the bastard's vanity.

Gritting her teeth once again, Capella overcame her disgust and started walking straight towards the end of the hallway. She could feel the atmosphere in this place getting heavier and heavier with every step she took. The light on the other hand was becoming less and less, but thanks to her Authority, Capella was able to change her eyes to be much more suitable for walking in the dark.

And the bastard still calls this place the «Bottom of the Sacred Well»... The bottom did fit, but “sacred”? She'd rather believe that there was a single intelligent thought in that idiot virgin's stupid head than that there was anything sacred about this place.

As soon as Capella reached the end of the hallway, she immediately kicked the door with all her might with her foot, leaving a huge dent in it.

The inside of this room was even darker. The room was huge in width, but the ceiling was extremely low relative to that width. This made it feel like the ceiling was sinking down and planning to crush you. All in all, this place was perfect to induce claustrophobia. Oh yeah, it was also full of mirrors.

— О~! The little goat has come~! Veri-chan was beginning to think you'd forgotten about him again~ — an extremely annoying (at least to Capella's ears) voice sounded out of the darkness.

Turning her head in the right direction, Capella saw the owner of the voice. It was Veritas, also known as the Archbishop of Pride.

He looked like a boy of about 12-14 years old, with a rather feminine appearance. There was not a single blemish on his skin or face, however due to his extremely pronounced pallor, the boy looked more like a very well preserved corpse. His hair was pure silver and reached down to his shoulders. His eyes, on the other hand, were sky blue and his pupils were vertical, like those of cats or snakes. Capella suspected the scumbag of being related to that witch, but they both denied it. Well, not that Capella would take their word for it anyway.

He was wearing a rather strange white... robe? In some ways it resembled the clothes from Kararagi, but there were still some slight differences. But one of the most notable details about him was the wheelchair he was sitting in. In his own words, he lost the ability to walk a long time ago, so now he can only get around like that.

— Veri-chan knows he's cute, but your gaze is getting quite scary, little goat~ — Pride's annoying voice brought Capella out of her train of thought. Actually, his voice was very good. But it was as if he was deliberately trying to make his voice as annoyingly cute and unnerving at the same time as possible.

— This beautiful lady did not come here to be mocked by you. And if I ever hear you call my forgiving self like that again, I'll rip your tongue out a thousand times~.

— Wow~! Cappy-chan really in a bad mood today, huh~? Ah~! Are you really starting to have “those” days~? You poor thing~ Do you want Veri-chan to help you with that~? Or is it chronic~? — a nasty laugh immediately echoed throughout the room.

Capella's patience really broke this time. Her hand abruptly grew to a huge size, transforming into the paw of an incomprehensible monster. With a quick swing of it towards Pride, Capella was able to split his body into two halves. The lower half was almost completely crushed as the upper half flew to the other end of the room, leaving a long trail of blood behind it.

— How cruel~ Did you even think about the people who will be cleaning all this up~? — Pride's smug smile became even more smug.

— Tsk. And you don't call yourselves relatives yet....

Pride appeared almost instantly to Capella's right, completely whole and unharmed. It was another similarity between him and the witch. They both possessed a very similar "unkillability". However, unlike the witch, Pride was at least left with a corpse and spilled blood. Once Capella “killed” him about 70 times and all of his bodies never went anywhere.

— You mean Veri-chan and Pandora-chan~? Hehe~ You're so silly~! Fine, believe what you want~ And stop clucking at Veri-chan~

— Stop wasting this beautiful lady's time and spit out what you wanted! So many of my children want to get a little bit of love from their gracious Mom, and you're filling my ears with your slop!

— Huh~? Why do you need them when you have Veri-chan~? You know how much Veri-chan loves you all~!

— That nice lady doesn't need love from a rotting sack of sh*t that spreads its stench all over his cesspool! — Capella roared angrily, feeling her head begin to spin. She considered herself worthy of all the love of the world, but there were those who were not worthy of loving her. And Pride was one of them.

— How rude~! Veri-chan is blooming here, not rotting, by the way~!

— Kyahaha~! Blooming~!? Your underdeveloped brain must really be full of crap to call it “blooming”~! Do you even hear yourself~? Or are your ears already full of rotting meat that you refuse to notice~? Gyahahahahahahahahahahaha~! — Capella's frown immediately disappeared, replaced by a disgusting smile full of mockery and malice. Her laughter was no less disgusting than Pride's.

— Mou~ Cappy-chan is really mean today~ Oh well~! Since you have things to do, Veri-chan will try to make it brief~ — coughing lightly into her fist, Pride began his explanation.

— The thing is, Veri-chan wants to borrow a couple of your children for a very important matte-

— What!? — Capella was almost instantly beside Pride, looking down at him with a very angry expression on her face. She purposely made her fangs sharper to create a more intimidating effect.

— Don't worry so much~ Veri-chan isn't taking them away from you, right~? It's just a favor for the sake of our love and friendship~! Plus, Veri-chan knows how much Cappy-chan treasures him, so Veri-chan already borrowed them an-! — Pride didn't have time to finish as Capella abruptly grabbed and squeezed his neck. She increased her height and lifted him up so that his feet didn't touch the floor.

— This lovely lady has put up with your antics for a long time, but now she's had enough. You're no longer useful, so our impromptu “cooperation” is over. And if you ever pull something like this again.....

After her words, several loud and nasty cracking sounds were immediately heard in the room. All of them were coming from Pride's body, whose bones were being broken and crushed multiple times, only to be almost instantly healed. This process was repeated at least sixteen times before Capella had had enough of it. She tossed Pride's motionless body aside and began to walk away from this place. Surprisingly, Pride didn't show any sign of pain. He just continued to look at Capella with his unchanging smile.

— How sad~ And after all, Veri-chan was about to reveal that a surviving member of the royal family had been discovered~ — Pride was lying on the floor, unable to get up on his own. But that didn't stop him from pressing one of Capella's weakest points

As soon as Capella heard that, she immediately stopped. She never turned to look at Pride, but judging by her body, which was all shaking with anger and pure HATE, the attempt to get her attention was quite successful

— What did you say... — Capella's voice was unusually quiet. But if you looked closely, you could see her breaking her own fingers to maintain a modicum of self-control

— Heeee~? Cappy-chan didn't hear that~? Are your ears already full of rotting meat that you refuse to notice~? Heeheeheeheeheeheehee~!

Cappella turned to the lying Pride. If looks could kill, this whole room would be full of corpses by now.

— You said we got rid of everyone!!! — Capella let out a loud shriek that she could no longer hold back.

— Life has its upsets~ Not everything can go strictly according to plan, Cappy-chan~! That's why Veri-chan recommends that you choose your expressions more carefully when you talk to him~

— Shut your stinking mouth! Who's that!? Ford!? Fourier!?

— None of them~ Let's just calm down a bit and continue discussing our partnership over a cup of tea~ I haven't taken any of this seriously for a while now, but you should be quite interested~

Capella's teeth began to crack from the force of her jaw clenching. Pride, however, quite pleased with himself, let his smile grow even wider and more smug.

Chapter 15: Through Other Eyes II

Chapter Text

Miklotov McMahon
Tired old man
One day after the discovery of the last candidate

The throne room of the Lugunica Kingdom was surprisingly empty. The nobility of the capital often visited this place to establish connections or discuss political issues. However, after the death of the last member of the royal family, this hall opened its doors less and less.

The only people who continued to meet regularly in this place were the members of the Council of Wise Men. After the death of the entire ruling dynasty, which had ruled Lugunica for many centuries, they became one of the last pillars of the kingdom. If not for their wise leadership, Lugunica would have plunged back into civil war.

And at the moment there were two representatives of this very Council in the throne room. Even if the youngest of them was considered in some way a purely nominal member of the Council, but in modern times it was an insignificant trifle.

— Let me thank you again for your timely arrival. I am sorry to have to take you away from your business, but the current situation requires our immediate attention...

Miklotov McMahon turned to the youngest among the Council. She sat in her own seat, which was to the right of Miklotov himself. His voice and facial expression gave him away as more of a good-natured grandfather than a longtime politician.

— I understand. If we don't do something about it, it will put us in a very vulnerable position.... — in a very young-sounding but at the same time very serious voice answered the little girl sitting next to Miklotov. It was Aurora Iscariot von Antares, the current Archduch*ess. Albeit that her title was also partially nominal.

Miklotov smiled tiredly at the young noblewoman, who looked no less tired than himself. One could see noticeable bags under their eyes, showing the results of many sleepless nights. And so while Miklotov was already accustomed to such an appearance, it was unusual for the Archduch*ess. She was in such a hurry that she had forgotten to use the necessary cosmetics to hide the effects of sleep deprivation and stress. Even her skin looked noticeably paler and sickly without her standard cosmetic procedures.

Miklotov mentally rebuked himself once again. If he had a choice, there was no way he would have taken on so many responsibilities for such a young girl. Especially when life was already unfair to her.

— So... The rest of the Council should be arriving shortly. Perhaps you'd like a cup of tea before they arrive?

— Thank you for your concern, but I'll pass. We can spend this time doing something more useful than drinking tea. — the old man's kind offer was rebuffed with a rather cold refusal.

Miklotov looked sadly into Aurora's dead eyes. Normally he wouldn't have shown such emotions so openly, but since there was no one here but them anyway, and Aurora herself was deprived of the ability to see, a little emotional weakness could be forgiven.

The young Archduch*ess' eyes seemed all too familiar to him. He had met a child with very similar eyes before. Yes, that child's scarlet eyes were capable of seeing, but the emptiness in them was incredibly similar. Sometimes Miklotov thought that if he had shown a modicum of care or concern then, that tragedy would not have happened. And now it seemed to him that he was making the same mistake again..... He was once again faced with a choice between the well-being and happiness of one child who didn't deserve such a harsh trial from fate, and the lives of all the people of the kingdom who didn't deserve to die because of one old man's ill-considered decision.....

Miklotov sighs quietly once again, cursing his old age. He really is getting too soft for such cruel things as politics...

— This is indeed true, but is it impossible to combine the pleasant with the useful? Serious matters should be dealt with on a cool head, and we are far from calm right now. Let's relax first and then continue our discussion, shall we? — Miklotov smiled good-naturedly, though he realized the uselessness of this action in front of the unseeing girl. He also placed his old hand on her head and began to slowly stroke Aurora like a caring grandfather.

Aurora at first visibly flinched at such a gesture from the old man, but then she relaxed and even blushed a little from embarrassment.

— O-Okay... Maybe a little tea wouldn't hurt...

Miklotov nodded his head contentedly and left the throne room for a while to make them both a cup of tea. He could have had the servants do it, but his own brew was much tastier in his opinion.

After a while, all the members of the Council of Wise Men finally arrived. Some of them cast disapproving glances at Aurora, as they were still not used to her being among them.

— I am pleased that you have responded so quickly to our emergency meeting. Now we can focus on today's main topic. Russell Fellow, treasurer of the trade guild, was murdered last night. He is also known among us as the leader of the Six Tongues organization.

After Miklotov's words, the faces of all the Council members became even more tense than they had originally been. They knew perfectly well the reason they had been summoned, but they still hoped it was some kind of mistake or trivial misinformation. But since Miklotov himself confirmed the news, their hopes were instantly dashed.

— And how many people already know about it...? — hesitantly asked one of the council members..

— Only you, me and a few members of the organization who discovered the corpse. I ordered them to keep the fact of Russell's death in the strictest secrecy. — replied Miklotov.

— What does it matter how many people now know about it! We can not hide it for long! To hell with the trade guild, but what are we going to do with the Six Tongues!!!! Most of them were loyal to Russell, not us! So if they all find out about this, it'll be a disaster!!!! — shouted a panicked old man with very thick and imposing blue eyebrows.

— If you yell like that, everyone will find out about it much faster than originally thought. — Aurora replied wryly, fixing the white flower in her hair.

— You little...!

— Enough!!! Bordeaux, you really need to keep your cool! If we give in to panic, it won't make the situation any better! And you, Archduch*ess, must stop your provocations! This is not the time or place for your arguments!

Bordeaux and Aurora immediately fell silent upon hearing Miklotov's reprimands. Technically, there was no leader among the members of the Council of Wise Men, but Miklotov was so respected among them that he was actually the unofficial representative of the entire Council. So his opinion was listened to by a great many, even despite internal disagreements.

— Still, Bordeaux's words make sense. Once this becomes known not only to the members of the organization but also to the trade guild, they will demand blood. If we don't find the culprit, there will be trouble....

— Exactly! We must find the culprit as soon as possible and bring him to justice! Otherwise our competence will be questioned, as will our credibility.

— And how do you propose to do that?!? Russell wasn't killed by some street urchin. This was clearly a professional job! The killer can't be stupid enough to stay within our reach.

— Exactly! We'd better find the customer than the killer! We need to compile a list of those who had motives for Russell's assassination attempt and then find the culprit!

— That's absurd! First of all, the list of suspects would be too long. Secondly, it could very well be a spy from another country. You're suggesting we charge them without proper evidence?!? They'll tear us apart for that!

— I agree! The murder happened just yesterday, so our culprit can't be far away! If we put enough effort into looking for him, we'll catch him for sure!

— Naive! If even Russell couldn't detect the assassination attempt on himself, how can we count on our own success!? He was one of our best scouts and spies and our competence in such matters is no match for him! It's better to accuse one of our prisoners now, and we'll find the real killer later!

— Are you kidding me!? What will we do if our deception is exposed!? It would be much better if we...!

Miklotov sighed quietly, running a hand through his long beard. He could already feel another migraine approaching, which was unlikely to go away anytime soon. Inwardly, he prayed to Dragon and Od Laguna that the royal selection would begin as soon as possible and that the most worthy of the candidates would win. Then he could finally retire and forget politics like a nightmare.

Electra
Eternal poker face
4 hours after the discovery of the last candidate

There was a peaceful silence in the market area of the royal capital. And this is not surprising, because the sun has long disappeared behind the horizon, which means all decent citizens are sleeping in their homes with their families.

However, not everyone was as conscientious at this time of day. A certain dark figure was briskly jumping along the roofs of houses, without making a sound.

This figure was a young-looking elf named Electra. She was dressed in a rather strict-looking uniform, which gave the impression that this girl was an officer of some kind of army. Her blonde hair fluttered freely in the wind as she jumped from one rooftop to another. The elf's face was the standard of the word "neutral", but inside everything was completely different.

She was upset. Very, very upset. And there were several reasons for that. First of all, she had to run away shamefully. Yes, if she hadn't, she would have gone to jail. However, that didn't make the situation much better. Secondly, she had failed the mission. Not that it bothered her much, but failure was failure. An embarrassing failure at that. And thirdly, she knew perfectly well whose fault it was that it had ended up like this...

As if on cue, one of Electra's pockets began to glow faintly. Stopping her jumping and pulling out the source of the glow, she sighed quietly.

— As they say, remember the sh*t...

Reluctantly, she opened her mirror. This was a special metia that made it possible to communicate with people at a distance. Normally it would not work at such a great distance from the intended location of the caller, but these particular mirrors were much better than their counterparts. Although they still had one drawback. They transmitted only sound, since the image transmission function was lost.

— Heh~ hey~! Veri-chan is so glad you're okay~! You haven’t called your daddy for so long that he’s starting to worry about you~ And why does Very-chan have the feeling that you recently insulted him~? — an extremely sweet voice came from the mirror. Despite declaring his concern, his cheerful manner of speech made it difficult to take his words seriously.

— Stop your clownery. You knew very well that the Sword Saint would get in my way. Why didn't you say so? — in fact, for Electra it was a meaningless question. He did it either for fun or just to annoy her. This was not the first and far from the last time he does this...

— What a horror~! You're not hurt~!? If this nasty knight hurt you, then come to your daddy as quickly as possible so that he can take care of yo-

— Shut up. I asked you a specific question and without an answer you can’t count on my assistance.

— Why do you always blame Veri-chan~!? Who would have thought that Reinhard would be there at that very moment~!?

— You, for example.

— These are all details~ And yes, you don’t have to worry about the insignia~ That bitch won’t be able to win anyway, so there’s nothing to worry about~ Better tell me, did that prostitute take with her one boy who looks like an idiot~?

Electra was surprised for a couple of moments, not expecting such words addressed to that not-pureblood. She doesn't really care, but it was quite unusual for him to express himself like that.

— A very specific description that you fit perfectly... There was one boy with black hair whose foot I cut off, but it was not she who took him, but the Sword Saint along with the thief and the giant.

— Hihi~ Great~ In that case, we can finally move on to... Wait... Who-who took hi-?

Electra did not listen to her “daddy” and simply closed the mirror. She wasn't going to make it any easier for him by telling him the full story. Although, it was more of a slap in the face than a real dirty trick. He will soon figure out everything himself, and perhaps he already knows everything. One way or another, Electra was not going to waste even more of her nerves talking to him. Especially when another annoying person has returned...

— You're very brave to speak so openly with the Archbishop~ I don't know whether to be jealous or not? — a voluptuous and somewhat sultry voice sounded behind Electra's back.

— There's nothing to envy. Listening to him talk endlessly is worse than any torture. Listening to that boring asshole rant about his rights is preferable to being around my Archbishop. — the elfess turned to face the woman who no longer wore her hooded cloak.

— It seems to me that you are exaggerating. At least your Archbishop doesn't turn you into a pile of meat or a swarm of insects for disrespect or failure...

Electra simply shrugged in response. She was well aware Archbishop of Lust atrocities, but she still considered her far preferable company to her "daddy".

— Whatever. Was the mission a success?

— You're not one to talk, are you? You don't have to worry, I've done my best~ Though it's a shame I was forbidden to open his gut.... His insides would surely be beautiful~ — the woman licked her lips seductively, and her cheeks flushed slightly with excitement.

Electra outwardly did not show any reaction to such behavior from the Bowel Huntess, but in her thoughts she cringed in disgust. She couldn't understand how this lunatic could enjoy another's innards so much. Electra wasn't an angel herself and she was well aware of that, but compared to Elsa Granhirt her soul was white as snow. At least in her opinion.

— Good. In that case, we have nothing more to do here. Follow me, sex bomb.

— Sex bomb...? — Elsa tilted her head questioningly. The meaning of the phrase seemed to be clear, but such an appeal still sounded quite... exotic.

— That’s what my Archbishop calls you. You don’t have to ask, I don’t know why too. — having said this, Electra jumped from the roof of the house and disappeared into the darkness.

Elsa stood motionless for a couple more seconds before giggling quietly and following the elf. The two killers will never be caught that night.

Veritas
Asshole with a salary up to his knees
Bottom of the Sacred Well

— Hihi~ Great~ In that case, we can finally move on to... Wait... Who-who took him~?

The Archbishop's words were never heard, as the other party decided to cut the connection. Oh well, no great loss.

— Eh~ And when is she going to run out of that transitional age~? She's making her daddy depressed and his heart is breaking with sadness~! Young people have no respect for their elders~! — as Veritas spoke, he stuffed another mana crystal into his mouth, which he began to chew with a loud crunch.

— And yet, this was still a problem~ What went wrong~? If Reinhard took the Fool to his place, it would significantly change the course he had already set out on long ago~ But why did it happen in the first place~? The whor* refused to take him~? Did Felt-chan insist on it~? Or did Reinhard not fully trust him and that's why he decided to take care of him on his own~? Or maybe all of the above~? Heehee~.

Whatever the reason or twist of fate behind it, it had to be dealt with. If he didn't, all the years of planning would go to hell. That was why this task had to be taken seriously. So, Veritas decided to make the only right decision possible in this situation.

— Whatever~!

Instantly and as if out of nowhere, a very comfortable-looking futon materialized in front of Veritas. Veritas pushed himself out of his wheelchair with his hands and plopped down on his stomach on the comfortable futon. Now a huge television screen appeared in front of him, on which was the LG logo. There was also a PS4 gaming console under the TV.

— Hehehehe~ I’ll beat you this time~! Orphan Kos will soon be reunited with his mommy, hehehehe~ — the screen turned on by itself, and a controller for the console appeared in Veritas’ hands.

— Mou... Pandora will probably be upset if you start messing around again... You also promised her to meet Capella soon... — a pulsating glow appeared under the white medical robe of the Archbishop of Pride. This glow, like the voice itself, came from a crystal hidden behind Veritas' clothes.

— But Veri-chan doesn’t mess around~ He sends letters to the little Goat~? Sends~ He oversees the cult's finances~? He's oversees~ So she shouldn't have any complaints against Veri-chan~

— You know very well that Capella will never come to you voluntarily... You treated her very badly, and now she is offended by you!

— That’s the whole point~! Very-chan sends her letters, she ignores them, Pandora is happy and Very-chan is happy~! It's called a mutually beneficial agreement~

A quiet sigh was heard from the crystal before a new person materialized in the room.

It was a blue-eyed blonde girl, with a rather fancy black outfit. The top of the dress was covered in a bunch of bows, much like her hair. Despite her young appearance, the girl was surprisingly tall for her supposed age. She was slightly taller than even the Archbishop himself, who looked a bit older than her. This girl's head was adorned with a rather cute black hat. Her eyes were full of innocence and compassion, which was striking considering the place and organization she belonged to.

— Veri-chan, you're already in a strained relationship with Pandora! If she finds out about your inaction, there will be no avoiding conflict between the two of you! — the girl's sweet voice was filled with worry and anxiety.

— Yan-chan is overdramatizing~ Veri-chan and Pandora-chan have a beautiful relationship~! Do you have so little faith in Veri-chan~? It's been so long since we've known each other~! It'll be fine~

— That's exactly why I'm worried! I know you, so I realize how much nonsense and trouble you can get into!

— Hey~! Your words make it seem like Veri-chan is some kind of rascal~ Veri-chan just says what he thinks and does what he thinks is right~.

— That's the reason why you're on an international wanted list...

— Well, the right thing is worth fighting for, regardless of the methods and casualties~ It's not Veri-chan's fault that the rest thinks it's world terrorism, lol~

The face of the girl, also now known as Yan-chan, became 10 times sadder. Tears were already starting to flow from her eyes, and her lips were trembling slightly.

— Okay, okay~! Veri-chan will write little goat another letter~.... Go get some paper and pen in the meantime~ I'll have to write to Pandora-chan as well~.

All sadness immediately disappeared from Yan-chan's face. She, satisfied with Veritas' decision, happily ran out of the room. Meanwhile, Archbishop Pride's eye began to twitch slightly as he realized that he had been led... again..... But he would not give up next time! And this time he would actually do so, rather than bowing down to foul play like the previous 7416516468175915016519052502751562459285327529519742 number of times!

— Hm~ Hm~ So, the Fool has started his journey after all~... And Veri-chan will have to get involved in all of this~! Everyone's so mean to Veri-chan~! Picking on the weakest, whimper~ whimper~ — Veritas began to fake a whimper, but his face still had the carefree smile that had been on the Archbishop's face for most of his life.

— And after all, Veri-chan would have to ACTUALLY solve the problem with the Fool and Reinhardt~... If they didn't socialize on their first day, it'll complicate things too much~ But that's okay~ Veri-chan will make it all better~!

Veritas rolled over onto his back. He stared at the ceiling thoughtfully, speeding up his thought processes to process his plans. As he did so, a bowl appeared in his hands, fully stuffed with all sorts of sweets. Ranging from chocolate chip cookies to gummy bears. Also among the usual goodies were a few top quality mana crystals.

— Well, it will be a matter of time~! I hope you don't let me down, Nii-san~! Veri-chan will be cheering you up with treats in the meantime~! Hehehehe-gha-hehe-ghe-hahaha~!
..........
......
...
— Eh... How boring everything is......

Felt
Disney Princess
5 days after the last candidate is discovered

The golden-haired beauty with an extremely tense face and an angry gaze looked at the open book. Her emotional reaction to the soulless object was so strong that it seemed as if this book was personally responsible for all the misfortunes in her life.

— And then they traveled on... through the sand dunes in search of the coveted acom-.... acam-..... acamaod-! Agh! Stupid book! Why the f*ck is it written like someone's been drinking for three weeks?! — Felt slammed her fists on the table so hard that the candle illuminating her text immediately went out.

— Are you serious? It says “accommodations.” Is it so hard to memorize the spelling of a few elementary words? — Aurora stood behind Felt, criticizing her in a stern voice.

— Huh!? “Elementary!? I know perfectly well that such words and writing style are not "elementary"! Stop fooling me already!

— If you were more attentive in all my previous lessons, you would have read it and understood it.

— Oh, so now it's my fault!?

— Your complaining only proves my point. If you can't handle it, then... — taking the book from the table, Aurora walked over to the right shelf to put that book back and choose a new one.

Felt, meanwhile, crossed her arms in front of her chest and let out a couple angry grunts. It was one of the main reasons she hated nobles. They were born with a silver spoon in their mouth, yet they wonder why the rest live so poorly. They never lifted a finger for the sake of their comfortable life, but they are happy to call those people who were not so lucky to be born losers and parasites. And that bitch Archduch*ess was one of the prime examples. She expected things from Felt that she in no way knew or could know. And when she made mistakes, she was immediately reprimanded with: “Are you serious?", "Are you doing this on purpose?", "Is it really that hard?”. If Felt had a choice, she would have fled this estate long ago. But she couldn't. After all, by the damn rules of this stupid royal selection process, she had to show up at the announcement of the start of the competition for the throne. And if she didn't want to make a lot of enemies among the nobility, she should learn to send them away as politely as possible. Once Felt did that, then she would immediately return to the slums with old Rom. Maybe they'll even take that guy.

— Since you couldn't even handle this collection of children's stories, I'll try to find something easier. Though it would seem...

After those extremely condescending words, Felt couldn't take it anymore. She abruptly stood up from the table and walked over to Aurora with a look full of rage.

— Listen, you arrogant c*nt... I'm going to play your own game with you. Why can't you teach some street rat normal literacy? How hard can it be? You're so smart, so you can probably find a better way to teach me!

— If you continue to talk to me like that, then....

— ARGH! Shut the hell up! All I hear from you is reproaches and reprimands! How hard is it to praise me once in a while?!? I agreed to all this nonsense because of you, and now you're treating me like a spoiled princess! I'm sick of it! Can a single good word come out of your rotten mouth, eh!? — Felt was breathing heavily after her angry shout. She looked down at Aurora, not taking her eyes off of her.

Aurora's face did not change in any way after Felt's outburst. She covered her eyes for a few seconds before sighing quietly and sitting down at the table. She took the cup of tea in her hand and took a small sip.

— Okay... Since you dislike my lessons so much, I won't keep you here any longer. You can leave the manor, no one will stop you.

— You are...! Wait... Are you serious!? — Felt received an affirmative nod from Aurora. — FINALLY! This hell is finally going to end! As soon as I take off this damned dress and put on my old clothes, I'll run straight to old man Rom and-!

— Hmm? What are you talking about? I told you I won't keep you here anymore.

The joy on Felt's face was immediately replaced by quiet rage. She didn't like that clarification at all. And even more disliked the tone with which this aristocrat said it.

— What do you mean by that...?

— Eh... Do you even have to explain it? You see, your so-called 'grandfather', has a very interesting story.... Let's just say he was very popular in his time. He was especially popular with the jailers and the Supreme Court. They wanted to get to know him so badly, but it was like he fell through the ground back then... — Aurora chuckled softly, as if amused by some joke.

— You... YOU f*ckING BITCH! You want to use old man Rom as a hostage!!!? Is that why you decided to take him with me?!? - Felt's face was completely red with anger. The only thing that prevented her from beating the extremely satisfied face of the insolent noblewoman was the highly undesirable consequences of such an aggressive act.

— Me? How could you even think of such a thing? You're the one who asked us to take him and heal him, right? I was just showing a gesture of goodwill, so I decided not to inform your grandfather's fans of his whereabouts. But since my goodwill isn't much use to you, my honorable silence probably isn't either.... — Aurora was smirking openly now, amused by the thief's hopeless plight.

Felt, on the other hand, continued to stare at Aurora with quiet fury. Her fists clenched so tightly that droplets of blood began to drip from her palms. If she clenched her jaw any tighter, her teeth would surely break. She'd never felt the urge to kill like this before. Threats to her family were the sort of thing that Felt could in no way bitch about or forgive. However, if she didn't want to put that very family in danger, then she must endure it.. As much as she wanted to find a knife and plunge it into Aurora's thin neck, she MUST endure....

— Tsk. — Felt began to walk out of the room, cluck at her in the aftermath. For some reason that really annoyed that bitch.

— RAINHARD!

Wanting to find someone to vent her accumulated anger and stress on, Felt decided to look for the friendliest person in the manor. It would be on this very day that she would meet the already recovered black-haired young man in the dining hall.

This section will be a summary of my OCs that I have added to the story. It will likely not be the only sheet.

Likes: Herself, brother, cute things, animals, loafing.

Dislikes: Herself, mirrors, helplessness, people, tight spaces, rooms that are too dark, her memory, being tsked at.

Fears: Disappointing her brother, becoming despised or hated by her brother, becoming completely helpless.

Short Description — Nozomi is the youngest of Natsuki's twins. She has been inextricably attached to her brother since birth. She would always start crying and throwing tantrums as soon as she lost sight of him. She was much nicer to her brother in kindergarten, but after entering school, her attitude towards him changed a bit. Teachers in kindergarten and later teachers in school often complained about her rather aggressive behavior towards other children and adults, but the twins' parents rarely paid attention to it. Perhaps this was due to the disappointing medical prognoses for Nozomi. Nozomi Knows No Evil.

Abilities:

Perfect Memory — Nozomi has always possessed an excellent memory. She even remembers the time when she was in her mother's womb. Her memory is perfect in all aspects, be it visual, auditory, tactile, or gustatory. If she does forget something for some reason (such as a head injury), her memory is sure to come back sooner or later. This feature of Nozomi is both her most important advantage and at the same time her most important disadvantage.

Pride's Authority:

1. Vision of Pride — ???
2. Superiority of Pride — ????
3. Innocent Monster (Perfect Pure Self) — ?????

Authority of Gluttony — Same as Lye (Gourmet), Roy (Bizarre Eating), and Louise (Satiation).

.

Likes: Sister, Mistress, his axe, being a good child.

Dislikes: When sister is angry or sad, when Mistress is angry or sad, being a bad child, being hungry.

Fears: Becoming a bad child, ?????

Brief Description — Hansel and Gretel were twins, born as a result of rape. Their mother looked at them with fear and disgust, and their father ???. They had to rely on each other from birth to trivialize their survival and not go insane. Hansel barely remembers his parents, but that doesn't really bother him. One day the twins are found by the Witch Hunters and have to undergo special training to be able to resist the witches. Hansel was very successful in this, being particularly good with one-handed weapons. Most of the time the younger twin is calm and quiet, but sometimes he has fits that make even his older sister afraid of him.

Abilities:

Unusual Longevity and Physiology — Hansel's body and mind are frozen at the age of 14 for some reason. His body also has far more amazing abilities than the average Od Laguna resident.

Witch Hunting Skills — In the past, Hansel went through extremely harsh training that was necessary to be able to stand up to monsters called witches.

Endless Hunger — Hansel accidentally looked into both eyes of the witch of Gluttony, causing him to be cursed to experience monstrous hunger. This only stops if he is near a carrier of the Gluttony gene.

Likes: Her brother, her mistress, receiving compliments on herself, humiliating other people.

Dislikes: Being useless, her looks, being dependent on her brother.

Fears: Her brother, ?????

Brief Description — Hansel and Gretel were twins, born as a result of rape. Their mother looked upon them with fear and disgust, and their father, ???. They had to rely on each other from birth to trivialize their survival and not go insane. As a child, Gretel was extremely fearful and weak-willed, for which she received constant punishments and insults from ???. She was also afraid of her brother, but later learned to communicate with him “in her own way”. During her training with the witch hunters, Gretel especially excelled in her skills with throwing weapons. Most of the time she acts arrogant and insulting, but if Gretel is met with too much pressure or stress, she will revert back to her whiny and pathetic self.

Abilities:

Unusual Longevity and Physiology — Gretel's body and mind are frozen at the age of 14 for some reason. Her body also has far more amazing abilities than the average Od Laguna resident.

Witch Hunting Skills — In the past, Gretel went through extremely harsh training that was necessary to be able to stand up to monsters called witches.

Endless Hunger — Gretel accidentally looked into both eyes of the witch of Gluttony, causing her to be cursed to experience monstrous hunger. It only stops if she is near a carrier of the Gluttony gene.

.

Likes: ???, cute things, animals, black humor, reading erotic literature.

Dislikes: Incompetence, demihumans, being judged by her age, being tsk-tsked at.

Fears: ????

Brief Description — Aurora was born into a dynasty that ruled over vast domains in the west and south of Lugunica. These territories were once common places of exile for refugees and all those who could not find a new home after the Great Calamity. Aurora's ancestors were able to turn those lands into a prosperous barony that eventually grew into a duchy and then the first Archduchy. The Iscariots even managed to become the right-hand man of the last Lion King and were granted a lifetime membership on the Council of Wise Men, a position that has been honored for generations. Aurora is very proud of her dynasty, so she tries her best to keep their legacy alive and not let all their labors fall to dust. Aurora see no Evil.

Abilities:

Magic — Aurora has an affinity for all elements of magic, but her magical abilities themselves are rather mediocre.

Swordsmanship — Despite her blindness, Aurora has an amazing level of sword skills.

???

.

Likes: Battles, order, strength, insulting her “father”

Dislikes: Losing control, her “father”, boring battles.

Fears: ????

Brief Description — Electra was born as a result of a Pride experiment. She didn't know her real parents, nor was she particularly interested in them. She is now 129 years old, which is still quite young for a creature of elven descent. She has a very strange relationship with the Archbishop of Pride, whom she calls “daddy” or “father”. That said, she is very unflattering to him and not infrequently dreams of annoying him.

Abilities — ????

.

Likes: Veritas, ???

Dislikes: When Veritas hurts himself and others.

Fears: Losing Veritas, losing ???, vehicles, losing her personality completely.

Brief Description — Janus, or Yan-chan, is a spirit contracted to the Archbishop of Pride. Janus is not her original name, but for some reason she is called by that name. Yan-chan is despised by the other spirits for helping the Archbishop of Sin, but that doesn't really bother her. For some reason, she can safely be in the presence of Pride and even more so at the bottom of the Sacred Well. She has a kind and compassionate nature, which makes her decision to cooperate with one of the Archbishops all the more bizarre. (When translating the word “Janus,” the meaning of the abbreviation address for Yan-chan was lost. Therefore, do not be surprised that when referring to Yan-chan, the first letter is Y)

Abilities:

Miasma Resistance — It's unknown why, but Yan-chan is able to withstand massive amounts of miasmas. Sometimes it seems as if she doesn't notice them at all.

.

Likes: Himself, loafing, himself, cute things, animals, himself, cultists, himself, Pandora, possibly himself, Yan-chan, most likely himself, ?????

Dislikes: Working, being tsked at.

Fears: Work.

Brief Description — Veritas is the Archbishop of the sin of Pride and one of the oldest members of the Witch Cult. He is also, in fact, the leader of the cult along with Pandora. Veritas is a complete hedonist and a compulsive liar. Claims to love everyone and everything in this world, but given the nature of his personality, this claim is highly questionable, as is everything else he says. Has a bad reputation among his fellow Archbishops, especially Lust. Only the Gluttony sinlings treat him with kindness. Veritas has his own group of cultists, which he calls the Inquisitors. Most of the funding the cult receives comes from Pride. He is considered the weakest not only among the Archbishops, but also among the rank and file of the cult in terms of physical ability. Even if his lower body wasn't paralyzed, Veritas would still lose any physical fight. Pride can be considered both the safest and most dangerous Archbishop to socialize with. He is also the author and publisher of over 90% of erotic literature worldwide. Veritas Hears No Evil.

Abilities:
Pride Authority:

1. Vision of Pride — ???
2. Superiority of Pride — ???
3. Innocent Monster (Perfect Pure Self) — ???

Authority of Gluttony (Feast) — Same as Lye (Gourmet), Roy (Bizzar Eating), and Louis (Satiation).

And Hamal gets nothing since he's a jerk.

Chapter 16: The Unnoticed Enemy

Chapter Text

— Rise and shine, Natsuki Subaru! It's a new day and new opportunities, among which might be a date with Emilia-tan!

Waking up with the first rays of sunlight, Natsuki Subaru was already cheering himself up and giving motivational speeches. Perhaps some would think him crazy for talking to himself. However, such words were more for self-soothing than for raising his spirits.

After all, he was indeed very nervous. For one thing, the girl of his dreams was living under the same roof with him! Even though it wasn't his house... And her room was two floors above... And they didn't even really talk to each other....... Also........

— Stop! Stop! Stop! Such thoughts will no longer make me nervous, but will make me depressed! — grabbing his head, Subaru decided to redirect his train of thoughts as quickly as possible. What was he initially thinking about there? Oh, yes!

Secondly, yesterday was a pretty busy day. Starting from a trip to the mansion and ending with a shared meal in this very mansion. Yes, actually nothing special happened, but for some reason everyone was so tense (except that weirdo Roswaal) that it affected Subaru too. Maybe this can be called a placebo effect?

*Knock* *Knock*

Subaru was brought out of his thoughts by a quiet knock on the door. Subaru’s heart immediately began to beat faster, because with a high probability it was one of those gorgeous girls who lived in this mansion. That is, it is either Emilia-tan or one of the maids. He didn't take into account Aurora, her evil maid and the loli librarian. They were still children, so Subaru did not perceive them as the opposite sex. Hansel and Roswaal were generally guys, so they were even more excluded from the list. Wait... Doesn't that mean that meeting a beauty at his door is, on the contrary, quite low?

*KNOCK* KNOCK* KNOCK*

Subaru jumped from a new series of knocks, which this time sounded much louder and more impatient. Realizing that he was flying in the clouds again, Subaru quickly walked to the door and hastily opened it. He was still in his sleeping robe, but it didn't bother him much.

— GOOD MORNIN Emilia-ta....! Ah, it's just you.

— Your grief and disappointment-filled look offends me a little, mister. And your morning screams and incomprehensible words encourage me to offend you back.

— I'm not overjoyed to see you, but aren't you exaggerating a bit!? And you insult me all the time anyway, you don't need an excuse to do so!

Ahead of Subaru stood a blonde-haired teenager with an extremely inexpressive expression. He reminded him of that pink-haired maid who seemed to be named Ram, if he remembered it correctly. Only he threw insults far less frequently. Subaru hadn't spent much time in the Roswaal mansion, but that sassy maid had already surpassed the Aurora twins in the productivity of humiliating him. And Hansel looked like he didn't give a damn about Subaru. Ram, on the other hand, looked at him like he was a fly drowned in her soup.

— Uh... What did you come here for? I doubt you're here for my company. — Subaru crossed his arms in front of his chest and leaned on the doorframe.

— I'm here on my mistress's orders. I was instructed to watch ov... accompany you for your safety.

— You mean “watch over,” don't you?! You think I'm some kind of child!? — Subaru made an annoyed face and bent down to the level of Hansel's head, to which he just blinked lazily.

— Of course not, mister. You're quite an independent and self-sufficient individual, capable of doing without help.

— You're not even trying to hide your sarcasm.....

— Mistress merely asked me to test the limits of your independence. You don't mind demonstrating it by wearing the costume donated by Aurora-sama to begin with, do you?

Subaru's eye twitched slightly at this kid's insolence. Yes, he was originally helped to put on that ceremonial suit (which was more like the uniform of some rich man's servant), but he couldn't do it himself back then simply due to his lack of knowledge about such ornate clothing. Even his dresses that he used while roleplay “Natsumi Schwartz” were easier to put on and wear... But now Subaru already knew the ins and outs of proper fitting, so what difficulties could there be?

— Don't worry, mister. Even if you're so clumsy about such simple things, you can just dump all the problems on the shoulders of the unfortunate children servants.

— Don't push it! I'm almost dying of shame as it is, and you want to finish me off too!

Walking through the ornate corridors of the mansion, Subaru hid his face red with embarrassment and awkwardness with his hands. Hansel, on the other hand, was walking right behind him, trying to encourage him in the way his sister had taught him.

As expected, Subaru had no luck getting dressed at all. His first attempt ended up nearly ripping his very expensive looking pants. Fortunately, the only damage was to Subaru's head, which hit the closet during his failed attempt. Afterward, Hansel forcibly helped the Japanese teenager dress, plunging him into even deeper depths of shame.

— Don't you dare tell Emilia-tan about this, do you hear me!!!? If she finds out, even seppuku won't erase my shame!

— Hm? What he can't tell me, Subaru? And what is seppuku...? — when the two boys had almost reached the stairs between the floors of the mansion, the very half elf girl that Subaru had come here for came down to them.

— E-Emilia-tan...! It's just a man-to-man conversation! I-It works like a conversation between girls, so you're not allowed to know that! Am I right, Hansel!?

— Lady Emilia has a much higher status, so I have no right to hide anything from her.

— Traitor!

— When was I on your side?

While Subaru was trying to move the conversation to another topic, and Hansel was preventing him from doing so, Emilia was embarrassedly trying to understand what they were talking about.

"Pack... Can you explain to me what Subaru meant?"

"Don't worry too much about it, Lia. They're just fooling around, so don't take it seriously."

Emilia decided to seek advice from her so-called father. Although he was a Great Fire Spirit and could not have any blood ties with the half-elf, this spirit was the closest candidate to the role of a parental figure for Emilia. Therefore, she was always ready to rely on him and trusted him completely.

While they were mentally communicating with each other, the small argument between the boy and the teen had already subsided. Now they were both looking at Emilia just staring at the green crystal that was tied around her neck with a bit of bewilderment.

— Emilia-tan, are you alright? — Subaru asked anxiously.

— Eh?! О... Y-yes, I'm fine... I just...

— Come on, Lia. No need to be so shy.

A rather playful and soft voice came from her crystal, which Subaru immediately recognized. A second later, a small cat-like creature appeared on Emilia’s shoulder, no more than 10 cm.

— Hello, Subaru! We didn't get to meet yesterday, so today I want to make up for lost time! — Puck waved his little paw friendlyly, sitting on his daughter’s shoulder.

— Ho-ho-ho... — with a sly grin, Subaru let out an exaggerated laugh. — It turns out that my future father-in-law already wants to get to know his son-in-law better~?

— I’m grateful for saving my daughter, but I won’t give her up so easily! Don't even hope to receive my blessing! — still keeping a playful smile on his face, Puck crossed his arms in front of his chest and turned away from Subaru.

— Ha... Boys, stop fooling around. Not everyone is awake yet, so stop making noise. — with a slight pout, Emilia poked Puck's nose weakly, treating it as a punishment for fooling around. Although, judging by his satisfied face, the punishment wasn't very effective.

— It was too late to give such warnings. One extremely independent and self-sufficient individual already....

— Why don't you silence for a while, huh!? I'm deciding my future here! — Subaru had already forgotten about Hansel's existence, but this blissful ignorance could not last long.

— Subaru! — Emilia pouted even more, frowning her eyebrows slightly at Subaru's raised tone.

— Haha... I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Emilia-tan. Can you please forgive me? Or else your cute disgruntled face will cause my heart to stop! — embarrassedly scratching the back of his head, Subaru decided to quickly rectify the situation. Complimenting a girl's appearance was a proven classic, so he decided to improve her mood with just that.

— You really do like to say weird things. And you shouldn't joke about cardiac arrest! It's very dangerous! — despite her rebuke, Emilia's face softened a bit after Subaru's words.

— I think my words were misunderstood.... Emilia-tan, you shouldn't take it so literally! Besides, I'm a growing man in the prime of his life, so I won't be facing any heart problems anytime soon!

For some reason, cold sweat began to run down Subaru's back, and it was as if his inner voice was begging him to take those words back. Could it be because of his hungry stomach...?

— Hehehe. Don't take offense to my little girl, she hasn't talked to people much, so she doesn't have much experience in socializing.

— Puck! You're dumbhead! — Emilia's cheeks turned slightly pink with embarrassment. In response to her outrage, Puck just playfully stuck out his tongue and tapped himself lightly on the head with his little paw.

— Who even says “dumbhead” nowadays...? — Subaru was a bit surprised at the use of such outdated words, but in his opinion, it only added to the silver-haired girl's charm.

— By the way, Subaru. I never thanked you for saving my daughter. Since Roswaal has already decided to honor your every request as a reward, I will do the same. Ask me for anything you want~! Except for my daughter of course. — Puck jumped off Emilia's shoulder and flew closer to Subaru. Although he maintained his playful demeanor, but a sincere gratitude could clearly be heard in his tone.

— Hmph... Anything I want... Hmmm..... It's decided! I want to be able to touch your soft fur at any time!

Everyone, even Hansel, looked at Subaru extremely perplexed, as if he was some unknown beast. Puck was the quickest to come to his senses, simply shrugging his shoulders and landing on Subaru's arms, for which he was immediately subjected to extremely skillful stroking.

— This is a rather... Unusual request... Are you sure it's enough for you? — Emilia asked, a little jealous as she watched her father smiling contentedly under Subaru's touch.

— I am a true connoisseur of good fur! I can tell its quality just by looking at it! For me to be able to touch such fluffiness is quite the reward.

Subaru was sincere in his words. He had been into sewing and needlework since childhood, so he had an idea of the quality of materials for such activities. From thread to fur. These were all things that Subaru enjoyed and was passionate about, aside from computer games. He also had a weakness for cats, as once upon a time there was a blond cat that lived in their house that he loved to play with. Subaru no longer remembers what happened to him, but for some reason trying to remember it makes him sad....

— Mrrrr... meow~! Hehehehehehe~ Lia, you have to save me! Just a little bit more and I'll really think about his candidacy~! O-Oh~... — Puck was definitely experiencing great pleasure from being stroked. He even started to involuntarily make cat noises.

— You know, if you continue to make such sounds and talk in that kind of voice, I'll just be embarrassed to do it anymore.... I wanted to seduce Emilia-tan, not you!

— Mou... I told you to stop your dabbling.... — despite complaining, Emilia just smiled warmly after seeing how well her father and savior get along with each other.

Subaru froze for a while after seeing such a smile from the half elf. His cheeks turned pink and his mouth opened involuntarily. Noticing such a reaction, Puck flew out of Subaru's hands and slapped him on the nose at high speed.

— Ouch! It actually even feels good, but why!? — Subaru came out of his trance and lightly scratched his nose. Puck's soft paws really weren't a particularly formidable weapon.

— I just can't hold my temper! I'm not actually mad at you, but my fatherly feelings just can't take it! — Puck assumed some semblance of a boxer's stance and began slapping Subaru weakly. They were slightly annoying, but it was still better than an enraged father throwing huge ice spikes at his hapless son-in-law.

Emilia chuckles slightly at the sight, but after a couple seconds her eyes widened slightly, as if remembering something.

— That's right! Subaru, I haven't thanked you yet! You saved my life, and I didn't even say a simple thank you...

— Don't worry about it, Emilia-tan! I didn't do it for the reward, I did it so that you can smile in the future!

— But you accepted a reward from me, didn't you?

— And you didn't refuse Lord Roswaal's request.

— Don't spoil the atmosphere! — Subaru looked angrily at the two rascals who were clearly unwilling to let him show his best side.

— Still... I can't just leave you with nothing. If you need anything, then don't hesitate to ask me for it.

— Why are you being stubborn.... Hm..... — Subaru was about to reject Emilia's generous offer again when an idea suddenly came to his mind.

— It's decided! I know what I'll ask of you, but it'll be a secret for now! Once I've prepared everything, then I'll tell you what I want!

— Subaru... It won't be something indecent...? I really don't want to get in trouble.

— Do I look like the head of the yakuza to everyone or what!?

As much as Subaru wanted to continue talking to Emilia, she had her own things to do. He had wanted to join her at first, but with one little intruder in the romantic atmosphere following him around, that idea was quickly discarded.

— You're going to get it someday! To interfere in a relationship between a man and a woman is one of the greatest crimes against all that is holy!

— You don't have a relationship. And I don't care how it comes back to me.

The two guys continued their way to the kitchen after saying goodbye to Emilia and Puck. Even though Subaru had made peace with the missed opportunity to spend time alone with her, there was still a residue of resentment. And right now, he was taking his resentment out on the cause of that resentment.

— Hmm? You may be too young to realize it yet, but one day you too will know the wonderful feeling of first love...!

— In your case, it's more like light crush.

— ...And you will realize how inexcusable your actions were from any man's point of view. If you too will be prevented from spending time with your love, you will remember me and my words, but it will be too late to regret your actions! — ignoring Hansel's comment, Subaru gave his verdict.

— Even so, I still don't care. The only people who matter to me are my dear elder sister and my mistress. The rest are not important. — Hansel replied firmly without even looking at his interlocutor.

Subaru felt the slight bitterness in his mouth again. He had always wanted to avoid topics about siblings. Especially about twins. And as luck would have it, it was like he was under some sort of curse. Consciously, he had only spent about three days in this world, if included the time before his first death. But in that short period of time here, he had already met two pairs of twins. What was the probability of that even happening? However, it wasn't enough. The first twins he had met bore the same names as the fairy tale characters that Subaru, along with his own twin, had cast in a children's play. If that wasn't a blow under the breath from the universe itself, he really did have extremely sh*tty luck then.

— Hmm. Something doesn't really sound like your sister thinks the same about you... I've seen and heard you two talk to each other before. I doubt Gretel would say anything nice about you... — Subaru wanted to punch himself in the face and apologize for his words, but something prevented him from doing so. Why did he even say that!?

It was probably envy. People always want what they don't have, but others do. Especially if they lost it once and others didn't have it. If envious people can't get or get back what others have, they have no other option but to ruin the lives of the more “fortunate”. Subaru understood that perfectly well. And he understood how despicable what he was doing right now was. But he just couldn't take back his words. It was as if any sense of regret or remorse were blocked to his words. And even if he apologized, what he had said could never be taken back....

Despite the expected feelings of anger or contempt, the blond-haired servant simply stopped and looked up at the ceiling. Subaru wanted to say something again, but couldn't find the strength to do so. All he could do was humbly wait for the consequences of what he had said to fall upon him.

— Sister... Expresses her affection in her own way. If there's anything you don't like about it, discuss it with her. I know my sister better than anyone, so don't try to educate me on how she feels about me. — after saying that, Hansel continued walking to the kitchen without expressing even the slightest bit of emotion towards Subaru.

The same one just stood still for a while, lowering his head in shame. The fact that not a single insult, angry rebuke, or hateful curse was uttered in his direction only made Subaru feel even more guilty and disgusted with himself. He remembered how some of the kids at school had rejoiced at his sister's disappearance. He remembered how even the teachers looked relieved by it. He remembered how he had yelled at them for it. He remembered how many times he wished they could experience the same thing he himself had. However, they had all just ignored him. As if it was all just a child's tantrum over a lost toy. This only made his hatred for them and the school in particular grow stronger.

And now Subaru had done almost exactly the same thing as them. But he got nothing in retaliation. No hate, no resentment. Acted like a petulant child towards a completely uninvolved person and has yet to receive any punishment at all for it.

Has he really not grown up at all in all this time...?

They ended up spending the rest of the way to the dining hall in complete silence. Hansel rarely started a conversation first, and Subaru was too embarrassed right now to even just walk beside him. If he hadn't promised to help maid twin sisters with their chores yesterday, Subaru would have been in his room long ago, cursing himself for his behavior.

When they reached the kitchen, Ram, Rem and Gretel were already working there. Their gazes immediately fell on the new arrivals as soon as they opened the doors and walked in.

— Finally! Where have you been?! You should have been here at least half an hour earlier! — Gretel decided to greet them with her indignation. She was obviously going to say something else, but seeing the look on Subaru and Hansel's faces, she decided to hold off.

— Hm...? What have you two don-

— It's nothing, sister. Mister had a nightmare and wet his bed. It took a little while to get mister and the bed cleaned up. — interrupting his sister, Hansel mercilessly slandered Subaru with a made up reason for their delay. Subaru didn't even try to dispute it in any way, as he was still in too bad a mood for such bickering.

Gretel, however, didn't seem convinced by such an explanation. Normally she would have been happy to accept it and make fun of him, but something about the whole thing made her too suspicious. She was about to speak again, but the pink-haired maid beat her to it.

— Hmm. Something like this is to be expected from Barusu. First invading young ladies' personal space, and then later starting to lose control of his body over a slight scare, like a little kid. Do you agree with me, Rem? — ignoring the squint from Gretel, Ram turned to her sister for support.

— Y-Yes... I agree Nee-sama. — the younger twin who was looking at Subaru with a strange look replied uncertainly.

— Since when did my name become some kind of curse...? — Subaru decided to stop keeping an awkward silence after all, because otherwise he would make the atmosphere even more uncomfortable.

After that, the mood in the kitchen slightly improved. Gretel and Rem still looked rather suspiciously at Subaru, but most of the time everyone spent working.

About work, by the way. As it turned out, Subaru was a complete zero at house working. He barely knew how to use a knife to peel fruits and vegetables, he was bad with garden shears, he almost wiped all the skin off his palms on the washboard... The list could go on for a long time, but the general idea is pretty easy to grasp.

Subaru was actually quite good in housework. However, that statement only worked in the 21st century. In a fantasy world with no washing machines, vacuum cleaners, or vegetable choppers, the average Japanese teenager pampered by modern technology had a very hard time adjusting.

To avoid falling in the eyes of others as a completely useless freeloader, Subaru decided to at least help with grocery shopping. All the supplies for the mansion are bought from a village nearby, since that village is also part of the Roswaal domain. Usually the maid sisters do this, but this time it was just Rem and Subaru who volunteered to help her.

Hansel was supposed to go with him, since he was ordered to look after him, but Subaru managed to talk everyone out of it. Hansel himself wasn't exactly eager to prevent it, as he could clearly sense how uncomfortable the black-haired young man was around him. That thought made Subaru's stomach twist even tighter....

— Ouch!

— Did something happen?

— It's nothing, I guess I just got sand in my eyes.... — rubbing his eyes, Subaru brushed off his escort's worries as they made their way to the village at a fast pace.

Subaru had already gotten to see the village during the time when he was just approaching the mansion in Aurora's carriage. So he didn't notice anything particularly new to him here. The only thing that surprised him here was the rather good condition of the village itself. He certainly hadn't expected such cleanliness and tidiness in such a sparsely populated settlement. However, when he thought about it, it wasn't really anything out of the ordinary. After all, this village was near one of the residences of the Margrave who owned the territories in question. If the village looked shabby, it would create quite a bad reputation for Roswaal himself. Subaru didn't know much about all this, so he decided to just forget about it and continue to wait peacefully for Rem, who was buying groceries from a local merchant.

Well, peaceful is too strong a word. For some unprecedented reason, a whole bunch of kids had invaded his personal space and decided to use him as their new toy. The group consisted mostly of boys, but two girls were still present among them. One of them, who had dark blue hair, was rather quiet and shy, but the other was much more energetic and cheerful. At this point, almost all of the children were using his body as some sort of playground that they could freely climb on. Fortunately for him, it didn't last long. As soon as he saw Rem approaching him with full bags, he quickly got all the kids off of him and promised to play with them later.

— Those kids really liked you.... — while they were slowly walking back to the mansion, Rem suddenly decided to start a conversation. Subaru was surprised by this as he thought the blue-haired maid didn't like him.

— Hmph! That obnoxious little thing doesn't appreciate other people's privacy at all. I practically have their drool and snot all over my suit now! Kids have always liked me for some reason, but I've mostly gotten in trouble for it....

— Kids are like animals, they sense the goodness in people and thus realize who they can bully.

— They're lousy... They have no respect for others... — said Subaru, a little out of breath, already feeling tired from carrying a rather heavy bag of groceries.

— Have you shown them something to respect you for?

— Fair enough... But when you're immediately put into the caste of "unworthy" it's still unpleasant!

The next morning Subaru woke up more lethargic than usual. With a loud yawn he got out of bed, scratching his slightly itchy face in the process. He had always been an early bird and woke up mostly immediately and without any problems, but this time, apparently, his act of yesterday had kept him awake, which made him sleep poorly.

— Okay! Self-pity in the morning is definitely not something you should be doing! If you're in a bad mood, radio gymnastics is the way to go!

Believing his words, Subaru changed his clothes (by himself this time) and went outside for his morning workout. To his surprise, Aurora and Roswaal were already standing outside before him. They were talking about something, which aroused Subaru's unnecessary curiosity.

— Good morning! — arrogantly interrupting their conversation, Subaru ran up to them with an extremely good-natured look, hoping to ease their displeasure if they were displeased by his interference.

— Hmmmm~? What brings you here at such an early hour, Subaru-kuuun? — with his typical annoying way of speaking, Roswaal asked.

— Eh... Isn't it obvious? It's just someone who has nothing better to do, so he's trying to entertain himself. — with an irritated sigh, Aurora made a very accurate guess about Subaru's motives.

— Hehehe... It's just that I hardly saw you yesterday, and today you suddenly decided to take a walk together in the fresh air since morning.... In a way, I'm actually a little curious about that....

Roswaal only chuckled a couple times in response to the Japanese teenager's words, when as Aurora simply rolled her unseeing eyes.

— I realize how it might look from the outside, but I assuuuuuure you, we're just discussing sooooome financial matters between us. And doing it all the tiiiiime in my stuffy office is rather uncoooomfortable, so we've decided to move our discussion heeeere~.

Roswaal's answer turned out to be really quite boring and trivial. Financial matters were definitely not a topic Subaru was willing or able to support. All he had to do was lower his head dejectedly, feeling dissatisfied with the information he had received.

— We were just finishing up, so you doooon't have to worry about disturbing us with your preeeesence. We'll discuss further details laaaaater~ — after bowing slightly to Aurora, Roswaal went back to his mansion, leaving Subaru and the young Archduch*ess alone.

— Did something happen to you? — interrupting the silence that had formed between them after Roswaal left, Aurora suddenly asked Subaru a question.

— Huh... Uh? No, why would you think that....

— I can hear it in your voice. Even after recovering for five days, you sounded much more alive and awake. So it's logical to assume that you're feeling less than normal today.

— Hehehe... It's so noticeable, isn't it...? — with an awkward chuckle, Subaru decided not to hide it from Aurora. After all, that was what he wanted to talk to her about.

— Actually, I did something rather... unkind to Hansel yesterday. I wouldn't want to get into the details of that... But if it's possible, can you suggest me how I can make it up to him?

Aurora was silent for a while, as if pondering how to answer her. After a while, she adjusted her slightly slipped white flower from her hair and gave her answer.

— It's a waste of time. Hansel is almost impossible to hurt, so your worries are misplaced. If you really hurt him, then I would know about it right away.

— Even if you did, I can't just-!

— Yes, you can. Here's my advice, go to your room and rest. You've been working yourself up into a frenzy, and now you're not feeling well. If you're going to apologize, do it with a clear head.

After that, Aurora also returned to the mansion, leaving Subaru completely alone this time. However, there was meaning in her words. Not the one he had hoped for, but still better than nothing.

With a weary sigh, Subaru decided to take her advice after all and get some proper rest before fixing his joints...

— Hmph! There's nothing wrong with that impudent, I suppose. It's an illness related to the imperfections of your human body, and Betty doesn't know much about such matters.

— To be honest, I don't feel “okay”.... Khe.....

— Lie back and don't point. You need to rest, not act normal.

Subaru was in his bed, covered by several layers of blankets. The loli librarian and Aurora were next to him, checking on his condition. This was the fifth day of his stay at the Roswaal mansion. As it turned out, he had neglected to pay proper attention to his poor health on the morning of the third day, which he had written off as just stress. After that, he only got worse. First he started to feel nauseous, then vomiting, then his temperature rose noticeably, and his body was covered with red spots that itched constantly. He also had a faint cough and slightly blurred vision, but compared to the rest of his symptoms, it felt like nothing.

— You're fine in terms of soul and gate. Betty found no defects or curses, so my work here is done, I suppose.

— Thank you again for your cooperation, Lady Beatrice. We'll try not to bother you again.

— Hmph! — a disgruntled Beatrice left Subaru's room with a sneer and went straight to her library with the help of a spell.

After the Great Spirit left, the room became quiet for a while. Subaru usually didn't like silence, but because of his condition, he accepted it with great joy.

— You really like getting into trouble, don't you? I can't even imagine where you could have picked up such an infection.... We all ate the same food, so it can't be poisoning.

— You think about it too much. Idiots don't get sick for long, so I'll be fine in no time! Ahem... — Subaru tried to look more cheerful, but a cough and another attack of scabies prevented him from doing so.

— Eh... Suit yourself... If there's anything you need, just let me know via the metia I left for you on the nightstand. You do remember how to use it, right?

— Trust me, I definitely don't want to forget about it anytime soon... hehehehehe....

With another sigh, Aurora left Subaru to rest in peace and quiet. He tiredly closed his eyes and tried to sleep once more. Subaru only hoped that by tomorrow morning he would be alright and not become an even bigger burden...
.........
.......
....
.

— Ha.... Haaah... Khm...!

Late at night, Subaru woke up to a sudden pain all over his body. He wanted to get out of bed, but he found it hard to move. It wasn't just because of the pain, but also because of the strange sensations that were all over his body.

These 'sensations' were constantly moving from place to place, from place to place, from place to place... Like blood flowing through his veins and arteries. These “sensations” felt like some kind of throbbing, and at the same time like being pricked by thousands of micro needles. And it was all under his skin. From the bottom of his body to the top. It was a burning agony that didn't want to stay in one place, while being on every millimeter of his body.

— Kha...! H... Hgelp... KGaHM!

Subaru tried to put all his willpower into getting out of bed and reaching for the metia on his nightstand. He only managed to get into a sitting position before he vomited again. The scalding acid of his stomach spewed out onto the floor, along with the last remnants from his dinner. His body began to shiver uncontrollably after that, as if he was being frozen with a terrible force.

Subaru wrapped his arms around his body to create some illusion of warmth, and then began to slowly rise from the soiled bed. Given the intense trembling in his knees and the hellish internal pain, Subaru's progress was extremely slow.

However, he still managed to do so. Slowly getting up from the bed, he carefully and leisurely took a step towards his nightstand. After all, Subaru was well aware that if he fell down now, he wouldn't be able to get up again.

— C-c-com-m o-n-n-n...GHa...! Gh-w-were the i-i-tt...

Subaru's panic increased dramatically. His hope of contacting Aurora and getting help was the main force that still kept his mind from completely losing touch with reality. But he could not find the mirror that Aurora left him. It simply wasn't on the nightstand. No matter how much he peered at it, no matter how many times he ran his hand over the smooth wooden surface, it was all in vain.

— Hee.. Khghee... Ha... T-thi...s can-not be... Eh...? Ahh.... AHHHHHHHHH!

Subaru felt a sharp pain near his right wrist. The pulsation in that place increased sharply, as did the pain itself. Subaru desperately grabbed the spot with his other hand, trying to stay on his feet. His mind could no longer think rationally and so he simply continued to hold his hand tightly while letting out loud screams and groans of pain.

Literally a couple of seconds after the piercing sensations, which lasted for hours for the poor boy, he noticed how a hole began to appear in that place... And SOMETHING crawled out of this hole.

It was an insect. An insect that somewhat resembled a hybrid between a dragonfly, a fly and a wasp. Its abdomen was thin and long, as were its wings. And IT just came right out of his body.

Subaru began to shake his head incredulously, taking a couple steps back with an extremely desperate and disgusted semblance to a smile. As if realizing that their "vessel" had finally figured it all out, the infernal needle throbbing became even stronger.

Unfortunately for Subaru, he finally decided to look at himself in the mirror, as if using his last hope and praying hard that it was just-a nightmare. But it wasn't a dream. And his reflection spoke louder than any words could.

Every area under his skin was covered with the outlines of these insects. They were the very ripples that moved from place to place.... Now that Subaru could no longer deny reality. He could no longer ignore the buzzing that had been driving him crazy for the entire fifth day. He could no longer ignore the fact that his right eye could no longer see.... He could no longer......

— AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! GHAEKUHN!!!

Subaru collapsed to the floor with a piteous scream, feeling as if he was about to explode from the inside out. Many areas on his skin were torn by small insects that used their sharp stingers to cut their way to freedom. His body was covered with many neatly shaped cluster holes, as if made by some surgeon.

Despite the excruciating pain, Subaru's body barely moved, only occasionally making twitching movements. It was as if it was telling Subaru that it was too late to save himself. If you resist, it will only get worse. His eyes could no longer see as they were bursting due to the insects coming out of them.

Subaru didn't know how long this hell lasted, but being moments away from death he realized that his entire room was already full of buzzing insects..........

[Death 2: Trypophobia.]

Chapter 17: Sound of chains

Chapter Text

— GHAAAAAA!

The first rays of sunlight seeped through the window of one of the guest rooms. The clear, cloudless sky only added to the impression of good weather from the morning. It would seem that at a time like this, there would hardly be anyone who would be dissatisfied with this morning. However...

— HA..... Gqh.... Gkha....

The boy who was lying in bed woke up abruptly with a hoarse cry. His eyes were severely narrowed and he was thrashing around the room in wild panic. After a few seconds he seemed to feel better. His breathing returned to normal a bit and his eyes stopped frantically looking at every corner of the room.

But it was only like that at first glance. Natsuki Subaru started touching his face everywhere, as if he couldn't believe his whole fortune.

Buzzing buzzing buzzing buzzing buzzing buzzing buzzing buzzing buzzing buzzing buzzing buzzing...
Holes appear in his cheeks..... His eyes burst either from pressure or from sharp mandibles...

Feeling a sharp urge to vomit, he immediately desperately covered his mouth with his hands. At this moment, he didn't even think about vomiting. He didn’t want anything to leave his body... More precisely, he didn’t want to see it......

Buzzing Buzz Buzz Buzz Buzz Buzz Buzz Buzz Buzz Buzz Buzz Buzz Buzz Buzz Buzz buzzing buzzing buzzing buzzing buzzing buzzing buzzing... They were even in his stomach. They swam in its internal acid, as if it were their natural habitat.....

— Hmm... Mhhhh....

Subaru's body began to tremble uncontrollably, causing him to remove his hands from his mouth and instead hug himself. He seemed to be very sick, although he did not have a fever. Painful goosebumps covered his entire body, making him remember the thousands of small needles crawling on him...

BUZZING BUZZING BUZZING BUZZING BUZZING BUZZING BUZZING BUZZING BUZZING BUZZING BUZZING BUZZING BUZZING BUZZING BUZZING BUZZING BUZZING BUZZING BUZZING BUZZING BUZZING BUZZING BUZZING BUZZING BUZZING BUZZING BUZZING BUZZING BUZZING BUZZING BUZZING BUZZING BUZZING BUZZING BUZZING BUZZING BUZZING BUZZING BUZZING BUZZING BUZZING BUZZING BUZZING BUZZING BUZZING BUZZING BUZZING BUZZING BUZZING BUZZING BUZZING BUZZING BUZZING BUZZING ....

*CLAP*

Among the phantom pains and sounds that did not want to leave his consciousness, Subaru barely heard a loud bang from the sharply opened door. But he did not even show any reaction to this, continuing to remain in his semi-conscious state.

The one who invaded Subaru's room was Hansel. In fact, he had been standing near his door for some time, patiently waiting for the Japanese teenager to wake up. It might seem creepy to some, but he was doing so on the orders of his mistress as a precaution. Hansel had good hearing, so it wasn't a difficult task for him. However, upon hearing mister's shrill scream, Hansel's plans changed abruptly. He first knocked on the door a few times and quickly asked if everything was okay in there. What if mister was just having a nightmare? Hansel would have understand that. But there was still no answer. Then Hansel heard a few faint and hoarse moans start coming from the room, which then changed to quiet sobbing. Realizing that talking wasn't likely to help now, Hansel stormed into the room, opening the door wide open.

What he saw inside, though it was in line with his expectations, was still a sense of surprise.

The same black-haired young man who had looked completely normal, alert and cheerful yesterday was now the complete opposite of all that. Tears were streaming down his face nonstop, which sometimes flowed directly into his mouth, which was open in a silent scream. His face was incredibly pale, as if he had just been sentenced to death by burning. The boy's eyes were wide open, and the pupils in them would dilate then sharply constrict. It was noticeable how much his body was shaking, which was probably caused by convulsions. There was a rather pungent and unpleasant odor wafting through the room, which probably came from the vomit on the sheets and blankets. Although, the odor might well come from other involuntary secretions, which could be discovered afterwards.... Right now, it was necessary to figure out what had happened here in the first place.

— SUBARU-SAN!

Trying to bring the guy to his senses, Hansel ran up to him and began to shake his body lightly, shouting his name along the way. He didn't want to jump to more drastic action right away, but his lack of response to external stimuli was a rather... serious problem. A few light slaps on the cheek didn't do the trick either. Fortunately, Hansel had one advantage that was just right for situations like this.

Putting his hands on Subaru's trembling body, the blond-haired youth activated his Yang magic to calm the obviously traumatized teenager. The so-called light magic was capable of enhancing not only a person's physical abilities, but also mental abilities. Although given the degree of... of the patient's instability, at best it would just bring him back to consciousness. Hansel specialized primarily in combat applications of his magic, not supportive ones.

— Why it had to happen on my shift...? Uh, okay. If I can get him to sleep, I'll have to report it to the mistress immediately and.... — Hansel suddenly felt himself being dragged. This caused his monologue to be interrupted and he let out a rather uncharacteristic squeak.

As it turned out, that dragging force was his patient. Subaru, still in delirium, grabbed Hansel and pulled him to him. The servant was now almost tightly pressed against the teenager's body, feeling himself being squeezed by the surprisingly strong embrace of a not particularly strong-looking guy. He was now unknowingly being used like a cuddle pillow or body warmer.

A little more and Hansel would have instinctively cut off this guy's head. He was trained to kill, so such a reaction was not surprising. Although how he didn’t have time to react to such a sudden “hug” was another question. Was he really that distracted? Or was he just so blind to seeing Subaru as any threat? Hansel must not forget that even the most stupid-looking fool can turn out to be an enemy spy or murderer...

Hansel also simply did not like such... close physical contact. Especially with men. The only ones with whom he did not feel at least some discomfort were his sister and mistress. Only with them could he stop feeling like a “Doll”...

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Hansel quickly turned his head, driving away the obsessive images. Let the past remain in the past. Now was not the time or place to reminisce.

Fortunately, a few muffled wheezes helped distract him. Sighing softly, Hansel continued his attempts to calm the mister with magic. He would have preferred to do this in less cramped circ*mstances, but a little could still be tolerated. Besides, it turned out to be not so bad. Although the sheets wet from tears and the disgusting smell definitely did not make me want to drag out this process...

— I must insist. You need bed rest for at least a day, preferably a week.

— I'm telling you, I'm fine now... It's not like I broke my leg or anything like that...

After receiving a look of skepticism in return, Subaru dejectedly hung his head. He can't even dispute it in any way, as his lie is quite obvious.

Hansel still managed to bring Subaru to his senses. At first it only made his mental state worse, but after a couple of minutes Subaru finally realized that he was no longer in that nightmare. It didn't make him feel much better, but it did stop him from trying to pull insects out of his skin or trying to jump out of the window. After that, Hansel helped him clean himself up, though Subaru prefers not to think about it. It's still pretty awkward and embarrassing to have another guy help you to the bathroom and wash you. Subaru is still barely able to move his limbs, so it was expected.

— W-well, we promised to help the girls today, remember? It won't be nice of us if we don't come to them..... — Subaru started going through all the options that could help him convince Hansel to let him out of the room. Fortunately, he had already guessed what time period his save point was in this time. Hansel had only come to see him since morning on his second day at the mansion, so that made his calculations much easier.

— We're already late for the appointed time. Besides, you're clearly incapable of any physical labor today. I don't really care about your condition, but I don't want to let Mistress down. So if you don't want to rest voluntarily, I'll have to force you to.

— You know, if you had said that to me under different circ*mstances, I would even kissed you, hehehe.... — Subaru tried to ease the tense atmosphere a bit, but the blonde-haired servant didn't fall for it.

Biting his trembling lip, Subaru tried to think of a way to coax Hansel out. He really didn't mind staying in his bed and not going anywhere. He really wanted to just go to sleep and forget about his past death as soon as possible. It wasn't just his body that was begging for it, but his mind as well. However, that was not an option for Subaru. After all, what were the odds that it wouldn't happen to him again? Or to the others? Or maybe everyone else had also died because of those insects in the past loop..... Either way, he really needed to find out how and why it happened. And the sooner the better...

— I hope you will take my recommendations. I wish you a pleasant rest, but if I see you leave the room, I'll....

— Wait! — Subaru abruptly got up from the bed and grabbed Hansel's arm, who was already walking away. It was noticeable how hard he managed it.

— Ha... Mister, I'll say it again, you can't...

— I want to make my request to Roswaal! You're not going to stop me from doing that, are you?

Hansel's eyes widened slightly at Subaru's words, but he quickly hid it and gently removed the black-haired teenager's hand from his own.

— In that case, there's no need for you to leave your bed. I will inform Lord Roswaal of your wish. He will come as soon as he is free. — already feeling a little irritated, the blond servant was about to leave the guest room again, but he was again stopped in the same way.

— Wait, wait... Why would Roswaal himself come to a poor peasant like me? Wouldn't that be an insult to a person of his status? — Subaru was definitely not willing to give up so easily.

— You're right, but not in this situation. Lord Roswaal is a rather... eccentric personality.

— I've noticed.

— ...and one of his quirks is that he has little concern for anyone's status. So you don't have to worry about a breach of etiquette.

...Subaru seems like he should be glad that the owner of the mansion and Emilia's sponsor isn't some stuck-up nobleman who looks down on everyone, but it still didn't help to suppress his irritation towards him. Roswaal was basically just making Subaru feel strangely nervous and rejected, even though they had only known each other for five days.

— Listen. I'm really feeling better. I just had a bad dream, that's all... Don't worry about it. — Subaru could barely get the last part of his sentence out as the memories of his past life came back to him. His breathing became ragged and his face paled a few more tones.

Seeing that the man in front of him was getting sick again, Hansel covered his eyes and sighed quietly. He would definitely be in trouble after this. Mistress and big sister would obviously not be happy once they found out about it. However, it still seemed like a better choice than leaving an unstable person alone in a room, even if putting him to sleep before doing so.

— Okay, you can come out... But try not to get away from m-WA!?

— THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! You're my savior! — Subaru instantly grabbed the blond-haired servant and lifted him above him. He then started spinning on the spot, which caused many protesting shouts.

— L-l-l-l-l-l-l-e-e-e-e-t-t-t-t m-m-m-m-e-e-e-e d-d-d-d-o-o-o-o-w-w-w-w-n-n-n-n!!! — for the first time in front of Subaru, Hansel's expression lost its usual detachment, replaced by something between anger, embarrassment, and a desire to kill. His cheeks flushed slightly, and his eyes filled with panic and confusion.

— Haha! You know, you're surprisingly light! Just a little more and you'll be cute enough to make me want to pinch your chee- OUCH!

The spinning in circles stopped abruptly as Hansel could no longer tolerate such humiliation and used the full power of his jaws on Subaru's poor arm.

— ...Come on, are you really offend-

— I'm not offended. — Hansel's curt reply only confirmed Subaru's suspicions.

After the success of his entreaties, Subaru immediately got dressed (surprising Hansel a bit) and went to the kitchen. However, the blond-haired boy now kept some distance from Subaru. Perhaps such a drastic invasion of privacy was really not the best decision on his part.... But that embarrassed face was definitely worth it. Plus, this time it was without that awkward conversation like in the previous cycle...

Subaru flinched sharply again at the mental mention of his past attempt. Once he got over that, he'd need to stop doing that... Speaking of which.

How did this even happen? He'd heard somewhere that some insects could lay eggs in a person's body. Gadflies for example. But the likelihood of that is pretty slim, and it's unlikely that they're capable of laying so... a lot. However, this theory now seems the most likely, so Subaru decided to stick with it.

Now we can move on to the next question. When did this happen? Yesterday and today in the previous cycle we was fine, which is true for the current cycle. But on the third day we got worse. It was minor, but a little noticeable. And on the following days it just got worse. So we will be infected either during the night or during that day.....

— And what will all this give me!? It's not like it makes things any easier at all! — Subaru stopped abruptly and yelled throughout the hallway, grabbing his head. What was he supposed to do with this information of dubious validity!!!? Capture every insect that caught his eye!?

— ...Letting him out was indeed a mistake..... — Hansel stepped further away from the crazy teenager, who out of nowhere decided to scream beside him. And after all, some people were still saying he was insane...

They finally reached the kitchen, where a furious Ram and Gretel were already waiting for them. Rem was just looking at Subaru as if he had pooped on her doorstep.... Unfortunately for Subaru, they didn't meet Emilia on the way. She was either outside or studying. Wait a minute...

— I'm illiterate in this world!

— If only that... — Hansel muttered quietly, his opinion of Subaru changing rapidly. Whereas before he thought he was just some weird runaway son of some rich guy, now he thought he was the crazy and weird runaway son of some crazy rich guy.

The two guys were now going to get supplies in the village, which was also the case in the previous cycle. Only this time Subaru was walking specifically with Hansel instead of Rem. This was mostly due to the decision of Hansel himself, who didn't want to let Subaru go unsupervised. This time he didn't give in to his entreaties. Though Subaru himself wasn't particularly eager to change that. For some reason today, the blue-haired maid was rather... unhappy with the Japanese teenager's company. Even he himself had noticed it. The others hadn't changed much this cycle, save for a couple extra words of contempt from Gretel and Ram, who were unhappy with their tardiness. Hansel, on the other hand...

— OUCH! Why!? — Subaru began rubbing his poor cheek, which had received a smack from Aurora's servant.

— Oops. I meant to swat a mosquito. I apologize, I overdid it. — Hansel put his hand to his mouth and opened his eyes wide, as if that really wasn't his intention.

— A dead fish has more emotion than your apology! Did you really dislike my fun attraction so much that you're still offended!?

— I'm not offended. It's just that you were staring at me too hard, so I thought something had happened to you again. — Hansel turned away from Subaru and took out a white handkerchief from his pocket. Even though his hands were gloved, he decided to wipe them anyway.

— Come on, is it really that disgusting for you to touch me? I don't have the plague or anything like that... — Subaru looked at Hansel and his attempts to wipe his gloves with slight irritation. Not only had he been punched in the face so easily, but now the puncher was showing his disgust at it....

— By the way, I got a hit.

— There were no mosquitoes!

— If you weren't in the clouds, you would have seen him. Or at least heard it...

Subaru sighed, deciding to leave this topic alone after all. Especially since they had almost reached the village. Perhaps that was where there would be some clue as to the cause of his gruesome demise...

Night had fallen. The sun had already hidden behind the horizon and the moon and stars had taken the place of the heavens. Almost all the lights in the mansion had already been extinguished, as everyone was supposed to be asleep at this hour. Of course, this rule was sometimes ignored, especially by the owner of the mansion. But right now, he wasn't the only one awake at this late hour.

— Hm~ I heard that Subaru-kuuuuuuuun wasn't feeling well today. Aren't you worried about hiiiiim, Lady Archduke?

— Why would I be? He just seemed strange and kind of funny. He's not important enough to put such an annoying feeling like “excitement” into it.

Roswaal's private office contained three persons. The first was the owner of the office himself. The second was Aurora, who sat across from him and drank something from her glass. The third was Ram, the eldest of the twin maids. She stood by her master's side, showing restraint, elegance, and bearing throughout the conversation, as befitted a worthy maid. If a certain black-haired teenager had seen this, he would have immediately diagnosed this maid with a split personality.

In fact, Ram was only outwardly adhering to this image. Inwardly, she wanted the Archduch*ess to leave as soon as possible. Ram, like Rem, had disliked her from the moment they met. Roswaal and Aurora knew and understood that, but they preferred not to let the maid know about it. It was quite amusing for both of them to see (for Aurora to hear and feel) her trying to hold back in the presence of an important but disliked person.

— Reaaaaly~? But if that were true, you wouldn't have sent your seeeeeervants to keep an eye on him, much leeeeeess bring him with you to my house. — Roswaal covered his blue eye, looking at Aurora with his yellow one.

— I just noticed a lot of similarities between the two of you, so I thought I'd introduce you.

— Let me ask you, what similarities did you find between that mediocre man and Lord Roswaal? — Ram's patience did not last long. Her cold gaze was fixed on Aurora, which caused Roswaal to smile slightly wryly.

— The first one you just voiced. I'm sure if you continue your list of the boy's qualities, we'll have no trouble finding many more similarities.

Ram bit her lip slightly and hummed very quietly. Aurora heard it and was pleased with the result. Judging by Roswaal's quiet laughter, he found it quite amusing as well. Even though the strange makeup and fancy clothes were exactly what he was wearing, the clown in the room this time was not a very happy maid.

— Nevertheless. It's highly unusual for you to be so caaaaareless. Is him reaaaaally so harmless? — Roswaal lowered his quaint voice a little this time to indicate his slight, but still cautious, concern for the black-haired teenager.

— Then you still don't know me very well if you don't expect me to act spontaneously. And you don't have to worry about him. My servants have already confirmed that his spy skills are absolutely nil. Right, maid?

— ...That idiot can't even cut potatoes properly. If his ineptitude was just an act, it doesn't explain the very nervous state he's been walking around with all day. A spy wouldn't draw so much attention to himself..... — Ram didn't want to answer on Aurora's command, but the difference in statuses still obliged to fulfill it. Especially when her own master didn't show any signs of displeasure....

— Hmmmmm~... In that caaaaase, I'll trust your observations. I hope he'll be okaaaaay by tomorrow. I don't want him to have any baaaaaad impressions after staying with meeeee~

— You say that about almost every new guest. And you almost always meet them like this.... What kind of pleasant impressions do you even expect to have?

Roswaal was now not hiding his chuckle at all, having shifted into a much more relaxed mood. The conversation between the Margrave and the Archduch*ess lasted for a few more minutes before she drifted off to sleep. Ram, on the other hand, left a little later, having finished her "special" time between her and her master before doing so.

Roswaal himself, now in proud solitude, stared at his reflection in the large wall mirror that had once been given to him by one of Aurora's ancestors. He had had few friends or any close ties throughout the very long and agonizing 400 years. Yet he held them all incredibly dear, though he mentally denied it. After all, the whole meaning and aspirations of his life were centered on just one person. But how can he explain that this ancient mirror is still with him and in absolutely perfect condition?

— Hm..... And when was that? Under C or D? It's really been a long time since then...

Roswaal's eyes lowered to his lap, on which lay a black bound book. He picked it up and hugged it as if it were the most precious and irreplaceable thing in his life.

— It doesn't matter at all. If I can play my cards right, this time I'll finally be the last Roswaal.... I hope you'll live up to my expectations,
Natsuki Subaru-kuuuun~

— So... I seem to be alright...

Subaru woke up the next morning and... No, he didn't actually wake up. He basically stayed up all night at all. As soon as he had, he was immediately awakened by a terrifying nightmare whose contents should not be questioned...

Something good did happen, however. The Subaru apparently wasn't infected with some unknown nastiness this time! Already this morning, the first symptoms should have shown up, along the lines of lethargy or fatigue... In fact, he had them right now, but it was more from lack of sleep than anything else. The most important thing was the absence of scabies. It was faint and unnoticeable on the third day, but it was there nonetheless. Subaru remembered scratching his arm or face more often than usual. Perhaps it was just his paranoia. But it’s better to be scared in vain than to be stupid and brush it off.

— Apparently, the villainous fate decided to take pity on me this time... But why...? — Subaru began to think about yesterday, thoughtfully rubbing his chin.

In fact, he did not expect that this time everything would be all right with him. Subaru planned to seek help today as soon as he felt symptoms. But for some reason this did not happen.

And yet, it’s still too early for us to relax... If everything went well yesterday, it’s not a fact that we’ll be lucky today...

With that thought in his head, Natsuki Subaru got out of bed and with that, he started this morning. Only after the end of the fifth day would he be able to cry and rest with peace of mind. In the meantime, he would have to be alert and ready for anything.... Otherwise, the consequences of his carelessness would be quite dire.

— I'm going to get really paranoid like that!

It was already the fifth day. Subaru had been expecting some kind of meanness all this time, making the time he spent in the mansion drag agonizingly slow. But everything was surprisingly normal.

Hansel continued to come to him occasionally, assisting him with his magic. Somehow it was actually helping Subaru, allowing him to get a restful sleep without nightmares. Without it, he would no longer have died from i-in-n.... i-insects, but from exhaustion.

Subaru also went to the village today to buy supplies again (Aurora's appetite was really hard to satisfy...). He hadn't done it last cycle due to his well-being, but this time Subaru was able to play with the kids again and interact with the villagers. Everything was fine, except for the nasty brats that used him as a personal attraction. He'd also been bitten by a small dog, after which he'd gotten a few barbs from Rem, who he'd gone to the village with...

— It's all coming together too well... Am I really putting too much importance on this...? — Subaru ran his hand over his face while lying in his bed.

However much he wanted to just calm down and sink into the realm of dreams with peace of mind, his mind simply wouldn't allow it. The previous death had been so nasty and painful that it just couldn't give him peace. His first demise had been quick and without unnecessary agony, which created too vivid a contrast compared to the previous one.... It could be compared to swimming in the children's section of the pool, where there was a shallow depth, but if you step out of it, you immediately start drowning.

— And even Hansel's help didn't work this time. Am I gonna be up all night again? Alright, I hope I get some sleep tomorrow at least... H-ha?

Suddenly, Subaru felt sick. His heart was pounding so hard in his chest that it felt like it was about to jump out. Cold sweat began to roll down his body, thus causing him to shiver painfully. Is this really happening again!?

— Damm... You are messing with me!

Subaru barely got up from his bed and walked out of his room. Even though the symptoms were similar, this was not it! Damm, he's going to throw up....

— Gkkha... Gkha! — Subaru fell on all fours and threw up whatever was in his stomach. With each passing second, he felt his life expectancy rapidly decreasing.

— Gh... H-help... H-help...

Subaru clumsily began to limp along the corridor, hoping to find or wake up at least someone. His desperate cries for help were barely audible over the wheezes that grated his poor throat with every sound he uttered.

The unfortunate boy was barely able to move or see. The entire room began to float before his eyes, creating additional difficulties for him in his already hopeless attempt to escape...

*clanked* *clanked...*

Something loud clanked several times behind Subaru... It sounded like someone was dragging a steel or iron chain across the floor. At first he was happy about this, thinking that it could be a potential salvation, but...

— G-Gha!

Something heavy flew straight into him, knocking him off his feet and onto the floor. A sudden feeling of numbness and, in a sense, relief filled Subaru's mind after that. At first he was very puzzled by this, but as soon as his gaze fell on the chandelier hanging above him, then...

— Aaaa... AAAAAAAAAA! — there was his hand. A severed and bleeding limb that was unlikely to return to its owner.

Subaru grabbed onto his arm, screaming and yelling loudly. The adrenaline and initial shock could no longer contain all the pain he was feeling right now. The sight of a precocious teenager squirming on the cold floor in tears and desperately holding onto his bleeding hand was truly pathetic and disgusting.

Another ringing sound was heard, as if foreshadowing another attack by the mysterious assassin. Another strike was imminent... But it never came.

Subaru could hardly hear anything besides his screams and sobs anymore, so the sudden cry of pain that belonged to his killer was a barely noticeable detail to him. Pain was the only feeling and sensation that completely filled his thoughts...

But something changed... A dim and soft light appeared in front of his eyes, like some kind of guiding flame. Subaru no longer felt pain... His entire body became numb again, giving him long-awaited relief. His mind was no longer filled with despair and fear. All that was left was calmness and warmth...

Natsuki Subaru died from blood loss with a smile on his face.

[Death 3: Bled to death]

Chapter 18: Old Ally and Silly Oni

Chapter Text

— .....

Natsuki Subaru woke up again in the Roswaal mansion. Again on the second day of his stay there. He died again. However, this time there were no screams of pain or horror. He didn't look completely fine, but he wasn't particularly injured either.

So, the number of threats here is greater than I expected...

Wiping his hand over the cold sweat that was rolling off his forehead, Subaru began to remember his past death.

That time there were no insects at all. However, something still happened to him. And it happened suddenly. It was as if some timer had expired before some disease began to kill him. But in the end, Subaru did not die from this. Someone came to kill him. The mysterious attacker managed to attack once, cutting off Subaru's hand. Perhaps he then received some other injuries that he simply did not notice due to adrenaline and general pain throughout his body.

Even though the killer didn’t finish me off then, he still achieved his goal...

Subaru still didn’t understand why exactly he died then. Either from that “illness”, because of which he left the room in search of help, or because of blood loss. Not the most pleasant outcome, but still not the worst that could have happened.

Someone attacked the killer, stopping him from attacking me again... In principle, it is not difficult to guess who it was.

Subaru saw and heard practically nothing at that moment, but the sensations that he experienced when he was already dying were familiar to him. After all, that's what he felt when Hansel calmed him down with magic in the previous loop. Most likely, he then tried to cure Subaru, but it was in vain. So he tried to at least make his death as painful as possible. And it worked. Subaru still had the memory of that pain in his mind, but the calm and painless death made his awakening in this loop much more pleasant. At least this time there was no vomiting or soiling the bed.

Ha... And what should I do with all this now...? I still haven't figured out the insects, and now two more threats have appeared out of nowhere... The only clue I have is the sound of some chains. But who actually uses chains as weapons? Although, this is a fantasy world...

— I can also tell you that the mysterious killer was a girl. That scream after Hansel's attack was definitely girlish~

— ...

One way or another, now Subaru will have to deal with not one, but three threats. Insects, a strange disease and a killer. Perhaps they are all somehow connected. But again, this doesn’t really give him anything. Besides, why is he killed first? Hansel would not rush to his aid if something happened to Aurora or Roswaal. Why attack a simple ragamuffin who can’t even read a tavern sign? Aurora and Roswaal are likely to be under some kind of threat due to their status and power, so attempting to attack them would make much more sense. Only in the case of insects, Subaru is still not sure that he was the only one who died...

— Hm~? Is there something wrong with your memory? Or did the last remnants of your gray matter leak out along with your whining~? Only you develop symptoms like scabies or malaise then. Aurora herself said then that your poor health was quite suspicious, considering that none of them had any health problems in those days.

—...

No matter how much he thought about it, lying on the bed would not help matters. Besides, Hansel should be arriving soon.

Sighing quietly, Natsuki Subaru got out of bed and did a quick stretch, after which he put on the clothes donated by Aurora and left the room, where Hansel, quite expectedly, was already standing. After greeting him once again, Subaru decided to repeat some of the actions he had done in previous loops. But this time something definitely needed to be changed...

After helping Roswaal's maids and Aurora's servants in the kitchen, Subaru decided not to join them in doing the rest of the chores this time. It cost him a few blows to his self-esteem from Ram and Gretel, but unfortunately it was necessary.

For the moment, he was finally in absolute silence and solitude, which allowed him to think over his plan of action more calmly and in more detail. Walking around the small chair, Subaru muttered quietly to himself, holding his chin thoughtfully.

— Even if I tell someone about the attack on the mansion, it's unlikely that anyone will believe me.... That way I'm more likely to become even more suspicious than I already am.... Okay, let's say they believe me and we stop the killer, but what about everything else? If all these reasons for my death are connected, that makes things easier, but if not, then what do I do? Explain it to the others again? I would then look like either a paranoid person or someone who knows too much. Neither of which will do me any good.... Talking about RbD? Then I'll sound like a madman.

— Besides, talking about a power that actually gives you immortality and the ability to change fate itself doesn't seem like a particularly good idea. Especially to two aristocrats like that girl and that clown.

— ...What if it's that elf girl's trick? It's unlikely she was happy with the failure of her mission. I may have indirectly prevented her from doing so. Although, if that's true, it doesn't make much difference. The main thing is to catch the culprit, and then ask questions.... I wonder if there are potions or spells in this world that can recognize truth and lies. That would be a great help to me right now...

— What are you babbling about, I suppose!? Have you no shame!? Breaking into Betty's library again without knocking or invitation and then strutting around like you own the place! You've had no concept of manners since birth, I suppose!?!? — while Subaru was making circles around a small wooden chair, the little girl who was sitting on that very chair was clearly displeased at the complete disregard for her existence.

Yes, Subaru had decided to enter this particular room of this cute but rather unsociable little girl. It wasn't his intention originally, but he felt a strange urge to open a certain door again, which led him here. Though Beatrice wasn't particularly pleased to see him again, she was surprisingly more tolerant of his presence this time around. She attributed it to the fact that there wasn't that "nasty girl" around. However, her patience was definitely running out now....

— Heh, I'm sorry. I just think better when I walk in circles. — after winking guiltily at Beatrice, Subaru stopped walking around her. She snorted and turned away from him, continuing to read her book.

— There's a lot of tsundere characters here. Although, in this case, they're more like have "tsun tsun"~

Subaru sighed quietly and turned away from the little girl as well, not really wanting to continue testing her patience. Instead, he decided to take a better look around this room he was in.

On the whole, it was rather difficult to say anything extraordinary about this place. Yes, it was a rather large library, but there were plenty of those in his world as well. The only difference was that everything here was in medieval style. Ah, well, also the way to get in judging was unusual. Subaru still couldn't understand how it was happening. Was it some sort of portal or something like that?

For the past few years, Subaru had mostly only read manga and ranobe, but he didn't mind reading a few books from this library. What if these books contained forbidden knowledge of some lost or forbidden magic? But there was one problem with that, one that had made itself known more than once. He wouldn't be able to read them. Once he got to the bottom of why he was dead, there would be a need to fix that....

— Uh, listen. Do you happen to know if there's a spell or disease that suddenly depletes the body? — Subaru decided to ask Beatrice a few questions. She was the safest option because of her unwillingness to socialize with anyone. Even though she lived in Roswaal's mansion, Subaru didn't notice any warm relationship between them. They didn't seem to be related to each other either.

— Hmm? Why the question, I suppose? I'm not interested in your human ailments, but such magic is indeed possible. Although, it would be more accurate to call it curses.

— Curses? — come to think of it, Beatrice had already mentioned them back in the first cycle at the mansion, when she and Aurora were checking it out....

— You could say that curses are one branch of magic, I suppose. It's supposedly a vile art that came from Gusteko where most curse users, called shamans, live. It's actually a rather useless and highly specialized branch of magic, I suppose. Aside from delivering a mean and painful death, curses can't do anything. Though, even then, there are exceptions, I suppose.

— From what you say, I wouldn't call curses that useless..... How do you put them on a person? And is there any way to remove it? — a spark of hope appeared in Subaru's soul as he was finally able to clarify something for himself.

— Curses can only be cast through physical contact, I suppose. It takes time to activate a curse, which varies within about a day. So while it is in a "dormant" state, it is possible to remove it. But if the curse is already activated, then the person is doomed, I suppose. — Beatrice said, not really interested.

— Huh... Well, such information is not very happy, but it's something at least. By the way, while we're on the subject of dark topics.... Do you know any insects that... — Subaru visibly shuddered as the memory of that moment made him almost cry again. — Which are capable of laying a bunch of larvae in the human body, killing the host after growing up...?

— What kind of abomination are you telling me here, I suppose? If such things exist, Betty's never heard of them. Not even the library had any such information. — Beatrice wrinkled her face slightly in disgust and looked at Subaru indignantly, but seeing his reaction to his own words, she decided to soften a little.

— Heh, I guess she has a bit of "dere" in her after all.

Subaru began to think quickly about the information he had received. Although he hadn't learned anything about insects, he knew what had caused his previous death. Most likely, the killer was the shaman who had put the curse on him. Apparently, she had decided to be reassured and finish the job herself. Did she really think the curse had been lifted? Regardless of the reasons for such actions, Subaru now had many more advantages than before.

— How much longer are you going to be standing over me, I suppose? You've already ruined Betty's mood and your body doesn't act like a cornered animal now. So get out of here. — Beatrice said dismissively, glancing at the black-haired boy's still slightly trembling hand.

— So you noticed... In that case, let me express my immense gratitude for your patience and hospitality, your highness! — grinning widely, Subaru dramatically performed a surprisingly good bow. However, his words and actions only made Beatrice's eye twitch more.

— How much longer are you going to mock Betty, I suppose? Your clowning is as annoying as Roswaall's. Shoo, shoo! — Beatrice, with an even more annoyed look on her face, went back to her book and waved her hand at the young man as if he were some annoying insect.

— Oh, come on! If you're that embarrassed, I can be less obtrusive- GHO!?

Suddenly, a torrent of powerful wind seemed to fall upon Subaru, which quickly threw him out of the library and made him fly out of the window. Fortunately, his fall was cushioned by a breeding ground of bushes. Otherwise, he would have definitely broken a leg or a couple ribs.... Although, given his soiled suit, he's not likely to escape a beating.

— That brat... Did you have to throw me out like that?!?

— Uh... Subaru? Are you okay? — a voice resembling a silver bell sounded behind Subaru, causing him to instantly get up from the bushes and quickly pretend that he had everything under control.

— E-Emilia-tan! Y-you see, here's the thing... — he began to quickly go over the many reasons why he could be in this position and not look like an idiot, but such a scenario was really hard to come up with.

— You know... Rem's been fertilizing these flowerbeds lately, so...

— Seriously!? Ew! — Subaru immediately stopped his search for an excuse and started trying to shake off all the dirt.

Seeing his unsuccessful attempts, Emilia quietly sighed and touched her crystal, summoning her spirit.

— Hmm...? What happened...? — a clearly sleep-deprived Puck asked.

— I'm sorry to bother you. But couldn't you help us with this...? — Emilia pointed at the dismal and dirty Subaru.

— Hmm? So he just needs to be washed...? I'll do it.

— But please be gentle... It doesn't want to walk around all day weEEEEEEEEEEE!?

Before he could say anything, Subaru immediately went flying again. Only this time he flew thanks to the water tornado that Puck had set up. Poor Subaru was like he was in a giant washing machine that was mercilessly spinning him with a stream of water.

— Phew... Phew...... I thought I was going to die... — wet to the skin, Subaru lay on the neatly mowed lawn and breathed heavily, trying to recover from such an extreme experience.

— Tehe~! I'm sorry, I think I went a little overboard. — Puck stuck out his tongue and lightly tapped himself on the head.

— What's "tehe~"?! Admit it, you definitely wanted to kill me, you damn cat!

— Alright~ Alright~ Don't be so offended. I can teach you how to do the same thing as atonement.

— Huh!? You can really make me a magician!? — Subaru immediately forgot about any grudge he had against that cat. He stood up from the lawn and looked at Puck with eyes glowing with anticipation.

— Hehehe~ You're such a simpleton. Well, I lied a bit about "doing the same", but I can teach you a few things! So, let's first find out which element you're compatible with. — Puck flew up to Subaru and touched his forehead with the tip of his tail.

— What elements are there anyway? — Subaru tilted his head questioningly.

— Fire, Wind, Water, and Earth. Puck is the spirit of Fire, so that's the magic we mostly use. - Emilia explained, joining the conversation.

Puck, meanwhile, had already finished his check and flew up to Emilia again.

— That's it! Congratulations, you have Shadow!

— All rejected!?

— You misunderstood me~ In addition to the four basic elements, there's also Yin and Yang. Or Shadow and Light. They don't occur very often, so they're rarely mentioned.

— Ho!? It's some kind of super magic that only comes around once every 5000 years!? What can it do? — Subaru's mood immediately jumped up a few points, however....

— Well... Yin magic can be used to prevent opponents from hearing, seeing... Ah, and slow them down too! — Emilia explained in more detail.

— It's only debuffs? — Subaru's face was no doubt expressing immense joy and delight at this information.

— This is all very interesting... But who will pay me compensation for the damage to my property? — a new voice joined the conversation, causing Subaru, Emilia, and Puck to wince slightly. Although, Puck probably did it for the sake of a joke...

Turning around, the delinquent trio found Aurora and her servants looking at their worried faces with smirks. Walking beside them was Roswaal along with his maids. Apparently, Ram and Rem had already returned from the village and brought the necessary food items.

— Haha... Hey, I'm broke, remember? A bum like me doesn't have a dime.... Besides, you said it was a gift! — quickly shifting his attention, Subaru remembered one small detail that Aurora had said when she gave him the new clothes.

— The Archduch*ess is just messing arooooound, so there's no need to stress about it. We just wanted to check what kind of fuss you were making here~ — Roswaal said with a smirk, amused by the sight of a wet and nervous Subaru.

— Are they not too active because of various little things? Especially considering their status...

— Puck and Subaru were just fooling around, so it's no big deal. I swear, they're like little kids... — Emilia sighed, slightly pouting as she looked at the two troublemakers.

— E-Emilia-tan, don't be so cruel! Besides, it's not like we inconvenienced anyone... — Subaru immediately shut up abruptly as soon as he felt the rather intimidating gazes of Aurora and Roswaal. Puck also felt similar looks and his fur stood up slightly.

— No inconvenienced anyooooone~? Shall I point out whose office, which incidentally had an open window, was right neeeeeeext to your water party? — Roswaal said cheerfully, whose mood was clearly not so cheerful.

— Shouldn't we say who else was there at that moment? And how much hard work was destroyed because of the paper's poor compatibility with water? — added Aurora, whose gaze was growing more and more somber with each passing second.

Subaru and Puck quickly looked at each other. Soon they would share a terrible fate together, one that was inexorably approaching them. Feeling a new level of their camaraderie amidst their shared adversity, they shook hands one last time and began to humbly await their imminent doom.

Of course, their punishment was not so terrible.

They hadn't really done any serious damage (although the water tornado had been entirely Puck's fault, Subaru had decided to listen to his self-preservation instincts that time and not argue), but Aurora and Roswaal weren't willing to let them go for nothing either.

Since Subaru was technically "protected" by Aurora at the moment, she was the one who was giving him the punishment. Well, punishment is still too big a word. It was more along the lines of: "Since you have nothing better to do, I'll find a suitable pastime for you." And as it happened, that "pastime" was studying.

Subaru had honestly expected something worse, but apparently he was really just a little bit scared from the beginning. Puck's punishment was handled by Roswaal, and judging by his extremely dejected look, his punishment was much harsher.

Right now, the time was getting close to nightfall. Subaru sat at the table in his room and tried to learn the local hieroglyphics. They turned out to be surprisingly simple, so he didn't have much of a problem with that. Granted, he had only started learning them a few hours ago, but he was already making a little progress. That progress would have been even better if the so-called "teachers" weren't late at the appointed time....

— Hihihihi~ Hey, Nii-Nii! How long are you going to ignore me~? You're really just a lowlife for ignoring your dear imouto for so long~

Subaru tried not to show any reaction to that voice. To the incredibly familiar one, but at the same time not. After all, if he did, it would start all over again. But if he continued to ignore [THIS], he would snap sooner or later. So, as much as he doesn't want to, Subaru has to resolve this issue now.

— I told you a long time ago that I don't want to see you.... So why the hell did you show up again, [A.R.I.S.U]? — Subaru stood up from his chair and looked at the bed where the girl so familiar to him was sitting, who was looking back at him with her mocking smile.

Everything about her was completely familiar. From her black hair to her bright blue eyes. Even her school uniform and flower-shaped hairpin were exactly as he remembered them. And yet... She wasn't the person whose appearance she had taken on. She didn't act the same way. If she did, it was only to hurt him. There wasn't the love and adoration in her eyes that he remembered. Instead, those eyes looked at him with disgust, hatred, and a sneer.

— But we both know very well you deserve it, don't we? A useless parasite like you doesn't deserve better treatm-

— Shut up. — Subaru abruptly cut off the fake's words with an uncharacteristically firm tone.

Subaru didn't look his usual self at all now. His facial expression had taken on a steely hardness, with some elements of disgust and restrained anger. His posture had become very tense, as if preparing to pounce right now on the cause of his sudden change of mood. His amber eyes, which had lost some of their brightness after all of his deaths, became several shades darker. Such aggressive behavior and condition of the boy would surprise many, especially those who knew him well. It was as if Subaru had been switched as soon as he decided to start a conversation with the extremely disgusting creature.

— Eh... We used to have so much fun before~! But you always have to ruin things, don't you? Will Nii-Nii never love me again~? — [A.R.I.S.U] teasingly spoke, enjoying Subaru's growing anger.

— I told you to answer the question.

— What a meanie! You're also incredibly stupid! Can't you figure out why you can talk to me again~? Even for a huge dumbass like you, the answer to that question would be incredibly easy to find.

— ...

That was indeed the case. Subaru was finally able to get rid of [A.R.I.S.U] at the age of 13. But Subaru and his parents were warned that this problem could return. There could be many reasons for this. Such as stopping medication, being severely injured, severe stress, dwelling on unpleasant memories, depression....

— Bingo! Five out of five! You got the whole combo! Did you really think you'd be okay after you died? Just cry and it'll all go away? Your naivety and arrogance are so sickening that I want to disappear myself!

— That would be the ideal result, but I can't just get rid of you. Besides, why did you show up now? Why not after the first death or the second?

— I showed up in the last loop. Did you really not pay attention then? Although, I showed up much less noticeably then....

Subaru sighed quietly, trying to control his emotions. He couldn't stand her presence, but he had no way of doing anything about it now. Besides, there were far more important issues to deal with.

— I'm glad you have one tiny piece of brain left that can generate a decent thought. Besides, regardless of our disagreements, I'm your most trusted ally. I've already helped you with some information, right~? — [A.R.I.S.U] got up from the bed and walked right up to Subaru. She had a friendly smile on her face that made him feel a strong urge to strangle her.... However, there was still some meaning in her words.

— If you really want to help me, then say something more useful. The fact that my killer had a girl's voice doesn't tell me anything. — Subaru dismissively pushed the fake away from him, causing her to fall to the floor with a loud squeak. Tears immediately appeared in her eyes, but seeing that they were ineffective against him, [A.R.I.S.U] regained her friendly smile and instantly appeared on the chair where Subaru used to sit.

— I only know what you know. You could have figured it out yourself if you weren't such a weakling. Maybe we can remember some other notable details that will help us. In the meantime...

— Barusu, is this how you learn? You think the quill will write everything for you?

— Heh. Apparently water got into his eyes, ears, and nose, but also his brain!

Subaru flinched as soon as he heard the voices of two rather sassy maids. He hadn't see [A.R.I.S.U] now, so even considering their barbs, his mood was much better. They unceremoniously entered his room and placed a couple cups of tea on the desk.

— Shouldn't you have knocked?! How would you feel if I walked in on you without knocking? — Subaru had to accept their insolence and sat down at the desk again. These were the two who had been assigned to him as his "teachers", which already made this situation much more like a punishment.

— Keep your lewd thoughts to yourself, Barusu. Ram would have stripped you of your right to exist as soon as she sensed your impure motives. — after saying that, she took one of the cups of tea and sat on the edge of the bed, swinging her legs back and forth carelessly. Gretel, on the other hand, just snorted and started looking out the window, leaning on the sill.

— First you're late, and then you insult me.... I've asked you to be more friendly, but....

— Are we going to keep talking or are we going to get down to business? I want to be near my mistress again, not stuck here for some idiot. — Gretel grumbled.

Ram and Subaru sighed quietly at her words, feeling a mutual dislike for the mean blonde. Ram liked to throw a few harsh words at various people too, but her attitude didn't seem to have a sincere intent to offend or anger. Gretel, on the other hand, with her entire demeanor demonstrating her sarcasm and unwillingness to deal with them.

Although she did end up helping Subaru with his studies. Unlike Ram, who decided to just slack off and drink tea.... With Gretel's instruction, Subaru could already recite a few local fairy tales and short stories for children. It was still difficult for him to understand most of the lines, but the basic meaning and message was already easier to guess. Interested in the local customs and habits, Subaru wanted to tell the two inhabitants of this world some stories from his homeland. He ended up telling them the story of the Red Oni and the Blue Oni. To his surprise, Ram and Gretel listened to the story attentively and did not add any sarcastic remarks. They were both now sitting on the bed with a little interest in their eyes.

— ...And that is where the story ends. Well, what do you think? — after finishing his story, Subaru looked at the faces of the two girls. If think about it like that, they're having some sort of "elder twins" gathering here....

— It's a sad story. However, such a story is not because of the tragedy, but because of the stupidity of all the characters. From the two Onis to the villagers. — Ram shared her opinion with a subtle sadness on her face.

— Heehee~ The only idiot was Blue Oni, who decided to do what was "best" but ended up with nothing and upset Red Oni with his actions, thus making all his "self-sacrifice" completely meaningless. — Gretel stated, returning to her sarcastic demeanor.

— And you are indeed harsh critics.... Although, in some respects, it's hard to disagree with you... — this story meant quite a lot to Subaru, so it was interesting for him to sometimes ask other people's opinions on it. He himself felt a strange mixture of love and hate towards this tale....

— Ram is just being honest. Plus, as far as I'm concerned.... Huh......? — Ram suddenly flinched slightly. Her eyes narrowed slightly and a slight worry appeared in them.

— Ram? Are you all right?

— ...Ram has to leave. Continue your studies without me. — Ram quickly got up from the bed and left the room in a hurry. Subaru looked embarrassed by this sudden departure and Gretel's face became even more displeased.

— Great... How did that lazy maid still not lose her job?

— Ram really isn't the most diligent person..... Although, I'm not the one to judge. Do you know what's wrong with her?

— I have no idea. I don't care about the mess that's going on in that invalid's head. She didn't do anything anyway, so it's no big deal. Let's just read one more book and be done with it. — Gretel got up from the bed and approached Subaru again. However, this time he was able to notice something....

— Gretel... Did you hit yourself somewhere?

— What? — she didn't even sound annoyed or arrogant this time. The sudden question surprised her for a moment.

— I'm sorry if I'm prying. but I saw you limping on your left leg. Are you sure you're okay? — Subaru asked with genuine concern.

Gretel wasn't much to his liking, but due to his nature, he just couldn't help but worry about the condition of anyone, even if it involved rather rude individuals like her.

Gretel herself, upon hearing this, became dramatically nervous at first. But just a second later, her face contorted into an angry grimace. Subaru decided to once again curse his long tongue, which he couldn't keep behind his teeth.....

— ...Class is canceled for today. We'll be there at the same time tomorrow. — considering Gretel's anger, her words were surprisingly calm and without a hint of aggression. After that, she quickly moved away from Subaru and left the room.

...

Was he really that unpleasant company?

— Hahahahaha!!! They apparently were able to sense your vile aura that attracts misfortune~

— Can you please shut up?

It was already his fifth day in the mansion. Overall, things were going exactly as he thought they would. The only thing that was a little odd about this loop was the lesser activity of Ram and Rem. They came into view less frequently than in previous loops. But other than that, nothing new had happened. Roswaal has already flown off to some meeting, and Subaru himself is in his room, having recently returned from checking on Beatrice. The sun has already set, so it's about to be the very moment at which he's already died twice.

As it turns out, there was no curse on him this time. Beatrice had mentioned that curses usually worked within 24 hours of being cast, so it had to be the fifth day that he was cursed.

Following that logic, the shaman was most likely to be exactly in the village. In the previous loop, Subaru first visited the village on the fifth day, after which he died from the curse. In the first loop of the mansion, he only visited the village on the second day, as he was feeling too bad on the fifth. Perhaps he was placing too much importance on all of this, but the number of leads was already extremely low, so it was necessary to cling to every possibility. Even if he really didn't want to suspect any of the villagers...

While visiting the village today, Subaru had let each of them (or rather, only those he had interacted with in the second loop) touch him in various places. If he was cursed, he would not only confirm his suspicions, but he would also find out who exactly did it.

Fortunately or unfortunately, however, Beatrice did not detect a curse on him. And Subaru didn't know whether to be happy about that or not...

— On one hand I'm happy that there wasn't a person among the villagers who wanted me dead.... But on the other hand, the shaman's question still remains unresolved. But if I'm not cursed and I feel fine, then I'm not in danger this time?

— I wouldn't be so sure about that.... — the small figure of [A.R.I.S.U] appeared before his gaze again, lying next to him on the bed.

— Ho? And why so pessimistic? — Subaru was already too tired due to nerves and lugging weights from the village, so he didn't have the energy to show his disgust in response to her presence.

— We paid too much attention to the previous loop and hardly thought about the first one. Something's been bugging me. Specifically, this. — [A.R.I.S.U] lazily pointed her finger at the mirror that was resting on the wooden nightstand. Subaru decided to borrow this thing from Aurora again so that he could call for help in case of emergency.

— Hmm? What's wrong with that?

— Don't you remember? When you were starting to die from those insects, you tried to find that mirror to contact Aurora. But it wasn't there.

At [A.R.I.S.U]'s words, goosebumps ran down Subaru's back once again. He was trying his best not to remember those agonizing moments, so now his reluctance to listen to her was even higher than usual.

— Stop with your ridiculous speculations. I was already one foot in the grave then and the room was very dark. I couldn't find it because of trivial bad luck..... — although Subaru was trying to find the mirror by feel at the time, but considering his condition at the time, he might as well have just slapped his hand on the same spot without even realizing it.

— Heehee~ But you were still able to see yourself on the wall mirror, right? So it wasn't that dark in there...

— Tsk. What are you trying to say? The killer snuck into my room just to take the mirror? And then he just left without taking advantage of my defenseless position? This killer is either very stupid or a complete psychopath..... — Subaru skeptically expressed his opinion. And really, this whole mirror situation doesn't make sense. Why just take the mirror when Subaru was alone and completely defenseless? It could only be explained by the killer's extremely sad*stic mindset, which wanted Subaru to die as painfully as possible.

— First of all, stop clucking at me. Secondly, I don't think insects and the killer have anything to do with each other. In fact, I now doubt even that the shaman and the killer are related.

— Huh? What the hell are you talking about? It just doesn't make any sen-!

— It's strange, isn't it? The killer somehow knowed that you have the ability to call for help using this magical device. Moreover, we do not know when exactly the killer took the mirror. It's logical to assume that this happened at night, when you and everyone else were sleeping. But what if this happened before? When you couldn't even imagine that the mirror would be stolen. The only people who can match all our suspicions are...

— I said enough already...

*Knock* Knock*

Subaru could swear his heart stopped for a second as soon as he heard a knock on the door. The fake, of course, had already disappeared from his thoughts. He didn't understand why he felt so suddenly nervous, there was nothing to worry about, right?

— Come in... — Subaru rather hesitantly gave permission to enter.

— I apologize, dear guest.

Rem entered his room. It wasn't unusual, as one of the maids came to his room every time before going to bed to serve tea and make sure the "dear guest" didn't have any problems.

— H-hei, there was no need to be so formal.... It'll be fine to just go by nam-

— Whatever you say. — Rem replied coldly without even listening to Subaru.

Subaru wasn't particularly good at reading atmosphere, but at the moment he definitely felt out of place. There was obvious hostility and contempt coming from the blue-haired maid, which, although they were slightly visible in the past days, but now she did not even try to hide it. Because of this, Subaru had certain thoughts that did not bode well...

— L-listen, if I suddenly offended you in some way, then... — Subaru first decided to find out what was the reason for such hostility towards him, but when his gaze moved to the nightstand, on which Rem was placing a tray of tea , his breathing hitched sharply.

After all, something very important was missing from the nightstand. Something Subaru could use to call for help...

"The killer somehow knowed..."

These words echoed in his head as he tried to comprehend it all. The only people who knew for sure that he had the mirror donated by Aurora were the residents of the mansion. But it didn't mean anything at all, right? They didn't want to kill him, right? But what he now witnessed said otherwise...

— Never mind, though. Thanks for the tea, by the way! I need to brush my teeth and then I can finally go to sleep.... — Subaru put on a perfect, typical smile for an idiot like him. Carefully getting up from the bed, he walked towards the door without any nervousness...

*CRUNCH*

A sharp blow straight to his face interrupted his escape plan. The blow was as hard as if he had been hit not just with a fist, but with some kind of rock. Subaru immediately fell to the floor and howled, feeling the pain from his broken nose and skin punctured in several places. How could such a fragile looking girl have such strength...?

— W-why.... Just why...!? — Subaru mumbled inarticulately, covering his face with his hands. It seems that not only his face and nose were hurt, but also a few teeth....

— Stop playing games, you damn cultist! Tell me what you've done to me!?! — Rem's voice now sounded more like a growl than intelligible speech. She forcefully lifted the injured teenager up, grabbing him by the hair.

— What the hell are you talking about?! M-my family's been secular for generations.... And I didn't do anything to yo- GHA!? — a sharp blow to the stomach interrupted Subaru's explanation.

The force of the blow knocked his breath away and for a while he couldn't inhale at all. His eyes blurred slightly, but even so he was able to see something strange... Specifically the pink glow that was coming from Rem's forehead.

— STOP LYING! YOU CAME TO FINISH ME AND MY SISTER OFF, DIDN'T YOU?!? ANSWER! — Rem's entire face contorted with rage and pure hatred. Subaru couldn't really understand what was going on, but she was clearly not herself. It was as if she wasn't even looking at him.

— I... I don't... GOH!?

Subaru's another attempt to justify himself to the enraged maid was interrupted by immense pain and horror. Rem struck again, but this time on the jaw. And this time she was clearly holding back less...

Subaru looked with trembling eyes at the spot where almost his entire lower jaw had fallen. The bloody stump looked disgusting and vile from the side. Its shape was distorted due to the force of the blow and several knocked out teeth lay beside it. The adrenaline rush had slightly eased the pain of losing such an important body part so abruptly, but the feeling of his own blood slowly running down his throat was breaking Subaru's psyche as badly as any pain.

Rem wrinkled her face at the result of her own actions and let go of Subaru's hair in disgust, causing him to fall to the floor helplessly. His survival instincts immediately wanted to make Subaru get up and run away from the horrible monster as fast as possible, but his body was no longer capable of doing so. Even considering the adrenaline rush, blood had already started to fill his lungs, preventing him from breathing properly. In addition, the blow to his stomach was also quite serious, even if Subaru couldn't realize it. Right now, all his thoughts were filled with horror at his condition and the inexorably approaching death.

— Call it off, do you hear me!? Spare me from this already! — Rem yelled at the recumbent Subaru, as if not realizing the pointlessness of it at this point. There were only faint gurgles coming from him now, which only made Rem more angry.

Rem finally let out a furious shriek and sharply stomped her foot right on Subaru's stomach, thus making a disgusting sound like a watermelon shattering. That impact was enough to split his body in half. His insides began to slowly slip out of his body, losing a huge amount of blood in the process.

Feeling the aftermath of such a bullying of his body, Subaru Natsuki began to rapidly lose consciousness. He hoped that this nightmare would end as soon as possible....

[Death 4: Silly Blue Oni]