Work Text:
Fire. Blazing infernos. The stench of roasted flesh. Burning flames and desperate screams begging for anyone who could still save them. A living hell upon a land that had once been considered the safest in the past.
"It was I who set the capital ablaze!! And not just the capital—these flames are meant to burn the entire kingdom!! No one can stop me from doing it! This nation, and the knights who protect it, have mishandled everything!!"
And now, at the heart of it all—in the capital of Lugunica—stood the mastermind behind this catastrophe: a young man with black hair and sinister eyes overflowing with malice, eyes that had known nothing but hatred, envy, and blind love.
"Reinhard’s status as the Sword Saint has been destroyed. Since we don’t know what kind of contract he made with the Dragon that was supposed to protect the kingdom, the Dragon won’t save anyone. I’ve tested that several times already, so it’s definitely true. In the end, the Dragon and Reinhard are one and the same."
He stood proudly in his tracksuit, one arm broken, his body covered in wounds severe enough to require immediate medical treatment before they worsened. But this was hardly the ideal time to care about such things.
Standing before a magical beast—a Wolgarm with a broken horn—its condition was, simply put, fatal. It had been pierced repeatedly by fire magic, yet not ordinary fire magic. This magic manipulated heat itself; instead of increasing temperature, it reduced it to absolute zero, creating razor-sharp sheets of ice that flew like raging winds toward their target.
"Burn? You burned the kingdom? You did all this just to destroy this nation?"
"You’re wrong. I’m doing this to make you queen. It’s the only way."
He shouted at the top of his lungs, revealing the reason behind his actions to the half-elf girl. Her voice, like silver bells, trembled as tears filled her confused face. She refused to believe that all these atrocities had been committed in her name—and for no one else. Though she knew nothing of most of it, she had lived inside her own sheltered shell, protected by her father’s excessive love that kept every ugly truth far away from her innocence.
The capital was burning—ruined. Children, adults, and women alike were dying with no discrimination. Death showed no preference. Anyone caught within the merciless flames would inevitably lose the will to live. And yet, even that was not enough to stop the situation from escalating further.
"I am the one who burned the kingdom!! No one can stop me!! Not the soldiers, not the knights, not even the heroes!! Not the Sword Saint, not even the Dragon!! I am the one who brought the flames of death and dragged this inferno into the kingdom!! Even the royal candidates could never dream of something like this!! Kill me, and you’ll become the queen who shattered four hundred years of stagnation and saved the world!!"
Before the innocent girl, he roared like thunder in a stormy night, confessing to every one of his crimes with his own voice.
"W-What in heaven’s name are you talking about!? Stop it! I don’t understand! I don’t understand anything you’re saying!!"
He saw a tear fall from her eye. Guilt pierced his chest for making an angelic being like her cry, yet at the same time, he felt a small sense of relief—because he had finally managed to affect the heart he had never known how to reach except by setting the entire kingdom ablaze with the fire of his hatred.
"Liar... liar... liar! I mean, I... you... how... you...!"
Emilia screamed at something she had never expected. At feelings she had never wanted. Of course she was hurting. Of course she couldn’t understand.
Subaru knew he was wrong.
Subaru knew these methods would never bring Emilia happiness.
"—Look at me. Watch me. Hate me... and remember me."
"W-Who are you? Who in the world are you...?"
Emilia asked in a trembling voice as Subaru slowly approached her, his arms spread wide open.
"Natsuki Subaru—"
"Subaru."
Just the mention of his name caused his emotions to overflow, filling him with satisfaction for everything he had endured to reach this point.
"Sin Archbishop of Pride, Natsuki Subaru!!"
Declaring the grandest introduction possible, Subaru poured all the strength he had left into his legs and lunged forward.
Natsuki Subaru focused every ounce of power in his body into a single point and ran—for the final time in his life.
He had sacrificed countless people, mistreated those who might once have been his allies, and found comfort in people he perhaps shared bonds with. And now, he had finally reached the girl he treasured most.
"I am the man who burned the capital and killed the hero, and—"
In the half-elf’s moment of shock—caught between disbelief and horror—she hesitated for just an instant before taking the necessary action to stop the man calling himself an Archbishop.
"I’ll kill you."
Subaru felt the cold spear pierce through his chest, and he smiled.
He collapsed to his knees, unable to support himself before finally falling to the stone floor. He never reached Emilia. His body trembled weakly upon the ground.
"Why?"
Subaru closed his eyes, prepared to accept the end, when something compelled him to open them again. Emilia stood beside him, staring down at him as tears streamed from her eyes and fell onto his cheek.
"Why?"
The repeated, overlapping question.
What do you mean, “why”? Subaru wondered.
Why did you do this?
Why did it have to be this way?
Why did you come here just to die by my hand?
There were surely countless meanings hidden within that single word.
He wanted to answer all of them.
But there was little time left.
So he let his final breath carry his answer.
"—Because I love you.
△▼△▼△▼△
Darkness. No vision. Only black-violet shadows screaming their sweet love.
Death embraced him like a long-awaited lover, a place Subaru knew all too well.
The place where Natsuki Subaru’s soul was sent every time he died, where he met the loving entity that caressed him with limitless affection.
She showered him with love and never asked for it in return. Subaru was certain that his beloved, somewhere else, was achieving her dreams because of his sacrifices and all his actions. She would be crowned ruler after every deed he had spread throughout the world under Emilia’s name alone.
But something shattered his heart. Something made him hesitate to accept death, though he could no longer return and change anything.
It was too late.
The sight of her tears falling from her eyes had hurt far more than he expected. The person who betrayed, tortured, killed, poisoned, destroyed, burned, crushed—who committed every atrocity imaginable to a broken mind. He had burned an entire kingdom just to prove that Reinhard van Astrea was not a hero.
After all, what kind of hero fails to protect his own kingdom?
Natsuki Subaru was a monster. Even if one gathered together all the actions of the Sin Archbishops of Greed, Lust, Gluttony, Wrath, and Sloth, Natsuki Subaru would still be more monstrous than all of them combined.
Yet none of that changed the truth that he hated seeing her cry.
The person he had longed for through all those years and sacrifices…
His heart had broken for the second time since he made an enemy of this world.
The first time was when he learned the truth of this cruel world—a world where one could not survive without power capable of breaking its laws and bending them to one’s will. Survival belonged to the fittest, and Natsuki Subaru was the most experienced when it came to adaptation. Through trial and error, he could overcome any obstacle somehow.
The second time was when he saw her cry for the first time.
He had imagined this reunion for countless years while working tirelessly toward the awaited day when he would finally receive his reward: seeing the person who had stolen his heart.
He was not disappointed.
He had expected this.
He knew she would cry. She would hate him. She would curse him until her final day for actions terrible enough to make entire nations tremble.
"I love you."
A familiar voice. Soft, beautiful, calling out its love for him. He knew it was not the voice of the beloved he had waited for, yet he accepted it warmly. An entity hiding her face beneath a mass of shadows. If he had to guess, she would probably be a beautiful and gentle half-elf.
But he chose not to lift the veil from her face.
Instead, he embraced her and accepted her love.
He could see her.
He could touch her.
He could hold her.
He could feel her body through every part of his own as he embraced her.
And he wanted to speak to her too.
But what exactly could he say to this loving being who cried out her love for him when he did not even know when their first meeting had truly been?
If he spoke from his own perspective, then their first meeting had been on his first day in the capital—the first day he died.
But from her perspective…
It was completely unknown.
"I know I’m incredibly selfish, but even if you reject me… I’ll never forget you."
"_____"
"Was what I said really that hurtful? Sorry, but it’s hard for me to change myself for other people’s wishes. I proved long ago that it’s truly difficult. My head is harder than stone."
"I love you."
He felt her love burn bitterly.
Forgotten love.
Love that was supposed to be directed toward her, yet she had received nothing.
She had been beside Natsuki Subaru during his cruelest moments, and even so, he still could not return her feelings the way he should.
He respected her.
He appreciated her.
He was grateful to her.
But he could never love her the way he loved Emilia.
That was a painful truth for both of them.
"I love you."
"I know. I wish I could say the same to you. I’d even be satisfied with death then."
As he floated within the cradle of darkness, he began to feel something strange—something he could not understand.
It felt as though a part of his soul was being taken away.
But he noticed something else as well.
"_____?"
He could not speak.
He could not utter a single word.
That was abnormal.
Just moments ago, he had been speaking normally.
In his older loops, Natsuki Subaru had not been allowed to speak. But that changed when he managed to crush all three Gluttony siblings in the Pleiades Watchtower. After Louis Arneb went insane, Roy Alphard was tortured and killed by Reid Astrea, and Lye Batenkaitos died through the cooperation of Elsa and Meili alongside a few tricks Subaru had prepared in his pocket.
After getting rid of them and absorbing the Witch Factor of Gluttony, he had gained the right to speak within the Shadow Garden.
But now, in this moment, he had lost it again.
Why?
Once more, he felt as though his soul was being violated.
It felt as though he had lost the right to feel emotions or love.
He could no longer feel anything except Wrath, Sloth, Greed, and Pride.
Everything became confusing, but he arrived at a simple conclusion:
The Witch had grown tired of him and wanted to discard him.
He wanted to smile and laugh at his own pathetic state, but he no longer could after losing the Gluttony Factor.
And once again, he lost another feeling.
He lost his sense of desire.
He became an empty corpse with no goals and no wish to live, yearning only for the merciful death the displeased Witch would grant him.
He lost the sensation of the arms with which he held the Witch.
He could no longer feel her heartbeat.
He lost even his anger, and now he could no longer hate or resent the Witch because he knew he deserved this fate.
He lost his pride, and in its place remained only helplessness and self-hatred.
Nothing remained of Natsuki Subaru anymore.
He had lost every emotion, every sense of self, every fragment of strength, while the Witch floated before him.
He wondered why she had delayed doing this for so long.
"I love you."
["Why??"]
That was Natsuki Subaru’s response within his mind as he tried to comprehend the Witch’s actions.
But he failed.
And now, he would be cast out from the place he had always fled to in every horrifying death.
His helplessness.
His self-hatred.
His desire to beg for another chance.
Did he deserve this…?
△▼△▼△▼△
Daylight shone into his eyes, reminding him of the days when Meili used to wake him up in the morning just to play with him or make dolls together. It had been cute watching her get angry because he was collapsing from exhaustion and needed to rest his mind after so many disturbing loops—most of which no one would ever believe because of how far they had deviated from the outcomes he chose to preserve.
But that was not the topic at hand.
He began rubbing his eyes to slowly adjust to the daylight while hearing footsteps all around him, people walking past him in every direction as he stood there, confused by the situation.
"The capital?"
He recognized the place at first glance. There was no doubt about it.
This was the capital.
The place he had burned, along with every city in Lugunica.
He started looking around, trying to process the situation. This was not merely an old save point, nor was it a mistake by the Witch returning him to a previous checkpoint.
This was far greater than that.
And far more terrifying.
His eyes trembled with realization, shock, and an overwhelming sense of wrongness. This was unexpected, and his heart refused to accept the painful realization. His heartbeat quickened from fear and grief.
"I’ve returned to my first day in Lugunica..."
The confusion was at its peak. It felt as though his mind had become lost. Yet there was something inside him that refused to believe any of this. He did not want to accept that it was real.
He decided to look at his hand.
And there came the second confirmation of his theory:
A plastic bag containing snacks.
He had not tasted them in many long years.
The nostalgia that should have filled him was instead swallowed by fear.
He searched through his pockets and grabbed something familiar.
His phone.
The final confirmation.
He checked it. There was no signal, which was expected, but he needed to verify the photos.
During the countless moments when he had nothing to do except wait and make dolls for Meili, he would sometimes take embarrassing pictures of her when she wasn’t paying attention, only to mock her with them later. It had been amusing, especially because she lacked social skills.
The two of them were alike in that way.
But when he checked the gallery, none of those photos were there.
Only pictures of nature and old photos with his parents remained.
Honestly, it was disappointing.
"So that’s how it is... all my deaths have been erased into forgotten history now?"
It was true that with every death Natsuki Subaru experienced, all his efforts became memories.
His memories alone.
Forbidden knowledge forever locked away within his mind.
But this time was different.
Even though most of his deaths had once been forgotten, the final results had always remained intact. After all the deaths required to overcome an obstacle, once he reached the ideal path he desired, that reality would remain fixed until Natsuki Subaru died once again—
—or at least until the Witch created a new checkpoint.
"But... why? I was satisfied. I had some regrets, but nothing worth taking into consideration."
From Subaru’s understanding of Return by Death, he could summarize its mechanism as a way of guiding him toward a destination he desired satisfactorily. As long as he—or the Witch—was satisfied with the outcome, it would be written over the world itself.
But the current situation was incomprehensibly confusing.
So much so that he forgot to move, remaining frozen in place, unable to process anything.
"Move, bastard. You’re blocking the road."
He heard a sharp, exhausted voice.
"__"
He narrowed his eyes at the man, just to make sure he was not someone familiar.
But he was nothing more than some half-human type who did nothing except complain about the Witch Cult and worry about oil prices in Gusteko.
His gaze softened from hostility into realization.
Not worth the effort right now.
He had no desire to fight.
Violence would not solve difficult situations.
If there was one thing he had learned, it was that the best thing he could do now was gather his thoughts together.
"This is the first day... which means the insignia theft will happen, and Emilia will die at Elsa’s hands. That’s what was supposed to happen."
He muttered to himself while leaning against a stone wall beside a familiar alleyway.
So what should he do?
Redo everything?
Or should he do it all over again in a more perfect way to kill Reinhard?
No.
He had defeated him once already.
He no longer cared about Reinhard anymore.
But there was a realization lingering in his mind.
Maybe...
Maybe my entire path was a mistake.
I wish I had understood you.
I wish I had returned your kindness.
I wish you had loved me the way I loved you.
Maybe...
Maybe I can do it this time?
But I’m a monster.
A monster who burned a kingdom.
Perhaps all of that had been erased from the world, and no one but him would ever remember those events. The only being worse than him was the Witch of Envy herself, who consumed half the world.
And after her came Natsuki Subaru, the man who burned an entire kingdom.
But wasn’t this world cruel from the very beginning?
I would never have survived without Return by Death.
Ever since my confrontation with Elsa, I understood that truth.
Cruel as it was, it had always been my reliable lifeline.
Even though it failed me at the Watchtower when it couldn’t return me to a point before I lost my memories, it had never failed me anywhere else.
Someone weak like me...
And someone innocent and kind like Emilia...
We would never survive in a world like this.
So maybe choosing a different path is acceptable?
And that’s why—
△▼△▼△▼△
I left that alley behind, leaving the three idiots severely beaten. I didn’t kill them because there was no need to do anything that might harm Emilia in the future. I needed to make sure my path remained as bloodless as possible.
Now I stood behind another alley, different from the first one. The first was where the three fools had been.
The second was—
“Take these coins and lead her down the wrong path, away from the slums, got it?!”
A blonde girl with lion-like golden hair and fierce blood-red eyes spoke in a tone that was both hostile and calm at the same time. Her torn clothes reflected the harsh environment she lived in.
She was originally the fifth royal candidate for the throne, the missing one. She had been taken in by the Astrea household, and the Sword Saint himself had pledged his blade to her. From what I’d heard, she never liked the idea of ruling at all, yet she participated anyway.
Her goal was to destroy the nobility and restore the rights stolen from the poor, which, in my opinion, was a noble goal. On top of that, Old Man Rom stood beside her—the same man who had once been one of the leaders of the Demi-Human War. It was a meaningful gesture toward demi-humans.
She would have made a good ruler.
But I had promised myself that Emilia would become ruler no matter what.
Putting my rambling aside, it seemed the man who was supposed to mislead Emilia had begun leaving. Felt watched him carefully before starting to walk toward the path where I was hiding.
So what was the best move in this situation?
Felt possessed the Divine Protection of Wind, allowing her to reach abnormal speeds. Though speed was useless against someone like Elsa in direct combat, it would still let her escape from people like Emilia with ease.
And since I wasn’t as strong as Elsa, nor a spirit arts user like Emilia, the best thing I could do was—
“Gghhh—!”
A single precise kick to the stomach using my leg.
It would make her collapse and writhe in pain. Surprise attacks were the worst kind of pain—they came when the body was relaxed and unprepared, magnifying their effect tremendously.
“Damn you!! Who the hell are you?!” she shouted while twisting in agony.
I admired her determination. An ordinary person wouldn’t even be able to speak from that level of pain.
Maybe this was the kind of resolve a royal candidate truly needed.
“Sorry, but I need to take the insignia from you. Don’t worry, you’ll be fine.”
Speaking calmly and confidently, I watched her curl up in pain before bending down to grab the insignia hidden inside her small pocket.
“No—!”
As I tried taking it, she struggled with all her strength to stop me.
So I kicked her again.
Another kick to the same spot.
She started coughing saliva from the sheer pain.
Her determination finally broke, her fingers loosened, and she lost consciousness.
It was unfortunate. She would have suffered a far crueler fate if I hadn’t interfered.
At least this way, she wouldn’t die.
I bent down again and searched through her pockets, finding exactly what I sought.
A black insignia containing a red jewel.
The Dragon Stone that selected the royal candidates.
Losing it meant losing your candidacy, something neither Roswaal nor Emilia would be happy about.
“Ahh, I really hate that stupid clown.”
I sighed and cursed the absent man.
I knew who was behind the entire theft incident.
Roswaal himself.
The court clown.
Though his motives were incredibly suspicious, the reason he orchestrated all this remained unknown and lacked any real explanation.
“Or at least, I have my theories about why this farce happened. It was to gain my attention.”
I hated admitting it, but without Roswaal, I probably would’ve lived a peaceful life as a merchant.
Maybe I would’ve met Emilia anyway and become a supporter of her campaign.
The entire situation revolved around the Gospel he carried. Even though he wasn’t part of the Witch Cult, he still possessed a Gospel and followed it.
And even I didn’t fully understand its orders.
In any case, I needed to deal with the other issue in front of me.
The unconscious blonde girl in ragged clothes.
I had to do something about her because she was a royal candidate. It wasn’t that I cared, but if the fifth royal candidate disappeared, it would create problems.
And it might alter the future far beyond what I could predict.
I needed to preserve the minimum amount of changes possible so I could stay prepared.
And I knew exactly what to do with her—
“Hello, excuse me?”
“Of course. How may I help you?”
Burning crimson hair.
A handsome, confident smile.
A majestic sword that honored only worthy opponents by merely existing in their presence.
The Sword Saint, Reinhard van Astrea.
Standing before him was a black-haired young man with calm expressions and strange clothes that could only be described as somewhat dirty, though still of surprisingly high quality.
And in his arms rested a small blonde girl.
“Sorry for the trouble, but this girl needs help. Could you take her home? I think her guardian is someone called Old Man Rom. I’m busy and can’t help her right now, unfortunately.”
He spoke calmly, his face steady with faint traces of sadness.
The knight smiled and replied,
“No problem. I’ll handle things from here. You may go your way, and thank you for not leaving her alone.”
“Ah, thank you. By the way, could you stay with her until nightfall? Just to keep her safe. The slums have become very dangerous lately.”
He gently handed the blonde girl over to the knight.
The knight accepted her carefully, holding her the way a mother would carry her newborn child. Slightly surprised by the additional request, he still answered:
“I don’t mind. It would be my honor to serve the citizens and help them, even if only through my presence. Please excuse me.”
He lowered his head respectfully before walking toward the slums.
As I watched him disappear into the distance, conflicting emotions stirred within me.
Did I hate him?
Or was I merely jealous?
It didn’t matter.
I’d leave him alone this time.
In any case, returning Felt to Reinhard was the optimal choice. I didn’t care whether he noticed she was a royal candidate or not.
Though he was smarter than people believed.
He wasn’t just monstrously powerful—his perception was exceptional even without his countless Divine Protections.
I was ninety percent certain he would notice she was a candidate.
At the very least, he would suspect it and test the possibility.
And anyway—
I suddenly remembered something.
Felt had bribed several people to lead Emilia away from the correct path.
The strange thing was that her plan had actually worked.
Despite Puck being able to read intentions and roughly tell whether someone was lying or not.
“Emilia really is an angel sent down from heaven.”
If that proved anything, it proved just how innocent Emilia truly was.
Even when Puck warned her that they were hiding something, she still refused to believe they were lying to her.
She always saw the best in people.
It was genuinely difficult to make her hate or resent anyone.
And that was exactly why I would protect her.
This time, I would protect her while standing beside her.
Not from the shadows.
No—
I would protect her from the front lines against any danger that dared try to harm her.
And now…
I just hoped I could control myself—
—and not ruin everything.
△▼△▼△▼△
“Hello, are you looking for this?”
“My insignia!!”
With her sweet, soft, and gentle voice, she couldn’t hide her joy from the sheer relief of the situation. That insignia was important to her. Even though I didn’t know why she cared so much about the royal selection, it wasn’t like I particularly cared about the reason.
Still, it would be nice to know why someone as pure as her wanted to become king.
“Thank you, umm… do I know you? And how did you find it?”
Her lovely, beautiful expression shifted from genuine happiness to suspicion. It was only natural. Why would a stranger return your greatest treasure without reason?
“I saw you getting robbed, felt bad for you, and decided to help. I know the girl who stole it, so I got it back. That’s all.”
I replied with a small smile while trying to suppress the overwhelming emotions raging inside me because of her.
The conflict within me felt like a war.
Just talking to her alone made my heart pound like mad.
“Puck? What do you think? Can you tell anything?”
The moment she called his name, a cat emerged from her silky white hair.
A small gray cat.
At first glance, he looked harmless.
But he was a true monster who would destroy the world for the sake of his daughter.
That was something I learned after killing Petelgeuse.
Still, I didn’t hate him.
I respected him deeply.
Thanks to him, resetting the world would become much easier, and I wouldn’t need to find ways to kill myself anymore.
For that, I was truly grateful.
“Hmmm… he doesn’t seem dangerous. He only carries good intentions toward you, and he seems pretty fond of you too. But… something about him bothers me…”
He stared into my eyes for a moment before turning back toward Emilia.
“If that’s your opinion, Puck, then I should thank you!”
She looked directly into my eyes, and my heart felt like it would explode from my chest.
A feeling of satisfaction.
I didn’t die just to get the insignia.
And yet here I was, receiving my greatest reward.
“I can’t participate in the royal selection without it. If I lost it, Roswaal would get angry…”
Her voice turned sorrowful as she muttered to herself.
“It’s fine. Just keep it safe. And honestly, I wouldn’t recommend wandering around alone. It’s dangerous, especially at a time like this in the capital.”
“Something’s happening in the capital?!”
She answered in genuine shock. Then her expression shifted from surprise into embarrassment after realizing how reckless her situation actually was.
Of course, you wouldn’t expect a deranged killer who delighted in people’s intestines to be chasing you.
“Yes. I heard people saying there’s a crazy murderer roaming around the capital and the slums. Someone obsessed with guts. I really wouldn’t recommend wandering around right now.”
“Umm… thank you for the warning, and I’ll do anything to—”
Suddenly and without warning—
A terrifying, destructive, overwhelming sound exploded from the eastern side of the slums.
A deafening impact.
Everyone close enough to hear it froze in fear.
It was the kind of sound that could terrify even Great Mabeasts enough to retreat back into their lairs.
A strike powerful enough to destroy a house effortlessly.
Overwhelming power.
The power considered the strongest in the history of the world—the peak of humanity itself.
The opponent didn’t matter.
The location didn’t matter.
It wouldn’t even matter if he never drew his sword.
Victory would belong to him regardless.
But all of that only applied if one confronted Reinhard face-to-face in the end.
“Huh?! What was that?!”
Emilia panicked, utterly shaken by the overwhelming force, while Puck emerged fully, prepared to defend against any possible threat.
[Looks like Reinhard completed his mission successfully. Well, whatever. It’s not like I expected Elsa to do anything against him other than get crushed.]
That reminded me of something else.
Handling Elsa would become far more difficult now, and convincing her to cooperate would be troublesome without earning her favor by saving her first.
Well.
Small sacrifices for a better future.
“Well, looks like that was the danger I was talking about.”
As the clear evening sky shifted into night, the Sword Saint’s strike flashed brilliantly before fading like stars disappearing at dawn.
“That’s really dangerous! Do you have somewhere to go?”
What a kind question.
Most people didn’t realize how important a question like that was.
Anyone else would’ve simply told me to go home under the assumption that I had one.
The truth was that I didn’t.
And the reason she asked me that…
Was because she herself didn’t really have a home either.
She lived under Roswaal’s care in his mansion.
And her old home was nothing more than a frozen forest.
It was hard to even call either of those places “home.”
“Sorry, I don’t have a house. I’m broke, and I thought I’d at least do something good instead of wandering around uselessly.”
I gave a small sad smile that reflected my situation.
But in truth, the smile was directed toward my old home.
A tiny cottage with two rooms.
Blue lived there with me.
And Meili too, sometimes, whenever she got scared of Capella.
I was going to miss those days of making dolls for her.
Even after Capella was defeated, Meili ended up living at my place permanently.
It seemed her excuse of “being afraid of Capella” had just been a cute and silly excuse all along.
“I see… Well then, I’ll invite you back to the mansion with me.”
She looked at me sadly before her expression softened into a warm smile, trying to comfort me for my miserable circumstances.
“Really? You wouldn’t mind?”
“Yes, yes, it’s fine. I think you deserve a reward for finding my insignia.”
She closed her eyes slightly while smiling at me.
My heart was in terrible condition.
It felt like taking endless doses of drugs without rest.
Self-control was difficult when facing an angel like her.
Honestly, I was surprised Puck hadn’t exploded me yet with all the screaming emotions inside my heart.
“Lia, are you sure about this? He doesn’t have bad intentions, but I still don’t think we should trust him yet.”
Well, at least he was being honest.
I’d heard spirits could smell tainted miasma.
Back at the Watchtower, I once had a tiny fire spirit I never even bothered naming. It acted strangely when we arrived there.
Later, Elsa explained that spirits could sense things humans normally couldn’t—like miasma.
And apparently, it leaked from me too.
Still, my smell usually wasn’t a problem around spirits because the amount was relatively low.
But now…
It seemed the miasma accumulated from my death count exceeding ten thousand because of Reinhard had affected my credibility.
I hadn’t considered that.
But—
“Puck! He helped us, so he can’t be a bad person, right?”
She pouted slightly at the floating cat while pointing a finger toward him.
“Alright, alright. Fine as long as he doesn’t carry malicious intent. Wouldn’t you agree, black-haired boy?”
He looked at me with obvious hostility.
I didn’t really care.
It wasn’t like he could do much without his master’s permission anyway.
Though that reminded me of something important too.
“Ah, right. We still haven’t introduced ourselves yet. Isn’t it strange inviting someone to stay with you before even introducing yourself?”
“Right!! My name is Emilia. Just Emilia. Nice to meet you. And this is my contracted spirit, Puck.”
She looked genuinely happy introducing both herself and the person she cared about most.
“Emilia… that’s a beautiful name.”
I pronounced it carefully and slowly while trying to stop myself from leaping in celebration.
“Hmph, don’t joke around like that.”
Her cheeks turned red as she puffed her face in embarrassment.
That adorable reaction alone could’ve given me happy dreams for the rest of my life.
“Well then, my name is Natsuki Subaru. I hope we can become friends.”
I looked into her shining amethyst eyes as she froze at the word “friends.”
For a moment, it felt like she wanted to cry.
But she held herself together and smiled with pure happiness.
And only then did another voice appear.
“Emilia-sama, we should return to the mansion. We’re late.”
A composed feminine voice.
Strong and emotionless.
That voice reminded me of only one person.
I turned around to confirm the familiar sound.
Yes.
There was no doubt.
It was her.
Those sharp crimson eyes.
Short pink hair.
The black-and-white maid outfit.
But something was different.
Her eyes looked less dark.
Before, they had been hollow and lifeless, as though she had lost all desire to live.
Roswaal had used her like a puppet while the two of them helped me burn the kingdom with dead eyes devoid of life.
But now…
She looked like someone who possessed something precious beyond merely following the clown’s wishes.
“So, Emilia-sama… who is this dog with you?”
Well.
Looks like I lost the respect I used to have.
I guess I’d miss the days when she treated me on the same level as Roswaal.
And here I thought she was just another lifeless doll controlled by him.
Still…
Wasn’t this a wonderful new beginning?
Compared to my original start—which exceeded eighty death loops—
This beginning felt like sleeping in a soft bed beneath a warm blanket with five-star service.
△▼△▼△▼△
This was not one of Felt’s favorite days.
When you woke up remembering the face of some disgusting man with terrifying eyes that made your blood boil with anger, only to suddenly find yourself in the arms of some knight while your grandfather watched the scene unfold, it was naturally disturbing for someone who used to sleep beside rats just to keep warm.
Of course, the most logical thing for Felt to do was escape his grasp and make sure she got away successfully.
She had noticed the knight’s clothes.
If there was one thing she knew, it was that knights were scum who didn’t care about the slums. It was the perfect place for deranged trash to murder, torture, and rob people.
But the knight carrying her didn’t show any shock or surprise when she escaped his arms.
On the contrary, he praised her as though he were watching a devoted trainee finally reap the fruits of hard work.
“I’m glad you’re energetic. You have truly impressive movements.”
He looked at her and smiled with the same smile she had seen on the faces of countless idiot knights before.
But unlike those pretending to be noble—
This man actually seemed sincere.
And somehow, that sincerity only irritated her more.
It felt like he was mocking her, even though he clearly didn’t intend it that way.
Felt herself possessed no real talent aside from her Divine Protection, which she mostly used for stealing anyway.
So being praised by some stranger who carried her like a princess was hardly reassuring.
In the slums, carelessness got you killed.
Still, she needed to piece together the situation before acting rashly.
Despite his calm demeanor and the smile that could make any foolish woman trust him instantly—
He failed to realize that Felt was not just any woman.
First, she tried recalling what happened earlier and remembered the black-haired boy who had stopped her theft attempt as though he somehow knew exactly where she would go.
He had been strange.
Unusual clothes.
A shopping bag in hand.
And eyes that looked like they came from the most hateful creature in the world.
Felt wasn’t someone who judged by appearances.
After all, she literally lived with a giant and spent her days around demi-humans and mercenaries.
Race, gender, status—
She didn’t care about any of that.
But that boy carried a strange aura of calmness.
And the way he acted without hesitation made her worry about the kind of things he had done in his past.
The only people who kicked a child twice in a row like that were either killers—
Or mercenaries who specialized in dirty work.
And both types were people she preferred avoiding.
Especially after her bizarre encounter with what could only be called monsters.
While trying to mislead the knight with her fabricated story about being attacked for no reason—even though she knew perfectly well why it happened—it seemed like her lie was working.
But honestly…
This knight became terrifying whenever she lied to him.
It felt like he knew she was lying, yet chose to play along anyway.
Still, she didn’t care as long as he eventually left them alone.
She had no intention of dealing with knights.
And she also needed to get rid of him before her client arrived.
Even though the mission had failed unexpectedly, she didn’t want to drag her client into more trouble involving a knight who seemed suspiciously dangerous.
But everything changed the moment she heard knocking at the door.
Assuming it was her client, she went to open it—
Only for the door to explode inward from a violent kick powerful enough to resemble a starving mabeast attacking helpless rats.
Before the door could slam into her and crush her beneath it, the red-haired knight caught her once again like a princess.
She seriously didn’t understand his obsession with carrying her that way.
And she refused to feel grateful to any knight for the rest of her life.
And by the Dragon—
The rampaging monster who shattered the door wasn’t anyone other than the client she had accepted the job from.
It seemed she was excited.
Disappointed.
And worst of all—
She looked especially thrilled to see the knight.
The knight recognized her instantly.
Black hair.
Northern daggers.
Average height.
Constant murderous intent.
The infamous Bowel Hunter.
What a wonderful day.
First she accepted a job from a lunatic to steal some suspicious insignia from a half-devil—
Only for it to get stolen from her by some black-haired bastard instead.
Today truly felt like the worst day of her life.
In any case, the knight politely asked her to stay near Rom-jii.
Which she would’ve done regardless.
After a brief introduction between the two, it turned out the idiot knight who had carried her like a princess twice already was none other than Reinhard van Astrea—
The Sword Saint himself.
Of course, the Sword Saint’s fame wasn’t something small.
It was worldwide.
Everyone had heard stories about his power.
As though if he fought the sun itself, he would still win.
Felt never truly believed any of it.
As far as she was concerned, unless she saw proof with her own eyes, she wouldn’t believe anything.
The only reason she gave the stories any credibility was because Rom-jii once spoke about the previous Sword Saint’s strength and said they used to send him alone against entire demi-human armies.
It sounded terrifying.
One person defeating an entire army alone.
It felt like some children’s fairy tale where the hero defeats the infamous villain without help.
But she trusted Rom-jii’s words.
And if a Sword Saint truly could annihilate armies single-handedly, then underestimating the next generation of Sword Saints would be foolish.
And apparently—
She had been right not to underestimate this red-haired bastard.
He politely requested a sword.
Rom-jii obeyed, grabbing one from beneath a table and tossing it to him.
The knight swung it a few times as though adjusting himself to it.
Then he turned toward the client, who now looked completely insane and fascinated by the Sword Saint.
Despite the mission’s failure, Elsa actually thanked Felt for bringing Reinhard to her.
Yeah.
She was definitely insane.
The moment Elsa moved, she vanished with speed impossible for the naked eye to follow.
But Felt’s eyes were accustomed to speed thanks to her Divine Protection—
Ironically, she didn’t even know its name.
Still, that didn’t matter because the knight blocked every attack as though casually training with her.
If he had been complimenting her skills, Felt might’ve mistaken the fight for some brutal sparring session between monsters.
Fortunately, he merely kept asking her to surrender instead of acting like a lunatic like Elsa.
At least for now.
Still, the fact that he wasn’t just matching her—but completely overwhelming her through defense alone—was astonishing.
It reminded Felt of every absurd rumor about the Sword Saint.
That he was stronger than Lugunica’s entire army combined.
That he possessed countless Divine Protections.
And that his father was a drunken idiot.
Honestly, that last rumor was especially strange.
Why the hell would the father of a monster like this be a drunkard?
Shouldn’t he be proud or something?
Well, whatever.
The important thing was that the knight finally decided to end the fight.
But before finishing it, he decided to introduce himself to Elsa.
Some knightly nonsense Felt would never understand.
“You possess incredible skill. It’s truly unfortunate that you chose such a twisted path. Reinhard van Astrea, Sword Saint of the Kingdom.”
As he said this, he raised his sword—
And suddenly, it began glowing.
Felt had never seen a glowing sword outside ridiculous fantasy stories.
Which also reminded her of another rumor about the Sword Saint.
It was said that when the Sword Saint unsheathed the Dragon Sword—
The world itself bent beneath his will.
She never understood what the hell that was supposed to mean.
How could the world bend just because someone drew a sword?
It sounded absurd.
But thanks to Rom-jii’s stories about the Sword Saints, she at least gave the rumor the benefit of the doubt.
And since the knight had given his name—
Even a battle-crazed murderer would naturally respond with their own.
“Elsa Granhiert. The Bowel Hunter.”
Then she licked her blade.
One of the most disgusting things Felt had ever witnessed.
Still, there wasn’t much more to say after that.
As the knight raised his sword toward the heavens—
Felt truly felt as though the world itself bent beneath his will.
Of course, such an explanation sounded impossible.
But there was no other way to describe it.
It was as though the world itself had chosen him to carry out its will.
And the brighter the sword became—
The more Felt’s instincts screamed at her to run.
Her survival instincts were sharp.
But when she looked toward Rom-jii, he simply nodded reassuringly, telling her there was nothing to fear.
So she trusted him.
And looked back at the knight who now seemed capable of crushing the world beneath his will.
Then suddenly—
A blinding flash erupted.
Followed by an explosive roar that sounded like an entire house collapsing violently.
It resembled thunder—
Only ten times louder.
The deafening shockwave shook the room while furniture shattered and everything around them was crushed beneath overwhelming force.
Absolutely terrifying.
And when Felt finally forced her eyes open after witnessing a scene she would never forget for the rest of her life—
Her jaw nearly dropped.
Half of the loot house was gone.
And now—
She was currently yelling at the knight for his unbelievable brutality.
“Damn you!! Where the hell do you think we’re supposed to live now, knight?!”
“Ah… sorry about your house. But I had to do something or she wouldn’t surrender. I could’ve exhausted her by continuing to block her attacks, but I was worried about your safety if the fight dragged on.”
“Yeah, yeah, sure. So you blow up our house and expect to leave without paying proper compensation? Talk about shameless.”
Felt spoke with heavy sarcasm and a sly grin.
Originally, she was just trying to exploit the knight for compensation.
She wasn’t sure how noble he truly was.
But if he really was a good person like he claimed, then a few sacred coins shouldn’t be a problem.
“Hm, you’re right. I should compensate you. In that case, please allow me to host you at the Astrea residence. There, we can discuss proper repayment.”
The knight lowered his head politely with a somewhat serious expression.
“What? You’re taking us to your house? How do we know you’re not planning to arrest us or something?”
Felt frowned and raised an eyebrow.
“I assure you I won’t arrest you. This is technically my day off, after all.”
And for the first time—
The red-haired knight joked by casually informing Felt that he was “not obligated to enforce the law.”
And if that meant anything to Felt—
It definitely earned him some trust.
She could trust a knight who ignored the law more than one who followed it perfectly.
“I don’t think it’s a bad idea. Besides, it’s not like we have anywhere to sleep now.”
Old Man Rom looked sadly at his destroyed home.
“Fine then. We’ll go with you.”
She crossed her arms boldly while glaring at him.
“It would truly be my honor.”
He gave them a gentle smile.
And Felt found herself thinking—
No wonder women adored this man.
Reinhard started approaching them to lead them toward his carriage and take them home faster.
But then Felt noticed something strange.
The rubble was moving.
And suddenly—
Something emerged from the darkness beneath the wreckage and broken wood.
Elsa.
She launched herself toward Felt while gripping an additional knife.
Her intentions were obvious.
She at least wanted a reward before escaping.
A true warrior would attack even with their teeth if necessary to preserve their pride.
That was the mindset of a lunatic.
Even if you lost the battle—
That didn’t mean you couldn’t still be the one laughing in the end.
Like a king whose nation had been entirely conquered by enemy forces—
Yet instead of mourning his defeat, he laughed at the enemy who exhausted all their resources, armies, and strength invading him, leaving themselves vulnerable to destruction from neighboring nations.
If you couldn’t gain the greatest benefit from war—
At least make sure your enemy suffered the greatest damage possible.
That was Elsa Granhiert’s philosophy of survival.
With a swift, carefully trained strike aimed at the stunned blonde girl—
Felt tried to dodge.
But she failed.
And could only stare in horror at her inevitable fate.
The slash curved toward her stomach, blood spraying everywhere as Felt collapsed to the floor—
Or at least…
That was what should have happened.
Instead of Elsa scattering the blood and entrails of the failed little thief—
Someone else’s blood exploded across the room.
A giant had just lost his arm while shoving Felt away from the attack.
Blood from the severed limb splattered horribly across Felt’s face due to the sheer speed of the cut.
At that moment—
Reinhard understood the situation completely.
And decided to act.
He launched himself forward with speed so divine it was impossible to describe any other way, pursuing the killer.
This time, he intended to eliminate her permanently once and for all.
But his concern for civilians remained unchanged.
Even though he knew that mentality would allow other innocents to die elsewhere—
That was the belief he followed.
The Sword Saint was not someone who sacrificed the few to preserve the many.
The Sword Saint was someone you could rely on while standing beside him.
Not someone who accepted hollow victories that left victims behind.
The Sword Saint was not merely an executioner meant to punish criminals—
But the shield and protector of the entire kingdom and its people.
“Tsk.”
Elsa clicked her tongue and immediately retreated with rapid acrobatic movements.
As she escaped, she threw a dagger toward them.
Yet strangely—
It missed.
Not because Elsa’s aim was poor.
No.
The dagger itself deviated from its path.
More specifically—
It avoided Reinhard entirely.
As though it was forbidden from reaching him.
For Reinhard, this was normal thanks to his Divine Protection against projectiles.
Meanwhile Felt and Rom stood stunned by the absurdity before regaining their composure.
“Soon enough, I’ll carve open all your bellies. So treasure your intestines carefully until then…”
As she spoke those words, Elsa leapt upward twice with graceful speed and disappeared from the ruined house.
And as silence briefly settled after her escape—
It was broken instantly.
“Rom-jii!!”
Felt’s harsh voice transformed into something softer and more fragile.
Though the tenderness didn’t last long.
“What the hell were you thinking?! You lost your arm, you idiot!!”
“Hah… it hurts like hell, but that’s a cheap price compared to your life.”
He frowned while trying to stop the bleeding.
“This is really bad. We need to leave immediately. Maybe we can restore your arm if we reach a healer in time.”
The knight spoke calmly, completely focused on helping them.
“You know a healer?”
Felt glared at him suspiciously.
“We have healers among the knights. But most of them aren’t active at night. We’ll need to go to the Astrea estate and request one.”
He closed his eyes sadly.
“Then let’s go already! Stop wasting time, idiot!!”
She screamed furiously at the knight.
“Please, allow me.”
And because there was no time to waste—
Reinhard did something completely unexpected.
“Hey, what the hell are you doing?!”
Felt shouted in alarm.
“I’m not comfortable with this treatment either.”
Old Man Rom frowned awkwardly.
Since there was no time to spare, Reinhard simply hoisted both of them onto his shoulders while carrying the severed arm in his left hand.
There was no time to search for transportation.
They needed speed.
And with that—
He launched forward with velocity so overwhelming it would make ground dragons ashamed of themselves.
Rather than heading for the carriage, Reinhard decided to run directly toward the Astrea estate to save time.
He would apologize to Flamm and Grassis later for interrupting their work.
△▼△▼△▼△
“So Subaru, how did you catch the thief?” she asked, tilting her head slightly in curiosity.
“Well, it was actually pretty simple. I knew her, so I waited in the place I expected her to go to. When she arrived, I knocked her unconscious with a kick and took the insignia back.”
“You what?! You hit her?! That’s not nice at all!” she replied with a pout, clearly displeased by the barbaric treatment toward a little girl.
“Do you really have the right to say that? When you saw her stealing from you, you threw enough ice magic at her to kill her, you know.” He raised an eyebrow questioningly.
“Mmmm… I guess I overreacted… But I was scared! She surprised me!” She pouted, crossing her arms over her chest after shutting her eyes.
“Well, it’s fine. Anyway, I left her with one of the knights to take care of her, if you were worried about her safety.”
“Oh… sorry for jumping to conclusions…” Her expression shifted from displeasure to embarrassment.
As her expressions changed with every response, my heart beat faster and faster. It felt like paradise just watching her reactions and affecting them. In the past, the best I could do to move her emotions was make her cry. This time was different.
Emilia looked away and started staring at the mountains and fields outside, but then she turned back toward me with suspicion in her eyes.
“You know I’m a half-elf, right? Then why did you help me?”
“I’m not the kind of person who cares about races. And as for why I helped you…”
Of course, the real reason I helped her—no, the reason I loved her so obsessively—was because she was the only person who looked at trash like Natsuki Subaru and chose to help him while everyone else left him to suffer.
Obviously, I couldn’t say that. If I did, I’d be called insane.
Though they wouldn’t exactly be wrong.
I was insane.
Just not in the way they imagined.
“Well… because I felt like I loved you.”
“Hah?! W-What are you saying at a time like this, idiot…?!” Her expression shifted from suspicion to bright red embarrassment.
It wasn’t cute anymore.
It felt more like gazing upon heaven itself.
And I didn’t want to stain that heaven with my blood-soaked hands.
“Like I told you, I fell for you and wanted to help you. It’s really not that complicated.” He closed his eyes with a faint smile.
“But why? Why do you love me when I’ve never done anything for you?” she asked again, suspicion and frustration returning to her face.
“I believe in love at first sight, and I’m sticking to my judgment. According to my current judgment, you’re a kind girl, and I’d be happy to stay by your side for the rest of my life… though I guess that wouldn’t mean much to you.” He tilted his neck slightly, mocking the absurdity of his own words.
Even if what he said was realistic, elves and half-elves lived for decades—centuries—without their appearances changing at all. A human like Natsuki Subaru would never live long enough to create enough happy memories for her to remember him forever.
“Don’t say creepy things like that!” she snapped with a blushing face, trying to vent her adorable frustration at the embarrassing thing I’d said.
If I’d said something like that to any girl other than Emilia, she would’ve called me delusional and stupid.
But Emilia accepted it like it was something genuinely important, something that shouldn’t be mocked.
“Emilia-sama, and you mangy mutt, we’ve arrived.”
A third, unwelcome voice echoed from the carriage driver’s seat. Pink hair, a firm feminine voice—without question, one of the most loyal people I had ever seen toward her master. She probably wouldn’t even mind burning down the kingdom if he ordered her to.
Sometimes I honestly wondered whether she even got paid for this job.
“Well then, looks like we’re at the mansion. Emilia, ladies first.”
While opening the carriage door, he smiled and gestured for her to step out before him. Normally, I didn’t have manners like this.
But Emilia was different.
She deserved to be treated with the utmost respect and appreciation—
something she sorely lacked.
Emilia stepped out of the carriage, followed by Subaru shortly afterward. While he stood at the gate admiring the beauty of the mansion, that angelic voice called out to him again as he stared blankly at it.
“Come on, Subaru.”
He nodded and followed her while the pink-haired maid walked ahead of them.
Looking around the estate, Roswaal really did own a beautiful mansion. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind living here for four hundred years either if I were him.
Though I did wonder how many times he’d changed the interior design.
While lost in my thoughts, I heard another voice.
“Welcome back, Nee-sama, Emilia-sama.”
With a perfectly trained bow, lifting the edges of her skirt slightly while closing her eyes, for a moment I thought Ram had suddenly changed her hair color—
and somehow found a way to make her chest bigger too.
But obviously, that wasn’t the case.
The maid’s expression shifted slightly in surprise when she saw me. It turned into hostility, then immediately changed into respectful neutrality with flawless speed.
Was she an assassin like Elsa?
I didn’t know.
But regardless, she definitely looked like she hated me for a familiar reason.
Or maybe—
“My apologies for my rudeness, Guest-sama. I was not informed of your arrival.”
She bowed again, offering the proper respect due to any guest.
“Ah, no need to apologize. Feels like we’re both in a pretty similar situation, right?”
She frowned slightly, visibly confused by the response.
Of course she wouldn’t understand the joke.
It was just a stupid habit that was hard to quit. Since I couldn’t reveal Return by Death, tossing out bits of hidden weight in random moments nobody would notice was strangely comforting.
A tiny trick to keep my sanity under control.
“Well then, Subaru, come inside the mansion. I’m sure you’ll like it.”
She looked at me with gentle kindness and smiled softly.
My heart seriously couldn’t handle this.
“Barusu, Emilia-sama, please follow my sister and me.”
Ram called out to us after standing beside her sister, and the two of them began walking into the mansion while we followed behind them.
But wait a second—
How did my name turn into a reversed curse?
△▼△▼△▼△
“My god, why do I feel tired when I haven’t actually done anything?”
It was the kind of psychological exhaustion that happened when you prepared yourself for something dangerous, only for everything to succeed without effort in the end.
In addition to the fact that I kept making plans for the future throughout the trip, planning all the time became a habit for me since it's the only thing I'm good at.
I had been ready for any kind of new obstacle that might appear because of the divergence. Even if I remembered the events, anything was possible.
But it seemed my worries had been unnecessary.
The real problem would be Roswaal.
I hoped he would allow me to stay.
I hoped his Gospel wouldn’t tell him to make me the Sin Archbishop of Pride again.
Unfortunately, if that happened…
I would have to get rid of him.
Knock knock.
“Come in.”
The blue-haired maid entered—the one named Rem, by the way. I hoped we could maintain a good relationship. She seemed kinder than her sister.
Not just in appearance, but morally as well.
Unlike Ram, who respected no one except Roswaal, along with the people he personally acknowledged, and maybe a few important guests. Other than that, she’d gladly step on you.
But Rem seemed less aggressive and more withdrawn.
Though her first impression of me would definitely be a problem.
That hostility…
It was hard to miss.
Recognizing hostility wasn’t something worth bragging about.
Honestly, it would’ve been laughable if I couldn’t recognize it.
“Guest-sama,” she bowed lightly before continuing, “Roswaal-sama will return in three days. Until then, we would be delighted to host you and welcome your stay.”
“I see. Thank you for informing me. You may leave now.”
A simple response paired with a small, friendly smile.
Rem left the room, and afterward I laid down on the comfortable, luxurious bed.
It was definitely far better than my old one by an absurd margin.
Not that my bed had been bad, or that I used to sleep on some cheap mattress, but this was simply the difference between nobles and commoners.
“Well then, Roswaal… are we going to remain friends, or will your plans oppose me?” he whispered quietly with a tired expression.
He didn’t want to become an Archbishop again.
He didn’t want to repeat the massacres.
He didn’t want to burn the kingdom down again.
He just wanted to live beside the person he loved.
“Well then, let’s go see what happens next!”
With an energetic tone, he jumped out of bed, headed for the door, opened it, and went exploring.
He walked through the corridors with happiness and excitement—
but something felt wrong.
Strange.
Why did Roswaal buy the same painting twenty times?
Either he enjoyed playing mind games with his guests…
or—
He suddenly turned toward one of the doors.
He felt something about that door.
Without hesitation, he decided not to waste the opportunity and flung it open immediately.
“Tadaaaa!!”
“What a lack of manners, I suppose.”
The scent of books and poorly cleaned dust greeted him.
A beautiful library stood before him, and facing the doorway was a little girl with long curled blonde hair, a childish face, and an expression of utter disinterest.
Normally, someone would ask:
Why the hell does Roswaal have a little girl inside a library?
And from there, suspicions about him being a child predator would suddenly become disturbingly plausible.
But despite Roswaal’s suspicious personality, he obviously wasn’t a creep.
Which left me with only one possible conclusion about the identity of this little girl.
“Amazing! I didn’t think I’d meet the Great Spirit of Yin, Beatrice, this quickly! It’s truly an honor, you know!”
Excitement burst out of me as I met one of the people I’d always wondered about.
For some reason, Roswaal had advised me not to meet her.
I never really understood why.
Though he did assure me Beatrice wouldn’t care whether I was affiliated with the Witch Cult or not, he warned me her personality was difficult.
Well then.
Let’s see where this goes.
“Hmph. You’re smarter than I thought, human. I’ll praise your sharp eyes, I suppose.”
She smiled arrogantly and flicked her carefully curled hair with pride.
“Well then, one question. Were you the one making me walk through the same corridor twenty times? It’s not new to me or anything, but I’d prefer to be the only trickster around here.”
“And what will you do if I tell you I was, I wonder?”
“Ah, nothing really? It’s not like I can cut your hair for revenge since I’d probably die if I tried.”
He replied cheerfully with a suppressed laugh.
Unfortunately, the spirit clearly didn’t appreciate the joke, because her expression turned into disgust.
“Hah. As if Betty would dirty her hands on a foolish human. You’d better leave before I throw you out.”
Well, she seemed angry at me.
My god, tough crowd.
“H-hey, weren’t you the one who forced me into your room with your little trick? Why bring me here if you wanted me gone?”
I placed a hand on my chin and stared at her with one eye narrowed.
“Betty is glad you asked, I suppose.”
At that moment, her expression transformed into a devilish grin.
She rose from the pile of books she’d been sitting on and started walking toward me.
The logical decision here would’ve been to run away.
With that expression, she was definitely planning to do something horrible to me.
And she would probably find it hilarious.
Well then, I immediately tried turning around and leaving—
but the door slammed shut with wind magic and refused to open.
What a problem.
Well, hopefully I wouldn’t get burned alive.
That was a painfully awful way to go.
“Now then, let’s see… I suppose.”
She stretched her arm toward me and pressed a hand against my stomach.
I would’ve called it a sweet gesture—
except what happened immediately afterward was anything but pleasant.
A violent shock surged through me.
It felt like running through a stormy night and getting struck by lightning while playing in the rain.
My body went numb.
I felt like I was burning from the inside, my organs and guts being cooked alive.
My head boiled, and my arms and legs collapsed onto the floor.
An overwhelming urge to cough and vomit rose inside me—
despite the fact that my stomach was empty and I hadn’t eaten anything since my latest reset.
“Damn… did you… drain my mana…?”
His weak voice trembled as he knelt on the floor, struggling against the exhaustion and crushing weakness.
“You’re not as stupid as you look, I suppose. I’d say you’re smarter than the idiotic maids here, though that’s hardly something worth being proud of.”
She looked down at me after her smile faded back into indifference, returning once again to her usual pout.
And while I watched her return to her books—
I ended up passing out in the middle of the library.
…Ugh.
I just hope I didn’t trouble the maids too much.
Especially the blue-haired one.