A familiar ceiling of the room which Roswaal provided Makoto. A fancy looking design and on top of that an atmosphere which can not be described with simple words.
Makoto found himself in such a strange situation that he could not even comprehend his very own sentences and words.
"How did she...no, why was she even there…?"
His body shivered remembering the face of his killer. The woman who has been killing him left and right since the beginning of his horrible journey.
"Why was Elsa here?" His body wanted to puke on one mention of the women as one god knows what she was doing with his body after she killed him.
The ability to come back to life surely sounds fantastic but it would be even more fantastic if he would not feel pain every time he gets back. The sheer feeling of the dagger piercing through your flesh and blood dripping from your body is so disgusting that it can be on par with the smell of a vomit.
Barely stopping his fists from shivering Makoto heard a knock.
"Ah, c-come in." He nervously announced
A person who entered the room was familiar to Makoto.
"You finally woke up, Makoto-kun." Emilia said worriedly looking towards boy whose face could be described with nothing else but pale. "You really made us worried back than, Rem and Ram immediately called for Beatrice-sama to see what happened to you."
"Oh really?" He said with a smile. "I should thank them later on."
Emilia nodded with a smile as his pale face seemingly got better. Part of the reason was in that he tried to hide this fact alone.
"Yes you should thank them but…" Sudden enough Emilia bowed her head down to Makoto. "I should thank you too. If not for you I would have been dead and my insignia would have been taken off…"
Makoto saw from where this gratitude was coming but he wasn't really a type of person who was good with getting compliments so he did most common thing for him to do."Really I did nothing great and beside, it is thanks to you and Puck that we all are safe."
Speaking of Puck. Upon mentioning the name of the spirit cat he appeared coming from back of Emilia. "Hey there Makoto~!" He cheerfully said waving towards the boy.
Naegi waved towards the spirit with a smile.
"Nice seeing you again, Puck. How was your sleep?"
"Hehe, glad you asked. Even tho I was worried for Lia in fact I was also worried for you so nope, I don't think my sleep was that good."
As the cat said those words he began to bump Makoto's head with his tiny paws making the luckster to laugh from the ticklish feeling.
"It is surprising to see Puck being worried for anyone else beside me, should I be jealous?"
Makoto waved his hands as quick as he could."Wait I won't steal Puck from you, Emilia-san, I swear."This only caused the girl to loudly laugh on that comment."I was teasing you dummy. Glad you are feeling better now."
The boy sheepishly scratched his head.
"Hahaha thanks for that actually...I needed that."
Emilia's smile grew softer as she saw the face of the boy who was so selfless while talking about himself. She could only wonder what made such an optimistic person to become sad so sudden and guessing from Puck's reaction she was right on that behalf.
Since meeting him in that inn, Makoto, had something within himself that made people around to soften near him. Was it his smile? Or was it his character? Either way it was reassuring to see him smile again.
"The Lord of this mansion had already arrived and awaits to meet with you, Makoto." Emilia noted.
"Ah right...oh and before we go, can I say something to both of you?"Puck and Lia both looked towards each other wondering what could the boy say."W-Well if it isn't too much...how about we become friends?"
A silence fall between them as it was replaced by the loud laughter. "I mean...are you alright with me and puck as friends?" Makoto happily nodded."Than why not? And beside Puck, I think you will be my first friend."
Makoto already knew this from his previous loop and that actually always made him question on why does such a girl as Emilia never had friends.
"Well I don't need any friends beside Lia but since it is you than of course, young man~!"Puck patted Makoto's hair again mimicking what seemed to be a proud father."Keep it up and I will let you marry my daughter."
Makoto's and Emilia's cheeks grew redder.
"W-W-What are you talking about, Puck!?" Emilia exclaimed.
Puck shrugged.
"You both look so cute together that even a jealous father like me can't resist and ship you~"
Emilia's cheeks grew redder as they both started to argue on that matter while Makoto couldn't help himself but laugh. While his death was surely gruesome...he still kept his hope with him...a hope for a better future.
.
.
.
Now for the conversation with Roswaal and the rest, it concluded in pretty much the same way it ended the last time. The same Roswaal with the same aura which was literally screaming to not trust him at all even Makoto found it hard to trust the clown-looking noble.
Of course, Makoto would never speak those words out loud due to his noble self as well considering it will be pretty rude to call a person who gave you so much money 'Untruthful' but at the time such as this, it will be welcomed considering that by now Makoto concluded that Elsa had someone help her sneak in to the mansion. Of course he didn't actually thought of Roswaal but he didn't excluded him either.
Now being near the door which led to the room of which Makoto didn't even knew, he placed his hands on the doorknob hoping for something.
"Here we go." He said in full confidence which he seemed to muster as entered to the room he wanted which was Beatrice's room.
"Now that is the second time you are entering here, I suppose."
Makoto tried to mentally slap himself to not let his cool off near the twirly braided girl but still he knew that he could not hide anything from the spirit. "Uhhh, for the starters before you kick me out really hard using whatever spell you prepared maybe you can listen to me?" It sounded half assed but in the same time it seemed convincing especially coming from Makoto.
In the meantime Beatrice gave the boy a surprised look.
"What a surprise, I did not expected you to read through my mind and understand my next course of action."
"Now was the accent on the 'you' word that necessary dear spirit-sama…?" It was somehow funny to talk this way with Beatrice but he soon regretted seemingly understanding that instead of kicking him out of her room she would do something even more horrible, well anything beside killing but mind you he did not wanted to suffer from anything, his half assed luck was already a pain on its own.
"Guess you would not leave this easily, the book about roaches was right, huh?"
He clearly imagined her words stabbing him like an arrow.
'Am I like a roach in her eyes????'
But putting her insults which really hurt his ego aside Makoto sighed in a tired tone.
"I actually have a question for you, Beatrice."
This took her attention to the point that she even decided to stand up from her place. She didn't knew Makoto long but she was sure enough that people like him don't sound super serious in an unneeded situations.
"Guessing from your tone it seems to be something serious...well, it won't hurt to listen to you, I suppose."
Makoto nodded to her words "Thank you, Beatrice…" He said pretty weakly which underlined the fact of seriousness on this matter.
"For starters...I am not a witch cultist."
"!?"
This took Beatrice off guard, she was actually having that idea in mind. It was not really that surprising and Makoto wasn't really dumb enough to make her suspicion greater in this loop
"Well that certainly surprised Betty but why do you suppose that I doubt you on being witch cultist?"
To this however Makoto was quick to smile.
"I am followed by some kind of scent or miasma from witch, right?"
"Hm? Than I suppose telling you the other part of information is useless since you know the rest?"
Makoto nodded.
"I don't want it to take long so I will ask in advance. Is their a chance that the mansion can be attacked or be infiltrated by...I don't know, an assassin?"
"Huh?"
Betty pretty much became concerned and Makoto actually understood her reasoning. An unknown guy who is surrounded with witch's scent which can only lead for connection with witch cult, is asking about security of the mansion, what is this but not a self-suggesting factor on him being actually a part of the cult.
"I-I know that sounds fishy but trust me, I mean no harm."
It took seconds maybe even a minute to think his words over only for her to sigh.
"I am glad you are not so stupid as to not understand what you just said but as a spirit I can tell that you really mean no harm...hmm I will tell you but only on one condition."
"I agree" it didn't even take Makoto a second to agree on Betty's terms which he was unaware of.
"Wh-What? Aren't you supposed to doubt me by this point?"
"Well I trust you so there is no need for a wait just please do tell me how does security works here?"
Beatrice simply exhaled, afterall this guy was a headache of his own.
"To put it simply I am considered as a security of the house."
Of course it didn't really made sense to the luckster as his dumb look made it clear for the girl to chew out what she meant.
"Basically, I can feel whenever someone enters the mansion or leaves and I can also make it so the intruder is out of the mansion in no time."
This surprised Makoto as he was sure that Elsa entered the mansion and guessing from her reaction and the time he spent seeing her while he was alive was more than enough for Betty to deal with her unless…
'Betty willingly let the girl in but that is unlikely.' even if he was paranoid Makoto could nevere mistrust Beatrice and he had a solid reason why. Even if he did not looked like it Makoto was good at reading people tho not as good as anyone else but even he could tell that Beatrice could never bring harm to anyone, especially when she was confirmed that he was no cultist but that only made the current case much...much harder.
"Say...is there a way to get past your security?"
Beatrice just gave in. Of course it was strange thing to ask. Who in their right minds would ask about holes in security being an outsider, but seems he was confident on this and she saw no harm telling him.
"Well I would say it is hard to perform but it is certainly possible for a small grain of people. Either the person who want to enter the mansion should be a high level mage who mastered sorcery to the point where they can deceive a high spirit such as me or they should be god themselves."
That wasn't really telling him anything but Makoto concluded and nodded to this small info he got.
'Elsa is surely not a mage and even if she is I doubt that she is masterful enough to deceive Beatrice which means that she got a help from somebody strong...but who?'
While he was putting dots in his mind Beatrice looked towards him as coughed to her small palm getting his attention.
"Now that Betty did what you wanted it is time for you to do what we agreed on."
"Oh right...uhhh what did I agreed on, again?"
Beatrice rolled her eyes.
"I simply demand answers on what is going on?"
"Oh…."
This wasn't really a hard question but does he needs to tell her about his disgusting 'Return by Death' ability? Would she even believe him?
"So? What are you waiting for? I need answers, I suppose." Beatrice's expression was getting more wary as she looked towards Makoto. "Were you not the one claiming to answer whatever question I have for you?
Makoto scratched his head for some time until he finally sighed.
"I will tell you but this might seem absurd." He said sternly.
Beatrice just nodded.
"Trust me I saw far too many things to get surprised."
"W-Well you see I can return by dea-!?"
THUMP
The room got dark, everything seemed to fade while Makoto felt his body freezing in fear, something or maybe even someone had their hands around his heart.
A cold hand...a cold and disgustingly dark hand was touching his very heart.
He felt something that was more awful than deaths while the hand retreated making him back to reality.
He gasped for an air as his knees were on floor while a vomit piled up all the way towards his mouth.
The next moment...he just puked everything out.
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Damn that was pretty good chapter. As you all already guessed I want Elsa to appear earlier in the story and that is actually part of the plot I am trying to build so welp...hope to see you guys in next chapter.