As the carriage approached the mansion, the faintly glowing orb in the sky had dipped below the horizon, giving way to the soft glow of the sun, with not a single cloud in sight. The orange Sunlight streamed through the window, brightening the interior. A gentle breeze swirled around the carriage, bringing a refreshing coolness that Emilia and a now-awake Puck enjoyed.
Before long, the road came to an end, and the front gates of the manor swung open as she drew near. Ram guided the carriage to the stable, where the animals that pulled the carriages were resting.
Realizing they had finally arrived, Emilia playfully poked Subaru on the nose. "Subaru, it's time to wake up; we're here," she said.
Subaru groaned softly, waking up with a big yawn, clearly still tired and reluctant to leave his beauty sleep. He glanced around at his surroundings, taking in Emilia and Puck.
"Oh, that wasn't a dream," he mumbled to himself, but Emilia caught his words.
"A dream? What are you talking about?" she asked, tilting her head in a cute manner.
"Ah, it's nothing important. Don't worry about it," he replied.
In truth, Subaru hadn't fully accepted that the events of yesterday were real. When he woke up, he thought for a split second
it might all be a figment of his imagination, but seeing Emilia and Puck confirmed the reality of it all.
"If it's not a big deal, let's get going then. We've arrived at the mansion," Puck said, stretching lazily on top of Emilia.
"Okay."
Emilia and Puck hopped out of the carriage with Ram's assistance, and Subaru followed closely behind. As he stepped out, he took a moment to absorb the stunning surroundings.
Calling this place a mansion didn't quite capture its magnificence. It was a mesmerizing structure shaped like an arc, with a pristine white fence and a blue-tiled roof. The front yard resembled a vast field, adorned with beautifully trimmed grass and vibrant flowers.
Subaru was no stranger to luxury; as the head of his clan, he managed a significant portion of their wealth and properties. However, they had never owned anything of this scale, as it was often deemed excessive.
If the exterior was this breathtaking, he couldn't help but wonder what the inside looked like.
"Wow, you actually live here, Emilia?" he asked, using his Six Eyes to take in the view, while Ram tended to the creature.
"Yeah, but it's not really mine. It belongs to my sponsor," she replied with a quick wave.
"Sponsor? You mean that the Roswaal guy Ram mentioned?" he inquired, recalling Ram's earlier mention of him when thanking him.
Emilia nodded. "Exactly, that's him. He'll reward you for helping me out."
'A reward, huh? Looks like helping her was the right move,' he thought. He had planned to stay at the mansion for a bit to get his bearings, but a reward would definitely make things easier.
"By the way, do you know what kind of animal that is? I keep seeing it around, but I'm not sure what it's called," he asked, pointing at the one that was drawing their carriage.
"Oh, that's a ground dragon. They're used for transportation. How come you don't know what it is?" she questioned, and Subaru quickly dodged the question.
"It's a long story. Anyway, let's go inside."
After Ram finished with the animal, she rejoined the group and guided them to the front door. As they ascended the steps, they were welcomed by a maid who looked just like Ram, except she had blue hair instead of her sister's pink.
'Identicaltwins, butonehasbluehairandtheotherpink,'he mused, studying her with his six eyes.
What he observed piqued his interest; she possessed a good amount of mana, but what truly caught his attention was the presence of two colors—red and blue. She had an affinity for both water and fire magic, something he never witnessed before. Similar to her twin, he noticed mana swirling around her head, but unlike Ram, there was a pulsing purple glow beneath it, forming the shape of a horn, ready to be released.
Additionally, she had a unique ability that his Six Eyes identified as "Synesthesia," which allowed her to communicate with her twin through emotions.
Subaru pondered what it would be like to have that connection with Satoru. The thought sent a shiver down his spine. 'Absolutelynot.'
"Welcome back, Emilia-sama, Ram, and—" whatever words had been on her lips died as she glanced at Subaru. A faint, repulsive odor lingered around him, one she recognized all too well. How long had it been since she had caught a whiff of that scent? Those feelings of terror and despair that still haunted her. A shiver ran through her as another emotion, one she knew intimately—rage—began to surface.
Unaware of the maid's turmoil, Subaru caught a fleeting glimpse of fear in her eyes, which quickly morphed into something more intense—bloodlust.
And it was directed at him.
'What's with that look? It's like I'm the most disgusting thing ever, even though I did nothing wrong.' he wondered, a gut feeling told him that his time here would be more complicated than he had thought.
"Rem." Ram spoke with a firm yet understanding expression, shaking her head slightly at her sister, which prompted her to stand tall, clearly feeling the tension in the air.
Subaru wished he could read minds with his six eyes; he hated feeling out of the loop.
"—Honored Guest." She concluded with a bow, lifting her skirt gracefully.
"Hey Rem, it's great to see you again." Emilia's oblivious voice cut through the tension. "We just returned from the capital. Is Roswaal around?"
The now-identified Rem shook her head. "Unfortunately, no. Roswaal left yesterday for some business. He should be back later today around lunchtime."
"Aww, that's too bad." She gestured toward Subaru. "This is Subaru; he saved my life and helped me recover a stolen item. He's looking for a place to stay until he gets his bearings. Could you show him to one of the guest rooms?"
"As you wish, Emilia-sama," Rem replied in a professional tone, concealing any dislike she might have felt.
She then turned to Subaru. "I'm sorry, Subaru, but I need to head to my room now. I have some matters to attend to." She smiled as she spoke. "Ram and Rem can guide you to one of the guest rooms, alright?"
"No worries, go take care of your things; I'll be just fine," he replied back with a smile. He then looked at the twin maids and said, "Well? lead on."
Subaru followed the twin maid up the steps into the mansion, while Emilia veered off to the left down a corridor.
As he walked, he took a moment to admire his surroundings. The walls were adorned with exquisite paintings and opulent furniture that peasants of this world could only dream off. 'Whoever owns this place must be filthy rich if even the furniture has gold.'
However, his thoughts soon returned to the intense animosity the blue-haired maid had shown him. He recognized that expression all too well; it was the look someone gives when they've lost someone dear to them. He even recognized the mask she wore afterwards.
He had experienced a similar situation before.
Yet, it was strange since this was his first meeting her, so he couldn't have done anything to hurt her.
'Should I try to clear the air?' he pondered, but he sensed that bringing it up now might spark a confrontation. So, he opted to keep quiet for the time being.
Before long, they arrived at one of the rooms and halted. Ram gestured toward the door. "This will be your room, honored guest." She opened it, revealing a lavish interior.
He quickly took in the space: a queen-sized bed, a wooden dresser, a large closet, and a wooden desk tucked in the corner. A window offered a view of the front of the mansion, and there was a door that likely led to a bathroom.
"Heh, now THAT is a room if I ever saw one" he exclaimed with a smile. It might not have the modern conveniences of the twenty-first century, but it was more than sufficient for him.
"Indeed. Roswaal-sama ensures that all his guests are well taken care of, regardless of their status," Ram replied, and Subaru nodded in agreement.
But then he read between the lines and realized what she meant 'Regardless of their status? Does she mean that i'm–'
"Now, please make yourself comfortable here. Rem will bring you breakfast while I fetch you some sleeping robes." She bowed before she and her sister departed.
Subaru found himself alone in the room, laying on the bed and relishing the comfort of the soft mattress. He began to reflect on his new circumstances.
"Okay, Subaru. You're in a whole new world now. This is your chance for a fresh start, just like you always wanted. First things first, you need to learn about this place—its history, culture and traditions. After that, finding a job should be your priority," he reminded himself, mapping out his plans for his stay in the mansion.
"Emilia has been kind enough to let me stay here, but I can't take advantage of her generosity or that Roswaal guy, whoever he is. I need to find a job as soon as possible. So what could I do?" He rested his chin on his hand, lost in thought.
"What kind of job do I want? Physical labor is a definite no. A bounty hunter? No, that's not the life I want. I'd prefer something quieter, away from all the fighting and chaos."
By the time Rem arrived with breakfast and Ram brought the robes, Subaru was still lying on the bed, having made no progress at all. He decided to put off his plans until after he had a little more rest.
---------------------------------
A soft knocking echoed against the wooden door, filling the room with sound. Subaru stirred, groggily opening his eyes at the noise. He rubbed his fists against his eyes to clear his vision.
"Subaru, it's me, Emilia. Are you awake?" A voice like tinkling silver bells rang out, and he instantly recognized it.
"Yeah, just give me a moment," he replied, quickly getting out of bed, shedding his robes, and slipping into his clothes. He grabbed his signature sunglasses and opened the door to find a bright and cheerful Emilia waiting for him.
"Subaru, there you are! How did you find the room? Did you like it?" she asked eagerly.
"It's pretty good. Definitely in the top five of the most comfortable places I've ever slept in. So, what's up? You seem really excited all of a sudden," he said, raising an eyebrow.
"Roswaal just arrived and wants to see you. He's in the dining room right now," she explained.
"Got it… Just curious, but why are you the one waking me up? Shouldn't it be one of the maids?" he questioned, finding it a bit odd for a lady—he wasn't quite sure of her role in the mansion—to be the one to do so.
"O-oh, right! Rem was supposed to bring you in, but I asked if I could do it myself," she admitted.
'Cute.' Subaru thought, finding her excuse to spend time with him adorable.
"Alright then, lead the way?" he motioned, Emilia nodded and walked, Subaru trailing right beside her.
"So, what's this Roswaal fella wants from me?" he inquired.
"Like I said, he wants to thank you and reward you for saving my life. What you did was no small thing, Subaru."
"I think you give me too much credit, Emilia. Anyone in my shoes would've done the same. You're just too adorable to pass up" he replied, beaming at her.
She blushed a tiny bit at the "Adorable" part. "If you say so."
Nobody said anything else, so they fell into a comfortable silence and continued walking.
and walking
and walking
and walking—
'Is it just me, or is this hallway longer than it should be?' he wondered, quickly shifting into battle mode as he scanned their surroundings. Sure enough, he noticed black mana enveloping them, shaping the corridor itself. It just kept extending.
"Emilia, I think we're caught in a loop," he stated, prompting Emilia to halt and look at him with confusion.
"Didn't you notice? We've been walking the same corridor for a long time and haven't made any progress. Someone, or something, has trapped us," he explained, a serious expression on his face.
The only logical explanation would be that they were in a domain, but the absence of cursed energy ruled that out. It had to be a Yin magic spell.
Subaru could think of only one way to counter this, and he would need to grab Emilia and—
"I think I know what's happening," a cheerful voice chimed in. It was none other than Puck, Emilia's great spirit.
"Puck? You know what's going on?" she asked, and he nodded.
"Yep. This must be the 'Infinite Corridor' spell," he informed them.
"Infinite Corridor? Do you know casted it?" Subaru asked, intrigued. Puck didn't seem to be worried in the slightest, so it mustn't be an enemy then, rather a resident of the mansion.
"Yeah, Beatrice is the one who casted it. I'm guessing she wants you to come and find her, Subaru." Puck said, making the aforementioned man to blink in confusion.
"Me? Why? And who's Beatrice anyway?" he asked.
"Beatrice is the guardian of the forbidden library, and she's a spirit like me. As for her reason… I'm not sure," Puck shrugged.
Subaru glanced around, realizing he couldn't spot this "Beatrice" anywhere, which meant she was likely behind one of the locked doors. Normally, he would have to open each one, but fortunately, he had an ace up his sleeves.
'Man, I really love the Six Eyes so much,' he thought happily as he approached a door surrounded by dark mana and pushed it open.
What lay beyond was not a bedroom but an entirely different scene. Towering shelves filled with books of all kinds stretched as far as the eye could see. In the center, perched on a stool, was a little girl.
She had blonde hair arranged in two matching drill-like styles, topped with a whimsically tiny crown. Her outfit featured an elaborate frilly red dress paired with striped pink and purple tights.
Subaru was about to ask why a child was there when it dawned on him that this must be Beatrice. A quick scan with his Six Eyes confirmed she was indeed a spirit like Puck, as she had no gate. Her mana was dense, and her reserves were substantial, though not quite as similar as Puck's. He was also taken aback to see her in a human form, nonetheless.
'I guess spirits can have diffrent appearances here, just like cursed ones,' he mused, recalling the special-grade cursed spirits he had faced back home, some of which resembled humans.
Subaru waved his hand. "Yo—"
"What a profoundly aggravating man you are, I suppose." she interrupted, a sneer on her lips.
"Wait?! I didn't do anything, you damn loli!" he exclaimed, pointing at her in disbelief. First the twin maids, and now her? What was next, that Roswaal guy? This whole place will get a hollow purple if this continues.
Beatrice narrowed her eyes at him. "Betty doesn't understand what that means, but it annoys her a lot, I suppose." She huffed. "You barged into Betty's room without knocking; it seems no one has taught you any manners. Apologize!"
"Alright, alright, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to, honest," he said, raising his hands in a gesture of surrender. It worked as she calmed down a bit
"So what is this place, anyway?" he asked, glancing around.
"Hmph, this is Betty's multi-purpose room, which serves as both a library and a bedroom, I suppose," she replied, a proud look on her face.
"Got it, so it's a library like Puck mentioned. But why did you bring me here?" he inquired. Just as Beatrice was about to answer, she was interrupted.
"Wow, you actually found it on the first try, impressive!" Puck exclaimed as he zoomed into the room, followed by a surprised half-elf.
"Yeah, that was really impressive, Subaru," she added.
"What can I say? I'm just that awesome," he said, the comments stroking his ego.
Upon seeing the feline spirit, Beatrice's demeanor shifted completely. "Bubby!" she squealed, her spirit-like facade melting away into that of a little girl, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.
"Hey, Betty! I haven't seen you in five days. How have you been?" Puck asked the excited girl.
"I've been waiting for you to come back, I suppose! Will you stay with me today?" she asked eagerly.
"Of course! I've missed you too. Let's just relax together today," he replied. As he flew into her open palm, she began to rub her cheek against his soft fur. "You're so fluffy, bubby!"
While all of this was unfolding, Subaru stood by, his mouth slightly agape as he took it all in. Emilia shot him a knowing glance. "Bewildered, right?"
"Who even says that word anymore? And absolutely! Can you explain what's going on with her?"
She simply shrugged. "Beatrice only likes Puck in this mansion. So, her behavior is pretty typical."
'Ah, must be a spirit thing then.' He didn't know much about spirits, so he decided to let her odd antics slide.
He then cleared his throat loudly to grab their attention. "Sorry to interrupt, but you wanted me here, right?" he asked.
Beatrice snapped back to her usual rude demeanor, abandoning her playful antics. "Betty just wanted to drain your mana—" Subaru choked at that. "—to ensure you're not a threat to the mansion, I suppose. But since Puck allows you to be near that half-elf, she'll hold off on that."
Subaru sighed in relief; he had no clue what mana draining involved, and he preferred to keep it that way.
If it was as unpleasant as he imagined, Beatrice would be acquinted with his domain expansion.
"Well, now that's settled, we should head back to Roswaal. We've kept him waiting long enough, I think," Emilia said, drawing his attention.
"Right, we should get moving," he replied, but then glanced at the spirits who were clearly enjoying themselves.
"Hey, Beatrice." She turned to him, clearly annoyed. "I know we got off on the wrong foot, so how about joining us to meet this Roswaal guy?" he suggested.
Beatrice quickly dismissed him. "Why would Betty waste her valuable time with someone like you?" she scoffed, waving him away. "Shoo! Shoo!"
'Wow, this loli-spirit realy has an attitude. Not even grumpy grandpa comes close,' he thought, but then an idea struck him to persuade her to come along.
"You know, Emilia and I are heading there, and so is Puck. You could hang out with him too," he said, nodding toward Puck, who thankfully caught on.
"He's right! Come outside so we can have some fun. We could even play tag, just like you've always wanted," he added, his tail wagging excitedly.
Beatrice looked as if she had bitten into something sour; the thought of agreeing with that fool was outrageous enough, but having Puck involved made it even worse. She pouted but eventually gave in.
"Alright, I'll come along, but only because Bubby will be there, I suppose! So don't get any funny ideas!" she declared as she made her way out of the library.
Emilia watched in astonishment. "Wow, I've never seen anyone get her to do that. She never leaves her library!"
Subaru flashed her a cheeky grin. "What can I say? I'm a grandmaster at persuasion. Now, shall we head out?"
With that, Subaru, Emilia, and the spirit duo left the library to join Roswaal in the dining room.