The Quartet of the two spirits, a Half-Elf and a Human, stepped into the diving room, a space as opulent as the rest of the mansion. The walls were adorned with paintings of various figures and landscapes, while a dimly lit fireplace added a cozy ambiance. In the center, a large brown rectangular table was draped with a white tablecloth, its surface meticulously set with silverware, and two chandeliers resembling candles hung above.
At the head of the table sat a man whose fashion choices were… unconventional. His face was decorated with light powder, purple lipstick, and purple eyeshadow, all framed by indigo-blue hair. His eyes were strikingly metamorphic, one yellow and the other blue, and his outfit was a bold reflection of his… unique style.
A clown.
'And they call me a weirdo,' he thought, baffled by how the pink maid could label him weird when her lord appeared to be a jester.
With his six eyes, he scrutinized the man, finding something both shocking and unsettling. Despite having remarkable reserves—second only to Emilia—his gate was a kaleidoscope of six colors, representing all four elements, along with yin magic and a sixth type he had never encountered before. His six eyes identified it as yang magic, which focused on buffs rather than debuffs.
What truly disturbed him was the man's Od. It felt… unnatural, as if it belonged to a being older than the body it inhabited. It seemed to impose its presence over the physical form, fidgeting as if the body were struggling to break free from its grip.
'Did he transfer his soul to another body or something?' Subaru narrowed his eyes at the man, realizing he would need to keep an eye on him. He activated infinity just to be safe.
Roswaal, noticing their entrance, greeted them with a smile that sent a shiver down Subaru's spine, especially as it widened upon seeing Beatrice.
"My my~ What a delightful surprise to see you here, Beatrice! Are you here to meet our new guest, hmm?" he said in a playful sing-song voice, dragging out the words in a way that was irritating to the ears.
"Betty has no patience for that insufferable man, I suppose. She's actually here to spend time with Bubby, In fact." she replied, snuggling the feline spirit.
"Oh come on, I already apologized, alright?" he protested, while Beatrice turned away with a dismissive "Hmph."
Clearing his throat, Roswaal drew attention to himself. He glanced back at Roswaal. "Now, you must be Subaaaaru-kun, right? I have been told quite a lot about your exploits. Please, have a seat; we have much to discuss." He gestured toward a chair. Subaru chose the one next to the lord, with Emilia beside him, while the spirits settled in front.
"Before we begin the discussion, let me introduce myself," he said, placing a hand on his head. "I am Roswaal L. Mathers, the loooord~ of this mansion and the head of the Mathers family."
"You already know my name, but I'll introduce myself anyway. I'm Natsuki Subaru, just an average guy trying to live a normal life. It's a pleasure to meet you, Roswaal-sama," he said, taking a spoonful of the delicious soup.
"It is a pleasureeeee to make your acquaintance, Natsuki-kun. Now, to kick off our conversation, I must ask you, how much do you know about the Kingdom of Lugunica?"
Subaru glanced down at his soup, carefully considering his response before looking up at the clown. "...Not much, I'm afraid. I only know the basics. I'm quite new to this country, after all."
Roswaal nodded in understanding. "I see, I see. It's rather unfortunate that you chose to move here. This kingdom is not in… Agreeeeeable conditions."
"Agreeable conditions?" he echoed. "Why? Is there something wrong? Is it at war or something?" If that were the case, he'd need to find another country to go, quickly.
"Oh, not at all! Simply put, the king is currently absent." Subaru stopped chewing a loaf of bread mid sentence.
"Ahhh, no need to be concerned, It is common knowledge after all." Subaru continued chewing the loaf of bread.
"Jeez, man. You scared me. I thought I was being told some national secret that I'd have to swear an oath of secrecy or something," he laughed nervously.
"You can just relaaaax, Subaru-kun. I'd never put my guest in that kind of position," he reassured him before diving back into the conversation.
"Around twoooo years ago, an epidemic started to spread throughout the royal family and castle. Soon, it was then cleaaaaaar that the plague was only targeting the royal family and no one else."
Subaru raised an eyebrow. "Only the royal family? That doesn't sound like a typical plague. Maybe they were poisoned or cursed?" he suggested, but the margrave shook his head.
"Skilled healers were summoned, but they found no evidence of foul play. It was indeeeeed a genuine illness that specifically targeted the royal family."
Subaru pondered this. 'Could it be a genetic condition? Or was there foul play involved?'
Roswaal continued on, making Subaru focus on him. "Unfortunately, the king and his entire lineage were killed by the plague. The kingdom is now being maaaanaged by a council of wise men."
Subaru felt a sinking feeling. The phrase "council of wise men" reminded him too much of the corrupt elders in the jujutsu world. 'It seems like no matter where I go, I'm always followed by these senile old geezers…' He had to stop himself from crushing the spoon in his hand.
"I see, but that can't be permanent, right? This is a kingdom after all, you can't have a council run it forever." he said.
"Why, that's correeeect. They are now in the process of electing a new king to rule them over." with a clap he ended this whole story.
"Hmm, I get that it's important and all, but why tell me all of this?" he questioned.
"I see—Wait, did you just refer to her as 'Emilia-sama'? Aren't you the lord of this mansion?" he questioned, and as memories of his arrival to this place flooded back, the pieces began to fit together.
"Well, that's true. But it's only respectful to address someone of a higher status appropriately," he replied.
'Higher status… There's an election happening…' He then glanced at Emilia, who was shyly twirling a strand of her hair and smiling.
"Um, I'm currently a candidate in the royal selection for Lugunica's forty-second ruler, sponsored by Margrave Roswaal," she confirmed, aligning with his thoughts.
On the outside, Subaru maintained a calm demeanor, but inside… 'No way! You mean to tell me I just saved a royal candidate from a murderer with a gut fetish?! It's like fate is messing with my plans!'
He hadn't anticipated this; he thought he was just helping a girl in need, finding a place to stay, getting a job, and living a normal life. Now he felt like he had unwittingly stepped into a conspiracy.
But what could he do back then? Just walk away? That would weigh on his conscience, especially now knowing that she was in danger and that Puck wasn't exactly dependable due to his time constraints.
'No, even if I will be dragged into this mess, I still did the right thing.' Plus, he had made a friend through all of this, so it was worth it in the end.
In response, Subaru dramatically placed his hands on his chest and leaned back. "Emilia! You didn't mention you were a candidate for the throne?! Where's the trust? Is our friendship really that shallow?" he exclaimed, feigning hurt.
"Wh–What? No! I was going to tell you; I was just waiting for Roswaal to arrive to do so! Stop teasing me!" she pouted, her cheeks puffing up.
'So cute, I wanna pinch those cheeks so bad.' It would look tactless on his part so he refrained from doing so.
Emilia then revealed an object adorned with a striking red gem at its center and placed it on the table before her. Subaru recognized it instantly; it was precisely what they had been searching for all yesterday.
"Is this the insignia? What's its gotta do with the royal selection?" he inquired.
"It qualifies one to be a candidate for the king. It determines if one was worthy for the throne." she explained.
"I understand." He then gave her a teasing look. "And you lost it. What a naughty girl you are."
"I'm not! It was stolen from me! That's completely different!" she retorted.
"So what happens if she loses it? Does that mean her candidacy is over?" he asked the margrave.
"Why yeeees you're absolutely right, Subaru-kun. If someone can't safeguard a small insignia, how can they be trusted to rule an entire kingdom?"
Subaru nodded in agreement. "Yeah, you make a good point. Wow, I really just saved your skin with this one, huh?" He glanced at the half-elf.
She flashed him a warm smile that made him want to smile back. "You did, Subaru. Without you, my entire candidacy would have been over before it really started. Thank you so much," she said sincerely.
"And now you see why I invited you to lunch, toooooo I appreciate your help for Emilia-sama, and I want to offer you a reward." He leaned back in his chair, arms wide open.
"You can ask me for anything. Just tell me what you desire, and I'll do my best to fulfill it," he said.
Subaru looked down as he pondered over what he wanted. He knew that if he turned it down, they would just argue with him about it, and he could use this to his advantage.
He needed a job and a place to stay. He could ask for money, but that would only be temporary, as he would eventually need employment. He could request to live there, but that would mean relying on them, which wouldn't sit well with him.
Then an idea came to him.
"In that case, hire me to work in this mansion."
"..."
"..."
"..."
Even the spirits, who had been quiet all this time, were staring at him.
"...Achoo"
"I was expecting more of a reaction than a sneeze…"
---------------------------------
After the brief, awkward silence, they moved on, where Roswaal agreed to Subaru's request and offered him a position as a butler at the mansion. They discussed the job details, including salary, hours, and vacation time, all of which Subaru accepted eagerly.
Emilia was thrilled about this news, as it meant they could spend more time together since she lived in the same place as his workplace. Subaru felt the same joy for the same reason.
Once lunch was over, Roswaal sent the maids to show Subaru the ropes of his new job while he headed to his office to handle paperwork. The spirits decided to enjoy their day and play some tag. while Subaru, along with the twin maids and Emilia, went to find him a suitable butler outfit.
"No, that's not right. Is there really nothing that fits you, Subaru?" Emilia asked, tilting her head as she observed Subaru in a dark-grey suit that was comically small for him.
"Nah, I think I'm just too big for any clothes here," he replied, feeling dejected at his image tarnished infront of those three.
"Our sincerest apologies, sir… I mean Subaru-kun," Rem said, trying to suppress a laugh at his ridiculous appearance.
"You look absurd, sir… I mean Barusus," Ram chimed in, following her sister's lead.
"Barusu? Are we handing out nicknames like candy now? In that case, I'll call you both 'Rammy' and 'Remmy,' how does that sound?" he challengingly shot back.
"Rammy" and "Remmy" exchanged glances before looking back at Subaru.
"Rem, Rem, Barusu's a sad, pitiful creature that lacks creativity when it comes to nicknames."
"Sister, sister, Subaru-kun is a hopelessly dim-witted man."
"Why am I being insulted all of a sudden!" he exclaimed in mock outrage, causing Emilia to giggle at the scene, which only made Subaru direct his rage toward her. "Not you too!"
"Don't take it to heart. Ram and Rem are just teasing you; they mean well," she reassured him before preparing to leave.
"Alright, Subaru, I need to study for the Final Selection. You take care, okay?" she said.
"Sure, just leave it to me. I'll be fine," he replied with a thumbs-up as she exited the dressing room.
"This won't work; we can't have you dressed like that. Rem, please take his measurements. We'll need to tailor a new outfit t from scratch," Ram instructed, as her twin retrieved the measuring tape.
After measuring him, Ram led Subaru on a tour of the mansion, highlighting various rooms such as the VIP room, guest rooms, bathrooms, kitchen, closet, and everything else in between.
The tour lasted about twenty minutes, during which Subaru found himself questioning his life choices and whether this was truly worth it. Eventually, they ended up in front of the mansion.
"And that wraps up the tour. Do you have any questions?" Ram inquired, making Subaru get out of his self-inflicted depression.
"I know this might be a bit late to ask, but is it really just the two of you cleaning the mansion?" he asked, unable to hold back.
"No, there was a third maid named Frederica baumann, but she's currently on vacation," she replied.
"Wow, so it really is just you two. By the way, since Roswaal is a noble, does he have any other responsibilities besides managing his lands?" Subaru continued.
"It's Roswaal-sama; you shouldn't refer to him so casually, Barusu. We are now his employees, as such we are to treat him with respect," she corrected him, her tone firm.
"Err, right. Sorry"
"Good. Be thankful that Ram is a kind senior and will overlook that mistake. As for Roswaal-sama's duties, he serves as Lugunica's court mage, handling all matters related to magic, and he's also the head of the Magic Research Institute, which was established by his grandmother, Roswaal J. Mathers," she explained.
'Court mage? That makes sense; the guy can use all kinds of magic. Lucky bastard,' he thought, wishing he could wield fire magic, as nothing brought him more joy than conjuring flames from his hands.
"I don't have any more questions. So, what are we doing today?"
"Today, you'll be taking on my work, which include taking care of the front yard and garden, helping with dinner prep, polishing the silverware, airing out the futons, doing laundry, cleaning the bathroom, doing the mansion's monthly soot removal, organizing the kitchen supplies, washing the dishes, and preparing Emilia's tea for tonight…" Ram continued to list tasks endlessly, and Subaru felt his knees buckle under the weight of it all.
'...Should I use a domain expansion on everyone in this cursed mansion?' he thought.
Thus began a torturous session that would put the Zen'in clan's training to shame. Subaru quickly realized he wasn't exactly good at general housekeeping. This was largely because he had never done any housekeeping in his life; the maids at the estate handled everything.
However, he did excel at tasks involving cutting, like trimming the garden or cutting overgrown grass, and even preparing food and chopping vegetables, all thanks to his training and his Six Eyes.
In the end, Rem, the head maid of the mansion, assessed him with, "Subaru-kun may be hopeless when it comes to household chores, but he shows promise in cooking and anything involving sharp tools."
Of course, there was a certain glint in her eyes when she mentioned "sharp tools." He also recalled how she would glance at him from the corner of her eye whenever they worked side by side. Subaru hoped it was nothing significant and that it didn't relate to that look she gave him when they first met.
In the end, Subaru found himself mentally drained, lying on the bed in his now cramped butler room, his clothes covered in dirt, dust, and soot. With no spare clothes available, he would have to wear them until his suit was tailored.
'Ahh, is this what the maids back at home experienced? I think I understand their struggles,' he mused, recalling the maids who would stay up late to serve the clan members. He felt grateful for his reverse crush technique, which kept him from getting physically exhausted.
But it's not all bad; he's been picking up new skills he never knew he had, and now he has a steady job and a place to call home.
All in all, things turned out pretty well for him in the end.
Now that today's shift is finished, and he can finally enjoy some much-needed rest—
Just then, Subaur heard a knock at his door. "Come in!" he called out.
The door swung open, revealing none other than his tormentor—senior co-worker Ram, who was carrying notebooks, feathers, and ink.
"Rammy?" he asked, eyeing the supplies she brought.
"Emilia-sama mentioned that you don't know how to read or write," she said, placing the items on the table and giving him a smug look.
"So, in her infinite wisdom, Ram has decided to fix this problem before it tarnishes Roswaal-sama's reputation. What kind of man would he be if his employees were illiterate?"
"Is that so…? Actually, I need to use the bathroom for a moment; I'll be right back!" he said hurriedly, trying to slip past her, but his escape plan failed as she grabbed him by the collar of his jacket.
"Just hold it in; it'll be quick."
It was not, in fact, quick…