It has been four days since Natsuki Subaru arrived at Roswaal's mansion and began his job as a butler in the Mathers' household.
If he were to sum up his experience so far, he would call it… fun. Not that scrubbing floors at dawn is particularly enjoyable, but it's the people around him that make it interesting.
An adorable half-elf who gets flustered easily, a fluffy cat spirit, a tsundere little spirit-girl that definitely likes him, an eccentric clown who wears a bright yellow underwear—He wishes he forgets the incident that lead him to that discovery—and finally, the twin maids, Ram and Rem, who are quite the pain in the ass.
Ram, the "Pink-haired demon" as he calls her, is the one who assigns him all his tasks. This wouldn't be so bad if she were helpful. But he quickly learned that she is the laziest person he has ever seen, and considering his cousin, that's saying something.
She bosses him around, making him do all the cleaning like any senior would, but she often slacks off. Whether she's "Sampling tea to ensure it's perfect for Roswaal-sama" or "keeping an eye on Hopeless Barusu to ensure he doesn't blow up the mansion," she rarely lifts a finger.
And whatever little work she does manage to do… it's done so poorly that he and Rem often have to step in and fix it.
Despite this, they share some playful banter, for he soon realized that her insults aren't meant to be taken seriously; it's just her way of motivating him. Her "pride" stops her from being kinder.
She definitely believes in the "Tough Love" method for everything.
Her sister, however, is a different story.
Since his arrival, she has consistently given him the cold shoulder. Whenever he tries to engage her in conversation, she either ignores him or responds with just a word or two.
He's completely confused about what he might have done wrong. He hasn't played any pranks on her—unlike Satoru, who definitely would have—he's been nothing but friendly. Yet, every time he reaches out to her, she just pushes him away.
And her stares never stopped.
"Pitiful Barasu, staring at his reflection to boost his sad self-esteem," came the familiar haughty voice from behind him.
"Oh, come on, Rammy! Is a guy not allowed to admire his own handsomeness every now and then?" Subaru shot back.
They were in the kitchen, getting dinner ready, and this day was finally the day he donned his own butler outfit. It resembled the butler attire from his own world.
A classic black suit paired with a brown blazer and a crisp white-button up shirt. His black pants and boots complemented the ensemble perfectly. With his white hair and sharp features, Subaru thought he looked quite stunning, if he did say so himself.
"I don't see how Barasu can be called handsome when he hides his eyes behind that weird thing," she retorted.
"It's not a 'weird thing,' Rammy! These are called sunglasses; they are a part of my style and have a practical purpose too," he replied.
His sunglasses were simply black-tinted lenses that helped him avoid straining himself with the Six Eyes. They also allowed him to see just like any regular person.
"Well, if Barasu is finished admiring himself, he should start chopping the vegetables. What kind of junior would he be if he let Ram do all the prepping?"
"…That's literally your job?" He deadpanned
"Hmph, talking back to your seniors I see. It seems no one has taught you any manners. But don't worry, gracious Ram will gladly—"
"Yeah, no, I'll skip this one." He quickly interrupted her, setting aside the large silver tray he had been using to check his reflection and got to work.
Fortunately, he could pick up skills quickly. His language skills had advanced enough for him to read children's stories, and since he was progressing so rapidly, she was genuinely impressed and willing to ease up on the lessons. He doesn't want another round with her.
If Subaru had glanced back, he would have noticed Rem glaring at him, her eyes narrowing in disapproval and anger. It was only after Ram gave a slight shake of her head that she backed off.
Ram then assessed his work as she began seasoning some meat. She had to admit, for someone who had never done any household chores before, he was making remarkable progress, and his chopping skills were far superior to hers and her sister's. Just look at him now.
What would take them twenty minutes, Barusu could accomplish in five.
Of course, she was proud enough to say that out loud. She couldn't let this man get an ego, after all.
Barusu's voice drew her attention. "Hey, Rammy. What work do I have for tomorrow?" he inquired.
"Besides cleaning and switching out this week's silverware, there's not much else to do." She paused for a moment. "The pantry is getting low, and this is the last batch of meat we have. But that can wait until tomorrow."
"Can I do it today?" he asked, prompting Ram to look at him with a raised eyebrow. "I'm learning magic from Puck, so I'd like to keep my schedule light tomorrow in case something goes wrong."
While it was unlikely due to the Reversed Cursed Energy, it was always wise to be careful.
After a moment of thought, Ram decided to agree to his request, seeing no harm in it. Also, it meant she could slack off, which was a nice bonus.
"Alright then," she said, turning to her sister. "Rem, I'm going to make a list of the supplies we need. Please take Barasu to Arlam Village and pick them up."
"With Subaru-kun? But…" Rem hesitated, clearly reluctant to be around Subaru for reasons he couldn't understand. Eventually, she gave in. "As you wish, nee-san."
Once dinner preparations were complete, Ram created a list of all the necessary supplies and handed it to Rem, who stood at the mansion's front door with Subaru.
"Make sure to get enough salt and spices to last us a month, okay? We don't want a repeat of last time." Ram then handed her a handful of coins, the sound of clinking indicating their value.
"And if any merchant tries to swindle you, you know what to do," she added.
Meanwhile, Emilia was checking in on Subaru and saying her farewells.
"—And please be careful, alright? I would be reeeeeally sad if anything happened to you," she told Subaru, who was visibly twitching.
"We're just going grocery shopping! You're not my mom!" he exclaimed, confused by her overprotectiveness.
"Okay, nee-sama, we're off now. Let's go, Subaru-kun," Rem said, leading Subaru away.
"And Rem," Ram called out. "If Barasu does anything inappropriate, you have my permission to take away his manhood."
"What?!"
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The journey to the village was quiet, yet it felt uncomfortable at the same time. Subaru was aware of the distance between them, but there was nothing he could do about it. Whenever he tried to ask her something or initiate a casual conversation, she would dismiss him as she always did.
'Wow, they may be twins, but they're personalities are completely different,' he mused, reflecting on their contrasting personalities.
One sister was aloof and quiet, while the other was proud but friendly enough. It made him curious about how they managed to get along at all.
"No, she's probably just treating me this way; it's like she decided to dislike me from the very beginning," he thought, realizing how complicated this situation was going to be.
"Subaru-kun, we've arrived," Rem's flat tone broke his thoughts, and he perked up.
After twenty minutes of walking, they finally reached the village known as "Arlam Village." It looked just as he had imagined a medieval village would: small wooden cottages, dirt paths, and rustic brown fences.
The village was situated near a forest rumored to be filled with "Mabeasts," as Rem had mentioned. He recalled reading about them in a children's story, where a mabeast tricked a girl into entering its home and devoured her grandmother, only to disguise itself and eat the girl as well.
He would have dismissed it as mere fiction if Ram hadn't confirmed that they were real.
When he asked about the dangers of living close to them, Rem reassured him that a barrier of protective crystals surrounded the village.
They made their way to the central plaza, which functioned as a marketplace of sorts, bustling with vendors and shopkeepers setting up their stalls.
"Does Subaru-kun know the prices of goods here?" she asked.
"Not really, I only know the exchange rate for the coins, but that's about it." As he spoke, he realized just how clueless he was about everything.
"I see…" she replied, her expression clearly showing disapproval. "Then Rem will handle it; you'll just carry the items on the way back." With that, she walked off without waiting for a response.
He let out a tired sigh. 'Is she seriously going to keep doing that?' After that, he decided to take a little stroll around the area. To be honest, there wasn't much to see—just a few small farms and some animals, with a handful of houses scattered here and there.
It seemed like he attracted attention wherever he went, likely due to his unusual outfit.
"Hey!" A bright voice called out from behind him. He turned to find a group of kids staring at him.
"Who are you? We've never seen you here before! And what's that strange thing on your face?" one of the kids asked, puffing out his chest, probably the leader of this group.
Subaru couldn't help but chuckle at the kid's bravado. "I'm Natsuki Subaru, and I'm a butler who works for Roswaal L. Mathers," he replied.
"Wow, you work for the lord?! That's awesome! Hey, mister, come play with us!" a girl with bright orange hair chimed in.
He glanced back at the plaza where Rem was, then back at the kids, and nodded. "Sure, I've got some time," he said.
They were just kids, after all. What could possibly go wrong?
Well, apparently everything. After they introduced themselves, one of the little ones exclaimed, "Wow, you're so tall! I bet I can climb you!" And just like that, he was suddenly swarmed by a bunch of kids trying to climb him.
He was relieved that Ram wasn't around; she would never let him live this down.
"Okay, okay, ya brats, get off me!" He managed to shake them off and set them down.
Next, they wanted to play tag, and he agreed. As usual, he was "it" and had to chase after the kids.
Finding them was no challenge for Natsuki Subaru, who definitely didn't cheat whatsoever.
"That's not fair! How did you find us so fast?" one of the kids, Cain, complained with a pout.
"What can I say? I'm just a pro at hide and seek," he grinned at them.
Then one of the kids, Meina, pointed excitedly and shouted, "Hey mister, one of us has a cute puppy! Want to see it?" Subaru shrugged; why not?
They walked towards the outskirts of the village, where a girl with blue hair and green shoes sat, cradling an adorable black puppy with a bald patch on its head.
"Hey, Meili, come over here!" the boy called out, catching her attention.
The girl approached him shyly, clearly nervous. "H-hi, I'm Meili. It's nice to meet you, mister."
Subaru grinned at her. "Hey there, kiddo! Name's Natsuki Subaru. Nice to meet you too! And what cute dog there," he complimented.
"It is! I found him while wandering near the edge of the village. Do you want to pet him?" she offered, lifting the puppy to his eye level.
He was on the verge of patting it, but something didn't feel right. Having just cast his first spell and accustomed to sensing cursed energy, he could detect mana in the air to a certain degree, and he noticed it emanating from the dog's mouth.
So, he examined the puppy with his Six Eyes. And his suspicion was confirmed. This was a Mabeast, and he noticed dark mana swirling around its mouth. It indicated a curse-placing spell that would latch onto a person and drain their mana until they perished.
'What's a Mabeast doing here?! Wasn't the barrier supposed to protect this village?' he thought, quickly checking the barrier.
It was compromised; one of the mana crystals was broken which disrupted the wall of mana that protected it, leaving a significant gap large enough for a Mabeast to slip through.
Next, he turned his attention to Meili, concerned she might be cursed. What he discovered made his blood freeze. The girl possessed the "Divine Protection of Demon Manipulation," Which acted as like a horn to the Mabeasts, allowing her to control them
With the barrier down and a Mabeast in the hands of a little girl with divine protection, everything clicked for Subaru.
'No… Don't tell me she let a Mabeast in on purpose! Why the hell would she do that?' he scowled, 'This girl is a threat; she needs to be dealt with,'
However, he found himself in a difficult position. He couldn't just grab her and start interrogating her; that would attract unwanted attention, and that was the last thing he needed.
'Rem... I could tell her, we could have her arrested and questioned, but would she even believe me? No, she wouldn't. With how cold she's been towards me, I really doubt she'd trust my words. Plus, I don't have a solid explanation to offer.'
Then his thoughts shifted to someone who would believe in me. 'Emilia... She would trust me, even if I couldn't explain how I knew what I knew. After all, we're friends. Even if she had her doubts, she would still give me a chance.'
While there was a storm in the inside, on the outside Subaru maintained his casual behavior. He smiled at her and said, "Sorry, kiddo, but dogs make me feel sick if I touch them." he pretended to apologize while ruffling her hair.
She looked at me with a mix of sadness and disappointment, along with a glint of hostility, something else that twisted my stomach in knots.
"Well, if that's what you say," she replied, and the "dog" let out a soft whimper.
"Well kids, as much as I would like to spend time, it's time for me to go," He said, seeing the disappointment on her face.
Subaru quickly walked to the plaza, where He spotted Rem looking around for me, struggling with bags that were humorously oversized.
When she finally saw him, she exclaimed, "There you are. Where have you been?"
"Sorry, a bunch of kids wanted me to play, and I got a bit caught up," he answered, taking the bags from her as she handed them over.
They made their way back to the mansion, and this time Subaru kept quiet, still lost in thoughts about Meili and the beast she was with.
Upon arriving, he dropped the supplies in the pantry and headed straight to Emilia's room. He needed to tell her what was going on, and quickly. He had a bad feeling about it all.
However, on his way, he ran into none other than the lord of the mansion, Roswaal L. Mathers
"Ahhhh, there you are, Subaru-kun. Ram has informed me about your trip to the village." The Margrave said.
"Roswaal… What's with the outfit? Is something going on?" he asked, taking in Roswaal's unusual clothing. He was dressed in a suit similar to his own but still sported the clown makeup.
A bonafide weirdo.
"Well, I have an urgent matter to attend to, so I'll be away for a little while," he replied. "You seem quite rushed; is something bothering you?"
Subaru's lips pressed into a thin line. He couldn't share what was happening at the village, as explaining how he knew would lead to a lengthy discussion he wanted to avoid.
"Nah, I just wanted to see Emilia, that's all." It wasn't exactly a lie.
"Hmmmm, Emilia-sama is currently studying, but I'll allow it. Just make sure you don't neglect your duties in the meantime," he said, starting to walk away but pausing near Subaru.
"And Subaru-kun," he began, placing a hand on his shoulder. There was a look in his eyes he didn't recognize. "You protected Emilia-sama from the bowl hunter, so I entrust her safety to you."
Subaru felt uneasy with the closeness but simply nodded. "Of course, you don't need to worry, Roswaal."
"I expected nothing less from you. Take care until then." With that, Roswaal walked off, and Subaru watched until he was out of sight.
The clown really creeped him out, but since he hadn't done anything too outrageous, he wouldn't judge him for his eccentricity.
He then approached Emilia's door, hand raised to knock but paused for a moment to take a breath.
'Well, Subaru, here goes nothing.' He then knocked on the door.