Everyone sat down at the table in this order: [Emilia, Subaru, Beatrice, Meili (with Shaula on her head), Anastasia, Julius, Ram, and Rem], although Ram had to carry the embarrassed Rem on her back, as she was still unable to walk due to the effects of Gula's authority, which had put her to sleep for over a year.
The married couple found it a little strange, but they figured it was part of the long explanation Subaru had to give them about his adventures in another world, so they didn't ask any questions.
Even Patrasche, who had been lying quietly in a corner, made her way over and lay down near the table.
Then Kenichi took nine packets of instant noodles out of the cupboard and opened the lids of all of them halfway, taking out the seasoning packets from inside.
Naoko took out two large teapots and poured water from the tap into them until they were full, then placed them on the stove and took a pack of matches from a drawer and lit the stove.
Everyone from the other world watched in amazement as they did things in another world, such as drawing water not with magic, but from a kind of metal pipe that appeared out of nowhere, and making fire without magic either, just with a kind of stick.
Minutes later, when the water boiled, Naoko took one teapot and Kenichi took another, and they poured the water into the ramen bowls.
When they had filled them all, they covered them with the same lid, and after a few minutes, they uncovered them and added the seasonings, and they were ready.
They placed them on each person's plate next to a fork.
Kenichi also put one for Patrasche, although he put it on a plate first to make it easier for her to eat.
Kenichi: "Don't worry, Patrasche, I haven't forgotten you, see? But be careful, it's hot!"
Patrasche: "Kya!" Patrasche made the same sound as always, only now with a tone that seemed to express gratitude for the food.
Subaru: "He's saying thank you, or so I think... I'd have to confirm with Otto, but I'm sure it's related to that. Thank you for not forgetting her, Dad!" Subaru appreciated his father's gesture of not forgetting Patrasche.
Kenichi: "Don't worry, what kind of father would I be if I forgot about... my son's earth dragon!" He said proudly as he crossed his arms and smiled.
Kenichi: *How could I forget her, she's almost half the size of the room, hehehe*
Patrasche began eating excitedly, finishing it in an instant, and let out another squeal, "Kya!" as she pushed the plate away, saying she wanted more.
Kenichi hesitated for a moment, as he didn't know her specific diet, so he asked his son.
Kenichi: "Hey, Subaru, is it okay for Patrasche to have another one? I'm asking because of her diet and stuff."
Subaru: "Huh? Oh, yeah, no problem! Actually, Patrasche isn't picky about food and eats everything! Besides, earth dragons are omnivores, so it won't hurt them!"
After that confirmation, Kenichi gave Subaru a thumbs up and nodded as he went to prepare another bowl of noodles.
After witnessing the scene, everyone focused on their plates, their eyes shining with excitement at the prospect of eating something they had never tasted before, something that was out of this world—even from Subaru's world!
Anastasia: "I still can't believe you prepared food for 8... 9 people in just a few minutes!" Anastasia said in amazement, as that was not possible in her world.
Emilia was the next to try it.
Emilia picked up her fork and took a bite. Emilia's eyes widened.
Emilia: "Wow! This is sooo good! It's unlike anything I've ever tasted before! The noodles are warm and so springy and flexible!"
Subaru: "Right? These are really popular when you're busy and want something tasty, cheap, and quick!" Subaru was proud that Emilia liked the food from his homeland, as he wanted her to try everything his world had to offer.
Beatrice: "I guess Betty will give it a try, just because her contractor says it's good, I guess."
Beatrice picked up the fork and took a bite. The next moment, she opened her butterfly eyes wide, blushed, and began to stroke her cheeks.
Beatrice: "WOW! I guess they really are delicious! Betty hasn't tasted anything like this in 400 years!"
Subaru: "Wow! My Beako is so adorable right now, Dad! Take a picture quick!" Kenichi: "Right away!"
Kenichi instantly took out his cell phone, and with a flash, he took a photo, and the moment would now be remembered forever.
Beatrice: "WAAH?!" Beatrice was surprised by the flash, which, from the stories Subaru had told her, plus the metal box in her contractor's father's hands, was undoubtedly a "photo," a kind of device that froze a moment in time forever.
Beatrice: "WAAH?! They took a 'photo' of Betty without her permission?!" Beatrice dropped her previous adorable expression and started pouting.
Subaru: "But Beako! It was too cute a moment not to take a picture! I know! I'll make it up to you later with some delicious sweets you've never tasted before!" Subaru hurried to calm Beatrice, who narrowed her eyes and remained silent for a moment, considering his offer.
Beatrice: "...I guess Betty accepts your compensation, but those sweets had better be especially good, or Betty will get mad at her contractor, I guess." Beatrice continued her yandere act, although it was obvious from the blush on her cheeks that she had returned, eagerly awaiting those sweets.
Rem, seeing how both Emilia and Beatrice were eating so happily, tried it too. The smell was very pleasant, and the taste... was incredible!
Rem: "It's true! Your world is amazing, Subaru-kun! The skill of the chef who made this is truly remarkable!"
Ram also tried the noodles, and her eyes widened slightly.
Ram: "...Rem is right, the noodles aren't bad at all. Although steamed potatoes are still better, and Rem's cooking is even better." Ram said as she continued eating, clearly contradicting what she had just said.
Subaru: "I'm glad you like it, although I wouldn't say that a chef exactly 'prepared' this meal..." He said with a smile, happy that Rem and Ram liked it too.
Meili also wanted to know what was so amazing about some noodles, so she tried them too.
Meili: "Wow, this is—*CHOMP*—amazing, I've never—*CHOMP*—tasted anything—
*CHOMP*—so delicious!" Meili loved the taste so much that she couldn't stop eating.
Naoko: "Meili-chan, be careful! Don't eat so fast, you might choke!" Naoko warned Meili, who simply made a sound like "Yes" while nodding her head.
Anastasia was next.
Anastasia was very excited about this opportunity. She picked up her fork, speared some noodles, and put them in her mouth.
Anastasia: "Wow, you were right! This is really good! And even more than that, it's so easy to eat! It comes in these compact packages, and just by adding a little hot water, it's ready in minutes?! It's incredible! This is a product that definitely needs to be sold all over Kararagi, no... all over the world!" Anastasia was very excited about the immense potential of this dish as she continued to eat, because even though she wanted to continue analyzing everything about these noodles in depth, she was very hungry, and that comes before money! (After all, without life, you can't make money!)
Subaru: "In fact, these are even non-perishable..."
Anastasia: "That's even better! You need to tell me EVERYTHING about these noodles later!" Anastasia was even more excited, because if that was true, this would be the ultimate food for merchants, travelers, and all kinds of people!
Julius was the last to try it, as his manners as a gentleman dictated that he had to eat after his lady.
When Julius tasted it, his eyes widened, but he quickly returned to normal, as he couldn't afford to lose his composure.
Julius: "Wow... this is definitely very good. Considering that it is nonperishable and so easy to make, one would expect that it would not taste so good, but this is definitely on par with expert chefs. My compliments to the chef." Julius continued to eat elegantly, taking
taking small bites while wiping his mouth with the napkins that had been on the table for some time.
Naoko, noticing that Meili had almost finished her noodles, brought spoons for everyone so they could drink the broth.
Naoko: "Meili-chan, don't eat so fast! Here's a spoon so you can drink the broth, but be careful, it's hot!"
Meili used the spoon quickly, although she realized that drinking it straight from the container would be faster, so she finished it in an instant.
Naoko: "Well, well, you were very hungry, weren't you, Meili-chan?" Naoko said with a motherly smile, wiping her mouth with a napkin.
Meili: "Of course! It's much better than the rations we were eating in the desert! I was tired of dried meat and bread!" Meili said enthusiastically, as it was true that she had grown tired of the rations, but it was also true that it was the best thing she had ever tasted in her life, in her opinion.
Naoko: "Desert? Well, anyway, do you want more? There's still plenty left where that came from, so don't hold back."
Meili: "Really?! In that case, I'll have another one, please!"
Naoko: "Wow, what a polite girl you are, dear! Can you make another bowl for Meili-chan?"
Kenichi: "Of course, would anyone else like another plate?" he said as he refilled the teapot with water.
Everyone raised their hands, because even though they had been eating dried meat and bread all this time, they were also very hungry.
Subaru had eaten his in silence, though his eyes were still teary with nostalgia.
Subaru: *I still can't believe it, I'm back home with Mom and Dad, and everyone even came with me. I never thought I'd taste these noodles again, huh? Subaru finished his, and Naoko collected all the empty containers when everyone was done (it only took them a few minutes to finish!) and threw them in the trash can near the kitchen.
After a few more minutes of happiness, everyone finished eating their second bowl and Naoko cleared the table.
Subaru: "Haaa, I really missed that taste, I still can't believe I'm back home!" Subaru said as he rubbed his stomach, full after eating.
Meili: "Onii-san's world is truly amazing..." Meili said with difficulty, yawning and feeling her eyelids fighting to stay open.
After the events at the Pleiades Watchtower, it was natural that after relaxing and eating until she was stuffed, she would be tired. After all, ex-assassin or not, she was still a child.
Naoko: "Owwww, Meili-chan is so cute. It makes sense, it's already very late and she's probably past her bedtime." Naoko said tenderly as she wiped Meili's mouth, who had already fallen asleep at the table, and carried her on her back.
Subaru: "That's true..." Subaru yawned as he remembered that he was sleepy, something he had forgotten due to the many surprises he had received in a short period of time.
Beatrice: "I guess Betty is a little tired, but just a little, I guess." Beatrice also yawned, although it was more because she wanted to be with her contractor and sleep with him.
Subaru: "But wait, Mom, Dad, I haven't told you anything about my life in another world yet, have I?" Subaru recovered a little from the sleepiness and exhaustion that had been plaguing them, because even though he was completely exhausted (mostly mentally), he had promised his parents that he would tell them everything about his adventures in another world.
Kenichi: "That's true, but..."
Naoko: "The truth is, we're very tired, and so are you. So wouldn't it be better to leave it until tomorrow?" Naoko said that as she stretched her arms upward and let out a long yawn.
Kenichi: "Yeah... and besides, it's already... 4 in the morning..." Kenichi said as he looked at his cell phone, a gesture that no one understood except Subaru, who was a native, and Beatrice, because of the stories Subaru told her.
Subaru: "That's true, but how are we going to divide everyone up? We don't have rooms for everyone, unless you've secretly expanded the house, of course." Subaru joked at the end, but he also wanted to know where everyone would sleep.
Naoko: "Well... there's room for two people in your room, including you, and we could put the rest in the guest room..."
Beatrice: "I'm going to sleep with Subaru as usual, I guess." Beatrice quickly took one of the two available spots in Subaru's room.
Kenichi: "Son...?" Kenichi called Subaru's name with concern, as he didn't want to believe that his son would do such things.
Naoko: "Umm, Beatrice-chan, what do you mean by 'as usual'...?" Naoko asked in terror, as she didn't want her son to be taken away for inappropriate relations.
Subaru: "WAAH! STOP, WAIT, IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK!" Subaru responded to the accusations immediately, as he didn't want them to think he was some kind of Loli lover or something.
Kenichi: "HOW CAN IT NOT BE WHAT WE THINK IT IS! EXPLAIN YOURSELF THEN!"
Kenichi responded agitatedly, as he didn't want his son to continue down that path of loving minors (even though Beatrice said she was 400 years old!).
Julius, who had remained silent throughout the conversation, saw a golden opportunity, and it was his duty as a gentleman to take advantage of it.
Julius: "In fact, throughout the kingdom, he has earned the nickname 'Lolimancer.' They say he is especially good with little girls." Julius said with a slight smile, having seized the opportunity.
Subaru: "JULIUS?!" Subaru felt as if a spear had pierced his heart at such betrayal, and he tried to open his mouth to refute the accusations, but another voice joined in to sink him even further.
Ram: "In fact, Meili also fell for his charms after Subaru seduced her with sweet words about how he would take care of her and not let her stray from the right path again. And in the mansion, apart from my poor sister, he also seduced another poor girl who became a maid to be close to him, Petra." Ram said with an evil smile on her face, as she enjoyed every moment of this (Every second of annoying Barusu was worth it, and even better if it was in front of his parents!
Subaru felt like a second spear pierced his heart. He was no longer sure how he was going to get out of this alive.
Subaru: "RAM?! WAIT, YOU'RE CREATING A BIG MISUNDERSTANDING, PLEASE LISTEN TO ME, YOU'RE MAKING ME LOOK LIKE THE MAIN VILLAIN OR SOMETHING."
"YES!" Subaru began desperately pleading for what now seemed like a privilege, to give an explanation.
Naoko: "Subaru... don't worry, we're your parents... we won't report you to the police, but..."
Kenichi: "I can't believe you have such tastes, son, but I have failed as a father..." Both parents began to lament, and Kenichi pretended to shed a tear, devastated by the revelation.
Their son, who had gone to another world, who had disappeared for over a year, and who had returned with a group of people (and a dragon and a scorpion), liked Lolis.
When all seemed lost, the voice of the girl he loved came to his aid, when everyone else had betrayed him.
Emilia: "Stop! You're being mean to Subaru! This is all a misunderstanding, and you haven't given him a chance to defend himself!"
Subaru: "Emilia-tan?..." Subaru opened his eyes wide, as he didn't expect anyone to save him in such a complicated situation.
Rem: "It's true, Subaru-kun is not a person with impure thoughts! Please, listen to what he has to say!" Rem also joined in the rescue, causing Subaru's confidence to grow as he felt his body light up from the darkness that had formed.
Subaru: "Rem... that's right! In fact, believe it or not, it's a matter of life and death for me to sleep with Beako!" Subaru began to explain why he had to sleep with Beatrice, and save himself from his image as the main villain.
Subaru: "Well, after a certain incident that caused me to lose my gate, I could no longer release the mana my body generated... ah! Think of gates as the means to cast magic, which everyone is born with in the other world, and which I obtained when I was summoned. With my gate broken, I could no longer expel mana, and it would accumulate inside me nonstop until my death. But after I burned down the mansion, ah, and before you go crazy about it, keep in mind that it was necessary and the owner of this place understood the circumstances!
After that, I convinced Beako to form a contract, she is the one who absorbs my excess mana to prevent me from dying! So in reality, I'm still alive thanks to her!" Subaru said the last part while laughing, as it didn't seem like he was actually a patient who would die without her (literally).
Kenichi: "Well... I didn't understand half of what you said, but if it's a matter of life and death, I guess it's okay." He said with a sigh, but happy that his son wasn't a Loli lover.
Naoko: "Well, as long as you're okay, that's all that matters." Naoko said with a smile, just as lost as her husband.
Rem: "Umm, Subaru-kun, sorry to interrupt, but what do you mean you burned down the mansion?" Rem asked worriedly, since, having been a maid in that mansion for basically her entire life, it was natural for her to be concerned.
She would also ask about the relationship between her hero and Beatrice, since until now, they had shown enormous trust in each other.
Subaru: "Well, it's a long story, so I'll tell you about it later, but in short, we did it to save ourselves from some assassins who came to the mansion, ah! But don't worry, we're all fine, the incident was resolved without any problems and no one was hurt!" Subaru reassured Rem, who was especially concerned about the fact that there were assassins in the mansion who came to attack her hero, but she forced herself to
She calmed down when she realized he was alive, but added it to her mental list of things she had to ask her hero.
The married couple was startled by this revelation, but since they would hear the whole story tomorrow, they held back their questions.
Kenichi: "Well, then, since Beako is going to sleep with Subaru, who is going to be the other person?" Kenichi asked as he yawned, as sleep was mercilessly attacking him, and he would lose the battle at any moment.
Beatrice: "I guess only Betty's contractor can call her that! But since you're her father, I guess I'll allow it." Beatrice said as she pouted slightly and crossed her arms, to which Subaru patted her on the head.
Rem blushed when she heard that, as the opportunity to sleep with her hero, next to him in...
While Rem was fantasizing about sleeping in the same bed as her hero, Naoko crushed all her dreams and spoke.
Naoko: "Clearly Julius-san should go with Subaru, since he's the only man in their group besides Subaru." Naoko said with a smile, ignoring how Rem made a slight sad face.
Emilia also felt a little sad, because even though she didn't know exactly what she was feeling, the idea of being in her knight's room was... pleasant.
Naoko actually noticed how the two girls were upset by her statement, and laughed to herself.
Naoko and Kenichi divided up the work. Kenichi would guide Subaru, Julius, and Beatrice to Subaru's room. And Naoko would go to the guest room with the rest of the group.
Subaru asked where Patrasche would sleep, since she obviously couldn't sleep outside in the courtyard, but Naoko quickly reassured him and told him that she would take care of it, and that he should just focus on resting.
Subaru nodded, gave Patrasche a few final strokes, said good night, and the whole group left the living room.
Naoko led them to the guest room, a fairly large room with no beds, apart from a wardrobe and other items in it.
Naoko then took six futons out of the closet and spread them out on the floor of the room.
Everyone watched the process with curiosity, as it was similar to the sleeping bags they had in their world, only more... refined?
Naoko: "Well, that's it. I don't know if you have something similar in your world, but this is how some of us sleep here in Japan. I hope you sleep well. If you need anything, let me or Kenichi know. We're in the room next door, and Subaru's room is next to ours."
Naoko said with heavy eyes, as she was very tired, but she continued in a cheerful and happy tone.
Emilia: "I understand. Thank you for everything, Naoko-san. Sorry for the trouble." Emilia said with a smile, grateful for all the help they were giving them, even though they weren't obligated to.
Naoko: "It's no trouble at all, dear. Get some rest, okay?" Naoko said as she took a large blanket from the closet and left the room.
Even though the whole group wanted to talk and see many things, their desire to sleep was even greater. They were all physically and mentally exhausted, and just wanted to sleep.
They all got into their futons, and, according to what Naoko had explained to them, they could turn the light on or off by pressing a "switch."
When everyone was ready, Emilia, who was the only one still standing because she had been talking to Naoko, turned off the light and got into her own futon.
Naoko, with the blanket she had brought with her, arrived in the living room, where only one person—or rather, one animal—remained.
Naoko: "Patrasche-san, I brought you a blanket so you can sleep more comfortably. You must be very sleepy, right?" She said as she spread the blanket on the floor, which was large enough for Patrasche to sleep peacefully.
Patrasche: "Kyaa." Patrasche lay down on the blanket and rubbed her head against Naoko's, who stroked her head in response.
Naoko: "Well, good night, Patrasche-san, sleep well. If you need anything, just give us a yelp and we'll come help you, okay?"
Patrasche: "Kya." Patrasche seemed to understand what Naoko said, and curled up on the blanket, which was surprisingly comfortable.
Naoko turned off the light and went to her room, where Kenichi was already snoring, fast asleep.
Naoko just smiled tenderly, as it was the first time in a year that she had seen him sleeping so peacefully.
She turned off the light and fell asleep shortly thereafter.
In Subaru's room, Beatrice and Julius looked around in surprise at the room, which was so... peculiar.
There were many strange things, such as multiple posters of women of all kinds, with swords or staffs. On the bookshelf, the books were also strange, because even though they were written in Japanese, a language they did not know, they had strange pictures.
On the desk, the most normal thing, there were pencils and notebooks, normal for a student, but it was also full of fictional figures.
Also, in the window of the room, you could see that it was very late, reminding everyone that they were very sleepy.
Subaru was still in shock. Everything was exactly as it had been a year ago, literally even the order of the figures and their light novels, toys, and everything else was exactly the same as before, and the room was also clean.
Subaru: "You were always waiting for my return, huh?" he said with a nostalgic smile, remembering the past.
Kenichi had led the three of them to this room and told them that everything they needed was in the next room, then went to sleep.
While Subaru was reminiscing about the past, the visitors from another world were surprised.
Julius: "I guess this room is... extravagant." Julius said as he looked around and delved deeper into that world.
Beatrice: "Betty agrees with that statement, I suppose." Beatrice said as she continued to look around the room like Julius.
The room was completely different from the rest of the house, with many strange and unusual things.
Beatrice wasn't as amazed as Julius, since Subaru had also told her what his room was like in the past, but it was still surprising to see it with her own eyes.
Julius: "Are all the rooms of the people in this world like this?" Julius asked curiously. Subaru: "Ehhhh, more or less. Although I would say I'm a special case after all." Julius: "I see..."
Subaru: "So, what do you think of my old room? I bet you didn't expect this, huh?"
Julius: "You're right. If I had to give my opinion, I wouldn't say it's bad by any means, just that it's... different from what I expected."
Beatrice: "Even though Betty had already heard about the appearance of her contractor's room, it's still a unique experience to see it in person, I guess."
Subaru: "Well... I know it's weird and all, but this was Natsuki Subaru's room, after all."
Visitors from another world found it strange that Subaru referred to himself in the third person, but they decided not to ask.
Subaru had referred to himself in the third person because, for a time, he had talked to himself after losing all his memories because of Louis, and they were technically different people.
Although Beatrice and Julius wanted to keep asking questions and looking at the things in this room, they were very tired, and they preferred to ask their questions tomorrow, when they would have more time and energy.
Subaru opened the closet and took out a futon, which he spread out on the floor next to his bed so Julius could sleep.
Subaru: "Well, it's very late, so we should sleep, Julius. This is called a futon, and it's like a sleeping bag, but better and more comfortable."
Julius then took off his knight's uniform, leaving him in just his shirt and pants. He also left his sword on the wall, something that made him uneasy, as he wanted to be ready in case any threat came, but Subaru calmed him down by saying that nothing would happen.
Subaru also placed his whip on the table, took off his green coat and orange scarf, and placed them on his desk.
Julius: "Is it okay for me to sleep, Subaru? I wouldn't mind staying up to keep watch." Julius, although he trusted Subaru's words that there would be no danger, couldn't help but feel nervous.
Subaru: "Don't worry, this world is 1,000 times safer than your world. Besides, you're tired, aren't you? I know you're trying to act tough so we won't worry, but we're alone now. I know Reid was a very tough opponent, and you were helping everyone in the tower, so get some rest. Don't worry, if anything happens, I'll take care of it. I promise, so rest."
Subaru reassured Julius, insisting that he should rest.
Julius: "... All right. I'll trust your word, but if anything happens, don't hesitate to ask me." Julius heeded Subaru's request and got into the futon.
Subaru: "Well then, good night, Julius."
Julius: "Good night to you too." After those words, Julius fell unconscious.
Apparently, Subaru's judgment was correct, and all the effort he had put into conquering the Pleiades Watchtower and the multiple battles had seriously worn him out.
Subaru: "Well, I guess we should sleep now too. Tomorrow is going to be a very long day, and I'm going to have to tell them all about my adventure, so I should get some rest too." Subaru yawned and lay down on the bed, and Beatrice followed suit.
There was silence for a few moments, which Subaru broke. Subaru: "So, Beako, what do you think of my world so far?"
Beatrice: "So far, even though it's very strange and there are things I don't know, it's Subaru's world, so I want to know everything about it, I guess." Beatrice replied honestly.
Subaru: "I see..." Subaru yawned again and fell asleep instantly, showing how tired he was.
Beatrice touched his hand and began to use a healing spell on his gate, something she did every day so that he wouldn't have any problems.
Beatrice, who had started the spell, stopped abruptly and her eyes widened.
Beatrice: *His gate... is... fine?!* Beatrice was stunned and couldn't believe what she was feeling, so she used the spell again and began to analyze his body in depth.
She felt that his gate, which was supposed to be broken from repeated use, was fine. It was still poorly developed, but for some reason, it was there, as if it had never been gone.
She could still feel the curses of the wolfgarms, who, although long dead, still held sway. He also felt the curse of the dragon blood of Capella, the archbishop of Lust.
She could also feel... the witch factors of Sloth and Greed, which he absorbed from their respective Archbishops after their deaths.
That, in itself, should have been impossible.
No one should be able to absorb two witch factors without dying. In fact, absorbing just one corrupted and transformed the individual's personality, molding it to satisfy the respective sin they received.
Like the Archbishop of Gluttony, who only wanted to eat, even if it meant devouring people's names and memories, all to satisfy his endless hunger.
When a witch factor was incompatible with the base personality of the individual who absorbed it, they either died or fell into total madness, as in the case of the Archbishop of Sloth... Petelgeuse.
Even though he had the witch factor of Sloth, as he was a very hard-working and diligent person, the witch factor corrupted him until he became Petelguese, a monster who was the opposite pillar of what Guese once was.
Then, a question arose.
Why was Subaru able to absorb the witch factor of Sloth without going mad like Guese?
When a witch factor's carrier dies, it searches for its next host, the person with the personality most compatible with the respective sin.
Subaru was also the living embodiment of diligence, always pushing himself beyond his limits, and always helping everyone even if he didn't have to.
So why didn't he go mad like Guese? Because the witch factor chose Subaru, of all people, as its next host?
Witch factors seek out their most compatible host, even if they have to travel long distances to find it, so Subaru, who was naturally incompatible with this one, should not even have been considered, but he was chosen nonetheless.
Beatrice had asked herself those questions long ago.
After the events of Pristella, Subaru had absorbed the witch factor of Greed, following the death of the Archbishop of Greed, Regulus Corneas.
If we assume that the former was a one-in-a-million miracle, this was already an impossible event, no matter how many miracles happen.
Subaru was, once again, chosen by the witch factor, and carried on as if nothing had happened.
Even if you argued that it was because Subaru, wanting to save everyone, even at his own expense, was greedy, and therefore compatible with the sin of Greed, it still didn't explain some things.
Why did he remain sane? Subaru had shown no signs of mental problems after Pristella, and continued to act normally.
Even if he was totally compatible with the witch factor, it still didn't explain the other unknown.
How was he able to absorb more than one witch factor?
Even if you were totally compatible with more than one sin, which was practically impossible, because absorbing one witch factor transforms your entire personality around that sin, it was still physically impossible to absorb more than one.
Even if, somehow, someone was able to absorb more than one witch factor, something already impossible, the result would be a split personality, losing all awareness of themselves and becoming a beast that would only seek to follow their respective sins.
Of course, that was in the equally impossible case that you remained alive, since the normal thing would be to simply die from the overload of having more than one witch factor.
So how was it that Subaru, an ordinary person with no particular talents, no aptitude for magic, and a broken gate from a few simple basic spells, was able to have more than one witch factor?
Beatrice had read in the forbidden library, her mother's library, and the Witch of Greed, Echidna, that in the past, 400 years ago, before the Great Calamity, there was a person who had all the characteristics of a witch, the Sage, Flugel.
At that moment, she thought that perhaps her mother had made a mistake or was confused, since that was simply an absurd fact, impossible, absolutely impossible.
How could someone absorb more than one witch factor, and even have all of them? But after Subaru became his contractor and they formed a contract, he began to think.
*Maybe it was true after all*
Then, at the Pleiades Watchtower, they met the Sage, Shaula, who was not actually the sage as had been thought for 400 years, but rather his apprentice.
The Pleaides Watchtower was undoubtedly an impossible place, where all kinds of phenomena occurred, such as the books of the dead, which, when read, allowed you to relive all the memories of the deceased person.
Also, the seal of the Witch of Envy, Satella, who was sealed 400 years ago after the Great Calamity, was in the Sand Dunes of Augria, near the Pleiades Watchtower, which was probably built to guard the seal.
Shaula had also said that his teacher, Flugel, was the one who had built the Pleiades Watchtower and his founder.
In that place, which should have been impossible to exist but somehow did, it was built by that person.
Beatrice theorized that, since the Authorities that come from witch factors are the antithesis of Od Laguna, allowing their users to ignore concepts and manipulate reality itself, perhaps Flugel was able to do those impossible things by using all the Authorities that came from witch factors.
In that case, since it was at least possible that someone could be able to absorb more than one witch factor, another question arose.
Why was Subaru, of all people, capable of such an impossible feat?
Why was Subaru, like the Sage Flugel, able to absorb more than one witch factor? Who is his contractor?
...
...
Who is Natsuki Subaru?
Several minutes passed as Beatrice pondered these questions to herself. Subaru began to fidget and sweat, writhing slightly and moaning in pain.
Beatrice was already accustomed to these... incidents, so she quickly used water magic to ease his mind, which immediately calmed him down and relaxed him.
Beatrice didn't know why this was happening, why Subaru suddenly began to suffer from fits of madness and hurt himself.
At first, Beatrice thought it might be due to the witch factor of Sloth, which would make sense, but something didn't quite fit with that theory.
After absorbing the witch factor of Greed, Subaru remained the same and nothing changed in his behavior, except for his nightmares, which continued as before. So perhaps the witch factors of Sloth and Greed weren't the problem, but then what was?
Beatrice, continuing her journey through her memories, looking for any hint, she found a weird detail in them.
Subaru had the witch's miasma, something that the cultists of the witch cult had, and the Archbishops of Sin had it in even greater concentration.
But Subaru, unlike the cultists, had an amount of miasma only comparable to that of the Archbishops themselves.
So,
Where did that miasma come from?
As she remained immersed in her thoughts, she concentrated even more on Subaru's body, trying to find something, anything that might give her a clue.
Since his broken gate had been magically healed, she thought that this time, unlike the other times she had checked his body for gate maintenance and to see what was causing his nightmares, she might find something.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't find anything, and just as he was about to give up, he felt something in his contractor's body, something that shouldn't have been there, and it made no sense why it was there, but somehow, it was.
A sea of darkness, something that was undoubtedly similar to witch factors, was hidden deep within Subaru's Od.
Beatrice opened her eyes wide, began to sweat coldly, and felt extreme panic, which she didn't know where it came from, but she decided to continue investigating, for the sake of her contractor, and discover what was causing him so much suffering.
Considering how hidden it was, it had undoubtedly been hidden there on purpose, and it would not be found unless someone skilled in magic like Beatrice searched for exactly that place, knowing what she was looking for.
Even though Beatrice was an expert in magic, she had never encountered this in Subaru's body before, and she was confused as to how she found it in the first place.
She would like to say it was because she was a genius, but...
That... thing was hidden too meticulously in his soul, and Beatrice would never have found it if she hadn't known exactly what she was looking for and where it was.
So...
How was she able to find it?
While Beatrice was still in shock, trembling with fear, Subaru began to move and shake again, even more violently than before, letting out louder moans that would soon wake the others.
Beatrice used even more powerful water magic to calm his mental state, but even so, it took her much longer than ever before to calm him down, but she succeeded.
Subaru stopped shaking, but began to babble things in a very low voice, which even a whisper would be considered a scream compared to that voice.
Beatrice, who was still trembling, listened carefully, concentrating as hard as she could to try to understand what he was saying.
She couldn't understand a single word, and just as she was about to give up again, she heard his voice saying something that made no sense at all.
Subaru: "...I... as many times as necessary... even... if I have to..."
Then the water magic that Beatrice continued to use to calm his mental state finally made him fall back asleep.
Beatrice was relieved by this, and she applied the water magic to herself to alleviate the tremors and fear she felt after encountering that thing in Subaru's Od.
Beatrice still hadn't processed all the information she had just learned, but one thing was certain.
She was closer than ever to discovering what was going on with Subaru, who he was, why he suffered in silence without saying anything.
And Beatrice would not hesitate to walk that path; she would do anything for Subaru, just as he would do anything for her.
...
...
Well, here's Zorretox!
I finally finished writing the second chapter, and I'm quite satisfied with it, to be honest, although it gave me writer's block again (XD).
I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it, and here's some information to complement what happened in this chapter.
Subaru's parents still don't know anything about his adventures, but they still treat his friends with naturalness and kindness, as it is in their nature to be good people.
Tomorrow (in the story), Subaru will begin to tell his story and adventures in another world, something that Rem will also be quite interested in, since she knows nothing after the third arc, except for the loose details that Subaru had thrown out, such as the mansion fire or that they went to the Pleiades Watchtower.
Shaula will return in the next chapter (FINALLY!) in her human form.
I know I said I wouldn't go into too much detail about why Subaru was summoned back to Japan, but the temptation and potential of that subplot is too interesting to pass up, so it will be present in the plot. (Or maybe not, who knows, hahaha.)
What did Beatrice find deep within Subaru's soul? And why did she find it now and not before? That will be explained later in the story, but for now I will say that... their connection weakened. What does that mean? Who knows! Keep reading the story to find out.
The weakest points that are likely to be present in the fic would be Japanese culture and such, since I have zero knowledge of them and it will probably turn out very different from reality.
The next chapter will also discuss the subject of Subaru's disappearance. His parents didn't talk about it because, apart from being surprised to see him again, they were very tired due to the late hour.
I know this is FULL of grammatical errors (at least in the Spanish version), and I'll probably fix them in the next few days, but I'd rather release the chapter now than delay it a few more days and leave you without a weekly chapter.
I also know that I put in the fic summary on Ao3 that it would be released on Friday the 14th at 9 p.m. GMT-3, and that it wasn't released at that time, but I have an explanation.
While I was finishing up some things in the chapter, I was hit by a wave of inspiration and couldn't stop writing, so I lost track of time a little. If you were waiting for the update that didn't arrive, I apologize, but I hope the longer chapter will make up for it (I went over 20k words xd).
If you checked my profile, u may have realized that the spanish version was updated first. I wanted to post the english version too, but it was 4am and i was tired asf, so thats why the english version was a little late.
What else... oh yes! We're now on Fanfiction and WebNovel, for those who prefer to read the story there or something like that, both with the same name and the username "Zorretox." Still, on Ao3 the fic gets updated first, so if you are wondering if theres a new chapter out, always check Ao3.
If for some reason you need to contact me personally, my Discord is "chaonosvemos." I'm happy to respond to any messages, so don't worry about bothering me!
Well, I'm not going to set a date for the next chapter because I'm a little burned out, but it will probably be next week, and no later than Monday of the following week (I like to do weekly updates so people don't lose interest and all that).
So, for now, the release date for the next chapter is Friday the 21st, and for sure on Monday the 24th (November).
If you have any comments or suggestions for the story or corrections for the fic, please write them in the comments.
This was translated using DeepL btw.
This is chapter 2, but due to WebNovel limitations it was divided into 2 chapters.
That's all! See you next week, thanks for reading!
Original source: https://archiveofourown.org/works/73727676/chapters/193695806