Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu web novel

　The village was enveloped in a strange atmosphere.

　The members of the Witch Cult extermination squad could be seen in the center of the village, led by Julius, who was on his knees and bowing his head. None of them seemed to be seriously injured, so it was safe to say that the surprise attack on the Witch Cult itself was a success.

　After that, the plan was for each team to enter the village and guide the evacuation.

"What on earth is going on here?"

　Unable to grasp the situation, Subaru furrowed his brows, searching the scene before him for an answer.

　Julius and the rest of the extermination squad were in the center of the village, and behind them, hiding, stood a group of peddlers who appeared to have just arrived. Just like last time, the familiar faces were lined up, absent Otto, but their profiles bore strong expressions of anxiety and confusion.

　Facing the camp were the villagers, all of whom were familiar faces to Subaru. It seemed the children were hiding indoors, and the ones facing the knights were the adults, including the Youth Group.

　And, at the head of the villagers, facing Julius head on,

"--Ram!"

　She is an adorable girl with short, trimmed pink hair and a pretty apron dress that suits her well. However, her expression is sullen and she arrogantly crosses her arms, which is very different from her sister.

　Subaru felt that this incongruity was a huge discrepancy when he thought about it, since she was the same face as the girl who was his greatest source of emotional support.

"Subaru, you're here--"

"...Balusu, you're back."

　The leaders of the group responded at the same time to Subaru's loud call.

　Julius's face lit up as if he had seen a ray of hope, while Ram's emotionless face creased in displeasure.

　Feeling mixed emotions at Julius' welcoming mood, and a wry smile at Ram's unfriendly attitude, Subaru got off Patrasche's back and ran over to them.

"Wait wait wait wait, I can't see what's going on but calm down. Why don't you leave the problem to me for now?"

Subaru: "To Barusu? That's just ridiculous… but anyway, what kind of face do you have to show to come back here?"

"I'm glad to see that your sharp tongue is still intact. I don't think that'll put you off."

　Ram looked at Subaru with cold eyes, but when she saw how easily Subaru had brushed off her harsh words, a look of surprise appeared in her eyes. Feeling pleased by this, Subaru turned to Julius and said, "Anyway,"

"What happened… I'd love to know, but before that, let's confirm something. Can we assume that the surprise attack was successful?"

"Your signal was enough to get us going. However, since several of our men were outside the cellar, we couldn't avoid swinging our swords."

"It's good that there are no casualties on our side. We did well. Wilhelm is in the custody of the Sin Archbishop."

　When she pointed, Wilhelm, who was positioned slightly away from the hustle and bustle, raised his hand. At his feet was the wrapped up Betelgeuse, lying on the ground, one hand always on the handle so that he could strike instantly if anything happened.

　Looking at him, Julius let out a sigh of relief and said, "As expected."

"The initial phase of the operation was largely successful. However, a problem has arisen."

"It seems like it. I don't know what that means though..."

　His gaze pierced the back of their heads as they were furtively discussing something in hushed tones. Turning towards the source of the noise, he found himself bumping into Ram, who had her arms crossed and was about to burn Subaru with her eyes.

　Subaru sighed and shrugged his shoulders,

"It's been a few days since we last met, so don't be so cold towards me. I'm not asking you to greet me with a hug, but I think I can at least expect some kind words."

Subaru: "Do you want some sharp insults that will make your blood boil? I can't put up with Barusu's masochistic tendencies. What is this group's intention?"

"Whatever your intentions, you wrote that letter with all your might, right? If the merchants are here, then the messenger from the royal capital should have arrived as well."

"Subaru, that's the problem."

　Subaru tilted his head at Ram's questioning. Julius reached out from behind him, touched his shoulder and presented the problem. However, Subaru couldn't quite grasp what it meant.

"A letter... a personal letter. Yes, the messenger did indeed bring a letter. A personal letter, I believe."

　Ram put her hands inside her waiter's uniform, speaking in a low, quiet voice.

　Subaru recognized the monotone tone of that voice and blinked, wondering what it was. It was a sign that Ram was feeling unbearable anger.

Subaru: "A letter handed over with an ostentatious messenger - a blank letter, that is quite an interesting idea. May I ask what it means, Barusu?"

　The letter was thrust upon him, and spread out before Subaru's eyes.

　For a moment, his vision was blurry and unfocused, and Subaru took a step back in shock to see that the letter Ram was holding - a personal letter - was completely blank.

"A blank sheet of paper?! Why?! That can't be true...because!"

"I heard it was supposed to be important news, so I opened it and found this. On top of that, unknown people have been marching into the village, and to top it off, there is even an armed group. It would be crazy not to be on guard after that."

"That's not true! These people are Crusch-san's family and Anastasia-san's mercenary group… No, in the first place, the contents of this letter…"

"Subaru, kyun ♪"

　He snatched the letter from Ram's hand, staring intently at the blank note. He then tried to blurt out some excuse in confusion, but was stopped by a finger reaching out from behind him.

　Turning around at the pain of his ear being pulled, he saw Ferris standing nearby, smiling like a cat. He flicked the tip of Subaru's nose with the fingers of the hand opposite the one pinching his ear,

"Ouch."

"Calm down, take a deep breath, and let's sort out the things we need to talk about. There's no need to rush, everything's going smoothly for the most part, so just relax, okay?"

"Even if you tell me to calm down, it's not that easy to stay calm..."

"Should I put my tongue in and kiss you to force you to calm down?"

"Calm down! I just felt really blood run cold! Cool down!"

　As those mischievous eyes drew closer, Subaru straightened his back and retreated. He put some distance between them with a triple axel and once again lowered his gaze to the letter in his hands.

　It looked the same as the letter that Rem had written together with Anastasia at Crusch's mansion before they left for the royal capital, to be delivered to the messenger she had asked Anastasia to send.

　However, it seems that the contents have been completely removed, or rather replaced.

"So, this commotion is the result of the lack of advance notice? Then, when Julius loudly introduced himself earlier…"

"I lost my cool and nearly got into a clash. I had no choice but to mention his name and try to calm the situation down. But your arrival proved that my fears were unfounded."

　Stroking his purple hair, Julius let out a listless sigh,

"Now everyone knows that I am Julius, the Royal Knight."

"Just so you know, everyone who knows your face and name knows you, right? --That being said, I'm grateful that you stopped what was on the verge of becoming a riot."

"What? It's a knight's duty."

　Subaru looked away as he thanked Julius, who laughed without taking any offense. Feeling uneasy about his attitude, Subaru cleared his throat and looked at Ram again.

　Having already been interrupted many times, Ram's gaze had become sharper than at first. He had a strong feeling that he might be physically cut somewhere soon.

"The fact that the letter was blank was due to various mistakes on our part. There were two main points. The Witch Cult is hiding out and targeting the mansion. And then, in order to escape from there, I have asked the traveling merchants to help me prepare a dragon carriage. I want you to get on that and escape to a safe place together with the villagers."

"Are you saying that these men in dangerous gear are peddlers?"

"Ah... no, these people."

　Subaru stammered as he responded to Ram, who still maintained a grim attitude. However, it wasn't Subaru who answered the last question, but rather,

"We are the reinforcements sent in advance of the alliance formed between His Excellency Duke Crusch Karsten and Lady Emilia."

　A chestnut-haired figure stepped forward and knelt down. He spoke respectfully, his manners flawless, his movements graceful and a sure sign of a good education.

　A cross-dressed knight with cat ears on his head delivers his speech with a refined demeanor that is hard to imagine given his usual playful and mischievous demeanor.

　Ferris looked up at Ram, who was standing upright, and said in a quiet voice,

"My name is Felix Argyle. I am the number one knight of Duke Crusch Karsten, and I am acting on behalf of him in this alliance. I apologize endlessly for the lack of communication, but... I would like to ask that you, Subaru, take priority for now."

"...alliance"

　Ram muttered softly to Ferris, who maintained a polite attitude, and looked at Subaru. She touched her thin lips, furrowed her brow in a difficult manner, and then,

"It seems that you have fulfilled your role remaining in the royal capital."

"If you had just explained in simpler terms what you expected of me, I think we wouldn't have had to go through all this trouble."

　Subaru didn't take any pride in the results he'd brought back, but simply made this request. Roswaal's secret orders were far too difficult to understand. After dying three times and receiving numerous hints from Rem, he had finally managed to get a clue. It was a first-time killer at best.

"And so, I have mainly completed my duties remaining in the royal capital. Now I want to complete the purpose for which I returned and greet tomorrow with joy. Therefore, I would like to hurry up with the evacuation…"

"…Ram had also noticed a strange presence lurking in the forest. But since it didn't directly affect her clairvoyance, it was really creepy. That's right, the Witch Cult."

　Ram's clairvoyance is something that allows her to synchronize with the vision of a being who is on the same wavelength as her, and then move from one vision to another. If her words are true, it seems that the Witch Cultists could not find anyone who was on the same wavelength as her. It's hard to say whether to be happy or sad about this, considering the pros and cons.

"We've defeated the majority, about 80% of them. We've also captured the enemy commander."

　Subaru then reported his current results to the disgruntled Ram. Hearing this, Ram blinked in surprise for the first time in the situation,

"That would be almost total destruction."

"When it comes to these guys, I think it's true that if you see one, there are thirty. We won't feel safe until we've hunted them all down. So, to be on the safe side, evacuation is essential."

"Is barricading ourselves in the mansion a bad idea?"

"It's only natural for those guys to set something on fire. If they don't want the mansion filled with so many memories to be burned down, it would be better to just make it clear that they'd run away."

　Ram made a blatantly displeased face when I brought up a metaphor that I thought was not terrifying. It seemed she had reacted to the word "burn," but it could be that she had bad memories of fires. Suddenly, something Rem had said crossed my mind, but I couldn't remember it.

　Anyway,

"I've secured enough personnel to carry the villagers and the three people from the mansion. Roswaal isn't here, is he?"

"Yes. Lord Roswaal is currently in the Sanctuary... at Garfiel's place. Ram has been ordered to await Lady Emilia's judgement here."

"Emilia-tan..."

　Subaru looked around after hearing Ram's answer, searching for the silver-haired girl, but it seemed she hadn't yet come down to the village, and she was nowhere to be seen.

　Subaru's gesture made Ram let out a small sigh,

"Lady Emilia is resting at the mansion. --She's been enduring a bit too much."

"bear?"

Subaru: "Even Barusu will understand right away."

　Subaru tilts his head at Ram's vague words, but she doesn't go on any further. Judging that this attitude won't lead to anything, he claps his hands to attract attention, hoping to get everyone in the room onto the dragon carriage.

「Yes, attention! Good morning, everyone, it's been a while! My name is Natsuki Subaru! It's only been... a week, I guess. I don't want to think that I've been forgotten in an instant, but I'm back!」

　As he called out in a loud voice, the villagers who had been watching from afar began to peek in one after another. When Subaru caught sight of suspicious looks, they began to relax somewhat as they realized a familiar face had arrived.

　And as the intensity of their gazes seemed to ease, Subaru raised his hands up so that everyone could see, and spun around on the spot,

"Well, I'm sorry to ask this so suddenly, but I'd like to ask a favor. It's a simple matter. A little picnic. I've rented a dragon carriage and reserved seats for everyone. The seats are hard, but with special protection so they don't shake too much. Please get together with your friends and get in a group. It would be a great help if you could come and play for half a day or a whole day."

　Subaru would say things like, "Okay, make a group with the person you like," and open up old wounds. When that happened, he would be thrown into a group pretty quickly, and even there, he would stand out, which was Subaru's sociability.

　While remembering such depressing stories from the past, the villagers looked at each other in response to Subaru's appeal,

"Why would you have to run away like that?"

　The man who represented the youth group was touching the hilt of the sword he was holding as he looked at Subaru,

"I'm telling you not to be too bright or too dark, but that means you have to run away, right? Abandon the village... Why would you have to do something like that?"

"This is my true self, so it would be troublesome if people looked into my dark side, but there's no need to think so dramatically about abandoning the village. Really, if you could just give me half a day…"

"--Witch Cult, what is it?"

　When the young man with the crew cut said this quietly, a murmur of excitement spread throughout the village.

　This was true not only of the villagers, but also of the group of peddlers who were waiting to see how the outcome of the talks would turn out. Their expressions were all tense, their lips trembling,

"It's the Witch Cult after all."

"How frightening... why are there such dangerous people?"

「Of course. Of course. Shit, what have you done, My Lord…」

"Why, a half-demon... a half-elf..."

"Hey, wait a minute."

　Subaru raised his palm at the words of the villagers, which, though quietly, certainly shook the air.

　Feeling a dry, sticky sensation in the back of his throat, Subaru walked towards the direction he had heard the voice from. Then he turned to face one of the slender young men,

"What did you just say?"

"Well, I wasn't wrong, was I? In fact, they are coming..."

"I just said it! What did I say? That's what I heard!"

　Subaru yelled, his eyes sharp and his expression furious as if he was about to grab her.

　Immediately, after being yelled at, he pitifully darted his eyes around and turned his head as if calling for help from those around him, but everyone looked down and did not respond to him.

　Having been abandoned by his cold-hearted surroundings, he looked back at Subaru with a resigned look,

"Anytime you get involved with a half-elf, the Witch Cult will start making a fuss. That's common knowledge. Even a child knows it. And yet, the lord of the land has done something terrible, recommending a silver-haired half-elf to become king..."

"What does that have to do with what we were just talking about?"

"That's why! You understand, right?! If the lord were to publicly announce his support for half-elves, it would end up provoking the Witch Cult! In fact, that's why you're doing this… well then!"

"--Don't say ridiculous things like, I wish that girl hadn't existed in the first place."

　The young man was about to say something he shouldn't have said in the heat of the moment, but Subaru saw what was coming and spoke first.

　Pushing the young man's breath away with his palm, Subaru looked around. Everyone he saw had the same look of fear in their eyes as him, so he exhaled deeply and exaggeratedly.

"Who are the people who are trying to put the village in danger?"

"――――"

"Who was it that committed such evil acts that people feared her and called her a witch or whatever?"

"――――"

"Don't you all have different targets in mind? I know it's easier to vent your frustrations on someone you know is there than on some mysterious group of people, and I'm one of those people so I can't really say anything arrogant about it."

　For everyone, dissatisfaction flows from top to bottom.

　Of course, it's better for anyone to have a weaker person to vent their grievances and gossip about. Subaru, the representative of the weak, knew this better than anyone.

　Even so, even though Subaru knew it was self-centered, he wanted to think this way.

"I'm aware that I'm the worst. That's why I want to believe that everyone else is better than me in some way. I know it's just a selfish kid's whining, but please, don't make me think that I shouldn't have had to go through all this trouble."

　Subaru had a strong desire to help Emilia, Ram, and Beatrice who were in the mansion. At the same time, Subaru also wanted to help the people of this village where he spent his days. Even though the time they spent together was short, Subaru had begun to like the villagers who had treated him so warmly. So he didn't want them to betray his impression of them.

　Subaru bowed his head to such a selfish wish.

"I don't care about Roswaal or anything like that right now. Let's put aside what to do with Emi in the mansion… the half-elf girl and all that. It's dangerous to be in this village right now. That's why I want you to evacuate. I've made preparations for that."

　From the young man's attitude, I could sense a deep-rooted sense of discrimination against half-elves.

　Subaru had only known the surface of it, but now that he knew that people he knew were showing it to their close friends, he realized that was just superficial knowledge.

　Had Emilia always been treated with this kind of contempt?

　As Subaru bowed his head, someone suddenly stood next to him.

　Julius was dressed in the gorgeous uniform of the Royal Knights. He stood proudly next to Subaru, his tall figure bent at the waist,

"Please, listen to me. I swear to you all that you will be safe, on behalf of the dragon and the pride of the knights. Please, listen to what he has to say now."

"――――"

　Though many thoughts crossed Subaru's mind, such as meddling and his usual annoying way of speaking, what filled his heart was pure gratitude towards Julius.

　The sight of the good-looking man's profile left him with such an impression, and Subaru, with his head still bowed, averted his gaze from Julius, who was standing next to him,

"I won't even thank you."

"Hmm. -- I wanted to hear those words."

　I really thought this guy was a jerk.

※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※

"It feels like it's been a really long time since I walked through the mansion with Barusu like this. It's only been a week or so though."

"I completely agree. Although there is probably a big difference in the emotions we feel."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, indeed."

　Subaru and Ram were chatting like this as they walked side by side through the corridors of their nostalgic home - Roswaal Mansion.

　Thinking back, during those repetitive days, I had only managed to reach the Roswaal Mansion and explore its interior twice. The first time was when there was no sign of any survivors left inside the mansion.

"--Ram."

"Did you call?"

"No, I just remembered to ram. The current ram is fine as it is."

"Balusu's incomprehensible way of speaking is even more irritating now that it's been a while."

　Ram ignored Subaru's flippant remark with a straight face.

　And so, she walked ahead of him dressed as a waitress - in that first world, Subaru had discovered her body on the bed. The only thing that saved Subaru at the time was that her death had not been filthy.

　In the second world, Puck's rapid growth caused the mansion to collapse, and in the third world - just thinking about it brings back scenes that send shivers down my spine.

"Balus, I'll pass you by."

"Um, sorry, sorry... but here..."

　Subaru didn't notice Ram stopping, lost in thought, and went back the distance before looking at the door. Ram led him to a guest room,

"Isn't this Emilia-tan's room?"

"Right now, only Ram, Lady Emilia, and Lady Beatrice are in the mansion, so we've gathered in the central building. You were all particularly tired last night."

　Thinking back to what Ram had told him, Subaru lowered his head slightly as he thought about Emilia's worries.

　Ram had given her the gist of what Emilia had been up to since they had returned to the mansion. After she and Roswaal returned from the royal capital and left to visit some influential people, it seemed she had been left behind to study diligently, even sacrificing sleep.

"He was completely absorbed in it. It was as if he had had some unpleasant experience in the royal capital and was trying to forget about it."

"Ugh..."

"It's as if she had been treated badly by a man in the royal capital and was trying to forget about him."

"Don't throw in that weird word in between! I can't completely deny it though..."

　Ram sighed as Subaru trailed off. Then she shook her head in exasperation and gestured to the door of the room.

"You must have been even more tired since Ram noticed the strange phenomenon in the forest with her clairvoyance and reported it to us. You can tell by looking at the attitude of the villagers earlier, right?"

Subaru: "I can vaguely imagine it, but I don't really want to put it into words. ――A rejection, perhaps?"

"Rejection? Barusu, you have a very kind imagination."

　Ram sneered at Subaru's words, then her expression quickly faded. After a moment of silence from Subaru, she spoke in a tired tone,

"--Denial, right. If you're rejected, you can still extend your hand. If your outstretched hand is brushed away, that means you've been touched. But, what about denial?"

"..."

"How can we ever get closer if we're afraid to even touch each other?"

　Subaru held his breath and was unable to reply to Ram's testing words.

　It seemed that Ram had not expected Subaru to respond in such a way. Rather than showing any signs of disappointment, she sighed, indicating that time was up, and continued, "That was mean of you,"

Subaru: "Noticing an ominous presence in the forest, Lady Emilia descended upon the village to evacuate the villagers to the mansion. However, she was denied it. Even Barusu knows that she is not the kind of person who would back down so easily after being denied."

"But I also know that I'm not the kind of girl who wouldn't get hurt if someone treated me so rudely that I couldn't get around to anything."

　Unable to contain his irritation, Subaru let it all out on his tongue, glaring at the window in the corridor and squinting at the distant view of the village beyond.

　It's not that they are particularly narrow-minded or cold-hearted.

　This was a common reaction, the way Emilia had always been treated, and was it really so arrogant to wish for something to at least change?

"So then, are you saying that my feelings of anger towards the injustice of the world are also arrogant?"

　Saying this, Subaru closed his eyes for a moment and turned towards the door, shaking it off.

　He wiped all negativity from his face, trying his best to forget about it for at least this moment. Perhaps out of respect for Subaru's intentions, Ram didn't comment on it either.

"Emilia-sama, are you awake?"

　Two small, hard knocks echoed through the cold morning hallway.

　A few seconds had passed since Ram called out and knocked.

"--Ram? Yes, you're awake."

　And then, the mesmerizing sound of silver bells gently struck Subaru's earlobes.

　The calm, noble, and brave voice was so pure that Subaru momentarily forgot the anxiety that had been lingering in his heart.

　I had been worrying about what I would talk to her about when I met her, what words I should use, and all sorts of other things, but for that moment, all of that was blown away.

　He had come back to hear this voice, to see her.

「Excuse me, Lady Emilia. --Balus has returned.」

　Pushing the door open, Ram bowed respectfully as she reported the return of her attendants to her temporary master.

　Following the small body that led the way, Subaru stepped unsteadily and put half his body inside, forgetting to even breathe.

"Eh, Subaru――?"

"Hisa--"

　It wasn't something he'd prepared for, but he wanted to greet the reunion with a smile at the very least, so Subaru put on as gentle a smile as he could and raised his hand lightly, focusing on Emilia as she turned to look in his direction.

　--Emilia's white skin was dazzling as she was getting changed, and her back was burned into his eyes.

"--My, pardon me."

　In front of the two frozen in place, Ram nonchalantly stuck out her tongue and punched him in the head.

　However, apart from Ram, neither of them had the time to make a remark about that tee hee.

　They looked at each other in silence, and Subaru's gaze roamed over Emilia's face, her exposed back, her long, slender, supple legs, all the way down to the tips of her bare toes,

　The moment the crease in his smile stretched out,

"What a thing to do to an unmarried girl---"

　Suddenly, a small grey cat flew down in front of him, unleashing magical power onto the stiff, grinning face of Subaru - without being able to do anything, Subaru's body was blown into the corridor. Ram ran after it, diving into the hallway, and just before Subaru was about to crash into the window,

"If the window breaks, it's a big problem."

"Huh?!"

　Just in the nick of time, the window slid open just before the collision, and Subaru's body was thrown outside. Fortunately, he was on the first floor and avoided falling to his death, but he slipped face-first on the grass covered in morning dew, rolled, and finally came to a halt when he crashed into a flower bed.

　The taste of earth in his mouth, a wall of mud full of fertilizer in front of him, his best outfit covered in blood and covered in dust, his eyes looking mean by nature.

"Puck, you went too far… Ah, Subaru, are you okay?!"

　Far, far away, from the window of the mansion, Subaru heard the panicked voice of the girl he loved, and for some reason, burst out laughing.

　Even though nothing was yet finished and nothing was over, I felt as if fragments of the days I wanted to live again were shining brightly.

　Subaru continued to chuckle softly until Ram, who had come to greet him, held out her hand as if she had seen something eerie.