Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu web novel

　The location moves from the tomb to Lewes' house, where the results of the "Trial" are revealed.

　In terms of content, it's almost the same as the previous loops. Emilia has failed to overcome the Trial, but she is adamant that she has no intention of giving up.

　They refrained from mentioning the details of the Trial, and when Ram realised this and tried to mediate, the group was dismissed due to Emilia's health condition.

　As they all reflected on the events of the night, they saw them off and left the room, and when only Emilia, Subaru, and Ram remained in the room,

Subaru: "Ram would like to help Lady Emilia out while she is taking her day off, but wouldn't Barusu have noticed that she wasn't called in unless he was told?"

"Thank you for your assurance, which may seem roundabout but isn't. Considering Emilia's health, I certainly want to let you complete your job but… I need a bit of time. Even if it's just for a little while, can you please leave me alone with Emilia?"

"Naughty."

"It's disgusting how you can come up with that idea so quickly!"

　Ram yelled at her, with disgust in her eyes, and the pink-haired maid covered her ears and pretended not to notice. Ram then gave a sidelong glance at Emilia, who was sitting on the bed.

"What do you think, Lady Emilia? If you don't want to even speak to Barusu, I will have Ram step back."

"Who are you? There's no way that kind-hearted and loving Emilia would reject me, right?"

"I'm really tired tonight, so I'd rather not engage in the usual trivial chat..."

Subaru: "I don't hear much about random talk these days… Besides, I don't have any intention of doing that right now. I'll woo Emilia-tan another time. Right now I just want to talk a little about the tomb."

　Even after the usual exchange of words, Emilia's expression was not good. But when Subaru hinted at something to do with the Trials, Emilia closed her eyes once, then turned her amethyst eyes towards Ram, said "I'm sorry," and urged her to leave the room.

　Ram silently followed the instructions, bowed and headed towards the entrance of the room. On the way, as she passed by Subaru, she whispered,

"Please don't make him say anything that will burden him too much."

　He never forgets to give strict orders.

　The door to the room clanged shut, leaving Subaru and Emilia alone in the bedroom.

　Subaru could see that Emilia's eyes were sincere as she looked up at him from the bed. Seeing her gaze, Subaru shrugged lightly,

"I was only able to check briefly inside the tomb, but are there really any abnormalities with your body? Judging by how strange it was there, I'm really worried."

"That's fine. Yes, thanks. There really wasn't any strange interference with my body or mind. Besides, if anyone is worried about that, isn't it Subaru rather than me?"

"What do you mean?"

"It's not that. Subaru, I'm glad that you came into the tomb because I didn't come back, but something must have happened inside too. Ram said that it was nearly 30 minutes from when Subaru went inside until he came out with me."

　Emilia looked at him with a reproachful gaze, to which Subaru inwardly stuck out his tongue.

　Although there were some parts of the tomb where they had used their momentum to cover up, it seems that Ram's unnecessary remark had made them realize something was off. The time they had stepped inside and the time it had taken to bring them out - Emilia's expression began to stiffen as she imagined what had happened in between.

　Naturally, I could see the contents of the "Trial" popping into her mind.

　The first "Trial" is one in which she is forced to face her past. In the first loop, Emilia was extremely upset, suspecting that the details of the trial had been discovered.

　Although I am able to remain calm this time, it is not difficult to imagine that if I were to reach the same conclusion as I did then, I would lose my current calm.

"Subaru, perhaps… Subaru is also experiencing a 'trial' inside…"

"No, that's not true. No matter what, it's too indiscriminate to just throw everyone you come across into the Trials. The reason I wasted so much time inside was because it took so long to wake Emilia up."

"Me?"

"Exactly. He was moaning and groaning so I desperately tried to wake him up, but he was still lying there, stiff and stubborn, as if he'd been tied up in a dream. I thought about just taking him out, but I had a really bad feeling about it."

　They use exaggerated actions and embellish the facts with lies.

　Emilia didn't deny it. Naturally, she had no way of verifying it. Even if Subaru said so, there was no proof that she might suspect something else.

"I see. I'm sorry for suspecting you in such a strange way."

Subaru: "That's fine. If I could have taken the Trial like that, maybe I could have worked together with Emilia to clear it."

"…I wonder. There's no guarantee that Subaru and I will see the same thing…"

　There was no force in his words, but Emilia didn't seem to be pursuing Subaru's lie.

　Emilia doesn't want anyone to know that she saw the past and was unable to overcome it. If Subaru insists that he doesn't know the contents of the Trials, she is in a state of mind where she wants to believe him.

　Here too, Subaru played Emilia's thoughts into the palm of his hand.

"More importantly, what was the topic? That's not the main topic, is it?"

"That's right. But that's not the main topic. There's something I want to ask you."

"What do you want to ask?"

　Emilia tilts her head.

　As he watched the silver hair cascading down her shoulders, Subaru continued, "I, I want to ask you something."

"I haven't seen Puck for a while now... I don't think he's replied yet?"

"Um, yeah... I see. Puck, you still haven't replied. I've been calling out to you, but it seems like you're asleep inside the crystal stone."

　Hearing her name suddenly come out, Emilia replied with her eyes lowered.

　Her white fingertips searched her chest, and she grabbed a beautiful, shining green crystal. The crystal that Puck, the great spirit, was said to have taken possession of, but it seemed to have lost its glow.

"You don't know the cause, do you?"

"Sometimes, it happens like this that we can't hear from you, but usually you'll come back within two or three days. But this time, it's been about a week… I'm starting to get a little worried."

　The presence of a small grey cat who boasts that he will protect Emilia.

　As Subaru thinks of that small shadow, the image that crosses his mind is of a great disaster occurring in Sanctuary, and Emilia getting caught up in it.

　When the demonic beast known as the Great Rabbit attacks the Sanctuary, most likely all of the inhabitants become its prey - or so Subaru imagines in the episode where the Great Rabbit appears.

　Among the victims would be names like Garfiel, Ram, and Roswaal, and of course Emilia too.

　The feeling of being torn apart, chewed up, and turning his existence into pieces of meat to be placed in the stomach of another creature――to think that Emilia and the others must have experienced that, Subaru's insides were seething with rage and sadness.

　Putting his rage aside for the moment, he thought about the useless spirit that hadn't shown its face even when Emilia was in danger of being harmed.

　It was the same the last time Emilia's body was taken over by the witch.

　Emilia was covered in an eerie aura as shadows flooded the world, and even though her body was at the mercy of the witch, the all-talking Great Spirit again showed no sign of offering any help.

　This is the height of not doing what one says, being all talk, and being all lip service.

"So far, the only times he's been outstanding have been in the fight against Erza and with me at the Sapporo Snow Festival. I can't rely on him... I guess it's best to think about it."

　Placing his hand on his chin, Subaru cursed and his thoughts wandered.

　A disaster that would befall the Sanctuary would be synonymous with the danger that would befall Emilia herself. In that case, Garfiel and Roswaal would not be able to counter it on their own, so she hoped that she could bring in an appropriate force to help, but Puck did not seem to fit that description.

"Do you have any idea of ​​how to call Puck back? If he were here, things would go a lot smoother."

"---. I don't have a clue, maybe."

　To the hopeless question, Emilia responded as expected. However, she was concerned that there was a momentary pause before she responded, but that was because, before she asked the question,

"What was it that you wanted to ask Puck?"

"Hmm? Ah, look, if that place is the witch's graveyard, then it's been there for 400 years. If that's the case, then maybe if we can talk to someone who knows what happened back then, we can find a way to break through."

　When he gave her the reply he had prepared, Emilia nodded in understanding, and then she seriously considered Subaru's proposal.

"That's right. Maybe Puck knows something... Okay, I get it. I'll try calling out to him more than usual."

"Okay. For now, I'll leave that to Emilia-tan."

　Emilia is motivated by the Trials. And she doesn't think that Subaru has undergone a Trial. There's no way her motivation will drop.

　Puck, who had retreated into the crystal stone, hadn't shown up yet, so it seemed like it would be difficult to expect him to make an appearance in this loop. His lack of help in adjusting the difficulty level made my impression even worse, given the bad impression of our last exchange.

Subaru: "Well, it's not good to stay too long, and I don't want Ram to suspect anything weird about me, as it would just give her more reasons to tease me, so I'll leave. Unless, Emilia-tan wants me to sleep next to her…"

"I don't want to sleep with you though."

"When you respond with something like that, all I can say is, wow..."

　Grinning wryly at the puzzled look on Emilia's face, Subaru headed towards the door.

　For now, those were the words he should exchange with Emilia tonight. As for her own problems, there was little Subaru could do about them at the moment.

　What Subaru can do is to create an environment where Emilia can focus on the Trials, and overcome the adverse circumstances surrounding them with his own hands.

　Emilia challenges the tomb, and Subaru challenges the Sanctuary.

　And Subaru's struggles must not be made known to Emilia, for that would mean increasing her burden.

"Well then, good night, Emilia-tan. If you have any scary dreams, you can always come and run to me."

"If we were to come all the way to your place, it would just surprise the villagers. Right, Subaru?"

"yeah?"

　Just as we were about to part ways after exchanging lighthearted words, Emilia called out my name.

　Subaru turned around as he placed his hand on the door, and Emilia, her lips trembling, a moment of hesitation in her eyes,

"Oh, nothing. Good night. Be careful."

"That last part isn't even a joke. Goodnight."

　Waving, Subaru left the bedroom, Emilia's smile burned into his mind. When he closed the door behind him and looked up, he saw Ram sitting in a chair in the living room connected to the bedroom, sipping a steaming cup of tea.

　Even though the landlord, Lewes, had been considerate enough to leave the house, the maid continued to behave in a disrespectful manner as usual. Subaru gave a wry smile.

"I was going to say sorry for making you wait so long, but you looked so relaxed that I didn't want to say anything."

Subaru: "I would like you to appreciate the grace of not even touching the sweets. — I hope that I have not been rude to Lady Emilia."

Subaru: "What a stupid question to ask me, someone who always puts Emilia first. You're the one who shouldn't be causing a tired Emilia any weird worries. …I trust you on that."

　How he behaves towards Subaru does not equal his attitude towards Emilia.

　Ram's methods could be said to be vicious, as he takes his opponents into consideration, but it is precisely because of his refreshingly practical approach that he can be trusted.

　Ram snorted at Subaru's whisper, emptied her cup, and stood up. Looking down at her as she passed him and headed towards the bedroom,

"By the way, can I ask you something?"

"Naughty."

"Do you really think of me as some kind of indiscriminate beast?"

　Ram hugged herself to distance herself from Subaru. Of course, she didn't mean it seriously, but it still hurt to see women react like that.

"I hate to say it, but I'm sure I've hardly ever looked at you with any lustful eyes."

Subaru: "The word 'almost' exudes animalistic qualities and makes him untrustworthy. Besides, ever since coming to the 'Sanctuary', I've felt something strange in Barusu's gaze."

"What is that? That's a completely unfounded accusation. You're being self-centered, aren't you?"

"Then it's unconscious. Sometimes when he's looking at Ram he looks strangely off into the distance. I don't know who he's looking at through Ram, though."

　--It was truly a blow to Subaru's thinking, from a realm he was not even aware of.

　As he experienced the illusion of being punched, Subaru realized that his thoughts had frozen. His expression stiffened, and his eyes wandered. Regretting his reaction, he shrugged his shoulders in an attempt to quickly recover,

"I-I have no idea what you're talking about."

"If you only noticed after being told, then that must be pretty abnormal. I didn't say anything until now because I didn't find the look in your eyes unpleasant."

　Ram sighed softly at Subaru's agitation.

　The fact that there was no sign of her usual mocking attitude towards Subaru made Subaru feel even more pain.

　Although they look alike, they are completely different inside. When Ram treats her kindly, she begins to see the image of Ram in her sleep.

　Ram's point was true, she had a keen eye. Subaru saw, through Ram, a girl who looked just like her. He couldn't help but think.

　Ram made that clear to me.

"…So, is there something you wanted to ask Ram?"

"up?"

Emilia: "It's not like my goal is to make Balusu feel bad or anything. Or rather, making Balusu feel bad is just a side thing, it's a much lower priority. Right now, I want to help Emilia-sama and return to Roswaal-sama. Is it okay to just ignore me like this?"

"That's a problem... Ah, it's okay. I want to ask about Garfiel."

　Taking advantage of Ram's continued rare consideration, Subaru somehow managed to squeeze out the question he wanted to ask.

　Hearing this, Ram raised her eyebrows in surprise and her expressionless face changed.

"Did something happen with Garf?"

"Nothing at the moment, but that doesn't mean it will be the case in the future. Currently, he's someone I have a lot of contact with in this 'Sanctuary', and it seems you've known each other for a long time, so I thought I'd ask him."

"Is that so? Well, I guess I'll just leave it at that."

　As if she could see through Subaru's thoughts, Ram gently placed her hand on his chin.

"So, what do you want to know Garf?"

"I already know how incredibly strong he is, but... if Garfiel were to leave the Sanctuary, what do you think the conditions would be?"

"...You're bringing up some pretty strange issues."

"I thought there was no point in dragging my feet. At this point, I'll just assume that you'll think it's strange."

　Unlike Emilia, who wanted to keep the secrets a secret, Ram didn't mind if Subaru was aware of his secret operations to a certain extent. In fact, considering that they would have to trigger events that would lead to the outside of the Sanctuary, such as the future liberation of the refugees from Aram Village, it would be better for her to know that Subaru had been working from the beginning.

"I don't know what they're planning and I have little interest, but trying to get Garf out of the Sanctuary... well, if Ram begs, it's not impossible."

"I guess that's what they call the weakness of love. I can relate to that too, so it's hard to say."

　In fact, there is no doubt that Ram's persuasion is easier to sway Garfiel than Subaru's. However, it reminds me of Garfiel who transformed into a giant tiger to chase after Subaru and keep him from going outside.

　At that time, Garfiel had even put Ram, the woman he was supposed to love, in his clutches, and continued to pursue Subaru. Ultimately, protecting something of the Sanctuary was a higher priority for Garfiel than Ram.

"But, Ram, that's probably…"

"Yeah. That's no good."

　Subaru was struggling to sound like he knew the answer, but Ram cheerfully confirmed his intentions.

　As Subaru stared blankly, Ram quickly stroked her pink hair,

"It's true that Garf is fascinated by Ram, but he has his own set of priorities. Just like Lord Roswaal is to Ram."

"For Garfiel, there is something else that is number one...? What about you?"

"I know, but I won't tell you."

　Ram averts her gaze and gives no reply to Subaru's questioning. Subaru glares at her and demands that she continue, but Ram, with a composed expression on her face, lets out a sigh,

"How arrogant of you to try to unilaterally guess someone's heart. Garfiel's heart belongs to Garfiel. If you want to know, ask him directly."

"Who is that person acting like the epitome of arrogance? Do you know about the book Roswaal has?"

"...I wonder where you heard that."

　Tit for tat.

　Even though he was persuaded by Ram's reasoning, his rebellious spirit allowed him to argue back. Ram's response to this was harsh, as she pierced Subaru with narrowed eyes and said,

"Depending on the circumstances, you may end up in some pain."

"If you did that, wouldn't that go against Roswaal's wishes? Don't do it, Ram. You can't do that."

　At least in the Sanctuary, Subaru had never been harmed by Ram. On the contrary, she had even lent a hand to Subaru of her own volition, not at Roswaal's command.

　It was a provocation based on that experience. He said it knowing that Ram would not respond physically. Hearing this, Ram's expression became somewhat grim, but,

"You've really started to give me unpleasant looks, Barusu."

"ah?"

"I don't know what you saw at the tomb, but it must have been something bad. I don't even want to continue talking to you right now, Barusu."

"...What I saw in the tomb was a kind of hope for me. Stop labeling it as something bad."

　The white-haired witch came to mind - remembering his encounter with Echidna, Subaru pursed his lips as he felt that she had implicitly denied him.

　Though his last meeting with Echidna had brought about tragedy, the return it had brought Subaru was comparable to the disadvantage he had suffered. Just the fact that she was someone he could confide in and discuss "Return by Death" with made up for most of the inconvenience.

"――――"

　For a moment, Subaru's black eyes and Ram's pale crimson eyes stared into each other.

　Subaru stretches out his mind, trying to see what faintly wavering eyes are holding deep within them, but the image dissipates before it can take shape as she averts her gaze.

"Go now. I can't bear to keep Lady Emilia waiting any longer."

"...Sorry for keeping you here. Even I know that what you're saying isn't wrong."

　Finally, he apologizes for the rude words that blurted out, but Ram doesn't take him seriously and turns her back on Subaru, heading towards the bedroom.

　Subaru watched as the hem of the waiter's uniform disappeared behind the door, then sighed deeply before leaving Lewes' house.

　As he left the building, the wind blowing through the Sanctuary caressed Subaru's bangs and tickled his forehead. Basking in the night breeze and smelling the scent of the grass, Subaru set out from the Sanctuary, now that it was already late, and headed towards the cathedral where he would be sleeping.

　As he stepped onto the grass and made his way along the path relying on the moonlight, Subaru was pondering how he should spend his time in this loop.

　Now that it was guaranteed that there was no practical limit to the number of times he could use "Return by Death," Subaru could do something he hadn't been able to do before - namely, he could make a series of throwaway turns to gather information.

　If one could simply make the decision to throw away one's life, there was no more efficient way to utilize the ability of "Return by Death."

"If you can try a different approach each time, you'll come up with solutions to each of the obstacles you have to overcome..."

　All that's left to do is connect the countermeasures together and implement them all in one go.

　It was a complete victory, sweeping away all obstacles that stood in their way and seizing the future together.

　Who to include in that complete victory scene is also something that bothers Subaru.

"――――"

　Suddenly, Subaru stopped in his tracks.

　His sense of smell, which was picking up the scent of the wind, was picking up something other than the grass he had trodden on.

　Subaru looks up and sees a young man standing before him on the starlit road.

　Garfiel had his arms crossed, his blond hair standing on end fluttering in the wind, and his fangs were gnashing.

"You're quite the timely guy, aren't you?"

"Well, it doesn't seem like you're surprised. Well, it's easier to move the conversation forward if you're not making a weird fuss."

　Subaru scratches his cheek and exclaims in admiration at the appearance of Garfiel, whom he had just mentioned in conversation with Ram.

　Garfiel nodded his head and gave Subaru some sort of signal.

　The small figure begins to walk. It stumbles off the path and heads towards the forest.

　Watching as the creature's receding back leapt over the knee-high grass and entered the forest, Subaru stretched his back slightly before heading towards the cathedral.

"Of course that meant follow me, hey!"

　Garfiel came running back and yelled abuse at Subaru as he was about to leave. Subaru raised both hands and shrugged,

"It was just a cool joke. I didn't miss anything so don't worry."

"That's what pisses me off. Just bring it to me and I'll eat it."

"Normally, wouldn't that be a situation where you'd reassure them that you're not going to eat them?"

　Garfiel took off walking roughly and unruly, refusing to respond to Subaru's words. Though he had a bad feeling about his attitude of not denying what he wanted him to deny, he followed suit and jogged along, this time following the lead.

　Leaving the path and entering the forest, Garfiel snorts after some distance.

　There was a small gap between the trees, just the right size for four or five people to sit in a circle, and Garfiel turned to look at me.

"So... you know, what did you see in the tomb?"

"...You too."

　Following Emilia and Ram, this was the third person to ask a question.

　Unlike the first two, Garfiel has to be given careful consideration when answering his questions, but being asked the same question over and over again can be a little disheartening.

　Subaru's thoughts were ignored as Garfiel spat out a sulky "You too?" He turned around, clicking his fangs, narrowing the pupils of his golden eyes,

"I don't care who you talked to or what you talked about, but I'm not going to just brush it off. As the saying goes, 'A suspicious person is the same as a parent'."

"Sorry, but I was just having trouble waking up Emilia in the tomb. It's just speculation that I saw something inside."

"Not only is it empty, it's insincere. You think you can fool everyone with that witch smell oozing from your whole body, huh?"

"――――"

　Garfiel wrinkles his nose and speaks with open hostility.

　Hearing what he had to say, Subaru was at a loss for words, but he felt something was off.

　The reason Garfiel regards Subaru as an enemy is because of the witch's lingering scent.

　That has always been the case, and it can be seen from his current remarks. The problem is that the timing of this remark is strange.

　Immediately after leaving the tomb, Subaru's whole body was tense, knowing that Garfiel might launch an attack on him straight away.

　It was right after 『Return by Death』, and the cause of her death was the same. Speaking of the lingering scent of the witch, it's rare that it's as strong as it is now.

　However, contrary to Subaru's expectations, Garfiel did not launch any sudden attack. On the contrary, he seemed genuinely relieved that Subaru and Emilia had returned safely.

　So, even though Subaru felt like shaking his head, he participated in the results at Lewes' house and even saw Garfiel off as he left.

　He was normal until we parted ways, but in the few minutes it took to meet again, his attitude changed completely. I don't know why.

　Could it be that the stench was so strong that it was making my nose go numb, and then over time it became strong enough that I could smell it, causing me to react?

　He smells the scent of his own arm, but all he can feel is the fatigue that has built up over the day. Deciding to dry himself off with water and a towel later, Subaru cuts to Garfiel.

"That witch's scent, that thing I've been told about quite a few times by a lot of different people."

"...Hmm, I see. Those guys up until then had been pretty relaxed about it, hey. What on earth happened when it looked like it was going to twist your nose like this?"

"Putting my body odor aside, I'm sure she judged me based on my actions. It would be great if you could do the same. At the very least, you should have let me go right after we left the tomb."

"――――"

"I have no intention of harming Emilia, nor you or Sanctuary. I want you to believe that. If possible, I'd appreciate it if you could just continue watching over us."

　It's a convenient phrase, but judging from the fact that Garfiel doesn't suddenly swing his fist at him, he still seems rational. He decides that there may be a way to settle things peacefully through dialogue.

　In fact, Garfiel's eyes waver slightly as he looks at Subaru. To begin with, he's not so quick-witted as to think he can eliminate Subaru just because of the witch's lingering scent. When the stench surrounding Subaru coincides with certain conditions, he takes action.

　This time, that trigger hadn't been pulled yet, and Subaru had to figure out what that trigger was.

"...You didn't answer the first question."

"Yeah?"

"What did you see inside the tomb? Whether I let you go or not depends on your answer."

　Garfiel's tone lost its momentum as he asked more questions while glaring at Subaru.

　There were two answers to the question - answer honestly, or lie like Emilia and the others. It was necessary to confirm which answer was the right one to choose here, but

"In that case, let me ask you a question."

"Don't get your position wrong. I'm on top, you're on the bottom. Do you want to get ripped apart?"

"Don't get so angry. Just relax and answer my questions casually."

　As Garfiel bared his teeth, Subaru shook him lightly and took a breath.

　He held the question in his throat, fixed his gaze on Garfiel, who was glaring at him,

　--Now, this is a crucial moment.

　Yes, encouraging myself,

"--I saw a child who looks exactly like Lewes-san, do you know who it is?"