Emilia had been hard at work gathering the villagers in the marketplace plaza to reassure and calm their frayed nerves.
Initially, they were doubtful, struggling to accept her words. It was then that she revealed her identity as Emilia, the Silver-haired Half-elf sponsored by Roswaal.
The crowd erupted in chaos, especially since the children had just vanished, and now the physical embodiment of the witch of envy had appeared before them.
Insults, shouts, pleas, and accusations were hurled at her. The only reason no one dared to attack was the fear instilled by her and her feline spirit, who glared at them menacingly.
Under normal circumstances, Emilia would have been overwhelmed by their harsh treatment, running away in tears to hide under her blanket while Puck comforted her.
However, she had supporters—Puck and Subaru—who believed in her, and she was determined to live up to their faith.
So, instead of backing down or fleeing, she stood her ground firmly and addressed the crowd, her unwavering gaze and resolute demeanor silencing them.
"I understand that you're all feeling scared, confused, worried, and angry, but I'm here to tell you to stop worrying. While Roswaal-sama may not be here, we are here to help solve your problem and find your children. I ask you all to calm down; it would only cause more harm than good. I swear by the dragon that your children will be returned safe and sound. So please, have faith in us." She concluded her speech.
The unexpected strength in her voice left them momentarily speechless, and with the village elder, Milde Arlam, eventually agreeing, they accepted Emilia's assistance.
Now, she stood by the fence where Subaru and Rem had left, feeling drained from the earlier commotion.
"Wow, you really handled that well, Lia," Puck remarked as he perched on her head.
"I know, I was reaaaaally scared, but with both you and Subaru believing in me, I couldn't let you down," she said, feeling exhausted yet relieved that it was finally over.
"Subaru, huh?" Puck said with a teasing tone. "You two are getting pretty close, aren't you?" he muttered to himself, but Emilia caught his words.
"Well, he's my first friend, and he trusts me, so I think we are," she replied, not fully understanding his true meaning.
Puck sighed, "You're just too adorable, you know that? I guess it makes sense since you're my daughter." Emilia beamed at the compliment.
"So when are those two coming back? I don't have much time left," Puck remarked, causing Emilia to feel a pang of worry.
The sun was setting, and darkness would soon arrive, leaving Puck with limited time to manifest outside his crystal.
"I'm starting to get worried, but I believe they'll be okay," she said, gently stroking the spirit cat on her head, which began to purr.
She had faith in Subaru, and Rem often ventured into the forest to manage the Mabeast population, so they should be alright—
"Emilia-Sama!" a loud voice called from her side. Both she and Puck turned to see Ram, who looked frantic and worried.
"Ram? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at the mansion?" she asked, but the distressed pink maid ignored her question.
"Rem! Where is Rem?! Have you seen her?!" Ram bombarded Emilia with questions, leaving her confused.
"Whoa, calm down, Ram. Rem went with Subaru to the forest to rescue the kids, but they haven't returned yet," Emilia explained.
Ram's worry deepened at this news, her face reflecting her distress. "No… Sissy, please don't tell me you did it," she said, which caught Emilia's attention.
"Did? Did what? Ram, is something wrong with Rem?" Emilia asked, concern evident in her voice.
"Emilia-sama," she said urgently, her tone serious. "Ram can sense her sister's anger through our Synesthesia, She's mad with rage! If we don't do something, she might kill Barasu!"
Emilia was taken aback by this revelation. Rem, who was typically so composed and curt, losing control of her emotions to the point of wanting to kill someone was completely out of character for what she thought of the maid.
"She's telling the truth," Puck chimed in from above. "But I think you should take a breath. I doubt Rem could actually go through with it, even if she wanted to."
Puck's confidence stemmed not just from his daughter's words but also from the unusual yet powerful energy he sensed from Subaru. It was a strange one that sent chills down his spine, but it reassured him that Subaru was likely okay.
"But—!" Ram started to argue, but her words faltered as they heard footsteps approaching. They turned to see Subaru coming toward them, carrying a sleeping Rem on his shoulder.
"Rem!" Ram exclaimed, rushing toward him. Once he gently placed her on the ground, Ram began to check on her.
"Subaru!" Emilia called out, concern etched on her face. "Are you okay? Did she hurt you?"
He smiled and waved her off. "I'm good, Emilia, not a scratch on me." Then he glanced at Rem. "Fortunately, I took care of her before she hurt anyone."
Emilia looked at the sleeping Rem. "Is she okay?" she asked.
"Rem is fine; it seems Barasu just knocked her out," Ram replied, feeling relieved that her dear sister hadn't done anything she would regret.
"What happened? Ram just told me she was trying to kill you?" Emilia questioned Subaru.
"I have no clue. She just started yelling about me being a 'Filthy Witch Cultist' and tried to attack me. I managed to knock her out before she could do any damage."
"A witch cultist? You?" It was almost funny, if not for the situation they were in. How could this kind-hearted man be associated with such twisted individuals? It simply didn't make sense.
"I suspect she's been suspicious of me since I arrived at the mansion, probably because I carry the witch's scent," he remarked.
"Y-you really do?"
"Yeah, but I'm not involved with any witch cults, and I don't even know who they are," he replied, scratching his head.
"Yeah, he's being honest. In my opinion, he's not a witch cultist; I haven't sensed any malice or bad intentions from him so far," Puck commented.
"Ram." Subaru turned to the blue maid's twin sister, his voice firm.
"Were you aware of what your sister was doing? It's hard to believe you didn't notice anything unusual about her," he questioned.
"And what are you doing here, anyway? Shouldn't you be at the mansion keeping watch? Unless you know something we don't."
Ram, the proud maid, could only lower her gaze in shame under Subaru's intense scrutiny.
She was aware of her sister's resentment towards Subaru; she had advised her to calm down and smooth things over, yet she remained silent about the reasons behind that hatred.
Perhaps she should have pressed her sister harder until she confessed; maybe then none of this would have occurred.
'Rem, you foolish sister… At least no one was harmed due to your negligence. And… maybe I have been negligent as well.'
Subaru let out a tired sigh, dragging his hand down his face. "Ram, we'll discuss this later once we're finished, alright?"
He turned to the Half-Elf, "Emilia, Puck, I have already found the children; let's hurry before it gets dark, okay?"
Puck glanced at Subaru and Emilia, concerned for his daughter's safety, but seeing her determined expression, he knew she wouldn't back down.
"Alright, let's make it quick then; I can't stay away for long."
With that, Subaru and Emilia went into the forest.
It didn't take long; Subaru had memorized the path, and they soon arrived at the hill where the six children lay sprawled on the ground, their faces sweaty and contorted in pain.
Subaru rushed over to the girl with orange hair and a red ribbon, whose name was Petra. He knelt beside her and placed his hand over her heart, feeling its slow rhythm.
'She's alive, thank god,' he breathed out, relief washing over him.
"They're weak," Puck remarked as Emilia checked on a child nearby. "The curse is slowly draining their strength," he added.
Subaru's gaze shifted to the girl, noticing the black fog creeping toward her gate, now halfway there.
"Puck, I need you to remove the curse from them. I'll use the minor spirits to help heal them and ease their pain," Emilia instructed, as a cluster of small blue orbs surrounded her, beginning to mend the children's wounds.
Subaru observed how small and dim their Od was and how little mana they possessed, seeing that they were drawing from the ambient mana to aid in their healing.
He wished he could take a moment to see how the healing process worked, but his focus was on the little girl in his arms.
"Petra, are you okay?" He gently nudged her, and she slowly opened her eyes.
"M...ister...?" she whispered weakly, clearly drained.
"It's me, Subaru. Don't worry; everything will be alright. We're here to help you."
"M...ister, M...eil...i. Sh...she's in the... for...est," she managed to say, causing Subaru to frown.
'Wow… What a selfless girl, worried about someone else even when she's so close to dying. If only she knew Meili was the one behind this,' he smiled at the display.
He sighed, feeling exhausted. It hadn't even been a full week, and he had already faced two life-and-death situations. Couldn't he catch a break?
'Looks like trouble just follows me wherever I go,' he chuckled dryly to himself.
"I'm finished; I've done all I can for them. They'll need to heal on their own now. What about you, Puck?" Emilia asked, turning to the spirit.
"Same here, Lia. This is the last one," he replied, as black fog emerged from the arm of a body, which had a bite mark.
"Alright, they should be okay now. Let's head back, Subaru… Subaru?" She paused, noticing the white-haired man standing still, scanning their surroundings.
"Wow, I have to say, that was the smart move on your part, Meili." He chuckled softly to himself.
"What are you talking about?"
"Emilia, take a look around. We're surrounded by Mabeasts." His words instantly caught her attention, and she turned to him, shock and surprise evident on her face.
Just before the tree line, she spotted the shadows of the Mabeasts—ten, maybe even a hundred—red eyes glaring menacingly at her.
"Well, this could be a problem," Puck remarked as he noticed the Mabeasts encircling them.
"We need to get out of here, Lia. I don't have enough mana to take them all on; I can only manage a few spells." He explained.
"What! No way! What about the children?! We can't just leave them behind, Puck!" She exclaimed, outrage flashing across her face, surprising the spirit.
"Emilia's right; we're not leaving without them." He said, gently placing Petra on the ground. The six children were huddled together tightly.
"Hey Puck, can you create an ice dome around the kids? I'll handle the Mabeasts." He declared, earning a worried glance from Emilia and a curious look from Puck.
"Subaru…" she trailed off, she knew about his victory over the Bowel Hunter, but how could he face all those Mabeasts?
"Just trust me, Emilia. I know what I'm doing," he winked at her, though she didn't see it.
The Mabeasts, tired of lurking, suddenly charged from their hiding spots, howling and growling, their sharp teeth ready to tear flesh from bone.
"Puck, now! Emilia, stay close!" He shouted as Puck conjured a magical dome around the children, and Subaru grabbed Emilia, pulling her to his side, making her yelp in surprise.
"S-Subaru! What are you—" her words faltered as he removed his glasses, revealing his striking blue eyes to them.
He extended his free hand, channeling his cursed energy to its peak and unleashed it, forming a radiant blue sphere in his palm.
"Cursed Technique Lapse: Blue!" he launched the sphere towards the mabeast, which acted like a gravitational force, drawing in everything around it—grass, plants, dirt—nothing was spared.
The mabeasts were no exception, as they found themselves being pulled into the sphere, their cries echoing as they were crushed in the orb of destruction.
He spun his hand, maneuvering the sphere around him, absorbing any mabeast caught in its path of devastation.
He circled it around them twice before lifting it high into the sky, causing the remaining mabeasts to be drawn upward into the sphere. "Maximum Output!" the sphere's force strengthened, its size and gravitational force increased, drawing all the mabeasts in, rustling Emilia and Subaru clothes, yet they stood firm. The children were protected by the dome of ice while puck stayed near Emilia.
He clenched his fist, and the sphere imploded, shrinking until it vanished completely. The aftermath left a clear trail of destruction that spread across the clearing, sparing only their position.
"Well that was fun, can't believe she thought some puppies would do something against me," he said with a smug smirk, turning to the astonished half-elf.
"Emilia, are you okay?" he inquired, but she didn't answer, her attention captured by something else.
In all the time she had known him, she had never seen his eyes, and she had often wondered what they looked like. Now, she was finally getting her answer.
She was captivated by them; they were the most stunning orbs of softly glowing blue she had ever encountered, clearer and more beautiful than a pristine sky. The scary shape of his eyes seemed to only highlight their beauty With the gentle rays of the sun illuminating his face, he appeared almost ethereal, allowing her to take in every detail of his features.
She was suddenly pulled back to reality, becoming aware of how near they were, his hand resting on her back and drawing her closer. She didn't quite grasp what was happening or why, but a warm sensation enveloped her, and her face and ears burned brighter than an appa.
"I-I'm fine!" she stammered quickly.
Puck simply shook his head with a tired expression, feeling that challenging times were on the horizon for him.
---------------------------------
Groggily, the blue-haired maid of the Roswaal estate awoke with a painful headache, the light feeling a bit too bright for her. Once her mind cleared, she took a moment to assess her surroundings.
She found herself in a bed, still dressed in her maid outfit. Why was she wearing that while sleeping? It would surely get wrinkled.
'What was Rem doing before she fell asleep?' she thought.
Gradually, memories began to surface. She recalled preparing dinner with that cultist, and how they had gone into the village to gather supplies for the kitchen. She grew more suspicious when he had slipped away, only to return claiming the children were in danger because of him. She remembered fighting him and feeling a surge of anger.
But why was she in her room now?
As she turned to the side, she spotted him sitting in a chair, staring at her with a smile and waving.
"Yo."
"You!" This sight sent her into a frenzy; she lunged at him, ready to tear him apart for his crimes.
However, she was stopped by two pairs of hands—her sister Ram and the half-elf Emilia. Since when were they here?
"Let me go! That filthy witch cultist is the one who—"
"REM! Stop this at once!" Ram's voice rang out, causing Rem to freeze. Her sister had never raised her voice at her before.
"Rem, please, you need to understand. Whatever you think about Barasu is wrong; he is not a witch cultist or a murderer," Ram explained.
"But Nee-sama, he—"
"He saved the children, Rem. All of them, and he fought off a horde of Mabeasts. If it weren't for him, the children would have been killed," she said firmly.
'He did? …No! Don't fall for it, Rem! It's all a trick! He's the one who caused all this!'
"Nee-sama! That vile man is the one responsible! He slipped away from me to break the barrier, led the children into the forest, and then claimed that the Mabeasts broke in to hurt you!" she exclaimed, her eyes filled with fury.
Subaru sighed at the unfolding scene and glanced at Emilia. She nodded and directed her gaze toward Rem.
"Rem, Subaru did no such thing. We had Puck confirm the validity of his words before he slept, and he told the truth; he was not involved with the barrier or the children getting hurt. It was all the work of Meili, an assassin who can control the Mabeasts," Emilia clarified.
"Sadly, that brat managed to slip away from us, and we couldn't find her." He said.
He regretted not visiting the forest sooner; if he had mapped out the terrain, knowing every route there was, the conditions for his teleportation would've been met. But with the children and the grateful villagers surrounding them, it was too late to act.
"B-but you knew where the children were! There's no way you could have known unless you were involved!" She was grasping at straws now, struggling to accept that she had nearly harmed an innocent man.
Subaru let out a weary sigh. "Well, it had to come out eventually."
He removed his glasses, revealing his striking azure blue eyes to the maids, who were taken aback. They hadn't expected him to have such captivating eyes, especially Ram.
Emilia felt her face flush slightly as she caught sight of them again.
"My eyes are special. They give me perception on a magnitude that is greater than anyone else. I can even see the unseen," he explained.
"I can see the mana in the air, people's gates, their Od, and even their divine protections. I can see it all. It sounds unbelievable, I know, but it's the truth. I didn't mention it before because I doubted you would believe me."
Rem stared at him, wanting to dismiss his claims as mere lies, but when she looked into his eyes, she realized he was speaking the truth.
Ram and Emilia exchanged shocked glances. The existence of such an ability was mind-boggling. They had never encountered anything like it before.
A wave of guilt washed over Rem. Had she been too quick to judge, almost killing him? But what about the witch's scent? Surely, he must have some connection to the cult if he possessed such powers, right?
"Ram told me everything about your past." She recoiled at the revelation.
"You lost everything—your home, your people, and your sister lost something dear to an oni. Your whole life turned upside down. You were filled with anger and sought revenge for what they did to you, right?" he asked, and she nodded faintly.
"I can understand your anger to some extent; I've lost people who meant a lot to me as well." His expression turned somber and nostalgic. "When I was twelve, my parents were murdered."
"Subaru..." Emilia looked at him with sympathy. She had no idea he had lost family members; he had never mentioned it to her. Perhaps that was why it was so painful for him. She couldn't imagine what she would do if Puck were to die.
Similarly, Ram gazed at that trash can of a man with compassion, fully aware of the deep pain that comes with losing a family member. Her only family was her sister, and the thought of losing her was unbearable.
She felt thankful that Barasu hadn't harmed her in any way.
Rem stared at him in shock, her eyes wide.
"I won't go into details, but they were killed because of me—because I was special, a threat. I have had a bounty on my head since I was born. I had to learn to defend myself when I was younger, and I did. When they couldn't get to me, they targeted my parents instead." His tone was tinged with sadness.
"I tracked them down with the rest of my family and got my revenge. But do you know what I gained from it?" He paused. "Nothing. It changed nothing."
"I thought avenging them would ease the anger inside me, but it didn't. All it left was a void in my heart. My parents are gone, their killers are gone—so what now? What should I do? What could I have done to stop it? I spiraled downward until my grandpa helped me find my way back. Do you know what he told me?"
"...What did he say?" Rem whispered softly.
"To move on. To leave the past and focus on the future. To let go of any bitterness and anger, and to learn to live in a way that would make them proud."
His grandpa was the only one who offered him support; the rest of the family only got involved to restore their tarnished honor. That was why he put up with him and didn't cast him aside like the others.
His grandpa was an asshole, but he was bearable.
"And that brings me to you. You're still angry at the witch cult, and that's completely understandable. I would feel the same way in your position, but you shouldn't allow that anger to dictate your actions. I might carry the scent of a witch, but I'm not part of their group. Rem, you need to learn to move on and not let this define who you are. You are so much more than that."
"Because of this anger inside of you, you attacked an innocent man with the intent to kill, without any reason. If I had been weaker, you would have taken my life in cold blood, just like they did to your village. In this situation, you're no better than the cult—not in scale, but in your methods; both of you engage in senseless violence."
Rem flinched at his words, unable to muster a response because he was right. Could she truly claim to be better if she killed without justification? Even if she had her doubts, she should have sought advice and evidence. She could have consulted the great spirits; especially Puck, who would freeze everything if anyone dared to touch a follicle of hair from her, so why would he allow a witch cultist near her unless he wasn't?
"Can… Can Rem really do that? Can she truly atone for her sins? Because of her, her sister lost her horn, and because of her, she has to endure great suffering. I-I'm just a replacement; everything I do is for my sister. I'm not a person, not at all," she said, tears brimming in her eyes.
Subaru chuckled softly, "Her horn? Who told you she cares about it?" he replied.
Rem's eyes widened in shock. Her sister not caring about what made her an oni? That's impossible–
"Rem, you're an idiot," Her gaze shifted to him, and she noticed tears streaming down her cheeks.
Subaru stood up from his chair, stretching a bit. "I think I'll let you two sort this out," he said. "Emilia, let's head out."
The half-elf sitting beside Rem finally got up to join Subaru.
"Rem," he said, pausing at the door. "I forgive you for what happened, so don't feel bad about it, okay?" He added with a warm smile.
Rem stared at him in shock… But then a smile broke through, relief washing over her. Looking at his cheerful face and sincere eyes, she now knew deep down that Subaru was never part of the witch cult and never would be.
"And please, keep my eyes a secret. I'm just an average guy, alright?" he said before walking out with Emilia.
At that moment, Rem realized her heart had been captured by this honest, goofy, and devilishly charming man.