"Remind Betty why she agreed to this again, I suppose?"
"Why are you asking me? Shouldn't Puck be the one here instead?"
It was a bright yet cloudy day, with the sun hanging in the sky and a gentle, soothing breeze rustling the leaves and roses around the manor.
In front of the grand mansion stood the charmingly devilish Natsuki Subaur and the pouting librarian of the forbidden library, Beatrice.
"Betty does so much for her bubby, in fact. He better reward me with some head scratches, I suppose," she sighed, clearly annoyed for some reason.
"…So, why are you here?" he finally asked the Great Spirit.
"Bubby is busy with something important. He asked Betty to help with the butler's magical lessons, I suppose."
"Oh, so you're my sensei now? Does that mean you finally love me enough to witness my magical brilliance and—" The fierce glare she shot him silenced him immediately.
The usually proud Great Spirit seemed more irritable around him than usual, but it wasn't entirely his fault… Kinda.
He had come by today, as he always did, to check in on her since she spent her days in the library looking lonely. Knowing the pain of loneliness himself, he made it a point to brighten her day with a quick visit.
Naturally, the proud Great Spirit was always miffed by how easily he bypassed her door-crossing spell; it was as if he had a talent for finding his way to her.
Today was no different—he stopped by, said his greetings, teased her with his antics, which she met with her usual irritation, and then he left.
Just like every other day.
Except today, he dropped a bananan at her doorstep as he exited.
So is it really fair to blame him for tripping over it when she should have seen it on the floor?
Not in his opinion.
Bubby mentioned the progress you've been making, and it seems your gate has developed a bit more, right? she inquired.
"Yes, my reserves have increased slightly, and I can now safely expel more mana," he replied.
It had been about a week and a half since the Wolgram invasion of Arlam village, and things had settled down quite nicely for him.
The villagers were incredibly grateful for their assistance, and Emilia received heartfelt apologies from the residents—Subaru proudly announced that she had cured the children's curse, much to her embarrassment—and they were now welcoming her with open arms.
The twin maids were more friendly towards him than before—especially Rem, though Ram was still the same as ever. Rem, in particular, had changed the most.
Gone were the suspicious glares and barely concealed hostility; now, her eyes lit up whenever she saw him, and she greeted him with bright smiles and kindness, even calling him "Rem's Hero."
Ram had eased up on the insults a bit, which didn't bother him anyway, and she was more open to their playful banter than she had been previously. She also lightened his chores, contributing a little more to the household, though it wasn't a lot.
Roswaal was… Strange. He had been in rough shape when they met, explaining that he had encountered trouble and had to use a significant amount of mana, which was confirmed when he scanned him with his Six Eyes.
This caused some concern among the inhabitants, especially Ram, who asked if there was anything she could do to help him, which he reassured her was unnecessary. Subaru couldn't help but wonder if there was something more between them than just the typical maid/master dynamic.
Roswaal also looked at Subaru oddly, and he could have sworn he detected a hint of fear in his gaze.
Before long, everything returned to a new normal, with him fulfilling his duties, spending time with Emilia when she was available, and attending magical lessons with Puck, which involved practicing Shamak and improving his control over his gate.
His reserves were now the size of a gallon jug of water, and his gate was the size of the cap of said jug.
It seems you're not as lost as you thought. Betty will take a look at your gate, I believe. She stepped closer, gently placing a hand on his head while he knelt on the ground.
"Meow Meow Meow Meow…"
"This again?" He replied blankly. Puck had done the same thing before, claiming it was a "magical sound that comes with checking one's gate." Subaru shot him a skeptical glance.
He hadn't even done it the first time. Puck was just full of bullshit, and they both knew it.
"All done. For two weeks, Betty would loathsomely admit that your development and control over your gate is quite impressive, in fact. If not Betty would have thought you'd have already done some serious damage to it, I suppose." she remarked.
'Yeah, I would have,' he thought, considering that without his Six Eyes and experience with cursed energy, he probably wouldn't have made it this far.
"Now, I want you to cast a Shamak. Betty wants to see your progress firsthand," she instructed.
"Alright then, Shamak!" he exclaimed, and a fog-like black smoke erupted from him, enveloping both him and Beatrice.
Subaru felt the mana surge from the now-open gate; it was smoother than before, yet still quick and wild. He forced the gate to close to stop the release.
Beatrice dispelled the spell effortlessly, her attention now fully on Subaru and, more specifically, his gate.
"Betty understands it now," she began. "You have great control over your gate, but your innate mana is quite unruly."
"Innate mana?" he inquired.
"The mana within your gate. You lose control of it the moment your gate opens; it just rushes out. It's wasteful, in fact. You expend more mana than necessary to cast a simple spell, I suppose." she explained.
"The more mana you invest in a spell, the stronger it becomes. However, the same results can be achieved through excellent flow control and a solid understanding of the spell, I suppose." she added.
Subaru pondered this, realizing that his inability to control the mana like he could with cursed energy was likely the root of his issue.
"I see… So what should I do then?" he asked
"Betty will teach you how to control your innate mana, I suppose. Just cast the spell, and Betty will demonstrate how to manage its flow," she finished.
Subaru felt a familiar tingling sensation at his gate, reminiscent of the time Puck assisted him in casting his first spell.
'Well, Here goes nothing, Shamak!'
The gate opened, but with Beatrice's help, the mana flowed more slowly and evenly, becoming less chaotic and more organized. The usual strain on his gate was significantly reduced.
The spell was cast, enveloping them both in darkness before Beatrice dispelled it herself.
"I think I understand now," he said. The tug he felt when using magic was simply the innate mana within him. Whenever he casts a spell and the gate opens, he loses control of the innate mana, causing it to rush out uncontrollably, leaving only the gate he could manage.
Now, however, he saw that the amount of mana he released was much less, yet it still produced a similar effect. It seemed that controlling mana and understanding a spell greatly enhanced its effectiveness.
"So you get it? Great. I want you to keep practicing until you control it; that's your lesson for today, I suppose." With that, Beatrice departed, leaving Subaru standing there by himself.
'Hmm, that doesn't sound too hard, I should get the hang of it soon," he thought.'
He would then cast shamak three times, exhausting half of his reserves but he managed to control the flow somewhat, he then head back to finish his work for the day.
What he would find strange was the unusual amount of red mana in the air, but he would shrug it off and slept afterwards
---------------------------------
The sun filtered through the curtains, brightening the room as stray beams of light danced across his head, slipping beneath his sunglasses.
With a groggy stretch and a yawn, he rose, lifting his arms to welcome the start of a new day—just another ordinary day for an average guy like him.
"Good morning, Subaru-kun!" A cheerful voice rang out, filled with joy. It was none other than Rem, the head maid of the Mathers estate.
"Morning, Remmy," he replied automatically, his mind slowly registering that she was sitting on a chair right beside his bed.
"REM!" he shouted, "What the hell are you doing in my room?!"
"It's nearly time for Rem to start her work, so Rem was recharging by watching Subaru-kun sleep," she explained, an innocent smile on her face.
"What kind of energy is that?!"
"The kind that lifts my spirits, Subaru-kun!"
Subaru stared at Rem, rubbing his forehead in fatigue, too worn out to deal with Yandere-Rem
'Note to self: lock the door from now on,' he thought, but Unbeknownst to him, the reason Rem was here was because she had hoped to catch a glimpse of his beautiful eyes while he slept, but sadly, he was still wearing those sunglasses.
It was then that Subaru noticed something. "Is it just me, or is it chilly today?" he asked, sensing an unusual coolness in the air that hadn't been there the day before.
"Oh yes, it is! It's been like that since I woke up. You're quite observant, Subaru-kun!" she complimented.
"Anyone could figure that out," he replied dryly, hopping off the bed and heading to the closet for his work clothes.
He paused, glancing at the blue-haired oni-maid still in the room.
"Subaru-kun, Rem can—"
"Get out."
---------------------------------
"It's pretty quiet today, isn't it?" he remarked, peeling some potatoes while Rem washed the dishes.
"With this cold weather, everyone seems to be sleeping in, even my sister is taking a little nap. She was tired from working hard yesterday."
"Working hard, my ass," he muttered, rolling his eyes.
"By the way, how do you two handle the cold? I never see you in anything but your maid outfit," he inquired.
"Rem and her Nee-sama switch our maid outfits to match the seasons. we are used to minor colds like this, so we don't need to change," she explained.
"I see. But it's way past the start of our shift, and Ram is still napping because…?"
"Nee-sama struggles with the cold, so she's catching up on some sleep."
"You tell me she can handle the cold, and then this?" He stared at her blankly, and she shrugged sheepishly.
"Well, This isn't fair at all! She's sleeping in while we're working hard. I'm going to wake her up," he declared, taking off his apron and heading for the door.
"W-wait, Subaru-kun!" Rem called, making him stop.
"Nee-sama is really tired; we shouldn't wake her up or she might get angry," she warned.
Subaru paused, then turned to Rem with a serious expression.
"Rem, tell me honestly, do you love your sister?"
"Very much!"
"Do you care about her?"
"A lot!"
"Then we should wake her up. You and your sister are noble maids serving the esteemed court mage of the dragon kingdom of Luganica. What would people think if they saw her slacking off?" he asked.
Rem stared at him with wide eyes, realizing she hadn't thought this through. Her pride as an oni and her reputation would take a huge hit, along with her lord's.
"You're right! Leave it to Subaru-kun to think about nee-sama's well-being!" she thought, feeling increasingly grateful to him.
"That's why we need to wake her up, to ensure she works hard and protects her reputation," he said, and she nodded enthusiastically.
"You're right, Subaru-kun! Rem will make sure her nee-sama wakes up early and works really hard!"
"That's the spirit! Let's go!"
---------------------------------
'In hindsight, plotting Rem against Ram wasn't that great of an idea.'
Subaru was in the utility room, sweeping the floor with a brush, while a very annoyed and exhausted pink maid, Ram, was beside him.
She knelt down and ran her fingers over the floor, feeling the dust accumulate on her fingertips.
"This room is still dirty; do it again, Barasu," she instructed.
"Come on, Rammy, I was just worried about you. A proud oni like you shouldn't let her reputation suffer because of laziness," he replied, the sharpness in her glare making it clear she didn't buy his excuse.
Not that he truly meant it; he just enjoyed messing with her.
"Okay, I get it, you're a woman who needs her beauty sleep—" he stopped mid-sentence as he noticed a floorboard that was slightly raised.
"What's this?" he asked, kneeling down to investigate.
"Be careful, Barasu; there could be bugs in there. Wait until I leave the room and lock the door," she warned.
"Are you really going to keep holding a grudge?" he questioned, earning a dismissive "Hah" in response.
To put it into words, it would be for a very long time.
He cautiously pried up the floorboards, making sure not to damage anything, knowing he'd face a lifetime of scolding from a maid who was just waiting for him to slip up.
What he discovered was essentially a stash of alcohol, specifically wine.
"Wine?" he exclaimed, reaching for a bottle that was sealed and had a light layer of dust on it. He wasn't an expert, but it looked authentic to him.
"I heard Roswaal's grandmother was a heavy drinker; this must be her secret stash," she remarked.
"Roswaal's grandmother? Oh right, you did mention her…" he trailed off, his thoughts drifting to Roswaal's unnatural Od. They were essentially a person's soul, and his felt off, as if it didn't belong to him.
'Did his grandmother transfer her soul to him? Is the Roswaal we're talking to the same as his grandma?' The thought sent chills down his spine.
"Are you going to drink that? I didn't take you to be the alcoholic type, but you are hopeless, so it's a given,"
"I'm not an alcoholic! I just enjoy a drink now and then," he replied, still inspecting the bottle.
"Since it belonged to Roswaal's grandmother, it's technically his property. You shouldn't drink it," she warned him.
"Come on, do you have to act like I'm some depressed adult who can't get his shitty life together? I'm not going to drink it!" he exclaimed, feigning outrage.
The door creaked open, and the sound of silver bells drew their attention.
"There you are you two," Emilia said as she appeared in the doorway, dressed in a blue and white outfit with a blue miniskirt, white stockings, and black shoes.
"What are you both doing?" she asked, stepping closer.
"Baraus was just sharing his sad life story and all the struggles he's faced. I was advising him against turning to alcohol, even if he's a bit lost," Ram said, shamelessly lying to Emilia.
"Subaru…" she looked at him with concern in her eyes, much to his annoyance. "I know life has been tough for you since your parents died but I promise that Puck and I will help you get back on track!" she said with a reassuring smile.
"My life isn't hard! She's just lying to you!" he snapped.
"O-oh, I see…"
Subaru sighed, what did he expect? Ram would be a nuisance for a while.
"Anyway, Emilia, do you enjoy drinking?" he asked the half-elf.
"Ah, no, I've never had alcohol before," she replied, shaking her head.
"You haven't? Oh, that's too bad; you're missing out on a lot," he said.
"Trying to turn Emilia-sama into an alcoholic? What a disgusting and shameful man you are," Ram remarked in her usual tone.
"I'm not! Jeez, Rammy, You were going to have to wake up eventually, even if it's cold today, you know?" he retorted.
"Hmph."
"Speaking of cold weather…" he said, glancing at Emilia. "Aren't you cold in those clothes? They don't seem very warm…"
Emilia's expression shifted to one of panic. "Cold? What cold? Honestly, don't you think it's super hot today?" She exclaimed, fanning herself with her hand.
"It's reeeeeally hot today; I'm sweating a lot here!"
"…Right."
"Anyways. I'd love to talk more, but I've got things to take care of. see you later, Subaru!" She ran away as if she were on fire.
"Wow," he remarked once she was out of earshot. "Emilia is definitely the worst liar I've ever encountered; it's kind of cute," he added.
Ram shot him a scathing look. "Tch, pervert."
"I'm not!"
---------------------------------
The day continued on as usual, with him, Ram, and Rem tidying up the mansion. Later, he bumped into Beatrice and greeted her, but she promptly shooed him away.
Eventually, the day turned into night and Subaru settled into bed, ready to call it a night.
'It's getting colder than it was in the morning,' he thought, noticing that the amount of red mana had risen since the day began, making the atmosphere cooler.
'I haven't seen Emilia or Puck, so I'm betting they're behind this,' he concluded simply.
They were the only ones with fire attributes, and Roswaal wasn't emitting any fire mana, so it had to be them.
"Well, whatever. I'll just try to sleep it off; hopefully, it'll be sorted out by tomorrow."
Just to be safe, he activated his infinity, which should help filter out the cold and keep him comfortable, and reinforced himself with cursed energy as insurance.
Then, he drifted off to sleep.