Shouting defiance at the rising sun, the second first day at the
All he had to do was watch the sun rise and set five times.
Of course, the plan for those five days was to follow the previous loop's sequence of events as closely as possible.
In accordance with his resolve in the garden, Subaru intended to fulfill his promise from before the loop with
And, as is the convention with loop stories, there was one conclusion that had been fairly well established: That being, "If you walk the same path, the story will converge on the same place."
Since he was following the same current as last time, it only made sense. The feelings and actions of the people involved would overlap, and the results would head toward the same ending.
What mattered to Subaru was changing that ending alone to a future more to his liking—and recovering every memory that should arise along the way.
In other words, the supreme objective was to use the loop to cherry-pick the best outcomes.
Leveraging quick saves and loads to steer the conclusion toward a more favorable outcome.
It was a noble yet somewhat twisted scheme of Subaru's, but— "—I don't know why, but something's gone wrong."
From the very first day, his predictions were already far off the mark, and Subaru sank into the bath, sputtering bubbles as he murmured listlessly.
* * * * * * * * * * Floating in the steaming bathhouse in a spread-eagle position, Subaru reflected on the first day.
The morning of his resolve—and the spectacular failure that followed.
From right after his morning routine with Emilia, Subaru had quietly resolved to follow the same sequence as last time.
Honestly, he doubted he had managed to replicate even the spoken parts in fine detail, but the broad strokes of the story should have followed the same course.
Whether he'd managed natural reactions in between was debatable, but he wanted to give himself a pat on the back for a job well done. He felt like stamping it with an "Excellent Work!" seal.
"If I graded this, it'd be depressing, so I'll pass on that."
Setting aside his own harsh self-assessment, things had proceeded more or less within Subaru's control.
The conversation naturally shifted to the topic of Subaru's "reward," and just like last time, his status changed from "otherworld shut-in" to "perverted noble's servant-in-training"—a full class change.
After that,
"For some reason, it's completely different from last time! What about all the study I did beforehand? It's like the homework they give you in correspondence school—it's the exact same problem!"
Subaru stuck his head out of the bath, resting his chin on the edge as he grumbled.
As the warmth seeped into his entire body, the aches in his joints grew more noticeable as his memories came flooding back.
What crushed Subaru's spirits—despite his plan to follow the previous loop's flow and ride the momentum—was the content of the work Ram assigned him.
Kitchen duties, simple room cleaning, laundry and tidying—the same tasks as last time, but— "The difficulty level went up considerably, or rather..."
In pure terms, both the quantity and quality of the tasks he was entrusted with had increased. Or, to put it bluntly, the workload dumped on him had grown.
"I was already wiped out last time, and this time it was even harder... Damn, I thought it'd be at least a little easier if the content was the same."
His grumbling over the unexpected harshness notwithstanding, Subaru privately assessed that the current situation was not good at all.
This was the result of his effort to replicate the previous loop. If things had changed this much on the first day, there was no way he could align with the later days.
He wanted to tell himself not to worry about small differences, but the terrifying possibility was that those small differences would snowball into major problems.
"Especially since, this time, I don't even know the reason I was sent back..."
He had gone to sleep normally and woken up having returned—this time's pattern was like that.
Unlike last time's clear-cut death and return, the method for dealing with this unknown-timing Return by Death was exhausting just to think about.
"If things are this different, maybe my memories aren't reliable anymore...?"
The weak words slipped out before he could stop them. To pull himself together, he submerged his body into the water.
He recalled that first day in the
In the details, Subaru had taken different paths each time, but the major events that occurred were common across every loop.
As long as he didn't miss the big events, he wouldn't know yet. The only event in these days that had left an impression on Subaru, aside from the first day, was his promise with Emilia.
If he could reach that point, the situation should fall back into the same current as last time. All he needed to do then was find what had stalled that momentum.
His thoughts, scattered across the busy labor, came together in the bathhouse where he could finally be alone, and Subaru settled on a firm course of action.
He noticed himself relaxing in the warm water, surfaced for air, and after breaking through the surface and drawing in a deep breath of cool air— "—Hey there, mind if I join you?"
A fully naked noble stood before him, hand on hip, and Subaru regretted breathing.
The cool breeze blew in from his direction, passing between his legs to reach Subaru. Naturally, being in the bathhouse, the tall man was completely naked. Whether out of noble refinement or the simple readiness of a bather, there was not the slightest attempt to conceal his holy sword.
A naked man stood close enough to reach out to, looking down at Subaru alongside his holy sword swaying in the breeze. The sensation of being stared down by the thing between his legs was deeply humiliating— "This is a private bath. I'll have to decline."
"It's my mansion's facilities—they're my property, you know? I'll do as I please."
"Then why ask? Just come in already."
"Oh my, how harsh. And you don't understand. True, this bathhouse is indeed my property, but..."
Roswaal knelt on one knee, leaning close to Subaru, who looked up at him with a wet, reproachful gaze from the water. Then, with his outstretched hand, he gently pinched the chin of the unresisting Subaru— "Wouldn't you, in your position as a servant, also count as my property?"
*CHOMP* "No hesitation at all!"
Subaru bit down hard—genuinely hard—on the unpleasant fingers pinching his chin, eliciting a scream before he backstroked away to put distance between himself and Roswaal.
The bath was nearly half the size of a 25-meter swimming pool. The pointlessly enormous space was a display of noble extravagance with no taste whatsoever, but it was the kind of place where relaxing alone made you feel an unwarranted sense of dominion.
Naturally, bath time after work had been one of Subaru's pleasures throughout the last loop.
"Yet another development that's not according to plan..."
Murmuring, he did a backward somersault in the bath, letting his back float on the surface and curling his body into a small ball underwater—pulling off the legendary technique known as "Warm Water Coconut."
Feigning being an inanimate object, he let the waves carry him as he stared into the water and thought.
In the previous four-day loop, there had never been a single occasion where he shared a bath with Roswaal.
Before that, in the last loop, Roswaal had been incredibly busy, to the point where they rarely crossed paths even when he was at the mansion.
Ram and
The rhythm of soaking in the bath to relieve fatigue hadn't changed, so it was Roswaal who had changed.
"...Well, is it interesting?"
"I'm doing an impression of 'Mr. Coconut'—the tropical fruit that moonlights as a weapon, a.k.a. the murderous beachside Drift off the stem. Despite its pastoral appearance, it'll slide straight down from above an unsuspecting tourist's head, aiming right for the brain stem."
"You really do have a silver tongue... Oh, pardon me, I'll settle in next to you."
Placing himself beside the floating Subaru, Roswaal sank into the bath and let out a long, satisfied sigh. The pleasure of a warm soak transcends borders—it's the fruit of wordless communication.
Subaru instinctively distanced himself slightly from the bony frame that had nestled up beside him, then stretched out as if letting down his guard— "By the way, Roswaal. This is a pretty late bath for you, isn't it?"
"I had quite a bit of work piled up. Before I knew it, it was this late. Though I must say, I'm glad to have this time to talk with you. How was the first day?"
"It was a productive day. Want to hear a detailed account of the muscular soreness in every part of my body? I can talk about it all night long while sobbing."
"It's a charming proposal, but my pillow for tonight is already spoken for. Perhaps another time."
Hearing that dropped so casually, Subaru could only grit his teeth and mutter "Damn it." The nature of the relationship between this noble in front of him and the twin maids had gone past suspicious and into outright certainty, even for Subaru.
Though Subaru proclaimed himself devoted to Emilia and, in fact, paid no attention to other women, he didn't have the twisted sensibility to enjoy some "Oh ho, this gives me a weirdly satisfying feeling of being cucked!" from watching two beautiful young girls belong to someone else.
At the same time, he couldn't very well offer the mature opinion of "You two better treat those girls right!"—all he could manage was petty jealousy.
"Oh right, how are Ram and Rem doing? They've been working at this mansion a long time, so they should know how to handle a junior, right?"
Whether Roswaal knew of Subaru's inner thoughts or not, he brought up the very names Subaru had been thinking of.
Feeling vaguely led along, Subaru nonetheless nodded "Yeah" in response— "I'm on so-so terms with Rem-rin, but Ram-chi and I get along great. If anything, isn't Ram-chi a little too familiar? Not just because of the senpai-kouhai dynamic—it's been that way since I arrived as a guest. That girl hasn't changed at all."
"What she lacks, Rem makes up for. They're sisters, after all—they have to support each other. In that sense, those two are doing quite well."
"From what I hear, Rem-rin handles all the supplementary work, and Ram-chi is just a downgraded version of her little sister."
The clear verdict on their household skill rankings, delivered by both sisters without hesitation. The older sister who was one step behind the younger in every single skill. On the surface, it seemed like a setup for crippling inferiority complex— "But when I asked, she immediately shot back, 'I'm the older sister, so Ram is the superior one.' That thick skin really got me."
"When it comes to having thick skin, you're no slouch yourself, I'd say... But I see. So that was her answer. Well, well..."
Roswaal shook his head with a wistful look, glancing at Subaru sideways. Peered at by those emotionless odd eyes, Subaru felt a faint urge to squirm, as if his innermost thoughts were being laid bare. And then— "Going right in for the kill with no hesitation at all—now that's what I like to see."
"I'm being praised when there's nothing praiseworthy—what a mystery! I'm the type to take everything at face value, so be careful when you're being sarcastic, yeah? There's this kid at school who'd actually go home the moment a teacher yelled 'Get out of here right now!'—that's me, the real deal."
A man who only succeeds in making the atmosphere terrible before leaving—'
Roswaal chuckled softly at Subaru's words, mouthing "school" to himself while closing one eye— "I'm not being sarcastic in the slightest. I genuinely think it's a good thing. Those two have a tendency to become too self-contained. A little disruption from an outsider can go a long way in changing things."
"Is that so?"
"It certainly is."
They both sank to their necks in the bath, facing each other, their bodies going pleasantly limp in the warmth as they exchanged idle amazement.
Then, as if struck by sudden inspiration, Subaru raised his eyebrows.
"Oh, Ros-chi! I've got a question—can you give me an answer?"
"I'm not used to the nickname, but I appreciate it. So, a question? Well, as long as it's within the scope of my vast and deep knowledge, I'll give it careful thought."
"You call yourself knowledgeable and still phrase it that roundabout? ...That aside, what principle does this bath actually work on?"
Subaru knocked on the bottom of the tub, voicing a question he'd been wondering about for a long time.
The tub they were soaking in was made of stone. It was polished smooth to the touch, despite its rough appearance. The bath was located in a corner of the mansion's basement and was co-ed.
However, the water was changed for each bather, so there was no point in drinking the water after Emilia had been in it.
"W-Well, I didn't actually drink it or anything. I noticed before I took a sip."
"Your sense of adventure never ceases to amaze me. Then again, you're young so... but would I have even had that thought when I was young?"
Roswaal's eyes drifted into the distance, lost in thought about the past. After a moment of deliberation, he returned to the present— "In any case, the answer is simple. Beneath the bottom of the tub, fire magic ore has been laid out. When bath time comes, it draws on the mana to heat the water. The same phenomenon should be used in the kitchen as well?"
"Yeah, water heaters work on the same principle. There's no gas stove or IH range here, so I always wondered how they managed it."
While Ram and Rem deftly handled those things, Subaru had been relegated to peeling vegetables in the background. Still, until he understood the true nature of the phenomenon described as "drawing on the mana," he figured he wouldn't be much help with either the bath or the cooking.
"Hey, so about mana and all that—unless you're a mage, you can't do anything with it?"
"Not at all. Every living being possesses a Gate. Plants and animals are no exception. Otherwise, a civilization built on magic ore wouldn't have developed this far."
At the appearance of yet another unfamiliar word, Subaru wordlessly expressed his non-comprehension. Roswaal laughed at this sulking-child-like attitude— "Between how you deal with Spirits and the whole breakfast incident this morning, you're remarkably lacking in common sense. Ram was complaining about it too, you know?"
"Wait, what? Seriously? Behind my back? That's super underhanded—no thanks!"
"She was complaining just as much as she was covering for you, which is unusual—"
"Oh, she was covering for me too? Senpai, I'm sorry!"
The dere-dere development, just as the Emilia intelligence from the previous world had indicated. But Subaru had a strange concern—from the first day, wasn't she being just a little too easy?
For starters, Roswaal wasn't even a target for him to pursue.
As Subaru yelled, Roswaal let out a "Hmm" while stroking his chin. Then he held up one finger with a sly grin— "Very well. Let me give you a little lecture here. Shall I educate you, my somewhat ignorant friend, on what it means to be a mage?"
"Now hold on, that's something I can't let slide. Do you know who I'm talking about? The guy who lived next door to Kawasaki—the one who was constantly praised with a parade of four-character idioms: 'Unmatched in a fight—such is his way of life, his knowledge and beauty truly unmatched!'"
"Who's Kawasaki?"
"My senior, four years above me. He just got left at the altar by his bride with pre-wedding cold feet and is apparently devastated. Poor guy."
Roswaal clearly couldn't follow the content, but could tell it was nothing worthwhile. He casually ignored Kawasaki and continued the lecture— "Right then. Let's start from the basics. Subaru-kun, you do know what a 'Gate' is, don't you?"
"Well, you're asking me like it's something I should obviously know, but from the perspective of someone who doesn't know, I'm kind of like 'huh?'"
"Your tone of voice just dropped significantly. And you don't know about Gates either... to put it mildly, that's, like, really?"
Seeking confirmation that his usage was correct, Roswaal received a thumbs-up in return and they high-fived.
Both pointing at each other and going "Yeah!" before continuing.
"So, so, what the heck is a Gate? When you have one, what happens? Does it give you everything and make you—"wait, I'm getting fired up!"
"In simple terms, a Gate is a door that allows mana to flow in and out of your body. Through the Gate, you take in mana; through the Gate, you release mana. Whether you're using it or storing it, it's absolutely essential."
"Ohh, so it's like the faucet for your MP..."
Roswaal's concise explanation made it click.
The word "Gate," which he'd heard several times before, turned out to be roughly what he'd imagined. And that meant— "If everyone has a Gate, then I've got one too, right?"
"Well, I'd hope so—at least with the confidence of a human. You are human, aren't you?"
"I've never seen anyone more human than me! —Small, weak, just a regular person!"
"That's a pretty cool line for this setting."
At least, it wasn't a line suited for two naked men in a bathhouse.
But Subaru was too preoccupied with what might be the second most exciting piece of news since arriving in this world. His heart was bursting with excitement.
"Of course, meeting Emilia-tan is number one, but this is huge too! No way—I'm finally going to become the mage of my dreams... I thought that was still thirteen years away!"
"True, mastery takes time... but isn't thirteen years a bit much?"
"It's just a figure of speech. Besides, the mage I know gets his title automatically upgraded on his birthday. That title's pretty much in reach too!"
At the very least, before being summoned to another world, he'd have been almost certain to reach that title. But in this world, the girl he had his burning heart set on was waiting.
Now he could say it—yes, this was why Subaru had come to this world.
"Pop the question, she says yes, graduation—ending in sight!"
"I'm glad you're getting so excited over the talk of magic. Of course, having a Gate doesn't solve the problem of innate talent. Not that I mean to boast, but talent as exceptional as mine isn't something that just comes along."
*Ping!*—Subaru heard the sound of a flag being planted.
Roswaal spoke with supreme confidence. But he had no idea—the man floating naked in the bath before him was the "Otherworld Summoned" from another world.
Up to now, he'd had no combat ability, no knowledge, and his luck modifier was at zero or even slightly negative—but now a new hope had appeared.
Magic.
For some reason, Subaru clenched his fist with a sense of certainty.
Unable to contain his eagerness, he swam over to Roswaal— "Hey, hey, Ros-chi! Magic, magic, magic talk! The age of magic is here, it's a wave! We've gotta ride it—this big wave!"
"Oh? Well then, let's continue. Magic has four basic mana attributes, you know. Do you know what they are?"
"I don't!"
"Ahaha, meaningless, purposeless, and innocently ignorant—wonderful. It feels good, so I'll explain. Fire, water, wind, and earth—the four mana attributes. Got it?"
"Copy that! And please, do go on!"
Sober, yet drunk on atmosphere alone, the two of them buzzed with energy. At Subaru's urging, Roswaal nodded with a pleased "Mm-hmm"— "Fire mana governs thermal energy. Water mana governs life and healing. Wind mana relates to the external blessings on a living being's body. Earth mana relates to the internal blessings. Roughly, magic is divided into these four, and the average person might be fortunate to have an affinity for just one. As for me—I have an affinity for all four attributes."
"Wow, such a show-off! But since we need to move forward, I'll just compliment you on the surface! Amazing—hug and beyond! Keep going! How do you check which attribute you have?"
Slapping the water's surface excitedly, Subaru received a generous nod from Roswaal, who let out a sly "Hmm" and extended his palm.
"Well, for a mage of my caliber, a single touch is enough. Though in practice, you'd examine the Gate's structure."
"Seriously?! Seriously?! Whoa, this is it—my expectations are through the roof! Look at me, feel me, tell me. Tell who? Tell me!"
Forgetting they were both completely naked, Subaru swam close, waving his invisible tail at a speed that would leave afterimages. Roswaal regarded him with the expression of someone looking at an unruly dog, then pressed his palm against Subaru's forehead.
"All right, I'll just take a quick look. Oh, tell me if you feel itchy anywhere."
"My butt itches! But I'll scratch it myself! Save that effort for my research! Woah, my heart is literally trembling!"
For now, he wanted to forget every source of anxiety and let himself be swept away by the romance spreading before him.
There was expectation, there was a dream, and there was that feeling of certainty.
That magic would become his fangs as an otherworld summon.
The crooked grin at the corner of his lips, combined with his three-whites-of-the-eyes glare, gave off an oddly combative gleam. His eyes blazing with anticipation, Subaru simply waited for the diagnosis. And then— "—Alright, I've got it."
"Here it comes! What is it, what is it? It's gotta be fire, reflecting my passionate and burning nature, right? Or maybe it's water, since I'm actually the calmest and coolest guy around? Or wind, since my refreshing and breezy temperament is the true essence of the grasslands? No wait—maybe it's earth, since I've got that reliable big-brother gravitas?"
"Yeah... it's 'Yin.'"
"ALL REJECTED?!"
He couldn't believe his ears. He reacted as though he'd been given a terminal diagnosis. And then, Roswaal continued in a heavy tone— "Yup, it's completely, unmistakably Yin. Its connection with the other four attributes is very weak. On the other hand, it's quite rare—"
"Wait, what the heck is Yin?! Isn't the classification four attributes?! Category error!"
"I hadn't mentioned it, but besides the four attributes, there are also Yang and Yin attributes. Though, since practically no one has them, I'd omitted the explanation..."
He had drawn that extraordinarily slim probability.
Hearing this, the restless anxiety in Subaru's chest settled somewhat. Yes—an exceedingly rare attribute. Which meant— "So it's actually an insanely powerful attribute, right? Like it only shows up once every five thousand years? It lets you use magic that other types can't?"
"That's right. Yin attribute magic is famous for things like blocking someone's vision, cutting off sound, slowing movement—that sort of thing."
"A DEBUFF SPECIALIST?!"
He'd been hoping for some insanely powerful magic—like dragging enemies into a realm of darkness and tearing them apart, something of that caliber.
From Roswaal's hesitant manner as he listed disruption and debilitation effects one by one, it was clearly genuine. Subaru felt genuinely sorry for himself.
Summoned to another world without being granted cheat-level combat or intellect— "And my attribute is debuff-focused..."
"For what it's worth, based on what I can see, you have absolutely no talent for magic. If I'm a ten, you're about a four at best."
"Yet another fact I didn't want to hear! There are no gods or buddhas left in this world!"
Subaru slapped the water violently in despair. As he floated spread-eagle, pitying gazes watched him, but he was genuinely too dejected to respond.
Roswaal still tried to encourage him— "Now, now—the Yin attribute is surprisingly useful. It lets you shut off other people's eyes when you're doing things you don't want seen. It also keeps sound from leaking when you're doing things you don't want heard—"
"Got it—it's specialized for secret meetings and clandestine encounters. Now that's great—HAHAHA!"
Subaru sat up and slapped Roswaal's shoulder— "...Is that actually cool?"
"Cool or not, a girl who needs a secret meeting will be thrilled. It's all about how you use it. Either way, you can't use it yet."
"Yeah, true. Magic, huh... even finding out it's debuff-focused, it's still too good to throw away. Damn, what do I do..."
As Subaru racked his brain, Roswaal was nonchalant— "If you want to use it, just ask someone to teach you. Fortunately, we happen to have a Yin attribute specialist right here."
"Oh! That's it! At this point, the type of magic doesn't matter at all! As long as there's an excuse to be taught magic, whether I can actually use it doesn't matter! In other words!"
One hand to the sky, one hand to his hip, he burst from the water in a dramatic leap.
Water spraying everywhere, the naked man struck a pose under Roswaal's gaze— "Magic lessons with the girl of my dreams—hands-on, hip-on lessons. A pick-what-you-want after-school lesson! And then, hand in hand, we set a course for tomorrow, until one day—stork for two! YEAH!"
An improvised rap to set the course of action.
Once decided, act immediately. His original goal of replicating the previous loop had completely vanished from his head. But— "In case you're confused, the Yin attribute specialist isn't Emilia-sama."
"What! The hell! Are you holding a grudge against me or something?! Is messing with people's hearts really that fun?! YO!"
Still riding the momentum from before, Subaru pointed at him— "Then who is it?! You?! A court mage with affinity for ALL attributes?! I'm so disappointed!"
"
"That's even MORE disappointing!!"
*SPLASH!*—the biggest scream of the night erupted as water exploded everywhere.
* * * * * * * * * * "Ugh, damn it, I've got bath sickness. That Roswaal bastard—raise me up, knock me down, rinse and repeat. Buddha's palm, I swear."
Slipping his arms into the issued clothing, Subaru grumbled in the changing room.
After the disappointing talk in the bath, some time had passed—Subaru had left Roswaal in the bathhouse and come up first.
He'd never been the type to enjoy long baths. Lately he'd often stayed in too long, using the fatigue and thinking time as an excuse, but his natural style was quick in and quick out.
As a result, his head felt a bit heavy from the prolonged soak. Especially since he was still recovering from his injuries—not enough blood to go around.
There was a subtle gap between his motivation and his physical capacity, and the gears didn't quite mesh, making him feel off.
"And tomorrow I'll probably have muscle cramps too. Damn it, Ram-chi, remember this—you overworked me just because I was moving better than last time..."
"Rest assured, I'll remember."
"WHOA!!"
Carrying the basket with his discarded clothes, Subaru leaped in surprise when a response came from the doorway. His undergarments flew from his hands and scattered at the feet of Ram, who stood waiting in the hallway outside the changing room.
"Oh, honestly."
She crouched down, picked up the undergarments that reeked of a day's fatigue, and tossed them into the nearby trash can.
"There's a man RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU holding a laundry basket!?"
"I'm sorry. The moment I picked them up, my revulsion was uncontrollable. I needed to let go as fast as possible."
"Your form was really clean for that!"
Sniffling, Subaru retrieved his underwear from the trash can, stuffed them into his basket, and faced Ram properly. The maid stood silently against the wall, waiting in front of the changing room.
Hmm, what was her purpose here? Subaru tilted his head. As if reading his intent— "I hate to disappoint, but I've already bathed, so standing here won't make me change or anything."
"That's not what I was thinking at all! Isn't that a fatal flaw for a maid?!"
"Just kidding. I'm here to help Roswaal-sama change. When bathing, Ram or Rem is required to attend."
"Isn't that spoiling him? He can change by himself, can't he?"
That said, there apparently were people in this world who had never put on their own socks—having always had a maid do it for them.
Considering the breadth of the world, Roswaal might very well be one of them—a realization that hit Subaru like scales falling from his eyes.
"That said, the tiny bit of trust I had in Ros-chi just fell with it."
"Watch your disrespectful comments about Roswaal-sama in front of Ram. Consider this your second warning—the next time will be with force."
It sounded like a gentle suggestion, but it was the truth, and he should take it to heart.
In practice, she was patient and thorough the first time, but if you dared ask the same question again, she'd look at you with the same eyes she gave pigs at a hog farm—no mercy.
Deciding that staying any longer would just be asking for trouble, Subaru prepared to leave—"Well then, sorry to bother you, senpai"—but— "Barusu, what are you doing after this?"
"What am I doing? Sleeping, obviously. I've got an early start tomorrow, duh—mornings are the worst, seriously, senpai."
Words born from a hybrid of defiance and complaint. Ram simply said "I see" in a small voice and fell silent.
Watching her, Subaru saw her give a small "Mm" as if coming to a decision— "Then, I'll come by later. Wait in your room."
"...Huh?"
That was all she said.