Re:ZERO; Ram:IF (Original)

Chapter 2: Biting the Dust

The maids travel there often, considering the amount of food they make for daily meals. Ram takes a moment to think. Making up her mind, she speaks up, "We do have plans to go there, so I suppose you win. However, Rem will be accompanying you so you will have a pretty flower on each arm Barusu!"

Subaru rolls his eyes at the saying.

"I-I just hope those flowers aren't poisonous..."

With that, Subaru and Rem walk to the village after completing their yard work. Along the way however, Rem seemed to not want to talk to Subaru at all. "How often do you come here?" He asks the blue-haired maid this, however, she does not respond.

"His face looks weird!"

Subaru looks down at the child with silly frustration in his face. "Hey, that's something I can't do anything about!" He exclaims toward the child.

All the children Subaru is playing with laugh at his response. Subaru smiles at all the kids laughs, as Ram approaches his sister Rem, not too far away from Subaru.

"I've come to check on Barusu since break time is almost over, it seems like he gets along quite well with the children, how stupid." Ram tells her sister. Subaru peers behind him; hearing Ram say something, but he pretends not to notice.

Subaru looks down at the child. "What's up? If you want to say something, then don't be afraid to ask!" He says with a smile on his face.

The child points at the dark forest ahead and quietly says "Over there..."

Subaru starts walking toward the direction the child pointed to. For whatever reason, as Subaru was making his way toward the dark forest, a heavy sense of dread washed over him.

Rem in the background abruptly stops talking. "Is something the matter, Rem?" Ram asks as she looks at Subaru walking toward the forest. Emerging from the shadows the forest produced, a small and cute puppy pops out and barks.

"She's here!" The kid exclaims as Subaru wiped some sweat off his forehead. "Why did I feel so weird while confronting that forest?" Subaru wonders to himself. He squats down with the children to see them interact with the puppy.

The puppy, however, starts growling at Subaru. "Why is this dog so aggressive towards me?" Subaru asks the kids.

"She's usually calm, what did you do to aggravate her?" One of the kids in the group speaks to Subaru.

"I don't know. If this happens again, I just she just doesn't like me." The dog calms down and he sees a chance to pet it.

Subaru reaches his hand out gently and starts petting the puppy's fluffy ears and face. "There's the sensation I've been waiting for! Hey, for a stray your fur feels pretty-"

Being interrupted, the dog viciously bites him. It leaves a noticeable mark on the palm of his hand. Ram comes over, seeing the bite on Subaru's hand. "Barusu, is everything alright?"

Subaru can see straight through the fake caring attitude that Ram is putting on him, she was likely ordered to by Roswaal.

"Yeah, I'm fine. We should head back now." Subaru responds. Looking over at Rem, she was holding a large basket containing goods. Subaru gets up and bids farewell to the children.

As they were making their way back, Subaru and Ram were chatting amongst themselves. Rem was giving Subaru glances again during their talk. Subaru was too focused on the conversation to notice.

Arriving at the mansion, Subaru decides to go apologize to Beatrice in the forbidden library since he remembers Ram telling him something.

"What did you do to aggravate Miss Beatrice that much? You should apologize."

He chooses a random door in the long hallway, and walks in.

"Yo, Beatrice." Subaru greets Beatrice upon his entrance. Looking up at him with aggravation, she starts insulting him, "What an annoying man you are, I suppose. So how are you breaking through my door crossing anyway?"

Subaru bends downward looking straight at the ground. "I apologize for my behavior I caused the other night!" He says in a frantic voice.

Beatrice smirks as she responds with "I'll accept your apology I suppose, only if you get down on all fours!" Subaru having no other choice, he gets down on all fours and apologizes yet again.

"What a pathetic boy, I suppose"

Subaru looks up at Beatrice with frustration in his eyes.

Suddenly, Beatrice blurts out words that leaves Subaru lost for words, "You've been cursed, I suppose!"

Subaru, left speechless by Beatrice's remark, could only say one thing.

"Huh?!" Beatrice puts her hand on Subaru's chest. "Wait just one moment." There was a short pause.

Subaru gives her a nervous look. "C-can you remove this curse?" She looks up at him.

"It can. I'll destroy the curse the shaman used now, I suppose." Subaru was confused about what a shaman was, so he decided to ask,

"Shaman? What's a shaman?" Beatrice sighs and proceeds.

"People that can use curses to weaken and kill someone, they're quite obsolete nowadays, I suppose." Subaru looks down at his hand, black most emerging from it.

"W-wait, is it the dog that gave me this curse?"

Beatrice removes her hand from the boy's chest.

"All done, so relax, you'll be just fine I suppose." Subaru thinks about what just happened and his mind snaps.

"Hold on... The place where the shaman cursed me, is that where the black mist came from?!"

Beatrice nods her head. With a moment of thinking,

Subaru was washed with panic. "I've got to get to the village!"

Running out of the forbidden library abruptly, Beatrice squints her eyes. "At least show some manners, I suppose."

"To the village? What for?" Ram tilts her head at the panicking Subaru.

"Beatrice said the one that is responsible for placing a curse on me is also where black mist came from, which means it was the dog the children were playing with! It might be associated with that Witch Cult stuff you guys asked me about!"

Rem and Ram stood there, dumbfounded.

Ram nods and responds.

"Very well Barusu, I will accompany you to make sure you don't do anything reckless." Subaru and Ram look over at Rem while making their exit, signaling the question if she will come with them.

"I will stay behind to help Lord Roswaal." Subaru feels menace as she tells them this. After that, they run out of the mansion and toward the path to the village.

Back at the mansion, Rem presses against the hallway's walls. Pushing on one section, a portion of the wall turns like a push-to-open door. Walking into the tiny space, she grabs on something, as the sound of chains echoes in the hallway.

"I must eliminate him immediately."