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Please read the author's note at the end of this chapter for more information.
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Roswaal: "Weeeellll, that was a stressful few days. It is safe to say that if we were not more careful, we would have been dealt irreversible damage."
In a corner of the Roswaal mansion. The lord of the manor, and Ram, his servant were having a secret meeting.
Ram: "With the loss of the children of the village, and possibly staff here at the mansion, it was quite the close call Roswaal-sama."
Roswaal: "Quuuuiiiite a close call indeed, if it weren't for Subaru-kun, things would have turned out quite differently."
For Roswaal L. Mathers, Subaru's appearance was like a blessing. He first saved Emilia from the Bowel Hunter, then went on to save Arlam village, which was located right next to Roswaal's private estate.
If Natsuki Subaru hadn't shown up, he wasn't entirely sure what would have happened.
Roswaal: "How is his recovery?"
Ram: "Thanks to Emilia-sama and Beatrice-sama's quick intervention, they were able to heal most of his wounds."
Roswaal: "I wonder what illness has befaaallen Beatrice. I have known her for quite some time, and the boy is the first time I have seen her become so involved. Surely she could not have...? Ah, surely not..."
He closed his blue eye as he discarded the implication of his own words. Ram pretended not to hear the quiet portion at the end.
Ram: "Thanks to you Roswaal-sama, the Mabeasts that put the curses on Barusu have been eliminated. However, the rites for those curses remain in his body."
Roswaal: "So they are intertwined with such complexity that even Beatrice cannot unravel them... My, my, that is a curse in an altogether different sense."
Though the rites remaining in the absence of their casters was some cause for concern, there was essentially no danger of their activating. However, Subaru's body had taken the bullets that, in the worst case, would have spread to others still, those not only in his employ but also, more importantly, Emilia.
As a result, Emilia's participation in the royal selection had been preserved. It was, in every way, service that merited a reward.
Roswaal: "Incidentally, Ram...concerning the iiissue of the demon beasts, did you check on what I asked you to?"
Roswaal asked with a meek look that was quite rare to see on him, and it threw Ram off a fair bit. He awaited her reply as she touched her forehead. Her finger prodded the old wound beneath her headdress. Ram felt the faint throb of the scar as she made her report.
Ram: "As far as I have determined from the corpses that remain, the demon beasts were all hornless."
Roswaal exhaled at Ram's reply. He leaned back against his chair.
Roswaal: "The demon beasts I mopped up were the same. Howeeever, that makes this something far larger than an issue of mere noxious beasts, does it nooot?"
Ram: "A demon beast with its horn severed will obey the one who severed it. That would mean some fool directed the beasts toward your manor or your lands in general, Master Roswaal."
Roswaal: "It is no doubt relaaated to the royal selection. This has interfered with us considerably."
Roswaal: "Do you have an educated guess as to the 'ringleader' who severed the horns?"
Ram: "...Tentatively. But the trail has already gone cold. One of the children Barusu and Rem supposedly brought back from the forest vanished from the village the next day."
When she'd asked about the girl with braids who the two had brought back, they had said the villagers all claimed they didn't know the girl. According to the children, she became part of their group at some point, but they couldn't say when.
When she pressed further, they told her that it was that girl who had first brought the demon beast pup to the village, and it was she who had later brought the children past the barrier with her into the forest. She was all but certain that girl had been the ringleader.
Roswaal: "First the Bowel Hunter in the royal capital, now the Beast Mage here. Certainly a strange cast of characters."
Ram: "Yet they cannot best you no matter what they throw at you, Roswaal-sama."
Roswaal: "My, such a cheeky thing for you to say."
Having finished recalling the events of the previous days, their thoughts drifted in another direction.
Ram: "Barusu..."
Roswaal: "It seems even you have realized the significance Subaru-kun's reeeeevvvvvaalations to us could have in the future."
Ram: "Of course, that ability is handy to have in our possession, I'm just wondering..."
Roswaal: "Hm?"
Ram: "If it was better for Barusu to never reveal it to us in the first place."
Roswaal: "It is unknown if that would be the case. However, his heeeeeaaarrrt would have eventually lost hope and given up holding onto the secret at some point."
Ram: "That may be true, still, it makes me feel a bit sorry for Barusu."
Those were words he did not expect from Ram's mouth.
Roswaal: "Feel sorry for him?"
Ram: "Others will probably try to take advantage of his abilities if they learn of it. They may also try to corrupt him, and try to destroy his mind if they cannot destroy his body."
It was a disturbing thought, but one that could easily become a reality. If those in power were to learn of his abilities, terrible things could happen to him.
Roswaal: "Even though he did manage to avoid dying by sharing his troubles with us, that does not mean it will work out so well next time. There is also the question of hhhhhhoooooowwwww far he can be pushed, and at what point he might brrreeeaakk."
Ram: "There's also one other thing."
Roswaal: "Hm?"
Ram: "Rem had informed me, that Barusu believes his powers are connected to the Witch of Envy."
Roswaal's eyes widened. That was not something he expected to hear, much less for Subaru to bring it up himself with Rem. This also increased the danger if others started sniffing around Subaru. What would they do if they found out?
Roswaal: "That is quite concerning. Just in case, we better keep an eye on him, and maybe a leash too. So far he hasn't but if the Witch of Envy is involved, we don't know for how long that will last."
Ram: "I would ask Rem to be the one to keep an eye on Barusu, but..."
Roswaal: "Hm?"
Ram: "Rem has...fallen in love with Barusu."
She was happy that her sister had found someone she cared about other than her, but it also irritated her to no end that it was Subaru.
Ram: "It would seem Barusu has...grazed all of Rem's weak points."
Roswaal: "Rem has, has she? Weeell, perhaps it is not so mysterious. After all, she does not serve me out of loyalty, unlike youuu."
Ram remained quiet before her master's assessment of her younger sister in silent agreement. Unlike Ram, who loyally served Roswaal without asking anything in return, Rem viewed that as a betrayal of the self.
To Rem, Roswaal was very much "Sister's patron." Since her sister was her very purpose in life, Rem's thought process never extended beyond that. It was that line of thinking that made Rem so reckless and rash when it came to defending her community; take your eyes off her, and she'd eliminate anyone she viewed as a threat to it without a second thought.
Ram believed Subaru had been saved because he'd gained Rem's trust before she could assault him.
Of course, all that being said, Ram still regarded Rem as the cutest little sister in the whole world, someone more important than Ram herself. But if someone asked her if Rem occupied the highest pedestal in her heart, Ram could not simply nod and agree.
Roswaal: "Regardless of Rem's feelings, you shall remain firmly in my hands, Ram. Where you go, Rem shall invaaariably follow. You seeee, things shall be as before. Nooothing will change."
Ram: "I...suppose so, though now that there is one more precious thing to Rem, the chance of her acting rashly is even greater, one might say."
Roswaal: "Let us cross that bridge when we get to it. This is important work for tomorrow, after aaall. Now, shall we begin the trrreeeaaaatment?"
When Roswaal smiled and beckoned with his hand, Ram cut across the ebony desk to be at his side. As she did so, Roswaal reached his arm around Ram's small body, pulling her atop his lap. Then, light emanated from his palm.
Roswaal"You and Rem are among those beings precious to me, so few I can count them on one hand. Indeed, if some terrible fate had befallen you in this incident, I am not confident I could have restrained myself."
His finger remained on Ram's chin as the dramatic words Roswaal tossed at her put an enthralled look on her face. Heat seemed to fill Ram's eyes as she gazed at Roswaal from close up.
Ram: "To Master Roswaal, Rem and I are—"
Roswaal: "Yes, to me, you and Rem, and now Subaru-kun too, are precious, vital, and irreplaceable..."
As their words piled upon one another, so did their feelings as Roswaal beheld Ram with his yellow eye, pausing for a brief moment...
Roswaal: "...pawns."
So spoke Roswaal to Ram in theatrical style. His words did not carry the slightest hint of guilt, for he was stating what he regarded as pure truth. And Ram, upon hearing her existence described as that of a pawn...
Ram: "Yes."
Her cheeks reddened as she nodded back.
The light faded from his palm. The treatment was over. Ram felt full not only of life but also disappointment as she slid off Roswaal's lap. After Ram rose from his lap, he rose from the chair.
Roswaal: "Things shall be busier from here on. It shall require much labor, but I am counting on you and Rem, yeees?"
Ram: "As you wish. I am yours, Master Roswaal, as I have been since that fiery night."
She grasped the hem of her skirt and bent her knees in a reverential curtsy.
Roswaal noted her display of loyalty as he crossed his hands behind him and walked toward the window. He glanced at Ram, following beside him, as he opened the curtain.
When he looked up at the sky, and the full moon floating within it, Roswaal narrowed his oddly colored eyes.
Roswaal: "We must be victorious in the royal selection, no matter what...for the sake of my goal..."
As he murmured, he reached out his arm, wrapped it around Ram's shoulders, and pulled her close. Able to feel the warmth of his tall body for a second time, Ram closed her eyes and leaned into him.
She listened to the voice of the man beside her, her lord and master, the man she had given her soul.
Roswaal: "For the day the Dragon dies."
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Authors Note
So here we are, the end of Arc 2. I would say it's been a long journey, but it hasn't been that long.
This fic will be on a bit of a break so I can reread and plan things out.
I'm opening writing commissions on Twitter/X here: twitter.com/Ja_K515
I've been enjoying creating this fic a lot, however, I'd like to also try creating other works as well. So I figured the best way to do that would be to get requests from the community and write them.
Please DM me on Twitter for more details.