Chapter 8 (203): Roswaal's Dinner Party
After the violent clash, Hikigaya stood there gasping for breath, staring at the scene in front of him. After confirming that his body had no wounds, he experienced, for the first time, the feeling of surviving a situation where death had been guaranteed.
Even with the ability of Return by Death, under conditions of missing information, Hikigaya couldn't be sure he would restart like last time. Everything he had done now was based on his reaction to Elsa's grotesque obsession with intestines during his first death.
This was a massive gamble.
And Hikigaya had won.
Old Man Rom placed a hand on Hikigaya's shoulder, speaking as if to a brother-in-arms.
"Honestly, I respect your courage."
Hikigaya gave a helpless smile: "If possible, I'd prefer not to stake my life again. That really isn't my specialty."
Rom burst into hearty laughter that echoed throughout the warehouse. He slung an arm around Hikigaya's neck.
"Relax. After taking that hit from me, even if she's not dead, she'll be crippled."
Hikigaya nodded. He didn't doubt Rom's strength, the power of a giant tribe was unmistakable. Elsa had undeniably been hit.
Still… Hikigaya couldn't afford to let his guard down. He had already paid dearly once. He would never make the same mistake again.
Emilia stood up and looked at Hikigaya with concern, tightly gripping his hands.
"Hikigaya-kun, are you okay? I'm sorry… this all happened because I was careless…"
Hikigaya shook his head to show he was fine, but his eyes never left the settling dust.
"Watch out!"
Everyone immediately assumed combat stances again.
"Felt, she's heading your way!"
"Slash!"
Thanks to Hikigaya's warning, Felt narrowly dodged the scythe.
"Tch."
Elsa licked her scythe again, but without fresh blood, her movements were noticeably slower than before.
Rom muttered, "Is this woman made of steel?"
Hikigaya replied, "If that hit had landed on me, I'd be minced meat."
Felt grinned: "Hey, thanks, man."
Emilia raised her voice: "Don't underestimate a spirit arts user!"
Tap… tap… tap…
Clear footsteps sounded from the entrance.
A figure with blazing red hair slowly walked in. That overwhelming, almost absurd presence made it impossible for anyone to ignore him.
"Reinhard."
"What a coincidence, Hikigaya-kun."
"Your personality's really awful, you know. I left you a note. Still, thanks a lot for coming."
"Hahahahaha. Then I'll take it from here."
…
If this world had a single, undeniable bug, it would be Reinhard van Astrea.
Elsa continued dodging his attacks with her agile body, but the moment Reinhard picked up a broken sword from the ground, everything changed.
The surrounding lesser spirits gathered around him in an instant. Immense magical power erupted, and with a single strike, Elsa completely lost her ability to resist.
As expected, Elsa didn't die so easily. Instead, she attempted to escape using a substitution-like technique. Reinhard was about to pursue her, but Hikigaya stopped him.
As a weapon, Elsa was irreplaceable. In this world, Hikigaya still lacked true power, and Elsa was someone who could fill that gap.
"Elsa, we'll meet again. I hope that next time, I'll be your employer."
Elsa frowned, leaped into the distance, and her voice echoed faintly from the forest.
"Next time, I'll personally tear out your intestines."
Reinhard sighed: "You shouldn't have let her go. Even as a member of the Royal Guard, I made a serious mistake tonight."
Hikigaya replied, "Then does that mean I have to take responsibility?"
Reinhard shook his head helplessly: "I wasn't acting as a guard tonight, so you bear no responsibility. But you should understand, what you released today is an incredibly powerful enemy. Your future path will only become more difficult."
Hikigaya lightly patted his shoulder: "Enemies and allies were never mine to define."
Nearby, Felt remained silent. After everything that happened, she understood there were things she could no longer be involved in, for her own safety, and for Rom's.
She moved to return the insignia to Emilia, but at that moment, the center of the crest emitted a red glow.
Seeing this, Reinhard completely changed. His composure vanished as he nervously grabbed Felt's wrist, relentlessly questioning her past.
Felt and Rom were clearly frightened. Hikigaya and Emilia were just as confused.
"She has to come with me. This is not negotiable."
Rom snarled, "I may not be able to beat you, but if you dare take her like this, I'll fight you to the death."
Emilia whispered, "What's going on…?"
Hikigaya stared at the insignia. At that moment, it was as if he finally understood something.
He stepped between them.
"Reinhard, taking her is fine. But Old Man Rom is her closest family. He has every right to go with her."
Reinhard nodded immediately, easing the tension.
"Old Man Rom, you may come with us. Felt must travel to the capital with me. This is necessary."
Hikigaya turned to Rom.
"Don't worry. Reinhard of the Royal Guard won't harm you. He just needs to confirm something. The choice is yours."
Rom took a deep breath.
"Of course I'm going."
"Thank you, Hikigaya-kun."
…
After the three left, only Hikigaya and Emilia remained.
Emilia was no longer as guarded or cautious around him as before. After confirming he was a good person, she had clearly grown much closer.
"Hikigaya-kun, you were amazing!"
"No. If Reinhard hadn't arrived, I wouldn't have been able to do anything."
"That's not true! When you stood in front of me, you were super cool! Without you, I'd probably be dead. And earlier, if not for you, Rom and Reinhard would've stayed at a stalemate!"
Hikigaya didn't know how to respond. He knew it wasn't nearly as dramatic as she said.
"Then now it's time for me to keep my promise! Welcome to our big family!"
…
After a long journey, Hikigaya finally arrived at the mansion.
Just as expected, the moment he saw the castle, he felt everything he'd done up until now had been worth it. This was the first time in his life he had experienced something like this.
"Do you really not have any money?"
"Hahaha, I'm not the wealthy one. I really don't have much."
"…Okay."
"Rest for tonight. This is your room. Someone will take care of you starting tomorrow."
Even though he was being given lodging, Hikigaya never imagined he'd be staying in a castle. The feeling of receiving all this without earning it made him uncomfortable.
Still, one night wouldn't change anything. Just as Emilia said, rest first.
"Creak…"
"I don't remember agreeing to sleep with a little girl. Even if I like girls, this is way too young…"
Standing before him was a blonde, curly-haired loli. Hikigaya immediately suspected Emilia had given him the wrong room.
And no matter how he looked at it, this was a library.
The blonde girl snapped her book shut with a 'bang' and sneered.
"To end up here on your very first day… I don't know whether to call you lucky or unlucky."
"Regardless, barging into your room was my fault. I really like the atmosphere here, being able to read without pressure is wonderful."
(That calm feeling was something Hiyori had given him.)
"Betty doesn't think so…"
Hearing that, Hikigaya didn't believe she was simply emphasizing her age. Perhaps… nothing here was as simple as it appeared. She wasn't just a little girl.
Hikigaya understood better than anyone that Aasuming things about others was a mistake.
"I apologize again for entering your room without permission. If possible, I hope we can study and exchange knowledge together in this room someday. I really like books too."
As he spoke, Hikigaya adjusted the glasses Hiyori had given him.
Beatrice froze as if struck by lightning.
She got down from her chair and walked right up to him, her face dark.
"What an arrogant man. Betty doesn't need companionship."
'Yikes… this one's hard to deal with… even compared to my old self.'
Before Hikigaya could respond, Beatrice placed a hand against his chest.
And then, a real electric shock sensation surged continuously through Hikigaya's body.
He had no room to resist at all, and just like that, he collapsed onto the floor of the room.
"Damn…"
Beatrice wore a look of schadenfreude as she turned around, clapped her hands, and said: "Alright, now Betty can confirm that you really don't have any malicious intent."
"..."
"And also, don't call me a loli ever again!"
Hikigaya wore a speechless expression, but still braced his thigh and slowly stood up.
Seeing Hikigaya like this, Beatrice looked genuinely incredulous and muttered to herself:"He can still stand…?"
"What a troublesome…"
"Bang!"
A violent gust of wind blasted through, instantly stripping Hikigaya of his footing and sending him flying straight into the hallway outside the door.
'That hurts… what an awful personality.'
"Remember this, don't call me a loli. Otherwise, next time will be even worse!"
With that, Beatrice's door shut with a sharp 'click'.
All that remained was Hikigaya rubbing his aching bones, unsure of what to say. There was no helping it, when you're living under someone else's roof, you have to endure treatment you don't like.
It seemed this mansion wasn't as comfortable as he had imagined.
Originally, Hikigaya had absolutely no intention of opening that door a second time. But… from what he had observed earlier, he was certain that the little blonde girl was anything but ordinary. Driven by instinctive curiosity, he opened the door again.
This time, there was nothing unusual, just a normal room.
---
[Chatroom]
[Isshiki: "Senpai, isn't this sudden jump in social class a bit ridiculous? You were worrying about making a living yesterday, and today you're already living in a castle?"]
[Hikigaya: "Don't get happy too soon. Honestly speaking, living in a mansion like this does raise one's quality of life dramatically, but I can already imagine what comes next, tons of chores and troublesome obligations. Noble households are always like that, right, Yukinoshita?"]
[Yukinoshita shaked her head helplessly: "It's annoying to hear you say it, but you're right."]
[Hikigaya: "Hayama, you probably feel the same, don't you?"]
[Hayama only gives a wry smile and doesn't reply.]
[Hikigaya: "So, Iroha, judging by Hayama's expression and Yukinoshita's words, do you still think this is a good thing? If I had a choice, I'd rather just live in a small hut."]
[Isshiki: "It feels like you're being ungrateful, senpai."]
[Yuigahama: "Hahaha, that's just how Hikki always is…"]
[Crusch: "Looks like Hikigaya joining Emilia's camp is already a done deal. That's definitely not good news for us."]
[Anastasia responded casually: "What can we do? We're just spectators. There's nothing we can change. The versions of us in the video know nothing."]
[Priscilla waves her fan: "Still, I think watching it like this has its own charm."]
[As she spoke, the ever-proud Priscilla frowned slightly. Though no one noticed, she had begun paying attention to the boy named Hikigaya.]
[Is there really someone in this world who can maintain such kindness?]
[Even after experiencing death, it seemed to have left no mark on him at all, this was something no ordinary person could do.]
[At the same time, Beatrice was also watching everything unfold in the video. Despite her sharp words, a warm current quietly flowed through her heart.]
---
When Hikigaya woke up again, he felt as if his bones had gone soft. The bed was simply too comfortable, easily a hundred times better than anything he'd slept on at home or in school dorms over the past decade.
However, staring at the intricately patterned ceiling, he still felt dazed. After all, this was only his second day in this world, yet so much had already happened.
Just as he was thinking this, a blue-haired maid approached, startling him.
"Sister, he's awake."
At the same time, a pink-haired maid, who looked exactly the same, leaned in as well.
"Rem, he's awake."
'Are these two idiots? Why say the exact same thing… how inefficient can you be?'
Though that's what he thought, Hikigaya was still momentarily captivated by the sight of the two maids. After all, who would've imagined that on their first day waking up in another world, they'd receive a wake-up service from two beautiful girls? Honestly… he'd only dare to imagine something like this in his dreams.
Hikigaya slowly sat up and looked at the two girls, momentarily unsure of what to say.
"So… can someone explain what's going on here?"
The pink-haired maid spoke first.
"If this were a pig's wake-up time, I could understand it."
Hikigaya replied, "You're a maid, but you don't hold back at all with your words. That probably means your status here is pretty high, huh?"
Rem immediately said, "Sister, this guest seems very smart."
Hikigaya responded, "So I guessed right."
Before they could answer, Emilia opened the door and walked in, wearing simple sleepwear.
"Hikigaya-kun, the sun's already high in the sky."
"Emilia, sleeping in is a reward for smart people. At least, I believe that when it's time to rest, you should rest. Even these two think I'm right, don't they?"
Rem gently raised her hand: "Rem doesn't think so. That's just laziness."
Ram added, "Ram agrees with what Rem said."
'These maids are impossible to deal with… what kind of household has maids this rebellious?'
Emilia sighed: "Anyway, lunch is about to start. Go wash up."
---
Walking through the castle again with the two maids, Hikigaya couldn't help but marvel at how it felt like a maze, with countless rooms.
"My name is Hikigaya Hachiman…"
"May I ask, what's the pink-haired sister's name?"
Ram looked puzzled: "Why are you only asking mine? Why not ask Rem's?"
Hikigaya replied dryly, "Didn't you already say it?"
Rem nodded: "That's true."
Ram said, "My name is Ram…"
Hikigaya continued, "Are there any other guests here?"
Rem answered, "We usually don't host guests. If it weren't for you protecting Emilia, Lord Roswaal wouldn't have let you stay."
Hikigaya replied, "So you two handle all the housework? That sounds like an insane workload."
Ram said calmly, "No. Rem does almost all the work. Ram rarely lifts a finger."
Hikigaya frowned: "Is it really okay to bully your twin sister like that?"
Rem smiled: "Rem is very capable, so even doing all the chores is no problem."
Hikigaya didn't press further. After the brief exchange, he had already obtained the information he needed.
Under Ram and Rem's guidance, Hikigaya soon met Emilia again. As for Puck, he wasn't absent… he'd been taken away by a loli. Poor Puck.
At the same time, a tall, slender man with an appearance reminiscent of a clown approached.
Though he differed slightly from Hikigaya's imagination, given how few people were in the mansion, it wasn't hard to guess his identity.
Roswaal.
At the dining table, everyone sat together. With Roswaal present, the atmosphere wasn't exactly awkward, at least, that was how Hikigaya felt.
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Roswaal L. Mathers, the lord of this mansion."
Hikigaya glanced around. Aside from the loli who looked identical to another loli, whose background he didn't quite understand, he was already familiar with everyone else.
"Nice to meet you, Lord Roswaal. My name is Hikigaya Hachiman."
"Hahaha. Lady Emilia has already told me about you."
Despite it being a meal, no one picked up their utensils, and Hikigaya noticed the tense atmosphere.
Making small talk was Hikigaya's weakest skill, but he had no choice.
"Lord Roswaal, if I'm not mistaken, Emilia is also a resident of this mansion. Then why do you address her as 'Lady'?"
Roswaal revealed a meaningful smile, and Emilia finally produced the insignia she had retrieved.
"My current title is one of the royal candidates of the 42nd generation of the Kingdom of Lugunica. Count Roswaal of the Borderlands is my sponsor."
Hikigaya already knew this, Emilia had mentioned it before.
"So that's why you valued this insignia so much. If it were lost, it wouldn't just mean losing candidacy, it would make people think you lack maturity and composure. That would be devastating in future competition."
Throughout this, Beatrice and Puck said nothing, playing on their own as if completely detached. Roswaal kept smiling, his gaze fixed on Hikigaya.
Hikigaya's thoughts had already moved beyond this table. To be honest, he understood perfectly well why his position was so awkward.
If the situation couldn't be changed, then all he had to do was change his stance.
With that thought, Hikigaya looked back at Roswaal.
"If this is a royal selection, then it means the king has either passed away or is unable to rule. Normally, wouldn't succession fall to the royal family's children?"
Roswaal smiled thoughtfully and answered plainly.
"In truth, a plague has spread throughout the kingdom. The king and all his descendants perished, which is why this policy was enacted. Governance is currently handled by the Council of Elders."
Hikigaya nodded: "I see. In a situation like this, someone like me, who suddenly appears in this country knowing nothing, would naturally be the most suspicious. Especially with my strange clothes, you'd probably assume I came from another nation."
Roswaal looked genuinely impressed. In his eyes, Hikigaya wasn't even twenty, yet he'd deduced all this from minimal information.
Hikigaya stood up.
"I want to know how you view me. In truth, I don't want to be dragged into political strife. I saved Emilia because I owed her my life. Asking for shelter was my impolite excuse. If you doubt me, I can leave at any time."
Roswaal said nothing. His smile finally vanished. Puck and the loli also stopped playing.
Emilia broke the silence.
"Hikigaya-kun, I promised to take responsibility for your living expenses. Count Roswaal, please believe me. If anything goes wrong, I'll bear all responsibility."
Roswaal replied, "That's what she says."
Hikigaya asked, "And you, Lord Roswaal?"
Roswaal smiled faintly: "Then of course, I choose to trust Lady Emilia."
Hikigaya could feel the doubt directed at him. Roswaal hid it well, but it was unmistakable.
"Please stay, Hikigaya-kun… I don't want to break my promise."
"I'll prove it with time, Lord Roswaal. I'd also like to help around the mansion. Living here for free makes me uncomfortable."
"Since you say so, then it's settled. Ram, Rem, take care of the rest."
---
The end of the meal marked Hikigaya officially becoming a member of the mansion. He still sensed Roswaal's suspicion, but he chose to leave that to time.
Under Ram and Rem's guidance, Hikigaya quickly learned the mansion's layout, the rooms, their locations, and the household chores he would begin learning today. Since he'd decided to live here, he had no complaints.
No, if anything, he'd been waiting for this day for a long time. Becoming a househusband had always been part of his plans, and living safely like this wasn't so bad.
However, the first room he went to clean, after psyching himself up, contained a blonde loli sitting right in the center.
The scene felt strangely familiar.
Beatrice wore an irritated expression, and Hikigaya immediately retreated.
"This room doesn't need cleaning!"
Hikigaya didn't insist. If he could slack off, all the better.
He closed the door and went to the second room…
"Why is it you again?!"
(End of this chapter)