"Is that all you want? What was all that negotiation about before?"
"I didn't really need you to reward me, I just wanted you to believe me. However, I can't refuse an offer you made from the heart."
I thanked Roswaal with a cheeky smile to annoy him. Apparently, I didn't just succeed in annoying him: Puck and Betty looked at me with disdain, and even the twins reacted with disgust to my insolence. Only Emilia maintained a neutral expression, as she held no prejudice against me.
"I'm sorry if my answer was a little anticlimactic." I apologized falsely.
"You're certainly a speeeecial kind of person. Few would dare test the limits of my tolerance the way you do. I wonder how I shooooould respond..."
Roswaal's tone was a little cooler than before, but the twinkle in his eyes betrayed that he found it entertaining to interact this way. Anyone would grow bored with the endless formalities and invisible distance that arise in formal conversations.
"You tested me before too, so now we're even."
"I wouldn't say that exactly."
"For someone who dresses like a jester, you're not very funny."
"You're pretty reckless for someone who just became my employee."
I laughed, but I was already starting to get nervous. I'd completely forgotten I'd be the mansion's butler. I had a bad feeling.
"What are you going to do, give me a double shift?"
"Even better, I'll take away your one-hour lunch break."
***
"Tsk, that was a low blow."
That effeminate clown messed with my food. Well, at least it was just for today.
"That's what you get for disrespecting Master Roswaal."
Ram mocked my misfortune.
Since I needed a suit suitable for work, I tried on several sizes. The problem was that none of them were roomy enough.
"This is too tight, it's going to break." I complained.
"How disgusting; you'll ruin the mansion's image looking like that." The pink-haired maid shook her head. "You should stop overeating and start an exercise routine."
"I'll grant you that. I wish I were all flat like you."
"Watch your words, Leandoor." She gave me a threatening look.
"It's Leandro."
"I don't care."
In the end we couldn't find anything that fit me comfortably, so Ram took the largest suit available and called Rem to entrust her with the job of enlarging it.
"Rem, Leandoor needs a bigger uniform that fits his deformed body."
"Ignore that." I flipped Ram off. "Looser clothes would be ideal. I've always wanted to dress elegantly! I think that would look great on me."
The blue-haired oni looked me up and down and shook her head. She leaned her shoulder against Ram's and began to whisper dramatically to her.
"I can adjust the size, but even if I had the blessing of Sewing, I don't think I could make the suit look good on Leandoor."
"No way! Are you going to call me that too?!"
"Rem, you have to work hard. I'm sure you can at least make him hide his natural ugliness a little."
"That synchronized twins thing is starting to bother me." I muttered, pinching the bridge of my nose.
"Wow, I feel sorry for you. Rem, give your condolences to Leandoor."
"Yes, sister." Rem bowed at me. "I'm so sorry you're all alone in the world and no one loves you."
"That doesn't sound like condolence! If anything, you're insulting me!"
My complaints were ignored by the sisters, as I expected. Rem took me to the dressing room to take my measurements and make an outfit that fit my body.
It was quite an experience being alone with Re:Zero's most popular female character, even though she wasn't my personal favorite.
The situation was not at all exciting, because I knew that Rem distrusted me and was capable of destroying me part by part if I gave her the slightest reason.
So I felt nothing but nervousness and trepidation as she ran her hands over my body, touching certain parts as she took measurements.
"Please stop breathing like that. It's disgusting."
"Hey, I'm doing my best not to react."
"It just reassures me to know that I won't see anything activating in your crotch."
"For the last time! I'm not impotent!"
After that, Ram gave me a tour of the mansion to familiarize myself with my new workspace. The first day went by slowly, and due to all the physical activity I was forced to perform, my body ended up in tatters (not literally, and I'm clarifying that because in this world, that's something that could happen if I'm not careful).
It was almost midnight when Rem brought me the modified outfit. I quickly put away my smartphone, which miraculously still had battery life. I'd been looking through the photos and messages I had from my family and friends, wondering if I'd really never see them again.
"Your eyes are wet." Rem noted expressionlessly as she placed the clothes on the nightstand.
"They're irritated by the dust I cleaned." I lied, clumsily wiping my eyes.
"Do you really want to destroy the Witch Cult?"
I actually wanted to destroy the Witch's Cunt. Satella is like Emilia, but gothic, and that turns me on.
Pushing my dark thoughts aside, I looked at Rem and smiled at how direct she was.
"Of course. They've caused a lot of damage."
"Do you hate them?" She watched me closely, trying to see beyond my facade.
"No. I feel nothing but contempt for them."
"You said they took everything you cared about. How can you not hate them?"
The light blue-haired maid clenched her fists, frustrated by my lack of resentment. She definitely hadn't made peace with her past.
"Hate gets you nowhere, except to your own ruin. Hating someone doesn't harm the person hated, but the one who feels the hate. It's not good to poison yourself with such an emotion."
"I don't... People don't choose how they feel." Her voice was marked by denial.
"Of course they do, they're just not aware of the process." I explained carefully. "For example, overthinking something or someone, becoming obsessed with an idea or belief... You can even convince yourself of something completely wrong. That applies to everyone."
"So you're saying I shouldn't feel bad about my people dying? Or about being so useless that because of me, my sister..."
Rem stopped in time, avoiding further talk. I already knew what she was going to say anyway.
"Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that, I meant-"
"Leave it at that. You and I have different points of view." She left the room and stared at me for a second before closing the door.
I clicked my tongue. That conversation hadn't gone so well.
—But it's progress, isn't it? Having this kind of interaction with her is a good thing.
I'd already made it through the first day, and I dare say I did so with a passing grade. However, the second arc was just beginning. I couldn't let my guard down with Rem, and I had to resolve the issue of the mabeasts before it became problematic.
Luckily, I had already prepared for that.
***
Several figures stood around her. Her moon-silver hair and sapphire-blue eyes gave her the presence of a goddess. They all wore the robes of cultists; none spoke, moved, or even breathed. These individuals looked like statues.
Standing in the center of the space occupied by the cultists, the childlike woman extended her arms toward one of them, who moved toward her in response, putting himself within her reach.
Gently touching his face with her livid hands, the woman whispered a command.
—Go and fulfill your purpose, Hunter.
The cultist shivered slightly and slowly walked away, searching his body and pulling out an intimidating-looking crossbow.
With a jerk of his head, the cultist seemed to search for something in the air or further away, like a bloodhound tracking prey.
A few seconds later, the cultist found the trail and ran after his target, disappearing into the darkness.
***
The day arrived. Rem went shopping in town, and I was chosen to carry the bags. While she gathered everything she needed, I headed over to where the children were and played a little with them, getting teased and made fun of in the process.
"These brats need the flip-flop treatment..."
Doing my best not to bump into the boisterous preteens, I put on a relaxed smile and approached Petra, who was with a blue-haired girl holding a bald puppy. I petted Petra's head and winked at Meili.
"Everyone! Let's play hide-and-seek!"
Upon hearing my proposal, they quickly accepted with enthusiasm and ran off, leaving me as the 'seeker.' The only one who didn't leave was Meili, who looked at me in surprise.
"You're the masochist mister... What are you doing here?"
"I'm taking care of some business." I frowned. "And what the hell do you mean by masochist?"
Flashback.
After getting Emilia's insignia from Reinhard, I searched for Elsa, as I was sure that bitch had survived my OP friend's charged attack.
Fortunately, I found her, badly injured but alive. I offered to help her, but she held a knife to my throat. Even in that situation, I felt a little excited by the proximity of her sexy body.
"I don't like the lust in your eyes." Elsa said with hatred in her voice.
"Sorry, I can't help it." I grimaced. "However, you can trust me."
Somehow I managed to convince her; perhaps based on what she could smell on me, she sensed there were no bad intentions. Anyway, I ended up taking her to a hut in the slums.
Meili was there, and that was our first meeting. She treated Elsa's wounds, and then the two of them finished preparing to flee the capital.
"Before you go, can I ask you a favor?"
Elsa raised both eyebrows when she heard my request, but her eyes sparkled with anticipation.
"Do you want me to fill your body with wounds?"
End of Flashback.
"Hey, it's not like I enjoyed being cut by Elsa. I probably would have enjoyed it if she slapped me a little in the process. It would be especially nice if she did it with her tits."
"Mister? Why are you drooling?"
"Listen, Meili."
I grabbed her shoulders and spoke seriously.
"I have plans for this town, so I can't let you destroy it."
"Huh? Why is this place important to you, sir?"
She asked with curiosity in her childlike eyes. However, there was also a threatening glint in her eyes, given that I was turning against her by saying this.
"There are many people here who can be helpful."
"But I'm having so much fun playing with Petra and the others... I don't want to leave!"
In sync with Meili's vehemence, King Ulgarm growled, emitting considerable pressure even in his small dog form.
"You have to do it, remember that I saved your older sister."
"That's true."
Meili looked down, sadly acknowledging my statement. However, a few seconds later she raised her head and pointed at me.
"I still want to have fun! If I can't finish my game with Petra and the others, then I want you to play with me!"
His proposal took me completely by surprise.
"Me? I have no idea how to play with a girl..."
"Don't worry, sir, I already know what we'll play!"
I held my breath. This girl, like all the antagonistic characters in Re:Zero, was perfectly capable of putting me in a life-threatening situation.
"What's it about?"
"Hide and seek!"
"Oh, is that it?" I sighed in relief. "It's not as terrible as I imagined."
"You'll have to find me in the forest or my friends will eat you!"
"Your friends? You mean—?"
She didn't give me time to finish my question because she immediately ran off, disappearing from sight among the leafy trees of the forest, beyond the anti-mabeast barrier.
"I could just ignore her and walk away, but she won't be satisfied and will do what she had planned in the first place. Do I really have no other choice?"
If I don't play, I'll have to deal with the kidnapping of children and the mabeasts. If I play, I'll only have to deal with the mabeasts.
"Oh, for fuck's sake."
I gritted my teeth and ventured out of the village to chase after Meili.