Subaru looked up to see the guilty elf girl.
"By the way, Emilia, aren't you cold dressed like that? I wanna see you in your winter clothes."
"Pervert," Ram snapped, her teeth chattering.
"You know I have a contract with Puck, right?" Emilia replied. "Thanks to his magic, he can regulate my body temperature."
Subaru and Toyota both glanced at Puck. Subaru muttered under his breath, "Don't you feel bad for causing Emilia so much trouble?"
And suddenly, as if a visual lightbulb had appeared over his head, the butler boy stood up in alarm.
"Oh, that's it! We don't have to spend our time inside the mansion while Beako confines the cold with her barrier—we just need to hang out outside the mansion!"
"That's Subaru for you," Rem said, clearly impressed.
Toyota, meanwhile, was just waiting for Subaru to finally get to the point so he wouldn't have to bring it up. Still, he figured he'd speed things along.
"It's going to rain," he said casually, like it was just a basic fact.
"What? There's no way it'll rain right now," Subaru argued. "The weather's not too hot or cold, and all the clouds are way off in the distance."
Toyota, glancing out the window, murmured, "Give it an hour."
"Hah! If it does rain, I'll bet you it won't happen for at least six hours."
"Oh?" Toyota replied, intrigued. "What are you betting?"
He understood the concept of a bet, but had never had any reason to make one himself. This was his first. And frankly, he felt like a cheater—since he knew the future.
"I'll bet your wish," Subaru said, lifting his head and pointing in a dramatic Boa Hancock-like pose. "If you lose, you will use your wish from Roswall to stay at the mansion as a butler—working under me!"
Scratch that—Toyota didn't feel bad in the slightest.
"Okay," he said without hesitation. "But if I win, you have to follow two requests I make. No matter how random or nonsensical they seem."
Subaru immediately got a bad feeling. The fact that Toyota hadn't even flinched at those terms showed just how confident he was.
He regretted everything.
"Is it too late to back out now…?"
Ram, who had been listening the whole time, growled, "How spineless can a person be—even for a worm?"
"Yeah? Are you backing out now? What do you think, Emilia?" Toyota asked, smirking.
"I think it would be fun to have Subaru's friend at the mansion, win, Subaru." Emilia replied cheerfully, as if it were all just a game.
Subaru blanched. "Okay, I agree..." he muttered reluctantly.
He looked genuinely nervous.
What does he think I'm going to make him do? Toyota thought to himself, amused.
***
Subaru, Toyota, and the girls stood at the open mansion door, watching the rain pour down while Roswaal stood silently outside, blankly gazing up into the downpour.
Trying to play it cool, Toyota casually walked back inside, glancing over his shoulder and saying just loud enough for Subaru to hear, "Well, what do you know… I won."
"I guess camping outside is a no-go," Emilia said with disappointment.
"What if we used a tent?" Subaru offered weakly, his voice drained of all hope.
"Subaaaaru," Roswaal drawled menacingly as he appeared beside them, "are you planning to make me—the mansion's owner—sleep outsiiiiiide?"
"Then… can't you do something with your fire magic?" Subaru suggested quickly. "Like, you blast your magic at him, he blasts his ice at you, and it cancels out or something?"
"It would be very difficult to control the precise amount of magic needed to perfectly balance each other," Roswaal replied, raising an eyebrow. "Do you want to see the entire mansion turned into a sea of flames and ice?"
"What if we used all the mansion's fire magic stones to heat the water in the large public bath?" Subaru tried again. "Then, for the next two days, we carry on with Operation: Hot Springs!"
His face morphed slightly as he glanced at Emilia, his cheeks turning red. Puck, noticing the shift, promptly covered Emilia's eyes with his paws and gave Subaru a cold glare.
Toyota strolled back into the room—but casually shattered Subaru's hopes.
"Not possible."
"Why?" Subaru asked, startled.
"You'll see," Toyota replied cryptically.
Everyone was starting to believe more and more that this guy was either a prophet or a genius at deduction. Puck could feel his surface-level thoughts—there was definitely a desire to show off—but something deeper was beneath it. Toyota was clearly forcing himself into a specific mental state… and that made the cat spirit uneasy.
Roswaal, noticing the narrowing of Puck's eyes, spoke from behind his usual calm grin. "What can you tell about this young man?"
"Nothing," Puck muttered. "That's why it feels weird. There's no abnormalities."
"After you're done with your release period," Roswaal said, voice smooth and composed, "would you mind checking his magic?"
Puck had already been planning to. If Toyota was anything like Subaru—untrained in magic—it would be the perfect excuse to take a closer look. What he really wanted was to see Toyota's Od—the vessel of his soul. Maybe even run a quick background check while he was at it.
***
Subaru's eyes twitched as he stared at the white, sludgy substance filling the large bath. Toyota stood a safe distance away, his nose wrinkling at the smell radiating from it like a warning sign.
"This is… mayonnaise," Subaru muttered in disbelief.
The boy gawked at the bath, now a shrine to poor decisions and excessive condiments.
"Yes! I did my best making this—for mayo-loving Subaru's sake," Rem answered proudly.
Toyota felt genuine concern. How long was I knocked out for her to be this down bad? She even looked like an eager puppy, tail practically wagging with hope.
"I wouldn't mind if you praised me," Rem added sweetly, lowering her head toward Subaru like she was expecting a pat.
"Are you an idiot?" Subaru shouted, his voice echoing off the tiled walls.
But Rem suddenly gasped, struck by divine inspiration. "The mayonnaise is frozen."
"That's not the problem!" Subaru snapped.
"Don't worry," Rem continued, completely ignoring him. "Once it melts, the mayonnaise will turn into bathwater."
Toyota stared in mute horror. He probably told her once, offhandedly, that he loved mayonnaise enough to bathe in it… and she actually went through with it. This is ridiculous.
"Please just stop," Toyota muttered, backing away. "If anyone loved mayonnaise this much, they'd be in a mental asylum."
After leaving the bathroom, Subaru shot a look at Toyota.
"What's the solution, then?" he asked, though his tone made it clear he suspected Toyota was nudging him toward something based on how different his behavior seemed now compared to before.
Finally, Toyota thought. He asked me directly. Now I have an excuse to bring it up.
"It's simple," Toyota said. "Have Puck release his magical energy into the rain clouds and make it snow."
"That sounds great!" Subaru lit up. "We could invite the villagers and turn it into a snow festival!"
"Subaru, did you get another unique idea?" Emilia asked, smiling brightly.
"That's Subaru for you," Rem said, her voice filled with admiration.
If this man breathes, he gets complimented, Toyota thought bitterly. I don't even know whether to be mad at Rem or Subaru at this point.
Subaru quickly raised a hand to stop them, looking suddenly serious.
"Those expectations of yours are jumping the gun," he said. Then, turning to Rem: "And you're way too easily impressed."
However, his expression shifted into a petty smirk. "Still, I've finally found a fun way to solve Puck's release period—with a tradition from my homeland: a festival! Let's generously squander all of Puck's pent-up mana."
"That's Subaru for you," Rem said again, eyes sparkling.
Toyota, hearing that for the fourth time in the last 20 minutes, was beginning to lose his mind.
***
The mansion was completely covered by a dark winter cloud that hung directly overhead, snow falling heavily onto the roof, giving it the appearance of having been painted white. Subaru stood on a pillar, wearing a spiky-shaped crown on his head and carrying a torch made of ice, posing as the Statue of Liberty from America.
Toyota, watching from beneath an overhang where no snow reached him, found the sight amusing—yet slightly mocking. While he wasn't exactly patriotic, the image of Subaru mimicking Lady Liberty made him feel uncomfortable.
Subaru was bundled up in thick winter clothes, dramatically posing as all the villagers watched. Toyota, meanwhile, was layered in so many garments he looked like the kid from A Christmas Story. He only had to participate to receive the reward, but he hated the cold with a passion. Multiple pairs of gloves covered his hands, and he stood completely motionless, silently wishing for it all to be over quickly.
Subaru raised his arms and shouted enthusiastically, "Hey! Who wants to go to New York?!"
The villagers and children looked at him in total confusion.
"New… York?" one of the kids echoed, tilting their head.
Despite not understanding, the kids decided to go along with the energy. "Yeah! Let's go!" they cheered.
"So you want to go—no matter what it takes?!" Subaru declared, pointing dramatically.
The villagers, still confused but swept up in the atmosphere, cheered along with the kids.
"New York? Where's that?" someone asked from the crowd.
"It's a town in Subaru's homeland," Petra explained with a proud smile.
From the safety of the overhang, Toyota observed the scene with disbelief. It was honestly ridiculous how patriotic a foreigner could be about a place he'd never actually been to. If everyone were like this, he thought, there'd be no racism or war.
"Can we really go to New York?" a small child asked.
Subaru scratched the back of his head, chuckling sheepishly. "Yeah… about that… my bad. That's not actually possible. But! We've prepared prizes that are just as good!"
The crowd burst into excited cheers anyway.
"Well then—fight for victory!" Subaru shouted.
The village echoed with a joyful roar as the games began.
Everyone was either digging in the snow, making snow angels, rolling snow into balls to build snowmen, or sculpting snow into elaborate shapes. Quite a few focused on realism—some crafted swords, animals, castles, armored knights, and even specific people. Beatrice watched from under the overhang beside Toyota.
"Aren't you going to join, I suppose?" she asked.
Toyota felt a flicker of surprise. In the original, she stayed inside the library until Subaru had to goad her out by dumping snow on her head.
"Uh… I don't really like the cold," he replied, not taking his eyes off the children who had just pelted Subaru with snowballs.
"What about you? Isn't it hard to increase the range of your barrier this much?"
"This much is nothing. If you wish, Betty can extend the barrier up to the forest so you can hold the festival in the village, I suppose."
He laughed at her sudden thoughtfulness. "Thanks for the idea, but that would ruin Subaru's future date."
He grinned at her, and she looked back at him like she was seeing someone else in his place.
"You remind me of Mother," she said softly. "She always seemed to know everything—even future events."
"Even if she was a witch with near-omniscience, it doesn't matter when you're faced with an unstoppable force. Because for most people… when you die, it's the end."
"Most people?" She tilted her head, studying him. Then she looked up at him as if searching for something. "Are you planning to leave soon, I suppose?"
"Yes. After this festival ends, I plan to cash in with Roswaal and head to the capital. As you've already guessed, I'm an anomaly with no power… but I have to try. I want to find the perfect ending."
"You speak as if this world is a fairytale."
He didn't respond—just watched the scene in front of him.
"I'll give you another reward… if you make a promise," he said. She nudged her head gently into his back.
"What promise would you have a great spirit make, I suppose?"
"Simple. Just take care of him. That's all."
"That's all…"
Slowly, she reached out and grabbed his limp hand at his side, intertwining their fingers and closing her eyes.
"I shall grant your wish. I, Beatrice, on my honor, am henceforth bound by this promise. I'll grant this favor."
Looking down at the small girl, he felt a bit bewildered. This felt very similar to when Subaru had asked her to protect him until the third day. But this was just a basic verbal agreement. No reason to get so serious.
"All right, I'll give you your reward," he said. "Roswaal is trying to test Subaru based on the Tome of Wisdom—to create the ultimate knight. One who can elevate Emilia to the throne, so he can achieve his dream of killing the dragon. He'll use any means to achieve that dream. Working with the Witch Cult temporarily to invade the Oni village and acquire Ram is just one example. He'll hire assassins again to try and force Subaru into making a choice—to save others or Emilia.
"Now that you know this, you cannot let Roswaal know that you know. He'll likely leave for a while when planning something—or pretend to be unfit to help. Be most wary at these times. Immediately after the Royal Selection, the Witch Cult will attack the village. I already have plans. All you have to do… is keep Subaru safe."
After listening to his entire monologue, Beatrice didn't know how to respond. Roswall was someone who never seemed to change throughout the centuries. To think the same person who always visited her library was now this calculating and sharp—it felt like a blow. But… she couldn't find any lies in what he said.
Toyotas entire being was an anomaly.
And that only seemed to grow with time.
"There's more," he said, turning back to the crowd, "but I'll give it to you as a reward for something later. For now… why don't you go play with your future contractor?"
Her face flushed pink. She looked at him with heated cheeks.
"Why would I, a great spirit, play with a bumbling fool, I suppose…"
Just then, Subaru jogged over toward them, waving.
"Beako! Eskimo guy! Found ya!" he called. "How come you two aren't participating? You don't have to hold back!"
"I have no idea what you're talking about, I suppose. Shoo, shoo," Beatrice mumbled, flustered.
"Why don't you go and get used to each other?" Toyota urged.
"If Betty's going with this fool," she huffed, "then you must come too, I suppose!"
"No thanks." Toyota raised his hand to his face and shook his head.
Subaru grinned wide. "C'mon, both of you—don't be like that. It's important to play outside every once in a while. Especially for children."
He stepped closer and casually placed a snowball on top of Beatrice's head.
Beatrice shrieked, "¡Bueno Aries!"
An instant later, Subaru went flying.
The butler boy soared nearly twenty meters through the air, crashing into a massive Ulgarm snow sculpture. The impact caused the entire thing to collapse, burying him beneath a mountain of snow—only his gloves and boots sticking out from the bottom.
The sculptor, furious, shouted curses at Subaru—who was now face-down and half-submerged in snow.
Meanwhile, Petra ran to him, giggling, and began scooping off tiny handfuls of snow, trying to "rescue" him.
Where Subaru had landed just so happened to be right next to a small snow pile the village kids were using to play—convenient for them, but not so much for him.
"It's Subaru!"
"There he is—Subaru!"
"You shall know a world of white terror!!"
Before he could even react, the kids began pelting him with snowballs like it was a divine punishment. Caught in a barrage of snowy chaos, Subaru finally broke free from the collapsed sculpture, his face twisted into a grin as he rose dramatically.
"You kids sure are lively in this cold," he monologued villainously, his voice low and dramatic. "However… one day, you'll realize…"
He stood fully upright, snow falling from his shoulders as the children watched him with wide eyes.
"That the ones being toyed with… are you—!"
SPLASH.
A pile of snow landed squarely on his head, completely cutting off his monologue. The kids burst out laughing.
"Say what?!" Subaru sputtered, buried up to his shoulders.
Puck, floating nearby, winked cheekily as he prepared another snowball with his magic.
But suddenly—
SMACK.
A snowball nailed the tiny spirit cat right in the face.
Turning slowly toward the source, Puck's narrowed eyes locked onto Beatrice and Toyota, standing side by side.
Toyota turned pale. "I wasn't aiming for you! It was an accident! A complete accident!"
"Was it now…?" Puck's voice dropped to a low, threatening purr as his eyes gleamed.
Beatrice smirked, arms crossed. "If I were you… I'd start running."
Toyota didn't need to be told twice.
He bolted toward the mansion, heart pounding, glancing back only to see Puck instantly closing the distance with terrifying speed.
"Boo."
A massive shadow loomed over him. He looked up—just in time to see a mountain of snow descend.
WHUMP.
He was completely flattened, only a muffled groan heard beneath the heap.
(AN: I have 3 main new world ideas. I know these worlds and the lore very well. Give me your thoughts on them; they aren't cemented yet, but 1 of the 3 have a high possibility of being the next world.
MCU, Percy Jackson, One Piece.
I've set an official release schedule: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Bonus chapters will drop on Saturdays if my demands are met. 🔫
Trade deal:
You give me 70 power stones, and I give you a bonus chapter.
Sounds fair, right?)