Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu

I'm back here again...

Sister, Sister... It appears our guest is still half-asleep.

Rem, Rem...

For one so young, it's quite sad how out of it he is.

What is the matter, sir?

Do you feel unwell?

What's wrong, sir?

Do you have a chronic illness flaring up?

Let me see your hands.

So it's true...

I wasn't mistaken...

No, sir. I think you are mistaken about everything.

No, sir. I think your very birth was a mistake.

When I think about what's to come, I can't laugh off that comment.

But right now, even that's a good feeling.

Sister, Sister...

Could our guest be a troubled man, deriving pleasure from torture?

Rem, Rem, our guest appears to be

a pervert who's turned on by insults.

Sorry to do that out of the blue,

but I trust you both.

Let's be friends, okay?

It was awfully noisy, so I came to check.

Subaru, I'm glad you seem well.

A second ago, I had a lot on my mind,

but seeing you blew it all away, Emilia-tan!

I guess you were the wonder drug that my heart needed.

Sorry, I have no idea what you're saying.

But good morning. I'm glad you're well.

Yeah, good morning.

Okay, might as well get started...

Hire me to work in this mansion!

I must clear two broad conditions,

in order to survive a week in Roswaal's mansion.

First is to earn the trust of the staff here.

If I don't gain those girls' favor,

they're liable to kill me, to silence me.

That goes not only for Rem and Ram,

but for their master, Roswaal, as well.

And second is to defeat the shaman that attacks Roswaal's mansion!

I'm exhausted...

You're quite the hard worker.

I'm not done yet.

I need to prepare dinner and clean the rooms.

I'll get back to work after a little break.

It's only your first day, and you're so spirited.

Well...

Some important things are at stake here.

By the way, what kind of magic does Emilia-tan use?

Technically, Lia isn't really a magic-user.

That goes for her contract with me, too.

She uses spirit arts.

So those who use magic and spirit arts are different...

Magic-users cast magic with their own mana,

but those who use spirit arts draw from mana in the atmosphere.

And how are those two different, Sensei?

Basically, it depends on whether you use a gate.

A gate?

Mana passes through a gate within your body.

Through the gate, you both draw mana in and expel it out.

I see, so it's like a spigot for MP...

You should also have one, Subaru.

R-Really? Does that mean I can use magic, too?

Want me to figure out your attribute?

Magic-users are divided into fire, water, wind, and earth attributes...

Whoa, it's totally a magic sound effect!

I know what your attribute is.

Yes! I've been waiting for this!

Is it the burning fire of passion?

Or a relaxed, cool-guy water type?

Or maybe a gentle wind, blowing across the plain?

Or is it solid, reliable earth?

Shadow

Shadow.

All rejected?!

Wow, shadow? That's very rare.

What is shadow, anyway?

Weren't there only four attributes?

This is a category error!

In addition to the four basic attributes,

there's also shadow and light.

Is it actually some amazing ability?

Like a talent only seen once in five thousand years?

With shadow magic,

you can obstruct an opponent's vision, block sound,

slow movements, and things like that.

It's just debuffs?

An easy one would be something like Shamac.

That's a blinding spell, right?

Want me to show you?

Wait, Puck...

For real? Let's see, let's see!

Shamac!

Okay, that's it.

What'd you think? That was Shamac.

Are you all right?

I-I'm fine!

It's not too flashy, but it seems pretty effective!

So I can also use this Shamac, right?

Well, that depends on your training.

Want to try the beginner's course?

Please, Master!

I'll act as a support, and use the mana inside you,

so the magic will come from your own gate.

Lia, on the off-chance that Subaru's magic goes out of control and explodes,

you should step away, so your clothes don't get messy.

That only happens if I screw up really bad, right?!

If you can make relaxed, lighthearted comments like that, you'll be fine.

Now, visualize the flow of mana through your body.

Then expel a part of it, through your gate, out of your body.

Visualizing, I can do.

Fantasizing is what I do best.

Huh? That isn't good. The gate just—

Long story short,

your control over your gate isn't very good,

so you shouldn't try too hard.

You're the one who said I'd be fine.

Tee-hee!

That's not cute at all...

Well, for better or worse, your gate hasn't been well-used.

That's why the mana inside ignored the user's will, bursting out.

What am I, a soy sauce bottle with a loose cap?

You shouldn't move.

You used up all the mana in your body.

Maybe you shouldn't work anymore today—

No! I have to!

Don't try to overdo it!

This is exactly when I need to overdo it...

I can't waste a single day.

You really are hopeless...

What—

Chew.

Chew and swallow it. Three... And go!

Wh-What was that?

It's a bocco fruit.

When you eat it, your mana activates,

and your gate regains a little of its strength.

Sorry, I guess I've caused you some trouble.

You don't understand, Subaru...

It's more satisfying to hear a single "thank you" than a lot of "sorry"s.

I did it because I wanted to help,

not because I wanted an apology.

Okay?

So, Ram, given what you've seen so far,

what do you think of him?

In terms of abilities, he's completely incompetent,

but when it counts, he can be excessively quick-witted.

I believe it may be necessary to keep an eye on him for a time.

This is a problem we must handle with utmost care.

Be sure to give the proper warnings,

so your sister does not act rashly...

I guess that's about all I can expect of the first day.

I earned quite a bit of trust from Ram and Rem, I think.

But the problem is that shaman's attack...

How do I fight that?

You want to know more about shamans?

Yeah, how do you avoid curses?

There isn't a way.

Huh?

Once a curse is activated, there isn't any way to undo it, I suppose.

Once it's activated, that's it.

That's what curses are.

It's actually possible to nullify instant death resistances?

However, before they're activated, curses are just simple spells,

so I can easily undo them.

The scent of the witch...

You know, Rem mentioned that, too.

Who is this witch?

Are witches related to shamans?

In this world, the word "witch" only refers to one person.

The Jealous Witch?

Exactly. The Jealous Witch, Satella.

Long ago, she devoured the six witches who bore the names of the deadly sins,

and drained half the world dry. She's the worst of the worst, I suppose.

It's said that she was starved for love.

It's said that she doesn't understand human language.

It's said that her body never withers, weakens, or dies.

It's said that, though she was sealed by the powers of a dragon, a hero, and a sage,

they were unable to destroy her flesh.

It's said that her body is that of a half-elf with silver hair.

I'm...

Satella.

What would it take to make someone steal the Jealous Witch's name?

Oh, I guess "steal" makes the person sound bad...

I should say to make someone "borrow" the Jealous Witch's name.

Either way, they must have no fear of death, I suppose.

One who would steal her name can be called nothing but insane.

I see... So that's why.

Huh?

If people just saw her as a crazy freak,

she wouldn't have to be involved in this royal selection mess...

What are you talking about, I suppose?

Nothing.

Good morning!

It's another sunny day, perfect for drying laundry!

Let's make this a happiness-filled day!

Now... Victory!

Victory!

You're so energetic again this morning.

Yep! Even as I'm ordered around and disciplined by the maid sisters,