"It's this cold even right beside the fireplace... " Subaru said sitting in front of the fireplace with Ram. The fire crackled in front of them, doing little more than lighting the room and pretending to offer warmth.
Everyone had gathered again, trying to decide what to do about the worsening cold. Kaeya, who usually just stayed alone most of the time, found himself tagging along.
It wasn't exactly because he wanted to—though maybe, on some level, he did. Still, the reasons were layered.
For one, his usual routine was dull enough to make even silence feel heavy. Talking with others had become one of the few ways left to combat that creeping boredom.
The second reason was more practical. In any group, the person who stood apart too much naturally drew attention. If everyone gathered in one place and he stayed elsewhere, it wouldn't take long for people to start making assumptions. Maybe they'd think he didn't want to be around them. Or worse, that he preferred being alone because he didn't like them.
Who knows? But honestly, he'd rather avoid the hassle altogether.
"Without this fire, everyone here would freeze to death. Wanna try it." Puck cheerfully offered.
"Like hell, I would! Meanwhile, rather than relieving your magical energy over two days, can't you fire a strong spell in the sky or something like that?"
Puck's grin slowly morphed into something less adorable and more… apocalyptic. "Oh? Does that mean you'll give me permission?"
Subaru blinked. "Permission for what?"
"To destroy the world," Puck said, eyes glinting. "That's what it would take."
Kaeya's posture stiffened ever so slightly.
I don't think he's exaggerating. He glanced at the spirit warily. Not that anyone would believe him if he said it seriously, but… I'm taking mental notes.
"Yeah right!" Subaru replied in anger.
"Just kidding."
"Does this Hatsumaki problem only affect Spirits? What about Ros-chi and Beako?"
"In my case, I keep it under control by using magic every daaaay," Roswaal chimed in. He turned to Ram with a sly smile, voice dropping into something far more suggestive. "Aaaand of cooourse, I also haaaave my daaailyy business to attend to."
The shivering Ram blushed deeply and looked away from Subaru embarrassed.
Subaru frowned. "What does Ram have to do with your daily… Oh. No. Forget it. I don't wanna know."
I am kinda curious now. Kaeya thought.
Beatrice lifted her chin proudly. "Betty uses her magical energy to maintain the Forbidden Library, and for assisting with Door Crossing, I suppose. Also—lately—I've been able to send a certain loud-mouthed human flying. So, yes. I manage it just fine."
"Yeah, that's cute okay." Subaru disinterested and bored moved on, making Beatrice pout angrily.
"What about you three?" Subaru asked, now turning toward Rem, Emilia, and Kaeya. "Do you guys also have a mating seas— I mean, Hatsumaki?"
Kaeya's eye twitched, but he didn't say anything right away.
"Only a chosen few possess the exceptional qualities needed to induce a Hatsumaki." Rem answered the shivering Subaru.
"Seeing as I'm not much of a magic user myself, I'm also not concerned by it." Emilia waved her hand slowly.
All eyes shifted to Kaeya now.
He paused for a breath.
That's… actually a good question.
He was a magic user. Not quite a prodigy, but definitely not average either. He had more mana than most people, that much was certain. And although he'd never gone through a Hatsumaki-like event in the few days he was in this world, he wasn't entirely sure it would stay that way forever.
But between his consistent training and frequent mana expenditure, he'd kept himself balanced.
"Same here," Kaeya said finally. "I've never experienced it. I'm not exactly an exceptional mage, so… it's never come up."
Subaru squinted at him. "You're saying that with a straight face, but I'm calling BS. You train every day like your life depends on it—of course you're not going to overflow if you're burning it all off on sword swings and flashy moves."
Kaeya gave a faint shrug. "Maybe. I don't know."
Roswaal chuckled. "Traaainiiiing is aaaan effeective foooorm of reguuulaaation, aaafter aaallll. If Kaeya-kun pushes himseeeelf daaaaily, it's only naaaatural his Oooood stays baalaaanced."
Emilia nodded thoughtfully. "It makes sense. He's always so… diligent in his efforts."
That made Kaeya stiffen ever so slightly.
Okay, that's too much focus on me. Shouldn't we change the subject now?
Subaru blinked and gave her a half-squint. "Who even says diligent nowadays?"
Emilia pouted in response, folding her arms like a sulking child.
Subaru turned away with a chuckle, shifting his gaze to Puck. "So, Puck, when was the last time you actually got to use a good chunk of your magic? Just for reference."
"Hmm… that'd probably be when Roswal came to pick up lia from the forest. It's embarrassing to say but i think i caused quite a fuss."
Roswaal chuckled, placing a gloved finger to his chin. "Aaaah, yeeees, thaaaat was quiite the excitiing day! The fiiirst time I toooook part in a laaaarge-scaale maaagic war. Perhaps!"
"You came right at me without an appointment," Puck huffed. "I couldn't believe it!"
They were chatting like it was about the weather. Kaeya watched them, half-incredulous.
"We spent a whole day and night clashing in earnest," Puck added, voice light, like he was reminiscing about a festival.
Subaru turned to Emilia, eyes narrowing. "What actually happened there, Emilia-tan?"
Kaeya looked at her too, now fully invested.
"After that, I heard that the map had to be rewritten," Emilia said with an uneasy smile.
"Okay, that's out too!" Subaru exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. "I reject the strategy of writing a formidable enemy as a friend!"
Emilia blinked. "Eh!?"
"Don't give me that! Don't change the topography because of a fight! Apologize to Inou Tadataka!"
Kaeya tilted his head slightly. Tadataka?
Then Emilia bowed her head, looking genuinely apologetic. "I am sorryyy, Tadataka-san. Am I fine now?"
Emilia's voice softened. "Puck didn't really bother anyone when I was with him in the forest, and I didn't really think the demonic commencing period was that much of a problem. And so… I was in a pickle."
"And then these last few days happened from all that worrying," Subaru said, his tone more understanding now. "I get it, Emilia-tan. You wanted to handle it yourself. But that's exactly when it's okay to rely on everyone else—especially me."
Not bad. He might just pull it off. Kaeya thought.
Subaru began listing names mentally. Kaeya, Emilia, Rem, Ram, Beatrice, even Roswaal… and then the villagers, the children. He was reflecting on how many people he had come to care for—and who cared for him in return.
It seemed that he had increased the amount of acquaintances he had in this world. If that was the case, he wanted to take care of those bonds.
"If the world turned to ruins and we had to start some journey to defeat Devil King Puck, that'd be way too much trouble," Subaru muttered to himself. "So for now, we just need to make some peaceful temporary measures… Oh! That's right."
Emilia's eyes widened slightly. "Subaru, did you think of something weird again?"
"As expected of Subaru-kun. I am impressed," Rem added brightly.
"Those expectations are false starts!"
Subaru gives a wry smile at Emilia, who got her teeth into the matter, and Rem, who was making quick judgements. He walks up to the dining room's window completely filled with clouds, rubs the window with his palm, and looks towards the mansion's courtyard.
"This cold is stuck to the mansion because of Beako's barrier, huh."
"That's right, I suppose," Beatrice confirmed matter-of-factly. "If the chill escaped outside the building, the garden trees and flower beds would become pitiful. That's why I kept the barrier at a moderate extent, I suppose."
"I see you show consideration for the garden. I'll give you props for that one," Subaru said. His voice turned a shade more curious. "By the way, about the barrier—can you tamper with it right now? If you can, then I have a request."
"There's nothing I can't do, I suppose," Beatrice answered with her usual smug confidence. "However, what do you want to do?"
Subaru's grin stretched slowly as he snapped his fingers, one hand still pressed against the window. "Something that is interesting, fun, and crosses over the demonic commencing period, of course."
Kaeya raised a brow, watching how everyone else blinked in surprise—except for Roswaal, who chuckled quietly with one eye closed, seemingly already entertained by the mystery.
"I wooon't object to something thaaat seeems interesting," Roswaal said with his signature drawl. "I aaalso haaappened to be quite intriiigued by the spiritiiism from a few daaays agooo, after aaall. And sooo… what do you have plaaanned for this maaansion and the greeeaaat spirit's demooonic commenceeement period, I wooonder?"
Subaru's eyes gleamed with excitement. "I'll write out the full plan and present the whole project. Back in Hokkaido—well, in a broader sense—it's a festival from my hometown. Let's squander the rest of Puck's mana in a grand way."
"The first ever—Roswaal mansion snow festival!" Subaru declared, pointing dramatically toward the ceiling.
Kaeya stared at him for a long moment.
How the hell did he even come up with an idea like that?
To Kaeya, Subaru seemed like the type of guy who had his moments of intelligence but overall he acted like a complete idiot. But it seemed Subaru had quite a creative mind. Or Maybe the repetitive grind of his old world had choked the spark out of him long before he even ended up in this one.