2
“This is kinda random, but what are everyone’s thoughts on poltergeists here?”
The question suddenly slipped out of Subaru’s mouth at the breakfast table just after everyone had finished eating. Since all the faces of the mansion were there, in a way, meals were meaningful times during which everyone could chat. Most matters—such as giving Rem the entire day off a little while ago—originated during this time of day.
And this morning was no exception. Subaru’s innocent question landed the eyes of everyone at the table on him.
“Rem, Rem, Barusu brought up something trivial again.”
“Sister, Sister, that is Subaru’s strength.”
“Is it a strength, I wonder? We all know it’s something bothersome or difficult.”
Everyone was familiar with this banter by then. After the twins exchanged a couple of words, Beatrice sighed and added her two cents.
Then the man seated at the head of the table clapped his hands merrily and replied to the girls. “Weeell, it sounds like somebody’s got another amusing idea.”
With clownish makeup, a bizarre suit, an eccentric manner of speech, a quirky personality, and a sensitivity well-deviated from the norm, Roswaal L Mathers was the one-in-a-million weirdo.
“With young Subaru here giving us a novel topic of conversation every morning, there’s neeeever a dull moment around here. A stagnant routine stagnates personal growth, my friends. I was taught that stagnation was one of the most cursed sins, you know.”
“Uh, my question isn’t as grand as you’re making it sound, but just wait—I am gonna grow up big and strong.”
After a verbal exchange that could have been sarcastic or sincere, Subaru gave a panoramic look at all the faces around the table and said, “So—back to my original question. I want to talk about ghosts in general. Disclaimer: I don’t really believe in all that occult stuff, so I usually skip the summer ghost story specials on TV.”
Just to make it perfectly clear, Subaru was not afraid of ghosts in any shape or form. When it came to the occult, Subaru was surprisingly a realist who was dismissive of it. Don’t believe anything unless it’s scientifically proven—that was his mantra. It was a sentiment quite typical of today’s youth.
“I do believe in other worlds since I was summoned to one. Also, I believe in kappas because I saw one when I was a kid. I mean, I saw an old guy with dark green skin washing plates by a dirty river. That’s basically a kappa.”
“Er, I can’t speak for the, what was it, cupper? But…um, anyway, what exactly are you talking about, Subaru?”
So, even in another world, his firsthand eyewitness account of the kappa wasn’t taken seriously. Subaru’s shoulders slumped in disappointment, but beside him, Emilia got a curious look in her eyes. She pressed a finger to her cheek, gave an adorable head tilt, and said, “I’ve never heard of a poltergeist…is it some kind of cake?”
“Somebody’s excited for dessert—you really told on yourself there. Anyway, you haven’t heard of poltergeists? Dude, I guess this world’s lore just doesn’t have much metaphysical stuff in it.”
“Poltergeists…kappa…megafiscal…are these more words that only you know, Subaru?” Emilia asked, confused by the strange words.
“The first two aside, the last one sounds like something you’d only hear in a boardroom.”
From the confused look on Emilia’s face, Subaru deemed she didn’t have any point of reference. So he tried Rem next. “Rem, haven’t you heard of ghosts like that? Their bodies are half-transparent. At least where I come from, they wear white clothes and a triangular headpiece on their forehead as they fly around.”
“I’m sorry, Subaru, but I haven’t heard of them either…though I would be frightened if I encountered something like that.”
“I agree with Rem. An oddball who flies? Hah! If you’re pulling my leg, I’ll slap you to the ground, Barusu.”
“I’ve seen Roswaal flying around recently—how do you feel about that?” was Subaru’s retort.
“It is very precious because ordinary people are incapable of it. Show some respect, Barusu.”
As Ram brazenly put her master on a pedestal, Subaru wearily glanced at Roswaal. The latter shrugged and said, “Aww, don’t look at me with such hopeful sparkles in your eyes! Fine, fine, I’ll take you for a fly in my arms sometime. Hooow does that sound?”
“Dude, you’re so off-base—you really think I had sparkles in my eyes?!”
“Only joking. Besides, poltergeist and kappa…these words are unfamiliar to the people of Lugunica. As far as I know, those sorts of words are only used in the Kararagi city-states. I myself am not that knowledgeable. However, I believe I’ve heard them on occasion before.”
After Roswaal voiced his point of reference, Emilia nodded in understanding. “Oh, so they’re Kararagi words. You know, Subaru, you tend to be well-versed in the strangest trivia. So I guess it’s not all that strange that you would know these Kararagi words.”
On the one hand, Subaru was grateful to have gained Emilia’s trust, but it irked him that a strange misunderstanding had gotten her there. Still, Subaru set this feeling aside and pondered the meager reactions around the table.
In his world, poltergeists and other supernatural creatures were widely known, regardless of any individual’s belief in them actually existing. The idea that the dead become spirits had taken root in ancient history.
The dead and living, bonds and souls—Subaru understood that they were inseparable from the concept of life and death.
“Oh—is it because spirits exist here? Come to think of it, the lights of lesser spirits I see in the garden at night do seem to kinda fit the spooky vibe.”
“Wait a minute—so you’re saying they’re the same as spirits? But spirits are their own thing…aren’t they?”
Roswaal replied, “No, no, Lady Emilia, I believe what Subaru is talking about is something more along the lines of hollows.”
At that moment, Subaru sensed the air freezing and crackling. Emilia froze with a smile on her face when Roswaal said the word. But she wasn’t the only one who froze. It was also Rem and Ram, of course, but Beatrice too, her apathetic frown stuck on her face.
Subaru looked at the girls in shock before turning to Roswaal and asking, “Sooo…what are hollows?”
“In short, a hollow is formed when a deceased person has regrets or a lingering attachment to the world of the living. Unable to return to Odo Ragna, they continue to roam our world… I suppose that’s the best explanation.”
“Oh, yeah, that’s basically the same. Okay, so they’re just called hollows here.”
After hearing Roswaal’s explanation, Subaru sighed in satisfaction now that everything was clicking into place. However—while the two men were satisfied, an intense wave of emotion ran through the girls in the room. Emilia was looking particularly pale, her thin fingers trembling as she softly touched Subaru’s shoulder.
“S-Subaru, so are those strange things you mentioned really…hollows?”
“Sounds like it, yeah. But now it all makes sense to me. And it doesn’t matter anyway.”
“If it doesn’t matter, why did you want to talk about hollows? That doesn’t make sense. You must have some reason… Oh, I know. You’ve seen a hollow, Subaru. You saw it at the mansion. That must be why you’re suddenly interested in them. Oh geez, why did you have to bring it up so casually like that? If only I hadn’t realized what you were really talking about, I could have remained blissfully ignorant—you’re terrible, Subaru. I hate you, hate you, hate you. You’re scared of hollows, so you want to drag us all into the terror with you—!”
“Dang, Emilia-tan, that’s some paranoia you’ve got there!”
Her emotions were getting the better of her, and Emilia rambled deliriously fast and violently shook Subaru’s shoulders. And amidst his surprise, Subaru managed to gently smile at her.
“Don’t worry, you’ll be safe! And if the worst happened and I got caught up in some supernatural shenanigans, you’d be the last person to fall victim. Emilia-tan—Beako would be my first sacrifice.”
“And why are you dropping Betty’s name there, I wonder!”
“Are you sure? Are you sure you’re sure? Would Beatrice really be your first sacrifice?”
“How dare you try to sneak that in while everything is happening! Do you both want to be blasted out the window, I wonder?!”
“Yes, I cannot accept that,” Rem cut in. “No matter what you face, Subaru, your first sacrifice should always be me. Not Lady Beatrice!”
“Why must I suffer such humiliation?! Graaah, I suppose!”
Between Emilia’s uncharacteristically cruel choice, Rem’s self-sacrificing offer, and Beatrice’s screeching, the conversation had fallen completely off the rails.
Emilia stared at Subaru with teary eyes as the chaos relentlessly ensued and said, “Could it be…that you know a lot about hollows? That you…you know…know lots of scary stories about them? Like you do with stars?”
“Oh, not even slightly. All I know about is Manor of the Dishes, the story about regrets from a broken plate; or Ghost Story of Yotsuya, the story of betrayal, resentment, and insanity; or Hoichi the Earless, the story about the musician who forgot to write on his ears and got his ears ripped off…”
“Oh dear…ohdearohdearohdear…”
“Subaruuu? As Lady Emilia is about to faint, can we leave it at that?”
Emilia was just so cute when she was scared that Subaru couldn’t help but get excited. At Roswaal’s rebuke, Subaru smiled sheepishly and gently patted Emilia on the shoulder. “Just kidding, just kidding. I’ve never seen a hollow at this mansion, and I’ve only had a mysterious encounter just that once…Well, that’s a lie, but it has nothing to do with hollows.”
“B-but Subaru…didn’t you just mention cuppers and megafiscal a minute ago?”
“The kappa in question was an old man with an unhealthy complexion living by the river, and metaphysical is just another word for supernatural.”
Subaru gave a silent apology to his proud boyhood memory. Emilia was much more precious to him than that now.
His efforts to calm her down paid off. The turmoil gradually left Emilia’s heart. Now calm, Emilia’s face turned red as she said, “Listen, Subaru? I think you’re misunderstanding something. I’m not at all scared of hollows. I’m just…a tad bothered by them.”
“A large-sized tad?”
“No, a tad-sized tad! Ugh, I hate you, Subaru! You’re so mean!”
Emilia fumed with anger, but naturally, her words were not at all convincing. Pacifying the still fuming Emilia, Subaru turned to the other girls and said, “Hey, you all froze, too—could it be that you…?”
“Could it be that I—what? I don’t understand unless your sentence has a proper subject. Your foolish ineptitude for question-asking has lost you your chance at getting an answer. The matter is closed.”
“From that candid response, it’s painfully obvious this is a sore topic for you!”
Ram cursed Subaru’s quip with a barb that was three times thornier than usual. Rem softly stepped protectively before her sister and shook her head at Subaru.
“It’s not what you think, Subaru. My sister is not scared of hollows. It’s just, fighting enemies that don’t have a physical form is confusing… I feel the same way.”
“Wait, so they bother you because you can’t beat them up?!”
“Fighting to protect others is also a part of my and my sister’s jobs,” Rem explained. “Don’t worry, Subaru. If a hollow did come to the mansion, I would put my life on the line to protect you.”
“Wow, that escalated quickly…”
What had started out as an innocent question quickly evolved into a solemn discussion of life-and-death situations. Unlike Emilia, who was conceptually scared, the twins’ dislike of hollows was not at all endearing.
“Okay, Beako, so I bet that frozen frown on your face is from fear. Having trouble going to the bathroom in the middle of the night?”
“Would you please stop treating me like a little child? I mean, there’s no way that I, Betty, could possibly be scared of something silly like hollows.”
“Then why are you acting so snippy about it? Something stuck in your teeth?”
“Don’t get me riled up for some nonsensical reason! If you must know…I don’t like hollows because they dim the light of the truly precious life forms, I suppose.”
“What is truly precious… Ohh, now I get it.” Subaru nodded, the reason behind Beatrice’s anger becoming clear to him. “It’s because spirits and ghosts have a similar vibe. Now I can see why you’re pissed.”
“How dare hollows—beings that don’t exist—degrade the light of all spirits? It’s infuriating.” Beatrice grumpily crossed her arms, her ego thoroughly wounded.
Earlier, Subaru thought it highly likely that people mistook spirits for hollows. But in actual fact, Subaru was probably the only one who made the logical leap from spirits to ghosts.
Emilia’s eyes shot open. “Then…was Puck a hollow all along?! And I trusted you!”
“You cry out, I fly out, with a meow-meow-meowww! Wait, Lia, what’s wrong? Why are you crying? Who did this to you?! I’ll give them a piece of my mind!”
“You did this to me, Puck!”
“Damn me, stupid, stupid, stupid Puck! —There, that good?”
Back in an uproar, Emilia proceeded to do a comedy routine with Puck in physical form. As a spirit mage, Emilia should have known better than anyone what made spirits and hollows different. It also made it possible for Emilia to be on the extreme end of the terror spectrum.
“But I’m kinda surprised everybody here doesn’t like hollows,” Subaru said. “Though your reasons for disliking them are all different.”
“I think your conceptualization of ghosts and the like differs from the hollows we know,” Roswaal explained. “At the very least, as far as we know, hollows are not well received by living beings. Animated corpses on the battlefield, evil spirits cursing the living…those are the bulk of the examples we can think of.”
“Animated corpses and curses, eh? Yeah, in a world with magic, neither of those things is a laughing matter.”
Subaru had real-life experience with curses, so Roswaal’s examples hit a little too close to home. Subaru took another look at the uneasy faces of the girls. Not a trace of their peaceful breakfast fifteen minutes ago remained. Subaru’s innocent question about hollows had smashed the mood to pieces.
If everyone left the table now, they would be left with a bad taste in their mouths. And so—
“Okay—I’ve got a proposal!”
Kicking off his chair to his feet, Subaru struck a pose and pointed at the ceiling. As everyone looked on in surprise, Subaru whirled his outstretched arm and said, “It seems like you all got the wrong idea, so let me explain. I didn’t intend to scare you by bringing up hollows. Please, just understand that.”
“So those stories about yo-chew-ya, the itchy hoes, and metafiscal…?”
“Just forget everything I said—including what sounds like a financial buzzword. It’s a big misunderstanding. They’re all fiction!”
The word “fiction” brought a wave of relief to Emilia’s face. While Subaru wondered if he could have handled it better, he decided he would at least take advantage of the fact that Emilia was now ready to listen to him.
“Anyway, they’re all fiction…but I don’t like the idea of this conversation ending with me just scaring you all and giving you a bad time. I mean, that would just make me a basic bad guy!”
“That ship has already sailed, I suppose,” Beatrice snorted. “There’s simply no way you can turn the mood around after bringing up hollows.”
Subaru stuck up his thumb and loudly declared, “Allow me to remove that prejudice from your mind, Beako—with necromancy!”
Emilia tilted her head. “Neck-o-fancy?”
Smiling softly at her ignorance of the vocabulary word, Subaru repeated, “That’s right, necromancy! Where I’m from, the word means ‘magic that brings spirits to Earth.’ And by spirits, we mean ghosts! In other words, necromancy is a ritual that summons hollows!”
Subaru’s out-of-the-blue proposal brightened the complexions of everyone in the room in harmony.
“Summon hollows—is that even possible?!”
“Oh, there’s a hack and trick for every problem, Emilia-tan. Even if it is just a trick, pretend I’m right and give it a go. The worst you’ll be is tricked.”
“Is it just me, or are you setting me up to be tricked?” Emilia muttered in bewilderment.
“But is it really all right for us to do something like this? Won’t there be trouble?” Rem demanded, zooming in closer and closer to Subaru’s face. “Hollows are evil beings—that’s what most people believe. It’s not that I don’t want to trust you, Subaru, but I’m just considering the worst-case scenario…”
“Now, now, hold your horses,” Subaru said. “What makes hollows and ghosts scary in the first place? The unknown, right? So if we can lure them to us with necromancy, we’ll learn more about them, and our fears will partly wither away.”
“Even if only part of my fears remain, we’ll still be scared of them!”
“Rem…are you scared of hollows after all?”
Though Rem didn’t show it in her face, she actually might have been scared of the spooks. She walked over to Emilia and put an arm around her shaking shoulders, but this act of motherly kindness was starting to look like a desperate way to distract herself from her own fears.
“Hmph, so you do say meaningful things sometimes, I suppose.”
“Whoa, talk about unlikely allies. Are you on my side now, Beako?” Subaru asked, surprised by her unexpected vote of confidence.
Her arms still crossed, Beatrice snorted and said, “There’s a thing or two I’d like to say to hollows, given the opportunity. And if we can use this necromancy of which you speak to summon the little bastards here, then I’m game, I suppose.”
Her face filled with aggressive intent, Beatrice burned with desire for necromancy. And so, knowing she genuinely wasn’t opposed to the idea, Subaru turned lastly to Roswaal.
The man with the final say in the matter looked at Subaru, graciously spread his arms wide, and said, “Very well, then. Do as you please, I say. To be honest, if it can really summon hollows, I’m personally intrigued by this necromancy business. I would absoluuuutly love to behold it.”
“That’s the spirit, Rozchi! You get me, man!” Subaru was ecstatic to get permission from his understanding master. “Let’s get ready to do some necromancy! And turn those frowns upside down—it’s not that difficult to prepare. Just get a big piece of white paper, a quill, and a coin.”
“That’s incredibly cheap. I’m skeptical.”
“Ease of preparation is the main selling point of instant necromancy. Where I’m from, it was a crazy popular trend for a while.”
“So you played with hollows in your hometown? Everyone there must be really brave…”
With a vague smile at Emilia’s misplaced awe, Subaru declined to elaborate. If he told Emilia about the conditions under which this brand of necromancy took off, it would only scare her again.
After all, this form of necromancy produced extreme results at times, leaving deep scars in the hearts of many boys and girls. According to rumors, it was banned as a result.
In Subaru’s homeland, this ritual had a name.
“Hear ye, hear ye. I hereby declare the Roswaal Manor’s first ritual…with Kokkuri!”
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