Back and forth.
Left and right.
Tanaka kept pacing around the Forbidden Library.
He wasn't exploring. He wasn't searching for anything in particular. He simply couldn't sit still.
Beatrice had only been gone for a few minutes, yet somehow, every second seemed to stretch longer than the last.
He glanced toward the door again.
Still nothing.
Tanaka sighed.
"I think it's okay if I go look for her."
He said it aloud, almost as though hearing the words would make the decision feel more reasonable.
It didn't.
Beatrice had specifically told him to stay there.
But waiting had never been one of his strengths.
"...She said she'd be back quickly, though."
He scratched the back of his head.
A few seconds passed.
Tanaka immediately turned toward the door.
"Yeah. I'm going."
He crossed the room and reached for the handle.
The moment he opened the door, however, he nearly walked straight into someone passing through the corridor.
"Tanaka!?"
The surprised voice made him stop.
Standing before him was Emilia.
Her long silver hair cascaded down her back, catching the light from the corridor windows and giving it an almost ethereal glow. Her violet-amethyst eyes were wide with surprise, framed by delicate features that made her resemble something out of a storybook.
Tanaka stared at her for a moment.
"...Emilia."
He quietly repeated her name.
He remembered it.
That was important.
He had only spoken with her once before, yet somehow, her name had remained in his mind.
Emilia smiled slightly.
"Yes. That's right."
Her eyes then drifted past him and into the room.
Her expression immediately changed to one of curiosity.
"Is that Beatrice's library?"
She leaned slightly to the side, trying to get a better look inside.
"It's my first time seeing it."
Her eyes scanned the shelves.
"But where is she?"
"She said she was going to talk with Roswaal."
Tanaka stepped out into the hallway and closed the door behind him.
"She told me to stay here until she came back. But she's taking longer than I expected, so I thought I should go look for her."
In truth, Beatrice hadn't been gone nearly long enough to justify his concern.
Tanaka simply didn't like being alone with nothing to do.
Emilia seemed to notice this.
"Actually, Puck said he had some things to discuss with Beatrice too."
She placed a finger against her chin.
"So they might take a little while."
Tanaka nodded.
"I see."
Emilia suddenly brightened.
"Ah!"
She turned toward the corridor.
"I was actually heading to the garden. I wanted to spend some time with the minor spirits while I waited for Puck."
She looked back at him.
"Would you like to come with me, Tanaka?"
"I'm..."
Tanaka opened his mouth to refuse.
He stopped.
His expression softened.
"Actually..."
He smiled.
"Yeah. I'd love to."
__
___
____
The garden was peaceful.
Sunlight spilled across the grass, painting everything in warm gold. A gentle breeze moved through the trees, carrying the scent of flowers and freshly cut grass throughout the grounds.
Tiny points of blue light drifted through the air, gathering around Tanaka in increasingly large numbers. Some floated near his shoulders. Others rested against his arms or circled around his head.
The sight was strange.
Beautiful, but strange.
"....Ka."
One of the spirits chimed softly.
"....Naka."
Another responded.
More gathered.
The sunlight itself seemed to become brighter as their blue radiance spread across the garden.
It wasn't unusual for spirits to gather around someone with whom they shared a strong affinity. People capable of attracting spirits were often recognized as spirit-art users, or at least as individuals with the potential to become one.
But this...
This was different.
The sheer number of spirits surrounding Tanaka was difficult to comprehend.
And on top of that, this was their first meeting.
"Tanaka."
Her voice finally reached him.
She gently waved a hand in front of his face.
"Tanaka."
His eyes finally opened.
"Hm?"
He blinked several times before realizing that Emilia was looking directly at him.
"Ah."
He smiled sheepishly.
"Sorry. I lose concentration when I do this."
Emilia tilted her head.
"What are you doing, anyway?"
Tanaka looked at the spirits surrounding him.
"They're helping me restore the mana I lost earlier."
He glanced toward the tiny spirits.
"It's kind of a symbiotic relationship."
Emilia's expression became more serious.
"Restore your mana?"
"Yeah."
Tanaka looked down at his hand.
"On my own, I can't replenish it properly."
He could use mana.
He could even release enormous quantities of it.
But he couldn't naturally draw mana from the atmosphere the way ordinary people did.
His gate purified whatever mana entered his body, meaning mana poisoning was practically a foreign concept to him.
But mana was still a form of life force.
Whenever he exhausted himself, he needed some external source to replenish what he had lost.
Fortunately, the minor spirits seemed more than willing to help.
"As long as I have them around, I can recover."
Emilia nodded slowly.
"You said earlier that you don't have an Od."
"You said earlier that you don't have Od but I don't understand how are you fine..." Then her eyes widen and her tone was laced with panic as she remembered what happened earlier, "Wait are you actually fine?!"
Emilia leaned toward him. "I saw you coughing blood."
Tanaka stared at her for a moment before realizing what she meant.
"Oh that."
He waved his hand dismissively and he chuckled awkwardly.
"It happened because I forcefully opened my gate."
"I did it to let the mana flow outside for Beatrice to know that I'm not an enemy. I can always replenish my gate back thanks to the lesser spirits and as long as I don't open my gate recklessly like before, I should be okay."
Emilia remained silent.
"...Is that so?"
"Yeah."
She didn't immediately respond.
Instead, she stared at him.
Tanaka noticed.
Her expression had become thoughtful, almost hesitant.
"Is something the matter?"
"Huh?"
Emilia blinked.
"Oh. Um..."
She looked away.
For a moment, she seemed to struggle with whether she should ask what was on her mind.
Eventually, she did.
"When you saw me..."
She paused.
"And even now..."
Her fingers nervously played with the edge of her dress.
"You didn't say anything about my appearance."
Tanaka stared at her.
"...Your appearance?"
"Yes."
He blinked.
"Ah."
He understood.
"I mean..."
He scratched the side of his face.
"It's not that I didn't have anything to say., it's just that I didn't want to sound rude."
Emilia's shoulders dropped slightly.
"Oh..."
There was a faint disappointment in her voice.
"I mean... It's undeniable that you're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen."
"But saying something like that right after meeting you..."
Tanaka shrugged.
"I didn't want you to think I was some weird guy who immediately comments on a girl's appearance."
Emilia stared at him.
"...Huh?"
Tanaka stared back.
"...Did I say something weird?"
Her voice became quieter.
"I don't think you noticed, but I'm also a half-elf."
Tanaka tilted his head.
"A half-elf?"
"Yes."
"So one of your parents was human and the other was an elf?"
Emilia nodded.
"Yes."
She paused.
"But... I don't know who my parents are..."
Tanaka looked at her.
"I see."
There was no judgment in his expression.
Then he smiled.
"Same here."
Emilia froze.
She stared at him.
For several seconds, Tanaka simply looked back at her, completely unaware of what the conversation was about.
Then...
"Pft..."
A tiny sound escaped Emilia.
Tanaka frowned.
"...What?"
Emilia covered her mouth.
"Pfft..."
She tried to hold it in.
She failed.
"Pfft—ahhahaha!"
"Hey! What's so funny?!"
That only made her laugh harder.
She turned her face away, trying desperately to regain her composure.
"I'm sorry!"
She wiped at the corner of her eye.
She took a deep breath.
Eventually, her laughter faded.
But the smile remained.
Tanaka watched her quietly.
He didn't know what had been so funny.
He didn't know why she had reacted that way.
But Emilia did.
She had spent her entire life being treated differently because of what she looked like.
Silver hair.
Violet eyes.
Pointed ears.
A half-elf.
All reminders of the Witch of Envy.
No matter how kind someone was, no matter how carefully they spoke, Emilia had grown accustomed to seeing that hesitation in their eyes.
The subtle shift in expression.
She looks like her.
She's a half-elf.
She has the Witch's hair.
She had learned to expect it.
But Tanaka hadn't done any of that.
He hadn't even known there was anything unusual about her appearance.
When she told him she was a half-elf, his first response had been a simple question about her parents.
Emilia looked at him again.
Her smile softened.
Maybe it was because of his amnesia.
Maybe it was because he genuinely didn't know enough about the world to make those assumptions.
But none of that changed how she felt.
For the first time in a very long time, Emilia felt as though someone was simply talking to Emilia.
For a while, the two of them remained beneath the tree.
Eventually, Tanaka broke the silence.
"Can I ask you something?"
Emilia looked toward him.
"Of course."
"I saw that spirit earlier. The one who looks like a cat."
Tanaka tilted his head.
"Is he always with you?"
"Ah, you mean Puck."
A fond smile appeared on Emilia's face.
"Yes. He's my contracted spirit."
Tanaka nodded.
He had already guessed as much.
There was something about the way Puck stayed close to Emilia that made their relationship obvious, even without knowing anything about spirits.
"It's just..."
Tanaka hesitated.
"I did talk with Beatrice earlier, but our conversation ended up going in unclear direction..."
Emilia studied his expression.
She was about to ask whether he wanted her to explain when a thought suddenly crossed her mind.
"Do you perhaps want to—"
Before Emilia could finish, a familiar voice echoed across the garden.
"Hey! Didn't Betty tell you to wait in the library, I suppose?!"
Emilia followed his gaze.
Walking toward them was Beatrice, her tiny figure moving briskly across the garden with Puck floating beside her. Her cheeks were slightly puffed, and her expression made it painfully obvious that she was displeased.
Tanaka's face immediately brightened.
"Beatrice!"
The moment she heard the cheerful tone in his voice, Beatrice's irritation faltered.
She had expected to find him wandering around because he had ignored her instructions.
Instead, he looked genuinely happy to see her.
"...You're back."
Beatrice narrowed her eyes.
"What are you doing here, in fact?"
Before Tanaka could answer, Emilia raised her hand slightly.
"Actually, Beatrice, it was my fault."
Beatrice looked toward her.
"I asked Tanaka to come with me. I was going to spend some time with the minor spirits while waiting for Puck."
Tanaka shook his head, "I also came here to replenish my mana."
"Replenish your mana?"
"Yeah."
Beatrice froze.
Her expression changed almost immediately.
But how? Without an Od, how could he...
Tanaka scratched the back of his head.
"I forgot to mention that part. There are other ways for me to restore it. The minor spirits can share their mana with me, and I can also absorb raw mana directly from mana crystals."
Beatrice remained speechless.
It was absurd.
There was no conventional explanation for it.
A person without an Od shouldn't be capable of functioning normally, much less replenishing their mana through completely abnormal means.
But then again...
Tanaka himself was abnormal, he wasn't a human after all.
After a moment, Beatrice shook her head.
"In any case, you don't need to worry about that anymore."
She walked directly toward him.
"You simply need to make a contract with Betty."
Tanaka blinked.
"Huh?"
"If you're going to stay here, then Betty will provide you with the mana you need."
Her expression was completely serious.
"That is what Betty was created to do, I suppose."
Emilia's eyes widened.
Puck's expression changed as well.
Even Tanaka seemed caught off guard.
Beatrice placed a hand against her chest.
"Then you won't have to rely on those minor spirits anymore. Betty can supply you with everything you need."
Tanaka stared at her.
Then he slowly shook his head.
"I don't want that."
Beatrice's eyes widened.
"...Huh?"
"I don't want to simply take mana from you."
Tanaka's voice was calm, but firm.
"That's clearly unfair."
Beatrice's expression tightened.
"It has nothing to do with whether it's fair or unfair!"
She pointed at herself.
"This is Betty's duty! It's the reason Betty has waited all these years!"
Tanaka frowned.
"You're misunderstanding something." He looked down at his hands. "It's true that I can't replenish my mana on my own. But if I don't, it isn't necessarily a problem."
"Unlike everyone else, I don't need to expel mana from my gate because it's too pure, I don't remember who told me that but that's the case. So as long as I don't willingly let the mana I stored out like earlier or deplete my gate with magic, I don't have to absorb anymore."
Beatrice stared at him.
"But..."
What about her? What is she supposed to do?
"That being said, I still I want to make a contract with you."
Beatrice stared at him with confusion, he was contradicting himself.
"I know I have a lot of problems because of my memories and everything but I can be useful. You know other spirits share their mana with me and I can also absorb the raw mana from gemstones and transform them inside my gate so I can share it with you."
"WAIT! Wait a moment I suppose!" She started waving her hands in agitation, "What is this deal that makes Beatrice look shameless."
"Hey! I know that I don't remember anything but..."
"That's not the problem..."
"Deep down that I know that I care about you more than anything... And I want to stay with you no matter what..."
"Betty is..."
She felt the same too, the amount of salvation that she felt when she heard that he was that person, when she found out more or less how much of a kind person he is.
Her voice trembled slightly.
"Betty feels the same."
Tanaka smiled.
"But there's still no way Betty will accept such a one-sided arrangement, in fact!"
Her expression suddenly became determined.
"If we're going to make a contract, Betty has to contribute as well."
Tanaka blinked.
"But—"
"Enough."
Beatrice puffed out her cheeks.
Tanaka stared at her.
Then he sighed.
Emilia, who had been quietly listening to the entire exchange, suddenly raised her hand.
"Um..."
Everyone turned toward her.
She smiled.
"In that case, I have an idea."
*********************************************************************************************************
After a considerable amount of bickering—and more than a few arguments over what exactly constituted a "fair" contract—Tanaka and Beatrice eventually found themselves agreeing to Emilia's suggestion.
The solution was surprisingly simple.
Rather than creating a rigid master-and-servant arrangement, they would establish a set of rules between themselves, much like the agreement Emilia had with Puck.
And after several revisions and arguments,
the final contract ended up looking like this:
- Tanaka would choose Beatrice's hairstyle every morning.
- Tanaka could interact with the lesser spirits whenever he wished, primarily to replenish his mana reserves.
- Beatrice would replenish her own mana reserves through Tanaka whenever possible, though she was permitted to draw mana from other sources if necessary.
- Tanaka and Beatrice would spend ninety percent of their time together.
That last rule had originally been one hundred percent.
It had been reduced after Beatrice attempted to follow Tanaka into the bathroom.
Over the following three days, the atmosphere within the mansion underwent something of a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree shift.
And, surprisingly enough, it was an overwhelmingly positive one.
For the first time, probably since most residents in the mansion became residents. they began seeing Beatrice outside the Forbidden Library on a regular basis.
Instead, she was everywhere.
And almost always, Tanaka was right beside her.
They read together.
They ate together.
They wandered through the mansion together.
They even visited the village together.
It became so common that seeing one without the other began to feel strange.
Even more unexpectedly, Beatrice had begun getting along with Emilia.
Whenever Emilia took a break from her studies, she would sometimes join them for tea or simply sit nearby Tanaka and they chat with other spirits.
The mansion, which had once felt quiet and somewhat distant, had become noticeably livelier.
And much of that change could be traced back to one person who didn't even realize he was responsible for it.
"Tanaka... I don't know what suddenly got into you."
"But in the end, you just made a mess of the kitchen and then made Betty clean it with you, in fact."
Tanaka scratched his cheek.
"But you see the potential, right? It will click eventually, I just need a few more trials and errors."
This morning he suddenly felt the urge to cook something.
His hands moved efficiently, he knew how to use a knife and other tools but his mind wasn't following.
He had no idea what he was doing but the intention was to bake something sweet that she would like.
Tanaka walked alongside Beatrice through one of the mansion's long hallways.
The polished floor reflected the moonlight spilling through the windows.
Up ahead, the twin maids were walking toward them.
Tanaka lifted a hand in greeting.
"Hey."
Ram and Rem stopped.
The two maids turned toward them and bowed simultaneously.
"Greetings, Beatrice-Sama. Tanaka-Sama."
Tanaka blinked.
There hadn't been many interactions between him and the twin maids since the incident on the day he had first arrived.
Perhaps because of that, he still felt somewhat awkward around them.
"Hey, you don't have to call me 'sama.'"
Tanaka waved his hands dismissively.
"I don't really have any status that would justify it."
Beatrice immediately looked at him.
"That's nonsense. You're Betty's contractor. That gives you a higher status than anyone else in this mansion, in fact."
Tanaka sighed.
"Beatrice, what did we say about looking down on other people?"
"Betty isn't looking down on anyone, I suppose."
She folded her arms.
"Betty is simply making Tanaka aware of his position."
Tanaka rubbed his forehead.
He found Beatrice's attitude cute, but he still wanted to establish something resembling a normal relationship with everyone in the mansion.
Ram and Rem exchanged a glance.
After a moment, they both nodded.
"I see. Understood, then, Tanaka-kun."
"I see. Understood, then, Tanuki-kun."
Tanaka's face brightened.
"Yes, that's better—"
He paused.
"...Wait."
He slowly turned toward Ram.
"That's worse!"
Ram's expression remained completely unchanged, it was hard to tell if it was intentional.
Tanaka groaned.
Still, as the four continued standing there, the atmosphere was surprisingly comfortable.
Until Tanaka suddenly stopped.
His expression changed.
The playful smile disappeared.
His eyes narrowed.
Beatrice noticed immediately.
"Tanaka?"
He didn't answer.
Instead, he took another step toward the twins.
Then another.
His attention had shifted entirely toward Rem.
Without saying a word, Tanaka reached out and gently took her hand.
Rem blinked.
"Tanaka-kun?"
Tanaka carefully turned her hand over.
There was a small wound near her wrist.
It was already beginning to heal, but something about it bothered him.
Rem looked down at the wound.
"It's nothing to be concerned about. A puppy bit me when Nee-sama and I went into the village to purchase groceries."
Tanaka didn't respond.
His expression didn't soften.
Rem tilted her head.
Before she could respond, Tanaka turned.
"Beatrice."
The little girl immediately understood.
She stepped forward and examined Rem's hand.
Her expression changed.
"...Remnants of a curse."
Ram's eyes widened.
"A curse?"
Rem looked surprised.
"Nee-sama..."
Tanaka's expression became serious.
"Can you get rid of it?"
Beatrice nodded.
"Of course."
She raised her tiny hand over the wound.
A faint glow gathered around her fingers.
Then, slowly, something dark began to seep from Rem's skin.
A thin cloud of black smoke rose from the wound, twisting in the air before being drawn toward Beatrice's hand.
The curse resisted for a moment.
Then it vanished.
Beatrice lowered her hand.
"There. It's gone, I suppose."
Tanaka immediately smiled.
He reached over and gently patted her head.
"Thank you."
Beatrice's expression softened instantly, her cheeks puffed slightly as she tried to maintain her dignity.
Tanaka smiled.
Then his attention returned to Rem.
"You said a puppy bit you?"
Rem nodded.
Tanaka frowned.
"Where?"
"In the village."
Ram's expression suddenly became serious.
"That puppy may have been a Witch Beast."
The words immediately changed the atmosphere.
Rem's eyes widened.
"Nee-sama... The village could be in danger."
Ram knew that.
The timing was terrible, Roswaal was currently absent from the mansion and if the animal really was a Witch Beast, there was no telling what could happen if it remained inside the village.
Tanaka's expression hardened.
"Everyone stays here."
He looked at Ram and Rem.
"I'll go to the village."
Beatrice was already clutching the hem of his clothing.
"Betty is coming with you."
"But..."
"No buts." Beatrice looked toward Tanaka. "I'm not modifying the contract again."
Her expression made it obvious that she had no intention of letting him go alone.
Tanaka sighed.
He had expected this.
There was absolutely no chance Beatrice would simply remain behind after hearing there might be danger.
"...Fine."
He crouched slightly so they were closer to eye level.
"But you stay with me. You don't leave my side, no matter what happens."
Beatrice nodded.
Tanaka then looked toward the twins.
"Ram, Rem, go check on Emilia. Make sure she's safe."
Tanaka turned toward the nearest window.
Before Ram could ask what he intended to do, Tanaka suddenly scooped Beatrice up into his arms.
"Wait!"
Ram took a step forward.
Tanaka pushed the window open.
Cold night air immediately rushed into the hallway, causing the curtains to billow behind them.
Ram's eyes widened.
"Murak."
Beatrice calmly raised one hand.
A surge of magic surrounded the two of them.
Tanaka stepped through the open window, and then they began to descend slowly, floating away from the mansion and into the night sky.
For one brief moment, the pair simply hung in the air.
*********************************************************************************************************A man was sitting in his desk in the middle of the day organizing some papers, the man could be said to be handsome, although the excessive makeup on his face would suggest otherwise.
The door to his office was open and someone knocked nevertheless before walking in.
"Oyaaa, it's quite rare for you to visit my office in the middle of the week. For what do I oweeeeee the pleasure Emiliaaaaaaa-Sama."
"It's nothing major Roswaal... Which I would like to say but it's something that concerns the royal selection as well."
As the silver haired girl gave her response, Roswaal became serious for a moment, until he recounted the events that occurred a few days ago.
After he gathered his thoughts for a moment there, a grin was formed on his face and his responded, "Does it also conceeeern Tanaka-Kun?"
"Huh?" Emilia was taken aback.
"I mean it's indeed understandable given how close the royal selection is. But are you certain with your choice?"
Emilia earlier surprise faded and she then nodded with conviction, "Yes, it's not just the royal selection. What happened a week ago in the capital, if it wasn't for Reinhard saving me, I wouldn't have made it. And that made me realize how much I need a knight."
At this point, every single royal candidate had a knight by their side, she already met them all and it was only she stood out in more than one bad way.
At first she thought about asking Reinhard. Afterall, he was nice and his strength wasn't something that even needed to be discussed, especially after he saved her in the loot house.
But at the end of the day, she knew Reinhard would accept being her knight not because he wants to but rather because he would think it would be rude to refuse.
There was simply no better choice.
Tanaka was strong, reliable and above all else...
He wasn't afraid of her and the two really got along.
With a self determined nod, her gaze met Roswaal's and she spoke up, "There isn't anyone better to be my knight other than Tanaka."