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IRZ: ALTTC Chapter 16
🕑 Added 2025-04-15 03:00:07 +0000 UTCChapter 16. Roswaal L. Mathers's First Appearance
~Inside of the Theater~
"Hah?! The hell kinda trainin’ is this?! Boss’s keepin’ secrets from me! The Great Garfiel’s gotta learn this too!"
Garfiel scrambled to mimic Subaru’s movements, his excitement barely contained.
"Pfft… radio calisthenics? Damn, that takes me back."
Al chuckled, rubbing the back of his helmet as nostalgia hit him.
"Quite the peculiar motions, aren’t they?"
Anastasia tilted her head, watching with mild amusement.
"Hmph… acceptable. A decent warm-up."
Wilhelm crossed his arms, giving a firm nod of approval.
"Ah, radio calisthenics… my darling does them every morning with Rem and the children."
Natsuki Rem’s voice softened with fond remembrance.
At that, Rem immediately perked up, eyes sparkling as she turned to her alternate self.
"E-Excuse me! How does Rem… I mean, how do Subaru-kun and I do them together?"
Her eagerness was palpable, cheeks faintly pink as she leaned forward in anticipation.
【 "I saw you upstairs... You seemed quite senile."
Subaru and the others finish their walk, and Subaru also learned about the mansion's owner, Roswaal, from Emilia.
Now, they were heading to the dining room.
Seeing Beatrice's disdain for his radio calisthenics, he responded:
"Why are you saying such things first thing in the morning? You little loli."
"What does that mean? I've never heard of it, but it's unpleasant."
"It means you're too young to be in my range of targets. I'm not interested in little ones." 】
......
~Inside of the Theater~
"Subaru is lying!"
Beatrice, outside the screen, refuted Subaru's words, puffing out her cheeks.
【 Beatrice in the scene was clearly unaffected by Subaru's words:
"Being so rude to Betty only makes you seem more pathetic."
Subaru ignored Beatrice, looked around, and assumed one of the lower seats was his.
"I might allow you to teach me about dining etiquette, you know."
Subaru said to Beatrice.
"Utter insolence. If you don't know, you should humbly ask for guidance." 】
......
~Inside of the Theater~
"Haha, knowing that guy's personality, if the boss really did that, she'd definitely teach him."
"Shu... shut up."
Beatrice turned her face away, responding to Garfiel with a tsundere attitude.
【 "Rather than bowing my head to you, I'd rather brazenly sit in the seat of honor and get scolded."
Subaru directly sat in the seat of honor. 】
......
~Inside of the Theater~
"This... is beyond improper."
Julius pinched the bridge of his nose, his knightly sensibilities deeply offended by his friend's behavior.
"Tch. With such an ill-mannered Barusu, is it any wonder Ram and Rem treated him poorly at first? ...Not that Ram would be any kinder to him now."
Ram crossed her arms with her usual sharp-tongued disdain.
"Subaru-sama, this is truly..."
Frederica sighed, her ears drooping slightly in secondhand embarrassment. Beside her, Ram merely clicked her tongue in agreement.
"Hmph. I find no issue with him behaving so in that clown's abode."
Priscilla flicked open her fan, her crimson eyes gleaming with amusement.
"Bro... you're seriously making us Earthlings look bad right now."
Al groaned inside his helmet. Even if Subaru didn't know this world's customs, was basic decency too much to ask? Mentally, he disowned his fellow isekai'd companion as an embarrassment to their kind.
【 "Oh well. Let's put the seat aside for now. Don't you have any words of gratitude for Betty?"
"Gratitude? Didn't you shake off my hand when I asked for help? You actually want me to thank you. What kind of education did you receive to come to that conclusion? I'd love to see what your parents look like!" 】
......
~Inside of the Theater~
"Betty was the one who tended to Subaru’s injuries, in fact. It is only natural for Betty to expect some gratitude, I suppose."
Beatrice huffed, crossing her arms with an air of justified pride.
"Though at this point, Subaru likely does not realize... Hm? Subaru claimed Betty shook off his hand?"
Her small brows furrowed slightly as she extended her own plump little hand, remembering—
The warmth of his grasp in the burning mansion. The way she had clung to him then, and how she would never let go again.
...Wait. Mother?
A sharp pang struck her chest.
"Even Subaru has no right to speak of Betty’s mother!"
Her fingers curled into tiny fists as she glared at the screen, a storm of emotions swirling behind her violet eyes. The scene continued, each moment pulling at threads she had long tried to ignore.
【 "Excuse me, guests. I will now serve the meal."
"Excuse me, guests. Here are your utensils and tea."
Salad, bread, tea, these common table companions were placed on the table by Rem and Ram. 】
......
~Inside of the Theater~
"I heard Barusu say Rem's cooking is delicious, and now I see it really is."
Ram proudly puffed out her small chest.
In Ram's memories, which were affected by the Gluttony Archbishop, she had been cooking during Frederica's vacation.
It was a busy and terrible time... but thinking that only she and Roswaal-sama were in the huge mansion, it wasn't so bad.
If this inexplicable matter can end, then with the addition of a cute sister, she will be much more relaxed.
"Sis... Sister-sama, it's all as it should be."
"No need to be humble, Rem-san, it looks really good."
The great senior Frederica gave an affirmative evaluation.
"Oh~it seems it's my turn to appear~"
Roswaal lengthened his words with a grin.
【 "Ah ha—quite energetic—hmm. That's a good—thing, a good—thing."
Roswaal arrived in his clown attire. 】
......
~Inside of the Theater~
"This is quite the shocking entrance."
Otto smiled wryly.
【 "Hmm... do you have to hire a clown to liven things up before every meal? I really don't understand the thinking of rich people."
Subaru clearly misunderstands Roswaal's identity. 】
......
~Inside of the Theater~
"Pathetic Barusu..."
Ram's expression twisted with disdain.
The version of her on screen was clearly struggling to hold back her irritation.
"Well, it's only natural for Natsuki to have this misunderstanding, right?"
Anastasia nodded, showing sympathy for Subaru’s confusion.
"That fool’s constant imitation is to blame, I suppose."
Beatrice huffed, her tone dripping with contempt for Roswaal’s clownish appearance.
Most of those present shared the sentiment, their disdain evident for the way Roswaal mimicked that person.
"...Is he truly that woman’s grandson? Their manner of speech is uncannily similar."
Wilhelm’s thoughts drifted to the late Roswaal J. Mathers.
Though he had found her bothersome, she had often sought him out before his marriage to Theresia. After mentioning it to his wife, it had somehow angered her—yet she had still been a great help.
Moreover, she was the one who told Theresia that I challenged forty elites to prove that I had the strength to take the "sword" from her, which led her to rush to the scene, thereby formally becoming engaged to Theresia.
"Roswaal J. Mathers... I never bid you farewell when you passed. My apologies."
"Hmph..."
Beatrice caught Wilhelm’s quiet murmur.
When Beatrice was in the Sanctuary, she learned that Roswaal had achieved another kind of immortality; Roswaal had always been Roswaal.
Forget it.
Beatrice dismissed the idea of telling Wilhelm that the Roswaal L. Mathers next to him was actually the Roswaal J. Mathers from back then.
"It seems that Wilhelm-san still remembers... Grandmother."
For once, Roswaal didn’t drag out his words, pausing briefly after "remembers," an uncharacteristic hint of sorrow slipping through.
"Of course. She was a benefactor—how could I forget?"
"I~s that so? Had Grandmother lived to see the Sword Demon, as dashing in his twilight as in his youth... she might have pursued you all over again."
Roswaal’s usual theatrical lilt returned, masking the fleeting melancholy.
"Please, spare me the trouble."
"Fufu..."
For a moment, Roswaal’s smile softened, as if recalling the stubborn boy from decades past. Then, just as quickly, he schooled his expression and turned his gaze back to the screen—
