Chapter 103: Knocking, Ram with Confused Memories

Natsuki Subaru set the black Gospel back down on the table, his face heavy as though shrouded by dark clouds.

Imitation Human...?

He'd never heard of one before, but no matter how he looked at it, this simply wasn't the kind of monster that ought to exist in this world.

It was practically like some setting out of those novels and games he'd read before crossing over—an intruder that had no business being here.

Could it be because he'd obtained memories of the future so early on? Something like that thinning out the wall between worlds.

Natsuki Subaru suddenly remembered something.

The Gospel had also mentioned the matter of Ram and Emilia and the others—that their personalities and behavior had become somewhat different, hadn't it?

Natsuki Subaru rubbed his chin. Why did that sound so familiar? Setting aside the memories of the future, ever since he'd crossed over, he'd had the constant feeling that every single person he met was acting off in some way.

Looking at it now, maybe it wasn't that he'd gone crazy, but that the world had.

Shrugging his shoulders, Natsuki Subaru turned around, planning to explore the manor a bit and see whether supplies were sufficient and the like.

After all, his future self had already warned him: right now, as the master of the manor, it was best for him to avoid going outside.

At that thought, Natsuki Subaru suddenly halted his steps, puzzled.

Come to think of it, where had Emilia and the others gone? It couldn't be that...

"Knock, knock, knock!"

Just as Natsuki Subaru was lost in thought, a series of hurried knocks came from the front door on the first floor.

From the sound alone, he could tell that whoever was knocking seemed deeply uneasy at that moment, yet at the same time seemed to be urging the master inside with a hint of displeasure.

"It's almost dark out—why would someone happen to come knocking at a time like this?"

Natsuki Subaru furrowed his brow, doubts rising in his heart.

This was usually the standard setup in horror movies, wasn't it? The first one to show up at your door was always a ghost in disguise, coming to pull some boring first-encounter-kill kind of plot.

Even though he'd thought it through clearly, Natsuki Subaru's body honestly carried him right up to the manor's front door.

Since he'd already braced himself and resolved not to be bewitched by whoever was outside the door.

Then he might as well take a look and see what this so-called Imitation Human monster was really all about—after all, he'd lost his memory now, and he had to recover his past experience of surviving.

The surroundings were very quiet; though the knocking had been hurried, it stopped after just three raps, held back with restraint.

Natsuki Subaru chose not to call out, but instead quietly crept up to the peephole, and after keeping a certain safe distance, narrowed his eyes and looked at the person outside the door.

And the moment he saw that familiar pink figure outside the door, he gave a violent start.

This was... Ram?

Natsuki Subaru's heart instantly surged like churning waves. In the view he'd just caught, Ram, dressed in a female maid's uniform, was standing outside, with only the door between them.

Her gaze, wary and sharp, swept from the corners of her eyes across the shadows and blind spots behind her that grew little by little as the sky darkened, as if she were guarding against something.

Though he didn't know whether it was some kind of rule between survivors, after knocking three times Ram simply stood there in place, waiting quietly and patiently like this.

However, from Natsuki Subaru's vantage point, at this moment the way her two hands unconsciously clenched the hem of her maid's skirt betrayed the tense and anxious heart within her.

It was as if two options had now appeared before Natsuki Subaru's eyes.

One was to call out and ask, letting Ram in. The other was to stay silent and wait for Ram to leave on her own.

However, Natsuki Subaru chose "or"—for him, this wasn't a multiple-choice question where he had to pick one of the two.

He hadn't forgotten his purpose in coming to check at the door: it was to better understand the existence of the Imitation Humans.

He could have a chat with this "Ram" before him and see whether he could coax a few words out of her.

"Ram, are you all right?"

Through the thick, solid door, Natsuki Subaru took the initiative to speak, testing the waters.

"A guest? No... by your way of putting it, I should call you Barusu. Although it feels a little impolite, never mind that—the fact that you came to the door to open it so quickly this time really is wonderful."

Ram pressed her lips together and said a great deal all in one breath, and at the end she clearly gave off the impression of someone who had let out a sigh of relief.

A guest? What was up with that strange way of addressing him?

Natsuki Subaru was utterly bewildered. Although he'd been scrutinizing Ram on the premise that whoever was outside was an Imitation Human, he hadn't expected to lose his composure at the very first thing she said.

It was like a dream-rewind back to his first day at the manor—she'd actually called him a guest?

And even calling it his first day at the manor wasn't quite accurate.

After this latest crossing over, by the time he'd run into Ram in the Slums, he'd already picked up that nickname, Barusu.

Only—would an Imitation Human, as described in the Gospel, make such a low-level mistake?

Natsuki Subaru rubbed his chin in puzzlement. He remembered that the Gospel had indeed mentioned that Ram and the others had been contaminated, their behavior and personalities undergoing great changes.

Could it be that the Ram before him—her memory had regressed, and judging from the fact that she didn't know the nickname Barusu.

And what's more, regressed to another timeline—that is, to the moment in the future memories he possessed when he first met Ram at the manor?

Natsuki Subaru scratched his head, feeling his mind splitting in two, and then suddenly he gave a shiver.

No, no, what was he thinking all this for?

Why had he even started making excuses to rationalize the "Ram" outside the door?

No good, no good—he had to stay on guard and treat the person outside the door as an Imitation Human.

Natsuki Subaru steeled his resolve once more, then through the peephole again looked Ram outside over from head to toe.

Her eyes carried a slight trace of weariness, as if she hadn't been resting well lately.

From the subtle movements, the other party's inner anxiety could clearly be seen, but on the surface Ram didn't show much of it, struggling to maintain her composure.

Seeing this, Natsuki Subaru couldn't help but waver a little inside.

He found it truly bizarre—could this so-called Imitation Human's powers of disguise really be this strong? Its appearance almost identical?

If she hadn't given herself away by spouting nonsense, he might very well have let her in by now.

His thoughts taking a turn, Natsuki Subaru came up with a new idea, and keeping his tone calm, he said:

"Sorry, I woke up having forgotten a lot of things, but the one thing I do remember is that I mustn't let people in carelessly—so, you'll need to prove yourself."

"Lost your memory... To think this day really has come? It's just that we'd assumed you wouldn't be contaminated."

Ram lowered her eyes, her gaze filled with complicated emotions.

"Just prove it? I don't really know how I should do that either. Perhaps you could ask me some questions—learning a bit more information might help you calm down."

Hearing this, Natsuki Subaru's eyes stirred slightly. This was exactly what he wanted: if she were an Imitation Human, there would always come a moment when she revealed a flaw.

And if he judged the other party to truly be Ram, then should there be any danger outside, he could also pull her into the house at the first opportunity.

"All right then, Ram, why have you come back from outside the manor? What did you go off to do? Where are Rem and Emilia right now?"

"Going outside the manor—it was the guest... no, let's still call you Barusu—it was you who dispatched me to go out and search for supplies."

At his words, Ram swiftly stepped aside, letting Natsuki Subaru, whose field of view had been limited, see a black burlap sack she'd been blocking behind her just now—a great big bulging lump that seemed to be packed with quite a lot of supplies like food and water.

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