Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

1. A Girl Like a Saint

A girl with long hair the color of flames was walking down a street.

This was a medieval city, but unlike reality, the carts on the streets were pulled by massive earth dragons the size of several people.

Among the pedestrians there were many beastkin — demi-humans with animal traits — who clearly weren’t human at a glance.

Today was a rare day off for the girl, but she couldn't sit still and so she chose to spend her precious free time patrolling the city.

During this time, she would help those in need to the best of her ability, and when larger disputes arose, she would mediate based on the situation.

The girl clearly possessed unimaginable prestige.

No matter how angry someone was, they would always give her face.

This was because, over time, people had come to realize from her actions that she was a knight who embodied the eight virtues of knighthood — like a saint.

As for the rare individuals who refused to listen to reason, they were discouraged by the girl’s terrifying strength.

(Help me!)

A cry for help rang out in the girl’s mind — a result of one of the divine Divine Protections she possessed.

Divine Protections were powers granted by Old Lagna.

Having even one was considered a decent talent for a normal person, but the girl possessed an overwhelming number of them.

For instance, to avoid disturbing others at work, she always used the [Divine Protection of Decreased Presence].

The one currently sounding in her mind was the [Hero's Divine Protection], which allowed her to sense cries for help within a certain range.

In that instant, the girl vanished from the street.

If anyone had looked up, they might have noticed a distinct white line in the sky — though even if they saw it, they would never guess it was caused by her.

She jumped into the air with force as if stepping on the air itself, soaring high above, and then flew toward the source of the cry at supersonic speed.

In less than two seconds, she arrived at the scene.

A small boy had collapsed in the middle of the road, and a massive dragon cart was about to run him over.

A knight in armor had already rushed into the street.

“Ha ha ha…”

“Ohhhh…”

The knight laughed as he stood up with the boy he had just rescued.

The people on the roadside cheered for the knight's actions.

The girl lowered her right hand with a smile.

While she could have rescued the child more reliably, she had chosen to be the backup.

Deep down, she knew her immature self couldn’t save everyone, so she always acted as the final insurance.

If things ended well, she would quietly leave without a word.

However, this time, she didn’t leave immediately.

Her blue eyes were drawn to something unusual: a boy with black hair and black eyes wearing unfamiliar clothing and bearing a vicious expression.

Although the boy had features that clearly marked him as a foreigner — possibly from another nation — that alone wouldn’t have caught the girl's attention.

What did was the scent of the Witch Cult clinging to him, and the strange item in his hand — a mysterious "meteor."

Black hair and black eyes were typical traits of the southern empire, Vollachia. "Meteors" were mysterious magical tools with unknown effects.

The Witch Cult was a deranged organization, each member possessing the terrifying power to destroy a city on their own.

Coincidentally, the last Archbishop of Pride from the Witch Cult — Stride — had also been a prince of the Vollachia Empire.

He had used a mysterious meteor to kill the head of the Sword Saint family at the time, and had ultimately summoned a three-headed evil dragon, causing massive casualties in this country.

Recalling stories from her elders, the girl made her decision.

She didn’t choose to eliminate the threat immediately.

Instead, she decided to follow the boy to confirm his intentions — at the very least, to understand the purpose of the item he carried or why he had come to the royal capital.

And so, the girl witnessed a series of strange events.

First, the boy asked for the price of apples at Mr. Kadomon's fruit stall, then pulled out an unfamiliar currency — not Vollachia’s money, nor that of any of the four major nations.

Next, he walked into the women’s restroom, came out with a clear slap mark on his face, and finally entered a tavern meant exclusively for beastkin.

While being kicked out, he was accidentally knocked into the river by a passerby entering the bar.

The girl withdrew her outstretched hand, having failed to catch him, and showed a puzzled expression.

The boy’s actions resembled those of a penniless, illiterate, and slow-witted fool.

But he was so clumsy that the girl began to suspect he might be pretending — having seen through her Divine Protections and faking stupidity.

“Would a real noble not understand written language? And have no money? Most importantly, that fall into the river — with his physique, he should’ve been able to maintain balance. Could it be he did it to shake off my pursuit?”

After confirming the boy could swim, the girl continued tailing him.

Now more cautious, she stood on a rooftop, analyzing the situation as she watched the boy from a distance in an alley.

The boy seemed to be grumbling about something, then took out the small meteor and stared at it.

A blonde-haired little girl was also running across a rooftop in the distance.

After seeming to notice something, she changed direction and kept running.

Although that situation was also intriguing, the girl decided that this one was more important.

Three small-time thugs.

Normally, the girl would have warned them — maybe even checked if they had the will to earn an honest living.

If they did, she wouldn’t mind helping them take the first step. But this time, she chose to stand by and watch.

“Sorry about this.”

Even if she was present, the three would at most suffer minor injuries.

In fact, many ordinary people would probably be happy to see robbers like them die here.

Yet the girl still felt an enormous sense of guilt in her heart. She whispered softly, then jumped down from the rooftop toward the alley, just in case.

Just as the girl predicted, the boy made his move.

He delivered a fierce punch that floored a giant nearly two meters tall, followed by a powerful kick that sent a short thug — probably not even a meter tall — flying.

Then he charged toward the thin, weak-looking thug. In a panic, that thug drew a gleaming knife.

The girl prepared to intervene and rescue the thug, but after she braked suddenly, she crashed into a wall.

At that moment, the [Divine Protection of Silence] activated, completely nullifying the slight impact sound.

The girl looked at the situation in the alley with slight exasperation — the boy was now being beaten up by the three thugs.

A few seconds earlier, upon seeing the knife, the boy had suddenly dropped to his knees in a sliding kowtow, only to be kicked away by the knife-wielding thug.

The other two, who had been knocked down, got back up. All three began punching and kicking the boy.

Things had clearly spiraled beyond what the girl had imagined.

The three thugs were now enraged — their original intent to rob had turned into an intent to kill.

And the boy clearly was just an ordinary person.

“…This is far enough.”

So, the girl canceled the [Divine Protection of Silence], walked into the alley, and spoke out to stop them.

Chapter Text

2. The Two Meet

‘This is really bad.’

The boy sat silently on the flat, stone-paved ground, thinking, with his still-dripping gym clothes hanging beside him.

The boy's name was Natsuki Subaru, a very ordinary boy born into an equally ordinary family in Japan on Earth.

If one had to describe the first seventeen years of his life before being transported, it would be: "a third-year student at a public high school refusing to go to school."

As soon as Subaru realized he had been summoned to another world, he immediately checked whether he could communicate with the locals and understand the value of objects.

Fortunately, they spoke the same language, and currency consisted of gold, silver, and copper coins.

This even caused some displeasure with the first person he met—an aggressive fruit vendor.

The reason Subaru was able to quickly understand the situation was because modern Japanese youth were deeply influenced by anime and games.

In fact, given the circumstances, he was rather glad.

When it comes to "summoned to another world" scenarios, it's practically every adolescent boy's dream.

That said...

“If they don’t offer better welfare benefits, ignorant young guys like me won’t be able to survive.”

Though he had come from Japan as a high schooler "capable of anything," Subaru currently had no special powers.

Upon checking his gear, which he had on him when he was suddenly summoned while stepping out of a convenience store, it turned out to be rather shabby—causing him to utter such a weak complaint.

A cell phone (almost out of battery), a wallet (no money), instant cup noodles bought at the store (pork bone oil flavor), snacks bought at the same place (corn soup flavor), his favorite gray tracksuit (not washed), and worn-out sneakers (two years old)—that was all.

Though he still entertained the unrealistic fantasy that a beautiful girl might have summoned him, more than anything, Subaru hoped this was just some exaggerated prank show.

However, the distance he had walked so far, filled with people wearing eccentric outfits and sporting an array of hair colors, as well as the presence of demi-humans, shattered that illusion and affirmed that this really was another world.

When Subaru first looked around in this world, he saw people with dog ears, cat ears, and even mutant-like individuals resembling lizardmen.

Just as he thought that, he also noticed humans who looked relatively normal, although none of them had black hair like his.

Most had gold, red, or brown hair, and some even had green or blue.

Their outfits varied widely: some wore armor, some dressed like dancers, and others were completely cloaked in black robes—ridiculously exaggerated styles.

“Well~~ whatever, if things go according to typical storylines, I should be able to use modern knowledge to thrive in this world.”

After organizing all this information, Subaru let out a sigh longer than a breath and tried to pull himself together again.

“Ow, sorry.”

Just as he was about to leave the alley, Subaru brushed shoulders with someone walking in. He quickly apologized and sidestepped to get by.

“—Ugh, that hurts!”

But suddenly, someone grabbed Subaru’s shoulder from behind and dragged him into the alley.

He cried out in pain and looked back to see a massive man capable of easily tossing him into the alley, flanked by two others.

The three men shifted their positions and blocked the only exit.

Seeing their practiced movements, Subaru had a bad feeling.

“Excuse me… can I ask what exactly you guys want?”

“You really don’t understand your situation, do you? Whatever. Hand over anything valuable and save yourself some pain.”

“Ah—so that’s what this is... Ha, haha, I’m in big trouble.”

The men stared down at him with scorn and mocking smiles.

They looked about twenty years old, with their vile personalities plainly written on their faces.

These were definitely not good people.

Facing these leering thugs, Subaru laughed along nervously while thinking quickly.

‘Even though I’m in danger, historically, people summoned to another world usually awaken some incredible power. Since the conditions of my summoning are the same…’

“Maybe the gravity here is one-tenth that of my world...”

Just the thought that he might possess some kind of special ability made Subaru’s body feel lighter.

Looking at the three "starter enemies" threatening him, Subaru suddenly shouted:

“You’ll regret this. Hah!”

Right after speaking, he threw a right straight punch with all his might at the big guy leading the group.

His fist landed squarely on the man’s nose, but the contact with the man’s teeth caused Subaru’s knuckles to bleed.

‘It hurts more than I imagined!’

This was Subaru’s first real fight, so he couldn’t simulate it in his head.

The man he hit fell, and Subaru leapt at the next surprised attacker, delivering a roundhouse kick to the side of his head, knocking him unconscious against the wall.

The first battle went unbelievably well.

Subaru started to believe in the idea of “Otherworldly Invincibility.”

‘As expected, I must be really strong in this world! Must be the adrenaline!’

Turning back confidently, Subaru crouched and prepared to strike the final opponent.

But then he saw the man draw a shining knife from behind his back.

Subaru instantly dropped to his knees and folded his upper body flat to the ground, his forehead scraping the stone.

“I’m sorry! It’s all my fault! Please, kind sir, spare my humble life—!”

Subaru knelt and begged for his life, his sincerity laid bare, demonstrating the most basic of Japanese humility.

The arrogance from moments ago was gone, and he felt as if his blood was draining away.

Curling up, he desperately apologized, because after all, he was just a high schooler—and that was a real knife!

Getting stabbed meant game over, even for a strong body.

Snapping back to reality, Subaru realized the two men he had knocked down were already back on their feet.

One was holding his bleeding nose, the other shaking his head.

But surprisingly, they both still looked full of energy.

“Huh!? That was supposed to be a one-hit KO? Where’s the truth behind my summoning!?”

“You’ve been talking nonsense from the start. You’ve got guts, I’ll give you that!”

It turned out Subaru hadn’t gotten stronger at all.

One of the thugs stomped on his bowed head, causing it to bleed.

Then a kick landed on his face, and a flurry of violent blows followed as he curled up in pain.

Since Subaru threw the first punch, the thugs showed no mercy.

‘This is bad. It really hurts. I might die. No—I will die!’

Subaru realized that this world was different.

Delinquents here had no reason to let him live.

He had to decide: fight back with everything before they killed him.

“It hurts! Owwww! I said it hurts—it hurts!”

Subaru tried to get up, but one of them stepped on his hand and reversed his grip on the knife.

The threats continued as the blade began to descend toward Subaru’s head.

He saw no flashbacks or time-slowing effects.

But the glint of the knife approaching him brought the reality of “death” crashing into Subaru’s heart.

‘No, no, this has to be a lie! What the hell? This is too easy a death!’

A strained smile formed on his face, but inside, he was panicking.

Someone—anyone—please stop this! But fate wasn’t so kind, and the knife kept descending.

Despair closed in, and tears were on the verge of spilling from Subaru’s eyes.

Not out of fear—but from the unbearable emptiness of dying like this.

Just as he surrendered to total despair—

“That’s enough.”

The voice cut sharply into the oppressive atmosphere of the alley.

It was calm, firm, and without hesitation. Those few words radiated overwhelming authority, awakening instinctual obedience.

If there were such a thing as “time stopping,” this was it.

At the entrance to the alley stood a girl—a beautiful girl.

Most eye-catching was her vividly burning red hair and clear, sky-blue eyes.

Her features were so refined they radiated both majesty and innocence—just one look was enough to tell she was someone extraordinary.

She was a little shorter than Subaru, around 165 cm.

She wore a tailored black outfit with a pure white coat draping down to her feet.

At her waist, a simple belt held a knight’s sword that radiated unusual pressure.

“Whatever’s going on, I will not allow you to treat him any more violently. That’s enough.”

As she spoke, she casually walked between Subaru and the thugs. Despite stepping into the tense space, their reaction wasn’t rage—it was to recoil in fear, their faces turning pale as they pointed at her, shouting:

“Fl-Flaming red hair and blue eyes... and a knight’s sword engraved with a dragon’s claw. Could it be...?”

Staring at the girl with disbelief, they cried in unison:

“Reinhild... That’s the ‘Sword Saint’ Reinhild!?”

“Looks like I don’t need to introduce myself. Still... that title feels a bit too heavy for me.”

The girl, called Reinhild, muttered self-deprecatingly, but there wasn’t the slightest crack in her protective stance toward Subaru.

Lying on the ground, Subaru saw the thugs’ legs trembling.

Under the girl’s intense presence, they backed away again and regrouped against the wall.

“I’m sorry, but since someone’s been hurt so badly, I can’t let you go.

Will you quietly spend a few days behind bars, or do you want to escalate things further? If it’s the latter, then I’ll face you myself.”

As she spoke, the girl placed her hand on the hilt of her sword.

“It’s three against one, so the numbers are in your favor. I don’t know if my meager strength can serve justice on his behalf, but as a knight, I will fight you.”

“I’m fine. Let them go.”

Hearing her words and realizing she was willing to take on all three thugs for his sake, Subaru felt a wave of shame.

He tried to stand and told her he wouldn’t press charges.

But Reinhild clearly had no intention of backing down.

“Y-you’ve got to be kidding! That’s not worth it! We give up!”

As Subaru struggled to stand, he heard a surprising response.

The thugs were terrified.

The sound of the knife dropping echoed as they sat quietly against the wall—no trace left of their earlier arrogance.

That alone showed how extraordinary the girl was.

“You shouldn’t get up so quickly—oh, too late?”

From the ground, Subaru looked up at the girl’s slightly anxious face.

As she picked up his fallen shopping bag, his vision grew darker.

“Looks like he’s…”

Those were the last words he heard her whisper before Subaru lost consciousness.

Chapter Text

It was a sensation similar to sticking one’s face above water.

Subaru, waking from slumber, recalled that feeling.

The moment he opened his eyes, sunlight scorched his pupils.

Squinting from the dazzle, he could only frown and rub his eyes. Subaru had the kind of constitution where, once awake, he would immediately be fully alert—he was the type to wake up all at once.

"Ah, you're awake?"

Reinhild's pleasant voice came from beside him. As Subaru slowly sat up, he realized he was still in the familiar alleyway.

The girl was standing upright a short distance away, watching him.

The girl's pure white coat was now gone.

Subaru looked at where he had just been lying, and as expected, the girl's coat had been folded and placed where his head had been.

The food scattered during the earlier fight had also been neatly packed back into the plastic bag and set aside.

"You shouldn’t move too much. You hit your head, so it's better to be cautious."

The gentle voice showing concern for his condition reminded Subaru of what happened right before he lost consciousness.

The overwhelming pressure that had filled the alley was now gone.

He realized it had all been an atmosphere the girl had intentionally created.

Subaru was momentarily at a loss for words.

"Are you looking for the three people who attacked you? They've already been taken away by patrolling guards. By the way, the guard also treated your injuries. If you have the chance, be sure to thank him—his name is Ansel. But even though he used healing magic, don’t be careless."

The girl explained what had happened while Subaru was unconscious.

Her appearance, voice, posture, and actions were all so far beyond human standards.

She even had a good personality and noble background.

If she wasn’t doing anything shady behind the scenes, then in game terms, she’d be a completely overpowered, unbalanced character.

"To do something so amazing and still be so cheerful... You’re basically a goddess."

Yet Subaru felt no jealousy—only gratitude and admiration.

He was certain that his heart had already surrendered to her.

"This humble one was saved by milady and is deeply grateful. I, Natsuki Subaru, sincerely admire the purity of your heart..."

"No need to be so formal. And really, it’s not such a big deal."

"No, Miss Reinhild. I’m sure many people noticed what was going on here, but you were the only one who came in to save me. I’m truly grateful—and your clothes even got dirty."

Subaru looked toward the alley’s exit.

There had clearly been many people on the street, and it was impossible that Reinhild was the only one who noticed what was happening.

Yet she had folded what appeared to be an expensive coat to place under his head—someone who had just fallen into a river.

Perhaps it was a small matter to her, but to Natsuki Subaru, it was a life-changing act of kindness.

"You don’t need to use honorifics, Subaru. I don’t like saying this, but it can’t be helped. For most people, going against people like those attackers comes with great risk. If it were a knight like me, though, I believe anyone would have stepped in to help."

"...How high is your cheerfulness stat? Are you really a saint in body and soul? You’re so dazzling I feel like my eyes are going to melt!"

Subaru looked at Reinhild more closely.

The more he looked, the more she seemed like a girl chosen by the gods.

The difference in their appearances was so great that Subaru even felt a bit inferior.

"Come to think of it, they called you a 'Sword Saint' earlier..."

"My family background is a bit special. Every day I live under the weight of high expectations."

The girl shrugged, but she looked relaxed as she said it.

It seemed she had a sense of humor too.

At that moment, Subaru became convinced she was a perfect superhuman in both mind and body.

"Your hair color and clothing are rare. And your name too… Subaru, where are you from? What brought you to the royal capital of Lugunica?"

Reinhild looked down at Subaru’s appearance and asked. It was a natural question for a knight to ask someone whose origins seemed so suspicious.

“Grrrrrr—”

.

.

.

Inside a medieval-style restaurant, Natsuki Subaru blushed. He lowered his head, pressed his hands together, and said:

"Sorry, I’ll definitely pay you back for this meal as soon as I can."

"Oh, no need. Since I have some things I’d like to ask you, treating you to a meal is only natural. So, while we wait for the food, can we return to our earlier topic?"

By the way, the girl's clothes had become spotless again thanks to the blessing of "Dustless Protection."

When Subaru learned she had been granted such a Divine Protection, he became even more convinced that she was a chosen one.

"Oh, oh. You asked me earlier where I’m from, right? I knew I’d get asked eventually. So, following tradition, I’ll say: I come from a small country in the East!"

Subaru answered seriously, but Reinhild raised her eyebrows in surprise and said:

"From the continent’s map, Lugunica is already the easternmost nation... There’s no country farther east than this one."

"No way! Seriously!? The *extreme east*?! Then this is the golden land everyone dreams about?!"

"The golden land? Lugunica is the Dragon Kingdom—it’s not some land of gold. Anyway, you’re not from the capital, right? And you don’t know where you are, you have no money, you can’t read the language, and you don’t have anyone to rely on..."

The girl's expression became worried, but she quickly remembered her responsibilities.

"Then Subaru, what’s your reason for being here?"

"Honestly, I closed my eyes and opened them, and I was just here."

Subaru had thought about telling her the truth—that he was a loser summoned to another world—but anyone saying that would definitely be thought of as mentally unstable.

Reinhild fell silent. Then she looked Subaru up and down once more, carefully.

"...You don’t seem to be lying, so let’s just go with that. And your body looks fairly well-trained too."

Compared to the hesitant Subaru, the girl took the lead in easing the interrogation.

Being protected once again in his sorry state made Subaru frown slightly.

The girl continued her questioning.

"I train my muscles every day. I’m sort of a shut-in, so I at least have to do that much."

Trying to cover his embarrassment, Subaru gave a small cough and lightly flexed his arm muscles.

"Um, I don’t really know what a shut-in is... But Subaru, you come from a good family, right?"

"No, I was born into an extremely normal middle-class family… Where did you get the idea I’m from a distinguished background? Did I accidentally radiate noble elegance?"

"You gave off something that made me curious, but that’s no longer important.

I’ve also observed your condition—your hands are very different from those who make their living through daily labor.

Your muscle tone isn’t that of someone who works for a living.

Black hair and black eyes are traits common among southern nomads, but in Lugunica, those features usually mean someone has lived a privileged life.

Also, your clothes are finely made, even though I’ve never seen that style before."

The girl took a sip from her cup.

"Sorry for going off-topic. What I meant to say was—would you be willing to do manual labor?

Do you plan to settle in this city? If you do, I can help you get a residency permit and find a job.

The work might be hard, though, since I don’t really know of any jobs suitable for nobles."

Natsuki Subaru understood the girl's concerns.

Though her offer was like a blessing during a blizzard, she still considered his circumstances so carefully.

That consideration raised his impression of her even higher.

Though Subaru didn’t want to rely on a girl he had feelings for, when it came to the reality of survival, he set aside his pride without hesitation.

"Then… I’ll leave it in your hands."

Subaru made a typically Japanese bowing gesture as he spoke.

Chapter Text

4. Initial Integration into Another World

Reinhild once again came to a stop.

Subaru Natsuki was already used to it by now—along the way, Reinhild had already helped four people in need.

Fortunately, Reinhild followed a basic principle: she only helped people facing problems they couldn’t solve on their own.

Thanks to this, the two of them could continue making progress toward their destination.

Having finished their meal, they had already passed through three streets.

The cuisine in this world wasn’t too different from Subaru’s previous one.

One meal had cost Reinhild three silver coins.

The currency here followed a typical decimal system: gold, silver, and copper coins.

“Hello, Lady Emilia. Would you like some help?”

The person Reinhild addressed as “Lady Emilia” was a girl with long silver hair and purple eyes.

She was about a head shorter than Subaru, approximately 160 cm tall.

Her outfit, based on white tones, lacked any ornate decorations; the simplicity of its design only served to enhance her presence.

The only standout feature was the long cloak she wore, which was embroidered with a crest resembling a “magic bird,” giving it a solemn air.

“Reinhild!! I don’t need help!”

However, Emilia herself wore the expression of a child caught doing something wrong and afraid of being found out by an adult.

Her overly shocked reaction and words made the ready-to-help Reinhild freeze awkwardly in place, and Subaru used the opportunity to grasp the situation.

Standing in front of Emilia was a girl around ten years old, with pale green hair cut to shoulder length—an appearance that invoked sympathy.

Her face, typically capable of sharing joy with those around her when she smiled, now brimmed with unease, seemingly on the verge of tears, spoiling her cute features.

‘So that’s it... Emilia probably has something she doesn’t want Reinhild to know about. But someone willing to help a little girl can’t be a bad person.’

Seeing Reinhild silently take a few steps back and Emilia’s embarrassed expression, Subaru could roughly guess what was going on.

When asked why, the answer was simple: he used to be the leader of a group of kids, so he was very familiar with such situations.

Subaru hurried to defuse the awkwardness, starting by using a little magic trick he learned from TV to make the girl laugh.

Then he stood up and introduced himself.

Thanks to Subaru’s humorous performance, the tense atmosphere dissipated.

“Sorry, Reinhild, I was just thinking about something else just now. Please take care of this girl for me.”

“Leave it to us, Lady Emilia. But are you sure you don’t need my help?”

“Yes, sorry. The other matter is something I must resolve on my own.”

“I understand.”

The silver-haired beauty quickly ran off.

Even in that situation, she had chosen to help the little girl first.

Perhaps the people in this world were kinder than Subaru had imagined.

While sighing at the thought, Subaru crouched down in front of the girl.

She was staring at the ten-yen coin used in the magic trick like it was a precious item.

Her uneasiness seemed to have calmed completely thanks to the trick, and she now answered Subaru’s questions without hesitation.

“I see, so you really got separated from your mom. That’s okay—just leave it to big brother and big sister. We’ll find her for you right away.”

Subaru patted her head again and held out his hand.

The girl hesitantly took it.

Seeing this, Reinhild looked at Subaru a bit cautiously, but ultimately chose to believe he was a good person.

“Big sister, can you hold this lonely little girl’s hand too?”

“...With you here…”

Reinhild, silent at first, looked down at the girl’s outstretched hand and then at her hopeful eyes.

She discreetly wiped her slightly dirty hand on her clothes, then gently took the small hand in hers.

“Okay, leave it to me. I’ll definitely help you find your mom.”

The girl smiled faintly and nodded silently.

With Reinhild and Subaru on either side holding her hands, the trio stepped forward into the bustling crowd.

“If someone who didn’t know saw us now, wouldn’t they think we’re a young married couple out with our child? That’s kinda embarrassing!”

“They probably wouldn’t. No matter how you look at it, we’re not old enough to be her parents. If we were what you described, we’d need to have a newborn baby. So don’t be embarrassed.”

“You’re way too serious.”

Amid such conversation, the girl, her hands held tightly, giggled softly.

.

.

.

“Thanks to you, Subaru, we were able to find her family so smoothly.”

Reinhild smiled as she watched the girl being led away by her mother.

“No, no, we both stand out a lot. Don’t give me all the credit.”

“Hm? Oh, I forgot to mention—I had my Divine Protection of Decreased Presence active, so to most people I appear just like an ordinary passerby.”

‘To avoid people thinking you were talking to thin air, I adjusted my presence slightly though.’

“Suddenly, I feel like you’re capable of anything.”

“No, there are still many things I can’t do.”

Reinhild humbly dismissed Subaru’s praise.

Even after that, they kept stopping to help strangers.

Two hours later, they finally arrived in front of a grand building.

“Didn’t expect so many people lining up for a residence permit.”

Subaru sat on a bench, looking at the number slip in his hand.

“Since this is the capital of the Kingdom of Lugunica, it’s not only the largest but also the most populated city. Let me think… There are about 325,000 residents, and the population flow each day is quite high…”

In response to Subaru’s question, Reinhild explained her city with a somewhat proud expression.

“I see, over 300,000... That’s pretty big.”

Subaru began imagining what the city of Lugunica must be like based on this information.

A city with that population in a medieval fantasy world would indeed be quite large.

And that number was only for permanent residents—if you added in the adventurers and merchants constantly coming and going, it would be even higher.

“By the way, how long do you think it’ll take for the 42 people ahead of us?”

“From my experience, I’d say around 17 minutes and 20 seconds. If you’d like to take a break, feel free—I’ll call you when it’s your turn.”

Reinhild gave an extremely precise estimate.

Subaru could easily imagine how many people Reinhild must have helped settle in this city before.

Perhaps the reason Reinhild reduced her presence was also to avoid being constantly thanked.

Time passed while they chatted casually.

Subaru learned a lot—such as how the continent had four countries, each with its own characteristics and precautions; how each nation had a “Great Spirit”; the difference between spirits and Great Spirits; the meaning of the Divine Dragon; and the current situation in the kingdom, which, as it turned out, had no reigning monarch.

Chapter Text

5. Settling Down

“Oh oh! This means I’ve taken my first step in this world!” Natsuki Subaru excitedly raised a small booklet into the air and shouted.

Reinhild, smiling apologetically at a knight giving them a strange look, pulled Subaru away from the registration office.

“So, Subaru, are you planning to sell your ‘meteor’?” “Meteor?” Subaru looked at Reinhild with a puzzled expression.

“Yes. In this world, items that allow people to use magic even without being able to open magic gates like a magician are generally called ‘meteors’. The original meaning seems to refer to a gift from the heavens. I’m referring to that silver box you have.” “Oh, you mean my phone… Just asking, but how much could it fetch if I sold it?”

“Well, meteors are considered quite rare items. It could fetch at least double digits in Sacred Gold Coins, but it would also depend on its specific functions.”

Understanding what Reinhild meant, Subaru activated the camera on his phone, took several rapid shots of Reinhild, then showed her the photos.

Reinhild’s face showed a flicker of surprise.

“That’s right. You’ve been copied! This is a ‘meteor’ that can cut time and leave behind an image.”

“I see. If you’re willing, I’d pay 30 Sacred Gold Coins—about 60 regular gold coins—to buy it. And if you change your mind, you could buy it back from me for the same 30 Sacred Gold Coins.”

“Really? Not even any interest? …Actually, forget it. Don’t get the wrong idea, it’s just that the phone’s battery is running low. It’s a button phone, so maybe it’ll last another half a month at most.”

“Battery? Is that lightning-type mana? I don’t have much mana, but I should be able to recharge a meteor with it.”

“Could you give it a try? If you could recharge it, that’d really help me out.”

.

.

.

BOOM!!!

“Reinhild, is your hand okay?!”

It turned out that directly recharging it with lightning-type mana wasn’t going to work.

Sparks flickered from the wreckage of the phone in Reinhild’s hand.

Subaru quickly knocked it out of her hand and grabbed Reinhild’s hand to inspect it—only to see the wound healing rapidly before his eyes.

“Ahem.”

Reinhild coughed awkwardly. Subaru let go of her hand and finally turned his attention to the destroyed phone.

Needless to say, it was completely and utterly fried.

“The spirits in the air have already healed me. But the phone… I’m really sorry. I don’t have much money on me right now, but I’ll give you the difference tomorrow.”

Reinhild looked apologetically at Subaru, who was now kneeling in front of the wrecked phone.

Checking her pockets, Reinhild only found five gold coins. She walked over to Subaru with a hint of guilt, squatted down, and handed him the coins with a sincere promise.

“No need. If I can’t recharge it, the phone would’ve been useless in a few days anyway.”

“Subaru, no matter what, I was the one who ruined the phone.

Please accept this as compensation. Just take it for my sake.

As for the phone itself, let me hold on to the remains for now—I’ll try to find someone who can repair it.”

Seeing Reinhild’s sincerity, Subaru eventually accepted the money.

It was true that having some money in a new world wouldn’t hurt.

But deep down, Subaru was determined to repay the favor someday.

As for explaining that he wasn’t upset about the phone itself, but the loss of the photos on it… he kept that to himself. He didn’t want Reinhild to know how much he was hurt because of the lost photos.

“I’ll gratefully accept the money. But don’t worry if the phone can’t be fixed.”

Reinhild nodded, then picked up the phone remnants and slipped them into hwe pocket.

The two continued walking.

As Subaru shared amusing stories from his previous world, the awkward atmosphere between them began to fade.

Along the way, Reinhild occasionally explained nearby locations to Subaru, including basic knowledge like how to distinguish restrooms.

At every shop with a hiring notice, Reinhild would inform Subaru of the job requirements and wait for his decision.

However, so far, every interview Subaru had attempted ended in failure.

“As expected, I’m really lacking in skills compared to people from this world.

Plus, with how I look and dress, it’s no wonder no one thinks I’ll last long on the job.

It’s only natural they wouldn’t want to go through the trouble of training a newbie.

But at this rate, I’ve got no path forward… Should I rely on the initial funds from my phone to start plagiarizing literature or something...? But...”

Reinhild, hearing Subaru muttering behind her, looked a little exasperated.

Though she didn’t understand everything, Subaru had made a valid point.

Ordinary citizens of the capital wouldn’t believe this boy could hold a job long-term.

Even Reinhild sometimes found Subaru a bit too flippant.

Yet, thanks to the girl’s kindness and the sense of debt from earlier, Reinhild couldn’t just abandon Subaru to fend for himself.

“Subaru, wait here a moment. I’ll go make some arrangements.”

Reinhild entered a shop and disabled the perception-blocking magic affecting the owner.

The shopkeeper, whom Reinhild had helped recently, lit up with joy upon recognizing her. Reinhild briefly explained Subaru’s situation.

“I see. If it’s Sir Reinhild speaking on his behalf, I certainly believe you. Skills can be developed with time. Coincidentally, we have a vacant storage room he can stay in. Though, his salary may be a bit lower than a regular worker’s for the first few months.”

.

.

.

At 9 p.m., a sore and exhausted Subaru entered what was now his room.

The dimly lit storage room had only a candle for light, a mattress on the floor, and a thin blanket.

It was about half the size of a student dormitory room.

But for someone just arriving in this world, it was already a decent place to settle down.

“So now I owe Reinhild another favor, huh.”

Lying on the bed, Subaru muttered.

He knew full well that he got this job because of Reinhild’s influence.

So, in order not to embarrass Reinhild, Subaru was determined to do well.

That was also why he managed to survive the dinner rush shift earlier.

“I’ll probably see that girl again tomorrow… When I do, I’ve gotta properly thank her. And maybe check if there’s any chance I can make money through writing here…”

Chapter Text

6. Dream?

"What's the matter, kid? You suddenly look spaced out."

“Eh—?”

Called out by a stern-looking man with a striking white scar across his face, Subaru Natsuki unintentionally let out a dazed sound.

His reaction made the man's scar twist even more fiercely.

"I. Asked. You. What's your decision? About the Appa, are you buying it or not?"

“Wha—?”

"The Appa! You said you wanted to eat it, didn’t you? But then you suddenly blanked out... So, what's it gonna be?"

The muscular, scarred man held a small, cute red fruit in his palm, one that looked much like an apple. Subaru looked between the fruit and the man’s face.

“Oh, oh, wait a second.”

“Uh, I think... I don’t have any money.”

Subaru instinctively reached into his pocket for money, but the gold coins were gone. Instead, what he found was his fully intact cell phone.

"What the hell! Just asking and not buying? Go on, get lost! This is a business, not a Q&A session."

Shoved away by the merchant, Subaru stumbled off past the shop.

Then he looked around.

“Huh? Huh?—What’s going on here?”

He wasn’t talking to anyone in particular; just speaking his confusion out loud took all his focus.

The busy main street was still bustling with people.

Besides the occasional lizard-drawn cart, the road was packed with pedestrians.

The sun was shining brightly but not unbearably hot.

Still, seeing a beastman that looked like a humanoid wolf covered in fur made him instinctively think, “Wow, that looks hot.”

Not only that, but his favorite tracksuit was still spotless—no dust or dirt at all.

His plastic shopping bag was intact, and his phone and wallet were still snugly in his pockets.

In every way, it felt like he had returned to square one.

With jumbled memories, Subaru desperately tried to recall what had happened before he lost consciousness.

"I see... so this is what they mean by 'day thoughts, night dreams.' I must be dreaming right now because the experience of crossing into another world this morning left such a strong impression.

Still, I haven’t had a dream this vivid in a while.

The last time was probably when I watched a horror movie and dreamed about being chased by a ghost."

Subaru chuckled to himself, then looked at the familiar trio of thugs in front of him and sighed.

"Why are you three in my dream too? Well, I guess it makes sense. I was almost beaten to death by you guys, so dreaming about you is only natural. It's probably just part of the setup for Reinhild’s grand entrance."

“Yo—kid, why don’t you come and play with us a little?”

“Hey, what’s with that dumb look?”

“Still haven’t figured things out, huh? Want us to explain it to you?”

The three thugs sneered at Subaru with wicked grins. Looking at them closely, it almost felt like he was watching a comedy skit. They were the textbook definition of petty punks—unkempt, thuggish faces, clearly lacking in education and decency.

Subaru couldn’t help but feel a bitter sense of familiarity with the situation.

"Yep, definitely a dream. If I just get beat up according to the script, she’ll show up, right? Even if it doesn’t hurt in a dream, it’s still kinda annoying. Do I really have to just obediently get beat up by these three again?"

“What’re you babbling about? Your brain broken or something?”

The thugs jeered at Subaru.

Their mocking tone only made Subaru more irritated, especially since he was hoping Reinhild would show up soon.

After all, Subaru was never the type to just take a beating without fighting back—he wouldn’t have started a fight in the real world otherwise.

“Listen up, kid. Hand over everything you've got, and we’ll let you go.”

“Act like a dog, too! Get down on all fours and bark for help~!”

“Don’t get cocky, you pieces of crap! You’re just figments of my dream!”

Their over-the-top demands snapped Subaru’s final nerve.

His sudden outburst caught the thugs off guard.

Among the stunned trio, Subaru locked onto the scrawniest one first.

In reality, that guy had been the most dangerous since he had a knife.

“You first! A dumbass who doesn’t value his life can go die!”

He slammed his fist, packed with all his strength, into the man’s chin, sending him flying.

Then he punched him again mid-air, slamming the thug into a wall, where he collapsed unconscious.

Subaru immediately swept the legs out from under the second thug.

The sudden escalation left the punks floundering.

The second man crashed to the ground, and Subaru used the opening to charge the last thug.

He tackled him low, driving the man into the wall.

With a groan of pain, the thug buckled, and Subaru added a finishing kick.

Then he turned back to the second guy and provocatively beckoned him.

"Come on! One-on-one! Let’s do this fair and square!"

“A punk like you dares to talk about fairness!? You damn brat!”

Furious and red-faced, the man lunged at Subaru, grabbing him in a rush of adrenaline-fueled rage, trying to slam him against the wall.

“So naive!”

Subaru reversed the grip, using superior wrist strength to wrench the man’s hands off his shoulders.

Seeing the fear on the thug’s face made Subaru grin wickedly.

“Don’t underestimate the time I gained by skipping school. I’ve been swinging a wooden sword every day for no reason! My grip strength’s over seventy kilos. I can deadlift eighty too—hyah!”

The man cried out as his wrist was nearly crushed.

As he lost balance, Subaru kneed him in the gut.

The punk nearly passed out, and Subaru quickly circled behind him, grabbed his waist.

“I’ve always wanted to try this—German Suplex!”

Using classic pro wrestling form, he lifted the man and slammed him backward into the ground.

The man’s head hit the wall before his body collapsed to the floor, twitching.

Seeing that two of the punks were now completely incapacitated, Subaru turned to the first one—the knife wielder.

Though less injured, the man was sweating bullets as he tried to draw his blade.

But Subaru didn’t give him the chance—he kicked him in the face, ending the fight instantly.

“—Hah! Total victory! I even used moves I never dared try in real life. Still... this pain? Well, I guess people do feel pain in dreams sometimes, like when they punch themselves. Anyway, this time, I won!”

Striking a victory pose, Subaru celebrated alone in the alley.

Confirming the three were still alive, he quickly left the area.

As he walked out of the alley unscathed, the passersby gasped in surprise.

Despite witnessing a mugging, none had gone to the authorities.

Subaru wanted to scold them, but Reinhild’s words echoed in his mind.

With a sigh, he looked around to confirm there was no illusion of Reinhild nearby, then left.

Not long after Subaru departed, a red-haired girl appeared in the alley.

"So he held back instinctively, huh? And judging by his emotions just now... he really is a kind person. Alright, I’ll get these guys tossed in jail first."

Chapter Text

7. A Dream Gradually Detaching from Reality?

Subaru ate instant ramen bought from a convenience store while watching the streets of the royal capital.

“As expected, I still can’t find Reinhild. Could that divine protection thing also be affecting me somehow?

No, what’s more important right now is understanding my current situation. I’ve been to some places I’ve never visited in the real world. If I forced it, I could say my memory filled in the gaps, but my hand still feels that stinging sensation. And whether it’s the hunger I just felt or the taste of this ramen right now, they’re both way too real.”

“But if this is reality, then what’s going on? Am I trapped in the same day? No no no, this is the real world — there’s no way time manipulation powers should exist.

But when I said my phone could slice time, Reinhild didn’t seem all that surprised... Could it be she’s really seen similar powers before?”

“Looks like I’ll have to confirm it with her. Around this time, she should be there.”

Speaking to himself, Subaru tossed the empty ramen container into a nearby trash can and stood up.

After confirming the direction, he began walking, and sure enough, he soon saw a silver-haired beauty—whom Reinhild had referred to as Lady Emilia—frantically trying to comfort a crying child.

“Need any help, Lady Emilia?”

“Eh? Who are you?”

“I’m just a passing traveler. You can call me Subaru Natsuki. But first, let’s take care of this child’s problem.”

Since it was his second time, Subaru quickly used magic to gain the girl’s trust.

“You’re really good with this. Subaru, you’re not one of those rumored creeps who kidnap kids, are you?”

“Eh? No way, not at all! So Reinhild thinks of me like that in the real world, huh? But taking that out of context would ruin my reputation! I’m what you’d call an unemployed drifter, but I can find this little girl’s mother real quick, so don’t worry.”

“Reinhild? I see... So what was that you just did?”

After enthusiastically making a promise to explain it to Emilia later and confirming there was no such thing as time magic here, Subaru prepared to take the girl to where her mother might be.

However, Emilia followed behind him, clearly still suspicious.

“Thank you both so much.”

The mother, now reunited with her daughter, was overjoyed and thanked the two, even though they modestly said it was nothing.

As they were leaving, the girl kept waving at them. Subaru waved back until she was out of sight, then turned to look at Emilia beside him. She seemed genuinely happy watching the mother and child walk away.

“I’m really sorry about earlier. Oh, by the way, Subaru—are you some kind of local expert? Do you know where thieves usually gather?”

“Did something important get stolen from you, Emilia? What does the thief look like?”

“Yeah, it was a very important emblem. The thief was a girl with blonde hair, red eyes, and the divine protection of the wind.”

“Sorry, but I can help you look for her.”

“You’re really strange.”

Covering her mouth with her hand, the girl tilted her head, giving him a look like she was observing some rare animal.

Her finger stayed pressed against her lips as she stared at Subaru, as if sizing him up.

“Just so you know, I can’t give you any reward. I don’t have a single coin on me.”

“Don’t worry. I’m a penniless bum too. And I don’t need a reward. Ever since Reinhild helped me, I made it my goal to do one good deed a day.”

“Then helping that little girl just now counts as your good deed for the day, right?”

“That logic is too flawless, so I reject it! No, think about it. That was something we did together, so it only counts as half a good deed, right? Besides, you can do multiple good deeds in a day, right? I want to finish this week’s quota ahead of time!”

He was already far off from the original meaning of "a good deed a day," but Subaru still forced out a justification.

Emilia looked at him with a face of disbelief.

“Subaru, you... your personality is really such a disadvantage.”

“Forget everyone else, you’re the one person I don’t want to hear that from!”

Subaru couldn’t help shouting back. After all, the girl in front of him was such a goody-two-shoes that she would spend time helping a lost child even after having something important stolen.

“I don’t sense any ill intent. Just accept his help, okay? The royal capital is huge. It’s reckless to search without any clues.”

Suddenly, a neutral voice came from within the girl’s hair.

A small silver cat jumped out.

“But if he ends up getting dragged into this...”

“I find your stubbornness cute, but if that stubbornness makes you lose sight of your goal, then you’re just being foolish. I don’t want my daughter to be an idiot.”

Though the cat defended Subaru, the girl still looked hesitant.

But then, the cat’s expression turned serious and it said in a more earnest tone:

“Also, the sun is setting. After night falls, I won’t be able to help you. If you run into thugs, it’s better to have more people who can deal with weapons.”

“Sounds like you’re giving me a dangerous job here! What’s that supposed to mean? Based on what you said, are you only available during the daytime?”

Closing the distance a little, Subaru asked the cat a question.

The cat flicked its whiskers with its front paw and replied:

“You could say I can’t come out at night. Don’t be fooled by my cute appearance—I'm a spirit. Just materializing consumes a huge amount of mana. So after sundown, I return to my lodging crystal to store energy for when the sun is out. Ideally, I can appear from 9 AM to 5 PM.”

“A 9-to-5 work schedule? That’s basically like a government job... Spirits have stricter employment rules than I expected. Wait, I thought only great spirits could talk like this with people. Are you a great spirit of this country!?”

“I’m a great spirit, yes, but not this country’s great spirit.”

“Ohh, the classic ‘Four Heavenly Kings but there’s actually five’ setup!”

“I don’t know what you mean by ‘Four Heavenly Kings,’ but there are way more than five great spirits. My little sister is one too.”

Being able to casually talk about spirits was all thanks to Subaru’s modern otaku background, heavily influenced by anime and games.

The country’s eccentricity also helped him follow the conversation.

While Subaru and the cat chatted naturally, the girl beside them still seemed troubled.

But their exchange seemed to shift the balance in her heart, making her occasionally mutter things like “ahhh,” “no no no,” and “but…”

“I really can’t give you any reward, okay?”

In the end, she said this—and accepted Subaru’s offer.

Chapter Text

8. Good Deeds Are Rewarded

And thus, the trio searching for the Insigna was assembled. Subaru, brimming with energy, pointed at the sky and struck a pose.

“Then let me reintroduce myself! I’m Natsuki Subaru, not only I am clueless I’m also broke beyond compare! Nice to meet you!”

“Just from hearing that, I can tell you're at the end of your rope. Well, I’m Puck, nice to meet you—”

“As you know, I’m Emilia.”

And so, the three of them suddenly became acquainted.

After a brief inquiry by Subaru, he learned how the girl had her Insigna stolen and that she had been lost for over an hour.

“Subaru?”

Seeing his expression change and fall into thought, the girl looked at him suspiciously.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her silver hair slide off her shoulder with the movement—but Subaru didn’t pay any attention. He was racking his brain deep in thought.

“It’s nothing. I was just thinking about what you said earlier, about the gathering place for thieves. Normally speaking, this is a huge metropolis with a population of 300,000. There should be some pretty shady areas, like slums, right? After all, even thieves need to exchange stolen goods for money, and without connections, it’s hard to get rid of them.

So the chances are pretty high, I’d say?”

“Why are you saying it like you’re unsure?”

“Didn’t I say I’m a traveler? The thing is, this city has Reinhild in it. With someone like her around, could a dark underworld really exist in this city?”

“Now that you mention it, that actually makes sense.”

The two of them simultaneously thought of the red-haired girl.

Given her personality, it wouldn’t be surprising if the city had no slums at all.

“In any case, wandering around aimlessly won’t get us anywhere. Let’s go back to the place where the Insigna was stolen. Maybe we can gather some more detailed information.

And since it’s a main road, we might be able to ask about the slums too. Do you remember where you were when it was stolen?”

Subaru proposed a compromise. According to Emilia, the thief had boldly stolen her Insigna right in the middle of a bustling main street in broad daylight.

Though it was quite a daring crime, given how crowded the street was now, it was actually a sound judgment.

More people meant more chances and places to blend into the crowd.

“Hmm, I think it was around here…”

Led by Emilia, they crossed the street. Subaru felt firsthand how many races of people mingled on the main road—it was as chaotic as a maze in an alleyway, perhaps even more so, stripping away one’s sense of distance and direction.

He began to feel like he had no idea where he was walking. Though this should be a place he had never been before, he couldn’t shake the strange feeling of déjà vu—

“Wait, I’ve been here twice already.”

Seeing the place Emilia was taking him, Subaru scratched his cheek and forced a smile.

The place where Emilia had her Insigna stolen—was the very corner of the main street where Subaru had been summoned.

‘This is where I triggered that random encounter with punks A, B, and C… and where I met Reinhild.’

Recalling his victory about two hours ago, Subaru smiled.

At any rate, if this was the scene of the incident, that made things easier.

Luckily, there was someone they could question.

“So yeah, I can heroically declare this area is mine to handle. Mr. Fruit Shop Owner.”

Turning around in front of the shop, Subaru pointed to a fruit store by the main road.

The display racks were lined with various colorful fruits, their luster enough to make one's throat dry. And as for the shopkeeper running the place…

“What the hell, I thought it was a customer, but it’s just you again, you broke bastard.”

The tough-looking fruit vendor glared at Subaru with a chilling gaze that made it hard to believe he made a living in sales.

“Don’t be so cold, old man. You were nice to me the first time, weren’t you?”

“That was when I thought you were a paying customer. If I’d known you were broke from the start, I would’ve kicked you out right away. Just like I’m doing now.”

While Subaru acted overly familiar, the shopkeeper remained cold from beginning to end, waving his hands as if shooing away a bug. Subaru shrugged and said:

“Hey, hey, is that attitude really okay? Don’t you notice I’m different from earlier?”

“The hell are you talking about?”

Seeing Subaru proudly flare his nostrils, the owner looked puzzled.

To make him see clearly, Subaru stepped aside and gestured toward Emilia, who was standing behind him.

“How about this? I brought company. Company! Even though you turned cold on me once you found out I was broke, now I’ve brought a VIP candidate with me! So how about it?”

“Um, Subaru… I appreciate your weird expectations, but I already told you—I don’t have any money.”

“Huh, wait, you really didn’t offer a reward because you don’t have any money? What kind of person walks around a big city without a single coin?!”

Looking at the two broke individuals, the shopkeeper sighed.

“So? Now that there are two broke brats here, what do you want to say, kid?”

“Actually, we’re looking for something. Can we ask you a few questions?”

“Didn’t I just say I don’t have time for broke losers? Can’t you understand human language?”

Bathed in his angry roar, Subaru’s eardrums suffered great damage.

“S-So it’s no good after all…”

Emilia hunched her shoulders, pulling on Subaru’s sleeve while bowing deeply to the shopkeeper.

It was true—asking questions without even buying anything was a selfish act.

That said, the fact that they had no money hadn’t changed.

In the current situation, they had no choice but to give up on gathering information—

“Oh my? Aren’t you two the ones from earlier?”

Suddenly, someone interrupted them from the side.

Subaru and Emilia turned their heads to see a brown-haired woman whose hair swayed as she walked.

She was someone they both recognized, holding hands with a cheerful young girl looking up at them.

“Ma’am? What are you doing here? This place only has a narrow-minded, scary-looking owner.”

“Hehe, this is my husband’s store. I just dropped by.”

“Your… husband?”

The unexpected answer left Subaru and Emilia looking at each other in surprise.

Slowly, they turned their heads toward the shop—a scar-faced man stood with arms crossed, legs apart.

“Old man, don’t tell me you killed this lady’s husband and took over the shop?!”

“What the hell kind of crap are you spouting with that suspicious face. I’m the legit owner of this store, and she’s my wife!”

Turning back, they saw the woman giving a troubled smile.

Subaru was shocked.

A graceful beauty with a slender figure and gentle appearance—how did she end up marrying someone who looked like a criminal? Was something wrong here?

Maybe she was being threatened? Subaru glanced at her worriedly.

But the girl let go of her mother’s hand and ran up to the startled Subaru—straight into the arms of the scar-faced man, who picked her up.

“Oh, have you been a good girl? You look full of energy… Anyway, do you know these two broke brats?”

“Dear, please don’t use such rude language to describe them.”

As the man spoke harshly, the woman frowned and chastised him for his crude words.

She then explained Subaru and Emilia’s relationship with their daughter.

After hearing the whole story, the shopkeeper set his daughter down.

“I’m truly sorry. I said something rude to the people who helped my daughter. Please forgive me.”

“No, it’s fine. I mean, we really are broke.”

“Exactly! Hey, you could show a little more remorse— Wait, why is your cute face turning scary?”

Emilia gave Subaru a sharp look, signaling him to shut up.

Then, the girl who had been set down by her father held something out to Emilia—a red flower-shaped ornament in her small hand.

Emilia gasped, looking back and forth between the girl and the flower, clearly flustered.

“Please take it. My daughter seems to want to thank you.”

The woman gave the hesitant Emilia a gentle push.

Hearing that, Emilia lowered her head slightly, took the ornament from the girl, and pinned it to her white robe over her left chest.

Then she crouched down so the girl could see clearly and met her eyes.

“Thank you. I’m really happy.”

Emilia’s radiant smile left Subaru, who was watching from the side, completely mesmerized.

The girl also turned away shyly at the smile, while the shopkeeper gave a quiet cough.

“You’re the one who helped my daughter. I want to thank you. Ask anything you like.”

The scarred shopkeeper nodded firmly, giving the warmest smile he could muster as he said this.

Hearing that, Emilia looked at Subaru in surprise.

Then she flashed a smile completely different from before—as if proudly saying:

“See? Our earlier efforts paid off. Isn’t this the best proof?”

Chapter Text

9. The Two Gradually Becoming Familiar with Each Other

Although it was only one street away from the main road, that place was filled with a gloomy atmosphere.

The quiet and silent alley felt distant from any signs of life, be it human or otherwise.

Even though it wasn’t far from the crowded and noisy main road, the hustle and bustle felt like something from a dream world.

“Of course, if you want to fence stolen goods, it always leads to the slums…”

Muttering to himself, Subaru turned off the main road into a small alley and poked his head into a passage that was said to lead to the legendary slums.

“Whether it's the air or the vibe, the residents here probably have awful personalities. Are we really going in?”

“Weren’t you the one who said the Insigna might be with someone here? And that store owner earlier also said the same.”

“But did you forget that he also recommended we give up?”

Recalling the conversation at the fruit store, Subaru wore a serious expression.

About thirty minutes had passed since they encountered the little girl and her mother at the fruit stand.

The two now stood at the entrance to the slums, rumored to contain many stolen goods from the royal capital.

Seeing the two as saviors of his beloved daughter, the fearsome-looking shopkeeper had kindly listened to their story.

As a result, they got information about the slums—now more accurately described as a den of villains.

Most people inside were either truly evil, unable or unwilling to be saved by the light, or degenerates who blamed everything on others and refused to live through their own efforts.

“We still have time, so wouldn’t it be better to call someone? The police—well, I guess it’s the guards here? Let’s have those kinds of people search instead!”

“No.”

Subaru’s suggestion was firmly rejected.

The resolute attitude made Subaru roll his eyes.

“Sorry, but no. I don’t think the guards would mobilize over something small like our stuff being stolen… Besides, I have my reasons for not asking the guards.”

Emilia tightly pressed her lips together and looked at Subaru with eyes that said, “I can’t tell you the reason.”

She clearly didn’t want to be questioned. Accepting that gaze, Subaru raised his hand lightly in response.

“Alright, so what now? The people in front of us don’t exactly look friendly. Are the two of us going to force our way through?”

“Two people and a cat, actually.”

To lighten the somber mood, Puck deliberately replied to Subaru in a playful tone.

“Just so you know, my combat level is about the same as three unarmed thugs.”

Subaru looked at the raggedly dressed men blocking the path and spoke.

“No worries, we’re strong. That said, we don’t really have time to sit around and chat. In about an hour, I’ll be out of energy.”

Puck looked up at the sky.

Following his gaze, the two also looked up and realized the portion of sky visible between buildings was already turning orange.

It wasn’t just the dark, damp, and foul-smelling environment of the slums—it was the setting sun.

And that meant Puck’s time was almost up.

“Make a decision—are we going forward or going back?”

“Of course, we’re moving forward. Beat them up, get the information. If we miss this chance, the Insigna might end up somewhere we’ll never find it.”

As Emilia said this, she held out her palm—light sparkled from her hand, and then it was released.

A sound like a hardball hitting flesh echoed, and the men cried out and were sent flying.

Fist-sized ice chunks fell.

The ice, created regardless of season or physical laws, soon vanished into the air.

“—Magic!”

The word that best explained the phenomenon came out instinctively.

There had been no incantation, but the magic had clearly come from her palm.

Magic—this was Subaru’s first time witnessing it for real.

“It’s way less fantastical than I imagined. Actually feels so real it’s disappointing.”

He had expected something like radiant light or explosive energy, but instead, rough ice chunks suddenly appeared, dealt physical damage, and then vanished—nothing exciting about it.

“You actually attacked them.”

“Whether you’re a mage or a noble, don’t think we’ll let you get away with this. Surround her and kill her! It’s one against many—she can’t win!”

“Oh? And what were you planning to do to my daughter?”

Subaru’s thoughts on magic were set aside as some of the men who had been hit by ice stood up.

They drew knives and other weapons, but Puck’s angry voice instantly dropped the temperature. The sky filled with ice spikes as thick as arms.

Faced with that, the thugs instantly lost their will to fight.

From them, the pair learned that a thief named Felt had hired them with silver coins to stop Emilia.

Faced with such overwhelming opponents and harboring resentment from their beating, the thugs gave up the information easily.

“The one who hired us is Felt. The stolen item should be in the loot storage. It gets tagged and placed in the warehouse, then Old Man Rom, the warehouse owner, sells it in another market.”

“What a strange setup. Aren’t they afraid the warehouse owner will run off with the goods?”

“It’s precisely because they trust that he wouldn’t do that he’s allowed to run the place. But even if you say it was stolen from you, he won’t just hand it over. You’ll have to negotiate for it.”

The man tried to laugh at them, but seeing the empty sky, he gave up.

After Puck exposed his lie, he honestly told them the exact location of the loot storage.

“Well then, let’s go. But once we enter that alley, we’ll need to be even more on guard. Who knows how many people Felt hired. If you're scared, you can stay here.”

“What kind of coward do you think I am!? Besides, Emilia isn’t exactly a master negotiator either. Let’s go—I’ll cling to you like a ghost!”

“Shouldn’t you be leading if you want to be useful?”

Listening to Subaru’s overly dramatic declaration, Emilia let out yet another sigh—who knew how many that made now?

As they headed toward the warehouse, a new problem came to mind.

The reality that both of them were penniless.

“We’re supposed to buy it back, huh? What do we do? The item’s in their hands, so we’re at the mercy of their price.”

“We came to reclaim something that was stolen, so why do we have to pay?”

As the problem shifted toward their empty wallets, Emilia suddenly looked troubled.

Her muttered complaint was perfectly logical—but assuming the other side would be moved by logic was naive.

To resolve things smoothly, following the man's information was the smart move, but…

“Though it’s a little late to ask, does that stolen Insigna look expensive? If we’re going to negotiate, it’s better to know its market value.”

“…It has a small gem in the center. I don’t know how much it would fetch, but I can say it’s definitely not cheap.”

“A gemstone, huh. That’s trouble. I wonder if 30 holy coins would be enough.”

Even someone without much knowledge knew that a gemstone could be exchanged for a lot of money.

They were convenient tools.

This world likely didn’t have the technology to make counterfeit gems, so if it looked like a gem, it was real.

Which meant gems were naturally a sign of high value.

“Wait, aren’t you penniless, Subaru?”

Subaru thought of his almost-dead—or perhaps already resurrected—phone in his pocket.

Maybe because he had accepted that the phone would never be charged again, he was now more willing to owe a favor to the important person before him.

After all, Subaru was beginning to truly believe this wasn’t a dream.

“Ahem. Now’s the time to show off my traveler-level negotiation skills.”

“Why the sudden grand talk? And what’s with the heavy nasal breathing?”

“Thanks for ruining my dramatic moment of resolve!”

Even though his momentum was crushed, Subaru quickened his pace to catch up with the figure ahead.

Not wanting to be left behind by the girl charging toward her goal, they walked for several more minutes until they could finally see the loot storage ahead.

Subaru suddenly turned to Emilia and said:

“So anyway, can I handle things from here on?”

Following her logic would likely end in failure, so Subaru reluctantly volunteered himself.

It was his last resort—if used too soon, it wouldn’t feel like a trump card.

But missing the right moment could make things worse, so Subaru made the decision without hesitation.

Emilia looked surprised by his offer.

Her straightforward expression was so cute, Subaru thought, just as he prepared to argue against the concern she was about to raise—

“I understand. I’ll leave it to you, Subaru.”

“I knew you wouldn’t say yes easily. I’m not stupid enough to think I’ve earned your trust just from walking this far. But I have a plan, and I hope you’ll belie—wait, what!?”

“W-Why are you so shocked?”

“We were just arguing a moment ago, weren’t we? I thought you’d say something like, ‘You think I’d entrust something this important to a useless CO₂ generator like you? Even a dog would be more helpful.’ Even if it hurt, I was dreaming of that kind of dramatic turn!”

“I’d never say something that harsh!”

Subaru’s exaggerated victim act made Emilia angry.

But after a cough, she fixed her purple crystal-like eyes on him.

“And whether it’s about the little girl or—”

“Ha!!”

Before Emilia could finish, a loud, full-bodied shout rang out.

The voice came from deep within the slums—the direction the thugs had pointed out.

The two exchanged glances and quickly ran toward the source.

Chapter Text

10. Puck

As they moved forward, the sound of objects being smashed became more and more distinct.

Emilia fired an ice spike at the tightly shut wooden door, and the three people inside the room stopped what they were doing due to the sudden interruption.

What Subaru Natsuki saw before his eyes was a bald old man over two meters tall, panting heavily.

He was wearing dirty, tattered clothes, and beneath them was a clearly well-trained, massive body.

In his hands, he held a club — a club as thick as Subaru’s waist, roughly the length of a bamboo sword, seemingly made of wood, but its tip was covered with many sharp spikes.

Just from appearance, it was an excellent weapon capable of delivering fatal injuries with a single blow.

Not far behind the old man stood a girl with messy, medium-length golden hair.

Her pupils were red like a rabbit’s, and a mischievous fang peeked out from the corner of her mouth.

Her petite body was dressed in clothing suited for movement — to put it bluntly, rags.

Subaru instantly understood: this was the thief.

Confronting the old man was a beautiful woman.

She was tall, about the same height as Subaru, probably in her early twenties, with drooping eyes and a graceful, noble air.

Her pale skin was striking even in the dim warehouse.

Though she wore a black coat, the front was open, revealing a tightly-fitting black outfit that drew the eye.

Her figure was slim but well-proportioned — in short, a killer body.

Like Subaru, she had rare black hair in this world. Her long hair, reaching her back, was tied in a braid.

At the moment, she was toying with a curved blade in her hand.

“So this is what they call a robbery,” Subaru said, slapping his palm.

“It’s not like that! This crazy woman’s the one who made the request, and then she suddenly attacked us in the middle of the deal. We’re just defending ourselves!” Felt shouted loudly.

Subaru didn’t argue with her, because the elegant woman had suddenly glided silently beside Emilia, and swung her curved blade at the white neck.

The motion was smooth, as if painting something — but it carried deadly intent.

A crisp sound rang out.

It wasn’t the sound of steel slicing bone, but rather the sharp noise of steel shattering glass.

Emilia leaned forward slightly, and a bluish-white magical circle appeared at the back of her head.

The magic light halted the tip of the blade, barely saving the silver-haired girl’s life.

Emilia jumped toward Subaru, who also instinctively ran forward.

The number of people in the room increased to five.

From Emilia’s silver hair, Puck emerged and glanced toward Subaru.

“Nice job, Puck! That was a close call — you saved us!”

“Oh, not at all! But first, I need to deal with the one who laid a hand on my daughter!”

Responding to Subaru’s enthusiastic thumbs-up, the small cat mimicked the same gesture.

The sun hadn’t set yet — which meant Emilia’s powerful backing, the Great Spirit Puck, was still on duty.

However, the woman whose surprise attack had been blocked now raised her deadly blade again, her expression dreamy as she muttered:

“—A spirit. A spirit, huh. Hehehe… wonderful. I’ve never cut open a spirit’s belly before.”

“Judging from what you just said and your appearance, you must be the Bowel Hunter,” said what must have been Old Man Rom.

“If possible, I’d prefer if you called me Elsa,” she replied affirmatively.

“You want to cut open my belly? Try it, if you think you can,” Puck said.

At that moment, Puck’s angry voice made Elsa realize something was wrong.

She looked up — and saw that while she had been standing there, she had become surrounded by over twenty sharp ice spikes.

“I haven’t introduced myself yet, miss. My name is Puck — just the name will do, take it with you to the afterlife.”

Immediately, the ice spikes crashed into Elsa from all directions like cannon fire.

Their speed far exceeded what had been used earlier on the thugs, and it was difficult to track them with the naked eye at the moment of impact.

The sharp tips could easily pierce the human body, and the blood would surely stain the clear ice red.

There were at least twenty ice spikes — enough to deliver a fatal blow.

However, Elsa’s figure, her black hair swirling, broke through the icy mist.

She swung her curved blade, her movements still light and agile.

Apart from losing her black coat and now being clad only in a black bodysuit, she looked no different than before.

“Could it be… that coat was heavy, and after taking it off, she moved more flexibly and dodged them!?” Subaru guessed that she had avoided all the ice spikes by sheer agility.

“That’s a fun interpretation, but the truth is simpler. My coat was woven with a magic technique that could ward off just one spell. That’s how I survived,”

Elsa replied politely to Subaru’s question, lowering her posture and dashing straight forward with her blade raised.

Her curved blade pointed directly at Emilia’s chest — she had just finished casting a major spell and had little defense left.

Subaru couldn’t help but cry out.

But—

“Don’t underestimate a spirit user. Fighting one is truly frightening. The tasks of attacking and defending are divided — effectively, it’s like facing two-on-one. That’s what makes spirit users troublesome.

One attacks, the other defends.

One can use simple magic to buy time, while the other unleashes their ultimate move…”

Old Man Rom, now standing beside Subaru, remarked with calm breath.

Hearing this, Subaru nodded in agreement.

So that’s how it was — the combo of a spirit user isn’t so easily broken.

Even as they spoke, the battle raged on.

Countless ice shards appeared one after another, flying freely through the room.

Yet amidst the storm of ice, Elsa’s movements far exceeded human capabilities.

It was like watching a video game boss: her dodges and parries seemed invincible.

Despite nearly a hundred ice projectiles being launched, none — aside from the initial attack — struck her directly.

“You’re really used to fighting, huh? Even though you’re a woman,” Puck said admiringly, even as he continued the fierce exchange of blows with Elsa.

If this continued, Puck would eventually win — but his work hours were drawing to a close.

And finally, the tide of battle turned.

Shattered ice fragments had been piling up on the floor.

In that moment, they successfully stuck Elsa’s feet to the ground.

At the same time, as if anticipating this, Puck extended his arms forward and gathered the greatest amount of magical energy he had yet used — even Subaru could see it.

The magic was no longer in the form of ice — it was pure destructive energy.

A beam of blue-white light froze everything in its path, instantly dyeing the stolen goods storehouse white.

The energy passed through Elsa, hitting the entrance of the storehouse.

The entire doorway was sealed in ice, and the freezing shockwave extended beyond expectations, affecting even the exterior.

When the aurora-like light passed, only ice remained.

The stolen goods, the furniture, and the counters — all had been frozen solid into permafrost.

Naturally, Elsa — who had taken a direct hit — was no exception.

Inside the ice wall was Elsa’s right hand, and beside it lay her corpse. No blood flowed — she had already frozen to death. From the wound, one could see her frozen heart.

“That was close — she actually shaved off the entire sole of her right foot. If I’d been careless, she might’ve gotten away. Well, Lia, I’m heading to sleep now. I’ll leave the rest to you guys to sort out at your leisure.”

Chapter Text

11. Vampire?

For the first time witnessing a person’s death with his own eyes, the intense nausea made Subaru squat down in a corner.

Grandpa Rom was counting his losses, and Emilia seemed to have taken her own Insigna from Felt’s hand.

Everyone’s attitude was calm, and this scene gave Subaru a deeper understanding of the cruelty in this other world.

“Subaru, are you okay?”

Emilia came over with concern. Subaru suppressed the urge to vomit and turned around, then he saw it — a black shadow quietly moving behind the silver-haired girl.

“—Emilia! Defend yourself!!”

The curved blade reflected light and swung once again at the white neck, the motion as gentle as if spreading paint.

In an instant, the girl’s head flew off in front of Subaru’s wide-open eyes.

“Why? Why are you still alive, Elsa!”

Subaru shouted at the blade-wielding killer.

Elsa, who should have been dead, was now standing in front of him completely unharmed.

Even the right hand and right sole that he had cut off were intact on her body.

Only the torn clothing and the frozen severed limbs suspended mid-air proved the deadly fight had just happened.

“I prefer to say I’m blessed with undeath, but people prefer to call us vampires anyway. Oh! By the way, I’m a half-vampire, so I eat like normal humans and don’t suck blood. I’m only interested in cutting open bellies and playing with warm intestines.”

Elsa spoke while licking her blade with delight.

Her actions made her words feel real, and it was precisely because Subaru understood what kind of monster this person in front of him was that a deep fear welled up from his heart, making his hands and feet tremble.

The nausea surged again, but the situation didn’t wait.

“Woooohhh—!!”

Grandpa Rom roared, charging at Elsa with his club, while Felt took out her knife and readied to assist.

Rom cursed loudly as he swung the club.

The club whooshed through the air, smashing toward Elsa.

Against such power, her clumsy defense was worse than a paper shield.

Rom used this deadly attack, which was fatal if it landed, in the cramped warehouse where there was little space to dodge.

But Elsa’s fighting ability was exceptional.

After dodging several of Rom’s attacks, Rom changed tactics: the spiked club switched from a sweeping strike to a thrust, narrowing the attack from a line to a point.

The strange attack aimed straight at Elsa’s throat — but instead, Rom’s throat stiffened.

“Th-This can’t be—!!”

“That’s because you’re strong, so I was able to do it,” Elsa said lightly, standing skillfully on the tip of the club thrust forward.

Such balance was only possible with a supernatural sense of equilibrium.

Before the exquisite balance collapsed, Elsa swung her blade forward, aimed at Rom’s forehead.

A direct hit would certainly decapitate him.

“Don’t think you’ll get your way!”

Felt threw her knife.

The sudden strike from below slightly disrupted Elsa’s blade movement.

The belly of the blade struck the giant’s shoulder with a heavy clang of metal on bone.

Rom’s body sprayed blood and collapsed stiffly.

“Bad child!”

After landing lightly, Elsa turned to glare at Felt.

The smile in her eyes quickly turned to hatred.

The next second, Elsa appeared in front of Felt, arm bent and swinging down.

“Ah!”

Though Felt instinctively jumped back, the blade still cut her shoulder in midair.

She couldn’t even protect herself when landing.

Felt tumbled to the ground before Subaru, with a wound from left shoulder to right armpit deep enough to expose ruptured internal organs.

Blood sprayed like a fountain onto Subaru, and in the shock of pain and slashing, Felt had probably already lost consciousness.

She lay on the ground motionless.

After a few seconds, the blood stopped flowing, silently indicating her life was over.

Having lived in peaceful Japan, seeing such a deadly battle firsthand, with trembling limbs unable to move, and only able to watch Felt bleed to death before him, Subaru realized he lacked not only fighting ability but also resolve.

“Old man and the girl are down, and you’re still not moving? Have you given up?”

Elsa spoke with a tone of pity, then relaxed as she approached Subaru.

That attitude made Subaru’s anger surge uncontrollably—both anger at Elsa and at his own weakness.

Anger overcame fear, and Subaru crawled up like a beast, then lunged at Elsa with all his strength.

“You’re hopeless. You look like a novice—big, clumsy, and inaccurate. No Divine Protection, no skill, and you thought you came up with some brilliant plan? You didn’t. Why do you even challenge me?”

Elsa looked puzzled at the boy who had crawled up again.

Compared to the unscathed Elsa, Subaru’s nose and front teeth were damaged, the ribs in his abdomen kicked by Elsa were probably broken, and his left shoulder and below shook weakly.

Both knew Subaru had no chance of winning.

“Let’s end this. I’ll send you to meet the angels.”

Clearly bored, Elsa said the words that announced the game was over, then smiled and melted into the darkness.

Her exquisite footwork made it seem like she sank into the shadows.

Seeing Subaru lose focus, she swiftly attacked with a deadly slash.

“What!”

Betting everything on the title “Bowel Hunter” and convinced Elsa was aiming for his abdomen, Subaru barely dodged the lethal strike with a backward jump, then used all his strength to deliver a spinning kick to Elsa’s upper body.

“Oh, impressive just now.”

Elsa drew a second kukri from her waist, and the next second, a huge wound appeared on Subaru’s belly as if trying to slice him in half.

Blood and guts gushed out.

“—Ah?”

Shaking, he took a step or two, then crashed against the wall and collapsed.

Looking down, blood uncontrollably poured out, staining the floor.

He tried to push the spilled blood back into his belly with trembling hands.

“Scared? Just a scratch can open a hole in your belly. That’s my specialty.”

She came close to Subaru, who could only moan wordlessly, gazing fondly at the black thick blood pooling over his exposed intestines.

“Ah, as I thought—I just knew your intestines would be beautiful.”

This woman was abnormal. Her head was definitely messed up.

Under agonizing pain that adrenaline couldn’t fully suppress, Subaru’s consciousness began to blur.

At some point, his body lay sideways on the ground, and his trembling fingers weakly touched Elsa’s foot.

“Ah... ugh... ugh...”

“Does it hurt? Are you uncomfortable? Sad? Heartbroken? Do you want to die?”

Allowing his ankle to be grabbed, Elsa crouched down to meet Subaru’s gaze, her eyes filled with happiness—an indescribable happiness.

“You’ll slowly, slowly lose your body heat, then slowly turn cold.”

Like teasing, licking, mourning, and cherishing, Elsa’s voice gently tapped on Subaru’s ears as he neared the end.

Snapping back to awareness, his vision closed.

The blood loss was too great; his body was gradually dying.

Unable to hear, taste, smell, or see—he only felt his body cooling, knowing he was about to die. And that was terrifying.

In a world where he didn’t know when his life’s flame would extinguish, the fear of death overwhelmed Subaru, refusing to leave him.

When will I die? When will I die? Am I still alive? Or am I already dead?

What does it mean to live? Can this state worse than a bug be called living? What is life and death? Why is death so terrifying? Is living necessary? Or is it unnecessary?

So scary, so scary, so scary, so scary, so scary, so scary.

Instinctively endlessly rejecting the overwhelming idea of his death.

Finally Death engulfed and embraced Subaru as his vision finally faded to pure white.

—Ah, I’m dead.

With that final thought, Subaru’s life easily slipped away.

Chapter Text

12. The Cowardly Boy

“—Hey, young man, stop spacing out. Are you going to eat the Appa or not?”

The moment his consciousness returned, in front of Subaru was a ripe, bright red fruit.

Looking at the Apple-like fruit, the phrase “fruit of wisdom” suddenly flashed through Subaru’s mind.

The forbidden fruit that, once eaten, would get you expelled from paradise.

If he bit into it now, could he get released from this bewildering situation?

“Hey, young man?”

A middle-aged man frowned and called out to Subaru, who didn’t respond.

Slowly returning from the foggy edge of his consciousness to reality—like a spring popping up, he lifted his head.

Scanning the surroundings, Subaru felt his heart pounding wildly and his breath quickening.

It was noon on a busy main street, at the entrance of a fruit shop.

Various vegetables and fruits were displayed, and standing in front of them was the store owner, a man with a conspicuous white scar and a scary face.

Faced with the suffocatingly familiar and noisy scene, Subaru grabbed his head tightly.

“Am I... back?”

He only said that before dizziness and nausea overwhelmed him, and he collapsed on the spot.

.

.

.

“The shop owner’s unexpectedly a good person!”

Worried about Subaru collapsing suddenly in front of the store, the fruit shop owner not only took care of him but also gave him a free fruit and a glass of water.

Meanwhile, Subaru was eating instant noodles soaked in water.

“Alright, let me sort this out. First, this should be reality. In game terms, this is a save point. If possible, I really want every time I open my eyes to be Reinhild, not this scar-faced middle-aged man.”

“Then the most important question is under what conditions I returned here and how many chances remain. The second time, I’ll call it the second loop. In the second loop, I definitely died, but why did I come back here to start it?

Did I die, or does time automatically bring me back here, or maybe when consciousness fades I return here? It looks like I have to go through the first loop again first.”

Muttering to himself, Subaru nodded firmly.

Yes, Subaru was running away—running away from what happened on Emilia’s side, finding a reason to abandon her that would ease his conscience.

Because Subaru was just an ordinary Japanese high schooler.

If it was for Reinhild, who had helped him before, maybe he could muster the courage.

But Emilia was just someone he had just met.

He couldn’t step into that life-threatening place again for her.

“Well, the instant noodles are finished. I should get going. Emilia’s probably helping the shop owner’s child right now...”

Returning the water cup to the shop owner, Subaru thought about what was happening now, but he quickly shook his head again.

“Whatever. Didn’t Emilia get lost for an hour? Without me, she probably wouldn’t find that grocery store.

And that little girl can delay things a lot, right? That Bowel Hunter probably won’t waste too much time in the storeroom.

As for Old Man Rom and Felt—they’re just thieves, not worth pitying.”

“Besides, Elsa isn’t only strong; she’s immortal.

That kind of monster is impossible to beat.

Vampires being scared of garlic and sunlight—who knows if those rules even apply here?

If they don’t, this isn’t a game; every trial means death... death, I don’t want to die, not again...”

Subaru covered his head and breathed rapidly.

Flashes in his mind were the shining blades and the bloody, dazzling smile dancing in the carnage.

He couldn’t stop trembling all over.

That fear, that despair—were feelings Subaru, who had lived an ordinary life until now, had never experienced.

He didn’t want to think about anything anymore, didn’t want to remember anything, just wanted to retreat into his shell and forget it all.

—The reflected light of blades, the head flying into the sky, Felt sinking into a sea of blood, and indescribable pain.

“Ha~~~”

After a long exhale, Subaru stood up again and walked straight toward the building where he was supposed to get his residence permit.

He didn’t choose to alert Emilia because he feared that the excuse comforting his conscience would lose its effect the moment he saw her, or rather, he didn’t want to see the girl who might die because of his weakness.

In the third loop, the boy scared out of his wits by death chose to run away.

Leaving aside how Subaru’s actions affected Emilia, at least the four little followers trailing Subaru wavered accordingly.

Among them, the three hooligans retreated after following a short distance.

After all, they were just street punks, not terrorists.

Cowardly bullies like them wouldn’t dare to rob near government offices.

Reinhild, watching the departing trio and Subaru, hesitated a bit.

The trio needed a lesson, but the boy’s desperate voice just now concerned Reinhild more.

In the end, Reinhild continued following Subaru, escorting him into the office.

While considering what to do next, Reinhild suddenly saw the figure of a close friend.

“Julius! What are you doing here?”

The finest knight Julius was a man who carefully groomed his purple hair at the back.

He was about 180 cm tall, slim but not frail, best described as lean and handsome.

His amber eyes, which attracted the opposite sex, were frighteningly fitting.

His golden, ornate uniform bore a dragon motif; at his waist hung a thin sword like a Western rapier.

His dignified stance matched his title.

“Reinhild. I came here because of a black-haired boy who has something my family cares about. So, who are you helping this time?”

Julius immediately understood what Reinhild was doing.

After hearing Reinhild’s target, he was told about Subaru’s situation.

Of course, because Subaru fainted directly and appeared experienced at coming here, there was no missing important info like illiteracy or lack of money.

“I see. Although I don’t know who Elsa is, and immortality sounds like a joke, since you say so, leave him to me.

I promise, as long as I have breath, I won’t let him get hurt.

You go enjoy your rare vacation.”

Julius nodded and gave his promise.

Reinhild awkwardly scratched the back of her head but didn’t tell her close friend about her own “Phoenix’s Blessing” ability.

By the way, at this time, Reinhild himself didn’t know that after dying and reviving, she would gain the upgraded “Continuation of Phoenix’s Blessing.”

Chapter Text

13. The Girl’s Favor

“So, to process the long-term residence permit, there is a fee of one gold coin, and a guarantor is needed. This way, if you cause any trouble, we have a lead. Aren’t the specific requirements all posted over there? Can’t you read it yourself?”

The man behind the counter pointed wordlessly at the board beside him.

The characters on it were unreadable to Subaru, but he understood the main point—just like in the real world, processing paperwork required money.

And Subaru was completely broke, so he was stuck at the very first step.

“Excuse me, then I will be his guarantor. Here is the processing fee.”

“Julius? Understood, please wait a moment.”

Julius inserted himself into their conversation.

It was obvious Reinhild had entrusted Subaru to him.

Trusting his close friend’s judgment, Julius proactively volunteered to be Subaru’s guarantor.

Of course, this was also a favor to ease Subaru’s situation, making it easier to invite him later as a guest.

As Julius had expected, after the paperwork was done, Subaru hesitated for a moment but then accepted Julius’s invitation.

.

.

.

The location was a restaurant beside the main avenue at the royal capital’s main gate.

It was getting somewhat dark, and Subaru, now in formal wear, met the adult Julius wanted him to meet.

She was a lively-looking girl with light purple hair, long and wavy down her back.

Her soft appearance reminded one of cotton candy.

She wore a white dress richly adorned with fur, and what stood out especially was the white fox scarf draped over her shoulders and a huge double-beaded clasp purse hanging comically below her waist.

“Well then, let me introduce myself first. My name is Anastasia Hoshin, president of the Hoshin Trading Company.”

“Hey, wait a second... that accent, you must be joking.”

“What’s wrong? Why so surprised? Is this the first time you’ve heard the Kararaki accent?”

Though it felt unfamiliar, Subaru was certain it was a Kansai dialect.

Although he was beginning to take an interest in the western country of Kararaki, he quickly refocused on the matter at hand.

“I’m Subaru Natsuki, a penniless pauper. I understand why you sought me out, so can we get to the point? Your target is that unknown Meteor, right?”

“Revealing your hand so soon? That’s the worst possible move against someone like me. But I appreciate your earnestness. No need to be so tense, it’s okay. I just want you to keep me company. It would be too lonely to say goodbye after just the essentials.”

“Why are you so insistent on chatting with me? There must be no benefit for you.”

“There is no such thing as a meaningless matter in this world, that’s what I think. No one knows exactly where or from whom they might get a spark of inspiration. Among all that, I think Subaru is a particularly special person of interest.”

Unable to refute such earnest words, Subaru wisely weighed Anastasia’s request and purpose carefully.

“The key to negotiation is to penetrate the opponent’s heart. The topic and inquiries must be clever. First, start with something the other party is interested in.”

Subaru scratched his head in thought at the girl’s suggestion.

“Subaru, your frown is way too deep. Your eyes look scary.”

“My fierce gaze is natural. Don’t dig into someone’s insecurities.”

“Insecurities? Hmm, fine. Speaking of natural, where are you from? Black hair is rare here, and that outfit you wore just now is also very uncommon.”

“I come from Earth, Japan. This outfit is called a tracksuit. Probably the only one of its kind in this world.”

Subaru answered honestly, and Anastasia showed a thoughtful expression.

“Earth, Japan? Never heard of it... where is it?”

“You ask where I’m from, that’s hard to answer. Since the answer ‘a small eastern country’ isn’t acceptable, then further east—yes, I come from the far end of the world no one has seen.”

“Meaning beyond the Great Waterfall!”

Anastasia fell into deep thought. Her unexpected tone made Subaru frown.

“You’re not laughing at me? Reinhild too—do you really believe there are other continents beyond the map?”

“Yeah, some people say they come from beyond the Great Waterfall.

I didn’t expect to meet someone like you.

If you ever take an interest in ‘The Wasteland of Hoshin,’ just look into it. By the way, are you close with Reinhild?”

“If I had to say, I want to be her wings.”

“Wings? You mean the wings I’m thinking of? Well, judging by your expression, I get it. So what does that Meteor do, and how much do you want for it?”

“About 30 holy gold coins, I suppose.”

“I see. The Meteor that freezes time, huh? But Subaru, we’re not philanthropists like Reinhild. Let’s put it this way, a few gold coins are enough to get a Meteor. Though finding the right collector might fetch a higher price, your Meteor has no combat power, and charging it is also an issue. So 15 holy gold coins is our sincere offer.”

Seeing Anastasia’s expression shift from surprise to understanding at his quote, Subaru couldn’t help but give a bitter smile.

He was only now beginning to realize just how big a favor he owed at the start.

That endless light illuminated Subaru’s dark heart. He looked at his phone and agreed to the deal.

“Miss Anastasia, do you know where I can find mercenaries?”

“You don’t know? They’re famous in Kararaki. Our Hoshin Trading Company’s exclusive mercenary group, ‘Iron Fang,’ is funded by me, and I’m the one who chooses its members.”

“So how many can I hire for 15 holy gold coins?”

“Let me ask your target first.”

“The Bowel Hunter, Elsa.”

“A very dangerous person. Why not look for guards?”

“Because there’s a reason I can’t involve guards that I don’t know.”

“Wait a moment, please.”

.

.

.

“Julius, do you think there’d be any problem if we add my Iron Fang to the mix?”

“According to the knights’ intel, there shouldn’t be.”

“Understood. Then I can do the boy another favor.”

.

.

.

“15 holy gold coins plus one favor, I will help you with all my might.”

“Though I don’t know what my favor is worth, please, thank you. How long will it take roughly?”

Subaru put on the tracksuit handed by a servant and asked anxiously.

“Ricardo, you and your team will leave with Subaru. Lastly, teach Subaru a negotiation tip. The secret to negotiation lies in how much preparation is done before reaching the negotiation table. Clever tricks aside, creating an advantageous situation is essential.”

Looking at the guests standing around and the girl in front of him, Subaru understood the difference between them.

.

.

.

“We have fully understood that gadget on the clothes. After returning, we should be able to mass-produce it.”

After the others left, a servant respectfully spoke to Anastasia.

“That’s good. This time we’re really lucky to have acquired a one-of-a-kind mass-production product so easily. Once preparations are done here, we can take the market first. And having that favor, there’s no worry left.

If Reinhild really comes looking, we can solve it with the favor.

Remember to have someone keep an eye on the other major trading companies—I don’t want the cooked duck to fly away just like that.”

“Julius, I know what you want to say, but our country’s strongest is basically an assassin.

And precisely because I trust the person Reinhild talks about, I’m making these arrangements. I hope you can understand.”

After signaling his subordinates to leave, Anastasia explained to Julius, who hesitated to speak.

“I apologize. Then I must get going.”

Julius expressed his apologies.

“Make sure to finish it cleanly and efficiently.”

Chapter Text

14. Iron Fang

In the late night of the royal capital, a group of demi-humans riding on huge dog-like creatures appeared.

These dog-like beings were the ligers unique to Western countries.

The group’s target was the storeroom in the slums.

“My name’s Ricardo, nice to meet you all tonight!”

The one making the loud noise was a dog-headed beastman, also the commander of this team.

His entire body was covered with copper-colored fur, and the bronze fur on his elongated head looked like a Mohawk style. H

is sharp gaze and a mouth full of sharp teeth were very striking, forming a face both incredible and friendly.

He was nearly two meters tall, muscles bulging beneath his leather clothes, giving the impression of a reconciliation between savagery and civilization.

On the steel pauldrons protecting his bare upper body, the emblem of the merchant guild was clearly depicted, attracting attention.

The mercenary group "Iron Fang," lent by Anastasia and led by Ricardo, numbered thirty in total.

Aside from the captain Ricardo, there were two vice-captains. Speaking of the vice-captains of "Iron Fang"—

“Here comes Mimi—!”

“I am Hetaro.”

One called out energetically with a raised hand, while the other bowed politely.

Both were young cat beastmen.

With orange fur and heights reaching only up to Subaru’s waist, their cute faces matched perfectly with their pure white robes that covered their necks.

To put it bluntly:

“Are you really a vice-captain?”

“Of course, Mimi’s super strong, and together with Hetaro, we’re really strong! If Tivey joins too, we’ll be even stronger! Super strong! Gatchi—!”

“About strength, rest assured. Big sister’s strength is enough to firmly hold the second seat of ‘Iron Fang,’ and I will also work hard.”

The self-assertive big sister was controlled by her brother pulling the reins.

“What big confidence. Being a vice-captain isn’t just about having strength, right?”

“There are skills beyond normal people too! Also, when the battle begins, the captain rushes forward headlong, fighting fiercely, not noticing the surroundings, so Hetaro works really hard!”

“I deliver commands to everyone in place of big sister and the captain.”

“Ah, I see, all the hard work falls on you.”

Laughing heartily, bursting onto the battlefield with a mighty body, and the big sister’s figure beside him came to mind.

With this, even as a vice-captain, the only one really working might be Hetaro. The cute big sister was a naïve and reckless child.

“We will follow Anastasia-sama’s instructions to help Mr. Natsuki, but we will fight in our own way. If we don’t tell Mr. Natsuki this beforehand, it might cause confusion… Mr. Natsuki?”

“No problem. I’m just surprised by how serious and clever you are.”

“Hehe—amazing, right—!”

The big sister was at it again, always proud like this right after, so cute.

When Hetaro praised her serious care, Mimi proudly puffed out her chest.

Hetaro, troubled by Mimi’s attitude, finally spoke honestly.

Looks like this brother was a big fan of his sister, and Mimi’s carefree life was certainly influenced by Hetaro.

“Well, I’m counting on you all.”

—“We must catch up.”

Subaru’s easy words couldn’t hide the anxiety on his face.

He prayed inwardly.

He already had gained power, but the thugs falling silently on the way told another story.

The closer they got to the storeroom, Subaru finally saw a black-haired woman under the moonlight, giving a sinister smile to the approaching group, her curved blade dripping fresh blood.

“Roar!!!”

The strong killing intent made Mimi and Hetaro’s hair stand on end.

The two small beastmen jumped up and roared at once; the air twisted, or rather, an invisible air wave attacked Elsa.

This terrifying scene made Subaru certain of the two small beastmen’s strength.

Elsa dodged the two beastmen’s attacks with a subtle move, then used her curved blade to deflect Ricardo’s two-handed sword attack.

Dust flew up. Ricardo sensed danger and jumped up.

In the next instant, Elsa pulled out a curved blade from her back, attacking the spot Ricardo had just vacated.

A flash of the blade, blood splattered.

Although Ricardo jumped away in time, his mount was split in two.

“How lucky to fight the famous Iron Fang.”

The woman bathed in a shower of blood radiated endless joy, showing no fear even surrounded.

“This is more troublesome than the news from the royal knight order and what you just said, little brother. But let me show you the power of Iron Fang, Hetaro!”

“Understood…”

Ricardo said boldly. Then Hetaro took command, and many demi-humans started moving. At that moment, war began.

.

.

.

“Ah ah ah, sorry, sorry…”

Under the faint moonlight, the warehouse was full of chaos. Old man Rom lay in a pool of blood with a cup in his throat.

A few meters ahead, a club was stuck in the ground, and old man Rom’s severed right hand still gripped it.

Nearby, Felt’s corpse leaned against a pillar, and Emilia’s body lay on the ground as well.

“I will definitely avenge you all.”

Subaru pried open old man Rom’s right hand, picked up the club, and left the warehouse with determination.

.

.

.

Outside the warehouse, the battle continued.

Under Hetaro’s command, Iron Fang lost several comrades but inflicted two serious wounds on Elsa’s body.

However, Elsa, having noticed the commander, also attacked Hetaro.

Even the strong Iron Fang mercenaries couldn’t stop death from approaching Hetaro.

“Big sister!! Roar!”

Elsa swung her blade at Hetaro.

At that moment, Mimi appeared in front of Hetaro, blocking the fatal strike.

Then an enraged Hetaro unleashed another shockwave from his mouth.

Elsa’s right hand, pursuing the attack, was twisted like a twisted rope.

Subaru, arriving just in time, launched a full-power attack on the airborne Elsa.

“Are you okay...”

Subaru fell silent. Hetaro collapsed coughing up blood, Mimi also fell into a pool of blood, and not far away lay many fallen Iron Fang mercenaries.

“Don’t be discouraged. The three sisters have the ‘Blessing of Three’ to share the damage. Such fatal wounds won’t take two lives.

The injured should take them away first. The rest, fight alongside me to buy time. Little brother, you should leave first.”

Ricardo’s bold voice rallied everyone’s morale. Subaru gripped the club and stood by Ricardo’s side.

Having brought Iron Fang here, Subaru’s humanity wouldn’t let him abandon everyone and run.

Chapter Text

15. The Beast of the End

“Ah, it hurts so much. But it’s amazing, ah! This is what it means to be alive. Let’s keep going.”

Even though her right hand was already twisted into a mangled mess and there was a sizable wound on her waist, Elsa’s voice was still filled with excitement.

The three members of Iron Fang who had been pursuing the injured her had now become cold corpses.

Several minutes later, the Iron Fang, having lost two vice-captains, gradually fell into decline, with more and more falling to the ground.

Meanwhile, Elsa’s injuries recovered—that was because Ricardo had traded his own right hand for Elsa’s life.

He deliberately delivered a flawed strike, then when Elsa chopped off his hand, he fired a close-range verbal attack that pierced Elsa’s abdomen.

Although Elsa lost consciousness, her body instinctively held back the remaining Iron Fang members, buying enough time for her awareness to fully return.

Just as the situation was about to turn into a massacre—

“The situation is worse than I imagined. Seeing Tivey fall and rushing over first was definitely the right move. Leave things below to me.”

“The Finest knight—Julius! Ah, what a relief.”

Breaking the desperate atmosphere was Julius, who suddenly entered the battle surrounded by six tiny spirits.

“Just hold her off, I’ve already sent word to the knight order.” Julius said quietly as he passed by, then left behind blue spirits to heal everyone.

The battle resumed once more.

This was the second time Subaru witnessed someone gaining the upper hand against Elsa.

Of course, Elsa’s strength born of many fierce battles was a reason, but Julius’s power was also unimaginably terrifying.

His swordsmanship, honed by countless trials, allowed him to share vision with six spirits, granting him a truly all-around awareness—a broken ability.

His mastery of six main elemental magics brought horrific combat power: Yin magic weakened the opponent’s status, Yang magic boosted his own, Earth magic imposed restrictions, Fire magic executed area attacks, Water magic healed injuries, and Wind magic performed invisible control.

As the third strongest of the 2000-strong Royal Guard, Julius’s tenacity was vividly displayed at this moment.

“Mana naturally depletes faster than stamina, and this place’s mana is pitifully scarce. If this keeps up, Julius will definitely lose.”

Perhaps noticing Subaru’s confusion, Ricardo, having just regained his mobility and now wielding his greatsword with his left hand, explained.

Subaru listened and then started to brace himself against the wall, preparing to stand.

???

Suddenly, a violent noise came from behind.

Like a demolition using explosives, the warehouse behind lost its shape in an instant.

Countless pieces of wood flew out, and Natsuki Subaru was blown far away by the blast wave.

The two combatants simultaneously paused their movements.

Subaru stood there stunned, looking up at the overwhelming destruction.

The familiar building was gone.

In the overwhelming scene beyond comprehension, Subaru exhaled a white breath.

Because he was weak, he felt it all the more intensely—the cold of the ground, his body trembling, the air biting cold enough to hurt his lungs.

Subaru coughed involuntarily, and then he finally realized—

—The breath he was rapidly exhaling appeared as a white mist.

“—!?”

At that moment, stabbing pain swept over his entire body.

Red orbs flickered before his eyes, quickly dimming.

The white breath he exhaled, the air he inhaled felt like swallowing wind and snow, as if his internal organs were slowly freezing.

Subaru’s instincts forcefully rang alarms of his life being in danger.

He understood—he was being killed from the inside out.

He didn’t know... what was happening...

His body temperature was gradually being stolen away.

Even standing was becoming difficult.

His body wanted to escape, but his muscles froze stiff, causing him to collapse straight to the ground.

His insides froze solid; his limbs couldn’t even tremble.

His mind could no longer send thoughts to his hands and feet.

His consciousness began to drift away from his body.

Subaru remembered this feeling. It was the loneliness and helplessness of death.

Trying to resist the approaching end, Subaru commanded his brain nerves to send signals throughout his body.

Was there anywhere still able to move? Even partial movement would do.

He finally found that his head could still move—that was because the Fire spirit was protecting him. Subaru desperately twisted his neck.

What came into view was a sky of heavy snow, the capital slowly freezing over.

Nearby were allies already turned into ice sculptures.

Julius was dragging Subaru, but his own body was already mostly frozen.

Perhaps noticing Subaru’s state, or because he had reached his limit, Julius said:

“Sorry, I should have realized when I noticed the mana in the air was especially low that it was being used for something. I promised Reinhild I would protect you...”

The red orbs vanished.

An even more extreme cold rushed in.

Subaru’s mouth couldn’t move, and he fell to the ground again.

He noticed something emitting white smoke nearby.

‘Ah.’

—At the warehouse’s location squatted a huge beast.

Covered in gray fur, its eyes gleamed with golden light—this was a sacred beast.

It rested on all fours, swaying its long tail with a serene demeanor, almost too mysterious.

More importantly, this beast possessed a body of extreme strength, as if prehistoric monsters from Godzilla movies had come to life.

“—”

From the not far distance, Subaru realized why the warehouse exploded—because that beast had suddenly emerged from inside the warehouse.

For such a massive body to appear from within, the building obviously couldn’t withstand that pressure.

“—”

The gray beast swung its body arrogantly, its face resembling a feline predator.

Its mouth revealed sharp fangs, casually exhaling white, snowy breath.

The giant beast transformed the world into a pure white snowy scene, painting all living things into an icy hell.

What was that?

While thinking that, Subaru’s vision gradually turned snow white.

Only now did he notice that his breathing had stopped long ago.

He no longer felt the biting cold.

Not only that, he felt warmth.

He wanted to surrender everything to that warmth.

The temptation shimmered—ready to burn his hateful body, tear apart his soul’s sorrow, and wipe all memories clean.

Forget it, forget it, consciousness drifting toward oblivion. Toward that warming ice.

“Sleep—sleep with my daughter. I must fulfill my contract, but I should...”

Before falling asleep, Subaru seemed to hear someone speaking.

A deep, fierce voice. But it also sounded distant and sorrowful.

He didn’t know.

He didn’t know.

In the silence where nothing mattered anymore.

Natsuki Subaru melted away.

Melted away, melted away, and disappeared.

Chapter Text

16. Reunion

The sun hung high in the sky, and a gentle breeze brushed softly against the skin.

On the bustling main street, pedestrians weaved past one another.

Just moments ago, another lizard-drawn carriage had passed by.

“All right, with this much evidence of the situation, I have no choice but to admit it. Though it’s a bit hard to believe...”

All the frostbite on his body had vanished; there was no dust or bloodstain anywhere on his tracksuit; and the cellphone that had disappeared had appeared again in his pocket.

“That’s just it.”

His hand, which had been stroking his chin, reached out, and Subaru snapped his fingers at the pedestrians on the street.

“Every time I die, I return to the initial state. That’s how it is.”

Although he kept cursing himself for being utterly foolish, he came to this conclusion anyway.

“I’ll call it ‘Return by Death’... an ability premised on defeat, it suits me perfectly.”

This was the first time the ability had triggered after death.

If pulling off a great reversal from a hopeless situation was the classic way, then gaining the chance to start over after defeat was a twisted, uncanny function.

“More accurately... it should be called ‘Time Rewind’.”

A phenomenon of looping and repetition under limited conditions.

In terms of a game, this has nothing to do with Subaru’s will; upon death, he returns automatically to a saved checkpoint.

Although still somewhat unbelievable—after all, time rewind is generally regarded as a dreamlike, impossible ability.

But then again, being summoned to another world already defies common sense.

“But applying the term ‘Return by Death’ explains all the unnatural phenomena I’ve experienced so far.”

Recalling everything that happened since arriving in this other world, Subaru estimated that he had died three times.

The first and third times, he froze to death.

The second time, he was sacrificed under Elsa’s deadly blade along with Rom, Felt, and Emilia.

“Still, dying three times in half a day is awfully fast.”

A normal person dies only once in a lifetime, so dying three times in just half a day overturns common sense.

He had lived a perfectly ordinary life for seventeen years in his original world.

The survival difficulty between his original world and this one was just too different.

When life was on the line, too many obstacles blocked Subaru’s future.

“To sum it up: Emilia’s Insigna was stolen, then the stolen goods warehouse was found, which housed Elsa—the battle-crazed murderer.

Elsa would kill Emilia.

Finally, that ice giant beast, considering how it called its ‘daughter’ and its ice abilities, must be Puck.

According to Julius and Ricardo’s remarks, after Emilia’s death it took some time absorbing the magic in the air before revealing its true form.

Whether intentional or not, its appearance would freeze the entire capital.”

Speaking in a light, playful tone, Subaru tried to ease his fear of death.

“If that’s the case, then let’s act quickly.

Luckily, now I know the phone can be sold for money.

I’ll sell it and use the funds for military expenses, then leave the capital and find somewhere to live a happy life using modern knowledge.

My dreams are expanding, right, old man?”

“I was just thinking about what you’d been mumbling earlier. I have no idea what you’re talking about now.”

Subaru asked the nearby vendor for his opinion.

The man responded with a puzzled look.

The cold reaction slightly hurt Subaru’s pure heart.

The attitude of random people, no matter which world, made little difference.

“However, there are some overly kind people who help even at critical moments.”

Like the sun-like Reinhild, the kind and innocent Emilia, and even Julius, who used the fire spirit’s power to protect himself but lost the chance to retreat.

“After dying three times, I’ve learned a lot. No, if I still didn’t understand after this, my head would be truly pitiful. But it’s only a little pitiful.”

“What are you babbling about now?”

“There must be a pattern. Among the inevitabilities—events that always happen no matter how many times you restart. These events have strong compulsive force. For example...”

From the first to the third death, Felt always stole Emilia’s Insigna; Emilia always found the stolen goods warehouse; Elsa always defeated Emilia; and Puck always destroyed the capital to avenge Emilia.

“So the key problem really is how to defeat Elsa.”

Subaru thought about that woman wielding a curved blade, the vampire identity the second time, and the scattered Iron Fang the third time.

His mind only held the thought of being unable to win, and his rational side urged him to escape the capital and avoid this problem.

“But I really... can’t just abandon Reinhild.”

Indeed, things now involved the young girl.

Although she wasn’t weak, Puck was no longer something human strength could defeat.

At least Subaru didn’t think the seemingly low-magical Reinhild could win against that embodiment of the end.

Moreover, Reinhild’s own strength was still unknown; as a sword saint, it seemed to run in the family, but Reinhild himself said he wasn’t mature yet.

Although Subaru, who returned to the past via ‘Return by Death,’ had already discarded Reinhild’s favor in the first vanished world, the gratitude in his heart wouldn’t disappear.

Also, the final conversation in the third world—the commission from Reinhild—showed how Subaru might unknowingly have been helped by the girl repeatedly.

Stretching and cracking his bones to revitalize himself, Subaru’s strange behavior surprised the vendor.

Subaru raised his hand and said:

“A man must do what he has to do, right, old man?”

“Right, right, exactly, so hurry up and go.”

Pushed away with a perfunctory gesture, Subaru quickly left. After pushing through the crowd and walking about two hundred meters, he stopped.

“Next, where should I go to find Reinhild?”

Thinking carefully, his contact with Reinhild had only been in the first loop.

Recalling those details, Subaru veered off the main street and entered an alley.

Soon after, Subaru met his target.

“As expected, you’ve come. I’m sick of seeing your faces. Aton, Ajin, Ahan.”

Full of energy, Subaru turned around.

Standing before him were the familiar trio of thugs.

Their aura, clothes, and appearance were all identical; their weapons were the same.

No progress at all, though the three robberies had only been separated by tens of minutes.

Aton and Ajin’s conversation followed the predetermined script, but Subaru no longer had the time to care.

“Help! Guards! Knights! Someone please save me!”

Without any preparation, Subaru shouted for help.

The trio was startled and jumped back at the sudden trick.

Breaking the silence of the alley, his volume was loud enough to cut through the noise of the main street.

Training in Kendo had accustomed him to loud shouts, and he no longer felt shame in yelling.

And for Subaru, who regarded his life as that of a loser, shouting for help did not damage his dignity in the slightest.

“Someone! Police! Guards!!”

Ignoring the threats of the three thugs, Subaru kept shouting, but the girl’s figure still hadn’t appeared.

Watching the trio draw weapons, a cold sweat broke out inside Subaru.

The three showed murderous intent.

Having died three times, he knew death was something you never get used to no matter how many times it comes.

“...I’ve failed after all.”

On guard, Subaru watched the three approaching, preparing to run away.

After all, he was not foolish enough to believe ‘Return by Death’ was infinite.

As the saying goes, ‘things never happen more than three times.’ If this ability was a mercy from Buddha, Subaru’s playthrough had already ended.

At that moment, a familiar voice echoed through the alley.

“—This ends here.”

Chapter Text

17. The Choice of Fate

The boy cornered by the thugs was shouting loudly for help. Reinhild hesitated.

The thugs had already been provoked, and the boy was clearly ready to break through even if it meant getting hurt.

What had started as a simple scuffle had escalated into a potentially deadly fight with weapons.

And Reinhild herself couldn’t use healing magic.

“This is far enough.”

Though the chance of someone dying was less than one in ten thousand, Reinhild still gave up on her original plan.

She stepped into the alley, naturally walking to stand in front of Subaru, making a silent declaration that if there was going to be a fight, it would now be two versus three.

Hearing this, the three thugs dropped their weapons and fled from the alley out onto the street.

“You saved me again. I'm Natsuki Subaru, and I’ll never forget this debt even in death...”

“Again?”

Reinhild caught on the key word.

Had she saved him before?

But just like how DIO couldn’t remember how many people he’d killed, Reinhild couldn’t remember how many people she had saved.

Though black hair and black eyes were rare in the kingdom, when she had gone to the Empire as a diplomat, there might have been...

“You don’t have to exaggerate so much. I appreciate your kindness.

Besides, they probably backed off because it was two versus three. If I were alone, the outcome might have been different.”

A few seconds later, Reinhild gave up trying to think about it and smiled as she spoke.

“Ah, yeah, yeah, you’re totally right. But seriously, your body, mind, and soul are all saintly! You're shining so brightly I feel like my eyes are burning!”

Though Subaru was responding to her, the look on his face gave off a strangely insincere vibe.

Reinhild, for once, felt a rare twinge of irritation in her heart.

“Um—Rein-chan, can I call you that?”

“-chan?”

“It’s a custom from my hometown. You add that to the end of the name of a cute girl.”

“Personally, I don’t think I’m that cute... but if it makes you more comfortable, you can call me that. I’d be happy too.”

Seeing “Rein-chan” in front of him with a slight hint of shyness, Natsuki Subaru felt like he almost stopped breathing.

“Yay ♪(^∇^*)”

He shouted excitedly, pumping his fists.

After a few dozen seconds, Subaru finally managed to suppress his excitement and noticed the now composed girl quietly watching him.

He coughed twice to ease the awkwardness, then put on a serious expression.

“Rein-chan, if the royal capital were about to be destroyed, would you be willing to escape—!?”

In that instant, Subaru felt like he was sinking into the deep sea.

Or rather, it was like the instinct animals have to play dead when facing danger had been triggered.

His breathing slowed, his heartbeat dulled, and a familiar sensation overwhelmed him—that was the feeling of death.

“Sorry! Subaru, I got too emotional.”

The girl apologized while patting his back.

Subaru was no longer able to speak to comfort her.

He gasped for air, his clothes soaked with sweat.

This girl’s aura was more powerful than anyone he had met so far.

She might even be stronger than the Bowel Hunter, whose limits were unknown.

Perhaps only Puck in his true form could definitively defeat her.

“I’m okay now. Sorry, I forgot Rein-chan is a knight who protects the nation.

That’s like a police officer spotting a suspected terrorist, and then that guy walks up and says, ‘This city’s going to have a series of explosions, can you go hang out in another city for a while?’

But seriously, Rein-chan, could you consider it—just as compensation for unintentionally hurting me—could you leave the city temporarily?”

‘For the sake of family, I must loyally serve this nation.’

Looking at Subaru, who was waiting for her answer, a gentle male voice echoed in Reinhild’s mind.

“Sorry, Subaru. Even if this city really is destined for destruction, it’ll only happen after I die.”

It was a statement of unwavering resolve, with eyes filled with complete seriousness.

Yet Subaru felt something odd—maybe a strange sense of empathy.

The girl before him, like his former self, seemed bound tightly by something.

But now wasn’t the time to explore that deeply.

Subaru was sure Reinhild wouldn’t leave the capital.

If he got another loop, he might try to ask her to help outside the city.

But in this loop, it was impossible.

He needed to prepare as much combat power as possible and go defeat Elsa.

The boy named Subaru gave his thanks and prepared to leave.

His body trembled slightly, and his eyes had the look of one heading toward death.

Faced with such a person, Reinhild ultimately couldn’t ignore him.

She called out to Subaru as he was about to leave, and with a puzzled look in his eyes, he turned as she asked:

“Subaru, may I help you?”

Subaru’s eyes filled with inner conflict.

Reinhild patiently waited for his decision.

Finally, Subaru spoke.

“Reinhild, may I ask a few potentially rude questions?”

“Go ahead.”

“Is the Sword Saint strong? I mean... how should I put this... I’m afraid this world might be one where the Sword Saint isn’t actually... ahem... well, basically, I’m worried that the Sword Saint might not be all that powerful on this continent.”

“You definitely shouldn’t ask anyone else that question.

Four hundred years ago, our ancestor was a powerful swordsman—so powerful, in fact, that he formed a blessing unique to our bloodline.

That’s why he was called the First Sword Saint.

This blessing is called the Divine Protection of the Sword Saint. It appears in the one with the greatest sword talent in the Reid bloodline, and the one who possesses it becomes the current Sword Saint.”

“May I ask what this Divine Protection does?”

“It allows you to cut what cannot be cut, draw the dragon sword Reid at my waist, and push your swordsmanship talent to its utmost limit.

But the dragon sword is very picky about its wielder—it’s only been drawn a handful of times in the past 400 years.”

Subaru was a little speechless.

Simply put, the Sword Saint was someone with extremely high potential who got a growth buff, a bound legendary weapon, and true damage.

But the bound weapon couldn’t always be used, and the true damage might not be necessary.

Also, the girl looked only about sixteen—who knows if she’d even reached her full potential yet?

“So Rein-chan, between you and that purple-haired knight Julius, who’s stronger?”

Natsuki Subaru thought for a moment and then remembered Julius.

Like Reinhild, he was a member of the knights and had the power to suppress the Bowel Hunter for a time—he was the perfect benchmark.

“The Finest of Knights, Julius? If it’s purely about strength, I’m a bit stronger than him.”

There was nothing left to ask.

The final decision was whether or not to take the girl’s hand—to borrow her strength.

For some reason, Natsuki Subaru felt this choice was extremely important.

A. Take the girl's hand and accept her help. (Continue main storyline) B. Apologize and leave, deal with the capital’s threat alone. (Enter Arrogance route)

Natsuki Subaru’s choice is...

Chapter Text

18. Route A – The Two Who Almost Fought

“Then, please lend me your strength for now.”

Subaru made his decision, speaking as he reached out his hand.

“Thank you for trusting me, Subaru. Since you’ve chosen to trust me, I hope you’ll trust me all the way—in other words, rely on me as much as you need.”

Reinhild froze for a moment, then realized what Subaru meant. She smiled and confidently grasped his hand.

.

.

.

“As expected, just regular apples. Boss, earlier you said you personally saw a silver-haired girl being robbed, and that she used ice magic to fight back—about how long ago was that?”

“About two two hours! So, customer, would you like any other fruit?”

“No, thank you for the information. But it looks like the easiest plan, stopping Felt’s theft, has completely failed. Two hours ago, huh… So Emilia would have been robbed just after I revived. That’s not something to laugh about.”

After getting the information from the fruit vendor, Subaru sighed and walked toward Reinhild, who was eating an apple nearby.

As he walked, he rapidly thought through his next move.

Currently, Subaru had constructed a basic power ranking system in his mind based on the people he’d met: Catastrophe-level was Puck, top-tier was Elsa the Bowel Hunter, those who could hold their own against her were first-rate, those who could last a few blows were second-rate, and those who couldn’t take a single hit were complete weaklings.

Even though he’d gained the power of someone between top-tier and first-rate—Reinhild—Subaru had already given up the idea of using her to directly fight Elsa.

He didn’t want Reinhild to get hurt.

Instead, his best plan was to stop the weakest link, Felt, from stealing from Emilia.

But now it seemed that not only was that impossible in this loop—it might always be something only he could stop.

Even if they were both weaklings, Felt could probably beat ten of him.

“Subaru, are you okay? You don’t look so well.”

Reinhild handed him a fruit from her bag while asking with concern as he approached.

“Thanks. I’m just a little down because I realized a shortcut disappeared.

Looks like we’ll have to move on to Plan B—the ambush strategy.

Reinhild, there might be some technically illegal stuff coming up. Would you be willing to turn a blind eye?”

The girl was silent for a few seconds, then shrugged and said, “I’m off duty today. I’m just aimlessly strolling around the capital. If I patrol or monitor anything on my own, the captain will yell at me. So I really am just taking a walk… By the way, unless there’s a victim’s accusation and solid evidence, a case won’t hold up.”

“Thanks.”

Subaru said gratefully, then headed deeper into the slums with Reinhild.

Maybe it was some sixth sense for danger, but this time the streets were eerily empty.

The few people they did pass looked at Reinhild warily from a distance.

Reinhild’s smile gradually disappeared, replaced by a thoughtful expression.

No matter how much Subaru joked around, it didn’t seem to help.

“Alright, we’re back here again. This time…”

Subaru kept talking to himself in a light tone, but it wasn’t enough to fool his heart.

His heartbeat pounded, pulse quickened, and his hands grew heavy.

His mouth dried up, his tongue burned, and a ringing in his ears hammered at his brain.

For a moment, the horrific scenes he had witnessed in the room played out again before his eyes—the old man’s corpse, his own slashed-open belly, a flying head, the ice beast, the corpses of the Iron Fangs, Julius frozen in ice…

“Subaru! Calm down. Deep breaths, deep breaths. I’m right here with you. Trust me—no matter what’s inside, it can’t hurt you.”

Reinhild grabbed his head so their eyes met.

Seeing the confidence in her eyes, Subaru’s fear slowly faded.

In her gaze, he saw a pathetic reflection of himself.

After several deep breaths, he patted Reinhild’s hand to signal he was okay, then struck a dramatic pose pointing to the sky to lighten the mood.

“Sorry you had to see that. But thanks to that Reinhild energy boost, I’m feeling fantastic. Just sit back and watch me in action.”

“Is that so… Then I’ll stand right behind you and witness your brilliance.”

Subaru stepped up to the heavy door of the loot storage.

His knees no longer trembled.

Knowing the girl behind him was watching gave him courage.

“Anyone in there?”

Subaru knocked and called out.

The door thudded heavily, but no one responded—only unbearable silence returned his call. A twinge of fear surfaced in Subaru’s heart.

Was he too late again? That thought made him pound on the door harder.

“Is anyone… there? Please, answer me… Please.”

Unable to withstand Subaru’s strength, the door began to crack and the hinges bent—until—

“—So noisy! Don’t know the password and code, and you’re trying to break the door?!”

The person inside had no regard for the situation.

The door came flying at Subaru with a roar.

If he’d been alone, it would’ve knocked him flying.

But just before the door struck him, a precise force from behind halted the blow.

He could feel the wind of the swinging door brush his nose—maybe only two centimeters away—but he wasn’t harmed.

The gentle force behind him steadied his body.

“Thanks, Reinhild. And Rom-jii, you’re way too rough.”

“You know me? How do you know about this place? Who told you?”

Old Man Rom aggressively tried to close the distance, but a girl stepped between them.

A bystander you’d forget just by looking—but Rom suddenly found his body refusing to move forward.

Even his hand holding the club trembled.

“Who the hell are you? What do you want?”

Rom watched the two in front of him warily.

That brief flash of fear behind the door hadn’t been an illusion.

The girl’s eyes—she looked like death wearing human skin.

But Rom was a giant, a warrior who’d fought in brutal wars, a man unafraid of death.

Most importantly, he had someone precious to protect.

So he summoned his courage to ask—if these people were targeting him, then dying here might protect Felt from harm.

“In any case, we’re guests, you could say. Aren’t you going to invite us in?”

Because of the battle they shared in the second loop, Subaru immediately noticed Rom’s subtle preparations to attack.

He hurriedly stepped in front of Reinhild and spoke.

Maybe it was because of the old man’s pressure, but Subaru felt a chill on his back.

Chapter Text

Chapter 19: Negotiations Begin

Although this was an extremely unpleasant first meeting for both sides, the three of them eventually sat down in the loot warehouse.

Though no one knew why, Old Man Rom remained cautious.

Subaru, meanwhile, began to survey the interior of the warehouse.

Various stolen goods were placed around without any order—one couldn’t tell if it was randomly thrown together or had once been organized.

Noticing Subaru’s gaze, Rom’s wary expression eased slightly, replaced with a knowing look.

"Hey, kid—interested in the loot?"

The question cut straight to the core.

Standing behind the counter, Rom chuckled lightly as he looked at Subaru’s face, finally setting down the club in his hand.

He picked up a bottle of alcohol and poured it into a dirty glass.

"Hmph, the people who come here only have two reasons: either they're bringing loot to sell, or they're here to find something. Which one are you?"

"I'm here for the latter."

"Then what kind of item are you looking for?"

"I'm looking for an Insigna inlaid with a gemstone. I'd like you to hand it over to me."

Seeing Rom’s serious expression, Subaru stated his intention directly.

But Rom wore a troubled look.

"An Insigna with a gemstone, huh? That’s unfortunate. From what I remember, no one’s brought something like that here."

"I know. I heard on the way that Felt stole it from a certain silver-haired girl, so I came here early to wait."

"Let me ask—what are you offering in return?"

"I'm offering this rare 'Meteor' as a trade."

Subaru said as he reached into his pocket and pulled something out.

"What is that? Never seen it before."

After some persuasive talk from Subaru, Rom came to believe in the value of the smartphone and obediently returned it to Subaru.

"This thing’s value is immeasurable. I’ve worked in this warehouse a long time, and this is the first time I’ve ever handled a 'Meteor'... it must be incredibly valuable."

Even in the world of illicit goods, encountering a rare item sparks enthusiasm.

Rom began to excitedly discuss its worth, but then seemed to realize something, stroking his chin as he looked down at Subaru.

"Thinking about it, even if it’s an Insigna with a gemstone, trading a 'Meteor' for a mere decorative item is a big loss for you.

This thing could fetch a far higher price—no, it shouldn't even be placed among these fakes and stolen goods."

For a criminal dealing in stolen goods, it was an unexpectedly sincere piece of advice.

Subaru gave a wry smile in the face of Rom’s charming warning.

It was true—from an outsider's perspective, what he was doing seemed incredibly foolish.

But he didn’t mind.

"It’s fine. I’ll make the trade. I’ll use this 'Meteor' to exchange for the Insigna that Felt brought. But I want to do the trade immediately."

"Why go this far? Is the Insigna more valuable than the 'Meteor'? Or are you going to tell me it’s priceless?"

Rom’s tone was filled with confusion.

If Subaru were in his shoes, he’d likely feel the same way.

"To be honest, I haven’t even seen the Insigna yet. Even if it were exchanged for money, it wouldn’t be worth more than this phone. So for me, without a doubt, this is a huge loss."

"Then why do it, if you know that?"

"You don’t even have to ask—it’s because I want to take the loss on purpose."

Rom rolled his eyes for the third time.

Subaru looked at him with delight, then secretly glanced at Reinhild in the corner, still nibbling on fruit, and smiled.

Yeah, that’s the answer.

"I want to repay a favor. If I owe someone, I repay them double.

I’m a neurotic modern kid—if I don’t, my conscience won’t let me sleep at night.

So even if I lose out big time, I want to get that Insigna."

"Hmm… from the way you're talking, that Insigna doesn’t even belong to you, huh?"

"It belongs to Emilia-chan. I don’t know the full reason, but it’s something very important to her."

!!!

"Sorry for interrupting—I just got a little excited hearing a familiar name."

The two looked confusedly at Reinhild, who had suddenly emitted a low-pressure aura.

Reinhild offered a polite smile and took a sip of the milk in front of him.

But both Rom and Subaru silently dropped the topic.

To ease the awkward atmosphere, Subaru brought out some convenience store snacks to share.

He and Rom began chatting about high-tech gadgets.

Most of the snacks ended up in Rom’s mouth.

Seeing this, Subaru—who had hoped to use the opportunity to get closer to Reinhild—could only look on with teary eyes, reluctantly stuffing the now-empty wrappers into a plastic convenience store bag before continuing the conversation.

Eventually, as evening fell and darkness approached, there was a knock at the warehouse door.

Subaru, who had been dozing by the counter, lifted his head.

Rom’s massive body responded to the knock with surprising agility, gliding over to the door like a feather.

Wearing a mysterious expression, he placed his ear against the door and asked:

"To deal with big rats?"

"Use poison."

"To deal with the white whale?"

"Use a fishhook."

Rom hesitated for a moment, then opened the door. Felt strolled in like she owned the place, walking right to the counter and pouring herself a glass of milk.

"Geez, Rom! At least tell me when you change the password!"

Felt noticed Subaru standing to the side—eyes still teary and hands trembling slightly.

Seemingly just realizing he was there, she flinched, then immediately put on a guarded expression.

"Ahem, what was the old password again?"

Subaru quickly changed the subject.

"'To deal with our noble dragon?' 'Go eat shit.'"

Smash

"Felt, you have a guest."

Three voices spoke almost simultaneously.

"Sorry, I accidentally broke this cup. I’ll pay full price to compensate."

Reinhild apologized sincerely.

Rom had already picked up his club.

Feeling the rising tension, Subaru cleared his throat and tried to steer the conversation back on track.

"Alright, let’s restart the negotiation. So, Felt—you brought the Insigna with you, right?"

"I’ve got it. Relax, Rom. As for you, I don’t care what you’re plotting, but personally, I’m only interested in money. So let’s get down to business."

Felt raised an eyebrow, clearly still highly alert toward both Subaru and Reinhild. Seeing this, Subaru raised both hands to show he meant no harm.

"I won’t use my hands or feet—only my mouth. In other words, let’s negotiate."

He pointed with one finger toward the small table beside the counter.

"This won’t cost either of us anything. My goal is a win-win situation."

Seeing his willingness to talk, Felt quickly nodded and sat across from him in the indicated seat.

Understanding the mood, Rom poured a glass of milk and placed it in front of her.

Chapter Text

R1. An Unlucky Half Day

Even for Reinhild, this was the first time experiencing such a situation—becoming a bodyguard under suspicion.

But upon seeing the boy's fearful eyes, she couldn’t just stand by and do nothing, because those eyes were filled with the certainty of imminent death.

Reinhild wanted to help Subaru, who bore such a sorrowful gaze.

“From the third loop’s perspective, the old man is a good person, but in the first two loops, he didn’t seem the type to help the poor. Should I take the gamble or not?”

Listening to Subaru’s murmured self-talk, and being familiar with the fruit vendor Kadomon, Reinhild quickly grasped the situation.

She recalled his close friend Felix’s teachings.

“Subaru, would you mind coming with me to buy some fruit?”

Reinhild voluntarily led Subaru to the fruit stand.

Initially, she intended to casually pick some fruit, but considering Kadomon’s family circumstances and Subaru’s persistent chatter, Reinhild ended up buying quite a bit, and naturally helped Subaru ask for a glass of water.

However, judging from Subaru’s expression upon returning, it was clear the questioning had not gone smoothly.

After agreeing to Subaru’s somewhat unreasonable request, Reinhild followed him further, and the two entered what was known as the den of villains, the slums.

As they walked, Reinhild’s expression grew darker.

This was her sin, a consequence of her own past immaturity.

She had first caused the slums to lose the support of certain influential figures; then, allowed the departure of energetic, positive individuals; and finally, ended up sheltering those who had offended nobles out of desperation or committed major crimes in a moment of recklessness.

A few of these people, before Reinhild could bring them back, had fallen into true depravity, which ultimately led to an irreversible situation.

“So, you see...”

Subaru spoke about things Reinhild didn’t fully understand but found amusing.

Realizing she had made Subaru worry, Reinhild again reflected on her immaturity.

Quietly, she swore in her heart to protect the kind-hearted boy in front of her.

.

.

.

Tiptoeing, Reinhild confirmed that Subaru had returned to normal.

She let her heels rest softly on the ground again and stepped back behind Subaru.

As Subaru knocked on the door, Reinhild heard rapid breathing behind it, then the sound of something heavy being picked up, followed by hurried footsteps.

Understanding instantly what was about to happen, Reinhild quickly moved behind Subaru, pulling him back at a pace just enough to dodge the door.

After all, Subaru didn’t possess Felix’s strange ability to pop his shoulder back into place after dislocation.

That was also when Reinhild first realized just how physically resilient her comrades in the Royal Guard were.

Since then, Reinhild developed a bit of a quirky habit—pulling people away at the last second to spare them injury.

The one who opened the door was the two-meter-tall giant Subaru referred to as Old Man Rom, but Reinhild looked him up and down and confirmed that he was actually Valga Cromwell, one of the three leaders who had instigated the demi-human civil war decades ago and was a top-priority wanted criminal by the kingdom.

“I’m on vacation. I’m on vacation. The person in front of me is Old Man Rom. Just Rom…”

Taking advantage of Subaru stepping between them, Reinhild managed to come back to her senses.

She lowered her raised hand and chanted that mantra in her mind countless times.

Finally, Reinhild exhaled, then cast a rather blaming look at Subaru’s back for stepping in her way.

At this point, Reinhild still had no idea that this would be the least shocking thing to happen to her that day.

.

.

.

Munching on the fruit they’d just bought and drinking the milk Old Man Rom gave her, Reinhild quietly listened to their conversation.

—An Insignawith a gemstone in the center, and exchanging it with a “meteor”?

Could it be that? But that’s impossible.

No mere thieves could ever handle such things… ha ha ha…

“It belongs to Emilia-chan. I don’t know the reason, but it’s something very important to her.”

—So it really is the Proof of Kingship. Stealing the Proof of Kingship is a heinous crime of the highest order.

Even being remotely involved could lead to execution.

What should I do? Should I act?

—No, forget it. I’m off-duty today. Besides, Subaru’s trying to return the badge to Lady Emilia.

And thankfully, it’s her we’re dealing with.

As long as we don’t meet her here directly, I can easily protect Subaru with my abilities.

Seeing the slightly confused look in the boy’s eyes, and recalling their agreement along the way, Reinhild thought for a while and finally decided to let Subaru handle things on his own.

.

.

.

“Thank you. The flavor is very unusual. But I’ve eaten a lot of fruit already, so I’ll just try a little.”

After tasting Subaru’s mysterious convenience store food, Reinhild found the texture quite amusing.

But seeing Old Man Rom’s gaze, she withdrew her hand and smiled.

Over time, Subaru and Old Man Rom had grown quite familiar with each other, their eyes gleaming as they passionately discussed things like Gundams and tanks—topics Reinhild didn’t understand at all.

.

.

.

Finally, the knock came.

The girl known as Felt burst in, and Reinhild was a bit dazed—for Felt bore the appearance of a royal family that had almost been wiped out.

She even began to wonder if Felt was the kidnapped royal princess.

But then she heard her chatting with Subaru about passwords.

Maybe it was because she’d been shocked too many times today, or perhaps it was due to the overwhelming prestige of the Divine Dragon who had protected this kingdom for 400 years (a being Reinhild considered an idol).

In any case, at the moment she heard the phrase “how to deal with a dragon,” Reinhild momentarily lost control of her strength and accidentally crushed the cup in her hand.

Embarrassed, she paid for the damage and then focused on a strong, bloodthirsty aura that had suddenly appeared nearby.

Then, Reinhild sensed the presence of Lady Emilia at the very edge of her detection range.

Perhaps because she’d been so surprised today, when she felt Lady Emilia coming toward them, Reinhild found herself thinking:

‘Of course she is.’

In fact, the great spirit Puck had already gone to rest, and Reinhild had countless methods to escape the situation—like cloaking her presence or hiding in the clouds.

But seeing Subaru still negotiating with the others, Reinhild sighed and stayed put.

Partly to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings, and partly because the spirit of a knight did not allow retreat.

Reinhild forced a smile toward Subaru.

Sure enough, when Lady Emilia arrived shortly after, she immediately noticed the very conspicuous Reinhild.

That was because Reinhild had not concealed her presence from any nobles or colleagues.

Facing the misunderstanding in Lady Emilia’s eyes, Reinhild steeled herself, stepped forward, knelt before her, prepared to confess and explain the situation on Subaru’s behalf.

Chapter Text

20. Subaru’s Mistake

“So that’s how it is, not bad. Rom-ji, how much could this ‘Meteor’ sell for?”

After pulling her usual scam-like routine, Felt turned to Old Man Rom and asked.

Rom thought for a moment before replying:

“If this old man were to appraise it… fifteen… no, at the very least, twenty holy gold coins. This ‘Meteor’ is truly worth that much.”

‘That vixen...’

Receiving authentication from a shady professional who lived off fencing stolen goods confirmed just how badly Subaru had been tricked in the previous loop.

Still, the unexpectedly high price made Subaru puff out his chest in pride as he looked at Felt.

“How about that? My trump card’s that good. Like he said, it’s a top-tier item worth more than twenty holy coins. I want to barter with it and trade for the Insigna you’ve got.”

“That smug look on your face—God, it’s irritating.”

Things didn’t go the way Subaru expected.

Felt looked displeased.

Even so, Subaru felt warm inside.

“Hmph. I’m glad at least that it can be exchanged for money. Twenty holy coins, no doubt about that. I get the value of your hand.”

“Right!? So the negotiation’s settled. Selling goods is your job now—good luck with that! Since it’s done, let’s have a drink and celebrate this deal!”

Subaru quickly approached Felt, reaching out his hand to receive the Insigna.

After all, with each passing night, the chances of Reinhild vs. Elsa increased.

But Felt lightly pushed his hand back down.

“Wait a sec, why’re you in such a rush?”

“Life is short. Every second counts. I just want to minimize waste and…”

“Ah—enough with that, it doesn’t matter. I mean…”

Felt narrowed her red eyes and suddenly cut straight to the point.

“Say, why do you want this Insigna so badly?”

Subaru’s breath caught.

Seeing her reaction, he realized his mistake.

He should’ve played it off with some light banter—but no words came out.

Subaru’s silence made one corner of Felt’s mouth curve up.

“The lady who hired me wouldn’t say either, and now you’re the same?

… Stealing is shady business.

Everyone has reasons they’d rather keep in the dark.

But your reason seems especially shady.

Geez, think about it—trying to snatch away someone else’s request item sounds super suspicious.”

She was toying with him like a cat with a mouse—cruelly and relentlessly.

“What is this Insigna I stole, anyway? It must be way more valuable than it looks if so many people are after it. Which means… it’s worth even more than the ‘Meteor’!”

“Hold it, Felt. That’s a dangerous line of thought.

I can tell where this is going—just think it through. Look, I’m serious. Stop thinking about that.”

Seeing Felt’s greed meter skyrocketing, Subaru broke into a cold sweat trying to rein her in.

If the negotiations dragged out, they were all heading for a BAD END.

“Even if it’s worth more than twenty holy coins, let’s settle on this deal. Don’t get greedy! That woman you’re negotiating with—she’s incredibly dangerous. More like a complete lunatic.”

“Why do you know the client’s a woman?”

“Uh…”

“You slipped. You’re involved too.”

‘It’s just because of my ‘Return by Death’... If only I could say that.’

But even if he tried explaining that, there was no way to prove it.

Felt’s suspicious gaze deepened.

Without proof, Subaru’s words had lost all credibility in her eyes.

At this point, he could snatch the Insigna by force—but he didn’t want to ask Reinhild for help. Having Reinhild rob someone… just no.

“Calm down, both of you. Felt, there’s another customer waiting for you.”

“She’s your mentor, right? Scary enough to make me cry. Felt, I’m begging you…”

“Begging won’t work.

I acknowledge you as a negotiation partner, but selling off the item without consulting the client isn’t fair.

If you tell me the Insigna’s true value and offer a reward to match, that’s a different story.”

There was no sympathy or kindness in her eyes—only cold interrogation. The girl was trying to dig the truth out of Subaru’s behavior.

Subaru held his breath, then said:
“I want the Insigna… because I want to return it to its rightful owner.”

“—Huh?”

Subaru voiced his purest intention.

“I want to return it to the person who lost it. That’s all.”

Facing Felt’s wide eyes, Subaru lifted his head and repeated himself.

Her red eyes flared with hostility and intimidation.

Subaru accepted the pressure in silence.

There was no trickery—just earnest sincerity.

“…Felt, the kid doesn’t look like he’s lying.”

“Rom-ji, don’t get fooled too!

This has to be a joke, right? Returning it to the owner?

You’d pay a fortune to buy back something from a thief?

That’s beyond idiotic. You might as well bring a guard and have me arrested. Problem solved.”

Subaru awkwardly glanced at Reinhild, who gave him a small smile—but she didn’t look entirely pleased.

“If you’re going to lie, at least make it sound convincing. Even with that serious face, I’m not buying it. I mean… yeah, I’m not going to be fooled.”

“—Who’s there?”

Just then, Rom-ji’s expression changed. He glared at the entrance of the stolen goods warehouse—and the negotiation abruptly ended.

“Don’t open it, you’ll get slashed.”

—I haven’t fulfilled a single condition to change the world yet.

Subaru tried to stop her, but it was too late. Felt pushed open the door forcefully. Moonlight spilled into the warehouse, slightly illuminating the darkness. And then—

“—I wouldn’t go slashing people out of nowhere.”

Pouting with a stern face, Emilia stepped into the warehouse.

“Thank goodness, you’re here. Wait—Reinhild!!! Why are you here? Don’t tell me this was all your plan!?”

“Reinhild?!?!” ×2

Felt and Rom-ji’s faces turned into the screaming painting.

Under their stunned gazes, the girl who had been sitting quietly in a corner transformed into a red-haired beauty exuding overwhelming presence.

She swiftly approached the shocked Emilia, knelt at her feet, and lowered her head. Every movement was elegant and precise.

“Lady Emilia, I swear on my honor as a knight—I knew nothing about the Insigna.

But because of my own immaturity, such an incident occurred in the royal capital, causing you great distress.

For this failure, I accept any punishment. But if I may, please allow me to say a few words.”

With her sword placed before her raised knee, Reinhild apologized for her blunder in the most solemn way possible—a knight’s deepest gesture of remorse.

She was prepared to accept whatever punishment might follow.

Chapter Text

Chapter 21: The One Beyond Common Sense

"Watch out!"

The voice breaking through the chaos was Subaru’s.

Suddenly appearing, Elsa had chosen this exact moment to attack.

She had seized the opportunity when everyone in the warehouse was thrown into disarray due to Reinhild’s presence.

She had aimed at the most dangerous person—Reinhild—who had lowered her head in guilt.

It was the perfect moment. Elsa's curved blade slashed toward her neck.

But one person noticed her—Subaru, who had been on constant alert for Elsa’s reappearance.

The moment he shouted, Reinhild reacted instantly.

She shoved Emilia away with her hand, her silver hair flying with a trace of blood.

As she stood, she caught her mid-air in a princess carry and leapt backward at lightning speed.

However, Elsa was no ordinary opponent.

The moment her full-power strike missed, she drew another curved blade from her waist with her other hand and slashed at the retreating Reinhild, who couldn’t counter while carrying Emilia.

—Use Emilia as a shield, or at worst, abandon her and dodge.

Such cowardly, yet viable, thoughts flashed through Subaru’s mind.

But Reinhild made no such move.

Her arms stayed firmly around Emilia.

Subaru understood the girl’s decision.

The “life-flashing-before-your-eyes” moment that hadn't come when Subaru himself died now suddenly appeared—memories of his past two days with Reinhild.

His heart ached.

In that instant, Subaru realized that he had fallen for Reinhild.

Then came hatred for his own helplessness and regret for asking her for help.

He could only watch helplessly as the blade approached Reinhild’s neck.

He had no way to stop it.

Subaru lost all hope of survival and silently vowed that in his next loop, he’d never make the mistake of asking Reinhild for help again.

“Reinhard...t?”

Subaru’s frantic cry transformed into confusion.

Reinhild had landed safely beside him and gently laid the lightly wounded Emilia down.

Subaru was stunned, then threw his arms around Reinhild.

"I'm so glad you're alive. If you died because of me, I really..."

“It’s okay. I’m Reinhild, after all!”

She stroked Subaru’s head as he cried into her shoulder.

It was the first time someone had worried for her this deeply.

Moved by the emotion, Reinhild nevertheless knew this wasn’t the time for sentiment.

“Thank you for your concern. Let me take care of this swiftly—may I, Lady Emilia?”

She gently pushed away Subaru, who had somewhat calmed down, and looked to Emilia for permission.

“Just explain it properly later, okay?”

“Be careful. That woman is a real monster.”

“Don’t worry. Hunting monsters is my specialty.”

Reinhild nodded, her movements flawless as she turned to face the woman in black—Elsa—who stared at her with overwhelming hostility.

Then, Reinhild’s azure eyes narrowed slightly, as if recalling something.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. Black hair, black clothes, northern-region curved blades... No doubt about it. You’re the Bowel Hunter, aren’t you?”

“Yes. Then, can you tell me—why did I miss just now? I don’t believe I’m clumsy enough to throw a blade poorly.”

Elsa asked.

At that moment, Subaru also sensed something odd.

From what he saw, Elsa’s blade had just barely missed Reinhild. Then she had thrown it—but maybe too hastily, and it went off course.

Still, Subaru thought, there’s no way someone like her would make such a rookie mistake...

“I have the Divine Protection of First Sight—any visible attack will never hit me the first time. I also have the Divine Protection of Arrow Evasion—ranged attacks can't hit me.

Oh, and I have the Divine Protection of Afterglow—if I can see it, even second or third attacks won’t hit me either.”

For the first time, Subaru saw Elsa's face contort into speechlessness.

Hearing Reinhild's explanation, it wasn't hard to understand why.

It was basically like saying, “I’m invincible.”

“Reinhild... Oh, right. The Knight among Knights. Heir to the Sword Saint’s bloodline. Just like the rumors—no, even beyond them.”

Elsa smiled as she spoke.

“Can’t you just surrender quietly?”

Reinhild asked, hands empty.

“Of course not. On the contrary, this is wonderful. A delightful opponent like this—I must thank my employer.

A prime prey dripping blood stands before a starving beast—how could I possibly hold back?”

Licking her lips with a crimson tongue, Elsa gazed at Reinhild with a dazed expression, aroused by the unprecedentedly powerful opponent.

Reinhild met her gaze head-on.

Then—Elsa vanished.

“If you can’t see the attack, it should hit, right?”

Elsa’s voice echoed in the warehouse.

“—Tch!”

She reappeared in Reinhild’s blind spot, her blade flashing toward the nape of Reinhild’s neck.

It was the same merciless slash she had used against Emilia in a previous loop—a strike sharp enough to cut the air itself.

Yet Reinhild made no move to evade or defend.

Subaru’s heart leapt into his throat once more.

And then—Reinhild sighed.

“As a fellow woman, I really didn’t want to be too rough.”

With what looked like a simple front kick, she generated a gust powerful enough to shake the building.

Elsa, who took the full force of it, flew like a leaf, finally stopping herself by kicking off the walls.

With a defensive stance, her face twisted in disbelief.

“N-no way... You’re kidding, right? This is what you call a slight amount of power? A bit stronger?”

“‘Slight’ is accurate. I’m just a bit stronger than Julius, who’s ranked third in the knights. I’m ranked first, after all.”

The girl answered Subaru’s question with slight embarrassment—but Subaru was speechless.

Though he had used the term “beyond reason” many times since arriving in this world, it was now that he truly understood its meaning.

In this world, only two beings truly deserved that title: the absurdly powerful spirit beast Puck, and the red-haired girl standing before him, embodying the very legend of heroism—Reinhild.

Chapter Text

Chapter 22: Sword Saint

"Do you still want to continue?"
Reinhild looked toward Elsa, who had stood back up, and asked.

"Of course. But aren't you going to use that dragon sword at your waist? I’d like to taste the sharpness of a legendary blade."

Elsa pointed at the sword Reinhild carried.

Her voice held no fear—only desire.

A desire to fight Reinhild at her most serious state.

"This sword only draws when it deems the time appropriate. Since it hasn’t unsheathed, that means now is not the time."
Reinhild shook her head and denied her request.

In that moment, Subaru suddenly wondered—just how strong would an opponent need to be for that sword to finally draw itself?

"Looks like I’ve been underestimated."
"Personally, I find it a troubling judgment as well, but..."

Reinhild suddenly averted her gaze and looked around the storage warehouse, noticing an old two-handed sword leaning against the wall.

She kicked the hilt, caught it as it spun midair, and gave it a few test swings to check the balance.

"I'll fight you with this sword. Any complaints?"
"None at all. Ahhh, how wonderful. Let me enjoy this to the fullest!"

Facing Reinhild now holding a weapon, Elsa was visibly thrilled.

She launched the first strike. Subaru clearly caught the flash of motion in the opening moments—Reinhild responded with an exquisitely refined counterattack.

The crude, makeshift sword in her hand shone like a mythical divine blade.

That was because Reinhild possessed the swordsmanship to fully draw out the potential of any weapon she held.

Their weapons clashed.

When Elsa landed, only the hilt of her weapon remained in her hand.

Even Subaru could hear her gulp, though she quickly smiled again, seemingly intoxicated by excitement.

She drew another two curved blades from her body.

Seeing this, Reinhild’s voice took on a note of irritation.

"Would you only be satisfied if I broke every weapon you have?"
"Even if the fangs are gone, I have claws. If the claws are gone, I have my bones. If the bones break, I still have a tenacious life. That’s the way of the Bowel Hunter."
"In that case, I’ll just have to destroy your reputation."

Elsa moved again.

Her maneuverability, as if defying gravity, showed itself in full force—darting wildly through the room.

Her movements became nearly impossible to track with the naked eye.

Elsa’s capabilities may have already exceeded human limitations.

But even so, Reinhild’s strength far surpassed hers—she was a warrior worthy of being called a legendary hero.

Curved blade and battered sword crossed again and again.

The intense clash of steel created bursts of sparks.

Elsa launched attacks from every angle, but all that remained behind were shattered pieces of her blades.

A fierce battle unfolded before Subaru’s eyes—he could do nothing but hold his breath and watch.

"Reinhild, don’t worry about me!"
Emilia suddenly shouted, and the next moment, the two combatants broke apart.

"Are you going to show me something?"
"A strike from the Astrea-style swordsmanship!"

To Elsa’s eager question, Reinhild answered curtly. At that instant, Subaru felt like the very space inside the storeroom had distorted and warped.

"...What?"
The air in his vision seemed to slant.

Whether it was an illusion or not, the room dimmed.

Not just that—the temperature plummeted.

Subaru began shivering without realizing it.

Beside him, Emilia collapsed to the floor completely.

Subaru rushed to her side.

Her breathing was shallow and rapid.

She looked like someone burning with fever, writhing in pain.

"What’s going on?"
"Reinhild is absorbing the mana from the air... You get what I mean?"
——Not at all!

He wanted to cross his arms and say that flat out, but the atmosphere didn’t allow it.

The air in the room had changed.

Standing in the center, Reinhild lowered her stance with the two-handed sword.

Though she had already exchanged dozens, perhaps hundreds of blows with Elsa, Subaru's instincts screamed that this was the first time the girl worthy of the Sword Saint title was truly preparing to attack.

“‘Bowel Hunter’ Elsa Granhiert.”
“Descendant of the ‘Sword Saint,’ Reinhild van Astrea.”

Elsa licked her lips and stated her name.

Reinhild nodded solemnly in reply.

The sword pressure between them filled the room—their very killing intent seemed to shake the air.

Their postures shimmered with brilliance—it was like a chapter out of a heroic legend.

Then Elsa made her move.

She leapt to the ceiling to circle around into Reinhild’s blind spot—but in that instant, her instincts detected the killing intent from below.

Reinhild, sword glowing in hand, was beneath her.

What she had been staring at was only an afterimage, left by Reinhild’s high-speed movement.

——Monster.

That was the only word in her mind.

And in the face of an attack that could genuinely kill her, Elsa grinned with excitement.

She swung her twin blades down at Reinhild.

In turn, Reinhild swung her longsword upward.

A beam of radiance tore through the storeroom's roof—a sword flash that split even the sky in two.

The world misaligned.

That’s all Subaru could think.

Seconds stretched out into eternity.

Blinding light filled the room.

Then, once it faded, the world had been completely transformed.

The twisted space began to compress and return to normal.

The residual force, powerful enough to warp the air, turned into a storm that rampaged through the room.

The raging gale picked up stolen goods, furniture, and scrap and flung it around.

Old Man Rom threw his large body in front of the three to shield them.

From behind his frame, the others watched him steadily pushed back by the force.

“What the hell—hey, hey, hey—!!”

They didn’t know what it was, but they knew the cause.

The Sword Saint, simply by swinging a broken sword with full strength, had released a shockwave with such terrifying power.

Soon the storm weakened.

The crashing of debris and the rumble of the collapsing building echoed in a chain reaction—until it all fell silent.

“What do you mean hunting monsters is your specialty!? You’re the real monster here!”

Felt shouted what was on everyone’s mind, brushing off some fallen debris that looked like part of a curtain rod.

Subaru confirmed that everyone near him had only suffered light injuries.

“If you put it like that, even I might get a little hurt, you know,”
Reinhild replied, looking back over his shoulder, steam rising from her body.

As for the glowing two-handed sword——

“You’ve done more than enough. Rest now.”
Reinhild’s voice carried a hint of sorrow, and the sword in her hands began to crumble.

It had been a crude, junk sword, but one strong enough to endure even Elsa’s blade-destroying attacks.

And yet, it couldn’t withstand a single serious swing from Reinhild.

That is the power of a Sword Saint.

Chapter Text

Chapter 23: Sense of Familiarity

Everyone was rejoicing, and in that instant, Subaru suddenly felt a sense of familiarity.

The events of the second loop resurfaced in his mind, and he remembered—he had forgotten to mention Elsa’s “Blessing of Immortality” because he was too shocked.

The Sword Saint’s blow had literally torn the sky apart.

Anyone witnessing that would be certain no one could survive.

But Subaru, in that moment, knew Elsa was still alive—not because of any specific evidence, but simply because he didn’t fully understand how powerful that immortality blessing really was.

—I must protect Emilia.

Subaru quickly organized his thoughts.

Based on the previous loops, it was clear Elsa's target was Emilia.

Emilia herself was currently mysteriously weak.

Most importantly, based on Reinhild's earlier behavior, Subaru felt that if Emilia were to die now, Reinhild would, without hesitation, commit suicide to atone.

Running toward Emilia, Subaru grabbed a huge shield that had fallen on the ground.

At the same moment, the pile of items near Emilia suddenly exploded outward.

Elsa, blood dripping from her, charged toward Emilia.

She no longer held her signature curved blades.

Instead, she wielded an iron sword.

But the murderous aura radiating from her was even more terrifying than before.

It felt like stepping into an ice cave while wearing summer clothes.

Normally, Subaru would’ve been frozen in place.

But Reinhild was watching him.

That alone filled Subaru with boundless courage.

He stepped into Elsa's path. With only seconds before impact, Subaru’s mind raced.

Elsa clearly didn’t have time to avoid him.

She accelerated again, and Subaru could feel she was betting everything on this strike.

Reinhild wouldn’t make it in time.

If Subaru could block this, Reinhild could handle the rest.

Where would Elsa aim? He had experienced this twice before—twice he’d fought her.

“The target’s the stomach—!!”

He raised the shield to guard his midsection—then came the unimaginable impact.

Though Elsa was heavily wounded, her strike had force like a heavy blunt weapon more than a sword slash.

The massive shock lifted Subaru off the ground. Blood flew from his mouth as the world spun upside down.

His vision swirled—because he himself was spinning from the blow.

“It ends here, Elsa!”

Elsa clicked her tongue in frustration, but upon seeing Reinhild approaching at full speed, she immediately retreated.

She had realized continuing to fight Reinhild was utterly pointless.

As she hurled a short sword at the airborne Subaru, Reinhild chose without hesitation to pursue Subaru instead.

“Someday, I’ll slit open all your bellies. Until then, take good care of your intestines.”

Spitting out her threat, Elsa used the scattered debris as footholds and fled out of the room through the roof.

Reinhild knocked the thrown dagger aside, then caught Subaru midair, cradling him princess-style to prevent a hard landing.

Seeing the bleeding Subaru and the weakened Emilia nearby, Reinhild sighed and abandoned pursuit.

“Sorry, Subaru…”

“Wait, can you put me down first? This is just too embarrassing.”

Subaru muttered, covering his face.

Once back on his feet, he looked at Reinhild’s expressionless face and let out a sigh, then spoke first:

“Let me confirm something. Did I help you?”

“Of course. Without you, I’d have had no choice but to take my own life in apology.”

While helping Subaru to stand, Reinhild gave a grateful smile.

Subaru suddenly felt like all the suffering he'd endured had been worth it.

After all, it took three deaths to get to this favorable outcome.

—If it ends like this, it’s not a bad result.

“Just for the record, I’m not the kind of knight who’d execute someone for being injured, alright?”

Emilia pouted as she walked over.

“That said, I’m surprised you managed to block such a terrifying attack without dying.”

“Seriously, I thought you’d be cut in two.”

Felt added from nearby.

Reinhild also nodded in agreement.

Apparently, even from Reinhild’s expert perspective, Elsa’s final blow had been formidable—a classic final desperate strike.

Subaru gently pressed his aching stomach and pointed to the shield nearby.

“So you grabbed this right away, huh? But don’t try something so reckless next time. Without it, your body really would’ve been sliced in two.”

“Hahaha, I was totally confident I wouldn’t die, so I went all out.”

“But… that shield is made to defend against magic attacks. Physically, it’s about as tough as a wooden shield.”

The room went completely silent after Old Man Rom, the junk store owner, said that.

Reinhild hurriedly picked up the now broken-in-half shield, split cleanly down the middle, and turned to Subaru with a grave look.

Subaru followed his gaze, suddenly having a very bad feeling.

He lifted his shirt—there was a tear in it.

And as if his body were only now registering the hit, a change began.

A red horizontal line appeared across his stomach.

“Ah, crap. Even I know what happens next.”

As he said this half-jokingly, a sharp pain arrived, heralding what came next.

And the next second—Subaru’s abdomen split open horizontally, gushing blood.

“——Wait, Subaru!? Lady Emilia!”

“I know! You go get help!”

Reinhild’s panicked voice rang out right next to him.

Emilia’s voice was equally frantic.

A whooshing wind followed—the feeling of being cradled by Reinhild again, and his surroundings speeding past like being in a moving carriage.

Then, everything vanished from view. Subaru felt himself being gently laid down.

—Am I dying again? Next time, I’ll be sure to tell Reinhild everything. Or maybe I’ll grab Old Man Rom’s sturdy club to defend against the slash...

With the last of his strength, Subaru opened his eyes.

He saw Reinhild’s anxious face, and Emilia’s beautiful features, inches away, filled with worry.

—Ahh, even when worried, she’s so cute. Long live this fantasy world.

That thought—perhaps shared with one of his previous deaths—was his final one, as a tidal wave of pain and shock consumed Subaru’s consciousness.

Chapter Text

24. The Girl's Choice

In the distance, a faint blue light shimmered—waves of water magic, the power of healing.

The one being healed was the boy she had sworn not to let be harmed.

And he had sustained such grave injuries trying to make up for her own mistakes.

No words could properly express just how regretful Reinhild felt at that moment.

But all Reinhild could do was pace anxiously at a distance, fully aware that even approaching might interfere with the healing process.

“Mm, the treatment is complete. Looks like I’ve just barely managed to stabilize his condition.”

Reinhild, eyes closed in self-reproach, had her ears struck by a voice clear as a silver bell.

She quickly stepped toward Subaru, brushing his hair aside to check his complexion.

Seeing blood had returned to his face, she stood and gave a grateful nod to Emilia.

“That is truly a relief. Aside from that, Lady Emilia…”

Once again, she knelt before Emilia, resting her sheathed sword across her upright knee—Reinhild’s way of formally apologizing for her failure.

This posture symbolized the highest level of knightly remorse, and she was fully prepared to accept any punishment, no matter how severe.

“This time, due to my own shortcomings, I placed you, Lady Emilia, under great strain. I will humbly accept any punishment for this disgrace.”

“I really don’t get how you people operate in situations like this.”

But the silver-haired girl wagged her finger, puffing out her cheeks in dissatisfaction.

“This wasn’t something you planned, right? And it was only thanks to you stepping in that everything worked out like this. Yet you’re trying to take on all the pain and burden by yourself.”

Emilia then pointed at Subaru, who was peacefully asleep.

“So thank you for helping me. That’s the only thing I have to say to you. I don’t see that you did anything wrong, so there’s no punishment to give. If you can’t accept that, then just be more careful next time.”

“I understand. I’m deeply grateful for your words.”

Reinhild realized how narrow-minded she had been.

Lowering her head even further in respect, she then stood.

Looking at the girl before her, Reinhild reaffirmed her belief: Emilia truly was the chosen one.

“By the way… why are you even here?”

“It was my day off. I was just wandering around the capital with no particular goal. I swear I was only out for a walk… then I happened to see him… and, well, you know the rest.”

As she answered Emilia’s question, Reinhild gestured toward the sleeping Subaru with her eyes.

“I see.”

“May I ask… what exactly is your relationship with Subaru?”

“I don’t remember ever meeting Subaru before. I believe that was my first time seeing him.”

“But he helped you. He was right there on the scene, and…”

He’d thrown himself in harm’s way to protect her.

But Reinhild didn’t finish the sentence.

Voicing that fact so openly would, in her mind, diminish the nobility of Subaru’s actions.

“It really is mysterious. I was even wondering if he might be connected to that pervert.”

“Please don’t insult Margrave Roswaal. He may be… eccentric, yes, but he’s still a remarkable man.”

“The fact that you immediately thought of him when I said ‘pervert’ says a lot about what you think of him.”

“…That was inappropriate of me. Please keep that comment about Lord Roswaal to yourself.”

“Sure, sure.”

Reinhild blinked apologetically, and Emilia gave a vague reply.

Then, the topic returned to Subaru.

“Even if he’s got nothing to do with that pervert, the fact remains he saved me. Can I take him back with me as a guest? His condition’s only temporarily stabilized, after all.

If we have someone from the Roswaal mansion, there’s a decent chance we could heal him fully.”

“A decent chance, you say? May I ask—how long will his condition remain stable? And what would you estimate the success rate of full recovery is?”

“About three hours, I think. I’d say there’s a 30% chance he’ll have no lasting effects, and a 70% chance he’ll recover completely.”

“In that case, if possible, I’d like to host him at my humble abode, as a way of making up for my own shortcomings.”

“Then it’s settled… Oh, and about what happened here…”

For some reason, Emilia suddenly burst out laughing—but quickly collected herself and asked.

Reinhild vaguely responded, conveying Subaru’s wishes and her own attitude of "being off duty and uninvolved."

“Hehe, naughty Knight-sama.”

Emilia giggled and then walked toward Old Man Rom and Felt in the corner.

Reinhild watched Emilia as she turned her gaze to the wrecked loot house.

Seeing the massive destruction, she shut her eyes.

Still as lacking in self-restraint as ever—she truly hated this side of herself.

Just the slightest miscalculation in strength and the damage became like this.

If she had gone too far, the entire area could’ve been obliterated.

With power like hers, self-discipline was absolutely essential.

In that instant, a red flash crossed Reinhild’s vision.

Familiar with that glare, she instinctively narrowed her eyes, searching her memories.

And she found it—an exact match.

“Reinhild?”

Felt, holding the insignia, had her hand suddenly grabbed.

Both she and Old Man Rom looked up at Reinhild in shock, their words lost before the knight’s serious expression.

“Rom! Don’t joke with me… don’t think you can get away with anything just because you’re stro—huh?”

The giant man, reacting to Felt’s painful struggle, raised his club to attack—but his weapon was shattered in an instant by what looked like a feeble hand chop.

Then, with that same hand, moving in an impossible angle, Reinhild struck the back of Rom’s neck.

His eyes rolled back as he collapsed.

Felt, ignoring the overwhelming power gap, pulled out a small knife and cursed as she attacked Reinhild—but suddenly lost her balance, her voice trailing off strangely.

Her shoulders slackened, and she glared at Reinhild in hatred.

“Go to hell… you bastard…”

Cursing, Felt’s head slumped, unconscious. Reinhild caught her limp body and gently cradled her in her arms.

“Wait, Reinhild. I get that it’s hard to just let things go without holding anyone accountable.

But that girl didn’t even know the value of the insignia.

Besides, I don’t really mind that it was stolen—I was partly to blame, too. So let her go.”

Emilia, finally understanding the situation, spoke up. But her blue-violet eyes betrayed her internal conflict.

“No, Lady Emilia. What I find problematic isn’t that. It’s that the girl before us is the final candidate. Please leave her to me.”

Reinhild spoke so forcefully that it bordered on rude.

But Emilia understood—after all, the kingdom had been without a monarch for half a year, and the knights had failed to locate the last royal candidate.

“My apologies for the discourtesy.”

Reinhild said, and gently retrieved the insignia from the unconscious Felt.

She handed it to Emilia.

Then she looked at the unconscious Subaru nearby, hesitating for a moment before sighing.

Placing all three—Subaru, Felt, and Old Man Rom—on a nearby cart, she gave a bow and left with them.

Chapter Text

1. A Brand-New Beginning

“Ah, you're awake. How are you feeling, nya?”

What burned against Subaru’s eyelids as he woke was a sliver of sunlight shining through the curtains—it must be morning.

“Rather than calling me a night owl, it’s more accurate to say I have half the blood of a nocturnal race. Just waking up in the morning makes my chest feel hot...”

“But when I checked your body, there were no signs of you being part of a catfolk, nya.”

Though he grumbled, Subaru wasn’t the type to stay in bed once awake.

After enjoying the feel of the high-quality blanket for a moment, he propped himself up from the subtly fragrant bed.

What he saw upon opening his eyes was a massive bed, an upper-class room, and a beautiful catgirl sitting at its side.

“It’s already the tenth hour of Yang Day, boy. But considering how close you were to death’s door, the fact that you’ve awakened is already a miracle, nya.

All thanks to a skilled healer being present, and Rein-chan getting me just in time.”

“Rein-chan... I see, she saved me again. Wait a minute—don’t tell me this place is—”

“That’s right. This is the Astrea mansion. More accurately, the Sword Saint family’s residence, nya.”

“Wh-Wh-What the hell did you do to me, hey!”

“I just did a little physical examination.”

The catgirl who lifted Subaru’s shirt as she spoke gave off a soft, alluring touch and a gentle fragrance that was oddly seductive—but Subaru’s attention was drawn to what she said and focused on his abdomen.

“The wound on my stomach... it’s gone. Not even any bruises, not a trace of it being cut open?”

“Of course not. I’m the Blue Magician—Felix Argyle. But you can just call me Ferris.”

“In any case...”

Subaru took a deep breath and then—

“You’re the one who saved me, right? Thank you so much.”

“Nom.”

“Nyahh!”

Just as he bowed his head in sincere gratitude, the sudden bite to his ear broke the mood completely.

Ferris smirked at the cute yelp Subaru let out, then happily walked around the large bed to help him up.

“Mmm~ What an adorable reaction. But let’s leave that aside—don’t be shy, don’t be shy. By the way, looks like you misunderstood something, nya. Ferris was rushed here in the middle of the night, nya!”

“That’s enough of that, Lady Ferris. It’s about time.”

Interrupting their conversation was a man around sixty, with sharp eyes, a square face, and a white beard—a butler, by all appearances.

Ferris pouted at his words.

“Hmph, you’re no fun at all. Sorry, I wanted to play with you a bit more, but time’s up, nya. If I don’t get back to my beloved Lady Crusch soon, she might worry so much she won’t be able to work.”

“Setting aside that questionable statement... Who’s Lady Crusch?”

“You’d better remember that name well. She’s the person who will one day become the king of this country.”

Only this last line lacked Ferris’s usual playfulness—she said it with utmost seriousness.

Waving goodbye at the speechless Subaru, Ferris walked toward the door.

The old butler stepped aside and bowed, then turned back to Subaru.

“Sir Reinhild will see you in the dining hall shortly. Please prepare yourself, Mr. Natsuki Subaru. If you need anything, just call for me. My name is Winston Tien. You may also call me Old Butler or Butler Winston.”

The door to the room slowly closed.

“Well, anyway... I avoided ‘Return by Death’ this time.”

Subaru muttered, calculating on his fingers the ways he had died.

“First death was completely pointless. Second was a brave sacrifice. Third was a truly miserable death. Fourth was after the death match—killed by a stray hit. But now I’ve avoided all that. If I’d died again, I’d have been a complete nobody.”

After reaffirming he was alive, Subaru flopped back on the bed in despair—but quickly stood up again, full of energy, and began fixing his appearance.

Unable to resist, he once more checked his stomach.

“From the look of things, Emilia first stabilized my wound, and then Ferris fully healed it.

But the one who connected it all was Rein-chan. She saved me again—so!”

Recalling his conversations and the moment he was injured, Subaru pieced together the situation.

After straightening himself up, he practically leapt to the door.

As he opened it, a wave of cold air drifted in. The old butler stood upright by the door.

Before him stretched a wide corridor, the walls and floor bathed in warm colors. On both sides were long hallways stretching out so far you couldn’t see their end.

“This mansion is insanely extravagant—it’s like, whoa! Should I say gigantic, or just boundless? And there’s no one around?”

Subaru frowned at the eerie silence. Not even the normal sounds of daily life could be heard.

“The Astrea family has lived on this land for 400 years. Thanks to the Sword Saints who made great contributions to the kingdom, the royal family repeatedly invested in this property. It eventually grew into a grand estate no less than a duke’s mansion. About 300 residents live here, but the guest quarters are enclosed within a soundproof barrier to ensure undisturbed rest.”

“I see. Oh, and Butler Winston, just call me Subaru, please. Every time you say ‘Mr. Natsuki Subaru,’ it feels weird for a commoner like me.”

“Understood, Subaru. Now then, the building ahead was constructed 200 years ago to commemorate a Sword Saint. And the aerial corridor we are currently crossing leads to the Astrea family’s 400-year-old main residence. Please prepare yourself, Subaru. We’re about to exit the soundproof zone.”

A roaring atmosphere, thunderous shouting—beneath Subaru’s feet, a near hundred-man battle raged.

Among them, a tall man in golden armor swung a wooden staff, kicking up clouds of dust with every move.

Elsewhere, a blonde-haired woman was commanding her troops amid swirling black smoke.

“Some of the people helped by Reinhild wish to become her strength. Of them, a small few have gained her recognition through their effort and ability. That’s the group below your feet. Each of them can rival a standard Royal Knight—they are Reinhild’s personal guard.”

“No no no, that’s way too extreme! Isn’t the country worried about this kind of thing...?”

Subaru reflexively protested to the unknown man’s explanation.

“But even all of them combined can’t last two minutes against Reinhild. That’s why they engage in death battles like this every week—to grow strong enough to support that great lady.”

Chapter Text

2. Conversation (Part One)

"It is truly a great discourtesy. My name is Otto Suwen. I serve as Lord Reinhild’s assistant."

His expression was so tense it seemed like it might make a sound, yet the smile he showed was extremely pleasant.

The young man, who introduced himself as Reinhild’s assistant, had gray hair and blue eyes.

Over his ordinary clothes, he wore a green overcoat and a green hat that would likely invite misunderstandings from modern people. He looked about one or two years older than Subaru.

He was slightly shorter than Subaru, with a long, thin face and rather fine features.

"I’m Natsuki Subaru. Nice to meet you."

Subaru shook Otto’s hand. For some reason, Subaru found Otto especially likable.

Guided by Otto, the two of them proceeded along and finally arrived at a massive dining room.

The dining room had a huge long table, crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling—typical of the European aristocratic style.

Several servants were setting out various foods on the enormous dining table.

If there was anything odd, it was that most of the dishes were those Subaru personally liked.

But more than the lavish food, Subaru's attention was captured by a red-haired girl standing by the window, gazing outside.

"Sorry, I was a bit distracted. Are you okay?"

Even though Subaru had instinctively lowered his footsteps, the girl still noticed him from several meters away.

At that instant, Subaru caught a flicker in Reinhild’s expression.

Driven by curiosity, he quickly walked up to her and glanced in the direction of her gaze—but there was only a dragon carriage driving away.

"I'm completely fine now. But..."

“Let’s sit and talk, shall we? Mr. Subaru, your wounds have just healed, so don’t overexert yourself.”

It was Otto who cut into their conversation.

Noticing Otto’s gaze, Subaru became convinced that the loneliness he saw momentarily in the girl’s eyes was real.

Yet Otto, through his actions, was telling him [Don’t pry].

"But there's something I want to ask you. Um… do you remember me?"

The strength that almost crushed his shoulder disappeared, and Reinhild’s expression became puzzled—then turned apologetic.

"Of course. The great debt I owe you, the great debt you owe this kingdom, and the fact that you sustained a fatal wound because of my immaturity—these three things, I will never forget for the rest of my life. Please tell me how I can express my gratitude, Subaru."

Being addressed by name by Reinhild made Subaru relax his shoulders in relief.

Then, noticing he was called by his first name by a girl, Subaru, perhaps having confirmed his own feelings, became uncharacteristically shy.

"Um, just having the top healer Ferris treat me is enough thanks. If you really want to show gratitude, then just smile for me."

"That’s completely insufficient. Ferris’s healing only compensates for my mistake. It doesn’t count as true gratitude for what you did. Subaru, you don’t understand what you've done, right? It’s a bit complicated, so let’s go with the custom of your homeland—let’s sit down, eat, and talk. Apologies, but could everyone else please step out?"

"Yes, Lady Reinhild."

Everyone in the dining room bowed and exited in perfect order.

Reinhild then sat across from Subaru.

Having eaten nothing but a cup of instant noodles since the day before, Subaru hesitated slightly before skewering a piece of unidentified animal sashimi, dipped it in some sauce, and popped it into his mouth.

"Whoa!! Even better than I imagined. It wouldn’t be weird if it literally glowed from how good it tastes!"

He devoured dish after dish with vigor. Subaru voiced his heartfelt thoughts.

"I only heard a bit about your homeland’s cuisine while on the road, so even with the 'Divine Protection of Gourmet,' I wasn’t confident. I’m glad it suits your taste."

"You made this... HOLD ON A SECOND!!! You mean this entire table of food was made by you personally!?"

Subaru leapt up in excitement, pointing at the dishes on the table.

‘Reinhild wearing an apron... Reinhild cooking... Reinhild the perfect wife...’

"What’s the matter? Something wrong? Your face looks really red."

"It’s nothing. So, about that 'debt to the kingdom' you mentioned earlier—what was that about?"

Subaru cursed his overactive imagination for the first time.

To prevent Reinhild from noticing, he hurriedly shifted the topic to what Reinhild had originally said was important.

Reinhild also put down her chopsticks and straightened her posture.

"Alright, let’s return to the original topic. First, Subaru, do you know the current state of this country—The Kingdom of Lugunica?"

"You mean the country currently has no king, and the royal bloodline was wiped out due to a plague?"

"Exactly. At present, the kingdom is run by the Council of Wise Men. Each of them comes from prestigious families that have left significant marks in this country’s history, so the administration itself has no problem. However—"

Reinhild paused here. Her expression turned extremely somber.

"—A kingdom without a king cannot exist forever. The very system of this nation is starting to collapse. The people are growing restless."

"That makes sense."

Subaru nodded in agreement. Even if it’s just a figurehead, a leader is necessary.

A leaderless organization cannot last long.

This fact becomes even clearer when applied to a nation.

"I see. I’m starting to get the picture.

So, this kingdom is falling into a chaotic royal selection crisis because it has no king.

Maybe it's also closing off from foreign relations.

Then, out of nowhere, a mysterious foreigner—me—appears. That’s super suspicious!

Hey, I won’t get hauled off for questioning by immigration, will I?"

"You mean, like being eliminated for entering the country secretly? No need to worry about that.

Our country isn’t that barbaric.

Besides, I’ve already started the paperwork for your residency permit. Once that’s done, you’ll be considered a subject of House Astrea."

"Alright, let’s continue. First, let’s talk about Lady Emilia..."

"Hold up."

That’s right. From earlier, there was something Subaru had been wondering about.

"Why… does Rein-chan add 'sama' after Emilia’s name?"

That’s right—if at first, Subaru didn’t understand Rein-chan’s status and power, it would’ve been one thing.

But now that he fully understood—House Astrea being a founding noble family with a 400-year history, and practically having authority equivalent to holding nuclear weapons in another world—Reinhild’s honorific toward Emilia was downright alarming.

"It’s only natural to use honorifics for someone of higher status. Lady Emilia is one of the royal candidates for the throne of the Kingdom of Lugunica."

Chapter Text

3. Conversation (Part Two)

“Is it really okay for you to take me in just like that?”

The fact he was told made Subaru deeply realize just how much of a hot potato he was. Faced with this situation, his first concern was for Reinhild, who had taken him in.

“Don’t worry about your safety. Lady Emilia has already said there will be no pursuit.”

However, it was obvious the girl didn’t understand Subaru’s true concern.

“But there is something you need to promise not to reveal—about the insignia.”

“—Isn’t this that insignia?”

Subaru looked at the insignia Reinhild had placed on a white cloth, shining brightly.

It was an insignia with a dragon as its totem, with a red jewel embedded in its center.

The jewel sparkled and its deep, clear color filled Subaru with reverence once again upon seeing it.

It had been stolen by a girl named Felt, who had dirty hands and feet.

It was the trigger for many events yesterday, and Subaru assumed it had already been returned to its original owner, Lady Emilia.

“This isn’t the insignia stolen from Lady Emilia, but the meaning of the insignia is the same.

Subaru, the dragon is the symbol of Lugunica.

Our country places such importance on it that it calls itself the ‘Dragon Kingdom Lugunica.’

Dragons are depicted everywhere on walls and weapons, and among them, this insignia is the most important.”

Reinhild closed her eyes and paused for a moment as she spoke, then opened them with a slight tremor in her voice.

“This insignia is used to verify the qualifications of candidates in the Royal Selection. It is a touchstone to determine whether the holder is suitable to sit on the throne of the Lugunica Kingdom.”

The tense voice revealed an astonishing fact, making Subaru’s eyes almost pop out.

The insignia on the table was designed as a dragon with spread wings, and the light from the jewel confirmed Reinhild’s words were true.

“Ho-how could… the insignia that grants eligibility for the Royal Selection be lost!?”

“Yes. The so-called king is the person who bears the burden of the kingdom.

If the person who must shoulder this great responsibility can’t even protect a small insignia, it makes people question why the country should be entrusted to them.

It also calls into question the nation’s highest decision-making.

If the loss of the insignia became public, it would be a huge problem.

Currently, only Lady Emilia’s side, my core members here, and the few involved know about this.”

“Although Elsa was the one commissioned, she is a mercenary from the northern country, and...”

Reinhild fell silent for a moment, then continued.

“Forget it. In short, someone wanted to interfere with the Royal Selection or destabilize this country. Thanks to Subaru, that plan failed. This is your first favor to the country.”

With Reinhild’s explanation, the commotion in the royal capital, the possible impact surrounding the stolen insignia, and the reception they were having all started to connect in Subaru’s mind.

“Wait, then this insignia... does that mean Reinhild is also a candidate for the Royal Selection!?”

“I don’t have that qualification. This insignia is the last one entrusted to me by the country for safekeeping, and its owner is Lady Felt.”

“Felt!? The Felt I know?”

“Yes. Just yesterday, when Lady Emilia took back the insignia from Lady Felt, I discovered that Lady Felt was the last Royal Selection candidate that our knight order had been desperately searching for over six months without success.

This is your second favor to the country. Thanks to you, the Royal Selection can finally begin.”

“No, Felt comes from the slums and even stole the insignia.

How could she compete with others under those circumstances? Did she agree to this? Are you planning to force her to participate? Are you making her do this for the country...”

Subaru looked at Reinhild’s expression but stopped before finishing.

Reinhild understood Subaru’s meaning.

She hesitated, then, as a gentle voice echoed in her mind again ‘Offer your loyalty to this country’, her eyes became firm once more.

“Subaru, the country cannot continue like this. The Royal Selection also takes time. We don’t have time to search through 50 million people for a possible sixth candidate who may or may not exist. But as the sinner who dragged her into this whirlpool, I promise I will defend her with my life.”

The two fell silent for a long time—so long that a knock sounded on the door, and then Otto and the old butler entered.

“Lady Reinhild, Lady Felt wishes to see you.”

“I see. In any case, Subaru, you are a great benefactor to me.

You can think about your reward at your leisure. I will do whatever is within my power—or rather, I will accomplish it.

If you don’t want to get involved in the Royal Selection, you can take your reward and leave.

But Lord Roswaal, a supporter of Lady Emilia, will come to see you in a couple of days, so you might have to wait a bit.”

Looking at Reinhild, who placed her hand on her chest and seriously looked at him, Subaru was at a loss for words.

His facial muscles stiffened.

Even Subaru, who was not very good at reading the mood, felt the tension.

The girl’s serious gaze was fixed tightly on him, making him flustered. As a result:

“My approach is to squeeze out everything I can from any opportunity I find.”

Subaru could only use a cheeky remark to ease the tension, but his words caused the expressions of the two who had just entered the room to change.

“I understand. So, what do you want? Given the current situation—to cover up Lady Emilia’s injury and the loss of the insignia, and Lady Felt’s theft—I will not refuse any of your requests. I am willing to pay for anything. So—what do you want?”

“Heh, heh, heh. As expected of a noble, very reasonable. The reward will be just as I wish, and Reinhild can’t refuse it. A knight shouldn’t go back on their word, right!”

Standing from his chair, Subaru struck a victorious pose, pointing to the sky.

“I swear on my sword, I will never go back on my word.”

Subaru’s attitude was like a little rascal.

The butler behind Reinhild gave him a cold stare as if looking at a corpse, and Otto’s expression was a mixed reaction of disappointment and relief.

Only Reinhild kept her serious expression the whole time.

But all of this was to lead Reinhild to make a promise to him.

Subaru gave a knowing smile.

“My wish is simple: hire me to work in this mansion.”

Unlike the long-winded introduction earlier, Subaru’s request was concise and straightforward.

“Subaru, are you sure? Although it feels a bit strange to say so, I should be able to arrange most things for you.”

“Maybe if I calm down and think it over, I’d want lots of things—but I don’t lie to myself. Right now, I’m completely broke. Sure, I could blow a lot of money all at once, but having a steady income to cover basic living expenses sounds pretty good too, right?”

“...Then you don’t have to be a servant. Why not just be a guest here?”

“Indeed. Given Subaru’s favor, I can guarantee to support you with the best treatment for life.”

Otto suddenly spoke, and Reinhild nodded in agreement.

“That’s another option! But I still want the original request because a man of honor—never breaks his word.”

Whether it was truly due to manly pride or because Subaru didn’t want to be a kept man, only Subaru himself knew.
.

.

.

Important Announcement!

I posted a new Fanfiction!

The Exorcism Story of Hikigaya Hachiman

Introduction:

Ever since the car accident, a strange system has appeared in Hikigaya's mind.

Not only that, he has often been able to see hideous things that the system refers to as "evil spirits."

He originally thought he was the only one who could see them.

That is, until one day three months later, a girl named Miko Yotsuya appeared within his field of vision—and she looked terrified while staring at the evil spirit behind him...

From that moment on, the truth of the world began to reveal itself to him!

As always you can Read ahead (60 chapters) by supporting me on pa treon.com/ VarieTL

There you can also read 5 other Novels and other 6 Fanfiction of Oregairu and 1 of Re:zero

Chapter Text

4. The Astrea Household

"Understood. Then I'll leave it to you, Winston."

"Yes."

The old butler bowed respectfully, and Reinhild, who entrusted Subaru to the butler, hurriedly left the dining room.

As the footsteps faded away, the old butler straightened his posture and looked at Subaru.

"Well then, Subaru, let me introduce myself again. I am Winston, the head steward of the Astrea mansion. First, let me show you around the estate."

"The main mansion has aerial corridors connecting to five annexes.

We came from the corridor at the upper right corner, where the guest rooms are.

Now, we are heading to the annex at the upper left corner.

Here, there are the warehouse, dining hall, kitchen, training ground, infirmary, and library..."

The upper right corner is a huge three-story mansion.

According to the old man, many of these buildings were gradually prepared by Reinhild.

In the warehouse, Subaru picked up three sets of clothes in his size.

He saw a noisy dining hall reminiscent of a high school, a medium-sized training ground filled with various weapons resembling a gladiator arena, and a huge bathhouse like a public bath.

"That over there is the main residence, Mr. Subaru. That is the only mansion you are not allowed to enter freely. I hope you will remember that... Now, let's continue."

The old man walked straight toward the south, but for a moment, Subaru felt a bone-chilling coldness.

That gentle old man was definitely a monster no less than the Bowel hunter. Patting his trembling leg, Subaru hurried after the old man.

They went down the stairs and entered a normal corridor on the ground floor. From here, well-maintained courtyards could be seen on both sides.

"Up ahead is the guard squad’s quarters. Usually, the night watch is their responsibility. Each annex has corridors leading to both sides and to the main mansion."

"But here, I can't see that long aerial corridor at all."

"Mr. Subaru, can you see the pillars on both sides of the path leading to the main mansion?"

"You mean those lamp-like things?"

"You could say that. On those pillars, there are magical circles called Opportunity Gates, engraved by Lord Bernie, the Yin Magician of the mansion. By activating the magic stones above the pillars, these circles create aerial corridors that don’t naturally exist."

"Isn’t it more appropriate to call them spatial gates? And is it okay to tell me something this important?"

"Lady Erine also had this doubt. According to Lord Bernie's explanation, the Opportunity Gate was not his invention but rather a reconstruction based on the diary of Tosca, the younger brother of the first Sword Saint, written 400 years ago.

It is said the original inventor was a blonde, Yin-affinity genius who once hunted down the silver dragon pack with the Sword Saint’s younger brother.

She named this magic Opportunity Gate.

But according to the diary... after hunting the dragon pack 130 years ago, the two met again, and that genius had not grown further, so it might just be a story.

Before inventing the Opportunity Gate, that book had always been kept in the library we just passed."

"The aerial corridors were originally prepared to avoid danger. So, actually, everyone in the mansion knows about the aerial corridors.

Our duties also include regularly inspecting the condition of the magic stones.

Of course, because these magic stones are expensive, servants are generally not allowed to use them at will."

"This is where we servants live.

Male servants live on the first floor, female servants on the second.

The working hours are from 6 AM to 9 PM, but you only need to work 8 hours per day.

You can adjust your schedule with the person in charge.

There is one day off per week, and you must notify the person in charge three days in advance to use your day off.

For now, please tidy up your room before the afternoon."

The room farthest from the door became Subaru's personal bedroom starting today.

The room was not large and its style was much simpler than the guest room where he had been recovering, but Subaru was very satisfied.

There was a large bed close to a double bed size against the wall, a huge wardrobe, and a simple desk.

Sunlight streamed in through the window; if he closed the curtains, the room would be pitch black, but the desk lamp and ceiling light were both good.

"Rooms decorated with lots of money just make people feel suffocated; I prefer this kind."

Subaru said this as he flopped onto the bed.

"So this means I’ve moved into Rein’s household. The next step is to slowly raise my status in the mansion to become someone who can stay by Rein’s side. Finally..."

Subaru buried his face in the pillow, which felt and smelled much better than the one at his own home.

After a while, calming down, Subaru changed into the servant’s uniform he had picked up earlier.

A white shirt paired with a black jacket and pants perfectly matched his image of a butler’s outfit, and the size fit just right.

He put the remaining clothes in the wardrobe and energetically began his first day as a servant.

The servant corridor’s clock changed from blue to yellow (from 0 to 6 it is the green Wind Phase, the next six hours are the red Fire Phase, followed by the blue Water Phase and the yellow Earth Phase).

Subaru returned to his room and collapsed on his bed.

"Ah— I’m totally just getting in the way, aren’t I? Should I say it’s because it’s the Reinhild family? I’m so taken care of that my soul feels ashamed to death."

Looking back over the day’s work, Subaru honestly expressed his feelings.

Although his clumsiness was a big blow to himself, what hurt him more was how kindly everyone helped him clean up the mess every time he made mistakes.

After cutting his finger while handling vegetables, he was taken to the infirmary.

When he returned, his vegetable basket contained only the easiest to peel potatoes and the easiest chopped scallions.

Even so, when he went to the kitchen to get water, he saw his chopped scallions being reprocessed...

There were also mistakes like sending the wrong items due to illiteracy, clothes not washed clean by hand, accidentally cutting down a tree...

"If this continues, my evaluation with Rein will definitely drop. Being helped all the time isn’t my style. In short, I’ll gradually overcome one thing at a time."

Suddenly awakened by a knock on the door, Subaru looked up and heard a voice from behind the door.

"I’m Winston. Subaru, are you free now?"

"Ah, yes, yes, I’m free."

"Sorry to bother you.

Subaru, you are from another country, right? Here are some illustrated beginner reading books for young children in our country.

They contain some work tips.

Don’t worry; they’re all in picture form, so even if you can’t read, it should be fine.

I hope you keep a positive spirit.

Don’t worry, many newcomers started just like you.

They too grew to where they are now with the help of many predecessors.

These books are the crystallization of the wisdom of your predecessors."

Chapter Text

5. Meeting Roswaal

Awakening to the sound of knocking, Subaru drew back the curtains.

The weather was cloudy.

On the table lay the study materials from last night.

After tidying his room, Subaru took his toiletries and went out.

Standing outside the door was his true supervisor, Ben Child.

In short, he was a very serious person, extremely strict about reviewing the work of those under him.

Most of the few times Subaru was scolded yesterday came from him.

However, since his demands were always things Subaru could easily accomplish, Subaru felt more shame than dissatisfaction.

“Good morning, Subaru. Here is your work for today. I’ve prepared a reference timetable for you. At the back are corrections for the mistakes you made yesterday. Lastly, I’ve listed the times when I will check each task. At those times, you must be at your work station waiting for me.”

Ben handed over something as thick as a reference book and then left.

Subaru flipped through a few pages, all full of pictures.

Judging by Ben’s tired expression earlier, he probably stayed up all night preparing this.

“Alright, I must do better today than yesterday.

Let me see today’s work... It’s 8 o’clock now, the timetable suggests starting work at 9:30, so I’ll do some morning exercise first.”

Subaru put the reference material in his room’s cabinet, then changed into sportswear and headed to the courtyard.

The old butler was practicing morning boxing in the courtyard, each punch accompanied by the sound of air exploding.

Because of the speed, there was even a residual shadow.

Possibly noticing someone, the old butler stopped.

“Good morning, Winston. You’re stronger than I imagined. How did you get to this level?”

“Good morning. Actually, I’m still far from it. Lady Reinhild can produce sixteen afterimages.

As for my strength, it comes from continuous training. I started martial arts at six years old, so this year marks 36 years. Subaru looks surprised—understandable. Very few normal people can reach my level even after 36 years.”

“No, no, no, that’s not the point. The point is, you’re only 42?”

Subaru’s surprise was understandable because the old man looked more like he was in his sixties or seventies.

“Yes, I looked older because I used some forbidden techniques in my youth. My only regret is not having enough life to use more forbidden techniques. I was only just starting to touch on them.”

The old butler showed a rare expression of disappointment for the first time. Subaru sensed it would be better not to pursue this matter.

.

.

.

“Listen carefully, the person inside wearing the strange clothes is Lord Roswaal I mentioned yesterday. Don’t be rude.”

Having just finished his exercises, Subaru was abruptly brought, dressed in heavy formal wear by Ben, to the guest room.

Otto, waiting at the door, gave some hurried advice and knocked on the big door.

Upon hearing consent from inside, Otto led Subaru in.

“I am Roswaal L. Mathers. I trust you are spending your time peacefully and comfortably in this household. That is more important than anything else—Natsuki Subaru.”

He was a tall man with dark blue hair nearly touching his back.

Rather than thin, he was slender, with skin that was sickly pale.

With a handsome face, he gave the impression of a gloomy and depressive young man. His eyes were heterochromatic—left yellow, right blue—further strengthening that impression.

—If not for his outrageously peculiar outfit and clown-like face makeup.

cough cough cough

“Oh, I am Natsuki Subaru, currently an apprentice steward in this mansion.”

Otto’s light cough brought Subaru back to attention. It wasn’t that Subaru was stunned by Roswaal’s appearance, but rather that he felt like a poisonous snake was staring at him, a sensation that made him momentarily dazed.

“Well, from my perspective, it’s a rather humble repayment. I hope you would grace this humble residence for rest and recuperation, rather than toil away in hard work.”

“You don’t understand. Being able to live and work in an environment I truly like is a reward so luxurious it’s unbelievable. Plus, Reinhild gave me the choice. I chose this life myself.”

“If you enjoy living here, that’s wonderful.”

Because Reinhild was spoken of so dismissively, Subaru nearly blurted out his true feelings.

Hearing the girl’s response, Subaru felt like he had been shot in the knee.

Slightly frustrated, he sat opposite Roswaal, who was next to Reinhild.

“Ah, excuse me. Shall we withdraw for now?”

“Wait, Rein-chan. There’s still much about this country I don’t understand, so I need your help to make judgments. Is that okay, Lord Roswaal?”

Subaru stopped Reinhild from leaving. Facing Subaru’s request, Roswaal shrugged and agreed.

“Then I’ll ask directly. I know Lady Emilia is a candidate for the throne, but as her supporter, what is your position? Also, why does naturally airheaded Lady Emilia act alone in the capital? Is that a common thing?”

“You—your understanding of things is incredible. Considering you both come from commoner backgrounds, do you know too much?”

“Being praised like that is an honor, but that’s simply because I’m influenced by anime and light novels, making my brain accustomed to fantasy storylines.”

“Hm, seems you aren’t hiding anything. My title in the Lugunica Kingdom is… roughly equivalent to a border count. A nicer title would be court magician.”

“Court magician… meaning a mage employed by the castle?”

“Yes. Lord Roswaal is the kingdom’s most powerful mage, holding the titles of Red, Yellow, and Green.”

“There are six main magic attributes: Yin, Yang, Water, Fire, Earth, and Wind. Our kingdom gives mage titles named after the magic color for those who reach the peak in one attribute.

If multiple reach the peak, only the strongest gets the title.

For example, the water magic title [Blue] is currently held by Lord Felix.”

Then Reinhild spoke, perhaps noticing Subaru’s confusion, and Otto further explained.

“Continuing from that, my position is to support Lady Emilia, the king candidate.

Another way to say 'support' is a fairly well-off patron.

Yesterday was the first time, I believe, that my capable assistant should have been with us. But Lady Emilia seemed distracted by a bit of curiosity? In short, she got lost.”

“That sounds like a moe character excuse. Even if Lady Emilia’s airheadedness is overflowing, failing to protect such an important person is your mistake, Roswaal. What do you think?”

Subaru pointed directly at Roswaal.

“That’s true to some extent. The guards were inadequate. Perhaps—I should also take responsibility. But dragging this out, what exactly do you want to say?”

Chapter Text

6. Teaching Magic

“Or rather, what is it that you want? As things stand, I won’t refuse. To cover up the fact that Emilia lost the Insigna, I am willing to pay for anything. Come—what do you want?”

Roswaal spoke boldly, and then the reception room fell silent.

Everyone was waiting for Subaru’s answer, but Subaru remained silent.

He couldn’t quite figure out what he wanted to get from Roswaal.

Honestly, Subaru himself couldn’t come up with an answer.

Much of his behavior was driven by anger because Roswaal had offended Reinhild, so he had been mindlessly snapping back.

“Magic… can you teach me magic? Or is it that if you’re not a magic user, you just can’t handle mana?”

After a moment of thought, Subaru voiced what he had been dreaming of: to have the strongest magic historian in this country teach him magic.

“That’s not how it works, but if it’s such a great favor, you’ll have to show some real skill.”

“I have some business to attend to, so I’ll be leaving now. Subaru, Otto will be waiting outside the door on standby.

If you have any doubts, you can go ask him.

Roswaal, rest assured, the soundproofing in this room is invincible to most people.

Subaru, the Roswaal family has been a family of magicians for 400 years, so listen humbly.

I have assigned other people to your work for today, so don’t worry.”

“Now then—I’ll give you a private lesson. To teach someone a bit ignorant like you what it means to be a magic user—how does that sound?”

With the reception room door closing once again, Roswaal finally raised a finger, cleared his throat, and began.

“Then let’s start from the basics. Subaru, you know what a ‘gate’ is, right?”

“No. Even if you say it’s obvious and that I should know, those who don’t know still don’t know.”

“You don’t even know about gates?

Simply put, a gate is the entrance and exit for mana to flow in and out of your body.

Through the gate, you can absorb mana and also release it. It’s our lifeline.

All living beings have gates—no exceptions, whether plants or animals.

Otherwise, society as it currently is, which relies on magical ores, wouldn’t exist.”

“I see. It’s like a faucet just for MP...”

Thanks to Roswaal’s simple explanation, Subaru understood.

“You said everyone has a gate. Does that mean I have one too?”

“Of course, you do—if you consider yourself human. You are human, right?”

“Finally, I’m going to become the magic user I’ve dreamed of… No, wait, could this be my chance to stand on equal footing with Reinhild?”

With no combat strength, no quick wits to break the situation, mediocre academic ability, slightly above-average physical ability but no stamina, Subaru always felt like a nobody.

So this was possibly the second piece of good news since coming to this other world.

The enticing word “magic” made Subaru’s heart cry out loudly, his pupils shining brightly with hope.

“To be this happy about the topic of magic—ah, may magic bless you.

However, even if you have a gate, your innate talent plays a huge role. I’m proud because I’m talented; it’s unfortunate for those who aren’t blessed like me.”

Roswaal’s opening words triggered a faint ‘plot advancement’ sound effect in Subaru’s mind. Confident Roswaal didn’t know Subaru was a “Summoned One” from another world.

Since ancient times, those summoned from other worlds have had special powers.

Yet Subaru had no fighting power, no knowledge, and luck so bad it was negative.

But now, he had magic—yes, magic.

“Here it comes, Roswaal, my brand new hope! Magic, let’s talk about magic. Right now, a wave of magic is coming. My radiant future is drifting on that wave!”

“Is that so? But it’s almost impossible to stand on equal footing with Reinhild by magic alone, since every time she swings her sword at full power, she absorbs most of the ambient magical energy.

Anyway, let’s continue.

Magic is basically divided into six attributes—you heard that just now, right?”

“So, what about Puck’s ice, Bernie's space magic, and Reinhild’s lightning? Those aren’t part of the six attributes, right?”

“Ah, let me explain. Mana is divided into six types. Because of different uses, some special magic can form. For example, Puck’s ice is actually fire attribute, Bernie’s space is yin attribute, and lightning is wind attribute. Water attribute also has a derived spiritual attribute.”

“In simple terms: fire relates to heat, water governs life and healing, wind acts outside the body, and earth acts inside the body. These four are the main categories, plus there are the very rare ‘Yin’ and ‘Yang’ attributes. However, very few match these; if it weren’t for the Berni siblings in this family, I might have ignored these two attributes.

Most people have an aptitude for one of the attributes. By the way, I have aptitude for all six.”

“Wow! Amazing! I basically understand now. So, tell me more! How do you find out your attribute?”

Subaru’s request pleased Roswaal greatly. Nodding, he continued his explanation.

“Of course, a magic user like me can tell just by touching.”

“Really? Here it comes—the scene I’ve been waiting for. Help me find out, and then tell me!”

Subaru, like an untrained dog, joyfully wagged, looking at him with affectionate eyes.

Roswaal placed his palm on Subaru’s forehead.

It was a scene where two men’s eyes sparkled as they looked at each other.

“Alright then—excuse me! Mew Mew Myo...”

“Whoa! Such a magical sound effect! Now, this is the moment to witness fantasy!”

Only now, forgetting all worries, Subaru let his thoughts run free in the romance before him.

—Magic. It would definitely become the fangs of the summoned one who had come to this other world.

With sure hope making his pupils shine, Subaru waited eagerly for the diagnosis result.

“Alright—got it.”

“Finally, that’s what I wanted to hear. So, what is it? What’s my attribute?”

“Hmm, it’s ‘Yin.’ Your connection with the other four attributes is very weak, but your specialization in this one is quite rare.”

“So, I have the so-called space ability!”

“Well, actually, among Yin attribute magic users, only Bernie can use space magic.

Famous Yin attribute magic involves obscuring the opponent’s vision, blocking sound, and slowing movement. Those are basically the usable skills.”

“DEBUFF specialization!?”

Chapter Text

7. Roswaal’s Invitation

“So if that Bernie agrees to teach me, does that mean I can learn spatial magic?”

Originally, Subaru had hoped to use legendary destructive magic or overwhelmingly powerful magic that could cause cataclysmic changes to the world, but the reality was magic that only inflicted negative status effects on enemies.

Dissatisfied, Subaru asked with hopeful eyes.

“That’s not possible. You have no talent for magic. If I am a ten, then you’re at most a three. By numbers, if you concentrate on training magic for twenty years, maybe you could become a super second-rate magic user, but that’s the limit.

In other words, you don’t have the aptitude to learn the strongest derived magic of the Yin attribute — spatial magic.”

“Another unpleasant truth! There are no gods or Buddhas in this world! Spending half a lifetime and still not reaching first-rate level? But I still want to experience and learn magic, so please, tell me, what should I do?”

Subaru drastically lowered his expectations for magic.

But no matter how hard he tried, words like ‘effort’ and ‘perseverance’ had long been crossed out of Subaru’s dictionary.

Yet the fleeting spark of hope was not so easy to extinguish, so he still wanted to realize his dream of magic.

“That kind of thing requires a foundation, but if you want a simple experience, that’s possible — you see.”

“How so?”

Subaru, struck hard, who had been slumped on the sofa, sat up excitedly and asked.

“If you want to try using Yin attribute magic, I can assist you.

You’ll use the mana inside your body, but the magic will be cast through me.

However, there is a certain level of danger, so if you want to experience it, it’s best to tell them beforehand — after all, I don’t want to face an enraged Sword Saint. What do you say?”

“That goes without saying — I want to do it! I was born a man, and I must live like a man!”

Clenching his fists, Subaru shouted bravely.

Born a man, without pursuing romance, was no different from being dead.

Since arriving in this other world, Subaru was showing the highest standard of manliness in this scene.

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“If it seems dangerous, I’ll stop immediately.”

After this warning, Reinhild, who influenced magic performance, left the garden. Before Subaru stood a man exuding a decadent vibe. His long black robe was stained with grass, his hair a common brown, and he had what’s called dead fish eyes. He was the strongest Yin attribute magician, “Black” — Bernie.

Subaru’s bright and shining future was shut off, and the life of a DEBUFF-specialized magic user was about to begin.

“What a pain. Anyway, I’ll let you experience some simple Yin magic first. The veil will block your vision, is that okay?”

“Alright, then the veil it is.”

“—Huh?”

Bernie waved his hand, and Subaru’s vision was suddenly swallowed by darkness.

In the blink of an eye, the scene before him was completely covered in pitch black.

Subaru couldn’t help but cry out, but even his voice didn’t reach his own ears.

The darkness created wasn’t just visual — it isolated all contact with the outside world. Feeling isolated from the world, Subaru shivered down his spine.

“Okay, it’s over.”

Hearing the applause, Subaru realized he had returned to reality.

“Subaru, are you okay? You’re sweating so much.”

“I-I’m fine, just a little numb… That was the veil? It’s underestimated, but its effect is undeniable, right?”

When his vision returned, he saw Reinhild looking worried for him.

After some playful words, Subaru rubbed his eyelids to confirm there was no change there.

“It depends on the opponent’s strength. Subaru can last a lifetime, but Lady Reinhild only about half a second.”

“That thought is terrifying!! Don’t say a lifetime, even a day would make me too scared to handle it. Don’t mess around!”

“Whether it’s effective or not, can I use that magic I just saw? Hurry, hurry, I want to try! I really want to try!”

“Understood. Then Lady Reinhild…”

“Be careful. At least make sure Phyllis can heal him.”

“Is it really that dangerous?!”

Reinhild, with a slightly nervous expression, stepped back.

The expression of this invincible girl made Subaru’s heart inexplicably tense.

“Don’t worry, cases like fragmentation are rare, and the one using magic will be me. As I said earlier, is that okay?”

Bernie said confidently and placed his hand on Subaru’s head.

Subaru hesitated a moment but quickly smiled and nodded.

Despite the continuous worries, he couldn’t go against his curiosity.

Seeing Subaru’s nod as agreement, Bernie nodded firmly as well.

In the next moment, Subaru felt heat spread through his entire body.

Something different from blood surged inside — this invisible rampant flow was mana.

Subaru knew Bernie was using his fingers to direct the flow of energy inside his body.

“Subaru, start imagining. Now, the flow of mana inside you will be controlled through me according to your will. Some mana will be pushed out of your body through the gate. Just imagine — a black cloud.”

“Imagine, huh? Leave it to me, I’m best at delusions.”

Twisting Bernie’s words cleverly, Subaru started imagining the energy inside him restlessly moving.

He pictured the gate at the center of his body, the gate opening heavily, letting the energy overflow outward.

Once outside, the energy would manifest according to Subaru’s will —

“Huh?”

At the last step, Bernie suddenly showed a surprised expression, followed by the sound of whistling wind.

Bernie’s rough hand left Subaru’s head and was replaced by a soft one.

—Although there was no fragmentation, the result was still a big failure.

“Subaru’s gate won’t cooperate, so the mana ignores the user’s intent and just rushes out from inside.”

“Am I soy sauce without a lid or something? Also, since mana equals life force, does using magic once kill me?”

Subaru asked confused by Bernie’s words.

“Not that bad. Maybe using magic once will make you lie down for half a day. Using it repeatedly might damage your gate. In your current state, what you want to achieve can only be done by someone like Lady Emilia — an Spirit User. She doesn’t use magic but spirit arts, though the principle is almost the same.”

Roswaal came to Subaru’s side and said.

“What’s the difference between a magic user and a spirit user?”

Subaru tilted his head and asked.

“A magic user uses the mana inside their body to cast magic, while a spirit user uses mana from the atmosphere to perform spells. Simply put, whether or not the gate is involved. The aptitude of a magic user depends on the size and number of their gates, but spirit users don’t care about that since they use external mana. Still, the effects caused by both are basically the same.”

Roswaal said with a smile.

“I see, magic users absorb mana from outside through the gate and then use the accumulated mana inside to cast magic. Spirit users can ignore this process, so for someone like me with gate problems, spirit arts would be a good choice.”

After understanding Roswaal’s words, Subaru had another question.

“Hm? Wait, that means spirit users are way too powerful, right? Magic users have fuel stored inside, but spirit users have external fuel entrusted to them, so they can use as much as they want. Fighting is pointless.”

“You understand quickly, but it’s not that simple.

The mana in the atmosphere isn’t unlimited.

If you were a magician, you could fight Reinhild a bit, but a spirit user would have to lie down and give up.

The power of spells spirit users use also depends on the spirits they contract with.

It’s already rare to have the aptitude to contract with a spirit, and even fewer powerful spirits exist. So it’s hard to say which is better.”

“But if you contract with a powerful spirit, you get instant strength, right?”

“Yes. And Subaru, our family has a great spirit called ‘The Pinnacle of the Yin System.’ She not only knows all Yin magic but keeps expanding its possibilities.

Bernie’s Random Gate was originally developed by her.

Now she’s invented many powerful Yin magics: spatial transfer, time freezing, spatial rift, existence fixation, and more.

She’s an extraordinary existence.

As a favor, I can help you.

With my help, if you truly bond with her for a few years, you might be able to sign a contract with her. How about coming to my humble home?”

Chapter Text

8. The Sword Saint Faction

“Subaru, if you regret your decision today, then come find me. What I just said will always be valid.”

“I won’t regret it.”

“Is that so?”

Roswaal closed his right eye, and with his golden eye looked at Subaru and spoke words that seemed to carry deep meaning.

Then he got on the dragon carriage at the front of the convoy.

The convoy started moving. Reinhild and Roswaal left the Astrea mansion. The two of them would head to the royal capital to wrap up the Emilia matter.

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.

In the large bathhouse of the multifunctional mansion, a black-haired figure was idly soaking alone in the pool.

Sometimes sinking underwater, sometimes lying on the surface, occasionally floating on the water.

Luckily, the large bath could fit half of the personal guard, and since this was a busier working time, he could afford to fool around like this.

“Ah, magic… no, I can’t think about it anymore. My resolve to stay by Reinhild’s side is wavering — or rather, just having this thought means I’ve already started to waver.”

Subaru lay in the water in a daze.

Magic was undoubtedly his second greatest surprise after meeting Reinhild.

Especially Roswaal’s last few words had shaken Subaru’s resolve.

No need for hard training — the ultimate Yin great spirit.

Subaru, having seen Puck’s true form, knew better than anyone what that meant.

So for Subaru, who had just come to this other world, it was almost a knockout blow.

“Even if I don’t have magic, it’s okay, right?”

A thick, deep voice startled Subaru, causing him to sink underwater instantly.

The next second, he was pulled up.

It was a blond, muscular man about Subaru’s height.

The first thing that came to Subaru’s mind when seeing him was the viral “muscle dog” expression online — the man’s physique was just that exaggerated.

“I’m Leander Burt, Reinhild’s personal guard captain. I heard what happened — you decisively refused that effeminate count’s invitation. So why are you regretting it now?”

Although the man spoke very disrespectfully, he did not lower his voice.

His booming voice echoed clearly in the huge bathhouse.

“I do feel a bit of regret. After all, I lost the romantic pursuit of a man. But even if I had to choose again, my decision would remain unchanged.”

“Hahaha, that’s the spirit! After all, a man never goes back on his word. I respect that.

But a man’s romance should be a strong body and unbeatable strength, right?

Even the strongest mage like Roswaal I could knock out with one punch.

How about it? Want me to train you? If you stick with it, I guarantee you’ll reach the average level of the royal capital’s knights.

Plus, you’ll get personal guidance from Reinhild once a month.”

Leander patted Subaru’s shoulder.

At that moment, Subaru gasped sharply — he even felt like his bones might shatter.

The man seemed to notice Subaru’s pained expression and awkwardly scratched the back of his head.

“I’m okay. Could the training volume increase gradually? I don’t think I can take professional athlete-level training all at once.

By the way, you call Reinhild ‘Rein-chan’ but call Roswaal differently. How should I put it… it feels weird.”

“No problem. About the naming: our family is actually also a count’s family.

We show respect to Reinhild because of her strength and position.

Reinhild calls Roswaal respectfully because the former head of the Astrea family owed a favor to the Roswaal family.

Although the previous head cut ties with the family, Reinhild inherited his attitude towards the Roswaal family.”

“You’ll understand these things as time goes on. I’m going out now. Training starts tomorrow. Subaru, though I’m reluctant, I’m glad you showed up.”

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“My shoulder still hurts a bit. That guy’s strength is really huge.”

“Well, Leander has the ‘Divine Protection of Strength.’ More than a year ago, Reinhild said two of him could move the ‘stone’ Muspel.”

“What did that last thing mean? And what’s the ‘stone’ Muspel?”

“I’m not sure about the last phrase, but the ‘stone’ Muspel is the empire’s earth great spirit. It’s so huge and heavy that there’s a saying about someone not being able to lift the Quwein Stone.”

“By the way, who are you, always answering my questions in stereo, miss?”

“Me? I’m Eileen, the white mage. Sorry about my brother causing you trouble earlier.

He asked me to give you these.

If you don’t understand something, you can ask Mr. Winston who teaches reading and writing.

Also, this map shows some places where my brother might appear.

If you have any questions, you can go to him, but for basic stuff, it’s better to ask me because my brother prefers to think about life quietly by himself.”

Subaru accepted the two books the brown-haired girl handed him and thanked her solemnly.

“By the way, what are the family names of Berni and Eileen? I want to remember them for life.”

“Family names? We don’t have one yet. Both my brother and I come from the slums, so we don’t have a family name. Although becoming the strongest mage grants a family name, we already want a family name, but for some reasons we can’t legally become members of that family yet.”

A fleeting anger flashed across Eileen’s usually smiling face.

“But you’re really good-looking, you don’t look like someone from that kind of place. That goes for Felt too.”

“Although I’m glad now that I have an appearance that doesn’t embarrass Reinhild, being good-looking in the slums isn’t a good thing. If it weren’t for Reinhild, we probably would’ve been sold off by slave traders.”

“Sorry.”

“It’s okay, it’s all in the past.

Anyway, if you have anything, feel free to ask us.

Although our background is much lower than Lord Roswaal of the magical world, Yin attribute magic is rare, and my brother is the strongest shadow attribute mage with the title ‘Black,’ so

the gap might not be that big. Also, this time my brother’s actually fired up — when serious, he’s the strongest being besides Reinhild.”

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.

“Are you okay?”

The night was still the butler’s class, but the butler, who always stressed etiquette, had some dust on his clothes and red marks on his black leather shoes.

Having died multiple times, Subaru immediately recognized the red marks as blood.

“I didn’t expect that giant to be so... Sorry, please forget what I just said. I’m fine. Today I’ll explain some basic etiquette.”

“Okay.”

Seeing the old butler unwilling to say more and confirming he seemed fine, Subaru decided not to pry further.

Chapter Text

9. Felt on the Run

“Not bad, it’s barely passable now.”

Ben held the silverware Subaru had wiped, looking it over left and right, then finally nodded in satisfaction.

“Alright, finally qualified.”

“Don’t celebrate too soon. Starting tomorrow, you’ll begin your kitchen helper training.”

“Tomorrow?”

“That’s right. It’s almost time for Leander’s training, so that will be tomorrow’s business.”

“Eh! Really? Then I’ll head out now.”

“Be careful on the way.”

Ben watched Subaru leave with a smile on his back, then picked up the silver plate Subaru had failed to clean properly and quickly started scrubbing it.

It seemed Subaru still had a long way to go before becoming a proper servant.

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.

.

Subaru took off his butler uniform, then wiped off the sweat that had appeared from hurrying back to his room with a towel.

Finally, he skillfully put on the sportswear he was more used to.

After tidying up the room, Subaru left and headed west toward the personal guard barracks.

Today was Subaru’s fourth day as a servant, and his schedule was gradually settling down.

In the morning, he could barely wake up by himself, then he did morning exercise with the old butler, then started carrying ingredients, helped the maid carry washed clothes, followed by rest time.

Subaru usually took advantage of times when there were fewer people to eat, then took the road Eileen taught him about last night and went around looking for the elusive black mage.

In the afternoon, he did some cleaning-type technical work under the guidance of seniors, then went to the personal guard for two hours of hellish training.

After eating and bathing, at 7 pm the old butler’s basic course started for one and a half hours, followed by half an hour of magic guidance from Eileen.

Perhaps because of the friendly environment around him, even though it should have been a very tough life for the shut-in Subaru, he only felt happy and fulfilled.

But such peaceful days finally came to an end today.

“Lady Felt?”

“Eh! Hey, you’re here too? You’ve really screwed me over badly!”

A kitchen knife was pressed to Subaru’s neck.

Subaru quickly raised both hands and once again experienced how broken the Divine Protection was.

Although a few days of training gave him some confidence to subdue the big figure behind him who was off guard, the opponent was a royal candidate.

If he didn’t hold back and injured her, he’d be dead.

If he held back and didn’t subdue her, he’d also be dead.

Subaru didn’t want to do something so harmful and useless.

“Wait, wait, I know where Lord Rom is, and I can help you lose the pursuers. For now, just take the knife away. I can’t beat you with your Divine Protection anyway.”

Subaru thought quickly.

The old butler said the day before yesterday that Subaru injured someone.

Felt was a gentle child, so what could have made her so murderous? And why did she have the Divine Protection of wind yet not run away? Bit by bit, the clues connected, and Subaru had a guess in his mind.

“Let me make it clear first — if you lie to me, you’re dead.”

“Thanks. Then let’s first get away from the pursuers over here.”

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.

.

“It’s a good thing like manna from heaven, so why are you so set on running away? Aren’t you greedy for money?”

“Hey, you have to look at the size of the manna. Becoming king is a manna that could crush me to death, so of course I avoid it. By the way, haven’t we been here before?”

“The Black seems to hate being disturbed during his research, so the secret passages dedicated to him are a real maze. But I have the method Eileen taught me — this time, go right.”

The two were now inside the black mage’s barrier.

Because someone was lazy, the barrier’s exits spread all over the Astrea family, truly achieving the feat of living in bed.

It had to be said Subaru probably had the ability to get along well with lolis (appearance-wise, not by age).

Unconsciously, the relationship with Felt had changed from hostility to intimacy, and Subaru’s naturally outgoing and talkative nature gradually showed itself.

“By the way, do you really think I can become king? You know my background, right? Are you really comfortable entrusting the future of 50 million citizens to a slum orphan like me? If I was you, I definitely wouldn’t agree.

How can a lone thief guarantee he can be a qualified king who can change the future of 50 million people?

Anyway, if the sky falls, a tall guy will hold it up.

I heard that besides me, there are four other candidates.”

“But you have Rein-chan’s support, right? From how I’ve felt these days...”

“I roughly know what you want to say. I’ve heard about how prosperous the Astrea territory has been since Reinhild took charge, but I don’t want to be a puppet king.

And I’m not the kind of person to sit back and enjoy the fruits of others’ labor. Why are you grinning so slyly? It’s annoying, hey!”

“Sorry, but I suddenly feel Rein-chan’s judgment might be better than I imagined.”

Smiling broadly at the glaring Felt, Subaru slapped his thigh as if a light bulb went off.

The girl in front of him wasn’t just thinking about running away; she clearly understood her situation and considered her limits.

She had her own pride, so she chose effort over enjoying benefits.

“Let’s hurry. We’ve wasted too much time already.”

“Although I can’t let it go... Wait, hey, stop that!”

As Subaru strode forward, passing Felt, he forcefully stroked her golden hair.

Although the escape had turned it into a messy mop far from clean and neat, the fine texture felt nice to the fingers.

“Stop that! I’ll bite you! Enough already—”

Subaru covered his right hand where he had been bitten, while Felt stood aside stomping her foot.

“Although I don’t know what misunderstanding you have, my reason for running away is just that I don’t want to do the complicated studies required to become king.

Can you understand that? Seeing the pile of books with just basic knowledge stacked almost as high as Lord Rom, how do you think I feel? Also, I don’t want to be bound by the fate that guy talks about.”

“Alright, alright, then let’s go quickly.”

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.

Three people came out from the wall beside the departing Subaru and others.

“Reinhild’s choice was indeed correct.”

Bernie said admiringly.

“Sorry, Subaru’s etiquette training is still inadequate. I will properly teach him tonight.”

“No need, no need.

Rather, it’s precisely because of his differences in this area that he has the possibility to be a bridge between Lord Reinhild and Lady Felt.

Even the most lively Eileen is too restrained around Lady Felt.

Bernie, after a while, teleport them to the gate nearest to Lord Rom.

Winston, tell Leander to move the knights near Lord Rom away.”

Otto said.

Chapter Text

10. The Two Like Family

“Felt, what are you doing here?

Haven’t I already been screwed over badly enough?

What do you mean the other side won’t harm the royal candidate? I almost died!

Just seeing your face pisses me off—get lost and stay as far away as possible.”

Having successfully crossed the labyrinth and avoided numerous patrol guards, the two finally reached Rom’s room.

But when they opened the door, they were met by an enraged Rom, lying on a huge bed, his right hand bandaged and hanging from his neck, cursing loudly.

He spewed all kinds of filthy words, revealing the image of a bad old man from the slums.

Subaru was at a loss.

He felt sorry for Felt, who regarded Rom as family, but he couldn’t blame Rom, who understood death’s terror better than anyone.

After all, Rom, who had nearly been tricked to death, definitely had the right to be angry and complain.

Seeing Felt bow her head nearby, Subaru instinctively reached out to silently comfort her by patting her head, but Felt slapped his hand away.

“Nice little monkey show, old stinky man. You’ve lived so long, but do you still not realize you have no talent as an actor? I’ve known you for a long time and know everything about you, for example—when Rom lies, the swirl on the top of his head actually spins the other way.”

Felt raised her head and pointed to her own head.

Her words stunned the other two in the room.

Subaru quickly looked over, and Rom got out of bed, grabbed a mirror with his bandaged hand, his face pale and panicked as he said, “No way! That’s a lie!?”

Subaru: “Wait, your hand!”

Felt: “Ah, just kidding. Didn’t expect to show your best silly face. I’m really heartless.”

Rom: “Ah—”

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.

After all the chaos, Felt grabbed the milk on the table and drank it all at once, then smacked her lips in dissatisfaction.

“This milk is the only good thing here. But how long ago did Rom notice we were coming?”

“About 15 minutes ago, when the guards outside disappeared.”

“So that means—”

“Exactly, little brother. I felt too relaxed just now.

It looks like someone guided us right to Rom.

The patrols deliberately left a path leading straight to him.

Being constantly watched like this is really unpleasant.

Old stinky man, how are your injuries exactly?”

“Just barely able to move, Felt...”

“Don’t even talk, Rom. Don’t misunderstand. Even without Reinhild, the chance I’d successfully escape this place is less than 1%.

But with your fighting power, at least it rises to 3%.

Though we wasted this rare opportunity, Reinhild is so busy, so our chance won’t be just this once.”

“Wait! I’m still a servant of this family, okay? Is it really fine for you to loudly plot right in front of me? And why must we run away? Isn’t there the option to properly negotiate with Rein-chan?”

“To be honest, it’s actually Reinhild who agreed to us running away.

She said after completing studies every day, I could arrange my time freely.

Also, if I successfully escaped the mansion secretly, I’d only have to start the royal candidate process, and she would even give me a house in the Western country of Kararaki as a reward. But I really didn’t expect that old butler to go so far as to hurt me badly.”

“Actually, Winston the butler is also very disappointed about this, but what is Rein-chan thinking?”

“Though I’d say she might want to see us fail or crush our fighting spirit, I’m not blind.

I feel like she really hopes... Hey, little brother, your finger is bleeding.

If you can’t cut apples, don’t force it. You just sprayed blood on my face.

Seriously, is there really a servant as clumsy as you? How tolerant is this mansion not to have fired you yet?”

“My heart hurts, but I can’t refute that. After all, today is only my fourth day working in this mansion.”

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.

.

“By the way, do we really have to run away? Though studying is tough, considering the current living conditions, it’s not a bad deal.”

Subaru said as he watched Felt bandage his finger.

“Little brother, you’re surprisingly naive.

Harsh studies and heavy responsibility are just small parts of why I’m desperate to escape.

If those were the only reasons, I might consider staying.

After all, enjoying this luxurious life just by reading books is a great deal.

But if it comes down to risking my life, then forget it.”

“Risking your life? But Reinhild is here, and you were present too, right?”

Subaru asked, puzzled.

“Exactly because I was there that I decided to escape. I know Reinhild is strong, but there’s a saying in our line of work: ‘The thief may work a thousand days, but there’s no one guarding a thousand days.’”

“It’s easier to understand from an observer’s perspective.

Elsa’s goal was probably from the start that silver-haired girl who’s also a royal candidate, right? I think her name is Emilia.

And Reinhild told me Emilia has the strongest mage backing her—a single army led by Border Count Roswaal. You saw her situation yourself.

If you hadn’t interfered, I wouldn’t be surprised if Emilia had died in the warehouse.”

“You also nearly lost your life. The royal candidate contest hasn’t even started yet and it’s already this fierce.

Imagine what it’ll be like once it really begins.

And since I’m supported by Reinhild, I’d naturally become everyone’s target.

Maybe one day this place will be attacked.”

Subaru couldn’t argue with Felt’s words because, having experienced death and return, he knew her judgment was completely correct.

But clearly, not everyone agreed.

“Felt-sama, don’t you underestimate us too much? After all, the Astrea family has been a prestigious house for 400 years, and Reinhild-sama possesses the power to wipe out a nation single-handedly.”

“Is that so? I know about the massacre 30 years ago. When I think about that, your words lose all persuasiveness.”

The core members of the Reinhild faction who had come in fell silent at Rom’s words, their expressions growing very dark.

Just then, Otto clapped his hands.

“Precisely because of what happened 30 years ago, the mansion’s security measures have been updated and tested countless times.

Tremendous effort was put into building the shadow barrier covering the entire mansion, aerial corridors, and other facilities.

So even if Reinhild-sama isn’t here, it’s perfectly safe.”

“I don’t want to entrust my life to others.

It’s better to escape to the West, far from this place of troubles.

But for now, I have no plans to run away.

By the way, didn’t you ask me the day before yesterday to pick a butler? I’ve decided—I’ll pick him.”

Subaru looked at Felt as she pointed her finger toward him, wiggling it left and right, then pointed at himself and exclaimed in surprise.

Chapter Text

11. Heinkel

A butler is the caretaker of their master’s daily life—food, clothing, shelter, and so on.

They exist independently of the entire servant system, and their status depends on the status of their master.

They do not need to do the work typical of servants; they only need to take good care of their master.

On the fifth day working for the Reinhild family, I, Subaru Natsuki, became the butler for Lady Felt, the candidate for the throne.

On my first day as a butler, the biggest realization I had was just how true the saying “clothes make the man” really is.

Felt was undergoing training to become queen.

She was calmly walking alongside a maid on the red carpet of a huge room.

The hem of her formal dress swayed gently as she advanced with grace.

Every movement she made already bore the semblance of a noble daughter.

The raw gem named Felt, honed by the power of the Reinhild family’s heritage, was gradually beginning to shine with her own light.

Under Subaru’s shocked gaze, Felt gradually approached him and then stopped.

The butler and the noble daughter stared at each other, and then...

“—Hey, young master, what’s with that apocalypse-level look on your face? And Rom, shut your mouth! You two are making me a bit embarrassed!”

Felt lifted her skirt’s hem and kicked straight at Subaru’s chin with a slender leg, then picked up the completely unprepared Subaru and placed him onto Rom’s lap.

“You scared me. That’s not good for my heart. But your true nature really doesn’t change that easily, huh?”

“Yeah, I thought you’d changed completely. Glad it’s just the outside. That’s a relief—human nature doesn’t change deep down, I’m not alone!”

Subaru responded to Rom’s lament.

Indeed, Felt was still that stubborn girl from the slums, wearing ragged, dirty clothes, with dull blonde hair and fierce eyes.

“If you keep talking like that, get out! Between this place, these clothes, and you two, I’ve reached my limit!”

Felt shouted angrily at the duo who had come to add to their friendship.

“Hahaha, occasionally noble-looking Lady Felt and occasionally butler-like Subaru—I really feel this master-servant pair suits each other well, don’t you think! Winston, the butler?”

“It’s my fault for the poor training. Quickly recover your mana, then keep boosting Lady Felt’s morale. Time won’t wait.”

“I know. I don’t want Lady Reinhild to lose face in that kind of situation either.”

The old butler watched the scene with a headache.

Meanwhile, Eileen took a potion for mana recovery from a nearby knight and drank it.

Rom was trying to pull apart the noisy two.

Today, the Astrea mansion was still joyful and warm. It was supposed to be like this—until the appearance of that intruder.

Bang!

The room’s door was violently thrown open.

A man, about forty years old, with red hair walked in.

He smelled heavily of alcohol, his beard growing wildly on his cheeks, and a lecherous smile was on his face.

His demeanor screamed “ruffian.”

Even though he wore the distinctive royal guard uniform, he looked utterly out of place here.

Subaru never thought a knight’s uniform could look so uncomfortable to the eye.

The uniform was covered with several patches and dust.

While Subaru could tolerate those, the creases all over the clothing and the stains left by what looked like coffee or some other brown liquid were things he couldn’t bear.

The man’s slender appearance also caused a deep-seated revulsion in those around him.

The reason for such a strong sense of disgust was that the man’s face was actually quite handsome, which made it feel like something beautiful was being soiled and defiled.

“You really went behind my back and made such a big deal out of it! But Reinhild’s judgment is really awful if they want to support such a slum brat to become king. You really are pitiful, being thrown into a battle you can’t win.”

The man stood before Felt, looking down at her as he spoke, then suddenly clapped his hands as if he’d just realized something.

“Ah, could it be she wants to prop up a puppet king?

Just like how they hollowed me out to gain full control of the territory, hollow out the king to gain the country.

Looking at it this way, choosing slum trash really is the most fitting…”

“…Who the hell are you!?”

Unable to tolerate the man insulting Lady Reinhild’s noble character any longer, Subaru finally roared.

“Huh? Do the servants of this mansion no longer recognize their true master? Servants who don’t recognize their master have no reason to exist anymore.”

The man’s eyes gradually filled with a fierce light as he spoke.

“My apologies, Lord Heinkel. Subaru hasn’t even been a servant here for a week, and he hasn’t even mastered the basic servant skills yet, let alone the more complicated interpersonal relationships.”

The old butler straightened his posture and stepped between Subaru and the man.

Subaru clearly noticed that the man called Heinkel gradually lowered his right hand and showed a flicker of hesitation in his eyes.

Subaru realized that this man was truly someone on the level of the ruffians he had defeated before.

“Is that so? Then you’d better take good responsibility.

This time, I’ll make up for your mistake… You’re just a brat with a hostile glare.

Do you know who you’re picking a fight with?”

The man seemed to notice his own hesitation and stepped forward again, looking down at Subaru as he spoke.

“Don’t make me laugh. You’re the one picking fights; I’m just accepting it.”

Subaru’s long-suppressed anger exploded at the man’s provocation.

But when he tried to step forward to confront him, the butler firmly blocked him.

The man looked down at Subaru, who was held back, and with a displeased expression scratched his head hard.

“What a troublesome brat. Hey, Eileen, Winston—take care of that rude brat for me.”

The man suddenly pointed at Subaru, casually ordering Winston and the others Subaru respected.

“Though you say that, my lord, you were the one who refused our request to join the Astrea family’s service back then.

Also, the deputy captain of the knights doesn’t have the authority to casually command the court magicians.

So, I’m no longer obligated to take orders from you.”

Eileen, who had been recovering her mana in the corner, gave a very proper court bow, but her words were filled with coldness and anger.

At that moment, Subaru didn’t even notice because his attention was caught by the title “deputy captain.”

To Subaru, the kingdom’s knights were undoubtedly the greatest force in his heart.

Whether it was the passerby knight who saved a child when Subaru first arrived in this world, Reinhild, or Julius, they all gave Subaru a very good impression.

Subaru’s feelings at that moment were like going to a Michelin three-star restaurant, ordering a delicious soup, but when he was almost done, he found a huge cockroach carcass at the bottom of the pot.

Chapter Text

12. Polar Opposite Father and Daughter

“I’m just an old butler. There’s no way I could win against a young and strong guy like you.”

Subaru’s distraction didn’t affect the development of the situation.

Feeling that something was wrong, the old butler slowly moved between Subaru, Eileen, and Heinkel while speaking.

“Isn’t this the deputy captain of the royal capital knights? I remember the deputy captain’s duty is to protect the royal capital castle, so how come you have time to come home today?”

Breaking the tense atmosphere was Otto, who was currently the real head of the family.

“You really are a smooth talker, just like a former merchant — truly irritating with that slick tongue, huh? Ah! Seeing you just now reminded me of something.”

Heinkel said as he reached into his pocket, fished around, and then took out a shabby yet beautiful box, throwing it down at Otto’s feet.

“I found it while looking for liquor in the Reinhild room — a meteor that improves sleep quality and also serves as a one-time defensive barrier.

A perfect birthday gift for you.

How could such an important item just lie on the table so carelessly? I kindly brought it back for her.

But I didn’t expect that after using the defensive barrier, the item would be ruined.

Being part of the knights really is dangerous work.”

The red-haired man shrugged helplessly while speaking, but his eyes were full of laughter.

His behavior was easily the most wicked — no, the most disgusting — thing Subaru had ever seen.

“Thank you very much. I truly received Lady Reinhild’s sentiment, and I also really like this item. But compared to your body, this item is insignificant.

If you get injured like this, Lady Reinhild would be very saddened.”

“Tch! Ah, right, to answer your earlier question: what problems could the royal city guard face with just me missing?

As long as Captain Marcus is in charge, nothing will go wrong.

After all, none of the royal family members to protect are left, right? Oh, I forgot — there’s still one piece of trash that Reinhild treats like royalty, but you don’t have to worry about the city at all, because I’ve handed all my duties over to your esteemed Sword Saint.

Truly worthy of being the Sword Saint — work piled up over a month could be solved in three days, right?”

The room filled with killing intent.

Not only did Eileen, who was already full of anger, show it on her face, but even Otto, who usually tried to smooth things over, and Winston, who was always calm and holding his position to restrain everyone, revealed expressions of fury.

Of course, even Subaru and a few others who were outsiders felt hostility toward the man.

“Oh~ oh~ so scary, so scary. Don’t get hot-headed now. Even if I’m just a nominal deputy captain, I’m still a deputy captain. Just like how even if I’m just a nominal head of the family, I have the power to kick you all out.”

The drunken man sneered, but his words finally brought Subaru back to his senses.

“Nominal deputy captain?”

Hearing the question, the man looked at Subaru with a mocking gaze once more.

“Yeah, I’m the so-called ‘freeloader’ Heinkel, deputy captain of the Lugunica Kingdom Royal Guard, who’s hated for being only nominal.”

“A freeloader and hated? Maybe you should just scrap yourself and start over.”

“Gahaha, that guy’s words sting. Ouch, ouch, it hurts so much I can’t take it… Shut up, brat.”

“—Ugh.”

A dark emotion flashed through the man’s narrowed eyes, sending chills down Subaru’s spine.

—In everything Subaru had seen so far, the most “ugly” thing was the expression of this man.

“Calm down, kid. Don’t get carried away by the aura of people like this.

I used to think only people like us, living miserable, hopeless lives in slums, would have rotten souls, but I never imagined that people like this, rotten to the core, could be born even in such comfortable environments.”

“Li—”

“Shut up! Right from the start you’re constantly spreading such a gray atmosphere.

I just don’t understand why you all indulge him so much, when his courage is insignificant.

The servants, butlers, and knights here are all truly capable people.

They can live well even without this family. Even if he kicks you all out, he’ll be the only one to suffer losses.”

“Do you want to fight? Although I don’t know how high the status of a deputy knight is, it probably can’t be higher than the royal candidate, right? If you have the guts, then fight already.”

Felt said as she walked up to the Heinkel who had raised his wine bottle, but Heinkel instead took a half-step back.

“Tch, you’re really a coward, Heinkel van Astrea.”

Felt gave a disdainful look and spoke, and at that moment, Heinkel’s expression changed.

When cursing everyone earlier, his eyes held only dull pleasure, but now for the first time, there was pain — then endless fury.

“Don’t add the ‘van’! Trash!”

The man’s hand fell, but Felt didn’t dodge, or rather didn’t have time to.

Naturally, Felt stiffened briefly from surprise, but also the man’s swing of the bottle was extremely fast — the bottle crashed toward Felt like a sharp sword.

At least his strength was considerable.

The three, who had been on high alert, all acted at once.

They grabbed Heinkel’s bottle from his hand and placed it on the ground, then stood up.

One palm pushed the old butler away with a heavy punch.

Then, stepping forward, they stopped Rom’s charging body with a hand and blocked Felt, who was losing balance from a buff and stumbling backward, with their back.

After a 540-degree spin, Felt was safely handed off to Rom, who had stopped.

At the moment though Reinhild appared.

The girl then went to Heinkel, who had almost fallen after missing his swing, and supported him.

“I deeply apologize for the trouble my father has caused. Father, since you’re home for once, why don’t you go see mother first? She must be waiting for your safe return.”

The girl dissolved the conflict in a way beyond imagination, and Subaru, understanding her meaning, was once again dumbfounded.

Subaru correctly grasped the man’s true identity.

Even though he was completely different in humanity compared to the people Subaru knew from the Astrea family, this man was undoubtedly a member of the Astrea family — and the father of the contemporary Sword Saint Reinhild.

Heinkel’s words, expression, attitude, voice, movements, and gaze — everything about this man was painted and shaped by pure malice.

Pure malice that turned the meaning of all existence into ugliness.

One could say his behavior was completely the opposite of Reinhild’s, but these two, so completely opposite, had the closest relationship in the world.

Yes, they were father and daughter, and the last two members of the Astrea family.

Looking at the father and daughter before him, Subaru suddenly felt an inexplicable heaviness in his chest.

Chapter Text

13. Strange Mother and Daughter

“I have a feeling I witnessed something incredible today. So that mansion, which always forbids anyone from entering, is actually the residence of Rein-chan’s mother, Louanna. But why have I never seen her before?”

“Also, Otto’s birthday is the day after tomorrow. Speaking of that birthday gift, although Rein-chan said it wasn’t for Otto, judging by that expression, it was probably just to comfort him after all...”

At night, Subaru lay in his own bed recalling the events of the afternoon.

The near-conflict was defused with the arrival of Rein-chan, and then the butler told him that tonight’s lessons would be canceled.

The butler then took on the job of accompanying Heinkel to the manor’s entrance, while Otto stayed behind discussing territory matters, unable to attend to Subaru, the others, or to separate that father and daughter. Realizing this, Subaru became very concerned about Reinhild’s family affairs.

“What exactly is going on with that Heinkel? I just can’t believe he’s really Rein-chan’s father. Still... I can’t stop wondering about it. I’ll ask Winston about it tomorrow when we go shopping. Sleep now, sleep.”

Perhaps because Felt’s study progress was too slow today, or maybe because of the tension between Heinkel and Subaru, in any case Subaru had temporarily returned to his former work duties.

He was informed that tomorrow he would go out with Winston to buy things for Otto’s birthday party.

Thinking about finally leaving the mansion after so long, Subaru pushed all these worries out of his mind.

He turned off the light, rolled over, and closed his eyes.

.

.

.

The next morning, Subaru shouted out in amazement at the mansion’s gate.

“Wow — are we really going to ride this thing?!”

His trembling voice was full of joy.

In front of him stood a large dragon carriage.

Pulling the carriage was, of course, an earth dragon, its huge body towering above Subaru and showing off its strength—far larger than any earth dragon Subaru had ever seen.

“It’s so big, its skin is so tough, its face is so scary! Wow, I’m overwhelmed with emotion! I feel so fantastical right now, bla bla!”

“Subaru, earth dragons are very intelligent creatures. Even if you can’t speak their language, they can roughly understand your meaning. So you must treat them gently.”

Winston spoke as he stepped outside, but clearly he was too late.

Subaru was already patting the earth dragon beyond what it could tolerate.

The earth dragon’s tail curved and swept, and Subaru was thrown off with a sideways roll.

A few seconds later, Subaru climbed out from a bush, spitting out leaves.

“You should have told me this sooner!”

Brushing off the leaves stuck to him, Subaru looked up at the terrifyingly large earth dragon. Its yellow pupils narrowed and it exhaled a long breath as if to say, “If you touch me like that, this is what happens.”

“Subaru, get on quickly. We’re running late today.”

Winston tugged the reins of the earth dragon.

Subaru grabbed his hand and sat beside him.

Winston gently moved the reins, and the earth dragon slowly stepped forward.

The carriage began moving, quickly accelerating until it was far from the mansion.

Subaru started to take stock of his first ride on a dragon carriage. The streets hadn’t been fully improved, so the scenery blurred past quickly.

Compared to riding in his original world, the speed was close to 100 km/h.

However, the seat was surprisingly comfortable.

The vibrations transmitted to his body were minimal, making it as comfortable as sitting in a sedan.

“By the way, I don’t feel any wind at all?”

“The dragon carriage is protected by the earth dragon’s innate ‘Wind Exclusion’ Divine Protection. That means it won’t be affected by or resist the wind.

But the Divine Protection isn’t perfect. Once the earth dragon’s ‘Wind Exclusion’ is interrupted, it takes some time to reapply. Each stop usually takes about as long as breakfast.”

“Oh, right about...”

“If it’s about Heinkel, as a servant I’m not allowed to discuss it.

You’ll have to find out for yourself or ask Reinhild.

The only thing I can say is that hateful people always have some pitiful aspect, but that doesn’t erase the fact they’re hateful.”

Looking into Winston’s eyes, Subaru realized his first goal had failed.

“Well then, why did the butler come personally? If it’s just preparing for Otto’s birthday, you shouldn’t have to shop yourself.

Plus, you brought me along. It must really be because of that Heinkel guy.”

“We also need to buy magic crystals today. Ordinary servants can’t pick those out.

After buying the magic crystals, we’ll confirm the rest of Otto-sama’s birthday party items.”

Winston neither confirmed nor denied Subaru’s guess.

“Magic crystals are stones that store and emit magical power. They come from a specialized supplier, about a 10-minute drive away. Subaru, just relax for now; you’ll help carry them later.”

“Oh, leave it to me.”

.

.

.

From the bodies and spirits of the residents, you could tell the quality of the lord.

Judging by Subaru’s observations on the way, Rein-chan must be a perfect lord.

The residents all looked strong and healthy, their spirits and energy flawless, with faint smiles on their faces.

Along the way, many residents bowed proactively to the dragon carriage bearing the Astrea family crest.

By the way, Subaru, who had planned to work hard, was instead tasked with watching the dragon carriage, playing with a group of kids and a small dog that followed him around.

Winston, meanwhile, was engaged in a heated discussion with a merchant nearby.

“You seem very happy. Ah, I’m this child’s mother. Thank you for taking care of my child.”

It was a woman with an honest, village-girl face.

The little girl she was holding onto had blue braids but was trembling slightly all over.

“Are you really this child’s mother?”

Subaru asked cautiously.

“Of course. Isn’t that right, Meili?”

Looking at the little girl, she nodded.

Subaru was silent but ultimately returned the little girl’s favorite dog to her.

Watching the girl taken away by her mother, Subaru quietly decided to investigate the girl’s situation in a few days.

If it was a case of domestic abuse, he would ask the people at the mansion for help.

After a while, the butler returned with a dark expression carrying a box of magic crystals.

His face looked even heavier than before.

“Subaru, did anyone unusual come by just now?”

“The only unusual person was an honest-looking village woman who seemed to be abusing the child. Why?”

“The earth dragon was sweating nervously all over, which means something dangerous approached just now.

But since you’re fine, it must have just passed by. Still, we need to waste a little more time.”

Winston patted the earth dragon’s head, then said to Subaru.

Chapter Text

14. Maid Second Opening

“Oh wow, so this is the magical beast the butler talked about? It’s much smaller than I imagined!”

Subaru shouted loudly as he looked at the rabbit inside the cage.

“Yes, the swift rabbit is known as the most delicious meat among rabbits.

It lives deep in the forests northwest of the Astrea territory. Because it has the ‘Wind’s Divine Protection,’ it’s an extremely difficult magical beast to catch.”

“I know that, but we placed the order ten days ago. It seems there are fewer than 300 here, which is a full quarter less than what the contract requires.”

“The Astrea family’s orders are naturally something we try our best to fulfill, but since it was a secret commission, only trustworthy mid-tier adventurers were involved.

It should have been manageable, but starting two days ago, the habitat of the magical beasts in the northwest forest suddenly became very chaotic. We are still investigating.”

The plump merchant wiped his forehead with a cloth.

“Then cancel the secret commission and make a public call to all adventurers: ‘To help Lord Otto’s birthday, the Astrea family will pay four times the price for live swift rabbits for the next two days. Deliver them directly to the Astrea family.’”

“Won’t Lord Otto find out about this?”

“He already knows due to some other matter yesterday. Please have those you’ve already caught delivered as well. Here’s the deposit.”

The old butler said, placing a heavy money pouch on the table. The merchant passed it directly to the secretary standing behind him.

“Subaru, I have some personal matters to take care of. Feel free to wander around. This money is your wage. We’ll meet later by the statue in the city center.”

--- Touring the City ---

After visiting the Adventurer’s Guild and buying a gift for Otto, Subaru still arrived an hour early at the agreed meeting place.

He approached the only vacant chair, where a girl with red eyes, beautiful features, shoulder-length pink hair, and wearing a maid outfit was seated.

“May I sit here?”

“Although Ram doesn’t want a dirty servant who smells slightly bad sitting next to her, this is public property, so just don’t get close to Ram.”

The girl fixed Subaru with her uncovered right eye and then said,

“So what is a maid, who smells nice and wears beautiful clothes, doing here?”

“That’s quite a sexually harassing statement, but Ram can understand her own cuteness. Sorry, Ram already has someone she likes.”

“Was I so casually dumped the first time!?”

“Ram is waiting for her sister to finish buying ingredients.”

“Don’t change the subject. I already have someone I like too. Anyway, aren’t you supposed to help since you’re the older sister?”

“Rem is my pride and joy. She basically does all the housework better than me.”

“Then what’s the point of the older sister’s existence!? Do you even work?”

“Ram has worked for twelve years. Ram’s job is to stay cute. Being cute is enough.”

“Then don’t frown. The most important thing, cuteness, is gone. If you have worries, you can talk to me. I don’t have a phone to waste time on anyway. I won’t tell anyone.”

“Is everyone in the Astrea family this nice? But whatever. Ram is wondering if she’ll survive tomorrow, and whether her decision is really the right one.”

“That sounds serious. Even if you’re not as good as your sister in every way, you shouldn’t take your own life.”

“It’s not exactly suicide—well, maybe it is in a way—after all...”

“Big sister, who is this?”

Their conversation was interrupted by another maid who looked exactly like Ram except for her hair color, eye color, and ribbon color.

“Well then, goodbye.”

Waving to the two maids who were saying goodbye, Subaru waited a few more minutes before the old butler appeared.

Together, they boarded the dragon carriage and returned to the mansion.

.

.

.

That night, Subaru collapsed on his bed at seven o’clock.

Today was definitely the busiest day Subaru had experienced since crossing over to this other world.

The servants, knowing they couldn’t surprise Otto, put all their energy into preparing for tomorrow’s birthday.

Part of the reason for the hectic day was because Heinkel, who was still at the mansion that morning, kept causing trouble.

But after Heinkel left at noon, the work went more smoothly, and by the end of the day, most preparations were finished.

“The rest depends on whether the guards can catch enough magical beast ingredients.”

Subaru thought as he noticed that even the swift rabbits delivered today were still insufficient.

The adventurer leader hurried over, and Subaru, fresh out of the bath, saw the guards sneaking out, probably to take matters into their own hands.

But thinking about the drunken guards made Subaru worried again.

After Heinkel left at noon, everyone drank straight through lunch, even Subaru, who normally never drinks, had a cup.

The servants didn’t drink much during work in the afternoon, but the royal guards had been drinking heavily all noon.

Subaru worried about whether this was okay, but Leander said men couldn’t go their whole lives without drinking, so the last day of every week was designated as a drinking day.

As for why they drank the day before the big training exercise—well, it used to be that they drank after the big training ended.

But the training was nearly perfect now, so the guards wanted to get into a negative state before the big training.

Gradually, the big training was arranged to be after the drinking day.

The result was that even though they drank heavily at noon, most of the knight squad still left in stable formation.

With all these thoughts, Subaru’s eyelids grew heavier, and he finally fell asleep.

The night passed without incident. The next day—

His eyes felt like they were burning in the sunlight.

He propped up his still lazy body, head heavy, probably from accumulated fatigue or maybe the aftereffects of drinking for the first time.

But today was not a day for weakness.

“That’s right, today I have to finish the remaining work!”

Certain that today would be a busy but happy day, Subaru threw off the covers and sat up. But—

“——”

Looking at Subaru’s surprised face smiling victoriously was Felix, with flaxen hair and cat ears.

“Why are you in my room? Wait, isn’t this the guest room from the first day? And the cut on my hand is gone?!”

“I probably don’t know you, right? Of course, the wound is gone, nya, since I treated it. But you never had a knife wound on your hand, only a slight bone crack in your arm. You must have confused your memory, nya.”

“What’s the date today?”

“Today is the 17th, nya. You know…”

Faced with the situation, Subaru could only accept reality.

Although Felix kept talking on and on, Subaru felt like he couldn’t hear a thing.

He felt heat welling up deep in his eyes, and tears slid down his cheeks, dripping onto the bed.

“Why… did I come back!?”

The first day at the Astrea mansion, starting again.

Chapter Text

R.1 A Night Racing Against Time

The Duke Karsten’s residence was located deep within the noble district of the upper city of the capital—at a corner where many particularly magnificent mansions were gathered.

Although this was merely a villa the duke used only when staying in the capital, both its scale and the luxury of its interior decoration were extremely extravagant.

At this moment, under the illumination of magical lamps at the entrance of Karsten’s residence, a red-haired beautiful young girl was pacing anxiously back and forth.

“Lady Reinhild, calm down. I’ve already sent someone to call Felix,” said a woman dressed like a military officer.

She had shiny green long hair, tied at the ends with a white butterfly ornament.

Her beautiful yet dignified face stared straight at Reinhild.

She was exactly the same height as her and had a sword hanging at her waist.

Unlike Reinhild’s, her sword bore the family crest of a lion baring its fangs.

In short, she was a stunning beauty fitting the description of a handsome man.

“Lady Crush, I deeply apologize for disturbing your rest, and I’m very grateful that you have accepted my private request,” Reinhild said hurriedly, kneeling on one knee to express her apologies for the late-night visit as Crush emerged.

“Get up. I haven’t gone to rest yet, and since it’s you, there must be a reason,” she replied.

“Actually...” Reinhild began.

“Here he comes,” interrupted Crush.

Just as Reinhild was about to explain something, Felix came running over, holding a suitcase and calling out in his pajamas.

“Geez, staying up late is the enemy of a beautiful girl, meow. So, where’s the critically ill patient?”

“I’m very sorry. He is at the main residence in the Astrea territory,” Reinhild answered.

Seeing the surprised expressions on Felix’s and Crush’s faces, Reinhild lowered her head in shame.

In fact, this was also the reason for Reinhild’s anxiety.

Although Lady Emilia had said there were three hours left, Reinhild had already spent quite a bit of time bringing Felt and the other two back to the territory mansion in a dragon carriage from the capital, then rushed back alone to the capital to find Felix.

As for why she didn’t bring Subaru over for treatment from the start, it could only be said that in Reinhild’s heart, the weight of the nation far outweighed that of the boy.

When faced with ensuring Felt’s smooth participation in the royal selection and protecting the boy’s life, she did not hesitate to choose the former.

Even if Lady Crush, who was also a candidate in the royal selection, had less than a one-in-ten-thousand chance of deduce the position of Lady Felt through her poor guise, Reinhild chose to crush even this faint possibility at the cradle.

As for putting one party in an inn or the knights, Reinhild was not stupid.

How could mercenaries from the northern country set up such an impeccable assassination plot in the capital ‘considering her own vacation time, Emilia’s solo actions, the thief’s choices, and the great spirit Puck’s rest time’?

The young lady firmly believed that a powerful force unimaginable was behind the assassination attempt on Lady Emilia, and the side left alone would most likely be killed outright.

Originally, Reinhild planned to take all three to the territory mansion and then bring Subaru back separately, but on the way there, Subaru’s wound reopened due to the rough dragon carriage ride.

If she took the boy back to the capital, the boy might bleed to death.

So reluctantly, she chose to have the residence’s healer stabilize the injury and hurriedly returned to the capital to seek help.

Thinking about how her choice increased the boy’s chance of death, Reinhild felt a rare sting of guilt and pain in her heart.

She failed to keep her promise to protect Subaru, betrayed his trust, and ultimately made the worst choice for him in service of the kingdom.

“Since it’s the first time seeing a new expression from Rein-chan, I’ll forgive you. But how will we get there? Don’t tell me you want to...” Felix’s face paled as he seemed to recall some bad memories.

“No, this time you’ll ride the dragon carriage,” Reinhild shook her head and pointed to the nearby dragon carriage.

“Then I’ll lend you the best earth dragon,” Crush offered.

“Thank you for your generosity, but the situation isn’t optimistic, so I’ll pull the carriage myself. Felix, please get on,” Reinhild declined Crush’s offer and asked about the carriage.

“Yes, Lady Crush, please rest early and don’t work too late,” Felix said.

“You take care on the road. I will send someone to pick you up,” Crush responded.

“Please don’t worry, Lady Crush. I guarantee Felix will not be harmed. I’m taking my leave now.”

[— — —]

Although Reinhild’s protection kept the sounds from emerging, the roaring wind blowing past made Crush’s hair stand sideways.

By the time her hair was back upright, the place before her was empty.

“You should come out and see her,” someone said.

“Reinhild has troubled you. I don’t deserve to see her now, and I doubt she wants to see me either,” answered an elderly man who stepped out from behind the door.

His white hair was carefully combed back, and he wore a tailored black suit.

Though aged, his body was clearly well-trained, and his presence naturally made one straighten their posture.

His manner was that of a true gentleman, bowing politely to Crush.

“Wilhelm, you will go to pick up Felix,” Crush said, then sighed as she saw the old man’s silent expression.

“Wilhelm, do you remember how you once wagered your sword with me, saying your more than ten years of research into the White Whale was accurate?”

“Of course I remember. I’m truly grateful you believed me.”

The old man emitted an overwhelming sword aura, then retracted it and gratefully said to Crush:

“If luck is on our side, the final battle with the White Whale—one of the three great beasts—will be in the coming months.

That beast killed the former Sword Saint.

We all understand how extraordinary the Sword Saint was.

Even though I have begun preparations in earnest, I cannot guarantee victory.

We have prepared for total annihilation.”

“I know your thoughts.

Winning against the White Whale and apologizing properly afterward would be perfect, but death can be unreasonable.

I’m fortunate to have learned his thoughts before he died, but I have always regretted—if His Highness had been braver, if I had noticed His Highness’s intentions sooner—would things have been different?

Did His Highness hear my answer in the end? Wilhelm, you and Reinhild are swordsmen I respect deeply. I don’t want either of you to have lifelong regrets.”

“Lady Crush... regret has been with me since I spoke those words, but I thank you for opening my eyes. Please let me go pick up Felix,” Wilhelm finally said after a moment of silence.

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Important Announcement!

I posted a new Fanfiction! A Re:Zero one this time!

Natsuki Subaru is chasing his back

Summuary:
After experiencing a game once, Subaru Natsuki had someone he admired in his heart.

Today as well, Subaru Natsuki is chasing after his close friend, fighting while learning and imitating his friend's fighting style.

Moreover, he now has two cheat-like powers.

One is the "Return by Death" cheat that came from who-knows-where.

The other was sent by the god who organized the game.

As always you can read ahead (60 chapters) by supporting me on and pa tre on VarieTL

There you can also read 5 other Fanfiction of Oregairu and 2 Fanfiction of Re:Zero

Chapter Text

R2. A Wondrous Misunderstanding

In the middle of the night, on an empty, wide road, a young girl was pulling a dragon carriage.

Although it was a human pulling the carriage, her speed was astonishing.

Each time her feet hit the ground, the carriage surged forward by several dozen meters.

Of course, this wasn’t even the limit of her strength — after all, she was someone capable of leaping onto a pterosaur flying a thousand meters in the air.

Reinhild’s red hair began fluttering in the wind.

The girl, upon realizing this, decided to stop accelerating further for the safety of the dragon carriage.

Reinhild actually had the "Divine Protection of Wind Reduction" like the ground dragon, a Divine Protection she had received half a year ago in the Empire.

Yet, despite that, Felix could still feel the wind clearly — a sign that the wind pressure caused by the girl’s speed had exceeded the Divine Protection’s limits.

The journey from the Astrea domain’s mansion to the royal capital usually took about 90 minutes, even with the best dragon carriage.

Part of the reason was that the ground dragon needed to rest for 15 minutes after running at full speed for 45.

The actual distance was about 125 kilometers.

But under the terrifying power of the girl’s legs, that distance shrank rapidly.

About 20 minutes after leaving the capital, the girl named Reinhild had already arrived at the destination with the carriage.

“Well, I have to admit — this ride was a lot better than last time when you carried me through the clouds,” said Felix, stepping down from the dragon carriage.

He was now wearing a blue-and-white butterfly ribbon on his head, a blue collar with a blue-and-white ribbon around his neck, a blue-and-white dress, black tights, blue-and-white long socks, blue shoes, and blue-and-white armguards.

His right arm had a blue scarf tied to it.

Having changed clothes on the way, Felix held his right hand over his chest and pointed at Reinhild with his left.

He remained silent for a moment before speaking with resignation.

Felix had once enjoyed taking the acrophobic Crusch to high places to enjoy the scenery, finding it amusing to see her otherwise manly master show a timid, girlish side.

But after being dragged along by Reinhild once while traveling, Felix had developed a severe fear of heights.

Naturally, that former enjoyment vanished.

“I really am sorry about that time. This way, please,” Reinhild said awkwardly, scratching her head.

Occasionally, there were gaps in the clouds in the sky, so it was normal to land now and then and then leap back up.

To avoid hurting Felix’s ears with the unexpected sounds of explosions, she had activated the “Divine Protection of Silence.”

Since Felix had been too scared to struggle, Reinhild hadn’t noticed anything was wrong until they reached their destination two minutes later.

“I’ve never seen you so anxious before. Don’t tell me our flower of the team got charmed by some random street kid?” Felix teased as he walked alongside the girl.

“There was no heartbeat-like excitement in me… only overwhelming guilt. I made him trust me, yet I failed to protect him.”

“He got injured… in front of you!?”

“Yes.”

“The Blue Lightning snuck in again!?”

“It was the Bowel Hunter.”

“She’s that strong!?”

“I underestimated her. Anyway, we’re here now. I leave the rest to you.”

“The wounds are even worse than I imagined… but this person? Once I’ve treated him, you’re going to explain everything — properly.”

Felix's face displayed various emotions upon seeing Subaru: confusion, anger, confidence.

After saying that to Reinhild, he entered the room.

Nearly 100 minutes had passed since Emilia had tried to heal him.

Subaru, who was on the verge of death, finally received treatment from the Kingdom of Lugunica’s most powerful healer — Felix Argyle.

Yet the treatment this time took surprisingly little time — likely not even two minutes — before Felix walked out.

At Felix's signal, Reinhild approached the blood-scented room.

She knelt by Subaru’s side and lifted his shirt, then carefully ran her hand from left to right across his abdomen.

After confirming that the wound had completely healed, she stood up, bowed deeply in gratitude to Felix, and took a handkerchief from the butler to wipe the blood off her hands.

“Winston, please find a few staff members to clean Subaru up, change his clothes, and let him rest in a guest room. Felix, let’s talk in the parlor.”

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“So, what’s the deal with that boy, meow? You should’ve sensed the Witch Cult’s presence on him.”

“Felix, we can’t take someone’s life just because they might commit a crime. That boy is brave and kind-hearted. If he does turn into a madman committing all sorts of evil… I will personally bring him to justice.”

“Alright, fine. Then how do you know him, meow? And who gave him that emergency treatment? Tell me everything you can — otherwise I won’t be able to sleep, meow.”

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“You sure you’re not just talking about a popular romance novel?”

“Romance novel?”

“Yeah! Like a poor boy falls for a noble lady, accidentally finds out someone wants to assassinate her, tries his best to stop it, and ends up taking a fatal blow for her.

If it weren’t for you, that noble lady probably would’ve taken him home, and then the two of them would… find the mastermind behind it all… face all kinds of trials… and become husband and wife!”

The more Felix spoke, the more animated he became — and the paler Reinhild’s face turned.

“Wait… are you saying Subaru likes that noble lady, and I ruined his big moment?”

“Of course, meow! Would you risk your life for someone you don’t even know?”

Without hesitation, Reinhild nodded.

“Sorry, that’s my bad. But still — most people value their lives highly.

If someone risks their own life for another, it means they value that person even more than themselves.

For people of the same age and opposite gender, that usually means — in over 90% of cases — they’re really in love.”

Reinhild fell silent.

With two love-struck parents, she understood the look of deep affection more than anyone.

Personally, she didn’t feel like Subaru looked at Lady Emilia with the “willing to give up everything” kind of gaze.

However, Felix’s theory — grounded in emotional insight — was flawless.

“What about the reward?”

Reinhild changed the subject.

“Though I’d love to say we don’t need to talk about rewards because of our relationship… I may need your help soon.

Reinhild, is there a way for you to always sense when I call you, meow?”

Reinhild looked at Felix for a while, then realized that this dangerous task had to be carried out personally.

She took Felix’s hand.

“I understand. Empathy-based Divine Protections without a blood connection are very fragile. You’d need a level of pain like losing an arm for me to feel it — and it only works once.

And… I’m not omnipotent. It’ll take time for me to get to you, so please be careful.”

“Thank you,” said Felix.

Chapter Text

R3. Two People Like Strangers

Felix, led by a night-duty servant, headed toward the guest residence, while Reinhild also stood up and walked into her own office.

She picked up the topmost document from a stack on her desk.

It was dated ten days ago.

Reinhild sighed, then poured herself a glass of water and began her duties as acting lord.

Morning sunlight streamed in through the window.

Rhythmic knocking echoed through the room.

Having dozed off slightly at her desk, Reinhild gradually awoke.

She swiftly straightened up her appearance and sat upright.

“Come in.”

“I knew it. Important matters are all supposed to be reported via the [Dialogue Mirror], right? These could’ve waited until after you rested…”

The one who entered was Otto, Reinhild’s right-hand man and the only truly sane person among her closest aides.

As he set down the tray he was holding, he gently admonished her.

In the entire mansion, only he interacted with Reinhild as a friend—though he would still act like a proper assistant when others were present.

“Thank you, but I might be busy for a while these next few days. I’d like to finish what I can before resting.

Otto, please inform the department heads to gather in the main conference room at 8 o’clock. It won’t interfere with today’s training. There are some important matters to discuss.”

“I understand.”

“Oh, and this food list—these are the things Subaru likes. Ask the kitchen to try preparing them. He didn’t eat dinner yesterday, so make a little extra.”

As she spoke, Reinhild handed Otto a note set aside on the desk.

“Some of it seems to be from western countries, and many preparation methods are unclear… But I understand.”

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The door to the conference room slowly opened.

The previously noisy room fell silent.

Everyone sat up straight, eyes fixed on Reinhild as she stepped up to the podium.

“Today’s matters are important, so we’ll start with a quick verification. Has anyone here, in any way, leaked any critical information from the Astrea estate to outsiders?”

“No.” ×20

Reinhild sensed the feedback from a temporarily granted divine protection and confirmed that everyone was telling the truth. S

he then showed a genuine smile.

“You all know I brought three people back to the mansion yesterday, yes? In fact... it's clear the Royal Selection is far more dangerous than it appears on the surface.

I’ve decided to support Lady Felt.

The Royal Selection should begin in about a month, so this period will be your time to consider.

If any of you don’t want to get involved in this mess, go talk to Otto.

For the rest, once the royal capital confirms Lady Felt’s status, I’ll give further instructions.”

“Now, you can begin your discussions.”

As the sound of hurried footsteps approached, Reinhild addressed the now-silent conference room, then stepped out and closed the door behind her.

Seconds later, a member of the royal guard, clad in armor, ran up.

“What’s gotten you so flustered?”

“Lady Reinhild! Um, Lord Wilhelm is waiting in the courtyard with a Karsten family dragon carriage for Lady Felix!”

?!?!

Under Reinhild’s gaze, the guard delivered this shocking news.

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Otto looked at the girl standing by the window and sighed.

Since hearing that Wilhelm had arrived, Reinhild had been standing there for over ten minutes.

With heavy steps, Otto walked up behind her and gazed at Wilhelm, standing in the middle of the courtyard, alongside her.

“We’ve already sent word to Lady Felix. Are you really not going to meet him? It’s been nearly 14 years. Isn’t it time to move on?”

Otto gently suggested.

“If he didn’t come out to see me even after I waited so long outside the Karsten estate, then that means he doesn’t want to see me. Grandpa still hasn’t forgiven me in his heart.”

“Maybe he was just resting at the time.”

“I felt his sword aura from behind the door…”

Reinhild shook her head and began to speak as Otto looked at her in confusion.

“I’m going to check on Felix. Please bring this tea to him, and assign a sharp servant to accompany and wait nearby. Oh, and say it was brewed by an old servant.”

She handed over freshly brewed tea to Otto and, after giving a few more instructions, headed toward the guest rooms.

Otto watched the girl hurrying away, then looked at the teapot in his hand.

Sighing once more, he gave a few instructions to a nearby servant and walked toward the courtyard.

“Lord Wilhelm, we’ve already sent word to Lady Felix. It might take a little time. Please have some tea in the meantime.”

The elderly man, seated on the dragon carriage's driver’s seat, looked down at the tea Otto offered, his eyes widening slightly as if surprised.

“My apologies. That was rude of me—to look down at someone like that. I was just a bit caught off guard.”

With a graceful leap, Wilhelm descended from the driver’s seat and landed silently before Otto.

“Then I shall not refuse. I was indeed feeling a little thirsty.”

He accepted the tray from Otto and took a sip. A nostalgic smile slowly formed on the elderly gentleman’s face.

“I never imagined someone in this mansion still remembered the tea I like.”

“Lord Wilhelm, won’t you meet Lady Reinhild?”

The old man fell silent, then sighed.

“I’m not qualified to meet her anymore. I’ve stood here this long without sensing her presence—it must mean she doesn’t want to see me either. In her heart, she hasn’t forgiven me for what I did back then.”

In that moment, Otto’s heart filled with hope.

The girl avoided the old man because of guilt.

The old man avoided the girl for the same reason.

If he could just become the bridge between them, they might be able to overcome that invisible wall and become family again.

But the old man’s next words crushed Otto’s hope.

“Even so, I don’t trust myself to remain rational if I saw her again.

As an observer, I’m calm now. But if I were to become a participant… even if I knew it was just misdirected anger, even if I knew it wouldn’t change anything… I might still do something that would hurt her again.”

His words were cruel to the girl. He had declared that what he lost had left him incapable of facing her calmly.

“Then are you both going to stay like this forever?”

“If I can overcome it, then of course I’ll have the courage to take that step.

But if I fail, then this scar will disappear with me.

Still… seeing someone like you by Reinhild’s side, someone who cares for her, puts my mind at ease.”

Chapter Text

R4. The Three Guests

“You really…”

“Well, there’s no helping it. Food is life, after all. Ferris hasn’t eaten anything since yesterday, and I also wanted to check on that boy’s mental state. A lot of people tend to lose it after a near-death experience, you know.”

“Speaking of which, Reinhild, aren’t you going to say hello to Sir Wilhelm?”

Watching Reinhild hesitate for a moment before shaking her head, Ferris, now dressed and finished with breakfast, sighed.

“It’s only at times like this that I can really feel the blood relation between you two, nya.”

???

Wilhelm had paced behind the door with tea in hand yesterday, and today Reinhild had broken protocol by waking Ferris up herself.

Because Ferris served the Crusch household, as did Wilhelm, and she was also Reinhild’s close friend, she could sense the awkward yet undeniably real bond between them.

Precisely because they meant so much to each other, those two normally upright and straightforward people had become cowardly.

But all of that would soon be over—once the White Whale was defeated.

“Lady Reinhild, there’s an issue on the third floor that requires your attention.”

“Nya!”

“I understand.”

Winston suddenly appeared behind them, startling Ferris.

Reinhild simply nodded.

Ferris shot Winston a disgruntled glance and opened Subaru’s room door.

As soon as she did, she instinctively raised her right hand to wave in front of her nose.

“Reinhild, let me confirm this—has the witch’s scent on him gotten much stronger?”

“It’s fine. Back at the apple stand, the scent around him had also suddenly increased—about three times as much—but by last night, it had gradually faded.”

“Alright then. You go handle your business. I’ll stay here for a bit. He should wake up in about an hour.”

With that, Ferris sat down on the chair beside the bed.

“Got it. Winston, stay with Ferris for now. If Subaru wakes up and seems fine, bring him to the dining room on the second floor of the main house.”

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Reinhild knocked on the door, and despite the stream of foul language from inside, she entered.

Rom and Felt glared at her with furious expressions, though they did not attempt to attack—likely because they now understood the difference in strength.

“—Bastard! You dragged us here without a word of explanation. What the hell is your plan!?”

Felt directed a look of disgust at Reinhild.

“I’ll explain now. Please, hold out your hand.”

Reinhild pulled out the Dragon Insignia from her pocket and placed it in Felt’s hand.

The jewel in the insignia immediately glowed red.

“What the...? I had a strange feeling about this stone when I stole it. Why is it glowing?”

“That’s because you have been recognized by the Divine Dragon as one with the qualifications to become king…

But because one candidate was missing, the royal selection could not begin. Lady Felt, you are the final candidate for the 42nd monarch of this nation.”

Reinhild knelt on one knee before Felt and laid out the entire situation of the royal family. The two fell into silence after hearing her explanation.

“I have no interest in this royal selection stuff. Can we leave now?”

“This is for the prosperity of the kingdom.”

Reinhild stood in front of the door, blocking her way, and said with sincere eyes.

“Kid, we’re from the slums.

Felt might have the qualifications of the Dragon’s Maiden, but that doesn’t make her suited to be king.

You can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig.

Lacking character, lacking education—can someone like that truly be supported as king? Even if by luck she did become king, it’s doubtful the kingdom would truly prosper.”

“Destiny.”

???

“Lady Felt is the final candidate. As the Sword Saint, meeting her cannot be chalked up to coincidence. I believe this is destiny.

I trust you understand what I mean. That’s why I will fully support Lady Felt.”

Reinhild spoke to the confused pair.

The current situation, born from countless coincidences—she was sincerely grateful for it.

“Then let me put it another way. I’ve heard of your good name for many years now.

You’re responsible for at least half of the kingdom’s current stability.

So I ask you, Reinhild—do you really intend to push this child into a bottomless whirlpool?”

“…I…”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep. If this were before yesterday, we might’ve believed you could protect us.

But yesterday proved just how dangerous the royal selection is.

There’s no such thing as a thief who lasts a thousand days, but there are guards who must be vigilant every day. That’s why I’m asking you—let this child go.”

“Old man Rom, what are you doing? Get up! Didn’t you always say that no matter how low people looked down on us, we should never abandon our self-respect?

That we must never bow down like this? If it comes to it, we’ll just find a way to escape!”

Reinhild backed step by step into the corner of the room.

She looked at Rom, who had offered up his dignity for Felt’s safety, and at Felt, who was now risking her future for Rom’s pride.

In her heart, a faint sense of envy grew.

Guilt from yesterday. Envy from today. The voice in her mind that kept repeating began to fade.

‘Offer your loyalty to the kingdom for the sake of your family.’

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“I’ve already investigated Lady Felt’s dream. So let’s make a bet.”

“A bet?” ×2

“The announcement of your candidacy should happen in two months.

During that time, you’ll study everything necessary to be king—etiquette, governance, history, literacy, etc. I’ll arrange a proper daily schedule.

If you finish your studies early each day, you can use the remaining time however you like.

If you manage to secretly escape the mansion during this period, we’ll treat it as if the royal selection started with your candidacy, and I’ll help you escape to Kararagi in the west.

I’ll also make sure no one pursues you.

This is the property deed to a home in Kararagi—I’ll give this to you.

But if the royal selection is announced before you escape, then please become the king of this nation.”

“How do I know you’re not going to force me into this?”

“Then I swear upon my family, and upon my sword, that if—”

Reinhild slowly recited her oath, then looked at Felt.

“You hold onto the insignia for now. Can we have some time to think about your proposal?”

“Of course. Once you’ve decided, just have Bernie outside the door come call me.”

Reinhild said this, received the insignia from Felt, and slowly exited the room.

Chapter Text

R5. The Fragile Girl
—So tired, so tired… I can’t believe I made that kind of promise. What was I thinking?

Reinhild felt mentally exhausted for the first time in a long while.

Holding her head with one hand, she leaned against Felt's door to rest for a moment, then straightened up again.

Glancing at the nearby clock, she saw that Subaru was due to wake up in 30 minutes.

—Let’s check how the food preparation is going.

Trusting in Ferris, Reinhild headed to the kitchen to confirm the situation.

A chef in charge of guest meals hurriedly approached her, explaining the difficulties they had encountered in preparing the food.

In the back kitchen, the other chefs were huddled around notes, discussing things intensely. Despite the mansion having many top-tier chefs thanks to Reinhild’s influence, making completely new types of food was still a tall order.

Reinhild hesitated for a moment but then decided to cook Subaru’s food herself.

Of course, Reinhild wasn’t diving into this unfamiliar cooking without reason.

Having taken care of her father’s meals since the age of six, Reinhild could be considered the world’s most skilled chef. Not only was she highly skilled, she also possessed the following Divine Protections:

• Divine Protection of the Gourmet King: Can create delicious food by any means.

• Divine Protection of Roasted Dishes: Supreme skill in grilled cuisine.

• Divine Protection of Stewed Dishes: Ultimate talent in stewed cuisine.

• Divine Protection of Steamed Dishes: Peerless skill in steamed cuisine.

• Divine Protection of Fried Dishes: Unrivaled mastery of fried cuisine.

With these five top-tier culinary Divine Protections, even if the recipe was unclear, as long as she knew the taste and ingredients, Reinhild could recreate it flawlessly.

——Cooking Transition——

Reinhild looked at the dishes in front of her with confusion.

She had lifted the lids several times, but the food didn’t emit any dazzling glow.

Though her Divine Protections kept assuring her the dishes were already perfect, Reinhild clearly remembered Subaru saying that glowing food meant the ingredients were perfect.

But with little time left before Subaru woke up, she had to suppress the small regret in her heart.

Sometime in the future, Subaru would see Reinhild in an apron confidently serving glowing food, and he would remember that he had once exaggerated about anime food he’d never actually eaten—that would be another story entirely.

“These are for tasting. Try them, discuss amongst yourselves, and I’ll taste them again in a few days.”

Reinhild told the chefs around her, whose eyes were sparkling as they looked at her.

“Yes, Master!! Leave the rest to us!”

The chefs who had watched her cook hurriedly bowed and scrambled to complete the finishing touches.

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“Temporary memory confusion?”

Reinhild asked with concern.

“Yes, so he’ll be a few minutes late. Ah, there’s Ferris—it looks like things are fine. I’ll go greet him.”

Otto spoke as he saw Ferris walking toward the dragon carriage through the window, then left the room.

Reinhild raised her hand slightly as she watched the carriage turn but gave up halfway.

She watched the dragon carriage slowly roll toward the main gate until the sound of footsteps behind her brought her back to reality.

When she turned around, she saw Subaru, now fully dressed.

Reinhild gave him an apologetic smile.

“Sorry, I spaced out a little. Are you feeling okay?”

... (Omitting repeated dialogue)

“I swear on my sword—I will not break my word.”

Reinhild silenced the others present with a glance and made the highest knight’s vow to the delinquent-looking Subaru.

As she did, she reflected on the greatness of love while also quickly scanning through everything she knew about Lady Emilia.

However, Subaru’s answer was completely unexpected.

“My only wish is to be hired to work at this mansion.”

Reinhild couldn't accept such a small request as payment for Subaru's great favor.

Despite having sworn on her sword, she instinctively suggested he think it over again.

“Maybe if you calm down, you'll think of many things you want… But I’m not a man who lies to himself.

Right now, I’m completely broke.

Sure, having a large sum of money to splurge would be great, but having stable income to cover basic living expenses is pretty good too, right?”

“...You don’t need to be a servant though. Why not just be a guest?”

Reinhild mentally praised Otto.

While the reward still felt small compared to Subaru’s help, it was much better than making him a servant.

So Reinhild said seriously:

“Indeed. For what you’ve done, I could support you with the best treatment for the rest of your life.”

And then Subaru gave a dazzling refusal, insisting on sticking to his word as a man.

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After confirming that the bet with Felt had been accepted, Reinhild went to a room at the top of the mansion.

It was a simple room, with only two vases and a huge bed that could fit five people.

On the bed lay a woman with long golden hair, sleeping soundly in white pajamas.

She was Reinhild’s mother—Louanna Astrea.

Reinhild replaced the flowers in the vase, then sat down beside her mother and began talking about recent events.

“…So Father is still drinking... Grandfather’s still mad at me, huh... And then there's Lady Felt... I believe she’s the royal princess we failed to find 14 years ago. It feels like fate that she turned out to be the final royal candidate. For the kingdom’s sake, I should dedicate myself to making her a worthy king.

And yet… I made that childish bet with her. I actually placed a personal promise above the nation’s future. Did I make a mistake?”

“Sorry, even though I rarely get to see you, I just keep saying depressing things.

Oh, right. Yesterday, I met a boy named Subaru… Amazing, really.

He took a knife for the girl he loved.

I was ready to fully support him, but his only wish was to work at the mansion.

And I get the strange feeling that he somehow already knew what we were going to talk about.

It’s like—though he was thinking, it felt more like he was reciting lines, not considering options. Funny, right? Like he had already had that conversation once before.

I must really be tired.”

“To be honest, I even regretted switching the Divine Protection of Emotion back to the Divine Protection of Omnipotence.

But the omnipotent Divine Protection is hard to control… and I can’t peek at Lady Felt’s emotions anyway. Ah, time’s really flown by. I should go rest now. Otherwise, Otto’s going to throw a fit again.”

“Mother…”

In the end, Reinhild said nothing more. She gently touched the face of her mother, who had been asleep for 17 years, wiped the corners of her eyes, and quietly closed the door.

Chapter Text

R6. The Clown Who Came to Steal a Man

“Lord Roswaal is already here!?”

Reinhild asked in surprise, glancing at the clock beside her.

Because she had gotten a good nap the previous afternoon, she woke up earlier than usual today.

Even though she had almost finished all her work, it was still only just 8:30 a.m.

“Don’t worry, the scheduled appointment was for around 10. This time, he simply arrived early. It’s a big deal after all, so he’s probably very anxious. I believe he’s having tea in the reception room right now.”

Otto spoke up after noticing Reinhild’s reaction.

“What about Subaru?”

“He woke up at 8. I’ve already sent someone to help him get ready.

Oh, and by the way, he seems to be very familiar with many details about the mansion.

He also seems to understand written language—not perfectly, but not illiterate either.

He even knows about some secret passages.

Moreover, he’s asking questions about Lord Heinkel, the incident in the mansion 30 years ago, and about Lady Louanna... all matters related to the Astrea family. Are we really going to let him move around so freely?”

“As long as he doesn’t pose any threat to others, let him be. Those topics are already pretty much public knowledge. There’s no need to offer him information, but no need to hide it either.”

“Understood.”

Otto stopped walking. Reinhild stood before the door of the reception room and took a deep breath before knocking.

A few seconds later, she opened the door and stepped inside, greeting Roswaal with an apologetic smile.

“Welcome to our humble home. Subaru will need a bit more time. I explained the situation to him yesterday.”

“No problem, no problem. I was just being a bit impatient, since this is such a serious matter. But the fact that our benefactor is safe and sound—that’s more important than anything.”

Roswaal gestured grandly while speaking.

Though he appeared friendly on the surface, Reinhild sharply sensed the many masks that veiled Roswaal’s true face.

That unreadable feeling was one of the reasons she found it difficult to deal with him.

“By the way, what sort of reward did he ask from you? I’d like to use it as a reference.”

Roswaal asked curiously from across the room.

“To work as a servant at the mansion.”

“Ara ara, now that really is unexpected.”

Roswaal exclaimed with exaggerated surprise, though his eyes clearly showed genuine shock and agitation.

Seeing this reaction was from the heart, Reinhild bowed her head in embarrassment.

“Well, that complicates things. I was hoping to bring Subaru back to the manor to rest as a way of repaying him for helping Lady Emilia. She also really wants to see his condition with her own eyes. What do you think?”

“Please ask Subaru yourself. If he agrees, then I have no reason to stop it.

But, Lord Roswaal, Subaru is my benefactor—no matter when or where.”

“Of course. I only wish to repay him.”

Reinhild spoke slowly and firmly. Roswaal, having understood what the young girl meant, answered with determination.

“Now then, have there been any updates on the Bowel Hunter?”

“Not yet. What about your side?”

“None at all. Seems like they’re hiding even more deeply than we thought.”

Reinhild looked seriously at Roswaal, but she couldn’t tell if he was being honest.

In truth, she had received information just yesterday that someone matching the Bowel Hunter’s description had entered Roswaal’s territory.

No matter how prestigious a lineage spanning 400 years may be, hiring an assassin to kill a royal candidate would be a capital crime—especially since the target was the very Lady Emilia Roswaal himself supported.

It made no logical sense.

Ten minutes later, after deciding they would travel to the royal capital together to wrap up the Emilia matter, the reception room door was knocked on again.

Otto entered, leading in Subaru dressed in a formal suit.

...(A familiar conversation followed)...

“Could you help me measure my magical affinity? I want to learn magic.”

After a round of introductions and feeling each other out, Subaru finally made his request in response to Roswaal’s generous offer.

Hearing such a reasonable request—and remembering the simplicity of Subaru’s earlier “compensation” response—Reinhild couldn’t help but feel a small pang of dissatisfaction.

“Well then, excuse me. Mew mew myow myow~”

“Alright—I understand.”

“Your attribute is ‘Yin’. Your connection to the other four elements is extremely weak, but on the flip side, your affinity to Yin is very specialized. That’s quite rare. Judging from your expression, though, it seems like you already knew.”

After the brief ceremony, Roswaal withdrew his hand from Subaru’s head and revealed his attribute.

“Yeah, someone tested me before. But if I’m Yin-type... Reinhild, I think Berni is the strongest Shadow magic user, right? So, can I ask him to be my teacher? Then Roswaal can convert my reward into tuition for Berni.”

Subaru’s words threw the entire room into silence.

“Ahahahaha! Reinhild, what do you think?”

“If Lord Roswaal agrees, I’ll have Berni take Subaru as his apprentice.”

Reinhild and Otto exchanged glances—both suddenly beginning to understand Subaru’s strange behavior.

Though they didn’t know why he didn’t bring it up yesterday, Reinhild resolved to accept his terms.

“Then it’s happily settled. Everyone wins.”

Subaru’s comment became the final word of the meeting.

.

.

.

“Berni is just like that. If you need anything, just let me or Lord Roswaal know. And I hope you’ll teach Subaru with your full dedication.”

“Yes.”

“Winston, I’m leaving the education of both Subaru and Felt in your hands. Take it slow, don’t pressure them too much.”

“Yes.”

“Otto, if anything urgent happens, use the [Conversation Mirror] to contact me directly.”

“Yes.”

“Lastly, Lady Felt and I have an agreement... So if any of them try to flee, try not to hurt them if possible. But prioritize your own safety first.”

“Yes,” echoed multiple times.

After confirming he hadn’t overlooked anything, Reinhild slowly walked toward the small convoy headed for the royal capital.

Roswaal and Subaru were still talking.

“Subaru, if you ever regret your decision, come find me. What I just said will always be valid.”

“I won’t regret it.”

“Is that so—?”

It lasted only a moment, but Reinhild fell silent.

She had seen that familiar gaze before—the gaze her grandfather had 14 years ago after losing his beloved.

In those golden eyes, there was an astonishing possessiveness.

“Subaru, be careful around Lord Roswaal.”

Reinhild whispered as she passed by Subaru and climbed into the central dragon carriage of the convoy.

The group began its journey, with Reinhild and Roswaal heading to the royal capital to handle the final matters surrounding Lady Emilia.

Chapter Text

R7. Aftermath in the Royal Capital

"Because the battle two days ago happened at night, and since the royal capital doesn’t have much nightlife, most ordinary people had already gone home and were resting during that time.

Also, the location was in the slums, an area rarely entered by outsiders — this greatly reduced the difficulty of handling the aftermath..."

The man respectfully reported the situation to Reinhild and Roswaal.

In fact, Reinhild had already instructed the head of her Family business to begin cleanup efforts when she went to pick up the specially-made dragon carriage under her Family’s name.

Of course, the smooth progress of the cleanup was due to two factors: First, most of the original slum inhabitants had fled due to the intimidating presence Reinhild emitted when moving toward the filth warehouse that afternoon.

Second, the severely wounded "Bowel Hunter" Elsa had killed quite a few people — both those who wanted her and those who had seen her — further reducing the number of witnesses.

“No wonder it’s the famous Reinhild Fan Club. My subordinates started confirming your cleanup operations yesterday, and even the most sharp-tongued among them gave their approval. Still, it’s not enough.”

“Yes, Lord Marcos’ insight is truly astounding.”

“Although I’d love to say our report is watertight, it’s still too risky when facing her. I’m fine, but as for you…”

“I really am terribly sorry. I have no confidence at all.”

Reinhild gave a bitter smile in response to Roswaal’s questioning.

“Then let me teach you a little trick to get you through smoothly… There. Now I’ll go meet the Knight Commander.”

Not long after, Roswaal came out and gave Reinhild a thumbs-up.

At this point, only the final step remained before the cleanup was complete.

Reinhild slowly took deep breaths.

She knew this would be the most difficult part.

Even though they had coordinated their statements in advance and Roswaal had shared his secret method, she still had no confidence that she could fool the captain of the Royal Guard Knights — Marcos Gildark.

He was a burly man with a stern face, light green hair, and blue eyes.

He was widely acknowledged as the second strongest person in the Dragon Kingdom — the “Knight of Stone.”

As the leader of the Royal Knight Order, Marcos had brought nearly three years of peace to the kingdom.

"Regarding Lady Emilia's involvement in the recent disturbance."

"Assessment and recommendations on the Bowel Hunter’s capabilities."

"Discovery of the final royal candidate — Lady Felt."

At the time, Marcos was staring solemnly at the reports on his desk.

Even with his exceptional analytical skills and insight, he couldn’t find any flaws.

Still, something felt off — many of the details were far too vague.

For example: the part about taking Felix to the Astrea estate to treat the wounded was extremely vague.

While it was completely plausible that someone like Reinhild would drag Felix out in the middle of the night to treat people, Marcos couldn’t make sense of what caused the injuries in the first place.

Another suspicious part: Roswaal allegedly discovered someone who might be a royal candidate by accident, then took her to the Astrea family for Reinhild to confirm, saying it was “on the way,” so he didn’t take her directly to the Knight Order.

There was no specific location listed for where Felt was found, and no explanation of why Roswaal suddenly believed she was a royal candidate — especially since he already supported someone.

Why seek out another?

Then there was the reason for the Bowel Hunter's escape — supposedly, a bystander was injured.

But the report had no detailed description of that person or their injuries.

Marcos had a strong hunch that the events from two days ago were all connected.

If that were true, then they were looking at a major incident involving two potential candidates for the throne.

There was a knock on the door. A cold glint flashed through Marcos’s eyes as the red-haired girl walked in.

Roswaal, that sly fox, had given nothing away during their earlier conversation.

This was his final chance.

“I’ve read your report. Thank you for your work. Now, I’d like you to take a look at this.”

Marcos handed Reinhild the top report.

“A report about Lady Emilia using ice magic on the main road. Why are you showing this to me?”

“According to the Knight Order’s activity logs, you were likely near that location around that time. So I’d like to ask if you saw Lady Emilia’s specific condition.”

“I’m terribly sorry. I had some matters to attend to at the time, so I didn’t notice the commotion on the main road.”

“You weren’t resting properly again, were you!? I’ve told you to trust your colleagues more…”

【w( ﾟД ﾟ)w】(Reinhild Thoughts)

“I’m sorry, but I believe that protecting someone’s life is far more important than a few minutes of rest. And helping others is a good way to rest, too.”

Seeing the girl’s sincere smile, Marcos sighed.

“So, the matter you mentioned in your report — you began tracking someone you suspected to be the Bowel Hunter?”

“Yes.”

“You followed her for five full hours?”

“She kept wandering in crowded areas.”

“And didn’t contact anyone else?”

“She seemed very strong, so I was afraid others might get hurt.”

“Fine then. If someone can survive a slash from you, most people probably wouldn’t be of any help. I’ll accept your recommendation. From now on, anyone who spots the Bowel Hunter will notify you directly.”

“Thank you very much.”

“But why did you let her get away? Was it really because of the injured bystander? Was there someone important at the scene?”

【Ｏ(≧口≦)Ｏ】

“What happened to that bystander? What about the injured people at your mansion? Did you know the filth warehouse’s owner went there?”

【( ﹁ ﹁ )】

“Reinhild, is there anything you’d like to tell me?”

【(。_。)】

Marcos looked at Reinhild’s expressionless face and began to doubt himself.

Had his guesses been wrong? Did Reinhild truly let her escape just because a passerby was injured?

If the injured person was a wanted criminal or something, knowing her personality, she might’ve healed him and then just blasted him later.

“Forget it. Go and hand over your current responsibilities.

In a few days, you’ll officially be Lady Felt’s personal knight.

Also, prepare her documentation for the upcoming summoning by the Council of Wise Men.”

“Yes.”

Chapter Text

R8. Royal Capital Errands

After leaving the room, Reinhild looked left and right but found that Roswaal had already disappeared.

She truly hadn't expected that Roswaal’s advice — to simply stay silent when facing various questions — would actually work.

Honestly, she herself thought it wouldn’t be enough to fool anyone.

Catching her breath, Reinhild glanced at the clock.

She hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided to first go and pay her respects to her father.

She walked to the office of the Vice-Captain of the Royal Guard and knocked on the door.

There was no response.

Reinhild sensed the room and could tell no one was inside.

Although waiting there was an option, her father had been known to spend entire days in a bar now and then.

Considering the other tasks she had left, Reinhild decided it was better to deal with her main business first.

Noticing Roswaal's carriage in the Karsten estate courtyard, Reinhild gave up on visiting Crusch right away.

She informed the Karsten family’s gatekeeper that she hoped to visit Crusch tomorrow and then left the noble district.

After glancing up at the sky, Reinhild decided to check whether Otto’s birthday gift — which she had ordered through the Kōfuku (Good Fortune) Merchant Guild — had arrived.

She deliberately did not entrust the gift to Otto's subordinates, so as to cooperate with the “surprise plan” concocted by the mansion residents.

Reinhild had chosen a so-called "shooting star" as Otto's birthday present — more specifically, a high-grade pendant that enhanced sleep quality and contained a one-time-use defensive barrier.

The enhancement was to help Otto sleep better since he always overworked and never got proper rest, and the barrier was to protect the ever-unlucky Otto from harm.

Such a luxurious item was far too extravagant as a servant’s gift, but to Reinhild, this present still fell short in expressing her gratitude toward Otto.

Even to this day, she considered saving Otto one of the best things she had ever done.

Although Reinhild hadn't abandoned the management of her domain, manpower was always limited.

As the Sword of the King, just one of her inspection tours could take several weeks.

Most of her subordinates were muscle-heads, so the domain's condition was only mid-to-upper level until Otto appeared.

Only then did the Astrea estate’s true potential begin to shine.

When Reinhild returned from an inspection in the north and learned that Otto had led the estate members to wipe out seven cunning bandit groups in one go, her shock was indescribable.

The martial arts-loving assistant had completely won over the respect of everyone in the estate — though, she later discovered it was actually all because Otto’s bad luck had drawn the bandits together in the first place.

In an effort to keep Otto from being struck by lightning someday, Reinhild had once searched half the kingdom’s forests and found a rare five-leaf clover said to bring good luck.

She turned it into a bookmark and gave it to Otto for his birthday.

But whether it was because Otto’s misfortune was too strong or the legend was just a myth, Otto remained consistently unlucky.

.

.

.

“Um… have you found it yet?”

Reinhild asked nervously.

In truth, the shooting stars came in two colors: green (wind attribute) and blue (water attribute).

But because wind-type stones were much harder to imbue with sleep-enhancing properties than water-type ones, they were not only rarer but also several times more expensive.

Reinhild had hoped to get Otto his preferred color, green, but had only managed to buy the blue one months ago.

News of a green one only surfaced last week.

“Long time no see, Lady Reinhild. We’ve successfully located the item you requested. Please follow me.”

The old shopkeeper led Reinhild into a room and handed her a box containing a green pendant.

“Thank you so much. Here.”

Reinhild responded with satisfaction and placed a money pouch containing 61 Saint Gold coins on the table.

.

.

.

After confirming again that her father was not in his office, Reinhild returned to her own room assigned by the knight order.

She carefully began wrapping the necklace, then decorated the gift box with hand-drawn designs.

Finally satisfied, she placed the gift box on her desk and took a nap in the knights’ dormitory.

The next day, Reinhild brought her homemade alcohol and went once more to visit her father.

Fortunately, this time there was a response when she knocked.

Entering, she saw her father slumped drunkenly at his desk, and the office was in complete disarray.

Frowning slightly in disbelief, Reinhild noted that ever since she began brewing alcohol for him with her "Blessing of Brewing," her father rarely ever got this drunk.

She placed the liquor on the table, then picked up one of the empty bottles from the floor — an expensive and well-known brand.

If it were this kind of liquor, it might just barely be acceptable to her father’s now-spoiled palate.

But there were so many bottles…

Reinhild’s frown deepened.

Her father probably didn't have the kind of friends who'd bring him drinks like this, and she couldn’t understand why he’d suddenly drink so heavily out of sorrow.

Reinhild looked at her father slumped over the desk and sighed.

She draped a blanket over him, placed a pillow under his face, and began tidying up the room while mentally calculating the value of all the liquor — planning to investigate what had happened yesterday when she had the time.

Twenty minutes later, the room looked brand new.

Reinhild returned the last book to its place and picked up her father’s mission file. Inside were numerous dangerous and troublesome tasks.

She frowned for the third time — everyone knew Heinkel's missions were completed by Reinhild herself, so she had no issue accepting the dangerous ones.

She didn’t want her colleagues to be put in harm’s way. But why was she being given so many tedious, non-dangerous tasks as well?

“Ugh…!”

“Father, you’re awake? Here, drink some hangover soup. I’ll go get you some food.”

Reinhild, who had noticed her father stirring a few seconds ago, came back from the kitchen carrying her prepared hangover soup.

But the bowl was promptly knocked to the ground by Heinkel.

“Now you want to suck up to me? When you went and supported that Fel—whatever her name is—to be king, did you even think about your father?!!”

“I…”

“What do you mean ‘you’? You look down on me too, don’t you? You think it makes no difference whether I’m around or not, right? Well, let me tell you — that’s impossible.

The Astrea family will never support some nobody from who-knows-where to be king, this is…”

In his rage, Heinkel knocked over the bottle of wine Reinhild had placed on the table.

He froze, quickly picked up the bottle, gave it a spin, and finally let out a breath of relief.

Reinhild, having silently witnessed this entire farce from the side, showed an expression tinged with sadness.

Chapter Text

R9. The Weak Girl

“What’s with that expression? Are you pitying me? If it weren’t for that booze you brought out of nowhere that’s like drugs, how would I have ended up in this state?”

Though it flashed by only briefly, Heinkel, as her father, still noticed that he was being pitied by his daughter.

Enraged, he raised the bottle in his hand—but he didn’t smash it.

A flicker of struggle passed through his eyes.

It wasn’t because he feared retaliation from his daughter, nor because he didn’t want to hurt her.

It was simply because he couldn’t bring himself to waste good alcohol.

Pride ultimately lost to desire. Heinkel gently placed the liquor back onto the table.

Watching this unfold made Reinhild feel a piercing pain in her heart.

Perhaps even more painful than if her father had actually thrown the bottle at her.

“What’s with that look in your eyes? You look down on me too, huh?

Even if you're the Sword Saint, you’re still my daughter!

And I’m still the official head of the Astrea family.

I won’t acknowledge the Astrea family supporting a royal candidate!

I also won’t acknowledge you as the acting head of the Astrea family.

Supporting a candidate on your own, entering my room without permission—get out!”

“I understand. I’ll take care of the tasks.

Father, please don’t drink too much.

And I’ll leave the porridge outside later.”

Reinhild didn’t argue with her father in the end.

She replied gently and then closed the door behind her.

The sound of sobbing inside reached her ears—sharp as they were.

Reinhild couldn’t do anything about it.

She could only hang her head and flee that place in a pitiful, dejected manner.

“Reinhild, are you okay? You look pale. I heard Heinkel suddenly accepted a bunch of jobs no one wants to do. Want me to cancel them for you?”

“It’s alright. Some of those tasks have been delayed for a long time. It’s a good time for me to take care of them.”

Reinhild declined the staff member managing the assignments and then retrieved a serving of porridge from the kitchen, placing it outside Heinkel’s door.

After returning to the dormitory and hesitating for a while, she decided to entrust the wine she had brought from the estate to Captain Marcos to deliver to Heinkel on a regular schedule.

“I understand. But Reinhild, how long do you intend to keep this up?”

Accepting several crates of wine, Marcos agreed but then asked seriously.

“...Until my father comes back to his senses.”

This time, Reinhild was silent for a long time before finally giving her usual response. After leaving the room, she looked up at the ceiling with a bitter smile.

There was no doubt—her father was a weak man.

But wasn’t she the same? Even though she knew her indulgence had led to his downfall, she still couldn’t refuse him when he knelt and begged her for alcohol.

Even though she understood he needed a life-or-death battle to crawl out from under the shadow of cowardice, she didn’t dare let her current father undertake dangerous tasks.

She no longer wanted to—or could—bear the pain of losing family again.

.

.

.

Layer by layer, she rebuilt the shell around her heart.

The Knight among Knights—Reinhild—resumed her mission.

First, she visited Lady Crusch with the birthday gift, thanking her for her assistance the other day.

Then Reinhild began investigating the origin of her father’s liquor. Eventually...

“Lord Roswaal, may I have a few minutes of your time?”

“Seems like I don’t really have a choice to refuse, huh?”

“My apologies for being too forward. Lord Roswaal J. Mathers—your grandmother—had greatly helped our family, so I won’t obstruct you. But if possible, I’d like to ask why you gifted so many fine liquors to Lord Heinkel.”

“That was a gift of gratitude. I happened to stumble upon an underground cellar west of the other mansion.

So, to repay your kindness toward Lady Emilia, we chose the most appropriate gift we could find. Is there a problem?”

Roswaal spread his hands as he spoke.

“Thank you very much for your generosity, Lord Roswaal.

My father truly enjoyed your gift.

However... Subaru is my servant, and currently my direct subordinate—not my father’s nor my grandfather’s.

I’d appreciate it if you didn’t interfere in their lives.

Otherwise... well, I should go attend to my duties now.”

Reinhild said nothing more, but her message was clear.

.

.

.

“So this is the Sword of the Kingdom, huh? Even scarier than that gloomy bastard. Good thing it was just a warning.”

After Reinhild left, Roswaal leaned against the wall and whispered.

If it were any normal person facing that kind of warning, they’d probably abandon any wicked intentions in an instant.

“But you see... Subaru is essential to fulfilling my 400-year-old wish. I can’t stop just because of a mere warning. So I must continue forward until your next instructions arrive. I will obtain the ultimate trump card. Watch me, Sensei.”

Roswaal, already driven mad, gently stroked the black book held close to his chest as he muttered.

In his eyes burned only an obsessive flame.

.

.

.

Reinhild no longer concerned herself with Roswaal’s affairs.

That very afternoon, she immersed herself in completing the knight order’s missions while simultaneously fielding various inquiries from the Council of Wise Men regarding Lady Felt.

Whatever free time she had left was spent explaining Felt-related matters to her father. Two days passed like that.

After finally completing the last of her missions, Reinhild returned to the headquarters of the knight order to report in.

After chatting with a few friends who wished her well, she returned to her room—and froze.

The birthday gift she had painstakingly prepared and placed on her desk had disappeared.

Switching her current Divine Protection to one that could detect valuable items, she confirmed it was no longer in the room.

Felix, who didn’t care much for manners; Marcos, who might have needed to speak with her urgently; or her father, who came to her room looking for alcohol...

Reinhild instantly narrowed down the list of suspects.

She went to Marcos first to report the completion of her knight order duties and asked if there was anything else he needed from her.

Then she confirmed that Felix hadn’t visited the order that day.

No matter how unwilling she was to believe it, the only one who could’ve taken Otto’s gift was her father.

Reinhild couldn’t comprehend why her father—who only ever cared about alcohol—would be interested in such an ornament.

But she began searching for him and learned that he had departed in the direction of the Astrea territory.

.

.

.

Hurrying back to the estate just in time, she barely stopped Winston and the others from launching an attack on her father.

Reinhild quickly took stock of the situation: an enraged Felt, a destroyed gift box, furious estate staff, and her father holding an unknown bottle of alcohol.

“I’m truly sorry...”

Though she now understood the situation, Reinhild couldn’t handle it fairly.

She could only apologize—nothing more.

No matter when, when it came to family, Reinhild remained a weak, fragile girl.

Chapter Text

15.Subaru’s Several Days

Subaru let out a sigh.

Even though he had resolved at the beginning to follow the route from his first loop, he had somehow gone off track before realizing it.

If you asked Subaru when things started to go awry, he would probably say it was when he, now a servant, couldn’t resist asking the butler about Reinhild’s parents during the mansion tour.

The first afternoon was still dedicated to work, but since he had felt extremely guilty in the previous loop, Subaru decided to work as hard as he could.

Though in the end, his full effort still resulted in him being a hindrance.

Moreover, due to this effort, the only thing he received from Winston the butler that night was a children’s fairy tale book akin to a school reading assignment and verbal encouragement.

That’s right—Subaru lost the new recruit training manual he had considered a treasure in the first loop.

Luckily, the next day he was still able to obtain the supervisor’s instructional manual.

On the second day, the visit from proceeded as before.

However, having already come to terms with the idea that “small things can change, but the larger tide is hard to reverse,” Subaru didn’t choose to completely imitate the first loop.

After all, he didn’t want to sit through another long lecture on the fundamentals of magic.

Instead, since he also wanted some magical power for self-defense, he cleverly used his words to exchange Roswaal’s reward for lessons from the dark magician Bernie.

Although Roswaal agreed to pay Subaru’s tuition as compensation, he still mentioned the Great Spirit of Yin before departing.

Subaru appreciated the sentiment, but the crisis was going to happen in six days—he didn’t have years to earn a Great Spirit’s recognition.

So, he ultimately declined Roswaal’s offer.

As usual, Roswaal told him, “Come find me if you regret it.”

Incidentally, in this loop Reinhild boarded the carriage later than before.

Before getting on, she even warned Subaru to be careful of that overly nice Roswaal.

That made Subaru suspicious—though only for a short while.

Because shortly after they left, he experienced magic firsthand for the first time.

Under Berni’s guidance, Subaru successfully cast his first spell: “Shamak”.

After using it, he collapsed on the ground and was carried by the passing Winston to his room, where he rested for the entire afternoon.

Through this, Subaru also learned the aftereffects of casting magic: though not life-threatening, it left the entire body feeling sluggish—like having a high fever—creating a sense of total fatigue, even paralysis.

Still, the experience was worthwhile. Subaru encountered a fruit called Boko, which, though harmful to the body, could temporarily restore MP. However, his taste test was interrupted by Winston, who coincidentally passed by. Despite Winston’s many explanations, Subaru concluded it boiled down to one thing: the mansion didn’t need combat power as low as his.

Because of his exhaustion, Subaru eventually fell asleep, missing his first meeting with Leander and Eileen.

When he woke up around 5 PM, he suddenly remembered how Winston had accidentally injured Old Man Rom in the previous loop.

Deeply regretting that incident—especially since Winston had always felt guilty about it—Subaru rushed off to the guest building, hoping to prevent the misunderstanding.

“Old Man Rom!! You bastard!!!”

Due to his lack of detailed knowledge from the previous loop—since he never thought he’d die—Subaru had been wandering near the crime scene aimlessly. He only managed to get there after hearing Felt’s angry roar. By then, the scene consisted of a heavily injured Rom, an unconscious Felt, and a deeply remorseful Winston.

By the fourth day, Subaru’s path had completely diverged from his previous loop.

He still hadn’t built the kind of friendship he had with Eileen and Leander, but maybe because Bernie felt guilty about making Subaru lie in bed for an afternoon, he became Subaru’s real teacher.

Each afternoon turned into a hellish magic training session.

Unlike Eileen, who started by explaining magic development, Berni went straight into professions.

Spirit Users, Curse Casters, Beast Tamers, Mages, Healers—Subaru gradually learned each profession’s specialties.

He also discovered Bernie was an absolute Reinhild supremacist.

No matter how glorious the achievements of any profession, Berni’s ultimate answer was always, “If they fought Reinhild, they’d be sliced down in one blow.”

This drove Subaru, the curious learner, crazy. If Reinhild really couldn’t be defeated by anyone, then how did Subaru die? His death implied that the mansion was attacked. That would mean the enemy had a way to deal with Reinhild, right?

The turning point came on the fourth day.

“Eh! Bro, you really are a servant here! You totally screwed me over!”

A familiar dining knife was pressed against Subaru’s neck while he was deep in thought.

The same event had repeated again, but this time, inspiration suddenly struck him.

Thanks to being around Reinhild’s rabid fanboy Bernie, Subaru now understood what kind of existence Reinhild was.

Frankly, Felt had almost jumped straight to the finish line.

He recalled the reason she ran away in the previous loop, as well as Reinhild’s trip to the royal capital.

One clue after another began to link together.

“Wait a minute. If their target from the beginning was the strongest newcomer—Felt—then sending a death soldier in a suicide attack to eliminate her, who now had Reinhild’s support... It all makes sense now.”

“Be serious! You’re a hostage! Now hurry up and take me to Rom!”

Felt kicked the mumbling Subaru away and shouted angrily.

.

.

.

“What took you so long just to bring some snacks?!”

When they opened the door, they saw Rom drinking happily with Leander.

Rom glared at them, seemingly annoyed, but then gradually widened his eyes in surprise.

“Rom, you’re actually here drinking?!”

“We’ll wait outside then.”

The royal guard members who had escorted Subaru and Felt said that with a nod.

As it turns out, Subaru had been lucky last time due to his strong relationships.

This time, however, after moving only a short distance with Felt, they had already been caught by the guards.

Still, they kindly led them to Rom, resulting in the scene before them.

.

.

.

“So even if Sir Reinhild isn’t here, it’s still perfectly safe.”

“Then what if it’s a large-scale magic attack that covers the entire mansion?”

Everyone in the room turned toward Subaru.

Felt burst into laughter.

“That kind of thing can’t be defended against.

But the number of people who can use such magic is extremely limited.

It’s not like we’ll be attacked by a title-holder mage, a Great Spirit, one of the Three Great Beasts, or a Sin Archbishop, right?

Besides, if someone like that did target us, Sir Reinhild—who has a Blessing of Hostility Detection—would notice immediately.”

Although Subaru’s guess was heartlessly rejected by Otto, though thanks to the conversation, Subaru was once again allowed to become Felt’s steward.

Chapter Text

16. A Modern Chronicle of the Astrea Family

“I didn’t expect that even the conflict with that guy would inevitably escalate into a fight,”

Subaru muttered to himself as he lay in bed on the fifth night of the second loop.

That guy, of course, referred to Heinkel.

Although Subaru had restrained himself a lot after learning about Heinkel being Reinhild’s father, the latter’s target had always been Felt—and Felt was not the kind of person who would take provocations lying down.

In the previous loop, most of Subaru’s scenes had essentially been stolen by her.

In the end, the people at the mansion had no choice but to act against Heinkel to save the impulsive Felt.

Even with the addition of Leander this time, the result was the same: Reinhild arrived on the scene and effortlessly neutralized the conflict.

His unfathomable strength made Subaru gradually start to believe in Bernie’s belief that Reinhild was invincible.

Then came a knock at the door. Subaru, puzzled, opened it.

“Master!?”

The unexpected visitor was none other than his current-loop mentor, Bernie, with whom he had developed a close relationship.

Bernie casually sat on the bed, and Subaru naturally pulled up a chair and sat down in front of him.

“You’ve been investigating Reinhild’s family situation since the first day, haven’t you?”

“Haha, was I that obvious?”

“Extremely obvious. We were actually prepared to take action against you at one point—only Lord Reinhild stopped us.”

“I swear I was just curious! I won’t do it again next time…”

“No need to be so nervous. Lord Reinhild allows you to investigate freely.

However, everyone at the mansion has received her kindness, so they wouldn’t speak of such scandals.

I originally planned to tell you a few months later, but since you saw what happened today, I’ll answer your questions now.”

Bernie patted Subaru’s shoulder as he said this.

“Well then, ask your question again.”

“The tragedy at the mansion thirty years ago, why Reinhild’s father turned out the way he is, and the details about Reinhild’s mother.”

Subaru raised his fingers one by one as he listed his questions.

“Let’s start with the incident thirty years ago. Back then, the Sin Archbishop of Pride from the Witch Cult started the Evil Dragon War in the kingdom.

His first target was the Astrea family—the kingdom’s guardians.

He manipulated Miss Caro, the servant of the then Sword Saint, to kill the family head Lord Berto and kidnapped the sixth-generation Sword Saint, Theresia.

That was the tragedy of thirty years ago.”

“Wait a sec—what generation Sword Saint is Reinhild? And can a Sword Saint really be kidnapped?”

“Lord Reinhild is the seventh generation.

Subaru, you’ve probably noticed there are quite a few mansions around here.

That’s because each of the six previous Sword Saints had their own legendary achievements, leading to six separate estates.

As for why Lady Theresia could be kidnapped—it’s because the Sin Archbishop had a method to temporarily nullify Divine protections.

The Sword Saint’s Divine protection, while only meant to draw out one’s full potential, gave them enormous power. But once the Divine protection is removed, even the strength that had been forcibly drawn out disappears.”

Bernie sighed and continued:

“Unfortunately, Lady Theresia hated the sword.

At the time, a knight known as the 'Sword Demon' had fallen in love with her.

He trained rigorously for two years and eventually defeated her in combat, swearing to become the Kingdom’s Sword in her place.

From then on, the Sword Saint became a girl who loved flowers.

While she was among the stronger Sword Saints when she had the Divine protection, without it her strength was merely first-class.”

“The Sword Saint is always the one in the Astrea family with the greatest sword talent.

Normally, a person’s sword talent develops with their body until around thirty years of age.

If the Divine protection transfers to someone else before that, it means the new Sword Saint’s talent exceeds the former’s.

The earlier the transfer, the greater the potential achievement of the new generation.

But that’s a rare occurrence.

Lady Theresia had exceptional talent—she received the Divine protection at age twelve.”

“And Heinkel is the child of the Sword Demon and Lady Theresia. Because of his lineage, great expectations were placed on him from birth.

People believed he might even surpass the first Sword Saint, Lord Reid—in other words, that he could reach Reinhild’s level.”

“In his youth, Heinkel was passionate and friendly, aspiring to become the next Sword Saint like his mother.

He worked diligently, joined the knight order, and rose through the ranks to become vice-captain of the Royal Guard by his own merit.

But Reinhild’s birth completely derailed his life path.”

“First, when Reinhild was two, his mother, Lady Louanna, fell into a condition even a user of blue magic couldn’t cure—a kind of Sleeping Beauty disease.

Her body remained unchanged, but she has been asleep ever since.

Then, when Reinhild was five, a severe kidnapping incident occurred in the capital.

The Sword Demon had to go rescue the hostage, while the mission to slay the White Whale—one of the three great mabeasts—fell to Heinkel.

Lacking confidence in his strength, Heinkel asked his mother, Lady Theresia, to go in his place.”

“Tragically, during the operation, the five-year-old Reinhild received the Sword Saint’s Divine protection, and Lady Theresia died in battle.

The Sword Demon, Wilhelm, resigned from his post as knight commander and withdrew from the Astrea family, setting off alone on his path of vengeance.”

“Even after all that, Lord Heinkel kept trying.

He supported the knight order that was collapsing under repeated blows.

He played the role of a father to Reinhild.

But one day during sword training, the five-year-old Reinhild defeated him in order to make her father proud.

Malicious rumors started spreading after that, even saying Reinhild was treated like a slave.

Heinkel, crushed by disgrace and resentment, completely broke down…”

“Well, get some rest. You still need to help Lord Winston tomorrow.”

.

.

.

Lying in bed, Subaru, himself a child once overwhelmed by his parents' excellence, suddenly began to understand what it meant to be crushed by a child’s brilliance like Heinkel was.

No—deep down Subaru realized that Heinkel was far stronger than he was.

Heinkel lost his beloved, caused his mother’s death, and despite being born with great expectations, saw all his efforts effortlessly eclipsed by sheer talent.

Only after so many setbacks did he finally collapse.

And eight-year-old Reinhild was perfect—flawless in every household chore, invincible in strength, obedient and well-behaved.

The pressure she on Heinkel must have been far greater than anything Koichi had ever placed on Subaru.

It was going to be a sleepless night.

He thought of the relationship between Rudeus and his father in Jobless Reincarnation, and the family dynamics of the class president in the Monogatari Series...

Chapter Text

17. The Two Whose Attitudes Changed

The next morning, Subaru, with dark circles under his eyes, sleepily walked to the front gate.

“Subaru? Do you want to stay at the mansion and rest?” Winston asked, already seated in the driver's seat.

“No, no, I don’t want to cause you trouble because of me. I’ll just take a quick nap on the way,” Subaru replied.

“Then lie down in the carriage first. I’ll call you when we arrive,” Winston said, pointing to the rear compartment. Subaru nodded, lay down on the blanket (because magic crystals are fragile), and quickly fell asleep.

.

.

.

“Look, even the old butler has started working, but there’s a big brother here being lazy!”

“Really? Really?”

“I know, Mom says this kind is called 'parasites living off their parents'!”

“That’s too much! Even though in my past life I stayed home all day, now I actually have a proper job.”

Subaru sat up.

Outside the carriage, a familiar group of kids had gathered.

When he stepped out, Winston was talking with merchants and had just returned a little puppy to a girl named Meili.

Subaru stretched and jumped down from the carriage.

“You’re being pampered, huh? Hmm, don’t you feel it? Looks like you still haven’t awakened. Well, whatever. Oh, I’m this child’s mother, thank you for taking care of her,”

Suddenly, an unknown village woman’s face appeared in front of Subaru, startling him so much he sat down hard on the ground.

“You jerk, why is your kid trembling all the time? Are you abusing her?”

“No abuse, I love her~ just like she loves~ me. Everything I do is because of love.”

“I’ll verify whether your so-called love is real.”

“Of course it’s real. If possible, I’d love for you to experience being loved. You’re really lucky. Well then, let’s go, Meili.”

Subaru blankly watched them leave but his legs wouldn’t move.

When that woman touched his face, Subaru felt an icy chill deep in his heart — a feeling like he had narrowly escaped something worse than death.

Familiar waits for the Earth Dragon to recover, familiar restless rabbits, familiar lavish spending by the butler — Subaru concluded the strange behavior of the village woman this time was a butterfly effect caused by his sleeping in the dragon carriage.

“…The statue in the city center, right?”

After the old butler’s familiar conversation, Subaru gained precious free time.

First, he went to a familiar shop to buy Otto’s birthday present chosen in the previous playthrough, then found an inn to tidy up his appearance.

Finally, Subaru confidently arrived at the destination over ten minutes earlier than last time.

Subaru walked to the only vacant seat. A girl named Ram looked at him with her crimson eyes.

“May I sit here?”

“Though Ram doesn’t want to sit next to a slightly smelly servant, this is public property, so it’s fine as long as you don’t get close to Ram.”

“Why? I sprayed perfume! Why does your impression of me seem worse than last time?”

“Is your target Ram? Ram understands her own cuteness. Sorry, Ram already has someone she likes.”

“Could it be that getting rejected by you is also a fixed event!?”

“Good person? Your eyes look more like a villain.”

“Don’t insult my appearance! Forget it. Are you thinking of giving up because you’re inferior to your sister in every way?”

Subaru finally revealed his purpose.

As a kind and upright young man, even if he felt over 90% sure he couldn’t clear this playthrough, he couldn’t ignore Ram.

But Ram’s expression darkened at Subaru’s question.

“Why do you know Ram has a sister? What is your real purpose?”

Ram asked coldly.

“I happened to see a girl who looks exactly like you except for hair color. Mentally, you seem more like the older sister, so based on appearance, you’re the younger… Ow, stop hitting me suddenly!”

“Sorry, a black bug just flew in front of me and I instinctively swatted at it.”

“Back to the topic. Ram won’t give up just because Rem is better than her. If anything, Ram would be happy. Looks like you should leave now. Goodbye.”

Following Ram’s pointed direction, Subaru saw the old butler had arrived earlier than expected.

Waving goodbye to the maid who was parting, Subaru and the old butler boarded the dragon carriage back to the mansion.

.

.

.

The last day, even though an attack was expected, the mansion’s guards had been drinking since morning.

Of course, according to them, they had already drunk less than usual in preparation for tomorrow’s birthday party.

Subaru also subtly mentioned the possibility of an attack.

“Brother, Lady Reinhild will be at the mansion today. Even madmen wouldn’t dare attack at this time. Have a drink and relax. If you have time, get a few more bottles.”

Forced to drink a cup, Subaru, half dazed, went to the wine cellar.

Just then, he saw Heinkel running out carrying a box of wine.

Heinkel deliberately bumped into Subaru as he left.

Subaru’s expression darkened.

He sighed and entered the cellar to take a few bottles of wine before returning to the guards.

Then Heinkel left, and the busy afternoon preparations began, the same as the previous playthrough.

By the way, Subaru made up for many mistakes and received praise from everyone for the first time.

That night, Subaru sat on a chair, vigilantly observing his surroundings.

He patiently waited for the anomaly to happen.

Time passed by the seconds.

Subaru felt increasingly sleepy, rubbing his eyelids to fend off the sudden drowsiness.

But the sleepiness brought coldness with it.

Subaru shivered and bitterly smiled, hugging his shoulders and rubbing his body to warm up, but no matter what he did, he couldn’t dispel the chill.

Moreover, the drowsiness grew heavier.

—Optimistically grasping the situation, Subaru noticed something had changed.

The otherworld’s current climate was close to late spring in his original world, sometimes requiring rolling up sleeves for the heat.

But now, why were his teeth chattering uncontrollably?

“Damn, could this be… ugh!”

But the trembling spread throughout his body.

Subaru hurriedly braced himself on the ground, but his arms couldn’t support his weight.

“Someone, s-someone…”

Subaru opened his mouth to call for help but spat out black blood.

His internal organs seemed to be slowly melting. He realized he was in mortal danger.

Using his last strength, Subaru opened his room’s door and crawled out.

The next second, a shockwave slammed him away.

His whole body shook violently.

What was originally lying on the ground was blown away, bouncing multiple times.

After sliding his face on the ground, Subaru realized he had suffered an enormous impact.

“What… what happened?”

—His left half, from shoulder down, had been blown off.

“—Ah?”

Upon noticing the wound, pain shot through his body like lightning.

Subaru flopped around like a fish on land.

His throat was blocked by a feeling beyond pain and burning; he couldn’t even scream.

All he could do was struggle and writhe.

His vision flickered, and familiar ringing filled his ears.

“The nuisance has come, farewell.”

Subaru heard the final words, and with his last strength, opened his eyes.

The mansion’s clothes, brown leather shoes — the next moment Subaru’s head exploded in pain.