...
{3rd Pov}
Subaru didn't know what to do.
A crushing sense of shame washed over him as he fiddled with his clothes and took several deep breaths, trying to process everything that had happened. He had attempted to kill himself in order to activate Return by Death, yet he had failed even at that. Now, he had no idea how he was supposed to face the others after what he had done.
Would they see him as a coward? Someone who chose to take his own life instead of trying to mediate between them and find another solution? The thought made him feel guilt.
He had failed them.
When they needed him the most, he had been unable to do anything useful. He was just a pathetic loser who couldn't accomplish a single thing properly when it truly mattered. Even the one thing he had always been able to rely on—his own miserable life—had failed to serve its purpose this time.
The realization left him feeling hollow.
Subaru didn't even know whether he should leave the room and search for the others or remain where he was until someone found him. For all he knew, anything could have happened while he was unconscious.
As he looked around, however, another thought slowly pushed its way into his mind.
Something felt off.
His eyes wandered across the room, carefully taking in every detail. The furniture, the arrangement of the decorations, even the overall architecture seemed unfamiliar. It wasn't a room he recognized from Roswaal's mansion.
The longer he observed his surroundings, the stronger that feeling became.
This room was different from the ones he had grown accustomed to seeing during his stay at the mansion.
The door suddenly opened, causing Subaru to flinch as he instinctively turned toward the source of the noise. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw a familiar figure standing in the doorway.
“Reinhardt?!”
He immediately called out the name of the Sword Saint, who stood there with the same ever-present gentle smile resting on his face.
“Subaru, my friend. Thank goodness you have finally woken up,” Reinhardt said warmly as he walked into the room and approached him.
Subaru watched as Reinhardt carefully examined him for a brief moment before giving a small nod.
“Although I am incapable of healing others, I can observe their physical condition with my Divine Protection of Checkup,” Reinhardt explained. “And from what I can see, you are perfectly fine. You should be able to walk on your own without any difficulty.”
Subaru blinked several times as his mind struggled to catch up with the situation.
“Wait, if you're here...” He paused as a realization suddenly struck him. “Wait! Wait! Where am I?”
He quickly looked at the Sword Saint, who calmly nodded as if he had expected the question.
“You were brought to my family's mansion by the ladies,” Reinhardt answered. “They were quite concerned about your condition and decided it would be best for you to recover here until you regained consciousness.”
“I am back in the Royal Capital? Also, what do you mean by 'ladies'?” Subaru asked hesitantly, though he already had a good idea of who Reinhardt was referring to. The moment the question left his mouth, memories of his actions resurfaced, and a fresh wave of shame settled over him.
“Hmm, that would be Lady Priscilla, Lady Crusch, and Lady Anastasia, alongside the maids serving under Lord Roswaal,” Reinhardt explained patiently.
Subaru immediately flinched.
“Yikes... I really messed up this time,” he muttered under his breath.
Just thinking about facing them again made him uneasy. He had no idea how they would react now that he had finally regained consciousness. Considering the state he had been in before losing consciousness, their opinions of him could not have improved.
“My friend, there is something important that I must tell you.”
Reinhardt's expression grew noticeably more serious, causing Subaru to straighten slightly. The change in tone was enough to make him swallow nervously.
“What is it?” Subaru asked cautiously.
“The three Royal Candidates have officially requested that you join their respective camps,” Reinhardt said without delay. “Furthermore, they have agreed to hold a competition involving their camps, as well as the Emilia Camp, in order to determine where you will ultimately belong.”
For a few moments, Subaru simply stared at him.
The words entered his ears, but his brain refused to process them.
“They... what?”
“The candidates have all expressed a strong desire to recruit you,” Reinhardt clarified with utmost seriousness. “As a result, they decided that a formal competition would be the fairest way to settle the matter.”
Subaru could only sit there in complete disbelief, utterly speechless at the absurd announcement.
“Wait! Wait! Isn't this basically slavery? What happened to my right to choose who I serve?” Subaru yelled in disbelief.
Although he did not particularly object to the idea of joining Priscilla's Camp or Crusch's Camp despite their complicated history, he still felt that the entire situation was spiraling far beyond his control. One moment he had been struggling with his own failures, and now several Royal Candidates were apparently competing over him as if he were some valuable prize.
“Rest assured, my friend,” Reinhardt replied calmly. “The competition is merely intended to determine the order in which you will spend time with each camp for a predetermined period. Once that process is complete, the final decision will belong entirely to you.”
“The final decision... belongs to me?” Subaru repeated.
“Indeed,” Reinhardt confirmed with a nod. “After experiencing each camp firsthand, you may choose to remain with the Emilia Camp or transfer your allegiance to another camp if you so desire. No one intends to force you into a permanent commitment.”
Subaru slowly relaxed upon hearing that explanation.
At the very least, he had not completely lost control over his own future.
His expression softened as fragments of blurry memories resurfaced within his mind.
He remembered being held protectively by a woman whose embrace had made him feel strangely safe. Even through the haze clouding his recollection, he could still remember the comforting warmth she radiated. It had felt gentle and reassuring, easing the fears and insecurities that had been weighing on him.
Then another memory surfaced.
A strict woman who had repeatedly pushed him forward and refused to let him wallow in self-pity. Despite her harsh attitude, she had done everything she could to make him understand that he was not a complete loser.
Doki.
His heart suddenly skipped a beat.
Doki.
Before he realized it, a faint blush had begun spreading across his face.
Subaru immediately coughed and looked away, attempting to suppress the embarrassing feelings that were beginning to surface.
“Why? Why do you think they are doing this?” Subaru asked.
For some reason, he found it surprisingly easy to speak his mind around Reinhardt. Despite not having known the Sword Saint for very long and having spent relatively little time with him, there was something about Reinhardt's presence that made conversations feel natural. It was difficult to explain, but Subaru felt comfortable voicing questions that he would normally keep to himself.
Reinhardt considered the question for a moment before answering.
“Subaru, I cannot read people's minds,” he said calmly. “Therefore, I cannot tell you exactly what each of them is thinking or what personal reasons may have influenced their decisions.”
Subaru listened attentively as Reinhardt continued.
“However, I can perceive intent to a certain extent. At the very least, I can confidently say that all three candidates genuinely wish for you to join their camps. Their interest in you is sincere and not merely a political maneuver.”
Subaru blinked in surprise.
“Sincere?”
“Yes,” Reinhardt replied with a nod. “Furthermore, they appeared to believe that you had been treated unfairly. Whether that perception is completely accurate or not is a separate matter, but they genuinely wished to protect you from what they considered an injustice.”
The Sword Saint's tone remained steady and impartial throughout his explanation.
“They were concerned for your well-being, Subaru. Whatever disagreements may exist between them, I did not sense any malice behind their actions. On the contrary, their intentions appeared genuine.”
Reinhardt chose his words carefully, wanting to ensure that Subaru understood an important point.
Regardless of whether their actions had been excessive or misguided, the women had not acted out of spite or selfish cruelty. From everything he had observed, they had sincerely believed that they were helping him.
Subaru, meanwhile, was stunned by Reinhardt's words.
His hands slowly clenched into fists as a mixture of guilt and frustration welled up inside him. He wanted to argue. He wanted to tell Reinhardt that there had been no injustice committed against him by the Emilia Camp.
None at all.
Even when Rem had killed him in those previous loops, it had not happened without reason. Looking back on his own actions, Subaru could easily understand why she had viewed him as a threat. He had acted suspiciously, behaved recklessly, and repeatedly placed himself in situations that made no sense from an outsider's perspective.
When that was combined with her traumatic past and the overwhelming scent of the Witch clinging to him, her actions became far easier to understand.
It had been his fault.
His own mistakes, poor decisions, and inability to explain himself had created those circumstances in the first place.
Yet now Emilia's reputation was suffering because of him.
Because of his actions, failures and he had been too weak to handle the situation properly.
Subaru lowered his head slightly.
The more he thought about it, the heavier the guilt became.
'I am truly not worthy of standing by Emilia's side...'
The thought surfaced within his mind.
After everything that had happened, how could he possibly claim otherwise?
Then his thoughts drifted toward the other candidates.
Priscilla.
Crusch.
Anastasia.
A bitter smile almost formed on his face.
'No... I'm not worthy of standing by any of their sides either.'
Even if they had misunderstood the situation surrounding him and Emilia, that misunderstanding had ultimately been caused by his own behavior. He could not bring himself to blame them for reaching the conclusions they had.
In the end, he was the source of the problem.
As for the candidates themselves, Subaru had long since acknowledged their capabilities.
Each of them possessed qualities that made them worthy of competing for the throne. They had their own strengths, convictions, and people who genuinely believed in them.
The same was true for their knights.
Whether it was Reinhardt serving Felt, Ferris serving Crusch, Julius serving Anastasia, or the others who supported their respective leaders, they all had a place where they belonged.
A place they had earned.
Compared to them, Subaru felt painfully out of place.
The more he reflected on it, the more convinced he became that everyone else seemed far better suited to their roles than he was to his own.
He didn't want to bring his problems, his failures, and his pathetic existence into their camps and stain the reputations they had worked so hard to build.
Natsuki Subaru did not deserve to stand beside people like them.
People who shone so brightly.
People whose accomplishments, convictions, and futures carried far more value than anything he could offer.
In Subaru's mind, their happiness and well-being were worth infinitely more than his own miserable life.
What did he even have to contribute?
As far as he was concerned, the only value he possessed was his ability to die over and over again.
That was all.
Every success he had ever achieved had been built upon countless failures that only he remembered. Every victory had come at the cost of deaths, suffering, and repeated attempts. Without Return by Death, what was left of Natsuki Subaru?
The answer that immediately came to mind was nothing.
A weak, ordinary boy who constantly made mistakes.
Someone who needed miracle after miracle just to keep up with the people around him.
His expression darkened further.
He was nothing without the cursed power of Return by Death and now that he had failed even that, the foundation of his self-worth felt as though it had completely collapsed.
If he couldn't even die to undo his mistakes, then what use was he?
What was he worth?
Meanwhile, Reinhardt quietly observed Subaru.
The Sword Saint could sense the negative emotions radiating from the young man, even if he could not hear the thoughts responsible for them. He didn't know exactly what Subaru was thinking, but he could tell that the boy's mind had wandered somewhere dark.
Guilt, Self-loathing and hopelessness of the person in front of him.
The emotions were familiar for Reinhardt to recognize their nature.
'I see...' Reinhardt thought silently.
His expression remained calm, but there was a trace of sympathy in his eyes.
'You too, my friend, have reasons to hate yourself.'
The realization brought him no satisfaction.
If anything, it only deepened the sadness he felt.
At that moment, Reinhardt's Divine Protection immediately suppressed the negativity that had begun to surface within his own heart. The unpleasant feelings vanished almost as soon as they appeared, leaving behind only a quiet sense of understanding.
Still, a small part of him remembered.
'Grandma...'
A trace of sorrow flickered through his eyes.
The thought surfaced for only an instant before he inwardly mocked himself.
'I truly am a monster.'
Even after all this time, that conclusion remained difficult for him to completely reject.
Although Reinhardt believed himself to be an irredeemable piece of trash, he continued to fulfill his duties without complaint.
In his own eyes, the only reason he still existed was to serve the Kingdom of Lugunica.
That was his purpose, the role he had assigned to himself long ago.
To protect the Kingdom.
To repay his sins.
To atone for the countless mistakes, he believed he had committed.
To make up for the fact that, in his mind, he had destroyed the happiness of the people closest to him.
Whether others agreed with that assessment was irrelevant. Reinhardt had already reached his own conclusion years ago, and no amount of praise or admiration had managed to change it.
Yet despite viewing himself so harshly, he still found himself affected by the sight before him.
Subaru was suffering, the boy who had called him a friend was drowning in the same self-loathing that Reinhardt knew all too well.
And for some reason, that hurt.
Reinhardt could recognize the signs because he had experienced them himself countless times. The downward spiral of guilt, the constant criticism directed inward, and the belief that one's existence only brought problems to others were all feelings he understood better than most.
A part of him wanted to intervene.
He wanted to reach out.
He wanted to tell Subaru that he was wrong that his life possessed value.
That he was being far harsher on himself than anyone else would ever be.
For a brief moment, Reinhardt even considered sitting beside him and speaking honestly about those feelings.
Perhaps then Subaru would not have to carry the burden alone.
But in the end, Reinhardt did nothing.
His hand remained at his side, the words never left his mouth.
He restrained himself before he could act.
At the same time, his Divine Protections quietly suppressed the negativity and emotional turmoil that had begun to surface within him. The uncomfortable feelings were pushed down, their influence weakened before they could affect his judgment.
As always, the Divine Protections ensured that Reinhardt remained the composed, calm, reliable and the perfect Sword Saint others wanted him to be.
And yet, somewhere deep inside, he couldn't help but feel that he had failed once again.
After all, if he truly understood Subaru's pain and still couldn't find the courage to help him, then what kind of friend was he?
The thought lingered only briefly before being suppressed alongside the rest.
After all, a monster had no need for such emotions. A monster only needed to fulfill its duty.
“Subaru-kun, how about I bring you some dinner?” Reinhardt asked, deciding it would be best to steer the conversation toward a lighter topic. Whatever thoughts were currently troubling Subaru, dwelling on them further was unlikely to help.
“Eh?! Is that really okay?” Subaru asked in surprise. “Aren't you, you know, the Sword Saint? Should you really be doing things like that for me?”
Then another thought suddenly occurred to him.
“Wait a minute. Why were you the first person to see me after I woke up?” Subaru asked curiously. “Technically speaking, shouldn't a servant or a maid have been assigned to watch over me? Or at least someone from one of the camps?”
Reinhardt responded with a smile.
The moment Subaru saw it, a completely unrelated thought crossed his mind.
‘Damn those ikemen genes! Even his smile probably has more personality than I do!’
The unfairness of the world truly knew no bounds.
Meanwhile, Reinhardt remained completely unaware of Subaru's internal complaints.
“The matter was discussed among the Royal Candidates,” Reinhardt explained patiently. “However, none of the four camps were willing to leave your care entirely in another camp's hands.”
Subaru blinked.
“Huh?”
Reinhardt gave a small nod.
“Lady Emilia's maids, Lady Crusch, Lady Anastasia, and Lady Priscilla all wished to ensure your safety. Unfortunately, that also meant they were somewhat distrustful of one another regarding who should be responsible for looking after you.”
“As a result, they eventually agreed to entrust the responsibility to me,” Reinhardt continued. “Since I am not directly affiliated with any of their camps, I was considered the most neutral choice.”
“That... actually makes a disturbing amount of sense,” Subaru muttered.
“There was another reason as well,” Reinhardt added.
“Oh?”
“I possess a Divine Protection that informs me when certain conditions are met. In your case, it notified me the moment you regained consciousness.”
Subaru stared at him for several seconds.
“Damn you, cheater! Having absurdly overpowered strength wasn't enough? Now you even have EX-rank caretaker abilities?” Subaru complained.
He still remembered how much effort it had taken for him to learn even the basics of butler work and housekeeping. Cleaning, organizing, serving guests properly, and remembering countless small details had all required practice and patience.
Meanwhile, Reinhardt apparently had Divine Protections for everything.
It was completely unfair.
“Seriously, just how many Divine Protections do you even have?” Subaru asked, unable to contain his curiosity.
He knew enough about Divine Protections by now after studying about this world to understand how unusual Reinhardt was.
While a significant number of people in the world possessed Divine Protections, the vast majority of them were either minor conveniences or abilities with very limited practical use. Some helped with specific professions, while others were so niche that they rarely affected a person's daily life.
Reinhardt, however, was an entirely different story.
Not only did he possess powerful Divine Protections, but he seemed to possess an endless number of them.
Every time Subaru learned something new about the Sword Saint, another ridiculous ability was revealed.
“I lost count after one hundred,” Reinhardt replied honestly.
“...”
Subaru stared at him.
Reinhardt stared back.
“...”
“...”
Subaru slowly raised a hand and pinched the bridge of his nose.
At that moment, he decided that further discussion on the topic would only damage his mental health.
“Just bring me the food,” he said flatly.
He had already suffered enough psychological damage to last at least ten loops.
Perhaps twenty.
“Very well,” Reinhardt replied with a polite nod.
However, a trace of confusion appeared in his eyes.
He couldn't quite understand why Subaru seemed to be overflowing with jealousy, frustration, and what appeared to be a small amount of resentment.
From Reinhardt's perspective, he had merely answered a question honestly as always he did.
Without another word, the Sword Saint turned and headed toward the door.
Subaru watched him leave before immediately collapsing back onto the bed.
'Lost count after one hundred...'
The words echoed in his mind.
'That isn't even a real number anymore.'
...
“The moon shines brightly when it is illuminated by the radiance of the blazing sun... Just like that, you will only be able to shine beneath my radiance.”
Subaru suddenly woke up from his sleep.
His head felt strangely heavy, and for a few moments he remained lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling in confusion.
That sentence lingered in his mind.
He couldn't remember where he had heard it nor could he remember who had spoken it.
Yet the words felt oddly familiar.
It was as if he had forgotten something important. Something that should have been at the forefront of his mind, yet remained just beyond his reach. The sensation frustrated him. It almost felt like he had experienced a long dream and then forgotten nearly all of it upon waking up.
Only that single line remained.
Everything else was vague and impossible to grasp.
Subaru rubbed his forehead.
“What was that supposed to mean...?”
No matter how hard he thought about it, he couldn't find an answer.
Eventually, he gave up.
There were more immediate problems demanding his attention.
“Crap! I need to get myself ready!” Subaru exclaimed as he sat upright. “I'll be meeting them again.”
The reminder immediately caused a wave of nervousness to wash over him.
His thoughts drifted toward the four Royal Candidates.
Each of them had apparently gone out of their way to involve themselves in his situation and that fact made him feel uncomfortable.
Especially when it came to Emilia.
The silver-haired half-elf's face appeared in his mind almost immediately.
Subaru scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
'Honestly, I still can't believe Emilia-tan decided I was worth keeping in her camp,' he thought.
The more he considered it, the less sense it made to him.
After everything that had happened, he would have understood if she had decided to distance herself from him. Instead, she had apparently continued supporting his place within the camp.
Though when he thought back to Reinhardt's explanation, another possibility came to mind.
'Hmm... from what Reinhardt said, it was probably Rem and Ram who pushed for it.'
That explanation felt more believable to him.
After all, Rem loved him at least, that was what he understood from all the previous loops and what her actions had repeatedly demonstrated.
As for Ram, Subaru doubted she was acting on his behalf.
More likely, she simply didn't want her sister to be unhappy.
'Yeah, that sounds more reasonable,' Subaru concluded.
He still didn't believe that Ram held any special feelings toward him.
At most, her behavior had probably changed because she expected him to become her future brother-in-law someday. Knowing how much Ram cared about Rem, it wasn't difficult to imagine her being slightly more tolerant of him for that reason.
'Man, not too long ago I would've been absolutely giddy about Nee-sama stopping with the insults,' Subaru thought.
A small smile briefly appeared on his face.
Back then, having Ram treat him with even a little respect would have felt like a major achievement.
But now that it was actually happening, the feeling was strangely different from what he had imagined.
'Though... I think I'd actually miss it.'
As odd as it sounded, Ram's constant insults and sarcastic remarks had become a familiar part of his daily life. The thought of her suddenly acting polite all the time felt strangely unnatural.
The smile quickly faded.
'Then again, it's not like I'm worthy of Rem anyway.'
The thought surfaced almost automatically.
Subaru lowered his gaze as his self-doubt once again began creeping into his mind.
He genuinely believed that he wasn't suitable for someone like Rem.
She was loyal, hardworking, kind, and willing to sacrifice everything for the people she cared about; she died for him in the previous loop.
Compared to that, what did he have to offer?
A long list of mistakes and countless failures with an habit of making life difficult for everyone around him.
No matter how he looked at it, he struggled to letting have Rem a husband who constantly disappointed the people around him.
Someone like her, deserved someone better, he was not able to save her in previous loops, just remembering how Petelgeuse killed her, made his blood run cold.
'Can I become better?'
The question lingered in his mind for several seconds.
Could he improve?
Could he become someone worthy of standing beside people like Rem or Emilia?
Could he become a person he didn't immediately dislike whenever he looked in a mirror?
For a brief moment, he considered the possibility.
Then he let out a quiet, self-deprecating chuckle.
'What a joke.'
The idea felt unrealistic to him.
'Someone like me will always be a loser.'
No matter how many times he tried to change, he always seemed to find new ways to fail.
Still, even a loser had some uses.
Subaru glanced at his hands.
At the very least, he possessed Return by Death.
The cursed ability had brought him endless suffering, fear, and pain, but it had also allowed him to save people he cared about.
Even if he couldn't become a hero, even if he couldn't become someone admirable, even if he remained a loser in his own eyes.
Return by Death at least gave him the ability to prevent the worst outcomes.
It gave him one way to fight against tragedy.
Now having already come to terms with the competition that would determine the order in which he stayed with each camp. After all, everyone involved had agreed on one important condition: the final decision would belong to Subaru.
No matter what happened during the competition, he would ultimately be the one choosing which camp he wished to remain with.
'Though they'll probably be disappointed in me after spending a week with me,' Subaru thought.
The candidates seemed to have developed an overly favorable impression of him out of nowhere or got confused forming a misunderstanding like those animes he used to watch. Once they actually spent time with him on a daily basis, he was certain that image would quickly crumble.
Reality had a habit of doing that.
The women had collectively decided that Subaru would spend time with each camp in a randomly determined order, remaining with each one for a fixed period before moving on to the next.
After considerable discussion, they had settled on one week.
The reasoning behind the decision was surprisingly logical.
If Subaru spent too long with the first camp, there was a risk that he would naturally grow attached to them before even meeting the others properly. Such an arrangement would place the remaining camps at a disadvantage from the very beginning.
Since everyone insisted on maintaining fairness, a week had been deemed the most reasonable compromise.
Long enough for Subaru to experience life within a camp and short enough to prevent any single group from monopolizing his attention.
Even if the order itself would be random, each candidate would receive the same amount of time.
'They're taking this way more seriously than I expected,' Subaru thought with a sigh.
Then his thoughts shifted toward the method they had chosen to determine the order.
'So Reinhardt's going to be the one running the whole thing, huh?'
According to Reinhardt, the candidates had agreed to draw lots in order to decide which camp would host Subaru first. Since none of them trusted the others to conduct the drawing fairly, they had once again pushed the responsibility onto the Sword Saint.
By the time Subaru finished organizing his thoughts, he had already gotten dressed and made himself presentable.
Taking a final look at his appearance, he let out a slow breath.
“Very well! I am ready! Enough with lazing around!” Subaru declared with a determined smile.
Walking over to the mirror, he gave himself another look.
The luxurious clothes he had been provided with fit surprisingly well. The outfit was comfortable, elegant, and expensive enough to make him feel as though he belonged to a noble family rather than being a random shut-in from another world.
To be honest, the entire thing felt a little awkward.
Subaru wasn't used to wearing clothes like these.
Most of the outfits he had worn since arriving in Lugunica had been practical rather than extravagant. Standing in front of the mirror dressed like this made him feel as though he was impersonating someone from a completely different social class.
Still, according to the maids, he needed to look his best.
Apparently, being presentable was important considering the people he was about to meet again.
“Guess I can't exactly show up looking like I rolled out of bed,” Subaru muttered.
His gaze briefly wandered across the room.
He still couldn't help being surprised by the treatment he had received while staying at the Astrea residence.
The mansion itself was impressive enough, but meeting the Astrea family's maids had been equally unexpected.
Subaru spent the next few minutes making minor adjustments to his outfit.
He straightened his collar, adjusted a sleeve and checked whether everything was sitting properly.
It was his first time wearing clothing of this style, so he was understandably worried about accidentally making himself look ridiculous.
At the very least, he didn't want to embarrass himself before the meeting even started.
Reinhardt had made it clear that Subaru was not expected to meet anyone else beforehand, which meant he need to wear these clothes without any help from anyone.
Eventually, he stepped away from the mirror and took a deep breath.
“Okay. I can do this.”
Just as he finished speaking, a knock sounded from the door.
Subaru immediately turned toward it.
“Coming!”
Walking across the room, he opened the door.
The moment the door swung open, he found himself staring at a girl.
Standing before him was a pink-haired girl wearing a maid uniform.
Her hair was a soft shade of pink, and her equally pink eyes calmly met his own. She appeared young, perhaps no older than twelve or thirteen years old, though her composed demeanor made her seem more mature than her age suggested.
“It seems you truly slept soundly, Respected Guest. To sleep through the entire afternoon and evening... truly befitting of a slothful man.”
The girl delivered the remark with enough sarcasm to make Subaru almost clutch his chest in pain.
A critical hit directly to his soul!
Subaru had genuinely believed he had escaped what he privately referred to as the Ram Curse.
Recently, his Nee-sama had undergone a surprising change in attitude. At the very least, her behavior toward him had become noticeably less hostile than before. Because of that, Subaru had foolishly assumed his daily exposure to sarcastic insults had finally come to an end.
Apparently, fate had other plans.
Who would have thought that the Astrea family had their own version of Ram waiting for him?
Subaru stared at the young maid with a mixture of disbelief and resignation.
From what he knew, her name was Flam Remendis.
She was the granddaughter of the Astrea family's two most trusted servants and had apparently been raised within the household from a young age. Despite her age, she already carried herself with the professionalism expected of a noble family's maid.
She also had a younger sister named Grassis Remendis.
Both sisters possessed pink hair, pink eyes, and personalities that reminded Subaru far too much of a certain blue-haired oni's older sister.
Though thankfully, they seemed somewhat less ruthless than the original.
'It's like someone copied Ram's character template, made the result younger, and then printed two slightly different versions of it,' Subaru thought.
The resemblance was disturbing as if the God of the World was out of ideas when making them.
'Or is being part of a pair of twin-sisters secretly a requirement for becoming a maid in a great noble family's household?' he wondered.
“Respected Guest, I believe it is rather rude to stare blankly into the air when I am standing here to guide you.”
Flam spoke in a polite tone, but the underlying sarcasm was impossible to miss.
Subaru immediately snapped out of his thoughts.
“Sorry, sorry. I got distracted.”
“So I noticed,” Flam replied.
The young maid sighed quietly before motioning for him to follow her.
Meanwhile, despite the sarcastic remarks she occasionally directed at him, Flam did genuinely respect Subaru to a certain degree.
That did not mean she fully understood him.
In fact, she found him rather confusing.
His behavior was strange, his mannerisms was difficult to predict, and some of the stories she had heard about him sounded almost unbelievable.
Even now, it was difficult for her to reconcile the person standing before her with the reports she had heard about and she had met him only for half an day!
This was the same man who had played a major role in the campaign against the White Whale.
Looking at him now, however, she saw a young man who occasionally stared into empty space and muttered strange things to himself.
Still, her respect for him remained.
For one thing, he was a friend of Reinhardt.
She had rarely seen Reinhardt speak so fondly about another person.
The Sword Saint was always polite and kind to everyone, but genuine fondness was much rarer.
Only a handful of people received that distinction such as Lady Felt, Grandma Carol and Grandpa Grimm.
His close friends, Julius and Felix.
And now, Natsuki Subaru.
If Reinhardt trusted someone enough to call them a friend, then that person undoubtedly possessed qualities worth respecting.
There was also another reason.
The White Whale had finally been slain.
A monster that had haunted the Kingdom for generations had been brought down.
And with its death, Lady Theresia's long-unfulfilled vengeance had finally been achieved.
Flam knew what that meant to Grandpa Wilhelm.
She knew how much the White Whale's existence had weighed upon Wilhelm for decades.
For that, he deserved a measure of respect.
Even if he acted like an idiot since the beginning he had met.
“Thank you. Please show me the way to where everyone else is,” Subaru said with a smile.
After all, aside from taking a bath and having his body somehow cleaned and refreshed by a Divine Protection that Reinhardt had seemingly pulled out of his ass, he had barely explored the Astrea mansion at all.
The place was enormous.
From what little he had seen, the mansion was every bit as impressive as one would expect from the residence of the Sword Saint's family. Wide hallways, elegant decorations, expensive furniture, and spotless floors could be found almost everywhere he looked.
Unfortunately, he had spent most of his time either unconscious or confined to his room.
As a result, everything was still unfamiliar to him and he definitely needed a guide.
Flam gave a small nod.
“Please follow me, Respected Guest.”
Subaru obediently followed behind her as she guided him through the mansion's corridors.
Eventually, Flam stopped in front of a large pair of doors.
“We have arrived.”
Subaru immediately recognized that this was probably the meeting room.
The realization caused his stomach to tighten slightly.
Everyone was waiting on the other side.
Taking a deep breath, he straightened his posture.
This was it.
Flam stepped aside and gestured toward the entrance.
Subaru nodded before raising his hand and knocking on the door.
A few moments later, permission to enter was granted.
The doors slowly opened.
And what awaited Subaru on the other side immediately caused him to freeze for a brief moment.
The representatives of the four camps were already gathered inside.
The room had been arranged so that several sofas formed a large circle around the center of the chamber, creating an atmosphere that felt an important council meeting.
Each camp occupied its own section of the circular arrangement.
“It seems the man of the day has finally arrived,” Aldebaran remarked as he crossed his arms.
The helmeted knight stood behind Priscilla, who was seated elegantly upon one of the sofas. As soon as her crimson eyes landed on Subaru, a proud smile appeared on her face, as though she were already satisfied with the outcome of the competition before it had even begun.
Anastasia, meanwhile, wore her usual business-like smile.
At first glance, she appeared as composed and calculating as ever. However, there were subtle cracks in her professional demeanor, as though she were deliberately holding back emotions she did not wish to display publicly.
Behind her stood Julius.
Anastasia had spent considerable time thinking about who should accompany her to this meeting before ultimately deciding upon her knight.
After all, keeping your friends close and your enemies even closer was a lesson she had learned quite thoroughly in her previous loop.
Crusch sat across from them, dressed in her familiar military uniform.
Compared to the others, her posture was as disciplined as ever, and her expression remained composed. Yet the moment her gaze settled upon Subaru, her eyes softened ever so slightly.
A part of her found herself missing the moments she had spent beside her lord during the previous loop.
Meanwhile, Subaru's attention shifted toward what he considered the strangest group present.
The Emilia Camp.
The moment he looked in their direction, he immediately noticed something odd.
On the sofa where Emilia should have been seated, only Ram was present.
Standing behind her was Rem.
The arrangement looked incredibly strange.
In fact, among all four camps gathered in the room, the Emilia Camp stood out the most.
Every other camp had followed the expected structure. The Royal Candidate sat at the forefront while their attendants, knights, or retainers stood behind them.
The Emilia Camp, however, appeared completely different.
A maid was seated in the position that should have belonged to a Royal Candidate.
Another maid stood behind her.
And Emilia herself was nowhere to be seen.
“What, Barusu? Do you have a problem with the fact that it isn't your beloved Emilia-tan sitting here?” Ram asked in a slightly mocking tone.
To everyone else, it sounded like nothing more than a sarcastic remarks.
Privately, however, Ram was directing part of that mockery toward Emilia herself.
The silver-haired half-elf was unbelievably naive in many areas.
At least, that was Ram's opinion.
And yet, despite that naivety, Emilia had somehow managed to completely captivate her poor future husband. The man had repeatedly thrown himself into danger for her sake and had been willing to sacrifice far more than was reasonable.
Ram found that fact rather irritating, she disliked how much influence Emilia seemed to have over Subaru.
Even now, Ram had noticed the way Subaru's eyes immediately searched for Emilia the moment he entered the room.
Ram, however, had noticed.
Of course she did.
She knew Subaru far better than most people.
After all, from her perspective, she knew her future husband inside and out.
The moment his expression changed upon realizing Emilia was absent, Ram had caught it immediately.
“Eh?! It's nothing like that, Nee-sama!” Subaru replied instinctively.
The words left his mouth before he even had time to think about them.
Then, surprisingly, he felt himself relax slightly.
Ram's mocking tone felt familiar, it wasn't as if he liked being mocked, he just liked the nostalgic Ram!
Not the unusually affectionate version from before that had left him confused and uncertain about how to respond.
“Do not worry, Barusu,” Ram said confidently.
Subaru immediately sensed something weird as Ram smiled.
“You can belong only to me.”
Subaru froze.
His brain stopped functioning for several seconds.
“Huh?!”
To be continued...