On a dark afternoon, in the middle of a long road along the Lifaus Route…
“…”
A certain black-haired boy remained silent. At his side, a blue-haired maid and a loyal earth dragon accompanied him.
“Are you okay, Subaru-kun?”
“Mmm? Yeah, Rem… I think I’m just a little nervous.”
He replied, trying to sound confident. Even so, a slight stutter could be heard in his voice.
Something the girl didn’t let pass unnoticed, as she tried to cheer him up with her own words.
“It’s normal. We’re all nervous. There’s less than an hour and a half left before the hunt against the White Whale begins. If your information was correct.”
“Gyaaa!”
Those words, combined with the small motivational cry of the dragon, made Subaru unable to stop himself from letting out a faint smile as he watched the two of them trying to lift his spirits.
“Yeah. But that’s not what worries me the most… I mean, it does, a little. I’m really nervous about fighting a Great Mabeast like her, but…”
He stopped speaking for a few seconds, as his eyes began to wander, and to observe everyone around him.
While he, Rem, and Pastrache were positioned closer to the Great Flugel Tree, giving them a good view of the surroundings and the general map, he couldn’t help but notice how several different groups had gathered in that place.
On one side, he could see the largest group of all. With a great number of men in armor, Subaru watched Crusch giving a determined speech, motivating Wilhelm and all the soldiers for the battle to come. Everyone looked at her with pride and admiration.
On another side, there was a different group, clearly smaller in number but just as imposing. A large demi-wolf could be seen laughing and patting his companions on the shoulders, managing to calm the nerves of all his battle friends. There were even two small cat boys among them, smiling and preparing themselves as well.
And lastly, there was a group of similar size to the previous one. One where there were more human men than demi-humans, and where the ones that stood out the most were a man wearing a helmet and missing one arm, and especially the presence of a girl in a red dress, with a confident gaze as she observed the terrain, seemingly looking for something that might entertain her.
Subaru focused on several aspects of all of them. On their appearances as experienced warriors. On the way they looked at their leaders with pride and respect. On how everyone seemed ready to give their all in battle.
And what Subaru noticed the most among the three united groups…
“Is that him?”
“It seems our lady trusts him a lot.”
“He managed to gather all three candidates in one place.”
“Who is that boy?”
“He seems to have a lot of connections.”
“…”
“Why am I drawing so much attention…?”
Subaru couldn’t help but blush and feel a little nervous as he noticed several people from all three groups directing their gazes at him.
Even though he had no way of seeing their thoughts or reading their lips from that distance, he had no doubt they were talking about him. And that genuinely… made him feel a little embarrassed.
On the other hand, neither Rem nor Pastrache saw this as something bad. In fact, they liked that their hero had such a good image in front of so many people.
“Subaru-kun, you’re becoming a little famous, aren’t you?”
“What? Nah, I don’t think so. They’re just… surprised about the triple alliance. That’s all…”
Pastrache shook her head. As if even she understood the situation, and knew who was on the right side.
Up until now, Subaru had become friends with exactly… well, he had honestly lost count. But it definitely exceeded twenty friends.
In this last month, especially during the last week, he had managed to reunite with many of them. But they all belonged to the same circles. Within royalty, within the camps… and Otto too.
So Subaru didn’t believe his image could become popular that easily. After all, if you really thought about it, he was just friends with a few important people…
On the other hand, he also had to consider that they were… very important people.
“I wonder if getting involved with so many people from royalty, knights, and all that will bring me some kind of good or bad image later… I’ll think about that later.”
He thought as he walked forward with his two companions, approaching the place where all the groups had gathered.
Subaru didn’t like drawing attention. At least, not the current Subaru.
He hoped that when everything was over, he could return to his peaceful days, and that his image wouldn’t become so well-known by everyone.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Hey, kid! I was already wondering where you had gone.”
“Hey, Ricardo.”
Once close enough for everyone to notice the trio’s presence, Subaru was quickly greeted by a strong pat on the back from his demi-wolf father.
Both of them smiled at each other with confidence.
“Haha! It’s incredible what you’ve achieved, kid. To get all the candidates together to hunt the White Whale? I’m so proud.”
“That’s right! Onii-san is the best!”
“I guess there’s a reason he’s my little brother. Ahh, how they grow.”
“Hehe. They’re so cute, don’t you think, Subaru-kun?”
Rem laughed as she watched her hero being hugged by the two small bodies of the demi-human siblings.
It seemed that as long as they had the chance, none of the Triplets planned on missing the opportunity to stay close to their human brother, much less to pet him.
Subaru also smiled a little at those surprise hugs. But little by little he was learning to accept them, thanks to the requests several people had already made to him in this and previous loops.
He was getting much better at it. Or at least that’s what he thought.
So he crouched down to their height to return the hugs properly, while greeting his demi-human family.
“Hello, Mimi-san, Hetaro-sama.”
“Hiiiii!”
They smiled like children at their brother’s reaction. How much they loved being all together once again.
Although… one was missing.
“Hey? Where’s Tivey-chan? And Julius too. I haven’t seen them since I arrived.”
Subaru said out loud, finishing hugging the Triplets and looking around for any sign of two of his other trusted friends.
And curiously, the answer came immediately.
“It seems Lady Anastasia was as clever as I thought she was.”
“Ah? Lady Crusch!”
The answer Subaru received didn’t even come from the camp he was asking about, but from the green-haired royal candidate who had approached without him noticing.
“Good afternoon, Subaru-dono, Rem-san.”
She spoke with that formal, yet pleasant and close tone toward the duo, who returned the greeting with a smile.
“Thank you very much again for your help, Lady Crusch.”
Rem bowed slightly to the green-haired girl, who wore armor that faintly shone under the light. Right now, she looked completely ready for battle.
“It’s not necessary, Rem-san. I should be the one thanking Subaru-dono for giving us this information and, above all, the opportunity to face this battle.”
“Ehhh. It was just a negotiation, Crusch. You’ll lend us your strength for a personal battle. In that case, you have nothing to thank me for.”
Subaru genuinely believed those words. He hadn’t shared the White Whale’s information and gathered the camps to defeat it together.
He had only used that to motivate them and ask for help to defend Emilia’s camp from the Witch Cult’s attack.
In other words, Subaru was doing this for a single personal and selfish goal.
That’s how he saw it. So he didn’t think he truly deserved anyone’s gratitude.
...But it didn’t seem like anyone else thought that way.
“Ughh. Onii-chan! We already told you that you should—”
“I believe you are mistaken, Subaru-dono.”
“Eh!?”
A new voice appeared near them. The voice of an older man who seemed to be filled with deep gratitude.
“Wilhelm-san.”
After giving a small, polite greeting to everyone, the experienced warrior fixed his gaze once again on the black-haired boy.
“What you have done is more than just a deal with us, Subaru-dono. Even if you did it to obtain our help, please do not dismiss our gratitude.”
“Yes! What he said, Onii-san!”
Mimi felt obligated to speak up and support those words. She already knew her brother had trouble accepting affection.
It was her duty to help!
“…Thank you, Wilhelm-san. I hope I can count on your help in this battle and after it as well.”
“Yes. You need not worry.”
He said, thinking that if the battle ended as they hoped, there was no doubt that would happen.
“…God.”
Subaru couldn’t help but smile at the great respect he seemed to have created in everyone around him.
Even though he felt a faint blush on his face, he tried to ignore it and return his focus to a doubt he had.
“You said something about Ana-chan, Crusch?”
“Yes. It seems she was quite clever in thinking the same as I did in the battle preparations.”
“Eh? What do you mean?”
“Ana-bo asked Julius and Tivey to take care of closing the Lifaus Route, kid.”
“Eh? They closed the route?”
“Yes. She noticed exactly the same thing I did.”
Before Subaru could fully understand, Ricardo and Crusch tried to explain the logic behind those actions.
“In a battle as large as the hunt against the White Whale, we must prevent any civilians or unwanted people from arriving unexpectedly.”
Hetaro also tried to explain. As part of the Iron Fang group, he knew quite a lot about battles.
“Even if the Lifaus Route isn’t used very often, we can’t risk a carriage arriving if we don’t take precautions.”
Wilhelm also expressed his professional opinion.
“That’s why Ana-chan asked Julius and Tivey to protect the route! They should be back once the battle ends!”
And Mimi finally finished explaining her lady’s plan with excitement.
“Wow. They really thought it through, huh? Honestly, I hadn’t considered it that way at all… hehe. Now I feel a little embarrassed.”
The truth was that Subaru hadn’t considered the idea of closing the route before the battle.
It simply… hadn’t occurred to him. And he felt a little ashamed going into battle with so little foresight compared to everyone else present.
“Don’t worry, kid! You’re not an expert strategist who can consider every single possibility.”
“In fact, gathering three royal candidates in just one day for a battle of this level is already something worthy of admiration.”
“Yes. In all my years fighting with a sword, seeing someone build such influence in so little time and with such fluidity is truly impressive.”
“Guys…”
But that embarrassment quickly turned into embarrassment from praise.
Making Rem and Pastrache laugh softly at his side, both enjoying the attention their beloved was receiving.
“Mmm. Onii-san is surrounded by very good friends. I’m glad his childhood was full of friends like them.”
“…Although neither Crusch-sama nor Wilhelm-san are his childhood friends.”
“Eh!? They aren’t!?”
When Rem replied, Mimi was genuinely surprised.
They both seemed to get along well with her brother. And they seemed to trust him quite a lot.
They really weren’t childhood friends like them?
“That just means Onii-chan makes friends with nice people very quickly. I’m proud of him.”
Hetaro simply saw this as further proof of how incredible his older brother was.
Getting along so easily with so many different people without effort? Being treated so kindly by everyone without many problems?
Obviously, that was amazing.
“…Not everyone is nice.”
However, Rem’s words made them frown slightly.
Was there someone Subaru didn’t like?
“Who are you talking about?”
Rem carefully considered what to say. Mainly because of her hero’s presence and the image she might create if she chose her words poorly.
So she tried not to sound too aggressive.
“I’m not the one to say. So—”
“It seems you dislike anyone who thinks differently from you, don’t you, maid?”
“…!”
Unlike her, however, the Princess of the Sun couldn’t care less about how others perceived her words.
“Princess… couldn’t you try to enter the conversation in a better way?”
Even the one-armed man at her side couldn’t help but sigh inwardly, already knowing how this would end.
Though he hoped his bro might be able to control the situation somehow.
“Why should my divine self adapt to their way of seeing the world? Shouldn’t they be the ones to fulfill my desires? The world revolves around me for a reason, does it not?”
Priscilla didn’t bother being polite as she spoke her thoughts without filters. After all, she was simply stating the truth.
Of course, that didn’t mean everyone thought the same.
“Hetaro, I don’t like this girl. Can I hit her?”
“No, Mimi, you can’t do that… even if I want to.”
Subaru heard the quiet whispers of the two Triplets. And before things could go wrong, he tried to speak so everyone would notice they didn’t get along badly.
“H-Hello, Pris. Hello, Pal.”
While Priscilla only responded with a proud smile, Aldebaran raised his single hand, greeting Subaru confidently.
“Hey, bro. Looks like you pulled off a nice feat here, huh?”
“It was obvious the plebeian would achieve this goal, Aldebaran. I told you he always manages to impress me.”
And even if he managed to calm everyone a little by speaking in a friendly tone...
“Plebeian?”
That word only irritated the little girl even more.
“Now I’m even more tempted to hit her. Nghh.”
“Hey, come on. She’s a childhood friend of mine. That’s just how she talks.”
“Ah! She’s your friend!?”
“I thought it was the weirdly dressed guy!”
The two Triplets showed their childish anger toward the girl, ignoring the fact that they were talking to a royal candidate.
Though to them, that hatred was very real.
“Hey, come on. I don’t look that bad.”
Aldebaran tried to defend himself. He hadn’t done anything. Did he really deserve to be called “the weirdly dressed guy”?
“His clothing is… curious, to say the least.”
Wilhelm replied with as much respect as he could manage.
“Ugh. Seems not everyone agrees.”
And he reacted with an exaggerated gesture, lowering his posture and his spirits.
“Hey. You look like a famous lone warrior from an RPG. You know you can’t deny it.”
“Touche!”
He cheered up at the clear reference made by his brother.
“RPG?”
“Uhhh. It’s a term from my world. Just ignore it.”
And he gave that excuse in response to the confused looks from Rem and the others.
“…Hey, bro, do you know why your dragon is looking at me like she wants to kill me?”
“Eh!?”
Surprised by that statement, everyone turned to look at the only beast present.
“Pastrache?”
“Grrrr…”
The earth dragon seemed to growl in confusion as she stared at Aldebaran’s body, as if she were trying to analyze his nature.
She took several steps forward, without stopping her cautious growling.
“H-Hey, she doesn’t bite, right?”
“Ehhh. Well, she’s usually very proud but not aggressive… I think.”
Aldebaran didn’t feel much better after those words. The dragon moved even closer to him and began to sniff him, without lowering her guard.
Several tense seconds of silence passed, where only the sound of the dragon sniffing could be heard… until…
“Grr.”
Until she finally backed away and positioned herself right next to her master again, while seeming to show slight displeasure.
“Are you okay, Pastrache?”
Subaru placed his palm on his dragon’s skin. She didn’t reject the touch and seemed to calm down.
It seemed she relaxed easily when she was with him.
“Looks like she doesn’t like you.”
Crusch found the earth dragon’s reaction toward the one-armed man curious.
“Or at least she prefers her new owner.”
Ricardo also had a similar opinion, watching the dragon’s behavior.
“A much better owner.”
And Priscilla simply said the truth, making her jester sigh.
“Princess… why is everyone like this?”
“Hehe.”
Some couldn’t help but laugh at Aldebaran, while Ricardo gave him a few pats on the back to try to comfort him.
“Mmm. Hey Crusch? Isn’t Ferris with you? I found it strange not to see him while you were giving your speech. Is he also helping close the route?”
Noticing that detail, Subaru decided to ask the green-haired candidate. He was surprised not to know anything about him, especially after what he had said before leaving the Karsten mansion.
Crusch replied with confidence, showing no real concern for her knight. She already had an idea of where he might be.
“No. Ferris said he had to go out and look for something before arriving, Subaru-dono. In fact, I think he should already be on his way.”
“Looking for something, huh?… will it be something for the battle?”
“Mmm? Oh! Is everyone already here!?”
While Subaru considered that possibility, he was surprised by the voice of someone he knew very well behind him.
“Ferris!”
“Hello everyone, Nya! Is everyone gathered already?”
Wearing his royal knight uniform and riding his own earth dragon, Felix quickly approached and stopped near them.
Jumping down and carrying a leather bag in his right hand, he looked at everyone around his friend with a smile.
“Wow, Subawu. You really are amazing.”
Just like everyone else, he couldn’t help but admire him at how a single boy had gathered so many important beings in one place.
Making Subaru laugh in embarrassment. The praise was already becoming too much for him.
On the other hand…
“Hehe. What’s that you’re carrying?”
The leather bag was what caught his attention the most. Felix only responded with an excited and happy smile.
“Oh, this? Hehe. It’s a surprise for you, Nya!”
And he couldn’t help but laugh, while everyone else’s curiosity also grew.
“Tell me, Subawu, how is your Gate?”
And those words only surprised and confused the boy from another world even more.
“My Gate?”
“Yes! Since you visited us and I helped you with your memories, I could see it was a bit weak. Not like a baby’s, but you definitely haven’t used it as much as you should.”
That was Felix’s professional opinion. Being recognized as the best healer in Lugunica, he knew very well how the Gate worked inside humans.
So he fully trusted his own reasoning.
“Well, I guess I used my Gate for my summonings when I was little, and I’ve practiced magic almost every day at the mansion this last month…”
“And used healing magic on myself for my self-injuries.”
But of course, Subaru couldn’t say that.
“But other than that, I haven’t used much magic. Not enough to fully get used to it, at least.”
“Exactly, Nya! That’s why your Gate hasn’t developed properly. Normally, a person uses it all the time, even passively. So I thought maybe you aren’t as skilled with magic as you should be.”
“How skilled are you in battle, Subaru-dono?”
“Subaru-kun has shown good progress in his training over the last month.”
“Yeah? Maybe the kid is more capable than I thought?”
“It could also be that big brother learns easily by remembering everything in his subconscious from childhood. What do you say, brother?”
“Well, it’s true that I have to concentrate to strengthen my mana flow. I still can’t fully master it and do it by instinct. And I also have to avoid miscasting spells… forty-five is the maximum I should cast without entering dangerous territory.”
“Forty-five, huh? That’s not exactly a small number of spells if you want to fight an enemy, Onii-chan.”
“But if he has to fight in a battle of attrition, or against multiple enemies at once… I’m worried Onii-san might get into trouble”
“And that’s why Ferris will help! Nya!”
“Eh? Really? You can help me in combat, Felix?”
“I thought Felix focused on healing… maybe he has something in that leather bag to help me?”
Subaru didn’t have time to ask before Felix spoke again.
“You know? When I asked you if you were going to visit somewhere besides Priscilla’s camp, I honestly thought you would go to the castle too.”
“The castle?”
“To ask Fourier for help!”
“…I hadn’t considered that at all!”
Subaru honestly hadn’t thought about the possibility of going directly to the royal castle to ask for help.
When he thought about asking for help, his mind immediately went to the three royal candidates.
And luckily for him, all three had accepted.
But going to visit the King himself?
Maybe he should have considered that first.
“Well, I guess I’ve barely talked to him, and I didn’t have much time either… I had to visit Pris before the battle.”
“My divine self believes you should have done that first. With just my camp, we were more than enough to face a few simple beasts.”
“Yeah, sure.”
Rem let out a slightly sarcastic comment by pure reflex. One that didn’t go unnoticed.
“Mmm? Does the maid think my divine self is just boasting nonsense?”
“Rem didn’t say anything. If you, Lady Priscilla, believe that’s what I’m thinking, perhaps it’s because you know that’s the image you’re projecting.”
“Do you want—”
“Girls.”
Subaru spoke in a low but firm voice when he sensed the girls were about to start an unnecessary argument.
“Not now.”
“…”
“…Onii-chan is amazing.”
“Yes, he is, little one. He really is.”
Aldebaran and little Hetaro whispered to each other.
Ferris, a bit surprised and uncomfortable by the girls’ tension, decided to help calm the atmosphere.
“Anyway. Ferris went to visit in your place, and let’s just say… I decided to take a little extra help for you.”
“Then you visited the King?”
“Hey, Fourier is your friend too, you know? He’d be hurt if he knew you call him that instead of by his name.”
Felix complained about that important point.
He knew Fourier really wanted not only to talk with Subaru, but simply to spend time with him.
He was frustrated about having so many responsibilities as King that he couldn’t even leave his post to visit an old friend, right when the royal selection had just begun.
And when you realize your friend sees you more as a King than as a friend, that’s not a nice feeling.
Felix would feel terrible if Subaru saw him only as a healer and not as a friend, so he understood that feeling very well.
“Oh, right. Sorry, it’s just… I don’t remember it, and I’m still not used to being friends with such important people, I guess.”
No matter how many important beings Subaru had befriended in Lugunica and in the world in general, he still couldn’t fully grasp just how many powerful people he was connected to.
“It’s not hard to understand, Subaru-dono. In my decades as a warrior, it’s not common to find someone with so many royal connections.”
“I must agree with Wilhelm, Subaru-dono. Even carrying the Karsten name, I must admit that having such contacts is highly unusual.”
“And considering Onii-san can’t remember everything from when he was a child, it’s normal that it’s hard for you to accept it… but don’t! We all see you as a friend, right guys?”
Everyone nodded.
“I truly hope you can recover your memories soon, Nya. Even if we’re friends without them, it would be great if you remembered us too, Nya.”
Felix, like all the childhood friends present, never stopped hoping for that miracle.
He wanted his friend to remember everything they had shared.
“Ferris, you’ve helped with that. In fact, I don’t think I told you, but I’ve already managed to fully remember two friends.”
And that declaration surprised and excited everyone.
“Hetaro! Ricardo! Onii-san is closer to remembering us!”
“Haha. Make sure to tell us when that happens, kid! We’ll throw a celebration when it does!”
“Hehe. Thanks guys. I hope it happens… remembering two of my friends gives me a lot of hope.”
“That’s good, Nya! Then I hope you’re happy!”
“Yes… I’m definitely very happy to be able to remember everything about them.”
Subaru lowered his gaze slightly, remembering the figure of a dragon with whom he could open up and trust completely.
And remembering the girl who had become his strongest emotional pillar, who could break through every barrier Subaru had built inside himself.
For a second, remembering two of his most beloved people, Subaru showed a genuine smile after so long.
No one dared say anything until he recovered himself.
“Well, going back to the point, I told him everything about what you said regarding the cult and the whale. Hoping he would lend his help.”
“Oh? Does that mean big brother will fight alongside the King?”
“Mmm. I don’t think that’s very likely. Fourier isn’t especially skilled with the sword. At least not at the level of a warrior.”
Crusch gave her professional and personal opinion. Being the King’s friend for years, she had crossed blades with him many times in training.
“I also don’t think that, as King, he can simply abandon his post to help.”
Rem added, her reasoning making perfect sense.
Even being the highest authority in the Kingdom of Lugunica didn’t mean he had total freedom of action.
“But if he ordered it, he could send hundreds of royal knights to fight, right?”
At Ricardo’s question, Felix quickly responded.
“That’s right! Although he shouldn’t involve himself with the camps of the candidates in any way. Still, for Subaru, he was willing to do it.”
Mimi climbed onto Ricardo’s back, observing all the men around her.
The great number of soldiers serving Crusch.
The warriors of the Iron Fang group.
And the forces belonging to the Barielle Camp.
“Mmm. But we’re already more than two hundred! Isn’t that enough?”
“For an enemy like the White Whale, three hundred warriors or more could become more of an organizational disadvantage than a true numerical advantage.”
Wilhelm had spent years searching for any chance to obtain his revenge against the White Whale.
Because of that, he also knew the best and worst strategies that could be applied against it.
Having an excessive number of men without the ability to give effective combat orders could be a serious mistake.
“That’s exactly right! And that’s why Ferris refused that idea. And instead, he asked for a little more… magical help, haha.”
“Magical?”
At Subaru’s doubt, Felix didn’t answer with words, but with actions.
He opened the leather bag in front of everyone, who approached curiously when they saw the shining objects inside.
“Wow!”
“This is…?”
“…Guys?”
Subaru could only stare in confusion into the bag while he heard the surprise and astonishment of his friends behind him.
And Felix couldn’t help but smile at his friend’s confused face.
“Hehe. Maybe you’ve never seen one before. After all, it’s very difficult to see even one so easily. Much less in less than a month. But these are mana crystals. Mana in its purest state!”
Inside the brown leather bag were several magical crystals of a bright purple color.
“So… they’re like containers of mana or magic?”
Subaru thought that sounded pretty cool.
“…There are too many.”
“And they’re high purity.”
“I’ve never seen so many together.”
But when he heard Aldebaran, Hetaro, and Ricardo’s voices behind him, each whispering in disbelief, Subaru couldn’t help but feel nervous.
“Hey, why those faces? Are they that rare?”
“Eh?” (x3)
It was only when Subaru openly showed his lack of knowledge that they reacted.
“Kid… just two of those crystals equal the entire reward Ana-bo gave you.”
“What!?”
Subaru shouted in shock, making Felix laugh even more.
“F-Felix! Is it really okay for me to have this?”
And Subaru acted impulsively.
He had already struggled to accept all the money he had received from Anastasia…
Receiving something like this was—
“Hey! Didn’t you want the best possible help in battle, Nya?”
“I-I mean… yes, but-”
“Subaru-kun! Don’t refuse this help!”
“Ana-chan would be really mad if you let this opportunity pass!”
“Listen, plebeian. You’ll be more entertaining with that.”
Subaru hesitated for a few more seconds…
But faced with his friends’ words, and knowing this could truly help him in combat…
“…At least take some of them yourselves too. For spells or to strengthen your bodies.”
He finally gave in, handing out some crystals to those who would benefit most in battle.
“So… can I extract this mana into my Gate?”
Holding the bag, he examined the crystals more closely, taking one in his right hand.
He didn’t fully understand how they worked. If they really were containers of pure mana, did that mean they were like MP recovery items from video games?
“You should be able to store the extra mana inside your body, but doing it with all of them is very dangerous. Try with two or three and keep the rest hidden in your clothes for emergencies. You can also use them to cast spells without using your own Gate’s mana.”
“Understood… thanks, Felix. I owe you one.”
Subaru closed the bag and kept it close. It would definitely be useful in battle.
Wasn’t he receiving too many favors lately?
“You don’t owe me anything, Nya! Take it as a small reward for helping me when you were little, you know what. And make sure to visit Fourier too, I’m sure he’ll free up time for you somehow.”
“Whether I deserve them or not… I’m glad to have all of them.”
Subaru couldn’t help but feel… genuinely happy to have such incredible people willing to help someone like him.
Little Subaru must have been truly amazing to earn everyone’s trust and affection.
Without a doubt.
…
“By the way, guys.”
“Mmm?”
Thinking about his childhood, and taking advantage of having several friends who knew him back then…
Subaru needed to ask.
“When I met all of you as a kid… do you remember anything strange about me?”
“Strange?”
Subaru knew he couldn’t ask directly…
Something or someone prevented him from saying it. Something threatened to crush his heart—literally.
One of the worst terrors he had ever experienced.
He didn’t want to think about it now.
He just needed to know if his friends had noticed anything.
“Like… I don’t know, did I say nonsense… or act very weird… or just not behave like a normal kid?”
“Yes! I remember!”
Mimi raised her arm excitedly, eager to help.
Subaru felt hopeful.
“Yes, Mimi? When?”
“All the time!”
“…Ah.”
And his hope was crushed immediately.
“Couldn’t you say something else?”
“Well, Subawu has always been weird.”
“Subaru-kun is someone you can’t predict.”
“The kid always said unexpected things.”
“That’s what made the plebeian entertaining.”
“There’s no other Onii-chan like him.”
“Stop… you’re going to kill me from embarrassment.”
Subaru couldn’t help but blush deeply at the barrage of praise.
It was way too effective.
“Why do you ask? Do you remember something else from your past?”
“More or less, Lady Crusch. I wanted to know if something in my mind was something I did as a kid… or if I’m just overthinking lately.”
Subaru answered, feeling disappointed.
“From your answers, I can’t tell if I really went through a loop as a child or if I was just… a kid.”
And that doubt…
Would follow him into the battle.
Subaru had considered the possibility that his childhood self might have died. That perhaps this wasn’t the first time he had used Return by Death.
His child self could have died in a world like this without any doubt. He had even thought about the possibility that maybe he had known that and used it to his advantage.
Not for his own convenience. But to help his friends. He could imagine himself resetting the world over and over again if it meant saving someone he loved.
But that was only a possibility. Something that maybe had happened.
He might never have died and simply had a happy childhood…
The fact that he could never know which of the two was true was what truly tormented him.
“…”
There was an orange-haired girl sharpening her gaze as she analyzed the black-haired boy’s expressions and words.
“Anyway. It doesn’t matter… I wanted to thank all of you one last time before the battle starts. I really wouldn’t know what to do if all of you—”
“Stop giving pointless thanks, plebeian.”
Before he could finish, Priscilla cut him off.
“You have a deplorable problem accepting everyone’s words and favors. I truly must fix that about you when I invite you to my camp… Lift your head, and instead of thanking everyone meaninglessly, repay them by showing why we all trust you to stand by our side.”
“…Priscilla.”
Subaru was left speechless for a few seconds at his friend’s words.
And then… he smiled.
“Yeah. I’ll do my best.”
“And I won’t die… not this time.”
He swore it to himself. For all the friends he had met so far.
“…She’s not as bad as she seemed.”
“Yeah, I can see that now.”
Subaru couldn’t help but laugh softly at the whispers of his demi-human siblings.
“Still… I’d like to think a bit before the battle begins.”
He said to himself as he moved slightly away from the group.
“Well. I’ll try to do my best in battle. For now… I’m not much of a strategist, so I probably won’t give many ideas. I trust you all. I’ll, uh, prepare myself mentally for the fight.”
Catching them slightly off guard.
“Do you want Rem to come with you, Subaru-kun?”
Rem asked. She wanted to stay close to Subaru to encourage him, but also felt he was hiding something.
“No thanks, Rem. I need a moment alone…”
“Gyaaa!”
However, a certain earth dragon refused to accept those words, moving to walk alongside her master.
“Well, I guess I can count on my partner, right? Hehe.”
Subaru couldn’t help but laugh at the loyalty of his faithful companion, gently patting the top of her head and accepting her company.
“See you in a few minutes, everyone.”
And with those words, the duo walked away toward the Great Flugel Tree, leaving their friends alone with their thoughts.
“Onii-chan has been acting very strange, don’t you think?”
Hetaro was the one who said out loud what everyone had already been thinking.
“Yeah… the kid has changed a lot since our last visit.”
Maybe Subaru hadn’t spent much time with Ricardo in his own memories. But Ricardo remembered clearly the time Subaru saved him from being kidnapped and sold as a slave.
Since then, they had spent more time together. The affection he felt for him was undeniable.
His fatherly instincts told him something was wrong with the kid. Even if he smiled, Ricardo didn’t think it was something small.
But he had no idea what it could be.
“It seems not all of you are as foolish as you appear.”
On the other hand, Priscilla knew exactly what the plebeian was hiding. And it pleased her to know she wasn’t the only intelligent one among his friends.
She wouldn’t be the one to say it. But would they figure it out on their own?
“Ha. It seems at least some of you notice that the plebeian is hiding something. But does any of you even have an idea what it could be?”
“Other than what you’ve told us, I don’t know much more about Subaru-dono. I don’t think I can offer anything useful.”
“Me neither… If he’s going through something personal, I’d like to help him.”
Crusch and Wilhelm were undoubtedly the ones who knew him the least. Even if they respected him deeply, they couldn’t pinpoint anything.
The only thing they could say for sure was that the eyes Subaru had the first time they met had changed into a much more hardened gaze, even if he himself didn’t notice.
“Subawu has been acting strange? Really? I thought it was just battle nerves.”
Felix hadn’t noticed anything extremely alarming in his friend.
“Subaru-kun has been very strange, Felix. Since yesterday, I feel he’s changed a lot in such a short time. Rem can’t help but feel he’s acting oddly.”
“Like always?”
Rem forced a small smile.
“…I guess. But there’s something else.”
“I’m sure of it…”
“Do you know anything that could be bothering Subaru-dono? Besides this battle.”
At Wilhelm’s question, everyone fell silent, trying to remember moments when Subaru had been truly angry.
“The kid is hard to anger, honestly. Even when something bothered him, he tried to endure it or make us laugh.”
Or he endured his anger…
“The plebeian never dared to show me a tantrum. Not even as a child. He was stubborn, but never angry.”
Or he hid it…
“The only time Subaru got really angry with Rem was when he scolded me for saying certain things as kids… I think he did it more for my sake.”
Or he used it to help others…
“He used to hit Mimi on the head when she spoke badly about Hetaro.”
“Not even Onii-chan could ignore something like that.”
Or he used it for fun…
In all cases, it didn’t seem serious.
“Subawu only gets upset when someone he loves is involved, right? In fact, the only memory I have of him being truly angry was when he almost lost control at the castle.”
“Ugh. Subaru-kun told me a little about that… though I don’t know the details.”
“What happened is that the plebeian was forced to defend the half-demon from everyone’s words.”
“Half-demon?”
Rem frowned at the way Priscilla referred to her lady.
“I need you to call Emilia-sama by her name, Lady Priscilla.”
Priscilla raised an eyebrow, enjoying how easily the maid got defensive.
“She hasn’t earned my respect. From what I saw, she barely defended herself in a simple speech. And I assume it wasn’t even thanks to her. I’m sure the plebeian prepared her.”
“At least she gave a speech with strong arguments. I wonder if you said anything other than demanding everyone serve you.”
“The fact that—”
“If you two keep arguing like this, Onii-san will refuse to speak to either of you.”
“…”
Mimi smiled innocently.
Both girls fell silent.
No one wanted to see Subaru angry again.
“Good one, Mimi.”
“Heh! Take this!”
Mimi smiled at Aldebaran as she stretched her small arm toward him, making the one-armed man smile behind his helmet.
“Oh, you know the fist greeting too?”
“Onii-chan taught it to us back then. Mimi always greets me and my brother like this.”
“It’s a good greeting, don’t you think?”
Aldebaran bumped his fist with the little girl’s, feeling oddly satisfied.
“Brother, you’re making the world a better place.”
And he sent his thanks to their mutual friend.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Ufff. We still have some time to relax, at least a little, right, Pastrache?”
“Gyaaaa.”
A bit away from the others, resting unseen by anyone, a human and his earth dragon were under the shade of a tall tree.
Enjoying the view… and relaxing before the battle began.
“Just like in a previous loop, when the whale attacked, I used my phone to light the way. So remembering the time of the attack isn’t a problem.”
Subaru already knew they had less than one hour before the battle that would shake the world began.
“You probably don’t understand me, but I’m way more nervous than I should be, you know? Don’t you feel something similar?”
“Gyaaa.”
With a soft sound, the dragon seemed to deny it. Combined with full confidence in her master.
“Haha… I really don’t know why you trust and respect me so much. Are we childhood friends too?”
Subaru joked, laughing at his dragon’s reaction while gently petting her head.
“Still, I really appreciate your trust… sorry for not giving you enough attention lately. I guess I’ve been thinking about too many things these past days.”
“Mmm!”
“Yes, yes. I’ll prioritize you more, I promise… I entrust my life to you in this battle. Sorry for making you endure so much, I’m not the best owner, right?”
“Ngh!”
“Ouch!”
Subaru cried out as Pastrache pushed her head lightly against his side, as if showing her dissatisfaction.
“Alright, alright, I won’t talk so badly about myself in front of you… even if I don’t think I’m wrong.”
Subaru truly believed that. In his opinion, Pastrache was the best dragon companion he could ever have. And he was far from the best owner she could have had.
At the very least, he wanted to make her happy…
Maybe that would make up a little for the pain he felt when he saw the White Whale devour her right before his eyes.
…
“I hope… I don’t have to go through that again”
At that involuntary memory, he grimaced, feeling his fears and anxiety rise.
No matter how much Subaru tried to encourage himself, he couldn’t erase those feelings just by thinking positively.
Instead—
“Gya!!”
“Ah… sorry you have to see this… it’s not something I usually do, but right now… I need it.”
He apologized to Pastrache. For showing her such a pathetic sight.
A boy scratching his own arm.
A boy making himself bleed…
“I can’t believe I’ve ended up doing this more and more often”
It had started since his “first” death a few days ago. When Anastasia and the others had to take care of him.
Since then, Subaru had developed this… dirty habit whenever he felt extreme stress or negative emotions.
He could barely control himself in public.
But when he was alone, he simply couldn’t stop.
And actually… was “developed” the right word?
“If I can use healing magic on myself easily because I did it as a kid… does that mean I hurt myself like this back then too…?”
Had little Subaru… already been doing this?
“Sigh… I can’t keep thinking about this. Not right now.”
He forced his nails away from his skin and used the tips of his fingers instead.
Channeling his mana, he began to heal his own wounds, just like he had done before.
At least thanks to that, he had improved his healing magic, right?
“Keep this a secret, okay?… And I entrust my life to you in this battle, Pastrache. Let’s not die for each other, alright?”
“Gyaa…”
The dragon still didn’t like seeing her master suffer so closely…
But precisely because of that, she would fulfill her role as his faithful partner.
Today, neither her master nor she would die.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“…”
A tense silence filled the battlefield.
As the hour approached, the area around the Great Tree tightened with the unique pressure of an imminent battle.
The earth dragons and the cavalry’s ligers breathed heavily through their nostrils, releasing clouds of vapor into the cold air. Their large, nervous bodies waited anxiously for the signal.
The troops were already deployed and arranged symmetrically at a distance from the tree. In such a way that everyone was visible from any point, allowing allies to see each other clearly. From his position, Subaru could distinguish the silhouettes of each unit, motionless like statues.
“Only a few minutes left.”
At Subaru’s murmur, those closest to him—Rem, Crusch, Felix, and Wilhelm—nodded in silence.
A few seconds passed. Maybe ten. Maybe twenty. Time itself seemed to freeze.
“Do you feel better, Subaru-kun?”
Rem, sitting right behind him on Pastrache, asked as she hugged her hero. She could feel his heartbeat through his clothes.
“Yeah, a little… I managed to calm down somewhat, at least, though that doesn’t mean I’m not still nervous.”
“Don’t worry, Subaru-kun. Everything will be fine. After all, remember that you’re not alone.”
“Yeah… you’re right.”
Subaru couldn’t deny those words.
He slowly let his gaze travel across the battlefield, stopping on each of them.
Priscilla, with her proud bearing even in waiting.Aldebaran, with his jacket and that relaxed but alert posture.Mimi and Hetaro, the small demi-humans ready for battle.Ricardo, with his imposing axe.Crusch, firm like a rock at the front.Wilhelm, whose silence weighed more than any speech.Felix, behind his lady.Rem, whose warmth on his back reminded him why he was here.Pastrache, his loyal partner.
Even those who weren’t present but still supported him: Fourier, Anastasia, Julius, Tivey, Schult…
He had so many people by his side that he couldn’t fail like this.
He had to fill himself with determination.
He swallowed, feeling the knot in his throat slowly dissolve. His hands clenched the reins by reflex.
He would fight. He would fight with everything he had if he didn’t want to disappoint them.
Ring, rin, ring, ring.
And everyone tensed at that sound.
The noise cut through the air like a knife. For an instant, no one moved. Only the ringing of the alarm echoed across the plains.
“Crusch!”
“All troops! Attention!”
The orders crossed the field like a whip. Subaru felt Rem tighten her grip around him.
When the alarm rang. And when nothing seemed to happen…
Something appeared in the clouds.
“…That is—!”
A beast appeared in the air. A demonic beast. Forcing everyone to look up just by its presence.
It was as if the world itself held its breath.
Almost everyone couldn’t help but freeze for a brief second. Just looking at such a demon made their minds lock up. Subaru felt that familiar chill run down his spine. He knew her. He had seen her. He had lived through her.
And when one of the candidates tried to speak—
“A-All troops—!”
“EL MINYA!”
A boy who had already tasted death moved first.
Without thinking, without hesitation. His heels struck Pastrache’s sides, and the great dragon burst forward like an arrow. The wind whipped against his face, and behind him he felt Rem cling to him.
Racing at full speed on his loyal partner, with his other loyal partner behind him.
“This ends today, little friend! Prepare for your last dinner!”
The hunt against the White Whale had begun.
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Notes:
Okay. And with that, the last chapter before the battle. Do I have something to say?
Well, I wanted to add a scene of a very brief discussion between Subaru and Crusch, since Crusch wants to renounce the dragon's pledge, and Subaru, now that he knows about Vulcan, feels weird about it.
But I just couldn't see a way to insert it without it feeling forced, so the chapter remained without it.
It was a slightly longer chapter than I thought; I really didn't think it would reach 4k words, but oh well, I liked how it turned out.
There shouldn't be much left of Arc 3, right? Let's see how this develops.
So, on to writing chapter 39; it might take me a while to be honest. Sorry about that, but that's it. I'll most likely write more extra chapters like I've been doing. I've written 6 already, I think? Anyway, I don't plan on abandoning them.
Thank you very much for reading. Leave your comments because I want to keep reading them. Support me, and I'll see you in the next chapter. Byeee.