On a small hill beside Flugel's tree, Subaru stood, observing the first light of dawn as it touched the ground, with the sun gradually rising and transforming the sky from deep black to a lively blue.
He relished the sensation of the warm rays on his skin, feeling invigorated, much like the refreshing feeling of a cold shower upon waking. Watching the sunrise was always a treasured experience for him.
Did he mention that in this world, the scenery was far more stunning?
The air was fresh, free from pollution and noise, offering nothing but complete tranquility and beauty.
Subaru continued to immerse himself in the stunning view, feeling detached from everything around him. He didn't pay heed to the person approaching until they stood beside him.
"…"
Neither of them spoke; they simply stood together, absorbing the magnificent sight.
The atmosphere was serene, peaceful, and beautiful, despite the events that had unfolded just hours earlier.
"I always looked at the sky at times like this, but I never realized it could be so… peaceful," the person next to him, Crusch Karsten, finally broke the silence.
"It is, and it always has been. That's why I love it so much," he replied, his tone sincere and gentle.
"I couldn't find you after the feast; I had to ask Rem-san to find you," she said.
"I prefer the silence. Loud celebrations aren't exactly my cup of tea," he answered.
After he had defeated the White Whale, he returned to Flugel's tree to check on the army there and share the good news, even though they had likely seen it for themselves.
What he didn't anticipate was being swarmed by nearly everyone, lifted high into the air like some sort of trophy, and celebrated as a legendary hero.
Cheers of gratitude, thanks, and joy echoed around him, while his protests went unheard amidst the excitement.
They gathered all the provisions they had and arranged a grand feast, which was, of course, overseen and approved by the duchess herself to commemorate his victory.
Naturally, he was the guest of honor at this celebration, seated alongside key members of the subjugation force, including the captains of the mercenaries clad in white robes, one of whom he had come to know as "Iron Fang."
So, you can imagine his shock when he discovered that they were under the command of Anastasia Hoshin, the leader of the Hoshin Company.
He wasn't concerned about her status as the head of a major company or her candidacy for the throne. What mattered to him was the fact that they were linked to the lady whose knight he had so ruthlessly beaten into a pulp.
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"Gotta tell ya, kid, that was one helluva show back ther'! The wolfman beside him, whom he had just learned of his name moments ago, gave him a friendly pat on the back.
Subaru offered a smile in response. "What can I say? I'm just that impressive," he replied.
"Yeah, Mister! That was really amazing!" He turned to the small female demi-human cat beside him, who was gazing up at him with wide-eyed wonder.
Subaru smirked, enjoying the admiration. "I'm glad you think so!"
"Mimi wants to learn! Mimi wants to do that big pink boom! and that teleport thingy you do! Teach Mimi!" she insisted eagerly.
"Mimi, it's actually purple—You know what, I give up." The other male demi-human cat next to her sighed in defeat, realizing she wasn't paying him any mind. A quick glance at them revealed they were twins.
"Sorry, kiddo. I don't think I can teach you. It's something only I can do," he said apologetically.
Mimi pouted, "Awww, Mimi really wanted to learn." But then her expression brightened as she had a realization. "Hey! Mimi isn't a little kid; Mimi is fourteen years old!"
Subaru looked at her and chuckled, "Not sure about that. You don't look fourteen to me. At best, I'd say you look about nine."
Before Mimi could give him a whack on the head, Ricardo stepped in, "No, no, she might not look it, but she really is fourteen."
Subaru blinked in surprise, "Really?! But she looks like a child!"
Hetaro had to hold Mimi back to prevent her from hitting him.
Ricardo laughed, "No. Mimi and Hetaro ar' both Kitten demi-humans, so it's normal for them to look small."
Subaru listened and thought about his words. While it was a bit hard to grasp, it made sense. If she were a child, why would she be involved in this hunt for the Whale?
Unless they employ child soldiers here…
"And just so ya know, she's th' vice captain of the force I lead, the Iron Fang!" he announced proudly.
"And she's the strongest!" she chimed in from the side.
"Is that so? So what exactly are you guys anyways? Mercenaries?" he inquired, having never heard of them before.
Ricardo took a sip of his beer. "Sorta. We're the largest private force in Kararagi, and we're currently workin' under the Hoshin Company."
"Hoshin?" he repeated, trying to recall where he had heard that name. He was aware of the legendary Hoshin who united the cities of the west and established the city-states of Kararagi, but he also remembered someone with that name.
"Yeah, Anastasia Hoshin. 'm sure ya heard of he', right?" he said.
Then it clicked for him. "Oh, now I remember. Anastasia Hoshin, the chairwoman of the Hoshin Company and the lady who…" he trailed off.
Anastasia Hoshin, the woman whose knight he had beaten up. The same woman was Emilia's rival to the throne.
And now, he was sitting next to her captain of her own private military force.
Ricardo must have noticed the expression on his face because he burst into laughter, spilling some of his drink as he gave him a hearty pat on the back.
"Hahahaha! Ya shoulda seen th' look on yer face! Absolutely priceless!" he said, laughing until he finally settled down.
"Yeah, I know what ya did to Julius. While I was mad at ya, I'm not anymore," he admitted.
"...Really? You're not?" he asked, finally finding his voice.
Ricardo nodded. "At first, I thought you were just some thug for what ya did to him. But after ya rushed 'n t' save us and took down the Whale when we couldn't, I don't think yer a bad person," he said, taking another sip of his beer.
"I don't know what issues ya have with Julius, but I'm sure it's all a misunderstanding. He can com' off as snobbish or uptight, alright. But deep down, he's a good guy," he added.
Subaru, listening to this, fell into deep thought. That was exactly the impression he had of Julius—a prideful, arrogant jerk and the biggest hypocrite. But he knew that people aren't simply black or white.
Maybe there is more to him than what meets the eye?
Ricardo interrupted Subaru's thoughts by handing him a tankard brimming with beer.
"Come o', ya can think about that later; now's time ta celebrate!" he declared.
Subaru glanced at the tankard for a moment before accepting it, a smile spreading across his face. "Celebrating with drinks? Now you're speaking my language!"
They both burst into hearty laughter and downed their drinks, savoring the moment while keeping it out of Mimi's reach, who was eager to have a taste.
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And that's how it went down..
In the end, things ended on a good note, with Subaru enjoying the company of his new drinking buddy, Ricardo.
As for the twins, everything went well with Hetaro being an adorable and polite little boy. He had a lot of fun teasing him about girls his age, which Ricardo joined in.
As for Mimi… well, she was the literal definition of an orange cat.
Subaru hadn't spent much time with Wilhelm or Felix. Cat-ears was his usual self, but his teasing tone carried a hint of respect this time. Wilhelm, on the other hand, remained mostly quiet, lost in thought, and Subaru chose to let him be.
Rem, however, was bursting with pride for him, often wearing a smug expression whenever others praised his efforts. She would always say, "This is Rem's hero; of course, he would impress you."
Anyway, he had been reminiscing long enough; it was time to return to reality.
"So, why do you want to see me? As much as I enjoy your company, I doubt you came here just to watch the sunrise with me," he inquired.
"You're right; I have a reason for being here," she replied, turning to face Subaru.
Then, to his surprise, she performed a deep bow, lowering her body at a ninety-degree angle, one hand resting on her chest.
It was a gesture of deep gratitude.
"I want to thank you, Natsuki-san, for not only saving my men from certain death but also for saving my life. Without your intervention, this hunt would have ended in complete disaster, and my men would have all but been slaughtered. I am truly in your debt," she said, her voice sincere and slightly timid.
Subaru was left speechless. It wasn't the gratitude that caught him off guard—many had expressed their thanks before—but the fact that this proud duchess, a candidate for the throne, was doing the same.
"Come on, Crusch. There's no need for all that. I just did what anyone would do," he replied, unsure of how to respond in such a moment.
Crusch stepped out of her bow and regarded him. "But is it really? You serve Emilia-sama, a contender for the throne and my direct rival. You witnessed how close we came to total defeat. You saw how near I was to death. You could have easily gone on your way and forgotten about me," she said.
"With one less rival for the throne, Emilia's chances of winning would significantly improve, bringing her closer to her goal,"
Subaru's lips pressed into a thin line at this. Leave Crusch and her army to die like that? "That will never happen," he asserted firmly, surprising her with his intensity.
"I may not look like it, but I despise cruelty, and that's exactly what the White Whale was doing. Trapping soldiers in its fog and toying with them, as if their lives were meaningless. I can't just stand by and allow that to happen; I can't let people die when I have the ability to save them. So, whether you're my lady's competitor or not doesn't change anything for me."
Crusch was taken aback by the strength and determination in his voice, and the resolve in his eyes. It was evident that he meant every word, and she believed him without needing her divine protection.
"You are truly a hero, Natsuki-san," she said, smiling warmly, a smile he returned.
"Oh come on, not you too! Rem already calls me that all the time! And Just call me 'Subaru'; Natsuki-san feels too formal for me,"
They shared smiles for a moment until the sound of footsteps drew their attention. They turned to see Rem approaching, accompanied by Wilhelm.
"Ah, Rem, Wilhelm, there you are," Subaru greeted, receiving a nod from Wilhelm while Rem stayed silent.
"…Rem? Is everything okay?" he asked, but received no answer as her head was lowered, her bowl-cut hair obscuring her eyes.
She had come to see Subaru at Wilhelm's request, who wanted to have a conversation with him. Upon her arrival, she noticed Subaru and Crusch sharing smiles.
Rem was well aware of Subaru-kun's charm and good looks; it was the reason she wanted his dick–had fallen for him and desired to have as many kids with him–spend the rest of her life with him.
Knowing that she was facing competition for his affection, she had already confessed her feelings and believed she had outdone the main rival—Emilia-sama—and felt confident in owning his heart.
But now, hearing Crusch-sama refer to Subaru-kun as a hero and for him to invite her to call him by his first name was worrying!
It seemed that now she had more rivals than she thought!
'Rem will not lose so easily against you, Crusch-sama!' From that moment on, Rem vowed to compete fiercely for her hero's love.
Meanwhile, Subaru was still worried and puzzled by Rem's silence, wondering if he had said something wrong.
'Man, I'll never understand women. They're just too complicated for me,' he thought, giving up on this blue-haired creature and choosing to focus his attention on Wilhelm instead.
"So, Wilhelm, how are you holding up?" he asked the elderly butler.
Wilhelm offered a faint smile. "I appreciate your concern, Subaru-dono. However, this old man has faced far worse," he replied, there were bandages wrapped around his chest and waist, which indicated he had been through a tough time.
"Is that so? Well, I'm glad you're doing alright, I guess. Is there anything you need?" Subaru asked.
Wilhelm took a gentle breath. "Yes, there is something important I must share with you, Subaru-dono."
"You too, huh? Well, before you say anything, I actually have something to tell you as well," Subaru began, and what followed caught everyone off guard, even those who were usually lost in thought.
"Wilhelm Van Astrea, I want to express my deepest apologies. I know about the tragedy that befell your wife, the former sword saint, and how she lost her life during a failed expedition against the whale. I'm sorry if it seems like I deprived you of your chance for vengeance; that was never my intention at all," he said sincerely.
Back when the capital's emissary arrived and after their departure, Subaru approached Roswaal to see if he had any information about the envoy. As was typical with that eccentric clown, he had to dig a bit before finally getting a response.
He learned that the old butler was known as the sword demon, a renowned warrior recognized for his role in the civil war, and he had been married to the previous sword saint, Theresia Van Astrea, who was later killed by the whale.
Subaru also knew how badly Wilhelm had taken the news, leaving the Imperial knights' order and going on a quest for revenge that lasted over a decade.
Subaru couldn't help but feel sympathy for the old man. After years of hard work tracking down and confronting the beast that took away your beloved, only to have the opportunity for retribution snatched away, must be devastating for anyone.
That was why Subaru was apologizing now; because he could relate to this warrior and genuinely felt bad for him.
"Subaru-dono," Wilhelm started, but he found himself at a loss for words. In all the scenarios he had imagined for this conversation, he never expected it to begin this way.
Yet, whether he wanted to or not, Wilhelm felt compelled to respond, "I appreciate your apology, but it's quite unnecessary, as I'm not offended in the slightest."
"…You're not? You're not angry at all?" Subaru was confused, a logical reaction.. If someone else was the one to kill his parents' assassin, he would have absolutely felt enraged at his chance for revenge being stolen. He was sure of that.
Wilhelm took a deep breath. "Initially, I was," he admitted, but he quickly continued before Subaru could interject. "However, after witnessing the celebration and the joy on everyone's faces afterward, I realized it was time to let go of my anger and desire for revenge. All of that was resolved the moment you killed White Whale."
He then bowed to Subaru, though not as deeply as Crusch had. "For that, I genuinely thank you for freeing this world from that scourge and for granting this old man the peace he sought, allowing him the chance to fix his past mistakes."
Crusch was surprised by his words, but she felt a sense of happiness as well. Although she hadn't known him for long, she had come to respect the aged demon sword, even viewing him as a friend. And seeing him finally at peace brought her joy.
Similarly, Rem felt a sense of happiness, primarily because her hero had helped Wilhelm achieve his desires. And because her hero was awesome.
Subaru, on the other hand, was left speechless. To have both a royal candidate and the legendary sword demon bowing to him felt surreal.
Regardless, he was relieved that Wilhelm held no grudges against him; in fact, it seemed like it was quite the opposite. Although they hadn't interacted much, Wilhelm seemed wise, and Subaru wouldn't mind getting to know him better.
"Aww, first Crusch and now you? You two are really going to make me blush!" he said with a shy smile, which made Wilhelm chuckle.
"Anyway, now that we're finished here, what are you guys planning to do?" he inquired.
Crusch replied, "The Iron Fang have already gathered their belongings and left, and Felix is doing the same with my men. We'll be taking the whale's carcass back to the capital as proof of kill."
She then gave him a sly grin, "And of course, we'll announce who was responsible for its defeat."
Subaru blinked in surprise, "Wait, you're going to give me the credit for it?"
She nodded, "Naturally! As a duchess and matriarch of house Karsten, It's both my duty and obligation to always tell the truth."
The idea of taking credit for the kill hadn't crossed his mind when he helped them. Initially, he would have turned down such recognition, as it contradicted his original goal. But now? After his recent actions in the capital, he might as well accept it.
And perhaps this would benefit Emilia's cause, so it's a win-win.
"I guess I don't have much of a choice, do I?" he said, and judging by the look on their faces, the answer was a clear no.
"Alright then, if that's what Crusch-sama wants, I have no choice but to accept it," he agreed.
"Please, just call me Crusch, not 'Crusch-sama.' You've more than earned the right to use my first name," she replied smoothly, prompting a smirk from him.
Rem pouted at this. She's even asking him to talk to her casually!
"Using my own words against me? Fine then, Crusch. Can I have my sunglasses back?" he asked, extending his hand toward her.
She paused for a moment, then recalled what he had given her earlier. "Of course, I still have them."
She reached into her pants pocket and pulled out the black-tinted sunglasses, handing them over to him.
"Here you go—Subaru? Is something wrong?" she inquired, noticing he was gazing off to the side instead of at her.
He seemed to be focused on something in the distance, as if he were trying to spot it.
"Subaru-kun? Are you okay? You're staring off into the distance…" Rem asked, her concern growing. But he remained silent, prompting Rem, Wilhelm, and Crusch to exchange anxious looks. What was causing his sudden odd behavior?
He then turned around, appearing to scan the area as if searching for something. His gaze shifted toward the direction of the mansion.
"Shit!" His eyes widened in horror as he took a step back.
"S-Subaru-kun! What's wrong? Do you see something?!" Rem quickly asked, moving closer to him.
She had never witnessed her hero, usually so confident and proud, look so terrified.
"Crusch," he directed his gaze at her, and she was struck by the intensity in his expression.
"You said you're in my debt, right? It seems you'll need to repay it sooner than expected because I need your help." His tone matched the seriousness in his eyes.
"…Subaru, I'll admit I'm puzzled by your sudden actions. However, I am a woman of my word; just tell me what you need, and I will make it happen." She replied, her voice steady.
"In that case, I'll need you and your men, along with every single carriage you have for transport." He stated.
"For what purpose if I may ask?"
"Because Emilia is under attack by the witch cult."