For the love of God! This is the longest chapter I have written to date. 10377 words. I have to say that this would not have been possible without the help of the many discord channel betas that have helped me, Twisted and Asterisk in particular. Both have helped me a lot, Asterisk with punctuation and Twisted with grammar and some ideas that I liked and used.
I also have to thank whoever made the document with Garfiel's dialogues.
This is the penultimate chapter. The next chapter will be the last and the most difficult to write. So I hope you like this. See you at the end
Chapter 4 begins.
Otto Suwen has considered himself to be rather unfortunate throughout his life. Having no control over his powers as a child caused him problems, such as being unable to make friends, or even communicate with his own family. He abandoned his family after leaving his hometown due to a crime he did not commit.
His father's friend took him under his wing and helped him become a merchant. Otto, shortly after coming of age, decided to start his own company as a merchant. Hopefully one day he'll be able to open his store.
Despite all this, he continued to suffer from bad luck and encountered different challenges during his travels. From bad weather to bandit attacks, to losing maps or going the wrong way, to encounter wild animals and monsters.
When he was in his twenties, he hardly considered his luck as good because if something went right, it was because of his hard work.
Otto did not believe his luck could have been any greater than it was now for the first time in a long time.
The Sword Saint was in front of him, but it wasn't him who had fully caught his attention, but the two others with him.
Natsuki Subaru, the name of the person who, despite doing so without wanting to, rescued him from death. Leading the crusade against the witch cult's Archbishop of Sloth.
He is the person with whom, Otto Suwen, had gone through a lot of trouble.
If a problem arose, he could rely on him.
The person he could consider as his best friend.
And despite everything, Natsuki Subaru was someone Otto Suwen didn't know very much about. Otto knew Subaru was peculiar, that he was prone to making trouble, and that he did strange things sometimes.
However, he knew nothing else about him. He never wanted to talk about his past or where he had come from before joining Emilia's Camp and somehow avoided the subject whenever asked about it.
However, Otto was confident that Subaru was trustworthy. In the end, everyone has secrets they do not want to share. Nevertheless, Otto would be there if Subaru ever needed some support or assistance. Because he knew Subaru would do the same for Otto.
It was precisely that attribute that allowed Otto to trust Subaru despite his secrecy and strange behaviour.
Therefore, when the Sword Saint asked him to go to the Astrea mansion through one of his servants, the last thing Otto Suwen expected was to meet face to face with his friend's parents.
"It is true that Kenichi and Naoko Natsuki are the parents of Natsuki Subaru, and I would appreciate you taking them to the Miload's mansion."
In the midst of processing the newly revealed information, Otto simply blinks a few times.
Garfiel Tinsel was no better off than his partner. His friendship, brotherhood, and above all, respect for Natsuki Subaru was very profound. Garfiel regarded him as the most respected of any person, despite his peculiar behaviour.
He was the one who helped him cope with his past. He looked at Subaru as a hero when the going got tough. For his amazing self, he was the best cap'n ever
Garfiel, noting that Otto could not compose himself, announced, "Definitely. Ya'll see th' cap'n's reaction when he gets th' news." Having crushed Otto's hand and made him react, Garfiel smiled and nodded towards the Sword Saint.
Finally, Otto was able to speak "Sure, Reinhard-sama, Natsuki-san will be happy" He nodded with Garfiel and accepted the task from the Sword Saint.
Upon hearing the name of his son, the Natsuki couple reacted.
"If you don't mind Reinhard-san, can you tell us who they are?" Kenichi interrupted the trio of young people as Naoko nodded beside him.
"Ah, yes excuse me Kenichi-san" Reinhard apologized for his behaviour, ignoring the couple was not very chivalrous. "These two are close friends of your son. Otto Suwen and Garfiel Tinsel."
Naoko couldn't help but ask in surprise, "Subaru's... friends...". How much time has been since Subaru last had someone to call a friend? It has been a long time.
Even though she was surprised to learn that her son had friends who were close to her, a part of her could not help but be happy.
Kenichi, who was equally surprised, thanked both young men, "Thank you for taking care of our son."
Likewise, Naoko joined her husband in thanking the young men "He might be troublesome, but he means no harm"
"No no no, we should say that" Otto wasted no time in rejecting the expression of gratitude "Your son is the one who takes care of us too"
"It could be said that we look out fer each other" Said Garfiel. Why complicate a situation that could be summed up in a few words?
As Otto understood what the teenager was thinking, he laughed. "Yes, you may say that"
"Then, now that the presentations are out of order I think I should leave you now "Reinhard turned to the couple and said to them, "Kenichi-san, Naoko-san, if I remember correctly you did not have any luggage with you, right?"
"Yeah... We didn't bring anything with us" Kenichi muttered. They didn't intend to do it that way. They were simply transported from one place to another without notice.
In response, Reinhard said, "If you want, I can lend you some money.".
Otto interrupted before they had a chance to speak
"Don't worry Reinhard-sama, we'll handle this" Otto took out a leather bag that made a sound when he moved it. Coins filled its interior quite a bit.
"If that is the case I won't bother you anymore," Reinhard said to the green-wearing man. "The trip to the mansion will be a bit long but I hope you will endure it" With a last smile Reinhard turned to enter the mansion.
"Thank you very much, Reinhard-san," Naoko replied to the redhead. They would have had a hard time finding food or a place to sleep without him. He had given them much more than that "Thank you very much, really." She began to cry. Kenichi hugged his wife with tears in his eyes as well.
"We are going Subaru, just wait a little bit more, Mom and Dad are going to see you" Naoko thought while tearing a bit.
"Kenichi-san, Naoko-san do not worry about it. As I mentioned before, your son would have done the same if he were in my situation. Just... take care. For me and for Subaru's sake." After saying that, Reinhard retreated to his mansion.
Garfiel and Otto stood on the sidelines silently for a moment to give the couple a moment to relax themselves.
His eyes were a bit red, so he wiped them with his hand "So... Otto-kun and Garfiel-kun, right?"
"Yes. I am Otto Suwen and this is ..."
"My amazin' self 's Garfiel Tinsel"
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Kenichi-san and Naoko-san" Otto made a small bow to the couple while Garfiel stood upright, pointing to his chest.
"Reinhard-kun told us you were friends with Subaru, can you tell us if he has been doing well?" Naoko worriedly asked.
While Reinhard and Felt had already told them about Subaru's exploits, as parents they also wanted to know that he was his in their daily life.
"Sure! I wouldn't mind talking about Natsuki-san and I am sure Garf would too. Well, Subaru-san, I guess that would be a bit odd now," Otto replied with an embarrassed smile. After a brief moment of looking to the sky, he looked back at the Natsuki couple "However, I think it would be better if we had the discussion while travelling to the Miload mansion."
In no time at all, Otto took his place as driver. The Natsuki couple stared in awe at the beast that was supposed to pull the carriage.
"What the hell is that?!" Kenichi asked in awe when he watched what was pulling the carriage. It looked like a very overgrown lizard. The lizard had blue scales and two big red eyes. It was quadruped and its legs were quite large. They seemed capable of crushing a human without much trouble.
"It's a ground dragon?" Otto answered a bit confused at the question. From his reaction they seemed not to have seen an earth dragon, then he remembered "Oh that's right, Natsuki-san ... I mean Subaru-san told me that where you come from there aren't any earth dragons, now I understand the confusion"
"He also said they had this... what was 's name... kar was it?" As he tried to recall the details of the conversation, Garfiel commented.
"Are you referring to a car?" Naoko replied to the blond boy
"Yeah, that's right. Cap'n says that back at home, things were different; however, he never speaks much 'bout it.
"You don't need to worry about Frufoo as she is very gentle so unless you hurt her she is not going to do anything" Otto explained to the couple "We've been together for a long time, so don't worry about it" Otto stroked the dragon's tail and the dragon roared with delight. Let's get started, shall we?
Garfiel and the Natsuki couple sat in the carriage after that.
"This is very comfortable" Naoko and Kenichi thought when they sat.
"Upru nah Frufoo" Once everyone was seated Otto said something neither Naoko nor Kenichi understood and stared strangely at him. After roaring a little, the dragon began pulling the cart.
The Natsuki couple, used to modern Japan and cars, were a bit surprised by the instability of the car but quickly got used to it.
"Maybe is not that comfortable"
They didn't speak for a moment since they had just met recently and the conversation had stalled, but Kenichi decided to break the silence before they left the capital.
"How... How is Subaru? Is he okay?" He asked doubtfully, the last time he saw his son he was far from well. At that point, he was sure his mind was a mess and that he had failed him as a father.
"Cap'n 's fine as far as I know" Garfiel replied sincerely. "He always makes others laugh with his ideas and games. He's always like the turpendors " His lips curled into a small grin.
"Turpen-what?"
"That's the good thing about Natsu... argh, again... That's the good thing about Subaru-san" Otto said confidently "He always finds a way to raise everyone's spirits even when the situation is difficult. it's true that from time to time it's a little weird "
"He ain't weird Aniki, Cap'n's amazing... Not as amazin' as my amazin' self but he certainly's amazin'."
"Yes... You could say Subaru was always like that deep down," Naoko said, remembering those simpler times when her son was a happy child.
"I haven't seen him as much with the amount of work going on," Otto explained. "He goes with Emilia-sama on her travels to gain support for her campaign, and when we are at the mansion, Beatrice-sama certainly monopolizes a lot of his time."
"Yeah, the princess n' Beako always keep him busy when they can" Garfiel pouted, from time to time he also wanted time with his cap'n, outside of training. Even if asked about that, he would no doubt reply that a man does not have time for that.
Although bonding with his bros was something he would do every time.
Kenichi thought to himself "Emilia... Reinhard named her earlier."
"Emilia... If I remember correctly she was the candidate for the throne that Subaru was serving" Naoko recalled, the silver-haired half-elf "What is she like?" Reinhard told them Subaru followed her from his first day here. As he got his belly sliced open, she saved him from death.
Needless to say, Naoko's blood ran cold at this fact.
"Emilia-sama is very unique I guess?" He began awkwardly "Despite the fact that she is different from everyone else, she is always trying to make everyone around her happy" He went on, some of his words more confident "Often considered naive and stubborn, Emilia-sama's heart is certainly huge, even if she refuses to admit it. If I were to put it in Subaru-san's words, she is quite troubling."
"I'd say they're quite similar," Garfiel said, gaining attention from both of the parents "Too stubborn t' give up, always willin' to help others" Leaning back in his chair, Garfiel spoke confidently "I think that's why they're suited for each other"
"At least Subaru-san is hahaha" Otto laughed.
The fact that Subaru was smitten with Emilia was nothing he hid, on the contrary, it was well known to everyone. The extent of his crush on her was so great that he willingly waited for her response, no matter how long it took.
Naoko looked confused and asked, "Does Subaru like Emilia?". Knowing that her son had a love life was something she did not expect, but it certainly helped calm her heart. Knowing that despite everything, her son was living a somewhat normal life.
"I would say that 'like' falls short" Garfiel commented "Cap'n's completely in love with the princess"
"Certainly" Otto confirmed "Subaru-san has done incredible things for that love" The hunt of the White Whale, the attack on the archbishop of Sloth and the extermination of the great rabbit.
"The White Whale hunt would have been so excitin' " Garfiel said wistfully. Even if he denied it himself, he knew his Cap'n was incredible. While he often indicated that others made it possible, he was the one who stepped forward first, making him the amazing figure in the lead.
"Why won't he accept that?" Garfiel thought to himself.
After being informed, by Reinhard and Felt, of the kind of dangers the three Great Mabeasts were and how terrifying the Archbishops of Sin of the witch-cult were, as parents, their levels of concern reached extreme levels.
An ever-flying whale with the power to erase memories. A rabbit that ate everything it came across and could multiply infinitely. And a madman who has power given to him by a witch who attempted to end the world 400 years ago.
"We certainly have to talk to Subaru about this," Kenichi told his wife. His son had done things that he could have died from had he made the wrong decision.
"Yes, but I'm also happy that he is getting better little by little," Naoko told him.
"And tell me, Garfiel-kun ... Who is this Beako you were talking about?" Kenichi remembered hearing the name mentioned earlier in the conversation, but didn't remember Reinhard or Felt mentioning anyone named Beako.
Garfiel didn't answer as Otto answered quickly, "Beatrice-sama is a great spirit that Subaru-san is contracted with, and she might be the only person he talks to about his issues."
"Only with her?" Naoko wondered. From what they said, her son got along quite well with them. Also surprised, Kenichi next to her was taken aback by another reason.
This Beatrice had gotten Subaru to open up to her in a way that he had never been able to do. In his mind, Kenichi felt that he had failed again as a father and suffered a blow to his pride.
"Cap'n's a bit reserv'd, and he does not share his problems with us unless the situation requires it and we force him to." Garfiel replied somberly. He also wanted to help his cap'n when he was sad or angry about something.
"Subaru-san is very stubborn when it comes to talking about himself" Otto frowned a little. "But it's nothing to worry about. Beatrice-sama cares a great deal for Subaru-san, so I have no problem letting her handle him." When they were together, Beatrice was very protective of Subaru, even threatening the others if they interfered with their privacy "And one day, if he needs our help, we will be there for him if he needs it."
Their speechlessness was evident. This Beatrice ... For taking care of her son so well, they would certainly have to thank her. Also, they would have to talk to their son once they got together because they had a lot to discuss.
The conversation continued for a few more hours, talking about Subaru, the Emilia camp and its members, their daily lives and their actions.
Eventually, it was night, so Otto called it a day.
"We will camp here for now" Otto said to the party in the carriage "It is late and we are still a bit far from Miload's mansion, but we have made good time thanks to Frufoo, so we should arrive there tomorrow afternoon."
Getting out of the carriage, Garfiel commented as he stretched his legs, "I knew we were going faster than we'd when we went to the capital." He disliked sitting for so long, especially inside the carriage.
Both Naoko and Kenichi stepped out of the carriage. In a clearing in the middle of a forest, they camped. The nature of the place was incredible and it was a great place to camp. There were few places like this on Earth.
"What an incredible place," Naoko remarked as she looked around.
"Ain't that right?" Garfiel asked as he took out some bags from the carriage. "Ya have t' see th' trees back in my village, they are amazin'."
"Kenichi-san, Naoko-san, if I recall correctly, the Sword Saint said that you had no luggage, so you can sleep in the carriage" Otto said, carrying two sleeping bags, "Garf and I will sleep in these".
"Thank you very much Otto-kun" Kenichi looked around the place they camped "Is there anything we can help with?"
"Well, now it only remains to prepare dinner and little else. After that Garf and I will take turns on guard for the night and tomorrow morning we will continue with the trip."
"If you would like, I can assist you with dinner" said Naoko. She hadn't cooked in a long time, for obvious reasons. It was not her first time cooking outside and maybe outdoor cooking is not her forte, but she was clearly capable of helping.
"I can help you with the guard if necessary, dividing it by three will make things easier for everyone" As an adult, he was not going to let the two young men do all the work, although they really were responsible.
"No offence meant Kenichi-san, Naoko-san, but you need to rest," Otto said seriously. "I don't know what kind of looks you think you have, but you are extremely worn out."
They were clearly not in the best of health. Subaru usually does the same thing, so Otto recognized those details. Overexerting himself to the point of exhaustion, his symptoms were very similar to those of the couple. There are dark circles under the eyes, sagging shoulders, and weight loss.
Even though the bags under their eyes and the sagging shoulders were more noticeable than the weight loss. When he noticed that their clothes seemed larger than they should be and their thin limbs, it was obvious they had long since run out of energy and were driven just by their wills.
"Don't worry Otto-kun, this old man still has plenty to say." Kenichi said convinced "It's not the first time I've stayed up late forcing myself a bit" Remembering not only the times he worked overtime to finish projects but also the hours they spent searching for Subaru.
A few hours of sitting weren't going to make much of a difference to him.
"Kenichi-san..." Otto said with concern.
"Y'should rest. T'morrow ya're goin' to meet with Cap'n and I don't want him to have a bad reaction to seeing you" Garfiel ordered. His gaze was serious and left no room for discussion in the couple.
"But Garfi ..." Kenichi's answer was cut off by the young man.
"Look, I'm not talking about this." Garfiel stared directly into Kenichi's eyes "Clearly, y've not prepared yourself to stand guard. Ya're an idiot if ya claim otherwise. 'f we were workin' or it was vital I would let you stand guard but as a shield for the Emilia camp, 's my duty to protect all those under the same flag and I say that now y've to rest. Think about your meetin' with Captain t'morrow, and that's all "
Looking at the blond, Kenichi gaped.
"Dear, I think we should do what they tell us. They are more experienced than us in this matter." Naoko also wanted to help since she didn't feel comfortable letting Otto and Garfiel do all of the work, but they refused to allow it. They were told to rest and not to insist on helping.
She knew he was starting to be rude. Kenichi recognized this too, even though he didn't like the idea of leaving the young to do all the work.
"Yes… I overextended myself. I am sorry about that."
"It's all right, Garfiel was also quite rude, I apologize for that," Otto spoke in the name of the quarter human who merely looked away.
"I'm very surprised by your attitude Otto-kun" Naoko said, trying to change the subject of the conversation "You seem quite mature and responsible, what is your age?" she asked before moving on "I think you're about thirty."
As far as Naoko was concerned, Otto was younger than she was. He had wrinkles on his face, which indicated that he wasn't that young. Aside from his whitish-grey hair, it told her that he had seen more springs than he seemed at first.
Otto's face was horrified at Naoko's comment "I am entering my twenties! Am I that old looking?!"
"I'm sorry that Otto-kun just..." Naoko did not remember a boy in her twenties looking so tired and old. She couldn't say that to Otto, he seemed terrified at the idea of looking so old.
Otto's consternation was immense. Although he knew he had been working too much, he didn't realize he was working that much? He expected to look a few years older, like twenty-five or twenty-six, but... "Do I look that old, Garf?" Looking for some support he looked at the young quarter human.
"Aniki, y've look'd the same t' me ever since we met! Hahahahahaha!" Garfiel laughed loudly as Otto sat depressed on the floor, saying things like 'this is Natsuki-san's fault' or 'why is this happening to me?'.
"Then how old are you, Garfiel-kun?" Naoko asked. She didn't want to assume anything about the young man's age, even though he looked younger than his partner. His son seemed a little older, possibly a year older, however.
"In a few months, I'll be fifteen."
Kenichi and Naoko were both amazed after hearing "Fifteen?". The blonde didn't seem so young. He was tall and had a fair amount of muscle. He did not look like a young boy at all. "But you're only in eighth grade!"
"Well, 'f I ain't just a flopswinger in a loo-loo hoop, Hahahaha"
"Flopswin what?" The couple couldn't stop themselves at the strange word.
"Now that I remember Cap'n said the same thing a while back" Subaru's reaction to his age was a funny thing. And his parent's was no less.
The three of them were silent until they heard a clacking sound.
"What is that?" Kenichi asked, looking around.
They turned and saw Otto, who had recovered from the earlier shock, attempting to light a small bonfire using a rather worn flint.
After a few unsuccessful attempts, Otto turned to the group.
"Garf, do you remember where we left the other firestone?" Otto tossed the remains of the unusable flint, firestone, to the ground.
"I think they are in the carriage, in the second drawer on the right" The demihuman replied.
Soon after, Otto got into the carriage and left with the new flint, firestone. He lit the fire after a few attempts and invited the others to come closer to it.
Soon, they made dinner and sat down to eat. There wasn't much conversation between the group since it was mostly limited to the pairs.
"Argh, I'm gettin' tir'd of this already"
Garfield exploded. As the situation had become somewhat tense, he wasn't very pleased with the outcome.
"Garf! What's wrong?" Otto asked worriedly without understanding what was happening.
"'s okay and that's the problem, I'm getting bored. How I wish the cap'n had come with us" Garfiel said something annoyed and pouted "He always has something we can do" Garfiel crossed his arms in his seat.
"Subaru-san had his duties to attend to as Emilia-sama's knight" Otto commented "He also has his training to do. You know he couldn't do this trip with us; besides, am I so boring?!" Otto asked in surprise.
"'s not yer fault Aniki ... 's just that when th' three of us 're t'gether 's more fun and excitin'" Garfiel sighed.
"You really like our son Garfiel-kun" Kenichi commented as he laughed a little seeing the youngster. Naoko also giggled a bit watching the young blond's antics. He remembered her of Subaru when he was younger
"Who doesn't like the cap'n?" Garfiel rhetorically asked "The cap'n 's like a herd of Filigingiris"
"Filigingiris?" They both thought at the strange word, for the third time they could not understand what Garfiel was saying.
Subaru-san always brings something new wherever he goes and brings a smile to everyone's face." Otto explained the strange idiom of his friend. He noticed they didn't understand Garfiel speech.
Garfiel nodded in agreement at Otto's words.
"Subaru does?" Naoko asked in surprise.
"Not only that, cap'n's incredible. He always has a plan t' do something and he never lags behind the rest, walking in th' front, ready to help us in any problem as 'f it were nothin' "
"In his own way, Subaru-san is amazing" Otto replied after he took a moment to consider.
Naoko watched as Otto's lips moved a little more but she couldn't hear what he said, but she could understand the words 'Subaru', 'talk' and 'problems'.
Naoko noticed how Kenichi didn't notice what she did as he was focused on listening to Garfiel's stories about his son.
Garfiel paused for a moment before commenting, "There is one thing I cannot comprehend about the cap'n."
"Oh yeah, I imagine you mean that hahahaha, he got you good that time" Otto laughed a little, understanding what Garfiel meant.
"You don't understand something... about Subaru?" Kenichi always thought that his son was someone relatively simple and easy to read. Although that was proven wrong before his disappearance if he was that easy to read why couldn't he realize that their own son needed more help than what they did? "I guess I never paid any attention to him at all"
"The fact that?" Naoko asked. It could be many things.
His personality? It was their fault for not helping him or asking him about his problems and leaving it to his own.
If only she had been a better mother, if only she had been more insistent... Perhaps her son would not have been so depressed.
Lack of social skills? Their fault too.
She and her husband were responsible for so many things that she couldn't even begin to count them.
"Yes, he has this invisible special attack," Garfield commented thoughtfully. "I remember Cap'n said it was nothing special but he doesn't want to teach me how to do it" Although the hit was not a big deal, an invisible attack is always cool.
The ideas Garfiel had about that move, if he could do it, are endless.
"A ... Special attack?" Kenichi said something confused, but then he realized where they were. "Wait! Has Subaru learned magic?!"
The sudden scream of Kenichi surprised the other three, but Naoko was more surprised.
"Does Subaru have magic powers?" she asked, dumbfounded. She was still a bit sceptical of magic.
Over forty years of believing magic was just children's stories and fantasy, the idea that her own son could do it was foreign to her.
"Nah, I'm sure it's something else..." Garfiel said, denying the idea. While he was not a magic expert, he did know some tricks and could use some water magic.
"I'm sure Emilia-sama or Beatrice-sama know something about it" Otto expressed the same curiosity regarding Subaru's power "Although I had heard Subaru-san gets quite ill after using it"
"Sick? What happens to him?" Naoko asked worriedly
"It's nothing serious" Otto said relieving the parents "His stomach usually hurts or he ends up vomiting from time to time, but it doesn't usually go much more than that"
"It seems... a complicated power" Kenichi thought about how his son felt every time he used this dangerous power.
"The cap'n is like an Ulgram after all" Garfiel said with a smile. He then looked up at the sky and said "I think 's time to rest, 's late and tomorrow we have several hours of travel to reach the mansion"
"Yes, I think it is time to sleep" Otto kicked the fire a little to put it out, leaving only a few embers to keep the heat a bit.
"Good night, guys" Kenichi said before getting up and, together with his wife, going into the carriage "If you need something, don't hesitate to let us know something"
"Indeed, if something arises during the night, do not hesitate to wake us up"
Otto and Garfiel nodded and watched the couple enter the carriage.
Once they made sure the carriage door was closed, Garfiel spoke again.
"What do you think Aniki?" The theme was obvious, the couple travelling with them.
"One thing is for sure ... They are definitely Natsuki-san's parents" Otto said with a small smile "They are too alike and their personalities are quite similar..."
"But...?" This was one of those situations that always had a But.
"But I think something happened between them and Natsuki-san... I don't know exactly what and I don't think we're in a position to force them to tell us."
The Natsuki couple, although kind and friendly, had generally kept to themselves and if the subject wasn't Subaru they couldn't talk much to them.
The husband, Kenichi, had tried to keep the conversation going for quite some time, talking about Subaru and knowing what was wrong with him, how he was doing and so on. His resemblance to Subaru was incredible and his way of taking charge of things was very similar.
Subaru's admiration for his father was obvious to Otto.
Then there was Naoko, her wife. She was calm and quiet, she did not speak much. Often leaving her husband to take care of things. Her villainous gaze was like Subaru's, which clashed with her appeased personality.
Their eyes appeared very tired, and both looked very weak. However, they were not fatigued from physical work, but from mental strain. Staying awake to accomplish things that would otherwise be impossible.
Their bodies couldn't keep up with what their minds were asking and Garf also seemed to notice this as he sent them both to sleep without even listening to them.
"They worry about the cap'n, but I also feel that there's something else... What do ya think might've happened?" Garfiel wasn't exactly a smart person, although he was far from being stupid, and personal relationships weren't easy to understand. He tried, it was obvious he tried hard, but it wasn't enough.
"I don't know" It was obvious, he didn't have much information "Natsuki-san doesn't talk much about his parents either... No. I don't think he had ever told us about them" Otto tried to remember some similar conversation with Subaru, but in none of them had he named or ever mentioned his parents, not even once.
"Yeah ... The cap'n doesn't usually talk much about how he lived before arrivin' at Lugunica" Garfiel said with a frown "I don't think even th' princess knows anythin' 'bout it. I understand that the cap'n's a bit weird and such but... 're we so untrustworthy? " His thoughts began to wander.
"It's not that Garf! I'm sure Natsuki-san just ... He just has his reasons for doing what he does! I'm sure" Otto tried to defend his view of Subaru, but it was true that the black-haired boy wouldn't trust them.
"Yes I hope so"
Inside the carriage
Naoko had just shut the carriage door. Otto had left blankets and the seats of the carriage were spread out into a makeshift bed that she and her husband saw inside the carriage.
Looks like we'll make it through the night without any problems," said Naoko. The place was quite comfortable for two people, although the bed was not as luxurious as the one in Astrea.
"Yes, I'm sure of it" Kenichi took off his shoes and sat on the edge of the bed "What do you think of the boys? They seem to be both very good, I can see why Subaru might like them"
The younger of the two, Garfiel, was quite jovial and cheerful. Although his teeth scared him a bit every time he saw them, they seemed sharp and I checked when he saw him cut the meat for dinner. Kenichi didn't want to check how sharp they were.
Garfiel used expressions that they did not know from time to time which made it difficult to keep up with him, in addition to the fact that he spoke quite fast.
On the other hand, there was Otto, the older of the two. He had a good head on his shoulders, always courteous with others and unlike his partner, he spoke more calmly and calmly, from time to time he explained the strange phrases of his partner when he saw that they did not understand him.
"Yeah... They both seem like nice guys" Naoko answered a bit absentmindedly. What she had read from Otto's lips still worried her a little "I just hope Subaru is happy" Naoko sat next to her husband on the edge of the bed.
She couldn't shake the feeling of concern for her son.
"I'm sure he is, despite everything we've been told Subaru has always made it out alive AND well, after all, so I'm sure there's nothing we should worry much about" Kenichi whispered. They would have told them if something was wrong with their son.
It seems that in the months that he had been here Subaru had improved by leaps and bounds. He had handled relationships with people he did not know and seemed to have found some meaning in his life ... Something that he as a father had not been able to do ...
Kenichi looked down for a moment before cheering up again. He couldn't break down now. Not now that they were so close.
After a moment of silence, Naoko finally replied, "I'm sure too." She lay down on the bed and said "Let's go rest dear"
Kenichi laid down next to her and they both soon fell asleep.
The next day
After leaving at the crack of dawn it had now been several hours since they reached the mansion. They had been in Miload territory for a few hours. Using strange paths, which Otto claimed were shortcuts, greatly reduced the arrival time at the mansion.
As the afternoon wore on, the sky began to glow orange. Having eaten, Garfiel lay on the roof of the carriage and was heard snoring by everyone around him.
For his part, Otto continued to talk to the Natsuki couple. Their subjects of conversation had not changed much, ranging from Subaru to the life at the Miload mansion.
Otto intentionally didn't reveal any secrets about the camp that could be dangerous to him. By focusing on the group's happy moments and relating these events with few details.
"And then Natsu..." Otto stopped his story and his face turned into a smile "Kenichi-san, Naoko-san, I am happy to announce that I finally welcome you to the Miload mansion"
The Natsuki couple looked out of the carriage window and saw a large black gate at the end of the road. The gate was decorated with unfamiliar shapes, and it was connected to a stone wall that disappeared into the forest.
A large mansion could be seen behind the wall and through the gate. Similarly to the Astrea mansion, the Miload mansion also had bright white walls, but unlike the red roof of the Astrea mansion, the Miload mansion had a navy blue roof.
"Our search has finally come to an end" The married couple thought while looking at the mansion. Their final destination
The spectacular garden that could be seen through the gate grew more imposing as the carriage approached the entrance.
The front door was open and open to all visitors, but two guards were standing by the door, who stepped aside when they saw Otto driving the carriage.
An armed guard approached the carriage, "Welcome back, Minister," he said. "Can we put the carriage away while we leave the dragon in the stable?"?"
Otto smiled and replied, "Good afternoon guys - we're in a hurry today so if you would let us pass, that would be great, I will talk to the guards inside for assistance."
Frufoo sped up a bit and they crossed the long lawn in moments. Naoko and Kenichi overcame their initial shock as they had already seen a similar scenario in the Astrea mansion.
At the main entrance, Otto stopped the carriage and told Naoko and Kenichi that they had already arrived at their destination.
"Ahhhh! Finally!" Garfiel, who had been sleeping the entire trip, woke up as if by magic, just as the carriage stopped. And he jumped off the roof of the carriage.
"We're here Subaru" Naoko thought while looking at the huge mansion.
Kenichi embraced his wife and said to himself "We are here son" Finally they were going to be together again.
"Naoko-san, Kenichi-san welcome to the Miload-"
"Garf!"
A female voice shouted.
As Garfiel heard the voice, he stiffened in response to it. The group of four could see a woman in the direction from which the scream came.
Like Garfiel, she has long golden hair and green eyes.
"She is quite tall. '' Thought Kenichi, who for his Japanese origin was quite tall yet the girl was as tall as him.
Even with her maid outfit, the woman, who was clearly related to Garfiel in some way, was taller than Kenichi. Additionally, it appeared because of her musculature that she was quite strong.
She had a frown on her face and her teeth were clearly visible to all. She brought an empty basket with her.
"Geh! Aneki" Garfiel took a few steps back when he saw the woman but he couldn't take a few steps before she was caught.
"What did I tell you about sitting on the roof of the carriage? Where are your manners, huh?" The woman began to scold Garfiel in front of everyone.
"Uh ... Well, Aneki ya see ... 's not like anything is going to happen and-" Garfiel tried to defend himself but was cut off by the angry woman.
"You know that is not what I mean Garf" Although her tone had relaxed, her frown remained.
Otto, Kenichi, and Naoko observed the situation from the sidelines in different ways. Otto, who was used to these exchanges, kept a calm expression as he watched the two siblings.
The Natsuki couple, for their part, observed the situation with a certain amount of shyness. Because of their Japanese upbringing, they were discouraged from interfering with Garfiel's scolding, but he hadn't done anything so bad, though it was dangerous, to warrant such a scolding.
"Who is she, Otto-kun?" Kenichi asked curiously. It was obvious that they were related.
"She is Garfiel's older sister, Frederica-san"
At the mention of her name, Frederica turned in the direction of the group of three.
"Forgive my rudeness, I didn't know we had guests." Frederica bowed to the Natsuki couple with a neutral tone with a hint of embarrassment at her behaviour "My name is Frederica Baumann, Head Maid of the mansion of the Margrave Roswaal L. Mathers."
After bowing down again, Frederica introduced herself more gracefully to the Natsuki couple.
"Forgive anything my brother did to you during the trip. He tends to be a bit of a hothead"
"Oh no no!" Naoko said, defending Garfiel. "Despite his youth, he has been very useful to us!" she added.
"Indeed he is a very energetic young man, which is good for his age. He's also very kind, so I am sure that he will grow into a good man." Kenichi supported his wife
As Otto watched Garfiel turn his back on everyone, he noticed how red his ears were. Otto chose to laugh instead of commenting.
"I appreciate your compliments about my brother, but if he wants to become a knight he needs better manners. Power alone will not help him become a knight" Frederica remarked to her brother.
"The cap'n's manners aren't amazin' either and he's a knight..." Garfiel complained.
"While it may be true that Subaru-sama's manners aren't the best, they are certainly better than yours, Garf. You should at least reach his level- you don't want to be left behind, right?"
"Ha! As 'f that's possible, the cap'n needs me to be with him, so I can't stay behind!"
Frederica giggled a little at her brother's attitude.
"I apologize for my attitude ... once again." Frederica hesitated as she realized that she had no idea who these people were. "It seems that I still have a lot to learn! Would you mind telling me your names?" She asked.
Suddenly, a new voice was heard at the entrance of the Miload mansion. "What's going on here, I suppose?"
A little girl emerged from the mansion's main entrance. Blond hair, tied with two pink ribbons, in two ponytails that resembled a spiral resembling a drill as it cascaded.
She wore a pink dress with white trimmings. Her legs were visible due to the exposed front of the dress. The legs that were covered by the tights were pink and purple. Also, the dress is adorned with a large pink ribbon at the left side of the waist.
Her eyes were the most surprising feature of her. Her eyes were sky blue, which was normal, but her iris was shaped like butterflies.
"Good evening, Beatrice-sama" Frederica addressed the young lady "What brings you here?" Seeing Beatrice out of the mansion, of the library at all, at this hour in the day was strange for her.
"Beatrice?" Both Naoko and Kenichi were shocked. That would mean...
"Yes, she is Beatrice-sama the Great Spirit who formed a contract with Subaru" Otto, as if he was reading their mind, affirmed.
She was the one who take care of Subaru in this new world.
"I came because I felt like Subaru was around here I suppose, have you seen him?" Beatrice asked the golden-haired maid.
"He's here, he's really here"
"I haven't seen Subaru-sama since lunch." Hearing the woman's words, Beatrice turned toward Otto and the Natsuki couple.
"You are...! Now I understand why I felt that Subaru was here, in fact..." Beatrice looked at the Natsuki couple with wide eyes in surprise "How... How is it possible that you are here?" Beatrice couldn't express her thoughts in any other way.
"I brought them Beatrice-sama," Otto commented. "They are the -"
"You don't have to tell me who they are, merchant boy," Beatrice cut him off. "We'll talk once we're all here, I suppose."
"Wait! Tell us where Subaru is. Please..." Naoko begged the spirit "I have ... I need to see him, I need to see that he's okay."
"He's fine, I suppose," Beatrice assured the worried mother. "We can discuss this inside, in fact." She turned to Frederica "Call for Subaru and the girl... Actually, call for Roswaal too, as much as I do not want him to know."
Naoko and Kenichi were feeling more and more happy. Hearing the name of theirson, the fact that he was so close. Their happiness couldn't be compared to anything they had ever felt before.
"Yes, Beatrice-sama" Frederica bowed. She started walking towards the mansion but then stopped herself "Should I call Annerose-sama too?" She should call the lord of the mansion as well. While it was true that Roswaal held the most power in the mansion it was Annerose who was the owner of it.
"No. She doesn't need to be informed of this now, I suppose." Beatrice answered. This needed to be something that only those closest to Subaru would need to know now.
"Per your orders."
"Maid! When you tell Subaru about this just tell him to come to the living room, don't tell him the reason even if he asks. If he asks why, just tell him it was me, I suppose."
Everyone present was surprised by this last sentence since Subaru ought to know. After all, they were his parents. He should be the first to know, shouldn't he?
But Frederica was a disciplined maid and she decided not to ask the spirit "As you wish."
Frederica bowed and entered the mansion and began to carry out her orders.
"Beatrice-sama, if I may-" Otto was cut off by an angry Naoko
"Why doesn't Subaru have to be informed that we're here ?! Who do you think you are ?!" Naoko yelled at the little girl. Her child, her little star. Why can't he be told that they were here to see him?
"Naoko calm-" Kenichi tried to calm his wife but he was also somewhat angry at the words of the spirit
"You don't even know how the fact that you're here can affect Subaru I suppose" Beatrice said calmly, but in her tone, it was obvious that she was angry "Now we will go inside and talk about this calmly because Betty needs to calm her thoughts too"
"What do you mean?" Naoko demanded menacingly.
"That's what I mean, I suppose," Beatrice murmured. "Let's go in. Merchant boy, half-beast boy, you should also come."
Beatrice entered the mansion without saying a word, heading for the living room. An angry Naoko has been left behind along with a Kenichi who tries to calm her down, with Garfiel and Otto looking on in amazement.
"I apologize for that..." Otto said sheepishly, "I'm not sure what the matter is, this isn't normal." While Beatrice was a spirit with a strong character, this behaviour was strange.
"Don't worry, Otto-kun," Kenichi said reassuringly. The Japanese father calmly said "Naoko, dear, I am angry too, but I don't think this will result in anything." He hoped this wouldn't escalate his wife's anger.
There was no response from Naoko. She just started walking in the same direction that Beatrice had gone. Kenichi followed her closely along with Otto and Garfiel.
"My amazing self've never seen her like this" Garfiel said thoughtful " I ain't have an idea of what's got int' her"
At the living room, where Beatrice was already waiting, the short conversation came to an end. But she was not alone.
A rather tall man sat in a chair next to hers. Naoko and Kenichi noticed his odd choice in clothing first, his clothes seemed to be those of a clown, and his strange makeup seemed to add the final touch to his clownish style.
The indigo hair on his back is long enough to cover his entire backside and is tucked behind his left ear.
Standing behind him was a maid. Due to the maid's presence, the couple began to wonder if the man was really who he appeared to be.
The maid had the strangest hair colour they'd ever seen. A light pink colour. Her medium-length light pink hair covered her left eye. They were able to see the red crimson of her right eye since she wore a hair clip to hold her hair.
While she observed them silently, her eyes looked menacing. But Kenichi could feel a sense of surprise behind that, even if she didn't show it.
"Oh my. Nooooow I see why you wanted me to coooooome, Beatrice~," the strangely dressed man said as he smiled at them. With his curious way of speaking, he surprised Naoko and Kenichi. It is a pleeeeaaasure to meet you, sir and madam. My naaaaame is Roswaal L. Mathers."
Roswaal. They knew that name. They had heard about him from Otto and Garfiel. An extremely dangerous and powerful person who supported Emilia's throne bid.
A person who threatened the lives of their son and all of his friends for his own gain.
"We can't say the same Margrave" Kenichi replied angrily staring at Roswaal, who didn't look away at any time "We have heard not too good things about you"
"It seems you don't like me very much right now," He told them without losing his smile. "My expectations are high for your son, so I hope we can work this out."
Kenichi, who had not lost his temper before, was about to snap. Who did this person think he was? Capable of playing with people's lives as if they didn't matter. And then continue with that mocking attitude.
Kenichi was no longer bothered by the fact that his son was involved in the whole situation, but rather, the fact that such a person existed made his stomach turn and blood boil.
Kenichi was enraged beyond comprehension.
"Only-"
"Roswaal, you'd better stop with that, I suppose" Beatrice broke into the conversation. "And you should take a seat too, in fact." She pointed to one of the many sofas in the room.
"Kenichi-san, Naoko-san please calm down," Otto told the couple. "I understand that you are angry, but I assure you that anger will not lead to anything positive. When we found out what Roswaal had done, your son understood that first. I explained to you how things went before, so please don't complicate things." The green boy bowed to them.
Kenichi and Naoko, still upset, sat on the couch like adults.
Garfiel and Otto sat down in their chairs, and the room grew strangely quiet. Everyone was waiting for the missing people to arrive.
The atmosphere was tense, Roswaal kept a strange smile on his face, Beatrice appeared lost in thought, the maid, as she looked at the Natsuki couple, said nothing, Otto and Garfiel watched the situation unsure of what to do.
*Knock Knock*.
The living room door opened to reveal a beautiful teenage girl. Average height, slim and fair-skinned. Her silver, straight hair reached down to her hips. She wore a white rose with a thin purple ribbon bow on the right side of her hair and a white butterfly clip on the left side of her bangs.
She has black lashes and blue-purple eyes with pointed, blue pupils. She wears a white and purple outfit, along with a necklace, which wears a blue crystal.
As Kenichi and Naoko observed, she has pointed ears, showing her non-human origin.
"Have we arrived at a bad moment?" Asked the girl. "Frederica told us that everyone had gathered here because of something that had happened with Subaru and told us we should also come."
Another maid hid between her legs.
Her hair is medium-length, reddish-brown, and falls to her shoulders. Her eyes are cyan. Compared to Frederica or the pink-haired maid, this was definitely a little girl. She couldn't be more than 10 years old.
"Why is everyone so serious?" the little maid wondered, still hiding behind the newcomer's legs.
"Emilia-sama please taaaaaaake a seat with us" Roswaal welcomed the girl by inviting her to take a chair in the living room.
"Emilia? Then, she's the one..." Naoko thought. In anticipation, she moved a bit in her seat. She was the one Subaru chose to follow, the one he loves. At least, that is what Garfiel and Otto had told them.
She felt Kenichi hugging her. She turned her head to see his face. She saw his serious face listening to everything that was going around, or at least looked like it. She could feel his arm trembling, he was as nervous as she.
Along with Emilia and the maid, a third person entered the room. She was another short person. The ends of her long pale red hair curve outwards. Kenichi and Naoko noticed her pointy ears as well.
She wore a large black robe that seemed too big for her and dragged along the ground.
"Grandma! Ya're here too?" Garfiel exclaimed, surprised to see the girl. Surprising the Natsuki couple.
"Grandma?!" Who? The girl? She couldn't be older than 12. How could she be a grandma?
"Yes, indeed I am." She answered him. In spite of her youthful appearance, she spoke slowly and calmly. Naoko and Kenichi were reminded, again, that this was a fantasy world and most of their common sense wasn't applicable here. "I heard from Young Frederica that something related to Young Su happened. So I followed Emilia-sama here. I hope I'm not interrupting anything"
"Obviously, you are not Ryuzu-san! ", Emilia replied before anyone else could. "I do not think Subaru would mind either."
"Emilia-sama is right Ryuzu-san, Subaru-san won't mind you being here at all" Otto answered truthfully.
"Y've yar answer Grandma '' Ryuzu nodded and took a seat near Garfiel.
At the same time, Emilia looked at Beatrice, "Sooo... why did you call us here Beatrice?"
"Sigh ~" The Great Spirit sighs irritably. "I knew you were irritatingly silly and lacked insight, but had it really escaped your notice, I suppose?"
The young girl arched her head, unable to understand the small spirit's intent. "Beatrice, you shouldn't talk like that; you're a lady after all."
"Agghh, for the love of... Just look there, in fact" Beatrice pointed towards the Natsuki couple and Emilia continued with her gaze where she pointed seeing Naoko and Kenichi for the first time.
Seeing the Natsuki couple, Emilia's face turned into one of shock, surprised at their presence. "Oh my! We have guests, why haven't you told me about them before?" She asked. Again, Beatrice sighed with a shake of her head, muttering about the foolishness of the girl. Seeing that Beatrice would not answer, Emilia turned to the couple, before introducing herself, saying: "Nice to meet you, sir and madam, my name is Emilia, just Emilia."
She welcomed them with a smile and a welcoming bow, holding out a hand.
Incredulous, Beatrice murmured, "It is hard for me to believe that she has not yet realized who they might be, I suppose. "
Kenichi and Naoko weren't sure what to do. Emilia and Roswaal were both supposed to be nobles of the nation. But unlike Roswaal, who through Otto's stories they had decided they didn't like the man, Emilia was the opposite.
Naoko was not sure how to address the girl. She was friends with her son, so more casual? But at the same time, she was someone who could become the leader of a nation, that had to be a more formal tone.
As Naoko debated with herself about what to do, Kenichi stood up then shook Emilia's hand and said "Good afternoon," to her. Naoko just stared at her husband, surprised and shocked at his forwardness.
"Good afternoon to you too, sir"
Emilia was quite pleased with the man's friendly attitude. It was a more accepting attitude than the one she usually encounters when she meets people for the first time. The man looked familiar, Emilia was watching his face, noticing that it was similar to another person she knew, yet she could not put her finger on it.
She felt something similar happened with the woman who was with him. Her eyes were sharp and looked like the eyes of her own mother, those eyes that looked at her with affection day after day.
"Forgive me sir, but have we met before?"
"No, I don't think we've met before" Kenichi replied calmly, "But I've heard a lot about you from Otto-kun and Garfiel-kun, these last two days"
"I...see?" Emilia had no idea where exactly this man wanted to take the conversation. Well, if you have anything you want to tell me... uh... " Emilia then realized that she didn't know the name of the person in front of her.
"Oh yeah sorry about that my name is Kenichi, Natsuki Kenichi" Emilia's eyes widened in surprise when she heard the words that come out of the man's mouth "This is my wife, Natsuki Naoko"
The thoughts were whirling in Emilia's head at top speed. While she may not have recognized the faces of the newcomers, she recognized that surname, that family name. Was it possible for her not to? The name Natsuki was one shared by her beloved knight: Natsuki-.
"AND HERE I COME!"
"Subaru-sama!"
The living room doors were thrown open. Introducing the one person that Naoko and Kenichi never imagined they'd see again. The person they thought to never see again until today.
"Sorry about that Frederica but I couldn't hold it. This boring evening has become a pleasant one when not only my lovely Beako calls me, but the precious Emilia-tan is also waiting for me. I think we will have to mark this day as a national holiday. Probably a worldwide one, that seems reasonable."
Despite her efforts to contain her tears, Naoko was almost unable to do so. Kenichi hugged her even harder while trying not to cry. This situation had been on their minds for many nights and now it was right before them.
He still maintained his hairstyle, way too similar to Kenichi's for anyone to not notice. The same colour of black hair swept back and unkept that he always had. The same hair that he used to tend personally.
His brown eyes, which were the same as Naoko's. The shape, size, and colour. The same eyes that could look intimidating and caring at the same time. The same eyes they missed for such a long time and thought they could never see again.
It was these short ears that Naoko spent time cleaning as a child.
The same flat nose that brightened red when he was sick.
The same cheeks that Kenichi would pinch for any reason.
The same voice they revelled in.
The same lips that would turn into a smile they almost forgot it existed.
The same joy that they had not heard coming from him for a long time.
He even wore the same old tracksuit they got for his last birthday. Although it now seemed much more worn than before. There appear to be a few broken seams that were re-stitched. There were many scratches on it and it looked like it had seen better days.
And even so, it was him. Their son, their star. Their Subaru.
"Subaru! What did I tell you about making these flashy greetings?" Emilia reprimanded the boy, and Frederica nodded in agreement with her words.
"Ahh~ Emilia-tan angry is so cute~" Subaru winced in delight while blushing.
"Be serious Subaru! Honestly, you are such a dunderhead"
"I'm always serious with Emilia-tan…" He complained disappointedly, "Anyway... what do you want?"
"I think I've said this before but who says dunderhead in this day and age?"
"Ah! Well... I just arrived here too, but you need to see this." Emilia stepped out of the way to let Subaru see the room clearly.
"See what Emilia-tan? Is there a surprise in store for me?" As he glanced around the room expectantly, he saw only Roswaal and Ram standing behind him, nothing new. Otto and Garfiel with cute little Petra and Ryuzu-san, again, something to be expected.
Emilia could see the colour drain from her dear knight's face when he turned his head to look at the other side of the room. Subaru instinctively stepped back. He was trembling and had a terrified look on his face.
"This has to be a joke"
Thanks for taking your time to read until here.
There it is! The long awaited Re Union and it seems that Subaru is not as happy as his parents to be reunited after such a long time.
I hope you liked it and that all the characters were on point. Honestly Rooswal, despite the few dialogues from him, is difficult to write. It's very easy to screw up his character and the truth is that I hope I haven't done it that much.
P a treon. com (slash) Ewent