Hello everyone. This fiction you're about to read is actually a kind of attempted "following" of the previous work of the author "MNR-AMR" called "Dragon King: Natsuki Subaru".
I really liked the story, until I saw that it hadn't been uploaded since 2018.
I'm not going to lie. In the beginning when I watched Re:zero for the first time, my initial theory was fixed on Subaru most probably growing up to actually…Be the king instead of any of the five candidates, since he would have gained actual maturity and leadership. Well, it's kind of impossible now, but the idea still wasn't bad in my opinion…
So that's why I'll try to light up the fire again even though I'll rewrite everything since the beginning. Enjoy!
Chapter 1: A trick pulled by fate.
It was now the fourth time that Natsuki Subaru, a shut-in NEET, had been summoned to another world with nothing but the power of Return By Death, an ability that allows him to come back to a certain point in time, every time he dies.
Up until now, the shut-in NEET has fixated himself on one simple goal: save the mysterious silver-haired half-elf from the grim fate that awaits her in the loot house by the hands of Elsa Granhiert A.K.A The Bowel Hunter.
After a fierce standoff in said place, things began to go in his favor when the young blonde mischievous thief, Felt, ran away from the battle into the depth of the slums to look for help, only to come back with the Sword Saint himself, ready to end that battle once and for all.
Ultimately, the bowel hunter got defeated but at the cost of Subaru getting his stomach open by one last strike from the assassin, causing him to faint from the blood loss.
"I've finished his treatment, looks like we're past the worst of it." Said the half-elf, sighing in relief as her benefactor seemed to be alive.
"That's splendid news, Emilia-sama…" Voiced Reinhard, praising her with a slightly forced smile, his eyes glazing over the sleeping form of the weird boy that had been injured during the battle, signs of guilt seemingly appearing on the knight's expression.
"Reinhard?" Emilia called, looking at him with a curious gaze.
The sword saint shook his head and flashed her with another one of his smiles.
"Forgive me, Emilia-sama. I was just lost in my thoughts." He voiced, seeming to have regained composure.
"Is that so…" She replied, still a bit bewildered.
Both the sword saint and the princess slowly turned their eyes down to the sleeping boy. The sword saint approached and knelt down in front of the unconscious figure, remembering the first time he met him in the alleyways of the capital and his rush to the loot house. The perfect description the boy had given to describe Emilia to Reinhard came back to his mind, taking him aback as he turned around to meet the lady in question.
"If I may ask Emilia-sama, what is your relation to Subaru?" Reinhard asked as he remembered the boy's rush to the loot house.
"A passing acquaintance?" the lady shrugged with a baffled face," I don't recall ever meeting him before. I thought our meeting today was the first time." She replied, holding a hand to her chin as she seemed to search in her mind if ever she met him before.
"However, he was looking for you. He said he had something to give you." Reinhard urged with a look of suspicion.
Emilia widened her eyes, frowning a bit as she really couldn't remember ever meeting with the boy below her.
"That's why it is strange..." She muttered in confusion, her eyes fixed to his sleeping face.
"What shall we do with him? If anything, my family can take him as a guest," the knight softly suggested, smiling as he showed something akin to eagerness to host Subaru in his home.
"No," Emilia shook her head with a firm look,"I'll take him home with me, so I can learn what's really going on, thank you for your concern." She replied, giving the knight a small smile showing gratitude for his proposal.
Her eyes moved towards the far end of the room, glancing at the two persons that had been sitting in the corner of the now wrecked loot house. A blonde little with scarlet eyes, hunching over a beaten giant demi human male.
"What would become of them?" Emilia asked the knight, her eyes filling with pity.
"Officially, I cannot overlook what they've done. But… unfortunately, I'm off duty today." He answered cheekily giving a small shake of his head.
"Fufu, you're a bad knight~," the lady in white robes teased a little relief seeping through her tone, her eyes wandering back towards the pair of thieves that had suffered from this unfortunate turn of events.
Emilia slowly sat next to Felt, the little girl trying to look away as she was filled with guilt.
"Is this old man your family?" Emilia gently asked, taking the girl by surprise to the lack of resent she presented.
"Something like that, he is the only one I have… he's like my grandpa." Felt softly whispered, her scarlet eyes filled with grief.
"I see. I only have one family member, too. But he's always asleep at the most important times." Emilia replied, showing her green necklace to the little thief.
Felt widened her eyes, confused as either she had to smile along with her or be scared by this display of goodness she witnessed.
In the end, she decided to trust Emilia's smile to be genuine.
"I-I thought you'd be a lot harsher on me. I'm sorry. You saved my life and I can't let a debt go unpaid. I'll return what I stole, keep it hidden so no one can steal it again!" She smiled back to her, rubbing the back of her head.
"It feels funny, having you give me that warning." Emilia gently replied.
Felt then took the item from her chest and handed it over to her owner under the look of a thoughtful Reinhard, observing the scene from his position near the sleeping boy.
Though, while trying to retrieve it, by making a move that may be too hasty for her precious item, she ended up tossing it towards Reinhard with an unconscious Subaru at his feet.
He recognized the insignia of the dragon kingdom right away and was already advancing to retrieve it.
Until, like a trick pulled by fate itself, under the referee of a long lost entity from beyond the webs of interlocking futures and combined destinies, The insignia made its own way until reaching the laying hand of Subaru Natsuki, emitting a red shine only perceived by the knight who knelt in order to pick it up yet stopped frigidly as soon as fate cemented its final word before him.
"Reinhard?" The silver-haired princess inquired worriedly from behind the hunched knight, staring as the Sword Saint seemed to be frozen over the form of the sleeping boy, not moving a single muscle as his mind was solely focused on something. her mind wandered for a moment that another problem might have occurred when she wasn't looking and couldn't help but show it, earning the worries of the blonde little thief as well.
Without thinking twice, the little thief hopped from her place towards the sword saint, tapping his shoulder to gain his attention as she looked to Subaru with a serious face, mixing her worry and confusion.
"N-no it's..." The usually composed knight stuttered dignifiedly for a moment, before facing the serious looking girl that had inquired his help and got him into this situation, recognizing the look of demand as if the girl wasn't gonna budge on not knowing if something was wrong with the boy laying before them.
"I'm sorry Emilia-sama. But in the end, it looks like I cannot let you take Subaru-sama with you. It would be too long to explain right now and without further confirmation so please, I beg you to understand."
"What?!" Felt shouted at the knight, "You can't just do something like that and keep quiet!"
She glared at Reinhard with a wrathful glare, showing how determined she was to obtain answers as she stood in front of Subaru.
Even though Reinhard asked with an incredible polite behavior worthy of the "knight among knights" he was, his serious expression and gaze didn't help to reassure the two girls.
Emilia walked towards them and put a hand on Felt's shoulder, shaking her head slowly, telling her to let it go.
"But I am actually even more worried right now you know..." The pointy-eared girl muttered with her eyes narrowing with a hint of disappointment towards the knight and the unconscious boy.
Seeing how much the situation seemed off for most, Reinhard decided to clarify as much as he could.
"Don't worry, Emilia-sama. This is not something that could bring harm upon him but...Something that I cannot let pass without further investigation."
Emilia raised her eyebrow in confusion and incomprehension. She wanted to know more, push her investigation further, but it didn't seem to be something possible as of now. Reinhard walked forward as he picked up Subaru in a bridal style.
Seeing this, Felt could not help but let out a small chuckle at the ridiculous sight.
He approached Emilia with the insignia in hand and presented it to her, the red jewel shined brilliantly, something that made Reinhard only frown more.
It represented what was at stake.
"I shall contact you once I'll be sure everything is in order."
The knight bowed to Emilia who wordlessly gazed at him once she accepted the insignia, walking away with her savior with him.
As he walked out, the clouds dispersed to let the moon shine brilliantly above him, as if it was watching over the knight and the boy making their way to the Astrea mansion. Reinhard looked up to meet the white orb with his sky blue irises, narrowing them, thinking about the recent events and most importantly, the moment the jewel shined.
"Tonight…Might be our last chance to gaze calmly at the moon," whispering wearily, Reinhard van Astrea lamented the moments of past events and worriedly thought about the future, feeling a more significant weight placed upon him that is greater than the noble hearted boy being carried in his arms, or perhaps it was the feeling of heaviness that carrying this boy's destiny in his arms would feel like.
Back in the loot house, the thief and half-elf looked to each other after observing the sword saint take his leave. The situation was still unclear for them but when they saw the insistence of the Sword Saint himself regarding this matter, they knew that they couldn't negotiate.
"Well...That was something...What now?" Asked Felt, expressionless, looking up atEmilia.
"Mh...I don't reall-"
"Emilia-sama ?"
As she was looking at Felt, a pink-haired maid made her appearance in the destroyed loot house, looking both worried and relieved to see the silver-haired half-elf.
Slowly opening his eyes, Subaru was met with a polished well-carved ceiling.
"…I don't know that ceiling."
He got up a bit sitting down on his bed, to find himself in a white night-robe that didn't belong to him, he slowly opened the front and gazed at his exposed stomach, "The wound is gone...was that Emilia's doing? I gotta be sure to thank her properly later!" Subaru said, smiling to himself as he thought about how he was healed and away from death.
He got up on his feet and started to look around his room. It was kind of a luxurious place; everything was white or gold-colored.
"Talk about a fancy place...Wait why am I alone again?! Isn't it supposed to be the moment when I wake up with the main girl just next to me who slept in my room because she cared for me all night?! I feel betrayed!" The boy whined pathetically, holding his head in his hands.
In the middle of his lamentation, the door of his room opened. Subaru quickly turned towards it with a bright smile on his face, jumping towards the door with open arms to welcome his sav-.
"Emili-WHY IS IT YOU?!" He yelled out, expression one of anger and deep rooted disappointment.
To his surprise who felt more like a stab through the heart than a pleasant one, it was not Emilia but a young man with blazing red hair and eyes blue as the sky, entering the room giving a shining yet uneasy smile, he answered his disappointed guest.
"Good morning Subaru-sama...I apologize to not meet up with your expectations..." The sword saint said, rubbing the back of his head with an unsure smile.
Subaru who already began sulking with his arms down simply sighed and raised his head to Reinhard with a deadpanned face.
"Nah, don't worry about it. It's not like I'm not happy to see you, Reinhard, it's just that...Well you know, it's every man's dream to wake up to the beautiful girl of their dreams." He said while closing his hand into a fist, looking determined.
Reinhard couldn't help but chuckle at Subaru's statement, that he tried to hide behind his fist.
"I think I understand what you mean. But I still must apologize, Emilia-sama is not here at the moment," the knight's curt reply was met with nothing short of despair from the crushed boy.
"Ugh! You're crushing my heart! Does that mean that my fantasy love ended before it could have even started?! I feel even more betrayed right now!" He lamented, holding his head with his hands.
Of course, everything was just a pure act from Subaru, Reinhard was fully aware of it but didn't know how he should actually react since those kinds of interactions were something he wasn't used to knowing.
"I'm...Sorry?" He tried to say, unsure if that was the appropriate response.
Subaru immediately raised his head towards him with dead disappointed eyes. Though he was the sword saint, even he was feeling uneasy when he met that gaze.
It was and for a real first time for the Saint… a truly awkward moment.
"That's not it! You're completely in the wrong Reinhard! When your best friend is actively falling into depression right in front of you, you have a duty to console him! Like 'Don't worry, when you lose one you get ten more!' or 'She was not worth it anyway, you deserve better!'" Subaru explained in a teacher-like tone with a disappointed firm stare aimed at the increasingly baffled knight.
It was clear that these types of interactions weren't in the job description for the poor confused knight.
Reinhard got startled by those words, especially "best friend" He didn't know why but hearing this made him feel kind of warm and happy. He unconsciously started to smile, even though he didn't know what to respond and so, tried to find something. However, his logical sense took the upper hand and made him come up with one answer only.
"Wait, you mean Emilia-sama wasn't worth it…?" He voiced out loud.
He put his hand on his mouth immediately with a shocked face as he just realized what he said as Subaru fell on his back while putting his hands on his face, faking a cry.
"Of course, she was! Dammit!" He cried, "You really suck at this! We'll have to work on your behavior towards your friends! And lord help us all because we're in for one hell of a time!"
Again. He felt it, again. Subaru's behavior and words made him feel differently. He did not understand why at first, he only met him yesterday but...The way he had to treat him like any other person had a long way with him. His past and reputation were not something to explain anymore. The way people treated him, the way he led his life, everything was based on one thing, him being the sword saint, him being the hero, and someone that had to be treated as such.
Reinhard simply smiled warmly at his new friend and acknowledged his words.
"Well...I-I'm counting on you then!" He exclaimed with eagerness.
He approached him and excitedly extended a hand out.
To which Subaru smiled and grabbed it firmly as he got lifted to his feet.
He started to rethink his encounter with Emilia, Felt, the loot house, and of course, his many deaths by the hand of Elsa.
"Hey, by the way…" He inquired, making Reinhard look at him curiously, "Where are the others then? Felt, Emilia, Rom…Are they okay?" He worriedly asked.
Reinhard smiled as he understood very well the meaning behind this question.
"You don't have to worry. Emilia-sama came back home safely, I saw the dragon carriage of the margrave's domain where she resides retrieve her when we came here. As of Felt-chan and Rom-san, I went to inspect the loot house along with other knights after the incident, they were not here but some of their belongings were missing. I assume they moved somewhere else." The knight explained.
Subaru sighed in relief and smiled to know everything went for the best. He couldn't help but remember the deaths of Emilia, Felt, and Rom every time he closed his eyes by the hand of the bowel hunter, images of gorey corpses standing around him, blaming him for the failure Those memories were stuck with him forever, but at least, they wouldn't be real to some extent.
'I just need to think of it as a nightmare. Right…Nothing more but a nightmare…'
As he took a deep breath once more, he looked up to meet the slightly confused look of the sword saint gazing upon him.
Subaru shook his head and cleared his throat.
"Well, time to...Uh ...Wait, where are we?" The boy asked, realizing just where he was.
"Ah, we're at my home. I took you here after Emilia-sama healed your wound, back at the loot house..."
Subaru noticed the disappointed look on Reinhard's face. He could not help but be concerned and made a wave of his hand in front of him. Yet Reinhard continued to keep his head down.
"I...I'm sorry...You got wounded because I let my guard down...It could really have gone to the worse if-"
In the middle of his lament, Reinhard got stopped by a punch right on his chest that kind of startled him, he raised his head to meet Subaru's brown-yellowish eyes gazing into his blue-sky ones, along with a dead serious look on his face.
"You're really true to your code, huh white knight? Even though I fully understand your way of thinking, I will have to stop you right now before you end your speech with something like 'I'll accept any punishment' or whatever." Subaru said, closing his eyes as he nodded his head several times.
Reinhard was surprised beyond compare, this is exactly what he was about to say.
"You're not going down that way in front of me. You saved my life, that's a fact. You also saved Emilia's, Felt, old Rom, and probably any other unfortunate soul who would have met with that freak afterward," Subaru shuddered and growled in place at the memory of the black-clad sadist that had haunted his scared mind, keeping a focused look and shaking his head afterwards to stare the knight down, "So that's why rather than lamenting on the 'My lack of sense of duty led to you being hurt', I would rather hear an "I'm glad you're okay with a smile so that I can thank you. Along with thanking you for everything I've just said while sharing my bright smile as well!" He exclaimed, pointing at himself with his thumb.
That was a hit. That was a critical hit. He could not understand a thing about what was happening right now. No one in his life ever said those words to him, no one in his life gave him such a cheering sermon. If it was not for his image and the surely worried reaction of his friend, Reinhard would've shed tears at the moment.
Subaru's expression softened as he saw a warm smile forming on Reinhard's face. This smile wasn't for show, this smile wasn't for the attitude, it was a genuine, happy smile of a man, who for a moment, thought he broke free of a cage he had been trapped inside for most of his life.
"Thank you...Subaru-sama...Then...I'm...I'm glad you're okay!" Reinhard ended up exclaiming, his eyes bright with happiness.
"There we go! Thank you, Reinhard!" Subaru ended in a gentle tone. Grateful.
That beautiful moment of friendship and bonding got interrupted by a growl coming from Subaru's stomach. He immediately hated himself for having ruined such a moment and that could be bright as the day on his face, while the knight couldn't help but give a happy chuckle even if the moment was ruined for both of them.
Adding to Subaru's disappointment.
"Nah nah, come on. I deserve that one. Yup, I totally do." He said with a tired smile.
That comment added more to the situation, to the point that Subaru started to laugh along too, which ended up in a unique scene of two-man laughing along in an empty room. Well at least, unique for the maids that had been looking at them by the door with a surprised face when they realized one of them was none other than their master.
Of course, Reinhard noticed it right at the moment they arrived but it didn't matter. He was enjoying a priceless moment right now and nothing could ever have the right to take it away from him.
"Well then...Shall we head to breakfast?" Reinhard asked, wiping a small invisible tear from his eye.
"You bet!" Subaru answered with a bright smile.
After putting on his freshly-cleaned tracksuit, Subaru followed Reinhard to the dining room, ignoring the stares all of the servants were aiming towards him and his attire.
"Ugh…So in the end, Emilia is the one who healed my wounds…Looks like I owe her another debt." Subaru sighed as he voiced his thoughts, his face showing a look of guilt, fondness for Emilia's kindness, and disappointment at himself.
"I do not think Emilia-sama ever considered doing this expecting something in return, you know?" Replied Reinhard to his friend's thoughts with an uneasy smile on his face, not used to being able to speak with someone so casually.
Subaru closed his eyes as he remembered her and her smile through his loops, the moment she saved him, the moment she went forward to help that child, how she healed Rom despite being a potential enemy…Subaru could not help but smile as he remembered everything she has done so far.
"Yeah, you're probably right." He chuckled.
"But that means I still have to at least thank her…Man that's putting me in a tight spot. I was already thinking of letting go and try to find a girl who wouldn't be so out of my league, but if I see her face again…" Subaru gritted his teeth to show his frustration as he remembered her cute smile.
Reinhard started to laugh around with Subaru at this childish statement, he knew perfectly it was nothing but an act.
As they were walking down the hall, Subaru ended up looking around and was amazed by how fancy everything looked. He knew that Reinhard was more than just a snobbish, arrogant nobleman, but what he was seeing right now was something more than just mere nobility, nigh royalty, somewhere that only the most worshiped of prophets would be living in his world like a medieval aztec temple.
"Hey Reinhard, are you perhaps from a royal family or something close?" He said scratching the back of his head.
Reinhard was surprised by this sudden question but quickly realized: it could be misleading knowing that Subaru was from a foreign land, to see such a place like his when just yesterday they were both around the slums.
"Of course not, Subaru-sama. But you could say that my family is pretty much an important part of Lugunica." He proudly answered.
"I see...W-wait...Reinhard, we need to talk about something," Subaru suddenly stopped in his tracks, his hand stretched towards the knight.
Reinhard stopped to look at Subaru's sudden request.
"What is it, Subaru-sama ?" Reinhard asked with an innocent face.
"This!" Pointed the boy with a baffled stare aimed at the knight, "Where does that '-sama' come from? I know you're a knight, but you really don't need to be 'that' formal towards me! I'm a guest of yours sure but still..."
Reinhard immediately answered as he looked slightly alarmed by that statement.
"It would be inappropriate! We both hold totally different positions and I wouldn't dare to disrespect it!"
Subaru couldn't have the time to respond when someone coming from down the corridor interrupted them. He was a man much like Reinhard, hair red and blue eyes, a scruffy stubble beard and appearance of almost brutish nature, he had a strong allure, and he was also in what could be thought of as leather battle armor.
The man grinned and walked up to Subaru, the height difference becoming very clear as he approached.
"So here is our esteemed guest and potential next ruler? Greetings." He bowed. "My name is Heinkel Astrea, at your service! Please feel free to walk within this estate as your own." The brutish man, a seemingly welcoming smirk aimed from him toward the boy, bowed… Subaru wasn't as dumb as to believe that smile.
Subaru was not accustomed to this kind of behavior at all, so much that he didn't know how to react before such respect was shown towards him. Not so long ago, he was nothing but a nobody living a simple life of basically slacking off in his room and now he is an "esteemed guest" side by side with a Sword Saint, someone of the probably same caliber, in a royal-like suite chateau.
"U-um...Thank you very much, Sir Heinkel, I... appreciate your offer!" He nervously answered.
"If you could excuse us, father, Subaru-sama isn't in the best of his condition right now after his fight against the bowel hunter." Cut Reinhard, gazing to his father who looked at him with a glint of disdain.
Reinhard's tone wasn't as well concealed as he wanted to believe. Subaru could hear a hint of bitterness in it. He need not go further to understand that there was some kind of trouble in this father/son relationship, nevertheless it had nothing to do with him, hence he shouldn't meddle.
Thanking Heinkel once again, Subaru followed Reinhard to the dining room where a sumptuous meal awaited them. Subaru had shining eyes before such a display of incredible delicacies.
"Damn you, Reinhard! Don't tell me something like that is usual for you?!" He yelled to him with an eager smile as his eyes shined towards the food presented to him.
Reinhard simply smiled and they both took a seat before beginning. After both eating to their full, Subaru ended up continuing the discussion they had earlier, his curiosity not satisfied.
"So... About the "Sama" thing... I don't know what you were talking about or rather I think you're mistaken...As I said, I'm not from here you know? How could I have a higher status than you since the only thing I've been eating since the past week was cup noodles!" He exclaimed with a small smile.
Reinhard seemed a bit confused by what Subaru just said but could not help it. How could he, after all? The only things he knows for sure are limited to the borders of the kingdom since he cannot travel at all.
On top of that, Reinhard still had not explained anything at all to his guest.
He reached his pocket and presented an insignia to Subaru, who looked at it with a surprised look of recognition.
"Isn't that Emilia's..." He stuttered, looking back and forth to the sword saint and the insignia.
He looked at him with a kind of disappointed gaze, Reinhard quickly understood what it meant.
"No! E-erm...Emilia-sama already retrieved hers. This one is another, it is yours, Subaru-sama." Reinhard explained.
"Really? So, there's more like these? I don't understand but, oh well." He reached out his hand to grab the insignia, relieved to know it wasn't the thing Emilia looked and nearly died for.
Subaru reached Reinhard's hand to take the insignia, which at this instant, shone with bright light from the ruby positioned in it. The color was a shade of red mixed with white. Tough, the glint of white color was only noticed by Subaru.
Seeing this, the sword saint's eyes narrowed. He nodded his head in relief while the fewer servants in the room bowed down instantly.
"W-wow, glowing stones at contact? It really is a fantasy world isn't it...?" He smiled with bewilderment as he had no idea of what was going on. "What...What's with you all?"
"Subaru-sama. The shining light emitting from the insignia is undeniable proof that you are recognized as the final candidate for the position of 42nd ruler of the dragon kingdom of Lugunica." Sternly announced Reinhard.
Hearing this, Subaru made a kind of confused face, along with a cracked smile.
"Eh?"
Hey guys!
First of all, let me welcome the new readers of this story I'm writing for a moment now. This is the prologue of the story, centered about Subaru being a candidate for the throne of Lugunica.
I'm actually reworking all the chapters so far, to try and apply a better quality in writings and fix most of the mistakes I could have done in the past.
I hope you enjoyed your read, I'll see you next chapter!