Interlude: Being a Clown is Suffering

(Roswaal L. Mathers – 400+ years old)

In the Mathers' Mansion

Within the darkened master study of the Mathers' Mansion there was a man that, in one possible future, would have greeted a boy out of time with make up on his face and a knife to the young man's back.

However now within his dreary study lit only by the light of a single dying candle, the mad clown had lost the right to be called as such, as for the first time since his defeat by the Warlock of Melancholy he had cleaned off his "war paint".

A gaunt face that would look more in place on one of the many dead bodies he had left behind in his pursuit of his uncaring teacher, the once vibrant Roswaal L. Mathers could only look on with sunken eyes filled with horror at what he was reading in his most precious tome.

This holy book granted to him by the one who had seen his worth when even his own family could not, this divine record of his future and path to meeting Her once again, this Book of Wisdom that had never changed even once after the first time he read through its entirety; had finally been altered.

Roswaal looked upon the words that could be viewed by him alone with only shock and grief still left in his heart, for while he was willing to do anything his beloved teacher asked of him, he could not fathom the latest change in his directions.

What had once been a godly scheme crafted by his great master, pages upon pages filled as if someone had bled to death on the book with veins full of ink, had now had its pages shrivel up leaving only the very last page intact as if to force him to accept the reality that what is written there is final.

Reading and rereading the cursed script left in the place that his perfect reunion with his beloved master was supposed to be, he began to deeply regret not popping up to Gusteko for an incarnation or two in order to reach the pinnacle of curse magic.

Swiftly brining his emotions back into order, he tries to calmly analyze this last page, this "BAD END" of his entire life. However, no matter how hard he looks he cannot even begin to fathom what secret path to victory could be hidden within the simple script.

Deciding that he should try the age-old strategy of reading aloud in order to better comprehend, he begins reciting what he has come to believe is the divine retribution of some hateful and sneering Gods, laughing at his misery all the while.

[Roswaal: The final end has come; the beloved of the Witch is now too the beloved of the Godly Blade and is guarded by both forevermore.]

Understanding clearly who his master must be talking about when saying the beloved of the Witch, this obviously being the Natsuki Subaru he is currently baiting into his web, he cannot fully understand the last part of the passage.

Laughing grimly to himself, he heavily swallows the spit now bloodied by his excessive lip biting and decides to face the impossible reality in front of him. Natsuki Subaru is not only being granted some great power by the Witch, a power so grand that it qualifies him to receive the title "Beloved of the Witch", but he is now also being guarded by the champion chosen by the very world itself.

Indeed, the "Godly Blade" can only be one Reina van Astrea, and it is with that acceptance that his heart continues to sink into the abyss. The goal that he had tirelessly worked for, that he had sacrificed his very own flesh and blood for, his most treasured future has been brutally stolen from him by no more than a girl's pathetic crush.

While he would never admit it aloud, in that moment he truly thought of just giving up and going mad, of burning everything he could touch in one final act of spite and defiance against this cruel world that has mocked him since his birth.

However it is in his remembrance that he stumbles upon his light of salvation. Like a cold breeze on a humid summer's day, or a toasty cup of coffee to beat back the winter chill, Roswaal had seen what his esteemed master was trying to tell him to do in order to be saved.

Love. Ordinary and fickle "love". Love that could never compare to his own towards his beloved teacher, but rather that of mere children. A girl whose head must be full of fairytales and a boy whose intentions should be less than honest, his opinion being reinforced by the fact that the poor sap was going to put himself into the path of hell for a girl that could not even understand his love, therefore proving that his priorities must lie in less mentionable places.

Almost as if he really had gone mad, the broken man laughed and lovingly set down the book and locked it away for the last time, at least until he had completed the mission his master had given him.

Unfortunately, due to this rash decision, he failed to notice what appeared to be hasty scribblings warning of great danger. All of them in what one would imagine was red ink alongside a large skull encased in a triangle, seemingly a universal sign pointing to death ahead. Nevertheless the clown would continue on his self-appointed new purpose.

That most vital and holy purpose being, of course, to seduce the boy named Natsuki Subaru away from his protector and into a position where the young man can become a pawn for himself once more.

Unfortunately though, at the zenith of his newly found happiness, he suddenly remembered a critical detail that he had overlooked. While in one of his past lives he had indeed been the revered enchantress Roswaal J. Mathers, a woman whose sheer beauty and power had stolen the hearts of the men of the Kingdom, he was now inopportunely a rather muscular man.

Wondering for a moment if he could instead shift his focus onto the girl, he quickly gave up the idea. Even for a mage of his caliber, it would be impossible to sneak a lie past the Sword Saint blessed by the world. The moment he claimed to love her is the moment he would find himself short of a head and a body to hold it.

Reaffirming the fact that only the weak link Natsuki Subaru could be targeted, he began to wrack his brain looking for some way to tempt him. Since he seemingly did not get honey trapped by the elf thing in the Capital, it appeared as if he would have to step up his game.

Gently rubbing his own chin whilst falling deeply into thought about whether his prey might be lured into his parlor by money or arcane knowledge, he suddenly heard a knock on his door, one that could only come from the maid he "trusted" most in the world.

Suddenly opening his eyes widely, he barely suppressed the evil grin threatening to form upon his face as he realized that he was not quite out of bait to lure this unwieldy pawn back into his clutches. Forcing an energetic smile onto his face followed by some quick work with his water magic, the previously haggard appearance was like an illusion, and now standing in its place was the very same Roswaal L. Mathers that everyone knew and barely tolerated.

Pointing his now refreshed smile at the door as his obedient Ram stepped into the room to deliver his tea, he reflects on the blue haired maid that had actually crafted its warm and pleasantly bitter flavor, and comes to his decision. Quickly looking up at the girl silently standing at his side, waiting on him to deliver her life saving treatment to the wound on her forehead, he gives her a coy smile that would cause any who saw it to be filled with the desire to break his nose.

Unfortunately for the rose crowned maid and her beloved sister, that very same smile caused her to temporarily lose her mind due to whatever force of unholy chaos made her love him in the first place. So much so that, when he asked her opinion on some important mission related to her dearest sister, she simply nodded her head against his chest; all the while ignoring the strange lack of any indication of warm blood or a beating heart.

AN:

So after all of the support and people who completed my challenge, I knew I had to get something out ASAP for you. I realize this is not the chapter four you were probably hoping for, but I feel like an interlude to show how characters are moving in the background does not hurt.

There were a ton of great reviews this time, and so it would be pretty much impossible to answer everything in one sitting. That is why I will be addressing what I feel are the most important points.

While I love your reviews like a tree loves the sun, I would never force you to make them. I will always try to at least update once a month at the latest, the reviews just make that process a lot quicker, such as me writing this interlude before the 21st or so.

I will never steal another author's work, and if I want to use one of their ideas then I will contact them and ask for permission. I do not and will not have any intention to make my story an AU of somebody else's.

The cast that was swept up in the explosion are all alive and probably unwell. While Reina was only really concerned about protecting Subaru, she would still have made sure to hold back enough not to kill everyone in one blow. The criminals must be interrogated after all.

Finally I would like to say that I am not following canon even a little. The fact that these events happened in this order was simply because of where the story started. You will see what I mean when I drop the real chapter 3, or fifth chapter overall. I sincerely apologize if I mislead anyone into thinking this was that kind of story.

As is obligatory at the end of every post, I am once again shamelessly begging you to please review! Your reviews are what drive me to continue writing, and they are the only way that I know how you feel about the story. Regardless of if you like to make a review full of paragraphs or if you like making short and sweet ones, I will be glad to have them all. As for the challenge this time, if we get enough people adding "Welcome to the Cult of Reina" to their reviews I will finish and post chapter three early.

Last but not least, I would like to thank you the viewer for your continued support of my work, and for those who are just now joining our Cult I say welcome to my beloved family! I hope that you all know how important you have become to me, and that I love you all equally.

Except for the guest ReinaSimp, who not only has the best username, but was also the 169th review. They are my favorite.