Chapter 4 - The Children And Their Dog
"So, there is a whole royalty, diplomatic situation going on with Emilia being one of five potential candidates to take the throne, one of the four that have currently been found with it being shone via her insignia that Felt stole?" Leo asked, summarizing the whole story that Subaru and Emilia had briefly told him.
"That is the basis of the situation…" Emilia admitted with a nod, trying to hold back against twiddling with her fingers. "I would have thought that maybe Reinhard would have filled you in on the kingdom's situation by now."
"Well, he didn't…" Leo replied as he crossed his arms, lapsing into thought about the whole ordeal. "I would have never thought it possible considering how we met you… I thought princesses would be up to completely different things than being by themselves, running after a thief… You struck more much more a normal person than anything else."
"Well, that's…" Emilia began to counter before going quiet again as she lowered her head. "I had to go to the castle to go about business relating to being a royal candidate, and there aren't actually many people in my camp yet…"
"I'm not shaming you or anything you know?" Leo jumped in, "They're trying to find candidates from anywhere, right? So that means that not everyone is gonna have some kind of noble background, in fact I have a hunch that there's at least one other like you…"
"One another? The other three candidates are all well-known and fit the image of nobility." Emilia then pointed out as he raised her head in response to Leo's unique words. "Do you?" she started to ask only for her to be silenced by Leo's fingers pressing themselves against her lips.
"I said it's a hunch. And frankly, I'm not saying anymore. I don't think it's my place, your welcome to guess so long as you're ok with not getting an answer." Leo said before retracting his hand back, ignoring the gaze of a jealous Subaru. "If I'm right, then there'll be a big announcement soon. If not, then hunt goes on."
"That would be correct." Emilia agreed before putting on a smile, "Then maybe we'll meet again at the capital if that happens to be the case."
"Would be nice." Leo replied with a smile until strong and deliberate coughs broke the moment between the two, making the one other adult present no longer ignorable anymore.
"Subaru, are you ok?" Emilia quickly asked worriedly, her smile swiftly turning to a worried frown as she looked the butler over. "Don't tell me you've still been pushing yourself and have gotten ill again… you're getting more worrying."
"But I'm perfectly fine Mili! I'm still ready to take on the world, and I've still got some work left for the day. I did come to get Leo after all!" Subaru cheerily replied whilst Leo remained silent, backing out of the conversation between the two as he couldn't help but frown at Emilia's reaction.
'Couldn't she tell that was forced and wanted an attention shift?' Leo puzzled to himself, not exactly paying attention to the cheery back and forth between Subaru and Emilia, and his attention all but vanished when he felt the sensation of someone gently tapping against him.
"Flam? Cassis?" Leo said he looked down to see the twins, with Cassis having been the one to gently prod him for his attention.
"I'm sorry Sir Leo but could you please not continue the discussion of the royal candidates?" Cassis quietly requested to Leo's interest as he lifted a silent brow in response, with it still being enough to show his curiosity to the maids.
"We apologize, but if you still have any lingering curiosities then could you ask Sir Reinhard back at the manor? We would have to worry about what information is disclosed otherwise…" Flam added on with a troubled look towards their master, hoping that he would be understanding of the situation.
"So there are somethings that I'm partially aware of that you don't want anyone from the Emilia camp overhearing then?" Leo asked in a low whisper as he leaned in, testing his understanding against the maids who merely nodded back in response. "Then I think I'm right…" he said in response, resuming his normal position.
'They want to release things on their own terms then, I guess I should make sure that Cecily doesn't say anything unnecessary if she's been following me the whole time…' He quickly thought as he glanced over at the spirit child that had started playing with Puck whilst he, Emilia and Subaru had been talking about the candacity.
Politics… the odds were he was beginning to end up in the middle of it all…
"Let's get going Leo, we can't be having Rem wait any longer for us after all!" Subaru's voice then cut through his thoughts, helping him notice the cheery, sharp-eyed butler that was ready to go, looking back at him.
"Right, say Cecily?" Leo replied with a small nod before he looked back at the playing spirits, making the pair suddenly turn to him. "You've been following plenty already so I wondered if you wanted to come along with me?"
"Really!" The excited girl said with sparkles in her eyes, excited at the mere prospect of having been asked to go with for once rather than merely tagging along whilst being hidden in plain sight.
"You did want to form a contract with me, right? Wouldn't it be better to see what being with you would be like? Besides, you say you've never left me alone before, that alone tells me a few things." Leo replied with a smile, watching her then hurry past him and Subaru, already rushing towards the front of the Roswaal Manor before spinning back around.
"Let's go! Let's go!" She cheered with a grin, much to the amusement of a grinning Subaru and Emilia whilst Leo could only have a tired smile for the girl that was likely going to be a lot of work for him in the future.
"We're off," Leo said as he turned around to face Emilia before he began to walk after the happy spirit with Subaru walking by his side.
"I'll see you at dinner!" Emilia called back as she waved the pair of them off before starting to make her own way inside with Puck joining her once again…
As they walked along, Subaru couldn't help but take a glance at Leo who was busy keeping his attention on Cecily as he continued smiling to himself. 'All that's left is to have Rem spend a little bit more time with the both of us and find whoever is cursing us and everything will be alright!' he thought to himself, suppressing himself from getting carried away with a fist pump that would almost certainly gain Leo's curiosity.
It had already taken him multiple attempts to learn everything that he needed, from waking up in the second loop leaving him completely confused at how he had died all the way to what had been a rather shocking ordeal in the previous where he still felt guilt at how he had almost ruined everything for everyone…
Since the beginning of the loop, he had been scared from how his previous one had ended, from how his killer had been someone who resided in the manor all along yet never trusted him, instead of despising him with such overwhelming passion as his scent led to a blue-haired maid to suspect affiliation with the witch's cult.
He had done little in that loop, with the most notable change being merely gaining Beatrice's protection and hiding away in the Forbidden Library, simply hoping to be able to live through to another night.
It was a plan that had worked out flawlessly for him, but it wasn't long before he was met with the very hefty consequences for his actions and a massive amount of surprise that had assailed him as it betrayed everything that he had expected.
Instead, Rem died and to a curse that he previously believed she was the shaman of, and it was her death that brought about what could only be described as pure chaos…
"Save her! Save my sister!" Ram cried out in enraged anguish, scowling through her tears as she glared mostly at Leo, whom all attention had been shifted to after a certain suggestion from Roswaal. "Bring her back! And tell me everything!" Ram continued, her words more of a demand laced with threat than any real plea towards both of the Roswaal Manor guests.
"I can't." Leo simply replied, not at all fazed by the upset oni before him, his response only seemingly furthering her rage whilst Roswaal turned to glance at him doing his best to hide his own emotions despite his demeanour having quickly turned cold.
"Can't or you won't?" Roswaal asked his voice cold and barely containing any of the accents that he usually held. "This would be the perfect time to show yourself a good person. We would get all the answers we want as well…"
"I guess you could say both," Leo replied, his sharp gaze towards Rem's body not faltering as he rested a hand on Cecily's head who clung to him in her own sadness. A sadness that was quickly fading as she didn't fail to pick up on the rising hostilities of Roswaal and Ram.
"Even if I wanted to, I don't have the amount of Od to give for her to have a reasonable life. Right now, all I have is enough for myself…"
"Then get more! Take Barsuru's! Take it from the forest! Just save her!" Ram growled in response as she stood up, beginning to take steps towards Leo who still didn't falter, but instead, his own expression began to darken in response.
"I know he's a bit suspicious but Beatrice proved his innocence. I'm not about to kill someone like that, and you would really be willing to sacrifice the life of another for her without remorse?" Leo quipped back, doing his best to hold back his own ugly emotions towards the horrible, detestable suggestion, no demand, thrown his way.
"Leo, you are a guest but a dear worker of mine has recently perished leaving me in a rather poor mood… Despite being the only one capable you wouldn't even try to help her?" Roswaal enquired as he turned to directly face Leo, glaring down at him just like Ram making Subaru back off slightly from the bloodthirst that was beginning to settle in the air.
"Don't try to leave!" Ram shouted as she hurled another wind blade his way, something that Beatrice blocked with some kind of magical barrier only to further the oni's infuriation.
"Life and death is a sacred cycle…" Leo replied as he gave Roswaal his full attention, completely aware that the magician was likely soon to try something against him in outrage. "And I don't see a sufficient reason to make an exception…"
"Such pride… to think you have the right to determine the lives of others," Roswaal replied with a shocking deep voice that could only possibly be his usual voice upon throwing away his deliberate accent,
"I have my reasons… it's a part of the world's balance after all." Leo replied, and upon saying so Roswaal lifted his hands causing multiple orbs of magic to appear in the palms of his hands of different colours, something that caused slight tremors from the sheer amount of magic that he was preparing.
"Leave him alone…" Cecily almost growled in response as she stepped forwards between Leo and Roswaal as she glared at the clown whilst bracing for whatever he would try to do whilst lifting one of her palms where light began to rapidly gather.
If it wasn't for the nothing short of the deadly situation at hand then, Subaru would have been surprised at the sudden change of demeanour that Cecily showed, instantly shifting from child-like behaviour to confidently standing before and threatening Roswaal without even a hint of mercy or kindness in her voice.
But instead, he was nothing short of being completely overwhelmed by the situation, horrified at the events that were playing out before him whilst being completely useless to stop any of it. Instead of doing any praisable action of attempts, he simply turned from the room and fled, sparking the trigger that was the fight between Ram and Roswaal against Leo, Cecily and Beatrice that immediately started in an explosion in the room he fled from whilst Ram yelled out for him in the process.
It was something that he knew little of how it ended, he never heard of the aftermath, only that Beatrice and Ram both found him yet neither mentioned anything about the remaining three…
"Subaru? Are you in there?" Leo's voice suddenly sounded out through the sharp-eyed boy's mind making his eyes snap back open as his thoughts abandoned him. "Finally, I was beginning to think that you had vanished there… Just what was up with you then?" Leo continued to ask, noticing that he finally had the butler's attention.
"Ah, It was nothing! There's no need to worry about it, come on! I'm sure that Rem is going to give us such a big lecture now for being so late!" Subaru energetically replied much to the confusion of both Leo and Cecily who stood by him, the pair noting the faint amount of sweat that had appeared rolling down the side of his head.
"He's weird," Cecily noted, for once not exactly excited in her confusion. "Hey, hey, what's wrong with him? He suddenly spaced out, is he panicking over the blue girl?" she asked, turning to Leo who merely placed a hand on her head.
"I have no idea…" Leo replied in a calm voice as he watched Subaru slowly walk away from them. "But Emilia mentioned him breaking down before… I can't help but think that there might be something very wrong with him…"
"Will he be alright?" Cecily asked as she joined in with watching the boy.
"Hopefully, but come on." Leo said as he held her hand, giving the spirit a slight tug onwards with a smile that would help smother her worries, "The best that we can do for him now is to be normal while keeping an eye on him, trying to work out if there is anything we can do."
For a moment Cecily just looked back up at him with a blank face, her thoughts taking on a new way of being unreadable before she finally beamed her usual cheery smile back up at him. "Okay!" she replied before beginning to happily walk alongside Leo after Subaru, with Flam and Cassis following after them quietly…
It wasn't long of a walk for the group to make it to the front of the Manor where a very calm Rem stood waiting and watching for the group to finally approach her.
"I see that you have decided to join us per Subaru's invitation, Sir Leo." Rem said as she gave a small bow in response to his arrival before turning to Subaru. "But Subaru, you took a considerable amount of time coming back here for simply giving an invitation, I was starting to think that you were skipping out on your duties despite being the one bringing up going to the village for supplies."
"But! Well, that-" Subaru started to explain himself only for Rem to interrupt him before he could say anything definitive.
"Maybe I should have my sister give you some kind of punishment, or remove one of your breaks?" Rem thought aloud suggestively making Subaru jolt back in shock.
"Please forgive me! Going straight to one of Ram's punishments has got to be too much!" Subaru exclaimed much to the amusement of Cecily who happily smiled away at the sight of his dramatic way of reacting to things. "But come on, Leo's with us now, I said we're going to the village and you've waited long enough, we should get going now right?"
"Very well, but I shall make sure that you make up for being missing for so long somehow later." Rem said before turning towards the direction of the gate, being the first to leave the grounds and leading the group in the direction of the village with Subaru making sure to be by her side.
After what had been a little bit of a walk for the group they soon enough arrived at the village, where their presence was quickly noted by various different villagers but Leo couldn't help but think that it was likely from the size of their group that they happened to be entering all at once that would have caught their attention.
"I shall go shopping for everything that we need and will find you all when I am done, Sir Leo please feel free to enjoy yourself until then. Subaru, please make sure to take good care of Lord Roswaal's guests." Rem almost immediately mentioned when they entered the village, turning around to face the group.
"You got it, Rem, we'll be waiting for you! And I'll carry the bags back up alright?" Subaru cheerily responded yet despite all his energy he simply got a nod in return from the blue-haired maid before she then gave a quick bow to Leo, walking off promptly afterwards.
"So now you're taking care of me, eh?" Leo quipped with a smirk, "Not that I really need it with Flam and Cassis with me, they're pretty amazing in their own right." he continued, not realising the small smiles that he had caused from both of the girls that stood behind him.
'Yet at the same time they are so committed to their job like Rem is… but the difference there is that they're kids and Rem is a working adult. But Subaru certainly doesn't get the whole being a butler thing with how overly friendly he is for the role' Leo mused to himself in his mind with a small frown at the thought.
Honestly, it would have almost been the perfect time to treat the two girls who loyally served him even if it started from the order of Reinhard, the only problem that still stood in his way was the distinct lack of money to call his own and nor did he know if there was anything in the village for him to treat them too.
"Hey Subaru, where are you going?" Leo then called out as he began to notice the raven-haired boy began to make his own way off into the rest of the village.
"Just to say hello to the villagers, and enjoy the time that we have here! You can't be planning on staying here the whole time can you?" Subaru quickly replied as he turned around, waiting slightly for Leo to walk up to him again with Cecily and the maids.
"I guess not, but I also don't really know much about how to really enjoy my time here with it being a whole new place," Leo replied.
"Then leave it to me! And there are a bunch of troublemakers that I'm sure that Cecily will love to have fun with, they'll be able to keep up with her energy!" Subaru continued with a cheery disposition, but despite his words to Leo's shock and confusion, Cecily didn't get cheery at all, instead, she seemed disheartened and hugged against him slightly.
"Is something wrong?" Leo discreetly asked the small spirit in concern, "I thought that you would have enjoyed being able to play with others."
"Only you and that funny guy are so nice…" Cecily solemnly replied as she struggled to look him in the eyes. "People aren't usually as nice as you."
"Do you mean that you've been bullied before? You've been so full of energy because you've been lonely this whole time?" Leo asked in disbelief at the thought that Cecily had been subject to harsh treatment. "Who on earth hurt you?" he asked, his voice becoming slightly heated.
"No one bullied me, it's just that how people behave towards great spirits is different than you think. You're really unique, you know." Cecily replied as she glanced back up at him, making Leo slightly baffled as to what she was getting at. Was there discrimination against spirits? But Cecily said that she hadn't been bullied and from how Roswall mentioned him as a contractor to a great spirit, alongside the title alone made it sound that they were respected entities.
"Wait, does everyone usually keep their distance from you?" Leo soon asked after pondering her words slightly, getting a nod in return from the spirit making Leo's heart sink slightly. A little girl, at least at heart, suffering from loneliness from the distance that others kept in respect.
It was quite likely that there had been others than she had approached, wanting to play with them in one way or another but likely had made a reason to respectfully back down, while he had been someone who had completely pursued her.
'It explains all the energy that she has when it comes to me then…' Leo thought.
"Well, who said that everyone will be the same, besides kids usually have a lack of respect, very rarely too much of it. I don't know about everyone you met and how they treated you but I'm sure that we can get the kids to accept you." Leo said as he took her hand again to her appreciation, whilst Subaru watched the pair almost slightly confused as to what they were talking about to one another before shaking off the efforts remembering his true goal in coming. He had to make sure all the villagers touched him somewhere, and different places at that.
"Hey guys, come on already!" Subaru cheerily said, ruining the remaining remnants of the somewhat sombre mood, flashing a winning smile before heading right off into the village, wasting no time in striking up a conversation with them all.
Despite following after and seeing everything unfold Leo couldn't quite believe how easily Subaru managed to get to talk with everyone, getting on their good sides as everyone he came across seemed to greatly enjoy his presence, even to the point that they were willing to make physical contact with him despite it being their first account.
There were some people that did come and try to talk to him, which he happily responded to with a smile, enjoying the chance to get to talk with a few new faces outside the Astrea Manor, people that didn't always treat him with the same tiresome respect as the many maids and butlers but instead casually as equals.
There was no shortage of people that pointed out Cecily, Cassis and Flam as well, with him getting a variety of different reactions as they learned the positions of each of the girls while the maids remained formal to the end, Cecily did her best to come off as cheerful and excited, welcoming the few moments where people would actually approach her without reservation.
However, it wasn't long before Leo bore witness to the exact way that any 'normal' person would treat her or any spirit of her calibre. It had been little more than an accidental mentioning of spirit as he began to explain their relationship that caused them to stay together where the woman whom he was talking to suddenly recoiled, taking a faint step back before making her apologies towards the spirit for any form of disrespectfulness.
It was a moment where Leo immediately could tell that he had messed up as Cecily's cheery demeanour quickly began to vanish and her grip on him wasn't quite so tight nor energetic.
"Ah, sorry…" Leo quickly apologised as he noticed, and felt, the change that he had just caused whilst the woman soon walked away from him.
"It's alright, you didn't mean it," Cecily replied.
"But you were enjoying yourself until then." Leo pointed out.
"But I'm fine, you're unique, interesting, fun and nice. As long as you don't leave me I'll be happy." Cecily said.
"Now that's cheating… I'm taking it that you're more serious about wanting a contract that you let on in front of Emilia and the rest?" Leo sighted despite his smile at the words of the little girl.
"I was always super serious!" Cecily shot back with a beaming grin. "A contract to a spirit is their life meaning, there is nothing more important to them, its everything. If a spirit agrees to a contract, then it means that they will never betray that for life."
"That's how serious a spirit's contract is?" Leo said with a bit of surprise at just how deep the vows ran, even just in meaning. "And you would want to be my partner like that?"
"A spirit without a contract is like a person without a life purpose." Cecily replied, "I like you! So, I wanna be contracted to you!"
'Hold on, isn't this extremely serious? It's almost as if it's just some kind of proposal yet the mood is non-existent for that, and it's a kid that's making it!' Leo internally exclaimed as his mind ran over the possible interpretations of her words. 'Maybe this is the whole thing when kids say they want to marry their parents…'
That event was after all always happened because of a child's naivety, and not quite understanding everything they were saying. Something that couldn't even be properly explained away but was rather something they would somehow come to understand as they grew up in life, perhaps this was all something rather similar but instead he was the one misunderstanding another kind of bond…
"Hey, Subaru! Who are they?" A voice suddenly shouted out as Leo picked up on someone questioning them.
"Their enemies of mine! Hey Leo, come over here!" Subaru's voice could suddenly be heard getting the group to turn to him, wondering just what the raven-haired boy was getting up to yet again whilst noticing him waving at them whilst standing next to a group of village children.
"Never calm and always a show, their parents might get too tired you if start rubbing off on them you know." Leo quipped as he walked over, giving in the summons that he was getting whilst making mental note to come back to Cecily at a more private time.
"Hey, just who do you take me for?!" Subaru exclaimed in his usual dramatics, if not even more so as the kids behind him laughed in response.
"I mean I should be asking how I went from friendly acquaintance to an enemy so quickly, you're making yourself seem fickle here." Leo returned with a smirk at the friendly banter, "Then again, you've been making your affections quite clear to everyone but the person in question…"
"Now you just hitting where it hurts!" Subaru continued to comically cry out much more to the amusement of the kids that surrounded him as they continued to laugh. "Come on, why is the treatment that I get?"
"Hey mister, what are you? You're dressed so nicely, and you came from somewhere else." One of the kids, a meek girl then asked him as she appraised him, trying to work something out about him.
"I'm just someone who came from the capital simply on a simple trip to say hello to everyone here, it's nice to meet you," Leo replied with a kind-hearted smile but it wasn't enough to remove the kid's personality who continued to look at him quizzically.
"Then who are the ones following you?" She continued to ask, pointing to the two-child maids that continued to follow him before throwing an interested glance towards Cecily.
"I am Flam, and this is my twin sister Cassis. We are maids of the Astrea Household and currently in service to Sir Leo." Flam then introduced herself to the kids with the same as every formality of hers, something that had her standing in stark contrast to all the kids that were now looking at them completely. Unlike them, the maids despite being seemingly around their age acted far beyond their age.
"Wait, Astrea? Isn't that the sword saint's family? You're related to the sword saint?!" Another girl mentioned as all the kids recoiled in shock from a sense of realisation from the possible identity of the man that they had so casually addressed.
"Not really, I'm just a good friend of his reality." Leo then replied as he looked down at the kids who had already given him some space, no longer beginning to crowd around him in the slightest. It didn't do much to calm them down however as they continued to look at him in awe, the way that they were willing to treat him clearly having changed, almost looking slightly worried as if they had somehow disrespected him.
"There's no need to worry you know? I'm not as amazing as you think anyway." Leo continued to talk, hoping to help ease the kids that were almost lined up besides Subaru who was almost perplexed from the sudden respect that Leo was managing to get from merely mentioning his connection to Reinhard. "It would be nicer to be among friendly faces you know?" he continued.
"Um…" Another girl, quiet with blue braided hair quietly said as she managed to step forwards, slightly pulling on one of Leo's sleeves for his attention.
"What is it?" Leo asked as he knelt down the girl slightly, happy that there was a chance to get the kids to be more friendly with him again whilst also wondering just how many people in the world came would treat him so courteously. Once again, the title of sword saint was clearly something of an overwhelming deal in whatever world that he found himself in.
The girl didn't say anything in response however, she merely lifted a hand and pointed off in a direction that was the edge of the two.
"Meili is kinda shy with new people, but I think that she wants to show you and Subaru the puppy!" One of the boys then spoke up, fixing some of Leo's confusion at the gesture.
"Puppy?" Leo repeated as he further wondered just why would they be trying to bring him to the edge of town for such a thing.
"There was an event like this last time as well…" Subaru then muttered to himself yet it only added to Leo's confusion on just what he was talking about, making it sound like everything had already happened before to him. "Well, come on, let's go! I can't wait to be able to pet its fur! I wonder how well it'll measure up to Puck's!" Subaru then said with excitement, immediately pushing past his confusing mumbling.
"You hear the man-child, let's go." Leo then quipped with a grin much to the astonishment of Subaru yet again as he casually walked past, allowing the group of kids to pull him along slightly.
"Is picking on me becoming one of your pastimes now?" Subaru cried out as he walked alongside Leo.
"Well, whilst I think that Ram goes a bit too far, you do hold some rather entertaining reactions. If you're going to be so rambunctious then I may as well have some fun with it." Leo replied all whilst continuing to smile. "You seem to be able to handle it well enough."
"I think he's a funny man too! Hey, hey, were you a clown before?" Cecily cheerily joined in as she continued to hold onto Leo's hand as they walked alone, not allowing herself to be separated from him with her ever-present cheery smile that only formed into a grin as she teased Subaru.
"Maybe in his previous life." Leo calmly responded as faced her with a smile, an action that then led to his obliviousness to Subaru's expression harshly darkening as he heard the words that struck at multiple nerves before he soon shook it off, not offering the chance for anyone to notice anything. He couldn't.
It was only a short walk to where the kids wanted to take them, the group stopping just short of a fence that surrounded the whole town whilst Meili went right up to it, soon crouching down and sure enough, a small, little brown puppy came bounding over to her.
And upon accepting it into her arms did Meili then stand up and turn around, bringing the puppy closer to the rest of the group, everyone cheerily moving towards the dog with the exception of Leo and the maids.
"Is there something wrong, sir?" Cassis couldn't help but ask as she noticed that their master wasn't getting in on the interest, instead of hanging back as he held a pondering expression on his face.
"It's just that this is a stray." Leo calmly mentioned as he continued to watch all the other's happily trying to stroke the dog and enjoy the feel of its fur. "Yet it's so well trained, even for a puppy, and where would its parents be?"
"I wouldn't know." "Neither would I." The twins answered him as they joined him in thought.
"Is it possible that the girl has some kind of Divine Blessing of Taming or something?" Leo then pondered aloud, the only logical thing that entered his head when considering the ways of the new world that he was living in.
"There is a chance that she does indeed have such an ability, I do not know of any magic that would allow for any such effects. It would also be dangerous for the children to leave the village so they wouldn't be able to find it, but dogs can be intelligent creatures." Flam then continued on his thoughts, likewise trying to find anything that made sense about it, until…
"Ouch!" Subaru suddenly exclaimed as he held onto his hand that had a newly acquired bite mark.
"You got carried away!" One of the kids said with a grin as they pointed out the happening.
"This happens every time! Am I just fated to always be hated by you…" Subaru solemnly said as he hung his head in exhaustion, unable to cope with the event that had continuously happened to him in the exact same way each and every time that he had attempted it. "We really must not be compatible or you must be a time traveller…"
"Well, that much was to be expected about a stay at least." Leo couldn't help but comment as he continued to watch Subaru from a distance who began to stand up tall again before turning to face Leo.
"I guess that you would have a point with that. Maybe you guys just happen to be really good at gaining the trust of the little guy." Subaru then said as he glanced back at the dog before sighing yet again at how everything had failed for him.
"Subaru, Sir Leo, I hope that you now feel fulfilled by our trip to the village and have done everything that you wanted to do." Rem's voice suddenly filled their ears, prompting the whole group to turn around and face the maid that had appeared before them.
"It's been nice to get out and see a little more than just the capital," Leo quickly replied.
"Yeah, and I've managed to do everything that I came here for as well! I'm perfectly ready to head on back to the manor now!" Subaru energetically replied as he pumped himself up, getting himself ready for whatever he was going to get up to.
"Good, then you can be the one to carry the supplies back then. You said you would when we arrived at the village didn't you Subaru?" Rem then said with a faint little smile as she stepped to the side revealing a rather large barrel that she had been standing in front of hiding it from view, making Subaru go wide-eyed in shock as Leo simply whistled in response.
"Y-yeah, don't worry about a thing! I'll carry it all the way back, no problem!" Subaru cheerily, clearing needing to pump himself up once again as he walked towards the barrel, beginning to leave the kids behind.
"Goodbye Subaru!" All the kids began to call out as they waved their hands towards the departing group, each of them all having grins on their faces as they saw them off, something that Cecily happily waved back to with just as much enthusiasm as Leo gave a smaller, gentle wave as the only thing that Subaru could do was simply bow his head towards the kids as his arms were full.
And after that, the group finally made their way back to the mansion as the sun began to set all the while, marking the coming to the end of the day…
"We're finally back…" Subaru said as he lowered the barrel of goods to the ground in exhaustion as they finally arrived back at the manor in front of the door.
"Maybe I should have used Akra on you to help out, it would have been something for more practice…" Leo pondered aloud as he stood beside Subaru, looking down at him whilst he crouched by the barrel with a slightly red face.
"But at the same time, Subaru has now served some punishment for having made me wait for so long." Rem then added on with her ever stoic expressions that kept her deeper thoughts completely unpredictable.
"I'm sorry for that ok?!" Subaru shot back before releasing yet another sigh, seemingly getting ready to lift the barrel again until something interrupted the whole group.
"My~, what great timing you all have." An incredibly unique voice called out getting everyone's attention and soon shocked with the exception of the three present maids at the sight they were greeted with. While it was most certainly the very person they expected, Roswaal, none of them expected the dress that he currently adorned himself with.
"Formal clothing?" Subaru was the first to note as he stood up with his complete interest and bewilderment on Roswall.
"Well spotted, Subaru~," Roswall replied before he turned to Leo with almost sharp eyes. "I must apologise for my departer dear guest, but you see that something urgent has come up that requires my immediate attention~ and the people I will be working~ with always make such a fuss."
"I heard~ something to be a tad worrisome, so I am off to make my rounds. I don't expect to return tonight, alas~ my apologies!" Roswall continued with a smile as he fixed a hat on his head.
"It's important to attend to business." Leo calmly replied as Roswall faced him, his expressions not all that apologetic yet continued smiling on as ever. It was something that possibly should have appeared friendly.
"I am glad~ that you understand!" Roswall replied with a smile that wasn't much better. The man constantly appeared slightly off-putting and Leo couldn't help but blame the fact that it was likely because of his clown nature. "Rem, take care of things with Ram," Roswall said as he began to walk past the maid.
"Yes sir, sister and I shall do so will our lives." Rem calmly in her ever-monotone voice to her master whilst she gave a brief bow towards him, all whilst Subaru continued to watch everything with a dumbfounded expression as he was crouched down, hugging the barrel he had been carrying until Roswall placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I'm also counting on you Subaru, take good care of Lady Emilia, won't you?" Roswall said in a low voice and he bent over to better close the distance between.
"Sure, you can definitely count on me for that!" Subaru cheerily replied, getting Roswall to back slightly as he gripped his hat as he took a few steps away.
"Then, look after things while I am away." Roswall simply said as his body began to lift from the ground, going higher and higher into the sky as he looked down at the group whilst Subaru and Leo couldn't help but stare back in amazement. And with a tip of his hat, he suddenly shot off into the distance at incredible speed.
"He can fly?!" Subaru couldn't help but explain in the end as he continued looking on where the clown man disappeared in the air. "Magic is amazing…" said with awe as he turned back around to see Rem already walking into the building where Ram was holding the door open for them, seemingly having been expecting them or simply seeing their employer off.
"Please, dear guest, you'll find that dinner will soon be ready and that Miss Emilia is also waiting for your return from the village." Ram then called out, gathering Leo's attention as she gestured inside the manor.
"That means the kitty will be there as well!" Cecily then burst out, making herself known after a prolonged amount of silence before rubbing her eyes slightly as she calmed back down again.
"Are you feeling tired?" Leo couldn't help but ask as he noticed the spirits seemingly growing fatigue.
"Not really…" Cecily responded as she looked back up at him with a clearly tired smile. "Spirits don't really get tired, nor normally need sleep… but since I don't have a contract for mana if I do a lot in the day then I get like this…"
"Sounds like your equivalence for sleepiness for me," Leo replied with a faint smile at the sight of the tired girl, briefly patting her on the head before taking her hand again. "Come on then, let's go and see Emilia and Puck then, and maybe have a meal as well before you fall asleep." He said as he gently pulled on her hand, leading her into the building as Flam and Cassis followed after the pair.
Meanwhile, behind them, Subaru silently made a resolve to himself before once again picking up the barrel of supplies that they had got that day before making his way towards the stockade of the manor, ready for the moment that he was done to head off and find Beatrice once again…
"She finally fell asleep huh?" Leo said as he glanced to his side where Cecily had finally fallen asleep on the seat beside him at the dinner table.
"She must have done a lot today if she's this tired, usually most spirits don't need to sleep," Emilia commented before she looked down and held the emerald crystal that hung off of her with gentle and caring eyes. "Puck is also a spirit that needs to rest as per our contract alongside to help recover himself." She added on. The small cat spirit had returned to her crystal almost halfway through their shared meal mostly to Cecily's disappointment as she could no longer play around with his fur.
"I've only really gotten to know Cecily out of all the spirits that I've met but I feel that each one can be a handful in their own way." Leo then said with a smile as he gently ruffled Cecily's hair with a smile, until muffled voices were soon heard…
"Do you hear that?" Emilia then asked as she glanced towards the door with Leo joining her in the action.
"Something causing a commotion?" Leo then asked as he glanced back at Emilia who simply returned the stare, the pair looking at one another for any possible answers only to behold blank expression from the other.
"We should go it out." Emilia then said as she stood up from the table, already walking over to the door before waiting there for Leo to come join her. At her suggestion did he then also get up, gently leaving Cecily behind as to not wake her as Emilia gently opened the door, likewise not trying to cause too much sound as they left the dining room.
"Have you thought more about forming a contract with Cecily?" Emilia then asked as they walked through the corridors of the manor, making their way closer and closer to the similar voices of the staff that they knew to be in the building.
"She brought it up again while we were at the town, and then mentioned that she's only tired because she doesn't have a contract with anyone yet…" Leo replied with an almost distant look as he lapsed back into thought whilst they walked. "Contract's really mean a lot to spirits, don't they?"
"That's right, I think that it's good that you are giving it all serious thought and understanding it all, not to mention how much you seem to care for her already," Emilia replied with a faint smile, leaving Leo unsure of how to respond as he considered her words alongside collecting his thoughts about how he already felt about the energetic spirit girl.
"Maybe I should just ask her what kind of terms she would want in the contract before I continue to think any further on this." Leo then said as they rounded a corner, making their way down the stair's only for the voices to become clear to them.
"I'll confirm with Lady Beatrice and protect Miss Emilia." Ram's voice was heard, making Leo lift a brow in interest to what they had heard whilst Emilia simply grew more concerned when she heard the word protect. "I'll also keep an eye on that…" she quietly added on even more so to Leo's confusion.
"Sister, you shouldn't…" Rem started to stay with a sense of hesitance only for her to soon go interrupted.
"Subaru, are you going somewhere?" Emilia asked, breaking the moment as she finally cleared the stairs, "We heard voices and so we came to see what was going on… What's happened?"
"Nothing happened, but something might be happening." Subaru calmly replied with a smile as he turned around to see Emilia hurrying over to him whilst Leo calmly followed behind, whilst behind him were Cassis and Flam who made sure to keep their presence minimalistic.
"You're trying to do something dumb and risk your life again." Leo bluntly called out with a hard expression, not even the slightest sign of a smile was possible to be seen on his face.
"We were just wrapping up on that topic," Subaru replied making Leo give a heavy sigh in response before looking back up at him.
"Then I'm coming with you, like it or not." Leo then shot back with an unwavering voice whilst his words shocked everyone in the room.
"Then we shall accompany you, Sir Leo." Flam and Cassis stated in union with a bow only to flinch slightly as they were interrupted by Leo as he abruptly pushed his hand out before them, as if in rejection to their words.
"I'm glad to hear it, but I can't allow it," Leo said with a weak smile even more to the shock of the onlookers of the Emilia Camp. "Flam, I mentioned it before, right? I don't like the thought of children having to fight or protect, I should be the one doing that." He continued whilst the two twins stood with their mouths slightly agape at what they were hearing from their master before recomposing themselves and bowing in response.
"If that is what you wish, Sir Leo." They eventually replied as they stifled their shock towards the commands. "As Sir Reinhard's apprentice, we are sure to end up holding you back."
'Well, that would mean more if I did have a sword on me…' Leo thought to himself as he stifled any expression. Not having a sword likely wouldn't matter, not since that he had some martial arts tied in with his training alongside now having access to magic as well.
"You shouldn't try and sway my mind either, if something's possibly bad enough to threaten life's then we should go now." Leo then said to the rest of the onlookers who only felt forced to accept the reality.
"Then may the protection of the spirits be with you," Emilia said with a faint smile…
The group of Subaru, Rem and Leo wasted little time in rushing from the manor back down towards the town in the dead of night, not sparing the slightest amount of effort in hurrying down the dark path as quickly as they could. The moment that they arrived, however, Subaru's suspicions only seemed to have been proven true.
"What's going on?" Rem asked as they entered the village, immediately calling out to the nearest village that happened to be roaming the area with a burning torch in hand whilst plenty of fires had been lit about the place making the whole town plenty visible despite the night.
"Ah, several of the children have gone missing and all the adults are looking for them." The villager quickly replied making Subaru lower his head for a minute with a scowl before he suddenly shot his glance past the man and towards a path that was behind him, not waiting for a moment to begin sprinting off to everyone's shock.
"Subaru?" Rem couldn't help but question the abrupt action that he had taken before she, Leo and the villager began to chase after him, only able to wonder if he happened to catch onto something helpful.
Before long the four found themselves standing at the edge of the village where they had been with the children earlier in the day with a simple wooden fence, whilst before them attached to the tree's that marked the beginning of the forest were small glowing crystals.
"One of the crystals are broken!" Rem said as she pointed out one that wasn't producing any light whilst the villager that had accompanied him flinched.
"What does that mean?" Subaru asked as he threw her a quick glance to see her hardened face.
"It means mabeasts can cross the border." Rem simply stated.
"Mabeasts?"
"Cursed creatures created by the witch, they're enemies of humanity that have magic powers."
"You mean that the witch tried playing god? Making life?" Leo questioned as he furrowed his brows.
"Yes, horrible monsters that have now long-troubled our world, constantly hunting down human life almost exclusively." Rem quickly answered getting Leo to further grimanse from the words that he had heard.
"Usually I like to treasure life of all forms, but they're just unnatural… as far as I'm aware then they're not supposed to exist…" he grumbled much to the attention of Subaru and Rem who looked at him, trying to read his expression which had hardened considerably as he now looked towards the forest with complete disdain. "I'm not letting kids die to something like that." He calmly stated in contradiction to his appearance.
"Wait, Sir Leo, what are you thinking of doing? It's incredibly dangerous in there! In fact, with yourself here and Lord Roswall gone, it might even be a ploy to lure you out or keep everyone away from the manor!" Rem immediately called out as she hurried to the fence until another person moved, and once again completely against her expectation.
"Subaru?!" she exclaimed as he moved closer to the fence, resting his hands on the fence as if getting ready to jump over it.
"What else can we do? Go back home and tighten the security? That's something you could do if you don't care about all the kids and villagers being killed by the morning." Subaru replied with an unwavering gaze, silencing Rem with a sense of confliction as the true scope of the situation began to fall on her. "Right now, we're the only ones capable of solving this, we have to do something."
"But why would you go so far? For this village?" Rem began to ask as she looked back at the two men, trying to work out just whatever was running through their minds.
"What reason do we need? It's people's life's we're talking about, and children as well, that's not something that can just be passed off you know? I don't know what your personal morals are, but lives are something that you can't get back. Even I can't bring back a whole town, nor do I want it to come to that since it means that something still has to die." Leo then shot back as he almost glared back at Rem, silencing both her and Subaru from the intensity that he looked at them with.
"I see… very well then. It is in my orders to keep an eye on the pair of you." Rem replied with a slight smile as she finally took a few steps forward as well towards the fence before clearing it with a single jump that made it appear that it was merely a small hop in comparison to Subaru who had to hoist himself over.
"Go back and tell everyone what's happening, we'll be going on ahead now." Subaru then said as he turned back to the lone villager that was still standing on the other side of the fence, getting him to quickly nod in response before turning around and rushing back the way they had come, already calling out for anyone who could hear him. "Um, Rem, what is that?" Subaru then couldn't help but ask as he turned around, noticing a ball and chain in Rem's hands that had seemingly come from nowhere.
"It's for protection." Rem blandly stated without hesitation.
"But where were you hiding that?!" Leo couldn't help but exclaim as the two guys watched the maid start walking into the forest.
"Please don't worry about it." Rem replied, just as blandly as before, clearly not willing to elaborate in the slightest about the weapon that she somehow had on hand. All the two guys could do was share a quick glance, one of bewilderment and the other of concern, before beginning to follow after the blue-haired maid.
The group of three didn't have to walk through the woods for long before Rem began to slow down, sniffing the air to Leo's slight bewilderment, but he didn't press questions when she mentioned smelling something that was both alive and not a beast. It was something that filled Subaru with a sense of hope as they rushed in its direction, soon leaving the bushes behind as they entered a large clearing of hilly fields where multiple figures were left slumped on the ground.
"The kids!" Subaru exclaimed the moment that it became clear just who the figures were, increasing his pace to arrive at their sides as soon as possible. "They're alive!" He further mentioned but Rem only further scowled.
"No, their weak…" She mentioned making Subaru's eyes go wide in realisation whilst Leo remained quiet for any kind of elaboration.
"The curse? We're too late? Rem, can you remove it for them?!" he began to ask in a panic.
"No, if my sister was here then she should be able to do something. All I can do for them is use a healing spell to soothe them." Rem said as she sat in the middle of all the kids holding up her hands to produce a faint amount of blue light, quickly bringing some comfort to the stained faces of suffering kids.
"We're got a bit of a problem here…" Leo then mentioned as he scanned over the group again, trying to spot something.
"What is it? Is something coming?" Rem immediately asked as she looked up at Leo before casting a glance around the area.
"No, not that. Rather, we're still down a kid. I don't see the blue braided one anywhere, and she was the one who was carrying the dog." Leo mentioned as he scanned over the kids again before scowling. "I'm going to look."
"Wait, you can't! If she's been taken off by the mabeast's then there a good chance that she's already- "Rem immediately started to counter as Leo started to make a few strides away from the group.
"The mabeast's took these kids and yet they were left out like this, there's a chance that she's also in the same condition. Even then, I'm looking for the corpse at least for her respect from dying in a way that she never should have… if I choose to leave her that way…" Leo replied whilst Subaru also got to his feet to the attention of Leo and Rem.
"Choose?" Rem repeated as she looked at him, multiple thoughts running through her mind, not that she gave voice to any of them, and whilst she was occupied in her mind… "Subaru, you as well?" she then said as she noticed him beginning to stir.
"Of course, if you choose to take on something, then you should make sure to take it all on, besides the more people searching the forest the more likely it is that we'll find her in time, right?" Subaru said with a serious smile as he looked back at Rem, however, she was the only one paying attention as Leo didn't slow down the slightest as he made his way back into the bushes.
"But we don't know if the villagers will arrive, and I can't assure I'll find you again!" Rem had continued to argue, but her words never reached Leo walked with death ears as he pressed onwards without hesitation.
Leo continued pressing through the woods as he looked about in every little space that he passed through, aiming to find anything that he could. 'Still nothing… but it is one child in a whole forest, but then again she couldn't be that far from the other's…'
Unless she had been completely devoured by the beasts… but he hadn't seen any of them either.
"They do have magical powers though, is there some chance that they did something along those lines? How intelligent can those beasts be?!" He continued to hurry through the woods as he spoke to himself until he finally heard something rustle about near him, and in the next moment, the source of the sound made itself known.
Leaping high out the bushes was a dog-like beast that had multiple spikes poking out of its back whilst it's were completely glaring red, almost as if it was glowing. As it moved through the air and through the air towards Leo it bore its fangs that almost glistened.
At first through both surprise and fear Leo found himself unable to do much but watch the incoming danger with pure surprise before snapping out of it at the last moment, dodging to the side causing the mabeast to land in the space behind him, skidding to a halt before spinning back around whilst growling at Leo again.
"Ok, and that's what a mabeast is like…" Leo said to himself as he already began settling into a battle-ready pose, calming himself for what was going to be his second every fight within his new world. "Luckily, it's not the first time I've dealt with a moody dog…" he added on.
Once again, the mabeast leapt towards him whilst Leo stood firm allowing it to happen, but unlike the last time he calmly sidestepped the beast while it was helpless in the air before landing and solid uppercut to its throat, sending it flying back.
"It would be nice to strike at your neck and break it, but one bite and I'm cursed…" Leo continued to comment to himself as he continued to look at the mabeast whilst considering his options of how to best deal with his initial adversary. "However, Fura!" he then yelled out with a wave of his arm, unleashing a high-speed blade of wind that raced towards the mabeast, slicing it open with a gush of blood in a near-instant.
"That wasn't so hard, created by a witch or not, they're basically just wolves with especially deadly bites…" Leo said as he looked down at his handiwork whilst blood continued to pour forth from it. "But that was far worse than the little doggo." He mentioned as he started to walk past the now dead beast only to soon stop dead in his tracks as yet another mabeast entered his vision.
"Another already? More to compare to wolf's, packs." Leo said before looking around him only to notice another two that were closing in on him, not that he let them faze him as he looked back at them blankly before a slight smile somehow found its way onto his face. "Well, wanna try me like the last guy?" he taunted despite guessing them not to understand his words.
But they still reacted in a similar manner to being provoked as they all growled and barked before dashing towards him, making Leo calm himself as he waited for the moment to make his own move. "Akra!" He cast, allowing a faint veil of light to cover him before he reached out and firmly grasped the neck of the mabeast that had leapt at him from in front before jumping to deliver a roundhouse kick to the other two mabeast that lunged at him sending them spawling back together.
The mabeast struggled in his grasp as it desperately kept snapping and growling, trying to angle its head down enough to bite Leo's hand but he only tightened his grasp to a suffocating level until shadows began to run over the beast's body towards Leo's hand whilst it's vitality quickly began to diminish. And before long, it became nothing more than a lifeless corpse that he soon tossed aside.
It was at the sight that the other two mabeasts that had picked themselves off of the ground actually showed some hesitance as they stared down at Leo who glared back. Suddenly yet another one jumped out from behind them and rushed toward him only for Leo to narrowly avoid the snap of its jaws and yet again grabbing it by the neck where it too struggled just like the previous one.
The other two followed its example however as they rushed at the same time but the repetitive simply attacks of the beasts never got any more effective as Leo only felt more and more confident against them at a rapid rate.
Swinging the mabeast that was in his grasp did he knock one of the attacking ones away whilst with his free hand, he grasped the other mabeast before slamming the two in his grasp into the ground with enough force to crack the ground, shocking Leo at the sheer strength that he possessed with his magic.
'Light magic really is potent huh?!' he couldn't help but think to himself as he finished draining the life from the two beasts that had been in his grasp. "Fura!" He quickly yelled out as the sight of the remaining mabeast suddenly entered his vision at an alarming closeness, the wind spell quickly shedding straight through the attacker whilst spraying Leo with a good amount of its blood.
"And now I just want a bath…" he grumbled to himself as he inspected his blood-covered clothing, already guessing at just how Felt and Reinhard would possibly react if he came back with the blood on him. But his thoughts were very quickly proved to be the least of his worries…
There was even more growling, and this time it was from all around him. He didn't need to try and look around either to see where the source of them all were, as it was obvious from the countless glowing red glares that he was receiving from all around him.
'The perfect horror situation…' He couldn't but think to himself as he desperately thought about whatever would likely be his best course of action in the situation. Handling just a few at a time was something that he would find easy, a bunch of them would potentially be risky without a sword but taking on what was an army of them was something clearly impossible.
"Fura!" Leo yelled out as he gathered his strength again, unleashing a wind blade towards the mabeasts before him which cut through them with ease whilst all the other mabeast instant began to pounce for him all at once. But Leo didn't waste any time, however, immediately slamming his foot to the ground and shooting forth from where he had been standing taking full advantage of his enhanced strength from Akra to dart for the opening that he had just made.
There was no time for him to look back as he continued running from the massive pack of beasts that continued to chase him down without remorse whilst he ran, the whole pack managing to keep up with his speed.
"I don't have the stamina for this!" He shouted aloud as he ran along, trying to find anything that would offer him some kind of safety. "Can I even return to the village?! Unless the barrier has been restored already…" he continued to contemplate, letting adrenaline drown out his exhaustion whilst he did his best to ignore the sounds of the countless footsteps and growls from all his pursuers, until he finally felt something else.
"An earthquake?!" He couldn't help but exclaim as he felt the earth shake beneath his feet, until he noticed something in the corner of his eye. "No, a landslide?" he commented as he then saw a massive amount of flooding land that rushed over space not too far out the way. He didn't even think that much in changing direction to run towards it, hoping that there was some chance of making use of it to shake off the beast's that were chasing him only to be greeted to another, greater surprise.
By the time he had arrived at whatever had happened he was greeted to the welcome sight of Subaru and the child they had been looking for, whilst in a not so welcome sight was Rem acting completely different than she ever had before.
There was no longer any calmness or even a trace of sanity in her eyes where she stood in the middle of the clearing, now with a sparking pink horn from her forehead whilst she went covered with her own share patches of blood on her clothes.
"Mabeast, Mabeast, Mabeat!" She kept screaming like a manic as she swung around her ball and chain with impressive power, completely obliterating everything that she smashed with it into nothing more than a pool of blood and torn flesh. The sight of it almost being shocking enough that Leo forgot his own pursuers until one of them managed to finally pounce him, biting him as it jumped on him from behind, causing him to fall into the middle of the clearing as well.
"Leo!" Subaru shouted out in recognition at the sight of his friend falling into the same area but he was halted in his movements before he could even make them as Rem swung her ball and chain, obliterating the mabeast that had pounced on his back.
It was then that the maddened Rem remained still whilst smiling like a crazed maniac at the rest of the swarm of mabeast's that had just shown up, the lot of them actually backing off slightly in intimidation whilst Leo began to pick himself up whilst rubbing the spot of his back that had been bitten.
"Thanks for that…" Leo said as he stood back up again, whilst noting that his appreciation had fallen upon death ears as Rem continued to pay him little attention as she looked past him to all the mabeast's that were now overlooking the clearing. "Rem… are we going to team up for this?" Leo then asked, hoping that something would probe any kind of response from the maid.
"Rem, Leo! Look out!" Subaru's voice then cut through the area, only prompting Leo's concern as he first looked to the butler to see his alarmed face as he was racing towards him and Rem, but before he could turn around again to see whatever had him alarmed, he was shoved aside and into Rem, knocking the pair clean aside.
And in the moment that Leo found himself falling through the air did he look back to then see Subaru get pounced by even more mabeast's that had come up from behind, whilst the group that they had been staring down had taken the cue to join in as well.
"Subaru?!" Rem suddenly exclaimed in her usual voice; her eye's having returned to normal whilst her horn had now vanished from sight. It was only a brief moment of hesitation that the pair had shown but it was enough for Subaru to get covered by the mabeast's each and everyone biting into him without remorse, the sight of it shocking the pair again and spurring Rem into action as she threw her ball and chain at them again, killing two of them whilst scaring off the rest.
"Hey, are you alright? Subaru!" Leo called as he ran over with Rem, with the latter kneeling down by his side and holding his head to better get a look at his face.
"Don't die! Don't die!" Rem couldn't help but cry out frantically whilst Leo remained torn at the situation, only able to watch Subaru's eye's slowly close whilst his body went limp. "Subaru!" Rem cried out again as she clutched his body tighter leaving Leo to hurriedly take a glance around the forest before kneeling down to check Subaru's pulse.
"He's alive but weak, I don't think his wounds are terribly bad which means we're better off treating them back in the village…" Leo said as he looked up at Rem who almost had tears in her eyes at this point whilst she held up.
"But each bite he received was another curse!" Rem pointed out frantically.
"You said your sister could help, didn't you? Taking back to the manor with the kid is the best thing we can do right now." Leo replied as he looked back over to where he had first spotted Subaru since entering the clearing, noticing that the child that he had saved was leaning against a tree, still unconscious.
"Yes… sister, or at least Miss Beatrice will be able to help him." Rem replied with a nod before she got to her feet, lifting Subaru up with her. "We must hurry back! Please can you take the child!" She said with determination filling her face.
"Of course." Leo simply replied as he moved over, scooping up the braided, blue-haired kid before they began running through the forest again in the direction of the town where there were faint lights in the distance showing them the way…
Hello everyone, I know I have been gone for a while now but some of that has been some deep thoughts... I'm not going to go on with excuses, there are few, I feel that especially for the first chapter after a long while this came out a bit weak but even so I still hope that you enjoyed it.
Reviews:
NightVonShadow: I'm happy to hear that you enjoyed the chapter, and I'm glad to hear what you're opinions on it were! As for such an invite, I am thinking about how to best go about it, considering Roswall's goals and the power to bring back the dead...
WarlockOfVainglory: I tried to give some context as to an incredibly good shout from you, but not too sure how well I did, but you most certainly have made me think about how to better cover loops as that's kinda super important. So at least hopefully next time things will go better.
Otagema: I'm happy to hear that there are even more people that believe this to be more of a breath of fresh air and that you're enjoying the story, I hope to live up to expectations and that this chapter isn't a dent in it already. Yes, there are pairs but, spoilers! But if you DO want to know, just look down.
POTENTIAL SPOILER - PAIRING INFORMATION AS PER REVIEWER CURIOSITY - I'MA TRYING TO MAKE A LITTLE HARD TO READ BUT THE DOCUMENT EDITOR MAKES IT HARD
Leo - (I'm aiming for a wild, rollercoaster of a story, yet as well planned out as possible. For those reading this, hope this interests you) - Pandora