"Subaru-sama?" Wilhelm asked, after seeing the young prince wear a butler's suit. Subaru was the adopted son of Randohal Lugunica, the late 41st king of the kingdom. Even though he was an official member of the royal family, he chose to hide his identity from the public. Only the royal knights and a selected few knew of his status. Every member of the royal family fell due to a mysterious plague, all except the young prince and Ford Lugunica's missing daughter.
'I thought Subaru-sama was with Crusch-sama in House Karsten?' Wilhelm thought to himself. Wilhelm and Felix were tasked to act as an emissary for the Crusch camp to ensure their good relations with the Emilia camp.
"Subaru-sama? No, no. You must have been mistaken sir, my name is Natsuki Subaru only. Also, how did you know my…doesn't matter. Do you like to have a cup of tea?" Subaru asked with a smile on his face.
Wilhelm was sure of it, that the man before him was the young prince of the kingdom, he had the same first name, same smile, and same fairly unkempt hair. But something else was different. His eyes, although they appear the same, caught Wilhelm's attention. His eyes were those of someone who has experienced death several times.
"Ah I see and thank you." Wilhelm said as he took a cup of tea.
"It tastes lovely. I feel as though I'm indulging in great luxury." He replied after taking a small sip.
"It's actually the most expensive tea in the mansion." Subaru nonchalantly replied as he placed the small tray down.
"If the pink-haired maid learns we drank it without permission, she'll flip." Subaru added.
'Even their quirks are the same.' Wilhelm thought as he further inspected the man before him. He then proceeded to ask the boy what was his intention in giving an old butler such expensive tea.
"I only want to know the reason for this visit. If you could just give me a vague idea…" Subaru tried persuading.
'He lacks skills. He definitely isn't Subaru-sama' Wilhelm thought as he saw how different the two boys' persuasion skills are. The young prince, after excessively studying for the past years, is extremely cunning and would often get whatever he wants. With his wits alone, he could persuade an army to do his bidding. He also studied war tactics and is actually a knight in training.
"As I have no idea what your standing is in this mansion, I cannot say anything careless." Wilhelm answered facing away from the young man garbed in a butler's attire.
"I'm back, Old man Wil!" But before he could talk more with the boy, a certain demi-human called out to him, catching both of their attention. The demi-human had cat-like ears, wore a beautiful blue dress with a ribbon, and a blue and white ribbon on his hair.
"Sorry to make you wait outside. I bet you were bored, huh?" Felix asked the butler who he came with to the mansion.
"Not at all. This young man has been speaking with me. And it appears he piqued my interest." Wilhelm replied to Felix's question.
"Hmm…Eh?" Felix confusingly said.
''Eh?'?' Subaru then thought.
"Ehhh?... Subaru-kyun? Why are you here? Are you the boy Emilia-sama mentioned? And if you're here, then who's with Crusch-sama?" A flurry of questions left Felix's mouth.
"Here? Mentioned? Crusch-sama? I'm sorry. This is way too confusing, but…do I know you? And why do the two of you know my name?" Subaru asked, a little frightened by the sudden onslaught of questions.
"Ah…" Felix tried to speak but he was prompted to stop by Wilhelm.
"We are humbly sorry. We just mistook you for someone we knew. He too, had the same name." Wilhelm tried explaining the situation with as little of a commotion as he could. Wilhelm bowed to show the clearly frightened man that his explanation was sincere. He then eyed the demi-human who bombarded the boy with a lot of questions he didn't know the answer to.
"I'm sorry, nya" Felix apologized as he too bowed.
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"To think we'd meet someone who looked and talked exactly like Subaru-kyun, huh old man Wil?" Felix tried starting a conversation.
"Yes, it truly is bizarre. Wonder if there are more like them." Wilhelm thought. Having two Subarus is already otherworldly, that having another would now be normal.
"Oh please. One Subaru-kyun is enough." Felix replied.
[IN HOUSE KARSTEN]
Subaru Lugunica was on his workbench doing some of Crusch camp's paperwork, when all of a sudden he sneezed and started shivering.
'Is it allergy season already?' The young prince thought as he went to the house's restroom to blow his nose properly. Upon exiting the restroom, he bumped into his childhood friend who was on her way to the balcony.
"Ah sorry about that Crusch-tan. I didn't see you there" Subaru said with a toothy smile. But all he received was the worrying gaze from the beautiful woman before him.
"Are you overworking yourself again?" Crusch asked as she continued to glare at the young prince. The young prince then decided to take a few steps back…and a few more, before sprinting as fast as he could back to his office. Subaru knows full well that lying to Crusch would only amount to her getting angrier. Tactically retreating is a better option than lying to a lie detecting machine.
"...That idiot." Crusch said as she then sighed a sigh of exasperation.
[IN THE FANG OF IRON]
"Subaru nii-san, Subaru nii-san. Did ya bring anything for Mimi?" A little demi-human girl asked as she proceeded to jump energetically.
"Ah, sorry about that, Natsuki-san. I know y'are tired." Anastasia said.
"Ah it's alright Anastasia-sama. ~Aaand~ I do have something for Mimi" Subaru said as he held a wooden box in his hand. Upon hearing what Subaru said,
the young demi-human now had stars in her eyes. Subaru then proceeded to mimic a trumpet sound with his mouth as he then revealed the content of the small box.
"~Ta-dah! It's a Mimi doll~" Subaru exclaimed, as he showed Mimi a well sewn doll that looked like her. Subaru then gave Mimi the doll, which she immediately hugged and added to her collection.
"Thank you, Subaru nii-san!" Mimi said, as she then prepared herself to sleep. Her bed had numerous dolls all made by Subaru. A Ricardo doll, an Anastasia doll, a liger doll, a ground dragon doll, a Tivey doll, a Hetaro doll, and now a Mimi doll. The only thing missing from her collection is a Subaru doll.
Yawn
"Natsuki-san, I think ya should get some rest" Anastasia suggested seeing the eyebags under Subaru's evil looking eyes.
"Nah, I still gotta translate a few scripts from Hoshin's texts." Subaru replied.
"Well, there's no use negotiating whenever you have that look in your eyes. Then I'll just bid you goodnight." Anastasia said as she then proceeded to go to her room and sleep.
[IN PRISCILLA'S MANSION]
"Subaru, can I have another appa slice?" Priscilla requested from her "servant".
"Princess, Haven't I told you already that I don't want to answer with that name." Subaru replied as he fed a peeled apple slice to his lady. This Subaru was shirtless, clearly showing everyone his well built body and scars that riddled his abdomen, he also wears a pitch black helmet, hiding his scar-ridden face.
"Very well then, Pleiades"
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The very next day, Subaru decided to join Emilia on her trip to the capital. With his given reason to simply thank everyone, and receive treatment from the greatest healer the kingdom has to offer. But on their way to the capital, Subaru decided to stick his hand outside the carriage Rem was manning thus he fell and garnered attention to himself.
"You know Emilia-tan. Maybe we should stop this?" Subaru suggested. His hand was currently being held by the hooded half-elf. The simple act made him blush and extremely embarrassed.
"Absolutely not!" Emilia denied the proposition Subaru suggested.
"I know you. The moment I look away, you'll be off doing something crazy." Emilia trailed off as she remembered the image of Subaru falling off the carriage due to him sticking his head out of the carriage.
"I'm really sorry for that, okay? But this-this is just treating me like a kid!" Subaru proclaimed pointing at his and Emilia's hands which are currently intertwined.
"Hmm? But when we went on our "date" you kept on asking me to hold your hand." Emilia was confused whether or not he likes his hand being held by her.
"But that's different, Emili-" Subaru tried explaining himself, only to be interrupted by the shopkeeper whose shop they just decided to loiter in.
"Oi. Stop loitering in front of my store. Go find another place to flirt with one another. You're gonna drive away my customers." A green haired fruit seller interjected, with a smile on his face. He saw the boy wearing a butler's uniform and immediately came to the conclusion that the boy was no longer broke and was now actually working under a noble's domain.
"After I came to make good on my promise? That's cold, man"
"Well, I appreciate that you felt obligated to shop here now that you're not broke anymore." Kadomon replied with a smile, as he placed his hands on his hips.
"Here are the appa's I promised." Kadomon said, as he handed a sack filled with appas.
Subaru and Emilia then made their way to the guard station in front of the noblemen's district, to find and thank Reinhard for helping them battle the Bowel Hunter and ask him as to what he did to the thief who he abducted after the confrontation with the assassin.
And as they arrived at the guard station's doors, a certain purple haired knight called out to Emilia.
"Well, if it isn't Emilia-sama." The knight said, catching the attention of Subaru and Emilia.
"It's good to see you again. Have you been well since we last met?" Julius asked, before his eyes focused on the man who stood besides Emilia carrying a sack of appas.
"Eh? Subaru-san?" Julius questioned as he slightly tilted his head. He remembered telling his student to take the rest of the week off, and what's weird is he usually goes out with Crusch-sama.
"Have you already rested?" Julius asked, concerned that his student may be overworking himself again.
Confused as this was the second time this kind of thing happened, Subaru took a small step back.
"Eh Subaru? You already knew Julius-san?" Emilia asked, curious as to what was Subaru's relation to the Greatest of knights.
"So-sorry. But I don't know him?" Subaru silently answered.
"...!?" Confusion filled Julius' being as he furrowed his brow. Subaru Lugunica was a student of his, and a hard working student at that. He was also good friends with Subaru, to the point where he'll even answer his dinner for the night. Did Subaru actually forget him? And if he's acting, there must be a logical reason for it. So Julius decided to heed it no mind
"I-I see. My apologies then, Emilia-sama. I may have been mistaken." Julius apologized as he then asked Emilia what was her reason for being here in the guard station.
"I'll try to come back before things run too long. Be good and wait, okay? Please?" Emilia said, as she is then escorted by Julius inside the guard station.
Left alone, Subaru now had the time to think about the weird way people knew his name and face.
"That old butler, the cat girl, and now this knight…what the heck's going on" Subaru thought to himself out loud. Subaru then decided to look at his surroundings and his eyes focused on a lady with red-blonde hair being dragged to an alleyway by a group of thugs.
"That's a bold thing to do in front of the guard station." Subaru thought as he then stood up and made his way to the alley the lady was just dragged in.
In the alleyway, he saw the three thugs harassing the lady with red-blonde hair.
"Sorry I'm late, honey!" Subaru shouted as he then suddenly walked in between the thieves and stood beside the lady.
"Come on let's go home" Subaru tried grabbing the lady's hand to drag her out of the alleyway. But he never saw the scowl that was hidden behind the lady's fan.
"Do not touch me as if you know me!" Priscilla shouted as she then proceeded to slam Subaru's entire body to a wall.
'Hmm…Pleiades?' But in doing so, she got a good look at the man who tried to help her. His face and his voice sounded quite similar to her "knight", Subaru. And the way he tried helping her was the same thing Subaru did when they first met.
'No…he's not Pleiades.' Priscilla deduced, as she noticed the boy lacking the bulk that Pleiades had, and the fact that his face lacked the scars he earned from battling in the colosseum.
And in that moment, Priscilla's curiosity is now solely focused on the man who looked like her knight.
"Figure out what's going on! It was supposed to be the classic scenario where I save a girl from hoodlums!" Subaru shouted. Upon hearing this, Priscilla remembered the first time Pleiades tried acting as a hero. Well seconds later he got his ass handed to him, but at least he showed courage and loyalty. The Pleiades she knows now is not the same person she met years ago. Pleiades after being her knight started to act cold, and began acting more robotic, as if everything in his life is scheduled. This of course, entertains Priscilla to the point that she wants to know more about him.
"...wait a minute." Subaru said as he got an even better look at the thugs before him. "Are…you three the only hoodlums in the capital?"
"...So, for my sake, could you just let us-" Subaru tried persuading the goons.
"Are you dumb? This just makes it three on two, instead of three on one." Only for the small thug tell him his idea was idiotic.
"No. No. You should correct that. It isn't three on two, but three on one on one." Priscilla corrected.
'Why you-' Subaru internally thought. And at that moment, crossing the alleyway, was a towering giant who quickly noticed the black-haired boy.
"Been a while since I've seen you. What're ya doing here?" Old man Rom asked. His build alone scared the thugs senseless.
"Eh, Old man Rom." Subaru joyfully called out to. Seeing that the boy knew the giant before them, the trio immediately ran for their lives.
After the group of thugs left, Subaru and Rom decided to chat and talk about what happened after Elsa's attack. Rom then asked where Felt was, in which Subaru told him Reinhard supposedly took her in custody.
"Tch, It had to be an Astrea, eh?" Rom grunted in disgust and anger.
"Eh? Something wrong?" Subaru asked.
"Nah, just talkin' to myself. You try not to cause any trouble, y'hear?" Old man Rom said as he then walked away from the red-blonde haired lady and the black-haired butler. Within moments after leaving, a tired voice could be heard from the entrance of the alleyway.
"I finally found you!" Emilia shouted as she finally found the missing Subaru.
"Oh, Emili-" Subaru then stopped mid sentence after noticing the man who stood beside her.
"Oi Oi Oi! You can't just pick up Emilia-tan while I'm away!" Subaru shouted. Unbeknownst to him, the person he was shouting at was actually himself.
'Eh? Am I dreaming? Another me?' Pleiades thought seeing the smaller and "cleaner" version of himself bark as if he's an untrained chihuahua. He remembered how he used to act like that before he experienced the harsh reality of this world.
"It appears there's something wrong with your companion. He's more worried about losing you to another man than happy to see you. If you want, I could-" Pleiades then proceeded to mime him smacking someone's head. "You know. To refresh his mind or something."
This little act actually earned him a laugh from the half-elf girl, further causing the butler to be filled with envy.
"Ah Pleiades, how attentive you are to wait where you knew I would be. I commend your dedication, Pleiades." Priscilla announced. After Priscilla spoke, Emilia then decided to hide behind Subaru.
"Pleiades let's go." Priscilla commanded. "-but before that. What is in that bag?"
"They're-...appas. Haven't you ever seen one?" Subaru asked, truly questioning if the lady before him hasn't actually seen an appa.
"Don't make me laugh. Appas have white flesh"
"Well, yeah, the insides are white…Wait…so you've never seen an unpeeled appa?..." Subaru remarked.
"For you." Subaru said, as he tossed an appa to the prideful girl.
"Don't go skipping off after any bad guys again, okay?"
"...Also, don't think this is over, helmet man!" Subaru proclaimed as he then proceeded to do an "I'm watching you" gesture with his hands.
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"..." The duo proceeded to walk to their carriage in silence. Pleiades having none of this deafening silence decided to ask his lady a question.
"So…it seems the princess met someone, huh. Wanna talk about it?" Pleiades inquired earning him a scowl from the red-blonde haired candidate.
"Shut up, Pleiades!"
"Yes, ma'am" Pleiades then proceeded to escort Priscilla to their carriage.
'Hmm…this truly is intriguing isn't it.' Priscilla thought as she began fanning herself. Excited to know more about the Subaru of Emilia, the half-elf witch. 'It will come in due time.'
[SOMEWHERE ELSE]
"Damn it. I just bought more yarn, but it seems I forgot ta get something ta eat." Natsuki Subaru, a human member of the Fang of Iron, thought. He was on a mission to gather intel in Lugnica, and he decided to get something for himself as well while he was there, but in finding the finest yarn, Subaru neglected his own growling stomach.
"Every restaurant's closed. Might as well buy a fruit or somethin'" Subaru thought as he then searched for a fruit stall that was still open.
His eyes then focused on a stall that was about to close up shop but it was on the other side of the farthest side of the street.
"MURAK" Subaru casted, reducing the effects of gravity on himself. He then proceeded to run as fast as he could towards the fruit stall.
"WAIT! WAIT! WAIT!" Subaru shouted as he made it to the shop just before the fruit seller was finished packing up.
"Eh kid? What's with the getup change? And where's the girl you were just with earlier?" Kadomon asked. But seeing as Subaru hadn't had anything to eat, he immediately ignored whatever the fruit seller was saying.
"Please…pant…Sack…pant…Appas" Subaru said in between wheezes. He then gave the fruit seller enough money to buy a full sack of appas. Seeing as the boy before him is extremely hungry, Kadomon rushed to his stall and gave the boy a full sack of appas.
Subaru then ate till he was content. Satisfied with the fruit meal he had he then immediately boarded a carriage that was returning to Kararagi.
'Wait, I remembered Anastasia-sama reminding me that tomorrow's a special day. What was it again? Uhh…election? No, no, no…Ah! Oh yeah, tomorrow's the start of the royal selection.' Subaru silently thought as he remembered the very important event that would occur the very next day.