Beginning Authors Notes:
Hey guys... I made another Chapter. You probably don't need me to remind you that I don't own Re: Zero and whatnot.
Either way, whether or not my writing improved, I thank you for reading something that I wrote...
So Scroll down and, of course, enjoy!
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Chapter Two of 'Lined in Orange and Black'
"It's about time you've done it, my grandson," smiled a certain old man, though perhaps saying old would be a miscommunication in a sense.
It was for sure that Wilhelm was certainly old, but to say that the guy acted and moved like an old man would be the worst statement of the year. The guy could jump from the ground to thousands of feet in the air simply if he was given enough running space for a running jump. Old was true, unfit was certainly not.
Though, like Wilhelm was saying, it truly was finally time his grandson had done it.
Reinhardt blushed at the words, trying to hide his now completely red face, considering he has red hair and was blushing, from the embarrassment and being found out so easily.
Wilhelm was initially walking throughout the capital, trying to find foods that he thought Reinhardt would enjoy so they could sit down somewhere and have a little father-to-son moment. Well, technically grandad to grandson moment, but whatever. Wilhelm also was hoping to get some fluffy, delicious cakes in hopes of giving Reinhardt an excuse to eat some with his lady. The boy despite his title, still had a large gap in terms of his actual confidence in himself, though thanks to a certain black-haired boy, those levels of confidence and self-esteem really had improved. Wilhelm only wanted to get those cakes in hopes that Reinhardt could get to spend more time with the person he, though not admittedly, loved.
Like Otto, Wilhelm was trying to become the top tier of wingmen.
"How did you figure out," croaked Reinhardt, looking a tidbit up towards his grandfather. He was a bit perplexed at the sight Wilhelm had on his face though. Reinhardt, I guess you could say, was still somewhat used to his father's, Heinkels, looks of disapproving disappointment. However, on Wilhelm's face right now was a face that only a caring, proud father would give to a child of their own.
The relationship they have between each other had truly grown closer and closer over the years, to the point where Wilhelm was now more like a father to Reinhardt than Heinkel ever was. Wilhelm, though he wouldn't necessarily admit it out loud, started to love Reinhardt more than his Theresa. That was a very bold thing to say, especially from the person who once constantly named his actions in the name of his wife, who once devoted his entire life to finding the whale who had, he once thought, killed her.
Wilhelm knew that the love he felt for Theresa and the love he feels for Reinhardt is separate and leagues different in so many aspects, but the magnitude in which he felt it now, was keener towards Reinhardt.
The two were closer in the past years than they ever were for the first fifteen or so years of Reinhardt's life. Wilhelm's only regret is that he didn't spend time with Reinhardt sooner rather than later. Though Wilhelm would never really talk about it too much, he was still growing old and one day he knew he would perish.
His only wish was that the Od Laguna provided him enough time to spend with his son.
"Reinhardt, do you really think that you are that good of a hider?" questioned Wilhelm, entertained at the thought that the Sword Saint himself thought that he was hiding… that…
"It's… It's just a gift! Yeah, just a gift…" said Reinhardt, trying to avoid the sudden mortification he felt.
Wilhelm could only laugh… the person that so many in the kingdom thought to be an eternally composed and calm knight, was now exclaiming that the black box he was holding was totally just a gift.
"Grandson, you can admit it you know, I already know about it. Though I can tell that the box is empty, may I assist you on this… 'just a gift' effort," asked Wilhelm, being far more laid backed than he was back then. He was simply having fun teasing Reinhardt at this point.
Reinhardt sighed, his grandfather most probably already knew about this for weeks.
Reinhardt, for the last couple of weeks, would excuse himself from the Astraea estate to head towards several different locations within Lugunica. Why? Well, in the so desperate attempt to find a certain object that usually wraps around a person's finger.
In short, he wants a ring. No, no that's wrong. HE NEEDS IT!
As the grandad and the grandson walked through the busy markets of Lugunica's capital, now thriving with more merchants and citizens than ever before due to the increase in safety and new laws put into place by the Queen, an awkward silence permeated alongside them.
Ironically though, it was the pinkish Sword Saint who had decided to slay the monster of unwanted quietness.
"I know that we're in a hurry to make it to the Mather's Manor, but I'm also in a hurry to find this," said Reinhardt, a clear tone of worry and a sense of urgency as well laced inside his voice.
"Reinhardt-dono, there are hundreds of jewelry shops in Lugunica but you haven't been able to find a single ring? Are you sure you aren't… overthinking it?" asked a cautious Wilhelm, his son must be overthinking the situation once again.
Reinhardt, no matter what, would always have that sort of way of thinking. The way of thinking that he was supposed to make things turn out perfect, considering that he was blessed by the world and all. However, he was probably worried for a more personal and, quite frankly, a more human reason this time around.
What if Felt said no? What if Felt didn't like the ring? What if, What if!?
"Grandson, let's go… I remember there being a shop around here that sells ornaments, they may have a ring but for all we know, they may be losing stock," said, Wilhelm, grabbing Reinhardt's attention away from his worries and dragging him to reality.
Of course by saying that they could be running out of stock, would only make Reinhardt more anxious to get it. However, the sword demon, despite the title given to him, was going to teach his grandson a very important lesson. It was a lesson similar to what he taught another person a few years ago when they confronted the same exact worries, though for two different ladies.
That person, as you'd guess, was Natsuki Subaru.
"Wilhelm-dono, I'm dying over here!" yelled a particular boy, looking at the direction of a very happy and humble butler of the Karsten Household.
That day was the complete opposite of the day Wilhelm and Reinhardt found themselves in, at least in terms of atmosphere. Instead of a scorching hot sunny day, back then it was a humid, rainy day. The wet stone and the blotches of muddy dirt here and there only made it more difficult and, in all honesty, quite annoying to navigate the Royal Capital.
Wilhelm as he could remember would commonly dream about the sacred memory… the one he had with a black-haired boy who he respected to the edges of his heart. A boy who he also once considered his grandson.
It was on that day where Natsuki Subaru, through so much panic and urgency, much like what Reinhardt was experiencing, was desperately trying to find the perfect ring to put on a certain half-elf.
The boy had invited Wilhelm, partly due to him being the closest person to contact and the least he felt embarrassed to do this sort of thing with, and had asked Wilhelm for not only advice in terms of marriage but also for what ring to get.
Wilhelm, though, was quite perplexed at the thought at first. It was still in the days of the Royal Selection and, as such, marriages were usually delayed until further notice, especially if those marriages were between powerful families or in order to get access to certain things through namesake.
Wilhelm was even more perplexed by the thought of Subaru marrying already, considering that Emilia wouldn't be allowed to marry-until the Royal Selection is over, he had confused himself and assumed that Subaru was aiming to marry someone else of importance or perhaps if he fell in love with another person that Wilhelm hadn't noticed.
Of course, Wilhelm, after much thought and consideration throughout their trip through the humid and foggy capital, crossed out the possibility. Subaru marrying someone else who isn't Emilia-dono? That was simply unthinkable, unfathomable. He knew the boy did not give in so easily and that his heart was always quite firm.
So over time Wilhelm would slowly patch pieces of the puzzle together. Subaru was planning to purpose directly after the Selection, wasn't he? The thing that made Wilhelm even happier however was the inherent fact that if Subaru did go along with this devious and insane plan, Emilia had an extremely high chance of saying yes. AN EXTREMELY HIGH CHANCE. Though, the boy simply did not accept that law of the universe, insisting that he would get the best ring possible to 'increase his chances.'
"Subaru-dono, I don't think Emilia-sama will judge her answer based on a simple ring," said Wilhelm, quite interested in the boy's love life. The boy, even by simply taking a look into the depths of his eyes, deserved happiness to magnitudes untold of ever before.
Speaking of those eyes though...
Those eyes he could tell seemed to only increase in despair every single time they continued to meet each other. In fact, Wilhelm got so worried for his other black-haired grandson that he had asked Lady Crusch for permission to visit the boy once. He had visited the Mather's estate and lived there for around a week or so, spending time with the boy.
It seemed though, at first, that nothing was ever wrong, nothing ever changed. The boy would jump and rejoice at the sight of the half-elf, exaggerate his actions constantly in front of those he lived with, would smile brightly and ecstatically towards the pouting great spirit near him, and would do all these things that would only indicate…
Happiness... Content... Joyfulness...
Yet his eyes would always deceive that assumption. The initial assumption that he was fine, that he was mentally stable, that he was the same he had always ever been, that he was… happy was simply a deceitful mask worn by the boy.
It had been, for a matter of fact, only until Wilhelm returned back to the Karsten home that he realized that Subaru had ever worn such a mask. It was then that Wilhelm, given any chance given to him, would continuously visit and do favors for the boy when sent letters.
Perhaps, deep down inside, it was also a reason why he spent so much with his dear son Reinhardt as well. He couldn't imagine a world where Reinhardt would forever be cursed to wear such a mask. The unfortunate thing is that Reinhardt had been already practicing such an act of deceitfulness, though he wouldn't have phrased it as such.
Always acting like an elegant, calming, chivalrous night despite the weak, fragile interior.
I suppose it was yet another thing Wilhelm had to thank the almond-eyed boy for as well…
For saving his real grandson too.
Subaru turned around to face Wilhelm, a silver ring with a beautiful amethyst jewel in the middle, shining with all the brilliance in the world. The beauty could entrance anyone, its remarkable structure and the carving were so amazingly intricate. Wilhelm could only be amazed at the craftsmanship; though, Subaru jumped in happiness at the thought of his beloved wearing such a ring.
"You think she'll like this, Wilhelm?" asked the boy, puppy eyes staring to the depths of the old man's eyes.
Wilhelm sighed once again at the boy's stubbornness…
"Subaru-dono, it looks great. Emilia-dono would be delighted," said the grey-haired man, trying his best to reassure the much-needed and late purchase. They had spent hours finding a ring and both men were quite tired, though neither really showed it.
Subaru exclaimed in happiness, finally satisfied with his purchase as he walked out into the now clear, but still quite humid and cloudy, capital city of Lugunica, a black box with an amethyst ring inside.
Wilhelm remembered the day going quite smoothly from there on out…
Though, I suppose Subaru did learn the lesson in the end though. Emilia said yes either way, despite the ring being two sizes too large.
He could hope the boy's eyes would thaw from that point onward.
"Subaru… h-he-he…" stuttered the heartbroken Reinhardt.
Standing so close to the corpse of his dead friend could do nothing but make his sorrow and self-deprecating nature increase to greater heights.
He had pledged to protect anyone and from everyone he had ever met, the idea that the sword saint could do anything was permanently ingrained into his ideology, making him weep at the enormous failure behind him.
The failure to protect a dear friend, a friend who was the first to truly appreciate the red hair before the sword bound to his waist by the simple duty of being the Sword Saint.
He sobbed like that for a while, ignoring the feelings of embarrassment. Such feelings, at this point, were non-existent though. If they weren't then they were nothing but filled with grief to the point where the feeling of embarrassment found itself no more but a speck in an endless, blank sea of mourning.
Subaru may not have been necessarily the closest to Reinhardt, not anymore at least, but he was certainly the person who incited it all. For example, Subaru had secretly set up a date between Felt and Reinhardt, a day that both would remember with nothing but happiness. It wasn't until two weeks later that Reinhardt actually asked Subaru about it and had confirmed his idea using his divine blessing of wind detection. Back then he simply tried to hold off the urge to give his friend a big wide hug of gratitude for that date.
It was also then that Reinhardt really had wished he had taken the hug...
But Reinhardt was grateful towards Subaru for many more things as well.
Subaru had taken the wedge that separated the sword saint from the sword demon and turned it into a lever where both sides could equally control and balance, giving the two people who had wished for such a wedge to be eliminated, unparalleled relief that it had been eradicated so smoothly. The reason for the two sword geniuses ' closeness and newfound comradery was because of someone not involved in their family at all, a certain corpse that stood behind them.
It was so very true that you could not realize the importance of something… until it was gone. And for Reinhardt, the death of Subaru only hit harder. To a person who had first seen him as Reinhardt rather than the sword saint, to be gone too quickly only struck Reinhardt in the belief that such a thing was his fault. What made it worse was his overcomplicated tendency towards things. If Subaru's death made him feel this empty, a hollow husk of what he once was, then what would Felt's be? Wilhelm's? His friends? And then he remembered what killed Subaru in the first place and who was there that, with a simple swing of a sword or maybe a mad dash to stop the boy from doing what he did, could have stopped the funeral from ever occurring in the first place…
Reinhardt's unspoken mourning for his friend was to be unanswered, that is until a man in a butler uniform stepped forward towards him only to put a hand on the sword saint's shoulder in a pat of reassurance and strength.
The butler, fatigued by the thought that someone he respected so greatly died in such a tragic manner, could only help those he had the ability to. And so he would help his other grandson overcome the unbearable feeling of losing someone. Wilhelm felt a very similar sorrow from what he felt when his wife had died, and so he would not let Reinhardt overcome such an advisory alone. It was a mistake the old man made once before and it cost him a very late start to their relationship. He could not let Reinhardt be overcome by the wave of sadness and uncertainty for the future, letting it rule the rest of his life as it did once for Wilhelm.
"Subaru-dono was someone we could all respect in many ways more than one. Many already know my extreme gratitude towards the boy, as he was the main reason for getting to avenge my wife and even during the Priestella incident, meeting her again to say my true last goodbyes. But today, I stand here for something greater. It is so people can learn a lesson," continued Wilhelm.
Those present in the chapel cocked their heads towards Wilhelm's direction, somewhat eager to the lesson he supposedly had for them. If it, in any way, soothed their pain then they would take it.
"Reinhardt… forgive me," Wilhelm whispered towards the red-haired boy, catching the boy by surprise as he was confused about what his grandfather was about to do.
"When my wife died, I turned all the love I had and turned it into hate. It was hate for the whale that had killed her, as I spent hours researching the whale and dreaming of it every night, dreaming of killing it. It was hate for those cowards who ran from the battlefield while my wife stood tall, trying to fight the creature. And it was hate, though I regret it too extreme levels now, for Reinhardt," Wilhelm preached, surprising both the two people behind him.
Those in the room were left confused, why would such a humble, generous person hate yet another kind and generous person. It was only the friends of the sword saint who truly understood the meaning behind those words. They were the only ones able to catch on to the lesson from the start.
Reinhardt tried his best to hold back tears, tears of guilt.
"I had blamed him for everything despite only being a child, I do not know of the depths in which it had affected him. And I am sorry for that," Wilhelm said, turning around to pat the shoulder of his grandson behind him, reassuring the belief that it was not his grandson's fault in any manner. It was an affirmation of his love for him and his regret for not seeing it sooner.
"And yet, in that amount of time, I never laid flowers onto my wife's grave, not a petal nor a leaf. Subaru-dono is the nation's hero, it wouldn't surprise me if children started equating him to the great sage. But we often forget that heroes have friends too, that they don't do everything alone. My wife was a hero for standing up to unspeakable monsters in order to get her men to safety, Reinhardt is a hero for helping people who nobody else would despite his guilt, and Subaru-dono is a hero, for he showed us to unravel feelings that were buried deep within. And as his friends, we are impacted by the sudden perishing of our friend. And I advise, no one to start blaming another, that no one should have to think twice before visiting his grave as priority," finished Wilhelm, a sad yet satisfied look on his face. He, after all, made quite a fine speech.
Wilhelm could only look back behind him, not only to catch a glimpse at the boy surrounded by white petals but also the boy crying his heart out.
"You have nothing to be sorry for Reinhardt," Wilhelm said, hugging his one and only grandson.
Reinhardt could only cry in happiness at the speech. Years of blaming himself and the feeling that had constantly plagued him, was slowly, even at a slow rate, breaking. White petals, though they surrounded the friend he still mourned, gave him hope. Hope that his friend, himself, would be proud of the development between the grandfather and the grandson.
And with that, Reinhardt spoke again… a new resolve forming in-between his blue sparkling eyes. It was not the Sword Saint that spoke but a human named Reinhardt.
"When I first met Subaru, I was nothing but perplexed. He treated me and talked to me as if he never heard the words Sword Saint before or that he never recognized Royal Clothing. He just stood there, teasing me. Of course, I learned later that Subaru actually never knew what the sword saint was" said Reinhardt, slightly chuckling at the happy memory.
"Subaru always had the ability to qualm anybody's worries, he was always reliable that way. I will miss him, we all will and, though I don't want to make it harder on the others here, some of us will have a harder time accepting our friend's fate. I don't want to either, I don't like to see others being sad or being discouraged by certain events. I see it now though and so we must, if anything else, honor our friend's sacrifice and that he did it thinking of us," said Reinhardt, standing tall and in firm belief.
Reinhardt's confession was quite short and sweet but it had a much more profound effect on the audience present. The crowd one by one slowly realized something that they never would have thought before…
"When I first met Big Bro, he showed up to where I usually camped outside. I learned that he was looking for me, well looking for a certain item I stole from Big Sis, Emilia. I initially thought he was looking to just buy the thing, but when I learned that he wanted to return it, I was shocked, man! I guess, Big Bro always had his heart in the right place," said Felt, remembering her first encounter with the eccentric knight, though only known as Subaru at the time.
"I'm grateful for Big Bro for a lot of things. For one, he saved my slum rat life. With the Royal Selection, I met a lot of friends I wouldn't have met otherwise and people who, even today, I want to help to the best of my ability. I may not have been the closest to Big Bro, but… he was important to me too and so I thank him here today too. Please do too, for Big Bro," concluded Felt, encouraging the others in the room with one simple message.
And with that, all those present in the chapel realized the lesson once again... a lesson that they continuously pounded into the black-haired boy but didn't even acknowledge once at the start of this funeral.
They could rely on each other to ease the grief. They walked into the chapel with a simple mindset, that they would sit there as the priest, who still hasn't shown up, would give prayers and old phrases that were usually given at funerals in the country. They didn't think or even realize the friends beside them. They were friends, admirers, and lovers of Natsuki Subaru, but those same words could be used to describe those sitting right next to them.
Natsuki Subaru made the mistake of never really telling others how he truly was feeling, this time though... the people in the silent chapel... would.
He really was taking his time wasn't he?
Felt stared outside the window from inside the Royal Palace, bored by the lack of action and that her knight wasn't here. There was no one to tease and no one to tell stories to or play around with, considering that the Queen's kids were on a trip to the Mather's Manor. Though I suppose that one could say that she would meet them later as her knight, his grandfather, and herself were also planning to attend such a celebration at the manor. They just didn't leave yet because her stupid knight liked to take sooooo much time!
Felt pouted and kicked her feet on a chair, sitting in a position that would be considered very un-ladylike of an advisor. No one was in her room so it wasn't like it would really matter, but still… very un-ladylike.
That was until there was a knock on her door.
Felt noticed the oddly formal pattern of knocking and on her face, flashed a bright smile. Of course, she had a faint blush at the thought of the person, but, either way, she quickly got up and grabbed the handle. Turning it to be met with her beloved knight.
"Rein, I could've been a skeleton if you took any longer!" yelled Felt, getting the man in front of her to blush.
"Well, my brilliant lady must be aging really well then," snickered Reinhardt, making her lady blush.
Her lady could only furrow her eyebrow at the teasing remark.
"Jeez, we got to go you know!" Felt yelled once again, grabbing Reinhardt by the hand and rushing to the stables, where carriages for each of the advisors were held. They would be traveling in separate carts and carriages, but they were still going to the same place.
As they rushed through the palace though, Felt noticed her wonderful knight grabbing one of his pockets… as if something was inside of it and that he was afraid to pull out.
She could only hear the slight jingle of whatever was inside that pocket.
Wilhelm was waiting for them near the carriages, talking to the driver and arranging switches between the two, so that neither had to drive the whole way there.
Felt noticed that all the other carriages hadn't left yet, also implying that she won a certain bet.
She, of course, betting a few days ago with the other advisors that she would be the first to get to the manor.
The group hopped into the carriage ecstatically, excited for the big party and feast that was to come.
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Wilhelm, excited to celebrate another year with his son and his future daughter-in-law.
Reinhardt, excited to celebrate with friends and finally gathering the confidence to propose to the lady sitting beside him.
Felt, excited to celebrate without the worry of being scolded by her knight about acting so 'unladylike' despite that being her charm... and for what was in Reinhardt's pocket.
She could only smile at the thought of what she thought it could be…
It was finally time he got the damn ring.
Otto had very large, grey rings under his eyes. Of course, what did he expect? When Fortuna had gone to sleep, he was relieved that his answer to her satisfied her. When asked whether he was tired by the girl, he said that he wasn't too tired and that he would soon wake up Garfiel in order to continue the ride.
But he, like many times before, underestimated the knight's deep periods of sleep.
Otto could only remember trying to slap the face of the tiger-boy, trying to wake him up as his ground dragon could only wail in pity for the green-garbed merchant. Otto couldn't give the reins to any of the kids, for obvious reasons, and with Garfiel supposedly knocked out from too many candies and chocolate… the responsibility of getting to the mansion was now completely and utterly Otto's.
Why Od Laguna? WHY!
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The drive was long but when he finally reached Arlam village, now a tad bit larger than the last time he had seen it, he could only rejoice with a wail of agony as he fell off the carriage. Luckily, his dragon was able to catch him with his tail and lay him back on the carriage, but, either way, it looked like a sight to behold to the villagers. They all knew the green-garbed merchant, especially the adults as they were once the kids that had played around and also constantly teased the guy.
And with that,
Otto could only hope that the carriage wouldn't be mugged… as he fell asleep on the carriage.
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One Hour later, no interruption
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Two Hour's later, no interruption and certainly yet another delightful nap!
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Three Hour, no inter- SPLASH!
"AHHH!" screamed Otto, now completely soaked in water. He flailed his arms around checking his clothing, only to find it sticking to his skin due to the sudden wetness of it all. It had successfully woke him up but was the person who did so have to do it like this!?
"Otto Onii-san is a heavy sleeper too, huh?" said a mysterious voice.
Otto was confused for a second as his senses and memory betrayed him, failing to recognize the voice he heard. It was only when he looked up to find the source that he felt incredibly stupid for not noticing.
A certain 19-year-old girl with purple, braided hair stood in front of him. He was even more surprised at the sight that everyone previously passed out within the carriage was right next to the girl, also holding buckets full of water…
"Wait, HOLD! DON'T SHOOT!" yelled Otto, screaming for the slight hope that he wouldn't get blasted anymore with the cold water.
The two sisters looked at each other then to the blonde-haired knight next to them as they simultaneously smiled at each other in mischief.
They lifted their respective buckets of water and a large wave of piercing, numbing cold water came hurdling towards the poor merchant who sadly only brought one pair of clothes.
And with another three splashes of water, Otto begged for a new set of clothes.
"I would ask what happened, but… I don't think I need to," said the bewildered Frederica at the sight of the guests she had excitingly waited for, though more bewildered at the sight of the soaked Otto.
Otto looked up to see the beautiful maiden, even more embarrassed due to the state he was in.
"They're even worse than Natsuki-san, Frederica! This is a huge problem!" exclaimed Otto, gaining a laugh from those around him.
Frederica, especially, could only lift her hand to her mouth and chuckle at the bizarre sight. She really liked the kids and the merchant wailing beside them. They, like a certain black-haired and blonde-haired knight, continuously brightened up any mood whether the mood started out horribly or even quite nicely.
Frederica bowed elegantly in front of them like she always did to any guests and did a gesture of 'come in,' guiding the guests to the dining room, as they were probably extremely hungry.
Despite the large quantities of candy they ate, the group's metabolism rates were off the charts as they were once again craving more food.
It was only Otto who was truly starving from normal circumstances as the only thing he ate for the past day of traveling was a meal that Subaru called oatmeal…
However, Otto was grinning happily at the thought of eating Frederica's amazing dishes once again as it had been quite a while since he had tasted the godsent foods.
The food, if anything else, was exquisite.
The Steamed Yam appetizer was delicious but compared to the rest of the meal, it was constantly being beaten by the multitudes of delicate, marinated meats; fancy and artistically placed fishes and mushroom stews; and, of course, the greatest cakes one could ever have tasted. And all made by the star cook of the manor… Frederica, the one and only.
"MY amazing sister is the most amazing cook, I tell yeah! It's no wonder she's related to my amazing self!" Garfiel's pridefully exclaimed, showing a clear look of boastfulness.
The two sisters, of course, would have said something too if it weren't for their mouths being stuffed chock-full of the delicacies.
The maids in the Royal Palace were good but this... holy moly, they never tasted something more addictive! The sisters only got more jealous at the thought that their mom and dad once ate this food every day!
The two sisters humphed at their 'spoiled' parents.
But not only had the food gotten them riled up but the people got them jumping up and down too.
They had immediately met their sister Meili the second they had woken up and exclaimed in happiness at the sight of one of the most enjoyable people they ever played with. Their adopted sister was always fun to hang around with, especially when she would occasionally tell the Mabeasts around the area to help. One time, she even let them ride one! It did get them a little scolding from mommy, with her pouting words of worry and scoldings, but whatever! It was still so much fun!
Meili, regardless of using the power, was still incredible in her own right as the sisters constantly looked up to her as any younger sibling would to an older one. Plus, she gave them the amazing idea to splash water on Uncle Otto!
"Frederica-san, you're cooking never ceases to amaze me," Otto complimented, earning a 'thank you' from the maid who was also bathing in satisfaction from the food and compliments.
"Frederica Onii-san, you really need to start teaching Petra more of these recipes! She's a good cook but she still had a lot to learn from the ultimate chef!" exclaimed Meili, secretly wanting more food like this to eat when she would visit her friend Petra once in a while.
The dinner, in short, was enjoyable. Enjoyable not only in terms of the food held and eaten, but also in the conversations given and the happy, care-free atmosphere being emitted. It was the best welcome the sisters could have ever imagined for their first time to the Manor.
Once the dinner was finished, the guests were then guided to their rooms as it would only be a few hours until the sky was to be turned black with small shining lights twinkling here and about.
In one of many bedrooms of the manor, sat Fortuna and Naoko leaning onto the shoulder of Meili as their older sister held a book in her hand, a book, for extra information, that Meili herself wrote for Subaru.
The Adventures of the Lolimancer - Book Two in the series
The resurgence of the Evil Drill-haired loli!
In the land of Lugunica, where we left off on our story, in the great manor of Mather... sat the purple-haired beautiful, best daughter in the world, loli swinging on a little contraption that her dad made her.
But it was then that her dad was attacked by another loli!
Fortuna and Naoko's ears were pinned onto the story... why did the description feel so oddly familiar?
It seems like they inherited their mother's clueless nature ... ;-;
The loli proclaimed and shouted in her dad's ear to get him to jump higher in an obstacle course.
Her dad leaped and jumped, grabbing the rope and then swinging around like the monkey he was.
The sisters laughed at that part, who would say that their dad was a monkey!? Innocent, childlike humor overtaking their laugh box.
"This is an amazing story," whispered Fortuna, clearly enjoying the awesome piece of art her sister Meili wrote. Was she amazing or was she amazing?
But that was when the purple-haired loli saw that her dad was getting too tired. Her dad promised that they'd play catch later so he still needed to conserve some energy.
"The daddy needs to keep his promises!" shouted Naoko, also enjoying the direction of the story.
And with that, the purple hair loli ran up to the drill-haired one and demanded to give her daddy up!
The loli on her dad's shoulder only refused, saying that she was only helping the dad with excersize.
"How rude of this... loli... to be keeping such a cool dad all to herself!" said in sync the two sisters in the bedroom, wondering how the situation would be resolved in the end.
Both loli's humphed in frustration, before being shocked that the father gave both of them a pat on the head.
"I have an amazing idea so listen up!" said the father, smiling the brightest he'd smiled in the past few weeks.
It was on that day that the drill-haired loli, the purple-haired child, and the black-haired goofball played ball for an hour straight.
Multiple droplets of rain being to only thing to end the delightful sight.
Fortuna, Naoko, and Meili could only smile at the end of the story.
The two biological daughters of the Queen could only smile at the happy ending and that the dad had come up with such an amazing idea. They wished they could have someone like that around all the time...
But for Meili, the book only gave her happy memories of what things used to be like.
And after a few minutes, the biological twins asked yet another question towards the purple-haired Meili.
"What should we do now, Meili Onii-san?" Asked Fortuna, copying the sister's speech pattern.
They, as in the two sisters, turned to where Meili was… only to find her staring deep off into something.
Not the wall, not the ceiling, not to them or anything of interest in the room, but at the book.
"Meili...?" quietly asked Naoko, worried for their other sister. It was not so often that they saw something like this happen.
In fact, they had only seen such a wandering look from their mother but to see their other sister have it too, made them wonder why such a thing would occasionally occur in the first place.
It was something only Emilia and Meili knew.
Meili, like many times before, started to drift off into one of her daydreams again. She didn't do it as often as her older Onii-san did, well her father in the technical sense, but she still did it nevertheless. Thoughts of happy memories and child-like experiences started to resurface. Memories of the first time she would do things that seemed so childish, after spending a life of doing terrible things, began to rise from the depth of the deep black waters.
Memories of her life back as a child...
You see,
It would bewilder some people that the first time Meili ever played catch, for example, was when she turned 11, her new dad playing a game he called… Base-ball.
Memories of friends that she smiles more and more at the more they met, began to reappear in her mind as she continued to stare off into the book that she wrote so many years ago.
It was also the memories of the sweet little moments she had with her dad...
Ever since her dad passed away, she made the continuous effort to visit anyone related from way back then. It was one of the reasons why she also continuously traveled and why she never just stayed with the two sisters next to her. She moved around to meet new people, to do jobs here and there, and, the main reason, to visit those she cherished. It was why every once and a while she visited the Royal Palace to meet her 'technical' mom and her other sisters; why she traveled sometimes to a certain shop in the capital to tease a certainly worried merchant; and why she occasionally went on missions with the cat who liked lasagna so damn much.
She could only give a sad yet happy look towards the book in her hand, one of a few gifts she'd ever given to someone.
Though, she could hear the distant chanting of her name. It reminded her of the times where a certain drill-haired loli would constantly mutter her contractor's name to snap him out of those very same daydreams she was experiancing now.
Oh yeah… a drill-haired loli… Beatrice…
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Beatrice.
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Beatrice?
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Beatrice!
"AHHHH," screamed Meili, making the other two sisters next to her yelp in surprise, instinctively wanting to hide under a table despite none being insight.
"OH MY GOD, I FORGOT BEATRICE!" yelped Meili, also making the two others in the room curious to her worries.
"GIRLS! I know what to do," Meili said, grabbing her two other sisters by their hands and rushing throughout the mansion, catching the grey-haired merchant and the blonde-haired maid who were casually having a tea by surprise. Luckily, Otto had his cup on the table, or else he would have spilled it on himself as he jumped up due to the trauma of being splashed by four whole buckets of water earlier that day.
Meili wasn't one hundred percent sure of where the great spirit was, but she was obviously 100% sure that they traveled to the manor together. And since they were in the manor, there was one place that was a guarantee of where she would be whenever they visited. They visited many times but on anniversary days like these, or days nearing them, the spirit would always hang around a certain place.
A place such as the Mather's Manor would always bring back memories for those who lived through said memories, perhaps that was the reason why Meili drifted off thinking of her father in the first place or why she had taken up to read that book. The memories of a certain knight sliding through the hallways and the sudden absence of it would inherently bring back memories of that certain Natsuki Subaru.
The two girls, being pulled by the grasp of their purple-haired sister, struggled to keep their legs in pace. They were also quite confused…
Who was Beatrice?
And when they finally made it to the backyard court of the Mather's Mansion, their heads only tilted more in confusion at the sight of a kneeling girl with drill-shaped hair and a dress lined in bright reds and pinks, sitting and leaning her head on something surrounded in a multitude of pinkish and red flowers, implying that the one who set them there was the girl.
The something to which she leaned her head on, was an object that Fortuna and Naoko weren't too used to seeing... a tombstone.
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Here lies Natsuki Subaru
Knight of Emilia
Hero to All
Beloved Friend to Many
And the greatest contractor too in the entire world, from one waterfall to another…
I suppose.
"Jump higher, I suppose!" yelled the loli and right into his ear no less!
"Beako! You're going to make me go deaf if you keep yelling at me like that. And why are you on my back, you're making these obstacles course ten times harder!" complained the boy, wearing only the black undershirt he usually wore beneath his usual tracksuit.
It was around 11 years before, a very nice day it was and an unforgettable memory as well due to the rather interesting game of catch the spirit had with her contractor and the other girl that tried to steal her contractor.
In the deep depths of the great spirits mind lay bare memories of a once seemingly ancient time, despite it only being 10 or so years. Her Subaru was still alive, simply jumping from end to end of the improvised course laid out by one of the other annoying boys in the mansion.
Of course, those days were always nice. It was so rare that a 'bad' moment spread upon them as the boy's attitude and personality would constantly be the light of everyone's day whether they appreciated those actions of kindness or not.
The Blue-haired maid, though her memories were still laid about and convoluted, would see the boy as her light as she would smile at their interactions, constantly getting closer to the one that she had loved once before.
The pink-haired oni saw him as the light of her day as she would constantly berate the poor boy, though secretly was grateful for the effort he continuously gave, especially in deep gratitude for the help and love that he gave to her sister.
The blonde-haired boy saw his captain as the light of his day simply for the fact that the boy continued to give the impression of being the awesome captain he had always been portrayed as.
And to the extravagantly wearing princess on his back, saw him as the light of her day for simply being the Subaru he was since the time he yanked her out of the library.
However, as the spirit leaned on the tomb of her once beloved contractor, she could only feel a deep sense of guilt forming, despite the long hours of scolding she would get from the purple-haired daughter of the said contractor on trying to get rid of such thoughts.
Because it was something that Beatrice, compared to the others who lived in that mansion, fully understood...
It was the days that were always nice… never the nights.
The boy was plagued by nightmares and imaginary boogie-men that only he could see.
A drop of snow would make him panic, anything white and fluffy making him vomit, and anything with almond-shaped eyes... he hated.
Beatrice remembered a time where Subaru had a breakdown in front of everyone and despite the worry that drowned her, she was somewhat happy. She understood that Subaru was, in a way, forced to express his feelings more openly.
In a few weeks, the nights that Beatrice had to constantly qualm and forcefully calm down with magic, now turned into times where Emilia would constantly visit the boy, calming him down before he went to sleep to the best of her ability.
However, Beatrice felt guilt for something else.
For the past few years, Beatrice and those who accompanied her, who was usually Meili, would visit the Mather's Manor. Such visits were also much more common when it was the anniversary of the Newly Elected Queen, the half-elf that her contractor loved so dearly. However, each year the spirit couldn't help but ask for some time alone next to her Subaru's grave, going to a field near Arlam village to quickly pluck a few flowers to place on the grave in honor of her beloved.
She, every time, could only continue weeping at the thought that if she only had told the others of the boy's tribulations and worries sooner, then he would quite possibly have had a much happier and easier life.
And so, the spirit laid her head onto the cold, grainy surface of the stone that etched the name of her beloved contractor.
Like the engraving's carefully etched into the heavy stone, she could only think of the same phrases that she had etched onto it years before
Here next to the drill-haired girl laid Natsuki Subaru
Knight to someone no one believed in, yet who continuously pushed forward
Hero to all, to groups, and to many individuals
Friend to those who never thought they would ever need or want one
And the greatest person Beatrice had ever known.
Fortuna and Naoko heard stories of their father and his Great spirit, but in their greatest imaginations certainly did not paint a picture this… unexpected. They finally remembered where the name Beatrice alluded to but this was out of their expectations. Where one would expect a spirit made of fire or of shadows, or a little floating sphere of great power… sat a little girl, the supposed epitome of a loli.
They were also perplexed by the strange symbols embedded into the tombstone that the little girl supposedly had an attachment to. Unbeknownst to them, the carver of that tombstone was none other than the girl lying beside it as she was of a few people in the world who understood what those symbols meant. The Emilia Camp in general knew what they translated to, the Great Spirit being the only one who truly knew the depths of those symbols.
It was, after all, the boy's only item that he retained from his home, other than his tracksuit that is. Symbols that met nothing to common folk, everything to him.
"I knew I'd find you here, Beatrice. Let's go inside, it'll get chilly soon," said Meili, using a different tone in order to show the spirit of the warmth of love, that someone was still there for her despite her contractor being stuck six feet below her.
"It's rude to forget a precious maiden like Betty out here in the cold, I suppose. Pick me up, you promised that you'd carry Betty every day and if you don't keep it, you'll be pecked by a thousand needles, in fact," said Beatrice, lifting her arms up.
"Jeez, Subaruism's will forever be engrained in your speech pattern, I SUPPOSE," teased Meili as she picked up the 'precious maiden.' Though, in all honesty, she was precious (Was that the story or me speaking?).
And so, with slightly confused expressions painted onto the faces of Fortuna and Naoko, they went to their rooms and slept.
Tomorrow, they were to help prepare the feast!
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He could only chuckle at the faces of the children.
It was expected, they were confused and stunned by their imaginations of a strong, 'manly' spirit being shattered by the loli.
He still couldn't come up with an answer though, who was cuter?
His adorable Beako or his adorable twin children?
The man in the tracksuit could only watch and laugh at the adventures that were about to blossom, amazed that yet another celebration at the Manor was about to take place, everyone gathering again to celebrate and commemorate yet another successful year in Lugunica and as friends.
He was only jealous of the fact that he wouldn't be able to taste the delightful food, even he missed Ram's Special Steamed Yam's.
And so, in the deep and dark place that was the Garden of Shadows, laid the boy…
No Satella to accompany him, only himself in the eerie yet calming place that was the Garden.
Enjoying the growth of the family that he never thought he'd have.
Enjoying the sight of the children he left behind.
Children that he never met.
Children that he didn't know he was about to have.
But, like he always did, he persevered.
Author's Notes:
Sorry if this chapter wasn't as good as the last one. It's one of those things where I had a very good writing and brainstorming session and then when making the next chapter (this chapter), I could only go with things that randomly pop up in order to keep the story going, you know?
Also, thank you to those who have been complimenting me on my work, it's surprisingly rejuvenating and a new feeling to behold. I started reading fanfics, well technically just RE: Zero ones, a few weeks ago and would sometimes read the reviews of other people's work to just get a deeper grasp on how people view those individual stories and in contrast to what the author sees. I never would have imagined that seeing a single review on a work you personally had a play in would be so... you know! Plus, speaking of the first review that I got on this fanfic... dude, whoever wrote that, you gave me the greatest laugh in the world with that final comment!
So I, as I will always say from here on out, shall thank you for reading this
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and for those who, in the deep recesses of their minds hold unparalleled and unwritten imaginations and worlds, crafted by their own ingenuity... if you feel like it, please do write your own fanfic or simply... your own story. Posting it is not what matters but the simple act of putting the pencil down or pressing a key will always be refreshing. Or the simple act of laying in bed, imagining those worlds as they unfold is always enjoyable.
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My Name is Yorelis
Have a nice day
Goodbye ;-;