"Wow amazing!"
Those were the only words that came out of Subaru's mouth after entering Reinhard's gigantic home. There wasn't a speck of dust on any of the carpets. There was such a lack of degradation, lack of disrepair, that it was hard to believe that anybody could actually be living here.
He couldn't process the depth of detail/symbolism on every tapestry and marker displayed in the front hall. It seriously felt like he was entering a museum instead of a house!
"Thank you, it really isn't anything impressive."
Reinhard sheepishly replied. It wasn't often he brought people over to his home. Unless he was abducting orphans or hosting political events, the only people who ever visited this place were people of other esteemed houses.
"This isn't impressive? Reinhard you are way too humble! If I were you, I would be showing this place off as much as I could."
Reinhard smiled, while he didn't think "showing off" was honorable behavior for someone like him, it felt like Subaru's rowdiness was a gesture of friendship. Who would want to keep up an act around their friends?
"Reinhard! Where is Reinhard? I have no idea what this word means, and I won't be able to finish today's stupid lesson without his help!"
A young girl yelled out as she stormed around the corner into the front hall.
The second she made eye contact with Subaru she froze.
"Look who I found while making rounds today." Reinhard said.
The young girl began tearing up and rushed to kick Subaru in the shin.
"OW! What the hell was that for?!" Subaru exclaimed
"Where were you?! Why would you allow us to think you were dead? Do you realize the heartbreak you inflicted on us and Big Sis!" Felt yelled
"I don't understa…" Subaru started
"Felt-sama"
Reinhard gestured to the young girl and took her aside to have a conversation in private.
"He appears to not have any memory of meeting us."
"What? How can that be? Wasn't he dead? This doesn't make any sense!"
"Felt-sama, I am just as confused as you are, but please understand why I couldn't leave him out on the street."
Reinhard swallowed hard. He knew that what he was doing right now was selfish. He knew that all of this was just his disgusting desire to alleviate the guilt he's felt for condemning a friend. Regardless, he couldn't allow Subaru to be left to his own devices, especially when he had nowhere to go.
"I understand why you brought him here, but what are we supposed to tell him?! That we threw him to the wolves when he was a suspected witch cu.."
"Felt-sama, it was my fault. Please stop blaming yourself for something that I did."
Reinhard felt the need to interject. He was the person who let Felix take Subaru, Felt was not even aware of Subaru's existence at that point. He would not let his lady take responsibility for something his repulsive, ignorant self had caused.
"I don't care what you say! You are my knight and he is my Big Bro, I refuse to have you degrade yourself and remove my responsibility!"
Felt grimaced. She was in Priestella with Reinhard and she had also fought gluttony. As someone aware of their powers, she never should have ignored the claims of someone who claimed they had been forgotten.
"Uh, excuse me? You guys just left me alone out here and I'm not exactly sure what you want me to do!"
Reinhard and Felt returned to the main hall and turned to Subaru.
"Big Bro, this may be hard to hear… but you have lost your memories."
"What!? What are you talking about? Are you people crazy too?"
Subaru paused for a moment. He remembered his interaction with the Appa salesman earlier. Was it really possible?
"Hold on a second, assuming you aren't mistaking me for someone else, how much have I forgotten?"
There was a long silence. Eventually, Reinhard answered:
"It seems you have no memory of our first meeting. If you have forgotten everything after that, it would be around two years."
Subaru was astonished. Reinhard seemed to know his name and what he looked like, same with the Appa guy he met earlier. What has he gotten himself into?
"Wow…Um I'm sorry if I said anything insensitive to you guys earlier, especially you…. Uh Felt right?"
Felt teared up again and gave him a hug.
"Damn it! You figure out you've forgotten two years of your life and the first thing you do is apologize to me? You really are Big Bro…"
Subaru felt weird, but he patted her head. He looked over to Reinhard and decided to get the hardest question out of the way first.
"Well…what have I forgotten?"
Before Reinhard answered anything else, he told Subaru about the day they first met.
"When I met you, it was in a very similar situation to the one you were in today. In fact, you look exactly the same as the day I first met you. I heard a cry coming from an alleyway and I found you being harassed by a few alley dwellers."
'Wow, Déjà vu.' Subaru thought. (He didn't know the half of it XD)
"You asked me to help you with something happening at a loothouse down in the slums but took it back and instead told me to deliver a message to a girl named Emilia."
"Emilia? Who is that?"
Reinhard and Felt winced. They knew how much Subaru cared for Emilia but they had no way to explain something like that to him.
"I had a hunch that you may need some help, so I decided to head over to the loot house to see what was happening for myself. To my surprise, Felt-sama comes up to me and begs for help. I enter the loot house and I find you and Emilia-sama engaged in combat with an assassin known as the Bowel Hunter"
"Wait, wait, wait, an assassin?! Bowel Hunter!? That's terrifying!"
'What? I was fighting assassins and saving damsels? I must've been awesome! Could I do something like that right now?' Subaru began to feel weird. He'd never punched a person in his life! Now he's fighting assassins and befriending knights? They surely must be mistaking him for someone else.
"After you held off the Bowel Hunter, I assisted you and drove her off."
"You are sure this was me?"
Subaru couldn't believe what this guy was telling him. He wanted to be a hero, but he'd never risk his life fighting some demented assassin like the 'Bowel Hunter'. He was weak and cowardly.
"Yes, you were the reason I escaped and got his help Big Bro! Stop interrupting!"
Felt interjected. She seemed to be reliving these events as Reinhard spoke.
"Before running away, she made a sneak attack on Emilia-sama and you defended her. Sadly, you had your stomach sliced open and passed out."
"What! I had my stomach slashed open!?"
Subaru instinctively put his hand on his stomach, he felt sick hearing about such a terrifying event.
"Yes. It was due to my incompetence; I should've finished her off before…"
"Reinhard! Stop with this self-depracation!"
Felt angrily stopped Reinhard before he could finish his thought.
"Anyway Big Bro, Big Sis took you back to her home to heal you and Reinhard took me back to his, you happy?"
"Yes, thanks Felt. Thanks Reinhard. Without you I wouldn't have a place to stay so this really means a lot."
"It's really nothing Subaru."
Reinhard couldn't bring himself to accept gratitude, especially when the one who really benefitted from this was him.
"Do you guys know anything else I've forgotten?"
Reinhard and Felt sat still before answering.
"Yes, but due to our proximity, it wouldn't be right for us to tell you your memories like we were there."
Reinhard didn't want to overload him with stories he couldn't accurately tell. He could tell him about their legendary battle with the Sin Archbishop of Greed but telling him something like that would only be a way for Reinhard to improve Subaru's opinion of him. He shouldn't manipulate Subaru like that. Especially considering he betrayed him right after that battle.
"I know this is probably asking a lot, but may I stay here until I figure out what's going on with my memories?"
"Absolutely."
Reinhard answered before Felt could speak, although her answer would have been the same.
"While you stay here, you should be made aware of the political situation we find ourselves in."
Keeping Subaru here will have significant political ramifications, as will the news that he was still alive. Even though Reinhard had made an oath to protect Subaru, he had an obligation to inform the kingdom of his survival. But for now, who should Reinhard tell?
"The Royal Family died out from a disease several years ago. There are currently 5 contenders for becoming Lugunica's new ruler. Each of these candidates have a knight and a backer. Felt-sama is one of these candidates. Emilia-sama is another."
"Wait, so I helped save the lives of 2 potential rulers of Lugunica?"
'This is insane, it makes sense why they are being so nice to me. Now I am asking to stay with them indefinitely? Talk about audacity. I really need to find a way to get these memories back.' Subaru thought to himself.
"Yes, and as it relates to Felt-sama, I am her knight."
"More like an annoying watchdog!"
Felt took a small jab at Reinhard. Subaru apparently encountered her in the slums, so it makes sense why she is so unruly. Honestly, Subaru is beginning to appreciate her frankness!
"And well, for Emilia….. her knight was you."
Subaru froze. He became a knight for the potential queen of Lugunica? Him? Either he really was granted amazing powers when he came to this world, or whoever they were speaking about was not him. Subaru couldn't even show up to a day of school, where did he get the courage to go and risk his life for others? He wished to someday be that noble, but to live it?
"So then, what do you think we should do Felt-sama?"
"Huh? Why are you asking me!? I'm not Subaru. Just do whatever avoids a political mess."
"Felt-sama, as the future ruler, shouldn't you be equipped to deal with unprepared developments?"
"Big Bro, look at this guy, he's like a nagging mom!"
Felt started smiling. It wasn't often she got to tease Reinhard with other people. If she knew her Big Bro as well as she thought….
"She's got a point Reinhard. Honestly it's crazy that such a powerful knight can dish out such a feeble scolding!"
"That's pretty brash! Might I remind you that you are also a knight Subaru?"
Reinhard and Subaru laughed before returning to the original discussion.
"I recommend we bring Subaru in front of the Sage Council and inform them what we know so far."
Reinhard made a plausible suggestion. The Council of Sages were the intermediaries between the old royal family and the new ruler. As the people currently in control of Lugunica, they would be the most important group to be made aware of Subaru's survival. He contemplated potentially informing the other camps as well, but that would be unwise.
Subaru had lost his memories. At this point, he would not be capable of filling the position he filled before he died. The people of Lugunica depend on Subaru's legacy, even if he was thought to be dead. Revealing his existence now could prompt Witch Cult activity, camp instability (especially Emilia's), and worst of all, might bring the truth of it to light.
Despite the guilt Reinhard felt, he knew what was best for Lugunica. He also didn't want his friend's misfortune to be the reason for the destruction of opposing camps. Something like this shouldn't be used for political gain, even if it was beneficial.
Once Subaru gets his memories back, he will be returned. For now, nobody else needs to deal with the guilt that they are the cause of this situation. Reinhard will fix everything. That's his job as the Sword Saint. That's his job as a knight. This is what he needs to do as a friend.
'I will absolutely and under no circumstances allow any harm to befall you again, Subaru, no matter what it takes'
AUTHOR NOTE
This story is a continuation of the story "Another Chance" on Ao3. Please go check out that story before continuing this one.
