"Crap! What are they still doin' there?!"
The blonde-haired thief, carried by a sharp gust of wind, approached the Astrea Manor at ungodly speeds. When she caught sight of a familiar ground dragon, she impulsively jumped into the densely populated tree tops on the edge of the property.
"I should at least be outta' sight here. . ."
This wasn't part of the plan.
Reinhard was supposed to direct them away from there! He, no doubt, had the capability to do so.
If Felt had to guess what caused this, her money would be on Reinhard's submissive personality. Her knight had always been a people-pleaser, even when it was inconvenient for him. No doubt he'd offered them accommodations after their search turned up empty.
But even so. . .
'It's been three days! Rein, ya absolute fool. . !'
Them staying this long meant they still suspected something was up. Reinhard's kindness had become a tool for them to investigate even further.
This made her job infinitely harder. How was she supposed to get in there and tell Reinhard about the Mabeast attacks when he was surrounded by all those eavesdroppers?
The moment they saw her, she'd get dragged in for questioning, where she'd no doubt, give away Subaru's condition. Maybe if she tried wielding her authority as a candidate. . ?
No, if she refused to cooperate, it would only make them look more suspicious.
"Rein, you just had to be nice, didn't you?"
Felt sighed and put her hand to her forehead.
'C'mon! You're a thief! Stealth is your trade!'
She prepared herself to breach the building, but also made a mental note to chew Reinhard out after all this was over. No patrols for the next month!
"Are you sure this is a good idea? The last time we went out on our own, we got attacked by a swarm of monster bats!"
Subaru wasn't a big fan of roaming the Capital without a good reason, especially now that people were searching for him. However, the current circumstances have put them in quite the bind.
"I don't wanna hear you complaining kid! You guys are the reason I've had to stay at an Inn the last three days!"
Kadomon, in the midst of some new undisclosed information, told Subaru to come along with him on his daily shopping trip instead of remaining cooped up inside the Loothouse with Rom. The recent shutdown of the Capital was making him antsy, and Felt's trip to the Astrea Manor was taking longer than they planned. There was no way to know if their location had been compromised. In this case, it would be smarter to move Subaru out of the slums until the heat died down.
"Nobody ever said you had to agree to this! I'd honestly prefer it if you just went back to your family. . ."
'Seriously, I've already uprooted your life enough.'
"It's not like I had a choice in the first place! With the lengths they've gone to track you down, there's no way they'd let a loose end like me get away."
Shutting the whole city down, interrogating him without his knowledge, and potentially(?) sending swarms of Mabeasts after them all, these weren't the actions of people looking to negotiate. These were the behaviors of people willing to go to any lengths to achieve their goal. The fruit vendor was skeptical they'd let him go should he run into them again.
"Y-You think so? Reinhard told me they weren't bad people. . ."
Kadomon remembered the day Emilia escorted his lost daughter back to his stand, which made him feel conflicted. His experiences with them recently might not exactly be cordial, but he felt there was context he was missing there.
"Don't jump to conclusions kid! I didn't mean it like that! It's just, when I met them a few days ago, they seemed. . . desperate more than anything."
Subaru was confused by this, as from his perspective it seemed like they'd always been one step ahead of him.
"What about those monster bats? Do you think they might've been responsible?"
Kadomon took a moment to think while slowly rolling back his shoulders.
"They seemed concerned for your safety above all else. I'm not sure if they were responsible for all those Mabeast attacks, so I wouldn't condemn them for that just yet."
Subaru was surprised to hear that his pursuers cared about his safety at all, considering he believed they'd already killed him once before. But that only begged the question. . .
'If they weren't the ones responsible for that attack, who was?'
The positive news about his pursuers didn't do much to assuage Subaru's worries, as it only confirmed he'd somehow made another enemy in the short time he's lived here. Was this world really out to get him?
'At least the last 'me' didn't have to deal with crippling imposter syndrome on top of all that. . .'
Ah, yes. And then there was the worst thought of all. The realization he'd been trying his best to suppress since that day with the Sage Council.
This Natsuki Subaru was not the same Natsuki Subaru they knew.
To them, he might as well be someone who'd stolen that 'Subaru's' life and assumed his position like nothing happened.
It was obvious in the way Felt, Reinhard, Rom, and Kadomon spoke to him. As much as they wanted to deny it. . .
They were talking to the old him.
Clearly, they didn't resent the current 'him' for his predicament. No, they were always much too kind to him. It was more like they never fully accepted that his memories were gone. They'd reminisce about past battles, make jokes he couldn't understand (but laughed at regardless).
At first, he'd only noticed it in passing. But soon, it became all he could focus on.
The Subaru they praised, the Subaru they laughed with, the Subaru they wished to see again, it was not him.
This was why he NEEDED those memories back. This was why he couldn't let himself be found by his old friends. . .
So what was he doing, wandering on the most populated street in the Capital!?
"Kadomon, how long is this going to take?"
"Hey! Didn't I tell you not to use our names out in public? These cloaks aren't enchanted ya' know!"
"Sorry! Mr. Appa Guy, how long is this going to take?"
Kadomon resisted the urge to knock Subaru upside the head and pointed to a nearby merchant stall.
"That's our first stop."
"Are you kidding me?! The line loops half the road!"
Normally this wouldn't be too difficult, but because transportation in and out of the city had been abruptly shut down, the strain on local merchants meant that Kadomon sometimes stood in lines for hours before he could complete his shopping.
"Blame your friends for this mess. Nothing has been allowed in or out of this city the past three days."
He had no doubt this was ordered by Subaru's pursuers, and that didn't bode well for either of them.
"I-I'm sorry, I didn't know you had to deal with this every day."
"Did you seriously forget gifting me a house? Don't apologize when I'm being paid handsomely for my efforts!"
This man's behavior was quite coy, but it didn't completely address Subaru's concerns.
"That's not what I meant. . ! I-It's just, I ripped you away from your family and for what?"
Kadomon wouldn't be able to return home to his family, this was clearly his fault.
At the very least, Reinhard had agreed to send a letter to his family so they wouldn't be surprised by his disappearance. However, he had no guarantees that his family would be left alone. They were definitely impacted by the transportation embargo too. How could Subaru live with himself if they got caught up in this mess too?
"You must think this whole world revolves around you, don't ya', kid? That's the only reason I can think to apologize for things you have no control over! I swear, you're just as bad as Reinhard!"
Subaru scoffed. He might be a pushover, but he's nowhere near Reinhard's level! That guy thanked Subaru for stealing from him!
"I suppose some things never change with you kid. . ."
And there it is. Exactly the sentiment he wanted to avoid. A cold reminder of the person that caused all this trouble. The person he'd have to become once more should he want to fix everything.
He suddenly didn't want to talk anymore.
". . ."
Subaru decided to let the silence kill this conversation.
If that was a sign for how the rest of this discussion will go, it's best they don't talk. Subaru didn't want to risk saying something incendiary by mistake.
The line was long, and they would be here a while.
". . .-psst! Reinhard! Oi! Reinhard!"
Felt whispered through his bedroom window, trying to catch his attention before he walked off to some other room in the mansion. If he was any other person, this plan wouldn't have worked. But since he's Reinhard Van Astrea, his army of divine protections gave him super sensory abilities he's built different.
"H-Huh? Felt-sama!?"
It took him a moment to make the connection in his mind between the person outside his window and the lady he was supposed to serve.
Felt had slipped back into some of her old habits she'd picked up from her time living in the slums, which included leaving her hair messy and wearing her signature red scarf.
Normally, Reinhard would've been quick to suggest she change out of her thief clothes as well as brush her hair, but the present time crunch and Felt's inevitable tantrum made him quash the idea. The glint in her eyes indicated that she wasn't here for to tell him good news.
"Let me in already! Before I have t-. ."
"Felt-sama, please lower your voice. Our guests might overhear you, not to mention its unbecoming."
As she crawled through the window, the girl growled with unreserved frustration at Reinhard's typical antics. She'd long become used to them by this point, but without someone like Subaru or the missing maidstaff around to help deflect him, it was really beginning to grate on her.
"You idiot! Look at the mess you've stuck us into! You're letting them stay here? What the hell were you thinking?"
Reinhard's eyes stayed glued to the floor. She was absolutely right. This time, his inability to put his foot down had gotten them into a lot of trouble. Not to mention how much he's inconvenienced the rest of the Capital by lying to Emilia and Crusch.
"I sincerely apologize for my lack of judgment, Felt-sama. It was never my intention to host them when they first arrived, but their dejected faces weakened my resolve."
Felt stifled the urge to land a flying kick on her well-mannered knight and ran a hand through her hair, anxiously tapping her foot as she thought of any way to salvage the situation between her and her big sis.
"Rein, I don't have time to spend questioning you about anything they may or may not have found out. Something, or someone, has been sending Mabeasts out to attack us night after night! If we don't do something about it now, there's a chance Subaru will. . ."
"W-Wait, did you say Mabeasts?"
Immediately, Reinhard's mind made the connection with the blue-haired girl accompanying Emilia. She'd been acting odd since their first conversation, turning around to avoid walking next to him in the hallways, glaring at him from across the room for seemingly no reason. The hostility she displayed towards him wasn't typical for someone her age. Perhaps, her Divine Protection was used for. . . less than savory means.
With those clues, it should be obvious. She must be the one behind the attacks.
But wait a minute. . .
Emilia's camp had recruited her to help them find Subaru, not to hurt him! Why did they trust this girl to track down Subaru in the first place?
"Y-Yes? Why? Do you know something?"
"T-That can't be! T-They told me she was just. . ."
His blood ran cold.
Had he been harboring killers? Not just any killers, no. . . Reinhard had long come to terms with his own culpability in the deaths of others. He'd been responsible for the deaths of a long list of people. His grandmother, the royal family, and most recently, Subaru himself. However, this was simply unforgivable.
Were all of them deceiving him? Did they simply want to find and finish off Subaru themselves?
But how could it be possible? His Divine Protections hadn't indicated any attempts at deception. All of them really wanted to find and apologize to Subaru.
What was going on?
"Oi! Reinhard, I hear footsteps! Quickly, find somewhere I can hide!"
Those words snapped Reinhard out of his stupor, quickly opening up his dress closet and gesturing Felt to move inside.
"Jeez, how can one person afford such lavish clothing. . . Makes me sick!"
Reinhard shushed the loudmouthed blonde, closing the closet door behind her as he heard a knock coming from his bedroom door.
"U-Um. . . Excuse me! Reinhard? Are you there?"
The voice was undoubtedly Emilia's. Felt didn't like the idea of eavesdropping on her Big Sis's private conversations, but she was left with no options to escape. She would be stuck in here for the foreseeable future.
"Emilia-sama?! Yes, I'll be right there!"
Felt could hear the change in his inflection, visibly embarrassed that her knight was so bad at lying.
A door creaked open, and several pairs of footsteps made their way into Reinhard's room.
'It looks like they are back at this again. . .'
Reinhard thought to himself.
His mornings the past few days have consisted of an early wake up, a few minutes of solitude where he could tidy himself up, and then an immediate interrogation by members of the Emilia Camp.
For some reason, Crusch hadn't been talking with them for the past couple days, which made his life much easier. But, Reinhard was still having troubles keeping his composure.
Otto's thinly veiled threat implied that the complete stoppage of movement was their doing, and that they were prepared to continue it indefinitely until they found what they were looking for. Knowing that, Reinhard's life became a living hell.
How many people were starving, scrounging, and stealing because of the conditions he'd imposed on the Capital?
And how many had he forsaken to their fate by holing up in his mansion trying to stall out Emilia and Crusch's search?
'I can't focus on that right now. First things first, I must figure out that blue-haired girl's plan. There's no way I can accuse her, as I'd basically be confessing the truth about Subaru's survival. . . this could prove difficult.'
"R-Reinhard, can you please tell us where Felt-chan is?"
Emilia was trying to put on a tough front, but it ultimately came off as super forced. She seemed genuinely desperate to leave the poor guy alone, but the suspicious behavior Reinhard was exhibiting was too difficult for her to ignore.
"I am not at the liberty to disclose such information. I-I'm sorry, Emilia-sama."
He reiterated his answer he'd been giving the last couple days. It was short, concise, and if Crusch happened to be listening, it would be true.
The real problem came from the questions following that one.
"W-What about your maidstaff? I thought you had a team who people working under you. . ."
Reinhard couldn't exactly say that Lilia just disappeared for no reason. She'd been the one to greet them when they arrived at the mansion.
The truth regarding her disappearance was too ridiculous to explain. She, along with the rest of the maidstaff, voluntarily moved to the below-ground floor of the Manor. This is where they'd kept the utterly defeated assassin, which Reinhard obviously couldn't let them find. So, he sealed off the indoor entrance, directing the maidstaff to only enter and exit through the tunnels extending outward beneath the mansion.
This had been good enough to fool them thus far, but the longer they stayed here, the more likely they find out about it.
"I apologize Emilia-sama. Has my hospitality been lackluster?"
A pitiful deflection, but Emilia knew she wouldn't get anywhere with this. Just as she was about to give up, the other person who came in with Emilia spoke up.
"What're ya' doin'? Why don'tcha stop stallin' our search n' help us find th' Cap'n!?"
Garfiel was less subtle with his intentions. The Sword Saint had obviously been giving them the runaround and Garfiel was tired of it.
"I-I'm not sure what you me-. . ."
"No playin' stupid! S'obvious ya' just wanna' see us gone!"
Garfiel knocked picked up a book lying on Reinhard's desk and chucked it dangerously close to Felt's hiding spot.
"Please, I ask you don't needlessl-. . ."
"Needless? S'what you're doin' ain't just needless bullshit either!? Th' hell with playin' nice! How's about 'nother duel? If I win, ya' tell us th' truth!"
"And what about when I win?"
Reinhard squinted his eyes with curiosity. He could easily use that duel as the pretext to get them to leave his home, or at the very least, figure out what is going on with the blue-haired girl.
"Th' hell ya' say!? 'When'? S'not gonna' go like it did last time!"
Garfiel feet dug into the floor, nearly cracking the tiles beneath him with the overwhelming force being put into them.
"Would you all call off the stoppage if I asked?"
Emilia looked startled that Reinhard so plainly saw through their plans, as she didn't expect him to call them out directly.
"W-What are you talking about, Reinhard?"
"Very well. If you wish to feign ignorance I suppose it's fine. Perhaps my Divine Protections are faltering. To answer your question Garfiel, I have been upfront with you since you arrived. However, there is something I would like to ask of you, so I suppose a duel might not be the worst idea."
Reinhard plainly stated his intentions, hoping to gauge their reactions with some of his Divine Protections and try to get some answers about the Mabeast attacks targeting Subaru.
Felt stifled a chuckle, as this was the first time she'd seen Reinhard exhibit some degree of snarkiness to someone other than her. Serves them right for forcing them back to the slums!
"What is this about a duel?"
There was Otto's voice.
This might be a problem, after all, he was very shrewd.
"S'none f'ya concern Brotto, leave it t'me!"
Otto didn't like the sound of that! Reinhard most certainly wasn't an opponent he could beat!
"What are the stakes?"
The merchant completely ignored the loudmouthed tiger and asked Emilia and Reinhard what each side would be putting up for the duel. He didn't want to sacrifice anything too important to their strategy in some meaningless competition of strength.
"If I lose, I've been told to be 'forthcoming' with you, even though I feel I've been quite honest with everyone since you've arrived. Should I win. . . I wish to question one of the people you've brought to this mansion regarding a certain matter."
Otto raised his eyebrow, but Emilia's smile seemed to placate a lot of the doubts he had about Reinhard's intentions.
He had obviously told her what their plan would be and she was smart enough to avoid giving up leverage for questioning Reinhard.
"Who do you wish to speak to? And what about?"
Reinhard donned a cocky grin and put his hand behind his head.
"Well, I suppose if you'd really like to know, then you should do your best to win!"
The merchant grumbled out something from under his breath, most likely along the lines of 'easy for you to say' and stuck out his hand to shake on the agreement.
"I look forward to our match!"
As the sun reached its highest point in the sky, two fighters stood in the middle of the courtyard, each entirely focused on the position of the person in front of them. While most people's attention was directed at the duel, another two figures remained out of sight, observing the spectacle where nobody else could see them.
Both Wilhelm and Cruch could see them from second floor, watching the match with solemn expressions.
"Once I drop my hand. . !"
They heard Otto's loud voice echo through the window. Both of them looked away. There was no need to continue watching as they knew what the result would be.
"Crusch-dono, may I ask what's troubling you?"
"I'd imagine it would be the same thing that's been bothering you, Wilhelm."
The old man's pensive expression told Crusch everything she needed to know. She didn't need her Divine Protection to process such obvious feelings of guilt.
"Pardon me if this seems ill-mannered, but what has shaken your resolve?"
Crusch's eyes widened at Wilhelm's focused question. She hadn't told him about what happened between her and Emilia, but he'd still seen through her so easily. Such was the wisdom that often comes with age.
"A-Am I that obvious?"
"Not at all Crusch-dono. Imposing my sentiments onto others has always been a bad habit of mine. I may have been confusing my own feelings with yours."
Normally, Wilhelm abstained from presumptive behavior surrounding others. However, the current situation being what it was, it would've been impossible to maintain an unbiased judgment. Both Crusch and Wilhelm felt more than tangentially responsible for Subaru's death. They'd each played a role in condemning him and preventing justice from being achieved.
Crusch, with her Divine Protection, had every chance to verify Subaru's innocence during the short time he'd been incarcerated. Not to mention her own knight's actions, which she should've prevented. Wilhelm had known more about this than she did, but he too, did nothing to stop it.
Felix, for his part, had offered himself up completely when the truth had come out. He would've gladly accepted the death penalty, had it been decided by everyone involved. The healer didn't seem to want to keep on living knowing he'd hurt the man that saved his lady from the Dragon's blood.
It was only because Crusch cared for Felix so immensely, that she pushed to have his punishment reduced to a simple demotion of rank.
This move had only further alienated the other camps, aside from Anastasia who did something similar.
Crusch wanted justice to be served, but she couldn't help but feel execution would only worsen the tragedy. At his core, Crusch knew he was a good person. He'd been there for her during her lowest moments and dedicated his life to helping others with healing magic.
She'd tried to justify it in her head many times. Everyone else who'd condemned Subaru was equally guilty, weren't they? They were the ones who told Felix that Subaru was a Witch Cultist in the first place! Yes, what he'd done was wrong, but many of them stood by and proudly let it happen! Now, when the truth was revealed, what gave all of them the right to throw all the blame on him?
And the worst part of it all was. . . Felix accepted it.
All the hatred, the blame, the disgust. All of it was directed at him and Julius.
They demanded he die in disgrace on behalf of all their mistakes, and he would've done it too.
It took a long time for Crusch to fully understand the feelings of the other camp members and to see the immensity of the mistake she'd made.
Felix didn't speak with her anymore, as he didn't want his association with her to damage her reputation even further. It was because she knew him so well, that she realized she'd likely put him into an even deeper despair.
Felix would often tell her that he'd spend the rest of his life at her side, even die for her, if need be. That was his life's purpose. It was what made him happy. Perhaps that's why she should've just let him face the music. He was a self-hating kid when she'd met him. It'd taken him a long time to find anything he liked about himself. By denying him the chance to accept responsibility for his actions, she'd only managed to strip away the last bit of assurance he had in himself.
For him to willingly shut himself away, he must have truly hardened his resolve.
". . .Crusch-dono."
The tears flowed freely once more.
Even with her memories returned, the unshakeable Crusch was unable to keep her composure.
"W-What should I have done? Wilhelm, I-I. . ."
Wilhelm did his best to hold her up, but as for her desperate plea, even he wasn't sure how to answer. That may have been a situation where there simply was no "right thing" to do.
"I-I've destroyed it all, simply because I wanted to return everything to how it once was! T-They hate me now! I denied them their closure because I thought I could fix things. . ."
The old man realized immediately what she was talking about.
It had torn him apart in a similar way.
He'd also grown to care deeply for the young healer over the time he'd spent serving Crusch.
The two people he was most grateful to in this world were Crusch and Subaru. They'd offered him a place to belong after he'd destroyed the remnants of his previous life. They even helped him achieve his long-awaited vengeance on the monster that killed his wife. Felix had saved his life multiple times during this journey, which he was also extremely thankful for.
It was only now that he understood. Wilhelm had been powerless to protect any of them.
All three had been completely abandoned, betrayed, and spit on by the one's they loved most.
He'd let his shortsightedness take over and lost everything once again.
"C-Crusch-dono. . ."
How fitting for him to only realize the truth as he stood in the home he'd once destroyed.
"T-There may still be a chance to make things right! After losing so much, don't abandon the hope things can get better! Crusch-dono, I beg you, don't lose your resolve! If you did, I'm afraid both of us would be doomed. . ."
Wilhelm's rousing speech fulfilled its purpose.
She needed to be reminded why they undertook this search in the first place.
There was still hope.
They couldn't let doubts cloud their mind when they were so close to a resolution!
"Well, I suppose it's my victory."
Reinhard stood behind an unconscious, fully transformed, Garfiel.
The spectators were in shock, including the people who'd already expected Reinhard to win.
The fight had been pretty short to say the least.
In the previous duel they had, Reinhard had only agreed at Subaru's request. Due to the lack of serious stakes, as well as the stated purpose of the duel by Subaru, Reinhard decided to adopt a series of handicaps to ensure the duel ended in a productive way. This was why Reinhard barely attacked and also stood in one place the entire time. It was supposed to show Garfiel how much room for improvement he still had as a fighter.
This time, Reinhard wasn't messing around.
While Garfiel had grown considerably stronger since his last fight with Reinhard, there simply was no way for him to overcome the strength difference through simple training.
Even when fully transformed, he'd been immediately speed-blitzed and knocked unconscious by Reinhard in a single hit.
Most of the observers were surprised at how one-sided this fight was. Yes, they knew of Garfiel's previous loss to Reinhard. However, Garfiel didn't fully transform in that fight and was also much weaker.
The full strength of the Sword Saint was certainly no joke!
"Can't say I didn't expect this outcome, but you could've at least made it look like a close fight!"
Otto was annoyed at Reinhard's nonchalant attitude after embarrassing his buddy Garfiel, but he also noted how serious Reinhard seemed to be about winning in the first place.
In a battle where he, supposedly, had nothing to lose, Reinhard certainly wasn't taking any chances.
This only reinforced his theory that Reinhard was hiding something from all of them. Why else would he be so afraid of 'telling them the truth' surrounding their investigation?
'I definitely used more power in that strike than I would've liked to. . .'
Reinhard was internally shocked that he was forced to use that much power on a single person in the first place. Garfiel most certainly had gotten stronger! He felt happy for the kid, but to maintain appearances, it was best to act like it'd been an easy victory.
After all, the consistently humble Sword Saint taking a duel seriously would most likely raise some eyebrows.
"I'll be collecting my prize now."
"E-Eh? Reinhard, we still don't know who you wish to speak with. . ?"
Emilia's question drew the attention of the remaining bystanders: Rem, Ram, Otto, and Meili.
"Do you have anything you wish to speak with me about!? I can smell Subaru's scent here, so please, I'll tell you anything, just he-. ."
"Rem, please let Reinhard explain."
Rem was cut off by Ram, who could already tell that Reinhard wasn't interested in playing nice with them. It infuriated the blue-haired maid, as she felt Ram had no right obstructing her in this investigation. She was also culpable in what happened to Subaru.
It's important to note, Rem could never bring herself to hate Ram. She still loved her sister with all her heart. However, even Ram had moments where she failed to act like the perfect big sister Rem had seen all her life.
"I would just like a word with miss. . . Meili-san, was it?"
This surprised everyone! What business did he have with her? She'd been mostly quiet since they'd arrived here and hadn't been particularly helpful with their search. Why would Reinhard wish to speak with her alone?
"Hmm~? Why does the knightly oni~san want to speak to me?"
"It'll only be a moment. All I ask is your cooperation."
. . . . . . . .
". .s-stop her. . ."
A man laid flat on the ground, bleeding profusely from his neck and chest.
He hoped someone else would hear him and step in to save them all from the horrific monster responsible, but to his shock, everyone else was laying on the ground just like him. Their wounds were even in the exact same place!
The man didn't even have time to contemplate how such an event was possible, as he bled out seconds after he finished speaking those words.
"I see!"
The last living being in the tower laughed maniacally as it looked out upon the cityscape in front of her.
"I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I see! I seeeeeee!"
The bandages on her face were blown around violently by a strong gust of wind, most likely because of her elevation.
"I understand! I realize! I acknowledge! I comprehend! I recognize! I grasp! I conceive! I fathom! I perceive! I know! I appreciate! I discern! I behold!"
Mad ramblings spewed from its mouth. Each accompanied by a loud clank of swinging chains.
"S-So this is love? Ah, I'm so~ embarrassed!"
To be rescued, and by that person. . . how could she not blush like the innocent maiden she was in her heart!
"My heart is trem~bling! Shouldn't these sentiments be answered? Such feelings deserve to be rewarded! My darling Petelgeuse has freed me, so I must spread this warmth to all those with darkness in their hearts!"
She shook in anticipation of their inevitable reunion.
. . . . .
Author's Note:
Hoooh boy it's been a long time since I updated! Sorry to everyone who has been waiting for new chapters of this, I wanted to get The Secret to a point where I felt I could take a breather for a while, as I want it to be exciting when I eventually return to writing chapters for that fic! I'm probably going to write 4-5 more chapters for this fic before I swap back to the Secret to continue updating it, unless I see a lot of demand for it to return early! You will probably see those chapters come out more frequently, so don't worry about the Secret being neglected for more than like a month or two. There is also a couple one-shots I've already written, so you might end up seeing a couple of those get dropped at some point during the next month as well! I think I wrote the characters pretty well this chapter, but as always, I'm interested in seeing your criticisms and adjusting them in a way that makes them satisfying to read.
It's kinda nice that I will get some practice writing lines for Sirius before I end up returning to the Secret, because I think I'll be a whiz at writing good lines for her when I'm done!
As it relates to this story, stuff is really going to pick up next chapter, so look forward to it!
I did also wait a little bit longer to return to this fic cause the original author updated their story, so I didn't want to be a jerk and drop a chapter out of nowhere right after they came back! Please go check out that fic if you haven't already!
I can't really think of a community poll for this chapter, so I'll do the same thing I did a while back. Suggest any scene you might want to see included in this fic and depending on how many people reply, I'll add it into the fic! Fluff is preferred, and ideally fluff that doesn't change the plot by too much!
I've started taking commissions for anyone who's interested in my writing style and wants me to write them a short fic! I charge $40 for 5K words, which is pretty cheap relative to everyone else I see on there! I don't really have any rules regarding what I write either, I just ask that once you receive the document you don't put my name on it unless I say its ok. I don't wanna start beef with people over something I got commissioned to write. It doesn't just have to be Re:zero either! If it's something I'm familiar with, I'll write a fic for you to the best of my ability! If you are interested, check out this link:
continuer123?up_rollout=true
I also have a discord server for anyone interested in getting updates for when new chapters are releasing. We've got roles, a lot of active members, and an overall good vibe going on. It's pretty decked out by this point, so I suggest you check it out:
/tgMtCvdasb
Thanks so much for reading this chapter, I really can't wait to release the next chapter! If I get to it in time, it will have one of my favorite scenes in this entire fic! All of the buildup the last 7 chapters will FINALLY pay off!