"Only those who saw the viewing can know the truth. Speaking with anyone else is forbidden."
His silent stare imprinted itself into Subaru's mind. Not only had Reinhard refused to answer his question, but in doing so, he'd made Subaru even more paranoid of the unlikely circumstances. Needless to say, their conversation ended abruptly after this odd exchange. Both of them seemingly unhappy with this result.
Dinner had also been relatively uneventful, aside from some obsessive questioning from Anastasia and some poorly hidden blushes from Crusch. Subaru's thoughts had long since been overtaken by the inevitable deduction.
'They know. THEY KNOW. I don't know how, but they know I can Return by Death.'
Jumping to conclusions? Maybe.
But he couldn't help himself.
Subaru's catatonic form laid next to the unconscious Beatrice, the fear only continuing to build in his heart.
'I don't know why, but it doesn't feel like they simply learned of my ability. T-The way they've been looking at me. . . it's like they've SEEN it.'
That possibility scared him even more.
Return By Death was a curse. Naturally, he'd wished many times to be able reveal it to them. But over time, his opinions surrounding this ability had changed. . .
It had become something, quite frankly, very personal to him.
He associated that ability with all of his mistakes; everything about him that he wanted to leave behind.
If he ever planned to disclose his powers to others, it would've been filtered by him. Not just for the sake of his friends, no. . .
Natsuki Subaru was still a selfish person at heart.
Even if it wasn't real, even if he knew in his soul that he was a liar. . . he didn't want his friends to see him how he truly was. A failure.
'The horror in their eyes. . .'
It had never left. That flash in the carriage had changed the way they looked at him. Not even Reinhard was spared.
His stomach was in knots.
The only thing he had was his secret.
Sure, he had promised Satella that he'd look for value beyond the usage of his own life, and he hadn't forgotten it. But as of now, he hadn't discovered it.
He wasn't ready to have his safety, his insurance, torn away from him.
'That's why they don't trust me on my own. . . I've become a liability. .'
There was nothing Subaru could tell himself to dispute this fact. Since he'd arrived in Priestella, he'd only managed to stoke the guilt of his friends and disrupt negotiations for Puck's housing crystal. He was even deliberately removed from the five-camp meeting.
'It's kind of like having my browser history put on full display. . .'
Subaru inwardly chuckled at his apt description. His incompetence and fake confidence wouldn't ever work on his friends again.
"Hm. .?"
He had only just realized, his free hand had drifted to the arm in his sling.
"P-Please don't, I suppose."
Beatrice's voice was close to a whisper.
'Ah, that's right. I promised Beako I'd stop doing this. . .'
"Beako. . . I-I'm so glad you are awake. ."
He reached over and pulled his spirit into a deep hug. She'd worked herself into a coma trying to keep him alive and she even saved his arm. What did he do to deserve such great friends?
"B-Betty is so sorry. . ."
"What are you talking about? You have nothing to be sorry for! You literally collapsed from all the effort you put into saving me! I should be thanking the stars for my Beako!"
Subaru's words of praise had their intended effect. Beatrice had, for now, stopped crying into their embrace. He really was so grateful to have such amazing people in his life, so the smile he gave her was completely genuine.
Beatrice made a point of lifting Subaru's right hand off of his sling and taking it into hers.
"Y-You won't be able to indulge that disgusting habit of yours whilst holding Betty's hand, in fact."
It lacked tact, but Beatrice's desires were enough to overshadow the looming feelings within Subaru's heart.
"It warms my heart to see my adorable spirit being more straightforward with her desires!"
Beatrice really had become more affectionate since he'd freed her from the library. If the situation wasn't so bleak, Subaru would've secretly added this moment to Beatrice's growth diary.
"D-Don't tease Betty. . . She's only concerned that she won't have enough mana to heal her foolish contractor. . ."
Anyone and everyone could tell this was a lie. But Subaru was content with letting Beatrice off the hook for now. She'd dealt with enough teasing for today.
"Then I suppose you shouldn't let go of my hand!"
Never mind. Subaru might've been having a little too much fun with this. At least he gave Beatrice her excuse to continue showing concern without making things awkward.
"Don't tempt Betty or she'll never let it go again. . ."
Subaru would only sleep for a couple hours. His building stress and the continuous assault of world-shattering information had taken their toll. He wasn't even sure if he would be able to evade detection by slipping away from the other camps, not that he enjoyed the idea in the first place.
'I need a moment to sort through everything and decide what I'm going to do. There's no reason to give myself schizophrenia staring at the ceiling all night.'
Subaru slowly slid his hand out from Beatrice's grasp, which only BARELY went unnoticed by the sleeping spirit. Her unconscious hand had begun reaching out for his and, with some quick thinking, Subaru managed to mimic the shape of his hand with their blanket.
'Ah! My Beako is so cute! It's really a shame that I'll have to wake her up and ruin this amazing sight. . .'
As much as Subaru wanted to deny it, the most pressing issue was the behavior of his allies. If he didn't sneak out now, there was a good chance he'd be forced back to the Miload Manor. He hoped Beatrice would be receptive to his pleas as she'd always been one of the smartest members of the Emilia Camp.
"I'm just going to get a little bit of fresh air, ok?"
Subaru murmured to himself, silently trying to justify his little 'excursion' to Beatrice so he could deflect responsibility when he woke her up.
He felt a cold breeze brush up against his spine.
"Huh-? Oh. . . it's nothing."
This level of clinginess wasn't something he was used to.
'Calm down. You have no proof for these theories, even with all the circumstantial evidence. So far, all I have to go off of is speculation! For all I know, I'm just projecting my wishes onto them. Even if one person knows, it could easily be a special case. Al is from my world, after all!'
Subaru lightly creaked open his door and headed towards the open balcony at the back of the inn.
It had a nice view overlooking the garden, which was exactly what Subaru needed to calm himself down.
'Why am I even wasting time thinking about this anyway?! There's a madman on the loose and a potential attack looming over the city! The last thing I should be worried about is protecting my ego!'
Subaru's mind jumped back and forth between the stressors plaguing his mind.
Perhaps that was why he wasn't paying enough attention to what was in front of him.
*bump*
"Oh! Sor-. . ."
"Wha-. . ?"
That voice.
That unmistakable voice.
Reminiscent of the soft chimes of a silver bell.
"Emilia-tan? Is that you?"
The hallways were quite dark at this time of night, obscuring Subaru's ability to make out the face of the person in front of him. Even with just a weak outline, Subaru could tell who he was speaking to immediately.
"S-Subaru. . ? I thought you'd already retired for the night. . Why are you wandering the inn at this hour?"
Emilia's presence here was auspicious, that's for sure. There was a chance she'd seen through his plans and had been waiting for something like this to occur.
"Nobody says 'retired for the night' anymore! And I. . . well, I couldn't sleep."
Subaru didn't necessarily lie, but he made sure to leave out his plans with Beatrice. He didn't want to reignite the embers of their last fight either.
'I'm so sorry Emilia-tan. I'll make sure to apologize to you over and over again for disobeying orders.'
"I see."
Subaru couldn't see the expression on Emilia's face, but there was an uncomfortable silence between the two of them that communicated something was off.
Emilia grimaced at Subaru's words, picturing all the horrible nightmares that he faces every time he closes his eyes. It was her incompetence that led to the majority of those situations. How long had he been dealing with these nightmares all alone? Maybe she should just wait until tomorrow to spe-. . .
Wait.
No.
Blaming herself was simply the convenient excuse she had to forget about the real reason she was here. Emilia had committed herself to making things right between them. The distance between them needed to be closed.
"Subaru, can we talk for a moment?"
'A late night journey to Emilia-tan's room? What did I do to deserve this?! I'm seriously about to melt from the heat of this spicy setup!'
Emilia was leading Subaru to her room, a strong grasp around his free hand. It was quite the forceful approach from the usually reserved half-elf, but Subaru wasn't complaining.
'I gotta' get my mind out of the gutter! Emilia-tan most certainly isn't thinking what I'm thinking, and even if she was, there's no way she'd want to do something like that with me! I have to get my mind back on track before I say something weird!'
Subaru, once again obscured by darkness, couldn't see Emilia's blushing face as she dragged him across the inn and into her room. She had a good idea what he was thinking right now and as much as she would like to indulge him, she reeeeeaally needed to clear the air between them.
'Oh no! My hands are getting sweaty! Thank goodness it's Emilia-tan! If it was Ram, she wouldn't rest until my pride as a man was completely eviscerated. . .'
As if part of some cruel twist of fate, when Emilia reached the door, she adjusted her grip up from his hand to around his wrist. Raising his hand up next to her face and staring at it inquisitively.
'E-Eh? How is she so perceptive?! Jeez, this is embarrassing. . .'
He steeled himself for the half-elf's observation.
The action had more purpose behind it than Subaru could've guessed. She had a very clear view of his forearm when it was that close to her face. The scarring and fresh scabs, which he thought he'd hidden beneath his sleeves, only made her heart ache. The contrast between the rough calluses on his upper arms and the gentle skin she'd felt when she held his hands. . .
What a perfect representation of his hell.
"Your hands are still so soft. . ."
Did his heart just skip a beat? Emilia words gushed affection. Even the, sometimes oblivious, Subaru had his mouth hanging open at the delivery of this heartfelt compliment. He didn't pick up the slight choke in her voice.
"E-Emili-. ."
Her grip tightened, signaling for him to close his mouth.
As they entered her room, the door creaked shut behind them.
For the first time, the moonlight illuminated Emilia's face. Tears shimmered in her eyes.
"I-I. . . I'm so, so, sooooooooo, sorry!"
Emilia's shuddering form wrapped itself around him. Her arms in a fixed grip around his back.
He wanted to ask her what this was all about, but Emilia wasn't even able to compose herself enough to finish a sentence. The words would be choked out, and then reclaimed by hysterical sobbing.
"Emilia! H-Hey, don't cry! There's nothing to apologize f-. . ."
He tried running his hand through her hair, but Emilia brushed it aside and turned her head to avoid his gaze.
"I-I-I nearly did it again."
"W-What are you talking ab-. . .?"
She brought a finger to his lip and pushed herself back into their embrace. Subaru's eyes widened as he felt her rest in the crook of his neck.
"I thought I knew what was best for you. . . so I tossed your feelings aside! Just like in the capital!"
Stains formed on Subaru's nightgown, obviously from Emilia's tears. Subaru didn't even notice them, however. He was simply too shocked at Emilia's recollection of events.
"E-Emilia-tan, what are you talking about? That's exactly what I did to you in the Capital! I'm seriously glad that you managed to set me straight! Please don't cry about that. . .!"
She had to fight the urge to argue with Subaru's declaration. The Emilia in the Capital had been completely oblivious to his condition and her incompetence as a royal candidate had forced him to intervene. Even if there was no way for her to know, her ignorance was still inexcusable.
Just like today.
"I-I don't want you to leave! I don't want to send you back to the Manor. I know that you care soooo much about all of us! But I stood in your way again. . ."
Subaru leaned further into their hug and placed his arm around her neck.
"Emilia-tan, there's nothing wrong with what you asked me to do. I'm your knight. I will always be yours! Even. . . if I don't obey every one of your orders, which is something I really need to work on. . . I will never leave you."
Subaru's words rung with steel-like conviction. He was, admittedly, quite the hypocrite for trying to act like Emilia's 'perfect knight' all of a sudden, but he couldn't help himself. His last words were true.
'Even death wasn't enough separate us. I'm not about to let some dumb fight make you doubt my loyalty.'
"S-Subaru, I'll cancel my order to send you back to Miload. I-. . . I'm sorry for fighting with you over this."
His hand had slowly drifted up into Emilia's head and this time she didn't brush him away. He began lightly playing with locks of her silver hair.
"I-I'm sorry too. It's my duty as your knight to act as your will. All you wanted was to help me get healed up and I fought with you. . . I was really out of line."
It wasn't just with Emilia either. He saw how hurt everyone looked when he tried refusing treatment for his arm. How he carelessly mocked Julius. . . Needlessly upset Emilia. . . Bluffed to Otto and Garfiel. . . Ignored concerns from Wilhelm and Reinhard. . .
Perhaps he'd understood it all wrong.
'I didn't even try to understand their feelings, I just pushed them away.'
It was deep enough into the night where one could experience total silence. It only made Emilia's weeping weigh heavier on his guilty conscience.
'My crippling insecurity drove her to order me home.'
Subaru's moment of realization allowed him to snap out of his temporary daze. Just like one year ago, he'd fallen into a slump. The way out is the exact same as back then. Putting some faith into his friends. They all did the same with him, right?
"Emilia-tan. . .you're right. I think we're both to blame for this mess."
Emilia was surprised to see Subaru so openly admit the truth to her, but she felt a familiar warmth beneath Subaru's frank assessment of their foolishness. He'd had no qualms calling her a 'pain in the ass' when she was being. . . well. . . a pain in the ass. His admission here was similarly comforting.
"S-Subaru. . .I just overreacted that's-. . ."
"No. You didn't."
She finally composed herself enough to break contact and take a step back.
"I was being foolish. I-If someone ever attacked you, I doubt I'd forgive them so easily. . ."
He didn't even want to imagine it, as it was something he'd already experienced once before. For an entire year, he'd obsessively gathered any information he could pertaining to the Archbishop of Gluttony's location. Subaru literally dreamed of the day he could put that monster into the ground. Emilia might've been feeling something similar. Being driven crazy with fondness!
"Thank you, Emilia-tan."
"E-Eh?"
Emilia wasn't expecting Subaru to thank her! She'd just tried detaining him and forcibly transporting him back home! What was he thinking?
"I know this might sound ridiculous. . . but I-I. .uh. . .didn't realize you all worried about me so much."
Was he an idiot? Wait, actually, Emilia was probably thinking the word 'dunderhead'.
Regardless, today was proof more than anything that people cared for Subaru. Almost irrationally so!
The way everyone crowded around him. How they dropped everything to see if he was ok. It wasn't something Subaru received from anyone other than his parents. He'd become so blind to those feelings, they were nearly impossible to recognize!
". . *sniffle*. . .dunderhead. . ."
"Nobody says 'dunderhead' anymore either!"
'Phew! If I was in there any longer, I'm worried I might've gotten some ideas. . .'
Subaru had promptly excused himself from Emilia's quarters, telling her he wanted to try out the bathhouse to see how 'authentic' the inn really was. Surprisingly, Emilia seemed to grasp the implications of what he was saying, but she didn't want to pester him with questions after all the torture Subaru endured from Anastasia.
However, the real reason he left was a little more. . .awkward.
Subaru wouldn't consider himself oblivious to the feelings of others (even if today had been a rare exception).
Recently, Emilia had been a lot more. . . physical.
This normally wouldn't be cause for concern, but Subaru was starting to see this odd glint in her eyes whenever he would hold her hand or braid her hair. She'd also kissed him today too! He certainly wasn't going to forget that!
The thing is. . . after their heart-to-heart, her reactions seemed a lot more. . .suspect. . . than before. If he didn't know any better, he might've believed she was trying to seduce him!
'T-There's no way though! My pure-hearted Emilia-tan has no concept of deviant acts like those!'
Subaru nodded his head with a wide grin plastered across his face. (Little did he know, that was exactly what she was doing!)
Theoretical fuming half-elves aside, he'd still felt the effects of her *completely unintentional* efforts.
'I need a bath. It'll be perfect to help me get some sleep!'
And also try and ignore everything else that's happened today, if it was possible.
"Looks like I'm not the only one with that idea. . . ."
The lone old man, staring off into the full moon, hadn't even noticed Subaru's footsteps. However, Subaru's bad habit of speaking without thinking had already given him away.
"Subaru-dono, did you also come to look at the garden?"
The gears turned in his head, and Subaru quickly realized his mistake, attempting to hide his blush by staring intently at the patches of flowers furthest out of view.
"D-Did I say that out loud?!"
Wilhelm, always the good sport, lightly chuckled at Subaru's expense.
"I suppose so. . ."
". . . . ."
'This is awkward. . . It seems like something is bothering him. Is it rude if I say something?'
The silence between them wasn't meant to communicate something to each other. Subaru simply had no idea how to continue their conversation, even if he wanted to, while Wilhelm was simply content with the interaction ending there.
'. . .Well, prying into other people's personal matters is kind of a Natsuki Family Tradition. .'
Subaru knew that it was pretty hypocritical to dig into Wilhelm's traumas when he'd been trying so desperately to hide his own, but he didn't care. Wilhelm had always been a curious anomaly to the young man. Someone who, inexplicably, understood Subaru better than he did himself.
He always knew the right words to inspire Subaru to fight on. It was almost like the old man saw him as a kindred spirit. A way to correct the mistakes of his younger self.
Right now, this was simply speculation. Subaru simply didn't know enough about Wilhelm's past to make judgements like those. While he'd always been interested in the life Wilhelm led to become the man he was today, his stubbornness to reveal details about his past were weirdly endearing to Subaru.
". . . ."
"I-I'm sorry if this is coming out of left field, but I have to ask. . .Is everything alright?"
Wilhelm's profile still remained focused off in the distance on something nobody could pinpoint. He seemed to be searching for the right words to explain their current predicament, but unsatisfied with the result.
"It is just what I'd expect of a learned man like Subaru-dono to use an idiom like 'coming out of left field'."
A small smile crossed his face.
"H-Huh? Oh yeah. . . I-I doubt that translates well. . . It just means something abrupt."
Subaru wasn't happy watching all the courage he'd put into checking up on Wilhelm be brushed aside with lighthearted teasing, but it made it clear that the Sword Demon wasn't in the mood to talk.
"Leave it to Subaru-dono to discover a phrase even I've never heard before. It's nice to know that it's still possible to be surprised at this age. . ."
His wistful attitude was not lost on Subaru, and it made him feel acutely aware of Wilhelm's impending mortality.
"D-Don't worry about it! Believe me, there's no way you would've been familiar with it, it's from my homeland after all. . ."
Wilhelm's eyes seemed to flicker at this information, reflecting a mix of curiosity and guilt from dredging up this subject again.
"I apologize for ignoring your question. If you would, allow me a moment to piece my thoughts together."
"I-It's fine! I was the one who snuck up on y-. . ."
"I feel it would be good for me to speak with someone about this. I am especially grateful that it is you, Subaru-dono."
The old man felt that some reciprocity was owed to the otherworldly knight given what they'd all just seen. Even if he didn't know it, his deepest, darkest secrets had been revealed. At the very least, Wilhelm was willing to divulge some of his own in return.
For Subaru, this was another moment where he'd been appraised much higher than he'd expected. It was really starting to make him uncomfortable! He was no better than anyone else in Priestella, but he was once again treated like some hero!
"I-I'm simply wondering what my place in all of this will be."
Wilhelm's response only prompted Subaru to raise an eyebrow.
"What do you mean by that?"
"For nearly a decade, I dedicated my entire being to taking down the beast that took my wife. I've neglected many of my responsibilities, especially when it comes to my family."
Subaru was surprised to hear this, but it lined up with the behavior he'd observed up to this point. Reinhard and Wilhelm hadn't spoken a single word to each other as far as he was aware. They were both especially kind people, so this coldness between them rubbed Subaru the wrong way.
"Now that it's over, can't you try and make up for lost time?"
Wilhelm's silence told Subaru that he'd spoken without thinking again.
"You would be right, Subaru-dono. . . If only it were that simple. . ."
Something had happened between the two. This was beyond 'drifting apart'. Subaru could tell that Wilhelm felt a great deal of shame surrounding this topic, so whatever happened must've been something he regretted.
"I won't pretend that I know what happened between you guys, but I think you shouldn't let the past stop you."
He was right. Wilhelm had convinced himself that with the destruction of the White Whale, he'd no longer be shackled to the events of his past. Why should he let some grievance get in his way now?
"If you're worried about being ridiculed, I don't blame you. However, at least in the case of Reinhard, I can tell he really wants to fix the relationship between you two!"
His eyes widened. Subaru's guess had been spot-on. It was eerie how well the two men understood each other, considering their relatively short history.
"Reinhard. . .would listen to me?"
Subaru was surprised that Wilhelm never noticed it himself. What happened to make Wilhelm write off Reinhard's feelings for so long?
"Absolutely! He might be strong, but he's a total pushover once you get to know him. I doubt he's even capable of holding a grudge!"
Reflecting back on their first meeting, Subaru couldn't help but remember Reinhard's off-the-cuff statement regarding his family.
'My family is fairly unique. Every day I feel I'll be crushed by their expectations.'
'He certainly was desperate for a friend! Not that I wasn't desperate either. . .'
"I'm not sure how to begin talking with him again."
Wilhelm flashed back to all the times he'd attacked Reinhard. He would tear into the kid with no mercy, using nearly every insult he could think of to try and get through to him. It was obvious to Wilhelm now why he did it.
He simply wanted someone, anyone, to feel a fraction of the pain he felt.
It never occurred to him that they had been hurting too. That he could've stayed strong and potentially kept the Astrea family from falling apart.
"O-Oh! I just got an idea! How about I help the two of you start talking again?"
Subaru knew Reinhard would say yes, but it would keep things from stalling if he kept an eye on things from the sidelines. It was definitely not an excuse to intrude on his friend's personal lives. . .definitely not.
"You would go that far?! I-I don't want to trouble you with my problem-. . ."
"It would be my pleasure!"
'Seriously, I've had enough depressing news come my way! If anyone deserves a happy ending, it's those two!'
Subaru internally smirked as he imagined the smiling faces of Reinhard and Wilhelm sharing a table at some large gathering between the camps. Each of them sharing excerpts of their amazing battles and remembering stories of long-gone family members.
"Thank you, Subaru."
The old man finally took his eyes off the horizon and looked back at Subaru.
". . .But that isn't all I meant by 'my place in all this'."
Now it was Subaru's turn to widen his eyes.
"Is there something else that's bothering you?"
Wilhelm flashed through Subaru's entire journey in his mind. He remembered every instance where death greeted the man in front of him. It was shown to him for a reason, wasn't it?
"Yes. I have a sinking feeling that the world will only become more dangerous in the future. . ."
Subaru could only internally dread the implications of Wilhelm's prediction, as he'd become well-acquainted with shouldering the world's problems all on his own.
"Nor will the Royal Selection continue indefinitely."
Wilhelm snapped Subaru out of his panic with an equally shocking realization.
"W-Wait! What are you suggesting?"
Call them his 'dormant' paternal instincts, but it was obvious what Wilhelm wanted to say next.
"After the selection ends, I still plan to pledge my sword to Crusch-sama. However. . ."
'However. . .?! Is he saying what I think he is?!'
"I also plan to pledge my sword to you, Subaru-dono."
Astounding. There were no words to describe the feelings welling up inside Subaru's mind. Relief. Admiration. Respect. Embarrassment. Pride. All of them simultaneously battling to become the predominant emotion in his heart.
"As well as formally adopting you into my family, if you would permit it. I already view you as my grandso-. . ."
"If you finish that sentence, I don't know if I'll be able to stop myself from hugging you! Seriously, how did I get so lucky?!"
Subaru, sadly, wouldn't be able to take Wilhelm up on his offer as he simply loved his parents too much to forsake the name they gave him. But wow! He was on cloud nine after this!
Wilhelm was Subaru's ideal. A man he respected in every sense of the word. Only second to his father Kenichi.
To think. . . Wilhelm truly thought this highly of him.
"There's no need to answer right now. I can see you've been dealing with a lot since arriving here. I simply wished to inform you of my intentions to avoid 'coming out of left field'."
Subaru's blush was enough to make spilling the beans on his future plans worth it. A light chuckle and a hand on his shoulder reassured Wilhelm that things would work themselves out. The two of them were alike in that way.
"T-Teasing me with my own slang?! C-Close, but not exactly right! An A for effort!"
Anastasia had organized a meeting with Kiritaka at the earliest possible time the next day.
The sun had barely risen, but Anastasia was standing right in front of the Chamber of Commerce, waiting for the workers to unlock the building.
'What's takin' him so long?! I swear, if he's makin' me wait cause of that airheaded Songstress, I'm gonna get Julius ta'-. .'
"Anastasia-san! I heard it was urgent, but nevertheless, I didn't expect to see you here this early!"
Kiritaka had just arrived at the Chamber of Commerce after a lengthy walk around Priestella.
He was used to arriving here each morning, as he oversaw the morning announcements/news broadcasts. Anastasia didn't have a reputation for showing her hand early into negotiations, even when they were pertaining to serious matters.
For Anastasia to show up to his workplace this early, it must really be serious.
"Kiritaka! The meetin' was supposed to start an hour ago! I didn't see ya' there. . ."
She gave him a death stare that would rattle most Mabeasts and put her hand on his shoulder.
"I was expectin' better. . ."
Kiritaka was certainly embarrassed. He generally made it a point to arrive to all business meetings on time. It was something he prided himself in.
However, Anastasia was a different story.
She was well-known for employing odd tactics to throw off business partners and get concessions. One of those tactics being her exceedingly random arrival times.
The nature of this meeting was kept secret from Kiritaka as well, so it wasn't unreasonable to believe that Anastasia was simply being hyperbolic.
"I-I'm very sorry Anastasia-san! It won't happen again."
She shook her head and lightly ran her hands through the fur of the fox scarf she was wearing.
"I would hope so!"
Kiritaka's interest had been piqued. She normally didn't act this way when she called him in for meetings. Nor did she make a habit of scheduling impromptu meetings without good reason.
"Anastasia-san, what is this about? You didn't mention anything in your letter, so I'm a little confused on why you called this meeting in the first place."
Anastasia gestured for Kiritaka to follow her inside the government building, as she didn't feel like telling him everything while standing outside in the cold.
"I'll fill ya' in soon, right now, I want ya' to make a modification to this morning's broadcast."
Author's Note:
Yea, it's been a month, RIP, but c'mon is this really out of character for me? Also, ur getting two chapters as once, so no complaining. The cliffhanger from last chapter was pretty much brushed over, and I'll be honest, I didn't really know where I wanted to take it without pushing the story along too fast. What happened between the two will be the subject of a later chapter! I know you guys want the action to pick up + I don't have a good cliffhanger to end off the chapter, so I'm dropping the next two chapters as a set. I think I did some good fluff in this chapter and I think I got most of the characters down pat! A little bit of information to add here, I'm planning on changing the chapter order so that the Mansion Chapter (with Rem) is moved to after these two chapters. Reason being that the action is picking up and the ending of Rem's chapter would line up better there. A few events I'm planning for next chapter: Heinkel being a dick and ruining everything, Anastasia's broadcast and its implications, A search for Liliana (with some familiar characters), and well. . . if ya know, ya know. Also, I am going to skip the fight between garfiel and reinhard, but there will be references to it (basically the same as canon)
So here will be the poll for next chapter (by next, I mean the chapter after the next one because I'm dropping them both) and it'll be a choice between a random piece of dialogue that MAY or MAY NOT be significant in later chapters:
1 'Did'ya enjoy my song~?'
2 'You still owe me a story!'
3 'I have a nice voice~, right big bro?'
There'll be another in the next chapter.
My discord is up and running, and this is where I post the drafts for each of my chapters before I decide to post them. Please join if you are interested in getting peer reviews or updates on when the next chapter of this fic is coming out! Obviously don't be a jerk, this is kinda a faith based operation cause I have no idea how to use this site and I really don't care enough to have moderators.
Here's the link:
/tgMtCvdasb
(I realize I accidentally messed up the original link for this discord, I had it set to change every week instead of having a permanent link. If it breaks again, idk what the heck to expect with this website anymore. Absolutely mid, all I gotta say.)
One last thing: Another Chance (Continued). I've been neglecting that story SUPER hard these past few months by focusing purely on The Secret. While I'm super happy to continue writing chapters for this fic because I feel a lot of passion for it, I also do eventually want to continue that story as well. I have full stories planned out for both of these and I seriously have some crazy stuff planned for the next chapter of that story, so after I drop these next two chapters, I may drop a chapter for Another Chance. Sorry to the OG author if I made it look like I wanted to drop the fic, I simply focused all my energy on this one and I think I've waited long enough so it doesn't look like I'm just picking it back up to be a jerk. If public opinion is SUPER for this story though, I might just skip updating the fic, but I've seen a lot of people dropping kudos on it so I feel kinda bad just leaving it there with no updates. It deserves some love too, am I right? Ok, that's my rant, if you all seriously can't wait for the next chapter, I'll just jump straight into it,
As always, thoughts, suggestions, criticisms are welcomed and I will seriously take any and all to heart! I look forward to finally breaking through the first act of this story into the true epic parts of the arc! It's going to be a real kick for me to continue writing as I have so many amazing scenes planned that I just have to see in this fic.