To say the situation on the ship was chaotic, would be an understatement. Kazuma could only babble the general direction to his home so they had to play telephone with Kumoko's telepathy, which wasn't too reliable due to her apparent preference for silence. Subaru was just trying to keep Sophia safe for the voyage.
The only good thing was that no beast could threaten the boat. Any sort of Monster, Shark, or Sea Dragon was swiftly struck down by her powerful magic.
"Come on Sophia, just hold on." Subaru cheered on the small child as she held onto him. Kumoko had been egging him on to teach the girl to walk, so he decided to comprise. The first time he trusted her she tried to tie Sophia's limbs to her front legs, so that was shut down.
He heard a snort and turned to see Kumoko lazing about in the sun. "What?" he asked, taking his eyes off Sophia for a moment. 'Easier way.' Kumoko said telepathically. "My answer is still no, its wrong to do it that way." Subaru quipped. Kumoko poked him with one of her scythes in response.
He glared at her, before he heard a groan of pain and turned to its source. Sophia had somehow crawled away from him, picked up a stick, and was poking Kazuma in the eye. "Sophia, don't do that." he half shouted while ambling over to her.
She whined as he picked her up and tossed the stick away. Kazuma just limply glared at her in response. "I'm going to go crazy soon, just give it a day or two." Subaru muttered.
Elsewhere
The forest was consumed in ice. Echoes of battle rang out with every moment. Emilia and Beatrice kept their foe at range as Garfiel kept close. Ram was off to the side, sending blade of wind towards the Archbishop of Gluttony.
The air froze and cut into their foe.
Then, a finale attack was struck.
A massive construct of ice pierced his chest. His last words lost as ice spread through his body and froze it within seconds. Garfiel finished it, shattering the statue with a fierce punch.
It was all over, yet, why did they suddenly feel so empty?
Times had grown worse for them. "Stay away, away I say." Subaru pointed a knife at Kumoko as she hissed in response. "You won't get it, not ever over my dead body." Subaru continued.
Sophia was watching from the side, kept in one of the now empty food crates. "Two weeks of food, gone in just over half that time. Were the sea beast not enough, you had to eat all the rest? I ought to kill you." Subaru said as he held their last bit of food. Kumoko just let her stomach grumble as she glared at him.
Kazuma just groaned, they had been doing this same song and dance for the past three days. It would be a couple hours until the drawback of Undying Rage would ware off, but could he last?
Subaru threw the knife, nailing Kumoko right in one of her spider eyes. Kumoko responded by using one of her ranged debuffs, leaving Subaru limp and numb. She gobbled up the last of their food after that. Kazuma's eyes turned to the sea, muttering a quick prayer to Eris to guide their ship back to land.
Then be noticed something on the horizon. A large ship, flying familiar colors was just within visual range. "Oh no." he slurred out. Kumoko looked at him, he darted his eyes in the direction of the ship. Her eyes widening as she saw the ship approaching. She visibly brightened up, as Kazuma shook his head.
She stared out at them, before tilting her head in confusion. 'Soldiers, dedicated to the art of monster hunting.' Kazuma thought as Kumoko used telepathy. Kumoko acted fast, plunging herself into the water and swimming underneath the boat.
Subaru was now pulling himself up, looking at the ship as well. "Cover, need it." Kazuma said. Subaru nodded before placing a hat on Kazuma's head and Settling Sophia down. He quickly took the reins and shifted the sails.
"Just a bit further, keep moving west and we'll make it to dry land." Kazuma directed. "What of the ship?" Subaru asked. "Filled with adventurers, might ignore us thinking we're a fishing vessel." Kazuma answered. "Let's just hope we don't blow it." Subaru muttered.
How could they have forgotten him? How could they have betrayed him?
"Subaru, please forgive us." Emilia muttered as their carriage returned to the capital. The last hour had been filled with tears and sorrow, the memory of the boy they had put so much faith in and their own betrayal hurt. "Please forgive Betty." Beatrice spoke through tears.
"Mah, mah Capt'n." Garfiel said solemnly. He was twisting and turning in his seat, a well of regret pooling in his stomach. "He, he was right there. saying he was innocent. Why didn't we believe him?" Emilia pondered.
"Will he even forgive us?" Beatrice asked.
"So, do you know where to go next?" Subaru asked. Their boat had finally struck land and the group was ready to move on. Kazuma, enjoying the freedom of movement after ten days of limpness, looked over the large map. "Considering the ship that passed us, add in the surrounding forest, then we just need to keep following the river then we'll reach the nearest outpost and I can contact Wiz." Kazuma answered.
Subaru groaned, holding Sophia with his two arms and hauling their remaining supplies around with Invisible Providence was getting tiring. "And how long will that take?" he asked. "Not too long, a day at most, but who knows if Kumoko will make it easier for us." Kazuma answered. The moment they had struck land Kumoko had run off to find more food.
"It would be easier if we moved separately, Kumoko can just follow us from a distance and while we walk to this outpost." Subaru suggested. Kazuma nodded, before pocketing the large map. "Sounds like a plan. Leave the boat here, I'll tell Wiz about it and she'll take care of it." Kazuma advised as he took some of the supplies.
It was then that Kumoko returned, her spider head licking the viscera off of one of her scythes. "Dare we ask?" Subaru quipped. "Nah, just pretend we don't see it." Kazuma replied. "Kay, Alright Sophia we're almost there." Subaru said, gently bouncing Sophia in his arms.
Sophia just whined, staring at him with discomfort. "Ok, so is there any food?" Subaru asked. Kazuma ignored him, already several feet away. "Oi, I asked an important question." Subaru said as he chased after him.
"How could you have done this?" Emilia begged. She and the other candidate camps, sans the Priscilla camp, were now gathered at the Karsten Estate. They were here to discuss Subaru, and the particular treatment he had gone through.
Crusch and Anatasia only stood too the side as Emilia interrogated Felix. Felt was just glaring at the cat knight while Reinhardt just sulked close to her, lamenting on his lack of action. Many of the members of the Emilia camp had joined Felt in their glaring at the cat boy.
Had Julius been present, he would be under the same scrutiny.
Felix stayed silent, hanging his head in shame. "I asked you, why did you do it?" Emilia's tone shifted towards anger. "I... I..." Felix hesitated. "She asked you a question, answer it." Garfiel piped up.
"I did it for Crusch." Felix choked out. "Don't you dare say such a thing." Crusch shouted. Felix flinched at this, hanging his head even lower. "Tell me." Emilia hissed, the area around her growing colder by the second.
"I think it's clear to all-" Anatasia spoke up, catching everyone's attention. "-That Subaru's condition is the result of the actions taken by Felix and Julius. If ma knight were here he would be undergoing the same interrogation. I can only pray for his safety after his disappearance." she said calmly.
"Yes, his disappearance, how did this happen?" Emilia asked. "We... had left him idle, for a week. When we returned someone had followed us. We were all knocked out, and Julius was the only one to see the intruder. When we came too, Subaru was just gone." Felix spoke, his tone far more precise than before.
"Last we heard... a group of knights was sent to track them down, a group which Julius was a part of." Reinhardt chimed in. "They have yet to return from their search." he said solemnly. Emilia and those in her camp sulked, tearing over the loss of their beloved Subaru.
"Then... let us... end this." Emilia said. "Indeed. Felix, you are no longer my knight, from this day onwards you will not enter my sight. You will be handed over to the Royal Knights to await a final judgement for your actions." Crusch said. Felix looked ready to beg, yet the combined glares of Crusch, Wilhelm, and the Emilia camp shut him up. "When Julius returns, he will be removed from my camp and handed too the Royal Knights as well." Anatasia said.
"That ain't enough, they need to pay for what they did to big bro." Felt spoke up. "And they will, but we can't rush such a thing, not while information is still just returning to us." Crusch answered. "Trust me, they will not escape judgement Felt Sama." Reinhardt whispered to her.
With that a pair of knights entered the room and dragged Felix away in shackles. He kicked and screamed, begging for mercy that he would not receive. Anatasia left first, then the Felt Camp, the Emilia Camp had something to do first. "Crusch, I will allow our camps too work together to recover Subaru, but from this point onwards our alliance is over." Emilia said. Crusch simply nodded, her poker face almost cracking.
The Emilia camp left after that, and Crusch let herself falter. "If only I could have repaid you, Subaru." She muttered. "There is not much that can be done, we can only hope that Subaru Dono is unharmed." Wilhelm comforted.
The so-called 'outpost' that Kazuma had mentioned, was a piddly tower with three undead tending to it. The moment he arrived they exchanged greetings and he went to message Wiz.
This left Subaru, Sophia, and Kumoko in the cramped first level of a small tower with three rather polite zombies.
"So, do you guys have any food?" Subaru asked, trying not to seem rude. "Not much, just some stuff that we gather so that people don't get suspicious." a farmer looking zombie answered. Kumoko put her scythes together, asking a question of her own. "Mostly small game, and a couple pieces of fruit." an almost skeletal zombie answered. "Thank you." Subaru said. "No problem." the last one answered, their form hidden by a thick cloak.
They pointed to a storage cabinet nearby and Subaru made sure that Kumoko didn't get there first. He pulled out a bundle of apples and took a bite, enjoying the return of proper food. Kumoko was about to rush him when the Skeletal Zombie spoke up. "If you're that hungry miss, there's a couple giant toads that have been harassing the local wildlife just a mile out. Just got to be cautious of their tongues." They said. Kumoko nodded, somewhat hesitantly, before walking out of the tower and towards the direction provided.
Subaru then got to work mashing some of the apples up with a small plater and feeding them to Sophia. "Now hold it, don't use a knife to mash em, a large spoon is better." the farmer zombie said, grabbing one from a nearby drawer. Subaru thanked him before returning to feeding Sophia.
It was quiet for a while. The Zombies just standing around and cleaning the place up. Subaru just keeping Sophia entertained while the farmer zombie chimed in on occasion. It would be... fifteen minutes before Kumoko came returned from her meal.
Then Kazuma decended from the stairs, huffing with annoyance. "What's up?" Subaru asked. "I can't teleport us back to my home, Sylvia is using that location right now and I won't risk getting close to her." Kazuma answered while taking a seat. "Bit of a shame, though I can't blame you." The Skeletal Zombie spoke up. "So, we're walking some more?" Subaru deadpanned.
"Only a little, Wiz said that Hans can get me a lift back home... There's just one problem." Kazuma paused. "What kind of problem?" Subadu asked. "Hans is currently in the town of Alcanretia, the home of the Axis cult." Kazuma answered. "Oh, not those weirdos." The cloaked Zombie said. "Yes, those weirdos." Kazuma replied. The Zombies grimaced and cringed at the mention of the Axis Cult. "That Bad?" Subaru cocked a brow. "They make the collective Chunni antics of The Crimson Demon Clan look positively Lucid in comparison." Kazuma stated.
"And what's so bad about this Sylvia that you'd rather go there?" Subaru asked. Kazuma calmly put a hand on his shoulder and looked in in the eye. "You don't want to know." he said cryptically. Subaru wisely decided not to ask further.
"When do we head out?" Subaru changed the topic. "Tommorow, you and Sophia can rest up. I'll be taking Jeff and Markus to get the boat." Kazuma answered while gesturing too the farmer zombie and the cloaked zombie. "You guys have names?" Subaru inquired. "Yep, kept them from our old lives. My name is Parker." The skeletal zombie said, holding out his hand in a friendly gesture.
Subaru just smiled and shook it as Kazuma and the others left. "You know, half of my expectations were pretty horrifying for this place, but this is nice." Subaru said. "Yeah, Undead tower makes ya think of unsavory and creepy stuff. But that's just gross and impractical." Parker said. "Say, Where are you guys from? Kazuma mentioned he found you guys out on his exploration mission, but he also said you guys share a home country." Parker asked. "Ah that. We're all from Japan, a land too the far east. It's difficult to sail there and near impossible to fly there so few truly know about it. I was sailing along before being pulled into a great waterfall that once surrounded the place Kazuma found me." Subaru answered, trying not to arouse such suspicion.
"Ah, strange. Though it must be tough being trapped in an unfamiliar place." Parker said. "Yeah, it was more than tough. Took a lot to stay in people's good graces, and even then..." Subaru trailed off, looking down at his hands. "Ah, I won't push ya if you don't want to say." Parker said somewhat apologetically. "Its... not a problem, just went through a lot." Subaru said.
Sophia broke the tension by grabbing onto Subaru's arm and pulling with all her strength. He looked back at her as she whined. "Alright, I'll give you up-see." he said while picking her up. "Don't forget to burp her." Parker chimed in. "I know." Subaru replied while patting her back.
'How did it end up like this?' Julius pondered as he looked at the camp. They had been fine, determined to catch the run away Archbishop. Yet when he uttered the man's name he was filled with dread and regret.
Subaru, it was Subaru. Their Subaru. The same Subaru who had slain two of the Great Mabeasts. Who had slain two other Archbishops and helped imprison a third.
The same boy he and Felix had spent Months torturing.
Needless to say the moment it was revealed, the moment it all broke down. His fellow knights became split. Those who hadn't been stationed at the prison were glad to remember him. But those who had been there, who had heard what he had done.
They were hesitant.
He knew, that the moment he returned he would be judged for his actions.
But should he fight it?
Did he really deserve to fight against something that he had done so willingly?
He really was a monster, wasn't he?
Kazuma and Kumoko had returned in the dead of knight and spent the rest of it working on something. Subaru couldn't fall asleep in the first place so the only one getting any sleep was Sophia. He had no idea where Parker, Jeff, and Markus had gone nor would he bother to find them.
He just wanted to lay down and try to sleep without the return of his night terrors. Then he heard something fall over and Kazuma started cursing. "This, is my new life?" Subaru asked himself. He, living with an undead, an OP spider woman, and a small vampire child.
Still, he'd take even the weirdest of groups over going back to that Cell. "Wonder how they're doing? Probably fine without me." he muttered as Sophia started grumbling. He used one of his hands from Invisible Providence to cradle her and rock her back to sleep.
Then a realization hit him.
"I've become a dad, haven't I?" he stated, trying his hardest not to wake Sophia.