"Wow! I didn't think this place would be so fancy!"
Subaru spent a few seconds appreciating the magnificent architecture that lay before him. The building they were about to enter was littered with intricate symbols and unique patterns. However, what stuck out to him the most wasn't simply the scale of it, but the similarities it held to the places Subaru had seen during his time on Earth. It was the spitting image of Japanese culture distilled into a single Inn.
"Cap'n's right! S'like m'in Kararagi early!"
Garfiel admired the craftsmanship and polish the workers put into constructing this Inn. Yes, the Inn was undoubtedly one that took inspiration from the Western nation's odd stylings, but there was a charm in its weirdness. Whatever surprises it held for them would certainly be ones he'd remember.
"Oi, let's not give them a passing grade yet, my student! The last place we went to was completely off the mark after we checked in."
Subaru put a hand on Garfiel's shoulder whilst jokingly referring to him as his 'student'. However, Garfiel took it more literally than Subaru had intended, putting his hands together and bowing.
"F'course Sensei! M'not 'bout t'forsake your teachin's!"
"W-What's with the tone shift!? Don't take everything I say so seriously. . !"
Subaru chuckled, taking his hand off Garfiel's shoulder and letting him stand at ease. It was embarrassing to admit, but Subaru had gotten used to Garfiel's 'Chunnibyo' behaviors. He'd expected him to eventually grow out of it, but his predictions were wildly inaccurate. No matter how much time passed, Garfiel's 'hero-worship' of him only seemed to grow.
"Sorry Cap'n, nothin' ya say s'gonna change th' truth! 'ndear the wanderin' wise man r'so they say."
Subaru wanted to remind him of the fact that he was neither 'wise' nor 'wanderin', but Garfiel's reliance on obscure sayings was kind of charming, so he didn't bother correcting him.
"How about you? Are you looking forward to staying in an authentic Japanese Inn?"
After letting out a small sigh, Subaru turned to the young girl following behind him.
"We'll see how auth~entic this lavish 'Ryokan' is once I finish tasting their whole menu~!"
Meili, another steward of Japanese culture, seemed excited at the prospect of running up a large tab in room service orders. Subaru briefly ruffled her hair, which only encouraged the blue-haired girl's indulgent fantasies even further.
". . .W-Wait a minute, who's paying for this!? I thought we were just going to be staying here a single day!"
Otto put his hands in his pockets, trying to find the pocket money he'd brought along with him for this journey, but he only came up with a couple holy coins. At an upscale place like this, the bill for even one night would run them all out of house and home. This wasn't what they'd agreed upon!
"H~ah! It appears your planning skills are as lax as Barasu's. My condolences go out to Frederica for always putting up with your nonsense in our stead."
"Ram-san, how mean. . ! Someone in this group needs to be the responsible one!"
Otto internally thanked the Od that Subaru's antics had drawn his attention as soon as they did. The merchant had been the only one left out of the loop for the place they would all be staying. What would they have done if they'd checked in with no way to pay? There was no way Otto was going into debt again!
"Please don't stress it, Otto-san. House Astrea, along with my liege, owes you all a debt we couldn't possibly repay. It would be my pleasure to assist you all in any way possible."
Standing right behind Otto, a man with blazing red hair and piercing blue eyes spoke a surprising combination of words. The Sword Saint himself was offering to pay for their exorbitant vacation!
"W-Wait. . ! There's no way I could possibly have you pay on our behalf. . ! I'll work someth-. . ."
"It would be an honor."
Reinhard extended his hand, almost pleading with Otto to accept his offer. Although, the way he worded that statement left little room for negotiation.
". . .I-I can't exactly refuse when you stare at me like that!"
"Are you done gawking, I suppose? The last time Betty entered one of these 'Ryokan's', thing's turned really ugly, in fact."
Beatrice's grip on Subaru's hand tightened as the group of eight made their way into the Kararagi-style Inn. She didn't need to say much for everyone to grasp the meaning of her words. The last time they'd stayed in a place like this was during their trip to Priestella.
"Oi, Beako, no unnecessary negativity."
Subaru pinched Beatrice's cheek, which made her pout angrily. The others hadn't overhead this unpleasant reminder, but if they had, they would probably have felt similarly dragged down. Those bad memories were far gone by this point.
". . Ah!? S-Stop pinching Betty's cheek, I-I'm sorry, in fact!"
Unfortunately for Beatrice, her frustrations fell on deaf ears.
'Man, I can't believe it's been three years. . .'
Funnily enough, despite telling her to leave those negative experiences behind, Subaru was always the quickest to reminisce on how things used to be. It felt like several lifetimes ago by this point. So much had changed since then. . .
Even after everything that happened in Priestella, the trials and hardships only continued to ramp up. Only now could he finally take a breather and look back on all they'd accomplished.
The Witch Cult had been thoroughly eviscerated, as well as all the damage from their authorities nullified. He'd absorbed each of their Witch Factors attempting to directly reverse the effects of some of the worse Archbishops, with any lingering problems being resolved by Volcanica's blood. The process was long and arduous, but ultimately in the pursuit of a fulfilling goal.
Of course, it's leader Pandora had been a league of her own when it came to problematic opponents. Dealing with her alongside the Black Serpent was nearly impossible, even with Reinhard's assistance. However, things eventually worked themselves out.
'I-I never thought the day would come when all of us could reunite like this.'
Subaru watched as both Reinhard and Garfiel laughing together about something Otto had said earlier, whilst Otto and Ram bickered in a way that showed they were all too familiar with one another. Meili and Beatrice seemed to be off in their own world discussing things nobody understood.
And finally. . .
Standing right beside him:
"Subaru-kun? A-Are you alright? When you stare off into space like that, it makes me really worried. . !"
The girl he once feared he'd never meet again.
"I-I'm fine, Rem. . . I-It's just nice seeing everyone together again. . ."
It was still kind of surreal to him that she was here speaking to him. There was no way he would've ever thought something like this was possible before Priestella. He'd seriously began to believe she was gone for good, although he would never outwardly admit it.
"Yes, Rem agrees. The view is quite nice, isn't it? Thank you for letting me see it."
Rem's smile glowed so bright Subaru had to look away. He was eternally grateful to have her name and memories returned, but somewhere in the depths of his heart, he still felt guilty. Maybe it was selfish, but Subaru had always hoped to be the one to free her from that state.
"D-Don't say it like I'm the only person responsible. . ! None of this would've been possible without all of you guys!"
Surprisingly, Rem's smile didn't waver in the slightest. In fact, she nodded her head in agreement with Subaru's statement.
"Yes, that's right. . ."
Subaru nodded, happy that Rem was starting to appreciate the lengths everyone else had taken on their behalf. If it wasn't for all of them, both Subaru and Rem would've died countless times, so heaping all the praise onto him made him a bit uncomfortable.
"Subaru-kun is much too humble. Then again, you'll always be my hero. . !"
Rem's hand wrapped around Subaru's, resulting in a crimson blush appearing on his face. She really pulled no punches with the displays of public affection, especially when they were around comrades. There was only so much a man could take!
"H-Hey, don't say that out loud it's embarrassing! People will start to notice. . !"
As he looked to his left and right, Subaru ascertained that none of the passing crowds had heard Rem's heartfelt declaration. He really didn't want people recognizing him and bombarding him with autograph requests. The last time he'd gone out with Rem, they'd hardly gotten any alone time because of that!
"I apologize Subaru-kun. H-However, whenever you say such things, I only desire to proclaim my love for you even louder. . ! I want everyone to know Rem's hero is the greatest in all the world!"
Rem put a hand over her heart, staring at Subaru with invisible hearts in her eyes. His blushing face was something Rem had become particularly talented at eliciting, which she took great pride in.
"I-I wasn't the person who saved you though. . ."
Subaru muttered out the only comeback he could think of, but it did little to dampen Rem's vibrant smile. Whether or not he'd been the person to wake her up didn't matter to her, but the fact Subaru cared about it that much made her heart swoon.
"Ah Subaru-kun, be careful. It's getting more and more difficult for Rem to restrain herself when you say things like that. . ."
Rem's grip on Subaru's hand tightened, acting as a not-so-subtle sign of Rem's intentions. At the same time, Rem started to lean her head closer to Subaru's, her lips stopping uncomfortably close to his.
"A-Ah, my bad Rem! L-Let's not get too crazy. . !"
Subaru and Rem had agreed to hold off on. . . those. . . activities until further notice. Illicit thoughts aside, Subaru was a firm believer in family, and he didn't want to partake in those affairs until he got married. However, they've definitely had some close calls.
Most of which being around Rem, although Emilia certainly had her moments as well.
"If you don't want it, then dodge."
Rem's lips approached closer and closer to his, and Subaru was losing the will to rebuke her. There was no way either of them would be content just stopping there after exchanging such sincere words, as the mood was simply too powerful.
As Rem closed in on Subaru, his thoughts evaporated. His heart began to beat faster, and his eyes locked firmly onto Rem. Would it really be so bad if he kissed her now? He loved Rem after all! What was there to fear? Its not like he'd never kissed her before, and although the circumstances might've been different, he'd managed to control himself.
'Y-Yeah. . . Rem and I. . . !'
Now there was absolutely nothing to stop—. . . . !
"Hey~! You two lovebirds, are we all supposed to stand in the lobby all day?"
Except of course, their friends who'd been staring at them patiently for the last couple minutes. All of their conversations seemed to have died down, with most of them wanting to go to the desk and check in.
"A-Ah. . !?" (2x)
Meili called out to the two lovestruck fools with a knowing smirk, basking in the residual frustration she saw on Rem and Subaru's faces. The tension between those two across this whole trip had been enough to cut with a knife, and out of respect for them, Meili had avoided interrupting them whenever possible. This time, though, they brought it on themselves.
". . .*K-Kurkgh*. . ."
Ram put a hand over her mouth, exaggeratedly sounding out her disapproval with sickened groans. That. . . or maybe she actually was sick? The act was pretty convincing.
"Oi, Ram ya' alr'igh'? Somethin' ya' ate disagree w'ya?"
Garfiel chuckled at Ram's over-the-top reaction, which earned him a glare from Ram and Rem, although Subaru snuck him a thumbs up.
". . .Yes, I'm fine, just. . . lamenting my poor sister's choice in men."
Rem seemed to be a little hurt by that comment, but Subaru could tell she was more-so playing up the act. Ram had warmed up to their relationship a lot quicker than he would've predicted, although the reason she hadn't told the others was a surprise.
'Good job Ram! They'll never suspect a thing. . ! Hell, even though it's an act, somehow you still managed to hurt my feelings!'
Subaru appreciated Ram's dedication to the bit, although he was sure the was some part of her that still thought of him that way. He'd been right to ask her for help with this 'secret plan' of his. . .
"Can we all forego the theatrics for just a moment!? We haven't even checked in yet. . !"
Otto, who'd been standing at the check-in desk this entire time, shook his head disapprovingly at the walking ball of chaos that was his friend group. It was like they'd all totally forgotten the reason they'd come to this Inn in the first place!
"N'worries Brotto! M'sure they've got s'rooms for all f'us!"
"W-What do you mean you've only got three rooms!?"
Now that everyone finally crowded in front of the reception desk, the clerk greeted them with some unfortunate news. Due to a large festival passing through this town in the next couple days, nearly all of their rooms had been completely checked out. Only the three most expensive rooms in the Inn were left unbooked, mostly due to the fact nobody could afford it.
"That's unfortunate. We'll just have to stay somewhere else, I suppose."
Beatrice, who seemed all too eager to get out of this place, was the first to propose the idea of leaving. Otto felt inclined to agree with her, as he really didn't want to make Reinhard pay for their trip even more than he'd already done, but before anyone could agree with her, the teller gave them even more bad news.
"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid all other venues have likely been booked out as well. . . If you go somewhere else, there's no guarantees you'll have somewhere to stay for the night."
The great spirit clicked her tongue, seeing her plans to leave this Inn get thwarted. However, Otto looked at the clerk with a degree of skepticism, as this was exactly the sort of excuse merchants would use to convince customers to spend more than they really needed.
"So. . . you're saying our only option is to rent out the most expensive rooms in the Inn?"
The receptionist smiled, completely undeterred by Otto's questioning, and nodded back at him.
"Ok everyone! Let's go!"
As he began to march off, Reinhard put a hand on his shoulder, signaling to everyone to stay put. Reinhard couldn't have been more happy with this situation. This was the perfect opportunity to treat each of his friends to some high-class hospitality.
"Otto-san, I believe I already told you, my house would be more than happy to cover any and all expenses."
The merchant felt his face turn red, as the thought of wasting that much money in a single night made him genuinely embarrassed. Especially now that it was someone else's money.
"R-Reinhard-san. . ! I-I understand that you want to help us, but this. . !"
Reinhard's gaze remained unflinching, which kept Otto from finishing his sentence. There was just no way to negotiate with him when he was this serious!
"H-Hey, sorry to have to bring this up, but someone had to. . . There's only three rooms right?"
At Subaru's simple observation, most of them froze up. That was right. . . there were only three rooms, but eight of them. That meant that all of them would have to double up, right? How would that even work? Would they draw straws?
"I will stay with Subaru-kun!"
Before anyone could propose a method of dividing up the remaining rooms, Rem laid all her cards on the table. While this was kind of the obvious pairing, the excitement in her voice as she spoke made everyone look away awkwardly. Ram did her best to refrain from taking any more jabs, but couldn't stop herself from releasing a 'Hah!'.
"O-Ok, Rem-san will stay with Natsuki-san. . . Anyone else?"
Otto briefly stared at Meili, Ram, Garfiel, and Reinhard, however none of them seemed interested in pulling the pin on that grenade. If any of them took that offer, they'd likely get no sleep at all. Pretty much all of them would rather sleep in the carriage.
*E-hem*
Someone cleared their throat, surprising Otto, but getting his attention.
"Naturally, Betty will be staying with her contractor, I suppose!"
Both Rem and Subaru held in a frustrated groan, which nobody dared to point out. Due to the remaining room's proximity to theirs, everyone else could breathe sighs of relief. Nobody felt the need to stress-test the wall's noise-canceling capabilities.
Ram made a note to give Beatrice some sweets tomorrow.
"Alright, so that's the first room. How about the rest of you? Any volunteers. . ?"
Otto's tired demeanor was starting to overtake his sentences, as he could barely bring himself to care whether or not he ended up sleeping in a room at all. This entire day had been super taxing, so he just wanted everything to get sorted out.
". . . ."
". . . ."
". . . ."
". . . ."
The remaining five stared at each other, not saying a word.
". . .-tch! Fine! If nobody else will decide, I suppose I can tolerate rooming with Meili and Garf."
Otto looked surprised, but didn't really want to follow up with any more questions, since he knew Ram was liable to snap at him for any teasing he might do towards her. He simply marked their names down on a list, and kept from making direct eye contact with her as much as possible.
"E-Eh? 'nd here I thought ya' hated my amazin' self!"
Ram glared at chuckling Garf, who only barely kept herself from whacking Garfiel across the Inn. Meili, on the other hand, knew not to poke a sleeping Mabeast, so she just looked away, whistling innocently.
"Alright, so that's settled then."
Otto let out a sigh of relief now that they finally had a place to stay for the night. He was finally free to let loose and enjoy himself for the first time on this journey. This was probably the first time he'd managed to get everyone to compromise so easily.
'W-Wait. . .'
Only then, did Otto finally realize the situation he'd just walked himself into. Now that everyone else had gone and paired off, that just left him and. . .
"I suppose that just leaves the two of us Otto-san. I look forward to sharing a room with you!"
Reinhard's teasing smile made Otto immediately regret all his life choices. Despite his knightly exterior, recently, Reinhard had been showing a side of himself that most people had never seen before. And it reminded Otto a lot of Subaru. . .
"C-Could you have worded that any differently!?"
This was going to be a long stay.
"A-Amazing!"
Subaru had expected the rooms to be upper-end, but somehow his expectations got completely surpassed. Not only was this place perfectly reflective of old Japanese architecture, but the room layouts, furniture, and even the materials they'd used in construction were in line with Earth's. Each of these rooms overlooked a relatively large outcrop of natural flora and fauna, while also all being linked to a shared patio.
"Subaru-kun, what score would you give this place?"
Rem, also awestruck at the picturesque view, wanted to see if this place lined up with Subaru's otherworldly standards. It was safe to say, regardless of his answer, this was definitely worth the money they'd paid.
"From what I've seen so far, it's a perfect 10/10! Honestly, I'm beginning to wonder if the owners also got 'isekai'd'!"
Subaru ran his hands across all the surfaces in their room, identifying familiar substances like bamboo, hinoki cypress, and red pine wood. How had the owners managed to get their hands on this? From what he'd seen of Kararagi, many of these plant varieties simply didn't exist!
"Let's check out the patio. Everyone's beginning to gather out there, I suppose."
Beatrice smiled as she saw Subaru slowly pace around the room, examining everything in sight with a wonderstruck expression. Any opportunity to experience some of Subaru's culture was something Beatrice relished in. She would definitely get a few more stories out of him tonight!
"You want to go speak to them!? Beako, y-you're no longer the shut-in I used to know! I need to get out the growth diary. . !"
"I-It's not like that, in fact! It's not like Betty wants to talk to the mabeast girl, t-that's all in your head, I suppose!"
Subaru ruffled Beatrice's hair, which made the drill-haired loli grumble a little. Her unintentional transparency had always been one of her cutest features, although whenever Subaru pointed it out, she usually 'hmph-ed' and pretended like he'd never said anything.
"Let's see. . . 'Asked to go outside to speak to her new best friend'. . . yep, that's got a nice ring to it. . !"
He started to scribble this into the diary, which caught Beatrice's attention.
"I-I knew it, in fact! Whenever Betty asked about it, you denied that book existed, I suppose!"
She started to rapidly point at the poorly concealed diary in Subaru's hands. Subaru started to slide it into his pocket, which he succeeded in doing before Beatrice could come snatch it from him. That was a close one. . ! If she saw some of the earlier entries, there's no doubt he'd be facing the offensive end of some minya crystals!
"What diary? This was just our itinerary for the trip Beako."
Subaru said this was a joking smile, which Beatrice could only scoff at. Now that she knew it existed, it was only a matter of time before she got her hands on it!
'After I'm gone, it'll be a nice trinket of our time together. I hope she'll forgive me for teasing her with it so much. . .'
"S-Subaru. . ?"
He'd accidentally let himself get a bit wistful and Beatrice noticed the change pretty quickly. Her anger was immediately doused by worry, something Subaru hadn't intended for.
"B-Beako. . ?"
". . . . ."
". . . . ."
"Betty's contractor is quite the handful, I suppose. . ."
As Beatrice once again took Subaru's hand, he looked back at Rem, wondering if she wanted to check out the patio along with him and Beatrice. He wanted to ask her directly, but before he could—
"You two can go ahead, Rem still needs to unpack."
Rem took another glance at the beautiful expanse of nature that laid behind each of their rooms, before turning back and laying some of her clothes out on the futon overlaying their sleeping quarters. This odd change was something Rem hadn't seen before, mainly because the previous 'Ryokan' had been completely destroyed by the time she'd arrived in Priestella.
"O-Oh, alright. I'll be back soon, I just want to check out the rest of the rooms!"
*slide*
Subaru and Beatrice pushed open the sliding back door, taking their first steps onto the new shared patio. Upon first glance, Subaru could see a 'pseudo' lounge area, with an outcrop of the Ryokan extending over several luxury sectionals, arranged in a semi-circle shape. The seating arrangements were lined up perfectly with the optimal viewpoint of the landscape directly behind the Inn.
However, despite the enrapturing scenery, what caught Subaru's eye was something even more unbelievable.
"N-No way. . !"
"Oi! Cap'n! Look t'this! S'like ya' said, 'Onsen', r'somethin' like that?"
All of them were standing at the entrance to a completely natural hot spring. The craziest part was, nobody else in this place had access to it. The Onsen was all theirs! Subaru had half a mind to dive in there right now.
"W-Wow. . ."
Even Reinhard was surprised by how much they'd been granted for the price he'd paid out. Perhaps this would make for a nice place to take Felt one day, assuming she wasn't bogged down in administrative duties.
"Even I must give you credit for finding this place Barasu, I shouldn't have been so quick to write off your culture."
Ram voiced something Subaru never thought he'd hear from her: actual praise. Subaru wanted to do a double-take, maybe check if this was the real Ram (she'd been impersonated before). However. . .
"Yes, a culture that produces Barasu is something I loathe to comprehend, but now Ram understands you to be the exception, not the rule."
"Phew, I thought you'd been possessed for a moment, Nee-sama!"
Ram snorted, but what surprised both Otto and Garfiel, was she didn't bother correcting the way he addressed her anymore.
"Yo~! Dad, this place is awesome! Why didn't you tell me about your homeland sooner!?"
Meili looked at the expanse of beautiful scenery in front of her and couldn't contain her surprise. The way Subaru had described his homeland always seemed impossible, almost alien! However, looking at everything they'd seen here, it appeared to be more aesthetic than The Great Waterfall!
"Yo! I see you've taken a liking to everything here. . !"
It was now something of a 'Natsuki family tradition' to greet one another by saying 'Yo'. Originally it was something Meili would tease him about a lot, considering he said it to everyone he met. Now even Meili had fallen victim to its allure. With time, Beatrice, Emilia, and Rem will also see the light. . !
"Yeah~! Dad, it's like nothing I've ever seen before! Even when I had jobs in Kararagi-. . . .W-Wait, don't think I didn't notice you dodge my question. . !
Being called 'Dad' still made Subaru's chest swell with pride. At first it was a little awkward, especially due to the fact he'd gone to 'pick up some milk' in Vollachia, but over time it'd become as natural as breathing. Meili really was a good kid at heart, and being able to ensure her future with his own eyes was something he felt intensely grateful for.
"A-Ah, that's my bad. W-Would you believe me if I said I didn't think you cared. . . ?"
"No~pe! Be careful Dad, one more lame excuse and you strike out~!"
Ignoring the irony of her using otherworldly terminology while chastising him on withholding information, Subaru pretended to swing a bat and launch the pitch out of the park. To emphasize the depth it traveled, Subaru even put a hand above his eyes, squinting off into the distance.
"How about 'You never asked?' Oh! Looks like I hit it out of the park with that one!"
"Dad, looks like the refs are calling for a replay, they're thinking it might be a fo~ul. . ."
Otto and Garfiel looked at each other in horror. It was bad enough when Meili was spending all that time around Shaula, but its reached a point that they were speaking two different languages! They swore they even heard Reinhard Freudian slip a Subaruism once. . !
"Subaru, may I ask you more about your homeland as well?"
Speaking of Reinhard. . .
The flaming haired youth seemed quite enthusiastic to learn more about Subaru's old world. He'd long since learned that many of the odd customs from other nations had been adopted from otherworlders. With the end of the Royal Selection, the law prohibiting him from leaving Lugunica was about to be rescinded. He had a lot of travelling to do! Talking to Subaru would be a perfect way to prepare himself for the upcoming journey.
"I-I'm surprised you all suddenly seem so excited about my old world! I haven't had to deal with this level of questioning since Anastasia. . ."
Subaru scratched his head, noticing how everyone's eyes were affixed to him like glue. They seemed to be hanging on his every word. . .
"Tell you what, how about I let you experience some of my culture as well?"
"S-So this is called 'Yakiniku'?"
Reinhard's chopsticks held a perfectly cooked piece of beef, taken straight off the grill. Despite literally using chopsticks twice in his entire life, Reinhard's form was absolutely impeccable. Subaru made a note-to-self that there may be, in fact, a divine protection of chopsticks.
'That's got to be the punchline for a joke, but I'm not smart enough to think of it. . .'
"C-Cap'n! I've got 't! W-Wait, s'not possible!?"
All of them had agreed to go out a get dinner at a restaurant Subaru deemed 'authentic to Japanese culture', ultimately landing on this place. A high-end, Kararagi-style, all-you-can-eat barbeque! Subaru swore these places started popping up everywhere after he made an offhand comment about one to Anastasia, but he had no way of proving it. Either way, it served its purpose well as an introduction to his old world's lifestyle.
"You need help with that?"
"S'nothin my amazin' self can't handle! Hands r' th' book f'th soul, r'so they say."
Subaru looked over to Garfiel, who was struggling immensely with getting the hang of chopsticks, but Garfiel's pride wouldn't let him accept Subaru's assistance.
"How about you nee-sama?"
As Subaru looked over to Ram, who was only slightly troubled in her chopstick wielding, her glare told him everything he needed to know. At the very least, she seemed to smile once she got the two to click together for the first time.
"W-Well, that seems pretty definitive. . ."
Subaru started to munch down on some of his food, watching each of his friends take their first bites and gauging their reactions.
'I-I wish Emilia was here. . .'
A thought that Subaru had repeatedly tried to dismiss once again popped up into his head. He had no reason to be thinking like that, after all, he'd planned this day out meticulously! They would be heading off to Kararagi tomorrow and that would be the end of it. A new start for the man who conquered all his enemies, from zero.
'N-No, I wish everyone was here. . .'
Emilia, Felt, Crusch, Anastasia, Priscilla, Al, Felix, Shaula, Roswaal, Frederica, Clind, Wilhelm, Annerose, Ricardo, Mimi, Hetaro, Tivey, Ezzo, Heinkel, Louis, Petra, Puck, Eridna, Rom, even that bastard Julius! He missed them a lot.
He'd gotten much closer with all of them after the events of Priestella, for. . . well, obvious reasons.
After prevailing against the Witch Cult, reuniting with Rem, and merging camps with Felt, they'd become completely unstoppable. They'd conquered the Watchtower, rescued Shaula, and restored all the injured people from Priestella. They'd slain both Archbishops of Gluttony, and converted the third to a functioning young girl. They'd stabilized Vollachia, although admittedly he'd done a lot of that on his own.
They'd finished off Pandora, as well as the third great Mabeast, along with all remaining Archbishops.
Their shared enemy had been fully and truly been eradicated.
Then the only thing left was the selection, of which the result should've been fairly obvious. The combined Emilia/Felt camp won out, leaving marginally hurt feelings amongst the other previous candidates. However, most of them came around to see things in a different light, regarding both Emilia and Felt as worthy rulers.
On face, this had been the perfect ending. One which Subaru had died countless times to achieve.
However, things soon got complicated.
With Emilia and Felt ruling as co-monarchs, the time they were able to spend outside of their jobs dwindled to near-none. After spending so much time with the both of them for the past 3 years, it was admittedly pretty tough to cope with.
Second, despite both Emilia and Subaru's continued desires to marry, the kingdom of Lugunica prohibited its rulers from engaging in polygamy. It wasn't even like Subaru disagreed with the law at all, after his 'trip' to Vollachia, he understood why having multiple royal lineage's could be problematic. However, Emilia still wanted him to marry her despite all of that. Breaking the law was fine with both Rem and Emilia, so long as they got their happy ending. And he would've done it too, he was so close to doing it!
However, before he went through with it, he had a long talk with Julius. Yeah, that condescending jerk!
In that talk, Julius reminded him that he wasn't simply choosing to marry Emilia, but was, in effect, choosing to marry the entire kingdom. That was what it meant to become King of Lugunica. Julius didn't condemn his plan, nor did he even disapprove of it. All he asked Subaru was if that was what he wanted.
All the pain and suffering he'd undergone to protect his friends up to this point would pale in comparison to the cross he'd bear when he became King.
As King, Subaru's life would forever be tied to the lives of his subjects. His obligations to them would supersede all the previous relationships he'd built, including his friends. The rest of his life would be spent living out those duties. In a world where it was unknown if he still possessed Return By Death, the consequences of this choice could be drastic. Would he have to die for an unknown civilian the same number of times he died for Emilia?
"Is that what you want? If so, I will proudly proclaim you King. I will pledge my sword to you unto my death. My loyalty, reverence, and life will be yours to command. However, I need to know you truly desire it."
After taking some time to think, Subaru understood what Julius meant. His goal had always been to help Emilia win the Royal Selection, maybe even marry her one day. Never had the desire to rule even crossed his mind.
If Subaru chose to violate the kingdom's law simply so he could marry Emilia, it would mean he placed his love for Emilia over the love of his subjects. Would that make for a just King?
At the end of the day, Julius wanted Subaru to achieve his happy ending. He didn't want Subaru to be trapped in a position/role for the rest of his life. Despite Julius earnestly wishing for Subaru to answer 'Yes.' and serve as regent of Lugunica, he understood his friend well enough to know that it simply was not what he desired.
And so, Subaru found an alternative. One that made everyone happy.
Emilia still wanted to marry him, regardless of what steps must be taken to make it possible. So, the solution they reached was simple.
Felt and Emilia would rule as co-monarchs until Emilia successfully unfreezes Elior Village and reintegrates them into Lugunica. Once her primary goal is achieved, Emilia plans relinquish her position to Felt, under the condition she make Lugunica a more equitable place to live.
Afterwards, she would rejoin Subaru in Kararagi, free to marry him as just 'Emilia'.
In the interim, Otto, Subaru, and Garfiel planned to go out and start a venture in Kararagi, bringing along Rem, Ram, Meili, and Beatrice whilst being escorted by Reinhard. Anastasia had set them up with funds, connections, and even living accommodations until they got their business off the ground. Although, they would be sharing with some guy named Halibel. . .
'No doubt I'll be seeing more of that jerk-wad Julius. . .'
He would never admit it, but that thought made him kind of happy. . .
Oh yeah!
Just a week ago, Wilhelm and Heinkel had basically strong-armed him into formalizing their adoption, as they knew they wouldn't be seeing him for quite some time. Since then, Reinhard has seemed particularly cheerful, although Subaru can't exactly blame him.
Crusch had requested Shaula, Felix, and Wilhelm escort her to the Watchtower so she could speak to Volcanica to finally get answers regarding Fourier's death. As a result, they wouldn't be back in the Capital for several months. At least Shaula would group up with them again after returning from the tower.
Priscilla and Al were off in their old territory, which seemed to be flourishing if the reports were anything to go by.
Roswaal, having achieved his goal, gave up large swathes of his territory to the Karsten house, as he knew he could trust them to govern fairly towards the demi humans residing there. The remainder of it was being kept in reserve for Annerose, who Roswaal was preparing to inherit the rest of the Mathers household.
Aside from most of the maidstaff remaining with Roswaal, such as Frederica, Clind, and Louis; Petra had finally gone off to achieve her dream of opening a clothing store in the capital.
So. . . this was their last night in Lugunica.
For one reason or another, most of them were unable to make it.
The goal that once unified them all had been fulfilled. The selection which bound all their fates together had ended. Now everyone had gone off on their own predetermined paths.
'But that doesn't mean we can't make the most of it. . !'
"So, now that we're all here. . . ask away! Any questions you have, I'll answer!"
The group of eight was sitting in a circle around a large shared grill, with Subaru sitting directly across from Reinhard, Otto, Garfiel, and Rem, and Beatrice, Ram, and Meili sitting right beside him. He could tell this could turn into a long night of questions, so he had Otto procure them some sake to make the conversation easier.
And besides, this whole journey was also a celebration! It wouldn't hurt to get a bit 'loose' every now and again, would it?
"Lemme start! Natsuki-san, there's *hik* something I've been wanting to ask you for a while!"
Actually, maybe it could.
"Hahahaha. . ! I-I'm sorry Otto, b-but the way you said that. . ! J-Just give me a moment. . . !"
Subaru laughed, which made Otto throw his hat at him. Neither of them were actually upset with each other, but the fact that Otto was the first person to think of something just showed he'd been sipping on the sake before everyone else.
"W-What? S-S'omethin' funny!?"
At that, the rest of the table burst out laughing. The way Otto slurred out that last sentence was so perfectly timed that they had to wonder if that joke had been blessed by the Od. It was a good thirty seconds of uncontrolled laughter coming from all of them before anyone could get a word out.
"Haa. . . Hoooo. . ."
Subaru finally took his hand off his stomach, feeling the residual urge to laugh finally dwell down.
"O-Ok, I'm good. . ! Alright Otto, shoot!"
Otto paused for a second, reflecting on whether or not this question was actually worth asking, before nodding to himself to psyche himself up.
"O-o'k, s-so, like. . . hear me out. Y-You just got formally *hik* adopted 'nto the Astrea family, right Natsuki-kun?"
It took all of Subaru's willpower not to burst out laughing again. Clearly, Otto was getting at something more than this obvious fact, but the fact that he was already drunk not even an hour into the dinner made it hard for him to take the question seriously.
"Yes, what about it?"
Reinhard reached over and put a hand on Subaru's shoulder, smiling at him with all the 'Ikemen' charm he could muster. Subaru smiled back, but he swore he could feel Rem's jealousy brush against his spine.
"O-k, s-so w'hat I'm liike, confused 'bout, is. . . did'ya get adopted by Wilhelm or *hik* Heinkel?"
Subaru tilted his head, as even he wasn't certain of the official answer to this question. Both of them seemed enthusiastic about it, especially after Subaru helped Louanna out of her own 'sleeping beauty' state, but the level at which he was adopted was never specified.
"A-Actually. . . I'm not sure! Good question, Otto!"
Having been left with a head-scratcher, Otto smirked, taking pride in having bested Subaru's teasing despite his loopy state.
"R-Reinhard-san. . ! D-Do y'call him 'brother' or *hik* 'uncle'?"
At that bombshell of a question, everyone broke out into laughter for a second time, with even Otto getting in a pretty hearty chuckle. If Felt were here, she'd be certain to rub this one in like there was no tomorrow.
"I-I'm not sure, Otto-san. . . Subaru, what would you prefer I call you?"
By this point, Subaru was damn near wheezing from laughter. Reinhard, ever the good sport, was probably actually considering calling him 'uncle'! How ridiculous was that!
"Call 'im 'uncle' th' rest f'th night! S'too funny!"
Garfiel had long since stopped trying to use his chopsticks, now just picking the pieces of meat he wanted straight off the grill. If he heard another word about Subaru being Reinhard's uncle, Garfiel worried he'd choke on his food!
"Hah! Barasu as your uncle. . ? You receive my pities Reinhard-sama."
Ram did her best to hold down a snicker, but failed miserably after Subaru's contagious laughter spread through the rest of the table. It was such a stupid question, but for some reason it felt like the most important thing in the world at this moment.
"O-Ok! P-Phew. . . I barely kept it together on that one! How about we spice things up a bit? To deter any more questions like. . .that. . .let's make a rule!"
Subaru had intended for this meal to mostly be a serious discussion, regarding their plans for the future as well as any lingering questions they wanted him to answer. As much as he wanted to spend the rest of the night joking around with them like this, there were some serious topics that needed discussion.
'I-I still haven't told them about all the loops since Priestella. . .'
Truth be told, Subaru had expected one of them to lead off with that. Now that the taboo was gone, they'd all been waiting patiently for the day when Subaru would finally tell them all what they'd missed. That was part of the reason they wanted to get a fresh start off in Kararagi, wasn't it?
"What type of rule?"
Rem looked over at Subaru with curiosity. She had a feeling about what Subaru wanted to say to them, so the idea of a 'rule' was sounding a little bit off to her.
"For every question I answer, whoever asked it takes a shot. For every question I can't answer, I'll take a shot. How about that?"
Subaru said this with unrivaled confidence, as with Otto's state, he was certain he wouldn't be hit by any crafty schemes to get him hammered. Nobody else had the skill or motive to undertake such a. . .
"Alright. Ram agrees. Prepare yourself Barasu."
The time when they'd all been drinking back in Roswaal's estate suddenly flashed into his mind. Ram was certainly not a lightweight! And she also happened to be a particularly shrewd person when she chose to be. . .
"N-Natsuki-san! You *hik* al'ready owee me one drink!"
'O-Oh no. . .'
"S'm Ca'pn' rig*hik*ht?"
As Garfiel spoke what sounded like gibberish, both Otto and Subaru nodded intently, seemingly grasping the archaic knowledge those sounds held. By this point, all three of them were so far gone that it wasn't possible to ask any of them anything and get a straight answer.
"Hah! Whoever came up with the nickname 'Idiot Trio', I commend you! Truly, these fools can only reach their peak stupidity when around one another. . !"
Ram lamented the fact she didn't have access to Subaru's 'modern-day' technology, because she would've loved to have a record of this moment to look back on later. The sight was simply too magnificent for her to let it pass by without merit.
Admittedly, even she was feeling quite tipsy from the amount of drinks she'd been forced to down in her pursuit of glory. (If glory could be defined as, winning a one-up contest with your sister's boyfriend/coworker). She probably wouldn't remember this tomorrow either, which made her slightly upset.
"Nee-sama, you didn't have to go so far. . !"
Seeing her sister looking visibly wobbly from all the drinks, Rem walked over and supported Ram with her shoulder. Rem found the drunk Subaru to be quite adorable, but right now she was worried her sister might drink herself into a coma!
"R-Rem, it was the only way to *hik* s-show him my resolve. . ."
Rem smiled at Ram's competitive spirit, using some water magic on her to help sober her up quicker. Truly, her sister could not be bested, no matter what the activity was.
"B-Bea*hik*ko, w-wha's g-goin*hik*g on? C'mere t'get th'mana. . ."
Subaru was leaned forward, worried that he forgot to give Beatrice enough mana to stay corporeal for the day. Of course, Beatrice didn't need mana to stay corporeal, but once again, he was too far gone to understand that.
"O-Oi, Beako~! D-Don't just ignore him!"
Meili poked Beatrice on the nose, trying to get her to go over and speak with Subaru, but Beatrice just sighed and shook her head.
"We don't know them, in fact. Keep a fair distance, I suppose. . ."
The other people in the restaurant were looking at them with hints of mild annoyance, which was mostly due to their super loud noise. Meili felt a little bit conflicted just pretending she didn't know them!
". . .Honorable Uncle Subaru! I'm back wi-. . ."
Reinhard emerged with a bucket, of which the purpose I'm sure you can guess, but the sentence never got completed due to Reinhard's poor choice in nickname.
"PFFFFFTTTT. . !"
Garfiel was the first person to react, spitting out his water like sprinkler.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA. . .!"
Otto held no reservations about being a nuisance anymore, as he continually chortled loud enough for the entire restaurant to hear.
"I-I can't. . ! I-I can't breathe!"
Subaru had his hands to his sides, repeatedly sucking in air but being unable to hold it in without pushing it out immediately.
". . . . . ."
"Y-You know what, Beako~. . . You might be right."
"S-Sorry about that. . . I think I talked myself into a corner earlier."
Now that the night finally wound down, the passing of time + Rem's water magic had sobered Subaru up enough to stop acting like a boisterous fool. As it stood, pretty much everyone had retired to their own rooms for the night, with Beatrice off to go speak with Meili about something. This left Rem and Subaru all alone in their room.
"Mhm, Rem agrees. Nee-sama can't be beaten when she's like that. . ."
Rem was still applying water magic through a hand on Subaru's back, which soothed his emotions greatly. Being alone with Rem right now was both a blessing and a curse, as Subaru felt things could take an. . .interesting. . . turn depending on the mood. Otto had made it a point to repeatedly remind him 'the walls were made out of paper', something Subaru knew better than anyone.
'At least I'm well positioned for the plan. . .'
He was very thankful that he hadn't drank himself into a stupor, or else all the work he'd put in would've been for nothing. All he had to do now was work up the nerve to actually say it. . .
"T-This will be our last night here. . . Is it wrong that I'm feeling a bit sad?"
But for some reason, what slipped out was something completely different. It wasn't like he was starting to get cold feet, but instead like the wave of different thoughts plaguing his mind had randomly imposed itself onto his words.
"No, Rem agrees. This place has given so much to both of us. . . my heart aches at the prospect of leaving it all behind."
At Rem's surprising declaration, Subaru felt his irises tremble, and momentarily his heart wavered.
". . .T-Then, do you think we should hold off? Maybe even postpone ou-. . ."
"Subaru-kun, I will stay by your side no matter what you choose. While Rem feels similarly wistful at the idea of leaving Lugunica, I-I can't say I haven't dreamed of the possibilities that a new life might hold for us."
While Rem reassured Subaru that his vision of their future wasn't simply his own, her hand rubbed circles around his back near the point where the water magic had been applied. His doubts regarding their move seemed to hinge more on how the people they left behind would feel, moreso than his own.
"S-Say. . . Do you remember. . ? All the way back then, w-when I. . . w-well, when I asked you to run away with me?"
The moment where he'd been forced to confront his demons. To become a hero. When he'd started over all the way from zero.
"Of course. Rem thinks about it every night. . . H-How different things might've been if I'd. . !"
Rem bit her cheek, recalling the desperation Subaru had exhibited to her the last time he'd extended out his hand. Knowing the truth behind everything, there's no way she would've said the things she did. Forcing him to become a hero, to bear the brunt of everyone's lives. . . that had perhaps been her greatest regret.
The untold suffering he must've experienced, such that even now, he's never dared speak it. . . it weighed down on her heart like an anchor. Even more than her sister losing her horn, and even more than the terrible acts she'd committed against him when he'd first arrived in the manor.
"Rem, don't you think what you told me was for the best? I-I mean, you were totally right. . ! Look at all the good we've managed to achieve! Back then. . . I-I wasn't in the right state of mind to ask you something like that."
Hearing Subaru say these comforting words made Rem's eyes glisten with tears. But not out of joy. What did she know about the 'right state of mind'?
Ever since that moment, Subaru's trajectory had been aimed squarely into a meat grinder, her words being the justification to continue torturing himself. It was easy to justify these things using 'hindsight'. However, even if the world was better off, the Witch Cult was gone, the Selection ended, and Satella gone. . . what good did that do for him?
None of that made his experiences disappear. They were real, they happened. So many of those countless loops were still lost on her.
"N-No, Subaru-kun. . . I-I know this will probably sound horrible. . ! A-And I apologize now, saying this after *hik* e-everything you've been through. . . b-but I-. . . I should've never said those words!"
Rem recoiled from Subaru's arms, which he'd continually tried wrapping around her. It was clear now that, despite being aware of his power, as well as many of his loops, it was wrong for Subaru to treat his ability as something people had grown to accept. Subaru had kept tight-lipped about his experiences since Priestella, not for sparing his comrades, but to spare himself. He didn't like reminiscing, especially about things nobody else knew about.
'Rem, I-I want you to understand something. . . and please, know that I'm not just saying this to try and sound cool. . ."
Subaru racked his brain for the right thing to say to her, but for some reason, the only thing that came to mind was the truth. He couldn't deny that those words had been the impetus for untold pain and suffering, but he also couldn't deny they'd been his greatest source of joy. The decision to act on those words had been solely his own, nobody else's.
"R-Rem, back then, you saved me."
Her shoulders shook, partly angry and partly despair-ridden. No doubt, what he just said had been the last thing she wanted him to say. However, that was precisely why he wanted to say it. . !
"B-Before you. . .said those things to me, I hated myself. . . Seriously, I-I thought I was the scum of the earth. . ."
Subaru paused momentarily, not knowing what he planned to say next. Speaking from the heart was really exhausting! Especially after drinking enough Sake to ground the white whale!
'Man, this is really hard to say out loud. . !'
"I-I didn't understand myself as well as you did, Rem. Y-You were right. . . if y-you'd taken my offer, I would've regretted it the rest of my life. When I say you saved me, the depth of those words don't really do it justice. H-Hearing those words. . . that someone looked up to me, even saw me as a hero. . ! For the first time in a long time, my loathing disappeared. . ."
His voice shook with embarrassment, but Rem's face shone in the moonlight. All of her best features being illuminated by the perfect lighting reflected down onto them.
"A-And if you blame yourself for everything I've experienced, then I want you to know, that nothing could be further from the truth. . !"
Rem grimaced, suddenly remembering the guilt she felt all the time ago back when they'd been seated in that accursed theater. It was easy for him to say things like this in the abstract, but how could she believe them after what'd she'd seen? What she'd done!?
"S-Subaru-kun. . ! Don't forget I saw-. . ."
"Yes! You saw it! You saw the results of my own choices. . ! My own failures, not yours! Everyone has experienced setbacks, including you! I don't blame myself for the bad decisions that you've made, so don't do that for min-. . ."
"I killed you!"
She screamed this out, hands shaking like she stood in a blizzard. Her actions were in a completely different realm of severity than Subaru's. It was wrong of him to brush them off like some petty drama.
"N-Now it's come to that. . . !? R-Rem, I thought we hashed this out years ago. . !"
When they'd reunited in Priestella, Rem's immediate reaction had been nothing like the one he'd been anticipating. It'd taken him weeks before she would accept any kind of forgiveness from him for what she'd done, but for some reason it still lingered.
". . .h-hashed it out. . !? S-Subaru-kun. . . I murdered you in cold blood. . !"
"Yes, we 'hashed it out'! I already told you that I-. . ."
"W-Why. . !? Why don't you hate me!? I-I'm upset you don't. . ! You shou-. . !"
". . .because I CHOSE YOU!"
Subaru screamed this out, silencing Rem with a definitive glare. His creepy eyes were especially useful in times like these, when he needed someone to acknowledge what he said. Many times, his own mother had used them on him to great effect.
". . .w-what. . ?"
"I chose you, Rem. I still choose you, because that's my decision to make. You saved me, n-no you're still saving me, even now. . ! That's why I can say it's in the past. Because it is."
The former maid's face was dumbstruck at the sheer ego required to make such an assertion. To say that she was no longer allowed to care about her own past, simply because he deemed it so. At the very least, his confidence had definitely grown.
"T-That doesn't change the fact you've probably died countless times because of the words I uttered that day. . !"
"The fact I could even say something like that to you with a straight face is proof of the effect those words had on me. . ! D-Don't you dare diminish them. . . I treasure them as much as the voices of my Mom and Dad!"
Ignoring the fact that he'd just casually mentioned the names of the two people he respected most in this world, Subaru pressed on.
"If you really can't live with yourself, let me ask you this. Which version of me would be more likely to abuse that ability? The 'me' you saved? Or the 'me' who hated himself more than anyone else?"
". . . . ."
Rem couldn't think of an answer to that, twiddling her thumbs together with a downcast expression.
". . . T-Then why? Why don't you ever speak of it. . ?"
The question that had been in the back of her mind all these years finally left her lips. Despite being freed of the taboo, Subaru had never told her what happened in all his loops after Priestella. Why? Why had he chosen to keep that from them despite everyone knowing the truth? They all wanted to know! It'd been what they'd discussed with each other in private every time they spoke with each other.
Her only possible conclusion what that they'd done even worse things to him. Something he'd decided to hide from them to spare their feelings.
". . .I-I don't know."
This answer was definitely not what she'd wanted to hear, but before she could get upset, Subaru continued.
"M-Maybe it's because I'm not ready. . . maybe it's because I'm not sure where to start. . ."
Rem's eyes remained closed, not wanting to see the pained expression Subaru was probably wearing.
"However, I will tell it to you. I'll tell it all, I promise."
The tears began flowing once more, slipping through her closed eyes and running down her cheeks. In the moonlight, the tears shined like shooting stars in the night sky. As someone representing the constellation Pleaides, Subaru's hand cupped Rem's cheek, capturing many of those stars for himself.
". . .y-you promise?"
Rem could only whisper out the last part, but Subaru heard it loud and clear. He nodded his head, smiling at the blushing face that greeted this response.
"How about we seal it with an oath? A certain someone has always been quick to remind me how bad I am at keeping promises. . ."
As Subaru's cheeks also blushed red, Rem giggled for a moment at the well-timed joke.
"Well. . ."
Rem leaned up really close and whispered this into his ear.
"That person isn't here right now. . . for the time being, I've got you all to myself. . ."
He could really quickly tell where this was going. Subaru REALLY wanted to just let the wind take him where it blows, but if he did, the plan he'd so meticulously crafted would never get to see its fruition. Curse the God's of fate for putting him in this position so early!
"W-Wait a second! Let's hold off on that, just for a second. . ! Before any of that, we should really discuss that oath!"
Rem pouted for a moment, annoyed she'd gotten so close, only to be foiled at the last second. However, what Subaru ended off with sounded intriguing, so Rem wasn't completely disheartened.
"O-Oath?"
"Yeah! U-Uh, the type that's sealed with a gift!"
Subaru quickly turned around and rummaged through his bag. Aside from the essentials, he'd been desperately searching for a way to keep this secret from Rem until the time was right. For him, it was now or never.
'Where is it!? Where is it!? I-I know it's in here somewhere. . !'
2 Weeks Earlier
"Subaru-dono, it's an honor to have you come visit us on such short notice! Tell me, have you been able to decide on our offer. . . ?"
Almost immediately after knocking on the door to the Astrea Manor, Wilhelm's smiling face greeted Subaru. Recently, both Wilhelm and Heinkel had undergone a concerted effort to get Subaru officially made a member of the Astrea family, although they still needed his approval before things could be finalized.
"Wilhelm-san! W-What are you doing here. . ? I thought you'd be with Crusch preparing for the trek to the Watchtower. . !"
Wilhelm nodded his head, realizing it was probably pretty odd for him to be 'mozying' around the capital in the days leading up to a grueling journey, but before he had the time to answer, another troublesome individual had made his way to the door.
"Hey, kid! How ya doing!? It's been forever since I've had the chance to talk with ya!"
Heinkel Van Astrea, who'd only just had the 'van' added to his name, walked outside and patted Subaru on the back.
"H-Heinkel-san. . . !? Wait didn't you get my lette-. . ?"
"Well now! It's cold outside, wouldn't want to leave you out in this weather! Come on in!"
Subaru had literally no time to protest, as Heinkel had already walked behind him and started shoving him inside the mansion. They were clearly dead-set about this whole adoption thing, which Subaru had kinda thought they'd been joking about.
As the three of them got seated in the lounge, Subaru could literally see the papers sitting on the corner of the table. Even though it was still something he hadn't discussed with Rem or Emilia, Subaru was thinking he might just go through with it anyway.
'I hope they don't mind the two last names. . .'
Oh yeah! Speaking of last names, that was exactly what he was here to speak about!
"Subaru-dono, y-you seem a bit nervous. . ? If the papers are making you uncomfortable we can always. . !"
"N-No, no! It's not that! I-I. . . well, I've come to you for some advice."
Both Heinkel and Wilhelm's demeanor changed drastically, as they both eyed him with serious expressions. Whatever he was about to ask, they wanted to do their utmost in giving well-ordained advice.
". . . . ."
". . . . ."
". . .Well, kid? Let's hear it!"
Subaru took a deep breath and rubbed his cheeks with both his hands. Once he said this, there was no going back.
"O-Ok. . . w-well I've been thinking. . .IwanttoproposetoRembutIhavenoideahowtoevenstartandIwashopingyouwouldknowhowtogettheballrollingbecauseI-. . ."
"W-Wait, slow down Subaru-dono!"
Despite speaking at a million miles a minute, both Wilhelm and Heinkel heard what Subaru said, and sat there momentarily stunned. It should've been obvious after all they'd seen/heard about the viewing, but being the very first people Subaru asked about this made them both feel joyous. Was he asking them because he viewed them like family?
No, no, wait that could be answered later.
"Y-You are finally going to pop the question!? Kid, I've been waiting for a long time to hear this!"
Heinkel's laughter was infectious, which made Subaru feel a little demoralized for getting such a lax response. Was it that obvious to everyone!? Well, going through a death gauntlet for someone is kind of a pretty clear indicator. . .
'Wait, didn't I do that for everyone though. . ?'
"I-I just wanted to know how you guys would approach it. . ! Like, how did each of you go about it. . ?"
Suddenly, the room grew quiet. Heinkel's proposal had been a bit of an embarrassing ordeal, considering Louanna had always been good at making him a stumbling mess. Even now, with her lingering coldness regarding everything that happened to Reinhard, just hearing her speak made him bumble like a schoolboy.
"If it'll help you, Subaru-dono, I'll gladly tell you my own experience."
Wilhelm cleared his throat, preparing to regale Subaru with the backstory of his years of training that led him to successfully outduel his wife. However, Heinkel could immediately see this would be a dead-end, and prayed his father didn't make a fool of himself.
"Our duel was fought with the ferocity of two swordsmen battling to the death. . !"
"Ok! Enough of that, father. . ! I don't think the kid stands any chance in a grappling match with his girl!"
Subaru couldn't help but break out into giggle at the awkward family dynamics playing out in front of him.
"S-See Father!? H-He's laughing at us!"
Both of them looked away, embarrassed, and a little annoyed with each other for interrupting their respective stories. This was absolutely golden. If Felix and Felt were here, they'd be rolling on the floor with laughter.
"I-I'm sorry. . ! B-But, maybe you're right Heinkel-san, I-I don't think that'll work for me. H-How about you, do you have any advice?"
Ignoring Wilhelm's thumb-twiddling in the corner, Heinkel put a hand to his chin and really delved deep into what advice he'd want to give to the young man.
"Hmm, I suppose the most important thing would be making it unique. Make your proposal in a way that highlights the parts of you she likes the most! Something that only you can do!"
He gave Subaru a brief thumbs-up, something he'd picked up from Subaru over their long history with one another.
'Something only I can do, huh?'
'H-Heinkel-san. . I hope this works. . !'
In exchange for this advice, Subaru had signed off on the adoption, leaving both Wilhelm and Heinkel elated at the new member of their house. The feast they'd conducted would be a feast for the ages! It'd really broken their hearts to hear Subaru would be leaving for Kararagi a few weeks later, but when Reinhard told them he'd escort them to their destination, they both felt relieved.
'T-There it is!'
Subaru fumbled around with the black box for a moment, keeping it concealed in his hand as he leaned back up to meet Rem's curious gaze.
"S-Subaru-kun? W-What is it?"
"U-Um, Rem can you close your eyes for a second?"
She tilted her head, shrugged, and slowly closed both her eyes. The way she was sitting right now, she wouldn't notice him move in front of her as he got into position to go through with his plan.
"Subaru-kun? I-It's really quiet! A-Are you alright if I-. . ."
"N-No!"
Subaru, still scrambling to get the box open such that the ring would be visible as Rem opened her eyes, desperately thought of any excuse he could to keep her preoccupied just a moment longer.
". . .U-Uh. . W-What I meant by that is that if you opened your eyes it'd ruin the surprise. . ! Hahaha. ."
His uncomfortable laugh totally gave away the tense feelings in his chest.
'O-Oh man, I-I'm starting to lose the nerve. . ! Give me strength!'
Subaru inhaled a deep breath, relaxing his shoulders and feeling the shakiness in his voice start to evaporate.
"ALRIGHT EVERYONE! YOU CAN COME IN NOW!"
And, as if on cue, the door to their room burst open. Garfiel, Ram, Meili, Beatrice, Reinhard, and Otto all spilled in, each saying a litany of indecipherable things. Luckily, since they were all talking over each other, nobody accidentally ruined the surprise when Rem turned back to look at Subaru.
He was on one knee.
'One knee. . .'
And in his hand was a tiny black box, containing the authority of pride! a beautiful ring, with an orange and black gemstone.
"Rem. . . will you do me the honor of making me the happiest man in this world?"
Suddenly, all the spectator interference stopped, and once again the room drew deathly quiet. The shock hadn't had time to set in on her face, so all she could hear was the intense beating of her heart. Hell, it could've been Subaru's she was hearing, she wasn't sure!
". . . ."
". . .YES! Yes, yes, yes, yes!"
And at Rem's excited declaration, everyone broke out into excite jabber once more. Subaru had been surrounded by the most tight hug he'd ever experienced in his entire life, but he swore he could still feel his soul leaving his body from that long suspenseful silence.
"Subaru, I'm very happy for you! I didn't think it would be this soon we had another join our family. . !"
Reinhard walked over to the embraced couple, putting a hand on his shoulder and smiling vibrantly.
"Betty expects great things from the two of you, in fact! She gave you both extra space all day, I suppose! Headpats are owed!"
Beatrice felt elated at seeing her contractor's teary face, but she was still owed some headpats for going along with this intricate plan! Subaru would pay up, and since Rem was now his wife, that made her a part of this deal too!
"N-Natsuki-san! I-I'm really happy everything went well, but next time, please tell me AFTER we check in to the hotel! I actually thought they were completely booked. . !"
Subaru smirked at Otto, signaling he'd probably just do the exact same thing again, prompting a sigh from Otto. Oh well, at least Subaru would owe him when he eventually got the guts to propose to that. . certain someone.
"Dad~! Let me get in on this hug!"
Meili snuck between both Subaru and Rem, basking in the residual happiness she felt coming off the two people enveloping her. With her blue hair, she looked exactly like what someone would imagine Subaru and Rem's child to look like.
"Cap'n! S'gonna make my amazin' self tear up!"
Garfiel ran his arm across his nose, suppressing a sniffle, but for some reason Subaru felt compelled to go grab him and drag him into the hug as well. By this point, everyone in this room was family to him, one way or another.
"T-Thank goodness you liked it. . . Ram and I spent all day picking this out. . ."
Subaru muttered out a last sigh of relief, which caught Rem's attention.
". . -e-eh? Nee-sama! I-Is this true. . !?"
Rem turned to Ram, who was still standing in the corner pretending like she wasn't here. The pink haired girl was doing a bad job at concealing her happiness though, as on the corner of her mouth, it was obviously upturned to a small smile.
"H~ah!"
That was the best they were going to get out of Ram.
Luckily, Rem and Subaru weren't going to leave her out of the hug, and they successfully roped her in too!
"T-Thank you all! S-So, so much! I-I. . ."
Rem looked around at all the people she'd been blessed to have in her life.
Ram, the sister still trying to hide how happy she was to have Subaru as a brother.
Beatrice, the spirit who'd been the first to jump in and hug her when everyone came in.
Meili, the girl who'd accepting her as her mother long before this day.
Otto, the friend who'd orchestrated this entire thing behind the scenes.
Reinhard, the new brother and linkage to a family she'd lost long ago.
And finally. . . Subaru. The man who's existence made her happier than everything else put together. Her hero.
The tears of joy ran down her cheeks, shimmering in the moonlight. The start of their new life began here.
Her beginning in another world, from zero.
Fin!
Author's Note
This was the first commission I've ever actually posted! I hope this lives up to everyone's hopes for a possible ending to The Secret. I have my own ending that I've got planned, but that's a long ways off! For anyone who wants to read the next chapter of The Secret, by the way, it's currently live on my discord! We even did a live reading of it! If you want the absolute earliest access to anything I write, I've recently made a which will give you premium access to all my drafts along with an exclusive role on my discord. Should you plan on picking up writing these as a side hobby (like I did), reach out to me and I'll do my best to give you constructive feedback!
As of right now, I'm still working on the next two chapters of Another Chance (Continued), which I will drop relatively close to one another, before resuming work on The Secret. I've actually been quite productive with my writing this past month! I just haven't posted most of it yet!
Now that this is over, let me do my usual shilling:
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
I also do have some other announcements though! My server members have been really active recently and we've actually done a couple live reads of my chapters. Since it turned out pretty decent, I thought, why not just do them for all my stuff? Anyway, what I'm trying to say here is that I've begun setting up a backlog of live readings for people to listen to (if they're interested in that kind of thing) through a account I've made. If you want to participate in those, then join the discord! Alongside that, subscribing to it gets you an exclusive rank on my server + the absolute earliest access to any drafts I put out. I will also consider doing requests from you guys, assuming they are reasonably possible.
