He started running. He didn't have a destination in mind, he just needed to get away. From the fact that he had died. From the fact he was back here again. From the truth.
The last few days, where he had survived against all odds, where he had saved Emilia, and where he was finally starting to fit in with the others in the mansion, had been erased like they never existed in the first place.
He stumbled, and his hands flinched upwards to break his fall. His palms got cut with minor scratches, but right now, he couldn't feel the pain at all. The plastic bag containing his groceries was lying on the floor where he dropped it. It had never been returned in the manor, since Emilia said it had gotten torn on the ride back. It was whole now, inescapable proof that he had returned by death.
It's gone. Everything I worked so hard for is just gone.
Droplets landed on the back of his hand. He looked down at them. It wasn't raining the last time I was here. Does that mean…?
He lifted a trembling hand to his face, and found a line of tears.
He laughed, but there was no joy in it. "Look at me, crying because of a little fall." The others on the street avoided him hesitantly, not sure if they should offer a hand. He unsteadily got back to his feet, and continued walking. There were only a handful of people on this road, but right now, he needed complete solitude. The others he passed didn't say a word to him, perhaps sensing that he didn't want to talk.
What happened? Subaru thought to himself. I must have returned by death, but why? There was no indication that anything was wrong that night.
He swallowed nervously. Was it an attack? An assassination attempt? I already know Emilia was targeted because she's a royal selection candidate, so perhaps Elsa getting foiled made them up their game.
He wiped his face, and leaned against a wall. So they send an assassin to kill everyone in the manor before someone notices. That must be how I died, since I'm definitely not a priority. Roswaal the Court Mage and Emilia herself would be the first targets.
"So what do I do?" He mumbled out loud. Emilia didn't know him anymore, but he had no desire to abandon her. "First things first, then. I need to find Reinhard."
He didn't realise it at the time, but his meeting with Reinhard had been the key that allowed them to win. All he had to do was bring the sword saint to the loot house, and Elsa would be defeated. After that…
I can think about after once there is an after. There's no guarantee that I'll even meet Reinhard again. I met him last time because I called for help when getting attacked by those thugs. If I call for help without needing it, he might think poorly of me, and be less willing to help.
He rubbed his forehead with his fingers. If he could remember where Reinhard had found him, he could wait and ambush him, and explain the situation. He was a really nice guy, so he'd almost certainly decide to come along. The problem was remembering the place. He had taken a detour on his way to the loot house, and there was no guarantee that he'd be able to find that spot again. And he didn't know which street Reinhard had been on when he heard his cry for help.
He looked around. He didn't really know where he was either. He hadn't really paid attention to where he was going, and he was utterly lost. The palace was still easily visible, which he could use to get to the slums, but beyond that…
"I should memorise a map." Subaru thought wryly to himself, a trace of humour coming back into his tone. He cast his mind back to that meeting, and something stuck out to him, giving him a new plan. When they met in the alley, Reinhard had mentioned that the guard stations knew where he was. Maybe they could help find him.
It was better than just wandering around blindly. He started walking back the way he came, and asked the first person he saw for directions to the closest guard house.
"I'm sorry, but I can't just give you information like that. Knowledge of the Sword Saint's whereabouts isn't something we can tell just anyone."
"Come on, it's a matter of life and death!" Subaru was practically yelling at this point. The guards weren't being nearly as helpful as he had hoped. They had taken half an hour to get someone to actually talk to him, and now that they were, they refused to tell him where Reinhard was.
"Can I perhaps be of assistance?" A voice from behind him asked politely.
Subaru turned, and saw a man in white uniform, like the one Reinhard had been wearing when Subaru met him. The sword at his side didn't look nearly as imposing as the one Reinhard carried, but there was an air of knightliness to him. He had fabulous violet hair, and his yellow eyes examined Subaru carefully.
"I must admit, my curiosity has been piqued. Few would ask for Sir Reinhard without attaching honourifics. Are you perhaps an acquaintance of his?"
"Erm, no." Subaru said, a bit caught off guard by this new arrival. "He helped me out once, but I doubt he'd remember me." It was the truth, technically. "I was hoping I could ask him to help with something important."
The knight frowned. "The royal knights don't usually interfere with private affairs. Could this not be handled by the fine guardsmen in this station?" He gestured to the surroundings. There were plenty of guards standing around, and they looked quite intimidating in their armour. But Subaru couldn't feel the same weight from them. They didn't carry themselves like Elsa, and he honestly didn't think they would last any longer than Old Man Rom against her. Besides, Emilia wanted to keep the fact that she lost her insignia under wraps. If it got out that she had allowed it to be stolen, she would lose her place in the royal selection.
"It's a sensitive situation. And I'm not sure the guards would be able to handle this." Subaru whispered to the knight.
The knight frowned deeper. "If you are asking for Reinhard in an attempt to trick him—"
"It's nothing illegal!" Subaru interrupted. "It's just, I know I can rely on him to be discreet, and he's strong enough to fight- …the person I'm working against."
"And who is this person?"
Subaru sighed. It didn't look like he'd be able to avoid revealing some details. "Have you heard of an assassin known as the bowel hunter?"
The knight's face went blank. "Ah. I can see how that might be a problem. Would you be so kind as to join me outside? We can talk on the way to Reinhard's current location."
Subaru took a second to process what the knight just said. His face lit up. "Oh, of course, Sir…"
"My apologies, I seem to have forgotten to introduce myself. I'm Julius Juukulius, the Finest Knight." The knight introduced himself with a bow and a flourish of his cloak.
"Oh right, I'm Subaru. Subaru Natsuki"
His old-timey mannerisms are kind of annoying, and how pretentious do you have to be to call yourself the 'Finest Knight'? Subaru thought as they exited the building.
"From what I know, the bowel hunter usually operates in Gusteko." Julius said after they were on the street. "I assume you know what she's doing here?"
Subaru squirmed nervously. "I can't really say. It could get someone into a lot of trouble." When Julius turned his frown on him again, he blurt out, "She hasn't done anything wrong, but if people found out, she'd lose a lot."
They walked in silence for a minute, before Julius seemed to come to a decision. "Very well. I give my word as a spirit knight that I will not reveal anything about this to anyone, provided that it truly is legal." He paused, then went on, "Considering your looks and lack of sense about how the guards work, I'm guessing you're new to Lugunica. In case you don't know, Lugunicans value their word highly, and a spirit arts user even more so. I will be certain to keep to mine."
Subaru was conflicted. On the one hand, Emilia had really wanted to keep anyone from finding out. On the other, Reinhard was already certain to find out, and this person seemed to know the sword saint quite well. And he did promise.
And if worst comes to worst, I can make it never have happened. Subaru thought. It would be awful, but he couldn't let Emilia get hurt because he wasn't smart enough to get help. Returning by death to set things right would be the least he could do, even if the thought of it filled him with dread.
"She's targeting a royal selection candidate."
Julius stopped in his tracks, and whirled on Subaru. "Who?" There was no knightliness in the tone of his voice now. He felt more like a tiger, suddenly awoken from slumber.
"Emilia." Subaru said, finding it harder to breath calmly. "The bowel hunter has hired a thief to try and get her kicked out of the royal selection, but if things go the way they have been, she'll end up killing her."
Julius relaxed a little, and the aura around him faded. "I see. We should pick up the pace. I understand why you seemed so desperate to find Reinhard. Do you know where the bowel hunter is?"
Subaru shook his head. "No, but I know where she'll be. In the slums, at sunset. Emilia will be there soon after." Without him there to hurry her up, Felt would hire some hoodlums to slow Emilia down. It wouldn't be enough to save the half-elf though, since even with Subaru slowing her down, she had still arrived when Elsa was still hanging around.
"So you wanted Reinhard there to ensure her safety." Julius finished. "A good plan. You were right to insist on him, though the way you went about it was wrong. I don't see how Lady Emilia would end up in trouble because of… ah, you mentioned a thief. The bowel hunter is aiming for her insignia."
Subaru flinched, which was all the confirmation Julius needed. "As a knight of Lugunica, I cannot let such a event go unreported. Unfortunately, I seem to have made a prior promise not to divulge anything I learned from you."
"Are you making a joke?" Subaru asked incredulously. "You almost gave me a heart attack! Emilia would be so upset with me if I lost her chance for the throne."
Julius chuckled. "I'm sorry. I should have been clearer. Regardless, you seem quite close to Lady Emilia. Do you know her?"
A flicker of pain passed over Subaru's face. "Not really. She helped me once, but she wouldn't remember me."
"You seem to doubt how memorable you are." Julius commented. "I know I won't forget you for quite some time."
"I hope so." Subaru sighed. "I really hope so."
They walked in silence for the remainder of the trip. Subaru made sure to memorise the route. It was a bit morbid, but he didn't know for sure whether or not he'd need to find Reinhard by himself again, and if he did, he wouldn't be caught unprepared.
"There he is." Julius's statement was unnecessary. The sword saint was clearly visible, helping an elderly person unload his cart. In a lower voice, Julius continued, perhaps not meaning for Subaru to overhear, "He's supposed to be off duty, yet he's still wearing his uniform. Honestly, this is exactly why…"
Reinhard noticed them as he put down the last crate, and strode to meet them half-way. "Julius. What is the issue? Who is this?"
Julius leaned in close so that none of the passersby could overhear. "This person is Subaru Natsuki. He has learned of a plot against Lady Emilia, that threatens lives. I'd like you to quickly confirm his statements, then I hope I could trouble you to lend assistance on your day of rest. The day you were specifically told to take off."
Reinhard looked a bit guilty at that, to Subaru's amazement. "Of course. I would be happy to help." He looked over at Subaru. "Could you explain what is going on?"
Seriously, this guy. Subaru felt totally at ease in front of him, despite having seen him reduce a building to rubble. "An assassin, known as the bowel hunter, has hired someone to steal Emilia's insignia. She'll kill everyone involved if nothing changes. Um, I should have mentioned this earlier, but the thief, Felt, is a good person. I mean, she does do illegal things, but she's in danger as well. I'd like for her to survive."
Reinhard nodded. "Of course. I can see that you think of her fondly."
Julius, on the other hand, looked like he was being strangled. "I… fine. But only if Lady Emilia decides to let her go." He didn't seem to doubt that Emilia would do exactly that. He spared a look at Reinhard.
"He is speaking the truth, and he has no ill intentions." Reinhard said. "I apologise Subaru, but with such stakes, I had to verify that you weren't hostile to Lady Emilia."
"No worries, I'm used to it." Subaru waved him off. "I'm actually glad there are so many people who can sense bad mojo. Makes everything seem safer, y'know?"
"Excellent." Julius said. "We should be on our way. You said the bowel hunter will be at the site at sunset? That will leave us some time to scout the area. I'm sorry to impose further, but as royal knights, we are unfortunately not all that well acquainted with the slums district. It is a shame the knights are far too comfortable with. Could you guide us to the location?"
Subaru felt his opinion of Julius go up a few notches. I got the feeling he was just a cliche honour-seeking, thin-skinned knight, but if he is willing to acknowledge the shortcomings of the kingdom, maybe he isn't so bad.
"Of course. I'll take you right there. Um, once I find the main road."
Subaru was out of breath by the time they got to the slums. He had pushed himself to match pace with the knights, but he was sure they had still held themselves back. The two knights didn't look winded at all.
"It's gotten worse." Julius whispered to Reinhard, examining the state of the surrounding buildings. "I can't imagine what will happen if this continues."
Reinhard nodded sombrely. "I've raised the point before, but without the political will…" He sighed. "For now, we'll try and keep Lady Emilia safe. Subaru, I'm sorry to say, we'll stand out too much in this area. If we investigate, the bowel hunter might catch wind of us, and attack Lady Emilia in another way. We'll have to avoid notice. Can you guide us along the shortest path to this 'loot house'?"
Subaru nodded, and started moving around the ramshackle dwellings. Felt had dragged him around in a rather winding path when bringing him to Rom last loop, so he knew the layout of the streets relatively well. He went first, with Julius and Reinhard sticking close behind him.
A few times they came across residents in the street, but when they looked at them, their eyes glazed over, and they went back to what they had been doing.
"I have the Divine Protection of Unnoticed Steps." Reinhard explained when Subaru brought it up. "When I'm trying to be discreet, it is harder to focus on me. It doesn't extend to my companions, but if we're quick, it will be enough."
"There will be some rumours." Julius said, as they passed a group of children. One of them was squinting in Reinhard's direction, as if he could almost see something. "These people are used to keeping their awareness up."
"We're almost there." Subaru said. "It's the building at the end of this street."
They arrived without further issue, though Subaru kept looking over his shoulder, expecting to be ambushed at any moment. The trauma from having his guts sliced open twice had apparently not faded yet.
"It's locked." Subaru said as Reinhard put his hand on the handle.
"Ah, but I have the Divine Protection of the Invited Guest." The Sword Saint said, with an entirely serious smile on his face. He pushed down, and the door clicked open.
"There's no way that's a real thing." Subaru said flatly. "Sir Julius, you agree right? That was a magic trick or something, right?"
Julius gave him a long-suffering smile. "You get used to it."
"Who are you!? Entering my bar without—ugh!" Rom choked on his words as they entered. "Royal knights." He spotted Reinhard's hair. "You're the Astrea kid, huh?"
"We're not here to trouble you." Julius stepped forward, lifting his hands non-threateningly. "A client of yours, a girl named Felt—"
"What about Felt!?" Rom roared, hunching down, no doubt to pick up his club.
"She's in danger!" Subaru shouted. He couldn't afford to let the old man hurt himself fighting against the knights. He had begun to like Julius, but he still wasn't sure how he'd react. "She took a request from the bowel hunter, a dangerous assassin."
Rom had dark skin, yet it was still easy to see him go pale. "You mean… you mean that job she's on today…"
"Indeed. However, considering the circumstances, we shall not be trying to apprehend anyone but the bowel hunter." Julius continued. "We would appreciate it if you were discreet about what happens today."
Rom was silent for a moment, then slouched back down into his seat. "I understand. Felt's gotten in over her head, huh?" He reached below the bar and retrieved a bottle, taking a large swig. "I'll behave. Just don't hurt Felt when she arrives."
"Of course. We will be sure to protect all of you." Reinhard said.
Julius moved to the edge of the room, and carefully looked out a boarded-up window. "Ia, Alo, Ake, Nes." Four points of light— red, green, yellow and even black, though Subaru's eyes couldn't make any sense of the black-coloured light —appeared around his head, circling him like a crown.
"Look out for a black cloaked woman approaching the building. If you see Lady Emilia in the area, guide her here." The lights bobbed, and flew out through the cracks in the wood.
"Were those spirits?" Subaru asked. "Er, I mean, if you don't mind answering, Sir Julius."
"You are clearly not suited to polite manners." Julius said, "You can just call me Julius, if you prefer. And yes, those are some of my buds. They are my treasured companions. Kua, In."
Two more points of light appeared, one blue and one white. "I had some potential for the spirit arts, and had the advantage of my Divine Protection. I admit, I charged right into my studies, and overstrained my body trying to contract six spirits at once. I do not regret it though. They are lifelong friends of mine."
He looked over to regard Subaru. "Have you ever considered using the spirit arts? I apologise if I overreach, but my spirits can feel your affinity, and you seem to be a good fit for the style. Your gate isn't the best quality, but the spirit arts don't overly rely on the gate."
"I've never really considered it." Subaru said ruefully. "I probably should though. A little strength could go a long way to making things easier."
Reinhard snapped to attention, looking toward the door. "Someone's coming."
Julius got into combat stance, hand on his sheathed sword.
The green point of light came back in through the window, and Subaru could hear the faint sound of whispering, like a girl's voice being carried by the wind.
"Not our target." Julius said, relaxing. "A small girl, golden haired. She's running to the door."
"That's Felt." Rom said. "I'll let her in, and try and explain things." He was almost at the door, when it started banging. "Old Man Rom! Open up! Some kids said they saw royal knights patrolling the streets, we might need to—"
The door opened, and Felt saw the knights in question, standing calmly in the room. She tensed, ready to run, but her gaze flicked up to Rom, and the strength left her.
"If it's me you want, leave Old Man Rom out of it. He doesn't know anything about the job." She declared bravely, but her hands were trembling.
"They aren't interested in us." Rom said. "The person who hired you is dangerous. Come behind the bar, we'll wait for her to show up."
Felt shook a little, but nodded, and went with the old man.
"You should join them," Reinhard said, looking over at Subaru. "It will be easier to protect everyone when they're in the same place."
"Hearing you say that as if I'm just another damsel in distress is seriously depressing." Subaru bemoaned. "I can't deny it though. Hey, Old Man Rom, move over!"
He darted around the bar, and knelt on the floor, his eyes peeking over the counter.
"Don't be too hard on yourself, Subaru. If not for you, we wouldn't even know to come here. That could have been disastrous."
Tell me about it. Subaru thought to himself. I know first-hand how dangerous the situation is.
Julius's red spirit flew in, and weaved around his arm. He seemed to listen for a moment, then looked out through the window in surprise.
The door opened, and Emilia entered in all her glory. "I've found you! Please understand, I don't want to hurt you, but…"
She trailed off when she saw the knights. "Sir Julius? Sir Reinhard? What are you two doing here?"
Reinhard gave her a brief rundown, but Subaru wasn't paying attention. His heart lit up in joy. He was back. He'd be able to reclaim his place as a servant at the manor, foil the attack in a few days, and finally be able to take his place by Emilia's side again. For now he needed to be vigilant. Felt must not have had time to hire people to distract her, which is why Emilia showed up at the same time as she did during the third loop. That loop, Elsa arrived soon after, attacking from the shadows.
He glanced over at Julius, still carefully looking out the slits in the windows. Hopefully his spirits will see her coming. Last time we only survived because I happened to spot her.
He strained his eyes, looking at the shadows behind Emilia. Nothing was there, no shapes or shines of blades. And even if there was, Reinhard would probably have seen her before me. He smiled ruefully.
It was a single glint that alerted him. His gaze snapped to the rafters, where a dark figure had begun to crouch down.
"Above!" He yelled at the top of his lungs. "Puck!"
A streak of shadow fell on Emilia like a hammer from god, blocked by a shield of ice with an unnerving screech.
She landed gracefully, and looked at the room's occupants like a hungry lion.
"Ah, so you spotted me. And after all the effort I went through to get around the spirits, too." Her voice was as sensual as ever, but since Subaru had experienced that voice's owner slicing his stomach thrice already, the only shivers going down his spine were born from fear.
Reinhard moved between Elsa and the bar, testing the sword at his side. It didn't budge.
"You managed to sneak past my buds. That takes skill." Julius said, throwing a spare sword to Reinhard. "There is no need for us to fight. Come quietly."
"I sharpened my blades and technique in Gusteko. The spirit knights there can watch all directions at once, retaining full alertness for hours." Elsa said, pulling out a second knife. "I had little trouble there. It's only expected that I would be able to pass a handful of minor spirits."
"I see." Julius said calmly. If he was rattled by Elsa's slight to his spirits, he didn't show it. "Nonetheless, you must understand that you are outnumbered. You have no chance against us."
Elsa smiled widely. "Ah, but that's the best part."
There was a thunderclap, and before Subaru realised, Elsa's knife was at Emilia's throat, with only Reinhard's borrowed blade holding her from death.
Reinhard countered, but Elsa leaped up to the rafters, kicking off to attack the bar.
"Syl Huma!" A frigid wind of small icicles flew at her, forcing her to twist in mid-air to deflect with her blades, cutting her approach short.
"I'll thank you for ignoring me up till now, but no one gets away with attacking my daughter." Puck, having remained inconspicuous till this point, raised his paws at Elsa. "Take this!"
Elsa jumped, but she was too slow. A barrage of ice shattered around her, showering the room with small shards and mist. When it cleared, it revealed a pillar of ice, with Elsa trapped in it's centre.
"Don't let down your guard!" Subaru shouted. "She's got a—"
The pillar exploded, and Elsa's cloak disintegrated. She charged Emilia, but Julius stepped into her path, engaging her with a flurry of swordplay. They moved too fast for Subaru's eyes to follow, and sparks flew in every direction.
"My time's up." Puck said regretfully. "But I trust these people will be able to keep you safe. If you need me…"
"I'll call." Emilia finished for him. "Don't worry. We'll be fine."
The cat spirit nodded, then disappeared in a burst of lights.
"I don't believe we can afford to take the risk required to keep her alive. She has some kind of enhancement." Julius said to Reinhard in between parries. Multi-coloured lights danced along his blade, but Elsa blocked and dodged around every one of his strikes.
Reinhard said nothing, but lifted his blade, assuming the same stance that had ended the fight last loop.
Elsa disengaged, and faced Reinhard. They began naming themselves to each other, but Subaru didn't listen, too busy compacting himself behind the bar. "Get down!" He hissed at Felt and Rom. The room began to light up, and they hastily followed his example.
The world exploded. Even huddled behind the counter, Subaru felt the force of Reinhard's blow.
The air calmed, revealing the damage to the loot house. It had been blown open, much the same as it had last loop. Subaru looked up over the bar, trying to see if he could spot Elsa's body.
"I believe you may have overdone it." Julius commented.
Reinhard looked a little remorseful. "I didn't control my strength well enough." He looked over at Rom. "I can assure you that I will compensate you for the damages."
"Don't relax yet." Subaru said. "She's tougher than she seems."
Julius and Reinhard looked at him as one, disbelief on their faces. "While I don't really want to doubt you," Julius began "I doubt we'll find much more than a trace of—"
The rubble exploded, and Elsa flew out, blood running down her face, and her clothes in tatters. Reinhard and Julius turned, their eyes going wide.
Elsa raised her knife, and slashed at Emilia's stomach.
No! I'm too far away! Subaru was still behind the bar, and he didn't have anything in reach he could use to block the strike.
He didn't need to. Emilia raised a barrier of ice, and Elsa's knife shattered against it. Julius lunged at her, and she dodged backwards, jumping onto one of the few remaining support beams.
"One day I'll disembowel everyone here." She hissed. "Until then—"
"Why don't you stay?" Julius asked, slashing the air with his sword. "Fura!" A blade of air extended from his weapon, hurtling through the space where Elsa's legs had been. She jumped down from the building, leaving Subaru's sight.
"Reinhard, you ensure Lady Emilia's safety, I will pursue." Julius said, running to a hole in the wall. "I will signal if I need assistance." He vanished into the dusk, white cloak billowing behind him.
"Wow. I'm starting to think the title 'Finest Knight' isn't undeserved. I still don't like the way he talks though." Subaru said, free to speak his mind now that Julius was gone.
"I admit Julius can be a bit strict with the rules of society, but he means well. He has a lot to live up to." Reinhard walked over to Emilia, and asked, "Are you alright? I'm very sorry that I couldn't protect you."
"I don't want to hear that." Emilia shook off his words. "I was fine thanks to this boy's warning. And if you hadn't been here, I would have been in real trouble on my own." Once she was finished chastising the sword saint, her expression softened. "I was surprised when Ia came up and asked me to follow her. How did you know I was going to be here?"
"That's me!" Subaru said, presenting himself to Emilia with a bow. He instantly frowned. Julius had been rubbing of on him. A bad influence, that one. "Subaru Natsuki, back from zero, and ready to go! I happened to learn of the threat to you, and I had to do something. I knew Reinhard could be trusted to keep things under wraps, but Julius just happened to come along with us."
"Well, I'm very grateful to you. I owe you my life for bringing the knights here, and then again for both of your warnings. If you have any request in my power, I will grant it."
"Ah, right." Subaru felt himself at a loss. "This would be where I ask for your name, but I already know it now. Erm, can I hold off on that? I'll think of something, I'm sure."
"Incidentally Subaru," Reinhard asked, "you don't seem to be from Lugunica. Are you staying somewhere close to here?"
"A place to stay? I'm, uh, working on that. I've been in Lugunica for about a week now." If you count the first few loops as full days. But why would he bring that up now?
He considered what he knew of Reinhard. Is he going to offer me a place to stay? I'm grateful, but I need to go with Emilia to stop the attack on the manor. What happened last time? He closed his eyes, straining to remember what Emilia had said on the first day in the manor. Reinhard had taken Felt when he saw her with Emilia's insignia. But why? He already knew Felt had stolen it in this loop, but he had no intention to charge her with the crime. Would seeing her with it really change anything?
Only one way to find out.
"But first!" Subaru blurted out, cutting off Reinhard before he could make his offer. "Felt, you need to return that badge!"
The golden haired girl had calmed down considerably, now that there didn't seem to be a threat to her or Rom. "I'll return it. But, you should really keep better care of it. Any thief in the city could take it from you easily— Hey!"
Reinhard had grabbed her arm, staring at the insignia in her open palm. "How—? Felt, do you have any other names? Any family?"
"What!? No, I don't have any other names! I'm not a noble! My only family is Old Man Rom! Let me go!"
Reinhard lifted a palm, and Felt collapsed into his arms.
Rom stepped forward to intervene, but faltered when Reinhard levelled his gaze at him. "Where did she come from? Is she—?"
"Has that time come already?" Rom whispered to himself. "I know what you're thinking, and the truth is I don't know, but I suspect the answer is yes."
"I see. You are welcome to accompany us, but I must take Felt with me."
"Reinhard? What's going on?" Emilia asked in bewilderment. Subaru was equally confused. Reinhard looked like he had seen a ghost.
"I cannot say." Reinhard replied. "It will take some time to confirm, if it is even possible. That being said," he looked up at the moon, shining brightly through the clouds.
"This might be the calm before the storm arrives."
AN: One knight, two knight, red knight, purple knight.
Julius is hard. I'm not really sure how to write his relationship with Subaru. Without Emilia around for Subaru to excessively fawn over, I think they'd be more likely to become friends. I'm hoping to have Chapter 4 out around Monday or sooner, but we'll see.