Chapter 8

A Week After The Last Chapter.

Subaru was smiling as he looked over his plans for the royal candidates so he could get on his side since he was able to claim a wonderful candidate to join his team. It was none other than the lost princess of the royal family, which made him smile in excitement due to him knowing that the thief, Felt, was a wonderful Pawn to have in his pocket since the council didn't have anything to test her blood or DNA to prove she was actually the lost princess of the royal family or not but thanks to some investigation of the loot house where Old Man Rom lived and cared for Felt his whole life.

"And to think, it was just after we got back from the Emilia camp," Subaru said, while smiling at his plans to get his name into the minds of the people since if there's one thing that Subaru enjoys the most about ruling his empire back in his home, it was speaking to the people and helping them out to have a better life, like when he took care of the helpless who lost their families or loved ones to either demons or being a Demon Hunter.

Subaru looked at Felt, sleeping in his bed due to the girl wanting to chat with her 'big brother' which made Subaru smile as he explained his plans to the girl, who seemed fascinated and amazed by his plans to help the slums and the residents within the slums.

Granted, Felt may still be under the control of the Spider Devil, but Subaru told her to let Felt go since she was now on his leash.

'And I couldn't have chosen someone better to help me with my work.' Subaru said in his mind while recalling the walk and conversation Reinhardt took him on the day after they got back from the Emilia Camp.

Flashback.

"Hey Rein, let's go out and walk around the capital a bit! I didn't get the chance to see it in all its glory."

Reinhard was overjoyed to hear that from Subaru, the capital of Lugunica, being one of the cities he was the proudest of; it would have been nothing but his pleasure to present it to his master and eventual future King.

"Of course! I can't wait to show you all of Lugunica!"

Their first stop was near a building, which was guarded by two guards at the front. These two made a quick sign of respect as Reinhard approached the building.

Intrigued, Subaru looked at his friend with curiosity.

" It is an important place?"

"The guard's station is a place where people can call out the guards if there's a problem."

"So…A police station?"

"The capital of Lugunica, as you can see, is the biggest city of the kingdom; it is in itself divided into five sections. The royalty is basically the high-class section where only monarchy and high nobles are allowed to live. The noble section, where there are most of the kingdom's noble classes; the third section, much more focused on commercial purposes; and finally, the fourth and fifth sections, for the common people and…The more disfavored ones."

"In other words, these are districts, and the last ones are for poor people…"

Reinhard made an uneasy smile as he previously tried not to speak that name out clearly, yet it seemed that Subaru didn't have the same…Politeness.

" And up there…Is the royal castle, right?"

Subaru pointed towards a giant castle adorning the top of a hill, presumably the highest place in the entire city.

" Yes, exactly. The royal castle…Of lugunica."

Reinhard had a mixed tone of admiration and guilt; his eyes showed that he was quite saddened by the way he looked at this castle. Subaru didn't understand much, but he thought it might be a personal matter. Yet, when they both were admiring the castle, a question suddenly appeared in Subaru's mind…Something he completely forgot.

" Wait…There is something that…If there's an election for the new King to be chosen…What happened to the previous one?"

Reinhard turned to Subaru. His eyes widened in shock as he realized that he had completely forgotten about Subaru coming from a foreign land and that he did not know much about Lugunica. He really disappointed himself by not telling him about this.

"Forgive me. I should have told you this sooner."

Both of them sat on a bench in front of a fountain situated in a big plaza of the capital. The sight of Lugunicans from multiple races passing in front of them gave a pleasant feeling of peace, though it was maybe or surely just a facade.

"Years ago, the entire royal family of Lugunica started to get infected by a virus…An unknown disease only within the walls of the palace and only infecting the royal monarchy…Last year, the last member of the Lugunica dynasty died, leaving no heir behind…"

"And thus, the election…"

Subaru leaned back on the bench, looking at the clouds decorating the blue sky of the capital.

" The entire family was dying by a virus…infecting only them…Rein…"

Reinhard did the same as Subaru, admiring the sky reflecting in his own blue eyes, perfectly matching with each other.

" I know. I know how it sounds, but no proof has been found of an attempted assassination, and no traces of poison have been detected either. The best mages and healers of the entire kingdom went to inspect them…But nothing managed to appease the royal family's pain. One by one, this virus took them away while we were powerless."

Subaru now understands the meaning behind Reinhard's look. He was a knight and the sword saint; he held one of the most important positions of the entire kingdom, yet he could not do anything when those he swore allegiance to died. It had to be a horrible experience; Subaru knew it only too well, after all.

The candidate said nothing. In this kind of situation, it was preferable not to open any wounds.

"What did the royal family look like? Physically speaking, I mean…Typical, beautiful, and noble people? More warriors like?"

Reinhard chuckled a bit, but he understood Subaru's tentativeness to change the topic of discussion.

"I believe they were noble-like; I've never heard of any members trying to be a warrior tough. The funny thing is that all the members of the family had a common physical trait: gold hair and bright red eyes."

"Mh, like your family and your red hair, blue eyes?"

Reinhard remained silent for a moment, making a weird face as he just realized this.

"Now that you say it…"

Subaru burst a laugh at his friend, who shortly followed after and realized this trait of his family. Yet the more he thought about them…The more his laugh faded away. Slowly reminding of every member and how he was…

"Wait…Gold hair and red eyes?"

Reinhard got extirped from his grim thought as Subaru just voiced his thoughts. He looked at his friend with a confused yet interested look as every time Subaru thought about something with that expression; it was always interesting or unbelievable.

"Gold hair and…"

Subaru slowly turned his eyes to Reinhard, his worried gaze tarnished the slightly excited one of his friends, who quickly showed his concern and confusion about whatever just came to Subaru's mind.

"Rein, we're going to the slums."

Soon, both the sword saint in his apparel and the candidate in his normal attire found themselves in the slum, scaring some people by the way, until reaching the blown-up loot house of Old Man Rom, where it was prohibited to walk in after the guard's investigation.

"Have you ever done anything for them after this?"

Reinhard looked a bit confused, but most importantly, he was guilty. This entire wreckage was his fault, and his fault was only due to his inability to control his power. To that, he was adding the memories of the bowel hunter nearly killing his own master and friend. Reinhard clenched his fists just as the thought of it seriously pissed him off. He should have never let her get away with that crime.

"I… Do not really see what could have been done. Unfortunately, this loot house remains a criminal site, and the state of Lugunica has no possibility of compensation.

"So the country does have a compensation system?"

Reinhard sweated a bit in worry

"Well…Only to those who are deemed to deserve it by the law…"

"Which means rich people."

Reinhard looked down in guilt as Subaru spoke in a cold tone. Of course, he was not directing this to Reinhard but to how this kingdom was way too old-minded. In a way, that gave him another reason to run for the throne.

Subaru started to walk towards it and inspected it a bit; after seeing it through, he concluded that no one could actually live there anymore.

Subaru then made his way towards another place he knew well, which was Felt's hideout, with Reinhard carefully following him.

When he got there, he inspected it as well to see that a lot of stuff he previously saw at his first visit was gone, which confirmed his thoughts about Felt and Rom moving to somewhere else.

He got up and looked around him; it was still daytime, and it was relatively afternoon.

"We need to find them. Rein, they couldn't have gone too far. Try to question some of the people in this area, and I will go over there."

Subaru pointed to Reinhard on the right side of the slums while he said he'd go to the left.

Reinhard appeared a bit troubled by this story of getting separated; the last time he did, Subaru ended up fighting against demon dogs.

"Don't worry, regarding how those people looked at us, I don't think they'll try anything funny with you around. Whatever if you find them or not, let's meet back here in 15 minutes."

Reinhard sighed in approval. Even if he did not want to, his master's words were his to follow.

Both started to wander in the designated area in order to question people about Felt. Still, for every person that Subaru tried to question, he was only answered by a growl, worried gaze, or escaping people.

Subaru started to realize that poor people living in those districts really hated the nobility; it was no joke. Discrimination was something that existed as long as he remembered and learned in his world; it has to be something quite old enough in this world, too.

Suddenly, as he walked over a place, Subaru got intercepted and stopped by three familiar thieves.

"Well, looks what he got here?"

"This one looks fancy!"

"Come one, cough up everything you got if you don't want to be harmed!"

Subaru facepalmed with a desperate sigh as he recognized these three idiots, too, from what Princi told him when she 'marked' Felt and the memories that Subaru had when he looked into Old Man Rom's head.

"How fucking unlucky do I have to be to end up seeing you three idiots of all people?"

Subaru started to get angry; veins of anger could be seen on his forehead.

"I don't get time to deal with you three, so piss off. I have nothing to give you, but if you get in my way, then you three will be dead." Subaru said before the three were insulted by his comments.

"Forget it. We're just going to beat you up!"

"Yeah, you can't call for your friend!"

"That will teach you t-"

The third one, which Subaru remembered as "knife guy," got interrupted as Subaru's foot struck his jaw at full speed, making him bite his tongue in the process before getting thrown on his back and knocked out.

"You were saying?" Subaru asked before pulling out a handkerchief and cleaning his hands as if he were touching something filthy.

"YOU SON O-"

Again, Subaru didn't let him finish his vulgar sentence, and he delivered another kick right to his face, sending him near his friend.

"YOU FUCKING COWARD"

The third one, though, kept himself from being fooled, as he attacked right after that. Subaru jumped back from some meters to avoid his hits with a frown on his face. He really wished to beat them quickly, like the second time he had to fight them, but it looked like he was too slow.

"That was cheap! Now I'm really angry!"

"Tch. Try it Bitch."

The last thug, which was the tallest and most muscular of the three, was standing in front of Subaru, both in a fighting stance. He could've easily called for Reinhard, who'd have jumped here right away, but his Pride and memories of his third loop wouldn't let him do that, even though he was probably in trouble.

"What's all this about?!"

Both Subaru and the thug were alerted by the loud yell coming from behind the thug. Subaru smiled right away as he recognized this voice and the tiny figure coming right at them.

"Felt!"

Felt turned towards Subaru as she heard her name and quickly recognized him. Felt approached both of them with heavy footsteps, and by seeing the bodies of the two others on the ground, she understood what was going on.

At the same time, the memories of how Subaru helped Felt from that killer and, of course, what Felt told him when she was possessed already gave him an idea about whose side she would join.

"Are you sure you wanna pick that all-alone punk?"

Heavily sweating, the thug quickly picked up his two comrades before running for his life, obviously scared of the idea of facing the tiny terror of a girl.

"Damn you! You'll regret this!"

After seeing him running away, Subaru fell on his butt, sitting down. He sighed out loud before a smiling Felt.

"Damn, I owe you one Felt, I was being cocky, but there was really no way I could have beaten that dude."

"You saved my ass back at the loot house against that freak, so I think this considers us even," Felt said before Subaru smiled at her, even though Subaru didn't do much except try to make sure that Emilia was alive for his plans.

"I do apologize for the loss of Old Man Rom. I heard he meant a lot to you." Subaru said, which made Felt look down and nod her head before Subaru patted her head and hugged the girl, which made Felt cry into his shoulders, not caring if anyone saw her break at the moment since Subaru understood that he did wish that he could've saved the older man. Still, he was too late, and even with his powers, resurrection wasn't one of them unless they became a Demon or Fiend.

However, the moment was gone as soon as a certain knight reappeared before his master.

"Subaru-sama?"

Coming from the way where the thug just ran to was the sword saint. When he saw Felt, he made a relieved face as he knew they found the reason for their venue.

The little girl muttered to herself while hugging Subaru.

"So it's really an Astrea…"

"Glad to see you, Reinhard. As you can see, Felt found me!"

"I'm glad to see it, indeed."

Felt looked to Subaru and Reinhard back and forth, actually wondering what was going on.

"By the way, Felt, now that we found you, we were hoping we could talk somewhere privately. We are here to discuss something important."

Felt looked bewildered about that. She sure couldn't find a good reason for Astrea and this boy to meet her, but after what happened, she decided to allow them to since she couldn't find a reason not to trust them as well, or at the very least, Subaru.

Felt guided him to a small house, a bit smaller than the previous loot house, in which there were roughly some shelves with meager food in it, a table with a bottle of alcohol, and two beds.

Felt then started to look for some glasses to pour them something to drink while Subaru and Reinhard inspected the entire interior; every single thing had to be viewed to be sure that it wouldn't be of any threat to his master.

"Did anything happen to you after we left?" Subaru asked in a calm voice.

"If you're talking about that bitch, then no. Haven't seen her since she vanished."

"I see…" Subaru said, keeping the fact Elsa helped him face Capella was a good way to make sure Felt didn't freak out.

Felt then started to pour some drinks for everyone, two cups of alcohol and one of milk.

"Thank you for the drink," Subaru said before enjoying his drink. Felt smiled and enjoyed the milk she poured for herself.

Felt also noticed Reinhardt in the process; both smiled at each other, remembering about their encounter.

"Good to see you too, sword saint! Wait! You're not here to arrest me or something, right?!"

Felt looked to both Reinhard and Subaru, who quickly calmed her mood about this.

"No, I just really wanted to see you; I was worried since the last time I fainted without knowing what would become of you."

Felt let out a sigh of relief and blushed slightly at the idea of someone "wanting to see her." She advanced towards the table while pulling Subaru with her and sat down along with everyone else.

Subaru stared at her. Reinhard noticed it and looked at her, too, wondering why. Then, bit by bit, he put the fragments together. Reinhard turned slowly to his master. He was sweating worriedly and slightly in shock. Subaru looked at him with a serious look.

"Gold hair and red eyes…"

And he realized. Reinhard saw it. He leaned back on his chair, his head falling behind and his hand on his eyes. He was so focused on Subaru's candidacy that he didn't think about that one bit.

"What's happening?! You okay, Reinhard?"

"He might have just realized something important just like I did, which is why we're here to talk to you, Felt."

Felt looked at Subaru, even more confused. She seemed eager to know what it was. Reinhard came back to his senses and stared at Felt.

"What is your family name? and your age? How old are you?"

She moved her chair back and crept a bit to see how the sword saint was acting towards her.

"I don't have a family name...I-Im orphan. Old Rom found me, and I think that I have 15…"

Subaru only knew some of the story that was lying behind Reinhard's thoughts. But his reaction practically confirmed his theory in the making towards the little thief.

Subaru pulled out the insignia from his pocket and tended it to Felt before the eyes of Reinhard. One was at the edge of his seat, ready to know a truth that might shake the entire kingdom, while another person was sighing in secret. In a way or another, he knew this day would come.

"I-isn't it big sis thing that I stole?"

"No, this one is mine. But I would like you to hold it for a second."

Still a bit confused, Subaru's warm and sincere smile appeased her a bit. Felt accepted and took the insignia.

Then, before the eyes of the sword saint, this one slightly shone the red light of candidacy. In a way, they were confirming the same conclusion both Reinhard and Subaru had in mind.

"And then? What does that mean?"

"Felt, this insignia is actually proof of Lugunica's throne candidacy. With this, you can compete for the throne."

Felt looked at him in both shock and fear as she just realized what she had stolen and what it could cost her.

Subaru smiled at her, letting her quickly understand that she had nothing to fear.

"The thing is, Felt…I'm the fifth and last candidate, but your physical characteristics match perfectly with those of the previous royal family…"

Felt kept listening. Felt was frowning bit by bit as Subaru continued to voice his thoughts and statements he made.

"And with that insignia reacting…That could further prove that you might be a member who could have survived."

"W-What the hell are you saying?!"

Felt got up, slamming the table with her hands, and was visibly angry.

"What would I have something to do with those guys?! Old Rom is the one who raised me!"

"Because you were an orphan. Rom found you and raised you, but you never knew who your parents were. And judging by Reinhard's reactions just now…"

He nodded to Reinhard, making him understand that it was time for him to say what he was holding in his mind this whole time.

"Nearly fifteen years ago…The daughter of Prince Ford Lugunica has been reported kidnapped and disappeared…We never managed to find the child."

Subaru tilted his head as he heard this story before turning to a shaking and furious Felt. She clenched her fists as she was about to yell at the duo before a sigh made them all stand up.

"Ya really are something, ya know that?" A voice said before a spirit appeared before the trio, which made Felt shocked as she recognized this spirit as Old Man Rom while Subaru knew that the spirit had regrets and was willing to help him reveal his secret to the girl he raised as his daughter.

Subaru smiled at him while Felt stuttered.

"O-old Rom…?"

Rom looked a bit saddened, but ultimately, he resolved himself.

"Ford asked me to. He felt that something was about to happen because of that Lion blessing he had and was worried for his child's future. That's why he asked me to take her away and keep her safe…"

Reinhard's eyes widened. He looked at Felt with shock as he realized that…She was…

"So Ford Lugunica sensed that the virus of the royal family was coming thanks to a blessing and entrusted Felt to you so she could be safe…"

Rom nodded his head.

"Ford was an old friend of mine. When he asked me for help, I couldn't refuse. So I took her with me. Later, I heard about this story of disease like the entire kingdom, and I understood what he meant."

Felt sat down back in her chair, still in shock at what she heard, while Reinhard was holding his hand on his mouth with his wide eyes. The story behind this child was, in a way, connected to his family, and finally finding her would resolve an internal conflict of his…All thanks to Subaru.

Rom looked at her, but, in a way, he couldn't meet her eyes. He was filled with guilt as he never told her the truth. Even if it was hard to believe, she had the right to know.

"It almost sounds like a fairy tale when you think about it. The little thief of the slums who struggled all of her life ended up discovering that she was a princess all along…"

Everyone turned to Subaru, who had a small frown on his face, and looked at the people in front of him.

Rom looked at him with worry; he knew who Subaru was now, and he had the sword saint as his knight.

"So…Now what? You're going to take her and make her qu-" Rom asked before Felt yelled.

"AS IF!"

Felt got up with tears and rage in her eyes, gazing at the duo who came to visit them.

"I DON'T CARE ABOUT THEM! I DON'T CARE ABOUT THIS KINGDOM! OLD ROM IS THE ONE WHO RAISED ME AND WAS THERE FOR ME! I DON'T…I don't….need..."

Her voice became weaker and weaker. Well, it was justified. Subaru closed his eyes as he realized. This was a lot of information to take in, and right now, her entire self was conflicted. She lived all her life in misery with the same mindset as everyone here: hate towards the high classes for their ignorance, their Pride, and blindness towards those in need. And right now, she was learning that she was coming from them, the people she hated. She could not stomach that. On top of that, Rom, who was the one she trusted the most, always hid that reality from her.

She felt…Betrayed.

"Well…Even if you are Ford's lost child, the five candidates have already been chosen, and there is no further proof to endorse your royalty…Hence, I don't think it is possible to do anything…"

Reinhard was conflicted. Felt was a Lugunican. A member of the family he swore to protect as a knight and a royal guard, she was there standing in front of him…Yet he couldn't do anything. No one would accept her; no one would believe her. Even if he had already chosen a master, the idea of abandoning a member of the royal family was killing him from the inside.

Felt was hanging her head low as she was still processing everything she just learned. She didn't want to have anything to do with this kingdom anyway, but still.

Rom looked away; he didn't know how his face felt now.

A deep silence took place in the small room around the table until…

"No, there is still a way."

Everyone turned to Subaru, Reinhard with a small glint of hope as his master could find a solution, Rom with the guilt devouring him from the inside and Felt, slowly raising her head as she was still emotionally weakened.

"Felt. Come and join me."

Reinhard's eyes widened. He came to understand what his master was aiming at.

Rom looked a bit bewildered by that and slowly turned to Felt, who looked at Subaru again with great confusion.

"What do you mean…"

"What I just said. Please come and be under me. Come to my camp and help me become the ruler of this kingdom. I will provide you with a living and everything you need."

Felt started to clench her teeth with rage in her eyes as she was looking at Subaru, who remained calm. Under the table, he made a sign to Reinhard, "no," with his finger. Reinhard looked at his master as he understood that he meant for him not to do anything.

Right after that, Felt grabbed her glass and threw it on Subaru's face. It nearly grazes his hair before smashing against the wall behind him. Reinhard could have easily stopped that in a matter of milliseconds if it hadn't been for Subaru's orders.

"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?! I DON'T NEED YOUR PITY! I WILL GET-"

"Get out of here yourself, right? You want to have nothing to do with these people because they're all talk and don't give a shit about those in the slums like you?"

Felt's eyes widened as he just voiced what she was about to say.

"That's what you told me the first we met, remember? I'm not here to pity you, Felt. I'm here to offer you a job. You'll get out of here, but you'll have to work for me."

Subaru smiled warmly at Felt. Even if he was trying to sugarcoat his intentions of truly wanting to help her with this story of employment, she wasn't a fool. She understood it, and that fact made her as happy as it pissed her off.

Reinhard and Rom, too, in fact, since they were both smiling alongside him. Reinhard knew his master and Rom, and he knew Subaru was special.

"What kind of use you could have of us…?"

Subaru chuckled; he lifted his finger while explaining everything like a teacher in front of his students.

"Simple. Granted, Rom was known and respected in the slums as the owner of the loot house. Still, since you are his daughter and have a great reputation as well, I want you to be a bridge between these people and me since one of my goals is to help them have a better life. The fourth and fifth districts are still quite large, so having the support of the people around here would be a great advantage for me. I know what you think, but sometimes you can't help living here. If I get the chance to do this, I want to give them hope to change. And you felt it. Do I have to say it? You are fast, smart, strong-willed, and beautiful. Why wouldn't I want to have you at my side? Having someone like you could strengthen my camp as hell and be a step further to the throne."

Rom's spirit laughed at the candidate's analysis while Felt blushed so much that her entire face wasn't so different than the color of her scarf.

Reinhard smiled wide at his master's plan. He was relieved to know that Felt could be safe and by their side. Subaru offered him a chance to make amends again…

Felt looked down, unable to face him anymore. Subaru got up from his chair, went towards her, and gave her his hand.

"Please, Felt, be one of my strengths in changing this kingdom!"

The young girl looked around her to see Rom's delighted face and Reinhard's warm and eager face, nearly cheering on her to take his hand.

She then faced Subaru again, who smiled at her confidently and with determination flowing down his eyes as if he knew she would make the right choice.

Still with some tears in her eyes, Felt wiped them and made the same smile to him, taking his hand.

"All right, but it will cost you a lot!"

"Don't worry, Reinhard's rich!"

"Suba-! Mh. No, that's true."

Rom laughed and smiled with relief at the sword saint's reaction, along with Felt and Subaru, until Rom saw his spirit begin to fade as he chuckled to himself.

"What do you know? It looks like my time is up." Rom said, which made Felt cry; seeing her father begin to leave, Rom placed a hand on her head, which made Felt smile back at her father until the two shared a warm hug that ended when Rom looked back up at Subaru and spoke.

"If you hurt her, I'll haunt you until you die."

Subaru chuckled at this before replying. "I assure you, I'll make sure Felt has a beautiful smile on her face all the time."

This made Old Man Rom pleased as he left the living world and entered his eternal slumber while Felt sniffed a bit before wiping her tears and turning back to Subaru and Reinhardt.

"I'm ready to help Big Bro. Let's go kick some ass!" Felt said, which made Subaru chuckle as the trio headed back to the mansion.

End Flashback.

"And ever since then, she's been a bundle of joy," Subaru said before seeing Princi appear behind him and hug his head into her bust which made Subaru look up at her face before Princi leaned and whispered into his ear about something that intrigued Subaru as a smile appeared on his face.

"Give me a couple of minutes and meet me at the abandoned ruins," Subaru said before Princi nodded after kissing his forehead and letting Subaru get ready for the meeting since Princi had a feeling that her master, lover, and future King would enjoy the gift that Elsa and Meili are giving to Subaru as compensation.

Subaru hummed quietly to himself while getting dressed, smiling at his appearance and making sure his teeth and breath were cleaned up.

"Minty fresh," Subaru said as he headed to the bedroom door before turning around and walking over to Felt before kissing the top of her head.

Felt smiled at this touch of affection before Subaru left the bedroom and headed towards the front door after passing the kitchen and grabbing an apple.

"Going out?" Reinhardt asked, surprising Subaru before he chuckled at his friend for being concerned about Subaru's well-being since the royal candidate liked to go out on a morning walk just as the sun was coming up to familiarize himself with the layout and the people in the early morning.

"Don't worry, Reinhardt. I'm just going on my morning walk as usual."

"I wish you would be more cautious since I've announced you as the fifth Royal candidate for the throne, which still shocked the council if you can believe it." Reinhardt said, making Subaru chuckle at the memory of their shocked expressions after learning the fifth candidate was a male instead of a woman like the 'legend' said.

"Ah, memories," Subaru said with a smile before telling Reinhardt not to wait up. He then left the mansion and headed on his walk down the scenic route, which made Subaru always calm down and smile at the beauty of the world he was sent to, thanks to those Devil Hunters.

"Good morning, kid! Out for your walk as usual?" Kadomon, an apple stand seller, asked with Subaru laughing and replied.

"Hey, got to take in that sweet morning air before it's ruined, am I right?"

"Heh. Be a safe kid. Also, come by some time since my girl is still grateful her savior saved her."

"Hey, I was just seeing no one move and wanted the kid to be safe. What's wrong with that?"

Kadoman chuckled in response before tossing another apple in Subaru's way. He thanked the man by flicking a coin his way, which made Kadomon chuckle at the boy's antics.

"Kid! You got my vote. You have this spark in you that shows you really want to change things. Kick those princesses asses."

Subaru smiled a sincere one at this before flashing him a thumbs up.

"You got it, old man."

"Hah! I may be old, but I'm still kicking!"

Subaru laughed a bit at this before he continued down his route and approached the meeting place.

A cafe that's infamous for allowing DemiHumans and humans to dine together but prohibits violence, which Subaru didn't mind since he hated how both sides, mostly the humans, saw DemiHumans as nothing more than enslaved people.

"Hello, my name is Subaru Natsuki, and I'm meeting someone here. May I have a table on the rooftop?" Subaru asked the girl behind the counter, who was a dog, DemiHuman. She blushed and nodded her head, then let Subaru order ahead. He ordered coffee and the breakfast special, which consisted of a few eggs scrambled with some cooked bacon on the side, along with some toast.

Subaru thanked her and gave her a nice tip of a hundred gold coins, which shocked the girl since it was a lot more than the meal before. Subaru said to keep the extra since it was payment for both wonderful service and seeing her beautiful smile, which brightened his day.

The dog girl blushed at this before thanking Subaru and headed to the kitchen to make a meal for her favorite customer.

A couple of minutes later, a girl with long green hair with a ponytail on her right side, orange eyes with blue pupils, and a pair of ears too pointy to be human but too short to be elvish. She was dressed in a brown knee-length dress with a white apron and black leggings.

'A half-elf?' Subaru said inwardly, which made him curious about her race before the girl spoke to him.

"Excuse me, sir." The girl greeted. "I'm here to let you know that your breakfast will be ready soon."

"Thanks. Also, may I know the name of such a pretty girl?" Subaru asked with his signature smile, which made the waitress blush heavily before introducing herself.

"Pr-Pretty?! Me? Oh, um, I am Shion. It's a pleasure to meet you as well, PRIDE-sama."

"You know, if you want to keep a secret hidden, you probably shouldn't say it in an open area like this," Subaru said while gesturing to the area around him before continuing.

"And my name isn't Pride, it's Subaru Natsuki. Now, I assume you are the girl Elsa sent to speak to me?" Subaru asked before the girl knocked herself on the head for being so stupid. Subaru gets annoyed at the girl's actions and does not get to the point.

"Who are you?" Subaru growled out, his spirits responding to his mood as balls of light seemed to appear above him.

To her credit, Shion looked like she'd expected this much. She showed little fear as she stepped forward into his room and went down on one knee after locking the door behind her. "I am Shion, a member of the assassination guild led by Mama."

"Mama? Wait..." Subaru halted when he remembered the last person he knew had been regarded as Mama, along with being called PRIDE. "You're Capella's underling?!"

"Former underling, thanks to you, Subaru-sama." Shion corrected. "Thanks to you slaying Mama, we've been freed from our slavery. Well, technically, service, but not a single one of us is foolish enough to see it as anything but the former."

Subaru's jaw dropped as he tried and failed to comprehend what he was hearing. Was this like a yakuza or mob? 'Kill the boss, take his minions!'

"Aren't you members of the Witch Cult?"

"What? Oh No!" Shion's face at least showed a brief instance of genuine disgust before it faded away into a stoic expression. "We worked directly for Mama as opposed to the Witch Cult, taking assassination requests and the like. In her words directly, 'This lovely lady's performers are of a higher class than those wretches.'. After Mama's death, some of the people she'd... punished suddenly returned to their original forms. So now, we are no longer bound to her."

Subaru dropped back into his chair and grabbed his head in furious thought as he considered his choices since he hated the idea of slavery, but having members want to join him would be beneficial for him in the long run.

"I have two more questions. Firstly, why do you all want me as your leader? How come one of you isn't taking charge yourselves or ditching it immediately, as Capella isn't alive to stop you?"

"To be fair, two-thirds of our group have already defected without issue." Shion conceded. "The remaining of us neither remember how to live independently nor wish to live a life without grateful service to you. I volunteered to meet up with you and persuade you to accept the offer to become our new master. The Bowel Hunter and the Mabeast Tamer did already tell us, but..."

Shion's cheeks and ears turned red again as she smiled. "As proven by your reaction to me, as well as your closeness to Ruler Candidate Emilia, you do find half-elves attractive compared to everybody else seeing us as horrifying. Admittedly, my case isn't as bad as Emilia-sama's..."

"...Okay, then. Second question." Subaru crossed his arms. "Why do you all trust me to be a good leader to you all?"

"Because in your battle against Mama, the Mabeast Tamer reported that you'd saved her from being killed," Shion replied. "We do not know who now possesses Mama's Authority, but as PRIDE, you've proven immune-"

"Actually, I do have it," Subaru replied with a confident smile. "I haven't figured out the details of how it works yet, but I did take Capella's Witch Factor after she died."

Shion's eyes widened. "So you're both PRIDE and LUST, now?"

"Yup!" Subaru grinned. "As for your offer to become your new master, you do realize I will be tearing it down to build you guys up to whatever I need, right?"

"Mama created us for the sole purpose of having a group to kill whoever she wanted without having to expend the effort herself," Shion replied. "As long as we're useful to a lord who cares for us, we do not care about the new vocations you will put us to."

Subaru nodded in relief and excitement since having a personal army of both DemiHumans and Demons would probably be good for my campaign, especially since having an army of assassins that specialize in gathering information and blackmail for himself would be perfect.

Especially since he'll send a few to look after Arlam Village and keep an eye on the Mabeasts in the area since it was a lot for two maids to do alone, and it's also beneficial for him once he absorbs the Emilia Camp and village as well as the clown's territory into his own once the council looks into the truth about said clown thanks to the information and evidence that they thank thanks to an anonymous source.

"Then I look forward to seeing your performance on your first assignment, but for now, it's breakfast time!" Subaru said, slapping his hands together, which made Shion surprised, before nodding her head

"Ah! R-Right." Shion said as she placed the meal down before him, which made Subaru grateful. He blessed the food and began to dig into the wonderful meal and the coffee since it was much better than the last coffee he had at this cafe.

"Mm. You can taste the freshness of the coffee beans. Give my compliments to the chef since this is wonderful." Subaru said before taking the glass of water provided and drinking it to wash down his meal.

The rabbit DemiHuman was grateful for Subaru's compliment, which made her feel warm and fuzzy inside. Before he thanked the kind woman for the meal, he left to continue his walk and prepare to give his first mission to the girls. Still, he needed Elsa or that girl to do it for him.

"Subaru-sama!" Shion called out to him as she ran towards him in different clothes. Now dressed more like a mercenary with even weapons hanging off her hips, the girl eagerly came to a stop at his side. "I'm sorry for impeding your morning walk, but please allow me to join you!"

"No," Subaru said, instantly shooting her down.

"Bu-"

"No. Look, I'm not saying no just because." Subaru spoke with seriousness. "I actually spent the meal thinking it over, but while I can't exactly have you coming with me at the Van Astraea mansion, I'll actually be needing you to do something for me."

Shion stood at attention, ready to carry out her master's request. "What do you need?"

"I want you to spread the word to your comrades that if I do accept them, I'll be changing everything about how they usually work," Subaru replied. "It's one thing for you of all people to say that 'As long as we're useful to a lord who cares for us, we do not care about the new vocations you will put us to.' it's another story for the rest of you to agree. So spread the word. If you're all into having me as a boss when I come to meet you, then we'll see how we go from there."

Shion blinked before her eyes narrowed in resolve. "I understand. I shall spread the word to the others."

"Good. I'm counting on you, Shion. Don't let me down."

"Sir! Yes, sir!" Shion said before disappearing into the shadows, which made Subaru chuckle at the girl before continuing on his walk while making a mental picture of how he was going to redo the system since he needed information on the rich people in the first, second, and third class, as well as the fourth and fifth class.

Subaru was pondering how he could boost his reputation to not only show he cares about helping the lower class and wanting to tear down this corrupt system and rebuild it in his image.

However, Fate seems to be on his side since an opportunity just showed up.

"AH! Got you, you little thief!"

The sudden scream made Subaru turn his eyes toward the scene, which was happening before a merchant stall selling groceries.

The merchant was pulling on the wrist of a little person he caught stealing from his stall, probably about to beat them or something.

"I'll make sure you won't use this hand again in my shop!" The merchant yelled as he took a small hammer in his hand.

The small person was screaming in pain and fear, crying while apologizing so much their voice was becoming hoarse. No one around paid attention. They would all pass the scene and do nothing about it except wince for the child's hand.

'Of course they wouldn't. After all, who would care about a child about to lose a hand?' Subaru said in his mind before walking towards the stall just as the man forced the child to lay his hand on the table and raised his hammer high, ready to crush the bones of the little one's hand until a hand stopped the arm of the merchant.

"I've seen some cruel people around here, but you guys really won't make any exception, huh?" Subaru said with his eyes narrowing in anger while the merchant gritted his teeth at him while trying to break free from his grasp, but the boy had a really strong grip on his wrist right now, so strong he started to hurt the man.

"Damn it, let go! Let go, you're hurting me!" The merchant yelled while Subaru narrowed his eyes dangerously, making an expression that sent shivers down the spine of the merchant. These eyes really were unmatched in sharpness.

Keeping his grip on the man's wrist, Subaru dragged him away for a few meters before pushing him toward the inside of his stall, making him let go of the child's hand.

"Don't go anywhere." Said Subaru while pointing at the child with his finger.

The child worriedly nodded his head to the candidate, who turned back to the merchant glaring at him. The man was examining Subaru with his nasty eyes, concluding he had to be noble like anyone else would regarding his clothes.

"Why the hell would you protect that scum?!"

"Look at their head! They're just putting their ears down!"

Subaru turned his narrowed eyes towards the little child, looking down in shame as their entire body was shaking, when he noticed animal ears of the same color as its hair, down on their head.

The ears were of a rabbit, and her body definitely fits the whole rabbit theme, being a white-furred, white-haired rabbit mink with red eyes, a rabbit-like nose, a large round fluffy tail, but a strange mark on her forehead.

'So that's why people weren't doing anything,' Subaru said in his mind while being annoyed that the people or guards weren't doing anything to help a child. In contrast, the child started whimpering in place, hearing the tone of voice of the merchant accusing him of his race.

Subaru had mixed feelings of anger and pity at the sight of the child. This sight angered him deeply; he didn't like it and couldn't bear to see it any longer.

"You see now?! That's half scum is nothing but a worth-"

Suddenly, the merchant was cut by Subaru, who grabbed his collar and slammed him against the wall of the stall. His eyes were reflecting such a murderous intent the merchant couldn't even breathe as he stared deep into his eyes, glowing in red anger, before the looks of the shocked crowd and the scared boy cowering in fear.

"What did he try to steal…" Subaru asked, which made the merchant stutter.

"W-what…?"

"What did he try to take from you?" Subaru asked again, more clearly this time.

The merchant gulped down his saliva and, still holding his throat, pointed towards some fruits in front of him.

"An…Apple. He tried to steal an apple." The merchant said, which made Subaru turn back to the whimpering child with soft eyes, as the little one was wondering what would happen to him. He turned back to the merchant and cleared his throat before taking a kind of little wooden basket to the side.

"Fill this with as much of your stock as you can," Subaru said as he placed two holy coins out of his pocket and placed them in the merchant.

"H-hum…That's…That's way more than needed, l-let me…"

"Take them," Subaru said in a tone that was leaving no room to negotiate before leaning in and whispering in the merchant's ear.

"If I find out that you try that same stunt again on a child, then know I won't hesitate to give you the same treatment," Subaru said in the merchant's war before taking the basket and the child into the alleyway.

Once they were far away enough, Subaru put a knee down before the boy and gave him the basket, which the little one took with a quite surprised expression, raising their ears in curiosity.

"Where do you live? Let me take you back home." Subaru said with a small smile, which made the child smile, but they looked down before taking Subaru to an abandoned area of the slums where there was a box with a thin blanket and a flat pillow.

Subaru looked around to see that there wasn't anyone else there before the child took off her hood and cloak, revealing that they were a girl, which surprised Subaru until the girl pointed to her forehead.

"Are you a Mabeast?" Subaru asked, which made the girl nod her head. She then tried to speak but couldn't do so, so she decided to take some paper and draw until Subaru stopped her.

"Tell me, how would you like to come work for me? You'd have a salary, a roof over your head, clothes on your back, and best of all, I would be there to protect you. Everyone wins." Subaru said before the girl shivered in fear and asked with a piece of paper.

'Y-You wouldn't hurt me, would you?'

"Little one, if I wanted to harm you, I would've let that man smash your hand," Subaru said before the rabbit smiled as she took Subaru's left hand and followed him to his home where she would be given a new life, but others may be surprised by her appearance.

Case in point.

"Subaru, why do you have a small child with you?" Reinhardt said while looking down at the small rabbit girl who was now wearing a maid outfit, which made her cheer in joy. She thanked the twins before Subaru replied to him.

"Well, that's simple. I wasn't going to let Luna stay in the slums when I also knew she was struggling since she's like the DemiHumans but different." Subaru said before tapping his forehead, which made Reinhardt realize what Subaru was talking about.

"So you took her in?"

"Because if people learned what or who she was, then it's possible that whoever did this to her probably thinks she's dead."

"But if she's truly the Great Rabbit..."

"Really? She's a rabbit DemiHuman on appearance alone, but that horn mark on her forehead is a dead giveaway. The guards and most people in the first three classes are stupid and believe what they want to believe. Also, rest assured that this is part of my idea for an education system that will be available to all children so they can read and write and have a better future in this sick and twisted world." Subaru said that since he recalled his time as a NEET before, he found the strength to go back to school and continue his education.

Reinhardt was surprised by this before asking Subaru about his threat.

"But did you have to threaten the merchant like that?" Reinhardt asked before Subaru sighed to himself.

"Maybe there could've been a better way, but if I didn't step in, then that would mean that Luna would've lost her hand, and no one would've cared, and those guards that were there sure as hell didn't give a shit about that kind of punishment," Subaru said, recalling his cocky bastards let their anger get in control granted, the girl did try to steal an apple. Still, given the extra stock the man had and the discrimination of DemiHumans, it was believable that the merchant hated all DemiHumans like most people in this world.

It reminded him of how others saw him as a Demon or a monster even though he was doing what was necessary to create a better world for the people he cared for, while the Devil Hunters were content with letting people like Makima, the Devils who didn't care about humans and such or actually try to change anything have so much power. They didn't care or dare to do what needed to be done.

"I see. And who is this Luna you mentioned?"

"Oh, Luna is the rabbit's name, and she liked it. Right, Luna?" Subaru asked as the small rabbit girl, Luna, nodded her head while nuzzling Felt, which made the thief feel embarrassed by the girl's actions.

"Stop that!"

"Aw, she likes you. How's it feel to have a little sister Felt?"

"Shut up, big bro! When I get out of her arms, I'm coming for you!"

"Hahah! Good luck! Luna's got a tight grip on you!" Subaru said while laughing, which made Reinhardt smile as he looked at how lively the mansion had become ever since Subaru and Felt joined him at his home; suffice to say that Subaru was already starting his plan to rebuild the world since he had one candidate to join his camp and now he needs to build his reputation since he knows that the nobles won't just let a commoner with no name run for the throne and who knows about the other three besides Emilia.

"Hopefully, Shion and Elsa can bring me some good news," Subaru said to himself while smiling back at Reinhardt, knowing that no matter what stands in his way, he'll defeat whatever obstacles will come his way to make his dream a reality.

Scene!

I wanted to show the aftermath after the Emilia Camp Arc and with Capella's army helping Subaru out as he gains two new members of his camp to help.

The Great Rabbit is a DemiHuman but tamed now that her horn is gone, so it'll be easier for Subaru to help her adjust to a life where she doesn't have to hunt or fight for survival.

As for the Sloth Arc, well, the clown will want to speed things up since he'll be facing some repercussions due to the evidence against him, thanks to an anonymous source. Heheh.