Reinhard had an incredibly troubled look on his face as he stood outside the door, holding some packaged food in his hand that was emitting a faint warmth, "Sir Arthur, please allow me to apologize for barging in unannounced so late in the evening. I'm well aware that I might have earned your ire by turning up on your doorstep like this, but my Lady has something urgent to discuss with Lady Emilia, and I'm afraid it couldn't wait until morning."
Hearing what Reinhard said, I was literally flabbergasted. What an amazing coincidence. Is this what they mean by great minds think alike? Looking at him, I couldn't help but respond, still somewhat stupefied, "Sir Reinhard, you have no reason to apologize. In fact, you've saved us a trip."
"Huh?" Reinhard blinked, looking incredibly confused by my words, "Sir Arthur, what do you mean by that exactly?"
"It turns out that my Lady also has something she wishes to discuss with your Lady." I smiled wryly at the marvels of fate. Reinhard looked like he wanted to respond, but seeing Felt shivering in the doorway, hanging onto a knight's cloak for warmth, I interrupted the young man, "It's so cold out, the two of you, please come in immediately. I'll personally prepare some hot tea and some blankets so you can warm up."
"Thank you, Sir Arthur, that's awfully kind of you." Reinhard smiled warmly, gesturing in front of him, "Please, Lady Felt, after you."
"Hmph!" with that snort and pout from Felt, I led the duo inside the guesthouse.
Like that, in a bizarre set of circumstances, the Sword Saint, Reinhard van Astrea was now sitting in our living room alongside Lady Felt, who had her arms crossed, tucked under a silky blanket, pouting heavily, clearly annoyed at Reinhard for having dragged her across the Noble District to the Mathers Mansion.
Reinhard sipped the tea I prepared, and his eyes lit up, "Sir Arthur, this tea is incredible. If I'm being honest, I didn't expect you to be so formidable in the kitchen. Do you perhaps have the Divine Blessing of Tea?"
"In truth, Sir Reinhard, until I laid eyes on the kitchen utensils, I didn't realize I could cook like this either!" I couldn't help but scratch my cheek sheepishly.
"You two, whilst I feel bad about interrupting your conversation, Mr. Reinhard, do you mind explaining why you're here?" Emilia asked curiously, "We were literally just about to go and see you."
"Lady Emilia, though I know this might sound scary to hear, I have reason to believe you're in grave danger." Reinhard stated severely, his visage the picture of solemnity.
To which, Lady Emilia let out a light giggle into her hand, "I know that, Mr. Reinhard, that's precisely why we were about to go and find you."
"Uh… you already knew?" It was clear that even with all his power and Divine Blessings, even Reinhard couldn't have anticipated this result.
"I'll explain in a minute, Mr. Reinhard. First, can you please explain why you think I'm in danger?" she sat forward, eyes shining brightly.
"Of course, I'd be happy to tell you." Reinhard nodded his head, taking another sip of tea as he proceeded to narrate events, "After we returned from the Royal Palace, Lady Felt kept trying to escape the mansion, saying she had a meeting to attend. After some prying, I found that not only was Lady Felt tasked with stealing your insignia, but she was also to meet the person who wished to purchase your insignia."
"So, I was right?" Emilia smiled, looking genuinely quite proud of herself, something I was very happy to see.
"So you really did know all this?" Reinhard looked quite shocked, whilst Emilia nodded her head.
"Right, that's why we were going to see you, to confirm whether or not my theory was correct."
"I must say, Lady Emilia, I'm incredibly awed by your deductive capabilities." Reinhard bowed his head.
"W-What?! N-Not at all!" Having been praised by the Sword Saint, Emilia became incredibly flustered, cheeks rosy as she waved her hands, "Y-You're exaggerating!"
"Hang on a minute, Reinhard, right?" Puck floated in front of Reinhard's face, looking at the Sword Saint curiously.
"You must be the Great Spirit, Lord Puck, correct? It's my absolute honor to meet you." Reinhard bowed his head politely.
"Look – I don't care about that. You said that the girl was going to meet a buyer, right? Do you know who this buyer is? Are they dangerous?" Puck crossed his arms and looked at the young, yet powerful Sword Saint sternly.
"This is where things get especially concerning." Reinhard turned his gaze to me with a look I found difficult to describe, "After hearing the details from Lady Felt, I confirmed that the buyer is most likely none other than the notorious assassin, the Bowel Hunter, Elsa Granhiert." He spoke grimly, "Sir Arthur… if you didn't point me in the direction of Lady Felt… honestly, I don't even want to think about what would've happened to her. Sir Arthur, though you might not have realized this, but inadvertently, you've saved my Lady's life, and quite frankly, that's a debt I'll never be able to properly repay. From now on, if you ever need anything from me, please don't hesitate to ask." He bowed his head ninety degrees.
"In truth, Sir Reinhard, I'm undeserving of your thanks, I was merely doing what I thought was right, and I put my own Lady in danger in the process. Nonetheless, I understand that this is a matter of honor for you, and if you'd like, you can repay your debt to me tonight." I made a small smile as the final key fell into place. Though the various plans I came up with were flexible, Reinhard was the 'key' key per say in all of them.
When coming up with a plan, there was a single issue I had that I couldn't resolve no matter how I bashed my head against the wall. In the canon timeline, Elsa was here alone. However, this was no longer the canon timeline. The fact that I arrived here instead of Subaru changes things completely. I have no idea what Roswaal read. I have no idea what Roswaal planned.
As stated earlier, my plan was to separate Lady Emilia from Elsa. This meant I could focus my attention solely on combatting Elsa without worrying about Lady Emilia getting caught up in the battle. However, there is an inherent issue with that. If I'm away from Lady Emilia, that means she's vulnerable.
Emilia is an incredibly powerful combatant, true, but as you can see by Subaru's first route, even she's susceptible to sneak attacks. During Subaru's fourth route, even when Emilia was in the middle of battle, completely on guard, if it wasn't for Subaru's quick reaction in calling out to Puck, Emilia wouldn't have gotten off lightly.
If Elsa really was alone, then that naturally wouldn't be an issue. But say, for example, this time, Elsa wasn't alone. Let's say she brought Meili or another one of her assassin cohorts, and whilst I was dealing with Elsa, Lady Emilia was attacked… that would be simply horrific. To be honest, I didn't even want to think about it. It would be the worst possible result imaginable.
Perhaps I was merely overthinking, but since I only had one attempt to reach the happy end, I certainly couldn't afford to be negligent.
Despite her strength, Lady Emilia was incredibly vulnerable, that is a fact. However, in comparison to the canon timeline where in Subaru was her knight, I was now her knight. Though Subaru was formidable in his own right, he was admittedly a trial-and-error kind of warrior, and quite frankly, I didn't have that luxury, nor did I need it. What I lacked in Return by Death, was matched with overwhelming raw stats. Though I didn't doubt I was still lacking in experience, a third-rate warrior like myself should still be capable of being both the Sword and Shield for Lady Emilia.
Nonetheless, despite King Arthur's overwhelming power, I simply couldn't be in two places at once. That was the main issue. I could not fight Elsa and simultaneously protect Lady Emilia. Perhaps the real Arthur might be able to do it, but no matter how you looked at it, I was still lacking in actual battle experience. If Emilia had the sacred sheathe, things would be completely different, but unfortunately, I just didn't have it.
And that is where the Sword Saint, Reinhard van Astrea comes in. The only individual in this world other than myself I trust with protecting my liege.
Though you could argue it's wrong of me to rely on Reinhard, I wholeheartedly hope that in the future, we can establish a relationship where he likewise is capable of entrusting the protection of his mistress to me.
In that way, it would not be the Emilia Camp relying on the Felt Camp, but rather, a steadfast and supreme alliance between the two camps that none of the other camps will possibly be able to compete with.
After all, no matter how powerful he is, like myself, Reinhard is ultimately one singular person. I hope in the future, I can become someone he can trust and rely on.
"Repay you… what do you mean by that, Sir Arthur?" Reinhard tilted his head, his curiosity and intrigue apparent.
"Elsa Granhiert, her goal is to steal the Insignia, and now that I've returned the Insignia to it's rightful owner, undoubtedly, Elsa Granhiert will set her poisonous fangs onto my liege. In short, whilst I deal with the threat, I would like to charge you with ensuring the safety of Lady Emilia."
"Sir Arthur… to think you would entrust me with the safety of your Lady… I'm honored." Reinhard looked genuinely touched. "Nonetheless, though I'm thankful, I still have to consult with Lady Felt first." Reinhard turned his head to the young lady who had her arms crossed, sulking moodily, "Lady Felt, will you allow me to honor Sir Arthur's request?"
"Hmph, why the hell should I care what you do?" Felt shrugged in annoyance, though, as she looked at Lady Emilia, her gaze did soften a little, a hint of guilt appearing in her crimson eyes, "Fine. You can protect her, alright? I suppose it is my fault that the freaky bowel hunter or whatever is after her, so it does make sense to help her out." she spoke with reddish cheeks.
"Lady Felt, your graciousness and virtue dazzles me." Reinhard smiled brightly.
I also joined in with him in praising the young princess, "Lady Felt, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for allowing this selfish request of mine." Of course, I was trying to foster a good relationship with the candidate I wished for Lady Emilia to ally with.
"Who the hell are you supposed to be again?" Felt just huffed, however, after receiving a stern look from Reinhard, she relented, "Alright, you're welcome I guess, Mister."
"Arthur." I smiled back at her softly, "My name is Arthur Pendragon."
"Like I care!"
"Anyhow, do you have a plan when it comes to dealing with the Bowel Hunter?" Reinhard asked me, "Currently, I can confirm that she's not on the premises, but considering the information network at her disposal, I don't imagine it will be long before she finds out that the Insignia was returned to Lady Emilia. When that happens, this mansion will be her next stop. Lady Emilia, I don't think I need to explain to you what will happen once the Bowel Hunter sets her sights on you."
"I know, Mr. Reinhard, I have been paying attention." Emilia giggled into her hand.
"Forgive me for speaking out of place, Lady Emilia, but aren't you scared?" Reinhard couldn't help himself from asking, "Upon hearing they're being targeted by the Bowel Hunter, Elsa Granhiert, most people would be so frightened they wouldn't be able to stand straight."
"Scared? Of course I'm scared, Mr Reinhard." Emilia smiled warmly, "It's reeeeally scary, but at the same time, I have something greater than fear. Trust. Trust in Puck to protect me. Trust in Ram to protect me. And of course, trust that my knight, Sir Arthur will protect me no matter what." She looked at me with her bright amethyst orbs.
There it was, Lady Emilia's dependence on others. It wasn't a good thing, but nonetheless, I would be lying if I said that being wholeheartedly trusted by someone wasn't an incredibly warm feeling. Like the evening winds in late summer. Though admittedly, we will have to work on it in the future. Perhaps I could teach her a thing or two about magecraft, although, in truth, I didn't know the first thing about magecraft.
"Lady Emilia, I wholeheartedly admire your courage." Reinhard made a small smile, turning to his mistress, "Lady Felt, you have some serious competition."
"Screw your stupid selection." Felt picked at her ear, not at all interested in what Reinhard had to say.
"Ahem. With that being said," Emilia cleared her throat, addressing us all, "Despite my trust in you guys, the current situation is veeery serious. Let's put our heads together and work out the most optimum strategy, okay? Preferably one where no one gets hurt."
"If you might allow me to be so bold, Lady Emilia, why not just seek refuge at my Astrea Mansion?" Reinhard asked curiously, "Though I do not know much about the Bowel Hunter, Elsa Granhiert, I doubt she is bold enough to attack our estate directly. You can simply remain there until the threat is resolved." He suggested with a kind smile, it was clear with a glance that he had no ulterior motives.
As far as protecting Lady Emilia's life went, it was certainly a great offer. However, with that being said, I had a feeling my lady wouldn't accept, and indeed I was correct.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Reinhard, whilst that's a reeeeally kind offer, I simply can't accept. After all, though we might be sitting and chatting amicably like this, we are rivals after all, I don't think it will make a good impression whatsoever if I have to hide in your house like a turtle."
"Whilst I understand you have your reservations, Lady Emilia, and the Royal Selection is important, is it not right to assume that your safety is most important?" Reinhard's genuine kindness shone brilliantly, met equally by Emilia's own kind-heartedness.
"You're right, Mr. Reinhard. My safety is indeed important." Emilia nodded her head, "However, there are things more important than my safety, such as saving my people. With that in mind, I'm afraid I must seriously consider how my own actions and the actions of my party reflect on me as a candidate for the Royal Selection."
Despite the fact she was conversing with the Sword Saint, the most powerful person in the Kingdom, and most likely the world, she spoke with confidence, emitting a faint majestic aura. Looking at her like this, I couldn't help the smile from forming on my face as a strange feeling bubbled up inside me. Was this pride? Looking at Emilia's eyes brimming with determination, I felt really glad in my decision to pledge my sword to her.
"How to put this, Lady Emilia…" Reinhard scratched his cheek, "Since we last met, you've changed a lot."
"For the better, I hope?" Emilia giggled into her hand, looking much like a fairy.
Reinhard just smiled and asked, "If you don't wish to seek refuge at the Astrea Mansion, what would you like to do, Lady Emilia?"
"As you said, this Bowel Hunter is after me, right? Then I'm the perfect bait." She responded back, eyes brimming with determination.
Puck was so furious that he actually laughed, "You're joking, right, Lia? Have you gone mad?! There's no way I'd allow you to put yourself in harm's way like that!"
"Puck. This is what I want to do. It's not fair that you guys are the only one's putting yourselves in danger. I want to fight with you." Emilia spoke sternly, turning to me, "Sir Arthur, what do you think?" like that, all eyes were on me, putting me on the spot.
Actually, Lady Emilia's question was a difficult one. Option A. was the safest option, to run and hide. In having Reinhard escort her back to the Astrea Estate then protecting her, her life would be ensured, but something else would be lost in the process, leaving her weak in the Selection.
On the other hand Option B. put Lady Emilia in an incredibly good position in terms of the Royal Selection thanks to her bravery, but at the same time, it was outrageously dangerous, and in a world like Re:Zero where plot armor was incredibly thin and named characters died left and right, it would simply be far too ignorant and far too negligent to allow Lady Emilia to have her way here.
Whilst I applauded her courage, using her as bait against an opponent so terrifyingly dangerous as the Bowel Hunter, Elsa Granhiert, was simply unthinkable. And one also had to consider the fact that our opponent this time round might not be Elsa alone.
Though it seemed highly improbable, and it was only an example, what if someone like Pandora was actually involved? Emilia would be dead before I even had time to draw Excalibur, let alone release the restraints. Though such theories seemed unreasonable, this world was incredibly unreasonable and unpredictable. Subaru simply choosing cereal over toast could lead to drastic changes in plot, let alone the young man being replaced with King Arthur.
But at the same time, I didn't want to hurt her confidence when she was finally speaking her mind so freely.
It was like I was playing Fate/Extra again, do I want to escape to the schoolyard, or escape to the dungeon? Both didn't seem like good ideas.
Thankfully, this was not a game nor a visual novel, but real life, thus, I could create my option C, "Lady Emilia, whilst this might sound outrageously arrogant of me, would you allow me to counsel you briefly as your knight? Though I may be a third-rate swordsman and a fourth-rate knight, if you can believe it, I actually have some minor experience in kingship, having once known a Legendary King quite well."
"Please, Sir Arthur, don't hesitate to speak your mind." Lady Emilia turned to me, her body language open, eyes bright and genuinely curious about my input.
"Whilst I applaud your bravery and determination, Lady Emilia, ultimately, you're only considering yourself. However, as the future Queen of this Kingdom, I believe it's most important to put your people before you. The Legendary King I knew was like this to a fault, sacrificing his own sense of self to give everything for his people's salvation."
Emilia genuinely took in my advice, closing her eyes as she ruminated over my words. After around thirty seconds of silence, she opened her eyes, "Alright, I know what I want to do, but first, let me ask. Sir Arthur, how confident are you in defeating the Bowel Hunter, Elsa Granhiert?"
"Though I may be amateurish and unskilled, if it comes down to it, Lady Emilia… I don't think I'd lose." I spoke clearly and confidently.
"Lady Emilia, Sir Arthur is being modest. Sir Arthur's raw power is no less than my own. You can rest assured that if Sir Arthur combats the threat… he'd win." Reinhard spoke severely. His words caused me to look at him curiously. Had he sensed the potential of Excalibur?
"Then it's settled." Lady Emilia nodded her head, "Whilst combatting the Bowel Hunter is key, it's more important that the City Guard is alerted that a dangerous Assassin is currently lurking within the city. We don't know if she's alone, how many assassins there are. Who knows if I'm the only target? She might have targeted other candidates of the Royal Selection. Even if not, she might currently be testing her blades on innocent citizens as we speak. Rather than selfishly waiting in ambush, I believe it's best the City Guard are alerted immediately so we can protect the people." Emilia gave out orders in a dignified manner, and I could almost visualize the platinum crown resting upon her silvery hair.
"That's a very wise decision, Lady Emilia." Reinhard made a small smile, "Please allow me to escort you there. You and Lady Felt can explain everything to the Knights at the garrison and lead them to contain any possible allies this Bowel Hunter might have."
"Perfect. I'll be counting on you, Mr. Reinhard." Emilia smiled, turning to me, "And you, Mister. I have just one order for you. Don't get hurt, okay?"
"Though it will be difficult to avoid damage when combating a foe as fatal as the Bowel Hunter, Lady Emilia, I shall try my best to avoid injury." I bowed my head.
"Promise?" Emilia looked at me deeply, reaching out her pinkie finger.
I knew how much promises meant to Emilia, thus accepting her promise was an incredibly big responsibility. However, to increase our servant bond and improve my strength, I would have to take on that responsibility.
Reaching out my finger, I hooked her pinkie and smiled warmly, "I promise, Lady Emilia."
"Very good." Emilia smiled brightly.
"Sir Arthur, please allow me a quick word." Reinhard looked at me with a complex expression, "As knights, we should try our best to exercise mercy and restraint. If you feel your life is in danger, or she might escape, do not hesitate to use lethal force. However, if you can restrain her for long enough, I shall send my trusted comrade, Julius Juukulius to bring over a Collar of Submission, and we will imprison the Bowel Hunter within our city's dungeon. Though I understand she is a notorious serial killer, and this is an incredibly unreasonable and selfish request I'm making, at the same time, if possible, I would not like to spill blood tonight." Reinhard spoke with a kindness and mercy that was impossible to contain.
This was the unreasonable mercifulness and kindness of the Sword Saint that would allow him to suggest someone like Regulus, who had massacred entire cities, simply leave Priestella to avoid having to use lethal force against the man. As a viewer, I wholeheartedly admired this trait of his, but as a participant, I simply couldn't condone it. If I was to let Elsa survive, and she somehow managed to escape imprisonment, would I not be responsible for every life she took in the future?
Ultimately, Reinhard's thoughts were the thoughts of the strong. He did not consider the position of the weak.
At the same time, not only would leaving her alive make my battle all the more difficult, but it would be leaving alive a potential risk for Lady Emilia. Yet at the same time, Reinhard was someone whom I truly wished to befriend and ally with in the future. Friendship, after all, was a two-way street, if I couldn't honor this small request of his, what reason should he have to honor my requests in the future? At the same time, although I didn't doubt that King Arthur was influencing my thoughts and personality to some degree, I was still a civilian. Did I have what it took to deliver the finishing blow?
In short, I had a lot to think about. This was not a simple duel between Elsa and I, but a deep moral conundrum, and I could only hope I ended up choosing the option I wouldn't regret.
"Reinhard, I cannot promise you that I will spare her life, however, I will seriously consider your request." I responded back solemnly.
"That is more than enough, Sir Arthur. I thank you for your kindness and consideration." The Sword Saint smiled warmly.
"As for my Lady," I reached my hand out, resting it on his shoulder, looking into his blue eyes, "I entrust her life to you."
"You have my word, Sir Arthur. Not a single hair on Lady Emilia's head will be harmed." Reinhard nodded seriously.
"Thank you, Reinhard." Despite the fact Lady Emilia would be out of my range, considering she was with Reinhard, I didn't feel anxious. Nonetheless, it didn't hurt to be careful.
"Lady Emilia, if things do go awry, please don't hesitate to use a command seal to summon me. We're short on time, and Elsa might arrive at any time, so I won't go into great detail, just know that if things become incredibly dangerous for you, you can use command seals summon me across space and time."
Emilia used her hand to massage the red tattoos on the back of her palm and nodded her head solemnly, "I understand, Sir Arthur."
"Sir Arthur, would you like me to stay behind and assist in battle?" after a long period of silence, Ram rejoined the conversation, offering her assistance. Considering she understood well the threat of the Bowel Hunter, I was genuinely touched by her comment. Nonetheless, with Ram here, I simply wouldn't be able to fight freely.
Smiling warmly at her, I responded, "Whilst I'm thankful for your offer, Miss Ram, I'm relying on you to protect Lady Emilia no matter what."
Ram nodded her head, "Understood, Sir Arthur."
"Alright." Emilia clasped her hands together, "Let's commence the operation!"
Authors Notes:
That has been Chapter 6 of Re:Knight! Everyone, thank you so much for reading!
With that, the build up has been completed, and the final confrontation with Elsa will begin immediately with the next chapter.
As of posting this chapter, we're approaching 190 follows, and once again, I would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to view, follow, favorite or review this story, it really does mean the world to me, and I really hope you continue enjoying the story.
Have a great weekend everyone, take care!