A/N: It's that time of year again! January 24 is both Echidna's birthday and my birthday, so here is the annual Q/A chapter to celebrate!
This year, we've hit over 300 favorites and 200k views, so I can't thank you enough for sticking with me, even with the slow uploads. It's been four whole years since I started writing this story, and you guys have been the reason that I keep on going at it, because without such great readers, I don't think that I would have the motivation to finish this story out.
Like every year, I gave people the chance to ask any character a question, and once again, I'd like to thank all of you for the many questions that you asked! I did my best to have them answered, so I hope you enjoy!
Q1: To author-sama: People make jokes about Subaru and his harem, but Tappei made it clear that there would be a happy ending and no harem, just Subaru x Emilia. Will (Y/N) have something similar with Echidna? Since you know, all the Ram, Frederica, and Elsa stuff (I don't think Frederica feels anything more than respect but who knows).
Booklore: (Y/N) definitely won't have a harem, and Echidna x (Y/N) will continue to be the official ship. There might be some other characters that have some feelings for him, but I'm not going to pair him with anyone else. However, I won't reveal if the ending is a happy one or not.
Q2: For the author: Is (Y/N)'s unnamed healing ability gonna come up again?
Booklore: Hehe... It's funny that you ask that, because it's coming up in two chapters from now! Is it only coming up in conversation? Perhaps. Is he getting it back? Who knows? (No, he won't.) Yes, he will(?) I guess you'll find out sometime around Summer 2025.
Q3: For (Y/N): Do you ever plan to tell Subaru and/or the others about Re:Zero?
(Y/N): I don't know if I'll ever need to tell Subaru that he's technically a fictional character, but I don't plan on it. Besides, if I had a best friend who came up to me and said that he knew all about me and this world because he saw me in an anime, there's no way that I'd take it seriously. And other than Echidna, I don't think anybody else would appreciate me telling them about Re:Zero.
Q4: For (Y/N): Why didn't you tell Subaru everything you know? It seems extremely cruel to intentionally let Subaru die unnecessarily. What was stopping you from taking him somewhere private and explaining things to him? Subaru would believe you so don't say he won't listen to you if you don't even try, giving you the benefit of the doubt? You could say you were trying to stick to cannon, but that falls flat when you could have unintentionally pushed him towards the Wrath If route or any other negative IF routes, as any normal person would have been furious with you that you didn't warn them of anything. Why not tell him all his successful loops and why didn't you let Rem go with Subaru if you 100% knew Greed and Gluttony would have attacked? The point of foreknowledge is to use it, you have seen many movies, games and anime and you knew the mistakes the characters made when they were in similar situations as you, why repeat the same mistakes as them choosing the path of inaction.
(Y/N): Well, I think I told Subaru the really important stuff, but now that I'm looking back, I definitely could have done better. Even when I told him things, I didn't explain them very well, and that's what caused him to hate me after he died to the White Whale and Betelgeuse. Back then, I didn't think as hard as I should have and I kind of winged everything. To be fair, Echidna made a good point when she said that telling Subaru too much would take away his development, but like you said, leaving out information would also lead to him dying unnecessarily. It's a really tough thing to balance, and I just didn't know how to balance it the right way. And the worst thing I messed up is definitely letting Rem and Crusch still leave after the fight with the White Whale. I thought that taking a different route back to the capital would mean that we wouldn't run into the Archbishops, but I was wrong and nothing changed. I had a bunch of foreknowledge and didn't use it to its full potential, and those mistakes still haunt me, but like I was told by my friends, I was also able to save others, so I just focus on the good that I was able to do and the lessons I learned along the way.
Q5: To Echidna: How do you feel about losing your direct connection with (Y/N)? Do you miss it? Additionally, how's your progress when it comes to emotions and understanding them? Is it stronger with (Y/N) than other people?
Echidna: I must admit that I am more unaccustomed to the silence than I had assumed I was. After losing my unlimited access to (Y/N), this Castle of Dreams feels rather empty. Of course, the other Witches can keep me company if they so wish, but we would not be capable of conversing in the same way that (Y/N) and I do. Therefore, I assume that I do indeed miss the direct connection that I had with (Y/N). As for my emotional progress, it is a given that I understand (Y/N) more than any other, as I have dedicated several months to studying him. In fact, I believe that I can deduce most of the emotions that influence (Y/N), even without reading his thoughts. However, I admit that I am still inadequate when dealing with the emotions of any person other than (Y/N). This is to be expected, but I aim to understand more within the near future.
Q6: To Elsa: Can you defeat Regulus?
Elsa: Ara~ Do I think I can defeat somebody powerful enough to make Reinhard van Astrea struggle? There's only one way to find out! I wonder if he bleeds, and what color his bowels are...
Q7: For Elsa: What exactly is your loyalty to (Y/N)? Do you stick around only for your own benefit, or would you stick around even if you have nothing from it? Or maybe you only stay because Meili grew fond of (Y/N)?
Elsa: (Y/N)~ That boy knows how to make me feel alive! I was pushed to join him because of Meili, but I stay by his side because he knows exactly how to heat me up! It has been far too long since he has allowed me to kill anybody, but I will not leave him because he keeps me entertained in... other ways.
Q8: For Meili: You called Y/N onii-chan once or twice. Do you see him as a brother figure despite knowing him for barely a year and the fact you tried to kill him? (Also, you probably gave him some trauma with the being ripped apart thing, although I don't think he would hold it against such an adorable child.)
Meili: Oh... I don't think I ever apologized to him for that whole thing... I should probably do that. But putting that aside, he's been really nice to me, even though Elsa and I both tried to do such bad things to everyone here, you know? That really took me by surprise at first, and I re~ally felt happy when he said that he'd protect us from Mama. Elsa isn't really my nee-sama by blood, but in the same way, (Y/N) isn't really my onii-chan, but he kind of feels like one.
Q9: To Reinhard: Have you ever felt bad for being so powerful?
Reinhard: I am very flattered that you consider me to be powerful. There are plenty of things that my meager strength cannot accomplish on its own, and there are many regrets that I have in that regard. However, if I must name a direct downside of my strength, I must say that it pains me that there are people who fear me. I am grateful that I possess the strength to defend the people of our nation, but I occasionally wish that there were a Divine Protection I could possess that would ease the hearts of those who needlessly fear me. Additionally, when I was young, I couldn't help but feel guilty that my grandmother died after her Divine Blessing of the Sword Saint was transferred to my body. Even after reconciling with my grandfather, I am reminded of my many shortcomings.
Q10: For Wilhelm: Wouldn't it be a good idea for you or Reinhard to train (Y/N)? If you want to eliminate the Witch Cult, shouldn't (Y/N) try to get even stronger?
Wilhelm: Besides my grandson and I being preoccupied by our masters, (Y/N)-dono has already received training from Julius. I realize that he has much more that he could learn, but I believe that his companions are currently training him well. We do not have the time for formal training, but if I were given permission from Crusch-sama and Emilia-sama, I would gladly find a day in which I could train with (Y/N)-dono, but I believe that I would learn more from him than this old man could teach him now.
Q11: For Subaru: How would you feel if your entire life was an anime or a light novel?
Subaru: If I was seriously just a fictional character... I'd like to give the author a piece of my mind! Like, if you're going to put me in a fantasy world, why can't you just be normal and give me tons of hacks and super strong powers? I'm grateful for Emilia-tan, but give me a break! Can't I have a nice beach episode every now and then? Why couldn't my story have been a romcom or a slice of life?!
Q12: To Subaru: I've noticed that you've always worn the same clothes. Do you... wash them? Because it always seems like you always have them on.
Subaru: EHHH? I would never wear smelly clothes near Emilia-tan, and Ram-chi would never let me hear the end of it if she caught me skipping out on laundry! I make sure to get my tracksuit washed after taking my nightly baths, and if it ever gets torn, I use my expert sewing skills to mend it!
Q13: For Frederica: What do you think of (Y/N)? (Your teeth are the best, by the way)
Frederica: Oh my, thank you for the compliment! My teeth have caused me problems in the past, so I am glad that you like them! Speaking of being glad, I am nothing short of delighted to be of service to (Y/N)-sama. He is almost as odd as Subaru-sama, but just as respectable. He is very vocal about his approval for my cooking, and it fills me with joy to hear his praise. After spending over half of a year with him, I can confidently assess that he is a genuinely kind person, and I commend him for demonstrating mercy and forgiveness to Elsa-sama and Meili-sama. As somebody with my own younger sibling, I was very touched by his actions.
Q14: For (Y/N): How would you rank the Royal Candidate's from best to worst?
(Y/N): Well, I think that I'm supposed to say that Emilia is the best one, but if I'm being perfectly unbiased here, Felt might honestly be the best. I'm totally fine with Emilia taking the throne, but based on how I felt when I was living in my world, I'd side with Felt the most. So after saying that, my ranking is probably Felt, Emilia, Anastasia, the old Crusch, Priscilla, and then the current Crusch. I think some people might not get why I put Anastasia over old Crusch, but the only reason I didn't put her higher is the fact that she wanted to break Lugunica's covenant with Volcanica. I dunno if that's a good idea, but everything else about her was great.
Q15: To (Y/N): What drives you to continue along the path you're taking, knowing full well the events that played out could've been resolved without you? Ever lied in bed and asked why you decided to do it? Do you regret it? On the topic of predetermined events, how do you feel about not being able to save people from their fate? On the other hand, how does it feel to change someone's fate?
(Y/N): Honestly, yeah, I've thought about this a few times. I didn't even finish season 2, but I know that Subaru would've found a way to get to the happy ending with Emilia. I'm not needed for this story at all, but now that I'm here, I figured that I might as well make things a little less worse, you know? Heck, I'm pretty sure that we weren't supposed to defeat Capella as early as we did, so I know for a fact that I'm making a difference.
Now, I know that I couldn't save anybody when Regulus and Lye attacked us after the battle with the White Whale, and that hurts more than anything. I knew that it was going to happen, but I wasn't able to stop it. I'd say that not being able to save people, especially in the main timeline, is the worst feeling, but on the other hand, being able to save people or even just help them out gives me the motivation to keep doing what I'm doing. For example, we brought Reinhard and Wilhelm back together, and that didn't happen in season 1 of the anime. Whenever and however I die, I think that I can be content with what I've been able to do here.
Q16: To Frederica: Anyone would be lucky to have you as a wife, because you are best girl.
Frederica: Oh... T-Thank you! I do not know what you mean by 'best girl,' but this is the first time I have been complimented in such a way.
Q17: To Echidna: How do you feel about (Y/N) these days, since it's been a while since a similar question was answered? And how do you feel about everyone in the current group?
Echidna: Surprisingly, I have not encountered a single boorish moment with (Y/N), so I would not mind spending the next few decades studying him and learning all that he knows. Whether I will ever feel love is uncertain, but I certainly enjoy his company.
As for the current group, I shall begin with the twins. Rem is quite uninteresting, and I am still amazed at the speed at which she transitioned from viewing Subaru with murderous intent to loving him beyond all else. It is a shame that she is asleep, but any reason I have to recover her name and memories from Lye Batenkaitos is purely an alternative motive. Speaking of these motives, Ram is admittedly becoming as difficult to work with as her master is. The two of them are far too irrational because of their tendency to allow emotion to supersede logic. I believe that she truly is the second coming of the Oni God, but she has allowed all of her potential to be wasted. To my relief, she seems to slowly be changing her mind on several matters, so I can only hope that, whether or not she recovers her sister, Ram will stop being a waste of my time.
Meili, on the other hand, has been a tremendous asset in addition to being generally pleasant to converse with, despite her age. Her past has undoubtedly affected her development, but who am I to display sympathy? It is a pity that Lust must have tormented the girl, but the skills she has gained through assassination and the maturity she has grown into are quite nice.
I wholeheartedly pity Shaula. I admit that her presence reminds me of a past that was yet to be cruel to me, and that fact may cloud my judgement of her, but I view her as an invaluable asset that cannot be abandoned. In no way does she contribute any intelligence or information, but her strength and her presence would be quite reassuring in the future.
Since Shaula is not human, it is only fair that I include the other non-human member of the group. Patrasche is a very reliable earth dragon, and I must credit her for her performance across the Augria Sand Dunes. I must note that she is prideful to a fault, but seeing as she has reason to feel such dignity, I cannot blame her.
Now, I will not waste many words on the clown. He is a sad man who refuses to stop fantasizing about his Teacher.
Q18: To Echidna: Would you consider putting effort to return (Y/N)'s healing factor? You didn't like him being more comfortable with getting hurt, sure, but considering the circumstances, wouldn't it be better to have it and not need it rather than need it and not have it? Although I imagine pleasing the crazy b* in the shadows isn't something you would want under any circumstances, but if you had a choice, would you risk his mental health for the sake of protecting his life by returning him such power in theoretical circumstances?
Echidna: I have put considerable thought into this, and I concluded that, yes, if there were a way to return (Y/N)'s healing factor, I would likely pursue it. I have come to trust him enough to take care of his body, and I am well aware of his aversion to pain. From my understanding, he would treat it as a fail-safe, just as he treats my healing magic. He does not engage in battle relying on the fact that he can be healed. Instead, he has learned that he must avoid injury to the best of his capability, so there is no reason to believe that he would suddenly think otherwise if his healing factor returned. Even if he did begin to rely on his ability to regenerate, I will be there to chastise him.
Q19: For Ram: What is your opinion on (Y/N) now? Do you understand him a little better now? Are you willing to learn and understand more about him from now on? Like how and why he's contracted with Echidna?
Ram: I am not stupid enough nor stubborn enough to admit that I may have been too fast to accuse (Y/N) of being untrustworthy, but it should be well-known that my words were justified. I will only apologize if I see it fit, and I do not care what he plans to do with Echidna or Omega or whatever she wishes to call herself, but through learning about their contract, I have realized that (Y/N) must think very little of me. He does not consider me to be of enough importance to tell such a simple truth to, yet I have selfishly placed all of my faith in him to save my dear sister. What is my opinion of him now? I do not wish for him to hear this, but unless he proves otherwise, (Y/N) may be less of a scum than I assumed he was. I thought that, like normal people do, he feigned kindness in order to further his goals, but I am beginning to think that I was mistaken. As naive as it is, his goal in life may actually be to help others, and I will not tease him for that.
Q20: (Y/N), what do you think about everyone you've met?
(Y/N): Everybody? I'll do my best to remember everyone, but I can't make any promises that I won't accidentally leave somebody out. But hey, I'll try my best.
(Subaru): We had a shaky start, but we're bros now. I think either of us would do anything for the other, and I can't help but admire just how mentally strong he is.
(Emilia): She is honestly the nicest person you'll ever meet. Emilia is a shining example of following the golden rule, and even when she's upset, she's still a lot nicer than most people are when they're trying to act kind. In a way, she's way too pure, and I kinda feel bad for Subaru, because Emilia might not figure out what love is before Echidna does, and that's saying something.
(Reinhard): I'm incredibly lucky to have him as an ally and a friend. I'm really glad that he isn't one of those overpowered characters who let their strength get to their head, because the fact that he's a great guy is just as amazing to me as his power.
(Felt): If I had to do anything differently, I wouldn't mind being in Felt's camp instead of Emilia's camp. First off, Subaru would be able to get through most things like he did originally, so he doesn't really need me, and like I said before, from the perspective of someone who used to live as a normal citizen, Felt would have had my vote.
(Elsa): Elsa is a baddie, but for good or for worse, she's way too thirsty for blood. It's both endearing and concerning, but she's fun to have around.
(Meili): I wish that more kids were like her. She's smart, mature, and it's nice to see how much she cares for Elsa. Obviously, she has a terrible past, but that's even more reason that I want nothing but the best for her now.
(Roswaal): I absolutely hate him. I'm the knight of his domain and I can hardly stand him, but no way was I about to turn down a promotion like that. Now that he knows that Omega is actually a version of Echidna, I hope she can find a way to make him give up on his Teacher, because it's unbearable to be around him.
(Beatrice): Well, I don't find her speech thing annoying anymore, but that was early on. I don't think it's creepy that she sits in Subaru's lap, and I'm happy for the two of them. Beatrice has found something new to live for, and Subaru seems really happy to be with her.
(Ram): I uh... have mixed feelings about Ram. She loves to nag on me, but I respect her dedication to Rem, and she doesn't put up with anything she doesn't like. Thankfully, it's looking like she's stopping the whole "I love Roswaal" thing, so maybe she'll be less mean to everyone. I don't have a crush on her anymore, which is best for my well-being, but I still think that it'll be nice to be friends with her.
(Rem): Once she wasn't trying to murder me and Subaru, she was very sweet. I failed and couldn't protect her smile, so I won't stop until I wake her up.
(Petra): That kid needs to stop hitting on Subaru because in this case, age is NOT just a number. Apart from that, she works really hard at her maid duties, and especially for someone that young, I respect the work ethic.
(Patrasche): Sorry Echidna, but Patrasche is easily best girl. 11/10 would give her more jerky if I had some.
(Crusch): She's an amazing woman, and I still can't believe that I was able to fight beside her against the White Whale. It hurts to see her so fragile now, so I'll keep fighting to get her memories back.
(Wilhelm): Wilhelm amazes me. Obviously, he has insane sword skills, especially for his age, but I admire him even more for swallowing his pride and making up with Reinhard after the White Whale Incident. He's been through a lot, and I'm glad that he uses his experience for good.
(Felix): I'd say that he's the second-best catboy in the verse. Trap or not, he's really helpful, and I feel bad for him for having to see Crusch in her current state.
(Julius): I look up to Julius as a mentor, a knight, and a person. He's the epitome of what a knight should be, and even though I can never act as knightly as him, I look up to him anyway. He's the reason that I am where I am today, and I'll always be grateful for the training that he gave to me.
(Anastasia): Honestly, she's the type of person that I need to be weary of, but I have to admit that she's the best business partner ever.
(Ricardo): This man is the definition of a bro.
(The triplets): Mimi, Hetaro, and Tivey are all adorable, but I won't let that fool me anymore. They're strong, and I still can't forget the time that Mimi pantsed me when I was training with Julius.
(Priscilla): She's hot, but has a terrible attitude problem. On the other hand, I can tell that there's more to her than what it seems. I'm sure that Al has seen that other side to her, so I hope that I can get a peek at what's hiding beneath her surface. And no, I don't mean her melons, because I'm not a simp.
(Al): I can't believe that Al was also isekai'd here. He's a great guy, and I hope that I can get to know him better. Thankfully, we'll probably get the chance to meet up because of the Royal Selection and our Crusaders duties.
(Otto): Otto singlehandedly carries the Emilia Camp and Crusaders. He's an absolute madlad. In fact, he's best boy in the whole series. Even with Elsa, Echidna and potentially Shaula joining us, he's the best recruit we could possibly ever get. And if you think I'm joking, I promise that this is genuine. Without Otto, nothing functions the way it does now.
(Garfiel): He just turned fifteen, and even though he's kinda rough, it's fun to train with him and to see him grow emotionally and physically.
(Frederica): She's really nice, and I must say that she makes great food.
(Clind): He's a really suspicious guy, and a really unnerving butler. If he really does have an Authority, then I need to watch out for him.
(Echidna): Echidna is the best thing to ever happen to me. I made a gamble when I proposed that we make a contract, and it's worked out great. Each day we spend together gets better and better, and I really think that she's making a lot of progress on getting a grasp on what emotions are.
(Typhon): From what I've experienced with her, she really likes to play games, and from the creepy way she acts, I get the feeling that her childhood was robbed from her.
(Minerva): I have no idea why she cries so much, but I hope she finds happiness, even though she's dead. Minerva is just too pure-hearted, so everything seems to make her sad.
(Sekhmet): Back in the day, I would have aspired to reach her levels of indifference.
(Daphne): Daphne scares me, and I'm also terrified whenever I try to put myself into her shoes. I can't imagine being a fraction as hungry as she is.
(Carmilla): She's really sweet and shy, so I might eventually try to get her to be less scared of talking as a side quest.
(Satella): I really want to know what happened to her 400 years ago, but I guess I'll just have to keep waiting. I don't know enough about her to know how I feel about her when she's not Envy, but when that second personality takes over, I have some harsh feelings about her.
(Pandora): I've never seen her in person or in the anime, but she's the top of my kill list. I want to know why she's doing what she's doing, but I guess I'll have to wait and ask until I hunt her down.
(Regulus): Violating his rights? I'll violate his right to live, and it'll be on sight.
(Lye): He's gotten the best of me twice now. I don't care how it's done, but he's gotta go.
(Reid): Reid is a monster and a pervert. I've seen Reinhard in action, but I don't know if even he can reach the level of technique and power that his ancestor has.
(Shaula): She's not all there in the head, but her loyalty is respectable and I don't want her to be lonely anymore. At this point, it's not even about getting her to help destroy Witch Cult anymore; I want to get her out of this tower so she can see the world again and be less lonely.
(A/N): I'm sorry if I missed anybody :(
Q21: To anybody willing to answer: Have you ever wondered how the questions come to you, or how the person asking the questions seems to know so much about you?
Ram: I do not care. The sooner the questions are asked, the sooner they can stop wasting my time.
Roswaal: I wonder...
(Y/N): I just kind of accept it.
Booklore: Ha! I'm smarter than these characters because I know where the questions come from! But honestly, I wonder how some of you remember a lot of the details from this story, because y'all bring up some things that I've forgotten. You also come up with ideas that I would never even think of, both of which never fail to amaze me.
Echidna: Just as somebody wrote the story of Re:Zero and in conjunction, my world, it is possible that there is somebody writing my life as a story at this very moment, and I would suppose that the questions come from the author of that story, whoever that may be. Is it God or some higher being? Is it a mere human? I would love to meet them one day!
Elsa: Now that you mention it, I want to ask a question of my own! What color are your intestines? What sound do you make when stabbed in the back? How much blood is in your body? Would you let me slowly carve your stomach open?
Emilia: Wherever they come from, I don't mind. If there are people out there who I can help just by answering some questions, that is enough for me!
Otto: Wait, you guys get questions?
Aaaaand that's a wrap, and I think I somehow avoided the huge essay-responses from Echidna this time! She's definitely come a long way. Speaking of coming a long way, I can't believe that we're starting year #5 on this story! We might be stuck in the Pleiades Watchtower the entire year, but I'll do my best to keep things interesting, because you deserve nothing but the best that I have to offer!
Oh yeah, while you're here, how's 2025 treated you so far? I'm kind of skeptical of it after only one month, but who knows? We might get a turn for the better. Or maybe I just jinxed it. I dunno. If we get another international disaster, I apologize in advance.
I think that's about it, so I'll see ya next time!
