By the Sun's Side - (Re:Zero, SI)

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Some isekai start within a reason. Mine didn't. I just died, and I woke up in the world of Re:Zero. Some isekai also offer the MC a tool of sort to defend himself. Mine didn't. I just had my clothes and... nothing else.

I guess knowledge counts as something, but it sure as hell did little in those two lengthy months of precariously living in the streets of Vollachia. I wasn't even in the right side of the continent, and I was exposed to a few circumstances that told me that Lugnica had it easier. More thieves, more armed thieves, and a lot of murderous soldiers all around trying to make a name for themselves.

I wasn't going to go on an adventure. Nor I was planning to try and get anywhere close to politics considering that it was the sort of Spartan-like state that you either had the strength to get a position or you had someone utterly loyal do that for you. And since I had neither, I decided that the best option I had was: doing odd jobs until I got my first plan done right.

Odd jobs included cleaning old houses, kill rats, deal with thieves (which was more like putting all the valuable so well-hidden that they couldn't find it), and much more. I had a few stab-wounds as proof I didn't have it as easy as I would have liked, but I ultimately got where I wanted - a small street-food stall in the middle of the nameless town I had hanged around for so many weeks. I couldn't do major cooking there, but I intended to do classic food-making like sandwiches, stuffed bread, and other stuff that was sold at a relatively cheap price.

My income was just enough to get minimal positive growth and I had to adapt to 'fold things up' and bail the moment thieves wanted a 'slice of cash with a side of stabbing'. Life in Volacchia was shit, and the fiscal list to make it across the border was borderline insane. So yes, I am stuck for a year or so, maybe more. Hell, I am not even sure I could make it out of there alive.

I was a bit pessimistic on the matter. In fact, I thought that this was the worst 'good situation' possible. And I was soon to learn that was not the case.

I don't recall how I had missed on the strange Lelouch-like masked guy and his Japanese buddy asking for food as their identities should have been easy for me to spot on (I blame the fact I was dealing with multiple orders at once and I was deep in doing my job right), but I sure as hell recognized something was afoot when the masked guy walked up to the counter, told me that the food was good and that he wanted to hire me and, without even letting me say 'nah, I am fine', I got hit behind my head and carried away from my precious stall.

Hours went by, and I woke up tied to a chair in front of a table as someone had used some strong-smelled salts to get me out of my sleep. On the other side of the table sat the very guy that just decided that I was worthy of kidnapping to force me in a different workplace.

"Mister... Bukharin, correct?"

"Yes..." I hummed, quietly, "So, ignoring the fact I just got kidnapped, you know, taken against my will in a time when the government is about to collapse... how may I help you, Prince Vincent?"

Vincent Abellux, one of the many children of the current Emperor of Volacchia, sported a tiny smile at my question. I was not sure if this was a good smile or not (yet), but I decided to keep being a doomer for the sake of my survival.

"I would be a liar if I said you have any use to me, Mr. Bukharin. But, you see, I am a caring brother despite what many would think, and it has come to my attention that not only you can handle yourself by a kitchen, but that you have done enough chores which may indicate a degree of experience in house-cleaning."

And I don't like where this is going.

He stood up from his chair. "Which is why, as a last gift to my precious little sister, I am entrusting her with a single servant... after she had been so kind in leaving me the burden of cleaning up the bloody mess of her executing the entire staff she had at her disposal."

I know that the guy was trying to frighten me. Vincent was a stoic bastard, but still someone with some good will to him if it came to people he cared for. Despite all the shit that was about to come, as I realized I had been pulled to this world seven years before Barusu did, Vincent was brotherly around little...

Prisca.

Prisca Benedict, the girl that would become the infamous Priscilla Barielle. After a lengthy discussion regarding my chores, my duties and my role (which didn't cover having to help Prisca's clothing and other intimate stuff that I was glad to not deal with), I was finally 'allowed' to meet Prisca.

The girl was visiting for the day as she had to be warned about the upcoming Imperial Selection. Vincent didn't tell me that, but I remember reading Volume Ex 5 and knowing that this was where Priscilla's streak of 'luck' truly came clutch. If before one would suspect the woman was just waffling about her actions being based upon luck, the truth of the matter is that Prisca was currently twelve and very much not a tactician - which explained some upcoming shitty decisions on her part.

So, Priscilla- no, little Prisca was my new retainer. She was short, she was flat, she was also a bit of a brat in her own brand of maturity.

"Is this a jest, brother? A servant?" Prisca inquired, red eyes flashing irritation. "So close to when I had to have traitorous servants slain for being assassins?"

"This one is not a potential assassin. Mr. Bukharin here used to be the owner of a food stall in the nearby town."

"...A food stall?" Prisca asked, annoyed by this correlation. "I suppose you picked him for the quality of his service."

I rolled my eyes at getting caught in such a vitriolic crossfire.

"To be fair, my plans of departing my previous occupation were facilitated by two masked thugs that spoke of a new job opportunity and kidnapped me to this place," I rebuked as bluntly as possible, feeling various eyes on me. "So, lady, trust me when I say that I am as upset as you are of this 'gracious' gesture from your 'kind and understanding' sibling."

To my surprise, Prisca snorted. "At least he is capable of speaking his mind truthfully about your mannerism, brother. Alas, I believe there is no other option, he is mine now."

I raised an eyebrow at the way she addressed me, but I barely had any chance to speak up on this that she gave me a first order.

"Fetch me a snack worthy of a slow afternoon. I seek to read as I rest, and I don't need anything too cumbersome to distract me."

What a vague order. And it didn't help that I had to get this done in a rather desolate kitchen... with someone watching my actions. Truth be told, the reason why I felt that the 'dog-girl' that was watching me had me nervous was less about what she could do but what I knew she could do regardless of a reason.

Arakiya was Prisca's foster sister and sworn guard. She got gifted to Prisca when both were young by the Emperor himself, so... yeah, that was a situation. Pink eyes leveled at me, silver and black tail wagging and twitching with each actions I took and... she frowned over the end result of my hard work.

"What's that? Did you just mesh up some slices of fruits?"

I huffed. "That's called a fruit salad. Here, I made some for you too."

I offered a little glass with a similar content as Prisca's, and the girl gave me a weird look.

"W-Why me too?"

"Well, when are you supposed to eat?"

She opened her mouth, then closed it. "Whenever Prisca tells me to."

"I have a feeling Lady Prisca would say that's not the case."

I didn't know for sure, but I remember the interactions they had and I knew how Prisca didn't want to command Arakiya as much as Arakiya expected her to. So, I was relieved to see a brief flinch from the girl as she took a silver spoon and tried out the snack.

In mere moments, the girl's eyes widened astronomically.

"Good~!" She squeaked, then realized what she had uttered and shook her head. "I-I mean, Prisca will like it."

For the first time in a long while, I offered a honest smile. "Glad to hear that."

Despite her attempt to retain her tough attitude, Arakiya smiled tentatively before she took both Prisca's and her fruit salad to the other girl's room to get her the food she asked for. This was before she got 'stabbed in the back', so it was fair to say that she was still quite gullible as of yet. It may change soon if things followed the path of canon.

But I didn't plan to let Canon endure yours truly. I got stabbed too many times to be kind with fate and I intended to smack a bitch down while at it.

AN

John winds up in Re Zero (how original, I know), but this time he is in charge of little Prisca and Arakiya during at time where these two need some adult guidance. Bad decisions are abound, and common sense and no-nonsense anti-bullshittery is very needed to avoid the worst outcome.

Pairings? Definitely not a MCxPrisca so perish the thought. Same for Arakiya. Both girls are 12 and we ain't doing an Usagi Drop situation. Still, John will land a relationship - I am not sure he will like it this time around though.