The Sage Returns, The Journey Begins

by Draeven_nv

Summary:

After conquering the Pleiades Watchtower, Subaru finds himself about to be swallowed by the Witch of Envy, but then the Divine Dragon intervenes and something unprecedented happens! Subaru and his friends finds themselves in a completely different place. After all, when the sage returns to Japan with his companions, the journey begins.

Chapter 1: An Unprecedented Return

Notes:

This is the beginning of my first Re:Zero fanfic. The idea for this story came to me while I was thinking about what would happen if Subaru and his friends were suddenly teleported to Japan somehow, and then suddenly, I imagined: what if at the end of Arc 6, when Subaru and the group conquered the Pleiades Watchtower , instead of the Witch of Envy and the Divine Dragon Volcanica sending Subaru, Louis, and Rem to Vollachia, something happened and sent Subaru and all the members of the group to Japan?

 

Then, I realized that I just couldn't stop thinking about this idea, and the more I thought about it, the more I started writing this story, and I absolutely loved writing it! So here's the first chapter for you.

 

Finally, if you like the chapter and read it to the end, be sure to read the final notes I left, where I wrote some very important information to clarify some points in the story so as not to leave you with any nagging questions.

One last important piece of information I would like to share is that, as English is not my native language, I used a translation tool (DeepL) to do this, so if some words and phrases seem a little strange, that's why. But I trust that the essence of the story has been well preserved in the translation.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!
.

"Subaru..."

A muffled voice called out to the black-haired boy.

"Hm...?"

Subaru didn't process the call right away; he felt too dazed and confused at the moment. His head was a mess, and he tried to organize his thoughts as he began to regain his senses.

"Subaru!"

The voice called again, even louder than the first time. This time, with his senses working better, Subaru was able to identify that the sound of the voice sounded like a worried but sweet silver bell.

"Emilia..." He said softly. At the same time, he was finally able to realize, now able to process his sense of touch, that there was a delicate but firm palm touching his shoulder, as if the person touching him felt very concerned.

At the same time, it didn't take him long to notice the position he was in.

Subaru was lying on a cold, dusty floor with his back up.

"You're awake! Subaru, are you okay?"

Yes, now he was sure. The sweet voice calling his name with genuine concern belonged to the same girl who made Subaru's heart flutter with love on every occasion.

But... what's going on? He wondered inwardly.

"Emilia-tan, I'm fine, I think. What's going on?" Subaru said as he leaned on his arms to get up from the cold floor.

"Calm down, I'll help you," Emilia replied, gently grabbing the boy's torso and trying to help him sit up.

Meanwhile, a second female voice rang out.

"Barusu woke up? That's one less thing to worry about."

The voice was definitely drier and colder than Emilia's, but it certainly contained a noticeable hint of concern. From the voice, and also from the way the girl referred to Subaru, it was quite clear who she belonged to.

"Ram...?" Subaru whispered.

"How are the others?" Emilia asked.

"Everyone is already awake, Emilia-sama, only Barusu is slow to get up," Ram replied with a hint of mockery.

"Don't be like that, Ram..." Emilia replied with slight disapproval of the pink-haired girl's comment.

"Anastasia-sama and I are fine, Emilia-sama."

A new voice sounded. This time it was deep and masculine, belonging to a tall young man with lilac hair, yellow eyes, and a very handsome face. With a calm and polite demeanor, Julius Juukulius said these words to Emilia.

Next to Julius, a female presence of shorter stature, with long lilac hair and holding the fox scarf that was tied around her neck, curved her lips into a slight smile and said with a heavy accent:

"That's right, Emilia-sama. Julius-kun and I are fine, but we still have no idea where this place is." Anastasia, the merchant girl who competes for the royal throne of the kingdom of Lugunica against Emilia, revealed her presence following Julius' previous words.

Emilia couldn't help but reveal a smile of relief at the words of the pair.

But before she could express her relief and discuss the situation with Julius and Anastasia, a child's voice rang out.

"Ah, is onii-san awake?" With concern and a touch of innocence in her voice, the one who asked aloud was a little girl with purple hair and green eyes.

It was Meili Portroute, a girl who was once an assassin who tried to kill many people in the village of Arlem and in Roswaal's mansion, but now, after spending a year with Emilia's camp and coming to trust Subaru after the recent events at the Watchtower of the Pleiades, she asked about the black-haired boy.

"Ah, it looks like you're doing well too, Meili! Subaru is already awake, he's just a little confused," said Emilia as she touched Subaru's shoulder, who was sitting on the floor.

Meili, who was standing next to Ram, nodded, feeling relieved.

Next to Subaru, who had sat down on the floor and was massaging his temples, a little girl with blonde hair and a pink gothic dress, who until then had seemed confused, whispered:

"Subaru..."

It was Beatrice, the great spirit of Yin magic who was bound by a contract with Subaru. She was blinking her eyes slowly as she regained her senses, lying on the floor.

"Beako..." Subaru replied as he looked at Beatrice lying beside him.

"Subaru?" Beatrice asked when she heard her contractor's voice, and as she asked, she leaned on his arms to get up.

Just as Emilia had done a few moments ago, Subaru, who was still recovering from his previous confusion but already feeling much better, also stood up to help his partner get up.

"I'll help you up," he said, holding the light 400-year-old girl by the torso with his hands and carefully standing her up. With him sitting down, Beatrice stood face to face with her contractor.

"Are you okay, Beako?" Subaru asked worriedly.

"Betty is a little confused, I think. But I'm not hurt, actually." Beatrice replied, rubbing one of her eyes.

"Ah, that's great." Subaru sighed in relief. And placing his hand on Emilia's hand, which was on his shoulder, he said:

"So Beako is okay, Emilia-tan helped me up, I also heard the voices of Ram, Julius, Anastasia-san, and Meili, so that's......"

...

"Ah?"

As he organized his thoughts and understood the presence of his companions around him, he finally looked around the environment that surrounded them, trying to study the place where they were. But what he saw could only be a lie, a dream...

Or a nightmare.

"Impossible...!" Subaru expressed in pure disbelief, realizing where he and his companions were.

"Subaru?" Emilia and Beatrice ask in unison.

It can't be! But it is! But how? Why? Am I dreaming?

Subaru's bewilderment began to show on his face as his pupils contracted, his eyes widened, and his jaw dropped as if his mouth would never close again.

He was in shock.

"Barusu, you...?"

Ram was close by, kneeling on the floor. The reason she was in that position was to support the head of her twin sister, Rem, who was lying with her head on her lap. The blue-haired girl was still in her "sleeping beauty" state.

However, observing Subaru's shocked reaction, Ram sensed that the black-haired boy had noticed something that was deeply troubling him.

With a similar line of reasoning, Julius, who was also nearby and standing next to Anastasia, asked worriedly:

"Subaru, what's the matter?"

"Onii-san...?" After Julius, Meili also asked.

"I-I don't..." Subaru, still processing the situation, stammered frantically.

"Subaru..." Beako said fearfully, worried about his contractor's stupor, as he felt some of his feelings through their soul connection.

"Subaru? What happened?" Emilia asked as she knelt down next to her knight, applying a little more force to her hand that was touching Subaru's shoulder, and placing her face in front of his.

Seeing the silver-haired girl's face in front of his eyes, so close to his face, and with a worried expression, Subaru's mind calmed down momentarily, his heart filled with the comfort of the half-elf's closeness and the warmth of her palm on his shoulder.

With that, his agitated heart calmed down a little, and Subaru was also able to organize his thoughts better.

"Emilia-tan, I think—"

"Natsuki-kun." Subaru was interrupted by Anastasia, who took a step forward. "From your ration, you... you know something, don't you?"

The merchant princess, perceptive as she was, was able to formulate an idea, something that Ram and Julius were approaching in their minds. Still, Anastasia was the quickest to ask aloud, her face showing a gentle expression.

"Anastasia-san..."

"Did you notice something, Subaru?" Julius asked politely, not wanting to pressure his companion.

"I... yes, I did notice something." Subaru said with a sigh, worried, and deciding how best to explain this situation to his companions.

"Barusu, do you know where we are?" This time, Ram, who had been thinking along similar lines to Julius and Anastasia, also asked her question.

Subaru, who had a lot on his mind, realized at that moment that even more important than his own doubts, questions, and internal concerns, the situation his friends were in mattered much more.

After all, if they were really in the situation they seemed to be in at that moment, and it wasn't a dream or something like that, then now, more than ever, his companions would need his help. And he would never abandon his friends, even if it meant dying for it.

So he decided to look around once more, in an attempt to better study his surroundings. Ignoring, of course, the presence of his companions, Subaru found himself in a small parking lot.

It was night and quite dark, the nearby street seemed empty and deserted, and the strongest and closest source of light, which was bathing him and his friends, came from a convenience store right next to where they were.

Yes, there's no doubt about it, Subaru concluded.

This situation could be many things, but at first, it was too real to be a dream.

He then looked back at his companions. They all stared at him with anxious eyes, and also had expressions of doubt or concern on their faces.

Now, knowing what he had to do, Subaru stood up calmly, surprising Emilia and Beatrice, who were standing on either side of the black-haired boy.

He gently took Beatrice's hand, a gesture that was affectionately returned by the Great Spirit, who held hands with her contractor.

Subaru knew what he had to do.

He was afraid.

He had many questions.

He felt like he was going crazy.

But Subaru didn't have time to dwell on it, not when his friends needed him more than anything.

"Everyone!" He called out loudly, capturing the attention of all his companions. "I know where we are."

"You know?" Anastasia asked.

"Spit it out, Barusu, are you trying to keep us all in the dark?" Ram said with a wry smile, but deep down, she was happy to be able to trust Subaru.

Subaru, with a serious expression but exuding confidence and determination, explained:

"We're in my homeland."

Silence fell for a moment. Everyone looked at Subaru with complicated expressions. Some had looks of doubt, others, on the other hand, of understanding.

"Subaru's homeland...?" Emilia whispered.

"What do you mean, Subaru?" Julius asked incredulously.

"Betty has a lot of questions, actually." Beatrice could sense through their soul connection that Subaru wasn't lying, or at least that he believed his statement completely.

"I know, Beako," Subaru said, turning his head toward the spirit holding his hand. "And I promise I'll answer all your questions soon, but before that..."

He turned back to his other companions and asked,

"I need all of you to look around and answer me a question. Do any of you know of any place on the continent that looks like this? Either because you've visited it or just heard about it?"

They all did exactly that, scanning their surroundings with their eyes, whether it was the parking lot floor, the empty street nearby, the convenience store next door, the lampposts, the buildings in the distance at night, and even the houses and residences nearby, and they all came to the same conclusion.

None of it made any sense.

"What kind of place is this? I've never seen anything like it." Ram, fascinated by this place, uttered these words almost unconsciously.

"Yes, it's truly impressive." Julius, feeling much the same as Ram, also expressed his fascination.

"Betty is... impressed, I suppose." Beatrice assumed.

"I don't know this place." Little Meili also expressed her thoughts.

"Subaru, this place is so... different." Emilia said with a hint of fear in her voice.

But none of them seemed as full of doubt as Anastasia.

The merchant princess, responsible for one of the largest companies on the continent, who had visited so many different places in search of expanding her business and established contacts with so many different people from so many different places, had never seen a place like this before. In fact, she had never even heard a description that resembled such an environment.

These lights, these designs, this architecture, all of it was completely new even to the great Anastasia Hoshin. And so, with her mind full of ideas and questions, she asked Subaru:

"Natsuki-kun, where on the continent are we? I mean, I don't know anything like this."

Subaru curved his lips into a slight smile.

"Anastasia-san, we're not on the continent."

"What?" Anastasia replied incredulously.

"That's impossible, but..." Julius replied, accompanying his lady. "This place..."

"Don't be silly, Barusu. If we're not on the continent, then where are we? You don't mean to say that..." Ram, in her attempt to provoke Subaru, began to connect some dots, since she had been with Subaru for a long time.

"Beyond the great waterfall." Emilia said in a tone of admiration, surprising everyone.

"What do you mean by that, Emilia-sama?" Anastasia asked.

"Subaru always told me he was from beyond the great waterfall, but he never told me much about it," Emilia replied.

"It can't be..." Anastasia said in bewilderment. "But it makes sense..."

"Subaru, can you explain this better?" Julius asked, overcome with curiosity.

"It's a little complicated," Subaru replied honestly with a sigh. "I usually say that I'm from beyond the great waterfall because it's easier for you, who are from the continent, to understand the idea."

"So we're still on the continent?" Julius asked.

"I didn't say that," Subaru replied, shaking his head. "I meant that even I'm not sure if this place we're in, my homeland, is actually beyond the Great Waterfall, but if there's one thing that's certain, it's that we're in a completely different world from the continent. A better term would be to say that this world, in relation to the continent, is a parallel world! Of course, if that's complicated to understand, and I imagine it is, you can just interpret it as if we were beyond the Great Waterfall, and you wouldn't be wrong."

Everyone looked at Subaru in complete disbelief after hearing this flood of information. It was true that he could be lying, but he was quite serious as he gave this explanation, and besides, Subaru had already earned immense respect and trust from all of them after living and fighting alongside the black-haired boy in so many situations. Whether it was the battle against the White Whale, the raid against the Archbishop of Sloth, the Sanctuary, the attack on Priestella, or the recent incident at the Pleiades Watchtower.

Subaru had proven his reliability, decision-making, cunning in battle, and his good heart to everyone present on many occasions. Therefore, doubting his words, even if it was natural for anyone native to the continent, was already difficult in itself, given Natsuki Subaru's trustworthy reputation, but when placed in a situation where they had clearly been mysteriously transported to a place completely different from everything they knew, it became obvious to assume that the black-haired boy was telling the truth.

"Parallel world~?" Meili said with her index finger on her lower lip, trying to comprehend the meaning of such an exotic term for a child's mind.

"That's crazy, but..." Julius muttered with a complicated expression.

Despite the absurdity of the situation, and even though he tried hard to deny it all, the knight among knights had no way to refute Subaru's words. However, even though Julius's head was filled with possibilities for words to argue with Subaru, someone else had something very important to bring up.

"Wait, wait!" Ram said with a slightly frown, calling everyone's attention. "If what you told us is true, and this is your homeland, and we are indeed in what you call a 'parallel world,' then how did you end up in our world?"

With such an extremely pertinent question being put on the table, all eyes turned back to the black-haired boy. After all, with the understanding that Subaru may be a person from another world, from beyond the Great Waterfall, and knowing that he somehow came to the continent, there also arises the understanding that there are ways to travel between worlds.

This realization is undoubtedly something that changes everything, however, it is also something that, if Subaru cannot explain properly, could give the impression that he is lying about the whole story, even though all of his friends present have immense trust in the boy.

I already imagined that this question would come up at some point, but even so, not even I am sure how I was summoned to that world. Of course, it would be obvious to assume that Satella brought me to Lugunica that night, and I have many reasons to believe that, but how can I be sure?

After all, she never explained to me how she took me from my world and brought me to another... hell, she never even told me if it was her who actually brought me to another world, even when we talked at the witch's tea party. The only thing I can really confirm is that the Return by Death was indeed granted to me by her, and that's all I can confirm with 100% certainty. 

So even though everything points to Satella summoning me to the other world, the continent, I still can't be 100% sure without confirmation. In part, this is good, since I don't have to mention Satella in my explanation, so no one needs to know yet about my connection to her. That said, I think I already know how to answer that question.

"Ram, I need you to believe me when I say that I really don't know. The truth is, at least from my perspective, I was walking normally for a moment, and the next moment, I was in the Royal Capital. No explanation, no transition." Subaru explained honestly.

"But don't you think that's a little too convenient, Barusu?" Ram said, dismayed. "You come to us with this story about another world, but you can't explain how you got to our world?"

"Ram, calm down. Subaru has no reason to lie to us." Emilia said with a worried voice, trying to prevent her friends from starting an argument.

"It's okay, Emilia-tan, Ram also has questions that deserve to be answered. Leave it to me." Subaru said with a gentle expression as he placed a gentle palm on Emilia's shoulder.

The girl with the silvery voice let out a sigh and returned the gesture with a small, blushing smile.

"It's okay," she said, taking a step back.

Subaru then turned his eyes once again to the pink-haired maid. He had a serious expression, but it was welcoming at the same time.

"I understand your way of thinking, nee-san, but I'm really not lying to you when I say that I don't know how I ended up in your world, beyond what I've already explained." He said sincerely.

"B-But..." Ram tried to say more, but was quickly interrupted by Subaru.

"I'm not finished yet." He said. "It's true that I don't know how I left my world, this world, and came to the continent, but what's so unbelievable about that? Ram, look around you, we're not in your world, and do you have any idea how we got here? Can you explain how we left the Watchtower of the Pleiades and came here?"

Ram stared at Subaru for a few moments, desperately trying to formulate some argument in his mind.

"W-Well..." Ram muttered, accepting that he couldn't answer. "I can't."

"Exactly. And just as you don't know how you came to this land, I don't know how I was transported to your world," Subaru concluded.

It was certainly a well-thought-out argument. None of those present could explain exactly how they had been transported to this place. Of course, beings like Beatrice herself, who had more experience and knowledge about magic and the mysteries of the world than any of them, were able to formulate some theories, but nothing that was conclusive for the time being.

As a result, everyone could only stare at Subaru with complicated expressions, unable to refute the black-haired boy's precise logic.

However...

"Wait a second, Natsuki-kun." A voice with a determined tone stole Subaru's attention and caught the attention of everyone present.

"Anastasia-san..." Subaru quickly identified that the voice belonged to the merchant princess.

"You said something to Ram-san just now, that you were walking normally through your world, and suddenly, you were in the Royal Capital. Does that mean the Royal Capital was the first place you went to after being transported to the continent?" Anastasia asked with a serious expression.

Subaru hesitated a little, but he knew there was no turning back now.

"That's correct," he replied sincerely.

A flash of understanding crossed the lilac-haired woman's face as she prepared to ask her next question. Everyone watched intently with curious looks.

"Then answer me this," she said. "Could it be that the day you came to our world was also the day you met the Sword Saint?"

With the question finished, Julius placed the palm of his hand on his face, feeling a pang of shame.

At the same time, Emilia muttered a quiet "Reinhard..." as she understood something.

Subaru, upon hearing Anastasia's question, couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. After all...

"Anastasia-san, how do you know that?" Subaru asked, uncomfortable.

"First, answer the question." She replied.

Subaru grimaced slightly, but then sighed.

"Yes, I met Reinhard on the same day I came to the continent." He expressed honestly.

Subaru didn't even need to look at Emilia to know what would happen next.

"Wasn't that the day we met?" Emilia asked with wide eyes.

Subaru sighed again, then said,

"Yes, Emilia-tan. It was the same day as the incident at the Loot House"

Emilia covered her mouth in surprise as various thoughts of understanding about her knight popped into her head.

The same was true for Ram and Beatrice.

"So it was the day before you went to the mansion?" Ram asked.

"So it was the day before you met Betty?" Beatrice asked.

Both girls asked at the same time, to which Subaru replied:

"Wait, wait. One question at a time, please." And then he continued: "But yes, it's true. I went to the mansion the next day and met you two."

"So that's why you seemed so lost and didn't know the basics of our alphabet," Ram said, connecting the dots in her mind.

"And also the fact that you know so little about our world," Beatrice continued Ram's line of reasoning.

"Or also the fact that you always say words that no one knows and incomprehensible things." Emilia followed suit, connecting the dots.

During these comments from Ram, Beatrice, and Emilia, Anastasia seemed lost in thought, but finally seemed to have reached a conclusive idea.

"Now it all makes sense!" Anastasia exclaimed excitedly, drawing everyone's attention. "That's why I couldn't find anything about your past!"

Subaru looked dismayed to hear this, but before he could protest, Anastasia continued:

"It's okay, I already know what you're thinking, Natsuki-kun. And it's true, I may have investigated you after I met you at the Royal Selection opening ceremony. But everything I found about you only referred to the time after you met the Sword Saint. It was as if you had no past, and then suddenly, you appeared in the Royal Capital that day. Now it all makes sense."

"Anastasia-san!?" Emilia said in a tone similar to Subaru's.

"You were snooping around Betty's Subaru's life, I suppose?" Beatrice accused.

Julius, seeing the general hostility of the group focus on his lady, rushed to appease the situation.

"Everyone, let's not fight now. Anastasia-sama did what she thought was best to ensure the safety of our camp," Julius said, trying to ease the complicated situation his camp had been put in.

"No, no, Julius-kun. You don't have to do this for me. Natsuki-kun and the others are right." Then she turned back to the members of Emilia's camp. "I admit it was a questionable decision on my part at the time, as I thought that Natsuki-kun could pose a risk to our camp with his impulsiveness, and even after his conflict with Julius-kun a little later that day. But I was wrong about you, Natsuki-kun. You are a brilliant and trustworthy man, and I apologize for making such a questionable decision about you in the past. I could have kept this matter to myself and never spoken of it, but the reason I am revealing it now is because I am certain it would be helpful given our current situation. I hope you understand and can forgive me."

After the end of Anastasia's sincere little speech, the looks on the faces of Emilia's entourage softened. Not necessarily that they had forgiven Anastasia for her attitude and invasion of privacy, but that now they might be able to understand the situation from the merchant princess's perspective. Moreover, conflicts between members of the group at a time when so much needs to be considered seemed like a terrible idea.

Holy shit, now we have this. But why am I not surprised? It's so like Anastasia-san to find out as much as possible about her competitors in such a sneaky way. But honestly, thinking about it, can I really judge her for that? I mean, she, like Crush, Priscilla, and Felt, is a candidate and wants to become queen, so maybe I shouldn't lose my head over it right now. There are more important things to deal with at the moment; this investigation can wait. Concluding his thoughts, Subaru sighed and said:

"Anastasia-san, what you did wasn't cool. But it's true that I understand what may have led you to investigate me, and it's also true that right now, we have more important things to worry about and we need to work together to resolve this situation."

Anastasia nodded with a slight smile. Her expression showed guilt, but also a little relief at the black-haired boy's words. Subaru then continued:

"Emilia-tan, Beako, I thank you both for defending me, it warms my heart," said Subaru, blushing a little, bringing smiles to the half-elf and the Great Spirit. "But as I said, right now we have more important things to deal with now that we're in a land so different from yours, and conflicts will only get in the way, so it's best to leave this matter for later. Do you understand?"

"I trust my knight's judgment," Emilia replied with a comforting expression, causing Subaru to smile shyly.

"Betty didn't forgive that girl, but Betty understands, actually." Beatrice replied with a proud smile on her face.

The two girls' answers filled Subaru's heart with happiness.

"Have I told you that I love you both?" He said as he smiled confidently to the delight of the two girls.

"Betty loves you too, actually." Beatrice replied with a smile.

Emilia, now blushing and smiling, replied: "I know, silly."

Subaru chuckled at their response.

In that precious moment between the trio of Emilia's companions, a surprising event caught everyone off guard. Something that would make this absurd situation even more absurd, but this time in a positive sense.

At that moment, everyone except Subaru felt a pang of dizziness as they put their hands on their heads. In the next moment, a powerful flash of understanding swept across the expressions of all of Subaru's companions.

While most were in momentary shock and didn't utter a single word, Subaru, worried and alarmed, said:

"Everyone, what's going on, are you okay?"

But before he could even approach Emilia and Beatrice to help them in any way, an emotional female voice rang out.

"Oh my God!" The voice said, belonging to Anastasia.

Subaru looked at the merchant princess, trying to better understand the situation.

Anastasia was staring at Julius with her hand covering her mouth in an expression of surprise and emotion.

"Anastasia-sama, what's the matter?" Julius replied worriedly as he approached his lady.

Anastasia, noticing Julius' approach, also took a step forward, placing her hands on her knight's arms, trying to feel him physically.

"I remember now," Anastasia said, emotion pouring from her teary eyes. "How could I forget my knight for all this time, I-I..."

Anastasia was too emotional to even speak, she just moved closer to Julius.

"Anastasia-sama, you... you remember me?" Julius asked hesitantly. He didn't want to get his hopes up only to be disappointed later, but at that moment, even if he didn't want to, his heart was pounding with hope.

"Yes, I remember Julius-kun! I don't know how, but... I do remember. You've been by my side since the beginning of the Royal Selection. You've always been there to help me, damn it, we've been through so much together!" Anastasia replied with all the sincerity in her heart.

Julius' expression changed completely. He was shocked, he was filled with doubts, 'why? How?', but he was happy, he was very happy. He even wanted to cry with happiness, but that was inappropriate for a knight.

"Oh please, Julius-kun. Don't make that face." Anastasia said when she saw the shocked expression on her knight's face. "Just... just hug me."

Anastasia, without waiting for Julius's response, threw herself at the knight's torso. She wanted to feel him, to feel the man she had lost for all this time, and who now shone so brightly in her memories. She grabbed Julius's clothes and had no intention of letting go anytime soon, while tears of happiness streamed down the merchant princess's cheeks.

Julius, on the other hand, widened his eyes even more at his lady's affectionate gesture. He was happy, he was very happy, he wanted to return the embrace, return the affection, return the longing. But could he? Was allowing such an intimate act with his lady proper for a knight? Would he still have honor?

But despite this, he wanted to reciprocate. For the first time in a long time, he was more determined to be selfish and embrace his lady with all his affection than to stick to his knightly codes, which he valued with his life. And above all, "hug me" was a direct order from his lady to her knight, and his lady's will came first.

Julius chose to be selfish and wrapped Anastasia in his arms. Julius, though strong and honorable, the true knight among knights, could not bear the happiness and relief in his heart, and a tear fell from his eyes. Was this unbecoming of a knight? Perhaps, but this time, and for now, just this once, he was firm in his decision to be selfish.

Anastasia and Julius were happy.

Anastasia and Julius were very happy.

Subaru could only watch the scene with an expression of genuine shock. His eyes were wide and his face was motionless. He was happy for Anastasia and especially for Julius, who, despite finding it so difficult to admit, Subaru was proud to call his friend. Of course he was happy for them.

But his mind was in a much bigger whirlwind than that. Mainly, and really, mainly, there was only one thing on his mind, only one person. The one he swore to save, the one who, with her love, made even a loser like him feel like he could become a hero.

He saw it. He didn't want to believe it, but he saw it. He didn't want to get his hopes up, but he saw it. Through his peripheral vision, he saw it. He saw a blue silhouette, a delicate, feminine silhouette, moving on Ram's lap.

He couldn't be sure unless he turned his head to look directly, but right after that, to feed his hopes, he could only hear Ram's moan, a moan of happiness.

Subaru could only follow his heart's desire; he had no other choice. He had no choice but to allow himself to hope and look, to look at her and be sure.

He did it, he turned his head and looked. Below Ram's tear-filled face, on the lap of the pink-haired girl, a girl identical to her, but with blue hair and eyes, raised her head.

She raised her head and looked directly at him, at the black-haired boy.

Subaru and the girl's eyes met. They stared at each other for a few seconds, such short and yet such long seconds.

The blue-haired girl opened her mouth and said: "Subaru-kun?"

Notes:

As I explained earlier, Subaru and his companions were caught up in the same event that would have taken Subaru, Rem, and Louis to Vollachia, but something happened, and now we are in Japan. As bizarre as this may seem, I promise that everything will be explained in due time.

This first arc of this fanfic will be much more focused on the emotional side and the dramas of each character in this new world, with Subaru guiding them through this unknown scenario.

One of the central focuses of this, at least in this first arc, will be Subaru's romantic drama. After all, Rem woke up as you saw, and Emilia is still discovering her feelings for Subaru. Of course, there will be a lot of character development for the cast and moments that go beyond romance.

Now, an extremely important point is that this fanfic takes place in Japan, of course, but I am not Japanese and could never try to reconstruct a city and culture that I do not live in and do not have full knowledge of. Therefore, at least this first arc of the story will take place entirely in a fictional Japanese city, which serves as Subaru's hometown, which I created in great detail so that it is consistent with the story I want to tell and respects Japanese culture, which I researched extensively to create this fictional city. More details about this setting and this city will be revealed as the chapters progress

New chapters every Sunday!

Chapter 2: Reconnections

Notes:

Enjoy, and if possible, read the final notes!

"Rem..." Subaru uttered, disbelieving.

She was there.

Her lovely blue eyes sparkled with confusion, but also with affection, as she looked at the black-haired boy.

She was looking at him.

Her voice, which had echoed just moments before, was the music he would miss so much.

She called his name.

"Oh my God..." Ram's emotional voice sounded as she cried with one hand over her mouth.

She cried tears that symbolized not only the return of her twin sister as a person, but the return of a significant part of herself, the part that was stolen from her when Rem's existence was devoured, the part that, even without ever remembering that she had once had a sister, had always been missing from her heart.

And the absence of that part, even if uncomfortable, even if unbearable, made no sense. It was inexplicable.

It was.

Because at that moment, as Rem raised her head and called out the name of her beloved, that unbearable discomfort made sense. What was once inexplicable became the simplest thing in the world.

Because at that moment, Ram understood. She understood that the missing part that she had missed so much was her own other half. It was her sister. It was her Rem.

For Ram, as well as for Emilia and Beatrice, from one moment to the next, everything made sense.

From one moment to the next, the same image of a cute and diligent blue-haired maid appeared in the minds of all three girls.

Rem's name, devoured in that tragic incident, had finally returned, and with it, all the memories they had created with Rem. Everything was returning, everything had returned.

With Ram's emotional torment, Rem, who had her head just above her lap, looked up, and her gaze met Ram's face directly.

Why was her sister crying?

Why was her sister looking at her with such emotion?

"Nee-sama...?" She said, as she extended a gentle palm to touch Ram's face.

Feeling the sensation of Rem's fingers touching her right cheek, the pink-haired girl felt her body freeze and her tears stop for a few moments from the shock.

It was her touch on her face, it wasn't an illusion, it wasn't a dream, it wasn't a lie. And even if it was an illusion, a dream, or a lie, Ram wished it wouldn't end yet, just so she could spend more time with her other half.

When the momentary shock subsided, Ram placed her hands on Rem's gentle palm that touched her face, only to press it against her cheek more intensely. To feel her warmth, to feel her existence, to feel that she was there and would not leave her again.

With this action, Rem was slightly taken aback as she felt Ram's tears wet her hand.

Her thoughts were clouded by confusion; she didn't know where she was, why she was there, or why her beloved and her Nee-sama had such strong reactions upon seeing her. In other words, she was lost.

Rem had doubts she wanted answered, questions she wanted answered, and yet, even with so many questions, she was able to put all that aside to pay attention to something even more important.

And that was the instinctive desire to protect her sister, her family, when she saw her crying.

"Why are you crying, Nee-sama?" Rem asks innocently.

Could she, in some way, be the cause of those tears? Even though she was completely unaware of the circumstances surrounding her and full of questions, this hypothesis began to grow inside her.

But Ram, who was still overwhelmed by so many emotions exploding in her chest, was unable to respond with words.

Her sister had finally woken up.

Her sister remembered her.

Ram now also remembered Rem; all her memories had returned. All at once, their entire life together came flooding back, from birth, childhood, the massacre of the Oni village, and life at Roswaal's mansion onwards. It was as if they had always been there, only now coming to the surface, clearing away all the shadows in her memory that had appeared in Rem's absence.

Emilia, who watched this special moment between the twins, was also in her own spiral of thoughts and conflicts.

That girl with blue hair and eyes, Rem, who until a moment ago was like a crystalline shadow that only lived as an empty shell in her state of sleeping beauty.

Who until a moment ago was just a stranger who meant nothing to herself, but means so much to her knight, who was the only one capable of remembering her.

And if she meant so much to Subaru, then she meant something to Emilia as well. Rem was a stranger, indeed, but she was a stranger whom Emilia was eager to get to know, having heard so much about her from her knight.

But why, all of a sudden, had this stranger become so familiar? So well known? So close to her? Who was this cute, hard-working maid who appeared in her memories as if she had always been there, when she didn't exist until a few moments ago?

A servant? No, she was more than that. A friend? Emilia wasn't sure, although she wished that was the answer. Then a companion? Yes, a companion whom Emilia valued.

Then a voice echoed in her mind, coming from her newly recovered memories. Without being sought, without being called, the voice simply came, and with it came understanding.

Emilia-sama... said the voice, sweet, respectful, and pleasant. And Emilia knew very well now to whom that voice belonged.

It belonged to a cute maid with blue hair and eyes. Ram's younger twin sister, Roswaal L. Mathers' diligent maid, and Emilia's companion.

Emilia brought a trembling hand to her mouth. "Rem..." she said, as emotion overwhelmed her voice and her eyes filled with tears.

Admiration, longing, companionship... Emilia felt all these emotions at that moment.

Beatrice was also in a similar situation to Emilia, but to a lesser extent, after all, she had never been particularly close to the blue maid.

Still, she couldn't help but admire her for all the stories Subaru told her about the girl and the sparkle in his eyes when he talked about her.

It was clear, especially to Beatrice, who spent so much time with Subaru, that the boy had a strong love for the blue maid, similar to what he felt for Emilia, but it came from a different source.

So even though she didn't have any special or particular regard for the girl, she couldn't deny that she felt respect for her, and in the same way, she couldn't help but be completely impressed when all those memories came back to her mind as if they had always been there.

She was amazed at how everything simply made sense, and how these memories fit so well and so much better than they did with her absence.

And with these feelings of respect and shock at the absurdity of the situation, the only thing she was able to say was, "Wow..."

Suddenly, she felt the warmth in her hand gently disappear as Subaru let go of her hand.

It was an unpleasant feeling, of course, it always was, when she felt that distance forming between them, but on that special occasion, she allowed it. Without complaining or making a scene, she allowed it.

After all, through their soul connection, she could understand the waterfall of emotions pouring out of her contractor's heart, and therefore, she understood his deep desire to get closer to Rem, and most of all, she knew that he deserved it more than anything.

So, without hesitation, she gave her silent blessing to her contractor. Of course, she still expected many pats on the head as a reward for this.

Subaru, with an expressionless face and a warm gaze, took a step forward, then another and another toward the girl who had just woken up.

The sounds of his footsteps reverberated through the room, reaching Rem's ears, who turned her head toward the black-haired boy, her eyes meeting his once again. The blue meeting the black.

An expression of affection, but at the same time of doubt, crossed the girl's face as her beloved approached.

Emilia just watched silently as her knight, who was standing next to her, moved away from her step by step.

And then, at that moment, amid the admiration, longing, and companionship she felt for Rem, something darker emerged discreetly, something she couldn't name and preferred to ignore. And the reason for this small shadow that appeared in her heart was a final realization she had as Subaru approached Rem.

Subaru said he loved Rem, just as he said he loved her.

The young man with black hair continued to advance, gradually closing the distance between him and Rem.

Not that they were a great distance from each other, and not that Subaru was walking too slowly, but still, somehow, that short walk, from Subaru's perspective, was like walking all the way from when Rem had her existence devoured until she finally woke up at that moment when they were now meeting.

And when Subaru finally got close enough to Rem, the girl only had time to adjust her posture on Ram's lap.

"Suba—EH!?"

Before Rem could even finish saying her beloved's name, the young man wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a warm, tight hug, her face pressed against Subaru's chest.

The blue-haired girl blushed instantly as her mind stopped working, replacing all her previous confusion with bewilderment, but at the same time, a burning feeling of satisfaction.

Feeling the warmth of Subaru—no—of her hero, was enough to snap her out of any stupor and calm any anxiety. Her chest throbbed with love at such closeness, and she rejoiced deeply at the importance her beloved was giving her, but still...

Why did he seem to be suffering so much?

"Rem...!" He said in a desperate but at the same time relieved tone. "Forgive me, Rem... I missed you so much!"

With her face against his chest and her cheeks flushed, Rem could only look up in confusion as she saw a tear roll down Subaru's neck.

"Subaru-kun, what...?"

Rem wanted to know more, she wanted to understand him. Why did her hero look so pained? Why did her beloved hold her as if she would disappear if he let her go? Not that she was complaining, of course, but something in Subaru's pain evoked in her the same protective instinct she had felt moments before with her sister, causing her to put aside any doubts and questions and focus all her attention on freeing those she loved from their suffering.

With that in mind, even though she was reluctant, Rem gently pulled away from Subaru's warm embrace, lifting her head and coming face to face with him.

The act surprised the young man with black hair, who could only stare into Rem's blue eyes in shock, pain, and relief. Rem, on the other hand, was calm, her face flushed with love and compassion and a warm smile, as she delicately lifted her fingers to wipe the tears from Subaru's face, tears that the black-haired young man hadn't even noticed had fallen from his eyes.

Subaru blushed in the process, feeling the girl's delicate fingers gently touch his face.

"It's okay, it's okay, Subaru-kun," she said in a warm tone, comforting Subaru as she wiped away his tears.

Subaru wanted to say something, but he was unable to form words. All of his senses were claimed by her wonderful touch on his face and her gentle voice that calmed his heart.

Their faces were pleasantly close, as they could feel each other's breath. With both of them blushing and Rem expressing a warm smile, Subaru couldn't help but smile emotionally.

"It's okay, Subaru-kun," she said once more, stroking his hair. "I'm not going anywhere, I won't leave you."

Rem was still unsure of the circumstances that had brought her to this moment, nor did she recognize Subaru, his sister, or the familiar faces around her. Her memories were jumbled, but still, seeing the pain of her hero, she simply felt she had to say it. She needed to proclaim that she would be there and always be by his side.

Subaru's eyes teared up as they regained their sparkle, that sparkle she loved so much. The black-haired young man stared at the blue-haired girl for a few precious moments before bowing his head once more, bringing a new radiant smile to her face and tears that this time were tears of happiness.

Yes, he looks better this way, thought Rem, expressing a precious smile.

Subaru pulled her once more into a warm and even tighter embrace, wrapping his arms around Rem's neck. A wonderful warmth coursed through the couple's bodies as audibly low sobs echoed from Subaru. They were sobs of satisfaction and happiness as he clutched the fabric of Rem's clothes with longing and affection.

Rem could only respond, feeling pure happiness knowing that she had managed to help her beloved feel better, even without understanding exactly what the problem was. That, and being able to enjoy the embrace and closeness she loved so much.

Suddenly, Rem felt a delicate palm from behind press gently against the back of her neck, sliding through her hair. She knew who it was. Rem knew that touch like no one else. Still, Rem instinctively tried to turn her head back to see her, only to be completely surprised when Ram, still emotional and visibly tearful, wrapped her arms around Rem's waist, hugging her from behind.

Rem could feel the warmth of Ram's sisterly love permeate her body as she listened to her older sister's sobs of emotion.

The blue-haired girl felt paralyzed by Ram's sudden action, completely speechless.

Subaru, her beloved hero hugging her from the front while Ram, her dear sister hugging her from behind, was a torrent of affection and warmth that she was certainly not prepared to feel and had never imagined would ever happen.

For her, it was a truly unthinkable gift to have the two most important figures in her life enveloping her with such tenderness at the same time. It was so unreal that she wasn't sure if she was dreaming or if it was really reality.

But even so, even with so many doubts, she was able to know deep down that this love, this affection, these tears and sobs were impossible to be an illusion.

This was reality, the purest and most perfect face of reality. And when she was finally able to accept that, her body, which had been slightly paralyzed, was finally able to relax and allow itself to feel all the affection from her two favorite people.

And when all of this came together, the tears fell. Rem, even with doubts and questions, was unable to contain the torrent of emotions, both positive and confusing, that she was feeling. And with all of this coming to the surface, her eyes moistened deeply as precious tears streamed down her face.

Whether it was love for Subaru, love for Ram, or gratitude for both of them, she felt deeply satisfied. She would remember this moment, however complicated and permeated with questions it was, for the rest of her life.

Ram, now with her arms wrapped around Rem's waist, could finally conclude to herself. She knew, in the core of her being, deep in her soul, that she had reconnected with that long-lost part of herself.

She had finally reconnected with her other half. She had reconnected with her Rem.

Subaru, on the other hand, was also going through a process of reconnection at that moment, his arms squeezing Rem's slender and delicate body.

With that part of his soul that had been taken from him for so long. The part that had been missing from his being for so long, that had caused Subaru to visit Rem's room every night, telling her empty body about his day for over a year.

He did this every night because he knew, deep down, that this part of himself was so important to him that his soul sought incessantly to be reunited with it once again.

After all, there were three fundamental parts that made up the person known as Natsuki Subaru, which he could never give up.

The part known as Emilia's Knight.

The part known as Beatrice's Contractor.

And the part he longed to reconnect with so that he could feel whole once again.

The part known as the Rem's Hero.

And he was finally able to reconnect with her. The person known as Natsuki Subaru was whole once again.

With that in mind, the three-way hug and the torrent of emotions from that trio lingered a little longer.

Meili, who was nearby, only knew the blue-haired girl—Rem—by sight, but she had a good sense of how important that girl was to her onii-san and the pink maid.

And thinking about that, she, with her mind and sensitivity still considered childish, even with her dark past as an assassin, couldn't help but shed a few tears as she witnessed the emotional scene. Meili was very good at empathizing with people.

Emilia, who hadn't taken a step since Subaru had moved away from her to approach Rem, noticed something that, for some reason, she wished she hadn't.

That discreet shadow, which had emerged from behind the feelings of admiration and companionship she felt for Rem, and which she had decided to ignore, had become even more present.

Ignoring it now was no longer possible; all she could do was suppress it. It was a shadow she didn't fully understand, not yet, but even as the shadow wandered among the exciting feelings of happiness she felt for her knight reuniting with a precious person, the shadow was still there.

With the shadow still there, discreet and furtive, incomprehensible but present, smiling maliciously at the silver-haired girl, Emilia still chose to suppress it. 

Then the shadow disappeared, but Emilia knew it wouldn't be forever.

At some point, the shadow would probably return, and she didn't know if she would be able to suppress it again. But until that time came, Emilia could still hold on to the feelings of genuine happiness she felt for Subaru, and with that, she expressed a radiant and sincere smile at the warm scene before her.

Julius and Anastasia, still moved by the beautiful reunion they had moments before, were now a little more composed.

With this composure in place, the master-servant duo watched the precious scene between Subaru, Rem, and Ram.

Then they realized that whatever had restored Julius's name had also restored the existence of the girl known as Rem.

Whether names or memories, the mysterious phenomenon that had brought them to such a mysterious place had been able to lift the cruel curse of gluttony that permeated two of the members of that group.

With this understanding in mind, Julius and Anastasia looked at each other with stunned expressions as if exchanging a silent conversation. The conclusion was unanimous among them.

"The curse is gone!"

Returning to the emotional trio, Subaru reluctantly pulled away from Rem's body, followed by Ram, and then looked into the blue-eyed girl's eyes once more.

"Are you feeling better, Subaru-kun?" Rem asked in a tender, concerned voice that warmed Subaru's heart.

"Yes, I feel much better, Rem." He replied with a smile, wiping away some tears.

Rem flashed a radiant smile through her own tears of relief, saying, "Rem is so relieved."

She then tilted her head to the side, moving closer to Ram's face.

"Is Nee-sama better?" she asked, in the same tender tone.

"Yes, Rem, your Nee-sama is better than ever," she replied, smiling radiantly.

"I'm so happy to hear that, Nee-sama."

Rem wanted answers, of course, but the safety and well-being of her loved ones came first. Such was the love of an oni, giving herself body and soul to those she cherished with all her heart, putting them above her own selfish needs.

When the mood seemed to calm down a little, Rem said timidly, "If you can answer, Rem would like to know what's going on."

The request was directed mainly at Subaru and Ram, although she did not rule out the presence of those around her.

Hearing this, both Subaru and Ram realized something. Rem had spent the last year as a "Sleeping Beauty," so she had no idea what was going on or why they were treating her this way.

Thinking about it, Subaru smiled awkwardly.

"It's a long story," he said.

"If it's from Subaru-kun, I'd love to hear it all," Rem replied kindly.

Subaru blushed a little at her reply, then said, "When we're in a more suitable place and have plenty of time, I promise I'll tell you everything."

She replied by touching his lower lip with her index finger while smiling charmingly, "It's a promise then."

Subaru blushed intensely and smiled just as intensely.

That gesture brought back a precious memory from after the defeat of the White Whale. Rem had made that same bold gesture when they sealed their promise that, once the chaos was over, Rem would stay by Subaru's side.

Remembering that, and having the same gesture performed in such a special circumstance, made the black-haired young man very happy.

This girl is really special, he thought.

Ram, listening to the friendly exchange between the two, interjected with a mischievous smile.

"But don't forget that I'll be there too to tell you everything. I would never let Barusu take all the credit," she said with humorous firmness.

"Nee-sama, Subaru-kun would never take your credit...!" Rem said, pouting cutely.

"Of course not, Barusu is too naive for that." She replied, widening her mischievous smile.

"You really have no pity for me, Nee-san." Subaru said, scratching the back of his neck shyly.

"Ha!" was Ram's response, the last thing she said before the trio burst into laughter.

For Rem, it might have been a fairly ordinary moment with the three of them interacting in that way, but for Ram and Subaru, this precious moment unfolding was something warmly nostalgic.

A type of interaction they hadn't had since that fateful day when Rem was devoured. And now, with such pleasant interaction taking place, it was as if it marked the beginning of a new era for the three of them.

One that brings back the old days, but brings them back with a pleasant new freshness.

When the laughter subsided, Subaru's expression became a little more serious.

"But there are some things you should know right away," Subaru said calmly.

"Go ahead," Rem replied, listening intently.

Subaru took a deep breath and turned his gaze back to her.

"This may be a little shocking to hear, but it's been a year since the battle against the White Whale," he explained.

Rem's eyes widened.

"What!?" She replied with a deeply shocked expression. "B-But h-how!?"

Rem realized from Subaru's serious posture that she knew him too well for this; he was serious.

"He's telling the truth, sister." Ram said in an equally serious tone.

Rem was used to her sister's usual sarcastic tone, but it was rare, and she could sense through her synesthesia that Ram would speak this way.

It was only when Ram was completely convinced that she spoke this way.

Rem's eyes lowered for a moment, her expression changing from happiness to sadness in the blink of an eye.

What happened in the meantime? Why couldn't she remember anything? And why did they act as if they already expected this reaction from her? Could this have something to do with the episode of tears and hugs that occurred moments before?

These were some of the questions she asked herself internally. But she didn't doubt a word they had said to her. Rem trusted those two completely. She would listen to them and understand.

"But then... how?" Rem asked in a low, resolute voice.

"And that's the part of the long story we promised to tell you later. But now, Rem, I know you're already having to process the shocking information that Ram and I have told you, and I don't want to worry you with anything else as shocking as that, but there's something else very important you need to know."

"One more thing...!" She sighed sadly, fearing what would come out of her beloved's mouth. "You can tell me."

Subaru took a deep breath before explaining, "The place we are now, look around."

Rem followed Subaru's instruction. She raised her head and scanned her surroundings.

The first thing she noticed were the familiar faces she was already familiar with, and some faces that were not so familiar.

"Emilia-sama, Beatrice-sama..." She murmured as she saw the faces of her lady and the spirit with braids she already knew very well.

"Hello, Rem. You look very well!" Emilia said with a gentle smile, waving at her.

Emilia didn't expect to be recognized so quickly, but she felt very happy about it.

Rem was also happy with Emilia's words. After all, in the year that had apparently passed, Emilia still seemed to be as kind as ever.

"I'm very happy to see you well too, Emilia-sama!" Rem replied politely, also smiling kindly.

"Hmph!" Beatrice expressed, looking away with her usual angry and cute manner.

Rem smiled awkwardly at Beatrice's proud attitude, which she was already very familiar with.

"I'm also glad to see you well, Beatrice-sama," Rem said amiably.

It was a strange feeling for Rem. To her, it was as if she had seen these people—Emilia and Beatrice—for the last time just a few days ago, but knowing that a year had passed in which she was somehow unaware of them made all this interaction a little strange, uncomfortable.

Not that she disliked Emilia and Beatrice's company, far from it, but she wasn't necessarily close to them in the same way she was close to Subaru and Ram, who had welcomed her with such tenderness and affection just moments ago.

So, unconsciously, because of this unknown time gap for the blue-haired oni, she felt a certain distance forming between her and those two. But Rem didn't want things to stay that way. So, with these feelings in hand, she secretly wished she had an opportunity to talk to Emilia and Beatrice properly, so that she could make up for lost time somehow.

But there was a reason why Rem didn't take the initiative to do so. After all, from her perspective, even though a year had passed and things within Emilia's entourage had certainly changed, Rem still felt like a servant of Roswaal's mansion who served and respected Emilia and Beatrice with the appropriate formality.

Allowing herself to take the initiative in something so "intimate" with the person she considered a master was against Rem's nature as a maid, ingrained in her for almost a decade of serving Roswaal.

On the other hand, Emilia, without carrying any burden as a maid to a master, thought quite differently. After all, it had always been her desire to get closer to Rem, as well as Ram, beyond such a formal relationship. If they allowed it, Emilia would truly like them to treat each other as companions and friends.

Therefore, Emilia, who also felt a distance forming between her and Rem due to all the time Rem spent asleep, was determined to get closer to her properly this time.

So, when the opportunity arose, Emilia was determined to have a proper conversation with the oni girl, even if she had to take the initiative.

Beatrice, however, proud as she was, would hardly consider taking the initiative to approach the blue maid unless she was with her contractor at the time.

But even so, she would not be so negligent as to refuse to have a proper conversation with Rem if she decided to take the initiative, after all, Rem was a girl whom her contractor considered very special to him, and he never spared her praise, even when no one else remembered her.

With that, Beatrice began to harbor a certain respect for the girl known as Rem, whom her contractor held in such high regard. So it was safe to say that the great spirit would be willing to get closer to the blue maid, if that were the case.

With these thoughts permeating the three female figures most important to Subaru, the three made their decisions silently after that brief exchange of words.

The next moment, Rem continued to scan the room, then noticed some unexpected new faces.

Side by side, a few meters away, stood Julius and Anastasia, who were also staring at her with curiosity.

Rem was immediately surprised by the presence of another Royal Candidate in that room.

She had already had contact with the merchant princess when she participated in negotiations alongside Subaru to forge the alliance that would annihilate the White Whale. From her perspective, this had happened very recently, in fact. It was no exaggeration to say that she was surprised to see her again "so soon."

On the other hand, she had never met Julius in person before, but she knew him from the descriptions Subaru had given her and knew that he was Anastasia's knight.

Therefore, she was able to deduce that the purple-haired man in royal knight's garb was Anastasia's knight, Julius Juukulius, himself. With that in mind, a certain amount of dislike and resentment ran through Rem's body as she recognized the knight who had beaten her beloved in a duel, but she quickly suppressed that feeling so as not to cause unnecessary confusion in a situation she did not yet fully understand.

With that in mind, there was only one thing left for her to do.

"Anastasia-sama, it's a pleasure to see you again!" Rem said politely.

To which Anastasia nodded with a gentle expression and replied, "Likewise, Rem-san. I'm glad to see you well now, Natsuki-kun was quite worried about you."

Although she could already imagine this, Rem still couldn't help but blush a little upon learning this fact—her beloved's concern for her—from someone else, especially a Royal Candidate.

Subaru also blushed a little upon hearing these words, but he didn't feel the slightest bit embarrassed.

Rem also waved politely to Julius, who waved back in a similar manner.

Although that might change in the future if her impression of Julius proved wrong, Rem had no desire to get to know him or even talk to him in any way. She didn't want to be friendly with someone who had hurt her beloved.

Further ahead, Rem also noticed Meili's presence nearby. And as she looked at the little girl with dark blue hair, Rem couldn't help but think that she looked very familiar and that she had seen her somewhere before, but she didn't know her name.

Noticing Rem's gaze on her, Meili let out an "oh~" and waved cheerfully.

Rem could only wave back awkwardly. She would ask Subaru about this peculiar little girl later, because at that moment, she was faced with something that intrigued her even more deeply.

What is this place...? Rem wondered to herself.

After recognizing the people around her and even exchanging a few words with them, she was finally able to pay more attention to the place where she and the others were.

And it was at that moment that she felt truly intrigued.

The place where they were was completely different from anything Rem had ever witnessed or heard of in her life.

Even though it was nighttime at the moment, and some details of the environment were less visible, it was quite clear that this place was completely beyond any description she had ever heard.

The floor, the lights, the architecture, the street, the nearby buildings, and even the tall buildings in the distance that emitted strange lights to her.

None of this was familiar to Rem in any way, none of it was recognizable to her in any way.

Was she somewhere in Kararagi or Vollachia? She was certainly not in Lugunica, as she knew the country she lived in well enough to rule out that possibility. Gusteko, on the other hand, was also unlikely, as there was no snow anywhere she could see, and the temperature seemed quite mild compared to what she would expect from the frozen lands of the Holy Kingdom.

Therefore, there was only one alternative left to better understand this situation.

"Subaru-kun." She calls him with an incredulous expression. "Where are we? What is this place?"

Immediately after that question, everyone present became visibly uncomfortable and turned their gaze to Subaru, waiting to hear his answer.

Subaru, however, remained calm and composed, after all, he was expecting exactly those questions and those looks, and had already mentally prepared himself for it. With that in mind, he let out a deep sigh, pondering how he would answer Rem's questions.

He then replied, "Rem, at this moment we are in my homeland, but that's not all."

Rem could only stare at him with an incredulous but curious expression, after all—

The homeland... of Subaru-kun? She thought, feeling a little more excited, because if that were true, she would know more about the origins of her beloved.

"Continue..." she said timidly, knowing that he hadn't finished speaking yet.

Subaru sighed again and said, "We are in my homeland, that is true, but beyond that, this place we are in is beyond the Great Waterfall, in other words, we are in another world, in a parallel world."

And in a parallel world they were.

Notes:

This was probably the most emotional thing I've ever written, and I plan to write more and more scenes like this. It was a lot of fun to do. The long-awaited reunion between Subaru, Rem, and Ram, and the conflicts that arise in Emilia's heart, turned out much more interesting than I thought I would be capable of. In the next chapter, more of the mystery of their arrival on Earth/Japan will be revealed, but with that, more questions will arise.

Chapter 3: Next Steps

Notes:

With this chapter, the first three chapters I had already posted on FF were also posted here. From now on, the chapters will be posted simultaneously on AO3 and FF.

Oh yes, I had a problem setting up the tags for this story, but in case it wasn't clear, "Emilia/Natsuki Subaru" is the correct tag for this fanfic and Emilia and Subaru will have a romantic development, just like Subaru and Rem. But of course I won't give any more spoilers hahaha.

Please enjoy the chapter!

Beyond the great waterfall... a parallel world? Rem thinks with a confused expression on her face.

"Wait, Subaru-kun, what do you mean by that?" she asks.

Although Rem understood the idea behind what Subaru had revealed, and had even considered the possibility of being in one of the four great countries of the continent, such a strong statement as being in a place beyond the great waterfall, or in this case, a parallel world, was still difficult to process.

"It's exactly as I said, Rem. We are in another world. We're not in Lugunica or Vollachia, or anywhere on the continent at the moment, we're in a land beyond the great waterfall." Subaru replied sincerely.

Rem could only stare at him in silence. Her mind was in conflict between the absolute trust she had in Subaru and the absurd weight of the information she was hearing.

Everyone else just stared at the situation with complicated expressions on their faces, since they had already discussed this matter with the black-haired young man a little while ago and had thought long and hard about everything he had told them so far, leaving them, at the very least, in a helpless situation where they could only trust Subaru on this matter.

Seeing the confusion and bewilderment of the blue-haired girl, Subaru's expression softened. After all, he could imagine exactly how she felt hearing all this.

"I understand that this may be difficult to digest, and even difficult to understand, but I am truly telling you the truth, I would never lie to you." Subaru said with a gentle expression, as well as in his tone of voice.

He knew she must have a lot on her mind at that moment. After all, she was already dealing with the fact that she had lost a year of her life without knowing why, and now she had to deal with the fact that she could be in a completely strange land, far away from home.

"I trust Subaru-kun, it's just that..." Rem hesitated for a moment. "Nee-sama." She called out to Ram.

Ram, taken a little by surprise by the sudden call, quickly composed herself and replied in a firm tone: "Yes, sister."

"Is Subaru-kun telling the truth?" Rem asked in a resolute tone.

The truth was that Rem didn't doubt her beloved, not when he was really serious about what he was saying, but she was already dealing with a lot at that moment, and having her sister also support his claims would make it easier to accept them as true.

Subaru, on the other hand, felt a little bad that Rem didn't believe him right away, but he quickly dismissed the negative feeling, as he understood perfectly how absurd the idea of a parallel world was to anyone, and even if she doubted him, he would still be able to prove his claims later. This was his world, after all.

"Sister, even I find it hard to believe, but it really seems to be the case. None of us have seen or heard of any place like this on the continent, and after what Barusu explained to us a little while ago, I'm inclined to believe him. I imagine everyone else here feels the same way." Ram explained sincerely.

"Wow..." Rem replied in awe as she thought about it more and more.

"I believe it too, Rem." Emilia interjected gently, getting Rem's attention. "Subaru explained to us that he was transported to our world on the same day he met me at the looting house. And you met him when I brought him to the mansion shortly after."

"I can attest to that, as I found no information about a man matching Natsuki-kun's description from before he met the Sword Saint on the same day he met Emilia-san." Anastasia explained.

"So you were in our world less than a day when we met?" Rem asked Subaru, who was still standing quite close to her.

Subaru scratched the back of his neck and replied, "As incredible as it may seem, that's right."

Rem lowered her head momentarily as she pondered this information, and then she let out a small laugh.

"So that's why you were so strange back then, wearing unfamiliar clothes and saying incomprehensible things at times. Thinking about it now, it makes perfect sense." She said with amusement.

Subaru let out a cheerful laugh and replied, "Well, from my point of view, everything around me was pretty strange too." He joked, making them both laugh together.

"Barusu also knew practically nothing about our language, no wonder I had to teach him everything." Ram added with a slight mocking tone.

"And I am deeply grateful, nee-san." Subaru replied.

"And he also had almost no knowledge of our world, actually. As hard as it is to believe, it makes sense that he is from another world, I suppose." Beatrice said calmly.

"I still learn things from you, my dear Beako." Subaru replied with a smile.

"Betty will always be the best teacher, actually." She said proudly.

Rem could only listen to this information in fascination as she connected the dots in her own head, analyzing all the oddities that had covered Natsuki Subaru since she had met him, and everything she knew about him.

And then, Rem's expression became darker, catching Subaru's attention.

"It must have been difficult for you, Subaru-kun, to be in a strange land, alone. So many bad things could have happened."

Emilia and Beatrice immediately felt bad, as they hadn't thought about the situation from that angle yet. How Subaru might have felt being so far from home, and everything that could have happened to him due to his unfamiliarity with the environment and culture.

Subaru, noticing the complicated expressions on Emilia, Rem, and Beatrice's faces, quickly acted to reassure them, saying, "Hey, hey, it's okay, everyone. It's true that when it dawned on me that I was in such an unfamiliar place, it was a little difficult. But I quickly got to know all of you, and I am deeply grateful for that."

"Are you sure about that, Subaru-kun?" Rem asked timidly.

"I'd like to know too," Emilia added with a worried tone as she approached Subaru and Rem.

Beatrice, standing next to Emilia, also walked toward Subaru with a sad expression, saying, "Betty is also worried, actually."

With the growing feeling of concern for Subaru's mental well-being permeating those girls, Subaru couldn't help but feel warm inside, even though he didn't think such concern was necessary.

It's true that when I arrived on the continent, I thought I was some kind of perfect isekai protagonist and that only good things would happen to me from then on. But I quickly realized that I was wrong, hurting myself and dying repeatedly, whether at the hands of Elsa, or even in the mansion when I had to deal with the shaman and Rem's violent suspicions. And honestly, it was hard. It was really hard.

Still, as I went through the cycles, I was able to learn more and more about these people and get closer and closer to them. I got to know Emilia, Beatrice, Ram, and even Rem, who had hurt me so much at first, better. And after all that, I realized that I had learned something very important.

Each of them had something special, a good side, or some valuable lesson to teach me. Even Rem, who seemed like a violent and resentful demon on the surface, was just a girl who was suffering a lot. And the more I got to know these people, the more I realized that they were people worth fighting for, and worth loving.

And it was because I believed that, because I learned to believe in the good side of people, that I was able to get close to people like Julius, Otto, Garfiel, and even that bastard Roswaal. So, I don't know if I'll ever get over many of the horrible things that have happened to me since I came to this world, that's true, but if you ask me if I'm at peace with it, and if I'm grateful for where it has taken me, for all the precious people I've met and learned to love, then my answer can only be one... Subaru concluded his thoughts and turned his attention back to the girls once more.

Emilia and Beatrice were crouching on either side of Subaru as they stared at him with worried looks, Rem was sitting on the floor while leaning on Subaru, and Ram remained behind Rem.

Subaru looked at them intently with a warm smile on his face and said, "Honestly, meeting you all was the best thing that could have happened to me since I came to your world. You are everything to me."

And before a knight of a half-elf, the contractor of a great spirit, and the hero of an oni, the three girls couldn't feel more relieved and satisfied with the black-haired young man's declaration.

Radiant smiles and teary eyes formed on the girls' faces as they felt happy with Subaru's gratitude towards them. Even Ram was smiling genuinely, albeit subtly.

Knowing that Subaru was a man who came from another world and could have suffered greatly due to his lack of knowledge was a frightening thought for those close to him, such as Emilia, Rem, and Beatrice, but now, understanding that he was able to find his place alongside them and the other members of Camp Emilia and be truly grateful for it, was deeply comforting.

"Subaru, you really are incorrigible, aren't you?" Emilia said emotionally.

Subaru let out a slight laugh and replied, "But look on the bright side, you get to tell everyone that your knight is from another world."

"Yes," Emilia replied, placing her hand on her chest. "My knight is truly amazing."

Knight... of Emilia-sama? Rem thought in astonishment, listening to the words of Subaru and Emilia. What does that mean?

"My contractor is the best, actually," Beatrice said proudly, following Emilia.

"Your contractor also has the best spirit, my dear Beako." Subaru replied with a smile as he patted Beatrice on the head.

Eh!? Contractor? Subaru-kun and Beatrice-sama signed a contract? Rem wondered in shock as she watched the cute interaction between Subaru and Beatrice.

Rem, knowing that a year had passed in which she had not been present in any way, and observing the friendly interactions between Subaru, Emilia, and Beatrice, already imagined that they had become even closer, but Emilia's knight? Signing a contract with a great spirit like Beatrice? That was a big surprise.

"Subaru-kun, you became Emilia-sama's knight and have a contract with Beatrice-sama? I really missed a lot, didn't I?" Rem said with a flash of sadness.

Subaru, hearing Rem's words, let out a slight laugh as he placed a gentle palm on her shoulder and replied, "That's also part of that long story I mentioned. But don't forget that I promised to tell you everything."

Those words were truly effective in comforting the blue-haired girl who found herself in such a complicated situation.

"You really know how to make me feel better, Subaru-kun," she said with a smile.

"That's because I'm your hero, remember?" he replied radiantly.

Subaru was deeply proud of that.

Rem blushed intensely upon hearing those words, seeing the hero she admired and idealized confirming her desire. Then she looked directly into the black-haired young man's eyes, their faces reflected in each other's gaze.

"Yes, my hero is really special," Rem said, expressing her true thoughts.

Subaru felt his smile widen involuntarily, his heart warming with an irreplaceable warmth. Rem still saw him as her hero even after so long asleep, and Subaru now, more than ever, would be her hero, and would guide her, just as he would guide all his companions in that new world that only he knew about.

My hero... Emilia reflects internally on Rem's words, spoken with such tenderness by the oni girl. Does she really care so much about Subaru? That's a good thing... right?

Seeing such a friendly and precious exchange between the two, she should feel only positive feelings. But why did she feel a little, perhaps, uncomfortable? It was a strange feeling. How much did she not understand about the relationship between those two?

No, enough of that! There's nothing wrong with Subaru and Rem! I have no reason to feel bad, this is a happy occasion! Yes, that's right...

Emilia sighed deeply, suppressing these negative feelings that were so unfamiliar to her. She couldn't let herself get carried away by this and ruin such a special occasion.

Putting a smile back on her face, Emilia allowed herself to be absorbed by the pleasant atmosphere once again.

"Rem, Barusu." Ram said calmly, getting the couple's attention. "I think it's time we got up off the floor, don't you?"

Ram had no desire to ruin the moment; after all, even she was deeply moved by the return of her other half, but the thought that they might be spending too much time in that place and that they needed to start acting soon was weighing on her mind.

"I understand, nee-san, we need to get moving," Subaru said honestly.

Even though Ram only told us to get up off the floor, I can see what she really meant. We need to start looking for a suitable place to stay, and the fact that she called my attention directly means that she trusts me specifically for this, since I am the only one who knows this world better than anyone else. Subaru thought. His expression, which until now had been deeply warm, had become more serious through understanding.

"Besides, we need to find a place to stay. The place we are now is not exactly cozy."

As if to take the matter further, the words came from the merchant princess herself, Anastasia Hoshin.

Julius, standing beside her, also took a step forward.

"And also, as we can see, it has already gotten dark in this place. We need to find shelter for the night, and only you can help us, Subaru.” Anastasia’s knight revealed his thoughts.

As soon as Julius finished expressing his opinion, a new voice rang out.

“I also agree that we should start taking action, although I don’t like to ruin the moment between you two.”

This remark took everyone except Anastasia by surprise, who then simultaneously turned their gaze to the merchant princess. In fact, to say that they were looking at Anastasia would be a bit of a mistake, after all, what the group was really staring at was the white fox scarf wrapped around Anastasia's neck.

"Eridna?" Subaru asked.

"It's me, Natsuki-kun, why?"

"Well, you've been quiet the whole time since we got here," Subaru replied awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck.

"I admit I was a little confused about this place when we got here, so I preferred to keep quiet while you explained about this 'parallel world'. I just exchanged a few words with Ana telepathically," she explained.

"But then?"

"Did you want me to interrupt your moment with the blue girl?" Eridna replied.

Subaru let out a small laugh.

"No, no, you're right. Heh, thanks for not being a killjoy, but honestly, I'm glad you're here with us too. I wouldn't feel good knowing you stayed behind and separated from Anastasia-san." Subaru said sincerely.

"We appreciate your concern." Eridna replied kindly.

"Yes, that's true, Natsuki-kun. I'm glad you care." Anastasia added, bowing slightly.

"It's nothing. I promised myself that I would keep you safe the moment I realized we were in my homeland." Subaru stood up from the ground, assuming a straight and confident posture, and continued, "And now I promise all of you. I will use everything I know about this world to keep you safe. It's the least I can do."

That last sentence was not simply an empty promise, but a declaration of Subaru's burning determination to never give up on his friends. Moreover, he said these words while looking at each of his companions, who returned his determination with admiring glances and gentle smiles.

That confidence... Subaru-kun seems to have really grown up during this time. How much has he changed? Rem thought enchanted, with a mixture of pride and curiosity for her beloved.

Subaru then looked down at Rem, who remained seated on the ground, staring at him with deep admiration.

"Can you stand up, Rem?" He asked calmly as he reached out to take her hand.

Rem, although still unsure of her ability to walk, accepted Subaru's hand almost unconsciously; she couldn't bring herself to refuse it. Subaru's palm and fingers gently grasped Rem's hand, guiding her up carefully.

Subaru knew that she hadn't walked for a year and had spent all her time unconscious on a bed, so it would be logical to assume that her legs wouldn't respond in the same way, but he harbored a hope that Rem wouldn't have to suffer with her ability to walk on top of everything else she must already be going through.

Rem, on the other hand, although she wasn't sure what had kept her unconscious for a year, had, from the moment she awoke in Ram's arms, a vague and uncomfortable suspicion that her legs weren't responding properly, but she couldn't be sure of this fact as she hadn't needed to stand up until then.

However, at that moment, with Subaru's help, her suspicions were confirmed.

As soon as Rem put weight on her legs and tried to stand up, they gave way, and Rem returned to her previous sitting position.

Ram, who was behind Rem, also had similar thoughts to Subaru regarding Rem's ability to walk. Seeing his sister fail to stand up, his eyes narrowed slightly.

Subaru, who also watched Rem fail to stand up, was about to say something when Rem interrupted him.

"Wait," she said, preparing for another attempt.

She put strength into her legs and tightened her grip on Subaru's hand.  

She failed for the second time.

A resigned sigh escaped Subaru.

An understanding look came from Ram's eyes.

And a "tch" with notes of deep irritation came from Rem's mouth.

She can't walk. Spending a year immobile on a bed had taken its toll, although her natural resistance as an oni had prevented her from being in an even weaker state. Subaru reflected in his heart.

"You don't have to try so hard, Rem, it's okay. I can carry you," Subaru said gently.

Rem kept her head down and a complicated expression on her face. She already felt frustrated for different reasons, but now, in addition to feeling even more frustrated, she felt like a burden.

"I don't want to be a burden to you, Subaru-kun," she replied in a low but firm voice.

Subaru shook his head, his expression softening. He bent down, approaching her.

"You will never be a burden to me, and besides, I'm sure you'll recover soon. You're a very strong girl, Rem." Subaru said sincerely.

"Do you really think so?" Rem replied, feeling her mood gradually improve.

He nodded calmly and confidently. There was no need for further words; Subaru's gaze conveyed all the admiration and comfort Rem needed. Rem's lips curved slightly, and a sweet smile formed on her face as she nodded to Subaru.

Even though she still felt like a burden to Subaru and his companions, knowing that her hero would be with her while she recovered from her leg injury was the motivation she needed.

A figure beside Subaru and Rem stepped forward. The sound of their foot hitting the ground reverberated through the room, proclaiming the determination of the person in question.

And that person said, "I can carry Rem, Barusu. I have more physical strength than you, save your energy to think of ways to keep us safe."

It was Ram, of course, smiling confidently.

"Nee-sama..." Rem murmured in surprise.

Subaru was also quite surprised by Ram's statement, and although he would have liked to carry Rem on his back, the pink-haired girl's reasoning was quite correct.

Ram is stronger than Subaru and is fully capable of carrying Rem, even considering his physical disability related to the loss of his horn. Subaru, on the other hand, could focus his energy on planning the group's next steps. Therefore, Subaru carrying Rem would be an unnecessary effort.

Thinking about it, Subaru let out a sigh, and with a smile, he said, "All right, nee-san, I entrust this task to you."

"Ram doesn't need Barusu to entrust her with this task, Rem is Ram's beloved sister, after all." Ram crossed her arms while smiling proudly.

Rem and Subaru let out a small laugh at Ram's "charming" attitude.

"I would love for nee-sama to carry me too," said Rem in a friendly manner.

"I promise my back will be more comfortable than a dragon carriage, dear Rem," said Ram, crouching down in front of Rem.

Rem wrapped her arms around Ram's neck, moving her legs appropriately so that Ram could grab them.

"I believe in you, nee-sama," She said, responding to Ram's previous words.

After a few moments, Rem was comfortably seated on Ram's back. In Subaru's view, they were two halves as one. Blue and pink in harmony, as it should always be.

With Ram and Rem ready, everyone checked their equipment and belongings to confirm that everything was in order. Subaru took the opportunity to gently take Beatrice's hand and move closer to Emilia, standing exactly where he wanted to be.

With all the preparations complete, the group's gazes inevitably turned to Subaru.

"So, Natsuki-kun. We're all ready, but you still haven't told us where we're going, or where we can go," Anastasia said.

"I have the perfect place in mind. A place where we can spend our time in this world. It can serve as a home for us for now, but that... depends," Subaru conjectured.

"Depends on what, Subaru?" Julius asked.

"On time, actually," Subaru replied seriously.

"Time?" Ram raised an eyebrow.

"Exactly, let me explain," said Subaru, looking at Ram, then turning to the rest of the group and continuing, "I was transported to your world about a year and a half ago, so that's how long I've spent in your world. That means that a year and a half may have passed in this world, my world, as well. However, we are not yet sure if time passes differently between worlds, so it may have been less time than that, or perhaps more time than that, or who knows, a more unlikely but still possible possibility is that no time has passed at all."

"You mean that, depending on how much time has passed here, it's possible that the place you're referring to may no longer be available, I suppose?" Beatrice expressed her thoughts.

"Precisely, my dear Beako." Subaru said in a soft tone.

"But what place would that be?" Emilia asked innocently.

Subaru hesitated for a moment. He seriously considered how to answer that question, and after considering it, he found it extremely difficult to put into words.

It was a difficult idea. A very difficult idea. For Subaru, it was an immeasurably difficult idea. Something he had already accepted to leave behind, something for which he harbored deep gratitude, love, and respect, but also deep regrets.

Regrets he would need to face. Subaru would need to be stronger than ever and face these regrets in order to keep his friends safe, in a perfect and proper place.

It would be difficult, and although he was not completely ready for it, he would do it without hesitation. Because, even though he was entangled in these old regrets, to cower at this moment and risk the safety of his friends would be an even greater regret.

Therefore, he really struggled to get the words out of his throat, but he was finally able to answer Emilia's question.

With a complicated expression, Subaru said, "My parents' house."

Flashes of shock and surprise ran across the faces and bodies of everyone present, some less intense and others more powerful. And why? Because for those close to the person known as Natsuki Subaru, this was big news.

"Subaru's parents?" Emilia whispered, taken aback.

For people like Emilia or Beatrice, Subaru had always been a very reserved man when it came to his origins. Although he would occasionally mention his homeland here and there, either to explain some of his strange and incomprehensible mannerisms or to answer a question, he had never spoken about his parents, his childhood, or his upbringing.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that this subject could be considered a real mystery to those close to Subaru who did not want to force him to talk about things he did not seem comfortable discussing.

Therefore, it is safe to say that hearing him talk about his parents' house is a real novelty.

Beatrice, sensing a wave of complicated feelings rising from her contractor's heart when he mentioned his parents, tightened her grip on his hand and asked, "Is everything okay, I hope?"

"Yes... it's fine," Subaru replied hesitantly.

"We don't have to do this if you don't want to, I suppose. Especially if your parents are difficult people, I think."

"What? No, no, it has nothing to do with that. My parents are amazing people, the best. That's not the problem."

Seeing Subaru's strange hesitation, Emilia wondered what the problem was with her knight's parents. Were they bad people? That didn't seem to be the case, Subaru seemed to love them deeply. So was the problem Subaru himself? Emilia had no way of knowing until her knight opened up to her.

But regardless of what Subaru said, this was clearly difficult for him, the idea of seeing his parents again after so long, and that's why Emilia wouldn't let her knight suffer alone, she would be there to support him, she would always be by his side.

"Subaru." Emilia approached, gently touching her knight's arm, and with that gesture, his black eyes met her amethyst ones. "Everything will be okay."

Emilia's tender voice reached his ears and traveled the path to his heart. Her smile, calm and reassuring, was the most precious treasure to him, the treasure he swore to protect.

Subaru's eyes, which had been dark with hesitation, now shone once again with a spark of determination. Subaru smiled at the silver-haired half-elf, who smiled back even more intensely.

He took a deep breath, and now, convinced of what he must do and what he must protect, he turned his gaze back to his companions and said, "Everyone!"

Everyone present paid close attention to Subaru's next words.

"As I explained before, due to the passage of time, it is possible that my parents' house is no longer available to us, but if my intuition is correct, then we will be fine," Subaru said confidently.

"Why does your intuition tell you that we will be fine?" Julius asked.

"Look, Julius, the place we're in now is my hometown, called Mizukawa, and we're in front of a convenience store in Akeno, the Central District," Subaru explained, then continued, "And this place is exactly as I remember it, nothing out of place since I left this world."

"Wait!" said an elated Ram. "That means the place we're in now..."

"It's exactly the same place I was when I was transported to your world, in front of this same convenience store," Subaru added, pointing to the nearby convenience store.

"What!?" everyone said in unison.

"I know, I'm just as surprised as you are. And although I still can't explain why we're exactly in this place, it also makes things easier," Subaru explained.

At that point, everyone had either given up trying to explain the mysterious phenomenon that brought them to this world, or were trying to formulate a series of hypotheses and theories to explain it, like Beatrice. But even the Great Spirit of the Forbidden Library would need more evidence before developing conclusive material that could be shared.

"Well, if we're in your hometown, in the place you were before you were transported, and nothing seems to have changed, then your parents must still be there to welcome us," Anastasia analyzed, her mind full of possibilities.

"Exactly, Anastasia-san. If so little seems to have changed around here, then maybe they're still there. In that case, I'm sure they'll welcome us with open arms," Subaru replied.

A certain blue-haired girl, riding on the back of her twin sister, watched her beloved and listened intently to his words. However, her mind was also buzzing with possibilities.

So I can meet Subaru-kun's parents? Are they nice people? Subaru-kun says so, but... will they like me? Will they give me their blessing? Her cheeks flushed intensely at the positive possibilities, but her rational mind did not rule out the negative possibilities either; after all, not everything happens the way we want it to.

Regardless, Rem couldn't ignore the faith Subaru had in his parents, and with that, her hopes of gaining their approval certainly grew.

"You seem to have a lot of faith in your parents, Subaru-kun. I'd really like to meet them," Rem said cheerfully, her cheeks slightly flushed.

"Yes, they're amazing. They would also really like to meet you," Subaru replied honestly.

"Really?" Rem asked, her expression turning enchanted.

Subaru nodded with a welcoming smile.

Rem looked away shyly, hiding her face behind Ram's hair. If anyone could have seen her face at that moment, they would have seen the blue-haired girl smiling like a lovesick fool.

But as the feeling of hope and tenderness grew in her chest, a single thought shot through her like a swift and relentless arrow, shaking her previous confidence.

But there's... Emilia-sama too... Rem reflected, as her smile slowly faded.

And a few moments after that thought crossed her mind, a shy voice, like a silver bell, reverberated through the room.

"I would also like to meet Subaru's parents."

The voice, of course, belonged to Emilia, who was pouting at Subaru. She was quite embarrassed, and it showed in her tomato-red cheeks and ears as she quickly looked away from Subaru.

Subaru, on the other hand, found the scene cute, incredibly cute, wonderfully cute.

"EMT! EMT!" He celebrated, making Emilia even redder with embarrassment.

She, however, did not dislike Subaru's teasing; in fact, she loved it.

And then, with a twinkle in his eyes and a charming smile, Subaru said, "Emilia-tan, my parents would love you too, don't worry about it."

"I-I'm glad..." Emilia replied, feeling very relieved.

Subaru let out a slight laugh, then looked back at the others.

"My parents' house isn't far from here, but it will require a bit of walking. But first, I need to ask all of you for something, it's vitally important." Subaru said in a serious tone.

"What do you need us to do?" Julius asked, a little tense from Subaru's tone.

The same tension ran through everyone else as they waited for Subaru's instructions.

"I promise I'll explain everything in detail later, when we're in a suitable place where no one can hear us, but for now, I ask that you don't question what I'm about to ask of you all," he said, and everyone nodded without hesitation.

They trusted Natsuki Subaru deeply, the man who had already proven himself a master in the art of finding ways to win battles.

"While we're on the streets, or in any kind of public place where anyone other than ourselves might witness it, absolutely never activate any kind of magic, don't try to summon any spirits, and don't talk about anything related to magic and mana around strangers," Subaru explained with the utmost conviction in his heart.

"R-Really?" Emilia asked, stunned.

"Very serious," Subaru replied.

"All right, I trust you," Emilia nodded reluctantly.

"Eridna," Subaru called out to the spirit wrapped around Anastasia's neck. "For you specifically, when we're in public and such, remain completely silent, don't move, and don't show yourself to be anything more than Anastasia-san's scarf. In other words, pretend to be an inanimate object until we're in a suitable place, okay?"

"No problem, Natsuki-kun, I'm already used to being a simple scarf most of the time." She replied.

"Perfect." Subaru nodded.

"In other words, we shouldn't draw attention to ourselves when we're in public?" This time, the question came from Ram.

"That's right, nee-san!" Subaru gave her a thumbs up. "Does everyone understand my instructions?"

Everyone nodded. Some remained somewhat reluctant, and doubts lingered in their minds, but they knew that Subaru had promised to explain everything soon, and fortunately, they were able to wait until that moment.

In a year and a half, even on a small scale, there should have been some changes in the environment, but everything looks exactly the same as I remember. In fact, this scenery looks exactly the same as when I left this place when I was transported to the continent.

This leads me to believe that perhaps not so much time has passed in this world compared to the other world, perhaps there is some difference in the passage of time between the worlds. But... maybe... is it possible... that no time has passed?

Although it may be unlikely, Subaru, now immersed in thought, was seriously considering the possibility that no time had passed in this world. Still, he couldn't be sure of that at the moment without direct confirmation.

Regardless of how much time has passed here, I will certainly get my confirmation when we arrive at my parents' house, for better or for worse.

"Is everyone ready?" Subaru asked aloud to all of his companions.

Everyone nodded in confirmation. They were ready to explore this new world that, from their perspective, was a parallel world, and of course, their trust in Subaru was strong, forged in numerous battles and difficult moments in which Subaru's intuition, strategy, and leadership were essential to achieving victory.

"Very well then," Subaru said in a calm but firm voice. "Follow me."

Notes:

This chapter is more like a final chapter of preparation before our beloved characters begin to act to explore this new world, or old world in Subaru's case. Subaru's parents were finally mentioned in the story, how important will they be throughout the narrative? I also left some hints related to the passage of time between worlds, but the truth about this subject should surprise you a lot in the future.

Anyway, I sincerely hope you enjoyed this chapter. See you next Sunday: 07/20/2025

Chapter 4: Home and Nostalgia

Notes:

Our heroes have finally left that convenience store, what else lies in this town? Regardless of that answer, their objective is clear, get to Subaru's parents' house

Five minutes.

They had been silent for five minutes.

The most relevant sound echoing through the environment was the sound of multiple footsteps, belonging to a rather peculiar group of people.

Some curious and admiring glances were cast at this peculiar group of people. But the reason for this curiosity and admiration was that they were witnessing a rather curious group of what could only be described as very talented cosplayers.

In Akeno, the central district of the city of Mizukawa, it was not uncommon to see people dressed up as their favorite characters. Perhaps because it was a little late at night, it was a little strange to see a considerably large group of talented cosplayers walking through the streets, but nothing really unthinkable.

Therefore, the few passersby who happened to witness the peculiar group of supposedly talented cosplayers cast a few curious and admiring glances before quickly going on their way and not worrying about it anymore. After all, what were the chances that these cosplayers were more than they appeared to be?

Now, the supposedly talented cosplayers were in a rather complicated situation. Except for a young man with black hair and black eyes who seemed to be leading the group, all the other members were overcome by a complex mixture of feelings. Discomfort, curiosity, caution, admiration, doubt, and perplexity were some of the feelings that could be named.

These complicated feelings blossomed in the hearts of those people as they walked through the streets of Akeno, led by the black-haired young man — Natsuki Subaru — and were repeatedly surprised by the tall buildings of unknown architecture, the establishments that were still open, the passersby in peculiar clothing, and the strange, vibrant lights that seemed to be present everywhere, illuminating the streets during that night without the slightest apparent need for fire, candles, or lamps.

All of this evoked in the minds of those people a strong feeling of "unknown," which increased considerably when they realized that they were unable to understand the alphabet and the texts of that place, leaving almost no room for any adequate understanding of the circumstances.

Their only hope of feeling a little less lost in that place so different from their homeland was that young man, Subaru, who led the way, placing himself at the front of the group while holding Beatrice's hand firmly but gently. Subaru's instructions were clear:

No matter what happens, no matter what you see or hear on the way to my parents' house, stay calm and act naturally.

With the clothes we're wearing, we'll attract some attention, so if anyone smiles and waves at you, just smile and wave back, don't slow down for anything, and keep following me. If anyone tries to approach us and say something about our 'cosplays', let me talk to them and you don't need to worry about it.

Just make sure you don't lose sight of me and act as naturally as possible. If anything happens that could threaten our safety, I'll let you all know.

And it was the clear memory of these instructions that enabled the members of that group to maintain their composure in the face of the absurdity of the situation, even though they didn't know exactly what "cosplay" meant. This would go on the list of questions they would ask Subaru later.

At that moment, the group led by Subaru was walking along the sidewalks of Akeno, heading south of Mizukawa.

Suddenly, a loud and very distinct sound reverberated through the street, similar to the roar of a beast, causing all the Lugunicans present to shudder collectively. The sound was approaching them, coming from the end of the street ahead of the group, and when the source of the sound got close enough to them, the group caught a glimpse of what Subaru had previously explained as being a "car."

The memory of that explanation echoed in their minds:

"Subaru." Beatrice tugged at his sleeve. "What is that?" she asked, pointing to what, in her view, could only be described as a metal carriage parked near them.

That question also reached the ears of everyone else, who followed Beatrice and Subaru's gaze to the strange metal carriage parked across the street. Everyone waited curiously for Subaru's answer, amazed by the strange object that was possibly a vehicle.

However, instead of a clear and explanatory answer from Subaru, what they heard from his mouth was... laughter?

"Hahaha." He let out a hearty laugh.

"Subaru, why are you laughing?" Emilia asked in confusion.

Everyone else was wondering the same thing.

"Ha... it's just... haha... that..." He pointed at the parked car with one hand while wiping away a tear with the other. "...it's a Subaru."

"Huh?" Everyone raised an eyebrow.

"A Subaru, I suppose?" Beatrice asked, doubting her own ears.

"Barusu, is this another one of your jokes?" Ram asked with a hint of irritation in her voice.

"No, haha, no, I'll explain it better later, but to simplify, that, my friends..." Subaru said as he turned his gaze back to the vehicle. "It's like a dragon carriage, but it doesn't need a dragon to run. We call these vehicles 'cars,' they're extremely common in... well, everywhere I think."

"A car~?" Meili said in awe. "I want to ride in one~!"

Subaru chuckled and replied, "If all goes well, we'll be able to ride in a car soon. It's much more exciting than a dragon carriage."

"But wait!" Anastasia exclaimed. "Without a dragon? Is that even possible?"

"Anastasia-san, if you knew the amount of things my world has achieved that you would find impossible in your world, your head would stop working." Subaru replied with a smile.

"My goodness..." Anastasia whispered, her mind filled with all the possibilities of this world's technologies.

But unfortunately, even if she wanted to ask more—no, even if everyone wanted to ask more and learn more, Subaru had already made it clear that he would explain everything in detail at an appropriate time, and at that moment, the group's main focus was to find a place to stay. Questions would have to wait.

And now, in the present moment, the group from another world was witnessing one of these "cars" in motion for the first time.

The roaring sound of the moving vehicle momentarily startled our heroes, who only regained their composure when they turned their gaze to Subaru for some kind of instruction, but all they found was the black-haired young man completely unperturbed, as if he had seen this many times before.

Remembering one of Subaru's previous instructions—that he would warn them about anything that might threaten their safety—and seeing that the roaring car did not provoke any reaction from Subaru, it was safe to assume that it posed no danger.

With that, the group calmed down, and naturally, the car continued on its way, passing them, and all that remained was the distant echo of its roar behind them. The only things the car left behind were a tacit understanding that cars can roar loudly, and the certainty that this would be another thing to add to the list of questions to ask Subaru later.

The group continued walking in silence for a few more minutes.

At one point, the group finally left the Central District, entering a very different area.

Subaru sighed in relief, realizing that they had been able to leave the Central District without any problems or interruptions.

Looking from the outside, our group looks a lot like a bunch of dedicated and talented cosplayers, so it's a relief that no one has approached us to ask for a photo or ask about the characters we're supposedly recreating. I suppose I should attribute this to the time of day, as the concentration of people was considerably lower than it would have been in the afternoon, and people would have been more concerned with getting home than approaching a group of cosplayers. Subaru reflected.

Subaru then turned his gaze back, glimpsing his companions, and his expression softened. His friends were silent as they followed him, looking a little uncomfortable and thoughtful, but they were fine, they were all fine.

A half-elf girl—no, a half-angel girl, a Great Spirit of Yin, a Flawless Knight, a Greedy Fox alongside his spirit, a pair of oni twins who complement each other, and a small beast master. Despite the complicated situation they now found themselves in, and even before, at the Watchtower of the Pleiades, Subaru had managed to keep them safe.

Amidst that group of quiet, thoughtful people, a girl riding on her sister's back, Rem, noticed the warm look in Subaru's eyes and gave him a curious glance.

Subaru noticed the change in Rem and their eyes met. A small, gentle smile formed on Rem's lips, a smile she dedicated entirely to Subaru. Subaru's expression softened even more at the oni girl's gesture, which he responded to with a welcoming wink.

Rem blushed at the gesture, looking away in embarrassment like a cute, lovesick girl. Subaru felt satisfied, as if he had successfully completed a small mission that the universe had given him at that moment.

With this feeling of small victory, he turned his gaze forward once more, observing the new landscape that stretched out across the horizon.

Compared to Akeno, which had taller buildings, various types of shops and establishments—although many were closed due to the time of day—and a higher concentration of people, this new area was much quieter.

"Subaru..." A voice like a silver bell called him softly, cutting through the prevailing silence.

"Emilia-tan...?"

"Could you explain to me where we are now, and if possible, where we are going?" Emilia asked timidly.

She, like the others, must have already noticed that the environment had changed considerably. The question naturally arose, and Emilia was the first to ask.

With that, the others present, when they heard Emilia's question, quickly snapped out of their deep thoughts and turned their attention to the conversation of the couple in front of them. They had already concluded almost unconsciously that any conversation that could give them more information about this world was valuable, and therefore, they would pay as much attention as possible.

Subaru thought for a moment before answering: "We are now in Natsuhana, the residential district of Mizukawa."

"So this is where the people of this city live?" Emilia asked.

"Yes, most of the citizens of Mizukawa live in Natsuhana, as do my parents, and I did too, before I was transported to your world," Subaru explained, then proceeded to explain more about the residential district.

Natsuhana was a neighborhood composed mainly of houses and residences, but also had squares frequented by children and the elderly, local markets, and small elementary schools.

Of course, Subaru preferred not to mention schools yet, as it would be a topic that would be difficult to explain to people from the continent at that moment, but he would certainly explain it to them in the future.

While the whole group listened intently to Subaru's explanations with heightened curiosity, Emilia, who was walking beside him, could clearly see the positive expression and nostalgic smile on his face as he spoke and gazed at the scenery ahead.

Subaru really seems to like his homeland. Does he like it here more than Lugunica? Emilia wondered, looking at Subaru.

For some reason, this thought caused a certain sadness in the half-elf, who preferred not to think about it too much.

So she turned her gaze back to the landscape of the Natsuhana neighborhood.

They had been walking along the sidewalks of the neighborhood for a few minutes, and to be honest, in Emilia's view, everything in this place was quite different from anything she had ever seen before, but it was still somewhat familiar to her in some way.

It was nighttime, and the streets were lit mainly by streetlights. But even so, it was possible to get a good view of the houses and the general architecture of the place. 

The houses, despite some differences in design, were very similar to the buildings she had seen in Priestella, while the streets, on the other hand, were very clean and different from what she knew of the continent. There seemed to be markings painted on the streets in a specific pattern that she was unfamiliar with.

Although she did not have much knowledge of engineering and architecture, Emilia had the strong impression that everything in that place seemed to have been very well organized, as if everything had been designed to be in its proper place, even if she did not understand why. It was fascinating.

However, it was the merchant princess who was immersed in an analytical whirlwind. Although there were many technologies, structures, and designs that she was completely unfamiliar with, it was impossible not to make the association with the architectural style of Kararagi.

From her walk through the Central District to the present moment, Anastasia Hoshin had seen many things that reminded her of her homeland, the City-States. For a moment, she seriously considered the possibility that she was in some remote location in Kararagi and that this whole parallel world story was a disturbing invention of Subaru's, but it was undeniable that she had witnessed a number of completely new things one after another just on a walk. In the coming days or weeks, how much more would she see and learn about this world? Her curiosity was boundless.

But regardless, so far, the similarity between this place and what she knew of Kararagi was undeniable, and she would certainly keep that in mind.

I'll ask Natsuki-kun about it when the opportunity arises. This similarity may not be a mere coincidence. Anastasia concluded in her thoughts.

As for the other members of the group, the ideas running through their minds were very similar to the thoughts Emilia had been having. The fascination with this new world was constantly growing.

They continued walking for a few more minutes. During that time, everyone continued to observe the scenery with heightened curiosity, the only exception being Subaru, who maintained a look that could only be described as nostalgic as he led the way.

After turning one corner after another through the neighborhood streets, Subaru stopped in front of a house. The house had two stories and was very similar to other residences the group had already seen in the neighborhood. Low stone walls surrounded a modest garden that extended to the front door.

Everyone alternated their gazes between Subaru and the house with anticipation, wondering if this was his parents' house.

Subaru, however, did not move. He stared at the residence in astonishment, conflicting emotions shaking his chest like a tidal wave. And within this internal conflict, a single idea gained more and more strength.

Nothing has changed, it's exactly how I remember it from last time. It can't be... could it be...? Subaru thought, swallowing hard.

The hypothesis that time had not passed seemed to grow stronger, but that alone was not enough to confirm this idea. He needed to be sure, even if it meant facing his old regrets.

Sensing the slight hesitation in her contractor, Beatrice tightened her grip on Subaru's hand, calling his attention. When Subaru's gaze met Beatrice's face, he was greeted by the gentle smile of the Great Spirit, which she dedicated entirely to him.

Subaru's heart immediately calmed down, his expression softening before Beatrice. Feeling more relaxed, Subaru massaged the back of Beatrice's hand with his thumb, a gesture that was reciprocated by the Great Spirit.

With his composure renewed, Subaru looked once more at the house, then approached it, entering the passageway between the stone walls and walking up to the door. The others followed behind, each stopping at a point in the garden.

Subaru raised his fist in front of the door, hesitating for a moment before knocking. Subaru knocked on the door in a specific sequence.

The reason he knocked on the door instead of using the doorbell next to it was because the doorbell was normally used by visitors, and Subaru, as someone who lived in this house with his parents, always carried his house keys with him, but of course, Subaru had been transported to another world and his keys had been lost sometime after that.

Furthermore, he couldn't just call his parents or even send them messages because his phone had been used as a bargaining chip during negotiations to forge an alliance between the royal camps at the time of the battle against the White Whale.

Therefore, his only alternative was a knock code he had agreed upon with his parents in case he left home having forgotten or lost his keys, as well as forgotten or lost his phone.

This would prevent a situation where, for example now, at this time of night, he would have to shout for his parents, which could disturb the neighbors.

After knocking on the door, it didn't take long for a feminine voice, tinged with frustration and accompanied by the sound of hollow footsteps, to echo from inside the house.

"Subaru? Did you lose your keys? Wait a moment, I'm coming."

The voice took everyone by surprise. The woman in question actually knew Subaru! Which meant she could really be his mother!

But in particular, the two girls who were most impacted by this information were certainly Emilia and Rem, who felt their cheeks flush as anxiety took hold of their hearts.

After all, this was the woman who raised their knight and hero, respectively, and the desire to be approved by such a figure had become almost a necessity.

But if we're talking about the person who felt the weight of the woman's presence inside the house the most, that was definitely Subaru.

Upon hearing the woman's voice and processing her words, Subaru could not deny the truth that was revealed in the veil of reality, clear as starlight. That was his mother's voice, and those words were not from someone who had not seen her son in a year and a half.

It can't be... Subaru placed a hand over his chest.

In a few moments, hollow footsteps were heard approaching the door, followed by the sound of keys turning in the lock.

Clack!

The door had been unlocked.

"Come in." Subaru's mother's voice said.

Subaru unconsciously grabbed the doorknob, the door opened, and the light from the hallway lamp shone in his eyes.

The next thing he saw was a female figure moving away from the door, walking quickly without turning to look at Subaru.

"Frankly, now we'll have to make a new copy of the key for you." The figure said as he disappeared from view, entering another room. "You didn't call me, so you must have left your phone here, right?"

Subaru took a step forward in the hallway, his body trembling as he moved slowly.

 

Beatrice let go of his hand, feeling that she should give him more freedom at that moment, and moved behind him. And right behind Beatrice, Emilia, who had not yet entered the house, peered inside from outside.

"But at least you're okay, Subaru. Right...?" His mother's voice asked.

Subaru did not answer.

A little puzzled by the silence, the voice called again: "Subaru...?"

As if sensing that something was wrong, the figure walked back to the hallway, revealing herself to Subaru.

 

At the end of the hallway stood a woman who, despite being in her 40s, was still well-preserved and youthful, her long brown hair tied back as it fell over her shoulder, her mischievous eyes staring at Subaru with genuine confusion, and her clothes were exactly the same as when Subaru last saw her.

It was Natsuki Naoko, his mother in name and in fact.

It wasn't just an identical voice, or a silhouette similar to hers, or a lie, an illusion. It was Subaru's own mother.

"Mother..." Subaru whispered.

"Subaru?" she asked, thinking deeply as she looked at his strange clothes.

"I-I...!" Subaru took a step forward, but his legs gave way.

Subaru fell to his knees as his tears fell. He put one hand over his mouth as he sobbed quietly.

This was enough to snap Naoko out of her thoughts, and she quickly approached the young man on the floor.

She knelt down, gently grabbing the boy's shoulders.

"Hey, Subaru, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" she asked calmly, not wanting to pressure him.

But Subaru couldn't form words at that moment, he could only let the flood of tears flow from his eyes.

Seeing this, Naoko let out a sigh, knowing she should give the boy some time first. She immediately pulled him closer, resting Subaru's head on her shoulder.

"It's okay, Subaru, let it all out," Naoko said as she stroked his hair.

The gesture surprised Subaru, who immediately felt more comfortable with the display of maternal love. He continued to sob silently on her shoulder, his tears falling uncontrollably.

Suddenly, a few drops of water fell on Subaru's hair.

"Honestly, you should know that when you cry, I cry too, you know?" Naoko said with tears flowing calmly from her eyes.

She strengthened her embrace around Subaru even more.

Naoko didn't know why Subaru was wearing strange clothes, let alone why he was crying, but regardless, she would always comfort him and give him the space he needed.

And now he clearly needed comfort and needed space to cry without any hindrance, and as a mother, Naoko would take care of her son exactly the way he needed.

Beatrice, who was watching the scene closely, felt a strong need to approach him to comfort him as well. His tears hurt her too, but Beatrice knew that this was not the time for that. His contractor's mother was the one who needed to do that, and it was his mother's warmth that Subaru needed.

In her own way, Emilia had similar thoughts to Beatrice, only able to watch helplessly with teary eyes.

At a distance, Rem, who only had an idea of what was happening in that hallway, let a tear escape from her eyes.

It was at that moment that Naoko, while comforting Subaru, opened her tear-filled eyes and for the first time, she became aware of the presence of Subaru's companions.

Until then, she had been too focused on her son's pain and her own internal questions about him to look beyond, but when she finally did, the first thing she noticed was the spirit girl standing just behind Subaru.

In fact, there were many things about Beatrice's appearance and the reason she was there that could raise questions, but before Naoko could start wondering about this little girl, she shifted her gaze to Emilia, who was peeking through the door.

Although not all of the half-elf's appearance was visible to Naoko, she clearly noticed her silver hair and amethyst eyes, and Emilia, noticing Naoko's gaze on her, shyly looked away, blushing slightly.

And it was then that Naoko noticed the presence of a considerable group standing in her garden. She couldn't make out their appearances very well, but she could see that they were all wearing strange clothes, just like Subaru.

Naoko immediately made the connection and concluded that these people had some connection to her son. She didn't know if she felt afraid and worried about the presence of these strange people, or if she felt calm because they didn't seem hostile at first, but one thing was certain: Subaru really had a lot to explain.

On the other hand, the people in the group outside either remained silent out of respect for Subaru and his mother, or felt a little uncomfortable and out of place in the whole situation. What kept them composed, however, was their faith in Subaru.

"M-Mom, I-I..." Subaru stammered, struggling to say something.

Hearing her son's jumbled words, Naoko's expression softened. She knew her son had a lot to explain, and she herself certainly had many questions, but she was also very patient, and above all, she knew that everything would be explained in due time. Now, all she needed to do was comfort him until he calmed down.

"Don't force yourself now, Subaru. When you're ready, you can explain everything to me. For now, just let it all out, okay?"

Subaru hesitated for a moment before nodding with a "uh-huh."

And for a few more minutes, they remained in each other's arms.

Finally, feeling the torrent of emotions dissipate slightly, Subaru moved away from his mother a little, drying his face with his sleeve and then looking at Naoko's face.

When their eyes met, Naoko smiled slightly and asked, "Are you calmer?"

Subaru smiled emotionally and replied, "I am, Mom, thank you."

"Then you have a lot to explain to me, don't you?" she said, gesturing to Subaru's companions.

Subaru turned his head back, looking at his friends. Some stared silently, looking thoughtful as they waited, like Beatrice, while others just looked from the corner of their eyes, looking uncomfortable, like Meili. The only exception was Emilia, who looked at Naoko and shyly averted her gaze.

EMT... Subaru thought, moved by Emilia's cute shyness.

"Yes, you're right. I have a lot to explain, hehehe."

 

...

 

In the living room, on the dining table, Naoko held a teapot as she poured the contents into eight different cups lying on a tray. Meili sat at the table and watched Naoko arrange the teacups with curiosity. Naoko, however, was not bothered in the least by the presence of the peculiar little girl.

Naoko then picked up the tray and poured a cup for each of Subaru's companions. Subaru had previously refused tea without explaining why, so Naoko did not prepare any for him. Looking at him now, he seemed a little uncomfortable looking at the teacups. Naoko found this strange, but did not think much of it.

 

Subaru had previously instructed his companions to take off their shoes before entering. Unfortunately, there weren't enough slippers for everyone to wear, but Subaru, who already lived there, didn't mind going barefoot, and Julius, with his knightly nobility, insisted on remaining barefoot as well. Rem, unable to walk anyway, also remained barefoot, and thus, the number of slippers became adequate.

Now, Subaru squeezed himself slightly onto the sofa, Emilia and Rem sat on either side of the young man, Beatrice lay comfortably on his lap, and Ram remained standing next to Rem.

Julius and Anastasia stood nearby, side by side, and Meili, of course, sat at the dining table.

Subaru blushed slightly with embarrassment at being so close to both girls at the same time, but he wasn't complaining. Emilia, meanwhile, stared at the teacup in her hands.

The aroma of the tea was fresh and herbaceous like a forest after rain, and as she took a sip, the refreshing, vegetal flavor spread through her mouth, her tongue sensing a slight sweetness in the background.

"It's sooo good!" she said with pleasure.

Hearing her, the others also took a sip and had similar reactions. The tea was quite pleasant.

"It's better than Ram's tea!" Meili said innocently.

Emilia and Subaru struggled—unsuccessfully—to contain their laughter, while Ram's expression changed to a nervous frown, her tongue clicking as she said, "Listen here, you brat...!"

"Don't worry, nee-sama, I really like your tea," said Rem kindly.

Ram sighed, her expression softening, and said, "At least my lovely sister has good taste."

What Ram didn't notice were Rem's fingers crossed behind her back.

"Why don't you take a sip, Ram?" Emilia asked.

Ram was the only one who hadn't tasted the tea yet. After all, this tea was certainly inferior to her perfect tea, so why bother drinking it? However, with Emilia's sincere request, Ram's pride gave way and she took a sip.

Ram's expression became indecipherable as she thought deeply for a few moments. Then she looked at Naoko and asked, "Natsuki-sama, could you tell me the name of this tea?"

"This is Sencha tea. It's quite common, strange that you've never had it before," Naoko replied.

"Hmm," was Ram's response as she examined the tea more closely.

Realizing that Ram would say no more, Naoko turned her attention to Subaru.

"Well, I guess we can start... talking, right?" she asked, a little awkwardly.

Subaru's expression became complicated as everyone turned their gaze to him.

The truth was that while Naoko was preparing the tea, they had only exchanged a few pleasantries with her and spent most of the time in silence or dozing off. The truth was that Subaru didn't really know how to bring up the whole subject, so nothing useful had been said so far.

However, one thing was certain: there was another essential presence in this discussion that could not be left out.

Subaru let out a sigh and said, "Mom, before anything else, can you call Dad here too?"

Subaru's father!? Emilia thought, her anxiety increasing considerably.

What is he like? Rem wondered, feeling a mixture of anxiety and embarrassment.

"Are you sure? Your father has already gone to bed, it wouldn't be nice to disturb him now," Naoko said hesitantly.

"Trust me, Mom, he needs to hear this too."

"If you say so..." She replied. "I'll go get him, just give me a minute."

Naoko walked to her and Subaru's father's room on the second floor.

Sounds of conversation and hollow muttering could be heard.

After about 15 minutes, the footsteps of two people echoed. One set of footsteps was clearly heavier than the other.

Subaru felt his heart pound. He didn't know if he was ready to see his father again, but he couldn't deny the strong longing he felt for both of his parents.

Inevitably, Naoko returned to the living room, and right behind her, a tall, well-built man with short black hair very similar to Subaru's, a pair of glasses on his face, and wearing casual clothes entered the room.

The man's confused gaze wandered around the room, passing over several unfamiliar and peculiar faces until it landed on Subaru, who had risen from the sofa.

Subaru's eyelids widened as his father's black eyes met his son's black eyes. Subaru already knew, he was already sure, and yet his jaw couldn't help but drop.

That man was undeniably his father, Natsuki Kenichi.

Notes:

Subaru finally reunited with his mother, and his father also made an appearance at the end. We also learned a little more about Subaru's hometown, but there is still much to discover in the future. The other characters also learned a little more about Subaru's world, but of course, this is only the beginning.

In the next chapter, a very enlightening conversation takes place and many questions arise from it.

See you next Sunday: 07/27/2025

Chapter 5: Family and Friends

Honestly, Natsuki Kenichi wasn't sure how to act in that situation. After all, when Naoko told him that Subaru had shown up—after supposedly going to a convenience store—dressed in strange clothes and bringing along a group of people dressed just as strangely, Kenichi already had an idea in mind.

But then his thoughts were overshadowed by new information Naoko shared with him: that Subaru started crying as soon as he saw her and continued crying in her arms for a considerable amount of time. This was very strange to both Naoko and Kenichi.

Now, according to his wife, there were seven strangers in his living room, and Subaru seemed to have something very important to discuss. So important that he asked Naoko to wake him up so he could join the conversation.

Okay, that was a lot of information for someone who had just been woken up, but it definitely piqued Kenichi's curiosity.

After getting ready, Kenichi followed Naoko to the living room. Subaru's father was very curious, indeed, but he was also worried. After all, what was so serious that it made his son cry so copiously?

When he got there, he was genuinely taken aback.

Subaru had brought a group of cosplayers to his house!?

Were they Subaru's friends?

In fact, looking more closely, there were quite a few pretty girls—no less than his wife—among them. Had his son entered his popular phase and not told his old man?

There were even two little girls among them...

But when did Subaru start hanging out with little girls? Kenichi wondered.

Honestly, Kenichi didn't know these people yet and didn't know what their relationship with his son was, but deep down, Kenichi felt a little happy, wondering if his son had managed to overcome his isolation and made some good friends.

As the good-humored father that he was, he would have liked to make some funny comments about it, but that quickly changed.

As soon as he laid eyes on Subaru, in addition to his strange clothes, Kenichi glimpsed his shocked and astonished expression, and then he remembered once again the tears the boy had shed earlier.

"Subaru...?" That was all Kenichi could say in his stupor.

Even though he was clearly shocked for some reason, Subaru quickly relaxed, his expression softening. His lips curved into a smile that, despite being sincere, seemed sad at the same time.

"Hi, Dad." He said.

"Subaru, what—" Kenichi was interrupted when Subaru approached him with quick steps, grabbing him in a hug.

Kenichi was stunned by the gesture.

What was going on?

Why did his son seem to be suffering?

Kenichi stood motionless for a few moments. He didn't know exactly what to say, but even so, he wrapped his arms around Subaru and asked him the only thing that made sense to ask: "Subaru, is everything okay?"

"Just give me a minute, Dad," he replied, tightening his embrace.

In fact, Kenichi understood that something serious was going on. Although he didn't understand how it all connected, his son was hugging him as if he were going to disappear at any moment, and as his father, Kenichi would be the first to help him.

This time, Subaru hadn't cried.

Even if he really wanted to cry, he had already shed many tears that night, and now he wanted to be stronger, he would be stronger.

Not because he loved his father any less, but so that he wouldn't waste any more time in vain with regrets.

Subaru, now more ready than ever, broke away from the hug, and after taking a few steps back, he revealed a confident expression on his face.

Seeing this new, more positive look on his son's face, Kenichi couldn't help but reveal a slight smile of relief.

"You look much better now, after giving your amazing father a hug," Kenichi joked.

"Haha, I'll never admit it," Subaru replied with a laugh.

Watching her husband and son interact amicably, Naoko let out a soft laugh.

The atmosphere had become surprisingly lighter in an instant, and feeling more comfortable, some of Subaru's companions even let out sighs of relief.

Emilia and Rem were deeply impressed. They were in the presence of both of Subaru's parents, and to their pleasant surprise, they really seemed like very nice people.

Naoko had been very kind to them, offering them tea and being very polite. Emilia and Rem clearly understood from whom Subaru had inherited those unique and attractive eyes.

Kenichi, although they had not yet interacted with him, seemed to get along very well with Subaru, and their physical similarities were undeniable.

Will they really like me? I know Subaru likes me, but what if they don't? What if they don't approve of me because I'm a half-elf? Negative thoughts wandered through Emilia's mind.

Although Emilia no longer cared so much about the prejudice people directed at her, especially when she had such amazing companions in her camp—Subaru in particular—that changed when it came to her knight's parents.

Emilia didn't know how prevalent prejudice against half-elves was in this parallel world, but she feared that, if it was, Subaru's parents would negatively influence his opinion of her.

Rem, however, feared that they would not approve of her as a potential partner and wife for Subaru, and just imagining that made her heart ache. But Rem would not be discouraged; she would do her best to earn their blessings, if that was the case.

"Well, Subaru, what's so important that you had to wake your old man?" Kenichi said good-humoredly, even though he knew the subject at hand could be quite serious.

"Dad, Mom, are you ready to hear the craziest story of your lives?" he asked with a serious expression.

The contrast between Subaru's comical words and serious expression shocked the older couple a little, and even Subaru's friends raised an eyebrow.

"Well, if it's really important, then I really want to hear it," said Naoko, intrigued.

"I think the same as your mother, and besides, I assume this has something to do with your... colleagues, right?" Kenichi added, gesturing to Subaru's companions.

Subaru's friends looked at each other with complicated expressions on their faces.

Subaru sighed and, with a smile, said, "Yes, it has everything to do with them, but don't worry, they're all my friends and companions."

A few smiles and blushing cheeks appeared on the faces of the otherworldly group. After all, even though they already knew, it was nice to hear that Subaru thought highly of them.

"Subaru's friends..." Naoko and Kenichi muttered in unison.

"Everyone, would you mind introducing yourselves to my parents?" Subaru asked calmly.

An awkward silence fell over the room, as none of them were sure how they should introduce themselves or who should go first.

After a few uncomfortable moments, Subaru sighed and said, "Guys, just your names are enough, no need to be shy."

Feeling a little impatient, one figure stepped forward, exuding a strong presence.

"In that case, since no one else has decided, I'll go first," said Anastasia. "I'm Anastasia Hoshin, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Anastasia bowed.

Then Julius also introduced himself: "My name is Julius Juukulius, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is ours," Kenichi said politely.

"That's right," Naoko nodded with a warm smile.

Although they weren't sure, Naoko and Kenichi had the impression that Anastasia and Julius were close in some way.

Then a little girl got up from her chair and approached Subaru's parents, catching the attention of the older couple.

Bowing politely, she said, "My name is Meili Portroute, it's a pleasure to meet you."

It's hard to tell when Meili is being herself or acting in some way, but it's nice to see that she can be really polite when necessary. Subaru thought with a small smile.

Although Subaru was too young to be considered Meili's "father," the feeling he felt now was the closest thing to "paternal pride" he could feel.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Meili-chan," Naoko said kindly, already somewhat familiar with the peculiar little girl's presence.

"That's right, little one," Kenichi added cheerfully, though he was intrigued by the little girl's presence.

Do her parents know she's here? Kenichi thought with a touch of concern.

"In that case, Natsuki-sama and Natsuki-sama, I will also introduce myself." Ram took a step forward. "I am Ram, it is a pleasure to meet Barusu's parents."

"Barusu..." Kenichi muttered confusedly. Naoko didn't understand either.

"Hey, if you call me that in front of my parents, you'll scare them!" Subaru grimaced.

"What can I do? Barusu is Barusu, after all." Ram said with a mischievous smile.

"Kah! Not like that!" Subaru said, defeated.

"Ha!" Ram exclaimed proudly.

Laughter could be heard from all of Subaru's companions, even Julius couldn't help but let out a low laugh.

With that, Naoko and Kenichi also laughed a little, understanding that this kind of joke was part of the dynamic between the two.

"You two seem to get along well," Kenichi said with a smile as he adjusted his glasses.

"Hmm, you're right," Naoko smiled slightly, understanding what her husband meant.

Subaru and Ram exchanged half-closed glances, understanding Kenichi's hint and Naoko's insinuation.

"Me and Barusu? Not like that." Ram replied sincerely.

"We both agree on that, nee-san," Subaru said with a laugh.

Nee-sama and Subaru-kun? Never! That's wrong! Immoral! Rem thought, shocked.

Even though she didn't consider herself particularly jealous, she would never give up her beloved to her sister, that was out of the question! Fortunately, with Subaru and Ram's determined denial, Rem realized there was nothing to worry about.

What are they talking about? Emilia wondered in her thoughts, feeling lost in the conversation.

Naoko and Kenichi looked at each other with complicated expressions. Apparently, Subaru and Ram were just good friends with a peculiar dynamic.

"Speaking of which..." Ram began, catching the attention of the three Natsukis. "This is my sister."

She gestured to Rem sitting on the sofa next to her, who was immediately taken aback.

Rem was quite nervous in the presence of her beloved's parents, but she wasn't going to let her nervousness show and make a bad first impression. With that in mind, she quickly composed herself and turned to the older couple.

"My name is Rem, it's a great pleasure to meet you," she said with a smile, placing a palm on her chest.

"You and Ram-san look very similar, are you twins?" Kenichi asked politely.

"That's right, Natsuki-sama, Rem and nee-sama are twin sisters, although Rem is the younger sister," Rem replied kindly.

"I see," Kenichi replied with a smile.

Rem, in Kenichi's view, seemed quite pleasant, especially compared to her sister, who seemed a little harsh.

"Rem-san, isn't it?" Naoko said calmly. "Nice to meet you." 

Naoko also had a similar impression to her husband's; in fact, she could even say that she found Rem to be a lovely girl, considering some of the interactions the two had had shortly before.

"The pleasure is all mine," Rem replied politely. "I've always wanted to meet Subaru-kun's parents."

Subaru immediately blushed at the statement, not only because Rem admitted she wanted to meet his parents—which he thought was tremendously cute—but also because she called him by his first name in front of them.

"Eh!?" Naoko exclaimed, taken aback.

Kenichi also widened his eyes.

That girl had called his son by his first name! What did that mean?

They both instinctively looked at Subaru, who was hiding his face in embarrassment.

But before they could ask about it, a voice as childish as it was firm echoed through the room.

"In that case, Betty would also like to introduce herself, I suppose." It was Beatrice who spoke.

Immediately, Naoko and Kenichi's attention was taken by the peculiar-looking little girl. Although she definitely had an adorable appearance, wearing a frilly dress and having two huge blonde braids, the older couple couldn't help but find her butterfly-pupiled eyes strange.

In Kenichi's view, these clothes, as well as the eyes, must be part of the girl's cosplay, just as everyone else seemed to be recreating some character.

Naoko wasn't as familiar with the concept of cosplay, but she certainly understood that the costumes, hair, and other accessories the group was wearing must be related to some character.

"Betty's name is Beatrice, actually," she said dryly.

Beatrice maintained a posture that could only be described as serious and proud. However, when Beatrice was surprised by a series of pats on the head from Subaru, her expression melted.

"Well done, Beako!" Subaru said cheerfully.

Subaru was proud that Beatrice had taken the initiative to introduce herself, considering the Great Spirit's poor social skills.

Beatrice's once serious expression immediately changed to a cheerful smile with flushed cheeks. Simply pure cuteness.

"Subaru~, don't do that out of the blue in front of everyone, I suppose." Beatrice said, trying not to show that she was enjoying the pats and compliments.

Naoko and Kenichi were stunned by this scene. The little girl who had been quite serious just a moment ago had become a cute little girl with a few gestures from Subaru!

When did he become so good with children?

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Beatrice-chan," said Naoko in a friendly tone.

"You and Subaru seem to be very close, don't you?" Kenichi asked, a little awkwardly.

"Subaru is a fool, but he's Betty's Subaru, after all." She replied proudly.

"And you're my dear Beako." Subaru replied with a smile.

The older couple looked at each other, and a silent conversation was established at that moment.

Should we worry about this? Naoko said.

I don't know, dear. The little girl seems to be very attached to our son, but there doesn't seem to be anything wrong going on. Kenichi replied.

Yes, I think so too. But I think we should ask her about it later! Naoko concluded.

The silent conversation ended.

Beatrice returned to her place on the sofa, and under the curious glances of Naoko and Kenichi, Beatrice let out a proud "hmph!"

Honestly, even with the blonde girl's strangely proud posture, Subaru's parents still had a positive impression of her.

With that, only Emilia was left to introduce herself. For a few moments, everyone stared at the half-elf girl with anticipation, but Emilia was immersed in negative thoughts.

Her fear of rejection was powerful, some of her wounds from the prejudice she had suffered in the past were now open, just as she was about to introduce herself to her knight's parents.

No one had been able to notice how nervous Emilia really was.

No one except him.

"Emilia-tan."

Emilia was immediately snapped out of her thoughts when she not only heard Subaru's call, but also felt his foot gently nudge her ankle. She raised her head and looked directly at Subaru's face.

"It's your turn to introduce yourself," he said gently.

He had a gentle expression on his face, a kind expression. He didn't even need to say it in words, his gaze already said everything Emilia needed to hear.

You can do it! I believe in you! That's what his eyes said.

And all Emilia replied was a radiant smile, a smile she dedicated entirely to him. She then turned to Subaru's parents with renewed determination.

"My name is Emilia, just Emilia," she said enthusiastically. "I've always wanted to meet Subaru's parents, so it's a great pleasure to meet you."

Subaru's parents were surprised once again, not only because she was the third girl to call Subaru by his first name, but also because of Emilia's gracefulness.

Subaru called her Emilia... tan? Naoko wondered.

"Tan" was a type of honorific that could be considered an affectionate nickname, something that indicated closeness between two people, and seeing the way Emilia and Subaru referred to each other, Naoko immediately assumed that they were quite close.

Kenichi, besides being surprised, also had his own thoughts about it.

What's going on? First it was the blue-haired girl, now this silver-haired girl too! What the hell! Even that little girl with pigtails seems to be very attached to him. When did my son become so popular with girls? Kenichi reflected, feeling very proud of Subaru.

It was too early to tell if Subaru really had a romantic relationship with any of these girls—such as Rem and Emilia—but at the very least, Subaru seemed to be on the right track for that, and that made Kenichi quite proud, actually.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Emilia-san," Naoko said kindly.

"That's right, Emilia-san," added Kenichi.

But a question arose in Subaru's father's mind, and he couldn't help but ask, "Emilia-san, if I may ask, you said 'just Emilia,' don't you have a last name?"

It was strange for people from Earth, like Subaru's parents, for someone to say they didn't have a last name like that. And although Beatrice, Rem, and Ram also didn't have one due to different circumstances, the only one who actually stated that she didn't have a last name was Emilia, so the question came up naturally.

Hearing the question, Emilia's expression became a little complicated.

"W-Well..." Emilia said, trying to find the words, but Subaru immediately interjected.

"It's a complicated story, Dad, but we'll get to it later," he said calmly.

Naoko and Kenichi were a little confused by Subaru's words, but they nodded reluctantly.

Then Kenichi said, "Well, since you've all introduced yourselves, I think it's only fair that we introduce ourselves properly as well."

"That's a good idea, dear." Naoko nodded.

"In that case, I'll start. My name is Natsuki Kenichi, I'm Subaru's amazing father, and it's a pleasure to meet my son's friends." Kenichi said as he gave everyone a thumbs up.

Although a little eccentric, Subaru's companions could agree that Kenichi's energy was quite pleasant.

Next, it was Naoko's turn. With a slight bow, she said kindly, "I'm Natsuki Naoko, Subaru's mother. I'm happy to meet my son's friends as well."

Naoko, on the other hand, had a lighter energy and gave the impression of being a very calm person, which created a nice contrast between her and her husband.

Without a doubt, even though they didn't know Subaru's parents completely, as well as their flaws, Subaru's friends were certainly willing to get to know them better.

With the introduction of Subaru's parents, everyone nodded politely in response, with gentle smiles on their faces.

"You know, I'm quite surprised to meet you all. Subaru never told me he had made friends with cosplayers," Kenichi said amiably.

The expressions on the faces of the group from the other world immediately became complicated. None of them knew what "cosplayer" meant, and they had no idea what to say to Subaru's father. 

Subaru, on the other hand, let out a deep sigh. He had been expecting his parents to ask exactly that question, because, after all, what else could they think? And that was the biggest problem of all, because now he had to tell them everything.

He needed to keep his friends safe, and therefore he needed a stable place for them to stay, and his parents' house was the perfect place for that, but it also meant that it would be impossible to keep it a secret from his father and mother.

Besides, as selfish as it might seem, Subaru wanted to stay close to his parents, because he also cared deeply about them.

Even if it was difficult, even if his parents might be frightened by this new reality, that their son had been transported to another world, had returned, and had brought with him a bunch of people he would do anything to protect, Subaru would do his best.

"Dad, actually, none of them are cosplayers," Subaru said honestly.

Kenichi raised an eyebrow.

"And Mom, despite what it looks like, I'm not in costume," he added.

Naoko was visibly confused, because even though it seemed like a joke, Subaru was speaking very seriously.

"I don't understand, Subaru. What do you mean by that?" Kenichi asked.

The air became a little more serious.

"Dad, do you remember when I asked if you were ready to hear the craziest story of your life?" He asked.

"Y-Yes." Kenichi replied hesitantly.

"Well, that's what I wanted to talk about from the beginning." Said Subaru, who continued: "I recommend you grab a chair, this is going to take a while."

Naoko and Kenichi, though confused, nodded hesitantly, took two chairs from the dining table, and sat down facing Subaru and his companions.

"Ready," they said in unison.

Subaru nodded and began to explain, "Are you familiar with the concept of 'isekai'?"

"I think you explained it to me before," Naoko replied, trying to remember.

"Those are the stories where the character goes to another world, right?" Kenichi said. "You told us about it a few times."

"That's right! I remember now! You told us that the characters are transported to worlds where there is magic, dragons, and that kind of thing, right?" 

"Exactly, Mom."

Subaru's companions listened to the conversation with curiosity. Apparently, the concept of being transported to another world was familiar to the people of this world, but why did they feel that there was something strange about the way Naoko referred to "magic" and "dragons"?

"But that only exists in the stories you read, right? Why are you telling us about it?" Kenichi asked in confusion.

Subaru, however, partially ignored Kenichi's question and turned to his mother.

"Mom, when I went to the convenience store earlier, do you remember how long it took me to come back?"

Naoko thought for a moment before answering, "Well... I think it was about thirty or forty minutes. Come to think of it, you took a little longer than usual today! But it must be because of your classmates, right?"

Thirty or forty minutes... that's what I thought. Subaru reflected in his heart.

Thirty or forty minutes!?!? That thought struck Subaru's companions like thunder.

How could that be possible? Subaru had been in their world for about a year and a half, which meant that time in that world had simply not passed?

What did that mean?

At that moment, some of Subaru's friends had shocked expressions on their faces, while others just narrowed their eyes at the conversation that was taking place.

Information like this—about the difference in the passage of time between two worlds—was certainly vital in that context.

"Right." He said to Naoko, then turned to Kenichi. "Dad, as you can see, Mom confirmed that not even an hour had passed before I returned."

"R-Right." Kenichi replied.

He was trying to understand where Subaru was going with this.

"So, for you, it was a few minutes before I returned..." Subaru took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself to say what he was about to say. "But for me, a year and a half has passed."

Everyone was silent for a few moments, an uncomfortable atmosphere settling in the air.

Suddenly, as Naoko and Kenichi stared at Subaru trying to understand his words, a flash of understanding hit Kenichi like a missile, and then laughter echoed.

"Ah, I get it, it's like... how do you say it... an RPG! Yes, an RPG! That's right. You're playing characters from an Isekai story, that's why you're doing these cosplays! I won't deny it, it looks like a lot of fun, and since you've always liked this kind of thing, it makes sense that you've taken a liking to it. Know that you have my full support, my son!" Kenichi gave a thumbs up at the end of his little speech.

Naoko seemed to agree wholeheartedly with her husband, nodding intensely in agreement.

However, all of Subaru's companions stared at Kenichi with rather complicated expressions on their faces.

None of them understood even half of what he had said. Terms such as "RPG," "cosplayer," and "Isekai," which seemed quite important in context, were completely unknown to all of them. But one thing seemed certain and understandable to them.

And that was that Subaru's parents hadn't believed his words.

Subaru, on the other hand, stared at his parents with a deeply unreadable expression, something that seemed to make even the older couple a little uncomfortable.

After a few moments, Subaru scratched his head with worrying intensity and turned his attention back to Emilia.

"Emilia-tan." He said.

"Eh!?" She was startled for a moment. "Yes, Subaru?"

"Can you make an ice soldier?"

"O-Of course, Subaru, but may I ask why?"

"You'll understand soon. Trust me. Oh, and please don't let him break anything, this is just a demonstration." He replied gently.

Emilia just nodded with determination.

"If Subaru thinks it's a good idea, I trust you completely!" She began to chant the spell. "Ice Brand Arts: Ice Soldier!"

Honestly, Subaru's parents didn't fully understand the game their son and his silver-haired friend were playing, but they couldn't deny that it looked like fun.

However...

What...? That was the only question Naoko and Kenichi's brains were able to process.

It was in modern times, the year is open to interpretation, the continent was Asia, the country was Japan, the city was called Mizukawa, and the house was the residence of the Natsuki family. It was in this space and time that the impossible happened...

"Meet an ice soldier, made in the image and likeness of the one who speaks." Subaru said excitedly. "Give me five, ice soldier!"

Next to Subaru, from one moment to the next, a life-size ice sculpture of Subaru simply formed. And as if the absurdity of the situation wasn't enough, after Subaru raised his palm in the air to touch it, the sculpture moved as if it were a person and followed his lead, greeting him as a friend would.

"Good job, Emilia-tan!" He gave her a thumbs up. "You can undo the soldier."

"Sure thing, Subaru!" Emilia replied, and just as the soldier had come into being, he dissolved into thin air.

Subaru turned his eyes back to his parents.

Shock, bewilderment, incomprehension, and even an existential crisis were some of the feelings that could have caused the stunned expressions on his parents' faces.

But, truth be told, it was safe to conclude that they had not completely processed this supernatural event, because a few moments later, when it finally dawned on Naoko and Kenichi, with impressive synchrony, the couple jumped up from their chairs.

"WHAT?!?!?!?" the couple said in unison.

The sound that followed was the loud thud of the two chairs falling to the floor behind them, which reverberated throughout the house.

"B-B-But what...?" Kenichi tried to formulate a question, but it was clear that it wouldn't be that simple.

Naoko, on the other hand, was unable to even form simple words. She could only stare at Subaru and Emilia in astonishment.

Emilia, however, felt quite nervous about Naoko and Kenichi's reactions. Her anxiety gradually grew as she wondered if she had done something wrong that might have displeased her knight's parents.

"Subaru..." She called out with fear in her voice. "Did I do something wrong?"

After all, although an ice soldier might be a rather unique use of fire magic, she couldn't understand why Subaru's parents seemed so... frightened...

"It's okay, Emilia-tan." Subaru reassured her. "Their reaction is perfectly understandable."

"What do you mean by that?" Emilia asked.

"Well..." Subaru sighed.

He then turned his back to his parents and faced his duties. Everyone looked at him with curious eyes.

"Everyone, there's something very important I haven't told you about this world yet. I was saving this information for an appropriate moment, as I didn't want to overwhelm you with too much information at once." Subaru explained.

"And what would that be, Subaru?" Julius asked.

Everyone seemed apprehensive at Subaru's words.

"It turns out that in this world we're in, my home world, magic doesn't exist." He said seriously.

A silence fell for a few moments as his friends tried to comprehend the weight of this information.

Then, a certain Great Spirit narrowed his eyes at Subaru and asked, "What does that mean, I suppose?"

"Exactly what I said, Beako." He replied calmly. "Magic, mana, spirits, divine protections, curses, witches, mabeasts, and anything else that involves magic in your world's concepts. None of that exists in this world."

The thoughtful expressions of the otherworldly group turned into faces of genuine shock and surprise. Dropped jaws and wide eyes were present on everyone's faces.

"Wait, Natsuki-kun," said Anastasia. "But what about all the lights we saw on the way here? The cars, the structures, the strange objects, if none of that was made with magic, then how does it work?"

"Simple, Anastasia-san. Without the presence of magic to help us here, the people of my world have mastered a thing called 'science.'"

"Science?" Rem muttered doubtfully.

"Exactly," Subaru replied.

"And what do you mean by 'science'?" Ram asked.

"I'm not sure how broad that term is for you, but in this world, science is what brought humanity to the level we are at now. Essentially, science is based on study and experimentation. So basically, without magic to help us, the people of my world devoted themselves to studying as much as possible about everything that exists in the universe, experimenting with all kinds of things and, in the process, creating all kinds of technologies and inventions to improve and facilitate our lives. The best example I could give would be the 'metias' in your world, but our technological devices, or metias, are far more advanced than anything your world has ever been able to imagine. That is the power of science," Subaru explained confidently.

"Incredible..." Anastasia said in deep admiration.

And the same admiration was reflected in the hearts of all of Subaru's companions, who couldn't help but feel a powerful curiosity about how different Subaru's world might be compared to theirs, while at the same time wanting to know in more detail how far the technologies—or metias—of that world had been able to advance.

"But Subaru, wait a moment," said Emilia, getting his attention. "I really believe what you're saying, even though I find it hard to imagine a world where magic doesn't exist, but even so, I noticed something strange."

"What is it, Emilia-tan?" Subaru asked.

At that moment, Beatrice, Julius, and Anastasia paid close attention to what Emilia was about to say, because, like her, they had also noticed something very curious.

"There is mana in the atmosphere of this world, but it's... different from our world, it's hard to explain. I also haven't felt the presence of spirits in the environment since we were transported to this world, which is quite strange to me. But even so, magic is present in this place, I can feel it." Emilia explained.

"I can confirm her words, I think." Beatrice said. "Betty has been trying to understand this since we got here, I suppose."

"That seems to be the case," said Julius.

"Yes, it's strange, but I noticed it too," added Anastasia.

Ram, Rem, and Meili, who were not users of spiritual arts, just watched the conversation with curiosity.

Subaru, however...

So there is magic in my world? Damn, that's a surprise. But as they said, it doesn't seem to be present in the same way, at least in relation to atmospheric mana and spirits. Later, I'll ask Beatrice to examine my parents' gates to see if there's any difference. Subaru reflected.

"Magic in my world, huh... If you had told me that a year and a half ago, I wouldn't have believed you, hehe." Subaru said with a slight laugh. "Thanks for the information, everyone."

But as soon as Subaru had finished speaking, an anguished voice echoed from behind him.

"Hey...!"

It was Kenichi's voice, calling Subaru's attention.

Subaru turned around, facing his parents once again, and what he found were Naoko and Kenichi not only with incredulous expressions, but expressions of fear, as they clung to each other. Naoko and Kenichi even seemed to be trembling.

"S-Subaru, m-my son, what's going on? I saw an ice statue of you appear out of nowhere and move like a person..." Kenichi said with a tone of frustration.

"About that—"

"And what was all that talk about magic and another world? I don't understand any of this. What is going on? What happened to you, Subaru?" Kenichi interrupted, his tone rising with each word.

His head was a mess.

Seeing Kenichi's actions, even Subaru's companions felt compassion for him; he looked confused and frightened. It was then that Subaru's explanation about the lack of magic in this world made more sense.

This is bad, he's having a mental breakdown. Holy shit, even my mom looks terrified, I need to do something, now! Subaru thought, and immediately approached his parents, gently grabbing both of their shoulders and bringing them closer.

"Dad, Mom, it's okay," he said in a welcoming tone. "I understand that this is a lot to process, but I promise you that everything will be fine. I know this may seem absurd right now, but if you allow me, I can explain everything to you."

Naoko and Kenichi thought for a moment as they looked at each other.

"Are you sure about this, Subaru?" Kenichi asked seriously. 

"Yes, I would never let anything happen to you," Subaru replied with an unshakeable conviction that surprised even Naoko and Kenichi.

Kenichi sighed, feeling a considerable wave of relief wash over his body. Naoko also felt her shoulders lighten.

"All right, I trust what you say," Kenichi said.

"What about you, Mom?"

"I trust you too, son, but you need to tell us the whole story," she replied.

Subaru let out a deep sigh of relief, then stepped away from the two of them.

"Okay, I'll tell you everything, but I need you to listen to something first. Actually, I need you to promise me something first."

Naoko and Kenichi nodded hesitantly.

"Look, all of them here, even though you don't know them very well yet, even though they're not even from this world, they're very important people to me. I've been with them for a long time, and I know that even though they're different from what you're used to, they're amazing people to whom I owe my life. They're all in a very complicated situation, they don't know anything about this world, and they have nowhere to stay, and all they have to keep them safe is me..."

As Subaru spoke, he thought of many possibilities of bad things that could happen to his friends in his world, and along with the fear and anxiety came a deep urge to start scratching his arm right there, but he restrained himself and continued:

"I'm afraid they'll be exposed in the media and on the internet and never have peace again, I'm afraid the authorities will persecute them because they consider them a danger, I'm afraid some sick scientist will confine them in a laboratory to try to study them, and I couldn't live in peace knowing that I let that happen to them..."

Subaru was pleading, desperate, and honestly, he felt like he could start crying at any moment, but he continued:

"So could you please promise not to tell anyone about them and expose them, and if possible, let them live here for a while?"

Subaru's head was down, and he had trouble looking his parents in the eye. He understood that he was asking too much, and he understood that his parents were having to process a lot too, but he feared for the safety of his companions above anything else.

The room was silent for a moment. Subaru didn't look at his parents' faces and didn't know what they were thinking, and so his apprehension grew more and more.

Until...

"Subaru, lift your head." Kenichi said, placing a gentle palm on Subaru's shoulder. Naoko followed suit.

Subaru lifted his head and looked his father in the eyes, and despite the obvious confusion, his father and mother had looks of deep affection.

"Look, I'm not going to lie that this whole situation is crazy for me and your mother, and maybe I'm in the middle of an existential crisis right now, hehe, but regardless of what may have happened to you to be where you are now, you are still our son..."

"Dad..."

"I know my son, and I can see in his eyes right now that he's telling the truth. And the least I can do as a father is to listen to my son's truth..."

"I also want to hear your truth, Subaru. Even if the truth is too absurd, it concerns our son, and I'm still his mother, and a mother can do absurd things to take care of her child," Naoko added gently.

"Mom..."

"Then please, son, tell us everything that happened. We want to know why you seemed to be suffering so much when you saw us, and we want to know everything that happened to you. If your magical friends here are really important to you, we promise not to expose them in any way, and to give them a place to stay, okay, dear?" Naoko nudged Kenichi with her elbow.

"That's right, dear. It might be a little difficult at first, but your friends will be safe with us." 

Subaru looked at his parents with an enchanted look. What did he do to deserve such amazing parents?

"You guys are amazing, you know that?" Subaru said emotionally.

"You know who you take after, then, hehe," replied Kenichi.

Subaru moved away from his parents a little, standing in the center of the room.

"Okay, you guys better sit down, this is going to be a long story. And we probably won't even finish today," Subaru explained.

Naoko and Kenichi straightened the chairs that had fallen to the floor and sat down again. They seemed full of anticipation, although they felt a little worried about whatever bad thing might have happened to Subaru.

"Okay," said Subaru, who then continued, "It all started when I went to the convenience store...

Notes:

Writing this chapter was truly challenging, but it was worth every minute. Subaru's parents finally met their son's companions and are being introduced to the concepts of magic. How will they deal with all this new knowledge and, more importantly, how will they live with eight peculiar new guests in their home from now on? Well, I can only say that the future will be interesting.

See you next Sunday: 08/03/2025

Chapter 6: When The Sky Is Brought to Earth

Notes:

Probably my favorite chapter so far! Please enjoy!

Die and redo.

That was the innate nature of Natsuki Subaru's authority, a power that allows him to rewrite fate through trial and error, which is activated whenever he dies. A power that comes from the mysterious connection between Subaru, Satella, and Satella's disturbed counterpart, known as the Witch of Envy.

But you already know that.

But do you know who doesn't know about it?

Subaru's companions.

And just as they don't know, they can never know. Not while the Witch's taboo remains active. The taboo that prevents Subaru from revealing his darkest secret.

Even though at first Subaru longed to share his pain with those he cared about—like Emilia—in order to ease the painful burden of his loneliness, little by little, Subaru came to understand that perhaps it was better for this power to remain a secret.

After all, there are very vicious people in this world, such as Roswaal L. Mathers, who would use every means possible to take advantage of Subaru's ability if he knew what the activation condition was—in this case, death—condemning Subaru to even deeper suffering.

Therefore, although he trusted his friends deeply, and although he did not rule out the possibility of revealing this secret to them when he was sure there would be no negative consequences, that day was not yet today.

Subaru, at that moment, was standing before his parents, and his mission was to tell them his entire story since he was transported to another world.

"It all started when I went to the convenience store..."

However, Subaru knew very well that Return by Death was a very important part of his journey through the other world, but he also knew that trying to talk about it would trigger the taboo, and bad things could happen because of it.

He wasn't sure if his unprecedented return to Japan with his friends could have affected his connection with Satella, and consequently, Return by Death and the corresponding taboo.

But he wasn't willing to test that at that moment, not yet. It was safer for himself and everyone else that the Return by Death remain a secret until he understood more about the situation he found himself in. Only then would he consider the matter further.

Therefore, when telling his story to his parents with his friends present, he would distort the entire story.

Fortunately, over time, Subaru had already planned and formulated many narratives to justify his achievements without having to mention Return by Death, either because someone had questioned him at some point, or simply through mental rehearsals for when he needed to tell someone about his achievements.

Furthermore, Subaru, although he did not consider himself that deserving, was aware of the trustworthy reputation he had built up with his friends over time, to the point that people like Emilia, Beatrice, Rem, and even Julius, during life-or-death situations, followed his instructions blindly, as they fully trusted Subaru's judgment, which had proven itself countless times. All this without questioning him, even when he refused to give further explanations.

Subaru, despite everything, was deeply grateful for this.

And because of that, at that moment, Subaru would take advantage of the presence of his companions who trusted him completely, and use them to corroborate his narratives while telling the story to his parents.

In that case, he would need to make it seem like his achievements were the result of a mixture of luck, intuition, cunning, leadership, and his other abilities beyond Return from Death that were not necessarily a secret, such as Invisible Providence and Cor Leonis.

So he began by telling them about his first day in another world and the incident at the looting house. He told how he saw a beautiful silver-haired girl in the crowd being robbed by a blonde-haired, red-eyed thief, and decided to investigate the incident himself to help the silver-haired girl.

He told how he met Reinhard by coincidence when he called the guards during that attempted robbery with TonChinKam, how he managed to track down the blonde thief known as Felt to a pawn shop in the slums of the Royal Capital, how he came across the Gut Hunter, met Emilia and Puck, witnessed the battle between Elsa and Reinhard, and in the end ended up seriously injured and taken to Roswaal's mansion to be treated.

Throughout the story, Emilia commented alongside Subaru, adding her own perspectives on the events and unconsciously strengthening Subaru's narrative.

He then recounted the events of his first days at Roswaal's mansion and the attack by the mabeasts. He told how he met Rem, Ram Roswaal, and Beatrice, how he chose to work at the mansion as a butler, how Puck and Emilia introduced him to the concepts of magic and his affinity for Yin magic, how he felt nervous for various reasons and sank into a spiral of self-blame, which led him to overwork himself, something that was only resolved in that fateful episode with the lap pillow, where he cried himself to sleep in Emilia's lap.

He told how Ram taught him to read and write, how he helped Rem with the housework at the mansion, how he befriended the villagers of Arlem, how he spent time in the forbidden library meeting Beatrice, and how that led him to discover curses and shamans, which piqued his interest because it was a topic related to the magic of that world he was interested in learning more about.

He told them how, after learning about curses from Beatrice, he suspected he had been cursed after a visit to the village of Arlem, and how this started the whole conflict with the Wolgarms in the forest near the village.

The attack by the mabeasts, as everyone already knew, had been orchestrated by Meili, but since this was only discovered during the events at the Sanctuary, Subaru preferred to omit this information for the time being, especially when he noticed how uncomfortable and depressed Meili looked while Subaru was telling her about it.

In addition, Subaru told them how he had gained Rem's trust during those dark events in the village of Arlem, but of course, he did not tell them about Rem and Ram's traumatic past involving the witch cult in detail, after all, it was a very personal matter for them, but he did mention that his Witch's miasma had aroused her suspicion for a personal reason, something he was able to reverse by proving himself trustworthy.

Just like the first time, Subaru was joined in the conversation not only by Emilia, but also by Rem, Ram, and Beatrice, who helped recount these events from their own perspectives, corroborating Subaru's story without him mentioning the Return by Death.

Subaru then recounted some less relevant and even amusing events that occurred between the mabeast attack and their return to the Royal Capital, such as the snow festival Subaru organized during Puck's mana release period.

And then it was time to tell about the events of their return to the Royal Capital, and this time, the mood became a little heavier. With the exception of Meili, everyone present had participated in those dark days, and everyone had been marked by those events in some way.

From when Subaru, Emilia, and Rem went to the Royal Capital for Emilia to participate in the Royal Selection opening ceremony, to how Subaru lost control and made a fool of himself in front of everyone, to how that led to a humiliating duel against Julius, and how it ended in a miserable fight between Emilia and Subaru.

For Subaru, Emilia, and Julius, who recounted the incident together with Subaru, it was a truly difficult and uncomfortable moment. After all, all three of them had, to some degree, made mistakes that day and were negatively impacted. Fortunately, at least they knew that they would soon make up.

From that point on, the conversation alternated between three points of view. Subaru and Rem's point of view, Julius's point of view, and Emilia's point of view, which painted the overall picture of the events of the following days.

Subaru recounted how he and Rem spent a few days at the Karsten mansion for the treatment of Subaru's gate. He explained how he ended up in a very negative spiral after the duel with Julius and the fight with Emilia, and how Rem had been by his side the entire time. He told them how he had received information from a source he could not reveal that Roswaal's mansion and the village of Arlem would soon be attacked by the faction of the Archbishop of Sloth, as well as information about the appearance of the White Whale near the Flugel tree.

Of course, saying that it was a "source he couldn't reveal" raised doubts in the minds of Naoko and Kenichi, but fortunately, Subaru's companions, who trusted him completely, didn't press him for answers. after all, if he couldn't reveal this information, it was because he had a good reason for it, and although this didn't answer Naoko and Kenichi's questions, seeing the trust they placed in their son was comforting, so they were able to put it aside.

Subaru continued explaining, but without going into detail, how knowing in advance about Sloth's attack, which seemed impossible to prevent, combined with his aforementioned spiral of negative feelings, had put him in a truly miserable state, from which he was saved by Rem, who made him see value in his abilities once again.

Subaru then told them how, with Rem's help, he was able to forge an alliance with the royal camps of Crusch and Anastasia, one of the conditions of the alliance being a siege led by Subaru to eliminate the White Whale. And with that, Subaru told the epic story of the battle against the White Whale, which, although already well known to his companions, left Subaru's parents totally impressed.

In the midst of this, Julius told his own point of view of those days, about how he, after his duel with Subaru, he ended up being temporarily suspended from his service as a Royal Knight, and ended up provisionally joining the Iron Claw mercenaries under the pseudonym Juli, and joined Subaru after the hunt for the White Whale to help him in the siege against the faction of the Archbishop of Sloth.

Naturally, in the midst of this, Emilia also told her point of view of those days, how she became quite depressed in Roswaal's mansion after the fight with Subaru, feeling guilty for the way she treated Subaru, hurt by the way he had treated her, but also relieved, imagining that Subaru would no longer have to hurt himself for her. In the end, she had also fallen into her own negative spiral, and had no idea that an Archbishop of Sin was coming to attack the mansion and the village with her as his main target.

Then came the moment to tell about the entire battle between the alliance led by Subaru against the Sloth faction. He told how he, Julius, Wilhelm, Ricardo, and other formidable warriors hunted down Sloth's fingers, leaving Petelgeuse with no way to switch bodies. In addition, Subaru explained how they organized the evacuation of the village and eliminated the witch cultists who had infiltrated the people.

Emilia also added her point of view, being one of the people who were evacuated from the village and being completely adrift in the situation. Only later, during the chaos, did she discover that the soldiers and mercenaries were being led by Subaru.

Then, Subaru and Julius recounted together the battle against Petelgeuse and how they both worked together to eliminate the Archbishop. They told how they had to share their senses through Nect magic and how they were able to make peace during the battle. During the conversation, Subaru, of course, omitted the part where he was momentarily possessed by Petelgeuse, as it was irrelevant.

Subaru then told them how he and his battle companions discovered that the cultists had rigged Emilia's carriage with a bomb, and how Otto took Subaru to Emilia's carriage. He explained how, halfway there, he was pursued by a decrepit and monstrous Petelgeuse, who was weakened, but whom he was able to eliminate once and for all before he reached Emilia.

This detail of the chase surprised many of Subaru's companions, as he had never mentioned this moment to any of them. Subaru replied that he had simply considered it a dark episode that he preferred to leave behind, but that now, telling his parents, he took the opportunity to reveal this event as well, as it was true, despite everything.

His companions could see the sincerity of the black-haired young man, so they did not question him further about it.

Finally, Subaru, along with Emilia, told them how he had reached Emilia's carriage, where she had found him for the first time after that fight. Unfortunately, they couldn't talk at that moment because Subaru quickly pulled out the bag full of magical fire stones that was hidden inside the carriage, then mounted Patrasche and took the bag of explosives straight to the White Whale's corpse.

Unfortunately, Subaru was unable to get far enough away from the blast and ended up suffering part of the impact, knocking him unconscious.

Emilia then told her perspective, how she rescued Subaru, who had been protected by Patrasche, where they were able to heal his wounds, and how she waited anxiously for him to wake up while making a pillow for the boy.

Finally, Subaru and Emilia told how, at that moment, they were finally able to make peace, becoming even closer than before. Subaru, of course, did not go into detail about his declaration of love for the half-elf out of embarrassment, and Emilia, for some reason, was also quite embarrassed—in a good way—when she remembered that special moment between her and her knight, and also did not go into detail about the event, leaving Subaru's parents staring at two blushing young people as they looked at each other.

But then Subaru realized that it was already past midnight when he finished recounting these events, and decided that it was time to take a break from the story and leave the other events—such as the incident at the shrine, Priestella, and the Watchtower of the Pleiades—for later.

Although Subaru's parents wanted to know more about their son's adventures in another world, it was true that everything he had told them so far had flooded them with an ocean of information to process and reflect on, which they would do well to take some time to do.

In addition, Naoko and Kenichi needed to organize the guest room on the second floor so that Subaru's friends could sleep, and they themselves, of course, needed a good rest. So they decided to end the story right there that day.

Subaru then offered to help his parents arrange the futons in the guest room to speed up the work, and after that, it didn't take long to agree that the girls from the other world—Emilia, Rem, Ram, Anastasia, and Meili—would sleep in the guest room, while Julius would sleep in Subaru's room with the young man with black hair.

Naoko initially wanted Beatrice to sleep with the girls in the guest room, but this was immediately rejected by Beatrice, who, as Subaru's contracted spirit, was supposed to sleep with him.

Naoko was visibly confused by the situation because she did not yet know—although she was aware of Subaru and Beatrice's mutual affection—that they had a contract, and, honestly, she had not yet gotten used to the idea that a little girl as adorable as her was not actually human, but a Great Spirit over 400 years old.

Because of this, Subaru had to explain that he and Beatrice had signed a spirit contract—just as Emilia had done with Puck and Julius had done with his six spirits—something that had been consummated over a year ago and that he would tell her the whole story at the next opportunity. But regardless, he and Beatrice had been used to sleeping together ever since the contract had been signed.

Naoko nodded reluctantly, and although it was strange from her perspective for her son to sleep with a "little girl," she had to accept that this was normal for them.

With the subject of spirits and contracts being discussed, Anastasia took the opportunity to formally introduce her contracted spirit Eridna, who until then had been brilliantly disguised as Anastasia's scarf.

Naoko and Kenichi were stunned by the sight of a talking scarf, and were even more impressed by the sight of the scarf transforming into a talking white fox. Fortunately, although a little nervous, Naoko and Kenichi did not treat the situation with any hostility, already understanding that Eridna was a spirit just like Beatrice, an ally in every sense and a companion to Subaru.

With all that done, Subaru's parents promised to talk more with the group the next day, not only about the stories of Subaru's adventures in the other world, but also to discuss how they would live together from then on. Now, however, it was good for everyone to sleep and rest.

Then Naoko and Kenichi went straight to their room, and the moment they closed the door, a deep sigh of relief was exhaled by both of them as they fell onto the double bed—lying side by side—staring at the ceiling with complex expressions and wide eyes, as if they were still processing everything that had happened that night.

In a matter of hours, Naoko and Kenichi's world had been turned upside down. The couple's entire worldview had been chewed up and trampled on by a series of events and stories as impossible as they were true, which they had witnessed with their own eyes.

"Are you okay, honey? / Are you okay, dear?" They asked in unison, turning their faces toward each other as their eyes met.

Then, the realization of the synchronicity that could only have come from the love between them hit them quickly, and laughter escaped Naoko and Kenichi.

And just as it came, the laughter gradually dissipated, giving way to a reflective air that hung over them both.

"Being okay, isn't it? It's hard to say, there's so much to process..." Kenichi revealed, with a touch of melancholy.

"Yes, it's as if our whole world has suddenly changed," Naoko replied with concern.

Kenichi sighed once more, and after a moment of silence, he said, "Apparently, there is another world where magic, spirits, and magical beasts exist, and it seems to have come out of a Lord of the Rings book."

"And our son was transported there when he left to go to the convenience store earlier and stayed there for a year and a half," Naoko added thoughtfully.

"And now he somehow managed to come back, and he brought with him an elf girl, two demon girls, a little girl, and a fox who are actually centuries-old spirits, a merchant who is the elf girl's rival to become queen, the merchant's knight, and... well, that little blue-haired girl, Meili-chan, seems to be the most normal, but I wouldn't doubt that she has some peculiarity like the others," said Kenichi.

"And how do you feel about that, Kenichi?" asked Naoko.

 

"Strange, but I don't feel afraid. Of course, it's horrible to know that Subaru, from his perspective, was away from us for a year and a half in a strange land, and now I understand why he cried when he saw you and hugged me like that, but it's strangely comforting to see Subaru surrounded by friends who seem to care so much about him, even if they're not exactly human, hehe."

"Haha, that's true, and also, Subaru seems to have matured through all this. I see the way he was interacting with his companions during that time, and somehow, I no longer see that boy who always seemed to hide his sadness, isolating himself in his room and not going to school anymore. The Subaru I see now seems more alive."

"You say alive, but from everything he's told us, he could have died many times, and apparently, he went through a lot after that." Kenichi said sincerely.

Naoko paused for a moment, her breathing becoming a little heavier with the thought.

It was true that her son was alive and well, but the thought that he could have died as a result of the series of problems he had described so far was a frightening thought, and Naoko couldn't help but bring her thumbnail to her teeth and start biting it as her eyes filled with tears.

After a few moments, she removed her fingernail from her teeth and wiped away the tears forming in her eyes. Then she let out a deep sigh and said, "That's just 'what if,' I don't want to think about it."

Hearing this, Kenichi decided to let the matter rest for now. After all, focusing on negative possibilities that could have befallen Subaru on his adventures would not help them in any way, and at that moment, they already had a lot to consider and organize.

"But ignoring the 'what ifs,' honey, how are you feeling about all this?" Kenichi asked.

In fact, when Naoko made an effort not to think about negative possibilities and looked at the reality before her eyes, her lips curved into a slight smile.

"Honestly, Kenichi, would it be strange if I said that I find this whole situation incredibly fascinating?"

"Although I can already imagine the answer, I still need to ask, why?" Kenichi smiled at her.

"Well, why wouldn't it be fascinating? If you consider the two spirits as people, then we have eight people in this house who aren't from this world and can even do magic! Five of them aren't exactly human, but they're lovely people, Julius-san and Anastasia-san seem like very respectable people, and I can already see myself getting along well with Meili-chan. On top of that, we're apparently going to live with them, at least for a while." Naoko explained with a certain excitement in her voice.

"Well, when you put it that way, even I'm getting excited." Kenichi said with a slight laugh. "As you said yourself, they seem like great people, and best of all, they all seem to get along very well with our Subaru. I can see in their eyes and actions how they respect and admire our son, and that fills me with pride."

"Maybe even more than respect and admiration," Naoko said playfully. "The way Rem-san and Emilia-san look at Subaru is quite suggestive. I think love is in the air."

"Not only that, but the way our son looks at them too..." Kenichi put his hands over his face to hide his pride mixed with embarrassment. "My God, my son is winning over these two girls! This is too much for my father's heart...!"

"Hahaha." Laughter escaped from the mouths of both adults.

After a few moments, when the laughter subsided, a light bulb went off in Naoko's head.

"Honey, thinking about it, we have to get clothes for all of them, don't we?"

"That true, the only clothes they have are those clothes that look like cosplay costumes." Kenichi muttered. "Maybe you should go out and buy clothes for them tomorrow."

"Yes, they can't live in those strange clothes," said Naoko. "Okay! Tomorrow I'll stop by the thrift store in the central district to buy clothes for everyone. Oh, and I'll try to take Subaru with me, since he probably has an idea of what his friends might like to wear."

"Sounds like a good plan," Kenichi replied cheerfully.

"But, honey..." Naoko whispered.

"Yes?"

"What about the financial aspect? I mean, besides clothes, we'll have to support them for an indefinite period of time. Will we be able to manage with our current circumstances?"

"That's a good point, dear," Kenichi said thoughtfully. "But besides my salary, we also have our savings."

"Isn't that our emergency savings?" she asked.

"I think this situation qualifies as an emergency, hehe," Kenichi said playfully. "So I think we'll be fine for a while."

"But what about after that?"

Kenichi, still lying down, turned to Naoko, and she, following his example, also turned to him. The two of them, lying down, faced each other, their eyes meeting.

"We'll figure something out," Kenichi said, smiling with a confident expression.

Naoko's eyes sparkled with the reflection of her beloved.

"Oh, my dear..." Naoko said, almost enchanted.

She moved closer to Kenichi, nestling against him, who likewise nestled against her, sharing not only their warmth, closeness, and mutual affection, but also a spark of care. Care for those they had just met, for those who had come from another world, for those who had lived with and cared for their son, and for those whom their son cared deeply about.

Even though it was too early to have formed a pleasant and enjoyable relationship with these unique guests—for such a relationship had not yet developed—Naoko and Kenichi decided that they would keep these people safe. For their son, and also for themselves, they would do their best to care for, live with, and protect those beings from another world.

And with that, they settled in for a while longer.

 

...  

 

Outside Naoko and Kenichi's room, Subaru was in the guest room.

He was finishing organizing the room where Emilia, Rem, Ram, Anastasia, and Meili would sleep from now on.

 

The room was simple, and since it wasn't used very often, it wasn't very furnished. There was a window, however, a relatively simple wardrobe where they could store their belongings, and four medium-sized futons were lined up on the floor. Rem and Ram would have no problem sharing one, Emilia and Meili would sleep in their own, and Anastasia would share hers with Eridna, of course.

It's a shame they don't have pajamas to wear, huh, hmm. Subaru reflected.

After making sure the girls were comfortable in the guest room, Subaru took Julius to his own room; after all, from now on they would have to sleep in the same room.

The idea of returning to his room like this after a year and a half undoubtedly stirred a strange feeling in Subaru's heart. After all, it was here that he spent most of his time as a recluse, isolated from the world, immersed in his own insecurities.

That reclusive Subaru was certainly someone who no longer existed, someone Subaru had left behind long ago.

"Hello, my old friend." As he opened the door to his room and caught a glimpse of him for a moment, those were Subaru's words.

He took a few steps forward, examining his surroundings. As expected, it was exactly as he remembered, nothing out of place.

Julius also entered, coming right behind Subaru, and was able to glimpse Subaru's room — which would also be his room — for himself.

And his first impression couldn't have been stranger.

That room, being slightly smaller than the guest room, was different from the rest of the residence.

On the walls were, as Julius could describe them, artistic paintings that showed illustrations of—mainly—girls, in a stylized artistic style completely different from the types of illustrations he was used to.

In addition, the presence of unknown characters, which Julius assumed to be the writing of this world, was everywhere, making the knight somewhat uncomfortable with the fact that he was unable to read and understand them, even though, apparently, this world and his world shared the same spoken language.

Elsewhere in the room, there were some bookshelves filled with what were probably books containing illustrations very similar to the "pictures" Subaru had on his walls, and not only that, but there was a constant presence on the shelves of small figurines of people, mainly girls, in all kinds of costumes and unique poses.

Strangely, the figurines did not look exactly human, they were stylized and different, resembling an illustration, but with three dimensions.

There was a wide variety of things in that room so different from what Julius was familiar with in his world, and he was just beginning to familiarize himself with this one, that he would not even dare to try to describe it yet. Overall, the room was strange, stuffy, extravagant, and above all, fascinating.

"Interesting," Julius muttered.

"What?" Subaru asked.

"Hmm, nothing..."

"Are you sure?"

"Well... actually, there are so many things in this room that I'd like to ask about, I don't even know where to start..." Julius explained, a little awkwardly and thinking deeply.

Subaru sighed as he smiled slightly.

Normally, for someone like Subaru, who had lived as a reclusive NEET for a considerable amount of time, accumulating all these collections of manga, light novels, games, dolls, and all the posters he had stuck on the walls, it could be quite embarrassing to show a room like this to any normal person.

The most common reaction would be for the person who glimpsed his room to think he was weird, and Subaru would be unsure about showing this side of himself to anyone.

But even so, despite being insecure about showing this side of himself to anyone—this dark past he left behind—Subaru couldn't say he had stopped liking the things he used to consume—like anime, manga, games, and light novels—because they were things that had been with him for most of his life and are an important part of who he is.

However, even with all that in mind, at that moment, Subaru felt no fear, shame, or insecurity in Julius' presence, not when Julius looked at his room not with disdain, but with deep curiosity.

Then Subaru reflected. Why be ashamed of the things he likes? Why be ashamed of a past that no longer defined him? Even though this room had once meant escape, seclusion, and insecurity, Subaru, as he looked at the figure of Julius, a noble, honorable, and disciplined knight, decided that he would give new meaning to that room, new meaning to the things he liked, and new meaning to the "me" he had left behind.

"Well..." said Subaru. "Choose the thing that caught your eye the most, and I'll explain it to you as best I can."

Julius' gaze wandered a little around the shelves in Subaru's room. It wandered over the peculiar figurines, the objects he didn't recognize, and the volumes of manga and light novels—not that Julius knew exactly what they were—until it landed on a specific volume that seemed somehow different from the others.

He then approached the shelf in question and carefully placed his hands on the volume in question.

Subaru, seeing the scene, raised an eyebrow in mild amusement. Julius' choice interested him deeply.

Julius examined what was in his hands and quickly concluded that it was a book. He glanced over the cover, analyzing its contents. On the cover of the book was a stylized illustration of what appeared to be a young woman with fair skin, blonde hair, faded blue eyes, dressed in a simple but elegant white dress and a blue jacket. In addition, she was surrounded by countless flowers, whose colors varied in different shades of purple. There were also words and phrases written on the cover, but everything was in characters that Julius could not yet read.

"Violet Evergarden, huh..." Subaru said with a smile.

"This..." Julius began, touching the volume with two fingers, as if handling a relic. "Is this one of your manuscripts?"

"Something like that," replied Subaru. "It's a light novel, a type of book from here. It has a story, feelings, sometimes even illustrations. But don't underestimate it, this one made me cry a lot."

Julius turned his head to Subaru, intrigued.

"Why?"

Subaru sat down on the bed and let out a sigh. Not tired... but thoughtful.

"Violet was a child soldier. She only knew how to obey, kill, protect. She never felt love, never knew what it was. Until one day, the man she respected most told her he loved her... and died. So she started writing letters to other people, trying to understand what that meant. Not just the words, but the feelings behind them."

Julius listened in silence. His eyes were fixed on the cover, but his attention was entirely on Subaru.

"She wanted to understand what it meant to be human and..." Subaru hesitated for a moment, as if opening an old but familiar wound. "When I read that, I realized that... even though I hadn't been through wars, I too had lived without understanding what I felt. I just kept going. Afraid. Alone."

The silence grew between them, but it wasn't uncomfortable. It was a shared breath.

Julius finally sat down next to Subaru, the book in his hands. His voice was calm, almost reverent: "I can see this is special to you. May I ask why?"

"Because..." Subaru smiled, looking around the room, then at himself. "This book isn't just a story. It was the first one that made me realize that... it's okay not to know what to feel. It's okay... to need time to understand. When I didn't know how to deal with my feelings, all of this..." He gestured vaguely at the posters, the dolls, the manga... "was my escape, a way to run away from my feelings. But it was also armor, which helped me survive."

Julius had his yellow eyes fixed on Subaru, listening intently.

"But now, I've decided that I don't want this room to be a place of escape. I want it to be... a place where I share what helped me survive."

Julius looked again at the young woman illustrated on the cover of the book.

Julius didn't know Subaru's past and could never say he understood his inner conflicts stemming from it. But one thing he understood. He understood that something like this book he held in his hands was able to lead Subaru to a deep reflection on himself, helping him find wisdom. So even if it's in the form of stories, stylized illustrations... fiction... how much wisdom is there in this world? What else—besides Violet Evergarden—could captivate him to the point of teaching him valuable things?

With these thoughts in mind, Julius smiled.

"You know..." Julius began, in a slightly playful tone. "If you want to share all this with me, you could teach me how to read and write first, don't you think?"

Subaru let out a slight laugh and replied, "Yeah, yeah. Yes, I'll find a way to teach you all how to read and write. And after that, I'll show you some cool things. Violet Evergarden is just the beginning."

"I'm looking forward to it," said Julius with a slight smile.

After talking for a while longer about things like manga, games, light novels, and other things, Subaru and Julius agreed that, even though Subaru's room had a bed, Subaru was used to sleeping on his futon—which was next to the bed—and therefore, Julius would sleep in the bed, while Subaru would continue sleeping on his comfortable futon.

So, after agreeing on who would sleep where, Julius was able to organize the equipment and belongings he was carrying and finally went to bed, ready to fall asleep at any moment. Although he himself had many things on his mind to reflect on and consider, he understood that he needed a good night's sleep.

Subaru, on the other hand, well... he wasn't sleepy.

Leaving Julius to sleep alone, Subaru left the room slowly and quietly, not wanting to disturb anyone. Not when he knew that, at that point, almost everyone in the house was either asleep or close to falling asleep. In his hands, Subaru carried a projector lamp, which was filled with drawings of stars in different shapes and colors.

Continuing to walk, Subaru went down the stairs and headed to the living room once again. The lights were off and darkness prevailed, however, there was a lot of light coming in from outside through the living room window, illuminating enough for Subaru to make out the silhouettes of the furniture, as well as the silhouette of a figure sitting on the sofa, staring intently at Subaru.

Subaru looked at the figure, walked past it, approached a nearby outlet, and plugged in a lamp, turning it on immediately. The room, previously filled with darkness, was completely transformed, illuminated by a field of stars created by the light from the lamp. The entire room was, at the same time, a common living room and a beautiful and intricate cosmic landscape, filled with stars and nebulae.

Not only that, but the lamp also moved, slowly rotating, giving movement to that star field, which overlapped the living room like a galaxy.

"It's beautiful, I think," said the figure sitting on the sofa, with a tone of enchantment in her voice. "This was the cool thing you said you were going to show Betty, I suppose?"

It was Beatrice, whose butterflies in her eyes sparkled with starlight.

Subaru, who had known who the person on the sofa was from the beginning, replied kindly, "I thought you'd like it, Beako." Before lying down on the sofa next to Beatrice.

Subaru had already told Beatrice earlier that he didn't intend to sleep so early that night because he wasn't sleepy, so he would stay in the living room for a while.

Beatrice, who would not sleep without her contractor under any circumstances, said she would stay with him, and Subaru, hearing this, suddenly remembered something that made him smile broadly, and before Beatrice could ask about it, Subaru asked her to wait for him in the living room while he settled things with Julius in his room, because according to Subaru, when he came back, he would show her something cool.

And there she was, before the sky that Subaru had brought to earth.

"My parents gave me this lamp for my birthday when I was younger. They knew I loved stars and things like that," Subaru said as he rested his arms behind his head, looking up at the ceiling. "This light always comforted me and helped me think about things."

"A lamp, huh..." said Beatrice. "However that thing works, you've got Betty's approval, I think."

"I'm glad," replied Subaru with a laugh.

Although it was plausible, not being sleepy wasn't exactly Subaru's real reason for not going to bed. The truth was that the black-haired young man had a lot to think about and a lot to consider about the whole situation. Although Beatrice's presence wasn't initially part of his plans, her presence there with him was actually deeply comforting.

With that in mind, Subaru and Beatrice exchanged kind words and silly conversations for a while.

Until, at one point, heavy footsteps were heard coming down the stairs, and after a few moments, Ram entered the living room, carrying Rem on her back.

Subaru smiled when he saw the two of them, as he had also been waiting for them to appear.

Rem and Ram, upon entering and being greeted by the field of stars shining over the room, couldn't help but be completely impressed and even intoxicated by the sight of their surroundings.

"B-Barusu, h-how did you do this?" Ram asked, stammering.

"S-Subaru-kun...?" Rem, equally impressed, also asked about him.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" He said.

"Courtesy of Betty's Subaru, actually. You should enjoy it, I suppose," Beatrice said proudly.

"Subaru-kun is really amazing..." Rem murmured.

"Barusu, will you explain how you did that?"

"I'll tell you later, hehe," Subaru said as he got up and sat down on the sofa. "Now, nee-san, put Rem here on the sofa."

Ram nodded with a little frustration, as she was very curious about the star lamp, but she let it go because at that moment, they had more important things to talk about.

Subaru put Beatrice on his lap and sat on the left side of the sofa while Ram carefully placed Rem on the middle seat and finally sat on the right seat.

The reason Rem and Ram were in the living room at that moment was that while Subaru was helping to organize the guest room for the girls to sleep in, Rem confessed that she wasn't sleepy, which made sense since she had just awakened from her state of beautiful slumber.

So Subaru advised her to try to get some sleep, but if she couldn't fall asleep, she could meet him in the living room, as he wasn't sleepy either and would be there during the night, and that way they could take the opportunity to talk about everything that had happened while Rem was asleep.

Ram, who was also listening to this conversation, intervened and said that if Rem decided to talk to Subaru, she would go with her, as she had also promised to tell the whole story together with Subaru. Besides, someone would need to carry Rem, as she couldn't walk on her own for the time being.

Therefore, Ram would stay awake until Rem fell asleep or decided to meet Subaru. And now, in the living room, it was clear what Rem's choice was.

"Emilia-tan didn't want to come?" Subaru asked.

"Emilia-sama was already asleep when we got up, and we thought it wouldn't be nice to wake her up," Ram explained, with Rem nodding in agreement.

Subaru let out a sigh and said, "Yeah, that makes sense. Anyway, putting that aside, I think we have a lot to catch up on, don't we, Rem?"

"Yes, Subaru-kun," said Rem. "There's a lot that Rem doesn't know yet, and a lot that Rem knows that she's lost, but I hope I can at least keep up with you guys."

"Oh, dear Rem," said Ram, placing a gentle palm on Rem's shoulder. "We would never leave you behind."

"That's right, Rem," said Subaru, with a kind expression. "We wouldn't leave you in the dark."

But immediately after, Subaru's expression turned serious.

"But I should warn you that it's not a pretty story. Although there have been good things, we've faced many things during that time," Subaru explained.

Ram and Beatrice also nodded in agreement with Subaru, remembering the various calamities that had befallen them since Rem's existence was devoured.

However, Rem did not let herself be shaken, and adopted a determined expression.

"Even if bad things may have happened, I want to be able to share at least a little of that burden with nee-sama and Subaru-kun, so that in the future Rem will be able to help them even more."

Subaru and Ram nodded with smiles on their faces.

"You're amazing, Rem, you know that?" Subaru said, with deep affection and admiration in his eyes.

Rem blushed at his words, looking away in embarrassment.

"I-I'm glad Subaru-kun thinks so."

Subaru let out a slight laugh before sighing.

"Okay, Rem, let's start with what happened after we parted ways that day, after the battle against the White Whale..." Subaru began.

Under the witness of the stars shining above them, and under the dawn flowing with a river of deep serenity, Subaru, Rem, Ram, and Beatrice talked for a long, long time.

Notes:

This must be the most profound and symbolic chapter I've written for this fic so far. The dialogue between Naoko and Kenichi, the moment between Julius and Subaru, and the events at the end of the chapter with the star lamp were incredible to construct. I hope you enjoyed it! In the next chapter, the pace should pick up a bit, and perhaps some intriguing things will happen. Anyway, see you next Sunday: August 10, 2025

Chapter 7: An Interesting Morning

Notes:

Another week, another chapter of The Sage Returns! I hope you enjoy it!

Rem had woken up; in fact, she had just opened her eyes.

How long had she been asleep?

She didn't know, but there were a few clues that Rem quickly noticed around her that indicated that not much time had passed.

The first and most important was that her sister—who was in front of her, sharing the same futon—seemed to be sleeping soundly, and when she moved carefully to look at the futons to her right, she could see that Emilia, Meili, Anastasia, and Eridna were also still asleep.

The second thing she noticed was the daylight streaming through the guest room window. This detail alone didn't mean much, since Rem still didn't know how day and night worked in this world compared to her own. But she knew, or rather, she saw yesterday during her walk to Subaru's parents' house that this world also had a moon, something she would ask her beloved about later.

Her beloved...

Subaru-kun... He was the person who came to mind at that moment, and Rem knew that he would continue to occupy her thoughts for the rest of the day from now on.

Because, at that moment, as Rem—still lying down—stared fixedly at the ceiling of her room, it had dawned on her.

She, her sister, Beatrice, and Subaru had talked for hours before Rem eventually returned to her room to try to get some more sleep.

Naturally, since they were talking in a group and Rem ended up falling asleep relatively quickly after that, she hadn't had much time to properly reflect on everything she had been told.

And besides, sleep, among many other things, is an excellent way for the brain to organize and process information acquired the previous day, and therefore, Rem's nap had a powerful effect on her, since at that moment, with Subaru popping into her mind, all the information she had been told about the period when she was in a "sleeping beauty" state came flooding back like an uncontrollable flood.

And the first thing she could conclude from all of this was that Subaru, her beloved, had indeed become a true hero. Not just a hero to her, who saved her from her insecurities and made her time start moving again, but a hero to countless people.

She had already heard about his exploits against the Archbishop of Sloth to save the village of Arlem and the mansion earlier, when he told the story to her parents, which made her feel immensely proud of him, but what she didn't know was that he had to overcome terrible challenges not long after. Challenges to save everyone in the Sanctuary and the mansion.

She—like Crusch—had been attacked by the Archbishops of Greed and Gluttony, and because of that, Crusch had her memories devoured and forgot most of her life. Rem, on the other hand, had both her memories and her name devoured, becoming an empty shell, completely unconscious and forgotten by everyone.

By everyone... except her beloved.

By some miracle, Subaru, of all people, was the only one who knew who she was and was completely devastated by what had happened. Rem didn't know how to feel about this. On the one hand, she felt terrible about the situation her beloved had been put in because of the evil she had suffered, but on the other hand, deep down—even though it was horrible—Rem had liked knowing how important she had become to him.

Unfortunately, this was only the beginning of the challenges her beloved would face from then on. Whether it was all the problems he faced in the Sanctuary, with assassins attacking the mansion, the Great Rabbit, Emilia's difficulty in passing the trials, and the machinations of Roswaal—someone she used to call master and someone she had a lot of respect for—her beloved had to face all of this in order to save everyone, and in the end, he became Emilia's knight and Beatrice's contractor.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the end of the difficulties. Even though a year of peace had passed, her beloved, along with Camp Emilia and all the other Royal Camps, were caught in a coordinated attack by the Witch Cult in the city of Priestella, which led to a battle against several Archbishops of Sin at the same time.

Once again, her hero had to fight on the front lines of the battle to protect the city, and even rescue Emilia, who had been kidnapped by the Archbishop of Greed, Regulus Corneas, to make her one of his wives. In the end, your beloved joined forces with the Holy Sword and, together with Emilia, they were able to put an end to the Archbishop of Greed once and for all.

Unfortunately, the battle had left many consequences. Several civilians who had fallen victim to Gluttony were put into a "Sleeping Beauty" state, while many others had been victims of Capella, the Archbishop of Sin of Lust, and were transformed into grotesque creatures.

Because of this, Anastasia invited Camp Emilia on an expedition to the Pleiades Watchtower, so they could contact the Great Sage who lived in the tower and find a cure for all the victims of the Archbishops in Priestella, as well as a cure for her condition and Rem's condition.

And so began another journey that would also prove extremely challenging. With Meili's help, Subaru and the others were able to reach the Tower of the Sage, which, to everyone's surprise, was not being protected by the true Sage, but by his apprentice, known as Shaula.

Her beloved and the other members of the expedition had to face the trials present on the floors of the tower, which even led them to face Reid Astrea, the first Holy Sword, in order to successfully complete one of them. Unfortunately, things started to go wrong, as your hero ended up suffering from amnesia after coming into contact with a Book of the Dead that led him to meet one of the Archbishops of Gluttony, Louis Arneb.

As if that weren't enough, the other two Archbishops of Sin, Roy Alphard and Ley Batenkaitos, went to the Pleiades Watchtower to devour everyone, and on top of that, an army of Mebaasts attacked the tower, Shaula, the guardian of the tower, became a giant bloodthirsty scorpion, and Reid Astrea was able to "resurrect" through Roy Alphard and was unwilling to be an ally.

Fortunately, Subaru regained his memories, and once again, the hero of Rem was able to lead all the members of the expedition to victory against all these adversaries, and even Ram, his sister, was able to subdue Ley Batenkaitos, avenging her and putting an end to the Archbishop once and for all.

With that, through Subaru's leadership and strategy, one by one, the enemies and problems that arose in the Watchtower were defeated and solved. Ley was killed, Reid Astrea was defeated, and Roy Alphard was captured, the Mabeasts were contained, Emilia successfully completed the tower's final trial, and finally, the giant scorpion disappeared.

With victory achieved, everyone thought that the problems were over, but at the last second, a black shadow began to engulf the tower, and even the Divine Dragon Volcanica intervened at that moment. The next thing everyone remembers is waking up in a completely different place. After some discussion, the members of the Watchtower expedition concluded that they had been transported to another world, the world of Subaru.

And now, after a few hours, there was Rem absorbing and processing all this information.

The first obvious feeling Rem felt upon learning everything was a deep desire to have been there during those events, to be able to help her companions lighten the heavy burden they carried, that her sister carried, that her beloved hero—Subaru—had carried.

Sanctuary, Priestella, Pleiades Watchtower. One storm after another, which Rem couldn't be there to ease the difficulties everyone faced. But despite that, Subaru, Ram, Emilia, and even all the new members who joined Camp Emilia during that time, were all able to emerge victorious from these conflicts, these adversities, these storms.

Her beloved and her sister were able to avenge her—and avenge Crusch—by eliminating Regulus Corneas and Ley Batenkaitos, and words cannot describe how proud and admiring Rem felt when she discovered this. Roswaal, her benefactor, the one she respected deeply and owed a great debt to, had proven himself to be a horrible person, capable of killing anyone necessary to achieve his incomprehensible goals.

Fortunately, Subaru managed to overcome all of his machinations before anyone died in the process, and his sister was able to destroy that evil book—the Tome of Knowledge—so that Roswaal would have nothing left to rely on.

In the end, Rem would not have been so merciful to Roswaal if she had been present at the time, and might have killed him herself, but despite this, she understands his usefulness to Camp Emilia and, above all, trusts her hero's judgment completely.

Hero...

With everything that had happened, with everything she had lost, Subaru had become a true hero. Far beyond the simple "hero of Rem," far beyond the concept of hero she had idealized about him, even knowing how fragile he could be, how pathetic the Subaru of a year ago could be, he had overcome all of that, faced monsters, witch cultists, Archbishops of Sin, Great Beasts, and saved countless people.

According to his sister and Beatrice, they started calling him the "hero of Priestella" after he gave a legendary speech to the townspeople during the cult's attack. A speech that had revitalized the hope and determination of people who had nowhere to turn.

And yet, even with all these achievements, her beloved never forgot her. As already mentioned, he was the only one who still remembered her even when everyone else had forgotten, and he never gave up trying to preserve her memory, telling everyone who had once been close to her, and who now had no idea who she was, such as his sister, about Rem.

Every night he was there, visiting her in her room, visiting her unconscious and sleeping body to tell her about his day, tell her stories and events, hoping that one day she would wake up and respond.

According to his sister and Beatrice, he had been there, taking care of her, keeping her not only as comfortable as possible, but also preserving as much dignity as her condition allowed. Damn it! He even polished her Morning Star every day so that time would not deteriorate it, and Rem could have her favorite weapon in perfect condition when she woke up.

Subaru had become a hero to many, but he had never ceased to be Rem's hero.

And now, after learning all this, Subaru shone even brighter in her eyes. Both as her hero and as her beloved. If it was possible for Rem to fall even more in love with Subaru, then she was sure she loved the black-haired young man even more intensely.

She wanted to be with him, fight alongside him, rest beside him, walk beside him, hold his hand, hug him, be hugged by him, feel his warmth, kiss him and be kissed by him, and when she was in bed with him, she wanted to...

Rem stopped thinking for a moment when she realized that her thoughts were gradually becoming dirtier, her cheeks flushing intensely as she tried to hide her face using the blanket.

As embarrassed as she felt about it, she couldn't deny how much she wanted him, and to be honest, Rem was proud of that. She was proud to know that the person she loved was truly amazing, not because he had accomplished many incredible feats, but because he was someone who was—and always had been—willing to risk his life if it meant saving others.

Rem loved him deeply.

Then a thought popped into her mind, painful, complex, and inevitable.

A girl of silver and ice.

Emilia-sama... Rem thought.

With that in mind, Rem turned to her left, lying facing the source of her thoughts. And there was Emilia, facing her as she slept soundly. Her silver hair fell over her collarbone and her breathing was calm. She slept peacefully, and Rem stared directly at her.

But Rem, on the other hand, did not feel so peaceful. She knew—from the story told by Subaru, Ram, and Beatrice—that Subaru and Emilia had kissed during the events at the Sanctuary and that Subaru had confessed his love for her.

Although it was inevitably a little painful to know this, Rem had always been aware of her hero's love for Emilia, which she had learned to accept, and in fact, she had come to terms with the idea of being Subaru's second wife, if Emilia agreed.

However, something very curious came out of this.

Apparently, according to what her sister had told her, which left Subaru very embarrassed, Emilia does not understand very well about love and romantic relationships, and even after the kiss and confession, Emilia did not reciprocate his feelings, not because she did not like him, but because she wanted to be sure of her own feelings before giving a definitive answer. And with that, Subaru has been waiting for an answer for over a year.

This was deeply intriguing to Rem. Rem had been awake and conscious since the group was transported to this world, and of course, she didn't miss the chance to observe how her beloved's relationship with his companions was going, especially Emilia.

Her hero had become Emilia's Knight, and Emilia herself seemed to be very proud of Subaru and his position, to the point of calling him "my knight" several times with clear affection in her voice and expression. Furthermore, when Subaru was present and spoke to her, Emilia seemed to become visibly more enchanted and happy, the way she touched him earnestly was remarkable, and of course, the way Emilia looked at him too, all of this, Rem understood very well.

Emilia was in love with her knight, there was no denying it.

And yet, she had not given Subaru an answer, and the reason for that was that, although she loved him, Emilia did not understand those feelings completely, and as a result, she was not sure of them.

Emilia-sama wants to give Subaru-kun an answer only when she is sure. Rem concluded in her thoughts.

And with that conclusion, Rem laughed.

 It was a low laugh, almost inaudible, so that no one nearby would wake up, and yet it was a deeply sincere laugh that came from the bottom of her heart.

Rem then thought of her hero and the love she felt for him, and then she thought of Emilia and her complicated feelings for Subaru.

Rem knew exactly what she wanted to do and what she was going to do. She had made up her mind.

 

...

 

Subaru hadn't slept much that night.

He had spent most of the early hours talking to Rem, Ram, and Beatrice and didn't have much time to rest after that. After all, soon all his companions would wake up, and he would need to be there at all times to guide and instruct them as necessary.

His father had left for work in the morning, and his mother alone would not be able to help all those people she didn't know very well without Subaru's help, so even though it would disturb his sleep, Subaru asked Julius to wake him up as soon as he woke up.

With that, the morning at the Natsuki house went relatively well. Subaru took the opportunity to spend some time explaining how to use some of the appliances in the house, such as light switches, the refrigerator, the microwave, the clock, and others. Although they couldn't say they understood all of these devices completely, Subaru's companions couldn't help but be incredibly impressed by such technologies.

Especially, of course, a certain merchant princess, who seemed to analyze Subaru's explanations with supernatural intensity while jotting down various mental notes. Unfortunately, Subaru had to admit that even he didn't understand the finer details of most of these technologies, but knowing how to use them was enough.

After that, it was time for breakfast. Naoko prepared miso soup for everyone while Subaru guided them through the bread rolls with peanut butter and jam; after all, in the Natsuki household, mixing Japanese and Western dishes was a normal habit.

"Beatrice-chan, if I may, do spirits eat too?" Naoko asked curiously.

At that moment, Emilia, Meili, Subaru, and Beatrice were sitting at the table eating breakfast. Rem, Ram, and Anastasia were eating while sitting on the sofa, and Julius was eating standing next to Anastasia. Anastasia occasionally shared her breakfast with Eridna, who was wrapped around her neck.

Beatrice finished chewing a piece of bread with strawberry jam before answering, "As a spirit, Betty doesn't need to eat, but Betty likes the taste, actually."

"Beako loves sweets, so I had to let her try this jam," said Subaru excitedly, then turned to Beatrice. "You can't imagine how many treats there are in my world, Beako."

"Careful, Subaru, you don't want to give Beatrice-chan diabetes," said Naoko with a comical warning tone.

"What is diabetes, I suppose?"

"It's a disease that develops when a person eats too much sugar," Subaru replied. "I mean, it's more complicated than that, but I don't know the details, hehe."

"In that case, Beatrice couldn't develop that disease because her body is made of mana, right?" Emilia asked.

"Exactly, Emilia-tan!" Subaru gave her a thumbs up.

"Body made of mana? What does that mean?" Naoko put a finger to her lips.

"Exactly what you heard, mother," Subaru said calmly. "Because they are spirits, their bodies are made of mana, not flesh and bone like ours."

"Really? But Beatrice-chan looks like a person," said Naoko.

"That's because Betty is a very special spirit, actually," she said proudly.

Subaru snorted at Beatrice's attitude and smiled slightly. He then said, "Spirits that can take physical forms like Beako, who, for example, takes the form of a person, are very rare. Only very ancient and powerful spirits, or very special ones like Beatrice, can do that."

"That doesn't just apply to human form. My former contract spirit, Puck, who was a Great Spirit like Beatrice, took the form of a gray cat." Emilia explained excitedly.

Although she had already learned a little about spirits while Subaru was telling his story the night before, Naoko couldn't help but be very impressed by this more in-depth information. Besides, Naoko is still learning to get used to concepts such as magic and spiritual arts, and honestly, she is eager to learn more.

“No, Puck wasn’t a gray cat.” Subaru shook his head, as if disappointed with the way Emilia described him.

"What do you mean?" Emilia asked, shocked, not understanding where she had gone wrong.

Subaru's eyes sparkled as a wicked smile formed on his lips.

"Puck was a gray cat with an EAR PIERCING!" Subaru declared with the intensity of a lawyer objecting in court.

Emilia stared at Subaru for a few seconds before bursting into laughter, which caused Subaru to break character and start laughing loudly as well. Then Beatrice herself tried to contain her laughter at the situation, and like an epidemic, suddenly everyone was laughing.

"You're so silly, Subaru," Emilia said, wiping away a tear.

"I know, but you loved it," Subaru replied with a smile.

Although the situation was quite lighthearted and laughter echoed throughout the room, a certain blue-haired girl watched the interaction between Subaru and Emilia with an indecipherable look.

"So I should assume that this also applies to Eridna-san, right? Since she was able to take the form of a fox," said Naoko, after finishing laughing.

"That's correct, Natsuki-sama." That voice came directly from the sofa, and more specifically, from a fox resting on Anastasia's neck. "Although my case is quite unusual."

"Quite unusual...?" Naoko muttered in doubt.

But just as Naoko was about to ask more about it, Subaru said, "But the vast majority of spirits retain their original forms. By the way, Julius!"

Julius was surprised by the sudden call and looked at Subaru.

"Yes, Subaru?"

"Could you show your spirits to my mother?"

Spirits? That's right! He and Subaru had explained to me that Julius-san is a spirit knight! Naoko became excited.

Julius concentrated for a moment, and then six glowing spheres appeared around him. One blue, one red, one green, one white, one yellow, and one dark purple. They swayed gently in the air like celestial fireflies.

Of all the magical things Naoko had seen since her son brought this otherworldly group to her home, this was undoubtedly the most fascinatingly beautiful sight she had ever witnessed.

"Meet my contracted spirits, Natsuki-sama," Julius said with a hint of pride in his voice.

When everyone forgot about Julius after the battle of Priestella, unfortunately, his quasi-spirits also forgot about him, and even though their contracts with Julius were still intact, the loss of memory significantly interfered with the spirit-contractor connection they used to have, to the point that Julius effectively gave up and broke the contract with them during the fight against Reid Astrea in the Pleiades Watchtower, so as not to force the spirits into a connection that no longer existed.

Fortunately, this act, which demonstrated great maturity on Julius' part—who was in a very complicated situation against Reid Astrea—was viewed favorably by the spirits, which paved the way for the formation of a new contract between them. This newly formed connection led the quasi-spirits to finally blossom into full spirits, making them even more powerful and capable.

And now, after all these events, some unknown phenomenon possibly related to the group's transport to Subaru's world was able to effectively restore Julius' name—as well as Rem's existence—leading Julius and his spirits to reconnect once again, strengthening the bond they used to have, but now with the air of a new beginning.

"Amazing..." Naoko murmured, her eyes reflecting the glow of the spirits.

And then, the red sphere approached calmly, as if not wanting to scare Subaru's mother.

"This is Ia, my spirit of fire."

"This little guy saved my life once," Subaru said, remembering the assistance Ia had given him in his battle against Petelgeuse.

Then, one by one, the spirits approached Naoko as Julius introduced them properly. Besides Ia, there were Kua, the spirit of water; Aro, the spirit of wind; Iku, the spirit of earth; In, the spirit of yang; and Nes, the spirit of yin. They remained floating around Naoko while Subaru, Emilia, and Julius explained to her about the different types of spirits, affinities, and curiosities about spiritual arts.

After this explanation, Julius' spirits returned to the summoning crystal.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that this information was enchanting Naoko, as she seemed to smile throughout the conversation. For Naoko, these curiosities about magic, spirits, and the mysticism of another world awakened her curious and excited inner child.

After they finished talking about spirits and spiritual arts, it seemed that breakfast would end normally, however, something very curious happened.

"Oh~" Meili said in surprise.

Meili's hair began to sway, and from within her strands of hair, a small and considerably frightening figure emerged on top of her head.

Naoko, who was nearby, froze in place when she saw the small creature on the little girl's head. Was it a scorpion!?

"M-M-Meili-chan." Naoko stammered, almost in a panic. "T-T-There's a scorpion on your head!"

That... Subaru's eyes widened.

"Ah yes, it's the little scorpion!" said the girl, removing the creature from her head and picking it up in her hands. "It looks like it was transported with us."

In Meili's hands was a crimson-colored scorpion. It clicked its pincer-shaped legs, as if excited to be in the presence of everyone.

A painful flash crossed Subaru's eyes. He didn't have to think too hard to make the connection between the scorpion and that person. That strange and cute girl.

 

"A mere 400 years... it's almost like the day after tomorrow."

"Because I also loved waiting for you."

"I love you, Master."

 

Meili noticed the strange look on Subaru's face as he stared at the little scorpion. She immediately understood what was going through his mind; after all, Meili herself had also approached that girl.

"I know why you have that look on your face," Meili said with a welcoming smile, drawing Subaru's attention.

"Huh?"

"It's because it reminds you of the half-naked onee-san, isn't it?"

Although the description of "half-naked" was quite unique coming from Meili, it was enough to cause the entire room to fall into an uncomfortable silence. After all, it was clear who she was referring to. She was referring to Shaula.

With the exception of Naoko, everyone had interacted with the supposed sage and guardian of the stars, and in a way, a certain friendship had formed between the members of the expedition and her. Unfortunately, as she had warned several times, once the rules of the tower were broken, she would become an unstoppable killing machine.

No sooner said than done, she became a huge crimson scorpion—the fourth great mabeast—which had to be restrained until Emilia completed the trials. After that, Shaula disappeared completely, leaving behind only this small crimson scorpion in Meili's hands.

Although, at that moment, everyone was pensive about the matter, it was Subaru, of course, who felt the greatest weight on his shoulders in this situation, for through many, many loops, he was the one who had interacted with her the longest. Truth be told, Subaru was surprised that Meili had noticed his thoughts so quickly, and with all that mixed together, Subaru had a complicated expression on his face as he thought about what to say.

"Who is that?" Naoko asked innocently.

His mother's voice snapped Subaru out of his stupor as he turned to Naoko.

"It's someone we met... I'll tell you about it later," Subaru replied.

"All right then..."

Understanding that it seemed like a difficult subject, Naoko decided to leave it at that. Besides, she knew that Subaru still had many stories to tell her about his adventures in the other world, which he had promised to tell her soon, so whatever he was keeping to himself at that moment, she would find out later.

Subaru, on the other hand, had a very important thought that came to mind as he thought a little more about the little crimson scorpion.

Wait...! That's right! He thought.

"Meili, now that I think about it, you told me that this scorpion was like a small mabeast, right?"

"Right." She nodded.

"Then answer me something, is your divine protection still working?"

Meili thought for a moment after hearing Subaru's question, as she pondered the implications.

In addition, the question had caught everyone's attention, especially Julius, who was also a bearer of divine protection.

"Actually, it's working normally, onii-san," Meili replied.

Subaru nodded as he turned to Anastasia's knight.

"What about yours, Julius?"

Julius, who had been expecting the question, replied calmly, "It's also working perfectly."

"Interesting," Subaru muttered.

We know that there is mana in the atmosphere of this world, or something similar, and furthermore, there seems to be no presence of spirits around here. Now, we also know that divine protections work, which is intriguing. I still need Beako to examine the gates and my parents' Od... yes, when my father returns from work, I will ask her to do that. I feel like I'm getting somewhere. Subaru reflected internally.

"All right, thanks Julius, you've been a great help." Subaru thanked him.

"You're welcome, Subaru." Julius said with a slight smile.

However, just as Subaru was about to thank Meili as well, he came across a curious sight. The scorpion had returned to the top of her head, but Meili remained staring at her hands. She massaged her fingertips as she seemed to be thinking deeply.

"Are you okay?" Subaru asked, snapping the little girl out of her stupor.

Meili was surprised at first, then smiled friendly as she replied, "Yes, onii-san, thank you for asking."

Subaru raised an eyebrow at her response, but then sighed and replied calmly, "All right then, by the way, thank you for your help."

Meili nodded with a sincere smile before letting out a sigh of relief.

Meili is a good actress, so it would be difficult to tell if something was bothering her if she didn't want me or anyone else to know. Even so, just to be on the safe side, I'll talk to her about it alone later. It could be something important to her. Subaru concluded in his heart.

"H-Hey, l-let's all ignore that there's a s-scorpion on M-Meili-chan's head." Naoko stammered, frightened.

That comment inevitably drew laughter from everyone present. Subaru and Meili had some trouble convincing her that the scorpion was harmless, but in the end, everything worked out.

After that, breakfast continued as normal until everyone had finished their meals.

With that, Naoko called Subaru aside.

"Subaru," Naoko said. "Are you busy this afternoon?"

"It depends, why?"

"Well, although your friends' clothes are really cool, I think they need some new ones." She gestured to Subaru's companions scattered around the living room. "So I decided to go to a thrift store in the central district so I can buy some for them. Do you want to come with me? I don't think there's anyone better than you to help me pick out clothes for them, plus I already talked to your dad about it, so it's all good."

Subaru couldn't help but be surprised by his mother's willingness. After all, she and Kenichi had only known his companions for less than a day, and even though they had agreed to take them into their home, Subaru understood that it could take some time before his parents and his friends really got close enough to become friends.

Deep down, Subaru hoped that, for a while, he would be the only one to take the initiative in taking care of his companions' needs, so seeing his mother willing to do something like this so soon—with his father's approval—made him very happy.

"Mom, that's... amazing of you! Seriously! I'll go with you, you can count on me." Subaru said with a beaming smile.

"Really? I'm so happy, son." Naoko replied with a welcoming expression. "We're leaving in an hour and a half, don't forget to tell your friends."

Subaru nodded excitedly as Naoko left the living room and headed for her bedroom.

Subaru, on the other hand, walked to the center of the room, drawing everyone's attention.

"Guys, I have some good news." He said, and then proceeded to explain to everyone that he was going out to buy clothes for them with his mother.

Immediately, they all became interested, because not only had they been wearing the same set of clothes since the end of the expedition to the Pleiades Watchtower, but also since they had arrived in this world, the prospect of wearing clothes typical of that place, like Subaru, Naoko, and Kenichi, was quite fascinating.

Subaru used his time until the appointed hour to do some research with his friends, mentally noting their likes and dislikes when it came to clothes and clothing, especially casual clothes, since Subaru understood that it was still too early for them to leave the house freely—or even accompanied— and therefore it was too early for more sophisticated clothes.

After that, Subaru made it clear to them that even though he and his mother would not be gone for long, they would be home alone during that time, and he went on to give them instructions on what they could and could not do while they were there. Considering that they were still learning the most basic things about that world, the task was not so simple, but in the end, everyone understood the essence of his instructions.

With that, Subaru dressed in better clothes and was finally able to leave with his mother at the appointed time.

The journey between the Residential District and the Central District was uneventful, with Subaru and Naoko discussing the types of clothing their companions found more or less comfortable.

"As I was saying, for now, let's just buy casual clothes for them to wear around the house, since I'm not going to let them go out until they at least learn to read and write," said Subaru.

"That makes sense, but how do you plan to teach them?" asked Naoko.

"It's quite simple, actually," Subaru said confidently. "As you may have noticed, the language spoken in the other world and Japanese are exactly the same, as absurd as it may seem, and although I don't know why that is, I have to admit that it's very convenient."

"That's very intriguing," said Naoko thoughtfully. "That implies that the other world and Japan are connected in some way."

"I think so too," replied Subaru. "In fact, I have my reasons to believe that people from our world—and considering the language—mainly Japanese people, have been transported to that world since ancient times."

"Really?" Naoko's eyes widened.

"Yes." Subaru nodded seriously. "I'll explain it to you better later, but before we get too far off topic, let me go back to explaining my teaching plan."

"All right." Naoko nodded reluctantly. She was deeply interested in her son's theories about "travelers between worlds" and added it to the list of things she would ask Subaru later.

"It was because of this convenience in terms of the spoken language that I was able to learn to read and write the continent's written language so quickly, and I'm sure it will be the same for them. Since we are in the information age, I won't need to teach them personally like Ram did with me. I'll have them watch video lessons on grammar, reading, and calligraphy, and I'll just need to supervise them." Subaru explained.

"That's very clever, son, but won't they need to take notes?"

"Exactly, that's what I was getting at. Is it okay if I take advantage of the fact that we're already here shopping and buy some notebooks for them?"

Naoko smiled slightly at the way Subaru made this request. After all, even though teaching his companions to read and write was extremely necessary given the circumstances, Subaru was still trying to be as polite as possible. She couldn't help but feel proud of him for that.

"Are you kidding? Of course you can buy notebooks for them." Naoko replied with a laugh. "You just want to help them, right? I can see that."

"Mom..." Subaru's eyes sparkled as his lips curved into a genuine smile.

"If it's to help your friends, you don't have to walk on eggshells to ask me for anything, I trust you." She said kindly. "Is there anything else you wanted to ask me?"

What did I do to deserve such an amazing mother? Subaru thought as he sighed with relief.

"Actually, Mom, there is something I would like to ask you. It's about Rem."

Naoko quickly remembered the blue-haired girl. Among the twins, Naoko certainly considered her the most adorable, and besides, Naoko had her reasons to believe that Rem had feelings for her son, just as Subaru seemed to care deeply for her as well.

"What about her?" Naoko asked, smiling suggestively at the mention of her possible future daughter-in-law. This smile went unnoticed by Subaru, who was looking ahead.

"I think you've noticed too, but she can't walk normally," Subaru said.

Naoko then remembered that, until now, she had never seen the girl standing or walking. She had only seen her sitting on the couch or being carried on her sister's back. Suddenly, Naoko felt bad for not noticing this before.

Her previously gentle expression became complicated as she asked, "Is she okay?"

"She's fine. What happened to her is that, although it may not seem like it, she recently woke up from an unnatural coma that we call 'sleeping beauty' in the other world. Basically, because she was in that state for so long, the movement of her legs has weakened considerably..."

Naoko listened to the explanation attentively, her eyes fixed on Subaru.

"Fortunately, Rem is an oni, which makes her resistance and recovery abilities completely superhuman, so she should recover soon. But even so, I wanted to help her walk normally faster and make her feel better. So I thought I'd buy her a cane, is that okay?"

Once again, Subaru surprised his mother, this time with the incredible empathy he showed. And especially when it came to a possible future daughter-in-law whom his son wanted to help, Naoko couldn't say no to him.

"Son, when you put it that way, it's impossible to refuse you something like that, hahaha," said Naoko cheerfully. "Just do me a favor and buy something nice for your girlfriend."

"Sure, Mom, I'll buy something... wait, my WHAT!?" Subaru was incredulous.

"Subaru, my son, I can see the chemistry between you two," Naoko said confidently. "Your father thinks the same thing, by the way."

Subaru blushed intensely, embarrassment mixing with shock as he processed the fact that his parents had realized that he and Rem liked each other.

Unfortunately for Subaru, this situation wasn't that simple.

"M-Me and Rem, w-well... it's complicated." He stammered, but Naoko understood what he was saying.

After all, Naoko was aware of the other girl's presence.

"So I can assume this has something to do with Emilia-san, right?" Naoko asked calmly.

"W-Well... yes..."

"Yeah, then the situation is really complicated." Naoko laughed. "But as long as you're not being unfaithful to anyone, there's still a solution, after all."

"Unfaithful? Me? Never! That's despicable." Subaru stated with determination, feeling genuinely uncomfortable with that idea. "It's just... it's complicated."

Naoko let out a deep sigh. 

"Look, I have to admit that I'm dying of curiosity about your love life, but you don't have to tell me about it if you don't want to. I understand that it's a little personal, even for me, your mother." She said gently.

Subaru smiled warmly.

"I'm glad you feel that way, Mom. Maybe I'll tell you about it later, but I can't promise anything." He said the last sentence very quietly because he was embarrassed.

Naoko laughed warmly before agreeing, "All right, then."

The two continued on their way, chatting amiably, until they finally reached the central district.

Notes:

You know, I had a very interesting (and important) scene planned for the end of this chapter, but unfortunately, as I was writing, I realized that the chapter was going to end up being too long and I wouldn't be able to finish it in time, so it will be in next week's chapter, so stay tuned.

Taking advantage of these final notes, I would like to clarify a few things about this fic that may help in understanding the story. The main clarification is that this fic only takes into account everything that happened from arc 6 backwards, and everything that happened from arc 7 onwards will not be considered to the letter. What this means is that everything we were presented with in arc 7 onwards in terms of lore may or may not be changed or replaced according to my vision. But please, I never want this fic to replace Tappei's original WN in any way, and I strongly recommend everyone to read the original because it's Peak! (Tappei is cooking with arc 9, my God!)

Anyway, see you next Sunday! August 17, 2025

Chapter 8: Emilia's Feelings/Subaru's Task

"Emilia-tan, my mother and I are leaving now, okay? But like I said, we won't be long," Subaru said calmly.

Emilia and Subaru were in the hallway, in front of the front door. The door was open, and Naoko waited patiently for Subaru outside so they could buy clothes for the group in the central district.

"All right, Subaru, good luck and..."

"And...?"

"Be careful," she said with a gentle smile.

"I will," Subaru said, nodding confidently. "And I'll bring you the most comfortable clothes, just wait."

With that, Subaru waved cheerfully to Emilia as she waved back with clear affection on her face. Then Subaru finally left the Natsuki residence as the sound of the door closing echoed through the hallway.

With the door closing definitively, Emilia's hand waving at Subaru stopped in midair, her palm closing and her arm relaxing completely as she realized that, at that moment, she had been left alone.

Alone?

Could she really say she was alone? After all, in that house, there were still Beatrice, Ram, Meili, Rem, Anastasia, Eridna, and even Julius. So how could she be alone?

Emilia didn't know why, but it was true that whenever Subaru left her like this, even though she knew he wouldn't be long, even though she knew it was for an important reason—like buying new clothes—Emilia couldn't help but feel a little lonely.

Besides, she was in a world totally different from her homeland. A world that, by some miracle, was her knight's homeland, and for the first time, he wouldn't be there to guide her and instruct her through this unknown territory.

A territory that was dominated by technologies incomprehensible to the half-elf, many of which were present throughout that house.

The house...

The Natsuki residence. The house where her knight had grown up and the place where she would be living for an indefinite period of time. Naturally, it would be difficult to get used to living in a new house—just as it had been when she moved from the Elior Forest to Roswaal Mansion, and from Roswaal Mansion to Miload Mansion—but that becomes a completely different matter when we are talking about a house in another world.

Not only that, even after spending the night there, Emilia still couldn't say she knew the place inside out. She was already familiar with the living room, of course, and the guest room where she had slept—and would sleep from now on—and she knew there were three bathrooms in the house, which, to her surprise, weren't that different from the bathrooms in her world.

Come to think of it, why don't I explore this house while Subaru is away? Emilia wondered, as both the idea and the enthusiasm to put it into practice grew in her heart.

Besides Subaru, his parents were also not present, so there was no one who could guide her. Furthermore, the people in that house were all as lost as she was, so they couldn't accompany her on this little "expedition."

With that conclusion, Emilia began to move.

She already knew some of the so-called "appliances" in that house—such as the refrigerator, the microwave, and the switches—but Emilia couldn't say she completely understood how these devices worked. In fact, not even Subaru himself seemed to know the details behind everything, which showed that, just like in her home world, just because you grew up in a place doesn't mean you know every detail about everything in it.

But anyway, Emilia already knew which of the three places she would visit first on her little expedition.

Walking a little down the hallway, Emilia entered a door on the right wall, and on the other side, she found a relatively small room, but very clean and with a very pleasant smell. Although they—the group from another world—hadn't gone in there to take a look, Subaru had called this place the "laundry room," and apparently, it was where the Natsuki family washed their clothes.

But curiously, the most notable thing in that room was a strange object that Emilia could only describe as a large "metal box." The box was white and had several small "elevations" on its surface. There was also, in the center of the box, a transparent glass circle that revealed the interior of the object.

Emilia was deeply intrigued by this "metal box," which she immediately assumed to be another of the household appliances, because if this was where the Natsuki family's clothes were washed, and there was no basin for a person to wash clothes, then she could only deduce that the metal box was responsible for this process.

And that was the part that puzzled Emilia, because people like Frederica and Petra did an excellent job—among many other things—washing the clothes of the members of Camp Emilia, and always left Emilia's clothes clean and smelling nice, so could an object like this really replace the work that is done so exquisitely by human—and demi-human—hands where she comes from?

Emilia's curiosity immediately skyrocketed, and her desire to investigate the object further grew stronger, but she quickly remembered the instructions Subaru had given her and her companions.

Before leaving, Subaru took the time to instruct the group from another world on what they could and could not do while alone in the house, and despite the initial confusion over cultural differences, the essence of his instructions became clear: They were absolutely not to touch any object that they did not understand how to use or what it was for.

Because of this, while Subaru was away, everyone—except Emilia—decided to remain in the living room.

And despite Emilia's great curiosity, she would completely respect her knight's instructions so as not to cause any unnecessary trouble.

Therefore, Emilia reluctantly accepted that she could not touch the metal box without Subaru present, and shortly thereafter, she left the laundry room.

The other two places she would visit were both on the second floor, so she turned right in the hallway and climbed the stairs.

Once on the second floor, Emilia walked for a few moments until she came to a half-open door.

That's it, thought Emilia.

The second place she planned to visit on her tour of the house was Subaru's parents' bedroom.

Under other circumstances, it might have been considered rude to enter someone's room when they weren't there, but in this case, it wouldn't be a problem, since Naoko, Kenichi, and Subaru had already told her that she could visit any room in the house to get to know the place—including their bedrooms—as long as she didn't touch anything and kept everything in its place.

So there was Emilia, entering the bedroom of her knight's parents.

The room, like the rest of the house, was very clean. There was a well-organized double bed, and next to it were nightstands with some objects on top that she couldn't identify.

In one corner of the room was a door, which, as far as she could remember, led to one of the bathrooms in the house.

At the front of the bed, across the hall, was a wardrobe, and next to Emilia, near the entrance to the room, was a bookcase.

On top of the bookcase was a vase with two flowers, a yellow flower, open like a patient sun, and a blue flower, round and soft like a summer cloud. Next to this vase was something that deeply aroused her curiosity, and she approached to take a closer look.

There was a collection of small portraits, and Emilia quickly recognized the figures in all of them. Among a few unfamiliar faces here and there, the portraits featured Naoko, Kenichi, and Subaru, and she could quickly infer that they were family portraits.

Are these paintings? But they look so realistic... I've never seen anything like this before. Emilia reflected.

These portraits, of course, were framed photographs, but the half-elf was still unfamiliar with such concepts, so all she could do was observe these small "realistic portraits."

In them, the first thing Emilia noticed was Subaru. The photos clearly showed her knight when he was younger, still a child or in his early teens, always smiling and looking excited.

The younger Subaru was so cute... Emilia observed, enchanted. I mean, he's still cute, but it's a different kind of charm. A charm that I really appreciate.

After that, the next thing she noticed was his parents in the pictures, always present, united, and deeply proud of their son.

Her knight's parents...

Emilia hadn't spent much time with Naoko and Kenichi yet, especially Kenichi, who had left for work in the morning and couldn't have breakfast with everyone, but even so, during all this time, they treated her—and the others—very well, and didn't seem at all bothered by the prospect of living together with her and the group.

Especially Naoko, who seemed fascinated by their presence and deeply interested in stories about their world and curiosities about magic, already treating Emilia as if she were family.

Emilia had not yet completely resolved the anxiety she felt around her knight's parents, and perhaps that would take time, as she always felt this strange need to obtain their approval regarding her closeness to Subaru, which made her feel somewhat pressured.

This kind of nervousness was certainly not appropriate behavior for a candidate for the throne, but when it came to Subaru, that was how things were. Whenever she was around him, Emilia didn't feel like the leader of a camp in a political game, full of responsibilities, plans, and duties.

With Subaru, she felt like a girl. A normal girl, with flaws, with dreams, with desires. And for Emilia, that was wonderful. It was liberating. And Emilia couldn't deny that, with her knight's parents, she also felt a little that way, and hoped that, somehow, even with her anxiety, they would get along very well from then on.

Finishing her thoughts on the matter, she stepped away from the bookcase with the photographs and turned around.

On the opposite side of the room—where the door was—there was a relatively large sliding door, which reminded her a lot of designs she had seen in Priestella, which intrigued her greatly, as it was not the first time she had made that same association. Could there be some connection between this world and her world that went beyond Subaru?

Emilia had no way of knowing. But there was something she did know, and that was that, thinking about the position of this room in relation to the rest of the house, Emilia was able to infer that on the other side of that door would be the balcony, because Emilia remembered that the night before, when she saw the house from the outside, there was a balcony that, if she wasn't mistaken, would be on the other side of that door.

At that moment, Emilia felt a great desire—arising from her curiosity—to open that door and observe the neighborhood, the city, and the people as much as possible, but when she was about to take a step forward, she hesitated.

And why? Because she remembered something very important that Subaru and her parents had revealed to her the night before. That in this world, there are no demi-humans.

Beings like Garfiel and Frederica, like Ricardo, like Mimi, Tivey, and Hetaro, and like her. None of that existed in this world, except pure humans.

And Emilia understood that, although—for example—the twins were onis and were demi-humans like her, they could easily pass as humans as long as they didn't reveal their horns.

But for Emilia, it wasn't that simple. Her elven heritage set her apart from pure humans, and her silver hair did not exist naturally among the humans of that world. Therefore, in that world and in that context, Emilia was...

An anomaly. She said to herself.

Even though the fear of the Witch did not exist in this world, even though prejudice against demi-humans—by definition—did not exist, Emilia was still different, and she knew very well how cruel humans could be to those who were different from them. She knew very well how humans could judge and attack first before asking questions and trying to understand. After all, that had been the case for most of her life since she had been thawed out, and in a new world like this, where demi-humans did not exist, an anomaly like her would not be well regarded.

And even if she put her insecurities aside, it was a fact that, even if she excluded judgment and prejudice, Emilia was not stupid enough to not know that if she was seen on that balcony by some stranger, she would attract a lot of attention, which could not only harm her personally, but also harm the Natsuki family and all her companions who had come with her from another world.

It would be a domino effect that would ruin the peaceful life they planned to build for as long as they stayed there. Therefore, Emilia decided that as long as she did not have adequate knowledge about this world and a suitable disguise for her anomalous characteristics, she would not leave that house.

With that, Emilia internalized these ideas and finally left Subaru's parents' room.

When we analyze the second-floor hallway from the perspective of someone who has just climbed the stairs, you would first find Naoko and Kenichi's room, and then, a little further on, the guest room. At the end of the hallway, you would find one of the bathrooms. However, between the guest room and the bathroom was the third and final place Emilia decided to explore: Subaru's room.

And there she was, standing in front of that place, in front of Subaru's bedroom door.

Here I go! Emilia thought excitedly.

She turned the doorknob and finally entered.

Emilia's first impression of that environment was... strange. Not a bad strange, but a fascinating strange.

Emilia had been sent to another world and was already getting used to the idea, but she didn't expect that so quickly she would enter a place that would make her feel like she was entering another world again.

This room was completely different from the rest of the house. Overall, the Natsuki house was a very clean, simple, and organized place. It wasn't a large house, at least not as large as the mansions she had grown accustomed to living in since she was introduced to the Royal Selection, but it was still a deeply cozy residence.

But this room was not like that, it was a mess! And yet, it was a strangely organized mess, which was clearly kept clean, and which somehow made Emilia feel very cozy.

It was a little smaller than the guest room, and in all directions, on the walls, but bookshelves, on the shelves, she saw things that were unfamiliar to her, but which aroused her deep curiosity. There were various types of stylized illustrations of a kind she had never seen before, depicting people she did not know in adverse contexts.

 They were present both in strange pictures on the walls and in objects she was able to identify as manuscripts.

Another curious thing was the marked presence of small figurines that also seemed to be stylized in some way, totally different from the realistic designs she was familiar with from Lugunica, and one in particular caught Emilia's attention.

She couldn't touch the figurines; after all, she didn't understand the purpose of such an object yet and could cause some trouble, so Emilia only studied the figurine from a safe distance.

Although the object did not depict a person in a realistic way, but rather in a stylized form, Emilia could easily identify that it was a girl. She had silver hair, pointed ears, and amethyst eyes.

The figure was wearing a white dress with ruffles and several purple and lilac details. In addition, both the dress and the figure's hair were decorated with different types of flowers, and finally, there was a bright lilac butterfly on her right arm.

Although there were some differences, when Emilia looked at the overall appearance of the figurine, she couldn't help but think that...

She looks like me...

And when she realized the association she had made, Emilia laughed softly, a gentle and warm laugh.

She then moved away from the figurine and stood in the center of the room. Her eyes were fixed on a single, specific point in that room.

Subaru had casually mentioned during breakfast that even though there was a bed in his room, he always slept on the futon because he found it more comfortable. And Emilia was, at that moment, looking at the futon her knight used to sleep on.

Somehow, Emilia didn't want to think too much about it. She forgot anything that could stop her from following the impulse that had struck her heart like an arrow.

She approached the futon, leaned over, carefully picked up the blanket with both hands, brought it close to her face, and sniffed it, inhaling deeply.

It smells like Subaru...

Upon realizing this, Emilia's cheeks flushed as a smile formed on her lips.

This made her think about Subaru. About how good she felt when she was around him, about how warm she felt when they talked, and about how lonely she felt without him around.

With that, Emilia had a thought. She looked back at the door and saw that it was open. Emilia dropped the blanket and approached the door, closing it, and when she was sure that no one could disturb her, Emilia returned to the futon, lay down on it, pulled the covers toward her, and covered herself with them, snuggling into the spot.

Before Emilia knew it, she was lying on the futon where her knight sleeps, with her head resting on the pillow he rests his head on, covering herself with the blanket he used. And all she could think about was how good she felt.

The blanket, the pillow, the futon, everything smelled like Subaru, and with her knight away, it helped her feel a little less lonely. In fact, considering the blanket covering her body, she could almost imagine Subaru being on top of her, very close, snuggling her body while teasing and entertaining her as only he could.

Emilia couldn't help but smile and blush at the idea, which for some reason ignited a heat inside her that she didn't fully understand, but loved.

Unfortunately, her imagination took a strange turn. The same Subaru Emilia imagined lying on top of her was interrupted by a person—a girl—who touched his shoulder gently, then slid her fingers down his arm until she reached his hand. The girl's fingers intertwined with his as Subaru's attention, which had previously been on Emilia, was usurped by the girl.

Subaru was slowly pulled away from Emilia by the girl who was pulling his hand, and with every inch of distance that was created, Emilia's loneliness became more pronounced. In a few moments, the girl took Subaru away, disappearing from Emilia's sight.

And the girl? She was identical to Ram, but had hair and eyes as blue as a clear sky.

Rem...

And then, Emilia returned to reality.

She was alone in the room, and she didn't hear Subaru being pulled away from her. So why did she have this bad taste in her mouth? And why did Emilia suddenly feel a certain dislike for Rem?

After all, there was nothing wrong with Rem. She is an important person to her knight—whom he also says he loves—and she also shows that she cares deeply for him.

 

Since the night before, Emilia had been observing the interactions between Subaru and Rem, and she could see—even if only for a short time—how well they got along. She also learned that they had talked for most of the night—alongside Ram and Beatrice—about all the time Rem had lost, showing Emilia how much Subaru and she were growing closer again.

 

Yes, growing closer. For Emilia had regained her memories of Rem from before her existence was devoured by gluttony, and looking back on that time through her memories—from today's perspective—it was clear how much Rem cared about Subaru back then, how she liked being around him, how she was enchanted by his jokes, how she always supported him, and how she seemed, and seems...

To love him... Emilia reflected.

 

But if Rem loves him, that means it's a good thing, right? Because love is a good thing, isn't it?

So why does it... hurt? She wondered.

Pulling the blanket over her face to hide her bitter expression, Emilia concluded that she didn't know what to do. She felt lost.

 

...

 

The streets of the central district were pulsing with life.

Unlike the night before, all the shops and establishments were open and in full swing.

The sun shone in the sky, revealing the landscapes that had once been obscured by the darkness of the previous night. From the buildings—high and low—and the well-decorated streets.

There were people everywhere, alone, in couples, with friends, or with family. Voices echoed everywhere, blending into a chaotic symphony in which it was impossible to distinguish one conversation from another.

And in the midst of these people was Subaru.

He was not alone, of course. His mother was with him, and they had a clear goal, which was to buy—among other things—clothes for his friends.

Subaru, however, at that moment, observing his surroundings, couldn't help but feel an intense nostalgia tinge his mind. It was a strange feeling and a good feeling at the same time, but behind it was a curious sensation that he wasn't where he should be.

It wasn't a feeling of not belonging there; Subaru knew he belonged there. It was modern Japan, his one true homeland. However, he had spent a year and a half living in a medieval fantasy world, and during that time, he had learned to get used to that reality.

At some point, Subaru fully accepted the possibility that he might never return to Japan, and because of that, he eventually had to accept that world as his new home, and he was able to do so. Now, having returned to Japan, his mind was slightly reluctant to accept this place as his home again—having already accepted Lugunica as such—and he knew it might take some time for that to happen.

On the other hand, as he walked, Subaru also searched his memories of when he was younger and visited this same Central District, sometimes he was alone, sometimes he was with his parents, and sometimes he was even with his school friends, but always having fun in some way.

Eventually, Subaru became a recluse and those days were over, but those memories were still important to him. They were a beautiful part of his past and a part of who he was.

"What are you thinking about?" Naoko asked.

"What?" He was snapped out of his stupor.

"I mean, you looked so lost, so it must be something important."

"My thoughts?"

"Yes."

Subaru stared at his mother for a few seconds before sighing. He turned his gaze forward, his pace beside her steady and unbroken.

"It's not that important. Well, maybe it's a little important to me, but it's no big deal." He said sincerely.

"Well, if it's important to you, it's important to me too." She said with a slight innocent smile.

"Really?" Subaru asked in a comical tone. "The video games I play, are they important to you too?"

"Your happiness is important to me, so if those video games make you happy, then they're important to me too." Naoko replied with such seriousness that it seemed out of place.

Subaru's face became unreadable as he stared at her again. After a few moments, his expression changed and he couldn't help but let out a light but truly sincere laugh.

"Okay, you win," he admitted, which made Naoko smile with satisfaction and pride. "I was... feeling nostalgic, you know? Looking around and remembering things I did here."

"Good things?" she asked.

"Mostly," Subaru replied. "Of course, not everything can be good things, there are memories here and there of some stupid things I did, and I end up feeling a little embarrassed for myself."

"Do you think that's bad?"

"The things I did or the embarrassment I feel?"

"Both, since they're connected."

"Of course! Who likes to feel embarrassed like that?"

"But isn't that a good thing?" she asked, with a tone that sounded almost innocent.

"What do you mean?" Subaru raised an eyebrow.

"If you feel embarrassed for something you did in the past, it means you've evolved in some way. If you look back and don't feel a shred of remorse, it means you haven't changed." She explained.

"But doesn't that also mean that I haven't made any mistakes?" He expressed his doubt.

"Subaru, no one is perfect." She said, and he listened attentively. "We all make mistakes. Sometimes we make silly mistakes, sometimes we make serious mistakes, and it's totally normal to make a mistake without realizing we've made one. But if time passes and you never realize that what you did was a mistake, what does that say about you?"

Subaru's eyes lit up with something, a spark of understanding.

"That I haven't matured," he said, looking ahead.

"Exactly," she replied. "And do you know what that means?"

"Huh...?" Subaru was about to answer when he was interrupted by something he certainly didn't expect.

At that moment, he felt a delicate yet firm hand gently rest on his head, pressing down on his hair. The hand moved up and down repeatedly, like a precise symphony of affection. He was being patted on the head by Naoko.

Shocked by her action, Subaru's slightly widened eyes turned to her, when, with a gentle smile, she answered the question she had asked a few moments ago. "That you've really grown up, my son."

He was speechless, his cheeks flushed, and he didn't know if he felt ashamed of the affection or happy with the gesture of maternal love. He was thrown off balance.

Now he truly understood why Beatrice and Petra seemed to melt when he patted them on the head, but then he realized that it wasn't just the gesture itself, but the gentle smile, the words of approval, the genuine affection that, when done by the right person, becomes a powerful combination to extinguish someone's defenses.

When Subaru finally finished processing what had happened, his first reaction was to pull his head away from her hand, saying, "Mom, don't do that in public."

But his red cheeks and the slight smile he was struggling to contain said that it had been quite pleasant.

Naoko, on the other hand, laughed cheerfully and replied, "Okay, okay..."

After a few more steps down the sidewalk, Naoko stopped walking, followed by Subaru.

"We're here," said Naoko.

"It looks like it," replied Subaru.

In front of them was the entrance to Mizukawa's most popular thrift store. Located, of course, in Akeno—the Central District—it is the favorite place for the townspeople when it comes to buying and selling used clothes or accessories. The place itself is quite large, clean, and well organized. The items were well separated and cataloged, and normally, the biggest problem with the place would be its high traffic, which would make it difficult to move around and shop. However, Naoko was already quite familiar with this establishment and knew that a day like that—a Tuesday—was a slow day. Subaru hadn't visited this place very often.

Even so, at that moment, it was Subaru who took the lead. Even though he had discussed the matter with his mother on the way, he was the one who knew his friends' likes and dislikes when it came to clothes and, of course, he would keep his mother safe if necessary.

After taking a step or two inside the store, Subaru accidentally bumped into someone.

"Excuse me," said Subaru.

"No problem," replied the person, a male voice.

When Subaru was able to get a closer look at the person in question, he found himself facing a particularly curious figure. He was a man slightly taller than Subaru with slightly tanned white skin. His hair was black, wavy, and long down to his neck, with several red streaks, similar to people who get "highlights" in their hair. Subaru also noticed the man's red eyes and could identify part of his outfit, the most striking thing being his red dress vest.

Although it was a quick moment, Subaru had the slight impression that the man's eyes analyzed him in the same way that Subaru had done.

And just as quickly as they bumped into each other, the man continued on his way out of the thrift store, and the last thing Subaru noticed about him were the several bags of clothes he was carrying, which he had probably just bought.

Although the encounter was brief, and perhaps because of the man's somewhat unusual appearance, Subaru kept him in his memory, and then continued on his way through the store without thinking much about it.

The shopping was relatively uneventful. Subaru already had a good idea of what to buy for each of his companions and simply pointed out each item to his mother. The biggest obstacle at the time was time, as it took a while to gather enough clothes to cover the needs of seven people. But in the end, everything worked out, and Subaru and Naoko were holding a considerable amount of bags full of clothes. Until...

"That's right!" Naoko exclaimed, surprising Subaru.

"What is it?" he asked.

An intense glow ran through Naoko's eyes. Whatever she had remembered, she was very sure of it.

"Subaru, about the clothes, are we missing anything?"

"No... I don't think so?"

Naoko sighed, already imagining that this would be Subaru's answer.

"Underwear, Subaru! I'm talking about underwear." She said with conviction.

Subaru then realized that even though this thrift store sold a wide variety of clothing, underwear was not included in the catalogs. Still...

"Is that... really important?" Subaru asked innocently.

"Of course it is! You and your father can share your underwear with Julius-san, but I can't share my underwear with the girls, and you have no idea how important panties and bras are to a woman." She explained seriously.

Seriously, Subaru, you're so smart and careful about so many things, but there are some things that, frankly, huh. Naoko thought.

Subaru, on the other hand, couldn't help but imagine Emilia and Rem in just panties and bras, but he quickly suppressed the thought before it grew into something bigger.

"Okay, I guess that makes sense." He sighed.

"Of course it does." She replied proudly.

"But then, what are you going to do?"

"Well, there's a women's lingerie store nearby, but..."

"Hm?"

"You can't come with me, heh." She said with a nervous smile.

Subaru felt legitimately indignant. "Why not?"

"Subaru, it's a women's lingerie store, men don't go into places like that, it's literally an unwritten rule," Naoko explained.

Subaru stared at her for a few seconds before sighing.

"Okay, you have a point," he admitted. "I'll wait for you outside?"

"No need, actually. Why don't you use this time to buy the notebooks and the cane?"

"O-Okay..." What she said made sense. "What about the bags you're carrying? Are you going to carry all of them and still bring bags with underwear?"

Naoko chuckled and said, "No need, son. I can ask an employee at the thrift store to keep our bags for us for now. They label them with our name, and you can even arrange a password and everything to prevent theft."

His mother's arguments were sound, and Subaru was running out of options. For different reasons, for different feelings, for different backgrounds, Subaru didn't want to lose sight of his mother.

"And..." He began.

"Hm?"

"What if something happens to you... and I'm not there?" He asked with a tone that mixed innocence and concern.

Maybe it was his hero complex speaking loudly, maybe it was his repeated traumas that need not be mentioned, or maybe it was both at the same time. Subaru subconsciously feared that bad things could happen to his loved ones when he wasn't around, and even though he didn't want to—and wasn't—seem obsessed with it, the worry still existed.

Naoko stared at him for a few moments before her expression softened deeply.

"Subaru."

"Hm?"

"Look at me, Subaru."

His mind was so chaotic that he hadn't even noticed he wasn't looking at her. His eyes turned to Naoko.

She had a gentle smile and a tender look.

"You know nothing bad will happen to me, right?"

"I know..."

He knew.

"This is a peaceful place, and the sun is shining outside."

"I know..."

This wasn't Lugunica.

"And even if something did happen, there are people everywhere, security cameras, ah! And the police station isn't that far away, so the police would be on the scene."

"I know, I know..."

There were no mabeasts, cultists, or Sin Archbishops in this place.

"Then you can rest easy, my son." She finished, speaking calmly.

Subaru's defenses had fallen, his anxieties calmed, and he let out a sigh.

"You know you shouldn't say things like that, Mom. Haven't you ever watched movies? That raises flags for bad things." He said with a humorous tone.

"Heh, it's not like real life follows fiction clichés, and besides, it's not like I raised any death flags just by saying that, hehe." She said with a laugh.

"Hello, mother, I literally went to a medieval fantasy world, that's one of the biggest clichés of all."

"But you came back, Subaru. Is that a cliché? Do the characters in your Isekai stories usually return to their world?"

"Well... no." Subaru had to admit.

In Isekai stories, the protagonist usually never returns to their homeland.

"Then I think everything will be fine, my anime protagonist son."

Protagonist, huh? There was a time when I thought I was the protagonist of an Isekai, but in real life, things aren't that simple. Subaru reflected, before shrugging his shoulders.

"Okay, Mom, I'll trust you." He said with a smile. "You buy the underwear and I'll get the cane and notebooks. After that, we'll meet here at the thrift store."

"That's a good plan," she agreed.

With that, Subaru and Naoko arranged with a thrift store employee to keep the various bags with the clothes they had bought stored and reserved for them to pick up later. Then, mother and son went their separate ways.

And there was Subaru, wandering alone through the busy streets of the Central District.

Notebooks are easy to find, but where the hell am I going to find a place that sells canes? He thought.

Canes are a very specific item to find in this way, and Subaru had no idea where to start. Even so, he decided he would look for the hardest thing first, before looking for notebooks.

He spent some time walking and searching, even approaching some passersby to ask them where he could find a cane for sale, but after almost half an hour, he was unsuccessful.

Should I order one online? Would it take long? He wondered, weighing his options.

But just as he was leaning toward giving up on the cane for today, Subaru suddenly saw something.

During his time moving through the streets of the Central District, he had passed several streets and turned several corners, but now, Subaru was sure that it was the first time he had seen—or at least become aware of—the existence of a specific establishment.

What is that?

Subaru found himself in front of a rather mysterious store.

It was probably a medium-sized establishment. Analyzing the storefront and, at the same time, observing the interior of the establishment—which was visible through the windows—it was possible to sense a vintage, luxurious, old, European, and refined atmosphere. When Subaru looked up to read the store's nameplate, he saw "Miyazaki Relics" written there.

Relics...

Subaru, curious, approached the window to get a better view of the interior, and to his surprise—within what was visible—Subaru noticed a rather intriguing variety of very curious artifacts. Somehow, Subaru had the impression that these were historical artifacts, or that they somehow had deep stories behind them.

Then, at one point, Subaru noticed a blue glow out of the corner of his eye, and immediately the image of Rem popped into his mind. He quickly turned his eyes to the blue glow and realized that it was one of the relics in the store.

It can't be...!

The artifact in question was nothing more and nothing less than a cane. Indeed, a cane. Its details were not completely visible from that angle and distance, but he quickly concluded that it was a unique and peculiar piece.

 In addition, its blue glow reminded him strongly of Rem, and Subaru knew at that moment that it was exactly what he was looking for.

Notes:

Fun facts about this chapter:

• When Emilia visited Naoko and Kenichi's room, she came across a bookcase full of framed photographs of the Natsuki family. However, shortly before, a vase containing a "yellow flower, open like a patient sun" and a "blue flower, round and soft like a summer cloud" had been described, and these two flowers are, respectively, a golden yellow Chrysanthemum and a light blue Hydrangea. In Japanese culture, the Chrysanthemum is the symbol of the imperial family, and has been used as a coat of arms (kamon) by noble families, and because of this, it has a very strong symbolism related to tradition and heritage. Hydrangeas, on the other hand, symbolize closeness, harmony, and daily affection. Therefore, combining the symbolism of both flowers, you can probably guess why I chose to place them next to the family photos.

• A little further on, Emilia is in Subaru's room, and I described her encounter with one of Subaru's action figures, which, as Emilia herself concluded, was a figure that reminded her a lot of her own appearance. And for those who are curious and haven't noticed which character I'm referring to, it's the character "Castorice" from the game "Honkai Star Rail," who, at least to me, looks a lot like Emilia in terms of design.

Overall, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! If you have any compliments, criticism, or questions about the fanfic, feel free to leave a comment. And finally, we'll see you next Sunday, August 24, 2025.

Chapter 9: Money, Love, and Satisfaction

Notes:

The most unique, different, and at the same time important chapter of this fic! I hope you like it!

In fact, it was not only what I was looking for, but also something more befitting Rem than an ordinary cane. Subaru reflected.

With that in mind, he opened the door and entered the store. The sound of the doorbell announced his arrival.

The inside was more spacious than it looked, and there were two floors, the second floor being visible from that vantage point.

As the outside already indicated, the place really gave a very refined impression, like something vintage, luxurious, and even European. Not ironically, Subaru felt the air of a Gothic library from the Victorian era.

Speaking of air, the scent of the room had a light and interesting smell of a new book, which left Subaru strangely pleased.

The smell of a new book is underrated, he joked inwardly.

Around him, Subaru could see tables, shelves, and walls filled with different artifacts, each unique and fascinating in its own way. Some were well preserved, others seemed to have been worn down by time.

Subaru had the impression that they were historical relics and artifacts of some kind. There were objects that clearly came from different cultures; whoever was responsible for this collection certainly did not limit themselves to artifacts from a single culture, such as Japanese or European, for example.

It's quite a collection. He thought.

In fact, it was a collection that ranged from simple objects, such as fountain pens, to works of art, such as paintings and sculptures, and weapons, such as swords, arrows, and pieces of armor, some items being clearly more worn than others.

These are certainly interesting artifacts...

And certainly very expensive... Subaru thought.

"Good afternoon, sir." A voice sounded, male and aged. "How can I help you?"

Subaru turned his eyes toward the voice.

It belonged to a clearly very old man who was standing on the other side of the store's main counter.

The man had straight, well-combed gray hair, and his brown eyes were covered by a pair of gold-rimmed glasses. His face, wrinkled with age, was covered by a well-trimmed beard, and he wore a polite smile, which was accompanied by a cordial expression.

His clothes were quite refined, and included a black striped vest and a white shirt underneath. In addition, Subaru couldn't help but notice the excellent posture the man displayed, which was certainly unusual—in a positive way—for a man of his apparent age.

Subaru couldn't help but associate the elegant old man with Wilhelm, since even age couldn't take away his personal power.

"Hello, are you the owner of this store?" Subaru approached the man politely, extending his hand in greeting.

"That's correct, young man." He nodded calmly, shaking Subaru's hand. "I am in charge of this establishment."

He is so old, but his grip is firm, Subaru reflected, and they quickly released their grip.

"Then I presume you are Miyazaki-san, correct?" Subaru asked.

The man raised an eyebrow and a slight amused smile appeared on his lips. "Am I that obvious?"

"Not at all, I just connected the dots," Subaru replied calmly.

Honestly, if it weren't for the name of the store, I would probably assume that the owner was European in some way, given the clear influence on the store's design, but the man in front of me is clearly Japanese. Subaru analyzed him.

The old man chuckled softly and said, "Indeed, you are correct. My name is Miyazaki Shimura, but you can just call me Miyazaki."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miyazaki-san," Subaru said with a gentle expression. "You have a beautiful collection here."

A subtle glint flashed in Miyazaki's eyes. Subaru noticed, but didn't show it.

"I'm glad you like them. It's rare to see someone as young as you interested in artifacts like these," Miyazaki said with some enthusiasm.

"They're historical relics, aren't they? If they're not interesting in themselves, they're interesting for the stories behind them, and although I'm not a collector myself, I like good stories." Subaru said with a confident tone.

"So, you're a lover of good stories? That's an excellent quality, sir." Miyazaki said, interested. "But hearing the stories behind these relics isn't the only reason you came to my shop, is it?"

Subaru raised an eyebrow, curiosity striking him deeply. "Why do you think that?"

Miyazaki began to stroke his beard gently. "Well, if a young man like you were merely interested in the stories behind the artifacts, researching them on the internet would certainly be much more convenient than wasting your time coming to a shop like this, not that I'm complaining, of course." He laughed slightly. "But I imagine you're interested in purchasing something."

Age clearly hadn't affected this old man's mind; he was observant. Subaru reflected, then chuckled softly.

"Although I think wasting time is one of my talents, this time you're right, Miyazaki-san. Subaru admitted. "I'm interested in a specific relic I saw outside when I was passing by.

"And what would that be?" Miyazaki asked with a twinkle in his eye.

Miyazaki was someone who was used to dealing with older, eccentric, and wealthy customers, the kind of people who would collect such artifacts. But seeing Subaru, someone so young and seemingly simple—judging by his casual clothes—made him very curious about what could have caught his eye in his shop.

"I'm interested in that—" Subaru said as he gestured toward where the cane would be, but he stopped mid-sentence.

The cane was indeed there, in the same place he had seen it. It was on a wall, stuck in a holder inside a wooden and glass compartment. However, what made Subaru stop talking was that, in front of the cane, there was a figure standing, apparently studying the artifact intently.

This figure, in turn, was familiar to Subaru, really familiar. It was the same man who had bumped into him earlier at the thrift store. Subaru easily recognized his black hair with red streaks, wavy and long down to his neck. He also recognized his clothes, marked by a red vest over a white shirt and red dress pants.

He was also holding the same bags of clothes.

"The cane?" Miyazaki asked, with a tone of surprise.

"Y-Yes..." Subaru replied, hesitantly.

Miyazaki was surprised that the young man was interested in the cane, and even more surprised that he was the second customer interested in this specific item, and that both had appeared in his store at almost the same time. However, the old man didn't understand Subaru's stupor, who had a stunned look in the direction of the other man. Normally, when you realize that there is another person interested in the same product as you, and knowing that such a product is a unique item, the most natural feeling would be frustration, but this... was different.

"Do you know that gentleman?" Miyazaki asked politely, gesturing toward the man in the red vest. "He arrived shortly before you and didn't say much. It's the first time I've seen him here." 

The man's attention was completely focused on his cane, seemingly oblivious to anything around him.

Miyazaki's question snapped Subaru out of his stupor. "Oh, well, not really. I mean, not exactly. We bumped into each other at another establishment earlier, we didn't talk or anything, but he's easy to remember, so I'm surprised to see him again like this."

Hmm, suddenly this became interesting, Miyazaki thought.

Two gentlemen bump into each other, go their separate ways, meet again shortly after, and seem to have the same goal.

"Maybe it's fate," Miyazaki said with a slight laugh.

Subaru raised an eyebrow at the old man, then let out a sigh. "Fate, huh? I don't believe in that."

Perhaps if Miyazaki had said that to anyone else, the response might have been different, but for Natsuki Subaru, a young man who had challenged and changed fate so many times, such a thing was a lie.

The old man, however, despite understanding that not believing in fate was a normal belief, which in turn would justify Subaru's response, couldn't help but notice a different weight in the young man's words, as if there was something more behind that belief.

And even though he was curious about the subject, the old man understood that some matters were personal and decided not to ask about them. With that in mind, Miyazaki smiled slightly and shook his head.

"Who knows, maybe God really does roll the dice," said the old man. "Anyway, why don't we go there? You must want to know more about the cane."

"Sure," nodded Subaru, even though he had a nagging feeling.

The old man and the young man with black hair walked toward the cane, and the man in the red vest quickly approached them.

"Hm?"

Noticing the unexpected approach of two figures behind him, the man, curious, turned his gaze to Subaru and Miyazaki.

There was nothing strange about Miyazaki's approach, after all, he was the owner of the shop, the person responsible for this entire collection of artifacts, and the man was fully aware of that. On the other hand, what really caught the man's attention was the presence of a curious figure beside the old man.

A young man with black hair and frightening eyes dressed in casual clothes. But what really caught his attention was the fact that he had seen this young man before.

Yes, it's true. I bumped into him at that thrift store earlier. Is he following me? No, I would have noticed. But still... The man reflected.

Subaru noticed the man's gaze on him and, somewhat awkwardly and with a polite smile, Subaru said, "Um, hello."

Now that the man was close enough, and with his face turned toward him, Subaru could get a good look at the man's features. He was a little taller than Subaru and seemed to be a little older as well, his skin was white and slightly tanned, his pupils were dark red, and his face—clean and unshaven—was marked by features that were considerably handsome.

"Hm, hi." The man replied in a neutral tone, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Excuse me, but I have to ask, are you following me?"

Normally, the man would not have used such a direct approach—asking that question—if he suspected he was being followed, but at that moment, he did not really think that was the case, and so his question was asked more out of curiosity than suspicion.

Subaru chuckled softly. "No, actually, this is a big coincidence, even for me."

"I see that the gentleman in red also remembers you," he commented to Subaru, amused.

The man raised an eyebrow. "Also? Did that young man tell you something about me?"

The man asked calmly, to which Miyazaki replied politely. "Only that the two gentlemen had bumped into each other at another establishment, and that he didn't expect to find you here."

The man's gaze shifted between Subaru and Miyazaki before he sighed. "Okay, that sounds plausible. But you said something earlier." He looked at Subaru. "That it was a coincidence even for you, what did you mean?"

He noticed that? Subaru thought, a little surprised, but without showing it.

"Well, to be honest, I'm also interested in that cane." He gestured toward the relic on the wall. "In fact, it's the reason I came into this store."

"I can attest to that," added the old man.

"Really? Then it is indeed a great coincidence." The man smiled slightly. "But you don't seem like the type of person who would be interested in such objects."

Subaru could feel the man's gaze evaluating him from head to toe. With that, Subaru realized that both the man and the old man were dressed in refined formal attire, which spoke volumes about the kind of people they were. Subaru, on the other hand, was dressed casually—a black long-sleeved T-shirt with a small orange "N" printed on it, and black pants with an orange stripe—which, with this realization, made Subaru feel out of place in relation to the two men.

Add to that the fact that he was clearly the youngest there.

Furthermore, these two think that I might be, like them, an enthusiast or collector of historical relics, when in fact, I just want to get this cane for Rem. Subaru thought.

But even with that thought in his mind, and with the man's appraising gaze on him, Subaru was not intimidated, and his lips curved into a slight smile. "Although I like the stories behind these artifacts, I'm not a collector or anything like that, but I still want to acquire this cane."

"Interesting," Miyazaki said calmly. "Would you mind telling us why?"

The man in red also seemed interested, and at the same time, intrigued.

Subaru's smile widened even more as the image of Rem popped into his head. "It's for a girl I like."

The red-clad man's eyes widened. Among the many responses he had imagined hearing, this was certainly not one of them.

The old man, on the other hand, let out a very refined laugh, befitting a gentleman of his position. A historical artifact like a cane was not the kind of thing you would imagine becoming a romantic gift.

"That's a rather peculiar way to show your love, young man." The old man tried to be polite, but laughter still permeated his words.

But Subaru wasn't offended, or even felt a hint of embarrassment. Instead, he joined the old man with a laugh and said, "What can I say, I'm a really peculiar guy."

The man in red, who had been shocked by what he had heard from Subaru, suddenly couldn't take it anymore and started laughing, laughing to the point of hiding his eyes with his palm.

Subaru was surprised by the man's laughter; he didn't expect to cause such a reaction in such a person. Still, moments later, when the laughter subsided, Subaru joked, "Looks like I amused you."

"Yes... yes, you did," said the man, calming down. "But were you serious?"

"About why I want the cane? Totally." Subaru replied sincerely.

The man shook his head and said, "You're really interesting."

"But what about you?" Subaru asked the man. "If I may, why are you interested in the cane?"

That question caught Miyazaki's attention, as he was also curious about that fact.

"Well, actually..." He looked at the cane on the wall, his reflection being reflected by the glass that protected the relic. "I just want this item in my collection, for my own satisfaction." He looked back at Subaru, their eyes meeting, and he joked at the end, "It even rhymes."

"I see," Subaru said calmly.

At that moment, a spark of understanding permeated not only Subaru and the man in red, but also Miyazaki, who was witnessing the interaction. And that understanding was that, when it came to the relic, Subaru and the man would become rivals.

But this man, with this attitude, must be quite wealthy. Subaru reflected, and for the first time since he had entered that store, his confidence wavered.

"A gift to oneself is no less worthy than a gift to another, even if it is out of love for a girl," Miyazaki said resolutely.

To many, the old man's words might sound like he was belittling Subaru's motivation, but Subaru himself would disagree with such a statement. After all, he understood very well what Miyazaki meant.

In the end, personal satisfaction is the ultimate goal of all our actions, regardless of what they are and what motivates them. It can be a crime or cruelty, it can be humility or benevolence, an act motivated by altruism or an act motivated by selfishness, at its core, it always stems from an intrinsic desire to feel good. This means that the man wanting the artifact for his collection for selfish reasons and Subaru wanting the cane for someone he considers special, even if love is involved, are no less valuable than each other.

In other words, Subaru's and the man's motivations were equivalent.

"I agree," the man replied to Miyazaki in a confident tone, then looked at Subaru. "Do you agree?"

"Of course," Subaru replied firmly and calmly.

Hearing Subaru and the man's answers, the old man's lips curved into a smile. In his mind, an idea was beginning to form, but it wasn't concrete enough yet.

"It seems that both gentlemen have solid reasons for wanting the cane," said Miyazaki. "Tell me, how much do you know about this relic?"

Subaru and the man looked at each other, establishing a silent conversation to decide who would speak first, and in the end, it was decided that it would be the man in red.

"A little," he began. "I learned about the artifact through my own research, and you could say that my personal contacts pointed me to your shop."

Miyazaki nodded politely. "I see." He turned to Subaru. "And you, young man?"

Subaru laughed slightly and replied sincerely. "I really don't know anything about the cane. I caught a glimpse of it as I was passing in front of your shop, and I realized it was exactly what I was looking for."

The man in red, upon hearing this, stared at Subaru with an indecipherable and thoughtful look but said nothing.

The old man, on the other hand, nodded and said, "Then you could say that your intuition brought you here, which is quite interesting, young man. Putting all the facts together, this is the first time I've seen someone like you in my establishment."

Despite the suggestive remark, Subaru did not sense any mockery or disparagement coming from Miyazaki. On the contrary, he felt curiosity, interest, and even fascination emanating from the old man.

"I am honored," said Subaru, amused.

"In that case, gentlemen, allow me to tell you about this artifact." Miyazaki gestured to the cane on the wall, and everyone turned to the relic.

The cane was visible through glass, which was part of a wooden compartment. There was a lock at the top, which apparently—using the corresponding key—would open the compartment.

"At the end of the 19th century, a French craftsman named Étienne Moreau became famous among European diplomats and aristocrats for creating canes that combined functionality and elegance. He believed that a cane should not be just a support, but an extension of the presence and dignity of the person using it. This cane is one of his creations and is considered by historians to be his masterpiece. It was named Aokami."

A blue god... Subaru reflected on the meaning of the cane's name.

And then, listening to the story, Subaru began to realize something, something he had been avoiding thinking about since he had entered the shop, something that was becoming increasingly clear, but that he still couldn't bring himself to admit. Even so, he continued to listen to the old man's story, for he had not yet finished.

"His masterpiece was created at the request of an unusual customer: a Japanese diplomat visiting France, who was looking for a worthy gift to take to Emperor Meiji during Japan's period of modernization. Étienne accepted the challenge and, inspired by the blend of East and West, designed the cane. As you can see, it was constructed with ebony wood as the main body, light and sturdy, and complemented with blue steel details, obtained through a rare tempering process, which gave the metal fittings a bluish sheen under the light."

Subaru then looked more closely at the cane's appearance, analyzing it. The design was surprisingly minimalist, almost austere, but with a quiet beauty that evoked both Japanese discipline and European refinement. In addition, near the handle, in one of the metal fittings, Subaru noticed the presence of a peculiar notch, the notch of a flower.

That... He thought, but before Subaru could continue his train of thought, old Miyazaki continued telling the story.

"However, the gift never reached the emperor's hands. The ship carrying the order was attacked and plundered in rough seas on its way back to Asia. Many items disappeared, among them the Aokami. It only reappeared decades later in private collections across Europe, passing from hand to hand among eccentric collectors and scholars."

"Until it eventually ended up in your hands, right?" asked the man with a hint of irony.

"Exactly," replied Miyazaki calmly.

But Subaru, unlike Miyazaki and the man in red, was not so calm, for he had been able to conclude what he had been avoiding and was reluctant to admit. That was that this artifact—the Aokami cane—being a unique relic in the world, with such an origin and immense historical value, was certainly an extremely expensive item, something he could never afford in his current condition.

Furthermore, standing beside him was the man in red, a figure who had inevitably become his rival in the matter of the cane, and therefore, if Subaru decided to actually put himself forward as a potential buyer against the man, the matter would escalate into an auction between the two, and the man was clearly someone with the financial means to do so. Therefore, a price that was already unimaginable for Subaru would increase even more in an auction like this, meaning that Subaru would have no chance of acquiring the cane.

"But there are those who say that the cane hides a secret," said Miyazaki, with a different gleam in his eyes, catching the attention of Subaru and the man.

"A secret?" asked the man.

Subaru also raised an eyebrow.

"That's right," nodded the old man. "They say... that the Japanese diplomat not only demanded that the Aokami carry the idea of support and dignity, but that it also carry a... 'functional secret.' It's difficult to attest to the validity of such rumors when nothing has actually been disclosed, but it's a fact that I myself have heard stories of collectors in the past discovering something hidden about the cane, something that has been lost in history, a shadow of defense and cunning... Who knows if this is true, but it really got me thinking..." He began to smooth his beard. "Why were the fittings forged from rare tempered steel, if wood would have been enough for support?"

When the old man finished speaking, Subaru and the man turned their gaze to the cane once more.

The man's eyes sparkled subtly, and a mysterious smile appeared on his face. He said, "Interesting..."

Subaru, on the other hand, looked at Aokami with a certain anguish.

A secret, huh. Well, it doesn't really matter, I won't be able to buy that cane anyway. No matter how interested I am in it, there are limits to what I can buy, and this is way beyond that. Fortunately, I can still order something online, something simple that fits in my pocket. I hope Rem likes it. Subaru reflected with pain permeating his heart.

However, old Miyazaki watched Subaru closely and, more specifically, analyzed the black-haired young man's body language. Subaru seemed tense, uncomfortable, even frustrated, and Miyazaki was no fool, he had enough experience, he knew very well where this was coming from.

"My young man." The old man caught Subaru's attention.

"Hm?" Subaru snapped out of his stupor.

"You're worried, aren't you? About the price." Subaru stared at him, but those words also caught the man's attention. "As you can imagine, Aokami is valued at a price that is not cheap, not even a little."

Subaru was silent for a few moments, just staring at the old man. Until he let out a sigh. "Yes." He admitted. "I'm afraid this cane is far beyond what I can afford."

There it was! The last excuse Miyazaki was looking for.

The man in red next to Subaru let out an amused sigh, though a little disappointed. "Well, it looks like I'll be taking this cane."

"It seems so," Subaru had to admit, though he felt a little defeated.

However, fate still had something different in store for the black-haired young man.

"Gentlemen," Miyazaki called their attention, an enigmatic smile coloring the old man's face. "Perhaps this doesn't have to end this way."

The idea... yes, the idea that had been forming in Miyazaki's mind had finally solidified.

Hearing this, Subaru and the man raised an eyebrow as they watched the old man walk away slightly.

"You know, this whole situation is surprisingly interesting." The old man began, pacing back and forth. "Two gentlemen who don't know each other bump into each other in a store, go their separate ways, meet again by complete chance in another establishment, and realize they have the same goal. One is motivated by selfish satisfaction as a collector..." he gestures toward the man. "And the other is motivated by altruistic satisfaction tinged with love." He gestures toward Subaru. "Both motivations are equivalent to each other. Some might say it's fate, and others might say it's a great coincidence."

The man, listening intently, smiled wryly and said, "That's poetic and all, but where are you going with this?"

Old Miyazaki stopped walking and turned his gaze back to the pair.

"Gentlemen, allow me to share something about myself." He said, and the pair nodded in curiosity. "As you may have guessed, I am a very old man. I have lived a very long life, and I know very well that I do not have much time left. But as you grow older, the things you used to value and the things you used to prioritize change, and they lose their importance. That is why, gentlemen, things like money, luxury, and material possessions no longer mean as much to this old man with one foot in the grave. In fact, at this point in my life, there is something I value much more than money. An exciting experience."

Subaru and the man listened to Miyazaki's outburst and musings with mixed feelings, but neither of them had any intention of interrupting him.

The old man continued: "And that is why, gentlemen, I propose something to you."

There it was.

"A game."

The idea.

"A bet, if you prefer to call it that."

The thrilling experience.

"A game with simple rules, between the two of you. And I would be the judge, the referee of this bet."

"And what will we win?" asked the man. Subaru was also curious, although he already had an idea of where this was going.

Miyazaki's smile widened. "The winner can take Aokami, free of charge."

Subaru's eyes widened, while the man's eyes glinted subtly.

"No tricks, no 'buts', no nothing. If you win, the relic is yours, nothing more, nothing less."

No fucking way. Subaru thought.

An almost priceless historical artifact would be given away for free, no strings attached. This was crazy, insane!

"That's a great offer, Miyazaki-san," said the man, catching Subaru's attention. "But that also means I could refuse it and buy the cane with my own money, after all, the gentleman next to me can't afford it."

His tone was pragmatic and objective, and the old man, without flinching, replied calmly: "Of course. Although the price of Aokami will remain the original value, but you must already be aware of that."

The man's smile widened; it was exactly what he wanted to hear. "Then I accept your proposal. I will participate in this game."

This surprised Subaru.

"That was a truly unexpected answer, sir. May I ask why you decided that?" The old man asked politely and curiously.

"Well, in your quest for an exciting experience, you could have refused to sell me the cane, trying to force a situation where the only way I could obtain the relic would be by participating in this bet. But you didn't do that. You were reasonable enough to sell it to me in a normal transaction if that were the case, which shows that you are a fair and honest person, and I like fair and honest people. Besides, your offer was really tempting, and I don't think my pride would have allowed me to refuse it." He explained calmly.

Miyazaki nodded with a slight smile. "You're a curious person, but I'm glad you accepted."

The man nodded, then said, "And besides, the gentleman beside me has not yet given his opinion." He gestured to Subaru.

Miyazaki's gaze also turned to Subaru.

"That's true, what do you say?"

Under the expectant gaze of the two men, Subaru remained silent. His expression was indecipherable, his body language unreadable. He was pondering, reflecting, and considering—some would even say calculating.

Then he made his decision.

"If I win, the cane is mine, right? I understand that, and it's an excellent offer, I admit. But I am a very private person. I value my privacy and the privacy of those I love, and it is a fact that this relic is a well-known, sought-after, and coveted object. Therefore, I will only agree to participate in this game on one condition." He said firmly, raising his index finger on the last sentence.

Subaru deliberately adopted a more measured posture and a more formal and refined choice of words, as he had already understood that the two people he was dealing with were of a higher social standing than himself, and in order to negotiate demands with such figures, he would need to demonstrate a seriousness and firmness to match.

Miyazaki nodded as the man watched with interest.

"Tell us," said the old man calmly.

"If I win the bet and get the cane, I would like this whole matter to remain between us; no one else should know about it. I would not want collectors coming after me in search of a deal, or someone with influence deciding to investigate the life of the 'young man in possession of a priceless historical artifact,' as this would affect not only my life, but the lives of my loved ones. Are we in agreement?"

Such a request would be entirely understandable coming from anyone with prudence and common sense, so naturally, no one would suspect that the real reason Subaru values his privacy so much is because of the eight people he keeps in his home who do not belong to this world, and that he cannot allow anyone to discover them.

Miyazaki let out a sigh, a flash of compassion and respect passing through him. "A man who values his own privacy, and above all, a man who values the well-being of his family and loved ones is a man worthy of respect. You have my word, no one will know about this matter, it will be as if Aokami had disappeared from one moment to the next."

Subaru sighed with relief. He had, at the very least, earned the old man's consideration. But there was still a second figure who needed to give his word. So Subaru turned to the man in red. "And you?"

The man laughed slightly and replied. "If you win, it is because you have proven yourself to be the superior in this matter and have earned it. A demand like this is insignificant compared to that. You have my word."

Subaru nodded, his lips curving into a slight smile. He still didn't know what to expect from this man, but little by little, Subaru felt he was beginning to understand him better.

"With all that out of the way, gentlemen, why don't you introduce yourselves? Since you, like me, don't know each other's names." Miyazaki said.

Subaru raised an eyebrow.

That's true, I still don't know this guy's name. He thought, glancing sideways at the man in red.

The man, however, seemed slightly annoyed.

"Is that really necessary?" He asked.

"If it's inconvenient for you, a nickname will suffice. Just an identifier, so you can remember each other, just as I can remember you."

"A nickname, huh?" The man seemed to think for a moment, until his expression softened and became more confident. "Ares. You can call me Ares."

His tone was firm.

"Like in Greek mythology?" Subaru asked.

"Something like that," he replied casually. "But then, how should I refer to you?" He looked at Subaru.

Subaru sighed, pondering.

A nickname... Yes, that's it. I know.

A nickname as personal as it is impersonal.

"Call me Pleiades," he said with an excited smile.

A slight smile of satisfaction appeared on Ares' face.

"An interesting choice, young man." The old man nodded, then smiled. "Very well, Ares-sama, Pleiades-sama. Allow me to explain the rules of the game.

 

...

 

Emilia descended the stairs from the second floor to the first floor. Unfortunately, she had to leave Subaru's room.

Even though she wanted to spend more time lying on her knight's futon—smelling him and distracting herself from how much she missed him—it was a fact that if she spent too much time there, Emilia would run the risk of one of her companions discovering where she was, or worse, Subaru could arrive without her noticing and find her lying where he sleeps. In either case, Emilia would be so ashamed that she would want to disappear.

Therefore, she decided to return to the living room.

Once in the living room, the first thing Emilia noticed upon entering was the sound of a... slap?

"Ouch!" Beatrice complained, putting her palm on her head. "You slapped me too hard this time!"

"That's because you slapped me hard last time," Meili replied.

"That's not true, my slaps are very affectionate," Beatrice said, puffing out her chest with pride.

"Affectionate, my foot!"

"Yes, they are!"

"Enough, this is going nowhere!" exclaimed Meili. "Let's settle this with another round."

Are they fighting? Emilia thought.

As soon as she arrived, she saw Beatrice and Meili sitting at the dining table, facing each other, arguing about... painful slaps?

"Emilia-sama." A voice rang out, catching Emilia's attention. The voice belonged to Ram.

When Emilia turned to the pink-haired girl, she also caught a glimpse of her other companions.

On the sofa were Anastasia and Rem sitting next to each other, Ram sat on the arm of the sofa next to Rem, Julius stood behind Anastasia, and Eridna, in her fox form, lay at the feet of the merchant princess.

At Ram's call, Emilia approached the sofa.

"Ram, what are Meili and Beatrice doing?" Emilia gestured to the pair at the table.

"Oh, that?" Ram began. "They got bored without Barusu here, so they decided to play that game he taught us. How does it go again...? Oh yeah, rock, paper, scissors. But to make it more interesting, they decided that the loser would get a slap on the head from the winner."

*slap*

"Ouch!"

Emilia just stared at the two girls with an amused look on her face.

"That makes sense," Emilia said in a gentle tone.

Heh, as long as no one gets hurt, I guess it's okay. She thought. I bet if Subaru were here, they would play rock, paper, scissors for slaps on Subaru's head. 

While she was thinking about that, Emilia decided to sit on the sofa, on the seat on the right that was vacant.

"By the way, Emilia-sama." Ram said.

"Hm?"

"You disappeared for a while, where were you?"

"Oh, yes." Emilia began. "I went to see some rooms in the house that I hadn't visited yet."

A simple and appropriate answer that would omit any idea that she had been in Subaru's room; after all, no one needed to know that.

"I see." Ram nodded.

I'm glad she didn't ask any more about it; I would have hated to have to lie. Emilia sighed with relief inwardly.

"That's right!" Anastasia, who was standing nearby, overheard the conversation between Emilia and Ram and remembered something very important. "Julius!"

Julius, who was behind Anastasia, quickly stood at attention. "Yes, Anastasia-sama."

"You still have to show me your room, remember? Why don't we go there?"

"Are you sure, Anastasia-sama? That room is a very eccentric place, some would even say bizarre, it's very different from the rest of the house, I don't know if you would like it."

The truth was that Julius himself really liked Subaru's room, even with all its "otaku oddities." In fact, Julius would even say that the oddities contributed to the charm of the place. Even so, he couldn't help but warn his lady about it.

"If you want to convince her not to go, you're doing a terrible job, Julius-kun," said Eridna, amused. "Look at her face."

And when Julius did so, he was met with a maniacal smile and a look full of curiosity on Anastasia's face, and with that, he immediately gave up arguing. 

"Fine." Julius sighed, giving in. "Let's go."

Julius would be lying if he said he didn't want to do something different instead of staying in that living room for so long. After all, both he and Anastasia were already getting deeply bored at that point, so maybe it would be good to take his lady on a little expedition.

With that, Anastasia got up from the sofa and, followed by Eridna, the two walked behind Julius, and eventually left the room.

With that, Ram let out a sigh. "I think I'll go to the bathroom. Sister, Emilia-sama, I'll be right back."

Both Emilia and Rem nodded, and Emilia's gaze followed Ram until she left the room. Then Emilia's gaze landed on Beatrice and Meili, who seemed completely focused on their game of rock-paper-scissors with slaps, completely oblivious to what was going on around them.

Finally, Emilia's eyes turned to a figure beside her, sitting on the seat opposite her on the sofa. The last person left to keep her company. It was Rem, who was also looking at her with a strange look.

"Emilia-sama." Rem nodded politely.

"Rem." Emilia nodded back in the same manner.

And then, the two looked away from each other, and an awkward silence followed for a few seconds. Until...

"Rem." Emilia got her attention.

Am I really going to do this?

"Hm?"

"Can I ask you something? It might be a little personal."

Am I really doing this?

"Of course, Emilia-sama. Whatever it is, Rem will answer to the best of her ability." Rem seemed excited.

Emilia nodded, and the next thing she said came out of her mouth uncontrollably. “What is Subaru to you?”

Why am I doing this?

Rem’s expression softened, a silly smile appearing on her face. “Subaru-kun is my hero.”

Her hero?

“Why do you say that?” Emilia asked.

Rem placed a hand over her chest, precious memories flashing through her mind. "Why did he make Rem's time start moving again, but that's a little personal, Emilia-sama."

Her time moving again?

"Oh yes, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude." Emilia raised her hands nervously.

"It's okay, Emilia-sama, it's just a very precious memory for Rem."

"I see." Emilia sighed.

Was the conversation going to end there?

Maybe it should.

But it wouldn't.

"Rem."

Don't do it.

"Hm?"

"Can I ask you one last thing?"

You'll regret it.

"Of course."

"How do you feel about Subaru?"

You don't want to hear this.

You don't want to hear the answer.

"How do I feel about Subaru-kun?" Rem thought for a moment.

Don't say it.

Don't say it.

Don't say it.

Don't say it.

Don't say it.

Don't say it.

Don't say it.

Don't say it!

Don't say it!

Don't say it!

DON'T SAY IT!

"Subaru-kun is Rem's one true love. She loves him with all her heart." Rem replied calmly and sincerely, with a deeply affectionate expression.

That was the truth.

"Right." Emilia said calmly, averting her eyes from Rem. She was expressionless and silent.

Emilia looked ahead at the wall.

No.

She wasn't looking anywhere.

At nothing.

Because there was nothing.

At that moment, she had disconnected herself from the world around her.

The world had become just her, calm and impassive on the outside, and on the inside, agonizing.

And next to her, separated by a small space, was Rem.

She stared at Emilia from the corner of his eye. Her expression was indecipherable.

At some point, while no one was able to notice, a slight smile appeared on Rem's face.

Notes:

Another chapter completed, dedicated entirely to you! Can love really be a war? Is there more to a conflict between two men over a historical relic than meets the eye? Well, whatever the answer, the future will be interesting.

If you have any compliments, criticism, or even questions, feel free to leave a comment. See you next Sunday: August 31, 2025.

Chapter 10: Mysteries and Choices

Notes:

We have finally reached the tenth chapter, and to celebrate, this chapter will be the longest one yet! Enjoy, and I hope you like it!

"Five rounds," Miyazaki began. "It will be a five-round game."

It had been decided a few minutes ago that a special game would take place. A game—a bet—between Subaru, now known as Pleiades, and the man in red, now known as Ares.

With that, old Miyazaki turned the "open" sign on the door of the establishment to the "closed" sign, so that the game could not be disturbed. Fortunately and conveniently, at that point, it was already close to lunchtime, which meant that such a thing would not be strange to passersby outside.

Then, at that moment, Miyazaki began to explain the rules of the game.

Subaru, of course, paid as much attention as possible to every detail, and Ares seemed to do the same.

At times like this, more important than the rules themselves are the subtext, the loopholes in the rules of the game. Of course, Miyazaki-san may have chosen a game based entirely on luck, since, according to him, it is a game with simple rules, but it is never that simple. Ares and I are competing for a high-level relic, and on top of that, the old man is someone who seeks an "exciting experience," so I must be careful. Subaru reflected in his heart.

"The name of the game? I call it 'The Judgment of Numbers.'"

A game about numbers? Subaru raised an eyebrow.

Miyazaki walked over to the nearby reception desk, Subaru and Ares' eyes following him.

"You will each receive a set of cards, numbered from one to nine."

At the counter, the old man opened a drawer and took out a deck of...

UNO!? Subaru rubbed his eyes in disbelief.

Ares, at his side, snorted and began to chuckle softly.

"What is it?" asked the old man, amused. "I said I would give you cards numbered from one to nine, and UNO cards fulfill that requirement very well."

"I see, I see, that makes sense," admitted Ares, who didn't know whether to laugh or just accept it.

Well, the old man isn't wrong. UNO decks are quite common, so it's not strange that he has one of these stored away. Subaru laughed inwardly.

"But make no mistake," Miyazaki smiled as he organized the cards. "That doesn't mean you'll decide this matter in UNO games."

"Good to know..." Subaru muttered with a complicated expression.

UNO decks were separated by color, and there were cards numbered one through nine in red, yellow, green, and blue. Miyazaki gathered the red cards numbered one through nine and handed them to Ares, then began to gather the yellow cards numbered one through nine to give them to Subaru, but...

"The blue ones," Subaru said.

"What?" Miyazaki blinked a few times.

"I want the blue cards."

Subaru's tone was firm.

Miyazaki alternated his gaze between the cards and the black-haired young man, then sighed.

"As you wish, Pleiades-sama." The old man nodded with a gentle smile and handed the blue cards numbered one through nine to Subaru.

With the cards in his hands, Subaru examined them. They were ordinary UNO cards, and yet, a warm look appeared in his eyes.

Miyazaki, seeing the warm expression on Subaru's face, just smiled and nodded.

Then he continued his explanation. "As I mentioned, there will be five rounds, and for each round, the two gentlemen will have five minutes to silently choose a number from one to nine. At the end of the five minutes, an alarm will sound, and for convenience, we will use the alarm on my phone."

Miyazaki reached into his pocket and took out his phone. He typed for a few moments, then showed the screen to Subaru and Ares. The old man had set a five-minute timer.

The pair of rivals nodded.

"At the end of the timer, when the alarm sounds, you will take the card with the number you have chosen, and at my signal, you will reveal your chosen cards at the same time. That's when the real game begins."

Subaru sharpened his attention to the maximum for the explanation that would follow.

"With the number card revealed, you will have to give an argument, a justification, for why your chosen number is superior to the number chosen by your opponent."

A battle of arguments? Subaru narrowed his eyes.

A small smile appeared on Ares' face.

"The one who chose the higher number will be the one to give their argument first, and the one who chose the lower number will be able to argue next. You can only argue once per round, so once you say you're done, you must remain silent and wait until the next round. After both of you have argued, I will judge which argument was superior between the two, and thus decide the winner of the round. But remember, the argument must be well thought out, because if I judge that both arguments were sloppy, the round will end in a tie, with no points for either of you. The argument can be short or long, but as long as it is well-inspired and in good taste, it will be valid and can win the round, if that is the case."

So the arguments can't be simplistic, we need to be creative and put effort into it... does he want to test our intelligence? Miyazaki-san seems to be a very cultured old man, so that must be the case. Therefore, only one question remains... While Subaru was analyzing in his thoughts, a voice rang out.

"What is your criterion for judging the arguments?" Ares asked.

As if synchronized with Subaru's thoughts, Ares came to the same conclusion as him, taking Subaru by surprise.

Hearing this, the old man smiled slightly. "That... you'll have to figure out for yourselves."

So besides being a game of argumentation, it's also a game of guessing? Subaru let out a low laugh.

Ares gave an ironic smile and just shook his head.

Miyazaki continued, "Now that you've heard the rules, I'll give you both some time to think about everything I've explained to you. If you have any questions, I'll answer them as best I can, and when you're both ready, let me know, and we can start the first round."

Subaru and Ares nodded.

"In that case, I have a question," Ares said calmly.

"Go ahead."

"This may seem a little obvious..." he smiled slightly. "But if there are going to be five rounds, that means the winner will be the one who wins three rounds first, right?"

"That is correct, Ares-sama." Miyazaki nodded.

Hearing this, Ares nodded with a sigh and returned to silence.

The classic "best of five" model, no surprise there, but it helps me consider some important things, like how many times I can risk losing in order to get some information. Subaru reflected.

The game itself had not yet begun, and Subaru knew very well that certain things he would only learn during the rounds, but through the old man's explanations, Subaru could already see some layers of the nature of this game that was about to begin.

The first layer being, of course, the game of argumentation.

In each round, we will choose a number based on the nine cards we hold, and we have to argue in favor of our numbers so that they are considered superior to our opponent's, and this clearly has no relation to one number being greater than the other, it is something deeper than that. When I think about one number being superior to another, it opens up many possibilities. It can be superior from a mathematical point of view, from a symbolic point of view, from a philosophical point of view, or even something different from these three. Intriguing...

The second layer, complementing the first, is the guessing game that Old Man established earlier.

Miyazaki-san has made it clear that he will not reveal his criteria for judging our arguments, but based on the fact that he told us to "find out," I can assume that he will give us clues throughout the game. but in the unlikely event that he doesn't, there is already some data to work with, and one piece of data is the increasingly likely idea that he wants to challenge our intelligence, which indicates that he is, or considers himself to be, an intellectual in some way. If that's the case, he'll be quite difficult to please, but fortunately, going even beyond intellectuality, this whole store, these relics, and all the interactions I've had with the old man already say a lot about the kind of person he is, something that will be quite useful.

The third layer is the man in red, known as Ares.

It's still hard to say what to expect from this guy, but he will be my rival in this matter and the person I will be playing with, so it's good that I start profiling him.

The first thing is that he openly admitted to owning a collection of relics, and also stated that he wants the cane for his collection. The cane is an extremely valuable item, and his casual statement that he can afford to buy it indicates that he has other relics in his collection with a similar or even higher value, and that, of course, he has a lot of money and is not afraid to show it. Furthermore, the fact that he has so much money, has a collection of relics, and came personally to purchase the cane from Miyazaki-san shows that he, at the very least, has experience in negotiation, which indicates that he is good with words and knows how to structure arguments when necessary.

The way he behaves, and the interactions I have had and observed with him, tell me that he is indeed a very confident and measured person, which indicates that he is not afraid to take risks. He even said something about his pride earlier, which further emphasizes this idea, but even so, we must consider that all of this, although unlikely, may just be a facade, so I will keep that in mind as well.

Another point to note is the nickname he chose, Ares, which tells me a few things. Ares is the god of war in Greek mythology and has always been described as an aggressive, ruthless, and even cruel being, and the speed and naturalness with which he chose this nickname indicates that he has used this nickname before and, at the very least, likes its meaning. Furthermore, when it comes to nicknames chosen for ourselves, we always choose nicknames that we identify with in some way. I myself chose the nickname "Pleiades" because of its connection to my name, and therefore, if he identifies with the name "Ares," then it shows that he considers himself to be aggressive and ruthless, someone who likes to go all out, is not merciful, and will not give me any respite, which means that I certainly should not underestimate him under any circumstances, otherwise I may be caught off guard.

With that, there is only one thing that really intrigues me. If he is really as rich as he seems, then why was he buying clothes at a thrift store? Subaru's eyes moved subtly to the bags of clothes that Ares was holding, and as he looked, he noticed something curious. The clothes in those bags were all...

Women's? Subaru's eyes widened slightly, and almost at the same time, Ares seemed to notice Subaru's gaze.

Quickly, Subaru noticed the change in Ares's gaze, and soon after, their eyes met.

Ares's face was impassive and Subaru's expression was unreadable as they stared at each other.

And then they continued to stare at each other, staring and staring, until, without the slightest warning, at the same time, they both looked away from each other.

Subaru then shook his head slightly and returned to his thoughts.

So he went to a thrift store and bought women's clothes?

Normally, the fact that someone buys clothes and where that person bought those clothes would be unimportant and even irrelevant details. After all, people are free to spend their own money as they see fit, and worrying about it could be considered exaggerated paranoia. Still, Subaru's intuition couldn't help but alert him that there was something very strange about this matter.

One could say that he simply doesn't care much about the type of clothes he buys and wears, but that wouldn't make sense. Ares is clearly a very confident person who is not afraid to show that he has money and is often involved in negotiations. People like that value their image and have reputations to uphold. Furthermore, he walked casually through this district dressed in refined formal wear, which, when you put all the facts together, shows that he is indeed someone who cares about his appearance and the clothes he wears.

With that, I can rule out any possible cross-dressing hobby, as someone like him would never buy cheap, used clothes for that purpose. Similarly, and for the same reasons, I can rule out the possibility that the clothes are for a girlfriend, daughter, friend, etc., as this would be quite contradictory. Furthermore, in all these possibilities, he could very well have ordered the clothes online, and if he needed to buy them in person, it means he didn't have time to wait for an order to arrive.

Based on this principle, I wonder, wouldn't it have been simpler to send someone to buy the clothes for him? And in that case, at a store that sells better quality clothes? Buying clothes is not the same as negotiating a historical relic; he wouldn't need to be there in person for that, and yet there he was in a thrift store buying women's clothes, and just "a little time" doesn't explain that. In fact, there is something more. There is... indifference.

Subaru's mind then began to work, as if gears were turning in his head. He didn't consider himself particularly a great detective, and yet a very good image formed in his mind, the pieces fitting together satisfactorily as he gradually traced an answer to solve this puzzle. An answer that brought him closer and closer to understanding the figure of the man known as Ares.

The clothes are for a girl, a girl he has known for a very short time. Someone he feels responsible for, but at the same time, doesn't care that much about. He considers it important to get clothes for her as soon as possible, and feels responsible enough to be willing to buy them, but doesn't care enough to get new or high-quality clothes that he can afford, and in this case, the reason he went to the thrift store specifically was for convenience. Because it was an important, almost urgent matter, he wanted to resolve it quickly, to "get it out of the way" so he wouldn't have to worry about it anymore, and he took advantage of the convenience of having a popular thrift store near Miyazaki-san's shop, where he intended to negotiate for an artifact for his collection. That's so specific... Come to think of it, the only reason this would make sense would be if the girl... didn't have any clothes to wear.

And when Subaru came to that conclusion, he couldn't help but feel like something about this whole story was quite familiar.

"I'm ready," Ares said resolutely, his voice echoing through the silence of the store.

"Very well," the old man nodded. "We still have to wait for Pleiades-sama."

Ares let out a calm sigh. He had a slight ironic smile as his eyes turned to Subaru.

Ares did not intend to rush or provoke him, he just held a silent expectation about the black-haired young man.

Subaru looked into Ares' eyes before looking away and subtly swallowing.

I think I've considered it enough, it's time to start this game. Subaru concluded.

After a few moments, Subaru said, "I'm ready."

"Excellent." Miyazaki replied.

Seeing that his rival was ready, Ares picked up the bags he was carrying and placed them on the floor, leaning them against a nearby wall.

Subaru, out of curiosity, followed his movements with his eyes, and when he looked at the bags that were now on the floor, he noticed something. Among those bags of women's clothing, there was a single bag that differed from the others in terms of its contents, because what was inside it—visible through the semi-transparent plastic—was a notebook.

Wait, that... Subaru began a train of thought, but before he could develop it, the old man's voice rang out.

"On three, I'll activate the five-minute timer," he said, holding up his cell phone for both Subaru and Ares to see. "One, two, three!" And then he activated the timer.

Ares immediately took on a more serious expression as he began to study his own red deck.

Subaru did the same, and opened his own blue deck. He scanned the cards from one to nine in his hand as he began to structure his plan of action.

In a game like this, trying to predict your opponent's argument is useless. I'm not playing to try to invalidate or diminish his arguments; Miyazaki-san will already do that job. All I need to do is structure the best possible argument to come out as the winner, but even so, although I have some theories, it's hard to say what Miyazaki-san's criteria are for evaluating our arguments, so I'll have to take a bit of a risk. Subaru thought.

With that in mind, he turned his attention back to the cards once more.

This was the first round.

There were many possibilities and many uncertainties, many hidden ideas and many paths to follow.

What was Ares thinking? It was still a mystery.

What was Miyazaki thinking? No one knew yet.

And in this scenario of silent conflict, Subaru chose his number, and flowing in the river of time, the five minutes passed.

When the alarm sounded, Subaru and Ares placed their hands on their respective cards, waiting for Miyazaki's signal.

The old man's voice sounded calm and resolute: "Reveal."

 

...

 

Kenichi parked his car calmly.

Lunchtime had arrived, so it was time for him to take a break to rest and enjoy a meal.

His job as a sales representative for a sporting goods company means he spends a lot of time driving from place to place, which means it would be no problem to have lunch at a restaurant, but Kenichi always eats a lunch box that Naoko prepares for him, which not only saves him money, but honestly, Kenichi preferred his wife's cooking to any restaurant food.

In addition, Naoko always prepared him a well-balanced meal that fills his stomach and is quite nutritious.

With that, inside the car, Kenichi opened his backpack and took out his cooler bag.

When he opened it, steam emanated from the cooler bag as the aroma of grilled fish and vegetables filled the interior of the car. He was hungry, so he grabbed a fork and began to eat.

Normally, in situations like this, where he could rest his mind and eat the lunch his wife had prepared, he would inevitably end up thinking about Naoko, and from Naoko, he would end up thinking about Subaru, which was totally understandable, after all, they were his family and his highest priority in life, and in this case, the associations would stop there.

However, since the night before, things had changed dramatically for the Natsuki family, and now, when thinking of Subaru, Kenichi would inevitably end up thinking of those three humans, three demi-humans, and two spirits who came from another world.

Technically, Subaru would be responsible for these people, but realistically, Kenichi, as well as Naoko, were responsible for Subaru, which made sense, until he remembered that, theoretically, because Subaru had spent more than a year in another world, he was now eighteen years old, and no longer seventeen, as he had been until yesterday, which literally gave Kenichi a headache when he thought too much about this parallel world logic.

But regardless of who is—logically—responsible for whom, Kenichi had still promised himself, Subaru, and Naoko that he would do his best to keep that group from another world safe and well.

Honestly, it was still difficult to digest the fact that such a thing was really happening in his life and in the lives of his family. This whole story of Subaru going to a parallel world and returning with his friends to Japan was still unimaginable, and yet it was really happening.

Even so, it didn't take long for Kenichi to understand that the situation Subaru's friends were in was quite difficult, and a great feeling of compassion began to grow in Kenichi's chest.

Subaru had not yet told the full story of his adventure in the other world, but even without knowing everything, seeing Subaru's interactions with his companions made him realize that they truly cared for each other.

Unfortunately, Kenichi was unable to attend the otherworldly group's first breakfast at the Natsuki family home, and as a result, he was unable to use this moment to deepen his relationships with the people who would be living in his house from now on. Fortunately, Naoko was present and was able to do this for him.

Speaking of Naoko, Kenichi learned that she and Subaru had gone out together to buy clothes, following up on the ideas they had discussed the night before. He knew this because, even though both of them—especially Kenichi—were somewhat busy with their tasks, he and Naoko kept exchanging occasional messages so that he could stay up to date on the situation at home.

And thinking about it now, Kenichi began to consider.

Since I'm on my lunch break and free, why don't I call Naoko?

It was a great idea, since he could get an update on the situation in a more appropriate way and also share with her an important question that had come to mind.

With that, he picked up his cell phone, typed a few times, and started calling her.

 

...

 

Naoko was walking along the sidewalk in the Central District, heading to the same thrift store where she had bought clothes with Subaru earlier. After all, they had agreed to meet there when she returned from the lingerie store and he returned from buying the cane and notebooks.

At that moment, she was carrying a considerable number of bags, all of them containing a variety of underwear items and sets, in different colors and sizes.

Normally, it would be difficult to buy this type of clothing without the girls there to choose and try them on, but Naoko was smart; she had a good eye for these things. Having spent some time with the girls who came from another world, she could tell which sizes would be appropriate for their bodies and, through her own personal experience, which options would be the most comfortable.

However, as she made her way to the thrift store, her pocket began to vibrate.

Her cell phone was ringing.

She made an effort to organize the bags in her arms and managed to grab her phone.

When she looked at the screen, she saw it was Kenichi calling.

She was surprised for a moment, but then she remembered that it was lunchtime, so he probably wasn't busy at that moment. With that, her lips curved into a slight smile as she answered the call.

"Honey?" she said.

"Hi honey, are you busy?" he asked.

"Apart from the fact that I'm on the street right now with a bunch of bags in my hands, I'm free." Her tone was lighthearted.

"Good to know." Kenichi laughed. "Is Subaru with you?"

"No. We decided to split up while he went to buy some things."

"What things?"

"Notebooks... and a cane." She said with a smile.

"A cane? What for?" Kenichi was confused.

"Well, you know Rem-san? The blue-haired twin?"

Kenichi immediately remembered the blue-haired girl, Ram's sister, who seemed to be in love with Subaru. "Yes, what about her?"

"Didn't you notice something strange about her?"

"Something strange...?" Kenichi searched his memories of the previous night related to Rem.

Come to think of it, if we were to talk about strange things about her, Kenichi would naturally think of the fact that the girl was an "oni," which means she is not entirely human, however, it was clear that this was not what his wife was talking about. Digging deeper, Kenichi then remembered something.

At no point during the previous night did he see the girl take a step, and in any situation he witnessed where she needed to move, she was carried on her sister's back, which, regardless of the reason, was indeed something strange. He honestly didn't give it much thought when he saw it, as it could very well have been some eccentricity of the sisters, but thinking about it now, in this context, Kenichi could figure out the purpose of the cane.

After a few seconds of silence, he said, "She can't walk straight, can she?"

"Yes..." Naoko nodded with some regret. "She's recovering from a problem she had, and Subaru thinks a cane might help her... Honestly, I think it's cute." She joked at the end.

So he wants to help that girl, huh.

If Subaru really liked Rem as it seemed, then this attitude was more than correct. Supporting the person you love in their difficulties is not just about moving mountains for them, but about small actions that make a difference.

"I kind of feel proud, hehe." Kenichi joked, but he said it sincerely.

"I imagine." Naoko smiled. "When he told me that, I couldn't say no to him.

"I couldn't refuse either, even though I knew it would cost more money."

"Money, huh," Naoko murmured.

With that small comment, an uncomfortable silence fell between them. It was clear what Naoko was subtly implying.

Money, although not an immediate concern for the Natsuki family, would gradually become a problem.

With the addition of eight new people living in the Natsuki household, each with their own needs, Kenichi imagined that within months—and hopefully a little longer—if the monetary situation remained the same, financial problems would arise.

Naoko, of course, was also aware of this.

The possibility of poverty, of living in need, was frightening for many, and for others, it was just everyday reality.

For Naoko, the concern was real, but for Kenichi, he would not allow it to discourage him.

Regardless of what the future held, Kenichi refused to give up, especially when the well-being of so many people he felt responsible for was at stake, and so he had faith that things would work out. And although Naoko and Kenichi had different thoughts on the matter, they agreed on one thing: giving up was not an option.

As the couple silently reflected on this question, Kenichi decided to break the silence.

"Oh yes, what about those notebooks?"

This snapped Naoko out of her stupor.

"Notebooks? Oh yes!" said Naoko. "Subaru wants to help people learn to read and write in Japanese, since the alphabet in the other world is completely different. So he wants them to have notebooks to take notes while he shows them video lessons."

Wow, he thought of everything! Kenichi was positively surprised.

Hearing this, Kenichi couldn't help but think that maybe Subaru really could adapt them to living in modern Japanese society, which made him think of a few things.

With a laugh coming from the pride he felt for Subaru, Kenichi said, "Subaru has become so responsible, I never would have imagined that."

"How could he not? He is your son after all." She said gently, but Kenichi didn't think that way.

"He may be my son, but this is his own merit. The man he has become is the man I know he worked hard to be."

Naoko let out a sigh tinged with affection. Affection for both her husband and her son.

"How much more of this man he has become in the meantime will we see?"

"I don't know, but I won't lose by waiting." He laughed warmly.

"Neither will I." Naoko agreed with her husband.

After some friendly laughter between them, Kenichi ended up asking what Naoko had been doing while she was separated from Subaru, which made her explain that she had gone to buy underwear at another store. Understanding that he had touched on a point that was not exactly appropriate for him to know the details of, Kenichi did not ask any more about it.

"By the way, Naoko, I thought of something."

"Hm?"

"Even though you went out to buy clothes today, there are still many things left to buy so that they can at least be comfortable at home."

"That's true." Naoko nodded. "But there would be so many bags to carry that it would be more feasible for Subaru and me to make two trips to Akeno."

(Akeno = Central District)

"That won't be necessary," Kenichi said reassuringly. "When I'm coming back from work, I'll stop by a market and buy whatever is needed."

"Are you sure, honey? Are you sure?" She asked worriedly, not wanting to overload her husband.

"Yes, honey. Besides, I have my car, so bringing the groceries home will be a breeze."

Naoko nodded with relief, and from there, Naoko and Kenichi discussed a list of what he should bring, and it was agreed that bath towels, toothbrushes, and personal hygiene products for the group from another world would be the main items, so that they could finally take showers and take care of themselves. In addition, it was decided that Kenichi would bring plenty of food and ingredients so that Naoko could cook in the days to come.

With that, the call ended and they both returned to their tasks.

 

...

 

Ram was on the second floor of the Natsuki residence.

She had already left the bathroom and was ready to return to the living room and join her beloved sister once again, but something caught her attention.

Earlier, Anastasia, Julius, and the spirit Eridna had decided to go up to the second floor so that the knight could show them the room where he would be sleeping from then on, Subaru's room.

And since this had nothing to do with her, Ram, of course, paid no attention and continued on her way.

The second-floor bathroom, however, was quite close to Subaru's room, and when Ram left, she heard something quite curious being discussed inside.

The sound of conversation came through the crack in the half-open door of Subaru's room.

"I'm telling you, Julius! This place... Japan, as they call it, is connected to Kararagi in some way."

What...? Ram was intrigued, curiosity spreading through her mind.

She quietly approached Subaru's room, standing next to the half-open door, and remaining hidden from the view of the three inside. Ram sharpened her hearing.

Inside the room, sitting on the bed, were Anastasia, Eridna, and Julius.

Julius had a skeptical yet curious expression as he looked at his lady. "That's a pretty strong statement, Anastasia-sama, why do you say that?"

Anastasia let out a sigh. She was silent for a few moments before responding. "It's hard to explain, but... ever since we arrived in this world, and especially when we were walking outside, I saw designs, architecture, and models that remind me a lot of my homeland. Of course, it's still too early to say something like that, and I agree that I should investigate this further before jumping to conclusions, but my intuition tells me that there is a connection."

Her eyes shone with conviction as Julius stared at her, his mind plunging into thought.

"A merchant's intuition!" Anastasia added proudly, but Julius barely heard her.

Anastasia-sama has lived most of her life in Kararagi, so she has the authority to speak about it, and also, I spent a lot of time with Ricardo and the twins, who told me a lot about Kararagi, enough for me to know that what she says has some truth to it. Besides, when we were in Priestella a few weeks ago, a city that has a lot of influence from Kararagi culture, I can really relate things from there to some things I've seen here. Could it be...? Julius pondered.

"I also agree with Ana," said Eridna, and Julius's eyes turned to the spirit. "I lived with her in Kararagi for years, and I can say that there really are similarities. A more in-depth investigation in the future would be interesting."

"Isn't it?" Anastasia agreed. "Julius, what do you think?"

After thinking about it long enough, Julius said reluctantly, "I think what you're saying... makes some sense."

"See!" Anastasia pointed at him. "Even you're starting to see it."

"Okay, let's take it step by step," Julius began. "If Japan is really connected to Kararagi in some way, what does that mean?"

Julius felt like he knew where this was going, and the mischievous smile that appeared on Anastasia's lips only reinforced that.

"I have a theory," said the merchant princess.

Julius nodded curiously.

"Kararagi's architectural style has a name, and it's called 'Wafuu,'" she began to explain, while Julius and Eridna listened intently. "It was conceived by the Great Hoshin four hundred years ago when he founded the City-States, but he didn't just conceive the country's traditional architecture, he was literally the father of all the unique culture and traditions that Kararagi has today. Furthermore, according to what history shows us, his past is a complete mystery. It's as if he appeared out of nowhere and led the entire unification of Kararagi."

"Wait, Anastasia-sama, are you saying that..."

"Julius, it can only be that! If we had never been sent to another world, I might have spent my entire life without noticing these oddities in the stories of the Great Hoshin, but now, looking at it from this perspective, everything fits together." 

"Besides, who's to say that Natsuki-kun was the first to be transported from that world to ours?" added Eridna.

Julius's eyes widened. 

"So yes, Julius, I think the Great Hoshin could be someone like Natsuki-kun," Anastasia said with an almost victorious smile. 

"Although it makes sense, it's still too early to say that," Eridna said. "As we said before, we need to investigate further."

"I agree. Unfortunately, we can't go out yet to do that, but at least we know where to start," Anastasia said.

Julius then sighed, realizing that trying to deny the evidence was useless. "Okay, I'm with you on this," he admitted, then looked at Anastasia. "But we can't limit ourselves to architecture alone. You said that the Great Hoshin was also the father of Kararagian culture, so we should also look for cultural similarities."

"Very well put, my dear knight," Anastasia agreed proudly.

"And of course, we should also ask Natsuki-kun's opinion, after all, if anyone can have any ideas about this, it's him," Eridna affirmed.

"Then it's decided," Anastasia declared, while Julius and Eridna nodded in agreement.

With that, Ram, who was standing outside, moved away from the door and leaned her back against the wall.

Her mind was immersed in a whirlwind of thoughts.

What she had just heard, Anastasia's theory, was something that, if proven true, would change everything!

If Ram said she wasn't deeply interested in the subject, she would be lying. The idea that travelers from another world—like Subaru—had been visiting her world since ancient times was fascinating and terrifying at the same time.

Now, with her and her companions having been effectively transported to another world, and knowing that Subaru had also experienced such an event, and considering the idea that the Great Hoshin and who knows how many other people may have experienced the same phenomenon, not only did infinite possibilities arise, but they also raised a question in Ram's heart.

Who or what could be behind these connections between worlds?

And who or what could be sending people from one world to another?

Ram had no way of knowing the answers to these questions now, but at least she knew she had the right questions.

Although Ram, like the others, had no means of fully investigating this situation, she vowed to herself that she would pay attention to any details and any conversations on the subject, in case any interesting information came to light.

But despite all these possibilities, a very pertinent question arose in Ram's mind.

If this world and her world are connected the way they seem to be, then why—according to Subaru, Naoko, and Kenichi—does time not seem to have passed here during the entire time Subaru was on the continent?

With these thoughts in mind, Ram began to walk. Regardless of anything else, she needed to return to her sister, and so she would return to the living room.

Still, I can't help but wonder... Barusu said he didn't know how he had been sent to another world, but is that all? Could there be something he's not telling us?

Ram didn't want to distrust Subaru like that, because even though she had a hard time admitting it, she cared deeply about him. To Ram, Subaru was a fool, but he was a special fool, whom she considered a little brother, and who had proven his worth and trustworthiness countless times, and so, to her, if there was something Subaru wasn't telling her about this, it could be that he...

Couldn't talk about it... Ram reflected.

After descending the stairs to the first floor, Ram was about to enter the living room once again, however, she saw something that made her stop walking immediately.

On the opposite side of the living room, at the beginning of the hallway, leaning against the wall next to the front door of the house, was Emilia.

She was alone, silent, and still.

Her head was down, her arms were crossed, and her posture seemed more hunched than usual.

Her fingers poked, scratched, and squeezed her arms with almost frantic intensity.

Her entire body language exuded anxiety and vulnerability. 

Ram was no expert on such things, but she was certainly able to identify such feelings. In fact, although Ram couldn't see Emilia's face, she was sure that if she could, she would see a very complicated expression on the half-elf's face.

Ram didn't think much, she just approached calmly.

With slow, measured steps, she approached, and although Ram had come quite close, Emilia did not seem to notice her presence. 

Ram took another step forward, but the half-elf remained oblivious to her presence. 

"Emilia-sama." Ram called out in a low, concerned tone.

Emilia paused for a moment, as if a shock had run through her body. Slowly, she raised her head and her eyes met Ram's.

Ram was not surprised by what she saw, and yet, even though she had expected it, her heart still sank.

Emilia's eyes were abnormally wide, her pupils constricted, and the whites of her eyes quite red, as if she were trying very hard to hold back tears, and by nature, to contain her pain and frustration.

"Are you all right, Emilia-sama?" Ram asked, her tone still low and concerned.

Emilia did not respond with words, she just looked away as she swallowed hard, and only then did she nod her head positively.

An obvious lie, of course, but Ram would not say that.

In that case, what Ram said was, "Are you sure?" as she took another step forward.

Her movement was calm and quiet; she didn't want to scare Emilia or make her feel pressured, but something was causing her lady a lot of pain, and that something could be serious, so she needed to communicate with Emilia somehow.

With that, Ram's expression could not have been less tinged with genuine concern for the half-elf.

Emilia, upon hearing Ram's question, turned her gaze to her once more.

Ram could see it; Emilia's eyes exuded fear and insecurity.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, you can tell me when you're comfortable, but I care deeply about your well-being, Emilia-sama."

Emilia looked away once more, and with that, she uncrossed her arms, seeming to relax a little.

This time, her eyes seemed a little more frantic as she looked in different directions. Finally, after a few moments, a tear fell from one of her eyes.

What Ram had said had apparently made Emilia relax a little, to the point where she allowed herself to shed a tear, yet Emilia raised a hand to wipe away the tear that was falling.

But then another tear fell, then another, and she quickly realized she couldn't wipe them all away.

Seeing this, Ram calmly took a handkerchief from her pocket and took another step forward.

"Emilia-sama, let me help you," she said.

Emilia, seeing Ram approach with a handkerchief in her hand, quickly moved her hands away from her face. She realized that any resistance was futile, and at the same time, she trusted Ram.

Ram, seeing that Emilia had given her consent, brought the handkerchief to the half-elf's face and began to gently wipe away her tears.

She touched, rubbed, and gently pressed Emilia's face with the handkerchief, gradually drying her face.

Until, suddenly, the half-elf grabbed Ram's hand.

She didn't grab it hard or anything, as she didn't mean to hurt her, she just wanted her to stop, because at that moment, a new wave of tears came, stronger, more intense, as if a dam had broken.

Low sobs could be heard from Emilia.

Ram, worried that she had done something wrong, quickly tried to apologize and remove her hand from the half-elf's face. However, Emilia's next move took Ram completely by surprise.

Emilia grabbed her in a hug. An awkward hug, but one that was both tight and delicate at the same time. A hug full of insecurities and exposed vulnerabilities, and Ram, for a moment, was lost and unsure of what to do. Even so, still holding the handkerchief in her hand, she returned Emilia's hug.

Emilia buried her face in Ram's shoulder, crying and sobbing softly, while wetting the oni's robes with her tears.

At that moment, Ram understood that what Emilia needed was not advice; the half-elf was clearly not willing to share the reason for her pain, not yet, and therefore what she really needed was to vent and let it out.

Understanding this, Ram did the only thing she knew would be effective in that situation. She put her hand on Emilia's head and hair and began to stroke it, combing it with her fingers and gently messing it up. All while she began to whisper words of comfort.

"It's okay."

"Everything will be fine, Emilia-sama."

"Yes, let it out, let it all out."

"It will pass, it will pass."

The tension in Emilia's body seemed to gradually decrease as Ram continued to caress her head and whisper kind words.

At some point, the half-elf's sobs subsided until they stopped altogether, her body seeming to relax completely. That didn't stop Ram's shoulder from getting wet with tears, but at that moment, it didn't matter at all.

Finally, the two broke away from their embrace, and Ram was able to look at Emilia's face once more. Her face and eyes were, of course, swollen from crying, but Ram noticed that her eyes clearly no longer held the same pain and frustration as before.

With her hands gently holding Emilia's shoulders, Ram asked warmly, "Are you feeling better?"

Emilia nodded.

"Good." Ram nodded. "Would you like me to get you a glass of water?"

Emilia shook her head, declining.

"Okay." Ram didn't argue. "Would you like to talk about what happened?"

Emilia hesitated for a moment as she looked at Ram, but shyly shook her head.

"All right." Ram didn't insist. "When you're more comfortable, you can always talk to me, Emilia-sama. I may not be the most appropriate person for that, but I really care about your well-being."

Ram, for the first time in a long time, was not speaking as a servant to her lady, no, she was speaking as a friend to her friend.

Emilia was not looking at Ram's face, and yet, a subtle, almost imperceptible smile appeared on her lips. Then she nodded positively.

"Great." Ram smiled gently. "Do you want me to stay here with you?"

Emilia shook her head.

"All right." Ram nodded. "Then I'll go back to the living room now, but don't hesitate to call me if you need anything."

Emilia nodded.

Ram was about to turn his back on the half-elf when Emilia grabbed his hand.

Ram was surprised, then looked back at Emilia's face.

A voice like a worn silver bell rang out. "Thank you."

Ram's expression softened. "You're welcome."

Emilia then let go of her hand, and Ram moved away from her, walking once again to the living room.

Upon entering the room, Ram glimpsed Beatrice and Meili still distracted by their own games, and then she saw Rem, sitting in the same position as before, still, static.

Ram wasn't stupid; she knew how to connect the dots.

Emilia seemed fine when she entered the living room earlier, so whatever had left her that way happened while Ram was upstairs.

Beatrice and Meili were too distracted with each other to be responsible for anything, and it seemed they were still equally distracted.

Therefore, the only person left to have any involvement in this matter was her twin sister.

Ram then approached the sofa where Rem lay.

There, her sister did not seem to notice her approach. Rem was quiet, staring at some place, contemplating something, thinking deeply.

"Sister?" Ram called out to her.

Rem blinked a few times before looking at Ram. "Nee-sama?"

"Is everything okay?" Ram asked.

"Yes, why?"

Ram studied her sister for a moment, looking for something, for some reaction.

"Can I ask you something?" Ram said as she sat down next to Rem, separated by a small space.

"Of course, Nee-sama." Rem nodded.

"Did you say something to Emilia-sama?"

Rem paused for a moment, processing the question.

She blinked once, then twice, and then tilted her head. "No?"

Ram studied her again, looking for some inconsistency, but then sighed. "Okay."

Rem stared at her sister for a moment before looking away.

An awkward silence settled between the two, a silence filled with unspoken words and misunderstanding. The silence lingered for a few moments, until...

"Nee-sama."

"Hm?"

"Can I ask you for some advice?"

Ram tilted her head. "Advice?"

Rem nodded.

"About what?" Ram asked.

"About something... I've been thinking about."

Ram nodded. "Tell me."

Rem swallowed hard before beginning: "There is this... happiness."

A glimmer of something flashed in Ram's eyes. "Go on."

"But that happiness may... belong to someone else."

A flash of understanding.

"Well, maybe 'belong' is the wrong word. Maybe... saying that this happiness is meant for that person is more accurate, but..."

"But?"

"I want that happiness too."

Ram listened intently.

"I want it, but... I think that person deserves that happiness."

"Do you think that person deserves it more than you?" Ram asked.

"No." Rem shook her head calmly. "I think I deserve it more."

"You deserve it more, and even so...?"

"Even so... I don't want to steal it from that person."

"Steal, huh..." Ram laughed, and then her laughter intensified.

"Nee-sama?" Rem was confused, had she said something funny?

"Oh Rem..." Ram said. "That way you'll waste your whole life."

"Hm?" Rem tilted her head.

"You can't steal happiness, dear sister."

"I can't...?"

"No, because happiness isn't a possession, it's a choice."

"What...?"

"It's a choice that's sometimes difficult, sometimes unbearable, but it's a choice we make every day."

Rem was perplexed as she processed these words, but she had no intention of interrupting them.

"A destined happiness, a predeterminism... what a joke, things don't choose you, you choose them."

"My choice...?"

"Well, maybe I'm just a frog in a well, and this world is really ruled by fate, but so what? Who's to say that this happiness isn't actually meant for you?"

Rem couldn't believe it, she had never looked at it that way.

"You said that you think you deserve it more than that person, and I think that says a lot."

Rem didn't know what to say, not yet, but Ram wasn't finished.

"But sister, when you choose your happiness, remember something." Ram said in a calm tone, and Rem kept an expectant look. "Happiness that comes with a 'but' is not true happiness."

Rem's eyes widened, as if a great veil that obstructed her vision had been torn away in an instant.

She looked away from her sister for a moment, looking back at something, contemplating something again.

After a few moments, she let out a sigh, a slight, resolute smile permeating her lips.

"I understand now," she said.

"You understand?" Ram asked.

Rem nodded affirmatively.

Ram laughed softly. "That's good."

Notes:

This chapter took a little longer than I expected, but it was a delight to write, haha! I hope you enjoyed it, and if you have any criticism, praise, or questions, feel free to leave a comment.

The next chapter, however, will not be released next Sunday, but don't worry, I already have a set date for chapter 11, which I will reveal in the coming days along with a special announcement, so stay tuned. See you next time!

Chapter 11: Special announcement + Release date for the next chapter

Hello, my dear readers! First of all, I would like to thank all of you who have read this fic so far. You are the ones who motivate me to keep updating this story and continue investing in my almost obsessive passion for writing (and for Re:Zero, hehe😉).

As I warned in the previous chapter, chapter 11 could not be released on Sunday (today) because I knew that this week would be busier than usual, and yesterday, September 6, was my birthday haha, so happy birthday to me!🎉

However, as promised, I was going to announce the date of the next chapter—chapter 11—along with a special announcement. So let's start with the special announcement.

 

•Special announcement:

 

I love writing stories, it's been my passion for a long time, and I've always had the dream of writing an original work. In fact, writing this Re:Zero fanfic has given me more and more motivation to do so, and therefore, I've made up my mind! Soon, very soon, I will begin publishing an original story, a web novel, which will be published on the "Web Novel" platform.

I already have a very solid concept for a fantasy story with a sci-fi twist, which I consider to be quite original, and personally, I have never seen anyone do anything like it before.

The story will focus on action, romance, mystery, and world-building, and will be written in a "strategic style writing". Despite my love for Re:Zero, I must confess that the story I am planning is quite different from it. If I had to name an inspiration, it would be the work "Lord of the Mysteries," which some of you may be familiar with, but even so, my concept manages to be very different from it.

It will be a work that I will invest the next few years of my life in, and it will be the solidification of my ambitions as a writer. I really hope that some of you will want to read it in the future, and if you are interested, I can talk more about this work in the future.

But I need to make one thing clear: this fanfic will not be abandoned! So you can rest assured about that. On the other hand, inevitably, the chapters will take longer to be released, but as usual, I will always set a date for each chapter, because I don't like to leave anyone feeling anxious (in a bad way) because of my fic. It may also be that the chapters will become shorter in the future, but I will not abandon this fic, no way. Now, let's talk about the next chapter, its release date, and a few other things...

 

•The Sage Returns: Chapter 11, and a glimpse of what's to come in this story in the future:

 

The next chapter will focus entirely on the game between Subaru and Ares, and the entire game, from start to finish, will be shown in this chapter.

Ares, as I implied, is not an ordinary person and hides many secrets and mysteries. He will be very important for the future arcs of this fic, and I can say that a little bit of his character will be shown in the next chapter.

To be honest, this next chapter will probably—no—definitely be the craziest thing I've ever written in my entire life. If you like works such as Death Note, Kaiji, Usogui, and others, you'll probably really like what I've planned for chapter 11.

This chapter will also be the conclusion of Phase 2 of Arc 1 of this fanfic. Phase 1 was completed in chapter 6, the chapter where Subaru, Rem, Ram, and Beatrice talk during the early hours of the morning, and now, Phase 2 will be completed in this next chapter.

After chapter 11, from chapter 12 onwards, Phase 3 of Arc 1 will begin, and this will be the phase where the love triangle between Subaru, Emilia, and Rem will finally be the main focus, and we will see the romance solidify in this story. Although I don't want to give any spoilers, we will finally see Emilia developing deeply as a character romantically speaking, and we will also see what the hell Rem is thinking and planning about this matter. And once and for all, Subaru will have to resolve this issue. I really hope you like the way I will work on this romantic part of the fic, because honestly, I am very excited about it!

Now, to wrap up this topic, I will reveal the title of the next chapter and the release date, as promised...

 

Chapter 11: "The Dark Knight and the Red Prince"

September 11, 2025

 

Thank you very much for reading this far, and I'll see you in the next chapter!

Notes:

If you have any criticism, praise, or questions, feel free to comment!