Chapter Text
A/N: Hey everybody! Chapter 4 is here a bit early and you may notice it's extra extra long. I just had too much fun writing this chapter! Without further delay, enjoy Chapter 4!
Subaru had just awoken from a nightmare. It was a terrible nightmare; he felt like he had been trapped in it for years. But try as he might, he couldn't remember even one detail. Frustrated, he shifted his inward focus outward towards his surroundings.
Subaru did not recognize the room he was in. It was a large, lavish room with velvet, red and gold-trimmed furniture. Whoever arranged it paid significant attention to the room's design. While its beauty could be appreciated by even the least trained eye, it emanated a subtle unfamiliarity that made Subaru uncomfortable.
Attempting to shake off his discomfort, Subaru sat up and began to look around. He quickly noticed he wasn't alone in the quiet, regal room. Next to his bedside was a spread-out, passed out Felt. She was completely spread eagle in a chair. Despite her unmaidenly sleeping position, she looked cute when she slept.
Subaru started to stare at the sleeping girl. He was relieved that she didn't look hurt, or for that matter, he was relieved that she wasn't dead. Felt easily could have been killed at the loot house and it would have been all over right then and there. In that moment, he wanted nothing more than to embrace her.
After realizing he was smiling like an idiot at her, Subaru snapped out of his trance. He blurted out, "Eh?! F-Felt! Why are you so close?!"
She didn't answer. She was out like a log. Subaru wondered how long she had been there for, but he couldn't even remember how he arrived in the storage room.
Subaru could remember the main details, such as Elsa practically slicing him open at the loot house, Old Man Rom being stabbed, and Felt's puncture wound in her thigh. The image of Elsa sucking Old Man Rom's blood off of her fingers was burned into his brain. His stomach churned.
Subaru swore in that moment he'd get revenge on the sick, lying bitch who hurt Felt and Rom. He'd kill her one day…
Just as his anger was beginning to boil over, a soft knock reverberated from the door, as if it were attempting to quell his hatred. Subaru took a deep breath, recollected himself, and managed to stow away his anger.
A stoic, knightly man with bright red hair and caring, pale blue eyes entered the room. It was his friend, Reinhard, who seemed relieved to see Subaru awake.
He sighed, "Ah, Subaru, my friend! You're awake, thank goodness!"
"Reinhard! Wh-where am I? What happened to Elsa? Why is Felt asleep on a chair next to me?"
"Well, it's a bit complicated… where should I begin?"
"I suppose I'll start from the beginning. Firstly, the lady that you were negotiating with was quite untruthful with you all. In reality, she was the notorious Bowel Hunter, Elsa Grainhart. She had been on the knight corps' watchlist for years due to her insidious crimes, but she proved to be terribly evasive. But fortunately, I was able to sense your location in time and dispatched her."
Reinhard wore an expression of scorn as he recalled more details from the loot house.
"However, I was nearly too late. Elsa had sliced you cleanly across the stomach and truthfully, your chances of survival were almost certainly nil. Had Emilia-sama not intervened right away, you and Felt's Grandfather certainly would have been dead. Luckily, my dear comrade, Felix Argyle, was able to assist in time and saved you both from near-certain demise."
Reinhard's eyes lightened up as he spoke about one of his dearest friends. "He is the best healer in all of Lugnica, so you should consider yourself most fortunate that he was able to assist us."
A feeling of guilt began to well in Subaru's chest. If it weren't for him, Felt and Rom probably would have never been in such a dangerous situation, to begin with.
"Reinhard… How long have I been here?"
Smiling, Reinhard answered as if he was admiring his dark-haired friend. "Only two days. Felix thought you would be unconscious for longer. Your vitality is most impressive, Subaru."
"Eh?! Only two days? W-well thank God Felt and everyone else is okay." Subaru looked at the troublesome, feisty blonde next to him and couldn't help but smile. Felt was safe and she'd have another chance to reach her dreams. He vowed to never let anything or anyone threaten his friends again.
"A-anyway, Reinhard, who exactly is this 'Emilia-sama' that was in the loot house with us?"
"Ah, she is one of five royal candidates in line to be the next king of Lugnica. Lady Felt had stol–" Reinhard took a moment to think over the phrasing of his next remark.
He carefully continued, "Lady Felt had misappropriated Emilia-sama's royal insignia, which was an indicator of her qualification to be king. In all honesty, Subaru, that was a most serious crime. Fortunately, Lady Emilia had opted to forgive you both and instead offered to provide you with temporary residence. "
"Temporary residence?" Subaru was confused. Why would a complete stranger offer the people who robbed her a place to stay? No one could be that nice… or naive.
"Indeed. Meanwhile, Lady Felt has been by your bedside for the past two days, refusing to leave. She had forced herself to remain awake, but it seems that in the past few hours, sleep has finally caught up to her."
Subaru was overjoyed at this development. He had always wanted a pretty girl to stay by his side if he ever got hurt. Although, he wished he didn't need to get stabbed as a prerequisite for such an event.
Refocusing his attention, he continued to press Reinhard for as much information as possible. "Reinhard, where exactly are we? If Emilia offered us residence, are we at her mansion?"
"No, you're in my mansion here in the capital of Lugnica. I'm sorry if you would have preferred to stay there, but I was forced to ensure that Lady Felt would not stay with Emilia-sama. With her newly acquired position of status, it would have looked quite suspect if anyone found out she was staying at another royal candidate's mansion. Fortunately, Lady Felt kindly 'requested' that you were to stay with her at my mansion and to pass on some vital information to you if she were unable to."
"New position of power…? And wait, if Felt hadn't intervened, were you gonna just stick me at Emilia's place? Rein, my heart going to break!" Subaru wiped a fake tear from his eyes. Reinhard, meanwhile, looked ashamed.
Subaru couldn't help but think to himself, "Damn, I'm really gonna have to teach Rein what sarcasm is." Not wanting to hurt his friend further, Subaru quickly changed the subject. "At any rate, what information does Felt want me to know?"
"Subaru, it is of the highest confidentiality and you mustn't tell another soul until our first meeting with the Sage Council. If you do, it will put Lady Felt and me in a most complicated situation."
"Don't worry, my lips are sealed!"
"Well, in truth, Felt is the fifth and final royal candidate for king of Lugnica."
Subaru was bewildered. "Whoa, does that means she's actually nobility or something? Damn, I guess I fulfilled my goal of finding a princess, after all!"
"She's not technically, nobility, Although, she is now eligible to virtually lead all of the nobility. The insignia Lady Felt took was an indicator of a qualification to be the next king of Lugnica. I noticed the central jewel glowing on Emilia-sama's insignia when she held it in her hand. The jewel only glows if the one possessing it has the right to be king."
Thinking back on it, Subaru had noticed the jewel glowed brighter than he thought possible. He also noticed where Felt stored the insignia: down her top. Turning beet red, he thought, "I suppose I'll have to ask her if she's keeping anything else important down her top…"
Reinhard sighed. "Subaru, I'm not sure what you're thinking exactly but my Divine Protections tell me that they are not very wholesome."
"Ack! You can read my mind, Rein?" Subaru quietly muttered to himself, "Damn that's OP…"
"Uh, don't worry, though, I wasn't thinking anything dirty!"
"I was totally thinking something dirty! Note to self: Don't do that around Rein."
Clearing his throat, Reinhard continued, "Lady Felt had instructed me to tell you all of this in case she was unable to. It is her hope that you will become part of her camp in support of her royal ascension.
Subaru was deeply grateful that Felt ensured he would be together with her and Reinhard. Sure, it was nice of Emilia to offer him residence at her benefactor's mansion, but there was no way he would've accepted.
"Wait, Reinhard… since when did you take orders from Felt?"
"Ah. I have since sworn to be Lady Felt's benefactor for her candidacy. I will also be serving as her royal knight. I believe that she shall be the one to ascend to king; Fate has willed it so. In order to secure such a vision, I have pledged my royalty to her. However, that is not to suggest that she has been amenable to her newly acquired position. She is, in fact, most stubborn and seems to despise the nobility altogether."
Subaru remembered the fire in her eyes when they first talked about the nobility. Felt's hatred for them ran deep and she even convinced Subaru that they were terrible people.
"Stubborn? Hating nobility? Yeah, that sounds like her."
"Indeed. It seems she has only accepted her role as if it were a temporary position. Due to Lady Felt's upbringing, she will not be well-received by many nobles. She knows this, and she'll resultingly face many unique hardships throughout her ascension. Aware of this fact, she has only accepted my role as benefactor and agreed to take residence in my mansion to aid you and her grandfather. However, I am still hopeful she shall fulfill her grander duty to the citizens of this country."
"At any rate, Subaru, I need you to take think about your decision to join Lady Felt's camp. I realize that such decision warrants time, perhaps a week or two–"
Subaru immediately interrupted Reinhard. "I accept."
Reinhard momentarily looked shocked, but his expression changed into an admirable smile.
Subaru continued, "My goal right now is to assist Felt with her dreams any way I can. If tearing down the nobility from within is what she wants, then how could I say no?"
Standing up, he patted Reinhard on the back. "Besides, buddy. I think she'd be too much work for you to handle alone."
Reinhard stifled a chuckle.
"Anyway, you said you're her royal knight. I'm kinda jealous about that one. Will I have an official title as a 'camp member,' too? Maybe Camp President? Or better yet, something more powerful. Something like the Grand Sage of the Felt Camp?
"Hmm... how about Reckless Idiot!" A cute, groggy voice came from Subaru's right. It was Felt. It looked like she was trying to hide the worry on her face by masking it with an angry expression. However, she was failing rather miserably.
With a quivering, angry voice, Felt cried out, "What the f*ck were you thinking?! Are you insane, charging into the crazy bitch like that?! It's a miracle you didn't die within two seconds!" Looking at Subaru with angry, misty eyes, she began lightly hitting him repeatedly in protest.
In a moment of sincerity, Subaru let down his guard and answered the crimson-eyed girl honestly. "I couldn't stand the thought of Elsa hurting you. You're my friend. I guess I just wanted to protect you in my own way…"
Felt was visibly confused. She turned away from him. With angry tears still clouding her eyes, she asked, "Wh-what are you saying? Why go so far to protect someone you just met…?"
"I don't know why… but I do know that it felt right and I'd do it again. Besides, I'm not gonna let you die until you've reached your goals."
Wanting to lighten the mood, the dark-haired boy attempted to change the tone in an authentically Subaru-like manner. He flashed a wide smile at the girl and struck his signature pose. "I'll make sure I become the best camp member outta everyone else, even you Reinhard!" With a wave of his hands, he proudly declared, "I can see it now: 'Natsuki Subaru, The Great Sage of the Felt Camp.'"
Reinhard chuckled and Felt kicked him in the shin. "Ow! What the hell was that for?! Here I am declaring my loyalty to you and you decide to kick me!"
Crossing her arms, Felt huffed, "You deserve it! Don't ever do something like that again, idiot. Promise!"
Subaru put his hands up in defeat. "Okay, okay! I promise. It's not like I'm exactly looking to die…" He decided to push his luck and tease the already fuming girl.
"Oh, and thank you, Felt."
"Huh? For what?"
"Well I heard that you stayed by my side for the entire two days I was asleep. I didn't realize how strongly you felt about me. We just met after all…"
Felt turned bright red. "Idiot! I did not!" As if to confirm she was telling the truth, Felt punched him square in the stomach and declared she was leaving. She stomped out of the room.
"Guess she doesn't like being teased…"
Reinhard nodded his head in assent. "No, it seems she does not."
Subaru couldn't help but laugh. He was looking forward to spending time in the mansion with Reinhard and Felt.
Meanwhile, the Kingdom of Lugnica's Court Mage sat in his study alone. His long, blue hair was disheveled, his clothes wrinkled, and he was without his typical clown makeup. The mage was in a state that he hadn't been in for years.
It was nearly pitch black in the study, save for a sphere of mana, which dimly illuminated the book in front of him. Roswaal L. Mathers, the margrave of the Mathers territory, had not felt even a rumbling of hunger in days. The only emotion he felt was fear, a fear he hadn't experienced since his encounter with a certain warlock of old.
Roswaal flipped through the pages of his book rapidly. In a cold, low voice, the margrave quietly cursed the nasty-eyed dark-haired boy. "Natsuki Subaru…"
"The Book has never deviated to such an extent before. It was expected the assassin would fail, but you failed to directly meet Emilia-sama, fall for her, and subsequently reside at the mansion indefinitely. This is all wrong. I will not let four centuries of careful planning fail because of a single boy. If the future will not line up with the book, then I must correct it myself."
"Natsuki Subaru, just who are you?"
Clutching his book tightly, he thought of his beloved, the one he would do anything and everything for. "Sensei…"
Roswaal, shaking from a mixture of fear and anger, instinctively closed his eyes. He truly could not grasp why his, the true copy of the gospel, was failing him. He had to act before it was too late.
He had but one idea to correct the events to fit the prescription of his gospel.
In a flamboyant voice full of inflections, he called out to his most loyal pawn. "Ram, pleeeease come here. You are neeeeeded."
A feminine, curt voice answered, "Yes, Roswaal-Sama." There was a courtesy knock on the door and shortly after, someone entered. "Please excuse me."
A slender, beautiful girl with short pink hair stepped inside the study. She was wearing what Subaru would call a french maid outfit back in Japan. The maid outfit complemented her relatively small breasts and slim figure. Her white, thigh-high stockings covered up all skin below her waist, as was expected of a modest maid. She was truly emblematic of unassuming beauty.
The maid, Ram, was bowing to her master Roswaal. She kept her eyes glued to his, but for a split second, her eyes darted away from him and she spotted the black book on the desk. Her eyes narrowed dangerously, but imperceptibility, even to her master.
"Ahhhh~ Ram, thank you for coming so promptly.
"Of course, Roswaal-sama. A maiden like me will never be too far from her master when needed." There was a small hint of affection in Ram's words, a slight tenderness, but Roswaal either ignored it or didn't notice.
"Hmm, yesssss~ At any rate, I need you to fetch me some parchment and ink so I may write a missive. When I am done, I'd like you to send it for meeee~"
"Of course, Roswaal-sama. Who will I be sending this missive to?"
"Their identity must be kept strictly confidential~ I'm afraiiiiiid I cannot disclose it to you. However, rest assured, you should have little problem delivering it to their locationnnnn~ I will provide more detailed instruction to you later."
With a bow, Ram accepted her master's request. "Yes, Roswaal-sama."
As Ram left to retrieve the parchment and ink, Roswaal narrowed his eyes and reverted back to his original voice. With a thin, devious smile, he whispered, "Prepare yourself, Natsuki Subaru. I will not fail this time."
It had been a few days since Subaru arrived at the Van Astrea mansion. It would be a gross underestimation to say that his time there wasn't chaotic. There were several logistical challenges facing the newly organized Felt Camp that forced everyone to take on a large amount of work.
Reinhard himself seemed as if he were under the most pressure. He was responsible for sourcing personnel to serve in the Felt Camp's several vacant positions, though Felt always had the final say. Her stubbornness was proving to be a bit problematic for the camp, given that she had rejected nearly everyone Reinhard had introduced her to. However, Subaru overheard from one of the maids that some gray-haired merchant was one of the few that Felt hadn't outright rejected yet. Interested, Subaru resolved to meet this merchant at some point and see what the fuss was about.
Felt, meanwhile, was reluctantly seeing a tutor nearly every day. Reinhard had made it clear that she needed to become well-versed in multiple subjects for the upcoming royal selection, including diplomacy, Lugnican history, and economics. At first, Felt vehemently protested. After all, she was a prideful girl and viewed the royal selection as a temporary obligation because of her debt to Reinhard. She finally relented after Subaru told her he'd withhold his cell phone if she didn't agree to tutoring.
Despite her initial lack of motivation, Subaru came to realize that Felt was an exceptionally analytical and bright girl. Unfortunately, she was hindered as a result of her upbringing. Her previously impoverished lifestyle never allowed her to receive any formal education.
Because of that upbringing, she could only read the most basic glyphs, i-glyphs, in the Lugnican alphabet. Reinhard was quite frantic about her completing reading comprehension as quickly as possible.
Subaru also didn't know how to read. Unlike Felt, though, he couldn't understand any of the glyphs in the Lugnican alphabet. He had no problem with the verbal language as it was almost identical to Japanese, except for a few Western words and modern phrases. Unfortunately for him, Subaru was nowhere near as fast of a learner as Felt, though he was very dedicated to learning because his position, Chief Advisor, in the Felt Camp required him to be able to read.
Felt and Subaru's shared illiteracy necessitated them to take reading comprehension courses together. It was these two-hour sessions that Subaru looked forward to most:
"Excellent work, Lady Felt. At this rate, you'll be able to master ha-glyphs in no time." The Van Astrea's head tutor, Freya, had been thoroughly impressed with Felt's quick learning in her subjects. She was an exotically pretty, young woman in her early 20s with emerald-colored hair and eyes. Subaru couldn't help but be distracted by her impressive figure, complete with full, large breasts and perfectly proportioned thighs which were highlighted by the thin, white fabric she wore. She was one of the few in the camp who knew of Felt's new status as Royal Candidate.
With a deceptively sweet voice, Freya continued, "Subaru, perhaps one day you'll learn half of the i-glyphs necessary to read children's books."
Felt snickered, "Hah, oh man, I don't know how you're gonna be my Chief Advisor. We're totally f*cked!"
"Hey! I'm trying my best here, I've never even seen these characters before I arrived in this world!"
Felt playfully began to tease Subaru. "There ya go again about not being from this world. If I would've known how crazy you were, I never woulda stopped to rescue you in that alley!"
Pretending not to enjoy their banter, Subaru protested, "Words hurt you know… But really, I'm not from this world. Maybe one day I'll convince you to believe me."
Felt laughed, shooing him away, "Yeah, yeah, whatever you say."
Freya wasn't as dismissive as Felt. She was more curious if the words the dark-haired boy spoke had any truth behind them. "Well, Subaru, can you provide us any proof? It's difficult to believe something like that without any evidence. Lots of people claim they're from beyond the waterfall."
Subaru thought for a moment. "Hmm… Oh, I know! Let me write you some kanji!"
Felt co*cked her head in confusion. "Con-gee?"
Subaru began furiously writing.
[ナツキスバル]
Subaru Natsuki.
"What the hell are those scribbles?"
Subaru flashed a toothy grin. Pointing to himself, he proudly declared to Felt, "It's my name!"
"No, I'm pretty sure those are scribbles."
"They're not!" Sighing Subaru tried again to convince the two stubborn girls. He began writing more.
[私はあなたが好きです]
I like you.
Freya was curious what he wrote. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Realizing what he wrote, Subaru turned a deep crimson. He scratched the back of his head with a fake smile, "Uh, nothing! This one actually was just scribbles."
Felt was unconvinced. "You took meticulous detail in writing each character. There's no way it's just scribbles! Also, why are you so red?"
To avoid explaining what he wrote to the girl, he decided to tease Felt to distract her, "Oh, I just wrote that you look really pretty today, Felt!" Whenever Subaru would tease her, Felt always got flustered and didn't know how to respond. This time was no different.
"H-huh?! Idiot, you always say things like this!" Felt smacked Subaru on the back of the head. "I'm gonna go visit Gramps!" She stormed out of the room. Old Man Rom had refused to live with the upper echelon of the mansion, instead taking residence in the servant's quarters outside of the mansion. It was still nearby the mansion, though, considering it was a few minutes walk across the Van Astrea property.
Freya shot Subaru a smug look, "Say, Subaru, what did you really write? It wasn't a confession to Lady Felt, was it?"
"What? N-no! We don't have a relationship like that, we're just friends."
Just friends. Was that all he wanted them to be? Was that all they could be? Subaru didn't know why he wrote a confession, it was just the first thing that came to his mind when he thought of Felt.
From the moment he saw her for the first time in that alleyway, Subaru knew that she was special. He also found her super hot. Her golden hair and her deep, crimson eyes never failed to ensnare him into a hypnosis. Nothing could eclipse her sweet, sometimes scary, smiles. All he wanted was to stand by her and protect her, although admittedly, she could probably protect him much better. Maybe she wasn't his summoner goddess like he originally thought, but she was still special to him. One day he'd get that coveted lap pillow all those manga MCs got in his old books. Although he wouldn't mind a kiss from her either…
Freya pressed Subaru for more, "Just friends? Hmm, is that so… You seem quite close with Lady Felt."
"Yeah… I guess we are."
Subaru hadn't realized it before, but Freya was right. He and Felt were getting really close, closer than he'd ever been with anyone else back in Japan. In fact, ever since he woke up in Reinhard's mansion, the two had seemingly been spending most of their free time with one other. Granted, Felt had far less free time than he did because of the tutoring she was forced to undergo, but still, the two always managed to hang out. Usually, they bantered with each other, and Subaru especially enjoyed teasing Felt despite the physical punishment he would receive.
But, they talked about more serious topics too from time to time.
Subaru thought back to the conversation they had late last night after dinner:
…
"Ahhhh, man, I hate these prissy nobles and this stupid mansion, but I gotta give 'em credit for their food. It's freakin' delicious! Don'tcha think, Subaru?"
"Yeah, I love Western food! But I didn't really eat it all that much back in my hometown. I didn't get outside often, so I mainly just ate at home."
"I've told you before, dummy, this isn't 'Western' food. We're the easternmost nation in the world so how can it be Western food! Anyway, why didn't you go outside a lot in your hometown? Only nobles would have the luxury to stay indoors all day."
Subaru scratched his forehead. "Well, it wasn't exactly a choice I intended to make. It just sort of… happened."
Felt tilted her head in confusion like always. "Huh? Whaddaya mean? I don't get it."
Momentarily weakened by her cute head tilt, Subaru didn't feel like faking an answer. "You really want my life story?"
Nodding her head, she proudly reaffirmed her desire, "Yeah, I do. Well, only if it's a good one, anyway!" Felt teased Subaru, but didn't give it her all. Perhaps she sensed Subaru was feeling a bit downcast as they brought up the past.
Subaru chuckled, "Well, okay, I'll do my best for you."
"I guess it started because I felt… I feel like I'm an unbelievably small person; like an idiot who's never good enough."
"I've always had this way of somehow managing to squeak through anything, y'know? Like in schoolwork and sports: even if I didn't put in a lot of effort, I'd still be a fast runner and earn strong grades. When I actually did try, I'd even be at the top of the class."
"I don't really know when it started, but slowly I was no longer the best at the things I used to be the best at. What used to be my 'best' grew smaller and smaller."
"I started thinking that it all made no sense. I put more effort than I used to, but the results were getting worse. Working my hardest at school seemed stupid. And why was being fast something to brag about? Making everyone laugh seemed way cooler to me, and I was way better at it."
"But over time, it became clear that I'd always have to do something bigger and crazier next time. I just… didn't want people to think I was boring. I thought I could do anything. I made everyone think I would do anything. And so the things I did got dumber and dumber."
"Looking back, I was completely out of control. I knew everyone was a bunch of idiots, but, I wanted them to think that they couldn't have this much fun if they weren't with me… that they could regret whatever they wanted, as long as we spent the boring times doing pointless crap for fun."
"But the next thing I knew, I was looking around and there was no one left but me. That's when I finally realized that there was nothing special about me at all."
"From then on, I just spent all my time trying not to stand out. That's how I got through middle school, but when I got into high school... I gotta say, I really blew my high school debut. But it was bound to happen, I'd never had any real relationships up to that point. High school wasn't gonna be any better."
"And then it occurred to me... I just... didn't want to go to school."
"It all snowballed from there."
"One day a week of skipping school turned into one in every three days, then every other day... It didn't take even a couple months before I stopped going at all."
"But no matter how pathetic I was, Dad and Mom still treated me the same as always. That's what scared me most of all. I wanted them to say, 'I don't love you.' 'I despise you.' 'You're not my son.' I wanted them to tell me that and throw me out. I wanted them to beat than into me and make me give up. But, they never did… and I never got the chance to talk to them before I came here. I really want to see Mom and Dad one last time."
Tears welled up in Subaru's eyes. He looked down to avoid Felt's gaze. "I'm pathetic, aren't I?"
"Yeah. You are." He slunk down further when he heard Felt's answer. He had hoped that she would never see him the same way he saw himself.
"But, I don't care if you're pathetic. I don't know the Subaru you described to me, nor do I want to. I only know the funny, kind, idiot Subaru crying his eyes out right in front of me. Sure, you drive me a bit crazy, but ever since we met, my life has improved so much. Without you, I could've been stuck in the slums, dead in the loot house, or something worse."
"What's pathetic is that you don't see your value, your potential. If you dedicated yourself to a goal, there's no way you wouldn't reach it. But, most importantly, you don't need to be some ideal guy that everybody else loves or respects."
"Of course, not everyone will like you if you're not the ideal guy, but the people who truly matter will. Just be yourself."
Subaru finally unburied his head and noticed Felt softly gazing at him. Barely above a whisper, she finished, "I like the Subaru in front of me and I know your parents did too. That's why you should like yourself more."
"Felt…"
"Now stop cryin', idiot. You're makin' me doubt if the guy between us is actually you." Snickering, Subaru nodded and wiped his eyes with his tracksuit sleeve.
As if that were her queue to leave, Felt hopped off of her chair and began to walk out of the kitchen. "Alright, I've had enough of this mushy crap for the night. I'm outta here."
He called out to Felt before she disappeared from the room. "Hey, Felt?"
She stopped in the doorway but didn't turn around.
"Thank you for, y'know… listening. And for what you said. I'll do my best from here on out. Sleep well."
He failed to hear her whisper, "You're welcome… G'night, Subaru." With a slight blush, Felt quietly scurried away.
…
After reminiscing about last night's conversation with Felt, Subaru realized that he was lying. He was lying to Freya, he was lying to Felt, and he was lying to himself.
He finally let it out. "I don't want to be friends, I want more. I don't want to be the ideal guy she talked about, I want to be her ideal guy. I like her so much… But, I know she doesn't feel the same way. Who would want to be with someone like me?"
Subaru searched his conscience deeper, hoping to find a small voice that could convince him he was wrong.
He didn't find it. Answering his own question, he thought, "Nobody, that's who."
Over the course of the next few weeks, Subaru became accustomed to his life in the Van Astrea mansion.
He was proud that the Felt Camp began to take its form. Most of the important positions were filled, tasks were running smoothly, and even Reinhard was able to spend less time in a panic. Though Reinhard still had to smoothe over Felt's crude behavior whenever she prepared for the upcoming first meeting of the Royal Candidates. Unfortunately, the meeting was fast approaching, and Felt still hadn't made much progress on her inaugural speech to the Sage Council and the nobility.
Subaru and Reinhard both believed that they needed as much time as possible to refine Felt's temperament to that of the other royal candidates, which is why they decided to keep Felt's identity strictly confidential to the public.
There was also the issue of Reinhard's father, Heinkel. If Subaru could put it eloquently, he would describe Heinkel as a total piece of sh*t alcoholic. In fact, his alcoholism was so bad that Subaru didn't even know he lived at the mansion until a week into his stay. Heinkel had apparently been on a major binge and wasn't able to leave his quarters because he literally couldn't stand.
Needless to say, Felt and Subaru's first introduction to Heinkel was not a pleasant one. Heinkel hurled orders and insults to Reinhard, threw an empty bottle at Subaru, and called Felt a "filthy slum whor*."
Reinahrd managed to stop Subaru from rushing towards his father, but Felt used her Divine Protection to move so quickly that Subaru couldn't even see her when she delivered the fastest, hardest kick to his genitals in response.
Heinkel now avoids most interactions with Felt.
The same could not be said for Reinhard, though. Heinkel seemed to berate his son whenever he had the chance. Subaru wanted to have a long conversation with Reinhard about it. After all, he couldn't stand seeing his friend look so miserable yet be unable to push back on his father. He promised himself that he'd sit Reinhard down and slap some sense into him the next time they were alone.
However, he had a meeting with Felt and a merchant named Otto in a few minutes. The Felt Camp still had a vacant position for the Head of Internal Affairs and Felt still hadn't outright rejected him for some reason. Subaru was supposedly wanted at the meeting to help Felt decide if they should bring the merchant into the camp or not.
Before he left to attend the meeting in the foyer, Subaru managed to work up the confidence to ask Reinhard a question.
"Hey Rein?"
"What is it, my friend?"
Without making eye contact, Subaru scratched the side of his head. Timidly, he asked, "So, uh, are there any rules or whatever about relationships and the royal candidates?"
"I'm not sure I follow what you mean."
Subaru wanted to smack his friend for being so dense. He tried again, "Well, are royal candidates allowed to y'know… to start a committed relationship during the royal selection?"
"Ah. Well, there's certaintly no rule that I'm aware of which restricts who royal candidates can be committed to during the selection.
Subaru sighed out a breath of a relief. "Oh, that's good to hear–"
Interrupting Subaru, Reinhard continued. "However, it would be most ill-advised for a royal selection candidate to become betrothed before she were to ascend to king."
Subaru's heart dropped. "It would? Why?"
"Well, for one, the Sage Council and upper nobility would certainly be opposed to such an arrangement. After all, the selection is for our new king, not for a new king and her husband. It would easily give the other candidates who have no engagement commitments a boost in popularity while reducing the betrothed ones'. For another, it is an entirely risky move. The man in question would be under intense scrutiny. If he failed to be amongst the highest of echelons, the negative attention he would receive would all but erase any positive momentum the candidate has made on her own. It's better if there's only one person to focus on from each camp, I believe."
Subaru cursed Reinhard for being so logical. Even he thought it sounded like a terrible idea now.
Raising his eyebrow, Reinhard questioned Subaru. "Why do you ask? Is Lady Felt perhaps interested in someone?"
"N-no! That's not it! She's definitely not. I was just curious, I guess."
"I see. Well, yes, it's not a good strategic move, but I suppose it couldn't be helped if the candidate were to be betrothed prior to the selection. Certainly Lady Barielle would have had a husband if he were still around…"
"Prior to the selection?"
"Well, prior to the first meeting of all five candidates, at the least."
He was not a noble nor did he have enough time. It was probably pointless.
"Well, thanks Rein. I gotta get to a meeting downstairs but I'll see ya around!"
"See you, Subaru!"
Turning around, he yelled one last time, "Oh, and you and I are gonna have a nice long chat about family soon!"
"Family? Curious… Even with my divine protections, I can never tell what you're thinking."
Subaru ran down the main stairway and burst through the foyer doors. Panting, he yelled, "I'm here! Sorry, I'm late!"
A high-pitched yelp pierced his ears.
"Heh, sorry Felt, didn't mean to scare ya."
Felt ground her teeth in anger. "That wasn't me, idiot." She turned to the boy sitting across from her. With a murderous expression, she seethed, "That was our guest, Otto."
Felt's threatening aura further weakened Otto's composure. He continued timidly, "N-nice to meet you Natsuki-sama! I'm Otto Suwen of the Suwen Trading Company. I'm sorry, your sudden entrance frightened me and I–"
Subaru broke out in a deep laughter. "Pffft, hahaha! Oh man, Felt, where the hell did you find this guy?"
Looking embarrassed, Felt responded more curtly than usual. "I didn't 'find' him, he was recommended! Look, it doesn't matter! What's important is that he has the connection to the dealer who wants to buy your metia! That's why we're here!"
Otto's shoulders slouched. "I thought I was here for an Interior Affairs position…"
"Oh, yeah… you are! Your final test is to hook us up with the guy who wants to buy Subaru's self-own! If you pass, the job's yours!"
"It's a cellphone. How many times do I have to tell you…" Subaru walked over and sat next to Felt on the couch, ignoring the adjacent empty armchair that was brought specifically for him. She shot him a sideways glance but Subaru didn't seem to notice.
Otto sighed. "Well, it's obvious you forgot about the meeting's original purpose, but I don't mind. As long as I get the job, I can deal with being forgotten."
Subaru became a bit curious at Otto's apparent apathy about being forgotten. "Why do you want the job so badly, anyways?"
"Well, Natsuki-sama–"
"Please man, none of that '-sama' crap."
"Alright, Natsuki-san. Well, truth be told, I made a bit of an investing oversight. I poured almost all of my savings into oil thinking the market was going to become ripe, so now I've got far too much of it Unfortunately, the oil market crashed so the barrels I've got are practically worthless. If I don't find a way to sell the oil back and recoup my losses, I'll have to deal with Russell Fellow. Eventually, I'd probably end up as a debt slave…"
Subaru nodded. "Otto, I don't know much about negotiating, but isn't it usually a bad tactic to be so transparent?"
"Well, considering that I'm clearly here to help you sell your metia rather than discuss the intricacies of the open position, I thought I'd skip all the back and forth and simply lay everything out there."
Subaru thought that Otto may be smarter than appearances would indicate.
Turning to Felt, Otto continued. "So that's my situation. I can get you a meeting with the buyer but only if I have a guaranteed position in your camp afterwards."
Felt closed her eyes.
After thinking it over for a moment, she smiled and accepted Otto's offer. "Deal, bro!"
"Wait, Felt! Aren't there like a hundred buyers who would buy the cellphone for 20 holy coins? Do we even need him?"
Otto had taken offense to Subaru's tactless question. It looked as if his face had started to droop. Protesting, he began to explain, "Natsuki-san, while it's true that there's a highly profitable market for metias, I happen to have a connection to a noble who will pay far above market price for rare items!"
"Ah, let me guess. Felt wanted to maximize her profit as much as possible, which is why you made it this far into the interviews."
Puffing her chest, Felt smiled cheekily and pointed at herself with her thumb. "I'ma greedy girl, what can I say?"
"Should've seen that coming…" Turning to Otto, Subaru asked, "Well, when do we meet this guy?"
"I'll set up the meeting with Count Reedback as soon as possible and will return here once I have a date. I'll have you both meet me that day in the South Market Square and we can travel together to his mansion. As the broker for this trade, I'll be required to be with you to serve as witness for the transaction."
Felt groaned "Eh, you mean we're gonna have to meet with you again so soon?"
Otto hung his head. "Am I really that bad to be around?"
Subaru smiled and slapped Otto hard on the back in an apparent attempt to make him feel better. "Don't worry buddy, you're not totally insufferable!"
"Somehow that makes me feel worse…" Otto fiddled with his hat. "Gah, if this goes wrong, it'll be my head…"
Staying true to his word, Otto returned to the mansion one week later with a date for the Count Reedback meeting. Felt and Subaru were to travel to the South Market Square in three days to link up with Otto and the Count.
Felt was practically bouncing with excitement on the day of the meeting. While she and Old Man Rom were living in a much nicer environment than the loot house and the slums, Felt still had little money of her own. She was determined to change that and had been looking forward to this opportunity since Subaru and her first met.
After finishing a quick breakfast, Subaru was waiting for Felt by their carriage in front of the Astrea estate. He had been waiting for much longer than usual, but as he saw the golden-haired girl approach him, he immediately thought it was worth the wait.
Typically, Felt wore a proper variation of the outfit she wore when Subaru first met her. There were no longer any holes in her skin-tight black bottoms. Her red scarf, brown jacket, and shoes were all repaired, too.
However, today, she was not in her signature apparel. She instead donned a gold and white trimmed dress with a black and orange bodice. The bodice served to accentuate her svelte figure, highlighting her small waist and breasts. Several orange bows adorned the dress from her breast line down to the bottom of the bodice. One orange bow sat atop her golden hair, complementing the black bow she wore every day.
Subaru resolved to ask Felt why she never parted with her black bow.
However, perhaps the most striking of Felt's appearance was the red jeweled necklace she wore. While the necklace would have been stunning on its own, it made her already otherworldly eyes even more enrapturing. Subaru felt himself getting lost in Felt's eyes, his favorite feature of hers. He couldn't help but think about how gorgeous she looked in that moment.
"Dammit, I hate this frilly fancy dress! I can't move in it and I look like a freakin' noble bitch! Bleh!"
Felt raised an eyebrow at Subaru. "Why are you starin' so much? Do I've got somethin' on my face?"
"N-no! Uh, I just thought you looked nice, that's all!"
The blonde blushed slightly. "O-oh. Well, thank you I guess." Reverting back to her previous excitement about meeting the Count, she quickly scurried into the carriage. "C'mon Subaru! Let's get goin' to the market!"
Before she closed the door, Subaru heard her squeal, "Ahh, I'm gonna make so much freakin' money today!"
He chuckled and followed her into the carriage.
The two met up with Otto in the South Market Square as planned and traveled another few hours to the Reedback Mansion. However, the carriage driver informed them the was likely to be a heavy storm later in the evening due to a flurry of ominous dark clouds in the distance. He suggested they complete their business as quickly as possible to avoid any delays in returning to the Astrea Estate.
In agreement, Otto decided to assist in negotiations with the Count's representatives. He proved quite useful, as he and Felt together were manage to score a whopping thirty holy coins for the cellphone. Considering that Old Man Rom initially appraised its value at twenty, give or take a couple of coins, Otto really did come through with his connection.
Subaru found it odd that the man who was supposedly addicted to buying rare trinkets and metias wasn't present in the negotiations, but he didn't think too much into it. To be honest, he didn't really care; He was too happy for Felt that she once and for all would never need to reside in the slums. He hoped one day nobody had to.
As the three were leaving the Reedback Mansion, Felt jumped and nearly tackled Subaru.
"H-hey! What are you doing?!"
Practically squealing with joy, Felt smiled from ear to ear, "Subaru! Subaru! Subaru! I couldn't have done it without you I'm so glad we met! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"
Feeling her small breasts against his chest, Subaru turned beet red. "Y-you're welcome! Ah, just get off!"
Felt cycled through smiling cheekily at Subaru, staring at her sack of holy coins, and bouncing up and down on the carriage seat in happiness as she, Otto and Subaru finally returned to South Market Square in the city.
"Otto-bro, thanks again for hooking us up! The job's definitely yours so come around to Reinhard's soon!"
With a sigh of relief, Otto thanked Subaru and Felt. "I'm truly honored to be welcomed into your camp… and most importantly, not be a debt slave."
Snickering, Subaru slapped his new friend on the back. Something told him that he and Otto would get along well throughout the Royal Selection. "You're welcome, buddy. Now get back home before the storm hits. The sky's already black!"
"Alright, alright, Natsuki-san! I'll see you both soon."
After Otto was out of sight, Felt bolted out of the carriage towards a market stall in the square.
"Hey! Felt! Where are you going? It looks like the storm's about to hit any second now."
"Just c'mere, idiot! You see those paintings over there?"
"Yeah, what about them?"
"I'm gonna show you my hagglin' skills. Stay here and watch the master!"
Subaru watched as Felt slightly struggled to walk towards the vendor. Her poofy dress slightly inhibited her range of motion, forcing her to move much slower than usual.
He smiled. Today had been a good day.
The carriage was finally returning to Reinhard's mansion for the evening. It was good timing, too, as the storm had just begun as they departed from the market square. It was raining heavily.
Felt beamed at the artwork she purchased after managing to haggle down the price. "Ah, my discount painting! It's so pretty."
She had bought a beautiful large painting of a sunkissed view of the slums. It was quite rare to see artwork of the slums as it was not usually an aesthetic scene, but the painting Felt bought truthfully brought it alive. Violet and amethyst mixed with red and orange to create a truly beautiful sky above the slums.
Subaru nodded his head in ascent. He asked the giddy blonde, "Where are you gonna hang it?"
She smiled at him. "I'm not. You are."
Subaru chuckled. He teased, "Oh, you want me to hang it for you? You better hope word doesn't get around the camp that you needed me to help you hang a picture."
"No, you're going to hang it in your room."
"Hah, yeah right."
Felt lightly hit Subaru's shoulder. She protested, "I'm serious!"
Subaru's smile disappeared, followed by a few moments of silence. Intrusive romantic thoughts about Felt creeped into his mind, threatening to hijack his composure. He needed to sate his curiosity.
"Why?"
"Well, because it's to capture the moment. It'll be a constant reminder, not just of today, but of our introduction, the building of our friendship…" Felt briefly paused and smiled, "... of everything. Make no mistake about it my friend, this is a gift from me to you so that you'll always remember us."
Subaru stared at Felt, his face becoming contorted. It was as if he had accepted defeat. He stuck his head out of the carriage door and spoke to the driver.
"Pull over."
The carriage slowly rolled to a stop in the middle of the dark street.
Subaru brought his head back inside the carriage. It was wet from the heavy rain, causing his typically upright hair to fall down on his forehead. He settled his gaze outside the carriage door's window, opposite from Felt.
The crimson-eyed girl titled her head. "Uh, why are we stopping?"
Subaru remained silent.
Felt tried again. Calling out to the dark-haired boy, she cautiously asked, "Subaru?"
She heard him sigh, followed by a pained voice. "Because I can't take this anymore."
Her patience starting to evaporate, Felt furrowed her eyes in confusion. "Can't take what? You're acting weird! If you have something to say, then say it."
Subaru turned around and peered into her eyes. It seemed as if he were searching for something.
"Look, Subaru, I don't know what's wrong, but the storm is getting worse and we need to–"
"I like you."
A roar of thunder loudly boomed across Lugnica.
Felt, hesitating, repeated his words as if she had never heard them before. "You… like me…?"
Subaru nodded. "I like you, and not– not in a friendly way, although I think we're great friends. And not in a misplaced affection, puppy-dog sort of way."
"I like you. Very… very simple. Very truly. You are the epitome of everything I have ever looked for in another human being. And I know you think of me as just a friend, and crossing that line is the furthest thing from an option you'd ever consider, but… I had to say it."
"I just… I can't take this anymore."
"I can't stand next to you without wanting to hold you. I can't look into your eyes without feeling that… that longing you only read about in trashy romance novels. I can't talk to you without wanting to express my love for everything you are."
Felt simply stared at him, not breaking her silence.
Taking this as a queue to continue, Subaru went on. "I know this will probably ruin our friendship… but I had to say it; I've never felt this way before…"
"And I don't care. I like who I am because of it."
"Look, if bringing this to light means we can't hang out anymore, then that hurts me. But, I just– I couldn't allow another day to go by without getting it out there, regardless of the outcome… which by the look on your face is to be… the inevitable rejection."
"And, you know, I'll accept that. But I know– I know some part of you is hesitating for a moment, and if there is a moment of hesitation, then that means you feel something too. All I ask, please, is that you just– you just not dismiss that, and try to dwell in it."
"Felt, there isn't another soul on the planet who's ever made me half the person I am when I'm with you."
"And I would risk this friendship for the chance to take it to the next plateau, because it is there between you and me. You can't deny that."
"Even if, you know… even if we never talk again after tonight, please know that I'm forever changed because of who you are, and what you've meant to me. Which, while I do appreciate it, I'd never need just a painting of the slums to remind me."
Felt had not taken her eyes off of Subaru's for even a second throughout his confession. She was completely expressionless. Whether that was from disgust or disbelief, Subaru didn't know.
As the seconds passed in silence, Subaru became increasingly uncomfortable. "What the f*ck was I thinking?"
Incredibly nervous, his heart started to sink. What little hope he had of Felt returning his feelings vanished.
Each second felt like infinity as her expressionless face remained unchanged.
He needed a response. He couldn't take it anymore. Desperate to break the silence, Subaru opened his mouth to speak. Before he could though, Felt turned away, opened the door, and exited the carriage. She slammed the door behind her, not looking back.
Subaru knew he whatever relationship they had up until that point ended. With a dark expression and teary eyes, he softly laughed at himself.
But, as pathetic as he was, he still needed her answer. He opened the carriage door and stepped into the heavy rain to chase after her.
Subaru ran fast to catch up to Felt. She was soaking wet and her golden dress was becoming muddy and ruined.
Asking with a raised voice so she could hear him over the heavy rain, Subaru called out. "What are you doing?"
Quickly turning around, Felt looked at Subaru with an expression he had never seen on her before. At least not an expression ever directed at him. She was enraged. Her hair was dripping wet and her eyes were slightly red and puffy. Subaru couldn't tell if she was crying or it was the rain. Yelling at him, she cried, "Get back in the carriage and get out of here!"
"What? Are you just gonna walk back to Reinhard's? It's too far–"
Felt interrupted him. "Yes!"
Subaru became frantic. "Well, aren't you at least gonna comment on earlier?"
"Here's my comment: Get away from me!"
"Why?"
"That was so unfair! You know how unfair that was!"
Subaru couldn't hold back his emotions anymore. He allowed himself to get angry with Felt. Putting his hands up, he yelled back. "What, it's unfair that I like you?!"
"No, it's unfortunate that you like me! It's unfair you felt the need the f*ckin' need to unburden your soul about it! Do you remember for one second what position I'm in right now?!"
She was right. Subaru knew that, but he chose to disregard it when he confessed. He knew he was being selfish. Even Reinhard had said that it would be basically impossible for a royal candidate to begin a new relationship during the selection process. It would attract unwanted attention and he wasn't a noble, anyway. They'd have to get married before the campaigns officially started while they both still had their anonymity. Obviously, that was not an option.
Despite a relationship with Felt being practically impossible, Subaru's feelings for the girl overrode his logic. He continued to try to convince her to see it from his viewpoint.
"Listen, it doesn't matter if we both like each other! That's every relationship! There's always a period of adjustment. We can figure it out together!"
"'Period of adjustment?' It's not that simple! I can't just respond to your feelings without throwing my whole world back into upheaval. I'm only doing all of this to repay my debt… It's all been for Gramps and you…"
Subaru wanted to protest further but he had no fight left in him. Everything she was saying was the truth. He had been far too selfish in his desires. He felt like the most pathetic being in the world.
Felt took her eyes off of him and spoke to him quietly. "Just go home, Subaru."
She began to walk away from him once more, leaving him alone.
Subaru was numb. There were no thoughts to think about and no emotions to feel. He was just numb. Lifelessly, he began to walk back to the carriage alone, thoroughly soaked from the rain. The only sense that registered with him was the sound of rain hitting the cobblestone road.
As he approached the carriage, he noticed the sound of the rain change. The pattering of rain hitting the ground became faster and louder. He didn't care enough to look to see if that were the case. Nothing mattered anymore. Still, the pattering grew more loudly and seemingly closer to him.
He reached for the carriage door handle but was suddenly interrupted. It was a crying Felt. She jumped into Subaru, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulled him into a hug. The teary-eyed golden-haired girl let out a weak cry as she let herself succumb to her suppressed feelings of love. She leaned into his lips, passionately kissing him.
Subaru didn't have the time to speak or even be confused. He wrapped his arms around her slender waist and returned her deep, loving kiss in the rain. The weeks of his desire to feel her touch were finally satiated. Her lips felt soft and supple. Her hands were delicate, but firm as Felt held him.
Their tight embrace made them both forget all of the world and its problems. For just those few brief moments in the vast sea of time, it was only Felt and Subaru.
A/N: Whew! There were some cringe moments there that we all had to get through, but we did it!
Thank you to everybody who reviewed last chapter! I read every review and that's what keeps me writing this story!
Leave a review and let me know what your thoughts are for this chapter!
I truly hope you all enjoyed :)
See you for Chapter 5, where we'll start get into some suffering muahahaha!
