(A/N: This chap is bigger than your dick)
...
(3rd Pov)
It was the next day in the Royal Capital, the day when the Royal Selection was finally set to begin.
However, Emilia had firmly refused to let him accompany her to the castle.
"Emilia… this is going too far! As your bodyguard, I deserve to go to the Castle with you," he said, his voice tinged with slight anger.
"I—I know," she stammered, "but Roswaal and I have decided it's better if you don't come. There will be plenty of security inside the castle, and you don't seem familiar with noble etiquette… I'm sorry." She bowed deeply, and he let out a heavy sigh.
"Fine… you can go without me," he muttered, anger not directed at Emilia but rather at Roswaal. He quickly tried to calm himself as Emilia left.
"Master Zero… Lady Emilia might not show it often, but she does care about you," Rem said quietly.
'I know,' he thought. 'Should I just stay here then?'
But if Roswaal's plans were to go off the rails, he knew he would have to take a much more aggressive approach.
There was one thing he had realized after observing Roswaal for the past month: Roswaal apparently had no idea why the new Subaru was so strong.
He seemed frustrated, and if there was anything to go by, Subaru thought either Roswaal's Book of Wisdom had stopped working… or that it simply couldn't record him anymore.
Yet Roswaal still had a clear idea of what was supposed to happen in the original timeline, which created a contradiction.
No matter how strong Subaru might be now, he was nothing compared to Roswaal, who might just kill him to restart the loop.
'Well, if I'm going to follow the plan… then I'll do it with a bang,' he thought with a smirk, knowing exactly how to get into the castle.
"Reina!" he called out, feeling a little embarrassed. The next moment, the beautiful girl appeared before him.
"You called for me, Zero?" she asked, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him.
"Ahem. Today is when the Royal Selection starts, right? I want to actually go see it," he said, and she looked surprised.
"Zero, wasn't Lady Emilia supposed to allow you to come with her? You're even acting as her bodyguard!" Reina said with a hint of venom in her voice.
Subaru quickly explained the entire situation, emphasizing that it had been Roswaal's idea, though he knew Emilia shared some of the blame.
"Pathetic. First they had the audacity to ask you to be her bodyguard, and now they treat you like you're nothing," she said, clenching her fists.
He gently patted her head, and her anger melted away as she blushed happily.
"I'm sorry, Reina, but I have to ask a favor," he said.
She nodded immediately. "Don't worry! This will be a small task for me!" she said confidently, patting her chest.
After saying goodbye to Rem, he followed Reina toward the castle.
"Hmm… this place is really huge," Subaru commented as he sat inside the carriage with Reina sitting in front of him.
However, she wasn't looking outside—she was staring at his face, entranced, trying to imprint the way he lazily gazed out the window into her memory.
Secretly, she used her Divine Protection to capture the moment with her eyes.
Suddenly, the carriage came to a halt.
"Zero… we've arrived. Just follow me," she said as they stepped out.
Some nobles and knights had just arrived as well, and they glanced at Reina as she stepped from the carriage.
"Isn't she the famed Sword Saint?" someone whispered.
"Indeed. I heard she is the strongest successor," another whispered back.
Meanwhile, Subaru got out of the carriage, following her and drawing unexpected attention.
"Follow me, Zero. Since you're officially a bodyguard now, it would be fitting if you join the Knights' line," she said, and he nodded.
They soon arrived at the hall.
On the right side stood nobles, while on the left were the Royal Knights.
Reina's presence attracted some attention, but it wasn't too overwhelming—until people's eyes fell on the boy following her, sparking their curiosity.
"Zero?" Emilia said in disbelief, having previously told him not to enter the castle.
"Why are you here? Didn't I tell you to stay back at the hotel?" she asked, a hint of betrayal in her eyes.
"It's a very important day for you, so I had to come, despite your orders," he said without a hint of hesitation.
"Zerooo, you may be a guest in my mansion, but here you're her bodyguard," Roswaal said with a small, knowing smile.
"But foremost, I am her friend, and isn't it a bodyguard's job to follow the person they are supposed to protect?" Subaru said without hesitation, looking directly into Roswaal's eyes.
"Weeell, then suit yourself. I apologize for the trouble it has caused to bring him hereee," Roswaal said with a slight bow to Reina, who simply nodded in acknowledgment.
Emilia looked at Subaru with disappointment. His words about being 'friends' had moved her somewhat, but Roswaal had warned her that Subaru's presence might bring complications.
"Zero, I think you sh—" Emilia started to say something, but Reina stepped in front of Subaru.
"Lady Emilia… The conference is about to begin, and it would be very, very rude to Zero if you tried to throw him out now," Reina said in a measured tone, though there was a hidden edge of venom in her voice.
"Throw him out?! I—I didn't mean that!" Emilia gasped, drawing the attention of several nearby people.
"Lady Emiliaaaa… People are watching, and as she said, it's too late now," Roswaal said smoothly, and Emilia sighed in defeat.
"Fine, but you must explain this to me when we return," she said, casting a small glare before turning away.
"It seems you are here as well, Bro," Alderban chimed in, standing beside Priscilla.
"Hmph! Peasant, from what I hear, you sneaked in without your master's order… I assume you are here to offer your loyalty to me?" Priscilla said, waving her Chinese fan arrogantly.
"Dream on," Subaru replied flatly. Reina kept a poker face but was fuming on the inside.
'How dare this woman try to make my Zero her servant?!' she thought furiously. If not for her Divine Protection, her calm expression would have twisted into anger.
"The Wise Men have entered!" a voice suddenly announced.
"It seems the conference is about to start… My Lady, you go forward, while we shall take our place among the knights," Alderban said.
"Do not order me, Al," Priscilla snapped.
"I was merely suggesting," Al replied with a bow, and she nodded in satisfaction before stepping forward.
"Zero, follow me," Reina said, tugging his sleeve gently, and he nodded. The three of them took their place in the knights' line.
There, they spotted Felix.
"Nyah, so you're here," he said, glancing at Subaru. He recalled how Wilhelm had told him that Reina was teaching Zero swordsmanship and how much potential her disciple showed.
"Indeed… As Emilia's bodyguard, I can't just leave her hanging," Subaru shrugged, and Felix nodded in understanding.
"Ah! Miss Reina, greetings to you as well," Felix said, looking at Reina, whose face remained emotionless.
'No matter how many times I see her face… it still looks creepy,' Felix thought quickly, stepping behind the others.
"Miss Reina, I offer you my greetings. I was wondering why you were so late," Julius suddenly turned toward Reina and gave a bow. She merely nodded.
"Well, I asked her to bring me here, so she got delayed," Subaru explained, noticing Reina standing silently without responding to Julius.
"You… are Lady Emilia's bodyguard?" Julius narrowed his eyes, then looked at Reina, who suddenly stepped in front of Subaru.
"Is there something the matter, Sir Julius?" she asked in her emotionless, robotic tone. Julius shuddered slightly and stepped back.
"N-nothing," he stammered, turning toward the Wise Men who had just settled in their seats.
"Reina, telepathy," Subaru whispered, and at last her eyes showed some emotion.
'Is there something you want to discuss with me?' her voice was sweet, contradicting her usual cold tone as she spoke to Julius.
'Is Sir Julius your friend?' Subaru asked.
'No… Why do you ask?' she replied softly.
Subaru frowned. 'Nothing… Let's focus on the conference.'
"Now, if I may proceed… I am Marcos, leader of the Royal Knights, and I will open today's conference," Marcos announced.
Mikoltov, one of the Wise Men, began. "It all started about half a year ago… when the Royal family, including the King, went into hiding—causing widespread panic—"
"Excuse me. I know you want to put on a good show here, but I'm quite busy. As we say in Kararagi, 'Time is money,' so please get to the point about why you've gathered us here," Anastasia Hoshin interrupted sharply.
"I agree," Crusch nodded firmly, and Marcos glanced at her.
"Crusch-sama, as head of the Karsten family, are you really saying such a thing?" Marcos asked pointedly.
As they conversed as if at a formal tea party, Subaru silently observed.
'Everyone is speaking Japanese, but the written language is different… Moreover, the people here look like a perfect blend of all the races from my past life… They are more beautiful and handsome,' he thought.
He didn't have the liberty to dwell on this too much but noticed that, as a Japanese, he looked quite different from the Japanese back in his old world, making Natsuki appear even more handsome.
It was as if everyone here resembled real-life fairies—and to sprinkle in some Xianxia flavor—everyone was a Jade beauty.
He chuckled at the thought just as Heinkel entered dramatically.
"I am Heinkel, current head of the Astrea House, presenting the last candidate, Miss Felt!" Heinkel announced, drawing everyone's attention.
For the first time, he wasn't reeking of alcohol and looked dignified.
Felt entered the room and joined the Royal Candidates.
She wore a royal yellow gown, her hair adorned with a ruby. Her skin looked healthier than before, making her appear very cute.
Then the Council of Wise Men proceeded to explain the Dragon's prophecy and the true reason for their gathering.
"Very well, the Royal Candidates may now step forward and share their ideals," Marcos announced formally.
First to step forward was Priscilla, accompanied by her knight Alderban.
"The Selection is pointless. I alone am destined to rule this kingdom! All of you need to do is kneel before me and serve at my feet!" Priscilla declared boldly.
The nobles and Royal Knights exchanged glances, some looking at her with disbelief.
Next came Crusch, flanked by her attendant Felix.
"Should I become ruler, I will make the dragon forget the covenant and break it. The Empire of Lugunica does not belong to the dragon—it belongs to us!" she stated firmly, causing a ripple of surprise among those present.
Then Anastasia approached with Julius at her side.
"I am a greedy person; no amount of commercial success will ever satisfy me. I want my own nation!" she bluntly declared, stunning everyone into silence.
Natsuki Subaru's eyebrows twitched as he observed this.
'Seeing it on a screen is one thing… but knowing these people could actually become rulers? No wonder Lugunica was doomed without Subaru's interference,' he thought bitterly.
Next was Emilia, accompanied by her supporter Roswaal.
"I have only one wish: to create a nation where everyone is treated equally," she said, her speech brief but sincere.
Then Felt appeared, endorsed by Heinkel Van Astrea.
"Now listen carefully! If I become ruler, I will turn this kingdom upside down! For starters, I will destroy the slums and rebuild them into livable places. I will make sure every citizen of Lugunica goes to bed with a full stomach—and I'll use the nobles' money to do it!" she declared passionately.
"What kind of joke is this? I've endured enough already… Are these people seriously supposed to be the candidates for our future rule? And which noble house does Miss Felt belong to?" a noble shouted indignantly.
"May I ask where Miss Felt comes from?" one of the Wise Men questioned Heinkel, who hesitated.
"Um—she's a commoner, but she is well—" Heinkel was abruptly cut off.
"Listen carefully! I come from the place you people have long forsaken! From the slums!" Felt declared loudly, widening everyone's eyes.
"A gutter rat?! The Astrea family is supporting a gutter rat?!" another noble spat.
"Not to mention, Roswaal L. Mathers is supporting a half-devil!"
"Yes! A half-devil as a Royal Candidate?! What kind of joke is this?"
"I—I am not a half-devil!" Emilia tried to calm the crowd, but her words only fueled their anger.
"Shut up, half-devil!"
"Who would ever choose a half-devil as their ruler?"
"Begone, witch! You are a bad omen for the Kingdom!"
Emilia lowered her gaze, silently enduring the barrage of insults.
"My, my, it's not polite to call a half-elf a half-devil," Roswaal said with a faint smile, but it did nothing to stop the insults.
Subaru, who had been silent until now, looked toward Roswaal, who was smiling calmly.
'He knew this would happen. The original Subaru would have done the same,' he thought, then smirked.
'You want a show? Fine. I'll give you a goddamn cinema,' he thought, already devising a plan. 'It's risky, but Reina is here. If I play my cards right, I can get Roswaal out of the picture.' Suddenly, his eyes gleamed with determination.
"Shut up! All of you!" he shouted, startling everyone. Calmly, he stepped out of the line and positioned himself between the factions.
"Are the nobles—no, all the high-ranking people of this kingdom—really so foolish?!" he demanded.
"What are you saying?" someone called out.
"What am I saying? I'm saying all of you are stupid!" he shouted loudly, causing gasps to ripple through the crowd.
"T-the audacity!" the nobles fumed angrily.
"Emilia has been chosen as the Dragon Priestess by the Divine Dragon Volcanica herself. Are you really going to claim that the Dragon is wrong?" Subaru challenged.
"The Kingdom of Lugunica belongs to its people, not to the dragon!" argued a noble, showing his support for Crusch.
"Oh really? The Kingdom of Lugunica is called the Dragon Kingdom for a reason, dumbass! And when the kingdom was in peril, it was the Divine Dragon who saved it!" Subaru retorted, making the noble hesitate.
"And you call Emilia a half-devil? On what basis? Just because she is a half-elf?" he asked pointedly.
"Indeed! She shares the same bloodline as the Witch of Envy!" shouted a nobleman, his face flushed with anger.
"Then… if a Royal Knight steals, bullies people, or rapes women, should I assume that all Royal Knights are scum?" Subaru's words suddenly shook the room, the sound of swords being drawn echoed sharply.
"Do not dare insult the Knight Order!" Julius said, drawing his sword and pointing it threateningly at Subaru, who calmly ignored the threat.
"If a noble steals from the people—wait! They always do! So, are all nobles scum too?" Subaru asked again.
"What exactly is your point, boy?" a wise man asked in a displeased tone.
"As I said, if I were to assume that an entire class of people were scum just because of the actions of one person, then what does that make me? A stupid, foolish, biased, ignorant person! And that's exactly what all of you are doing!" Subaru declared.
Silence fell over the room, but a cold tension permeated the air as Subaru had insulted both the nobles and the Royal Knights, who now glared daggers at him.
Suddenly, the sound of slow, deliberate clapping broke the uneasy silence. Everyone turned toward the source.
It was none other than Reina, who was applauding quietly.
"I couldn't have said it better myself," she said calmly, shocking everyone, especially the Royal Knights.
Julius' hands trembled. "M-Miss Reina?" he muttered in disbelief.
"I support Sir Zero's words," she declared, stunning the entire assembly.
"Stupid girl!" Heinkel gritted his teeth in frustration.
"Oh? Do you think the same?" Mikoltov asked thoughtfully, stroking his beard.
"Indeed," she replied firmly, sending a clear message to everyone present.
"M-Miss Reina! This is blasphemy! Do you honestly believe Royal Knights would plunder and commit such crimes?" Julius asked incredulously.
"You ask if they would do such things... However, they already have," Reina said flatly, shocking everyone.
"I have discovered at least three Royal Knights who have raped women, particularly from the slums. Countless knights plunder people every day, and because of this, I feel ashamed to call myself a Knight!" Her words stunned the entire order.
Roswaal's smile faded as he saw the situation slipping out of control, and he quickly made a move.
"Sir, I ask forgiveness for my servant—I will punish him thoroughly once he leaves," Roswaal said, intending to end the matter immediately.
"Servant?" Subaru snorted. "I do not remember being your servant, Roswaal, disciple of the Witch of Greed." His words caused another wave of gasps.
"What are you doing? Accusing the person who took you in?" Roswaal demanded, and even Emilia glared at Subaru, misunderstanding his intentions.
"Miss Reina, and all of you here who have the ability to distinguish lies from truth, hear what I have to say!" Subaru declared loudly.
"Roswaal L. Mathers is the disciple of the Witch of Greed, and he is trying to use Miss Emilia to revive his master!" His words shocked everyone.
'(A/N: Boi will shock them so much they might just drop dead from it.)'
"Blasphemy! To insult your own master's sponsor!" Julius could no longer contain himself. What Subaru was doing went against everything a Knight stood for.
He was betraying and accusing his own master! Misunderstanding the situation, he charged at Subaru, but his sword was intercepted by the sheath of another.
"M-Miss Reina!" he shouted, glaring at her as she stood between him and Subaru.
"No one can hurt Zero—not on my watch," she said firmly.
Roswaal's eyes turned cold and dangerous. He had no idea how Subaru knew the truth, but he had already decided this loop was a failure.
Using powerful magic, breaking the sound barrier, he struck Subaru with a devastating punch. The attack was so sudden and unexpected that Subaru could neither dodge nor could Reina intercept it.
Reina had been busy stopping Julius, and when she turned, her eyes widened in horror.
Subaru vomited blood as Roswaal crushed his heart, leaving a large, visible hole in his chest.
"Restart the loop," Roswaal ordered, and with another spell, blew Subaru's body into cinders.
Everyone froze, Reina's eyes wide with shock and horror.
Natsuki Subaru had died for the sixth time. (64)
'(A/N: So much for "not on my watch," my ass!)'
To be continued…
'(A/N: Give me all your powerstones! Let's get this into the top 30 if possible, maybe top 20! If we hit top 20, I'll upload two bonus chapters a day. Top 10? Then three bonus chapters daily!)