…
(Third-person perspective)
"Aghh," Subaru gasped, struggling to catch his breath as he looked around. He found himself back at the Conference, and from the sounds and sights, Anastasia was currently announcing her ideals.
"Zero, are you alright?" Reina asked, worry clearly etched on her face.
"Yeah, bro, you good?" Alderban added with concern.
"Yeah—I'm fine… Just a sudden shock," Subaru said, straightening himself. Reina gave him a brief glance before turning her attention back.
It was Emilia's turn to speak.
Meanwhile, Subaru's eyes flickered toward Roswaal.
'Damn, my plan failed,' he thought bitterly. 'I forgot that while Reina is strong, she isn't omnipotent.' He had been so convinced—thanks to the Author and the world having favored Reinhardt, or in this case Reina—that with her around, nothing could possibly go wrong.
What Subaru didn't realize was that Roswaal bore no hostility toward him—only cold indifference. When Subaru had killed Roswaal in the previous loop, Reina's divine protections failed to detect any malicious intent from Roswaal, which is why Subaru's death had come so unexpectedly.
Quickly, Subaru checked his mana reserves, surprised to find that his mana had nearly quadrupled.
Because he had developed better mana-sensing abilities, he could now gauge his mana with precision, something he had struggled with in the previous loops.
'Wait… was my earlier speculation wrong? No! It's not that. Rather, both the quality and quantity of my mana have doubled,' he realized.
If he looked closely, he could even see traces of mana lingering in the air—clear evidence of how much his abilities had improved.
There was another sensation Subaru noticed… a pull, a gentle tug. It felt as though something was calling out to him.
For now, he decided to ignore it.
"May I ask, from which house does Miss Felt come?" a noble inquired.
Heinkel hesitated briefly before replying, "She is a commoner; however, she is well-educated, and the Astrea family has made sure she is deserving of becoming a Dragon Priestess."
"A commoner?" another man repeated in surprise.
"Hmph! I come from the very place that you snobbish nobles have abandoned! It is none other than the slums!" Felt declared boldly.
"Princess! There was no need for you to say something like that," Heinkel muttered, face-palming in exasperation.
"She's a gutter rat?! What kind of joke is this? Astrea House is supporting a gutter rat?!" a noble shouted angrily.
"Not to mention, Roswaal L. Mathers supports that half-devil!"
"Why is that witch even here?! Tell her to get out!"
"Indeed, filthy witch! Get that half-devil out of here!"
As the nobles began hurling insults at Felt and Emilia, and soon the insults focused solely on Emilia, Subaru finally snapped.
"Shut up! I've had enough of this nonsense!" he shouted, silencing everyone.
"I believed the nobles and Royal Knights would be above such petty behavior, but all I see here is nothing but disappointment," he said firmly as he stepped out from the line of knights.
"I would like to introduce myself. I am Miss Emilia's temporary bodyguard; however, first and foremost, I am her friend and ally!" he declared, drawing the full attention of the assembly.
"Half-devil's ally? Her friend? You must be a witch cultist!" one noble barked at him, but Subaru's glare froze him in place.
The noble took a step back, sweat rolling down his spine. He wasn't the only one who felt the tension—everyone's instincts screamed that Subaru was dangerous. Even Julius felt a faint threat.
Only Roswaal and Reina seemed completely unfazed by Subaru's killing aura.
"A witch cultist, you say? Whether I am one or not doesn't matter. The fact is, all of you are pathetic—utterly pathetic," Subaru said coldly.
"Zero! What are you saying?!" Emilia cried, looking at him in shock.
"I'm simply stating what needs to be said," Subaru answered, then continued. "Four hundred years ago, the First Sword Saint, the Divine Dragon, and the Great Sage sealed the Witch of Envy."
Everyone present was familiar with the story.
"However, if half-elves were truly evil, why didn't the three of them slaughter every last one? Why did the same Divine Dragon who sealed the Witch of Envy select this half-elf you all despise as the Dragon Maiden? Why give her a chance?" he asked pointedly.
"What's your point, boy?" Mikoltov asked, stroking his beard thoughtfully.
"It's simple," Subaru replied firmly. "These people are fools, idiots, and racists. They consider themselves superior—superior to demi-humans, superior to commoners, superior to those who come from the slums."
"But they are wrong. Utterly wrong. The worth of a person is not judged by the circumstances of their birth, but by what they have achieved. The Divine Dragon has judged Emilia, Felt, and the other three women worthy!" he declared passionately.
"This kingdom still stands today despite being ruled by such foolish people, and that is only for two reasons," he paused, drawing the full attention of everyone present.
"And what two reasons might those be?" a wise man asked with curiosity.
"Because of the covenant with the Divine Dragon and because of the Sword Saint," Subaru answered confidently.
"If it weren't for the Sword Saint, do you honestly think you would have won the wars against other kingdoms? Or quelled the rebellions? And if it weren't for the Divine Dragon, how would this kingdom have been founded? How would it have survived to this day?" he pressed.
"If it weren't for these two, who sacrificed their peace for us, your sorry asses might be suffering the same fate as the slaves!" he shouted.
"Blasphemy! You dare say we should be treated as slaves?" a noble fumed, his anger rising.
"Zero," Emilia muttered quietly, biting her lip—his words had clearly moved her.
"I support this half-elf you fear! She will become queen and destroy the false façade of superiority you cling to! God made everyone equal, and that is how we shall live!" Natsuki stepped forward, walking up to Emilia and stopping in front of her.
"What do you fear?! Why do you waver?! Aren't you supposed to be the future queen of this kingdom?" he asked, and she flinched slightly, meeting his gaze.
Her moist purple eyes locked with his dark ones, and a faint blush crept onto her cheeks.
"Say it loudly! Say it with determination! Declare your ideals! And then go out and achieve them!" he urged.
She took a deep breath and spoke firmly. "I am Emilia. I know many of you worry because I am a half-elf, but I am also chosen by the Divine Dragon! I am a Spiritual Arts user, and I am contracted with the Great Spirit of End!"
"G-Great Spirit of End?!" a man said, eyes wide with disbelief, as Puck materialized beside her.
"Haha, Zero, what you did pleases me," Puck said with a smile, then shot a glare at the nobles.
"I am the Great Spirit of End! And remember this—I will protect my daughter with my life!" he declared.
"Now, I declare that as ruler, I want to create a kingdom where everyone is equal. There will be no difference between noble and commoner, human and demi-human!" Emilia said loudly, her face flushed with conviction.
"Good," Subaru nodded approvingly, then glanced at Roswaal, whose mouth hung open in shock.
Suddenly, someone clapped. Everyone turned to see who had dared to applaud the one who had just offended every noble and Royal Knight.
It was the Sword Saint.
A genuine smile lit her face as she clapped. "Well said!" she praised.
A wise man asked her cautiously, "Miss Reina, don't you think it's a bit presumptuous to clap for him after he just insulted all of nobility?"
"Even if it is, I don't care," she replied firmly. "What this kingdom needs right now is not a Knight, but a Ruler. And if a person speaks the truth in front of everyone, disregarding all threats for the future of the kingdom, for the betterment of us all, isn't that worthy of praise?" she said, stunning everyone.
Mikoltov smiled. "Lady Emilia… you have a fine ally—a fine bodyguard," he complimented Subaru.
"Thank you, Sir Mikoltov. Even if these fools cannot understand, I expected no less from the wisest man in the kingdom," Subaru said, returning the compliment.
Mikoltov grinned, clearly pleased by the praise. "As Zero here said, the Divine Dragon itself has made the prophecy that Lady Emilia and Lady Felt are eligible for the royal selection. Who are we to disregard the Divine Dragon's orders after it has sheltered our kingdom for centuries?"
"Therefore, we, the Council of Wise Men, shall decide the next ruler based on the achievements of each candidate—not on their class, race, or position," he declared, shocking everyone.
"What do the rest of you think?" he asked the other council members.
For a moment, there was silence.
"I agree," one raised his hand.
"I also agree," another followed.
Soon, all six members present expressed their support.
"It is decided then. In three years' time, the future ruler of the kingdom will be crowned," Mikoltov said, then glanced at Reina and Subaru.
He knew that for the first time, the Sword Saint was openly supporting someone—and it wasn't Emilia, but the boy standing before him.
He understood the value of the Sword Saint's endorsement, and he also found Zero's words to his liking.
'Still, he is too hot-headed,' Mikoltov thought, shaking his head. 'If it weren't for the Sword Saint's sudden support, this boy would have been thrown out of the conference room long ago.'
Not only that, Subaru had offended nearly all the nobles and Royal Knights, and soon enough, many would be coming after him.
'Then again, he shouldn't be weak as a bodyguard for one of the royal candidates if he has the Sword Saint's backing,' Mikoltov pondered.
Soon, the discussion drew to a close, leaving all of the nobility and Royal Knights shaken to their core.
To be continued…
(A/N: GIVE ME YOUR POWERSTONES!!!!!)