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{3rd Pov}
Subaru traveled to Priestella from Gusteko, this time making full use of his four contracted spirits to assist him in flying.
Ever since he had discovered the method of using his spirits as additional mana conduits—allowing them to channel spells in unison—he had found a far more efficient way to travel through the air without draining his own energy reserves too quickly.
And really, if he was being honest with himself, wasn't this exactly the sort of thing spirits were meant to help with? That was their purpose, wasn't it? To aid their contractor when needed.
Thanks to this cooperative effort, Subaru soon found himself arriving at the outskirts of the famed water city of Priestella.
The moment he arrived, the sight before him was nothing short of striking.
Vast, gorgeous fields stretched out before him, neatly divided by winding canals. Dozens of watermills rotated steadily, powering irrigation systems that kept the farmland lush and green.
The rivers flowed gracefully toward the city itself, their clear waters merging and winding together before finally joining the waterways that ran through Priestella.
The scene painted an image of prosperity and harmony with nature—at least, almost.
Unfortunately, that beauty wasn't without blemishes. From where he stood, Subaru could see portions of the city that had been damaged, with rubble scattered around. On one side of the farmlands, entire sections of crops had been flattened and trampled, leaving the soil scarred and lifeless.
He knew very well that every moment he delayed might carry a cost. Still, despite that awareness, he decided it would be better to first take a closer look around before heading straight in.
There was also the risk of being spotted from the sky.
If any of the Sin Archbishops happened to see him flying in, there was a real chance they might all converge on him at once—and that was a situation he'd rather avoid.
It wasn't that he was necessarily afraid of facing them all at the same time, but he couldn't ignore the possibility of collateral damage.
Innocent people could be caught in the crossfire, and that was something he had no intention of allowing if he could prevent that.
As for resurrecting anyone who might die in such a battle… Subaru wasn't about to casually do something like that.
He understood far too well the kind of implications and consequences it could bring, even if he ended up leaving this timeline in the future.
'Gloria, Betty, all of you—stay inside for now. Let's see if there are people nearby. We'll gather some information first, and then we'll sneak into the city,' Subaru said through telepathy.
'Understood,' Gloria responded, her voice calm and composed.
'Don't worry! Betty will remain inside and provide support to her contractor from here!' Beatrice declared, her tone carrying its usual pride.
Subaru hadn't mentioned it aloud, but he was well aware that Betty couldn't simply appear outside at will right now.
After all, there was already a Beatrice in this world, and letting his Betty walk around could create serious complications—especially since the Royal Candidates were likely to be familiar with the Beatrice of their own timeline.
The possibility of misunderstandings was too great, and the confusion could easily spiral out of control.
Subaru gave a small nod and began making his way toward several aura signatures he had detected nearby.
He moved carefully, keeping his presence low. Eventually, he reached a small wooden house, and through its slightly ajar door, he could see several people gathered inside.
Among them, he spotted someone he recognized—whom he had met his world's version of this person.
An older man with a massive build and a familiar presence: Rom, the caretaker and adoptive grandfather of Felt.
'Well, this is a bit unexpected…' Subaru thought to himself.
The old man noticed him almost immediately. His expression hardened, and without hesitation, Rom reached for his spiked wooden club, gripping it tightly as he glared directly at Subaru.
"Who are you?!" Rom demanded, his voice deep and edged with suspicion.
Subaru, whose eyes were now a striking golden color, still retained his black hair. He had intentionally reverted it from its previous white color after realizing there was no "Natsuki Subaru" in this world.
The other people inside the room quickly reacted as well, each grabbing whatever weapon they could—clubs, knives, or makeshift spears—and aiming them at Subaru.
In response, Subaru spread his arms wide in a deliberately non-threatening gesture.
"I've come in peace," he said calmly, his tone steady but firm.
The group exchanged cautious glances with one another, clearly unsure whether to believe him.
"We're going to do a quick check to see if you're carrying any weapons. Would that be acceptable?" Rom asked, his tone firm and suspicious.
Truth be told, in a world like this—one that could be described as medieval in its standards and dangers—such a request was far from polite.
In fact, it bordered on outright rudeness.
After all, carrying a weapon wasn't just common here; it was practically a necessity for survival. No sane traveler or townsman walked around defenseless unless they had a death wish.
However, given Rom's current state of mind, Subaru could understand why the old man would still make such a demand.
This was a man who didn't even know if his granddaughter was still alive and now a stranger comes when he is preparing to save her.
That kind of uncertainty could make anyone suspicious of strangers, especially ones who appeared suddenly at your doorstep in times like these.
"Go ahead," Subaru replied without hesitation, they were a bit surprised by his decision.
At his permission, two of the armed men approached cautiously.
They moved with measured steps, their eyes never leaving Subaru as they began their inspection. One checked his sides and arms, another quickly but thoroughly searched for any hidden blades or weapons strapped to his body.
When they found nothing, both men exhaled in relief. Their shoulders loosened slightly, though they still kept their guard up.
"Kid, that was risky," Rom grumbled after the search was over. "You shouldn't have just barged in here like that. When we pointed our weapons at you, you should have backed off immediately instead of standing there."
"It was you who suggested checking me for weapons," Subaru countered evenly. "I really wanted to speak with you all, so I went along with what you said."
Rom let out a long sigh, shaking his head. "I don't know whether I should commend you for being brave or insult you for being stupid. If it had been anyone else, they might have killed you on the spot. The only reason I made such an outrageous request was because I wanted to push you away."
Once the tension eased slightly, Subaru moved to an old, worn-out wooden bench by a rough, circular table. He sat down, resting his elbows lightly on the surface, and said, "It should be obvious why I'm here."
The five men—Rom included—glanced at one another. Their expressions ranged from suspicion to curiosity.
"You got a family member trapped in the city?" one of them asked with a slight huff.
"I'm here to save some people," Subaru replied simply, not elaborating any further. His voice made it clear he didn't intend to explain more unless he had to.
"That's not going to be easy," another man remarked, releasing a weary sigh. He then spoke up more formally. "Name's Ezzo Cadner. I'm a magician."
Subaru studied him for a moment.
Ezzo had short, neatly trimmed green hair and sharp red eyes.
There was an unmistakable air of intelligence about him, and the way he carried himself suggested experience—both in magic and in surviving dangerous situations.
The others around the table began to introduce themselves one after another, though Subaru kept his focus primarily on Rom and Ezzo.
When Subaru hinted—though without explicitly stating—that he was here to rescue someone of high importance, Rom finally spoke up again.
It was then Rom revealed that they were members of Felt's camp.
"When I heard the city Felt was visiting had been taken over, and Reinhardt van Astrea was missing—probably dead—my heart nearly jumped out of my chest," Rom admitted, his voice trembling with suppressed emotion.
He clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles whitening, before slamming one of them against the table with a loud thud. "Damn it! Reinhardt… and these filthy nobles! I told Felt not to get involved in the Royal Selection!"
"She did it to save you, Rom," one of the men interjected sharply. "Don't forget—if she hadn't entered, you would've been executed. That was the only way to protect you."
Rom fell silent at that.
"Even so," he muttered after a long pause, "I trusted Reinhardt to keep Felt safe. And now… he's either run away like a coward, or he's dead. Either way, with no word on Felt's safety… I hate this. I hate all of it."
"So you're all here to rescue her, then?" Subaru asked, his tone calm but direct.
Ezzo nodded. "That's right. Unfortunately, we couldn't bring the rest of her camp. First, traveling with too many people would risk drawing the Sin Archbishops' attention. Second, not everyone in the camp is strong enough to face what's inside that city. And third… those who are strong enough weren't willing to risk their lives for this."
"Carol and Grimm—when they heard about Reinhardt's death—they outright refused to take part. Said there was no point, that it was meaningless," Ezzo added bitterly.
He then fixed his gaze firmly on Subaru. "You know Carol and Grimm Fauzen, right?"
"Uh, yeah," Subaru replied after a moment, "both of them are servants of the Astrea household and veteran soldiers, right? Other than that, I don't know much about them."
"That's correct," one of the men confirmed.
"But their words weren't without logic. Think about it— the previous Sword Saint died fighting the White Whale, and on top of that, Wilhelm van Astrea—who was so consumed with vengeance for his late wife that he'd throw himself into the jaws of death without hesitation—also ended up killed by the Whale. Now, with yet another Sword Saint dead, and Vice-Commander Heinkel missing… there's no way they could justify making another reckless move. Unless Heinkel comes back, they said they won't act."
Subaru stayed quiet for a second, thinking it through. He already knew that Heinkel had joined Priscilla's camp, but because the city was seized before the news could spread, and since Heinkel had escaped alongside Priscilla and was now keeping his head down, he could understand why they had the wrong impression.
"Toto also refused to help us," Ezzo added grimly. "And the so-called Big Three underground organizations in Flanders aren't lifting a finger either. After the army's crushing defeat, none of them want to take the risk. Still… even if the odds are stacked against us, we're here to try. We're going to attempt an infiltration of the city and get Felt out."
"You'll die," Subaru said bluntly, his voice carrying no mockery—only cold certainty. "Lady Felt is a Royal Candidate. That makes her an obvious target for both the Sin Archbishops and the Witch Cultists. If she hasn't already been killed, it's a miracle. You'd be wise to leave now while you can."
Rom, who had been listening in silence until now, turned to glare directly at Subaru.
His expression was hard, his voice deep and unshaking. "I know that. I'm not blind. In fact, I understand full well that the chances of Felt being alive aren't very high. But she's my granddaughter. I can't just sit here doing nothing and pray for some miracle to happen. Even if she is dead… I need to see her with my own eyes one last time. Only then will I be able to rest—even if it costs me my life."
The room grew tense at his declaration, but Ezzo broke it with a short chuckle. "Felt's my disciple. We haven't known each other for a lifetime, but that doesn't matter. I'm prepared to lay down my life for her. These three here feel the same—they've followed her, and they're loyal to her without question."
"We're still working on a plan to get inside the city," another man said.
Subaru didn't respond right away.
He simply sat there, absorbing the atmosphere in the room. It was clear they all knew their mission was more than likely a one-way trip.
Even so, they were willing to risk everything to find Felt, even if what they found in the end was only her body.
He took a slow sip from the cup of watered-down milk they had given him earlier.
The familiar bland taste triggered memories of his very first day in this world—back when he'd acted with almost no foresight, charging headlong into danger with nothing but reckless determination and little to no real planning.
He'd made more mistakes than he could count back then.
But that was then. Now, he had grown—not just in strength, but in the way he thought and approached things.
After finishing his drink, Subaru rose to his feet.
He gave a small bow of respect toward the group. "I appreciate all the information you've shared with me. But it's time for me to head into the city. Odds are, I won't be coming back… but, well, I'm a Spirit Art User. I'm not exactly walking into my death unarmed."
The men tensed at that, some exchanging quick looks, clearly startled. The term "Spirit Art User" carried weight, and it immediately reframed their impression of him.
It also explained a few things—why someone would show up here alone, why he hadn't carried a visible weapon, and why he was confident enough to talk about entering Priestella on his own.
Until now, they had assumed he might have been hiding a blade somewhere, but hearing this, the picture became clearer.
Even if what he was doing looked like suicide, they understood his resolve. After all, the five of them were essentially doing the same thing.
They could tell he bore no ill will toward them, and that realization allowed them to relax, if only slightly.
"We're slipping into the city tomorrow," Rom said after a pause. "It'd be better if we went together."
"I'm on a time limit," Subaru replied plainly, leaving no room for debate.
He took a few steps toward the door, then stopped and looked back. "This might be the last time we meet. I haven't told you my name yet—you can call me Zero."
Without waiting for a response, he left the wooden shack.
The room fell into silence as they watched him disappear into the distance. None of them realized that this very man would be the one to bring an end to everything that was about to unfold.
To be continued...
(A/N: Okay good news! I have got bedrock RL craft server running! Hooray!
Damn I had to become full coder to get the modpack working in the server. But I have tested it and the modpack worked!
Btw it is RL craft by Honeyfrost available in marketplace. If you want to play in the server it is free to join!
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Join the discord, and then you will get a channel minecraft multiplayer link, you will have to join another discord server. Which is made specially for minecraft multiplayer. The link is available there.
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