...
{3rd Pov}
Their group was relatively small, consisting only of Priscilla Barielle, Aldebaran, Rem, Crusch Karsten, Anastasia Hoshin, along with a few mercenaries assigned to guard Anastasia.
Alongside them were Subaru, and now Ram, whom they had just encountered here.
The absence of several key figures was noticeable.
Wilhelm van Astrea, Julius Juukulius, and Felix Argyle had remained behind to deal with the aftermath of the earlier conflict.
Under normal circumstances, at least one of them should have stayed back with the group, especially given the potential risks involved.
However, their priorities had shifted with securing Subaru and bringing him to their side had taken precedence over everything else.
Because of that, they chose to leave the remaining forces behind after issuing a few instructions, trusting that things would be handled without their direct involvement.
From a strategic standpoint, it was not a sound decision.
In fact, it was a clear mistake.
Leaving a group without a proper commander to respond to unexpected situations or emergencies was reckless, especially in a scenario where uncertainty was already high.
However, no one questioned their decision.
In fact, they trusted in them completely.
The level of confidence and authority that Anastasia Hoshin, Crusch Karsten, and even Priscilla Barielle had demonstrated up until now had already earned the full loyalty of those under them.
Their leadership, their decisiveness, and the results they had delivered were enough to convince their followers that their judgment could be trusted without question.
Even though they had suffered losses during the White Whale hunt, the soldiers did not see it as a failure of leadership.
Instead, they rationalized it among themselves, attributing the casualties to the earlier misunderstanding between the alliance and Priscilla.
In their minds, it was an unfortunate circumstance rather than a mistake made by their leaders.
At the same time, however, there was something else that occupied their thoughts.
Who exactly was Natsuki Subaru?
Many of the people present were either part of Crusch's personal forces, former Royal Knights, or mercenaries under Anastasia.
Because of that, only a small number of them actually knew Subaru personally or were aware of what had happened during the Royal Selection in the capital.
The rest only knew fragments and heard him from the bad rumours.
Some of those rumors painted Subaru in a negative light, describing him as reckless or incompetent.
But now, seeing the way their leaders behaved around him, those stories began to feel questionable.
They had witnessed it themselves.
Their leaders—people they now viewed as almost chosen figures capable of saving the nation—were showing him an unusual level of respect.
That alone made it difficult for them to believe the rumors completely.
To them, that could only mean one thing.
Natsuki Subaru was a man worthy of respect.
Or at least, that was what some of them chose to believe.
Others were not entirely convinced.
They questioned whether his importance came from something else entirely.
Perhaps he was simply lucky.
Perhaps he just happened to be the perfect bait for the White Whale, someone whose presence had been useful for the success of the hunt rather than a reflection of any true ability.
That interpretation made more sense to them.
After all, the people they truly respected were still Crusch Karsten, Anastasia Hoshin, and Priscilla Barielle.
Their loyalty and admiration were directed primarily toward those leaders, not toward Subaru himself.
The respect shown to Subaru was, in many cases, indirect.
It existed because of how those Royal Candidates treated him.
If their leaders valued him, then there had to be a reason.
That was enough for some of them to extend a certain level of respect in his direction, even if they did not fully understand why.
At the same time, not all of them felt neutral about it.
Some felt something else entirely.
Jealousy.
They could not help but wonder what Subaru had done to earn such recognition.
What had he achieved to stand in a position where people like Crusch, Anastasia, and Priscilla treated him with that level of regard?
The answer was unclear.
And that uncertainty only made their thoughts more conflicted.
Crusch Karsten was already a well-known figure among the younger generation of Royal Knights.
For many of them, she was more than just a leader—she was someone they admired deeply, someone they looked up to both as a commander and as a person.
Over time, that admiration had naturally turned into something closer to a crush for many of them.
After everything she had recently accomplished, that admiration had only grown stronger.
Even among her militia, people had begun to see her in a similar light.
The way she carried herself, the confidence in her decisions, and the results she delivered made it easy for them to place her on a pedestal.
To them, she represented strength, authority, and reliability all at once.
In their eyes, she was the ideal figure.
A capable leader, a dominant presence and someone who could stand at the top without hesitation.
For many of them, she had become the image of a perfect partner—the kind of woman they could only imagine being with, but never realistically approach.
Of course, none of them would ever say something like that out loud.
The gap in status alone made such thoughts inappropriate to express.
They were soldiers, mercenaries, or individuals far below her in the social hierarchy.
She, on the other hand, was a Duchess and one of the candidates who could potentially become the ruler of the entire nation.
The difference between them was too large.
Peasants did not approach nobility with such intentions.
And even if they dared to think about it privately, they understood that it was something that would never be acknowledged openly.
However, what they did not know made the situation even more ironic.
The very person they admired—someone they considered out of reach—had her own focus elsewhere.
Not just her, but others as well.
The same women they respected, the same figures they placed their hopes in, were all directing their attention toward a single individual.
Toward Natsuki Subaru and not in a casual or insignificant way either.
Their interest in him went far beyond simple curiosity or respect.
It was something much stronger, something that bordered on obsession.
They wanted his attention, his acknowledgment, his affection.
And the contradiction in that was impossible to ignore.
Subaru was, by most conventional standards, below many of the people present.
His social standing was lower than that of several soldiers around him.
His physical strength did not stand out.
Compared to trained knights and warriors, he was clearly weaker.
At this point in time, even his mental state could not be considered stable or mature.
And yet—
Despite all of that, he was the one who held their attention.
The one they were drawn toward.
The one they were willing to compete over.
Yes, the so-called perfect women in their minds were all chasing after the most imperfect man in the entire world, who seemed themselves as most imperfect women chasing after the most perfect man in their view.
(A/N: Subaru hasn't become mentally mature yet since many key events have not happened, but at least he has slightly better self-preservation instincts… haha.)
…
They soon entered the main hall of the Mathers mansion.
The interior was already crowded with villagers who had previously taken shelter inside the mansion to escape from the Witch Cult were now slowly coming out, reassured that the danger had passed.
Some of them were still cautious, lingering near the walls or exits, while others had begun gathering in small groups, talking among themselves.
A noticeable number of them were approaching Emilia.
Despite their earlier prejudice toward her—because of her silver hair and half-elf appearance, which resembled the feared Witch of Envy from old legends—they were now expressing gratitude.
The fear had not completely disappeared, but it had been replaced, at least partially, by appreciation for what she had done to protect them.
Their attitudes were changing slowly.
However, the moment the group entered the hall, the atmosphere shifted again.
The villagers paused, their conversations stopped mid-sentence.
All eyes turned toward the entrance.
Sensing the need to assert authority, one of the mercenaries standing behind Anastasia Hoshin stepped forward.
His posture straightened as he raised his voice loudly enough for everyone in the hall to hear.
"You are in the presence of the Royal Candidates—Anastasia Hoshin, Crusch Karsten, and Priscilla Barielle!" he announced firmly.
His words echoed through the hall, immediately drawing attention and forcing the villagers to recognize the importance of the people who had just entered.
The announcement immediately silenced everyone in the hall.
Whatever conversations had been taking place came to a complete stop.
The villagers stood still, their attention fully focused on the three figures that had just been introduced.
Even though most of them had never seen these Royal Candidates in person before, the weight of their titles alone was enough to command respect.
Unlike Emilia, who lived within their lord's mansion and was therefore somewhat familiar to them, these three were distant figures—individuals they had only heard about through rumors, reports, and stories.
And more importantly, they were not Emilia.
They were the candidates with the highest chances of claiming the throne.
Anastasia Hoshin, Crusch Karsten, and Priscilla Barielle were widely regarded as the most capable contenders for the position of ruler.
Their influence, resources, and achievements placed them far above the others in the eyes of the general public.
Even the fifth Royal Candidate, Felt, was only considered slightly better off than Emilia, largely because she was supported by the Sword Saint, Reinhard van Astrea.
But even that support did not place her on equal footing with the top three.
In simple terms, the villagers believed they were standing in front of the most likely future rulers of the Kingdom.
To them, the idea of Felt or Emilia winning felt almost unrealistic—something so unlikely that it was easier to dismiss entirely.
It was the kind of belief that made people compare it to impossible scenarios.
Like the world suddenly becoming a sphere instead of the flat disc it is now.
Or Reinhard being finally useful for the plot.
Which was just as unlikely.
Ahem.
The villagers remained frozen for a few seconds after the announcement, unsure of how to react.
The weight of the situation pressed down on them, making even simple actions feel difficult.
Then, slowly, the elders were the first to move.
One by one, they lowered themselves to their knees, bowing their heads in respect.
Their actions set the example.
The rest of the villagers quickly followed, kneeling as well, their movements hurried as they tried not to show any delay in acknowledging the presence of the Royal Candidates.
However, Crusch Karsten stepped forward almost immediately, cutting the moment short before it could turn into a prolonged display.
"We are not here for extended formalities," she said, her voice firm and direct.
"All of you, stand up. That is an order."
She did not to waste time on unnecessary politeness.
She issued the command plainly, preventing the situation from turning into something longer and more ceremonial—something that would have only delayed what they had come here to do and have increases the word count unnecessarily.
(A/N: No!! Why would you do this to me?! I've been trying to write this chapter for the last two hours!)
"I am here to discuss something with Lady Emilia," Crusch continued, shifting her attention directly toward the half-elf.
Emilia blinked in confusion, clearly caught off guard by the sudden declaration.
Her eyes then moved instinctively toward Natsuki Subaru, noticing his presence immediately.
That raised questions in her mind.
He was not supposed to be here as his gate had not been fully healed yet, and he should have still been recovering rather than standing in front of her like this.
"What is it that you wish to discuss?" Emilia finally asked, deciding to focus on the leader of the other camp rather than get distracted by Subaru's unexpected presence.
She kept her tone polite, though there was clear confusion behind her words.
Crusch Karsten did not hesitate even for a moment.
"I want Natsuki Subaru to leave the Emilia Camp and become a member of my camp," she said directly.
"?!!!"
Shock spread across the room.
It was not just Emilia and Subaru who were caught off guard.
Even the other two Royal Candidates—Anastasia Hoshin and Priscilla Barielle—were visibly surprised by the statement.
For a brief moment, disbelief took over.
Then, almost instantly, both of them arrived at the same conclusion.
'This bitch has definitely returned back in time.'
'This vermin has definitely returned back in time.'
Despite the difference in wording, the meaning behind their thoughts was the same.
There was no other explanation after all from their perspective, such a bold and direct request could not come from ignorance.
It had to come from knowledge—knowledge of Subaru's importance, knowledge that should not exist unless she had experienced the future just like them.
And yet—
The reality was different.
Crusch herself did not realize what conclusion the other two had reached.
She had no awareness of Natsuki Subaru's Return by Death nor did knew about the loops, nor did she understand the deeper reasons behind Subaru's significance in ways the others suspected.
From her perspective, the situation was simple.
She wanted her Lord in her camp and then serve him by his side.
Meanwhile, Anastasia and Priscilla misunderstood her intentions completely.
They assumed she was acting this way because she had already learned Subaru's value through past loop, not realizing all of their timeline were different.
In truth, just like Crusch Karsten, the other two saw Natsuki Subaru in a very similar way.
Someone they considered their other half, and they were not willing to lose him again.
In this timeline, they had no intention of repeating the same mistakes either that their foolish self would have made if placed in such a situation.
No matter what it took, they would ensure that he remained by their side.
And by "anything," it truly meant anything.
There were no limits they would not cross.
"Shut up, vermin. Who decided that Natsuki Subaru belongs to you?" Priscilla Barielle said without holding back, her voice sharp and filled with clear disdain.
Her expression twisted into visible disgust as she looked directly at Crusch, her gaze unwavering.
"He is obviously my divine self's property," she continued arrogantly.
"He can only belong at my side."
Her words left no room for negotiation.
Meanwhile, Anastasia Hoshin remained silent on the surface, but her thoughts were anything but calm.
She cast a subtle glare toward Priscilla, her eyes narrowing slightly as she observed the growing tension between the two.
'Damn it… this pretentious woman has probably returned to the past as well…' she thought, her suspicion deepening with every passing second.
At the same time, her attention shifted briefly.
She glanced toward the silver-haired girl standing nearby.
'Now I just need to confirm whether that one has returned too…'
"As you can see, I also disagree with someone of Subaru's caliber remaining in a half-elf's camp and letting his abilities go to waste," Anastasia Hoshin said calmly, her tone measured but firm.
While speaking, her eyes briefly shifted toward Emilia, carefully observing her reaction.
Emilia looked visibly shocked.
Her expression was filled with confusion, as she tried to process what was happening.
However, there was something important missing from her reaction.
There was no fear in her eyes upon seeing Anastasia, no trace of terror towards the one who supposedly tortured and killed her in the last loop of her timeline.
That told Anastasia everything she needed to know.
Emilia had not returned to the past.
Unlike Crusch Karsten and Priscilla Barielle, she was still unaware, still reacting as someone experiencing this situation for the first time.
'At least that removes one problem for now,' Anastasia thought, her expression remaining neutral outwardly.
Her priorities had already shifted.
'I can deal with this half-devil later,' she added to herself, her thoughts cold and calculating.
It was almost amusing to her.
In her previous timeline, Emilia had been one of her highest-priority targets—someone she intended to eliminate alongside Julius Juukulius.
Back then, she had considered her a significant obstacle.
But now?
Now Emilia was no longer at the top of that list.
Compared to the other Royal Candidates, she had become a secondary concern.
"I-I don't understand…" Emilia said, her voice uncertain as she tried to process everything that had just been said.
At the same time, there was something else within her—a feeling she could not properly identify.
A part of her felt disappointed in Natsuki Subaru, even though she could not fully explain why.
Another part of her wondered if he had already made a decision, if he had chosen to leave her camp and join someone else.
If that were true, then logically, it should have been a good thing.
Subaru would no longer have to suffer because of her.
He would no longer interfere with her plans or make things more complicated than they needed to be.
By all reasoning, that outcome should have benefited both of them.
And yet—
Why did her chest feel tight?
Why did the thought of him leaving create this sense of discomfort that she could not ignore?
Before she could dwell on it any further, Crusch Karsten spoke again with a click of her tongue.
"Lady Emilia, I have eliminated the Witch Cultists who were going to attack your mansion and this village," she stated plainly.
"In doing so, I have effectively saved your lives. For that, you owe me."
Her words were direct and blunt as much as possible.
They carried no attempt at softening the demand she had.
Emilia blinked, clearly surprised by how straightforward the statement was.
While she had already been informed by the soldiers earlier that other camps had assisted in dealing with the Witch Cult, she had not expected Crusch to present it this way.
Not as free assistance in form of charity or for protecting the lives of the innocent villagers of Arlam Village, but straightforwardly as a debt that needed to be repaid at all costs ignoring all other complications.
Meanwhile, Priscilla Barielle let out a quiet sneer, her expression filled with disdain.
"You half-devil and half-goblin, do you not know who it was that killed the Sin Archbishop?" she said, her tone sharp and condescending.
As she spoke, her gaze shifted directly toward Emilia.
The intensity of that glare was enough to make Emilia flinch slightly, caught off guard by the hostility directed at her.
"You owe my divine self as well," Priscilla added without hesitation.
At this point, Emilia's confusion only deepened.
Each passing second made the situation more difficult to understand.
The conversation had escalated far beyond anything she had expected, and no one seemed to be guiding it toward any kind of resolution.
Instead, it felt like everything was piling up at once, leaving her with no clear way to respond.
Meanwhile, Natsuki Subaru was in a completely different state.
He was stunned and completely frozen.
The idea that these women—powerful figures in their own right—were openly arguing over him was something he could not process at all.
His mind struggled to keep up with what was happening, and as a result, he ended up standing there like a statue, unable to react properly.
At this point, it was fair to say that Subaru.exe had stopped working entirely.
And then—
"Well, since everyone is putting their demands on the table, don't you think it's only fair for this gal to join in as well?" Anastasia Hoshin said, her tone calm and measured, but with a clear underlying intent.
Unlike the others, she did not raise her voice.
But her words carried just as much weight.
Ram had finally reached her limit.
Without waiting any longer, Ram stepped out of the formation, moving forward with steady and deliberate steps.
She walked past Subaru and positioned herself closer to Emilia before turning to face the three Royal Candidates directly.
Her posture remained composed.
"As a maid of the Mathers mansion, I must inform you that Natsuki Subaru is a personal servant of Lord Roswaal," she stated bluntly.
"Therefore, he is not something that can be negotiated or handed over as a reward."
She spoke as if she were stating an undeniable fact.
For a brief moment, Rem looked surprised by her sister's sudden intervention.
But that hesitation did not last long.
Almost immediately, she stepped forward as well and nodded in agreement.
"Yes! Subaru-kun is not someone who can simply leave the Emilia Camp," she added.
Even as she spoke, she was fully aware of what she was doing.
She was directly opposing three Royal Candidates.
By all standards, that was a serious breach of etiquette, especially for someone in her position as a maid.
But despite that, she did not back down.
Meanwhile, Anastasia Hoshin let out a faint, mocking sneer.
"Personal servant… or a slave?" she said, her tone laced with clear sarcasm.
Her gaze shifted toward Emilia, sharp and focused.
The hostility in her eyes was unmistakable.
The resentment she carried from her previous life was beginning to surface, slipping through the calm exterior she barely maintained.
"Subaru isn't a slave," Emilia said after taking a moment to gather her courage.
Her voice was not loud, but it was firm enough to be heard.
Anastasia Hoshin tilted her head slightly, her expression calm but clearly unconvinced.
"Is that so?" she replied.
"Because from what I know, Natsuki Subaru saved you from being disqualified a month ago by retrieving your stolen insignia. And in return, what did he receive?" she continued, her tone sharp despite her composed demeanor.
"The reward of becoming nothing more than a house servant."
Her words spread through the hall.
The villagers reacted first as murmurs began to rise among them as they processed the information.
It was not entirely shocking to them, but hearing it stated so directly still stirred reactions.
The Royal Candidates, however, were affected for entirely different reasons.
'How does she know that?' Crusch Karsten thought, momentarily stunned by the level of detail Anastasia had revealed.
At the same time, Priscilla Barielle clicked her tongue in irritation.
'This fox has definitely returned to the past as well… and knew more than I thought' she thought, her suspicion solidifying further.
'I'll have to get rid of her sooner or later.'
For a brief moment, the idea of acting on that thought crossed her mind.
If not for one thing, she might have already done it.
Subaru.
If his safety had not been a concern—if there was no risk of him getting caught in the aftermath—she might have already drawn her blade and beheaded Anastasia without hesitation.
She had confidence in her own abilities as escaping after eliminating the Fox Merchant was something she believed she could manage.
However, protecting Subaru in the middle of that chaos, or dealing with Crusch at the same time, was a different matter entirely.
Crusch was not someone she could ignore, especially in her current state.
In the end, it was not a lack of confidence that held her back.
It was her concern for Subaru.
"I also know that pink-haired maid verbally abuses Natsuki Subaru," Anastasia Hoshin continued, her tone calm but deliberate as she raised her hand and pointed directly at Ram.
"Calling him trash, useless, garbage, and worse," she added, her words sharp and precise.
"That kind of treatment doesn't reflect well on the master, does it?" she said with a faint grin.
"W-Wait a minute… how do you know that?" Emilia blurted out instinctively.
The moment the words left her mouth, the implication became clear.
She had unknowingly confirmed it.
A brief silence followed.
Then—
The villagers reacted.
Gasps spread through the hall as they looked toward Emilia and the others with visibly shaken expressions.
What they had just heard—and what Emilia had unintentionally admitted—was not something they could ignore.
'This is bad…' Rem thought instantly, her expression tightening as she realized how quickly the situation had turned against them.
Beside her, Ram clicked her tongue in irritation.
'Stupid half-elf… can't even handle something this simple,' she thought, her frustration clear despite her otherwise composed posture.
Emilia, however, had no idea just how much damage had just been done.
She stood there, still trying to understand what was happening, unaware that the situation had already shifted against her.
From this point onward, she was about to face direct criticism without restraint.
And in the middle of all this—
Natsuki Subaru remained completely silent.
He had not moved nor spoken a word.
He was still standing there, stunned, his mind struggling to keep up with everything happening around him.
It was as if he had been pulled into a completely different reality and had yet to catch up.
At this point—
Subaru.exe had completely stopped working.
To be continued...
(A/N: From this point onwards I will be doing more manual proofreading, at first I liked this writing style after grammatical corrections, however Ai has been twisting it into repeatitive sentences 'Not because this, not because that' and I definitely didn't write that way. I have tried dozens of commands by now, to make it stop happening, and all failed. I guess only manual editing is possible, anyway. I cannot say about my previous chapters because I have too much of a backlog, thankfully my Danmachi chapter doesn't suffers from this due to different writing style
They stay cleaner and exactly as I wrote them, that is why I had been confused about Re: Zero ones. Is it because chapters are more emotional than the Danmachi ones? Ember has been a pretty mature character from start unlike how I write Subaru, and even Zero had been more mature. Because I wrote more immature characters like in Pride if, Wives Reboot, it started making such a mess.
Also can anyone recommend me any other AI that doesn't makes such a mess? Though my hopes are slim.)