(A/N: I am re-uploading this chap)
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3rd Pov
Have you ever stopped to consider this question?
What would become of the world of Od Lagna if Natsuki Subaru had never been transported here?
Because that was exactly the current state of this world.
In this version of reality, Satella never summoned Subaru. And the result?
For Emilia, surprisingly, it didn't make a major difference—at least not immediately. According to Roswaal's Book of Wisdom, there was never any mention of someone like Natsuki Subaru. As a result, the fateful day in the Capital didn't end with Emilia being stabbed to death in a dark alley. She didn't meet her tragic end at the hands of Elsa.
Most of the problems surrounding Emilia's camp, as it turned out, were deeply tied to one particular clown—Roswaal. Without the unpredictable variable that was Subaru, Roswaal operated with full contingencies and without crazy plans, knowing there would be no second chances, no guarantee to always make him the winner. Because of this, he never hired Elsa to steal Emilia's insignia.
So, after reuniting with Ram later that evening, Emilia safely returned to the Roswaal mansion without incident.
However, Roswaal still went ahead with hiring Meili to attack the nearby village. His reason remained the same—Emilia was a half-elf, a figure surrounded by distrust and fear. In order to improve her public image, he needed to create problems that she could resolve, thus earning the trust and gratitude of the villagers.
His plan was straightforward: stage controllable crises and let Emilia be the one to solve them.
When the Mabeast incident occurred, Emilia, alongside Rem—and secretly assisted by Roswaal from behind the scenes—managed to save the village children. The mission was a success. The villagers, now grateful and impressed, slowly began to accept Emilia.
Puck, of course, was aware that all of this was part of Roswaal's scheme. Although furious that Roswaal had put his daughter in danger, he was swayed after Roswaal promised him that every move he made would ultimately benefit Emilia. And when Puck saw how genuinely happy Emilia was—how touched she felt by the acceptance and smiles of the villagers—he reluctantly agreed to continue cooperating, on the strict condition that the plans were airtight.
This was the point where events started to truly diverge from the original timeline.
Because Felt was never involved in stealing Emilia's insignia, she didn't end up crossing paths with Elsa and thus avoided her untimely death. Nearly a week after Emilia's visit to the Capital, Reinhard discovered Felt's hidden identity as the fifth Royal Candidate. As expected, he didn't waste time—he simply abducted her, with his usual sense of nobility and grace.
Ahem.
Everything, up until this point, seemed relatively fine. It actually appeared as though Natsuki Subaru's absence didn't make much of a difference in the grand scheme of things.
But everything changed when the Royal Selection officially began, about a month later.
All five Royal Candidates were summoned to the Capital, where the details of the Royal Selection were announced. The selection process was set to continue for three years, and its purpose—to choose the next ruler of the Kingdom—was made clear to all.
Each of the five Dragon Priestesses gave their initial speeches, all of which were quite similar to their counterparts from other timelines.
Anastasia spoke with her usual sharp tone, openly declaring her desire to lead the kingdom because she was greedy and wanted to make money. She made no attempt to hide it.
Priscilla, in her usual haughty manner, declared herself the rightful queen and demanded that everyone acknowledge her superiority immediately, even instructing the nobles to bow down before the very ground her shoes touched.
Crusch delivered her characteristic speech about liberating the nation from the influence of the Divine Dragon. She emphasized strength, independence, and reform—just like always.
And then, it was Felt's turn. That's where things started to spiral out of control.
Because of her background in the slums, the nobles could not accept her status as a Dragon Priestess. Many of them openly rejected her presence, refusing to even consider her worthy of standing among them.
Felt, who was never really interested in the Royal Selection to begin with, was just about to walk away from it all—when Rom, her guardian, suddenly launched an attack on the Royal Castle in a desperate attempt to take her back.
He failed, of course, and was captured.
To save Rom from execution, Felt had no choice but to accept her position as one of the Dragon Priestesses.
Finally, it was Emilia's turn.
But before she could even open her mouth to speak, the room erupted in murmurs and contempt. The nobles hurled insults at her for being a half-elf, mocked her silver hair, and sneered at her uncanny resemblance to the Witch of Envy.
Roswaal, watching from the sidelines, did nothing.
He allowed the situation to unfold as it did. His plan was simple: he wanted Emilia to become dependent—either on him or on Puck—so that she would be easier to guide and manipulate in the future.
Emilia, overwhelmed by the venomous words, was on the verge of tears when Puck suddenly manifested.
The Great Spirit revealed his true identity as one of the four Great Spirits, and with icy fury, threatened to slaughter everyone present if they dared to disrespect his daughter any further. The threat was clear. And effective.
The room fell silent.
Emilia was finally allowed to speak. She gave her short speech—though most of the nobles simply ignored her words. Their prejudice had already clouded their judgment.
Afterward, Roswaal consoled her. He told her to ignore their insults, to not let it bother her. He assured her that eventually, they would come to see her worth.
But it was what happened next that truly showed the consequences of Natsuki Subaru never existing in this world.
Crusch, who had been preparing to engage the White Whale, joined forces with Anastasia to subjugate one of the Three Great Mabeasts that plagued the world.
The agreement between them was simple. Both would receive equal credit for slaying the Mabeast, and in return for her cooperation, Anastasia would not only assist Crusch with her private military forces but also take responsibility for handling the enormous corpse of the Whale after its defeat.
Unlike in the timeline where Pride took center stage, Anastasia agreed to the alliance for a straightforward reason—she had been manipulated.
The body-hopping clown Roswaal subtly influenced events from the shadows. He discreetly provided Anastasia with critical information regarding Crusch's battle plans, creating a scenario that made cooperation seem logical and mutually beneficial. As a result, a temporary alliance was formed between the two Royal Candidates—an arrangement neither had originally foreseen.
Neither Crusch nor Anastasia believed they would lose. Not with powerhouses like Wilhelm, Julius, Ricardo, and their other top warriors joining the battle.
In the Envy timeline, Crusch had managed to defeat the White Whale with only her own army and some limited assistance from Anastasia. It was a hard-fought battle, but ultimately a successful one.
Now, with their forces united and stronger than ever, the outcome should have been inevitable—an overwhelming victory.
But there was one key difference this time. A single absence, one that others might have considered inconsequential, changed everything.
The absence of one man.
Natsuki Subaru.
Without even building suspense, the result was already foretold—Roswaal had seen it clearly in the Book of Wisdom.
The alliance faced a catastrophic defeat.
They encountered the White Whale as expected and launched their assault with everything they had. For a time, it seemed they might triumph. They even managed to destroy two of the Whale's clones during the heat of battle.
But it wasn't enough.
The Whale regenerated its clones effortlessly, and with over half of the alliance's forces slaughtered and the remaining soldiers crushed in morale and spirit, the tide of battle turned against them. The battlefield became a graveyard.
Because the one man—fragile in body, weaker than anyone else, and yet unmatched in sheer willpower—wasn't there.
Natsuki Subaru wasn't among their ranks.
He wasn't there to attract the White Whale with the stench of the Witch on his body, drawing the Mabeast's attention and aggression.
He wasn't there to stand on the frontline, showing that even the weakest man present refused to give in, inspiring everyone else to keep fighting.
He wasn't there to figure out the method to truly defeat the White Whale.
And because of his absence, defeat was no longer avoidable.
It wasn't just a loss—it was a massacre. Over 70% of the combined forces were wiped out.
Ricardo, the leader of the Iron Fang mercenaries, lost his life in the chaos.
In the end, Crusch was forced to make the painful decision to retreat in order to prevent a complete annihilation. Thanks to the presence of Julius and the support from Anastasia's remaining forces, they were able to secure a narrow path of escape.
But to ensure that path remained open, Wilhelm chose to stay behind.
He sacrificed himself on the battlefield.
His death was a crushing blow to both camps.
When Crusch returned to the Capital with the tattered remnants of her once-proud army, her reputation took a nosedive. The failure cast a long, dark shadow over her name.
At the same time, the legend of the White Whale only grew more terrifying. While the details of its abilities were now known for the first time and widely documented, this knowledge only fueled public fear. The citizens of Lugnica now fully understood just how monstrous the creature truly was.
The Kingdom already knew that only one man—Reinhard van Astrea—possessed the strength required to slay the beast.
Yet, due to pressure from the Nobles—particularly those aligned with Crusch and Anastasia—Reinhard was not dispatched.
Their reasoning was political.
If Reinhard, who was affiliated with the Felt camp, were to kill the White Whale after the other two camps had already suffered such losses, the achievement would elevate Felt far above the rest. It would turn her into a national hero overnight, casting long shadows over the credibility of the other Royal Candidates.
And so, to preserve the perceived value of their sacrifices and to avoid handing the spotlight to a rival, they stalled.
They held back Reinhard, choosing to let the stain of defeat remain rather than give Felt's camp the upper hand.
The people who still supported Crusch and Anastasia clung tightly to the belief that their bloodshed and loss should not simply become the pedestal upon which another camp would rise.
Meanwhile, on Emilia's side of the board, things were moving differently.
Roswaal, who had already foreseen the Witch Cult's movements through his Tome of Wisdom, took precautionary measures well in advance.
He quietly evacuated the village ahead of time, ensuring the safety of its residents.
Then he simply let Emilia handle the rest—allowing Puck to unleash his true form from afar.
The result was absolute.
Puck, in his beastly glory, utterly obliterated the Witch Cult forces. There were no survivors. No escapees.
It was a clean, cold, and efficient massacre.
And yet again, the difference was clear.
Without Natsuki Subaru, the world continued to move—but the cracks were growing deeper.
It became clearer than ever—most of the problems within Emilia's camp originated from one source. That source being this world's version of Pennywise, Roswaal L. Mathers. And if he had just performed his duties properly—even if done for entirely selfish reasons—he could have still accomplished quite a lot.
The sudden news of Emilia defeating the Sin Archbishop of Sloth spread like wildfire throughout the Kingdom. The timing couldn't have been more perfect. Considering the recent, highly publicized failure of the White Whale subjugation, Emilia's success stood out even more. The impact of the achievement was amplified, and people couldn't stop talking about it.
Just as Roswaal had planned, Emilia's fame began to rise rapidly. People who had previously distrusted her—villagers, citizens, and even a few skeptical nobles—began reconsidering their opinions. Her image improved dramatically.
And so, a year passed without any major incidents. At least on the surface.
But just two weeks ago, something massive happened—so impactful that it shook the entire world.
The Sin Archbishops attacked the Water City of Priestella.
And it just so happened that, at that time, four Royal Candidates had coincidentally planned to hold a joint meeting there.
You might ask—who were those four?
None other than Felt, Anastasia, Emilia, and Crusch Karsten.
Over the course of the past year, both Felt's and Emilia's camps had overtaken Crusch's in terms of reputation and public support. Although Anastasia's camp still maintained a slight advantage due to her economic influence and political networking, the failed joint operation with Crusch against the White Whale had stained their image.
Additionally, the defeat of Julius, dubbed the "Knight of Knights," by the White Whale—followed by what the public viewed as a cowardly retreat—only worsened their standing. Especially in comparison to Wilhelm, who sacrificed himself nobly and was celebrated as a hero.
Once again, Roswaal, with the help of the Tome of Wisdom, had foreseen the attack on Priestella. And, once again, he used that knowledge to twist events behind the scenes.
First, he approached Felt under the pretense of cooperation. He suggested the idea of organizing a meeting between all four Royal Candidates in Priestella. Felt, weighing the pros and cons, eventually agreed. Her reasoning was straightforward: "Even if we don't end up with anything useful, there's no harm in trying to form an alliance between all the camps."
So, on behalf of the Emilia and Felt camps, Roswaal formally extended an invitation to Anastasia and Crusch.
Both were suspicious of Roswaal's motives. However, after considering their current situations, both strategically and politically, they concluded it was worth taking the risk. And thus, they agreed to attend the meeting. The chosen location: the Water City of Priestella.
But Roswaal wasn't finished. He deliberately leaked news of the meeting to the Priscilla camp, making sure that they were aware of what was going on. As he planned, all four Royal Candidates arrived in Priestella for the meeting—everyone except Emilia.
Roswaal, as always, had another scheme.
Using a convenient excuse, he delayed Emilia's departure from the mansion. Then, a few days later, just as Emilia's party was finally preparing to leave for Priestella, shocking news arrived—the city had come under sudden and violent attack by the Sin Archbishops.
Using the situation to his advantage, Roswaal insisted Emilia stay behind. He pretended to act in her best interest, citing safety concerns. He even pointed out that Reinhard van Astrea was already in Priestella and that everything would be handled without her.
But it was a lie.
The Sin Archbishops were running wild.
Chaos. Despair. Carnage.
Capella captured Crusch and used her horrifying Authority to reduce her body to something less than human—a grotesque fly-like creature. Felix, helpless to stop it, watched in complete despair.
Meanwhile, the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony devoured Anastasia's name.
Everyone—including her spirit, Echidna—forgot her completely. All that she had built over the years: her trading company, her political influence, her network of powerful contacts—it all vanished in a moment. Her very identity was erased, and no one believed her when she tried to assert her position as one of the five Royal Candidates.
As for Felt, she was kidnapped by Regulus Corneas.
This led to a direct confrontation between Regulus and Reinhard.
But Reinhard, despite being the Sword Saint and widely believed to be invincible, couldn't even scratch Regulus.
Regulus killed him five times over in frustration before finally getting bored and casually launching him into the sky like a toy.
At that point, Reinhard was likely orbiting the sun somewhere, perhaps forming a personal constellation.
Priscilla? She was arguably the most fortunate, though her fate was still far from favorable.
She faced off against the Sin Archbishop of Wrath, and the battle was a never-ending nightmare. Priscilla died countless times.
No matter how many loops Aldebaran initiated, he couldn't find a way to win. Without Liliana—who had become one of the earliest casualties in this timeline—they lacked the one person who could change the tides through inspiration.
Eventually, it took over 100,000 retries for Aldebaran to merely convince Priscilla to retreat. And even then, it required immense effort just to escape the city alive.
In the aftermath of the destruction, a week later, the Kingdom of Lugnica formed a coalition with Gusteko and Kararagi. A combined elite force of 20,000 soldiers was assembled, bolstered by diplomatic negotiations and promises of shared benefits, all aimed at retaking Priestella.
But their efforts were for nothing.
One Sin Archbishop alone—just one man with a grotesquely overpowered Authority, an inferiority complex, and a harem of kidnapped brides—completely annihilated them.
The result?
The Kingdom of Lugnica was now ready to abandon Priestella entirely.
And Roswaal?
His plan had gone off without a hitch.
Using the knowledge provided by the Tome of Wisdom, he had orchestrated the gathering of all the candidates in Priestella at precisely the moment of the Archbishop's attack.
The result was devastating.
Every single Royal Candidate had been neutralized or removed from the competition—except for one.
Emilia.
At this point, the path was clear. Emilia was practically guaranteed to win the Royal Selection, by default if not by merit.
Everything had gone exactly as Roswaal had hoped.
Of course, there was one thing—one crucial element—he had failed to anticipate.
'One man,' Subaru thought to himself, eyes narrowing.
A man who didn't belong to this world.
A man named Natsuki Subaru.
In A World without it's own Natsuki Subaru
To be continued...
(A/N: I am an idiot, I uploaded this chap in volume 1!
Actually since I have written this chap before even volume 2 existed, so by default it was in volume 1.
I forgot to change it to volume 2 and uploaded it.
Damn it, and I was wondering why views were so for today, only when I realized after chap 110 it was directly chap 112, did I realize something was wrong.
At first I thought I had deleted the chap from inkstone and started opening patreon when I realized what I must have done.
Anyway, since I have re-uploaded this today, I won't upload another chap.
DO YOU KNOW YOU CAN READ UPTO 35 advance chaps of this fic?!
IF YOU WANT TO READ ADVANCE CHAPS AND SUPPORT ME THEN JOIN THE DISCORD AND FROM THERE JOIN MY PATREON!
HERE IS THE INVITATION CODE: Xb47VnFUpQ)