The Choice of Fate
The boy cornered by the thugs was shouting loudly for help. Reinhild hesitated.
The thugs had already been provoked, and the boy was clearly ready to break through even if it meant getting hurt.
What had started as a simple scuffle had escalated into a potentially deadly fight with weapons.
And Reinhild herself couldn't use healing magic.
"This is far enough."
Though the chance of someone dying was less than one in ten thousand, Reinhild still gave up on her original plan.
She stepped into the alley, naturally walking to stand in front of Subaru, making a silent declaration that if there was going to be a fight, it would now be two versus three.
Hearing this, the three thugs dropped their weapons and fled from the alley out onto the street.
"You saved me again. I'm Natsuki Subaru, and I'll never forget this debt even in death..."
"Again?"
Reinhild caught on the key word.
Had she saved him before?
But just like how DIO couldn't remember how many people he'd killed, Reinhild couldn't remember how many people she had saved.
Though black hair and black eyes were rare in the kingdom, when she had gone to the Empire as a diplomat, there might have been...
"You don't have to exaggerate so much. I appreciate your kindness.
Besides, they probably backed off because it was two versus three. If I were alone, the outcome might have been different."
A few seconds later, Reinhild gave up trying to think about it and smiled as she spoke.
"Ah, yeah, yeah, you're totally right. But seriously, your body, mind, and soul are all saintly! You're shining so brightly I feel like my eyes are burning!"
Though Subaru was responding to her, the look on his face gave off a strangely insincere vibe.
Reinhild, for once, felt a rare twinge of irritation in her heart.
"Um—Rein-chan, can I call you that?"
"-chan?"
"It's a custom from my hometown. You add that to the end of the name of a cute girl."
"Personally, I don't think I'm that cute... but if it makes you more comfortable, you can call me that. I'd be happy too."
Seeing "Rein-chan" in front of him with a slight hint of shyness, Natsuki Subaru felt like he almost stopped breathing.
"Yay ♪(^∇^*)"
He shouted excitedly, pumping his fists.
After a few dozen seconds, Subaru finally managed to suppress his excitement and noticed the now composed girl quietly watching him.
He coughed twice to ease the awkwardness, then put on a serious expression.
"Rein-chan, if the royal capital were about to be destroyed, would you be willing to escape—!?"
In that instant, Subaru felt like he was sinking into the deep sea.
Or rather, it was like the instinct animals have to play dead when facing danger had been triggered.
His breathing slowed, his heartbeat dulled, and a familiar sensation overwhelmed him—that was the feeling of death.
"Sorry! Subaru, I got too emotional."
The girl apologized while patting his back.
Subaru was no longer able to speak to comfort her.
He gasped for air, his clothes soaked with sweat.
This girl's aura was more powerful than anyone he had met so far.
She might even be stronger than the Bowel Hunter, whose limits were unknown.
Perhaps only Puck in his true form could definitively defeat her.
"I'm okay now. Sorry, I forgot Rein-chan is a knight who protects the nation.
That's like a police officer spotting a suspected terrorist, and then that guy walks up and says, 'This city's going to have a series of explosions, can you go hang out in another city for a while?'
But seriously, Rein-chan, could you consider it—just as compensation for unintentionally hurting me—could you leave the city temporarily?"
'For the sake of family, I must loyally serve this nation.'
Looking at Subaru, who was waiting for her answer, a gentle male voice echoed in Reinhild's mind.
"Sorry, Subaru. Even if this city really is destined for destruction, it'll only happen after I die."
It was a statement of unwavering resolve, with eyes filled with complete seriousness.
Yet Subaru felt something odd—maybe a strange sense of empathy.
The girl before him, like his former self, seemed bound tightly by something.
But now wasn't the time to explore that deeply.
Subaru was sure Reinhild wouldn't leave the capital.
If he got another loop, he might try to ask her to help outside the city.
But in this loop, it was impossible.
He needed to prepare as much combat power as possible and go defeat Elsa.
The boy named Subaru gave his thanks and prepared to leave.
His body trembled slightly, and his eyes had the look of one heading toward death.
Faced with such a person, Reinhild ultimately couldn't ignore him.
She called out to Subaru as he was about to leave, and with a puzzled look in his eyes, he turned as she asked:
"Subaru, may I help you?"
Subaru's eyes filled with inner conflict.
Reinhild patiently waited for his decision.
Finally, Subaru spoke.
"Reinhild, may I ask a few potentially rude questions?"
"Go ahead."
"Is the Sword Saint strong? I mean... how should I put this... I'm afraid this world might be one where the Sword Saint isn't actually... ahem... well, basically, I'm worried that the Sword Saint might not be all that powerful on this continent."
"You definitely shouldn't ask anyone else that question.
Four hundred years ago, our ancestor was a powerful swordsman—so powerful, in fact, that he formed a blessing unique to our bloodline.
That's why he was called the First Sword Saint.
This blessing is called the Divine Protection of the Sword Saint. It appears in the one with the greatest sword talent in the Reid bloodline, and the one who possesses it becomes the current Sword Saint."
"May I ask what this Divine Protection does?"
"It allows you to cut what cannot be cut, draw the dragon sword Reid at my waist, and push your swordsmanship talent to its utmost limit.
But the dragon sword is very picky about its wielder—it's only been drawn a handful of times in the past 400 years."
Subaru was a little speechless.
Simply put, the Sword Saint was someone with extremely high potential who got a growth buff, a bound legendary weapon, and true damage.
But the bound weapon couldn't always be used, and the true damage might not be necessary.
Also, the girl looked only about sixteen—who knows if she'd even reached her full potential yet?
"So Rein-chan, between you and that purple-haired knight Julius, who's stronger?"
Natsuki Subaru thought for a moment and then remembered Julius.
Like Reinhild, he was a member of the knights and had the power to suppress the Bowel Hunter for a time—he was the perfect benchmark.
"The Finest of Knights, Julius? If it's purely about strength, I'm a bit stronger than him."
There was nothing left to ask.
The final decision was whether or not to take the girl's hand—to borrow her strength.
For some reason, Natsuki Subaru felt this choice was extremely important.
Take the girl's hand and accept her help. (Continue main storyline) B. Apologize and leave, deal with the capital's threat alone. (Enter Arrogance route)
Natsuki Subaru's choice is...