Chapter Text
“So you ain’t buying anything? Tch, don’t waste my time, kid!”
“I already bought a bunch of appas from you earlier though!? You know, it’s not good to be stingy, Old Man!”
“Who the hell you calling ‘stingy’, you damn brat?! Get the hell away from my shop!”
The shouts from the vendor echoed from behind him as he ran away from the shop.
Finally, once he found himself far enough away, he breathed a sigh of relief and made sure he hadn’t drop–
“...Eh…!?”
However, it was only then that he realised that the two bags he had been holding just a moment ago were now nowhere to be seen. He tried frantically looking around to see if he had placed them down anywhere but couldn’t find anything in the narrow alleyway he had run off to.
“No way, no way, no way no way!”
He shut his eyes tight and tried to remember where he could’ve possibly left them, but for the life of him he couldn’t remember placing them down even once.
So, he turned around, having decided to try and quickly retrace his steps to find the bags before they could be stole–
“Where you running off to in such a rush, bro?”
Blocking the entrance to the alley was a group of three individuals that he couldn’t help but be reminded of the ‘Dum, Dumb and Dumber’ trope by. Something else he couldn’t help but notice were the looks they were giving him—Subaru wasn’t someone with a lot of situational awareness but he could tell this wasn’t a good situation for him.
“That suit you’re wearing looks pretty fancy, bro.”
“Yeah, you must be loaded to be able to afford that.”
“Oh, this? Pfft, I didn’t buy it, It’s just my work uniform!”
Subaru shrugged while holding the scruff of his blazer, trying to appear as calm as he could.
“Oh? Then you must have a pretty rich employer!”
“Tch.”
But his thoughts were still on a rampage due to having lost the groceries, so he really didn’t find it in himself to have much patience for them.
“Listen guys, I’m kind of in a hurry right now so maybe we can talk later–”
Before he could try to walk past them to exit the alley, the one in the middle pulled out a set of knives and pointed one at him, causing him to gulp and take a step backwards while raising his hands up.
“Come on, ya didn’t answer our question! Your employer’s rich, right? Then you must also have some pretty stacked pockets. Give us all you got!”
‘Shit, there’s no way I can give these guys the money Will-san entrusted me with, but, if I tried fighting them… would I be able to do it?’
Subaru recalled his fight with Wilhelm and how unskilled he had turned out to be, then he looked at the thug’s knife, that no matter how dull it might be, he knew that just one clean cut would be enough to do him in. All notion of fighting them quickly disappeared from his mind then.
‘Even if there’s no way these street thugs are as good as Will-san, going three on one is just too dangerous—I can’t risk losing the rest of this money…’
They stood there in a standoff for a moment, the thugs grinning and licking their lips while slowly approaching him and Subaru wracking his brain for something—anything he could do. That was when it clicked for him.
He took a deep breath and hardened his facial expressions, summoning all the strength he had hidden deep inside him in order to–
“GUAAAAARDS! HELP ME!! PLEASE SOMEONE, I NEED A MAN!”
——The floodgates burst and screams began leaving Subaru’s mouth that caused the thugs to recoil in shock.
‘Right! This is the type of situation where I use the daring of a modern day teenager combined with the little information I know about this world to my advantage—While Ferris was healing me, she told me about the knights that patrol the capital. If she wasn’t just messing with me, then someone should come help me out of this——!’
He stopped screaming and the thugs began looking a bit nervous, their eyes darting around frantically in search of any danger, but then a moment passed, and another, and one more, and the thugs gradually began regaining their earlier confidence.
‘——OR NOT!?’
“Haha! Almost scared us there bro… only a little.”
“Yeah, we were only a tiny bit scared, nothing else!”
“But you shouldn’t have tried to scare us, now you’re gonna really pay!”
They picked up the pace at which they marched towards him, flashing sinister grins, readying their weapons and cracking their knuckles. Subaru realized that he would have to deal with this himself since nobody came to his rescue, so he prepared himself to turn his whole body and run once he saw an opportu–
“That’s as far as you’ll go.”
Suddenly he heard a voice from behind him, causing him to turn around and be greeted by a person with——
“——Red hair—”
—Gloved hands, white clothing—
“—And a knight’s sword marked by scratches from dragon claws.”
One of the thugs described him as if reciting from a fairytale, whoever that person was they must be important.
“Reinhard!? The Sword Saint, Reinhard!?”
“Sword… Saint?”
The term sounded familiar.
Reinhard smiled and casually walked up next to Subaru.
“It seems I needn’t introduce myself. Although that nickname is a bit too much for me—with my modest strength, I don’t know if I could be much help to him.”
Subaru noticed that the thugs’ attitudes had done a complete one-eighty the moment Reinhard showed up, their movements more hesitant and voices shaking.
‘Who is this guy, some insanely skilled swordsman?’
The thugs still looked hesitant for a moment, but after Reinhard threatened them by grabbing the sword at his hip—which to Subaru looked way too big to carry around—they tucked their tails between their legs and ran away.
Subaru thanked Reinhard and after getting his thanks deflected noted just how friendly he was.
“Anyways, Subaru. Your name and appearance tell me you are probably not from Lugunica, so if there’s anything you require assistance with while on your stay, I’d be willing to help.”
Subaru almost spoke up about his situation but hesitated.
‘Nah, there’s no way I can bother him with something as simple as this. As a knight, he probably has way better stuff to do…’
“Thanks Reinhard, if there’s anything I need help with I’ll be sure to yell for you again! But, I gotta go now or else my boss is gonna be seriously pissed.”
“Alright, I wouldn’t want to be the reason you anger your ‘boss’. Goodbye then, Subaru.”
Running out of the alley, he prayed that he could find the groceries he lost, but in the time he took to retrace his steps to the appa stand, he realised that there was no way he would find the items in this crowded and busy area.
“Huh? The hell you doing back here? I told you to get the hell away from my shop, didn't I?”
The appa vendor said as Subaru slumped back to his shop. Now that he had lost his items, he figured he didn’t have a choice but to try to buy everything on his list a second time.
“Grr… shut up Old Man, I lost all of the groceries I had bought…”
“The hell’s that gotta do with me? And quit calling me ‘old man’, you brat!”
“No sympathy at all?! Damnit Old Man, I thought we’d gotten close!”
“You call me stingy and expect us to be pals or something!? The hell is wrong with you kids these days?!”
“You were being stingy, to be fair… Tch…”
Subaru pulls out his bag of coins disappointed that he’d have to spend more money when something catches his attention——
‘...Huh? Is this bag not heavier than it was earlier…?’
He holds it up, confused.
‘Am I misremembering or something? I swear it was way lighter than this after all those groceries–’
“Huh? So you actually gonna buy something this time?”
“Oh. Right, yeah. I’m just gonna need more of those appas…”
“Alright, here you go. One fresh bag of appas coming right up.”
“Just the same amount you gave me last time.”
“I don’t know what last time you’re talking about, kid. How many appas you want?”
“Huh? I mean the amount you gave me earlier today.”
“The only time I saw you today was when you were bothering me earlier, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You know! The amount that’s written on the list you read to me! Here!”
He pulled the list out of his pocket and showed it to him.
“Listen kid, I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing here, but my job is hard enough without having to deal with crazy people like you. Next time, just tell me the amount you want.”
“You’re the crazy one! Is your age catching up to you or something, Old Man? You read this same list to me earlier tod–”
The bag of appas was shoved into his arms, causing him to stumble backwards.
“Whatever! I don’t have the patience to deal with crazy kids like you, just get away from my store already!”
So Subaru walked away from the vendor, wondering what the hell his problem was, and resumed his journey to get all of the items he had lost.
He retraced his steps and went to the vendors he had gone to previously, but he found that like the appa guy, none of them remembered him either.
‘Well, I guess it is a pretty busy day—no way they’d remember every customer they had… kinda disappointing I wasn’t able to make an impression on them though.’
Soon enough, he found himself back to the fountain he’d been at earlier, but something felt wrong.
“...Why don’t I remember where I went after?”
He retraced his steps in his mind once again, he went to a bunch of different vendors then stopped here to take a break, and then…
“Then I found myself back with the appas guy… just how hard did I zone out?”
He began looking around, paying attention to his surroundings to try to spark any semblance of familiarity in him, but nothing caught his eye, as if his memory after this moment was just erased.
That was when he noticed it.
It couldn’t be described as quiet, but mixed with the noises of everything else around him, he was sure he wouldn’t have been able to discern its sound from that of the busy streets, but since he had decided to pay just a little more attention to his surroundings, he managed to notice it——
He noticed it, and it was fast.
——A giant wave of white rushed towards him fast, so fast that he couldn’t react in any meaningful way besides dropping his bags and trying to brace for impact.
Only then could he feel how cold it was.
And then, he was fully buried before he could even think to scream.
He couldn’t breathe.
He tried to inhale, but found his nose blocked by something.
He tried to get rid of the blockage, but he found that he couldn't move either of his arms.
He couldn’t move a single part of his body.
His heartbeat quickened inside his chest.
He started fighting, struggling to move around, but he couldn’t move even an inch.
He began desperately trying to breathe, trying to get even a single bit of air into his lungs, but all he managed to do was clog his nose with the substance that fell on him. That freezing cold substance.
He had to find a way out.
He tried getting up again, but there was still too much pressure for him to do so.
He tried clawing himself free but he didn’t even know whether his numb fingers were moving or not.
He couldn’t see—His eyelids were shut tight by what had fallen on him.
He couldn’t hear—He didn’t even know if that would help him at all.
He couldn’t breathe—Not through his nose or through his mouth.
He couldn’t——
Soon enough, the only thing left to feel was the cold freezing over his entire body. He tried to struggle but he couldn’t even find the strength to fight—the strength to think.
Without any sound, any light or any feeling, he found himself trapped in a cold void.
A dark space with no up or down, no smells or noise, and no feelings other than the chilling cold.
Soon enough, even his mind became… no… more–
Until suddenly, there was light.
He could see again, he could hear again, and most importantly–
He began hacking up a lung, coughing as he tried to get every last bit of air he could in through his mouth.
His legs were still numb so he fell to his knees and saw his fingers dig into the soft, white snow.
Finally able to breathe again, his mind began working in overtime, trying to figure out what had happened and that was when he spot it——
A person speeding through the snowy wasteland, pulling people out of the snow left and right. That person, with a serious look on his face, glanced at Subaru and sent him a quick, brave smile.
“Reinhard…”
He spoke softly once his tongue was able to move again.
Though Reinhard wasn’t the only thing surprising to him, as he had just realised his surroundings—the bustling common district he had been in just moments prior was now replaced with a snowy wasteland that looked like it went on for miles. The only thing that showed Subaru he was still in the same place were the tops of buildings poking out through the meters of snow.
“What… happened… here?”
He asked in a shaky voice, though the only thing he heard in return was the blowing of the cold wind and the gratitude of those thanking Reinhard for rescuing them.
He sat there, his breath shaking as he watched Reinhard save multiple other people—and pull out some people he couldn’t save, perfect statues of ice that Subaru instantly understood used to be living, as he had felt himself becoming like them not long ago—all the while admiring how calm and focused Reinhard seemed to be.
It was only once Reinhard came to a full stop where everyone he had saved was gathered that Subaru felt strong enough to use his legs again.
“Reinhard… Do you know what happened here? Why is everything covered in snow…?”
“That is something I do not know for certain. However, I believe I know the direction it is coming from.”
As he said this, he faced a random direction and narrowed his eyes.
“Everyone, please remain calm! I need to go deal with what is causing this snow, but–”
“Y–You’re not seriously planning on just leaving us here, right?”
Suddenly, someone’s voice cut him off from the crowd.
“Yeah! You can’t just leave us here—n–not on this snow!”
Reinhard put a hand on his chin and began thinking.
“That is correct… although, I also can’t bring you all with me as it would be too dangerous…”
As he was thinking and the crowd waited quietly, Subaru began looking around. He spotted a pretty tall building that had a balcony free from snow.
“That place doesn’t have any snow. And it’s probably a good idea to be more huddled up for warmth.”
He pointed at it and Reinhard smiled at him.
“That is a great idea, Subaru. Thank you for your help.”
“I didn’t really do anything though… Plus, it’s pretty high up. How are we gonna get up there?”
Reinhard demonstrated how by picking someone up from the crowd and in a split second he had launched them and himself up to the balcony.
“Holy…!”
He did the same thing with multiple other people, leaving Subaru as the last one he had to carry. It felt a little embarrassing to be princess-carried by someone, but Reinhard had a certain aura around him that made it seem like the cold couldn’t reach him, making it an almost pleasant situation due to the circumstances.
They arrived at the balcony and Subaru looked at the crowd. They were all huddled together but he could see in their eyes that none of them were anything more than strangers—their eyes were shifty, movements uncertain and voices scared as some mumbled to themselves.
“Subaru,”
Reinhard grabbed his shoulder, making him turn to see him grabbing on to the metal railing from the other side.
“I’m sorry, but I will have to once again rely on you.”
“Rely on me? What are you talking about, Reinhard? How could you rely on me?”
“While I may have saved them, I will not be able to calm the people of their anxieties. Especially not whilst I’m gone. This is why I need you to keep everyone calm until I return, Subaru. I am sorry for once again having to rely on you.”
“W–Wait! Are you seriously saying you want me to take care of all these people…? H–How am I supposed to do that?! You’re the one that saved all of them…!”
For some reason, Reinhard smiled at him when he said that.
“You may not understand me when I say this, but it was only because of you that I managed to save this many people, Subaru.”
“W–What…?”
He nodded at him, that confident smile still on his face.
“I trust you will manage. But now, I must go and put a stop to this absurdity.”
“W–Wait, Renhard!”
But before he could stop him, Reinhard was gone like a bullet, off into the dark horizon where the only light source was what little sunlight cut through the murky sky, leaving Subaru’s hands grabbing onto where Reinhard’s were previously.
“Damn it…”
He hangs his head low and takes a shaky breath, thinking about the responsibility left to him.
‘Does he seriously think I’m capable of doing something like this? The same kid who wasn’t capable of even properly doing house chores, the same kid that managed to lose his groceries while out shopping… Why the hell does he think I can do this…?’
He turned his head, everyone was staring at him expectantly.
‘Damnit… these guys don’t want someone like me… they want a hero, someone who can assure them they’ll be alright—that their loved ones will be alright. There’s no way I could–’
“Even if there’s something nyah can’t do, nyah gotta find something else to do to be useful.”
…Huh? Why had that phrase suddenly shown up in his mind? Why was it that it had suddenly come to him…? He didn’t know what to do, he didn’t know how to take control of the situation, so why was such an encouraging phrase popping up in his mind now?
“Damn it…”
‘That’s right. Even if I think I can’t do it, even if I don’t think I’m good enough for it, everyone is currently waiting for me, wanting to rely on me. So, would it really be okay for me to throw their hopes away?’
He grit his teeth so they’d stop clattering.
‘No. I have no right to. Even if I don’t think I can do it, even if I can’t do anything, I still have to do something!’
“Or else Ferri-chan will feel guilty.”
Having resolved himself, he took a deep breath that almost felt like it would freeze his lungs and tried putting on a brave smile before turning back towards the crowd, waving for them all to calm down.
“Okay everyone… Eh?”
However, when he did, the scared and anxious faces of the crowd suddenly shifted into looks of horror and disgust. He was confused about what had caused such a drastic change in their faces until his attention was drawn to his fingers—or the lack thereof.
His hands, like a broken statue, were both cracked and missing large chunks of them, including all five of their fingers.
He turned back to the railings he had been leaning on and saw that left there were all of his fingers and a big part of his hands, having been brutally severed from his body.
“uuuaaaaAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!”
It was unbelievable. It was a sight that the boy, not used to violence as he was, just couldn’t make sense of, so he began panicking.
He waved his arms around frantically, the feeling of the cold burning him having finally caught up to him.
He was directionless, running around the balcony without anywhere to go. He had no idea what to do about the numbing pain he felt creeping all over his body, so he simply screamed.
Like a domino effect, the other people on the balcony began panicking and moving frantically as well. The groups of people that had huddled together for warmth disconnecting in fear that their limbs would also break away from their bodies.
Yet the balcony, as small as it was, wasn’t made for so many people to be on it at once, and soon enough——
“Eh?”
——With a faint “thud”, someone bumped into the boy. The boy, who’s mind was still focused on panicking, instinctually tried to regain balance, but didn’t notice his leg lean on the exact same metal railing that had mutilated his hands.
Thus, with a gentle sound that reminded him of porcelain shattering, his leg disconnected from his body and off the balcony he began falling.
He plummeted to the ground, his mind and body having lost all connection between one another as he felt the stiffness of every single muscle in his body
His final view was that of a world made of snow.
And then, he was shatte–
“Unless you’re buying, get lost, kid–”
The instant he felt sunlight wash over his body, he collapsed onto the ground.
“MY HANDS!!”
With a shaky voice, he screamed as loud as he could, his throat aching as he rolled on the ground, and his body shaking and shrinking into itself like a shrimp.
“W–Woah, kid! You alright?!”
He repeatedly closed and opened his palms, checking one hand with the other and making sure all of his fingers were all still connected and intact.
“My… my hands…?”
“Your hands are fine kid… Damn, you’re seriously shaking. Tch, now I’d feel guilty to just kick you away. Here, let me help you.”
The vendor helped him onto his feet and handed him a large blanket, which he wrapped around himself like a shawl.
“But how is…?”
The vendor let out a heavy sigh and shoved an appa into Subaru’s hands, it gleamed in the sunlight and caused Subaru to finally notice the other person—other people—around him.
“Old Man, you’re… okay…?”
“I should be asking you that, kid. You shouldn’t overwork yourself. If you’re in the state where you start deliriously yelling about your hands, maybe it’s best you ask for a day off.”
Yet, Subaru wasn’t paying that much attention to him, as his mind was naturally drawn to one glaringly large detail about the space he was in——
‘The snow… it’s gone…?’
Around him, instead of the snowy wasteland he remembered finding himself in, he saw a bright and sunny day with people shopping and casually going about their lives without even a single hint of the tragedy he had witnessed unfold.
He looked up and instead of the dark clouds which came along with the snowstorm, he saw the normal blue sky and the bright sun which made him cover his eyes and look down, where he saw the apple gleaming in his hands. The bright red colour reminded him of a single person——
“Reinhard…”
“Huh? What’cha say?”
‘That’s right… Reinhard’s insane speed and strength must be because of some form of magic, meaning that after I passed out, he came back and used magic to heal my hands and leg! …But then, why did he just leave me here…? Did he have something to do and decided to have the apple vendor watch over me…? Agh, damnit. Guessing won’t get me anywhere! If I want answers I have to talk to him myself… but where would I even find him?”
Subaru stood for a few moments watching the red appa in silence before an idea finally came to him. He turned to the vendor——
“Hey, Old Man… Sorry to ask for your help again but… do you know where I’d be able to find a garrison around here…? Or a knight outpost?”
The old man sighed and crossed his arms. He seemed a bit hesitant at first but after taking another look at Subaru, he began speaking.
“Sure kid, just make sure to get some help——”
He described to him the way and what directions he should take to reach his destination, Subaru outlining a map in his mind as he spoke before thanking him and running off to find Reinhard, the blanket still wrapped around him.