R13. The Sudden Outbreak of War

 R13. The Sudden Outbreak of War

In the dead of night, a black two-headed giant serpent was smugly devouring its prey.

From the hand sticking out of its mouth, it wasn't hard to guess what—or who—its prey was.

Suddenly, the serpent raised its heads to look at the sky.

Although nothing was visible, its instincts screamed at it to flee.

Just as it prepared to move, a sword aura descended from above, and in the next moment, the creature—normally requiring a squad of elite knights to defeat—was killed instantly.

"Too late, huh..." The one who appeared glanced at the mission scroll in hand, then picked up a severed hand still holding a sword, examined it, and nodded.

She understood that the leader among her targets had already been slain.

Surveying the corpses of the surrounding bandits, she sighed, then silently dug a pit and buried them.

"Better get back quickly... Wouldn't want Subaru to wake up and not find me there."

Yes, the girl who had killed the giant serpent was none other than the Sword Saint, Reinhild.

Although she had entered into a pact to protect Subaru, she hadn't returned the dangerous missions her father had assigned her—wanting to prevent any knights from getting hurt in her place.

During the day, she'd stroll the royal capital with Subaru while tackling troublesome daily tasks, and at night, she'd sneak out alone to handle these deadly assignments.

To ensure Subaru wouldn't discover her absence, she returned to check on him after each mission.

This turned what would normally be a one-day job into a four-day endeavor.

After confirming Subaru was still fast asleep, Reinhild quietly washed off the blood in the neighboring room.

For some reason, Subaru was particularly sensitive to the smell of blood.

Once, she returned straight into the room without washing, only to find Subaru curled up and trembling.

Later, she learned he had awakened from a nightmare shortly after she'd left.

And the first thing he said upon seeing her wasn't a complaint—it was concern.

Thinking back on that moment, Reinhild smiled.

It had been so long since someone cared about her like that.

Even though she thought of herself as weak, surprisingly, she didn't dislike the feeling of being cared for by Subaru.

Returning to the room, she looked at the peacefully sleeping Subaru and smiled again.

Though there had been many unpleasant moments—like the unresolved conflict between Subaru and Crush's group, Subaru often complicating things, and his argument with her father over not wanting Reinhild to return to the family estate—these past five days in the capital had been irreplaceably joyful memories for her.

"Good morning, Reinhild. Let's have a good day today as well." "Good morning, Subaru."

Reinhild responded instinctively, only then realizing that morning had already arrived.

"You know... you don't have to go back to the estate. I could arrange for you to stay temporarily in the Knights' Order. Commander Marcos has already agreed."

Reinhild keenly noticed the fear in Subaru's eyes.

She didn't know what exactly he was afraid of, but she didn't want to force him into anything because of her.

"You'll protect me, right, Reinhild?" "Of course. I will protect you."

"I'll be able to come back, right?"

The dragon carriage bearing the Astrea crest began to move.

Watching the royal capital gradually fade from view, Subaru whispered.

Hearing this, Reinhild blinked in surprise, then sat beside him and gently held his right hand.

"Of course you'll come back. After all, you're a citizen of this kingdom now."

Reinhild said seriously. She didn't know what might happen at the estate, but she was resolved to protect Subaru, no matter what.

"Yeah... speaking of which—"

Subaru started chatting about some fun little stories he knew, but the carriage suddenly jolted, and he felt a weight on his shoulder.

He looked down to see Reinhild fast asleep, leaning on him.

He stopped talking and adjusted his posture, trying to make the ride more comfortable for the girl who might not have slept for several nights in a row.

Yes—based on his previous loop's conversations with Heinkel and Reinhild's absence the other night after he'd suddenly awakened, Subaru had a vague sense that Reinhild had likely been pulling all-nighters.

He looked at her sleeping face and reflected on the joyful days they'd shared.

"Get a good rest… This time, I won't regret my decision."

Subaru whispered softly—whether to himself or to the girl beside him, it was unclear.

The scenery outside the window changed rapidly.

He knew he was heading toward hell, but his heart was unexpectedly calm.

Just like he said—this time, he wouldn't regret it.

Even if this might be the end of the road for him, as long as he was with her, he had no regrets.

.

.

.

Dinner time.

Though Reinhild had originally planned to avoid seeing Subaru, she eventually brought the food into his room.

As the Sword Saint, she now found herself unusually reluctant to look the boy in the eyes.

She couldn't believe she had fallen asleep on Subaru's shoulder.

Even though she hadn't properly slept in six days, she still felt it was unacceptable.

Reinhild could only hope she hadn't done anything embarrassing in her sleep—but Subaru's smiling eyes left her with little confidence.

"Lady Reinhild, sorry to intrude."

The next words from Otto, who barged into the room, instantly stripped Reinhild of any lingering joy.

"The Great Rabbit has suddenly appeared in the territory, and the magical beasts in the forest have gone berserk!"

Reinhild sprang to her feet.

She first looked at Subaru in shock, then fell silent.

"I'm sorry." "Can I come with you?"

"I'm sorry, but the estate is safe."

Reinhild shook her head and rejected Subaru's request.

His strength didn't even match that of an average soldier.

Taking him to face the Great Rabbit, one of the Three Great Demon Beasts, would not be protecting him—it would be sending him to his death.

Knowing Subaru's personality from the past few days, Reinhild didn't hesitate—she struck and knocked him out cold.

After all, she no longer had the time to slowly talk things through.

"Will that be okay?" "Don't worry. I know how to control my strength. How's the evacuation of the residents going? Has the royal guard assembled? What about the magical beasts—"

Reinhild quickly began assessing the situation and delegating tasks to the others at the estate.

"Reinhild, something about this situation seems off."

Hearing Otto's concern, Reinhild furrowed her brow.

The magical beasts and the Great Rabbit were coordinating perfectly.

If it weren't for Subaru's earlier warnings, she might have overlooked it.

But now, she realized something was wrong.

"Even if it's a trap, I can't abandon them. But the target is most likely Subaru... or Lady Felt. So I'll only take Eileen and a small elite squad. Don't worry—after all, I'm Reinhild. And with this opportunity, I'll take care of the Great Rabbit."

Reinhild said with absolute confidence.