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{3rd Pov}
Subaru had openly declared war against the entire Kingdom.
Inside the Royal Hall, the mood shifted completely.
The earlier noise, arguments, and heated discussions were gone.
In their place remained a heavy, suffocating silence.
The faces of the nobles, knights, and merchants had all turned solemn, many of them unable to hide the fear that had begun to creep in.
"W-What are we supposed to do now?" one of the merchants asked, his voice trembling uncontrollably.
His face had gone pale, and there was clear horror in his eyes, as if he had already begun to imagine what awaited him.
No one dismissed Subaru's words as empty threats or doubted his stance.
Everyone in that hall understood one simple truth, when that man said something, he meant it.
There was no exaggeration, no bluffing, and no second guessing when it came to his actions.
His previous executions of lesser nobles and corrupt merchants within his own territory had already become a widely discussed topic across Lugunica.
For weeks, it had dominated conversations in both political circles and common gatherings before eventually fading into the background.
At the time, many nobles and merchants had been furious.
They believed he had overstepped his authority.
They saw his actions as dangerous and unacceptable but that outrage had not lasted long.
The moment the Sword Saint herself had confirmed his claims and supported his actions, everything changed.
Her word was enough to silence any opposition.
Everyone knew that the Sword Saint possessed the ability to distinguish truth from lies.
If she had vouched for him, then it meant that the people he executed were indeed guilty.
And more importantly no one wanted to become her enemy.
Because opposing her did not just mean political risk.
It meant the possibility of having their own secrets dragged into the light, their own crimes exposed in front of everyone.
Because once someone was exposed, the consequences were unavoidable.
Exposure meant being treated the same way as the criminals Subaru had already dealt with.
Even if the Kingdom traditionally handled such cases with more leniency than Subaru's methods, none of them wanted to risk being dragged into the light.
But now, that distinction no longer mattered.
Whether their crimes were exposed or not had suddenly become irrelevant.
The situation had escalated far beyond legal procedures or political protection.
Natsuki Subaru, alongside the Sword Saint and Red, had openly positioned themselves against the current system.
And if his earlier statement about the other camps was true, then they too had now become enemies of the Kingdom.
That realization made the situation even worse.
It was no longer just about facing one faction.
It meant potentially confronting some of the strongest individuals in Lugunica.
People like Julius Juukulius and Wilhelm van Astrea were now, by all appearances, aligned with the opposing side.
Warriors of that caliber were not individuals anyone wanted to stand against.
The balance of power had shifted in a way that no one had anticipated.
However, despite the fear spreading across the hall, there was one question that continued to trouble everyone present.
Something they simply could not understand.
Why had the other camps withdrawn from the Royal Selection?
Why would they willingly abandon their chance at the throne?
More importantly, why would they choose to support Emilia instead of competing against her?
From a political standpoint, it made no sense.
It was not just a risky decision for them it seemed like a completely irrational one.
They were effectively handing over all the potential rewards, influence, and authority to a rival camp.
To many in that hall, it looked like a decision without logic.
A move that brought no immediate benefit and carried enormous risk.
And that was exactly why it unsettled them the most.
"Did this Zero… or should we say Natsuki Subaru?" one of the nobles spoke up, his teeth clenched so tightly that a faint grinding sound could be heard.
The veins on his forehead bulged visibly, and his expression twisted with unrestrained anger.
His composure was clearly breaking.
"How are we supposed to deal with this situation?" he continued, his voice rising as his frustration spilled over.
"He is directly threatening the very foundation of this great nation and our structure, our authority, the noble class itself!"
By the time he finished, his tone was filled with open hostility.
"Yes! We cannot remain idle!" a merchant shouted from the side, stepping forward despite the fear evident in his trembling body.
His stout frame shook slightly, betraying the nervousness he was trying to hide beneath a forced show of outrage.
"We must take immediate action! That man must be executed!"
His voice cracked slightly at the end, revealing that his anger was not entirely genuine.
Beneath it, there was fear the fear of what might be uncovered if things continued in this direction.
"Oh, really?" a Royal Knight responded, his tone carrying a hint of mockery as he stepped forward.
The sudden shift drew attention.
"Sir Astros," the knight continued, addressing the merchant directly, "I would like to ask you something."
He paused briefly, letting his words settle.
"What exactly does the Kingdom have against a man of Zero's caliber?"
The question hung in the air.
It was simple, direct and yet deeply uncomfortable for all the people present in the Hall.
The expressions of those present stiffened instantly.
Some looked away, while others remained frozen in place, unable to respond.
The room, which had just been filled with noise and outrage, fell into a tense silence once again.
"The only person capable of truly standing against him is the Sword Saint," the Royal Knight continued, his tone steady but filled with tension.
"And she has already sworn her loyalty to him months ago. From everything I know, the two of them are also in a romantic relationship."
His gaze moved across the hall as he spoke, making sure his words reached everyone present.
"On top of that, capable knights such as Julius Juukulius and Wilhelm van Astrea have already pledged themselves to other royal camps," he added.
"And those very camps have now aligned under the banner of the Emilia camp for reasons we still do not fully understand."
He paused briefly before asking the question that had been weighing on everyone's mind.
"If all of that is true, then what real chances do we have of winning this conflict?"
His expression reflected his own frustration. He was not defending Subaru blindly in fact he was simply stating what he saw as reality.
"We still have the Divine Dragon," another noble spoke up.
He had a slender build and carried himself with composed confidence.
His voice remained calm, as if he believed that fact alone was enough to balance the situation.
However, his eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at the Royal Knight.
"And your tone is rather suspicious," he added.
"You speak as if you are supporting Zero."
That accusation immediately shifted the mood again.
Several people in the hall turned their attention toward the knight, their expressions growing wary.
Even some of his fellow Royal Knights looked at him with uncertainty, unsure of how to interpret his words.
The knight let out a quiet sigh.
Then he turned his head toward Sir Astros.
"Sir," he said calmly, "I am resigning from the Order of the Royal Knights."
The statement hit the room like a shockwave.
Gasps echoed across the hall.
Even the other Royal Knights were stunned.
Many of them knew him personally, and the disbelief on their faces was clear.
None of them had expected him to make such a decision so suddenly—and at a time like this.
"If you leave now… it will be considered a betrayal of the nation," Astros said bluntly, not bothering to soften his words.
The Royal Knight did not react with anger.
"And if I stay and fight," he replied calmly, "I risk making my wife lose her husband and my children lose their father."
His voice remained steady, but there was weight behind it.
"Sir Astros, I have always fought for what I believed was right," he continued.
"But even I cannot ignore the level of corruption and unfairness that exists within the current structure of the Royal Knights and the nobility."
His words were not loud, but they carried clearly across the hall.
Felt, who had been watching the exchange closely, suddenly grinned.
Crossing her arms, she leaned slightly forward with clear interest.
"What's your name, bro?" she asked casually.
The knight turned toward her immediately.
Despite the situation, he maintained proper etiquette and gave a polite bow.
"Lady Felt, my name is Mekea Dr. Asphalt," he introduced himself.
Felt's grin widened further.
"Alright, Mek," she said without hesitation.
"How about you join my camp?"
Her tone was straightforward, as if she saw no issue with making such an offer in the middle of a tense political meeting.
"Hold on a moment," another noble suddenly spoke up, his voice cutting through the exchange.
"In all this chaos, it seems we have overlooked something important."
He raised his hand and pointed directly toward Felt.
"There is still one royal camp present here… this brat's camp."
The accusation immediately shifted attention toward Felt and her group.
Rom's expression was already tense as he had already realized what the situation had become after Zero's announcement of all Camps going against the Nation and Divine Dragon's rule.
They were now in a dangerous position with being in a group of people who just hated all the Royal Camps.
"Oh? And what about it?" Felt replied without hesitation, a grin spreading across her face.
"This 'brat' was already planning to turn your entire nation upside down anyway. But at this point, I don't even think I need to bother doing that myself."
She shrugged slightly.
"I can just join Zero's cause."
Her words landed heavily.
Rom immediately tightened his grip on his weapon, his expression turning serious.
He had already sensed the danger building in the room, and now it was becoming impossible to ignore.
At the same time, Heinkel's face grew noticeably paler as he processed what Felt had just said.
"Princess!" He turned toward her sharply, his voice filled with urgency and anger.
"That bastard killed the Wise Men! He is openly betraying the nation that gave him everything!"
His voice rose further.
"This is unacceptable! Absolutely unacceptable! We cannot support him, and I will not support him!"
His declaration echoed through the hall.
"Listen to me," Heinkel continued, glaring directly at her.
"I will never support that man. And if you choose to side with him, then consider my sponsorship withdrawn!"
The threat was clear.
But Felt did not react the way he expected.
Instead, she casually tilted her head, her smirk widening as if she found the situation amusing rather than threatening.
"You're really making this easier for me," she said.
"I was wondering how to get it through your head that this whole Royal Selection is already over, especially after big bro made his move."
She crossed her arms again.
"Now I can walk away without any regrets."
Her words were spoken openly, without any attempt to hide her stance.
The moment she finished speaking, several Royal Knights moved.
Swords were drawn.
But what followed shocked everyone even more.
Some of the other knights those standing beside them just moments ago also drew their weapons.
Not in agreement but in opposition.
Blades were raised against former allies, pointed directly at their own comrades.
The sudden division within the Royal Knights became visible in an instant.
The entire hall fell into stunned silence as the reality set in.
They were no longer united.
They were standing on opposite sides, weapons drawn against each other.
Astros quickly realized that if he failed to act now, the situation would spiral completely out of control.
The tension in the Royal Hall had reached a breaking point, and with swords already drawn, it would only take a single mistake for the entire place to turn into a battlefield.
A bloodbath.
"Halt!" he shouted loudly, his voice carrying enough authority to cut through the tension.
For a moment, the Royal Knights froze.
No one moved.
Astros let out a deep breath before stepping forward slightly, his gaze moving across the divided knights.
"Anyone who wishes to leave this hall may do so," he declared firmly.
"However, understand this clearly by doing so, you will lose your status and be branded as a traitor to the nation for the rest of your life."
His tone hardened further.
"And those who stand against Natsuki Subaru may remain here."
The choice was clear.
The consequences were equally clear.
For a brief moment, no one moved.
Then, one by one, several Royal Knights lowered their weapons and turned away.
Without speaking, they began walking toward the exit.
The decision had been made.
More followed.
In a matter of moments, a significant number of knights chose to leave the order.
However, none of them dropped their guard.
As they moved, they kept their eyes on the remaining knights, wary of any sudden betrayal or attack.
The tension remained thick.
"Very well… let's go, Rom," Felt said after watching the situation unfold.
Her tone was calm, but her decision was firm.
She glanced at the old man beside her, then briefly looked toward the rest of her camp.
Ezzo Cadner met her gaze and gave a slight nod, silently confirming his agreement.
One by one, they began to move.
Without hesitation, Felt and her group turned and walked toward the exit as well, leaving behind the hall.
Heinkel stood there, watching in stunned silence.
A clear conflict showed on his face as he stared at Felt walking away, accompanied by several Royal Knights who had chosen to leave rather than remain.
His grip tightened slightly, as if he wanted to stop them, yet could not bring himself to act decisively.
But it did not end there.
The shift spread further.
Several nobles and merchants, who had been standing quietly until now, began to move as well.
One by one, they stepped away from their positions and started heading toward the exit, clearly following the example set by the departing knights.
"You all! What is the meaning of this?!" Heinkel shouted, finally snapping out of his hesitation.
He drew his sword, pointing its tip directly toward them in an attempt to halt their movement.
For a moment, the nobles tensed.
Then one of them stepped forward.
"I have committed no crimes," he said firmly, raising his voice so that everyone could hear him.
"I would rather stand with Zero than risk being slaughtered alongside those who are guilty."
His bold declaration stunned the entire hall.
It was not just what he said, but how he said it.
Whether or not Subaru was actually observing the situation did not matter.
The man chose to speak loudly and clearly, as if ensuring that his stance would be known.
If Subaru was indeed watching, then this was his way of proving his position openly rather than fleeing in silence.
"You bastard!" Heinkel shouted in anger, clearly unable to accept what he was witnessing.
But before he could escalate further, Astros spoke again.
"Yes," Astros said with a tired sigh, "the same condition applies to nobles and merchants as well."
His words surprised many.
Several people turned toward him in disbelief, but no one openly challenged his decision.
The situation had already gone too far for simple authority to hold everyone in place.
By the time the movement stopped, the difference was clear.
The Royal Hall had lost nearly forty percent of its people.
Finally, Astros turned his attention toward Heinkel and spoke in a firm, authoritative tone.
"Sir, with the death of Sir Marcos, I now assume the position of Captain of the Royal Knights," he said.
"I would like you to resume your duties as Vice-Captain. I will require your support in dealing with this situation, especially in confronting Zero."
He paused briefly before adding,
"And most importantly… in countering Reina van Astrea."
Heinkel's fists clenched tightly at those words.
A mixture of anger and hatred surfaced clearly on his face.
He did not know exactly when her those feelings had begun to grow.
Perhaps it started the moment Reina first encountered that boy.
From what he had learned, she had met him about a year ago in an alley.
At the time, he had been nothing more than an unknown individual.
And yet, for reasons Heinkel could not fully understand, she had fallen in love with him.
From that point onward, things began to change.
Gradually, Reina stopped appearing regularly at the Astrea Mansion.
Her presence became inconsistent.
She began neglecting her duties, leaving without proper notice.
At first, Heinkel had not understood why.
But later, he found out the reason.
She had been going to meet him.
That same unknown boy.
Zero.
The one who revealed himself to be Natsuki Subaru just moments ago.
He had learned about it from Carol and Grimm, who had grown increasingly concerned about Reina's behavior.
Their concern did not come out of nowhere.
Years ago, when his mother had died after Reina inherited and stripped away the Divine Protection of the Sword Saint from her grandmother and causing her death, the entire perception of her had changed.
From that moment onward, many people began to view her as something inhuman.
A monster.
Over time, two distinct views of Reina van Astrea had formed among those who knew her.
First one was of people who knew her closely… and they could not bring themselves to feel like her.
Carol and Grimm had not hated her at first.
In fact, they had resisted that idea for a long time.
They tried to understand her, to believe that what had happened in the past was nothing more than a tragic mistake made by an innocent child.
But as time passed, they began to witness things firsthand.
They saw how she could strip others of their Divine Protections without hesitation.
They saw her overwhelming, almost unnatural strength.
They saw the way she dealt with her opponents which was efficient, absolute, and devoid of hesitation.
The more they observed, the harder it became to ignore what others had been saying.
Eventually, they began to wonder if those accusations were true.
That she really was a monster.
That she had been the cause of her grandmother's death.
A part of them still understood that it had been an accident, something beyond the control of a child who did not fully understand her own power.
But that understanding was not enough to erase the weight of what had happened.
For Carol, it was especially difficult.
She had known Theresia personally.
She had been close to her, and the loss had left a deep scar.
Knowing that the tragedy might have been prevented, knowing that things could have gone differently only made it harder for her to accept.
Over time, that pain turned into resentment.
And that resentment turned into hatred.
Grimm eventually followed her lead, spiralling into this web of hatred as well.
However, unlike Heinkel who expressed his anger openly and harshly they chose a different approach.
Instead of insults or direct confrontation, they distanced themselves.
They remained silent, cold and treated Reina as if she no longer belonged among them.
The second way people viewed her was completely different.
Among the common population, Reina was seen as a hero.
To them, she was someone worthy of admiration, an ideal figure who would always act righteously, no matter the circumstances.
She represented strength, justice, and protection, the kind of person people believed would never fail them.
However, that admiration came with distance.
They saw her as the Sword Saint first, not as a person.
Because of that, she was never truly approached as an ordinary individual.
The rumors surrounding her past, combined with her overwhelming strength, created a strange balance of admiration and fear.
People respected her, but they also kept their distance.
They interacted with her only from afar.
They praised her, but never truly knew her.
In the end, this created a kind of isolation.
Reina van Astrea stood above everyone else, yet completely alone.
That was the reality of her position.
This was exactly why Heinkel had been so shocked when he learned that she had developed feelings for someone.
An unknown boy.
Someone with no name, no background, and no standing at the time.
It made no sense to him.
He had even witnessed her behavior during the Royal Selection meeting, where she openly defended that same man without hesitation.
To Heinkel, it had looked like blatant defiance an act of insolence that he could not accept.
In his eyes, that man was arrogant, a loudmouth and completely unworthy of even standing among them.
He could not understand it.
Why would she support someone like that?
Why would she stand beside him so firmly?
While Heinkel held resentment toward Reina, and now toward this man as well, there was another emotion mixed into it one he did not openly acknowledge.
Jealousy.
Because no matter how much he tried to deny it, the truth remained the same.
Reina—
His daughter—
Had grown closer to another man.
In the end, some time later, she formally became Subaru's knight.
By then, his fame had already reached its peak, and his identity had shifted completely from an unknown commoner to a high-ranking noble and a hero with influence and recognition across the nation.
And Heinkel had said nothing.
From the old man, he had already heard everything he needed to know.
In his eyes, Reina had already chosen her path.
She had distanced herself from the family, from the Astrea name, and from everything that once tied her to them.
To him, it felt like abandonment.
There was no confrontation between them, no attempt to reconcile from him.
He simply let it happen.
After that, he drowned himself in alcohol, using it as a way to suppress the frustration, anger, and bitterness that continued to build inside him.
At times, those emotions slipped out in the form of harsh words, as he cursed her under his breath.
Deep down, Heinkel understood something clearly.
The relationship between him and Reina had already been broken beyond repair.
And now, the situation had gone even further.
They stood on opposing sides.
That meant one thing he might have to face her in battle.
And not just face her, but possibly attempt to kill her, especially considering how unwavering her loyalty had become toward that man.
He knew her strength.
He knew what she was capable of.
To him, she had long since become something beyond human a monster in every sense of the word.
That made the situation uncertain.
Whether he could even defeat her was already questionable.
But that was not the only question troubling him.
There was something far more difficult to face.
Did a father have the right to kill his own daughter?
He closed his eyes.
Memories surfaced such as his fragments of the past, moments that had shaped his feelings, both good and bad.
The reasons for his anger, his resentment, and his hatred all came rushing back.
He held onto them, examined them carefully and in the end, he reached a conclusion.
To him, there was nothing left to save.
Reina was already beyond it.
"Yes," Heinkel finally replied after nearly two minutes of heavy silence.
His gaze remained fixed on Astros as he spoke.
"I will return to my position as Vice-Captain of the Royal Knights."
His voice was steady.
"And I will personally ensure that Reina van Astrea is punished for her betrayal."
There was a firm determination in his expression, as if he had already convinced himself that this was the correct path forward.
He did not realize the weight of what he was saying, nor the consequences of standing against someone like her.
From a distance, unseen and unheard, Subaru or Zero was observing everything through his Psychic senses.
He let out a faint, disappointed breath.
'Well… I suppose this is about what I should have expected from a drunkard,' he thought, shaking his head slightly.
He had never held particularly high expectations for Heinkel.
And yet, somehow, he still managed to disappoint him further.
'And here I was considering bringing Theresia back… and healing Louanna as well,' Subaru continued in his thoughts, his expression turning more serious.
'But even if I do that… people like him still need to answer for their actions.'
He understood that his approach might not be considered reasonable.
It might not even be considered just.
But there was one thing he was absolutely certain about.
He loved Reina van Astrea and because of that, he would not allow anyone to harm her.
It did not matter who they were.
Not another version of himself.
Not even her own father.
Elsewhere, in another world entirely, a certain King Subaru suddenly sneezed without warning, as if reacting to something he could not quite place.
As if he some hypocrite was reciting his own lines... Truly birds of the same feather.
To be continued...
(A/N: My mom was sick and I had notified about this in Patreon and discord so I had to take two days off. Now I was playing a game with my sis, Unravel two. We have this brief window of one-two hour at this time where we can play together, and since I hadn't done the scheduled updates it was delayed for a moment sorry about that.
I will continue uploading daily chaps for the next few days, considering the next week ends at 2, I will upload chaps on 1st and 2nd date despite the fact I was supposed to stop at 31st as the month ends there. Again, bonus chaps are applicable, also we will be going to Flugel Arc Now.
After that is Depraved Arc which I have yet to write, but you all can guess what's that about.
I am thinking of putting most of sex scenes and Developments of Lugunica and how they conquer vollachia, Pleiades watchtower in One arc. There will be threesome, foursome and orgies(Male and all females only, no yuri or very light one)
After that I am not thinking of putting sex chapters in middle of story. There might be small sex scenes and mentions, but unless it is a new character there won't be anymore sex chapters to avoid breaking the flow.
And since after Flugel Arc we will be focused in the present of this timeline I decided to put sex chapters as it won't break the flow of Arc(Repeating for people who have comprehension problems)
After Flugel Arc I have planned a small or long(Haven't written yet), World Undone Arc. Hmm, also let's see in which Arc Subaru meets his parents. )