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{3rd Pov}
Every single assassin had been defeated—some on the brink of death, others unconscious or incapacitated entirely.
"I-Incredible! How are you this strong?! You were only born a few months ago! It doesn't make sense to Betty! In fact!" Beatrice exclaimed, her voice cracking with shock. Her disbelief was genuine and raw.
Gloria scoffed, flipping her shimmering hair with pride.
"Hmph! None of you are worthy of comparison to this concubine," she replied arrogantly, then floated gracefully back to Subaru's side.
Subaru, who had been silently observing, finally spoke with a tone of admiration.
"That was impressive, Gloria. You completely shattered my expectations."
Gloria beamed, clearly pleased with herself, basking in both his praise and her own overwhelming display of power.
Though Subaru seeing Assassins barely alive, he sprung forth into action.
How can he let his employees die?!
"Aqua! Quickly, start healing them. Betty, Gaea—you two help as well!" Subaru barked out the command, wasting no time as he hurried to the side of the mutilated assassins lying barely alive.
Elsa, who had just returned from her scouting mission, stood frozen in place, horrified by the gruesome sight before her. The sheer brutality made even the notorious Bowel Hunter falter in dread.
She wasn't scared by the fact how they were nearly dead, but by the possibility that Subaru probably had no qualms from torturing them.
Among Subaru's spirit companions, it was not only Aqua who had the ability to wield healing magic. Both Betty and Gaea also possessed healing capabilities, though neither of them could hold a candle to Aqua's Healing Magic.
As for Subaru himself? He hadn't attempted healing magic since the death of the White Whale. Before that event, he had given it a try but quickly discovered that he lacked any affinity for water or healing magic altogether.
Thankfully, Reina also joined in the efforts. Drawing upon her Divine Blessing of Healing, she channeled the power from her Divine Protection to support the magical recovery process. With the combined effort of Aqua, Betty, Gaea, and Reina, they were eventually able to stabilize and patch up all of the injured assassins, dragging them back from the brink of death.
"Father, these fools aren't even strong enough to leave so much as a scratch on this concubine," Gloria remarked coldly, brushing a lock of her golden hair behind her ear with disdain.
Her words stung. The assassins, though still in pain and barely able to move, couldn't help but feel bitterness at the blatant insult. Fear crept within them, the fact they proved to be utterly weak in front of Gloria made them wonder if they will be discarded, however recalling they have been healed from the brink of death assured them that they still had their use in Subaru's eyes.
"It doesn't matter," Subaru said, his voice calm but resolute. "They will do just fine for dealing with weaker enemies. Their strength, though not top-tier, will suffice for now."
He then turned his attention to Elsa, gesturing for her to approach. "Elsa, come here."
The infamous Bowel Hunter stepped forward with a nod, silently awaiting his next command.
"Listen well," Subaru continued. "All of you are to form a contract—binding, absolute. You will swear not to betray me under any circumstances. In return, I'll provide you with generous wages and as much freedom as you desire, so long as your actions don't go against my will or compromise my goals."
He made no effort to dress up the terms or sugarcoat the conditions. He spoke with the blunt honesty of a man who knew the kind of people he was dealing with—assassins, mercenaries, survivors. Clear rules, clear rewards, and clear consequences.
After delivering a few more detailed instructions and giving the command to Elsa, Subaru finalized their mission objectives. Three of the assassins would remain in Arlam Village. Their task was to blend in as ordinary villagers while secretly acting as the first line of defense against spies or enemies who might seek to sabotage Emilia's camp.
The rest would be dispatched to the Capital, where they would begin forming a covert assassination and espionage network—one that would serve Subaru's interests from the shadows.
He had no illusions about the nature of the people he was dealing with. Asking assassins to stop assassinating altogether was naive and a waste. Instead, Subaru set a clear boundary for their actions: only corrupt nobles, degenerate criminals, or particularly vile slum dwellers were to be targeted. No innocent blood would be spilled—not under his command.
And so, the groundwork for Emilia's political campaign began to take shape. With her first public speech successfully delivered in Arlam Village, Subaru decided it was time to personally travel to the city now under his control.
Originally, his plan was to have Emilia continue her tour through the surrounding villages, building up goodwill gradually before reaching the urban centers. But the slow communication systems of this world provided a unique advantage. Subaru chose to capitalize on this by going ahead to the city himself, intending to clean out the corruption, criminal elements, and slave traders.
While Emilia, accompanied by Reina for protection, would remain at the city mansion preparing for her major speech and policy announcements, Subaru, alongside Gloria, would covertly inspect the city's underbelly. Their goal was to identify and eliminate any traces of illegal activity.
Of course, Reina wasn't thrilled about this arrangement.
As the carriage rolled along, drawn by sturdy horses and driven by one of the contracted assassins, the atmosphere was heavy with anticipation. Inside the vehicle sat five people: Subaru, Reina, Emilia, Gloria, and Beatrice.
"My Liege… may I come with you instead?" Reina asked respectfully. "Miss Gloria and Beatrice can stay by Miss Emilia's side."
"I'm sorry, Reina," Subaru replied with a small but resolute smile. "But you're the best person for this job. Everyone back at the mansion is already busy with their own assignments. You being with Emilia not only guarantees her safety but also helps maintain the illusion that I'm not in the city at all. It's a tactical move."
Reina clearly didn't like the plan, but she respected it. If Subaru was anything, he was meticulous. He had accounted for every possibility.
His true intention was simple: to cleanse the city of its rot—slave traders, corrupt officials, criminal elements, and all. And, as fortune would have it, though it had been announced far and wide that the city had come under his rule, not a single soul there had ever laid eyes on Subaru Natsuki.
It was the perfect cover.
However, Reina was far too well-known to accompany Subaru on this particular mission. Her presence was not subtle—her appearance, demeanor, and reputation were all recognizable, and that made her a poor fit for any task requiring stealth or anonymity. At least, not for this job specifically. If she were seen prowling around the city at Subaru's side, it would immediately alert any observant individuals that something was afoot.
That's why having her accompany Emilia to the city's mansion was a tactical masterstroke. Her visibility served as a valuable tool—one that would help to weave the illusion that Emilia's visit was the entirety of the inspection team. The locals, particularly those with something to hide, would believe that only Emilia and Reina had come to oversee the city and deliver new governmental policies. No one would suspect that the true mastermind, Subaru, was already in the city, watching from the shadows.
This created the perfect smokescreen.
All the city's corrupt officials, underground dealers, black market leaders, and slavers would be on their best behavior only in front of Emilia and Reina. They would focus all their energy on staying presentable, hiding their crimes behind fake smiles and falsified records—completely unaware that Subaru would be slipping through the cracks, unseen, hunting them from the darkness like a phantom. It was a carefully laid trap, and they wouldn't even realize they were being hunted until it was too late.
Unfortunately, Beatrice would not be joining him in a visible form either. Her presence, while valuable, would draw far too much attention. Her distinctive appearance—plush dress, drill-like twin tails, and most importantly her eyes with butterfly shaped pupils will give away that she is a spirit or something unusual
. Therefore, she had no choice but to retreat into Subaru's soul space once again, remaining out of sight until the moment her power was truly needed.
"I see," Reina sighed softly, her voice barely above a whisper as she gazed out the carriage window. Then, almost involuntarily, she thought, 'If only I had a Divine Protection that allowed me to observe him from afar… at any time… from anywhere.'
And in that exact moment, as if responding to the yearning in her heart, the bond she shared with Od Laguna flared to life with a radiant pulse.
[Divine Protection of the Yandere Lover's Stalking] has been acquired.
'Eh…?' Reina blinked, her eyes widening as the words imprinted themselves on her mind like a magical brand. 'Yandere… Lover? What even is a Yandere? And Stalking?! What kind of divine protection is this supposed to be?!'
Her face immediately flushed a deep crimson. An intense wave of secondhand embarrassment washed over her, and she lowered her head, hiding her expression from the others in the carriage. Lately, the Divine Protections granted to her by Od Laguna had grown increasingly... peculiar. In fact, many of them bordered on outright absurdity.
There was the Divine Protection of the Lover's Side, which allowed her to appear next to Subaru at any moment, as long as he desired her presence—or sometimes even if he didn't. She could also sense his emotional state and hear his unspoken calls for her through an empathic link.
Then came the Divine Protection of Hoe Sensing, which triggered a visceral alert whenever an untrustworthy or manipulative woman approached Subaru with less-than-pure intentions.
The most mortifying one by far had been the Divine Protection of Anti-Cucking. She had acquired it shortly after discovering the bizarre and confusing fact that Echidna had somehow become Subaru's magical slave.
The Protection essentially ensured that Reina could not be 'cucked'—romantically betrayed—under any realistic circumstance. And if such a scenario did occur or was in progress, she would be alerted instantly through a divine emergency notification, complete with magical panic sirens in her head.
Then there were the last two, which she barely dared to think about.
The Divine Protection of Bedroom Wiles—a blessing that enhanced her seductive instincts and intimate charm, even though she had virtually no experience in those matters aside from basic biological knowledge.
And the one she still didn't understand: the Divine Protection of Ultimate Anahole. She didn't even know what the word "Anahole" meant. The term sounded completely foreign and suspiciously indecent, yet the divine protection unambiguously improved her submissive bedroom skill set—according to the information provided through her mental interface. She hadn't dared ask anyone about it.
Ahem.
These Divine Protections were ridiculous, undeniably, and Reina was the first to admit that—though only to herself. No one else knew about them, and she intended to keep it that way. It was her secret burden. Her hidden arsenal.
And now she had acquired another: Divine Protection of the Yandere Lover's Stalking.
With a mix of curiosity and dread, she mentally examined its effects. To her astonishment, it granted her a full third-person omniscient perspective of Subaru's surroundings at will. She could monitor him from afar, observe his environment, listen in on his conversations, and even assess his vitals and mental state. It was like she had an invisible surveillance drone permanently trained on him.
Technically, Od Laguna gave her the option to reject Divine Protections she no longer wanted. She could discard this one if she really desired. She could get rid of all of them if she felt they were too invasive, too strange, or too embarrassing.
But...
No one else knew about them, right?
No one else could see her notification log, or sense her mental links, or guess the extent of her divine advantages. And if these blessings helped her become a better guardian, a better support, and—ahem—a better lover for Subaru, then wasn't it worth enduring a little embarrassment?
Yes. That's right. It was all for the greater good.
Ahem. The greater romantic and emotional good, that is.
Thus, Reina quietly accepted yet another bizarre and absurd Divine Protection into her growing, chaotic collection. With a red face and a pounding heart, she committed herself once again to her all-encompassing role as Subaru's protector, shadow, and—whether fate liked it or not—his future wife.
Even if the world itself had to bend its divine laws to make it happen.
To be continued...
(A/N: I know I get sick easily, but which guy was saying I was sick again?! I mean I did have a splitting headache everyday...But it doesn't means I was sick! I was just busy okay!
Anyway, here is the chap and give the powerstones, so others can know this book is back. As long as it is in top 30 it will do the job.
And no... my fire to write this fic hasn't subsided, I have still not reached the point where our Subaru meets Envy Subaru, I still think about it every night with anticipation until then you can rest assured.
Also I read some fics recently, Fate fics... The 'One with Nature' and 'Fate/Canon' and so in burst of inspiration, I ended up writing a new fic.
It is Fate: Almighty, I found there are some similiar fics after I wrote these.
It is basically MC starting at the beginning of the creation of the world, getting overpowered, surprisingly realistic, traumatized character yet not the guy who goes all weak and helpless, etc, etc.
Mc will get a gacha system, which will actually support him to get independent of the system after a few times, or atleast lower his dependency on it by a lot.
MC will also use the gacha spins in a way you may or might not expect.
This will be harem, but like this fic, not like Fate/Gacha or In Mushoku tensei with unique skill great sage fics.
Mc hates father and sisters, or concept of them. He loves his mother, he also is wary of women.
Do not worry, I am not the Author of Rent a girlfriend, I know how to give my mc character development.
Anyway, I will not upload it.
Anyway, should I create patreon?
I will be starting small, for this fic 5 chaps in advance for 2 dollars.
Will you sign it?)