Re:Zero - The King of Pride

When dawn came, Subaru and Emilia were staggering. They had walked all day and all night but they had covered a huge distance, probably more than Crusch would have believed possible when she planned out her search.

They saw the King's highway in front of them and an inn nearby with several wagons parked there.

Subaru sighed, "With a little bit of luck, we can pick up a ride at that inn."

Emilia nodded wearily as they walked hand in hand over to the inn.

"Do you think any of these wagons are going to Gusteko?" Emilia asked.

"Only one way to find out," Subaru said gently shaking Beatrice awake.

The little spirit stirred with a yawn and then started looking around in confusion, "When did Betty fall asleep?"

Subaru laughed, "Quite some time ago actually."

"Good morning, Subaru," Puck yawned and stretched.

"OK, guys," Subaru murmured, "So we're in the home stretch of our escape here. We're going to go into that inn. It looks like they're already up and cooking judging by the smoke coming from the chimney. We'll go in and order some food. We could all use a hot breakfast. You guys try to blend in: Emilia keep your hood up and Beako try to change your clothes to something plainer, probably something with a hood so that those adorable drill braids of yours don't make you stand out."

Beatrice sighed, "Betty is tired of trying to blend in. Betty is supposed to be captivating to the eye for a reason, I suppose," She muttered changing her clothes back to a plain gray robe with a hood.

"And Puck-"

"Oh please, Subaru, don't say it," Puck moaned.

"Try to pretend to be a normal cat while we're in there," Subaru said with a fond smile.

"He said it!" Puck mourned.

"No talking, no flying, and no magic," Subaru chuckled, "It's either that or hide in the gem but I thought you might like some food too."

Puck sank down into Beatrice's arms with a moan.

"Alright, let's buck up. We're almost out of here. We just have a little bit further to go," Subaru encouraged them.

Subaru and Emilia walked into the inn. Beatrice walked behind them carrying Puck in her arms. The inn had a large dining room with a bar although the room was almost empty this early in the morning.

"Hey there, stranger," A chubby brown haired woman in an apron said from behind the bar, "My name is Fran. What can I do for you?"

"We're looking for a hot breakfast," Subaru said.

"Sure thing, darling," The woman replied. "We're cooking up eggs and porridge right now with bacon on the side. It's three coppers a plate."

Subaru nodded and pulled a silver piece out of his pouch.

The woman took the coin, "Have a seat anywhere you like, Hun. The food will be out shortly."

"One question," Subaru said as Emilia and Beatrice grabbed a table in the corner, "Maybe you can help me with something."

"Asking is free," The innkeeper shrugged.

"I'm trying to get my family clear of all the havoc that's happening out west," Subaru said honestly.

"Oh dear. You poor people are refugees from that mess?" The innkeeper asked sympathetically, "I've seen quite a few pass this way trying to get shut of those troubles. You must have had a hard time on the road."

Subaru gave her a half smile, "Well, not as hard as some, I suppose. Anyway, I'm trying to get up into Gusteko. I think my cousin might give us a place to stay while things calm down. You seem to have some wagoneers staying here. Do you know if any of them might be headed that way and willing to take a few passengers? I can pay."

The innkeeper scratched her chin, "Maybe. I think Ayane might be headed up that way to pick up some goods. She's actually really nice about taking passengers, sometimes she doesn't even make you pay if you're down on your luck."

"I can pay," Subaru assured her.

"Why don't you and your family sit down and eat some breakfast. I'll talk to her about it when she comes down. Shouldn't be much longer. Traders tend to get on the road early."

"Thank you," Subaru said and tipped her three copper pieces.

"Thank you, sir," She said with pleasure.

Subaru walked over to join his family at the table.

"OK, so she thinks maybe she can find us a ride," He whispered.

"That would be wonderful," Emilia sighed.

"It might be another two or three days to the border on foot," Subaru murmured, "If we catch a ride, I bet we'd make it today."

Subaru stopped talking as Fran brought them three plates loaded with eggs and bacon and a bowel of porridge balanced on each.

"Here you go, enjoy," Fran said putting the dishes down in front of them, "Oh my, what an adorable little kitty cat."

Subaru winced and he saw Puck's eyes narrow. He was sure that the magic cat was barely restraining himself from throwing hard words and possibly even harder ice crystals at the woman.

"Hello dear," Fran said to Beatrice in the sing-song voice some people reserve for speaking with small children, "My name is Fran! What's your name?"

Beatrice stared at her completely baffled.

Beako looks shocked by the way this woman is speaking to her. That's good because once the shock vanishes, Beako is likely to mop the floor with Fran for speaking baby-talk to her like this.

"That's our Betty," Subaru interjected nervously.

"Oh, hello Betty," She crooned in the same voice, "Can you tell me how old you are?"

"Betty wants to know why you're speaking to her as if she doesn't understand the common tongue, I suppose," Beatrice replied looking very uncomfortable.

"Oh my!" Fran said in surprise, "Your daughter is extremely well spoken for her age!"

"Yeah, she's a voracious reader," Subaru agreed with a weak smile.

Luckily, some other travelers began to emerge looking for breakfast. Fran bustled off to attend to them and spared Subaru the trouble of trying to make the spirits conceal themselves.

Subaru heard Puck and Beatrice grumbling under their breath as Beatrice took a few choice bites of her breakfast and fed a few to Puck.

Emilia and Subaru dug into their food with gusto. It was the first real meal they'd had since leaving the Sanctuary.

I need to sleep, Subaru mused to himself. The funny thing is that my brain feels so burnt right now that I'm not sure I could sleep. I literally feel too tired to sleep. I never imagined that could even be a thing.

Thank God, we're almost out of here. I have nothing left. This horrible week has taken me right out to my limit. If anything else goes wrong I think I might shatter like glass. Or shatter somebody else like glass, maybe.

Emilia must be even more exhausted than I am. She went through two weeks at the Sanctuary before I even showed up.

Well, Mili is way tougher than I am. The stress of the past week has taken me right out to my breaking point.

I need to sleep.

"Hey Hun," Fran said approaching their table with a pleasant faced young woman with dark hair, "This is Ayane. She's a merchant who works the trade route between the capitol and Orcos. She says that she is going to Orcos and she'll be happy to take you."

Subaru looked the woman over. She seemed barely older than Subaru. She had bright eyes and a wide smile. She had the kind of face one instinctively likes which was probably a huge asset when bargaining over goods. She was dressed in a red outfit that made Subaru think of Renaissance Italy. In a world where most women wore dresses, Ayane wore trousers and a red cape and wore a large flamboyant hat with a feather in it.

"Fran told me about how you were running away from the battles out west," Ayane said sympathetically, "I'm really sorry about all the trouble you've been through. I've been helping a lot of people get out of the area either toward the capitol or up into Gusteko. It's my good deed for the year and it also gives me a chance to pick up some extra coin!" She said flashing them a wolf grin.

"Well, we can pay for the ride, don't worry," Subaru replied.

"No, no, I'm just kidding!" Ayane laughed, "Err, well mostly just kidding. A few extra coins would be nice. How about three silvers for the trip?"

Sounds more than reasonable. She must be cutting the price to help folks get out of here.

Subaru pulled out three silver coins and handed them to Ayane.

"So it's just the three of you?" She asked.

"Plus a cat," Subaru pointed out.

"Oh, sorry, cats are double," Ayane said sadly.

Subaru stared at her and Ayane burst out laughing, "I'm joking! Jeez, you need to learn to lighten up a little. You'll die young with that attitude! Anyway, I'm going to grab a quick bite and then we can head off if that's OK with you lot."

"Sure, we're ready whenever," Subaru shrugged.

"Nice!" Ayane said cheerfully walking off to eat her breakfast.

Fran leaned down to whisper in Subaru's ear, "I know she's a little strange but she's very sweet. She's been helping lots of people get clear of the troubles. She acts like a cold blooded trader but I've seen her take people out of here who couldn't even pay. She'll do you right."

"Thanks, Fran," Subaru replied as the innkeeper bustled away.

"That woman is very strange. Both of them actually," Beatrice muttered.

"Feels like our luck is finally changing," Emilia whispered.

"Oh, give it five minutes, Mili. It will change back."

"Subaru, Betty isn't sure if you are joking or not," Beatrice said.

"Neither am I," Subaru chuckled.

Ayane had a large wagon with a covered roof pulled by two earth dragons. Subaru and company sat in the back as they pulled out of the inn.

Ayane talked a blue-streak and seemed largely indifferent to if anyone responded to what she said.

This suited Subaru and Emilia right down to the ground as they were able to get some much needed sleep.

Beatrice and Puck were much better rested so they just dozed a bit and cuddled during the journey north.

Subaru was only vaguely aware of the wagon coming to a stop until Beatrice shook him awake.

"Subaru, something is going on outside," Beatrice whispered.

Emilia was still fast asleep. Subaru heard Ayane talking to someone. She'd stepped down off the driver's seat.

"Stay here and watch Mili," Subaru told Beatrice and Puck.

Subaru moved to the front of the wagon and stepped out onto the driver's platform. They were stopped on the road in an evergreen forest. Ayane was talking to a massive man with brown skin. He looked like Rom's much younger brother.

The wagon was surrounded by twenty men with the look of bandits. They were all armed but their gear was old and poorly maintained. Their clothing was ratty. The men noticed Subaru standing there and began to leer and point at him laughing.

"-two of them," Ayane was telling the giant, "One is a beautiful elf girl, she should fetch an amazing price at market, and the little girl is adorable-" Ayane suddenly became aware of Subaru, "Oh, hi! Hey good news, I found some people willing to take you in! Your girls are going to have a home for a long long time!" Ayane said cheerfully.

"My girls?" Subaru said in a voice like ice, stepping down off the wagon.

"Yeah, I'm afraid that you're too scrawny and ugly to bring a good price," Ayane shrugged, "I'm guessing the boys here will amuse themselves with you a little tonight and that should be the end of your problems. It gets boring out here in the woods, you know."

The bandits all chuckled and several drew long knives.

Ayane turned back toward the giant, "Remember I'll be watching the auctions in Kararagi. Don't try to cheat me," She warned him.

The giant snorted drawing a sword, "You can take that up with the boss." The giant marched toward Subaru while his men cheered him on, "So, you going to make this easy on us or hard on yourself?"

Subaru had eyes only for Ayane, "You're slavers," He said flatly.

"Now that's an unpleasant term," Ayane complained, "I prefer to say that I find folks who don't belong anywhere and bring them to people who want them."

Subaru's mind whirled with images of Emilia and Beatrice in chains, being hurt and abused. His logical mind told him that they could both protect themselves, likely better than he could, but this latest threat was too much and the stress and frustration of the last few days finally overwhelmed him.

To his surprise, Subaru didn't even feel particularly angry. Instead of hot rage he felt ice cold hate. He looked around at literal monsters in human form and felt nothing but disgust and contempt.

Subaru finally turned his attention toward the giant, "I'm going to give you all one chance," He warned quietly.

A few of the bandits stopped smiling at the tone in his voice and looked at each other uncertainly.

"Start running right now, and I'll have to pick which ones of you I kill. Stay here and you're all going to die," Subaru said in a voice chill as death.

There was a moment of complete silence and then the bandits started laughing.

The giant threw his head back roaring with laughter, "I guess we're going to do this the hard way then!" He said to loud cheers.

"Yeah, I guess we are," Subaru replied quietly, "Personally, I'm looking forward to it."

Subaru walked slowly up to the giant who had finally contained his laughter and was beginning to look annoyed. He flung a wicked backhand at Subaru's face and then screamed out in pain as his arm hit something much harder than stone.

Subaru grabbed hold of the giant's arm, placed his hand against the brute's chest and pushed firmly.

The giant went flying backwards at least twenty feet tumbling head over heels in the dirt.

The bandits all stared in shock as the giant rose to his feet shaking his head to clear it. Then the giant's eyes widened in horror as he realized that his arm had been torn off at the shoulder.

The giant started to run around in circles screaming incoherently as a river of blood poured out of his shoulder. A few moments later he fell to his knees and his face grew white. He took a long shuddering breath, fell down on his face, and then lay still.

Huh. This might be the first person I ever killed that didn't horrify me. I don't even feel bad about it. I feel… weird.

The whole world feels like its made of glass right now. I feel like if I just let out a little bit of what I'm feeling, I could shatter everything around me.

Fifteen seconds until Indomitable but luckily nobody looks anxious to move.

"You know," Subaru murmured drawing everyone's eyes back to him as he casually swung the giant's enormous arm around like a conductor's baton, "I just want to tell you all, I'm in a really bad mood right now. And frankly, I'm only going to get into a worse mood as this goes on. So let me just say: Anyone who would like to die immediately and spare themselves the trouble of being chased down and torn apart piece by piece, please form a double line in front of me," Subaru realized that he was starting to yell without even intending to, "I can have the whole lot of you in the arms of whichever God you worship in a minute!" He roared.

The bandits recoiled and then they all took off screaming, running in every direction.

Ayane ran away as fast as she had ever moved in her life. Why did things like this happen to her? How could she have been expected to know that one of the people she'd offered a ride to would be a monster? She didn't hear Subaru chasing after her and for a moment she thought she would get away.

Then there was a horrible pressure on her neck and Ayane was jerked off her feet, falling down on her back in the dirt.

She looked up in horror to see Subaru standing over her, expressionless. He had her cape wrapped around his fist.

"Oh dear, another fashion victim," Subaru murmured in a distant voice.

"Heh heh, hey listen! This whole thing was all just a big misunderstanding," Ayane said with a sickly grin.

"Yeah. You misunderstood how much it would cost you," Subaru replied in a calm voice.

"No, wait! Listen, I can help you! I-"

"Good. I was hoping that you'd say that," Subaru replied.

Ayane swallowed hard. Subaru's dead eyes and dull voice were almost as frightening as the still dripping arm he held in his other hand.

"Those crooks have a camp around here, I assume?" Subaru asked.

"Uh, yeah," Ayane replied.

"And can I assume that their boss is there?" Subaru asked tugging on Ayane's cape, choking her until she begrudgingly got to her feet. Trying to get as far away from Subaru as possible, she tried to slip around a nearby dead tree.

"Probably. He spends a lot of time there," Ayane replied looking around frantically for a distraction.

"How many bandits in this gang?"

"You just scarred off most of them. Maybe another ten or fifteen are left," Ayane replied.

"And I assume they have all the slaves in their camp that haven't been brought to market?"

"Well yeah, where else-"

"Which is why you're going to be bring me there," Subaru said dropping the giant's arm at Ayane's feet and wrapping her cape around his fist like a leash.

Ayane's eyes bulged out, "No way! You don't know what these guys are like! You can't imagine what they'd do to me if I-"

Subaru triggered Indomitable and punched the tree. It exploded in a thousand pieces of wooden shrapnel. A large piece of flying wood sliced Ayane's face leaving a bloody cut right beneath her left eye.

Huh, Subaru thought distantly, I wonder if maybe I'm getting stronger when I use Indomitable. Not that it helps any. Being able to hit harder doesn't mean much when you can already blast people into bloody chunks with one blow. If the ability is going to be enhanced, why couldn't I use Indomitable for longer? That would actually be useful.

"So, here's a question for you," Subaru asked Ayane calmly, "Would you rather something horrible be done to you by the slavers or by me?"

Ayane got a sick look on her face.

Subaru glanced back at the wagon and saw Emilia and the spirits peaking out, wide eyed and open mouthed.

"You guys stay here," Subaru told them, "I'm going to go take care of something."

"What?" Puck demanded, "We're not going to just wait here while you go off to raid a slaver camp-"

"Stay here, Puck!" Subaru said in a tone that immediately silenced the Great Spirit, "This is going to be really ugly and I don't want any of you involved!"

Puck drifted down into Beatrice's arms as he watched Subaru wide eyed.

Fuck, why am I yelling at Puck? He didn't do anything wrong. I'm starting to lose control here…

Something is wrong. I feel cold and hard inside. It's almost as if I used Reason and Judgment…

Whatever. I need to take care of this mess first.

Subaru tugged on Ayane's cape not gently, "So. Weren't you about to lead me somewhere?" He asked.

The bandit camp had one building the size of a barn and two other smaller buildings, all surrounded by a log palisade.

"OK, I've brought you to the camp! You don't need me anymore so please just let me go," Ayane begged.

"Not yet. That's a big heavy gate. I think maybe you could get us inside," Subaru mused.

"No!" Ayane whispered, "I'm already in enough trouble! If I-"

"So," Subaru murmured, staring down at his clenched fist in contemplation, "Are you saying that you're of no more use to me?"

Ayane gulped and quickly knocked on the gate.

"Who is it?" A gruff voice cried out from behind the gate.

"It's… It's Ayane," She croaked. "There's somebody here…" Ayane fumbled for a story, "He has an offer for the boss!"

There was some grumbling inside but the gate slowly creaked open.

A tall man with scars on his forehead stood there staring at Subaru and Ayane in confusion.

Ayane tried to run away but Subaru's grip didn't slip and she was once again jerked off her feet. She fell to the ground, her upper body dangling limply from Subaru's fist.

"Why won't this cape rip?" Ayane mourned to herself.

Weird. Ayane isn't a large woman but she isn't Beatrice either. It's funny that I can support her weight with one hand without even feeling it.

"What's this?" The man growled as a few more men came to stand beside him.

"Is this 'the boss?'" Subaru asked Ayane calmly.

"No, that's Wilks," Ayane moaned. "Osril is probably inside the building."

"Got it," Subaru replied. "So, Wilks," Subaru began mildly, "I need to have a word with your boss and you're in my way. And if you refuse to get out of my way, I think that I might have to give you a little push."

Wilks looked baffled and Ayane who still dangled from Subaru's fist, covered her face with both hands with a whimper.

After dealing with Wilks and the others, Subaru entered the main building.

Ayane had refused to get back on her feet after watching Subaru rip the bandits apart with his bare hands, so Subaru literally dragged her around by her cape. Inside the building Subaru found a lavishly decorated area that resembled a nobleman's bedroom. However this room had huge cages full of people near the bed and a desk full with strange tools that had blood on them.

Those are torture devices, Subaru thought clinically. It is most unlikely that any worthwhile information could be extracted from random travelers. Logically then, these tools were used for entertainment.

A large fat man with a double chin and a 'barely there' mustache was kneeling naked on the bed. The man was leering at a crying young woman who desperately tried to cover her nudity. The man was slapping her repeatedly.

"I'd usually tell you to stop crying, but honestly it's starting to turn me on," The man giggled in a posh accent.

"What a horrifying sight," Subaru murmured in an almost abstracted voice.

The man spun around in shock, "Who are you?! Who let you in here? Ayane, how dare you disturb me!"

The woman on the bed curled up and continued crying.

Ayane covered her face with both hands and whimpered.

"So, pain brings you pleasure?" Subaru asked in a casual voice.

Subaru didn't even bother triggering Indomitable. He just smashed his fist into the side of the man's face leaving a large purple bruise.

Subaru's face was impassive.

"You bastar-" The man cried out but Subaru immediately brought his fist around with a backhand. He just kept hitting him: three times, four times, five times.

The blows were rhythmic. Subaru wasn't even angry. Beating the fat nobleman wasn't cathartic, it was just a chore like any other chore. The man needed to be beaten and Subaru was beating him.

Subaru's emotions felt deadened. His body moved on autopilot. Beneath everything else was an ironclad sense of certainty, of conviction: this was something that simply needed to be done and since Subaru was the most appropriate person to do it, Subaru was doing it. There was nothing more to the situation than that and there was nothing about it worth thinking about.

"Mercy! Please stop hitting me!" The fat man begged backing away on the bed.

"You don't enjoy it?" Subaru mused.

"Of course, I don't enjoy it, you great fool! Don't you know who I am?!" The man spat through a fat bleeding lip. The naked man pushed past Subaru and rushed to the door, falling on his knees. "Guards! Come help me! We have an intruder!"

His words echoed throughout the building as Subaru walked up behind him in no great hurry. Subaru was still dragging Ayane by her cape. She was whimpering and covering her eyes.

"Why doesn't anyone answer me?" The man asked nobody.

"Well, your guards have either run away, or are dead and rotting," Subaru informed him calmly.

The naked fat man turned to face Subaru with growing horror.

Subaru reflected for a moment, "After everything that I've seen, I see no reason to spare your life."

"Stop! Please, why are you doing this?!" He begged.

Subaru's jaw dropped. "Why… Why am I doing this?" Subaru echoed in a tone of wonder. Subaru looked at the barely dressed women in cages who all bore clear marks of abuse on their bodies, "Are you serious? Did you really just ask me that? After everything that you've done, after the horrors that sit in this very room, you really don't understand why you deserve to be punished?"

The fat man gazed up at him in confusion.

For perhaps the first time in his entire life, Subaru felt no doubt or indecision in him at all.

"This is what it means to be truly unworthy of life!" Subaru snarled.

The man's eyes widened but before he could move Subaru triggered Indomitable and delivered a deliberately half hearted kick to the man's chest.

The man went flying and struck the opposing wall with a cracking sound. His chest was caved in where Subaru struck him but his eyes were still horribly aware. The man opened his mouth but nothing came out but a great glut of blood.

Ayane squeaked.

The man fell down on his face, struggling to move as his damaged lungs wheezed for breath. He was still alive and conscious but dying slowly, his limbs now refusing to support him. He looked pleadingly up at Subaru, begging for mercy.

"Lie there and rot," Subaru said firmly.

Subaru approached the cages. There were more than a dozen women of various races inside. Some were grown women and some seemed no older than Petra. They wore dirty, ripped tunics and had no shoes.

"Please don't hurt us!" One of the older women with reddish brown hair asked him with a cringing look in her eye as she held a young girl in her arms tightly.

"I don't intend to," Subaru murmured in a distant voice.

He swung his fist and shattered the cage's lock.

Subaru dimly heard a small voice deep inside of him: Wait a second! I didn't even trigger Indomitable for that! The lock shouldn't have shattered, it should have been my hand that broke! What's going on?

Subaru heard these thoughts but he didn't waste any time pondering them. They didn't seem important right now.

The cage door slowly creaked open. The women inside stared at Subaru in terror, one clutching a young girl to her chest protectively. Several women stared at the whimpering Ayane who dangled from Subaru's fist.

"What's your name?" Subaru asked the brown haired woman, his voice holding only the faintest hint of curiosity. He continued to break open the cages.

"…Ellen," The woman whispered.

Subaru glanced at the broken body of the slaver nearby who seemed to be taking his last breaths now.

"OK!" Ayane said desperately, "All of the slaves are free! Happy ending! Hey, how about you let me go now? Oh, I know! I can take all of these girls back to the capitol and get them some help! That'd be a good idea, right?"

"Ayane," One of the women hissed.

Subaru glanced at them, "You know her?

Almost all the women nodded.

Subaru scratched his chin, "Ayane, tell me: was Fran involved in this scheme in any way?"

"Fran?" Ayane asked in surprise, "No! Why would we involve that old idiot? Look, I can be useful to you! You don't want to kill me!"

"I don't really see how you can be of any use to me, Ayane," Subaru mused, "You're a decent slaver but a lousy merchant. Anastasia would have made me promise to set her free before she gave me any information. You're absolutely useless to me but on the other hand, I don't really feel like killing you so I'm going to make you an offer where you can leave," Subaru let go of her cape and Ayane fell flat on her face.

A few of the slaves glowered at Subaru but they were all too beaten down to object.

"Oh, thank you! Thank you! You won't regret it, I'll do whatever you want! I'm useful, you'll see!" Ayane groveled with a pathetically grateful grin on her face.

"Splendid," Subaru replied in the same dead voice, "My offer is this: You can leave just as soon as all of them," Subaru pointed at the enslaved women surrounding them, "Decide that you're sufficiently sorry for what you put them through."

The room was completely silent as Ayane's smile faded to a horrified look. She turned to look at the slaves who stared down at her stone faced.

Ellen picked up a short knife from the desk, "Because of you," She whispered looking at the weapon almost contemplatively, "I lost my daughter to the slave market. I may never see her again."

Another woman picked up a tool that looked like bolt cutters, "I remember the night you brought me here. You saw what they did to me and you laughed!"

A younger girl picked up a hammer, "They sold my sister…" She whispered.

"Wait! Listen! I can help you find them!" Ayane begged, "I have connections! I can find out where they-"

Ayane was struck in the side of the head by a blunt object.

The slaves fell on Ayane like grim vengeance and Ayane soon stopped begging and could only scream in pain but quickly those too fell silent.

Subaru watched the entire process with an abstracted air of boredom.

He felt nothing.

Subaru led all the women outside. It was obvious to Subaru that the women were nearly as terrified of him as they were of the slavers.

This matter did not concern him.

Interesting. I'm not frozen in place but, aside from that, it feels very much as if Reason and Judgment were triggered. I feel smarter, more in control, and more indifferent to immaterial concerns. Little details that would normally be undetectable are leaping out at me. The world even seems to be moving at a slower pace around me. The world isn't frozen but everything feels as if it's happening in slow motion. Intriguing. It may not make me any faster myself but this 'slow time' could be far more useful in most cases than Reason and Judgment's frozen time.

I was also able to shatter those locks without using Indomitable and carry Ayane's worthless body around without any effort.

There is only one logical explanation for all of this: For the first time, I have truly connected with my Authority. Its unimaginable strength flows through me. The Authority has granted me Reason and Judgment's insight without the corresponding disadvantages. Arguably, Reason and Judgment's advantages have even been enhanced. Perhaps this isn't the true power and affinity over the Authority that Roswaal spoke of but it is certainly a first step in that direction.

When Subaru and the slaves emerged from the building he found that some of the bandits he'd driven off had returned. Almost twenty of them and all armed with bows and arrows. They were spread out around the courtyard in a tight half circle with bows drawn.

"That's our property, freak!" One of them shouted. He was clearly terrified but the men felt braver now that they could attack from a distance. "Those are our slaves and we're the ones who are going to take them to market! You think you can just waltz in here and take what we rightfully captured first?"

The bandits all growled in assent.

I really must stop referring to these fools as bandits. They are slavers. Calling these men 'bandits' is an insult to bandits. If there was less blood on their hands than on Ayane's and their employer's, it was purely due to lack of opportunity.

Subaru dimly noticed the women all fleeing back inside the building. He payed more attention to a storage barrel that sat just before the door to the courtyard.

"You have a peculiar notion of morality," Subaru mused to the lead bandit. He grabbed the lid off the barrel and casually tossed it in the air before catching it again. "Your attitude is in its simplest terms: 'Might makes right.' It's a shortsighted philosophy. One that is generally abandoned as soon as the speaker encounters anyone mightier. You all returning here to face me was a very poor decision."

Several of the bandits loosed their arrows.

Poor discipline. They should have all fired their arrows together, Subaru thought. He watched a barrage of five arrows flying toward him in slow motion. No matter. Reason and Judgment's slow time gives me all the advantage that I require.

Subaru didn't even bother to trigger Indomitable. He watched the arrows fly toward him and made a quick calculation.

Subaru swung his hand at just the right time and simply brushed all five arrows aside, flinging them to the ground.

The bandits gaped at him.

"I suppose that, in a sense, I am grateful," Subaru admitted. "It concerned me that I had let you escape. You could have gone on to create much trouble but to chase you all down in the woods would have been too much bother. Now I can kill you all at once."

The lead bandit's face was chalk white and his lips trembled, "Loose arrows!" He screamed.

The bandits all fired at once.

Well, their firing discipline is much improved this time, Subaru thought. That's to be admired, although it will not save them.

Subaru triggered Indomitable just before the first arrow struck and they all bounced off him harmlessly. Subaru was already moving, calmly running toward the bandits.

However, the five bandits who had fired their arrows prematurely had now redrawn and sent a new volley toward Subaru just as Indomitable time out.

Five arrows. Two of them are going wide. These are not the best archers.

He caught two arrows in the barrel lid. Subaru neatly plucked the third arrow out of mid air, as easily as he might have caught a baseball.

The bandits tried to redraw their bows but Subaru was now on the left side of their formation and the men were standing in a line before him, obstructing their own fire.

Subaru was close enough to touch the bandit on the far left. His eyes bugged out and he desperately reached for another arrow.

Poor training. He should have dropped his bow and drawn his sword when his enemy got this close. I will demonstrate why this is a flawed strategy.

Subaru took the arrow he'd caught and plunged it deep into the bandit's neck.

The bandit's eyes bulged and Subaru watched him convulsively drop his bow. The bandit reached up to grab his neck, his eyes wide with horror as his knees buckled underneath him.

Subaru deftly plucked the dying bandit's sword from its sheath before he fell and dropped the barrel lid.

The bandits were trying to reposition themselves so that they no longer blocked their own arrows. One enormous bandit was charging toward Subaru with a huge double-sided axe in hand.

There's also a bandit coming up behind me with his sword drawn, Subaru mused in an abstracted tone. I can see it from the shadow he casts on the ground in front of me. He's raising his sword high over head for a lateral strike across my neck. He's taking advantage of the large bandit with the axe's distraction to behead me. Excellent strategy.

Subaru felt nothing but boredom as he he watched the men close in on him, That said, I feel compelled to demonstrate why this isn't a workable idea against me.

Judging by the shadow of the sword I see, the bandit behind me is left handed and that means that his dominant foot is his left foot. When he starts to swing his sword, that foot will be extended and most of his weight will be placed upon it.

As the two bandits prepared to strike, Subaru crouched down. The bandit's sword swing went wide over his head and Subaru swung his own sword behind his back, slicing into the dirt behind him.

Subaru also sliced through the bandits boot amputating the toes on his left foot.

The man's momentum will carry him forward and now that his toes are missing there is no way for him to halt it.

From his crouched position, Subaru looked up calmly at the enormous bandit whose battle axe was descending toward Subaru's head. Subaru dropped his sword, no longer requiring it. He reached over his left shoulder, palm up, and a moment later felt the weight of the bandit behind him falling onto his hand.

Subaru saw the axe descending toward his head with unstoppable force. With a mighty heave, Subaru pulled the bandit that had fallen on top of him forward and the axe buried itself in the bandit's back with a loud cracking sound.

The enormous bandit's expression is quite comical. That axe buried itself in the wrong torso as far as both men were concerned. Amusing.

Subaru stood up and using the fallen bandit's own momentum, he flung the broken body at the enormous bandit as the man recoiled.

Both men went crashing to the ground, the axe having impaled both their torsos. The men were screaming, both grievously wounded but alive.

Subaru calmly brushed himself off as two more bandits raced toward him, swords raised and each preparing to slice Subaru in half diagonally.

These men are either fearless or fools. The latter seems far more probable. Those sword swings are terrible. They're each trying to cut through a human body by the shoulder? Aiming for literally any other target would have been more effective. They're both moving at full speed so they haven't even considered the possibility of counters to their tactics.

Subaru did what the bandits would have never expected an unarmed man to do: He stepped toward them.

Subaru watched in slow motion as their expressions blossomed into confusion. The bandits were running too fast to course correct and their swords slashed through the empty air behind Subaru.

Before the men could recover, Subaru drove his fingers into the bandits' throats just below their Adam's apple as hard as he could.

The two bandits recoiled and instinctively dropped their swords raising both hands to protect their vulnerable throats but Subaru's hands were already there. He grabbed each by the neck and lifted them off the ground. The slavers clutched impotently at the hands around their throats as their feet danced and kicked the air uselessly.

Remarkable. I'm holding two muscular men over my head and I barely feel any strain. I'm not even using Indomitable. Even if I had triggered Indomitable, I normally couldn't do this. Indomitable allows me to hit harder and makes me unable to be affected by outside forces but it doesn't directly increase my physical strength. The new connection with my Authority seems to be enhancing my strength in unforeseen ways. Or perhaps it's granting me increased mana which is now increasing my strength, speed, and agility as it does with Emilia.

I must explore this.

The other bandits stared at Subaru in horror. In seconds he had shrugged off a hail of arrows and killed one archer. He had grievously wounded two men who were currently screaming on the ground trapped together on the double sided axe that had impaled them both. And now Subaru was holding two strong men high above his head without any apparently strain.

The first duty of any great lord worthy of the name is to see that the law is faithfully upheld and that those who show him loyalty are made to prosper without fear or coercion. I shall affirm this responsibility here and now by cleansing this land of those who have proved themselves unworthy of my protection.

Snapping the bandits' necks would have been easy but it also lacked a certain gravitas for this important moment. This was the first step in Subaru's apotheosis, his journey toward perfection as this world's only rightful ruler. It demanded a bit of panache.

Instead of crushing their necks, Subaru squeezed their throats, slowly asphyxiating the men.

"I admit, I must accept some responsibility for this situation," Subaru said conversationally to the assembled bandits, "Prior to this, I have attempted to abase and humble myself before lesser men, aspiring to turn them toward good works by sheer example. I confess that I believed this mission was always doomed to fail but it seems to me that a great lord, such as myself, must occasionally offer those beneath him the opportunity to exceed his well reasoned expectations.

"Regrettably, however, in this case, as indeed in most cases, my judgment was clear and correct. This world has suffered for far too long bereft of my guidance and gentle correction. If I had acted more decisively and admitted that common men were incapable of rising to the occasion, I might have averred much hardship for myself and others. It pains me to accept the responsibility of this but alas, I am at the mercy of my own generous heart. My weakness is that I am simply too compassionate, too forgiving. Despite my admirable intentions, the reality remains that I simply expected too much of the lesser men of this land and imposed upon them unfair and unrealistic expectations in clear defiance of their capabilities. I must therefore accept chastisement for this mistake and correct my course.

"This land cries out for enlightened leadership! Regardless of my personal preferences in this regard, I am clearly the most well equipped to perform this task, and should not the man most fit to the role be the man to whom that role is assigned? After all, it is the natural order of things for lesser men to yearn for the guidance and leadership of their betters. Would it not be utterly selfish of me to deny myself to them? Would it not be equally madness incarnate for the Sun to reserve its glorious radiance for itself alone?

"I admit, I am uncertain that this land actually deserves me but in my boundless benevolence toward my adopted home, I will remit this and keep faith in its potential to improve under my loving guidance and become a world truly worthy of me. I shall begin here and now by offering my own good justice to those sorely in need of it."

The bandits all stared at Subaru, completely unable to parse his dense speech. The two bandits futilely tried to break his grip, gasping for breath.

"Fire at will!" The bandit leader screamed desperately.

The bandits suddenly remembered their bows and they launched a rain of arrows overhead, all firing rapidly.

Subaru looked at the arrows descending toward him with bemusement. As the arrows flew, Subaru caught them-

With the bodies of the men he held.

The men struggled to gather enough breath to scream as the hail of arrows pierced their backs.

Subaru made a bit of a game of it. He tried to catch the same number of arrows in each body.

Unfortunately due to the sheer number of arrows being fired and the limitations of how fast he could move the bodies, this task defeated him.

Disappointing. The one on the left caught two more arrows than the one on the right. A small issue to be sure but I do so hate any reminders of my imperfections. I am the Great Lord Subaru Natsuki, the rightful master of this entire world. Imperfection in one of my station is unacceptable.

The bandits could only stare at Subaru. Their quivers were now empty and Subaru had endured all their arrows without so much as a scratch. The only people wounded had been their own men who had been perforated by countless arrows and now feebly struggled in Subaru's grip.

Subaru cocked his head at the the bandits before him, "Be of good cheer," He told them calmly. "Your lives up until this very moment were wretched, wasted things: squandered in the pursuit of wealth and dubious pleasures. Nothing you have done up until now had value in any way. However in my infinite benevolence, I have decided to amend this. Your lives will be sacrificed in pursuit of my apotheosis as the rightful lord of this world. Rejoice for in your deaths, you will each have finally been of use."

The bandits he choked shook their heads in violent negation.

"You have each done nothing with your lives but inflict pain and misery," Subaru sympathized, "But by my actions shall you be redeemed. In time, your senseless depravity will be forgotten. All that history will ever remember about you is that you fell to my hand as the first act in my glorious quest to bring true peace and order to this land. Take comfort in that as you die," Subaru urged them as their eyes rolled back in their heads and they stopped moving.

A shadow fell upon Subaru.

Hm. A bandit managed to approach me from behind while I was distracted. Yet more imperfections. Distressing in one such as I. I fear that if this continues I may yet become annoyed.

The man's swing is too close to dodge so I must use Indomitable.

It is somewhat surprising that I have not needed to use it thus far, in fact. Perhaps I may take some satisfaction in that. True perfection might elude me for the moment but is it not the chase that makes the final reward sweet? And in all fairness, would I want to have perfection simply handed to me? To receive such power handed to one on a silver platter might be fine for men like Reinhard who were content to merely be born great but I am the illustrious Subaru Natsuki. I shall achieve greatness through my own will. My exalted Authority sought me out and justly submitted itself to my will in recognition of my extraordinary talent and potential. As it is so rightly said: 'Some men are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.'

Subaru triggered Indomitable as the bandit took a wild swing across the back of Subaru's throat.

The sword stopped as if it had struck a mountain.

The bandits all gasped as Subaru sighed in irritation and turned to face his attacker.

"Why would you so crudely interrupt my speech?" He asked, "I was attempting to offer these men, undeserving though they might be, some comfort before their deaths," He chastised the bandit. "I fear that in spite of my generous disposition, I am becoming annoyed with you."

Desperately, the man took another wild swing but Subaru caught the stroke with the skull of one of the corpses he carried. The blade caught inside the bone and Subaru lightly tossed the corpse onto the bandit, splattering him with the blood and brains of his former comrade. The bandit was driven to the ground screaming. Subaru dropped the other corpse.

The remaining bandits gaped in Subaru in sheer horror and they turned as one to stampede out the great gate of the palisade.

Subaru made a beckoning gesture with one finger and from deep within him he felt something pulse in answer. Moved by no hand, the great gate of the palisade quickly swung shut trapping all the bandits inside.

Hm. Interesting. How did I do that?

The bandits all pushed and beat on the great gate, demanding and imploring it to move. However the gate had been sealed by the Authority of Pride and the strong men couldn't even make the gate budge.

Finally accepting the futility of their actions, the bandits looked back at Subaru with cringing whimpers.

Subaru stared at them with dead eyes, "I did not give you leave to go," He chided gently.

The bandits scattered from the gate, howling in despair and searching for refuge within the tiny enclosed slave camp.

The other bandit had finally fought his way out from underneath the lifeless corpse. He leapt to his feet frantically trying to wipe off the blood and brains. He turned to run but Subaru neatly plucked him off the ground by his belt and dropped him. The bandit hit the ground with an impact that knocked the wind out of him.

The bandit tried to get to his feet, "Wait! Don't! Listen to me, please-"

Subaru covered the bandit's mouth with his hand, silencing him, "Please, stop," Subaru sighed as the bandit's eyes bugged out in terror, "You are beginning to make me tired. This is my moment, not yours and you are becoming intrusive with your pointless gibbering. If it were not for my remarkable equanimity, I think that I might have become angry with you."

Subaru squeezed his hand and the bandit's head popped like a grape spurting blood and pulp everywhere.

Subaru's face was struck by a glut of blood which he wiped away with irritation. He looked down at his now bloody clothes in annoyance. "Must you?" Subaru demanded of the headless corpse in exasperation, "Spilling your fluids on me in this fashion was rather petty of you, was it not?"

Not far away, Emilia paced outside the wagon waiting for Subaru to return.

Beatrice was sitting on the driver's platform, cuddling Puck.

Suddenly both spirits gasped and turned to look through the forest in the same direction that Subaru had gone.

"What is it?" Emilia demanded.

The spirits didn't answer. They just keep looking through the trees in shock.

"Bubby," Beatrice whispered.

"I know, Betty, I feel it too!"

"What's happening?" Emilia shouted.

The spirits both glanced at her and then returned to peering through the trees. Emilia thought that they weren't going to answer her but then Puck murmured, "It's Subaru."

"Is he in trouble?!"

There was a silence.

Puck didn't even sound aware that he was speaking, "We've been monitoring him since he left. For a while his emotions were… unstable," Puck whispered, "But then something happened and I felt his magical power surge higher and higher to unimaginable levels."

"Is he fighting someone? Is someone trying to hurt him? Is he in danger?!" Emilia demanded.

Beatrice just stared through the trees in open mouthed shock, "What in the world could hurt him, I suppose?"

Subaru strolled through the camp as a man might wander a garden. He searched the area killing every slaver he found.

Some men joined together and attempted to attack Subaru. They fought with the ferocity of the desperate until he broke them apart like overripe fruit.

Most had tried to seek out some hiding place or lay there groveling for mercy until Subaru ended them.

After a dozen or so kills, however, Subaru began to become bored.

I understand that the primary purpose of this activity is to administer justice to those meriting it and to protect those in my land who so wisely seek my protection but this casual butchery is an affront to my sensibilities. Is it not beneath me? Even the smallest and crudest of actions should be ennobled by my participation in them. After all, regardless of the specific action being performed, it is simply unfathomable that any other could perform it so well. Perhaps I ought to explore ways to do better.

Thus, Subaru began to seek out a sense of artistry in his violence.

He caught a sniveling bandit and ripped his rib cage wide open.

Fascinating, Subaru mused as the still living bandit writhed in his grip screaming in agony. I've seen pictures of the organs of the human body, but viewing it like this gives a new appreciation for the delicate machinery that sustains human life.

That said, it is also really quite messy. My machines are much cleaner.

On impulse, Subaru reached into the man's chest cavity and wrapped his hand around his frantically beating heart. The man's head whipped back and forth in furious denial as Subaru calmly pulled the beating organ free and held it in his hand.

The man's body fell lifelessly to the ground as Subaru watched in fascination as the organ rapidly stopped beating.

Remarkable. There truly is an artistry to the end of life. I must ponder this more deeply.

Subaru hummed a little tune to himself as he wandered the camp.

Not long after, Subaru had slaughtered everyone in the camp except for the former slaves. They remained hidden inside the large building, cowering and weeping.

He returned to the slaves in good humor. However, as soon as he entered the room, they all screamed, piling as deep into the corner of the room as they could.

"Please don't kill us!" Ellen begged. She was one of the oldest women there but her eyes were so wide with terror that she looked like a child.

Subaru cocked his head, "I hadn't planned to. Have any of you done something that would warrant death?"

All the slaves shook their heads violently.

"I need some water to clean up," Subaru murmured, observing his bloody hands and clothes with distaste, "Does anyone know where I can find some?"

The slaves were silent but Ellen pointed a trembling hand toward the bed. Subaru stepped around the bed and found a basin filled with clean water sitting on a night table. He began to wash his hands and rinse off his robes.

The slaves watched in stunned silence.

Ellen swallowed hard, "Are… are you our new owner?"

"No," Subaru replied in a musing voice, as if she had asked him if he liked almonds, "I am here to set you all free."

A faint light of hope gleamed in the woman's eye.

"I hope that none of you find this overly upsetting," Subaru said regretfully, "I understand that entering into my service would be a honor undreamed of to most of you. However, accepting slaves into my household would be strictly beneath the dignity of a great lord such as myself. I hope that you can understand."

The slaves all stared at Subaru in stunned silence.

When Subaru had cleaned himself and his robes to satisfaction he turned toward the women. They flinched back as if menaced by a raised fist.

"Do any of you need to gather possessions or supplies before departing?" He asked solicitously.

Ellen stared at him, "We… We don't have any possessions. But… maybe we could gather some food?" She asked cringing.

"Seems sensible," Subaru agreed, "Why don't you ladies gather your supplies and then meet me outside. I wish to ensure that none of these slavers escaped my good justice. Such gross errors would doubtlessly place me in a foul mood."

Subaru walked out of the building into the bloody and flyblown courtyard.

The Authority of Pride flows within me, He mused. I can feel it pulsing deep in my chest like an extra heartbeat. A source of unimaginable power that freely offers me its blessing. Roswaal said that it had been searching for me for centuries. It must be simply euphoric to have finally submitted to its rightful master. This is merely the beginning. There are far deeper powers to tap. I can sense it. Bit by bit, I must cast off this same old sickly skin and dedicate myself body and soul to the search for transcendence. My quest for perfection continues apace.

The world around him froze but Subaru hadn't triggered Reason and Judgment. He had just enough time to wonder what was going on before Subaru sensed a new word engraved on his mind and his heart: Pridebreaker.

As Subaru pondered this revelation, the extra heartbeat slowed and began to still. The great magic surging through him cut off.

The Authority of Pride returned to dormancy.

He became Subaru Natsuki again.

Subaru gasped, clasping a hand to his mouth as he looked around the courtyard in horror. Bodies were everywhere but you could barely tell that most of them had ever been human. Some had been reduced to little more than hamburger meat and protruding clumps of bone. The flies were gathering around them and small streams of blood and pulp flowed lazily across the courtyard.

Oh my God! What the fuck did I do?! Why… How… What happened?! I…

Subaru looked down at his trembling hands that had literally ripped human bodies apart.

He fell to his knees, his entire body shaking.

Subaru retched and then threw up, regurgitating the only good meal he'd had all week.

He knelt there in the dirt, his trembling arms barely keeping him from falling face first into his own vomit.

A moment later his stomach clenched and heaved, turning itself inside out and forcing everything he'd eaten in the past few days back up his already raw and abraded throat.

There was nothing left inside of him but he keep throwing up. Spitting and coughing out thin streams of bile as if trying to squeeze out the memories of what he had done.

Finally his stomach was just too exhausted to push any further and Subaru fell back against the wall of the building crying piteously.

He pulled his knees to his chest and crumpled into a ball, weeping.

"Oh God!" He wailed.

Some time later the women approached Subaru where he lay crumpled against the wall just inside the building.

"Are you alright?" Ellen asked the shell-shocked Subaru in concern.

Subaru sniffled and bracing himself against the wall, slowly fought his way back to his feet. "I've had… better days," Subaru admitted.

Subaru took a deep breath and tried to pull himself back together. "Alright, is everyone ready to leave?"

"Yes, my lord," Ellen replied.

Subaru flinched, "Ellen, please, please, do not call me that!" He moaned.

Ellen blinked, "Um, of course. What would you like us to call you?"

"I don't care," Subaru said too numb to think, "Just not that."

The slaves began to murmur in confusion at the massive change that had occurred in this formerly terrifying man.

Subaru shook his head and pushed aside his horror by sheer will, "OK. Listen, there is some," Subaru groped for a description, "Very ugly stuff outside. Can all of the younger girls take the hands of one older buddy, please?"

The youngest girls all grabbed the hands of an older teen or adult. Except for one girl who took the hand of a friend who might have been a year older than her. "OK, that is not what I meant," Subaru called them out.

Two of the older ladies separated the pair.

Subaru took a deep breath, "OK, like I was saying," Subaru continued painfully, "There is some very very ugly stuff outside. Young people don't need to see that. So I want everyone to cover their younger buddy's eyes until we get out of the camp."

"Good idea," Ellen agreed covering the eyes of the girl beside her.

"And if anyone wants to cover my eyes," Subaru whispered to himself, "I'd really appreciate it."

Subaru took a painful breath, "Alright. Let's all get the hell out of this sewer."

Subaru was momentarily worried that he couldn't open the palisade gate after it had been sealed by the Authority of Pride but it opened easily at his touch and with the help of a few of the slaves, he pushed it wide open and they all escaped from that slaughterhouse.

Subaru led the women back toward the road feeling completely numb. The horror of what he'd done in that camp kept rising up and threatening to choke him. Subaru fought to push it down because he knew that if he let himself feel the horror, he'd only collapse and start weeping all over again.

The only thought in his mind was to get back to Emilia. Only her presence could even begin to calm the horrors he had experienced.

I think I'm in for a disappointment though. I really want to collapse in Emilia's arms and just cry until I pass out but we're running for our goddamn lives so that sure as hell isn't an option. And it's not like I can talk to her about it either. I can't even imagine telling Mili what I just did!

Oh, fuck! It's even worse than I thought! The Lagunican authorities are absolutely going to come investigate this. As soon as any of these women figure out who I am, the authorities will see the slaughter I made of those slavers as just more evidence that I'm under Emilia's spell! Because of course 'Subaru Natsuki the brave and bold who always eats his vegetables' would never descend into mindless butchery like this unless he was under a witch's spell. The unbelievable irony of it is that all of my friends are trying to rescue someone who is an honest-to-god witch from Emilia!

OK, hang on. Maybe it's not all that bad. These women have no idea who I am so they can't report me by name. Why would anyone think that Subaru Natsuki had anything to do with this mess? I'm not supposed to be anywhere near here. The women will report a strange man saved them and… rendered the slavers down into soup stock.

Subaru gaged and struggled not to throw up again.

"You know," Ellen murmured walking beside him, "I think I understand how you feel."

"Is that right?" Subaru almost laughed glancing at Ellen. She was the only one willing to walk with him. She carried a young girl on her back. The rest of the former slaves were following Subaru from some distance behind them.

Ellen nodded, "I killed Ayane," She said.

Subaru looked at her in confusion, "I'm not sure that you should feel bad about that."

"I know. I don't and I do," Ellen admitted, "Ayane sold me and my daughter into slavery. I might never see her again," Ellen's voice shook.

"You'll find her!" Subaru tried to reassure Ellen.

"I hope so," Ellen bit her lip. She shook her head, "I wanted Ayane dead. I was euphoric while we were killing her but afterward when I looked down on that thing that used to be a human body…"

"You wanted to throw up," Subaru said sagely.

Ellen sighed, "You've been there, I see."

"I spend most of my time there, Ellen. I'm thinking about buying a house there just to save on the commute," Subaru grumbled.

Ellen managed a chuckle.

They walked in silence for a few moments.

"Um… Mister, what's going to happen to us?" Ellen asked.

Subaru sighed, "Well, mostly that's up to you. There's an inn down the road a ways where I think you can get help. I'll give you some gold to buy food and shelter for all of you and hopefully a ride back toward the capitol. I'd suggest you all go and talk to the authorities there. They can probably help you. Maybe even help you find where the others were sent."

"Mister, if you don't mind my asking, why did you save us? I mean, I'm eternally grateful for you rescuing us, we all are, but why?" Ellen asked.

Subaru gave her an incredulous look, "Why did I rescue a group of slaves and murder a pack of filthy slavers? Hm. That's a hard one," He snorted, "If you have to ask the question, Ellen then I don't think you'll understand the answer."

"I see. Thank you, Mister. From the bottom of my heart," Ellen replied.

"You're welcome," He sighed.

Subaru led the group of slaves back to the wagon where Emilia and the spirits waited.

"Subaru, are you alright?" Emilia yelled running over to meet him then stopping to stare at the women emerging from the forest in confusion.

"Subaru!" Ellen whispered staring at him in shock, "Subaru Natsuki?! The invincible?"

Subaru was aghast to see that Emilia had forgotten to pull up her hood.

Nice. Good job telling everybody my name, Mili. Also, nice touch completely forgetting to cover up your hair and ears that you know make you a walking target! Oh my fucking God, Emilia, I love you to bits and pieces but do you ever think before you act?! Now the entire Kingdom is going to know where we are and come after us! Plus now everyone will know about the fucking graveyard I left behind in that place!

Fuck me, I'm a Goddamn idiot and so is Emilia!

Subaru quickly shook off his frustration with Emilia knowing that it wasn't fair to her.

Oh my God, I'm exhausted. I don't know if I can take another step…

"I'm fine," Subaru sighed, "These ladies have had a pretty tough time of it though."

The women saw Emilia's silver hair and pointed ears and began to murmur among themselves.

Subaru turned to face Ellen, "If you walk down this road a ways, you'll find an inn run by a woman named Fran. She seems to be alright," Subaru took out thirty gold coins from his pouch and handed them to Ellen who stared at him in amazement, "She should be able to give you food and shelter and you can buy a trip down to the capitol. Tell your story to the authorities there. I'm sure they can help you reunite with your loved ones."

"Lord Subaru-" Ellen whispered.

"You don't have to call me that," Subaru sighed.

I'm pretty sure that any 'lordship' I ever possessed has been completely voided by now anyway.

"You saved our lives. We are eternally in your debt," Ellen said and the women all nodded.

"Forget it," Subaru said with a shake of his head, "Listen, you all better get walking if you hope to get to the inn before dark.

"Subaru," Emilia interrupted ignoring the askance looks of the women, "They should take the wagon."

Subaru stared at her, "What?"

"They need it more than we do," She said simply, "They have young people who can't walk that far. The inn has to be miles away."

"We'll make do, you've already helped us more than enough," Ellen assured them.

Subaru ignored her, "Emilia, we need it too! Have you forgotten? We're running for our lives!"

"What are you running from?" Ellen asked in confusion.

"It's cold up in these mountains, Subaru," Emilia pointed out, "These people are barely dressed and barefoot. If they don't get someplace warm before dark they'll catch frostbite!"

Subaru turned away and pulled at his hair, "Oh God, why am I marrying a woman with a martyr complex?!"

Emilia smiled fondly at Subaru.

Subaru sighed and turned to face the women, "Fine. OK, my lovely bride has decided that you get the wagon. It's getting late in the day so you should probably get moving. We definitely need to get moving," Subaru muttered to Emilia who nodded.

Subaru turned back to the slaves, "Does anyone know how far the border is from here?" He asked them.

The women all shook their heads.

"Great," Subaru sighed walking toward the back of the wagon, "Alright family, lets grab our stuff and get out of here."

Subaru pulled on his backpack and handed Emilia hers.

"You did a good thing, Subaru," Emilia assured him.

"No, you did a good thing," He grumbled, "I just stood by and let you do it."

Emilia picked up the tent bag and Subaru lifted Beatrice onto his shoulder.

The former slaves piled into the wagon.

"Our thanks to… both of you," The leader said looking at Emilia nervously, "I'll never forget my debt to either of you." She pulled herself onto the driver's platform and drove the earth dragons back down the road with practiced skill.

Subaru sighed, rubbing his trembling legs. "Alright, let's get walking. We want to get very far away from here before those girls tell everybody all about us."

"Subaru, not to point fingers, but we wouldn't have had that problem if you hadn't told them your name," Emilia said.

Subaru bit his lip. Calm down, Subaru. Yelling at Emilia won't accomplish anything.

"How many silver haired half elves have you met?" Subaru asked calmly, "You didn't even have your hood up when we came back. Trust me, the authorities would have figured out who we were pretty quickly."

Emilia flushed and started to pout, "You didn't know I had my hood down when you told them your name!" She argued.

Subaru's frustrations over the past few days suddenly flared up, "Emilia! I didn't tell them my name, you told them my name! You shouted it out at them the moment we came out of the woods! Plus you left your hood down so they all just had to look at you to realize that there was a 'witch' around! Everyone knows exactly where we are because you didn't think!"

Emilia looked stricken and she stared down at her feet ashamed.

Good work, Subaru. You fucking asshole. Maybe you could beat on her a little more? See if you can undermine her self-esteem just a bit further? The day's not over yet, you know.

"Can we argue over whose fault this is another time, I suppose? Regardless of why they find us, an awful lot of people are after us and Betty would like to get far away from here," Beatrice said.

"As usual, Beako, you're probably right," Subaru admitted, "Hey, Beako, how long did we sleep in the wagon?"

"Hm. Perhaps three hours I suppose," She answered.

"OK so maybe we went twenty to thirty miles from the inn," Subaru mused.

"How close does that put us to the border?" Emilia asked in a somber voice.

"Tough to say exactly," Subaru murmured, "I think we were two or three days away when we left the inn. The wagon ride might have given us a little more than the equivalent of a full day's walk."

"So we're almost there!" Emilia cheered up.

"Yeah," Subaru agreed, "But I have a funny feeling that we're going to need to walk late tonight."

Emilia sighed wearily.

They began walking up the hilly road.

"Subaru, how much money do we have left?" Emilia asked.

Subaru shrugged, "I think about two hundred gold pieces."

"Is that a lot?"

Subaru raised an eyebrow.

Emilia shrugged, "I mostly just bartered for the things I needed when I lived in the forest. I never really had coins."

"Two hundred gold coins is a lot. It's probably more than most peasants would see in a lifetime but we're giving it away pretty quickly," Subaru replied.