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Chapter Text

After the tumultuous events in the Pleiades watch tower, Subaru sat on a bed of shrubbery in the Green Room, talking with Ram about the spirit healing its inhabitants.

"Anyways, I wonder if we can talk to it with the added effect of Julius' Divine Protection...

Subaru had about 3 seconds to ponder the possibility before the man in question opened the door and opened the room. Since when did convenient coincidences happen for him?

"Oh, Julius, we were just-"

Subaru stopped talking when he saw Julius' face. Instead of his typical polite smile, The Finest of Knights had thin eyes and drawn eyebrows as he dashed into the room, examining the room.

"O-Oi, Julius, what's up? And you too, Ram?"

Indeed, Ram stood up quickly despite her exhaustion, face suddenly serious. “...I…sensed something strange. This is…”

Subaru moved to his feet as well as a piercing light began spilling from the center of the room. Subaru and Ram moved toward Rem as Julius moved toward Meili, all of them meeting at Rem's bedside. Julius stood in front, Subaru beside him, as Meili and Ram stood closer to the unconscious Rem.

“What-what-what-what, what’s happening!?” 

“I don’t know! In any case, do not leave us! No matter what happens... Oh, AH!?”

The light began to dim, leaving a figure visible on the ground in the middle of the room.

“—Huh?”

“...A girl?”

Subaru was stunned. “—Louis Arneb”

Ram turned to stare at Subaru like she was trying to pick him apart. “Louis Arneb...the name of the last Gluttony, isn’t it?”

Julius stiffened at her words, drawing the spare sword he carried in place of his family heirloom and pointing it at the unconscious figure laying on the ground.

Subaru turned to Ram. "Take Meili and Rem, and find Emilia-tan! Julius and I will... watch her!"

Ram stared at Subaru as if she could prevent him from doing something foolish through intimidation. Honestly, he felt like it might start working if she kept at it long enough. Is this another of Ram-neechan's hidden powers?!

"Barusu better not do anything foolish," She finally turned around, collecting her unconscious sister and holding Meili's hand as she continued talking to Subaru. “—The healing effects of the room have disappeared. The Spirit is gone.”

"“Ah... That’s a joke, right?”

Julius took over the conversation as Ram gathered her exhausted strength to gently hold up Rem. "It's true. Even you might be able to feel its absence if you concentrate."

"Oi, did you have to phrase it that way, prick?"

Julius ignored Subaru. "It's quite likely that the Sin Archbishop has something to do wi-."

Julius was cut off by the sudden appearance of massive, swirling black hands fiercely creeping through the tower. An explosion rippled through the room, and Subaru would have been thrown into the ceiling if Julius hadn't grabbed the back of his shirt. What, was he a cat being carried by its mother? 

"Patrasche! Take Ram-!"

“—Ree-reeee!”

Subaru lifted Meili toward the injured but determined Patrasche, who had already collected Ram and Rem, and Julius used his spirits to try and hold back the black shadow-the fifth obstacle that had killed everyone more times than Subaru cared to count-as Patrasche held the more vulnerable residents of the room. Despite his attacks, the shadows remained unfazed, and Julius wore a grim expression. At least Subaru has firepower to work with. "Julius! Break down a wall!" If the spirit was gone from the room, they had no reason to worry about its structure and they needed to evacuate.

Julius quickly understood, twirling dramatically to launch an attack at the wall in front of Patrasche and away from the swirling black hands.

Subaru, exhausted mentally and physically, ran toward Julius and grabbed his arm as they both dashed after Patrasche.

"BARUSU-!"

Subaru wanted to listen to the rest of the sentence. He really did. But he had already been consumed by the black shadow.

"...'I love you'...."

"...'But, I’m not gonna lose. I won’t lose. No matter how many times it takes, I’ll keep fighting. This time, I’ll keep my promise.'..."

"...' —I, am Volcanica. In accordance with the ancient covenant, the will of thee who hath reached the top shall be questioned.'..."

"Mmm..."

Subaru groaned, slowly waking up to the uncomfortable feeling of his face rubbing against a rough surface. Weren't moss and grass supposed to be soft?

He cracked open his eyes, only to squeeze them closed immediately. It was so bright that the migraine hiding behind his ears began bouncing around his skull, and the only thing he'd been able to garner through his brief glimpse was a mop of short lavender hair.

Julius. Great. Just what he wanted to wake up to.

Wait, did that mean he fell asleep next to the purple prick?!

No, he never fell asleep. He-

The events of the Green Room and the black void came rushing back, worsening his migraine but spurring him to stand up and survey his surroundings.

For several moments, he thought he was still unconscious.

Right behind Julius, who was slowly waking up, were glass doors.

Not just any glass doors; automatic sliding glass doors. Sealing the entrance to a dreadfully familiar convenience store. Surely he was hallucinating? If headaches were a sign of hallucinations, it seemed fairly likely...

Yet the asphalt, since he and Julius were resting on an asphalt parking space, felt warm and exactly like the smooth-but-gravely asphalt he remembered walking on more that a year ago.

The white paint on the road, the urban apartment buildings, the power lines draping across wooden poles...

"Oi, is this Echidna again?" He muttered to himself, voice warbling.

As Subaru stood staring at his surroundings, shocked into silence, Julius woke up and stood up as well. The poor purple-haired knight was even more confused than Subaru was.

"Subaru! Are you alright?" Julius turned away from his strange surroundings to evaluate his swaying comrade.

"Even if you ask that, can I give you a straight answer? I don't even know what's real anymore." Subaru let out a dry chuckle.

Julius frowned, evaluating Suaru. "I understand we're in an unfamiliar place, but if you are seeing what I am seeing I don't believe you are hallucinating. Even the ground feels strange, and the air is..." Julius scrunched up his nose. "Almost foul."

"Moreover, my gate..." He placed a gloved hand on his chest. "I can't feel my mana, or my beloved spirits. It's not as if the contract has been broken, but as if...."

Subaru clutched his own chest, closing his eyes to his dizzying surroundings to focus on his own contract. "It feels like my lovely Beako is so far away, I couldn't even begin to try and find her." He finished for Julius, keeping his eyes closed. Surely he couldn't be blamed for denying his home if it was an illusion created to distract him? But if Julius was here, too, and he felt the same...

Julius trailed off and stared at Subaru as the black-haired boy repeatedly poked his arm. "Subaru, I assure you I am real. I don't believe either of us are hallucinating."

"'That's just what I'd expect a hallucination to say!' Is such a cliche line that I can't even use it here..." Subaru responded. As might be expected, Julius and his arm were completely solid. "But even if this is a magical hallucination, wouldn't it be too lazy to make everything intangible?"

Julius sighed, grabbing Subaru's arm. "Please pull yourself together, Subaru. We've been sent into an unfamiliar setting, cut off from our mana and spirit partners, with no clue how to return home. I can only hope that Anastasia and the others are safe in the tower since they are not here with us. Nevertheless, our first priority must be gathering information on how we can rejoin our comrades in the watchtower. We should-!"

Julius cut himself off, eyes wide, as he watched a car driving by. Quickly stepping in front of Subaru, he drew his sword, angling it at the white Toyota sedan as it drove closer to the duo. "Subaru! Be careful, I-!"

Subaru dashed in front of the knight, pushing down his sword arm as the car harmlessly passed them by. "What the heck are you doing, you idiot?! You can't go around drawing your sword everywhere unless you want to be arrested! Cars aren't trying to eat you alive or snipe you, so leave them be so you don't startle the driver into an accident!" But if it was a hallucination, did it really matter? Subaru examined his own hypocrisy and decided to ignore it for the time being. 

Julius stood back, staring at Subaru. "Subaru, it's reckless to jump in front of someone wielding a sword. Surely you know this? And what is a 'caru'? How did you know it was harmless?"

Julius grabbed Subaru's shoulder, gently but firmly, and looked him in the eye. "Do you know something about our current situation that I do not?"

Subaru sighed, drawing a hand down his face before rubbing at his temples, reluctant to explain the magnitude of his experiences and the current situation. "I, um..." He trailed off, sighing again, as Julius lowered his hand and replaced his sword. "Julius, would you stay right here? I need to dash into the convenience store," He pointed at the sliding glass doors behind them into the (thankfully!) all-but-empty building, "to check something really important. After that, I'll," He sighed a third time. "I guess I need to explain some things, huh?" He gave another humorless chuckle.

Julius evaluated Subaru's face before closing his yellow eyes. "I trust you, Subaru, but please remain cautious and share a proper explanation with me upon your return." He nodded at his friend (Oi, we're not friends!), who gratefully smiled back and walked toward the convenience shop.

He approached the automatic sliding glass door within a few steps, staring at the familiar but hauntingly foreign sight of a normal Japanese conbini for much longer than would be reasonable in any other setting. His hesitance was interrupted by the automatic doors sensing his presence and sliding open with a whoosh, starling poor Julius. He looked like a cat with the fur on his back spiked up. A purple cat. Subaru wanted to smile at the image, but his heart was heavy with something unidentifiable.

For the first time in more than a year, Subaru stepped inside the last building he saw before he was Isekai'd.

As he entered, the inside of the store mocked him with the eerie feeling of something that was just slightly off. The shelves, windows, and ceiling lights were in the same position they'd been in for years, but the advertisements were for products Subaru had never heard of, the items stocked were all new or had altered packaging, and the manga by the window were completely different series.

He slowly walked down the aisles, one step at a time, as he headed toward the new gossip-filled tabloids. Picking up a sufficiently trashy one (Top Ten Hotest Single Celebrities! *Famous Actor's* Tragic Break-up With *Other Famous Actor*!), he hesitated before flipping to the page with the publishing date.

He stared at it.

One year and a couple months after he exact day he'd left.

His hand began to shake. Was it a good thing or a bad thing that time moved the same between both worlds? He hadn't missed decades of time on earth, and years weren't passing by in Lugunica with every second he stood here.

Despite knowing this was the best scenario...

Surely anyone would be devastated to now that their parents had been missing their child for more than a year?

Even a child like Subaru had parents who would grieve his disappearance.

Subaru squeezed his eyes shut, turning away form the sunlight shinning through the window as he willed himself not to cry. He wasn't about to break down in front of the purple haired prick standing outside. The stuck-up knight, whisked away to a foreign world, trying to stab cars, drawing his sword at innocent passersby...

Wait, what was the last one?

Subaru looked up again, staring back through the window, as he watched Julius holding his sword and chatting with two average Japanese citizens.

For some reason, Subaru felt himself close to tearing up again as he looked at their normal outfits, their dark hair and eyes, and their cell phones. Surely, the average traits of the Japanese people wouldn't change much in just a year. Wait, shouldn't he be doing something about this situation?

Having confirmed the approximate date, Subaru dashed back outside the convenience store, standing between Julius and the strangers.

The first woman, who looked to be about in her late twenties, smiled at Subaru. Her mild lipstick and modest sweater almost made Subaru start bawling from how normal she was. "Hello! Are you two friends? His cosplay is incredible, even though I'm not familiar with the character. Is there a convention nearby today?"

Thank goodness for cliche misunderstandings! Subaru could easily work with this.

"I'm sorry? I don't understand what you are implying, but I would appreciate it if you could lower your metia and cease obstructing my path."

Stupid, stupid Julius! Stop messing with the standard procession of the cliche! Subaru stepped in quickly. "Sorry about my friend, he likes to stay in character when in costume." He elbowed the purple-haired 'cosplayer' before turning back to the woman and her friend. "We're on our way to a convention right now, and we're gonna be late, so please excuse us!"

With that, Subaru began pushing Julius along the road, distracted by the fact that he'd had his first conversation with a Japanese citizen since he'd talked to Al in Pristella. And did Al really count? Not in this context, he didn't. 

How long had it been since he'd been somewhere 'normal'? No, what did 'normal' even mean for him any more? He already knew how long he'd missed his first 17 years of normal, but now, hadn't 'normal' become hugs with Beako, training with Garfield, dates with Emilia-tan?

Hadn't 'normal' become fighting for his life, fighting to save everyone, fighting to stay alive?

Subaru's head was spinning so much that he almost didn't notice that Julius had stopped and grabbed him by the shoulders.

Hah, what a dramatic, cliche position. Subaru had seen a lot of cliches recently, hadn't he?

His life was one big cliche, after all. He was a useless NEET who was Isekai'd, fell in love with a beautiful elf princess, froze to death, defeated a dangerous monster, became a knight, was eaten alive, conquered a tower, killed, died, dying dying dying-

"Subaru!"

Subaru snapped out of it. He found himself staring at Julius' wide yellow eyes as he gasped for breath. Why was he breathing so hard? He wasn't running, he wasn't in danger, wasn't-

"Subaru, please stay with me. I understand this is a strange situation, but we must remain alert. Look at me, please." Subaru held Julius' eyes, staring at the determined, confused, noble Finest-of-Knights as he struggled to slow his breathing and keep his thoughts on track.

After a few moments, Subaru pieced himself back together enough to become properly embarrassed by the situation.

"Sorry, Julius," He muttered, looking away. Did he really just have a panic attack in front of Julius?! 

"I understand Subaru," Julius stated, continuing to watch Subaru closely. "We are in a strange situation with little information. However, based on your words and behavior, I believe you know more about our current setting than I do. Please, share what you know with me."

Subaru looked Julius in the eyes once more as the man continued holding his shoulders dramatically. What an over-the-top prick.

An over-the-top prick who deserved answers.

Subaru sighed. "Well, it's kinda hard to explain and harder to believe, but I guess we're already in an unbelievable situation right now huh?" He glanced around the street corner they'd stopped at, trying to imagine what the traffic lights, cars, and modern building must look like to someone like Julius. At least when Subaru had been Isekai'd, he'd been prepared for the stereotypes by manga, anime, and video games. 

"I guess I'll just be straightforward, then. This," He held out his arms, gesturing to their surroundings. "Is my home. Right now, we're in a country called 'Japan', an island nation to the far east of the map".

Julius frowned. "But...Lugunica is the easternmost nation in the world. the only thing further east is the Great Waterfall."

Subaru smiled bitterly. "Got it in one. Lugunica is the farthest east nation in... your world."

"Right now... We're beyond the great waterfall. Welcome to earth, you prick."

Chapter Text

"Beyond the Great Waterfall? I'd ask if you were joking, but I feel like it makes too much sense to deny. Between the lack of mana, the strange infrastructure, and even your own...traits..."

"Oi, what are you implying with that last part?!"

"...I wish I could believe you were lying." Julius conceded, face grim.

Subaru sighed. He really, really wanted to sleep. His head hurt, he was exhausted from the deadly battle they'd fought less than a day ago, and his mind was spinning with his deaths, the sudden appearance of gluttony, and their present situation.

But sleep would have to wait until he answered Julius' questions and...

...Found his parents.

He shook the thought away to prevent spiraling again before turning back to Julius. "Right now, we're a few blocks away from my parent's house. Maybe 15 minutes on foot? If we head there, we can rest and get food." If he looked at it objectively, he'd be able to hold himself together 'till they arrived. Right? Probably.

Subaru spun away from Julius, looked both ways, and crossed the road, counting on the purple-haired idiot to follow him. Unsurprisingly, the Finest of Knights pretended to be a baby duck and kept close to Subaru's heels. 

Julius interrupted Subaru's thoughts. "W-Wait! When you mean this is your home, do you mean you lived here before you came to Lugunica? How did you cross between worlds? When did this happen?!" Julius was uncharacteristically flustered upon Subaru's revelation. 

Subaru scanned the road once again before they finally landed on the sidewalk once more, and Subaru felt comfortable dropping his guard. After dying so many times, there was no way he'd let himself get hit by a car in peaceful, ordinary Japan. That would be a new low, even for him.

"Well, I lived here for 17 years of my life before I showed up in Lugunica. That was a little less than a year and a half ago, about two months before the start of the royal selection where we first met (and you beat the living daylights out of me)." He smiled softly as he remembered his first day, the first time he met Emilia, before grimacing as he remembered how his true 'first day' really ended. Pros and cons of being an Isekai protagonist, huh? Even then, weren't the cons much bigger than any manga had prepared him for?

"As for how I got there... I still don't know. One moment I was walking out of the convenience store, that building we were just at, and the next I was in the capital of Lugunica. There was no warning, no explanation, and no time to prepare. I can't say I regret it, since I got to meet Emilia and Beako and Rem... But I wish I could have left under different conditions." He grasped his chest, heart throbbing with guilt over something that wasn't his fault. He never chose to be uprooted and dropped in a foreign world, never knew it would happen that day.

But I could have at least said goodbye before I left the house that night.

Subaru look up again as they approached another street. They were only a few blocks away form his house now, and he was not at all prepared to see his parents. Surely they hadn't moved away, or moved on? They hadn't declared him dead yet, right?! They- He wouldn't-

Thankfully, Julius interrupted his impending spiral with more questions. "So on that day we...fought, in the capital, you had only been in Lugunica for 2 months?" His voice was quiet for some reason.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. I was a real idiot back then, huh? I managed to insult so many important people just by opening my dumb mouth," He chuckled bitterly. "I didn't even know the royal knights were such a 'big deal' at that point. I'd already met Elsa, Emilia, Reinhard, Rem, Ram, and Roswald," He checked each name off on his fingers as he listed them. "So my mental power-scaling chart was crazy biased. I thought the Royal knights were like NPCs compared to the monsters I'd already met," he chuckled. 

After he glanced at Julius, he noticed the knight had a strange expression on his face. "Oi, what's up with you, ya idiot? You looked like you accidentally scared off one Anastasia's important customers or something."

Sure enough, the Finest of Knights had an uncomfortable, almost guilty look on his face. "...I assure you it's nothing, Subaru. I've just realized a prior judgement of mine might have been based on faulty information."

Subaru questioned his answer, but let it be. After all, it had nothing to do with him.

"Anyways, Subaru, why is there no mana in the air? And why are we unable to feel our contracted spirits? Why does the air smell unpleasant? What exactly are 'carsu'? How did those doors slide open without mana? What are the strange buildings made out of? And the roads are strange. Those hanging metal boxes, with three colored circles? Wh-"

"Oi, one at a time, idiot!" Did Julius really think Subaru had the mental capacity to remember all those questions?! He was being dramatically overestimated!

"Um, well, I'm pretty sure there's just never been mana in the air here. Magic isn't really a 'thing' on earth the way it is in Lugunica. Nobody uses it or thinks it's real, unless they're just a little kid or a stage magician, and nobody has gates since there's no mana. Well, I guess maybe people have gates but don't use them? As for our spirits, they're probably all still in Lugunica, or the lack of mana here makes it impossible for us to sense them. I know Beako was probably far away from the blast, but don't know about your spirits..."

He paused, considering the rest of their friends in the tower. He wanted to believe they were all fine, and logic would suggest that since only he and Julius were in Japan, the rest of his friends hadn't been consumed by the fifth obstacle like they were. Hadn't he heard Volcania attack the void before he'd lost consciousness?

Even still, he really had no proper way of verifying their safety. He would just have to trust in their strength until he and Julius could make their way back.

Leave Earth... and return to Lugunica?

Subaru shut down the train of thought as fast as possible. He absolutely could not lose it when they were only two blocks away from his house. 

He continued to the next of Julius' questions to distract himself. "Um, cars are these big metal vehicles that carry people around. I guess they're kinda like dragon carriages, but without dragons and made of metal. They're a lot more complex, too. Any moving car is being driven by a human, so you don't need to worry about them attacking you. Earth, or at least Japan, is really peaceful, unlike Lugunica." In all 17 years he'd lived on Earth, he'd never died after all. Although that line of reasoning doesn't hold up under scrutiny...

"And then, the buildings are probably made out of stucco, and the roads are made of asphalt. Stucco is like, clay, but good at keeping heat in? I think? I don't really know. And then asphalt is like gravelly tar, and it makes roads smoother and stronger than cobblestone or dirt roads." If only he'd known how to make those substances, maybe he would've been able to bring them to Lugunica, and bring some money and fame to the Emilia camp. Then again, it was good enough for him to watch Julius swivel his head around like a wind vane as he studied the unfamiliar but incredibly common materials.

Anyways, those were all the questions Julius had asked, right? Subaru got them all? Either way, more questions or answers would need to wait. Another stranger was approaching them.

Luckily, while this person (a middle aged man in average attire) stared at Julius and Subaru in their dramatic foreign outfits, worn from the recent battle and suitable for a desert instead of modern-day Japan, the man didn't stop to ask questions. He passed them quietly, and Julius did not draw his sword at anyone, so Subaru would count this interaction as a win!

He let out a small sign of relief before continuing the conversation. "Anyways, the most important thing to remember is to stop drawing your sword at people! Good job not attacking that guy." Subaru gave Julius a thumbs up.

"I would not draw a sword at an innocent civilian! Is that truly what you think of me?" Julius almost sounded offended.

"Well after that stunt you pulled in front of the convenience store, I'm not really sure who you consider an 'innocent civilian'! Did those two women really look like they were dangerous?"

"They were holding strange metias, and while their phrasing was unclear, I believe they wanted to use their devices on me. I was merely being cautious."

Oi, were photos really that scary to the 'Finest of Knights'?

"Listen to me, Julius." Subaru calmly stopped walking to look Julius in the eyes, preparing to impart wise and invaluable advice on his comrade.

Julius met his eyes with seriousness after viewing the intensity of Subaru's gaze. He was prepared to listen to whatever his friend (Oi!!) had to say.

Subaru took a deep breath. "There is never a reasonable time to draw a sword on the streets of Japan, got it?!" He all but shouted in the face of the purple knight. "And from now on, you and I need to pretend we're cosplayers. I don't know if you noticed, but we kinda stick out."

Of course, Julius had quickly noticed his and Subaru's attire was vastly different from the strange and foreign outfits worn by citizens in 'Jahpan'. He accepted Subaru's words, but found one aspect of his explanation confusing.

"What are 'cause players'? I heard the women from earlier use that term, but I am unfamiliar with it." He and Subaru had continued walking, but Subaru paused when Julius asked his question.

With another sigh, Subaru drew his hand over his face. Again. "Y'know, in all the times I imagined possibly returning home, this was never once a possibility..."

Julius frowned. Did Subaru want to return home this whole time? Julius could hardly blame him, but surely he would not abandon Emilia and the rest of his camp? Yet, perhaps his bond with his parents was important... After losing his parents, Julius could hardly fault Subaru for wanting to reconnect with his. He could only hope that after a reunion, Subaru would return to Lugunica. If not...

Subaru began to speak once more, approaching the final intersection on the way to his house. "Um, 'cosplayers' are people who dress up like a character they like. There's a lot of popular anime and manga- manga are like books with drawings, but meant for teenagers and adults instead of kids, and I'm not even going to try to explain anime- so lots of people make the costumes that characters wear, or put on a wig, and pretend to be that character for fun. No one here naturally has purple hair, and your outfit is straight out of a fantasy kingdom (let alone that stupid sword you love pointing at people!) so people stare."

Julius nodded, rolling the information over in his head. 'Manga' seemed simple enough to grasp, although for every copy of the book to contain drawings must make them quite expensive. Dressing up as a popular character was... harder to wrap his head around, but he supposed wealthy individuals such as Lord Roswaal had similar strange habits. As for the hair color...

"I wouldn't say purple hair is common in Lugunica, but more so than dark hair like yours. I noticed the women and the man we passed earlier had dark hair and eyes as well, it must be fairly common here."

Subaru snorted. "Just a bit. Most people here have black or dark brown hair. People can also have blond or orange-red hair, and old people have grey hair, but no other colors exist naturally. Sometimes people dye their hair for fun or wear wigs, but your hair sill sticks out. Your eyes, too. The only eye colors you'll find here are brown, blue, and green. Your weird yellow eyes make you look like you're wearing contact lenses."

His eyes too? How would anyone be able to tell each other apart? Also... "What are 'contact lenses'?"

Subaru sighed. Would he have to explain every foreign vocab word to Julius? Surely he hadn't had this many questions when he'd been Isekai'd to Lugunica, right? But then again, he'd seen numerous stories about the trope. Well, there was nothing to do except answer his questions. nothing to do, even though they were approaching his house and they were less than a bock away and would his parents be home how would he-

"Contact lenses are like, tiny clear disks you stick in your eye. I can't really explain plastic well to you, but imagine some parts of it can be colored so that when it rests on your eye it makes it look a different color. Lots of people wear... them..."

He trailed off after glancing at Julius, who had slowed down dramatically. "What's up? Too confusing? I didn't think you'd care so much about something as small and random as contact lenses..."

"I'm sorry, do people stick items in their eye often here? Surely they get eye problems if they do that? How would the lenses be shaped precisely enough to fit over one's eye? Would it not be difficult to see? Wouldn't-"

"Julius, does the saying 'Don't make a mountain out of a molehill' mean anything to you? Because eye contacts are about as important to this world as monocles are to Lugunica."

Surely contact lenses, of all things, shouldn't be this interesting?

"Subaru."

"Oi, I know how it feels to have a lot of questions, but contact lenses-"

"No, it's not about that Subaru."

"Oh. (Thank goodness.) Then what's up?" Subaru was slightly concerned. Julius' tone had surprisingly gentle. After raising his voice as much as his knightly self would allow while asking questions, he seemed almost cautious, and it put Subaru on edge.

"Subaru, is this where you meant to stop walking?"

"Huh?"

Surely enough, Subaru's feet had stopped moving.

After all, they had been walking to their destination.

Once you arrive at your destination, you don't need to walk anymore.

That meant...

Subaru turned away from Julius, looking at the door in front of him.

The same door he'd left for the last time a year ago.

Sealing he entrance to the same home he'd left a year ago.

"Oh."

Oh.

"We're here."

He and Julius were standing right in front of Subaru's door, at the entrance to Subaru's house.

He was home.

Chapter Text

Subaru was standing in front of the door to his house.

His house, his parent's house, the home he'd lived in for 17 years.

His mom was probably home.

His mom, who probably thought he was dead. Or kidnapped. Or ran away. 

How...

How was he supposed to face her, again?

What was he supposed to say?

He clenched his hand into a fist, digging his fingernails into his palm to stop himself from losing it. He wanted to fall apart so, so badly, but he had to knock on the door. His hand was already in a fist, he was halfway there. He just had to raise it to the door, tap it with his knuckles, and wait to see if anyone answered. If his mom wasn't home, he could get the spare key and open it himself.

He just had to knock.

So why couldn't he raise his hand?

Subaru stood there, frozen, in front of his home, as Julius watched him. Surely Subaru couldn't be faulted for hesitating? After all...

Hadn't he left his parents alone for more than a year? 

What if they had moved, or moved on already? Would he just be dredging up terrible memories of a useless son?

No, his parents were kind, loving and loyal. Even as a pathetic shut-in, hey had loved him and cared for him. They would have done everything in their power to find him after he went missing.

Subaru lifted his right hand and clenched his chest tightly. There was no way he could have predicted what would've happened that night. He couldn't have stopped it even if he had known. It wasn't his fault that he'd gone missing.

But if emotions followed logic, they wouldn't be called emotions, would they?

Even after knowing he couldn't do anything, he still felt that if he had said "Goodbye" to his Mom that night before he left, something would be different. Maybe he wouldn't have been Isekai'd? As impossible as it sounded, the emotions he felt welling up in his chest at the thought made his breath hitch.

As much as he must have hurt his parents, didn't he miss them?

Wrestling with his father, sitting at the table with his mother. Every moment that showed him that they cared came flashing back to Subaru's mind. A year was a long time to be away from one's family, and even though Subaru had found a new family, his parents could not simply be replaced in his heart.

He fought back tears, biting his lip. He wanted to see his mom again. He wanted to eat mayonnaise and say "I love you" and "Thank you" and hug her. He wanted to wrestle his dad, show him how much he's grown as a person since the last time they'd met.

How could he wish for something so selfish when he was the cause of their pain this whole time, accident or not?

He exhaled slowly, loading as many emotions as he could onto the slow breath to calm down. All he had to do...

Was knock.

But...

"What could I possibly tell my parents to make up for the pain I must've caused them? There's no way I can properly explain everything that's happened to me..." Subaru muttered quietly, head hanging low.

Subaru had almost forgotten about his purple-haired companion, but the knight heard Subaru's words as he quickly spun his purple head from the door to Subaru. 

"Subaru..."

Julius stared at Subaru. Something about the boy's clear trepidation made Julius uncomfortable. 

He had seen Subaru in many scenarios: determined, scared, cheerful, devastated, furious, exhausted, delighted. Even when Subaru tried to hide his pain with a cheerful grin, his shaking hands, false smile, or speeding words often betrayed his true feelings, and Beatrice or Lady Emilia would distract him until he felt better.

It was clear that now, as he faced his parents, that he was scared of their reaction to his departure. It sounded as though Subaru had been plucked away from his home without warning, leaving his parents to ponder what happened to him. His hesitation in the face of their reunion was understandable.

However, something Subaru said made Julius pause. 

"Subaru, do your parents love you?"

Subaru's head snapped up to glare at the knight. "What kind of question is that?! My parents are the kindest, most loving people I-"

"Then why are you afraid?"

Subaru paused, stuttering. "O-oi, I'm not, afraid, I-"

"Surely if your parents love you, seeing you home and well will be enough to make them happy? Of course, they still deserve an explanation, but making them wait any longer to see you again would likely be crueler than having an unplanned story when you tell them of the interim."

Subaru opened his mouth before closing it again, still staring Julius in the eye as the knight continued.

"If you truly wish to repay your parents for the pain your absence has caused them, though it seems it was no fault of your own, would it not be best to simply let your parents know you are alive and healthy?" Julius stared a his friend with earnest eyes. Julius would never be able to see his birth parents again, and his adoptive parents would have forgotten him due to the effects of gluttony. However, if he had the chance to see either again, with memories and lives intact, he would abandon even his knightly countenance in order to convey his joy.

Subaru's eyes widened before he turned away, wiping at his face. Julius pretended not to notice his strained voice as Subaru spoke again. "You prick... I hate that you're right this time."

Subaru took another step forward, approaching his front door.

Surely, if his mom was home, she would be glad to see him?

Either way, it wouldn't be fair to Julius or his mother to hesitate any longer.

With anticipation akin to Christmas Eve and fear similar to fighting the white whale, Subaru gathered his courage and knocked three times on his front door.

Then he waited. After all that build-up, the tension was swirling in his gut and tears were fighting to pool in his eyes. It took all of Subaru's willpower to prevent himself from crying in front of the purple idiot, to stop him from pounding on the door until it broke, to top himself from sprinting all the way back to the convenience store-

He heard something.

What was that sound? Was it footsteps? 

Yeah, it was foot steps. From inside the house, growing louder.

A figure was approaching the door.

Someone from inside the house was standing on the other side of the door.

After a year, he would see his parents again.

His parents would see him again.

What could he do in this moment but stare? The warring emotions burning through his chest could not spur him to do anything but wait.

He didn't even notice he'd stopped breathing.

He flinched as the lock clacked.

He froze as the door handle turned.

He stared, frozen, not breathing, as the door opened.

It opened slowly, as if whoever was opening the door did not truly care about who was on the other side.

What a misleading comparison.

Through the crack, small increments of the house became visible at a time.

The first thing hat became clear was a messy dinning room table. The table that his mother had always kept tidy was now strewn with dirty dishes, several of which still held uneaten food.

Next was a long, wrinkly yellow apron, the color of a canary. Subaru recognized it, but refused to properly acknowledge what is signified in that moment.

A hand grasped the edge of the slowly swinging door. Pale fingers held the edge with enough force to make them appear white, as if the person was holding themselves up through their grip.

Brown hair peeked around the corner of the door, which was now opened enough for someone to step out if the wished.

Subaru stood frozen, watching each scene in slow motion as his brain refused to process what each of these details implied. His home, which he thought he would never see again, was in front of him. It as slightly different from how he remembered it in Echidna's trial, but it was the same.

Another moment passed, and a hinge could be heard creaking, before pausing suddenly.

For Natsuki Naoko had finally opened the door.

Subaru met her tired, brown, Sanpaku eyes.

The eyes he'd inherited from her. The eyes that caused him so much trouble.

Her eyes had dark bags under them.

As soon as their matching eyes saw each other, both pairs grew wide. Subaru remained frozen as he watched her stare at him. 

How had he ever wanted to run away? How had he ever thought to hesitate?

How had he even accepted that he might never see his parents again?

He watched as her tired eyes began to fill with silent tears.

And suddenly, the tears he'd been fighting came streaming down his face.

He wasn't sure who moved first, but the next moment he found himself clutching his mom in a hug. Both of them were sobbing, and he held her tighter.

"M-Mom," He gasped out between sobs. Talking was made much more difficult when one's lungs were not breathing properly, but between shaking, heaving breaths, Subaru managed to whisper the words he wish he could have spoken more than a year ago.

"Mom."

"I'm home." 

If it was possible, they both began to sob louder. 

Subaru had been on Earth for half an hour, less than 15 minutes away from his house.

Despite that, the first time Subaru had felt like he was home was as he was hugging his wonderful, kind, caring mother.

What a warm home it was.

"W-welcome back, Subaru."

He flinched for a moment at hearing his mother's voice. A small part of him screamed, warning him that everything was a lie, Echidna trapped him in a dream, he needed to do something, save someone-

But the warm arms wrapped around his back, the hand gently pressing his head into the crook her shoulder, the fabric under his fingertips...

Even the hot, wet tears streaming down his face, leaving an itchy trail down his cheeks and dark splotches on his mother's shoulder.

He was really home.

He was home.

They continued to hug for what was objectively a long time but still felt much too short before Subaru felt his mom's grip on him loosen. They both let their arms fall away slowly, reluctant to dissolve the hug but needing to wipe their faces and hold a proper conversation.

Subaru used his orange scarf to wipe the tears and snot off his face before his Mom grabbed his hands again and they made eye contact.

"Subaru."

"M-Mom."

"My Subaru. You're home."

He felt more tears well up in his eyes, but he squinted and sniffled to stop them from dipping down. They couldn't stand in the doorway and cry for the entirety of their reunion.

His mom, who had refused to remove her eyes from him since she'd seen him, briefly glanced away before returning her gaze to Subaru.

He frowned, confused, before turning his head to glance behind himself and see what she was looking at.

Standing a comfortable distance away, watching uncomfortably, was none other than Julius Juukulus. 

Oh, right.

He was there too, wasn't he?

Subaru was too emotionally drained to be embarrassed of his swollen red eyes and running nose in front of the knight, simply turning back to his mom. He stepped forward to give her another quick hug before stepping away slightly and coughing. Crying always made his throat hurt, but it's not like he'd had a choice in the matter and he still needed to speak.

He opened and closed his mouth, wondering what else to say, as his mom simply gave him a dazed, disbelieving smile. He wanted to explain everything to her, to cry on her again like a little kid as he explained the pain and deaths he'd endured, begging his parents for forgiveness and clinging to them for comfort.

But his parents didn't deserve to know everything he'd been carrying; that was hardly a way to apologize for what he put them through.

Yet, without that, what was left to say to his Mom?

She was likely expecting something. Some kind of apology, some kind of explanation. What could he freely tell her?

Oh, right.

He was still there, trying to pretend like he hadn't just watched them sobbing in front of their house.

Subaru rudely pointed to the purple-haired knight behind them, maintaining eye contact with his Mom.

"Ah, and, um... th-that prick over there is Julius." He paused, wondering if there was anything he could add to to explain away the purple hair, strange clothes, or sword adorning the suspicious man. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, but ended up staying quiet. He really couldn't have been sent back home with Beako instead? Even Anastasia would've had an easier time fitting in than that over-the-top knight.

He mom glanced at Julius again and nodded, only to turn right back to Subaru and grasp his hands again.

"Subaru."

"Um, yes?"

"I'm so glad you're home." She beamed at him, even as tears continued rolling down her cheeks.

Subaru let a few tears drop. "I'm glad, too."

She let go of one of Subaru's hands, walking back toward the house but keeping her eyes on Subaru instead of the doorway she was walking through. Even as the two of them took off their shoes, Naoko refused to stop staring at him as if he'd disappear the second she turned away.

After the two of them had entered the house, she glanced back at Julius for a moment before turning back to Subaru. "Please come in as well, Juilus-kun."

Julius nodded politely as he followed them inside, hesitating for a second in the entry way and glancing to Subaru.

Subaru stared at him. Was there a silent question being asked? Even so, it's not like he could read minds. When Julius gestured at his shoes, Subaru finally understood.

"Oh, right, I forgot you're not from around here." As if the hair, eyes, outfit, sword, and everything else about The Finest of Knights hadn't made that clear enough. "You're pretty much always supposed to take off your shoes before entering someone's house, at least in Japan." It felt so strange to recite such a basic fact, made doubly so by Subaru's experience wearing shoes indoors during his time in Lugunica. 

Julius nodded in gratitude as Naoko watched the interaction with confusion, staring at Subaru and glancing at Julius every now and then. Subaru didn't know if it was because she found his strange attire or his lack of knowledge on Japanese culture to be the issue. Both is always an option, isn't it?

The two Isekai'd men followed Naoko through the house as she led them to the table, eyes constantly darting back to Subaru. He noticed her unkempt hair, her wrinkly dress, and her pale skin as they walked through the house. Those were his fault, weren't they?.

He wished he could say something to make her feel better about his disappearance, to reassure her he wouldn't vanish out of the blue again, but with a sudden ache in his chest came the realization that he couldn't actually guarantee that. For all he knew, he could blink and find himself in Lugunica again. The thought made him walk closer to his Mom and grab her hand, sitting right beside her at the table as Julius awkwardly sat across from them.

They all sat there for a moment in silence, Naoko simply continued watching and smiling gently at Subaru, Subaru glanced from his Mom to his house, and Julius awkwardly glancing at Subaru and Naoko.

"Um, why don't you call Dad?" Subaru spoke up first. He thought about explaining that he'd lost his phone, but that would require an explanation as to why, so he chose to leave it there.

Naoko's smile brightened a bit. "Ah, yes! Please excuse me..." Instead of standing up and walking away like someone might typically do in this scenario, she simply took her phone out of her pocket and called Kenichi while sitting a the table. She dialed the number with ease before holding the phone up to her ear, continuing to stare and smile distantly at Subaru.

After a few moments of more awkward silence, Naoko raised her head slightly as the call likely connected.

"Kenichi, you'll want to come home as soon as possible." She spoke in the happy, almost dreamy tone he always remembered his mother having. Subaru felt himself about to tear up again, so he held his mom's hand under the table and squeezed it lightly.

There was a pause as his father must've spoken on the other end of the line, before Naoko continued. "No, honey, everything is alright, but you really, really need to come home."

Another pause, shorter this time, and Naoko smiled. "Thank you, I'll see you soon." 

She hung up, leaving Subaru to wonder why she hadn't told his father anything. Did she think it was better to show him the news in-person? Either way, it was his Mom's decision, so he didn't mind.

"Kenichi will be here soon." She smiled at Subaru, who nodded at her with a smile and continued holding her hand under the table, as Julius sat there like the useless third wheel he was.

Subaru was going to see his father again.

Chapter Text

Julius liked to believe himself a polite and patient man. As the Finest of Knights, he always strives to uphold noble virtues and demeanor expected of someone with such a prestigious title. While sitting at the table across from Subaru and his mother, he focused on remembering why and how he upheld those values in Lugunica.

Because if he had to take any more of this, he might actually act in a way unbecoming of a royal knight.

Julius was sitting in the same spot he had been sitting in for the last 10 minutes. This was not the problem; his chair was comfortable, and since he was a grown man he was more than capable of sitting still for such a short period of time.

No, his problem was everything else about his current situation.

For one, he was still in a strange world. Subaru had tried to help answer his questions, but a drop of water would simply not quench his thirst for answers. Everything around him was strange, from the clothing to the architecture to the air itself. Why would one remove their footwear before entering a home? Surely this made it much more difficult to leave in an emergency? Why were there unrecognizable materials everywhere, from the streets to the buildings to even the articles of brightly-colored clothing? Why did a house with such high quality clothing, comfortable furniture, and seemingly idle residents have such a small size?

Why was there no mana in the air? Were there spirits? Did people have gates or not? What happened to Anastasia, Lady Emilia, and everyone else back at the tower? Were his spirits okay? How was Subaru so comfortable with all this? Did he have a plan? Did he plan to sta-

He had several questions he was itching to ask, but couldn't bring himself to speak up.

A perfect segue into his second problem: the current situation.

Julius quietly sat across from his good friend Subaru and Subaru's mother.

Subaru's mother, whose name had never been told to him and would therefore remain known as "Mrs. Subaru".

He didn't even know the name of the woman sitting across the table from him, and it was certainly not the time to ask.

The woman, who seemed unkempt and distraught, was gazing at Subaru like he held the answers to the universe but could vanish in the blink of an eye. As if her unrelenting gaze weren't uncomfortable enough, Subaru seemed to be looking at her as if he'd killed her dog. Even as they were both glad to see each other, they were both afraid to make any sudden moves that could ruin the precious reunion.

Leaving Julius to stew over his questions in silence as an unwelcome third wheel.

He resisted the urge to let out an exhausted sigh, trying not to ruin the peace between the mother and son, when the doorbell finally rung.

Subaru flinched as the doorbell rang through the house and the lock clicked.

His mother squeezed his hand again under the table as they both watched the door slowly open. She continued holding it firmly, as if she was reaffirming he was really there, and Subaru squeezed back in turn. Didn't he feel the same way?

A head of black hair poked through. It was so familiar it made Subaru's scalp tingle. He had been trying to copy his Dad's hairstyle for more than a year, now. He'd managed to do a fairly good job even in a different world, if he did say so himself.

Subaru felt like his perception of time must've slowed down since he was panicking inside, but in reality the figure just hesitated in the doorway before Naoko slowly opened her mouth.

"Please, come in honey." How many emotions could be loaded into one sentence? She was happy and tired and confused and scared and grateful all in one phrase. 

After another, shorter pause, the figure finally entered the house.

And Natsuki Subaru locked eyes with his Dad.

Natsuki Kenichi froze in the doorway, staring at Subaru. He absorbed the information in front of him; Subaru and Naoko sitting side by side, his wife's gaze locked on their son, and the third figure at the table. He had initially assumed his wife was hallucinating Subaru, but if they both saw Subaru in the same position, the chances of that were low...

Which...

Which would mean...

He stared at Subaru, who was staring back at him.

Subaru's eyes were more tired than the last time he'd seen them, his outfit was strange, and his face showed signs of tears, but...

"H-hey, Dad..." 

Subaru, his son, held up one hand that was covered in a strange black glove, and gave his Dad a stiff wave.

Kenichi froze for a moment more.

Then he dropped his bag and jacket before running toward Subaru, shoes still on his feet.

Subaru stood up from his chair just as his Dad tackled him into a hug. An undeniably warm, solid, real person hugged him back.

He was real. Subaru was real.

Subaru was home.

Kenichi held his son tighter as tears slipped through his eyes. He felt Subaru begin to sniffle, then they were both sobbing in each other's arms. 

After a few moments, Naoko stood up a joined their hug and Kenichi wept harder. Who cared if he was a grown man? Certainly, nobody would think it embarrassing to cry and sob upon the return of one's long-lost son. He held his son and his wife closer.

Their family was finally whole once more.

The group hug was warm and firm. Each member reaffirmed the presence of the others, reinforcing the reality of their reunion. They finally found each other after more than a year.

Eventually, the hug dissolved as each member of the Natsuki family held hands to maintain physical contact (so Subaru wouldn't disappear again, to prove this was real-) while enabling eye contact with each other.

As his parents stared at him, Subaru found himself unable to form words. He clenched their hands, unsure how to move forward from there.

Thankfully, his Dad spoke up first.

"Subaru...

"Where have you been this whole time?"

Dang it. It really couldn't have been any question other than that?!

"I..." Subaru trailed off, breaking eye contact with his Dad in favor of looking at their clenched hands. There was no way he could answer that without sounding like he belonged in a mental facility or coming up with a lie, which... He really didn't want to lie to his parents about this. 

So he remained silent while turning back to his Dad, offering nothing but a sad smile.

His Dad's gaze hardened slightly. Not in anger, which Subaru had almost been expecting but with something else.

With worry.

"And who is that man?"

What man? 

Oh right.

Julius.

"Um, well, he's..." How did he sum up Julius without mentioning any fantasy elements from Lunigica?

"He's Julius." Subaru finished his sentence lamely. Everything about Julius screamed 'Isekai", after all. Even his stupid knightly personality.

Kenichi turned away from his family to look at the stranger seated at his dining room table.

The stranger in question, apparently named 'Julius', nodded back at him.

When Kenichi didn't turn away, the man closed his eyes softly and stood up before bowing much more deeply than Kenichi felt comfortable with.

"I am Julius Juukulius, a royal knight in service to Royal Candidate Anatasia Hoshin and friend to Natsuki Subaru. I owe our son a great debt, and am honored to meet his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Subaru."

Having delivered a perfectly normal introduction, Julius sat back down as the Natsuki family stared.

No, was a single word in that introduction normal? Surely Julius wasn't so stupid that he delivered such an over-the-top introduction with complete sincerity?! Did that idiot not understand how the world works? And what was up with that 'Mr. and Mrs. Subaru' he snuck into the end of his speech??!

Maybe Subaru should have given Julius a few more answers before coming home...

"Excuse me?" Kenichi, Subaru's beloved father, did not accept Julius' completely legitimate introduction with any more grace than Subaru himself had when he'd first met the purple prick a year ago. No, hadn't Subaru responded better?

Naoko turned from her husband to her son to the stranger, before giving her son's hand one last squeeze and letting it go. "How about I start making dinner for us while the introductions are made? I'm afraid we don't have many ingredients in the fridge, but I can prepare some ramen."

Ramen? Pre-made ramen filled with extra strong, extra salty chemical-filled flavoring? He might just tear up. 

Subaru smiled at her and nodded as she left him to explain to his beloved, curious and sensible father that he had blinked, found himself in a new world, then fell in love with an elf, befriended two oni, defeated a flying whale, killed a cultist or two, contracted with a spirit, saved a city, conquered a watchtower that was actually a library, and found himself back home. 

No problem.

Surely the mastermind behind those feats could hold a conversation with his own father? Right?

Subaru and Kenichi walked over to the dining room table. Before his father returned, Subaru had chosen to sit next to his Mom and across from Julius, but with both of his parents present he took the seat beside Julius, diagonal to his Dad. While his parents were proof that he'd returned, he purple-haired idiot was proof that he'd left in the first place and hadn't just hallucinated his entire journey to Lugunica.

Not that he'd ever have been able to imagine something as vivid as death itself...

Once they were seated, Kenichi continued staring at Subaru and Julius. Subaru chose to ignore the scene for as log as possible by watching his Mom cook. Naoko was retrieving ingredients from the cabinets mechanically, constantly looking back at the table and at Subaru as she made a meal.

Kenichi spoke up first, choosing to ignore the purple-haired, sword-wielding, 'Finest Knight' in favor of his son. "Subaru. Have you been safe this whole time?"

Another loaded question! At least this one had an easy (if factually false) response. "Yeah, I have."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Julius frown. No, you idiot, let me have this! Let me lie to my parents!

Unfortunately, Kenichi also saw this and froze in his seat. "Your...friend, Julius, doesn't seem to agree."

"We're not friends. And he's clearly insane." 

Kenichi seemed to accept the content of the response but saw the deflection for what it was. "Yet, he's not wrong?"

Subaru turned away, loosing the willpower to maintain the lie. He saw his mom pause her cooking as she waited for his response.

"...Mostly safe," He conceded. That was true, at least. He'd been safe for a year straight at some point, hadn't he?

Kenichi frowned, clearly itching to ask another question but hesitating upon the vague and unwilling response to his prior one. He glanced at Julius, as if hoping the stranger could elaborate, before deciding against it. One score for Subaru! If only he could keep this up during the entire interrogation.

Julius opened his mouth before closing it again, wanting but unwilling to elaborate on the answers. Why was Subaru being so vague? Surely his parents would be proud of his feats?

Kenichi caught Julius' hesitation, turning back to the knight as Naoko continued making a meal, dishes clattering softly. "How do you know Subaru?"

Subaru flinched, and Kenichi's eyes narrowed. If this strange man had hurt Subaru in any way...

Julius paused, glancing at the uncomfortable Subaru and carefully choosing his words before responding. "We met at the royal--" He cut himself off upon Subaru's glare. "--at an important event that we both attended as companions to royal candid-" (Subaru glared at him) "To...important figures." (Subaru nodded.) "After an... initial disagreement, we worked together to defeat... a... common enemy, and later teamed up to conquer the Pl- an... important... library."

Julius was almost red with embarrassment from the stupidity of the words that had just left his mouth. Subaru, at least, seemed happy with the explanation, so maybe it didn't sound as bad as he thought it did?

Turning away from the nodding, pleased Subaru to face Kenichi revealed that no, it really did sound that stupid. Julius resisted the urge to wince.

Kenichi stared at the two of them. He stared for so long Subaru began to feel as if he hadn't believed Julius' explanation. What wasn't to get? That really was exactly what had happened, after all.

To Subaru's horror, Julius opened his mouth again as if to redeem his pride. "Subaru is... simply an exceptional man. He saved my life, and the life of our companions, numerous times over, and I am proud to call him my comrade." No you idiot! Stop saying things that'll just prompt more questions!

"He...saved your life? Were you in danger?" Kenichi's disbelieving gaze became suspicious and concerned as it turned from Subaru to fall back upon Julius.

Julius smiled wryly. "I'm afraid that would be an accurate statement in regards to the last few days."

No! Stop causing his parents worry! Subaru leaned forward before Kenichi could ask more questions. "Y-Yep! It sure has been a long few days in danger of... losing our streak in the video game we teamed up in! I saved our party lots of times. If they'd died, they would've lost their loot and dropped a few levels..." If he pretended hard enough, the last two sentences could almost be considered true.

Julius and Kenichi stared at Subaru like he'd spouted complete nonsense, so Subaru had no choice but to commit. "It-it' a new video game! We were conquering a- a library level, a few days ago, before we... came... back?" Somehow Subaru was getting the vibe that no one in the house believed his flawless cover story.

Julius turned away from the both of them, and Kenichi sighed before using a hand to wipe his face. "Subaru."

"Yes, Dad?"

"I'd prefer if you didn't lie to your mother and I about something this important."

It's not a lie. It was just a video game, and I've been safe this whole time. I simply chose to run away and avoided you and Mom for a year and a half...

The words Subaru wanted to say died in his throat. He didn't really want to say them, after all. Yet wouldn't the truth be even more painful than a lie? 

"I..." Subaru took a deep breath, taking a moment to work up the will to meet his father's eyes. "I don't want to lie to you guys, either. But... the truth... I can't, um, I don't know how to...explain. Everything." Couldn't they just play pretend? Act like he'd never left, like he'd finally brought a friend back home for dinner? Wouldn't that be easier?

Kenichi watched Subaru patiently, waiting for him to keep going, knowing his son had more to say. 

Subaru relented. "I... over the past year, it's been... really, really hard. I mean, some of it was good, but a lot of it was...not. And I... I don't... Um... Can I... Can we eat dinner first? So I can figure out... what to say?" He struggled to keep his voice even, to stop it from cracking, to stop himself from crying again and breaking into pieces. 

Kenichi reached around the table to grab Subaru's hand, the one without the strange black glove, and held it tightly. He gave his son a bright smile, one that made Subaru catch his breath. "Of course, Subaru. Let's have a nice family dinner."

Subaru smiled back, and Julius continued sitting awkwardly, as Naoko brought four bowls of ramen to the table along with two bottles of mayonnaise.

"I'm sorry, Subaru, but your mayo expired a while ago so you and your friend will have to use mine..." 

Subaru's eyes sparkled. "Real, Japanese Mayonnaise! The fresh mayo Rem and Nee-sama made was pretty good, but nothing can truly compare to the real deal~!" He stood up and held up the bottle above his head like that one scene from the lion king before dumping a third of the bottle onto his noodles and mixing it around.

Julius watched this scene, then turned back to his strange bowl of 'raw men', and back to Subaru. He then turned to Subaru's parents, who did the same thing Subaru did, before they all clapped their hands together in sync. "Itadakimasu~!" What?

As the Natsuki family began to enjoy their meal, the first meal they'd had as a family in years, Julius could do nothing but eat the strange but delicious noodles and avoid the several offers of additional mayo while he dined in another world.

Chapter Text

The food was delicious, if strange. The flavoring was unusually strong, the noodles were salty, and the additions had a strange texture, but even Julius couldn't deny the convenience and quality of the meal which had been prepared in a few short minutes.

Of course, watching the other residents of the table dousing the noodle in ’mayohnaysu’ made the meal less appealing somehow, but Julius declined to use the condiment and the taste was still enjoyable.

The Natsuki family had somehow begun to banter with aching familiarity, falling into old patterns that had yet to be forgotten, conveying their familial bond with each fond gaze, inside joke, or warm laugh.

And Julius was quietly staring at that scene.

Politely, awkwardly, uncomfortably.

Jealously.

One part of him was emotional and sympathetic. He longed to rekindle his relationship with his adoptive parents, whose memories of him had been erased from existence, or even to see his biological parents, who had died years ago.

He understood twice over the pain of losing one's parents, even to unusual circumstances, and could easily imagine the relief and joy upon a reunion with them.

Another part of him, however, wished he could simply leave. In theory, he could easily stand up from his chair and walk out the door, but he couldn't bring himself to rudely interrupt the meal by abandoning the family table, and he felt strangely afraid to let Subaru out of his sight while in such a strange world. Even if he was not polite enough to remain seated despite his discomfort and abandon his only source of answers, something made him think that Mr. Subaru would not let him leave without answering some questions of his own.

In addition, Subaru was acting strange in regard to the responses to these questions. Whenever Julius attempted to offer Mr. Subaru a legitimate response to a query, Subaru cut him off and gestured for him to be more vague. Surely his friend wanted to tell his parents of his whereabouts and grand feats over the last year and a half? Was he embarrassed, or did he think his parents would no believe him? Surely his parents would believe the stories if Julius backed Subaru up? Did his friend simply fear the response of his parents? It was clear that they had a close relationship...

So many questions. Burning, urgent, important questions. Heavy, emotional, dramatic questions that had no place over the pleasant meal.

Leaving Julius Juukulius, the Finest of Knights, to continue sitting awkwardly at the dining room table, eating his prepackaged ramen in silence and wishing he could receive answers without offering any of his own.

He sighed.

There had to be a way to return home, right?

...Please?

Subaru was savoring his meal. 

It was the first modern meal he'd had in over a year, and he'd missed the taste of home.

That was the reason why he was taking so long.

It definitely wasn't him attempting to stall the interrogation until later.

Of course, this was truthful to some extent. The fresh food he'd grown accustomed to was delicious, and he'd had several exquisite Lugunican dishes, but it'd been months since he'd had something incredible and about a week since he'd had anything besides food made from the materials in their dessert caravan. The ramen was delicious, and it eased his headache even as it made his nose run slightly from the spice.

His conversation with his parents felt like a dream. He really felt as if he'd fallen into Echidna's trap, and he was living out an impossible, beautiful fantasy as he chatted with his parents about the food, the weather, and the table itself. All safe, boring topics that avoided prodding from either party and reminded Subaru just how much he'd missed his home. Couldn't he stay in this moment forever?

Yet he'd finally reached the end of his bowl, and unless he wanted to start licking it clean he had no other way to put off the incoming questions. He owed his parents answers, but did he really have to explain that he'd been isekai'd? Did his parents even know what that meant??

The warm conversation paused as everyone had finished their food. Subaru brought his and Julius' bowls into the kitchen to set them in the sink before sitting back down across from his parents.

This was the moment he'd been dreading all evening.

He was still exhausted, mentally and physically, but the guilt swirling in his chest wouldn't let him sleep until he had offered at least some information to his parents. 

With that said, it was time for the Natsuki Family Interrogation to officially begin!

Kenichi started things off. "Subaru. Where exactly have you been for the last year?" A direct question aimed straight at Subaru! Should he lie, answer directly, or be as vague as possible?

Please don't lie to your mother and I about something this important.

An outright lie and direct answer were out of the question, so vague response it was!

"I was in a place called Luginica." A completely factual and utterly unhelpful response! Point one to Subaru!

Naoko took a turn. "Have you been eating alright? Sleeping enough? You seem to be in good shape, but are you in good health?" An easy question with an easy answer!

"Yeah! I've had enough steamed tatoes to last a life time, but I've been eating and sleeping fine! I even learned a thing or two about cooking myself. You're looking at a Natsuki Subaru in peak health!" Maybe not in top condition, but a good night's rest would easily change that. Wait, did he just say 'tatoes' instead of 'potatoes'?

Kenichi glanced to Julius when Subaru said this, as if to see if the knight disagreed, but found no protest on the man's face and accepted Subaru's answer. He aimed his next question at a different target. "Julius."

"Yes, Mr. Subaru?"

"..."

Dang it, had Julius really thought that 'Subaru' was his last name this entire time?!

"...My name is Natsuki Kenichi. 'Natsuki' is my family name, so you can call me and my wife Mr. and Mrs. Natsuki."

"...Oh. My apologies, Mr. Natsuki. I was unfamiliar with the common form in which names are given on this planet, and misspoke."

"..."

"..."

"...Anyways. What's up with your sword? And why is your hair dyed purple? Are you a cosplayer?" Kenichi turned to Subaru. "And what about your clothes? Is there a reason you two are dressed that way?" 

A question that would have been difficult for the foreign idiot to answer was redirected to Subaru, giving him the advantage! "I couldn't exactly wear nothing but my tracksuit for a year straight, right?" Even though that's exactly what he did. "This is the outfit I changed into at some point! As for Julius-" He glared at the purple knight, trying to remember just how strange the now-familiar outfit really was. It was so tempting to just lie and say he was a cosplayer, but - Please don't lie to your mother and me about something this important. "-Let's just say he's really leaning into the fantasy knight look."

Kenichi narrowed his eyes, unsatisfied, and turned back to Julius with a stern look. The knight paused for a moment before answering. Subaru had told him beforehand that he should pretend to be a cosplayer, and that his hair and outfit were unusual in their current setting. Yet, surely he would not wish to hide the truth from his parents? A glance at his companion revealed that Subaru was subtly shaking his head 'no'. Did that mean 'no, don't tell the truth' or 'no, don't lie to them'? When in doubt, Julius chose to stick to his morals.

"This is my natural hair color, and as a knight of Lugunica it is natural to remain armed and ready for battle at a moment's notice, even in a different world." Julius glanced at Subaru to see if this was the correct response, but Subaru had slammed his face into the table loudly instead of looking at Julius. Was that not a valid response?

"Another world?" Naoko asked. "Do you... You don't really believe that, do you?" She looked at Julius, then Subaru with a concerned face.

Julius continued talking before Subaru could cut him off. "Yes. Based on my own senses and Subaru's information, I believe this is a different world from the one I am familiar with."

Kenichi and Naoko stared, and Subaru opened and closed his mouth a few times before letting out an uncomfortable laugh. "Uh, ha hah, ya see, Japan is like, really, really different from the place we were in! It almost seems like, it's, um..."

Please don't lie to your mother and me about something this important.

Surely if your parents love you, seeing you home and well will be enough to make them happy? Of course, they still deserve an explanation...

‘Welcome home, Subaru.’

"Um..." Subaru sighed, letting his face fall into his hands. "I'm sorry, this is getting nowhere. I keep trying to avoid your questions, because I don't want to sound ridiculous, but the unbelievable truth is better then a lie, isn't it?" He lifted his face to make eye contact with his parents. 

"I...

"What I went through is unbelievable. So, I can't say I expect you to believe me, but...

"This is the truth. Any other answers I give you, if you don't believe what I'm about to say, would only be lies I made up to sound more credible, but it's still up to you to believe me. I wouldn't blame either of you if you reject my story, and I'm just glad to be home regardless of the past year. 

"Do you... want to hear what I have to say?"

He looked between his mom and his dad, waiting for their response.

Naoko spoke first. "Subaru. No matter what you have to say, I'll believe you. It doesn't matter what happened in the past, a long as you're safe and healthy now, so you can tell us whatever you want." She smiled at him, and Subaru smiled back before turning to his dad.

Kenichi sighed. "I can't promise I'll believe you, son. I've spent much to long pondering your disappearance to accept that your story will be the objective truth. But I promise, no matter what you have to say, I'm simply glad that you're back. Your mother is right; where you were doesn't matter as much as where you are now."

Naoko smiled again. "Exactly! What matters isn't the beginning or the middle, it's how it ends. And you ended up back home"

Subaru stared at her for a moment before tears welled up in his eyes. "Even I can't avoid crying when you put it that way... But I can't tell you the story if I'm crying!" He yelled at his leaky eyeballs for a moment as he fought to regain his composure.

After a moment, he turned back to his parents and let out a deep breath.

"Thank you.

"Thank you both, so much."

He wiped his eyes one more time, and offered them a smile.

"I guess...

"It all started when I left the convenience shop. I bought some chips and noodles, and when I stepped into the street, I blinked, and found myself somewhere completely different. I didn't know at the time, but it was the capital of Lugunica, a country in a different world."

Exposition time!

"And yeah, it really was a different world. I got Isekai'd, in real life. I guess I shouldn't have played all those video games, huh?" Subaru let out a dry chuckle, and his parents remained quiet to let him continue.

"I was a mess. I could speak the language, but I couldn't read the writing, so I got lost and couldn't handle myself. I... wandered into an alley, and three thugs tried to mug me because they thought my tracksuit made me look like a nobleman, heh. But that's when I was saved... By a beautiful, incredible, impossibly kind half-elf named Emilia-tan!

"She saved me, that first day, and I wanted to pay her back, so I decided to help her look for an insignia that a thief named Felt had stolen form her. But I learned that she was being targeted by an assassin (Naoko gasped), with an ambush at the loot house where the insignia was, so I went after her to help her avoid that. Thankfully, Reinhard, another knight and the strongest guy I've ever met, saved all of us and defeated the assassin.

"Then Emilia took me back to the mansion, where I made friends with Rem and Ram as well, and helped saved the village from a mabeast attack. Er, mabeasts are pretty much just monsters. I also learned that Emilia was a royal candidate, so I joined her camp to help her win the throne. At the time I was just her butler, though. That's how I learned to cook!

"Then, a few months later, I totally made a complete fool out of myself in front of a bunch of important people at the capital. I was too stubborn to see was an idiot I was being, and Julius here... knocked some sense into me, as much as I hate to admit it. After that, we worked together to defeat a giant mabeast that was 400 years old, and I met Wilhelm, who's a really awesome swordsman and the knight to a different royal candidate.

"Then Julius and I worked together to save Arlam village and Emilia from a witch cult attack. The Witch Cult is, kinda like a group of terrorists, but Julius is so op that we took care of them no problem. That's when I met Otto, too. He's a merchant, and the current internal affairs officer for Emilia's camp.

"But later, when we met back up with everyone else, it turns out a different sin archbishop attacked them, and Rem was in a coma. The archbishop of gluttony ate her memories, so now no one remembers her except me. I can probably remember her since I'm from earth." Although that theory was proven false by Al and Julius later on, his parents didn't need to know that.

"After that, me and Emilia helped free a group of people from a village, and I met Garfield. I also helped Beako, a spirit, and now she's my contracted partner. We defeated another big mabeast, the great rabbit, and then everything was peaceful for a year. I learned how to use a whip, and got really in shape!

"Which was good, because after we went to Pristella, there was a giant witch cult ambush. We defeated them, with the help of all the camps, but Julius here got his name eaten, so now I'm the only one who remembers him.

"So then, we headed to the Pleiades watch tower, looking for answers on how to cancel the affects of gluttony. It was really hard to get there, but we eventually cleared all the floors and defeated another archbishop. That's where we were before a big black cloud brought us back here."

End of exposition!

"And now... I'm back."

"..."

"With Julius, for some reason."

"..."

Subaru let the silence ring. His explanation was vague and rushed and useless, but he didn't know how much he'd wanted to tell his parents about his adventures until now. The story of his year and a half in another world, which he thought was meant to bring peace of mind to his parents, felt like a weight off his back and a self-serving ramble that he couldn't bring himself to regret. His parents likely had more questions now, but Subaru felt much more prepared to answer them.

After a few moments of silence, Julius spoke up first. "I know his story sounds difficult to believe, but I can attest to its truth. I fought alongside him during several of these calamities, and Subaru is an intelligent and competent knight who I'd be glad to have by my side in any battle."

No, you idiot, stop playing up the violence! I mean, most of what I told them about was just the big battles, but I don't need you to make it sound like they were all life-or-death! Is that hypocritical? Who cares!

...Not that it mattered either way. Even if his parents could believe that Subaru became a knight in another world, the idea that he got Isekai's in the first place was just to unbelievable. 

"..."

After another brief pause, the next to break the silence was Naoko.

"...I believe you, Subaru."

"Yeah, that's fair. I wouldn't believe it either, if someone else said--if they--said.... What did you say?"

"Subaru, I believe you." 

Subaru stared at his Mom, waiting for the punchline that never came.

"W-what? But I, my story-"

"You said you would tell us the truth, so I believe you. Even besides that, the look in your eye when you were telling us your story... I think you were being genuine, Subaru. So I believe you." Naoko offered a bright, open smile, with no strings attached and no visible skepticism.

Subaru tried, once more, not to tear up.

"Th-thanks, Mom."

Julius, that prick, smiled and nodded at Subaru only to face a kick to the shins under the table.

The next to speak up was Kenichi. 

"I... I can't honestly say I believe you. I think you believe yourself, but I can't accept your story as the truth. So, as long as you're happy, I'll leave the interrogation here for tonight. You look exhausted, and I imagine that no matter what you've been through, you would appreciate a warm shower and a clean bed." 

So it was an interrogation?! Also, did his dad really just read his mind? Subaru felt like he was gonna float away and faint in the next hour if he didn't hit the hay.

Subaru smiled at both of his parents. "Thank you guys, for listening. I couldn't ask for anything more than that, and I did' realize how much i wanted to share my story with you until now. I can answer more of your questions tomorrow, but I really, really wanna shower and sleep for now." He hadn't taken a modern shower in so long, he hoped he remembered how to work the shower controls...

He stood up from the table, gave his parents one last hug, and began to walk upstairs to the bathroom when he noticed something behind  him.

Upon turning around, he noticed he was being followed by a clueless foreigner.

"Oh, right."

Julius.

...Subaru was still taking the first shower.

Chapter Text

Subaru did not, in fact, forget how to work the shower. He washed the small scrapes he was left with after the battle, most of which had already healed in the green room, and examined his strange, blackened limbs under the familiar-but-unfamiliar artificial lighting before sliding into the most comfortable pajamas he owned.

With a satisfied sigh, he left the bathroom and headed to his bedroom, which had looked almost exactly the way he'd left it. He'd been so overwhelmed by nostalgia when grabbing his pajamas, he took a few minutes to sit on his bed and remind himself that everything he'd gone through was real.

On his way back to his room, however, he was reminded of a small problem.

"...Julius."

"Subaru."

Had the knight been awkwardly standing outside the bathroom door, waiting for Subaru to tell him what to do?

Surely not, right?

Subaru sighed. "Here, why don't you take a shower, too? You can borrow some of my pajamas, and I'll turn on the water for you, so just use the bar of soap like you would use normal soap and clean off in the shower. I'll drag over a spare futon so you can sleep in my room." He didn't really want to have a sleepover with the knight, but he didn't want to leave the idiot alone in the living room where he would check on Subaru in the middle of the knight like a creep or decide that alarm clocks were dangerous and attack them with his sword...

Julius, who finally had directions, nodded and followed Subaru as he turned the water back on for the idiotic knight. "Even if it's a little hot or cold, just bear with the temperature or else you might mess it up and be even more miserable... I'm too tired to explain anything else so figure it out yourself. I'll grab some pajamas for you." Even if the idiot was a little taller than Subaru, the'd probably wear clothes that were about the same size. And if they didn't fit, Julius would have to deal with it.

Grabbing another set of pajamas and leaving Julius to shower, Subaru dragged over a futon next to his bed before evaluating his room. "Jeeze, I really was a giant shut-in, wasn't I? My room's such a mess..." The walls were covered in anime posters, he had way to many figurines, and stacks of manga lay on the shelves and even the floor. 

With what little energy he had left, he hid the more embarrassing items he had lying around and did his best to tidy everything up. "Even if it's not exactly messy, I didn't put my room together in a way that I'd be happy showing to company. Mostly since I never expected to have friends over, let alone have a sleep over... Not that I'd want to have one with Julius of all people."

He sighed. The first friend he had over at his house in years, and it was Julius. What a shame.

He sat on his futon with another contented sigh, then evaluated the sleeping set up and scooted his a few more feet away from Julius'. He really wanted to fall asleep, but he wanted to make sure Julius didn't accidentally draw his sword and stab the shower head or something before he passed out until morning. In order to stay awake, his eyes examined the room and settled on the computer sitting at his desk. 

Unable to resist, he stood up and turned it on, watching the digital screen slowly boot up. Surely he was allowed some screen time after more than a year of abstinence? Yet at the same time he felt anticipation and excitement at the idea of logging into his old games, he almost felt sick at the reminder of his days as a useless shut-in, especially compared to his non-stop schedule from Lugunica.

He swallowed his trepidation, resolving turn off the computer once Julius returned in order to avoid staying up all night gaming, and watched as the computer reached the log-in screen. He held the mouse cautiously, clicking the bar he was supposed to type his password in, before he paused.

"..."

...What was his password again?

He didn't forget something so ingrained in him, did he? He had to know his password, right? Didn't it... have to do with the manga he liked at the time? With the overpowered protagonist? It was pretty short, right? Or was it longer?

After staring at a bright screen in the dark his eyes began to burn, and he turned the computer back off with a lightly trembling hand. He- he would find his password later. His parents probably remembered, right? And he'd try out his old games a different time.

He walked back across the room to the bookshelf filled with manga instead. Manga didn't need passwords to read, and Julius would come back soon, anyways. He picked up a random series he'd once thought was good enough to buy a copy of, and he sat back down on his futon. 

Too afraid to learn if he remembered the details of the plot, he started reading form the first page instead of flipping to a random part. It was nice to re-read a story without feeling like he already memorized each panel. He took a moment to admire the ink drawings and familiar art style before starting to read the first speech bubble.

...it was written in Japanese.

He hadn't forgotten how to read, obviously. It would take a really, really long time for him to forget how to read his native script, after years of Japanese education and all the little notes he'd jotted down to practice while in Lugunica.

His eyes did not tear up as he read the familiar script, and he didn't take longer than usual to figure out and admire each symbol written in the language he never thought he'd see again. He simply admired the art and read the story as any normal person would.

But hey, wasn't the story less interesting than he remembered?

Reading about an overpowered Isekai protagonist who easily got everything he ever wanted left an uncomfortable feeling rolling in Subaru's gut. After all, hadn't he lived that reality, and seen a new world with his own eyes? It was beautiful, and he'd made dozens of friends there, but it really wasn't what he'd imagined it to be like, after all. The cheat power he'd received, and what a cheat power it was, didn't really make him overpowered or perfect, but instead caused him mental and physical pain on a semi-regular basis.

Fiction didn't hold a candle to reality.

After the protagonist met the first love interest, an elfin girl, Subaru sighed and put the manga back on his shelf. He resolved to wait until Julius reappeared, enjoying the soft material of his pajamas and futon.

It was only a few moments later that Julius knocked on the door, prompting Subaru to stand up and open it to meet the purple-haired knight. Oi, didn't that prick look too good for wearing Subaru's old pajamas?

"Subaru. As you can see I finished washing off, but I am unsure how to turn off the water in the restroom." 

"I got it, you stay here." Subaru brushed past the knight to turn off the water, grateful he'd finally be able to fall asleep soon.

Upon returning to the bedroom, he saw Julius standing in almost the exact same place as before, staring at Subaru's room.

For some reason, Subaru blushed. "O-oi, what're you looking at?"

Julius smiled softly to himself. "My apologies, Subaru. I simply found myself understanding how you joined Emilia's camp."

Subaru blushed harder. There were only so many things in his room he'd been able to hide, and he'd been taken with silver-haired elf girls long enough to have built a large collection of items...

There was nothing to do but punch Julius in the arm. "You shut up! I'll have you know that I joined Emilia because she's the kindest person I know, and for absolutely no other reasons! Ahem. Anyways, your futon is on the right, so go to sleep and don't attack anything."

Julius nodded, but waited for Subaru to sit down before coping him. What, could he not figure out how to use a futon? Hadn't they all stayed in that hotel in Pristella?

Julius hesitated a moment before speaking up again.

"Should we take turns staying up to keep watch?" He asked earnestly.

Subaru stared at him. Should he be offended?

He let out a long sigh. "No, we don't need to keep watch here. Japan is really safe; no mabeasts or witch cultists around. Besides, this is my parent's home, so we can trust them." 

Julius nodded. "I see. while I have several questions I'd like to ask, I believe both of us are exhausted form the last few days. If we're both safe, I shall wait to ask more until I see you in the morning, Subaru."

"I guess I won't be able to avoid everyone's questions forever, huh? Fine, I'll give you more info tomorrow, but let me sleep."

"Of course. Good night, Subaru."

"Yeah, yeah, same to you, ya prick."

Snuggling under the covers of his familiar futon, wearing old pajamas and smelling artificial freshness of Japanese soap, Subaru finally fell asleep.

After Subaru and Julius headed upstairs, Naoko and Kenichi remained in the dinning room.

They moved from the dining table to the couch, holding hands, and listened to the sounds of life above them. Doors opening, water rushing through pipes, murmured conversation between Subaru and his friend, all of the sounds that reassured them this was real.

Subaru returned home.

After settling side by side on the couch, lights dim and house peaceful, they began to hold a much-needed discussion between them.

"Naoko."

"Yes, Honey?"

"...I won't ask if you truly believe Subaru. I can tell you weren't lying when you accepted his words."

Naoko smiled sofly at her husband, "Yes. I believe Subaru. If he says he was transported to another world, I believe him. Besides, it's not like anything else makes more sense. Did you see Julius? His clothing, the sword, and their friendship... I don't think any of it is a lie."

"..."

"Besides, more than any of that, the look in Subaru's eyes when he was talking about that world... The way he looked at Julius, and the way he looked even when he wasn't looking at anything... Something about him changed. He's not just older, but if I had to put it simply, it feels like he's lived for longer than the last time we saw him." Naoko met Kenichi's eyes the entire time they were talking, and despite the way her words made little objective sense, Kenichi understood what she was saying perfectly.

It was clear that Subaru had changed. Not for better or worse, but he had lived a life in the year and a half he'd been gone.

Kenichi sighed softly, holding his wife closer. "I can't believe him. I love Subaru, but I cannot simply accept that another world exists and he was stolen away from us with no explanation other than a fairy tale land.

"Even then... I can't deny some parts of his speech. It's clear that he's made friends that are very important to him." He squeezed his wife's hand tighter. "I hate to admit it, but I think he's fought for his life more than a few times as well. He also seems really close to Julius, even if he doesn't want to admit it. 

"I can't believe that another world exists, with magic and 'mah beasts' and elves...

"But I believe that Subaru believes it.

"And that really, really scares me."

Naoko hugged Kenichi back. "You think he made it up? Like a trauma response?"

Kenichi squeezed his eyes shut. "Maybe. Maybe it was some kind of VR world, or an experiment, or he was brainwashed... The best case scenario I can think of is that he hit his head too hard and it cast a filter over his memories. Either way, I can't think of anything good that would lead to this scenario." He sighed. He finally got his son back, but was he really safe? 

"I think we should take him to a doctor, and report his return to the police. 

"And I think that Julius is suspicious. It's clear that Subaru trusts him, but that doesn't mean Julius isn't putting up an act. If Subaru's memories have been tampered with in any way, Julius might not be who Subaru thinks he is."

After explaining his opinion, Kenichi turned to Naoko and waited, evaluating her expression. He wasn't saying that he would take action no matter what, but simply being honest with his wife so they could come to a decision together.

Naoko stared back, mulling over his words and thinking about her own perspective before responding. "I don't think they're lying. I think we can trust Julius, and that reporting them to the police will just force both of them to answer questions that lead the authorities to the same conclusions you've drawn.

"But, I'm not stupid enough to think that what you're saying might not be true. I realize that even with all the research we've done in the past year, I am not an expert and anything could have happened to our baby boy this whole time.

"His eyes... In the same way I think he's telling the truth, his eyes also make it seem like he's been through something unspeakably horrible. I can't really describe it, since it's something I haven't seen before, but if there's even the slightest chance you're correct, we can't ignore the authorities and blindly trust Julius just because of what Subaru told us."

Naoko finished her side of the explanation, turning back to Kenichi. They disagreed, but their relationship was strong enough that they could come to a logical compromise about an important issue without raising their voices or trying fruitlessly to change the other's mind.

They both considered the issue, and Kenichi spoke up first. "So, how about we agree to contact the police, but only after a few days? We can spend time with Subaru, make him comfortable and enjoy our time as a family. Then, if he manages to convince me this world is real, we can forget about the police for now and accept him back without fuss. But if not, we'll take it to the detective after three days from now and let him know so that Subaru can see a doctor and make an official report."

Naoko smiled at Kenichi. "That sounds good to me. As long as I get a few days with Subaru, I can't even imagine what else I would want. And if you'll act coldly to Julius since he's suspicious, I'll be acting nicely to Subaru's friend anyways, and it'll balance it out."

"Dear, I can't agree with the way you phrased that, but you're right. I can't really act kind to that man when I feel like he's involved, but I don't want to ice out the only friend Subaru's brought home in the last few years."

Naoko laughed quietly, and the Natsuki couple reached an agreement while sitting side by side in the middle of the night.

"This isn't a dream, right?" Naoko's voice began to warble, and Kenichi hugged her tightly. His own eyes began to sting, and he blinked away tears. He had cried enough for one day.

"No, Naoko, it's not a dream.

"I don't know what Subaru's been through. No matter what the truth is, I can't bring myself to pretend he hasn't gone through something terrible.

"But he's back now.

"He's home.

"And we never have to let him go again."

Chapter Text

The next morning, Subaru awoke to the sound of clattering dishes.

For a moment, he felt like he was dreaming. Had his exhausted mind simply made the whole thing up?

No, he was on his old futon, in his old pajamas, in his old room. It was all real.

He sat up and stretched, feeling well-rested for the first time in... longer than he could remember. What time was it, anyway?

He glanced at his clock, slightly startled but grateful to see it was a real clock with numbers on it, before feeling startled again. 

"10:53?!"

He hadn't slept in that long since... 

Since the last time he'd slept in this room.

He was grateful for the rest, but with each second that passed the more he was reminded of his despicable, lazy lifestyle before his Isekai journey. After checking the futon beside him, which was predictably empty, he quickly jumped out of bed and headed to the bathroom. 

He then went downstairs, finding his mom, his dad, and Julius on the couch watching the television. There was a covered plate on the table that Subaru assumed had been left for him and no dishes in the sink, so his family had probably eaten already.

Julius, who seemed much too stiff to be sitting on a couch in pajamas, noticed him first. "Oh, hello Subaru. Do you feel well rested?"

"I don't want to hear your voice first thing in the morning. But I feel way better than last night! Natsuki Subaru is ready to seize the day!" He pumped a fist in the air and posed before sitting down at the table. "Is this plate for me?"

"Yes, Subaru. We went ahead and ate breakfast without you, but I made sure to save you a plate!" Naoko responded cheerfully, as if cooking a plate of food for Subaru had made her entire week. Well, eating his mom's cooking would make Subaru's week, so he couldn't really blame her.

He took his plate to the couch and glanced at the television. It was playing the news, currently addressing the weather over the next week, but nobody seemed to be paying attention. Julius was staring at the television itself more than the content, trying to visually dissect the strange metia and figure out how it worked more than he cared about what was happening on it. Kenichi was watching Julius suspiciously, as if trying to figure out if the foreigner's confusion was genuine or just an act. Naoko had been watching Julius with amusement and explaining the function of various electronic appliances around the house, but now watched Subaru as he enjoyed a late breakfast beside them all.

"Say, Subaru, would you and Julius want to head to the mall and pick out clothes? I can't help but notice that you've grown since the last time we've seen you..." Naoko trailed off sadly, but seemed determined to maintain a positive mood.

Subaru was happy to do the same. "That would be great! This idiot needs something less conspicuous than his knight uniform, and maybe a wig or hat to cover that hair of his. Contact lenses would probably be going to far... I probably need some gloves, too, to hide his gross thing," Subaru commented, staring at his mutated hand. The skin upwards from his fingers was an unatural purpleish-black color, and veins protruded strangely from the back of his hand. His right leg looked the same, but that was nothing a pair of pants couldn't fix.

He heard a sharp gasp from beside him, and saw his mother staring in horror at his hand. 

Oh right, they didn't know about that yet.

...Whoops.

"Subaru, are you okay?! That looks like it hurts! Is-is the skin dead?" Naoko stood up and rushed to Subaru, holding her hands in front of him but unwilling to touch his arm without permission.

Subaru waved his hands in front of his face. "Oh, no, it's okay! It doesn't hurt at all, and it's no big deal. It hasn't caused any problems, it just looks weird... It's something I got from he attack on Pristella a few months ago." He moved his arm and fingers around to show he had his full range of motion and no pain, but his parents still looked skeptical.

"What happened? Should we take you to a doctor?" Kenichi asked next, staring a the weird patch of skin. Subaru didn't know if it was better or not that they didn't know about the rest of his arm and his leg looked like this as well...

"No, it's fine, I don't need to go to a doctor. I've already had an expert look at it, and he said it's fine." Sure, Ferris wasn't exactly in his right mind at the moment, but Subaru's parents didn't need to know that.

His parents didn't seem convinced, but they both dropped the issue. 

Subaru turned back to his dad in confusion. "By the way, old man, don't you have to go to work? Don't tell me you quit while I was gone?" His mom usually stayed at home, but his Dad had a regular office job that he was quite popular at. Why was he still home...

And why was everyone staring at him like he suggested frying a cat for breakfast?!

"Subaru."

"Yeah, Dad?"

"Do you really think I'd leave you alone and go to work today?"

Oh.

"Um... no??"

Kenichi sighed. "Even if I was going to abandon my family when it's finally whole again, today is Saturday."

"...Oh." Cut him some slack, it's hard to keep track of the days when you've been stuck in a time loop in a tower in a different world!

Naoko offered a small smile. "It's alright, Subaru. You probably haven't been able to look at a calendar in a while, have you?"

"Nope, not at all! But anyways, would it really be okay to go to the mall? I really want a reminder of what normal Japan looks like, besides just my room, and Julius looks ridiculous in those pajamas." No he didn't. The idiot looked like he was modeling a brand of pajamas that prided itself on its small size, but he wasn't about to say that to Julius himself.

Julius did not respond, glancing at Subaru to show that he was listening but also glaring the the TV warily as it played a commercial for chocolate.

...

...

...Chocolate?

Subaru turned and stared at the TV himself.

How long had it been since he'd had chocolate??

"Mom."

"Yes, Subaru?"

"Do we have any chocolate in the house?"

"...um...?"

"Anything chocolate. A chocolate bar, chocolate ice cream, Pocky sticks..."

"I don't think we do, Subaru. Not right now, at least."

"..."

"We must go to the mall immediately. I refuse to live another moment on this Earth without finding chocolate!!" Subaru stood up and posed dramatically, only for his pajamas to pull up with his sleeve and reveal a good inch or two of his scarred stomach. He quickly lowered his arm again and coughed quietly.

"But before we go shopping, let me change out of these pajamas..."

His second declaration was followed by the distinct sound of a horror movie commercial's overly dramatic music, and the sound of a sword being drawn. Subaru didn't even bother turning around as he heard Julius clamber to his feet followed by twin gasps from his justifiably frightened parents.

Subaru sighed loudly.

"You too, Julius, follow me."

As they walked up the stair, Julius still holding his sword in his hand, Subaru's parents could hear the sound of someone being smacked upside the head.

"What did I say about drawing your sword?!"

"Subaru." 

"What's up, Julius?"

"While I'm sure you have a better grasp of the common clothing style of your homeland, this outfit seems poorly tailored for free movement in case of an emergency."

"..."

"..."

Subaru sighed. "This is the third time I've said it, now, but Japan. Is. Safe. You do not need to bring your sword, and you don't have to be prepared for a battle. In fact, bringing your sword and attacking any little thing that scares you would make us more likely to be in danger of meeting with the police."

"..."

"..."

"If there is even a chance of meeting 'the pollees', wouldn't it be best to bring a weapon and maintain a low profile in case conflict does occur?"

"..."

"..."

"...No. No it would not be best. You are leaving this sword here, and you are NOT getting into fights with the police. The police are the good guys! They're kinda like the knights or guards in Luguica, so while we don't want them to be suspicious of us, we also don't want to attack them. We simply want to avoid them and wish them well. Understood?"

Subaru rubbed the bridge of his nose with two fingers, hoping no other conflicts arose over their trip to the mall.

Julius was currently wearing a pair of blue jeans that were a few inches too short (but thankfully not too tight), which he thought were too stiff for agile movement. He also had on a button-down shirt, part of Subaru's mostly unused school uniform, and a dumb-looking bucket hat to hide his obnoxiously purple hair.

Subaru himself had on an orange T-shirt and a pair of black jeans, both of which were relatively old and thus the jeans were too short and the shirt was tight in the shoulders. But after giving his longest jeans to Julius and rejecting the idea of wearing any other sweatsuits while he had the chance to wear other Japanese clothing, these were the best options he had left.

After making sure Julius left his sword in the bedroom, both knights headed back downstairs where his dad was ready by the door and his mom was collecting her purse.

"Are you two ready?"

"Yep!"

"Yes."

"Alright, let's get going!" Together, the Natsuki family and also Julius walked out the front door.

"To the mall!"

Julius did not know what a mall was.

Thankfully, when he had awoken before Subaru that morning, Mrs. Natsuki had been able to answer several of his questions about various appliances around the house ("There's no mana, the lights are powered by electricity." "TVs are lots of tiny lightbulbs that glow in different colors to make a picture, then they change color and show a different picture, all so fast that it looks like it's moving. No, the people on the screen aren't trapped in there..."), but many of the answers only showed Julius how much more he had left to learn. He couldn't even read the language properly!

He stiffly followed the Natsuki family across the town as they headed to the public transport system. Subaru was trying his best to explain it, but in the same way that describing someone's facial features did not easily bring forth the image of a face, listing the functions and features of such a system did not help Julius picture their destination properly.

"So, it's like, you saw that car yesterday, right? The one you waved your sword at when we'd just arrived?"

"Yes. It appeared to be made of metal and glass, and moved on its own?"

"Yeah, that thing. The metal carriage. Well, imagine that, but as big as a caravan of ground dragon carriages, mean for hundreds of people."

Julius stared. "At once?"

"Yeah."

"...I feel as though I can anticipate your answer, but is this a tool for war?"

"What?! NO!! Why would you even think that?" 

"Why would hundreds of people need to be transported in the same direction all at once if it were not to mobilize an army? Even the largest groups of merchants or immigrants would travel in groups much smaller than that." 

"Well, the population is a lot, and I mean a lot, bigger on earth than it is in Lugunica and the other three nations combined. So since there are so many people, the places where people live, where they work, and farms themselves are all in different places, and everything gets shipped from one place to another with trains. People usually live a few miles away from where they work, so there are public transport systems that bring people from residential areas, like my neighborhood, to business centers with office buildings and restaurants and, like retail stores."

Did that make sense? Could a population be so large that not only did people live separately from their businesses, but so far away and in such numbers that devices were created to transport the public, by the hundreds, to their homes and jobs each day? Even in the capital of Lugunica, many people lived where they worked or traveled long distances in private carriages for business. If someone needed to work separately from their home, they needed only to walk a distance before they arrived. He couldn't imagine hundreds of people traveling miles every day. The cost of transportation would almost exceed the profit of a day's worth of work!

And yet, hadn't he seen the massive residential structures with his own eyes? Each "Appart ment compleks" looked as though it could house hundreds of residents, so maybe such an idea wasn't too far fetched...

"Anyways, we're heading from a residential area to a bus stop, so that we can take a bus to the mall, which is a place where a lot of people work and have fun, so that we can visit a store that sells clothes and buy some chocolate!" Subaru punched a fist into the air, clearly enamored with the idea of purchasing chocolate. Was it similar to the hot chocolate found in southern Kararagi?

A few more minutes of walking along strangely smooth white paths (Concrete, he remembered) alongside dark black roads (ash fault, was it?) let them to a bench under a small overhang. There sat one other person, a middle-aged woman in casual attire, holding one of the metias that seemed to be quite common in this world.

Julius glanced back to Subaru to see if the Natsuki family would sit or start a conversation with the woman, but they remained quiet and stood beside the bench, so Julius did the same.

Subaru glanced back at Julius. "Oi, just so you know, there are some ground rules for the mall. First of all, no threatening anyone. The odds that someone is doing something wrong are low, and even if someone does steal something or threaten us, it's not your job to step in since you'll probably just make it worse. You don't need to act like a knight, here. Think of it as a vacation! 

"Second of all, stop talking in that stupid 'fantasy knight' way!"

"Pardon?"

"That! Exactly! Stop doing that!"

"..."

"You sound like a poet pretending to be an anime character. It's weird, at least in Japan, and it makes you stick out. Try to talk more casually. Or better yet, don't talk at all."

"..."

"Perfect, you're doing great! Alright, now the third thing is to act casual. If you ogle at every little thing that's normal here, you're just going to draw attention to yourself. Try to act nonchalant, and if you don't know what's actually strange or not, just look at me and see if I'm amazed or not. Do you think you can handle all that?"

"...I will try my best to speak and act naturally." Julius measured each word before he spoke, trying to figure out if they were too formal while still avoiding acting impolitely. Even in another world, it was important to uphold knightly values. Just because no one would know he was a knight did not mean his values as a knight were void. Did he not prove that to himself a day ago, in a battle with Reinhard's ancestor?

"I also promise not to intervene in any illicit circumstances irrelevant to our party." Julius winced mentally after finishing his sentence; he felt bitter at having to make such a promise, and even he could tell his words sounded too formal.

He heard a soft scoff from Mr. Natsuki, who was not-so-subtly listening in on their conversation along with Mrs. Natsuki, but decided to simply ignore it. He promised he'd try to speak normally, but it would be difficult to break such a familiar habit in less than an hour.

"However, Subaru, I would be grateful if you could answer some of my questions when we return to your home."

Subaru stared at Julius, judging the words in the sentence he'd spoken, before sighing and deciding to let it slide. He clapping the knight on the back dramatically. "Sure thing, Julius. I've said "I'll answer your questions later' one too many times now, haven't I? We'll have a proper conversation when we get home, so please, try and act normally? I'm sure you'll do fine."

The giant metal bus arrived, coming to a stop right in front of them, hissing as the doors opened and letting people out at the stop.

Subaru saw Julius' hand twitch toward where his sword would usually rest, before stiffly dropping it back to his side and staring at the perfectly average bus.

This was going to be fine, right?

Right?

Chapter Text

Julius was caught between his instincts and his intellect. 

Logically, he understood that Subaru was sure of their safety. He would not put any of them in danger, and he was much more familiar with this world that Julius was. Subaru's parents were similarly comfortable with their current situation, thus implying that they also believed it to be safe.

While Julius knew that large crowds could be used to conceal violent intent, there was no reason why the people around him would want to harm him or anyone else present. 

The present situation was no different than riding in a large ground dragon carriage with several unfamiliar passengers.

Logically, at least.

However, Julius felt himself tense at every sneeze, flinch every time the bus slowed down or sped up, and whip his head around to evaluate anyone making a sudden move. He gripped the pole he was standing next to with white knuckles, like the first time he'd held the reigns to a ground dragon, and resisted the urge to ask Subaru one more time if this was really safe.

The bus, as it often was on a Saturday afternoon, had more passengers than seats, leaving Julius and the Natsuki family to stand and hold on to the poles for balance. Subaru had assured him the ride would be short, but even after spending 5 minutes in a rolling metal box filled with strangers while unarmed and in a different world, Julius felt ready to return to the Natsuki home.

In order to distract himself, he started thinking out how he could use his position to give his Lady an advantage in the royal selection. Knowledge that previously been available to no one besides Subaru was now available to Julius. He couldn't read the writing, but the books in his bedroom indicated that Subaru could, so if he found instruction manuals for useful items, he would be able to help Lady Anastasia navigate a new business venture alongside the Emilia camp.

That would leave him to determine what aspect of the new world to focus on. It would be better to avoid complicated devices, such as the manufactured metias that were widely available, but perhaps one of the electronic light fixtures would be useful? They were certainly much brighter than candles, but Julius didn't know how expensive they were to make or if they would work better than flames or other sources of light.

Carsu were certainly interesting, but they also seemed quite complicated. If he could figure out how exactly they moved without being pulled or pushed by labor or magic, perhaps they would be a welcome addition in Lugunica?

Or perhaps the clothing. While the 'jeens' he was wearing would not be ideal for combat, the fabric itself was durable without being too hot or heavy. The button-down shirt he was wearing was a familiar style, but the fabric was softer than he was used to, and the buttons were made of another strange material that was white and smooth like ivory but lighter and shinier.

He would add all these questions to the list of things to ask Subaru about upon their return, but he interrupted his internal monologue when he noticed the Natsuki family shifting and shuffling toward the bus' doors as the vehicle decelerated again. He followed them silently as the bus rumbled to a stop and the doors opened, dropping off the Natsuki family and Julius at another bench with a small overhang.

After they walked past the 'bus stop', Julius lifted his eyes to see a collection of massive buildings made of concrete, glass, bricks, and other strange materials. The collection of buildings was comparable to the Royal Capital in its size, yet the buildings were more utilitarian and had colorful signs displayed above large glass doors. Perhaps this was the main urban center of Japan?

"Oi, don't fall behind, ya idiot." Subaru turned back to make sure Julius was keeping pace. "Our first stop has to be a candy store! I miss artificial sweeteners so badly..."

"Subaru, it's not healthy to eat sweets this early in the day. Are you sure you don't want to go shopping for clothes, first?" Naoko questioned Subaru's foolish decision.

"No way! I've waited years for some legitimate junk food, and I don't want to wait for another hour! Let's go!" Subaru slid past his parents to reach the front of their small group, leaving Julius alone in the back.

After watching Mr. and Mrs. Natsuki share a sad look at Subaru's last comment, Julius looked around as they passed various buildings on the way to a shop that sold chocolate. Almost every store had glass doors and large windows that offered a clear view of the products being sold. He was mildly surprised and confused to notice that every other shop sold clothing; while it seemed logical to sell a common necessity, why were there so many smaller shops that sold the same items? 

Besides the easily spotted clothing shops and smaller restaurants with brightly painted signs selling food and beverages, several stores sold confusing products. behind the windows of one store were dozens of tables lined up to display small rectangular devices that resembled thin metal boxes or small televisions, as well as the type of metia he'd realized was quite common here. While this explained why it seemed easy to own and acquire one, it made Julius question the store itself. Why were all of its wares laid out in the open? Would it not be easy to steal one? There were no noticeable guards or polees to catch thieves, yet no one seemed concerned about their wares.

Additionally, there were stores that seemed to sell... strange items. One such store sold hats with rims that were only large enough to shade one's eyes, often with a large logo on the front. Surely such a hat would cause one's neck to be burned from the sun? There was another store that sold devices that resembled two blackened monocles, attached to each other with metal wire or a different mysterious substance, and connected to two folding arms that allowed the frame to be perched on one's face from their ears. Wouldn't it be difficult to see if one's eyes were covered by the dark lenses?

The strangest stores sold items that Julius could not even begin to comprehend. One such suspicious place contained several fuzzy toys with strange appearances, from fruit he was able to recognize to animals he couldn't place to strange beings resembling witches or monsters or other strange machinations. They seemed to be plush toys, but the store was filled with young adults instead of children.

There was also a store that, after a quick glance that caused Julius to turn his head in the complete opposite direction, seemed to sell nothing but female undergarments... He refused to look again and risk confirming his suspicions.

"We're here! Yes!!" Julius turned his attention back to Subaru, standing in front of a sweet-smelling store that seemed to sell a creamy brown dessert. Subaru promptly yanked open the glass door by its confusingly large handle before ignoring the shelves full of goods in favor of talking directly to the man standing behind a glass counter.

Subaru's parents and Julius followed behind him, and Julius was surprised to find the store was several degrees colder than he had been expecting.

"-cone of chocolate ice cream!!" He caught the end of Subaru's excited shout, looking about the store in confusion. There were a few products and sparse decorations on the wall, but none of them seemed edible and Julius had been led to believe 'Chockolet' was a dessert in this world. He turned to the counter, surprised to find it glass, and realized there were tubs of colorful substances behind the viewing window. He stared at them in curiosity, unaware of Subaru ordering a second portion for him, and watched as the man in the strange uniform used a metal scoop to dig up an orb of the colorful substance in order to place it into a cone made of a thin cracker-like pastry.

"Oi, Julius, you take the first one. I've waited years, but I wanna see how you react to a proper cone of chocolate ice cream for the first time." Subaru smirked at Julius before taking the cone and orb from the man and handing it to Julius.

Julius hesitated before accepting. "I'm grateful for your thoughtfulness, Subaru."

Subaru scowled. "What did I say about the way you talk?! You sound ridiculous!"

Julius winced. It was more difficult to break his speech habits than he'd expected. "My apologies, Subaru."

Subaru groaned and smacked his head, but Julius ignored him to focus on the chockolet ice cream in his hand. The cone felt cold, even through the part covered by a paper wrapper, and frost began to cover the orb of the brown substance. He evaluated it for a moment, watching as small ice crystals formed, froze, and melted from his breath, before turning back to Subaru.

"This is a dessert, yes?"

"No duh, idiot. What else would it be?"

"And you are certain it is safe to eat?"

"Yes. Please just eat it."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Ugh... What's the problem, Julius?"

"...How am I supposed to taste it without the proper silverware? It seems difficult to eat with one's hands."

"..."

"..."

"I cannot believe you sometimes, you know that, Julius? You're supposed to lick it.  You can eat the cone, too, but just start with the ice cream. My parents are already done ordering." Subaru accepted a second cone of chocolate ice cream from the man before turning back to Julius to watch the knight's reaction.

The knight stared at his cone for a moment longer. It felt undignified and demeaning to lick his food, yet he watched Subaru's parents lick their own ice cream cones as if this were normal. 

Recalling his promise to Subaru to try and make it less obvious that he was from a different world, Julius slowly held out his tongue as subtly as he could manage before giving the dessert a small lick.

His eyes immediately went wide.

The first thing he noticed was that it was cold, to the point where he initially found it difficult to notice anything else about the taste. 

The second thing he noticed was that the taste was incredible.

It was rich and sweet and slightly earthy but almost bitter, and the texture was delightfully smooth. The cold temperature was refreshing; without mana stones, how did they keep the ice cream at such a cold temperature in the current weather?

His next lick was much less hesitant than the first, and the third was almost eager. If he was not dedicated to maintaining his knightly appearance at all times, he might have giggled in surprise and happiness at the delicious treat.

Subaru grinned mischievously as he watched the knight before starting to eat an ice cream cone of his own. "It seems even the 'Finest of Knights' is a little kid in front of chocolate ice cream! But I still wish it was Emilia instead. Maybe we could try to recreate this in Lugunica?" Subaru started muttering to himself as his parent picked up their respective orders and joined the two knights at the front of the store.

Upon exiting the shop their pace was much slower due to their delicious confectionery distractions, but Julius didn't mind. He found the orb of chockolet ice cream was melting faster in the sun, and thus dedicated more attention to ensuring none dropped onto his hand.

Perhaps if it had been a colder day, the following scene could have been avoided.

Uncharacteristically distracted by his food, Julius was not watching where he was going and a large man bumped shoulder with the purple haired knight. 

After startling from the unexpected contact, then from the fact that he had unwittingly let his guard down, Julius evaluated the strange young man. The scowling man's sturdy leather jacket, spiked bracelets, and large muscles suggested that he was comfortable with and prepared for combat while wandering the mall.

Julius decided to try and settle the matter peacefully, but prepared himself for a violent intervention. "My apologies, I did not pay proper attention to my path. I assume you are unharmed? " He offered a brief apology, one witch would be enough to dissuade anyone with a mild temper from bothering him once more.

The strange young man in all black did not seem to have mild temper. He eyed Julius, scanning over the knight's ill-fitted clothing, melting ice cream cone, and dorky bucket hat before deciding to escalate the situation.

"Oi, that's all you have to say after ramming into me? I deserve a better apology than that, you jerk." He growled at the knight, trying to intimidate the man.

Julius silently sighed before reaching at his nonexistent sword and glancing at his melting ice cream. It would be faster and perhaps simpler to apologize, but as a Knight of Lugunica it was his duty to uphold dignity and honor-

"He's sorry, so we'll get out of your way now!" Subaru jumped in front of the man and knight, deftly controlling his ice cream cone despite waving his arms in a placating manner. He tried to use his free hand to grab Julius' arm and drag him forward toward his parents, but the stranger they'd bumped into grabbed Julius' other arm.

"Oi, he owes me a proper apology! I'll let this idiot go when I hear it from him!"

Julius, caught between his friend, an angry stranger, and his wobbling ice cream cone, didn't know how to handle the present situation. It felt dishonorable for a knight of his stature to deliver an unnecessary apology to a rude ruffian, especially a disingenuous one, yet he'd promised Subaru he'd try to avoid causing a scene, and his ice cream was beginning to melt and run toward his hand.

Subaru also seemed conflicted; he knew he and Julius would easily beat this idiot in a fight, but he didn't want the scene to escalate to that point. Even if mall security got involved, it could be trouble for the no-longer-missing person and illegal alien. (Did Julius count as an actual alien?!)

Before either of the Lugunican knights could make a move, Mr. Natsuki stepped in.

"Hey, kid, your jacket is awesome! Where's you find it at? I've been trying to get something similar myself for years now, but an old man like me couldn't pull it off as well as you can." Subaru's father slapped the stranger on the back good-naturedly, avoiding the spikes, as Subaru stepped back and Julius slipped away.

The stranger was startled at Kenichi's sudden contact, and backed away slightly. "Oi, what's your deal, old man?"

Kenichi laughed, taking another step between the stranger and Subaru. "I'm just an old man trying to relive his glory days. Care to help a guy out?" He grinned kindly.

The stranger eyed him before answering cautiously. "I got it a few stores down that way," He pointed to the side down a different route through the mall. 

Kenichi slapped him on the back one more time. "Thanks, buddy! I'll go check it out right now!"

After another side-eye, a nod, and a long glance at Julius, the stranger finally left and continued on his way. Kenichi clapped one arm around Subaru's back, dragging his son back to where his wife stood watching, and glancing back at Julius to make sure he was following.

Julius stepped up the pace to stand beside Subaru and the rest of the group, watching Kenichi with an admiring gaze. The man had de-escalated the situation without the use of violence or a demeaning apology. While Julius had his strengths and weaknesses, he would never be able to recreate such a competent display of charisma and grace.

Subaru seemed to feel the same, but almost seemed guilty about the exchange. "Thanks for butting in, Dad. That could've gone a lot worse without your help."

Kenichi simply smiled at Subaru. "Of course! What else am I here for?" 

Subaru hesitated for a moment, as if he wanted to say something but changed his mind, and Julius waited another moment before joining the small conversation. "I offer my thanks as well, Mr. Natsuki. I am unsure how well I would've handled the situation without your aid."

Subaru glared at Julius. "Drop the weird speech! And how did you manage to get in that situation, anyways? I thought I told you to stay out of trouble! There are kids who are better at shopping than you are..." Subaru sighed, shaking his head.

Julius simply smiled at the familiar banter before pausing for a moment.

He sighed, fighting back the urge to scream.

His ice cream, his delicious chocklet ice cream...

Had melted all over his hand.

Why.

Chapter Text

Subaru cackled as Julius mourned his melting ice cream and desperately tried to lick the melting drops before they fell. Subaru, as a professional ice cream cone licker, was already well aware that you needed to lick the edges of the ice cream scoop instead of the top, but watching Julius reap the consequences of his naivety was much funnier than it had any right to be. Subaru had finally beaten the idiot at something!

...How sad was it that the only thing he managed to do better than Julius was eat an ice cream cone?

"No, since we were both transported to each other's worlds, isn't this still a legitimate win for me?"

Naoko giggled lightly, having missed the beginning of Subaru's train of thought but understanding through the context of Julius' sticky, chocolate-covered hand. Kenichi smiled, watching the scene with a nostalgic, grateful grin and holding his wife closer.

Subaru smiled at them before turning away from his father. He loved his parents, and he was grateful his dad had stepped in to scare off the rude stranger, but it left him feeling inadequate again. As if the second he was sent back to Earth, he'd lost all of the experience and value he'd gained for himself in Lugunica. He should've been able to handle that situation better, but instead just escalated things and caused trouble for his father, who had already seen more than enough trouble because of Subaru...

Subaru shook his head, knocking the thoughts away and instead turning to Julius to watch the knight's reactions to everything in the mall. His head was moving like it was a globe being spun by a little kid, and every now and then he'd latch onto something he found confusing and stare at it until the group had walked by.

"Subaru, was there anything specific you or Julius were looking for?" Naoko asked politely, glancing at their ill-fitting clothing.

"Hmm... I guess shoes would be first on the list." His old sneakers were still in Lugunica, and had been worn down to the bone, anyways. "And comfortable gloves, too, to hide my hand." The itchy kind meant for the cold got annoying real quick. "Besides that, I want lots of socks." The socks in Lugunica didn't have any elastic, so they were always thick and stiff. He wanted enough pairs to last him years for when he returned-

Subaru stopped that train of thought.

"I guess Julius needs shoes too, and maybe a hat or a wig or something. Actually, he needs just about everything, doesn't he?"

Naoko nodded. "Especially if he's going to be our guest for the foreseeable future."

Kenichi narrowed his eyes before sighing. "Even though I don't plan to house the 'knight' forever, even I can admit we should help him buy some clothes if all he had left was... that... eye-catching outfit."

Julius coughed lightly into his fist. "I'm grateful for your consideration and generosity."

Subaru cackled once more. 

"We're here!" Naoko cheered loudly as they approached a relatively large store that sold several clothes, shoes, and other similar products. They entered through the glass doors, and Subaru had to pause as he stood inside. Between the artificial lights, exposed ceilings, rows of modern clothing and typical Earth accessories, he felt like he could faint from the wave of nostalgia that tackled him. He really was in Japan, wasn't he?

He followed Naoko, almost as dazed as Julius, as they wandered the giant store. After snapping out of it, he realized they were on their way to the shoe department.

"I can't imagine those boots are comfortable to walk in..." Naoko commented, eyeing Subaru and Julius' thick leather boots made for walking through sand.

Subaru chuckled quietly. "I never realized how much I missed styrofoam until my old sneakers were worn down..." He commented sadly. His shoes should have lasted for a year or two longer, but strenuous use through battles, explosions, and life-or-death sprints caused them to wear quickly. If he'd been walking on smooth tile in Lugunica like he was here, he'd still be wearing his nice sneakers, but instead he got sand, dirt, and cobblestone.

Kenichi scoffed. "Styrofoam soles? Subaru, I'm hurt by your poor taste. Surely something with an air cushion would be more comfortable?"

Subaru gasped dramatically, holding a hand to his chest and leaning away form his dad as if he'd been deeply insulted. "How dare you insult my taste in shoes?! I'll have you know that I am well aware that balloon shoes are bouncier, but styrofoam is softer and lasts longer since the air bubbles always pop. Hence my decision was both informed and well planned." 

Naoko hummed softly. "But Subaru, can't you just add styrofoam insoles to shoes with an air cushion?"

Subaru stopped and stared at her before grabbing her hand and gazing at her with stars in his eyes."Mom, you are the smartest person across two worlds." 

Naoko smiled. "I already knew that, Subaru."

Poor Julius looked so confused.

Kenichi laughed. "You only realize that now, Subaru? I married the smartest, most beautiful, most amazing woman in the entire multiverse!" He hugged Naoko and spun her around like they were 20 years younger than they actually were, and Naoko giggled. Somehow the two of them avoided spilling their ice cream and kept pace with the two knights walking beside them.

Subaru smiled as he watched them, but turned to the side when he heard a strained wheezing sound.

"Julius? What's up?" Subaru watched the knight in confusion as the man seemed to be on the verge of either choking or coughing or something.

Julius held a fist to his mouth and wrapped the other arm (still holding an ice cream cone) around his waist as if he was trying his best to avoid sobbing. Yet once he made eye contact with the confused Subaru, he couldn't hold back anymore.

Julius, the finest of knights, started snickering, then cackling in the middle of the mall like a madman.

Subaru took a step away from Julius and stared at the man. "Oi, what did you do to the real Julius? No, never mind cliches, what's up with you? I have never heard you laugh this much before."

Sure enough, the purple-haired knight was still laughing and wheezing, seemingly getting worse each time he looked back to the increasingly more confused Subaru. 

Subaru scooted further away and walked faster to distance himself from the crazy stranger laughing at him. What was it? Was Julius laughing at his parents? He'd seen Subaru act similarly toward Emilia, so the idiot shouldn't be surprised. Plus, he only started laughing whenever he looked at Subaru, so it was probably something Subaru himself did? The styrofoam jokes??

"That would be quite the delayed reaction. Plus, do you even know what styrofoam is?" He questioned the knight, who was laughing too much to properly respond. 

"Oi, what is it, ya prick??" Subaru poked Julius in the shoulder and stared at the knight as he finally began getting his breathing and laughter under control. 

"I-I apologize, Subaru," Julius managed to wheeze out one sentence before he fought back a storm of literal giggles. Subaru stared at him, clearly annoyed, until Julius managed to regain his composure again.

"I simply realized why you often act the way you do around Lady Emilia. I'm learning that you bear an... uncanny resemblance to your father, beyond just your appearances." Julius, the Finest of Knights, somehow managed to avoid laughing himself to death once more after the explanation.

Subaru paused to absorb the information in that sentence, before quickly growing red and shoving his nemesis away harshly.

"Y-you shut up, idiot! My Dad is the coolest guy across two planets, so what's wrong with being like him?" Subaru, blushing, refused to face his father or Julius and instead studied the white tile on the floor. Say, shouldn't they be at the shoe aisle by now, anyways?

Julius began laughing again, and Kenichi clapped Subaru on the back with a smile. "Subaru, your taste in shoes might be lamentable, but it seems even you can recognize your old man's flirting advice is spot on!" Kenichi grinned at Subaru.

Subaru jumped away from his dad to point a finger at him accusingly. "I wish I could argue with you, but you're clearly right! If I hadn't been so straight forward with Emilia, i would be stuck in the friend zone till the end of time! No, actually, she's so adorably dense that I'd still be in the 'friendly acquaintance' zone!!" Subaru shouted as he thanked his dad for his relationship with Emilia.

Julius smirked. "Subaru, I was not aware your relationship with Emilia has already evolved beyond friendship. You've been nothing more than knight and Lady over the two month journey or during the trials at the tower, so I understand it must have happened after the battle, while you were sleeping?"

Subaru punched Julius in the arm. "You shut up! You can't say anything if you have no dating life either!"

Julius simply smiled politely. "I'm not sure what a 'dating life' is, but if you're referring to my past romantic relationships, I'm afraid that's private information, even if I'm conversing with a good friend like you, Subaru."

"We're not friends!!"

Kenichi grinned, even as they finally entered the shoe aisle of the store they were in. "I don't know, Subaru, it sure looks like you're friends. Inviting him over for a family dinner, having a sleep over, chatting about past adventures..."

"No! Nope!" Subaru made an "X" with his arms while Naoko led the group to the wall displaying numerous shoes. "I refuse for the first friend I introduce to my parents since high school to be that insufferable, stuck-up, polite, ikeman!" Subaru barely stopped himself from shouting.

Julius simply smirked. "Ah, so it's fine if I'm the second friend?"

Kenichi grinned "So all he's missing is the official tittle? It seems you really do think you're friends!"

Subaru stared at Julius and Kenichi, sputtering and stuttering out an incoherent reply, before sighing loudly.

He simply shook his head sadly and turned around. "Some people simply can't accept the obvious." He followed his mom to the shoe rack, evaluating the options. How sad was it that Julius and his father couldn't accept that they weren't friends? It was clear as day, even through the artificial lighting of the department store.

Naoko simply smiled at him knowingly as they stood side by side. "Subaru, which shoes do you like?"

Subaru, grateful for the subject change, continued to ignore the laughing men in the party and started analyzing the wall of shoes.

"I like the idea of getting a comfortable pair of shoes, and a comfortable pair of insoles. I'm really tired of boots!"

"Subaru, these shoes have incredible craftsmanship for being of such low quality. Why are so many shoes made with such flimsy, short-lived materials? They seem quite impractical."

"Subaru, this pair would look good on you! See? See??" "Dad, those are clown shoes." "Yes, and?"

"Oi, Julius, use this to find your shoe size. No, it's not a weapon! Stop! Put it down!"

After trying on a few, Subaru found a comfortable pair of black, white, and orange shoes while Julius picked out a sensible pair of black and white athletic shoes. Naoko quickly purchased both before Julius could protest, and they moved on to the clothing aisle. Julius picked out some necessities, but the entire family watched the two nights pick out a few outfits.

"Subaru, you're not looking at any sweatsuits?" Naoko innocently questioned Subaru, who immediately felt almost guilty at the insinuation.

"Ah, uh, no. Most of my sweatsuits still fit, but I need a few more casual outfits..." He'd been looking at jeans, cargo pants, T-shirts and polos; comfortable but useful clothes that fell between his informal but iconic tracksuit and his uncomfortable but formal knight's uniform. 

He decided on two outfits, figuring his school uniform and sweatsuits would fill in the gaps, and instead watched Julius scrutinize each piece of clothing. 

"I still cannot comprehend why the quality is so high yet so low," He commented disappointingly, evaluating a generic T-shirt with Japanese text that read something Julius clearly did not understand.

Subaru scoffed. "The clothes nowadays are made the same way shoes are; in factories, where machines make as many of an identical product as they can with the cheapest materials they can to sell as much as they can for the highest price they can. If you want something of a higher quality, you usually have to pay a lot more, so sometimes it's better to just get a bunch of cheap outfits and replace them regularly, especially if you're prone to ruining your clothes."

Julius didn't look like he understood, so Subaru scoffed once more and added on an additional sentence. "Y'know, like in a battle."

Suddenly a spark of understanding lit Julius' face. "I see! Instead of owning high quality clothes to decrease the odds of them breaking in a combat situation, buying several cheaper sets and understanding they will likely be ripped, stained, or otherwise ruined could possibly be more practical." He nodded, mulling the words over, as Subaru sighed.

"I mean, that's not really right, but I guess it's not wrong, either."

Naoko stepped in. "Do you see any clothes you like?" She smiled softly at Julius, who politely turned to her.

"While I would be comfortable wearing several of the clothing articles displayed before us, I am unfamiliar with the clothing that would be considered normal here."

Subaru grinned mischievously before stepping in. "How about I help you pick out some clothes? I'm an expert on Earth fashion!"

Julius, oblivious, smiled at his 'friend'. "I would appreciate your help, Subaru."

Subaru grabbed his arm and dragged him to a very specific rack of clothes. "Stop talking like a 15th century prince."

"My apologies, Subaru."

"...Y'know what? I don't even care anymore."

After a few minutes of Subaru struggling to hide his evil cackles and Naoko and Kenichi wondering distantly what Subaru was planning, Julius exited a changing room and presented the outfit Subaru had picked out to Naoko and Kenichi.

"While I feel this is impractical attire, I will admit that since I've seen someone wearing something similar in my limited time here, I cannot argue that it is uncommon on earth. While I believe the use of leather and the color black is excessive, I trust Subaru to understand the customs here better than... I... do..."

Julius trailed off as he was met by laughter from the two Natsuki men, and an amused/disappointed/pitying smile from Naoko.

Subaru startled cackling as he looked at Julius wearing a punk rock, emo outfit with spiky bracelets, black leather pants, and a spiky black leather jacket. The look was completed with a pair of cheap sunglasses, making Julius look like the leader of a motorcycle gang.

Naoko grabbed Subaru's ear, pulling him away from the changing rooms and back to the clothing aisle. "Subaru, I know it's funny to take advantage of your friend's ignorance, but even if Julius still looks handsome in the outfit you chose, even I know Julius would not appreciate being dressed up like someone who rides monster trucks through a ring of flames."

"Oi, we're not friends! And what do you mean, he's still handsome? He looks ridiculous!" Subaru looked back to Julius, only to actually look at him instead of the outfit, and realized with a jolt of disappointment that Julius was actually pulling of the look with his sharp yellow eyes and graceful frame.

"Darn ikeman..."

"Subaru, please pick out a few outfits for Julius that he would be comfortable wearing." Naoko calmly suggested (ordered).

"Okay, okay, I'll try again." Subaru conceded, as Kenichi continued giggling softly in the background and Julius simply stood there confused.

Subaru picked out a few more outfits and brought them to Julius. After swapping out a pair of jeans that didn't fit, Julius was left with a polo, a button-down, and a plain white T-shirt, two pairs of blue jeans, and one pair of comfortable slacks.

Subaru also picked out one more outfit for the man. "If you're staying in my house, I demand you wear at least one of these."

As if presenting a golden crown, Subaru held out one last outfit to Julius.

"Subaru, is this what I think it is?"

"Julius, this is your very own, purple and white, Natsuki Subaru-approved... tracksuit."

"I am honored by your consideration." Julius bowed lightly to the kneeling Subaru, accepting the outfit from Subaru.

Surely enough, Julius also added a tracksuit to his pile of clothes.

Having finally found all the clothing they needed, the Natsuki family headed to the checkout desk. Having already received a frustrated explanation of a cash register from Subaru at the shoe store, Julius stepped in front of the family confidently.

"Hello, sir." Julius addressed the bored teenager currently manning the counter.

"Um, hi."

"I would like to purchase these clothes."

"Sure."

The Natsuki family and Julius stood there as the minimum-wage cashier scanned the tags on each of the clothes they were buying, including Julius' and Subaru's outfits.

When he finally finished and announced the total, Julius held up a hand to stop Kenichi from stepping forward to pay. 

"Please, allow me to pay for my own clothing. As a knight- er, 'cause player', I receive a reasonable salary, and I wish to avoid burdening you and your family further." Julius gave Kenichi a slight bow in gratitude before fishing a small bag from the pocket of his jeans.

"Oi, wait Julius, are you-"

Before Subaru could stop him, The Finest of Knights set a bag of gold coins on the counter in front of the cashier.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...I'm no' gettin' paid enough fer this." The cashier sighed.

Julius simply stood there, wondering why the Natsuki family was being abnormally quiet. Did they not accept gold as a currency on earth?

"Oi, Julius."

"Yes, Subaru?"

"...Do you know what the 'yen' is?"

"...Unless you mean 'yin' as a magical affinity, I'm not sure what you're referring to."

"Yeah, I figured."

"...?"

Subaru sighed.

Then he smiled.

Then he started laughing harder than he had when he'd made Julius dress like a mobster.

Was this how everyone around him had felt when Subaru was shoved into a new world?

Poor Julius just stood there confused as Kenichi apologized and paid, and Subaru and Naoko simply laughed at the scene.

This shopping trip wasn't too bad, after all.

Chapter Text

By the time the Natsuki family and also Julius finally finished shopping, it was a few hours before dinner time.

"Mom, let me help! In fact, let me make the meal by myself!" Subaru pleaded, grabbing his mom's arm as if to pull her away from imaginary work.

They were riding the bus again on the way to the grocery store, to pick up some ingredients for dinner. Subaru finally had something to contribute to his family, and he was itching to help after watching them spend way too much money on his clothes, and welcome him back home after a year with open arms, and existing as a useless burden for so many years…

(“We didn’t have you so you could do something for us. We had you so we could do something for you!”)

His mom cut off his train of thought. "Nonsense, Subaru, it's my job to prepare food for all of us. Besides, I would prefer if our kitchen were to stay at room temperature." Naoko waved Subaru aside with a smile.

"What am I, a Charizard?! I’m not gonna use ‘Flamethrower’ and burn down the kitchen! Seriously, I actually did learn how to cook. And bake, a little bit. The appliances are powered differently, but their functions are still the same." Subaru presented his case again, toward his mom as she evaluated his words.

Naoko stared at Subaru for a moment before turning around to face a different member of their adventuring party. "Julius, do you think Subaru can actually cook?"

Subaru sputtered.

Julius, who was eyeballing the people currently getting on the bus, turned back toward Naoko. "Based on the meals I've tasted him prepare, his cooking skills are at a proficient level."

“Oi, Why are you asking Julius?! What is he, my Pokémon trainer? If anything, I’d be the trainer and he’d be a Roserade…”

Naoko completely ignored her rambling son. "Well, Subaru, if Julius thinks it's alright, I suppose I'm fine letting you cook a little bit."

"Yes, side quest accepted! I’ll have you know my cooking skills are out of this world!” He pumped a fist into the air, only to grip the bus pole tightly to avoid falling when it accelerated.

Kenichi put a hand on Subaru's shoulder to steady him as the vehicle met the speed of traffic. “Even if you really did learn how to cook in a fancy mansion, you still wouldn’t be able to out-cook your mom. Heck, even your old man’s got a few good recipes up his sleeves.” Kenichi grinned.

 Subaru smirked back. “Just watch, I’ll make something unlike anything you’ve ever tasted before!” 

Julius cut in. “Are the dishes here similar to the ones in Lugunica?”

“Hm, I guess a lot of them are close, but the food is annoyingly different.”

”…???”

“But the food in Japan has more chemicals and stuff, so between the fresh food in Lugunica and the artificially good food here, it’s probably a wash overall. The food in Lugunica mostly tastes like what we had for lunch, just normal western-style restaurant food. I've missed artificial flavoring, and classical Japanese-style homemade cooking.”

"Subaru, I know you're excited to cook, but wouldn't you want to give Julius a chance to eat some traditional Japanese food?" Naoko interrupted. While she believed her son's story and wanted to try his cooking, she also wanted an excuse to cook a proper dinner for her son. She glanced at Kenichi, hoping he would understand.

Somehow, her lovely husband caught the hint. "As much as I want to try eating some recipes from another world, nothing beat's your mother's homemade cooking." He smirked at Subaru, hoping Subaru would understand.

"Well that's what tomorrow night is for, isn't it? Tonight, I wanna try and make Steamed Tatoes!!" Subaru, chronically incapable of reading the room, or the bus, did not get the hint.

Luckily, Julius did. "Perhaps we could find a way to incorporate both styles into the same meal? Steamed Tatoes are good, but not a fulfilling meal on their own."

Subaru gasped. "Ram-neesama would be ashamed, Julius." He shook his head, disappointed.

Kenichi latched onto Julius' idea, ignoring Subaru and glancing at Naoko to make sure his wife agreed. "What if we had a cooking competition? Subaru and Julius, you could make, um, steamed potatoes? And some vegetables. Your mother and I will make the main dish and rice. We'll judge each other's meals at the end!" He grinned at the two knights.

Subaru grinned right back. "You're on, old man! Just wait, I've got three secret weapons up my sleeve that'll make for a flawless victory!!" He pumped a fist into the air again, only to be caught off guard again when the bus started slowing down again.

They'd finally reached their stop at the grocery market.

A short walk found them at the entrance to the grocery store. Subaru had been muttering a plan to himself all the while, and Julius had refrained from offering his input to the muttering knight beside him. Naoko and Kenichi were similarly planning, in the form of Naoko making suggestions and Kenichi agreeing with almost everything his wife said, only for Naoko to change her own mind in order to finally settle on hamburg steaks.

"Honey, didn't you want to show Julius some classic Japanese cooking?"

"Hamburg steaks are classical Japanese cooking." Naoko nodded wisely.

"..."

"Come on, Julius! We gotta beat them!"

"But Subaru, will we not simply ride the same bus back home regardless of how quickly we gather the necessary ingredients?"

"Too many words, not enough shopping!" Subaru grabbed Julius' arm and dragged him past the sliding glass doors as Naoko and Kenichi followed.

Inside the store, Julius froze. 

Subaru was dragged backwards by the pause, glaring at the knight. “Oi, what's with the holdup?!”

”…Subaru, were we not trying to find ingredients to make Steamed Tatoes?”

”Yeah? So??”

”But this store appears to sell furniture and other small packages. I also see baked goods? Surely one store doesn’t sell such a large variety of products??”

Subaru grinned. “It sure does, idiot. Now get moving! I wanna get to the Tato- er, the potatoes!”

Subaru started dragging Julius once more, and this time the knight followed, admiring the sheer variety of perishable products being sold in one store.

Before long they’d reached the produce aisle, and Subaru admired the GMO-d vegetables while reading the signs. It made him way happier than it should’ve to see “Potato” written in Japanese instead of “Tato” written in Lugunican.

After a happy sigh, he started evaluating the various bags of potatoes, trying to find the best one, before remembering Julius existed.

”Julius, why don’t you find some carrots, broccoli, and onions while I do this?” Normally Subaru would switch jobs since he trusted Julius to look at potatoes more than he trusted the man to wonder around alone, but to make Ram-neesama’s Steamed Tatoes properly, he wanted to personally evaluate the bag they’d purchase.

Julius stood there uselessly, staring at Subaru. “…my apologies, Subaru, but I’m unfamiliar with those products. By carrots, do you mean caros? And by broccoli, broli?”

Subaru stared at Julius for a moment before he started giggling stupidly. “Oh man, it’s so much funnier when it happens to someone else.” Now it was him who could laugh at the other-wordler for being such an ignorant tourist. Was this how everyone else felt at Subaru's shenanigans?

He smothered his laughter before continuing. “Yeah, you’re right about those two, and onions are ‘nions’. For some reason, even though everything else gets translated, the fruit and vegetable names in our worlds are different. Condiments, too, like ‘sal’ is ‘salt’ and stuff.”

Julius nodded slowly as he evaluated the produce. "I am unable to read the signs, anyways, so I suppose the names don't truly matter in this instance. Shall I meet you back here after picking out some items?"

Subaru returned to studying the potatoes. "Yeah, I'll probably be a minute." The potatoes on earth were larger and shaped better than the tatoes in Lugunica, but even if the worst potato here was average in Lugunica, Ram would never forgive Subaru for using that as an excuse to slack off. 

"Besides, this is the first time I'll be cooking for my parents. I might as well do the best I can." He smiled softly to himself, considering how his parents would react to his food. He hoped they'd be proud.

After Julius returned with vegetables and Subaru finally picked out a bag of potatoes to use, they picked out some fresh herbs that would go well with the meal.

They eventually met back up with Naoko and Kenichi and the Natsuki family checked out with their produce. 

One quick bus ride home, and they sat all their groceries on the counter in order to cook. 

Kenichi started on the rice, Naoko on the hamburg steak, Julius on the vegetables, and Subaru on the potatoes.

"Julius, the faucet here works the same way the one in the bathroom does. Just let it run before you wash each of he vegetables." 

After the potatoes were washed, Subaru carefully prepared Ram's steamed potatoes and set them to cook before turning to help Julius chop the rest of the onions and herbs.

Kenichi glanced over to watch the knights work. "Wow, Subaru, you really did learn how to cook! You're actually chopping those vegetables without cutting yourself!"

"I want to say I wouldn't cut myself doing something so simple, but I can't even refute that after knowing how bad my skills were at first..." As glad as Subaru was to have his dad's approval, weren't the expectations set too low in the first place? He could chop vegetables! At least, he could now...

Julius, as the Finest of Knights, was more than capable with a blade and finished chopping up the herbs. Subaru fished out a pan from the cabinet and stood in front of the stove.

The gas-powered stove, which was not powered by mana crystals.

"Umm..." He could figure out how to turn it on, right? He must've done this before at some point... How hard could it be?

He was tempted to fiddle with it until he figured it out. He was certain he'd be able to figure it out within a few minutes. But between trying to prove he wasn't a Charizard and sticking by his vow to avoid dying in Japan, he sighed and decided that playing with fire might not end well.

He glanced at his dad to make sure the man wasn't watching before turning to the parent who it would hurt his pride less to ask for help. "Mom."

"Yes, Subaru? How are the vegetables coming along?"

"Good, except... I don't know how to turn on this type of stove."

"Oh, it's simple. Just press down, then turn it like this!" Click Click Click Poof! Fire began flickering from under the grate. "Then turn it this way to lower the flames, and this way to raise them! When you're done, spin it back to the off position."

"Thank you Mom!!" Subaru grabbed her hand and gave her a grateful look.

"Of course, Subaru." Naoko smiled. Her son really had grown up, hadn't he?

Subaru added olive oil, freshly chopped herbs, condiments, and onions to the pan before turning to the cutting board again. 

"Julius, you're in charge of watching the stove. If it looks like the onions are burning, turn down the heat by spinning this nozzle." He pointed to the the proper controls.

"Of course, Subaru." Julius nodded, watching the food and holding a spatula to occasionally stir the pan.

Subaru nodded at Julius then began to chop the carrots and broccoli. He knew they had a vegetable peeler somewhere in the house, but he had learned how to peel the vegetables with a knife, so he took a relatively small and dull blade to shave the skin off the carrots.

Next, instead of chopping the broccoli, he simply snapped small segments off the larger plant. It was easier, faster, and safer than trying to worm a knife between the fluffy broccoli tips to cut them off the giant broccoli head. After that, he chopped the stem of the broccoli had into reasonable pieces, and cut any larger chunks of broccoli to a size that would comfortably fit in one's mouth.

Satisfied, he was about to start chopping the carrots as well when he noticed the sizzling suddenly get much louder.

He quickly turned around, eyes searching for Julius and the stove, when he caught sight of both.

They were hard to miss, given the giant wall of fire.

Subaru yelped, jumping toward the stove to turn it off the way his mom had showed him. Julius was still standing in front of it, and a closer look revealed that the pan had caught on fire. As Subaru spun the nozzle to the off position, he noticed it had already been set to high. Why was it set to high?

After turning off the stove, thankfully the fire quickly fizzled out, leaving Subaru to glare at Julius.

Kenichi took in the scene before laughing loudly. "Well, son, when you said you were a good chef, I didn't know you were a pro at flambe-ing onions!"

Subaru ignored his dad, looking at the blackened onions sitting in the pan. "Hey, Julius?"

"...Yes, Subaru?"

"Remember when I told you not to burn the onions? And to turn them on low if it looked like they were gonna be burned?"

"...yes?"

"Care to explain why you turned it to high and tried to burn down the kitchen?"

Julius fidgeted. "I thought that turning the nozzle to the right would lower the temperature. It appears that, it, turned up the temperature..."

Subaru stared at the knight for a moment longer before sighing. "Well, Charizard, if you didn't know which way to turn the dial, why didn’t you take two steps to turn around and ask me?”

Julius hesitated. He had, in fact, turned to ask Subaru, but didn’t want to interrupt his friend while he was handling a knife. He’s decided to twist the nozzle in one direction to see if the flames went up or down, and unfortunately, they went UP. 

All of which sounded like excuses, so instead he simply replied, “My apologies, I miscalculated the strength of the flames…”

Subaru sighed as Kenichi laughed in the background.

Thankfully the rest of the meal went off without a problem. The onions and herbs were slightly burnt, but Julius was designated to stand-in-the-corner duty so the rest of the meal was finished without a problem. Naoko and Kenichi finished their share, and soon all the dishes were plated and set on the table.

The party of four sat down as well. "Itadakimasu!-masu." The Natsuki family and also Julius gave thanks for the meal, but before anyone could eat, Subaru stood back up.

"Alright, now it's time for the Ultimate Cooking Competition Results! First, let's try Julius Juukulius' flambed veggies!" Subaru eagerly placed a few of Julius' roasted dish onto everyone's plates before trying some himself. No one would blame him if he avoided the string of char that used to be an onion, right?

"It's actually really good! At least, the carrots and broccoli taste good." Naoko smiled at Julius, who nodded graciously.

Kenichi evaluate the food in his mouth. "Naoko's right. The carrots and broccoli get an A, but overall the dish gets a B."

Subaru nodded in agreement, eating the bare minimum of Julius' food to 'taste' it, before grading it. "C-, since I had to watch you try and use al goa on our kitchen."

Next up was the rice. Subaru grabbed a glob of it with his chopsticks and set it in his mouth. "Whelp, it sure tastes like rice. Better than the Lugunican rice I've had in the last year, but it's still just rice. A-."

"Rice. An average B." Naoko

"I believe this rice is of much higher quality than I'm used to, but it is plain to eat without any of the other foods we've prepared." Julius didn't know how the letter grading system worked, so he ignored it.

Kenichi nodded. "Even if I am the second best cook on earth, there's only so much you can do to improve the taste of plain rice..."

Having gotten the two relatively stupid dishes out of the way, it was time for the main battle: Subaru and his Steamed Tatoes again Naoko and her hamburg steak.

First up was Subaru's Steamed Tatoes. As he gave each table member their own tato, he stuck his nose up into the air smugly. "This is a recipe created by Ram-neesama, made painstakingly according to her exact specifications. Not even she could find a single complaint about this dish!" This was his first secret weapon to win the competition! To truly show off his cooking skills, Subaru had no choice but to go with his teacher Ram-neesama's favorite recipie!

Before anyone could start eating the potatoes, Subaru held up another hand to stop them. "Wait. Before you begin, I must reveal my Second Secret Weapon!" He dramatically stepped back into the kitchen, retrieving a bowl he'd left hidden in the back of the fridge when no one was looking.

He then held it above his head and slowly lowered it on the table, revealing its contents to the others.

"Wait, is that..?!" Naoko gasped.

"No, it couldn't be...!" Kenichi gasped.

"..." Julius sat there patiently.

"Why yes it is! This is nothing other than freshly made mayonnaise!" Subaru shouted in triumph as he displayed his most valuable card. Regardless of the potatoes themselves, fresh maonaise almost gave him a guaranteed win.

His parents started scooping the condiment onto their plates, and Julius got a small amount to taste, before they finally started eating the meal.

"..."

Someone once said that silence was the best praise a cook could ask for. When someone was so engrossed in their food that they forgot to thank the chef, it was a sign that the chef had done their job well. Subaru smirked at the silence before digging into the meal himself.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Wait, isn't this too average?!"

Subaru tasted his meal again. The fresh mayonnaise tasted better than the store bought mayonnaise, but wasn't the difference too close? And the potatoes were good, but weren't they almost plain? 

He turned back to the rest of the table to see why they were being so quiet at such mediocre food. 

Julius seemed like he wanted to try the mayo to be polite, but didn't actually want to eat it, and was building up the willpower to taste it before offering his review.

His parents, however...

They looked shocked. Were the expectations set on his food that high that they were let down after tasting it? 

"...Subaru..."

"Well? What do you think, Mom?" Subaru leaned forward in anticipation and trepidation as he waited for her review.

"...You really made this?" She looked at him with wide eyes.

"...Yes?"

She grabbed his hands. "I've never been more proud of you than in this moment. A perfect A+." She had stars in her eyes as she went to eat more fresh mayonnaise with a little bit of potato

Kenichi clapped a hand on Subaru's shoulder.  "Subaru."

"Yeah?"

Kenichi stared at the boy with pride. "This is the most beautiful thing I've ever tasted." He shoveled another spoonful of Mayo with potato in his mouth.

Were his parents really that impressed with his fresh mayo? What about Ram-neesama's steamed tatoes? Then again, Subaru had already gotten used to the taste of homemade mayo, so his taste buds couldn't find anything extraordinary about the meal.

That was his third secret weapon! His otherworldly taste buds! He'd become so used to Lugunican cuisine that he was sure to bring a foreign kick to whatever dish he made for his parents! He definitely did not almost forget about that one...

Subaru nodded smugly, enjoying the success of his dish.

Julius finally tried some of the fresh mayonnaise and nodded at Subaru. "I've already had this dish several times on the way to the watchtower, but it still tastes pleasant." That was polite code for he was sick and tired of it, wasn't it, Julius?

"I'll admit, Subaru, I may have underestimated you. You really did learn how to cook, didn't you?" His dad looked at Subaru with pride, but also a bit of loneliness and uncertainty.

Subaru smiled back at him softly. "Yeah. I learned a bunch of new skills, and made a lot of new friends. It was... a lot of fun, in some ways." Otto complaining, Garfield grinning, Beako pouting, Ram criticizing, Rem smiling, Emilia laughing...

It was his home.

Different from Japan, but home nonetheless.

He shook his head, clearing out the thoughts, before turning to his Mom. She was presenting them each with a hamburg steak, which looked juicy and delicious. 

"Dig in, everyone!" She smiled kindly (menacingly).

Subaru picked up his chopsticks, tearing a chunk off the meat and putting it in his mouth.

It was juicy and cooked to perfection. The seasoning was delicious, and the sauce complimented the entire meal perfectly. His mom always favored plenty of onion and pepper in the meat, to compliment the hefty amounts of mayo the Natsuki family used in their meals, and Subaru would've chuckled at that fact if he wouldn't choke on his food while doing so.

No dying in Japan, right?

He took another bite, this time adding his own homemade mayo.

It wasn't the best thing he'd ever tasted, but it was probably one of the best meals he'd ever had.

It wasn't as good as Rem's cooking, and wasn't as flavorful as the artificial ramen cups they'd eaten last night.

So...

Why...?

"Subaru..." Naoko whispered, looking at her son.

"Why are you crying?"

"Huh?" Subaru paused, bringing a hand to his cheek. Surely enough, it came back wet with a trail of salt water.

"That's weird, why am I..." Subaru stared at his Mom as more tears started dripping, then streaming from his eyes. Soon enough, his breathing began to hitch and he was quietly gasping for air.

"Why...?"

"Why, am I...?"

"Mom..."

Subaru sobbed.

Naoko's eyes were full of tears as she smiled at her son. She stood up ad walked around the table to pull him into a hug.

"It's okay, Subaru.

"I missed you, too."

Subaru wept.

He cried for the mornings he couldn't wrestle with his dad.

He sobbed for the evenings he couldn't eat his mother's cooking.

He grieved for his expired mayonnaise, for his forgotten computer password, for the bags under his parent's eyes.

He wailed for the year and a half his mother and father had lost because of him.

He mourned for his deaths.

I missed you so much.

He clung to his mother like a child like a lost child reunited with his parents.

When Subaru finally stopped crying...

After his food had grown cold, after Julius awkwardly excused himself, and Kenichi silently cleared the table...

Naoko continued to hold him.

"I love you, Subaru." She whispered, smiling.

Subaru held her tighter.

"I missed you, Mom."