The Empire's Rise

Subaru Natsuki didn't know how he made it back to his room. At that moment, the whole world seemed gray.

He lay alone on the bed, turning Emilia's words over and over in his mind. The more he thought about them, the harder it became to breathe.

He had no idea how much time passed. Apart from eating three meals a day, he seemed to have ignored everything else, instinctively avoiding something.

Emilia had even come to see him, but he hadn't taken in a word she said. He had only stared blankly out the window.

"What would my mentor do if he were here?"

He didn't know how long he lay there.

Then a thought flashed through Subaru's mind. As he followed it, a glimmer returned to his vacant eyes.

"That's right. If my mentor were here, he'd never let Emilia end up trapped like this.

He'd deal with every threat before it became a problem. I'm just too weak. So weak I've become a bastard who only cares about himself!"

Subaru sat up abruptly, and color returned to his world. But the place where he was staying was unusually quiet.

Ram, who was usually busy around the room, was gone. The entire villa was so silent it felt as though he were the only person there.

Subaru rushed out to look for Emilia. He searched the whole villa, but the girl he had longed to see was nowhere to be found.

Subaru stopped in his tracks. "Where did Emilia go?"

He searched his memory, then went rigid.

He remembered Emilia coming to see him some time ago. He struggled to recall what had happened.

"Ang! I'm leaving the Royal Capital soon. Will you come with me?"

"Ang! Please don't be like this. You're only making me feel guiltier.