...
{3rd Pov}
You're absolutely right," Subaru acknowledged. "However, my concern isn't about accessibility—it's about security. I plan to invent many new things—technologies, designs, formulas—and I want to ensure that none of it leaks to the outside world. I need full control, even if it means increasing costs."
Otto nodded thoughtfully. "That… makes a lot of sense."
"Now we come to the next phase of the plan…" Subaru began. "I intend to bring about a revolution in this world's agricultural practices. We will begin by transforming the existing crop-rotation system. I'll go into the specifics of that later. For now, I want Emilia to be the face of this movement. We will travel together—from village to village, town to town, and eventually to every city within the territories governed by Roswaal and myself. We'll begin with the lands under my direct control."
He turned his gaze toward Emilia and addressed her with unflinching honesty. "Emilia, I'm going to be completely honest with you. Your current abilities in governance are, frankly, quite lacking. Among all the political figures vying for influence, perhaps only Felt ranks below you—and even then, she possesses a few unique advantages that give her an edge. We need to change the public's perception of you. Our initial goal should be to bring people to a point of neutrality about you or, at the very least, reduce the hatred and mistrust they currently harbor."
Emilia clenched her fists tightly, her violet eyes gleaming with resolve. "I'm ready for that, Subaru. Just tell me what to do, and I'll do it!"
Subaru nodded, his expression unreadable but his mind clearly racing ahead. "We'll start by implementing a series of reforms—tax reductions, changes in agricultural policy, the establishment of a structured school system, and much more. And you, Emilia, will be at the forefront of these efforts. You'll personally introduce these reforms to the people. We'll begin in the villages I govern, and once you've gained sufficient experience and confidence, we'll extend the same process to Roswaal's entire territory."
Everyone in the room looked at Subaru with astonishment. The idea of a noble or royal figure traveling from place to place, directly engaging with common people, was something entirely unheard of in this world.
But Subaru was playing a different game—a game of politics and perception, a game he had witnessed in his past life.
Though unlike those greedy politicians he would offer more than just empty words.
He would make promises to the people, yes—but they would be real promises, backed by tangible results. He would listen to their grievances, understand their struggles, and then act.
That would be the key to changing Emilia's public image. At present, her reputation had improved significantly due to Subaru's own accomplishments, but it was not nearly enough. He wanted to go further—he wanted to make her untouchable in this game of thrones.
No matter the reason he decided to support her, he was going to give his very best.
Subaru slid a stack of files across the table toward Emilia. "Start by reading these documents—my notes. Once you're done, I'll walk you through everything in detail. That way, you'll already have a foundation to build upon. It'll make the plan clearer and help you understand the bigger picture."
He hadn't explained everything to her upfront on purpose. He wanted her to study his notes independently first, to form her own understanding. Only then would he step in, correct her mistakes, and fill in the gaps in her knowledge.
Just then, Subaru turned his attention toward Frederica, who had just returned after finishing the dishes. "How's Garfiel doing?" he asked casually.
Frederica offered a small smile tinged with concern. "He's been feeling deeply guilty about how he acted back in the Sanctuary. Right now, he's serving as a guard for the village. I think it's his way of atoning."
Subaru nodded thoughtfully, absorbing the update. "Once Elsa returns with the rest of the assassins, we'll proceed with releasing Meili. They'll officially become part of our camp."
"I absolutely hate that assassin," Reina pouted, her tone laced with frustration—though the reason behind it wasn't particularly complex.
Elsa's body was undeniably seductive, boasting an hourglass figure that seemed almost sculpted, and her face was strikingly beautiful, exuding an allure that few women could hope to rival.
Subaru chuckled softly. "Don't worry. She and the others will be operating under us as mercenaries. Their job will be to protect my company and the people we're responsible for nothing; more, nothing less."
Reina sighed but nodded. ' I just hope that bitch doesn't tries to seduce my Lord'
Subaru looked around the room, taking stock of everyone's reactions. "That's all I have for now. Does anyone have any questions or concerns?"
The others shook their heads silently.
At that moment, Roswaal stood up, his movements slow and deliberate. His usually flamboyant demeanor was nowhere to be found. "Do whatever you wish, Subaru. You have my complete permission. If you need me to sign any official documents, I'll do it. Just… try to leave me out of things as much as possible."
There was a hollow, lifeless quality in his voice that made the air in the room feel heavier.
His eyes, once filled with cunning and arrogance, were now vacant and cold—devoid of any warmth or spark.
Only Roswaal knew the depth of the pain he felt. Seeing Echidna—his beloved—so close to Subaru had broken something inside him. He had devoted his entire existence to her, obsessed over her for centuries. And now? She belonged to someone else. She had chosen Subaru.
If Ram had still loved him—if she had shown even a glimmer of affection—perhaps he could have endured it. Perhaps he could have found the strength to go on.
But she had told him bluntly that he disgusted her.
That final blow had shattered him completely. He couldn't bring himself to end his own life.
After all Subaru had essentially made him immortal with the promise of ressurecting him over and over again.
And that was the cruelest fate of all.
Subaru gave Roswaal a long, contemplative look, then turned back to the others. "Alright, I guess we're done here… for now."
...
A few days passed in relative quiet, until finally, Elsa returned—accompanied by the remaining daughters of the former Sin Archbishop of Lust, Capella Emerada Lugnica.
Not long after Subaru had subdued and enslaved Elsa, he managed to extract crucial details regarding her organization. Without delay, he issued the order for her to summon all core members to Roswaal's mansion. Following this command, she departed for the icy territories of Gusteko to complete her mission.
When she first approached the other members of the organization and revealed the shocking truth about their leader's death, they refused to believe her. Capella was, in their eyes, invincible—immortal, untouchable. But the moment Elsa unveiled the actual corpse, the disbelief gave way to grim acceptance. They recognized the truth in her words.
After all, it was Capella who had the ability to transform into others—not the reverse. There was no illusion that could have created such a detailed replica. The corpse was unmistakably real. It bore the unmistakable signs of Capella's unique physiology.
Elsa explained everything to them, stating coldly that it was "Mama's slayer" who had summoned them all. The journey back had taken considerable time, due to both distance and caution, but eventually, all of them returned. Now, every single one stood before Subaru.
None among them dared to disobey their new master. The reason for their unwavering submission was simple and absolute: fear. They had lived under Capella's terrifying shadow for years, conditioned by her cruelty and domination. But now, the man who had killed her—someone strong enough to fell the monster they revered—stood before them. They feared Capella, yes. But they feared the one who destroyed her even more.
That was why not a single one among them even considered escape or rebellion.
There were twenty-three in total—comprising the elite assassins and the core members of Capella's network. The rest were merely informants, loosely affiliated and not directly managed by the core structure. Subaru wasn't concerned with them for now.
Once they arrived at the estate, they were brought before him in disciplined formation, standing still like trained soldiers awaiting judgment.
Subaru sat confidently on a high-backed chair, flanked closely by those dearest to him. The Sword Saint, Reina, remained loyally beside him, never more than a few paces away—her presence a living warning.
Beatrice sat on his lap looking at them skeptically, while Gloria hovered with barely contained excitement.
Echidna wasn't present, she was in a room allocated to her, studying Subaru's notes and the otherworldly magic called as 'Science'.
"I see… So this is all of you?" Subaru said after a long pause, his voice cool and distant. "To be honest, I expected a much larger turnout from such a dangerous and wide-reaching organization."
His words sent a visible shiver down the spines of the assembled assassins. Some flinched involuntarily; others swallowed hard. No one dared to speak.
"Elsa," Subaru continued calmly, "take the body to Echidna. She wishes to dissect the corpse of the Sin Archbishop and analyze the biological differences between Capella and ordinary humans."
Elsa nodded immediately and stepped forward, carrying Capella's perfectly preserved corpse with slightly trembling arms. The preservation of her corpse was thanks to the properties of dragon blood—its regenerative and decay-halting nature ensured that not even death had claimed the body's form.
The assassins were visibly disturbed by the order. It wasn't the thought of dissection that unnerved them—none of them would have hesitated to mutilate a human body if ordered. What chilled them to their core was the fact that their once-feared "Mama," who had ruled over them with an iron will, was now being reduced to little more than a scientific specimen.
To be reduced to the status of a mere test subject—stripped of all power, significance, and pride that Capella had, a monster that made them trembled reduced like this, scared them.
Elsa stopped realizing that she didn't knew where Echidna was staying, when Subaru sent a psychic command directly into Elsa's mind, mentally transmitting the location of the place where Echidna was currently residing.
Elsa gave a curt nod in response, fully understanding the order, and proceeded to carry the body away into the mansion.
Subaru didn't offer any mercy or sympathy. He was a man who acted decisively. Though he preferred to help others and extended kindness when it didn't compromise his own loved ones, he did not hesitate to eliminate threats—ruthlessly and without hesitation. He valued compassion, but only when it didn't place the people he cared about in danger or compromise their safety unfairly.
(Author's Note: He is same as Original Subaru though.)
If someone dared to harm those he cherished, it didn't matter who they were—even if it were Buddha himself—Subaru would strike them down without hesitation.
"Fufufu~ Father, allow me to test these mongrels," Gloria said with a sly smile, stepping forward confidently. "Let me see if they're even worthy to serve as our eyes and ears in the shadows."
Subaru gave her a nod, silently giving his approval.
As she stepped forward, the group of assassins instinctively drew closer together, some flinching at her presence. Their eyes darted nervously among each other, unsure of how to react.
"Aqua is capable of healing them, even if I sever their limbs…" Gloria said, her tone casual but chilling. "So this concubine will not be gentle. I'll take it a bit seriously."
As she spoke, she manipulated her mana with finesse, conjuring a radiant blade composed entirely of pure light.
Gloria was a spirit, and spirits were inherently more attuned to their elemental attributes than any other form of life. However, even among spirits, the ability to create original spells was rare. Unlike humans and demi-humans who were bound by their affinity for certain attributes, spirits were the very essence of those elements—living mana shaped by will and soul.
They were beings composed entirely of energy—pure manifestations of elemental mana. The only true limitations they faced were their mana capacity, their ability to absorb and store mana, their degree of magical control, and ultimately, their imagination and comprehension of the fundamental principles required to execute any given spell or magical phenomenon.
Mana Capacity, Absorption, and Magical Control—these three attributes served as the foundation of their strength, and all of them naturally increased as the spirit matured and grew stronger over time.
It was a truth among the Great Spirits: as long as one possessed sufficient imagination and a deep understanding of magical principles, there were virtually no limits to the kinds of spells they could utilize or even invent from scratch.
Gloria, who had been baptized in Subaru's very soul, shared an extraordinarily deep bond with him—one far more intimate and intricate than most would ever comprehend. This connection was not merely emotional or symbolic; it granted her access to vast stores of Subaru's personal knowledge. Their contract was without restraints, free of the usual limitations that bound spirit-user relationships. It allowed her to evolve at a pace bordering on unnatural.
This intimate bond wasn't exclusive to Gloria. All of Subaru's other contracted spirits had received similar enlightenment concerning their own elemental attributes. Each had benefited immensely from Subaru's knowledge and his unique affinity with mana. However, Beatrice—Betty—remained an exception.
Because Beatrice had not shared in the same kind of soul-bonding or experiential growth that came with Subaru's numerous deaths through Return by Death, she had missed out on those inherited bursts of progress. Even when Subaru offered to share the same knowledge with her telepathically, she stubbornly refused. Not out of pride, but due to a personal philosophy: she preferred to learn through her own effort and understanding.
She cherished the journey of discovery itself, unlike the others who had eagerly absorbed the knowledge like sponges. While her choice gave her a richer sense of satisfaction, it also left her trailing far behind in terms of sheer power and versatility.
That was precisely why, at this moment, Gloria had managed to create an entirely new spell on the spot—without even needing to chant a single word.
Not only did she possess Subaru's extensive knowledge of both modern science and magic theory, but she also possessed an innate genius that far exceeded the norm, even among the high-tier Yang Spirits. Her light-element attribute was naturally superior to the four basic elemental types—earth, fire, water, and wind. After undergoing an ascension brought upon by Subaru's Return by Death and his astronomically high spirit affinity, Gloria had evolved into something almost monstrous..
But not just any monster—a monster among geniuses. And in this context, the term "genius" referred to the elite of the elite among the Spirit Race—those who were genius even among the Great Spirits.
"Come at me, you mongrels," Gloria sneered, her voice dripping with contempt. "I shall grant you the honor of the first move."
The assassins, driven by fear and a primal instinct to survive, responded without hesitation. In unison, they attacked with blinding speed. Their figures blurred as they closed the distance, drawing deadly daggers and lunging at her from multiple directions. Others launched shuriken, poisonous darts, and various hidden tools designed to kill silently and efficiently.
But Gloria remained unshaken.
With an effortless wave of her hand, she conjured a radiant shield made of solidified light. Every projectile, every strike, was halted instantly as if time had frozen around her. She vanished in a flash—her body dematerializing and rematerializing several meters away. The assassins were left momentarily disoriented.
And then, they screamed.
The first wave of attackers collapsed one after another, some clutching at severed arms, others crying out in horror as they realized their legs had been cleanly sliced off. The dismemberments had occurred so quickly they hadn't even registered the pain until moments after the fact.
"Arghhhhhh!" The air was filled with agonizing cries of anguish and disbelief.
Gloria, now several paces away, stood with an expression of bored disinterest.
"Pathetic," she muttered, almost as if disappointed.
Infuriated, the remaining assassins launched a desperate counterattack. Three of them—clearly the best among the group—broke the sound barrier as they charged, attacking her from three separate directions. Their precision, speed, and coordination were perfect, honed by years of experience in assassination and silent killing.
But it made no difference.
Gloria parried each of their attacks simultaneously, her movements so fluid and precise that even Subaru, Beatrice, and Reina were visibly stunned.
What astonished them wasn't just the speed—it was her freedom.
Unlike most spirits who unconsciously limited themselves to traditional interpretations of their attributes, Gloria was unshackled. She was light itself—able to manipulate photons with meticulous detail, shaping them into any form her mind could conceive.
As light, she could theoretically move at the speed of light. The only limitation came from the transition between her spiritual and physical form—a phase shift that still placed her comfortably over Mach 100. And she moved without creating any sonic booms, a testament to her unparalleled control.
Gloria grinned as another wave of assassins charged toward her in reckless desperation.
'I inherited these memories from Father… There was that technique too. Let's try it out, shall we?' she thought, her amusement radiating in her aura.
With a flicker of intent, she bent her mana to her will.
Dozens upon dozens of spectral weapons materialized in the air—halberds, lances, spears, longswords, and glaives—all made of hardened, luminous photons. Then, without hesitation, they rained down upon the battlefield with pinpoint accuracy.
The spectacle was brutal.
The energy constructs pierced through flesh and bone, launching bodies across the room or pinning them in place like insects on a display board. Though the speed of the projectiles wasn't quite at the level of light or even thunder, it resembled a grand and polished version of the destructive Jiwald spell—albeit more elegant, more calculated, and vastly more terrifying.
"Haha! Look at you now, you pitiful mongrels!" Gloria cackled as blood pooled around her feet and her enemies groaned, twitching, or lay motionless on the ground.
In the end, none remained standing. Every single assassin had been defeated—some on the brink of death, others unconscious or incapacitated entirely.
"I-Incredible! How are you this strong?! You were only born a few months ago! It doesn't make sense to Betty! In fact!" Beatrice exclaimed, her voice cracking with shock. Her disbelief was genuine and raw.
Gloria scoffed, flipping her shimmering hair with pride.
"Hmph! None of you are worthy of comparison to this concubine," she replied arrogantly, then floated gracefully back to Subaru's side.
Subaru, who had been silently observing, finally spoke with a tone of admiration.
"That was impressive, Gloria. You completely shattered my expectations."
Gloria beamed, clearly pleased with herself, basking in both his praise and her own overwhelming display of power.
To be continued...
(A/N: For now Gloria is the strongest among Subaru's spirits.
Gloria is a monster among genius, and the latter term refers to genius among the Great Spirits.
Her prowess already rivals the Spirit Kings or Pseudo-Divine beings.
She can absorb huge amount of mana from atmosphere and let's don't forget that she can absorb mana from Subaru as well, and he just happens to have plenty of it. After getting dragon blood his mana capacity is ten times from his tenth death and it's permanent.
1024(Mana Quantity)*1024(Mana Quality)*10 times
That his amount of mana, and it is greater than Peak Roswaal, having less mana only as compared to Volcanica, Reina, Echidna, Satella and Emilia.
She is a Pseudo-Divine spirit by fate terms, and has the power of one.
Also the meaning of 'Seven Sisters' is the Pleiades Constellation.
I used it due to lore, since there is already Pleiades Watchtower, Subaru thought it would be kinda rip-off, so he just used another name for his name.
Pleiades, Subaru, Seven Sisters are all Subaru's names.
I hope you liked the chapter!
GIVE ME THE POWERSTONES!)