A Random in Re:Zero

Loop 4 - Part 20

"If Felt falls in love with you, your relationship with her will be much better than it is now. Of course, I'm not saying you should manipulate her, but you should definitely try to get closer to her."

"You mean it..."

I laughed as the redhead nervously scratched his hair, his imagination influenced by my suggestion.

"Relax, it's just advice. You don't have to follow it exactly. It's enough to have some details, to be honest and direct with your feelings... You know, what girls like."

I wasn't so sure about that. A person who's never had a girlfriend shouldn't talk as if they know much about women, but I had to say something to avoid embarrassment.

"I understand. I'll keep that in mind. Changing the subject, I heard Lady Emilia has returned to Mathers Manor. May I know why you stayed in the royal capital?"

"Sometimes you have to step back to gain a better perspective and expand your options for dealing with certain obstacles."

I often considered telling Reinhard about the White Whale and the attack led by Petelgeuse, but while it would be easy to take them down with the help of the most powerful character, I would end up losing more than I would gain.

The events of the whale and the cult in the third arc were very important in terms of the development of certain characters, the evolution of the relationships between them and last but not least: my own reputation was at stake.

Personally, I didn't mind remaining a nobody, but depending on how I made it to the fifth arc, I might absolutely need popular recognition. If Subaru hadn't been seen as a hero, many more people would have died in Priestella.

Not to mention that changing the canon so drastically would have unpredictable consequences. He'd already done enough damage by creating objects that weren't from this world.

Those points in my analysis were what led me to make the decision not to ask Reinhard for help.

"I see. I suppose you're preparing to do something big."

"As perceptive as ever." I smiled, repeating the same phrase I'd told him earlier. "It's true, what I have planned is pretty big. I'm sure you'll find out soon enough."

In fact, all preparations were underway. I had met with Russell and Anastasia for the opportunity to "accept their gratitude" for saving their lives. I also gave Nadir a huge assignment, which included creating an archaic rifle prototype and mass-producing it.

Yes, it's pretty idiotic of me to create more weapons after what happened with the creation of a single one, but if I wanted to defeat the White Whale and Petelgeuse's squad with the least amount of casualties possible, I had to be well prepared.

Now all that was left was to meet with Crusch and convince her to collaborate. Then I could finally speedrun that fucking whale.

However, to do that I was missing something very important, which was a mandatory requirement to do things as neatly and flawlessly as possible.

"I'll have to die again, huh..."

***

Leaning against the large tree, I did nothing but wait in silence as the light of the full moon dimly illuminated the countryside around me. A gentle breeze blew; although the temperature wasn't low, my body shivered and my skin prickled.

The shadows of the clouds were a deceptive vision for my perception, altered by anxiety and nervousness. Each shape was distorted by my mind, creating specters of a giant body that crossed the skies, lurking in the darkness of the silent night.

For entertainment, I scanned the playlist on my Samsung A10, which was still working after a full month in this world without chargers or power supplies. I mentally thanked Betty for the spell she'd cast on the smartphone to keep it powered on.

I didn't know mana could be used as a power source so literally. If it weren't for that, this would be much more complicated than it already was.

Then, as my phone struck 3:30, a familiar silhouette appeared overhead, gliding through the air like its marine counterparts swimming in the ocean of my world.

Of course, this whale wasn't as harmless as one of those. I only had to wait a little while, and the demonic beast of the mist would kill me.

I quickly checked the time and made a mental note to make this sacrificial loop worth it.

A thunderous roar shook the world around me. The White Whale had spotted me and was descending at full speed, advancing furiously in my direction.

However, I had no intention of being devoured by her. Grimacing, I pulled out my revolver and pointed the barrel at my temple.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I won't be fighting you this time." I closed my eyes to quell the fear that was washing over me due to the enormous beast approaching, as if having to kill myself wasn't disturbing enough. "See you soon, bitch."

Then I pulled the trigger.