The Dream of the Lion King

by Tappei Nagatsuki

  With mounting disgust, it dawned on Crusch: None of these people were really unhappy that the royal line had ended. What they were worried about was the implications of it—whether the dragon would abandon them. They were terrified of being turned out from the cradle of the dragon’s blessings. The death of the king, the end of the royal family—these were secondary considerations.

  To them, Fourier’s death is hardly a footnote.

  The terrible thing was that if Crusch had not been so close to Fourier, she would no doubt be embracing the same fears as the rest of them. Her soul would be just as lukewarm as theirs.

  That way of living, above all others, repulsed Crusch. She could hardly bear it as it cast a dark shadow over her heart.

  “There is a matter I must share with you all.”

  The words cut through the furor of the assembly, and all eyes turned to the speaker.

  It was Baron Lyp Bariel. He was not of high noble rank, but had been a favorite of His Majesty Randohal and much valued by the departed king. When Lyp had sufficient attention from the crowd, he made his announcement in a shaking voice.

  “—There is a new inscription on the Dragon Tablet. The dragon has already revealed the fate of the kingdom.”

  This caused a fresh uproar in the assembly hall. The Dragon Tablet was a stone, a gift from the dragon and one of the kingdom’s treasures. It recorded the future of the nation. A number of times in the past, the stone had warned the kingdom of threats to come, and they had been able to make preparations in advance.

  No sooner had they been reflecting on how much they needed the dragon than they had been reminded in the most painful way of its power. Ignoring the feelings of Crusch and the others, Lyp began to read the inscription in a hurried tone.

  “It says: ‘Upon this, the end of the royal house, the kingdom shall find five candidates chosen by the Dragon Jewels, and with a new shrine maiden, the pact shall be made anew.’”

  “The Dragon Tablet is telling us to choose a new king…? But how are we to find these five candidates?!”

  “There are insignias,” Lyp replied hotly, “jewels passed down by the royal house of Lugunica, which point to their pact with the dragon. The insignias bear those jewels, which will shine when held by one who is qualified as a candidate!”

  At a gesture from Lyp, a cart was wheeled into the circular assembly room. Atop the cart were shimmering gemstones, the insignias of the Kingdom of Lugunica that bore the Dragon Jewels.

  “If it recognizes you as a loyal retainer who can truly lead the kingdom, the insignia shall choose you. Does the Dragon Tablet speak false? Let each of you be tested in turn.”

  One of Lyp’s assistants went among the people seated in the hall, putting the insignia before each of them. Some broke out in a cold sweat as they looked down upon it. Others gulped. If it were to glow in their hand, the path to the kingship would open.

  The insignia was set in front of Crusch, as well. They said the dragon sought those who were loyal to the kingdom. If that were so, then surely she, as she was now, would not be chosen. But if…

  “Then let us begin the test,” Miklotov said. The Council of Elders went first, taking the insignia in hand. But there was no change in the darkened gem. There were some quiet breaths, and the slightest sounds of disappointment. So the test of the insignia began, working its way outward from the council. Disappointment after disappointment, and then came Crusch’s turn.

  The insignia was a triangular obsidian stone carved with a dragon design worked in gold. In the very center was the red gem called the Dragon Jewel, the stone that mocked the vain ambitions of those who were not fit to rule.

  “The dragon? Who cares about…?” Crusch whispered, not letting the words out of her mouth as she grasped the insignia. She held it out in her palm for all to see. And then…

  “—Oh, my…”

  This came from Miklotov, whose normally placid face bore an unusual look of surprise. Everyone else in the room clearly felt the same way.

  The insignia in Crusch’s hand was glowing brightly.

  “—So it seems even I, inept as I am, can do something for our kingdom.”

  She felt no shock. Her heart was too calm for that. As this registered with her, Crusch raised her head and closed her eyes.

  —And in the darkness, she thought she saw Fourier’s last smile.

  7

  When Ferris found out about the royal election, and that Crusch was one of those who had been chosen to stand, he combed the castle looking for her, until he arrived in the garden.

  “—Lady Crusch.”

  Standing before the flowers, she looked so fragile that he had hesitated to call out. And no wonder. This was where she had spent those last moments with Fourier. It was the most holy place in Crusch’s heart, the one place even Ferris could not enter.

  He felt the pain of his own powerlessness as keenly as if a blade were digging into his chest. If only he could run to her, embrace her shoulders, and cast some magic spell that would heal her heart.

  “Ferris, is that you? Well done, finding me here.”

  She spoke without looking back at Ferris, who bit his lip at his feelings of helplessness.

  Now and again the wind gusted, picking up Crusch’s long hair. Ferris watched her hair blow as he said, “I heard about the Dragon Tablet. They said you’re one of the candidates to become the next king, Lady Crusch.”

  “Yes, so it seems. The dragon appears to have looked favorably on me.”

  Ferris could hardly have remained calm at this buffeting from the currents of fate. He had joined the royal guard, his mother and father had died, and he had lost Fourier, his bond with whom had meant so much. Now Crusch, his harbor in every storm, was caught up in some kind of royal election. Was there nothing safe or stable for him?

  “What can I do for you, Lady Crusch? I don’t know what to do…”

  He didn’t want to cause her any additional trouble, but he couldn’t keep a quaver out of his voice. Ferris was too small a vessel to hold the emotions that roiled within him. Tears blurred his vision, and he wanted to run from the garden.

  “Ferris, look at me.” Crusch’s voice made him jump.

  He heard footsteps, and then two feet entered his downcast view. He raised his head and found himself looking straight at Crusch. The magic in her amber eyes captivated him.

  “Ferris, let me vow to you before anyone else—I do wish to become king.”

  “Lady…Crusch…” Ferris caught his breath at her unhesitating declaration.

  She was telling him she aspired to prevail at the royal election and ultimately take the throne. Ferris could not say anything further, but Crusch glanced around them and said, “The first time I met His Highness, it was in this garden. We often talked here and looked at the flowers together.” She spoke gently; her eyes showed that she was remembering something long past.

  Ferris didn’t need to ask who it was she was remembering.

  “In time, His Highness began to call at our mansion. I never told you, did I? Until I met His Highness, I always tied my hair back. Now I merely use a ribbon to keep it neat.”

  “I never knew. Why did you stop tying it up?”

  “His Highness told me to be faithful to myself. So that was what I did. I chose the ribbon I gave to you, but…it began with His Highness.”

  Ferris unconsciously touched the white ribbon Crusch had given him, which he still wore in his hair.

  She shared one memory after another with him, things he hadn’t known—but one by one, they became memories he and Crusch shared. A bond so beautiful and so lively that he couldn’t stop the flood of tears, or the ocean of smiles.

  “Ferris, the time that we…that His Highness and you and I shared together…is something I cherish.”

  From the day Crusch had led Ferris from the Argyle mansion and first made him human, he had always been with her, and his circle soon expanded to include Fourier as well. A great deal of his life was made up of the
two of them.

  “But the existence of the dragon undermines that precious time of ours,” she went on. “For many, His Highness existed only as a way of continuing the pact. They don’t mourn his death, not really.” Ferris stiffened; fire danced in Crusch’s eyes.

  What had she seen? What had happened during that time when Ferris couldn’t be with her?

  “But he did exist, enough to carve himself into my heart and yours. Fourier Lugunica well and truly lived.”

  With her right hand she touched her chest, and with her left hand, his. It was just a brush of her fingers, but Ferris thought the heat in them might burn his whole body. The fire of her resolve would swallow up every extraneous thought.

  “The man who was my Lion King did live. I shall never allow anyone to say he didn’t.”

  The pact with the dragon embracing the kingdom had protected the people for a very long time. But it had made their hearts weak, so much so that they were willing to ignore the death of this kind boy who had been loved by everyone he met. People’s hearts had grown so frail that Fourier’s death was all but forgotten in the face of the pact with the dragon.

  “His death belongs to him. My Lion King is within me even now. I still dream the dream my king had—I alone can achieve it.”

  No one else saw how twisted the life of the kingdom had become. Everyone toadied to the dragon, begged favors from it, relied on its help, and in the process they had all forgotten how to walk on their own.

  “No ruler but me will try to correct this, for nobody remembers those who sought to be true kings. So it falls to us to do it.”

  “Lady Crusch,” Ferris whispered.

  Crusch held out to him a dagger she’d taken from her belt. He took it and found that it was inscribed with the symbol of the Lion King. This was a precious heirloom of the House of Karsten.

  “His Highness had a dream—of you, and me, and him, the three of us, building the future together.”

  “The three of us… Me, with His Highness, and you, Lady Crusch…?”

  Faced with the striking weight of the dagger in his hand, Ferris finally realized what he had to do alongside Crusch and His Highness, to help in their resolution. Now, he had only Crusch. She was everything.

  “His Highness loved this place,” Crusch said somberly, “and it’s where he spent his last moments. So I swear to him here: I will make you my knight.”

  At that, Ferris knelt wordlessly and offered up the dagger. Crusch took it and drew it, touching Ferris first on the left shoulder, then on the right, with the flat of the blade. Then she gave the knife back to him, completing the ritual of vassalage.

  No one knew a knighthood had been bestowed there that day—except one, or perhaps two, Lion Kings who were present. And it was a beginning, and for the two of them, it was also the continuation of the dream of their Lion King.

  Crusch glanced back over her shoulder. “We’re going, Ferris. To reclaim our kingdom from the dragon and make His Highness’s dream come true.”

  “Yes, Lady Crusch. Lead me, and I’ll follow. We’ll find where His Highness’s dream takes us.” There was no hesitation as he joined her. The first of the candidates for king, the one most strongly bound to her attendant, walked proudly away. The only ones watching were the flowers in that garden where everything had begun.

  Bobbing gently in the breeze, a single bud waited tranquilly for the right moment to bloom.

 

  AFTERWORD

  Hello! Always so good to have you here. This is Tappei Nagatsuki. Or, if you find it easier to imagine, a gray cat who goes by that name.

  Er, if that reference went over your head, just ignore it. Sorry.

  This volume of Re:ZERO is a side story to the main plot. In the past, I’ve done short-story collections that get away from the events of the main series, but this time, rather than do another batch of vignettes, I decided to call this Ex.

  I had actually intended to do this volume more or less in the vein of the other short-story collections, but during the planning stage, I found I had a lot of stories about how Crusch got her start, and then the suggestion was made that the whole volume could be devoted to that topic. So we found ourselves with the book you’re currently holding.

  None of the main characters from the regular series appear here; we’re digging into the background of some of the rest of the cast. Some of the material is rather challenging, but I hope those of you who have read this far will see what Crusch and her friends have gone through and understand where her resolve comes from. I hope you’ve come to like them even just a little bit more, and that it will give you even greater pleasure in finding out what they get up to in the main story.

  Having read the book, maybe you’re wondering what’s going on with the author. Well, I’m pretty obsessed with tabletop RPGs (I know I’m a little late to the party).

  I knew TRPGs existed, but it seemed like there was a pretty high bar of entry for complete novices like me, and I could never quite bring myself to try them. But with some help from the people around me, I finally gave one a shot…and it’s really something. They are super, super interesting.

  People had told me that creative types tend to get caught up in TRPGs, and now I see what they mean: This is a kind of experience you don’t really get with other games. You get to let your imagination run wild in somebody else’s world. What author wouldn’t love that?

  There are all sorts of fun to be had here. I get to solve problems using only my wits, plumb mysteries with the guidance of my GM, drive my character nuts with my little mistakes, and lots more.

  Publishing books like this has helped me make new friends and given me glimpses into worlds I had never known about before, where I’ve discovered other ideas and ways of thinking. Those are important experiences to have in life. I hope all my readers will challenge themselves—not just to try TRPGs but to do all kinds of new things.

  For starters, you could recommend this series to people who don’t know about it. Broaden your friends’ horizons! I, personally, would certainly be happy if you did that. It’s a way of bringing more happiness into the world, one person at a time. Try it!

  I’m going to run up against my page count pretty soon here, so it’s time for the acknowledgments.

  I’m indebted as ever to my editor, I-sama. I’m grateful for your suggestion to delve into the backgrounds of some of these characters, including some who haven’t shown up in the main series yet. Sorry for always making such ridiculous demands of you!

  To my illustrator, Otsuka-sensei, as always, thank you so much for producing such wonderful illustrations in such a short time. I know I always ask for oodles of character designs, and I’m always impressed by how quickly you come up with them. For this volume, I think you especially captured Fourier’s slightly ridiculous side. Fantastic work.

  To Kusano-sensei, my designer, thank you so much for all your work. This time the title was even longer than usual—in my head, I sort of thought of it as a challenge. Even Kusano-sensei won’t be able to fit all this in! But it’s a bet I would have lost. And I hope I’ll keep losing those bets.

  To everyone else in the editing and sales divisions, to all the proofreaders and the owners of all the bookstores, this book couldn’t have taken shape without the cooperation of so many people. Thank you all.

  And more than anything, my thanks go out to my readers, who picked up this book and came along with me on this story. I hope you’ll stick around for the next one, too.

  Okay, then. I’ll see you for Volume 7 of the main series. Later!

  May 2015

  Tappei Nagatsuki

  (Feeling deathly afraid of summer this year, if the May heat is any indication.)

  “Right, right, riiight! It’s Ferri and Crusch, handling today’s Message Corner! Now we can let everyone know just how great Lady Crusch is!”

  “Don’t get too excited, Ferris. I appreciate your thoughtfulness, but first we must fulfill the duty we’ve been assigned. Y
ou can only hold your head up high once you’ve met the obligations of your office. You understand?”

  “Aww, Lady Crusch, you’re starting out so cool, Ferri can barely handle it…!”

  “What’s wrong? Your face is red. Do you have a cold? If you’re feeling ill, I can handle this…”

  “Nope! Uh-uh! Not at all! Gosh, Lady Crusch, how cruel of you! Okay then, now Ferri’s gonna dispel any concerns about my health by delivering the news with unbridled enthusiasm! First up, they’re at it again! The beloved collaboration between Ministop and Re:ZERO is back! We’ve got some really lovely stuff in store for you this time.”

  “In light of summer bearing down on us, I gather there will be some wall scrolls showing Emilia and her friends in bathrobes, as well as key chains packaged with your favorite Ministop sweets. They are quite cute. You can use the Loppi terminal at any Ministop to preorder. It’s a rather convenient device.”

  “It sure is. Oh, and, and! We have an announcement about the MF Bunko J Summer School Festival! The school festival is packed every year, and this year the events will include an autograph session with Tappei Nagatsuki, the author of Re:ZERO! Yahoooo, that’s awesome! But is it going to go all right?”

  “I’m sure the plans were made after due consideration. I have high hopes for that autograph session. Apparently there will also be announcements about merchandising and more at the summer festival. Details about the festival and the Ministop collaboration can be found on the Re:ZERO home page or MF Bunko J’s home page.”

  “You’re so thoughtful, Lady Crusch! You’re wonderful! And on that note! One thing we definitely shouldn’t forget is Re:ZERO, Volume 7! It should go on sale in September. Ta-da!”

  “Subaru Natsuki has had his heart broken, but he starts off once again. With Rem’s help, he opens negotiations with us—and then the biggest battle his new world has ever seen begins.”