So guys... As you could see, the story gained a new name - and one that suits better the purpose of what is being told here - and this chapter shows that.

WIND OF UNTRUTH

"That face... It doesn't suit you..."

... ... ...

"Smile. Smile for me, smile for everyone, smile for the bright future you're going to make shine..."

... ... ...

"Smile, Ryan..."

... ... ...

"...!" He leapt off the bed, pulling himself up with haunting speed.

The first thing he did was touch his forehead, before he could even feel the fact that he was breathing so deeply. A trace of slightly heated steam escaped from each deep puff he let out.

He looked down at his right palm, which was now covered in sweat. Even though it was a cold night, that sweat was persistent and sticky, and wouldn't promise to stop dripping.

He led himself to look at his hand for a few more seconds. He realized he was shaking.

That dream had once again disturbed his sleep.

... ... ...

Ryan got up. He knew that from that point forward, going back to sleep would be impossible. Looking through the window of the small but comfortable bedroom, it was noticeable that it was already somewhat close to dawn - as a very clear and thin line of sunlight was already visible - but that, anyway, it was not that late. - he could still sleep for two or maybe three hours before having to wake up to carry out the day's activities.

That nightmare always haunted his nights periodically. Ryan always woke up that way - shivering and shedding sweat, all on account of those damn hellish flames on that moonless night, with gray clouds from the cities being set ablaze...

That memory would never escape him. He even tried to use some of his powers or Magic to try and erase, or maybe suppress it, but there didn't seem to be any way. That trauma would continue, the unshakable memory of a day far more than just terrible.

The contact of his feet with the floor caused an intense thermal shock - the wood was so cold that a significant jet of pain hit him when he performed the act. Opening the door, he found a hallway. Rem was sleeping in the room at the end of it, which was three doors down from where he occupied.

There was an open door, however. Among the various locked movable walls, a single one seemed to have a single opening thread, leaving a tiny portion of the light that came in through the window to be present there, colliding with the wall on the other side.

Maybe there was someone else awake too? Although he hoped to be the only one, the boy did not discount the possibility. The light falling from a window at the end of the corridor allowed all this to be seen with absolute clarity.

Without thinking too much, he continued walking, all the way to the bathroom. After refreshing his face, the boy lifted it, forcing himself to look into the mirror.

"To be expected…" He thought to himself, pulling the amount of skin under his left eye a little, analyzing the porous, darker aspect of the surface.

It was a dark circle that was getting deeper. For the past three days, he hadn't been able to get the best quality of sleep. And as if the terrible memories and war traumas he carried were not enough, there was still one more question to worry about.

The death. Ryan had begun to dream, more and more, of his own death - or rather, of the loops where he didn't succeed. He always ended up waking up with a memory of Elsa or Rem painfully killing him.

Leaving the bathroom, Ryan still considered going back to the bedroom, but there was no longer any reason for that. Instead, he headed in the opposite direction, walking towards the hotel balcony.

The cool breeze felt on wet skin, sending out shivers and goosebumps, drying immediately on contact with the current. There, he could see a beautiful portion of the city overhead, all the lights, the houses in which the vast majority slept... All in absolute silence, which not even a single owl threatened to break.

Everything glowed in silvery blue, enveloping things in its immense magnitude... Being enveloped by it, he let himself grab the sort of wooden partition, which divided the balcony from the rest of the world, which was the height of half his body.

There was no way he could go back to sleep after that. Once awakened by those nightmares, Ryan would just keep tossing and turning in bed until he had to be forced to get up. Therefore, it was better to leave bed soon.

After all, that was still him. A monster incapable of dying that tried to dig up some remnant of humanity and cling to it, even with its own life.

Many might think that the idea of going back in time through death is something grotesque and that should never be done, but to him… That idea almost sounded like something highly seductive. The ability to always be able to try one more time, to go back in time to ensure there would be no casualties...

"How I wish I had the possibility to do this before..."

He didn't know how, or why, but he felt there must be one. The power to go back in time with death wasn't something that belonged to him - and the boy, somehow, just had that feeling deep in his chest. It was caused by some external factor.

If he had this before, how many lives could have been saved? How many dreams would not have to perish? How many hopes would not be forced to burn in blazing fires, under the pretext of divine retribution? How many loves could be being lived at their peak?

He would keep dying, even if it meant having to die a thousand times... If he was going to do everything right, he would-

... ... ...

"Ryan…? What are you doing here right now?" A soft, well-known voice called out to him.

Silver. Everything was silver as snow, and covered with a pink nightgown.

"Emilia..." He hesitated a little. "What are you doing here at a time like this?"

The girl approached, putting her own elbows in contact with the wooden structure, also looking out over the city for a few seconds, with a subtle and sincere, but heavy, soft smile.

She had positioned herself a little more distance than usual—Ryan could feel the two of them were emotionally close enough that the distance made between them had a right to be less than that.

"I... couldn't sleep very well..." She said. "And I could ask the same. What do you do around here when you should be sleeping, Ryan?"

He chuckled a little inwardly at that question, but the outward response was weak. Ryan's lips curved up ever so slightly, forming an almost invisible gesture. Looking at the immensity of beautiful houses and stars, he said.

"Yeah. I kind of don't enjoy traveling actually... But being able to look at this is a huge bonus, you know...?" He smiled a little more as he felt a breeze of that cold air. "Are you nervous, Emilia?"

Once again. It was something he always did when he became the center of the subject. Ryan always had this habit. "Enough about me. Let's talk about you instead." - that was what it was called. It was already automatic. Whenever he became a topic of discussion, it was destined to happen.

Emilia looked down a little, causing her lips to take on almost the shape of a kiss - the way people looked when they were too thoughtful. After a second or two of silence, she let herself speak, intertwining her fingers.

"A little bit. Having to talk to all those people, about my ideals, my dreams... This... I always find myself thinking about how I'm going to do this... About how I'm going to be able to tell everyone about everything I plan for their lives... And most of all..."

She looked up, eyes the color of amethysts reflecting the moonlight. A breeze blew, moving her hair back.

"... If I will really be listened to for this."

... ... ...

Being listened to. That was the concern of the half-elf girl who came from a frozen forest. She, who had the same face as the most well-known evil in the world, had big dreams of kindness and willingness to help everyone. An idealist second to none, willing to deliver on everything she was about to promise.

There was no way not to feel sympathy for that feeling. Ryan, watching that unfold, felt as if, even for a moment, the gravity of the place had shifted to something lighter. It was like being in an elevator about to stop, but in a much more positive way.

She had her dreams, her big aspirations. Emilia wanted to be appreciated, heard, listened to... And there was no one who could deny her aspiring to that. On the contrary, it should be encouraged.

Ryan still remembered very well the first real conversation they had, in a loop that never became real. Those sadly lost words had become nothing more than memories.

But... There was still one thing that could be done.

... ... ...

Emilia's eyes widened. She hadn't expected that feeling in the cold start of a morning. It was a light weight, very soft and gentle, understanding, filled with a very rare kind of care. An almost paternal gesture, in fact, but one that carried a much greater load of friendship and trust.

Emilia in that loop hadn't received something that deep. Emilia in that loop didn't get to know that feeling, that care. Emilia in that loop hadn't experienced what it's like to meet someone who didn't doubt or question, but who was truly supportive. Emilia in that loop now became the union of all the others who had gone before her - the ones with whom he built that connection of trust, friendship and so deep gratitude.

And so the words, which were just words, now became gestures, through the touch of that hand.

"You are a good girl, Emilia. Thanks for being like that. Really."

And he kept talking, undoing the gesture so it wouldn't become excessive. Ryan returned to his place to observe, but this time, he himself did the favor of moving a little closer, of approaching the distance that had been imposed between them.

"When I was in that forest, I already had in mind that I was going to die…" He started to speak. "And I don't joke when I say that - I really thought I was going to die in there."

Thinking a little more, he decided that it would be pertinent not to talk about Elsa - not only was that not an important subject anymore, it would also generate unnecessary concern, after all, she was already dead.

"But everything changed the moment you showed up... And Emilia, I can tell you with all certainty that possibly fits in this world... I don't know what would become of me if it weren't for you."

Ryan took a breath of air, turning to look at her.

"It's a scary thing. To be in a new land, in the worst situation, where I didn't know anyone… No food, not a single coin with an arrow hole in the middle to call mine…" He said. "No Magic…" … "So, meeting you was one of the highlights of my life – because of you, I've met all these amazing people, because of you, I get a chance to feel bored for being stuck in an expensive hotel, and look, I can see this beautiful scene right now...!" He pointed to the growing orange line that rose, very slowly, across the sky, slowly consuming and lightening the blue.

He took an immense amount of air.

"And when you went into that forest, just to go after me... Dude, you can't even imagine what I thought at that moment! After all, since when would the Lady of the Mansion herself bother to save a mere servant, risking her own life in the process?!" Ryan began to act out with his arms. "And that was when I saw it, Emilia..."

He regained his more serious composure, looking at her seriously.

"At that moment I had concrete proof that you would be able to get wherever you wanted. If you went there, among the Mabeasts to pick me up... Oh, you'll definitely be able to tell everyone about your dreams!"

Didn't stop talking. He didn't seem the least bit close to stopping talking. If anyone with knowledge of the subject listened to Ryan at this point, they might judge him as a cross between an epic narrator and a motivational coach, with a spoonful of real feelings.

Emilia truly cared for him at that moment, and that left a deep impression on him. He felt protected, felt as if there was at least one person who was truly going to miss him, someone who wanted him there, contrary to what everything had tried to show that far.

"And that's why I say 'thank you' a thousand times over for being who you are, and for getting to know you. And do you want me to say more? You see, I hate travel. I absolutely despise having to travel anywhere... I get tired, my mood plummets... And you know what I hate the most? Being in the middle of a bunch of people full of money, and in a closed room, full of guards...!"

... ... ...

"But it's alright! I will go there, yes. I will, but that's why you 'll be there, Emilia. I don't give a damn about this event. But you're going to be in it, and that's what I want to be there to see... So I hope you can learn to count on me, just as I could count on you that day."

A deep, heavy silence ran through it, interrupted by the icy breeze, which made some of the leaves on trees in a nearby square rustle. Emilia's hair flew through the air, being taken to the most infinite places in that unique space it could reach.

"I'm not really doing my best as a friend right now – believe me, I'm aware of that now – but, I hope I can change that, Emilia. I want you to trust me, just as I felt I could trust you. I ask you for the ability to prove that I can be better than this... I swear I won't disappoint...!" He forced the best smile he could muster. "Even though I actually caused all the trouble that night... I'm sorry, Emilia."

... ... ...

A tearful smile - one that reflected the purest happiness. That was what the face of the girl who had never seen such a specific kind of light, of hope, was stamped on.

"Don't say embarrassing things like those in such a natural way...!" Emilia said, wiping the droplets off her face.

"I think I should take that as a no...?" Ryan raised an eyebrow.

"Of course not, you muttonhead...!" She said, still smiling involuntarily. "We have a promise now...!"

"A promise?"

"A promise! A promise of trust!" She answered. "Let's promise that we can always trust each other regardless of what happens, okay?"

... ... ...

"Promise it is, then."

/

"Bye, Rem! We're off!" Ryan said, waving to the maid who was in the distance. She responded with another wave. "Well then, Emilia. Should we go?"

"Yes. The process will start in a few hours. We must hurry if that is possible." She said in confirmation.

It didn't take long for the gigantic construction of the site where the first meeting of the Royal Candidates would take place - at first Ryan could see huge towers rising into the high skies, followed by an enormous, horizontal building with a strong foundation, very similar to a mixture of Romanesque and Gothic styles.

Even though he wasn't the focus of the situation, he couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable. Ryan never liked highly crowded environments, as they gave him panic.

But he was doing it for Emilia. If she wanted to be heard, even by a single person, he would be there to make sure that happened. And that was what mattered most at the moment. A simple discomfort could be ignored with some force of will.

As soon as they descended, they were greeted with a long meeting of Royal Knights and nobles, who walked from one side to the other, not appearing to have any direction. It seemed to be a common custom among members of the nobility - that of conversing with everyone, or at least with those of similar classes.

"These nobles... The truth is that each one of them prefers to stay within their own little groups." Ryan thought, looking around, seeing old people, many of them overweight to extremes, talking to each other. "In the end, they only know how to care for their own noses..."

Taking care of citizens' lives was not a priority for them. Ryan knew that like no one else - about the fact that everyone only cares about their own pockets. They ignore the poor, the hungry, the sick and the vulnerable...

"Ah... It won't be now that I'm going to consider entering this process...! Don't even think about it, Ryan!" He interrupted his own thoughts before they could continue.

He had, in a way, suffered an ultimatum - Ryan would have no other day but this one to say he was a candidate, and therefore to drop the process. The next meeting would take a while to take place, and delaying that would be negative for the process.

In fact, Roswaal was also pushing him to take that stand and speak out to everyone, so he would have to.

"You're going to make your announcement - just say something like 'Hey guys, I'm a candidate! So, I'm out!' - or stuff like that." He was trying to teach himself.

"So Emilia…" He started. "This process will start in a few hours, isn't that right?"

"Exactly. There is still time to organize the event." She answered.

In fact, it was still quite early, and the meeting would only take place a little later, during a later part of the day. Looking up, he noticed that the sun was still very low in the sky.

"I see, then..."

... And before he could even continue, Emilia intervened, flashing a slight smile.

"Of course, you can go out and walk around the Capital, as you planned! As long as you're here at the right time, of course... You mustn't break your promise!" She said, pointing a rather accusatory finger at him. "And besides, you have to tell everyone about your candidacy!"

"Eh?! Of course not! I swear I'll be here on time - I can guarantee it! I'm just going to walk for a little bit, that's all!" He started waving his hands in front of his face, trying to shield himself from the accusation.

"That's what I expect from you! Give me a reason to really trust you for this!" Emilia put both hands on her hips.

"Don't worry, I won't betray that trust!" He said, turning back, trying to get something out of his pocket. "See you in a few hours, Emilia!"

"Wait a minute there!" She called for him. Ryan felt himself freeze in place at that.

"Uh... What's wrong, Emilia...?" From the intonation of the call, Ryan could tell that she wasn't satisfied. He hastily tried to hide what he held in his hand.

She pointed right at his hand, saying something that crushed, burned to ash, and threw overboard his expectations of being someone who looks cool in another world...

"Don't even think about going out on the street wearing these glasses! They will get a lot of attention!"

"But that's exactly the intention...!" Ryan thought, having his heart crushed internally. "Alright, alright... I'm not wearing the blackglasses!"

He tried to pocket them again, but Emilia refused to let him go until they were confiscated by her. Reluctantly, Ryan handed the girl the pair of black lenses, which interrupted most of the sunlight.

/

Torture. Walking through the streets of the Capital at that time of the morning was nothing but pure torture...

Wonderful-looking food, with incredible odors that ran all over the place, filling and blending in the atmosphere... It all felt highly perfect, and it certainly was! But there was only one detail...

"I can't eat any of this...!" Ryan brooded over his thoughts, trying to ignore his body's pleas for the large amounts of sugar and fat things had.

It didn't matter what it looked like, what it smelled like, or how delicious it was to other people—the moment he tasted anything, it would be perceived as something between ground and radiation, and that was terrible.

But the odors remained and were picked up just as they would be by anyone! Ryan still caught all the wonderful sensations that came from the food, but he couldn't get the best of them! In this scenario, he was already starting to consider going somewhere a little more open, to get fresh air ventilation, without such excruciating smells.

"No wonder I lost so much weight after discovering Magic." He thought, remembering how quickly he'd lost nearly 33 pounds in body mass. Because of his condition, Ryan had to force himself to eat, or was forced to do so by other people.

Thinking of how boring this was, he turned into a street, a little wider. It was that familiar shopping street, full of merchants selling their wares. Looking around, he had expectations of finding a single person.

"Will I be able to find him today?" Ryan started looking around, looking for a certain trail of green in the air.

He looked, searched, hunted... Until he found it. A green trail standing in the middle of the crowd, the only one visible to him. Thrilled at the possibility, he dug his way through the crowd, carefully pushing Humans and Demi-Humans aside until he reached that patch of verdant light.

"Excuse me, good morning, I-"

... ... ...

"Hmm? What do you want?"

... ... ...

"Oh, but I don't believe it…" Right now, all Ryan wanted most was to bury his head in a hole, like a cartoon ostrich. "I approached the wrong person...!"

That was it. He had just caught the attention of a completely different person... For starters, that person wasn't even a salesman, let alone a man! There, in front of him, was a fair-skinned woman, hair green as deep grass, eyes like the glowing amber that preserves fossils, and who looked like she was dressed in some kind of military garb.

Ryan had just disturbed someone of immense authority...

The woman's presence was menacing, capable of imposing a pressure rarely seen in the air. It was even more noble in feeling than Wilhelm's, but it couldn't convey the same feeling of having gone through life-and-death events.

But that didn't take away the pure threat that emanated there. She was a woman who deserved the utmost respect, above all.

And Ryan, being able to cope with the vast majority of situations, swallowed hard, trying to recant.

"I'm deeply sorry… For a moment, I imagined you would be someone else, someone I knew. I beg your pardon for that." He dipped his head a little, leaning to her presence.

She put a hand to her chin, almost as if analyzing him from that posture, and provided an answer after a few seconds.

"I understand. There's no problem. These types of unforeseen events can happen to anyone." Through this longer speech, Ryan was able to see the immense power that the woman's diction had. That was the voice of a true commander, a leader.

"Thank you for your immense understanding. I wish you a good day. Now, I must-"

... ... ...

"Crusch-sama!"

A certain voice called for the woman. Being guided to look there, Ryan came across a certain figure, waving in their direction as he approached.

"I hope we did nyot make you wait for long!"

It didn't take long for them to arrive. Those two were already known to him...

... ... ...

"Oh…? Would nyou look at that! Didn't I said we would meet again?" A certain catboy quickly noticed Ryan.

It was Felix Argyle. He was accompanied by Wilhelm Van Astrea, who, by the way, was framed in a scene Ryan would never have imagined - the old man, with a warrior's face, was carrying a bag full of appas.

The old man let his lips part slightly when he saw Ryan next to Crusch, but soon returned to his usual stoicism.

"Oh... I... I must say I didn't expect to see you here...!" Ryan swallowed his nervousness. "Felix Argyle... Mr. Wilhelm Van Astrea..."

"Oh? Do you know this person?" It was at that point that the green-haired woman took an interest in the subject and decided to include herself in the conversation. The first thing he did was ask the two of them about it.

"Yeah! Ryan-kyun here is a servant in the lands of the Mathers family! Lady Emilia talked a whole lyot about him, nyah! Apparently, he saved a whole village from a Mabeast attack!"

"Emilia did...? Oh no...!" Ryan started to think of all the possibilities… He just hoped she hadn't said too much. "By the way, Felix... I didn't save any village - I just helped a little bit."

Felix then pointed to the woman in front of Ryan. Almost like showing the woman up and down, he introduced her.

"This is Crusch Karsten-sama, the one and only that will win this Royal Selection, and the woman to bring peace to the entirety of Lugunica!" He said, with an enthusiasm that only lacked drumming for effect.

Ryan felt intimidated like never before... He had not only pestered a noble woman, but a candidate for the throne! Unable to know how to react, he tried not to let that despair show itself...

Meanwhile, Crusch kept an analytical eye on the boy… Or more especially, on the wind around him.

"What an unusual wind…" She thought, studying him.

Everyone had a wind around them, and Crusch had a talent for feeling it. Through the [Divine Protection of Wind Indication] that was given to her from the cradle, she could feel the differences between these currents, and even detect things and feelings of other people that are not possible to see by the ordinary citizen.

Thanks to this, she can be proud to say that she has never been the victim of a lie or cheating in a negotiation or a poker game. Crusch was bigger than any tricks they tried to use.

But this boy...

... ... ...

What Crusch could feel coming from him was something else entirely. The wind that came from the boy was of an unusual mixture.

It was extremely difficult to describe - as if something infinitely huge was trapped in a very tiny space, where it was being condensed, suppressed, bound.

It was undoubtedly human, but even so it generated doubts... She could feel the fear of that boy, and at the same time, she herself was afraid of what she could perceive coming from him, in an unusual duality.

Doubt. That was the key word. All her life, Crusch doubted next to nothing, and when that happened, she quickly discovered the truth.

But that didn't seem to be the case. There was this feeling - Crusch felt incredibly tiny when next to him, and for the first time, she couldn't explain why.

Ryan did his best so that the saliva he swallowed wouldn't be heard going down the esophagus. Lowering himself rather stiffly, he addressed the noblewoman.

"Once again... Forgive me for the inconvenience I may have caused... I... I really shouldn't assume things like that..." He said, a little shakily.

... ... ...

"Don't worry about these formalities. Lift your head. Everything that had to be, has already been clarified." She answered. Crusch's manners aspired to unparalleled might.

He couldn't deny that order, and he soon obeyed. To break the possible silence there, Felix kept talking.

"But what are you doing around here, Ryan-kyun? Buying groceries or something?" Felix asked, trying to keep the conversation flowing.

"Well, I think it's valid to think so... After all, I'm just a butler!" Ryan glanced succinctly, and unobtrusively, at the clothes he was wearing. "Actually, I was just walking around the Capital a little bit, just to get to know the place better."

"Hmm, so I assume you're not a resident of the Capital?" Crusch was prompted to ask, looking as if she wanted to shoot arrows at the boy.

Felix and Wilhelm knew what that meant - Crusch wanted to learn about this person, so she would ask questions he couldn't escape. She would know if he was lying, so there was no method to get around it.

"Uhm… Well, you could say that… I really am a new person to the Capital. It's my first time getting the chance to walk around." He replied, trying hard not to flinch too much.

"I understand." Crusch announced. "And this village you saved... How did you do it?"

It was rare for Crusch to show interest in a stranger's story, unless that person was really interesting, or...

"... If they are a great and professional liar." Wilhelm thought. The man with white hair couldn't get a calm idea of that boy... He couldn't feel good in front of that stare, with such a look.

He hadn't gotten a single answer to that boy's gaze, but since that day, it had never left the old man's mind. It was a colder look than that of many cruel assassins, but even so, it didn't seem to exhibit the same character... It was confusing to explain or try to find any kind of explanation.

So all he could hope for was that Crusch would be able to answer those questions through her special ability, to the satisfaction of his curiosity.

... ... ...

"Once again I say - I didn't save any village. I just helped with the process. I killed a few Mabeasts, but that was all." He responds, clearly lying.

It was a lie, and a big one. But what made Crusch more curious was the nature of that lie - people often lie to augment the story or change the facts in a way that benefits them, but in this boy's case, it was just the opposite.

He was belittling himself. Looking at him, the Duchess could tell that he had, indeed, saved the village in question, and mostly by himself. But what was told was not reflected in the real story, and he outsourced the compliments and credits.

This could be a simple self-esteem issue, but no - it was something much deeper. He was fully aware of everything he had done, and at his core, he recognized it, but he seemed unwilling to accept any compliments or thanks, preferring to put himself in the backstage, even though he was admittedly the lead actor.

What are his intentions? How does this young man think? What kind of gain does he want to get out of this? ... It was a fact. For the first time in her life, Crusch Karsten hadn't been able to read a person as she always had.

... ... ...

"Well then... As much as I wanted to stay and talk more to all of you, I suppose I have to go now... And you too, am I not right?" He lightly clapped his palms together. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Duchess Karsten, and again, I apologize... Have a nice day!" He said, smiling a little.

"Huh?" Crusch felt herself questioning at the sight of that smile.

"That is truth! We must go, Crusch-sama! ...Bye, Ryan-kyun!" said Felix, saying goodbye.

Ryan greeted Wilhelm subtly by raising his right hand to shoulder height, combining the gesture with an almost imperceptible nod, with a slight, respectful smile, which was answered with an equally subtle nod from the old man.

"Wait." Before he could go, Crusch called him.

Ryan turned around, and even though he hadn't said anything, you could see that a "huh?" it was stamped on his face.

"Tell me your name. I haven't heard from you yet." She almost demanded.

"Oh...! My name, of course...! What a rudeness…" He smiled a little before saying. "My name is Ryan. Ryan Savoia."

"I understand. This little conversation was a pleasure, Ryan Savoia. See you in an opportune moment." Crusch said, before they finally left.

... ... ...

"A lie. The detectable and distinct wind of lies blew from him…" The green-haired woman began to think.

She had detected that wind once more. It hadn't been an ordinary lie, told verbally, but one that blew from him almost every moment, one that manifested itself in specific situations.

That wind was felt at every single one of those times. Every time he smiled .

/

Unbelievably, Ryan didn't keep thinking so much about that interaction from before - he had kept the lesson of not approaching people so directly that way, but nothing other than Crusch's presence itself was remarkable.

"How lucky does a person have to be to stumble across a Royal Candidate like that?" He wondered, still scanning the streets, looking for that person. "So that was the Duchess Karsten... I see."

Yesterday, he had read and heard a little about each of the candidates from citizens and posters across the streets, and he could say with certainty - Crusch was centered on a highly militarized government, with high state control over people's lives and the repression of war.

And while it was a good start, it still wasn't enough. He remembered the military governments of his world, and how they were always a little too open to corruption. Beneath a firm-handed facade, a military government is incredibly fragile.

"We'll see what the outcome of all this will be." he repeated, mentally.

Politics was undoubtedly important—but what always undermined Ryan's motivation to discuss it was the way people twisted it, always for their own favor rather than the common good.

"Tch." Moving his tongue a little between his teeth, he kept looking, until...

... ... ...

"Oh... It's you! ... Hi!" He nodded to the man in the distance, who crossed his arms as he watched him approach.

With quick steps, Ryan made his way to the stall that sold a wide variety of fruit. The green-haired man, locks held in by a bandanna, raised an eyebrow.

"Do I know you, kid?" He asked himself, looking Ryan's figure up and down. "Wait..."

It was at that moment that the boy noticed his eyes narrowing, coming together in a menacing way... He then reached down to a compartment under his tent, generating that distinct metallic sound that only he knew how to describe as being something specific.

"Yeah… I know you, indeed…" Taking on a menacing, gravelly tone, he glared at Ryan.

A little scared by that, and wanting to clear up the misunderstanding, the young man in the butler's clothes put both hands to his face, protecting himself.

"Wait...! Let's take it easy! I... I'm not here looking for any trouble...!" He announced. "Actually... The truth is, I'm here to say 'thank you'..."

"Hmmm? To thank me? And thank me for what exactly?" He reduced his animosity by looking down on him.

"Well... It's just... What you told me was pretty important..." He paused for a moment. "I don't know what would become of me if you didn't tell me the true meaning of that name... So I owe you a lot. Thanks."

"I would be screwed in so many levels right now..." An image of himself in a dungeon, being severely tortured and possibly a victim of magical experiments, flashed through Ryan's mind.

The man abandoned the object he was holding, returning both arms to a visible region, crossed around the chest area. He then raised an eyebrow once more in mockery.

"Look boy, I appreciate your feelings, but there is one very fundamental thing that is the problem here..." He said.

He called Ryan closer, as if he were going to tell him a secret, and when he approached the boy's ear to say that...

"Thanks don't mean money falling into my pocket...!" He screamed.

Ryan was startled by the scream, stepping back and nearly colliding with a passerby. He tried to regain stability, and even though his head was spinning and pulsing like a bomb, he spoke in response.

"Hey! That was a low blow...!" He shook his head to both sides. "Just because I was considering buying some of these appas of yours...!"

He once again raised his eyebrow, muttering an "hmmm?" Again looking him up and down, he asked.

"And have you got any money since that day…? Come to think of it, you look a little better dressed, actually... Well, what do you want to buy?"

"Don't act like we're in normal conditions with each other! You just screamed in my ear!" Ryan addressed him, looking a little angry.

"Oh, kid...! You know how it is! I can't sit here all day talking - I have a family to support, a life to live, and I can't let all this fruit rot! If you have money, my position with you immediately changes!"

The way he listed the priorities in his life was surprising… And it was Ryan's turn to raise an eyebrow, this time in surprise. Discreetly, he removed some copper and silver pieces, handing them over to the seller. As he could read it now, he determined the price to be one piece of silver and five of copper for a bag of apples of the same kind Wilhelm carried.

"A robbery... That's how I call it!" He handed over the pieces, remembering how, in the evening, he had managed to find the fruit at a slightly better price. A simple market research would result in a wide range of prices.

... But, on the other hand, the quality of the product seemed better, which ended up balancing the sides.

"Here, boy! These are the best appas you will find around the region! Become a regular customer, will you?" He handed the bag into Ryan's hands.

"Oh, of course...!" Ryan snuggled the appas a little better between his arms. "I didn't get your name… I'm Ryan Savoia. What's your name?"

"Kadomon. Kadomon Risch. Now shoo! You can go out of here, if you don't have anything else to solve with me!" He immediately set about kicking Ryan out.

"Huh... And here I am trying to be minimally polite... Before I go..."

Ryan couldn't help noticing a relatively large cluster of boxes that were arranged on either side of Kadomon's tent. These were boxes that had been sealed, but were now open. Within them, there were great varieties of fruits, vegetables, grains and other food products.

"What's the reason all these boxes are here?" She pointed to the clusters.

"But you really are a curious pest, huh boy?!" The man put both hands on his hips. "These are the boxes I still have to organize. I have to put them here inside the tent."

"Oh I see. So I'm leaving. Thank you again!"

Ryan turned in the opposite direction, ready to continue walking, but he surprisingly didn't. Instead, the boy continued looking at some point on the street made of stone bricks.

"Mister Kadomon..." He turned once more, looking at the vendor. "Would you like help with these boxes?"

/MICRO-TIMESKIP/

Kadomon was speechless... Even with all the reluctance, that boy insisted on helping. Even when he said he wouldn't get paid, he still agreed to lift those boxes...

And if one thing had to be said...

"Damn... You do that really well, kid..." Kadomon commented, a little startled by the way he managed to carry three or four of those heavy boxes stacked, while making it look like a pillow.

"This is what boredom does... By the way, just these are left. I'll be done here right away." He put all the boxes in their respective places.

Bored. He was simply bored. Nothing more, nothing less. Just bored enough to do basically anything, even if it is for free.

Now the job was complete, and in less than fifteen minutes. A performance that shouldn't be humanly possible at all. He had done it fast... Maybe a little too fast...

... And he decided that he would stay there for the next few years, helping. In fact, sales were not the best for Kadomon - most of the population preferred to buy cheaper things, even if they were a little worse in quality, and on top of that there was another factor that couldn't be ignored.

"This Royal Selection has stirred the clientele... People don't have the same purchasing power as before, and everything is turning upside down here in Lugunica... One of these days, I think last week, a big one arrived caravan here in the city." He commented.

Ryan, who, having nothing to do for lack of clientele, was analyzing a pepper (or peppir - as it's called in that world), felt his attention shift with that.

"Big caravan?"

"Yeah. A weird caravan... Full of a bunch of women. There were seven or eight carriages, all full of young girls... Who knows what that means! The way things are...!"

Ryan found himself thinking about it for a while, but he soon abandoned the train of thought. As unusual as it was, it wasn't a really important detail. He didn't know a lot of people's customs around here, so maybe that could just be something normal in Lugunica.

"I see... Oh, here comes a customer...!" He got up from the small stool he was sitting on. "Hi! What type of article are you looking for?"

/

After a few hours, it was finally time. The Council of Wise Men was already assembled, as were all the candidates and their knights. Reinhard had just returned, solving some disputes regarding a certain candidate, but other than that, the event itself was about to begin.

In place of Emilia's knight, however, was Roswaal. She didn't have a champion or defender to call her own in that process, and it made her feel a little out of place. Looking around, the half-elf tried to calm her anxiety...

... And by the way, where was he?

Looking through the crowd, she couldn't see Ryan... The last people were entering, and none of him there. Soon the gates would close, with the beginning of the event, banning the external entrance.

He had to make the announcement - reveal himself as a possible candidate to become King, so presence was literally demanded. He had to be there, even if by obligation.

And not to mention the second aspect... He had promised, and promises were very important for a user of Spirit Arts.

…So where would he be at a time like this…?

... ... ...

"Lady Emilia, look who is here."

Roswaal caught her eye, pointing a finger at an approaching figure.

"Hey. Did I make you wait for long?" He approached, raising a hand to shoulder height in greeting.

"You arrived at the right time, Ryan!" A third person joined the conversation.

Coming out of his crystal, a certain gray cat floated through the air around him. Until then, everything seemed normal, until the moment Ryan noticed a certain detail.

"So being in your face was the fate of my blackglasses?!" Ryan pointed at Puck accusingly.

"I know, right? I'm pretty stylish with those!" said Puck, adjusting the placement of the black lenses on his face.

He had reduced the size of the glasses through Magic so that they could fit him. The cat now seemed to be rubbing in Ryan's face how much he had a right to wear the glasses, while the boy didn't.

Meanwhile, Ryan just stared at the silver-haired half-elf with a look that meant "what do you mean?!".

... But before she could respond, a call caught everyone's attention, and the man in the center drew attention to himself. A silence filled the entire place, and everyone was led to look there.

The event was about to start.

AUTHOR NOTES - THERE IS NOTHING TRULY IMPORTANT HERE - YOU CAN SKIP IT

By the way, wanna know a (maybe not so) cool fact?

Most of you are already familiar with the model of 16 personalities of Myers-Briggs (MBTI)... So, here we go!

Subaru is classified as an ESTP (Extroverted, Sensing, Thinker, Perceptive) - The "Entrepeneur" personality - And Emilia is an INFJ (Introverted, Intuitive, Feeler, Judgemental) - The "Advocate" personality - in the same model.

ESTP and INFJ are polar opposites in the MBTI spectrum - and that's why they make such a nice duality!

.

Oh, and Ryan is also an INFJ, same as Emilia. So that's cool, I guess. Just so you guys know.