24 hours until departure.

Subaru Natsuki had not felt this level of comfort and security in who knows how long. The nightmare that he had been forced to repeat over and over would finally be coming to an end. He could feel it. And to think, all he needed to do was walk in a different direction.

All four members of this unlikely group were still within the hotel suite, Subaru giving them every bit of information he could involving the White Whale, as well as the Witch Cult.

Because there was time to spare, one of their number decided that he must leave them for a little while. It was Demiurge. According to him, he wanted to check out the location and ensure everything would work to their advantage. "You're going all the way to Flugel's Tree? Now? But won't that still eat up some time, getting there and back?"

With an amused chuckle, Demiurge straightened his tie, though it was already well in place. "You need not worry. I won't be more than two hours at the very most." The smile he wore told Subaru that he knew what he was doing. "Subaru, you should remember this well: Everything around you that can be exploited to your advantage must be exploited. Especially within an unknown situation."

Subaru had to count himself...impressed. Demiurge wasn't taking any chances.

But within himself, he also felt a twinge of shame. What he said, it was so true. What kind of idiot was a stranger in a strange place and didn't make any long-term plans? The name of such a person was Subaru Natsuki. After all, he never started trying to plan anything until after a problem had already started. He never tried to get ahead of the situation in order to minimize the troubles that will come towards himself and the people he cared about.

"All I ever did was try to look cool in front of everyone and go with the flow."

What even was his plan after becoming employed at Roswaal's mansion? Sure, he put his back into it by learning this world's language. And getting stable employment while he began to understand more about his new environment was something. But it wasn't a real plan. Every day he woke up and told himself all he wanted to do was impress Emilia.

That wasn't good enough.

"I think I could learn a lesson from that way of thinking." Subaru admitted with a smile that seemed to hide a feeling of embarrassment.

People who got ahead in the world, any world probably weren't the sort of people who just hung around and expected good things to happen. They had to make them happen for themselves. Get out there, take risks in certain situations. "If I wanna change myself, I have to be smarter. I need to look at the situation and make it mine."

Snapping him out of his thoughts, it was Demiurge who decided to speak. "By the way, Subaru. Forgive me if this comes off as too rude. But you do not seem to be especially proficient in either physical or magical abilities. Am I right?"

"Yeah." Subaru answered, almost immediately. Usually, he would have done something like make a silly pose while admitting to his shortcomings. But one of the most unpleasant memories of all came back and told him that was a stupid thing to do, especially in front of two men who Subaru couldn't look inept in front of.

"I see. Well then, I think I have something that will balance the scales for you."

Demiurge made a motion as if he was about to pick something up off a shelf. But instead, his hand descended into a black void in space that seemed to appear out of nowhere. Upon seeing this, Rem jumped up off her position on the couch to watch this scene, completely in shock! It wasn't as if she had never seen anything like this before. As a matter of fact, she was immediately reminded of the Door Crossing skill that Beatrice of the great library oftentimes used for transportation.

From inside the seemingly endless space, Demiurge produced what looked like a metal bangle of a lustrous, black sheen. "You can take this for our excursion. I believe it will prove quite useful. You need but wear it on your wrist, and then I think the rest will become clear."

Subaru, dumbstruck that he was being given anything at all didn't hesitate to take the item. Was this finally going to be his minimum required equipment?

Placing the bangle on his left wrist, it only took seconds before the item made its uses known. The small piece of meta suddenly began to expand, with black, metallic plates of armor spreading down Subaru's arm until it stopped arm the shoulder. His entire hand was also covered with the same material, and each of the fingers was tipped with a dangerously sharp-looking claw. The Japanese teenager stared in awe, a smile spreading across his lips as he inspected the design. But to his greatest surprise was what was on his palm. It was a disturbing-looking eye with a black iris and a slitted pupil.

"This is...amazing. Freaking outta this world!"

Demiurge smiled. Subaru had no idea how correct he was with that statement.

"But what is it? What's it called?" he immediately felt like a kid who had just woken up on Christmas morning and came downstairs to find exactly what he had been looking for. The kind of gift that he would show off to all the kids in school and being the envy of the neighborhood.

"It is called the Hand of Algol." This time, it was Sebas who spoke, who was sitting adjacent from where Rem once was. "It is a new product from our homeland. Specifically designed so that an untrained wielder can use it for multiple purposes." After explaining this, the butler took a sip of tea and returned to observing.

"Algol, huh? Why does that sound familiar? He a friend of you guys?" Subaru just couldn't shake why he felt that name was familiar. He knew that he knew it from somewhere. Why was his memory failing him at a critical moment like this? He didn't want to seem so inept.

But to his good luck, the penny suddenly dropped! "Algol is the Demon Star!" Subaru said this far louder than he should have, and he seemed to look back and forth from Demiurge to Rem at least ten times.

"Yes. You seem well-informed, Subaru. But it is to be expected, given the nature of your own name."

"So...what's it do?" That was the real meat and potatoes. He absolutely had to know what this absolute beast of a gauntlet was capable of. For a couple of seconds, he flicked the surface with his finger and found that it was an incredibly hard alloy. But at the same time, it was not weighty on his arm. As a matter of fact, it felt like it was part of his arm.

From this, Demiurge moved to explain its functions. "It is made from adamantite, a metal found in the domain where we live. I think you will find that it is many times harder than steel, and it is very receptive to being enchanted with magic. As such, the one you are wearing has been given a variety of spells fit for personal use.

"ADAMANTITE?! A NEET like himself had consumed hundreds of different types of fiction. In one of the types of metals that oftentimes came up was adamantite, or sometimes as it was called, adamantium. He didn't know anything about the real deal, but from what he had seen in cartoons and comics and anime and other light novels, it was usually nothing to mess around with.

"Indeed. There are multiple spells integrated into this gauntlet. For offense, defense, and even support purposes. So, as long as you do not attempt to tackle any situations wildly outside your ability to handle, I believe you will find yourself quite satisfied with it. However, I am afraid that it does come with some noticeable...drawbacks."

Upon hearing this, Subaru's face dropped. He'd already had an ominous feeling about Demiurge from the very moment he laid eyes on him. And now he was being given an item that was named for the Demon Star itself? What exactly was this thing gonna do to him? A variety of worst-case scenarios flooded into his mind. Would it force him into acts of violence? Would it somehow be powered by the blood of others? Would he be unable to remove it until it became fully a part of his body?

But to his relief, Demiurge soon revealed that the drawbacks were something else entirely. "Because this is something of a jack of all trades, there will be noticeable weaknesses when compared to the skills of those who specialize in such areas."

...

To the surprise of everyone, Subaru choked out a faint laugh. "Is...is that all?"

Once again, he was able to draw on his not so pointless knowledge of video games. He had seen things like this before as well. Oftentimes people had certain specializations. Someone who dedicated themselves to the path of a warrior very well may not be an adept magic-user. And even if they did manage to learn, it will be noticeable where their true talent Lee. He supposed this item was the same. But even still, it was so much more than Subaru could have ever hoped to be given. He was not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Anything that could better help and protect themselves and others would be appreciated. And if this was what Demiurge called a weakness, Subaru would accept it head-on.

"You ain't gonna hear any complaints from me! I promise I'll put this bad boy to good work! Just as soon as I figure out how it works!" He marveled at the design of the gauntlet and its superior craftsmanship. He didn't think he'd seen anything like this since he came to this world. "Now if only I can decide how to make it go back to the small version." Though he thought this in jest, his wish was granted instantly. The plates receded, collapsing back into their smallest form, and a second later, the gauntlet once again became a bangle. An unremarkable wrist accessory.

"Did it just respond to my will? Is that how it functions?"

Clap. Clap. Clap Clap. Clap.

The sound of applause could be heard as Demiurge clapped his gloved hands. "Wonderful, Subaru! It appears you are a quick study. You have already recognized how to activate the gauntlet from its resting stage to its active form. From here, I believe that Sebas can explain anything further that you may require. As of now, I believe it is time I take my leave. When there are plans to be made, time must not be wasted."

"Really? Well, I guess you're right. Please stay safe out there, Demiurge. I promise when we all set out that I won't let you down!"

Wordlessly, Demiurge bowed in that graceful, yet flashy way before he departed through the exit door, a fiendish smile playing upon his face.

One thing that Demiurge had absolutely no tolerance for in a work environment, it was dead weight that could do nothing but get in the way. But there was a logic to this as well. If there were four people in a group and only three of them were of the same strength and competence level while the fourth person was two, or even three steps below, that fourth person would only become a hindrance if the group ever encountered a danger that was equal to the three strongest. What else could such a person do other than serving as a distraction? Their weakness would put everyone else, as well as the entire mission in pointless jeopardy.

Such things needed to be avoided at all costs. This was why Demiurge was someone who meticulously planned in order to minimize the chances of such things even occurring.

Though of course, even if there was an immense disparity in ability, that same line of thought could never extend to his own comrades. Indeed, aside from serving his masters, Demiurge derived true joy from being of assistance to his fellows who had been brought into existence by the hands of their creators.

"The White Whale. I am certain that your suffering will be truly exquisite."

[Perfect Unknowable]. [Teleportation]. And from that thought, Demiurge vanished from the dark hallway, leaving no trace that he had ever existed there at all.

Within the manor of the esteemed family of Juukulius, one of the courtyards of the estate was populated by but one man.

Julius Juukulius.

For the next few days, he was absolutely suspended from his duties as a knight. He was forbidden from entering the royal palace as well as entering the knight's training hall to associate with any of his fellows. But, compared to how badly things could have turned out, Julius counted himself to be incredibly lucky. Based on the severity of his actions, this could have been far worse. Indeed, another may have been expelled from the order of the knighthood entirely. It was fair to say that Julius had been given nothing more than a slap on the wrist.

At the very least he would have liked to have entered the training hall and done some meditation or practice with a wooden sword. But that would violate the spirit of his suspension.

Sitting at an elegant table beneath a large gazebo, the lavender-haired knight was left alone with his thoughts on this late night.

He couldn't get that encounter out of his head.

Julius would not admit out loud that his actions had a greater meaning than what he'd told his superior and Ferris. But he could not hide the truth from himself. And to be perfectly candid, he knew neither of his fellow knights believed his words, either.

"The idea of someone like that claiming to be a knight..." He had never in his life met a more frivolous idiot. Did such a person take anything seriously? Where did that boy even come from?

A cool wind hit his face, and the man who was known as the Finest of Knights swept his locks from his face. Unpleasant thoughts assaulted his mind, giving him no small measure of discomfort. Until a familiar voice came about, distracting him from himself.

"So there ya are, Juli!"

A young woman with purple hair and turquoise eyes was making her way across the grounds toward him. She had a youthful face and wore an eternal smile that would have reminded one of a small animal. She was one of the five royal selection candidates. The one, true woman to whom he'd pledged his sword. The sword he no longer had.

Anastasia Hoshin.

"Lady Anastasia!"

Julius immediately got up from his seat in order to salute his lady. He wasn't expecting visitors at a time like this.

"My lady, welcome! What brings you to my family's humble home?" He stepped aside so that she may take a seat before him. It was only proper that he stand in the presence of his mistress, after all.

An amused snort came from the merchant as she sat down at the table and responded, "Humble? Your family has a reeeeeal nice place, here! Smells like somebody just cut the grass out here, too. I like it. Nice'n fresh."

Indeed, it was only natural that the home of a noble family had expert groundskeepers. To allow the place where one lived to fall into a state of disrepair would be a poor reflection upon those who lived there.

"I heard about your punishment and I just thought ya could use some company. I had some free time and I thought it ain't no good being alone when your knight is probably all bummed out at home." In spite of the gravity of the situation, Anastasia didn't seem bothered in the least. She had a tendency to remain all smiles even in situations where others would frown.

She patted the end of the table, urging Julius to sit. Which he did after a few seconds' hesitation.

From on the ground, Anastasia brandished what appeared to be a picnic basket, and from within, she brandished a few glasses as well as a bottle of wine.

"Let's have a drink and talk! There are some things I bet you wanna get off your mind, right?"

To Julius, his immediate response would have been to politely refuse. But, he knew his lady well enough in order to know what her response would have been. She would have told him that he's not only off duty, but suspended from those duties for the moment. There was no reason that he should not relax as much as he was able. And though he was not completely comfortable with it, he agreed.

Taking the initiative, Anastasia poured herself the first glass and then did the same with Julius. "I ran into Subaru Natsuki, earlier."

These words came as such a surprise that Julius almost dropped his glass! What would a rogue such as that person possibly be doing in the presence of his mistress? Quickly enough, Julius dispelled any worries. Anastasia Hoshin was not the sort of woman to go into anything without analyzing the situation and ensuring she would come out of it with something that she wanted. An overly emotional fool like that boy would be of no trouble to her. Or this, he was certain.

"I see. And am I to assume that my lady ended up satisfied with this meeting?"

"You bet! But I don't think Natsuki would say the same." Though she did not laugh, she maintained the pleased smile on her face. It was the kind of expression someone wore when they recalled a memory where they ended up getting exactly what they wanted.

"Considering how badly you beat him up, he's actually still got plenty of energy, it seems! Enough to get mad when he realized I tricked him." Her eyes shifted off in another direction as she revealed this information.

"Tricked him? In what way?" Not that Julius didn't believe she was 100% capable of doing so. From everything that he had observed, that Subaru Natsuki was the type of person who jumped into everything without thinking. He led with his emotions and couldn't control himself once he was on a rant. That was precisely why he had been able to come up with no logical counterpoint to all of Julius his own verbal stabs within the royal chambers A person like that was completely out of his debt when confronted with someone like Anastasia Hoshin.

Swirling the alcoholic beverage around, a dreamy look overtook the merchant's face as she explained further. "Oh, nothing much. I just heard from my sources that he had a falling out with the Karsten duchess over something. He was trying to get out of the city in a real bad way. Which made for the perfect opportunity for me to step in." Going in at a critical moment was crucial in the world of business. Attacking when the other person was in no position to defend made it all the easier to come out with a bigger profit.

"All I really did was let him talk. And he realized soon enough that he'd said too much." She wore an almost embarrassed smile on her cute face at remembering how easy it was to glean information from him. It almost felt like bullying. But even still, Anastasia would do it all over again if she felt there was something to gain. There was a reason she was known as a shark in her homeland.

After finishing half his glass, Julius replied, "That is to be expected. He's the type of who can't keep his mouth closed. And yet again, it drove him into a disadvantageous situation. I cannot say I know what the future holds for that boy, but if he does not manage to reign in his wild feelings, he will do nothing but repeat these same events."

Upon hearing this, Anastasia raised a brow in curiosity. "Oooooh? You say that almost as if you're worried about the guy. Don't tell me you've started to feel some pity for him after you beat him to a pulp like that? Seriously, even that might have been too far. After all, you were trying to save him the entire time, weren't you?"

Eyes widening in surprise, Julius did not, could not speak. But his silence itself and refusal to meet her eye was the answer.

"How...did you know?"

"Well, first of all, ya just told me!" Anastasia set her glass down and let out a girly chuckle. "But seriously. It's 'cause I know how guys like your knight friends think. They get real up in arms when someone insults things like their pride."

"They should. We all were. But, I knew that if I did not step in, someone else would. And they would have done far worse."

That was something that he absolutely could not allow. Even if someone had been urged their honor, at the end of the day, it was just talk from an ignorant boy who knew nothing of their world and nothing of their pride in their position. If one of his comrades took things too far, if they approached Subaru Natsuki in the streets and did something that was irreversible, then their honor would truly be irreversibly stained.

Folding her hands and resting her chin upon them, Anastasia felt that she understood more, now. "So, you made yourself look like the bad guy so none of your buddies would repeat your actions? No wonder they call you the Finest Knight. And it ain't just 'cause of your looks, neither!"

"As knights, we are the ones charged with upholding not only the pride, but the safety of our nation. When our civilians are in need, it is we who stand in front of danger to protect those who cannot protect themselves. And to that aim, we seek to better ourselves every day, never slacking so that we do not betray the trust we have been given by those we wish to protect. I do not take this lightly. This is not my job. It is my life and my duty."

Anybody could say that they wanted to be a knight. In fact, it was a truly enviable position. But it was not as simple as that. There were physical and moral standards that needed to be met. And Subaru Natsuki was a person who embodied neither.

"But at that time. I was not a knight. To beat down on someone so much weaker. Such behavior is nothing more than mere thuggery." Julius maintained that his actions were for a greater purpose. Each and every knight of the order within that stadium needed to understand that they should never respond the way he did to such petty taunts. "As knights who are looked at as pillars of our nation, we must be held to a higher standard. We must be better. To allow oneself to be dragged down to such a level by the taunts of a mere commoner who knows nothing, it was the height of shame and dishonor."

There were other ways of teaching a hard lesson. Even to those who were stubborn and didn't want to listen to words. But in that situation, time was not his ally.

Resentment built up within Julius for having been forced to take the lead in that accursed time. "Commoners like him do not know their place, and at times must be put back into it. Thinking he could bridge such a gap with effort alone is nothing less than a delusion. Someone so irredeemably powerless does not deserve the honor of knighthood." Even though he was one who believed that conviction and trials were necessary to achieve one's full potential, there were still differences in all people. And Subaru Natsuki was, from his perspective, below average in all categories.

It was unlikely he would ever change his character or his standing.

"Those're some pretty heavy words, Juli. Buuuuut, I can't help but get stuck on one thing. You do remember that I'm a commoner too, right?"

A millisecond after those words came from the lips of his lady, Julius immediately changed his expression to one of instant regret. "My lady! I didn't mean-" He was at a complete loss for words. So caught up was he in his own thoughts that he did not realize he used such a blanket statement. "I apologize. But if I may make myself plain, Lady Anastasia is quite-"

"I'm different?"

A few seconds of silence passed between them. But Anastasia could tell she hit the mark right on the nose.

"Don't worry, I've heard that same line from plenty of people before." Usually aristocrats. Nobody expected a girl who grew up in the gutters to achieve what she had.

"I remember you tellin' Natsuki that not all people are equal. But don't you think you're a shining example of that? After all, can you say with exact certainty that if you were born somewhere else that you could have still achieved everything ya have right now?" The Juukulius estate stretched for as far as the eye could see. This was the type of house that everybody wanted to live in, but few people could ever even approach.

Julius could acknowledge what his mistress was saying. However, he still did not believe it to be the same. Though he was born into a family of wealth, he did not believe he could achieve his maximum potential by just telling people what his last name was. The number of sword swings he practiced in this very home was incalculable. The physical conditioning he had gone through put that of others to shame. And it was these exact efforts that had earned him such a famed position among the order of the knighthood. "My lady..."

"Not everybody's born with a good ol' Divine Protection, status, and money that can pay for the best of everything. Matter of fact, you have to put in more effort to fail when you have all that stuff. Some people have their hands full just tryin' to find a half-decent meal to eat that won't make'em throw up." And this was a life that Anastasia knew very well.

"Anybody can work hard and put in all the effort in the world. And usually, that ain't enough. I didn't get to where I did just by workin' my butt off, Julius. The Hoshin company is as big and powerful as it is, is 'cause I had to take things away from everyone in my way."

The way she said this couldn't have sounded more innocent and playful. And her cute expression didn't help matters.

"Other, smaller companies were trying to build themselves up everywhere around me. And each one of'em had a goal they wanted to accomplish. Then I came along, and the Hoshin company either made them a deal they couldn't refuse, or we brought out their products and took over the market for ourselves. I don't even remember how many times it happened. But one thing remains the same. I took their dreams away from them, time and time again, oftentimes leaving those merchants flat broke." It may have been ruthless, but she never had any ill feelings toward any of her business rivals. It was simply the nature of business itself. And until she satisfied this greedy feeling that had existed in her heart since the day she was born, the Hoshin company could continue to grow, to expand, and to consume.

Though something she did not bother to mention was that oftentimes those smaller companies were absorbed into her own. Any merchant who was worth their salt knew when something big and successful was coming onto the scene and very few of them were foolish enough to not take her offers to remain in the loop.

"When ya want something and there's not enough to go around, it's either you, or the other guy. Since Natsuki is in that kinda place right now, maybe he'll come to the same conclusion I did." It was easy to say "just work harder" when you were inherently a few steps ahead of everyone else. Just effort alone wasn't enough. In order to win, you had to ensure that other people lose.

As she leaned on the table, Julius couldn't help but feel that his mistress had something of a hopeful look in her eye. Was she planning to meet with Subaru Natsuki again?

Having listened to everything she told him, Julius realized the difference in the level of success he had achieved and that of the woman he chose to serve. He did not think he could refute other experiences and her words with any rebuttal. Though he did attain his position based on the fruits of his own effort, he didn't think he could say he had stepped on as many people along the way. Were there other knights who secretly resented him behind his back? Did he take away opportunities that others strove for, having not noticed? Was that truly what it was like? Beginning life from a different starting line? "Lady Anastasia, are you saying that I lack...experience?"

Had he written Subaru Natsuki off too soon? Was it truly possible that the debacle in the royal selection was simply Subaru having the worst day and not the totality of his character?

Looking over to him, Anastasia tore her gaze away from the nighttime sky and said, "Oh! I just thought I'd explain that not everybody who works hard always wins. Sometimes it takes more than that. Sometimes ya just hafta make the right decisions with the right people if ya wanna win."

"My lady, I am truly humbled by your wisdom. And I vow to do my utmost to carry these words within my heart from now on."

"That's my knight!" And with that, the two of them touched glasses in a toast before their conversation turned to more carefree topics.

Even though she had left him with what was undoubtedly a not-so-positive opinion of herself, Anastasia couldn't help but think that there might have been more to Subaru Natsuki than meets the eye. If they ever met again, perhaps they could meet on a different field and both walk away from the table happy. Not that Anastasia wouldn't use every trick in her bag to shift the advantage to her favor.

Little did Anastasia Hoshin know, that the next time she met with Subaru Natsuki, she very well may have been sitting at his table.

18 hours until departure.