Subaru Juukulius: The Greatest Junior Knight

by supertone4671

This is the story of a young man who gets sent to another world...2 years too early? How would Subaru fare if he had two additional years of skill acquisition before the main story even began? First chapter is prologue, followed by the main story.

13. The Calm Before the Storm

[Hey Everyone! Thank you for your patience as I got myself back together. Here's a long chapter to tide you over as I'm going on a vacation for a couple weeks. I also am releasing a side series, more on that at the end. No action, just talk in this chapter. Enjoy!]

I gotta hurry up! C'mon, I can't be late, not after I promised to be there on time.

A nasty-eyed boy dashed down the halls of the Mathers mansion, wearing a hastily-clad knight's uniform. Rem had woken him up on time, but the knight had taken too long lounging and nearly forgot about breakfast. He desperately ran to the dining hall, hoping he wouldn't let his lady down.

"Why are you running through the hall, I suppose?"

He came to a halt as the most inconvenient loli spirit blocked his way. Exasperated, he explained, "I promised Emilia I'd be here for breakfast on time. Come on, Beako, let's get going!"

Beatrice groaned and put her hand on her head. "My contractor has forgotten that Betty can use Door Crossing, I suppose. You are hopeless, Subaru."

His face turned red, and then he looked down. "Ah...that's right. My great spirit can literally teleport across the mansion like it's nothing. There was no reason for me to ever dash like this. Ha, ha, ha."

She took the initiative and grabbed his hand, proceeding to use her Door Crossing on a nearby door. After correcting his position, she nudged him inside, revealing the dining hall. Luckily for the slightly sluggish knight, breakfast had not been served yet, so he could still be on time. He approached the table where Emilia awaited him with a slight pout.

"Baru-tan, I was starting to wonder if you would show up. You're reeeeal lucky they waited for you." Her pout melted into a smile as she said, "Well, I can't be too upset. At least you joined me like I asked."

He sat down, with Beatrice taking the seat next to him. As if on queue, Puck flew out and immediately whacked Subaru in the face.

"Hey! What was that one for?" Subaru held his cheek in response to the cat's strike.

Puck stood on his hind legs and proclaimed, "She told me about how you promised to be here on time, and today you strode in just before being late! That was just me reminding you to not make promises lightly with my daughter. You didn't break it, but you toed the line Subaru."

Beatrice chimed in, "Bubby, please don't hold it against my contractor too much. He did just help kill a Sin Archbishop the other day using a huge amount of mana."

Emilia also supported him by saying, "Yes, of course. I can understand. Don't worry, Puck, I forgive him. It was just a little mistake he won't make again. Right, Baru-tan?"

Subaru kept himself from making an audible gulp. "O-Of course! I will make sure to not be even close to late tomorrow!"

Breakfast was served as the conversation came to a close, with Subaru's sweat dripping down his neck. Defeating the terrible force that was Capella took a lot out of everyone, but they were all glad to have gotten through their first major crisis largely unharmed, aside from a large black patch of grass where the dragon's corpse awaited disposal.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully, as did the rest of the week. Subaru did manage to arrive on time for breakfast for every day, avoiding the wrath of Puck. During this time, the camp was preparing for Emilia's first big event for the Royal Selection, so Subaru mostly left her to study and prepare. He kept training with Rem, whom he found to be an excellent training partner both for shielding and sparring. She was good enough with the morning star to not be a bad opponent, but not so good that he couldn't overcome her. Her magic provided a great way for him to learn not only deflection but also dodging and countering in his shield training.

Their training sessions served as a way for them to bond, as well. As they grew closer, he also noticed that Ram felt more and more comfortable around him. She continued to relentlessly tease him, but he knew there was no bite to her words. The two sisters had a great relationship with him, and he couldn't be happier about it.

After a couple weeks of the same routine, it was almost time for the first Royal Selection event. However, Subaru had made plans with Reinhard, Julius, and Crusch to celebrate his "promotion". Crusch invited Subaru and friends to her manor in the capital two days before the event for a party the day before. She also informed Subaru that she would happily host the Emilia Camp for the necessary nights before and after the selection as needed, so they wouldn't have to worry about lodgings.

On the night before they were due to leave, Subaru visited Emilia at her request. Wearing just a casual outfit, he went in to find her dressed for bed. She turned to look at the door, and smiled at him as he walked in. She called to him, "Thanks for coming, Baru-tan! Can you come over here please?"

She patted the empty space next to her on her bed, to which he smiled and followed her request. As soon as he sat down, she almost instantly leaned on him.

She sighed and said, "I'm sorry I haven't spent a lot of time with you. I guess that's why I wanted you at breakfast every time, so at least I could see you. It's not very fair of me to spend so little time with the man who courts me."

He took her hand and held it in both of his, causing her to turn her head upward at him. He quietly replied, "It's okay, Emilia-tan. I know how busy you've been and how important the Royal Selection event will be, so you want to be as ready as possible. Once it's over, you can ease up on the studies just enough to spend more time with me here and there. Believe me, I'm looking forward to it too!"

She giggled a little and nodded her head. "That's my hope. I want to spend lots and lots of time with someone who always makes me feel happy. Puck and I agree, you're probably the only person in the world who doesn't look at me and see a monster. Never in my life would I have imagined someone like you existed."

She snuggled her head into his shoulder and put her arms around him. He could feel his heart rate increase as she lovingly sighed into him. Allowing his left arm to drape over her, he reassured her, "If the world was fair, no one would see a monster when they look at you. They would see a beautiful young woman who puts the world before herself all the time."

She gripped him a little tighter. "Baru-tan, when we get back from the capital, we are definitely spending an entire day together. Thank you for reminding me again why I like you so much. I want to continue this, but I should let you get back to your room so you can get some sleep. Do you think Meili will join us for breakfast before we depart?"

Their newest resident was a mixed bag. She seemed unwilling to reach out to anyone except Subaru and occasionally Beatrice, but she never outright refused to talk to anyone or interact. She was still somewhat guarded and preferred eating breakfast and lunch by herself in her room. Subaru tried to spend what time he could with her, but he knew she was going to take some time to come out of her shell for good.

He replied, "I'll try to convince her. Rem, Ram and Flora are staying behind to take care of her and the mansion while we're away, so I hope she wants a little more time with me before I have to leave her in their hands."

She giggled and responded, "I didn't realize you could be so fatherly, Baru-tan. That's another thing I reeeally like about you."

She lifted herself back off her now red-faced knight, and gestured for him to get down. As he slid off the bed, he muttered, "You really know how to tease me, Emilia-tan."

He walked to the door and turned around to wave, and called out good night to her. She smiled and waved back, returning the good night, and he left the room. As he turned around in the hall, he found Rem passing by in the hall.

"Good evening, Subaru-kun. Visiting your lady late at night as always I see?" She smiled as she teased him.

He rolled his eyes and grinned at the Oni girl. "It wouldn't be a night around here if I didn't! Gotta make sure she gets to sleep feeling happy, especially before our trip to the capital."

Rem blushed and covered her mouth, and whispered, "Wow, Subaru-kun, you're awfully forward about your relationship with Lady Emilia."

He immediately panicked and turned red. "No, no, no, that's not what I mean! That shouldn't have implied anything unsavory! A-All I did was talk to her for a little while so she could smile before bed, that's all!"

She lowered her head. "Oh, I'm sorry Subaru-kun. Forgive Rem for her silly mistake. I should know better than to make assumptions like that. You are her knight, after all."

He heavily sighed. "It's okay. Well, since you're here, could I talk to you while I make my way back to my room?"

She smiled and answered, "Of course. I'm always happy to talk to you."

They began to walk, and so he asked her, "Rem, have you or your sister had any luck connecting with Meili? I'm worried about how she'll fare while I'm gone."

She put her hand on her chin in thought. A moment later, she said, "I haven't had much luck, but my sister has. I'm not surprised, she is wonderful and can make friends with anyone, unlike me."

He shook his head. "I'm glad Ram is getting along with Meili, but don't put yourself down like that. You might have trouble getting to know her, but you can make friends with her too. Just give her some time to come around, and she eventually will. I know you can do it."

He put his hand on her shoulder, and she found herself leaning into him a little bit. She felt warm and fuzzy, like his hand was somehow providing direct stability and support for her.

"Subaru-kun, I can't believe I doubted you. You really are the brother I never had. I've been blessed with my sister's love since I was a child, but I can't think of anyone else who's ever cared about me like you do now. When I think back to when I first met you, I feel ashamed for ever being suspicious of you. You had one of those visions, and I tried to kill you in it. Even knowing I might have killed you, you still chose to try and befriend me and earn my trust. Nothing I do will ever be able to make up for everything you've done for me."

The blue oni felt a few tears fall down her face as she smiled and put her arms around him. He knew that she had felt like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders in debt to those closest to her. Somehow, he could almost draw the parallel to how he felt about his parents; they were able to help pick him up when he was feeling his lowest— except now he could never pay them back for their love.

Subaru held her for a little longer as he assured her, "It's okay. I don't want you to feel like you owe me for my decision. After all, it could have easily blown up in my face. All I could do was trust that you were as friendly as your sister, and just needed some time to get to know me. For what it's worth, you've become the sister I've never had."

She was able to hold her head up again as he finished. She gave him a bright smile and said, "Thank you, Subaru-kun. I hope you'll always be in my life like this. Nothing could make me happier than to have a brother and sister who will always care about me."

He watched as she stood proud and tall again, wearing an expression that showed more confidence than usual. She seemed content to simply follow along with him as they finished the walk to his room. Upon reaching his room, she briefly hugged him one more time before wishing him good night, and she promised to make sure he was up early for the big journey.

He opened his door to find Beatrice laying back on a sofa. She had clearly just turned to see him enter, and she looked unfazed.

"You've finally returned, I suppose. I've actually been meaning to talk to you about something."

He tilted his head and asked, "Sure, what is it?"

Her cheeks turned crimson and she meekly said, "Y-You see, I need to, um, drain mana from you. I can't do it as well as your former spirits, so—um, I need to physically touch you while I drain it, I suppose."

He blushed a little, and gently responded, "Oh, ok, Beako. Uh, should I just lie down here and let you drain?"

She affirmed, "Yes, I suppose. You will become extremely tired during the process. At least it will make it easier to sleep, I suppose. Also, it seems tomorrow is the first time I'll be travelling with you. Betty has not left the mansion in a long time, so I'll be counting on you to keep me comfortable and safe on our journey, I suppose."

She then stepped back into the Forbidden Archive momentarily so he could put his nightclothes on. He changed and immediately slid into bed, which prompted Beatrice to reappear. She climbed onto the bed and began to drain his mana, which caused Subaru to become profoundly drowsy. He was completely motionless in less than half a minute.

Her job finished, Beatrice climbed down from the bed. "I should rest too, I suppose." She began to walk back to the Archive when she started to hear whimpering.

"No...no, don't...don't hurt me...Elsa...don't wanna die..."

She was alarmed when she heard Subaru. It looked to her like he was having some kind of nightmare, but she couldn't imagine how he could even visualise being in a position to die. As far as she knew, he'd never even been in a war. Nevertheless, she decided to go over to him. He shook lightly in the bed, cowering at his nightmare imagery. She was sweating as she tried to figure out what to do about it.

It only took a moment for her to make a decision—She climbed back up into the bed and held his hand. As she did this, his breathing stabilized, and he stopped whimpering. Anyone could guess that Subaru must have lived through absolute hell at some point to have nightmares potent enough to beg for his life. If this would keep him sleeping steadily, she would hold her contractor's hand through the night so he could sleep well.

At the crack of dawn, two maids awoke: a cute blue-haired oni and an elegant redheaded woman. After they finished dressing, they met in the hallway, wishing each other a good morning before they went to wake their respective attendees. The two maids worked very effectively together, and over the course of their short time as coworkers, they had developed something akin to friendship. Flora was happy that Rem was able to develop trust for Subaru, so she wouldn't have to worry about them anymore.

Rem held Flora in similarly high regard. She saw the elder maid as a pinnacle of maidhood, almost as much as the lovely beastwoman who she learned from in the first place. The bond between Flora and Subaru was unshakable, and with her new trust in him, she could better appreciate Flora's attentiveness and sisterly attitude toward him.

After a short walk, Rem made it to Subaru's room. He needed to awaken early in order to get to the earlier breakfast before he departed to the capital. She quietly opened his door, and was surprised to find Beatrice snuggled up next to him, holding his hand. She was confused by the scene, staring until the aforementioned spirit suddenly sat up.

"Do you intend to stare all day, I suppose?" She was definitely half asleep, but she was no less tsundere in this state.

Rem quickly bowed and apologized before entering the room. "Miss Beatrice, forgive my intrusion. I've come to wake up Sir Subaru from his sleep, but I was momentarily stunned to find you beside him."

Beatrice rose up and sat facing her. "Yes, it must seem strange to see a contractor and spirit in the same bed, but I can assure you it's fine, I suppose. He seemed to be wracked with nightmares, so I stayed with him to help him sleep, in fact. Thanks to me, his diligent spirit, he slept perfectly well." She looked totally smug as she delivered her speech.

Rem smiled and nodded. "Ah, I should've expected as much from Subaru's newest partner. Well done, Beatrice-sama."

With the noise in the room, Subaru began to stir. His spirit started to rock him back and forth as he weakly protested, asking for five more minutes.

"Subaru, don't force Bubby's contractor to leave you behind because you couldn't get out of bed today, I suppose."

He immediately shot up in bed, practically jumping off to run to the bathroom as he exclaimed, "Ah! S-Sorry, gotta get ready!" Rem giggled while Beatrice facepalmed.

Some time later, Subaru and Beatrice showed up at the dining hall with their surprise guest Meili. It had taken some convincing, but he got the mabeast user to come out to see everyone before the trip. She was still quite wary of most people, but she was willing to do it for Subaru's sake.

"Hey everyone! I came for breakfast. Onii-chan here just wouldn't leave me alone about it, so I agreed to come. I guess he just needs both of his girls with him~." She wore a teasing smile more befitting of Elsa than of herself.

"Sir Barusu, you insist on dragging little girls with you down here, I see. If you truly needed the extra company, maybe you should have asked me and my sister instead. You'd still be a pervert, but at least we're around your age." She smirked and winked at the already-shocked knight.

"For the last time, I am NOT a little girl, I suppose. I am a great spirit, and Subaru is my contractor. He also does not drag me, in fact." Beatrice sounded very indignant in response to the criticisms thrown their way.

"Well, it doesn't matter, you made it Baru-tan. Now, bring Meili over here so I can talk to her a little bit!" Emilia was waving for him to walk the young girl over. He sighed, and walked Meili over to Emilia as Meili giggled over her nefariousness. Emilia ended up spending most of her breakfast doting on Meili, who was starting to accept the former's kindness. Subaru could only imagine why her maternal instincts came alive with the failed ex-assassin.

"So, Meili-chan, are you going to be okay while most of us are gone? Rem, Ram and Flora will still be here to take care of you." Emilia looked concerned as she asked.

Meili nodded her head. "I'll be fiiine, I honestly don't mind the pink lady hanging around my room. The blue and red ladies are okay, too." She paused for a moment before muttering under her breath, "Just don't keep Onii-chan away for too long."

Emilia asked, "Huh? What did you say just now?"

The girl shook her head. "Nooothing! Just have fun on your trip. I'll be waiting~"

After breakfast concluded, Emilia, Subaru, Beatrice, and the maids went outside, where a dragon carriage awaited them. They were greeted by a white-haired older gentleman in a butler's suit, who bowed to them.

"Greetings everyone, I am here on behalf of Lady Crusch, and I've come to bring you to the capital myself. You may call me Wilhelm, and I am the newest member of her camp. I take it that the young man here is Sir Subaru?"

Subaru bowed to Wilhelm. "That's right. It's a pleasure to meet you, Wilhelm. Thank you for coming all the way here for us."

After the greetings were finished, the maids loaded the relatively light luggage of the trio, with Subaru insisting on carrying his own and Beatrice having no luggage whatsoever. Ram, Rem, and Flora waved goodbye as Emilia, Subaru, and Beatrice rode off with Wilhelm.

Shortly into the ride, Subaru began to realize something about the position he was in. To his right, Emilia was holding one of his arms; to his left, Beatrice held the other. Both his lady and his contracted spirit were subtly vying for his attention. He began to worry about what might happen to his arms if he ignored one of them for too long.

Before he could begin to talk, Emilia asked him, "Subaru, I'm honestly feeling kind of tired. I didn't sleep very well last night. Would you mind...if I borrowed your...shoulder?" Her speech became sluggish as her tiredness became very evident.

He smiled and made a gesture with his head, and she leaned right onto his shoulder. She gently said, "Fanks, Shubaru...I'll be comfy here."

She quickly drifted off to sleep, leaving Subaru free to talk to Beatrice. He looked over at her, and she was pouting just a bit. "Beako? Are you okay?" He asked.

"It seems my contractor can't help but to be all lovey dovey around his new girlfriend, I suppose. He should be thankful his contracted spirit is an understanding and patient one, or else she might get jealous of all the attention being given to someone else by her contractor." She smiled smugly, not looking at him.

"Aww, Beako, you're the best. You can lean against me too if you want." He smiled as he moved his arm around her small shoulders.

"T-This works as an apology, I suppose. Just don't ignore me in favor of her and I can accept your courtship of Bubby's contractor." She was so small that she could only lean against his chest, but she snuggled in regardless. Mentioning Puck, however, seemed to cause the cat spirit to awaken from his crystal.

"Well well, what do we have here? Did you trick my daughter into sleeping on you, Subaru?" He shaped his head like a beast as he got up into Subaru's face.

"Relax, Bubby. My contractor is a good man that doesn't play tricks on innocent girls, I suppose. I'd have figured it out by now if he did." Beatrice quickly came to his defense, making Puck back off and Subaru feel relieved.

"I see. If Betty is willing to vouch for you Subaru, I guess it's all okay. But what's this I heard about 'courtship'? I don't remember Lia mentioning she was going to court anyone!"

Subaru began to sweat again. Once more, his new spirit came to his aid. "It seems your contractor and mine both like each other, and she decided to have him court her. Don't worry, I can promise you that my contractor only has good intentions, I suppose. If you're worried, you can confirm it with her when she awakens from her nap."

Puck sighed, "My daughter, getting into a courtship. I don't know how she did this without my knowledge. The two of us will have to discuss this matter in greater detail. Well, you're clear for now Subaru, but I'll be keeping a closer eye on you from now on. You do anything bad to my daughter, and I'll make you regret it." A wicked glare flashed across his face before he faded away to go back into his crystal.

Beatrice nudged the sweating Subaru to get his attention, and he looked down at her. "I had no idea Bubby could be like that, I suppose. That girl means more to him than I had ever imagined. I'll talk to him another time about his treatment of you. I don't like him going and threatening you like that, I suppose." She grabbed his arm, wrapping it around herself as she snuggled more into his side.

The ride became very quiet, as neither Subaru nor Beatrice were in much of a mood to talk after what had just happened. She just kept herself cuddled against him, and he happily accepted his spirit's protection.

About two hours later, Emilia woke up and yawned. "Hey, Baru-tan, thanks for letting me nap. You and Beatrice are awfully quiet. Were you trying not to bother me? I'm sorry for keeping you from talking."

He nodded and quickly answered, "Oh yeah, of course. We didn't want to be a bother, that's all!"

Beatrice also quickly added, "As my contractor says, we wished not to bother you."

Before Emilia could inquire further, Wilhelm opened the small front vent to check on the trio.

"I apologize for intruding, but we are approaching an ideal rest area if any of you need to stop for a moment. We still have a few hours before we reach the capital."

Subaru blurted out, "Yes, let's stop for a moment! I think we could use a bit of fresh air."

Wilhelm pulled the carriage over in a nice flat area marked by a huge tree. It was known as Flugel's tree, identified by the markings at the bottom that said "Flugel was here." Beatrice and Emilia stepped aside to sit down on the side of the road, while Subaru took the opportunity to talk to Wilhelm.

"So, Wilhelm, can you tell me anything about yourself? Crusch hadn't told me she was adding new members to her camp yet. I mean, you don't have to tell me anything that would give away her secrets since, even though I'm her friend, I now work for a rival camp."

He smiled and nodded his head. "Indeed, Sir Subaru. You may recognize me by my full name: Wilhelm van Astrea, of the Astrea household, though I live separately from the rest of the family."

Subaru's eyes went wide at the revelation. "Really? So, that means you're the surviving husband of the late Sword Saint...which also means you're the Sword Demon. I can see why Crusch would want such a strong, well-known figure as a part of her camp."

The elder man simply looked on. "It would seem you know of my background already. Lady Crusch told me she was hoping to recruit you as well, but Lady Emilia made a better offer to you. Oh, but don't take that as criticism. I can't fault you for your decision. You are among the most talented new knights in the kingdom, and I admit I was rather looking forward to meeting you after I learned about you."

Subaru blushed and replied, "Oh, I wouldn't go that far. My spirit arts just make me more versatile than most, but I'm not the best with the sword. Even Sir Julius and Sir Reinhard could only get me to my current level, so I imagine my talent for swordplay has a low ceiling. That said, I'm one of the better shielders, so I can definitely protect my lady using my shield and my spirit arts."

Wilhelm smiled once more. "A shielder, huh? I once fought alongside a shielder. It took me a while, but I came to realize that he was one of the best fighters out there simply because he could block and parry using the shield. Frankly, I'm happy the knights adamantly maintain shielding as a valid battle tactic when the other countries see it as cowardly."

Subaru looked upward at the midday sky, imagining what sort of adventures Wilhelm must have been through in his life. As he was thinking, another thought crossed his mind. "Wilhelm, pardon me for asking, why do you live separated from the rest of the Astrea family? I almost didn't even know Reinhard had a grandfather."

Wilhelm looked toward the skies as well, in apparent deep thought. "An understandable question, certainly. It was a personal choice, and I'd prefer not to talk about it. I apologize for my stubbornness."

Subaru bowed his head. "No, it's ok. I won't press you if you don't want to talk about it. Well, why don't I check on my lady and my spirit to see if we're all ready to go?"

Wilhelm nodded and replied, "Very good. My old bones are rejuvenated and ready to go once more. I humbly thank you for indulging me in conversation."

Subaru quickly rallied Emilia and Beatrice back into the carriage, and they were on their way again. As he drove the trio along, Wilhelm found himself unable to get his mind off the peculiar young knight. When he looked into Subaru's eyes, he saw something he never expected to see out of such a young man: the look of a man who had stared death in the eyes and lived to tell the tale. He wondered aloud, though in a hushed tone to avoid his passengers hearing, "What has this boy been through that he could have such a look?"

After a few more hours of travelling, Wilhelm announced to the trio that they'd arrived in the capital and would be at the Karsten Manor shortly. Emilia excitedly said, "Oh, it'll be nice to see Lady Crusch again! She was a very kind and gracious host last time we were there. I'm sure you remember that, Baru-tan. We were so lucky Ferris came across us after that nasty wound you got defending me."

Subaru put his hand behind his head and sighed. "Yeah, not everyday you come face to face with death and live to talk about it, huh? Ferris really patched me up well that day. I'll always remember because it's the day our fates were intertwined, Emilia-tan."

She immediately blushed, and couldn't resist lightly hitting his shoulder. "O-Oh, Baru-tan, now you're just teasing me! You're gonna make me all red-faced right as we're going to see someone who is not only hosting us, but also happens to be a political rival, you dunderhead!" She gave him one more light smack just to ensure she got her message across.

Subaru moped and complained, "Who even says dunderhead anymore?"

Beatrice sighed. "My contractor does a great job of digging his own grave, I suppose. Betty would like it if he said such nice things about her, too."

He chuckled, holding his cheek where Emilia had just smacked him. "Oh, and how could I leave you out, Beako? Your contractor really is cruel. I am also grateful that our lives became intertwined, too. We're going to be an awesome knight and spirit duo, I just know it."

The small spirit smiled smugly. "At the very least, my contractor can recognize the awesome power of his contracted spirit." She paused for a moment and finished under her breath, "He can also make me feel alive again after feeling nothing for so long."

He patted her head and asked, "Oh, were you saying something else?"

She quickly denied it. "No, I suppose. Just be glad that I also know a good contractor when I see one."

The carriage came to a halt, and Emilia finished calming herself down so she could be presentable. Wilhelm called from outside, "We have arrived, Lady Emilia and company. I will open the carriage for you."

The door opened up, and Subaru walked out first to provide an extra hand for Emilia and Beatrice. He graciously helped both out, and they turned to face Crusch and Ferris.

"Sir Subaru, Lady Emilia, welcome back to my manor. It is my hope you will be comfortable during your stay here. I see you've brought someone with you whom I have yet to meet. Greetings, young miss, I am Crusch Karsten, the Duchess of House Karsten."

Beatrice had to bite her lip to not offend Crusch. "I am the Great Spirit Beatrice, and Subaru is my contractor. Greetings, I suppose."

Crusch and Ferris both went wide eyed. Ferris exclaimed, "Great Spirit? Syubaru, how did you manage to make a contract with a spirit that powerful? I could see Jyulius, with his Divine Protection, but seeing you...it's incredible, nya!~"

Crusch added, "A truly incredible feat, Subaru. If anyone could manage such a thing, it would be you or Julius. We welcome you, Great Spirit Beatrice."

Emilia approached Crusch, extending her hand. "Thank you for your kind invitation. I appreciate not only your hospitality, but also the fact you want to treat my knight so kindly. If anyone deserves such kindness, it's definitely him." Crusch accepted her hand and shook it, smiling.

"I'm glad to see how much you care about a knight in your employ, Emilia. I was unsure when I heard about his position, but seeing this now, along with your behavior when we first met, I can tell he's in great hands with you." She smiled at her rival.

Subaru walked over, but before he could do anything, Ferris tackled him in a hug. "Woah! Ferris, I'm not unhappy to see you, but doesn't this seem like a bit much for a greeting?"

The catboy laughed. "You're too easy to tease! Sorry, Ferri couldn't hyelp himself. Nice to see you again, Syubaru!" He let go, winking at Subaru.

The exasperated young knight sighed, earning the chuckles of both candidates and Ferris. Crusch offered her hand, and he graciously accepted it. "It's always nice to have you around, Subaru. I hope you're looking forward to the celebration tomorrow. Julius and Reinhard have already confirmed they will be there, and I've invited a few other people as well."

He gave a toothy smile and replied, "That sounds great! I'll definitely be looking forward to the celebration, even if it's just you, Ferris, Julius and Reinhard celebrating with the three of us."

She laughed, and gestured for the group to follow her. The Karsten manor servants welcomed them, and led them to their rooms. A golden-haired maid asked, "We have two suites prepared right now, will that be alright? We have another room available if it is needed."

Beatrice answered for the group, "Two suites will be fine, I suppose. My contractor and I can share one, and th—Lady Emilia can have the other."

Both Subaru and Emilia looked quizzically at the small spirit, who just huffed. The two simply shrugged at each other. Emilia said, "It seems that this arrangement will work for us, thank you." The maid bowed, and led them to their suites.

Conveniently, the two suites were right next to one another. "Wow!" Exclaimed Subaru. "I guess they have a floor or two dedicated entirely to guest accommodations!" He was impressed. Despite how long he'd known Crusch, he never really explored the manor beyond the courtyard and one or two interior parlors. "Emilia-tan, looks like the suites here are designed for visiting nobles."

She smiled and nodded. "They sure are, Baru-tan. Lady Crusch really is a gracious host, providing us with such nice rooms. I'll be sure and let her know how grateful I am." The servants brought the remainder of her luggage into her room, and so she excused herself momentarily, saying she'd join Subaru and Beatrice again in a moment after they got settled in.

The spirit and knight duo began to settle into their room. Subaru was reminded of a hotel room—furnished with two beds, a desk, and a sofa with a coffee table. Unlike his suite at the Mathers Manor, it was not furnished with a private bath, only a small restroom.

Beatrice suddenly said, "There are separate baths for the men and women, I suppose. I can wake up and be ready before you so you don't have to concern yourself. I'll just wait for you here in the mornings, I suppose."

He smiled and gently rubbed her head. "Thanks, Beako. You're so thoughtful!"

She lightly blushed and responded, "Betty appreciates the compliments, I suppose."

A thought then occurred to him. "Beako...I was just thinking, when I woke up this morning, you were lying next to me. I didn't really have a chance to ask earlier, so why were you there?"

She sighed. "After I drained your mana last night, you started mumbling in your sleep like you were having a nightmare. I held your hand, and you stopped having the nightmare, so I went ahead and just stayed there. Betty hopes you appreciate the inconvenience she undertook for your sake."

His cheeks flushed pink. "Oh, Beako, you're just too sweet. I don't know how a guy like me ended up with such a wonderful, caring spirit guardian. Especially one that's cute as a button! You're going to be my great, awesome, cute Beako until the end!" He couldn't stop himself from lifting her up in the air, much to the embarrassment of the lightweight spirit.

"Eek! B-Betty appreciates the enthusiasm, b-but please put me down, I suppose!"

He chuckled and put her back down, and she pouted while cuddling onto his arm. As they settled down, Emilia opened up the door and walked in. She sat down beside Subaru and held his hand. "Hey, Baru-tan. What do you say we go out to the courtyard? It's a rather warm day, you know, and being outside is good for you. Beatrice can come with us, I'm sure she could use some time in the sun too!"

Beatrice dryly replied, "As a spirit, I don't require sunlight. However, if my contractor wants to go outside, I would feel inclined to go with him, I suppose."

Emilia smiled and said, "Well, let's go enjoy the sun then! The courtyard is completely surrounded by bushes, so I shouldn't scare anyone by being out there."

Subaru sighed. "I wish you didn't have to think about things like that, but I understand. Let's go enjoy the sun!"

It was later in the afternoon and the sun had begun moving away from its position directly above, making it so the trees could provide extra shade. Coincidentally, the trio found Crusch outside admiring a particular flowerbed that had a single bud growing in it. She heard the trio approaching, and turned to face them with a smile. "Oh, hello there. If you just want to walk around, feel free. You won't bother me. You are also welcome to join me, if you'd like. I wouldn't mind a little company before dinner. Ferris left to take care of some business at the castle, so it's just me and the staff here besides the three of you."

Subaru looked at Emilia and said, "Well, why don't we join her? They say three's a crowd, but four is a party!"

She smiled back at him and nodded her head. "Okay, that sounds good to me Subaru." The three joined Crusch, who seemed happy to have the added company.

For a few hours, Crusch talked to the trio about some of her life experiences, as well as the history of the Karsten family. She had been made Duchess shortly after her seventeenth birthday, and she'd been working hard as the leader of the household ever since. Emilia and Subaru were amazed by her story; Subaru was impressed that she had proven herself worthy so young, and that she was a real hands-on noble, while Emilia was shocked that Crusch was so strong despite everything, even keeping her own past in mind.

As evening took hold, the golden-haired maid appeared to inform the group dinner was about to be served, and that Ferris would await them in the dining hall. Crusch thanked her, and the party made their way to the dining hall. A short walk through the refined hallways of the Karsten Manor later, they met up with Ferris, who eagerly greeted them. The five sat down for dinner, marking Beatrice's first time eating dinner outside the Mathers Manor in a very long time.

"Hey Beatrice," Subaru asked, "when's the last time you even went to eat dinner somewhere else?"

She sighed. "Four hundred years, I suppose."

He nearly dropped his fork as he exclaimed, "That long?! I knew spirits could live long lives, but you've really never been out for that long?"

She nodded. "I've been waiting for a suitable contractor to come along before I could leave the archive, or even the manor. After what happened a couple of weeks ago, I decided you were the first suitable contractor to come along. You should be proud of such a distinction, I suppose."

The entire table was beside themselves at the revelation. Crusch exclaimed, "Subaru! She's saying that in four hundred years, you're the first suitable contractor she's found? That's astounding! I've never heard of such an achievement in my life! You really should be proud of that, Subaru!"

Emilia just smiled as her knight and partner got recognized for being exceptional. She knew Beatrice had been in the manor for a long time, but she had no idea just how long. Subaru was the best: he's smart, strong, worthy of the attention of a powerful spirit, and had incredible friends. He was everything she wanted to be, and his care for her inspired her to try and be better than she was.

Subaru, meanwhile, felt something different. It was all a fluke, right? All he did was bump into Julius, and lucked his way into fortune and ability. What if he had discovered his Return by Death on the first day instead? He felt he may have been so scared out of his mind that he would've instead run away to avoid dying again. Or, maybe it would've gone to his head, and he would have begun using death as a tool like some sociopathic video game protagonist. Either way, he could have easily been as weak as he had been in Japan.

Everything was just luck up to this point. Julius only happened to know Reinhard, who could make him as proficient as humanly possible in swordplay. He also fortunately happened to know about spirit arts and magic, and helped him learn how to use them by bringing in a magical tutor. The meeting with Emilia was just because he was in the right place at the right time. And now, he feared more than anything that soon they would discover he wasn't the person they all thought he was. Subaru Natsuki, adopted into the Juukulius noble house, was just a fraud with an insane luck streak and a stupidly overpowered ability that gave him the chance to barely avoid dying. By all rights, the day Elsa slashed his abdomen open, he should have been dead—game over, thank you for playing.

"Baru-tan? Subaru? Are you okay? Are you not feeling well?" His trance was broken by Emilia's angelic voice checking up on him. She waved in his face, and the others at the table were also looking on in concern.

He shook his head, and lightly clapped his own cheeks. "Sorry, everyone. I just got a little lost in my thoughts for a moment. Pardon my inattentiveness." He smiled back at everyone, which seemed to put them all at ease.

The servants arrived with dinner, and the rest of the evening continued along nicely. After dinner concluded, Crusch and Ferris wished the Emilia Camp members a good night and everyone retired to their rooms for the evening. Upon reaching their rooms, Emilia smiled at Subaru and said, "Good night, Baru-tan. I'll come by in the morning before the celebrations begin."

With that, Subaru and Beatrice retreated into their shared room. As he laid down in bed, he wondered, "Why didn't Wilhelm join us today at dinner? Maybe he was busy. A guy like him, fairly prominent in his own right, not joining the lord he pledged to serve at dinner. What do you think, Beako?"

The spirit replied, "You're asking the wrong person, I suppose. I have no idea why the white-haired man wasn't there. As a knight, he may have had to attend to some kind of knight duty, I suppose?"

He sighed. "Oh well. We'll see him again tomorrow, I'm sure. Tonight, we just need to get plenty of rest. The next few days are going to be very long, but you already knew that, Beako."

She nodded. While she laid down on the other bed, he went into the small restroom to put on night clothes. After he got changed, he slid into bed and got comfortable. She walked over to his bed, and prepared to drain his mana. She whispered in his ear, "Sleep well Subaru." She drained and stored his mana, and he instantly fell asleep. She sat beside him for a moment, listening to see if he began to have nightmares again. After a moment, he seemed to still be fairly calm, so she felt content to go to her own bed.

As she laid down, she began to mumble to herself aloud. "Subaru...you are a strange and peculiar person, I suppose. Why did you start feeling guilty earlier when they were praising you? Do you not feel like you earned your achievements? If anyone here is undeserving here, it's Betty, I suppose. I hope you really are that person, so I can complete my contract with Mother after so long."

---

A feeling of floating surrounded the nameless being. It seemed to become aware, and felt the presence of a dark room around it. Was it a room? Maybe the whole world had gone dark. After a moment, the being remembered who it was: Subaru Natsuki Juukulius. He was in a place he'd seen before, only in his dreams.

Should I give this place a name? How about 'The Shadow Garden'? I mean, there's not much to look at, but it feels better than just being a nameless void.

He contemplated what he should do. As always, he was basically captive, unable to move. However, he never seemed to come to harm, even if there was the potential for harm. As he thought, a figure appeared. She wore a cloak concealing her face, but locks of silver hair poured out the sides. The same black with yellow accented dress remained on her from the last time he saw her.

The Witch was back, and he still didn't know what to think of her. She was terrifying, yet also oddly calming. Her every word simultaneously reassured him and made his skin crawl. He didn't know whether he was there to be a toy, or if she really truly did want to help him out somehow.

"I love you. I love you. I love you more than anything else in the world, because you are the world to me."

She slowly approached him. Before long, he could feel her breathing directly on him, as though he still had a corporeal body.

"I wish I had more time, my love. The grasp of the Witch of Envy has weakened after so long, and now I can sometimes talk to you like this. I wish I could directly help you, but I cannot risk damaging you through my help. Someday, I hope I can tell you what you want to know. The only thing I can tell you now, is I'm depending on you. I will save up my energy to talk to you again another time...I love you."

She walked back, and faded from view. He soon felt his awareness fade away, and he re-entered a state of deep sleep.

---

Subaru opened his eyes. The room had only a tiny sliver of light entering as evidence that the sun had begun to rise. He also realized his hands were being held by the little blonde spirit still snoozing in front of him. Did I have another nightmare? I feel like maybe I did, but I can't remember.

Finishing his thought, he began to stretch out his legs and arms. Beatrice opened her eyes, feeling him stretch, and she yawned adorably. "You're awake, I suppose. You started shivering under your blankets with another nightmare, so I came over to help you again. Feel free to praise me, I suppose."

He smiled and removed his hand from hers, pulling her into a hug. "Well, this isn't really the best position for this, but thank you Beako. I'm glad you're so considerate toward me." He let her go, and she rolled back a little bit.

"You're welcome, I suppose." Her cheeks were red, but she did sound completely genuine. He got up out of bed, as did Beatrice. After a few more stretches, he went to change into a bathrobe and made his way to the baths.

When he arrived, he was surprised to find Wilhelm in the main bath. He looked up and said, "Good morning, Sir Subaru. I see you're up quite early as well. Don't worry about bothering me, I'm just enjoying a nice soak before I do my morning sword practice. Say, would you indulge an old man and join me after this bath? I'd be delighted to see how you are with a sword."

Subaru lowered himself into the bath and replied, "Oh, certainly. A little practice before the big celebration would probably be good for me. I'm not the best with a sword, but hopefully I can still make it interesting for you."

He took a pause, and then asked, "Wilhelm, I don't mean to pry, but I noticed you didn't dine with us yesterday. Were you busy at the time?"

The old knight cleared his throat and responded, "Ah, yes. I was disappointed as well, but I had to stand guard. We had received a report that a known assassin was spotted in the capital, but before I went to bed, the knights reported that the assassin was seen fleeing the city. We should be generally safe today, especially with two renowned knights joining the celebrations."

Subaru sighed with relief and said, "That's good. One less thing to worry about."

The two men idly chatted for a little while before both decided they had soaked for long enough. They agreed to meet shortly thereafter in the courtyard to train. When Subaru got back to his room, he found Beatrice reading a book.

"Hello again, Beako! Did you bring that with you? I didn't even notice you brought anything."

She huffed at him. "You should put your clothes back on before talking to a lady, I suppose. I may be a spirit, but I get nervous around men wearing only bathrobes. For your information, I did not bring any books with me. I pulled it out of the Forbidden Archive to read for a little while until you came back."

He flashed a toothy grin. "Hehe, oops. I'll put my clothes on. I had no idea you could connect to the archive from so far away from the Mathers manor!"

He went into the restroom to change, and came back out to find Beatrice had put her book away. She said, "With my Door Crossing, almost any normal door can be turned into a gateway to the Forbidden Archive, so long as I know where the door is, I suppose. It takes a lot of concentration to move it over long distances, and I was focusing for almost thirty minutes to connect the door here, in fact. Since it used quite a bit of mana, I probably won't try to do this again, I suppose."

Before she could elaborate further, they were surprised to hear a knock on the door. Subaru went to open it and found a very half-asleep Emilia with a big smile like she was drunk. "G-Good morning Baru...Baru-tan. I woke up kinda early today, so I'm not...not all here. Um, did you want to spend some time together for a while before the c-celebration since I'm awake?"

He didn't have to look to know that Beatrice was rolling her eyes all the way into the back of her head. "Emilia-tan, I think you should get a little more rest. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to spend extra time with you, but you really need to make sure you're well-rested and ready. These next few days are going to be long, and you need to be as best as you can be! Okay?"

She pouted, but relented. "Okayay Baru-tan...I'll get more sleep I guess. B-But! Only if you promise to come wake me up a little bit later."

He nodded his head. "You got it, Emilia-tan. Get some more rest, and I'll wake you up personally when it's time for breakfast!"

She waved as she went back into her room, and when the door closed, Beatrice sighed loudly. "That girl seems to have her priorities mixed up, I suppose. I can't exactly blame her for thinking about spending time with you, though. Anyway, where are you off to, I suppose?"

He replied, "Oh, I saw Wilhelm in the bath and he invited me to do some training with him since we were both up early. I don't want to miss a chance to see what the Sword Demon is capable of!"

She silently accepted his answer, and he went off to the courtyard to find Wilhelm. The halls were mostly empty save for a few servants on their early morning rounds, and he had no trouble navigating through. Once outside, he found Wilhelm standing with two wooden swords in a nice clear area of the courtyard.

"Ah, you've come." Wilhelm sounded pleased by Subaru's timely arrival. "We will use these swords for today. First, I'd like to gauge your skill. Take a blade, and try to strike me with it. No magic, just you and the blade." He tossed a wooden sword to Subaru, who caught it, and prepared to swing at the experienced knight.

Subaru watched Wilhelm's pose and how he held his sword, and so tried to swing at what he perceived as a weak point. With very little effort, Wilhelm quickly showed that the weak point was actually a trap, and it was Subaru who got knocked over. The young knight gasped for air, amazed by his elder's move.

"You know how to search for weak points, so that's a point in your favor. Unfortunately for you, it was a trap, which you've found out for yourself. When surveying an opponent for weakness, often checking their pose is not the way to do it. Go for standard attacks and strategies, and watch how they respond to your movements. That will be where you will find the real weaknesses to exploit from your opponent. Now, try again."

Subaru got back up, and noticed he was displaying a weakness again. This time, he used a standard attack, and fought the swordsman until he noticed that Wilhelm fought mostly with right-sided attacks, leaving his left open frequently. He continued to attack and parry, and then took an opening to get his left side. As he swung, Wilhelm cleared the swing and wrapped around to strike Subaru's unguarded right side, bringing him down again.

"You saw my strategy and tried to play it against me. Another point for you. I'll admit, Sir Subaru, that's more points than many knights would ever get, so I applaud you. Truly, you are a well-trained swordsman."

Subaru wheezed as he squeaked out, "Th-Thanks, I guess."

Wilhelm smiled as he lifted the boy back up. "Now, I wish to show you a few other tricks to help you overcome what you think your limits are."

The two trained for another hour, and then the sun became very bright in the sky. Subaru was amazed to learn about the sort of combat tactics and tricks that veteran swordsmen use, and he grew an appreciation for what Wilhelm was capable of. He knew that Crusch had chosen an excellent personal knight in the Sword Demon.

After the practice, he went to wake up Emilia. She would've been roused by now, but he had already informed the staff he would take care of it. He quietly entered her room to find her fast asleep in a nice large bed. To try and not scare her, he called out to her, "Emilia-tan? I'm here to wake you up."

She didn't respond, so he got closer. "Emilia-tan? Can you hear me? It's time to wake up now." This time, she started to stir, and she opened her eyes. He always found himself in awe of her stunningly beautiful eyes, as bright and lovely as an amethyst crystal.

Seriously, if not for the Witch of Envy, I think she'd be regarded as the world's most beautiful woman. He smiled at his optimistic thought.

"Oh, good morning Baru-tan. I feel much better rested now, thank you. I'm glad you kept your promise to wake me." She smiled and offered her hand, which he gladly took. He gently helped her out of bed, and she stretched out. He thought, She's cute even when all she's doing is stretching. I can't take it!

She looked back at him and saw that he looked like he was staring at her. "Baru-tan? What's wrong? Do I have something on my face?"

He shook his head and refocused himself. "Oh no, Emilia-tan. The only thing on your face is your beauty!"

Her cheeks flushed, and she lightly smacked his shoulder. "H-Hey, no fair! Today's about you, not me, you dunderhead! You just can't help but to tease me, can you?"

He chuckled and explained, "When a man courts a woman, he should always pay compliments to her. I'm not teasing you, I'm telling you that you really are beautiful. But, if it makes you uncomfortable, I can stop-"

"No, no, I'm sorry. Y-You can compliment me," she interrupted. Her cheeks were still bright red, as were the tips of her pointy ears.

In the corner of the room, Beatrice sighed. "My contractor sure enjoys shamelessly flirting endlessly with his girlfriend in front of another lady, I suppose. Thankfully for him, his spirit can tolerate his overly-loving personality."

Emilia sputtered out, "S-See, Baru-tan? You've made Beatrice uncomfortable."

He couldn't help but chuckle. "Relax, you two. I'm done now. Emilia-tan, you can go ahead and get ready, and the two of us will wait for you in our room."

Subaru and Beatrice left so Emilia could get ready. While she was off getting ready, the blonde maid showed up at the duo's room. She told them that the guests would begin arriving in about thirty minutes, and Crusch would be waiting for them in the grand hall. By the time Emilia was ready, it was time to go to the hall, so the three of them made their way down.

Upon arrival, they found Crusch, Ferris, Wilhelm, and several servants waiting for them. Crusch greeted the trio by saying, "Ah, you made it here right on time. Good morning, Lady Emilia, Sir Subaru, Miss Beatrice. Our first guest, Sir Julius, should be arriving shortly. Knowing him, he won't want to be even a second late for this event."

Sure enough, only a minute after Crusch mentioned him, Julius waltzed right in. Subaru was excited to see him again, and eagerly waved at him to come over.

"Good day, everyone!" Julius called to the group. "Lady Crusch, I was delighted that you decided to host this party for Subaru. Speaking of which, Subaru, it's wonderful to see you again! It makes me happy that you were able to bring Lady Emilia along with you today. Now, as for your other guest, I don't believe I'm acquainted with her. Greetings, I am-"

"Julius Juukulius, of the Juukulius noble house, Royal Knight, known as the Knight of Knights, or sometimes the Greatest Knight. You are also akin to Subaru's older brother, I suppose. You may call me Beatrice, the Great Spirit of the Forbidden Archive...Pleasure to meet you, I suppose." Subaru tried hard not to laugh as Beatrice completely deflated Julius before he could even introduce himself.

Subaru explained, "Sorry, Julius. I've told her about you and our history some. She's my new contracted spirit. She may seem a little rough around the edges, but she's really a sweet girl once you get to know her."

Julius nervously chuckled. "I see, Subaru. Well, it's a pleasure to meet you too, Miss Beatrice. Subaru, I know you told me you formed a contract with a new spirit recently, but you didn't tell me she was on the level of a Great Spirit. You'll have to tell me about all the circumstances sometime."

Crusch gently butted in, "Welcome, Sir Julius! We're glad to see you. If you'd like, we can relax in the adjoining parlor for a while until the other guests arrive."

The group agreed to relocate, and they moved to the parlor. They got comfortable, and Emilia decided to speak first. "So, Sir Julius, I didn't quite get to say so a moment ago, but it's nice to see you again. I'm still very grateful to you and Sir Subaru for helping me out last time I was here in the capital. When Lord Roswaal offered to make him a personal knight on my behalf and he accepted, I was so excited."

Julius smiled. "Subaru was hoping to join one of the candidate's camps. There's no doubt in my mind that he is going to be a very important member of your camp, second only to yourself and Lord Roswaal. It is my hope you can make the best use of his abilities."

Beatrice took the opportunity to boast, "Considering my contractor is my contractor, he will certainly be a very powerful knight in his own right, I suppose. Roswaal would be a fool to not have him as a leader within the camp. As of right now, Subaru is the Knight Commander of the entire Mathers domain in addition to being Buh-Emilia's personal knight, in fact."

The group continued to chat for a while. Emilia found herself talking with Crusch more often than not, much to her surprise. Julius was incredibly curious about Beatrice and her abilities as a spirit, and Subaru was more than happy to talk with the two of them. While that was going on, Ferris talked to Wilhelm about the gossip around the kingdom, which the older knight generally showed only mild interest in.

After a short while, a servant informed them that another guest had arrived. As the group made their way back out to greet them, Subaru was surprised to find that this person was someone he didn't recognize at all. The figure was revealed to be a rather tall woman with dark blue hair and matching eyes, wearing a long orange, green, and yellow patterned dress. She bowed and introduced herself.

"Lady Crusch, thank you for inviting me to this party. For those of you unfamiliar with me, I am Katarina Theosoir. My family manages a small but crucial segment of agricultural lands in the Karsten domain. My father, Lord Theosoir, has ensured through his forward thinking administration that we provide forty percent of the food for the entire Karsten domain despite only using seven percent of the land."

She carried herself very confidently, and Crusch went to shake hands with her. The duchess brought the woman over to introduce to the group. "Katarina, this here is our guest of honor, Sir Subaru. He is a noble of the Juukulius family, the current Knight Commander of the Mathers domain, and a personal friend of mine."

Subaru smiled and offered his hand. "Nice to meet you, Lady Katarina."

She accepted and shook with him. "The pleasure is all mine, Sir Subaru. I always enjoy getting to network with fellow members of the nobility."

Introductions went smoothly, and the woman shook hands with everyone, even Emilia. Subaru noticed a hint of aversion, but she was at least polite enough to extend her courtesy. As she wrapped up her greetings, a new guest arrived with a small entourage.

He was a tall yet slim man, wearing a clearly aged but well-fitted and unblemished brown suit. The man had dark blond hair, gray-blue eyes, and wore a dark green tie to compliment the dress the woman beside him wore. The woman was about as tall as Emilia, adorned with a mid-length dark green dress. She had dark brown eyes, a surprising mismatch to her bright blonde hair.

The man introduced himself and his group. "Thank you for inviting me, Lady Crusch. I am Tellan Kaldwell, and this is my wife Corrine. With me today are two young men who've become executives in the Kaldwell Trading Company, Buchanan and Reiman."

Once again, Crusch introduced the other members of the party, with most interested in learning more about the apparent successful merchant and his company. Tellan seemed to have no problem greeting Emilia, but Subaru noticed that out of their group, only Reiman gave full respect to her in his greeting. After the next set of introductions were over, the final guest arrived. His bright red hair and shining blue eyes were so recognizable that no one could possibly mistake him for any other living man.

"Reinhard, it took you long enough to get here, nya!~" Ferris teased Reinhard as he made his way over to the rest of the party. Everyone happily greeted Reinhard, though Subaru noticed when he made his way to Wilhelm, the two men simply nodded at each other wordlessly. The junior knight felt saddened that the grandfather and grandson could barely even acknowledge the other's existence.

With all the guests now in attendance, Crusch addressed the crowd.

"Thank you everyone for coming today! As you all know, we're celebrating my friend Sir Subaru's newest achievement: being named a personal knight for a Royal Candidate. Now, you will all find out tomorrow exactly who the candidate in question is, but for now I can tell you it is not me."

Subaru was confused at first, but then he realized that the first event of the Royal Selection was announcing all the candidates to the public. Emilia was a complete unknown, and the others outside of Crusch, Ferris, Julius, and Reinhard did not know she was a candidate. Crusch herself was only known because she was discovered right when the Royal Selection process had started. Of course, the candidates weren't supposed to really interact at all before the first event, but Crusch didn't mind interacting with Emilia because of the event that caused them to become acquainted in the first place.

The crowd applauded Subaru, to which he blushed and bowed. Crusch continued her address, "Now, we'll start with some lunch in the grand dining hall. If you'll follow me, we've got a wonderful assortment available today!"

The grand dining hall really was as it had been stated: a huge hall with a large table running down the middle. There was plenty of room for everyone to sit, with Crusch at the head and Ferris to her right. They all sat back and talked about events around the kingdom while they enjoyed a wide variety of foods prepared by the highly-regarded Karsten chefs. Crusch admitted to the table that she was nervous about the first event of the Royal Selection, but she was ready to show everyone what she was all about.

After lunch, the party gathered in what appeared to be a ballroom. Hor d'oeuvres, dessert plates, and drinks were available, as were several tables and chairs surrounding the center. The room had not been set up for any kind of dancing, so most of the party gathered in the middle to chat. Crusch had once again engaged Emilia in conversation, and Subaru found himself enjoying a conversation with his fellow knights.

"As I was saying, my lady Anastasia just made a huge trade deal to secure the exclusive right to sell a special variety of wine made only in Vollachia!" Julius was excitedly talking about the things ongoing in his life. "I wasn't with her that day, but her Iron Fang was, and their captain, Ricardo, was challenged by the winemaker to a duel. Ricardo won, and the winemaker agreed to make a contract with her. Anastasia was wise to bring her mercenary team with her to Vollachia and, in the end, her brilliant strategy won her something most merchants can only dream of. Anyway, that was a long story, my apologies. Reinhard, didn't you say you were involved in something regarding the selection?"

The redheaded knight smiled and confirmed it. "Indeed, the fifth Royal Candidate was found, and I have decided to sponsor her. She will be announced to the public tomorrow. Due to all the preparations I've needed to go through, I've been busier the past month than I have in many years. That isn't to say it has been unenjoyable, quite the opposite. Opportunities like this don't usually make themselves apparent for me, so I'm quite pleased with the development."

Reinhard then turned his focus to Subaru and asked him, "Subaru, how is your new appointment? I trust your lady and her sponsoring lord have treated you well thus far?"

Subaru nodded. "Oh yeah, it has been good. I admit that things were a little hairy as I got used to my new surroundings, and as the staff there got used to me, but overall it has worked out well. We have our own list of accomplishments to talk about with the public announcement tomorrow."

"My, this sounds like a fascinating discussion you all are having. Mind if I join?"

The knights turned to find Katarina had approached from behind Subaru and Julius. They looked at each other for a moment, and Ferris shrugged, so Julius said, "Feel free to join us, milady. I hope our discussion doesn't turn too dull for your tastes."

She fired right back, "No discussion is too dull when I get to chat with fine men. Besides, you already have one person wearing women's clothing, so one more shouldn't change much."

Ferris chuckled and said, "Oh, you noticed, did you? You can tell I'm a man?"

"Certainly. Even the most petite of women have wider hips than you do. It was very easy to make the deduction from there. Now, I think I know a few things that may interest you, good sirs."

She gently inserted herself between Subaru and Ferris, and began to tell them about some of the affairs of nobles in the capital she associated with. Subaru noticed that she had a habit of accidentally bumping into him as she swayed around, but it was in such a way that he doubted whether it was truly an accident.

"-and then Lady Tanya hired a jester to embarrass her sister at her own birthday celebration! The commotion was quite entertaining to watch as an outsider at the event. Anyway, forgive me for this, but I need to step away for a little while. Sir Subaru, if you don't mind my saying, I was rather disappointed there would be no dancing tonight. I might have quite enjoyed a dance with you. Would you mind if I kept in contact with you?"

Julius tapped Subaru on the shoulder, and whispered to him, "Remember, when a fellow noble asks to keep in touch, you should never turn it down. She may be able to introduce you to a supporter down the line, or...she may have other intentions. Based on how she acts, she may be interested in making a marriage proposal down the road. You're a member of a major noble house, and she is a very attractive noblewoman. Just something to think about."

Subaru turned red, and as he looked back at her, she smiled and giggled. Somewhat reluctantly, he said to her, "Yes, we can stay in contact."

She happily exchanged information so they could write to each other, and she waved as she walked away. Reinhard chuckled and said teasingly, "It would seem the accomplishments of Sir Subaru continue to grow. First he becomes a personal knight for a candidate, and now he may get a proposal for marriage from a noblewoman. You're really getting up in the world now, Subaru."

Both Ferris and Julius chuckled along with him, and Subaru turned beet red. "H-Hey, that's not fair you guys! Julius, Reinhard, surely you get offers all the time! Besides-um, actually, nevermind. B-But, she shouldn't just expect me to immediately decide I love her after meeting her once, right?" He smiled smugly, missing the incredible irony of his own words.

Julius smirked as he replied, "Offers 'all the time'? That's awfully presumptuous, Subaru. Now, that's not to say I don't get offers, but not as frequently as you suggest. Besides, you've completely left out poor Ferris. He gets offers from both genders, so just imagine how he feels."

Ferris squealed, "Nya~, Julius! Didja have to go and tell him that? I'm tired of turning down creepy old guys who think I'm a woman!"

The other three knights all chuckled at Ferris, and eventually the catboy chuckled along with them. Just then, Subaru felt a tap on his shoulder. "Subaru? Sorry to bother you, but is it okay for Beatrice and I to join you?"

Emilia's voice was unmistakable, and he happily brought the two into the circle with him. Julius smiled and said to her, "Are you enjoying the party? I'm sure you're quite happy to be here with Subaru."

She replied back, "Of course! Crusch is a lovely host, and I'd want to be anywhere Subaru is going to be celebrated. I know you all already know why, but I can't say it out loud until after tomorrow."

Reinhard said, "Of course, Lady Emilia. Nevertheless, we are happy with the situation. Subaru worked hard to earn his position, and after what happened the day you met, certainly it all makes sense."

She blushed a little. Julius then asked, "So, Miss Beatrice, I was curious. You mentioned you are the Great Spirit of the Forbidden Archive, but I'm not familiar with that title. Do you have an element that you are best with?"

Beatrice said, "I control powerful yin magic, I suppose. My title was given to me by my mother, the former Witch of Greed. At the Mathers Manor, there is an archive filled with her accumulated knowledge that I am charged with guarding. So long as I live, only myself and those I accept are able to enter it, I suppose."

Julius was astonished. "The former Witch of Greed? I've heard of her, but only in legends. She lived close to 400 years ago, right? Before, well, the calamity of The Witch?"

She gave a slight nod. "You are right, I suppose. There is little surviving knowledge of her, so I'm impressed you know anything at all."

Reinhard asked, "So, if there was a Witch of Greed and a Witch of Envy, were there more witches before the Witch of Envy drained half the world dry?"

She sighed. "There were seven Witches of Sin in total. Lust, Greed, Gluttony, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, and Pride were their titles. Aside from my mother, I don't know any more about the witches than anyone else would."

Julius continued to ask Beatrice questions, to the small spirit's annoyance. She tolerated it for Subaru's sake, but she refused to answer any further questions about the Witch of Greed. Subaru continued to talk with Emilia, Reinhard, and Ferris as the afternoon changed to evening.

"May I have everyone's attention?" The partygoers turned to see Crusch calling out to everyone.

"We will be returning to the grand dining hall for dinner and dessert before the end of the party." She spoke clearly and confidently, capturing the full attention of the group; most would regard this to be the mark of a true leader. Subaru may not have chosen to join her camp, but he still respected her leadership capability.

The party made their way back to the dining hall, and enjoyed the provided food. While they ate, Subaru remembered something he wanted to ask Reinhard.

"Hey, Reinhard, you know when I wrote to all of you, I noticed your letter got back to me a day earlier than everyone else's. Do you have, like, faster private mail or something?" He tilted his head as Reinhard stared at him like a deer in headlights.

The table went quiet, as Julius and Ferris both started staring hard at Reinhard, who was sweating bullets. Julius asked accusingly, "Reinhard, did you-?"

The red-faced redhead blurted out, "I certainly didn't run across multiple territories outside the capital to hand deliver the letter! It baffles me that you would accuse me of such a thing!"

Subaru and Emilia both went wide eyed, while Beatrice tilted her head in confusion. Julius and Ferris both put their heads into their hands, and even Crusch was grimacing. Reinhard's face was bright red, having just admitted to what he did.

Beatrice whispered to Subaru, "What's this all about, I suppose? I don't understand why everyone's upset."

He whispered back, "It's called the Reinhard Law. He's literally not allowed to leave the capital without explicit permission from the Royal Knight Commander. That's what happens when you're literally a walking nuke, I guess. Any wrong move from him and the other nations could declare war on Lugnica."

"I'll have to ask what a 'walking nuke' is later, I suppose. But I think I understand." She remained quiet as the intense stares at Reinhard continued.

"Ahem," said Crusch as she interrupted the silence. "Well, seeing how we are nearly done here, we should go ahead and say our goodbyes. It's been a lovely day having you all here. Once more, Sir Subaru, I congratulate you on your success. I look forward to the public announcement tomorrow." She stood up and began to give her goodbyes to everyone.

Everyone else also stood up, and Julius took the opportunity to walk over to Subaru and said to him, "Don't worry, I'm not leaving quite yet. Lady Crusch gave her permission for me to stay a little longer given our history. When you're ready, we can go to a small parlor room to chat before I must leave. Feel free to bring Lady Emilia and Miss Beatrice too. I would enjoy getting to learn more about you all." He smiled, and walked to talk to everyone else.

Subaru was mostly keeping Emilia and Beatrice company but the tall, dark blue-haired woman from earlier came over with a particular smile on her face. Katarina unexpectedly pulled Subaru to herself, and she planted a kiss right on his cheek before saying, "I look forward to writing with you, Sir Subaru. You must join me someday at my family's manor so we can enjoy a longer conversation over some tea." She released him back to a shocked Emilia and Beatrice, then she winked at him before turning and walking away.

Subaru suddenly felt cold as he could sense a certain half-elf's icy stare to his backside. "Subaru. I think you and I will need to talk about this later," she quietly and disapprovingly said. She made no move to leave, but now he was standing there wondering how he was going to explain this, even though he was completely innocent. He never asked the tall woman to do that, for crying out loud!

Beatrice sighed. "My contractor seems to be all too good at getting himself in trouble. It is for the best that you two are in separate rooms, I suppose." She seemed more amused than upset, to his relief.

Shortly thereafter, Emilia was approached by Reiman, the very polite man with Tellan. He simply bowed to her and said, "It was nice to meet you today. Be well, Miss Emilia." He walked away smiling as he rejoined the rest of his group. Beatrice then took the opportunity to get back for Subaru. "It seems my contractor is not the only one with random suitors coming over to say nice things, I suppose." She looked incredibly smug as she said it.

Emilia indignantly replied, "H-Hey, it's not like he came over and kissed me on the cheek, you know! Honestly, Beatrice. He was just being friendly for some reason!"

The incredibly smug spirit girl continued to puff out her cheeks, completely ignoring Emilia's comeback. Finally, an exasperated Subaru simply said, "How about we go meet up with Julius and head somewhere else to chat?"

The trio went to get Julius, but were quickly intercepted by Crusch. She said, "I hope you enjoyed yourselves! By the way, my servants will be waking up everyone earlier than usual tomorrow to prepare for the event. Good night all of you, and we'll get to chat one more time in the morning before we have to split up and head separately for the castle." She waved them off, and Julius quickly caught up with them.

The four moved to a small parlor, and Julius began asking questions right away.

"Lady Emilia," he asked, "might I ask, were you hoping that Subaru would become your knight even before your lord talked to him about it?"

She blushed just a little, and answered, "Well, my hopes weren't high, but I was hoping he might be interested. I'm sure you know, Lord Roswaal tried many times to recruit a knight, and everytime he was turned down. This time, I was a little more hopeful because Subaru has been nicer to me than basically anyone. It's almost like he wasn't afraid of me when he first saw me."

Subaru cheekily grinned, and Julius said to him, "You know, that's a point, were you afraid of her when you saw her, Subaru?"

Subaru had three sets of eyes on him, all curious for his answer. Back then, he had forgotten what The Witch looked like so it didn't even occur to him to think differently of Emilia. After all, he was in a fantasy world compared to Japan, so hair colors like silver were just another color—at least that's what he thought. In addition, he didn't grow up hearing about The Witch, so he never developed any kind of prejudice based on the stories.

He finally answered after a brief pause, "Julius, you remember when you first met me, right? I was completely lost, had no idea where I was, and was totally clueless?"

The purple-haired knight nodded. "I do seem to recall that. It was as though you'd lived under a rock your entire life, and you didn't even know what magic or spirit arts were. Everything you know about the world came from your time at the manor."

The younger knight smiled. "So, to answer your question, I wasn't afraid of Emilia when I first saw her. Unlike everyone else, I didn't grow up hearing about The Witch everyday, so I never had a reason to really think about it."

Emilia looked shocked. "Subaru, you never heard the stories? Did your parents not know them, or did you just grow up in the wild or something? Literally everyone knows who The Witch is by the time they're three years old. They tell you to fear any half-elf, but especially if that half-elf has silver hair and purple eyes. After all, that's how The Witch appeared when she began to drain the world."

Beatrice added, "It does seem unreasonable that my contractor had never heard the stories before joining another household, I suppose."

He gave a long-suffering sigh as he said, "No, I think The Witch just didn't exist where I came from."

Julius remembered, "Oh, you were always saying something about coming from very far east, even though this is the easternmost nation of our world. I never really thought about that a lot until just now. If you are from some faraway place, maybe it makes sense you knew nothing about The Witch or the way the world works."

Subaru rolled his eyes. "Oh, now you believe me. Only took you 2 years to realize I'm not just making things up!"

Beatrice asked, "Subaru, are you from beyond the Great Waterfall?"

He thought about it for a moment and answered, "I think so? I'd never heard of Lugnica or any of the other three countries before I ended up here. To this day I still don't know how I got here, honestly."

The discussion continued on for a while before Julius looked at a window and saw the sun was nearly below the horizon. "Goodness, it is getting quite late! I'm sorry for keeping you so long. Is it right to assume I will see all of you tomorrow before the event starts?"

Emilia smiled. "You will, Sir Julius. I'll personally make sure Subaru here is up and ready nice and early so we can be there before it starts."

Subaru complained, "Hey, you'll sleep in even later than me given the chance!"

Julius chuckled. "You two get along quite well, don't you? I'm glad that's the case. A knight and his lady should always have a good working relationship together."

Both knight and lady blushed, and Beatrice mumbled, "You should see them at home, I suppose."

"Hmm? Sorry, Miss Beatrice, I don't think I heard you." Julius looked back at her after hearing the mumble.

She flopped one of her drills and said, "Nevermind, I suppose."

Julius then said, "Well, I look forward to seeing you both again. Oh, Subaru, after the event, I was going to see if maybe I could come visit the Mathers manor for a few days to see what it's like over there, if the Margrave approves."

Subaru replied, "Certainly! He should be joining us tomorrow for the event, so we can take the opportunity to ask."

With that, the elegant knight bade farewell to the trio, leaving them in the parlor.

Emilia then looked at Subaru with a serious expression. "Now, Baru-tan, there's a certain matter I wanted to ask you about. Why did that Katarina woman come up and kiss you earlier?"

He slumped back into his chair and sighed raggedly. "Look, Emilia-tan, I don't know why she kissed me, but when I was talking to Julius, Rein, and Ferris, she came over to join us, and she asked to stay in touch. I only said yes because, as a noble, I'm supposed to network with other nobles!"

The half-elf sighed. "Oh boy, what a situation. I guess it would be easier if you could just tell people you're courting me, but that knowledge can't get out until after the Royal Selection is over."

Beatrice added, "Subaru, that woman was hoping you might court her, I suppose. You'll need a very good reason to turn her down if you want to get out of this without something bad happening, in fact."

"Great," he said sarcastically. "The last thing I needed right now was getting tangled into a situation where some noblewoman wants me to court her while I'm already secretly courting a woman...wait, when did women start wanting me to be with them? This never happened back home, I was the resident loser shut-in!"

Emilia looked weirdly at him and asked, "What do you mean by 'loser shut-in'?"

He shook his head. "Nevermind that, I can explain another time. Anyway, don't worry Emilia-tan. I'll figure it out."

She smiled weakly and nodded her head. She then said, "Well, we should probably go to bed now. Goodnight Baru-tan, goodnight Beatrice."

The three went back to their rooms, and Subaru got himself tucked into bed. Beatrice, with her palm over him to drain his mana, whispered, "Good night, I suppose."

The energy drained from him, and he was asleep before he could even realize it.

---

Welcome to Arc Three of this story! This arc will be quite a bit longer than the first two for obvious reasons. I planned more events out for this arc, so I hope everyone enjoys it. I have another work as well, a mini-series called Subaru Juukulius: Choosing Crusch. You can see it at fanfiction - /s/13890818/1/Subaru-Juukulius-A-Dance-with-the-Valkyrie