Interlude 2 – The E.M.T. No. 1

"A'ight… Been postponing this long enough… Over a week, in fact…" Subaru said with a serious face while standing in front of his desk, the remaining light of the setting sun entering through the window and directly illuminating the objects on top of it. "Karen, we are running a full inventory."

"Understood." The A.I. responded.

"Let's begin with the suit… What DON'T we have?"

"Of the 30 web-fluid cartridges, only 8 remain. Of the 22 empty cartridges only 10 remain."

"Damage of the suit?"

"As stated in the Capital, 30% for both regular and Iron Spider. Completely exposed right arm plus some inner circuitry of the chest area for the regular suit is compromised."

"…Right. Then, onto my actual possessions."

"Right hand's web-shooter is in tatters but fixable given the proper tools."

"Yeah, noticed that. Miraculously, the circuitry is not as damaged as I originally thought… It's mostly just the mechanical stuff that needs a fix."

"Wallet with ID card and Bus card, plus 10 dollars in 5 dollar bills. Also, spare change of three quarters, discounting the coin given to the child in the Capital."

"Yep, Plum gets to keep a whole Washington." Subaru remembers the green haired little girl with a smile.

"Motorola E4 with a broken screen."

"Aw, man. It was new too!" Subaru wept over his smartphone's fate.

"And the smartphone's memory card used during your date."

"Okay then…" Subaru clasped his hands together, rubbing them while getting his thoughts in order. "Let's first create empty cartridges to fill out on the ones we've lost... PLUS, the ones for Emilia-tan's web-shooters. After that, we'll gather the base material to extract the chemicals for the web fluid… If there is an apothecary or alchemist or whatever that KNOWS what chemicals are, then we could save some time, but…" His thoughts went back to the Capital. How the only shops selling anything resembling medicines and drugs were pretty bare bones in the variety department. "…Let's not be too hopeful on that one. Moving on… Karen, what are the specific materials we need to repair the regular suit?"

"You'd need nylon for the outer and inner layer while the middle layer needs sheet gold, silver and copper, as well as fiberglass for making both the inner circuitry, sensors and the solar paneling that runs through the line webs to power the electrical aspects of the suit."

"Are you sure you can reveal all that to me? The inner workings on the functionality of the suit, I mean." The young man pondered in concern. "I've been wondering for a while, but it's like you are bypassing all the barriers Tony had setup for you in order to feed me info. You even gave me schematics for the Mark VI! To build a snowman!"

"Oh, Subaru. I'd disregard any security barrier for you." Karen immediately answered matter-of-factly.

"…U-Uh huh…" Scary! That answer sent a chill up my spine! The young Avenger panicked at the computer's answer in his mind. "…So. Gold, silver and copper will be costly, but manageable. The problems are nylon and fiberglass." He distracted himself from the troubling thoughts with more work.

Noticing his sudden uncomfortableness, Karen attempted to lighten up the mood. "Fun fact: The reason as to why Tony doesn't turn into a fleshy mush of broken bones when inside the suit. At the moment of every impact, the sensors of the Iron Man armors will detect the point and force of the impact and send a signal to the main Arc Reactor to create a counter-repulsion proportionate to the hit suffered. Although it cannot mitigate the kinetic energy as Vibranium does, this method greatly reduces the damage dealt by, say, a missile or heavy projectile on the user. To the point even a normal human body inside the suit can withstand such blows."

"That's so freaking cool!" Subaru geeked out for a moment. "Um… *cough, cough* Karen, we are doing important stuff here. No more distractions."

"Understood. Back to the topic of fiberglass; the composition consists of silica sand, limestone and ash soda."

"Silica sand could be a problem… we can refine it from regular sand, but… where do we get so much sand…? We'll have to ask Ros-chi later."

"Nylon would be readily available if we could refine it from petroleum."

"Oil…" Subaru remembered what some merchants said back in the Capital when he was looking for Felt with Emilia. It was an ill season for people to buy and sell oil and a drunk green merchant on the street was being laughed at by a group of other merchants for mentioning the idea of buying some.It could exceed the budget to buy some when no one is selling… "But, we could also get it from another source and not divert the money on oil." Subaru commented.

"How so?"

"Ah! You are forgetting something! You are supposed to be the supercomputer here!" Subaru pointed out Karen's flaw with a chuckle. "Anyways, the carbon particles required for Nylon can also be extracted from coal. We can get some for free from the leftovers of the wolgarm cave."

"Good idea."

"Now, onto Emilia's web-shooters."

"You'll just need gold and copper plus the magnets and basic steel sheeting."

"The magnets we can make with some nickel or iron. In fact, it'll be good practice for when I eventually have to repair the Iron Spider… But I want them to look good as well…" Maybe adorning them with silver…? Subaru rested on his desk chair for some moments while contemplating on whether mentioning or not his plan to Karen. "Karen?"

"Yes?"

"Would you… Hypothetically, I mean… Help me create a satellite using the Iron Spider?"

"Absolutely not."

"Oh, come on! Why not?!"

"The Iron Spider is for your protection. The mechanical limbs are my most readily available route to help in case something ever happens to you."

"Yeah, I know, but-!"

"You wish to sacrifice your best suit to create the possibility of communicating from long distances with Emilia once you build the web-shooters, right?"

"…Um… No?"

"Subaru, I can tell when you are lying to me."

"Okay, yes! But! Listen to me!" A frantic Subaru attempted to justify his position. "We could use just a part of the suit! You know… like, 10 %?"

"You'd be exposing your left arm in its entirety; the armor would not be covering your arms anymore, just the head, legs and torso."

"Yeah, but… I can compensate for that once we get to recreating nanobots!"

"…" Karen stayed silent for some moments, putting Subaru on edge. "…Very well, but ONLY 10%. Also, I won't allow usage of that 10% until you can provide me an schematic on how the satellite shall fly."

"YES! Oh, Karen, thank you!" Subaru celebrated as though a child on Christmas he were; hopping in circles around the cupboard the web-shooter Karen was speaking from rested.

"You'll also need a terminal to serve as a home base and storage. I suggest repairing the smartphone's screen, disassemble it, install me within it and repurpose it as a makeshift computer."

"Yes, yes! Anything you say, I'm game!"

"You shall repurpose the smartphone's camera for taking satellite-view pictures as well."

"Yes… okay! We will, probably, blow my entire salary for the next two months…" Subaru pondered for a second. "Fine! Let's begin then!"

"Hold it, aren't you forgetting something now?" Karen commented playfully.

"Huh? What'd I miss?"

"You also need to make a prototype invention for Roswaal. It's your duty as Emilia's guard and future knight to protect her, but it is also your duty as one of her employees to help her gain popularity."

"Oh shoot! That's right!" Subaru tried to think up some stuff he could recreate from his world. "Umm… Oh! What I mentioned Ram and Rem! They do not have lighters in this world! The thing I nabbed the pyroxene for!"

"The portable stove?"

"Yes! We could experiment on making an oil based one and a pyroxene based one!"

"Aren't pyroxenes based on mana? We hardly possess the knowledge or expertise in that area, so I'd advise against it."

"That's right. We don't. But we know people that know magic and have knowledge manipulating pyroxenes, right?" Subaru gave his bracelet a devilish smirk. "Plus, we could use pyroxenes to elevate the satellite into the stratosphere. Moreover, given that this is separate to our stuff… we can actually ask Roswaal for extra funds! Looks like we'll be getting oil out of season now after all… But, we won't be doing it for the nylon, I'm still using the coal for that one!"

"Sounds like a plan."

"Alright! Time to hand Roswaal the list! We'll begin tomorrow at dawn with the blacksmith back in the village and repair the right web-shooter!"

It was another clear day over Arlam village; the moment the sun shone over the houses indicated the beginning of another day of hard work. The adults had woken up early to attend the fields and cattle, the few artisans working on their small projects and the mothers waking up the children with breakfast, the young ones getting ready for another day playing around. Subaru, with a wooden box in hand, smiled at the sight of such a peaceful atmosphere.

"Subaru-sama!" One of the villagers called out to him, making all the others notice as well.

"Good morning!" Subaru saluted back. The entire village waved back at him while he walked towards the blacksmith's abode. The moment he reached it, an older man received him with a grin while hammering at a broken sickle.

"Subaru-sama! Good to see ya!"

"Nice to see you too!" He shook hands with the blacksmith while lowering the wooden box. "So… I was wondering if you could lend me some tools… or better yet, let me buy some. That and, I need to know if you have any steel."

"Hum, the tools I can sell you, but… the steel is a tall order." The blacksmith reasoned while rubbing the back of his head. "Ya see… steel is reserved for fine weaponry… I can order some from the Capital but… It'll be costly. That and it would arrive in two week's time at the earliest…"

"Oh, I see…" Subaru reasoned, a bit disappointed. "Still, I would like to place the order nonetheless. That and…" He handed the contents of the box to the blacksmith. "I hate asking you so much from the get-go, but can you make these? It's from iron, so I expect it won't be such a tall order, right?" The contents contained schematics and drawings plus a wood carved model of the pieces for the portable stove. "I stayed up all night long making these. I have some ideas in mind and I have to build a prototype first in order to put them to work."

"Sure, no problem!" The man answered Subaru with a smile. "This is more complicated than what anyone has asked of me but, hey! The details are welcomed! I will start after lunch, should have it all done by tomorrow in the afternoon."

"Great!" Subaru thanked the older man while handing him the money for the job and the tools. "Umm, well, I'll be taking the tools then."

"Pleasure doing business with ya!" Thanked the blacksmith.

As Subaru exited the workshop, he contemplated on what to do next. "Alright… It'll take longer than expected to work on the web-shooters and the suit… On the flipside, the stove seems like it'll come along nicely, and we also get some spare time within this two week span of gathering the materials. This might actually be a good opportunity to see just what new powers I have now. What you say, Karen?"

"You could test your powers by going back to the wolgarm cave and collect the coal while you are at it. There's bound to be some leftover mabeasts to train with. Still, you should consult first with Emilia and the rest."

"Got it."

Within the mansion, the maids that were in the kitchen preparing breakfast were alerted by the sudden arrival of Emilia, barging into the room as if looking for someone. "Emilia-sama?" The surprised Rem asked. "What are you doing here? Normally, you sleep-in until right before breakfast."

"Oh, hello Rem, Ram." Emilia saluted the pair. "I was looking for Subaru. I wanted to talk about stories from his world a bit longer yesterday, during our date, but we lost all notion of time and we had to return before he could finish a really exciting one… Have you seen him?"

"Barusu? Fortunately, I haven't." Ram joked.

"I saw Subaru-kun go towards the village at dawn." Rem informed. "He was murmuring something with Karen-sama about the blacksmith and materials."

"Perhaps he has finally resolved himself into doing something useful." The pink maid berated once again, earning pouts from both Emilia and Rem. "If my guess is correct, he will attempt to build something involving the portable stove he mentioned during his first day. Either that, or he is molesting that Petra girl that was fawning over him during the snow festival."

"Nee-sama, you say the most incredible things…" Rem deflated, just a smidge disappointed about her sister. Even if she would not admit it.

"What's 'molesting', anyhow?" Emilia asked. While she clearly understood the negative connotation of the word, the actual meaning flew over her head.

"Umm… Emilia-sama…" Rem attempted to explain with a troubled face, to no avail as she tripped over her words with a blush.

"*sigh* Emilia-sama." Ram decided to explain instead of her twin. "Molesting is when some trashy being like Barusu attempts to fo-" Before she could get away with more defamation while explaining the impure act to Emilia, a sudden bolt of light manifested itself from the half-elf's collar.

"Hey! Good Morning everyone!" Puck, who had clearly overheard the conversation and where it was heading, decided to intervene.

"Great Spirit-sama." The twins saluted while bowing their heads.

"Hey Puck!" Emilia saluted back with a smile. "Say, do you know what 'molesting' is?"

"…Lia." The troubled spirit diverted the topic, avoiding tainting his daughter's mind. "I think there are more pressing matters than worrying about the meaning of a word. The point is, if you woke up early; shouldn't you be studying for the selection instead of worrying about a boy?" He formulated, trying to get her mind off Subaru.

"Yes… I suppose you are right." Emilia meekly answered with some frustration.

"Hey! I'm back!" The joyful voice of Subaru came from the entrance hall.

"Subaru!" Emilia ran into the corridor in a rush to meet him.

"Hey! What about studying?!" A baffled Puck followed along.

"And just in time for breakfast." Rem smiled while finishing a set of omelets.

As everyone sat on the table, just before Emilia could converse with Subaru about the unfinished tale, Roswaal interrupted while informing Subaru on the state of the latter's proposition. "Su~baru-kun, I inform you that I have already placed the orders on the materials you requested. They should arrive within two weeks' time. I've discounted it from your wages, so don't expect any remuneration in the foresee~able future." He explained with his annoying tone and creepy smirk.

"Yeah, I expected that. Thanks for accepting my request of extra funds for the actual project anyways, Ros-chi."

"Wages? Request?" Emilia asked in confusion.

"Oh! It's just…" Subaru attempted to explain before Roswaal interrupted.

"Emilia-sama, as you know, the technology integrated in Subaru's gadgets far exceeds o~urs. As such, in order to fix the broken pieces, he must manufacture them himself."

"For that purpose I asked for some really costly stuff…"

"Though, I must admit, you request for 'sand', a whole carriage filled with it in fact, is the one that perplexes me the mo~st." Roswaal tilted his head in wonder.

"Sand? For what purpose?" Emilia wondered as well.

"Have you actually gone insane? Do you think sand is some miracle ore or something?" Ram savagely stated in disdain.

"Oh, well, you know how glass is made, right?" The Avenger reasoned.

"Hmmm~ yes, but, you wouldn't need such an excessive amo~unt for making some gla~ss. I had to request it directly from the Auguria Sand Dunes to the east." Roswaal commented. "You could easily get an artisan in the village to make you some glassworks if you need them."

"Actually, I won't be attempting normal glassworks. I'll be doing some really, uh, niche stuff."

"You also asked for some really specific herbs and fruits, as well as some mushrooms and ores. That and the sheets of gold, silver and copper." Roswaal continued. "I don't take you for the kind to bask in jewelry, and the artisans that make them in the Capital are quite few in number. All quite costly as we~ll. Is that all to fix your equipment?"

"You know, the more you request materials to fix your gadgets, the more I think they are not useful." Ram commented once more. "A sword or even a whip would be more useful in comparison."

"Sorry, but, if I wanted a weapon I would have asked for one. The web-shooters and the suit are far more than that." Subaru retorted. "Plus, after the whole wolgarm disaster, you must admit that they actually come in handy as a utility tool."

"Hmph!"

"I see…" Roswaal pondered for a moment. "Then? Where will you do it?"

"On the topic of that… I have three other requests." Subaru got up while bowing his head at the lord. "Can I use the shed by the entrance as a workshop?"

"Of co~urse, young man!" Roswaal winked at him, creeping the boy out.

"We don't use the shed for that much, aside from storing some gardening tools." Rem commented. "I can clear it out for you; we can store the tools in the mansion anyways."

"As for the other request… You remember how the breeding grounds for the wolgarms was a coal settlement?" Subaru followed with a troubled face. "I was wondering if you could allow me to mine some?"

"What? Subaru! The forest outside the barrier is dangerous, you cannot-!" As Emilia complained, the voice of a little girl interrupted.

"Calm down, elf-girl." Beatrice, who had stayed silent, stated with disinterest. "Ever since your excursion, the mabeasts sightings have taken a nosedive around the area. If anything, it'll take months before the wolgarm population rises once more, I suppose."

"Betty is right, Lia." Puck backed her up. "At most, he'll find stray wolgarms that distanced themselves from the leftovers of the pack."

"…" Emilia stood silent for a moment.

"Then it's settled!" Subaru affirmed from his side at the table.

"No, it's not." Emilia ordered. "Puck and I are going with you."

"Huh?!" Both Subaru and Puck gasped in confusion.

"Emilia-sama, it puts you in an unnecessary risk to-" Before Roswaal could justify his position, Emilia reasoned her order.

"I've yet to actually settle any debt with Subaru. As such, I shall be accompanying him while he works in the forest." She directed her gaze at the young man. "I'll have you know, I have experience mining for crystals in Ellior forest, before I came to live in this mansion. And I won't take 'no' for an answer mister!"

"Huh…"

"Plus, I'll be safe. MY guard will be there to protect me after all." Emilia smiled at the implication of her words while looking at a blushing Subaru, ignoring a fuming Puck.

"…Well then." Roswaal concluded the argument. "So, what shall be the final request?"

"Oh, right!" Subaru perked up once again. "Could you teach me some magic? I'm trying to work with the fire pyroxenes but I don't exactly know how mana works…"

"…In that case, I guess it's time you cash in the debt I owe you." Puck stated, gaining the hero's attention. "Subaru, while we are in the forest, I'll introduce you to the basics on magic!" The cat regained his cheerfulness while having a playful smirk.

"Very well then! That's about it, I guess…" Subaru concluded his requests as Emilia smiled at the outcome. "Emilia, we'll be going tomorrow in the morning after breakfast. I have some pending stuff with Beako today." The boy explained the half-elf.

"You've missed two days' worth of classes, in fact. Just because you learned how to read I-Glyphs and Ro-Glyphs already, it doesn't mean you will have it as easy with Ha-Glyphs."

"Aw, you are just saying that because you want to hear more stories from my world. How cute Beako!"

"Cease your diminutive attitude towards me, in fact! Just because Betty is adorable it doesn't mean you get to act so annoyingly, I suppose!" The little girl protested with her arms raised.

"You learned how to read already? Wow…" Rem wondered in surprise.

"Yeah, it wasn't as complicated as I thought!"

"Hmph!"

And so, the next day…

Emilia and Subaru were chatting some more about his home while Puck and Karen stood guard. "…So, this one time, there was this guy called 'DB Cooper'." He explained while breaking off a piece of coal with a pickaxe. "The guy abducted an entire plane while robbing a whole lot of money!"

"Subaru? What's a plane?" Emilia asked while bagging the minerals.

"Oh, it's uh… Think of a vehicle, like a carriage I mean, but completely made of metal."

"Right… I think I got it."

"Okay, now, think of it having the basic shape of a bird instead. Like, with wings and a tail I mean."

"A… bird?"

"Yeah. Planes are aerial vehicles. You can use them to fly from one point to another."

"A flying carriage?!"

"Yeah, something like that." He nodded as she expressed her shock. "Um, where was I? Oh, right! So, DB Cooper stole the money and then jumped out of the plane with a parachute. And they never caught him." Which reminds me that I must reinstall MY parachute…

"Wow… your world is full of wonders!"

"Yeah… I guess it is." Subaru remembered with a smile. "You know, when you live surrounded by them, you fail to realize how marvelous they really are… Goes to show how much we take for granted." He swung the pickaxe once more.

"Subaru…" Emilia noticed with a hint of sadness the melancholy in his smile. "I'm sure you'll be able to find a way ba-" Emilia found herself unable to complete her sentence.

"Um, what?"

"…It's nothing…" The half-elf gazed down in surprise and confusion. Why couldn't I complete my sentence…? To just say 'find a way back home'…

Subaru noticed her downwards expression, but before he could attempt to lift her spirits, Karen alerted to a threat. "Subaru, incoming heat signatures on your seven! A total of eight!"

"Must be some of the remnants. They came to play…" Subaru let go of the tool and got up, getting ready for combat.

"Be careful, okay?" A frustrated Emilia stated while taking a step back. Even if she hated the idea of Subaru being in danger, it was his duty to fight for her as a guard.

*BARK*

One of the wolgarms finally jumped from the bushes, homing in on Subaru and attempting to bite him. "Okay… just remember the feeling…" Subaru swung his right fist towards the mutt's snout and broke it's skull, killing it instantly.

"That's one. Shouldn't be a problem with the other seven." Puck commented in a cheerful voice while keeping an eye peeled for more.

"Hmmm… It didn't work…"

"Huh?" Emilia pondered on the meaning of his words until another wolgarm surprised the pair.

*GROWL, BARK*

This time, two of the beasts bounced in his direction from the bushes. Subaru got in position once again and swung a left-right combo. The first of the mabeasts was flung a few meters until colliding with a tree, ceasing any movement after thrashing around a little. The second got it's ribcage broken by Subaru's right fist and dropped dead immediately after impact. "Another fluke…"

"Subaru, what are you attempting?" As Emilia asked, the fourth beast rushed towards the boy.

"I'm trying to…" He killed the dog monster with a left hook. "…see if I can pull off that thing I did against Elsa…"

"That thing…? Oh! You mean when a thunder shot out of you?"

"Right!" The fifth and sixth beasts leapt from atop a tree. Subaru expected this and jumped towards them as well, breaking their necks the moment they collided with his punches in midair. "But I can't remember the correct feel…"

"Hmmm… Maybe it has to do with feeling in danger?" Emilia surmised. "You did push me out of harm's way and exposed yourself the moment you did it…" She remembered with some fondness at his actions.

"…Harm's way…" Subaru murmured as the seventh beast leapt.

"Subaru?!" Emilia shouted in alarm, as she noticed how he was not moving as the monster approached.

The wolgarm got close enough to bite him, but on the last second, Subaru dodged to the right and landed a kick on its stomach. From the kick, he felt a ticklish sensation as well as seeing a small, blue bolt of electricity emanating from the point of impact in his leg. "That's the feeling!"

The eighth and final beast finally jumped at him from behind "Oh crap!" Puck, who was distracted by the sudden light, noticed in alarm while preparing an ice shard.

"Subaru!" Emilia, who noticed he wouldn't have time to dodge, tried to do the same.

"…" Subaru, on the other hand, stood there calmly and ignored the warnings. Just as the wolgarm was about to bite, Subaru opened his palm and directed the tips of his fingers towards the mutt. From his fingers and palm, a string-like structure visually similar to his webs, was emitted. The mutt was shocked by the blue beam of electricity and ended up colliding with one of the boulders around the cave; the speed and force of the blast being so much that it killed it.

"Huh…?" Emilia and Puck muttered the moment Subaru neutralized the last mabeast.

"Yeah! That's so cool! It's some Iron Man shit! Some Bio-electric Thor thing!" The fool jumped around, completely oblivious to the worry he had just caused his companion. "Emilia-tan! Did you see that?! I just- Urnf!"

*Smack!*

"…" Emilia was frowning and pouting at him as she slapped him over the back of his head. "…Don't do something so risky again, you dunderhead!"

"A-aha…" The boy rubbed his aching head apologetically. Emilia, on the other hand, seemed mad enough not to want to direct another word at him, choosing simply to look away. "By the way… Where's the corpses of the other wolgarms?" The young man asked in wonder. "Um, did you send someone to clean up afterwards?"

"…" Emilia refused to respond.

"Well, looks like you've made her mad now…" Puck, who was celebrating internally, said with a jolly aura. "Those wolgarms you killed just now must have been remnants that survived on cannibalizing the corpses of their brethren. After all, they are mabeasts, not animals."

"That's disgusting!" Subaru made a disturbed face.

"Oh? You are done collecting coal and practicing, right?"

"For the moment, yeah." He looked towards the spirit.

"Then… it's time I teach you about magic!"

"O-Oh! Of course!"

Emilia, who was now angry with the boy, simply sat back on top of the box used to store the bags of coal and looked on as the pair practiced.

"Alright… I suppose Beatrice has already informed you of your gate and your affinity, right?"

"Yeah…" He remembered the library spirit's words with a bit of annoyance. "She said it was mediocre at best and it was of Yin affinity."

"Right…" Puck paused for a second. "There are six types of affinities, Subaru. Fire, which controls temperature and heat. Water, which controls liquids and healing. Earth, which controls ores and the ground. Wind, which controls the air and commands it. Yang, which controls light and can strengthen the physical attributes of people, as well as generating illusions. And finally Yin, which can manipulate shadows and, to some extent, manipulate perception of space and time."

"Like what Beako does with her portals?" Maybe that's what Strange uses as well…

"Indeed." Puck affirmed. "Although… Just as Yang can be used for strengthening ones attributes, Yin can be used to decrease them."

"So debuffs?"

"I don't know what that is but from your interpretations, I'll say yes. Coincidentally, Beatrice is a Great Spirit with an affinity for Yin magic, so as you go forward you'll have to consult her for the more complex spells."

"Understood. Karen, you recording this?"

"I am."

"Good, we are reviewing it later."

"Now, you want to manipulate fire pyroxenes, right?"

"Yes!"

"Well, first of all, you'll need a basic understanding of what magic and mana are. Although my affinity is fire, I can cast Shamak on you so you understand its effects."

"Shamak?"

"It's a Yin type spell."

"Yin? But isn't your affinity Fire?"

"Subaru, my affinity is Fire as well." Emilia interrupted.

"So we are on speaking terms again?"

"Don't misunderstand! Hmph!" The silver girl pouted once again.

A tsundere Emilia-tan is cute as well…Subaru smiled.

"*cough, cough* Back to topic, what I'm trying to say is that even if you belong in a different category, you can still learn some spells from another. It mostly depends on the individual."

"Like how Betty can cast healing magic even though that's a Water-affinity trait!" The grey cat chimed in with an example.

"I see… well then, what are we waiting for?" Subaru opened his arms, ready to be struck. "On your mark!"

"Right, then..." Puck raised his paw and aimed at Subaru. "SHAMAK!"

Darkness. If he could describe not just what he was seeing, but what he was feeling as well, it would be complete and utter darkness. The sensation alarmingly similar to how it felt turning into dust. Or when the 'dark force' stopped time to crush his heart. It scared him. The absolute feelings of impotence in front of the shadows scared him. "GHAK!"

"!" Emilia and Puck, who were spectating as Subaru lost his senses, suddenly stood up in alarm. Subaru, the moment he screamed in confusion, vanished right in from in front of them. "Subaru?! Where are you?!" Receiving no response, Emilia ordered her spirit. "Puck! Deactivate your spell! Now!"

"Y-yes!"

Subaru suddenly found himself feeling once more. He could feel his legs. He could feel his arms. His skin. His body. And the world around him as well. "Wha… I'm b-back…" He muttered in a low voice.

"Subaru?! Subaru, where are you?!" Emilia, who had heard his low muttering, screamed in confusion, as she couldn't find him. "Subaru!?"

"I can sense him… But I just can't pinpoint his location. I know he's here, dammit!" Puck was in a similar state, although not as worried sick as Emilia was.

"Uum… Emilia-tan?"

"Subaru!?" Emilia perked up at his voice once more. "Subaru! Are you here?!"

"Of course I'm here! I'm standing in front of you!"

"What?!" Emilia kept looking in front of her but she could not see anything. "Subaru, don't lie! Where are you?!"

"Lia, he's not lying…" Puck commented; having figured out that Subaru had somehow turned invisible.

"Huh…?" Emilia looked towards her father in confusion and shame.

"Subaru… Mind explaining what's going on?" The cat inquired with a serious face and tone.

"Um… I can't say for sure? I don't know what IS going on!"

"It seems that, apart from the capability of generating bio-electric shocks and beams, you can also produce a magnetic field around you that blocks the light from directly colliding with your body. It appears to be an automatic response to deep fear, produced as a reaction of your senses shutting down and by you finally understanding how to generate bio-electric sparks." Karen hypothesized from his wrist.

"Oh… huh. That's… neat." The young man attempted to get his thoughts in order. "Now that you mention it, I do feel the tickle I felt when I hit the wolgarms, but this time it's all around my body…" He deactivated the magnetic field, becoming visible once again.

"Subaru!" Emilia rushed towards him, hugging him tightly.

"!" While Subaru appeared surprised, with a deep blush painting his face, Puck was gasping at his daughter's bold actions. "Lia! Snap out of it!"

"E-Emilia-tan…" Subaru tried pushing her away without actually touching her, failing miserably.

"…Huh? OH! I-I'm sorry…" Emilia backed away a little, embarrassment visible on her face. She then, however, remembered her worry just now and looked at Subaru with a furious glint in her eye.

*SLAP!*

"YOWCH?!" Subaru found himself rubbing his right cheek in pain, tears almost jumping from his eyes. Emilia had slapped him.

"…Huh." Puck, who was floating over them, just watching, could express nothing but acceptance to the rollercoaster of satisfaction and frustration Emilia was giving him with her actions.

"…You are a really, really bad boy!" Emilia, who was crying and pouting while frowning at him, stated in exasperation, an accusatory finger pointed at the young man.

"Now you are treating me like a pet!" Subaru complained, still in pain.

"Alright you two… lesson's not over yet." Puck, who went back to his relaxed tone, attempted to defuse the situation. "Subaru. Try to cast Shamak now. I'll guide you on how to expel mana from your gate, ready?"

"Yeah, go ahead teach!"

Puck sat on top of Subaru's head and instructed. "Now, relax and visualize the mana exiting through your gate in the form of a spell."

"'kay…" As Subaru made a pose of meditation, Emilia retreated a few meters back. "Emilia-tan, I know you are still mad, but you don't need to get away from me, you know?"

"It's for her own safety." The grey cat interrupted.

"Huh?"

"Failing the spell could make you explode you know?"

"You do realize that completely un-relaxes me, right?!" Subaru protested in horror.

"Oh, Puck! That only happens if he messes up real badly! Don't worry him over nothing!" Emilia yelled from her position, far away from Subaru.

"Then why are you running away from me?!"

"Alright, enough chit-chat. Focus!" Puck concluded.

"…Ugh, fine." Subaru closed his eyes and exhaled out his frustrations. Visualize, visualize… But visualize what?

"Hmmm…. You seemed trouble in figuring the visualization part."

"Just give me a sec…" Visualize… Visualize… A gate. Expelling through the gate… Shooting through the gate… Shooting a web through the gate…

"Huh? That's a weird-" Before Puck could finish his statement, Subaru casted the spell.

"SHAMAK!" He opened his eyes and raised his hand in a similar fashion as when he shot the electric beam. All of a sudden, a black web of what looked like shadows shot out of his hand, reaching as far as one of the trees beyond the clearing. "That's so cool!"

"Woah…" A surprised Emilia exhaled in surprise.

"Huh… I thought for sure you'd mess up…" Puck stated.

"Hey, not cool ma-!" Before Subaru could finish his complaint, he fell over. His body was suddenly aching in exhaustion. "H-hey… Am I supposed to be this tired?"

"Well, that's normal. Although you have a strong foundation for the visualizing aspect, your gate is still small. The size of a baby's, in fact." Puck explained. "As such, just one spell is enough to tire you out."

"*Sigh* You could have warned me beforehand…" Subaru complained from the ground. "If I'm exhausted, then how am I supposed to carry the coal now, huh?"

"Still… you are lucky. With how inexperienced you are, I thought for sure the mana would ignore your will and destroy your gate."

"Well… I just thought of the mana as energy running through a web. I gave it a road and it didn't deviate. That's all I can really say…"

"Everything comes back to spiders with you, huh?"

"They are an interesting animal after all!"

"Well… If casting magic normally becomes too annoying for you, you could always just become a Spirit Arts user, you know?"

"Spirit arts?" Before he could ask properly, Emilia approached him.

"Subaru." The silver elf called out to him on the ground.

"Hey Emilia-tan. Sorry, but I'm kind of immobile at the moment, can you give me some time to-"

"You are really hopeless, you know?" Emilia shook her head at his behavior, an exasperated smile adorning her face. "Here, chew on this."

"Haump!" Emilia suddenly inserted something in Subaru's mouth.What is…?

"Chew… swallow… and three, go!" Emilia merrily stated.

Subaru felt as though his body was energized once more after swallowing the weird candy. "Woah! What was that?!" He asked while getting up once again.

"It's a 'bocco fruit'. It reactivates the mana within your body."

"Oh, well, that sure is convenient! It hit the spot, alright!"

"Don't get over confident now." Puck alerted. "Just because it reactivates the mana it doesn't mean your gate is alright. Although it's not damaged, it is rather tired from its first usage. As such, refrain from using magic until a couple of days have passed."

"Got you, teach!" Subaru nodded along. "By the way… what was that about Spirit Arts?"

"Well, what I was trying to tell you is that you have a high affinity for them." Puck explained whilst floating over Emilia. "The way you interact with me and Betty… Not many can do that, you know?"

"Oh… So is it like a type of magic on its own?"

"Indeed." The cat nodded. "Just as regular mages cast spells through their own gates, Spirit Arts users do so by contracting a spirit and using THEM as their gate!"

"Like Puck and I do!" Emilia chimed in with a cheer for her father figure.

"In that case, I should contract with a Yin spirit then!" Subaru laughed along.

"Tough luck on that one." Puck sighed while commenting on Subaru's optimism. "Subaru, Yin spirits, even minor ones, are absurdly difficult to find. And even if you do find one, there's a possibility they'll reject forming a contract with you. They are that obstinate."

"Well… I could ask Beatrice, then!" The young man reasoned. "She's a Yin spirit."

"No can do." Puck cut short his train of thought. "Betty's circumstances… won't allow for such a contract." Puck cast a downward gaze with a slight sadness.

"Puck?" Before Subaru could actually question the grey spirit, Emilia, who did not notice the direction of the conversation, commented while looking at the sky above them.

"Methinks is about time we return." The silver girl said. "We'll be late for lunch at this rate if we don't leave."

"Yeah… we already have enough coal. Sorry for getting your hands and clothes dirty, by the way."

"It's fine. Really. I'd prefer it if you said 'thank you' instead of apologizing."

"I see… Thank you then, Emilia-tan."

"Hehe! You are welcome!" Emilia enchanted him with her smile once more.

"Also, no one says 'methinks' anymore!" Subaru chuckled while picking up the box full of coal.

"Oh, stop it!" Emilia complained in annoyance, pouting once again.

For the next few weeks, Subaru experimented with the prototypes of the portable stove, as well as working on the diverse range of projects.

During the first week, he studied magical circuitry for metias with Beatrice. "You want to know the inner workings of the fire pyroxene?"

"The stoves in the kitchen consume the entire pyroxene after one usage, even if they manage to regulate the temperature and prevent it from exploding. It seems like a waste for a crystal that could generate enough energy for an explosion. I want to know if I can use the circuitry used for magic circles in the pyroxene and create a way to turn it on and off."

"Hmmm… You are not the first one that has tried that, I suppose." Beatrice commented while grabbing a book on magical circles. "But everyone that came before you has pretty much failed because of the absurd detail you'd need to integrate magical circuitry to conduct mana within the pyroxene. Fire pyroxenes are volatile enough to explode from just one strike after all… Why go through such a length to create a model based on crystals when you've proven the oil version works, I wonder?"

"Well, aside of needing to know the way to harness its power for my side project… The oil version and the pyroxene version aim to different customers." Subaru responded with confidence. "The pyroxene, although costly at first, will last for longer periods of time. As such, replacing the crystal will be less of a regular task than with the normal stove. Meanwhile, the oil-based one can be made more cheaply and as such, it can be sold at a lower price. It'll also generate a good use for lamp oil, even during the ill season for it."

"You should discuss such things with a merchant, not me, I suppose."

"But you were the one that asked!" Subaru protested at the unfairness of the remark. "Whatever… Can you pass me the book already?"

"…Just so you know, I'm lending it to you from the benevolence of my heart, human." Beatrice proudly stated. "Be sure to study the circles properly and consult with either me or Roswaal regularly. The last time magic circles were used frequently was during the period of the Demi-Human War, over 40 years ago… And it wasn't pretty, in fact."

"…Got it. I'll be careful."

During the second week, before the materials to fix his suit and construct the web-shooters arrived, Subaru would spend it perfecting the mechanism for the pyroxene stove. "OH SHOOT!" Another failed stove exploded in midair as Subaru threw it away at the last second. "Damn it, not again!" I can understand the general idea of circuitry for magic circles, but mana is just… I can't wrap my head around it! It's too unstable if I can't directly manipulate it! It makes no sense at times! No wonder magic is a mystical art and not a science…

"How many botched attempts does this make, Barusu? Fifteen?" Ram mocked with a chuckle from behind him in the garden. "Are you sure you are not just wasting away Roswaal-sama's resources?"

"I'll have you know it takes a lot of trial and error for technology to be successful! Science is not a miracle, one try thing." Unlike magic for you lotThe Avenger complained with an ash covered face.

"Hmph!" Ram laughed at his expense.

"Hey! Subaru!" Emilia called out to him. "Are you alright? We saw the explosion from the window…" She stated in worry once she was beside the tired guy.

"Hey Emilia-tan… It's nothing really. Just… another failed attempt at a stove."

"Subaru, you are a mess!" Puck, who was floating around Emilia, mocked with a laugh once he noticed the dirty state of the young man. "Want some help cleaning up?"

"If you have a spell that'll cleanse this whole mess the- URNBGH!" As Subaru complained some more, a sudden wave of water absorbed him, making him swirl inside it until the ashes and dust were completely gone from his body. "Buenos Aires!" The poor boy unceremoniously dropped onto the grass the moment the cat deactivated his spell. "Could you actually wait for an answer next time?!"

"Puck! That was so rude!" Emilia pouted at her Great Spirit. "He's all wet now!"

"Sorry Lia." Puck rubbed behind his ears, simulating an apology. "But when I saw the poor thing dirty, I thought how sorry his owner, that is, you might feel."

"You are treating me like a pet again!"

"Subaru, please relax now." Emilia directed a reassuring smile at him. "Just stay still and let Puck dry you up. I'm sure he will do so in a tranquil manner this time." The girl, however, failed to notice the malicious glint in her father's eye.

"Don't agree with him! Wait, hold up. Dry me up? How- UOHHH?!" Subaru was then enveloped in a miniature tornado by the laughing feline. "STOOOOOOOOOOPP!"

"…What a weirdo." Meilli, who was peeking into the garden and witnessing the abuse from her jail cell's barred window, contemplated on Subaru's inventions while hugging a Captain America plushy.

During the third week, Subaru got around to repair his suit. Within the shed, late into the night, the boy rolled, cut and wove fibers into an arm length web. "Alright… the basic nylon is ready… the fiberglass is coming along… just have to find a way to create an arm-long circuitry with the sheet copper…"

"Remember to also create the gold and silver conducts." Karen chimed in. "They must be 5 micrometers in diameter, each strand."

"That's, like, 4 times smaller than a strand of hair… I cannot possibly create it with my bare hands." Subaru lamented, wondering how he could achieve such a thing. "Do you think we can make them with the Iron Spider's limbs? Are the blades at the tips sharp enough for that?"

"You can leave the preparations to me." Karen confirmed. "The blades are capable of cutting such minuscule sizes."

"Good! All yours then." Subaru nodded with a smile. "Although… I'd feel bad letting you do all the tedious work."

"Subaru, I'm an Artificial Intelligence. You have no need to feel concerned about me. I don't get tired."

"Still…" Subaru doubted.

"…You are too kind for your own good. Very well." Karen displayed a holographic screen in front of him. "Please, proceed with the configuration for a deactivation code of the Iron Spider suit."

"Deactivation code?" The young man wondered.

"An example: Rhodey had a deactivation code for his War Machine armor. It allowed him to deactivate the armor and exit it in case of an emergency."

"What was his word?"

"Canopy."

"Huh. Sounds kinda simple." Subaru thought for a few moments. "How about… Omega Lambda 7 XL 9?"

"Fancy making them complicated?"

"Just don't want them falling into the wrong hands." He chuckled.

During his fourth week, Subaru finally managed to concoct web-fluid. "YES! At last!" He celebrated while raising his arms. "I was already down to my last 3 cartridges! Thank goodness!"

"Subaru-kun seems really joyful this morning!" Rem, who was sweeping the fallen leaves in the garden smiled at the sight of the boy running circles around the shed while screaming in happiness.

"More like absolutely annoying…" Ram commented while rubbing her eyes. "*Yawn* Doesn't this freak of nature know how early it is?"

Meilli, who was now awake because of the boy's outbursts, groggily observed from her window. "What a loud moro~n…" She said emotionlessly while hugging a plushy of the Hulk.

During the fifth week, Subaru finished constructing Emilia's web-shooters, as well as repairing the one fitted for his right wrist. "Took me long enough… Still, I can't find the proper time to gi-"

"Subaru?"

"OH, WOAH!" Subaru, who was standing in front of Emilia's room, was caught completely by surprise when the half-elf sneaked up from behind him. "Emilia-tan! Hey! Um-Um, where did you…?"

"You didn't sense me coming?"

"Um… no?" He tilted his head in confusion. "I actually didn't." How come? My senses never fail me like that!

"Hehe! Seems like it worked, then!" The girl laughed.

"W-worked? What worked?"

"Look at this." Emilia took off her hooded mantle. "Roswaal made this coat a while ago… It masks the presence of the user, making them harder to perceive and identify them."

"That's actually kind of unfair…" He reasoned while feeling a bit disappointed in his own reflexes. I wonder if I could improve the Spider Sense to perceive such things… But I'd have to be able to predict strikes before they actually happen with even more precision than now. That would border on precognition… Maybe I could even learn to see through illusions with some more training!

"So? Were you waiting for me? Is that why you were outside my room?" Emilia changed topics, dissipating Subaru's thoughts and reigniting his nervousness.

"Oh! Uh, yeah, um, you see…" I want to give them to her, but I don't know if now is the proper time! Play dumb! "So… nice weather today, eh…?" He said with a lax face while leaning on the wall with his arms crossed, hiding the package containing the web-shooters.

"…Subaru, it's almost night and it's raining." Emilia, who was looking at him in worry now, responded.

NOT THAT DUMB!

During the sixth week, Subaru finally managed to fix the suit and perfect the pyroxene-fueled stove. "About damn time…" The young man deflated onto a chair within the dungeon, talking to no one in particular as Meili ate the dinner he served her.

"FHAFN BHHIMHE? ABHAUTH FHAFN BHHIMHE VHAFT?" The little savage asked him unintelligibly as she talked while eating.

"I didn't understand a single thing that came out of your mouth just now. Can you, like, eat first?" He said while drinking some cold cola.

"*Swallow* I said 'About damn time what?' Subaru."

"About damn time I fixed my gadgets" He sat in silence for a few seconds and then made a conflicted face. "…I liked it more when you called me Onii-san, at least then you had respect." He chuckled while rubbing his temples.

"You are the one who told me to relax, so I relaxed." The little girl brought another full fork of pasta to her mouth.

"You are gonna choke at this rate! Slow down!"

"*chew, chew* SHORRY, FHAN'DT HBEAER YUU."

"I'm not giving you more dolls!"

"*Desperately Swallows* Wait! NO! NO! I want more dolls!" She tightly hugged her Thor plushy, fearing he would take it away.

"Then eat and swallow properly!"

"I-I will!"

"So… you finally show your true colors." Ram, who was waiting outside, entered the cell, surprising the pair. "To threaten a young girl into swallowing… how merciless. Heh!" The oni evilly laughed at Subaru's expense, as she always does. "You should beg for forgiveness for being born such a degenerate and off yourself."

"Ah, come on! Stop it with the innuendo berating, you dirty old man!" Subaru complained while finishing his cola.

"Swallowing? Swallowing what?" Meili wondered for some seconds, the pink maid's dirty joke flying over her.

"*Chokes on cola* *Cough, cough* You-You don't need to know, Meili…" Subaru attempted to deviate the conversation desperately.

"Yes… You would more easily manipulate her if she does not know… Heh!" Ram laughed at her dirty jokes once again.

"Stop that!"

During the seventh week, Subaru had recreated a miniature satellite from the schematics provided by Karen. Within the shed, as evening and the setting sun cloaked the sky, Subaru verified his work. "…Looks like the pyroxene can make a good fuel in the end. Even better than the lamp oil, actually."

Karen was displaying a calculation and a visualization on the satellite's flight plan. "The fire pyroxenes can serve as a suitable replacement for the oil required for a rocket to take flight."

"Okay… Solar Paneling?" He asked.

"Set." Karen responded

"Inner circuitry?"

"The nanobots are performing as expected."

"Camera?"

"In mint condition."

"Outer paneling and protection?"

"Installed properly, will deploy the solar panels properly once in space."

"Okay… then, the only thing remaining would be to create the antenna, computer and terminals for the signal to bounce… Do we have enough material for the antenna?"

"Indeed we do, we can recycle from the leftover copper from the other projects."

Subaru picked up a boxful of copper scrap. "The blacksmith will for sure look at me like a weirdo the moment I ask him to make oval discs out of these…."

"He already looks at you like a weirdo, ever since you asked him to weave cables with you."

"I couldn't ask anyone else! He was the only one that understood the fragility of the material as much as I did!" He organized his things while overlooking the disassembled smartphone on his table. "So… are you sure you can install yourself properly inside that? Isn't it too low tech for you?"

"If you follow the modifications I indicate, you should be able to create an interface that can withstand me. That and a holographic keyboard for operating the ground control for the space terminal."

"…Right." Subaru nodded while exiting the shed. "We'll begin early tomorrow then."

"Hold it" Karen stopped him before he could exit the building completely.

"What is it?" Subaru asked, perplexed by her interruption.

"You disappoint me Subaru."

"Huh?!"

"You forgot the most important thing about the satellite."

"Wait, for real?!" Subaru gasped in shock. "What is it?! Tell me! This could be crucial on whether it works or not!"

"The name." Karen chuckled.

"Huh…? Oh! You are right! We never named it!" Subaru stood in the exit to the shed for a few moments. "How about… The E.M.T. No. 1?"

"E.M.T.? What does it stand for?"

"Emilia-tan Major Technology!"

During the eighth week, an exhausted Subaru overslept after working overtime on his projects. "Ffffng… *snore*" The nerd mumbled while lying unconscious on his bed.

"How exasperating." Ram complained from the room's entrance doorframe. "He is sleeping in the middle of the day. It's already past breakfast, the useless bum…"

"I think he deserves to rest a little…" Emilia defended him while watching his sleeping form as well. "He's been making time to talk and interact with all of us while simultaneously working on his projects... sometimes, I wake up at night to notice light coming out from the shed." She lamented on how tired Subaru must be. For how many stories and jokes he cracks, he is clearly overworked and stressed. The bags under his eyes being more than enough proof. Oh, Subaru…

"I agree Subaru-kun needs the rest." Rem, who had been watching over him every time he worked overnight, backed the half-elf. "It would be rude of us to ask more out of him when he is clearly tired." The blue oni declared while examining every detail of Subaru's face with a smile, including the slight line of drool falling over his mouth. "Having said this, please leave the room, Emilia-sama, Nee-sama."

"Huh?" Emilia wondered in surprise. "But… What about you Rem?"

"Not to worry, I have some cleaning to do inside his room, so please, go on ahead without me." She said in a monotone voice, as if in autopilot, while smiling at the pair. "I'll take good care of his drool- I mean, his room."

"His what?!" Emilia asked in confusion, only for Rem to close the door in her face. "Rem? Rem?!" Emilia knocked on the door, desperately begging for the blue maid to open it.

"*Sigh* This sickness of my sister is all your fault, Barusu." Ram, annoyed by the whole interaction, stated while looking to the side with a bored face.

Finally, during the ninth week…

It was a clear day in the Roswaal manor, not a cloud in the sky and with a bright sun veiling over everything. Within the garden, Subaru gathered the lord of the mansion, alongside all of his staff, Meili, Emilia and the two great spirits living with them.

"So? Mind explaining what we are doing here Barusu?" Ram, who was standing besides Roswaal, wondered aloud. "And what's with all the junk atop the shed? It looks horrible."

"I must say, you constructed a most o~dd structure, Subaru-kun." The clown smiled while inspecting a tower of sorts Subaru had built. "Apart from this construct of iron poles, the assortment of pla~tes you've positioned over the shed is quite… amusing, to say the least."

"Well, this is all necessary stuff for the satellite to work." Subaru, who was crouching down while inspecting some last minute details, replied to the inquiries of the jester.

"Satellite?" Rem asked with a bit of worry about the name.

"Yeah. In my world, we call satellites to the celestial bodies or machines that orbit around a planet."

"Barusu, speak in a language we all understand."

"What do you mean?" Subaru turned around to see everyone, except for Beatrice, with a troubled face. Clearly, they did not understand his explanation. "Oh. It's- It's a machine for communicating over long distances."

"Oh! Oh! So a metia like your web-shooters?" Emilia cheerfully pointed out while clapping.

"Basically." The young man nodded. "Although… this one serves the purpose of allowing communication between two web-shooters over a long distance."

"So, I surmise the plates are made for catching the signal, right?" Beatrice chimed in.

"Yeah!"

"Then, the tower of iron poles in front of us is the 'satellite' that you are launching into space, I wonder?"

"Not really." Subaru got up from the ground, turning completely towards the group. "The satellite is the part atop the poles."

"That ugly, sparkly thing?" Meili pointed out.

"…Yes, the ugly sparkly thing." The Avenger continued. "While I studied making the pyroxene stove, I realized I could use the potency of the crystals as a way to elevate the satellite into space. That's the purpose of the poles, that's where the pyroxenes are."

"The stove…? So you succeeded in making that invention after a~ll." Roswaal raised an eyebrow while smiling at the boy.

"Space?" Rem tilted her head.

"It's what lies beyond the sky. Think of it as an endless expanse where it is always night. And cold. And you cannot breath."

"Doesn't sound very welcoming." Puck commented with a frown.

"Well, fortunately, we aren't the ones going there. It's this thing! *CLANK CLANK*" Subaru gave a couple of light taps to the machine he built.

"And once it's up there, we'll be able to communicate through the web-shooters…" Emilia looked up at the sky.

"Actually… while on that topic, here." Subaru lifted a small box from behind the satellite and handed it to Emilia.

"Are- Are these…" As the group wondered on its contents, Emilia already had a guess.

"They've been done for over a couple of weeks now, it's just… I couldn't find the proper moment to give them to you…" A blushing Subaru stated while looking away from Emilia. "I made them in silver with gold accents so that it'll match your… hair color… and dress… Anyways! Let's back up a bit! Time for launch sheeple! Move it, move it!" At Subaru's order the group walked away a fair distance from the structure.

"Beginning countdown sequence." Karen stated. "10"

"Now, everyone?! I need you to put on the glasses I made you!"

"9"

"What for?" Meili asked.

"8"

"If you look at the ignition directly it could blind you!" Subaru warned, earning enough surprise from everyone to put on the sunglasses.

"7"

"I'll blame you if you ruin my perfect eyes, Barusu."

"6"

"Hopefully it won't explode before countdown's over…" Subaru murmured.

"5"

"What do you mean explode?!" Meili asked in alarm, clutching tightly an Iron Man doll.

"4"

"Even if it were to explode, I'd be happy to serve as a shield for my hero." Rem muttered in response with a smile.

"3"

"Please don't be a shield, Rem!" Subaru begged as Ram glared at him with murderous eyes.

"2"

"And please, don't be a dud, satellite-kun!"

"1"

"Ignition." At Karen's words, the bottom of the structure lit on fire, propelling the construct into the air a fair distance while leaving behind a red line of flames and smoke. The gust generated from the ignition pushed the group back a bit as they witnessed Subaru's invention. The structure elevated so much that, eventually, they lost sight of it.

"Fly! E.M.T. No. 1!"

"W-Woah!"

"AH!"

"Eep!" Emilia, Rem and Meili yelled in surprise the moment the gust hit them.

Beatrice and Puck silently contemplated the invention as it disappeared in the sky, only slight surprise painting their faces. Although, Beatrice did feel excited internally.

"…Incredible…" Roswaal was genuinely surprised for a moment, his typical smile dropping slightly. It flew even further than I… did. Impressive…

"So? What is supposed to happen now Barusu?" Ram asked with an angry scowl. "You do realize you just made a burnt mess of the grass and bushes nearby, not to mention that the gust knocked over nearly all leaves out of the trees. Who do you think is going to clean this mess?"

"Stop complaining, we both know Rem and I are going to do it anyways… and if you are asking what I have to show for this, then…" Subaru turned to Emilia while nearing his wrist to his face. "Karen, how are things looking up there?"

"…Calibrating…Calibrating…"

"Subaru?" Emilia asked him, wondering just what he was trying to do now.

"Emilia-tan, please, put on the bracelets." Subaru instructed.

"O-okie…" Emilia then placed the web-shooter over her wrist as this suddenly closed tightly around her. "Ah!"

"Lia, everything good?" A slightly concerned Puck tried to inquire.

"Y-yes… it just surprised me, is all…" It fits me like jewelry… The girl blushed when the thought crossed her mind.

"Good then! Karen! You good now?!" From Emilia´s web-shooter, a holographic screen was projected to the group. However, the screen in front of them displayed nothing. "Anytime now!"

"Calibrating… Calibration complete." Karen stated while recording an orbital video from the now on-line satellite.

"Subaru-kun? What are we waiting for…?" As Rem was asking him what was supposed to happen with the hologram, a live feed of the mansion from above played. "What the-?!"

"Say hello everyone!" Subaru looked upwards while waving his right hand. Immediately after, the group saw one of the small figures in the screen look at them while waving what seemed to be their arm. Although the detail was not the best, they could clearly tell the figure was Subaru. "What you're looking at in the screen… Is yourselves and the mansion, as seen from space!"

"That… That's us?!" Meili asked in bafflement.

"Yep, try swinging your arm."

As Meili saluted to the camera above, the figure that represented her in the image moved their arm in a similar fashion. "W-what…" The little girl could not believe what she was seeing.

"Goodness…" Emilia was left breath taken by the display.

"This really is…" Beatrice was speechless by the demonstration. "You really understood magic circuitry in just under two months…? You tamed the fire pyroxenes into elevating an object outside of our world!"

"It was more complicated than I thought… But in the end, I figured that what I needed to do was not inscribe the circuits for mana over the pyroxene but inside it! You see, I created an iron tube the size of a chopstick layered with-"

"I didn't ask you for specifics, I suppose."

"O-Oh… It's fine then…" Subaru felt a little sad about his rambling being cut short.

"…You can tell me more about it in the library during your classes, however." The spirit muttered in a low voice so only he could hear her.

"For sure!" Subaru beamed a smile at her.

"This is incredible!" Rem exclaimed in astonishment. "Subaru-kun, you are amazing!"

"Oh please." Ram objected to the praise. "There's no way I'd believe that. To begin with, I'm not that smudgy."

"Oh, come on! Can't you just accept for once that I'm not as dumb as you make me out to be Nee-sama?!" Subaru cried to the pink maid.

"That statement implies that you are still stupid, regardless." The oni smirked. "'Not as dumb' means that you are still dumb."

"Dagh! There's no pleasing you!"

"Well, well! Su~baru-kun! I must say that this is quite the achievement!" Roswaal contemplated with childish wonder on the implications of such an invention. "You say that this will allow for imagery and communications from long distances, right? I must admit, it would greatly raise Emilia-sama's image in the public eye were the people to know of this!" Let alone communications, the potential for battle and blackmailing is… Baffling.

"Ah, geez Ros-chi… You are gonna make me blush at this rate!" Subaru, who got easily embarrassed by the praise, answered back to the clown. "Even if I don't swing your way, thanks for the compliment!"

"Still, how did you make the components for such a metia Su~baru-kun?" The clown wondered for some moments. "As we know, our world wouldn't have the tools for you to process such complicated thi~ngs."

"Oh, well, about that…" Subaru activated his Iron Spider suit, a sight that never failed to impress anyone, no matter how many times they witnessed the deployment. However, it appeared somewhat more incomplete than before. "I used the nanobots of the left arm of my suit in order to create the most complex stuff of the satellite."

"Hoh… I see, I see…" Reutilizing his own technology, then? If he keeps it under his thumb then no one else can attempt to replicate it… Roswaal thought, for a moment, how Subaru was more cunning than he gave him credit for. Still, this should suffice. For now…

"Wait… wouldn't that mean that you sacrificed part of your own possessions just so we could communicate with each other?" Emilia frowned as she processed Subaru's words. "Subaru… I didn't want you to lose something just so you could help me…"

"A-AH! Don't worry Emilia-tan! I-It's fine, really! I wanted to do it!"

"But… Your armor looks so incomplete now." Emilia looked at him, noticing how his arms were completely exposed despite everything else being covered. "Maybe we should get arms from a knight's armor…"

"That's a splendid idea, Emilia-sama!" Rem applauded the passing thought muttered by the half-elf. "We could place an order for the blacksmith to forge them to the scale of Subaru-kun's body and have them painted to his suit's colors!"

"While we are at it, you could plaster Roswaal-sama's family coat of arms or sigil on them to indicate his allegiance with our camp." Ram added to Rem's idea. "It would perfectly indicate to whom he belongs to."

"That… actually sounds really cool?! Damn, I want them now!" Subaru affirmed with excitement.

"We could even rework them afterwards to work in tandem with the Mini-Arc Reactors of the Iron Spider and integrate them as storage units for the nanobots." Karen added, fanning the boy's prospects even more.

"Sweet! Let's do it then! We could even create an Iron Man armor at this rate!"

"Then… we'll have them made for your knighting ceremony." Emilia confirmed with a smile.

"Knighting ceremony?" Subaru asked, not sure about what she meant.

"Well… It's just…" The half-elf hesitated on how to mention it to him. "Every candidate requires a knight, or at least possesses one. I know how you are my guard and all, but… During these past few months, I could never propose the idea to you, seeing how busy you were. To interrupt important work for a knighting ceremony would be…"

"Well, I'm not busy anymore! I suppose I have no problem on getting knighted now!" He joyfully clarified, cheering Emilia up.

"The~n it's decided! Your armor set will be handed to you once you are knighted under my house's ba~nner Subaru-kun." Roswaal clapped while confirming the realization of the ceremony. "As for the date- Hmm?" Roswaal's expression changed from lax to wondering as he looked towards the road leading to the mansion. "Ah~, they are here moments earlier than expe~cted!" The clown smiled once more.

Everyone suddenly perked up at the lord's statement and gazed in the direction he was looking at. "Huh? A dragon carriage?" Subaru muttered in a low tone as a carriage pulled by a black and slim earth dragon entered the estate through the front gate.

"And on the side… I recognize that emblem..." Emilia commented while looking on as well. "It's the insignia of the Karsten noble house…"

"Karsten?" Subaru asked.

"It's a noble house of the Kingdom, Subaru-kun." Rem explained, changing her expression into the poker face of a servant. "And their head, Duchess Crusch Karsten, is a Royal Candidate. Not unlike Emilia-sama."

"Then… they are here for…"

Emilia completed Subaru's sentence with a serious demeanor and expression. "…matters concerning The Royal Selection."

AUTHOR'S NOTES

Eleven thousand words. Wow. Sure felt shorter than that. Still, now we can finally dive into Arc 3 people!

As always, please share your criticism and recommendations in the comments. I know I got a little too descriptive in this chapter, but I thought it would benefit on the long run to lay an understanding of the 'how works', depending on whether or not I continue with my ideas. Nevertheless, I'll see if I can integrate YOUR ideas into what I envision for the Fic regardless of what I've written in this chapter. See you on the next one!