Chapter 5 – To the Capital, once again…
"So… Uh, do we, like, go greet them with something?" Subaru turned to Roswaal while pointing at the driver that was descending the carriage. "Do I kneel or-or like bring some tea?"
"Hmm
~… Well, it's not the actual candidate who is here, Su~baru-kun." Roswaal explained while dusting himself off. "It's an emissary from the Capital. They contacted me a few~ days ago, stating that there were some… 'Things' to clarify in regards to the Royal Selection."
"Huh." Subaru nodded at the explanation of the clown while straightening his short-sleeved shirt and back posture. "Still, the ones they'll be talking with will be Emilia-tan and you, right? What do we do in the meantime?"
"For the moment… Ra~m? Take Meili back to the dungeon." Roswaal ordered while turning towards the pink maid.
"Yes, Roswaal-sama." Ram bowed her head and took Meili's hand. "Let's go you little savage, time to lock you up again." She insulted with a bored face while guiding the braided girl.
"*sigh* Yeah, yeah… You do understand you don't have to insult me to get me to walk, ri~ght?" Meili responded with a bit of annoyance.
"Rem? Please go prepare some tea and snacks for our gue~sts." Roswaal directed.
"Understood, Roswaal-sama." In a similar motion to Ram, the blue maid bowed her head and left.
"This doesn't concern Betty nor has she any interest in it." Beatrice quirkily answered while approaching the entrance hall's door.
"Lia, I promised to play with Betty today." Puck commented to his contractor while following the blonde spirit.
"Hmm." Emilia nodded in response.
"I'm leaving. You know where to find me in case something happens, I suppose."
"Yeah, but it'll be a pain in the ass to find you for anyone BUT me…" Subaru mocked the moment Beatrice and Puck crossed the door-sized portal.
"Subaru." Emilia called out to the boy, getting his attention. "Please, attend the carriage's driver while Roswaal and I sort out things the messenger."
"What?" Subaru tilted his head in confusion. "I know I don't really have to do anything, but I could at lea-"
"We are just going to talk tedious political stuff." Emilia shook her head and smiled at the boy. "You've been dealing with a lot these past weeks. I don't want you falling asleep out of boredom while standing up in the middle of the discussion." The half-elf chuckled while pointing at the bags under Subaru's eyes, much to his dismay.
"Hey! That only happened once!"
"Yeah, yesterday. During breakfast. And twice if we count the Loot house." The girl pointed out with a chuckle once more. "Let me rephrase my earlier order. Stay here and just take everything easy. This meeting will most likely be a formality of sorts, even if it is important."
"I see…" Subaru put a finger on his chin while letting her words sink in. "Well then! I suppose it is less boring to make small talk with the driver. I take that to standing in a room with a messenger and staying silent for hours straight!" The young man smiled vibrantly.
"Greetings." A blue-eyed older gentleman dressed in a butler's outfit bowed slightly the moment he noticed the approaching trio of Subaru, Emilia and Roswaal. "Please, forgive us for parking in front of your estate."
"No wo~rries my dear servant!" Roswaal answered to the butler's apology with a smile. "The meeting was scheduled for later, bu~t I have no problem accommodating my time to organize it right no~w."
"In that case, nyet's get started right away nya~!" A cat-girl with short, light-brown hair and amber eyes descended the carriage the moment the lord indicated his availability.
"Greetings Felix." Emilia saluted in response.
"Greetings Emilia-sama, Roswaal-sama and… who are you?" The girl tilted her head instead of bowing when her gaze turned to Subaru.
"Allow me to introduce you to Subaru Natsuki, my body guard." The Half-elf indicated to the cat girl.
"Heya!" Subaru extended his hand to the girl, gesture she did not respond to as she stared at him intently, examining his appearance in silence with a neutral smile. "U-um… hello, I guess?" He awkwardly muttered while retracting his hand.
"Hum, Hum." The cat nodded while getting uncomfortably close to Subaru, as if sniffing him all over.
"UH-Personal space?! Stranger danger!" Subaru blushed in shyness and embarrassment as the girl inspected him from up close.
"Meow Meow! You have an interesting name and a funny appearance, Subaru~." The cat-girl winked at him, centimeters from his face.
"Y-yeah…"
"My name is Felix Argyle, Lady Crusch's knight." The feline straightened her posture and saluted the young man. "As Emilia-sama's knight I suppose we'll be seeing each other more often nyow~! Although… it is quite odd actually. I've nyever met you before…"
"A-actually… I'm not a knight yet." Subaru corrected the girl's assumption.
"Oh! Nya just assumed because you are her bodyguard." Felix admitted. "Apologies for that!"
"His knighting ceremony will take place at a later date." Emilia confirmed while smiling at Subaru, trying to appease Felix's curiosity.
"*clap, clap* Knighting ceremony asi~de, with the greetings done I suggest we move onto the mai~n topic." Roswaal interrupted the conversation while clapping his hands, gaining everyone's attention. "Let's go insi~de, shall we?"
"Well then, see you later Emilia-tan!" Subaru opened the entrance door for Emilia, Roswaal and Felix to cross. "Just call for me through the bracelet in case anything happens." He murmured to her in a low voice as she passed by.
"Is that how it works?" She whispered back while tilting her head. "Hmm, I will then! Now, be a good boy and stay put, okay?" Emilia nodded with a grin while entering the mansion.
"I'm not a dog!" Subaru complained while chuckling at her joke. Once the group was inside, he closed the door and turned to the older butler that was checking on the black dragon. "So… Can I get you anything? Tea? Cookies? A sandwich…?"
"…Well, I would not say 'no' to a freshly brewed cup." The old man smirked while responding.
As Emilia and Roswaal talked things out during their meeting with Felix, Subaru and the butler enjoyed some cups of tea in shade of a tree near the entrance. "So… What was your name again? Didn't quite catch it." Subaru asked while sipping his iced-lemon brew.
"I didn't introduce myself." The servant stated while drinking out of his own cup. "It's… quite odd. I never thought I'd find myself enjoying a cold tea." The man smiled while savoring the taste.
"Glad you liked it! Ram would chop my head off I used the more expensive set of leaves, so I made do by making my own brand with lemon- I mean, 'leman' and black tea!"
"Wilhelm Trias."
"Uh-Wha?" Subaru stumbled over his words as the old man introduced himself.
"My name is Wilhelm Trias. I think I ought to introduce myself after indulging in a luxury such as this. It is the bare minimum of manners." The butler extended his right hand to Subaru.
"Oh! Um- Natsuki Subaru. Nice to meet you, Wilhelm." Subaru smiled and shook hands with the old man.
As the two got over their introductions, Wilhelm directed his gaze towards the burnt patch of grass and bushes by the side of the mansion. "I take it the eruption of fire magic Felix and I saw on our way here came from over there."
"Yes, your guess is correct! Well… mostly correct at least." Subaru rubbed the back of his head while glancing at the ash-covered grass as well.
"How so?"
"It wasn't so much a blast of magic as it was a machine fueled with magic." The boy explained. "How do you guys call it again? Oh yeah! A metia!"
"A metia?" Wilhelm asked. "It flew quite far into the sky… We lost sight of it if I'm being honest."
"Yeah… It's floating over us still as we speak." Subaru commented while looking upwards. "I'm honestly kind of surprised… The calculations I made were rather rudimentary without a computer or terminal." Or anything capable of processing terabytes worth of data…
"'Com… Pyuter'? Floating…? Shouldn't it be falling by now?"
"Well, if I got into the details, I bet you'd be plenty amazed." The young man dismissed while tickling the carriage's earth dragon under the snout, earning some tail flaps and a purr-like sound. "There, there~."
"I see… The Margrave made quite the construct this time around." Wilhelm sipped on his tea once more.
"Actually, I did." Subaru responded to the old butler's remark, earning a raised eyebrow from the servant. "I mean, I built the flying thing."
"You did? I must admit, although I do not know the purpose of creating such a device, it is quite impressive for a youth such as you to create a functioning metia."
"Yeah, well… It's mostly just recreating stuff my mentor would build with what I had available on me." Subaru deflected the praise by attributing his success to someone else.
"Your mentor?" Wilhelm wondered about Subaru's origins for a moment. He looked towards the shed, noticing the amalgam of plates sitting atop it. "Were they the one who taught you how to build such… contraptions?"
"Yeah! And he is the one that made me my armor and stuff like that too! Look!" Subaru excitedly activated his Iron Spider armor.
"Wha-?!" In surprise, Wilhelm instinctively reached for his sword only to notice that it was not there. He then realized his action as he gazed in slight awe at how an armor grew over Subaru as if out of thin air. "An odd set of armor… Ah; I see how it is now." The elder relaxed his posture and smiled once more while scratching his beard in thought. "So… you must be the 'odd knight' everyone in the Capital has been gossiping about."
"The 'odd knight'?" Subaru looked at the butler with curiosity.
"Indeed." Wilhelm affirmed. "During the past few months there's been talk of a young man in a 'weird looking armor' that helps lost children." He continued. "They said he was seen crossing the districts by swinging from building to building in a rope. They also described how his armor appeared out of thin air, as if he summoned it with some unseen magic. However, the reason as to why the populace really called him the 'odd knight' was because of the color scheme of his outfit, black and orange, contrasting the whites and reds of the Knights of Lugunica."
"Oh, well… I never really paid any attention to the 'color scheme' of the knights, you see…" Subaru meekly justified. "I'm-I'm new here, actually. In the Kingdom I mean."
"I see…" The old man remained pensive for a few seconds. "However, with such off-hands remarks about things like the color schemes, as well as the casual tone you have for conversation, I must lament the fact that I see you colliding heads with some of the more… 'Rigid' members of the order in the near future." He drank the last of his beverage.
"You trying to say they won't like me?" The young man frowned a little. The comment of the old man dredged up memories of the Daily Bugle's slander of Spider-Man's actions online, as well as memories of people making fun of Subaru in school. "Well… I'll-I'll try to make a good impression then. Can't go around embarrassing Emilia-tan after all…"
"Tan?" Wilhelm raised an eyebrow at the diminutive attached to the lady's name.
"Oh, it's just… a pet name of sorts. Like, a thing between the two of us…" Subaru commented with a blush.
"You two must be quite close, then… I even noticed the matching set of bracelets." Wilhelm grinned for a moment before turning serious. "I must warn, however, that your road is quite steep."
"Huh?"
"Emilia-sama might become queen of this nation one day. Matching that while being just a bodyguard will make it quite hard for you to reach her status."
"Aw, indulge me a little man!" Subaru protested Wilhelm's statement with a laugh. "You probably think your wife is the most gorgeous woman in the whole world!"
"My wife…" Wilhelm stood still for a moment after Subaru's commentary, processing his words. "Indeed… To my heart, she will always be." The butler smiled while reminiscing. Theresia…
"Moreover, I'd rather live in the moment right now, you know?" Subaru reasoned. "Honestly, so much has happened in such a short amount of time that- I'd rather live in a day to day basis. Take things in stride. Although… A bit of planning for this world while I find a way back home wouldn't hurt anyone, right?" The young man drank the leftover of his iced tea.
"This… world?"
"Old Man Wil!" Before Wilhelm could delve deeper into what Subaru meant by his words, the voice of a familiar cat girl calling out to him interrupted his thoughts. "I'm back!"
"Felix." Wilhelm nodded in acknowledgement.
"So the meeting is over I take it?" Subaru asked the feline that walked towards them with a brink to her step.
"Yep!" Felix nodded, confirming the boy's guess. "You better get ready Subaru-kyun! We'll be seeing each other in the Capital soon!" The girl winked at Subaru and boarded the carriage.
"Huh?" Subaru uttered in confusion at the Felix's words.
"Well then… It's been a most enjoyable conversation, young man." Wilhelm captured Subaru's attention once more.
"Oh, uh, yeah!"
The butler boarded the carriage's driver seat. "I bid you farewell and good luck in your endeavors, lad."
Subaru waved goodbye at Wilhelm as he rode onto the road, exiting the estate. "Bye-Bye!"
"Subaru? Can you- Can you hear me?" Emilia's voice chimed in a low tone from Subaru's wrist.
"Hey Emilia-tan! Yeah, I can hear you!" Subaru answered with cheer.
"Oh! Um… Hey! Can you… can you come back inside? There's something I must discuss with you…"
"For sure! On my way!"
Meanwhile, inside the carriage that had just left the Mather's Mansion…
"You seem quite happy Old Myan." Felix commented while glancing at some documents.
"Pardon?" Wilhelm responded.
"I mean, I thought you'd rather cut someone in half than let them annoy you with banter and chit-chat!"
"This is a misconception on your part, Felix-dono. I was just… taken by the eyes of the young lad, is all."
"His… eyes?" Felix looked towards the butler in confusion. "What was so special about them? Apart from looking scary and nyasty…"
"Those were the eyes of someone who has seen death up close more than once… And their glint reflected something more than that even."
"Hmmm~… well! If the 'Sword Demon', Wilhelm van Astrea, says so, then his road must be quite the interesting one nya~!" Felix chuckled and concluded with a grin.
Within one of the recreation rooms of the mansion, sitting on a comfy sofa, Subaru exclaimed in surprise. "We are going to the Capital?!"
"Yes…" Emilia nervously stated. "Some… serious topics were discussed during the meeting just now."
"Indee~d." Roswaal answered as well with a smug face. "A Royal Summon, to be precise. Felix-ku~n came here as an envoy of sorts."
"Royal?" Subaru wondered.
"Yes." The half-elf reiterated. "I've been summoned to rendezvous with the Council of Wise Men, and so were the other Royal Candidates."
"Council of Wise Men?"
"It´s the grou~p that has been running the Kingdom's affairs in the a~bsence of a Royal family, Su~baru-kun." Roswaal explained. "It's conformed by a cast of diverse po~litical leaders, war veterans and great noblemen with decades of expe~rience under their belts."
"I see… So? Am I going there as your knight then?"
"*Sigh* Unfortunately, no." Emilia denied while shaking her head.
"Huh?" A dumbfounded Subaru asked, perplexed by the situation.
"A knighting ceremony takes ti~me and preparation, Subaru-kun. It would, most likely, require a cou~ple of weeks in advance of preparation befo~re actually holding it. The summon states that we must be in the Capital by the e~nd of the week."
"Oh… I see then…" Subaru's enthusiasm deflates.
"W-well, even if you like the actual title, it is no secret that you will be named my knight, you know?" Emilia reassured the dejected young man. "You can assist the summon all the same, Subaru! I'll just… introduce you as my FUTURE knight…"
"Now that's more like it! I like that!" Emilia's insistence on letting Subaru help her caused him to smile and nod to her statements in glee.
"I'll be going as well, Subaru-kun!" Rem, who was cleaning and picking up the plate with leftovers of the snacks for the meeting, perked up.
"Rem? Why?" The young man turned to her.
"We~ll, I simply must have someone with me who will listen to my orders, Su~baru-kun!" Roswaal laughed with a creepy smirk. "In all seriousness now, Re~m insisted on coming along with us as we~ll."
"I feel like I must thank the people that helped you in the Capital, Subaru-kun. After all, had they not done so, we would have never met…" Rem finished her sentence meekly, with a soft tone and a slight blush.
"Yeah… I actually want to see Reinhard again and catch up. Bet he won't believe I'm serving a candidate now!" Subaru announced with some cheer.
"Now, now." Roswaal interrupted the young man's celebration. "Althou~gh it is fine for you to converse with other knights about the to~pic, the matter of Emilia-sama's candidacy should remain u~nder wraps until after the meeting with the council, Su~baru-kun."
"Yeah, no worries!" Subaru agreed to the clown's statement. "I'm actually good with keeping a secret or two."
"Are you actually good at keeping secrets?" Ram, who had remained silent through the entire interaction, spoke up the moment Subaru attempted to make himself trustworthy. "With how much insufferable noise you produce I never thought you the confidential type, Barusu."
"Well, the point is, I won't rattle." Subaru cheekily confirmed while glancing at the insulting maid. "Pinky promise."
"You approach me with your filthy pinky and I'll rip it off." Ram responded matter-of-factly, earning chuckles from everyone in the room except for a scared stiff Subaru.
During the few days before travelling to the Capital, Subaru and company spent preparing themselves for the rendezvous with the council, with Roswaal departing a couple of days earlier in order to take care of some things in advance. As such, it came down to the servants that stayed behind to prepare an assortment of goods for the participants, such as clothes and suits. Rem went as far as preparing a suit specifically for Subaru to wear during the ceremony. Although it did not differ much from a tuxedo without a tie, the size fitted Subaru like a glove. "Wow… thank you Rem!"
"No need to thank me, Subaru-kun." Rem bowed in gratitude at his words. "Rem just thought… that it was fitting for you to wear such stylish clothes for such an occasion."
"Yeah, and I'm thankful for that so… thank you." Subaru nodded while unbuttoning the upper buttons of the shirt, earning a blush from the maid as he reveled a bit of his collarbone. "Still, this thing is quite precise… The clothes fit me a bit too tightly." The boy said as he adjusted the neck of the suit.
"Um… I just… wanted to be exact when taking your-your measurements, is all…" The blue oni looked away. "If you insist on being thankful, however… We could have an outing during our stay in the Capital…" She murmured the latter statement, with Subaru barely catching her words.
"Oh… well sure! I can do that." Subaru nodded in agreement. "I guess we could have lunch together while touring the place. I've only been to the Capital once, after all…"
"Oh! Um… Yes. I-I would like that very much." Rem beamed a sincere and warm smile at him.
Finally, on the day of the departure…
Ram, Beatrice and Meili were staring at the group of Emilia, Rem, Subaru and Puck as they boarded the carriage that would take them to the city.
"Do take care while I'm away, alright Betty?" Puck waved to his fellow spirit as he sat on top of Emilia's head. "I'm sorry I won't be playing with you for a whole five days, but this is some important business for Lia."
"Don't worry Bubby!" Beatrice merrily stated while waving back at the cat. "Betty can take care of herself quite efficiently, in fact."
"Rem." Ram called out to her twin. "As Roswaal-sama has gone ahead of your group to the Capital, please be mindful of making sure Barusu doesn't do anything stupid during the journey."
"'Stupid' like what, Nee-sama?" Subaru, who was loading the baggage onto the carriage, interrupted the conversation between the sisters with an annoyed face.
"Stupid like sticking your head out of the carriage and getting impaled by a tree, like I know you will." The pink oni answered with a monotone voice.
"You say the most morbid stuff, you know?!"
"Worry not, Nee-sama." Rem reassured the mocking twin. "I will make sure Subaru-kun suffers no beheadings or impalements while on the carriage."
"Don't just agree with her Rem!" Subaru protested the blue servant with a look of betrayal in his eyes.
"Subaru, if you feel like sticking your head out of the carriage do tell me so I can knock you unconscious, understood?" Emilia chuckled, joining in on the mocking of the young man as well.
"Et tu, Emilia-tan?! Come on, not you too!"
"Make sure you bring me something from your trip, Onii-san." Meili interrupted the banter. "I'm growing bored sitting on my cell doing no~thing all day long."
"Calling me Onii-san just when it's convenient for you… And you could, you know… read the picture books I've been giving you?" Subaru looked at the little girl with boredom. "I promise I will bring you more toys if you study as well, Meili." He smiled at the assassin with sincerity.
"Yeah, yeah… just make sure the ones you bring actually look like mabeasts this time arou~nd."
"You should be more thankful, child." Ram interrupted. "You've yet to give out information on your employer and your organization. Were not for Barusu, we would have already stomped on you until you became a red stain on the floor of your cell."
"Ram!" Subaru complained at the maid. "Quit threatening her!"
"Hmph!" Ram laughed at the young man's complaints.
"…In any case, I left a tub of ice cream in the kitchen! Meili, you may only eat out of it if you do your homework, okay?!"
"Yay!" The braided girl celebrated.
"Well then." Emilia concluded whilst finally boarding the carriage. "See you in a few days, everyone. Make sure to eat your greens! Meili! Beako!"
"Like YOU don't do half-elf?" An exasperated Beatrice mocked. "And don't call me that name!"
"I just don't like them! There's nothing wrong with that, is there?!" Emilia childishly pouted.
"Well, Emilia-tan, it's not exactly adult-ish to not eat your 'peppirs'." Subaru, who was boarding behind Emilia but onto the copilot's seat, commented.
"You only ever eat them when you cover in that concoction of yours!" The silver girl kept complaining.
"Hey! I'll have you know mayonnaise makes everything tastier!" The black-haired boy complained back. "Right Rem?!"
"Um… yes indeed, Subaru-kun!" Rem hesitantly responded. Even though she loved Subaru, she couldn't quite stomach his… egg-based sauce. Puck, who could detect lies, just giggled at her attempt to agree with the young man.
"…Why is there hesitation in your voice?" A clearly sad Subaru looked at her with disappointment.
"A-Anyways! Let's get going already!" Rem sat on the driver's seat besides Subaru and took the reins of the ground dragons. "Farewell Nee-sama! Beatrice-sama! Meili!"
"Farewell Rem." Ram waved at her sister with a smile. "In all seriousness, do take care."
"Goodbye Bubby!"
"Bye-bye, Onii-san, Onee-sans." Meili waved as well while clutching on a Black Widow doll.
With a flap of the reins, the earth dragons began to move, trotting onto the road leading out of the estate. As the carriage passed through Arlam, the villagers saluted Subaru and his companions.
"Good luck on your job! Subaru-sama! Emilia-sama! Rem-sama!"
"Farewell!"
"Goodbye! Emilia-sama!"
Subaru, Emilia and Rem waved back at the villagers with smiles as well.
"Subaru!" Petra and the children called out to the young man, getting his attention. "Make sure you come back safely! We'll have fully stamped cards by the end of the week!" The smiling girl stated while waving at the young man.
"I'll be the judge of that!" Subaru said to the children. "Just keep doing your exercises every morning and I'll make sure to hand out prizes, 'kay?!"
"Yeah!" All the kids giggled while waving at him.
After crossing the village, the group entered the forest-surrounded road that exited the Mather's domain. During the interval in between reaching the Lifaus Highway, Puck returned to Emilia's crystal, claiming that he felt tired and that he needed to rest for a bit. As the trio ventured through the road, Subaru noticed the gigantic tree that reared its figure in the horizon. "GOOD LORD!" The Avenger exclaimed. "Is that a tree? It's ginormous!"
"That is known as the Flugel's Tree, Subaru-kun." Rem explained. "It is said that a Wise Man named Flugel planted it over 400 hundred years ago… It's considered a National Monument of Lugunica nowadays."
"Neat…" That thing has to be the size of the Empire State…
"By the way, Subaru?" Emilia asked from inside the carriage. "Is it really fine for you to leave your armor back home?"
"What?" Subaru turned to Emilia. "Yeah, it's okay… I mean, I don't plan on getting on any fight s and stuff during our trip. 'Sides, in case anything DOES go down, I can use my regular suit in tandem with my new abilities!" The boy dismissed his lady's worries while assuring her his safety, showing off the newly repaired Spider-Man suit.
"Abilities… You mean that version of Shamak you've been practicing?" The half-elf asked.
"Yeah. That and the bio-electric discharges I've been perfecting." He assured. "You'd have to be innately resistant to both electricity and magic to stand against me now!"
"And in case of any emergency, the satellite is monitoring the course of the carriage at every step." Karen advised from Emilia's wrist.
"H-hey Karen!" Emilia, who was still not accustomed to being called out by the program, saluted with awkwardness. "I assume you are referring to watching over us?"
"Indeed." The A.I. displayed holograms from both Subaru's and Emilia's wrists, playing a video of the carriage and the highway from above. "The live feed displays that there are no roadblocks in the way towards the Capital city of Lugunica. Moreover, by the position of the clouds and the wind currents, I estimate that the next week will be mostly clear and sunny, seeing barely any covered sky."
"It can predict the weather too?!" Rem exclaimed in surprise.
"It's just an estimate, Rem." Subaru calmed the maid down. "We can never be too sure. Who knows? Maybe someone will magically conjure a cloud and make it rain or snow without us noticing… Like Puck did!"
"*sigh* Hopefully not…" Emilia said with a preoccupied voice.
"Emilia-tan?" Subaru tilted his head in confusion at her words.
"Subaru, to tell the truth…" Emilia made a serious expression all of a sudden. "There's a rumor that, wherever a witch appears, heavy snow follows…"
"What?" Subaru looked at her in bafflement. "That's not right… Just because someone's a witch it doesn't mean that it suddenly snows all around them."
"Are you referring to that woman, 'Wanda', from your homeland?" Rem suggested.
"Yeah. She could move stuff with her mind and crap like that, but snow didn't follow her." The Avenger answered. "Were blizzards to follow your every step, wouldn't people consider Emilia-tan a witch just because of Puck?" He stared at the half-elf in worry.
"Yes, I know it's ridiculous…" Emilia agreed with Subaru. "But unlike your world, it seems like it's easy for baseless notions to spread here…"
"Heh!" Subaru chuckled. "You wouldn't believe the baseless things that spread in my world and people somehow still agree with…"
"So the case of ignorance happens regardless of the realm?" Rem wondered with worry. "How vexing…"
"If Flat-earthers discovered this world, they'd have a field trip in regards to theories." Karen commented to Subaru. In the past months that the two have spent in Lugunica, they learned from Beatrice, as well as the imagery from the satellite, that this world was indeed flat. "In description, it seems similar to how Thor described Asgard. Down to the existence of a waterfall at the end of the world."
"Ah, ah, ah!" Subaru stopped Karen's train of thought. "This ain't Earth, Karen! It's… uh, what did we call it again?"
"We just resolved to call it the 'Land of Od Laguna' after some back and forth in the shed two weeks ago."
"Yeah! Exactly!" Subaru pointed to the hologram. "This isn't Earth, so Flat-earthers would have no reason to celebrate! The world is still round!"
"You did describe your world as a ball rather than a table, Subaru." Emilia giggled at the interaction between the Artificial Intelligence and her Bodyguard. "Still… Subaru?" Emilia turned her tone serious once more.
"Yeah?"
"Can you… please, not mention anyone in the Capital either that you know a witch or that you possess a satellite?" Emilia warned her guard.
"Uhh, sure."
"Thank you." Emilia nodded in relief. "I'm honestly a bit afraid of what they would do to you if they knew about an apparatus with a name similar to the Witch of Envy… that and the fact that you are acquaintances with a witch… Even if it's not in the kind we are accustomed to."
"I'll only mention it to people I know for sure wouldn't senselessly freak out and rat on me." Subaru remarked. "Don't worry. I won't talk more than what I deem necessary. I'll keep the satellite and the whole 'knowing a witch' on the down-low."
"Hmm~!" Emilia nodded while grinning once more, seating back down on her seat inside the carriage. "Keep an eye open and tell me when we arrive at the Capital, okie?"
"Yeah, 'okie' alright." Subaru chuckled and turned to see the road once more. "Karen, you good on energy?"
"Of course." The web-shooter answered. "It's a sunny day out. The sunrays are powering me accordingly."
"Good, good." The young man nodded. "Stay like that and keep an eye out for any danger. Cause' I'M taking a well-deserved nap." The carefree boy lied down on his seat with a smile and closed his eyes, letting the rocking of the vehicle to drift him into Morpheus arms. "Oh, and play me a Lo-fi playlist while you are at it."
"FuFu~, what an irresponsible man." Rem chuckled at how Subaru immediately went to sleep beside her after promising Emilia that he would take care of the road. "Don't worry Subaru-kun; I'll wake you up just before we arrive."
"*Sigh* How hopeless…" Emilia, who noticed how Subaru immediately deflated on his seat, sighed and giggled as well. "What a bad boy…"
The hours passed, with the trio stopping only once to stretch their legs, let the dragon's rest and eat lunch. They spent the rest of the journey chatting back and forth about menial things, with Subaru, as always, recounting another anecdote from his world. "…So this one time? I was stopping the robbery of a bank."
"Bank?" Emilia wondered what he meant.
"It's uh… an establishment in which people trust to safeguard their money." Subaru said while doing a dismissive motion with his hands. "Anyways, the four guys trying to rob the bank had their backs turned towards me. And when I called out to them? They turned around with Avenger's masks over their faces!"
"Avengers… the heroes from your world?" Rem asked trying to remember the name of the group Subaru had belonged to again.
"Exactly!" The young man exclaimed in confirmation. "They were idiotic enough to-"
"Ah! Subaru-kun, Emilia-sama!" Rem suddenly interrupted Subaru's tale. "Look!"
The boy and the half-elf directed their gazes in the direction Rem was pointing at. On the horizon, a tall castle atop a mountain with many buildings and houses descending from it reared its head. In addition, the wall that surrounded the entirety of the city made itself clear as well. "Oh! So that's how it looks from the outside!" The boy said in wonder. "Really digging the fortress vibe."
As the carriage crossed through the districts of the Capital, Subaru and co. looked around, contemplating and taking in the scenery. However, as soon as they crossed from the Market district into the Noble district, Subaru was amazed by the sheer size of the manors and mansions that lined up at the sides of the main road. "Woah… This is some luxury stuff!"
"I must admit, although not quite as imposing as Roswaal-sama's estate, these houses are quite the sight…" Rem commented while glancing them as well. "At the end of the road of this district lies the Royal district, where the Royal Palace lies."
"That's where we'll meet the other candidates in two days' time…" Emilia stated while nervously glancing at the castle in the distance.
"Hey, Emilia-tan? Chillax~!" Subaru reassured from his seat. "You'll be fine! You rehearsed your speech and all, right?"
"Yes…" Emilia nodded in return.
"Then you'll be okay! Just have more confidence in yourself!"
"Says the most overconfident man in the world." Rem jabbed at Subaru with a giggle.
"Aw, come on… No reason to be like that!" The boy chuckled while bantering with the maid.
After some 10 minutes passed by, the party arrived to the entrance of a manor with the Blazon of a lion inscribed on the fences. "So this must be the Karsten Manor…" As the group entered the domain of the Duchess' family, a familiar lord greeted them from the entrance to the mansion.
"So glad to finally see~ you again Emilia-sama, Rem and Subaru-kun." Roswaal smiled creepily at the young man while greeting them.
"Roswaal-sama." Rem bowed at the sight of her boss.
"Greetings Roswaal." Emilia stated.
"Hey Ros-chi!" Subaru saluted as Rem stopped the carriage in its tracks. "Can't say I'm completely relieved from seeing your creepy smiles again." The boy joked at the expense of his employer while getting off the vehicle.
"You wound me young man!" The clown fake cried. "And here I thought we were more than frie~nds already…" Roswaal then glanced at Subaru once more and winked, freezing the boy's spine in repulsion.
"Please… don't direct such gazes at me again…" Subaru answered while sweating cold, creeped out by the lord's behavior.
"Roswaal." Emilia stepped out of the carriage as well. "Thank you for organizing our stay with Duchess Karsten during our time in the Capital."
"But of cou~rse Emilia-sama!" The man nodded. "It is essential for allegiances to be formed during times such as these. As su~ch, it'd be a waste not to take advantage of the occasion to get closer to a would-be rival and instead become frie~nds."
"Well… I just fear we might become indebted to them from just staying here…" Emilia shared her preoccupation with her sponsor.
"No need to worry about such a thing, Emilia-dono." An authoritative voice full of confidence spoke from behind Roswaal. "I would never be so petty as to hold a stay within my estate as a debt." A young woman in a military outfit, with amber eyes and dark green colored hair, reassured from the entrance to the mansion.
"Duchess Karsten…" Emilia looked at Crusch and bowed. "Thank you for welcoming us into your abode."
"No need to bow, Emilia-dono." The lady dismissed Emilia's greeting with a light smirk.
Following the woman were Felix and Wilhelm. "It's good to see you again, Subaru-dono." The butler greeted the Avenger.
"Hey! Wilhelm!" Subaru waved at the old man.
"Nya~ I see you arrived safely!" Felix chimed in.
"Felix, Wilhelm, please direct our guests inside." The Duchess commanded her servants.
"Please, come inside! I'll guide you to your rooms!" Felix cheerfully indicated.
"This way, please." Wilhelm opened the front door, welcoming them into the mansion.
"Su~baru-kun? If you would be so kind as to unload the baggage from the carriage?" Roswaal directed an order to the boy.
"On it. Just go on ahead and we'll catch up later."
"Rem? I know you must be tired from the long jou~rney, but please come inside and prepare some tea for our host."
"Understood, Roswaal-sama." Rem accompanied her lord, Emilia and the Karsten servants inside.
As Subaru unloaded the baggage and peace offerings for the Karsten Matriarch, said lady had remained outside with him, gazing as if inspecting his body and appearance. "Hmm… Subaru Natsuki, was it?" Crusch asked the boy.
"Hngh!" Subaru lifted the mountain of suitcases out of the vehicle with a grunt. How much did these two pack?! It's just a couple of days! "Yep, that's me alright." He said while lowering the baggage onto the entrance's floor. "Nice to meet you, uh…"
"Crusch Karsten. But you may call me Crusch." The lady extended her right hand to the young man.
"Yeah, Crusch-san. The name´s Natsuki Subaru. Emilia-tan's bodyguard. Nice to meet you." The boy shook her hand and beamed her a smile, much to the surprise of the lady.
"…Heh." The Duchess chuckled. "I was told your manners were… different to what the normal knights are accustomed, but I guess I had to witness it myself."
"Hmm?" Subaru wondered in confusion as their hands separated. "I'm sorry; I just… don't quite understand what you mean. I'm not a knight yet, you see…"
"Don't be sorry, I am told this event came at a problematic time for you. Just before your actual knighting ceremony, in fact." Crusch conversed once more while smiling at the young man. "What I'm trying to say is that, as a future knight, you should observe in the coming days the behavior of the other members of the order and attempt to act accordingly. It is fine for one to express their individuality in private, but when it comes to the more… 'Formal' events, your lax behavior could be taken rather badly by most…"
"Hey, Wilhelm said something similar when we met!" Subaru pointed out with surpise.
"Did he now?" Crusch responded with a question while raising an eyebrow. "I suppose you must have made quite an impression for him to counsel you. He's not normally that open with others… Especially young men." The woman rubbed her chin in thought. "Anyways, I've delayed you long enough already… Please, come inside."
"Don't mind if I do!" Subaru lifted the suitcases once more and followed the lady inside.
In the evening, once everyone had accommodated in their lodgings, Subaru decided to take a walk around the garden of the mansion, trying to clear his mind of the thoughts of longing for his own home world. "*sigh* The last time I was in this city was right after the battle with Thanos… Can't believe it's been two months already!"
"Well, you were so busy these past months that the passage of time became a blur." Karen commented.
"Yeah, I guess you are right…" The boy plopped onto the ground while gazing at the sunset. "Tomorrow is gonna be a busy day as well… Though, I hope I can drop by Rom's Loot house and make sure he is okay…"
"Worrying about someone else, a thief at that."
"To be precise, Felt was the thief Karen." Subaru indicated. "Hopefully we can meet up with Rein and clear out what happened to Felt soon. The old man must be worried sick…" He then paused, sensing a presence behind him.
"Who will be 'worried sick' young man?" Wilhelm interrupted Subaru's conversation.
"Oh! Hey Wilhelm." Subaru greeted the elder.
"I see you must have a lot of free time for you to monologue alone in the garden."
"I wasn't exactly 'monologuing'… Karen?" Subaru raised his right wrist at the man.
"Greetings." The talking bracelet earned a look of surprise in the butler's face. "My name is Karen, Subaru's assistant."
"A spirit in a bracelet?" Wilhelm wondered aloud.
"Not quite. Karen is a… a talking metia."
"Hoh~. I see… A gift from your mentor, perhaps?"
"Exactly!" Subaru nodded. "So, uh, Wilhelm? Were you, like, looking for me or something?" Subaru inquired the old man.
"Yes, actually." Wilhelm passed a wooden training sword to Subaru while holding one himself. "Care for some exercise?" He asked while directing a smile at the young man.
Subaru accepted Wilhelm's proposition, and so the two clashed swords in the yard, unaware of the passage of time or of a certain Duchess observing them from a window above.
The sun had finally gone down and the moon had settled in the sky, alongside the stars. It was almost dinnertime and Subaru and Wilhelm were still sparring with each other. "Subaru-ku~n!" A maid called out to the boy. "Dinner's ready!"
"Rem? - Ouch!" The moment the young man turned to look at the maid, the old man's blade collided directly with his forehead. "Owowowow…" Subaru crouched while rubbing his hand over the injury.
"You should pay more attention." The old man chuckled with a smirk. "Were this a normal blade, you would have died."
"Coulda' fooled me…" The slightly teary-eyed boy glared with fake hatred at the butler.
"I must say, for your lack of talent or experience with the sword, you are quite the capable fighter in most other areas." Wilhelm pointed out while praising Subaru. "Why, I find myself struggling when trying to match your speed and reflexes, not to mention your strength." The old man opened his sword hand and showed his reddened palm to Subaru. "See? It is trembling. That is not age speaking. In my younger years, you would have most likely beaten me…"
"Yeah, yeah…" Subaru dismissed. "You say that, but you still handed me my ass in a silver platter in, like, half of the bouts we had."
"Ha-Ha. Counting the hit just now, the score is 11 out of 20, lad." He extended a hand to the crouching Subaru. "Not bad at all, I must admit."
"Thanks." The boy responded by grabbing Wilhelm's hand and standing up once more. "I'm not much of a swordsman, more like a hand-to-hand combat guy, but I'll review what you taught me today." Subaru smirked at the butler.
"Good." Wilhelm nodded with a smile as well. "Nourish your mind and body whilst still young, Subaru-dono. It'll be a fruitful asset to assist your lady in the future after all."
"Right." Subaru nodded in acknowledgement of the butler's words. "Welp, time for dinner now. I'm famished, actually!" The young man directed himself to where Rem was standing while rubbing his stomach, indicating his hunger.
"…" However, Wilhelm simply stood and observed from the spot they were sparring on just moments ago. He picked up the two swords and began walking in the direction of the main hall of the mansion instead of the dining hall.
"Anything interesting?" Crusch asked her servant with a smirk. She was leaning on the frame of the entrance to the main hall, arms crossed.
"Crusch-sama." Wilhelm bowed the moment he noticed his liege.
"So… What is so interesting about Natsuki Subaru for you to personally spar with him, 'Sword Demon'?"
"…His eyes." Wilhelm explained.
"Yes, you've mentioned it before." Crusch nodded. "Those are the eyes of someone that has seen great conflict yet managed to come out on top… or at least alive."
"Well… he most certainly demonstrates the skill to back up such a background."
"How so?" Crusch wondered. "His form with the blade looked sloppy at best."
"Yes, his form WITH the blade… But I do not believe that to be his main strength."
"Really now?"
"Indeed… He described himself as more of a brawler… Hand-to-hand combat. And despite his frame… he had the physical prowess and dexterity in all other areas to back up such a claim." He continued. "He might be amateurish in armed combat, but he possesses a strong foundation to be a force to be reckoned with." The butler smirked a little.
"Hmm~…" The Duchess sank into her thoughts for a moment. "You think quite highly of him in such a short time…"
"My apologies for my expressiveness, Crusch-sama." The butler bowed in reverence with a stoic expression.
"Don't be. I would like for you to be genuinely honest with me."
"Understood." Wilhelm nodded at his lady's statement. "Now if you'll excuse me… I shall take my leave."
"Of course." Crusch moved aside and allowed Wilhelm to enter the manor. As the servant walked away, the matriarch remained pensive, gazing in the direction of the dining hall. "Subaru Natsuki, huh…?" Emilia-dono's Camp might be more interesting than initially anticipated…
The next day, while Roswaal remained in the mansion overlooking some documents, Emilia, Subaru and Rem went out to explore the Market district. There, they enjoyed lunch with a view of the canals and streets of the Capital under the shade of tree, away from the busy main street. "This is so relaxing…" Subaru contemplated before biting on a sandwich.
"Well, Emilia-sama has an important day come tomorrow, what with the inauguration of the Selection and all." Rem followed Subaru's words. "As Subaru-kun would say, this is a good moment to unwind."
"Yes… Although, I do have something to attend to with some of the members of the council and Roswaal later." Emilia responded while sipping on her juice.
"Well, hopefully it won't take too long." Subaru joked. "We don't want you turning green from the stress!"
"Green?" Emilia wondered for a moment.
"She is not like the monster from your recordings, you brute!" Puck, who had been eating a pudding made by Rem, punched Subaru on the cheek.
"Oh! Were you referring to the Hulk?" Emilia frowned and pouted. "Geez, Subaru! I'm not that irritable!"
"Hehe! I know I know…" Subaru leaned back on the tree. "Still, just go over your script in your head and everything should go swell… And if it doesn't… I'll be there for you." The boy smiled at the lady, earning a blush and the irritation of her father figure.
"Don't forget that I'll be there as well!" Puck complained once more.
"I… Thank you, Subaru, Puck…." Emilia smiled at the two.
"…By the way, Subaru." Puck called out to the boy he had just pawed. "What are you carrying in that bag of yours?"
"Hmm?" Subaru chirped at Puck's question, earning both Emilia's and Rem's attention. "Oh, this? Well… apart of some bottles with the Cola and Iced tea I brewed… I also have the prototype stoves I made, alongside the schematics for building them."
"Hum…" Puck hummed in thought.
"Won't it be dangerous if someone were to rob you, Subaru-kun?" Rem tilted her head in worry.
"Not to worry, the schematics on paper are written in my world's alphabet. No one here would be capable of making heads or tails of them without going through me first." He explained. "Plus… do you really think I wouldn't be able to handle a petty thief?"
"Not at all." Rem shook her head with a smile. "I'm just worried you might accidentally break their bodies once you retaliate."
"What the hell?! I'm not a brute!" Subaru protested with surprise Rem's joke.
"Still… Why would you bring them with you…?" Emilia wondered now.
"Well, to secure some prestige to our camp, of course!" Subaru smiled at Emilia.
"Huh?"
"I made them for that originally, remember?" The boy continued. "I would recreate inventions from my world and improve your image with the public alongside bringing you up to speed with Earth's technology! Now, the only thing I have to do is found a merchant willing to fund the project, develop it and sell the things."
"Our camp…" Emilia murmured with a troubled expression.
"Emilia-tan? Something wrong?" Subaru noticed her tension and attempted to reassure her.
"Emilia-sama?"
"Lia?"
"What? Oh! It-it's nothing, really…" The half-elf deflected her worry. "I just… I might still be preoccupied with tomorrow's ceremony, is all…" The girl frowned and gazed downwards.
"Oh. That." Subaru accepted her lie as a valid response. "Well, like Rem said. Just try to unwind and chill for now…" The boy leaned on the tree once more.
"…Subaru?" Emilia perked up once more.
"Yeah?"
"Are you… still trying to find a way back to your home world…?" Rem frowned at the candidate's question for the young man.
"Well yeah. I mean, all my inventions will be stepping stones to that, after all." Subaru answered matter-of-factly, without realizing the deeper meaning of the question.
"…I see." Emilia nodded indifferently.
"…" Puck, however, noticed with worry the dampened state of the girl.
The group would remain in that spot for a few hours until Rem had to leave to assist with things back in the Karsten estate. As the maid bid them farewell, Puck, Emilia and Subaru walked onto the main street once more. "Appas! Come get your appas!" The voice of a familiar vendor captured Subaru's attention.
"Kadomon!" Subaru waved at the man.
"Hm?" The salesman glared for a few seconds before recognizing the group. "Oh! I-It's you people…" He nervously responded.
"Hey, how's it been?" Subaru asked, attempting to make small chat with the clerk.
"W-well… It's been I guess…" The man answered meekly once again. "So-So, what are you doing here…?"
"Oh, we're just here on a job, is all…" Subaru stated while glancing at the fruit in the stall. "Have things been okay? Any robberies or something?"
"Okay…? Oh, I mean, not that many as of late…"
"Say, how is Plum-chan doing?" Emilia asked with a sincere smile, remembering the little girl that gifted her a flower.
"M-My daughter? Oh! Sh-She's doing fine, I guess… She hasn't gone missing again since you two… helped… her." Kadomon paused as he noticed Subaru reach for something in his pocket. "U-Um…"
"May I have a dozen-"
"PLEASE SPARE ME!" The man bowed the moment Subaru took out a purse filled with low-denomination Lugunican coins.
"Uh… What?" Subaru frowned at the vendor's actions. Emilia and Puck did so as well.
"…Huh?" Kadomon raised his head to notice the purse in Subaru's hand and the weirded out gazes the spirit, the girl and the boy were giving him. "Uh… Oh! Are you… here to buy…?"
"Yeah…" Subaru continued, brushing off the act just now. "I'd like a dozen of the freshest apples you have."
"Apples?"
"Appas."
"Oh… Yeah, sure! Should have said that from the start, damn it!" Kadomon complained while bagging a bunch of fruit and handing it to Subaru. "Here!"
"Thanks!" Subaru payed and grabbed the bag. "If I want more fruit I'll make sure to drop by, that okay with you?"
"…Oh, wha? Yeah, yeah, sure, whatever…" The man, that had visibly deflated, responded while brushing off a damn near heart attack.
"Well, that was awfully nice of him, even if he acted weird in the beginning." Emilia stated, as her group remained blissfully oblivious to the stress they caused the vendor they had just crossed paths with. The trio advanced further into the street until reaching one of the walls that connected with the Noble district. However, beside the wall lied a gate, one that apparently crossed through the Noble district and lead directly from the Market into the Royal district.
"Lia, I'll return to my crystal for now. Just call if you need anything! Bye-Bye!" Puck dematerialized the moment they reached the gate.
Emilia nodded in acknowledgement of her father figure's words and turned towards her other companion once Puck left. "Subaru." The half-elf stated in a serious tone. "Roswaal and the councilmen I mentioned earlier must be waiting for me now. For the moment, why don't you wait here and look around the market? I wager I'll be back in a few hours…"
"Huh? You don't want me to come inside?" Subaru wondered about the implication of her words.
"Well it's just… No commoner is allowed inside past this point. Only knights and above…" She meekly answered with a bit of shame in her tone. "Tomorrow during the ceremony will be an exception, you see…"
"Knights… In that case, you can just state what you said before we came to the Capital! That I'm scheduled to be named your knight and all!"
"That lax behavior won't do at all." A third party interrupted Subaru's argument.
"Huh?" The boy turned in confusion.
"Oh! Julius…" Emilia looked to her right, where the voice came from.
"Greetings, Emilia-sama." A violet haired man with yellow eyes, dressed in a uniform remarkably similar to Reinhard's, greeted the candidate. "I'm honored to know that you remember my name." The knight bowed and grabbed Emilia's hand, kissing it. "You've only grown more beautiful since our last meeting."
Wow, what a show-off… Subaru thought with a bored face before the memory of Crusch raced back into his mind. Hold it… Was-was this what she wanted me to do yesterday? Is that why she chuckled?!
"And this man would be…" Julius stood back up and turned to look at Subaru.
"Ah, Julius, this is my body guard, Subaru." Emilia raised her hand and introduced young man beside her.
"Oh, hey man. Natsuki Subaru, at your service." Subaru pushed his preconceptions of the man and opted to make instead an amicable face, raising his right hand to shake with the knight. However, Julius did not respond in kind and simply chose to leave him there, hanging. He remained still while examining Subaru's disheveled appearance and clothes. Woah, rude.
"Emilia-sama, the… 'uncouth' behavior and demeanor of your bodyguard ill matches your pristine visage." Julius pointed out while ignoring Subaru's shocked face. "And I do notice that, from his earlier statement, he is not a knight yet… which translates into meaning that he possesses no permission to cross past this point."
"Um, buddy? You looking to start something?" A ticked off Subaru glared at the knight.
"And clearly, with such gestures like 'buddy', you lack the spoken capability for being a knight." Julius remarked once more. "Are you sure he is not threatening you, Emilia-sama?"
"HUH?!"
"Subaru… please, calm down." Emilia stared at Subaru, giving off a commanding aura.
"…Fine." Subaru hesitated for a moment but finally backed down once Emilia gave her order.
"Julius… I would appreciate it if you could cease your… 'Berating' of my guard."
"It most certainly was not my intention to come out as offensive, Emilia-sama." Julius bowed at the lady. "Please, forgive my transgression."
"It's fine, just… don't do it again." Emilia followed up with a request. "While on that topic… I may yet require assistance in crossing the gate. May I request you be my agent in the castle?"
"It would be my pleasure." Julius accepted with a smile. "Now, allow me to guide you to the conference mirrors."
"Conference mirrors?" Subaru tilted his head once again.
"It's a type of advanced metia that allows for the communication of people a certain distance apart." Julius smugly explained.
"Emilia?" A surprised Subaru asked, diminutives removed. "You knew about… well, this?"
"…Subaru, as I stated before, I'll be back shortly. Please… Just don't do anything unnecessary…" As the girl and the knight crossed the gate, she warned her servant once more.
"I-I will." An uncomfortable Subaru simply responded in a deflated tone as the gate closed in front of him. "…Man, this sucks. That completely ruined my mood…"
Subaru stood there in complete boredom for some moments before deciding to finally lean on the wall. "You seem upset." Karen pointed out. "Mind talking about it?"
"…Well…" Subaru murmured. "It's just… Emilia kept the whole 'needing a knight to enter the palace' or 'the conference mirrors' stuff from me. I thought… You know… That we were a team already, being part of her camp and all…"
"Well, if it upsets you that she's keeping secrets, we could always spy on her."
"Huh?" The confused boy wondered.
"As I've stated before, I don't completely trust these people. Their incompetence has put you in unnecessary risk before after all." The A.I. stated, baffling Subaru. "I've yet to completely explain the capabilities of the web-shooters to Emilia, so she does not know I can activate the microphone without her consent. Want to know what she is going to discuss with the council and Roswaal?"
"KAREN!" A genuinely upset Subaru yelled at his wrist, earning the confused attention of the people around him. The tone and the scream being enough for the program to take back her proposal.
"…My apologies. I did not mean to offend you, Subaru."
"…Just, don't propose something like that again." Subaru calmed down a bit while gazing away from his wrist. However, as he looked towards an alleyway near the wall, he noticed a fiery-red haired woman being assaulted by a trio of morons he has met once before. "Oh, this people!" The young man, looking to vent out some frustrations, approached the scene developing before him.
AUTHOR'S NOTES
I've been on a roll writing lately! Although, even if I write many chapters in succession, don't expect me posting so frequently again. Honestly, my schedule is a mess… At most I'll post another chapter come tomorrow and then go back to normal. Nevertheless, for now… Thank you for reading and look forward to the next chapter! The Royal Selection finally begins!