Looking outside the carriage, they observed the bustling life that filled the city once more. With the gates opened, hundreds of dragon carriages were in motion—including theirs.
On the left side, Subaru could see the endless stream of passing carriages going into the city, their hold filled with wares. However, he and Emilia looked more onto the right side, at the activity along the main road of the city.
Even though he couldn't take more than a glimpse at the expressions of those on the street, he noticed them be much less tense than they had been during the past days—even ignoring the disdain thrown towards him. He could well remember how the people wore gloomy faces and seemed to be broiled in a struggle. Now, things seemed to return to what he assumed was normalcy.
One other such normalcy was Emilia returning home. Having been picked up by what he presumed to be one of her maids, they were now underway on a half-day-long journey. Meaning they'd be here together, him sitting close to her left, for several hours. Hence why he had directed his gaze outside.
At first, he attempted to just sit casually beside her. But he could feel how his cheeks flushed and how the sides of his mouth quivered as he stole glances towards her, so he had to force his attention somewhere else instead.
Normally he'd try to overcome his giddiness with some casual smalltalk, but their last conversation hadn't gone exactly well… and picking it up again and trying to fix the mood wasn't an option either. Both for the lack of uplifting words, and the maid at the front potentially listening in. Though the latter was soon proven to be an unnecessary concern when he heard a couple of knocks coming from the front, accompanied by some inaudible words.
Perplexed, he regarded the front side of the cabin a bit closer, and noticed a small wooden frame positioned slightly above eye level in the middle of the front side. It looked like it surrounded a sliding door.
Looking over to Emilia, he pointed to it with a questioning glance. Which she returned with a nod, causing him to get up.
As soon as he opened it, the maid directed her words towards them. "Emilia-sama, please observe that there are several pieces of fresh fruit stored under the left front seat, should you desire a refreshment during the journey. As Roswaal-sama is most-concerned about your safety, I would prefer us to not take any unneeded breaks, should you not desire them."
"Mhm. That sounds very good, Ram. Thank you for preparing them," she said, glancing over to the suspected storage spot. As they both didn't seem to add anything to it, Subaru closed the sliding door. Though instead of sitting down again straight away, he moved to the left seat.
Subaru moved over, carefully feeling the cushioned seat—until he saw that there had been a tiny gap between the left and middle side. Grabbing the cushioning fabric, he pulled it up, revealing a storage space right under the seat. In it was a small basket, covered with a white piece of cloth.
"Are you already feeling hungry, Subaru? Didn't you eat enough at breakfast?" Emilia asked curiously.
"Ah. No, I was just curious," said Subaru laughing awkwardly as he put the seat back. "Didn't expect there to be a hidden compartment like that."
"Mhm. I think it's rather unusual too. Though I guess it's not too surprising that Roswaal of all people would have something like that." It had a strangely judging undertone.
"Guess he's a rather strange person?" asked Subaru, sitting down beside her again.
"He's certainly different from most others," she said with a slight chuckle. "But I'm sure you'll see what I mean once we arrive."
Subaru wondered what kind of person that Roswaal had to be that even Emilia made such an off-handed comment, considering she didn't seem to mind Subaru's at-times strange behavior.
This was especially true given how kindhearted she could be. When Ram had labeled him as something Emilia picked up from the ground… while she didn't know it, in the end, that was correct. She had helped him back then, and now he vowed to do the same.
And for that, it was necessary to overcome the awkwardness that he felt between them. After all, how could he vow to help her, if he wasn't even able to talk to her properly?
"Thanks for helping Felt reach that decision, Emilia-tan," said Subaru with a smile. "I don't know what you told her, but I'm glad to know she's in a safer spot now."
But Emilia waved her hand. "There's no reason to be thankful for that. It helps me just as well, after all." Her comment was dismissing… which wasn't completely unexpected.
"You mean because she's the fifth and final needed candidate?"
"That's right… But Subaru, how do you know about that?" she asked, narrowing her eyes. "Considering how confused you were at the sight of the insignia and all that."
Subaru raised his hands defensively when her inquisitive gaze pierced him. "I didn't! While you were talking with Felt, I talked with Reinhard about it. He explained to me how important Felt's candidacy and such was," he said with a wry smile. "Though I only really wanted her to be someplace safe. Didn't know it was that important when I asked you."
"I see," she said, her eyes softening up again. "But then you surely understand that it wasn't out of kindness… though of course I'm also glad that Felt is now in a safer place."
Subaru smiled. It was clear how her priorities were arranged. Felt being safe greatly outweighed Emilia's own benefit from the candidate being found. Alone her demeanor when Felt announced her decision, and even before, had made that clear. But it seemed she was rather reluctant to see it as anything but self-beneficial… Maybe it was better to turn the conversation to some other topic. And if they're already talking about candidate-related things…
"That reminds me, Emilia-tan. Reinhard mentioned that candidates have knights assigned to them. Can't imagine yours will be happy to hear that you got attacked while you were away."
"Not too happy…?" Emilia asked slowly. "I doubt that would be the case for anyone." Her voice had some bitterness interwoven… though Subaru was too distracted with his own thoughts and plans to properly pick up on it.
He had instead understood something slightly different—something utmost positive. "Not for anyone… does that mean Emilia-tan's not yet accepted a knight?"
Emilia gave an empty chuckle. "That's… one way to see it. But yes, I'm only supported by my sponsor so far."
"Mmm… I see. I'm sure that'll change in no time," said Subaru, giving her a thumbs up. Must be some super tough requirements though, if no one's gotten accepted yet.
But all she could do was sigh at his antics. "There you go again saying such things." Though she sounded unconvinced, her words were accompanied by a faint smile, making Subaru grin contently in return.
After that, Emilia relaxed in her seat, turning her face to the window. Having run out of topics for the moment, Subaru too just tried to pass the time, watching the scrambling pedestrians.
Although that sight did not last for long. Only a few minutes later, they passed outside the main city gates, changing the scenery instead to far-stretching fields, dense forests, and chains of hills and mountains—the horizon now covered by them instead of city walls.
Even though Subaru had grown up in a rather rural area of Japan, far away from the major cities of dense, urban population, he was still surprised at just how empty these vast stretches of land were. Even around the capital, where one could presume some small hamlets to have been established, there were nothing but seemingly untouched forests. The very moment they had left the city walls, the road became noticeably rougher, and as he could see by the blown-up dust, the path they were now taking was but a simple dirt road.
Additionally, there was another thing he could immediately notice. Even though he had never been in a carriage before, there was this strange feeling that told him they were moving too fast—way too fast. Judging from the movies he had watched, carriages were by no means slow… but this was more comparable to a car—including shock absorber.
Part of him wanted to ask all about that, and make a huge deal of the wonders of this new world he'd found himself in—but the mood wasn't quite right for that, somehow. So he marveled at the difference between ground dragons and horses, taking note that those fantastical creatures were outclassing their earthly brothers by… well. Dimensions.
Taking note of all the things new to him, he was able to surpass the first moments of boredom. Though eventually it caught up—inevitably, for a drive of half a day. Ultimately, hours passed silently, both occupants just watching the view with divided interest, just occasionally meeting gazes, accompanied by a smile or minor words of reassurance.
The drive continued like this well into the sunset. It was only when the dragon carriage slowed down again, until it came to a gentle hold, that their attention snapped away from the orange-hued landscape. Though strangely, neither did Ram knock, nor was there any movement outside. Curious, Subaru shifted to the left side, peeking out of the window.
It seemed they had come to halt on the central plaza of a small village, which he had determined with a moderate amount of confidence. The singular well in the center, all the houses around them facing exactly that spot, as well as the similar layout of other villages they had passed through on their drive lead them to this assumption. Though the most telling sign was the way-larger building at the far-end of the plaza. It could be something like a church hall, or maybe an assembly hall.
"We're almost there," said Emilia, glancing out on his side as well. "This is Arlam village, which is only a couple of minutes away from Roswaal's mansion."
"Do you wanna go outside, if we've come to a halt already?" asked Subaru with a smile. It would've been nice to get a bit of fresh air… not to mention maybe attempting to make a good impression for once, being accompanied by her, who seemed to know this place.
"I… don't think that's a good idea," said Emilia, after some moments of hesitation. "While I don't know why we did halt, we shouldn't stay here for longer than necessary."
Even though Subaru saw reason in her words, he was still a bit disappointed. "Emilia-tan's too responsible," he said with a sigh. "Well, it seems like a villager is talking with Ram, so maybe it will take a while." Noticing Emilia's curious gaze, he added, "An elderly woman with purple hair."
Peeking out again, he could see the woman talking up to the side of the carriage, her slightly hunched figure showing her advanced age, fitting her holey smile. Despite the woman's expression though, Subaru could also pick up a tint of worry in her eyes.
Though before he could voice his observation, the woman stepped back and waved to the maid—and the carriage began to move.
Subaru wondered as to what had caused this break, since they had been driving for multiple hours straight without halting, and Ram had made clear she would've preferred no stops. What could've made her stop in such a small village?
However, his musings were cut short by the knocking sound coming from the front, causing him to move the sliding door again.
Without taking her gaze off the road, Ram said, "Please excuse the halt, Emilia-sama. The villagers had moved in to halt us. It appears they hoped to bring forth a matter to Lord Roswaal."
"Did something happen?" asked Emilia, her voice showing a hint of worry. Judging by her reaction, that was not something usual.
Ram hesitated for a moment, but then answered in a neutral tone, "It's nothing you need to worry yourself with, Emilia-sama." Though her answer seemed more evasive than anything else, Emilia seemed to be content with that, and relaxed again.
The rest of the drive took but a blink of an eye. As soon as the carriage had come to a halt again, Subaru was quick to get up. Sitting closer to the door, he hopped outside—only to immediately turn around, and offer Emilia his hand when she in turn approached the door, for which he was rewarded by a faint, yet slightly bewildered smile.
"Emilia-sama, I will bring the carriage away," said Ram, still remaining in the driver's seat, now properly turned to them. "Please head inside, I am sure Lord Roswaal will be glad to see you safe." With a gentle movement of the reins, the dragon began to walk, and Subaru's eyes widened.
With his sights previously set on Emilia, and his vision blocked by the carriage, he didn't really see what was towering before him—but now, as the carriage was moving away, the massive building filled his complete field of vision.
Where the Astrea estate in the capital was nothing to scoff at, and its garden's size already bordered the unreasonable for being located inside a city, this place was on a whole different scale. Whereas Astrea estate was similar to a big manor, what stood before him was a full-blown mansion. Or rather, just like a French chateau—a building of unimaginable luxury and so gargantuan in size, that it drew his heart to the common folk inciting the French Revolution.
The central tower was at least seven stories high, whereas the wings on each side were five stories high, easily recognizable by the rows of windows reflecting the sinking sunlight.
"It's pretty big, huh?" asked Emilia, observing Subaru's derailed expression. "It shocked me too when I first got here."
"Big sounds like a massive understatement," said Subaru slowly. As he turned around, he could see an endless green space, filled with trees, flowers, and pavilions, arranged almost in complete symmetry, only being divided in the middle by broad, plastered gray—an allée, which was even equipped with lanterns! He didn't even spot these things in the city! While this garden—or rather, huge park—was fitting for the chateau, it was utterly unreasonable in general.
Following Emilia, they walked up the stairs to the elevated main terrace, which was also completely made out of smooth, white stone, and practically elevated the whole mansion from what he could see. Though as soon as they had reached the highest step, a door swung open.
"Welcome back, Emilia-sama," said a girl remarkably resembling Ram… except that her hair color was blue instead of pink. And as he took a closer look, she had certainly more… well. He probably shouldn't stare there too much—though judging by the way her eyes flared up when she looked at him, she had noticed. "...And welcome, Dear Guest." Definitely noticed.
"Hello, Rem," said Emilia, regarding her with a smile. "Subaru, this is Rem, the head maid of Roswaal's mansion, and as you probably can guess, she's Ram's twin sister," said Emilia, taking on the role for introductions, to which the maid bowed deeply. "And Rem, this is Natsuki Subaru. He helped me in the capital, so I brought him with me."
Upon hearing that, Rem's left eye scanned him once again from top to bottom, eventually leading to her bowing again. "Rem understands. Allow me to properly welcome you then as guest of Lord Roswaal, Dear Guest."
Subaru, robbed of his chance to make his introductory pose, waved instead and gave her a warm smile. "Nice to meet you, Rem," to which she nodded slightly.
As introductions had come to an end, the maid gestured them to step inside, and once they were, closed the door behind them. "As Rem can imagine, you might be a bit tired from traveling all the way from the capital," she said, turning to them. "Lord Roswaal has therefore asked for dinner to be prepared quickly. May Rem escort you to your rooms to give you time to freshen up and recover a bit, until it is ready?"
Since they had been underway for quite some time, both were quick to agree, and were led by the maid through the mansion. But the more he saw, the more his initial impression was underlined—the mansion was just as ridiculous inside as from the outside. Oh well, at least, it was somewhat fitting.
The entrance hall alone had featured a massive staircase, winding itself along the walls up to several floors. Short halls led to other, deeper parts of the mansion, while also showing just how massively complex this thing was built. The ground, where not covered by red carpets, was made of smooth, shining marble, respectively reflecting or absorbing the light that was emitted by the countless lanterns and chandeliers. Their combined illumination compensated for the loss of sunlight falling through the elaborately designed windows, thus making the inside of the mansion almost as well-lit as the outside was by the sun.
Massive vases of metal, filled with flowers of all colors and forms, gold chasing on each and every wall, floors designed with arcs and pillars… this was truly the most exquisite place he'd ever been in. Making him wonder how he was supposed to even remotely fit in here.
The corridors were not any better compared to the entrance halls, filled with rich bouquets, beautiful paintings, and white, speckless furnishings—and as he found out shortly after, so were the bedrooms. At least, the guest bedroom he had been given.
"Rem will fetch you as soon as dinner is ready, please wait here for the time being," were her words to him, before she and Emilia went further down the hall.
It looked pretty similar to the one he had been given in the Astrea estate. Though the window was a bit larger, the bed a bit softer, and the interior even more enriched with gold, including a golden hawk decorating the wall where the headrest was situated. "No matter how you look at it, this is ridiculous. Can't say I'm complaining though," he mumbled, looking around his hopefully future place to stay. "Even if things don't go as intended… I'll try to stay here."
For that to have the highest chance of success, it was important to make a good first impression to the Lord of this place. He fixed his hair, checked his smile, and in the end waited contently for being fetched for dinner.
Taking a deep breath, Subaru stepped inside. It had been about half an hour of wait time before he was fetched for dinner, by the same blue-haired maid he'd seen before. With each passing minute he had become a bit more nervous. Because of the way Emilia made it sound, it would be her sponsor, Roswaal, who to a not minor extent would decide on his reward. He didn't expect to be just given carte blanche on choosing a prize, so he'd need to be careful how to express his desires. Maybe even push a bit for it.
Though reaching through the wide doors of the decorated dining room and seeing Emilia, he automatically relaxed a bit. She had not yet sat down, and instead regarded one of the many paintings that covered the walls—with the sole exception of the wall where the fireplace right behind the head of the table was situated, and to each side of it a large window. Every other wall had shown extremely detailed landscape canvases—though with this size, they might as well be regarded as murals. "They look pretty impressive," said Subaru, as he went over to her.
"Mhm, they all are really detailed," she said, as she turned to him. "I think they're all showing places of Roswaal's domain."
Subaru raised an eyebrow. There were many villages and cities depicted, some forests, hills, some extremely wide area ones… no wonder he could entertain such a mansion, if all of that was under his rule. "You think? Haven't you been there yet?"
"No, I haven't really visited other places much. Aside from the capital, there are not really many places I've seen yet." Subaru could remember that she wanted to see how the people in the slums lived… meaning she probably really didn't know much about other places.
"That aside, it's not like I could visit any of these…," she said with a downtrodden voice. Though noticing Subaru's questioning gaze, she quickly added. "Or would maybe not really recognize them." She pointed to a mural showing a middle-sized town. "This one for example is pretty old, I think. It shows Costuul, which is supposed to be a huge city nowadays."
Looking first a bit around, and then closer to the one Emilia pointed at, Subaru could notice the slight differences in the vibrancy of the colors, denoting the age of the painting. It wasn't that much, but he could spot enough of a difference, if he knew what to look for.
But just as he wanted to ask her if she'd want to go there sometime, the main entrance opened, drawing their attention over. And if that alone wasn't enough, then certainly would've the entering man's outfit.
Subaru noticed that he hadn't really seen anyone here yet, servants or otherwise, aside from Emilia and the maids. What he didn't expect at all though was for a jester to join dinner. Then again, what else would rich people do for entertainment, other than laugh at some poor fool? Maybe Subaru could at least share some nice words with him… he did look quite styled-up, after all. So he went over to the man who just entered, much to the confusion of Emilia.
"Man, you really did some job with that make-up. Just hope that weirdo of a noble will be pleased by your performance," he said, patting the man on his shoulder. "Either that, or being a jester is some really well-paying job."
"Subaru, that's…!" interjected Emilia, much to his confusion, but the man raised his hand.
"There is no need for wo~orry Emilia-sama. After all, I did renew the line around my right eye, I am very happy for it to be noticed like that," he said with a shrewd smile. "Though it seems this young man who came to your aid is not as perceptive in all regards alike."
Subaru looked confused to Emilia, whose expression was clearly shocked. And judging by his words… this man had already heard about him. Paired with Emilia's reaction this could only mean… Well, that was certainly a good start. "So you'd be… Roswaal?"
"That is indeed correct, Natsuki Subaru. Margrave Roswaal L. Mathers, your mo~ost humble host." One could hear the man's voice brimming with mirth—perfectly entertained by a fool.
Subaru quickly removed his hand and took a step back. But before he could begin to utter some apologies, Roswaal raised his hand again. "Now I am sure you are most famished, so why don't we continue this at the table? There are lots and lo~ots to be discussed, after all."
Swallowing down his words, Subaru nodded and moved over to Emilia, who had thrown Roswaal a questioning gaze. But he merely smiled excusingly, and sat down at the head of the table. And as with Reinhard, Emilia had taken the place to his right, with Subaru quickly taking his seat beside her.
The moment Roswaal had sat down, a side door to the room opened, and the maids brought in the food. The timing was minute… leaving Subaru astounded at their precision. As they served the food, Roswaal clapped his hands and initiated the conversation anew.
"Emilia-sama, I am greatly relieved to see you return in be~est health. The contents of your letter had first left me gre~eatly worried," he said, taking out a piece of scrolled paper from his sleeve. "An attempt on your life, how grue~some. Upon hearing this, I was considering to head straight to the ca~apital and ensure your immediate return," Despite the heavy topic, his voice had remained somewhat playful—which vexed Subaru, together with his weird, drawn-out language.
"Though in the end, you had been offered to be a guest of the Swo~ord Saint and not even I could hope to offer as much protection, so I felt confident enough to see you return a bi~it later. Regardless, I am te~erribly sorry for the inconvenience this has caused you."
But Emilia shook her head. "No, if anything I'm sorry to have caused such concern. It was my own wish to explore the capital alone," she said with a downtrodden voice. "If it weren't Subaru here, and Reinhard's help, I'm not sure how it would've ended."
Roswaal's smile widened. "In that case it seems mo~ost fortunate that this young man has come to your aid." Subaru nodded to his words—if only to underline how important his help had been. In the end, if Roswaal acknowledges that, then maybe…
"Yes… and because of that, I promised him a reward," she said, placing her hands on her lap. "Though as you can imagine…"
"Of course, Emilia-sama. In that case, Su~ubaru-kun, name what you desire. Whatever it shall be, if it is in my power, you shall have it," he said, stretching out his arms in a grandiose manner.
Subaru regarded him wide-eyed. Betraying his expectations, the man had essentially given him free pick at whatever he wanted. But instead of being joyous about it, that rather made him… wary. "Hey Ros-chi, is that really alright?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "To offer some complete stranger such an open reward?"
He had no doubts that Emilia's life was worth anything he could give and then some. But for her sponsor to just offer anything Subaru could wish for… it was too simple. Though, maybe he hoped he would just name something unreasonable, or go for money, and then trick him with technicalities? If that was his intention, Subaru would definitely have a surprise for him.
"I do~on't see an issue with it," answered Roswaal, shrugging his shoulders. "Said stranger did save Emilia-sama's life, after all." But Subaru's gaze remained unchanged. Noticing his hesitation, Roswaal smirked and doubled down. "There's re~eally no need to be shy now."
"What about you, Emilia-tan? Are you really okay with me asking for anything?" Roswaal's agreement in all honors, but he'd want and need first and foremost hers.
"Of course," she said, nodding. "You've saved my life. I would've offered you just as much, but it's not like there's much I could give…" Though her voice trailed off a bit at the end, showing her chagrin, her amethyst eyes were shining with determination and receptiveness.
"Then I know exactly what I shall wish for!" he proclaimed, shooting up and stretching out his hand to Emilia. "I want to be by Emilia's side!"
An unreadable silence rang through the room. He could feel the maids' mystified gazes resting upon him. Roswaal wore the same smirk as before, his eyes dancing with mirth, as he leaned forward in interest. And Emilia… looked positively shocked, her eyes wide opened. Yet he would not back down. This was the moment he had to show his resolve, and so he waited. Waited for either of them to react.
"Subaru… is that really what you want?" Emilia eventually asked, her voice slightly quivering with shock.
"There's no doubt in my mind, Emilia-tan," he said, his amber eyes connecting with her amethyst ones, them both exchanging a deep gaze.
"Oh my~y," said Roswaal, carefully observing their interaction—though Subaru wasn't paying attention to his even broader smile. "To be by Emilia-sama's side, you say?"
Though the only reaction Roswaal got, was a decisive nod, making him turn to Emilia. "It appe~ears it is, after all, a wish that is yours to grant, Emilia-sama."
"A wish that's mine to grant, you say…?" she asked hesitatingly.
Roswaal regarded her a bit closer, and despite his voice remaining cheerful, his next words lacked the usual playfulness. "Except if you were opposed to it for some reason."
"Of course not!" rebutted Emilia immediately, much to Subaru's relief—though failing to notice her offended undertone. "If you're absolutely sure, Subaru, you can… oh."
"...Oh?" repeated Subaru, now slightly anxious. Just a moment before she had rejected Roswaal's comment without hesitation, so what had caused her to rethink her answer now?
"It's just… that wish is a bit vague in the end, no?" she asked, putting a finger to her cheek. "After all, what do you mean exactly by that?"
Tilting his head, he regarded Emilia for a moment with confusion. Though it eventually dawned on him what she meant. It was obviously not his desire to remain at her side that left any room for interpretation… but the lack of what exactly his specific intentions were, aside from that.
As realization dawned on Subaru's face, Roswaal was the first one to capitalize on it. "Very goo~od, Emilia-sama," he said, making a slight bow. "You surely understand the issue, then, Su~ubaru-kun. Beyond merely staying at Emilia-sama's side… what role do you mean to fill?"
Though even before Subaru could answer, Roswaal continued. "What is it that you seek? I would ce~ertainly be willing to offer you a position as jester," he said in a most joyful tone, much to Subaru's cringy dismay. That was the payback for his earlier misstep.
"Perha~aps you wished to become her personal butler, working diligently so she can focus on her duties, ultimately easing her burden?" The prospect sounded nice. Honest work, close to the one he likes… what more could he wish for? But…
"Then again, ma~aybe you weren't thinking about offering her your servitude at all, and it was more so a wish to enjoy her company? Se~elflessly risking your life to save hers would certainly entitle you to remain here as permanent guest." Escaping work for the rest of his life… returning to doing nothing, just like back then. While it was tempting to remain lazy in luxury, this was his chance for a new life. And not return to the old one.
"And then there are of course the more illu~ustrious possibilities," continued Roswaal, obviously taking great joy in listing the various possibilities, and seeing Subaru's thoughts written all over his face—his poker face nowhere near enough to keep them hidden.
"Having risked your life once for Emilia-sama, perhaps you considered vo~owing to keep her from harm, and enter her service as knight. For Od Laguna knows, her future path will not become easier." If that was Subaru's cue—he missed it. Too ominous were Roswaal's words for him to simply jump in on that. It also wasn't like he'd list anything more, so Subaru could take his time and appear to think ab—
Betraying his expectations, the man continued. "Or, if your bo~oldness knows no bounds, you could have imagined to remain permanently at her side. To share her life," he began, making Subaru's heart beat faster. "To cla~aim her hand for having saved her, perhaps?" He was at the zenith of merriment. "Perhaps share a roo~om, and b—"
"Wait, wait, wait, hold up," said Subaru with a cracking voice. "Don't make fun of someone's greatest desires and fragile heart like that!" His cheeks had become the brightest of reds, and his eyes were hushing constantly over to Emilia, and with his wild gesticulations he made clear that Roswaal truly hit a nerve.
Following Subaru's words, Emilia wore a solemn expression, eventually placing a hand over her heart. "If that is what you really wish for, Subaru, then—"
But Subaru was quick to interject, attempting to get his embarrassed expression under control. "Even if my heart aches for it more than anything else, this is not something I'd ever ask for as reward!" he said, his voice trapped between embarrassment and determination. "I want Emilia-tan to desire that… and not just agree to it out of a feeling of duty!" What good would it do, if their relationship was built on nothing but guilt, or a twisted feeling of responsibility—of him deserving her love for his help. No, that was truly not something Subaru would ever want to hear. He just wanted her to genuinely reciprocate his feelings.
Emilia shook her head. "Of course," she said with an understanding voice. "Please forgive me for having mentioned it." Though despite her apologetic words… she regarded him with a faint smile—sending his heart into a frenzy.
Following the whole debate with bated breath were the maids, whose reactions remained hidden to him—their expressions of astonishment and disgust, flaring up ever so slightly, if not covered by their bangs. Their position and strong sense of duty had not allowed them to make even the slightest comment, and so all they could do was listen closely—and make their own judgements about that cursed stranger.
"So having fiance~e excluded for now," continued Roswaal, as obnoxiously cheerful as before, "what is your answer then, Su~ubaru-kun?"
"You were right in one regard, Ros-chi," he said, forcing his eyes away from Emilia. "I'm a super greedy guy. I did not aim for this illustrious reward… but for the other one. I hoped to become Emilia's knight. Her personal knight—if she accepts me as such."
Guilt had plagued Emilia's mind, ever since she crossed a boundary she had never intended to break. More guilt, for having brought both Felt and Subaru into danger as well. Guilt for having failed them when they counted on her.
No uplifting words of her father could change that, even though he had certainly attempted to do so. As did Subaru, trying to take responsibility off her. But he was just trying to be nice—of that, Emilia was convinced. Puck thought so, too.
And yet, as the carriage drew closer to the mansion, she could feel a bit of sadness coming up. Because when Subaru got his reward, he would set off. Which was good for him—them being together must have been taxing enough already, and getting away from her was surely the best thing he could do—and yet she couldn't shake off the sadness at the thought.
Just earlier he had made his silly remarks again. Even if they seemed ignorant… seeing him preserve his cheerfulness like that, and trying to lift her up… it felt nice.
When she apologized to Roswaal, guilt overcame her again. For making Roswaal settle her life debt, and for having been careless enough to not be accompanied by Ram, when he had offered it. But she wanted to see the capital freely—not in the company of a maid. At least she had been given a protective spell by Roswaal to avoid the curse of her appearance… But it was still not enough to escape all hate—as Elsa had clearly found her regardless.
And because of that, had drawn in Subaru and Felt into her problems. More guilt.
That's why when Subaru had asked for her approval, if he could really wish for anything, she meant it. It was the least she could do to make up for her mistakes. And ultimately, it would get Subaru away from her again, so that he could hopefully return to a peaceful life.
Yet instead of that, he had stated the exact opposite. He wanted to be at her side. He seemed adamant about it. And judging by Roswaal's reaction there would have only been one reason for her to be against it, which never even crossed her mind.
It was only when they asked for a bit of clarification, that Subaru seemed to hesitate for a moment—maybe enough for him to change his mind?
As Roswaal began to list the various possibilities though, Emilia doubted that he would reject all of them. A jester not, for sure. It was a jab for his earlier remark to Roswaal.
Her personal butler—how dreadful that must seem. Being forced to stay around her half the day… no. That was certainly not something he'd consider.
A permanent guest… that sounded nice. Rewarding him for his selfless act, while also ensuring that he is free to do as he pleases. So far easily the most generous offer.
But Roswaal began to list even more outrageous things than even being forced to work as her butler. Her knight… Subaru had asked her about her knight during their way back, and she couldn't find it in herself to say that she'd never get one. That no one would want to serve a silver-haired half-elf. That it would've tarnished a knight's honor more, than serving a candidate ever could outweigh. Not to mention that she didn't want to see Subaru in more danger—no, this was truly a bad idea.
And when Roswaal listed the last option, she was shocked. Shocked that he'd cross such a line to tease Subaru. Even more shocked when Subaru spoke of a desire for it. His jokes had always been silly—perhaps he tried to save face in front of Roswaal? Though perhaps, if there was the slightest chance that he didn't mean it as a joke, it would've been simply rude of Roswaal. So Emilia forced herself to at least treat it as an option—despite knowing it wasn't.
As expected, Subaru was quick to reject it. Though he argued it was not because he didn't want it… but because she didn't want it? It was strange. Hearing him bring up her wishes like that—even though she held no strong opinion on that matter—was… nice. It was nice to know that Subaru was genuinely thinking about her opinion and feelings. In that moment, she thought that maybe he could understand her a bit.
That's why when she heard of his wish, which was so completely contradictory to what she wished for him, there was only one question hanging on her lips. A question that surfaced ardently in her chest, yet remained unspoken: Why?
"Oho~o," exclaimed Roswaal enthusiastically. "To think you'd keep away your tru~ue intention from the very beginning, how cunning." But Subaru took Roswaal's accusation with stride.
"I wanted to first and foremost make clear, that I want this for Emilia-tan's sake," he countered, shaking his head. "Not for the title, or rank, or anything unimportant like that." He could not see the unposed question lingering in Emilia's eyes.
"And yet it i~is quite the position you're asking for," stated Roswaal bluntly, to which Subaru could simply nod.
"Howe~ever. Given Emilia-sama's importance, your valiant effort, and the deserved reward for such, I see no issue in complying with your wish." Upon hearing those words, Subaru's breath hitched, and his bright smile grew even brighter. "…With some condi~itions," added Roswaal, raising a finger, and smiling as mischievously as ever.
Subaru's smile grew wry. "I guess I should've expected something like that."
"Now, now, do not worry. Your wish shall come true, eventually. However, you surely understand that I must exercise pru~udence to not just accept a complete stranger into such a position immediately."
As much as it had dampened Subaru's victorious mood… he could understand the clown's point. "… I guess that's fair," said Subaru, admitting that much. "So, what kind of conditions?"
"If this is the path you seek, then as reward I can offer you the cha~ance to become a knight in the service of house Mathers, serving under Emilia-sama first and foremost," he said, moving his hand as if to present something in it. "If you prove yourself to possess the needed qualifica~ations, you may become a full-fledged knight." Subaru kept observing Roswaal attentively. He understood that there was another side to it. "Howe~ever," he continued, his voice remaining as playful, "even if you should fail to meet them, you would still be free to pursue another career to remain clo~ose to Emilia-sama. You surely will see that this is a most generous offer, given it will see your wish to stay at her side enabled in e~either case."
"I accept," said Subaru without a moment of hesitation, much to the clown's amusement. Despite the man's clear intentions—speaking of a chance instead of the position directly, tying it to conditions, and offering an alternative should he not meet them to seem generous —in the end Subaru didn't care that much about it. What he said was true before—being at the side of Emilia is what mattered. If he could do that either way… Roswaal's offer was better than he could've hoped for.
"Then it is settled," said Roswaal, nodding contently. "Emilia-sama, is this acce~eptable to you as well?"
Having followed the conversation so far silently, Emilia took a deep breath. "Of course," she said with a solemn expression. "Thank you for complying with Subaru's wishes like that."
"Formulated like that, it makes me seem a bit too since~ere, no?"
"Not quite," she said, firmly shaking her head. "I'm rather interested to hear what these qualifications are, and what other conditions you intend to tie it to." Her eyes were piercing the clown, as she revealed in an accusatory manner his underlying schemes.
"Oh poor me, and here I hoped I could escape such scru~utiny," he said, putting his hand over his chest. "But it is as you said, Emilia-sama. I do intend to ensure you get to employ a proper knight, after all. And for that, it will all depend on Su~ubaru-kun to prove himself to be worthy to become such."
"And how will I do that?" asked Subaru straightforwardly. He wasn't surprised that the man held such thoughts,since his offer had been too good to be taken at face value.
Roswaal closed his eyes, and shook his raised index finger. "Ah, but there is no need for such ha~aste. This is not a matter that will be settled quickly," he said, intercepting Subaru's eagerness to prove himself. "So I'm afraid I will need to ask for a little bit of time to properly think of how to proceed. This situation is rather uncommon, after all."
With a sigh, Subaru sat down again. "Alright Ros-chi. Just don't keep me in limbo forever."
"I am sure I will have come up with so~omething by tomorrow, so there's no need for worry."
Content with this, Subaru exhaled deeply. He had been pretty nervous throughout all of this, with his wishes bordering on impertinence, so he was glad that he got away with it—and even had the approval of Emilia throughout it, even if she didn't seem fully convinced yet.
"Now that this matter has been settled, please allow me to bring up another urgent matter to be discussed, Emilia-sama," said Roswaal, his voice having lost all playfulness. "During the time you remained in the capital, another message has reached me—a most unsettling one."
With a worried expression, Emilia turned to Roswaal. "Something unsettling…?"
"Normally this is a matter of highest secrecy… but given that Subaru-kun here seeks to join your most trusted circle, I believe I can speak openly about this matter now." It was somewhat unnerving to hear the clown speak in such a serious manner.
"It is a message relating to the prophecy, Emilia-sama. The second one. The Prophecy of the Star."
Subaru scratched his head. Felt had once mentioned something about a second prophecy… that it was connected to something dangerous. That did not sound good.
"The second prophecy you say? You mean the one with…?" Even Emilia showed some hesitation to speak about it, raising her eyebrows as her body noticeably tensed up.
"Indeed, Emilia-sama. Allow me to make sure everyone here knows what I mean," he said, glancing over to Subaru. "Behold the Star of an unknown sky, its light may bring ruination surpassing the Witch, or lead to salvation for all it shines upon."
The room had entered another prolonged silence. Roswaal rested his chin on his intertwined fingers, appearing thoughtful. Emilia looked down at folded hands resting on her lap. And Subaru was confused. A star of an unknown sky? How could there be more than one sky?
"Now, as you surely know, this second prophecy had been kept secret for as good as they could, only informing high-ranking nobles and the knights of this issue. Unfortunately, that had caused for widespread worry, when the destructive part of the prophecy began to spread as rumor within the populace—something completely unforeseeable." Given by his sarcastic tone, he didn't think too highly of that decision.
"The people in the city certainly didn't make the happiest impression," said Subaru nodding slightly. "And even I heard about the rumor, despite only having been there for a short time."
"You did?" asked Emilia surprised, to which Subaru simply nodded. "Though… I would agree with what you said, Subaru. Even before the city gates were closed, and not regarding other circumstances, there was certainly a rather tense mood. At least that's what I could observe. Not to mention the things that transpired later…"
Noticing Roswaal raising an eyebrow, Emilia shook her head. "I'll tell you about it later, Roswaal. For now, let us focus on this message regarding the second prophecy."
"As you wish," answered Roswaal, tapping a finger on the table. "On the same day your letter reached me, another one arrived—sent directly from the Sage Council," said Roswaal, his voice still devoid of his previous jocosity. "Allegedly, there had appeared a single new line in the instructions given by the Dragon just a day earlier—the same day you were attacked. The message read: The Star has arrived." Closing his yellow, right eye, he observed Subaru with his blue, left one only.
Subaru's eyes in return shot wide open. The day Emilia got attacked—the day he arrived in this new world—was the same day the Star had arrived…? No, that was a silly thought. After all, how could anyone be able to predict his appearance to this world? But… this world certainly had an unknown sky. Or rather… Earth's would be to them. And with Subaru sharing his name with the Pleiades constellation, a star of an unknown sky…
"That's no laughing matter, Roswaal," chided Emilia, commenting on his wicked smile. "Though I'm unsure… what exactly does that mean?"
Roswaal shrugged his shoulders. "Who kno~ows? Thanks to the Dragon's absolutely u~unambiguous words, we can't even be sure whether it means that this Star has just entered Lugnica, simply been born, or is about to get active." They all seemed like viable possibilities. "For all we know, they could be among us already, or it might be a mere warning for a distant future."
"A really unsettling thought," said Emilia, grasping her shoulders.
"One thing is for sure… if that information leaks through to the common folk, things might take a most dra~astic turn," said Roswaal, sounding absolutely unconcerned.
"What do you mean by that?" asked Subaru, trying to mask his hollow voice.
"With how worrisome this message is, and the apparent inacti~ivity of the Dragon towards such a threat that closes in, and the selection of the next King in far-distance… I'm sure you see what I might allu~ude to."
Even though Subaru hadn't been long in this world, by now he understood that the Dragon had to be some deity or at least some kind of patron saint, considering there were churches dedicated to him , as well as prophecies of his authorship. and being somewhat relied upon for protection. That, combined with the lack of a king…
"It can lead to truly regre~ettable circumstances. Old conflicts breaking up again, the ri~ift between humans and demi-humans being torn open after such a long time of peace…"
Both Emilia and Subaru flinched upon that being mentioned. After all, they had just recently been drawn into such a conflict. The hate-filled words of the haggard man still echoing through Subaru's memory, along with his curses.
"It won't become that bad, right…?" asked Subaru—but all Roswaal did was to remain silent.
He had heard the allusions to it, and given their most recent encounter with the Golden Coin gang… things might really be in a bad state in the Kingdom.
"What do you think will happen because of that, Roswaal?" asked Emilia. "The Star arriving and all… there's not much to be done about it, is there?"
"Perhaps the Sage council will task the Sword Saint to se~earch for them. The message did cause a lot of ru~uckus when Azah Febry got murdered on the very same day. Though as it turns out, that was ra~ather connected to the attack on you," he said with a shrug. "Ultimately, I do not know what they intend to do. Other than attempting to keep it under wraps for now."
"Say Ros-chi… not meaning any offense, but if it's that super secret, is it really okay to say that before me… or your staff?" The maids in the background did exchange a short gaze when the freeloader questioned their reticence.
Roswaal chuckled. "Rem and Ram have my u~utmost trust. They would never collude with an enemy, of that I am more than sure."
"I see," he said, regarding the two closely. "Well, I guess my worries are unfounded, then." It was nice to know that those two seemed to be as loyal as Grimm and Carol were.
As the talk had died down a bit, Roswaal clapped his hands. "Now, this has been a most fru~uitful conversation, no? Alas, I have still work to do, so if you excu~use me, I shall take my le~eave…" he said, getting up. "Oh, and Emilia-sama, if you can spa~are a bit of time, please come to see me in my study. I would like to hear how your days were under Astrea hospitality." After a short nod from Emilia, the man left the room.
"Well, that went well, didn't it?" asked Subaru with a grin, looking at Emilia.
Though Emilia regarded him with a questioning gaze. "I just hope you're reeaally sure about that wish. But if you're content… then yes," she said, smiling thinly.
It seemed he would need to prove to Emilia too that he'd be a worthy knight. No wonder, with how he failed her so miserably against the Golden Coin gang… But his resolve was strong, and with great determination he was willing to prove his suitability.
Though betraying his energetic eagerness, his body had grown tired—it seemed the long drive did leave its mark on him. So he wished Emilia a good night, and went to sleep. He had to be fit for tomorrow, for whatever challenge Roswaal would've come up with by then.
Author's Note:
Many thanks to [LookingGlassInsect] for beta-reading this chapter! He has recently posted a fic, so be sure to check it out!
Also, title drop. Finally Subaru got to hear the prophecy.
Please consider leaving a review to let me know what you thought of the chapter, and perhaps share a guess what this Arc will have in store.