Subaru had been surrounded by books of various topics for his entire life. His mother was incredibly well-read and had written a fair few works of her own - her subject of choice was often the spiritual arts - and she had heavily involved her son in the entire process.
The scent of binding glue, the smoothness of the leather, the heat of the printing press...Subaru had familiarised himself with it all from a young age.
But the one thing he adored above all was neither the writing nor the printing. Subaru adored reading. Both of his parents were well-educated individuals and encouraged their child to explore the magical world of fiction and the more mature, sophisticated non-fiction books alike.
His father's study was crammed with towering shelves, each lined with rows of knowledge and book was a new world, a new adventure, a new story. The unforgettable scent of the ageing literature never once left Subaru disappointed. There was something about that smell that filled the child with ecstasy and excitement that was only topped by the books themselves.
He rarely lingered on the same book twice. There always seemed to be something fresh for Subaru to scan his eyes across, to absorb and to enjoy. Every time he turned a new cover his heart pounded in sheer thrill, his mind furiously processing the intricately woven words as he slumped into a dark, warm corner.
Books brought him happiness. They were a stout reminder of good days, peaceful times, and wonderful people.
So for Subaru, who was presently prepared to face the scary demon maid Rem, the striking scent of books couldn't have been more unexpected.
Subaru was a well-mannered child, yet he couldn't help but stand gawking at the fantastical sight before him. He couldn't manage a single word, not even the most insignificant sound...he just stood there, staring.
''What are you doing, I suppose,''
''-?!''
''I won't ask you again, in fact. Why are you intruding on Betty's library, I suppose?''
On a small step ladder - one obviously used to aid in reaching the higher shelves of the plethora of bookcases - sat a familiar young girl. She was clearly upset at Subaru's blatant rudeness, but her face was graced with a look of contemplative neutrality.
She fired her pressing questions at the young boy, yet he could hardly even stammer out an apology. His grip never even left the door handle. He just stared in pure shock and confusion.
''I-I'm s-sorry Beatrice...I thought t-this was my bedroom,'' he stuttered as he stepped into the grand library, shutting the door behind him in a complete contradiction of his apology.
It was only when he actually submerged himself in the library's atmosphere did he truly realise that this was much much much greater than anything he had ever experienced before. The hours spent gawking over hard-bound novels within the warm depths of his father's study couldn't even hold a candle to the sheer magnitude of the grand library Subaru had found himself inside.
Checkerboard tiling adorned the floor, the carefully polished squares of marble white and slate grey mirror-like.
A majestic concoction of mahogany and ivory painted the walls, framed the bookcases, and curved into towering arches.
Hundreds of monstrous shelves lined up in ordered rows like soldiers, forming a maze of knowledge incomprehensible to the likes of Subaru.
The entire place reeked of wisdom. This was a library in the flesh, every minute detail one of knowledge and intelligence.
Subaru could not help but gawk at the marvellous sight, instinctively trotting over to the nearest shelf and plucking a large green tome from it. He shuffled its weight in between his slender hands, brushing over its dusty cover and scanning his eyes over the title.
''General Vollachian Herbology'' he read to himself as the librarian Beatrice watched him carefully, her cautious eyes following him closely as he plopped himself onto a footstool right by the door and opened the random, disinteresting book.
The room fell once again into calm silence, the only noise being the occasional flick and crinkle of a page being turned. Subaru did try to bury his nose into the book he had arbitrarily picked out, yet he couldn't resist the urge to take a peek at the extravagantly dressed girl every so often.
Her position from the stepladder hadn't shifted, yet her gaze was now locked onto him, clearly trying to figure him out - attempting to decipher and understand who Natsuki Subaru was.
He had marched unexpectedly into her library, apologised, and still came in to read a book he definitely knew nothing about. It was common sense to leave after apologising, but no, the strange child had waltzed right in like nothing was wrong in the world.
Beatrice was genuinely intrigued by the elven boy. It was obvious he was a bit tougher than his female counterpart, yet he seemed so hurt, so defenceless. He had created such a fantastic stir within the mansion in his short residence, could read a tome of magic, and had grasped the attention of the Margrave Mathers...Beatrice couldn't help but be at least mildly amused.
In between his admittedly weak attempts at reading the scientific text he had chosen, Subaru took the opportunity to truly observe the...anomaly...that was the artificial spirit, Beatrice.
They had met before, albeit under tense and uncomfortable circumstances, so they were never properly introduced to one another. All Subaru knew was that she wasn't a 'real' spirit, that she had a keen knowledge of the history of the world, and that she at least appeared to be a rather snarky young girl.
Her outfit was rather extravagant: a blossoming red and white dress of countless frills and ribbons, not unbefitting of a flaunting noblewoman. A minute crown sat upon her golden hair, which was intricately wound into two drill-like pigtails held in by pink ribbons.
She had a strange speaking pattern, which he found rather endearing, but her self-assured and rather confident demeanour was mildly intimidating to the shy Subaru. That was expected though, for she was a great spirit, and to the likes of him, she was a being to be revered.
''Is there something on Betty's face, I wonder?'' Beatrice uttered, Subaru's occasional glances - which had transformed into a full-on stare - making her uncomfortable.
Lost in thought, Subaru didn't immediately react to Beatrice's question, but, when it hit him, he jolted in surprise and dropped the book on his lap to the floor.
Once again, a stark, deafening silence clouded the grand library and the tension in the atmosphere had risen to suffocating levels.
Subaru bent over to swiftly pick up the heavy book he had unintentionally dropped, yet, before he had the chance to take it up within his grasp, a cold slap echoed throughout the room.
Beatrice, who had been practically glued to her stepladder the entire time, had flown towards Subaru with frightening speed, knocking his hand away from the book with unprecedented aggression. Her face was wrapped in mortification and anger, her childlike hands trembling as she swept the tome from the ground, ensuring it wasn't damaged before placing it back on the shelf where it belonged.
''B-Beatrice I'm so-''
''Enough, in fact!'' she scowled. ''It's one thing to stroll into Mother's library uninvited, but to show such blatant disregard for the knowledge and treasure within it disgusts Betty greatly.''
To say Subaru was mortified was an understatement. With his desperate apology being stomped on, he was left without words, simply at the mercy of the infuriated spirit before him.
Beatrice was incredibly proud of the Forbidden Library and she wouldn't stand to see someone, no matter how intriguing they could possibly be, go as far as to nearly damage one of the many irreplaceable books within its shelves.
She marched up to the still-seated Subaru and simply pointed towards the door he had stumbled through merely a dozen minutes before.
''Leave, in fact,'' Beatrice demanded, her tone stern and unforgiving. She was clearly beyond upset, yet Subaru - ever-persistent - stood up not to leave but to try to salvage the broken situation.
''Beatrice I didn't me-''
''I want none of it, in fact,'' she growled, her patience rapidly deteriorating under his apologetic persistence.
However, it was when Subaru reached out to touch Beatrice that her internal dam burst. Why he didn't just exit the room, she would never know. He was a pest, a stereotypical elf. He never knew when to stop, when to admit defeat and to leave quietly. They always had to try and repair a situation that was long worn down to tatters, only to simply make it far worse.
She hated thinking that way, but all elves really were the same old irritating creatures. There really was a good reason they were nearly extinct as a race.
Before his hand could reach her shoulder, Beatrice flicked her wrist, flinging the doors to the library open with a loud, startling slam. However, before a rather shocked and extremely intimidated Subaru could react, his feet were suddenly torn from the ground and his body was thrust backwards.
To say it was instantaneous wasn't far from the truth. Subaru was left with no time to even register what had happened to him. One moment he was reaching out to touch Beatrice's shoulder in a friendly showing of apology and the next he was cannoning through the air and out the door.
It was when he hit the glass of the window directly parallel to the library's entrance when he realised truly what had happened. He had angered the guardian of the Forbidden Library so much that she had quite literally thrown him out.
As his back hit the clear glass, his last sight was the disappointed face of a small, blonde-haired girl and the door to the library slamming shut. An intense wave of panic rushed through his body. Panic, because he was falling from a five-meter high window, without a means to break his fall.
''Roswaal is going to kill me for that window,'' he frustratedly thought as he sailed through the air, his arms flailing and his face twisted into a look of terror. He didn't really know how to feel. The obvious worry that he had messed up big time was there but ultimately he was confused.
Before Subaru could mentally note that the great spirit Beatrice was not someone to wind up intentionally, he hit the ground with a rather large thud. The lush and grassy lawn was still dewy and the crisp whiteness of Subaru's once pristine clothing was basically ruined because of it.
Subaru had landed directly on his back, abundant silver hair sprawled out across the grass beneath him. He scratched his pointed ear and tried dearly to process exactly what had just happened.
He had been given the best part of thirty minutes from Roswaal to do as he pleased, but, rather than apologise to the maid he had troubled so greatly earlier in the morning, he had stumbled across Beatrice unexpectedly. He was sadly not welcome within her strange and rather mystical library, and so he was spectacularly thrust from its doors and onto the lawn outside.
Adjusting his now out of control hair, Subaru sighed. Everything just seemed to be going far too fast for him to cope, and the crushing pressure his new life was starting to slowly pile upon him wasn't making it easier whatsoever.
Everything was new to Subaru. His life had gone from one of relative insignificance to one of potential greatness within the space of an evening. He had been dragged over the border to live in the mansion of a major Lugnican political figure and his cohorts, and was now laid outside on his back after being thrown from a window by a little girl.
Subaru pushed himself up so he was sitting on his backside before tying his lustrous hair up behind his head. He fixed his collar, checked on his necklace and brushed off his sleeves - the grass stains on his elbows something he was particularly irritated about.
Patting his knees, he jumped to his feet, only just noticing a singular figure standing by the mansion which made his heart drop. It was the one person he definitely didn't want seeing the embarrassing display he had just presented. As Subaru caught his sly eyes, the slender figure spoke, an odd mixture of smug, threatening, and satisfaction filling his gaze,
"Suuuuubaru-sama, you have suuuuuch impeccable timing."
Standing before the smiling margrave and on the shattered remains of the broken window, Subaru could only tiredly sigh at the thought of the inevitably chaotic days ahead.
—
Subaru was royally confused. He had definitely just fallen through Roswaal's window and it definitely had shattered onto the ground. Roswaal had definitely seen everything and should have definitely been incredibly angry that the knight-in-training had created such a mess.
Yet, he simply smiled at the boy. His expression was the same indecipherable one he wore whenever he spoke to Subaru, his heterochromatic eyes almost burning directly into him, stealing his thoughts and reading his heart. Subaru could never shrug off the nasty feeling of discomfort he felt when around the Margrave. His mind was constantly telling him that he couldn't hide anything, that Roswaal knew everything no matter what or how obscure it was.
The small smirk and observant eyes didn't change as Roswaal strode gracefully towards him, his gait practiced and noble - as if he was almost gliding towards the boy of silver hair.
"Suuuuubaru-sama, you have suuuuuch impeccable timing." Roswaal chirped, his eyes fixed onto Subaru, who looked rather intimidated by his sudden and unexpected presence.
Subaru couldn't fathom why Roswaal was acting as if the grass wasn't coated in glass shards, and as if Subaru hadn't just tumbled to the ground in a mightily spectacular fashion.
As he came face to face with Subaru, the mage continued, ''It's looooovely to see you so puuuuunctual, foooooollow me and weeeee can begin your training,''
Subaru numbly nodded. He had caused an incredible amount of trouble this morning alone, and it was starting to take a toll on his mind. Maybe Roswaal would give him a proper punishment later…that, he did not know.
Roswaal turned sharply on his heel, marching towards the centre of the large, flat field. Towering hedgerows littered with sizable pink escallonia surrounded them, creating a rectangular area suitable for whatever training Roswaal threw at Subaru.
It took the boy a moment, but he eventually followed suit, trying his best to stay optimistic and hold the enthusiasm characteristic of a true knight. Letting his emotions rule his actions was something he would have to learn to stop doing. It was elven nature to be emotionally driven and backed by a strong passion, but those exact characteristics would be the things which brought on his downfall if he wasn't careful.
Subaru knew by instinct that everyone would be waiting for him to slip up. The minute his temper blew he would be done for. There would be absolutely no second chances, no forgiveness, no looking the other way…he had to be perfect.
He had time to make the improvements he needed, and he would start today. So as he caught up to Roswaal, his smile of guilt and indecisiveness turned into a determined, confident grin.
''As I saaaaid Subaru-kun, today we are only gooooing through the basics. I need a roooough idea of your physical and magical streeeeength, as that will alloooow me to gauge your progress aaaaaand establish a more deeeeetailed training plan in the future,'' said Roswaal, who had noticed rather quickly the change in Subaru's body language and confidence.
''Don't get your hopes up,'' Subaru said, ''this is all new to me. I was never old enough to start learning this stuff back home.''
''I am awaaaare and it's of no concern, elves are resilient and intelligent creeeeeatures so I'm sure you'll pick what you eeeeeeeed up in no time,''
Roswaal's lacklustre reaction to Subaru's admitted incompetence brought a slightly regretful smile to his face. He should have figured that Roswaal would have considered him weak from the get-go, yet for it to be outlined to him so bluntly still stung dearly.
''Howeeeeeever, I do need to gauge some critical faaaaactors about you and your body. Anything toooooooo strenuous toooooooo quickly could lead to your untimely deeeeaath, which would be ooooohh so tragic,'' Roswaal said, putting on a dramatic look of sadness at those last words that Subaru, given the Margrave's eccentric personality, could not discern the nature of. It was either sincere or sarcastic and he genuinely could not tell which was the case.
''I'm not sure I fully follow,'' Subaru replied, ''is this a test?''
''Not paaaarticularly, I just want to graaaaaasp an understanding of your baseline physioooology."
Noticing Subaru's lingering confusion, Roswaal continued on a tangent, "Your gaaaate strength, for example. If you fraaaaacture your gate, you'll struggle greaaaaatly.'' Roswaal said, stepping towards Subaru.
Roswaal raised his arm before placing his open palm flat upon Subaru's head. However, before the confused boy could refute, Roswaal's eyes widened in a strange mixture of surprise, shock, and intrigue.
''Suuuuubaru-kun, could it be that you've neeeeeever used your gate before?'' Roswaal said, removing his hand and bringing it up to his chin in thought.
Subaru paused for a minute, before replying, ''I genuinely never had a reason to, my mother was never proficient in regular magic and my father always insisted he'd teach me when I was older,''
''You caaaaaan't tell me you never even used it paaaaaassively, Subaru-kun?'' Roswaal said, genuinely confused. ''I understaaaaaand your affinity is rather impraaaaaactical for daily use but learning sooooome basics couldn't have hurt?''
''I guess I just never had much of an interest in magic, it seems overly difficult and boring…especially compared to the spirit arts,'' Subaru muttered, fearful that his choice of words would anger the mage.
''Your spiritual affinity is unuuuuuusually high, but even then you have noooo contracted spirit beside you." Roswaal replied, not even mentioning Subaru's opinion on magic, "Why iiiiiis that?''
Subaru once again took a moment to consider his answer to Roswaal's pressing question, before answering with the words his mother had taught him in one of her many lessons.
''Hmmmm…I guess I'm just waiting for the perfect partner for me. I don't know when I will find them, or how strong they will be, but I'm adamant that when I do contract with a spirit they will be perfect.''
''You do reeeeeealise…your chaaaaances of success here will be muuuuuch higher if you bolster your streeeeength with the help of spiiiiirits. Your reluctance to uuuuuse magic yourself is ooooobvious, but a pooooowerful spirit partner surely may heeeeelp with that, no?''
Subaru could only smile. He understood where the mage of unthinkable power was coming from, yet there was no way he would be able to understand Subaru's mindset and thought process. The spirit arts weren't an objective thing, and they differed from nation to nation, race to race, and village to village.
The elves were always extremely particular regarding their partner of choice. Spirits were seen as family members, much more than the tools and lesser beings many others viewed them as. Spirits were incredible, and were to be chosen carefully and with the heart.
Subaru's mother, whilst not elven, believed and preached the elven teachings of the spiritual arts, and so Subaru was very carefully tutored. The bitter cold Gustekan nights birthed a need for distraction, so whilst snuggling up to his mother by the roaring fire, he would listen to her stories.
One of her favourite lessons revolved strongly around the teachings of the ancient elven lords, who's spiritual partners were contracted with their souls for all of eternity, and would only be broken under dire circumstances. They preached how spirits were at a higher plane of existence than regular mortal beings, and such should be treated with the respect and dignity one would display towards a man of their own race. Furthermore, spirits were family. A spirit should be treated like they were one of your own, not an outsider.
Whilst most users and even masters of the spirit arts would cycle through various spirits of all levels in their lifetimes, elves preferred to stick with one true partner for fully hopefully lengthy lifetime. Minor and quasi spirits may be contracted and honoured alongside a main full spirit, but an elven user of the spirit arts often stands by their contracted partner alone.
The elves truly believed the relationship between man and spirit was one of trust and loyalty above all; a sentiment that should be carried on both ends of a contract.
''When the time comes, I'm sure a spirit of great potential will call to me,'' Subaru grinned, running his fingers through his hair, ''For now, I think I have bigger issues to worry about…''
Subaru chuckled awkwardly, but it was obvious what 'issues' he was referring to.
''Iiiiiiinteresting…in any case, I belieeeeeeve you're correct Subaru-kun. Your nooooooticeable lack of overall strength is miiiiiildly concerning. Howeeeeever, at this point in time, it shooooould have been expected,'' Roswaal said, his face not changing from the relatively neutral expression he had worn in front of Subaru from their first confrontation up until now
''If aaaaaanything, your lack of natural taaaaalent in some fields is thaaaaaankfully made up for in others. We can wooooork around some things. For nooooow, I think doing as I saaaaaid and putting a gauge on your physical caaaaaapabilities is a good starting point.''
Roswaal bent over and took the wooden sword laid by his feet into his hands. It's coarse, muddy brown surface appeared old and uncomfortable - the twine binding around the handle not too dissimilar from a regular length of rope. A long, forking crack shot down the centre of the blade, and part of the crossguard had been snapped off.
Roswaal tossed the sword up into the air, catching it at the blade end before presenting the dire excuse for a grip to the slightly off put Subaru. The boy timidly received the blade in his right hand, the prickly grip digging into the soft skin of his palms and making it rather difficult for him to grasp the weapon tightly.
Subaru glanced at the sword with a mixture of not-so-subtle disappointment and confusion. The blades he was used to seeing were works of art - meticulously crafted by true master bladesmiths, forged by hand and blessed with the protection of the earth and the spirits. The burnished steel glimmered and shone and beautiful etchings snaked up the flat of the blade.
However, what Subaru held within his hands was nothing more than a glorified stick, a plank of wood if you were feeling generous. It was genuinely a sorry excuse for a sword, and calling it as such simply dirtied the craft of his father which Subaru prided himself over. It was, by all means, disgusting to even look at.
Yet again, he was in no position to even whisper a complaint. It was the grit and grime of hard work which would allow Subaru to scale the walls of the trials he must face. An elf wouldn't complain over something so minute, and a Knight certainly wouldn't either.
Taking a deep breath, Subaru cleared his mind before asking:
''What's the plan, Ros?''
''It's quiiiiiiite simple really, you neeeeeeed to try and hit me with that blade. Aaaaaanything is allowed, eeeeeeven if it kills me.'' Roswaal explained, grimacing at how unnatural and uncomfortable the sword looked in his hands. He knew the weapon was disgraceful, yet it genuinely seemed as if he had never held a sword offensively in his life. Not only that, but his stance was unstable and vulnerable, his entire body was tense, and there was a timidness in him that screamed he was clueless.
''Of cooooooourse, I won't make it easy for you, buuuuuuut it won't be impossible either. Think of thiiiiiis as a goal to woooooork towards. Hiit meeeeee with a true strike and there will be nooooooo doubt that you are ready to explooooore the more advaaaaanced side of combat. ''
Roswaal decided that he would simply let Subaru come at him with his natural, untouched technique. He may appear uncomfortable around the blade, yet his physical strength was already what it was scratched up to be as a boy of elven blood. He desperately hoped that Subaru would show even a glimmer of talent, just enough to reassure him that he had a base to build upon as starting completely from zero wasn't impossible but of extravagant difficulty.
''I just need to hit you once?'' Subaru said, grasping the sword with both hands and letting his feet fall into a comfortable stance. He wasn't quite sure what to do, but watching various friendly sword fights gave him a very very rough idea as to what she should be doing.
''Ooooonce is all I ask, Suuuuubaru-kun. Try your best, I have aaaaabsolute faith in you,'' Roswaal smiled, taking a step backwards so there was no more than five yards between the pair. ''Wheeeeen you're ready, pleeeeease begin. You haaaaaave as long as you can laaaaast, or until you laaaaand a strike on my boooody.''
Subaru nodded, once again taking a deep breath before gripping the rickety wooden sword tighter.
Calming his mind, Subaru focused on the task at hand. Roswaal was a tall, lanky man. If he could catch one of his long arms or legs, that would be perfect.
Subaru burst forward with aggression and vigour, pulling his hands back and readying his blade for a swift strike. He fixed his eyes to Roswaal's near hip, hoping to catch his sudden movement and adjust accordingly. With a rather large backswing, Subaru hacked at the upper thigh of the mage, Roswaal's lack of movement clearly a comical flaunt of confidence.
Roswaal remained fixed in place, unmoving. His heterochromatic eyes carefully tracked Subaru's hands, and right as the elven boy was in swinging range, Roswaal kicked back, pushing his body just out of Subaru's reach.
Subaru's strategy was to minimise the distance between Roswaal and himself as quickly as possible, yet despite his rather admirable speed, Roswaal read him like a book. It was effortless, his entire body shifted in a smooth glide backwards, nimbly avoiding the hefty swipe of Subaru's sword without breaking as much as a sweat.
His initial momentum was fully headed forwards, and the direction of his swing only added to the speed that he came towards Roswaal with. The combination of his reckless charge and Roswaal's sharp and unpredictable movement left Subaru scrambling to stay on his feet.
Subaru had dashed forward with total effort, as his plan revolved solely around getting close to Roswaal before he could move to the side of his considerably less agile self. However, the dewy grass provided little traction, and Subaru's extravagant hack had left him unstable and off balance.
As Roswaal thoughtlessly avoided his swing, Subaru could only try in vain to stay on his feet. His bashfulness had left him without a backup option, and, in a real fight, he would have been minced meat a long time ago. Roswaal had made a single, minor move and completely uprooted everything Subaru had in this confrontation.
Falling to his knees, Subaru felt the unsuppressable anger, shame, and frustration welling up inside of him - the mental consequences of a swift defeat. He pushed himself up from his hands and knees, yet a monotone voice simply said:
''Be caaaaalm Subaru-kuuuuun, I've seen aaaaall I need to knoooow what we need to wooooork on in the future.''
''But you haven't given me a fair shot? It's been less than a minute?'' Subaru argued, his sharp eyes boring holes into Roswaal.
''This was meeeeerely a test, as I said. Whaaaaaat's the point in beeeeeating a dead horse? I'd much raaaaaather you learn from this than neeeeeedlessly frustrate yourself,'' Roswaal smiled, crouching down to meet Subaru's eye level.
''Angering yourself ooooover something like this is raaaaather unknightly, don't you agree?''
Subaru went to argue, yet couldn't form any logical words of rebuttal. He was right, he had shown Roswaal all he needed to see. Why was he kidding himself? There wasn't a chance in hell he ever stood a chance, not now and probably not ever.
It was boy versus man. What did he ever hope to achieve? He already had enough on his plate as it was and he genuinely got his hopes up that his untrained mind could outmaneuver the Lugnican court mage? It wasn't even a big deal, it was literally just a test in the end.
Subaru pushed himself to his feet, leaving the archaic wooden sword laying on the ground. His hands ached, and he felt utterly pathetic. He could only wait for Roswaal to speak again, for the shame he felt prevented any words.
''Wheeeeen you calm dooooown, we can start fiiiiiguring out where you went wroooong.'' said Roswaal, who also stood up from his crouching position. In his right hand he had picked up the sword.
''I'm pretty sure everything that could go wrong, went wrong,''
''Thaaaat's no way to think now is it,'' Roswaal smiled, ''Theeeeere's a good reason I'm out here devoooooting my time to you. We all start somewhere, Suuuubaru-kun.''
Once again, Roswaal flipped the sword around and presented the handle to Subaru.
''The ooooonly way you can achieve this dreeeeam, this dream of kniiiiighthood, is by being as cloooose to perfection as pooooossible,''
''We're heeeere to help you, but this is yoooour job to do.''
Roswaal's words were blunt but true. They were exactly what a demotivated Subaru needed to hear. Roswaal was right, of course. As a boy of elven heritage and blood, he was at the obvious disadvantage - his road was destined to be gritty and tough yet he had very little choice. This was the second chance he had to take. For the sake of those he had failed, he had to grasp this opportunity by its collar and take it.
Accepting the sword once more, Subaru regained the fresh determination he had when he started. His feet fell into the same stance as before, which is when Roswaal interrupted.
''You're raaaather stiff, and your kneeeees are basically locked…try being mooooore organic,''
Roswaal talked and Subaru listened eagerly. He voiced no complaints as he had none, instead listening to a man who, despite not being an expert around the blade, certainly knew infinitely more than Subaru did. As time ticked, Subaru's confidence grew. His hands ached, his thighs burned, and his shoulders hurt - but he never once stopped.
He may have only swung the blade 10 times in the whole session, and the sword still felt extremely alien in his hands, yet he felt genuinely proud of himself.
If he could stick with this, work hard like this each and every day…maybe, just maybe something miraculous could happen.
The sun was fading, and the late afternoon breeze rustled Subaru's lengthy hair as he sat resting on the grass. He poked at the blisters and calluses on his palms as Roswaal finished exposing the importance of a cool down after exercise and some other boring stuff.
''And with that Suuuubaru-kun, your first daaaaay of physical training concluuuudes. However…''
''However?''
''Raaaam will be waiting for you inside. You muuuuustn't neglect your classroom studies, so she will be heeeelping you through them, at least to staaart.''
''Ah, so that's what the books and writing utensils were for,'' Subaru sighed, standing up and brushing the grass off of his bottom. ''Thank you again, Ros. I feel like I'm actually learning for once.''
''Don't thaaaaaank me yet, it's a long roooooad ahead,'' said Roswaal as he turned towards his mansion. ''I'll seeeeee you tomorrow, don't beeeeee late.''
As the mage took his leave, Subaru could only agree. It truly was a long road ahead.
—
Subaru decided to take a bath before his studies, and after changing into a fresh pair of clothes, set out to find the stern pink maid. He had rather stupidly neglected to ask where exactly she would be, and so he was now pottering through the hallways of the mansion, hoping to bump into one of the maids so he could ask.
After a while, Subaru stumbled across part of the mansion he hadn't seen before. Whilst it was nearly identical to the rest of the excessively extravagant manor, a few minor but noticeable details were off.
The floor wasn't carpeted and the polished hardwood was bare and exposed. The walls, whilst still the same gorgeous white, were not graced with the spectacular detailing the rest of them were. The air was also colder, like a breeze was openly flowing through, nipping the skin of the thinly clad Subaru.
There was but one singular door at the end of the relatively short hallway, as inconspicuous as the rest throughout the house. However, as Subaru approached said door, it flung open, and out walked a carefree looking girl who was quickly drying her hands with a checkered hand towel.
Her shoulder length hair was bubblegum pink, and her eyes were a striking red that appeared calm and observant. Her fair skin was blemishless, but slight bags under her eyes acted as a subtle proof of her exhaustion. She wore the classic maid uniform characteristic of Roswaal's female employees, which she tucked the hand towel into once she had dried her hands.
At that point, it was obvious the door was one which led to the kitchen, and Ram had only just finished her work up. She sighed as she noticed Subaru, and scratched the back of her head.
''Subaru, good timing, I assume you embarrassed yourself with Roswaal-sama and have now come to pester me?'' she said, her teasing words catching Subaru off guard.
''So harsh,'' Subaru whispered. Although, picking up that she was simply making fun, he said, ''I was told to come find you,''
''That is expected, that you would want me to teach you of course.'' Ram smiled, ''It's typical of you, Subaru. Always needing others to tell him what to do. Come along then, standing around in the kitchen hallway isn't going to make that brain of yours any less dense.''
She strolled past Subaru, who quickly followed along. Ram was very clearly an intelligent girl from the way she carried herself, and so Subaru was rather pleased to have her assist with his evening studies.
He told himself that that was the reason, but in reality he was deathly scared of Rem, and Frederica seemed like she'd bite his head off if he made an error…so the firm but secretly gentle Ram was definitely the best option.
The pair walked in silence through the now familiar hallways until they reached Subaru's bedroom. He had completely forgotten about the morning, and was hit with a rather uncomfortable wave of guilt and regret over the fact that he never did have the opportunity to apologise to Rem for the mess.
Subaru walked to the desk in the corner of the room, and pulled out the chair from underneath it. It was heavier and wider than the dining room chairs, and the padding on the seat seemed more comfortable as well.
Ram motioned for him to sit with her head, before walking up and taking a book from the shelf beside them. Its heavy black binding and noticeable thickness made Subaru gulp.
''Subaru, prepare one of the writing books and your writing utensils please,'' Ram instructed whilst flipping through the textbook. ''I believe we're starting with basic writing forms today, just as an introduction.''
Reading out of the book, Ram spoke, ''Perfect handwriting is critical for a Knight, who must be familiar with articulating letters at times when his lady is unable.''
''I guess that makes sense, but I did always think my handwriting was pretty good?'' Subaru said, opening the cover of the notebook in front of him.
''We will see about that. This is all about perfection though, but your confidence is admirable,'' Ram said whilst placing the textbook on the desk and pinning the page open with a paperweight. ''Let's start with basic I-glyphs, they should be simple enough.''
Ram pointed to part of the page which listed the various I-glyphs. Subaru had to lean over to discern them from the rest of the monotone writing. Once he had familiarised himself with the exact formation of the characters once more, he dipped his quill pen into the open ink jar.
Scratch scratch
''Hmmmmm''
The room was silent aside from the sound of pen on paper and the occasional thoughtful hum from Ram. Within the space of ten minutes, Subaru had filled his cream-coloured page with scrawling black marks, each line as neat and careful as he could possibly muster.
With a ringing tap, he knocked the excess ink from the nib of his pen on the side of the glass ink jar and placed it back into the holder on the desk.
Ram remained silent, flipping the page several times before landing on the one she was seeking. She replaced the paperweight and resumed her stance behind Subaru, watchfully peering over his shoulder.
The page was titled 'ro-glyphs' and, on a fresh page, like before, he meticulously copied down each and every symbol.
Scratch scratch
Subaru was extremely careful with the formation of his characters and he seriously took his time to ensure they were perfect. His hand was slow and steady, and even his ink dips were extremely cautious.
Five, then ten, and eventually fifteen minutes passed before Subaru once again put his pen down. Ram, who was almost dying of boredom, had resorted to leaning on the back of his chair, and the sound of Subaru placing his pen down was like music to her ears.
Ram groggily stood up, her overwhelming boredom evident as she began to flip to the final page they needed. Overall, this was taking much longer than she had first anticipated…
''Once again,'' she yawned, ''please copy these out as best as you can,''
The page she had landed on was the list of ha-glyphs, the final of the 3 alphabets. Subaru, as he had done each time before, confidently took his pen within his fingers and turned to another pure page.
His each and every stroke was perfectly and continuously made. If he made an error, he would start again, ensuring each and every line was written with the utmost care. His words were like art, not in their content but in their presentation. They were pretty, really genuinely gorgeous.
However, much to Ram's complete demise, this took fucking forever. Another thirty minutes passed before Subaru finally sat back in his chair, having finished copying the characters down for the third time.
Subaru had a look of total satisfaction plastered across his face, whilst Ram looked mortified. As Subaru placed his pen down for what he believed to be the final time, Ram spoke up:
''It is once thing to have nice handwriting, Subaru…but don't tell me it takes you this long to write something normally?''
''I was trying to be as accurate as possible, though…'' Subaru said whilst scanning his eyes over the page he had just completed.
''If it takes so much of my precious time for you to write a few simple characters, I have no hope for you when it comes to doing anything of any importance,'' Ram scolded, ''as I rightfully said before, pleasant handwriting means nothing unless it is done quickly.''
''If I try to write fast it doesn't look very good, though?''
''Then that is why we're here. Tonight, you mustn't leave until you have filled one hundred pages full of I-glyphs. Hopefully, once you're fully familiar with the exact formations, you might waste less of my valuable time.''
As Ram's harsh orders settled into Subaru's mind, she opened the textbook to the correct page once again. She wasn't simply being mean, though. Subaru genuinely would have to learn how to write efficiently if he wished to survive in a political and noble field of work.
''One hundred? That seems like rather a lot...'' Subaru said whilst rubbing his eyes. He was fairly confused, but mostly not surprised. His handwriting was never practiced beyond basic competence, and so he shouldn't have really expected something wouldn't be right.
''I don't want to hear any complaints, Barusu. You're lucky I'm so generous as to not make you write these basic characters out over and over again until your eyes bleed,'' Ram snorted, startling the bored Subaru into instant submission with her harsh words, sharpened by the corruption of his very name.
''Geez, okay fine. I'm sorry Ram-sensei, one hundred I-glyphs coming rig-''
''No, the entire alphabet. One hundred and one times.'' Ram corrected, her icy tone sending shockwaves of pure fear through Subaru's flesh.
''Y-Yes, on it.'' Subaru mumbled, picking up his pen once more and preparing a blank page. It was going to be a long night, and a small part of his mind was now wishing one of the other maids had taken up the duty of his tutoring.
''So harsh,'' he whispered under his breath.
''What was that, I believe I heard something of a complaint?''
''N-Nothing, I'm writing as you said, I promise I promise,''
''Hah, I hope that's the case,'' Ram snorted, ''Dinner will be a few hours,''
''O-Okay…thank you Ram.''
''Less talking, more writing,'' she concluded, as she strolled away from the desk and towards the doorway. With a quick glance back at Subaru, who had barely started his rather massive task, she opened the door and stepped into the comparatively bright hallway.
''I wonder what Rem is doing.''
—
The sun had long set, and the residents of the Roswaal manor had begun to settle down after their evening dinner. It had been a tedious, long day for the majority of the youthful inhabitants, a few of whom had begun the slow grind as they entered the next stage of their lives.
A girl of sheer beauty had said good night to her spirit partner after their evening routine and was now pottering down the hallway from the baths towards a very specific bedroom.
Her lustrous, long argent hair was still slightly damp, so she patted it carefully with a pure white bath towel as she walked - a slight smile on her pretty face.
She climbed the stairs, made a few turns, and was now sighting the door opposite her own bedroom. She hadn't seen him all day and rather missed his company. She knew they were both extremely busy, yet couldn't shake the feeling of disappointment that she never had the chance to pop her head in and speak to him even once.
He hadn't shown up to dinner, but Ram reassured the group that he was simply tied up in his studies. Once again though, Emilia couldn't shake the deep rooted worry that something was amiss. He had been through so much that it wouldn't be abnormal, but maybe she was overreacting within her mind slightly.
Knock knock
''Subaru, it's Emilia,''
No answer. He's probably asleep.
Pushing his door open, Emilia stepped inside the dimly lit bedroom. It's noble furnishings were illuminated in a gentle orange from the soft gem light and a familiar silver haired boy sat with his head laid on his desk.
''Sleepyhead,'' Emilia whispered as she approached his sleeping form. Various papers and assorted articles were scattered over his desk, so Emilia carefully lidded the ink jar, placed his pen in its holder, and nearly stacked the textbooks and notebooks.
She grabbed a soft, thin blanket from his bed, draping it carefully over Subaru's slight shoulders. She then pulled his long hair from out from over his face, running her fingers through it tenderly as she watched him peacefully sleeping.
''You're a good boy, Subaru,'' she whispered, ''you're gonna make a reaaaaally wonderful knight, I just know it.''
Emilia smiled before tucking his hair behind his pointy ears to avoid it falling back into his face. Her fingers snapped softly, and the light blew away casting the room into peaceful darkness.
Emilia walked back to the doorway, looking back at Subaru before whispering:
''Good night, Subaru.''
With that, the half-elven beauty disappeared, closing the door behind her.
After an eventful day, the boy of the same race was left to his peaceful slumber, blissfully unaware of the long future ahead of him.
AN
I'm finally back, sorry for keeping you all waiting.
Life is tough and complicated, so that's why it's been so long since I last posted a chapter.
I was banned from Reddit so if you're here from Moes post hey!
Massive massive thank you to TheColourPurple. He is the hero who Beta reads this shit and doesn't mind me rambling on at him. Please go read Pride's Greed, it is absolutely wonderful.