Chapter 40 – Arach-Knight [Part 3]

Around 10 PM, within the newly repaired Throne Room, the crowd from before had moved upon instruction of the Council to commence the night's awards ceremony, decorating the valiant efforts of those present during the 'Red Night'.

"Ladies! Gentlemen! Esteemed Lords and diplomats, merchants and mercenaries, envoys from all nations!" Marcos began as the crowds divided in positions similar to the beginning of the Selection, yet with guests and outside nobility congregating closer to the Throne. "Two weeks ago, our Capital, the Kingdom of Lugunica itself- no, all Nations in fact, faced a calamity unprecedented by all measures of knowledge! Daresay, perhaps rivalling the Witch in terms of threat!"

"Psh, how lightly he throws the Witch into this…" A merchant from southern Lugunica whispered to his escort.

"It is somewhat surprising they'd pull comparisons…" The bodyguard responded. "I know the city is in shambles, but…"

"Many lives were lost, yet they won't even reveal the enemy's uniform or race!"

"I think it was a revolt that just spiraled out of control-"

"Oh, I asure you two, it was real!" Subaru whispered as he appeared from behind them, as if out of thin air.

"Wh-?!" The merchant flinched in response, only now noticing his presence.

"You-!" The escort went for his weapon out of reflex, however-

"Please, refrain from drawing your blade before such important guests, good sir…" Julius quietly suggested from behind the man, putting a hand over his blade's handle and preventing the bodyguard from unsheathing it.

"A knight?" The merchant noted as he looked over Julius's attire.

"Actually- TWO knights." Subaru pointed out with a little conceit on his part.

"A knight AND a knight-to-be." Julius corrected.

"Give it like ten minutes and it'll be two knights, bud." Subaru answered with a cocky smirk.

"Uuuh- Huh…" The merchant calmed down as he recognized Subaru's looks as well. "Dark hair, black-brown eyes… The man from the rumors I see."

"Hold it, if you are getting knighted, why is the crest across your chest not that of the Kingdom's?" The guard assessed as he examined Subaru's suit in detail. "Rather, it isn't just the crest…"

"Well, I wouldn't be THE star of the night if I looked like any regular ol' knight now." Subaru answered with a higher attitude, much to the merchant and the guard's strangeness.

"Subaru's suit is a special case, as is the person, sir." Julius explained taciturnly. "Although the crest and mask might be in poor taste… as well as the cape's design-"

"Oi." Subaru deadpanned at the knight's casual diss.

"He dons a prototype of what the knights' uniform shall look like in the near future, in fact." Beatrice continued, disregarding the Avenger's complaint and taking the other three by surprise.

"I'm ahead of the curve, is what Beako here is trying to say!" The teenager playfully added.

"Beatrice-sama, my apologies." Julius worriedly inclined his head to look at the Spirit behind Subaru. "I failed to see you there."

"Apologies accepted knight, so long as you tell that pair to apologize as well, I suppose." The Great Spirit ordered.

"And who exactly might this girl be-?" The escort tried to argue, to which Julius interjected immediately.

"Beatrice-sama is a Great Spirit of Yin, contracted to the knight-to-be here, good sir." The knight introduced, making the merchant and his guard flinch in awe.

"Enough mouth blabbering; Subaru, Beatrice-sama, we should get into position shortly-" Julius interrupted, dispelling Subaru's antics. "Good sir, if you wouldn't mind…"

"Uh-?! Ah! Yes, of course!" The merchant and his guard took a few step backs as Subaru lifted Beatrice off the floor, followed then by Julius and him walking past them and towards the line designated to the knights.

"…" Subaru glanced around and back at the merchant, noticing a strange stare from his part aimed solely at him. "You know… Do you think people will like the design of the uniform?"

"Hmm?" Julius gave Subaru a side-eye as the boy whispered. "How do you mean?"

"We are wearing the same colors and all, and yeah, my crest IS different, but… They recognized you immediately as a knight, but they thought me a thug from the get-go." Subaru explained in whispers.

"I'm sure it'll grow on the general populace, especially so once I ask Reinhard and Marcos to help me with revisions after tonight's ceremony." Julius put it in simple words for Subaru. "It's likely we'll have to rework some things in regards to appearance, but the design shouldn't vary so much."

"…It's the cape, isn't it?"

"Apart from your irritable face, yes."

"Yo- Why is everyone so annoyed by my face?! These are my mother's eyes, dammit!" Subaru almost yelled as Julius sneaked in a jab to his appearance.

"It's isn't so much the eyes, as is the expressions you display- It's almost as if you are barely taking anything around you seriously, I suppose." Beatrice interjected, making Subaru's antics subside momentarily.

"Hah~, it's a bit unfair really… I mean, this IS how I take things as they come, Beako. I know some people can just take stuff with a poker face, serious and all- But I can't just 'turn off' my personality." Subaru rolled his eyes as Julius shook his head.

"You could put in the effort to 'act' a bit, make yourself look more presentable." The finest knight suggested. "For starters, you could stop pulling your hair back; maybe just comb it lightly if you need it so much out of your eyesight."

"…Dude, have you seen me with my hair down? I am a SNACK! Your world's dating scene would be ruined!" Subaru shot down the idea with a joke.

"*Sigh* And that attitude in response to everything is what makes it hard for people to take you seriously." Julius let out a small chuckle, although it sounded disappointed more than anything else did. As he was about to retort to Subaru's plays, he noticed that Marcos had finished his speech. "Ah, it begins-"

"Commencing tonight's honors ceremonies, rewarding their efforts and sacrifice in protecting our Kingdom and world- Candidate Anastasia and the forces of the Iron Fang, please step forward!" Marcos announced as trumpets of victory sounded in the background.

"Ah! Mimi's getting praised~!" Mimi Pearlbaton rushed forward childishly, soon followed by her siblings.

"Mimi, wait up-!" Tivey ran behind her, warning for her to stop.

"Ah~, My Lady, she's done it again." Hetaro shook his head with disapproval and slight annoyance as his sister moved before his liege even stepped in.

"Leave her be—I cannot really be mad at Mimi's attitude, ta be honest." Anastasia smiled as she responded to her mercenary. Following this, she took Hetaro's hand as they walked forward, towards Marcos and his knights.

"…Mimi Pearlbaton, Hetaro Pearlbaton, Tivey Pearlbaton." The Royal knight loudly spoke, beckoning the triplets to him. "Vice-Captains of the widely known mercenary force, the Iron Fang. Per my authority as Captain of the Royal Guard, conferred to me by the late Royal Family and continued in service by the grace of the Council of Elders of the Dragon's Kingdom of Lugunica, I, Marcos Gildark, grant upon thee the Kingdom's Medal of Honor, bearing the sigil of the Dragon."

Following his words, the tall knight knelt before each of the siblings, personally handing them a red velvet ribbon with the crest of the Royal family engraved in holy gold, hanging them from their cloaks as precious jewels for all to see.

"The Kingdom will forever be grateful to your forces' contributions against the evils of the Great Calamities, the Cult of the Witch and the otherworldly invade-" As Marcos continued his praise for the Kararagian trio, a sudden wave of murmurs finally caught to his ears. Seemed like people within the room could barely believe what they were seeing.

"Did he seriously just grant THE medal of the Royal Family to some demi-humans?"

"That's it- This Kingdom is finished."

"What a shame it is, truly…"

"I came to the Capital on such a short notice for this?!"

"They really just allowed these folk to stroll into these halls and do as they please, huh?"

"…" Marcos seemed rather miffed by the interactions occurring to the sides of the room, but he tried to pay them no mind, considering he had other awards to grant.

"Some people, huh?" Subaru mumbled to Julius with a tired voice. "You'd think the act of granting the medal to the moppets would tell them something of their worth, but they still insist on judging them-!"

"…Heh." Julius stifled a genuine chuckle as he heard Subaru's comment, gesture that did not go unnoticed by the Avenger.

"What's so funny, purple?"

"Nothing much, really…" Julius calmed down and readjusted his posture before actually addressing Subaru with a response. "But you must seriously underestimate Mimi and her brothers to think they'll care about discrimination of that kind."

"Huh-?"

"LOOK! LOOK, GARFIE~L!" Mimi yelled from the bottom of her lungs as she climbed on top of Marcos, raising her medal high for everyone to watch. "MEDALS ARE THE MARK OF REAL WARRIORS! DO YOU LIKE MIMI NOW, GARFIE~L?!"

"Oh snap!" Garfiel blushed beet red as he shrunk behind Otto, realizing everyone began staring at him. "Dammit, what is dat lil' moron doin?! Doesn't she know she could be serious harmin' me image with shit like dat?!"

"You should appreciate her efforts in impressing you a bit more, Garfiel." Ram whispered to him, much to the boy's dismay. "Putting herself out there for all to see, just to get at you… That's some serious dedication, you know?"

"Me amazin' self could accept it if it were Ram out dere… But wit' no medals to show for me self, I kinda feel upstaged here…" Garfiel explained his complicated feelings on the matter with difficulty.

"You should just be glad someone's seeing the appeal on you, with how discourteous you were with those other nobles earlier." Frederica huffed with disappointment for her brother's cowardice.

"B-But-!"

"Garfiel… Just stand up straight and let her see you already." Otto stepped aside, smiling smugly as the boy almost fell forward.

*Step!*

"Ah." Garfiel by the time Garfiel realized, he was completely out of cover, everyone in the room silently staring at him, waiting for his response to Mimi. "Uh- H-Hey… Good fer ya-"

*SMACK!*

"Unck-! Who the-?!" Garfiel suddenly felt his knees hurt as a dull pain reverberated through them. When he looked down, he noticed two set of cat children staring back at him with displeasure.

"Is that all you are going to say to Mimi?! Don't you have a proper answer?!" Tivey growled as he pointed his staff to Garfiel's neck.

"Where's that manliness you are always boasting about?! Say something worth hearing!" Hetaro barked as he pointed his staff between Garfiel's legs.

"O-Oi, oi! Where da hell're ya guys pointin' those to?!" Garfiel yelped in confusion at the situation. How in the blazes was HE now the center of attention?

"Sheesh! He's having it worse than I thought!" Subaru commented as he contained his laughter. "At least I can't hear those nasty complaints now, but… Garfiel's gonna have it rough with that girl."

"I cannot help but lament that the seriousness of the ceremony has been completely tarnished, but nevertheless, it feels good to see the heavy ambient lifted somewhat." Julius nodded his head whilst displaying a tiny smile at Mimi's antics.

*Cough-Cough!*

"Moving on from that…" Marcos put Mimi back on the ground after her display of love, quickly redirecting his focus to the ceremony.

"Ah, My Lady, did Mimi interrupt something?" Mimi wondered carelessly as Anastasia moved past her and towards Marcos.

"Just run along for now, Mimi. The ceremony is not yet over, ya see." The mauve merchant gestured to the rest of the Fang's forces waiting for the triplets by the sides of the formation.

"Yes~!" Mimi replied animatedly as she scurried away from the Throne's steps and into the crowd.

"Anastasia-sama." Marcos progressed with a stern look in his eyes, recovering his imposing presence and tone. "The debt the Capital and the Kingdom have incurred with you cannot go underappreciated, your material and monetary contributions to both the battles fought and reconstruction efforts will forever remain appreciated in our hearts. Please, accept this otherworldly Metia as a token of the Kingdom's gratitude to you."

"Metia? Oh… Now THIS does look like an upgrade… How pretty!" Anastasia observed with awe the artifact handed to her by Marcos. It was her projector- or rather, the bracelet Subaru had taken in for upgrades. Now, it looked like a completely futuristic piece in comparison even to her old one, its color scheme matching her company's colors.

"I am not aware of the specifics proper… But Natsuki insisted they are 'top of the line' even in his homeland. I'm certain you'll see great uses for it in the future, Anastasia-sama." The knight examined the bracelet with certain fascination for its uses. "I heard the previous ones played a great part in the battle against the Whale…"

*SHWIN*

"This Whale, ya mean?" Anastasia produced a holographic recording of the Whale's corpse, taken by her before the hunt for Sloth, surprising the guests present. "Yeah, these beauties sure did help Karsten an' Barielle, from what I've heard…"

"Communications and live imaging amidst the chaos of battle… For a military, that'd be invaluable-"

"An' with me at the reins, they'll serve for more than measly combat, I assure ya Sir Marcos." Anastasia cockily promised as she walked past Marcos, taking a stand near the Throne.

"…Why did you insist the bracelets be handed instead of a medal?" Julius inquired Subaru's intentions.

"Hmm…" The Avenger simply made a pensive face instead of responding, however.

"They could have been awarded a medal, and then, you could have simply handed the Candidates their Metias in private." Julius added, finally earning Subaru's answer.

"That much exposition of Subaru's property could be dangerous, I suppose. There's no shortage of people willing to take advantage of Betty's Subaru." Beatrice wondered with worry.

"See, I thought about it as well, but…" The hero mumbled for a bit in vexation, making the pair turn their heads to him. "It wasn't either my idea or Marcos', but Karen's."

"Karen-dono… made the suggestion?" Julius wondered with surprise, disbelieving it for a second. "But why? From what I've understood from our brief interactions—she doesn't particularly likes the Kingdom nor the Candidates themselves…"

"She ain't nearly as hostile as you make her out to be pal… Maybe emotional? But then, she's only now developed enough emotions to resemble a human." Subaru explained, trying to make sense of his partner's intentions. "She just insisted that, making a bit of a show of Earth tech might change some people's perspective of me."

"A Metia that small proved crucial in battle?"

"You cannot be thinking it's a weapon or something, right?"

"It looks a bit odd though."

"You saw the image- it was so real…"

"It's fascinating."

"Perhaps, just maybe…"

"Do you think that it's technology from Beyond the Waterfall?"

"Definitely. He said Natsuki made it…"

"So the rumors of advanced technology WERE true…"

"Do you think it wise to keep criticizing him?"

"Maybe we could get Metias from him as well?"

"I'll just keep from insulting him if it diminishes my chances of getting close to Anastasia-sama…"

"Huh…" The finest knight mumbled in surprise. When Subaru's name was mentioned before, contempt was the most common emotion shared amongst those talking about him. Now, there seem to be a more careful demeanor emanating from those same people in regards to the knight-to-be. "Not quite fear but… Definitely consideration of your capabilities now."

"There some greed here and there, so Beako wasn't wrong in her assumption…" Subaru admitted with disappointment. "Thinking I'll just fess over Earth tech left and right like candy bars on Halloween…"

"Does Subaru finally admit Betty is a better judge of people than he thought?" Beatrice teased her contractor.

"I never said I was a good judge Beako; just that I don't like judging in general."

"…" Julius stood still, staring at Subaru with skepticism over his last statement. "Overall, it is good they've finally calmed down with the accusations and stares at least."

"Egh." Subaru grumbled, still feeling odd about such a public handout of his technology. "*Sigh* I'll just trust Karen on this one and keep my mouth shut."

Doubt that.Julius thought to himself.

"Next! Priscilla-sama, please, come forward!" Marcos rapidly continued as the murmurs died down, calling over Barielle afterward.

*STEP!*

"Hmph!" Priscilla brazenly walked forward, her face looking rather bored by the audiences' frivolous talking and whispering. "Thou should have called mineself earlier, knight; beginning the ceremony proper should have be done so with whom you KNOW shall be thy land's next ruler."

"Priscilla-sama, please bear with-"

"Whatever you ought to bestow upon us, get it over with." Marcos could not get a word edgewise however, for Priscilla seemed to dislike the unnecessary lengthening of the ceremony with his speeches.

"Always to the point, hmm…" Marcos mumbled under his breath. "Priscilla-sama, for the feats of combat and martial prowess displayed by your 'border mercenary force', the Dragon's Kingdom of Lugunica bestows upon thee its Medal of Honor, bearing the sigil of the Dragon."

"Haa…" Priscilla held the ribbon without much interest, rather callously for a symbol of military distinction most other men of the uniform would surely envy. "Schult? You can keep this, there's little interest mineself could grant to such a triviality."

"Ah- Yes, Priscilla-sama!" Schult suddenly appeared from behind Priscilla, catching the ribbon between his hands as the Baroness simply dropped it.

"That disrespectful-!" One knight murmured as his eyes reddened.

"Has she no shame?!" Others followed.

"It wasn't enough they granted it to some measly demi-humans, a mere baroness went and disrespected it like that?!"

"Unbelievable!"

"Aaaaaand all the goodwill just up and died." Subaru brought a palm to his face in defeat as he shook his head. "Why is she always like this?!"

"…" Julius's stare was rather judgmental for a brief moment before he relaxed and unclenched his fists. "I should've expected Priscilla-sama of all people could pull something like that in front of the military, no less…"

"You seem a lil' rattled Juli; were you pissed off too?" Subaru wondered, remembering Julius's face from the day they dueled.

"Slighted, yes, but not so bad I'd ask to duel her, if that's your concern." Julius responded with a tinge of jest to his words.

"…Ha! Glad you can see humor in that memory at least!" Subaru smiled with amusement as the pair managed to relax something, given the yells and complaints directed to Priscilla.

"…As a token of appreciation from the Kingdom, we'd like to grant you as well this Metia-" Marcos attempted to recover the rhythm even with the jittery voices of the insulted soldiers, knights and lords. This was useless, however, for Priscilla ignored his words and immediately swiped the bracelet out of his hands as he approached her.

"Took you long enough—The Metia of information is finally back to its rightful owner." Priscilla gleefully claimed as she examined her bracelet, an apparatus colored in gold and ruby, fitting to her beauty. "Move aside now."

"Egh… Yes, of course." Marcos managed to keep his ire on check as he stepped aside, allowing Priscilla ascend the steps to the Throne and stand beside Anastasia. "Next… Felt-sama, please, step forward."

Before the blonde Candidate could take a step though-

"The slum dweller…"

"Just how much longer can the night go on like this?"

"This is just unbelievable…"

"Why is the Astrea family supporting that scoundrel?!"

"Hehe!" Felt loudly chuckled as she and Reinhard both strode forward along the red carpet, taking in the criticism with a toothy grin. "Look at those stares Rein! Sure must be hurtin' their pride that they can't just yell at me anymore, huh?! Yeah! I hear your whispers jackasses! Don't think I don't! And they'll stay whispers the more I keep winnin', you hear me?!"

In the recent past, as they did during the Royal Selection's inauguration, objections would have flown about towards Felt regarding her mere presence in the room, much like with Emilia. Now, those voices had not the gall to stand on as the thief-turned-princess mocked them openly. Felt experienced certain feelings of liberation being capable of looking down on the people that once looked down on her.

"…I can acknowledge that the nobility might not have the ability to so openly ridicule you anymore Felt-sama, but perhaps you should refrain from taunting them as you please so publicly." Reinhard rapidly whispered to his liege's ear, cautious about the tense stares staring daggers through them. "In the future, the collaborators for your campaign will likely come from those gathered here. Antagonizing them could prove-"

"Hah! If they don't like my attitude and how I run things, then I don't need them around me. We can win on my own two legs… And yours too, of course."

"That sounds a bit arrogant, for not saying rude as well, Felt-sama…" Reinhard scratched his chin in contemplation of his Lady's word.

"Huh? Don't misunderstand, big guy! It's not that I won't associate with people here, I'll make sure to do that, if you feel it so necessary for our plans." Felt clarified, seeing the confusion in her knight's eyes. "I'm sayin- I'm fine with butting heads with others over disagreements, but I'm not fine with kissin' the arse of people that'll hate me without even knowin' me."

"Ah… Yes, of course." Rein smiled as he reached proper understanding of Felt's intentions behind her words. "I lack discipline then… I should not have doubted you so, Felt-sama. My apologies."

"…You hear, everyone?! If you have a disagreement, tell me to my face! See if you can talk me out of bein' me! I doubt it!" Felt proclaimed with excitement again as furious nobility stared back at her, fuming from their ears.

"Hm-HRRRMMM! Felt-sama…" Marcos beckoned to the girl with boredom, tired of the antics for one night.

"Ah. Right, the thing." Felt nodded as she went to face the Captain with a swift turn of her feet, winds of her Divine Protection dancing around as the girl felt pumped. "Aight', bud! Save the spiel, hand me the proche- erm- proyec- urm… The bracelet thing! That!"

"Felt-sama, for the achievements of your knight, Reinhard van Astrea, in defending the Capital, even against insurmountable odds… the Dragon's Kingdom of Lugunica bestows upon thee its Medal of Honor, bearing the sigil of the Dragon." Marcos then personally proceeded to tie the ribbon on Reinhard's jacket, for all to see.

"It's an honor, sir." Reinhard quickly knelt, thanking the award with a smile.

"…You can smile with sincerity, you know? You do deserve it." Marcos whispered to Reinhard.

"It is fine- my smile is truthful." The redhead stood up to face Marcos eye to eye, his expression never faltering. "A medal like this is an honor few achieve in their lifetimes; how ungrateful could I be if I didn't smile?"

"Rein, come on… This again?" Felt worried as she examined her knight's face up close, realizing his smile really did feel empty. "You did great, man! You split a giant ball in half! How wasn't that amazin'?!"

"Th-That isn't exactly something to be excited about…" Reinhard attempted to dismiss, ignoring the words that had suddenly flooded the room.

"I heard he was defeated."

"The Sword Saint? You jest, surely."

"No, I saw it with my own eyes!"

"Hmm…" Subaru mumbled to Julius quietly. "Is it me or… Is Rein's smile a bit forced?"

"Possibly…" Julius realized as well upon Subaru's inquiry, taking a second look to his friend face in wondering. "His eyes—He doesn't look very glad at all."

"…You don't think he still blames himself or something, right?" The Avenger suggested with worry.

"It's not as though you don't blame yourself in some capacity, Subaru. Betty has seen how you look at the injured, in fact." Beatrice murmured to the Avenger with pity.

"And I've seen how you or Juli look at the memorial Marcos crafted in the city. What are you getting at, Beako?"

"You beat Ultron… But he didn't. And the way that he lost—after that, can you honestly think he'd sincerely nod in agreement to an award?" Surpirsing Subaru, Julius clarified with a solemn expression, speaking the Synthezoid's name with a hardened voice.

"…" The teenager's mouth hung agape for a few seconds, but words would not come out. It seemed as though he wanted to contest Julius's allegations, but he had no confidence in rebutting them.

"I never fought him; it was never my duty to do so, and as such, I do not feel inferior for not having faced him. However, even if we could receive a medal with fulfilment, knowing we've performed our duties, Reinhard never got that closure. To him, he simply got beat up, lost and then was relegated to damage control whilst you and Strange took over for him."

"C-Come on, you can't really be telling me Rein of all people would be that prideful..."

"You weren't?"

"…"

"You wouldn't feel depressed if your struggles barely amounted to anything in the grand scheme of things?" Julius responded harshly.

"I try not to duel on it… I know defeat as well, Juli." Subaru looked away with slight hurt, making Beatrice worry.

"But I worry you forget it, if you have indeed experienced it." The knight pressed on, annoying the teenager. "Strong as he may be, Reinhard is more human than you give him credit for."

"…You really think he feels that way, huh?" Subaru shook his head, comprehending but disapproving the redhead's mindset. Not wanting to neglect him, however... "In that case-"

*Clap-Clap-Clap!*

"Huh?" Felt turned around, jolted by a sudden sound of clapping.

"Hmm…" Marcos raised an eyebrow at the gesture, making Reinhard follow the Captain's eyes.

"This is…?" Then, Reinhard turned as well, realizing from whom the sound was coming from. "Subaru-?"

*Clap-Clap-Clap!*

Before either Reinhard or Felt could properly address what was occurring, Julius and Beatrice followed along on Subaru's gesture, and soon after-

*Clap-Clap-Clap-Clap-Clap-Clap-Clap-Clap-Clap-Clap-Clap-Clap-Clap-Clap-Clap-Clap-Clap-Clap-Clap!*

The entirety of the Throne Room flooded in cheers and ovation for the Sword Saint, at least from the side of the knights and mercenaries present.

Independent of whether they had been present or not during the attack, it was understandable that Reinhard had played his part in defending the city… The rumors of his feats of strength and power in splitting a meteor and descending The Cocoon were a verifiable true for all to see that night, all they had to do was look west from the window, and the ship would be there.

"Everyone…" Reinhard mumbled under his breath, utterly astonished by the praise.

"See? I knew people still did like ya, you mopey dumbass!" Felt cheered as Reinhard's smile turned true.

"I… Thank you, Felt-sama." Reinhard nodded happily, and then, he turned to see in Subaru and Julius's direction. "You as well…"

"Now then, Felt-sama..." Moving forward after the ovations died down, Marcos resumed his address to Felt. "Your knight's actions, along with your swift cooperation in the Capital's search and rescue efforts afterward were invaluable, setting a standard for what nobility looks like, Felt-sama. Please, accept this otherworldly Metia as a token of the Kingdom's gratitude to you."

"Woah… Gotta say, it does feel a bit outta place in my arm, like it's fancier than I thought it'd be-" As Felt marveled aloud about the construct, a bracelet as blonde as her hair with accents red as her eyes, Priscilla's words shook her with irritation.

"If it's too advanced an artifact for the little monkey to understand, then perhaps she needn't consider donning it altogether." The baroness poked from the steps to the Throne.

"Did I ask yer opinion?!" The little blonde retaliated with a huff.

"My, my; mineself marvels at the thought you know what the word 'opinion' means." But Priscilla simply laughed away at her antics with her own.

"Kuuuuh! I can't believe this-! Do I really have to go stand beside this moron?!" Felt shouted with anger as she walked past Marcos, shuddering with anger at the thought the ceremony was not yet over.

"…Hopefully the two will mellow out by the end of the Selection…" Subaru grumbled with pity for Felt. "Mostly Priscilla though…"

"…Somehow I doubt that…" Julius mumbled in a low voice, mostly to himself.

"Crusch-sama, please, step forward!" The knights' Captain once more beckoned a Candidate forward, this time the Lady of Karsten territories.

"Crusch-sama looks brilliant this night…" A retired old knight praised with a nod.

"I was accustomed to seeing her in uniform." Another Viscount cheered.

"Hmm? Is she alone?" A Baron inquired.

"I would have thought she'd have a knight or the like with her…" Vexed by her solitude, another Baron pointed out.

"Curious…" Julius mumbled with a raised eyebrow.

"Are you also weirded out?" Subaru mumbled back to his purple haired companion.

"I thought she'd come forward with Wilhelm-dono at least... What about the other knights that follow her?" Julius responded, although he didn't really expect an answer from Subaru outside from what he suspected or knew already.

"Felix… His knight rank wasn't reinstituted, right?" The teenager seemed irritated.

"That's the cat-eared servant of hers, I wonder?" Beatrice inquired, receiving a nod from her contractor. "Perhaps he simply felt too ashamed for the losses after the battle? There were many injured that didn't make it… For the healer you praise him to be, he must have been devastated, I suppose."

"…It takes a number of recommendations and achievements to consider granting a commoner the rank of knight. For a demi-human, it's even worse, perhaps impossible." Julius indicated to the miffed Subaru and Beatrice. "Despite the fact that you vouch for him as an excellent medic and servant, as well as the assurance that Crusch-sama wouldn't encourage such discrimination in her Camp, Felix has almost all cards against him when it comes to earning the rank. He is privileged enough that he can stay by her side… It shall take some genuine effort on his part to gain the position you claim he had."

"'The position you claim he had', like I'm playing make believe…" Subaru retorted with disappointment. "I know he had it? Isn't that enough? After everything, is my word still worth that little?"

"I don't doubt your word, if that is what you are accusing me of- Yet, my lack of memories doesn't make it easy for me, or anyone in my position, to trust him. It's a miracle Crusch-sama gave him the chance already, and your word did that, so at least have the objectivity to not act so spoiled as to think you are distrusted by everyone around you." Julius declared with a stern expression, shooting Subaru a displeased glance.

"Forget everyone. What about YOU Julius?" Subaru stressed with narrow eyes.

"When it comes to me… You may say we were friends… But it's not as though he made himself any favors with that first impression-"

"My first impression was deplorable too." Subaru shot back, startling Julius. "Would that be reason enough to dismiss my opinion, even given what we've achieved together thus far?"

"Stop being a brat, it's not the same." The knight reproached seriously. "The achievements that earned your trust are yours, but Felix has next to none. Even with your recommendation, there is little to nothing the general masses can trust. He has to stand on his own to reclaim what he has supposedly lost."

"Tsk…! Yeah, whatever…" The bitter Subaru clicked his teeth, turning his head away from Julius.

"Hah…" Julius sighed, lightly shaking his head. "I know I sound like some egoist villain in your head, but I am doing the sensible thing here, as is everyone else. You cannot force the world to work and move, as you want it to, to your rhythm. Even if it would be fair to Felix, you cannot be that unfair towards others… And from his demeanor's changes whenever you are mentioned, I don't think he'd appreciate your intervention."

"…" Subaru bit his lip, feeling some shame for his attitude.

"Crusch-sama, words are not enough to express the Kingdom's gratitude for your leadership and support during these trying times… Organization of the hunt for the White Whale and Sloth both, your fortitude before Ultron's forces, defending the Capital at the risk of life and limb. Thus, the Dragon's Kingdom of Lugunica bestows upon thee its Medal of Honor, bearing the sigil of the Dragon." Crusch received the Medal directly from Marcos's hand, her expression taciturn as she examined the Dragon's sigil.

The symbol itself doesn't matter… It's what it represents.

Crusch calmly admitted to herself, closing her eyes for a few seconds before clenching her fist around the Medal.

"I swear to don this Medal of Honor with pride from today onwards. For my men, that perished performing their duty, as well as those that survived to carry their will. My genuine gratitude for this mark, Elders, Marcos-dono." The Duchess bowed her head graciously, and Marcos in kind nodded too.

"Hmph, at least someone bothers appreciating the mark at last…" Bordeaux murmured from his seat near the Throne.

"Sir?" Another elder to Bordeaux's side noticed the displeased face of the old warrior.

"Crusch-sama is a military woman with a career behind her, even before the selection. It's simply encouraging, albeit slightly, to see at least one Candidate properly acknowledge the importance of the Medal of Honor." Bordeaux explained to the men at his side, but his eyes quickly shifted away from the ribbon and towards the other object in Marcos's hand. "Now if we could get a proper access to that Metia however… At this point, our only point of negotiation is Crusch-sama, and even then it'll be difficult without compromising on some aspects…"

"Crusch-sama, accept this otherworldly Metia as a token of the Kingdom's gratitude to you." As Bordeaux commented about the bracelets with the other elders, the Captain presented Crusch with her projector: a jade and gold colored bangle with sapphire accents running through the sides and inner parts.

"A bit gaudy, eh?" Crusch stood still, investigating the artifact with curiosity and intrigue, carefully running her fingers across the shining indentations.

"…It would seem that the elders would like a word with you after the ceremony, Crusch-sama." Marcos whispered to the Duchess' ear. "If you can accommodate some of your time to-"

"If there's business regarding the army to attend to, I'll meet with the Elders in an office; anything else ought to wait for tonight." Crusch evaluated the request from Marcos harshly. "Or is it some other kind of deal they wish to reach with me? Perhaps regarding this Metia and whatever else I'm privy to, without the hassle of Natsuki Subaru's approval?"

"Cannot say, not without permit, if you understand… Crusch-sama." Marcos bowed his head solemnly and fell silent.

"…I'll see Miklotov and two others in two weeks' time; I'll wait at my father's home." Duchess Karsten assured while walking past Marcos, finally ascending the stairs to the Throne and standing by Felt's side.

"My humblest thanks, Crusch-sama…" Marcos reciprocated Crusch's words with cold gratitude before looking past her, towards the last Candidate of the night.

"Emilia-sama, please, step forward!" As Crusch stepped away, Marcos called for Emilia at last, rounding up the last few awards of the night.

"It's time… Rem, come." Emilia indicated as she took a step toward the carpet with a neutral expression.

"At your behest, Emilia-sama." Rem bowed her head quickly before following.

"This is the half-elf huh…" A guest from Kararagi murmured.

"She really does have the features…"

"Witch…"

"Oi! Don't call Emilia-sama a Witch! Even if she looks the part…"

"I can't afford insulting her if I wish to get close to her maid…"

"Oh? Here's the event I was interested in!" Subaru smirked with amusement as the Lady and her maid walked along the carpet to the Throne. "It'd be nicer if everyone else could keep the comments to themselves though; lay off your eyes from them, assholes! If you have nothing nice to say, then shut up!"

"Your demands are risible; the guests cannot look away and admire Emilia-sama simultaneously." Ever so proper Julius retorted with a tired face. "It's impossible."

"It's the biggest part of the night! They should expect to adjust to impossibility!" Subaru demanded like a brat.

"…Seriously? This is what excites you the most? I understand its Emilia-sama, but wasn't the idea tonight that you were looking forward to your own investiture?" Julius chastised, still upset about the irreverence of the teenager.

"Argh, lay off! If I get excited for my knighting, you chew me for gettin' hyped; if I get giddy over someone else's award, you get mad at me for being childish! What's your problem tonight?!" Subaru snapped back, irritated. "I thought you'd cut me some slack?!"

"I would have cut you some if you had been here on time. Who do you think had to bow his head to the elders whilst awaiting your arrival? Moreover, my 'problem' is that you should act more dignified, considering your new position." The purple haired knight shook his head slowly whilst fixing his hair with his right hand. "Think a little; you show your emotions with your every face, constant complaints, mood shifts at the drop of a hat… You lack the levelheadedness required for the task of attending to others, even in life and death situations."

"Oh, BS…You should know by now, that's just how I roll Juli." Subaru made an annoyed face while explaining Julius his behavior for the thousandth time. "If I'm not joking my butt off or acting like a monkey on Adderall, I'd lose my shit in a fight and panic."

"A situational response, huh? But this isn't a fight-" Julius tried to dismiss again, but Subaru continued.

"You are right; it's not a fight, but something even worse! A social event… I'm not good with those either, or maybe, I'm somehow even worse with those!" Subaru ranted with dead fish eyes and a childish tone. "Having to please so many people by acting like someone I'm not… Brrr~! Doesn't the cringe alone make you shiver?! In my opinion, trying to be a stiff and inexpressive dumbass is just as lame as having an eight-grader's syndrome. Or being a spaz in public. Or just having main character's syndrome in general! Y'know what I'm saying, right?!"

"…No, I don't." The knight shut the moronic hero down with a disappointed huff.

I do not even know what Adderall is, and by this point, I scarcely care. Subaru is just all sorts of uncouth and ridiculous at times… I would wonder if he was just like that back on his world, but then, I think I already have the answer...

"For the moment, I'll just put the blame on the mask and the suit… You shouldn't let them consume you." Julius recommended before ignoring Subaru altogether.

"Maaan…! Whatevs'." Subaru made a bored grimace, shifting his stare away from the knight. "Hmm?"

"…" While the Avenger shook his head, his eyes landed on a set of stares from the line of guests from the foreign countries. Specifically, the intense yet cold gazes of a pale-white androgynous man and his cloaked companion.

"Weird? Cloaks aren't really ceremonial garb…" Subaru seemed intrigued.

"Neither are masks…" Julius answered swiftly.

"Hey, you know why they are staring at me?" Subaru ignored Julius's comment, inquiring instead as the stares from the pair of guests intensified.

"Sounds as if you know."

"No? That's why I'm asking."

"*Sigh* …The Empire's envoys." The knight affirmed as he laid eyes back on them. "Chisha Gold, a Divine General of Vollachia, and his escort."

"You think they came here to talk to me? They seem kinda pissed looking over here…" The hero responded in vexation to their glares.

"If you wish to be courteous, I can accompany you during introductions later; I warn you, don't expect your jokes to fly by with the militant people of the Empire." Julius warned sternly, no longer any sort of foolery or mockery in his voice. "The Kingdom and the Empire are on thin ice as it is; I'd rather Spider-Man didn't fan any flames accidentally."

"So you'll chaperone me? Neat, I guess…" Subaru was quick to understand that his companion wasn't in the mood for jesting when it came to relations with the Empire; if it was a general he'd have to deal with, then it wasn't wise of him to approach the matter of Vollachia and Lugunica's conflicts as callously as he had done in the past. "A general would report directly to the Emperor and could even command an army by themselves… That does sound problematic, even for me. Last thing I want is a border conflict due to my antics…"

"I'm glad we are finally on the same page about something…" Julius sounded relieved as he evaluated Subaru's assessment positively. "Leave the talking to me as much as possible then."

Subaru and Julius had lost time in their small talk, not realizing that Emilia and Rem already stood before Marcos as he presented the award.

"Emilia-sama… Your actions, alongside those of your Camp's adherents, have proven your dedication to the Kingdom and its betterment. Despite manipulations and abuse, disregarding the criticism and berating, you remained steadfast in your compromise to protect the citizens, noble and commoner alike, with your very life. You have made your stance on governing more than just words… The Dragon's Kingdom of Lugunica bestows upon thee and your servant its Medal of Honor, bearing the sigil of the Dragon." The Royal knight then bestowed the ribbons into Rem's hands, making a point of bowing his head at the two.

"Uh…" Rem felt uncomfortable as the center of attention, fidgeting in place as the gazes of all focused on her. "M-My most honest gratitude, Marcos-sama."

"…I understand it's odd for a maid of all people to receive honors such as these, yet even if in the minority, I'm genuinely grateful for what you've done up until now Rem-dono." Marcos congratulated with a relieved face. "I heard of how you put yourself in the line to defend my knights during the confrontation with Sloth, as well your efforts against the Whale… My subordinates are thankful you were there, thus, I'm thankful too."

"You have my utmost gratitude as well, Rem." Emilia added as she took her servant's hand between her own. "You stood in my stead during a time of strife, you were there to represent me whilst I still struggled with my own problems- Your loyalty is admirable, truly."

"Emilia-sama… I merely did as was expected of me as a subordinate." Rem bashfully admitted.

"Even if you think that way, without you nor Subaru, I wouldn't be here today, none of us would. That's why… Thank you, Rem… For being my friend." Emilia almost teared up, embracing Rem in a hug.

"E-Emilia-sama…!" Rem embraced her back with tears in her eyes, responding to her master's friendship in kind.

*CLAP-CLAP-CLAP-CLAP-CLAP!*

The room exploded in cheers from the knights and some of the Capital's nobles and prominent merchants, Emilia's new supporters, who had come to admire her kindness after Rem, Garfiel and herself had treated the injured post battle.

"…" Subaru looked on in silence, a perplexed expression painted on his face… Was it a feeling of distance? Jealousy? Envy? "Oi, oi, it feels kinda weird…"

"What is it with you now?" Julius asked with boredom.

"Seeing Emilia-tan and Rem, hugging it out at the end of a red carpet, the room exploding in cheers, Marco-Polo's speech and all… Did I accidentally activate the Yuri route? It's sort of hot if you think about it, but I can't help feeling left out..." Subaru shed a tear for his little broken heart, desiring the brides a bright future-

"Your buffoonery… Sometimes, it's shocking beyond words." Julius rolled his eyes with exasperation.

"Huh?! Can't you grieve with me here bud?!" Subaru complained with irritation.

"Grieve 'what' exactly? Your lack of commonsense?"

"Pshh! Unconventionality is my greatest asset, pretty boy."

"Enough chit-chat, you comedy act! Subaru, knight, you are being beckoned by that tall guy, I suppose." Beatrice pointed out with boredom for the pair. "The girlie is already standing by the side of the other Candidates."

"Oh? Already? Man…! That whole ceremony passed by in a flash!" Subaru commented whilst putting Beatrice down. "I'll be back in a sec Beako! Keep my seat warm!"

"We've been standing the whole time, Subaru." Beatrice deadpanned.

"Then keep my steps warm, it's not that hard." Subaru deadpanned back.

"You're a moron." Julius said with annoyance whilst grabbing the hero by the arm. "Did you remember to bring the ceremonial sword at least?"

"Yep, right here-!" Subaru indicated to his side, holding a sheathed sword with his right hand.

"Then let's go already!" Julius hastily said whilst pulling the boy along.

"Yeah, yeah, coming mom!" Subaru complained, following with a brisk step.

Subaru snickered as he walked alongside Julius, the senior reprimanding him all the way due to his laxness and lack of posture. However, one thing did keep the two alert as they approached Marcos-

"…That's Natsuki?!"

"Geh! What disrespect!"

"Can't he at least walk upright?!"

"What does he think this is?!"

"He should be honored! Why is he laughing?!"

"Hoo, boy! Here they go again!" Subaru mumbled to Julius, noticing the anger in the voice of the other knights and nobles. "These people never learn huh? You'd think they'd stop complaining by the time Felt walked along… Who do you think is actually hearing them? For one, I sure wouldn't want to be in a ceremony where I know I'll be butt-hurt 100% of the time."

"I think I'd rather ignore them and keep walking, if we could do that at least…" Julius sweated with frustration as the murmurs continued, dismissing Subaru's words.

"Why in the blazes is Julius-san helping this bum anyway?!"

"What will his father say about this?"

"His family didn't attend the ceremony…"

"I heard they refused…"

"Must be ashamed one of our best knights agreed to work with that nuisance…"

"Are you talking about Natsuki or Candidate Hoshin?"

"Both, in truth…"

"…" Subaru picked up on the things said about Julius, sensing something amiss about the knight's behavior at last. "Yo, hold up, Juli- What's that all about?"

"…Not something you need to know." Julius tried to dismiss again with a stern tone.

"Nope, you ain't dancing away from this one. I didn't even know you had a father, yet your family didn't come to see you get a Medal of Honor? Isn't that kind of a big deal? What's up with that-?" Subaru tried to press, nevertheless.

"Natsuki, Juukulius." They were already standing before the Captain of the Royal Guard.

"Sir." Julius bowed his head immediately, a reverence of respect for his superior officer.

"H-Heya Marco-Polo." Subaru waved, but quickly went on to imitate Julius's stance when he noticed the other knights beside Marcos giving him the stink-eye.

"Let's be professional about this, gentlemen. Considering that the order doesn't precisely have the best opinions of Natsuki, I'd rather we just be civil and avoid unnecessary chaos, like most other times we've met in this hallowed hall." Marcos admitted to Subaru taciturnly. "Just do as rehearsed."

"Completely agree pal- I mean, sir. Do what you gotta do first… I'll be on my best behavior too." The hero assured with sincerity, as he and Julius both knelt before the Royal Guard.

"Now then…" Julius mumbled whilst unsheathing his blade, presenting it to Marcos.

*SHWIN!*

"Good… Julius Juukulius!" Marcos yelled aloud, catching everyone's attention. "Knight of house Juukulius, son of Alviero Juukulius, descendant to one of Lugunica's premier knighthood bloodlines… Tonight, before the esteemed regent Council of Elders, before the honorable gaze of our future Ruler, before the eyes of all prominent nobilities and witnesses across the land, the Royal Guard applauds and rewards the bravery, leadership, spirit and sacrifice you've demonstrated in the face of the enemy."

"Sir! Yes Sir!" Julius raised his head, sternly gazing into Marcos's eyes, acknowledging his commanding aura.

"Julius Juukulius!" Marcos proudly and loudly announced the name of the finest knight again, reaching a hand for his sword.

*SHWIN!*

*SHWIN!-SHWIN!-SHWIN!*

Marcos raised Julius's blade majestically, in one motion, and following suit, all the knights in the room solemnly did so with their swords as well.

"Let none mock the path you've walked!" The Royal Knight ordered, lowering the blade slowly until resting over Julius's left shoulder.

"LET NONE MOCK IT!" The knights repeated in unison.

"Let none forget the weight you bear!" Marcos commanded again, descending the blade towards Julius's right shoulder.

"LET NONE FORGET IT!" The knights once more echoed.

"Rise, Juukulius, Rise!" Marcos ordered the moment he returned the sword to Julius.

"Sir! Yes Sir!" Julius said again whilst sheathing the blade and standing up simultaneously, meeting Marco's gaze properly.

"Upon our pride as knights, to the finest amidst our ranks, who has demonstrated again and again his status as someone for all in the order to strive for… The Dragon's Kingdom of Lugunica bestows upon thee its Medal of Honor, bearing the sigil of the Dragon." Marcos pronounced as a boast, presenting Julius with the military badge.

"Upon my pride as knight…" Julius responded after Marcos affixed the ribbon over his heart. "I swear to forever honor the sacrifice, the courage and fortitude that made this moment possible. I, Julius Juukulius, promise to always display this Medal of Honor with my head held high!"

"…" Throughout the entire act, Subaru remained silent, respectfully avoiding a mistake by throwing in a joke or jab. Instead, he remained pensive about the whole interaction.

I'm still not satisfied 'bout the whole 'Juukulius family drama'… What was that all about? I'll have to ask him latter… Perhaps I'm being too nosy? But then, he's the one giving me crap every five minutes tonight, so I'm gonna be petty and not let it slide so easily.

The Avenger considered with care.

Serious though- I get he's not getting awarded by his Camp's side. He's acting as representative for the whole order of knights as opposed to the Anastasia Camp alone, he left that to the Fang. People know he's affiliated to her, and that he was the one to first announce the coming danger, but it'd be distasteful to focus the majority of the Ceremony around her- at least on paper. Did she strike a deal with Marcos and Bordeaux? Or was this all exclusively a plan of the Council? Making Julius representative of the Royal Guard, a way of establishing the Kingdom's 'ownership' of me, appearance wise… That's was Karen's guess when I told her the lineup of the ceremony, at least. What confuses me is, why not Reinhard too?

Subaru closed his eyes, deep in wonder for just a second.

They didn't reward him as the 'Sword Saint', but only as 'Reinhard van Astrea', knight of Felt. If they wanted to cement the 'feeling' of ownership over me, drive the point properly, they could have done that more effectively by knighting me alongside Rein's award instead of Julius… Is it that they don't want to place me in the same category as the 'Sword Saint'? Is that it? Avoiding a stance that places us as equals? What is the Royal Guard playing at here? Or was this more of a deliberate move from the Council, to say they aren't gonna 'oversee' me with the Sword Saint? A way to feel more relaxed, as though Julius is the only restrain I need…?

Ugh. I'm afraid Karen's conspiracy theory might be rubbing off on me… I don't like the seed of distrust shaking my view of others… I just… Hope this isn't something Julius or Rein willingly agreed to.

Subaru opened his eyes once more, dispelling the thoughts flowing through his head.

Fine, I'll swallow my pride, my doubts, my brains and thoughts. I'll play along to the Kingdom's tune… For now. I gotta focus on appeal at the moment, best I can, so as to appear strong; garner trust, allies, strength… Be prepared against whatever Strange warned us of, no matter what it may be… Gonna be tough though, seeing as public opinion of me always begins on negative twenty. What's my Charisma stat again, anyways?

"—Sword." Marcos said as Julius moved aside, turning to stand at his right, facing Subaru.

"…" Subaru heard Marcos call out to him, but he did not raise his head, he did not look at either him or Julius, and he dared not look at the Candidates or the Council behind them. Instead, in acknowledgement of the order, Subaru reached his ceremonial sword and-

*SHWIN!*

He unsheathed just as elegantly and fluidly as Julius painstakingly taught him to. A practiced motion different to the powerful Astrea swordsmanship or the deadly Sword Demon style, but dignified and regal instead—the quick drawing style of Lugunica's Royal Guard.

"…" Marcos nodded with approval of Subaru's action, and as swiftly as the teenager presented the blade, the Captain held onto it firmly from the handle and raised it high, edge pointing to the ceiling.

The air in the room shifted, for it was the first time since the ceremony's beginnings true silence reigned. No murmurs, no fidgeting, no sighs, no yells, simply true serenity as Marcos slowly but surely lowered the sword until the flat rested upon Natsuki Subaru's left shoulder.

Woah… Subaru beamed in surprised within his mind.

He expected the blade to weight a little bit, as it had weighted during the rehearsals… However, it wasn't the pressure he remembered from those practices. Marcos wasn't putting more strength upon him, nor was it the strain of the steel's density—He simply felt a new weight he wasn't acquainted with.

It was pride.

Not the pride he had on his world and cultures. It wasn't the pride of Japan's traditions or of New York's unconventionality; it wasn't the pride of the Natsuki family's fortitude and resilience or the Parker family's sense of duty. It wasn't the pride of the Avengers' strength or of Spider-Man's great power.

It was the pride of a knight, sworn to protect a liege.

But what liege was he protecting, if he was not promised to a Candidate, to a Lord, to the Kingdom alone? For the first moment since entering the Castle, Subaru shivered with genuine discomfort and preoccupation.

Disquiet, was the sentiment. Unsure, maybe. A last moment of weakness before steeling his resolve for the title he was about to be conferred with.

Guess Juli was right to reprimand my laxness this time around…

Quietly yet firmly, cleaving through the tension in the air as though it were thick fog, Marcos drifted the blade from Subaru's left shoulder over his head and then over his right shoulder.

The quiet falls again as the movement ceases, zeal unpronounced and unsounded yet very much present from the expectant crowd as Subaru took on the full intensity of the blade's weight once more, this time bearing it properly with a solemn expression on his face.

The seconds passed, feeling as an eternity, yet not one person uttered a word. Painstakingly, Subaru remained with his head down, kneeling, the anticipation eating at him as his fists remained clenched. For a solid moment as no one spoke, fighting for the Universe felt much easier in comparison to bearing the mental burden of the investiture.

And just as he felt on the precipice of his nervousness, she broke the silence, as she did the first time they met in that alley…

"To the sun, that washes the realm in radiance, to the stars, that watch over during the veil of night." Emilia started eloquently, an elegant air surrounding her, making even her doubters in the audience gaze at her with emotions akin to admiration. "To the winds, that run freely across the plains and valleys. To the waters, flowing unimpeded through the veins of the land. To the earth, mighty and resilient fosterer of life. To the light, that gives our world warmth and form. To the Spirits, that in all reside…"

"-To the grand world that fostered you in your hour of need-" Felt continued to sing in her most formal voice possible, careful not to let her feelings regarding her own wording slip out. "That adopted you, homed you when your home lied beyond reach."

"To the pride thou has established, nurtured with thy every action, which thou has built without allowing regret or remorse shackled thee." Priscilla proceeded with a loud yet neutral voice, looking down at Subaru with anticipation.

"To all watching over you, your progress and struggle alike, to the world that raised you and the world that adopted you both, to the pride that supports you, that kept you strong in our hour of need." Crusch added to the chant with a portentous tone.

"With no fear in your step, without dread in your heart, with conviction to not falter in the face of doubt, in the face of conflict, always true and honest to yourself and others…" Anastasia lastly spoke with dignified mannerism as Marcos lowered the blade one last time.

"Natsuki Subaru." Marcos vociferated, the boy's name reverberating across the Throne Room.

"…" Subaru raised his head as Marcos presented him with his sword, and as he did, his and Emilia's gazes met. For an instant, they stared at one another, but the boy would break off their little moment by shooting her a playful wink and a cocky smirk.

His eyes drifted then- From the half-elf, to the Duchess, to the former thief, to the Baroness, to the Merchant Princess, to the silent Elders in the back, to the knight of knights quietly evaluating him and at last, to the Royal Guard gifting him the blade.

"Do you swear, now and here, with your head held high… To protect the Kingdom and its ruler hence forth, now and always?" Marcos sternly questioned, the pressure increasing tenfold.

"To the Sun that washes the realm in radiance, to the Stars always watching over us, to the world that saw my birth, to the world that opened its arms to me, to my pride and honor as an Avenger, and to the men and women, commoner and noble that trusted me in their hour of need…" Subaru loudly proclaimed his response, an intense and commanding aura emanating from him, making all that were present that day during the Royal Selection's start recall his speech. "To the Great Spirits, that held me accountable and kept me safe. To the river of truth, that kept me rooted in my beliefs. To my mother and father, that gave birth to me and nurtured my growth. To the aunt and uncle that adopted me, that instilled in me fortitude and responsibility both, I swear."

Subaru then received the blade from Marcos's hands, held it in place as Julius had done so previously and said-

"I will protect this world and this Kingdom. My name is Natsuki Subaru, Hero of Earth-" Subaru sheathed the blade and stood up, facing Marcos, Julius and the Throne properly. "And Lugunica's knight, henceforth."

*CLAP-CLAP-CLAP-CLAP-CLAP-CLAP-CLAP-CLAP-CLAP-CLAP-CLAP-CLAP-CLAP-CLAP-CLAP-CLAP-CLAP-CLAP-CLAP!*

The ceremony ended, and the Throne Room exploded into applause.

After the ceremony, the crowd of guests and knights moved onto Grand Ballroom refurbished with banners of gold and red velvet, with even more exotic buffets than the ones Felt and Mimi had preyed on previously.

Midnight encroached on the Palace as the nobles and merchants mingled with one another, and it was then that Subaru could finally relax a little. Leaning on a pillar, observing the audiences' whispers and conversations about him and the ceremony, watching Petra and Mimi mumble childish gibberish to one another and to Beatrice and Annerose on a distant table… The Avenger exhaled a sigh of relief.

"How did it go with the merchant? Did Anastasia-sama meet with them?"

"A~h, she said she'll arrange a meeting the day after tomorrow, just before she leaves."

"Good… I presume we'll be present in case an eventuality occurs?"

"Yeah, yeah, we'll be. I mean, I'm the guy the promised the meeting in the first place, for a piece of Vibranium… I think she'll like it in the end though!"

"…You know, it would have sufficed with just swearing on the Kingdom's name." Julius, who was leaning beside Subaru, taking on the scenery of the crowded Ballroom, whispered to Subaru before taking a sip of fine wine.

"Huh?" The newly appointed knight turned to look at his senior, caught unaware by the sudden call out.

"I said, you needn't swear on the 'whole' world, Subaru." Julius insisted. "Bit too much delusion of grandeur in that last one, were you to ask me."

"Hey, is it really a delusion of grandeur if I've pulled it off twice already?" Subaru responded with a haughty smile.

"I thought those were… How did you call them, 'team efforts'?" Juukulius reminded him. "But to swear on your lonesome—be careful not to succumb to the weight of your claims."

"A'ight, I'll keep it in mind, pretty boy." Subaru snickered, rolling his eyes at his senior's reprimand. "Can't we at least end the night on a positive note? What do you rate my performance during the ceremony anyways? Scale of 1-100."

"…Seventy." Julius admitted with raised eyebrows, he himself seemed astonished by his own answer.

"Oh? Seventy isn't so bad… Coming from you, all things considered." Subaru took a step back in surprise, an awed gestured drawn on his face. "I'm accustomed to getting high grades in return for my studies though. Where did the other thirty points go to?"

"When Captain Marcos lowered the blade on your shoulders, your face suddenly tensed up; that wasn't subtle for the people in front of you, even if you could hide it from the people in the back. You instantly lost ten points for that slip." The finest knight explained whilst swirling the beverage within the glass. "Five points for the grandeur at the end. The other fifteen for the gesture you did for Emilia-sama; completely unnecessary in every regard. Everything else… it was acceptable."

"Sheesh…! You sure don't mess around with that scoring, huh?!" Subaru sweated as he heard Julius's evaluation. "I was tense as hell during the whole thing! What I wanted most was to scream my lungs out from how much I was stared at the entire time!"

"You've been on the spot before… What was so different this time around?" Julius wondered with interest.

"Considering this was the first time I was in the Throne Room to be rewarded instead of screamed at unilaterally; it's harder to accomplish positive expectations than it is to overturn negative ones, Juli."

"…I suppose that's true. If your reputation's in the mud, you can at least build up from there…" The senior knight answered after a sip.

"When the world properly wishes for you to demonstrate your best side, there's actually a pressure on your shoulders you cannot help but feel as though it will drag you to the underground. And people will remember your mistakes more often than they will your success… My boyish heart hurts knowing that." Subaru shed a tear whilst trying to beg for empathy.

"…" Julius fell silent, however. A silence that felt eerie from Subaru's point of view, considering that was a perfect moment for Juukulius to respond with a jab.

"…Eh?" Subaru tilted his head as Julius was left hanging on his words. "Umm… Julius? Something up man?"

"…You can say some harmful things without even noticing, Subaru." Julius shook his head, trying to dispel the effect from Subaru's words.

"'Harmful' how?" The weirded Subaru inquired to no response again from the solemn knight. "…Actually, there's something else on my mind I've been meaning to ask. 'Bout you, I mean… Perhaps it'll shed some light on that 'how'."

"*Sigh* If it's not something ridiculous… Ask away; I'll answer as best as I can, in return." Julius simply nodded in acknowledgment.

"Okay, so… What's up with your family?" Subaru questioned with worry, rattling Julius. "The whole 'murmur' when we walked on the carpet- how come your own dad didn't come see his son acquire the Medal of Honor? Isn't that a pretty big deal for a lineage of knights?"

"Ah… That." Julius mumbled whilst fixing his hair with his left hand. "I'd say you needn't worry about it, however, you are the type of person that'll throw a tantrum when they get excluded from the gossip, aren't you?"

"Right-o." Subaru vehemently agreed.

"And he agrees without a shred of shame… A bit 'unknightly', to put it mildly." Juukulius brings a hand to his forehead, slowly shaking his head with disappointment. "But I promised, so answer I shall: being truthful— the relationship with my family hasn't been positive since our duel a month ago, Subaru."

"*Gulp!* …Hol' up, wut?" Subaru swallowed a phlegm stuck on his throat, his pupils shrinking with guilt as he heard Julius.

"Don't be so quick to blame yourself, fool; it's written all over your face that that's what you are trying to do." Julius pointed out whilst chuckling. "It's a result of the decision I took that day by myself. Regardless of whether I had won or not, I initiated a conflict with a member of another Government Camp, and that could have cost my Lady greatly. Father and Marcos both chastised me quite harshly afterward, punishing me with domiciliary arrest. Though father… seemed disappointed, to the point of severing contact until three days ago."

"H-Huh…" Subaru felt heavy discussing the topic now.

"When he discovered I was to be awarded a Medal of Honor, the family was not present in the Capital anymore. They had evacuated during the eve of the 'Red Night', and had yet to return from Priestella… And they had no plans of returning until the Manor in the Noble District was reconstructed."

"Up- Sorry, wait, HUH?!" Subaru paused Julius's words before he could continue, astonished by the revelation. "You telling me they didn't come to see you after Ultron?! Knowing you could've died or- or been severely injured, they didn't come to see you?!"

"They had nowhere to stay, fool. If they had-" Julius tried to justify, dismissing Subaru's shock.

"BULLCRAP! You could have died, and they didn't come see you!" Subaru attempted to retaliate against his words. "If they needed a place to stay so badly, we could have procured a tent or something for him! If it's a lineage of knights, they wouldn't have a problem staying in one-!"

"Stop jumping to conclusions simply because pity me; it's insulting." Julius demanded with irritation. "I wrote them a letter a week ago anyways… They never doubted I'd live, I simply did that to inform them of the ceremony, in case they wished to assist."

"But they DIDN'T come see you anyways... KGH! They simply chose not to come see you on your big day cause' they couldn't be bothered then?!" Subaru looked insulted, prompting Julius's surprise now; it finally struck the senior knight it wasn't pity Subaru was feeling for him. It was indignation in his stead. "Man, what the hell! You fought tooth and nail to deserve that ribbon! What gives-?!"

"Can you please not meddle in the affairs of house Juukulius, you obnoxious man-child?" As soon as Subaru was about to rail on the Juukulius household, the reprimand of a teenager stopped him on his tracks.

"Anh?! Sorry pal, I'm kinda bothered by what Juli-senpai over here 'spilled', so can you not- WHAT?!" As Subaru turned to confront the insult, the qualification of 'man-child', he froze astounded by the appearance of-

"Joshua?" Julius mumbled with slight trepidation. "You are here? You came? How- When did you even arrive?"

"…I arrived near the start of the Ceremony; I took a carriage with Russel Fellow. But disregard that, please. Elder Brother… you seem tired, somehow." The man, Joshua Juukulius, said with preoccupation. "Did the alcohol take its toll on you? You wouldn't normally speak this much about-"

"…Subaru, this is my younger brother: Joshua Juukulius." Julius quickly accustomed to Subaru's rapid-fire, deciding to introduce the two. "Joshua, this is-"

"Natsuki Subaru pal, at your service! You can call me Spider-Man, if you catch my drift… You can't call me Spidey yet though, you are not from the neighborhood, and I'm picky about who can call me that. Except Women and children; especially if the women are my type and the children don't make fun of me." Subaru extended his hand, awaiting a shake in return. "Give me five!"

"I-I-I…" Joshua was already exasperated, giving Subaru a displeased glare and leaving the Avenger's hand hanging.

"Oi, Juli, tell 'Monocle' not to leave me hangin' here." Subaru ordered with a deadpanned face and voice.

"What did you just call me?!" Joshua inquired with anger. "How dare you take such a lax stance with me, you-!"

"Oi, it was either that or 'Mini-Juli'. You didn't exactly give me a whole lot to work with here, lil' bro! Hey, that's pretty good! Can I call you lil' bro-?!"

"You'll have to forgive Subaru's antics Joshua, at the very least for the night." Julius stepped in-between, shaking his head. "As you see, it's already monumental effort enough getting him to be formal during ceremonies… Subaru isn't cut out for quietude, despairing as the thought may be."

"…Elder Brother, you shouldn't coddle him so! This man, he's done something to you, hasn't he?!" Joshua protested, his eyes growing surprised at Julius's attitude. "Father sent me because he was worried you were overexerting yourself after the battle, but to see you so tired whilst chaperoning some- some obnoxious buffoon is just-!"

"Wait, that's coddling? Throughout the night, Julius has been harassing my ass-!" Subaru tried to interject, but Joshua wouldn't let him. "Hold it a sec; wind back the clock a little there lil' bro!"

"What now?" Joshua looked at Subaru with irritation, but he fell quiet when he realized the insult written in Subaru's face.

"Your dad sent you here to check on Julius NOW?!" Subaru's mood shifted as he pointed a finger at Joshua's face. "Where the hell was he these past two weeks, huh?! The road to Priestella is pretty long, so I already couldn't buy it when Juli told me he was there— So 'WHAT' is the real, honest to god excuse for neither you nor your family coming to see Juli until now, huh?! You even know how injured the guy was after the battle?! Coulda troubled yourself a little to come see him-!"

"I don't recall asking for your opinion on our household's matters; quit your attempts of meddling in Elder Brother's life, you ignorant, petulant simpleton!" Joshua shouted, irate over Subaru's persistence.

"Enough, Joshua!" Julius said to his sibling with rebuke. "Subaru, you as well!"

"Elder Brother?!" Startled, Joshua flinched.

"I understand your distaste for Subaru and his language, but he is not yet accustomed to our world's customs! Despite that, he is now a knight of the Kingdom too, so express the appropriate respect he deserves properly!" Julius argued with disappointment.

"But he-! Kuh-!" Joshua clicked his tongue the moment Julius reprimanded him, glaring at Subaru all the while.

"And Subaru." Julius's stern expression fixated on the Avenger, his reproaching tone dissipating Subaru's gutsiness in an instant. "I appreciate your attempts of defending me before my family, but I refuse to condone your one-sided reprimands against my father and my brother both. I wished to vent a little, 'tis the whole reason I spoke with you about it… It was a lapse in judgment, which I realize now. Even if appreciated, I don't need your meddling, truly, so I ask you forget all we've talked just now."

"Uuhhh, hey, Juli? It's fine, man! I didn't want to get between you and Lil' bro or- or your dad… for that matter! I was just… joking… around…" Subaru tried, but he couldn't dissuade the sudden tension around him at all. "Ahaha… Ha… Ugh…"

"…My apologies for my rash behavior, Sir Natsuki. It was unbecoming of me… It won't happen again." Joshua bowed with adequate respect, clenching his fists in anger. As he raised his head, however, he turned to look at Julius with lingering guilt and resentment both. "…You've changed, Elder Brother. You aren't just tired, you are also…"

"…Subaru, if you would excuse us." Julius inclined his head close to Subaru's side, while at the same time leaving his empty glass by a table.

"Huh? Oh, y-yeah, go on… Don't mind me." Subaru nodded in confusion.

"Joshua, come with me. We… need to talk about something." Julius said in a softer, kinder voice, beckoning his sibling closer.

"…Yes, Elder Brother." The worried Joshua accepted in defeat, and so, he and Julius walked away from Subaru, away from the crowd altogether.

They diminished in the distance, until finally; they exited the Ballroom through the main gate, leaving as though they had never been there in the first place.

"…What was that all about, huh?" The Avenger asked himself, but received no answer. It felt like a sudden wall had suddenly sprouted between him and Julius.

Every time I think I'm making friends with that guy, even the most remote connection, it seems as though something happens that takes everything back to square one... The whole family, honor, pride and appearances shtick is gonna eat him alive one day, at this rate.

"Now then, I thought I had seen a familiar figure here… What reason would the knight of knights have to leave the hall when someone was approaching him already?" A sudden cold, perturbing voice rattled Subaru's ears from behind.

"Egh, sorry pal, but if you wanted to talk to Juli, you just missed… Ulp!" When Subaru turned around, he noticed to whom that voice belonged to-

"Greetings, Natsuki Subaru… Ah, no, that is not right. I should be saying 'Congratulations on your investiture, Sir Natsuki'." The man mockingly corrected himself as Subaru stared back at him and his guard with dread. "I assume you don't know me, based on the fact that you cannot muster a word out of your mouth… Allow me to introduce myself: Sacred Empire of Vollachia's fourth seat of the Divine Generals, Chisha Gold."

"…T-The friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, Natsuki Subaru." Subaru tried to compose himself, extending a hand for Chisha to shake, however-

*SHWIN!*

*Step!*

"Uh-?!" Subaru rapidly took a step back as his Spider-Sense went off; the moment he tried to shake hands with Chisha, the guard behind him put himself between the two, staring daggers at Subaru. And it wasn't just daggers he was staring… He had also swung one at Subaru from under his cloak.

"…'Tis fine, soldier. Be at ease." Chisha ordered his guard whilst reviewing Subaru's movements. "Don't worry about him, Sir Natsuki; that was simply a reflex. He's trained for combat the moment someone makes an untoward approach."

"Riiiight…" Subaru slowly nodded in acknowledgement, but still distrusting the man in the cloak and Chisha both.

Juli took a perfect moment to leave, huh?! He was supposed to mediate between these pair of psychos and me! How can you be so maniacal as to flash a blade in a room full of politicians and nobles?! Is the Empire nuts?! …Hm?

*BZZZZZZZ~*

A rather loud fly suddenly flew between Subaru and Chisha, staring at the alarmed Avenger intently before flying into the cloaked man's robes, disappearing altogether afterwards.

"That wasn't a normal fly, was it? I didn't even see or heard it until it was within a few meters of me…" Subaru had come to distrust the insects of this world after witnessing techniques like Otto and Ram's Divine Protections; seeing the fly rejoin the cloaked man simply reinforced his prediction. "Julius leaving wasn't coincidental… You wanted to talk to me alone. That fly wasn't normal; it was a spy of yours, eh?"

"…The worried younger brother was a perfect pawn for such a move; all we had to egg him on that the 'new knight' was extorting his 'Elder Brother' after their duel a month ago, and he simply sank into the sayings right after." Chisha mocked Joshua's worries. "In the time we haven't seen each other the scions of House Juukulius have become quite shaky in their resolve and fundamentals…"

"Oi, don't be mocking Julius asshole…" Subaru snapped back, irritated by Chisha's comments. "So Joshua's disgust of me was you, huh?!"

"Apologize, you insolent bastard." Chisha's guard demanded.

"…Nah, I don't feel like it; respect begets respect, and you have none." Subaru responded with contempt for Chisha and the escort both. "I may be rude, but the pair of you are beyond that. If you wanted respect, should have just come talk to me with Juli present in the first place."

"Tsk!" The guard flashed the dagger again, threatening Subaru.

"Soldier." Chisha murmured, sending an explicit order to the cloaked man.

"…" The escort took a step back, hiding the dagger again, but keeping his eyes keen on Subaru's figure. Then… He began circling around the Avenger.

"Flanking me? You really wanna go with all these people present? You want a conflict with the Kingdom that badly; you'd threaten a newly appointed knight the evening of his ceremony?" Subaru tried to speak logic to the two.

"Oh, worry not; the soldier does not intend to attack… yet. He is simply making sure of some things. For the moment, why don't we play a simple game?" Chisha covered his mouth with his fan, in a fashion much similar to Priscilla's own. "I shall ask thou some simple questions; in return, answer them truthfully."

"Rather one-sided, aren't you?" Subaru scowled as his voice turned stern.

"I think it's rather fair." Chisha rebutted with cold, fake cheer. "If either of us does something the other doesn't like, it'll turn into a fisticuff with my soldier."

"And regardless of the fault, of who starts the fight… It'll snowball into a conflict between Lugunica and Vollachia." Subaru deducted tiredly.

"Neither of us wants that now, do we? If that is the case, answer mine questions truthfully, Sir Natsuki." Chisha ordered again. "I'm a curious man… I like knowing a lot of things from the people around me."

"Hmph… You are so creepy, you remind me of Ros-chi." The teenager clicked his tongue whilst shaking his head. "Frick it- Go ahead, fire your shot."

"Natsuki Subaru… Were you born in Vollachia, yes or no?" Chisha began.

"No." Subaru responded stoically.

"Why is your hair black?"

"I inherited it from my father."

"Was he born in Vollachia?"

"He was born in Japan."

"Where is this 'Japan' you speak of?"

"In my home world."

"Are you really from another world?"

"Yes."

"What was the name of this Realm?"

"Earth."

"Hmph, how boorishly simple…" Chisha mocked, trying to fish a reaction out of Subaru. "What is the meaning of the title 'Spider-Man'? How did you acquire it?"

"…Self-imposed. I became strong after a special spider bit me, granting me powers beyond human."

"A 'special' critter, hum…" Chisha and his guard exchanged curious looks. The escort in particular wondered with precaution.

"Then? Was that it?" Subaru asked, to which Chisha shot him a glare.

"Not in the least… But I wager you'll like some of the coming questions." The Divine General smirked. "How old were you when the spider bit you?"

"Fourteen."

"Just around the age of rites…" The cloaked man murmured with suspicion, shooting a glance at Chisha.

"…" Chisha nodded as the cloaked man looked at him, and then, he stared back at Subaru with renewed suspicion. "I'll ask you again: Were you born in Vollachia, yes or no?"

"I already said no?" Subaru seemed displeased with the repeated question.

"Why do you lie?" Chisha's tone turned even more severe and freezing, his eyes narrowing on the teenager.

"I do not lie; you just don't wanna accept I'm not from the Empire."

"…" Chisha and the cloaked man nodded at one another then, figuring Subaru must be hiding something. "…Are you familiar with Vollachia's Insect Cage Tribe?"

"No, I'm not…" Subaru could see where Chisha was headed to then. "Ah, I see… You cannot believe in the story of Ultron and multiple worlds out there, so you think I'm an scammer from Vollachia trying to make it grand in Lugunica? That it?"

"Hoh…" Chisha did not answer, instead, he gazed Subaru up and down for a bit and stayed silent.

"…Feitan behind me, is he from that 'Insect Tribe' or whatever? Were you trying to test if I was related to him?" Subaru continued whilst pointing at the cloaked man. "Well, I'm not. For one, spiders and insect are different fundamentally. Spiders DEVOUR insects… Didn't you know that?"

*GRAB!*

"KUH-?!" All of a sudden, the cloaked man froze in place… No, he was forcefully held in place by an invisible entity, all whilst Subaru stared back at him with pity.

"?!" Chisha reacted with surprise when he realized something wrong was occurring with his escort.

"You said if your guard and I fought, it'd spell trouble for the Empire and Lugunica both, right? But… If your guard were to have an accident and 'simply' die, that'd be another thing altogether. I haven't touched him, ergo, he just dropped dead. Plain and simple. Lugunica has no fault in that… So we'd get off scot-free if he becomes a corpse all of a sudden." Subaru ominously explained, making Chisha flinch with wonder.

"Kugh… HAH!" The cloaked man suddenly fell past Subaru, landing before Chisha's feet with exhaustion.

"I don't think you get it pal… I'm not here playing pretend or anything of the sort; I'm here to fight for those that can't fight for themselves." Subaru declared with a discontent expression. "Because… I know what being weak feels like, and I won't let myself forget that."

"Wh-Why you-!" The cloaked man stood back up, ready to plunge dagger first at Subaru, however.

*Hold!*

"Wait!" Chisha ordered as he put a hand on his guard's shoulder. "It's over… We cannot continue with this anymore."

"But he-!" The escort tried to protest, but Chisha only shook his head.

"No; you don't know all he has up his sleeve. Just leave it here for now." Chisha whispered to the cloaked man.

"…Don't follow." Subaru demanded as he left the two standing there, walking away towards an open window, towards the balconies east of the Ballroom.

"Hmph…" Chisha looked back in contempt at the retreating Subaru, who could so confidently give his back to men that antagonized him seconds prior. "I missed my chance to recruit him… But the information we have is useful enough for now."

*WHOOOSH~!*

"Quite windy tonight, huh?" Subaru murmured "You are a real piece of shit, aren't you Ros-chi?"

"Bu~sted." Roswaal said from behind Subaru… Or rather, Roswaal's silhouette, which was reflected on a window, responded.

"You realize how much I died internally just now? Acting like some 'cringy' wannabe badass?" Subaru contested with exasperation. "What was that about?! When did you appear anyways?!"

"Oh, I've been around since the start of the ceremony, Su~baru-kun." Roswaal's silhouette on the curtain mocked with a laugh.

"What a treat… Then what was that earlier? With the Vollachian escort?"

"Why, I si~mply wished to help a frie~nd, child. Is that not allo~wed anymore?" Roswaal inquired tauntingly.

"By hiding in his shadow, casting a gravity spell, almost crushing him to death?" Subaru enumerated with boredom. "Why are you here, really? Shouldn't you be with Strange?"

"I was with him until recently, I assure you. I si~mply decided to take a bre~ak, considering it's been quite the hectic months for me… Ah, but it's only been a few weeks' ti~me in this dimension, hasn't it?"

"Time dilation…" Subaru scratched his forehead tiredly. "So that's how you could learn those spells in such a short time, eh? Are you even here physically, or are you hiding in that other dimension?"

"If you kne~w, then it wouldn't be fu~n." The shadow Roswaal responded.

"Fine… Whatever." Subaru shook his head.

"Somehow, you don't sound sa~tisfied?"

"How could I? Had to play part in some creepy clown's charade. What do you think he's gonna tell the Emperor?"

"That Lugunica's new knight is no simpleton, Su~baru-kun." Roswaal explained. "I knew some trouble could sprout while I was awa~y… I cannot let you stir the pot so carelessly, especially so when E~milia-sama no longer has my backing."

"Wow, how I appreciate it… You distrust her too much-"

"And you too little."

"Part of befriending someone is having faith in them, too." Subaru spat back.

"Hmm~?" Roswaal wondered with curiosity for Subaru's intentions. "No… No matter, for the mo~ment. For now, my real interest… was coming to see~ you."

"Even if Ros-chi can hide, that doesn't fly for you just as good, four-eyes." Subaru warned as he and the shadow Roswaal turned to the other side of the balcony. "Clind, was it?"

"Ah… So he acknowledges me, at last." Clind applauded as he sprouted from the shadows of the night.

"Cli~nd, if you wouldn't mind?" Roswaal asked politely, to which the butler abided.

"Yes, Roswaal-sama." Clind bowed his head to the shadow before looking at Subaru.

"He calls you 'sama'… Huh, so there's still some bootlicker out there that sucks up to you." Subaru commented.

"Subaru-sama… Would you not reconsider rejoining Emilia-sama's side?" Clind asked in a polite manner.

"…" Subaru stood silent for a few seconds before responding. "If we could wind the clock back a bit, I think I would have liked to stay in the Emilia Camp… But…"

"But…?" Clind prodded.

"But I want to help as much people as possible, as much I can here in the Capital." Subaru affirmed, overlooking the dilapidated city in the distance from the balcony. "Look at them… So many lost their homes, and many more their loved ones. There's no way I couldn't feel responsible for that, considering I'm the one that lead the charge. Even disregarding the political shit-show it'd be to rejoin her Camp after establishing an Alliance for peace… Sorry man, I can't go back to Emilia. Not when there's people that need me, right here."

"…Look at you, Su~baru-kun." Roswaal spoke despondently. "Acting all high and mighty, as though you were the ruler and everyone else the pawn on your palm."

"Eh?" Subaru faced the silhouette in surprise.

"You've long rejected the path of a 'Sage', yet you'd cling tooth and nail to the path of a 'Hero'… Self-righteous prick that thinks he can decide who lives and di~es." Roswaal mocked with a cold voice. "It's even more disgusting than me, were one to look at it objectively… I have no pity for you, and I will not have it either when you lay broken on the floor, like a ragged doll."

"…" Subaru felt alarmed; the Spider-Sense activated, he definitely felt threatened by Clind and Roswaal both. "You are not insane enough to try anything stupid, are y-?"

"Clind." Roswaal ordered.

"I understand." And Clind made a gesture with his hand. "*Sigh* What melancholy you couldn't just say 'yes'..."

*SWOOOOSH!*

"WHA-?!" In the nick of time, Subaru barely avoided a barrage of attacks from Clind's direction. "The hell was that?! Clind, Roswaal?!"

The spot in which the Avenger had been standing on a second prior was just a collapsing mess of brick bits and dust now, as though an explosion had gone off… Yet, the bricks that were there a second ago simply ceased to exist, nothing left behind but a perfectly round crater and some dust.

"How troublesome… Can you not just die properly?" Clind inquired again, and then-

*CRASH!*

*CRASH!*

*CRASH!*

"Kuh!" Subaru barely managed to avoid the space deletion occurring around him, but due to his continuous dodging, the distance between himself and Clind had grown significantly. They were now several meters from one another.

"…It's been a while, since someone was so hard to pinpoint." Clind admitted with a colder tone, removing his glasses and wiping the dust off them, yet never ceasing eye contact with Subaru.

"Tch-!" Subaru raised his left hand in Clind's direction.

*THWIP!*

From his wrist, a widespread string of webs shot forward, covering the balcony with the intent of enveloping Clind and stopping his movements. This was futile, however.

*FWOOOSH!*

The webbing dissipated into thin air as it met Clind's unseen power, the pair ending in a stalemate staring each other down once again.

"This guy…" Subaru sweated whilst pretending to shoot lightning web next.

What the fuck are Roswaal and Clind thinking?! Why would they try to kill me now of all times?! And that power… It wouldn't even leave a corpse behind! Doesn't feel like magic though… If anything, it reminds me of Sekhmet's Authority! Wait, is he actually-?!

"What is going on here?!" Before either Clind or Subaru could continue their scuffle, the gruff voice of an old swordsman interrupted them. "Subaru-dono!"

"Wilhelm! Wait, stop!" Subaru warned, wary of Clind's next move and the potential it represented to involve the old butler, however-

"Ah, Wilhelm-dono… Worry not, nothing is occurring at the moment." Clind politely responded, recovering his servile stand before the Sword Demon, a full 180° from his previous acts.

"…" Wilhelm however did not buy it, not even for a second. Examining the balcony under the moonlight, noticing the remainders of a fight as well as Subaru's panicked expression, he realized something was amiss. Therefore, he unsheathed the hidden short sword under his jacket. "Clind-dono… What is the meaning of this?! Why were you attacking Subaru-dono, in the Royal Palace, after his knighting ceremony no less?! What sort of insolence is this?!"

"…I believe there is some confusion here." Clind calmly explained, laughing away Wilhelm's pointing. "Subaru-sama and I simply had a disagreement, nothing more-"

"Bullshit! You almost turned me into Swiss cheese you bastard!" Subaru yelled back. "Wilhelm, get away from him! Go get-!"

"Would you two really ruin Emilia-sama with such a scandal?" Roswaal's shadow asked from behind WIlhelm.

*SLASH!*

"When-?!" Wilhelm swung his sword, but all it cut was the curtain the silhouette was projected upon. The shadow Roswaal… remained unharmed.

"…Emilia-sama's butler attempted to assassinate Natsuki Subaru during his knighting ceremony's celebrations, but he is thwarted by the Sword Demon and apprehended." Roswaal responded, stunning Subaru and Wilhelm both. "After she struggled so much to gain the approval of others, now that she has become a noblewoman herself and established an ama~zing reputation amidst the Ca~pital's lords… Could you really ruin that for her, Su~baru-kun?"

"Roswaal?! How?!" Wilhelm wondered with horror.

"It's a spell! He's not here, Wil!" Subaru explained, rushing to the swordsman's side. "He's talking to us from wherever Strange is… Like an astral projection of sorts!"

"So you finally realized the trick, Su~baru-kun… But regardless, you will not report this." Roswaal tauntingly assured. "You have not the evidence I was here, and at this time, Clind is supposed to be with Annerose. Do you really think this the appropriate time to attempt a~nything?"

"Keukh!" Subaru clenched his fists and teeth with irritation, feeling impotence over what Roswaal was saying. Even if Emilia and the others believe him, which he know many will, there is only harm to the half-elf's reputation that can come from this, and all due to Roswaal's schemes. Again…

"You assume too much, clown." Wilhelm insulted the shadow. "You and your servant… Do not think for a second my Lady and the knights will not know about it!"

"Tell them so… Ruin Emilia-sama if you so wish that desperately, Wilhelm. It's simply a shame… You are someone I dee~ply respect, sir. I'd rather you hadn't witnessed any of this." Roswaal's silhouette sounded solemn whilst staring at the enraged butler.

"…I've been tailing that butler of yours since my suspicions arose; he's the spitting image of the man I met almost forty years back. How could that be, if in that time three generations of the Mathers' lineage have come and gone?" Wilhelm accused with disdain. "Explain, now-!"

"Look at the time…" Clind said whilst producing a time lagmite in the shape of a pocket watch, ignoring Wilhelm's suspicions. "Lady Annerose will be troubled indeed if I cannot return on time… How problematic you turned out to be Natsuki, Sword Demon."

"Wait…!" Subaru wanted to stop Clind on his tracks… However, he felt unable to, knowing what that would do to Emilia's reputation.

"Clind… WHAT are you? We've met before, in my youth… I do not believe you to have demi-human blood that could slow your aging and yet… I think you are not fully human either." Wilhelm shot an accusatory tone at the butler as he disappeared into the night.

"That is… None of your concern, Wilhelm-dono. Now if you'll excuse me, Annerose-sama awaits. Subaru-sama… Enjoy the evening." Clind bowed his head before departing, vanishing into the shadows of the balcony. "Let's meet again, under 'peaceful' circumstances."

*Fwoosh…*

"He's gone…" Subaru whispered in awe. "Roswaal's shadow too… Was this his way of saying he can still pull strings, even when not here? Piece of… Oi, Roswaal! If you are there, tell Strange I'm punching him next time we meet!"

"Tsk…" Wilhelm clicked his tongue while sheathing his blade. "…Are you fine, Subaru-dono?"

"Yeah, I'm alright… Thanks, Wil." Subaru thanked the butler profusely. "I was about to go for real against four-eyes."

"This incident- I HAVE to report it to Crusch-sama, Subaru-dono." Wilhelm warned with worry. "It'd feel as though we'd be infringing on the Emilia Camp's affairs were we to pursue an investigation, but such a blatant attempt on your life cannot be ignored."

"…I fear Roswaal might be capable of more things than just that, Wil. As he said, I cannot tell the knights, considering how it could ruin Emilia's rep... But I'll tell her and her Camp, I promise." Subaru swore to the Sword Demon. "I'll warn her that Clind is still Roswaal's lackey; surely we can work something out from there between the two Camps, or even the other three as well if it becomes too troublesome."

"Hmm, that'd be a sensible decision, taking into account Emilia-sama's delicate standing. I cannot promise anything regarding Crusch-sama's subsequent actions… But I shall appeal to your idea, at least." Wilhelm approved before returning inside. Just as he was about to walk back to the Crusch's side, he turned to look at Subaru one last time that night. "But this is your safety we are talking about, nevertheless… Are you sure? About not telling the knights? Not even Julius-dono?"

"…Wilhelm, there's a bunch of stuff I keep to myself, yet I've been able to sort it all out for the best in the end." Subaru reassured, although he looked guilty doing so. "Don't worry… I'll do something, pinky promise. Clind and Roswaal will not harm anyone again, s'long as I'm around. Karen, Beako and I, I mean. That's not a weight I can carry alone, so I'll carry it with those two by my side."

"More than you can carry alone, so you'll have someone carry it with you?" Wilhelm murmured to himself with a bit of pride. "I see… Then take care, Subaru-dono."

"…" Subaru stood still for a moment, admiring the moon with doubt, before deciding to return inside.

For some minutes, he meandered around, greeting guests and others that would thank him for his service the past month, as well as those that would repudiate him for his self-centered and brazenly attitude towards their world. In reality, Subaru was just looking for Emilia and the others, but he had been unsuccessful in finding them until-

"OH! Cap'n!" By the side of Otto, Ram and Rem, and surrounded by plates and casseroles filled to the brim in exquisite meals, Garfiel opened his mouth mid bite to salute the Avenger approaching him.

"Ah! Garf!" "Ram and Rem too! And Otto, I guess…" Subaru ignored the disgusting sight of chewed food within Garfiel's mouth and saluted back with a smile and a wave.

"What do you mean 'I guess'?!" Otto cried.

In the middle of the banquet tables, Subaru found the Emilia Camp thanks to Garfiel gorging on sweets and meat, the half-beast boy having acquired a real penchant for refined delicacies in his short time at the Castle. However, he would devour them just as wildly as he would devour wild deer or bear meat.

Soon after, he rendezvoused with Beatrice and Petra too, minus Emilia herself, who continued greeting envoys and lords by the side of the other Candidates and the Council as part of the campaign. As they sat around a table to wait for her, Subaru informed them of the recent happenings…

"Is that true-?!" Otto inquired with a pale face, sweating bullets. "Clind did?!"

"Too true, sorry." Subaru affirmed with a simple nod. "Clind is still in cahoots with Roswaal. Wilhelm managed to interrupt our fight, but as it stands, he is likely already informing Crusch as we speak… Not much I can do about keeping it under wraps, folks."

"This is troublesome…" Rem affirmed with restrained anger. "Of all times that backstabber would decide to make a move, during Subaru-kun's ceremony is just…"

"Keh! When me'self next sees dat four-eyed twat, I'm sockin' 'im right in da nose-!" Garfiel threatened with reddened eyes.

"Don't be rash, you temperamental child." Beatrice reproached whilst holding Petra's hand, comforting the anxious junior maid. "The best move right now would be to remain quiet and observe, in fact."

"How come?! Dat fucker tried ta kill Cap'n just minutes ago! How aren't ya outraged?!" Garfiel exclaimed with anger.

"He stopped the moment someone interrupted, Garf. Especially so, that someone was a member of another Government Camp." Ram explained with consideration. "Chances are, seeing how Clind's 'ability' worked… he planned on leaving no corpse behind. The moment he was seen, that plan crumbled to nothing; he cannot risk pulling anything such as that in the near future."

"…You are not saying that simply because you are on Roswaal's side, are you?" Petra interrupted with an accusatory and saddened tone.

"…" Ram turned away from the young maid in silence.

"…Clind said he'd be with Annerose. Where is she at the moment, Petra?" Subaru asked with caution, feeling the tension in the air.

"Annerose-sama claimed she felt tired, so she returned to the carriage with Clind and Frederica-neesama to rest…" Petra worried immediately. "Y-You don't think he'd attempt anything against Annerose-sama and Frederica, Subaru?!"

"Nah, he won't." Subaru reassured with a smirk, making the girl relax a little. "Roswaal and Clind's beef is with me exclusively, their entire act would crumble the moment something happened to anyone at the Emilia Camp, I'm sure. I don't think Frederica even knew either, what with Clind talking about not having the time to pursue a fight in the first place. In addition, in Roswaal's explicit words, Emilia is his 'hope', so he wouldn't do anything that'd put her alone on the spot, let alone risk her candidacy. If he failed with Clind, then he won't try again… For now."

"…Having said that, we should take precautions nonetheless." Otto affirmed in a stern tone. "We shouldn't go anywhere too dark alone, in case Roswaal attempted to contact us through those 'shadows' Sorcerer Strange taught him. Likewise, we should avoid solitude with Clind as well. He'd be less likely to attempt anything untoward when confronted in numbers."

"Why can't we just kick dat shithead out? If he's dat dangerous!" Garfiel voiced his anxiety about keeping Clind around the Camp.

"Better under vigilance than him doing whatever, Garf. Barusu, are you certain no one else saw what happened?" Ram questioned with intrigue.

"Positive; Roswaal made sure to get me alone, sole reason Wilhelm caught us was because he was suspicious of Clind from beforehand and was looking for him." The Avenger admitted. "On that note, I decided to keep exposure of it at a minimum too; Emilia-tan's reputation would come out harmed were I to claim her butler attempted an assassination in a ceremony behind everyone's backs."

"I agree." Otto nodded his head in approval of Subaru's decision. "The knights or Council knowing could endanger Emilia-sama politically, any scandal could, really. For now, our only worries are keeping amicable with Crusch-sama. If Wilhelm-dono explained the situation to her, then there should not be much issue; we will need to be careful nonetheless… Of others trying to claim we are not trustworthy as a whole, if it becomes an open secret within her Camp or the others."

"Ngh… I'mma keep me eye train'd on dat Clind, then." Garfiel assured with a displeased face, hating the situation. In a celebration like today's, he shouldn't have to worry about Roswaal's schemes. "Even if he attacked Cap'n fer followin' da clown's orders, fucker could still try ta pull a fast one on us, even if he ain't allowed ta kill."

"*Sigh* Guess I ruined everyone's mood with that tidbit, huh? Everything right after the investiture has been nothing but stressful in retrospect, and it's only been a couple of hours at best!" Subaru complained whilst rubbing his shoulder.

"That's simply how things will be going forward, Barusu. You don't go against the way the world works without expecting trouble along the way." Ram assured with a cold tone. "You should have watched your step the moment you met Roswaal-sa-"

"Subaru-kun would have no need to 'watch' his step if Roswaal had simply done his duty as Margrave in the first place, Ram." Rem shot back with an equally glacial lip.

"…" Ram stood silent in response, narrowing her gaze on the relaxed Avenger. "For someone that was almost murdered, he sounds almost serene."

"You still doubt me by now? Sheesh! Tough customer… If I feared some butler of all people, then I wouldn't be a knight worth his salt." Subaru shot back with a smirk. "Face it, I've already chosen to face the future with a grin, come what may. If neither Thanos nor Ultron could wipe it, then Roswaal and Clind aren't gonna fare that well either."

"You should feel sorry at least, Barusu." Ram reprimanded to the unimpressed Avenger.

"For what?! Almost getting killed?!" Subaru groaned with annoyance.

"Why must your sleazy attitude trouble others, even at this hour? We aren't even on the same Camp anymore, yet Barusu always finds a way to disrupt things among us… What a wreck of a man you are."

"Bleh, cry me a river, nee-sama." Subaru stuck out his tongue, dismissing Ram's serious chastising with humor. "And here I wanted to worry over you, ask you if the potions Strange gave you were doing you any favors… Guess I AM dumb for worrying."

"…Far as it goes, that Sorcerer did his due diligence in delivering them to Ram, nothing more." The irritated maid said whilst standing up, ready to walk away from the table. "And yes… They've been a suitable replacement for mana, but they are not Roswaal-sama."

"So it isn't just some overblown Boko fruit, eh?" Subaru tried to ask, but Ram simply turned away from the group.

"…If you need Ram, she'll be with Annerose-sama." Ram despondently answered and left.

"Hngh…" Garfiel, who couldn't get a word in through the entire exchange, lamented with irritation.

"Leave it be, Garf." Otto reassured while patting the boy on the shoulder. "As it stands, Ram has quite a few unresolved feelings on her part. Natsuki-san?"

"Yeah… Perhaps I assumed too much thinking she'd be on our side on the issue of Clind." Subaru also regretted.

"Ram… I hope she will come around one day…" Rem too felt sorry for her twin, the landscape of Roswaal's aftermath just driving a deeper and deeper rift between the two oni.

"…" Beatrice wondered in silence, however. For her, even if she was infuriated with Roswaal for attempting yet again to end her contractor's life, there was something amiss in the whole interaction between Subaru and Roswaal. The anger and self-deprecation for not being present when it occurred just meters away from her mixed until becoming suspicions… "Rather than lament, we should take the time to advise the girlie, I suppose."

"I'll go talk to her then." Subaru offered quickly. "You guys… Well, it's probably just about the worst thing I can recommend by now, but try to enjoy the rest of the night, alright? Beako, can you stay here with Petra for a while? It'd feel much safer with that being the case-"

"Are you sure, Subaru-kun?" Rem wondered with preoccupation written on her face.

"I'd think she'd want to hear it from the source of trouble himself, maid." Beatrice assured indifferently. "However, Betty feels compelled to advising her Subaru against wandering off like that without her."

"Relax you two; if I could stand my ground against Clind, then I'm sure he wouldn't try so soon again." Subaru reassured before walking away. "But hey! I'm sure by the Selection's end, when Clind is behind bars and Roschi with a boot up his rear, this will all be something to look back upon with laughter… Yeah, we'll laugh about this someday."

"Wait, you are leaving too?" Otto inquired with vexation, stopping Subaru in his step.

"Well, I gotta find her, don't I?" Subaru contended. "And, before I forget, sorry Petra; I won't be going to Arlam anytime soon, it seems. Too much work left to do here in the Capital… But I'll be in contact, I promise!"

"Subaru! I-I mean, Subaru-sama!" Petra corrected herself before sending the teenager off. "…Thank you for everything! Take care!"

"…" Subaru smiled with sincerity before walking away in search of Emilia. "I will!"

Meanwhile, by the Ballroom's west balconies, opposite to Subaru's location…

"Fuu…" Emilia relaxed when sitting on a bench, her legs cramped from the constant standing around.

"You seem tired, Emilia-dono." Crusch commented, leaning on the windowsill leading into the Ballroom. "Is it the first time you've attended a formal ceremony like this?"

"Of this kind, yes… I did not consider greeting people could turn out as taxing as it did, Crusch-san." Emilia chuckled whilst straightening her posture.

"You should get accustomed, then." The Duchess recommended with understanding. "I've attended many since childhood, and no doubt I'll attend many more in the future… All of them rather tiring, in truth."

"You find them tiring too, Crusch-san?" Emilia seemed surprise by the sudden revelation.

"Shouldn't I? Keeping up a confident smile for others is easier in battle, when it's meant for my soldiers. My backers too, I found it comfortable showing off my strengths before them… But being made to wear dresses and play a nice act for envoys and delegations is tiring in contrast. Maybe that just makes me an oddity amongst women of noble birth." Crusch admitted with a smile. "Whenever I think about it… I cannot recall the last time I wore a dress for someone with sincerity. No… I do recall, but that person is long..."

"Crusch-san?" Emilia noted the melancholy written on the Duchess's face with vexation.

"…I'd wear a dress, if Prince Fourier asked me to." Crusch admitted, regaining her composure.

"Prince Fourier… What kind of man was he?" Emilia wondered with fascination, it was not often she could so casually talk with someone other than Subaru, but she felt happy Crusch would confide in her.

"Let's see… If I were to compare, Subaru-dono reminds me a little of him." Crusch smiled, reminiscing with wonder. "Not in appearances of course, and they definitely aren't a mirror of each other personality wise. However, I have the sensation they would have made steadfast friends."

"That's surprising… Rea~lly? Then, how were they alike?" Emilia felt intrigued by the admission.

"Hmm… Fourier had his moments of wisdom, of clarity that permitted him to see what others would ignore. Along with that, he took proper accountability for his actions, without shirking the duty. Nevertheless, even when he acted a storm and tried to look bigger than he was; for those that truly knew him, we could tell he was always plagued by his share of doubts and insecurities." Crusch remembered, imagining him before her. "But in the end, he'd always see the good side of things… I suppose that's what he was able to see in me."

"See in you? What does that mean?"

"He saw in me his wife, Emilia-sama. As such, he admitted on his last moments." Crusch responded with a solemn look.

"Ah!" Emilia's curiosity got the best of her in a moment of weakness, so she soon tried to correct herself. "Ah, no, m-my apologies! I did not mean to ask something so personal-!"

"…" Crusch smiled at the memory of the boy she met in the Castle's gardens, when they were naught but rambunctious children, when she confused him for a thief after he fell atop the bushes, startling her. What a curious way for one to meet their country's prince… "Yes… I'd say it was love. In retrospect, I want to say I loved him too."

"…!" Emilia blushed as Crusch confessed. In that moment, a sliver of a second, Emilia saw a glint in Crusch's eyes she did not think possible. She was gorgeous under the moonlight, almost ethereal, admitting to her heart's yearn, of a time gone already…

*Knock-knock!*

"Crusch-sama? Are you here, perchance?" As Emilia failed to regain her words, Wilhelm came into the scene. He seemed hasty in exiting the Ballroom, as though he had been looking for someone. "Ah, Emilia-sama…"

"G-Greetings, Wilhelm-dono…" Emilia nodded whilst standing up, acknowledging the butler's presence.

"Wilhelm? Is something wrong?" Crusch was shaken from her maidenly manner by Wilhelm's appearance, and his face quickly alerted to her that something odd had occurred.

"There's… Something I must talk with you, Crusch-sama. I'd like to speak with you in private, if you wouldn't mind…" Wilhelm recommended whilst bowing his head at Emilia. "My apologies, Emilia-sama. I hear Subaru-dono is looking for you too, so if you could stay here, I'll make sure to inform him…"

"Subaru is looking for me? It seems urgent, Crusch-san…" Emilia worried. Perhaps it was matters regarding the Selection?

"If it's so vital… Very well—My apologies then, Emilia-dono." Crusch conceded to Wilhelm, turning away slowly from Emilia. Then, she flashed the half-elf a radiant smile before entering the Ballroom with the Sword Demon. "Next time, let's discuss some more about your past instead… To make us even, of course."

"That… Hm, I'd very much like to confess my story honestly to a friend such as you, Crusch-san." Emilia's eyes brightened at the proposal, glad that there was someone interested in her troubles as a friend, outside of her Camp.

*Clack!*

"…" The window exiting into the balcony closed as Wilhelm and Crusch hurriedly left, leaving Emilia to wait for Subaru's arrival. A few minutes passed, yet he did not show up, however. "…Geez, is Subaru attempting some sort of jest? Wilhelm looked properly urged and all."

"…Hey hot stuff, see something you like?"

"UWAA-!" Emilia yelled in surprise as Subaru manifested in front of her out of thin air. "You- Subaru!"

"Hey! Miss me?!" Subaru asked as he climbed on top of the scaffolding beside the balcony. "Look at this! Was the balcony undergoing repairs? The other side look much cleaner… Until a while ago, at least."

"You- When did you arrive?!" Emilia inquired with shock, wondering if he heard Crusch's story, if he was spying on them.

"Just now actually. I bumped with Wil and Crusch on the way and… Are you mad?" Subaru asked carefully, noticing the girl's pout.

"…No." Emilia denied.

"Okay, fine, maybe it was a d-move from me to turn invisible to scare you… But I barely if ever get to use this ability!" Subaru pleaded, which only made Emilia poutier.

"…Then? What are you here for?" Emilia asked whilst feigning disinterest.

"You are not going to like it." Subaru said, shifting from a relaxed voice to a more serious one.

"Hmm?" Emilia noticed the shift with curiosity. "What is it then, Subaru?"

"…" Subaru kept quiet for a second before noticing the bracelets on Emilia's arms. "Honestly, I thought about coming to talk to you because I didn't know if you had them equipped."

"Oh, you wished to talk about them-?" The half-elf indicated to her bangles with interest.

"No… No, we can talk about those later, but…" Subaru continued being cryptic until finally fessing up. "I met Roswaal- Rather, Roswaal's astral projection, and Clind attacked me at his order."

"WHAT-?!" Emilia reacted in horror.

"Hold on, before you do anything, hear me out!" Subaru interrupted. "Wilhelm saved my butt, though… I don't think we should be telling anyone about this. For now."

"?!" The Margrave seemed perplexed by Subaru's decision. "But why?! If this is another case like Ram and Rem's, then-!"

"Nope, not at all, but it has more to do with you." Subaru affirmed. "My guess is… Roswaal must be testing waters here. He won't pull anything against your Camp, seeing as it would endanger the possibility of… Whatever he's trying. But me? I think he didn't really try to kill me, more like… More like, he wanted to test whether I'd ruin your reputation or not."

"…Clind and Roswaal tried to kill you to test your loyalty to me?" Emilia understood at last, announcing to the knights of Clind's attack could jeopardize her current position.

"Clind himself asked if I would return to the Emilia Camp; seems he and Roswaal are of the same mind." Subaru further explained.

"…" Emilia pondered with worry. "Arresting Clind when we return to Costuul would be the more sensible option, for the moment. If he cannot put opposition against me in accordance to his loyalty to Roswaal, then the least I could do is use that to keep him at bay."

"That I do agree… Keep him close, in case Roswaal tries to pull the rug under you. I already informed Otto and the others, and they agreed to keep tabs on him too. He shouldn't pose a threat to you for now anyways, considering Roswaal cannot risk your candidacy… But better safe than sorry."

"…Alright. Thank you Subaru, for informing me." Emilia relaxed her posture, surprising Subaru.

"…You've grown, Emilia-tan." Subaru mumbled. "I think I say that every time we meet, but I always mean it."

"Huh? How so?" Emilia looked concerned at this affirmation.

"Three months back, you would have rushed with anger at that admission. I think I would have too… But you took the time to consider what facts you have around to formulate a plan of action. I think that's admirable… Me? I wanted to go beat up Clind, yet I needed Wilhelm to cool off." Subaru laugh self derisively.

"…If I've grown, it's only because you were there, Subaru." Emilia admitted sincerely.

"Oh, well, y'know… Appreciate the credit, as always, but…" Subaru shook his head, admiring the half-elf in her entirety. Her luscious hair, her pointy, blushing ears, her jewel-like eyes, her dress, accentuating her figure. "Damn, I didn't even think that was possible."

"Huh?" Emilia tilted her head.

"Emilia-tan is a bombastic cute and sexy combo in that dress. How does someone manage to mix those two? I'm honestly… In shock!" Subaru fooled around, like he wasn't almost murdered minutes ago.

"…You change subjects at the drop of a hat, huh? I was worried sick wondering if you needed comfort, dummy." Emilia stuck out her tongue.

"And that comfort would have come how…?" Subaru wondered teasingly.

"…I could have… Offered…" Emilia then scrambled for an answer, realizing that every time she had comforted Subaru until now had been through thigh-time.

"Does it start with 'Lap' and end in 'Pillow'?" Subaru mocked again.

"Hmmgh~!" Emilia repeatedly jabbed Subaru's arm in embarrassment.

"Ehehehe!" Subaru laughed, having succeeded in dispelling the tense atmosphere.

For some time, the pair would stand there, simply walking up and down the balcony, talking about life, each other, the past two weeks, their pasts, until something unexpected threw the Avenger all… Threw him for a real loop, as if he had not experienced such before, in fact.

"…Pardon?" Subaru asked with genuine surprise, freezing in place between the scaffolding and the balcony, his blank and vacant stare fixated on Emilia as his jaw hung agape.

"Hmn?" Emilia observed Subaru's shocked face with strangeness before inquiring herself. "What's wrong, Subaru?"

"N-Nothing, just- Hold on, if you were frozen at seven…" Subaru's mind raced with worry, his face and palms sweated as he walked in circles, mumbling to himself in a daze. "Elior Forest has been frozen for a hundred years… And you've been free from the ice for seven more… SHIT-!"

*WHOOSH!*

"Wha- SUBARU?!" Emilia yelled in a panic as Subaru suddenly fell from the scaffolding, plummeting to the courtyard below. It would seem he was too distracted by the revelation of Emilia's age to notice a board was missing. "SUBARU! SUBARU, ARE YOU OKA-?!"

*THWIP!*

"N-Nothing to worry, haha!" Subaru proclaimed whilst swinging back to the balcony, giving the half-elf a clearly fake laugh and smile. "T-The hero of an epoch returns without a scratch, elf princess!"

"…Sheesh, don't scare me like that!" Emilia pouted, crossing her arms and huffing as the Avenger made light of the situation. "I actually got rea~lly worried, you know? I felt quite overwrought wondering if you'd be fine after such a fall… We are quite up from the courtyard, dunderhead."

"I think the last time I've heard the word overwrought was in a 'Shakespeare in the Park' play, Emilia-tan." Subaru teased as his demeanor returned to normal, although that only made Emilia's pout increment, making her cheeks red. "Here, let me help."

"Buuuu~!" The air disappeared from Emilia's mouth as Subaru pressed her cheeks like buttons. "What was all that anyway? You seemed rather overwhelmed for a moment."

"…" Subaru meditated on an answer, the sweat rolling through his forehead again. "It just shocked me a bit, to consider your age is actually around fourteen… Discounting the century that could qualify you for a golden girl."

What's more shameful is that I've been putting the moves on a fourteen year old though… Dammit, now I cannot look Emilia-tan the same! The more I stare, the more I imagine Petra or Felt! This su~cks!

"I don't understand what a 'golden girl' might be, but it doesn't sound like a compliment…" Emilia raised an eyebrow, expecting Subaru's rebuttal.

"Uh- No! Of course it is, dummy! Uh…" The dunderhead fumbled the bag.

"Rea~lly?" She asked again, tilting her head, narrowing her eyes on his nervous expression.

"Ahaha… ha… Agh…" The boy slowly turned, trying to avoid her stare.

"Ah…" Soon did Emilia notice though, that the more she tried to lean in and tease him, the closer their faces were.

"Hmm? What's wrong?" Subaru then turned the tables, realizing she had gone quiet.

"…Subaru, can I ask you something?" Emilia inquired with curiosity whilst slowly raising her hand.

"Isn't saying 'can I ask you something' a question itse-?" Subaru tried to keep the joke going by being a smartass, but a sudden touch over his right cheek shook him out of it. "…"

"I… never did ask you, did I?" Emilia looked a bit awkward as she spoke, the young man before her meekly waiting for her next sentence. "How long did it take to heal? My- My slap, I mean…"

"Oh… It was red for a few days, but the pain vanishe- Wait, hold on, forget that!" Subaru brushed off with a troubled look, realizing Emilia seemed hurt by his statement. "That happened a while ago already, Emilia-tan! I don't think it's even worth bothering about it anymore."

"No, it still bothers me, and greatly so." Emilia affirmed with a hardened stare, refusing Subaru's dismissals. "I claimed I wished to treat others equally, and being treated fairly in return as well. What happened during the Royal Selection's start might not have been just towards me, but I certainly wasn't just with you either, Subaru."

"Come on now…" Subaru looked vexed by Emilia's declaration; although he approved of her message, he did not enjoy where it was leading.

"If our roles had been reversed, if I had been the one to fight that day, or had I defend myself from the insults hurled at my features or my merits as a candidate- had you slapped me for what I did or did not do, it wouldn't have been fair. It'd have been as though I had been beaten when I was already down!" The candidate spoke rapidly and inarticulately, taking the boy by surprise. "I'm trying to say that- the fact remains: I'm the one that hit you after your duel and that wasn't fair of me. I have to make it up to you, here and now; I cannot live knowing I don't practice what I preach-"

"WOAH, WOAH, WOAH! That's a whole- That's a WHOLE different can of worms you are opening!" Subaru quickly advised, freaked out by her insinuation. "I'm not gonna punch you or anything, if that's what you are saying! I'm a man! I don't punch women- Well, except if it's a situation as with Elsa or- or a criminal trying to kill me- Wait, no, that isn't the topic here-!"

"It's not about being a man or a woman here Subaru; it's about making things right between us." Emilia sternly assured as she shook her head.

"Even so, or ESPECIALLY so, I cannot hit you! I- I can't find it in myself to ever do that!" Subaru continued arguing; worry shooting out of his desperate eyes, cursing how the mood seemed to have completely shifted from a minute prior.

"I understand that, dummy… So that isn't what I'm asking you here." Emilia nodded as her smile returned, her gentle demeanor dispelling Subaru's worries in an instant. "Making you strike me wouldn't be fair of me either. After all, I'd simply be forcing you to do something against your morals for my own convenience, and the strain between us would come out even worse because of that."

"Then… What are you asking of me here?" The hero gazed at her perplexed; Emilia's request was left up to his guessing the moment Emilia stopped talking.

"…Subaru…" In an instant, the air around Emilia changed; she became bashful as her eyes darted around the balcony, avoiding looking back into Subaru's wondering gaze. "Um, Subaru… Y-You see…"

"I see…?" Subaru tried to get her into continue talking, but the girl's mouth simply opened and closed without her emitting a sound for a few seconds.

"S-See… You see…" Emilia's stare finally focused back on Subaru's eyes, her posture straightening whilst she fiddled with her fingers. "Please, close your eyes!"

"Uuuh, my eyes-?" Subaru wondered as he reacted to Emilia's sudden order.

"Just close your eyes! A-A-And don't open them until I tell you to open them, got it?!" Emilia insisted as her cheeks and ears blushed.

"I-I mean, sure…" Subaru complied, closing his eyes.

"…You are sure they are closed? The eyelids are not open? Not remotely or slightly?" The half-elf questioned with intrigue.

"Don't worry; blind as a bat here…" He assured with a smile.

"…Stay still too, got it? And definitely, most DEFINITELY, do not open your eyelids until I say so! No matter what happens or- or what you feel or hear!" The girl demanded again with an embarrassed voice.

"Yeah sure, I get it!" Subaru once more promised.

"…" Emilia hesitated in place, but quickly she waved her hand in front of Subaru's face, making sure he could not see her. "…Alright. H-Here goes…"

"…" Subaru fidgeted with his hands, running his fingers across his suit's fabric, his mind racing with the possibilities.

What the hell is going on? She wants to make that slap up to me? I hadn't thought about it for the longest time… Is this actually a prank? Is everyone going to come out from the shadows with confetti? Or is she gonna gift me something and she had everything planned from beforehand? Argh! The expectation is killing me here!

Subaru's face morphed between many expressions, ranging from confused to astonished, his own heart almost beating out of his chest with every second under the moonlight, waiting for Emilia's advance.

I don't feel any danger or anything, but her presence is definitely there. Ah, is she taking a step toward me? No, she suddenly backed down… Hold it, she's coming here again! Close! She's standing right beside me! At this distance, I can even hear her heartbeat a bit… Is it accelerating? Ah… Is her breath getting faster?! Hold it, it's actually real close! Wait, she's not sick or something, right?! She's not given the order, I can't open my eyes! D-Dammit, should I open them?! But her breathing and heartrate are all over the place! Shit, shit-! Emilia!

"E-Emilia-tan! Are you sure you are-?!" Subaru wanted to say something, but before he had the chance-

*Smooch!*

"…" Time stopped completely as he felt a warm, gentle touch over his right cheek. It wasn't like Emilia's hand, it felt different altogether, and he wondered what it could be… Actually, he knew what it was, but his mind was so blown by the fact that it was happening; his brain could not quite accept it.

"…Y-You can open them now." Emilia declared as she stepped away from the boy, breaking out contact with his cheek.

"Huh…" Subaru mumbled in response, fixed on a silly face.

"U-Um, that was…" Emilia's entire face was blushing, and she rapidly turned away from Subaru's gaze as he opened his eyes. "Maybe it's not proper compensation? I-I think it might actually be a little selfish of me…"

"Huh…" The boy responded again.

"But I th-think that will suffice for now, until I can come up with something better… N-not that it has to be as what occurred just a moment prior, we can agree on something else if a ki- Ack!" Emilia bit her tongue accidentally as she was about to mention the word 'kiss', being too embarrassed to admit it. "It simply seemed p-pointless… to try… healing magic… when the bruise was already… I-It was a month ago, after all!"

"Huh…" Subaru answered again, his face still awestruck.

"H-However, we can always arrange something else in the future… if that… wasn't enough…" Emilia meekly nodded, as she looked Subaru back in the eye.

"Huh…" He nodded in return, but he couldn't shake the thought of what had occurred a second ago from his head. "Ah, I'll treasure this memory…"

"Guh…" Emilia turned away from him once more as the blush returned full force. "You can't just… say that…"

"…" Subaru shut his mouth, admiring Emilia in silence under the moonlight.

"…" Emilia slowly faced him, trying to calm her red expression unsuccessfully.

They stayed like this for a minute, simply gazing at each other's embarrassed side, without either making a move, until Subaru decided…

"…Emilia." Subaru said clearly, catching the girl's attention.

"Y-Yes…?" Emilia responded, noticing a slight movement at the corner of her vision. Slowly, he had raised his right hand, placing it softly but firmly over her shoulder, making her stare expectantly.

"You see, I-"

*TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONM~!*

"Huh?! Oh… music?" Subaru and Emilia both shook in surprise, another interruption stealing what precious time they had managed to muster for one another. Emilia stole a gander at the insides of the ballroom, soon the boy to her side following her eyes to see the crowd's commotion.

*Tap-Tap!*

"Haha!"

"Hmm~!"

"Oh~!"

"It's a Waltz!" Subaru realized with surprise, seeing all the couples inside the room dancing harmoniously and gracefully to the tune of a band. "Heh, when did the musicians even enter the room?"

"Perhaps when we came to the balcony? I didn't see any either beforehand." Emilia wondered as the melody, laughter and light from the inside washed over Subaru and her.

"Hmph… Look at them, going to town, not a care in the world…" The boy said as he lowered his hand, away from Emilia's shoulder.

"You seem surprised, Subaru?" Subaru's words might have sounded judgmental from others' points of view, but Emilia was able to grasp their meaning confidently.

"Yeah, I'm shocked." He reiterated in a softer tone, although a fair bit stern whilst observing the rhythm of the dance. "Beforehand, everyone seemed tense and edgy, at least when we were in the room. You being you and me being me, that lot of guests had their hands full being jackasses in whispers to bother celebrating."

"I think it might be presumptuous to simply judge them based on the fact we aren't inside, Subaru." Emilia indicated with reproach. "My heart tells me they haven't even noticed our absence in the least; they simply are tired of the dampened mood for one night."

"Damn… Always seeing the best in everyone, Emilia-tan?" Subaru smiled with admiration for the half-elf, realizing the self-centeredness of his words with a lament.

"Not quite so; it was solely a deduction…"

"Eh, even so, guess I still have a lot to learn, if I'm prejudiced like this still."

"Heh… You sure do, nevertheless, I myself am on that cart too…" Emilia admitted, earning another surprised gaze from Subaru. "After all, I assumed you wanted to say something to me before, Subaru?"

"Ha…" The hero chuckled with amusement as his eyes returned her gaze with interest. "Y'know? My first dance ended up with me fighting a man dressed like a bird on top of a plane. Couldn't even ask my date back then for a dance. May taught me the dance an' all to boot, what a waste…"

"Date… What's a plane?" Emilia inquired, although she seemed slightly annoyed at the insinuation that Subaru had a 'date' as well…

"A sky vehicle, let's say. Like the Marveler? But a bit bigger…"

"Ah, that 'Quinjet' vessel?"

"Y-yeah, that one… I'd rather you had called it the Marveler though…" He said the last part in a whisper. "Forget that though! There's a more pressing matter here!"

"What? Um, Subaru-?" Emilia took a step back as Subaru suddenly knelt down in one knee, looking up at Emilia with brilliant and hopeful eyes. In a slow yet simultaneously swift motion, the boy took the girl's hand into his own, as he did with her shoulder earlier, and popped a question most elegantly.

"Would Lady Emilia do this knight the honor of a dance?" As Julius taught him, with a firm yet calm voice directly from his diaphragm, and a back posture that allowed for no arching or slouching, Subaru asked Emilia for a dance.

"…Gladly." The half-elf's dashing smile filled Subaru's stomach with butterflies, prompting his rapid response to her positive.

*Whooosh!*

*Tap-Tap!*

"Hehe!" Subaru grinned like a fool as he held Emilia's waist and hand, commanding the motions of the dance, the spin, the rhythm and mirth to the melody from the inside.

"Ahaha!" Emilia laughed along as her footsteps followed his, matching his cheer and intensity with joy.

From their perspective, it had to have been the most swift and gracious dance possible, given their amusement and passion. In reality, from an onlooker's perspective, their timing was horrid, their laughs were far too loud, their rounds forceful and uncoordinated and their steps were all over the place.

But Subaru and Emilia didn't care.

This was their moment, and with the moon as their witness, they were enjoying it to the fullest by the other's side…

*Beep-Beep!*

"Hmm?" Subaru lifted his head as his feet stopped dancing.

"Beep-Beep!*

"Ah, it's your bracelet…" Emilia pointed with curiosity.

*Beep!*

"Karen? What's wrong?" Subaru asked, intrigued by the alarm.

"Subaru, sorry for interrupting your Lambada, but I've got a situation." Karen informed as a holo-screen appeared before the pair.

"Oh, hello! Karen!" Emilia waved at the Synthezoid with glee.

"Emilia." Karen nodded; a small gesture of salute before returning to topic. "My apologies for disrupting the evening, but Satellite 3 captured odd movement surrounding an inn by the edge of the Market and Residential Districts."

Following so in her inform, another screen appeared, this time the image of a riot outside said inn.

"What the hell? Couldn't they pick a worse night to fuck around?" Subaru complained with anger.

"The inn houses the belongings and carriages of many of merchants that attended today's ceremony. Someone must have leaked the info to a bandit group." Karen informed. "They are attempting to break in as we speak. I'd go, but I don't think the populace is ready to accept me just yet…"

"Ah, take things one step at a time Karen… I'll go." Subaru assured, leaping to the scaffolding.

"Huh?! Subaru, where are you-?" Emilia turned around as she saw Subaru about to jump from the balcony.

"Sorry Emilia-tan, but I recognize that inn. Believe it or not, these days, that area of the Capital is rather short on guards." Spider-Man informed as he put on the mask. "So if I don't go, no one does."

"Oh… I see." Emilia mumbled with disappointment, but quickly wiped that face and smirked back at the hero.

"Don't look so sad… I'll be back before you notice." Spider-Man assured cockily. "One hour tops! I can go all night baby… I'm not done dancing the night away with a pretty half-elf!"

"Don't say such shameful things so casually you- you nincompoop!" Emilia blurted out in embarrassment.

"Hehe!" Spidey chuckled. "I'm borrowing Patrasche~!"

*DASH!*

And Spider-Man leapt into action under the watch of the moon.

AUTHOR'S NOTES

YAY! Another Chapter finished!

The coming chapters will be more along the lines of interludes and side-stories from Earth characters and Roswaal's POV before resuming the main story, so look forward to that!

Though, I could also just exclude the side-stories as a separate fic altogether. What do you guys think?

As promised, if you are reading on Wattpad or AO3, this chapter will include Karen's design and a few other drawings I made.

In addition, this is the last chapter I'll update in the normal category of Re: Zero on FF. From now on, I will only update the Crossover section, to avoid complications with the site's rules.

¡Adiós!