Within a week of Julius receiving the letter, a meeting on the royal selection was called. As Julius had predicted, Anastasia extended a personal invitation to both Subaru and Otto to attend.

"You're remarkable calm about this. I can't help but wonder whether you actually understand the situation."

"Hmm?" Subaru glanced over to Otto. They were travelling to the palace by dragon carriage, wearing their matching suits. Subaru felt they were a bit tacky, but they seemed well received by the occasional nobles Anastasia brought them to meet. Luna loved them for some reason, so Subaru was never able to muster up the will to be vocal about his complaints.

"We're appearing at this 'royal selection' meeting as guests of Anastasia." Otto said. "Tacitly stating that we are, if not part of her camp, at least supporting her claim to the throne."

"Does that really matter?" Subaru asked. "We're hardly the most important people. The Juukulius family is way more influential."

"True, but you underestimate our presence in people's minds. We've risen from obscurity in a very small amount of time. People are paying attention to us, and a few other companies are starting in our footsteps. We're proof that the economy in improving, at least a little bit. Whoever we support would be seen as having a significant amount of support in the merchant class."

"But aren't we supporting her anyway? I mean, the Hoshin company is responsible for selling most of our product. Isn't their seal on the packaging, right beside ours?"

Otto nodded. "That would be the perception. But, by attending, we'll nudge those on the fence about her further onto her side. For her, it's a free way to increase her influence. That being said, it's still beneficial for us. We will— er, I will keep an eye on the other candidates, to see if we can profit from any competition between them. Also, from what I understand, there is to be an informal gathering afterwards, where we'll be able to mingle with other dignitaries."

He rubbed his hands together. "Nobles from all over the country will be there, if I can make a good impression, we'll be able to start expanding into the other great cities."

"Can't we already do that?" Subaru thought back to what little he had read of the documents he had signed. "I thought the Hoshin company would support us?"

Otto gave him a look. "Those sections of the agreement are riddled with pitfalls. We'd give up far more than we would gain. I'm sure she only included them to see how competent we are. Or as a joke of some kind. No, we'll have to find our own paths to expand out of the capital."

The carriage slowed down as it entered the palace grounds. They could see guards out the window, inspecting each carriage as it passed. Luna flew to the window, peering out at the sunny streets from the safety of the shaded interior.

"You should have miss Luna remain invisible for the meeting." Otto advised. "We don't want to disturb the proceedings, and once she's out, she'll draw eyes. Also, I haven't pried, since you clearly don't want to talk about it, but you did say you already knew a candidate, didn't you?"

Subaru stared out the window a little longer, while he gathered his thoughts.

"I haven't interacted with her, but I know her situation." he said slowly. "She won't recognise me." Though come to think of it… "Reinhard might."

"The Sword Saint!?" Otto spluttered. "One of the royal candidates has his backing!?"

"No, he's not backing her." Subaru clarified. "He's just… do you remember that Aurora in the sky a few months ago?"

"Aw-raw-ra? Do you mean the sky lights? I wasn't in the capital then, but I'm told they were quite impressive. Nobody knows what caused them."

"That was Reinhard, saving her from an assassin." Subaru revealed.

Otto simply stared at him for a moment.

"I'm hesitant to ask this, but… how do you feature into that event?"

"It's complicated." And I can't explain it fully, since I can't talk about return by death. "I knew about the impending attack, and told Reinhard about it. He stopped it. That's about it."

Otto sighed. "If I didn't know you, I'd think you were pulling my leg. Let me guess, you stumbled onto the plot, and managed to get out and find the Sword Saint himself with sheer dumb luck."

"Something like that."

"I have to ask, why didn't you declare your involvement? Surely the candidate would offer a reward for saving her life? Or her backer would?"

Feelings surged inside Subaru, dredging up memories he didn't want to think about. Pain, fear, anger, betrayal.

Judging from Otto's expression, he failed to keep them from showing on his face. There was no hiding them from Luna, who hovered over to his head, transmitting concern.

"She's really a nice person, and while I'd love to support her…" An image flashed through his mind, of a blue-haired maid standing over him in rage. "There are people in her camp I want nothing to do with."

Otto held his gaze for a moment.

"I've never seen you make an expression like that." He began carefully. "Are you sure you want to go in? We could say you got sick on the ride up the hill."

"It's fine. I'll just avoid her camp." There was no way she would dare attack me when we're surrounded by the kingdom's top brass. Even on her home ground, she waited for days for her chance.

And besides, I want the chance to see Emilia again. Though he couldn't speak to her, no matter how much he longed to. If he did, he was sure he wouldn't want to leave, would try and find some excuse for himself to return to her side. Where she would be waiting.

Otto looked at him doubtfully. "If you're sure. If you need help, I'll be nearby. Don't try to handle everything yourself."

"Now you're taking on the role of the main heroine? And you claim you're not a princess." Subaru taunted half-heartedly.

He paused.

"But thanks. I'll keep that in mind." There was far more sincerity in his tone for those words.

To say that the palace rivalled the greatest works of Earth would be an understatement. The towering bundle of spires stretched up to the heavens, imposing their majesty on the world.

While the skyscrapers of Earth were taller, this castle looked more solid, like an oversized medieval cathedral.

"Impressive, don'cha think?" Anastasia gracefully stepped out from her carriage, allowing Julius support her hand on the way down. "It's one of the wonders of the world. Well, shall we be goin'? We don't want to be wastin' time."

She strode forward, Julius at her side. Subaru and Otto followed behind her, four of the Iron Fang flanking the group, their distinctive white cloaks fluttering as they walked.

The interior of the palace was somehow even more impressive. The front doors opened onto a wide open corridor, lined with armoured guards the entire way down. It took them a good five minutes to walk to the throne room at Anastasia's leisurely pace.

A huge man in full plate armour waited at the door. He had short green hair, and Subaru could almost feel pressure emanating from him. "Welcome, Lady Anastasia." He greeted them. "Is this your full entourage?"

"Indeed it is. These two are guests of mine."

The knight turned his gaze on Subaru and Otto, a faint light shining in his eyes.

"You have a contracted spirit." He said, not a question, but a statement of fact. "Please show me."

Subaru felt himself falter under the knight's gaze. "Um, of course. Luna, come out for a minute."

A speck of blackness flickered into existence above his palm, staying as still as possible, as if the knight was a shark that might attack at any sudden movement.

The knight studied her for a moment, then nodded. "That's fine. Lady Anastasia, your guards will be assigned a location inside the room. We cannot allow them to remain with you while you are lined up with the other candidates."

"I will be sure to keep you from harm." Julius added. "You needn't fear foul play."

Anastasia didn't seem happy, but she sighed, "If you insist."

The knight then placed his hands on the massive double doors, opening them to allow them entry.

"That is Marcos, the captain of the Royal Knights." Otto said to Subaru under his breath. "He's one of the strongest knights in the kingdom, second only to the Sword Saint."

"Seriously? He certainly looks the part. You okay, Luna?"

She was not okay. She shuddered, and faded away, simply happy that the knight wasn't interested in her any more.

The ceiling of the throne room was lower, but not by much. The room itself was enormous. If you lined the walls in restaurants, and set up tables, it could pass for a shopping mall's food court.

He looked at the people already gathered.

I don't see Emilia anywhere. I wonder how many candidates there are in total. From the groupings, it looks like two or three camps are already here. Though I suppose one of them could just be a group of nobles.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but it's lookin' like there's only one of my rivals present." Anastasia said in disapproval. "I was thinkin' there'd be a few others trying to be the one in the room first."

But to be fair, I'm not the greatest at this political stuff.

"How early are we?" she asked Julius.

"We arrived precisely on schedule, my lady."

"Hmm. So they're plannin' on makin' us wait." She didn't seem impressed. "Julius, do ya know why they called this meetin'? They better not just be announcin' another delay."

"I do not believe that is the case." Julius answered, as they stopped a few meters from the foot of the dais. "I cannot say for sure, but I believe this meeting will have more substance to it. Mister Natsuki, Mister Suwen, you two can wait here. When the meeting begins, Lady Anastasia will called forward, and I will stand with the royal knights. You will not be expected to say anything."

The door opened again, and shut with a clang.

Subaru glanced back, and froze. He caught a glimpse of a red-headed woman in a scarlet and black dress, a bare-chested man wearing an iron helmet beside her.

He felt a tinge of emotion at the sight of the purple-clothed man in clown makeup, but what really caught his gaze was the fourth person.

Her white cloak seemed to shine like the sun to his eyes, and her silver hair flowed like a river down her back. Her cloak was the same one he had seen her wear in the capital, but her hood was left down, revealing her amethyst eyes.

Subaru had felt apprehensive leading up to this event, but now that he could see her, he felt his unease melt away. Ram isn't with her. Neither is… the other one. He didn't even want to think her name.

I'm glad, she doesn't seem injured. Reinhard must have saved her even without me being there.

Though, on second thought…

As Subaru watched her, he began to notice some irregularities in her behaviour. Her eyes were downcast, and her posture was slightly hunched. She wasn't moving with the energy Subaru remembered her having. I guess being surrounded by people is having an effect on her.

He looked over the rest of the people in the room. Most people reviled half-elves as kin of the witch, and silver-haired half-elves even more so.

Subaru caught hostility on their faces, if they bothered to look at her at all.

He clenched his fist. They were so willing to judge her for her appearance, even though she was the most kind-hearted person he had met in either world. She didn't deserve to be hated like this.

"Is that her?"

Subaru dragged his gaze away, replying to Otto's whispered question. "Yeah. It's her."

"I see." He looked thoughtfully at the approaching candidates.

"I've experienced some hardships in the past due to being misunderstood, and events beyond my control."

He looked Subaru in the eye. "I wouldn't dare claim they're anywhere near as bad as what she has to have experienced, but because of them, I'll look at anyone with an open mind. If she has earned your respect, then she's surely she is someone worthy of praise."

"Yeah." Subaru said. It felt nice to have at least one person who wouldn't judge her for who she was. "She really is."

"You know," Otto began carefully. "Our agreement with Lady Hoshin doesn't require us to support her bid for the throne. In time, we could seperate from her company, and possibly join another faction."

Subaru's heart soared briefly, but then memories bubbled up, and a voice from a previous life echoed in his head. "I wanted to kill you the moment I saw you."

He shook his head. "Thanks for the thought, but I don't really want to get involved with them."

"I see." Otto let the matter drop.

The two candidates joined the others at the foot of the dais, and everyone in the room formed up into lines behind them. The left side of the room was filled with the white-cloaks of the royal guard, while Subaru and Otto stood in the middle of a group of black-suited civil servants.

"The Council of Elders, and the four candidates have been assembled." Marcos declared, his voice carrying clearly through the room. "If I may be so bold, I will begin the proceedings as the captain of the Royal Knights."

At a nod from the head of the Council of Elders, Marcos went on. "We have gathered you here for an important announcement on the status of the Royal Selection. Half a year ago, the last member of the royal family died, leaving Lugunica without a king. Given that the the divine dragon Volcanica's protection is contingent on the covenant between him and the royal line, this is of grave concern to the kingdom. In order to—"

"Now, listen." Anastasia's voice interrupted the knight. "I don't mind spending some time participatin' today, but everyone here should already know what you're tellin' us. I'd rather be hearin' about why we're here."

"I concur." A green haired androgynous man spoke up. Subaru hadn't gotten a good look at him, since he had already been present when they entered. He was wearing some kind of military clothing. Probably an officer or something.

"Though, I admit I have some idea of why we're gathered."

"Hey, isn't his voice a little high-pitched?" Subaru whispered to Otto, as the candidate continued to talk. "Put him in a dress, and he could probably pass for a girl."

"She is Duchess Crusch Karsten." Otto said blankly. "I'm not sure how impressive that would be, considering that she is, in fact, a girl."

"Eh?" Subaru looked again. That was a girl? Maybe it was more obvious from the front. "I see. I'll just shut up now."

He turned his attention back to the discussion. What did they decide? Ah, the big guy is asking them to present their insignias. We must be skipping the exposition cutscene.

Marcos continued speaking. "The dragon tablet called for five royal candidates, to take the place of the late royal family. So far, only four have been presented to the Council of Elders. Knight Reinhard van Astrea! Please make your report."

"Of course. I am pleased to announce that the mission I have been entrusted with is complete. The fifth royal selection candidate has been found."

The double doors creaked open, and Subaru turned. It was some distance away, so he couldn't clearly make out the small girl in a yellow dress. Hang on, isn't that…

"May I introduce, Lady Felt!"

"Felt?" A sweet voice spoke for the first time, chiming like a silver bell. It was like music to Subaru's ears.

"Eh? Blind lady? You're part of this as well?" Felt sounded confused, but glad to see Emilia. "Reinhard only explained after he dragged us off. Oh, Old man Rom's fine. Your healing really saved him."

"I take it you two know each other?" the head of the Council of Elders asked. Subaru didn't know his name. He could probably ask Otto, but he didn't want to look away from the two candidates. Emilia and Felt seemed to be getting on better than he remembered.

"For sure! I pushed her out of the way when someone failed to stop an assassin. Figured that would be worth a reward, but I didn't expect to be kidnapped and made to take part in this dress-up show."

"Dress-up show?" One of the officials spoke up in outrage, drawing agreement from the people around Subaru. "She makes a mockery of our proceedings, and you expect us to believe she has the qualities necessary to become our ruler?"

"And what of the other candidates?" This time it was one of the Council of Elders that spoke. "It's a sorry collection in my opinion. Only a single member has come from the ranks of our own nobility."

"Enough." The head councillor silenced the murmurings.

"I believe your reservations have been heard. For now, I think it would be best for each candidate to introduce themselves, and declare their intentions for the country."

The civil servants didn't seem happy, but no one contradicted him.

"Then I'll go first." Felt said, stepping forward, and holding up a glowing insignia, identical to the one she had once stolen from Emilia. "I've had a lot of time to think on this since I've been taken from my home, and given this. At first, I didn't want to even participate. I thought I'd resign from this game, and go back to dwelling in the slums!"

That sparked more outcries from the officials.

"A slum rat?"

"You expect her to take part?"

"What do you take us for, Sword Saint?"

"Silence!" Marcos's voice echoed through the room. "Lady Felt has been chosen by the dragon stone. She has a right to speak before us, a right that the royal knights have shed blood to realise."

The room quieted, and Felt went on, "I thought I'd give up, but then I realised. I hate knights. I hate nobles. And I hate this kingdom."

The civil officials looked like they weren't sure whether to be shocked or livid. Even the knights looked taken aback by the blonde girl's impassioned words.

"That's why, when I become the ruler, I'll tear it all down. Every damned thing about this country that I hate, I'll destroy with my own two hands!"

The shouts had been loud before, but now the hall exploded with outrage.

"She's quite someone." Otto murmured, leaning over to Subaru, barely audible in the racket. "I'm not really sure that would be the best course of action for the kingdom though."

"She's a thief, and from the slums." Subaru replied. "I'll bet she only sees the kingdom's flaws. Hopefully she'll have mellowed out before the selection ends. When is that anyway?"

"Don't know. It's one of the things I'm hoping to find out today."

The room finally quieted, and the other candidates were given a chance to make their speeches.

The duchess Crusch Karsten was next. Now that Subaru could see her from the front, it was obvious she wasn't a guy. She enjoyed a great deal of approving nods from the people around them, right up until she announced that she'd dissolve the covenant with the divine dragon.

"That would be pretty bad, right?"

"Could be." Otto whispered back. "Lugunica only exists because of the covenant. I'd imagine Duchess Karsten is the favourite among the nobility, since she's the only candidate from a Lugunican noble line, but this will likely cost her some support."

The orange haired girl was next, arrogantly proclaiming that she'd be the winner, as if there weren't four other candidates competing with her.

"She's a little full of herself." Subaru commented. "What was her name? I didn't catch it."

"Priscilla Barielle. She does seem to have an abrasive personality. Still, I've heard some things through my connections. Apparently the Barielle lands have bounced back since she took charge of them. She's quite popular with her people, despite being a foreigner, one from Vollachia, no less."

Next up was Lady Anastasia. Subaru barely paid attention to her speech. He already knew the basics. She was born in the lowest classes of Kararagi, she rose to prominence and took control of a trading company, and she was greedy enough to want an entire country to herself.

Looking more and more like a dystopia. Still, her employees seem to like her. She's probably not that bad.

He turned his gaze to the last candidate in the line. Emilia was the only one who hadn't spoken yet. He felt a strange anticipation towards her speech. She had never really said why she wanted to become the ruler. Only that she had a goal she wanted to fulfil.

As she stepped forward, Subaru heard whisperings all around him. One phrase stood out the most. "Half-devil."

Subaru clenched his fists. These bastards! She's kind and gentle, nothing like the witch! Surely someone will defend her?

He looked over at Roswaal, but the court mage seemed more interested in examining the room's occupants carefully, one by one. He wasn't dressed as flamboyantly as usual, but the clown makeup still covered his face.

Emilia stood alone on the dais, and turned to address the gathered knights and officials.

"My— my name is Emilia. I have no family name, so please just call me Emilia!"

She took a breath, seeming to steady her nerves. "I have only one wish. I want to create a country where all are equal! Where no one has to live in fear of harassment simply because of traits they were born with!"

"Of course a half-devil would say that." One of the council members interjected. "A half-devil with the same appearance as the Witch of Envy herself! She who devoured half the world, and who could still bring ruin to us all."

Subaru grit his teeth as the officials around him began to voice their approval.

"That's Bordeaux Zellgef." Otto said. "He fought in the war. He's infamous for his demi-human prejudice, so don't take his words as—"

"I don't see anyone disagreeing with him." Subaru hissed. Why!? Why can't you all just see her for who she is!?

"Do you understand, Court Mage? This time you have gone too far. A half-devil should not be allowed to defile these halls with her presence!"

Roswaal switched his gaze over to Bordeaux, seemingly annoyed at the interruption. "I have merely done my duty, as commanded by the dragon tablet." He had abandoned the strange way of talking Subaru remembered from his time at the mansion. Perhaps he only used it in casual conversations. "Do not forget, under our laws, by the will of the dragon himself, this half-elf stands above you."

"You dare—" Bordeaux stood up angrily, his chair screeching as it was pushed back.

"That's enough, Bordeaux". The head councillor said. "Please allow her to finish."

"Miklotov, do you not understand?" Bordeaux said between clenched teeth. "She is a half-devil. We'll be the laughing stock of the world if we allow her to take the throne!"

Subaru took a step forward. He didn't have a plan, or even know what he intended, but he couldn't just stand idly by!

Otto grabbed his sleeve. "Subaru." He turned, to see the green-clothed merchant's worried face. "What do you intend to do? What can you do?"

"I—"

That was the problem, wasn't it? Subaru could do nothing. He was just a merchant, with some lucky connections to someone who was actually important. He wasn't anything to Emilia in this timeline.

He grit his teeth, and stepped back into line.

"And you!" Bordeaux continued, wheeling on Roswaal. "By sponsoring a half-devil, you are lifting a target for all to see! She will draw attention, and bring disaster to this kingdom. How many will die, simply because she exists? How many of your people will be slain because you have backed her!?"

Emilia flinched, drawing back a half-step.

Roswaal's eyes narrowed, and Subaru felt the air tense up.

"You humans saying some hurtful things quite freely to my daughter." A high-pitched voice called out. On the surface, it appeared to be calm, but Subaru could tell it was filled with a cold anger.

"I won't simply stand by and listen to this." Puck materialised, a blast of cold air filling the room. Subaru felt Luna shudder, and try and conceal herself with their contract.

"The Beast of the End." For once, Miklotov had a trace of emotion in his voice.

The observers gathered eyed the spirit warily, as Puck hovered above Emilia's shoulder.

"If it were up to me, I'd be turning this entire room into an icicle field right about now. Luckily for you, my daughter has expressly forbidden it. You should be thanking her for delivering you from catastrophe."

"So now you're threatening us?" Bordeaux clearly did not know when to shut up. "You hope to blackmail us, with the power to kill any who opposes you?"

"I don't—" Emilia faltered, then her voice hardened.

"No. I am threatening you. I have one of the four great spirits by my side, so I will make a demand. I want to be treated fairly, with the chance to win the throne by my own merits! I am inexperienced, and…"

She looked down, her voice trembling. "And I have let many people down. Maybe too many. But there are still many I might help. Do not look at me as a witch, or as a silver-haired half-elf. I am Emilia. Just Emilia."

By the end, she was nearly begging. Seeing her so distraught felt like a knife being twisted in Subaru's stomach.

There was silence, as those gathered within the throne room waited for the verdict from the council.

Finally, Bordeaux sighed, and sat back in his seat. "I do not believe I have spoken any untruths. Your presence is a danger to all involved. But I must extend my apologies for my words of anger. I cannot deny that you had the chance, and even the excuse, to strike me down for my behaviour, and yet all you asked for is equal treatment. If nothing else, that is worthy of respect."

Subaru sighed, his hands unclenching. His fingernails had left impressions on his palms from how hard he had closed them.

Emilia is fine. She's going to have the chance to achieve her dream. He paused, a trace of doubt corrupting his previous conviction. She does seem quite upset. It wouldn't be too bad if I talked to her, would it? She'd probably appreciate the chance to talk to someone who won't judge her. Maybe I can get Otto to come with—

"I believe there is one more thing to discuss, before we can truly begin the selection." Roswaal said, quieting the conversations that had begun to spring up. "The dragon tablet said to hold a royal selection, but said nothing of how such a selection would be decided. It would not do to proceed through the next three years with differing ideas of what would qualify one to become the ruler."

Miklotov stroked his beard thoughtfully. "A good point, Margrave Mathers. It was assumed that the Council of Elders would judge the contributions of all candidates against each other. Do you believe a different method would be more fair?"

"I believe everyone should have a chance to bring their desires and views forward." Roswaal replied smoothly. "So long as we are all playing under the same rules, I will accept whatever course the council decides."

"I'm findin' myself agreein' with the Margrave." Anastasia said, stepping forward. "Few among those present can truly grasp the effects of a company such as mine. It wouldn't do to undervalue the effect the Hoshin company has on the economy of this kingdom."

"It matters not what the method is." Priscilla announced, dismissive of the entire affair. "Whatever you choose, the throne will find itself in mine own hands."

Subaru felt his relief had been a bit premature. There was no longer a danger to Emilia's chances in the selection, but it seemed he'd be standing for a while longer.

Luckily, they realised fairly quickly that the negotiations would take much longer than one day to sort out. They decided that they would hold more specialised meetings over the next few days, and that they would begin the the afterparty as scheduled.

Otto darted away, manoeuvring through the crowd to get to Anastasia's side.

Subaru looked over, still internally debating whether to go to her or not, but Emilia was walking quickly towards the door. It was as if she didn't want to spend a second longer than necessary in the room.

Subaru watched her go a little morosely. Well, she's probably tired. I'm sure once she makes an impression on people, they'll start seeing her for who she is.

Luna picked up on his mood, and flickered into existence, trying to comfort him. She followed his gaze, and he could feel her considering the silver-haired girl.

Friendship?

"Not really." Subaru replied. "The meeting is over, so you can look around if you want. Don't go to far."

Luna bobbed, and floated into the air, settling over Subaru's head to examine the surrounding crowds.

Otto rejoining him, holding two glasses of golden liquid. "Here you go. Are you sure you don't want to talk with Lady Emilia?"

"She left. I think she's uncomfortable with the attitude in here." He took one of the glasses, and sniffed it hesitantly.

"Ah, I see. The drink is only slightly alcoholic." Otto said. "Should be weak enough for you. If you don't like it, you don't have to drink any, just hold it."

"I'll be fine to drink a little." Subaru said, taking a small sip. It tasted sweet, and mildly fruity. "I am of drinking age in this country after all. What about you? I don't think the Taurus company's chief financial officer should be getting flat out drunk."

Though, it would be amusing to see him try and remain coherent while going on one of his benders. Terrible for the company, but amusing.

"I've got the same as you." Otto said regretfully, with a longing look towards one of the servers carrying a much darker beverage. "I'll live with it. Since you're not busy, come with me. Lady Hoshin wants to introduce us to a few people."

"Anyone I should know about?"

"Just a few nobles she's trying to attract to her side." Otto replied. "Some of them have influence in Priestella, so I'm inclined to play along. They might show some interest in Miss Luna. Just be polite, same as any other meeting you've been to."

After the events of the candidate's introductions, Subaru barely had it in him to keep up a polite facade. He kept his weariness bottled up, shook hands, and answered a few questions about Luna, at least until she got fed up and vanished.

In turn he had listened to various nobles prattle on, while trying to keep a smile on his face. It got a bit difficult whenever they started bad-mouthing Emilia, but in those instances, Otto would deftly move the conversation on to other topics.

Still, he heard enough to realise the popular sentiment. They might be allowing her to compete, but there was no way they would accept a half-elf as their ruler. Apparently, there had even been some unrest in Roswaal's lands, though the details were unclear.

Otto sensed his failing morale, and allowed him to wait out the rest of the gathering on the sidelines.

And there he waited, avoiding the other guests, and keeping a distance away from Reinhard. He wasn't sure if he wanted to talk to Emilia, but he definitely didn't want to talk to the Sword Saint.

If Reinhard recognised him, he'd have to talk about why his appearance had been so terrible on the first day, when Subaru had still been in the depths of his despair.

Subaru didn't really feel like trying to explain that away, especially since Reinhard could apparently confirm the veracity of statements. He'd have to be on the top of his game for that meeting, and right now, he definitely wasn't.

Maybe he'd feel better in a few days.

"Now finally, Victory!"

"Victory!" The cheers of a crowd of children resounded through the park, lifting their arms high into the air.

"Victory." Otto said half-heartedly, raising his hands above his head. "Ow, ow, my arms."

"Come on, Otto," Subaru said, clapping him on the back. "If you're getting sore from radio calisthenics, that means you've been spending far too much time cooped up at a desk. You need to spend more time loosening up!"

"Honestly, you know of the strangest things. I've never heard of 'Ray Dio Cala-S'thetics.'"

He rubbed his arms, and looked around at the small gathering. The children were speaking excitedly with one another, a few of them going through the movements again. The parents who had participated also seemed to have enjoyed it, though they were more subdued, keeping an eye on their kids.

"It seems quite popular, though I can't say I understand the appeal. It's a pity, I don't see a way to profit from this."

"Is nothing sacred?" Subaru cried out, aghast. "Radio calisthenics are a joy to be shared freely! Trying to make money will strangle the life out of them!"

"Perhaps you're right. Regardless, I have enough work getting the rest of your crazy ideas into production." Otto sighed. He stretched, and let his hands fall back to his sides.

They were in one of the capital's many parks, on the eastern side of town, near their new residence. Subaru had been coming out to the park regularly over the five days since the royal selection meeting, and his strange movements had attracted notice from the local children. A few more had gathered each day, dragging their friends and families along with them.

"But, shouldn't you be getting back to your magic practice?" Otto asked. "I believe you said you mastered a new spell?"

"Yeah, I did! Julius helped me figure out how to cast a weaker version of El Shamak!" Subaru said proudly. "It took some persuading, but since there are so few low-level yin spells, he finally caved. Though, I think the real reason is that he knew I'd try to make it without him if he didn't help."

"An El-level spell? That's quite impressive." Otto said. "I didn't know you had advanced so far. You only contracted Miss Luna two months ago."

"You really don't have to be so formal with her." Subaru said, looking over at the yin spirit. She was hiding from the midday sun under the shade of a near-by tree, playing with a few of the younger children, zipping over their heads and whirling around them. They eventually got so dizzy trying to follow her movements that they fell over onto the grass.

"And it's not an El-level spell." He said, smiling sheepishly. "It's based on one, but it's so different that Julius said it needed an entirely new name. El Shamak normally is the same as the base Shamak, but you can't control your body at all while under it's effects."

Otto frowned. "That sounds disadvantageous for you. You can't resist your own spells yet, can you?"

"I can't." Subaru confirmed. "And I'd probably get all my allies caught in it anyway. The new spell is… here, let me show you. Luna!"

He raised a hand, and Luna shot over, flying around him to hover in his shadow.

The crowd quieted down, the children looking on eagerly. It wasn't everyday that people saw a magic demonstration. Even the adults were interested.

Mana gathered from the surroundings, causing the darkness surrounding Luna to swell in size.

"Paralak!" Shadow burst from his palm, twisting and reshaping itself into a javelin as dark as the void. It hovered for a split-second, then shot out, sailing through the air. It slammed into a tree, and vanished in a burst of black smoke.

The crowd clapped, and a few of them cheered.

"Thank you, thank you." Subaru bowed, Luna bobbing to match him.

Taking that event as the end of Subaru's show, the crowd gradually began to disperse.

"Anyone hit by that shadow will lose control of their body." Subaru explained. "It's a ranged paralysis. Julius thought it would be hard to hit someone with it though. He's much more interested in Fal Shamak. I suppose it's the better spell against weak-willed opponents."

"Looks fancy though. You'd make a good showman." Otto commented as the last of crowd trickled away. "I'm surprised you didn't join a troupe."

"Oh, very funny. Moving on, how are things going with the selection?"

"Pretty well, all things considered. There's been a lot of debate on the criteria they'll be measured with, but everyone has accepted the Council of Elders as the judges."

He started counting the candidates off on his fingers.

"I hear Reinhard had to return to the Astrea lands, and Lady Felt went with him. They've mostly got what they want into the criteria, so they're in a pretty good position. Lady Priscilla has mostly left the negotiations to underlings, but I believe she is still in the city. Lady Hoshin is happy with how things are going. We've got a meeting with her next week."

"Ack! Please no!"

Otto ignored him. "Lady Crush has barely participated in the negotiations, and seems to have spent her energy buying up weapons. The price of arms is soaring. I'm really not sure what she's doing. The treasurer seems to be in on it, so at least it's nothing nefarious."

"And lastly." He turned to look at Subaru. "The margrave returned to his territory recently. They say unrest there has gotten worse since the candidates were announced."

"How is she?" Subaru asked hesitantly.

"Unknown. Lady Emilia barely attends the meetings in the palace, and her reputation is the lowest of the candidates."

"Does she have a chance at winning?"

"Of course, but she'll need to make some major changes to how she conducts herself." Otto said. "You underestimate the margrave. He's the most influential noble in the kingdom, and he governs the entirety of the northern border. He's also massively popular. Had he sponsored any other candidate, they'd win the selection in a heartbeat."

"I really didn't think he was that big a deal." Subaru said, leaning down to sit on the grass. "You know, with the clown makeup, strange clothing, and that way he stretches out his words I thought he was some kind of pervert. Then I find out he's a good, competent lord, who everyone seems to love. Maybe it's the kind of thing girls would call 'gap moe'."

"Gap what? No, it doesn't matter." Otto shook his head. "Anyway, that's the situation with the royal selection. More relevant to the two of us, I've finished negotiating a contract to supply a distributer in Priestella. The first shipments will be going out—"

"Hang on." Subaru interrupted, narrowing his eyes as he spotted something in the distance. "Are those smoke plumes?"

Otto followed his gaze, and they watched as three columns of smoke rose into the air, over the northern section of the city.

"I haven't heard anything about bonfires planned." Otto murmured. "Is it a fire? There's less smoke than I'd expect if that were the case."

Subaru spotted a brief flash of red light, and a fourth trail of smoke began rising into the sky.

An unnatural unease began to sweep through him, and he felt a sinking feeling in his stomach.

"That was a spell just now, wasn't it?" Subaru asked.

"I think so. It could just be a demolition." Otto didn't sound convinced, and his voice trembled a little. "Wait, look!"

He pointed to the east, towards the walls, where another plume had started to rise.

Subaru swivelled around, peering intently. Where they were standing, the trees blocked their view of the south. He quickly moved so they were out of the way, and his blood froze.

"There's more to the south!"

Seven plumes were easily visible, one of them quite close to their location.

"By the dragon." Otto whispered. "They're coordinated. It's an attack. The capital is under attack!"

AN: To butcher an old meme, inside of me are two wolves. One is mildly depressed, saying, "It's all terrible. We should spend a few months editing this so it's readable." The other is barking excitedly, "It's all terrible. We shouldn't spend any time on it so we get to the good bits faster."

Thanks for the vote of confidence, you two.

Still, it's thanks to the first wolf that the quality of the story is at this level, and thanks to the second, I didn't spend an entire chapter describing the tedious process of Subaru making mayo. (Seriously, I was half-way through writing it before I realised it was a terrible idea.)

On a more serious note, I wanted to reveal the primary influence for this story. I read the native English webnovel, 'Mother of Learning', and wanted to write something similar. It's the most popular novel on Royal Road, and for good reason. If you have time to spend reading 800,000 words, I highly recommend it.