Chapter 3
Judging by the look of sheer horror on her face, it was clear to me that Emilia had never witnessed a member of the Pendragon family eat before. As long as you had the surname Pendragon, you were sure to be a big eater. The fact my precious Mordred ate so heartily made me extremely proud.
Admittedly, as I watched the plates pile up to form small mountains around me, I did feel some guilt towards the ones who would be paying for my meal, but quite frankly, due to the lack of magical energy, I was absolutely starved, so I ate wholeheartedly and unceremoniously.
"How to put this… you can really eat!" It seemed as if Emilia was witnessing an entire new world, the world of Shounen Protagonists.
"I'm afraid he might bankrupt us at this rate." Ram made a rather odd look as she checked her purse that was becoming thinner and thinner.
Seeing that I was legitimately about to bankrupt poor Ram, I put my knife and fork down despite being half full, picking up the napkin to wipe my mouth, "Lady Emilia, right? Thank you for the meal, it was positively scrumptious."
"Please, just Emilia is fine – I'm no lady." Emilia responded back sheepishly.
"Is that right?" I scrunched my brows at her, "Judging by your clothing and appearance; I assume you're of nobility, right? It seems inappropriate to refer to you so casually." I looked at her seriously as I picked up some water to quench my parched throat.
"You… you're a rather serious and chivalrous individual, aren't you?" Emilia asked lightly.
"It depends on the situation – there's inner and outer circles. But speaking of etiquette, I don't believe I've introduced myself. I bring shame on the Knights of the Round Table for eating your food without even introducing myself, but how to put it, well, I really was hungry." My cheeks turned slightly rosy as I rubbed my nose gingerly, causing Emilia to giggle softly.
"That's quite alright, Sir. Although you already know my name, please allow me to introduce myself to you first. My name is Emilia, just Emilia, one of the four candidates competing to become the Forty-Second Ruler of this Kingdom." She spoke rather embarrassedly, perhaps not overly used to introducing herself in such a manner.
"And I'm Arthur, Arthur Pendragon." I gave my name in response, "Just a lost, wandering knight in search of a Lord or Lady to serve."
"Indeed, it's obvious with a glance, but I'm sure that Sir Arthur comes from a prestigious household, right? Pendragon is quite the surname, especially here in Lugunica." Emilia asked with genuine curiosity apparent on her face. It was clear she wanted to know more about me, and that was a sort of warm feeling.
"Indeed, you guessed correctly, my father was nobility." Technically, he was royalty, as was I, but that was a little shocking for a first-time conversation.
"Ah – I knew it!" Emilia made a pleased expression before scrunching her forehead, "But as far as I'm aware, there's no Pendragon family amongst our kingdom's nobility…"
"That's because I'm not from Lugunica, and before you ask, I'm not from Vollachia, Kararagi or Gusteko either… I believe the correct term is 'from beyond the waterfall'?"
"What?!" Emilia's eyes widened as she stood up, slamming her hands on the table, "You're not joking with me, right?!"
Her voice echoed loudly throughout the restaurant, causing her to become rather embarrassed as she bowed in apology to everyone, sitting back down with red cheeks.
"I'm dead serious." I smiled back helplessly towards her.
"Then, doesn't that mean you're currently all alone in the Royal Capital with no friends, no family, no idea where you are?" she asked, concern for the stranger before her apparent on her face.
"Not quite, I made a friend earlier. Sir Reinhard."
"Eh? So you've already met Mr. Reinhard?" Emilia blinked, "Speaking of which, you do remind me of Mr. Reinhard, I suppose it's because you're both Knights."
Before I could respond, Ram interjected, "Lady Emilia, though I don't wish to interrupt, isn't it about time you discussed with Sir Arthur why you brought him here? Evening is approaching, and we still haven't done what we set out to do."
"Ah – you're right, sorry, Ram." Emilia smiled apologetically, turning to me, "Sir Arthur, though you might not realize it, you've essentially saved my life by finding my insignia for me. There must be some form of proper compensation, and no, a single meal doesn't count." She looked at me sternly, and it was clear there was no wriggling out of this one.
"Alright, then Lady Emilia, allow me to speak plainly. I'd like to form a contract with you."
"A contract?!" my words were clearly quite surprising as Emilia widened her eyes considerably, whilst Ram narrowed her eyes in suspicion.
"Please allow me to explain. Whilst I may appear human to you, I'm actually a spiritual lifeform – like a fairy, or a spirit. I need a constant supply of magical energy to maintain my physical form, otherwise I'll disappear from this plane of existence. And quite frankly, I wish for that supply to be from you, Lady Emilia." I laid out my intentions clear as day.
"A spirit?! What – how can that be?!" Emilia was clearly dumbfounded. Well, she couldn't be blamed for that. In the world of Re:Zero, humanoid spirits were incredibly rare, so it was extremely unlikely to meet one in the bustling Capital like this.
And speaking of which – "He's not lying, Lia – I thought there was something funny about him from the moment I met him, and now I see the truth. Like me, he's a fellow spirit." It was about time for Puck to appear, the American Shorthair cat, standing 9cm in height with ash grey fur and bright blue eyes, a cute little purple satchel on his side.
Despite his cute appearance, Puck's true form as the Beast of the End was quite terrifying, possessing the capability to wipe all life from the earth, I happened to be quite familiar with terrifying creatures with cute appearances, and if it ever came down to it, I had trust in my sword. The Sacred Brand that slew the White Titan who ended the Age of Gods prematurely.
"But i reeeally thought he was human!" Emilia took a deep breath, seemingly coming to terms with the fact, "So, he's like Beatrice?"
"Well, he is and he isn't." Puck held his chin as he assessed me up and down, "If I had to compare him to someone, it would be the Great Spirit living in Kararagi."
"Still, it's hard to believe…" Emilia muttered with disbelief, "I really had no idea… but Puck, to accept another Great Spirit, is that really okay?" she questioned her guardian.
"Why not?" Puck shrugged rather casually in response, earning Emilia's ire,
"Can you not be more serious about this?"
"As far as I'm concerned, Arthur here seems to be a good boy with no ill intentions, and as someone competing for the throne, the more Great Spirits at your beck and call the better." Puck spoke his thoughts honestly, "It's not like there's a limit to how many spirits you can contract."
"Even still…" Emilia looked towards me with rather self-conscious eyes, "Why me? There's plenty of other people with significant reserves of 'Magical Energy' for you to draw from, even amongst the other Royal Selection Candidates."
"Hey, Lia, is that anyway to talk?" Puck scolded his daughter, "What if he jumps ship?"
"Still." Emilia looked back towards Puck with clear eyes, "I want to know."
Like that, she turned her amethyst orbs to me, and I witnessed her potential as Queen through her dignified demeanor, "Your eyes." I responded back to her, "The eyes are said to be a window to the soul. Looking at you, I can tell you're an individual with a heart pure like snow. You will not misuse the great power I possess."
"B-But…" she responded back with a trembling lip, turning her gaze downward as she fiddled with her hands, "Don't you know… I'm a half-elf…"
I just blinked at her, "Trust me, Lady Emilia, I'm not concerned about such things. My adoptive mother is a succubus, whilst one of my sisters is a fairy, and the other is a witch. I even have a cousin who is a vampire. Beyond that, you being so long-lived is incredibly beneficial to me, Lady Emilia." The whole half-elf situation was quite jarring for a transmigrator like myself. If Emilia spent a single day on earth, she'd have a million loyal fans overnight.
"You… you have a really complex family tree." Puck stuck his thumbs up, seemingly in admiration of the Pendragon family tree.
"Why thank you, good sir." I smiled back, shaking his cute little hand. Looking at him like this, it was hard to compare him with the beast with the potential to destroy the world.
"Y-You… you're an idiot, Arthur." Emilia scolded, head turned downwards, tears dripping onto the restaurant floor.
"Hey, Lia – don't be rude! Seriously, what if he jumps ship? I have a feeling that if this guy joins one of your rivals, it's over for us!" Puck flew around in a panic, causing me to chuckle softly.
His words seemed to steel Emilia's resolve as she looked back at me with determined eyes, "Alright, I've decided. I agree to your contract, Sir Arthur – ah… what's this…?!" Emilia muttered, standing up with a flushed expression. Clearly, she had felt the influx of Magical Energy, culminating into the red tattoo on the back of her hand, "Ah? This… Arthur…?" she looked at me for an explanation, whilst Puck looked less than impressed.
"The contract has been formed." I fell to one knee, "Henceforth, my sword shall be with you, and your fate shall be with me. Now, our contract is complete." I smiled brightly as I felt the swirling sea of Magical Energy within me grow even more voluminous, like a volcano threatening to erupt.
"Well, I don't exactly like it, but I guess this makes us cohorts now, Arthur? I'm Puck." The cat reached out his hand for a handshake.
"Likewise, it's my honor, Sir Puck." I shook his hand.
"There you go again, so formal… just Puck is fine!" the cat gave a rather Cheshire grin, and I just smiled back at him. As a knight, it was impossible for me to address a Great Spirit who has existed for hundreds of years as just 'Puck'.
"Once again, I hate to interrupt the festivities, but Lady Emilia, shouldn't we be going…?" Ram interjected again, causing Emilia to snap out of her daze.
"Ah – you're right! We need to head to the Royal Palace immediately. Sir Arthur, would you be kind enough to escort us there?" Emilia turned to me with a warm smile that caused my heart to ease up after all the excitement.
"It would be my pleasure."
The merchant quarters were beautiful. The streets were clean and festive, the houses were bright and colorful, and the people were all very cheerful. Despite that fact, it really couldn't compare to the noble quarters.
After paying the rather hefty bill, Ram escorted us to the ground dragon-drawn carriage, and we continued on towards what I assumed was Emilia's original destination, the Royal Palace.
The Royal Palace was accessed through the Noble Quarters, which in turn, was accessed through the gateway at the edge of the Merchant Quarters, located right beside the Knight's Garrison to ward off any opportunists who felt like breaking in.
The Noble Quarters was exceptionally grand, with incomparably wide, cleanly streets. The roads were wide enough to fit four or five ground dragon-drawn carriages side by side, and that wasn't even including the spacious pavements, laden with bountiful trees.
Naturally, the true treat was the exceptionally large mansions that could potentially house entire villages and towns worth of people. I couldn't even imagine the amount of coinage needed to purchase one of these grandiose properties, and honestly, I got a little excited when I considered that Emilia, my newly acquired Lady could potentially purchase this kind of house for me once she became Queen!
Once again, I wasn't a greedy individual, but I certainly wouldn't turn down a mansion if it was offered to me!
By now, the sun was starting to set, and the city had been bathed in a dusky, scarlet hue. In the distance, the Royal Palace started to light up, shining like a star amidst the midnight sky, looking rather spectacular.
The carriage parked outside, and I immediately got out, offering a hand to Emilia, helping her out of the carriage.
"Thank you, Sir Arthur."
"You're welcome, Lady Emilia."
We approached the grandiose palace entrance, and Ram produced proof of identification. Immediately, the guards saluted, opening the majestic doors for our party. Emilia turned to me and explained as we waltzed across the sparkling marble floors, "Currently, the Dragon Kingdom of Lugunica is without a King. As such, it was foretold that there would be five priestesses who possessed the potential to be the next ruler. As I stated earlier, I happen to be one of those Priestesses competing for the throne. That Insignia you managed to find for me? That's essentially my identification as a Priestess. Without it, I would've forfeited my right to rule." Emilia spoke with a rather gloomy expression.
I looked at Emilia, as well as her identity-concealing robes and made a small smile. I had a small idea as to how she lost her Insignia. Most likely she wanted to travel by foot to experience the sights of the Kingdom she intended to rule, but undoubtedly the anxiety and self-consciousness must've made it difficult to pay attention to her surroundings, leading to the unfortunate theft.
"Now that I'm here, I'll make sure you don't lose it again, Lady Emilia." I made a warm smile.
"Thank you – Sir Arthur." She smiled back, and the atmosphere was very harmonious. For a brief instant that is.
"You! How many times do I have to tell you! LET! ME! GO!"
"I'm afraid I can't do that, Lady Felt." A rather familiar voice echoed back through the halls in response, and sure enough…
The familiar figure of Reinhard appeared, only, he was dragging along Felt from within the palace, "We must return to the Astrea Mansion at once and begin your lessons on etiquette."
"Over my dead body you oaf!" she kicked and screamed, but understandably, Reinhard's grip wasn't something easy to escape from.
"Hm?" it was about then that Reinhard finally noticed our group, a pleased smile spreading out on his face, "Sir Arthur, what a pleasant surprise."
"Tsk, tsk, Sir Reinhard, a noble Knight of the Kingdom resorting to kidnapping? How the societal standards have declined!"
"I assure you, Sir Arthur, this is not what it looks like." Reinhard cleared his throat awkwardly, causing me to laugh softly.
"Sir Reinhard, I'm just playing with you – that was payback for earlier!"
"You're as cruel as ever, Sir Arthur. You'll have to be wary I don't pay you back one day." Reinhard made a small smile.
"I sure do hope not, Sir Reinhard. Either way, it's absolutely wonderful to see you again. I hope you've been keeping well since our last meeting!"
"You'll be happy to know that thanks to you, I'm feeling better than ever, Sir Arthur. But that's enough about me, I see you met with Lady Emilia?"
"Mr. Reinhard, it's an honor to meet you again." Emilia made a polite courtesy towards the Knight.
"I assure you; the pleasure is all mine." Reinhard made an equally polite bow in response.
It was only then that Emilia finally noticed Felt, a frown appearing on her flawless face, "You are…"
"Geh…" Felt soon realized her gaze, and despite her earlier complaints towards the man, hid behind Reinhard, using him as a human shield, poking her head from behind his back, "What?! You got a problem or something?!"
"You... you're the one who has the problem!" Emilia shot back, looking positively infuriated.
Sensing the rising tension, Reinhard quickly interjected, making a polite bow, "Lady Emilia, it seems that my Lady caused you some trouble earlier… please allow me to beg your forgiveness on her behalf."
"Your Lady…?" Emilia was clearly quite surprised by that admission, "What do you mean, Mr. Reinhard?"
"Thanks to the assistance of Sir Arthur here, I managed to discover the fifth and final candidate of the Royal Selection," Reinhard explained, gesturing to Felt behind him, "Lady Felt."
"Her…? No way…" in all honesty, it was to be expected that Emilia was surprised. After all, it was hard to imagine the one who stole from her being a future Queen of the Kingdom.
"In this regard, Sir Arthur, I really do owe you a favor." Reinhard smiled warmly, "If there is time in the future, I will surely treat you to a meal in the Capitol."
"You know me too well, Sir Reinhard. I would be absolutely delighted to dine with you." When it came to a free meal, there was no way any member of the Pendragon family was ever declining.
"Lady Emilia, Sir Arthur, whilst I'd love to stay and chat, I still have to introduce Lady Felt to the Astrea mansion, thus, we will have to bid you adieu. I hope we meet again in the near future."
"Likewise, Mr. Reinhard." Emilia made a warm smile, appearing somewhat befuddled as she looked at Felt by his side.
"Sir Reinhard, I hope our paths intersect again in the near future. And Lady Felt, I bid you farewell." I smiled towards the young lady. I was originally somewhat worried that Elsa would target Felt, but considering that she had Reinhard at her side, it seemed that was no longer an issue.
Emilia, on the other hand… that was an entirely different story.
Well, that was Chapter 3! I really hope you're enjoying the story so far! Quite frankly, I'm absolutely overwhelmed with joy at the positive reception this story has received, I can hardly believe that 50 of you have already followed this story! To everyone that has followed, favorited or reviewed this story, please allow me to thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Thank you for reading the chapter, and I hope you continue to enjoy this story!