They say that time flies when you're having fun, and in this case, the time really did fly by. In a matter of hours, we arrived back within the domain of House Mathers.
Reinhard and Felt were trailing slightly behind us, having politely held back their speed when entering into Roswaal's territory to give us enough time to make any adjustments or last-minute touch-ups before the other participants of the Royal Selection arrived.
The area surrounding the mansion was no longer recognizable from how we left it, and the festivities were clear with a glance. There were stalls upon stalls as far as the eye could see, surrounding all the roads, spanning from the Mathers Mansion to all the surrounding villages, with the commonfolk hawking their specialties to the curious guests from afar who had come to participate in the festivities.
There were fruits, there were vegetables, all kinds of delicacies and local specialties, as well as masks, toy swords and other props for the children to play Sword Saint and Witchbeast with. Unfortunately, I doubted many would be playing the otherworldly knight, but perhaps I had one or two fans out there.
We soon arrived at the grand entrance of the mansion wherein Lord Roswaal was waiting alongside Frederica, the third maid of the mansion.
The two of them were awaiting our arrival patiently whilst helpers from around the domain set up tables upon tables of food and wine, all the good stuff you would expect from this kind of higher societal gathering.
Our carriage came to a halt, and Ram went to greet Lord Roswaal whilst Rem opened the carriage door for us. I departed first, offering a hand towards Lady Emilia as she elegantly stepped out, taking in the fresh air of the Mathers domain and the familiar vistas of the mansion.
Though the owner was troublesome, this place had undoubtedly become my home in this frightening new world, a hub of sorts where I felt safe despite the machinations of Roswaal, and the fact that my true home was separated by the boundary of reality and fiction. I suppose my home was not really the mansion itself, but rather, the friends and family that had gathered here, with Roswaal being the odd one out.
"Weeelcome back, Lady Emilia, Sir Arthur, it pleeeases me to the see the two of yooou back safe and unhaaarmed after that terrible attaaack on the capital's dungeon." Lord Roswaal made a peculiar smile, and I had a sneaking suspicion this fellow had a hand in what went down last night.
"You worry too much, Roswaal, with Sir Arthur around, there was no problems." Emilia beamed radiantly, and I added modestly,
"This time around it was a joint effort. Whether it was Lady Emilia, Miss Rem or Miss Ram, all of them fought off the assassins valiantly, and it was my honor to fight alongside them."
"I must saaay, I'm certainly interested in hearing the finer details. Ram, would you caaare for a private chat?" Lord Roswaal gestured to the interior of the mansion, and Ram nodded her head, the two of them soon disappearing.
"How irresponsible." Lady Emilia let out a heavy sigh, "Though I know Roswaal has a peculiar personality, he's the lord of the domain, he should at least wait to greet the dignified guests."
"With all due respect, Lady Emilia, the guests are not here to see Lord Roswaal, they're here to see you." I spoke with a faint smile, causing her to freeze for a moment.
"Well, you do have a point, Sir Arthur, and they're also here to see you and Mr. Reinhard battle it out, though I guess all kinds of people are going to be fighting today, right? Mr. Julius too."
"We'll just have to wait and see who turns up." I responded back with a calm and confident look, though honestly, I was a little worried. If Sir Wilhelm turned up to represent Duchess Karsten, things might become troublesome very quickly.
There was also the matter of a potential attack to worry about, and while I admit I would love to take Lady Emilia and visit all the different stalls and sample all the different foods, that could wait, at least until Reinhard was here. If there was someone brave enough to launch an attack when both Reinhard and I were together, not to mention Sir Julius, then I surely wouldn't like to meet them.
Either way, as we waited, Lady Emilia was swarmed by the different representatives of the villages, bombarding her with questions about the festival. Despite the fact she was clearly nervous, she didn't get overwhelmed. Instead, she answered their questions, displayed her knowledge, and dished out orders like a confident commander, making sure everything was perfect for when the other candidates of the Royal Selection arrived.
And it didn't take them long. New arrivals could be spotted on the horizon, roughly a kilometer away, a pair of gilded carriages belonging to the Felt and Anastasia camps respectively.
It seems that whilst waiting back, Reinhard and Julius had bumped into one another, and were thus now travelling together.
The two convoys cut a rather sharp contrast to one another, with Lady Anastasia's carriage being surrounded by members of the Iron Fang mercenary group, whereas Felt's carriage travelled on its lonesome.
The meaning was obvious. The Sword Saint was the army, and any normal warriors would only get in the way if he did make a move. It was precisely because of his presence that we were able to return from the capital unimpeded.
Travelling at some forty kilometers an hour, they soon arrived at the front of the mansion, and turning my head, I noticed that Lady Emilia's jitters had increased considerably as she gazed upon Lady Anastasia's carriage.
It was understandable. Lady Felt and Lady Emilia had formed a semblance of a friendship with one another, however, her thin relationship with Lady Anastasia was of a much different nature.
I gave her a light pat on the back, and she turned her gaze to me as I spoke, "Raise your head, Lady Emilia. Straighten your back, puff out your chest. You are a noble half-elf of Elior Forest, a Princess of the Kingdom of Lugunica, you're backed by Margrave Mathers, you are a powerful Spirits Arts User, and the Spirits you've contracted consist of the Great Spirit of Fire and the Otherworldly Knight Arthur Pendragon, you have no reason to fear, no reason to lower your head."
Looking into my eyes, Lady Emilia took a deep breath and nodded her head, "You're right. Even if I embarrass myself, I cannot afford to embarrass all those that have supported me and put their faith in me." She placed her hands in front of her chest, and her jitters slowly faded away into a steadfast confidence, and she faintly and subtly emitted a royal and regal aura that even the most arrogant Priscilla would not sneer at.
"I'll do my best to make you proud, Sir Arthur." She smiled brightly towards me, her violet eyes glimmering, reflecting this new visage of mine that grew more familiar by the day.
"Just be yourself, Lady Emilia. As long as you do that, everything will be fine." I made a sunny smile of my own, and the two carriages came to a halt.
Reinhard was the first to descend his carriage, but of course, he didn't offer any greetings, as the current setting did not allow for it.
He flipped onto the ground and opened the carriage door, kneeling down as he reached out his hand towards Lady Felt.
Though, with that being said, Lady Felt was never the most tactful one, "Reinhard you dolt, get your grubby hand out of my face!" with that, Felt stepped onto Reinhard's head before jumping to the ground with a grunt, spitting on the ground in disgust and disdain, "Ptui! Just look at the size of this place! It's just as bad as the Astrea Mansion! People are starving to death in the slums, and the rich are living like this! This singular house signifies everything that's wrong with this kingdom!"
"That's just the nature of the world, sweetie." A more soft and serene voice echoed out with a distinct Kararagi accent as Julius knelt down, carefully helping his lady out of the carriage.
Anastasia Hoshin. Out of Crusch, Priscilla and Felt, she was the oldest, as well as the second shortest. Like her knight, she sported a head of beautiful, wavy purple hair, with a pair of turquoise eyes, clad in a luxurious white wintry coat with a golden star attached to her matching hat.
Though like Lady Felt, she was a member of the Royal Selection with a Royal Knight as her escort, the two of them could not be any more diametrically opposed in terms of temperament and bearing.
Her story was actually a fascinating one. Originally a commoner raised in the streets of Banan in Kararagi, she climbed the economic ladder one step at a time, becoming a business giant as well as a Priestess Candidate. It could be said that she was the true self-made millionaire. Her greed and lust for money and capital was so admirable that even Echidna recognized her, and that wasn't something that could be said about just anyone.
If I had to describe her, it would be as someone blessed by the stars. Perhaps that's where the 'Hoshi' in 'Hoshin' comes from.
"And what the hell would you know? Some miss of some noble family, don't talk to me." Felt scoffed, and Julius bore an awkward smile as he turned to his red-haired friend.
"Reinhard, it seems you've yet to educate your liege on the identities and histories of her fellow competitors for the throne." Despite the fact Lady Anastasia had been insulted, Julius was as cool, calm and collected as a still lake, as was Reinhard.
"Please allow me to apologize on behalf of my liege, Lady Anastasia. Lady Felt is still new to noble etiquette; thus, I hope you'll find it in your heart to forgive her transgression." Reinhard lowered his head, and this action seemed to make Felt feel incredibly guilty.
"A-Alright, I'm sorry, I take it back… just don't lower your head, Reinhard, not to someone like her." Felt bit her lip and apologized to Anastasia.
"Understood, Lady Felt." Reinhard raised his head back up with a faint victorious smile about him, and I had to marvel at their peculiar lady-knight relationship.
Not wishing for there to be tensions between his lady and his friends, Julius took control of the situation, "Either way, not much time has passed, and we're meeting again like this. Though, Sir Arthur, and of course, Lady Felt, I believe you've yet to be introduced to my liege? Please allow me to introduce Princess Anastasia Hoshin of the Hoshin Company, your rival in this upcoming selection."
"Likewise, Lady Anastasia, please allow me to introduce you to Lady Felt, this newest and final addition to the Royal Selection." Reinhard made a fluid bow and gestured to the golden-haired princess.
Seeing that the two of them were introducing, I naturally wasn't going to be the odd-one out, "And please allow me to introduce Lady Emilia of Elior Forest and House Mathers."
"I'm surprised you're really going through with this." Anastasia turned her frosty gaze to Lady Emilia, "Don't you understand you're just setting yaself up for a world of hurt and despair?"
"Even if you're correct, I'd rather try my best, fail, and live the rest of my life in despair than live the rest of my life knowing that I didn't try at all." Emilia reflected her words back with a swing of her arm, "Although I'm very well aware that my silver-hair and half-elf lineage puts me at a significant disadvantage in this Royal Selection, there are people who have put their trust and faith into me, and I can't afford to let them down, and as such, I will not concede the throne to anyone." Her eyes brimmed with resolve, and I couldn't stop the proud smile from blossoming on my face.
"Well, I'll at least applaud ya courage." Anastasia commented indifferently, neither impressed or unimpressed by my liege as she turned to me, "And this is one of the people supportin' you? I don't believe we've met."
Hearing her words, Julius took the opportunity to step forward, "Lady Anastasia, please allow me to introduce you. This is Sir Arthur Pendragon, a knight from beyond the waterfall. Although he has only been in this world for some two weeks, he has already accomplished numerous feats such as defeating the Bowel Hunter Elsa Granhiert in pitched combat."
"I see. I did hear such rumors of a knight from beyond the waterfall, and even intended to recruit him, but I didn't expect his sword to be sworn to someone else already." Her appraising gaze looked me up and down, "There's much you and I have to discuss, if there's time in the future, I hope you'll accompany me for a private chat." Anastasia spoke calmly, and although she masked her excitement behind a placid look, the overwhelming greed within her eyes was unmistakable. It was easy to see how knowledge from Planet Earth could contribute to a medieval business, so her greed was not unwarranted.
"I wouldn't be against such a meeting, granted that Lady Emilia gives her consent and attends alongside me." I responded back with a placid look of my own. Though a meeting with Anastasia wasn't off the table, I didn't want Emilia to think I was betraying her behind her back. A jealous Emilia was incredibly terrifying, and I didn't want to see that.
"It seems you don't understand the meanin' of 'private', but very well, such loyalty is to be expected from a knight, otherworldly or not." She let out a light laugh, "And I can't help but notice that sword at your side is rather interestin'. How much would you be willin' to part ways with it for?"
"My apologies, Lady Anastasia, but this sword is not for sale." I just shook my head. Although she could not be blamed as she did not understand the true value of Excalibur, her comment was about as redundant as Kurenai using Genjutsu on Itachi.
"Well, you know where to find Julius in the future if you change your mind, I could offer you a more than suitable price for it."
I'm sorry, Lady Anastasia, but even if you offered the planet on a silver platter, it would not be a fair deal. After all… this was Excalibur, no more explanations were needed.
The conversation had reached an awkward lull, with Anastasia and I just smiling at each other, and thankfully, Reinhard broke the awkward silence as he looked into the distance, "Ah, it seems that Ferris has arrived."
"Sir Reinhard, you certainly have the eyes of a hawk." I placed my hand beneath my forehead and gathered magical energy into my eyes to peer several kilometers into the distance wherein a gilded carriage was approaching at some eighty kilometers per hour.
It was surrounded by members of the Karsten Family and knights loyal to Crusch, each of them carrying the powerful momentum that belonged to established warriors who had seen countless battles, and a single look made the blood boil.
"Though I told Ferris to handle security, this is a touch exaggerated." Reinhard made a knowing look. With his intuition and intelligence, he too understood that Crusch just wanted to flex her might and authority on her fellow candidates.
"How is it, Julius?" Anastasia asked aloud, uncaring of our prying ears, "How do they compare to our Iron Fang Mercenary Group?"
Julius copied my movements and strained his eyes as he responded back softly, "They're about equal, my lady."
"Indeed, I was right to assume that the Duchess is going to be my most formidable rival in this competition." Anastasia spoke without filter, not bothering about offending the other two political rivals present.
Julius just looked at Reinhard and I helplessly, and we told him with our eyes that it was not a big deal.
"It's alright if you underestimate us – just don't be surprised when you get the rug pulled out from under you, lil missy." Felt grinned, and Anastasia shot back with a sharp glare,
"And just who are you callin' little, short stuff?"
"I don't know, how about you use some common sense?"
Seeing that the two of them were about to start arguing about height, I gestured Reinhard with my eyes, knowing full well that Felt was the shorter of the two, and was kicking an iron plate.
"Though I hate to interrupt your meaningful discussion, Miss Rem, would you be able to prepare some drinks?" Reinhard sliced through their conversation brilliantly, "We've all been travelling and talking for so long, and I'm sure we're all starting to feel a little parched."
"Yeah, I could do with a drink." Felt nodded her head, forgetting about the argument.
Whether or not Anastasia was successfully manipulated or not, it didn't matter, as she agreed to play along with Reinhard, "You're right, I've been waiting ages for a drink now. Is this how service is done at House Mathers?"
"My apologies, Lady Anastasia." Rem lowered her head, and with that, the drinks started to flow, and by the time Lady Felt and Lady Anastasia remembered what they were arguing about, the calvary had quite literally arrived, with a sea of knights galloping towards us on horseback, blowing their supernal trumpets as they welcomed the arrival of the duchess.
Seeing the grand precession, nervousness bubbled up within me on behalf of Reinhard. Is Wilhelm there or not?
I loved Wilhelm. I really did. He was a phenomenal individual, and I couldn't watch the battle with the White Whale without tearing up, but nonetheless, if there was one glaring issue with him, it would be his treatment towards Reinhard, especially when Reinhard was young.
Naturally, I did not blame the grieving husband, but he shouldn't have blamed Reinhard either. Unfortunately, their relationship with one another was incredibly complicated, and I could only describe it as 'one step forward, two steps back.' My sympathy towards the two of them was overwhelming, and I regretted arriving in this world so late, otherwise I could've slain the White Whale prematurely and avoided the entire mess that resulted because of it.
The point was, I'm not sure I was ready to face such an awkward situation right now. As someone who considered Reinhard my best friend, and Wilhelm a sort of gentlemanly hero of mine, it was a tad too difficult.
"If that's what you're anxious about, Sir Arthur, then you don't need to worry." Reinhard showed a faint smile as he watched the incoming procession, "The Sword Saint and the Finest Knight are currently in the Mathers Domain, thus, the remaining powerful knights such as the Sword Demon have remained in the capital as a deterrent against any untoward actions."
Okay, that was fine, but how did you just read my mind? Divine Protection of Mind Reading? Or just whacky intuition? Most likely the latter, as no Divine Protection should be capable of piercing my Magic Resistance.
"Am I that obvious, Sir Reinhard?" I scratched the back of my head awkwardly.
"You wear your heart on your sleeve, Sir Arthur." Reinhard gave a jovial laugh, and everyone else just looked at the two of us in confusion due to the fact our current conversation existed on a different dimension of comprehension and passive mind-reading.
"On the topic of security, I'm also currently connected audibly to the wiseman council via a metia device, and as such, if there was an attack on the capital, I'd be able to return immediately, though hopefully it doesn't come to that." To be honest, I doubted the Witch Cult or anyone else would make a move on the capital. If they didn't come when Reinhard was heavily suppressed in Vollachia, they wouldn't make a move when he's unsuppressed within the Kingdom.
And I didn't bother to ask him how he understood my thought process so well, as the Duchess was already making an appearance.
"Finally here, my back is killing me-ow!" Ferris arched his back out as he sauntered down the carriage steps, and Duchess Karsten was hot on his tail, looking gallant, regal and beautiful.
"Good news, Lady Crush, we're not the first to arrive-nya!" Ferris beamed as he looked over his shoulder towards the duchess who I was yet to meet.
Her silky dark green hair flowed regally down her back, long and straight, reaching down to her waist, whilst her almond-shaped golden-brown eyes shone brilliantly with abundant nobility. She was dressed incredibly formally in militaristic garb, donning the Karsten colors. Her commanding presence was overwhelming, and from the moment she stepped out the carriage, she stole the show.
Though I would say that Lady Emilia had the upper hand in terms of beauty and raw physical power, when it came to charisma and presence, she had a lot to learn from the young duchess.
Crusch strode forward and offered polite greetings, "Lady Anastasia, Lady Emilia, we meet again." Her bearing was curt, more polite than Anastasia, but several degrees lower in formality than the knights.
With that, her gaze finally landed on Felt, "This is…? I don't believe we've been introduced." The more Crush looked, the stranger her features became.
"What is it, lady, you got a problem?" Felt frowned at her.
"My apologies." Crush shook her head with a nostalgic and forlorn look, "For a moment, you reminded me of someone I used to know."
"What's her problem?" Felt muttered under her breath, and Reinhard stepped forward.
"Lady Crusch, please allow me to introduce you to my liege, Lady Felt of House Astrea." Reinhard bowed, and Crusch frowned for a moment.
"So the Sword Saint has sworn his sword? In truth, I had expected you to remain neutral in this battle for the throne."
"I too had expected to remain neutral, but the lady fate played her hand, and the rest is history." Reinhard shook his head helplessly.
To which, Crusch reached out her hand towards Felt, "Lady Felt, correct? May we have a fair and honorable battle for the throne moving forward."
"Tch, screw your throne." Felt crossed her arms and turned her head with disdain, and Crusch wasn't even phased in the slightest as her gaze landed on me.
"You certainly don't look like Margrave Mathers. Lady Emilia, have you found yourself a new escort?"
"Ms. Crusch, this is my knight from beyond the waterfall, the Spirit Swordsman Sir Arthur Pendragon." Lady Emilia introduced me, and I made a polite bow towards the duchess.
"Duchess Karsten, though the poets have praised your valor, they did not do you justice. It's an honor to make your acquaintance."
"It seems the etiquettes of the otherworldly knights are not lacking. In truth, a Spirit Knight from another world is a concept I find rather intriguing. If the future allows for it, we'll have to share a drink with one another." she proposed in a way that didn't allow for rejection.
"Don't bother, this one doesn't have free will, his lady will have to accept your invitation on his behalf."
"Don't be ridiculous, Sir Arthur certainly has free will." Lady Emilia frowned towards Anastasia.
"Then, let's put that to the test." Anastasia turned to me, "Do you accept the invitation or not?"
Talk about an awkward situation. If I accept Duchess Karsten's invitation after declining Anastasia, then I'll certainly make a bad impression on the latter, but if I decline Duchess Karsten's invitation, I'll make a bad impression on the former. Comparatively, if I concede the decision to Lady Emilia again, I will prove that I in fact 'don't have free will'. I guess this is what is meant by being stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Thankfully, I could always rely on my buddy Reinhard to bail me out of tricky situations as he made a slight frown, peering off into the distance, "Seems everyone's here now."
"Oh?" Crusch turned her attention from me as she gazed towards the western horizon, "Has she arrived? I'm afraid my eyes cannot perceive as far as yours, Sir Reinhard."
"Let me take a look." I concentrated magical energy into my eyes once again and peered several kilometers in the distance towards the lone carriage barreling down the road.
Unlike Reinhard, whose sole carriage represented an unparalleled self-confidence and strength, this carriage represented unparalleled arrogance.
"Who is it, Rein?" Felt looked up towards her knight, "Whose arrived?"
"Someone a touch troublesome." Reinhard looked towards his liege with worry, and I also bore some worry towards Lady Emilia.
Priscilla's personality could be quite full-on at times.
"A gathering of all five candidates…" Crusch turned her attention to my liege enthusiastically, "I take my hat off to you, Lady Emilia, you've organized quite the event. This shall make quite the interesting prelude to my hunt."
No, really, this was an astonishing event. A gathering of all five potential rulers in the rural countryside. It was the perfect opportunity for literally anyone with ill intentions to make a move to cripple the already dying kingdom. If this festival really went trouble free, I wouldn't mind wearing my clothes backwards from now on.
"Thank you, Ms. Crusch." Lady Emilia blushed from the heartfelt praise, "I just hope that the festival is to your liking."
Crusch took a look at all the heroic figures gathered and nodded to herself, "You certainly don't have to worry about that, Lady Emilia. This festival has already been more than exciting enough, and we've yet to even begin."
Faced with rare kindness from a stranger, Lady Emilia was a little overheated, and we just watched in silence as the door opened, and none other than Al stepped out of the carriage.
Though Al was imposing in appearance, he was actually fairly short in comparison to the Knights gathered here. With that being said, the fellow was built different, and his chiseled abs and vigorous muscles were a sight to behold. His body was riddled with scars, and his appearance was somewhat shabby. His left arm was missing, and he donned a helmet that made him look like he walked straight out of Lordran with a sword strapped to his waist.
His appearance was a little all over the place, but you would be a fool to underestimate him. In terms of dangerous individuals in this world, he was incredibly high on the list. Though I didn't want to go into too much detail regarding Al, I just had to say that to me, protecting Princess Priscilla was as equally as important as protecting Lady Emilia.
Without discussing the events of later arcs, I had to say that Al was one of my favorite individuals in this world, most likely because when Al was introduced, Subaru was in a particularly bad place, but no matter how much Subaru made a fool of himself, Al was just an all-round chill individual, and there was a rather wholesome comradery to be had between fellow transmigrators.
He opened the carriage door, and a gust of smoldering wind blew him back as Priscilla fanned herself, "It seems that all the members of the supporting cast have gathered. That does indeed make sense, after all, the protagonist always arrives late to the party."
With an arrogant and bold declaration, a young lady stepped out from the carriage. She was especially beautiful, appearing to be between the ages of 19-20, her scarlet-blonde hair reaching down to her waist, glimmering like the setting sun, her blood red eyes resembling beautiful, prized rubies.
This princess… she was indeed gorgeous. Whilst Emilia was equally attractive, that was more a pure, wholesome beauty, whereas this young lady, I would aptly describe as 'terrifyingly beautiful'.
She was dressed in exquisite, opulent clothing worthy of her status, perfectly complimenting her crimson eyes, as well as her endowed figure. With a single look, you can tell this was a young lady at the top of the aristocratic world, the jewelry adorning her worth more than the yearly income of the average town.
By now, everyone is well aware of my unique taste in the fairer half, thus, it probably won't surprise you to hear that back when I was naught but a humble viewer, Priscilla was my second favorite after Echidna, despite her rather… prickly personality.
When I used to dream about transmigrating to fantasy worlds, Re:Zero in particular, I always imagined myself a member of the Priscilla camp, but naturally, reality and daydreams are two completely different matters, and I now stood opposite her as a political rival, my sword unwavering.
Though, it must be said, with her unparalleled good fortune, Al's authority and wisdom, my strength and future knowledge, the three of us would make quite the frightening team.
Either way, now that Priscilla had arrived, she didn't waste any time in offending half the people present, "A mere merchant, a gutter rat and a silver-haired half-devil, it seems that the Kingdom of Lugunica really will accept anyone as a ruler these days. To be honest, competing with you lot makes me wonder whether ruling this kingdom is even worth it." She laughed softly, fanning herself with her treasured fan.
"What the hell? You wanna fight, bitch?!" As always, Felt was quick to anger and even Anastasia was frowning heavily.
"I wouldn't want to stain my dress with your dirty blood, so no, I do not want to fight." Priscilla shook her head, and Reinhard was forced to hold his mistress back from launching an attack, knowing it would end quite badly for Felt.
"And what's wrong with bein' a merchant?" Anastasia quipped towards the ruby eyed princess, "You understand that none of your jewels could be purchased without money, right?"
"As expected from a commoner, even your thoughts are common. Even if there was no such thing as currency in the world, the owners of precious jewels from all around the world would offer their jewels up to me on a silver platter." Priscilla did not even look at Anastasia as she fanned herself.
This kind of confidence… it was indeed impressive. Somehow, as I listened to her tirade, I could not help but recall a certain crimson-eyed, golden-haired king. It would be interesting to put the two of them in a room together and watch what happened.
"You've got a real nasty personality, ya' know that?" Anastasia scoffed, her distaste towards Priscilla practically visceral.
"Whether or not you find my personality nasty is completely irrelevant. Your opinions and feelings towards me are utterly inconsequential. Either way, Al, it seems that a lot of flies have gathered here… you don't happen to have some repellent, do you?"
"Uhm, sorry princess, I seem to have left it at the mansion…" Al scratched the back of his head sheepishly, and I had to pity the poor knight with a mistress that offended everyone she came across.
"Really, what's the use of having a servant that fails to serve? Your entertainment is half-baked, and you're as forgetful as a goldfish. Perhaps I would have better luck hiring a hamster as my retainer."
"Well, if nothing else, I'm confident I can defend you better than a hamster." Al patted his chest reassuringly.
"Oh, really?" Priscilla raised her eyebrow, pointing her folding fan at Reinhard, "Then go and beat him for me."
"Actually, Princess, I take it back, I suck at fighting." Al shook his head, and that was probably for the best. He was one of the few people in the world with the potential to pose a threat to Reinhard, and as someone who liked both of them, I really didn't want to see the two of them fighting.
"What the hell's wrong with the two of you? Some kind of comedy duo? Lame." With Reinhard at her side, Felt was quite literally as fearless as they came, and did not mind prodding the lion.
"Can someone tell this child to be quiet when the adults are talking? You're an eyesore." Priscilla rolled her eyes lazily at Felt, and the hot-headed young lady rolled up her sleeves in preparation for a brawl.
Once again, Reinhard placed his hand on Felt's shoulder to halt her movements as he smiled at Priscilla, "Princess Barielle, I don't believe you've been introduced to my liege. She is Lady Felt of House Astrea, protected by the Sword Saint lineage." Though his body language was passive and tranquil, the intentions stated in his words were as clear as day.
"If nothing else, her luck is not bad for a gutter rat it seems." Priscilla scoffed as she pointed her fan at me, "And what of this flashy knight next to the half-devil? Al, I don't believe I've seen him before."
"Princess, I'm also unfamiliar with him." Al scratched the top of his head as he looked towards me, "Uhm, Mr. Knight, I don't believe the two of us have been introduced?"
"You must be the rumored powerful gladiator Al. The regales of your prowess don't do you justice. I am the knight from beyond the waterfall, Arthur Pendragon." I reached out my hand to him, and he took a step back in shock and fear.
"Hold up a moment… did you just say Arthur Pendragon?! As in THE Arthur Pendragon?" No matter how anyone looked at it, his reaction was clearly bizarre, and no one was more confused than Priscilla herself.
"What's going on, Al? Do you happen to know this flashy young man?"
"Princess, I'll tell you the details in private later. All you need to know is that if he really is THE Arthur Pendragon, then he's the last person you want to offend."
Listening to Al hype me up like this, I couldn't help but rub my nose sheepishly, a sea of gazes gravitating towards me.
"Sir Arthur, do you know this gentleman?" Emilia blinked at me curiously, and I just shook my head,
"Naturally I've heard stories of him, but this is our first time meeting in person." And Emilia was left scratching her head.
"Interesting." Priscilla hid her smile behind her fan, "And here I was thinking this gathering was going to be a dull bore, perhaps there is some entertainment to be had after all."
"Phew." Al let out an audible sigh of relief, his gaze practically stuck to the sword at my waist, whilst Priscilla just continued to be at the centre of attention.
"The service here at House Mathers is truly poor. Where is my drink? Where is my court jester?"
"If it is a jester yooou require, Princess Barielle, then maaaybe I can suffice?" A wild Lord Roswaal appeared alongside Ram, his ever-present ever-peculiar smile on his face.
"You certainly do suffice as a clown. Princess Priscilla Barielle is at your doorstep, and you take this long to show your face? What are you if not a joke?" she scolded harshly as she pointed her folding fan directly towards him.
Her actions and words earned an icy glare from Ram, but Roswaal was like a floating cloud that no one could reach, "Thaaank you for your kiiind words, Princess Priscilla. And nooow then, since everyone haaas arrived, shall we get this festival underwaaay?"
To which, no one voiced their disagreement.
Naturally, the main event today was the battle against the Witchbeasts, but first came the intermingling between the political candidates as we waltzed down the promenade of stalls, Felt helping herself to every delicious item she came across as the other four discussed seriously with food and drink in hand, the five of us knights forming a circle around the distinguished individuals as they walked and chatted.
Though Priscilla by far attracted the most attention, it was Duchess Karsten who demanded the most respect and thus led the conversations.
"This is pleasant, isn't it?" she smiled softly as she took a sip from her drink, taking bites of the different local delicacies, "All of us gathering like this. Since we'll eventually be crossing swords with one another, it would be nice if we could first make an effort to understand one another."
"There is no need for such boring trivialities. I'll eventually become queen, and anything else before is simply foreplay and nothing else." Priscilla shook her head in dismissal of the duchess' proposal.
"Actually, I'd quite like to get to know you all." Emilia kneaded her hands together sheepishly, only to be knocked down by Priscilla,
"Unfortunately for you, your opinion is irrelevant, half-devil."
"Actually, I'm in agreement with Emilia, as they say, 'know your enemy', I wouldn't mind gettin' to know you all a lil." Anastasia formed the platform in the middle, allowing the discussion to proceed further as Priscilla was outvoted 3-1.
"Then, I'll make the start. As you're all aware, my name is Crush Karsten, the head of the Karsten Duchy. My goal is to sever the covenant with the Divine Dragon and make Lugunica an independent nation." She stated her intentions clearly with the air of a ruler.
"You intend to do what?" Reinhard raised his eyebrow, "Can a Dragon Kingdom Lugunica without the Divine Dragon still be considered the 'Dragon Kingdom'?"
"I thought that you of all people would agree with me the most, Sir Reinhard. After all, the Dragon has done nothing for this kingdom as it has slowly decayed into ruin, and yet it still expects our people to pay reverence to it? That's naught but arrogance."
Reinhard fell silent for a moment as he turned to me, "What do you think, Sir Arthur?"
What the hell? Why're you asking me?
"Perhaps an outsider's perspective could shine some light on our opposing ideologies."
Oi, stop doing that!
"I don't believe there's anything wrong with a nation that puts its people first. It's clear that the Duchess truly cares for the people of Lugunica, and that's something to be admired." In truth, the Dragon was irrelevant. It was no longer in the right state of mind and thus could not be relied on. And in fact, I would rather it be swiftly killed to avoid potential troubles in the future.
Either way, even without the dragon, there was no lack of powerful warriors left to protect the kingdom, the knights gathered here today included.
"Is there any use in speculating what you would do after you became queen?" Priscilla yawned, "The moment I was selected as a candidate, your chances of succeeding were reduced to zero."
Crush was completely unphased by her words, "Then, Princess Barielle, what would you do if you became Queen of Lugunica? I'm genuinely curious."
"There is no 'what would I do?'" Priscilla responded back, "Once I become Queen, the kingdom will prosper exponentially with or without my intervention. It's just a simple fact that wherever I go, prosperity follows, and as citizens of the Kingdom, you should be at my feet, begging me to be your Queen." Priscilla did not believe her words to be arrogant, she simply stated the facts as she saw them.
In truth, she wasn't exaggerating. Her luck stat was indeed maxed out, and a kingdom under her rule would undoubtedly be a good one.
Nonetheless, she was still only a human, and she would eventually degrade, and the kingdom would soon fall into turmoil again. That is why I would place my bets with Lady Emilia, who could guarantee a long-lasting future.
"I appreciate your self-confidence and honesty." Crusch turned her head to Anastasia, "What about you, Lady Anastasia Hoshin? What will you do if you become queen?"
"Politics don't matter to me, only economics. I'll start by increasing the Kingdom's economy massively by trading with neighbouring nations, that kind of thing. In short, I've grown bored of owning a business, I want to own a Kingdom instead." She spoke frankly, the greed in her eyes palpable.
"I see a slight flaw in your statement. If you've already grown bored of running a business, what happens when you grow bored of running a Kingdom?" Crusch asked, genuinely curious to her response.
"It's simple, sweetie – I'll just go 'n' run the world instead." Anastasia echoed her incredibly ambitious words with a straight face, and to be honest, there was also truth to her words as well. Anastasia was truly blessed, and if she did become queen, the whole entire world might soon fall under Lugunican rule.
The problem was, if Anastasia became bored of ruling a business, she would soon become bored of ruling a kingdom, or ruling the world, then things would turn incredibly chaotic, incredibly quickly. Echidna has shown best what happens when greedy people get bored of their toys, which is why I personally would prefer if Anastasia wasn't ruler.
In truth, none of the candidates were bad choices. Felt was the most inexperienced and underqualified, but she also had Reinhard at her side, and if I had to rank the candidates on how I would feel about them being a sole ruler, it would undoubtedly be Emilia Crusch / Priscilla Anastasia / Felt, and of course, I was incredibly bias.
"I see. And what about you?" Crusch turned to Lady Felt, "As someone who has personally experienced the depravity of a dragon-run kingdom, you must have some grand ideas towards the current status quo, right?"
"I just want to crush this stupid kingdom and it's stupid aristocracy, get some fresh air in here, then maybe start from scratch and build something refreshing! Not that it's any of your business anyway!" Felt shouted back as she bit menacingly into her food, "In the first place, if it wasn't for dumbhard and stupid flashy flash, I wouldn't even be here chatting with you idiots!" when it came to contempt towards the other members of the selection, Felt's was no less than Priscilla's.
"I see, creation through destruction, rebirth through death." Crusch nodded her head, finally turning her gaze to Emilia, "And you, Lady Emilia? What would be your plans after becoming queen?"
Emilia looked Crush in the eyes and confidently responded, "I have but a simple wish: a kingdom wherein all are treated equally."
"A beautiful ideal." Crushed nodded her head, "Though ultimately, an ideal is only an ideal. Your wish is fundamentally a contradiction, by being queen, you are inherently above your people, and thus a truly equal kingdom is impossible. That is the nature of a monarchy."
Well, Crusch was cold and rational with her logic. Even I didn't have a rebuttal to her comments.
Perhaps in the past, Emilia would've been shut down by her response, but she just shot back with clear violet eyes, "You may be correct, but still, I don't believe my ideals are wrong. As I accumulate merit and achievement, I can map out a proper plan for the future with the help of my supporters."
Even I was unable to respond to the duchess, but Lady Emilia met her equally, and I could not help the pride that blossomed within me as I saw the visage of an auburn-haired hero in her shadow.
"Your dreams are certainly beautiful, and I find your naivety endearing, but as a half-devil, no matter how much you love your people, they will never love you. No matter how much you fight for your people, they will never fight for you. You're wasting your time by striving to create an equal kingdom for people who will never return the same care back to you."
Priscilla's words struck me as a touch strange, I almost sensed a hint of pity in her words, which was quite surprising considering how her default attitude was set to mean.
"Even if my people never come to like me, I'll fight for them nonetheless." Emilia spoke without hesitation in her gaze, "But I've already seen with my very own eyes that people and opinions can change, and the future is not set in stone. Although my dream may be incredibly difficult to achieve, I still intend to become queen no matter the trials and tribulations that lay ahead."
"Well, if nothing else, you and your knight will make for an amusing lark on my path to queendom. There's no better entertainment than watching dreams crumble into despair." Priscilla masked her gaze with her fan, and I had no idea what the princess was thinking.
"With that, I believe we all have a thorough understanding of each other." Crusch smiled positively as she led the party, "Let us continue to chat and enjoy the festivities on our way to the main event."
And with her words, I slowly walked backwards from the group, having sensed Al's intentions for a private chat.
The two of us moved from the crowd, and he scratched the back of his head sheepishly, "You're not pulling my leg, are you, bro? You're really Arthur Pendragon?"
"I take it you're familiar with me, Sir Al?" I couldn't help but rub my nose. Was this how celebrities felt when they were recognised in public?
"Is there anyone on planet earth who's not familiar with the legend of King Arthur? How the hell did you end up here? Weren't you killed by Mordred in the Battle of Camlann?"
"The world works in miraculous ways, Sir Al. The fact the two of us can meet and chat like this is proof of that."
"Well, you certainly sound how I imagine the real King Arthur would sound… then that sword at your side?" he gulped as he looked down at Excalibur.
"The one and only." I let out a light laugh.
"You have no idea how popular and relevant your sword is in the future! It's like the mythical and legendary equipment in every single video game… ah, you probably don't know what a video game is, right?" He shook his head, looking up at me with what I assumed to be pleading eyes, "Can I hold it?"
"If you insist." I pulled the sheathed sword from my side and handed it over. Although there was always a risk he might run away with the sword, considering the Noble Phantasm was part of my legend, mystery and existence, it would leave him looking a touch silly, and besides, I wanted to have a good relationship with Al.
"Wow, it's a lot lighter than expected." Al mused as he gave Excalibur a few swings, "The Sword of Promised Victory… it's certainly beautiful. Then is this sheath Avalon? The sheath that grants the wielder eternal life?"
"What do you think?" I made a mysterious, Merlin-like smile. Although I just said I wanted a good relationship with him, Al was also an incredibly serious threat, and I didn't want to blab about the fact that Avalon wasn't with me right now.
With Avalon, all issues would become trivialities, so lacking it did make me incredibly vulnerable. Thankfully I was learning Spirit Arts to account for the healing factor, but the ability to send myself to Avalon was incredibly, incredibly overpowered, even more so than Regulus' authority.
No matter how amazing the authority, it could still be cut through by the swordsmen in this world capable of cutting through concepts and authorities like Reid, and perhaps even Cecilus with Murasame, but Avalon transported the user to the depths of the Reverse Side wherein even the heavenly sword could not reach.
In terms of broken abilities, it stood at the absolute forefront, and the level of power needed to cut into Avalon was not something this world possessed, meaning that if I did have Avalon, I would be completely untouchable. As such, it was rather annoying that I didn't have it with me right now.
"Either way, I can't believe I'm talking with THE King Arthur…" Al sighed aloud as he handed my sword back to me cordially, "You must have a lot of stories to tell."
Seeing Al like this was a little interesting. Though he was always a chill guy, he was never this enthusiastic. Many people theorised that Al was Subaru, or that Al was somehow or in some way related to Subaru, and if that was true, it would make a lot of sense why Al was so excited about Excalibur, as the first thing Subaru did upon arriving in this world was complain about the fact he didn't have Excalibur.
"You too, seem like a man with a lot of stories to tell. Perhaps if there's time in the future, we can discuss our home world beneath the starry sky beside the campfire."
"That'd be great. Chatting with King Arthur, it sounds crazy to even say that aloud." Faced with such an Al, I genuinely didn't know how to respond. Seemed a little different from what I had expected.
"Damn, I shouldn't have agreed to participate in this festival, I wanna watch King Arthur fight! Perhaps I could catch the highlights?" Al scratched his head as he muttered aloud. Although we were both competing, the area of the tournament was thoroughly huge, so although the spectators could watch, it was unlikely he'd be able to witness me battle in person.
"Uhm, Sir Al, if you don't mind the rudeness, can I ask you a favour as fellow earthlings?" I turned to the gladiator seriously, and he nodded his head.
"Sure, sure. Doing a favour for King Arthur, not many people have this honour!" he grinned as he rubbed his calloused hands together.
"Then, can you keep the matter of my identity a secret between the two of us? Lady Emilia has a lot on her plate, and I don't want to burden her with my history until she's prepared to handle it." I spoke to him pleadingly. If he said no, I really couldn't do anything about it, but I'd really prefer Emilia learn about the history of King Arthur through the Dream Cycle, and not through hearsay.
"Sure thing." Thankfully, he was in agreement, "Though I have to tell the princess, I won't tell anyone else."
"Will she…?"
"Don't worry about it, bro, although the Princess might come off a little harsh at first, she's a genuinely respectful person at heart, so she won't spill your beans." Though respectful isn't a word I'd use to describe Priscilla, considering he was her knight, I took his word for it.
The two of us chatted about various trivialities about earth, with him telling me about modern Japan and the past 1,500 years, and me telling him about medieval England.
Despite the fact I was just as informed as he was, it made for an interesting conversation.
And before long, we reached the large round table at the centre of Arlam Village where five eminent seats had been gathered, naturally belonging to each of the five candidates, a large blue magic projection above their heads, ready to display the competition.
Now that the bread had been broken, the witchbeast extermination could begin in earnest.
Authors Notes:
Well, that has been Chapter 19 everyone, and I really hope you enjoyed!
There was a lot of introductions and talking so I hope that was not too much, but considering how important all the members of the Royal Selection are going to be going forward, I wanted to spend a decent portion of time establishing their relationships with Arthur and focusing on their initial interactions.
For those wanting action, the next chapter is going to be full of action from start to finish, so please look forward to that. I'll probably write it in third person too to account for the reactions of different people when Arthur finally goes all out.
But once again, thank you so much to everyone who has viewed, followed, favorited or reviewed the story, it really means so much to me!
Have a great week everyone, take care!