The Finest Knight, Julius Juukulius.
Having departed the remains of the Roswaal Guesthouse, the Finest Knight was personally escorting me to the medical bay.
Like Reinhard, Julius was an incredibly handsome young man. He was a few centimeters shorter than myself with a toned, muscular stature hidden behind his knight's robes.
His silky violet hair reached down to his chin, brushed either side of his bright, glimmering, golden-yellow eyes. His features were clean, and his every movement overflowed with elegance.
Truly, he was the Finest Knight.
Julius was a person who had perhaps earned a bad reputation back home due to his act of violently beating Subaru with a wooden sword, but quite frankly, let alone dislike him, I couldn't like Julius any more even if I tried.
That entire debacle in the Royal Capital was truly difficult to watch no matter how many times I viewed the series, but I never blamed Subaru or Julius for their actions.
On Subaru's hand, he had quite literally been through hell. Though he was incredibly petty towards Julius and all of the knights, given what he had been through during Arc 1 and Arc 2, it was surprising that he was even managing to function like a normal human being, so I could excuse his pettiness. Personally speaking, if I had been killed some six times, I wasn't sure I'd even be able to leave my bed in the morning, let alone head to the Royal Capital.
In regard to Julius, he couldn't be blamed either. From an outsider's perspective, Subaru's actions in the Royal Palace were simply atrocious. He made an absolute fool of himself. Even the viewers who had been with Subaru throughout his whole journey, and had suffered alongside him found his speech towards the Lugunican Knights particularly hard to digest, let alone Julius who had just met him that morning.
The fact that Julius would even sacrifice his honor and reputation to protect Subaru despite all that just showed what it meant to be the Finest Knight. Whether it was back then or now, Julius Juukulius was a man I truly respected… despite his tardiness that is.
"Sir Arthur, if you don't mind me asking…" Julius turned to me with a look that was difficult to describe as we jaunted through the ghoulish nighttime streets, "Are you…? You know what, never mind." He shook his head, "There will be plenty of time for us to talk later, I don't want to question you whilst you're under mental duress."
It seemed Sir Julius had something to talk to me about. Most likely it was in regards to my sword which had illuminated the sky, which was fair enough, I would also be curious upon witnessing such a spectacle.
Either way, I had to agree that now really wasn't the time for such discussions, as I was mentally drained.
The young man maintained a respectful silence as we continued our journey, eventually reaching the medical bay.
When I saw the actual medical bay, I couldn't help but frown, "How terrible."
There were roughly two dozen injured civilians laying on camping beds. Though their wounds were not severe, it still broke my heart to see these innocent citizens suffering like this.
"Unfortunately, during the assault by the Witchbeast Tamer, some roads and buildings were destroyed, and many were injured." Julius let out a heavy sigh, "The only silver lining is that no one was seriously injured. Reinhard made sure of that."
"The Sword Saint… he really is the sword and shield of the Kingdom." I made a small smile.
"That he is, Sir Arthur, that he is…" Julius nodded his head as he led me through, eventually arriving before a young man.
He was around half a head shorter than myself, with flax-colored hair cut into a neat bob, a pair of twitching cat ears sitting nicely atop his head, and lovely little ribbons hanging from his bangs. He had bright, almond eyes, and a serious look on his face as he tended to the wounded. He was clad in a blue dress with black tights and a pair of blue leggings, a knight's robe wrapped over his shoulders. With the blue light gathered in his hands illuminating his features, he appeared incredibly regal.
"Ferris, how are things here? I hope you're not overworking yourself, are you?" Julius asked as he approached, the concern apparent on his face.
"Julius!" Ferris' tired features lit up as he saw Julius, standing up and wiping the sweat from his brow, "Ferris is doing just fine, thank you. Just trying my best to keep on top of things heremeow."
"Thank you for your hard work." Julius made a polite bow, and was about to speak, but Ferris interrupted him.
"You've brought a rather strange guestmeow." Ferris looked me up and down curiously, cupping his chin inquisitively.
Julius made a wry smile, "I was just about to introduce you. This is a friend of Reinhard's, the Knight who defeated the Bowel Hunter, Elsa Granhiert, Sir Arthur Pendragon."
"Oh?" Ferris raised his eyebrow as he approached, jumping onto my side, biting onto my ear, smirking to himself, "Hoh-hoh, it's just as Ferris expectedmeow."
"Sir Arthur, please allow me to introduce you to the Kingdom's Greatest Healer, Knight Felix Argyle."
"You can just call me Ferris." The young man smiled as he hopped off my side, "Sorry about thatmeow."
"You're a friend of a friend, apologies are unnecessary between us." Though I must admit it was a peculiar sensation to have my ear nibbled on, after the events of tonight, nothing could phase me anymore.
"Ferris, Sir Arthur has been through a brutal fight to the death, and although he appears okay on the outside, we don't know how he is internally, so if possible, I'd like if you could check on him. This is a request from both myself and Reinhard."
"Of course." Ferris nodded his head in response, "Even if you and Reinhard didn't request it, Ferris would still heal himeow. That's the duty of a healer, after all."
"Very well. Then, Sir Arthur, whilst it's been a pleasure, I need to reconvene with Reinhard to give my official report on the events that occurred tonight, so if you don't mind, I'll be excusing myself." Julius made a polite bow.
"Thank you for everything, Sir Julius. The next time I'm in the Capital, I'll have to treat you to a meal as thanks."
"I look forward to that day, Sir Arthur." Julius smiled in response, nodding towards Ferris, and with that, the Finest Knight took off.
"Hmmmmm…" Ferris held his chin as he looked at me, grabbing onto my wrist, "Come with meow, I'll take a look at you in private."
"You don't have to worry about me, Ferris. Please focus your attention on the other citizens, and I'll just do some meditation whilst I wait." With my incredible endurance, I seriously doubted I needed any medical attention. It was more important for Ferris to focus his attention on the citizens.
"Everyone has already been stabilized, right nyow, your situation is the most concerning." And with that, I was dragged off to the side for a private check-up.
With that, Ferris took me to a private quarter and looked me up and down, eyebrows scrunched together, "You… you're a spirit, aren't nya?"
I couldn't help but blink towards the young man, genuinely surprised by his words, "You could tell?"
"Well, Ferris wasn't sure at first, but after I nibbled on your ear and sensed the flow of your Water Mana, I could more or less tellmeow. You've got an incredible amount of Mana within you, huh? Without drawing Mana from the atmosphere, Ferris can safely say you've got the most Mana in the capitalmeow, it's really incredible." He looked me up and down and nodded his head as if I were some rare treasure.
"I'm not the incredible one, Ferris. The fact that you can sense so much with a quick inspection just goes to show the wonder of your abilities." I smiled in response, "The Kingdom's Greatest Healer… you really live up to your name."
"The fact you're not lying makes Ferris really happymeow" He smiled before making a rather troubled look, "Nonetheless, Ferris did overstep some boundaries… I sensed a lot more than intended… your heart… no, never mind, Ferris really does owe you an apology." He shook his head, looking up at me with sincere eyes, "Sorry about everything, Arthur, I hope we can be friends from now on." He reached out his hand looking at me with genuine friendliness.
Naturally, I was more than happy to befriend Ferris. I sincerely looked forward to the day all of us knights could gather and enjoy food and drinks in the Capital.
"Likewise, Ferris." I shook his hand, "I'm a third-rate hack when it comes to battle, and I have no doubt I'll probably get injured again in the future, so please take care of me when that time comes." I made a gentle smile.
"That won't be necessary." He shook his head in response, "Your affinity with Spirits is the highest Ferris has ever seen. If you spend some time communing with Water Spirits, you'll be able to heal yourself in no timeow."
"I see… I didn't consider that possibility." I held my chin in thought. Considering how loved King Arthur was by the Faeries, it did make sense that the Spirits of this world would be taken with me, I just didn't think about it.
"Ferris, when you have the time, do you think you could teach me a thing or to about healing? I have a feeling that kind of ability will be very, very handy in the future."
"Ferris will have to speak with Lady Crusch, but well, I wouldn't mind teaching you. Now take a seat." He patted on the nearby chair, and I took my seat.
"I feel a little guilty in all honesty, having the world's greatest healer tend to a hack like me, I'm both honored and ashamed." I scratched my cheek sheepishly.
"When it comes to healing, all are equal, Arthur. And besides, you should have some more confidence in yourself. You're an incredibly powerful knight. In the entire Kingdom, I think only Reinhard should be able to best youmeow. Of course, that's only because Lady Theresia isn't around any more and Old Man Wil is getting on in years." Ferris chatted away as he covered my head with his hands, a pale glow illuminating the room.
A few moments passed before he spoke up again, "Yep, this isn't going to work." Shaking his head as he removed his hands, "Have you got some kind of inherent Magic Resistance or somethingmeow? My Magic can't penetrate."
His words caused me to blink in shock. Indeed, I have A-Rank Magic Resistance, which was incredibly handy mind you, but I thought it only defended against hostile attacks. Even healing magic doesn't work?
No, that can't be right. I remember well and clear that Irisviel attempted to heal Artoria, so it must be possible to turn it off.
"Give me a second, Ferris." I closed my eyes and relaxed the guard that was always active, and thankfully, it actually worked.
"Give it a try now." I gave Ferris the go ahead. Currently, I was incredibly vulnerable, so I just had to hope that Ferris didn't scramble my brains for fun.
"Uhh… alright…?" Ferris placed his hands back on my head, and the gentle glow reappeared, followed by a cooling sensation that washed over my brain, "Alright, there we go."
Like that, I felt my already calm mind relax several notches, making me feel incredibly tranquil. It was like a massage to my brain, an incredible feeling.
"All done." Ferris clasped his hands together happily, "You're all good, Arthur. I'll let you rest for a few hours just to make sure, then you should be good to go."
"Alright, thank you for everything, Ferris. I won't forget this favor." I bowed sincerely towards the knight.
"You're most welcomeow." And with that, Ferris took his exit, and I was left on my lonesome in the private bay.
There was no rest for the wicked, however. Finally having some free time, I took a seat at the nearby desk and began writing up my report.
Thankfully, despite being a literal alien, I could use this world's language perfectly. Oh, the wonders of magic.
…
The deep darkness of the night was banished as the formerly sunken sun begun its glorious ascent towards the zenith, bathing the Royal Capital in splendorous golden incandescence.
"Thank you once again, Ferris." I bowed politely towards the healer whilst holding my report tightly in my hand, soaking in the glorious sunshine, "Let us meet again in the near future so I can repay my debts."
"Hey, we're friends nyow, aren't we?" Ferris made a small smile, "All this talk about debts, you make us seem so distant."
"I didn't realize we crossed so much distance in just a few hours." I let out a light chuckle, "But either way, I'll surely make it up to you the next time we meet."
"Ferris will be looking forward to that, Arthur. I just hope the next time we meet is under better circumstancesmeow. Don't go getting yourself beat up, alright?" Ferris spoke kindly, eyes brimming with concern.
"I'll do my best, but unfortunately, I'm accident prone." I jested lightly as I turned around, waving my hand, "Until next time, Ferris!"
"Take care, Arthur!"
Without making any detours, I headed straight to the Royal Knight's Garrison to A., hand in my report and B., reunite with Lady Emilia.
Thankfully, it didn't take long at all to find them. As I approached the Knight's Garrison, I immediately spotted a familiar pair of silver and red heads, causing me to let out a heavy sigh of relief as I felt any lingering concerns and anxiety wash away.
As long as Lady Emilia was okay, everything was fine.
"Ah! Sir Arthur!" hearing the familiar clinking of my armor, Lady Emilia soon noticed me, "I was just about to head to the medical bay to find you, what a coincidence!"
"A pleasant one, I hope?" I made a small smile towards my liege.
"Of course, silly." She giggled into her hand, "If you're in the mood for jokes, I take it you're feeling better?"
"Fortunately so." I nodded in confirmation, "It was all thanks to Ferris' healing abilities. I'm afraid I'm in his debt this time around. Same with Sir Julius, and yourself, Sir Reinhard. I've only just arrived in the capital and I'm already in debt to so many people, Lady Emilia, I'm afraid your knight is a hopeless one."
"You're not hopeless at all." Emilia shook her head, "In fact, I couldn't ask for a better knight."
Seeing her words were sincere, a warm smile spread across my lips, "Thank you, Lady Emilia."
"You're most welcome." A radiant smile of her own blossomed onto her face, making her look especially lovely.
"Speaking of debts, Sir Arthur, we're all in your debt." Reinhard interjected, "The Bowel Hunter was incredibly powerful, and considering we already had our hands full with the Witchbeast Tamer, if it wasn't for you, I'm not sure we would've been able to handle the situation, so thank you for shouldering that burden with us, my friend." Reinhard made a nervous smile, and I couldn't help but let out a light chuckle as I responded, shaking my head,
"If my embarrassing performance can bring some good to the Kingdom's honorable knights and its people, then I'm glad to have danced foolishly, my friend." with that, I looked up at him, "If there's time in the future, perhaps you could give me a few pointers with your sword to make up for where I'm lacking."
An chance to learn from Reinhard would be an incredibly valuable opportunity.
"If the two of us were to spar, Sir Arthur, I'm afraid you would be the one doing the teaching." Reinhard laughed softly, "Nonetheless, it would be my honor to spar with you."
"The next time Lady Emilia and I are in the Capital, we need to have a big get-together, Sir Reinhard, gather all the knights and eat and drink from dusk till dawn."
"Now that sounds like my idea of fun, Sir Arthur. Make no doubt, the moment your carriages next arrive in the capital, such arrangements will be made."
"Brilliant. I'm already looking forward to our next visit."
Reinhard made a genuine smile before concluding our discussion politely, "Either way, whilst I would love to stay and chat, I'm afraid Lady Felt is most likely causing a ruckus right about now, so I should be returning."
"Of course, but please accept this first, Sir Reinhard." I handed him my report, and he accepted it, taking a look, nodding his head.
"I'll make sure this gets to the Knight's Captain and the Counsel of Wisemen, Sir Arthur. Be assured, your efforts in the Royal Capital this time around won't go unrewarded."
"You truly are a noble knight. Thank you for everything, Sir Reinhard." Lady Emilia made a polite courtesy.
"Of course, Lady Emilia. It has been my pleasure to help. I hope yourself and Lady Felt can be good friends in the future." Reinhard smiled back, making a polite bow, "Lady Emilia, Sir Arthur, I hope fate brings us back together soon, but in the meantime, please take care of yourselves." And with that, the Sword Saint took off back towards the Knights Garrison, leaving myself and Lady Emilia on our lonesome.
Speaking of which, since forming our contract, I'm not sure we've had a moment alone like this. It was positively pleasant.
The young lady reached out her hand, grabbing onto my sleeve with a small smile, "Shall we go, Sir Arthur?"
"Of course, Lady Emilia." I nodded my head, turning to her, "What would you like to do now? Head back to the Mansion?"
"Not quite yet." she shook her head softly, "My original plan was to take a look at the capital, but because of the whole thievery incident, my time in the capital has been nothing but chaos." She spoke sadly, looking up at me, "But now you're here, things are different. So what do you think, Sir Arthur?" she reached out her fair, slender hand, "Would you be kind enough to escort me for my second trip through the Capital?"
"It would be my absolute pleasure, Lady Emilia." With that, I took her hand, and the two of us continued onto the winding streets.
Though Lady Emilia was leading the way, I was still subtly guiding her to the Coff shop I saw when wandering around yesterday. Quite frankly, I was absolutely exhausted. I had been up for god knows how long, and I had just battled a vampiric assassin to the death, if I didn't get a coffee within the next ten minutes, someone was going to pay.
Though I knew that King Arthur preferred tea, quite frankly, I much preferred coffee. In this way, we make up for each other's weaknesses and enjoy both tea and coffee.
With that being said, I didn't know whether or not Lady Emilia liked coffee or not, or whether she had even tried it. Maybe I could convince her to become a fellow caffeine addict.
Back when I was home on earth, I could spend three days straight binging visual novels and web novels, surviving on naught but coffee and cup noodles. Those were good times indeed.
The two of us lined up outside the Coff shop, waiting patiently. Emilia was clad in her identity concealing robes, so it was up to me to handle matters. Thankfully, the king was very, very charming.
Before long, I had ordered two coffees, making sure there was extra milk, sugar and cream for Lady Emilia.
As for myself, I was drinking straight drip coffee. Anything less wouldn't be strong enough in my current state.
Speaking of which, I should make sure to have Ram buy some raw Coff beans so I didn't get caffeine withdrawals back at the mansion.
Lady Emilia held the warm cup in her hand and took in the aroma, her nose twitching, and after staring at the mysterious liquid for a moment, she dipped her head into the cup and took a sip before turning to me with a smidgeon of whipped cream on her nose, "Sir Arthur, what is this?"
"Do you like it, Lady Emilia?" I looked at her warmly as I reached out my hand, wiping the cream from her nose, causing her to blush.
"I definitely don't dislike it, but how to put it, it's a little bitter!" Emilia smiled sheepishly, her cheeks and ears rosy red.
"Well, I'm glad you're enjoying it… hm?" as we continued walking, I saw a curious sight.
It was a young girl of around ten years old, standing by the side of the road, looking left and right nervously as tears gathered in her diamond blue eyes. Looking at her bob cut of bright green hair, I instantly identified her as the legendary Plum.
"What're you looking at, Sir Arthur?" Emilia blinked, following my gaze to look at Plum, "Ah, poor thing, do you think she's lost?"
Though it seemed a little unreasonable, Little Plum was indeed lost. Was she stuck in some kind of time loop where she would get continuously lost until someone led her back to her parents?
No, I was just overthinking things. Most likely, she just had a habit of getting lost in the busy Capital.
Either way, it seemed she needed help from Lady Emilia and I, as the citizens just walked past her as if she didn't even exist.
Honestly, I felt a little guilty. I was so caught up with dealing with Elsa and protecting Emilia that I had completely forgot about this poor young lady who had gotten lost from her parents.
Unfortunately, unlike the king, I was not the perfect knight.
Thankfully, judging by her appearance, it seemed she hadn't been lost since yesterday, and I suppose that was a relief.
"I believe so, Lady Emilia." I nodded my head.
"Then, what're you waiting for?" Lady Emilia took my hand and led me towards Plum, "Let's lend her a hand."
"Certainly, Lady Emilia." I smiled and walked forward, taking the lead. Considering Lady Emilia's confidence was on the up, I decided to avoid the scene of her making Plum cry, "Hello there, Little Miss, you seem to be lost. Would you like some assistance?" I knelt down before her so we were at eye level, my overwhelming charisma causing her tears to halt.
This was supposed to be a happy and heartwarming moment, but as I knelt there at eye level with this young child, my heart was instantly overwhelmed with a mixture of emotions as I recalled that I also had a child, Mordred.
Unfortunately, compared to Plum's relationship with her parents, Mordred's relationship with Morgan and I was utterly miserable. Morgan was self-explanatory, but I was far from a warm and loving father.
Artoria desperately sought to erase herself from history, but if I possessed the Holy Grail right now, I would ask for a second chance to make things up to the Knights of the Round Table, especially Mordred.
No, what the hell was I thinking about? Mordred, the Knights of the Round Table… I hadn't even met them before, let alone using the omnipotent wish granting device to reunite with them.
Either way, I needed to suppress this heartache as soon as possible as to not worry Lady Emilia. Considering our victory the night before, I didn't want to put a downer on the good mood.
Unfortunately, I was too late.
"Are you alright, Sir Arthur?" despite the fact I had masked my discomfort perfectly, due to the connection between us, Lady Emilia still managed to pick up on my heartbreak in an instant, to which I reassured her with a calm smile as I regained control over my emotions,
"I'm alright, Lady Emilia, this just left me feeling a little nostalgic is all." I rubbed my nose in confusion, wondering what that was all about. Though I had been subject to many intrusions from the King, that was the first time I had been so overwhelmed with emotion like that.
It felt as if I was being physically stabbed through the heart with a sword. It wasn't pleasant whatsoever.
"Are you alright, Mister?" though we were strangers, Little Miss Plum showcased her kindness, looking at me with concern in her eyes.
"I'm fine. Thank you for your kindness, little miss. How about we find your parents for you and purchase some Fluffy whilst we look?" apparently the cotton candy known as 'Fluffy' in this world was so soft that it couldn't be distinguished from the clouds in the sky. Quite frankly, I didn't know whether that was true or not, but I certainly wanted to try it, and I also wanted to see Lady Emilia try it.
"Yay! Thank you, Mister!" Plum hugged onto my leg, smiling brightly, and once again, my heart was bombarded by emotions like an endless storm of Noble Phantasms raining down on me. Really, was I going to have to be subject to this for the rest of my life?
The world of the Nasuverse was truly magical and mysterious, and servants meet all the time. Perhaps in the future, I would have the chance to meet Mordred, and whether it's the female or male counterpart, hopefully I'll be able to make amends and achieve some kind of internal peace and resolution, as this constant onslaught of heartache was too much to constantly deal with.
Like that, we made our way to the Fluffy shop to purchase a large amount of cotton candy.
Next time I came here, I would have to purchase some for Reinhard and Felt as a gift. Though it might seem somewhat inappropriate to present a Princess with cotton candy, I had a feeling the two of them would like it.
"Uwa! What is this, Sir Arthur?! It's absolutely delicious!" the radiant smile on Lady Emilia's face couldn't be properly contained as she tried the Fluffy, spreading off her face, the young lady beaming brightly like a star in the night sky.
"Hey, Lia – don't hog it all! Let me have some too!" Puck let out a small burst of laughter, bathing in the Fluffy, taking as many mouthfuls as he wanted.
"Just make sure the two of you brush your teeth after you eat, otherwise all your teeth will fall out." I advised as I took a bite from my Fluffy, reveling in its sweetness.
"Oi, Arthur, can't you see that I'm having fun here?" Puck scolded, "Don't say something so horrifying!"
"I used to have a pet Lion, Sir Puck, and brushing it's teeth was one of my favorite pastime activities." I smiled at the small cat spirit before frowning.
I did not have a pet lion; I had a pet dog. Though I did brush his teeth a lot, a Jack Russel could not be compared to a Lion. It was incredibly frustrating, but unfortunately, I was growing used to this kind of outburst, so I couldn't even be bothered to complain anymore.
"You better not brush my teeth, Arthur, I'll bite your hand off!" Puck showed a fierce expression.
"Puck!" Lady Emilia scolded, "Don't say such frightening things in front of a child." Lady Emilia knelt down to Plum's eye level, "Sorry, Little Plum, did Puck scare you?"
"Mm-mm." Plum shook her head, reaching out her hands to clasp Puck, rubbing him against her cheek, causing Puck to let out giggles as Plum smiled, "Mr. Puck is the cutest ever!"
"You hear that, Sir Puck? At least one person thinks you're cute!" I made a teasing smile towards the Great Spirit.
"Hey – I'll have you know that lot's of people think I'm cute! I'm a cat with a lot of fans!" Puck gave a bright smile.
At that moment, a pearl of laughter echoed out, and Puck and I turned our heads to see Lady Emilia laughing melodiously into her hand, and immediately, my heart settled. It was a truly beautiful sight.
"Hey! Stop staring at my Lia!" Puck flew up to my head, giving me a few jabs in the cheek.
His punches caused my eyebrows to twitch, "Care for a spar, Sir Puck?"
"Sorry, Arthur, but I don't want to embarrass you in front of Lia." Puck stuck his tongue out arrogantly, causing me to let out a small chuckle of my own.
How to put it, after all the stress and chaos of having to deal with Elsa, being able to relax like this, and being able to watch everyone relax with me… well, it really brought a smile to my face.
With this, I was forming a new reason to fight, something even stronger than my inherent desire to protect my own skin, a desire to protect the smiles on the face of those around me.
Though I was a coward, every day I spent with Lady Emilia and the others sharpened my resolve like a blade to a whetstone. The next time I had to wield my sword, I would not hesitate.
"Puck, do you always have to be so mean to Sir Arthur?!" Lady Emilia grabbed Puck's ear and gave it a good pulling!
"Ah, I'm sorry, Lia! Let me off, please?!" Puck clasped his paws together in a pleading fashion, and I couldn't help but let out a second small laugh.
"How to put it… you guys are really amusing." I said to them, unable to contain the smile that was spreading out on my face.
"Please don't lump me in with him, Sir Arthur!" Lady Emilia's cheeks turned scarlet red as she glared daggers at Puck.
"Hey, what're you trying to say about your father, Lia?!"
"Hmph, I'm not talking to you!"
"You just did!"
Little Plum and I shared a look with one another, and the both of us just laughed softly. I reached out my gauntleted hand and smiled towards the young child, "Little Plum, should we go find your parents now?"
"Mm. Thank you, Mister!"
Perhaps due to my high luck stat, it really didn't take us long at all to reach Plum's parents, the legendary Apple Salesman who was the face of Subaru's first checkpoint, Kadomon Risch, and his wife, Raksha Risch. The moment Plum saw the two of them discussing anxiously at their stall with one another, she let out a cry of happiness and ran towards them, "Papa! Mama!"
"Oh, Plum!" when the two of them heard her voice and saw the little girl running towards them, their eyes also lit up, and they rushed over to meet Plum in the middle, kneeling down to hug her.
"Silly girl, how many times have I told you not to run off from the stall!" Raksha scolded, but judging by the tears of happiness streaming down her cheeks, she wasn't as angry as she made herself sound.
"I'm sorry, Mama!" Plum also started to tear up, hugging onto her mother.
"I'm glad you're safe, but how did you find your way back?" Raksha asked curiously, and the young lady pointed up towards Lady Emilia and I.
"Big brother and big sister brought me back. They even brought me some Fluffy!" Plum gave a bright smile.
"I see. Thank you so, so much!" Raksha let out a heavy sigh of relief, grabbing onto mine and Lady Emilia's hands, "Is there any way we can possibly repay you?"
"Just seeing the smiles on the face of your family is more than enough payment." I couldn't help but respond honestly, rubbing my nose gingerly. If Lady Felt was here, she would surely give me a good kick in the leg for being so sappy, but thankfully, she wasn't here.
Emilia nodded her head with my words, "Right, right."
Raksha seemed genuinely touched, and her husband brought over a bag of apples, "At least accept some Appas on the house! I refuse to take them back, so if you don't want them to go to waste, just accept them!" although he was a burly man with a fierce appearance, it was clear he was a softie on the inside.
"Then, it would be rude to decline." I accepted them on behalf of Lady Emilia, who was all smiles.
"Jeez. What're we going to do with you?" Kadomon let out a sigh as he reached his hand out, placing it on the top of his daughter's head.
At that moment, a vague image appeared in my mind of a rough and coarse hand reaching out and resting on my head, ruffling my hair. It was incredibly warm and nostalgic, making my heart feel at peace.
However, the more I thought about it, the more terrified I got. This memory did not belong to me. I was starting to accept the constant influx of the king's thoughts and feelings, but now even his memories were flooding into my mind?
Will there eventually become a point where I completely lose my sense of self and just completely transform into King Arthur? Though his existence was a lot more noble and valuable than mine, I was still a person with my own thoughts and feelings, my own memories and dreams for the future, and I didn't want to be devoured whole.
"Are you alright, Sir Arthur? You're looking a little pale." Lady Emilia reached out her hand, tugging onto my sleeve.
"I'm fine, thank you, Lady Emilia. I think that Fluffy earlier might've disagreed with me." I decided it best to spare Lady Emilia the burden of my own existential crisis.
Though I knew her concern was genuine, considering she had so much on her plate with the Royal Selection and the Witch Cult, I didn't want to add to her worries.
"Okay, Sir Arthur." Lady Emilia wrapped her hand around my own, looking up at me with concern apparent in her amethyst eyes, "Just know that I'm always here to talk if you need me, okay?"
"You honor me with your graciousness, Lady Emilia. Thank you." It was a sincere thanks from the bottom of my heart.
After finishing our jaunt through the capital, we reconvened with Miss Ram, who had been purchasing a new carriage, the other one having met an unfortunate end during my fight with Elsa.
"Miss Ram, I hope you haven't been waiting too long." I greeted the pink-haired maid with a smile as we approached.
"Oh, not long at all, only a few hours." She responded back with a deadpan expression, her lips twitching, clearly not impressed whatsoever.
"Sorry about that, Ram. Sir Arthur and I got a little lost in the capital." Emilia smiled apologetically.
"A romantic getaway through the capital, huh? Whilst I can't say I blame you, Lady Emilia, considering the matter of the Royal Selection, I would advise against eloping."
Though I might be imagining things, did Miss Ram just inadvertently compliment me?
"Please don't tease us, Ram." Lady Emilia scolded, "I'm one thing, but you must consider Sir Arthur's honor and reputation."
"You're right, Lady Emilia. Please forgive my rude comments, Sir Arthur." Miss Ram turned to me and made a polite bow.
"Actually, Miss Ram, your rude comments make me happy. I think I'd be depressed if you stopped making them." I let out a light chuckle.
"Dear me." Ram let out a heavy sigh, "It seems Ferris was negligent in his check-up, you seem to have a hole in your brain, Sir Arthur."
"Don't worry, Miss Ram, that hole was there long before I fought with Elsa."
"Ram! What did I just say about teasing Sir Arthur? He's had a long few days, so be nice to him, okay?" Lady Emilia made a warm smile towards me.
"Speaking of long days, it's been nearly two days since you last slept, Lady Emilia. Make sure you get a good rest in the carriage on the way back home." Ram addressed Emilia concernedly.
And with that, it was about time to board the carriage and head back to the Mathers Domain.
"Home, huh?" Lady Emilia let out a nostalgic sigh, "We're a day later than expected, I hope Roswaal hasn't been worried."
"That seems most unlikely, Lady Emilia, I'm sure it'll be fine." Ram reassured her, and Lady Emilia turned to me,
"Speaking of which, this will be your first time meeting Roswaal, right? I can't wait to see your reaction to him." Lady Emilia giggled sweetly into her hand.
"I take offence to those words, Lady Emilia, you make Lord Roswaal sound like some kind of deviant."
"I didn't mean that, Ram, it's just, Roswaal… well, he has a rather unique personality. I'm looking forward to your interactions with him, Sir Arthur." She smiled expectantly.
"I just hope the man forgives me for destroying his guesthouse. He might just kick me out the moment he sees me." I let out a heavy sigh.
"As I said earlier, Sir Arthur, Lord Roswaal will have nothing but gratitude towards you, so please don't fret about it." Miss Ram smiled softly, hopping onto the ground dragon, "Either way, we should get going as quickly as possible, ideally, I'd like to arrive back at the mansion by nightfall. That way, Sir Arthur can have some dinner before bed."
"You make me sound like some kind of glutton." I smiled wryly as I helped Lady Emilia into the carriage.
"A misunderstanding, I assure you."
And like that, our business in the capital officially concluded, and it was time for my first visit to the Happy Roswaal Mansion.
Authors Notes:
Well everyone, that has been Chapter 10! I really hope you enjoyed! This was mainly just tying up all the loose ends, Arc 2 will begin with Chapter 11!
Coincidentally, it has been exactly one month since I published the first chapter, and since then, this story has grown far beyond my wildest imaginations, and although I say this each chapter, I really want to thank every single person who has read, followed, favorited or reviewed this story, as it really does mean the world to me and gives me motivation to keep on writing fanfiction during my free time!
Thank you all so much, have a great weekend, take care! :D