"Of course." And with that, Ram got back on the carriage and drove off, leaving Lady Emilia and I stranded at House Astrea with Rem as our caretaker.
"Speaking of which." Carol turned her attention from the departing carriage to Lady Emilia and I, "I owe the two of you a heartfelt thanks." Carol looked at me with sincere eyes, and I smiled back softly at her,
"You needn't thank us, Lady Remendis. Sir Reinhard and Lady Felt are connected by fate, even if it wasn't for our interfering, they would have met one another either way."
"You're mistaken, Sir Arthur. Whilst I'm also thankful for you two in regards to that, this is in regards to a different matter." Carol looked at me with grandmotherly eyes once again, and I couldn't help but be genuinely surprised.
As someone who had a full arsenal of future knowledge, it was very rare that I was outright wrong, but there was a first time for everything.
Looking at Carol confusedly, I couldn't help but ask, "Lady Remendis, might I ask what you're referring to exactly?"
"I heard from my daughter and my son-in-law that my granddaughter was saved the other day when lost in the capital by a beautiful elf with silver hair and violet eyes, and a handsome young man with golden hair and emerald eyes. Sure enough, there's only one duo in the capital that fits that description, right?"
Emilia tilted her head cutely, and I looked at Carol in sheer dumbfounder, "Wait – what? Your son in law? You're saying that the Appa guy is your son-in-law?!" my sheer surprise could not be properly expressed.
"That's right. And thus, Plum, who you saved, is my granddaughter." Carol laughed lightly, seemingly finding great amusement in my reaction.
"You… you're not joking, right? That little Plum is actually related to House Astrea?" my mouth was open so wide that you could fit one of Kadomon's apples in there.
"Why would I joke about such a thing?" Carol's eyes turned upward, and even the two little one's were giggling in amusement.
What the heck! I watched the Re:Zero anime like four or five times, and considered myself up to date with the web novel, but somehow that little fact had completely eluded me.
"I guess the saying 'you learn something new every day' is applicable no matter the world, huh? Here in Lugunica, Little Plum is practically royalty, you should have someone looking after her!"
"Unfortunately, my son-in-law is incredibly stubborn and wants to provide for his family with his own two hands. He's unwilling to accept any meddling from our household." Carol made a rather wry look, and I just stood there in genuine stupefaction, my mind literally blown.
To think that Plum of all people was indirectly related to Reinhard… it was a lot to take in!
At least Rem and Emilia were getting a massive kick out of my reaction. Surely my mysterious and infallible visage in their minds had taken a few hits. I was just lucky Ram was no longer around to poke fun at me.
"Anyway, that's enough joking around. Follow me, I'll show you around the mansion." Carol made an inviting gesture, and the three of us headed inside through the massive doors.
The interior of the mansion was incredibly gallant, with wide, towering hallways, white marble floors, cream walls, and beautiful red carpets.
Carol gave us the full rundown as we ventured through, "This is our small guesthouse in the capitol. Compared to our house nearby Flanders, this house only has some four hundred rooms."
"Indeed, a house with four hundred rooms can only be considered small!" I nodded my head at the richness of the aristocratic lifestyle. One day, I too would have similar wealth.
"Sir Arthur, are you telling me that in your world, wearing robes like that, wielding a sword like that, you didn't also enjoy such luxuries?" Carol made a knowing smile, and Emilia and Rem nodded their heads.
Why did it feel like I was being ganged up on by these three?
"Lady Emilia, you of all people should know that I dwelt humbly." I turned to the silver-haired maiden, but Rem interjected,
"Sir Arthur, didn't you tell me that you lived in grand castles?"
"Eh… it seems I need to be careful what I say! Anything can be used against you!" I let out a heavy sigh.
"Sir Arthur, when in the capital, please just treat this mansion as your own household." Carol stopped barraging me with blows and showered me with kindness instead, "Apart from the forbidden room that no one may enter, the rest of the household is free for you to do with as you please."
Indeed. There was such a room. Reinhard would even get angry at Felt if she entered that room, let alone outsiders like us.
That's because in that room dwelt Louanna Astrea, Reinhard's mother.
In regards to the sleeping beauty, quite frankly, I didn't know anything. I could make a large number of theories, most in relation to the authorities of the Witch Cult, but I had no concrete evidence for any particular theory.
In truth, I desperately wanted to help Reinhard's mother awaken, but even with the abilities of King Arthur, it was simply impossible.
If there was a way to save Reinhard's mother, it would be with the Noble Phantasm, Rule Breaker, but as I was most likely the only servant in this world, it seemed infeasible that I would randomly bump into Medea.
Considering Ferris deemed there was nothing wrong with Louanna, I think that even if I did manage to summon Avalon across space and time, even that wouldn't be able to help her, as that was more of a healing device.
I would very much like to help Reinhard, but at least right now, it was simply impossible.
"Don't worry, Lady Remendis, I'm a rather cowardly individual at heart, I won't go exploring where I shouldn't." I patted my chest reassuringly, and she just laughed.
"You don't have to be so formal with me, Sir Arthur, you can just call me Grandma Carol if you wish."
Who's going to call you Grandma Carol! In truth, I had no idea why this knight was being so kind to me despite the fact we had just met. I could only assume that Reinhard had been praising me behind closed doors, earning her gratitude. Either that, or she really was just thankful about us helping Plum.
"Lady Remendis, that doesn't seem right. You're a decorated hero of our kingdom."
"At least in the past I was." She made a nostalgic look, "As of right now? I'm just an old servant who failed to save the one I once served." Her eyes contained a deep sense of guilt and longing, and I couldn't even imagine how much Carol missed Theresia. To be honest, I think we all missed Theresia. If the late Sword Saint was still around, the world would definitely be a happier place, for the Astrea family, and for us.
"Then what about me? Even if I call myself a knight, in reality, I'm just a squire swinging around a fancy sword. Sure, I can call you Grandma Carol, but you have to call me Arthur."
"I guess for now, we'll just agree to disagree on this point." She made a wry smile, and at that moment, the sounds of battle echoed out, and Carol commented softly, "It seems those stooges are at it again."
"Those stooges?" I raised my eyebrow, literally no idea who on earth Carol was referring to.
"If I recall correctly, Sir Arthur, you're actually familiar with them. Please follow me to the backyard." And like that, we were led towards the sounds of battle.
The towering doors were pushed open, and the vast, elegant gardens of the Astrea Mansion were revealed, flowers of every color blooming brilliantly beneath the sun.
Lady Theresia absolutely adored flowers, and thus, it was no wonder that fragrant, floral gardens spanned as far as the eye could see, and it was clear that everyone who was familiar with Theresia spent a great effort on tending to them in spite of her passing.
Nonetheless, when we made our way to the training grounds, and I saw who was using them, I was absolutely dumbfounded for the second time in the past hour.
There was the large and powerful giant wielding an equally large club, Old Man Rom. Though it was incredibly surprising to see Old Man Rom of all people actually willing to stay in the Astrea House, I was more perplexed by his three opponents.
The legendary three stooges have made their premature return. According to the canon timeline, these three weren't supposed to join the Felt Camp until after the Royal Selection gathering, and yet, here they were.
Though I suppose if Frederica, who shouldn't appear until Arc 4, appeared in Arc 2, then it wasn't too exaggerated for something that happened in Arc 3 to happen in Arc 2 instead.
In short, anything goes.
Looking at the three of them sparring with Old Man Rom, I was genuinely lost for words.
"During the journey here, I built up a significant amount of stress, but somehow, looking at how pitiful these three are, all my stress and worries just disappear." I couldn't help but comment in a rather loud, audible voice.
"That familiar voice…" Rachins, who was in the middle of being beaten up turned his head in shock, "It can't be!"
"Frick! It's that monster again!" Camberly let out a cry as he shuffled back.
"This monster must have come to take revenge on us!" Gaston's entire body trembled as if he had turned into a human massage chair.
Monster? Look at this handsome face, which part of me is a monster?
"Help us, Old Man Rom, he's come to kill us!" like that, the three of them hid behind the giant, who slapped his bald head in confusion,
"What's wrong with the three of you all of a sudden?!" The old man let out a roar in response, but the three stooges just shook in their boots, crying out in a panic,
"Old Man Rom, you must protect us! That young man is not human!"
"Don't be fooled by his ridiculously handsome looks! He's a monster wearing the skin of a human!"
To which, Old Man Rom studied me thoroughly, "My eyesight may be getting worse with age, but he certainly looks human to me!"
I took a step forward, and in a blink, I was standing on the training ground, "You must be Lady Felt's guardian, Sir Rom, correct? I've heard many good things about you from Lady Felt." I reached out my hand towards him, "My name is Arthur Pendragon, the knight of Lady Emilia. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
"Sir Rom? What a funny thing to say, just call me Old Man Rom." He reached out his large hand and shook my considerably smaller hand, "I know about you two. Felt told me about the two weirdos who helped her out in the other week, but you're a lot less weird than she described."
"Oh, she did, did she?" I made a smile that was not quite a smile as my lips twitched rapidly, but Old Man Rom ignored me and turned to Emilia,
"Young lady, you're an elf, right?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Actually…" Emilia kneaded her hands together pensively as she muttered out her response in a whisper, "I'm a half-elf."
"S-Silver…" Rachins muttered…
"H-Haired…" Camberly continued…
"H-Half-elf…" Gaston finished, and the three of them started to cry…
"Silver-haired half elf! Sure enough, he's a monster, and his mistress is a witch!" Rachins cried out, and immediately, my fist accidentally planted into his stomach, knocking him unconscious.
"Ah-hem. My hand slipped." I coughed awkwardly, and Emilia shot me an accusatory glance.
"Ah! Rachins is dead!"
"You killed Rachins, you bastard!"
"If he could be killed by this level of attack, Sir Reinhard wouldn't keep him around as a punching bag." I shook my head at them.
"I'm sorry about these three, Sir Arthur, Lady Emilia, though they're lacking in intelligence, they mean well." Carol made a wry smile as she walked over, grabbing Gaston and Camberly by their ears.
"Ouch! Ouch!"
"Give! We give!"
"I should also apologize for giving your servant a whacking. At least this gives me a chance to practice my new technique. Let it be known that I'm not limited to swordsmanship alone." With that, I placed my hands together and started to mutter in ancient fae language under my breath, and the lesser spirits of water started to chirp and flutter happily around me, dancing around the fallen Rachins, showering him in pale blue light.
"Boy… you're a Spirits Arts User?!" Rom couldn't help but exclaim, and he wasn't the only one surprised, everyone here was surprised.
"I'm still just a beginner, and the basic healing spell is all I currently know, but hopefully I can find a good teacher in the future." I looked warmly towards Lady Emilia, but her gaze was a little more complex than I'd had imagined.
Before I could ponder over Lady Emilia's look any further, Rachins regained consciousness, "Dammit, that bastard really killed me! I saw my ancestors in the afterlife!"
With that, I flicked him on his forehead, sending him flying across the training ground, "If you offend my lady again in the future, I really might kill you, so be on your best behavior from now on, kay?"
"Y-Yes Sir!" Rachins saluted, crawling over, rubbing his hands together fawningly as he looked at Emilia, "L-Lady Emilia, r-right? Please forgive my earlier transgressions! I spoke foolishly before!"
"Right, right." Camberly rushed over, "Lady Emilia, you're as beautiful as a fairy, please forgive us!"
"That's right, that's right. We were stupid, please take pity on us, Lady Emilia!"
"A mon- cough, a handsome knight and a wit- beautiful princess, the two of you really do seem like you just walked out of a fairytale…" Rachins rubbed his hands together, looking at me fearfully.
"How to put it… they're actually somewhat cute." I couldn't help but hold my chin, turning to Carol, "The Felt Camp has some very interesting members."
"Sorry to show you such an embarrassing sight, Sir Arthur, Lady Emilia." Carol looked at them with obvious embarrassment, "Though Reinhard has been trying to teach them, common sense is a hard thing to learn. Thankfully, Rom here has been helping with their training."
"And they've got a long way to go too." Rom huffed, "I try to knock some sense into them, but I think I'm just destroying their braincells instead."
"If you three really want to serve Sir Reinhard and Lady Felt in the future, let me give you a piece of advice. Whenever you think someone is an easy target, think again! Whatever your instinct is, do the opposite!" These three stooges were so intelligent they managed to attack King Arthur and Cecilus in the span of just a few months. When you thought about it like that, it was almost amazing how good they were at kicking iron walls.
"Y-Yes, we'll do everything you say, mon- ahem, Sir Whatsitface!"
"My name is Arthur." I let out a heavy sigh, once again hearing the melodious soundtrack of laughter from Rem and Emilia. As long as they were happy, then I could forgive these three fellows.
"Sir Arthur, please stand there and watch! The three of us will show you what we've learned after studying under that bast- ahem, that kind and handsome Reinhard!" The three of them stood up, ready to show off their new moves.
I just shook my head, "It seems that Sir Reinhard and Lady Felt are ready, so we should head to the dining room at once." I must admit, it certainly would be interesting to watch these three fools dance, but Reinhard had just flared his mana to signal me, it was time to head to the dining room
Though I still wanted to see more of the house, it was a complete surprise to bump into these guys here and thus couldn't be helped. Perhaps another tour could be arranged in the future.
"You're awfully perceptive, Sir Arthur." Carol looked a little surprised, "Then, let's head back immediately. You three can come too of course, but Rom, please keep an eye on them, I don't want them causing trouble during the official business."
"Uh-huh." Rom nodded his head and shot the trio a stern look, causing them to quite literally shake in their boots.
Like that, we entered the dining room alongside everyone, and immediately, the area was filled to the brim with lively people.
You had myself, Emilia and Rem representing the Emilia Camp.
Then, you had Felt, Reinhard, Carol, Flam, Grassis, Rom, Rachins, Gaston and Camberly representing the Felt Camp.
Though they had the edge in numbers, I would like to think we had the edge in class and elegance.
"Lady Emilia, Sir Arthur, you'll have to forgive me for abandoning you earlier, but as you can see, Lady Felt has changed, as elegant as a flower." Reinhard, who was also wearing formal clothes, gestured to Felt, who was sat unhappily in her mustard-colored dress. Though it wasn't very Felt, it was indeed a nice dress.
"There's no need for apologies, Sir Reinhard. It gave us a great opportunity to meet the other interesting members of your party, such as the heavenly trio." My lips curled up as I continued, "The members of the Felt camp truly are heroes of our Dragon Kingdom Lugunica."
"It's quite coincidental that the four of you would meet again under such circumstances, though, Sir Arthur, I hope you don't hold what happened before against them." Reinhard made a troubled smile, and the three of them trembled in their seats.
I just gave a light laugh in response, "They're your people, Sir Reinhard, how could I possibly find trouble with them? Transgressions of the past are naught but flowing water beneath an arching bridge." And with that, the three stooges let out massive sighs of relief, looking towards Reinhard gratefully.
"If anything, you have grown even more eloquent than in the past, Sir Arthur. On behalf of the Felt Camp and House Astrea, please allow me to formally welcome both yourself and Lady Emilia back to the Royal Capital, and to our household." He made a polite bow, and with that, Felt took her seat at the head of the table, and Lady Emilia took her seat opposite Felt at the bottom of the table, with me at her side.
Rem stood behind our chairs, whilst Carol, Flam and Grassis stood behind Felt and Reinhard. As for the three stooges, they sat next to Rom at the center of the table, rubbing their hands together pensively, most likely feeling quite out of place.
"Uhm, bas- cough, Reinhard, should we really be here?" Rachins asked fearfully.
"You're to be retainers of Lady Felt in the future, thus its imperative that you learn how to conduct yourself during formal occasions. Today should serve as good practice for you both." Reinhard addressed them kindly, and their anxieties eased up visibly.
"Could it be that you consider this an informal occasion, Sir Reinhard?" I asked the red-haired knight curiously. Using Lady Emilia and I as practice was interesting, and saying that to our faces was even more interesting.
"I would say it's somewhere on the boundary of formal and informal, Sir Arthur. Though Lady Felt and Lady Emilia are rivals, I do consider the two of us friends and comrades."
His words caused me to rub my nose quite sheepishly as my lips threatened to curl upward. Suppressing the burst of happiness, I laughed lightly, "You would be correct in thinking so, Sir Reinhard, though I hope you don't intend to use our friendship against Lady Emilia in this coming selection."
"Perish the thought, Sir Arthur." He shook his head, and Felt gave him a kick on the foot.
"Can you two stop your chattering? Some of us are starving here!"
"Ahem, please excuse me, Lady Felt." With that, Reinhard stood up and addressed the table, "This time around, I took the liberty of personally cooking up a banquet for you, the honored members of the Emilia Camp. I hope you find it to your liking."
With that, he clapped his hands, and the brilliantly dressed servants of House Astrea waltzed in, carrying their plates of fragrant food, the divine aroma of perfectly cooked cuisine immediately filling the dining room as the platters were placed down one after the other in a synchronized fashion.
"Hm. Very good. In terms of presentation, you definitely have me beat, Sir Reinhard. It seems I need to hire a few servants for our mansion so I can also do synchronized plating." I held my chin as I watched them go. Though I didn't think my cooking was lacking in comparison to Reinhard, that presentation blew me away for a moment. It was very impressive.
"Thank you for your compliments, Sir Arthur. I just hope that the food is to your liking." Reinhard gestured, and we began our eating.
Despite the fact I usually ate like a beast, considering we were in the presence of a rivalling faction, I wielded my knife and fork with unparalleled grace and elegance, utilizing the royal etiquette that was engraved into my bones.
Both Rem and Emilia looked at me in surprise, and I was just glad that Ram wasn't here, otherwise she definitely would've made some kind of snarky comment towards me.
"This is very delicious, Mr. Reinhard." Emilia complimented as she ate, "The only food I've eaten that can compare to this is Sir Arthur's food."
"Thank you for your compliments, Lady Emilia." Reinhard made a miniature bow as he ate. He was a knight even at the dinner table.
"Hang on a minute, lady, you make it sound like your knight's cooking can compare to my Rein's cooking." Felt made a slightly begrudged look towards Lady Emilia.
"Huh? Is there anything wrong with me suggesting that?" Emilia frowned with confusion, "Sir Arthur's cooking is impeccable."
"Yes, you are wrong. Sir flashy-flash might be good at cooking, but he cannot compare to my Rein. That's a fact I will not concede on."
Faced with Felt's stubbornness, Emilia's frown grew, "You've never tasted Arthur's cooking, so how could you possibly say that I'm wrong?"
"Because Rein is the Sword Saint, that's why."
"Whilst that may be true, Mr. Reinhard is the 'Sword' Saint, not the 'Cooking' Saint…"
Seeing the two of them bickering, Reinhard and I quickly exchanged glances and mutually decided to end the argument.
"Lady Felt, I'm afraid that you're correct, in terms of cooking, Sir Reinhard exists in a completely different dimension. We're not comparable."
"Sir Arthur, you must be mistaken. Comparing my cooking to your cooking is like comparing a rabbit to a dragon…"
"Alright, that's enough, the two of you are getting on my nerves! Can't we just eat in silence?" Felt scoffed, and Reinhard and I exchanged glances of relief. Knowing that Felt hated our displays of over-humbleness and flattery, it was the easiest and quickest way to diffuse volatile situations.
"With that being said, Sir Arthur, a cooking competition would be quite amusing. Perhaps if there's time in the future, we could stage a cook-off?" The Sword Saint suggested.
With that, I couldn't help think about Reinhard and I stepping into the arena, staging a Shokugeki whilst Erina, Souma and the others could only watch in amazement at our unparalleled skill and dexterity.
Shaking my head of those bizarre thoughts, I smiled towards Reinhard, "Whilst we have more pressing matters to discuss today, I wouldn't be against such an event in the future."
"Very good." Reinhard nodded his head expectantly, "Then, regarding the reason for your visit, we can discuss it over tea once we've finished our lunch."
"Indeed."
"Well, I must say, that was positively divine." I praised as I wiped my mouth with my napkin. Fair enough, as with his appearance, status, personality, power and swordplay, Reinhard's cooking was impeccable. Though I was not sure whether he could reach the level of the big three Shirou, Kohaku and Shiki, at least in this world, his cooking too, stood at the apex.
"I'm glad you think so, Sir Arthur. Lady Felt and I would be honored if we could try your cooking at House Mathers at some point in the future." Reinhard responded politely from across the table.
"Speak for yourself! Why would I want to eat this flashy guy's food? He probably sprinkles gold in his dinner!" I think Felt had me confused with a different King, or perhaps a certain Berserker.
"Felt. That's no way to speak to your benefactor." Rom lectured his granddaughter from across the table, "Though I still have a lot to say about my current situation, I'm sure that if it wasn't for these two, me and you wouldn't be able to fill our boots like this, so you shouldn't treat them badly."
"Well, I suppose you might just have a point." Felt turned her head away begrudgingly.
"Please, you overexaggerate, Mr. Rom. It was Reinhard's divine swordplay that saved Felt, I was just there for the ride." I looked at Reinhard with a smile that was not quite a smile. No, I was not salty that Emilia considers Reinhard the pinnacle of strength, that is just your imagination.
With that, Reinhard met humbleness with humbleness, "Sir Arthur, there's a limit to humility. If it was not for you defeating the Bowel Hunter, then even if I had two or three more swords, I wouldn't have been able to salvage the situation." He shook his head.
Taking a sip of my wine, I made a small chuckle and responded with the scent of vinegar in my voice, "Please, Sir Reinhard, my sword is only good for demolition. Even my lady rates your sword very highly."
"Lady Felt too, mentioned how incandescent and radiant your sword was, Sir Arthur."
"I did not!" Felt cried back, and Reinhard could only look at her helplessly. Unfortunately, his lady did not understand how to play the game. Since a spar between Reinhard and I would destroy Lady Theresia's beautiful garden, we could only play like this.
"Should we just call this meeting to a close so the two of you can continue your comedy routine together, or should we get down to business?" Emilia was even more helpless as she looked between Reinhard and I, clearly doubting our sanity as we tried to outhumble each other.
"I suppose you're right, Lady Emilia, that's enough tomfoolery." Reinhard placed his napkin down as he turned to us, "Let us continue this conversation in the drawing room. I shall prepare some tea and refreshments for us to enjoy."
"That would be splendid, Mr. Reinhard, thank you." Emilia nodded her head.
"Sir Reinhard, please allow me to assist you in the kitchen. I would be honored to prepare tea with the Sword Saint." Rem stepped forward and suggested.
"Very well, I would be happy to have your assistance, miss." Reinhard nodded his head in agreement, "Whilst we prepare the tea, you can tell me how Sir Arthur has been fitting in at the Mathers household."
"I would love to." Rem smiled sweetly, and I couldn't help but be a little curious as to what Rem was going to say about me. Nothing bad, I hoped.
As long as she didn't mention the issue regarding my spar with Lady Emilia and the garden, then it should be fine.
Like that, we made our way to the drawing room, awaiting Reinhard and Rem whilst Felt complained about her dress, "Gah! This sucks! Your name was Arthur or something, right? How long is this conversation going to take? I'm a busy girl you know!"
"Lady Felt, why do you always seem to forget me? I was under the assumption that I cut a rather strong first impression."
"There's already one Mr. Perfect Swordsman in my life, bothering to remember a second would just be a waste of my memory!" She huffed, "Anyway, you didn't answer my question. How long will this discussion last?"
"I cannot predict that, but I can predict that you'll certainly enjoy the contents."
"Well, though you're annoying and flashy, you're at least trustworthy, so I'll take your word on that." Felt nodded her head, turning to Emilia, "And you…"
"Me…?" Emilia tilted her head and pointed at herself.
"Well… how to put it… regarding the last time, and your little badge thingy…" Felt kneaded her hands together as she awkwardly stumbled over her words.
"It's alright, Lady Felt, as Arthur said earlier, the previous transgressions are just water under the bridge now. Let's start fresh with a blank slate, okay?" Lady Emilia reached out her hand, and Felt blushed for a moment before begrudgingly shaking her hand.
"Alright, but your knight still isn't beating mine…"
"What a beautiful sight! I wish I had a metia device to capture this moment for eternity." Reinhard let out a deep sigh as he carried a tray of warm tea in, and I couldn't help but nod my head with Rem.
"I know how you feel, Sir Reinhard. I would like to frame this image in our living room back at the Mathers household." Rem spoke softly as she placed empty cups before Lady Emilia and I, pouring fresh tea with elegant, graceful movements, and Reinhard agreed with her sentiments thoroughly.
As Reinhard prepared tea for the members of the Felt Camp, I whispered to Rem, "Do you need a drink or food or anything? You've been working nonstop for quite a while now." Rem hadn't taken a single break since we left for the capital, and I was starting to feel a little guilty.
"Don't worry about me. When you go out tonight on a binge through the capital, I'll have plenty of time to relax." She seemed fairly happy, so I could only continue being selfish for now.
Either way, with tea and cakes served, it was about time to get to the actual meat and potatoes of the discussion, or rather in this case, the tea and cakes of the discussion.
"I think I speak for everyone in our household when I say we were quite surprised to hear that you would be coming to discuss matters with us in person. Do you mind explaining what that's all about? I hope you're not here to declare war on our camp?" Reinhard asked, and I genuinely wasn't sure whether or not he was joking.
Emilia assumed the latter, "Mr. Reinhard, please halt your jests. I think if I suggested a war with you, Sir Arthur would be the one declaring a war on me next!" Lady Emilia continued with the theme of jokes before fixing the misunderstanding, "We're here to invite you to a festival we're holding within the Mathers Domain. The Dance of Crimson and Sapphire, as we're telling our people."
"The dance of Crimson and Sapphire?" Felt raised her eyebrow, "Why would I want to go and watch a stupid dance? Even if the foods at festivals are really delicious." She licked her lips.
"Lady Felt, what Lady Emilia is suggesting is not a dance in the traditional sense, but rather, a dance of swords, presumably between Sir Arthur and I." Reinhard made a rather complex expression that I found difficult to properly discern.
"That would be the most boring fight imaginable! You don't seriously believe that flashy-flash here stands a chance against my Rein, right? Whilst I admit his potential to demolish is impressive, Rein is the Sword Saint, the Sword Saint, I tell you!"
"Lady Felt, I believe you're misinterpreting the situation. Quite frankly, a serious duel between Sir Arthur and I is impossible, as by the time we finished, there would no longer be a Lugunica left for you to rule." Reinhard shook his head.
"Hah, nice one, Rein! If you want to have another flattery competition, go take Sir Flashy-flash to the garden and have your duel there whilst the adults do the proper talking!" Lady Felt scoffed at him, and Lady Emilia nodded her head.
"Sir Reinhard, whilst I appreciate your consideration towards my knight, your words are a little too exaggerated. Destroying the entire kingdom? There's a limit to flattery." Lady Emilia commented, and Reinhard just looked at me helplessly, whilst I just shrugged back, telling him with my eyes it wasn't a big deal.
Whether it was Lady Felt or Lady Emilia, their own perceptions were limited, and naturally, they could not fathom the depths of Excalibur. Even the power that Reinhard could instinctively feel was just the surface of the planetary weapon birthed in the Inner Seas of the Earth. All Felt and Emilia had witnessed was a moderate mana burst. Maybe they would one day get to witness the casual release of the Noble Phantasm, but I sincerely hope they never got to see any of the seals released, otherwise I would be counting on Reinhard to heal the world with his sword.
Either way, before I could comment, Lady Emilia continued, "Whilst I admit that Mr. Reinhard has the edge in speed, what we're proposing is not a standard duel, but a competition to eliminate Witchbeasts. Unfortunately, our Mathers Domain is plagued with an irregular number of Witchbeasts nests, so we can have a proper competition to see who can eliminate the largest percentage of the Witchbeasts. Perhaps under such conditions, Sir Arthur might even have an advantage, being very familiar with the terrain." Despite the fact I was being continuously downplayed by my liege, seeing Lady Emilia, who was previously so anxious and nervous, confidently dealing with matters, I felt quite proud inside.
"Alright, I admit that does sound a little fun, but what will we get out of it, apart from seeing my Rein destroy your knight?" Felt crossed her legs, not losing at all in terms of momentum.
"Apart from doing a good deed for the people of this kingdom and accumulating merit and achievements to benefit you in the Royal Selection?" Emilia crossed her arms as she took the moral high ground.
"Whilst that does sound rather nice, I'm afraid I couldn't care less about the stupid Royal Selection." Felt scowled with disdain, causing Reinhard to look a touch pained.
"Apart from that, we're naturally willing to split the profits with you." Emilia spoke confidently with a faint smile, "Lord Roswaal estimates that a minimum of a hundred thousand people will be attending. That's a lot of potential money for you to earn."
"Not to mention, a hefty amount of delicious food to eat." I laughed softly, and Felt's eyes started to glow.
"Alright, after careful consideration, I decided that we're in! We can destroy this flashy knight, eat loads of good food, and earn a bunch of money in the meantime! This is what I call a win-win-win!"
"Whilst that does sound like a lot of fun, I'm afraid I'm going to have to decline on your behalf, Lady Felt." Reinhard shook his head, immediately earning an irate response from his lady,
"Huh? The hell do you mean by that, Rein?" Felt scowled, and Emilia nodded her head,
"What's going on, Mr. Reinhard, is there some kind of issue with the arrangement?"
"Personally? I would love to participate in this event. But unfortunately, I now have a liege to serve, and quite frankly, I'm worried about safety. If I'm preoccupied with killing witchbeasts, I will not be able to protect Lady Felt, and without sounding rude, this kind of largescale festival sounds like a magnet for trouble."
Indeed, Reinhard and I were cut from the same cloth, his thoughts mirrored mine exactly. To that, I turned my gaze to Lady Emilia. Though my sleeves were filled with trump cards, I was curious to see how my liege would handle this matter.
"What the hell, Rein, it's not like I need your protection…" Felt gnashed her teeth together, but perhaps she was a touch happy to have the Sword Saint looking out for her.
"Felt, you are a mighty fine warrior, but the threats I'm thinking of cannot be defeated using conventional means." Reinhard shook his head, and inwardly, I wished I could read his monologues. Perhaps he too has the same daily struggles, worries and conundrums as I?
"If it's a matter of security, then you don't need to worry." Lady Emilia stood up, placing her hand to her chest, her royal momentum flowing out from her, "This festival has the full support of the Mathers Domain, and as such, knights from all around the territory will be stationed to provide security."
"Even with that being the case, my concerns still remain. If Lady Felt and I were to attend this festival, two conditions would have to be met first." Reinhard raised two fingers, and Felt grumbled,
"What are they?! Tell us!"
"Right!" Lady Emilia nodded her head, "Whatever your conditions, the Mathers family will meet them."
"Firstly, Lady Felt, you would have to give me your promise to seriously compete in the Royal Selection." Reinhard turned to Felt with a sparkle in his eyes, and I couldn't help but gasp inwardly.
This cheeky fellow… is he using this as a chance to manipulate Felt into seriously participating in the Royal Selection? Hm, in this world, Reinhard is indeed my best friend, perhaps I should lend him a hand.
"Hmph! Screw your Royal Selection!" Felt crossed her arms with a huff, and I interjected,
"Lady Felt, Sir Reinhard's proposition is not a bad one. You of all people should understand that this Kingdom has grown depraved with corruption and degeneracy. Even I, a complete outsider can see that with a single glance. Would the Royal Selection not be a good opportunity for you to make a difference? You could personally shape the kingdom into one of your liking." And with that, I was met with massive favorability from Reinhard, and a frosty glare from Lady Emilia for egging on her competitor.
"Shape the kingdom with my own hands…" Felt muttered, rubbing her nose, "Well, I'll admit you do have a way with words, flashy-flash… what's your second condition, Rein?" Lady Felt turned to her knight, seemingly giving her support to the first condition, and I could tell that Reinhard was on the brink of bursting into song and dance.
"Regarding the second condition…" Reinhard turned to everyone as he stifled his growing smile, "If Lady Felt and I were to attend such a festival, we would have to bring with us a certain amount of security, such as the Iron Fang mercenary group or fellow knights of the Royal Guard."
"Then, if that's the case, why not have Mr. Julius compete too, representing Miss Anastasia Hoshin, she's also participating in the Royal Selection, right?" Emilia clasped her hands together, causing me to sweat unconsciously.
Hang on a minute, Lady Emilia. You're saying some dangerous things here. A private shindig between the Felt and Emilia camps is one thing, but inviting the Anastasia Camp?
Surely, Duchess Karsten will not let such an interesting event go unattended!
And with the four of you hanging out, Princess Priscilla will definitely not give it a miss!
Holy cow, Lady Emilia, you're on the cusp of creating a faux Royal Selection Ceremony before the Official Royal Selection Ceremony!
Thinking about this, my blood ran cold and cold sweats started to dribble down my back as I pictured the grinning smile of Lord Roswaal, was this his goal all along, to orchestrate this huge event?
I did not believe that those with ill intentions would not also turn up to have some fun!
A small festival between our two camps I could handle, but I had a feeling this entire situation was spiraling massively out of control!
Nonetheless, after coming this far, it would be ridiculous to think about turning back now. Lady Emilia would lose all faith in me, and I might even be kicked to the curb.
I guess this is where the phrase 'once you ride a tiger, it's not easy to get off' comes from, huh?
"I would feel a lot safer if the Finest Knight was assisting in security, and perhaps he too might want to compete in Witchbeast extermination." Reinhard held his chin, "If we invite Ferris too, it will be like one big get together."
"So does that mean you agree, Mr. Reinhard?" Emilia asked with bright eyes, and Felt also turned to him expectantly, clearly having been convinced by the festival.
"I will not answer for now." Reinhard shook his head, "For now, this matter shall be put on hold. When Sir Arthur and I meet with Julius and Ferris tonight, we can discuss this matter in full, and if both the Iron Fang and Karsten Knights agree to bring security, I can consider allowing Lady Felt to attend." He concluded, and with the Sword Saint's word, the matter had been put to bed for now.
Somehow, the situation had spiraled massively out of control. Originally, me killing the witchbeasts led to Reinhard and I killing witchbeasts, and yet, now everyone was getting involved. It was almost as if there was some unseen hand subtly guiding events in a way that was terribly unfavorable for me.
"Then, in that case, I'm looking forward to our outing tonight." I forced a smile as my tears flooded out inwardly.
"Hopefully our discussions come to a positive conclusion, Sir Arthur." Reinhard spoke expectantly as competitive flames danced in his eyes, "In truth, ever since witnessing your Sword Light, I have been itching to compete with you, and this does indeed seem like a golden opportunity if ever there was one." Reinhard stated his true thoughts without filter.
"You… you really are being serious, aren't you?" Felt eyed her knight with genuine curiosity, "Do you really think this guy has what it takes to compete with you? You're the Sword Saint, you stand at the pinnacle of the world."
"Hopefully, you'll be able to witness Sir Arthur's sword and find out for yourself, Lady Felt." Reinhard commented with a hint of mystery about him, and both Lady Felt and Lady Emilia looked at me with scorching eyes. Seems like I'll have to get a little serious against Reinhard if even he's hyping me up, huh? I'd hate to disappoint my liege, after all.
"Either way, I believe that about concludes matters for now." Lady Emilia stood up, clasping her hands together, "I believe we should bring an end to the official discussions and continue them once you've confirmed things with the others."
"That sounds sensible, Lady Emilia." Reinhard nodded his head, turning his gaze to the clock, "There's still three hours until we're due to meet in the town, considering it seems pointless to continue going back and forth, how about you relax at the Astrea house for the next few hours? Sir Arthur, I'd love to show you around."
To which, I looked towards Lady Emilia pitifully, and she placed her hands at her side with a heavy sigh, "Very well then, I suppose there's no helping it. In the meantime, Felt, since you're going to take the selection seriously from now on, how about we exchange thoughts regarding the future of the Kingdom?"
"Well, I guess I've got nothing better to do." Felt shrugged as she got up from her chair, and Lady Emilia turned to me, her eyes twinkling brightly, clearly incredibly happy with how well things went, and I too shared her happiness.
I guess every cloud has a silver lining, huh? Though it seemed like some serious trouble was going to go down at this festival, at least the foundation of an alliance between Lady Felt and Lady Emilia was slowly being laid.
"Does that mean we're free to go now?" Rachins scratched his head as he watched us, his entire body covered in cold sweats from the top-level discussion, and I just looked at him strangely,
"Huh, you three are still here?"
"What're you talking about?! Of course we're still here!"
"Hm, that reminds me, Sir Arthur, I'd love to show you some training with these three. How about we take a quick trip to the training grounds together before our tour?"
With that, the three stooges no longer hesitated, "Run!" and like that, they disappeared down the hallways, leaving Reinhard scratching his head in confusion,
"What's with them?"
To which, I could only shrug helplessly, "Who knows?" and like that, the meeting came to an end. Despite having failed successfully, I was sincerely looking forward to unwinding a little tonight!
Authors Notes:
Well, that has been Chapter 17, and I really hope you all enjoyed reading! The next chapter will be the last chapter in this miniature return to the capital arc, then the finale of Arc 2 should be concluded in about 3-4 chapters once they return!
As always, thank you so much to everyone who has viewed, followed, favorited, or reviewed this story! I really can't believe how quickly it's growing, we're already starting to approach 600 followers its crazy! Everyone thank you so, so much, and I really hope you continue to enjoy the story!
Have a great weekend everyone, take care! :D