"Radia... Calinsta...?"
"Radio calisthenics." Emilia gently corrected Petra, the former in her customized hooded cloak that prevented her features from being recognized while she hung around with the children. As she did so, Emilia often waved at a passing adult as they regarded her with confusion before they then recognized her. "It's a training exercise that Subaru taught me."
Roswaal may have claimed that her standing with them was much better compared to before due to her actions during Capella's attack, but Emilia wasn't so sure. She was a silver haired half-elf, a living image of the most hated being in the world.
No matter how much she was now supposedly liked by the Irlam villagers, Emilia would not make the early assumption of believing she was wanted amongst them, especially without Subaru's company.
Speaking of him, Emilia wished that she'd taught him how to write letters to her. N-Not that she wanted to interrupt his training, but it really would've been nice to have regular correspondence with her friend/knight.
"Oh, so that was the name of the thing Aniki did with us back then!" One of the other children, Lucas, cheered. "Are you good at them too, nee-chan?"
Emilia crossed her arms with a smug grin. "I was the very first person he taught them to!"
"Woah, that's amazing!" Petra and the other children gushed.
"Emilia-sama." Ram spoke up as she approached the group, her hands filled with groceries. "I have finished purchasing foodstuff for the household."
"Ah, then let's head back. Bye-bye, Petra, Lucas, Mildo, Meina, Dyne, Cain." Emilia waved the children goodbye, following after Ram as they waved her back. "Has the dragon-drawn carriage arrived yet?"
"It is soon to arrive." Ram replied. "Please prepare for it, Emilia-sama."
"I know." Entering into the mansion and then her room, Emilia took a shuddering breath before looking down at the papers on her desk. Particularly, her Declaration to the Dragon Throne. According to Roswaal, she was supposed to declare before the Sage Council what kind of ruler she would become and if there was a great feat she intended to achieve.
So far, Emilia had floundered on what best to declare for the sake of the kingdom. The notes she'd written on what to say only worsened her nerves. Nothing she'd come up with felt genuine enough to match up with whatever her fellow Ruler Candidates would declare as well.
And worse, Subaru's presence wouldn't have made anything better, since this had to be purely from her. However, she wouldn't give up. If she wanted to save her brethren from their permanently frozen fates, Emilia would strive her very best to attain access to the Divine Dragon's blood. [Puck. Will you... be watching over me at the Capital?]
[Of course, Lia.] Puck's answer was immediate, their telepathic link staying unshaken even as he played with Beatrice at the other side of the mansion. [I'd never miss such an important event for my daughter.]
Emilia smiled in relief before gently smacking her hands together, almost imagining Subaru giving her a hug for good luck. "Let's go."
...ah, wait. Did she remember to tell Subaru about the upcoming Royal Selection ceremony?!
A few hours later, Emilia sat beside Roswaal in the carriage taking them to the capital, with Rem as the driver while Ram stayed behind to manage the mansion in her lord's absence. Once they arrived at their destination, she'd immediately taken Roswaal's suggestion to take a walk through the capital with Rem in order to calm her nerves before heading for the royal palace.
On a whim, she'd headed for the appa vendor she'd encountered on the same day she met Subaru. To her surprise, the appa vendor had been pleased to recognize her, especially since she now had the money to buy some appas.
"Today's surprises sure are piling up." The appa vendor commented as Rem accepted the bag filled with appas. "Just a while earlier, that broke kid with the scary eyes came back to buy some appas too."
Both Rem and Emilia perked up at that familiar description. "Scary eyes?"
"Yeah. He's... ah..." The vendor paused as he remembered something. "Sorry to bring up bad memories, but he's that rude guy from a couple of weeks ago. The one who loudly called you... that name."
Contrary to the vendor's expectations, Emilia burst into a happy grin while Rem paid sharper attention to him. "Subaru?! Subaru's here, in the capital?!"
"Eh? Did you two make up or something?" The vendor muttered bemusedly. "Well, I didn't think the kid had been trying to be cruel on purpose back then."
"Oh, he wasn't. Subaru's actually from beyond the Great Waterfall." Emilia casually explained, causing the man's jaw to drop. "He only knew to call me by that name because that was what he'd heard others calling me. He was really sorry."
"B-Beyond the Great Waterfall? I thought that was a myth or something..." The vendor crossed his arms in wonder. "No wonder... A lot of things he did back then now make so much sense..."
"Excuse me, but did Subaru-kun give any indication of what he was doing here in the capital?" Rem pressed with a polite but eager tone, asking the important questions Emilia had almost forgotten about.
"Ah, he said something about visiting some friends he'd made here." The vendor replied. "At least he looked like he was doing well for himself now, compared to his earlier destitute state. He's even got two gals hanging off his arms, and I think one of them was a half-elf too."
"What." Rem's tone sounded calm, even as an appa in her hand became pulverized in her grip. "Ah, I apologize for the mess."
"D-Don't mention it... You already paid for it, so..."
"Another half-elf?!" On the other hand, Emilia was ecstatic at this point. She'd never met another half-elf like her, not at all! She had to reunite with Subaru at once! If Subaru was really meeting with the friends he'd made here, then the first place to check was- "Rem, to the slums!"
To Felt and Rom!
Making her through the streets towards Rom's building, they soon entered into a very strange scenario. Within one of the smaller alleys were six individuals, seemingly separated into three groups.
The first group composed of three familiar looking ruffians, all of them hugging each other and cowering in quiet terror of the other three people there with them.
The second group was that of a lone person, a woman that Emilia immediately recognized as Priscilla Barielle, striking as ever with her extravagant beauty and demeanor.
The third group was of two women that were total strangers to Emilia, the first of them being a half-elf(*gasp!*) with long green hair in a ponytail while the other... appeared like a brunette with a long braided ponytail but made Emilia shiver for some reason.
Rem's nose twitched before her head tilted in confusion as she looked around."Mabeast?"
"What's with such impudent response?" Priscilla said imperiously, her fan displayed over the lower half of her face. "Should you not be honored that I desire them?"
"No, we're not!" The brown-haired girl rebutted. "These are the apples Master bought earlier and left with us to go meet his friend! Get back to beating up those three stooges over there for trying and failing to rob you!"
"I apologize for Shaula's rudeness, but she is correct." The greenette half-elf nodded along. "We refuse to hand these over."
"Enough prattle. How about this?" Snapping her fan close, Priscilla pointed at the bag, her lips cracking into a wry smile. "We shall wager for them."
"...wager?" The greenette questioned.
"Yes, a simple wager. Something easy, flipping a coin and guessing whether it is heads or tails. A single apple shall rest upon each attempt. How about it?"
She was proposing a contest? So far, neither Emilia and Rem had interrupted, and those three ruffians had just taken the chance to sneakily run away, so as Rem turned to her for guidance, Emilia frowned on how best to proceed.
Should she intervene for Subaru's new friends? Or keep spectating, especially as neither seemed to be particularly afraid of Priscilla-
"Pfft!"
All three girls focused their gazes on Shaula as she burst into unrestrained cackles with wild amusement, her laughter growing as she watched the bewilderment of the others regarding her. "Hey, hey, did you hear that, Shion? She wants to 'wager' as if she's the one doing us a favor!"
'Shion' frowned. "Shaula, that's quite rude of you. It might affect Takamagahara's relations if we don't negotiate properly-"
"'Negotiate'? With her?" Shaula scoffed, giving off a smug smile that displayed very sharp teeth. "Why would I need to negotiate with somebody who's not only weaker than me, but has nothing I want from her?"
Of all possible things to say to Priscilla, Emilia didn't think any other thing could've provocated her as much as that statement did. If she'd been aggravated before, Priscilla now literally radiated her fury, Emilia and Rem wincing as the heat that exploded from her immediately dried out the air and caused the ground beneath her to begin melting as a large crimson sword manifested into her hand.
Apparently not one to be outdone, Shaula's grin widened as she cocked a suddenly glowing fist and made to clash it against Priscilla. Emilia and Shion only managed to exchange a swift glance before the two half-elves acted and put themselves between the clashing combatants, the former forging ice into the thickest shield she could manage while Shion manifested a black sword that seemed to devour light itself and raised it to block Shaula's punch.
The resulting shockwaves cracked the walls and nearly blew the surroundings apart, Emilia sighting the nearby Rem struggling to keep her footing. Even so, Emilia kept herself steady as she matched Priscilla's burning glare. "Calm down, Lady Barielle. I understand that you're offended, but that's really no reason to kill-"
"Stop talking and stand aside, half-wit." Priscilla ordered without hesitation. Emilia's ice began to steam in tandem with Priscilla's rage, her shield rapidly losing integrity. "Otherwise, I shall burn out your very tongue after I split you apart."
...negotiation was impossible, then. The surrounding heat vanished as Emilia stomped onto the ground, blanketing the area with ice and dousing Priscilla's flames almost immediately. Even as the flames disappeared, Priscilla's fist smashed through her half-melted shield and grabbed Emilia's throat tightly.
Undeterred, Emilia reciprocated just as swiftly, wincing at the severe force and heat pressing into her neck while Priscilla grimaced as her throat swiftly became an unhealthy blue. "Stand down. I don't wish to threaten the lives of either you or the nearby innocent."
"You presume yourself superior to me?" Priscilla retorted without fear, even as her cheeks began losing her usual warm color.
Emilia fought the urge to visibly sigh, wondering how Subaru would've dealt with this. If she was too hindered by her own pride...
Well, Emilia supposed that she would have to be a model example for her future knight.
Emilia released Priscilla's neck and lowered her hands, drawing back her spreading mana. A terrifying long moment later, Priscilla released her and did the same. Now, the two Ruler Candidates did nothing more than exchanging glares with each other.
"Half-elf, tell me your name." Priscilla suddenly ordered. "I have deemed it worth remembering."
"...Emilia, of the Elior Forest." Emilia finally stated, raising her hand to heal the burns she could feel on her neck. Thankfully, they weren't serious enough to scar and would disappear soon enough. As if prompted, Priscilla's frozen neck began to release steam as color properly returned to her upper half as it warmed up. Turning around, Emilia gaped at the empty spot behind her. "Oh, and who are you two- And they're gone?!"
"The woman called Shion immediately disappeared into the shadows after blocking her companion's attack." Rem reported. "It was an ability of the sword she wielded, so I will be unable to track them down."
"Hmm... what a vexing experience. But I suppose this itself is entertaining in its own way." Priscilla decided before she and Emilia turned their heads as a new person entered into the small alleyway from behind Rem, a helmeted one-armed man with fashion sense almost as strange as Roswaal's. "My, how attentive of you to approach where you knew I would be. I commend your dedication, Al."
"Forgive my rudeness, Princess, but what the hell was happening here?" Al tilted his head towards Emilia. "I thought Ruler Candidates were supposed to avoid each other until the Royal Selection got started properly."
"You think wrong, Al." Priscilla shook her head. "Rather than deciding to meet her here, it was the choice of the world itself, disguising itself as a coincidence. And as always, my choice is the world's choice. Therefore, as the world exists for my sake, my encounter with her was also for my sake. The rules of old men are, as always, meaningless."
With that, Priscilla walked away without a single glance back at her, and a staggering amount of confidence that Emilia wished she could also possess.
"Aye-aye, Princess." Al agreed before following after her, but not without an indecipherable glare at Rem from under the pitch-black helmet.
Emilia sighed as she watched them leave, looking back at where Shion and Shaula had previously stood.
"Emilia-sama, it pains me to say this, but perhaps we should postpone our search for Subaru-kun until tomorrow, after the ceremony has been concluded." Rem stated with a sad expression.
Emilia sighed, similarly disappointed. "Very well. Come along, Rem. We will find him tomorrow."
Rem smiled back with complete agreement. "Yes, Emilia-sama!"
(KingVessel: Before some people point out that Emilia's being out-of-character for matching Priscilla, remember that not only has she been training in CQC much earlier than she did in canon, her meekness only shows in social and political functions, whereas she is perfectly capable of thrashing others physically. So yeah, the Witch of Frost can definitely throw hands with the Sun Princess.)
"Princess, was it really alright for us to leave them behind like that?" Aldebaran questioned ignorantly.
"I don't care." Priscilla declared, still thinking of the result of her deciding to go out and see how amusing the local lowlives were. "I am in a surprisingly good mood now, so don't spoil it."
"Oh? Is that so?"
"Indeed. I was able to have some fun today." Priscilla raised her hand to caress her neck. Naturally, the damage from Emilia's grip had long healed away, but she could still feel the cold drying up the warmth in her throat. "I never thought that the half-elf who would let others demean her possessed such inner might."
Had she encountered somebody who scolded the weakness out of her?
"It's rarely a wondrous moment when I'm excited to be proven wrong."
Subaru yawned as he woke up, shrugging off Shaula's possessive grip and manipulating her into glomping-
An empty and tussled space at his side?
Wait, Shion was already up?
Following the early riser's example, Subaru snuck out of Shaula's grasp and wondered how exactly he'd gotten used to the presence of the girls sharing his bed.
'So tempting... And to think that if I show even the slightest interest, she and Shion might even cooperate in jumping me.' Subaru wondered as Shaula twisted about in bed, her nightgown raised up enough to expose all of her lower half. There was no hotblooded man who wouldn't be aroused at the sight, especially if the woman in question was very willing.
Unfortunately, thinking of indulging in such a thing made him think of Rem. If only she hadn't kissed him back then-
No, that was just him making excuses. Besides him, many of the women working for Takamagahara seemed to be attracted to him as well, with Shion herself as an addition if she was to be believed.
How ironic. A while ago, he would've been over the moon for a harem. But now, not only did he have to work through what he felt for Emilia and Rem first, but he was also aware of the fact that the attraction from his 'harem' was more akin to that of fans towards their idol.
Except a lot more legitimate, considering that their former boss who had been killed and replaced by Subaru himself.
"Isekai got complicated..." Subaru muttered before smacking his face. "Don't become too much of a pervert, Subaru. Girls don't share beds with boys unless they feel safe enough to not be assaulted in the middle of the night."
"Incorrect, Subaru-sama." A pair of arms wrapped around his waist from behind, Shion's breasts pressing into his back as she whispered into his ear. "If a girl doesn't specifically tell the boy to keep away from her during the night, she wants to be assaulted by him right there in the bed."
He felt her warm hands massage their way up to his shoulders, Shion's bust rubbing against the back of his head as he was somehow pressed down into a chair he hadn't noticed now behind him. "Shion..."
"Subaru-sama, forgive my presumption, but you don't need to be so restrained. At least with me, you can enjoy the pleasures of the flesh." Shion changed positions, stroking out his throbbing erection through his pants before then straddling him, only a pair of panties and his boxers keeping naked fleshy contact away. "After being freed from Capella-sama, a lot of us still celebrate being free to enjoy... proper bodily sensations... However, considering my status as a half-elf..."
Shion grinded against his cock, sighing as Subaru finally grabbed her butt and squeezed it desperately. "Do I have to ask you so blatantly, Subaru-sama? Can you not imprint yourself into my body? Can you get rid of all the disgusting tortures Capella-sama left behind and replace them with blissful sensations?"
Subaru muttered breathlessly. "...you really mean all that? I can do... anything, I want with you?"
"I am yours, Subaru-sama." Shion kissed his chin softly, letting her tongue trail down his throat. "You only need ask, and I shall offer all of myself. But..."
Shion stood up, getting up and away from him. "We still have that ceremony to get to, and we really can't afford to be late."
Subaru stared before groaning as his libido and sense of responsibility warred against each other.
"You damn tease!" His responsibility to Emilia attained a swift victory, even as Shion chuckled as she skipped away. Well, at least she felt comfortable enough to do that to him.
"Damnit! Get up, Shaula!" Subaru kicked the bed, causing the scorpion girl to tumble out of bed clumsily. "It was a miracle we learned about this from Reinhard yesterday, and I'm not missing it!"
"Ah, theeeeeere he is~"
Emilia's head snapped back at Roswaal's words just as she heard the palace doors opening, all of her nerves vanishing at the sight of her Subaru right there, along with Reinhard, Shion and Shaula. "So that's how they got in..."
For one gleaming second, Emilia forgot all about the many people glaring at her as she speedwalked all the way to Subaru and hugged him right there and then, sighing in bliss when he hugged her back. "I missed you..."
"I missed you, too, Emilia-tan... No, wait, it's gotta be 'Emilia-sama' here." Subaru pulled back and beamed at her. Rather than the 'tracksuit' he'd left dressed in, his new outfit consisted of a black longcoat with orange linings and trimmings, a white buttoned shirt, a pair of very durable-looking black pants (KingVessel: These are jeans), and a pair of black boots. "I've got a lot to talk to you about, so lets catch up afterwards, okay?"
"Right!" Emilia nodded in relief, pleased that no matter what would occur, she had a very good thing to look forward to afterwards.
"The Sage Council will now enter."
After that announcement, the group of elderly men filed in the room from behind the throne. They were the members of the Sage Council, the ten experienced and irreplaceable men who kept the nation stable even in their lacking of a single ruler.
Taking his place at the head of the line, Marcos Gildark stood by.
"Now, if I may be so forward, I, Marcos, commander of the royal guard, will direct today's proceedings. It all happened about half a year ago, when members of the royal family, starting with the king, went into hiding one by one, causing-"
"Listen... I get that you wanna talk up a good show here, but I'm busy, y'know. As we say in Kararagi, 'Time is money'." Anastasia Hoshin suddenly spoke up, apparently annoyed at how the man wanted to go into a brief history lesson. Maybe Emilia would've complained at another time, but... She reeeeeally wanted to go join up with Subaru. "If you're just gonna repeat what we already know, then why did y'all even gather us here?"
Crusch Karsten crossed her arms and nodded along. "I agree."
"Crusch-sama, should the head of the Karsten family say such a thing?" Markos asked.
"It is important to observe formality, but it is also a fact that our time is limited." The duchess confidently glanced at the captain. "It would be wise to immediately inform us why we are here. Naturally, I do have a general idea."
Miklotov McMahon, the foremost of the Sage Council, stared down at Crusch with a raised brow. "You already know the purpose of this meeting?"
"Yes, Lord Miklotov. For a drinking party, correct?" Crusch smirked up at the lord. "One day, we will face each other as rivals, but by sharing drinks at the same table, we learn more about one another."
Emilia gaped. As much as she wished that to be so, that really couldn't be it, right?
"No, that is not correct." Lord Miklotov stated.
Emilia winced as Crusch gave a sharp glance at a cat beastman standing amongst the knights. "Ferris, this isn't what you told me."
"Oh, come on." Ferris replied unapologetically. "All I said was, 'Maybe it'll be a drinking party'."
"I see. I jumped to conclusions." Crusch turned back to face at the council. "Forgive me. Allow me to retract everything I just said."
"Hey, now! Even if she backs down, my opinion ain't gonna change. No need to explain the Royal Selection now. We already know, right?" Anastasia looked at Emilia and Priscilla.
"...maybe we should listen-" Emilia tried to say but was cut off.
"Sorry, but I wasn't askin' for your opinion."
After years of dealing with people throwing insults at her and making a bit of a thick skin about it, Emilia liked to believe that she had an adequate amount of patience. Still, the following words escaped her lips almost against her will. "Then who were you just talking to without clarifying a name?"
Anastasia blinked in surprise, as if she'd never expected to be talked back at by her. Then again, Emilia probably wouldn't have normally done so herself.
[Subaru's influence on you is stronger than I thought. Then again, I have always wanted you to be more assertive.]
[Enough, Puck. Please... I'm sure it's really just from all the stress this Royal Selection has given me.] Emilia's cheeks reddened a little while Priscilla gave off an amused chuckle. "There might be important information that needs context, so please go ahead, Marcos."
"Very well. The reason we've gathered you who are qualified to be the dragon's priestess is because a new prophecy had been engraved in the Dragon Tablet. It says, 'From the five capable of becoming the nation's new ruler, choose one priestess to enter into a covenant with the dragon.'."
Emilia cast a glance at her fellow 'priestesses', noting that they were still only four in number.
"Knight Reinhard van Astrea, come forward."
"Yes, sir." Reinhard stood forth before the entire hall and bowed his head. "Honored members of the Sage Council, I, Reinhard van Astrea of the royal knights, would like to announce the completion of my mission."
Reinhard rose and showed his stern determination as he proclaimed for the council. "The dragon's priestess, the fifth and final candidate for the throne, has been located."
Emilia's eyes widened in suspicious realization. Did he mean, back then?! Just as she had that thought, the great doors behind them opened once more.
And a familiar girl with blonde hair and blood-red eyes entered wearing a most regal and refined-looking dress.
"Felt-chan?!" Emilia exclaimed.
"The one I, myself, revere as queen... Asfeltoria 'Felt' Lugnica-sama!"
"""""WHAT?!"""""
Emilia's sole saving grace was in the fact that Crusch had shouted that exact word even louder than she had, the duchess's eyes looking allover Felt's features. The entire room was just as thrown into upheaval. Some were furious as a few of them recognized Felt as the commoner thief she'd lived as, but many others declared that the Royal Selection was now meaningless with her very presence.
And through it all, Emilia watched Felt make her way towards Reinhard, her sweet smile vanishing just as she raised her dress a little to roundhouse kick him in the face. However, Reinhard easily caught the attack in his palm.
"You bastard! Don't just stop my kick and ask me like nothing happened!" Felt raged. "What do you think you're doing calling me to a place like this?! Was this why you had this dress made for me?!"
"That's quite the surprising reaction." Reinhard released her foot, forcing her leg down. "Does the dress not suit your taste? It looks lovely on you."
"R-Really? Well- Wait, don't distract me!" Felt snapped out of her brief embarrassment. "After all this while, you still don't feel embarrassed to have kidnapped and imprisoned somebody?!"
"My actions, as I told you and Rom before, are all done with the intent of aiming for the kingdom's prosperity." Reinhard replied genially.
"So this was what you said you were working on?" Subaru spoke up from beside Reinhard, drawing Felt's attention. "Is this what you referred to as 'living strong'?"
"No, that's just..." Felt paused before regarding him with wide eyes. "What the heck are you doing here?"
"Hey, it's been a while. How've you be-" Subaru blinked as she tried to kick him, only for him to catch her leg as well. "Well, this is a little embarrassing."
"You're the one who got slashed in the gut." Felt smirked as she retrieved her leg. "At least you don't look like such a wimp anymore."
"So I was a wimp to you back then?!" Subaru exclaimed before pouting while Ferris patted his back.
"Asfeltoria-sama, if you have finished rekindling old friendships, please step over here with the other Ruler Candidates."
"Nice to see you again, nee-chan." She said softly as soon as she stood beside Emilia, before giving a harsh glare at Marcos. "So, what is it you want me to do?"
"I would like to say, 'To act more ladylike.'. But this comes first." Reinhard stepped up to Felt and dropped an insignia into her extended palm, letting the jewel's crimson shine be seen by all in the throne room. "As you can all see, the Dragon Jewel has recognized Felt-sama as a priestess as well. Now that her participation has been proven legitimate, I believe it is time to begin the Royal Selection in earnest."
All around, the royal knights placed their hands on their hearts in respect.
"And what of her bloodline? Is that legitimate?" Crusch demanded, stepping forward to look down at Felt directly with a glare. "Knight Reinhard, I sincerely hope you have ample reason to declare this girl as royalty so boldly."
"...Felt-sama, please summon it." Reinhard stated with a calm tone.
"Eh?" Felt gave Reinhard an incredulous stare. "Weren't you and Rom-jii always telling me to never ever show it in front of anybody, especially the nobles? That's one of the very few things you both actually agreed on without arguing with each other!"
"Indeed. Rom did so in order to protect your childhood from whomever that had attacked your blood relatives, and I did so to protect you from the malicious greed of some particular individuals amongst the nobles." Reinhard explained, not just to her, but to everybody else. "However, now is the time to prove your integrity."
Felt scoffed and raised her hand, causing a shower of golden light particles to form around it and solidify into a longsword with a slender form. Every part of the sword from the guard to the pommel seemed to be made out of dazzling gold while the blade itself was dyed in a bright golden yellow distinctly more intense than the sword's pommel, with a cross-shape crimson patch decorating the sword's guard.
"Th-That sword!" Lord Bordeaux exclaimed, with others in the room just as shocked.
"Indeed. This is the Spirit Sword Lugnica, a weapon that appears only to those who bear the qualifications of a Lion King." Reinhard declared. "Is there anybody who still doubts Asfeltoria 'Felt' Lugnica's bloodline and legitimacy?"
This time, the uproar that filled the room was a lot more positive.
Emilia knew there wouldn't be many more doubts against Felt. With these, her own chances of winning had dropped down to a whole new low. She was never going to get the Dragon Blood to free those people...
"Order, please!" Lord Miklotov's loud voice caused the throne room to quiet down. "As regrettable as it is, Lord Volcanica's prophecy regarding the dragon priestesses still holds power, otherwise Asfeltoria-sama would be the only one with a functioning insignia, which would allow us to just put her in the throne without any further hassle."
Crusch made a complicated noise with her throat that really worried Emilia.
"As such, we will continue with the preplanned method." Lord Miklotov carried on. "All Ruler Candidates shall each step forward and make their Declarations to the Dragon Throne, arguing their resolves and stances on their chosen matter. Afterwards, we shall leave up the final choice to the votes."
"I see, so that's what that particular requirement was about." Crusch realized, humming in thought as she placed a hand on her chin before stepping forward. "Alright, I shall go first. Ferris! Come up here!"
"Yes, Crusch-sama!" Ferris replied as he followed Crusch up to the stairs to stand before the Dragon Throne.
"Well, then. We will now hear Ruler Candidate Crusch's Declaration." Marcos announced. "Her knight is Felix 'Ferris' Argyle."
"Commander!" Ferris pouted. "I told you to please just call me Ferris!"
"Be grateful I made a point to add that name." Marcos rebutted. "Besides, this is an event that trumps your naming issues."
"As earlier introduced, I am Crusch Karsten, head of the Karsten household." Crusch stated.
"I'm Crusch-sama's knight, Ferris." Ferris bowed.
"I believe I know what you will all desire of me when I succeed the throne. The Karsten household has always had connections with the royal family, along with a great influence in politics as well. You assume that nothing will change at my success, correct? However, I will not promise you all that." Crusch's words caused ripples of shock from the nobles, but she didn't wait for them to recover. "The 'Dragon' Kingdom of Lugnica has grown and prospered under the protection of the Dragon's covenant, which I acknowledge to be quite fortuitous... but I ask of you, DO YOU FEEL NO SHAME FOR SUCH BLIND RELIANCE?!"
Emilia shook at her sudden shout.
"You're overstepping your bounds, Crusch-sama!" One of the sages immediately rebuked her. "It's unforgivable to make light of the covenant. Are you denying the kingdom's history?"
"I'm sure I mentioned that I have acknowledged our past prosperity. The Karsten household has benefitted from it, after all." Crusch replied. "The future is a different story...! Lugnica has become too dependent on the covenant has subsequently become weak! Can you say that we are prepared for the the events that the Dragon Tablet makes no mention of?! Can you say that we could've mimicked the recent achievements that the Dragon Tablet reported during this past few weeks, all of some strange foreigner nobody has managed to locate?!"
"Recent achievements?" Emilia wondered. There was new news on the Dragon Tablet? Why hadn't that been mentioned?
"Dependence gives birth to stagnation, stagnation brings about corruption, and corruption eventually brings about destruction!" Crusch stated as she turned to the knights, making it clear who her target demographic was. "That's how I see it!"
"Well, she's not wrong about that." Felt mumbled from Emilia's side. "Lots of corrupt nobles and knights everywhere. But damn, she's brazen..."
"If we will die out without the Dragon, we should become Dragons ourselves!" A fire burned in Crusch's eyes. "When I become the ruler, I will make sure the Dragon forgets about the covenant! Lugnica isn't the Dragon's possession! IT IS OURS!"
Emilia felt a little uncomfortable with Crusch's speech as it went on. It wasn't either malicious or egocentric... Okay, it was a bit egocentric, but they were both aspiring rulers. Perhaps ego was a requirement. But was it reeeealy a good idea to antagonize the Divine Dragon like that?
If it got offended, it might not only take away its blessings, but also remove it's Dragon Blood from the royal vault...
Emilia clenched her fists in determination. She couldn't let Crusch win.
"There will definitely be hardships, but I would like to live my life the way I would like to, and if possible, I would like the kingdom to do the same!" Crusch paused to take a breath, visibly relaxing. "That's all."
There were... no words from the nobles before her, which Emilia couldn't really blame them for. For all of her well-meant intentions, Crusch was still proposing the blatant and extreme idea of casting aside a deity.
"Hmm... I'll try to understand your opinion, Crusch-sama." Lord Miklotov stated even as a visible sweatdrop appeared on his brow, which Emilia considered to be remarkably tolerant. "Knight Felix 'Ferris' Argyle, do you have anything you would like to add?"
"Not in the slightest. The truth of Crusch-sama's words will be proven through our future actions." Ferris replied, giving a bow towards his lady. "You're beautiful as always, Crusch-sama."
"Well, I suppose that her reign will be quite memorable." Lord Miklotov muttered before calling out. "Well then, let's continue along for the others."
"At once!" Marcos declared. "Anastasia-sama, you're up next."
"Got it." Anastasia smirked as she stepped forward, only to halt when Priscilla gestured for the former to stay where she was.
"I will be going next." Priscilla decided with a tone Emilia immediately recognized, quietly sighing at her unshakeable ego as the Sun Princess stepped forward. "Al, come here!"
"...I apologize, Anastasia-sama." Marcos grumbled.
"Well, it doesn't really change much." Anastasia accepted as she stepped back.
"You seem to be quite spirited, Princess." Al commented as he followed Priscilla up the stairs to stand before the Dragon Throne.
"I have to make these old men know of my power, and then have them submit to me." Priscilla replied. "It's that's simple."
"Well, then. We will now hear Ruler Candidate Priscilla's Declaration." Marcos announced.
"Hmm..." Priscilla hummed as she surveyed them all from above. "It's quite the sight I'll be returning to after some time..."
"Priscilla-sama, it may be rude of me but your knight doesn't look like he's a member of the royal guard." Lord Miklotov beckoned. "I would like you to introduce him to us."
"I'm not a member of anything grand like the royal guard." Al replied. "I may have used to live in Vollachia, but I'm still a simple wanderer who got invested in Princess now. Just call me Al. Oh, and please don't ask me to take this off."
Al raised his helmet slightly to display a heavily scarred chin, causing Emilia to instinctually twitch towards him despite knowing the futility of trying to heal those scars. "My face isn't something pleasant to look at, after all."
"...I understand." Lord Miklotov nodded, allowing Al to lower his helmet. "Please carry on."
"Finally." Priscilla unfolded her fan and displayed herself prominently. "Hear me! I walk the path to royalty because the Heavens wish me to do so! This world is full of things that go my way after all! Therefore, I am the most worthy to rule this nation! For nobody else is competent enough! All you need to do is be obedient to me!"
Emilia's jaw dropped slightly. "Such ego..."
"She makes the nobles look downright humble..." Felt quietly agreed.
"Priscilla-sama, what would be gained from obeying you?" Lord Miklotov recovered admirably.
"Simply enough, being obedient to me means that you're on the Winner's side." Priscilla replied. "I will allow you to attain whatever you desire."
"Hold on. There might be a problem with how she's phrasing it, but what Princess is saying is definitely the truth. You're aware, aren't you? About how much Leip Barielle's land has improved under her guidance."
"Leip Barielle... Priscilla-sama's husband, right?" Lord Miklotov questioned. "I thought that no Ruler Candidate was allowed to be betrothed or married so as to prevent the exacerbation of political conflict."
"Lord Barielle passed away some days ago." Marcos reported. "Priscilla-sama subsequently took over all internal affairs and has brought unprecedented prosperity to the land."
"Exactly." Al confirmed. "However, don't make the mistake of believing that she's doing this for others. Princess has many skills, but her greatest of them all... is luck itself."
Emilia blinked at that part. "Luck?"
"No matter the odds, no matter how impossible the situation is, Princess is able to 'win' against all of that." Al stated with absolute certainty. "I don't care who you choose to side with, but wouldn't it be beneficial for you to side with the Winner as soon as you can?"
"Well said, Al." Priscilla smirked before going back down to take her place between Emilia and Crusch, the former now noting that with all five priestesses present, she stood at the center of them all.
"Do you really intend to rule Lugnica in such a way?" Emilia asked before she could stop herself.
"I suppose it would be difficult for you to imagine being the greatest person in the world." Priscilla replied with a smug smile as Anastasia made her way up the stairs with Julius in tow. "But it's the only way I can believe myself to live. And really, who else could do it but me?"
Crusch made another worrisome sound with her throat while looking like she wanted to accuse Priscilla of being a liar. But she couldn't for some reason, and Emilia could see how much that seemed to bother Crusch.
"Unfortunately, I don't have any grand ambitions like Crusch-san or believe that I'm a chosen individual like Priscilla-san. However, there's one thing I can say about myself with true certainty..." Anastasia raised up a finger and pointed it at herself. "I... am probably the greediest person in the entire room, if not the kingdom."
Emilia felt something scratch her mind, the image of a man of alabaster white flickering in and out of her memories faster than a flash. "No, you're not... Eh?"
Where did that come from?
"I was once the servant of a small trading company." Anastasia continued. "I scored one day when I voiced my opinion about how things were done, and my boss at the time listened to me. Gradually, I was put in charge of even bigger deals until I eventually started earning enough to forget my past as a poor kid. I was supposed to be relieved at that point, but I somehow felt like I was poorer than before."
Emilia didn't get it, as she wasn't really materialistic in nature.
"And why is that?" Lord Miklotov questioned her.
"As my connections grew, the amount of things I wanted also grew as well." Anastasia's stare grew a little vacant. "I wanted this, and that, and more and more and more. Before I knew it, I had become the chairwoman of the Hoshin Trading Company, one of Kararagi's leading powers. But that still didn't satisfy me. I want something that could do what all of my commercial successes couldn't. Something much grander in scale."
Anastasia's stare sparkled as she spread her arms out. "I want Lugnica."
"So you would put this kingdom on the scale of worldly desires." Lord Miklotov noted. "However, what you may gain might not be what you seek in the end."
"Didn't I mention it? I'm the greediest person present." Anastasia replied. "Whatever I obtain at the end will still be mine, and everything that is mine will naturally prosper just as my current subordinates do. That is why..."
Anastasia gestured at herself once more. "You can all feel at ease and become mine."
"...still not the greediest- Ow." Emilia massaged her forehead as it throbbed a little, missing Felt's worried stare and Priscilla's raised brow.
"I see..." Lord Miklotov said. "Knight Julius, do you have anything you would like to add as her knight?"
"Yes. Anastasia-sama expressed it as greed, but from a different perspective, her passion to always desire more is the natural state of someone with ambition, a quality which is vital for an administrator." Julius stated. "In addition to that, Anastasia-sama's skills are something our kingdom is in current need of!"
Julius stepped to the side to give Anastasia a bow. "I swear upon my loyalty to assert this. Anastasia-sama is the most worthy to rule Lugnica!"
"Now, we shall move on to the fourth Ruler Candidate." Marcos announced. "Step forward, Emilia-sama!"
Not trusting her voice at the moment, Emilia gestured for Subaru to follow after her.
"That silver-haired half-elf..."
"The audacity of that half-demon... How filthy!"
"Get her out of here!"
Subaru paused as on the way up the stairs before calling out loudly enough so that the entire room heard him. "Shion, Shaula, memorize the faces of the people who just spoke."
"Okay, Master!" Shaula replied cheerily, before turning a crimson gaze towards the magic users of the royal guard. Shion didn't say anything, but she did spare them a quick lookover as well.
Emilia's hand rested upon Subaru's shoulder, gentle but firm. He was her knight now, which meant that he was now responsible for protecting her image in political matters just as he'd protected her as her friend. "It's alright."
"...no, it's not." Subaru stated firmly, his voice reverberating around the room. The whispers grew as many turned their ire upon him, but he was unfazed. "You can't expect racists like these people to suddenly get better on their own, Emilia-sama."
One of the magic users pointed with a shaking finger. "So, you're openly siding with a half-elf?!"
"Of course, I am." Subaru answered without a hint of hesitation. "On top of serving Emilia-sama, I've also got quite a few half-elves as my subordinates. However, not a single person came here to indulge in your meaningless bigotry."
A strange pressure burst forth from Subaru, darkening all of the lights in the room for an instant as Emilia felt just the tiniest caress on her mind, which oddly soothed away the headache that had bothered back then. "So just as you have done so with the others: be silent and listen to her."
"...n-nonsense! Why should we spare a single moment of our time listening to her when her very presence in the throne room is an affront?!" One of the other sages, Bordeaux Zellgef exploded into a hateful rant. "Who do you think you are to promote such travesty?!"
"And who are you to rant against one of the Ruler Candidates due to absolutely nothing but personal bias?" Subaru shot back with brutal efficiency. "I mean no offense to Crusch Karsten-sama, but how come I didn't hear a peep from you when she stated her intention to break away Lugnica away from it's own patron deity? And in addition to that, all of those insignias are powered by Volcanica's own mana, meaning that regardless of their individual dispositions, the Divine Dragon still considers each and every one of them to be worthy of that throne, including Emilia-sama and Crusch-sama. So who the hell do you think you are, overriding that decision with your prejudice?"
That was the most severe dressing down Emilia had ever seen given to an elderly person, let alone a member of the Sage Council, and it was one that gained many varying reactions. Roswaal was giddily covering his mouth with his hand, trembling in place. Felt had the widest grin she'd ever seen. Reinhard's eyes had gone wide as it could without getting comical. Julius looked like he couldn't decide between rebuking Subaru or agreeing with him, resorting to tightly clutching his sword as a desperate measure. Ferris seemed to be nodding in thought as he considered Subaru's words, his tail swishing quite wildly. Every other member of the royal guard that wasn't glaring at Subaru or Bordeaux was harshly whispering in argument with a colleague next to them. Crusch was eyeing her own still glowing insignia with a bewildered expression. Lord Miklotov was looking at Subaru with an appraising eye. Anastasia was giving Subaru the exact same look. Priscilla was...
Well, Priscilla's smile wasn't a nice smile. If Emilia had to be accurate, she felt that such a smile would be found on the face of a person who could see somebody they reeeeeeeally hated about to be mauled to death by multiple wolgarm.
To her guilt, she'd had a few dreams like that about Elsa a few times.
"I must agree with this young man, Bordeaux. You've severely overstepped your bounds. We will have a lengthy discussion about your concerns afterwards, but I find no reason to start assaulting a candidate by mere apartheid." Miklotov stated. Bordeaux looked ready to protest some more, but he then grumbled and backed down. "Still, just as Al earlier, you don't seem to be part of the royal guard as well. Would you mind introducing yourself to us?"
"Hm... Well, I'm not sure if I can claim a post that isn't official yet, but I am Emilia-sama's friend and potential knight." Subaru grinned audaciously. "Natsuki Subaru, at your service."
*CRACK!*
Strange, Emilia didn't see any broken glass or window around, but yet she'd somehow heard the sound of something irreversibly breaking apart.
Then all of the sudden, the entire throneroom entered into a pandemonium!
(Translation: They lost their shit, for the third time.)
Why were they all acting like this just from hearing Subaru's name? Why did Julius look reeeeeaally troubled now? Why was Roswaal now laughing hard enough to fall on his knees and start hitting the floor?!
"QUIET!" Marcos's roar snuffed out all other sounds, the man turning to regard Subaru with a stunned expression. "Are you really Natsuki 'Flugel' Subaru? The Slayer of the Witch Cult's Sin Archbishop of Lust and the Administrator of the Pleiades Watchtower?"
"You guys are... pretty well informed, but yeah, I did all that." Subaru confirmed with a shrug. "But this isn't about me. It's all about Emilia-sama."
Subaru stepped back and left it at that, bowing so that Emilia could step forward herself. At first, she had wanted to say something simple: a speech along the lines of, "I want everyone to be equal." It wouldn't even be a lie; after all, equality was one of her goals.
But that now felt... too empty, considering what Subaru'd just done for her, as well as the entire kingdom. ...well, she had no grand ambitions herself, but how had could she get them to vote for her?
Then it suddenly struck her: Not a single Ruler Candidate had even tried to make their voters like them.
All they had done... was be brutally honest with their motives. Well... Perhaps Emilia should do that, too.
"My name is Emilia. I do not have a family name, but the closest I can give is that I am of the Elior Forest. To be honest, the reasons I desire the throne are completely selfish in nature." Emilia started off, finding it a bit easier to talk as the words flowed out. "My first reason is acquire the Dragon's Blood, which I'll then use to save my people. Around a century ago, the Elior Forest was attacked, and the elves living there ended up frozen, including me. It was only thanks to Puck the Great Spirit of Fire that I was freed afterwards, but he was unable to free everybody else due to the sheer mana cost required."
Emilia could feel Subaru staring at her, even as Puck manifested to float at her side. Hopefully, he wouldn't hate her too much for her selfishness. "And my second reason for participating in the Royal Selection... is to deliberately draw the attention of the Witch Cult."
Ignoring the shocked cries that followed her statement, Emilia reasoned to herself that it wasn't really a lie. When Roswaal had told her about the Witch Cult, he'd mentioned that they would be riled up at the sight of her gaining more political clout. She'd forced herself not to care back then, only focusing on attaining the Dragon's Blood as well as training to become a proper ruler.
Having only seen the aftermaths of their rampages, Capella's attack on Irlam Village had opened her eyes. Due to Roswaal's absence, she'd feared for the demises of all the innocent people there, only for Subaru to somehow turn things around. Then he'd made her a promise to become strong enough to defeat the Witch Cult, leaving them behind for a while.
That was... That had been unacceptable.
Friendship was a two-way road, and Emilia would not allow Subaru to devote everything to her without her doing the same. He may be her knight, but he was her friend first.
"The Witch Cult slaughter our people, burn our buildings, and wreak havoc across the land, all in the name of a person I was unfortunate enough to physically resemble. For all I know, they may have even been the ones responsible for my home as well." Emilia pushed on. "It especially showed in how Capella Emerada Lugnica personally came to Irlam Village, within Margrave Mathers's territory. However, she was unprepared to encounter Subaru, and got killed for her hubris. And for the first time in centuries, the Witch Cult has suffered an undeniable loss. And there is no way that they are unaware of it."
She had their attention now. It was no longer about their reaction to Subaru's presence, but to her own words. Emilia had never felt as confident as she did now, her every word increasing in volume and strength. "More of the Witch Cult will come to take either of our heads. More of the Witch Cult will come to die for their attempts. Whether you vote for me or not will not change my objectives: I will save my people. I will render the Witch Cult extinct."
Lowering her voice, Emilia finished up with her last sentence. "And after I'm done with all that, then I'll carefully consider how best to rule over you. That's all."
Stunned silence followed her words as she and Subaru descended down the stairs. But before she reached her fellow candidates, a sound from Lord Bordeaux stopped the duo.
"Emilia...-sama. My opinion will never change. The presence of a silver haired half-elf in the throneroom is an affront. However..." Lord Bordeux placed a hand against his chest and gave a genuine bow that lowered his head fully. "The continued existence of the Witch Cult is a greater affront that trumps yours. Please forgive my earlier disrespect, Emilia-sama."
"...very well. I accpet your apology." Emilia replied as dignified as she could maintain her expression, restraining the urge to break out into a giddy smile as she joined up with the other candidates.
The overall election resumed smoothly and Felt's own Declaration... Well, that went as smoothly as it could with Felt's chaotic attitude towards the nobles.
Still, Emilia had unfortunately overlooked an issue with her declaration... the many gazes aimed at them, especially Subaru.
Were... Were they going to try and steal Subaru from her?!
𝔹𝕒𝕔𝕜 𝕒𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕖 ℂ𝕒𝕡𝕚𝕥𝕒𝕝
KingVessel: Oh, they'll try, Emilia. They'll try.