[Assistant] Subaru, having skipped out of the inn thanks to Rem’s kindness, ran downtown in the royal capital, his feet taking him to the Cadmon fruit store so he could contact Old Man Rom. “Sneaking into a castle…is not very realistic, is it? Well, nothing’s gonna happen unless I make it to the entrance of the royal palace…” It might have been possible to gain entry by explaining that he was connected to Emilia and Roswaal. But Subaru had few cards to play to even get that far.

[User] “Even if I got to the garrison and explained, Emilia would probably turn down a magic mirror message…” If he could make it to the foot of the castle, he was confident he could verbally wear Emilia down. Emilia was weak under pressure. He didn’t think she’d chase Subaru off after he’d undergone a dangerous adventure to reach her.


[User] Subaru went to Market Street in the hopes of improving his chances of success. He wanted to get in touch with Old Man Rom and relay his plan to infiltrate the Nobles’ District as soon as possible.

[Assistant] Weaving his way into the crowd with quick feet, Subaru found the shop sign that was still fresh in his memory.

[User] "Hey, old guy. Long time no—” As Subaru tried to call out to the storekeeper.

[Assistant] "You’re late, bro! Just in the nick of time. Lucky you, I was gonna wait just a bit longer before heading off.” A heavy metallic rattle accompanied a muffled laugh.

[User] Subaru shrugged off the arm openly wrapped around his shoulders, putting some distance between himself and the very close voice. "Who are… Wait, you’re the guy from yesterday?”

[Assistant] “Yeah, I’m the guy from yesterday. I’m glad you showed up. Now I won’t get an earful over it.”

[User] Al chuckled again, seeing Subaru’s obvious shock at the unexpected reunion. "Hey, don’t get bent out of shape. It’s your fault for talking about meeting up here right in front of Princess. She’s a sharp cookie to begin with.”

[Assistant] “Right in front of…she was eavesdropping! So why are you at the place I’m supposed to meet Old Man Rom, anyway? I get that the girl ordered you to, but not the reason why.”

[User] “Hey, don’t ask me why. Princess does things on a whim so much, a lot of the time there’s no point asking why.—So let’s get goin’ then!”

[Assistant] "'Goin’’?” With Al ready to move out without a sufficient explanation, Subaru furrowed his brows and objected, “Hold on a minute. Go where? You haven’t explained one thing to me… I mean, I’ve got a place I have to get to!”

[User] "Why’re you dragging your feet?


[User] “Hey, it’s a big world out there and people get carried away by the currents, so just forget your doubts and go with the flow. It’s fun!” Subaru pointed at Al’s helmet, unable to see the expression behind it as he soundly declared.

[Assistant] “I don’t wanna hear philosophy from a grown-up slacker like you. I’ve got things to do. I don’t have time to mess with you or your princess!” Subaru had no idea how Al had wound up associated with said princess, but that didn’t mean he had to shut up and play along.

[User] “You should really reconsider spoiling her before it gets both of you in really hot wa—”

[Assistant] "—You’re looking for a way to get into the royal palace, right?”

[User] “Whoa, that sure worked. That’s Princess for you. It’s just like she said.”

[Assistant] “Wh…what do you know…? !”

[User] "Nah, I don’t know nothin’. I’m just saying it ’cause Princess told me to. And it worked, huh?” Al’s shoulders rocked in delight as Subaru bit his lip and held his breath.

[Assistant] “…I can…get into the castle, if I…go with you?”

[User] “Well… You’ll find out if you come along, won’t ya?”

[Assistant] Subaru averted his eyes and resisted the urge to click his tongue.

[User] “—Understood. I’ll go with you.” The boy scowled in defeat as he raised a white flag.

[Assistant] “Don’t look so sad. I knew how this was gonna go down the moment you arrived in front of this shop with me waiting for you, just like Princess wanted.”

[User] “…You seriously believe in her like that?”

[Assistant] Al didn’t reply to Subaru’s feeble question, using his one arm to fend off the issue as he moved the conversation forward.

[User] “—Well, out of time. If we don’t get a move on, she’s gonna leave us behind. She’s really strict about that stuff.”

[Assistant] “So there you have it. There’s stuff I wanted to talk about, but I’ll save it for next time, old guy.” He was speaking to the shopkeeper, who’d been grimacing as Subaru and Al conversed inside the store.

[User] The shopkeeper traced his facial scar with a finger and let out a brief snort. "I don’t really mind. Can’t be helped… Having a weirdo like that in front of my store was driving my customers away."


[User] “Get going already.”

[Assistant] “I’m not sure Al’s the cause of your customers staying away, but… I’ve got one favor to ask you. You can get in touch with this crazy-huge geezer named Old Man Rom, right?” Subaru, feeling confidence in the unusual connection, chose his words with great care as he added, “I want you to tell Old Man Rom this:—Subaru Natsuki says, I’m heading to the castle to check on Felt. Wait up for good news.”


[User] Subaru reached Al’s destination, he looked up, completely and utterly overwhelmed. “This is… How to put this…”

[Assistant] Standing beside him, Al nodded to display his sympathy with Subaru’s halting words. “I know, bro. I get it, looking at this and wondering what you should say.”

[User] Then, the two met each other’s eyes, pointing at what stood in front of them, and said simultaneously, “—Rich people.”

[Assistant] The dragon carriage was the very definition of needless extravagance. The passenger cab was subtly engraved and adorned with numerous flamboyant ornaments. Glittering, radiant gold leaf had been applied to the exterior, and even the wheels had been jewel-encrusted. The land dragon in front also had an ostentatious appearance. The crimson-skinned, two-headed land dragon had extravagant feathers all down its back, with the intricate designs on the reins and bit completing the image of quintessential opulence.

[User] “…People ride this? This isn’t some kind of mistake?”

[Assistant] “Unfortunately, even in a vast kingdom such as this, only Princess would ride such an embarrassing thing.” Subaru did a double take as Al patted him on the back and walked ahead of him toward the occupied vehicle. It was parked on the side of the street, but nonetheless, an unnecessarily huge dragon carriage just sitting there made a large impact on passersby. It received many stares, more out of raw shock than indignation at the interference. Deeply conscious of their stares, Subaru finally resigned himself to climbing into the dragon carriage. He could almost hear the unvoiced whispers behind him: He’s getting into that…

[User] Sitting by herself in a custom seat, a girl greeted them with a crafty smile. “—You have made me wait some time. Such rudeness can cost you dearly.” The girl’s attire for that day polished and amplified her beauty more than ever. The dress was wide open at the chest, presenting her ample bosom with such assertiveness that her sensuality tempted eyes to wander.

[Assistant] “…I’m extremely humbled and delighted by your invitation.”

[User] “ ’Tis no trouble. You are riding for my entertainment, nothing more. A minor amusement I am slipping in at the last minute.”

[Assistant] “So I’m a super-outstanding servant here to serve as your entertainment for the evening? You’re gonna make me cry.” As Subaru scoffed at the door, the seated master and servant traded glances with each other. The awkwardness had Subaru grinding his teeth by the time Al said to him,

[User] “Sit. We can’t get this dragon carriage moving if you just keep standing there."


[User] "Even if the blessing makes it not rock on the inside, it’s a hell of a lot more comfortable sitting down. Besides, Princess hates being looked down upon."

[Assistant] "Indeed, you understand me rather well, Al. So, commoner, that is how it is. Sit down at once. If you continue to tower over me like this, I shall have your height reduced…by about half."

[User] Since it really didn’t sound like a joke, Subaru plopped down immediately. That instant, the dragon carriage started. The scenery outside the window moved gently. Very gently.

[Assistant] Al guessed what was on Subaru’s mind, trying not to laugh as he said, “Appearances were prioritized at the cost of speed. Form over function. Easy to understand, yes?”

[User] Subaru scratched his head at the way of thinking so different from the world he had come from, but the girl in the carriage prodded him, speaking in a fairly playful tone. "So, peasant. What is the purpose of your riding in this dragon carriage?"

[Assistant] “Err… Uh? Purpose or not… It’s because you told the guy there to invite me aboard, right?”

[User] "No. That was the trigger, but not the reason. I am not asking you why you came here. I am asking you, what is your reason for being here?"

[Assistant] For a moment, Subaru refrained from a comeback as he searched for better words. It burned him, but it clearly was not the time to get on the girl’s bad side. She might just threw him out of the dragon carriage, but worst case, he’d be finding out what it was like to be on the business end of the sword on Al’s hip. Besides, she had chosen her question deliberately—not why he had come, but why he was there at all.

[User] “…Because I need to go to the royal palace. That’s why I’m in this carriage."

[Assistant] "Correct. That is your reason for being here. Put another way, so long as you carry that reason with you, you would be hunting for another way to get into the palace, even if you were not on this carriage, yes?"

[User] Subaru lowered his head, unable to refute the girl’s words. “That’s…right… Maybe I’d end up sneaking in on one of the rich folks’ carriages.”

[Assistant] But as Al pointed out, "That’s reckless talk. Even if you could normally, this is a real special day. The checks are gonna be a lot stricter. There’s pretty much no way that’d work without help from guards at the garrison and people taking care of the carriages."

[User] Naturally, Subaru had no connections with which to make such arrangements. No doubt he’d have completely failed if he had attempted such a plan without being prepared.


[User] "If that’s the case, getting invited here is a huge lifesaver, huh…?”

[Assistant] "So you boarded this dragon carriage because you aim to enter the royal palace. In other words, you believe this carriage is heading to the royal palace… There is no meaning in hiding it. Surely you are well aware of this.”

[User] “…Yeah, that’s right… And if this isn’t going there, let me off now because I’m on the wrong ride.”

[Assistant] Al interrupted with a low chuckle. "Sorry, this is a special express that won’t stop until the fourth station down the line.”

[User] Subaru raised his eyebrows at the expression.

[Assistant] She glanced over at Subaru. "Luckily for you, this dragon carriage is in fact heading to the royal palace… And do you understand why this dragon carriage is heading to the royal palace?”

[Assistant] “I pray you do not disappoint me by being a foolish commoner manipulated by the information before your eyes and fail to miss the obvious. If you are, that makes you a fool whose life bears no value.—Answer with care.” As Subaru swallowed his breath, the girl uncrossed her legs and sat up. She sat with her legs off to the side, her back straight and deep in her seat as she gazed at Subaru and asked. "Why is this dragon carriage heading toward the royal palace?”

[User] "This dragon carriage’s…heading toward the royal palace, because…” Held captive by those two red eyes, Subaru felt his stomach squeezing.

[Assistant] The extreme pressure rolling off the girl no doubt would make the weak of spirit buckle then and there. She was a proud girl who spoke and acted like she viewed the entire world from a position above it. She had an obedient servant and a luxuriant dragon carriage. These formed the outline, and when Subaru added the final piece, the puzzle was complete. There was only one possible answer.

[User] “…Because you’re participating in the royal selection. This carriage is carrying a candidate.”

[Assistant] “—My. In other words, you do understand.”

[User] “…You’re one of the candidates fighting for the throne of the Kingdom of Lugunica, aren’t you?”

[Assistant] At Subaru’s reply, the girl narrowed her blood-colored eyes and let loose a bloodcurdling, sadistic laugh. “—Al.”

[User] “Right, right, understood. It’s what you figured, bro. This young lady is a candidate for the royal succession of the Kingdom of Lugunica.—This is Lady Priscilla Bariel.” Al called the leisurely posing girl Priscilla—a name he spoke with reverence.

[Assistant] Priscilla nodded in satisfaction at her servant’s words before looking at Subaru. “One might argue that even a fool would have answered thusly after being provided with so many hints. Regardless, you may rest at ease. At the very least, you have avoided an immediate shedding of your blood.”

[User] “Well, I’m relieved, too. This thing may be huge, but I don’t think we’d ever get the smell of blood and guts out of it.”

[Assistant] “I would simply arrange a new carriage in that case.


[User] "A petty bourgeois like me just can’t understand a princess’s sense of money.” Priscilla and Al engaged in casual master-servant banter.

[Assistant] As Subaru watched, he subtly let out a long sigh.

[User] “You knew who I was with yesterday, then?”

[Assistant] “It would seem she attempted to conceal herself with some pathetic rags. The way she hid in a nook along the street suited her public image very nicely.”

[User] “Why, you. There’s things you say and things you don’t…” Subaru was unable to conceal his indignation at Priscilla’s mockery of Emilia.

[Assistant] “Hey, lay off, bro. I only just got her to chill out on the spilling blood stuff.”

[User] As Subaru stood up, Al drew his crescent sword and touched the thick of the blade against the bottom of Subaru’s chin. One step farther and Subaru’s head would roll from his shoulders. "You get how Princess is by now, right? That’s her default mode, so just be the bigger man and accept it. If you don’t… Well, you chose wrong.”

[Assistant] “For a one-armed guy, you’re pretty handy with that thing.”

[User] “I’ve lived longer with one than with two. People adapt.”

[Assistant] Unable to see Al’s face to judge whether he was joking, Subaru clicked his tongue and backed off a step. Accepting this, Al twirled his razor-sharp weapon and returned it to its sheath. Subaru sat back down in his seat and calmed himself. He scowled as Al’s helmet made a satisfied shake, rubbing salt into his wounds.

[User] Subaru gazed at him and broached the subject that had been nagging him all this time. "Is it too rude for me to ask where you lost that arm of yours?” He was pointing at Al’s left arm, the most distinctive thing about him. If he has trouble answering for once, I wouldn’t mind, he thought.


[Assistant] “Sure, I can see why it’d bug you. It was my baptism to a whole different world. You know what I mean, don’t you, bro?”

[User] “—Ah?” Subaru had meant to gain some measure of revenge upon him, but the unexpected truth washed that thought away. He stared in abject shock while Al toyed with the gap of his helm with his left hand and tilted his head a bit. "Wha, don’t tell me you didn’t notice by now?


[User] "I’m the only one who knows what you’re going through, bro."

[Assistant] “—Huh?” Subaru let out a breath as his eyes opened as wide as plates. Al’s words had frozen his thoughts stiff. With his brain blanking out, he was at a complete loss for words.


[User] The wild-eyed girl with scruffy blond hair had worn, grimy old rags. She was a tempestuous girl of the slums, more grubby than hardy. That was the image of the girl named Felt in Subaru’s mind. As Reinhard made his declaration, the ladies-in-waiting quietly accompanied Felt as she walked into the throne room. Gracefully walking atop the red carpet, she looked like a nobleman’s daughter. Subaru had thought long before, She might sparkle if someone polished her up. But this unhewn stone, polished via the power of Reinhard’s family, was not only sparkling.—Indeed, the only term to do her justice was radiant.

[Assistant] Felt slowly passed by Subaru’s dumbfounded gaze and stood before Reinhard.

[User] Reinhard nodded with a charming smile at her appearance and addressed her with the utmost respect. "Lady Felt, thank you for gracing us with your presence.”

[Assistant] "—Reinhard.” Felt raised her eyes and called out to him.

[User] "Yes?” Reinhard responded to her clear-as-a-bell voice. Knight and lady, their eyes met.

[Assistant] "—Why you. What’s the big idea, dragging me in here with no explanation? !” Felt raised the hem of her dress, her long, slender leg tracing an arc—an arc that was about to slam right into the tip of Reinhard’s chin when the knight raised a hand, stopping it short.

[User] "I am quite surprised. What brought this on so suddenly?”

[Assistant] Remaining balanced on one leg, Felt violently slapped at her dress in anger. “Don’t block me and then play dumb! It’s this place! These clothes! Them! You! What the hell is going on here?! I can’t take any more of this!” It was an expensive dress, no doubt custom-ordered for her. Seeing it treated so roughly sent the ladies attending her wilting to the floor as if their eyes were spinning.

[User] “You did not like the dress? I believe it looks very good on you.”

[Assistant] “This isn’t about the dress, and it’s not that it’s embarrassing! I’m saying that I hate it! And not just the dress! I hate you too! Don’t you think abducting and holding a girl against her will is embarrassing for a knight of honor? !”

[User] “If it is for the prosperity of the kingdom, it must be done.” Reinhard declared without hesitation

[Assistant] Subaru remarked to himself, “I’m so glad. I thought she’d completely changed, but it’s only how she looks. I guess leopards really don’t change their spots, and it isn’t just me!” It would’ve made a sorry story for Old Man Rom if he’d had to report back that she’d become a whole different person. He was relieved at being able to confirm she was safe and sound in a place he never expected. On the other hand, he couldn’t help but think Felt being dragged into becoming a royal candidate was prearranged rather than mere coincidence.

[User] Felt put a hand to her forehead as if he was giving her a headache.


[User] Emilia, realizing who Felt was, had apparently reached the same conclusion as Subaru. "That girl…from back then…?! That’s why Reinhard was so surprised…"

[Assistant] Under the austere stares, Felt clicked her tongue rudely.

[User] Felt was scanning the chamber to size up her surroundings when she suddenly noticed Subaru among the knights in the front row and brightened. "Oh, hey! What are you doing here, mister?" Felt shoved Reinhard away with a hand on his chest and walked over without a care.

[Assistant] Subaru wondered as he raised a hand, delighted to greet a friendly face. "Hi, it’s been a while. Looks like you’re in good health!"

[User] The instant the sunny greeting escaped her lips, she kicked Subaru straight in the stomach, sending him crumbling to his knees.

[Assistant] Violence out of the blue. Subaru groaned, forcing himself up with one leg.

[User] "Looks like your belly’s all healed up, but you’ve got a whole bunch of new scars in other places. You okay there?"

[Assistant] "If you’re worried, take it easy on me, damn it…! What’s with the hard smack instead of a hi? Geez, what if you’d broken something… It’s not like it’s been that long, either."

[User] Though calm and reserved on the surface, Marcus motioned toward the dais, wanting to continue the meeting’s proceedings. "Lady Felt, if you are finished greeting your old friend, could you please come this way?"

[Assistant] Felt scowled at the solemn look on his face, glowering as she stepped forward. "So what do you want me to do here?"

[User] "‘Act more like a lady,’ I would like to say, but instead, I would have you hold this."

[Assistant] Felt scowled at Reinhard’s joke.

[User] Reinhard took a dragon emblem out of his pocket and deposited it in her palm. The gemstone immediately emitted a white light.

[Assistant] "I thought this back when I stole one of these, too, but these are strange rocks."


[User] "Why do they glow?” Felt had blithely said something very dangerous.

[Assistant] Marcus seemed to notice her careless statement. “Stealing?”

[User] “As you can see, the Dragon Jewel acknowledges Lady Felt as a maiden. Now that her participation has been confirmed, I believe that this royal selection now begins in a true sense.”

[Assistant] Marcus put a hand to his chest and knelt down on one knee.

[User] Reinhard followed suit, then all the Knights of the Royal Guard.

[Assistant] The knights reported their mission was a success. Thanks to their efforts, five Dragon Maidens had been found—in other words, the candidates for the next queen of Lugunica had been assembled.

[User] “I see. Thus, this day will go down in history.”

[Assistant] Subaru watched—and noticed that, for their part, the government officials appeared troubled, with bewilderment and astonishment plain in their expressions.

[User] “Pardon me, if I may?” He was a middle-aged man with a stoop and unhealthy-looking bags under his eyes. He stroked his thick beard as an apparent nervous tic. “I have no words sufficient to thank the knights of the kingdom, and the Knights of the Royal Guard in particular, for everything related to this royal selection ceremony. Without their assistance, it surely would not have been possible to arrange this in such a short time.”

[Assistant] “You are too kind.”

[User] “However, and it brings me no joy to say this, even though we are following the Dragon Tablet, are there not various…issues, with those selected?”

[Assistant] “You are saying what, exactly?”

[User] “I am wondering if we have been too focused on those qualified to be Dragon Maidens, and not enough on those qualified to wear the very crown of the kingdom without becoming an object of ridicule?”

[Assistant] “Hear, hear!” said a few other civil officials in a display of support.

[User] “The Covenant with the Dragon is the gravest matter. Lugunica has come this far as the Dragonfriend Kingdom and cannot survive as a nation without the Covenant. But valuing the Covenant so much more than the people will sow the seeds of future discord.”

[Assistant] “In other words, the Dragon Maidens that we knights spilled our blood to search for would not make kings worthy of our fealty?”

[User] “Th-that is not how I would put it, but essentially, yes.” The man broke out in a cold sweat at Marcus’ frank summation, and after a moment he acknowledged the true meaning of his oblique comments.

[Assistant] Subaru, standing with the knights, felt the hot anger all around him on his skin.


[User] “Smells like something’s burning in here…” He remarked.

[Assistant] "Well, it sure sounded like he was insulting the knights. I don’t mind, but what do you two think?” Al cheerfully spoke to two other people in the same row.

[User] “Your dear Ferri doesn’t really mind, meow? I mean, whatever Beardy says, Ferri’s fealty is already to one person alone, you see.” Ferris turned his head toward Al and Subaru.

[Assistant] “I will not go quite as far as Ferris, but I feel the same. I have already pledged my blade. One day, they will offer their fealty to another. I do not intend to be so narrow-minded that my heart should be disturbed prior to that day.” Julius turned his head toward Al and Subaru.

[User] “Ha, that’s mighty fine of you. Of course, it’s the same with me where Princess is concerned.”

[Assistant] The two others could only make wry smiles at that.

[User] Subaru felt a strange feeling of unease as the back and forth in the throne room intensified.


[Assistant] “One must be both maiden and king. Perhaps they are not sufficiently aware that they must wear the crown?”

[User] “No matter how dressed up they are, their demeanor exposes their true natures.”

[Assistant] “They are not refined enough. Their education is lacking. How can they be monarchs like this?”

[User] “Surely it is not a proooblem. I would think such a bounty of personaaality will make for a highly amuuusing royal selection.” A familiar voice interrupted the civil officials.

[Assistant] “You be quiet!”

[User] Subaru looked at Emilia and the others.

[Assistant] “—Silence.” Miklotov's single word quieted the throne room. He narrowed his eyes as he regarded Felt. After keeping his silence for a time, the old man let out his breath.

[User] “Mmmm. That was somewhat irreverent behavior, so I do understand Mr. Rickert’s view. In that light, I believe everyone should hear a brief summation of the candidate’s personal history.”

[Assistant] “…Indeed.” A bald, stern-faced old man seconded Miklotov’s opinion.


[User] “We can decide whether she is suitable or not from that.” Seeing the rest of the Council of Elders nod.

[Assistant] Rickert, apparently named so, took a step back.

[User] “Sir Reinhard. We would first hear the highlights of what you know.”

[Assistant] After he was called, Reinhard bent down on one knee in a show of the utmost respect.

[User] Subaru wasn’t even involved, but a cold sweat broke out over him nonetheless.

[Assistant] “Until approximately one month ago, Lady Felt was living in a corner of the Lower Quarter of the royal capital—also known as ‘the slums.’ An occasion arose where she had an opportunity to touch a Dragon Jewel. Having judged that she was qualified to be a Dragon Maiden, I brought her with me as a matter of course.” Assuaging Subaru’s concerns, Reinhard made his report while deftly dancing around the problematic parts.

[User] “A waif from the slums… Sir Reinhard, are you insane? !” Rickert exploded.

[Assistant] “You bring a vagrant from the streets to a ceremony to select the monarch who must shoulder the future of Lugunica?! Just what do you think the royal throne is? !”

[User] Reinhard had done as asked, expressing utmost courtesy to those on the platform. His gallant profile did not reveal the slightest hint of negativity.

[Assistant] Rickert directed his words at Miklotov next. “Someone should be selected who is suitable for the crown. We cannot simply lay our hands on whoever happens to walk be—” As Rickert eloquently attempted to sway Miklotov, a familiar voice dashed cold water over his efforts.

[User] “Mr. Rickert, you are sliiightly too heated over this matter, are you nooot?”

[Assistant] “Nonsense, Roswaal. Nor do I approve of your conduct. Not only I, but all of the officials. Until now we have overlooked this because we are in a time of crisis, but I shall still my tongue no longer. Not about the House of Astrea hauling a waif into these halls, nor you, the fool nominating a half-demon to be monarch…!”

[User] “—Mr. Rickert. I would suggest you amend your comments.” The frigid words reverberated throughout the chamber.

[Assistant] Rickert’s face, red from indignation, paled.

[User] “It is poor manners to address a half-elf as a ‘half-demon.’ Furthermore, Lady Emilia remains a royal candidate… Do you understand which of us should remember his place?” Roswaal’s tone of voice was unchanged from the norm, but the power behind it made Rickert avert his gaze.

[Assistant] He shook his head, as if to conceal his intimidation, and dramatically motioned to the dais. “A-and what of it? I do not believe my claim to be in error. Qualified as Dragon Maiden does not mean qualified to be king. Lord Miklotov! Please reconsider!"


[User] "—Sir Reinhard." The sage addressed not Rickert, attempting to sway his view, but the red-haired knight.

[Assistant] “Is this girl…?”

[User] “I cannot be absolutely certain, for the means to prove with certainty no longer exist.—However, I must resist the urge to call this coincidence happenstance.”

[Assistant] “What would you call it, then?”

[User] “—I would call it fate.”

[Assistant] At Reinhard’s reply, Miklotov closed his eyes as if that statement held some special meaning.

[User] Surrounded by such confusion, Miklotov put a hand to his forehead, as if lamenting the situation, and looked across the other old men. "Have you not noticed? Take another good look at Lady Felt.—If you cannot tell even then, I must question your fidelity to your own kingdom.”

[Assistant] In response to Miklotov’s challenge, the occupants of the chamber held their breaths and gazed at Felt.

[User] Felt, at the eye of a storm of unrestrained stares, scowled openly.

[Assistant] “Looking at her, of course one can tell…she is still very young, and there are far too many things she would have to learn before setting foot near a thro—!” Suddenly, his face stiffened as if he’d realized something, his eyes opening wide in shock.

[User] “B-blond hair and crimson eyes—? !”

[Assistant] Once Rickert said it, the other officials were struck with similar force like a row of dominos.

[User] “—Mr. Rickert, are you aware of a certain incident in the palace some fourteen years ago?”

[Assistant] The words from Reinhard’s lips struck Rickert with even greater force.

[User] “Sir Reinhard… Surely, you are not saying that…”

[Assistant] “Fourteen years ago, thieves infiltrated the castle and abducted the daughter of the late second prince, Lord Fold. The thieves were permitted to escape, and the daughter was never found.”

[User] This was the kind of national failure that was never leaked to outsiders.

[Assistant] “As the matter was not written upon the Dragon Tablet, the thieves were easily permitted to infiltrate the royal palace at the time. Since there were a number of other urgent matters, an all-out search for the daughter was not conducted.”

[User] “Mmmm. That incident was the trigger for the dissolution and reconstitution of the Knights of the Royal Guard.


[User] "Your kinsmen were not uninvolved in this matter, I believe?”

[Assistant] “Thus, I have information that would otherwise be unknown to me. And based upon this…” Miklotov replied to Reinhard’s minimalist reply with a nod of his own.

[User] “That is an extreme—no, an irrational position! Are we to believe a daughter of the royal household vanished without a trace fourteen years ago, came to live in the slums, and now you incidentally discovered her with the royal selection nearing?! And furthermore, you just so happened to find out that she is qualified as a Dragon Maiden? !” Even after the barrage of information Rickert was still standing.

[Assistant] “This is absurd!” he laughed. “This is all too contrived. You could easily have found a girl with maiden qualifications and dyed her hair and used magic to alter the color of her eyes.—Surely you have not engaged in such shameful behavior?”

[User] “I swear it upon my sword.” Reinhard laid the sword at his hip upon the floor, offering it in a show of the highest respect.

[Assistant] “…With all of the royal family already lost, no means exist to confirm whether she has royal blood or not. I do not think anyone will bow their heads based on mere supposition about her identity.” Rickert, seeing the knight among knights displaying such deference, sank into a heavy slouch.

[User] “That is natural. However, I am certain that Lady Felt is worthy of throne…even without a claim by blood.”

[Assistant] “It seems that the Sword Saint of our age is rather invested in her.” Reinhard’s unshaken reply drew a resigned sigh from Rickert.

[User] “Setting aside your maiden qualifications, you hail from the slums.—And it is possible you possess the royal bloodline, presumed lost. I cannot even begin to fathom the distress this must bring you. Are you determined to see this through?” Once more, he turned his gaze to Felt, the subject of the matter at hand.

[Assistant] “Huh? What are you talking about, old guy? I never said one word about being king.” But Felt flatly denied her qualification, completely ignoring the flow of the conversation to that point.

[User] “I got dragged here out from the slums against my will,” she continued. “I told him to take me back and he wouldn’t, and he hid my old clothes so I had to wear this stupid thing. I am way past ticked! I’m annoyed a million times over! No, I don’t accept this!” Felt’s rage-filled rant brought another awkward silence over the hall.

[Assistant] Even Subaru, famously unable to read the mood, could tell that things were going south.


[User] "—How long are you going to entertain this boring, pointless discussion?" Her arms crossed with a bored expression, Priscilla spat out. As all eyes fell upon the girl, her full bosom shook above her folded arms. "Even if it is in name only, five have been assembled so the process can commence. All we need do is begin, and the unworthy will be culled in due course. After all, I shall be the last one standing. Whether the excess baggage is qualified to be king or not is completely beside the point."

[Assistant] "Ahh…?" Felt leaped down from the dais and glared at Priscilla head-on. "I was thinking earlier you were a good-looking chick, but I guess it’s a flower bed inside your head, too, huh? If you wanna pick a fight, I’m game. Everyone knows with me you get more than you bargained for.”

[User] "Such arrogance. Do you know who I am…?"

[Assistant] "Ha, like I’d know…!" Felt brushed off Priscilla’s statement with a loud laugh.

[User] Priscilla’s eyes cruelly narrowed.

[Assistant] "Princess, this is—" Al shouted from beside Subaru.

[User] "—Pardon me, Lady Priscilla." Reinhard moved directly in front of her in a split second and spoke in a quiet voice.


[Assistant] Emilia’s violet eyes filled with anger as she chewed Priscilla out, holding Felt close to protect her. "Such hostility in an important place like this… What are you thinking?!"

[User] "I am merely teaching an untrained bitch her proper place. After all, impoliteness toward me can only be repaid with one’s life." Priscilla waved off the nuisance with a hand, numb to any pangs of guilt.

[Assistant] "Won’t you say you’re sorry? Or do you actually not realize you’ve done something wrong?"

[User] "Ahh, this is most amusing. I have rarely been so entertained. You may take that as a compliment." She glanced at Emilia with barely constrained laughter.

[Assistant] "What a disagreeable child you are. What are you talking a—"

[User] "One should apologize for doing something wrong, you say? If that is the case, why do you not apologize, silver-haired half-elf? In your case, ‘I’m sorry I was ever born.’"

[Assistant] "I-I have…no relationship to the Witch…" Her shoulders shuddered, and her fearlessness faded from her eyes, replaced by acute pain.

[User] "Does such an excuse mean anything to anyone?


[User] "You are the spitting image of the being that is taboo to the world. The very sight of you fills people with fear and makes their hearts tremble. Is that not why you cover yourself and obscure your appearance?"

[Assistant] Assaulted on all sides by Priscilla’s acrimonious words, Emilia silently bowed her pale face.

[User] Even Subaru understood Priscilla’s meaning. He understood it, but he could not accept it, for it unjustly brought pain to Emilia for reasons that had nothing to do with her whatsoever. He couldn’t take it anymore. Yet, once again, Subaru had to wait to act.

[Assistant] Al, his face unreadable under his helm, offered a frank critique of Priscilla’s despotism. "Princess, can we leave it at that? Adding more enemies here seriously puts us in a bind, especially if one of ’em’s the Sword Saint. How ’bout you just apologize?"

[User] "My vassal should not make such a pathetic display. And what of the Sword Saint? Merely the supposed mightiest in the land. Do something."

[Assistant] "I wouldn’t last one minute…" Al had calmly assessed the tale of the tape, raising the white flag in short order.

[User] Her demeanor brought exasperation to Priscilla’s face, and all the malice and enmity to that point seemed to dissipate.

[Assistant] No one in the room, Subaru included, could conceal their shock at Al’s skillful handling of such a ferocious beast. But at the very least, the immediate threat of an explosive situation had been defused. With that matter settled, the chamber settled into silence once more.


[User] Abruptly, a high-pitched ring echoed throughout—the sound of a coin being tossed into a bowl. Miklotov thus gathered the group’s attention. "—Is everyone satisfied? It would seem that both Lady Felt and Lady Emilia have calmed sufficiently…"

[Assistant] "Y-yes… I’m all right. It would seem she is also…"

[User] "Let me go, already! It’s not like I even did anything!"

[Assistant] In response to Felt’s outburst, Emilia hastily nodded and let her go.

[User] "I was fine, so you didn’t need to do nothin’!" she fumed. "Do I look like some weak little kid to you? !"

[Assistant] “…Yes, it was unnecessary. I am sorry."

[User] "—I’m not thanking you." Felt scowled.

[Assistant] Noticing her attitude, Reinhard politely nodded to Emilia before returning to the knights, leaving Emilia and Felt to uncomfortably line up with the other candidates.

[User] Only Priscilla seemed unchanged, wearing the same bored look she had begun with. She didn’t look like she was reflecting on the error of her ways in the slightest. Either way, Miklotov, seeing that the dispute had been settled, announced anew.

[Assistant] "Then, let us proceed with our agenda—the dispute over the royal succession. The Council of Elders hereby proposes a meeting between all the candidates for the royal selection." 2 Miklotov’s most solemn announcement brought tension to the chamber again. Spontaneously, even the candidates stood a little straighter; the faces of the spectators no longer looked relaxed.


[User] Miklotov scanned the expressions of the other members of the Council of Elders, seeking confirmation with his announcement of the formal start of the meeting.

[Assistant] “I thank you for your approval. Let us begin the debate. Though the subject under discussion is who shall be king…the issue is the method of selection. We have assembled candidates via the Dragon Jewels, but the method of selection is not set in stone. To determine this, I thought it best to first ask how far the candidates are willing to go.” The members of the Council of Elders nodded alongside Miklotov’s words.

[User] Seeing that there were no objections, Miklotov looked toward Marcus, standing at the ready on a corner of the dais.

[Assistant] The knight stepped forward once more, bowing deeply as a proxy for everyone in the hall. “Then, if I may be so bold, I shall continue. I believe each candidate present has a case to make. I would have all in the chamber hear these arguments. First, let us please begin with Lady Crusch.—Sir Felix Argyle!”

[User] Crusch calmly nodded at Marcus’s words. “Mm.”

[Assistant] Ferris casually raised a hand. “Yes, sir!” As Ferris jogged ahead to join Crusch’s side, she looked up at Marcus along the way, pushing up her cheeks with her index fingers. “Captain, Ferri keeps telling mew, it’s Ferris, not Felix. It hurts Ferri’s feewings.”

[User] Marcus’s chin shot up immediately. “I have no intention of granting special treatment to any subordinates, including you. Present yourself.”

[Assistant] Ferris stuck her tongue out in dissatisfaction as she stood by her master’s—Crusch’s—side.

[User] “Crusch Karsten, royal candidate and head of the House of Karsten.”

[Assistant] “Ferris of the House of Karsten, Lady Crusch’s knight.”

[User] Marcus amended her self-introduction. “Sir Felix Argyle.”

[Assistant] The scowl on Ferris’s face was quite blatant.

[User] “Huh, so her real name is Felix? That’s a very guy-ish name there.”

[Assistant] “Subaru, haven’t you heard?”

[User] “Heard what?”

[Assistant] “Ferris doesn’t just have a man’s name. He is very much a male.”

[User] He folded his arms, inclined his head, closed his eyes, and earnestly mulled over the meaning of those words. "What…did you say…just now?”

[Assistant] “Ferris doesn’t just have a man’s name. He is very much a male.”

[User] The instant his mind processed the information, Subaru’s yell echoed throughout the hall. “Whaaaaaaaa—? !”

[Assistant] “That’s a guy?! Or is the knight among knights just really bad at jokes?


[User] "This isn’t funny!” He wailed as he looked Ferris over from top to bottom.

[Assistant] Crusch, having maintained her silence on the matter until then, affirmed that the cause of his shock was the truth. “Ah, it is your first time seeing him? I can firmly declare that my knight, Ferris, is a man.”

[User] “A-anyone can say anything… I need proof. Yeah, I won’t believe without proof!”

[Assistant] “When I was young, Ferris and I bathed together, and he certainly had a male organ between his…”

[User] “I’m very sorry!! I don’t want to make a pretty girl speak of male organs! My mistake! !” And thus, Subaru surrendered in spectacular fashion. He glared at Ferris, now standing at Crusch’s side. “This is your fault, too, damn it! You led me on! A guy under those cat ears, ugh! Just remembering that nibble is making me shudder!”


[User] Subaru learned of how the tale had proceeded in his absence thanks to Reinhard and Ferris, who had shown up together in the castle’s waiting room.

[Assistant] "And so the meowgnificent royal selection began."

[User] "Subawu, you’re going to serve as Lady Emilia’s knight, huh? Good luck to both of us." Ferris wrapped up his summary, but the sarcastic twist of the knife at the end was very sharp indeed.

[Assistant] But Subaru had no time to pay the jab any heed.

[User] Seeing how Subaru was too timid to properly ask, Reinhard answered his unspoken question. "—The old man is unharmed. His safe release has been secured through Lady Felt’s kindness.”

[User] “I didn’t think he’d come in through the same corridor without you seeing his face, and I knew you two know each other. It was easy to guess why you were anxious.” When Subaru lifted a finger, Reinhard moved quickly to assuage his concerns.

[Assistant] “That’s wonderful. You should thank Reinhard and Lady Felt because it’s all thanks to them. Now you don’t need to make any excuses at all, Subawu!”

[User] “—” An icy shudder ran up Subaru’s spine. He looked up and turned to face Ferris.

[Assistant] His amber eyes glittered like they could see right through Subaru, all the way into his soul.

[User] So Subaru forced his stiff face into motion to cover it up.

[Assistant] "Y-yeah… I’m so glad! Totally like I figured! It really was a good idea to leave it all to Emilia-tan and Felt—better than anything I could’ve done… Right? That’s right, isn’t it?” Subaru spread his arms wide as he gave both a dose of deliberate, exaggerated, clownish behavior, his next words even hastier and more flippant.

[User] “But man, Felt really set her heart on winning the royal selection ’cause of me, and that means one more strong rival for the throne. Emilia-tan might give me a real scolding for this one.”

[Assistant] In different ways, the expressions on Reinhard’s and Ferris’s faces changed in response to Subaru’s sudden shift, but in the end, they chose not to press the point.

[User] Both knights were showing him pity.

[Assistant] Subaru, painfully aware of the fact, ignored his crippled heart’s pleas.


[User] “So now that the talk is all over, where is Emilia-tan and everybody?”

[Assistant] “The candidates remained in the chamber to discuss the fine details of the royal selection process. During that time, I said I would go to check on you, and Ferris came with me.”

[User] Reinhard’s actions made sense, but he couldn’t stop wondering why Ferris was showing his face, too.

[Assistant] “Thanks for checking up on me, but is this all right, not being by your master’s side?” Subaru asked the latter.

[User] “It’s totally fine. Lady Crusch is much stronger than Ferri, so it’s perfectly safe!”

[Assistant] “Just laying that out there like that… How’s a slacker like you in the Knights of the Royal Guard, anyway?”

[User] Ferris gave Subaru a sidelong glance and wagged a finger at him. His fingertip glowed with a blue light. “Mew know why. Ferri’s got a special talent that’s in high demand.”

[Assistant] “Uh… Why do I feel lighter, like my shoulders, knees, and hips aren’t working as hard anymore…?”

[User] “Subawu, your body’s aching all over like an old man.”

[Assistant] “That’s your selling point, eh…? Right, I heard you’re a really good water mana user.”

[User] Reinhard replied to Subaru’s comment, saying, “The words really good do not suffice, Subaru. It is fairer to call Ferris the greatest master of water-type magic on the continent. It is not for nothing that he bears the title of ‘Blue,’ standing at the pinnacle of those who share his magical affinity despite his young age.”

[Assistant] Reinhard’s praise prompted Ferris to push his chest out, displaying not the slightest shred of modesty. “Meow, the title came from all Ferri’s fans.”

[User] Subaru’s tone was heavy and pained as he arrived at the answer he’d expected. “—So Emilia-tan really did…”

[Assistant] “So Lady Emilia indeed organized it,” Reinhard concluded.

[User] He asked. "Hey, why do I have to accept the treatment no matter what?”

[Assistant] “Because she already paid. If Ferri doesn’t heal you, Subaru, it’ll mean Lady Emeowlia went through aaaaall that effort for nothing.”

[User] “What’s this payment? If it’s just some object, you can hand it back, ri—”

[Assistant] “It’s not an object, and once you know it you can’t give it back."


[User] "So Ferri has to say no to your request, Subawu."

[Assistant] Shot down at point-blank range, Subaru could only put a hand to his forehead and cradle his head. Even though Subaru didn’t want to be a liability, it seemed that was all he had been to Emilia. He wanted to help her. That was Subaru’s whole reason for being there. It was the one and only reason that gave his existence there any meaning.

[User] A tranquil voice echoed through the waiting room. The speaker was neither Reinhard nor Ferris, but a man with refined features leaning against the open door—Julius. “—If you curse your own lack of strength so much, I believe you have one choice you can make.”

[Assistant] Subaru’s face shot up like it had been slapped. “What? Oh, it’s you.” Subaru scowled with resentment.

[User] Julius received his gaze with a calm, composed look. “I would rather you did not make such a disagreeable expression. I did not expect a warm welcome, but letting your emotions get the better of you…”

[Assistant] “The better of me… So what?”

[User] “…It brings the character of those who stand with you into question. Strive to remember this.”

[Assistant] “Ugh…!” Subaru’s throat constricted with anger. It wasn’t the words themselves, but the sensitive places they jabbed. He maintained his silence as Julius strode past him toward an open window. “Now, I suppose you wanted to ask me what I am doing here?” The knight turned his back, surveying the grounds beyond the palace, narrowing his eyes as a breeze blew. “Naturally, I came to see you. I would like you to accompany me for a brief time.” How about it? Julius asked with a wave of his hand. The man’s sharp gaze even then implied this was not some friendly suggestion.

[User] “Just so you know, I’d never say yes to something like that, not knowing the place or what it’s for, even on one hour’s sleep.”

[Assistant] “The place is the parade square. The objective… Yes.” In response to Subaru’s seemingly casual but extremely biting words, Julius looked down in apparent thought. Then, with an arrogant smile, he spoke with as much venom as Subaru had. “How about…teaching you a lesson or two about reality?”


[User] Some ten minutes after that precariously sarcastic exchange, Subaru was standing atop tightly packed, sandy soil. They’d moved from the waiting room of the castle to the knights’ garrison adjacent to the castle. The tamped-down reddish training ground was ringed by stout walls that gave off a strong sense of the place’s history. The area was perhaps half the size of a high school campus, providing plenty of space for running around and crossing swords. Subaru tested his footing, then casually began stretching.

[Assistant] Reinhard, standing at the entrance of the parade grounds, tried to get Julius to relent. “Julius, you should stop this. It isn’t like you.” The expression on his face was not one of haste or anger, but pure concern for Subaru’s well-being.


[User] “I accept it was a petty thing for him to say, but it was nothing that couldn’t be settled by a retraction. Normally, you would judge as much yourself, no?”

[Assistant] “That is precisely so, my good Reinhard. Normally, I would.” Julius was removing the ceremonial decorations from his Knights of the Royal Guard uniform one by one as he looked back at Reinhard, his eyes betraying no emotion.

[User] “Had it not been this day, and had I met him in a different place, I might have simply let him be. However, it was not meant to be. My good name was sullied before those connected to the throne, and he spoke lightly of chivalry itself. Furthermore, he has not only failed to apologize but has heaped on additional insults.”

[Assistant] Just like that, the faint murmurs that had filled the parade square fell silent.

[User] “—I shall now chastise the base ruffian who has besmirched my knightly honor! Any objections? !”

[Assistant] “—! !” Abruptly, a wordless typhoon roared through the air over the training grounds. The gathered knights and guardsmen shouted, their voices creating the gale.

[User] No doubt they saw things very simply: Julius was their representative against Subaru, the man who had disrespected them all. Never in his life had Subaru stood before so many people directing such hostile emotions at him.

[Assistant] “Odds are about seven hundred to zero with no one betting on me. I’m so unpopular, I could cry…”

[User] Truthfully, it chilled him to the bone; his body was filled with an overwhelming urge to fall to his knees. Yet, his heart was calm, and though his limbs felt heavy, they did not shake. It was not that he had resigned himself to his fate. Subaru really didn’t understand the mental state he was in when Julius spoke up again.

[Assistant] “Now then, before we begin, I shall ask once more: Do you intend to apologize for your earlier impropriety and ask for forgiveness? If you make a full apology for your repeated transgressions here and now, I shall pardon you.”

[User] “Repeated transgressions, huh. I can’t think of any… And apologize how?”

[Assistant] “Put your forehead to the ground with tears in your eyes. Or, if you find it more fitting, roll onto the ground and show me your belly to curry favor like the good lapdog you are.”

[User] “Neither choice is very elegant, so if you don’t mind, I’ll pass on both.”

[Assistant] No doubt he’d never expected Subaru to accept.

[User] “I see,” Julius murmured to himself curtly as he finally handed his knight’s sword to one of his fellows standing beside him. He accepted a pair of wooden swords in its place. “Properly speaking, it would not be strange for a man to cut you down for your foul tongue. However, you are Lady Emilia’s vassal, whether she desires it or not. Accordingly, I shall face you using these wooden wasters.” Any objections? asked Julius’s eyes.


[User] Subaru answered with a curt wave of his hand, signaling there was no problem.

[Assistant] Concluding that his opponent had accepted from his gestures and expression, Julius nodded. “The referee shall be—Ferris.” Julius glanced sideways at him, while Ferris casually lifted up his palm and waved back.

[User] “Sure, suuure.” He’d easily accepted the role of referee. There was no way to know what he thought on the inside. Unlike Reinhard’s hope to put a stop to this, Ferris seemed all too eager to get things under way. “Have at it, you two. No matter what horrible wounds you suffer, Ferri can patch you up as long as you don’t actually die, Subawu, so good luck!”

[Assistant] “Why say that to just me? Worry about the other guy, geez.”

[User] “Meow, what strong resolve! Hear that, everyone? All right, one, mew, three!” Turning to the onlookers, Ferris raised both hands high and brought them down. At his signal, the parade square erupted in uproarious laughter, pouring scorn on Subaru’s reckless words.

[Assistant] Bathed in laughter, Subaru stepped forward and turned to face Julius.

[User] When Julius offered him one of the practice weapons, he gripped the hilt firmly, as if he was used to it. Similarly, Julius gripped the other waster and announced the start of the mock duel. “At least you are enthusiastic. Shall we begin?”

[Assistant] Subaru, his skin crackling with the electric energy of the audience, poised the wooden sword and pulled back, then twirled the waster in his hand around as he complained, “Ah, time-out. The feel of this doesn’t seem right.”

[User] “Is that so? I do not think they differ much, but you may use this one if you prefer?”

[Assistant] “Sorry, sorry. I’m a child of the modern era, so I don’t wanna use something that doesn’t feel right.” As he spoke, he accepted the wooden sword Julius offered with one hand. In its place, he offered Julius the sword handed to him just earlier— “Oops.”

[Assistant] Subaru’s hand let the wooden sword go a moment before Julius’s fingers could take it. Naturally, gravity caused the waster to fall. Julius instantly bent forward as his hand chased after it. The knight, his body curved forward, had lost his height advantage over Subaru. “…Hmph.” Subaru stepped forward and flipped the waster in his hand from down to up, aiming squarely at the tip of Julius’s chin. Simultaneously, his left hand thrust straight forward, tossing the sand he’d covertly picked up during his warm-up exercises toward Julius’s eyes—a classic blinding, two-step surprise attack.

[User] —Got him now, thought Subaru, smiling with malicious satisfaction at his little trick. The next moment, he heard a voice right against his ear.

[Assistant] “It seems that you truly have no shame—It must make the vulgarity easy to come by.” Simultaneously, a blow struck Subaru. He felt a sharp, hard jab right to the solar plexus. The shock to his torso shuddered through the rest of his body.


[User] He felt weightless; just after his feet left the ground, his face slammed hard into the earth. Sandy dirt smeared his face, mixed with vomit forced out by the blow to his solar plexus. Pain and heat struck his brain with equal force. The next moment, the parade square erupted in boisterous cheers at how Subaru, the fool who did not know his place, received what he deserved. The boy curled into himself on the ground as the pain caught up, screaming into the sky above the parade square.

[Assistant] “Reporting. Currently, Sir Julius and…Lady Emilia’s vassal, Sir Subaru Natsuki, are engaged in mock combat with wasters in the parade square.”

[User] “…Eh?” Upon hearing the guard’s report, Emilia’s thoughts slipped out in a breathless whisper.

[Assistant] Stay calm, stay composed, the voice inside her kept saying. She didn’t know what it meant. "Wh-why would they be doing such a…?! The parade ground, you mean the knights’ building next to the royal palace, right? Julius and Subaru are…brawling there?” Emilia could not conceal her bewilderment.

[User] “Pardon me, but it is a mock combat. It is no brawl arising out of a personal grudge, but a matter of Sir Julius’s honor.”

[Assistant] “Anyway, I need to stop this immediately. Lead me to this parade square…” Emilia was about to rush off to the square to talk some sense into them

[User] “Ah, I think you oughta let them be.” Anastasia raised a hand, gathering attention on her.

[Assistant] “I want to make sure of somethin’. Who proposed this mock combat?”

[User] “I understand that Sir Julius did. However, because Sir Subaru Natsuki accepted, we are in the present situation—”

[Assistant] “Ahh, that’s fine, that’s fine. I just needed to know it was Julius’s idea—Since Julius started it, I’m against stopping it.”

[User] “Your knight and my…my friend, are clashing. Aren’t you worried?”

[Assistant] “Worried? About what? That Julius might go too far and make me pay to heal your boy?” Anastasia tilted her head a little as she replied, looking mystified.

[User] "Certainly. From what I saw, he is an incorrigible fool.


[User] “I imagine he is having his face rubbed into the dirt for a second time today out of excessive stubbornness.”

[Assistant] “Perhaps. Back in the hall, he had some nerve. Makes you wanna look up to him—since someone probably threw him across the room.” The ill-natured smiles the two were trading left Emilia unable to believe her eyes, her voice quivering.

[User] “D-don’t you have anything else to say…?”

[Assistant] “If Emilia’s vassal had requested a duel, I would agree that it is correct to stop them. However, since it is Sir Julius who requested it, and Emilia’s vassal who accepted, I believe stopping them is a mistake.” Crusch broke her silence and announced her own opposition to Emilia’s view.

[User] “Why? I mean, Subaru isn’t my…”

[Assistant] “If you do not understand, no explanation shall suffice. Besides, though his temper was quick, this is a necessary thing.” Crusch cut Emilia off with a strong tone that did not allow further discussion. Crusch, too, had taken a hard stance that Emilia should not get involved.

[User] “So why did that guard come to tell us about this, anyway? I mean, it’s one thing if you’re gonna report before they start, but why get all weak-kneed in the middle of it? Just wait for them to finish fighting and tell us what happened after.” The stalled conversation brought a sour expression to Felt’s face before she raised her voice in annoyance.

[Assistant] “Report.” Felt’s question, posed with arms crossed and a bad attitude, made the soldier’s face visibly blanch. Marcus, sensing from his demeanor that something was amiss, stepped in front of his subordinate and broke his silence.

[User] “S-sir! I have come to request orders because…the mock duel between Sir Julius and Sir Subaru Natsuki is excessively one-sided!”

[Assistant] “…What do you mean, one-sided?”

[User] “Sir Julius is surely holding back…but it does not appear that way.” The guard seemed distressed, as if he’d seen such a miserable sight that he couldn’t bring himself to look in Emilia’s direction. That announced to all present just what a terrible spectacle was occurring.

[Assistant] “I have to stop them…!” That news was the last straw for Emilia, who threw her indecision to the wind and rushed out of the room. She ran down the corridor toward the knights’ garrison and the parade square within.


[User] “So, how ’bout we follow the lady and take a look, too?” Once Emilia left, the room seemed on the brink of an uproar when Al raised his hand and suggested. He motioned toward the open door and shrugged his shoulder to Priscilla, standing beside him.

[Assistant] “You like this sort of thing, right, Princess? Watching a ferocious beast toy with a weak critter.”

[User] “Do not cast aspersions upon me with your petty delusions, Al. Well, I do enjoy it… Very well. I wanted a break from this dreadfully long-winded talk, anyway.” Priscilla lightly turned her back away from him as her charming laughter shook her bountiful breasts.


[User] "Looking down upon a variety of fools and laughing at them is good for the soul.” Priscilla thrust the tip of her fan toward the haggard guard.

[Assistant] “Lead us to this parade square—I command it.”


[User] Blood from Subaru’s head wounds seeped into his eyes. He raggedly wiped at them to clear his red-tinged vision. He’d already lost count of how many times he’d been knocked to the ground. His left eye was already swollen shut; he tasted too much blood to tell if it was just his lip, or if the inside of his mouth was cut, too. He didn’t really feel the pain. He wasn’t sure if the aching had become so great that he had grown numb or if it was the adrenaline soaking his brain. It was probably a number of things. But what was driving the pain from Subaru’s mind was pure anger.

[Assistant] “How about you finally acknowledge your own limitations?” His handsome face was still untouched by a single speck of dust or a single drop of sweat as he calmly swayed the tip of the frayed wooden sword he had used to beat Subaru to a pulp.

[User] “Surely by now you are painfully aware of the difference between us, and how grievously you insulted me by treating the word knight with such casual contempt?”

[Assistant] “I believe going any further may put your life in jeopardy.”

[User] “…Like this much is gonna kill someone. Don’t talk about it like you know.”

[Assistant] “You sound as if you have prior experience.”

[User] “I know more about it than any man in this world.” Shaking his cut, throbbing head, Subaru sluggishly lifted up his weapon, raising his voice as well. The instant he brought Julius into range, the tip of his wooden sword cried out as he raised it for a swing—

[Assistant] “There is no beauty in you.” A moment before Subaru was about to unleash a downward strike, a blow struck his right wrist—his sword hand. The sharp smack sent his wooden sword flying, and Subaru’s eyes instinctively followed it.


[User] The next moment, he was bowled over by another blow to the solar plexus. His breath caught, and, unable to break the fall whatsoever, Subaru rolled onto the ground, the earth and sky trading places about five times before he ended up flat on his back, arms and legs spread wide. Subaru literally coughed up blood.

[Assistant] The knights and guards were still gathered to watch Subaru’s public whipping at Julius’s hands. But there were no cheers any longer.

[User] Subaru was the villain who had belittled the very nature of knights at the royal selection that would determine the kingdom’s future. And so, Julius rose to represent the Knights of the Royal Guard and rebuke him, making him taste pain until he apologized—That was the scene they had come expecting to see.

[Assistant] Indeed, when it had begun, they cheered heartily in delight, or laughed in mockery at Subaru’s pathetic display, unreservedly supporting their comrade, Julius. What had changed was that everyone now understood this was a beating, and nothing more.

[User] There was a vast, yawning chasm in ability between Julius and Subaru. Unskilled in attack and wide-open in defense, the boy was knocked down over and over.

[Assistant] At first, derisive laughter rang out each time he went down. The exasperated sighs began when the number exceeded ten. By the time people had lost count, everyone wanted to avert their eyes.

[User] Just end it already, they thought. Anyone could see who had won and who had lost. They had learned all over again that knights were superior. Beyond that, this was a meaningless dispute. But Julius continued to beat Subaru and showed absolutely no sign of relenting.

[Assistant] As referee, Ferris had the authority to stop the fight at any time, but made no sign of stopping, regardless of how hurt or injured Subaru became. And Subaru himself betrayed the knights’ hopes, standing up again.

[User] Everyone understood. This no longer held any meaning, any significance. It was nothing more than a pathetic display of senseless stubbornness. Therefore, in the end, it was the least they could do to watch Subaru be bullheaded to the bitter end. They did not leave, because those who watched the spectacle unfold had become part of it, and shared responsibility for it.

[Assistant] Subaru’s quivering upper body sat up before the eyes of the knightly onlookers. He picked up the waster that had fallen beside him, using it as a crutch to prop himself up. He coughed violently, spewing a large volume of blood.

[User] The somber sight confirmed everyone’s thoughts. As if by nature, they understood— The next exchange would be the final blow in this pointless dispute.

[Assistant] One more hit and I’m done. Funnily enough, Subaru had managed to reach the same conclusion as the onlookers watching his absurdity. But he no longer cared about what anyone saw. Inside Subaru, there was no one but him and Julius. He wouldn’t get up after the next blow.


[User] “—” His lungs ached simply from breathing. Exhaling made his mouth hurt that much more. Pushing the agony away with his threadbare consciousness, Subaru collected his remaining strength and waited for his chance—hoping Julius would let his guard down for even a moment.

[Assistant] “—!” Julius’s gaze seemed to drift for an instant. In his tattered state, Subaru took his shot.

[User] “—!” He thought he heard something—something in that world without sound, where only he and his target existed.

[Assistant] “—ru!” He heard a voice. Someone’s voice. Someone’s voice in his ears.

[User] “—baru!” The voice became clearer. It began to hold meaning. With every ounce of his being—he shouted.

[Assistant] “—Subaru! !”

[User] “—SHAMAAAAK! !” Betraying the clear-as-a-bell voice in his ears, Subaru chanted the incantation at the top of his lungs. A black cloud erupted, dying the reddish-brown soil of the parade square black, blotting out everything.

[Assistant] Subaru rushed forward, shouting in his guttural voice. In this space where reason held no sway, his brain commanded his arms to swing down. The dark cloud swallowed the limbs stretching in front of him, ignoring all else to do as they were commanded, so that the tip of “something” might reach—

[User] “So this is your secret weapon, then?” Clear as day, Subaru heard the voice in a world that should be soundless. The black cloud brightened—And from within the source of light, a wooden sword cut through the air, mercilessly slamming Subaru’s body down to the ground.

[Assistant] “I did not expect that you would use Dark-type magic. I admit you caught me by surprise.”

[User] Subaru, lying on the ground with his limbs splayed, gazed up at the sky in a daze as he faced reality head on.


[User] "However, your training is deficient. Such low-level magic can only work on someone of lower ability than you, or perhaps an unintelligent beast. Such a plan would not work against a single Knight of the Royal Guard." The voice seemed to carry pity.

[Assistant] Pity crushed Subaru’s heart and told him to give up on everything. He had thought he could change his situation. He thought that even he could accomplish something.

[User] "You are irredeemably powerless. You have no place by her side."

[Assistant] Those words, at least, he wished to refute—words that denied that his life held any meaning. Subaru moved his neck to glare at the man, trying to get him to at least take that part back…


[User] He caught a glimpse of the silver-haired girl with violet eyes. She was leaning over a terrace on a floor midway up the royal palace wall that overlooked the parade square. Behind her were girls he recognized, each one coldly surveying the results. The thoughts behind her blanched face no longer mattered. Subaru no longer cared what anyone at all thought of him. Or rather, that would have been true if the person standing there hadn’t been the absolutely last person in the entire world he wanted to see him in this state.

[Assistant] Inside him, Subaru heard a sound like a thread snapping. That was the last thing he knew before his consciousness began fading far, far away.


[User] “I suppose GMs would want me to trigger all their events instead of skipping to the end, so I get it. My bad, my bad.” Subaru made a light wave of his hand in apology while the girl glared at him with half-lidded eyes.

[Assistant] Apparently, it was this girl’s scheme that Subaru’s thoughtless act had foiled. “Well, let’s make that water under the bridge. Could you tell me where this is?”

[User] “Hmph. It is my archive, my sleeping quarters…my private chambers, perhaps?”

[Assistant] “Shouldn’t that make me feel kind of sad for you? I mean, you don’t have your own bedroom to sleep in? That’s horrible. Or about you using a library as your private chambers…maybe I should just laugh?”

[User] “Are those remarks intended with a touch of teasing, I wonder? !” The annoyed girl replying with blunt sarcasm, who called herself Betty, puffed out her cheeks and advanced upon Subaru.

[Assistant] “I am finally reaching the limit of my patience. You should be put in your place a little, I suppose.”

[User] “Hey, whatever you’re planning, let’s not? I’m just an ordinary guy, no combat ability at all here?” His eyes became smaller and damper as his body made tiny quivers in a showy pose.

[Assistant] But the speed of the girl’s soft footsteps increased. “—Stay right there.”

[User] Suddenly, Subaru was assailed by a feeling like a chill up his spine. The girl, already before his eyes, stretched out her hand all the way to Subaru. Subaru froze as the girl, her height not reaching near his upper chest, stared at him with pale blue eyes. His skin broke out in goose bumps as a quiet, high-pitched ringing echoed inside his skull. “Is there something you wish to say…?”

[Assistant] As the girl posed her question, he unfroze for a moment. Subaru searched for the best thing to say during the instant he had been permitted. Subaru’s gaze wandered as his lips quivered. “I-it’s not gonna hurt, is it?”

[User] “Should I applaud your devotion to your flippant tongue, I wonder?” Speaking with a tone of genuine admiration, the girl reached her hand to Subaru’s chest. Her palm pushed against his breast, her fingertips pressing softly against the surface. It felt ticklish. And—

[Assistant] “Bwah…!” —the next moment, Subaru felt like his entire body was on fire. Something was running wild inside him, making him feel like he was on fire from the tips of his fingers to the very ends of his hair. The eerie pain was as if a finger of flame were tracing his internal organs. His vision darkened. When Subaru came to, he had fallen onto his knees, a large amount of tears flowing from him.

[User] “It seems you did not faint. Perhaps you are as sturdy as I heard?”

[Assistant] “Wh-what did you do, drill loli…”

[User] “I simply interfered with the mana inside your body.”


[User] "Does the circulation feel slightly off, I wonder?" The girl calmly murmured as she knelt down and jabbed a finger into Subaru’s body. "Well, it would be good to confirm whether you had hostile intent or not. And, for your rudeness toward my hard work, your mana should be confiscated before letting you go, I suppose."

[Assistant] Subaru, having reached his limit, was unable to remain upright from the jab, his head falling to the floor. Despite this, he was able to slowly use his neck, looking up as the girl glared down at him with a sadistic smile. "You’re not…human, are you? And I don’t mean your personality…."

[User] "You are quite slow to grasp that for someone who has met Puckie already." The girl looked down with amusement as Subaru crawled.

[Assistant] "Correction… Your personality’s…inhuman, too…"

[User] "Surely a sublime being far beyond your ability to measure, human." It was an overly glacial statement coming from the lips of a little girl.

[Assistant] Subaru felt the inside of his chest smolder. But he had no strength left to describe the heat with words. Subaru’s consciousness sank into darkness against his will. —Geez, I just woke up and I’m getting knocked out again?!

[User] "If you died here, your husk would be troublesome to remove. I shall speak to the others."

[Assistant] —Don’t say husk, it makes me sound like an insect, you little brat— Subaru returned to sleep once more, unable to move even his frivolous tongue.


[User] "My, it seems he has awakened, Sister."

[Assistant] "Yes, Rem. He is awake."

[User] When he next awoke, two girls spoke, their voices sharing the same timbre. He was in the same soft, comfortable bed as before. The slight opening of the curtains let in the dazzling rays of the sun, burning sleepy Subaru’s eyelids. He instinctively assumed it was morning. "Ugh, I’m not so much nocturnal as I am a denizen of the night. Waking up in the morning makes my chest burn…" Wide awake, Subaru sat up as he remembered that his day and night cycles were inverted while school was out. He looked around, rotated his shoulders, and shifted his hips toward the window as he looked in that direction.

[Assistant] "Dear Guest, it is now Seven Solartime."

[User] "Dear Guest, it is about Seven Solartime." Their friendly voices conveyed the time of day.

[Assistant] "That being the case, if you don’t count the wake-up earlier, I’ve slept for about a whole day, huh? Well, my record is two and a half days, so this is no big deal, really."

[User] "Sister, did you hear? Quite a lazy thing to say."

[Assistant] "Yes, Rem, I heard. Quite a good-for-nothing thing to say."

[User] "So who’re these ladies who’ve been chewing me out in stereo here?


[User] “!” Subaru sat up quickly, taken by surprise at the girls, sandwiching the bed from both sides. The girls rushed a short distance to a corner of the room, joining hands and drawing their faces close as they looked at him. Standing side by side, their faces were two peas in a pod; the girls were obviously twins. Both stood about a hundred and fifty centimeters tall. Their big eyes, pink lips, and the soft, youthful loveliness of their faces made them outright adorable. Both wore their hair in short bobs, with their hair parted to fall across one eye—the right eye on one and the left eye on the other. The way their hair was parted and the fact that one had pink hair and the other blue were the only visual clues to tell them apart. The twins watched Subaru carefully. His mind quivered, as though it were all scratched up, as he suddenly realized.

[Assistant] “No way… There are maid outfits in this world, too? !”

[User] They wore black apron dresses with white accents and white lace headpieces on their heads. These outfits were specially modified to expose their narrow shoulders, which, combined with the short skirts, flaunted their body lines in scandalous ways. Subaru didn’t know a whole lot about maid outfits, but he was certain the level of skin exposure represented the designer’s personal taste…though the twins who wore them were beautiful regardless.

[Assistant] “I thought maids were supposed to dress modestly…but I think I’m a fan!”

[User] "This is terrible, Sister. Right now, in Dear Guest’s head, you are the subject of obscene, degrading thoughts.”

[Assistant] “This is dreadful, Rem. Right now, Dear Guest’s head has become filled with completely disgusting thoughts about you.”

[User] “Don’t take my mental capacity for granted, ladies. You’re both going to star in my fantasies!” Subaru crossed his forearms and made suggestive motions with his fingers. The gesture made the two maids’ faces tremble; the girls wrapped around each other, releasing their hands and pointing at each other.

[Assistant] “Please forgive me,


[User] Whoever chose this, I get what they were thinking!” The silver-haired girl—Emilia—gawked at Subaru’s praise.

[Assistant] “…I’m not quite sure what you’re referring to, but I’m veeery disappointed that I know it’s something meaningless.”

[User] In one move, Emilia’s sudden visit had greatly improved Subaru’s mental state. In a place full of unknowns—his incident with the first little girl he had met was especially poignant—seeing Emilia, a friendly face he’d known since just after his summoning to another world, made it all the more special in his mind.

[Assistant] “To think I was worried a bit when I heard Beatrice was rough on you when you were low on blood… I really shouldn’t have bothered.”

[User] “I’m in a super good mood from waking up to your face, though. And I’m a little afraid to ask this, but…” With Emilia giving him a suspicious look, Subaru put both his hands together and timidly looked at her with upturned eyes.


[User] "You, ah…remember all about me, right?"

[Assistant] "That gesture, for some reason I don’t like it. Also, that’s an odd question. I don’t think I’d forget someone who stands out as much as you do, Subaru." Emilia smiles charmingly at him and calls his name, Subaru slumped his shoulders in relief. Then, realizing that for once a girl was calling him by name, he was rather flushed.

[User] Ram


[User] "I figure the mansion here lent this to me, but…"

[Assistant] "Do you understand, Sister? Perhaps he means that drab gray rag?"

[User] "I understand, Rem. He means that bloodstained mouse-colored piece of filth."

[Assistant] "Some guts there, calling it filthy and looking like a dirty rat. If it’s in one piece, could you hand it over?"

[User] Faced with Subaru’s request, the twins turned to Emilia. Their looks said they wanted permission.

[Assistant] Emilia responded with a nod.

[User] The twins politely bowed and left the room.

[Assistant] "You don’t need to hear this from me, but you mustn’t strain yourself. You were terribly injured."

[User] "You closed the wound perfectly, though. Oh yeah…" As if remembering something, Subaru straightened his posture and slowly bowed his head to Emilia. "Thank you for healing my wounds, Emilia-tan. You saved me. I really am scared of dying. I’d like to do it only once."

[Assistant] "Normally once is all you get…? But, mm-hm, never mind that…" After the spontaneous verbal jab, Emilia’s purple eyes wavered as she looked at Subaru. "I should be the one thanking you. You risked your life for mine when you barely knew me. Healing your wounds was the least I could do."

[User] Subaru’s breath caught at her sincerely apologetic look. He hated himself for being unable to give her the reply he wanted to.

[Assistant] "—Well, since we saved each other, I think we’re all square here." Subaru smiled, holding in the gratitude he could never properly convey.

[User] "Square…?"

[Assistant] "It means that neither of us owes the other a thing, so let’s get along, brotha!" If he were talking to a resident of the Poor District, this would be the time for him to kindly clap them on the shoulder. But at that moment, it was all Subaru could do to cover up his embarrassment and blushing face as best he could.

[User] Emilia made a small smile at Subaru. "Do I really need a younger brother this weird?"

[Assistant] "That’s a pretty harsh comment?!" He slumped his shoulders at the casual put-down.

[User] Both laughed at the exchange as the door opened and the twin maids returned.

[Assistant] Subaru straightened as he saw them carrying the top and bottom of his tracksuit, one part each. "Guess it’s time to restart the day." His first day since surpassing Return by Death was truly beginning.


[User] There, in the middle of the huge garden, Subaru began stretching exercises to begin his rehabilitation posthaste.

[Assistant] Emilia looked on curiously as she watched Subaru’s movements. "Those are odd moves. What are you doing?"

[User] "Oh, don’t you do warm-ups here? You do them before starting strenuous exercise."

[Assistant] "Hmm, I haven’t really seen much of that. But I do understand it’s dangerous to make sudden, hard movements."

[User] "So people don’t do stretching in this world? Oh well, it can’t be helped—how about I teach you? Genuine warm-up exercises from my homeland, passed down through the generations!"

[Assistant] Emilia seemed to yield in the face of Subaru’s confident proclamation. "R-right. Just a bit, then." She said, copying Subaru.

[User] Subaru stood beside Emilia and gave out instructions. "Morning Warm-Up Part Twooo! Reach high with your hands and stretch that back~~!"

[Assistant] "Eh, what, no way?!"

[User] "Just do what I do. I’ll pound the essence of radio calisthenics into you yet!"

[Assistant] With Emilia lost, Subaru scolded her and followed the beat of a routine famous around the nation. Emilia was still bewildered at first but proved a quick study. When both finished making their final deep breaths, Subaru spread both hands into the sky. "And last, raise your hands. Victory!"

[User] "V-victory!"

[Assistant] "Okay, there you go, Emilia-tan, you are now a Radio Calisthenics Novice!" Having finished doing calisthenics with all her might, Emilia’s face showed the new title had made a deep impression.

[User] But she made a face like she’d just remembered her original purpose. "Right. Things really got off the beaten path, but if I forget this, they’ll be upset." Emilia, making a thin, pleasant smile as she spoke, brought out a green crystal from her pocket and showed it to Subaru.

[Assistant] "Ah, that’s…"

[User] "A crystal for spirits to inhabit. You know, like Puck."

[Assistant] "The kitty cat that slept through all the big stuff? Bet he doesn’t know about my heroic scene, then?"

[User] The crystal glowed as if to rebuke Subaru’s taking him lightly. The indifferent voice came from the crystal at first. "Oh, not at all, Subaru, Lia told me all about it after things got wrapped up." Finally, light poured out of the crystal and condensed into an outline forming atop Emilia’s palm. "Heya. Morning, Subaru. Nice weather."

[Assistant] "It’s been an up-and-down night and morning for me, though. First the looping corridor, then that menacing little girl. Now I’m past that and working up a sweat with Emilia-tan…"

[User] Emilia’s lips tapered into a pout. "People will get the wrong impression if you say that." Emilia then looked at Puck, sitting atop her palm. "Good morning, Puck. Sorry for pushing you so hard yesterday."

[Assistant] "Good morning, Lia. I’m the one sorry for yesterday, though. I almost lost you. I can’t thank Subaru enough, really." Puck looked up at Subaru with his round black eyes as he stroked his pink nose with his paw. "Well, I owe you something. I wonder if there’s anything you want?"


[User] "Something I can do, I mean.” Subaru’s reply to Puck’s grandiose statement was immediate.

[Assistant] Puck's and Emilia's eyes went wide.

[User] “All right, let me touch that fur of yours to my heart’s content.”

[Assistant] "Sh-shouldn’t you take a little longer to decide? Puck might look small and unreliable, but his power level really is quite something.”

[User] “Hey, to me, being able to feel fur like from the finest fabrics is a really huge thing. I wouldn’t take any amount of money over it. No, seriously.” As Subaru spoke, he indulged his right and stuck his finger toward Puck: first belly, then chin, and the ears to finish him off. “Oh, these ears are addictive! I’m totally into your fluffiness here!”

[Assistant] “I know from reading the surface of your thoughts, but to hear you actually say it, wow.” Subaru liberally toyed around as Puck made pleasant noises from his throat.

[User] Emilia let out a sigh of resignation as she watched Subaru and Puck play. “Well, I’m going to talk to the lesser spirits, then… It’s fine if you two play, but don’t interfere, okay?”

[Assistant] “So, she dumped us.”

[User] “Yep, she dumped us.” As both slumped their shoulders, Emilia made a point of ignoring them as she softly went to a corner of the garden. She gave the ground a light brush before sitting down. Emilia closed her eyes as pale lights began to surround her.


[Assistant] “Lesser spirits, huh?”

[User] “That’s right. Most are classified as lesser or greater spirits…though a lot are outside of those categories.”

[Assistant] “Not that it doesn’t help…but I don’t know how to classify them.”

[User] As Emilia sat, she spoke softly to the minor spirits, smiling from time to time; the minor spirits seemed to brighten or fade accordingly.

[Assistant] “You said ‘a pact with minor spirits,’ but, like, what is that?”

[User] “A ceremonial pact with a spirit—forging a covenant.”

[Assistant] Subaru frowned at the term he hadn’t heard before. “Err, you see, a Spirit Master can’t use spirit spells unless she makes a pact with spirits first. The details of the pacts differ according to the spirits. Still with me?”

[User] “So it’s not like interest and collateral for a bank loan, then. Gotcha.”

[Assistant] “My name’s not Gotcha, but let’s move on. So individual spirits want different things…but minor spirits like that just want pacts with simple conditions like contact with the caster.”

[User] “So it’s like easy stuff for beginners. I take it that doesn’t work for other spirits?”

[Assistant] “It helps that you’re quick on the uptake. This won’t get far if you keep going off on tangents, though?”

[User] Oops, said Subaru with a blushy smile.

[Assistant] For his part, Puck gave him a warm look as he toyed with his own whiskers.


[User] "Right, it’s a bit harder to satisfy a spirit with a mind of his own, like me. I’d like to give to the pact maker as good as I take…but my conditions with Lia are pretty strict."

[Assistant] "It’s been on my mind since earlier, but Lia, that’s a cute nickname."

[User] "Your Emilia-tan’s even cuter, though. I should call her that, too."

[Assistant] "—Don’t. Seriously. I’m begging you."

[User] With puffed-up cheeks, Emilia cut into their silly games. As Emilia returned, the spirits around her winked out.

[Assistant] Subaru stood up and brushed the grass off his rear. "Quality time over? That felt easier than I expected."

[User] "I was mindful of you two, so I asked them to keep it short. We have things we need to discuss today." As Emilia spoke, she offered up her palm; Puck leapt from Subaru, landing upon it.

[Assistant] Puck’s round eyes turned toward Emilia with what seemed like a small, satisfied smile. "It’s all right. I got a good feel for him, and I can’t find one shred of malice, hostility, or intent to do harm. Subaru’s a good boy, though his personality is a bit weird."

[User] "Now wait a…" Aghast at Puck appraising him to Emilia on various levels, Subaru could only gape. "Why did you… Even if it’s true, isn’t saying it in front of him hurtful?"

[Assistant] "Oh, ah, that’s fine! I’m a complete stranger to you, so of course you’d check me out. You’re right to doubt. But that part at the end really hurt, Emilia-tan!" Emilia quickly covered her mouth with a hand and made a pained smile at Subaru.

[User] Subaru hadn’t touched Puck all over without a reason. He’d expected this to come up. Emilia and the others weren’t so careless as to accept Subaru without knowing a single firm thing about him. No doubt that partially explained Ram’s and Rem’s demeanor. "That said, I don’t have any good way to explain." There was obviously no preexisting record of Subaru in this world. Explaining that he’d been summoned was a tough sell, with good odds he’d be treated as a lunatic. That being the case, letting Puck get a good read on him was the best option. Words from Puck, trusted by Emilia and able to read conscious thoughts, were a lot more convincing than anything Subaru could come up with.

[Assistant] "It’s all right, Lia. Oh, and I know what you were up to, Subaru. Naughty boy, using my mind reading like that."

[User] "I’m honored. Let’s get along famously, my friend!"

[Assistant] How Subaru addressed them put a look of shock on Puck’s face; he then broke into a wide smile. "It’s been a while since I got this kind of treatment. I like it."

[User] "I’d rather hear those words from Emilia-tan. Oh well, as they say, to take down a general, first take down his horse… Well, you’re kind of a cat so does that still make sense?


[User] A surprised look came over Emilia as she watched Subaru put a finger to his chin and sink into serious thought.

[Assistant] Subaru curiously raised his eyebrows.

[User] "—Really, Subaru, you are so strange."

[Assistant] "Huh?"

[User] "Giving leading looks to a…half-elf like me who speaks to spirits like it’s a normal thing…it surprised me, even as a joke."

[Assistant] In his heart, Subaru countered, Would you be as surprised if you knew it wasn’t a joke? But he forgot all about that as he fell for Emilia’s charming smile. This smile was on par with the one she’d given him when they’d exchanged names at the royal capital. It seemed fleeting and fickle, which only made his heart flutter all the more. Her beautiful, flowing silver hair was as surreal as dew in the moonlight; her skin was as pale as the first snow. Her violet eyes seemed to hold Subaru’s mind firmly in their spell and wouldn’t let go. He knew she was sublime, beautiful, with a heart of gold wrapped around an unshakable core. Subaru wanted nothing more than to put his hands on his cheeks and give thanks to Mother Nature, but he abstained.

[User] "Huh, wonder what’s with those two?" And, as Emilia mentioned something she’d noticed, Subaru looked toward the manor. The twin maids were walking down from the mansion. Both gave formal bows before Subaru and Emilia, speaking in perfect stereo, not off by the slightest bit.

[Assistant] "—Master Roswaal, lord of the manor, has returned. Please come this way."

[User] Their perfect combo surprised Subaru, but the maids’ change of demeanor surprised him more. Their earlier frivolousness was nowhere to be found, replaced by a sense of dignity befitting servants of the upper crust.

[Assistant] "I see. Roswaal… We’d best go see him, then."

[User] "Yes, and he said to bring our Dear Guest as well, should he be awake."

[Assistant] Puck wriggled into Emilia’s silver hair.

[User] Emilia’s face stiffened a bit as she patted down her hair.

[Assistant] Watching her from the side, Subaru cracked his neck slightly at being addressed. "So, who is this Roswaal guy, anyway?"

[User] "Lord of this manor… Ah, that’s right, I didn’t explain." Emilia put her palm to her mouth as she realized her own slip. "Err, right. Roswaal is… You’ll understand when you meet him."

[Assistant] "You gave up on that explanation too fast! What, he’s too plain to describe?!"

[User] "—No, the opposite."

[Assistant] Subaru’s jaw dropped open in a face of surprise multiplied by four.

[User] The blue-haired girl gently closed his mouth from below with her hand before giving a solemn bow.

[Assistant] The pink-haired maid standing beside her motioned to the mansion. "One cannot describe the likes of Master Roswaal with words alone. You shall understand when you meet him, Dear Guest. It is all right; he is a kind lord."

[User] The twins met each other’s gazes and nodded, with the repeated affirmation serving only to deepen his doubts.


[User] With Subaru bewildered, Emilia looked like she grudgingly agreed with the twins as she gently reached out to him.

[Assistant] Giving Subaru’s shoulder a couple of pats, Emilia murmured in a grave voice. “—You’ll probably get along just fine, Subaru. He’ll wear you out, though.”


[User] “What? If you stare at me like that I’m gonna start blushing.” Subaru looked up when he realized it was Rem who was staring at him.

[Assistant] Rem looked slightly taken aback as she tried to counter.

[User] "—She is staring at how pathetic you look, Barusu. In particular, your head is quite lacking.”

[Assistant] “I thought this haircut was a lot better than it used to be, though…”

[User] “At the very least, it deserves a failing grade, given that you are a servant… Right, Rem?”

[Assistant] “…Ah, yes. I suppose so. It does seem just a tiny bit lacking.”

[User] “Looks like it really bothers you! Geez, sorry!” Their plainspoken low assessment of the work he’d taken some pride in put Subaru down a bit.

[Assistant] Ram watched Subaru, she made a hmph noise through her nose. “Incidentally, Rem handles people’s hair here at the manor. She dresses me and does my hair every morning, you see?”

[User] “Yeah, that’s how you twins are the spitting image of… Wait, that sounds wrong?”

[Assistant] “It is exactly as you think, Barusu.” Ram folded her arms and boldly replied.

[User] “Help out your little sister a bit, geez!” Ram’s boldly declaring herself to be the good-for-nothing older sister made Subaru shout with a look of feigned shock.

[Assistant] Ram stroked the pink hair that Rem had combed, looking at her younger sister. “Rem, would you mind giving Barusu’s hair a little cut?”

[User] “Now hold on, having a girl playing with my hair is really gonna throw me off here!”

[Assistant] “Sister…?” Ram’s sudden suggestion threw off both Subaru and Rem. Ram trained her red eyes on her sister’s questioning look, slightly lowering the tone of her voice. “…You were looking at Barusu because of his hair, yes?”

[User] “…Yes, that is correct. A little combing and styling would make it look much better.”

[Assistant] “You should let her do as she says, then. Rem’s hands are heavenly, I assure you.”

[User] “That makes it sound like a kind of perverted request, you know…” It seemed like the older sister was giving Rem the excuse to indulge in her unexpressed interest. Maybe it was an issue of personalities. Unlike Ram, already giving Subaru no quarter, Rem apparently hadn’t decided yet how she should act toward him. Subaru agreed with the need to close the distance, but… “If you don’t want to, then you don’t have to. I kind of hope you do, though!”

[Assistant] “No, not at all. It is true that it bothers me slightly, very slightly, just a little.”

[User] Knowing that it was really bothering her, Subaru lost more confidence. He thought he was just indulging in his individuality—but with such thoughts on his mind, three voices sounded as one.


[User] "—Ah." The edge of Shooting Star shifted from a potato to Subaru’s thumb. Subaru yelled out as he shallowly peeled the wrong kind of skin. "Whoaa! Oh man! It took off a little—!"

[Assistant] "It seems it is displeased to be called your ‘beloved knife.’ Since your love is so one-sided, perhaps you should try calling it your favorite knife instead?"

[User] "Sister, the water is boiling, so let’s put in the vegetables you cut—"

[Assistant] "You two love hazing the new guy, don’t you?!" Their prioritizing of the work was admirable, but Subaru lacked the mental strength to praise it.


[User] "So tired—!" As Subaru spoke, he flopped completely onto the bed, all his strength exhausted.

[Assistant] "Well, the expensive stuff is really stifling, so this is A-OK…" Burying his face into the pillow, he decided it still smelled and felt up to high-class standards. Now that he was off work, Subaru quickly changed from his uniform to his tracksuit, intending to go to sleep in clothes that he was more accustomed to.

[User] "Man, they worked me to the bone. Work’s hard work. I seriously get why Dad and they are so awesome in the working world. Even one day of this is nothing to sneeze at." He let out honest admiration as he loosened his creaky body, thinking back on his first day at work.

[Assistant] "She’s blunt and to the point, but she’s gentler and more polite than I expected, really… Ah?" He lifted his face at the abrupt knock on the door.

[User] Rem's voice can be heard from the door’s direction. "It’s Rem. Subaru, is now a good time?"

[Assistant] "Ah, sure, sure. I’m not doing anything weird, so come on in!"

[User] "That makes it sound more suspicious rather than less, but pardon me." Rem opened the door and entered the room, still dressed in her maid outfit.

[Assistant] Wait, you don’t mean you’re done already? This redefines the words fast job."

[User] "It is nothing so grand as re-tailoring it altogether."


[User] "I would have to take more care if it were one of Master Roswaal’s outfits, but this will do for you."

[Assistant] "That made it sound like you, um, really cut corners?"

[User] Rem made no reply as he took the jacket, briskly opening it and putting his arms through the sleeves.

[Assistant] Before, the outfit’s armpits were too tight and his shoulders could barely rotate, but…

[User] "I hate to admit it, but you did it perfectly. My arms can go round and round… Ah, does it look good on me?"

[Assistant] "When combined with the rarity of your gray-colored clothing, nobody else’s strange outfits could compare."

[User] "Okay, that didn’t sound like a compliment. Guess even I can tell that much!"

[Assistant] Having the manservant’s jacket over a T-shirt made Rem’s assessment a natural one. Indeed, it must have taken considerable effort not to laugh.

[User] "What shall we do about the cuffs?"

[Assistant] "Cuffs… Ah, you mean for the pants. Crap, I forgot. With a needle and thread I could do it myself, though."

[User] "I have brought some with me. Shall I adjust them now?" It was a good-faith suggestion with no apparent ill will from Rem’s side.

[Assistant] Either way, Subaru wanted to repay the favor somehow. "Okay, hand the needle and thread over here. My sewing skills are gonna get a whole new grade today!"

[User] "I should expect more from the person who had showed such dexterity while struggling to peel vegetables for dinner today?"

[Assistant] "Keh-keh, underestimate me while you can. And by all means, prepare to be shocked!"

[User] Looking like she was giving up on Subaru, sky-high with confidence, Rem took a fantasy-world sewing kit out of a pocket and handed it to him.

[Assistant] He took it, finding that the contents matched up pretty nicely with what he could expect from home. With a practiced hand, he passed the thread through the needle and pulled the cuffs of the trousers up over his knees.

[User] "Mmm, hmm, mm-hmm." As Subaru made a singsong sound, Rem let out a sigh of admiration.

[Assistant] "…I am shocked. You really do have experience."

[User] Subaru moved the needle in a brisk, lively fashion. Before he finished humming, he pulled it up. "Okay, one side done. Take a good look. I sewed it right, didn’t I?" Subaru stretched out the pants to show off his own work.

[Assistant] Rem drew in her chin in plain acknowledgment.

[User] His mood improved by the reaction, Subaru began working on the other cuff when Rem spoke abruptly.

[Assistant] "Ah…Subaru, about the conversation at noontime…"

[User] "Mm, noon? Noon, what happened then?"

[Assistant] "Ah…er, if you have forgotten, it’s quite all right." Rem made a small shake of her head in front of Subaru, who still had his head down.

[User] Narrowing his eyes at her reaction, he recalled that they’d discussed fixing his hair when preparing dinner. "Oh, about the hair? I half thought that was a joke.