human
Subaru:  Images of naturally flowing water winding its way through a stonework cityscape made him want to visit such an enchanting place at least once. Subaru was projecting all that onto the city of Pristella, but the reality was a little different.
gpt
:  "Nah, that ain’t right, Subaru. Pristella isn’t a city on the water. It’s usually known as the Water Gate City.”
human
Subaru:  “Wait, what?”
gpt
:  “Yes, Pristella sits in the middle of a lake, so the city gets flooded when rain falls. That’s why they have high walls to protect the city and several sluice gates to control the water levels. Those gates are famous, which is why it’s called the Water Gate City.”
human
Subaru:  “Somehow, my impression of this place suddenly went from a magical city of water to a watery prison…” His mental image of a charming city was ruined when he learned about the high walls. He wondered why anyone would choose to build a city on a plot of land that demanded such radical safeguards.
gpt
:  “In the end, we still don’t have a clue why Anastasia is asking us to visit a place like that… Hard to think it’s just a social call.”
human
Subaru:  “Hmm, is it not okay to believe they really might just want to get along?”
gpt
:  “Unfortunately, for better or worse, the royal-selection candidates all have their quirks. To be honest, there isn’t a single one you can trust a hundred percent even under ideal circumstances, masters and servants alike.” Subaru carefully recalled and considered all the royal candidates and their respective knights before concluding every last one of them could be considered bona fide weirdos. He trusted Crusch because of her character. However, because she had lost her memories due to an encounter with Gluttony, he actually couldn’t rely on anything except her intrinsic character traits. Ferris was dangerous because he’d do anything for Crusch’s sake, and Wilhelm’s issues with his departed wife also made him an unknown element. When it came to Anastasia, he still couldn’t get a firm grasp on what she was thinking. That applied to the invitation they were currently considering, too. Though Subaru had very reluctantly come to trust Julius, that didn’t change the fact that the leader of the faction was still none other than Anastasia. Also, she had a formidable private army in the Iron Fangs, and that could not be underestimated. Felt’s camp included Reinhard and Old Man Rom, both of whom Subaru considered decently trustworthy, but that didn’t matter, since he still couldn’t figure out Felt. If nothing else, now that she’d committed herself to fully participating in the royal selection, they couldn’t let their guard down when dealing with that spirited, crafty girl. If she and Reinhard had formed a close bond, the odds of claiming victory over them would become extremely slim. And when it came to Priscilla’s faction, their attitude was honestly the hardest to predict of all.