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*****
"The one who cares for the people in this house. The one who fills my greedy stomach," Alex cut her off with a smile. The girl's eyes widened. "The one who does the most work out of anyone living here, even teaching my lost self about this continent."
Rem bit her lips, eyes glancing down. "It doesn't mean anything. It is Rem's duty to take care of the house, and Alex-sama is smart enough to learn anything with ease."
Alex stared at the blue haired oni, his face calm and collected, showing no sign of frustration despite Rem's stubborn self-loathing.
"Does that change anything? You still do all of this." He said, causing the girl to look up at him once again. "So what if it was insignificant? You took care of this place for years, to the point that Rose even promoted you to head-maid for your hard work. So what if I'm smart enough to understand the things you said? Does it change the fact that you sacrificed your own free time to teach me?" He tilted his head slightly. "It might be weird coming from me. I am quite cynical and a pessimist too. But isn't it time for you to start looking at tomorrow instead of the past?
"Why look at things that already happened? Why keep dwelling in them? Sure it is good to do that if you want to learn something, but there is no use to bask in them. It will do nothing but keep hurting you.
There is no need to keep pushing yourself. Ram never asked for it, and you know how it hurts her to see you like this. No one blames you. The world will always be cruel, we all have to find the strength to move on.
Push it back. Stand on your feet, look to the front, and shove it back. Do not hesitate, do not waste your youth, move forward. Embrace every day with a smile, because right now your life is beautiful Rem. Stop blinding yourself with the past."
"So laugh Rem, laugh!" Alex smiled as he rose to his feet, extending his hand to her. "Laugh, because all suffering, the pain, everything you went through has birthed a beautiful bed of flowers that surrounds you. Right now, enjoy it with those who are waiting for you."
Rem stared at the extended hand of the man that was smiling at her. Tears were washing over her pristine face, her lips quivering in uncertainty. Her hand slowly rose, shaking, unsure, but surely moving to reach the hand in front of her. The hand of a man she distrusted, even feared only a few hours ago. She found herself hesitating at the final few inches separating them.
"Is it okay... for Rem?" She found that question slipped from her lips without realizing it. "To move forward after everything Rem brought upon Nee-sama? After all the pain she brought to her?"
Her answer came in the form of a hand grasping her own, washing away her trembling with a gentle grip. Rem felt herself being pulled into an embrace by the young knight.
"Everyone deserves happiness in their life." Alex spoke in a gentle tone, patting the back of her head softly. "And Rem, for someone who has worked so hard, I don't think there is a person more deserving to be happy than you."
That did it.
Her whole body trembling, Rem shed her hesitation. Her hands snaked around the Servant's waist, pulling herself closer to him, choked cries rattling her form.
For the first time ever since that fiery night, Rem found herself crying in happiness.
***
"Ram has informed me about what happened last night."
It was the next morning after his heart-to-heart with Rem.
Alex found himself sitting with the lord of the manor. Clad in his casual black and red outfit, he was having tea with the clown-like magician.
The man surprised him when he went for his morning training, already waiting for him in the garden. He did not expect him back that quickly. In canon, Roswaal returned the following night, not in the early morning. Maybe he was already there the whole time, staying hidden to observe Rem bonding with Subaru?
The man wished to speak with him privately, so here they are. The pseudo saber was sitting in Roswaal's office, staring at the face of the smiling clown.
"And once again I find myself indebted to you, Alex-san." Roswaal spokein his usual sing-song voice. "You did noot just save my employeeeee but yoouu also helped me by preventing haaarm to come to thoose who live on my laaand." His smile look so sincere and genuine. "Aaand you alsoo prevent the political baaacklash waiting if one of those things haappened. Truly, you haave done a veeery wonderfuul deed for me."
"You really are being irresponsible." Alex replied, seemingly not bothered by the praise. "It's one thing to lose track of Emi in town, leading to her getting her insignia stolen. I can even overlook her encountering someone dangerous like the Bowel Hunter in a huge city like that. But this?" He shook his head, face stoic and eyes full of disapproval. "A magician at your caliber surely should not have any problems creating a barrier powerful enough to keep such filth out of his domain. Or at least create something that can act as a defender in case it falls."
Hearing the brutal words Roswaal's smile dimmed, a small amount of anger in his eyes. "I admit what happened was not my brightest moment." He confessed. "The barrier I erected is not of a low level. It does not just guard the village from demon beasts, but of anyone bearing ill will."
Alex found himself blinking at that. What? That was not like the one he saw in canon. If the barrier really can do such things then how did the Witch Cult still manage to get in? Could Petelgeuse have crushed it using his Authority? But if he did that it should have caught Roswaal's attention and...
'If I recall he purposely wasn't there and let the village get ravaged in the first place... this man.' Alex grit his teeth in his mouth. He may not consider himself a good guy but to just sacrifice a whole village like that...
He forced himself to calm, anger would not help anyone right now.
"I don't want to hear your excuses, I want proof. Act, Rose. Ram claims you as the greatest magician in Lugnica and I want to see it, not hear of it."
"I assure you I will." Roswaal seems to be taking the words seriously. If it was a mask or genuine, Alex could not decide. "Then shall we move on to the next part, Alex-san?"
"Next part?"
"Aaaahh, don't pretend to be ignorant Alex-saaan." Roswaal's laid-back demeanor returned as he gave a small smirk to the blond. "Tell meeee, Alex-san. You knooow what I aam going to saaaay, right?" He spread his arms wide reminding Alex of the first time they met. "What do you want from this?" He asked. "I knooow you're not the kind of persooon who does things without a priiiice in mind."
Alex's eyes narrowed, of course the man would know that. He was sure the clown-like magician was perfectly aware what kind of man he is. Alex is no saint. While he is willing to be helpful he will not put his neck on the line if he does not benefit from it somehow.
"So whaat do you want from me this time Alex-saan?" Roswaal asked, his eyes twinkling in amusement as his smile curled to a grin. "Issss it Ram you desiiireee?"
Alex blinked, once then twice. "Huh?"
"I've heaaard from Emilia-sama and Rem that youuu are quite cloose to Raaam." Roswaal said with annoying voice, waving his finger in a knowing manner. "If yoouu want to have Ram aaas your personal maiiid then I will glaadly to offer you heeer contract." The grin on his face widened. "After aaaall you seemed to enjoy overloaaading her last niiight."
Despite the teasing tone Alex could not help the heat creeping onto his cheeks. He remembered his moment with Ram last night, and the way Roswaal phrased it made it sound so very... direct.
"Oooor is it Rem? You like blueeee right? I'm suuure Rem is blueee enough to meet your satisfaction."
"No." Alex deadpanned at him, eyebrow twitching in irritation "Just no. Stop using those kinds of words, it sounds dirty and the way you speak grates on my nerves."
Instead of being offended the archmage let out a laugh "Aaahh, no hesitation at aaalll." He shook his head, grin still in his face. "You reaaally have sharp tongueee."
Alex's gaze held no trace of amusement.
"Fu fu fu." Roswaal chuckled again. "Alllright, iiif you did not appreciate iiit, the please tell me so. Whaat is you want payment from me?" He asked.
This is it, the offer he had been expecting. He mulled over it the whole night, trying to find what he could use to help him, what Roswaal could give to assist him in the future.
"I want two things." Alex said after a moment of silence.
Roswaal eyebrow narrowed, his heterochromatic eyes peering at the blond with interest "Ohhh, very greedy." He commented. "But since what you did was not a small feat, I gueessss that was to be expected." He said with a grin. "Fiiine, what do you want then?"
"First, I want to have full access to your forbidden library."
"Ooh?" Roswaal leaned back in his seat, his face scrunched up in a thoughtful expression "That is certainly a biiiig request, that place is called "forbidden" for a reason you knooow? Not to mentiooon it also holds some of my personal reseaaarch."
'And yet you were fine when that library burned down.' Alex thought as he recalled Elsa's assault in Arc Four. The library was turned into a mess, Beatrice to strike a pact with Subaru. "You know I can't use magic, I don't have interest in it. What I want is knowledge and information."
That was true, while he did have loads of mana Alex doesn't have interest in learning magic. While it would be cool to be able to summon blizzards and meteors, he found the prospect to be lacking.
He already had two Excalibur. The Sword of Promised Victory duble was capable of eradicating armies and blasting apart mountains. He was satisfied with his combat potential, not to mention mastering it will take a long time still.
Knowledge however, was power. And it tended to be hidden well. Through that library perhaps he could find a way to go home without needing help from Emilia. He did not want to stay in this world for more than a year at the most.
"Weeellll." Roswaal smiled and for a moment there was a strange glint in his eyes. "Knowledge and Information... hoo, the waay you saaiid it sounds very... ambitiouuus." He chuckled while rolling the words on his tongue. "Whiiile I will glaadly alloow you access to my libraryyy, sadly you neeed another person's approvaaal to get fuull access."
"... Beatrice-san." Alex spoke after a moment of silence. At the man's nod he let out a sigh, of course. As far he recalled that library existed since Echidna's era -which was four hundred years ago- and Beatrice is a spirit taking care of it under her order. Roswaal may have access but it is clearly through inheritance, not because he was allowed to in the first place. 'Yet another problem to deal with, do I need to trigger some of her Flags next?' He thought sarcastically and sourly.
"Yoouu can reaaad the books in theeere if you want." Roswaal spoke in cheerful voice "Howeever, please remembeer that place is controlled by heeer. She can kick you oouuut at any time if she wish so."
"I know." Alex replied while pinching the bridge of his nose. "The second thing I want." He pursed his lips. "Well, it's more like an offer of partnership rather than a request."
"Oh?" Roswaal rose forward from his seat, face showing his interest "A partnership?"
"I have some metia from my homeland." Alex explained. "I have not seen anything like them since arriving here. Perhaps you will be able to recreate them. You could publicly share them in Emilia's name, increasing her popularity." He offered.
Roswaal seemed very intrigued at the idea, his fingers tapping his chin, he let out a hum. "Veeery intereeesting." He spoke slowly drawing out each syllable. "So you do support Emilia-sama to become King?"
It was more like a statement than a question.
"Truthfully? I'm not sure." Alex answered the Lord of the manor "I have yet to meet any other Royal Candidates. While I do approve of Emi becoming King, my opinion can still change." Emilia would make a just king, her heart was in the right place and she strived for equality over all things. The current economic crisis would need to be solved first before that can be achieved through. "But for now, I will support Emi because she is my friend. Spreading my Metia will also give her some standing concerning the other candidates. Even if I would choose to not directly support her, she would still be able to put up more of a fight."
Truth to be told, Alex was sure he was going to support Emilia, he did not have much of a choice. He needed her to get back home; things would just be awkward if he abandoned her for another candidate. Not that he would admit as much in front of Roswaal.
"Hmmmmm, is that soooo." Roswaal seems very pleased by the answer judging by his smile, "Very weell, I can see your poooint." He stated "Nooow." He leaned closer to Alex, his face showing an eager expression. "Tell me about this metia!"
*****
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