One of the reasons that the trip out to wherever Emilia lived took so long was because the earth dragons needed to be rested every two hours. Luckily, Reinhard had thought ahead and packed them sandwiches and some wine. During one rest stop near a bubbling river, Reinhard was providing directions to a group of traveling merchants who appeared to be lost.
Subaru had nothing to add to the conversation so he wandered over to the river.
Let's play with that ability some more: Indomitable. What exactly does it do? It seemed to stop Elsa from slicing me in half, or at least it did while it was still on but how does it work?
Subaru tried to activate it and felt the same old tingle that ended in a spasm of horrible pain.
OK, that does not feel good! Subaru gasped as he doubled over clutching his chest. So how does this work? A short period of undefined magical power and then searing pain? That's not very useful.
Subaru kept experimenting until he discovered that he could only sustain Indomitable for about five seconds. Any longer than that produced terrible convulsions in his heart. With a little more practice he started to sense when it was ready to be triggered. Essentially it was 5 seconds on and then a thirty second recharge before he could use it again.
OK, cool. So now that I understand that, what does this ability actually do?
Subaru remember how Elsa's blades had failed to even scratch him. He reached down to the ground and picked up a sharp rock. He triggered Indomitable then smashed the rock into his head as hard as he could.
The rock broke into pieces and Subaru didn't feel a thing.
Then Subaru sighed. Nice work, Subaru. Once again you demonstrate the 'act first, think later' kind of behavior that always makes you such a delight. Take a brief moment and imagine how much pain you would be in if you had guessed wrong about how that magic worked.
Subaru shook his head in bemusement.
So I guess this trick make me invulnerable, or nearly so, but only for five seconds? That's pretty neat. I mean, it's a really short window but it could be really powerful if I use it right. The thirty second cooldown is going to suck though.
I wonder if Indomitable makes me any stronger? I mean if I'm much more durable, does that mean that my hitting something would cause more damage? Does that make sense? Man, I wish I stayed awake in physics.
Subaru knelt down on a large boulder growing out of the earth that he and Reinhard had eaten their sandwiches on. He triggered Indomitable and then drove his fist into the stone as hard as he could. The top part of the boulder shattered into pieces.
"Huh. That's pretty cool," Subaru said, brushing the gravel off his clothes.
"Subaru," Reinhard called in a wary voice as he wandered over. "The carriage is set to depart if you're ready."
"Awesome," Subaru said, standing up.
Reinhard was looking at the shattered boulder with wide eyes. "Subaru, how did you do this?"
Subaru scratched his chin. "Well, I was fooling around and it just kind of happened," Subaru shrugged. "My father always told me I had one hell of a left hook."
Back in the carriage, Subaru was staring out the window watching the scenery drift by. Reinhard found himself trying to stare at Subaru while not being obvious about it. Subaru hadn't realized that Reinhard had finished giving the travelers directions and had come looking for him in time to watch Subaru play with his magic.
He shattered that boulder with his bare hand. That boulder was enormous. I certainly could have shattered it but I doubt Julius or Felix could have. So… what? That puts Subaru's power level somewhere between myself and Julius?
No it doesn't mean that at all. It means that he's more powerful than Julius and that's it. He might be far weaker than me. On the other hand, could he be as strong as me? Could he even be stronger?
"Red?" Subaru asked, looking out the window.
"Yes?"
"You've been staring at me for the past seven miles. Something on your mind?"
Reinhard flushed and didn't answer.
Subaru shrugged. "If you want to say something, say it. I'm not going to bite your head off."
Reinhard was silent for a moment. Should I simply ask him about his intentions and powers? Would that serve to tip my hand? I am not well equipped to play these types of mind games.
"Lord Subaru," Reinhard began.
"Lord?" Subaru echoed, turning away from the window to give Reinhard his full attention. "Oh man. You really don't think I'm going to like what you're about to tell me, do you?"
Reinhard clenched his jaw for a moment. "Subaru, where did your magic come from?"
Subaru shrugged. "Search me, I didn't have any back home. I came to this world and presto: special abilities."
He's telling the truth, Reinhard thought using his Blessing. Whatever strange powers he possesses they only manifested here. Could they be a gift of this world? And if so, why would the world grant him something monstrous like that dark pool of unfathomable potential? And why him? "What are these abilities?"
Subaru shifted a bit uncomfortably. "I'm still trying to figure that out. They seem a little weird. A little unpredictable."
Evasive but not technically a lie, Reinhard thought.
"Hey, is that a village?" Subaru asked.
Reinhard glanced out of the carriage. "Arlem," Reinhard replied. "It's the closest village to Lord Roswaal's manor. We're just a stone's throw away."
"Do you think we could stop there for a few minutes?"
"We certainly could but why?" Reinhard asked.
Subaru shrugged. "I'd just like to see what the people are like out in the country."
They stopped for more than a few minutes. Subaru and Reinhard had spent more than an hour in the village. Reinhard had been fawned over by the village chief and Subaru spent most of his time being swarmed by the village children, especially the two girls. The boys had been fascinated by the legendary Sword Saint and asked over and over again if he could show them his Dragon Sword. He regretfully informed them that the sword could only be drawn against worthy foes and thus he couldn't show it to them.
You'd think that Reinhard distracting all the boys would have made Subaru's life easier but this simply made Petra and Meili redouble their efforts to chase him down and climb all over him.
None of the villagers showed much interest in who Subaru was and Subaru didn't volunteer anything. In fact the Village Chief was fairly dismissive toward Subaru, clearly taking him as some kind of misbehaved servant, a conclusion Subaru received with good grace and obvious amusement. This disrespect annoyed Reinhard but if Subaru didn't object, his knight had no right to.
Thus it was mid afternoon before they arrived at Lord Roswaal's manor.
"Why don't I let you do the talking?" Subaru said with a smile as they climbed out of the carriage. "I'd really rather not be executed for unintentional rudeness today."
Reinhard wasn't sure which part of that statement he should correct first but a greeter interrupted him before he could respond.
"Welcome to Lord Roswaal's manor, Sir Reinhard," A maid with pink hair said with a formal bow. "We are honored by your presence. Regretfully, Lord Roswaal has gone upon an excursion to assist a village located to the north and will not return before supper. We invite you to await his return inside."
"We are most grateful," Reinhard said with a formal bow. Reinhard noticed out of the corner of his eye that Subaru was copying him. There's no reason for a Lord to bow before a maid, Reinhard thought. I'll need to give Subaru some instruction in basic courtesies before the public announcement of the selection.
"Subaru!" A voice called.
Emilia came running down to the carriage with a big smile on her face. She flung her arms around him and caught him in a hug. "You're OK!" She exclaimed.
Emilia's eyes suddenly grew very wide and she quickly pulled away from Subaru to his obvious disappointment. "Forgive me, that was very rude," Emilia said calmly with a formal bow.
Subaru's smile never flickered. "I don't consider hugs rude. Do you, Sir Reinhard?"
"No, not at all," Reinhard agreed with amusement.
"Ah, so this is the man I've heard so much about," The pink haired maid said in a bored tone. "The brave hero who thought he could block a sword strike with his own organs."
Reinhard frowned at the maid. This kind of disrespectful commentary was close to crossing a line.
Subaru just shrugged. "I worked with what I had. I really wanted her to hit me in my head, my father always told me it was terribly hard and nothing could get through it, but she didn't go for that."
"Ram, stop it," Emilia said. "Subaru saved my life. He was very brave."
"Yes, miss," Ram said without a note of contrition.
Ram turned around and walked back up the stairs to the house. "Please, come this way," She said, not bothering to look back and see if anyone was following her.
"Hello there, Subaru!" Puck said, popping into existence as they entered the house.
To Subaru's surprise, Puck seemed genuinely happy to see him and even floated down into his hands so that Subaru could pet him.
"Hello there yourself, Puck!" Subaru said, stroking the magic cat's fur. "How have you been?"
"Oh, fine," Puck said, closing his eyes and enjoying the stroking. "Subaru, I'm really grateful for what you did for Lia. For a second, I was afraid she might get hurt. I owe you big time. I'm actually glad I didn't kill you."
Uh. How does one respond to that comment?
"Me too," Subaru said lamely.
"Hm. What are you doing touching Betty's Bubby, I suppose?" A tiny blond girl in an elaborate pink and white gothic-lolita costume demanded.
"Bubby?" Subaru asked in confusion.
"She means me, Subaru," Puck said calmly. "This is my sister Beatrice."
Subaru frowned. Puck is a magical talking cat. His daughter is a half-elf and his sister is a… Whatever she is. I really want to get a look at this family tree!
"Oh, it's a pleasure to meet you," Subaru said, extending his hand to the girl with a smile. "Any friend of Puck and Emilia is a friend of mine."
Beatrice flushed a bit but folded her arms across her chest. "It is now Betty's time with Bubby so you need to get your hands off, I suppose," She huffed.
Subaru glanced at Emilia to see how she felt about this but there was no sign she was affected by Beatrice's demands. In fact, aside from Subaru and Reinhard, no one seemed to find this unusual at all.
"Of course, I'd hate to come between siblings," Subaru said awkwardly as he gently handed Puck to Beatrice.
"Hello, Bubby!" Beatrice cooed, becoming a completely different person and scampering off cradling the magical cat. She ran into a nearby room, not bothering to shut the door.
Subaru walked over to the room and peaked inside. The room was full of books from floor to ceiling and had a small futon that Beatrice lay on while cradling and caressing Puck.
This is kind of surreal.
"Nice place you've got here," Subaru commented, looking around from just outside the library.
Beatrice stopped fawning over Puck and immediately got a sour look on her face. "What are you doing in here, I suppose? You are not invited into Betty's library."
"Well, Betty, if you don't close the door you can't really complain about people walking in. I'm just saying," Subaru replied.
Beatrice fumed. "You are not welcome in Beatrice's library, in fact!"
Beatrice waved her hand and a force like a great gust of wind pushed Subaru out of the library and slammed the door in his face.
What's with this kid? What did I do to deserve that?
Subaru walked right back to the door and flung it wide.
"Hey! What's the big-" Subaru began.
The room inside was an ordinary storage closet.
Subaru rubbed his head wondering if he was going crazy.
"Beatrice is a Great Spirit like Puck, Subaru," Emilia explained from just behind him. "She can make her library appear inside any of the doors in the manor. When she changes her location no one can find her again until she wants them to."
"Can she now?" Subaru said with a smirk. He had an idea.
Subaru triggered Reason and Judgment.
The world froze around him and Subaru quickly scanned all the doors in the hallway.
No one can find her, huh? Sounds like maybe you should test that theory, Subaru thought. They've never seen anything like you. This seems like a fine time to demonstrate your capabilities. It's another chance to impress Emilia. Besides, it would be a shame for Ram and Reinhard to think you're just some guy after all.
Most of the doors seemed completely normal but one door was being pressed against its door frame; a small change that would have been completely undetectable by the naked eye. It suggested that something inside was putting pressure on that door.
Subaru restarted time and smiled, marching over to that door.
Ram looked annoyed. "What are you-?"
"Hello!" Subaru shouted, flinging the door open wide.
"Wah!" Beatrice cried, leaping off the futon in shock.
"Wow, Subaru. It's really impressive that you could find Betty's library again so quickly," Puck complimented.
"Thanks, Puck!" Subaru said, his good humor restored.
I feel awesome. I still have all the confidence from Reason and Judgment. It's lasting a while this time. Wish I could bottle the stuff.
"How did you find Betty's library in fact?" Beatrice demanded, staring at Subaru.
"Oh, probably just dumb luck," Subaru dismissed, leaning casually against the door frame. "So Beako, can I call you Beako? Great. I feel like we got off on the wrong foot here. How about we try being friends?"
Beatrice gaped at him, completely at a loss for words. Then her face turned bright red and Subaru had a mental image of steam pouring out of the little girl's ears. "Get out of my library!" She commanded, magically slamming the door shut in Subaru's face with a sound like thunder.
Subaru shook his head as the magical confidence faded.
Subaru inspected the slammed door. He was left with the uncomfortable impression that if his hand had been just a little bit further into the door frame, that door slam might have amputated a few fingers. He wasn't sure if Beatrice had moved her library again but Subaru thought that maybe he had tempted fate enough for one day.
Subaru looked behind him. Emilia and Reinhard looked shocked and even Ram seemed like she might be slightly impressed.
This made Subaru happy.
"So, shall we go?" Subaru asked.
"I really wanted to thank you, Subaru. You saved my life and recovered my insignia. I can't thank you enough," Emilia said as the two of them walked in the gardens.
Dinner wouldn't be ready for some time so Ram had suggested that Emilia show Subaru around.
Reinhard was being 'entertained' by Ram.
"Oh, anything for you, Tella," Subaru said, somewhere between amusement and annoyance.
Emilia flushed. "I'm… sorry about that," She said.
Puck, appearing out of nowhere, said: "Honestly, I don't know why you told him that in the first place, Lia."
"Me neither! What was the point of giving me a fake name?" Subaru asked. "I'm very deeply offended. I demand a reintroduction."
"You… what?" Emilia asked.
"I want to do it again," Subaru said firmly. He extended his hand. "My name is Subaru Natsuki."
Emilia looked at him in confusion then slowly took his hand. "My name is Emilia. Just Emilia."
"Great! Now that we've been formally introduced, we can move on," Subaru said with a smile.
Subaru resumed his walk more than a little amused by Emilia's baffled expression.
"Subaru, you're a good guy but you're also really really weird," Puck observed.
Subaru shushed him. "That's supposed to be a secret," He said with a wink.
Emilia laughed.
"So how did you get away from Beatrice?" Subaru asked Puck.
The cat shrugged in mid air. "I just told her that Lia needed a chaperon. She was in a pretty bad mood after you located her library in seconds anyway."
"Hm. Maybe I should have thought it through a little more before I pulled that stunt," Subaru mused.
He turned back to Emilia. "So Reinhard tells me you're trying to become the ruler of the country. I had no idea that I was spending the day running around town with a princess," Subaru said.
Emilia flushed and shook her head. "I'm not a princess. I grew up in the Elior forest. I only left the forest this year when Lord Roswaal found me and discovered that I was qualified to stand for election."
"So what, you woke up one morning and decided you wanted your own country?" Subaru asked with a chuckle. He debated telling her about his own insignia, then decided against it.
There's no point in my bringing the insignia up. I have absolutely no chance of being elected so there's no point in even taking it seriously. Telling Emilia about the insignia would simply make her wonder if we have to be enemies for no good reason.
Emilia walked in silence for a moment.
Subaru glanced at Emilia who wore a very somber look. Puck floated wordlessly behind Emilia looking concerned.
Subaru decided to change the subject. "Do you have a lot of friends and family in the forest?"
If anything, this question made Emilia looked even glummer and she shook her head. "No. That's why I need to become King," She said in a quiet voice.
"To make friends?" Subaru asked in confusion.
Emilia just walked on in silence.
The moment dragged on for some time. "So… why do you want to become King?" Subaru asked.
Emilia hesitated before replying. "It's really very selfish," She said with a shake of her head.
"I bet I can handle it," Subaru replied. "I can be pretty selfish at times myself."
Subaru noticed Puck out of the corner of his eye. The flying cat had his paws folded across his chest and he was looking at Subaru with a sour expression. Puck might have forgiven him for his lustful, possessive fantasies toward Emilia the other day but the magic cat clearly hadn't forgotten them.
Emilia stopped walking and seemed to mull it over for a moment. Finally she answered: "My people are cursed," She said in a whisper.
"What?"
"The elves of the forest were caught in some kind of…disaster. I was the only survivor," Emilia explained.
Subaru frowned and noticed that Puck seemed to be looking away awkwardly.
"The elves are all frozen solid, living statues in the forest. I need to become King so that I can acquire the sacred Dragon's Blood. Roswaal assures me that it can heal them but only the King has access to it."
"That's awful!" Subaru exclaimed.
Emilia nodded sadly. "I took care of their statues for years. Tending to them day after day. I'd do anything to free them. So you see, I'm really only doing this to get the blood. I sometimes feel like I should be disqualified from the selection for being selfish alone."
Subaru nodded, slowly thinking the matter through carefully.
"Um, Emilia? Where does the selfish part in this story come in?" Subaru asked.
Emilia blinked. "I just told you-"
"You told me that you want to save a large group of people, most of these people, I can assume, are not you. How is that selfish?" Subaru asked.
Emilia flushed. "They're my people! They're my family," She retorted angrily.
"And that makes you selfish?" Subaru asked skeptically. "If I did something nice for my mother, am I just being greedy because the person I'm making happy is someone I know? How far does that go? Does that theory of selfish behavior apply to my entire species or just my immediate family?" Subaru squinted at the sky as if deep in thought. "Let's take Felt the other day. Now, I gave her a bag of gold coins so she and Rom could get out of the slums. At the time I thought I was just being nice but maybe I'm actually being selfish. I mean, Felt is a member of my race, or I assume she is at least; those red eyes of hers are kind of freaky but she looks human. So maybe instead of being nice to Felt I was actually just trying to benefit a member of my own race: you know, make sure humans stay on top and keep the elves down!"
Emilia looked hopelessly confused by Subaru's impromptu speech.
"Oh, wait! It's even worse than that!" Subaru exclaimed in mock horror. "I also consider Felt a person who could be a friend! So not only am I trying to help a member of my own race but it's someone I feel a connection to! I'm a monster!" He gasped.
Emilia's mouth was moving but no sound came out. Puck just looked flabbergasted.
"Emilia!" Subaru said desperately, throwing himself at her feet and grabbing her hands. "It's hopeless. I can't control my selfishness. Please, lock me up in some dark hole someplace before I try to help again!"
The garden was dead silent except for a bird calling.
"Subaru, you dummy!" Emilia said, her face was bright red and she was clearly annoyed. She threw off his hands and pushed him away. "Get up! What are you doing?!"
Subaru smoothly got to his feet. "I was just giving you some perspective on how dumb your little 'I'm really very selfish' speech actually was. It sounds really stupid, right?" He said casually.
Emilia shook her head violently. "Subaru! It's not the same thing at all! I'm…," Emilia trailed off and turned away.
Subaru scratched his chin for a moment then smirked.
"Emilia, you told me I saved your life the other day. It seems to me like you owe me an enormous debt," Subaru mused.
Emilia turned to look at him and shifted uncomfortably. Puck's gaze was cold on Subaru. "Yes, that's true," She admitted. "I owe you everything."
"Then it seems only fair that you do something for me," Subaru replied.
Emilia considered that and then drew herself up straight. "Yes. I'll do whatever you want, Subaru," Emilia agreed firmly.
Subaru sensed that a nearby magical talking cat was thinking seriously about ending his life right now.
"I have an important mission that means a lot to me and I want your help carrying it out," Subaru said.
Emilia's face set in determination. "Of course. I'll help you in whatever way I can," She agreed.
"Great. So apparently there are a group of elves suffering under a terrible curse. They've been frozen solid," Subaru explained.
Emilia blinked.
"I'm determined to find a way to save them, come hell or high water, and you are going to help me do it," He said firmly.
Emilia's face was rapidly shifting from baffled to annoyed.
"I don't really have any solid plans right now, but someone I trust told me that maybe Dragon blood would-"
"Subaru!" Emilia exploded. "What are you talking about, you dummy?!"
"I want to cure the elves in the Elior forest. I thought I was being pretty clear about that," He answered.
"Why are you asking me to help you cure my people?!"
"Ah," Subaru said, raising a finger like a professor about to make a point. "But according to your rules, if I'm trying to save your people, whom I've never met by the way, I am not being selfish. And if you are doing it because I'm forcing you to repay a debt to me, then you're not being selfish either. Important distinction."
Emilia just stared at him.
Subaru sensed that the time for kidding around was over and he stepped closer to her. "We are going to cure them. I promise. Whatever the road, wherever it takes us. We will find a way. I'll help you save your people or I'll die trying," Subaru said seriously, extending his hand.
Huh. It's weird but I really mean what I'm saying. I genuinely want to help her. Not just because it might make Emilia like me better, I want to do it because it might make me like me better. I want to do things. I want to help. The truth is I always hated the loser I was back home; the joke that nobody expected anything from. I was terrified of the world, unwilling to try to do anything and completely dependent on my parents. I have a chance to reinvent myself here and I don't want to screw it up. I may not be a hero but I can at least be someone that other people can respect.
Emilia stared at Subaru's hand as if she had no idea what it was. Her eyes appeared very watery. "Subaru, why?"
"Why, what?" He shrugged.
"Why are you trying to help my people?" She murmured.
Subaru flushed a little. He didn't want to get into detail about his motivations, so he sidestepped. "I'm not trying to help your people," He said with a smile. "I'm trying to help you. See, Emilia, unlike you I am very very selfish. And I simply can't stand to see the people I care about cry. And I bet that if I heal your people, you're going to want to smile a lot. Therefore, I want to be there to see your smiles. Make sense?"
Emilia laughed and her tears started to fall.
Subaru started to hug her then thought better of it and just stood next to her and held her hands in his own until she stopped laughing and crying. Then the two resumed their walk through the garden.
Puck sighed from behind them. "Really, Subaru? You couldn't just say 'I want to help you?' You had to go through that ridiculous practical joke first?"
Subaru laughed.
"So, Subaru, where do you come from?" Emilia asked.
Subaru hid a smirk. "Oh, I come from another world," He said casually.
There was a momentary silence.
"Wait. What?!" Puck and Emilia said together.
Emilia just stared at Subaru, her eyes huge but she didn't pull her hand away.
"How intriguing," Roswaal commented. "If the two of you had intended to be married at the time of this incident, then your property and interests would be unified under law. That would even arguably allow you to carry each other insignias."
"Exactly," Subaru said, not letting go of Emilia's hand. "The Lady Emilia would never let anyone handle her insignia unless she knew they were completely committed to her goals." Subaru said with emphasis. "We met the other day in the market and it was love at first sight. I immediately begged her to marry me and she agreed. Right, my… love?" Subaru asked awkwardly.
Emilia seemed frozen in shock but then she blinked and nodded slowly. "Yes. Yes, that is exactly how it happened."
"My… future wife," Subaru struggled to say, "Asked me and my loyal companion Felt, who belongs to my faction, to hold her insignia for her while she went shopping because she was worried about pickpockets. We had a fun filled day in the city and then went to see Felt's grandfather in the slums. Elsa found us and then, well, Reinhard can tell the rest of the story."
"Sir Reinhard will be asked to give testimony," Roswaal mused. "Can he confirm your account or is he willing to be… flexible with his recollections?"
Reinhard's eyes widened. Will my Lord command me to lie? This is the proverbial knight trap. Whether I obey and lie under oath or whether I refuse to follow my Lord's instructions, I am disgraced regardless. I could be stricken of my knighthood or even imprisoned.
"I would never ask you to lie, Red," Subaru said firmly. "You weren't present when Emilia and I met right?"
"No," Reinhard replied.
"Then you can neither confirm nor deny Emilia and my account of that meeting. You also didn't meet Felt until the end of the day and I doubt she said much about our 'relationship' while I was bleeding out so you can't confirm or refute that either. If you tried to testify about what you suspect without any evidence to back it up that would be… what's the word? Purgatory or something?"
"Perjury," Roswaal corrected mildly.
"Yeah, that thing," Subaru said with a shrug. "Tell the truth, the full truth, and nothing but the truth. The reality is you weren't present for anything they would be interested in."
Reinhard flushed awkwardly. "I… have no certain knowledge that would contradict any of your statements. If I were under oath I could only confirm and refute the parts I know."
"Splendid," Roswaal murmured.
There was no point in them returning to the capitol so late at night, especially if the Sages' representative was expected early the next morning. The blue haired maid led Reinhard and Subaru to the guest quarters.
"Excuse me, I don't think I caught your name," Subaru said.
"My name is Rem," The maid said, not turning around or breaking stride.
Damn. The maids in this place are terribly unfriendly. I feel like anime lied to me about how pleasant and frisky a maid should be. Or wait, could it be personal? Shit, she probably caught me looking at her breasts.
Subaru bit his lip and gave up on making nice with Rem for the moment.
Alright. Tomorrow is a new day. I'll turn on the charm and see if I can convince her to at least tolerate me. Not getting caught staring at her breasts will probably help.
She led them into a spacious room with two beds.
"Someone will wake you for breakfast. Goodnight," Rem said, closing the door before either of them could respond.
"You know," Subaru said to Reinhard conversationally. "I get the funny impression she might not like me."
"She did seem a little terse. Both maids do in fact," Reinhard agreed as he inspected an old sword that hung on the wall. "I hope it doesn't bother you that we need to share a room."
"Not at all!" Subaru replied, "I don't think it's the first time. How many hours did you spend in that chair waiting for me to wake up?"
Reinhard glanced away uncomfortably.
"Anyone got a calculator?" Subaru mused, getting undressed. "My debt to you seems to keep growing longer."
"What's a calculator?" Reinhard asked.
"Device where I come from, it's used to do math."
"Like an abacus?"
"Sort of," Subaru agreed and slipped under his covers.
Reinhard blew out the lights and then got into his own bed.
"Night, Red."
"Goodnight, Subaru." Reinhard yawned.
"Red?"
"Hm?"
"I know that you were assigned to me but thanks for coming with me out here anyway. You and Emilia are the only friends I've got on this planet. So thanks for keeping an eye on me. I really appreciate it," Subaru mused.
Reinhard was silent a moment. "You're welcome."
Subaru woke up in the middle of the night. He wanted to go back to sleep but unfortunately he really needed to find a bathroom.
Subaru slipped out of his room and, wearing only his shorts, began roaming down the hall.
I guess I forgot to ask where the bathrooms are. Actually, you'd think Ram or Rem would have pointed them out to us anyway. I guess Rem really was angry with me. Wait, do they even have bathrooms here? What do you do when you need to pee at night? I know that old timey places had chamber pots but I didn't see anything like that in the room. Maybe they're not left in bedrooms. I mean, they wouldn't smell very good. So maybe the bathroom or whatever is where the chamber pot is kept? Well great, all I need to do is search this enormous house for anything that looks like a pot and pray that I don't accidentally defile the cookware.
Whatever. I can figure this out. At least I hope I can. Oh God, please don't make me wake up Red and tell him I don't know where to pee at night. Yeah, not doing that. I'll open a window and improvise before I take that step.
Subaru looked around the hallway but all the doors looked the same. He tried using Reason and Judgment but found nothing that suggested what was behind any of these doors. He wondered if there was anyone up he could ask for directions. It sounded like someone was still awake in the house. He heard a faint sound like chains rattling together. He really hoped it wasn't somebody in a dungeon or something. That would be creepy.
OK, I am not just going to start opening doors at random. With my luck the first one would be Emilia's room. Actually, that might be OK. We are engaged after all right?
On second thought, that would be a pretty sketchy thing to do to Emilia. The two of us haven't even kissed yet and sneaking into her bedroom is way beyond acceptable. Besides, Puck would almost certainly kill me if I tried something like that. Oh right, Puck probably doesn't even know about the engagement yet. That's going to be a real fun conversation in the morning.
On top of that if I just start randomly opening doors I have even odds of accidentally opening the door to the twins' bedroom. That would be a fun mistake to try to explain to everybody. Assuming I even lived long enough to try.
The sound of rattling chains was getting louder, coming up behind him. Subaru turned around to investigate.
A spiked morning star came flying at Subaru's head.
Subaru would have died but in a panic he invoked Indomitable. The star came straight at Subaru's face and he instinctively punched it in the other direction as hard as he could.
The spikes didn't even scratch his skin and his blow instantly reversed the mace's direction sending it flying back down the hall with the speed of a guided missile. The chain was dragged out of its wielder's hand and the morning star struck a statue a fifty yards down the hall, obliterating it with a sound like thunder.
Subaru bent over in agony. He'd gotten distracted and he'd forgotten to shut off Indomitable. He couldn't move and could barely breathe. He was helpless.
Before Subaru could even blink Reinhard was standing in the hallway, half naked. He had a short dull sword in his hand. Subaru guessed that he plucked it off the wall. And the sword was hovering over… Rem.
"Subaru, are you alright?" Reinhard shouted.
"Fine," Subaru answered, panting for breath. "She never even scratched me," He said, standing back up and trying for a cocky grin.
Reinhard looked grim as he looked down at Rem. "Attempted murder of a royal candidate is a crime punishable by death," He declared, raising his sword.
"Reinhard, wait!" Subaru yelled, staggering over to him.
Reinhard looked shocked. "Subaru! She tried to kill you."
"Yes, I know, buddy. I was there," Subaru replied with forced humor. "I just think we should always ask a few questions before killing anybody."
"Rem," Ram said coldly, marching up to them in her uniform carrying a lit candelabra.
"Doesn't anyone sleep around here?" Subaru muttered.
"Subaru!" Emilia yelled, running up in a purple night gown. "What happened?!"
Rem stared down at her sister. "You have attacked a guest without provocation. You have betrayed Lord Roswaal's trust. There is only one punishment possible for such a betrayal. Banishment," Ram said. Subaru saw the tears in her eyes but Ram's voice was ice cold.
"Sister!" Rem gasped.
"Oh, Rem, why would you try to hurt Subaru?" Emilia asked.
"Banishment is hardly the fate she deserves," Reinhard said coldly. "She attacked an unarmed innocent man in cold blood. Such actions merit immediate execution-"
"Lord Roswaal has authority here and he has decreed-" Ram interrupted.
"Hey! Everybody! Stop talking!" Subaru shouted.
Everyone stared at Subaru in shocked silence.
"Thank you," Subaru nodded. "Now, not to sound arrogant or anything but since I was the one attacked I feel like I should have the right to ask a few questions before we decide what to do."
Subaru walked up to Rem and knelt down next to her. Reinhard watched the situation grimly. Rem was unarmed and the Sword Saint stood nearby. Rem wouldn't survive long enough to lay a finger on Subaru if she tried anything.
"Rem," Subaru asked gently. "Why would you try to kill me? Have I insulted you in some way?"
She wouldn't really have tried to kill me just because I was looking at her breasts, right? I hope?
"You know why!" Rem almost hissed.
Subaru looked at Reinhard and Emilia for clues but they seemed as lost as he was. Subaru turned back to Rem. "Um, Rem? Why don't you just pretend I'm stupid and enlighten me?"
Rem stared at Subaru with loathing. The look she gave Subaru was so full of naked venom that he struggled not to recoil. "You are a Witch Cultist!"
Subaru frowned and glanced at Reinhard. "Translation?"
"These are the monsters who killed our parents and destroyed our village." Ram said flatly.
"Hey, I wasn't involved in that!" Subaru protested. "I only got to this land a few days ago!"
"The Witch Cultists are a group of fanatical terrorists who plague the continent," Reinhard explained. "They worship the Witch of Envy."
Emilia stiffened.
"Oh right, you mentioned the Witch," Subaru nodded. He turned back to Rem. "Rem, I haven't met a single witch since I've been here." He paused. "So far as I know," Subaru amended. "Regardless, I promise you I am not involved in any cults."
"You must have truly extraordinary evidence against this guest," Ram interrupted. "To merit dismissing the endorsement of both Lady Emilia and Sir Reinhard and attacking unprovoked."
"I'm really not a Witch Cultist. I'm not even from this world. I don't know what the Witch Cult is," Subaru explained.
"You reek of the Witch's stench," Rem spat at Subaru.
Subaru blinked and discretely tried to sniff himself.
"You stand convicted of attempted murder," Reinhard said.
"Lord Roswaal orders you to depart his lands forthwith," Ram pronounced. "You will never be allowed to return!"
"Ram!" Rem gasped.
"But Ram she's your sister-" Emilia protested.
"Exile is an outrageously merciful-" Reinhard argued.
"I feel like I should get a vote here!" Subaru yelled. "I mean, I was the one attacked."
Ram glanced at him. "And what would your be vote?" She asked coldly.
"Well," Subaru hesitated. He knew this was dumb but the thought of Reinhard running the girl through with that sword made him want to throw up. He could already picture the vast pool of blood spreading across the carpet. It was like a flashback to the night Elsa slashed him. "Could we just pretend… this didn't happen? I mean nobody actually got hurt. `Cept for that statue," He added.
Subaru sighed. "Rem, I'll make you a deal. You wait until you actually see me trying to do something nefarious before you kill me and we can just write off this whole incident as a bad mistake." He paused. "It's one thing to kill evil people. If I really was a Witch Cultist here to threaten your sister and your home then I'd understand you attacking me. You'd be acting in self defense. But it's important that you're sure that the person you're killing actually deserves it. It's really very hard to put a shattered life back together if you start having second thoughts, Rem," He finished sadly.
Everyone except Ram stared at Subaru. Ram simply sniffed. "Lord Roswaal predicted that you might say that. He informed me that if Subaru requested it, Rem could remain here in her current role."
Ram then turned around and calmly walked away as if there was simply nothing more to be said.
Rem stared at Subaru in naked astonishment for a moment.
"Come along, Rem," Ram called.
Rem would have followed her but Reinhard again pressed his sword to her throat. "Subaru! Are you… certain?" Reinhard asked.
Subaru shifted uncomfortably. "I don't really think she'll do it again. And nobody got hurt so… I'd really rather not have to kill her," Subaru kept picturing the huge pool of blood that he had seen spreading around his body before he lost consciousness in the loot house. The notion of doing that to somebody else, or getting Reinhard to do it, made him sick to his stomach.
Reinhard glowered at Rem but ultimately stepped away lowering his sword. "My lord's commands are absolute," Reinhard murmured. "But should you threaten Subaru again you will die before you ever see if your blow lands."
Rem gave Subaru a suspicious look but then hurried after her sister.
"Are you sure that was wise?" Reinhard asked Subaru quietly.
"No," Subaru admitted. "But I'm not sure it would have been wise to kill her either and that's much more important."
Subaru stared after the departing maids. "Damn it. I meant to ask them where the bathroom was."
Emilia had told him where to find the bathroom and now that he had relieved himself, Subaru and Reinhard were settling back into bed. Reinhard had insisted on accompanying his lord and waiting outside the bathroom to prevent any further attacks, a habit that Subaru truly hoped he would break shortly. On the bright side, they apparently did have things like toilets and bathtubs and showers here. He guessed they functioned off magic instead of indoor plumbing but it was just good to know that he would be able to stay clean.
Subaru laid back, resting his head on his arms. He didn't think he'd get back to sleep very soon. "Reinhard?" Subaru called.
"Yes?"
"It occurs to me that I never got around to asking you what you thought about my engagement," Subaru paused. "I mean, the one that Emilia and I made the other day, of course."
"Yes, of course," Reinhard said with a snort.
"So do you have an opinion on it?"
Reinhard sighed. "You certainly don't need my approval."
"I wasn't really asking for your approval. I was just curious what you thought."
Reinhard was quiet for a moment. "Subaru. Tell me something, how… invested were you in the royal selection?"
Subaru took a deep breath. "Before I told Emilia that I'd help her, you mean? Not very, to be honest. I didn't want to disrespect you or your culture, but the notion of me being a leader, well it's almost funny. I know nothing at all about Lagunica. I can't read the language, I have no idea about the history or the culture. Wouldn't claiming I could rule Laguncia effectively, lead it to a brighter future after being here for all of three days be… well the height of arrogance?"
Well, now that I've told Emilia I'll help her win the election to help her people, I guess I'm all in. I may now qualify as the most cocky man in history. It's probably decisions like this that convinced the 'whoever it was' that I deserved that Authority of Pride thingy.
Subaru was silent a moment. "You want to know the truth, Red? When I first met you the other day, I'd been here for all of ten minutes. I was so excited. This was a brand new world and I felt like… I'd been sent here for a reason."
Reinhard glanced at Subaru. "Why do you think you were sent here?"
Subaru gave a deprecating chuckle. "It's stupid."
Reinhard didn't reply.
After a moment or two, Subaru sighed. "I was… pretty worthless back home. Nobody expected much of anything from me. Nobody except my parents really cared if I was alive. I thought maybe I'd been sent here so that I could be more than that. That maybe I could be someone special here. Maybe even be something like a hero…"
Reinhard turned over to look at Subaru. "Don't you think that you are?"
Subaru laughed. "Red, you are by far the nicest guy I've ever met!" Subaru paused for a moment. "You know, when we met the other day, if you'd handed me that insignia I would have been over the moon. I would have told you flat out that I was the perfect man to be king. Give me six months, I'll whip this country into shape!" Subaru laughed at himself.
He shook his head. "But things are a lot more complicated than that. The fight with Elsa reminded me of how far down the food chain I really am. I'm not a hero, I'm just me. But… at the same time, that doesn't mean I have to be the same loser I was back on my world. I can do little things to help.
"It's weird. I know back home I had the same small opportunities to help make people's lives better but I never really thought that much about them. But I come here and suddenly I'm motivated to try."
Subaru chuckled. "It's probably Emilia's influence. Maybe I'm just really motivated to show off for a pretty girl."
Reinhard looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully. "Subaru, Lady Emilia told me how you pushed her out of the way of Elsa's attack. What was your plan for dealing with the Bowel Hunter?"
Subaru snorted. "Plan? What plan? I totally thought Elsa was going to cut me in half!"
"So, you were going to save Lady Emilia at the cost of your own life?"
"Well, I didn't really think of it like that. If I had stopped to think it through I probably wouldn't have been able to move! I just wanted to protect Emilia. Like I said: I'm a sucker for a pretty face," Subaru snickered.
"And then you gave Felt and Rom every coin you had?"
"Hey, those guys really needed it. You saw the way they lived," Subaru replied.
"My friend," Reinhard said. "I think you have a distorted idea of what being a hero really is. You showed true courage and true kindness that night. I think you are seriously underrating yourself."
Subaru was quiet for a long time. "You really think so?"
"I do. I was going to request to be your knight not simply because I felt it necessary to watch you, but because you showed courage and kindness I have rarely seen."
"Watch me?" Subaru asked.
Reinhard was silent for a long moment and then sighed. "It seems the time has come to confess my sins. I have played you false, my friend. This was inexcusable both as a friend and a knight of the realm. I will accept any penance you deem-"
"Red," Subaru interrupted impatiently. "I don't believe for a minute that anything you did wasn't motivated by the best of intentions, so just fess up so I can forgive you."
Reinhard sighed again. "The day we met, two of my Blessings activated. My Blessing of Judgment and my Blessing of Empathy."
"Judgment…" Subaru mused. "Didn't you use that on me once? That's what told you I didn't have any powers?"
"Yes," Reinhard agreed. "But it told me more than that. I sensed inside of you… power. Enormous dangerous power, the likes of which I had never encountered before," He paused. "Truthfully, I was tempted to challenge you then and there. I wondered if you might not have been a danger to the city."
"Huh. Well, that would have been a real quick fight," Subaru observed. "Why didn't you attack me then?"
"My Blessing of Empathy told me that you had no foul intentions. You had no desire to hurt anyone. So I decided I had no right to interfere with you but I resolved to find you later and make sure that I hadn't been mistaken," Reinhard said.
"Sounds reasonable. I probably would have done the same thing so don't beat yourself up over it, Red. Besides the next time I saw you, you saved my life. That kind of inclines me to forgive you," Subaru chuckled. He paused. "What made you decide to tell me about this now?"
"You did," Reinhard replied. "You risked your life to save the Lady Emilia. You offered every coin you had to a slum girl most would have ignored or abused. You showed pity and forgiveness to a woman who tried to kill you without just cause. If all this is an act to convince me that an evil being is kind and noble hearted, it is too good a act for my feeble brain and I confess myself fooled."
"Thank you, Red." Subaru replied. "I think."
"I simply couldn't understand why such a kind person would be given such dark power. It made no sense," Reinhard mused.
"Well, don't ask at me," Subaru replied. He frowned. "Red, do you think there might be some truth to Rem's suspicion? Could I connected to those cultists and their witch?"
Reinhard didn't answer right away. "Subaru, why do you think you were sent here?"
"No idea," Subaru chuckled. "Probably at random, or maybe by mistake. Why? Do you have any ideas?"
Reinhard paused a moment. "I wonder if you were selected to hold this power and to keep it safe and harmless. If perhaps such dangerous magic needed a guardian and the world chose you?"
"Hard to believe I would be anyone's first choice for anything. Frankly, I think you'd be a much better candidate, Red." Subaru commented.
"Hm," Reinhard answered. "So what will you do at the royal selection? Will you return your insignia?"
"Nope, can't do that," Subaru replied. "I made Emilia a promise and that promise means something to me. I'm going to do everything I can to help her heal her people. That means I'm going to run for the throne just as hard and as fast as I can. I mean, we can't win," Subaru admitted with a rueful laugh. "But if we can just do well enough to change the conversation that might be enough."
"I'm afraid I don't understand."
"Well, if we do well enough in the selection then one of our rivals might make a bargain for our support: they give us the blood, we drop out of the race and give them our support. Besides, in a campaign my rivals need to have an answer for whatever I say, right? If I say that the poor of Lagunica are suffering in misery and I have a plan to raise the quality of life across the whole country, the other candidates need to say something on the topic. Otherwise they'll be at a disadvantage. If that conversation becomes a major part of the campaigns, anyone who wants to get elected needs to build their own platforms to help the poor and disadvantaged in the kingdom. If I play this right, I could force the new king to commit to making serious reforms without ever coming close to the throne."
"I never thought of it like that," Reinhard muttered. "How will you do it? Will you feel around for offers for your withdrawal at the opening ceremony?"
Subaru winced. "Red, you are my dear friend and quite definitely the best man I have ever met but you would make a horrible salesman. If you tell someone that you want out, you're telling them you'll accept a pittance for them to buy you out. No, we can't take this easy. We can't win but we damn better make it look like we can. Never underestimate the power of the bluff. I want to walk into that opening ceremony and terrify the hell out of all the other candidates. They need to know that Emilia and I are their major opponents in claiming the throne. As soon we clear up Emilia's problem with the Sages' council, she and I need to go to school."
"School?"
"Metaphorically speaking. We need to practice our speeches, we need to prepare our policies, we need fifteen different answers for every conceivable question. I want the other candidates to leave the ceremony feeling like they were unprepared and got blindsided."
"Are you really doing all of this for the Lady Emilia?"
"Well no, not all of it. I'm also trying to do it for Felt and Rom who are considered disposable human beings. And for Petra and Meili who told me they don't always have enough to eat in the winter. And maybe even for those little boys in the village who kept dog piling me to the ground," Subaru grumbled which led Reinhard to laugh. "If I can bring all of their stories into the selection, if I can make the nobles care about what happens to them, then maybe I really can make things change," Subaru paused, "And in a weird way I'm doing all of this for me.
"It's funny. The old me would have just slow walked a project like this. If I thought victory was unlikely I probably wouldn't have bothered doing anything more than the minimum required. I'd have given up before I even started.
"I don't think I like the old me very much. Here, I actually have a chance to reinvent myself; to be someone better than I was in my world. This time, I'm kind of excited to go all in and see what I can really do when I'm pushed to it." Subaru stopped and then laughed at himself. "All that said, of course, the real reason I jumped into this was because Emilia needed me to."
"Do you love her?"
Subaru was quiet for a long time. "No. I barely know her," He sighed. "She's gorgeous. She's kind, sweet, and brave. I am hugely attracted to her. I think we're going to be close friends. I hate to see her cry and apparently I'm willing to move mountains to prevent her tears. But I'm also well aware that I barely know her. It would take a long time for us to fall in love, assuming we ever do." Subaru chuckled derisively. "But wouldn't it be fun trying?"
"In that case, Subaru, I can also answer your other question."
"Which question was that?"
"How do I feel about the engagement," Reinhard answered.
"Oh, right. That one."
"I think you did a very noble thing. It was a generous deed regardless of your personal motivations and no matter how it works out, I don't think you'll regret trying."
"Thanks, buddy," Subaru said. "That means a lot coming from you."
"There's just one thing about this plan that I admit I don't understand."
"What's that?"
"If you were going to run seriously for the throne anyway, why did you need to marry Emilia? Couldn't you have either won the selection or negotiated for withdrawal on your own and then simply given Emilia the blood you acquired?"
"…Wait! That was an option?!"
The next morning, Rem came to the room as the boys were finishing getting dressed.
"Good morning," Rem said in a neutral tone. "Breakfast will be served shortly." Her demeanor was formal but her eyes remained suspicious when she looked at Subaru.
"Wonderful," Reinhard said coldly. "Allow me to assist you preparing it." He said to Rem in a tone that didn't brook refusal.
Rem stared at Reinhard for a moment then bowed and left the room without a word followed by Reinhard. As Reinhard followed Rem out he gave Subaru a look, wordlessly bidding him to be careful.
Subaru nodded.
Subaru gave Reinhard and Rem a few minutes to get ahead of him. He didn't think Rem would actually try anything if he was near her but she would also be wishing him a painful death with every look she gave him and Reinhard could misinterpret her hate as an impending attack. He thought Rem would be safer if he was nowhere near her.
I'm worrying about the safety of someone who tried to kill me last night, Subaru thought. What's next? Asking Elsa if she just needs a hug?
Subaru left his room and headed down to the dining room.
Along the way Subaru saw Emilia making the same journey.
"Good morning, Subaru," Emilia said with an awkward smile. "Are you OK?"
"Sure! Never better! What because of that assassination attempt? Come on, that was nothing! I'm averaging an attempted murder every day since I got here!" He said with an uncomfortable laugh. "How did you sleep?"
"Fine," Emilia answered.
The conversation stopped and they both stared at each other.
Subaru coughed. "Um, so you think we could talk a minute before going downstairs?"
"Of course," Emilia answered.
Subaru stepped close to a large window overlooking the courtyard and gaze out at the beautifully manicured grounds. Emilia stood beside him.
"So…" Subaru began, "We didn't really have much of a chance to talk yesterday after I, you know, after I-"
"Asked me to marry you?" Emilia asked with a wry smile.
"Oh good. You do remember that part," Subaru quipped.
Emilia tittered.
Subaru sighed. "Look, I know I didn't give you much chance to think about it. It was the only way I could think of to keep you in the election. And I don't really know how you feel about… well, fuck, anything! I don't know what your views on marriage are, I don't know what you're looking for in a man, hell maybe you're already in love with someone else and I've just made your life twice as complicated by this stunt!" Subaru continued talking very fast. "We don't actually have to get married if you don't want to, we could dissolve the engagement after the selection is over. I mean, I just wanted you to know that I really do care about you. I'm only trying to help you out and if you can think of a better strategy to handle things I will do my best to do whatever you want."
Subaru stopped talking only because he was completely out of breath.
Emilia looked at him strangely.
Subaru closed his eyes. "Emilia, please say something. I'm dying here."
"It's just…" She murmured. "I never really thought I'd get married. I'm a silver haired half-elf."
"Do elves not get married?" Subaru asked.
Emilia shook her head. "No, it's not that. The Witch of Envy was a silver haired half-elf so most people hate me on sight."
Subaru took a moment to absorb that. "Well, that's just dumb. Your appearance doesn't say anything about who you are as a person."
Emilia was speaking quickly, "I know you don't love me but I'm grateful that you're trying to help me save my people. I don't know anything about being a wife and I'm probably going to be bad at it but I promise I'll do my best to try and make you happy."
Subaru blinked.
Emilia was staring at him, panting as if she just run a marathon, waiting for his response.
"Well," Subaru said slowly. "I mean I don't love you yet but I'd really like to."
"I don't follow," Emilia replied.
"Well, I'm just saying we barely know each other! I mean, you're gorgeous, you're brave, and you're kind, I feel like you'd be really easy to fall in love with! I just think it kind of takes time," Subaru shrugged. "You're clearly the one getting the short end of the stick here. I'm a stranger in these lands who doesn't know anybody, doesn't know the customs or history, and can't even read the language. Frankly my whole life I've been kind of a loser and I'm not sure how much help I can be but I promise that I'll try my hardest to help you save your people."
"Don't talk about yourself that way!" Emilia said with surprising heat. "You saved my life in town! And if you hadn't helped me find my insignia I would have already lost my right to stand for election. Then you offered to… marry me to keep me in the election," Emilia finished with a blush. She glanced away. "I know this isn't what you wanted… marrying a half-elf will mean everyone will treat you differently."
"Great. Easy way to identify all the assholes so I don't waste my time trying to be nice to them," Subaru yawned.
Emilia blinked.
"You're a good person, Emilia. You're determined to help your people. Anyone who looks at you and sees something evil is blind and an idiot on top of it. Maybe we'll never fall in love, Emilia but I'll always be your friend. And no matter what happens I'll always be proud to stand beside you," Subaru said earnestly.
Emilia's eyes started tearing up.
"Oh shit, what did I say?" Subaru said chagrined. "I'm sorry, Mili. I never think before I talk. You've probably noticed that about me. Whatever I said that upset you, I'm really sorry."
"I'm not upset," Emilia said with a weak laugh, wiping her tears. "I'm happy!"
"Oh. Well. I have no idea what I could have said to make you happy but I'm thrilled that I said it!" Subaru replied.
Emilia laughed, "Subaru, you're so dumb."
"Yes I am," Subaru agreed wryly. "Um, so what would you say to going on a date sometime?"
"What's a date?"
Subaru blinked. "A date…," He said slowly. "Is… like part of courtship."
"But we're already engaged," Emilia pointed out.
"Sure! But we don't know each other very well. A date is a chance for people who like each other to go out together, do fun things, learn about each other and maybe develop a deeper emotional connection. Besides even after we're… married, there's no reason we should stop dating! It's part of maintaining a bond with your… lover. Well, that's what my Dad told me anyway," He finished lamely.
Emilia looked intrigued. "In that case, I think I'd like to go on a date."
"Awesome!" Subaru exclaimed, taking her hand with a broad grin.
Emilia also started to smile and they simply stared at each other for a moment.
Subaru coughed. "So, shall we go down to breakfast?"
Emilia flushed. "Um, there's one thing I thought maybe we should take care of first."
"What's that?"
"We should really tell Puck about our engagement."
The blood drained from Subaru's face. "You didn't tell him?"
"No," Emilia glanced away, pulling some of her silver hair across her face like a veil. "I thought maybe we could tell him together."
Oh great, Subaru thought. If she's afraid to tell him, then what chance do I have? He's going to splatter me all over the walls!
Emilia took a deep breath. "Marriage is about doing things together after all," She said with the earnestness of a child.
Subaru rolled his eyes toward heaven. Well, what can I possibly say to that?
"OK," Subaru sighed. "Let's tell him."
Emilia nodded.
"You won't let him kill me, will you?"
Emilia gave him an amused smile. "Subaru, it won't be that bad," Emilia said.
I really wish you sounded like you had more confidence in what you were saying, Subaru thought.
"OK, let's talk to Daddy," Subaru said, squaring his shoulders and sitting down on the window still.
Emilia sat beside beside him and placed her other hand on the green gem hanging around her neck and closed her eyes.
A moment later the air in front of them shimmered and a small gray cat appeared, floating curled up in thin air. Puck yawned and stretched.
"Mmm. Good morning, Lia. Hi, Subaru," Puck said.
Emilia flushed but didn't say anything.
Oh, come on, Mili. You're going to make me do this all alone?! Whatever happened to 'marriage is about doing things together?!' I mean, I guess it's traditional for the man to ask the Father's permission but there's nothing traditional about asking a magical talking cat if you can marry his daughter!
Subaru cleared his throat, wondering if Indomitable would let him survive jumping through the window and landing in the courtyard three floors below in case he needed to make a quick escape.
"Puck," Subaru began slowly. "Emilia and I, wanted to talk to you. We have something… very important to tell you."
I feel like I'm counting down the final seconds of my life here, Subaru thought.
"Oh? What's that?" Puck asked with a yawn.
"So," Subaru squared his shoulders. "You may be unaware of this but yesterday we found out that Emilia's qualifications to serve in the royal selection were called into question because her insignia was stolen. Felt and I handled it so that actually disqualifies her."
"Oh no," Puck said. Subaru was a little taken aback by Puck's tone. Puck sounded as if Subaru had been describing Emilia's long arranged picnic being ruined by a surprise rainstorm. "I'm sorry, Lia."
"The thing is, it's only a problem if the insignia leaves Emilia's control, so we decided to recruit Felt into the camp. The issue is that I also held Emilia's insignia and I'm qualified to stand in the selection so I can't join her camp. So we put our heads together and thought of a way to keep Emilia in the selection," Subaru continued.
"Oh? What's that?" Puck asked sounding only vaguely curious.
Subaru swallowed hard. "I asked Emilia to marry me."
Puck was silent but his eyes narrowed.
"I've sworn to help Emilia to save her people and by proposing to her we can keep Emilia in the royal selection and give her a chance to do that."
"You want… to marry… my daughter…," Puck rumbled like an approaching thunderstorm.
Well, it's not going as well as I hoped but so far it's not quite as bad as I expected, Subaru thought.
"Yes-"
"What makes you think you could ever be good enough for Lia?" Puck demanded and small shards of floating ice crystals began to form around the incensed cat.
"Puck-" Emilia protested.
"I don't," Subaru said clearly.
Emilia and Puck both looked at Subaru.
Subaru invoked Reason and Judgment to freeze time.
Wait. 'I don't?' As in 'I don't think I'm good enough for Emilia?' What a ridiculous comment! I was the one who found her insignia. I was the one who devised the plan to keep her in the royal selection. I'm the one who risked his life to protect her. What has Puck done recently beside making clever comments and gotten in the way? He's questioning if I deserve Emilia? Who in the world is he to determine that?
Alright. Let's keep our focus here, Subaru sighed. Silly as your comment was, it was probably a shrewd gambit. It will likely make Puck listen to you at least for a moment. And it is critical to keep Puck happy, or at least make him provisionally accept the situation if you don't want to be turned into an ice cube or bounced all over the courtyard. So what does the annoying cat really want to hear right now?
Well he's angry that I'm trying to take his daughter away. Can't do too much about that. I could try the 'you're not losing a daughter, you're gaining a son' trope but instinct tells me that would just make him blow me out the window at Mach 3. He also thinks I could never deserve her in a million years. Perhaps that's my best tactic: to reassure him that I take this opportunity seriously because it's an opportunity far above my 'station.'
Subaru restarted time.
Oh shit. Reason and Judgment's confidence is disappearing like water into dry sand. What the fuck! I really need it right now. Sometimes it lasts for minutes and sometimes it vanishes instantly. What the hell are the rules?
Oh well. I have to say something!
"I don't have any reason to think I'm good enough for Emilia," Subaru said honestly. "She's beautiful, brave, and selfless and she totally deserves better than some loser who rarely comes out of his room. I'm just trying to help her. Mostly, I'm blundering along on persistence and effort but she accepted me anyway."
Puck tilted his head. He didn't look any friendlier but at least he was listening. "Subaru, I haven't forgotten that the last time Lia followed you around, you almost got her killed," Puck growled. "What happens if I let her be with you and she does get… hurt?"
Crap what do I say. I need to think.
Subaru triggered Reason and Judgment and time froze.
Wait. 'Let' her be with me? Puck, your daughter in a grown up! You can't tell her what to do. On the other hand in all fairness if I was a magical talking cat, that might be older than the whole world for all I know, I'd probably have a different definition of what being an adult means too. So how do I appease the magic flying cat? I suppose the best way of handling these types of confrontations is always to do what your opponent doesn't expect.
He unfroze time.
Still suffused with Reason and Judgment's confidence, Subaru didn't hesitate. "If Emilia comes to harm, take my head. I won't need it anymore."
Well, that's certainly an easy promise to make. Glad that I'm still feeling Reason and Judgment's calm or I'd be freaking out right now. There's no way I can stop Puck from killing me whenever he wants. If it really comes down to it, I might as well bow my head and accept my death with dignity rather than running away screaming and living maybe a fraction of a second longer. But the important thing is that offering my life as collateral might at least convince Puck that I'm taking this responsibility seriously.
Puck's sharp ice crystals moved closer to Subaru, one crystal's tip poking him lightly in the throat.
"That is a very dangerous price to offer, Subaru," Puck said.
"Puck! Stop this!" Emilia demanded.
"I can't promise that Emilia will never get hurt with me," Subaru said, ignoring the ice and looking Puck dead in the eye. "The only people who could make you a promise like that are liars and fools.
Subaru saw Puck's eyes narrow but at least he was listening.
What would an actual… hero say in a situation like this? How would a character from an anime win over a skeptical father? Well, probably by beating him up but that isn't an option here. Think about all those romance animes you'd never admit to watching. Act like one of those guys.
"What I can promise is that no matter what happens, Emilia will always be in the forefront of my thoughts and that her safety and happiness will be primary concern," Subaru said.
Damn. I feel the confidence fading again.
"I promise to keep learning how to be a better partner and I promise that even if Emilia decides I'm not the man for her, I'll remain her steadfast friend and my admiration for her will be no less," Subaru finished.
Puck's tail lashed but he didn't say anything.
Emilia was staring at the floor while blushing furiously.
"Lia," Puck said, not looking away from Subaru. "Is this really what you want?"
Emilia bit her lip and nodded. "I'll do anything to save the elves. Subaru is doing this to help me. And… I like Subaru. He's been really kind and…" She trails off.
Puck stared at Subaru for a long moment. "Subaru," He said in a warning tone. "I promise you that you will pay for every tear Lia sheds with a gallon of your own."
And Puck vanished.
Subaru let out an explosive breath that he didn't even realize he was holding and slumped against Emilia. "Well," He said. "That went better than expected."
"It did?"
"Oh yeah," Subaru said, letting his hand slip around Emilia's. "I totally expected to be splattered all over the walls by now."
Emilia snickered. "Puck likes you. I don't think he would have done that."
Subaru gave her a steady look.
Emilia flushed. "Well, he probably wouldn't have done that."
"Well anyway, that's one problem solved," Subaru said, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "If we need to talk to that sage guy today we should probably get our stories straight."
"What do you mean?"
"This guy is going to ask us questions to establish if we're lying or not. So let's tell him the truth except for two changes: when we met in the alley I proposed and then Felt, who was one of my… whatever you call them, carried your insignia for us. It's short and easy to remember so we probably won't get tripped up. We spent the day wandering around the city and then went to the tavern to meet Felt's grandpa. Everything else we can just tell the truth."
Emilia thought it over. "I really hate lying," She complained.
"Get used to it," Subaru said bluntly. "If you want to be King, you're going to find any number of occasions where telling the whole truth is not a good idea."
"It's extremely important to always keep your word," Emilia asserted firmly.
"It's hugely important," Subaru agreed. "Credibility isn't like a boomerang: if you throw it away, it doesn't come back. Dad always told me that you could only lie to somebody once so you better make it count. But if we don'tlie to this guy then you're out of the selection."
Emilia looked unconvinced.
"Sorry to have to put it this way, Mili, but the truth is that you can either have your miracle cure or your pride but probably not both," Subaru said.
Emilia brooded on that for a moment. "Alright," She said reluctantly. "But I don't like it," She was almost pouting.
"Good," Subaru agreed with a smile. "I'm not crazy about it either. But this won't be the last game we have to play in this selection thing so let's get good at it. It's going to be a long journey before we get our hands on that miracle you need but I'm looking forward to every step."
Emilia gave him a shy smile. "Maybe we should go get breakfast," She suggested.
"Great idea," Subaru said, getting up with Emilia and heading for the stairs.
Subaru noticed that Emilia did not remove her hand from his and he thought that was rather nice.