CHAPTER 1

RETURN TO THE ROYAL CAPITAL

1

“And last, stretch your arms high in the sky for the big finish—Victory!—Victory!” He listened to the giddy voices as he wiped the sweat off his brow.

Subaru raised both hands high as he spoke his trademark phrase.

A chorus followed, ending another morning’s workout.

The people who joined him in his exuberant radio calisthenics were residents of Earlham Village, the one closest to Roswaal Manor. Probably half the village was present.

Subaru’s cheeks softened without him realizing it at the sight of the familiar buoyant faces. He wordlessly lowered his gaze a little, unable to watch them for a few moments.

Subaru had suggested teaching Japanese radio calisthenics to help the village, where scars from the recent demon beast crisis were still fresh. This had improved his reputation among the otherworldly residents and exploded into a village-wide movement. At first, Subaru had been worried about the lack of participants. But seeing the children who had been victims of the demon beast attack enjoy themselves made him feel it was all worth it.

The customs of his homeland were not to be underestimated. Radio calisthenics weren’t the only popular tradition…

“Okay, you brats, line up! It’s stamp time!”

Subaru raised his voice while taking out a raw potato with one end sliced flat. Subaru dipped the flat end into an ink container, then pressed it onto the sheets of paper that the queued-up children held out eagerly. The very in-demand “potato stamp” recorded that day’s fruits of labor.

“So how about it? In another week we’ll start the long-awaited, much-requested event, Monday Puck. The highlight will be those floppy ears.”

“The kitty’s so cute!” “He’s wonderful!” “He’s adorable!”

He’d stolen the potato-stamp idea from radio calisthenics during summer break back home. A lot of kids had fun guessing what was going to be on that morning’s stamp. Subaru thus used his oddly dexterous fingers to engage their young minds.

After a time, his pleasant chat with the villagers came to a close. Subaru waved to them and went on his way. He approached a tree at the edge of the village square, wearily calling out to the girl leaning against the trunk in the shade.

“Ahh, that wore me out. Anyway, sorry to keep you waiting, Emilia-tan.”

“No, it’s all right. I see you worked hard, Subaru.” Emilia smoothed her silver hair with a charming smile, readjusting the hood she wore low over her face. “The villagers seem much happier these days, and it’s all thanks to you, Subaru.”

“It’s no big deal. I just showed them how to do some healthy exercises that get the blood flowing. But I feel bad making you come with me every morning, day after day.”

“That’s okay. You’re not in tip-top shape yet, and Ram and Rem can’t come because of their work at the mansion. Besides, I really don’t mind doing this.”

“As in, you don’t mind spending your mornings with me?”

“Pfft, not that. More like…I like being even a tiny bit involved with the villagers I never used to come in contact with. I think maybe…I drew a line between us until now.”

He could make out a small blush on Emilia’s face under her hood. The lovely sight warmed Subaru’s cheeks before he even realized what was happening.

Lately, Emilia had often gone with him to the village as soon as she finished her daily chitchats with the minor spirits, returning together after Subaru completed the morning workout routine. For about fifteen minutes, he and Emilia would walk side by side on the way from the village back to the mansion. Subaru treasured these rare moments more than anything.

“I have to say, though, you really get along with the villagers, Subaru. You’re probably more famous than Ram and Rem by now.”

“Well, I am kind of the hero who saved them. Plus, I’m the ultimate gentleman who never asks for thanks, never brags about my deeds… I’m sure you’ll fall in love with me all over again!”

“I wasn’t in love to begin with, mind you… Also, I think your assessment is slightly off.” Emilia put a finger to her lips, tilting her head slightly with a conflicted look. For his part, Subaru was a little dejected at her brushing off his favor so easily. She continued, “I think that the villagers see you as oddly perceptive rather than a hero who saved everyone. I mean, you know some very mysterious things.”

“So they’re treating me like a well-educated professor, huh… But, um, besides aerobics, I don’t know all that much…”

“There’s the games you play with the children, potato stamping… Also, mayonnaise.”

Emilia clapped her hands together as her eyes sparkled. She’d become a huge fan of the experimental mayonnaise Subaru had made at the mansion. Subaru, a natural-born mayo lover back on his world, had reproduced mayonnaise to put some zest in his meals; the sauce was apparently a smash hit with Emilia and the villagers.

“I think they’re underselling my hard work a bit, if they think mayonnaise and rescuing children from demon beasts are on the same level. I mean, I put my body on the line and everything…”

He’d gone into the forest to save the children, and got bitten all over. When Rem went out to save him from certain death, he protected her and got bitten, and he was about to be bitten some more when Roswaal showed up to save him…

“Huh?! Come to think of it, I did, like, almost nothing!”

Thinking back on his exploits, they amounted to considerably less than he’d originally thought. Perhaps it was better to say that he’d been involved in many exploits, but his individual efforts had accomplished close to nothing.

“Sheesh. Don’t worry about silly little things like that.”

“But, Emilia-tan…”

“Everyone knows you worked very hard, Subaru. Roswaal, Ram, and especially Rem, right?”

Subaru’s expression remained pathetic in spite of Emilia’s encouragement. She ran a few steps ahead of him and turned around. The sudden movement sent her hood falling back, letting her long, silver hair flow down her back, sparkling in the morning sun.

“And me, too.”

“—Huh?”

“I know very well how hard you worked. That’s why we will have no moping. Understand?” Emilia tilted her head and asked, “Your answer?”

The dumbfounded Subaru vigorously nodded his head. His reaction prompted a beaming smile from Emilia.

“What was that? You were moving like a broken toy. You’re always like that.”

“Er, this time it wasn’t on purpose… And besides, you’re a hundred times more unfair. No matter how much I struggle, I just keep falling back in love…”

“Yes, yes. I think you have very bad habit of glossing things over, like just now.”

Emilia wore a charming smile, oblivious to the sincerity of his words. Watching her put her hood back on and walk beside him once more, Subaru thought again that he’d never find a better girl than this.

The gate of Roswaal Manor had come into view during the course of their conversation. A few meager minutes remained until they arrived—and the regretful end to his morning bliss.

“There’s a…dragon carriage parked in front of the mansion.”

When Emilia paused beside Subaru and murmured, he stopped, too, looking in the same direction. There was indeed something like a horse-drawn carriage parked at the gates. It was “something like” because the vehicle was clearly not horse-drawn.

After all, the creature pulling the carriage was a lizard as large as a horse.

Subaru was so surprised at its sheer size, compared to lizards back home, that he wound up clapping his hands together.

“Oh, right, I saw those passing through the royal capital here and there. Dragon carriages, you say?”

“…? Yes, the land dragon pulls the carriage that’s behind it, so it’s a dragon carriage. Wait, don’t tell me it has a common name I don’t know?”

“No, no, I’m the one who knows nothing about it. I’m sure you’re right, Emilia-tan. Have confidence in yourself.”

“Really? You’re not teasing me? You’re not going to embarrass me by letting me use the wrong words in the wrong place, are you? If you’re pulling my leg, I’ll clobber you!”

“Nobody says clobber anymore…”

When Emilia raised a hand in mock anger, Subaru clutched his head and pretended to recoil. Their antics continued as they made their way forward, arriving in front of the dragon carriage.

“Whoa… Damn, this is impressive. It’s, like, so huge it’s unreal.”

He’d seen these several times back during his time in the royal capital, but this was his first good look at one up close. The lizard that Emilia had dubbed a land dragon was indeed as large as a horse, but thinner and lighter. It looked like it’d beat a horse in a footrace.

As the two approached, a man stood up from the dragon carriage’s box seat and announced, “My, my. Please look out below.”

Before the startled pair’s eyes, the man agilely leaped from the top of the seat to stand on the ground below. Subaru’s breath caught a bit when he noticed he’d barely made a sound upon landing. The box seat was around Subaru’s eye level—not a height to casually leap from.

The old man bowed and spoke with eloquence befitting an aged gentleman.

“Welcome back. Please excuse me for currently occupying the front of your gate.”

He politely stroked back his solid white hair before donning an immaculately tailored black suit. Though advanced in years, his body was obviously honed into fine condition, and his aura made Subaru subconsciously stand up straighter.

If this man was indeed the driver, and therefore a servant, the master he accompanied had to be quite the person. Thinking this, Subaru shifted his gaze back to the dragon carriage.

“The envoy is already inside the manor and possibly engaged with Marquis Mathers.”

The aging gentleman seemed to read their minds and answered their question preemptively. Subaru was unexpectedly at a loss for words as Emilia, standing beside him, stepped forward and faced the old man.

“Envoy…? Could this be…?”

“As you have no doubt surmised, Lady Emilia, this concerns the royal selection.”

At the term royal selection, Subaru’s head snapped up. The way Emilia’s expression tensed had Subaru furrowing his eyebrows, suspicious about this turn of events. The man continued, “I believe the envoy has an official message for you. Please return to the mansion to receive it in person.”

“…Am I being summoned?”

“Please ask the messenger personally.”

The old man’s discreet reply caused Emilia’s face to harden as she lowered her head. “—Let’s go.” She began walking without even looking back at Subaru.

He broke into a short jog to catch up. At the last moment, he glanced back, and saw that the driver was still bowing low, silently watching them go.

2

“Welcome back, Lady Emilia.”

After the driver saw them off, the two arrived at the mansion’s foyer and were greeted by a girl in a maid outfit—Rem.

Strangely, emotions were absent from her high-pitched voice, replaced with calm formality. It was Guest-Greeting Mode, something Subaru hadn’t seen much in the mansion lately—she’d been showing her smile to Subaru especially.

“Thank you. I’m sorry for leaving the mansion. It seems that we have a guest?”

“An envoy from the royal capital is visiting. Master Roswaal is engaged with the guest. Do you wish to join them?”

“Of course. It’s my problem, so we can’t have me out of the loop.”

Rem nodded in response. Emilia began up the stairs. Subaru walked by her side, joining the conversation like it was a normal thing.

“All right. Just because the pressure’s on doesn’t mean I can let it get to me. I better pull myself together and not do anything stupid.”

He was pumping himself up. But seeing Subaru so enthused, Emilia halted.

“Err, what is it, Emilia-tan? Suddenly all stressed out? Need a massage?”

“Err… Sorry, Subaru, this is an important meeting, so…”

“…I know that. That’s why I’m getting my head in the game and…”

Emilia was finding it hard to let him down easy, so Rem dispassionately cut him off for her. “Sister is already attending in the reception room. There is no place there for other servants. Understand?”

Subaru took in Rem’s words and looked back at Emilia.

“You’re kidding, right? I’m the one who’s out of the loop?”

“Sorry, Subaru. Rem, lead the way.”

“Yes. Subaru, please return to your room.”

After Emilia’s small apology, Rem spoke kindly to Subaru even while in Work Mode. Rem walked off to the upper floor with Emilia behind her. Subaru stayed in place and clicked his tongue.

“Well, I don’t know much about this world, so I probably wouldn’t be of much use anyway…”

He wondered if it was selfish that he still wanted to be a part of this.

It had been approximately one month since Subaru had been summoned into another world. During that time, Subaru had taken it upon himself to favorably alter the destinies of the people with whom he’d become involved. Emilia was the first, but his rapport with the people in the mansion and the village was proof he’d done some good.

In light of that, he was disappointed he hadn’t been included in such an important issue. “I’m being left behind here—literally and metaphorically.” Of course, he accepted that his limited talents were the main reason why.

“But accepting that and giving up are two different things. What should I do, huh?”

Subaru Natsuki wasn’t meek enough to simply wander back to his room and sulk in bed. He sank into thought, trying to cook up an approach to deal with the situation his way.

Finally, Subaru’s face twisted into an evil grin as he thought of something and snapped his fingers.

“—Ding.”

3

“Isn’t it boring waiting out in front all this time? Maybe take a breather?”

The old man on the box seat widened his eyes in surprise as Subaru came with some tea. The dragon carriage was still parked by the front gate of the mansion.

“Forgive my rudeness. This is somewhat unexpected, and so, please watch out below again.” With that, the aged gentleman leaped down from the box seat. Just as before, his landing was nearly silent. He continued, “I shall do as you suggest. Certainly, my throat has become slightly parched.”

“Well, then, here you go. I didn’t know what you liked, so I just brought the most expensive tea I could find.”

The aged gentleman had a mild smile on his face as he accepted the tray. The expression deepened the age-appropriate wrinkles around his mouth, Subaru noticed, studying him intently now that he was close, when…

“Whoa, what the…?”

Suddenly, a light impact from the side took him by surprise. He quickly found the culprit—the land dragon was poking its snout into Subaru’s shoulder. The jet-black creature regarded Subaru with sharp, reptilian eyes.

Its gaze felt strange, but not uncomfortable. Perhaps he simply didn’t feel any hostility in those gentle eyes.

The gentleman quickly addressed Subaru. “M-my apologies. This land dragon is the finest one in our house, but…”

“Ah, no, don’t worry about it. Actually I feel lucky to get so up close and personal.”

“I am relieved to hear that. I must say, it is rare for it to react in this manner.” After apologizing for the animal’s discourtesy, the aged gentleman turned his blue eyes on Subaru as well.

The boy’s body tensed, as if he were suddenly at knifepoint.

The gentleman continued. “—If I may ask, are those battle scars?”

“These? Well, a bunch of things happened, but I wouldn’t go as far as calling them battle scars…”

“They are from the claws and fangs of beasts. That is why you are favoring your left side, yes?”

“……”

Subaru was surprised the old man could tell exactly what had left the white traces exposed by the rolled-up sleeves of his track jacket. It was true that Subaru had been favoring his left side ever since he had been injured.

“—I am deeply sorry for my repeated offenses. It may not be a question you wish to answer.” Apologizing in response to Subaru’s silence, the aged gentleman took a cup of black tea and brought it to his lips. He commented, “A fine taste. It has a considerable kick to it, I think.”

“…Well, I didn’t exaggerate. It seriously is the most expensive tea in the mansion. I’ll have a pink-haired maid on my case if I get caught for this…”

That was no hyperbole, either. Ram would have quite the lecture waiting for him if she found out he used the “Do Not Touch” top-class tea without permission.

The aged gentleman kept one eye closed as he appraised Subaru with the other.

“Now then, what do you want from this old fossil after buttering me up with such wonderful tea?”

Faced with the man’s calm demeanor and shrewd discernment of his ulterior motive, Subaru could only tense up. As a youth, he knew he was sorely outmatched in this war of words, so he promptly raised the white flag.

“Ya got me. My name is Subaru Natsuki. At the moment, I’m an apprentice servant here at Roswaal Manor. I’d at least like to ask what your name is.”

Acknowledging his status as a novice, he hoped to get his senior to offer a shred of mercy.

Seeing Subaru meekly bow his head, the aged gentleman relaxed his expression.

“My, that is polite of you. I am called Wilhelm. I currently serve the House of Karsten, and that work has brought me to this place.”

“Wilhelm, is it? Thank you very much… I’d be really grateful if you could at least tell me what brings you here… Ah, er, would you like to come inside?”

“I believe that the envoy is speaking about the matter?”

“Well, yeah, but they won’t let me in on that. It’s no fun to be left out of an event and not advance the story, so I figured I’d approach it my way.”

He knew this was not a man to spill secrets about important matters. But gradually growing on people was Subaru’s specialty. He wasn’t just a delinquent without any talent for reading the mood.

For a brief moment, Wilhelm was at a loss for words at Subaru’s ambitious behavior.

“You remain levelheaded at unforeseen developments, and when your motives are exposed, you do not cower but only grow more defiant—Such a personality will assuredly incur displeasure.”

“…So you’re saying I can’t even take a hint?”

“As I do not know your position within this manor, I cannot carelessly run my mouth. I hope you understand.”

Wilhelm’s expression sharpened for a brief moment, then softened as he politely brushed off the impudent request. If things continued this way, Subaru would just wind up making Ram angry.

“I will say, you do seem very close to Lady Emilia. It does not look like you are a mere servant.”

“R-r-really? Emilia-tan and I don’t look like an odd pair to you?”

“‘Tan…’?”

Wilhelm raised an eyebrow at the odd manner of address. Then, he smiled thinly as he realized the nature of Subaru’s feelings.

“You walk a treacherous path indeed. She may become the next queen of Lugunica one day.”

“Right now, we’re just a super-cute girl and a dull servant boy. With the infinite future ahead, you never know what’ll happen. When you asked your wife to marry you, Wilhelm, did you think she was the loveliest woman in the whole world?”

“My wife—”

Subaru’s radical assertion made Wilhelm slip for a brief moment. He immediately nodded.

“I see. Certainly, it is just as you say. I think of my wife as the most beautiful in the world. I felt like everyone was staring at her, and I needed to woo her while I could. Pathetic, yes?”

“You see? I’m like, if she has to end up with someone, might as well be me, even if I’m ‘unworthy.’ It might take a lot of persistence, but that’s my win-win ideal.”

“You certainly act according to some very amusing logic. Fascinating, really. However, in the end I am a mere driver. I do not think I shall be of much service.”

“I wonder. If you could tell it was Emilia-tan under her hood, I don’t think the ‘I’m just a driver’ excuse works very well.”

“”

Subaru’s flippant statement wiped the expression from Wilhelm’s face and silenced him. “The robe Emilia-tan wears is supposed to stop bad magic users from figuring out who she is. Plus, because of some stuff recently, a hooded mantle was added that makes it even stronger… People can’t see who she is unless she wants them to, or they can break through the magic.”

The robe, put together with Roswaal’s magic, was an effort to nip trouble in the bud before Emilia’s half-elf background could cause it. It was to protect her from the unfair handicap she had to bear, being born in her world.

“—And you realized all that from the beginning. Very cunning.”

“Oh no, it was total dumb luck. When I was pouring the tea inside the mansion, I was like, ‘Wait, wasn’t that kinda odd?’”

The color of Wilhelm’s gaze changed as he watched Subaru smile very casually. At the very least, he probably figured Subaru wasn’t just a tea fetcher.

“I suppose I cannot call myself a mere driver, then… As you surmised, I am indeed related to the royal selection—or related to someone related, I should say.”

“Related to someone related… That’s pretty much the position I’m in here.”

“You and I are different, I believe, because my reason for involvement is not so romantic.”

“Well, of course not, when you’re married to the most beautiful woman in the world. I think Emilia-tan would beat her out for cuteness, though.”

“No, even in loveliness, my wife has no match.”

Subaru had meant to make light of things, but the firm reply left him without a comeback. Wilhelm’s cheeks seemed to slacken again as he successfully drove the riposte home.

“However—it would seem we are out of time.”

“Ah?” Subaru blurted like a dimwit as Wilhelm silently motioned to the mansion. “That’s Rem coming out with… Who is that?”

The familiar blue-haired maid was leaving the mansion with someone unfamiliar. Based on Wilhelm’s behavior and their previous conversation, he reasoned this must have been the all-important envoy in question.

“I guess, objectively, this fantasy stuff is extraordinary…”

Perhaps he said that without thinking because the object of his attention didn’t look like an “envoy” at all. The visitor noticed Subaru’s gaze and responded with a teasing smile.

“Hey, it’s normal to fall in love with a beautiful person at first sight, but don’t you know it’s rude to stare?” The speaker was a girl with a lovely face, her flaxen hair cut semi-long. She was tall for a girl, almost the same height as Subaru. However, her figure was terribly delicate, and her every action terribly feminine—everything just screamed girl at you.

A white ribbon adorned her hair, and the sparkle in her wide eyes gave her the impression of an adorable cat. Indeed, atop her head were…

“Seeing them in person, I have to admit, cat ears do have a certain magic to them.”

“Meow, meow?”

As if responding to his murmur, the animal ears, the same color as her hair, quivered. He hadn’t had any chances to get up close and personal with a demi-human before. The genuine article was really a sight.

—Subaru had never felt such anguish before at keeping his inner fur connoisseur in check.

As Subaru drifted off into the clouds, the girl turned to Wilhelm as he greeted her.

“Hey, Grandpa Wil. Sorry to make you wait outside like that. It was boring, meow?”

“Not at all. This kind individual deigned to engage these old bones in conversation, helping me pass the time pass quite enjoyably.”

“Fumyu?”

At the old man’s reply, the girl put a finger to her cheek and tilted her head. Her catlike pupils narrowed as she observed Subaru. After a supercilious inspection, she clapped her hands together and announced, “Oh-ho. You’re the boy Lady Emilia meowntioned.”

It was what she did next that caught him completely off guard.

“Uh, eh, ehh?!”

“Don’t move. It’s time for a little inspection.”

Subaru was dumbstruck as the girl wrapped one arm around his neck, embracing him with her slender body. Since their heights were similar, her face pressed up to the side of Subaru’s. The whisper of her voice in his ear made his body tingle all over, and he blushed in acute embarrassment. The soft sensation was accompanied by a curiously nice scent. The sudden turn of events froze him solid as he devoted every ounce of willpower to keeping his cool.

“Nom!”

“Hyaa!”

His efforts crumbled when he felt a single nibble on his ear.

Laughing at Subaru’s adorable yelp, the girl released him from her embrace with satisfaction. He hastily backed up, tumbling down onto his bottom.

“Tee-hee, what a cute reaction. Anyway… The flow of water mana inside your body really is stagnant. If only there was time to do something about that, meow.”

“Wh-wh-what were you doing?!”

“Checking your body out a little. The bite was complimeowntary.”

Her glossy eyes locked on him as she provocatively bit her own pinkie finger. Even knowing that she was teasing him, Subaru was still agitated and couldn’t dismiss it as mere humor.

“Oh, don’t blush so much. Anymeow, I guess nobody’s told you anything, have they?”

“What do you mean? About what?”

“About your body, and the deal, and things like that.”