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Chapter Text  章节文本

Chapter 9: Ep 7 Director's Cut
第九章：第 7 集导演剪辑版

No light shone inside of the room, even with all of its occupants chattering inside.
房间里没有一丝光线，即使里面挤满了喋喋不休的人。

The air wasn't quite as damp as it was expected to be, yet there was a taste of forlornness in the air. The crowd had settled in their positions. Bringing forth many feelings of discomfort at seating positions not suited for most of them.
空气并没有像预期的那样潮湿，但空气中弥漫着一种凄凉的味道。人群已经各就各位。对于其中大多数人来说，座位位置让他们感到诸多不适。

Yet the individuals bore with this uncomfortableness to hold a place in the political game inside of the theater.
然而，这些人却忍受着这种不适，想在剧院内的政治游戏中占据一席之地。

"My my, ya'll seem ready, I suppose~" Anastasia mused, walking out of her room and facing the chattering room with observing eyes.
"哎呀呀，你们看起来都准备好了，我猜~"安娜斯塔西娅一边走出房间，一边用观察的眼神面对着喋喋不休的房间。

"Here, boss! I kept your seat!" Mimi waved to the merchant princess. From behind Subaru and beside Crusch.
"这里，老板！我留着你的座位！"米米向商人公主挥手。从斯巴鲁和克鲁什的身后和旁边。

"What's gonna happen to the Cap'n in this one?" A blonde demi-human asked from his seat with a hardened look on his face.
"这一回，船长了会发生什么事呢？" 一个金发半人从座位上问道，脸上带着坚毅的神情。

"This is the Third Arc…" Julius muses, answering the boy's question since he was sitting right behind, "It seems that these Arcs revolve around Natsuki's greatest battles? I'd say this may be Subaru's journey to defeating the White Whale."
“这是第三篇章……”尤利乌斯若有所思地回答男孩的问题，因为他正坐在男孩的身后，“看来这些篇章都围绕着夏川的伟大战斗展开？我说这可能就是草壁击败白鲸的旅程。”

Garfiel nodded his head, wide-eyed at the prospect of finally seeing his captain's most renowned feat as it happened. But his frown still showed the boy's maturity in which he understood what was coming for his hero to achieve such a feat.
加菲尔点了点头，眼中充满了期待，终于能亲眼见证他船长最著名的功绩。但他的皱眉仍显露出男孩的成熟，他明白他的英雄需要付出怎样的代价才能达成这样的功绩。

Julius gave the boy's back of the head a small smile, though the knight's eyes were not as fiery or composed as before. There was a certain chaos to him, like a cloud hanging over his head.
尤利乌斯对男孩的后脑轻轻笑了笑，尽管骑士的眼神不再像从前那样炽热或沉稳。他身上有一种混乱的气息，仿佛头顶笼罩着乌云。

The knight understood that somehow, this would contain his very first meeting with Subaru. The time he met the misguided boy that proclaimed himself a knight just to help the lady he stands beside.
骑士明白，这 somehow 将包含他与草壁的初次相遇。那个自称骑士的迷途男孩，只为帮助他身旁的女士而战。

Julius wanted to be his friend from then on.
从那时起，尤利乌斯想成为他的朋友。

He believed that he could at least have a comrade in the stubborn butler boy when he'd met him.
他原本以为，至少在遇到那个固执的管家男孩时，能有个同伴。

But now he understood that the fault in that delusion laid solely on him.
但现在他明白，那个幻想中的过错完全在于他自己。

Julius was not worthy of someone like Subaru's friendship.
朱利乌斯不值得像 Subaru 这样的人的友谊。

He understood this. He accepted this.
他明白这一点。他接受了这一点。

But damn, does he hate it.
但是该死，他确实讨厌这一点。

"So this will show the Whale, nayn?!" Felix called from beside his mistress. Uncaring to the fact that this may as well show some of Subaru's worst moments and memories. Only thinking of his mistress' greatest deed and announcing it to the world with pride and excitement.
“所以这会向鲸鱼展示，对吧？！”费利克斯在他女主人身边喊道。不在乎这可能会展示出 Subaru 的一些最糟糕的时刻和记忆。只想着他女主人的伟大事迹，并带着骄傲和兴奋向全世界宣布。

Something Crusch noted and frowned upon.
克鲁什注意到并皱起了眉头的事情。

"We might get to see how Subaru-dono arrived at the information regarding both the Whale and Sloth," Wilhelm spoke in a grave tone with his expression stern and hardened as if he was going to battle.
"我们或许能亲眼看到 Subaru 大人如何得知鲸鱼和怠惰的信息，" 威尔 helm 语气沉重，表情严肃而坚定，仿佛即将奔赴战场。

"That's right! Natsuki-san led the excursions to both the great calamity and the Witch's Cult in Margrave's domain!" Otto looked at the screen with fear itching his expression as he thought about the possibilities the Subaru had lived through.
"没错！Natsuki 先生带领队伍前往了 Margrave 领地的大灾厄和女巫教团！" 奥托盯着屏幕，脸上因想到 Subaru 经历过的可能性而恐惧。

"So he truly faced them both?" Frederica asked with her heart clenching in sympathy for the boy as she knew how hard and terrifying it must have been.
“那他真的同时面对了他们两个？”弗雷德里卡问道，心中因知道那必定是多么艰难和可怕而同情那个男孩。

"So this Arc revolves around those two?" The blonde royal beamed from the front,"I guess we need to watch this and learn what big bro had to live through, huh Reinhard?"
"所以这个篇章是围绕着这两个人展开的？"金发王室成员在前方兴奋地笑道，"我想我们需要看这个，学习一下哥哥经历了什么，对吧，莱因哈德？"

"…"

"Rein?" Felt looked at the knight sitting beside her.
"雷因？"菲尔特看向坐在她身边的骑士。

The Sword Saint was looking at the screen with a look of guilt and curiosity. "I'll finally get to see the penance of the monster that I saved," the knight muttered, hands clenched, "I don't want to see Subaru die to it."
剑圣带着愧疚和好奇的神情看着屏幕。"我终于能亲眼看到我拯救的怪物的惩罚了，"骑士低声说道，双手紧握着，"我不想看到雷文被它杀死。"

Reinhard whispered in a broken tone. The reason for his monstrous self and the only one capable of sharing the consequences of his greatest crime. The whale that had shared the title of his grandmother's killer and the title of a monster will finally be seen by the kid that had suffered and shared those same titles with it.
雷纳尔德用破碎的语气低语。他怪物般自我的原因，也是唯一能与他最大罪行的后果共担的人。那只与他祖母的杀人凶手和怪物称号共享的鲸鱼，终于会被那个与他共同承受这些称号并遭受苦难的孩子看到。

Felt was worried just like her knight. She was afraid of what might've happened to Subaru but she couldn't help but feel scared about her knight's reaction to all of this. She can see him growing more and more dilated in the eyes. "I shouldn't have let him go." gritting her teeth, Felt scolded herself as she remembered how relieved she was once she had seen him in the palace.
费尔特和她的骑士一样感到担忧。她担心发生在了雷姆身上的事情，但同时也无法不担心骑士对这一切的反应。她看到他的眼睛越来越涣散。 "我不该放他走的。"费尔特咬着牙，在想起在宫殿里看到他时自己有多么轻松时，责备着自己。

"Ah," the little girl sucked, "This will show that part about Big Bro, uh..." Felt became uncomfortable once she realized what they would see. Perhaps looking beside her was supposed to have resulted in comfort, but she only grew more anxious.
"啊，"小女孩抽泣着，"这会展示关于大哥哥的那部分，呃..."当她意识到他们将要看到什么时，菲尔特感到不舒服。也许本应从她身边看去得到安慰，但她却变得更加焦虑。

Besides the little girl, was an equally transfixed Half-elf that was stealing glances at her knight's other side.
除了那个小女孩，还有一个同样目不转睛的半精灵，偷偷地瞥着她的骑士的另一侧。

Where there was supposed to be a blonde little girl sitting beside Subaru and opposite from Emilia, there happened to be an Oni maid happily caressing her knight with a soft smile.
本该坐着金发小女孩的位置，在雷姆旁边、艾米莉亚对面，却有一位妖怪女仆正满脸微笑地抚摸着她的骑士。

"Um… Rem, I-Isn't that Beako's chair?" Emilia asked, looking at Rem weirdly.
"嗯……雷姆，我-那不是贝亚朵拉的椅子吗？"艾米莉亚看着雷姆，一脸奇怪地问。

"Are you jealous?" Crusch, wanting nothing more than to think about something other than her fight with the whale and how it would've gone without Subaru quickly took the opportunity to make fun of the clearly jealous Emilia.
"你嫉妒了？"克鲁什，只想快点从与大鲸鱼的战斗和没有雷姆在身边会怎样的事情中抽离出来，便抓住机会戏弄了明显嫉妒的艾米莉亚。

"N-No! I just… wanted to check on Beako! Yeah!"
"不！我……只是想看看贝亚朵拉！是的！"

"I'm fine, in fact. You don't have to use me as an excuse for your jealousy, it shows on your face anyways, I suppose." Beatrice snorted as she leaned in her seat beside the happy Rem.
"我其实没事。你不必把我当作你嫉妒的借口，反正你的表情已经出卖你了，我猜。"比阿特丽斯一边说着，一边斜靠在旁边快乐的蕾姆的座位上，发出一声嗤笑。

She would've never given her place beside Subaru over to anyone… but the maid looked like she truly needed it. And the fact that this Arc would bring some very unpleasant memories about Subaru wasn't going to make Rem feel any better so it was important.
她永远不会把身边亚鲁巴的位置让给别人……但是女仆看起来确实需要这个位置。而且这个圆环会带来一些非常不愉快的回忆，这对蕾姆来说并不会更好，所以这很重要。

Beatrice was doing this for Subaru, it would be a shame if he were to finally wake and find the maid he's been fighting so hard for as a broken soulless girl that had drowned in her guilt of murdering the boy.
贝阿特丽斯这么做是为了斯巴鲁，如果他最终醒来，发现他一直努力守护的女仆变成一个因谋杀男孩的罪恶感而沉溺其中的无灵魂的破碎女孩，那将太遗憾了。

"A real shame, I suppose," Beatrice growled as she saw Rem caressing his hand.
"确实太遗憾了，"贝阿特丽斯看到蕾姆抚摸他的手时低吼道。

Up above, A fiery-haired princess could be seen glancing back and forth between a mop of spiky black hair and the black screen.
上方，一个火发公主在蓬松的黑发和黑色屏幕之间来回张望。

"Is something the matter, princess?" Al asked worriedly as Priscilla never looked this anxious for anything since he knew her.
"公主，有什么事吗？"阿尔担忧地问道，因为他知道普莉西亚莉亚，她从未对任何事如此焦虑。

"I wonder if that boy truly understands the power he has."
我不禁想，那个男孩是否真正理解自己所拥有的力量。

"It's no skin off my nose but...What do you mean?" Al asked silently.
这关我屁事，但是……你什么意思？"阿尔无声地问。

"Hmph! How much of a fool must you be?"
"哼！你得多蠢啊？"

Al sighed and shrugged his shoulders. If she didn't want to talk then she didn't want to talk.
阿尔叹了口气，耸了耸肩。如果她不想说话，那不想说话好了。

No skin off his nose.
关我屁事。

Priscilla's scarlet eyes remained focused on the screen.

Screen is now loading the next viewing. Get ready.

"My, my, that sounds so ominouuuuuus!" Roswaal's smile was completely gone, far removed was the mirth in his colored eyes. Replaced with harshness and great dread.

The book he'd once held with great care had foretold a narrow line of events for the clown lord. Should this have been a normal viewing, Roswaal would've been bored to watch Subaru's journey as exactly transcribed within the tome.

Dreadfully, Roswaal's teeth shinked against themselves.

Teacher's descriptions may have been… lacking so far. But I am sure that Subaru would have to die a few times to bring the greater good. That is why teacher's gospel was most gracious to keep the details from my eyes. It was for the greater good of our plan.

The man rambled on and on about his teacher. Though his position has become that of a Pharaoh, waiting to be drowned by many of his enemies in the room, he understood that one true enemy was the threat towards his teacher's gospel.

If these viewings are a glass filled with water that he must drink, he would think it tastes like poison.

But with every episode, the poison becomes all the more bitter in the glass, fully corrupting the water.

His trust in the teachings of the gospel, his belief that he'd done the right thing for his teacher's way, all are now hindered upon the suffering Subaru was going through. These loops that came out of a horror novelist's dream.

He knew about them. There was always going to be bad ends for Subaru to redo.

Death was never the option. And it jarred Roswaal to find out that his teacher did not trust him with this information.

"How about you drink something before the watch begins, Petra?"

"Mhmh, I'm good, thanks."

"Are you sure you are ready for this?" Frederica's whisper didn't receive an answer. The little maid grimmed at her mentor.

"I'm not faltering here, Frederica-sama. Please don't worry about me."

The blonde maid looked stricken at the little one's sternness. As if she was in contempt of the world around her.

"Petra..."

Before the people of the theater could converse or think any further into their predicament, the blackness of the room died with the light from the screen.

Season 1 Episode 7 Director's Cut.

Begin.

"Okay, and to finish, stretch your arms up and… finish! Victory!"

"Victory!"

Subaru is shown doing his warm-up routine with the entire village following his movements.

As they finished, a happy-looking Emilia was walking towards Subaru with her hood covering her entire form.

"It seems that this has become a normal occurrence," Frederica noted in sadness as she lamented her luck for not being able to be as close to the nice people of Irlam as Subaru was.

"My hero loved to spend time with the people's village. He would always take all the chores needed to be done either on the outskirts or inside the town." Rem smiled softly at the memory.

"Yep! Subaru is so fun to play with." Petra said in a somewhat cheerier tone than she had before but still damp with a hidden melancholic aura.

Felt was baring her teeth in annoyance at the missed opportunities she could've had torturing her followers by forcing them into a routine such as this.

"All right, line up!"

The happy group of village children quickly lined up with papers in their hands.

Subaru quickly took the stamp offered by Emilia and called out to the children. "Time for your stamps! Who's first?"

The black-wearing butler began placing stamps of a cute Puck on the children's papers.

"The kitty is so cute!"

"The kitty is so awesome!"

"The kitty is so sad!"

The children looked at their papers with happy smiles.

"What's he doing?" Priscilla asked in genuine interest which surprised everyone.

"Subaru is giving us our daily kitty stamp! Those who attend for a month get prizes!" Petra giggled as she remembered some of the stupid Subaru prizes that were given.

"A prize system for children participating in a game? That's a waste!" Petra and Mimi slapped the back of Tivey's head for his blasphemous words.

The little boy could only squirm beneath the gazes of his sister and the pouting Petra.

"The villagers seem to be full of life again. Thanks to you, Subaru."

"Well, I did put my life on the line to save them all. I went into the forest and got bitten by dogs to save the kids, got bitten by dogs when I tried to save Rem after she turned into a demon, then had to be saved by Roswaal when I was about to be bitten by a giant dog… wait… Did I even do anything at all?"

"He seems to be brushing off the fact that he died," Anastasia mused wonderingly, making a certain spirit, elf, and an Oni look down in sadness.

"Subaru-dono's self-worth is very lacking." Wilhelm sadly noted as he remembered how surprised the boy was to find the soldiers waiting on him after the subjugation of the whale. As if the mere thought that people were respecting him was foreign to the boy.

The old man shook his head sadly at how Subaru had to demean himself to survive the harsh reality of this world.

Would the boy have been better off in his own world? Away from them all?

Wilhelm gripped his seat in disdain at the thought. Subaru was very dear to both him as well as many in this room.

He won't let the boy leave his side after this.

Emilia sighed and turned around to the butler boy.

"Oh, come on! Don't fuss over the small details! There are those who know the truth. That includes Roswaal and Ram… And especially Rem. And of course, I do, too." Emilia smiled warmly at the boy.

Subaru blushed deeply as the breeze blew around him and Emilia.

"Emilia-sama's smile is very effective on dogs like Barusu." Ram snorted at the scene

Emilia looked at the scene with unease. She shouldn't really feel this happy. But the look on Subaru's face made her chest feel warm.

Rem just looked at the screen with a deep look of sadness as she wished her hero could look at her smile like this one day.

"Cap'n's love story is really cool." Garfiel nodded his head while smiling at the scene.

Otto shook his head with a fond smile as he glanced at his brother.

"You're such a softie, man."

Scene change…

"Welcome home. Please forgive me for parking in front of your mansion."

An old man dressed in a butler uniform bowed politely to the newly arrived Emilia and Subaru.

Wilhelm van Astrea stood before the two at the front of L. Mathers' mansion with a dragon carriage beside him.

(Opening plays: Redo)

"So this is where you meet him," Reinhard noted in curiosity.

Wilhelm said nothing and just looked past his grandchild's head.

The two remained silent and distant.

One was guilty.

And the other was curious how his cold steeled grandpa first dealt when meeting Subaru.

"O-Oh," Emilia meanwhile, seemed to have just realized what it was she's gonna be watching. "... So it starts there?"

Scene changes to Emilia and Subaru talking to Ram in a hallway.

"An emissary from the capital is visiting. Roswaal-sama is attending to them now."

"An emissary?" Emilia asked in alarm.

"I believe it concerns the royal selection." Ram emotionlessly warned.

Emilia looked put off by this, which was noticed by Subaru as he began rolling his arm around.

"Alright! Given the circumstances, I'll try not to do anything dumb." The butler smirked in excitement.

"Hmph!"

"That's not gonna age well…pfffft!"

As Priscilla and Anastasia giggled and snorted, many looked at them curiously.

Emilia looked a bit guilty and angry at the two.

It isn't funny… This will only lead to something terrible.

She seethed inside her head.

"Um, I'm really sorry, Subaru, but this will be a very important discussion." Emilia smiled nervously and began walking away with Ram behind her while Subaru just stared.

He noticed the old man standing by the carriage from the window.

Scene change…

Wilhelm is peacefully wiping along with the carriage's doors as a cheerful Subaru was seen walking towards him with a tray in his hands.

"Aren't you bored waiting out here?"

"Right on time." Crusch gave a smirk. The Duchess already understood what was happening from the first look on Subaru's face.

"He's a bit shrewd." Wilhelm snorted.

Emilia flinched and bowed her head, "I'm sorry for his behaviour, I don't know what he did here but I wish I could've stopped him."

The old man shook his head, looking at the girl with warmth in his eyes. Dare she say, mirth. "None of this is harmful, Emilia-sama. This is the road your knight has taken to bring us joy and safety."

Reinhard looked down a little as he heard the man's tone. Proud, confident, and most of all, compassionate.

Emilia stuttered at the magnanimity of these words, seeing what the old man was truly trying to tell her.

'But I can't accept that… I can't just believe that this madness was necessary for Subaru to win his fights.'

Crusch narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. Giving the silver-haired girl a once over, seeing her reactions.

'She won't accept Natsuki's journey. That's expected,' The Duchess mused within her mind, seeing Emilia's brindelled personality.

"Hm..."

Anastasia had her eyes glancing at the green-haired royal beside her. She can feel something going on inside of that militaristic mind— a dangerous thought.

The merchant had this instinct to keep an eye on the Lion's holder.

Crusch held no worry for the eyes trained on her figure, she also had her focus over the select few who got on her nerves.

The merchant queen was at the top of that list.

Subaru and Wilhelm begin conversing while drinking tea.

"It tastes lovely. I feel as though I'm indulging in a great luxury."

"It's seriously the most expensive tea in the mansion. If the pink-haired maid finds out we drank it without permission, she'll flip."

Roswaal snorted once he saw just how fiery the pink maid's eyes were.

"Poor him," the lord said in pity.

Ram didn't seem as fiery when she realized just how effective such a technique was. She found herself more impressed than furious.

"That was nice thinking, Barusu," she admitted, surprised with her own tone.

"This is a surprise~" Roswaal teases, forcing his maid to bite her lip.

Wilhelm narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the boy. "And what is it you hope to gain from this old man, using such precious bait?"

Undeterred, Subaru smiled wide and carried on. "I only want to know the reason for this visit. If you could just give me a vague idea… "

"Th-That's dirty, Subaru!" Emilia shook her head in disappointment. How could he just go behind her back and use such dirty tactics to disobey her like this?

"I'm soooo sorry, Wilhelm-san. I never imagined that my knight would do su-"

"It's fine, Emilia-sama. I've never been one to be easily fooled and I found it endearing at the time so there is no problem. As I said once before."

Emilia sat back and gave her stupid knight a seethign glare.

"As I have no idea about your standing in this mansion, I cannot say anything careless. Please understand." Wilhelm denied while holding his cup.

Subaru looked deflated at this.

A smile found its way across the old man's face. "However, I did see that you are quite close to Emilia-sama."

"Did it look like things were serious between Emilia-tan and me?!"

Wilhelm quickly backed away a few steps to not catch whatever sickness this boy had suddenly afflicted as he began posing around with blushing cheeks.

"Tan?" Wilhelm noted but then looked away from the giggling boy. "It is a steep path you climb." He spoke in a grave tone.

"Huh?"

"You are dealing with one who may be the future queen of Lugunica."

Subaru turned around and faced the man with a sheepish look. "Right now, we're just a super cute girl and a useless servant boy."

"You probably think your wife is the prettiest girl in the world. Isn't that what you thought when you proposed to her?" Subaru smiled brightly.

Emilia had to flush down on herself after hearing this private discussion between the two about her. Her cheeks blushed in embarrassment.

Julius, Crush, Felix, and Reinhard all widened their eyes in shock at the sentence.

And how the old man smiled at him.

"Subaru-dono…" Wilhelm smiled clearly at the fond memory.

"Subaru-san is dangerous with words." Otto smiled at the two on-screen.

"Is that Subaru's dad or somethin'?" the blonde warrior youth rubbed the back of his head and brashly asked his question.

Crusch giggled at Garfiel's statement.

Reinhard… was looking at the scene with shock and disbelief.

Subaru just spoke about his grandmother to the man that had been missing her most.

And his grandfather smiled at him.

He didn't know if he should feel anger or happiness that his friend and Grandfather got along so well since the beginning.

"My wife…" Wilhelm struggled to get his bearings for just a moment before returning to his steeled expression. "I see. You are indeed correct. I believed my wife was the most beautiful lady in the world." Wilhelm smiled a bit.

A loud voice came from the side of the carriage cutting the conversation between the butlers. "I'm back, Old Man Wil!"

"Hm, so this is how he got you to like him, nyan?" Felix murmured, unamused.

"He did more than this, dear Felix-dono. He's done more than anyone should." Wilhelm's answer was one fond and stern for two different reasons. Ones that the demi-human already understands.

The healer fell to silence and continued to watch.

The two turned to find a cute-looking lady with cat ears stepping closer.

"Sorry to make you wait outside. I bet you were bored huh?"

"Not at all. This young man has been speaking with me." Wilhelm pointed to the confused Subaru.

The lady's cat ears began flickering and flapping as she stared at the butler boy.

"Meow, meow? Meow! Mooooooew!" Subaru blushed as the girl meowed and inspected him all over.

"Ah, nyow I see. Of course. You must be the boy Emilia-sama mentioned." The lady pointed at Subaru with a smile.

"Emilia did?"

The lady leaned closer to the boy and sounded mischievous. "Well, see, we're not going there just for fun. Let's go Old Man Wil." The lady smiled mysteriously. "See you in the capital."

Scene changes to a superstitious-looking Subaru standing before a nervous Emilia.

"Well, see, we're not going there for fun. I received an important summons-" Emilia tried to reason nervously but was cut off by the serious-looking Subaru.

"If it's important, all the more reason! You're in the battle for the throne, right? I want to help you! Please!"

Emilia and Rem looked down at this as they saw what had happened.

Julius flinched a bit… "He wants to help really bad."

The knight couldn't help the unpleasant feeling in his chest.

"Mhm," Emilia murmured to the knight, "Reeeeally badly," she sighed tiredly.

"It's almost too bad," Rem whispered with an arm on her chest, suddenly feeling the fatigue the rest of the room was feeling in terms of happiness.

"Hm, nothing of that sort should've been possible. But even in terms of loyalty, Subaru seems an enigma." Julius' joke was quite popular with the two ladies, even when his own mistress was struck and confused by it.

Emilia looked dumbfounded at his sincerity.

A blue-haired maid that was standing behind the begging boy spoke up to the bewildered elven maiden.

"It seems there are people in the capital who helped Subaru-kun. This may be a good opportunity for him to thank them."

Subaru quickly looked back and patted the maid's head while smiling warmly. "Nice assist, Rem! That's right!"

Subaru turned to Emilia with a smirk. "Some people in the capital helped me. I need to let them know I'm okay."

"He's willing to use this gratitude of his to disobey his master," Felix raggedly noted, unaware of the small glares he was receiving from the two boys at the front of the theater.

But with this observance, Emilia's fluctuating mood seemed to go down once she realized how far Subaru was willing to defy her wish.

'Even back here, he was willing to do the most by using other people. No wonder he broke his promise so easily.'

"I'm not sorry, Emilia-sama."

The voice of one shy girl surprised her. Looking at Rem, Emilia's lips frowned.

"What?"

"I'm not sorry for helping him reach the castle that day," the maid had no expression on her face, not but a sincere smile on her face.

"..." Her amethyst irises stared wide and bewildered— shocked beyond belief at the audacity.

Rem seemed to give her another nod which was as small as the first, she didn't even remember when the maid nodded at her before.

But Emilia understood one thing, Rem was not in fear of Subaru's ugliness in this chapter of his life.

As a matter of fact, the maid was welcoming it openly enough to forget her previous breakdowns and guilt over her crimes.

What could possibly happen between her and Subaru?… Enough to make her defy ownself like that?

The half-elf bit her lip, ignored by all as her watchers found interest on the screen instead of her dazed state.

Why am I feeling so alone?

"Why not? That can be kept separate from our royal selection business." Everyone turned to the smiling lord that had been sitting in the room since the beginning.

"Subaru-kun should go to the capital to thank everyone as well as to receive treatment."

"Huh? Treatment?" Subaru asked in confusion at the magi's words.

Roswaal began to explain. "You overused your already-exhausted gate in the mabeast battle. It will treat that wound. You met the emissary earlier, did you not?"

"The cutesy-face with the cat ears?"

"Ew." Felix glared in disgust at the fact that Subaru commented on his looks.

"That was one of the capital's most brilliant users of water magic, as well as healing magic. Felix is a peculiar one, whose cooperation was difficult even for Emilia-sama to enliiiiist."

"H-Hold on…" Emilia waved her arms and blushed from embarrassment while Subaru turned around with a shit-eating smile.

"Really, Emilia-tan? You did that for me?"

"W-Well, it's partly my fault that you haven't healed yet… So you could say I'm repaying a debt. It's equal compensation for what you gave up!" Emilia retorted with a blushing stern expression filled with determination.

"Why are you always trying so hard to ignore your good nature, Emilia-sama?"

Emilia blinked and looked at Otto in confusion.

Meanwhile, Garfiel took note of a few details told on the screen, "So yer a hero?"

"Hm?" Felix hummed, absurdly weirded out that the brash blonde was talking to him.

"Yer supposed to help people… Right?" Garfiel had no emotion in his expression as he questioned the healer.

Felix awkwardly fiddled his ear, not knowing what to say to someone that's been antagonistic towards him since the beginning.

"Um… I try my best, I guess, nyan."

"That's cool. I hope yer attitude gets better," Garfiel surprised everyone by this and turned around to watch some more.

Felix looked struck speechless, not reacting even when his lady gave him a proud grin.

Scene change to Wilhelm and Felix on the dragon carriage.

"I was surprised to see you talking with the boy. I thought you'd rather chop people in half than talk to them." Felix spoke in a curious tone to the old man that was guiding the dragon.

"That is a grave misunderstanding. I merely took a bit of a liking to that young man's eyes."

"Huh?" Felix looked confused at this.

The old butler just looked ahead with cold unfeeling eyes.

"Those are the eyes of one who has experienced death several times."

Felix smiled at this. "Hmmm… Nyow you've lost me. But if Wilhelm van Astrea, the Sword Demon, says it, I'm sure the boy faces quite a bumpy road." The cat lady sounded amused.

Wilhelm's eyes narrowed.

"How ironic." Ricardo snorted disgustedly and shook his head as many looked uncomfortable by how accurate the old man's statement was.

"That's a bit too close to the truth." Felix shivered in fear at how his conversation with Wilhelm accurately described Subaru's road.

Emilia and Rem held both of his hands tightly with looks of forlorn sadness.

Wilhelm himself couldn't result to snort at how accurate he was. He was more so begrudgingly thankful that his instinct was still so elaborate.

Now he can focus on honing that foresight into something more. Something that he can use to pave the way for a better future, for his house, and his benefactors.

Scene change…

"You know, Emilia-tan… maybe we should stop this?"

Emilia can be seen wearing her hood as she walks with her butler in the middle of the capital's crowd.

Subaru was blushing a deep red as Emilia kept holding his hand tightly.

The half-elf looked determined as she kept her grip on his hand tighter.

"Absolutely not! I know you. The moment I look away, you'll be off doing something crazy." Emilia glared sideways at him accusingly as the boy chuckled.

"You need a leash on him, Emilia-sama." Ram snorted and smirked at the demeaning scene.

Julius and Felix also snorted at how right she was.

"That's a bit too demeaning, I suppose," Beatrice sighed, understanding why the half-elf's treatment was needed here but still finding it shameful for her contractor.

A flashback begins playing of Subaru holding on to the ledge of a carriage and waving his arms out of it as the carriage was moving full speed.

"Oh man, this is awesome! I'm totally fantasizing right now, baby!"

"Subaru-kun is so cute." Rem smiled at the excited boy.

"Rem…"

"Yes, sis?" Rem blushed red at her older sister's dangerous glare.

"Parallel worlds ru-ahhhh!"

Subaru waved his hands out of the carriage too far, making his hand get out of the divine protection of the ground dragons that kept everything on the dragon natural and unaffected by gravity's momentum.

The boy flew out of the carriage as there was no more divine protection to keep him balanced at its edge since he left its reach.

Emilia quickly stood up in a panic as the boy fell from the moving vehicle. "Subaru!"

"AHHHHHH!" The boy screamed like a man would if he was not a man.

(I mean like a girl -_- )

"Pfft!"

"Hahahhahaha!"

Otto and Garfiel leaned on one another as they laughed out loud at how their brother looked.

Ricardo and the twins were laughing on the floor.

Petra and Frederica giggled uncontrollably.

Reinhard and Julius just chuckled and watched with wide eyes in amusement.

"He's very lively." Anastasia mused while Crusch struggled to bite her lip and keep her laughter in.

Back to the embarrassed-looking butler and his disappointed-looking Half-elf princess.

"I'm really sorry for that… But this is just treating me like a kid!" Subaru pointed at the tight grip she had on him.

"You are a kid, in fact!" Beatrice called out, miffed that she wasn't there with her contractor.

Emilia didn't look convinced. "Even though you wanted to hold hands on our date in the village?"

"I was physically and mentally prepared for that. This time, I'm not! My hand is sweating like crazy!"

"Would you two cut out the flirting already?"

Subaru and Emilia looked behind them to find a familiar salesman smirking down at them.

"Oh, it's the guy!" Mimi pointed while the adults around her flinched at the horrible memories the man brought.

"I hope we don't see him in a bad context again." Julius sighed as he stopped the images of his friend's death from playing in his mind once again.

"You're gonna drive away my customers." the man smirked at the couple.

Subaru waved his hand and looked at the man with sincerity. "After I came to make good on my promise? That's cold man."

The man smiled brightly. "Well, I'm glad you felt obligated to shop here now that you're not broke anymore. Here are the….APPLES (Fuck You) I promised." The man said while handing Subaru a paper bag filled with them.

Subaru and Emilia were walking down the streets. "Next will be Felt and Old Man Rom."

"I thought we'd wrapped things up without blame the first time, but then Reinhard's expression went dark, and then he took the girl away." Emilia sounded worried as she explained while holding her butler's hand.

"Hmph!"

Felt huffed and looked away while Reinhard rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"That makes it sound like kidnapping, or an abduction and confinement… Hot guys have really got it good." Subaru glared hatefully at the street that made him not sexy or hot.

"Someone's jealous." Al chuckled. "Although I get it… anyone would be jealous of the Sword Saint."

"I don't understand how my looks could be something anyone should be jealous of." Reinhard tilted his head in confusion.

Julius just glared murderously at him from his seat.

He was almost… pouting.

"If we want to contact Reinhard, we should probably go to the guard station in front of the noblemen's district," Emilia muttered while looking up ahead.

"Emilia-tan, about the royal selection that starts tomorrow… "

Emilia quickly shot him down. "Subaru. What did I tell you? I brought you here to fulfill your promises and to get you healed. You don't have to worry about me."

Subaru looked a little saddened by this.

"How did he end up at the castle then?" Ricardo asked in confusion as he had heard about the scuffle Subaru caused along with the entire city.

Emilia looked angry for some reason as she crushed Subaru's hand with hers.

Priscilla snorted.

Julius carried on watching. "She was warning you all this time… why couldn't you listen?"

Scene changes to Emilia and Subaru looking at a huge building with really stunning designs all over its doors.

The two looked unsure if they should enter through the black-decorated door until a voice called out to them.

"Well, if it isn't Emilia-sama."

Subaru and Emilia looked at the person speaking and found a bowing handsome young man in white robes and decorated uniform.

"Hm? You've met with Natsuki-kun before the palace incident?" Anastasia sounded genuinely surprised.

"Yes," Julius muttered with a hint of fondness, "Though only briefly."

"It's good to see you again. Have you been well since we last met?" The man gave an elegant smile as he bowed deeply to the elven princess.

"Yes, everything is basically the same." Emilia quickly faced the man with a smile and let Subaru's hand go.

"You also seem well, Julius."

"The mere fact that you remember me is an honor."

The young man knelt before the princess and looked up with shining yellow eyes. "You have only grown more beautiful, Emilia-sama."

Julius kissed the back of Emilia's hand….

Making Subaru glare with rage.

"Ooofff!"

"Hahahah!"

Ricardo and Al winced at the look on the boy's face. While Felt laughed with Mimi at how jealous he was.

Emilia shook her head at her knight's idiocy.

Julius seemed to be in thought as he looked on. "Could it be… he did all of that because of me?" The knight carried on watching with a small frown as guilt began setting in.

"Ya had to be all knightley and stuff?" Anastasia whined in jealousy, toying with her blue scarf.

The elegant man just bowed his head to her.

"Thank you. Forgive me for asking so abruptly, but I have business here, and I'd like you to act as my agent in the castle."

Julius pointed at the rage-seething Subaru and smiled. "Does your business involve this young man?"

Subaru glared hatefully.

Julius grinned. "His character and attitude are ill-matched with his attire. That's no way to conduct yourself before one you've just met."

Subaru tried to smile through his jealousy-filled expression.

"Thanks for the warning! I've got a warning for you, too. You shouldn't eat curry udon in that suit. If soup splatters, the stains will really stand out."

"…"

"…"

(Kill me.)

"De fuck is that?"

Otto shrugged and shook his head at the meeting between these two.

"Hmm, it seems your relationship was always sour from the very start, huh, Julius-kun?" Anastasia mused with a small smile.

Julius just shook his head and began lamenting on how he'd feel if he was in Subaru's same shoes.

"There must've been an exact reason for him to act so jealously and stupid here… But what is it?" Julius muttered and struggled to understand what had changed Subaru in this scene and in the castle.

"Subaru…" Emilia shook her head at the boy's jealous nature. She didn't like this aspect of her knight… is this why he broke his promise?

"Just for that?" Emilia asked softly in anger.

While the two were trying to piece this together, the others intended to give their own reactions.

"Cap'n's gotten a bit petty 'ere… I love it." Garfiel ended up smirking at the terrible attitude his hero was having. Frederica almost ended up slapping his head had she not been far away from him. She didn't wish her brother to be influenced by such behaviour.

Thankfully, and to her surprise, the gray-haired youth beside her brother came to her rescue.

"You shouldn't take Natuski-san's personality as a role model, bro. This will only lead to his ruin. You need to be someone that calls him out on his flaws and learns from his solutions."

"Eh?! When did ya become a wise ass?" Garfiel grunted, personally attacked by the lecturing tone Otto used on him.

The merchant only winked at him smugly.

Frederica watched this with a small smile of surprise dorning her lips.

Julius decided to destroy the silence by being the bigger asshole of the three and gave an understanding expression. "I don't know what curry udon is, but I will keep that in mind. Now, allow me to show you to the conference mirrors."

As Julius moved to speak with the guardsmen, Subaru asked Emilia what a conference mirror was?

"It's a metia that allows you to talk with someone through two mirrors facing each other."

"Ah, mirrors… How very magical." Subaru grinned and moved to step towards the building, only to be stopped by Emilia.

"Subaru, wait here. I don't think it would be a pleasant experience for you."

"I've already had an experience that wasn't pleasant." Subaru clenched his fist and glared at Julius. "That bastard, licking all over your cute little hand as if he owned it… "

Subaru gritted his teeth in anger.

"He seems… "

"A little too upset?"

Frederica nodded with Petra as they both felt really uncomfortable with how Subaru was acting.

Everybody was.

"Do they have a different manner of communication in Natsuki-kun's home?" Anastasia asked curiously. She kept her eyes on the front row, expecting Beatrice to be the one to answer her question.

But to her surprise, it was the royal Duchess who informed her of the knowledge she seeked.

"Natsuki's metia, the 'cell fone' as he called it, is what he used to communicate with in the other world. I think this was brought up in the very first viewing session."

"Ah, I forgot that little bit. I think I had other things in mind that kept me from memorizing these fascinating advancements," Anastasia smiled wryly.

Crusch gave her a knowing casual smirk, "Lucky for you, someone did keep it in mind."

The merchant held her scarf a little too tightly. It even seemed to be moving away from her hand.

"I'll try to come back before things run too long. Be good and wait, okay? Please?"

Emilia begged as she entered through the building.

Scene changes to Subaru sitting on a street ledge with a miserable look on his face.

"I look so pathetic."

"That's normal, what's the true problem?" Some chuckled at Ram's snappish remark.

"I think you all should keep quiet," Priscilla's voice boomed over them, making a few glare at the woman.

Subaru looked around and instantly honed in on a fiery-haired lady in a red and black dress getting pulled into an alleyway.

"Hm? He meets Barielle this early?" Crusch mused in surprise.

Anastasia and Emilia leaned in to see what this meeting was about.

"Huh?"

Subaru quickly stands up. "That's a bold thing to do in front of a guard station. It's darkest at the foot of the lighthouse, I guess."

Scene change to… The three thieves from Arc 1 are surrounding the lady.

[AN: The next few long scenes are excerpts from the novel that were cut in the anime. I took liberty in adding these with a few edits to set for good reactions. In case you guys are wondering why this episode has scenes that weren't there in the director's cut.]

"Are ya serious?!"

"I haaaaaate these guys!"

Felt facepalmed in embarrassment as those three were members of her camp.

"Don't screw around with us!"

"Want us to mess up that pretty face of yours?"

The lady simply smiled. "Don't make such a racket, commoners. Fools with no character pick fights for the most foolish reasons."

As the lady faced the three idiots, Subaru suddenly entered the alleyway and yelled out. "Sorry I'm late, honey!" Subaru suddenly walks inbetween the thieves and stands beside the lady. "It looks like there's been a bit of trouble, but remember who I am and cut me some slack. Come on, let's go."

"Bold!" Ricardo and Garfiel laughed at the stupid plan their brother had made while Otto was rolling on the floor.

Emilia and Rem scowled at the way he called Priscilla honey.

Subaru tried to get the lady out of the alleyway by grabbing her hand.

He failed to see her scarlet eyes glaring hatefully at him.

"Do not touch me as if you know me!" The lady quickly slammed Subaru's entire body into a wall.

"Cliffhanger…" Subaru uttered as he slid down the wall beside the bag of fallen Apples. (-_-)

"He was trying to help you, I suppose!" Beatrice glared spitefully at the princess.

"I don't know what toilet you were raised in, but a commoner should not touch a god such as myself."

Beatrice and Priscilla glared at one another with disdain and hatred.

Rem, Emilia, and Crusch were also glaring up at the fiery woman.

"I don't want drooling commoners following me around." The lady glared at the boy with disgust as she opened her fan.

Subaru stood up and glared at the woman. "Figure out what's going on! It was supposed to be the classic scenario where I save a girl from hoodlums! Oh…"

Subaru slowly turned from the woman and to the three thieves… "Are you three the ones from the capital?"

"We met this guy in the alley behind the shopping district."

"It's the brat from back then?"

Subaru quickly leaned forward with a smooth smile on his face. "So, for my sake, could you just let us-"

"Are you dumb? This just makes it three on two, instead of three on one."

Subaru's smile was filled with unease but his expression soon turned to panic as the lady beside him spoke in a bored tone.

"You should correct that… It isn't three on two, but three on one on one."

"Would you be quiet for a second?!"

"I don't know how she didn't kill him for that." Al shook his helmeted head in relief.

"I think it's hilarious how he treats candidates to the royal throne so brashly." Anastasia thought out loud while watching with a smile.

"Hm, he didn't know that Baraille was a candidate during this moment though," Crusch interjected, unimpressed.

Anastasia shrugged, "Then that means he treats all of the girls he meets in this way don't it?"

While the mischievous merchant and the unimpressed militarist were having this mundane discussion, the crimson baroness above glanced towards them.

For some reason, Priscilla found herself interested in what was being said about her interaction with Subaru.

"Do ya even remember this meeting with him, Princess?" Her knight seemed forward in his thinking, which decently surprised the matriarch.

"Mh… I do not remember such a meeting," Priscilla looked startled for the first time, "How did you-"

"Find out? I can see you're nervous, that never happens."

The baroness snorted to herself, eyes narrowing on the man, "You'd best be careful, Aldebaran. Mineself's mercy isn't far reaching like your attitude."

The knight met Priscilla's seething threat with a careless shrug. "I only meant to help, Princess. I think you should look into why you forgot about Pal's meeting with you in these slums. He's trying to help you here."

"Hmph! That pig is merely slobbering for mine's beauty," the scarlet princess huffed while airing her fan.

"I mean sure," Al shrugs, keeping his uncaring tone, "Pal may have thought of you as a damsel, but isn't that kind of heroic? He still wanted to save someone he didn't know."

At this, Priscilla's frown turns to a snarl, "Al… There is no such thing as heroic in this world. This pig does everything for his own gain."

The knight shrugged underneath her fiery gaze.

"Whatever you say… He's too stupid to not prove you wrong anyway," Al mutters under his breath.

Subaru glared at the three while thinking to himself.

I have no choice. This is the last trick I wanted to use, but…

Subaru quickly placed his hands in his pockets and leaned closer towards the three.

"Just so you know, I know Reinhard-san. If I call for him, he'll come running!" Subaru stared degenerately at the three making them flinch back.

Secret Technique: Fox in Tiger's Clothing!

The effect was immediate, and Subaru forced himself to act like a big shot to cow them further.

"So what'll it be, guys? One shout and he'll make mincemeat out of you with his bare hands."

It was a desperate bluff, but the men gritted their teeth resentfully.

"W-we'll let you. This time."

"Remember this, it's not like you beat us or anything!"

"And it's not like we're scared of Reinhard's name or anything!"

"Pfft, cowards," Felt snorts at the trio, not showing her shame for taking them into her employment. Others like the Duchess and the merchant queen seemed to chuckle at the pathetic sight.

While Julius and Felix seemed to frown.

"Isn't it cowardly for him to use Reinhard's friendship like that, nyan?" Felix murmurs, looking at his red-haired friend in sympathy.

"... I suppose that's a way of dealing with them," Julius grumples, disliking the whole unmannerly way Subaru dealt with the thieves.

"I don' care, this was still smart of 'em," Garfiel received an encouraging nod from Otto, and even Emilia herself who heard what Felix said and pouted.

"I don't have a problem with it," Reinhard surprised the two knights, "I'm pretty honored to have him use my name to protect innocents. That's just like him."

"Good grief," Felix shook his head and rested a cheek on his fist.

The men immediately fled the alley, their weak, stereotypical parting shots only enhancing their petty crook image. Only when they had completely gone did Subaru exhale deeply.

Somehow he'd ridden the crisis out.

Now if he could only get the girl to soften just a little—

"What? Are those the eyes of a beggar? You shall receive nothing from me, commoner."

"They are not. Well, would it kill you to thank me for saving you at least?"

"Save?" The girl inclined her head slightly with a mystified expression. She closed her eyes, sinking into thought, and let out a small sigh when she arrived at an answer.

"So that prattling of yours earlier was meant to save me. Mm, I had not noticed."

"You didn't notice?! This sets new standards for dense, you know?!"

"Do not misunderstand. No difficulty would have befallen me even without your help. I can only marvel at your taking pride in resolving something that was not a problem to begin with."

"I don't know what you mean, so what do you mean? I mean what, like, okay, you're super-strong, so you'd have been fine even if I hadn't saved you?"

"Not at all. It is far simpler.—This world is composed solely for my convenience. Nothing occurs that is not to my benefit. It is thanks to me that I was saved, yet you attempt to claim this as your own exploit. Have you no shame at stealing credit from another?"

"Eh? This girl is way too arrogant!" Otto seemed genuinely shocked at Priscilla's attitude. Many in the crowd couldn't believe how entitled this lady was, Anastasia and Crusch went so far as to shake their heads at the scene. Even Felix seemed to look sympathetic to Subaru's blight.

"She's not so bad..." Felt almost had whiplash from how fast she turned at this sentence.

"Sis?" Felt almost shouted heatedly at the silver-haired lady beside her.

Emilia twiddles her thumbs, not being comfortable under Beatrice and Rem's scrutiny, and not liking how fast Felt was ready to question her.

"I-I mean… She's nicer here than most of the times I see her talking… So..."

"Priscilla-sama is showing him kindness, I think?" Julius tried to explain from his seat. His expression showed how unconvinced he was in his own argument, "Truth is, I see something else in those eyes."

"Yes, I can see it too," Garfiel grumbled, "She's still actin' like a b-"

Before Frederica could chastise her brother's filthy mouth, the merchant beside him took care of the job for her.

"Sh! Do you want us to go to war?! Don't go around insulting random members of other camps, the royals no less!" Otto hissed as he slapped his hat into Garf's face.

Frederica grinned at the gray-haired youth, brightly.

Meanwhile, above them all, Al was staring at the screen slack-jawed.

"Damn, Princess! You didn't kill him instantly?" he laughs, almost smugly to his liege's discontent,"I thought you were disgusted by his very essence? Why are ya still there?"

Priscilla seemed taken aback. Her lips parted without a single sound coming out. The baroness stayed there, looking confused for a few more seconds before her lips were covered by her fan.

"This is interesting..." Was all she whispered before settling her crimson eyes on the screen.

Al couldn't get a read on his lady's intentions or feelings towards this, but he could see how much interest this entire interaction sprung inside of Priscilla. The knight himself was curious why his lady had forgotten she had such a meeting with his pal? Not to mention the vale of confusion that surrounded her aura. He can sense her interest in the meeting by looking at her. Just her feelings and intentions were unclear, as always. Priscilla was no common rose.

With one blatant forward thrust of her bountiful breasts, the girl was asserting, as if it was natural as if it was obvious as if it was common sense—that she was absolute.

"Th-that so. My bad for being too big for my britches. Sorry to interrupt. Bye now." Subaru turned and began walking away from the arrogant lady, his mind was telling him to run away but a sudden call stopped him.

"I don't think you can blame his rudeness here, Emilia-sama," Frederica defended Subaru on instinct, finding his situation undesirable for needing to interact with such an arrogant royal in the streets.

"Why are you talking to me?" Emilia pointed to herself, turning to the blonde maid with a confused expression, "I don't have a problem with Subaru ending his interaction there. He seemed to be reeeeaally uncomfortable."

Emilia found some of the crowd shaking their heads towards her.

"What's up with ya?" Felt question, irritated by the washed treatment Emilia was receiving. As if she was a child.

It was Julius who answered, to the nods of Felix and Ram, "Subaru shouldn't walk away from a noble before she dismisses him. He could be punished severely if it wasn't for the mercy of Barialle-sama."

Rem bit her lip and looked concerned for a moment. While Beatrice held a glare of contempt at the knight.

Emilia was the only one of them that showed deep rooted annoyance at Julius by shunning him with a pout.

"Was it mercy, princess?" Al humored, looking at his liege.

He was quite surprised to find Priscilla sitting at the edge of her seat, with a deep frown on her delicate features.

"What is this?" she questioned, in an odd tone.

"—Wait."

"Wh-what?"

"What is in that bag there? Show me."

The girl strolled around him, nodding to indicate that Subaru should put down the bag. He didn't want to oblige, but defying her would only prolong things, so Subaru reluctantly opened the bag and showed its contents—a mountain of ripe, red fruit.

"I do not recognize them. These fruits… What are they?"

"They're, um, apples. The fruit of knowledge. Never seen one before?"

"Figures," Felt snorted, brave enough to slight the scarlet royal without abandon, "That lady probably never seen an untouched appa in her life."

"I'm sure it isn't like that..." Emilia's kindness defended, but the silence in the room was overwhelming.

Al was sweating nervously at the weird looks his lady was getting from the children of the room. The little maid with the red bowtie was almost staring at the baroness in pity.

It was all fucked. Al would certainly have to jump in the way of the kids to keep them from Priscilla's rage. His lady wouldn't take kindly to their gazes upon her.

"Relax, Aldebaran."

Even though her voice was aimed to be soothing, it only unsettled him more. She wasn't even angry with the crowd below her, in fact, she was more focused on the happenings of the screen instead.

Weird… Is she bothered by her not remembering this meeting?

Blinking at his reply, the girl snorted as she looked at Subaru like he was an imbecile.

"You lie. Do not make me laugh. apples are white, understand? I have absolutely never seen fruits such as these."

Astonished, Subaru replied, "Well, they're white when you peel them…"

It was the girl's turn to stare blankly.

He remarked, "Wait, don't tell me you've never seen an apple that hasn't been peeled…?"

"I knew it," Felt snorted in disgust. Emilia frowned, deeply disturbed by the sheer luxury Priscilla seemed to be living in.

"I do suppose that attitude of hers required a very easy life, in fact," Beatrice also jabbed.

"Did she really live such a hard life? She couldn't see an unpeeled appa?" Petra asks her mentor, who only gave an amused smile.

"No. It means she's lived a very fulfilling life where fruits came upon her freshly prepared, Petra-chan."

"Eh?! That's so spoiled! I wish I could be a princess like her~" the little one held her cheeks adorably as she imagined her fantasy.

"Like the little one's said, figures." Anastasia had the dignity not to snort like Felt, but the merchant did have an expression of contempt at the description of Priscilla's origin.

"Someone like that has no right to be so arrogant," Tivey felt encouraged to voice out by his master's words.

"I can't find it in me but to feel angry," Mimi murmurs, her happy expression drooping to a low frown.

"It feels scummy… Someone like her having everything in the world," Rem was content to follow Felt's action in showing her distaste for the lady in red.

"Nya~ I can't believe that someone so unworthy would want to lead our kingdom and challenge my Crusch-sama, nya~!" The glowing cat boy was boasting in delight, loving the attitude held against Priscilla.

Felix's attitude was surprisingly recorperated by Ram's snort, who was simply glaring at the screen in disdain and disgust.

Although she was agreeing with the catboy about Priscilla being unworthy, not the whole thing about his master's ability.

That aspect of his attitude was instantly shot down by someone unexpected, "I respect your personal opinions to be your own, but that is no honor bound attitude that someone of your status must hold, Felix."

Everyone's chatter stopped, the booming voice of the elegant knight held the crowd's attention.

"Nya~? Isn't that how you feel about your own master, Julius-kun~?" Felix looked at the knight with a stiff smile. Not liking the way Julius' stare was hardened upon him.

"I'm sorry, you must be mistaken. My attitude towards my master is loyal and gracious," the knight's stare turned to a narrowed look, "But your attitude is nothing short of obsession if you think slandering a royal lady in front of her knight is chivalrous."

Felix's eyes widened, his blanched expression was quickly covered by an angry glare aimed right for the knight, "Aren't ya taking this a bit too far, Julius-kun? I mean everyone else has been letting their feelings known, nya~"

The catboy felt even more encouraged when Felt came to his argument's defense, "Ya, what's the big deal? Or are ya aiming to beat down someone else for being human?" Felt growled toward Julius, resentment clear in her eyes.

She ignored the tight grip her knight had on her wrist. "Lady Felt..." Reinhard hissed, but his lady was uncooperative.

Julius met the royal girl's anger with a simple bow of his head and a humble expression, "Whatever your feelings may be about myself, Lady Felt. I am only adhering to my teachings and knightly code. And being one of the greatest healers of our time, and an honorary royal knight nonetheless, Felix mustn't act so bitterly."

"So? You will beat him down and anyone like him just for saying the truth?!" Felt's glare grew fiery, her knight's grip uselessly hardened upon her wrist.

Julius offered her no other answer than, "It's not my place to say what the truth is, but the knight's position in a camp is an incredible honor. Someone that uses it to sadistically slight anyone who annoys him or his master is no more than a fool that perverts our code."

"Are you talking about Big Bro?!" Felt's rage was now barren with all of its ambition. She had one booted foot over the seat before a loud commanding voice broke the little one out of her wrath.

"Lady Felt!"

The blonde girl stopped her ascent over the chair and looked to the seat where Crusch sat. Situated between Aastasia's camp and Felt's glare.

Felt's crimson rage met with Crusch's ambered steeled determination.

As the fireball of a princess and hardened Duchess faced off, the matriarch of the two broke the ice by her commanding tone.

"Do not assume I, or anyone in my camp, can do as we please. We have honor bound etiquette that mustn't be violated."

At Crusch's slighting voice, Felix could only flinch and ball in on himself with a frustrated look on his face.

Felt however, threw the steely militarist a great growl.

"I don't care about any of that. I can't let this arrogant guy go around preaching shit whenever he please-"

"I understand you have a lot to say about Juukilius and his way of doing things. But I think you are using my knight's fight to impulsively show your frustration with what happened to Subaru Natsuki in the palace."

The blonde girl seemed to lose some of her anger, the flinch she gave told of Crusch's splendid read on Felt's true intentions.

Julius didn't hold any eye contact with anyone, only looking down at the floor once his deed against Subaru was brought up.

Crusch continued with an unimpressed glare on both Felt and the blanched Felix.

"I understand your anger, I may not even agree with how that situation went down. But please make sure to not give in to your frustration about it so easily. You would've caused unnecessary trouble for Julius when he's already made peace with Natsuki Subaru. Not to mention that you were defending Ferris' wrong doing just to spite Julius." The duchess had chivalry and honor in her voice. Julius gave the woman a deep bow, his expression spilled nothing but his closed fist could be seen as a sign of how deeply the woman's words affected him. Especially when she reminded of his deed against Subaru or the fact that they made up.

"... Tck!" Felt unclenched her fists and pridefully turned away from the woman's sight, sitting back in her seat where Reinhard was giving her a disappointed glance.

"Shut up," she growled. Her knight shook his head silently, obeying her command only because he noticed a few tears in her eyes.

Not done, the diligent lady in blue turned toward her own knight, a gaze filled with disappointment shot Felix like an arrow tipped with poison.

"You will apologize to Barialle-sama, and Julius Juukilous before the next viewing begins."

The healer's eyes widened, having his heart beat heavily from the fear his lady's glare had settled into him, "B-But-"

"Doing so would please me greatly."

Crusch didn't have the heart to even look at the boy's crushed expression before she moved her seat away from him and sat with Wilhelm taking the spot between them.

The old butler didn't give his partner a second glance, more concerned with the screen. His mistress decided to follow his example and cross her arms to focus on the screen comfortably.

With Felix falling to shocked silence, Otto looked at Garfiel as the blonde continuously tugged on his sleeve.

"What is it Garf-san?" the merchant asked tiredly, not liking the tension in the air.

"Was that lady talking about the event Cap'n always soured over?" Garfiel's expression was greatly interested, Otto knew the tiger would surely jump towards Crusch and ask her himself if no one answered him.

"Indeed, this was also Natsuki-san's first meeting with that purple-haired knight there," Otto nodded and pointed towards Julius.

"Ya think Cap'n and him are real friends?"

"Yeah. Looking at Julius-san's attitude, and Natsuki-san's constant tales about him, they are strong friends… Or should be." Otto's bright smile slowly turned to a small unsure frown.

"Hm," Garfiel hummed, unamused and leaned back in his seat. Finished for now.

Seeing the tense situation down below, Al couldn't help but let out a breath of relief. He was holding on to his armrest so harshly his fingers left embeds on the wood.

"Damn, people love to talk about nothing, huh?" Al looked towards his own lady, feeling a hint of rage towards all those who voiced wrongfully concocted opinions about the scarlet baroness and her origins.

"Just cuz she doesn't have apples on the constant doesn't fucking mean she's never been through hardship or didn't suffer like most."

The knight's growl wasn't heard for it was in his own mind, but he could see that at least Priscilla didn't pay them any heed.

Sadly, his princess was all too used to being treated as the menace of the pack. She didn't even give their squabbles another thought. Just kept her eyes on the screen even while it paused for the group to finish their infighting.

He could only thank the lords above that she was so occupied with whatever it was she was thinking about. Less they all would've been fried to the point of charcoal by her anger.

"Hm," Priscilla's beautiful eyes widened rapidly, a small pleased smile showed on her face, "Mineself has remembered that fool's action. I must punish him once he wakes. That appa was unwashed!"

She was like an unfocused kitten. Or a kitten that was too focused on herself alone.

"Come on, princess!"

"Shut it, Aldebaran."

"Mm, I have indeed never seen one that was not at the dinner table.—Very well. Hand them over."

Nodding in satisfaction, the girl audaciously demanded he gives up his apples.

Subaru looked at her in bewilderment, clenching the bag tightly.

"Hand them over. I shall split one open and see for myself. Or is it only lies that dribble from your lips?"

"…Handle with care, okay?" Judging resistance to be the fool's choice, Subaru took an apple out of the bag and placed it in her hand. The girl took the apple, turning it around as if studying the sensation upon her palm.

Then, her left hand flashed toward the apple—neatly severing it vertically and horizontally into four equal pieces.

The girl licked the fruit juice off her fingers, satisfied at the cross-section.

"Sweet and sour… Certainly, this is the taste of an apple. I will spare your life."

"Eh?!" Otto broke the tense silence by exclaiming out loud, "I thought she might actually be decent here, but to threaten someone's life outta the blue? Nevermind me then."

By chuckling nervously, the merchant boy melted away some of the distress on many nerves in the room. Ricardo and Mimi stifled snickers at the obvious nervousness in the boy's broken voice.

Garfield sighed and patted his friend's back absentmindedly.

"Ya don't have t' act like a clown to relax 'em." The tiger pointed toward the crowd sitting in behind them, a knowing grin on his brutish face.

Otto didn't acknowledge his friend's statement, only sighing and focusing back towards the screen.

"Spare my… No, never mind. Anyway, you're satisfied now, I take it?"

"Ab-so-lute-ly not!"

Her statement, crossing the line from arrogant behavior to tyrannical, made even Subaru erupt in indignation.

"You don't even care that you sliced one up out of the blue. Why do I have to give you all of them? These apples aren't just apples. They're the bonds between two men!"

"Enough prattle. How about this?" The girl pointed at the bag, her lips cracking into a wry smile.

"We shall wager for them."

"—Wager?"

"Yes, a simple wager. Something easy, flipping a coin and guessing whether it is heads or tails. A single apple shall rest upon each attempt. How about it?"

She was proposing a contest, but all Subaru could do was laugh at her suggestion.

"You seem really stuck on taking what's Subaru's, I suppose," Beatrice narrowed her eyes, her voice cold as ice which surprised the maid that was sitting beside her.

"I don't find this fair at all!" Petra seemed to ignore her mentor's glare.

"That's how the world works," Tivey shrugs at the little maid, "Some royals are just tyrants that wish to take all of your pleasures."

"Hey now," Mimi intervenes, "She's offering for him to play a game with her. That's way better than what most royals might do!"

"I'm surprised by how smart that sounds from you…" Tivey blinks in disbelief.

His sister blows a raspberry at him.

"Subaru can still refuse," Emilia found herself commenting, glancing at Beatrice nervously.

The spirit only snorts with displeasure.

"You just say the darndest things. Why would I agree to that in the first place? There's nothing in that gamble for me. I can just run like heck out of here!"

"Of course, I shall have something worth winning at the ready. Let's see…"

"See? She's at least fairer than we expected!" Emilia beamed. She seemed at least relieved that Subaru wasn't being bullied by an arrogant royal while under her watch. Not that she wasn't expecting someone like Priscilla to abuse the poor boy out of his apples.

"At least she's being nicer here, odd." Rem was looking apprehensive. Her shy voice was surprisingly soothing for the spirit and half-elf.

On the other end, Anastasia and Crusch were locked in their own conversation.

"What do ya think this girl will offer him?" Anastasia sounded mischievous in the way she asked.

Crusch's eyebrow raised, unamused.

"I doubt it will be something honorable."

Anastasia pursed her lips and looked extremely disappointed with the Duchess' lacking banter.

"I suppose she will think that licking her shoes may be adequate as a gift?" The Duchess surprised her by cheekily murmuring with a smirk.

Anastasia grinned right back, her teeth bared.

"Think Natsuki-kun will agree to such a term?"

Crusch's smirk turned to an amused smile, "You really want a bet this badly, Hoshin-san?"

The company head cupped her cheek with a gloved palm, "Ya know how a gal can be sometimes. Ladies just wanna have excitement."

"Alright," Crusch rested her chin on a knuckle, "If Natsuki loses to the baroness and adheres to polishing her shoes, I will owe you something."

"Oh? You stand by Natsuki-kun? Surprising."

At this, Crusch frowns deliberately, "At this moment of his journey? Knowing what he's about to do to himself, I might take a risk and support him."

"'cause of sympathy?" Anastasia raises a brow.

"No," Crusch sternly denied, "Because someone has to."

"... Eh, nobles are amazing in that aspect. Supporting hopeless things." Anastasia turns away from the Duchess, drawing an ideological line between them.

"Very well..." Anastasia mutters, an easy smile on her face, "let's have fun. I bet Natsuki will lose t' Baroness-san."

The two ladies layed out their bets with an atmosphere of enjoyment and uneasy alignment hanging over them.

You can say the two may even have found partnership between each other's flaws.

The girl touched her tongue to her lips as she sank into thought. She shifted her bewitching eyes toward Subaru, lifting up her ample bosom with her crossed arms.

"Should you win the wager, you may touch my breasts. How about it?"

Several instances of displeasure and amazement rang through the watching crowds…

"This is preposterous, I suppose!" Beatrice stood on top of Subaru's legs and glared towards the scarlet harlot in disdain. Though the extremely red cheeks made the spirit look less intimidating than she wished to be.

"Has she no shame?!" Frederica whispered in shock, she kept a hand over Petra's mouth to keep the little one from speaking about this. The little girl was blushing hard and looked like she wanted to be swallowed by the floor.

"I don't suppose she does..." Wilhelm commented, a hint of bafflement showed in his tone before he settled his eyesight elsewhere from the screen.

"I'm surprised it ain't something degrading," Anastasia boredly keens.

The Duchess from beside her was looking unimpressed as well, "It is disappointing that I don't find this behaviour surprising. Is she confident enough to believe selling her body like that to be justified?" Crusch questioned in a firm manner of tone and expression. Her eyes were narrowed in distaste.

Anastasia shrugged and appeared unbothered by the whole thing. "A bet's a bet. So if Natsuki-kun wins, he'll be winning a treasure~" The merchant teased, knowingly getting on multiple women's nerves.

"My lady, please..." Julius sighed and nudged his nose tiredly.

"Eh, ya gotta be dumb not to take that deal though," Ricardo shrugs, a wolfish grin on his beastial face aimed for Subaru on the screen.

"I find this quite uncomfortable," Tivey mutters in disdain while his sister only shrugged.

"I'd like to think Barusu won't be tempted… But then again, he's the king of perverts so I wouldn't be surprised, he~…" Ram snorts at her own joke, enraging Beatrice and Crusch enough to make both ladies glare toward her.

"I don't suppose that will be true, sister," Rem gracefully answers her sister with a casual tone. However the blue-eyed girl was fiercely focused on the screen, muttering, "...I wouldn't hate to see how much he likes a big bosom though."

Another enraged scoff of disgust sounded from the elegant spirit standing upon Subaru's motionless legs. It seems Beatrice could feel Rem's true intention without the maid needing to voice it loudly enough.

"Ya wouldn't find it in your heart to deny this one eh?" Garfiel nudges Otto with a sly smirk. The cheeky 14 year-old was willfully aware of the effect this question would have on someone as introverted as Otto. Quite the sad existence for a merchant whose job is to sell goods based on his charisma.

"E-Eh?! WHY ARE YOU ASKING ME THAT?!" Otto slaps his hat on Garfeil's smug face, blushing furiously.

Frederica let out a small smile at the merchant's useless babbling with her brother.

"He's somewhat soothing to look at when he's so nervous. How weird…"

Meanwhile, Emilia was staring at the screen with large eyes, "Th-That's so shameful… Sooooo impure!"

Contrary to how stern she sounded, the half-elf was nothing but a gushing red and it showed all across her facial features and her pointy ear tips.

Her lips were pursed in an attempt to contain the plethora of embarrassed emotion she was feeling over something so mundane.

"This is dirty and Subaru wouldn't partake in such a thing!"

"Sammer down, filthy Witchling scum. Mine self is busy understanding what's being shown to me." Priscilla didn't even acknowledge the world around her except for these words aimed for Emilia.

"Princess… Did she piss you off by saying you were impure?" Al bravely traded his life for a stupid question.

To which his lady only replied by softly palacating his helmet with her palm, and sending him crashing to the carpet floor with a push so powerful his head cracked through the wooden floor.

Placing her foot upon his head, Priscilla spat, "No one in this world calls me impure, Aldebaran. Now stay quiet."

The man under her couldn't even reply from how deeply he was dug.

Ignoring the glares she got after her insult from Emilia, Priscilla turned her stare from her shoe to the screen once again. She also ignored Emilia's confused look.

"What did she mean by 'understand what's happening'? Shouldn't she already know this part?" Emilia whispered to herself, having a bad feeling.

Subaru sighed and looked down with a forlorn expression. The girl gave Subaru a slightly suspicious glance, perhaps wondering what was taking him so long. With that gaze bearing down on him, Subaru told her exactly what he thought.

"You need to take better care of yourself. That's crazy talk… And you can't seduce me with that look!"

—And so, Subaru found himself still in the alley, having lost seven straight bets.

"That makes seven wins for me. There are only three apples left, you know?"

"No way! You're robbing me blind!"

"Of course he would give in..." Felix reluctantly voices in the weakest of voices.

His mistress wasn't even paying attention to him, her amber eyes were glaring daggers of disappointment towards the screen.

"I expected better from Sir Natsuki. It appears I was mistaken about his chivalry," the Duchess' downward opinion of Subaru was hurtful to hear for even her own knight.

"Lady Crusch… You can't possibly think badly of him just for accepting a challenge made by a beautiful lady… That is quite unreasonable."

However, Wilhelm's interjection simply didn't matter for the stern militarist as she settled on deeply glaring at the back end of Subaru's head.

Wilhelm started to rub his hand, appearing uncomfortable. "That jealousy is not a good look on you, Crusch-sama..."

"Can't believe he's losin'! That's our apple pack, Cap'n!" Garfiel curses with a raised fist, not taking such blasphemy. Otto shook his head at his weird friend.

"We aren't there, Garf-san..."

"We should be!" Rem found herself interjecting brazelly with a half pout half death glare.

"I'm sorry, but him losing here is just too funny! Hehehe!" Mimi holds her armrest and rests her head on her hands to hide her face as she chuckles many times.

"I hope he doesn't win!" Emilia, returning to a blushing mess, found herself wishing great shame on her knight in the secret sanctuary of her mind. "Please let him lose and regret this. Please, please, please..."

"Don't wish badly of my contractor just because you have a smaller bosom, in fact!"

Emilia couldn't acknowledge how hurtful Beatrice's comment was. She just ignored the nasty spirit and brought her boot-clad knees up so she could hide her face from the world.

"Now, then."

The girl picked up one of the apples lying before her and deposited it into the bag at her side. Subaru was down to his last two chips, so to speak.

"Now you know what happens to those who challenge me. I am the pinnacle, and you are suited only to wriggling around at the bottom."

"Hey, isn't it a little extreme to treat me as the bottom of the pyramid just because I'm losing? Pride comes before the fall, you know…a fall to rock bottom!"

"You may rest easy. All is rock bottom except for me. The world has me, and all else is beneath."

Subaru wanted to refute her irrational logic, but that would only make him sound like a sore loser.

"Now then, what shall we do next? If you do not trust your luck at coin flips, a different wager is fine."

"Oh, now you've done it… I'm down in the bottom of the ninth, but I propose we do rock-paper-scissors!"

Priscilla found herself grunting at this mention. "That name ireks me… What is it?"

The scarlet lady found herself alone, no one answered her question.

She actually found herself missing the monkey's voice. Now if only this weird thing under her shoe would stop struggling and die already…

"Rock, paper, scissors…?"

When the girl raised an eyebrow at the unfamiliar term, it gave Subaru a tiny ray of hope.

"You don't even know that game?!" Petra gasped, her hands on her cheeks.

Others around the girl just shook their heads or gave unimpressed grunts, already accepting of Priscilla's nature.

"Rock-paper-scissors is a way to settle things. At the signal, you make a shape with your hand, and the stronger shape wins. There're three shapes: rock, paper, and scissors. Paper beats rock, scissors beats paper, rock beats scissors. Understand?"

"Oh, yes, I understand. A rather amusing game, it would seem. What is this signal?"

"Well, when you finish saying rock-paper-scissors, you show your hand when you get to the 'scissors' part. Oh, and if you both show the same hand, you say rock-paper-scissors again as the signal and do it over on the spot."

"That is all there is to it? Very well. I shall go with paper."

"You're already showing your hand?!"

Subaru shuddered at the breathtaking speed with which she strategized.

"That does sound amusing… I don't know why it still annoys mineself however," Priscilla grumbled into her fan, moving at the edge of her seat to lean closer in anticipation for what's to come.

"Eh, think he's got something up his sleeve?" Anastasia casually inquired of a stern Crusch.

The Duchess only gave a firm hmph.

She said to him, "Let us begin, then. Rock…paper…"

Subaru felt nervous about falling behind.

"Ah, wait, time-out. I haven't decided what I'm gonna go with ye—"

With his thoughts still in a jumble, the girl reached the signal and raised her hand high

"—scissors!"

The girl's hand indicated paper, just as she had proclaimed. Subaru's hand was rock. She commented, "It would seem that you owe me another apple, complaints about the method notwithstanding."

"It's not that! Statistically, people subconsciously keep their hand closed when they're tossed into rock-paper-scissors without warning! Ugh, I'm such an idiot!"

The strategist had been defeated by his own scheme. Subaru certainly looked defeated as he handed the girl her apple.

—With this, Subaru was down to his very last apple.

"Such a bad position to be in… I would say I feel bad… but knowing what he is allowed should he win, I can't lie," Julius nods his head, having a small smile at the sheer ludicrous situation itself.

"Yes!" Emilia cheered brightly, her fist raised, which prompted Garfiel, Beatrice, and Ricardo to glare at the half-elf's low consumption of culture.

While Felt just grumbled with a sour face from beside her, "This is just stupid. Big Bro can touch all the breasts he wants."

At this, Emilia frowned at the little blonde sternly, almost mother-like. "That won't be tolerated from my knight. He reeeally should get that thought or any others like it removed from his head."

Felt only snorts, "Then ya don't know Big Bro that well. He ain't gonna be gutsy enough to hack the deal even if he won."

"You mean Subaru isn't playing this to win and touch Brialle-sama's bosom?" Emilia questioned with a finger on her lip.

Felt facepalms at the buffoonery.

"Just ferget it! He's gonna play anyways."

"R-Right!"

"Now, let us gamble for the last apple and bring this to a conclusion, shall we?"

"You wouldn't show mercy on me and let me keep the last one, would you?"

"All the apples you carried belong to me. Leaving one in your hands is the same as leaving you all. It is all or nothing. That being the case, we may as well gamble for all the apples on the final round. That goes for both of us," the girl added, meaning it would be her ten apples against Subaru's one. It was truly emblematic of the girl's ruinous, high-stakes way of thinking.

He asked, "—How about rock-paper-scissors for the last one, too?"

"I have already made my decision. All that remains is for you to choose the method and present me with my apple."

"He doesn't seem wary that he's gonna lose," Tivey raised his brow.

"Maybe he has a gamble? A last-minute trick?" Mimi loudly inquired.

"This is just stupid. Why are we wasting time…?" Felix muttered in a low disgruntled voice.

"Shh~!" Anastasia and Frederica joined in on the shushing of the healer. He ended up blushing bright red.

The girl showed no doubt about her victory, nor any intention of letting Subaru go. In other words, he had no choice but to harden his resolve—to trap a Rakshasa by the vilest of means.

The two called out simultaneously, "Rock…paper…scissors!"

When both showed their hands, sound vanished from the world.

With her fist clenched in a rock, the trembling in the girl's red eyes only grew.

"Th-this is…"

"Listen and be amazed, look and be astounded! Behold, the ultimate combat technique—RoSciPer!"

"What is that…thing?! You did not inform me such a hand was possible!"

"Shut up! I didn't mention it, but it's your fault you didn't ask! That part is rock, this here's scissors, and over there is paper! In other words, my hand's beaten your rock!"

"If such logic holds, a different part loses to my rock."

"Ahh! Ahh! Ahh! I can't hear you! My rock is borrowing power from the scissors and paper, forming the holy trinity of friendship, effort, and victory! It's all here, baby!"

Raising the hand of RoSciPer to the heavens, Subaru boldly proclaimed victory with his flagrant cheating.

"Well… That's one way to go about it..." Julius stated with a deeply amused expression.

Felix glared at him, "Aren't ya going to go off on him as you did to me? He is a registered knight noyw!"

The elegant knight didn't acknowledge Felix with a glance, "I don't suppose he is one at the moment he met Priscilla-sama. And his win was at the very least something to be expected. It's Natsuki we are talking about…"

"But he cheated!" Tivey came to Felix's defense by pointing out what Subaru did, Julius rolled his eyes.

Another voice interjected, "Ya don't find this cool? Ye're a right dumbass then!"

"Cool it Garf!" Otto sheepishly held the impulsive tiger down by the jacket. Keeping him from leaping forward towards Subaru's judgers.

"But that was a mean prank to pull!" Petra pouted in disappointment.

"I believe this should not be as annoying as it is for me…" Rem was whispering hollowly.

"E-Eh! He cheated?! How low are you going to go for such a naughty thing Subaru?" Emilia held her head in her hands from shame and embarrassment.

Felt and Beatrice both facepalmed with respective frustrated faces.

Ricardo and Mimi were laughing in triumph at the champion's win.

Meanwhile, a certain girl from the west was gripping at her fur coat tightly.

"Guess he's gonna barely manage his way out… like always." Anastasia sighed and lost her grip on her clothes, letting a look of acceptance begrudgingly show as she turned to Crusch.

"Ya won this one. I owe ya a favor~"

At the merchant queen's seductive wink, Crusch simply raises a brow, unimpressed but not displeased.

"Oh well, something good came out of this… situation, I suppose," The duchess shrugged and continued to aim a neutral look towards the screen.

Anastasia immediately could tell what irked the green-haired matriarch.

"Hm, it's time for Natsuki-kun's reward~"

"Stop calling it that!" Emilia flushed from the front seat, while Rem and Crusch side-eyed the merchant princess.

Meanwhile, Ram was busy looking at Priscilla's knight with an unreadable expression. He had been freed from his position as a footstool for the moment and was sitting casually near her.

He was still beside Priscilla.

And Priscilla's expression was that of complete surprise which interested Ram.

"Hey you, dog boy-"

"I'm not a dog." Al was instantly insulted by the maid. Ram coldly pressed on.

"Why is your lady in so much shock at these events? Shouldn't she already have a memory of Barusu's meeting with her? Considering how she looks right now, she didn't think she would lose even though she had lived through this."

Al only sighed through his helmet slit. "Princess here is an enigma. You won't go far trying to understand her."

Ram's gaze lingered over the man more than necessary.

When she moved her vision to focus on the scarlet lady "Uh… Indeed I did lose," the look of surprise was replaced with one of recollection on Priscilla's face, "This is why the game annoyed mineself? Such a commoner creation!"

None responded to the causal words that came from Priscilla except for one irked spirit.

"Hmph, it seems you are not so divine after all, in fact!" Beatrice indulged in Priscilla's self serving conversation.

The scarlet princess now seemed more at ease with herself, leaning back into her seat and opening her priceless fan to air herself, the baroness barely looked at anyone as she spoke.

"If your mind was half as bright as your age, faulty great spirit, you wouldn't be celebrating such a measle victory. It was amusing but futile in the end."

The blonde spirit scowled deeply towards the uncaring thornish beauty, as did the rest of those who cared about Subaru's sake. All except for Emilia, surprisingly.

"Just what do you mean by that, I wonder? It wouldn't mean that you've hurt my contractor now would it?"

Roswaal was the only one who looked apprehensive at the small growl Beatrice gave the baroness. The latter described princess simply took the spirit's hostility with stride and casually explained herself.

"No. You only need to watch further to understand how futile your attempts at cheering him on are. He will only lead you to anger and despair," for a moment, Priscilla's look of casual intrigue was replaced by one of pure disappointment. It wasn't really anger or fury… just pure let down filling her eyes.

"That common pig has disappointed me greatly."

Al was the only one who heard Priscilla's whisper. He couldn't think of a way to overturn this, he didn't even know if he should try. The knight had already understood everything from the moment he heard her talk in that exasperated tone. His lady would never let lose the chance to pontificate upon someone's mistakes, filling them with her righteous venom by words alone. It was her favorite thing, made her feel and appear superior to all who sat beneath her.

But her eyes were just completely defeated now.

"Is she really that disappointed by Barusu's mistakes during the royal court?"

Al froze on instinct, his back turned rigid from surprise.

"Don't sneak up on me like that!" He whisper-shouted at the pink-haired girl that questioned him.

Moreover, his surprise wasn't unfounded as soon as he realized, "Wait… How did you know about Princess-"

"-way of thinking? Hmph!" Ram interrupted the bewildered man with a smug grin, "Ram is an expert on those who find disappointment in Barusu."

"D-Did you really insult Pal just now? Using my question no less?"

The pink-haired maid rolled her eyes at the man and gestured towards the introverted Priscilla, "Your lady is an obnoxious type-"

"-Careful there."

Ram sighed and continued, "She would of course want nothing to do with Barusu's existence and therefore she would of course forget about his meeting with her, correct?"

Al found himself sighing along with Ram's poured down explanation, "Yes, that's princess alright. She found him pathetic after his misshape and forgot him-"

"That's not it."

Al shut his mouth and turned toward a much more serious looking Ram. He noticed that Beatrice and the others resolved to ignore Priscila and sit down properly in their seats.

It was just him and the Oni talking.

"What are you on about?" Al lost all of his cheer in this question.

Finding his confusion to be disappointing, Ram shook her head at him. Al didn't like it.

"You only need to think about it. Your lady didn't want an amusing toy out of Barusu as we all seem to think, well, thought in my case."

"Okay? What did Princess want from Pal over there?"

Ram gave him a short smile, "I think she was amused enough by her meeting with him to have considered him worthy of her friendship."

"..."

"..."

"Should I start laughing now or…?" Al snorted out of his silence, only receiving a small scowl from the maid. The knight held his helmet on his palm, shaking his head snidely at the girl.

"So confident yet so dumb. That's not how princess thinks at all. She doesn't do friendships."

Ram only snorts at him, ignoring his insult towards her. "Then just you watch, idiot. See how differently your 'goddess' treats this commoner than the others. Make note of the areas where I'm right, perhaps you can bow to me when you realize what I'm trying to tell you right now."

"And what would that be?" Al asked of the annoyingly proud maid.

"That Barusu managed to do something to your lady not even you could've. He managed to make her feel normal."

The knight never wanted to punch someone so hard in his life, yet his fist remained still; clenched on the armrest quaking from anger.

It remained still because of how angry the knight had become in that moment. Angry at himself for believing the pink-maid had a point greater than his own about Priscilla.

He did notice those things, all of Priscilla's small mercies towards Subaru were not ignored by Al. He noticed and commented his surprise on them, probably will continue to do so as his lady's interaction was not over with Subaru yet.

But he was more angry at himself for not noticing such a small simple thing. Letting the Oni win one over him especially regarding Priscilla's mentality… It was more humiliating than a thousand stomps to the face.

Perhaps he could be angry that his lady had given up on befriending Subaru now out of disgust for his power? Al didn't know exactly where it lay.

He just hated how many reasons sprung up on him to fill a purpose for troublesome feelings in his heart.

"Man, caring for other people sucks."

But the girl defied Subaru's expectations, sighing deeply as she said, "I see. Certainly, it is I who was in error. At the same time, I am amused at how my expectations have been surpassed… Very well, you have won. You may do as you please. Here you go." After her minimal warning, she abruptly stepped forward. Without thinking, Subaru, floored at how quickly she jumped to the next step, stepped back a distance equal to the one she had advanced.

"…Do not tell me that now it is time to feel my breasts, you have lost your nerve?"

"Huh?! I-I seriously don't know what you're talking about! Who's s-s-s-scared here?!"

"…Truly, you are a vexing man. I suppose such bashfulness is adorable in its own way, but…"

"She has no shame…" Rem grumbled in infuriation. She had to grip her skirt at the way Priscilla commented upon Subaru's 'bashfulness'

"I thought I would be more disappointed by your etiquette as a royal Barialle-sama, it's a shame this is what I expected." Crusch's lashing words did no harm towards the smirking bombshell sitting at the overseeing row. Nor did the duchess' jealous glint get ignored by the mischievous purple-haired merchant sitting beside her.

On the front row, Emilia held her pointy ears, red as a rose to cover her head from the shame.

"I should've gotten there sooner!" The half-elf squeaked and shook her folded head to get rid of the painful feeling in her chest.

Felt and Beatrice only shook their heads in annoyance.

"Should we really be watching this?" Felix asked of Julius and Reinhard, trying to get back on their previous track of being knights who disliked anything unrelated to Crusch- Subaru's adventure.

Julius only remained silent, his face neutral. While Reinhard looked nervous.

And there they stood, Subaru getting cold feet at the last moment versus the girl whose pride did not permit her to take back what she had offered. One advanced and the other retreated—a standoff that continued until outside forces intervened.

Abruptly, the girl's gaze left Subaru and focused on the entrance to the alley.

"—Mm, it seems this will become troublesome."

"Er? It looks like some pretty rough-looking dudes are coming this way."

"And the one at the vanguard is a commoner, I recall. Goodness, these fools do not interest me even slightly."

"What are they thinking, coming back after hearing Reinhard's name like that?!"

"It would seem they have called your bluff about being acquainted with the knight among knights. It is rather easy to understand. Even they have reputations to protect, so they have returned in greater numbers for retribution."

"Damn it, this day is just nothing but trouble!"

Since the girl was just standing there, Subaru grabbed her hand and dragged her along, carrying the bag of apples as he rushed deeper down the alley.

"H-Hey, Subaru isn't going to have to be killed again, right?" Petra asked, now worried after hearing about the thugs' return.

"They did come back rather quickly, uh…" Felt commented wearily.

Ram nudged the knight sitting at her side, resounding an 'oof' outta the man that held his ribs in response.

"Ah… Don't worry, Princess can save herself and Pal… If she felt gracious enough. As a matter of fact, I don't know why she hasn't done anything to get outta that spot."

"Don't know? Or don't want to think about it?"

Al curses under his breath, sweat shining his skin once Priscilla brings her crimson eyes towards him. Her gaze was one of curiosity.

Ram, the one who refuted his question by another, was smirking at him from the sidelines in quite a smug fashion.

"I-It's nothing. Princess would've taken care of the situation anyways. I'm just boggled as to why she lets him off the hook like this?"

Priscilla blinked before replying innocently to her knight, "I was looking for entertainment from the fool. Why would you be so stiff about such a feeble question, Al? Has mine heel finally damaged that empty shell of yours?"

"N-No princess… I'm fine as can be."

The baroness glared at him in suspicion.

He hoped to the gods that he be transferred out of this room for he knew for sure that Ram's snicker was about to start something he would regret later on.

She protested, "Hey, what are you doing? Do not touch me so carelessly."

"Now is really not the time! If you don't wanna get all beat up before marriage, run!"

The girl wasn't very motivated to run as Subaru pulled her down the beat-up alley and plunged into the darkness. The men behind them pursued with a great shout and a flurry of footsteps.

Subaru, cursing the heavens for his truly unlucky day, kept running with a desperate expression on his face.

"If we do not hurry they will gain on us. Is this time to play around?"

"I d-don't wanna hear that from y… Time out, seriously, wait a…!"

They'd been racing through run-down streets for the last five minutes, but the girl was running well ahead of him, showing no sign of losing her breath. On the other hand, Subaru, never one to hold up for long sprints, was about to collapse from exhaustion. At first, he had been in front, but his endurance issues soon switched their positions.

"I'm convalescing, so this is really pushing it… But we're in a pretty bad spot. Doesn't look like many people live here… You have any ideas?"

"That is so pathetic of 'em it's kinda adorable," Anastasia's humiliating coe about Subaru's weak lungs was not lost on one Garfiel who looked up to Subaru.

But he didn't need to come to his brother's aid, the merchant was already facing a much bigger challenger made from her own machinations.

"I wouldn't think him to be better suited in anything physical, yet he did more than your fabled mercenary crew or my army could in only a few days." Crusch's words were more pleased than firm. Anastasia shrugged with a playful grin and leaned on the seatrest closer to the relaxed duchess.

Both ladies knew that bringing up the true thoughts their brains had for Subaru's accomplishments was a low blow. Especially his 'ability'. So both were easily pulling their punches since a big rousing of the crowds wouldn't be for the best of their interest. Especially not for the camp that held power over Subaru.

The other group was a fair distance behind them. However, they were in one long alley, so slowing down meant it was only a matter of time until they were caught. He'd have liked to get on a thoroughfare, but all he could see was a maze of other back streets.

"It is not my problem! Everything I set out to do turns out well for me. I do not think deeply about things, for I do not need to. I need only trust in this fact."

"Yeah, well you lost at rock-paper-scissors to me earlier…"

At least they hadn't bumped into a dead end, but that didn't improve their predicament.

Right in front of the winded Subaru, the girl suddenly came to a halt.

"—Mm, this is indeed rather vexing."

"Aren't ya gonna take his head off for that, Princess?" Al inquired, more agitated by the second as he noticed immediately how casually Priscilla was letting Subaru off the hook.

The crossed-legged empress-to-be was only glaring towards the screen with a crimson disappointment glimmering her eyes.

"Commoners don't deserve chances to entertain me, Al? I merely thought this all amusing and see where it went."

Al's jaw was hanging in his helmet as he noticed what Ram was saying this whole time.

"See?" Ram whispered to him, still smug and bastardly like always.

"She's lying, dog boy."

Oh, fuck me man…

Subaru, still holding her hand, also stopped. He looked at her, wondering what the deal was.

"Hey, we don't have time to stop here. If we don't put in as much distance as we can, they'll catch up with…"

"—I have lost interest."

"I see, you've lost intere… Wha—?!"

Subaru was in utter shock at the girl's unbelievable statement. She returned his gaze, apparently bored.

"I said, I have lost interest. In the first place, why must I run? I shall decide what I do myself. I absolutely shall not be forced to do anything because of what lowlifes say or do."

"Th-that's easier said than done, you know?! That ain't gonna fly in a situation like th—"

"Mm, I have decided. You shall have the honor of carrying me."

"No thanks!"

As Subaru crossed his arms in a clear sign of refusal, the girl scowled as if he was putting a damper on her mood.

"The honor of carrying me is not for just anyone to receive. Only a man who does not know fear would reject such a thing."

"Do I look like a macho man that can carry someone and run?! Even when I was at full strength, it took everything I had to carry a girl with way fewer style points than you! And I'm about worn out now!"

As Subaru used the remains of his energy in protest, the girl shot him a look of scorn, but he couldn't use what he didn't have.

"Wait, he didn't carry another girl… except for Ra-"

"Are you a fool?!" Otto quickly put his hat on Garfiel's mouth, quitting the blonde from committing treason upon them all.

Ram simply snorts as she leans on her arm rest that's closer to Roswaal. She was not impressed by the boys in this theater at all.

"Damn, he's pushing his luck right now!" Ricardo chuckles, feeling a bit of excitement rise within him since this was such a cursed pair to follow around as much as the screen had been.

"I wish this would just end~" Emilia whines into her palm and shakes her head again.

"Awe come on, I'm sure everything will be fine for you." Felt commented casually while rubbing the half-elf's shoulder.

Her red eyes widened as soon as the scene showed someone precious to her however.

Her games led them to a stalemate costing them precious time. That was the thought in his head when, out of the blue, he heard an aged voice.

"It's been some time since I've seen you. What are you doing here?"

The speaker's large frame emerged from the darkness. Subaru lifted his gaze to a typical height for making eye contact, but found himself staring at this man's chest. He raised his gaze even farther to his ugly, balding head.

"Been a while since I've seen you. What're ya doing here?"

Subaru looked away from the hoodlums and looked back towards the speaker. A smile found its way on his face.

"Old Man Rom!"

—A familiar and very muscular old man gazed down at Subaru and the girl.

"W-Wait, Old Man Rom met with him? Was the old man not looking for me this whole time or what?!" Felt's surprise turned to biting fury the minute she realized how far away from home and casual her old man was dressed in the scene. He didn't look distressed at all! She should kick his teeth in as soon as she sees him for this…

"I think you might be exaggerating a little…" Reinhard tried, but the blonde was too hotheaded and jealous of Subaru's ability to get in such a situation to care.

"This old man will save Subaru and the pretty lady!" Petra cheered in righteous celebration as she remembered how this old man turned the tide against Elsa during the first viewings.

The little maid was virtually the only one that was stressing about Subaru being in danger with the thugs following his trail. Guess she didn't know how much faith everyone held within Subaru… Wait… They were more trusting of Priscilla's power than Subaru's ability to handle a fight?

Petra seemed too stuck on how much of a betrayal this thought must be for Subaru. She couldn't wipe the frown from her face.

"Gramps is here to save the day! We can win this—!"

"You're quick to annoy someone who hasn't seen you in a while. I'm leaving you here."

"Wait, I really need your help! It's, like, the tenth crisis I've had in the last month!"

"That's too many!"

As they exchanged banter in lieu of greetings, the giant—Old Man Rom—peered at Subaru and the girl.

"What, in more trouble, are you? Causing a ruckus with a woman? Quite the adventurer you are."

"Do not look at me so rudely, you filthy gnarled tree."

"Hey, I'm ribbing him, too, but that's really harsh! Don't say that to the old man giving us a get-out-of-hell-free card! Don't take it personally, Old Man Rom. We've just got a little case of excessive honesty here!"

"You certainly are good at wearing a man down. Hurry and hide!"

"He deserves it," Felt snorts. Reinhard sighs wearily.

"Should we really be seeing all of this?" Tivey questioned once again, earning a nod from Felix.

Subaru covered the girl's mouth before she could spew insults again and rushed toward the place Rom had silently indicated. There was a pile of scrap wood there that seemed able to comfortably conceal two people.

Subaru pushed the girl down first before squatting himself. She looked like she wanted to complain about the dust, but his hand over her mouth managed to keep her silent.

"We're okay on this end, Gramps!"

"No, you're not… I'll hide you with my body. If they see you it'll be trouble for me, too, so don't move."

Grumbling all the way, Old Man Rom hid them completely behind his huge body. A mere ten seconds or so later, a commotion of footsteps came from a nearby alley—

The leader of the men shouted, "The hell, I thought it was the brats, but it's the old man! Shit!"

"That is bold!" Ricardo laughed loudly along with Mimi.

Julius shook his head with a really stern frown. Beatrice did the same before looking at Rem in disgust as the maid blushed from the position shown.

Emilia didn't understand what this had to do with the strange pang of toxicity in her chest, but she knew it had to do with how inappropriately close to one another the two on screen were.

"This isn't how a knight acts!" Emilia shrieked while slamming her fist on Subaru's sleeping shoulder.

"Yes! I'm happy you get it, Miss Emilia-" Julius gave the most chivalrous of nods before he was interrupted by the half-elf who he thought was sane.

"He isn't her knight to act this way with her!"

Now Garfiel had to fall on the floor in laughter with Ricardo.

"He's saving himself and the candidate-sama!" Otto facepalmed, getting second hand embarrassment for Emilia's sake.

Frederica seemed to chuckle acutely while looking at his red face.

"I can't even begin to describe this to you," Ram whispered in a soothing, almost comforting tone that held no evil in it to the currently balled up man beside her.

Al shuddered and shook his head, not wanting to be placed in another trap by this demon of a girl. He doesn't care what the princess thinks about this anymore. He won't get involved.

Priscilla on her part seemed more amused by Emilia than anything else. "It seemed these precious moments of time mineself wasted on him were useful for something in the end."

Old Man Rom fielded the foul language with a serene expression.

"What? You shouldn't surprise your elders like this."

Old Man Rom hadn't put any special invective into his sentence, but the displeasure of a giant like him carried a force all its own. The entire group shuddered, the leader included. But one of the members of the group pointed at Old Man Rom and mocked, "Hey, wait, it's Grandpa Cromwell. Hey, should you really be talkin' smack to us here?"

The furrows of Old Man Rom's wrinkled face deepened further in a bitter response.

"I do not like being called that name."

"Hm…" Wilhelm found himself more intrigued than he should've been. He found himself more thoughtful towards the old man's expression and what it held of untold regret and pain than he had any right to be.

"Mh…" He's hums were the only sign of his thoughtful expression, as his hardened features were trained on a deep deep frown aimed for the old man's neck. A neck he wished to slash open once.

"Get outta here, old man, or we'll bust up your loot cellar and make you the laughingstock of the slums."

"That place has gotten incredibly dirty over the years. If you destroyed it entirely you'd be doing me a favor. So how about I do as I please?"

"Yeah, fine. Now, Cromwell… Did you see two brats runnin' this way?"

"I didn't see them. Do you know where my blond daughter is?"

"Beats me. You picked her up off the street, so what's the big deal? Man, goin' senile must suck."

The men waved farewell, laughing derisively as they noisily left the area. Old Man Rom watched their retreating backs, biting his lip as he held back his anger.

"Though I know you should be angry for how he's being treated, you can't use your power to punish them, Felt-sama." Reinhard consulted his lady like he thought she would react upon seeing this mistreatment… But instead-

"Finally! Geez, I thought he wasn't looking for me all this time!" Felt huffed and sat back in her seat with her arms crossed in frustration. Man, having an arm to squeeze would be useful right now!

"Aren't you angry for how he is being treated?" Frederica asked, curious and shy.

Felt shrugged, "He's not in danger, these scum will get their ass handed to them either by him or by their personal nature. Old Man Rom doesn't need anyone to protect his rep."

"Uh…" Frederica bit her lip, seeing how frogien this culture in the slum was from her own.

As Subaru watched his face through a small gap.

"Hww wong rre…"

"Mm?"

A whisper-like voice interrupted Subaru's thoughts, prompting him to look to the side. Right beside him was the beautiful girl, so close they were practically breathing the same air, her mouth still covered by Subaru's palm.

"…you gonng to cvrr my…MOUTH?!"

Chomp.

"—Yipe!"

At the merciless bite, Subaru let out a high-pitched, puppy-like yelp that quietly echoed through the nook in the back of the alley.

Scene changes to Subaru and Priscilla standing outside of the tent and before the giant in the alley.

"Thanks for hiding us, Old Man Rom. The last time I saw you, I thought you'd had the sense knocked right out of you, but I guess you made it through fine."

"…Do you want me to change my mind and call those youngins back?"

"You sure are petty for a big guy! With me here, there's more than enough petty for everyone!"

Subaru grinned and shot him a thumbs-up. Old Man Rom sighed with a worn-out look.

They started moving from the previous narrow alley to a more open city street. Old Man Rom conversed with Subaru while guiding the pair to a place where they could blend in.

The girl, having kept her silence until that moment, finally tugged Subaru's sleeve in irritation.

"Hey, you. I see you having an intimate conversation. Who is this old man? Explain it to me."

"Hm?" Anastasia quietly nudges the duchess beside her, Crusch glances towards the merchant queen with expectancy in her eyes.

"You noticed as well?" Crusch inquired.

Anastasia's smirk is nasty as she nods.

"Seems like Barialle-sama really wished to gain Subaru's attention at that moment."

"I assume there's a reason why she doesn't seem to care for that now, especially after RBD's reveal. Natsuki should've been gaining more attention from her. Yet she only glares at him now."

Upon Crusch's theorizing, Anastasia found herself busy thinking about everything too, "I dunno… But this is so very interesting. Dontcha agree?"

Crusch only nods her head in agreement.

"This old man is the face of the royal capital's slums. The giant's Old Man Rom—trader for the bosses of the sticky-fingered types and all-around stingy bastard. He's got bad eyes, loves his cute granddaughter, and he's not nearly as tough as he looks."

"That is his worth after having lived a long life? I see. I pity your pathetic existence, gnarled tree."

"Your lady friend is an annoying little girl, isn't she?"

Most would assume to have the blonde ball of fury jumping upon the rows to inquire her own justice of the scarlet goddess sitting in the back.

Though the surprise was kind of relieving for a certain red haired knight.

Felt laughed while holding her stomach, "I'mma have to use that."

"I'm surprised how well you are taking this." Emilia concludes, hoping to understand why Felt wasn't calling for murder right now. But the little girl just shrugged.

"I guess that dickhead's words got me thinkin' a bit. Mh…" that was the only answer Felt gave.

Old Man Rom was indignant at the harsh appraisal. Though Subaru's explanation was the truth, he set that aside and gave Old Man Rom a warm smile.

"I'm so glad I ran into you, really. Even I was getting desperate back there. I didn't have a clue what I was gonna do."

Old Man Rom made a strained laugh and casually looked Subaru over.

"…The way you switch gears so quickly really throws an old man off. Seems you managed to escape with your life back then, too…"

His face twisted painfully as he saw the scars on Subaru's body.

"I may not be one to talk, but it seems that knife wielder got you pretty badly."

"Nah, that babe only got me in the stomach. All the other wounds are from a thing that happened after."

"Goodness! Something else happened to you, not even a month later?!"

With Subaru keeping his mouth shut, Old Man Rom seemed to accept things all on his own, shaking his head as he brought up a separate issue.

"—Hey, brat. Do you know where Felt went off to?"

"…Haven't you heard? Reinhard took her with him, or so I'm told…"

"Reinhard…the Sword Saint? Why would the knight among knights take her with him?"

Apparently, this news was a bolt from out of the blue.

Subaru thought back to how things had gone down at the loot cellar, finally noticing the inconsistency. Old Man Rom was out cold before Reinhard had entered the fray. Rom and Reinhard hadn't interacted while Subaru was conscious.

"So, what, you just woke up in a wrecked shop without any explanation, and all you could do was wonder?"

"It wasn't nearly that bleak. I woke up in the guards' garrison. I appreciated their healing me, but I let myself out right after."

"Ah, yeah. Not exactly a comfortable place for you, huh."

A criminal wouldn't feel at ease waking up in a police hospital. Subaru couldn't blame him for getting out of there ASAP without hearing all the fine details.

"So that's why you didn't hear, huh? Okay. Anyway, let me fill you in on what happened before I blacked out, plus the little bit that apparently happened after."

After that preamble, Subaru acted out a dramatic retelling of the events at the loot cellar. Old Man Rom watched Subaru's meaningless theatrics with admiration, and even the bored-looking girl leaned forward, gripped by the performance from start to finish. Subaru concluded, "She was so surprised! And then I said, '—I want you to…tell me your name.'"

The girl replied, "Ho-ho, a rather fine choice of words, if I do say so myself. I must grudgingly approve."

"Heh? Where was this reaction when we saw the tale for ourselves?" Ricardo asks, rather impressed that the red princess cared or showed approval for Subaru's story.

Priscilla merely rolled her eyes, "If I must, I'd say mineself was busy thinking about the reality of the tale. The parts the boy had left out."

With that, the casual harsh empress brought the mood down once again.

Rom followed up, "Keh, you really told her… Bah, this is no time to admire! The bottom line is that you don't know any more about Felt other than the fact the Sword Saint took her with him, do you, brat?"

"Part of why I came here today was to do some footwork to find out exactly what happened…" Subaru looked down wryly.

Rom murmured to himself so faintly that Subaru did not hear.

"But… The House of Astrea, of all things…"

Old Man Rom had a serious expression as he lifted his face. Subaru helplessly shrugged.

"Well, I'm gonna see if I can get ahold of Reinhard, so I'll let you know if I hear anything. I mean, I wanted to find out if Felt was safe and sound to begin with."

"That'll be a big help… You seem oddly trustworthy. Is this girl involved with this somehow?"

"No, not a bit. I don't even know her name." Subaru pointed at the annoyed Priscilla.

"Just how many scrapes do you get into for girls whose names you don't know?!"

"Hey, back when I didn't know Emilia-tan's name, I was pretty desperate, so I don't think anything I did was that weird."

Subaru's indifferent reply made Old Man Rom rub his eyebrows in exhaustion.

"Oh, I know this is frustrating for him!" Felt laughed out loud, loving the sight of stress the old man had for her big bro.

While Emilia and Beatrice simply shook their heads in exasperation.

"It's funny that he says that about Priscilla-sama's involvement… Since she's… Ya'know? A candidate rival to Felt-sama's faction?" Tivey points out, making his sister snicker.

"Irony bounds," Al dryly lips, feeling relief for not having scarlet eyes watching him anymore.

"No point thinking about it. All right, fine. I'll rely on you, so let me know if you find out anything about Felt. If I can repay you, I will."

"You're really gushing. It's because it's your adorable granddaughter, huh?"

"—That's right. She's…like a granddaughter to me, so please."

Subaru's jaw dropped at Rom's straight-up, unashamed agreement with him.

As Subaru's discussion with Old Man Rom wrapped up, the girl haltingly murmured, "Reinhard… To hear the name of Reinhard here, of all places…"

She suppressed a laugh.

Subaru's relaxed expression tightened again as he turned toward her.

"Hey, it's not polite to eavesdrop. Don't go listening in on other people's business like that."

"I did not listen in. You two oafs simply began speaking right in front of me.—You. From the way you speak of him, it seems your claim to know the Sword Saint was not a bluff. Are you close?"

"It'd be a bit much to say we met once and became best friends forever, but we're on good terms, yeah."

"There can be room for improvement!" Reinhard smirked confidently though his heart's squeeze wouldn't give out for some reason.

A purple-haired knight let his gaze fall down at the statement.

Subaru asked his new companion, "Well, what do you know about Reinhard? You don't seem like a fan of his."

"From what I have heard, he is a rather twisted person. Beyond that, I have only seen him slightly from afar."

"Okay, this I can't allow!" Felt surprised them all when she finally averted the screen and looked at the scarlet baroness at the back, "What the hell are ya on, lady? Why would you call Rein a twisted guy?!"

Reinhard's hand instantly shuffled towards her wrist, his lips thin and eyes shimmering with panic.

But Felt's own furious rubies kept their stance against Priscilla's bored dragonstones.

"This isn't his turn, girl. I'm not your mental issues explainer. Get outta my sight and disappoint someone else with your naivety and blindness!" Priscilla's soft, threatening tone was chilling to hear.

"YOU BIG FUCKIN-"

"NOW, nooow… Please let us watch with careful attention Miss Felt-sama~. I don't assume I need to remind you of the consequences relayed upon treating Priscilla-sama with less respect than is warranted?" Roswaal made himself known once more, trying to tread this line carefully.

But Felt only growled as Priscilla snorted in disgust, looking down at her like she was some animal from the street.

But with the girl's silence indicating she had no intention to elaborate, Subaru turned his attention back to Old Man Rom.

"Leaving her aside, how should I get in touch with you?"

"There's a store called Cadmon on Market Street. Give my name to the grumpy-looking man there and he'll get in touch with me."

"All right, all right. Cadmon… Cadmon?"

As Rom explained how to get in touch, Subaru tilted his head at the familiar-sounding word.

"Incidentally, the girl and I are actually completely lost. I don't want my adventure to end here before I can fulfill my promise, so ah, could you lead us back to the main street?"

"Mm, all right. Leave it to me. Which street is it?"

"Back to the garrison. Please and thank you."

"Didn't you hear me tell you I escaped from that garrison?!"

Old Man Rom's exasperated shout filled the sky above the alleyway.

Scene change,

The orange-haired girl gazed at the back alley indifferently and muttered, "At first, I thought the disorder of such a grimy place held promise, but now that I am accustomed to it, it has nothing to draw my eye. It is quite useless for assuaging my boredom."

She raised the hem of her dress and shook it, a blunt expression of her insufferable displeasure.

"Hm!" Felt found herself calmed by her knight, sitting down and allowing him to keep his hand clamping hers.

"You need to stand up for yourself more!"

The knight didn't reply with an agreement. It riled her up even more.

"For my sake, let this fly okay, Felt-sama? I don't want our efforts to be in vain here." Reinhard gently coerced his master.

Felt huffed again and kicked his leg softly. "Just be careful what they say about you."

He couldn't give her his true reply, "Of course, Felt-sama."

It isn't like she said anything wrong…

"I don't think the royal capital's designer drew up these streets to be exciting," Subaru remarked.

"The world exists for my sake, so should not everything in it serve to amuse me? I have no idea what the man who approved such boring streets was thinking. Royalty should have a keenly discerning eye. Lack thereof seems to have been decidedly fatal of late."

Just hearing her statement set Subaru's heart racing. His head whipped back and forth to see if anyone had overheard.

"Th-that's a pretty arrogant thing to say right at the king's door, you know…"

The girl snorted at Subaru's caution, or rather, cowardice.

"A dull reaction and a futile concern. It would seem that you, too, are part of the common rabble."

"I'm well aware I'm a one-hundred-percent common, ordinary, straight-down-the-middle guy, and I'm fine with it. I don't want to waste any more time hanging around you, anyway. The girl who's waiting for me will hate me."

"No I wouldn't!" Emilia instantly refutes with confidence. Rem only shakes her head at her.

"What absurdity. It is an insult for you to think about anyone besides me during the time we are together. I may be accompanied now, but I think nothing at all of walking alone."

"Well, you should think about it. Being with you is miserable."

"Ah, whatever…" Subaru shook his head and continued walking through the alleyways with the girl following him, he seemed to be in thought for a few more moments before he stopped indignantly, "—While I was thinking about all that, here we are."

Just ahead of a bend, he could finally see the bright, western sun over the road. Subaru beheld the uninterrupted flow of people passing to and fro, relieved that his suffering was finally at an end.

"Now that we're out of there, we're total strangers again. I have to look for my cutie-pie companion, so I don't wanna get into any more trouble, like hanging around you. I'm sure your escort has been desperate to find you, so if you stay put I'm sure you'll meet up with him soon."

With the moment of their parting so close, Subaru vented out all the resentment that had built up during that time. Naturally, the girl was poised to respond, but instead, she halted and crossed her arms in silence.

"What, nothing to say? Okay, maybe I went a little too far, but I can't change how I feel. Things haven't exactly gone smoothly, but if you try a little prudence now and again, I'm sure…"

Subaru was simultaneously excusing his resentful words and lecturing her when she sneered back.

"Mmm, I think I pity you just a little. Whether you are aware of it or not, you so thoroughly play the fool. It is no virtue. It is merely a thin shell within which you conceal your weakness. It is as repellant to the eye as your face."

"The first part sounded serious, but that last part was definitely making fun of my looks, wasn't it?"

"If you intend to maintain the game to the very end, it is no concern of mine…"

"That is…" Al found himself pivoting for an answer, yet his shock stopped him from continuing to speak altogether.

"She can tell somethin's up with Cap'n since then? Damn, this bossy one is kinda cool!" Garfiel grinned absentmindedly.

"I think she's seeing something else here… I don't know what she thinks it is but I don't think it's just about Subaru-san's mentality, Garf."

Otto's words were heard and processed by Anastasia and Crusch. Together, the two ladies instantly glanced at the hunched half-elf.

"Mhm…" Anastasia mutters silently, receiving a hum of agreement from Crusch.

"Emilia did something after his embarrassment."

"Or she knows of the reason for why he did such a display during the selection."

Whatever the girl was trying to say, Subaru wasn't registering her words carefully. Or he seemed to rather not want to find out the answer as a look of shame filled his expression. He couldn't push any further. After all, the instant the two exited the alley, they were greeted by a voice—Emilia's voice.

"I finally found you!"

Subaru looked behind him to find a miffed hooded elf. "Oh, Emili-"

Then he noticed a helmeted one-armed man standing beside her.

"Wait, wait, wait! You can't just pick up Emilia-tan while I'm away!"

The helmeted man tilted his head to Emilia. "Looks like your buddy's got a screw loose, little lady. He's more worried about losing you to another man than happy to see you. A man's heart is so complex, it's a thrill to watch."

"You've got a pretty messed-up fashion sense yourself!"

The helmet-wearing man leaned down and met Subaru's forehead with his own. "Now, that's no way to talk to someone. I can overlook that since I'm a cool, good-natured man, but some might lop off your head for that."

"Relax, Subaru. His outfit surprised me, too." Emilia interjected.

"Yeah, will… I was surprised when she asked for my help while I was looking for a lost child, too."

Subaru looked at the weird man and smiled at Emilia. "Emilia-tan, you're too soft-hearted. Most would think a guy dressed like this who's looking for a lost child is gonna kidnap them."

Subaru smiled at the elf girl. "Thank god we're tied by a red string of fate."

For some reason… The man beside him went completely rigid.

"What does that mean?" Reinhard asked curiously to learn more of Subaru's otherworldly knowledge.

Naturally, Beatrice proudly explained to the knight what she's learned from her contractor.

"Hmph! Subaru's world believes that lovers or partners that were made for one another have their souls tied to one another no matter what happens. A string of fate, as to say, that their destinies are intertwined with one another. It's red because red represents the color of love and passion in his world. So in a sense, he's saying that they're soulmates, infact. Hmph!"

The people around her looked at the girl in wonder and awe at such knowledge.

"A red string of fate… How accurate." Roswaal smiled warmly as he thought about his teacher and the gospel that led him to his desired fate.

"That's so beautiful!" Petra looked like she was crying from such a statement.

Rem looked a little saddened that he never said things like this to her.

"Such fine words, Subaru-dono." Wilhelm nodded his head as he thought about his wife. Yes, a red string of fate.

Emilia for her part seemed more inclined to look down some more at the floor. The half-elf wasn't filled with the best of hope knowing what comes after these scenes. She was not looking to relive her days of thinking that Subaru no longer is friends with her. It wasn't the best moment for her… Or for Subaru even.

"My, how attentive of you to wait where you knew I would be. I commend your dedication, Al."

The condescending smug voice of the lady behind them sounded as she smirked at the man known as Al.

"You were the lost child?!"

The scarlet blood eyes of the lady were stuck on Emilia, making the half-elf hide behind Subaru's back. The butler noticed this and looked back at Priscilla.

"What, staring at me?" the girl said. "Drinking in the beauty you will dearly miss once I depart? Certainly, it is cruel that my beauty is so divine, but it is rude to stare in silence."

"Sorry, my eyes are in perfect shape… Everyone found who they were looking for, so how about we break this up?"

Subaru gave the girl—the one Emilia seemed to be hiding from—a dismissive reply as he directed the spotlight away from her and toward Al. He didn't know why, but Emilia seemed averse to the attention.

So Subaru did what he felt would serve her best.

Al replied, "Well, that's all fine… The decision to shift the talk to me instead of Princess included."

"…I sympathize with you more than a bit… No, a lot."

Al shrugged at Subaru's rather earnest words and looked down at the girl.

"An adult with a broad mind can put up with a lot without gettin' sick of it. Even a proud cat that's never been housebroken. Maybe I've just gotten old enough to find it adorable."

Subaru couldn't see his eyes through the helmet, but he sounded like a father figure protecting his beloved daughter.

"That's a bonding moment right there," Ricardo offhandedly comments. Al curses the dogman after Priscilla's eyes shine with curiosity once again.

He's relieved that the lady seemed to lose her interest as soon as it came. Her eyes settled on the screen, narrowed.

They get along pretty decently, huh,  thought Subaru vaguely in his mind. He added out loud, "Well, we're gonna head this way… How about you?"

The girl replied, "Then I shall go that way as well."

"…Then, we're gonna head the other way."

"Then I shall go the other way as…"

"Oh, good grief. Are you stalking me?! What, did you fall in love with me or something?!"

"I imagine that is a joke, and a petty one at that. Lackluster men die in lackluster ways, you know."

With great pomp and ceremony, the girl, dispassionate to the bitter end, departed with her companion. Her hesitant steps proclaimed that even though she wanted them to part ways, she found it unamusing to do so.

"He was that interesting to you?" Crusch muttered to herself, unable to understand what Priscilla could see that none of them had when they were the ones to meet Subaru.

"Princess?" Al couldn't help but question as he noticed this interaction under a new worldview, thanks to Ram's revelation.

"Are you daft, Al? I didn't allow you to speak, did I?" Her furious voice did not stop the knight from glancing towards her nervously.

"...Maybe I shouldn't open my mouth."

"You best." Priscilla closes her eyes and fans herself, returning to a more casual aura.

So with all the invective remaining in him, Subaru said to the departing girl, "Hey, arrogant chick, take this."

"What an insolent tongue to direct at me. With one command, Al could take that head off your—"

As the girl turned around with some very menacing words on her lips, her red eyes widened. Her hands stretched and caught the pair of apples lazily arcing toward her.

"Take 'em. These are bonding apples. In the end, I may have won the bet, but the winner has the right to show mercy like a noble warrior. Take care not to wander into bad guys like that from now on, okay?"

"I will have you know I did not become involved with those men by acting like some foolish child."

"…Incidentally, why did you get involved with them?"

"When I asked them if it was not inexcusable that they should live with such impoverished faces and attire, they became agitated."

"You're the one in the wrong there!"

Subaru sympathized with Dumb, Dumber, and Dumbest all over again and turned his back to the girl, pulling Emilia along by her arm. The small measure of payback gave him some satisfaction.

Emilia kept her head down as she went along with him. As they quickly departed, they heard one final muffled shout from the street behind them, filled with apparently genuine gratitude.

"—Lil' missy, thanks for comin' with me on my search!"

"Why were you hiding from her?" Otto asked the elven princess beside him.

"The council ordered the candidates to never interact with one another before the election was officially started, which it wasn't back then so I had to slip away," Emilia answered as she sat up and looked at the screen in a sour mood.

"Did ya notice how well the two got along though? It was like somethin' outta romantic tale~"

Emilia's frown deepened even more at Anastasia's loud statements, "Romance?"

"I imagine this is a joke to rile up others, Miss Hoshin? Please refrain from doing that." Crusch didn't seem entirely as stern as she should be, only sighing as the merchant queen giggled.

Scene change….

"Subaru… That girl from before…"

"Huh?" Subaru looked at the half-elf princess walking beside him in confusion.

"Where did you meet that girl? And how?"

"What's this, Emilia-tan? Are you jealous? Are you actually getting jealous over me?"

Subaru suddenly stopped walking just as Emilia had… the half-elf was serious and stern as she stared at him.

"Subaru…"

"H-Huh? Emilia-tan, why the serious face?" Subaru smiled worriedly and nervously.

Emilia quickly changed her expression and smiled. "N-Nothing… if you don't know, it's fine. Forget about it."

"Why not trust him here?" Otto questions the half-elf, eyes narrowed.

Emilia doesn't say anything. Her mood plummeted enough.

Scene changes from that to the band of thugs, now surrounding Al and Priscilla. Even though she was surrounded, Priscilla seemed more focused on the fruit in her hand.

"So that's why we're gonna rough you up a little. Just a little, wee bit," said a thug to the girl.

The men blocking off the road and laughing lewdly included Dumber and Dumbest. Their group, separate from Dumb's, had surrounded the girl and her companion. They didn't need to put into words exactly what kind of payback they had in mind after capturing her. The vulgar lust in their eyes said it all.

"Wait, these guys surrounded you two as well?" Tivey moaned into his palm, annoyed at the very presence of these thugs.

"They are relentless." Petra glared at the bullies.

"They are dogs," Priscilla boredly describes.

But the girl paid the men around her no heed as she brought the slice of apple to her lips.

"…Mm, bittersweet. It is indeed an apple on the inside. I am forced to conclude that the clown from earlier did not simply dye them red as some kind of joke. So apples are indeed this color? I am shocked."

Al replied, "Hey, ah, Princess, you seeing what's happening here?"

"Whatever you wish to say, speak it clearly. I dislike all this indirectness."

"Fine, I'll come right out and say it.—There's two apples, so ain't one of 'em mine?" Al casually pointed for the girl, earning her glare.

"Ha! How absurd. Now hear this, I caught both apples that the clown tossed. Consequently, both are mine."

"It's common sense that if you have two of something and two people, each of 'em takes one."

The disregard of both master and servant drove the ruffians' anger to its limit. With clear malice, each one drew his blade as they began to tighten the circle.

Al asked her, "So, Princess. What about what the world around you wants?"

"My choice is the world's choice. You should bear that in mind, Al."

"I try."

The girl nodded with satisfaction at Al's words and resumed nibbling on her apple. Her cheeks relaxed at the bittersweet taste, bringing an angelic smile over her beautiful face. And as if ripping off an insect's wings with cherubic innocence, she stated matter-of-factly, "I am now in a very good mood.—Consequently, you may spare their lives."

Hearing those words, Al put his hand on the handle of the large sword sheathed horizontally behind his hip. There was a slow shing—the sound of a blade being drawn from its sheath. With that as background music, he stated, "—Aye-aye, ma'am."

The smile under the pitch-black helmet was vivid and fierce.

"Geez, what a dou," Otto mutters, disliking the heartless way Priscilla was speaking about criminal's lives.

"I think it was badass," Garfield shrugs inconsequentially.

"... An unclean Appa… Hm," Priscilla muttered while pursing her lips. Her eyes were clouded with judgment and thought.

"... And yet this would have never been forgotten from my mind had he erased that shameful display… So why didn't he?"

Only curiosity held back the anger and disappointment inside of the scarlet princess.

Scene change to Subaru and Emilia sitting in a strange household.

"What? I have to stay here tomorrow?!"

"Of course you do. That was our agreement all along." Emilia sternly refuted the boy as he stood before her.

"Yeah, but we never got in touch with Reinhard, right? So if we go to the castle tomorrow, we might see him… "

"I'll be sure to ask about Felt." Emilia began walking away from him.

"But I should go in person to-"

"This is exactly why I can't take you with me." Subaru stopped in his tracks as Emilia turned towards him with a stern gaze. "If I do, you'll push yourself too hard again. I don't want to let you do that. Understand?"

"You're the one who doesn't understand! If I have to push myself to help you, I will. I want to push myself!"

"Absolutely not. Until your body fully heals, no using magic or pushing yourself! Promise me, Subaru."

"All right. I promise. I won't use magic. So let me go with you!"

"I can't bring an outsider into this. So please, just wait here with Rem, all right?"

Subaru looked at the ground in upset but Emilia stepped closer with a pleading look while holding his hand.

"I'm asking you, Subaru. Give me a reason to trust you."

Scene changes to Emilia and Roswaal leaving in a carriage.

Subaru is seen looking out the window as the two left.

I know there are those in the capital who consider Emilia an enemy.

Images of the time where Elsa was trying to kill Emilia played.

That's why I have to stay close to her.

"Why is he so adamant?" Julius asked in frustration.

Emilia sighed heartbreakingly at how stubborn the boy was. She knew the reason for him pushing himself was because he loves her, she feels giddy just thinking about it, but that doesn't explain why he would ignore her promise like this!

"So he ignored his promise and went to the castle anyway?" Ricardo winced at the bad image the boy set for himself.

"I don't like this aspect of him." Anastasia scowled a bit as a merchant, promises were looked at as things of pure comedic value, but when they mattered in friendships and trust they were very important.

"Cap'n…" Garfiel looked disappointed with his captain.

Crusch silently glanced toward her butler knight.

Wilhelm nodded at her.

"I saw it too."

Crusch looked up at the screen and began thinking about Subaru's strange actions on the screen.

"He's scared…" Crusch whispered softly.

"Hmmm." Priscilla hummed as she looked thoughtfully at the boy.

"Big bro…" Felt glared at the screen as she came to a conclusion.

Otto scowled with his mouth open as he saw what these four had seen.

Subaru's greatest scar.

And the reason for all these selfish disgusting actions.

Subaru narrowed his eyes in determination.

"What's the matter?" Rem asked from behind him.

Subaru looked back at her with confidence brimming in his eyes. "I'm going to save Emilia. And to do that… "

He looked at Rem…

Stare…

"Wh-What is it, Subaru-kun? It makes me uncomfortable when you stare at me with such imposing eyes… " The maid blushed under his gaze.

Stare…

Rem's blushing face turned deep red. She took a moment to place her tray down and sighed.

"It's at the castle. There will likely be heavy security, though."

"I don't know why… But I had to do it, Emilia-sama." Rem looked guilty as she clenched Subaru's hand. The Oni was still firm on her reason not to apologise. She could feel that letting him go there was the right way to do things… But Rem was still hurt for some reason.

Emilia said nothing and watched with a disappointed look in her eyes.

"Security isn't the problem. I can't stand not being involved in Emilia's important affairs."

Emilia glared.

"What an ignorant slob." Felix snorted at the scene as he didn't find it surprising.

Ram glared at Felix in annoyance.

"Subaru-kun…"

"I'm only of any use when something happens. So I want to be with her when important things are going on!" His eyes are shining with determination as he glares at Rem.

"Is this why he's acting so dishonorably like this? Because he wants to be useful?" Julius spat, his usually elegant tone gone and filled with one of complete demand.

"I don't think you are looking at this right, Pal-" Al tried to make them all understand something that he could see in Subaru's eyes.

But he was interrupted by one frowning Roswaal.

"Stand doooown. This won't solve anything if they don't see it for themselves."

"Ah…"

It seemed the clown had seen this from the start as well. Interesting.

The maid smiles to herself."I am now going to set about a new apple recipe that I just came up with."

"Huh?" Subaru looked confused as the maid smiled at him.

"It will require intense concentration, so if someone were to leave his room, I most likely wouldn't notice." The maid left with a smile on her face.

"That's sneaky!" Mimi quipped but found her ears dropping when her brother glared at her and shook his head.

"I don't find this a big deal at all," Felt says casually, putting her hands behind her head.

Emilia glances at her in betrayal, "He broke his promise!"

"One you knew he wouldn't keep? Why did you not try and talk it out with him instead of bulldozing the responsibility away by using such a weak promise?"

The half-elf was indulgent, "Th-That's not how that works! I did warn him that this was important to me and he shouldn't be there! I told him to stay put and made a promise that he agreed to as his friend!"

"Sure," Felt shrugged lazily, "He shouldn't be there. But he won't stop until he is, which is pretty slick of him I gotta say. But I don't understand why you are so adamant…"

When Felt's words trailed off without a continuation, Emilia found herself waiting with a heavy heart.

"Adamant on what?"

And it was the spirit sitting on Emilia's other side that held an answer, "Adamant on pushing Betty's contractor away as if you were dangerous for him, I suppose."

Beatrice's words cut through Emilia's guilt a thousandfold.

Scene change…

Subaru is running through the capital's streets in his butler uniform.

I'm such a scumbag for relying on Rem all the time…

"Damn, right." Felix snorted as he prepared to watch the boy get beaten for his weakness and arrogance.

"You shouldn't think this way, Subaru-kun…" Rem frowns deeply, shuffling. "I didn't do enough for you…" The soft-voiced girl was filled with pity and guilt as she said this. It hurt for Garfiel not to pat the girl's back.

Subaru stops right before a great gate with insignia emblems all over it.

"But the problem is how I'm gonna get into the castle. I guess times like this call for that… hitchhiking!"

Subaru pulled his finger up to the empty road and suddenly, a prestige-looking dragon carriage showed up before him.

"You are lucky, pal. Be grateful for this coincidence. We just happen to be on our way to the castle too."

"That's… convenient," Otto noted suspiciously.

Al shrugged. "Blame your bro's luck, pal."

"Honestly, at this point it's just a masterclass in building roads fer trouble," Anastasia snorts dryly, having the heavy mood dampen her will to mock or tease.

The scene shows Subaru sitting in the carriage with both Al and The lady from before.

"The castle? What for?"

"There is only one reason to head to the castle today."

Subaru looked confused at the lady's answer.

"Oh, you didn't know? This lady here is one of the candidates to succeed to the throne of Lugunica, Priscilla Barielle-sama herself." As Al pointed and explained who this proud and amused lady was, Subaru couldn't help the startled expression on his face.

"For real? So why did you pick me up?"

"For no other reason than it seemed amusing. A mere lark. Taking you to the castle will make things interesting." The noble lady answered while smirking, amused and confident.

"Interesting?"

"This world is designed to operate in the way that works best for me, so it's a given that all things will work in my favor. It's only a matter of choosing whether something amuses me or not. However, if I had to name a reason other than amusement… I would say that making you act like my personal jester would be highly gratifying."

(The following will be a scene that I mixed up from my own ideas and a little bit of the manga. This scene was cut from the anime since they were on a budget. It's a cool one so Imma keep it.)

"What do ya mean, Jester?!" Subaru shouted in upset and was about to give the lady a piece of his mind before a sword's tip was placed on his adam's apple.

Subaru gulped and glared at the one-armed helmet-wearing man beside him.

"So you can actually use that arm to fight?" The boy's eyes shook from the fear but his words were scathing.

Al just snorted and placed his sword back in its sheath. "You could say that I've been able to survive longer with just a single-arm, besides, I'm the only person in this world that can understand your agony let's be on good terms, pal."

"What does that mean?" Otto asked as many people looked at Al in suspicion.

The helmeted man remained motionless.

"Huh?" Subaru uttered in bewilderment.

"You were summoned too, right? To this world?"

Subaru's eyes widened in shock. "What?…"

"What?!"

"So you've been taken from Subaru's world too?!" Emilia sounded the question that everyone was asking as they all stared at the helmeted one-armed man.

"I guess it had to come out." Al sighed deeply.

"I won't blame you if you don't believe me. I couldn't believe my ears yesterday either. It's been around 18 years since I've heard words such as a red string of fate."

"18 years?" Subaru utter unable to believe his ears.

"I was summoned here around 18 years ago. I lost my arm around the same time, you could say a lot of stuff happened."

"Do you know why you've been summoned?"

"I haven't been pursuing the reason, merely struggling to stay alive."

Subaru and Al stared at one another. One was shocked and the other was feeling relief that he wasn't alone anymore.

"I don't understand… Did the Witch summon you as well?" Julius asked, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Al just shrugged his shoulders, putting everyone off by how calm he was.

"Might be? I really couldn't care less, pal."

"Do you even miss your world?" Emilia asked the man in pity.

Al stayed silent.

"Don't make such irritating faces. It'll damage the dignity of my dragon carriage."

Subaru looked at the fiery-looking woman beside him.

Priscilla looked at him with a look of pure boredom from his existence as she swung her leg back and forth.

"You two clowns who claim to have come from a place that's beyond the great waterfall. Say something that'll entertain me instead."

"The great waterfall?"

Priscilla's eyes widened with astonishment at Subaru's limited knowledge.

"You don't know of it? At the four corners of the world, the land cuts off and there exists a torrent of water that washes everything away. In other words, the great waterfall. Sometimes people claim to be from beyond there. They're generally just lies."

Priscilla stared at the two men before her.

"However… Al is different… and it appears… so are you."

"Hm, you have a knight that's from another world as well…" Anastasia mused in miffed upset that someone like Priscilla got such useful information.

"Hmph! Aldebaran's position is not because he's some otherworldly commoner. He's my knight because he entertains me."

Anastasia fumed some more at these words. How can someone have this useful information in their hands and not take advantage?!

The merchant girl was red in the cheeks!

"How… But… Shouldn't you know more about Subaru's world then?! You are from the same place right?" Otto left his initial shock to hammer questions towards the helmeted man. But all he got from Al was a firm conditioned, "I'm not answering anythin', man. I don't talk about that place- heck, I barely remember the best details. Sorry."

Everyone felt even more detached from the knight than they were before.

Otto and Emilia looked disappointed at Al's rejection.

Scene change…

Priscilla is walking ahead of the two through a royal-looking hallway with knights standing at the ready.

They all stood before a great entrance that had a man standing in front of it in wait.

"Your apple handler?" The man asked as Priscilla explained who Subaru was.

"Indeed. He is something of a wretched clown whose sole priority is to bring me bittersweet red Apples."

The hardened-looking man glared at Subaru as if analyzing the boy.

Subaru gulped underneath the gaze.

The man relented and looked at Priscilla. "Everyone is waiting inside. Make haste please."

Priscilla smirked in high smug fashion.

"It is my privilege as their superior to keep the masses waiting."

"What a brat." Frederica hissed, disgusted with such an attitude. Petra nodded her head as many in the room glared at the screen.

The door opened to reveal a wondrous great hall that was filled with magic users and great knights with a round seating arrangement at the very end of a huge red carpet that spanned the entire hall.

Walking on that carpet… was Emilia and Roswaal.

Many of the royal knights and magic users stared at the trio that had just entered the room.

Emilia looked back to see what the fuss was about… she hitched in exclamation.

Subaru stopped dead in his tracks in alarm.

"Subaru?"

"Um… Emilia, I… "

As Subaru began speaking fish, Priscilla quickly clung to his arm and pressed her chest against him while shooting Emilia a smug smile.

"Is there a reason you're staring at my manservant, half-wit?"

"Ew, how dare you touch Betty's Subaru, I suppose?!"

Rem and Petra glared at the woman, while Felt and Crusch scowled at the screen.

"Get off! You'll give Emilia-tan the wrong idea!"

"My, how nice to see you, Priscilla-sama! Do forgive my servant for troubling you so." Roswaal quickly interjected, making the smirking fiery-headed woman let go of the boy and snort.

Priscilla passed by Emilia without even a glance between them.

The half-elf had her sights on someone else at the moment.

"Why are you here, Subaru? Didn't I tell you to be good and wait for me? Don't you remember?" Emilia shook her head and looked at the boy with hurt in her eyes.

Emilia and Julius both glared at the screen trying to figure out why.

Emilia didn't believe that he was doing all of this just because he loved her… there was something else. Something that made her stomach turn. Something is wrong.

"What is it really, Subaru?" Emilia asked in worry and guilt.

Subaru struggled to answer from guilt but then a loud voice spoke through the great hall.

"The council of wise men will now enter."

The magic users and the royal knights all lined up and bowed for the many old men walking in lavish robes towards the seating arrangement at the end of the hall.

"The wise men…They're the people managing the country in the king's absence, right?"

"Hey. That's where we're supposed to stand." Al pointed at the place where the knights all stood.

"I can stand there, too?" Subaru asked Roswaal as he pointed at Al.

"Hmm, it sounds amusing, so you may accompany hiiiim."

"That's suspicious." Garfiel glanced at the clown and called him out.

"Yes, it does seem really weird for you to let a rogue servant stand where he shouldn't, nyan!" Felix glared at the screen.

"Yes, indeeeeed." Roswaal chuckled eerily, creeping everyone out.

"Big bro…" Felt uttered in guilt as she disliked the people Subaru lived around more and more with each viewing.

"Wait, Roswaal!" Emilia exclaimed to the clown. "If Subaru is allowed to stay, he'll-"

But the lord cut her off. "Emilia-sama, the conference is beginning. To the center."

Emilia looked upset and scared at the same time.

She looked behind her to find everyone seated and three girls standing in front of the council.

She turned to the boy with a glare on her face.

"You're going to explain this to me later."

"Must've been quite the fight." Crusch mused as she remembered how Emilia left the boy in her custody.

Emilia kept looking at the screen with feelings of guilt and anger filling her.

"So those are the participants in the royal selection… The candidates to be the future ruler?" Subaru stood beside Al in the royal knights' line as he looked at the three other girls standing alongside Emilia.

"So you came, after all, Subaru."

The nasty-eyed boy was met by a dashing young man with red hair and blue shining eyes smiling charmingly toward him.

"When I heard Emilia-sama would be here, I suspected you'd be here, as well."

Subaru's face brightened. "Reinhard, I've been looking for you!"

"Hiya, Subaru-kyun!"

Subaru turned to see who's loud voice was that, to see that healer lady from before smiling at him.

"You!"

"Oh, Subaru, you know him?"

Subaru quickly turned to Reinhard with a horrified expression. "Him?!"

"Yes. He is a knight, Felix Argyle. Despite appearances, he is male.

And that's when Subaru Natsuki died again…

"He's a girl?! As in, Female?!" Garfiel looked at Felix up and down.

The cat boy pulled his tongue out.

Garfiel looked at the boy with a deadpan stare.

"One thin's for sure. You're nasty either way."

"Hey!"

Garfiel sat back in his seat.

"This isn't the time for jokes!" Julius spat out, emotionally and immaturely.

Garf only snorted at the knight's tone. "What's it to ya, buddy?"

The knight did not say a word more to the ruffian boy. He had better things to occupy his head.

Things like this seeping anger and worry for what will happen next.

"Man, its a mess," Ricardo mutters dryly.

"I'm sorry I couldn't help him." Reinhard's apology was cut off by a sharp interjection.

"It wasn't on you, Reinhard," Emilia whispered.

"What's the point in having those looks, and even cat ears, if you're a guy?!"

"I don't knyow what to tell you. You're the one who made the wrong assumption Subaru-kyun."

Felix began walking away with a smile.

Subaru looked behind him and noticed a familiar-looking young man.

He glared.

Julius looked back and nodded his head at the boy.

"Subaru, what's the matter?" Reinhard asked when he noticed the animosity.

"Where I'm from, this is the face you make when you see a romantic rival!"

Reinhard blinked.

"What an idiot." Felix snorted.

"Is he jealous of Julius or something?" Anastasia mused.

The knight himself just looked on with a disturbed face, confused as to why Subaru was acting like this.

"Is it truly the reason?"

But what was he jealous of him for?

"Now, if I may be so forward, I, Marcos, leader of the Imperial Knights, will direct today's proceedings. It all happened about half a year ago, when members of the royal family, starting with the king, went into hiding one by one, causing-"

"Listen… I get that you wanna talk up a good show here, but I'm busy, y'know. As we say in Kararagi, Time is money."

Subaru is shown looking at the purple-haired girl speaking with the guard in a surprised expression.

"She's speaking in the Kansai dialect? Are you kidding me?"

"Evidently, Everyone in western Kararagi talks that way." Al provided making Subaru think.

"What does he mean?" Anastasia asked with her eyes roused in curiosity.

"That's a language from Mine and Subaru's world so we were surprised that people spoke something we were familiar with."

Everyone looked at the knight in shock.

"N-No way! That language was something the great Hoshin-sama himself spoke!" Anastasia looked shocked at such information.

Al snorted.

"Ya mean the guy that suddenly hopped up and gave you guys all these architecture and science stuff that helped elevate a bunch of mountainous villages and develop an empire?"

Everyone's eyes widened as they understood what was being said.

"Otherworldly inventions? Languages? Weapons? Fighting styles?" Al snorted. "You're great Hoshin-sama was a waterfall guy just like me and the kid." Al pointed at Subaru.

"Hoshin was smart about his stay in this world so brought all of his knowledge and made an actual difference here. To us, everything he brought here is from a nation called Japan. An island nation and one of the 182 countries of mine and Subaru's world. I'm not well versed in Japanese but I've seen all of Hoshin's devices and builds. They're all Japanese. And judging from what Subaru had said, I think that the kid was also from Japan, especially since he's been using yen coins before he came here."

(I want to leave Al's origin country open to interpretation. I know that him not knowing Japanese and living in this world doesn't make sense since the language in Lugunica is similar to Japanese since Subaru instantly spoke with. Funn to leave him so ambiguous.)

Everyone stared at the helmeted man in shock and awe.

"The great Hoshin… was from another world…" Anastasia sat down, her world turned upside down.

One thing was for sure to this merchant… "We need Natsuki on our side… He's too big of an advantage."

"Subaru is making a significant difference in our world and in all the villages around the Margrave's domain." Reinhard mused in shock.

"No fair!" Felt huffed.

"I mean… I did notice a lot of parallels… But to have it confirmed this easily?" Anastasia's shock seemed to wear off suddenly as she remembered all of the notes she mentally wrote inside of her mind. "This is…" the merchant queen seemed satisfied to let her grin say the words she needed for her.

She was amazed and hungry for more.

As the purple-haired lady stopped talking about how precious her time was, the green-haired Duchess-looking lady spoke.

"I agree."

"Crusch-sama, should the head of the Karsten family say such a thing?" The knight asked.

The duchess confidently glanced at the guard. "It is important to observe formality, but it is also a fact that our time is limited. It would be wise to immediately inform us why we are here. Naturally, I do have a general idea."

One of the wise men had looked up at the girl in question.

"You already know the purpose of this meeting?"

"Yes, Lord Miklotov. For a drinking party, correct? One day, we will face each other as rivals, but by sharing drinks at the same table, we learn more about one another." Crusch smirked up at the lord.

He did not look impressed.

"No, that is not correct."

"Ohhh"

Many winced at the scene.

Crusch glanced at her cat knight. Who smiled sheepishly.

Anastasia winced for the girl beside her as Crusch quickly looked at the cat boy in the royal knight's quarters.

"Felis, this isn't what you told me."

"Oh, come on. All I said was, maybe it'll be a drinking party."

"I see. I jumped to conclusions." Crusch turned from the cat boy and looked up at the council. "Forgive me. Allow me to retract everything I just said."

"Hey, now! Even if she backs down, my opinion ain't gonna change. No need to explain the royal selection now. We already know. Right?" Anastasia looked at Emilia and Priscilla.

"I think we should hea-" Emilia tried to say but was cut off.

"Sorry, but I wasn't askin' for your opinion."

"Hey! What's yer problem?!" Garfiel growled at the merchant as the rest of Emilia's camp glared with him.

Anastasia snorted and huffed, "Sorry, but I wouldn't have wanted to be a close ally fer someone who looked so conspicuous. Wouldn't ya mind giving a gal the benefit of the doubt 'ere?"

"It's fine. This isn't what's important right now!" Emilia hastily shut her camp down by hissing at them.

"What's going?" Otto questioned while Beatrice and Garfiel stared at the half-elf.

"I just… Just let it go." Emilia turned from them and focused her eyes upon the screen.

Subaru gritted his teeth at the insolent purple merchant. "Why you-"

"Hey!" Al raised his voice out loud. "I don't know what's up with the royal selection, so I'd kinda like to hear the rest."

The old man looked from Al to a certain fiery head.

"Priscilla-sama, I'm told this man is your knight. Have you explained the selection to him?"

"Whether I have or not, you men will still ramble on about it, yes? Continue Marcos."

"Then…The reason we've gathered you who are qualified to be the dragon's priestess is because a new prophecy has been engraved in the dragon stone. It says, 'From the five capable of becoming the nation's new leader, choose one priestess to enter into a covenant with the dragon.'"

"Five?"

"Yes, Five." Reinhard smiled warmly. "Currently, there are only four candidates. The royal selection hadn't even begun yet. But today, history is set in motion."

"Knight Reinhard van Astrea, come forward."

"Yes, sir."

Reinhard stood forth before the entire hall and bowed his head.

"Honored members of the council of wise men, I, Reinhard van Astrea of the imperial knights, would like to announce the completion of my mission."

Reinhard rose and showed his stern determination as he proclaimed for the council.

"The dragon's priestess, the fifth and final candidate for the throne, has been located."

Everybody in the hall looked on as the doors opened.

And a little girl with blonde hair and blood-red eyes entered wearing a most regal and refined-looking dress.

"The one I, myself, revere as queen… is Felt-sama!"

Title card:

Return to the Capital

"Felt-sama, thank you for gracing us with your presence."

As the Sword Saint bowed before her, Felt could only smile sweetly.

"Reinhard…" The little girl walked in front of the knight and smiled up at him softly.

He smiled back.

He was no lolimancer though…

That's why when Felt tried to dropkick him in the face, he instantly caught it, cuz he's too used to this.

"You bastard! You dragged me here with no explanation, and what do you call all this?!"

"Wait, you didn't explain why you took her away?!" Otto shouted with wide-open eyes.

"That's dumb." Felix looked at Reinhard in bewilderment.

Felt just glanced at the knight stink-eyed.

Reinhard looked down and fiddled with his fingers.

"You surprised me. What's brought on such behavior?" Reinhard asked as he held her booted foot.

"Don't just stop my kick and ask me like nothing happened! I've had just about all I can take!"

"Does the dress not suit your taste? It looks lovely on you." Reinhard knelt and placed her foot on the floor.

"I'm not talking about the dress, and I'm not embarrassed!" Felt angrily retorted.

"That's the girl from… " Emilia uttered in recognition.

"I guess it's not that easy to change someone at their roots. And not just me." Subaru sighed at the scene.

Felt looked at him with wide eyes. "What the heck are you doing here?"

"Hey, it's been a while. How've you be-"

Felt kicked him in the stomach.

"Looks like the hole in your gut isn't bothering you anymore," Felt smirked.

"If you were worried about that, be nice to me!"

"I should've taken him with me…" Felt muttered in disdain.

"It's too late now…" Reinhard muttered in sadness.

"Felt-sama, if you have finished rekindling old friendships, please step over here."

Felt did what was acquired.

"So, what is it you want me to do?" She asked harshly.

"I would like to say, act more ladylike. But this comes first." Reinhard stepped closer and placed the insignia in her hand.

Gasps and sounds of surprise filled the whole as it glowed brightly.

"As you can see, the dragon gem has recognized Felt-sama as a priestess. Now that her participation has been approved, I believe it is time to begin the royal selection in earnest."

All around, the imperial and the royal knights placed their hands on their hearts in respect.

"Even if the Dragon Stone has recognized her, do you not think her selection is a bit problematic?" One of the magic users voiced his worry.

"Uh-oh!" Otto looked at the screen with worry.

Marcos looked down at the man. "You believe we, the Imperial Knights, have made an error?"

All Royal Knights and Imperial Knights turned their heads toward the line of Magi users.

"Shit's about ta get real!" Garfiel bounced in his seat with excitement.

"The air's kind of dicey in here…" Subaru uttered.

"Yea, it doesn't bother me, though." Al shrugged.

"It's nyo big deal to me, either." Felix flapped his ears.

"After all, I've already pledged my loyalty exclusively to one lady!"

"I feel the same. My sword already belongs to Anastasia-sama." Julius said with a resolved stare.

Subaru glared and gulped.

Well, my feelings for Emilia won't come in second to anyone else's!

"Subaru…"

Emilia and Julius looked on as they understood one important fact.

He…

"He feels inadequate? Is that the reason for that shameful behavior?" Felix snorted out what the two were thinking. "I guess he has a right to be jealous, nayn! He's ju-"

"Felix, that's enough!" Crusch ordered and glanced at her knight.

The cat boy shut his mouth and glared at the screen. Why was his lady so adamant about standing with this guy? He let her lose her memory!

The duchess sighed and nodded to the old man.

Wilhelm understood that everything needed to be explained after whatever shameful incident Subaru had made.

The magi corner of the room were muttering to themselves as they inspected Felt.

"She doesn't have the self-awareness to become a ruler."

"You may dress her up, but she still lacks grace."

"She's uneducated, as well."

"Those horrid men!" Frederica glared along with Petra and Rem at what the girl was dealing with.

Felt just snorted. "Whatever, I'll destroy them once I become queen anyways."

"Silence!" The old councilman ordered.

"Knight Reinhard, would you begin by explaining to us what led you to your discovery?"

Reinhard quickly placed his sheathed Heavenly Dragon Sword on the carpeted floor beside Felt and knelt on one knee before the council.

"I took custody of Felt-sama about one month ago, in the slums."

"She's a gutter rat from the slums?!"

The magi users began muttering and growling.

Felt sighed tiredly and turned around.

"Well, sorry for being a gutter rat! You were the ones who dragged me here against my will!"

Priscilla sighed. "All of this long-winded blather could not be more tedious. Of course, I suppose you lived as a gutter rat in the slums because you could only manage tedious conversation."

"What? If you want a fight, you've got one."

"What insolence. Who do you think I am?" Priscilla glared as the air around her began to emit a dangerous aura.

"Princess, that's not…" Al called from the back in worry.

Priscilla had already moved her fan and sent a wave of attack at the little girl.

But she was instead met with Reinhard's bowing head. "Many pardons, Priscilla-sama."

"What are you thinking, in a hallowed place like this?" Emilia scolded as she stood behind Reinhard and shielded Felt.

"Thanks, big sis." Felt was touched that someone cared about her like this.

Emilia just smiled at the girl.

"I was only trying to teach an undisciplined little bitch her place."

"You won't even apologize?"

"Then, will you also apologize for being born? You silver-haired half-elf."

"I'm not connected to the witch at all…"

"I hate her." Rem growled as many in the audience shared that statement.

"*Sigh * Looks like you've made a lot of enemies, princess."

Priscilla just fanned herself.

Subaru glared hatefully at Priscilla while Al scratched his helmet from behind him.

"Princess, could you drop it now? I'll be the one to suffer if you make too many enemies, seriously."

"Are you all quite finished?" The old councilman asked in a tired tone.

Marcos took the chance.

"Then, royal selection candidates, please come forth.

Priscilla Barielle-sama and her attendant, Al."

"The selection is pointless. I am the one suited to rule this nation! All you people need to do is grovel at my feet and serve me!"

"Head of the Karsten family, Crusch Karsten-sama, and her attendant, the knight Felix Argyle."

"Should I become the new ruler, I will make the dragon forget the covenant it demanded.

The dragon's empire of Lugunica belongs not to the dragon, but to us."

"Anastasia Hoshin-sama of the Hoshin Company, and her attendant, the knight Julius Euclius."

"I'm a greedy gal, so I want everything. No amount of commercial success can satisfy me. I want my own nation!"

"Emilia-sama and the man endorsing her, Margrave Roswaal L. Mathers."

"I have only one wish. For all to be equal. I desire to create a nation where all citizens are equal."

Roswaal looked around with a smile as he mused to himself. "Still, after the introduction of all those knights as attendants, I feel terribly out of plaaaaace here!"

"Man, these choices suck." Otto lamented making everyone from respective camps glare at him. Even Emilia.

Garfiel couldn't help but chuckle into his hand at how scared Otto looked.

"This definitely is not the best selection of people." Beatrice mutters much more quietly, feeling bored of this whole thing.

"Finally, Felt-sama and her attendant, the knight Reinhard van Astrea."

"Hang on! Don't get the wrong idea! I never said I'd be the next ruler! Who'd want to be in a royal selection?!"

"Are you saying you withdraw?" Marcos asked in surprise.

"Damn right I am!"

"You didn't want to be queen?" Petra asked ludicrously, unable to believe someone would give up the chance.

Felt just glared at the screen. "Hmph! Why would I participate in something I don't care for."

"So, why did you?" Frederica couldn't help but ask.

"Watch and you'll see."

"This is a joke!" A magic-user shouted.

"I've overlooked this because the situation was urgent, but to drag it out this long is senseless!"

One of the wise men (Eyebrow guy. Fuck eyebrow guy) suddenly sounded his agreement with the magi.

"He's right. The Astrea family offers a gutter rat to rule us, while Margrave Mathers endorses a half-devil? Utter foolishness!"

Subaru stared at the man with hate.

"Capn's gonna blow," Garfiel growled out as he himself wanted nothing more than to punch that eyebrow off his face and let the second one hang in place.

Otto looked at Emilia and noticed that she was closing her eyes tightly.

Now that he looked around, many of the knights and the candidates were cringing their faces.

Except for Priscilla and Crusch. These two were staring at the screen like hawks.

"What are these two looking for?"

Otto failed to see that Wilhelm and Julius were looking for something too. Only Julius was glaring hatefully as he stared.

Roswaal stopped walking back into his position and smiled up at the man. "It's not at all nice to call a half-elf a half-devil."

Subaru could be seen shaking in place.

"That silver-haired half-devil"

Subaru gritted his teeth.

"She matches the appearance of the Witch of Envy as it has been described for generations! Why do you not realize that even allowing her in the throne room is dreadful?"

Emilia closed her eyes and walked down from the stage as the councilman shouted.

"Filthy Woman!"

"Enough of your crap!"

"Enough of 'tis shit!" Garfiel was standing up, the air around him blowing with an aura of rage as he glared at the screen.

"Oh no!" Petra cringed in horror as she watched Subaru.

"This is it." Otto sighed and watched what was known as the humiliation of the half-elf's knight to the people of the city.

He always wondered what caused such an incident to happen.

"Subaru…" Beatrice called out with an uneasy look.

"You're about to see the nasty side of this hero." Priscilla mused mockingly.

The hall fell into silence as a lone butler boy stood in the middle of the room.

Roswaal smirked wide.

"Why… you fuck." Otto uttered in sheer disdain.

Emilia stared at Roswaal with shock.

"Y-You knew?!" Emilia asked in despair.

Roswaal's face was that of disinterest, "Anyone that saw Subaru's eyes could tell this was the set path, Emilia-sama. I couldn't do muuuuch to prevent thaaaat."

This only further enraged Emilia and Otto.

Emilia looked down and in dread. "Subaru, it's all right! Stop this!"

"I will not stop! You people are full of crap! Apologize to Emilia!"

"Subaru!"

The boy flinched from her shout.

Emilia slowly turned to the council.

"Allow me to formally introduce myself to the honored council of elders. My name is Emilia. I am accompanied by Puck, a great spirit who controls fire, and I am a silver-haired half-elf."

"A great spirit?"

Mutters of shock and indignation covered the hall.

Emilia turned and faced the entire room. "I understand that my half-elf lineage and other similarities to the witch subject me to prejudice. However… I adamantly refuse to let all my potential be plucked out simply for that reason."

"Emilia..."

"That was very well done, Emilia-sama." Ram complimented.

But Emilia was cringing as she waited for something.

"Damn Barusu." Ram snorted and watched for whatever the boy did.

"By the way… What, exactly, is that young man's position?" The old bearded councilman asked.

Emilia quickly turned around with a struggling face. "Hug? Um, well, he's… "

"It's okay, Emilia. I've made up my mind, too."

"Your mind? To do what? Hey… Subaru, what are you going to do? Wait!"

Subaru walked up and stood before the Dragon Throne of the kingdom.

He placed his hand behind him and bent both knees.

He did a fucking pose, as he declared.

"Nice to meet you, members of the council of elders. My name is Natsuki Subaru. I am a manservant in Roswaal's mansion and I serve as this candidate's… Emilia-sama's best knight!"

"The hell?!" Garfiel wanted to laugh out loud by the sheer audacity he witnessed. No one but his captain could do something so stupid and look cool doing it. One thing's for sure, this man had balls.

Ricardo chuckled at the absurdity of such a scene.

Many in the room shook their heads either in disappointment or in fondness.

Wilhelm was once in such a position so he understood the young man's nerves got the better of him. He still soured at the scene after though.

"How stupid is he?" Tivey commented in awe at the sheer debacle.

"I don't think it gets better watching this for a second time, nyan!" Felix oozed with satisfaction and contempt.

"I believe you all shouldn't be so hasty to judge what Subaru did!"

"Petra! Shush!"

"B-But they can't just-"

"Leave it be," Frederica whispered hesitantly to the little maid. The girl was filled with anger and rage and it put tears in her bluish eyes.

Frederica couldn't find it in her heart to disagree with her little prodigy.

The hall looked on as the butler declared himself a knight with a pose aimed to the sky.

"Hmm… A knight, is he?" The councilman asked.

Roswaal turned away while cringing. "Ah, he knows little of our woooorld… "

"No, shit." Al snorted.

Julius understood many things about his supposed friend, maybe he wouldn't have done what he did if he was aware of them.

"But what was it that drove him to hate me from the beginning?" Julius knew that whatever he did to Subaru, it had no effect since the boy had an impression of him from that moment at the imperial headquarters.

"Forgive me for interrupting, but there is something I must ask him… "

Julius stepped forth and looked at the posing Subaru. "If you truly proclaim yourself to be Emilia-sama's knight."

"What do you mean by that?"

"You just declared that you are a knight. And you audaciously did so here, before the Knights of Lugunica!"

The entire army stomped their feet on the marble floor. And held their swords out of their sheaths.

"That was pretty well-coordinated. Did you guys practice that just for this meeting?"

"Nooooo." Petra covered her face, feeling embarrassed for Subaru.

Frederica cringed as well.

"Of course. To make known to all the dignity of our empire, we are highly conscious every day of who we are. Do you have the resolve to match that?"

Subaru flinched back… surprised.

"I want to make Emilia-sama the ruler. No, I will make her the ruler!"

"And you believe you have the resolve and strength to do that?" Julius stared hard at the sweating frantic Subaru.

"I don't have anything as grand as resolve, and I'm well aware that I lack strength. But I'm going to make Emilia the ruler! I'm going to make her wish come true!"

"This is hard to watch, I suppose." Beatrice looked away from the screen feeling ashamed for her contractor's actions.

"Subaru-kun…" Rem watched with a frown how much her hero's limited understanding of this world put him through such undesired situations.

Julius shook his head. "Do you not feel that your answer is far too arrogant? Weakness is something to be ashamed of, not to take pride in. Have you worked hard to earn the right to stand here? Have you done enough service to shame us, the Imperial Knights?"

"I'm still going to make Emilia the ruler!"

"I don't understand. After being so denied, why do you continue to stand here?" Julius looked at the boy in pity.

Subaru's entire form began to shake.

"Because she's special!"

Julius looked taken aback but schooled up to continue his assault. "I understand and accept your reason for standing there. But I do not think I can acknowledge you as a knight."

Julius walked back into his position in the line.

"Anyone who aspires such an expression on the face of the one they wish to stand beside is not a knight."

Subaru's face contorted to panic at Julius's words.

He slowly looked back to the half-elf girl that's been silent this whole time.

He couldn't see her face… so he closed his eyes and hitched his breath.

"I-Is being a knight that big a deal?"

"Goddamn it!" Otto gritted his teeth and watched with panic at Subaru's stupidity.

"The young man is way over his head." Wilhelm shook his head as he watched Subaru lose all cool and respect in the room.

He still understood the reason for all his actions though. And he felt pity for this kid.

"Subaru-dono…"

Every knight glared at the boy as his twisted smile showed just how broken he was.

Pathetic.

"You just happen to be born into the job! Don't act like a big-shot with your daddy's name!"

"Natsuki Subaru, that is not a beautiful look." Julius cut him off and stood into position.

"That's enough, Subaru." Emilia slowly whispered and bowed to the council.

"I am deeply sorry to waste your time. I'll make him stand down."

"Cap'n…" Garfiel felt pure anger that his captain was panicking like this… why was Subaru acting so… unmanly.

"It's even more distasteful to watch the second time." Anastasia snorted with a disgusted glare.

"Big bro just lost to the pressure, that's all." Felt kept her belief in him firm and ignored the whole situation. He saved her life. She won't forget that.

"Barusu," Ram growled at the stupid position he placed himself in.

Crusch just stayed silent and looked into the boy's eyes. "They're…"

"Unnatural…" Al looked at his princess as she said something while staring at the screen with a curious look.

"What did she say?' The knight wondered as he looked through his helmet at the boy's embarrassing moment.

Emilia quickly trotted out of the hall while grabbing Subaru by the arm.

Before she left, one of the councilmen slowly called out.

"Emilia-sama, if nothing else, he has shown us all that you are not one to be feared. You have a fine attendant."

Emilia stopped in her tracks. "Subaru is not my attendant."

"Natsuki Subaru-dono, please leave the room."

Subaru remained on his knees with a haunted look on his face.

The doors closed behind him.

"He looks…" Frederica stared with a scared look on her face.

"So weird." Tivey inspected with a frightened look.

"Subaru…" Emilia felt nothing short of confusion and pity for the boy and how he looked.

She was too angry back then to see it. But something was definitely off about him here.

"That's not Betty's Subaru, I suppose."

"Cap'n…"

"Natsuki-san…"

The three looked at their friend, brother, contractor's face with sympathy.

"Now, let us discuss how the royal selection will proceed."

Suddenly… smoke filled the entire room.

"What's going on?!"

Someone could be seen running through the crowd of confused knights towards the candidates.

They managed to reach Felt and quickly carried her through the smoke.

Before they could escape… Reinhard blew a gust of wind with his sheathed sword that cleared the hall immediately.

The smoke cleared to reveal An old dime human giant carrying Felt.

"Old Man Rom!"

Knights surrounded the old man and brought him to his knees.

Marcos stood above him. "I don't know who you are, but for stealing into the castle, you must die."

"Stop! Let him go!"

"Unfortunately, I cannot comply. You have publicly declared that you have no intention of participating in the royal selection. I am not obligated to obey your orders."

Felt gasped and looked at the downed old man.

The old man smirked.

Felt's eyes widened as she understood something. She schooled her expression into that of a nasty scheming smirk.

"Fine! I'll do your stupid royal selection! You want me to try to be the next ruler, right?"

"Wh-What're you sayin', Felt?"

"That old man is my family. So let him go right now. Treat him with care!"

"Very well."

As the old man was let go, he looked up at the girl.

"Felt… I… "

"We'll talk later, Old Man Rom."

The old man was led out of the hall.

"So that's how…" Frederica sighed as the last scene left too much of a sour taste in her mouth.

Everyone else shared the same statement.

Felt looked back at her knight. "Hey, Reinhard, was this all part of your plan, too?"

"Certainly not. This was something far greater, guided by fate."

"Ha! Are you a slave to fate or something?"

"No, " Reinhard bowed before her on his knee. "From now on, I am your knight."

"Fine, then. I'll work you to death."

"Now, Felt-sama and her knight, Reinhard, may we conclude that you both intend to participate in the royal selection?"

"Sure, I'm in. But let me just say one thing."

Felt raised her arms at her side.

"I hate the nobility! I hate the knights! I hate this kingdom! I hate everything about it! So I'm planning to tear it all down!"

Felt smirked at all in the room. "How about that?"

"Shit!"

"I'm kinda rooting for her."

"I knew my lady's words would reach the people's ears. Would accept Felt-sama as your queen and savio-"

"Stop trying to make people enter your weird-ass cult, Rein!" Felt kicked her excited knight in the face as he was preaching.

Naturally, he caught the kick and sat down.

"Wh-What are you saying?!

Mutters of fear and anger flowed through the room.

"If I become the next ruler, I'll destroy everything! I'll take down every last one of you, and bring a little fresh air into this country!"

One of the councilmen mused from the side to the standing Reinhard.

"Your mistress is quite the intense lady."

"Felt-sama's words will one day reach the ears of all."

"In any case, all of the candidates are here at last. The royal selection will now begin!"

Scene change…

Reinhard and Felix are shown standing in front of a sitting Subaru.

"And so, the royal selection has finally begun, Subaru."

"Subaru-kyun, you're Emilia-sama's knight, aren't nya? Let's both do our best."

Garfiel and Otto glared as Felix was clearly mocking their friend.

Crusch also narrowed her eyes on this.

Subaru remained silent.

"Forgive me for interrupting."

Subaru glared at the young man that had stood before him.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"I wish you wouldn't make such an unpleasant face. I didn't expect you to warmly welcome me, but if you take that attitude-"

"If I do, then what?" Subaru hatefully glared at the knight.

"The respectability of those in your company will come into question. Do be careful. Now, you asked me why I'm here, did you not? I came to see you, of course. I'd like you to come with me for a bit."

"What's this about I suppose?" Beatrice asked threateningly.

Julius remained silent.

Emilia looked down too ashamed of herself to speak.

Scene change…

Subaru is standing in the middle of an arena. The place is filled with disgruntled-looking knights that were glaring at the arrogant boy.

Reinhard could be seen talking to Julius from the other side of the arena.

"Julius, you shouldn't do this. It's not like you."

"He insulted us knights in front of the candidates to be our future ruler, and he made light of the chivalry we practice."

"I admit that he said some things that went too far. But for such a matter, he need only be warned and corrected."

"No, this is not only my problem. I hereby administer the death penalty to this insubordinate man who has sullied the knighthood's honor!" Julius shouted as the crowd roared in reverence.

"What?" Otto looked back at the knight to see an emotionless Julius staring at the screen.

"Otto-kun."

The merchant was surprised to find Reinhard calling for him and gesturing for him to sit down.

"This had to be done. Nyan!" Felix cheerfully disclosed to the room.

Many in the Emilia faction looked on not liking this one bit.

"Subaru-kun…" Rem growled as she watched. She remembers the wounds he had when he was brought back.

"Normally, it wouldn't be unusual for you to be slain for insolence. However, much to my dismay, you are Emilia-sama's attendant. Therefore, we will fight using wooden swords."

"Shall we begin?"

Subaru glared at the man that stood opposite him.

"Sure! I'm not gonna hold back!"

Subaru ran towards the knight and flipped mid-run to splash dust in his face.

That didn't deter Julius from delivering a blow straight towards his gut making him roll on the ground.

"It appears you truly have no pride. What a simple, vulgar way to live." Julius spat and began smiting Subaru's face with his wooden sword.

As the crowds cheered.

The scene changes to a knight entering the hall where all the candidates stood.

"Reporting! The knight Julius and Natsuki Subaru-dono are having a mock battle with wooden swords in the training ring!"

Emilia gasped with eyes wide. "How did that happen? I have to-"

"I just wanna know one thing. Which one of 'em issued the challenge?" Anastasia asked with a cheerful smile.

"I'm told it was the knight Julius. Natsuki Subaru-dono accepted, leading to this fight."

"Well, I'm against stopping them, then."

"But your knight and my, um… friend are fighting! Aren't you worried?"

"Worried? About what? That Julius will go too far, and I'll have to pay for your boy's treatment?" Anastasia cutely tilted her head.

"If we're questioning their mock battle, I can't agree with stopping it before they finish, either." Crusch gave her opinion.

"If they're just duking it out, you could've waited until it ended and told us who won." Felt admonished the guard.

"Yes, ma'am! But the fight was, well… It was just so one-sided that I… " the guard nervously glanced at Emilia.

"I have to stop it!"

"We should go. You like watching weak creatures be tormented by vicious beasts, don't you?"

"Don't misjudge me with your own unfounded imaginings, Al. But yes, I do love that."

Scene changes to the crowd of knights looking at the battle with pity and shock at the brutality.

"Why don't you admit that you've reached your limit? I'm sure you've now realized to a painful extent just what the knights that you insulted and made light of really are!"

Julius can be seen beating a heavily bruised up and bleeding Subaru to the ground.

"What the hell is this, Julius?!" Ricardo winced at the beating.

Rem and Garfiel were full-on glaring demonically at the knight.

Wilhelm had a surprising look at such a brutal scene. He knew what the knight was doing, but he didn't need to be so brutal about it.

Emilia looked on with tear-filled eyes.

"Why Subaru…"

Beatrice glared at her.

"I believe continuing would endanger your life."

Subaru slowly got up with a manic crazed glare.

"Damn it. I'll break."

Subaru began running towards the knight.

"Subaru!" Emilia shouted from a balcony.

Julius looked up at where she was.

Subaru smirked and took a chance.

"Don't Subaru!"

"You idiot!" Ram shouted as she gripped her fists in anger at his stupidity.

But she was too late.

"Shamac!"

The arena was filled with darkness.

"This was the ace up your sleeve?"

With one swipe, Julius erased the darkness.

"Your skill level is far too low. Such low-level magic will only work on unintelligent beasts!"

Julius shot towards him and delivered the crushing blow.

"You are irredeemably powerless. You aren't worthy to stand at her side."

Julius said those final words… as Subaru finally fell.

Natsuki Subaru's humiliation… was complete.

"Subaru!"

"That was uncalled for!" Felt shouted as she glared at the knight.

Many in the Emilia camp stared at the knight with hatred in their eyes. Emilia sat rigid as she heard Julius's words to her knight over and over again.

The candidates and other knights were waiting to stop any scuffle that might happen.

Petra and Frederica glared with disdain at Julius.

Stand down, all of you. There's more to watch.

As the voice spoke to the watchers, some calming presence filled the war-ready room.

Making those of Garf and Rem be calm enough to sit back down and continue watching, but with small glares on their faces.

Scene changes to an unfamiliar ceiling.

Subaru quickly sat up and looked at his bandaged up body.

"So I didn't die, then…"

Julius winced. 'Did I really remind him of death?'

Rem and Beatrice looked saddened by how used to it he has become.

Emilia looked on with tear-filled eyes. She knew what was coming.

She couldn't understand why Subaru was acting in such a way.

"Even if he said he loved me, back at the Sanctuary, he never treated anyone like this. So why Julius?"

Julius himself looked at the screen in confusion and guilt. He had to do what he did, but he could've been a bit less brutal and discouraging to the boy.

He had to remember his weak self when he fought Subaru.

He remembered the weak bastard boy that wanted to be a knight so badly he made his own brother lose his self-confidence.

And he had to kill any intention of another kid going through that same path he did.

"Was that problem… me?"

Was it Julius that was insolent and disgusting? Taking his anger out on a mere arrogant boy?

"Ah. I guess it's true… " Julius mused to himself silently.

'I don't deserve him as my friend.'

With that… Julius smiled as his heart finally had some rest.

A revelation he had come to once before but this time it was finalized by knowing that he was just as disgusting and depraved as this worse version of Subaru was…

He wasn't a good enough friend to Natsuki Subaru from the very beginning.

Subaru slowly looked beside him and found a stern Emilia waiting for him to wake.

"Subaru-"

"That talk with the royal candidates…"

"Subaru."

"I see."

"Let's head straight back, then. We need to work out a plan for the selec-"

"Subaru."

"…"

"Let's talk, okay? I have something I want to ask you. A lot of things."

"Yeah, I guess you did."

"Why did you end up, well… fighting with Julius? There must have been a reason, right? Knowing you, it must've been important-"

"I wanted to get him back."

"Huh?"

"I was being stubborn. He said I was pathetic, powerless, and not worthy of you. He was trying to distance me from me, and I hated it. That's why I fought him."

"Just for that?"

Subaru gulped… "Emilia-tan… Emilia, you wouldn't understand."

"I see. Roswaal and I will be heading back to the mansion tomorrow. You will stay in the capital to recover."

"Wait a minute…"

"Huh? That was our agreement, wasn't it?" Emilia asked emotionlessly.

"But wait a-"

"You came to the capital so Felis could heal your exhausted gate."

"Wait a minute… how can you suddenly… I…"

"Because… When I'm with you, you always push yourself to do the impossible things."

"That's not what I'm saying! I just… "

"Just?"

"I just wanted to do something for you, so I… "

"For me?" Emilia whispered dangerously.

"It was for you wasn't it?" Emilia asked angrily.

Subaru's eyes widened at the tone she was using.

"No… I just wanted to do something for you… "

Emilia threw her cloak in his face.

"Stop telling lies about how everything is for my sake! Coming to the castle, fighting Julius, using magic… are you saying all that was for me? I never asked you to do any of that!"

Subaru flinched as Emilia shouted at him.

"Hey, do you remember what I asked you to do?"

"I…"

"I asked you to wait at the lodging with Rem. I asked you not to use magic because using more would endanger you."

"I'm sorry I didn't do as you asked. B-But you're wrong. You're wrong! I didn't do it for myself… " Subaru quickly closed his mouth. "You won't believe me, Emilia?"

"I want to. I want to believe you, Subaru. I want to… but you're the one who won't give me a reason to!" Emilia yelled as Subaru held his hands to his mouth.

"Why is he so afraid?" Crusch called out as she inspected the scene with critical eyes.

Now that everyone was looking hard at the hard fight between Emilia and Subaru, they could see something in his eyes.

"He seems afraid." Otto mused in worry.

"What is plaguing him, I wonder?" Beatrice quickly caught on that something wasn't right with this Subaru from the very beginning.

"He's had that look in his eye from the start of this." Garfiel softly said as he recalled the way his cap'n looked unnatural since the beginning of this viewing.

"You promised me… but you threw it away, just like that, and came all the way here! You won't keep your promise to me, and you ask me to believe you? I can't do that! I can't!"

Subaru closed his eyes and hiccuped.

"Hey, Subaru… " Emilia called softly. "Why do you keep trying to help me like this?"

"Because you helped me."

"Is he scared of death?" Tivey uttered in horror.

Everyone looked on with analytical faces. Julius and Emilia looked at the scene with shocked and twisted faces.

What was that look on Subaru's face for?

"I… helped you?"

"Yes."

Image of her saving him in the very first loop in this world.

"You don't even realize how the things you've done for me have saved me."

"No, I don't, Subaru."

"I don't expect you to! But it's true! You saved me! So everything I've done has been to repay you!"

"I told you, I don't understand!" Emilia screamed loudly.

"Maybe you don't, but please listen to me! It's the truth! You were the… When I first came to this world, you were the-"

Black hands attacked and slammed his heart.

Subaru struggled to breathe and held his chest.

"Oh…." Crusch whispered softly as shock overtook her.

The entire theater looked on with silent surprise.

Emilia began shedding her tears as she hugged her knight. She understood now. She understood why he looked like that.

"You were haunted by your death. All this pain. All of it, because of me!"

"I'm so sorry Subaru!"

Emilia looked at him disappointed.

"Once again, you won't tell me anything."

Ending song: Stay Alive

"Why won't you understand? I thought if anyone could understand, it'd be you… " Subaru began shaking in place as despair filled his crushed heart.

Anastasia looked down as she finally felt a little guilty for thinking so coldly of the boy.

"The version of me that lives within you must be amazing. She can understand everything, even if you don't explain it to her. She can feel all your pain, sadness, and anger as her own." Emilia sounded tearful.

"I can't understand if you don't tell me, Subaru."

"I'm so sorry," Emilia begged as she hugged him tighter.

Rem and Beatrice looked at her with pity and sadness.

They too were hurting for the boy.

Subaru's form gave in to the despair and darkness, he couldn't tell her, he wasn't allowed, he couldn't tell her about his issues, about his crushed heart, about his fear of losing her…. So he told her what he could…

"I've… All this time,"

Emilia looked at Subaru...

Subaru took the plunge into the darkness and gave in to his intoxicated mind's ramblings.

"I've made everything work out all right, haven't I?! When your insignia was stolen, I saved you from an insane killer at the loot house!"

"Cap'n no!" Garfiel wanted to jump in and help his captain from this self-destruction.

Otto clenched his fists and tried to keep the tears in as he understood his brother's burden and suffering.

He gave in.

"I risked my life!"

He gave in and shouted.

"Big bro…" Felt stared with shock at what Subaru had been reduced to because of his pain.

"He's breaking…" Reinhard closed his eyes in guilt as his actions yet again led to someone dear getting hurt.

"I should've stopped the fight."

"All because you were important to me!"

He couldn't ask for help.

"At the mansion, too!"

He smiled and hid it.

"Things worked out because of me!"

He gave in and began hiding it with anything he could think of. His pain would be hidden.

He would make Emilia love him.

"Without me, it would've been a lot worse!"

"He's just saying whatever he can because he can't tell the real reason. He's hurting because of that." Frederica watched with tears in her eyes as pity filled her at the hopeless situation.

He will stand beside her. If she sees how useful he was.

"All of it, all of it, all of it!"

All of it because he was at her side.

"All of it was because I was there!"

"He's saying anything to make her stay with him."

"Yea, but it's not the right thing to do."

The twins looked down as they saw a dear friend suffer silently and do whatever he could to get through it.

"Did he have a choice?" Al asked emotionlessly.

He could see his own reflection in her amethyst eyes.

He looked mad… he looked broken… but it's the best he could tell her.

So he gave in more.

"You should have a greater debt to me than you could ever repay!" he screamed and breathed heavily as his darkness overwhelmed him.

Wilhelm looked down and nodded his head.

"Subaru-dono is just like me," Wilhelm remembered a time he had the same rant to his wife.

He remembered how crushed he was back then.

If this boy was reduced to such a state with a witch and death hanging over him… Wilhelm couldn't blame him.

"You're right. I owe you so many debts, Subaru." Emilia looked down sadly.

"Yeah, that's right! That's why I… "

"So I'll repay all of them now, and we'll end this."

"No…" Julius clenched his hands as he looked on to what he had caused.

Subaru looked up in fear and shock.

His darkness… had failed him.

Emilia walked away from him.

"You've done enough, Natsuki Subaru. You know, I had hope for you. I thought maybe you, only you, wouldn't give me special treatment. That you'd look at me in the exact same way you look at everyone else."

Emilia just buried her face into her knight's chest.

"I don't want you to believe that."

"I can't do that."

Not even darkness or light will make him change this sentence.

"I can't look at you the way I look at others. It's impossible."

Emilia glanced at him one final time. And left the room.

Subaru gripped her cloak in both hands… and cried…

It was because… He stayed alive.

Title card:

Self-Proclaimed Knight Natsuki Subaru

Episode 7 Director's Cut. End.

"That's not a healthy way of going about things at all…" Crusch whispered brokenhearted.

The entire theater was silent save for a few sniffles from Beatrice and Emilia.

"You just left him like that, I suppose?" Beatrice asked in despair as her eyes were glued to the screen.

"Emilia-sama…" Rem tried to comfort her but the elf was just hiding in her knight's midsection as she hugged his sides.

"Natsuki-san…"

"Cap'n…"

"Subaru…"

Julius looked down, eyes wide with shock at what he reduced Subaru to.

"So he does suffer from trauma after all." Reinhard softly said as he finally realized why he looked so weird.

"That explains why he looked so strange." Crusch looked down and shook her head.

"You're saying that he did all of these stupid decisions just because of trauma from his deaths?"Felix asked curiously… and cheerfully since he was happy that this weak man got what he deserved.

"But that doesn't answer why he was so jealous of Julius and so adamant to prove himself to the councilmen." Al thought out loud.

Many lamented the thought.

"Yeah, that's right." Tivey nodded and looked at the sleeping Subaru questioningly.

"That does pose questions," Anastasia muttered as she thought about the way Subaru had been looking since the start.

"Subaru-kun seemed afraaaaid of something since the staaaart." Roswaal mused with a small frown. He began nudging the people towards the truth.

"It's because… of Emilia-sama."

Everyone, including the half-elf, looked at Wilhelm as he spoke gravely.

"Wh-What do you mean?" Emilia asked in confusion and plea… she wanted to find some solace and understand her exact sin to the boy this time.

"What did I do to make Subaru make such decisions?" She asked softly.

"Hmph! It's clear, half-wit."

Everyone looked up to see a smirking Priscilla gazing down at Emilia.

"This doesn't concern you-"

"Oh shut it, commoner, I'll just share my conclusion of the boy's state in this viewing and then you can get back to crying like twarps."

"Fine then." Crusch glared at the nasty woman.

Priscilla honed her eyes across the room and stopped at Emilia.

She had a look of amusement. "That boy over there said it best. It's because you saved him that he has such a disgusting attitude."

"What do you mean?"

Priscilla sighed and closed her fan. She looked at the crowd before her in pity. "So dumb. I guess you should be educated by a goddess such as mineself after all."

"Just get to the point!" Felt growled at her in frustration and annoyance. A sentiment shared with all those in the room.

The lady seemed to ravel in the attention.

"Didn't any of you notice how strange he looked? How scared and afraid he was all the time?"

Many nodded with her statement.

"Good. Now the question is, Why did he have such a look?" Priscilla smirked as they all looked at one another and shrugged.

"Why, Priscilla-sama?" Otto took the bait and gave her what she wanted.

"Hmph! It's because he's become dependent on that half-wit."

Emilia looked taken aback by this.

"But why would Natsuki do all of this and why would he be so attached to Emilia-sama?" Julius asked in confusion.

"It's because she's the only one that saved him."

Everyone turned to see a deeply frowning Crusch looking at the sleeping boy with soft eyes.

"She's the only thing that remains constant in every loop." Ram instantly realized as she put it together.

People started to realize why Subaru had become so jealous and destructive after the maid's words.

"He was so haunted and scarred by his death and the hands, he began leaning more on Emilia-sama as support." Reinhard mused with a surprised look.

"She's the one that helped him from the thugs and helped him from Ram's anger as well as Rem's doubt" Frederica pointed out as she put the pieces together herself.

"Not to mention that cathartic lap pillow that helped him calm down." Ricardo started nodding along with the crowd.

"So he began attaching himself to her, not to mention how strong his feelings run deep for her…" Beatrice stared at the screen in surprise at the revelation.

"That all culminated into him developing a reaaaaally gross obsession with our dear Emilia-samaaaa." Roswaal finalized the thought to the crowd.

"So, Subaru-kun had been suffering all this time, and the only thing that helped him was Emilia? That's why he got so attached to her?" Rem sat rigidly, shocked as she understood the horror of Subaru's situation.

It wasn't just nightmares. His entire mind was affected by this curse.

"So when Emilia tried to go to the capital herself…" Anastasia immediately began theorizing.

"And when Julius, a truly handsome and strong knight, showed up and charmed Emilia…" Felix weighed in with a small smile.

"And when he saw himself standing beside all these knights that he felt were better than him and had them all give their allegiance to their respective masters so eagerly, he decided to do the same," Wilhelm told in a fond tone.

"And when I shot him down, he was so afraid that Emilia would leave him that he began spewing that nonsense about us knights." Julius dropped back in his seat in shock.

"And when miss half-elf asked him why he was doing all of that… The Witch stopped him."

"Which made him panic and force out whatever reason he could to make her accept him and keep her beside him." Al continued Ricardo's thought.

The silence in the room overwhelmed the crowd.

The reason was found.

"And after all of that… The stupid elf left him." Priscilla snorted as she sat back down.

Emilia just sat in her seat with her face stuck on one of despair.

"S-Subaru…"

She held her hands to her mouth as her chest hurt so much that she thought she was going to puke.

She turned this poor boy away when all he wanted was her help.

"I'm scum…"

"I'm so sorry."

"Please, Subaru…"

"Please wake up…"

Emilia sobbed and cried while everyone just looked away in pity.

Rest once more… You'll need it…

The warden ordered as the screen turned dark.

Episode 8… Arc 3's continuation…

Start.

God this episode sucked to write!

I have never tasted lemon so much in my life!

I hope you all enjoyed my additions as well as the reactions.

I really really tried with this one. Please tell me what you thought of everything in this chapter overall.

Thank you all so much for your wonderful comments on all platforms.

I see everysingle comment. On FF and On Ao3 as well as Reddit. I see all of them.

Sorry if I don't reply to you but that's because I'm constantly writing and or I'm busy with real life so I forget to write back to yall. Sorry.

Again thanks for reading please tell me what you thought about this one.

And here we go… Arc 3.

Please wait… as I deliver Episode 8….

Madness.

"Wha… What the fu-"

"This isn't what it looks like."

"…"

"…"

"It isn't what it looks like Joseff."

"…"

"I'm serious bro."

"My man, I see you raping my pillow on my fucking bed!"

"It's not rape if the object in question can't consent."

"Don't fucking lwarize this shit! My pillow is really expensive man."

"You know what? I'm tired of your shit, Joseff! This was just an act of prank revenge for you taking my awesome pillow at least that one had could talk to me!"

"Samantha is more than a pillow! She's perfect and deserves love that you refuse to give her!"

"…"

"…"

"Samantha?"

"You don't even know her name."

"You know what I do know."

"What is it? I'm tired. You can take this pillow and just leave."

"I know that I had too much falafel and beans this morning…."

"…"

"…."

"Please!"

"I'll do it."

"No!"

"Screw you."

"Come on, man this ain't cool!"

"I warned you Joseff. I fucking warned you."

"Stop! Don't shit on my be-"

BRRRRRRRRPPPPPR

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Beta credits to my homie ScuffedSenku. Writer of Senku IF.

I fucking hated this chapter so much you don't even know. Still… this is props my favorite rewrite, even if the latter half of it was practically the same as the original. I did shit here that was pog.

Kill me.

Now for the chapter that I started rewriting the entire story for. Chapter fucking 10.