Subaru slowly regained consciousness. He became aware that he was lying in bed.

Fuck, that’s bright. God damn it, Mom! Stop coming into my room and opening the shades! I’ll wake up when I’m ready!

Damn. All that was just a dream? It seemed so real…

OK, well you know what? It was actually a pretty great dream. I got to meet the beautiful princess. I got to prove that when shit got real I could be brave, I could be selfless. Sure, I’m still pretty useless in real life but I proved that at least I could try. I even got a heroic death thrown in there! If I’d gotten a kiss or a handjob out of it, the dream would have been downright perfect.

Guess it’s time to wake up. I wonder what Mom is making for breakfast.

Subaru yawned and opened his eyes.

Subaru was in a brightly lit, well-furnished bedroom that he’d never seen before. Reinhard was sitting in a chair nearby.

“Reinhard?” Subaru asked in confusion.

“Lord Subaru!” Reinhard said, jumping to his feet. He wore a grin from ear to ear. “Thank the Gods, you’re awake!”

Subaru looked around the unfamiliar room then reached down and felt the scar on his side. “It wasn’t a dream…,” He whispered. “Reinhard, what happened? Where am I?”

“You’re at my home, the Astrea Manor in the capitol,” Reinhard explained. “I’ve been sitting here for nearly two days waiting for you to awaken. To be candid, I had very little hope, the weapons of the Bowel Hunter are lethal, coated in a poison that prevents clotting. Our doctors tended to you for nearly six hours trying to close the wound. They told us your survival was most unlikely. But you have some strength in you, Lord Subaru.”

“Two days?” Subaru asked in disbelief.

“Well, two nights and one day to be technical. I-”

“Tella!” Subaru suddenly remembered. “Is she alright?!”

Reinhard cocked his head at Subaru. “I’m not familiar with-”

“Satella,” Subaru said. Reinhard recoiled and his jaw dropped at this name. “The silver haired elf I was with… no, wait. She told me that Satella wasn’t her real name. Right,” Subaru laid back against his pillow and closed his eyes. “You know, I’ve had girls refuse to talk to me before but this is the first time I ever met a girl who wanted to avoid me so badly that she gave me a fake name. Can’t help but feel a little rejected,” Subaru muttered, giving Reinhard a self-deprecating chuckle.

Reinhard looked like he had fifteen questions and wasn’t sure which one to ask first. “Um, my lord, if you are referring to the Lady Emilia…”

“Is that her name?” Subaru asked. “Emilia… Satella was a pretty name,” Subaru mused and Reinhard cringed again, “But yeah, Emilia is probably much better.”

Reinhard coughed. “Yes, Emilia. I’m not entirely certain what you are referring to, but the Lady Emilia was not attempting to avoid you. Quite the contrary. She showed great concern for your health and comfort.”

“Wait, really?” Subaru said, rising out of bed with a smile.

“Very much so,” Reinhard said. “She stayed by your side through the entire operation. Her sponsor Lord Roswaal came to collect her that night but she refused to depart. She was only persuaded to leave when the doctors assured her that you were on the mend. She asked me to extend to you her deepest gratitude. Lord Roswaal echoed that statement and requested that you call upon him at your convenience so that he might thank you personally.”

“Wow,” Subaru said, his grin broadening. “That’s… that’s really something,” He paused. “And Felt and Rom came through OK?”

“Merely a few bumps and bruises. They were both very concerned about you,” Reinhard explained. “Miss Felt wanted to come with you to the healers but Rom explained it might not be wise for a woman in her… position to be associated with nobility and Felt finally agreed.”

Subaru looked down for a moment. “Reinhard,” He began. “You saved my life. In fact, I think you’ve saved my life twice so far. I’m truly in your debt for your kindness. I don’t have any idea how I could ever make it up to you, but I promise to try,” Subaru said earnestly.

Reinhard looked uncomfortable. “It was really nothing-”

“Hey!” Subaru shouted in mock anger. “I don’t like people who refer to my life as nothing!”

Reinhard’s eyes widened in shock. “Oh no! My Lord, I had no intention-”

“Relax, Reinhard,” Subaru said with a laugh. “I was only teasing you. But seriously, thank you for everything. I mean that. If you hadn’t appeared when you did, I would have died. I think Emilia and Felt would have died as well. The weird woman was even kicking old Rom around like he was nothing. Who was she?”

Reinhard’s eyes darkened. “Elsa Granhiert, The Bowel Hunter,” He spat.

“Excuse me?”

“She’s a notorious assassin and mass murderer who has plagued the continent for years. She’s been the death of entire villages,” Reinhard explained. “Lady Emilia and Miss Felt told me how you faced down the Bowel Hunter barehanded. That was a remarkable display of valor. I know strong knights who would have fled rather than face the Bowel Hunter alone, and you confronted her unarmed,” Reinhard shook his head in wonder. “You are a remarkably brave man, Lord Subaru.”

Subaru burst out laughing to Reinhard’s surprise. “There is a fine line between courage and stupidity. Thank you for the one you picked,” Subaru shook his head ruefully. “Also what’s with all the ‘Lord Subaru’ business. Did I get a promotion while I was asleep?” Subaru paused. “Wait, is that how people behave around here? Am I being rude by not referring to you as ‘Lord Reinhard’ or ‘my lord’ or something? I didn’t mean to!”

“Oh no!” Reinhard assured him. “I am not a lord!”

“Well then I appreciate the courtesy but I certainly can’t be one. I’m just a bum who wound up in the kingdom with no idea how I got here and not a cent to my name,” Subaru replied with a tired smile.

Yeah, that’s going to be a problem sooner rather than later. I’m in a strange country I know nothing about and I have no skills and no prospects. I’ve got no illusions that Reinhard is going to be generous enough to let me stay here forever and even if he is I can’t let him do that. I’m already deep enough in his debt as it is.

What can I do next? I don’t have any applicable skills in this world. I can’t even read or write the language so really the only thing I have to offer is manual labor. I’ve got no real connections in this country outside of Reinhard and maybe Sat-… Emilia. Gee, maybe I could work as her butler. Wouldn’t that be fun? Nope, can’t read or write the language here, so I’m unqualified for that job.

Guessing the next few weeks are going to be very unpleasant. Maybe if I ask Felt and Rom nicely, they’ll teach me how to survive down in the slums.

“Lord Subaru,” Reinhard said, interrupting Subaru’s train of thought. “I need to show you this,” Reinhard walked over to Subaru’s bed and dropped a small item into his palm.

It was a silver token engraved with a dragon. A small red jewel was embedded in the middle.

“Wait a second!” Subaru exclaimed. “This was Emilia’s! Why the hell do you have it?”

“This is not Lady Emilia’s, Lord Subaru,” Reinhard corrected him. “This insignia is yours.”

“No! I never had one! The one in the loot house was Emilia’s! And just as soon as I can find some pants I need to return it to her!” Subaru said, struggling out of bed and almost falling as his legs struggled to support him.

Reinhard reached out a hand to steady him.

“Um, speaking of pants, any chance of getting some?” Subaru asked shamefaced.

“I took the liberty of preparing you some clothes. Your original garment got rather… messy from your wound,” Reinhard said, picking some clothing off a nearby dresser and handing them to Subaru.

“Oh right, I guess that was a lot of blood,” Subaru said, taking the clothes. They weren’t of a style he recognized but he assumed it was common enough in this world, unless Reinhard had decided that it would be amusing to dress him up like the court jester.

“That was an awful lot of blood,” Reinhard agreed.

“I didn’t even know humans had that much blood,” Subaru said. He covered his mouth with the back of his hand and retched. “Reinhard? Do you mind if we talk about something else? I feel like I might throw up if I keep thinking about this.”

“Yes, of course,” Reinhard said with a smile.

“OK, I’m going to get changed,” Subaru said.

Reinhard simply nodded.

After a moment of hesitation Subaru stripped off his rather large and billowy night gown.

Is it rude to undress in front of someone in this world? I was pretty badly injured so maybe he’s just staying here in case I need help. Reinhard isn’t acting awkward so guess it’s no big deal. Then again my opinion of Reinhard is that he might not complain if someone lit him on fire. Jeez, I hope by getting naked in front of him I’m not propositioning the poor guy!

“So, can you explain what’s up with this insignia?’ Subaru asked, pulling on his new pants.

“Of course,” Reinhard said. “However, in order to explain this some background information about the country might be necessary. Tell me how much do you know about the Dragon Kingdom of Lagunica?”

Subaru thought about it as he pulled his shirt over his head. “As of hearing your previous statement, I now know that it is called ‘The Dragon Kingdom of Lagunica.’”

Reinhard stared at him.

Subaru shrugged with an apologetic smile. “Sorry, buddy. I’m not trying to be disrespectful to your country, although that’s probably unavoidable at this point, but I have literally no idea where I am. I got here yesterday- or well, whatever day we met, and I have no idea where I am or how I got here. You’re going to think that I’m completely insane but the truth is, I’m from another world altogether.”

Reinhard stared at him open mouthed for a long moment. “Extraordinary,” He murmured. “You’re not lying.”

Subaru frowned. “Really? I mean, don’t get me wrong I’m truly grateful you believe me but mind telling me what I said that convinced you?”

Reinhard smile. “I bear the Divine Blessing of Wind Indication. I always know when someone lies to me.”

“Oh!” Subaru said. “That’s impressive. Must be pretty useful,” Subaru thought for a moment. “Reinhard, you called it a ‘Divine Blessing,’ is that anything like magic?”

Reinhard nodded. “They are not unrelated. A Divine Blessing is a gift from the world, a rare benediction that grants the user unusual abilities.”

“Hm,” Subaru said thoughtfully. “Have you ever heard of a Divine Blessing called Reason and Judgment?” Subaru asked.

“I’m afraid I have not,” Reinhard answered. “But there are countless Divine Blessings that I may have never heard of.”

“What about Indomitable?”

“No,” Reinhard shook his head. “Might I ask where you heard these names?”

“Oh, I just thought I might have blessings by those names,” Subaru said with an awkward laugh. “Silly idea I guess. I’m not even from around here.”

Reinhard’s eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly. “Perhaps I could offer you some assistance. I possess the Divine Blessing of Judgment.”

“I thought you had Wind Direction?” Subaru replied.

“Wind Indication,” Reinhard corrected mildly. “However I am… somewhat unusual in the matter that I possess many Divine Blessings.”

“Oh cool,” Subaru said looking impressed. “That happens?”

Reinhard nodded. “From time to time,” He said a bit awkwardly. “Anyway, the Blessing of Judgment allows me perceive the powers and abilities of anyone I wish. I would never dream of using it on anyone without permission or provocation-”

Why does Reinhard sound uncomfortable saying that?

“But if you wish it, I would be only too happy to investigate what powers you might possess,” Reinhard finished.

“Sure, that sounds great! Go ahead,” Subaru said.

Reinhard nodded and narrowed his eyes at Subaru calling upon the Blessing of Judgment.

Reinhard frowned. The Blessing was working no better than before. It could tell him nothing about the applications and functions of Subaru’s magic. However, it did tell him one thing: the great dark pool of potency that he sensed at the heart of Subaru Natsuki had been awakened. He wasn’t sure how or why but something was moving in the depths. The previously placid pool was writhing with suppressed energy.

Concerning, Reinhard thought stepping back. What is this magic? I have never sensed anything like it. Why does Subaru possess such dark power? Is his appearance merely a disguise, could he be evil masquerading in a kindly form? My Blessing of Empathy showed no foul intent. Could my Blessing have been deceived somehow? Perhaps. But if Subaru is truly evil than why did he show such courage on behalf of Lady Emilia last night? Why did he demonstrate such kindness and generosity to the slum girl and her guardian? What was there to gain? Was it all an act simply to cozen me? For what purpose would that serve? And even if his actions were intended to deceive me then where should such a thought lead me? It is well known that evil men deceive with their words. However even if a man could lie with his actions how would you ever prove it? If you choose to do good then what else could you be except good?

Reinhard shook his head. His mind was leading him in circles: A very unusual experience for the rational and pragmatic Reinhard.

“Reinhard?” Subaru asked.

Reinhard jumped. “Oh! Forgive me, my mind wandered,” He apologized.

“Oh, no worries, Red. My mind wanders too. I usually feel like I’m just along for the ride,” Subaru laughed.

“Red?” Reinhard asked in surprise.

Subaru looked a bit awkward. “Yeah, it’s a nickname. They’re something I give them to people I like, sort of as a sign of friendship. Do you not like Red? I mean, I don’t have to call you-”

“No!” Reinhard exclaimed. “No, I do enjoy red. It’s my favorite color in fact,” Reinhard hesitated, “Lord Subaru, do you… do you truly consider us friends?”

Subaru’s eyes widened in surprise. “Well, of course I do! I mean,” Subaru paused. “I mean, I like you very much. I don’t know how you feel about me but you did save my life. I’m not sure if that makes me your friend but it certainly makes you mine.”

Reinhard’s eyes became rather watery. “Thank you,” Reinhard said, turning away and wiping his eyes.

Subaru pretended not to notice his friend having a moment.

Damn, this guy must be really lonely if that kind of comment got him all weepy. I just want to give the poor guy a hug but I’m worried that will just make the dude cry more! I should keep an eye on him. I mean he seems like a super nice guy and I’d probably have wanted to hang out with him anyway but this man is clearly desperate for a little empathy and affection. I should be sure to provide some.

Subaru cleared his throat. “So did you find any blessings?”

“Oh,” Reinhard shook his head. “No, I’m afraid not. As far as I can tell you have no Blessings of any kind,” He hesitated. “I did notice that you have a vast amount of magical power however,” Reinhard ventured.

“Really?” Subaru asked. “You mean like I could learn to cast spells?”

Reinhard cocked his head. “Possibly,” He admitted. “I’m actually not really familiar with your… sort of magical power and I don’t know how it functions. I have never encountered it before. Does magic in your… world function differently than here?”

Subaru shrugged. “There is no magic in my world.”

“Excuse me?!”

“You’re excused,” Subaru joked. “But it’s true. There is no magic in my world. None at all.”

Reinhard gaped. There is no magic in his world? What does that even mean? Could he be lying, perhaps in some way that my Blessing could not detect? But if so… why? What purpose would it serve to mislead me on this point? It would seem to make no difference whatsoever if I chose to believe it or not; thus, I should at least provisionally accept it as true. But if so, then what kind of world could Subaru be from? I can not even imagine such a place. I could envision a world that is completely covered by ocean and no landmasses peek out of the waves. I could picture a world shrouded in thick mist so that the sun never shines. I can easily imagine a world where there are no people of any sort. But a world devoid of magic? How could this be? Magic is a blessing, a bountiful gift offered freely from the soul of a vibrant living world.

Subaru saw that Reinhard was struggling with this concept and decided to sit quietly and give him plenty of time to think it through.

What manner of world could Lord Suburu come from? Could his world be dead in some strange way? Is his magic power so dark and foreboding because it was nurtured on the corpse soil of a decaying world? And how and why did he come here?

“Astounding,” Reinhard said finally.

“If it makes you feel any better, I was pretty astounded when I found out this world had any magic at all,” Subaru commented.

Reinhard frowned. That is an interesting thought. Imagine if I found myself transported to another world. What if there was an immense power called ‘the Power’ that was granted by the Gods in that world? How would I react there having complete ignorance of such a fundamental aspect of the world? How would my Divine Blessings be perceived in a world that lacked such magic? Might they not be viewed as alien and dangerous? Could I not be perceived as a threat in spite of behaving honorably?

For Reinhard, this type of musing showed an astounding amount of imagination. We are all predisposed to view that which is alien to us as dark and threatening. I must think carefully before passing any such judgment on Subaru.

“You must find this all most confusing,” Reinhard said sympathetically.

“Yup, a little bit,” Subaru admitted. “But getting back to the insignia, could you tell me what these things are all about? And as we established I know virtually nothing about this world so please treat me like an idiot,” Subaru said with a laugh.

Reinhard paused as a thought occurred to him. “And what do you know about the Witch of Envy?” He asked.

“Never heard of her,” Subaru replied. “As far as I know I haven’t met any witches.”

Reinhard nodded. This was why he’d used the name ‘Satella’ so lightly, although it did beg the question of why Lady Emilia had told him that was her name. “The Witch of Envy is considered to be the most terrible monster in the history of this world. She covered the planet in shadows and consumed half the world.”

Subaru whistled. “Sounds like a nasty piece of work.”

Reinhard nodded. “She was ultimately captured and sealed away by great heroes four hundred years ago. One of them being the dragon Volcanica. Since that time the dragon has entered into a pact with the royalty of this land. He vowed to protect and guide our land for all eternity.”

“That was nice of him,” Subaru commented.

“Yes but the covenant with the dragon is jeopardized because the royal family has recently died out,” Reinhard continued.

Subaru’s eyes widened. “What? The whole family?”

Reinhard nodded. “They were stricken with a strange plague that seemed to afflict no one but the royals themselves. The royal physicians did their best but they were helpless to save them.

Subaru’s eyes narrowed. “So there was a deadly disease that only kills a single family?”

Reinhard nodded. “I share your skepticism but there was never any evidence unearthed suggesting that they were poisoned or that the plague was of unnatural origin. Regardless of how it occurred, they all died and now the state of the pact with the dragon is unclear. However, there is a prophecy written that a Dragon Priestess could form a new pact with the dragon. Thus the country is engaged in a process by which to select a new Dragon Priestess to make the pact and crown them king.”

“OK, I’m with you so far,” Subaru nodded.

“Did you notice how the gem in the insignia glowed when you picked it up, Lord Subaru?” Reinhard asked.

Subaru picked it up off the bed and saw that the gem did indeed glow.

“Yes,” Subaru said. “I mean, now that you’ve mentioned it I’ve noticed,” He said with a chuckle.

“I saw the Lady Emilia’s insignia glow in your hand at the loot house last night. This told me that you were worthy to carry an insignia,” Reinhard explained.

Subaru cocked his head. “OK, neat, but I’m still not sure I understand what this insignia means.”

“The insignia glows only if it is held by someone with the qualifications to reforge the pact with the great Dragon,” Reinhard said. “Someone with the right to be chosen as King.”

Subaru stared at Reinhard for a long moment. “You’re not serious,” Subaru shook his head.

“I assure you, I am entirely serious,” Reinhard replied.

“I thought you said that the dragon priestess was the only one who could make the pact with the dragon,” Subaru said.

“So I had always thought. All those who have served the dragon have been female but when I investigated more closely it appears the actual word in the ancient texts which we usually translate as ‘priestess’ actually has no assigned gender. The glowing insignia is proof on its own. You are entitled to stand for election as Lagunica’s 42nd King.”

Subaru stared at Reinhard for a moment and then rolled his eyes heavenward.

Hey, God, you up there? Great. It’s me, Subaru. Remember? I’m that guy you bounced from world to world the other day? Hey God, how you been?

Say could we have a quick chat? So the other day I was convinced that I was the chosen one come to lead the people to freedom and then I got filleted like a fish in a rundown tavern. Now they’re telling me that I can be elected king. What I’m trying to say here, God, is that you’re sending me some seriously mixed messages. What’s the goal here? Do you just really like it when I make an ass of myself? That’s it, isn’t it? Great. Good to be on the same page, God.

Subaru shook his head.

How could I possibly rule over this country? I learned its name five minutes ago! Do I have to stand for election? If this is fulfilling some kind of weird prophecy, would they even let me back out? Would I have to run whether I like it or not? Do overly popular candidates commonly get ‘sick’ and die during the election? And how does this election work? Is there campaigning and making speeches? Is it whoever kills the most foes gets the crown?

God, I’m freaking out here! I almost died last night, I can’t deal with this right now!

Subaru triggered Reason and Judgment and was flooded was a sense of calm confidence.

On second thought, maybe this really isn’t such a bad idea, Subaru thought to himself. Think about it. You are from an advanced culture, both socially and technologically. You were never the most attentive student of social studies but you know what worked and what failed on Earth over the past few centuries. Earth is centuries, maybe thousands of years more advanced than Lagunica and all that knowledge is yours. Even simple tricks and innovations that are household knowledge back home could revolutionize these people’s lives.

Of course they would want you to be king. Who else could be more qualified to lead them to peace and prosperity than someone with literal knowledge of the future? Look at it another way: if you being in power could save lives, do you really have any right to refuse? This isn’t about being power hungry or seeking your own glory. If you are the person most qualified to lead this nation, wouldn’t it be selfish of you to deny yourself to these people?

You were brought to this world because you deserve it. Who else but you could be worthy to sit on the throne?

Subaru restarted time and pinched the bridge of his nose. The calm and confidence faded quickly but Subaru didn’t panic. The Reason and Judgment version of Subaru had made some interesting points.

I mean, I guess it makes sense from a certain viewpoint but I’m not so sure about this. Me being King? That is a lot of responsibility and I have my doubts I could handle it. I barely know anything about this world as it is! It might be smarter to offer to work behind the throne or something. Maybe offer to advise the new king on technical innovations and start like that.

“The public announcement is in a few weeks. At that time you’ll have to present the insignia and be considered or return it to them and announce that you will not be competing,” Reinhard explained.

“So how does this thing work?” Subaru asked.

“It’s an election. Whoever gets the most votes wins.”

“Wow. People vote here?” Subaru asked.

“Of course. The nobility and the royal council in particular votes regularly on matters of import,” Reinhard said.

Subaru closed his eyes for a moment. What were you expecting, Subaru? Did you really think this place would be a democracy? Maybe the fact that they said they were electing a king should have clued you in!

“So none of the merchant class or the folks in the slums get to vote?” Subaru asked.

“Some do. Voting is a privilege bestowed on a person and then passed on to their heirs.”

Wouldn’t that be an interesting platform: ‘Elect me your ruler and I will grant universal suffrage so everyone can vote for their leaders which will ensure that I get kicked out of office within the first thirty days.’ Wait a minute, why I am knocking this idea? Do a good thing that empowers most of the country to control their own fates and only be stuck in a position responsibility for a month? Sounds awesome!

“What are the campaigns like?” Subaru asked.

“Honestly, I’m not certain,” Reinhard admitted. “Elections have been held for vacant lordships and the like in the past but nothing like this has happened in history. We’ve never had an election on this scale. Most likely the candidates will announce their plans for the future of Lagunica during the public announcement. After that, it will be question of who manages to put the most ideas into effect and provides the greatest improvement for the kingdom to secure support.”

“Huh. Well that’s one way to ensure that the wealthy and powerful stay that way,” Subaru mused, looking down at the glowing insignia in his hand. “Make certain that they are most of the people who can vote and then set up a tournament where the ones likely to make the biggest splash are the ones already swimming in wealth and power.”

Reinhard looked pained. “I regret to admit there is something to what you say,” Reinhard coughed. “In any event, I wanted to inform you that I have been assigned as your knight for the time being,” He paused. “Assuming that meets with your approval.”

“Um,” Subaru hesitated. “Red, I’m just going to be honest and say that I have absolutely no understanding of how feudal structures work. I don’t know what it means to have a knight. So I’ll turn that question back on you. I certainly enjoy your company and I’d love to hang around with you but if this is going to damage your reputation or simply doesn’t benefit you in anyway, just say the word and I’ll raise whatever objection you want me to. I already owe you an enormous debt and I’d hate to trespass on your kindness any further.”

Reinhard’s eyes widened. “This is not a concern, Lord Subaru, I assure you. I was assigned to your service but truthfully if I had not been, I would have volunteered. I was most impressed by your courage facing the Bowel Hunter. I was simply waiting to ensure no other knight desired the position. I thought it would be rude of me to claim it first.”

Subaru glanced away thoughtfully for a moment.

“Well, it’s going to be great to be working with you, Red!” Subaru said, clasping an astonished Reinhard’s hand with affection. “Also, if it wouldn’t be too much trouble, could we knock off the ‘Lord’ business? At least while we’re alone? I’d rather you address me as a friend, assuming you’re willing to.”

“Wouldn’t that be disrespectful?” Reinhard asked dubiously.

Subaru laughed. “Trust me. Spend a day or two with me, you’ll find plenty of reasons not to respect me. I’m just saving you some time,” Subaru slipped the insignia into his pocket. “Do you know where I could find Tella-…Emilia? I’d like to talk to her.”

“I could fetch a carriage to bring us there,” Reinhard suggested.

Subaru grimaced. “That’d be great but if this is putting you through any trouble, I could just walk,” Subaru offered.

Reinhard offered him a shy smile. “Truthfully, I’d advise against that. It’s the better part of a day’s journey by carriage.”

“Wow,” Subaru said, following Reinhard down the stairs. The building was enormous and completely clean. It reminded Subaru more of an office building than a home. A large grandfather clock sat on the landing. It appeared to be a show piece or a sign of wealth in this world.

Well, that tells me something about the level of technology around here. Then again, when you factor in that magic is in widespread use, it probably doesn’t tell the full picture. Too bad I don’t have more time to look at the clock. I loved gears when I was younger. I wore out several sets of Lego gears and Kinnex before I stopped being into it. That was something I was always good at. Huh. Maybe I could into business as a clock maker here? It might be good money and it would certainly be fun.

It was still very early in the day and the house servants were just beginning to roam the halls. “Is this really your house?”

“This is the Astrea Family’s Manor in the capital. I live here when I’m not traveling or working as part of the guard,” Reinhard explained.

“It’s very nice,” Subaru said.

Wait, do you actually compliment noble estates or is it just so accepted that the estate is going to be beautiful that it seems weird to call attention to it? Subaru mused. I have no idea what constitutes proper behavior and good manners around here. That could be a problem. I really don’t want to risk insulting someone by accident in a world were most people walk around armed with swords.

“Thank you,” Reinhard said with a smile. However the smile immediately fell off his face as an unshaven man with red hair approached them.

“Good morning, Reinhard,” The man said with an unfriendly smile.

“Father,” Reinhard replied with a slight bow.

These two are family? Subaru thought. I mean I can totally see the resemblance but this fellow looks like a creep. Why is he sneering at his son like that? What could Reinhard have possibly done to make this man resent him so much?

“I trust you are enjoying your new assignment,” The father said, glancing at Subaru with a smirk.

“I am content. Thank you for assigning me to him,” Reinhard replied distantly.

Subaru’s gaze flickered back and forth. Is there anything I can do? I feel like this guy is bullying Red, although I’m not really sure why. Should I distract the guy or something? No, I can’t. I don’t even know what’s really going on here. If I go blundering in without thinking I’ll just embarrass Red and make everything worse.

Huh, Weird. I don’t think I ever would have thought about it that way before. I would have just acted first and thought second. Maybe I am getting smarter.

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“I do hope you’ll manage to keep him from embarrassing you too much,” The father snickered.

“I assure you, my embarrassment is of no concern,” He replied.

“That’s good to hear. You’ll almost certainly be cleaning up after him for a few weeks,” The father continued.

“It might well be longer,” Reinhard replied distantly.

“Oh!” The father laughed, “Does he actually intent to join the selection? How marvelous! You could be required to be his devoted knight for years.”

“A not unwelcome thought,” Reinhard said.

The two continued talking. Actually it was more like sparring. The father’s words cut like blades and Reinhard simply deflected them as best he could without ever going on the offensive.

Finally Subaru just couldn’t take it anymore.

“Oh, Sir Reinhard! I believe that’s our ride!” Subaru exclaimed, despite having no idea where a carriage would be parked or even which window to check. “We should go immediately, I’d hate to keep them waiting!” Subaru said as he grabbed Reinhard and hurried them both down the hallway, uncertain of which way he was going or where the exit was.

Reinhard followed where he was lead, seemingly indifferent to where they were going. “Thank you my… friend; for your gallant rescue,” Reinhard said gloomily.

“Might have been gallant but it was also pretty clumsy. I’m sorry, Red. I didn’t have a better plan for that situation,” Subaru replied, finding that the hallway ended in a T joint and arbitrarily pulling Reinhard right.

“It served,” Reinhard replied with a faint smile. “And if you’re actually curious, the front door is back there.” He pointed the other way.

Subaru sighed and rubbed his forehead. “Damn. For a second I actually thought I was going to find my way out of here.”

“What are the odds right?” Subaru asked Reinhard in a jovial voice as the carriage pulled out. “I had no way of knowing the carriage was actually here. I must be lucky today.”

Reinhard stared out the window with a moody expression on his face. “I apologize that you had to see that,” Reinhard said after a moment. “It was churlish in the extreme for my father and I to…” He trailed off.

Subaru sigh. “Don’t worry about it. I’m just sorry that you had to experience it. You two don’t get along?”

Reinhard shook his head. “Not for a long time. Those problems… go back a long way.”

“I’m sorry,” Subaru said. He decided to change the subject. “So I hope this trip isn’t keeping you away from anything important today.”

Reinhard shook his head. “Actually, you managed to get me out of an engagement party,” He said with a faint smile.

“Friends of yours?”

“No, it’s just considered customary for a member of each of the great families to attend such affairs. Father does not do… well at such situations so I would have wound up going,” Reinhard explained.

“Not a fun party I take it?” Subaru asked.

Reinhard actually laughed. “Why would you say that? I’m sure that watching the prospective bride and groom trade coy insults at each other in public would have been a delight.”

“So… not a match made in heaven then?”

“Those two are the heads of their respective families and they have hated each other for decades,” Reinhard told me. “The announcement of their engagement was hilarious to the entire kingdom.”

“Um. Maybe this is a dumb question but if they really hate each other then why are they getting married?”

“They won’t,” Reinhard said.

“OK, now I’m confused,” Subaru replied.

“It’s not a terribly uncommon thing. You see in this world, marriage leads to the combination of assets and business interests under law.”

“Yeah, it works the same way back home,” Subaru said.

“However, unlike in the other nations, in Lagunica an engagement puts the couple in a sort of ‘gray’ area where assets and interests can be temporarily combined. The ostensible bride and groom need to be considered one entity under law for the next year or so in order to facilitate some very complicated business dealings that I won’t bore you with. Once this is done they will dissolve the engagement and separate. Because these two hate each other with an unholy passion, the other great families are finding the situation extremely entertaining.”

“Huh,” Subaru said, not sure he understood this. He decided to shift to something more relevant. “Hey, Red, do you know anything about this Roswaal fellow?”

“A bit,” Reinhard said. “He is considered the greatest mage in the kingdom. He serves as an adviser to the royal family and the Sages’ council.”

“Do you think if we approached him right he’d give us hospitality for a few days?”

Reinhard cocked his head. “I’m… certain he would but why?”

Subaru shrugged. “Two reasons: Number one, I really like being near Emilia. That’s very important to me. And number two, you may recall that you saved my life. Repeatedly. The very least I can do is give you an excuse to stay out of your house and out of your father’s way for a few days.”

Reinhard stared at Subaru in astonishment and then he started to laugh.

“So, you like that plan? I thought it was pretty clever,” Subaru said over Reinhard’s laughter.

Reinhard managed to get control of his laughter. “A very clever idea. Unfortunately, I can’t be away from the estate very long. My father is head of the royal guard and he requires regular service from all of us.”

“But you won’t be able to,” Subaru shrugged.

“Pardon me?”

“Red, think about it. You are the assigned knight to a savage from beyond this world,” Subaru said in mock horror. “He has had no contact with civilized people and can barely speak a civilized language. He simply must be kept under constant vigilance or who knows what might happen? He might go swimming in the drinking fountain or expose his buttocks to a Duchess or try to kiss a troll.”

Reinhard burst out laughing again.

“If you need excuses to stay away, I’ll give you all the excuses you need. It won’t be hard to convince folks that I’m socially incompetent. I’d probably convince them of that by accident anyway!” Subaru shrugged.

“Very kind of you, Lord Subaru,” Reinhard said with a broad smile. “Sadly, I’m not sure this is the behavior expected of a knight.”

“Which is why I’m volunteering to do it,” Subaru said self-importantly. “I may, debatably, be a lord but I am certainly no knight. Leave it to me, Red. I’m certain I can come up with enough baffling situations to require you babysitting me somewhere a long way from the estate; at least up until the selection gets started.”

Reinhard shook his head in amusement. “Well then, what can I say, Lord Subaru, but that I am deeply in your debt. Thank you, Lor-” He paused. “Thank you, Subaru,” He finished with a smile.

One of the reasons that the trip out to wherever Emilia lived took so long was because the earth dragons needed to be rested every two hours. Luckily, Reinhard had thought ahead and packed them sandwiches and some wine. During one rest stop near a bubbling river, Reinhard was providing directions to a group of traveling merchants who appeared to be lost.

Subaru had nothing to add to the conversation so he wandered over to the river.

Let’s play with that ability some more: Indomitable. What exactly does it do? It seemed to stop Elsa from slicing me in half, or at least it did while it was still on but how does it work?

Subaru tried to activate it and felt the same old tingle that ended in a spasm of horrible pain.

OK, that does not feel good! Subaru gasped as he doubled over clutching his chest. So how does this work? A short period of undefined magical power and then searing pain? That’s not very useful.

Subaru kept experimenting until he discovered that he could only sustain Indomitable for about five seconds. Any longer than that produced terrible convulsions in his heart. With a little more practice he started to sense when it was ready to be triggered. Essentially it was 5 seconds on and then a thirty second recharge before he could use it again.

OK, cool. So now that I understand that, what does this ability actually do?

Subaru remember how Elsa’s blades had failed to even scratch him. He reached down to the ground and picked up a sharp rock. He triggered Indomitable then smashed the rock into his head as hard as he could.

The rock broke into pieces and Subaru didn’t feel a thing.

Then Subaru sighed. Nice work, Subaru. Once again you demonstrate the ‘act first, think later’ kind of behavior that always makes you such a delight. Take a brief moment and imagine how much pain you would be in if you had guessed wrong about how that magic worked.

Subaru shook his head in bemusement.

So I guess this trick make me invulnerable, or nearly so, but only for five seconds? That’s pretty neat. I mean, it’s a really short window but it could be really powerful if I use it right. The thirty second cooldown is going to suck though.

I wonder if Indomitable makes me any stronger? I mean if I’m much more durable, does that mean that my hitting something would cause more damage? Does that make sense? Man, I wish I stayed awake in physics.

Subaru knelt down on a large boulder growing out of the earth that he and Reinhard had eaten their sandwiches on. He triggered Indomitable and then drove his fist into the stone as hard as he could. The top part of the boulder shattered into pieces.

“Huh. That’s pretty cool,” Subaru said, brushing the gravel off his clothes.

“Subaru,” Reinhard called in a wary voice as he wandered over. “The carriage is set to depart if you’re ready.”

“Awesome,” Subaru said, standing up.

Reinhard was looking at the shattered boulder with wide eyes. “Subaru, how did you do this?”

Subaru scratched his chin. “Well, I was fooling around and it just kind of happened,” Subaru shrugged. “My father always told me I had one hell of a left hook.”

Back in the carriage, Subaru was staring out the window watching the scenery drift by. Reinhard found himself trying to stare at Subaru while not being obvious about it. Subaru hadn’t realized that Reinhard had finished giving the travelers directions and had come looking for him in time to watch Subaru play with his magic.

He shattered that boulder with his bare hand. That boulder was enormous. I certainly could have shattered it but I doubt Julius or Felix could have. So… what? That puts Subaru’s power level somewhere between myself and Julius?

No it doesn’t mean that at all. It means that he’s more powerful than Julius and that’s it. He might be far weaker than me. On the other hand, could he be as strong as me? Could he even be stronger?

“Red?” Subaru asked, looking out the window.

“Yes?”

“You’ve been staring at me for the past seven miles. Something on your mind?”

Reinhard flushed and didn’t answer.

Subaru shrugged. “If you want to say something, say it. I’m not going to bite your head off.”

Reinhard was silent for a moment. Should I simply ask him about his intentions and powers? Would that serve to tip my hand? I am not well equipped to play these types of mind games.

“Lord Subaru,” Reinhard began.

“Lord?” Subaru echoed, turning away from the window to give Reinhard his full attention. “Oh man. You really don’t think I’m going to like what you’re about to tell me, do you?”

Reinhard clenched his jaw for a moment. “Subaru, where did your magic come from?”

Subaru shrugged. “Search me, I didn’t have any back home. I came to this world and presto: special abilities.”

He’s telling the truth, Reinhard thought using his Blessing. Whatever strange powers he possesses they only manifested here. Could they be a gift of this world? And if so, why would the world grant him something monstrous like that dark pool of unfathomable potential? And why him? “What are these abilities?”

Subaru shifted a bit uncomfortably. “I’m still trying to figure that out. They seem a little weird. A little unpredictable.”

Evasive but not technically a lie, Reinhard thought.

“Hey, is that a village?” Subaru asked.

Reinhard glanced out of the carriage. “Arlem,” Reinhard replied. “It’s the closest village to Lord Roswaal’s manor. We’re just a stone’s throw away.”

“Do you think we could stop there for a few minutes?”

“We certainly could but why?” Reinhard asked.

Subaru shrugged. “I’d just like to see what the people are like out in the country.”

They stopped for more than a few minutes. Subaru and Reinhard had spent more than an hour in the village. Reinhard had been fawned over by the village chief and Subaru spent most of his time being swarmed by the village children, especially the two girls. The boys had been fascinated by the legendary Sword Saint and asked over and over again if he could show them his Dragon Sword. He regretfully informed them that the sword could only be drawn against worthy foes and thus he couldn’t show it to them.

You’d think that Reinhard distracting all the boys would have made Subaru’s life easier but this simply made Petra and Meili redouble their efforts to chase him down and climb all over him.

None of the villagers showed much interest in who Subaru was and Subaru didn’t volunteer anything. In fact the Village Chief was fairly dismissive toward Subaru, clearly taking him as some kind of misbehaved servant, a conclusion Subaru received with good grace and obvious amusement. This disrespect annoyed Reinhard but if Subaru didn’t object, his knight had no right to.

Thus it was mid afternoon before they arrived at Lord Roswaal’s manor.

“Why don’t I let you do the talking?” Subaru said with a smile as they climbed out of the carriage. “I’d really rather not be executed for unintentional rudeness today.”

Reinhard wasn’t sure which part of that statement he should correct first but a greeter interrupted him before he could respond.

“Welcome to Lord Roswaal’s manor, Sir Reinhard,” A maid with pink hair said with a formal bow. “We are honored by your presence. Regretfully, Lord Roswaal has gone upon an excursion to assist a village located to the north and will not return before supper. We invite you to await his return inside.”

“We are most grateful,” Reinhard said with a formal bow. Reinhard noticed out of the corner of his eye that Subaru was copying him. There’s no reason for a Lord to bow before a maid, Reinhard thought. I’ll need to give Subaru some instruction in basic courtesies before the public announcement of the selection.

“Subaru!” A voice called.

Emilia came running down to the carriage with a big smile on her face. She flung her arms around him and caught him in a hug. “You’re OK!” She exclaimed.

Emilia’s eyes suddenly grew very wide and she quickly pulled away from Subaru to his obvious disappointment. “Forgive me, that was very rude,” Emilia said calmly with a formal bow.

Subaru’s smile never flickered. “I don’t consider hugs rude. Do you, Sir Reinhard?”

“No, not at all,” Reinhard agreed with amusement.

“Ah, so this is the man I’ve heard so much about,” The pink haired maid said in a bored tone. “The brave hero who thought he could block a sword strike with his own organs.”

Reinhard frowned at the maid. This kind of disrespectful commentary was close to crossing a line.

Subaru just shrugged. “I worked with what I had. I really wanted her to hit me in my head, my father always told me it was terribly hard and nothing could get through it, but she didn’t go for that.”

“Ram, stop it,” Emilia said. “Subaru saved my life. He was very brave.”

“Yes, miss,” Ram said without a note of contrition.

Ram turned around and walked back up the stairs to the house. “Please, come this way,” She said, not bothering to look back and see if anyone was following her.

“Hello there, Subaru!” Puck said, popping into existence as they entered the house.

To Subaru’s surprise, Puck seemed genuinely happy to see him and even floated down into his hands so that Subaru could pet him.

“Hello there yourself, Puck!” Subaru said, stroking the magic cat’s fur. “How have you been?”

“Oh, fine,” Puck said, closing his eyes and enjoying the stroking. “Subaru, I’m really grateful for what you did for Lia. For a second, I was afraid she might get hurt. I owe you big time. I’m actually glad I didn’t kill you.”

Uh. How does one respond to that comment?

“Me too,” Subaru said lamely.

“Hm. What are you doing touching Betty’s Bubby, I suppose?” A tiny blond girl in an elaborate pink and white gothic-lolita costume demanded.

“Bubby?” Subaru asked in confusion.

“She means me, Subaru,” Puck said calmly. “This is my sister Beatrice.”

Subaru frowned. Puck is a magical talking cat. His daughter is a half-elf and his sister is a… Whatever she is. I really want to get a look at this family tree!

“Oh, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” Subaru said, extending his hand to the girl with a smile. “Any friend of Puck and Emilia is a friend of mine.”

Beatrice flushed a bit but folded her arms across her chest. “It is now Betty’s time with Bubby so you need to get your hands off, I suppose,” She huffed.

Subaru glanced at Emilia to see how she felt about this but there was no sign she was affected by Beatrice’s demands. In fact, aside from Subaru and Reinhard, no one seemed to find this unusual at all.

“Of course, I’d hate to come between siblings,” Subaru said awkwardly as he gently handed Puck to Beatrice.

“Hello, Bubby!” Beatrice cooed, becoming a completely different person and scampering off cradling the magical cat. She ran into a nearby room, not bothering to shut the door.

Subaru walked over to the room and peaked inside. The room was full of books from floor to ceiling and had a small futon that Beatrice lay on while cradling and caressing Puck.

This is kind of surreal.

“Nice place you’ve got here,” Subaru commented, looking around from just outside the library.

Beatrice stopped fawning over Puck and immediately got a sour look on her face. “What are you doing in here, I suppose? You are not invited into Betty’s library.”

“Well, Betty, if you don’t close the door you can’t really complain about people walking in. I’m just saying,” Subaru replied.

Beatrice fumed. “You are not welcome in Beatrice’s library, in fact!”

Beatrice waved her hand and a force like a great gust of wind pushed Subaru out of the library and slammed the door in his face.

What’s with this kid? What did I do to deserve that?

Subaru walked right back to the door and flung it wide.

“Hey! What’s the big-” Subaru began.

The room inside was an ordinary storage closet.

Subaru rubbed his head wondering if he was going crazy.

“Beatrice is a Great Spirit like Puck, Subaru,” Emilia explained from just behind him. “She can make her library appear inside any of the doors in the manor. When she changes her location no one can find her again until she wants them to.”

“Can she now?” Subaru said with a smirk. He had an idea.

Subaru triggered Reason and Judgment.

The world froze around him and Subaru quickly scanned all the doors in the hallway.

No one can find her, huh? Sounds like maybe you should test that theory, Subaru thought. They’ve never seen anything like you. This seems like a fine time to demonstrate your capabilities. It’s another chance to impress Emilia. Besides, it would be a shame for Ram and Reinhard to think you’re just some guy after all.

Most of the doors seemed completely normal but one door was being pressed against its door frame; a small change that would have been completely undetectable by the naked eye. It suggested that something inside was putting pressure on that door.

Subaru restarted time and smiled, marching over to that door.

Ram looked annoyed. “What are you-?”

“Hello!” Subaru shouted, flinging the door open wide.

“Wah!” Beatrice cried, leaping off the futon in shock.

“Wow, Subaru. It’s really impressive that you could find Betty’s library again so quickly,” Puck complimented.

“Thanks, Puck!” Subaru said, his good humor restored.

I feel awesome. I still have all the confidence from Reason and Judgment. It’s lasting a while this time. Wish I could bottle the stuff.

“How did you find Betty’s library in fact?” Beatrice demanded, staring at Subaru.

“Oh, probably just dumb luck,” Subaru dismissed, leaning casually against the door frame. “So Beako, can I call you Beako? Great. I feel like we got off on the wrong foot here. How about we try being friends?”

Beatrice gaped at him, completely at a loss for words. Then her face turned bright red and Subaru had a mental image of steam pouring out of the little girl’s ears. “Get out of my library!” She commanded, magically slamming the door shut in Subaru’s face with a sound like thunder.

Subaru shook his head as the magical confidence faded.

Subaru inspected the slammed door. He was left with the uncomfortable impression that if his hand had been just a little bit further into the door frame, that door slam might have amputated a few fingers. He wasn’t sure if Beatrice had moved her library again but Subaru thought that maybe he had tempted fate enough for one day.

Subaru looked behind him. Emilia and Reinhard looked shocked and even Ram seemed like she might be slightly impressed.

This made Subaru happy.

“So, shall we go?” Subaru asked.

“I really wanted to thank you, Subaru. You saved my life and recovered my insignia. I can’t thank you enough,” Emilia said as the two of them walked in the gardens.

Dinner wouldn’t be ready for some time so Ram had suggested that Emilia show Subaru around.

Reinhard was being ‘entertained’ by Ram.

“Oh, anything for you, Tella,” Subaru said, somewhere between amusement and annoyance.

Emilia flushed. “I’m… sorry about that,” She said.

Puck, appearing out of nowhere, said: “Honestly, I don’t know why you told him that in the first place, Lia.”

“Me neither! What was the point of giving me a fake name?” Subaru asked. “I’m very deeply offended. I demand a reintroduction.”

“You… what?” Emilia asked.

“I want to do it again,” Subaru said firmly. He extended his hand. “My name is Subaru Natsuki.”

Emilia looked at him in confusion then slowly took his hand. “My name is Emilia. Just Emilia.”

“Great! Now that we’ve been formally introduced, we can move on,” Subaru said with a smile.

Subaru resumed his walk more than a little amused by Emilia’s baffled expression.

“Subaru, you’re a good guy but you’re also really really weird,” Puck observed.

Subaru shushed him. “That’s supposed to be a secret,” He said with a wink.

Emilia laughed.

“So how did you get away from Beatrice?” Subaru asked Puck.

The cat shrugged in mid air. “I just told her that Lia needed a chaperon. She was in a pretty bad mood after you located her library in seconds anyway.”

“Hm. Maybe I should have thought it through a little more before I pulled that stunt,” Subaru mused.

He turned back to Emilia. “So Reinhard tells me you’re trying to become the ruler of the country. I had no idea that I was spending the day running around town with a princess,” Subaru said.

Emilia flushed and shook her head. “I’m not a princess. I grew up in the Elior forest. I only left the forest this year when Lord Roswaal found me and discovered that I was qualified to stand for election.”

“So what, you woke up one morning and decided you wanted your own country?” Subaru asked with a chuckle. He debated telling her about his own insignia, then decided against it.

There’s no point in my bringing the insignia up. I have absolutely no chance of being elected so there’s no point in even taking it seriously. Telling Emilia about the insignia would simply make her wonder if we have to be enemies for no good reason.

Emilia walked in silence for a moment.

Subaru glanced at Emilia who wore a very somber look. Puck floated wordlessly behind Emilia looking concerned.

Subaru decided to change the subject. “Do you have a lot of friends and family in the forest?”

If anything, this question made Emilia looked even glummer and she shook her head. “No. That’s why I need to become King,” She said in a quiet voice.

“To make friends?” Subaru asked in confusion.

Emilia just walked on in silence.

The moment dragged on for some time. “So… why do you want to become King?” Subaru asked.

Emilia hesitated before replying. “It’s really very selfish,” She said with a shake of her head.

“I bet I can handle it,” Subaru replied. “I can be pretty selfish at times myself.”

Subaru noticed Puck out of the corner of his eye. The flying cat had his paws folded across his chest and he was looking at Subaru with a sour expression. Puck might have forgiven him for his lustful, possessive fantasies toward Emilia the other day but the magic cat clearly hadn’t forgotten them.

Emilia stopped walking and seemed to mull it over for a moment. Finally she answered: “My people are cursed,” She said in a whisper.

“What?”

“The elves of the forest were caught in some kind of…disaster. I was the only survivor,” Emilia explained.

Subaru frowned and noticed that Puck seemed to be looking away awkwardly.

“The elves are all frozen solid, living statues in the forest. I need to become King so that I can acquire the sacred Dragon’s Blood. Roswaal assures me that it can heal them but only the King has access to it.”

“That’s awful!” Subaru exclaimed.

Emilia nodded sadly. “I took care of their statues for years. Tending to them day after day. I’d do anything to free them. So you see, I’m really only doing this to get the blood. I sometimes feel like I should be disqualified from the selection for being selfish alone.”

Subaru nodded, slowly thinking the matter through carefully.

“Um, Emilia? Where does the selfish part in this story come in?” Subaru asked.

Emilia blinked. “I just told you-”

“You told me that you want to save a large group of people, most of these people, I can assume, are not you. How is that selfish?” Subaru asked.

Emilia flushed. “They’re my people! They’re my family,” She retorted angrily.

“And that makes you selfish?” Subaru asked skeptically. “If I did something nice for my mother, am I just being greedy because the person I’m making happy is someone I know? How far does that go? Does that theory of selfish behavior apply to my entire species or just my immediate family?” Subaru squinted at the sky as if deep in thought. “Let’s take Felt the other day. Now, I gave her a bag of gold coins so she and Rom could get out of the slums. At the time I thought I was just being nice but maybe I’m actually being selfish. I mean, Felt is a member of my race, or I assume she is at least; those red eyes of hers are kind of freaky but she looks human. So maybe instead of being nice to Felt I was actually just trying to benefit a member of my own race: you know, make sure humans stay on top and keep the elves down!”

Emilia looked hopelessly confused by Subaru’s impromptu speech.

“Oh, wait! It’s even worse than that!” Subaru exclaimed in mock horror. “I also consider Felt a person who could be a friend! So not only am I trying to help a member of my own race but it’s someone I feel a connection to! I’m a monster!” He gasped.

Emilia’s mouth was moving but no sound came out. Puck just looked flabbergasted.

“Emilia!” Subaru said desperately, throwing himself at her feet and grabbing her hands. “It’s hopeless. I can’t control my selfishness. Please, lock me up in some dark hole someplace before I try to help again!”

The garden was dead silent except for a bird calling.

“Subaru, you dummy!” Emilia said, her face was bright red and she was clearly annoyed. She threw off his hands and pushed him away. “Get up! What are you doing?!”

Subaru smoothly got to his feet. “I was just giving you some perspective on how dumb your little ‘I’m really very selfish’ speech actually was. It sounds really stupid, right?” He said casually.

Emilia shook her head violently. “Subaru! It’s not the same thing at all! I’m…,” Emilia trailed off and turned away.

Subaru scratched his chin for a moment then smirked.

“Emilia, you told me I saved your life the other day. It seems to me like you owe me an enormous debt,” Subaru mused.

Emilia turned to look at him and shifted uncomfortably. Puck’s gaze was cold on Subaru. “Yes, that’s true,” She admitted. “I owe you everything.”

“Then it seems only fair that you do something for me,” Subaru replied.

Emilia considered that and then drew herself up straight. “Yes. I’ll do whatever you want, Subaru,” Emilia agreed firmly.

Subaru sensed that a nearby magical talking cat was thinking seriously about ending his life right now.

“I have an important mission that means a lot to me and I want your help carrying it out,” Subaru said.

Emilia’s face set in determination. “Of course. I’ll help you in whatever way I can,” She agreed.

“Great. So apparently there are a group of elves suffering under a terrible curse. They’ve been frozen solid,” Subaru explained.

Emilia blinked.

“I’m determined to find a way to save them, come hell or high water, and you are going to help me do it,” He said firmly.

Emilia’s face was rapidly shifting from baffled to annoyed.

“I don’t really have any solid plans right now, but someone I trust told me that maybe Dragon blood would-”

“Subaru!” Emilia exploded. “What are you talking about, you dummy?!”

“I want to cure the elves in the Elior forest. I thought I was being pretty clear about that,” He answered.

“Why are you asking me to help you cure my people?!”

“Ah,” Subaru said, raising a finger like a professor about to make a point. “But according to your rules, if I’m trying to save your people, whom I’ve never met by the way, I am not being selfish. And if you are doing it because I’m forcing you to repay a debt to me, then you’re not being selfish either. Important distinction.”

Emilia just stared at him.

Subaru sensed that the time for kidding around was over and he stepped closer to her. “We are going to cure them. I promise. Whatever the road, wherever it takes us. We will find a way. I’ll help you save your people or I’ll die trying,” Subaru said seriously, extending his hand.

Huh. It’s weird but I really mean what I’m saying. I genuinely want to help her. Not just because it might make Emilia like me better, I want to do it because it might make me like me better. I want to do things. I want to help. The truth is I always hated the loser I was back home; the joke that nobody expected anything from. I was terrified of the world, unwilling to try to do anything and completely dependent on my parents. I have a chance to reinvent myself here and I don’t want to screw it up. I may not be a hero but I can at least be someone that other people can respect.

Emilia stared at Subaru’s hand as if she had no idea what it was. Her eyes appeared very watery. “Subaru, why?”

“Why, what?” He shrugged.

“Why are you trying to help my people?” She murmured.

Subaru flushed a little. He didn’t want to get into detail about his motivations, so he sidestepped. “I’m not trying to help your people,” He said with a smile. “I’m trying to help you. See, Emilia, unlike you I am very very selfish. And I simply can’t stand to see the people I care about cry. And I bet that if I heal your people, you’re going to want to smile a lot. Therefore, I want to be there to see your smiles. Make sense?”

Emilia laughed and her tears started to fall.

Subaru started to hug her then thought better of it and just stood next to her and held her hands in his own until she stopped laughing and crying. Then the two resumed their walk through the garden.

Puck sighed from behind them. “Really, Subaru? You couldn’t just say ‘I want to help you?’ You had to go through that ridiculous practical joke first?”

Subaru laughed.

“So, Subaru, where do you come from?” Emilia asked.

Subaru hid a smirk. “Oh, I come from another world,” He said casually.

There was a momentary silence.

“Wait. What?!” Puck and Emilia said together.

“Sooo it is simply wonderful to meet you, young Subaru,” Lord Roswaal intoned over a cup of tea. “I am most relieved by your recovery.”

Subaru, who sat at the table between Reinhard and Emilia, was struggling to keep the incredulous look off his face. Why would a lord dress like a cross between a clown and a reject from Alice in Wonderland. The only reason Subaru hadn’t taken him as the court jester was because Reinhard had deliberately interrupted Subaru and referred to him as Lord Roswaal in order to warn him.

Puck had gone off in the arms of Beatrice again.

Ram and a blue haired girl, who looked so much like her that they could only be twins, stood attentively nearby.

“We are all sooo grateful for everything you did for Lady Emilia,” Roswaal continued. “You managed to saaave her insignia and her life as well. You are truly a hero, young Subaru.”

“Oh, no big deal, I just wanted to help,” Subaru said awkwardly. Emilia was smiling at him and he couldn’t quite stop blushing.

“And now I discover that yooou yourself are a candidate for the throne,” Roswaal continued.

“Really?” Emilia gasped.

Subaru flushed. “Oh. Did I forget to mention that?”

Emilia just stared at him in shock.

Subaru laughed awkwardly. “Well, I’m not really taking it all that seriously. I don’t know anything about ruling a country,” Subaru shrugged. “I’ve probably just been nominated to give the nobility a good laugh.”

Emilia looked almost stricken. “Does this mean that we’re rivals now?” She asked sadly.

“Nah. I promised to help you, remember? I’m sure we can form an alliance or something.”

“Oooh don’t worry about your rivalry. That will mooost unfortunately not be a problem,” Roswaal interjected.

Subaru blinked. “Um, why would it be unfortunate that we won’t be rivals?”

“Because I’m afraid that the Lady Emilia’s candidacy has come into sharp question. She allowed her insignia to be handled by someone outside of her own faction. This is grounds for disqualification. By magical means the insignias announce to the Sages’ Council when they have been handled by anyone other than their designated owner. They will certainly be sending someone to investigate and confiscate the insignia shortly.”

Emilia’s face twisted in horror and she looked on the brink of tears.

“Wait, you mean Felt?” Subaru asked. “Well, why don’t you just… announce that you had recruited her to your faction before she touched the insignia,” Subaru gave Emilia a meaningful glance as he tried to avoid saying anything that would suggest he was making this up. “I’m sure Felt… was amendable.”

“I had actually considered that but I’m afraid it wooould be futile,” Roswaal replied. “Unfortunately, the Sages’ Council is also aware that you touched the insignia and as someone who holds an insignia, you can not be recruited to another faction.”

“Nor,” Roswaal continued as Subaru opened his mouth to speak, “Are you permitted to give up your own insignia until the selection is announced publicly. I’m afraid there is nothing to be done.”

“We just talked about forming an alliance-” Subaru said.

“I’m afraid that no mere alliance will solve this matter,” Roswaal continued. “Even under an alliance your interests still remain separate and adverse. You can not unify your camps by a mere alliance.”

Emilia was crying silently but she also gave Subaru a weak smile. “Thank you for trying, Subaru,” She whispered.

Subaru triggered Reason and Judgment and the scene around him froze.

Hmm. You know, you’re far more intelligent in the frozen moment than in the normal world, Subaru mused to himself. You ought to come in here more often. Insolvable problems outside resolve to almost ludicrously simple solutions inside. Best of all the perfect strategy for this situation advances both Emilia’s objectives and your own. The conflict of interest might almost be guilt inducing if it were not the perfect solution to serve all needs.

Subaru restarted time and his enhanced confidence rapidly faded away.

Subaru immediately began to doubt his plan.

This is a crazy idea. This is both stupid and crazy. It probably won’t even work and Emilia might slap you in the face for even suggesting it, but-

Subaru drummed his fingers on the table. “Emilia,” He began slowly. “Do you remember when you told me you’d do anything to cure your people?”

Emilia nodded through a sniffle.

“Emilia,” Subaru began, speaking with an exaggerated care. He took her hand under the table. “I know that we didn’t plan to announce the agreement we made the other day so soon, but I think that may be our only option at this point.”

Emilia cocked her head. “What agree- ow!”

Subaru squeezed her hand, hard.

Emilia looked at him in confusion.

“I know that this isn’t the way we planned to announce it,” Subaru said, looking Emilia in the eye and emphasizing every word. “But I think that telling them now is the only way to keep you in the selection.”

Emilia’s eyes widened and then flickered around the room.

Emilia slowly nodded. “If you truly believe that is for the best,” She said slowly.

Oh God, this woman lies like she’s reading off a TelePrompter. She wants to be a politician? The nation is doomed.

Reinhard looked at Subaru closely, clearly wanting to help but having no idea what was going on. Roswaal sipped his tea, looking bored.

“I think it might be best if we made our agreement again, which we made the other day, in front of witnesses this time. It should avoid any potential confusion.”

“OK,” Emilia replied, looking lost.

Subaru took a deep breath. “Lady Emilia, will you marry me?”