Subaru tilted his head as Mimi flapped both hands around in a big show of excitement.
A party invitation, and from Anastasia of all people — that was quite the glamorous announcement.
"A party invitation… from Anastasia? That's, uh, quite sudden. Did something good happen or something?"
"Something good? Something good? I dunno! But whatever, it's fine, right? Eating yummy food, drinking booze, and having a blast — sounds so fun! Super fun!"
"Drinking booze? You're clearly not old enough for that."
"Heheh. Mimi's all grown up now after this whole year! Danchou says it's fine, so I'm having some! The lady says no, though."
Mimi puffed out her chest proudly while shaking her hair ornament — the one with bells attached. At her answer, Subaru's eyes went wide.
"Fine to drink? Wait, you're an adult now!? No way, how old are you?"
"I turned fifteen the other day! So Mimi's all grown up. A grown-up woman!"
"A grown-up woman wouldn't bounce around like an elementary schooler! Still, though…"
Subaru calmed himself slightly and let out a breath, finally internalizing that adulthood worked differently in this world than in his own. Essentially, it was the same as a coming-of-age ceremony.
In this world, fifteen was the age of adulthood, when alcohol and tobacco were permitted.
"Is my understanding about right, Petra?"
"Mm, that's right. To go into a bit more detail, boys leave home at fifteen and start working, and girls get married young — sometimes around that age. Or even if they don't get married, they go out to work somewhere. Like me right now, for instance."
"So you left home pretty early, Petra. You precocious little thing."
"Hehe, I'm precocious… That doesn't really sound like a compliment."
Subaru wilted under Petra's sharp glare and shuffled over to where
"Betty is exhausted from tagging along with Subaru's training and being tossed around by that cat girl… Subaru, carry me."
"Tagging along? You were just watching…"
Subaru lobbed back a tactless retort but still scooped up Beatrice, who held out both arms. He'd been training, so the featherweight load was no trouble.
The picture he cut was a bit too much like a single father, though.
"Ooh, the tiny one's getting carried! Lucky! Mimi too! Mimi too!"
"Your leader maybe, but physically there's no way. Denied, denied."
"Ehhh, that's mean! That's mean! That's a foul! A foul!"
Mimi scurried around Subaru in circles. For some reason, Beatrice looked triumphant, as if wanting to say "Hmph."
Eventually, Mimi grabbed the hem of Subaru's tracksuit.
"Fine then! Mimi will climb up on her own!"
"Don't be stupid! Stop, you'll tip me over! Petra, help me out — what are you doing?"
"Ah, well, it's not like I'm feeling envious or anything. But would it be all right if I climbed up on you too, Sir Subaru?"
"No, it would not!?"
Carrying one little girl while being clung to by a cat girl and a young maid — Subaru stood there as the lot of them chattered away without the conversation going anywhere, making a racket in the entrance hall.
Then — "…Wondering why you haven't come back, and here you all are fooling around in the entrance hall."
A voice frozen with emotion rang out, and Subaru and Petra both straightened their spines in unison.
Mimi, on the other hand, lit up with curiosity at the new voice, while Beatrice let out a sigh.
The voice came from the top of the grand staircase overlooking the entrance hall. Subaru turned his gaze upward and saw a young woman standing there, looking down at the four of them squabbling below.
She had pink hair and wore a shortened, modified maid uniform. Her pale rose eyes held an icy detachment, and despite having adorable features, not a trace of cuteness emanated from her.
She was Petra's colleague and the head maid of the mansion —
Ram regarded them with frigid eyes, gave a derisive snort, and said: "Disgusting."
"You're the one whose mind went there with this group and this composition! Whether it's wholesome is up for debate, but there's nothing here but heartwarming!"
"That's how you always twist facts to suit yourself. But, Barusu, you'd do well to remember — Ram's assessment is determined solely by what Ram's eyes see."
"Maybe you could start by removing whatever filter makes it look weird to you."
Ram averted her eyes, clearly uninterested, which meant she had no intention of listening. Ignoring the indignant Subaru, Ram turned her gaze on Petra.
Petra's small shoulders jerked violently.
"Petra. I told you to bring Barusu by the scruff of his neck if you had to, because we have a guest waiting. So why are you out here making a racket in the entrance hall?"
"I-I'm sorry, Ram-nee-sama."
"I don't think you heard me, Petra. Ram is asking why she was playing around."
"Don't talk to her like some demon mother-in-law. It was my fault. Petra didn't do anything wrong."
"She certainly did. I'll smack you, Barusu."
"She did, like, almost nothing wrong!"
Having extracted what seemed like the bare minimum concession, Ram gave a slight jerk of her chin toward the rooms beyond.
"We can't keep
"Naturally."
"What about Mimi? Hey, big sis, what about Mimi?"
Petra reluctantly released her grip on Subaru's hem, but the other energetic kitten's hand was still firmly clamped onto him.
At Mimi's question, Ram brushed a strand of hair from her cheek with one finger.
"Our guest will accompany Barusu and the others to the drawing room as well. Your companion seemed rather uneasy without you present."
"Ohhh, gotcha! Then I gotta go back, huh. Can't be helped!"
Ram was at least polite toward guests. Mimi giggled at this, but Subaru caught something in those words he couldn't let slide.
"You said 'companion,' didn't you? But weren't you saying earlier you came alone or something?"
"I did, and it wasn't a lie! Heitaa and Tivey and Danchou and Julius aren't with me, really. But Joshua is! Mimi came with Joshua's goei… goe-护卫?"
"Escort?"
"Yeah, goei!"
Mimi struck a proud pose. Subaru ruffled her hair, then turned back toward Ram on the upper floor.
"Sorry about that. I thought it was just Mimi — didn't realize we were keeping someone waiting."
"So it seems. Well then, hurry along. Emilia-sama is about to lose her patience."
"That's scary. Petra, see you later then. Let's go, Mimi."
"Heeey!"
Joshua — that name didn't ring a bell. Must be someone from Anastasia's camp that Subaru didn't know. If they'd gone to the trouble of sending Mimi with an escort, the person had to hold some kind of standing.
But the fact that Mimi called him by his first name was no indicator of importance — that was just how Mimi treated everyone, for better or worse.
"I'll bake you a tart once things settle down, so come taste it, Sir Subaru," Petra whispered as they parted, then darted off at a trot.
Frederica was probably waiting in the dining hall. Whether she'd end up serving in the drawing room or not, Petra's tarts were likely going to be a long way off.
"Who's in the drawing room besides Emilia-tan?"
"Roswaal hasn't returned yet, so it's just Otto and Garf. If the visitor turns out to be an assassin, Garf alone would more than handle it."
"I'm not worried about anything that direct. I already told Emilia-tan to use Otto as a human shield if things go south."
"Ram will also start doing that from now on, should she feel her life is in danger."
Poor Otto — his treatment really was something else. Subaru could hardly say otherwise, though.
In any case, if it was those three handling things, Otto was probably doing his earnest best to keep things together. Subaru needed to get in there and lighten the load — he couldn't afford to lose one of their rare competent administrators.
"He's such an unappreciated guy. I wonder why he's friends with you."
"Otto and I are bound by a man's bond so tight outsiders can't even see it. Rock solid."
"Ooh! Rock solid!"
Beatrice's lament drew reactions from Subaru and Mimi. Led by Ram's exasperated sigh, they arrived at the drawing room — the first room off the main corridor after ascending the grand staircase into the mansion proper.
Ram knocked on the door, and it was pulled open from inside. The face that greeted them — "Ooh, the big guy finally showed up! Was about to come drag you back, thinkin' you were takin' too long."
"You just wanted an excuse to come looking for me, leaving only Otto in there. That'd be something, huh."
"Ah, yeah, that'd be somethin'. Imaginin' Otto-bro's panickin' face right now — ha!"
The one flashing a mischievous grin at Subaru was Garfiel — the boy with short blond hair, sharp canines, and a white scar across his forehead.
Arms crossed, leaning against the doorframe, Garfiel jerked his chin inward.
"Go on in. Our guest's sayin' she can't get anywhere with the big guy not around. Otto-bro and Emilia-sama are welcomin' her, but it just looks like a comedy routine."
"That does sound like something I'd want to watch for a while."
"Quit yappin' and get in already. We've got people waiting," Ram said.
"Guah!"
A sharp kick to the middle of his back sent Subaru stumbling into the room. He entered in an awkward lurch, and multiple gazes from inside the drawing room pierced through him.
The emotions floating in each of them: relief, exasperation, and suspicion.
Suppressing the urge to first offer excuses to the relieved and exasperated ones, Subaru turned toward the source of the suspicion.
"————"
The person meeting his gaze was a refined, slender-faced young man.
His thin frame was dressed in a well-tailored formal coat. Lightly pigmented purple hair was grown long and gathered at the nape of his neck. A scholar-like air was accented by a distinctive monocle.
His yellow eyes were of the upturned type, and the expression with which he peered at this new face — lips pressed together — could come across as displeased.
The first impression, between the two of them, was not an especially good one.
"This one is…?"
After a stretch of mutual staring, it was the visiting young man who spoke first.
His gaze shifted from Subaru to the two seated across from him — Emilia in particular. The beautiful girl with silver hair cascading behind her nodded in response to his question.
"Yes. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. — This is
Hearing Subaru introduced this way by the girl standing before him sent a jolt of emotion straight through his spine.
The reason was simple: the words "my knight" were a spell he could never tire of hearing, no matter how many times.
"…For some reason, you seem to be making a rather ecstatic face…"
"Subaru. Stop making that weird face. They'll think poorly of you… Huh? Wait, that's too tight. Your arms — you're squishing me, Su-Baru! Does it hurt!? Does it hurt!?"
"— Hah! Ah, sorry. I kinda zoned out."
In his effort to cover up the feelings surging inside his chest, he'd nearly strangled Beatrice to death. The Beako Hug — abbreviated: Beahug. So that's what it meant.
Anyway, facing the guest's bewildered stare, Subaru cleared his throat, set down the wincing Beatrice beside him, and spoke: "My name is Natsuki Subaru. I have the honor of serving as a knight to Emilia-sama, who is present here. I look forward to your favorable regard."
"————"
His outfit — a tracksuit — was hardly fitting, but his bearing was that of a knight performing a flawless formal bow.
He used to view the stiff posturing of chivalric types with a sideways glance, but doing it himself was surprisingly… absorbing.
It wasn't about whether it suited him. It was the sensation of drawing himself closer to what a knight truly was.
There was meaning in taking this feverish delusion — the kind that would earn a scoff and a laugh from anyone — with dead seriousness.
And so, under the instruction of Garfiel — whose knowledge on the subject was worthy of the title "knight freak" — Subaru's etiquette had reached a standard that no single knight would find embarrassing.
A quick glance toward the door showed Garfiel looking satisfied as well.
Noticing Subaru's sidelong look, Garfiel raised his middle finger in response. Subaru had taught him that gesture, though its intended context was quite different. As an instructor, Garfiel passed; as a student, he failed.
"Thank you very much for your courtesy. I — my name is Joshua Euclius, and I have come as a messenger for
"Is that so, Joshua? That's a lovely name. I must apologize for the delay. Let me make a proper — Euclius?"
Midway through offering polite pleasantries to the introduced young man — Joshua — Subaru caught a familiar-sounding word and couldn't shake it from his mind, furrowing his brow deeply.
"Yes, Subaru. Joshua here is apparently Julius's little brother. Siblings both serving Anastasia — isn't that just amazing?"
The previously somewhat dignified air about the young woman evaporated in an instant, replaced by a colloquial remark and a grin.
Of course, this was her true face. Subaru let out a small sigh, then — fully aware of how rude it was — studied Joshua's face intently before seating himself in the chair across from him.
Naturally, right beside the young woman — Emilia.
"So you're Julius's brother, huh. Now that you mention it, the resemblance is there. The sharp eyes — sorry, not trying to be mean. The sardonic… I mean, refined mouth. And the hair color — not demonic, but strikingly beautiful."
"If you're going to strain yourself that much with every comment, perhaps you'd do better to hold them in?"
Stepping in to smooth over Subaru's increasingly problematic remarks, wiping visible sweat from his brow, was the gray-haired young man — Otto.
He was Emilia camp's chief administrator, or rather, the title existed precisely because there was no one else who could fill that role. As a mediator, Otto had been sweating bullets.
"You've lost some weight, haven't you?"
"Life here is simply too stimulating! Especially when scenes like this keep piling up — the mental exhaustion makes me wither away without even exercising! Wither away!"
"Wither away! Wither away!"
Mimi chirped gleefully, inadvertently twisting the knife.
Otto wore the expression of someone who couldn't say a word to her — she was a guest's companion, after all. Mimi paid him no mind, scampering on short legs to plop down beside Joshua.
And Beatrice, set down by Subaru, eyed the drawing-room seats. The row for welcoming Joshua was already full with Subaru, Emilia, and Otto. Squeezing in was possible but would look awkward, so Beatrice sat herself on Subaru's lap without a moment's hesitation.
Subaru, in turn, instinctively wrapped an arm around Beatrice's middle to keep her from falling.
"Well then, let's get to the main business that's been delayed—"
"W-Wait a moment! Who is that girl over there?"
It was Joshua who panicked at the abrupt transition. He pointed at Beatrice on Subaru's lap, leaning forward so hard his monocle nearly slipped off. It seemed he didn't have Julius's composure.
Subaru actually found that more endearing. But before he could say anything, it was Mimi — seated beside Joshua — who opened her mouth.
"Good grief, Joshua, you're so slow! That's Beako, Subaru's kid. It's obvious, isn't it? Mama's next to him, and next to her is an Osandon?"
"Don't call me an Osandon! Especially not in front of someone whose own standing is uncertain!"
"Osandon! Osandon! Sounds like a magician's name — so cool!"
Mimi, innocent as could be, was immune to Otto's desperate protest.
As everyone collectively gave up on reacting to the dejected Otto, Subaru placed a hand on Beatrice's head.
"Sorry for the lack of introductions. This arrangement kind of became the default, so I was trying to roll with the conversation without making it awkward."
"I forgot to point it out too, huh. Even I was caught off guard."
"Doesn't sound like something to be 'caught off guard' about…"
Emilia's usual brand of speech, but Subaru couldn't disagree with the substance. If even Otto had forgotten to make the obvious remark, it meant this scene had truly become routine. A rather luxurious problem, all things considered.
"This is Beatrice. Like Mimi said, she's Emilia's and my child."
"Whaaat!?"
Joshua looked stunned.
"Oh come on, Subaru, you're startling Joshua. Sure, I kissed Subaru, but you can't make a baby just from kissing. I studied up on this!"
"Ah, sorry, Emilia-tan. That was really, uh, candid — I feel like my private life just got aired out. My bad, let me introduce her properly."
"You keep using Beako as a distraction and that's what happens. Perhaps you should reflect on that."
Subaru offered an apologetic smile to Emilia's oblivious cheerfulness and Beatrice's displeased pout simultaneously.
Incidentally, Emilia's misunderstanding about where babies came from had only progressed as far as "you can't make a baby from a kiss." Subaru certainly couldn't push past that boundary, and the other women were apparently biding their time for Emilia to "mature a bit more mentally" before shattering her with the truth. Basically, everyone was overprotective.
"Um, so in actuality, what is Beatrice's relationship to you…?"
Joshua, monocle askew, was already looking shell-shocked by the
"I'm sorry for derailing the conversation so smoothly. Beatrice may look like nothing more than an adorable little girl, but she is actually my contracted spirit. She's a lolibaba."
"That's right, I'm a spirit. Also, that 'lolibaba' — I could sense the disrespect in that sound, you know?"
Beatrice swatted away the hand atop her head, then pushed up at Subaru's chin from below. Having become well-versed in the Subaru dialect through their time living together, she no longer let slip remarks like that go unchecked.
As for "lolibaba," it was simply a combination of the already-explained "baba" (old hag) with "loli" added in front, so being caught was par for the course.
From the outside, the exchange between Subaru and Beatrice looked heartwarming enough. But Joshua's reaction across from them was nothing short of dramatic.
He transformed his expression — previously that of a somewhat stiff but amiable young man — into something entirely cold.
"…I see. A spirit."
The emotion packed into that low murmur was immeasurable by anyone who caught it.
It wasn't that he was suppressing his feelings. Quite the opposite. There were too many tangled, complex waves of emotion jostling together — so many that it was impossible to tell which was the core one.
But everyone in the room understood that this was far from a favorable murmur.
"Hey there, guest. Got a problem with our big guy bein' partnered with a spirit?"
The role Subaru used to fill — casually insolent toward everyone — now belonged to Garfiel.
He charged headlong into the problem everyone else was struggling to address, without a shred of hesitation.
Joshua gave a short shake of his head at Garfiel's words.
"Nothing so serious. It's simply that Natsuki-dono is also a Spirit Knight, as I understand. You're no doubt aware, but my older brother is a Spirit Knight as well. In this kingdom, it's fair to call it an exceedingly rare title."
"Of course I know. I was, uh… in the battle against the
"You really hate admitting he helped you that much!?"
It wasn't exactly that. But recalling his cooperation with Julius, and the words that had slipped out, left a prickling sensation — not to mention the fresh ache of old wounds from getting demolished at the training grounds.
"I'd heard there were other knights who use spirits besides Betty and Subaru. To think that's your brother — what a curious coincidence, perhaps."
"Coincidence? What exactly do you mean by that, Spirit?"
"Isn't it obvious? It's predetermined that the predecessor will eventually be outshone by those who come after. At best, the glorious journey ahead of Subaru and Betty will serve as a mere ornament… nyo nyo!"
"Don't start a fight the moment you meet someone. And Julius and I are way apart in raw power. Competing in the same field is pointless — it's like challenging someone who's good at puzzles not with puzzles, but with Mario Kart. That's how we win."
Subaru scratched Beatrice's head, then bowed to Joshua — pressing Beatrice's head down along with his.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to badmouth your brother. In fact, I acknowledge that I'm the inferior one in terms of ability. She's just a bit prideful, this spirit of mine."
"That is a humble and correct judgment. Comparing oneself with one's older brother and recognizing one's shortcomings is only natural."
"Hm?"
Subaru had been trying to return to the conversation with a mature show of deference, but Joshua suddenly launched into something high-handed, and the mood turned ominous again.
Either unaware or uncaring of Subaru's furrowed brow, Joshua let his monocle gleam with a sharp light.
"My brother is a remarkable man. At the remarkably young age of twenty, he now holds the position of de facto second-in-command in the Royal Knights — the pride of the kingdom's knight order. He has temporarily stepped away from his Royal Knight duties to serve Anastasia-sama, but should Anastasia-sama achieve her aims, his seat as Captain of the Royal Knights would be all but assured. He shares a deep bond with Lord Reinhard, the current Sword Saint, and conducts himself flawlessly in both public and private life. Strict with himself and others, he never loses his drive to improve — a truly admirable spirit. And then there is his refined appearance, which captivates countless women, matched by a spiritual constitution no less impressive. Yes — my brother is a remarkable man. You, on the other hand, are simply not in the same conversation."
"…Uh, yeah."
Joshua delivered this torrent of praise with genuine fervor, his face flushed with excitement.
Subaru could only manage a single sound in response, and Beatrice on his lap was equally dumbstruck. Garfiel and Otto kept silent, unsure what might prove fatal if said. Mimi was far too busy stuffing her face with the offered tea and sweets to even listen, let alone offer support.
In that room, only one person could match Joshua's impassioned speech.
"Heh heh. Joshua, you really love your big brother Julius, don't you?"
The angel who basically received everything with positive interpretation was there.
Joshua, hearing those words and suddenly realizing what he'd just rambled about, flushed — not with excitement this time, but with embarrassment. He cleared his throat and struggled to compose himself.
"Y-You'll have to excuse me. I got a bit carried away. When it comes to family, I'm afraid I lose all self-restraint."
"No, it's fine. Actually, I'd love to hear more about Julius from you. I've only met him a few times in the
"R-Really!? Then, perhaps I could share a few memories of my brother and me—"
"Let's save that for another time! Right now we should get to the main topic! Right, don't you think, Otto!? Garfiel!?"
"Huh!?"
Subaru cut in forcefully, dragging the two into it. They responded with faces and voices that said "Don't drag us into this!" — but quickly nodded in agreement.
Joshua, finally recognizing that the conversation had strayed too far, composed himself.
"V-Very well. My brother's tale of glory can wait for another occasion. I… that is, I must conclude my errand and rendezvous with Anastasia-sama."
"Of course. I'm really looking forward to it. Now, about the main topic we've been putting off for so long… What did you wish to discuss?"
Emilia shifted smoothly from her natural demeanor into Royal Candidate mode while Joshua fought to maintain an air of composure, albeit awkwardly.
As her tone grew solemn, the atmosphere in the drawing room tightened in kind. That tautness of tension spoke to Emilia's emerging awareness of herself as a prospective ruler.
"As a messenger of Anastasia Hoshin-sama, I bring words from my lady Anastasia-sama to Emilia-sama."
Touched by the tension that seemed to ring off her skin, Joshua's expression recovered its original warmth. The young man reached into his coat and produced a single letter, placing it on the table.
He opened it, letting his gaze fall on the words written in black ink.
"Anastasia-sama extends an invitation for Emilia-sama and all associated parties to visit the city of Pristella."
"An invitation to the city of Pristella… Pristella — that's the water gate city, right? The major city near the border between the
"That is correct. Currently, Anastasia-sama is residing there rather than in the Royal Capital… She wishes to extend an invitation to Emilia-sama and her party."
Joshua bowed deeply in confirmation of Emilia's question.
Emilia shifted her gaze from Joshua and glanced sideways at Subaru, a clear unspoken question: "What do you think?"
Naturally, Subaru's impression of the proposal was much the same as hers. Anastasia was known to have a mansion in the Noble District of the Royal Capital for her stay in Lugunica. When Mimi had mentioned a party invitation, he'd naturally assumed they'd be invited there.
"Pristella is a scenic location, and thanks to the city's unique characteristics, it's well-known as a tourist destination. Anastasia-sama herself has remarked that simply visiting can soothe the heart."
"If you're just saying it's a nice place you want to show us, that's welcome enough on its own… but something doesn't add up, right? Emilia and Anastasia are friends at best."
Besides, in Subaru's memory, Anastasia had been the harshest toward Emilia during the Royal Castle proceedings. The candidates who'd given Emilia the coldest reception were Priscilla and Anastasia, without question.
Crusch wasn't one for personal prejudice, and
It followed, then, that he'd already sensed this invitation wouldn't come without strings attached.
As if to confirm Subaru's suspicion, a smile crept across Joshua's lips.
And then: "Anastasia-sama has offered this invitation out of the goodness of her heart. It seems she has seen a rare item that Emilia-sama has been searching for — in Pristella."
"Something I've been looking for?"
The moment Emilia leaned in eagerly, Otto's expression turned to one of "We've lost!" Subaru read this too — before they could intervene, the other side had seized control of the conversation.
But the core of the topic remained unclear, and that delay in judgment cost them completely.
Joshua, smile deepening, spoke: "In Pristella, in the possession of a magic ore merchant, there slumbers a colorless magic ore of ultra-high purity that Emilia-sama desires. It is said you are currently searching for a catalyst in which to enshrine a Great Spirit."
— And the moment they ceded control, Emilia camp's departure for Pristella was as good as decided.