Morning had dawned over the capital, enveloping the city in its gentle warmth. A carriage belonging to the Mathers family rolled along the cobblestone streets.
Inside sat Roswaal L. Mathers, the head of the family, alongside Emilia, the candidate for the throne. Across from them was Natsuki Subaru, a butler who humorously considered himself an average guy.
Today was zn important day; they were on their way to the castle in response to Emilia's summons.
As expected, Natsuki Subaru had a strong feeling about the true reason for their visit.
"The royal selection is starting today?" Emilia inquired, her voice tinged with anxiety.
"Exactly! I bet they called you here because the royal selection kicks off today. It makes sense, especially after meeting that lady, Priscilla, yesterday," he replied, recalling their encounter.
"What do you think, Ros-Ros?" he asked the eccentric lord.
"Hmmmm, your theory holds some weight, Suuuubaru-kun. There's little reason for the Barrielle matriarch to be in the capital at this time of the year," he mused.
"I see…" Emilia closed her eyes, contemplating. "I suppose that makes sense," she admitted, still feeling uneasy.
"Emilia, you're feeling nervous, aren't you?" he observed, and she nodded.
"Well, that's completely reasonable. I'd be nervous too if I were in your position. All the important figures of the country will be here, along with the other candidates and everyone else," he said, meeting her gaze.
"Remember when Meili attacked the village and took the children? You were anxious and scared, unsure of what to do, but you managed to pull yourself together. You took charge, directed Rem and me, and even went out of your way to reassure the villagers."
He gently placed his hand on her shoulder as he spoke, "It's perfectly normal to feel scared; it's part of being human—or elf. Whenever you start to doubt yourself, just remember that moment when you took charge and always tell yourself, 'There is nothing to fear, I can do this,' alright? Puck, Rem, Ram, Ros-Ros, and I all believe in you, so it's time for you to believe in yourself too, okay?"
Emilia was once again taken aback by his encouraging words; she didn't know how but he somehow had an incredible ability to say just the right thing at the right time.
His faith in her touched her deeply, stirring a warm feeling in her stomach that she couldn't quite understand. She also appreciated the gentle way he was touching her, causing her cheeks to flush slightly.
She smiled at him, just as she always did when he brought her happiness or comfort.
"You're right; there's nothing to fear because I have you by my side,"
Subaru returned her smile, but seeing her so happy and warm made his own nervousness bubble up again.
Roswaal, who was observing the scene, couldn't help but grin widely, "Ahhhh, to have such a devoted servaaaaant of mine comforting his lady in her time of need, what did I dooooo to deserve such a blessing?"
The comment snapped them back to reality, highlighting just how near they had become. As Subaru was speaking, they unconsciously inched closer and closer, causing a faint blush to creep onto his cheeks, while Emilia's face turned as bright as an appa.
"God dammit, Roswaal! Read the room, will ya?!"
After that awkward moment, the carriage fell into silence, with only the rustling sounds and the clatter of wheels on cobblestones breaking the silence.
Subaru gazed out the window, taking in the changing scenery. They were making their way to the royal district of the capital, a spacious area that contained the king's palace and a few nearby buildings.
The view outside shifted from the bustling marketplace with its stalls and shops to the elegant marble and polished stone of the noble district, eventually leading to the lush gardens and expansive grounds of the royal district.
This area appeared even more refined than the noble district, and the medieval castle in the distance reminded him of the opulent palaces he had seen back in Japan.
The carriage drove steadily toward it, where guards and knights were clearly visible, appearing to be patrolling and on high alert. indicating the high level of security in place. It was evident as carriages were routinely stopped and inspected.
At last, they reached the castle, pulling up near the entrance. The driver, who was not rem as she had been left behind to manage their accommodations and prepare dinner, called out through the window.
"Roswaal-sama, Emilia-sama, we've arrived," he announced.
"Looks like we're here! Emilia-sama, it's time to go in," Roswaal chimed in.
"Alright, Emilia, let's head inside!" Subaru said, opening the carriage door and extending his hand to assist Roswaal and Emilia as they stepped out.
Subaru was now a butler, so it's his responsibility to perform his duty.
They entered the castle, following Roswaal down a magnificent grand hallway adorned with marble as white as snow, statues of dragons, and figures that Subaru guessed were former kings. Various portraits lined the walls, and golden chandeliers hung high above, illuminating the space. Heavily armored guards stood watch on either side, keeping a vigilant eye on everyone.
At the end of the grand hall stood an impressive golden grand gate, intricately designed, with a golden insignia prominently displayed above it.
'Wow, they really went all out here. If Emilia wins, she straight up owns this place, huh?' he mused.
In front of the gate stood a man with a stern expression, clad in heavy armor accented with gold. He had striking blue eyes and a square-cut green hairstyle.
Subaru quickly assessed him; his mana reserves and gate were comparable to Julius, and his mana was yellow in color, which was the earth attribute. The dense mana flowing through him suggested he was using the flow method.
"Roswaal-sama, Emilia-sama, you've arrived just in time. Please, come inside," he said, then his gaze shifted to Subaru.
"…And who might this be?" he inquired.
"Ahhh, Macos-san, allow me to introduce Natsuki Subaru, the new butler at my estaaaate. Emilia-sama specifically requested his presence here today." Roswaal stepped forward to explain..
Subaru placed a hand on his chest and gave a slight bow, "I'm Natsuki Subaru, pleased to meet you, Marcos-sama." He greeted him with a professional demeanor.
In any other situation, Subaru would have opted for a more casual greeting, but given the significance of this event for Emilia, he knew he had to maintain looks..
Marcos acknowledged the greeting with a nod and turned to Roswaal, "Very well, everyone is waiting inside."
With a command, the grand gates swung open, revealing a spacious area that matched the grandeur of the hall.
At the far end, he spotted an ornate red throne adorned with gold. 'Wow, the aristocracy do love their gold, don't they?'
Flanking the throne were long tables with chairs—ten in total.
'This must be where the "Sage Council," sit. the people who run this place,' he thought, already feeling a sense of dread at the thought of meeting them. The jujutsu elders back in Japan had left a bad impression on him.
On either side, distinct groups were gathered: to the right, nobles in elegant attire, some dressed as magicians, and to the left, a group of knights.
"I guess this is it," Emilia's voice chimed like a silver bell.
"Yeah, it looks like quite the crowd is here," he replied, scanning the room.
"Well, Subaru-kun, you can stand over there," Roswaal indicated towards the knights. "Emilia-sama, please proceed to the front; the conference is about to start."
"Understood," she replied, glancing at Subaru, who offered her an encouraging nod. No words were necessary as they took their positions—Subaru standing awkwardly among the knights, while Emilia joined two other women at the front.
He concentrated on the woman dressed in military outfit. Her dark green hair cascaded to the middle of her back, tied neatly with a white ribbon. A sword hung at her hip, complementing her dark purplish-blue outfit. She exuded confidence and had impressive mana reserves, with wind as her magical affinity. Additionally, she possessed the Divine Protection of Wind Reading, granting her the ability to perceive invincible truths, read people's emotions, and detect falsehoods.
'Wow, a walking lie detector—that's pretty neat!'
Next, his gaze shifted to the shorter woman beside her. She wore a flowing white dress and a fluffy hat perched atop her long purple hair, which reached her hips. While she had the yang magic attribute, what truly caught his attention was her gate. It was in a constant state of expansion and contraction, reminiscent of breathing.
He quickly deduced that she had a defective gate, as Beatrice had once explained to him. From what he could see, her condition meant her gate struggled to replenish mana from the air, potentially leading to mana deficiency.
Having experienced something similar briefly, he knew firsthand how troublesome that could be.
Then something else piqued his interest: the woman wore a scarf draped over her shoulders that looked like a white rug-fox. While others might overlook it as just an accessory, Subaru saw something interesting about it.
An Od.
The scarf was a spirit, and its Od resembled that of Beatrice and Puck, yet fundamentally different from the minor or the quasi-spirits he sensed from Julius.
'Hmm, those three share similar Ods, which is different from the other spirits I have seen before.'
Interestingly, this spirit didn't seem particularly powerful, as she lacked the abundant mana of Beatrice or Puck. Moreover, he sensed no contract between the two. Which shed light on what type of relation those two share.
"What a pleasent surprise! To see you here of all places, Subaru-san." A youthful voice rang out, pulling Subaru from his thoughts and drawing his attention to the front.
It was none other than Reinhard Van Astrea, the legendary Sword Saint.
'Eh? He was here the whole time? This guy keeps appearing out of nowhere! Is he some kind of shinobi or what?' he though, Before focusing on Reinhard
He quickly flashed a grin, "Hey, Reinhard! How's it going, my friend?" he asked.
"I'm doing quite well, thank you. It's truly a pleasure to see you again, Subaru-san," Reinhard replied.
Subaru shook his head as he spoke, "Reinhard, buddy, what with the 'san'? Just call me Subaru. We're friends, so no need to call each other with honorifics."
Reinhard's eyes slightly widened for a moment before he smiled gently. "O-of course… In that case, I'll call you Subaru, as you prefer."
Subaru nodded, returning the smile, "That's the spirit, buddy! There is no such thing as formalities among friends," he added.
"I suppose you're right. I noticed you came with Emilia-sama. Honestly, I had a hunch you'd be here once I learned she was coming," Reinhard said.
"Well, I wouldn't be here if Emilia hadn't invited me; I'd probably still be at the Mathers' estate cleaning the basement or something," Subaru replied.
Then he adopted a slightly serious expression, "say, Reinhard, I'll be frank with you—Felt is the fifth candidate, right?" he whispered, lowering his voice.
Reinhard visibly flinched, his eyes widening in surprise. "H-how did you—"
"When she was handing over the insignia, I noticed it glowed for a moment. Plus, Emilia explained to me how a candidate is chosen for the throne. So, I just put two and two together," he concluded with a smug grin.
Reinhard kept opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of water, clearly at a loss for words, before he sighed and smiled in acceptance.
"I see that there's no need to keep it a secret then. Yes, Felt-sama is indeed the fifth candidate. Should I assume you think this meeting is to officially start off the race?" Subaru nodded in agreement with Reinhard's statement.
"Honestly, you're quite something, Subaru."
"Tell me about it." he chuckled
While they were chatting, Subaru glanced at Reinhard, relieved that the mana levels were much lower than before, so he wasn't blinded like he had been earlier.
His gate was defective, similar to the purple-haired girl's, but in his case, it was sealed tight, only allowing mana to flow in rather than out. As for his Od, it was cluttered with divine protections that made Subaru want to pull his hair out.
'Who needs this many divine protections anyway?! There are like, three hundred of them!' he exclaimed as he looked at some of them.
At that moment, the fourth candidate entered the throne room, and it was none other than the arrogant girl he had met the day before: Priscilla Barielle.
Along with her came three more familiar faces: Felix, Julius, and Al.
"Hiya! Subaru-kyun!" Felix greeted, flashing a peace sign.
"Oh, it's just you, cat-ears," Subaru replied, sounding unenthusiastic due to having been tricked by him earlier—and the whole sniffing incident.
"Cat-ears?" Felix repeated, his ears perked up. "Ahh, was Subawu-kyun charmed by Ferris-chan? It's only natural, fufufufu~" He covered his mouth and giggled.
"Ah, so you fell for Felix's deception too. If it helps, Subaru, you're not the only one," Reinhard tried to comfort Subaru, which only made it worse.
"I have no idea what you're talking about; it's just a fitting nickname for the cat," he quickly retorted, much to Felix's delight.
"Fufufu~ Ferris-chan won't mind being called that if it's coming from Subaru-kyun."
Subaru quickly then turned to his isekai brother, who looked even more out of place than he did.
"Hey Al, great to see you, buddy. Are you a knight or something?"
"Me? A knight? Nah, that's a bit too grand for a middle-aged guy like me. I'm just someone the princess picked up, that's all," he replied with a casual shrug.
"Really? You don't seem like 'just a guy' to me," Subaru commented.
Al simply shrugged again.
Subaru then examined Al again, this time noticing something strange.
There was something dark, almost tar-like, clinging to his Od as if it were stuck there.
It felt wrong, deeply wrong. Like something that contradicted everything. Something that shouldn't be there.
Something vile, something repulsive, something that—
'W-why can't I see it?!' Subaru froze, completely shocked as he was met with something impossible.
His Six Eyes… had failed to understand what he was seeing.
No, it felt like they couldn't comprehend it.
'This… T-this is impossible!' His six eyes, the "Eyes of the All-Seeing God," allowed him to understand all phenomena down to their mechanics, like having the internet and all it's knowledge in your head.
So for it fail when it clearly worked in this world was...
Terrifying.
"Hey man, you're kinda staring. Is everything okay?" Al's question snapped him out of his daze, and he realized Al and some knights were watching him.
"A-ah, sorry Al, I'm just not feeling well today," he said, adjusting his sunglasses.
"It's cool, but please don't do that again; it freaks me out," Al replied, and Subaru nodded stiffly before looking ahead again.
He hadn't had any reason to dislike Al, as he had been polite and was the only person he knew in a similar situation as him. But with this new revelation, he chose to be cautious around him from now on.
He caught a loud cough coming from Marcos. "If I could have your attention, I'm Marcos, the leader of the imperial Knights, and I'll be directing today's proceedings."
"It all started about six months ago when King Randohal Lugunica passed away, along with his entire lineage, leaving the throne—"
"Now, hold 'n a minute, will ya'?" A gentle female voice interrupted; it was the lady with the spirit.
"I understand you want to put 'n good show 'ere, but as we say in Kararagi, 'Time is money,'" she said, catching Subaru off guard.
'She's speaking in the Kansai Dialect here?! No way!' he thought, utterly astonished. Regaining his composure, he realized, 'No… Al was isekai'd here, so it makes sense that someone else brought it along.'
"I agree,"
Marcos turned to the speaker, "Crusch-sama, is it appropriate for the head of House Karsten to say such a thing?"
"While formalities are important, I believe it's imperative that we need to get to the point quickly and understand why we are gathered here," she replied. Then, with a slight smirk, she said, "Naturally, I have a general idea."
"Oh, so you're already aware of the purpose of this meeting?" asked one of the council members, an elderly man with a long beard.
"Yes, Miklotov-sama. It's for a drinking party, right?"
Subaru had to suppress a facepalm.
"We'll be facing each other as rivals, but by sitting together and drinking, we'll get to know one another better," she said with an understanding look on her face.
Marcos looked at her blankly, "No, that's not it."
'Pfft-' he stifled a laugh at her. 'How embarrassing~'
She quickly turned to the crowd, and Subaru followed her gaze to a certain mischievous cat.
"Felix. That's not what you told me," she said, looking a bit flustered.
"Awww, come on. Ferris-chan said, 'Maybe it'll be a drinking party,'" he replied, his demeanor very cat-like.
"I see," she said, turning back to the front. "Then, with a bit of embarrassment, I retract everything I just said."
Subaru poked the cat demi-human to catch his attention. "You just made your lady embarrass herself, What do you have to say for yourself, Cat-ears?" he asked.
The cat's reply? Blew the raspberry at him.
From this day onwards, Subaru prefered dogs over cats.
The purple haired lady however, "Hey now, just 'cause Karsten backed down don' mean that I will. There is no need t' explain the royal selection. We already know, right?"
She looked at Priscilla and Emilia, Emilia who went to answer. "Well, I think we should listen—"
"Sorry, I wasn't askin' for yer opinion." The purple-haired lady rudely cut her off.
Subaru was thin-lipped at this, clearly miffed at the rudeness. But then quickly smiled.
"Hey, dude, I don't know a whole lot about the Royal Selection, So i'd like to hear the rest," Subaru decided to speak up, attracting everyone's attention to him, including Marcos and the sage council.
Marcos looked at him then Emilia. "Emilia-sama, I was told that this man is a butler under your sponsor's employment, have you not explained the royal selection to him?"
Emilia looked surprised at being the center of attention, but quickly stammered out and replied, "um-Well, I did tell him, but I think you should still explain it to everyone else."
Priscilla, in the meantime, seemed to be fed up with all this nonsense as she loudly said, "Mineself has gotten tired of this rambling, just explain how I will win the throne, Marcos."
Marcos looked at emilia and priscilla, then sighed. "Very well then,"
Subaru wished he could be at the front, sensing the lady's irritation with how things were unfolding.
Unbeknownst to him, Julius looked at the butler with a mysterious expression before looking away.
"The reason we have gathered those qualified to be dragon priestesses is due to a prophecy inscribed on the dragon tablet. It reads, 'From the five chosen to lead the nation, select one dragon priestess to form a covenant with the dragon.'"
"Five huh? I guess this is where you come in, Reinhard." Subaru remarked to the red-haired knight, who simply nodded in agreement.
"Indeed. Up until now, there have only been four candidates for the throne, and the royal selection hasn't officially started yet. But today, history is going to be made" Reinhard replied.
"Knight Reinhard Van Astrea, please step forward," the leader of the knights instructed. Reinhard complied, kneeling on one knee and placing a hand over his heart.
"Esteemed members of the sage council, I am proud to announce that my mission has been successfully completed." He rose to his feet.
"The fifth dragon priestess and the final candidate for the throne has been found."
As the gates swung open, three figures entered. Two of them were girls with pink hair, clearly twins at first glance. The most significant among them was a golden-haired girl with striking red eyes, elegantly dressed in a yellow gown that stood in stark contrast to her previously worn ragged attire.
"Her name is… Felt-sama!"
'Wow… Talk about one-eighty. You wouldn't guess she came from the slums if you saw her now,' he thought as the girl stepped forward, halting right in front of Reinhard.
"Reinhard," she said, and the knight returned her smile. What he failed to notice was the girl's expression, which was anything but friendly.
In fact, she wore a nasty sneer.
With a swift motion, she lifted the hem of her dress and delivered a high kick aimed at the knight's head, which he blocked effortlessly.
"I've had enough of you! You've been a pain in the ass for an entire month, and now you make me wear this?!" she shouted at him.
"This is surprising. Was the dress not to your taste? I can get you another one if you prefer," Reinhard replied, gently lowering her foot. Subaru found himself torn between thinking his obliviousness was endearing or just plain sad.
"No! That's not it! You completely missed the point!"
Emilia slightly gasped at the sight of Felt again. "Felt… it's that girl from before…" she said, trailing off as she glanced at Subaru, who sheepishly looked away.
She huffed slightly at him. He knew and didn't tell her! How dare he!
Subaru shifted his focus back to Felt, saying, "Wow, Felt. Even in an important event, you're still as feisty as ever." She turned to him, her eyes wide in recognition.
"Wait, it's you! What the hell are you doing here?!" she exclaimed.
He waved at her cheerfully, "Heya! It's been a while. I must say, you look pretty in that dress—"
Felt demonstrated why she can solo the JJK verse as she casually bypassed his Infinity and kicked him in the face, which he blocked as well.
"Not you too! Stop blocking my kicks!"
"Ahem," a man cleared his throat; it was Marcus. "Felt-sama, if you're done rekindling old friendships, please step forward," he instructed, and she huffed but complied.
"Fine, I'm here. Let's just get this over with," she replied.
"Felt-sama, I would suggest you act more lady-like, but this takes precedence." Reinhard handed her an insignia, similar to Emilia's, which began to glow.
"The dragon stone has acknowledged Felt-sama as a dragon priestess and, as a result, a candidate for the throne. I believe that the Royal Selection can begin in earnest," Reinhard announced, bowing slightly, followed by Marcus and the knights.
'Finally, we can get this show on the road,' he thought, eager for the selection to begin without interruptions—
"I don't agree with this," a noble interjected. "Even if she was chosen by the dragon, her looks and behavior are befitting for a ruler," he stated.
Marcus was about to respond, but Felt jumped in first, "What, ya got a problem with me? Suck it! I couldn't care less what you think!" she shot back, clearly irked by the noble's disrespect.
"Listen here, you—"
Felt ignored his rant and turned to the council. "Hey, you old geezers, I don't want to stick around longer than necessary, so let's wrap this up," she said, causing annoyance among the council members.
Subaru blinked at her, then smiled, thinking, 'I really like her!'
"But Felt-sama—"
"I'm not hearing it! Just get on with it!"
Miklotov let out a sigh, "Alright then, shall we get started? Candidates, please step forward."
One by one, the candidates and their attendants moved ahead. Priscilla was accompanied by her jester, Al; Crusch Karsten stood with her knight, Felix; the purple-haired rude lady was with her knight, Julius; Emilia was alongside her sponsor, Roswaal; and finally, there was Felt with Reinhard in tow.
"First up, we have Priscilla Barielle-sama and her attendant, Al."
Priscilla dramatically pulled a fan from… her breasts?! and held it up to her face; Subaru could already sense that she found the situation quite amusing.
"The royal selection is utterly pointless; I am the only one truly fit to lead this nation!" she declared, and Subaru could hear the gasps of shock and outrage ripple through the crowd.
Subaru's shoulders sagged at this, thinking, 'What was I even expecting from her at this point?'
"You all need to prostrate yourselves and serve me! I will guide this nation to greatness!"
'…Sure, Priscilla, whatever you say,' he sighed as the next candidate was introduced.
"Next is Crusch Karsten-sama, duchess and head of House Karsten, accompanied by her attendant, knight Felix Argyle."
The duchess stood tall with her hands clasped behind her, her unwavering honey-colored eyes scanning the audience.
"I want to make one thing clear," she stated firmly. "If I become the new ruler, the status quo will be broken; I will break the covenant with the dragon."
Subaru had to cover his ears against the uproar that followed; if Priscilla's announcement was like kicking a puppy, Crusch's was akin to dropping a nuke.
The shouts of anger and disbelief continued, yet she stood resolute, earning Subaru's respect for her composure.
"Isn't it shameful that our existence relies solely on the protection of the divine dragon? Shouldn't we, as a people, take charge of our own safety and ensure our freedom?" she challenged.
"I will ensure that the dragon understands that the kingdom of Lugunica belongs to its people. Our liberty and prosperity are in our own hands, not his."
As she wrapped up her speech, Subaru was left scratching his head in confusion.
'Well, I can kinda see her point. A country shouldn't rely solely on one being for its survival. But from what I understand, the dragon is quite powerful; she shouldn't just cut ties with him if she wants independence. Perhaps a more hands-off approach could be beneficial? Like having a trump card, maybe?' He pondered this as the next candidate took the stage.
"Anastasia Hoshin-sama of the Hoshin Trading Company, accompanied by her attendant, Knight Julius Juukulius."
Anastasia looked around at everyone and started with, "I'm going to be blunt here, I'm a greedy gal, so I want everything."
"…Huh?" Subaru blurted out, and the rest of the audience was equally stunned.
"No amount of commercial success or material wealth is ever enough, so with this opportunity before me, I've decided that I want an entire nation!" she proclaimed boldly. Subaru stared at her in disbelief.
"Of course, just like all my possessions. I take good care of them, so if I win, I'll make sure to look after all of you!"
'…Great.' Now this country might end up turning into a corporate dystopia in a medieval setting. Just fantastic.' he thought. Were those serisouly the type of people chosen by the dragon?
'At least she's honest, I'll give her that,'
"Next up, Felt-sama and her attendant, knight Reinhard Van Astrea,"
Felt glanced around the room, clearly irritated by everything, before she spoke up. "I was dragged into this stupid race for a stupid throne I never wanted," she began, "Then it hit me; since I'm stuck in this shithole, I might as well make the most of it! So, once I become king, I'm going to tear everything down!"
The reaction from Crusch was intense, but it was nothing compared to the uproar that followed, as the entire room erupted in anger.
'Wow, Felt! You sure don't hold back, do you?' He was torn between being horrified or impressed by her fearless attitude.
Undeterred by the chaos, she pressed on, "That's right! I hate this entire kingdom! It's all corrupt and rotten! I'll tear it down and create a system that actually cares for the people! A one that doesn't fill the pockets of rotton people like you!"
Subaru actually chuckled at this, which went unheard of by the outrage around him."An anarchist, a fucking anarchist. Felt, should I be proud or scared of you?" He could see the fire in her eyes as she said that; she wasn't joking.
"Sword saint!" one of the nobles shouted at the redhead. "Did you not hear what she just said?! How can you let someone like her disrespect us like this?!"
Reinhard turned to the noble with a smile. "While Felt-sama's words may be a bit scandalous, I truly believe she has the nation's best interests at heart, which is why I've sworn to be her knight."
"And I'll make sure to work you to the death, so don't forget that," she retorted with a huff.
This declaration stunned everyone, including Subaru, but seeing Reinhard's genuine happiness, he simply shrugged it off.
After everything quieted down, they continued.
"And last, Emilia-sama alongside her sponsor, the court mage Roswaal L. Mathers."
"Oh myyyyy, I feel terribly out of place after those knights," Roswaal remarked, standing alongside Emilia on the stage.
Emilia then proceeded to survey the crowd, she noticed many dismissive glances, making her feel anxious and uneasy.
But then her gaze landed on Subaru, who gave her an encouraging thumbs up. She remembered his reassuring words: 'I can do this, there's nothing to fear.'
'I've said it many times, but I don't think it will ever be enough—thank you, Subaru.'
With renewed determination, reminiscent of her resolve in the village, she spoke up, "Greetings, everyone. I am Emilia, and I have one wish: for everyone to be treated equally."
The crowd fell silent, genuinely listening to her, while Subaru nodded in approval.
"This nation has suffered from racial strife and prejudice, a deep-seated issue that has lingered for far too long. It reached a boiling point fifty years ago when our kingdom was engulfed in civil war," she continued, her voice steady and authoritative.
"Though the kingdom emerged victorious, it came at a terrible price. Families were shattered, children were left orphaned, and countless lives were lost. I want to change this; I want to build a kingdom where every citizen, regardless of their background, is treated with equality. That is my goal." She bowed slightly to her audience.
Subaru felt an overwhelming sense of pride, like a father watching his daughter take her first steps. He recognized Emilia's potential to be a great leader; she just needed guidance and support.
That's why he dedicated his free time to assist her with her studies, teaching her about things beyond the pages of books.
There was still a long journey ahead, and there were many aspects she was naive about, but these were significant first steps.
'Well done, Emilia! You nailed that speech! I'm so proud of you,' he thought with a smile. His chest swelled with pride and something else.
Now, people should look over her heritage and take her more seriously—
A laugh rang out through the hall, a derisive sound coming from the same noble who had attempted to blast felt.
"Ahaha! What's this? The half-devil is talking about equality? The very same half-devil who resembles the witch that almost brought ruin to the world over four hundred years ago?!" he sneered, which only fueled the others to chime in.
"That's right, who does she think she is?"
"As if she knows anything about this kingdom!"
"I'd rather lose my lands than be equal to some mutt!"
The nobles and mages mocked her, dismissing her efforts, and even some knights joined in the ridicule.
Emilia just looked crestfallen at this; her resolve and determination evaporated into thin air as she was once again mocked and hated for something she had no control over.
"This whole royal selection is a farce! First, we have a brat who wants to tear our kingdom apart, and now a half-devil shows up?! It's a farce!"
"It's not nice to call a half-elf a 'half-devil,'" Roswaal interjected, but his words fell on deaf ears.
"I've kept quiet about this from the start, but it needs to be said," one of the councilmen, a bald man with bushy blue eyebrows, declared.
"The Astrea gives us a rebellious brat we're supposed to accept as our king, and then the margrave supports someone who is the spitting image of the witch of envy!" he spat.
"Does anyone not see how dreadful her participation is?! She should be thrown out of here so her filth doesn't tarnish—"
His words faltered, caught in his throat, as he found himself unable to continue.
In fact, everyone else in the throne room—the nobles, mages, knights—who had been mocking her now fell silent, all feeling the same oppressive weight.
It was as if they were submerged underwater, struggling to breathe or move.
Even Reinhard felt a chill run down his spine.
From the knights, a figure stepped forward, his footsteps echoing in the now silent throne room.
With his tense posture, trembling arms, clenched fists, and gritted teeth, even if his eyes were covered, it was clear that he was furious.
Natsuki Subaru was livid.