A girl with dull blonde hair and wild eyes, clad in dirty, rag-like clothing. Despite being forced to walk with her head down, she was a tough girl who managed to survive with only her red eyes brimming with determination.
That was the entire impression Subaru had of the girl called Felt.
Invited by Reinhard's announcement, Felt, accompanied by her maid, walked quietly into the throne room. Stepping firmly on the red carpet, careful not to let the hem of her pale yellow dress rub against the ground, she walked with her small back straight, like a noble lady.
Subaru had previously commented that she might shine if polished, but the gem called Felt, likely polished with the power of the Reinhardt family, unfortunately contradicted Subaru's previous assessment.
It's not just that if you polish it, it will shine. The truth is that if you polish it, it will shine.
Although she is still immature, her appearance has been groomed and she is beautiful.
As Subaru's gaze stunned and mouth agape, she leisurely moved to Reinhard's side. Seeing that Felt was within reach, Reinhard nodded with a smile etched on her handsome face,
"Thank you for coming, Felt-sama."
"--Reinhardt."
Reinhard bowed respectfully. Felt, who was looking up at him because of the difference in height, lifted her chin and called out to him.
Calling from a cool voice, Reinhard replied in a clear voice, "Yes." Felt smiled softly at his attitude.
and,
"--You, you hid my clothes again, didn't you!?"
As she lifted the hem of her dress, her long, slender legs, considering her size, drew an arc. It hit Reinhardt's side of the head without missing the target – but her kicking leg ended up fitting snugly into the palm of Reinhardt's hand, who had been lightly lifted up.
As Felt stood on one leg, Reinhardt, still holding onto her leg, took a breath.
"I was surprised. What have you done all of a sudden?"
"You can't just stop me and act like it's nothing! My clothes! You were the one who hid them again, weren't you? Now thanks to you I'm forced to wear these annoying, fluttery clothes!"
Balancing on one leg, Felt puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction as the hem of the dress that was likely made for her swayed.
Roughly handled, the wrinkle-free fabric began to show unattractive creases. Watching this, Reinhard slowly lowered the felt foot to the ground,
"It suits you well, so there's no need to be embarrassed."
"Don't be embarrassed, I told you I don't like it! I'm not just talking about the clothes, it applies to you too! Don't you think it's embarrassing for a knight to kidnap and imprison you?"
"If it is for the prosperity of the kingdom"
Reinhardt spoke without hesitation, and Felt put her hand to her forehead as if she had a headache. Then, belatedly, she seemed to realize that she was drawing the attention of everyone in the hall.
"What's the matter? Don't stare. This isn't a spectacle. If you thought it was a spectacle, you'd at least give us a tip. We're all rich."
Felt grumbled in a truly rude manner, with a look of hostility on her face towards the people who were clearly upper class at a glance, while slipping on a dress that was certainly considered quite high class even for this occasion.
Her disappointing, slutty nature, which betrayed her neat appearance, somehow shook off the stunned feeling he had been feeling up until then, and he let out a sigh of relief.
"I thought you'd completely changed, but it turns out it was just your appearance. Thank goodness, I guess people don't really change at their core. Including me!"
Subaru is pleased with himself as he follows up on Felt's request and justifies himself.
Starting with his reaction, everyone who had been watching the exchange between Felt and Reinhardt began to react accordingly.
"To get Reinhard to use his hands, it seems surprisingly possible."
Crusch seemed impressed from a strange perspective.
"Are there more tomboys around? Please, please stop."
Anastasia shook her head with a look of disgust on her face.
"There's no way that someone could stand out more than me. What, is there anything I can use to stand out... how about a public execution of the intruder?"
Priscilla was beginning to get engrossed in an idea that she couldn't ignore.
"That child… that time…?! That's why Reinhard was so surprised…"
And then, having come to some kind of conclusion, Emilia's eyes widened in shock.
Emilia was especially surprised by this, as she was no stranger to Felt. They had been competing for the insignia, but now, with Felt having been chosen for the insignia, they were also competing for the throne.
When each of their First Impacts had finished, Felt reacted uncomfortably to their reactions―― Or rather, she clicked her tongue in a nasty manner and turned her face away.
Even though they only knew each other for a short time two weeks ago, he didn't think she was such a twisted girl, but a lot must have happened in those two weeks. Subaru felt that he was no less intense in the content of his relationship, but he could imagine that she was also quite intense, having risen from a simple homeless child to a candidate for king in one fell swoop.
As Subaru nodded and thought to himself, Felt, who had been scanning the hall as if appraising the items, caught Subaru's gaze.
She suddenly frowned, then closed her eyes as if searching for a memory, and in just a few seconds her face lit up as she found that memory, and then,
"Hey! Why are you here, big brother?"
She lightly pushed Reinhardt's chest, and with the same momentum, she came towards Subaru. The luxurious-looking dress was handled so roughly that it was sad, and the maids who had carefully coordinated it were clutching their faces and looking away.
Leaving such sentimentality behind, Subaru faced Felt who was approaching with a beaming smile. To be honest, given the atmosphere of the place, he really wanted to avoid facing her, but he knew that she was probably feeling the same way, lonely and lacking in allies, so there was no way he could just ignore her.
"Hey, it's been a while. I hope you're well!"
The moment he lightly raised his hand in a cheerful greeting, a front kick hit him directly in the stomach. The impact made his body bend, and Subaru fell to his knees, coughing.
Subaru groaned, unable to comprehend the sudden act of violence. Felt, with one leg raised, looked down at his disgraceful state,
"From the looks of it, the wound on your stomach seems fine. But on the other hand, it seems like the wounds in other places have increased a lot."
"If you understand that, give me some credit, you know… Why did you have to use all your strength to check it? What if it breaks while it's still only temporarily fastened… In fact, there were times when that happened."
Though it had completely healed now, a straight white scar remained clearly visible on the bare skin of Subaru's abdomen. Not only that, but the scars from the demonic beast's fangs were still visible in various parts of his body, so it was clear that after two weeks he was completely battered and bruised. There were countless lacerations and scrapes, so it was no longer the time to think that the scars on his back were a swordsman's shame.
"Well, I guess it was tough for you, Big Brother. But, if it was tough, then I wasn't any worse off, you know?"
"...I guess so. I never thought I'd run into you in a situation like this. All that emblem fuss has come full circle and now..."
"Of course we can't talk about the emblem issue openly, just look at the situation."
"...Couldn't you have found a cuter way to do this, like covering her mouth? You're as fast as ever."
Moreover, because he was trying to cover my mouth as I was squatting, he kicked me in the jaw from directly below. Fortunately, the force was moderated and I was starting to get used to being kicked, so I didn't have to bite my tongue. In any case, I think it would be bad for Reinhard to bring up her criminal record.
However, I think it's impossible to deny the fact that Felt's own actions made for an extraordinary social debut.
"Felt-sama. I would appreciate it if you could rekindle your friendship, but please come this way."
But what may have seemed like a friendly exchange to an outsider was interrupted by Marcos, who continued to proceed with the meeting dispassionately, unaffected by the atmosphere of the moment.
Seeing Iwao's expression, Felt still wanted to argue, but when Reinhardt, who was standing right beside him, bowed apologetically, she stepped forward again with a reluctant look on her face.
"So, what do you want me to do?"
"I would like to tell you to behave like a lady first, but before that, please take this in your hands."
Felt made a displeased face at Reinhardt's light jab. Reinhardt took out a dragon badge from his pocket and handed it to her palm.
For a moment, Felt's brows frowned at the shape of the insignia, but as soon as she saw the jewel begin to shine in her palm, her stiff expression softened.
"I've been thinking this ever since I stole it, but it's a strange stone. I don't know why it glows."
"Stolen?"
"That is because the dragon recognized that Felt-sama is qualified."
Despite having scolded Subaru earlier, Felt accidentally let something slip. Marcos seemed to notice her carelessness, but it was somehow avoided thanks to Reinhard's immediate support.
Marcos seemed puzzled for a moment that his words had been broadcast, but he seemed to decide to prioritize the facts in front of him over his doubts.
He turned around and looked up at the members of the Society of Sages who had been silently watching the certification ceremony.
"As you can see, Ryushu has certainly recognized Felt-sama as a shrine maiden. With her participation approved, the royal selection process will likely begin in a true sense."
Marcos placed his palm on the iron plate and bowed respectfully. The leader followed suit, followed by Reinhard, and then all the other members of the Royal Guard who had been involved in the search.
The members of the Knights reported the completion of their mission, and thanks to their efforts, the five Dragon Priestesses - in other words, the candidates for the future Queen of Lugnica - had all gathered here.
"I see, so that's what made history change."
Subaru, who had inadvertently found himself at the scene of such a major incident, muttered this to himself, deeply moved. Looking back, sneaking into the royal castle on such a sunny day was a pretty foolish move. He was probably 90% sure he would have died.
I was reminded once again just how bad my luck was.
Subaru had this misguided thought, but he belatedly became aware of the murmur that had suddenly begun to spread throughout the throne room.
The source of the murmur was coming from across the middle from the knights who were saluting - a group of civil servants, including Roswaal, standing there. The details of the murmur were unclear, but it contained feelings of confusion, bewilderment, and obvious dissatisfaction.
"Excuse me, is that okay?"
Finally, a middle-aged man stepped forward from the group of civil servants.
He was a man in his forties with brown, flowing hair. He stroked his impressive beard nervously as he said,
"I am speechless at the efforts of the Royal Guard during this King Selection Ceremony. Without your help, we would not have been able to create the situation that was in line with the prophecy of the Dragon Stone in such a short time."
"Those are wasteful words."
In response to the man praising the Knights in a pompous way, Marcos tried to be humble in a serious tone. The man looked away with difficulty and started with "However,"
"I hate to say this, but even though you're following the circumstances outlined in the Dragon Stone, I think there's a bit of a problem with the selection of people."
"What do you mean?"
"You are so focused on your qualifications as a dragon shrine maiden that you are neglecting the qualifications to hold the crown of the kingdom, which is the most important thing."
When he asked again, the middle-aged man snapped, yelling at someone who was not understanding. As expected, he immediately shut up, ashamed of his own harsh tone, but several voices of agreement like "That's right" leaked out from the group of civil servants.
Perhaps feeling somewhat encouraged by the fact that he had supporters, he cleared his throat and continued,
"The pact with the dragons is the most important thing. Since Lugnica exists as a pro-dragon kingdom, the country cannot exist without their friendship. However, if we place too much importance on the dragons and neglect the people, then wouldn't that be putting the cart before the horse?"
"So, is this what you're saying? We, the Royal Guard Knights, have been so intent on finding the Dragon Maiden that we've misjudged the right person to be our king and to pledge our allegiance to."
"There's a slight discrepancy in the wording, but that's how it comes down."
Perhaps taken aback by Marcos's terse summary, the middle-aged man indirectly advises him to choose his words more carefully. However, his follow-up is a little late.
Despite their desperate efforts and results, the Knights were not at ease with the fact that their efforts were not given a generous evaluation.
This was especially evident to Subaru, who was on the side of the knights.
"There's something fishy going on, or rather, the atmosphere is starting to become uneasy..."
"Well, I guess the knights are finding fault with us. I don't really care about that, but what about you two?"
Hearing Subaru's mutter, Al gave a muffled laugh and turned the conversation to the other two. Julius and Ferris, who were rejected, only looked in his direction.
"Feri-chan, what do you think? Because, because, no matter what that Beard says, Ferri-chan's loyalty is now dedicated to just one person."
"I wouldn't go so far as to say I agree with Ferris, but I do feel the same way. I've already offered my sword to them. Eventually, they will have to pledge their loyalty to me. I'm not so narrow-minded as to blame them for wavering before that happens."
"Y-You're quite impressive. Well, I feel the same way about the Princess, though."
Al spoke as if to counter that, and I could see smiles forming on the corners of the two of their mouths.
Subaru felt like he had been left out somehow and was not happy. As knights and mercenaries, the three had placed their complete trust in their master. Comparing his position to them, Subaru felt as if he had somehow taken a step back.
That can't be true, he told himself, shaking his head to drive away any feelings of weakness. He wanted to help Emilia achieve her goal. He was sure he was just as determined as the other three.
While Subaru was overcome with a strange sense of unease, the exchange in the hall began to escalate.
Starting with the middle-aged man who spoke up, the civil servants began to voice their dissatisfaction one after another.
"She is a shrine maiden and a king at the same time. Or rather, she lacks the awareness that she is a king."
"Even if you dress up on the outside, your true nature is revealed in your attitude."
"He lacks dignity. He lacks education. How can he be called a king?"
"It's fine, nothing special. I think it would be a fun royal selection with a lot of individuality."
"You should stay quiet!"
A familiar voice sounded as if it was about to interrupt the group of civil servants, but Subaru ignored that issue and turned his attention to Emilia and the others in the midst of the vortex.
The group of civil servants were most likely targeting Felt, whose bad attitude had been particularly conspicuous earlier, but it couldn't be said for sure that the criticism hadn't spread to the other candidates as well. In fact, Emilia's profile looked painful, as if she was enduring pain, and there was no doubt that standing there was a burden on her.
I might have felt a little better if I could just tell him to shut up, but when I thought of the drawbacks of doing so, I felt bad about making a snap decision.
Therefore, what settled the situation was not Subaru's short-sightedness, nor the anger of the Knights who were dissatisfied with the completion of their mission, nor the common sense of the civil servants who regretted their excesses.
The only reason was that the old man sitting at the podium muttered just one word: "Quiet."
Stroking his long beard, Mycroft narrowed his eyes even further as he looked at Felt, who was gazing up at the aged body with a determined look on his face.
There was a moment of silence, then Mycroft suddenly let out a small sigh and said,
"Knight Reinhard"
"Haa."
Reinhard's name was called and he was beckoned, so he strode briskly onto the stage.
He knelt down in front of Mycroft, removed his sword from his belt and placed it on the floor in a deep bow. The old man watched with satisfaction, running his fingers through his white beard as if recalling a memory.
"Hmm. Can you tell me how you discovered her?"
Subaru was forced to explain how they had met, and even though he was not a party to the matter, a cold sweat ran down his forehead. If he was to tell the truth, he would naturally need to mention the theft incident that Felt had committed.
And, ignoring Subaru's worries, Reinhard nodded deeply,
"I found her thirteen days ago in the lower district of the royal capital - a corner of the so-called 'Slums'. At that time, I had the opportunity to come into contact with Ryuju for some reason, and discovered that she was qualified to be a shrine maiden, so I brought her here."
Reinhard nonchalantly reported the problematic parts while obscuring them.
Subaru, knowing the situation, could have easily found flaws in it rather than nitpicking, but of course it wasn't Subaru who had mentioned Reinhard's words. And the part that person had pointed out was also different from the part that had bothered Subaru.
"A homeless child from a slum… Are you out of your mind, Knight Reinhard?"
The voice of the middle-aged man had been getting a little excited thanks to the backing of the civil servants.
He gestured exaggeratedly at the felt,
"It is absolutely outrageous to invite a homeless child to this ceremony to select the future king of Lugnica. What do you understand about the throne!?"
"――――"
"If it's inconvenient for you, then you'll keep quiet. With this person being the current successor to the Sword Saint, I have no choice but to conclude that the honor of the Astrea family has fallen to the ground."
Reinhardt saluted on the stage and accepted everything he was told. Not a single negative emotion was visible on his cool-looking face, and the middle-aged man, who had been rambling on and on, became silent as if in a panic, clicking his tongue in annoyance. Then,
"Lord Myklot, I think you should reconsider your thinking. Just because someone was chosen by the Dragons, it goes too far to give them the right to take the throne. The crown of kingship should only be given to those who are worthy. It's not enough to just dangle a badge on anyone you can get your hands on..."
"Lord Rickert, aren't you getting a bit too heated up?"
The middle-aged man who was pointing fingers at the current top of the country and speaking out against its policies - Rickert. The one who put a damper on his fiery tongue was a familiar, drawn-out voice.
Rickert turns his gaze, clearly filled with hostility, towards Roswaal, who is standing next to him with several other people between them. Roswaal raises both hands in response to Rickert's piercing gaze.
"Ohhh, how frightening. If you look at me like that, it will really hurt my heart."
"Nonsense... Roswaal. I am not happy with your attitude. Not only me, but many in the palace feel the same way. Up until now, we have overlooked it as it was an emergency and it can't be helped, but when there are so many exceptions like this, it's no good. Not only the Astrea family trying to put a homeless child on the throne, but also your foolish move to nominate a half-demon for king..."
"---Rickert-sama, it would be best if you corrected what you just said."
A chilling voice echoed quietly through the hall, and Rickert's face, which had been red with excitement, turned pale. The cause of this was the intimidating presence that emanated from the voice - Roswaal, still sporting the same smile, tilted his head in a concerned manner.
"It is a bad custom to call a half-elf half-demon. Moreover, Lady Emilia is still a candidate for kingship - do you know which one is not knowing their place?"
"But even so, I don't think that your claim is wrong. Being qualified to be a Dragon Priestess is not the same as being a person fit to be king. Lord Mycroft!"
Even though he was intimidated by Roswaal's quiet intimidation, Rickert, with sweat dripping from his face, called out Mycroft's name.
"Please reconsider. I have to say that it would be premature to arbitrarily select a candidate for kingship in this situation. What sense is there in merely tracing the shape of the Dragon History Stone...?"
"--Knight Reinhard."
Rickert begged the wise man to change his mind, but instead he called out the red-haired knight's name. The knight responded without hesitation, and turned his fearless face towards the stage, waiting for the next words.
Mycroft touched his long beard, playing with it with his fingertips as if searching for memories.
"You think she is?"
"We can't be sure. The means of confirming this have already been lost. But I'm reluctant to call this a coincidence."
"Then what?"
"--It's fate."
Reinhard's clear answer seemed to move Mycroft, and he closed his eyes.
Subaru, listening nearby, has no idea what the two are saying. The others look at each other to see if they understand, but Al, whose expression is not visible, as well as Ferris and Julius, seem to be in the same state.
The only two who understand each other are Reinhard and Mycloth.
As if growing impatient with the situation, Rickert stepped forward with trembling lips,
"That's just meaningless wordplay! Knight Reinhard, have you even lost sight of the path of a proper knight? That suits you with your clouded eyes, like someone who brings home a vagrant..."
"You are so blinded by appearances that you overlook the important things. It makes you wonder if the loyalty you have shown to the royal family is just a sham."
When Rickert tried to denounce Reinhard with gusto, he was met with a quiet but clear denunciation that was in no way gentle.
Unable to comprehend the meaning of the words that came out of Mycroft's mouth, Rickert had a stunned expression on his face for a moment. The same could be said for the group of civil servants who had supported Rickert, and the same lack of understanding was present in Subaru, who was secretly thinking that it was a blessing to have his pride broken.
Naturally, a moment of silence fell in the hall, but Rickert managed to pick it up and somehow managed to raise his head. Surprisingly tough, his face was pale, but,
"That's strange. You're a bad person, Mycroft. What is wrong with my loyalty or my eyes?"
"Hmm. In that case, I wonder if you'll notice something when you look at Felt-sama."
Hearing Mycroft's testing words, Rickert looked at Felt with a puzzled expression.
Despite being the subject of the conversation, she had been largely kept out of the conversation, and when she received his gaze she made a blatantly displeased expression. The other candidates, who were quietly watching the situation unfold, were doing the same, and only Emilia, who had known her for a long time, showed a faint sense of inner frustration on her face, which made Subaru even more worried.
While Subaru was harboring such misplaced sorrow, Rickert was carefully examining Felt from top to bottom.
"You're still too young to notice things just by watching. There are far more things you need to learn than just ascending to the throne...!"
Rickert was following Felt's instructions and trying to point out the parts that needed to be corrected, but then his expression suddenly stiffened as if he had just realized something, and his eyes widened in shock.
Then he turned his wide eyes to Mycroft.
"Golden hair and crimson eyes--!?"
"Hmm. I see, it's a rare combination of eye and hair color. ーーIn fact, it holds great significance in Lugnica."
When Rickert spoke of the cause of his unrest, the civil servants, who had guessed his meaning, were equally shocked. The only one who didn't get it was Subaru, who lacked the common sense of this world.
Glancing next to him, Ferris and Julius also looked like they understood. As usual, I don't know what Al is thinking, but he doesn't seem particularly surprised.
So for the time being, Subaru doesn't really understand, but he takes a stance as if he does, in order to avoid feeling left behind.
However, Rickert immediately gave an explanation for the parts that I didn't understand.
As if wanting to share his shock with the people around him, he pointed to the felt with trembling fingers,
"Golden hair and crimson eyes - those are the characteristics of the Lugnica royal family. However! How can there be such a strange story! Since the incident six months ago, all of the royal family members have gone into hiding! There is no way there would be an opportunity for us to intrude..."
"---Do you know about the incident that occurred at the Imperial Palace 14 years ago, Lord Rickert?"
Rickert was about to strongly deny it when Reinhard quietly interrupted him.
And then, upon hearing what Reinhard had said, Rickert's expression became even stiffer.
"No way," he said, his voice cracking.
"Knight Reinhard, what you mean to say is..."
"14 years ago, bandits broke into the castle and kidnapped the daughter of the previous king's younger brother, Lord Fordo. The bandits were allowed to escape, and the daughter's whereabouts remain unknown."
"Hmm. It was the incident that led to the dissolution of the former Royal Guard Knights and their revival. I'm sure your family was involved as well…"
"I know information that you shouldn't know. I hope you can figure it out."
In response to Reinhard's brief response, Mycroft simply nodded.
But Rickert's confusion showed no signs of subsiding. He waved his hands wildly,
"That's an extreme statement, no, an outrageous statement. Your daughter, who went missing 14 years ago, had fallen into the slums of the royal capital and was then discovered by chance by you? What's more, you're saying she was qualified to become a dragon shrine maiden?"
Rickert recites the information that has been thrown at him one after the other, then laughs.
「That's ridiculous! That's too far-fetched. It would be much more reasonable if you had found a girl qualified to be a shrine maiden, dyed her hair, and changed the color of her eyes with magic. --I don't think you would have done something so reckless.」
"By the sword."
As Rickert regained some of his composure, Reinhard stood up his sword from the floor, exposing just a little of its blade from its sheath, and then sheathed it with a sound. Then he made an oath.
Rickert roughly scratched his thinning hair,
"...The royal bloodline has already died out, and there is no way to verify whether someone is related by blood. Don't expect anyone to bow down to a name that is merely speculation."
"That is only natural. However, I am convinced that Lady Felt is the one most worthy to inherit the throne. Blood relations aside, that is."
"For someone who is the current Sword Saint, he put a lot of effort into this."
Reinhard's straightforward response made Rickert sigh in resignation. He then looked once again at Felt, who had been on the topic of conversation but had not joined in,
"Aside from being qualified to be a dragon priestess, you come from a slum. And there is also the possibility that you are of royal blood, which was supposed to be lost. The severity of the hardships you will be exposed to is beyond imagination. Are you prepared for that?"
It was a test-like statement, without any hint of provocation.
Considering the flow of the conversation up to that point, it was likely a ritual for Rickert to break away from his own dissatisfaction with her own answer.
Sometimes, even when people acknowledge the other person's worth, they have to choose troublesome methods. Subaru, watching from the sidelines, also patted his shoulders, knowing that this was finally going to put an end to this fruitless argument, but...
"Huh? What are you talking about, old man? I never said anything about being king, so don't just decide that on your own."
Completely ignoring the flow of the conversation up to that point, Felt pouted her lips in disgust and clearly expressed her refusal.
Naturally, everyone in the hall, including Rickert, was shaken. Felt, who had stirred up such a wave of emotion, pointed her finger at Reinhard,
"I was forced to come here from the slums. They wouldn't let me go home even though I told them to, and they hid my clothes and made me wear these frilly clothes. It's more than just annoying, I don't accept it at all."
Felt raised her chin defiantly as she spoke, her shoulders rising and falling, and looked up at Reinhard's tall figure. The red-haired young man stood up and gave a wry smile, as if he was troubled,
"Felt-sama still isn't doing that."
"From my perspective, I can't explain your refusal to give up. You know what? I told you I don't want to!"
"--If we continue dragging on like this forever, it'll just be the most boring story ever."
Felt yelled at Reinhardt, who refused to budge from his position, with an impatient look on her face.
A girl suddenly interrupted the conversation between the two of them - Priscilla, one of the members of the royal candidate camp who had remained silent up until now, had her arms crossed and narrowed her eyes in boredom.
She shook her ample breasts over her folded arms.
"At least in name, the five people necessary for the opening have gathered. Once it begins, those who are not worthy will naturally be eliminated. In any case, the one remaining in the end will be me. It makes no difference whether the other unnecessary people have the qualities of a king or not."
"ah?"
Felt, who was still heated up, responded to Priscilla's rant-like outrage. She shrunk her small body even further and looked up at Priscilla from directly below in thug style,
"I thought you were a woman dressed nicely all this time, but are you trying to pick a fight in clothes that are difficult to move in? I'm famous for being quick on the feet."
"You're so arrogant. Who do you think I am?"
"Ha, so you know..."
Priscilla arrogantly called out to Felt, who had made a rather vulgar threat. Felt tried to laugh it off with her snort, but suddenly her expression became clouded with confusion and surprise.
Felt ran her hands through her golden hair and muttered, "Oh," as she shook herself on the spot as if dizzy.
"--Princess, that is."
The moment the felt was about to collapse, Subaru suddenly held his breath and Al shouted next to him.
He realized that the cause of the change in the felt was his master's doing. And, as a result of his shout, movements began to occur all over the hall.
Reinhardt, moving with the speed of the wind, gently supported Felt's body as she was about to collapse. Then, as Reinhardt moved, Al, with one arm, stepped in between him and the leaning back Priscilla.
Felt's camp and Priscilla's camp were in conflict at a narrow distance. Even outside of that composition, there were several people making movements.
Crusch bent slightly, her hands on her bare hips, in a drawn stance as if she were about to draw an invisible sword. Marcos, the leader of the Knights, who was standing relatively close to the candidates, held out his hand as if to stop Crusch's movements.
One person standing apart from the group of candidates was Anastasia, holding her head and distancing herself from them, saying "Please bear with me," and it seemed she had no fighting power.
After closely observing their movements, Subaru sets his sights on his favorite, Emilia.
She had also moved at the same time as Al's shout, and as she reached out her hand into the void, a faint glow lit up in her palm.
"Excessive interference with sun magic――what are you thinking, using it like this!?"
A faint glow envelops the wobbly felt, transmitting healing vibrations to its body.
Emilia was venting her anger at Priscilla, who looked completely unconcerned about her actions. She waved her hand in annoyance,
"I merely bestowed upon you a small amount of the divine protection I was born with. If that is enough to elicit such a reaction, then it is only natural to know the capacity of that being."
"If you do something wrong, you apologize, right? You won't understand until you've been scolded?"
Emilia, hearing Priscilla's unashamed response, resumed her usual tone and continued speaking. For a moment, Priscilla looked puzzled at what she said, but soon she broke out into a laughing face, unable to contain it. Then, with the expression on her face that had earned her the laughter,
"Oh, this is fun. It's been a while since I've had such fun, I'll praise you."
"You're such an unpleasant child. What are you doing..."
"When you do something wrong, you apologize. So in your case, how about you apologize and say, 'I'm sorry for being born,' you silver half-elf?"
Subaru could feel the shockwave penetrate Emilia's entire body.
Emilia's shoulders shook violently, as if she had received a physical blow. Her resolute expression from before was wiped away, and she forced open her eyes, filled with pain,
"I... I have nothing to do with witches."
"What meaning does such an excuse have to anyone? What meaning does it even have? You are the embodiment of the forbidden existence of the world, and people are terrified just by seeing you. That is why you are so dependent on such a scrap of cloth to cover up your appearance."
As Priscilla piled on with harsh words, Emilia, pale in the face, merely shook her head helplessly. Subaru could roughly guess the content of their conversation, but he didn't know the details inside. And so, there was no way for Subaru to guess the depth of the shock that Emilia had received.
But he knew that she had been hurt unjustly. That alone was enough for Natsuki Subaru to take action. However,
"Princess, can you please stop there? It would be a problem if you increased the number of enemies too much, seriously."
What stopped Priscilla from being tyrannical was the weak voice of Al, who was standing in front of her. Even though his helmet was supposed to hide his expression, everyone could tell that he had a troubled look on his face in a weak voice,
"Especially with the conflict with the Sword Saint, it's going to be a huge problem. Let's just apologize honestly, okay?"
"How dare you, my servant, say something so pitiful. What's wrong with the Sword Saint? You may only be the strongest in this country, but do something about it."
"Not even a minute."
Calmly assessing the difference in strength between their sides, Al quickly raised the white flag and declared that he would not resist. Priscilla seemed astonished by his attitude. And, facing Al, Reinhard and Emilia could not hide their shock and confusion.
However, at the very least, the situation was prevented from instantly escalating into a tense situation.
Although it would be nice to have an opportunity to start afresh, things aren't likely to go from bad to worse anytime soon.
While everyone was racking their brains trying to think of a way to resolve this stalemate――that high-pitched sound, although small, undoubtedly struck the eardrums of everyone in the hall.
"--I hope everyone is satisfied."
The coin he flipped fell into the ceramic ware, drawing everyone's attention to an old, white-haired figure - Mycroft.
He did this without getting up from his chair, looking around at everyone, then his eyes landed on Felt, who was shaking her head after receiving Emilia's treatment,
"Felt-sama, are you okay?"
"...I wonder what will happen. Shit, it would've been awful if they hadn't taken the knife away from me."
In response to Mycroft's concern, Felt continued to behave badly and directed her swearing at Priscilla. Even that sour grapes were reminiscent of a lowlife, but the atmosphere was not one in which that could be pointed out.
Reinhardt gave Emilia a thank you nod, and although she still looked listless, she accepted it with a nod. Crusch relaxed her fighting stance, and Marcos relaxed his body with a look of relief, and finally Al also moved his one-armed shoulder in relief.
Priscilla, who was the source of all this, still had the same bored look in her eyes and it was hard to believe that she didn't show even a trace of remorse, but for the time being the commotion was over.
After witnessing this, Mycroft declared once again.
"Now, regarding the original agenda - the selection of the monarch, I would like to propose that a meeting of wise men be held, with all the candidates present."