After teleporting out of the dungeon, Natsuki Subaru immediately took a fresh set of clothes from his system inventory and changed into them.
His original clothes had been torn to shreds in the fierce battle with the lord, Bluefang Kasaka, and were covered in blood and mud, completely unwearable.
"I didn't expect this trip to the dungeon to let me level up 10 times in one go, directly reaching level 18."
Natsuki Subaru muttered to himself as he straightened his collar.
Although he fantasized that if he could enter the dungeon a few more times, he might quickly reach level 100, he also knew this was just a beautiful delusion.
After all, as his level continued to rise, the experience points required for subsequent upgrades would increase exponentially.
Not to mention, the Mabeast lords inhabiting the deeper areas of the dungeon would only become increasingly terrifying.
The most crucial point was that the temporary dungeon key, being a one-time consumable, had already disappeared after use.
"Since I could get one key from a blessed random box..." Natsuki Subaru thoughtfully rubbed his chin, a glint of anticipation in his eyes,
"Then there will definitely be a chance for a second, and a third."
"At that time, I could level up ten times by clearing a dungeon once. If this continues..."
An image of himself standing at the pinnacle, his strength comparable to Sword Saint Reinhard, appeared in Natsuki Subaru's mind, and an unconscious smile spread across his lips.
"Forget it, now is not the time for daydreaming."
But the next second, Natsuki Subaru suddenly shook his head vigorously, his short black hair swaying, pulling his attention back to reality.
"However, this increase in strength is truly astonishing."
With a thought from Natsuki Subaru, the semi-transparent system panel unfolded before his eyes:
Host: Natsuki Subaru
Level: 18
Occupation: None
Title: Wolf Slayer
Spirit: 86
Strength: 100
Agility: 88
Stamina: 75
Health: 1250/1250
Mana: 2000/2000
Experience: 1188/530000
Allocatable Points: 0
Skills:
Life Resilience, Advanced Dagger Arts, Throwing Dagger, Blessing of the Great Witch God Kandiaru.
......
"Unknowingly, my strength attribute has broken through three digits."
Natsuki Subaru gazed at the striking number on the attribute panel, his lips unconsciously curling upwards.
"Speaking of which, the change in strength is the most direct."
Natsuki Subaru slowly clenched his fist, feeling the power surging through his muscle fibers.
Recalling the pitiful 7 points of strength when he first arrived in this other world, it had now increased more than tenfold.
This visible growth made Natsuki Subaru's blood boil.
Of course, the improvement in other attributes was equally astonishing.
Agility had greatly increased his movement speed and reaction ability, perhaps even surpassing Felt's Divine Protection of Wind.
Stamina endowed him with superhuman endurance and vitality, while the Spirit attribute made his perception of danger exceptionally keen.
This all-around attribute enhancement had already pushed Natsuki Subaru's physical qualities far beyond those of ordinary humans.
Even the naturally strong demi-human races of this other world would probably find it difficult to match his current level of strength.
"At this rate of growth..." Natsuki Subaru narrowed his eyes, a hint of anticipation flashing within them, "it won't be long before I can challenge the Beast of the End, Puck."
"And after that... it's challenging Reinhard..." Thinking of Sword Saint Reinhard, Natsuki Subaru's expression became grave again.
"But, speaking of which, that guy is like this world's favored son, possessing hundreds of divine protections, especially that perverted Phoenix Divine Protection... Not only can he be reborn after death, but he can also continue to obtain the same divine protection after rebirth."
"Hmm... It's still too early to consider these things..."
Natsuki Subaru shook his head, temporarily setting aside this unrealistic thought.
After all, even though he had now reached level 18, he was still insignificant in front of true powerhouses.
Existences like Puck could freeze an entire forest with a flick of their finger, and Reinhard, that monstrous Sword Saint, could even contend with the Witch of Envy who had destroyed half the world.
"The difference in strength is truly too vast..."
"—But as long as I keep leveling up, keep getting stronger... the future will surely hold infinite possibilities!"
......
The evening glow cast a golden hue over Roswaal Manor.
A luxurious carriage pulled by an earth dragon stood quietly on the stone path in front of the gate.
"Hmm? Are there visitors at this hour?"
Natsuki Subaru slightly narrowed his eyes, warily observing the earth dragon carriage before him.
Just then.
An old man with hair like snow slowly emerged from the shadow of the earth dragon carriage.
He stood tall and straight like a pine tree, his white hair meticulously combed back, and his well-tailored black formal suit made him look like a drawn sword.
Although advanced in age, his sharp blue eyes were as piercing as a hawk's, and merely standing there made one unconsciously tense up.
"Hmm?"
Natsuki Subaru raised an eyebrow slightly, calmly looking at the other party.
He could feel the powerful aura emanating from the other person, a unique pressure characteristic of someone seasoned in battle.
However, for his current self, this level of pressure was no longer intimidating.
Their gazes met mid-air, and the invisible clash of auras seemed to make the surrounding air heavy.
"Could this old man be mistaking me for a suspicious person?"
Thinking this, Natsuki Subaru couldn't help to cough lightly and spoke first:
"Ahem... I am Natsuki Subaru, currently Lady Emilia's knight. May I ask your name, sir?"
The old man nodded slightly, a faint smile appearing on his lips, but those blue eyes remained as sharp as a blade:
"That is very polite of you. My name is Wilhelm, and I currently serve the Karsten household, carrying out assigned duties."
"Wilhelm...?"
Natsuki Subaru's brow twitched, his gaze re-examining the white-haired old man before him.
This name immediately brought a wealth of information to his mind:
Sword Demon Wilhelm, grandfather of the kingdom's strongest swordsman, Reinhard, chief steward of the Karsten household, Crusch's swordsmanship instructor, and husband of the former Sword Saint, Theresia van Astrea.
A legendary figure renowned for his robust physique and astonishing swordsmanship, known as the Sword Demon.
"It really is him..." Natsuki Subaru nodded inwardly. "This aura is indeed as reputed."
Wilhelm seemed to notice Natsuki Subaru's subtle reaction, slightly retracting his sharpness, his tone becoming somewhat milder:
"Forgive my rudeness just now. It is an old habit of mine to observe others with a swordsman's eye, not intentionally directed at you."
"Ahaha... I understand, I understand." Natsuki Subaru laughed and scratched his head. "After all, it's natural to be cautious when suddenly encountering a stranger."
"I hope Lord Subaru will not take offense." Wilhelm nodded slightly.
"There's nothing to take offense about." Natsuki Subaru waved his hand, then changed the subject. "But speaking of which, Mr. Wilhelm, what brings you here this time?"
Although he had already guessed most of it, he still feigned confusion.It's most likely related to Emilia's Royal Selection...
"Regarding the specific matters, the envoy is currently explaining to Lady Emilia inside."
Wilhelm's reply was flawless, but those hawk-like sharp eyes never left Natsuki Subaru's face.
"I see." Natsuki Subaru nodded.
At this moment, Wilhelm's deep gaze fell upon Natsuki Subaru before him, and he asked:
"To be Lady Emilia's knight, Lord Subaru must possess extraordinary strength."
"Uh... Well, it's alright, I guess."
Natsuki Subaru responded with some modesty.
His level 18 strength was indeed not weak, surpassing ordinary people, but facing this legendary Sword Demon before him, the outcome of a fight was truly hard to say... after all, they had never actually crossed swords.
Wilhelm didn't reply, merely watching Natsuki Subaru quietly.
Natsuki Subaru, in turn, subtly observed Wilhelm.
Speaking of which, the pressure emanating from Wilhelm was indeed astonishing, but having experienced several life-and-death situations, he faintly felt that this legendary swordsman might not be as invincible as imagined.
He wasn't sure if it was an illusion, but compared to the sky-blotting giant serpent lord, Bluefang Kasaka, in the dungeon, the pressure from Wilhelm seemed... to be lacking a bit?
That suffocating sense of despair didn't appear.Could Sword Demon Wilhelm be weaker than the dungeon lord, Bluefang Kasaka?
"No, perhaps he's just restraining his aura. After all, he is Sword Saint Reinhard's grandfather, known as the Sword Demon, his swordsmanship is superb, his strength should be immense."
For a moment.
The two faced each other, neither saying anything more.
Just as this subtle silence was about to become awkward, Rem's cool voice broke the silence:
"Subaru, you've returned."
She stood in the doorway, her hands elegantly clasped in front of her skirt, her expression calm and dignified.
Different from the gentle image she usually presented, at this moment, she was fully in the state of a professional maid.
After all, there were guests present.
"Rem." Natsuki Subaru nodded in acknowledgment.
"Lady Emilia and the envoy are waiting in the reception room." Rem looked at Natsuki Subaru and curtsied slightly. "Please follow me."
"Understood." Natsuki Subaru turned to Wilhelm, a polite smile on his lips. "Mr. Wilhelm, it seems we'll have a chance to continue our conversation later."
"Please, go ahead." Wilhelm nodded.
Afterward.
Natsuki Subaru followed Rem through the long corridor. At the entrance of the reception room, Rem elegantly curtsied and excused herself.
The moment he pushed the door open and entered alone, Natsuki Subaru's gaze was immediately drawn to the slender figure in the center of the reception room.
It was a "young girl" with flaxen, medium-length hair, and a fringe cut straight across her forehead, revealing a delicate, doll-like pretty face.
But most eye-catching were the pair of cat ears twitching atop her head, and the fluffy tail swaying gently behind her with her movements.
Although her height was similar to Natsuki Subaru's, her slender figure and the elegant demeanor she exuded with every gesture radiated a unique feminine charm.
"So, this is a real cat-eared girl..."
Despite having lived in this other world for a long time, this was the first time Natsuki Subaru had come into such close contact with a demi-human.
The visual impact of those nimble cat ears and fluffy tail made him unable to look away for a moment.Even in different worlds, the moe attribute of cat-eared girls is truly irresistible...
When the cat-eared girl noticed Natsuki Subaru's gaze, she playfully tilted her head and walked closer:
"I say, it's normal to be stunned when seeing a beautiful girl, but staring at Ferris like that is very rude, you know."
"Beau-beautiful girl? Ah, sorry..." Natsuki Subaru came back to his senses, his lips twitching involuntarily. "It's just the first time I've seen such a... special envoy."
Emilia covered her mouth and chuckled: "Subaru, it's indeed a bit impolite for you to stare at a guest like that."
"It's okay~" Ferris nimbly twirled around, her skirt fluttering lightly. "Ferris is used to being looked at like this, meow~"
"Err..."
Natsuki Subaru remained silent, but inwardly he was complaining.Hey, hey, that movement is too natural.From the looks of it, she's completely a cute girl!
However, he naturally knew the true identity of this "young girl" before him—Felix Argyle, a core member of the Royal Guard Knightly Order, and the first knight of the royal candidate Crusch Karsten.
Furthermore, he was the youngest recipient of the Blue title in the kingdom's history, a paramount healing magic master.
At the same time, the most important point was, this was a boy!
That's right, a boy.
A boy even cuter than a girl!
"Subaru, this is Knight Felix Argyle." Emilia smiled and gestured towards Natsuki Subaru, introducing him. "He is here representing Lady Crusch to discuss matters regarding the royal succession election."
"Knight Felix..."
Natsuki Subaru struggled to maintain a polite smile, but his eyes unconsciously darted towards those cat ears.
"Meow meow... Just call me Ferris." Ferris's cat ears twitched deftly, her voice sickeningly sweet. "Knight and all that is too formal, meow~"
"Err... Okay, Ferris, please take care of me."
Natsuki Subaru's gaze was completely captivated by the fluffy cat ears on Ferris's head, his fingers unconsciously twitching, forcefully suppressing the urge to touch them.
The person before him, with a doll-like delicate face, cat ears that twitched with emotion, and that long, fluffy tail swaying leisurely behind...
Every detail exuded cuteness.Indeed, someone this cute must be a boy!!
"Subaru?" Emilia keenly noticed Natsuki Subaru's abnormality, leaned slightly, her amethyst eyes showing a hint of concern. "Your face looks a bit strange... Are you not feeling well?"
"Ah... No, I'm fine!" Natsuki Subaru quickly waved his hand, then, realizing his gaffe, cleared his throat to adjust his expression. "Ahem... I just didn't expect visitors at this hour."
Hearing this, Emilia smiled gently and continued to introduce Ferris:
"Ferris, this is my knight, Natsuki Subaru."
"Hmm?" Ferris lightly tapped her cheek with a slender finger, her golden cat eyes narrowing into a thin line, her ear tips twitching alertly. "Ah—so that's it, you're the boy Lady Emilia has been talking about."
"Eh? You mentioned me... when you were chatting?"
Natsuki Subaru blinked in surprise, his gaze unconsciously drifting to the silver-haired girl beside him.
Emilia immediately became flustered, her fair cheeks tinged with a faint blush:
"Well... I just happened to mention..."
"Meow-hoo-hoo~" Ferris playfully wagged her tail, imitating Emilia's tone, "From 'Subaru went on patrol today' to... 'Subaru has improved a lot recently,' the name 'Subaru' appeared many times in the conversation, meow~"
"...Ferris!"
Emilia blushed to the tips of her ears, flusteredly waving her hands.
"So that's how it is..."
Natsuki Subaru scratched the back of his head, but his lips couldn't help but curve upwards.
Although it wasn't any special praise, knowing he was mentioned so frequently by Emilia still brought a warm feeling to his heart.
"But, speaking of which, meow~"
Ferris's cat ears twitched nimbly, her fluffy tail elegantly winding in front of Natsuki Subaru. She tilted her head slightly, scrutinizing Natsuki Subaru from head to toe.
"You're much more ordinary than I imagined, I don't see anything special about you that would make Lady Emilia care so much, meow~"
"That's right, I'm a thoroughly ordinary person."
Natsuki Subaru spread his hands frankly, a relaxed smile on his lips.
At least, without considering his identity as a transmigrator, he was indeed just an ordinary person.
"However..." Ferris suddenly wrinkled her small nose, her cat ears perking up alertly.
"You seem to have a strange sme..."
Before he could finish, Ferris, without any warning, took a step closer, her delicate face instantly in front of Natsuki Subaru, so close he could almost feel their breaths mingling.
Her fluffy cat tail swayed happily from side to side, but those golden cat eyes sparkled with a sharp light, as if trying to see through some secret.
As the foremost healing magic user in the Kingdom of Lugnica, Ferris not only possessed the innate keen senses of a demi-human but had also cultivated superhuman perceptual abilities through astonishing talent and diligent practice.
At this moment, his sensitive sense of smell caught the unique aura emanating from Natsuki Subaru.
It wasn't the common mana fluctuations found in ordinary people, but a special scent that inexplicably made him feel comfortable and attracted.This is very strange, meow... This feeling I've never encountered before... What's going on?
"Um, Ferris... what's wrong?"
Faced with Ferris's sudden approach, Natsuki Subaru instinctively took half a step back, his body unconsciously tensing.
Because, this distance was simply too close!
He could clearly see his own reflection in Ferris's pupils, and the inquisitive light flickering in those golden cat eyes. He could even smell the faint lavender-like fragrance on Ferris.
___
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