Conversation (Part One)
"It is truly a great discourtesy. My name is Otto Suwen. I serve as Lord Reinhild's assistant."
His expression was so tense it seemed like it might make a sound, yet the smile he showed was extremely pleasant.
The young man, who introduced himself as Reinhild's assistant, had gray hair and blue eyes.
Over his ordinary clothes, he wore a green overcoat and a green hat that would likely invite misunderstandings from modern people. He looked about one or two years older than Subaru.
He was slightly shorter than Subaru, with a long, thin face and rather fine features.
"I'm Natsuki Subaru. Nice to meet you."
Subaru shook Otto's hand. For some reason, Subaru found Otto especially likable.
Guided by Otto, the two of them proceeded along and finally arrived at a massive dining room.
The dining room had a huge long table, crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling—typical of the European aristocratic style.
Several servants were setting out various foods on the enormous dining table.
If there was anything odd, it was that most of the dishes were those Subaru personally liked.
But more than the lavish food, Subaru's attention was captured by a red-haired girl standing by the window, gazing outside.
"Sorry, I was a bit distracted. Are you okay?"
Even though Subaru had instinctively lowered his footsteps, the girl still noticed him from several meters away.
At that instant, Subaru caught a flicker in Reinhild's expression.
Driven by curiosity, he quickly walked up to her and glanced in the direction of her gaze—but there was only a dragon carriage driving away.
"I'm completely fine now. But..."
"Let's sit and talk, shall we? Mr. Subaru, your wounds have just healed, so don't overexert yourself."
It was Otto who cut into their conversation.
Noticing Otto's gaze, Subaru became convinced that the loneliness he saw momentarily in the girl's eyes was real.
Yet Otto, through his actions, was telling him [Don't pry].
"But there's something I want to ask you. Um… do you remember me?"
The strength that almost crushed his shoulder disappeared, and Reinhild's expression became puzzled—then turned apologetic.
"Of course. The great debt I owe you, the great debt you owe this kingdom, and the fact that you sustained a fatal wound because of my immaturity—these three things, I will never forget for the rest of my life. Please tell me how I can express my gratitude, Subaru."
Being addressed by name by Reinhild made Subaru relax his shoulders in relief.
Then, noticing he was called by his first name by a girl, Subaru, perhaps having confirmed his own feelings, became uncharacteristically shy.
"Um, just having the top healer Ferris treat me is enough thanks. If you really want to show gratitude, then just smile for me."
"That's completely insufficient. Ferris's healing only compensates for my mistake. It doesn't count as true gratitude for what you did. Subaru, you don't understand what you've done, right? It's a bit complicated, so let's go with the custom of your homeland—let's sit down, eat, and talk. Apologies, but could everyone else please step out?"
"Yes, Lady Reinhild."
Everyone in the dining room bowed and exited in perfect order.
Reinhild then sat across from Subaru.
Having eaten nothing but a cup of instant noodles since the day before, Subaru hesitated slightly before skewering a piece of unidentified animal sashimi, dipped it in some sauce, and popped it into his mouth.
"Whoa!! Even better than I imagined. It wouldn't be weird if it literally glowed from how good it tastes!"
He devoured dish after dish with vigor. Subaru voiced his heartfelt thoughts.
"I only heard a bit about your homeland's cuisine while on the road, so even with the 'Divine Protection of Gourmet,' I wasn't confident. I'm glad it suits your taste."
"You made this... HOLD ON A SECOND!!! You mean this entire table of food was made by you personally!?"
Subaru leapt up in excitement, pointing at the dishes on the table.
'Reinhild wearing an apron... Reinhild cooking... Reinhild the perfect wife...'
"What's the matter? Something wrong? Your face looks really red."
"It's nothing. So, about that 'debt to the kingdom' you mentioned earlier—what was that about?"
Subaru cursed his overactive imagination for the first time.
To prevent Reinhild from noticing, he hurriedly shifted the topic to what Reinhild had originally said was important.
Reinhild also put down her chopsticks and straightened her posture.
"Alright, let's return to the original topic. First, Subaru, do you know the current state of this country—The Kingdom of Lugunica?"
"You mean the country currently has no king, and the royal bloodline was wiped out due to a plague?"
"Exactly. At present, the kingdom is run by the Council of Wise Men. Each of them comes from prestigious families that have left significant marks in this country's history, so the administration itself has no problem. However—"
Reinhild paused here. Her expression turned extremely somber.
"—A kingdom without a king cannot exist forever. The very system of this nation is starting to collapse. The people are growing restless."
"That makes sense."
Subaru nodded in agreement. Even if it's just a figurehead, a leader is necessary.
A leaderless organization cannot last long.
This fact becomes even clearer when applied to a nation.
"I see. I'm starting to get the picture.
So, this kingdom is falling into a chaotic royal selection crisis because it has no king.
Maybe it's also closing off from foreign relations.
Then, out of nowhere, a mysterious foreigner—me—appears. That's super suspicious!
Hey, I won't get hauled off for questioning by immigration, will I?"
"You mean, like being eliminated for entering the country secretly? No need to worry about that.
Our country isn't that barbaric.
Besides, I've already started the paperwork for your residency permit. Once that's done, you'll be considered a subject of House Astrea."
"Alright, let's continue. First, let's talk about Lady Emilia..."
"Hold up."
That's right. From earlier, there was something Subaru had been wondering about.
"Why… does Rein-chan add 'sama' after Emilia's name?"
That's right—if at first, Subaru didn't understand Rein-chan's status and power, it would've been one thing.
But now that he fully understood—House Astrea being a founding noble family with a 400-year history, and practically having authority equivalent to holding nuclear weapons in another world—Reinhild's honorific toward Emilia was downright alarming.
"It's only natural to use honorifics for someone of higher status. Lady Emilia is one of the royal candidates for the throne of the Kingdom of Lugunica."