Chapter 55: . Coming to the training ground.
[ [ "Greetings, members of the Sage Council. First, please allow me to apologize for my belated arrival. My name is Natsuki Subaru! I am a manservant at Roswaal Mansion, and the First Knight of this Royal Candidate—Emilia-Sama! Please remember me and treat me with appropriate care." ] ]
.....
~Inside, the Theater~
"Ah, as expected, a situation I didn't want to see has occurred. It's so embarrassing, I want to find a crack in the ground and crawl into it."
Felt said.
"That's why I'm so afraid of situations like this. I was worried Subaru would act recklessly and cause trouble."
Emilia spoke.
"When a beloved member of the opposite sex is treated unfairly, and one wants to uphold justice and express oneself… While I can understand it, nya, from the perspective of others present, Subaru's actions are really…"
"A perfect clown."
Ferris was about to say something, but then Priscilla sharply interjected.
"And he even said 'made up my mind' or something. Does the boss really think he's cool…?"
Even Garfiel felt that the boss's behavior was very inappropriate.
"Actually, there was still a chance to salvage it, right? When asked about his identity, he could have said he was a servant of Roswaal Mansion, an actor in this performance showcasing Emilia's strength. Always explained his foolish behavior as a performance. But now, it seems there's really no chance to salvage it…"
Otto said.
"This 'Green Commoner' reminds me. A clown is at least a professional jester who gets paid, but that guy's actions are even worse than a clown's."
Priscilla smiled.
"What does 'Green Commoner' mean…"
Otto muttered softly.
"Lady Priscilla, please mind your words. Subaru-kun also did this for Lady Emilia."
Rem suppressed her anger, looking sternly at Priscilla.
"You bitch dog who killed your beloved but still isn't loved by them, yet follows them like a lapdog, you…"
"Ah, ah, Princess! Look, look, something even more interesting has appeared!"
Al gestured exaggeratedly, interrupting Priscilla's speech, and hastily pointed at the screen.
"Blue-haired lady, let me tell you more interesting things about our world, don't be angry, don't be angry."
Then Al quickly pulled Rem aside.
—
[ [ "Roswaal, Mathers… Who is he? And where is Lady Emilia's true knight?"
Miklotov asked Roswaal.
Indeed, no one would believe such a noisy guy was a knight.
"Ah, he's a somewhat ignorant chi—ld… And unfortunately, unlike other candidates, Emilia-Sama currently has no trustworthy knight. Although this worries me, ho—wever, even so, it's not possible to just let anyone be a kni—ght. Especially for a knight who might become king in the future, it's even stricter. The qualification for a First Knight is—loyalty to the master and the strength to protect the master's safety. The master will strive to become king, so he must possess some spe—cial ability to pave the way for the master." ] ]
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~Inside, the Theater~
"How should I put it, could Roswaal have known about the boss's special ability all along?"
Garfiel noticed that Roswaal, on the screen, elongated his words when he said "special ability," as if on purpose.
"I kno—w, I knew from the very beginning. That's why I was confident in setting so many challenges for Subaru, because as long as it's not an absolute dead end, it can definitely be solved. But the only thing I didn't kno—w was that death was the activation condition; I thought it was an active ability."
"You've been hiding everything from us before, so why are you answering everything now?"
Garfiel asked with a frown.
"Because there's no point in hiding it anymore. Who kno—ws in which loop I told Subaru everything. Once it's told, it can't be hidden, and it will be revealed sooner or later anyway."
Roswaal laughed.
"Then next…"
Yuriusu frowned.
—
[ [ "…That's enough, Roswaal, Mathers." On the screen, Yuriusu said loudly.
"Please forgive me for interrupting you. However, there's something I absolutely want to ask him."
Yuriusu bowed elegantly, then looked at Subaru.
"You don't need to be so nervous. I'm just asking one question, and then it'll be over."
"Do I look nervous? Then, to help me relax, how about asking tomorrow and forgetting about it now?"
"If you truly claim to be Lady Emilia's knight, then please do not act like a clown."
"…What do you mean?"
"It means exactly what it says." ] ]
.....
~Inside, the Theater~
"Uwah, the boss didn't realize he was acting inappropriately; he seemed to think it was cool…"
Garfiel said.
"At that time, many knights seemed displeased. After all, their glorious status, obtained through immense hardship, was being claimed by an unknown clown. In the eyes of knights, it was like an insult. Subaru probably didn't realize how important 'knight' was in the eyes of knights. It was inevitable for Yuriusu to be angry."
Anastasia said.
"…"
Yuriusu was silent.
At that time, part of my anger might have been true, but there was also a bit of envy and admiration.
To boldly protect and directly pursue a beloved master like that…
Although my first encounter with him was unpleasant, one thing must be said: I didn't dislike him from the start.
Therefore, to protect him, to prevent him from retaliation by other angry knights, to quell the anger of other knights, he needed…
—
[ [ "That's enough, Subaru." Emilia said softly.
In the previous scene, Subaru and Yuriusu engaged in a verbal battle, though it was more like Subaru's unilateral insult towards Yuriusu… no, towards knights, and Yuriusu's powerful counterattack, leaving Subaru speechless.
"I apologize for wasting everyone's time. I'll have him leave immediately."
Emilia bowed in apology, trying to forcibly lead Subaru away.
"Some parts could also be considered meaningful time, Lady Emilia. At least he proved that you are not the half-elf feared by the world—you have a good attendant." Miklotov said.
However…
"He is not my attendant."
And so, Subaru left. ] ]
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~Inside, the Theater~
"Subaru....."
From another perspective, my words "He is not my attendant" must have hurt Subaru, right…?
Emilia thought.
"What did that mean?"
Felt looked at Emilia, hoping that the words weren't a complete denial of Subaru.
"What I meant then was that Subaru, as my benefactor, could not possibly be merely an attendant…"
"That's good, then. I was worried that this would create a rift… Ah, no, it seems a rift was created."
"…If you lament your powerlessness so much, then I think you should make a certain choice."
"Why you…"
—
[[ A while after Natsuki Subaru was forcibly removed, the ceremony ended, and Yuriusu found Subaru.
"I truly hope you don't show such disgust. Although I don't expect to be welcomed, if you show such an attitude…"
Yuriusu said to Subaru.
"What if I show it?"
Subaru responded unhappily.
"The character of those with you will also be questioned. You must be very careful."
"Ugh…"
"Then, I came to see you. I want you to accompany me somewhere, what do you think? The place is the training ground. The purpose is—to show you reality, how about that?" ]]
.....