I wonder what kind of good stuff I can get from the Blessed Random Box this time? With a burning gaze, he looked at the golden, glowing box on the system interface. The first two times were dungeon keys, so maybe this time too... He reached out, about to retrieve the precious item—
"Subaru-kun, breakfast is ready."
Rem's gentle voice came from behind him, like a soft morning breeze brushing past his ear.
Subaru's movements paused slightly. With a mental tap, he temporarily dismissed the translucent system interface. Right, breakfast is more important. I can open the box later...
He turned around. In the morning light, Rem stood under the courtyard corridor, her short blue hair swaying gently in the breeze. Her sky-blue eyes, reflecting the vast morning sky, were staring at him, slightly lost in thought.
"What's wrong? You keep staring at me," Subaru asked, walking over to her.
Rem tilted her head slightly, carefully studying him before speaking slowly. "Subaru-kun... you feel a little different today."
"I do?" Subaru subconsciously touched his own face, then put on a playful grin. "Did I get even more handsome?"
"Subaru-kun has always been handsome," Rem replied without a second thought, the morning light dancing in her blue eyes like starlight. "But... it's a different feeling. You seem to have... a more steadfast aura, one that makes people want to look up to you."
Subaru's heart skipped a beat. He realized that, having just changed his class to Shadow Monarch, he might not have fully reined in the pressure that came with the job. He reached out and playfully ruffled Rem's hair, the silky blue strands slipping through his fingers, carrying the faint scent of jasmine. "It must be because Rem likes me so much that you're seeing things," he teased. "But still, to be looked at so intently by such a cute girl..."
"Subaru-kun, you always say such troublesome things..." Rem lowered her head, her fair cheeks turning a visible shade of red that quickly spread to the tips of her delicate ears. "But... a Subaru-kun like this is... even more handsome than usual..."
"Huh?" Subaru was momentarily taken aback by her sincerity.
The flustered girl looked even more adorable. Before he could figure out how to respond, Rem lifted her head, sunlight dancing in her gentle blue eyes. "It's because Subaru-kun is always like this. Just when I think I understand you, you always show a new, surprising side. A Subaru-kun like this... it really makes me want to keep my eyes on you forever."
Her voice was soft yet firm, a faint smile on her lips, as if she had more to say.
"Subaru! Rem-chan!"
Just then, their breakfast gathering was interrupted. In the main hall, Emilia was chatting happily with Frederica and Otto. Seeing the two arrive, Frederica immediately gave an elegant curtsy, while Otto waved enthusiastically.
"Subaru-sama, breakfast is ready."
"Morning," Subaru nodded in response, curiously sizing up the trio. "What are you all talking about that's so much fun?"
"Lady Emilia has been telling us all about how reliable you are, Subaru-sama," Frederica said, covering her mouth with a light laugh. "She told us so, so much... so I'm waiting with the utmost anticipation, you see."
"Anticipation?" Subaru raised an eyebrow. Emilia was... praising me in front of other people?
"W-Wait! Frederica!?" Emilia instantly panicked, her elven ears twitching nervously. She shot to her feet, her cheeks flushing bright red. "N-no, that's not it! I did mention you to Frederica, but she's exaggerating..."
"I can testify..." Otto immediately chimed in. "Lady Emilia did say that Mr. Natsuki is a heroic figure who should not be underestimated."
Betrayed on two fronts, Emilia's face turned completely red, right to the tips of her ears. She covered her burning cheeks with her hands, but couldn't resist peeking at Subaru through her fingers. Her flustered appearance was so cute it made one's heart skip a beat.
"Dammit!" Subaru looked at the embarrassed Emilia and stomped his foot playfully. "Why couldn't I have been here to hear Emilia-tan say those things in person?!"
"H-How could I say something like that to your face! It's too embarrassing..." Emilia stomped her foot in frustration and turned to Frederica. "That's enough, Frederica, don't say any more!"
"My, my~" Frederica giggled, her gaze shifting between the flustered Emilia and the grinning Subaru. "The old Lady Emilia would have just played dumb to get through it. This honest side of you is much cuter."
"This is so lively for so early in the morning~"
Just then, a green point of light condensed in mid-air, gradually forming into a small silhouette. The palm-sized grey cat-spirit appeared with an elegant gait, his long, fluffy tail swaying gently. Puck rubbed his sleepy eyes with a paw and greeted the beet-red Emilia. "Morning, Lia."
"Good morning, Puck," Emilia replied softly.
The little cat-spirit floated gracefully in the air. But as his gaze casually swept over Natsuki Subaru, his emerald-green pupils instantly constricted into thin slits, his fur standing on end. As a Great Spirit of Fire, hailed as the Beast of the End of the Permanent Frost, Puck now felt a tremor of fear from this ordinary human boy.
It was like facing an endless darkness in the dead of night. Though he couldn't see any threat, his instincts were screaming alarms.
How is this possible... how could a mere human give me such a dangerous feeling? Puck narrowed his eyes, carefully studying the boy. Subaru's every expression and action were no different from usual, even the way he joked was the same. But Puck's four hundred years of experience told him something was different. It's only been one night, yet he gives me a sense of... apprehension?
But this pressure... Puck flicked his tail and decided to press down his doubts for now. He landed lightly on Emilia's shoulder, his soft paw pads making no sound. As a Great Spirit who had lived for over four centuries, he knew exactly what this kind of intuition meant.
"Puck, why are you so quiet today?" Emilia sensed the change in the spirit on her shoulder and turned her head in concern.
"Nyah I'm just enjoying this beautiful morning" Puck immediately switched to a relaxed tone, affectionately nuzzling Emilia's cheek, though his gaze remained locked on Subaru.
"See!" Subaru immediately puffed out his chest proudly. "Even Puck says so! Looks like I'm exceptionally handsome today!" He said, stepping closer to them.
The instant the distance between them closed—
Puck's fur stood on end completely. It was a danger warning etched into the soul of all higher beings, as if the person standing before him was not the familiar boy, but some... ancient, terrifying existence that could threaten the very being of the Beast of the End.
And yet, the feeling vanished as quickly as it came, so fast that Puck almost thought he had imagined it.
There were more important things to deal with right now. "Lia, I'm hungry~" Puck immediately adopted a spoiled tone. "Is there strawberry cake for breakfast today? The three-layered kind, with honey and fresh strawberries on top."
"Puck, you little glutton..." Emilia smiled helplessly, her slender fingers stroking the cat-spirit's small head, her eyes full of affection. "Rem specially prepared your favorite three-layer strawberry cake, and even added double cream, just like you asked."
"Yay~!" Puck wagged his fluffy tail happily.
No one noticed that as they walked to the dining room, Natsuki Subaru's black shadow, cast in the bright morning sun, seemed several times deeper than usual...
After breakfast, the group sat around the table.
"Speaking of which, we have to set out for the Sanctuary today," Subaru said, pretending to inquire. "Frederica, you should know the exact location, right?"
"I have a lot of questions I'd like to ask Roswaal in person, too," Emilia said, looking up at Frederica. "So please, Frederica, tell us where the Sanctuary is."
"Frederica-senpai does indeed know the location of the Sanctuary," Rem added softly.
Frederica sighed, her golden eyes sweeping over their faces. "Although Lord Roswaal instructed me to keep it as secret as possible... I truly cannot bear to see Lady Emilia so insistent. And to hide it from the three of you would indeed be improper." She finished with a meaningful glance at Natsuki Subaru.
"Um... I'm actually here too, you know..." Otto, whose presence was not weak, timidly raised his hand.
"To hide it from the three of you would be improper," Frederica repeated, her face unchanging, completely ignoring Otto's protest.
"She's not going to correct herself at all!" Otto said with a dejected face, but no one paid his grievance any mind.
"Before that," Frederica began, "may I be so bold as to ask, have any of you heard Lord Roswaal speak in detail about the Sanctuary?"
"I've never heard him mention it," Subaru said, feigning ignorance and shaking his head.
"I only know bits and pieces..." Emilia said, tilting her head. "I just remember it's a secret base a few hours away from the mansion, used as an emergency shelter. And Roswaal once said that it's a place I must one day visit... I didn't understand what he meant at the time."
"I have only heard that it is a very important place," Rem added.
Of everyone gathered in the living room, only Natsuki Subaru knew the truth of that place. That mysterious domain, shrouded in multiple barriers, was on the surface a sanctuary for mixed-blood demi-humans. In reality, it was the tomb of the Witch of Greed, Echidna. And it was also the center of the chessboard that the clown, Roswaal, had so carefully arranged.
The Sanctuary... In the reflection of his teacup, a cold smirk touched Subaru's lips. Even knowing it was a trap, he had to go to rescue the half of Arlam's villagers being held there.
He silently clenched his fist, feeling the power of the Shadow Monarch surging within him. With the stats of a level 60 and the abilities of his new class, he had absolute confidence he could crush Roswaal and all his pathetic schemes.
He was no longer a pawn to be manipulated. In his eyes, Roswaal's little tricks were nothing more than a clown's clumsy theatrics.
____
Unfortunately, two of our stories were removed... so I created a new account to post them: MikuDayo.
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