"Hey!"
Amidst the simultaneous gasps from Subaru and Rem, the cat-eared girl who was actually a boy made a move that caught everyone off guard.
He suddenly pressed close to Tsukasa, wrapping his arms around his neck, practically hanging his entire body on the tall Tsukasa. Following that, he opened his mouth and bit his earlobe, neither too hard nor too soft.
"Ugh!"
A tingling sensation, like a faint electric current, instantly shot through his body. Tsukasa's body stiffened slightly, and a barely noticeable blush appeared on his face.
He tried to maintain a calm tone, but his voice was deeper than usual. "Whoa... what kind of development is this?"
Although he tried to appear composed, the soft touch so close to him, and the strange, slightly sweet aroma lingering at his nose, made the muscles in his face tense up.
This intimate contact lasted only a moment.
"You! Don't you dare do that to Tsukasa!"
Subaru was the first to react. She even subconsciously mobilized a weak Mana Coverage onto her palm, dashed forward, and somewhat forcefully "peeled" the cat-eared boy named Felix off Tsukasa, her voice laced with obvious anger.
Although Rem nearby didn't speak, her tightly pressed lips and sharp gaze clearly expressed her displeasure.
Looking at the slightly flushed Tsukasa, and the visibly angry Subaru and Rem, Felix, as if having successfully played a prank, contentedly licked his lips and commented, "Hmm... your reactions are all so cute."
Changing the subject, his gaze fell back onto Tsukasa, and his tone became inquisitive. "However, I still need to talk about the main thing. It's just like the rumors say. The mana inside you is like a bottomless ocean. Just getting close makes me instinctively scared."
Upon hearing this, the three immediately understood the true purpose of her eccentric behavior—it was a bold and direct test.
Just as Subaru was about to reprimand him, Tsukasa raised a hand to stop her. The familiar, slightly lazy smile returned to his face.
He looked at Felix, his tone gentle, yet subtly carrying an unmistakable warning. "I suppose I enjoyed your special service. I'll treat this test as though it never happened. However..."
He narrowed his eyes slightly. "You can't do this again next time, okay?"
"I know. Felix won't do it next time." Felix gently bit his pinky finger, apologizing in a seemingly obedient manner.
However, he seemed like he wanted to say something more.
"That's enough, Felix!"
A low, authoritative reprimand came from behind her.
Felix, who had intended to continue teasing Subaru and Rem, instantly wilted, like a cat grabbed by the scruff of its neck, and muttered, "Old Man Wil is seriously too old-fashioned, completely lacking a sense of humor."
"Even if it is true, such rudeness towards a guest is unacceptable."
Wilhelm turned towards Tsukasa and the others, and bowed solemnly once more.
Although Felix still looked reluctant, he quickly changed his mood. He winked at Tsukasa, Subaru, and Rem.
"Sorry, although I'd like to play with you all longer, we're out of time today, nya. If I don't hurry back to my beloved Crusch-sama, I'll be so worried I won't be able to sleep tonight."
"Crusch..."
Tsukasa repeated the name softly, quickly associating it with one of the Royal Selection Candidates Roswaal had mentioned.
Seeming to notice his contemplation, Felix spoke again. This time, his voice lacked its previous flippancy and was filled with complete seriousness.
"It doesn't matter if you don't know now. But please remember, Crusch-sama is certain to stand at the pinnacle of this nation."
Hearing this, Tsukasa merely smiled faintly and replied, "I hope so."
Afterwards, Wilhelm bowed in salute to everyone present once more, then lightly jumped back onto the dragon carriage driver's seat.
Felix took one last look at Subaru, his gaze finally locking onto Tsukasa, leaving him with a meaningful look before also boarding the dragon carriage.
"Giddy up!"
Following Wilhelm's hearty shout, the dragon carriage slowly started, eventually driving away from the mansion gate and disappearing at the end of the road.
—
On a forest road far from the Roswaal Mansion, an Earth Dragon Carriage was traveling at high speed, its wheels making a rhythmic sound as they rolled over the ground.
Dense tree shadows rapidly receded past the carriage, forming a green curtain.
"Has your duty as the emissary been completed?"
Wilhelm's steady voice from the driver's seat carried into the carriage on the wind.
Holding the reins, his movements steering the Earth Dragon appeared effortless and relaxed.
"Of course. When has something entrusted to Ferris-chan by Crusch-sama ever failed, meow? Old Man Wil, you just worry too much."
Inside the carriage, Felix leaned halfway out, his flaxen hair gently fluttering in the wind.
His face wore its usual playful smile, but there was a hint more seriousness in the depths of his eyes than usual.
On this rapidly moving dragon carriage, their conversation became the most difficult private talk to eavesdrop on.
"More importantly..."
Felix's tone suddenly became subdued. "For that one instant just now, I truly thought I was going to lose my life. Thinking about it now still gives me the shivers, nya."
The image of Tsukasa's smiling lips and that seemingly easygoing but subtly sharp warning flashed through her mind again.
Others might have just taken it as a joke, but Felix, who was at the center of the remark, truly felt the immense pressure.
Wilhelm's gaze remained focused on the road ahead, his voice low. "That young man... the sense of coercion he gives off is extraordinary. If I had to compare, he probably wouldn't lose to Reinhard."
Even he couldn't definitively say who would win if Reinhard and Tsukasa were to fight.
He looked up at the blue sky, as if recalling the past, and quietly added, "If I were in my younger days... perhaps I could still fight him."
Felix looked at the contemplative Wilhelm and changed the subject, "But I didn't notice anything special about the girl named Subaru. If she fought you, how much of your strength could she force you to use?"
Wilhelm answered almost without thinking, "Thirty percent... I would probably need to use thirty percent of my strength."
"In that case, that young girl's strength is quite impressive."
Felix tilted her head, the image of Subaru's slightly shy yet determined gaze appearing in her mind.
Hearing this, Wilhelm showed a meaningful smile, his hand gripping the reins remaining steady.
"Indeed, they are both figures who cannot be underestimated."
His gaze looked toward the road ahead, and his expression became solemn. "We must report this matter to Crusch-sama as quickly as possible."
Hearing this, Felix did not respond but muttered to himself, "Just how strong is someone that 'Sword Demon' Wilhelm van Astrea calls a powerhouse?"
Following the steady footsteps of the Earth Dragon, the dragon carriage continued forward on the forest road, and their conversation gradually faded into the wind.