Amidst Subaru's complaints, about a quarter of an hour slipped by quietly.
Roswaal, whom everyone had been waiting for, finally strolled leisurely out of the mansion's main gate.
"You're certainly slow enough. What, are you reluctant to leave this 'cozy' nest of yours?" Tsukasa spoke up first, his voice carrying undisguised dissatisfaction.
He leaned against the dragon carriage, watching Roswaal, who—despite not wearing his exaggerated clown makeup—was still dressed in his signature outfit.
Tsukasa's face was full of impatience. This was the first time he had waited for someone for so long, and even worse, it was for a man.
"My apoloooogies."
Roswaal drawled in his signature long-winded tone, spreading his hands with an insincere smile on his face.
"After all, I haaave to leave Ram to loooook after the house. It will be quite a while before we seeeee each other again, so there are thiiiings that must be addressed, I just had to give a few more instructions. I ask that everyone, please bear with me."
Tsukasa frowned and was just about to make another sarcastic remark, but Subaru reached out and grabbed his arm in time, lowering her voice to persuade him. "Tsukasa, now is not the time to argue."
Although she knew that with Roswaal present, an argument was unlikely, Subaru didn't want to ruin the mood before everyone's departure.
Under her persuasion, Tsukasa just clicked his tongue, said nothing more, and leaned his weight back against the dragon carriage.
The group heading to the Royal Capital was thus confirmed.
Emilia, the candidate for the Royal Selection, her supporter Roswaal, Subaru and Tsukasa, who were accompanying them to retrieve items, and Rem, who was responsible for taking care of everyone's daily needs—a total of five people.
Just as everyone was preparing to board the carriage and depart, Ram walked quickly out of the mansion, carrying a large bag.
Without even looking, she shoved the pile of provisions into Tsukasa's arms, forcing him to scramble in a fluster to catch it.
"Everyone, have a safe journey. Ram will be here waiting for your return." Ram stood still and said clearly.
Everyone nodded in response.
Tsukasa, however, holding the pile of food, couldn't help but ask, "If you're left here alone, can you manage such a big mansion? What will you do for food?"
Ram glanced at him, her tone flat. "Don't you know? Even if a person doesn't eat for three or four days, they won't starve to death."
"You… you weren't planning on eating properly at all, were you?!" Tsukasa immediately caught the subtext.
Before he could continue complaining, Ram suddenly stepped forward, reached out, grabbed Tsukasa by the collar, and pulled him close to her. The distance between them suddenly shortened, close enough for Tsukasa to clearly see every delicate feature on Ram's face.
He was stunned for a moment, his face showing clear confusion.
Ram, however, had no trace of a joking expression. She tilted her face up, her eyes staring straight at Tsukasa, and whispered with unusual seriousness, in a volume only the two of them could hear, "Don't let Rem do anything reckless and the same goes for you. Both of you must be alright, do you understand?"
This sudden, solemn instruction made Tsukasa pause slightly. He keenly sensed that there seemed to be some unsaid meaning hidden in Ram's words.
But Ram didn't give him a chance to ask further. After speaking, she let go, took a step back, and her face returned to its usual indifference, leaving behind only a silent look that said, "Everything is left to you."
With this lingering doubt, Tsukasa was dragged onto the dragon carriage by the impatient Subaru.
The wheels turned slowly, and under Ram's quiet gaze, the dragon carriage carrying the five of them drove away from the mansion, gradually disappearing at the end of the road.
It wasn't until the dragon carriage was driving smoothly on the wide road that Tsukasa and Subaru truly experienced what it felt like to ride in this mode of transport for the first time.
The seats inside the carriage felt soft to the touch, contrasting with the dragon carriage's slightly rugged exterior, and the comfort level far exceeded their expectations.
The scenery outside the window sped past. The road was clearly well-maintained, and the journey was smooth. They neither encountered any bandits blocking the way nor any sudden attacks from mabeasts.
Drawing on her experience from her original world, Subaru estimated the speed to be close to 100 kilometers per hour, yet the vibrations transmitted to her body were exceptionally slight, as smooth as a luxury car.
Subaru pressed her face against the window, curiously observing the rapidly changing fields and forests outside.
Seeing her like this, Roswaal, sitting opposite her, drawled with a smile, "Oh my, is our draaaagon carriage that rare to you?"
Being asked this, a slight blush of being seen through immediately appeared on Subaru's face, and she shrank her neck a little in embarrassment.
Unlike her reaction, Tsukasa sat with his legs crossed, his body stretched out, exuding an air of natural "arrogance" from head to toe.
He asked Roswaal directly, "This dragon carriage itself has magic applied to it, right? Traveling at this speed, if it relied solely on the carriage's structure, Rem, who is driving, would have been blown away by the strong wind long ago."
"Very observant."
Roswaal wagged his finger and explained, "The dragon carriage itself is under a Divine Protection, so there is no need to worry about Rem."
"Divine Protection?"
Tsukasa raised an eyebrow, his face showing a clear look of interest. "Is it a variant of magic?"
Before Roswaal could answer, Emilia, sitting beside him, preempted him with a gentle smile, "That's not right, Tsukasa-san. Divine Protection is a blessing bestowed by the world when life is born. There are many types, and they cannot be generalized.
However, some races are born with specific Divine Protections. For example, the Divine Protection of Wind Evasion that earth dragons generally possess is one of them."
Hearing this explanation, a flash of realization crossed Tsukasa's eyes. He immediately associated it with his Cursed Technique, Limitless.
According to this world's terminology, could this innate ability also be considered a unique form of Divine Protection?
In this light, so-called Divine Protection was merely another name this world had for an Innate Cursed Technique.
"I see."
He nodded, his tone understanding. "I think I understand."
Seeing Tsukasa's understanding expression, a satisfied smile appeared on Emilia's face, as if she had completed a successful explanation.
At this moment, Subaru leaned in, and with a hint of anticipation and uncertainty, asked Emilia, "Then what about me? I should have some sort of Divine Protection, right?"
To be honest, apart from being summoned to another world and meeting the unexpected Tsukasa, she hadn't felt that she had triggered any special abilities so far.
As for her intelligence… that probably didn't count as a Divine Protection, right?
Hearing Subaru's expectant question, Emilia rested her finger on her cheek, revealing a slightly troubled yet still gentle smile.
"Hmm... that's a difficult question to answer."
She tilted her head slightly. "In this world, the vast majority of people are born without any Divine Protection. And those who truly possess a Divine Protection…"
Her eyes looked at Subaru, her tone gentle. "They usually notice it themselves. The power of a Divine Protection often manifests naturally, guiding or protecting its bearer."