Shout Out Your Ideal...!

Chapter 12 - Shout Out Your Ideal...!

"You want Aaron to what?!"

Emilia howled at Roswaal, eyes wide, with a face conveying a mixture of anger and disbelief. She even went as far as to stand from her seat just to make sure the man could understand how much she disapproved of such a thing.

"The Royal Selection, huh?" I murmured while leaning back in my seat, trying my best to sound as nonchalant as possible.

It was a few hours since my first encounter with Priscilla – Ugh, just thinking about that woman made me cringe – and now we were in a small meeting after dinner, enjoying the ice cream Rem had made for us.

After we had separated from that woman, Emilia had demanded an explanation, which I provided. I informed her of how I was enjoying my time alone in the city, seeing the sights before that woman had come along to ruin my relaxation.

Seriously, I should've just jumped from the top of the gate before she had the chance to approach me. I wouldn't have gained this headache if I had.

Needless to say, Emilia was not taking it well. It was somewhat strange actually, in the idea that I'm not nearly as ignorant as Subaru, and even openly admit that I dislike Priscilla.

I could only come to one conclusion regarding her behavior.

Emilia is jealous.

…

Yeah, you heard me correctly, she is jealous…

What? I may not be the brightest person, but I'm neither dense nor stupid. With signs as obvious as this, of course I had noticed.

Having a little sister certainly helped to recognize the signs, Angelica was quite possessive wither she knows it or not.

However, I do not mean jealous like a lover. No, like I had related Emilia to Angelica, Emilia brooded and pouted much like my sister when I spent more time with our cousin.

No, I'm not in denial; I have a perfectly logical reason. I mean, this is Emilia we are talking about.

I could accept it if it was Rem, whom has a much more mature outlook, but Emilia? The Emilia who didn't know what love was, who was in reality just a child before she froze both herself and Elves nearby regardless of how mature she looks. Emilia, who didn't even know what a date was and left all her dressing and attire to Puck to choose instead of choose herself. Emilia, who didn't understand how head-over-heels Subaru was for her – and he wasn't even discreet about it – and even after he kissed her she still didn't understand what happened.

So yeah. Emilia had a long way to go before she could begin with the concept of romance.

Speaking of romance, if I recall correctly she thought she would become pregnant by kissing.

…

I'll have to address that later. She is hundreds of years old, but doesn't even know what the birds and the bees is, or even how basic biology works. I'll ask Rem to handle it, she would be the best for explaining it to Emilia. There's no chance I would ask Ram. God, the image she would paint of me while explaining it…

Speaking of Rem, that was another problem. I'm not nearly blind enough to miss the obvious affection and preferential treatment she gives me.

I'm… not quite sure what to do about that.

It was clear that in Arc Two, Rem began to fall in love with Subaru after he made her open her eyes and begin looking forwards. The same thing happened here, with my own methods of accomplishing it, but our relationship was very different when compared to the one between her and Subaru.

I could tell that right now, Rem is placing me in the same role as her sister, a role model, someone who is used as an example to strive towards. I don't mind that, I truly don't as that was my intention in the first place. I didn't want to start a romance, and aimed for Rem to see me in the same standing as her sister.

An older sibling…

Recently, however, that affection seems to have changed. Or maybe it was me being paranoid, or perhaps overconfident, even as embarrassing as that is to admit.

Hopefully it was one of those, and Rem still regards me like a sibling. It would be quite awkward if she viewed me as a love interest. Even if I didn't intend to date her, Rem is still a beautiful girl, one that I'd love to have as a girlfriend if I was on my world, but…

I'm not.

"-on! Aaron!"

"Hmm?"

I blinked, broken from my thoughts as Emilia's voice reached my ears. I turned to stare at the half-elf who leveled a scowl at me.

"You weren't listening, were you?"

"Nope." I admitted openly. "Sorry, I was just thinking about something. What did you say Emi?"

Emilia's frown deepened, as she crossed her arms across her chest. "You're not actually going to attend the Royal Selection, right?"

It wasn't phrased as a question. Her violet eyes practically dared me to answer yes, and learn what she would do to me in response. They promised I would pay a price if I answered incorrectly.

"While it is indeed and interesting event," I chose to phrase my words carefully, I didn't want to anger her any further "And I would love to attend, if there is no good reason to come along, than I won't."

That was true. The Royal Selection was interesting event, a gathering of five women where one would become the Queen of Lugnica. It sounded quite… fantastical and magical. A historical moment. I was also curious how Roswaal would handle things, seeing as I was very different to Subaru who charged ahead and let his emotions control him. He would likely provoke Emilia to get Puck to appear in a show of power.

It wasn't much, and couldn't be blamed I suppose. Emilia was in a bad position to begin with after all.

It would be interesting to see how it goes, but… I don't think it's necessary for me to attend. My goal was to be discreet and to evade unnecessary attention, though it may already be too late for that, given my reputation after the skirmish with Elsa.

In any case, I think showing my face to the public would not be a smart move, at least without a solid reason.

"Why would you want me to attend The Royal Selection Rose?" I asked, getting straight to the point.

He had suggested I accompany them to the capital in the first place, the reason behind such a suggestion being suspicious in certain ways. However, now he comes out and blatantly suggests this without any obfuscation, where he could have attempted it more slyly?

This was out of character for him.

"Hmmm, I juust want to invitee you to thee making of a moment in history you knooow?" Roswaal remarked with a smirk. "This iiis the beginniiiing of a legend, surely it will be a sight to behold."

Technically, he was right. Any normal class citizen would feel honored to even be invited, let alone play witness to the events to come.

"Aaaand there alsoo a few peoople that you need to meet theere. They aaare the one's who are working on our littleeee project."

At the mention of 'project', I watched Emilia's scowl lessen as she began to seem uncomfortable. I could only narrow my eyes and give Roswaal a sharp look.

The project to create 'Whack A Mole' was under Emilia's name. Everybody who knew of it was informed that it was her idea and that she suggested it to Roswaal.

Emilia didn't like that of course, as it was my idea originally. In the beginning, we were going to use Roswaal's name, but the clown has shifted it to Emilia's to help her popularity rise amongst the populace.

Regardless of how she protested, Emilia knew she needed this. She absolutely needed the popularity if she planned to ascend the throne and win The Royal Selection.

At least she knew how to brush aside her personal feelings should the need arise.

A sign of her maturity? No, it was a sign that she understood exactly how harsh the real world is, she had firsthand experience after all.

"I'm suuure there will be a few nobles who will want to taaalk with Emilia-sama about iiiit. While Emilia-sama has learned and been taught everything about the project, things could stiiilll go wrong."

"And if things go wrong, people would be suspicious." I concluded what he was conveying with a sigh. That was admittedly a good reason for me to be present "So you want me to act as a backup and assist her."

"Yeeees, Emilia-sama will suuurely be more cooomfortable in youur presence as well. Having a frieend by your sideeee will doo that." Roswaal replied.

I stared at him as I mulled over his words. He was an excellent liar. No, that's incorrect. It was the truth, but he concealed his real intentions behind it. He speaks the truth, but he doesn't mean them specifically, while he hides his goals behind paths that just coincidentally coincide with them.

Using the truth to hide intentions…

This man…

I am a good liar, but even I would have to admit my skills improved rapidly while conversing with this clown, loath as I am to admit it.

The position he's put me in isn't a good one. Throwing around the word friend while being perfectly aware of Emilia's issues with the subject.

While it is true that I have plans to make Emilia more independent, I also plan on leaving her eventually. I have no intentions of always solving her problems for her.

But she isn't ready. Not yet. Emilia, for all her strengths remains a fragile person. I have her trust, but if I rejected this it may be seen as me putting more trust in her, or it could be seen as a betrayal.

If I messed this up… Then everything I worked for this far could go back to zero.

"Ohhh, and did I mention there will be freee food there?" Roswaal added with a grin "Food madeeee by the best chef in the castle? It was to be a buffeeet."

Buffet? Made by the best chef in the castle? I narrowed my eyes at him again while crossing my arms. "If you think you can bribe me with food –"

"Aaron-sama, you're drooling." Rem cut into my words, the amusement laced in them as clear as day.

I blinked, reflexively bringing my hand up to my mouth. My hand came away dry, while I turned to level my glare at Rem who tried to suppress her giggling.

"Very funny Rem." I deadpanned while she gave me an innocent look, while I caught Emilia smiling despite the situation. Eventually, I let loose a sigh while rubbing my temple with my hand. I didn't have a lot of choices here "Emi… you really owe me for this. If I ask for something in the future you better be ready."

"Eh? Eh?" Emilia seemed confused at my words for a second before her eyes widened in shock as she processed my comment. She waved her hands "Aaron! You don't have to do this, you've helped me a lot and–"

"Emilia, you're my friend, I already said that." I rolled my eyes at her "Don't hesitate to ask if you need my help. Even if you didn't ask, I'll still help anyways."

She fell to silence after hearing that, her hands dropping to her sides while her hair shadowed over her eyes. She was silent for a few seconds, prompting me to tilt my head curiously at her sudden change in demeanor.

"Aaron… you helped me like this… because I'm your friend… right?"

"Yes."

"… Then, if it was Rem and Ram…"

I see. So that how it is, I think I knew where this was going now.

"Yes…" I responded stoically.

"I see…" Emilia's face slowly raised, her hair parting to show her smiling face.

And I felt my breath freeze for a moment.

Her smile… it was so radiant, so bright, so…

Beautiful

I felt my cheeks begin to warm as I turned away, not wanting Emilia to see my face heat up. What the hell was that? Some kind of flag trigger or reward? I mean, I know Emilia is beautiful – I couldn't deny that – but that was…

"Hmmmm."

Unfortunately, while turning away from Emilia I managed to point myself directly at Roswaal, who seemed more then amused judging by the grin on his face.

"I'm going to pull out your teeth if you keep looking at me like that." I remarked with a glare, not even bothering to be polite.

I hate this damn clown.

Do you remember the feeling you get when first entering an amusement park? I don't mean small time ones, I mean places like Universal Studios, Disneyland, Lego Land. Places that show fantasies and dreams from fictional worlds.

Remember the awe? The astonishment? Those feelings?

That was what I experienced as I stepped into the castle alongside Emilia and Roswaal, the former standing between us. We were clad in our classic outfits, Emilia in her white dress, save the long white hood, Roswaal in what looked like magicians attire from a classic show, and me in my armor.

The Throne Room was massive and while not the biggest I've seen, the design left me speechless.

The red carpet, golden colored stairs, the elegant red throne placed in the center, the various ornaments placed upon the walls.

The anime clearly did not convey the true majesty of this place. Seeing it in person made me truly understand exactly where I was. Similar to how I saw the full-view of the Capital yesterday.

My eyes fell to the crowd and the people that made it. They were separated into two types, one I recognized as the Royal Guard of Lugnica judging by the uniforms that bared as resemblance to Reinhard's, with the addition of white capes. They all stood to the left, forming groups and chatting amongst themselves.

They were immaculately clean, with an aura of confidence. As expected from the Royal Guard.

The second group however…

I'm… not sure how to put this.

You remember Harry Potter? Remember the plain black cloaks that belong to Hogwarts? Now imagine that cloak, and underneath it is an outfit similar to a Japanese school sailor uniform. The color was black with the tie a shade of purple, while the skirt was longer enough to reach below their calves. The male version had simple long pants with loosened sleeves to resemble a clown's pants.

It was frankly ridiculous in my opinion, and the rainbow of hair colors was not helping.

No wonder no one gives Roswaal strange looks for his attire, they themselves are in clothing just as weird…

I think the peasants had much better taste in clothing then the nobles. They at least need to change their formal attire, instead of the eyesores they currently are.

I noticed there was a few members of the… Councilmen or perhaps Sage Council? There were a few members of the Sage Council that were already present, only one or two. They had dressed in uncomfortable looking formal robes, and I can only thank the Gods their attire was not like the nobles.

"I suppose this is where we part ways?" I asked to Roswaal and Emilia.

"Yeees, Emilia-sama needs to be in the center." Roswaal said with a nod.

"Aaron…" Emilia seemed nervous, very nervous. Even if she had opposed the idea of me being here in the first place, her eyes now pleaded for help.

In response, I took one step towards her and raised my hand to give her a pat on the head. "You will be fine." I said softly as I smiled down at her. I was taller, after all "You are a great person Emi. You just have to believe in yourself and do what you think is best. I believe in you."

Emilia's eyes widened, staring at me for a few seconds before her face conformed to a beaming expression of joy.

"Yes!" She replied with a smile, determination clear in her violet eyes.

"Excellent then." I turned to Roswaal "Where should I be waiting?"

"Just stand with the knights." Roswaal answered while gesturing to the aforementioned group "The Selection will begin soooon. We will probably taaalk about our project after this is dooone."

I nodded to him, before turning to Emilia who gave me a nod as she glanced towards Roswaal. She moved to center while Roswaal turned to join the nobles.

My eyes drifted to the center, where I could see two women already present. One had green hair in an outfit resembling a military officer from Shinsengumi, from Kenshin, while the other had purple hair and was clad in a white dress with a fur hat.

I couldn't see their faces due to the distance, but could easily tell who they were. Crusch Karsten and Anastasia Hoshin.

"Aaron-san? Is that you?"

A new voice reached my ears, as I turned to see a familiar red haired man looking at me, forming a smile as his blue eyes recognized me.

"Reinhard." I replied to his question.

He approached me with a nod, his blue eyes gleaming in a friendly manner "It has certainly been a while, hasn't it Aaron-san?"

"Indeed it has, how have you been? And please, call me Aaron. I believe we are past that phase."

"If you say so, Aaron." He chuckled "And to answer your question, I've been alright. How about you?"

I shook my head with slight amusement "Same as you. How's our little spitfire princess been?"

Reinhard blinked once, before an understanding look crossed his face. "Well…" He gave me a smile, this time a little strained "It was quite difficult. She truly is a spitfire alright, though I would liken her more to the wind, free and untamed."

"Ah, I can understand, and her sharp tongue can be compared to the wind of Vollachia Desert."

We both shared a small laugh over the joke. Reinhard then shook his head before turning his gaze to the center of the room "But still… Felt-sama is someone who while great and has spirit, is a fighter at heart." His blue eyes shone with a mysterious light as he said this.

I followed his gaze to the center where, much to my surprise, saw Felt standing there, chatting with Emilia.

What? If I recall correctly, Felt was supposed to arrive last. In the manga and the anime, she did… and there was the incident where Rom broke in and…

"You seem surprised by Felt-sama's presence." Reinhard commented, prompting me to turn to him and see his knowing smile "I wouldn't blame you for that. It was quite the challenge to convince her to come here in the first place." He let out a sigh as if remember past trauma "If not for Rom-san, I doubt she would have agreed to become a candidate in the first place."

I blinked, once, twice, "Rom?"

"That old giant raised Felt. I explained the situation to him after giving him the money you left him, after which he seemed adamant in following me to make sure Felt-sama remained safe."

"I see…" I murmured, expression thoughtful as I rubbed my chin.

Another thing that changed from how I act, and not once did it cross my mind.

"Though I'm under the impression you also have a sharp tongue Aaron." Reinhard said with a teasing smile "If Felt-sama is like the wind, perhaps you resemble the flame?"

I let out a small snort "I wouldn't deny that statement, it is after all a part of my charm, no?"

"It would be useful in taunting or provoking someone, I'll agree." Reinhard chuckled "By the way, are you here as Emilia-sama's official knight?"

"Hm? No, I simply accompanied them since Roswaal asked me too." I answered "Just between us, you could say I'm also here as Emilia-sama's emotional support."

"Is that so?" Reinhard let out a hum while rubbing his chin thoughtfully "Somehow I can imagine you in that role." He said, appraising me.

"I'm not sure if that was a compliment, but I'll accept it anyways out of politeness."

"Nyo, Reinhard, Hello!"

We both turned around to meet the feminine voice greeting Reinhard, and for the first time I found myself questioning my romantic choices.

Seriously… The one that called out to Reinhard was cute, I mean really cute. Even downright pretty.

The individual standing in front of me had flaxen hair evenly cut to shoulder length, decorated with a white ribbon, framing a pair of big yellow eyes that shone with a curiosity similar to a cat. Disregarding how the cat ears that twitched added to the charm. A elegant white cape and uniform, signifying their allegiance to the royal guard like Reinhard.

This person was without a doubt… cute. Seriously, I would love to date this person and wouldn't even hesitate to ask…

If only they didn't have a penis.

"Ferris." Reinhard greeted the pretty boy with a smile.

"Ho, ho, ho, I heard you had found the Fifth Candidate. Would that be true nyo?"

"Yes, I have. Though I wouldn't have found her in the first place had Aaron not given me a clue." Reinhard gestured to me while shooting me a look of appreciation.

Hmm, that's right isn't it. If I recall correctly, it was only because of me that Reinhard recognized Felt as a Royal Candidate. He wasn't present when Felt touched the insignia and had it glow, and had I not said anything…

Once again, another thing I missed. This will definitely have an impact on future events. Tsk, I need to look back to everything I've been through and think of any other changes I've inadvertently made.

"Nyo? Aaron?" The catboy turned to me with a curious look, his big eyes scanning me from top to bottom "He's cute, even better looking than you Reinhard."

I know I shouldn't feel flattered and all, but… By Gods, I was beyond horrifying to enjoy that praise. Gah! I'm a straight guy damnit! No offense to them, but I love women!

In my defense, Ferris or Felix, is a girl in all but the lower region… And I mean it. I had met transgendered people that could be categorized as 'pretty' but there would always be a touch of masculinity to their faces that even bad looking women would be considered more feminine then them.

But as I see Felix now…

Gods… He is a Girl! And I truly mean it. He really, really, looks like a girl. He looks exactly like one! It! It… It… It was surreal! And to think he had male genitalia…

Ugh!

"I know I'm beautiful, but to be stared at like that… Nya!"

Felix' embarrassed squeal broke me from my thoughts as I found myself staring at the catboy whom had moved his hands to his cheeks, and – Good Gods was he blushing?!

Men shouldn't react like that! God damnit! I didn't know who was responsible for bringing me here, but I bet they were laughing their ass off right now!

"Pardon me for staring." I apologized, trying my best to sound calm while clearing my throat "I am Aaron Pendragon." I said as I offered my hand.

Felix took my hand and pumped it with a cute smile "Call me Ferris-nyo."

"Aaron here is the one who drove off Elsa Granhiert from the Capital. It was thanks to him that for the first time, she was unable to claim a life when she was sighted."

"Hoo, really?" Ferris seemed to be looking at me in a new light "So it was you that Reinhard was talking about nyo!" He stated while looking me over from multiple angles.

"You give me too much credit Reinhard." I said with a small sigh "If I recall, Elsa decided to retreat only after seeing you. You were the one who drove her off."

"True, but even had I not appeared I'm sure you would have been able to beat her." Reinhard remarked with a grin "I give credit to those who deserve it, don't be too modest Aaron."

"Hmmm that must be true, Aaron-kyun." Aaron-kyun? What in Akasha's name… "Reinhard might be kind and gentle, but he's always been honest about that sort of thing." Ferris said with an appraising look "And I can't say I don't believe him, after meeting you nya."

I could only shake my head in an exasperated manner, before something clicked in my mind. What Ferris had said moments ago… "Did you tell everyone about my feat?" I asked Reinhard.

The red haired man blinked once before shaking his head negatively "If you're asking if I told everyone your identity, then no. I've only mentioned what you did. I had a feeling you didn't want to attract attention to it." He gestured to Felix at his side "I told Ferris this because I assumed you were ready to tell everyone, since you're here." He adapted a sheepish expression "Or do you still wish it to remain a secret?"

"Too late for that nya." Felix chimed in with a grin "Blackmail material!"

"Ferris!"

"I'm kidding! I'll keep it a secret if you want, but if Crusch-sama asks I'll tell her the truth."

As Reinhard and Felix moved to their own conversation, my mind began to put the puzzle together after hearing that explanation. If my identity was still unknown, why did Roswaal say the Anastasia wanted to meet me?

…

Clever clown, Anastasia didn't want to meet me. She wanted to meet the person who beat Elsa Granhiert. She still didn't know it was me, and that meant Roswaal hadn't talked to her specifically, he likely heard it as a rumor.

And by doing that, he could force me to come to the Capital since a Royal Candidate wanted to meet me. Technically, he hadn't lied; he just didn't speak the exact truth as it were.

He truly is on a different level to be able to hide things like this in plain sight…

"You're a knight of Crusch Karsten then, I presume?" I asked, cutting into Reinhard and Felix' conversation.

"Yup!" Felix chirped. "How about you Aaron-kyun?"

"I'm simply a guest to Roswaal L Mathers right now." I answered. "I'm currently still training to become a knight."

"Training?" Felix' cat ears twitched and it took everything in me not to gasp at the cute sight. God damnit, this is so unfair! "I've never seen you in recruitment nya. Surely someone like you would be known among us."

I quirked my lips upward at that "I did not serve Lugnica if that's what you're implying." I said to the catboy, who blinked "You could say that I am… self taught, in a way. I am currently without a master to serve."

"A Master-less knight nya? Interesting." Felix said with a hum "You could come to the Karsten household if you wanted, I'm sure Crusch-sama would be interested in meeting you."

"So would Felt-sama." Reinhard injected with a smile "I'm sure she would be happy to see you again."

"I'll think about it later." I said, letting a small chuckle slip by "In the meantime, we-"

"Ah, there you are!"

I felt my blood freeze when I heard a familiar voice coming from behind me. My eyes moved to catch a certain orange haired beauty marching towards me with her companion by her side.

Oh Gods, no. Just no. We're in public! In front of nobles and knights, surely she did not just-

"Hmph, to think you would be waiting for me at my destination. That's quite admirable Aaron, as expect from my knight." Priscilla commented aloud, to the point in which a few nobles and knights glanced her way.

Oh, I forgot whom I was talking about. This was the woman who demanded all nobles bow to her feet. Why would I expect any less from her.

"A-Aaron." Reinhard called my name with a troubled look "Why do you have such an ugly expression?"

I didn't know what my face currently looked like, but I'm positive it was a very ugly look for Reinhard to comment on it. Even Felix blinked in disbelief on seeing it.

"What's with that ugly face?!" Priscilla snarled with an enraged expression "I told you yesterday to never use that face in front of me! Insolent knight!"

"Still in training to be precise." I couldn't help but interject before sighing heavily. Gods, this was why I never wanted to reveal myself to the public, especially near this woman "And I am not your knight Priscilla-sama. You already have Al."

"Ah, I'd call myself more of a caretaker then a knight." Al corrected with a chuckle "Hime-san, as much as I'd like to her you two converse, isn't it time for you to take the center?"

Priscilla turned to Al and shot him a glare. Regardless, the helmeted gladiator didn't seem fazed, prompting the orange haired woman to let out a small 'hmph' before turning back to me.

"This isn't over, not even close. You will be mine, Aaron Pendragon."

I stared at her impassively, but inwardly felt a chill run down my spine. Despite her beauty, there was something that made me extremely wary of her. In the manga, she was described as having an aura similar to a poisonous flower.

That description couldn't be truer.

"Hmm, the Princess has really set you in her sights." Al remarked from my side "Aaron Pendragon, right? I don't believe we were properly introduced yesterday, you may call me Al."

"Aaron Pendragon." I replied stoically "My sympathies, you have face a lot of trouble by her side."

"Ha! That couldn't be more true." Al laughed, not even trying to hide how troublesome that woman was "But, there are times that make it worth it."

Despite having his head covered by a helmet, I couldn't help but feel him leveling an intense gaze at me. I felt like I stood in the presence of a veteran beast, one that had survived and emerged victorious in many battles. One that was so close to the brink of death that he evolved from a worm to a tiger.

And that would be true, given this man's history. He had been in this world for eighteen years, continuously fighting alone as a gladiator in the harsh country of Vollachia, where the motto was 'Soldiers should always be strong'.

If he had come from Subaru's world, then he must know of the Pendragon name. Arthur Pendragon was a name known by almost everyone, regardless of where they resided.

I shook my head before turning to Reinhard and Felix who were observing our interaction with curious looks.

"Aaron, you know Priscilla-sama?" Reinhard asked.

"Unfortunately, yes." I deadpanned "And please, do not ask. It's a long story and I don't want to remember it."

It was then that I noticed another knight standing nearby Reinhard and Felix. He had a handsome face, yellow eyes, and light purple colored hair, arranged in a neat style. He seemed to have noticed my stare, and gave me a polite nod.

I returned the gesture politely. I could only recall one knight with such hair.

Julius Euclius…

Or is it Juukulius? I would go with the former, it sounded better then the latter.

"Everyone in attendance!"

A loud and strong voice resonated through the hall, silencing all those still talking to each other and demanding their attention. I turned to the source to find a large man, facial features locked in a stern expression, light green hair cut short and blue eyes glowing with indomitable strength.

"The members of the Sage Council are about to make their appearance! The Royal Selection is about to begin!"

On cue, the door near the throne opened and the Sage Council began to make their appearance one by one.

Hmm, how would I describe them?

They looked exactly what you would expect from an anime council.

They all looked very similar to each other, not so much in facial features but in the way they dressed and conducted themselves. They were all dour men and women, dressed in uncomfortable looking robes with solemn expressions. They looked over us as they began to sit.

And so it began… The event to decide the future of this kingdom…

Long ago the King of Lugnica, King Farsale Lugnica made a covenant with the God Dragon Volcanica. Since then, the kingdom has been guided and prospered with the Dragon's help.

The Dragon History Stone, which has guided us in time of need since the covenant was established, has had a new prophecy carved into it.

"When the Covenant of Lugnica is severed, a New Leader will Guide the Country."

"From Five chosen Maidens, One shall become the new King and renew the covenant with the Dragon."

The Lioness…

"Do you all have no shame?!" Crusch Karsten bellowed out in a strong voice towards the audience, her amber colored eyes practically shining with power.

"Crusch-sama!" One of the Sage Council yelled in response, face an expression of rage "Even if you are one of the chosen, you are overstepping your bounds!" He said with an apoplectic glare to the green haired woman "To insult the covenant and the history of our kingdom is unforgivable!"

The audience agreed, I could hear the low whisperings of malcontent. The nobles seemed especially offended by her comment. Some even appeared shocked and betrayed, as if she had thrown their ideals to the ground and stomped upon them.

"I'm sure I've mentioned that I have acknowledged our last prosperity. The Karsten house did benefit from it, after all." Crusch responded, remaining still, strong, unyielding in the face of harsh words and judgment "This country has become too dependent on the covenant and has subsequently become weak! Can you claim that we are ready for the events The Dragon Stone doesn't tell us?

"Dependence gives birth to stagnation, and stagnation brings about corruption. Corruption eventually will bring destruction. This is how I see it!"

She had a point, a very good one in fact. That would be the exact way to describe this kingdom currently, after all.

I had never seen the Dragon History Stone directly, and the information on it was limited at best. Rem had explained so already during our sessions.

Roswaal was something else. I'm sure he knew about it, he had been research for four hundred years on how to kill the dragon. However, I'm sure that if I asked him I wouldn't get anything close to a straight answer.

"If we would die out without the Dragon, we should become the Dragons ourselves!" Crusch bellowed out, her amber eyes shifting between members of the audience to assess their reactions "When I become King, I will make the Dragon forget about our covenant! Lugnica does not belong to the Dragon! It never has! It is but ours! Us, the people of this kingdom!

"There will definitely be hardships. However, I plan to live my life according to my choices. I'd prefer if the people of the kingdom did the same. Live with the paths we make with our hard work, sweat, and blood. That is all I wish to say."

Crusch Karsten from the Karsten House. A house that has been close to the Lugnica Royal Family since the very beginning, even before the pact. She stands above others regardless of her age, and through hard work and talent, managed to even become the head of her household already. Succeeding her father and even surpassing him.

Lioness.

That was what had crossed my mind the moment I saw her take the stage, declaring her beliefs and ideals to the nobles and knights that stood before her ready to condemn her for her choices.

Yet she remained strong, showed no weakness and remained full of confidence. Perhaps Lioness was not the correct term.

A Lion…

That was the best animal to compare her to.

Saber would have been proud to call this woman her ally. As someone who inherited her skills and counterparts body, I could claim this with full confidence.

Still… she could have phrased it better. While what she said was true, it was too direct. Sometimes the truth isn't the best option.

I expected no less from her though, with her Wind Divinity. It was clear she held a firm grasp on truth, and honesty. What she had said was true, but it could have been phrased much gentler. Alas, this will give the impression of Crusch being a dictator, not to mention that a lot of people view Volcanica as a God in this kingdom.

And with her practically claiming that she planned to cut this kingdom away from their God…

It was Heresy. Sacrilege.

That was what Crusch had just committed to.

Still, it was a better to say it aloud in the first place. While the truth may not always be the best option, the results speak for themselves.

An honest kingdom is a good one, after all.

Dangerous

"I walk the path to Royalty! Because the Heavens themselves wish it so!" Priscilla Barielle declared without the slightest hesitation. She showed a confidence that surpassed even Crucsh's "The world is full of things that go my way, after all! Therefore, I'm the most worthy to be King! No one else is competent enough! All you need to do is be obedient to me!"

Short and straight to the point.

Reading it in the manga and seeing it in the anime is comical, but seeing it in person like this? She seriously has an ego problem, and I'd be the first to admit it if asked.

Even now I could see nobles gaping in disbelief at her demands, their dignity forgetting in the face of this woman's gall.

However, as loathe as I am to admit it, that declaration is not baseless.

Dangerous

That would be the best way to describe Priscilla Barielle.

I get my data on the Royal Candidates from Roswaal directly. He gave the information to me two days ago, after I detonated his Whack-A-Mole prototype. I had only fully read up on her last night, in preparation for today.

Seven men, all nobles married to Priscilla, and all of them had ended up dead, with their lands falling to her hands. No solid evidence exists of Priscilla being responsible for the deaths, but it is highly suspicious.

Priscilla Barielle has never harmed her husbands, not even once.

All of them had fallen victim to alternate causes; Illnesses, Assassinations, Backstabbing, Political Enemies, etc.

All while Priscilla Barielle had stood to the side, watching, and doing nothing to help.

And for the lands that had fallen to her, had all prospered. Seven different lands, all of them under her rule now successful.

This woman had high luck, but that wasn't all. She was sharp, sharper than most people.

The anime had portrayed her as similar to Gilgamesh from Fate/Stay. It couldn't be truer. For all of his arrogance, Gilgamesh was smart. He was cunning, sharp. The only reason he lost was due to his arrogance, and the so called 'power of love' or whatever.

"Priscilla-sama, what would we gain by obeying you?" The representative of the Sage Council, Miklotov McMahon asked.

"That's simple." Priscilla used her fan to wave herself "Being obedient to me means you're on the winner's side. I will allow you to have anything you desire."

There was one problem though. Her attitude and the way she spoke was clearly not gaining her favor. She really knew how to quickly make herself the most hated woman in the room.

"There might be a problem with how she's phrasing it." Al chimed in, coming to the defense of his mistress. That was how she could solve her problem, with Al by her side "But what she's saying is true." He directed it at the Sage Council "You know, don't you? About how much Jii-sama – I mean, Mr. Leip's land has improved."

" , Priscilla-sama's husband correct?" Miklotov asked.

" just recently passed away the other day." Marcos Gildark, Captain of the Royal Guard responded dutifully "Priscilla-sama subsequently took over all internal affairs, and brought unprecedented prosperity to their lands."

And that makes eight. If that wasn't ominous, I didn't know what was.

If I correctly recall the name Leip, I believe he had a history with Wilhelm. Friend or enemy? I suppose it didn't matter anymore, he was already dead.

"Exactly." Al snapped his fingers in a 'aha' moment. "Don't misunderstand though; she's not doing it for the sake of others. She's in it for herself." He paused to let the audience understand his words "She's a genius at guessing, that's her skill. Her guesses are perfectly accurate every time. I don't care who you side with personally, but wouldn't it be better to side with the winner as soon as you can? That's all we have to say."

Not Normal

"I'm Anastasia Hoshin." She said with a smile, while spreading her arms to the audience "And I will inform you of my resolve to be the King of Lugnica."

The purple haired beauty raised a finger, and adopted a lecturing pose with an indulgent smile upon her face. Her blue-green eyes gleamed with a benevolent light.

"I don't have a grand ambition like Crusch-san, and I don't believe that I'm the chosen one like Priscilla-san." She stated with a kind voice "However, there is one thing I have to say." Her smile widened, gaining teeth "I'm greedier then the others.

"I was once the servant of a trading company. I scored one day when I voiced my opinion on how things were done. My boss was satisfied with the results and I gradually moved up the totem pole with my success.

"I kept scoring, and scoring, and my boss became even more satisfied. Eventually I earned enough to begin forgetting my poor past."

Her smile slipped from her face, turning to a thin expression, eyes that once glowed now dimming.

"I was supposed to feel relived. Instead, I felt poorer than before."

"…and why was that?" Miklotov inquired.

"As my connections grew, so did my desires. That's the scary thing about greed. I want this. I want that. This, that, this, and that. Even after I had gained so much, I still was unsatisfied."

The remnants of light left her eyes, and emotion was no longer to be spotted in them. They were truly blank, hollow. Like the eyes of a doll, lifeless.

"More. More. More. More. And more. Before I knew it, I was the chairman of the Hoshin Trading Company, one of the leading powers in Kararagi but even that didn't satisfy me. Even from that level of achievement, I wasn't able to feel sufficiently satisfied. I felt nothing, I still feel like I need more, I needed something more.

"And by that, I meant something bigger, something much, much bigger, than anything I had ever had. Something that was extraordinary; beyond normal. Something that couldn't be owned by just anyone on the world."

She opened her arms again, similar to embracing a lover. Her eyes were clear again, as if they weren't dead to the world seconds ago. And with an angelic smile, she turned to the audience and smiled with the love of a mother looking down on her child, before saying;

"I wanted this kingdom."

Not Normal…

That was the only way I could describe Anastasia Hoshin. I would dare to say she bordered on the inhumane right now…

The way she said 'more' ran a chill down my spine. Despite knowing this woman was a defenseless civilian incapable of harming me directly, I couldn't help but feel wary of her.

It was at that moment that the scope of wrongness about this woman truly hit me. There was something, truly wrong about her. She herself said she should have been satisfied, that she was supposed to be.

Any normal person would have, if they shared her accomplishments, but her…

She felt nothing.

That wasn't normal…

I doubt there was any who truly understood as much as I did, most people would miss it by way of it being too obvious.

However, judging by the narrowing of Reinhard's eyes, it seems I wasn't the only person who understood. He at least knew that something was wrong with her, as I had realized myself.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get it out of my head just how strange she was… She was –

"I have no reason. I stopped him because I just wanted to save her."

My blood ran cold when I realized exactly why this seemed so familiar. The image of a young man with brown-reddish hair smiling with broken eyes ran through my head as I felt my eyes widen. I stared at Anastasia in a new light.

Distorted.

This woman who stood on the stage and talked to us…

She was distorted. There was no other explanation.

But why? What had caused her to break? I tried to recall if anything had happened to her in the past before…

Greed.

"Echidna." I wheezed out in low voice, my eyes wide and I stared at the broken woman. I felt my fist clench without my control.

There likely nothing wrong with Anastasia in the first place, but the artificial spirit created by Echidna was close to her. Too close, if this was the results. Unlike Beatrice, this artificial spirit behaved, sounded like, and even spoke like the real Echidna.

The Witch of Greed. A Sociopath of a woman, unable to feel anything. One that wanted to experiment on Subaru ruthlessly. A true researcher that could be considered a monster amongst the other Witches, excluding the Witch of Envy.

"Aaron?"

I felt a hand grab my shoulder. I turned to see Reinhard looking concerned for me.

"Are you okay? You're looking a little pale." He asked me.

I closed my eyes and did my best to take a few breaths. My pounding heart didn't seem to want to stop that easily though. I tried my best to level my tone before stating "I'm fine Reinhard. Just an unpleasant memory."

He didn't seem convinced. "Is that so.." At the very least, he didn't pry for more details "If you are feeling sick, I can escort you out."

"No, I'm fine. Like I said, just an unpleasant memory." I shook my head to clear it "No need to worry. Some simple illness isn't enough to take me down."

Reinhard's lips tugged upwards in a slight smirk "If you say so."

As I turned back to Anastasia who had finished her speech, I couldn't help but feel conflicted on what to do about her.

If she was a normal, ambitious person, I could deal with her easily. However, if she was distorted like Shirou…

Let's hope not. I don't know if I can deal with her if that was the case.

"I will destroy this kingdom!"

I tried. I really tried, but after seeing the way she stood proudly while proclaiming her intention, it was a little too much.

"Excuse me?" A truly baffled Miklotov asked.

It wasn't just him with that reaction. Almost the rest of the audience, Sage Council included had taken to staring at Felt as if she had grown a second head in front of them.

My defenses faltered.

I coughed to hide my snickering, trying my damnedest not to lose it right here. It would be quite uncouth to be seen doing that, and I wasn't trying to imitate Subaru.

"I want to destroy this kingdom." Felt repeated while adopting the expression of one who taught slow children.

"What Felt-sama is trying to say, is that she intends to rebuild the kingdom." Reinhard finally cut in, bless his heart. He seemed unfazed to his mistress' crude words.

"What he said." Felt nodded, before crossing her arms "Let me tell you this." She pointed at herself "I am from the slums." She declared without a hint of shame.

Gasps rose from the nobles ranks, even a few of the Sage Council seemed surprised. Of course, they had good reason. Someone from the slums was not whom you expected to be included in a Royal Selection.

No one had known about Felt in the first place. No one had known of her background before now, seeing as she had only been found a short month ago by Reinhard. I expect with him on guard it became increasingly difficult to gather any information on her.

"This is a joke!" One of the nobles sneered at her. "I've overlooked this because of the direness of the situation, but this I too much. For someone from the slums to be in a gathering of royalty! Unacceptable!"

"You should stop using that face you ugly, old man." Felt retorted with a dull look, her nose wrinkled in disdain "Your sneer makes me want to puke."

"E-Excuse me?! I don't want to hear that from a rat like –"

"Are you hard of hearing? I said you're face is so ugly, Hakugei would probably get sick from eating you. Seriously, what is with that hairstyle and trash-stache? Eww!"

The aforementioned ugly noble could only gape in a stunned manner, before he turned red like a tomato. I could tell he was only a few steps away from exploding, judging by the eyes glaring murderously at Felt.

Oh my god.

I let out another cough, trying desperately to keep quite. By Gods, now I know why some people found anarchy hilarious. It was really fun watch people get their just desserts.

"Aaron-kyun are you okay? Nya." Felix called my name "You're coughing an awful lot."

"I-I'm fine." I said, my shoulders trembling "And don't ask questions you know the answer, Ferris."

Felix' lips twitched and his ears flapped once, his face in an eternal expression of innocence. How very cat like of him. His twinkling eyes gave him away though "I don't think I know what you're talking about~."

Liar!

"Everyone, please. Settle down." Miklotov's voice cut through the chatter of the audience "Allow Felt-sama to finish please. Reinhard, would you mind explaining in more detail?"

Reinhard nodded to the old man before continuing "I understand everyone's concern with Felt-sama. I took her into protective custody from the slums approximately a month ago. Coincidentally, I was also able to confirm she was a Royal Candidate at the time." He paused to let his words sink in "I feel as if this were fate. That this person would be capable of becoming the next King of Lugnica."

"But still, to come from the slums?" The same noble from before clearly wasn't giving up without a fight.

"So what if I'm from the slums?" Felt asked while narrowing her red eyes at him "Are you jealous someone from the slums got chosen by the Insignia? Well you shouldn't be. Someone like you with that stick up your ass wouldn't have been chosen anyways.

Oh, burn.

I really liked her. She had quite the tongue on her. Perhaps I should go to her side and leave Emilia's, not even mentioning I would be on Reinhard's side. However, if I went with her, I wouldn't be able to find a way home.

Haah, what a cruel world I'm living in.

The noble looked well past the point of snapping now. His face had skipped blue and turned purple, he was probably going to –

"Please be quite, you trash." Priscilla suddenly cut in, halting the noble in his tracks.

"W-Wha?!" He gaped again, before try to continue "P-Priscilla-"

"You are being a bother now. I want to hear the rat speak but you keep interrupting." Priscilla cut in coldly "Shut your mouth before I stitch it shut for you."

"I agree with Priscilla-san." Anastasia chimed in. She shot the noble a disapproving look. "In Kararagi we have a saying; 'Time is money', yet you insist on dragging this out."

"Agreed. We are here to hear the Royal Candidates resolve, our rival's resolve. Not to listen to you whine." Crusch glared at the man. Her eyes dared him to continue.

The noble seemed to wither and shrink in on himself. He lowered his head under the combined glares, and didn't dare look in Felts direction.

About damn time.

"Hmph, can I continue?" Felt snarked, before moving on when no one made a complaint "I hate the nobility." She gestured to the group on her right "I hate the knights!" She gestured to the whole room. "I hate this kingdom! I hate everything about it!

"The nobles, all you care about is yourselves, so you let others suffer just so you can feed your already fat stomachs! You don't even think about those you step on in your ignorance! You hate them because they're poor, but you're the ones who made them that way, you damn hypocrites!

"And the knights! Ugh! I don't even know where to begin. One of the only few I respect is this guy," She gestured to Reinhard with her thumb "Why? Reinhard said I shouldn't say it out loud, since it's so rude, but if you want to know come visit me in private, I'll be more than happy to explain it!

"So I'm planning to tear down this kingdom! All of it! Then, I will build a new one above it!"

Despite her being the youngest, the gleam of firm determination in her eyes was clear, just like Crusch's declaration of intent. This girl seriously wanted to rebuild Lugnica.

This was very interesting. Her and Emilia's goals were quite similar. Perhaps I could use this in the future…

"Half demon."

"Filthy woman."

"Harlot."

"Witch."

These words flew around as whispers, some even spoken out loud. The nobility certainly didn't waste time. The second Emilia had presented herself, they let loose.

Unlike Felt, where they held themselves back, there was no such reservations about Emilia.

"Roswaal!" One of the Sage Council, Bordeaux – or something – even went as far as to stand while protesting "Do you have any idea what you're doing!?" He demanded "It's heresy to even allow a silver haired half demon into the throne room!"

"You're overstepping your bounds Bordeaux-san." Miklotov commented, looking at his colleague in disapproval.

"Miklotov-san, you must understand my displeasure!" Bordeaux exclaimed.

Aaron watched as he insulted Emilia, and how the nobility had discarded whispering and make disparaging comments aloud, but they were silent now.

He watched Roswaal manipulate them carefully, trying to say Emilia would become a scapegoat, and how the audience agreed.

He watched as Puck appeared.

The temperature in the throne room dropped. Two or three degrees lost instantly simply due to his presence. Aaron observed a few nobles wrap their arms around their selves, trying to regain some warmth.

Everything went exactly as it did in Canon. Not like the anime, but the manga if Aaron could recall correctly. How people were shocked to see one of the Four Great Spirits being bound to a single person.

Miklotov saw through Roswaal and Pucks act.

And Emilia finally calmed herself enough to stand on her own.

She stepped forwards, passing Roswaal and Puck. Her back was straight, face calm. Her eyes showed nothing but determination as they gazed towards the crowd. They shifted over them.

And they paused when they met the friendly green belonging to her friend. He nodded and gave her a smile, and that's all she needed to continue.

Gone now was the nervous girl. What stood in front of the audience…

Was the woman who would become King.

"My name is Emilia." She introduced herself "I don't have a family name, so please call me Emilia. Before I state my resolve for this kingdom, I have one request." She paused, and took a deep breath "I wish for this election to be fair!" She declared firmly "It's important to me for the election to be fair. Because of that, I won't do anything unfair, such as steal the throne using my contractor spirit.

"I'm still inexperienced compared to the other candidates. There's a lot I don't know, and there's still a lot for me to learn. That is why I will continue to do my best. I don't know if my efforts are worthy of the throne, but my feelings won't lose to the others!"

She paused again, letting it sink in before continuing.

"As for my resolve, the kingdom I wish to build…" She stared at her palms for a moment before looking up again "I desire to create a nation where all citizens are equal! I want equality! A kingdom where everyone is treated fairly and the laws act without bias!

"I have read the stories of Lugnica. I have seen our history, and seen the registry of all those who died in the Demihuman war, Demihumans who were already citizens of Lugnica!

"That shouldn't have happened in the first place, it was wrong! It was a mistake! They were Lugnica citizens, born and raised alongside us, and yet they killed and slaughtered each other in a pointless act of violence! Such things should never occur!

"And I'm not talking about just Demihumans, but about everyone. Human or Demihuman! I want a kingdom where even the smallest of people are treated and judged as equals!

"That is the kingdom I wish to build. A country where everyone can stand side by side, together, without looking down on one another."

Emilia finished her speech with a solemn nod, eyes full of fire and spirit. The audience was speechless in the wake of her resolve.

"Emilia-sama…" Bordeaux spoke up, breaking the silence "My opinion will not change." He declared "If we take into account the effects your image will have on the people, it won't change the fact you are at a disadvantage. However," The Sage Council member crossed his first over his chest and bowed, eyes closed "Please forgive me for my disrespect Emilia-sama."

Despite the rough tone, it was sincere. Everyone could tell.

The silver haired woman stared for a moment, before a smile crossed her face. "It's fine, I can understand your concern and forgive you Bordeaux-san."

"Thank you." Bordeaux replied before falling back to his seat.

Miklotov watched the conversation with a smile before continuing "Hmm, what a tense situation. Regardless, everything has worked out in the end. Is there anything else to be said?"

Well, that'd be it. It's over now. Aaron let out the breath he was holding. It's time to wrap this up. He needed to make plans, perhaps ask Felt instead of Crusch. Having her and Reinhard as an ally would be more then Crusch entire army. Not to mention Reinhard's status as the strongest knight. He could use that to gather more allies in the future.

"Actually, there is one more thing."

What?! Aaron's thoughts hit full stop as his eyes snapped to Roswaal. Nearby, Emilia seemed surprised, meaning she wasn't in on it.

"Something you wish to say Roswaal-san?" Miklotov inquired.

The archmage smiled slyly in response. His heterochromatic eyes glinted in the low light "As Bordeaux-sama said, Emilia-sama's appearance is very similar to that of the Witches. It will turn the public against her." For once, there was no playful tune in his voice. He was serious "However, I believe I have a solution for that matter."

Aaron's eyes narrowed when Roswaal turned to the audience, scanning the members until his gaze came to rest directly on him. The clowns smile widened.

"Aaron Pendragon-sama, would you please come to the stage and accompany Emilia-sama?"

He felt all eyes turn to him in an instant. The knights, nobility, Sage Council, Royal Candidates, all of them, looking directly at him. His heart began to beat faster in response.

What in the name of Akasha is he doing?! He screamed internally while glaring murder at Roswaal.

He was tempted to stay where he was, oh was he tempted. However, his position wasn't the best currently. He was only a guest, after all.

He would definitely be having a chat with Roswaal later.

And what was with the new honorific? Calling him a Lord? What was his goal?

Aaron took a deep breath before parting from the crowd and allowing them to see his appearance. He caught surprise from Felt, analytic looks from Crusch and Anastasia, and an expectant look from Priscilla whom had covered her face with her fan.

As expected, Felt greeted him first.

"Onii-chan?! What are you doing here?" She exclaimed.

Aaron spared her a short glance "You look lovely in that dress."

"Eh? Really?" Felt's face flushed for a moment before her eyes widened "Wait! That's not what I asked, you're trying to avoid my question!" She yelled at Aaron who snorted as he passed her.

Ignoring the newly gained glare from Felt, Aaron mounted the stage as he saw Emilia turn a glare to the clown.

"Roswaal! What is the meaning of this?!" She demanded "Why is Aaron…"

"Hmmm, all will be answered soon Emilia-sama. Pease be patient." Roswaal said, trying to dissuade the half-elf's anger "Members of the Sage Council, may I take the stage for a moment?"

"Roswaal, what is your intent?" Bordeaux bit out, eyes narrowing dangerously. He still didn't approve of using a Great Spirit to show Emilia's power.

"I assure you, this time I didn't do anything dangerous." Roswaal reassured him "If I may have permission, I have something very important to tell the people. It would be beneficial for us all if you let me."

Miklotov narrowed his eyes slightly, intensely scanning the clown in an attempt to divine his intentions. His eyes shifted to the young man that stood in front of Roswaal with an impassive look.

He was no simple young man.

The thought crossed his mine instantly as he regarded the young man in full armor. From his hair that looked sprinkled with gold, down to his green emerald eyes that held firm gaze. His handsome face was set in a displeased expression.

There was something… Something that reminded Miklotov of Reinhard while looking at him. And when one reminded you of the greatest knight of Lugnica, it meant something.

Miklotov nodded once to Roswaal "Very well. I shall allow it."

"Miklotov-san?" Bordeaux and the others of the Sage Council seemed surprised. The bald man glanced at his colleague but saw nothing to inform him of why he allowed it. He turned to the young man himself, before nodding "Very well… I shall allow it as well."

"So do I."

"Me too."

A murmur of agreement came from the others of the Sage Council. Roswaal's smile widened and turned to an open grin as he gave a gracious bow "Thank you."

"Now, why don't you explain to us who this young man is."

"Of course." Roswaal turned back to Aaron, grin splitting wider as he took in the man's displeasure with him "This young man is Aaron Pendragon, he happened to cross paths with Emilia a while back and helped her in a difficult spot. As repayment, I offered to let him stay in my mansion as a guest."

"It that true Emilia-sama?" Miklotov inquired. The idea of someone helping a person who resembled the Witch of Envy was very strange.

"Y-Yes. Aaron has been very helpful with me." Emilia answered while shooting a small smile Aaron's way. He responded in kind while nodding.

"As for where he came from…" Roswaal's grin became obvious to everyone "I dare to claim Aaron Pendragon-sama is from the Land Beyond the Great Waterfall."

Startled gasps came from the nobility, the knights simply looking stunned. The Candidates and Council stared at Roswaal in disbelief before turning to Aaron.

"Is that true Aaron?" Emilia asked.

Aaron stared at the silver haired woman for a few seconds. He wasn't surprised Roswaal had come to that conclusion, or even knew about it. Either he got it from his maid, or read it in Echidna's gospel book.

"Yes." He said after a moment of silence "The Kingdom of Britain is not located on this side of the world. And I myself do not come from any continent on this land."

From where he stood, Al's eyes narrowed under his helmet. So he was right, that really was a Pendragon.

"You say you come from the Land Beyond the Great Waterfall?" Miklotov asked.

"…I can't claim that to be entirely the truth, but it is the closest to it." Aaron answered "To put it simply, your side is the unknown to us, while to you, we are the unknown. From our perspective I know of Lugnica and the other kingdoms, but no specific details."

That wasn't a lie. They did know about Re:Zero in his world, but not with much detail.

"And what proof you have?" Bordeaux interjected.

"I myself do not have any solid proof." Aaron admitted before turning to Roswaal "However, I'm sure Roswaal has some." There was no way the clown would call him before all these people if he didn't have proof to back his claims.

"Indeed I have." Roswaal said in a smug ton. "However, let's set that matter aside for now. Everything will be answered, but I want to make sure of one thing before hand." He turned from the Sage Council back to Aaron "Aaron Pendragon-sama, do you remember our conversation two days ago?"

"… About the Royal Candidates, yes."

Roswaal gestured to the Candidates that stood behind Aaron "You have now seen all of them. Their resolves and what they believe. Are you planning on leaving Emilia's side to join one of them?"

The pained look Emilia gained was like a knife to the stomach for Aaron. He tried desperately to hold back and not attack the clown. He dared to say that so publically, and in front of Emilia?

If he didn't have an extremely good reason… I will blast him with Strike air, politeness be damned! His fist clenched and the metal of his gauntlet groaned under the pressure. He tried his best to reign in his anger. What did that damn clown have to gain from this? Other then informing everyone of his loyalty to Emilia…

"No." Aaron said shortly "I do not intend to cease my support of Emilia-sama."

"Hmm, if I may ask, why?"

"My reasons are my own, and personal. However, I can assure you my feelings did nothing to influence my decision. Even if Emilia-sama was a stranger, I still would have picked her."

"And for what reason?" Bordeaux cut in again "You know what she looks like, how the public will view her. I'm surprised you offered help in the first place."

"I do not wish to speak that information aloud, as it could be seen as giving advantage to the other candidates." Aaron stated firmly "However, I will give you a clue to sate your curiosity. Emilia-sama is representative of the people of Lugnica."

"Representative? What do you mean?" Bordeaux asked.

Aaron shook his head "I apologize, but I can't say more than that. The other candidates would be able to use it to their advantage."

"So in the end, you will remain loyal to Emilia-sama?" Roswaal asked, seeming satisfied with the events.

"Yes." Aaron replied stoically.

Miklotov began running the information through his head again. He tried to remember every little detail that could explain…

"It can't be…"

He was calm when Puck had appeared. Even when the temperature had dropped, he hadn't even flinched.

But this, this was on a different level.

His shoulders trembled briefly, as he stared at the young man with new eyes full of shock.

"Roswaal-san… are you trying to say that this young man…?"

Roswaal's grin took on a shark-like quality. He nodded once "As expected, Miklotov-san is the first to see it."

Miklotov's head whipped back around to the young man, his gaze intense like he was trying to see through his soul. While nervous, he could see the youth controlled his emotions well.

"Miklotov-san, what do you know?" Bordeaux asked again. All eyes were on the Sage Council.

"This young man… He is the one mentioned in the prophecy."

What?! Aaron's eyes widened as he tried to reign in his utter shock at the proceedings. His calm and composed demeanor crumbled instantly at the idea of another prophecy.

Another prophecy?! There exists another one? What was the meaning of this?! If he recalled correctly, there was only the one about the king! What else could…

What was actually going on right now!?

"The prophecy…" Bordeaux breathed in heavily, turning to Aaron "You mean?"

Aaron didn't like how the Sage Council now looked at him. There were many emotions, but there was only one shared between them all.

Awe.

I don't like where this conversations heading. He didn't like anything that was happening currently. He felt like he had not just walked into a lion's den, but home to the Nemean Lion instead.

"Another Prophecy?" Crusch asked, in a show of surprise "I wasn't aware there was another one"

"Same here." Anastasia remarked.

Judging by Felt and Priscilla's faces, they also were unaware.

"It was not as important as the Prophecy of The King. However, if leaked it could easily create chaos if the public were to learn of it." Miklotov explained "Originally, you were only to be told of this Prophecy five months after the Royal Selection had begun."

"Why so long?" Crusch asked.

"We needed to know how the public would react to the Candidates." Miklotov nodded to them

Crusch eyes narrowed in thought. So, they wanted to see how the public would react to a prophecy before revealing a second one? Was it that big?

"However, if what Roswaal-san claims is true…" Miklotov trailed off while the archmage gave a smile in response.

"Of course." Roswaal said genially as he turned to Emilia "Emilia-sama, if I may borrow your Insignia for a moment?"

Emilia glanced at the clown for a moment, before shifting her gaze to Aaron who had a closed off expression. Uncertain, she made her decision and handed Roswaal the badge.

"Now." Roswaal turned to the young man and offered him the Insignia "Aaron Pendragon-sama, would you please touch this badge?"

Aaron stared at the badge offered to him with a blank expression. His mind was failing to comprehend all that had happened so far, going so far from what he thought would happen. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't have a problem reorganizing his mind, but…

I've been had.

The only reason he had followed Roswaal's web was because he thought he could separate himself from it in the end. He thought it was short currently, and he could escape if things went bad.

How arrogant of him. To think such things in the first place, he should have realized exactly who he was dealing with. This was a man who had hid his identity for nearly half a millennium and could hide his true nature so well that no one would be suspicious of him.

He wasn't at the end of the patch, not yet, but he was deep. Too deep. Too deep to pull back now. If he did, he would cause damage regardless of his choices.

He would no longer be able to hide. And never once did he realize it.

He hadn't just lost to the clown, he had been completely obliterated.

And there was nothing he could do.

Wordlessly, he raised his hand to Roswaal, knowing there was no other choice.

Aaron would be sure, to make Roswaal pay for this.

When the Insignia is in the hands of a Royal Candidate, they will shine beautifully with a red color. However, the light isn't strong, similar to a torch.

But when Aaron touched it…

The World Shined.

Crimson light shined not just over his palm, but so brightly it covered the entire throne room. It forced everyone to turn away from him less they damage their eyes. Shortly following the light, a heavy wind blew in, roaring and screaming like a hurricane had manifested right in front of them. With all the light and force, it was sure to harm the bystanders.

But it did not.

That sound that rang in their ears did nothing to harm them, and didn't damage anything in the slightest. Rather than harm them, it embraced them. It was similar to a blanket, shrouding the people and protecting them in a manner that allowed them to see, to hear, and to bear witness to the events unfolding.

And for a single moment, every single person there could have sworn that what they saw standing in front of them was not a man in armor,

But a Dragon, with green eyes.

And just as quickly had the light and wind shown up, it had vanished again, leaving no trace that they ever existed. The throne room was left exactly as it was before Roswaal had handed Aaron the Insignia.

But they did exist, and the man that stood before them was proof.

Shrouded in turquoise energy, it flowed from him like a cape made from flames, and proved the existence of these forces.

Roswaal couldn't have had a bigger grin. His eyes glowed their separate colors as he said:

"The one with the blood of my kin, the man that shares his blood with the Great Dragon. And He shall Come, the One Who with the Blood of My Kin. He Shall Appear and Stand Behind the New King. Together, They Set The Mark For A New Era For This Kingdom."