This is Hurting through Test

27 October 423

The first test was now upon the candidates. The idea behind was primarily tied to three questions which they would have to answer as honestly as possible. It was one of those quizzes that required truthfulness, preparation but also nerves of steel. I wasn't holding back despite how easy the setting of the test was going to be.

A set of five rooms had been prepared for the sake of having three specific questions which were based on situational matters to be imposed upon the challengers, while two of those acted as 'resting grounds' between the challenges. The candidates were to enter one at the time and with just their chosen knight of the occasion. The turns were taken through a sorting that made things random and those that succeeded or lost to the challenge were going to be unable to talk with others until the challenge itself for the rest of the candidates was over. It had been quite simple to come up with the 'skeleton' of the challenge, the real hassle was to set it up in a way that would have convinced the council and… I felt confident that it was going to be as tough as possible while also giving them a chance. The entire cast of 'judges' was holed in a protected room as we were the only ones meant to vision each performance without being influenced by anyone. Everyone was fine, healthy, and attentive to the magic spheres that were created to allow the sight over the challenges without any obstructions.

Everything was set for a safe and well-secured event, with my worry being a possible intervention of Pandora as the only chance the Witch Cult could really cause any trouble. The recent days had been fairly tense with the operations meant to 'erase' Greed's portions of manpower in subtle attacks. Geuse proved to be correct with his maps, and he proved to be fairly busy himself by sabotaging some of his fellow Archbishops' meetings with petty reasons. Nothing that could tie him to any real attempt of sabotaging, but definitely getting some of those encounters disrupted with his brand of insanity..

The first one to go in was… Priscilla. Al looked pretty calm despite the clear uneasiness that the girl was in as she ordered him to follow her. The hint of worry was subsequently legitimized when she entered the first room and was met with the first obstacle. Standing a couple of meters away from them, an angry-looking Majima in her bigger and more menacing form stood between them and the closed gates that led to the second room. There was no 'visible' hint of what was the purpose of the test, and reacting instinctively, Al rushed to stand between his lady and the approaching familiar. It felt easy to swiftly assume that Majima was given the order to attack the contenders, but the true reasoning behind this assault wasn't actually one driven by aggression. Majima wanted something she was promised, and that she was told she would have to 'struggle' to get it. She was aware of what it was, and who would provide it to her, but she didn't know what kind of struggle she was facing… except that she wasn't meant to genuinely go for the kills.

Al might be a strong guy, and I knew many other knights were going to be fairly powerful, but Majima's own potential was unmatched in her released form… except when it came to Reinhard. That was going to be the more awkward bit of this little show I had created to get them all ready for the next steps and to give the sages something to work on rather than assumptions, prejudice, and favoritism when it comes to gauging their capacity as possible kings. The big wolf growled loudly at the former gladiator, the man struggling due to the fact he was facing such a ferocious entity. The chances of success in that regard were low but… Priscilla remained calm as she assessed the situation. She was well aware of the fact the tests were meant to be difficult, but not impossible and created it with the reasoning that everyone had to have a chance at it.

I could see her thoughtful gaze over the scene finally drawing some conclusions as she approached the situation with a cautious but still determined step. Al noticed and tried to stop her from approaching the threat but… Priscilla seemed to have really realized what was going on as soon as Majima tensed up and stopped paying attention to the one-armed fighter. There was silence as the familiar shifted her attention upon the candidate, glancing and allowing her tongue out to show how 'excited' she was. The elegant woman was barely given the chance to speak when she found her face subjected to a sudden lick from the mutt. Grimacing briefly, instead of completely shying away from the contact, the woman decided to take an unexpected step and… start scratching the big head of the big pup right by her chin. Majima shivered and genuinely broke her act as she sat down and allowed for the Vollachian native to have some fun by keeping treating her that nicely. Al's tension faltered at the sight and he actually facepalmed with his mask as he knew that this all had been a ruse.

"I was a bit surprised when you forwarded this concept to us, Prime Minister," One of the sages pointed out with an intrigued tone. "Of course I wasn't doubting the wisdom behind it, yet I would be a liar if I didn't admit that I had some skepticism over the purpose of such a simplistic-looking approach to this first test."

"It's unorthodox by all means," Another conceded with a surprised look as he kept glancing at the situation provided by the magic glass ball. "But I can see the reasoning. Our Next King can't be a brash individual that relies completely on immediate emotions. A good king needs to know when to be passionate and when to be logical- in this case, the brief skirmish could have been avoided if Lady Barielle's knight has not assumed that the Prime Minister's familiar wasn't rushing at his charge with ill intent, but rather eagerness."

I nodded at these words and I decided to add something on my own to finalize some remaining questions within this situation.

"I formed this test after a tale I once heard from my father, something that came from the years he was still living on his own and had yet to meet my mother," I explained with a serious tone. "He lived in the countryside and he managed to use the weekends as a means to go fishing. One day he ended up turning up back home late and, as he wandered through the usual path, he ended up finding a stray dog on the path."

"And how does this connect to the test?" One of the sages inquired and I was quick to provide resolution to it.

"The dog was angry, snarling and clearly unwilling to allow my father through the path. Instead of backing away or doing something too harsh, my father realized that the only reason why the dog was behaving in such a way was tied to hunger. So he provided it with the leftovers of his lunch, presenting it to the ground and backing away so that the dog could try it out," I replied with a calm tone, remembering the time dad told me about this with a fond look. "The dog allowed my father to pass through the path, satisfied by the food, but this wasn't the last time he had to deal with it. The dog would start to walk around the path by the time he was leaving to go back home and the snarling and the distrust disappeared. Until one day, as it was raining heavily, my father was quite surprised when the dog presented itself by his door with a pup held within its maw in a soft manner."

"It's a bit unbelievable… a dog just decided to trust its life and its pup's with a man that just provided their food?"

"It is more than just blind trust. My father decided to take a path that befriended the dog and got it to accept him as a friend. Just like any animal can be slowly tamed by providing for their needs and granting them companionship in the form of friendship, a similar process can happen with subjects when a King provides for their needs. Of course it isn't a full submission from the monarch but-"

"A king is still a ruler of a country and the people that are part of it," Bordeaux spoke up, interrupting me. Differently than usual, I can perceive he was genuinely putting an effort to keep more tame than usual.

I nodded in acceptance of that logic, but as soon as we were done with this conversation, I realized it was time for the candidate after Priscilla. The sorting was quick and I was intrigued by the next challenger for many reasons.

Next up was Emilia, and she looked incredibly nervous but still holding well as she advanced towards the first room with Barusu in tow. I was surprised. Her approach proved to be more 'direct' and less-mistaken compared to the first contender, with Subaru actually stopped by her as she gave him a nod. Majima rushed in just like it happened before, but this time, her planned 'lick-greeting' I was baffled to see the half-elf swiftly 'subdue' the big wolf on the ground, having her belly up as she started to scratch and rub over the happy familiar's belly. It was quite swift and particularly surprising considering how many, including myself, would have expected the girl to take her time with this task due to her general awkwardness. And yet she decided to make me a bit proud of the fact she had indeed prepared for everything. I had this little hunch she wasn't going to mess this one up, especially with the opportunity granted last time by setting her on an equal scale as the other competitors.

And as she moved to the next room, it was time for Crusch to shine. I knew she had prepared for some time, but I was doubtful she was expecting this kind of test. Sadly for her hopes, the duchess proved to be a little more focused on something more 'tough' on her end as she swiftly tried to move around and understand how to beat her opponent together with Felix. In fact, it was only through the cat-boy's own intervention that she realized how wrong her early assumption was when her knight pointed out how the familiar wasn't actively attacking her, but rather trying to be affectionate. Quite roughly so, I heard him adding in a sarcastic comment which I couldn't help but feel aimed at myself. After getting a quick lick-greeting and getting freed after a quick head patting session aimed at the happy pup, the two moved to the next stage.

Felt caught on it even quicker than Emilia as, instead of waiting for the mutt to come, she bolted while giggling at the slightly surprised big wolf. The submission was enough to steal a snort or two from even those sages that were unconvinced by her legitimacy candidacy and I could feel that Reinhard was incredibly confused, surprised and a bit annoyed that there was not going to be any fighting in this test. Poor redhead was denied the chance of doing something worthwhile but… the sudden shift in mood that he was seeing in Felt sure made his day brighter from the way he was smiling at her. The duo managed to easily pass through as they left a satisfied familiar behind to take care of the rest.

The next group was the one made by Fourier and Halibel. The young prince greeted Majima with a nod, but the mutt didn't return the greeting through a formal way, preferring to do the same thing she did before with the others. The blond blinked in surprise at the escalation, while his bodyguard yawned and walked away, leaving the clueless young man without protection during that seemingly dangerous assault. Before he could move, Fourier yelped as he was pushed on the ground and suddenly 'hit' by a wild tongue that started to tease his face left and right. As his mind grasped the stupidity of the task itself, he started to return the 'kindness' by scratching all over Majima's fur and getting the big wolf entertained for a little while. With the success of his endeavor confirmed by the familiar telling them they had passed the test,

Last challenger of this first step was Anastasia. There wasn't even an issue with her approach after having learned how to 'tame' people and how it takes just a tiny gesture to get them to be more friendly. Instead of getting petted, Majima received a treat in the form of a succulent steak that the girl had saved up for 'the chance of meeting a cute beast'. That was the starting point for a smooth road to success and Ricardo chuckled at the extreme prediction that allowed them to succeed this rapidly. With the candidates all passing the first bit successfully, there was a brief ten minutes break before allowing them to go for the next test in a different order of turns.

The first resting ground was filled with food, beverages and other elements meant to provide them with energy for the next steps. Most of them drank water while a few of them actually went for sweet food considering how early in the day it still was. I had no complaints about it, but I could see Anastasia quietly stealing a few candies to use for 'later'. Either for a possible next test or to eat during the last one. The break was still quick to come to an end as the new list was prepared and Crusch was the first one to go in.

There, she was met by Beatrice as she sat down by a table. There were two free chairs in front of the spirit, and both Crusch and Ferris advanced to take a seat there.

"Good morning," The blonde greeted the two flatly. "Convince me that you're worthy of going to the last bit of this challenge, I suppose."

Felix blinked, fairly confused by what he just listened to. "You mean like… say or do something?"

"Of course. What did you expect, merely asking nicely?"

The duchess looked around the room, seeing nothing worthwhile and… pausing as she seemed to actually notice something she had missed the first time around. Her gaze was drawn back to Beatrice and the blonde looked back at her with a blank look for a long while. There was silence, Ferris was confused by the muted exchange before Crusch spoke up and delivered a single question.

"Can we leave already?"

Bea blinked, taking a moment to act as if she was thinking about it. "Yes. It's not like I said convincing me was the task, I suppose."

It was there that the cat boy caught up to what had just happened. A pout landed on his face while he followed his boss out of the room as the exit had no gates preventing them from passing through it. With the first group succeeding, I heard a few sages chuckling.

"This is perhaps the easiest bit of the test. There is actually no test at all, if we have to be honest with one another, Prime Minister," Bordeaux pointed out and I hummed.

"Actually, there is a test… it's just that devious that one can't catch at first glance. It's all tied to the fact a monarch should be aware that some obstacles are born from their own understanding of a situation. It's easy to lose grasp of the main goal by creating your own opposition from misunderstandings."

Some chuckled even more at this response, and I didn't have any anecdote to bring for the occasion. My attention was back to the room as the second group entered inside.

Next up was Anastasia. The plum-haired girl hummed, ignoring that this was going to be tougher on her considering how materialistic she was. Beatrice was well-aware of her personality, so she wasn't surprised by the overly-saccharine attitude the 'older' girl took with her.

"Hello there~."

"Convince me that you're worthy of the crown," The blonde flatly remarked.

"Oh? So I have to convince you… Hmm, how about I offer you some candy?"

Bea eyed the sweet things. "No."

…

"Are you sure? I could give you more if it's about-"

"No," The spirit repeated quietly, interrupting the bribing effort.

At this point, I knew that Anastasia was going to ask more and ultimately understand that Beatrice was incorruptible due to the lack of progress in that front. What I didn't know was that Anastasia was terribly persistent and quite patient in keeping her mood positive through the entire 'exchange', if one could actually call that when the candidate was interrupted numerous times by Beatrice's 'no's. It came to a point where, after a full hour of that disastrous performance, Anastasia was 'spared' by her 'knight's good thinking as he pointed out something that helped get them through that mess.

"Is… the door actually open?"

"Yes," Beatrice replied curtly, and I could sense from her voice she was one step away from snapping and trying to murder the persisting annoyance that she was still facing.

"And we can leave through it… right?" Ricardo pressed on, getting a quick nod from the blonde and giving them the chance to finally leave. Closing her eyes momentarily and sighing as she prepared for the next contenders.

Just as she did so, she realized that Felt was next and… the fellow blonde didn't even bother lingering around as she rushed through the main door, spotting quickly that there was nothing preventing her from going through. Reinhard took a slower approach, but, as he glanced at the spirit, he was told some words that put him at ease.

"There is no task, I'm just here to distract others from passing through."

There wasn't much of a point to lie about how the truth considering the main participant already got through the gates and had passed this test. Barusu spearheaded the next group, drawing a tiny scowl from Bea as she waited for the duo to settle down by the previously used chairs.

"Beako!"

"Convince me you're capable of handling the crown, I suppose."

No question, a direct and piercing demand that showed how unwilling to make small talk the blonde really was in that moment. There was a brief moment of silence, with Emilia thinking about it and… frowning.

"Why should we convince you?" The half-elf cleverly asked and the blonde… shrugged.

"Do you want to?"

"Would it matter if I answered this?"

"...No," Beatrice conceded and the taller girl sighed in relief while glancing at Subaru.

"It's a trick, there is no test."

The young man looked surprised by this development, but preferred to keep quiet about it as this time he was the one following the candidate out of the room. With these two out of the way, there was only a group left.

Fourier's steps were slow, with Halibel standing out as more attentive than before for some reason. I was confused by the sight, but didn't say anything about it as they both followed the usual pattern.

"Convince me that you're ready for the crown."

"… This is not the test. You didn't say it was necessary to pass."

"That's correct, I suppose."

"I see… I guess Jo-the Prime Minister was keen to include this trick to stop a few for a while. How good was it?"

"One remained for an hour," Beatrice replied dryly and the blond huffed sheepishly.

"Then I guess we'll leave now. We don't mean to be too intruding."

The spirit merely nodded as the duo left… leaving her alone for the time being before she took it upon herself and left the rooms altogether, bringing Majima with her back to the entrance.

The waiting for the last one was brief, with Priscilla coming forth next. The lady did bother sitting down and checking what Beatrice had to say and… instead of putting an effort in it, the exchange that ensued after the request was forwarded… left much to be desired.

"It's not a test. You are asking me, but not demanding me."

"...Yes."

Her lips twitched. "A praise to the Prime Minister for leaving out this subtle trick. I hope I'm not the slowest."

"You're the second fastest," Beatrice quietly confirmed, the little praise only adding to the smug growing within Priscilla's mind. I shook my head at that development, having expected for someone like her to catch on to these words quickly considering how much experience she had in picking up tricks and specific words from sentences and documents.

The last test was now upon the candidates for this first session, and I knew things were going to go dark by my own hand. I had a choice and I picked the one that I felt was the least worrying in the long-run. It didn't mean I was happy about it… but the other decisions were definitely much worse than this.

After the planned break was over, Emilia was the first one to go inside the last room. She looked confident after the success she had during the first two rooms and she didn't feel ready to lose anytime soon. Sadly for her, the last test wasn't going to be as easy as the previous ones. In fact, this one was almost removed by the sages due to how cruel it was going to be on them. Alice was left in charge of the last exam, having been granted control of a special mirror that had a function I wasn't really proud of as it required an invasion of the candidates' privacy to create a 'possible' future. The worst, to be more specific. The test itself had been condemned by a few sages as too 'intense' for the first step into the elections. It felt too 'barbaric' and harsh but I had nothing to oppose these views.

"One mistake, this is how little it takes for your hopes to be dashed away. Gaze upon a future where your errors overwhelms your accomplishments," Alice solemnly announced while the half-elf found herself standing in front of the full-body mirror.

A blink and she saw it, a glimpse- one she was part of. She felt the cold and the lack of warmth. She felt so surprised and frightened by the sight as she realized she had been 'taken' to one of the squares of the capital. Broken buildings cracked by the ice, the neverending blizzard tore through the silence and left the entire city in a curtain of white and glass-like texture.

"She is frightened of… freezing everything? Can- Can she actually do it?"

I sighed at the question coming from one of the scared sages. "No. She is applying her nightmare from her childhood, what happened to her home, to this expanded scenario. She is afraid of losing everything like that and… to remain alone forever."

A legitimate fear for someone like her to have. One that was heightened by the fact that, right below her feet, she spotted a single item. It was Puck's crystal and… it was broken. Much to my surprise, Emilia didn't react too strongly about it, her body tensing up and her wide-eyed gaze over her surroundings while tears dropping without restraint. She bit her lower lip and seemed to force herself back to reality before sparing a look at Alice.

"It's not the future."

"It's a future. One which might or might not happen… Do you wish for it to happen?"

"No," The half-elf replied curtly. "I… I will never allow this to happen."

"...You're free to go."

Emilia could only nod as she accepted Subaru's help to be taken out of the rooms. This was the first of many people I was going to piss off due to this and… I wasn't looking forward to it. It was even worse than I had imagined it to be.

Next was a certain green-haired young woman. Crusch's attempt was one of the most tame, with the mirror showing her standing before a graveyard. Numerous graves of various shapes and forms… and a few ones were quick for her to look at.

Fourier Lugnica.

Felix Argyle.

John Bukharin.

The subtitle underneath each name was the same and it was possibly what got her to realize how damning this sight was.

They were lost forever to the one that remained the quietest.

Just as she grasped at this, someone else entered within the mirror, someone that looked a little older than Crusch and… was bearing a crown. At first I failed to recognize the woman due to how covered she was but… then I realized she had green hair. Her eyes now emotionally hollow, 'King' Crusch stood over the price she paid to bear such a bloody crown. She didn't speak, merely walking out of the door while Felix lingered a little longer at the sight proposed by the mirror. He definitely didn't like how things turned out to be and I couldn't tell how Crusch was feeling since she held a hand over her mouth and lowered her face in a way that didn't allow the 'cameras' to pick it up.

Next was Felt and… she frowned and then glared at the mirror. She was barely around to check what it was all about as I got just a glimpse. Fire, and a lot of it. I never got to the point where I could affirm if Felt had some trauma that came from the past years as a thief and, perhaps, I found something like that through that brief glimpse.

Anastasia was the one that stayed behind the most. The mirror showed her quite the bleak scenario as she was alone in a tiny room, wearing cheap robes and staring at an empty bowl. What's the worst thing a greedy person could end up with? Nothing. And even thought that haunting scene left her petrified for a while… she managed to recover and even let out a giggle.

"I guess that can happen. It's always a risk and a gamble- but this is why life is such a wonderful game."

Oddly able to keep up with the pressure and also keep her chin up despite that vision. I was perplexed by the overall performance, but I knew that there were two more candidates. And the one that went on to face this test second to last was none other than Priscilla.

Priscilla's face grew pale the moment her gaze landed on the surface of the mirror. The figure that it formed was dreadful and quite frightening for anyone that was aware of the 'approaching' figure that it was showing.

"You thought I would have forgiven you after you did to me, my lady?" The tanned dog-girl with an eyepatch covering her left eye. She was wearing minimal clothes, her skin and face were tainted in blood red and… I recognized her as one of the Nine Generals from Volacchia that I hadn't met back during the visit. Arakiya the Spirit Eater, Second Ranking Divine General. Did… she actually knew Priscilla? I was surprised to learn of this just now and I wondered how much I still had to know about her. From the terrified look on her face, Prisca did something to her to warrant that vengeful approach and… the mirror interrupted its signal before it could have gone any further. Face driven onto Al's chest, a trembling Priscilla was escorted outside with no words delivered by anyone, not Alice and not the Sages. This was… definitely an unpleasant discovery I had to correct once I was alone with the woman but for now, there was the last and perhaps most hurtful situation.

Fourier was cautious in his entry and he gulped nervously when he realized the task at hand for him to solve. The vision he was offered was… shocking for many. And for me first and foremost. Here I was looking at a horrified Fourier as he stared at another version of himself trying and failing to lift up the dying corpse of someone that was more busy to put on him a crown. That other version of myself… he looked so peaceful despite how much blood he was losing and how close to death he was.

"L-Long live… the king."

The blond just… stared at the sight. There was not much of the reaction as he stared and… kept staring. There was not an early stop as he lingered to the sight, almost compelled and mesmerized by the pain coming out of it. I felt it too, the strong impulse to look and grimace over that circumstance. I would definitely behave like a moron if that happened. I would be so goofy and… so light-minded and hearted. Would I care about dying if it means saving others and the world as a whole? As much as it sounded so childish, naive, and stupid- I really was up to do the big sacrifice and take it upon myself to be the sacrificial lamb for everyone's sake if there was ever a need for it.

The prince left the room once he was told he could, sparing no words to anyone as he stormed away even from the other candidates as they all 'healed up' as much as possible. As the test was completed, there was a full day of relative calm. The candidates were told that the sages had duly noted their efforts and were going to keep their votes silent for the time being as the rest of the sessions were to be planned and done. Working felt rather upsetting right now and I took a brief pause to keep it to myself as… I decided to punish myself for having put these individuals through that circumstance so soon. But it was either now or later, and I knew that later would have been much worse considering how these tests were going to wear their minds off the next time.

Sitting alone in that small room, it was just me in that chair as I stared at the blasted window quietly but angrily. Corpses. Lots of them- I could see Felix, Subaru, most of the candidates, many knights, some sages, other familiar faces and… my other version, the one that looked to be more like a corpse with how much damage his body had registered, was holding a crown in his right hand and keeping Fourier's dead boy up from his hair with the left one.

"It was the right thing to do," The entity that had my face mentioned and I felt my breath caught in an aching moment.

"I would rather burn the world than let this happen..." I whispered back.

AN

Dark chapter and one that set up quite the conversations for the next ones. Fourier is definitely going to think a lot about it, but there is also to ponder about the relationship between Priscilla and Arakiya, and Echidna!

But now, here's an omake!

Omake 23: IF (Different Entry – Prisca)

"I'm quite sure this isn't going to work, your highness," I flatly remarked while checking the plan she was trying to accomplish. "Even someone with minimal tactical skills can see the issue with this."

"I don't see any problems with Prisca's plan," A feminine voice shot back and I huffed. Seriously, why did I think this was going to be any easier with her being around?

But first… a proper explanation. This isn't Earth after all.

Vollachia, 416 After the Passing of Flugel (AFP), the War to crown the new Emperor/Empress was still raging all over the nation. Children, teens, and adults- all those that were born from the last Emperor's attempt to settle a big Battle Royal for the throne were pitted one against the other for the sake of 'showing their… strength'. Not even after months spent trying to aid quite the petulant child I knew what was it all about myself. The entire idea of turning the process of 'producing' a new monarch through this method into a bloodbath just felt so wasteful and stupid, but I reckon it prevented any further issue along the line when it came to future pretenders.

Beyond silly thoughts about this matter, I believe an introduction is in order. John Bukharin, 14, I've been taken away from my home due to a bizarre case of 'summoning/dimensional call'. Now I am part of the wandering retinue that ails Prisca Benedict as the next Empress of the Vollachian Empire. The name for many wouldn't make much sense considering that it wasn't there within the first time this individual was introduced in Re:Zero. Because Prisca was none other than Priscilla Barielle before she decided to bail Vollachia to try her luck in Lugnica.

I was 'graciously' retrieved by the woman to serve her first as a 'dog', and then, when I started to outright refuse and clash with her verbally over her plans, an 'advisor'. Crazy promotion out of just a few days being her little slave, but one that was driven by a single element that made my opposition so effective with her. I wasn't trying to genuinely fight her on all fronts, but rather those that were driven as stupidly as one would expect a twelve years-old girl with barely any education when it came to political power plays and combat. While I might not be a warrior by my own definition, I knew that sending a modestly-strong bodyguard against some of the strongest warriors in this world was just Prisca begging to remain without protection and getting assassinated one way or another. Which made me really wonder how she managed to survive for this long if she was so eager to lose not only her single protective ward, but also her childhood friend. Because yes, someone like Priscilla actually had a childhood friend. The girl, her name being Arakiya, was around Prisca's height, she had red eyes, her dog ears were uneven, and her short silver hair had a single red bag and two of her tufts were black. She was wearing an incredibly minimal amount of clothes which, she explained, was meant to attract spirits. The dog-girl literally ate spirits. And she was Prisca's yes-woman whenever she needed utmost support to her delusion-driven ego.

…

I think this was one of the weirdest combos for a 'successful and winning' group but definitely an entertaining and silly one when it came to losing. I already knew the original timeline saw them losing, but I wasn't sure of one thing when it came to this. What would happen to me if canon decided to screw me up and push me for quite the deadly development? That was a legitimate worry, I've been reading a lot of What Ifs before leaving, so I knew the chances of the best or worst outcome to develop were dependent on two factors. 'Our' success and 'my' capacity to bail out the moment things got too heated and we were overwhelmed.

Not the best mindset to have, but I really wanted to survive.

"Arakiya, I praise your skills on a daily basis and I know myself you ain't a quitter, but we've already had this conversation about gambling your life for the sake of a small victory in a sea of eventual defeats," I argued with a tense voice. "Especially since it means leaving the one you're the sworn sword of defenseless."

"I'm capable of mustering the Yang Sword-"

"And preparing sandwiches and writing papers- because I can assure you that being able to summon a sword you can't even use in combat isn't something that I would be proud to have, especially before a seasoned swordsman that would believe you to be a professional fighter by manifesting it in front of them and then strike you down."

Prisca, much younger than her 'Priscilla' self, merely stared back. Silent anger within her face, and I knew she was seething because I interrupted her mid-response… but she didn't shoot back anything as she knew I was right. Despite her ferocious attitude to anyone rudely behaving before her and against her, she knew that I wasn't doing it out of the sake of humiliating her, but rather to prevent her from making a tremendous mistake that would have condemned her, her plans, her future, and her dreams.

…

Yet, as she pondered about this, I forgot that a certain dog-girl didn't appreciate this kind of response.

"Bukharin, I remind you that your role here is one granted to you by Prisca's mercy," Arakiya reminded me and I blinked.

"Indeed, which is why I'm more than eager to commit to the cause as devotedly as possible. You see, Arakiya, my job here is to advise and to tell her whenever a plan is feasible or not."

"But you could be more… considerate," The tanned girl argued and I huffed.

"How so?"

…

There was an interesting amount of silence that ensued. If before the young noble lady had felt eager to jump the boat to kick me a step or two, she seemed to find this development interesting as it was… defining of the relationship the three of us had.

"Arakiya, you have grown together with Prisca. You've served her from the very beginning, and I don't need to ask our common lady to know that she finds your opinion and your words valuable and well beyond what any... 'soft-spoken approach' from me would hope to achieve," I argued with a serious tone. "Which is why she found me worthwhile, because I was someone that offered a perspective that was absolutely engraved in a factual matter. Yours is driven by opinions, but my 'opinions' are nothing more but the truth blatantly exposed within a conversation as a reminder her luck isn't absolute."

…

"And I believe you're missing a role that is fitting for you due to your 'dedication', John."

My lips twitched. "I'm not part of your Harem."

"That's what everyone says at first but… I've been told by Arakiya that some men and women behave like this for the sake of gaining attention- to appear rude and incredibly unruly so that they get more gazes upon them."

These words struck numerous chords all at once, but I believe the one thing that had me the most annoyed was the fact it all came from Arakiya. The girl, as soon as I turned to glance at her, looked away, clearly aware that she had made a big mistake by allowing this to happen.

"I will get everyone, I know I will," Prisca added with a mirthful tone. "but… you and Arakiya shall always sit by my left and right side respectively."

I closed my eyes, I drove my face onto my hands and… I knew things weren't going to get any better.

But at least I could endure these crazy antics if it means surviving another day by not having Prisca drive us to a suicidal mission…