3.6

—The carriage arrived at the palace and entered through the main gates.

As Subaru walked straight up the front stairs, he felt painfully aware of just what a little fish he was in that ocean.

"Hey, um, am I all right here? To be honest, I'm so out of place it's kinda scary…"

Subaru looked down at his own outfit before glancing at Al, walking beside him.

"Well, yeah. We're basically party crashers. No question they aren't rolling out the red carpet for the two of us."

Al's ever-aloof attitude suggested he had no qualms about looking far more out of place than Subaru.

Apparently, his eighteen years in another world had washed away all concerns about dress codes.

Not only that, all eyes were on the girl walking before them—Priscilla—as she continued toward the central chamber. The corridor was decorated with paintings and other works of art, and guards in full armor lined it on the left and right, swords raised in salute.

Subaru had difficulty breathing under the pressure even though he wasn't the object of attention. In the meantime, they arrived at the end of the corridor. He raised his eyes to see an enormous pair of double doors before them.

"Soldiers lining the corridor, huge doors…"

The sight of the closed doors overwhelmed him with its grandeur. He felt himself standing straighter just from being in its presence, his discomfort reaching a fever pitch.

As Priscilla led the party onward, a fully armored soldier in front of the door took a step forward, saluting her with his sword. He removed his great helm and looked over Priscilla and the others with an intellectual air.

"We have been expecting you, Lady Priscilla."

The man was around forty years old, give or take, with an expression that was not so much tough as stern. His face was as austere as an image carved into a boulder, giving off the air of a man who'd seen plenty of combat.

Priscilla replied to his salute with a haughty nod and turned her head slightly toward Subaru and Al.

"They are with me. One is my knight, and the other…my abble boy."

"Hey…!"

Subaru immediately started to refute Priscilla, but stopped very quickly when he realized that such a thing was impermissible in that place. The knight's face didn't even twitch.

"—Abble boy, is it?"

"Yes, abble boy. He is a type of clown, bearing the exalted duty of providing me with red, bittersweet abbles. He is harmless. Surely you do not mind?"

Without replying to the imperious Priscilla, the knight appraised Subaru and Al as his blue eyes faintly twinkled.

"I cannot detect any dangerous magic. That sword is the only one you carry, sir knight?"

"...…Oh, by 'knight' you mean me. Yes, yes, that's right. If I see any dark-haired, mustache-twirling villains around, I'll chop 'em in half with one hand."

"Should an incident occur, please concentrate on protecting your master, Lady Priscilla, and leave the rest to us guards."

With his casual banter brushed off, Al halfheartedly replied, "Sure thing." The man dipped his head and shifted his gaze toward the huge doors, which slowly began to open.

"Everyone is already waiting inside, so with all haste…"

"I am superior, so it is fitting that the masses wait for me. The reverse is impermissible, however."

Entirely self-absorbed, Priscilla stepped through the door, all eyes still on her. Seeing Al follow her without hesitation, Subaru firmed up his resolve and entered as well.

—As his view expanded, he found himself in an enormous room with a red carpet covering it.

The glittering adornments on the walls were illuminated by extravagant lighting hanging from the high ceiling. The room had few places to sit considering its size, though a small set of steps led to chairs on the far side of the chamber. There were five seats from left to right, and what stood out most was the one seat in the center.

Resting against a wall, the innermost chair was fashioned into the form of a dragon, as if to show that he who rested in that chair shouldered the dragon upon his own back, while being protected by it in turn.

It was a classical throne room of a royal palace. Meaning that chair had to be the throne of the King of Lugunica.

After the throne caught his attention, Subaru timidly looked around the rest of the chamber.

Unlike the exterior, he couldn't see a single sword-carrying guard. Instead, he saw rows of elite troops dressed in white-themed uniforms with knights' swords at their hips—the Knights of the Royal Guard.

Farther within was a group of apparent civil officials in ceremonial dress, all men of high rank based on their appearance. Their dignified faces suited a throne room.

And at the center of the room, removed from the cluster of knights and nobles, a small group of people stood in a line. And among them was—

A silver-haired girl. When she saw the three people entering through the large doors, she called out with obvious surprise.

"—Subaru?"

Her wide-open violet eyes wavered with bewilderment, like she was unable to believe that Subaru was there. Inundated with Emilia's shock and surprise, Subaru's heart beat so loudly it hurt.

Now that he knew Emilia was there, he felt joy, but also guilt at having betrayed her to get there. In spite of all the thoughts and feelings that had spurred him into action, he was at a complete loss for words in front of her quivering eyes.

"Er, Emilia, I…"

"—"

Even though this was what he had sought, words just wouldn't come out. Emilia's gaze wandered over Subaru as she, too, searched for words, but her lips were drawn tight. Neither of them broke the silence, but rather a voice and bump from behind…

"What are you doing staring at my servant, you imbecile?"

"—Err."

The touch against his back was frighteningly soft. The arms that wrapped around his chest and neck were outright bewitching. Priscilla, pressing against him from behind, rested her chin upon Subaru's shoulder so that they gazed at Emilia together, their faces side by side.

"What are…! G-get off! Emilia-tan's gonna get the wrong idea!"

"The wrong idea? Do the bonds between you and I not form a deep and intimate relationship? I permit it. Come close."

"I didn't give you those bonding abbles to have you use them for nefarious purposes!"

As Priscilla teased, Subaru extricated himself from her and put distance between them. The apparent rejection prompted Priscilla to stomp a heel, narrowing her eyes in displeasure.

But before any unrest could break out, the familiar voice of a man with delicate features intervened.

"My, oh myyy. Lady Priscilla, I am dreadfully sorry for the trouble my house's servant has caused you. And you even cared for him after he became lost in the castle… Please forgive this terrible rudeness."

Before Subaru knew it, Roswaal, the character with long, violet hair, was standing beside him with a dubious smile, wearing a formal uniform with a maple emblem unrelated to his status as Court Magician.

"And so the swindler steps forward. I have no recollection of such a thing. I picked up that peasant myself… And do you have proof that he is any servant of yours?"

Priscilla had a crafty comeback. However, Roswaal greeted her question with a shrug.

"Fortuuunately, I do. I have looong been in the practice of marking that which is mine. My family crest should be sewed into the liiining of his uniform."

"—"

Priscilla's face went blank. She looked at Subaru as if seeking confirmation of the tale. Under her gaze, Subaru turned up the sleeve of his coat and saw that there was indeed something resembling an embroidered hawk in the lining. He showed Priscilla the embroidery as well, to which she responded with a short snort.

"A cheap trick. Well, fine. Toying with the clown and the imbecile has driven away much of my tedium along the way—And besides, my vassal asked it of me."

"Princess, you promised not to mention that p…"

"Do not be concerned about little things. You'll never grow taller otherwise."

"You shouldn't expect a guy pushin' forty to be growing anyway…"

Priscilla silenced Al with a glance before striding forward, not paying Subaru the slightest heed. She was heading toward the gathering at the center of the room near Emilia.

Emilia stiffened when Priscilla walked close, but the orange-haired girl passed by without paying her the slightest heed. Emilia slumped her shoulders at being ignored before turning back toward Subaru.

"But I must saaay, that you were found by Lady Priscilla along the way… Your jinx is truly quiiite something. I wonder what might have haaappened to you if she had not been the one to find you."

"The hell? You're not trying to tell me that peacock is famous for her vast benevolence and compassion, are you?"

"Oh, nooo. I simply thought that the others might have haaad you imprisoned or cut down then and theeere. In that sense, Lady Priscilla gave you equal odds of survival, depending upon her mood."

"Yeah, I get that I'm walking quite a tightrope here… You're…not upset?"

With Roswaal speaking to him like it was nothing, Subaru timidly posed the question.

"Why would I be? After all, I was thiiinking that you might show up. And in truth, you have arrived. It would seem that the family creeest upon your uniform was of some value midway."

"Midway…? Er, not really, I thought I was ninety percent likely to kick the bucket just now, but…"

Subaru inclined his head at the odd choice of words, but it was Roswaal's face that registered surprise.

"You were not stopped when entering the castle? Then just hooow did you get in to begin with?"

"That selfish princess picked me up outside the castle. Er, it's a pretty long story…"

They spoke past each other, each with a different understanding of the situation. But before Subaru could bridge the gap, he realized that Emilia was walking resolutely over to him.

"Why…?"

"—"

With a single earnest word, Emilia conveyed the full gamut of conflicting emotions swirling inside her. Her why, with the many doubts within it, made Subaru's breath catch.

"How did you…? No, why. Why are you here, Subaru?"

"That's…going to be a long story… I suppose I could sum it up in one word, but…"

"Don't make light of this. Subaru, I told you. I told you, didn't I? Don't you remember…?"

The way Emilia repeated her words for emphasis made Subaru shut his mouth and avert his eyes. She was, of course, referring to the promise he'd made with her at the inn—the promise to wait for her that he had broken.

On the one hand, he had indeed broken that promise. But on the other, it was no lie he had gone out of concern for Emilia. And so, relying on a series of coincidences, he had arrived for her sake.

He wanted her to at least trust his motivation. But before Subaru could clarify how he felt inside, a clear voice echoed from in front of the throne.

"—All have been assembled. The Council of Elders may enter."

The great doors opened once more. The armored knight stationed at the door led a group of old men filing into the chamber. All the men wore robes identifying their station. Each solemn stride made plain that these were men of great dignity and experience.

The one who stood out the most was a white-haired man with a beard so long it nearly touched the ground. Though his back was not stooped, he stood almost a head shorter than Subaru. Even among the others, the deep wrinkles of his face made him seem especially old, but his eyes were sharp enough to cut steel.

As Subaru observed the silent procession, he remarked to Roswaal with a whisper, "The Council of Elders, that's the people running the kingdom in place of a king, right?"

Roswaal shrugged and stated with extreme disrespect, "Formally they are an adviiisory body, but yes. Matters of state currently rest in the Council of Elders's hands… But having said that, it is not reaaally much different from when the royal family still existed."

It sounded like the Council had been holding the reins since the rule of the previous monarch, apparently a man of little talent in public affairs.

Al, silent until that point, motioned with his chin toward a section with Knights of the Royal Guard neatly lined up.

"It's time, bro. We need to line up over there, not over here."

Those assembled had naturally sorted themselves out, with knights and officers on the left, and civil officials and nobility on the right.

"Seems like it, but is it all right for me to line up over there?"

Roswaal replied, "The proper thing to do would be to immeeediately throw you out of the castle, but as this will be amusing, you may go with him."

Emilia's eyebrows shot up at Roswaal's attitude. She approached to object.

"Roswaal, wait a…!"

"Unfortunately, Lady Emilia, this is not the time or place for you to argue. If all the facts become clear, Subaru will be staying here…for a very, veeery long time."

"But if we let Subaru stand over there, he'll—"

"The time for argument is at an end, Lady Emilia. The conference is beginning. To the center…"

Roswaal's face tensed as he gazed at the seats around the throne, being filled by the Council of Elders that very moment. The only vacant seat left was the throne of the king at the heart of the chamber.

And in front of the old men of the Council was a tidy line of people who had given off a special aura since the moment of their birth.

The girl with orange hair was at the top of the list of three girls with magnificent posture, conspicuous and vibrant. Standing in the center, Priscilla put a hand on her hip and pushed her shoulders back, causing her skirt to sway slightly. Even before the elders that governed the nation, she still had that belittling look on her face.

To Priscilla's right stood a girl dressed in clothes resembling an army uniform. The color of her hair was such a deep green it nearly seemed black, but upon closer inspection, the glossy luster definitely reflected green. Her long hair was tied at the end by a white ribbon. Her beautiful, dignified face was trained straight ahead. She was tall for a girl, about the same height as Subaru, but their legs were very different lengths. On her hip, she wore a sword bearing a family crest with a lion baring its fangs. She looked like a beautiful girl disguised as a handsome man.

And in contrast to the green-haired girl's serious ambiance, the girl to Priscilla's left with light violet hair exuded a serene image. Her wavy hair fell down to the middle of her back, looking cottony soft. She was short compared to the other two girls and wore a white dress made with generous amount of fur. Particularly eye-catching were the white fox muffler and the ridiculously large purse at her hip.

All were beautiful, projecting a particular unique aura. They were clearly cut from a different cloth.

Emilia bit her lip in regret, delivering Subaru a reminder before trotting back to the line of girls.

"—We will discuss this later."

When Emilia lined up with the others, her silver hair dancing about, her attire definitely seemed a step behind everyone else's. However, the loveliness within excelled above all the others, at least according to Subaru.

"In other words, they're the future royal candidates for the selection… Huh?"

All the participants were girls, Emilia included. As he realized this with surprise, the people around him began moving one after another. Subaru followed Al's lead and headed toward the lined-up Knights of the Royal Guard. As he did so, a certain red-haired, handsome young man standing at the head of the knights, greeted Subaru with a bright, friendly smile.

"—So you did come, Subaru."

It was Reinhard. The agreeable young man apparently hadn't forgotten him in the last month. He still had flaming red hair and eyes as blue as if very sky had been trapped in them. The only change was that he was wearing a formal royal guard uniform. He added, "When I heard that Lady Emilia would be attending, I wondered if you might show up."

"That's a crazy-high appraisal of me on your part, isn't it…? I thought the main image you had of me was pathetically crying for help and getting sliced open…"

Reinhard replied to Subaru without the faintest trace of sarcasm.

"I think you underestimate your own virtues. You, of course, protected Lady Emilia from a wicked blade, but you also made virtuous choices in other areas as well."

He shrugged good-naturedly. Even that gesture was perfectly polished, and Subaru couldn't help but be a jealous.

And so Subaru stood to Reinhard's side, and Al to his. Just as he realized that they were in the front row among the knights in a very prominent position, he heard the overly friendly call of a cat-eared girl, accompanied by a playful smile and a wave…

"Subawu, it is you!"

It was the messenger girl who'd triggered their trip to the royal capital. Subaru was a little surprised to see her standing with the knights, dressed in a female uniform for the Royal Guard, complete with a skirt.

And standing by the cat-eared girl's side, giving him a silent nod, was none other than Julius.

"Subaru, what's with that scowl all of a sudden?" Reinhard asked.

"In my homeland, they teach you to make this face when you look at an insect called archnemesis."

Reinhard attempted to smile as Subaru tried to hide the disgust making itself plain on his face.

"I hope you don't take this personally, Julius. It would seem Subaru does this to make a more humble first impression on people."

"No, there's no deeper meaning here. Can you not make me out to be sneakier than I am?"

Reinhard ascribed uncomfortably great praise to Subaru's words and deeds, so Subaru shot him down immediately. Julius, in response stroked his hair back as he said, "I do not mind, Reinhard. It is the duty of a knight to behave in a manner befitting his station.—I am Julius Juukulius of the Knights of the Royal Guard. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance…and that of the good knight beside you."

After his pompous introduction, Julius tried to draw Al into the conversation. Without much energy, Al replied, "Aw, don't get stuck on formalities, okay? Stop calling me good knight or sir knight or whatever. I'm, whatchamacallit—a common cutthroat. I'm not one of the high and mighty like you."

Subaru reflexively raised an eyebrow at his behavior. He'd thought Al was the type to get along with anybody, so his attitude toward Julius was unexpected.

But unfortunately, there was no time left for a follow-up.

"—The gentlemen of the Council of Elders and the candidates have been assembled. If I may be so bold, I, captain of the Knights of the Royal Guard, Marcus, shall oversee these proceedings."

"Mmmm… Very well, please do."

Still at his seat, the one who crossed his arms and made a faint nod was named Miklotov. Marcus, captain of the knights, nodded and presented a solemn expression to all assembled.

"I have an important announcement to make to this assembly for the election of the next ruler…for the royal selection. It is for this purpose I have gathered the Council of Elders and called you all the way to the palace."

Marcus's voice was not especially loud, yet it reverberated so that everyone in the throne room could hear. The captain of the knights had a voice fitting his title, one that marked him as a man destined from birth to lead others.

"Half a year ago…beginning with the late king, the members of the royal family passed away in rapid succession. Any kingdom lacking a king is in crisis, but it is an especially grave matter for the Dragonfriend Kingdom of Lugunica, deeply related to the Covenant."

The Covenant—apparently this indicated the pact between the kingdom and the Dragon.

He'd heard the term in fairy tales and in conversations at Roswaal Manor several times. However, just like the royal selection itself, there were numerous details that remained unclear to him. In that sense, Subaru was grateful for how the conference was unfolding.

"The kingdom's relationship with the Dragon began several centuries prior. The king of that time, His Highness, Falseil Lugunica, and Holy Dragon Volcanica formed a covenant between them. Since that time, the kingdom has been rescued from crisis by the Dragon several times over, preserving it and its prosperity."

"Holy Dragon Volcanica is extremely faithful, with a deep sense of duty. Even many generations later, he has continued to protect us from beyond the Great Waterfalls far away."

As Marcus delivered his solemn speech, Miklotov stroked his beard and nodded.

"Mmmm. Furthermore, the continuance of the royal family is deeply related to maintaining the Covenant. This makes the loss of all members of the royal bloodline to plague an especially regretful matter. A Dragon Maiden is required to begin the next era without a moment to spare."

"Renewal of the Covenant through the Dragonfriend Ceremony, a meeting of the minds with the Dragon, requires a maiden that meets select criteria. This duty was shouldered by succeeding generations of the royal family, but now we seek another to carry it."

Keeping the emotions in his voice as restrained as possible, Marcus faced the Council of Elders sitting on the dais and touched a hand against his chest.

"For this purpose, we, the Knights of the Royal Guard, upon the command of the Council of Elders, have undertaken the duty of locating maidens selected by the light of the Dragon Jewels."

Marcus slid his hand into a pocket. Upon his palm, he raised up a gemstone with a tiny emblem upon it. It was one Subaru had seen many times, for it marked those qualified to participate in the royal selection.

"Everyone, present your Dragon Jewels—"

The girls responded, presenting their own emblems.

Instantly, the throne room was bathed in a vivid glow from the jewels bearing the insignia. The one in Emilia's hand was red, and each other emblem dazzled the room with a different color.

The knights sighed in wonder. Even the wrinkled faces of the Council of Elders showed a faint sign of relief.

"As you can see, each of these candidates is qualified to become a Dragon Maiden. Having beheld this fact, we shall do as commanded by the Dragon Tablet and…"

The solemn proceedings came to a halt at a soft voice.

"…Excuse me?"

As Marcus's breath caught, a girl in front of him bearing a twinkling blue Dragon Jewel inclined her head. She had violet-hair and wore a white dress.

"I understand the captain wants to tell his story, but as folks say in Kararagi, time is money."

In contrast to her gentle tone and docile face, her request was as straight and to the point as a fastball. She put her Dragon Jewel away and smiled softly.

"If you're repeatin' what we already know anyway, I'd rather hear more about why we're here."

The demand by the girl with a peculiar accent seemed to rock Marcus back on his heels. But Subaru was rocked to a far greater degree.

"Hey, wait a… No way, that's Kansai dialect?"

Al, standing next to Subaru, could only whisper back in sympathy to Subaru's murmur.

"Oh, first time you've heard it, bro? Apparently they all talk like that in the Kararagi area to the west. I mean, I've never seen the place myself, but the way they talk sure stands out."

To him, hailing from the same homeland as Subaru, Kansai dialect should have been familiar to him. The way he phrased things put Subaru off a little, but he suddenly became very curious about what this Kararagi land to the west was like.

The next girl over said, with a clear voice that echoed across the surprised occupants of the throne room, "She has a point."

As the violet-haired girl crossed her arms and tucked in her chin, the green-haired girl offered her agreement. Marcus appealed to her, "Lady Crusch, the head of the House of Karsten should not be…"

"Formalities may be important, but we don't have all the time in the world. We should touch upon the reason for our being gathered as quickly as possible. In fact, I have largely guessed already."

The girl Marcus addressed as Crusch closed one eye, surveying the Council of Elders with the others. Miklotov let out a sigh of admiration.

"As expected of the Duchess of Karsten. So you already understand the meaning of this gathering?"

"Yes, Lord Miklotov.—A banquet, yes? We shall eventually be rivals, but there is still much we do not know about each other. By sitting us at the same table to exchange toasts, we may gain some understanding of the character of our competitors…"

Crusch had decided the occasion was a particularly formal banquet when Miklotov interrupted.

"No, that is not the case."

The girl raised her eyebrows at his reply and slowly turned toward Subaru and the others.

"Ferris, this is not what you told me."

"Oh no. All Ferri said was that they're bringing lots of food and wine into the castle so maybe they're going to have a banquet. Oopsie."

"I see, I assumed too much. I'm sorry for doubting you."

It was an odd kind of master-servant banter, without much affection.

Crusch faced the front again, letting out a small sigh as she put that brief conversation behind her.

"And so, with some embarrassment, I take back my previous statement."

"Oh my, Lady Crusch, you're being way too manly…!"

The girl named Ferris put a hand to her cheek with an air of concern. Apparently, she wasn't particularly bothered that she'd leaked false information to her master. Given her current reaction, Subaru felt she'd done it on purpose.

The girl speaking in Kansai dialect clapped her hands in search of agreement from the other candidates.

"Hey now. Just because Crusch backed off doesn't mean my opinion's changed. Everyone knows the gist of this royal selection thing by now, right?"

Crusch nodded in reply to the question, but Priscilla rudely blew it off with a small snort. Then, Emilia raised her hand a little.

"I think th-that we should listen to the full story."

But the girl's treatment of Emilia was altogether too cruel.

"Sorry, but I'm not asking your opinion here."

As if she had been struck by the hostility, pain ran across Emilia's profile. Subaru couldn't bear to watch.

"Why, you, what's with that attit—"

As Subaru bellowed angrily, Al stepped in front of him from the side, raising his arm up high.

"Yeah! I don't know about this royal selection business, so I want to hear the rest and stuff!"

As all eyes gathered on Al's buffoonish behavior, he comically waved his hand to further establish his harmlessness.

"Hey, don't look at me like that, I'm gonna blush. I know I'm really out of place, so don't treat me like some suspicious intruder or something. You're gonna drive a middle-aged man to tears."

Marcus seemed to be the only one keeping his complete cool.

"Lady Priscilla, your knight has requested it, but…would you like to hear the explanation about the royal selection?"

Priscilla fanned the flames in a grandiose tone.

"Whether I desire it or not, you love your long-winded stories all on your own. It is a waste of time to me. Repeated words are no different than nonsense. I do not even speak nonsense in my sleep."

In contrast to the selfish bearings of the others assembled, Emilia's good character stood out. But it was clear from the earlier exchange she was not being treated fairly.

Al said to him, "—That's one you owe me. No, two now?"

With Al holding up two fingers and tilting his head toward the younger boy, Subaru was grateful on the inside. It was scary to even think about what would've happened if he'd continued and blown a gasket. Al had taken all the blame on himself in Subaru's place.

Priscilla continued, "By my grace, we shall follow the commoner's view. Rejoice and dance upon my palm. Continue, Marcus. Tell my knight how I shall become monarch."

The violet-haired girl slumped her shoulders and threw in the towel at Priscilla's demeanor.

"It's really somethin' how you pass the buck onto everyone else. I'm just gonna keep my mouth shut."

With a consensus seemingly forming, Marcus looked at Emilia and Crusch, with both nodding as well.

"Very well, with that brief digression finished, I shall return to the topic.—You who are qualified to become Dragon Maidens are assembled here because of the prophecy carved into the Dragon Tablet. This prophecy states, 'Should the Covenant of Lugunica lapse, the nation shall be guided by she who forms a bond with the Dragon anew.'"

Miklotov replied, "Mmmm. The words on the tablet are providence itself. The Dragon Tablet, with a history at least as long as that of the Covenant, contains the words by which the fate of the kingdom shall be decided. Considering the impact of these details upon subsequent history, surely it is our duty to obey them."

The other members of the Council of Elders solemnly nodded in response to Miklotov's words. Marcus continued, "The Dragon Tablet, handed down by Holy Dragon Volcanica, has guided our kingdom's path since the days of yore. They have provided the land with advance warning of various crises, from the Great Cuedegra Famine and the Nightmare of Blight Dragon Balgren, to the onslaught of the Black Serpent in recent years, enabling us to minimize the damage incurred."

"Mmmm. There is no need to continue listing these achievements. They are known to all present."

The aforementioned achievements were likely major affairs in the kingdom's history, but they didn't ring a bell with Subaru, ignorant as he was. He thought that a prophecy letting you plan for upcoming events was a pretty nice thing to have.

Either way, apparently Emilia and the other candidates, or rather, maidens able to communicate with the Dragon, had been gathered in accordance with this prophecy.

In a quiet voice, Subaru raised a doubt he'd been harboring with Reinhard beside him.

"I just thought of this, but if the problem's just the Covenant with the Dragon, the Dragon Maiden doesn't actually have to become queen, right? Can't you have the ruler and the maiden be separate?"

The corners of Reinhard's lips rose in a strained smile.

"I think you have a valid point, Subaru. But it can't be done."

"Mind if I ask why not?"

"Because the Covenant for the prosperity of the kingdom is formed between the Dragon and the king. The Dragon isn't simply choosing someone able to communicate with. The pact is formed because that person is carrying a kingdom on his shoulders. In other words, the Dragon is very particular about his partners."

"But if that's the case, won't rushing a maiden into a monarch just annoy the Dragon more? It's, like, I close my eyes for one moment and poof, the king is gone, and here's a maiden to take the place of the king. Would the Dragon go for that?"

"That's a fairly strong argument. But in the end, the Dragon Tablet upon which the fate of the kingdom is engraved takes precedence. That is what the Council of Elders has decided, and they have commanded us knights accordingly. I want to think that it was the right thing to do."

Even if he had doubts, the higher-ups had settled the issue. The only one who knew how the Dragon would judge was the Dragon himself. It was truly as Ram had said: Only the Dragon knows.

With one issue having been settled, Marcus's voice echoed across the quieted gathering.

"The prophecy continues thus: 'There shall be five able to lead a new nation. Of these, one shall be selected as the maiden to form a new Covenant with the Dragon.'"

Hearing that sentence from the prophecy, something tugged at Subaru's mind and made him frown.

"Five…?"

"Yes, five. Currently there are only four candidates—so the royal selection has not even begun yet. It is our shame that we have been unable to find a fifth."

"Your population's, like, fifty million people, right? Finding four in half a year sounds downright speedy."

They had to search for people on a world without any national transportation networks. Those were pretty harsh conditions. Subaru thought finding four candidates in such a short time was worthy of serious praise.

Marcus finished his explanation, apologizing to the girl who'd raised the initial objection to his carrying on.

"That summarizes the present circumstances. Lady Anastasia, please forgive my great rudeness."

"Don't, don't. This mess isn't my fault. Happy now, Princess?"

"I wonder. Al, has your little head gained any new insights?"

"Yeah, I've got it. Sorry for makin' ya go through the trouble. Sorry to the lil' lady from Kararagi, too."

As Al flippantly waved with his one arm, Priscilla replied, "There you have it." The girl—Anastasia—rubbed her forehead at the irresponsible master and servant and looked back up to the Council of Elders.

"Anyway, if there's still more, can we get on with it? I don't have forever, and I got a lot to do later. You old men with the purse strings get what I'm sayin', right?"

The rudeness of Anastasia's statement stirred the room up, and Subaru stiffened. But Anastasia seemed to have a very good read on her position, and the Council of Elders showed no sign of irritation.

Abruptly, Miklotov lowered his voice.

"It pains me to take so much of your busy time, Lady Anastasia, but I must ask you to remain with the conference a little longer. After all…this day shall be marked in the history of the kingdom."

Though the room had gradually lost its original tension, the statement triggered an ambiance that compelled everyone to stand a little straighter.

And moving the proceedings forward was Priscilla, pushing out her chest without a single ounce of shame.

"So history shall move, you say, old fossils? In other words, you mean that, yes?"

Miklotov replied to Priscilla's quiet question with a small nod from his perch. Then, the eyes under his thick eyebrows sought Marcus. The look was some kind of signal, as Marcus saluted and suddenly bellowed across the chamber.

"—Knight Reinhard Astrea! Come!"

Subaru's shoulders trembled out of the blue as Reinhard, seemingly having waited for the call, replied, "Yes, sir!"

He advanced straight forward, saluting the four candidates before standing to attention before Marcus and the Council of Elders.

"Very well, Reinhard. Report!"

"Sir!"

Marcus took a step back and yielded the center of the platform. With all eyes upon him, Reinhard stepped forward and faced the Council of Elders without a single trace of timidity.

"Esteemed members of the Council of Elders, I am Reinhard van Astrea of the Knights of the Royal Guard, here to report that my mission is complete."

Miklotov instructed, "Mmmm. Say it so that all may hear."

Reinhard turned around, looking over everyone in the room.

"—We have finally found the fifth candidate to become Dragon Maiden, and monarch."

The ranks of knights stirred and formed a space between them. The expressions of the candidates changed, registering strong emotions: determination, delight, tedium, and bewilderment.

"Bring her in," Reinhard curtly called.

Receiving his command, two guards before the entrance saluted and slowly opened the doors. Beyond them a girl, accompanied by ladies-in-waiting, was led into the throne room.

When Subaru laid eyes upon her, his jaw instinctively dropped in absolute shock.

The hem of her light yellow dress fluttered as her high-heeled shoes stepped upon the carpet. Her scrupulously arranged blond hair practically sparkled. The girl was remarkable for the strong determination in her red eyes and the impish appearance of her snaggletooth smile.

She looked so different that he almost doubted what he was seeing. He couldn't help but be lost for words.

With Subaru paralyzed by surprise, the announcement seemed to echo against his eardrums several times over.

"This young lady who seeks the crown is called…Lady Felt."

—And so, the royal selection that would determine the fate of the Kingdom of Lugunica began.