Chapter 1: The End of a Peaceful Daily Life
A red-haired middle-aged man and a black-haired young man were working together to face a red-haired girl.
The movements of the two men had reached a level that was almost impossible for a normal human to perceive with the naked eye, but the red-haired girl was clearly superior. She kept picking up various wooden weapons from the surrounding ruins, and no matter the weapon, she wielded it at an exceptional level.
Suddenly, the birdsong, the shadows of weapons slicing through the air, and even the sound of breathing vanished. Endless darkness covered the entire training ground.
In the pitch-black darkness, Reinhild first bent backward to dodge a flying stone, then rolled to avoid a purple arrow. She grabbed a whip cutting through the air with her left hand, then stepped back to evade a vertically swinging wooden sword, and finally punched the chest of the person in front of her.
[Divine Protection of Preemptive Strike]
!!!
The preemptive protection activated unexpectedly, startling Reinhild. She instinctively turned to counterattack, but then remembered this was training.
The image of the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony appeared in the girl's mind.
—He (the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony) probably wouldn't notice this strike, right?
The thought lasted less than half a second before Reinhild forcibly stopped her body's movement, and the wooden sword struck her back with full force.
"Are you okay, Reinhild!"
Heinkel's voice came from behind. Reinhild was shocked. The protective veil that had been in place for some time couldn't stop Reinhild's protection, and only then did she realize it was Heinkel who had struck her.
The pain in her body and her father's concern were insignificant. Reinhild's first thought was:
—Subaru!!!
She hurriedly looked over and indeed saw Subaru knocked to the ground by her punch. While Subaru's physique was considered excellent, it still fell far short compared to Heinkel, who had trained from a young age aiming to become as strong as the Sword Saint Theresia.
!!!
Reinhild stopped and looked at the whip wrapped around her wrist. She then noticed the other end of the whip was magically fixed in midair. Slightly anxious, Reinhild applied force, and this time the whip snapped into two pieces under the pressure.
"Are you okay, Subaru? Sorry, I didn't notice it was you in front."
Freeing herself, Reinhild hurried to Subaru's side, helping him up while gently patting his back to help him recover.
"Hey… hey, why do I feel… a deep malice?"
Heinkel, slumped on the ground, spoke intermittently.
"That's just your imagination, Lord Heinkel."
After confirming Subaru was fine, Reinhild stood up and nodded at Bernie and Beatrice, who were approaching.
"Very clever—using the veil to erase perception, then fixing Subaru's weapon with magic, while moving both Subaru and Lord Heinkel with [Any Door] to create a misjudgment for me."
"Thank you very much for your praise."
Bernie replied respectfully.
"As Betty's disciple, isn't that only natural?"
Beatrice proudly puffed out her chest.
Indeed, Beatrice had now become Bernie's teacher. Initially, Beatrice wanted to train alongside Subaru, since a contracted spirit's combat ability is part of the spirit mage's skillset. However, Beatrice's magic recovery was problematic—or rather, her consumption was too extravagant. The mana she gained from there was negligible compared to her combat expenditure.
"Useful in training, but in actual combat, you'd have no magic left. Isn't that putting the cart before the horse?"
Subaru had complained like this after confirming Beatrice's mana consumption during training. Luckily, the Astrea family had the strongest human dark magic user, Bernie. After some negotiation, Beatrice became Bernie's teacher: she devised the spells, and Bernie verified their real combat effectiveness.
Of course, their sparring partner had also been upgraded from Wilhelm to Reinhild. Reinhild initially didn't want to be Heinkel's sparring partner, fearing a repeat of childhood events (PS: Heinkel sparred with 5-year-old Reinhild, who defeated him, causing Heinkel a mental breakdown).
But Wilhelm, being Crush's retainer and limited to swordsmanship, wasn't a suitable sparring partner.
Reinhild knew she was the best sparring partner: like the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony, she was proficient with all weapons, had [Divine Protection of Training] to enhance both their
abilities, and was the person most familiar with the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony's combat style.
Ultimately, at Subaru's request—and to prevent these two important people from dying at Gluttony's hands—Reinhild agreed to be their sparring partner.
Though Heinkel initially wore a familiar skeptical expression, the goal of awakening his beloved, combined with Subaru's upbeat presence, ensured the three's training progressed smoothly.
.
.
.
"Lord Heinkel, Lord Subaru. A messenger from Anastasia wishes to see you at the estate."
Otto, who had been waiting at the estate gate, said this.
"A messenger from Anastasia?"
Subaru tilted his head, sensing this might be the prelude to an incident. Nervously, he tidied his appearance and hurried to the reception room, pushing the door open. There, Felt was stroking the ears of "Iron Fang" Deputy Captain Mimi.
"Oh~! Brother! How are you~?"
Mimi cried as she broke free from Felt's embrace and leapt toward Subaru's face, which he easily caught.
"Hehe. Long time no see. How long has it been? A year, right~?"
The one Subaru held, smiling foolishly with bright orange fur and a white robe, was the beastkin girl known as Gorgeous Mimi, even smaller than Beatrice.
"Yeah, the last time we met was during the White Whale hunt, right? Has it really been a year? I'm relieved to see you so spirited."
Subaru set Mimi down, and she flicked her long tail, puffing out her chest. Though cheerful and affectionate, her combat power was several times Subaru's. She had assisted him during the capital incident and the White Whale hunt; even if she didn't remember, Subaru considered her an important ally.
"You really came all this way. By the way, this little loli next to me is my spirit partner, Beatrice."
Though Beatrice pouted, Mimi's cat-like eyes sparkled.
"Oh~! Look at this hair, it's so curly~! How can it curl like this? Mimi, I'm shocked!"
"This was designed by Betty's mother—a hairstyle both functional and elegant."
"No, forget elegance, there's no functionality here. Over the past year, your hair's been getting tangled everywhere, giving me a hard time."
Subaru casually teased. Curious Mimi was fascinated by Beatrice's long curls, moving like a cat fixated on a mouse. Beatrice, who had grown a lot, struggled under this attention and sought Subaru's help. But Subaru saw this as Beatrice making friends, so he let it happen.
Subaru then looked at the remaining young man.
"Brother, no need to worry~. Today Mimi didn't come with Julius. Also Hetaro, Tivey, the captain and the young lady aren't here! Mimi came alone as a guard!"
While playing with Beatrice, Mimi spoke proudly. Hearing this, Subaru became even more cautious, realizing that the knight representing her faction was absent.
—Anastasia would never send someone half-hearted as a messenger to visit the opposing candidate in the royal selection, Felt's camp.
With this thought in mind, Subaru observed the messenger: a dignified young man, his slender body wrapped in high-quality black formal wear. His light purple hair was neatly combed and tied, appearing about Subaru's age. His expression was slightly tense, and the monocle over his left eye added to his scholarly aura.
"This young man is…?"
The youth confirmed in a stiff voice, while Felt, sitting opposite him, nodded in response.
"Yes."
Felt casually slapped his thigh and laughed heartily, pointing toward Subaru.
"This young man is the famous Natsuki Subaru. Behind him is Heinkel; the timid one is Otto. There are also the great spirit Beatrice and Reinhild."
—This won't do!
Noticing the guest's suspicious gaze toward him, Subaru cleared his throat, straightened his back according to knightly etiquette, tensed his expression, and placed his right hand on his chest in salute.
"Apologies, most humbly. I am Knight Natsuki Subaru, serving under Lady Felt."
The youth quickly stood and bowed in return.
"I… I am a messenger of Lady Anastasia Hasin, named Joshua Juukulius."
"What a fine name… Joshua Juukulius?"
Subaru paused at the familiar pronunciation, as if to confirm his suspicion.
"You are the famous Subaru Natsuki. I have heard much of you from my elder brother, Lord Julius. Of course, I have also heard various rumors."
Joshua narrowed his eyes as he spoke. The sharpness in his gaze, combined with a graceful yet slightly piercing presence, made Subaru certain that he shared blood with Julius.
"I see, so you are Julius' younger brother. Indeed, if I had to point it out, the sharp gaze, elegant mouth shape, and beautiful hair color all match."
"Now then, what business does the young one of the Juukulius family have?"
Seeming tired of endless aristocratic formalities, Heinkel leaned back in his chair and asked impatiently.
"P-please wait! And this young lady…!?"
Unnoticed, Reinhild in her maid outfit, blending into the background, tilted her head and asked.
"No need. I will decide who is qualified to observe here. Any objections, young one of the Juukulius family?"
"No!"
Perhaps unsettled by Felt and Heinkel's unusual behavior, Joshua was so flustered that his monocle fell. He leaned forward, grabbed it, and hurriedly put it back on. Unlike his composed elder brother Julius, Joshua seemed far less at ease.
—A younger brother like this is easier to handle.
Subaru thought to himself, while mentally apologizing for the irregularities in his own camp.
"Get to the point quickly. Don't be like your brother."
Joshua's monocle gleamed.
"I am still far behind my brother. He is incredibly skilled—by twenty-two he became a prominent figure in the Kingdom's Knights, effectively the second-in-command of the Royal Guard. Although he has left his post to serve Lady Anastasia, when she ascends, he will surely assume command of the Royal Guard… He is the true knight!"
"…I see, I see."
Joshua spoke rapidly and passionately, and Subaru was immediately silenced.
"Now, let's move to the matter at hand, shall we? Personally, I have no interest in hearing about your noble exploits."
Felt waved impatiently.
"Apologies. I lose control whenever I speak of my elder brother…"
Joshua's gaze, which had shone brightly, finally returned to normal.
"Then, the tale of my brother's glory can wait. I… no, I must report to Lady Anastasia after conveying this message."
"Hmm, I look forward to it… Now, what is the delayed topic?"
Seeing Joshua finally assume the proper posture of a messenger, Felt switched to candidate mode for the royal selection, and the room's atmosphere grew slightly serious.
"As a messenger of Lady Anastasia Hasin, I must convey Her Ladyship's words to Lady Felt."
Joshua's expression tensed, and he withdrew a letter from his chest. Placed on the table, written in black ink, the letter read:
"Lady Anastasia invites Lady Felt to the Watergate City of 'Priestella.'"
"Priestella…"
Subaru immediately recognized it as one of the Five Great Cities of the Dragon Kingdom and began to consider the situation there.
—Anastasia's sudden invitation—what is its true purpose?
"Watergate City, Priestella…? What is the reason for the invitation?"
Felt, seemingly unconcerned, asked without hesitation. Joshua narrowed his yellow eyes and smiled slightly. His expression and features resembled Julius so much that Subaru's unease deepened.
"It seems to be a party invitation. Lady Anastasia, in goodwill, invites Lady Felt to attend, claiming to have obtained intelligence your camp has long sought."
"Young one, are you telling the truth?"
Subaru saw Heinkel grab Joshua in excitement and froze for a moment, then realized what was happening.
"Uh."
Seeing Joshua struggling to breathe, Subaru quickly grasped Heinkel's wrist.
"Hmph~~"
Noticing his lapse, Heinkel released his wrist. Joshua, who had fallen to the ground, gasped violently, then tidied his clothes and stood again.
"Lady Anastasia has obtained intelligence on the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony."
At this point, the direction of the negotiation was already set.