In front of Mimi, who was flapping her hands and having a great time, Subaru tilted his head in confusion.

“An invitation to a party… from Anastasia-san? Well, that’s sudden! Did something festive happen?”

“Festive? Who knows! But it sounds fun to eat delicious food, drink alcohol, and make a racket! Wow, so much fun!”

“Drinking? You clearly don’t look like you’re of age!”

“Hehe! Mimi’s grown up this past year! The party leader said it’s okay for me to drink! Even if the princess says no!”

With her hair adorned by a braid and ringing bells, Mimi puffed out her chest proudly. Subaru’s eyes widened in shock at her reply.

“Wait, are you really of age to drink? No way, how old are you?!”

“I just turned fifteen! So I’m a big girl now! An adult woman!”

“An adult woman doesn’t act like a hyperactive fifth grader! But still…”

After calming down slightly and patting his chest, Subaru became aware of the fact that age of adulthood here is different from his previous world. Basically, it’s akin to them reaching adulthood.

Here, fifteen is the age of adulthood, which means the legal drinking and smoking age.

“Is that right, Petra?”

“Yes, that’s correct. To elaborate, boys leave home and start working at fifteen, while girls might even get married around that age. Even if they don’t marry, they typically go out to work by then, just like I am now.”

“So, Petra, you left home pretty early. You little precocious one.”

“Ehehe, I guess I am precocious… but isn’t that not a compliment?”

While being glared at sharply by Petra, Subaru trudged towards Beatrice, who seemed a bit worn out after being tossed around by Mimi.

“Subaru’s training has worn Beatrice out, and now she’s being tossed around by a cat girl… Subaru, pick her up!”

“Training? You just sat there and watched…”

While making a mundane retort, Subaru picked up Beatrice, who had extended her arms. Having trained more than before, she felt as light as a feather, so her weight didn’t bother him.

Still, the scene looked a bit like a doting father holding a child.

“Oh, little one is being held! So nice! I wanna too! Mimi wants too!”

“Your group leader, maybe, but given your size, it’s impossible. Denied, denied!”

“Eeeh, that’s so unfair! Unfair! That’s so unfair!”

Mimi scampered around Subaru, who was holding Beatrice. For some reason, Beatrice wore a look of triumphant satisfaction.

Eventually, Mimi grabbed the hem of Subaru’s tracksuit.

“Okay then! Mimi will climb up by herself!”

“No, stop! You’re gonna knock me over! Petra, stop her… what are you doing?”

“Uh, I wasn’t jealous or anything, but can I climb up too, Subaru?”

“No way, you can’t!”

With one little girl in his arms and being fawned over by the cat girl and another girl, Subaru continued to chat away without any real progress in conversation as they made noise in the entrance hall.

Then—

“—What are you all doing down here, still not back?”

A cold voice rang out, causing Subaru and Petra to straighten their backs in unison.

Meanwhile, Mimi looked curiously at the new voice, while Beatrice exhaled a sigh.

The voice came from the top of the grand staircase, which overlooked the entrance hall. Turning his gaze, he saw a girl standing there, looking down at the four of them.

She had pink hair and wore a short modified maid outfit. Her pale red eyes held a cold expression, devoid of cuteness despite her cute features.

It was Ram, a colleague of Petra and head maid of this mansion.

Ram stared at Subaru and the others with icy eyes and sniffed disdainfully.

“Disgusting.”

“You’re the one with a disgusting thought, given the company and the scene! Healthy or not is debatable, but this is nothing but wholesome!”

“You twist the truth to fit your own convenience. But Balus, remember this—what Ram sees is the truth.”

“Can you start by removing your weird filter?”

It seemed she wasn’t inclined to listen, as she looked away in disinterest, ignoring Subaru’s disgruntled expression, and turned her gaze towards Petra.

Instantly, Petra flinched, her small shoulders shuddering considerably.

“Petra. I told you to grab Balus and bring him if our guests had arrived, didn’t I? Why are you acting like you’re playing around in the entrance?”

“S-sorry, Ram-sama…”

“It seems you didn’t hear, Petra. I believe I asked you why you were playing around.”

“Don’t talk like a wicked stepmother! I was just messing around. Petra isn’t at fault.”

“She may not be at fault. But I will knock you down, Balus.”

“I was only a little at fault!”

Finally conceding, Ram shrugged and gestured behind her.

“We can’t keep Emilia-sama and the others waiting, Balus. Go up to the parlor quickly. Petra, you go to the dining room. Beatrice will accompany Balus.”

“Of course.”

“What about Mimi? Hey, big sister, what about me?”

Petra reluctantly took her hand off Subaru’s hem, but the energetic little cat girl still held Subaru tightly with her other hand.

At Mimi’s inquiry, Ram swiped the hair from her face and said,

“Guests, please proceed with Balus to the parlor. It seems your companion is uneasy without Mimi around.”

“Oh, really? So I have to go back, huh? That’s no good!”

As expected, Ram treated guests politely. Mimi burst into laughter, but Subaru couldn’t ignore the implication he heard.

“You said ‘companion,’ right? But didn’t you just say you came alone or something?”

“I did, and it’s not a lie! Really, Hetero, Tibby, the leader, Julius, and the princess aren’t here with me! But I’m with Joshua, so it’s fine! Mimi is by herself with Joshua!”

“Are you his bodyguard?”

“Yep, bodyguard!”

Mimi puffed out her chest proudly. After patting her head, Subaru turned back towards Ram upstairs.

“My bad. I thought it was just Mimi and didn’t realize we kept someone waiting.”

“That appears to be the case. Hurry up now. Emilia-sama will be getting impatient.”

“That sounds scary. Well then, I’ll see you later, Petra. Let’s go, Mimi.”

“Yeah!”

Joshua was a name unfamiliar to Subaru, but he wondered who it referred to.

It was likely someone unknown from Anastasia’s faction. Given that they sent Mimi along as a bodyguard, he must have a significant standing.

Given that Mimi casually called him by his first name, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he was an important person, but considering Mimi’s nature, one shouldn’t take it too seriously.

“I’ll be baking tarts when I calm down, so please have a taste. Subaru-sama.”

As they parted, Petra whispered and dashed away.

Waiting in the dining room was probably Frederica. He wasn’t sure if she could be involved in serving the parlor, but either way, it appeared it would be a while before he could enjoy Petra’s tarts.

“So, who’s in the parlor with Emilia?”

“Since Roswaal hasn’t returned, Otto and Garf are with her. If they’re disguising as guests, Garf can handle them alone.”

“I’m not concerned about such a direct attack. I told Emilia to use Otto as a shield if it came to that.”

“I’ll take that advice from now on if I feel threatened.”

Just as expected of Otto; it was complicated to categorize him. Long story short, if Otto was among the three dealing with visitors, he’d probably be doing well at this very moment. He needed to hurry not to lose a valuable administrator.

“I wonder if that’s someone being unappreciated. I’m curious why he’s friends with Subaru.”

“My bond with Otto is a strong friendship that might be unseen to others. It’s solid as a rock.”

“Woo! Solid as a rock!”

Subaru and Mimi reacted to Beatrice’s words, following Ram’s sigh as they arrived in the parlor. They reached the first room upon entering the mansion after climbing the grand staircase.

When Ram knocked on the door, it was pulled open from the inside. The face revealed inside was,

“Oh, the boss finally showed! I was just about to go looking for you since you were late!”

“The irony of you coming out under the pretext of finding me when only Otto was left inside would’ve been amusing, but that wasn’t the case.”

“That would’ve been funny. I can almost picture Otto panicking.”

The mischievous smile on Garfiel’s face, a boy with short blond hair, sharp canine teeth, and a white scar on his forehead, met Subaru’s.

Garfiel stood nearby, arms crossed, then jerked his chin inside.

“Step in already! The boss’s presence is needed to move the conversation along. Otto and Emilia are waiting, but it looks like a comedy act.”

“That might be entertaining enough to watch for a bit.”

“Stop joking around and get in there already. We’re getting backed up!”

“Geh!”

Kicked savagely in the middle of his back, Subaru stumbled forward into the room. His sudden entrance earned several scrutinizing stares from those inside.

Each gaze conveyed feelings of relief, exasperation, and perplexity.

As he held back an urge to apologize for the awkward mix of relief and exasperation, Subaru turned towards the owner of the perplexing stare.

“――――”

The person he locked eyes with was a handsome young man with a finely structured face.

Wrapped in a well-fitted suit, his slim body sported long, pale purple hair tied back, and he exuded an air of scholarly sophistication augmented by a monocle.

His yellow eyes had upward-slanting corners, and his lips bore a permanent dissatisfied expression as he looked at Subaru’s unreturnable grin.

The first impression of the pair was decidedly unflattering.

“This is…?”

After a brief pause in their staring match, it was the visiting young man who spoke first.

His gaze shifted from Subaru to two others seated opposite him. Nodding in response to the young man’s question was a beautiful girl with flowing silver hair.

“Yes. I’m sorry to keep you waiting. —This is my knight, Natsuki Subaru.”

The girl introduced Subaru, and a rush of emotion pierced his heart.

This was because the phrase “my knight” resonated with a charm so captivating, it felt like a stunning spell each time he heard it.

“Uh, it seems you’re looking blissful for some reason…”

“Subaru, could you stop making that weird face? You’re making the others think something’s off… Huh? Wait, you’re hugging a bit too tightly, aren’t you, Subaru? Ah! Is it hurting!? Is it!?”

“—Ah! Sorry! I kinda zoned out there.”

Accidentally squeezing Beatrice too tightly due to his overly emotional inner feelings. A Beatrice hug, short for Bear Hug, he realized.

Anyway, facing the odd looks from the guests, Subaru cleared his throat, lowered Beatrice, who was wincing beside him, and said,

“Just now, I was introduced as Natsuki Subaru. I’m serving as Emilia-sama’s knight, so please remember my name.”

“———”

Though dressed casually in a tracksuit, Subaru maintained perfect knightly decorum.

Once, he viewed the posturing of knights as nothing more than pretense, but upon trying it himself, he found it surprisingly fitting.

It was a sensation of drawing nearer to the existence of being a knight, not whether it suited him or not.

There was meaning in embracing what might be construed as folly or misunderstanding.

Thus, under Garfiel’s guidance—who possessed knowledge and experience befitting a “knight freak”—Subaru’s knightly presentation was now commendable for one from his rank.

Stealing a glance at Garfiel, he noticed a look of satisfaction on his face.

Realizing he caught Garfiel glancing at him, Garfiel returned the gesture by raising his middle finger. Although he taught Subaru, it was only appropriate for the teacher to act.

“Thank you for being so polite. I am Joshua Ucurris, a messenger from Anastasia Hoshin.”

“Oh, is that so, Joshua? What a nice name. By the way, I apologize for my tardiness. Allow me to apologize once again… Ucurris?”

While expressing feigned courtesy to the young man who introduced himself, Subaru was unable to shake off a familiar term that popped into his head.

To Subaru’s questioning, Joshua nodded and added,

“Yes, Subaru. Apparently, Joshua is Julius’s younger brother. It’s pretty nice, both brothers working together for Anastasia.”

The youth’s earlier air of purity shattered as the girl laughed with a relaxed demeanor.

Of course, the girl before them was her true self. Subaru let out a small sigh and, despite knowing it was rude, stared at Joshua’s face before taking a seat across from him.

Naturally, right beside the girl—Emilia.

“So, you’re Julius’s brother. Now that you mention it, I can see the resemblance. The piercing gaze… not meant to be rude, just a sharp gaze. The elegant mouth… and you have beautiful hair unlike that devil’s.”

“Could you refrain from making comments like that?”

Subaru grimaced, stifling awkward words that might lead to trouble, while Otto, the gray-haired youth, was quick to jump in, clearly with good intent.

“You look a bit thinner, don’t you?”

“This place has been way too stimulating! Especially with situations like this, the mental fatigue just makes me lose weight without exercising! I’m getting skinny!”

“Skinny! Super skinny!”

Mimi cheered, adding fuel to Otto’s predicament.

While Otto’s expression was muted for being unable to argue back as a guest, Mimi hopped over to sit beside Joshua, quick on her little feet.

Beatrice, too, took a glance at the seats prepared to welcome Joshua.

The seating arrangement was filled with Subaru, Emilia, and Otto. Squeezing in left little to no room for Beatrice but still, she did not hesitate to sit on Subaru’s lap.

Subaru nonchalantly wrapped an arm around Beatrice’s waist to keep her steady.

“So, about the important main topic that was delayed…”

“W-wait a moment! Who is the girl over there?!”

Joshua’s surprise at the sudden question seemed to asset a stark panic in him.

He indicated Beatrice perched on Subaru’s lap, leaning forward almost astounded, his monocle teetering as if he had never seen a creature like her.

It seemed he wasn’t as composed as Julius.

Just as Subaru contemplated that, Mimi, sitting beside Joshua, piped in instead.

“Oh, Joshua, you’re so out of it! That’s Beako! Subaru’s child! You can see that clearly! The lady beside her is her mama, and the one beside that is an osandon, right?”

“Who are you calling an osandon? Can you not say such things around a guy who has little to no firm grasp of his position?!”

“Osandon! Osandon! Sounds like a magic name, how cool!”

Mimi’s childlike innocence proved to have no effect on Otto’s earnest shout.

The rest gave up trying to react to Otto’s lowered shoulders. Subaru simply placed his hand on Beatrice’s head.

“Sorry for not introducing her earlier! I guess I just felt it was so normal that I overlooked it!”

“Otto-kun forgot to mention it too! I was surprised too!”

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard ‘surprised’ used anymore…”

Emilia’s constant flow of quirky remarks prompted Subaru to agree. That simple sight had become their everyday routine now, showing an element of luxury they could take for granted.

“This is Beatrice. Just as Mimi mentioned, she’s my child with Emilia-sama.”

“Huh?!”

Joshua’s shocked face was priceless.

“No, that’s not right, Subaru! You can’t just say that! Joshua is surprised! I might have kissed Subaru, but you can’t have a baby from just kissing! I’ve studied this stuff!”

“Sorry, Emilia-tan! I feel like I just overshared our private life. My bad, let me introduce properly.”

“This doesn’t have to become a topic due to your clumsiness. I wonder if you might reflect on it?”

A forced smile appeared simultaneously on Emilia’s kind face and Beatrice’s displeased one.

Meanwhile, Emilia’s misunderstanding regarding “you can’t have a baby from kissing” had halted at that point. Naturally, there were no possibilities of Subaru stepping further into those details, and it seemed the other ladies were also waiting for “Emilia-sama to grow a bit more mature” before discussing such shockingly sensitive topics. Essentially, everyone was overly protective.

“So, what exactly is the situation with Beatrice over there?”

While adjusting his skewed monocle, Joshua appeared mildly vexed and rather overwhelmed by the eccentricity of Roswaal’s household. Surely, Subaru wondered how the Anastasia faction traversed their quirks without breaking entirely.

“Sorry for the rabbit trail—Beatrice might look like a cute little girl, but she’s actually my spirit contract. She’s a loli-baba.”

“That’s right! I’m a spirit! Also, I get the feeling you’re belittling the whole ‘loli-baba’ thing.”

Beatrice swatted Subaru’s hand away and firmly pushed his chin upward in protest. Living here had given her enough command of Subaru’s vernacular to accept no further blunders.

The loli-baba pairing already explained the existing relationship between a traditional ‘baba’ and ‘loli,’ so it wasn’t surprising at all that she would see right through such wordplay.

The resulting scene between Subaru and Beatrice, appearing heartwarming to outsiders, rendered a dramatically different reaction from Joshua.

His previously amicable demeanor dramatically cooled, akin to a sudden downpour.

“—I see. A spirit, is it.”

The low murmur bore a weight of emotion whose meaning remained unclear to anyone in that moment.

He wasn’t hiding his emotions. It was quite the opposite. An intricate tangle of emotions brewed within him, leaving everyone in the room unable to gauge the core truth behind it.

Yet, of all who stood there, none failed to perceive that it was not a positive sentiment.

“Hey, visitor. Is there any problem with our leader bringing a spirit?”

Garfiel’s energy radiated a fearless defiance, something Subaru had seen before.

Since everyone bumbled around pondering how to address the issue, Garfiel waded in without hesitation.

To that, Joshua shook his head curtly, saying “No, it’s nothing.”

“Nothing major. Just that I believed Natsuki-dono also served as a spirit knight, because my brother is a spirit knight too. An exceptionally rare title in this country.”

“Oh, I see, I know that. That guy got tangled up with the Witch Cult in… uh, well… that took care of a lot of things.”

“Seems you’re having trouble admitting how much you depend on him!”

That wasn’t necessarily the case. But, recalling how he fought alongside Julius, the memories evoked embarrassment and old wounds.

“Aside from Beatrice and Subaru, I’ve heard there are other knights using spirits, so that’s fascinating considering you’re his brother.”

“Fascinating? What do you mean by that? Spirit, to me?”

“Well, that’s easy. The past always ends up being overshadowed by the future. If anything, they’re simply decorations in Subaru and Beatrice’s bright adventuring.”

Subaru rubbed Beatrice’s head and bowed slightly towards Joshua.

In that motion, Beatrice’s head bobbled down with him.

“My bad. I have no intention of mocking your brother. Honestly, I admit he possesses superior abilities. It’s simply a little pride on this spirit’s part.”

“How noble of you to admit that. It’s natural to recognize the parts of yourself that fall short when comparing to my brother.”

“Huh?”

Attempting to steer the conversation back to simpler grounds, Joshua suddenly shot back with high-handed remarks that thickened the air again.

Subaru frowned at Joshua’s indifference without recognizing its significance.

Joshua lifted his monocle, casting a rather unsettling brilliance, and said,

“Yes, my brother is an impressive man. Just twenty years old, and he’s treated like a star among the royal knight’s guard, practically second in command. Though he’s momentarily set aside that role to serve Anastasia-sama, should Anastasia-san achieve her ambitions, his position as captain will be secure. He’s on close terms with Reinhardt, the Sacred Sword wielder of this generation, and displays an impressive demeanor both public and private. He’s undoubtedly strict with both himself and others, retaining a sense of ambition. Furthermore, he possesses a striking appearance that doesn’t fall short of his impressive spirit. Yes, my brother is indeed an incredible person. Someone like you could hardly compare.”

“…Oh.”

Joshua was infusing his words with delight, rhapsodizing about his brother so passionately that Subaru could only give a meager response. Even Beatrice looked taken aback. Garfiel and Otto remained silent, fearing they might say the wrong thing, while Mimi was preoccupied stuffing her cheeks with treats.

Within that atmosphere, the only one who could counter Joshua’s heated words was one individual alone.

“Hehe. You really love your brother, don’t you, Joshua?”

An angel who took everything positively was the one present.

Joshua, realizing the awkwardness of what he had spouted, blushed with embarrassment rather than excitement. Yet, clearing his throat, he managed to steady himself.

“I-I apologize, I might have gotten a bit carried away. When it comes to family, I tend to lose my composure.”

“No, it’s fine! I wanted to hear more about your brother from you! I’ve only met Julius a few times in the royal capital, so I want to know more!”

“S-so, then I could share some of our memories…”

“Let’s save those stories for another time, shall we? Right now, shouldn’t we get to the main topic at hand!? Don’t you think so, Otto? Garfiel?”

“Huh?!”

At Subaru’s insistence to redirect the course of conversation, Otto and Garfiel responded with ‘Don’t drag me into this!’ expressions as they scrambled to agree with Subaru.

Realizing he had messed up by letting the vibe drift too far, Joshua displayed an understanding response.

“Th-then let’s save the stories of my brother’s glories for later. I… no, I must attend to my matters and join Anastasia-sama as soon as possible.”

“Of course. I’m really looking forward to it! Now, about the subject we’ve been putting off… what exactly do you wish to discuss?”

While Joshua struggled to maintain composure, Emilia smoothly transitioned into her royal candidate demeanor.

Her tone took on a gravitas that tightened the air in the parlor, a tension emerging as Emilia was coming into her own as a ruler.

“—As the messenger from Anastasia Hoshin, I deliver her message to Emilia-sama.”

Feeling the palpable tension, Joshua regained some of his initial poise as he placed his hand in his pocket and withdrew a letter, laying it on the table.

Lowering his gaze to the inked characters, he continued.

“Anastasia wishes to invite Emilia-sama and all those affiliated to the city of ‘Pristella’.”

“An invitation to Pristella… isn’t that the water gate city? The big city near the border between the Lugnica Kingdom and the Kararagi City-State?”

“That is correct. Currently, Anastasia is not in the royal capital but in that location… and wishes to invite you, Emilia-sama and your party.”

Joshua confirmed Emilia’s query and bowed gently.

Exchanging glances, Emilia turned her eyes toward Subaru with an unmistakable question in them—“What do you think?”

Naturally, Subaru found himself sharing similar sentiments regarding the primary matter just discussed. He recalled that Anastasia’s residence in Lugnica was indeed in the noble district of the royal city. When he heard of the party invitation from Mimi, he had assumed they would naturally be invited to that home.

“Pristella is a picturesque place and well-known as a tourist spot due to its unique features. Just visiting is said to put one’s heart at ease, which Anastasia is thrilled about.”

“Well, if it were just about showcasing a nice place, that’s one thing, but… they’re not exactly friends, Emilia and Anastasia, are they?”

Furthermore, Subaru remembered Anastasia presenting a rather sharp and critical position towards Emilia during their exchanges in the royal castle. Among the candidates, both Priscilla and Anastasia were especially so with their harsh dealings.

Crusch preferred not to discriminate based on personal feelings, while Felt held a measure of gratitude towards Emilia. Thus, while there had been cooperation against the Whale and the Witch Cult, personally, Subaru didn’t have a particularly favorable impression of Anastasia.

There were, therefore, clear premonitions stirring regarding this invitation.

And as if to validate Subaru’s suspicions, Joshua wore a slight smile.

“This time, Anastasia wished to extend her invitation out of goodwill. Apparently, she heard that Emilia-san is searching for something valuable, which she sighted in Pristella.”

“Something I’m searching for?”

Emilia leaned in, showing keen interest, causing Otto’s expression to shift to one of ‘we’ve been compromised!’ He understood the dynamics had changed before he could call for a halt, revealing he was entirely misunderstood in the core of the topic.

The delay in his judgment ended up completely conceding their lead.

Holding a deepening smile, Joshua spoke once more.

“—A report from a trader of magic minerals in Pristella indicates that the ultra-high purity colorless magic stone, which one might assume you desire, rests there. It is said to be a catalyst that could contain the Great Spirit.”

—Thus, with the moment they relinquished the initiative, Emilia’s party’s departure for Pristella was all but confirmed.