It took a total of three days for Subaru and the others to actually depart for Pristella.

“I respect Lady Emilia’s wishes, and honestly, there’s no pressing duty, so I don’t mind, but not knowing what they’re planning over there is a bit worrisome, to put it lightly.”

The meeting of the western frontier lords—basically a gathering of Count Roswaal and the lords under him—is held at the mansion of a lord who has declared neutrality among the prominent figures.

Generally, the lords are unified in following Roswaal’s direction, but there are still some who express opposition or anxiety about raising the banner of Emilia.

Most of the territories maintain the principle that demi-humans and humans are to be treated equally under Roswaal’s policies, but the opinion that demi-humans do not equal half-elves is still deeply rooted everywhere.

Over the past year, through dialogue and conditional compliance, such opinions have been nurtured. This meeting serves as a strategic move to once more provide those lords who stubbornly refuse to take a step back an opportunity to negotiate with Emilia.

Roswaal had left the mansion to make arrangements for this.

“I’m sorry. I really wanted to attend that meeting as well…”

“That would have been counterproductive. This meeting is meant to create that opportunity, so bringing Lady Emilia into it would only facilitate a sneak attack… of course, if Lady Emilia were to quell the confusion and demonstrate a grand speech enough to silence the opposing lords, a surprise attack might be worthwhile.”

“…I still think that’s beyond my current capabilities. Alright, I understand. I’ll stay quiet.”

With her lips tight and eyes downcast in regret, Emilia nodded in satisfaction at Roswaal’s response.

While I felt like saying something about his sarcastic tone, I couldn’t ignore the fact that he was facing Emilia more directly than before.

Compared to the ornamental feeling I had a year ago, when she was clearly kept away from political issues, the current situation felt much better—such were Emilia’s inner thoughts shared with Subaru, who had grumbled.

With Roswaal being active as well, he has become much more reliable as a supporter. Though because of the potential dangers of his true intentions, the final balance still barely tips between safety and danger.

“Petra will be accompanying the meeting, that’s confirmed… but who will stay behind at the mansion?”

“This time Annerose will also be participating. With Lipe, who favors Petra, present, most of our issues should be covered. I was thinking about leaving Frederica behind as she doesn’t get along well with Lipe… what about Ram?”

“I’ll follow Roswaal’s will.”

“‘As you wish’ or whatever; it sounds like you’re forcing your own opinion instead…”

While Ram still seems to push for Roswaal supremacy, her reluctance to assert her own wishes has visibly dissipated. Watching Roswaal accept this without discomfort, it felt like their relationship had subtly shifted from dependency to mutual understanding.

The sweet air of dependency dissipated, replaced by an atmosphere suggesting they had become each other’s confidants. It’s uncertain whether having such a presence around Roswaal is beneficial.

“What are you staring at? If you’re going to start getting riled up over anyone, I might just blind you, Balus.”

“If you put it that way, how do you see me in your eyes, sister?”

“…”

Ram made a complicated face at Subaru’s question.

It wasn’t a particularly difficult question to answer. However, every time Ram hears Subaru address her as “sister,” she always looks like this.

It’s not that she dislikes it; rather, the term feels foreign to her. Since her memories of her sisterhood with Rem haven’t returned, the days when Rem looked up to her as an older sister exist solely in the void.

“To be honest, if it were just Emilia and Subaru, I’d have misgivings, but if Garfiel and Otto are accompanying them, that should be fine. Otto won’t mess up negotiations, and in the worst-case scenario, Garfiel can just smash everything and run away.”

“That’s still a super problematic course of action… I’ll do my best to navigate things to prevent that.”

“Causing chaos is my job, Emilia-tan. Whether it’s Anastasia or Julius, it matters not! I have the witch’s approval to sidestep the important negotiations.”

“Is that something to brag about…?”

With a wry smile, Emilia watched Subaru give a thumbs up and display a grin. Of course, Emilia understood that Subaru’s teasing words were merely meant to reassure her.

That level of trust was something they had built up over the past year.

“Well then, Beatrice. Please take care of the four of them.”

“There’s no need for you to tell me. Without Betty, these fools can’t be trusted with anything at all.”

The girl entrusted with the final task puffed her chest out with her trademark curls swaying.

Her adorably brazen attitude brought smiles to everyone’s faces. Certainly, the girl herself seemed displeased by the reaction.

Nevertheless, by informing everyone, their journey to Pristella had been finalized.

“Then, upon arrival, please ask for the ‘Water’s Feather Robe Inn.’ We will be waiting there with Lady Anastasia.”

“See you then, I’ll be waiting!”

With that, two messengers from Anastasia departed the Roswaal mansion.

They would be returning to Pristella ahead, carrying the response to the invitation.

“Be careful on your way!”

“Garf too! I’m waiting with great excitement, so make sure you definitely come!”

“Excitement? What’s that supposed to mean? I know! It’s that they’re worried without me around, right? I’ll settle things your way. Just wait with your heads on the chopping block.”

“Oh? Understood! I’ll wash up and wait!”

As they parted, the charming exchange between Garfiel and Mimi left an impression. While Garfiel had been quite serious about keeping an eye on those two during the messengers’ stay, there was no denying that Mimi’s demeanor seemed friendly.

Rather, there’s a feeling that Mimi was overly friendly. Without realizing it, she had started calling him “Garf.”

“Though Mimi may have warmed up to him, I… I’ll still remain neutral.”

Meanwhile, as Joshua tried to act serious with his excited guards, the sight of him being tugged around by Mimi was rather comical.

He tried to maintain a serious countenance while being pulled to the side by a boisterous Mimi.

“Joshua-kun, are you okay? Those nice clothes might end up getting ripped…”

“I-I’m fine! No need to worry!”

However, while Subaru understood that sort of childish pride in Joshua, the angelic figure in the same situation failed to comprehend it. With Emilia’s genuine concern, Joshua couldn’t raise his voice against Mimi and wore a pitiful expression as he desperately tried to pry her off him. Sadly, Mimi had strength that surpassed Joshua’s.

“Your brother calls you a friend, but to me, he is too soft. That’s a virtue, but it’s my role as the younger brother to make up for that, so please don’t expect any mercy from the Yukurius family.”

“Hey, are you done pretending to be my brother?”

“P-please just listen to what I have to say! Stop mocking me…! You are a horrible person!”

“Honestly, it’s worrisome that you’ve completely forgotten your place as a messenger. If this went public, it might cause problems for the Yukurius family.”

“—!!”

Joshua turned pale, but Subaru wasn’t out to be malicious. Honestly, if we were to speak of public events, Subaru had far more embarrassing moments.

Of course, Joshua would have no way of knowing that, nor would Subaru be inclined to tell him, as that’s just how Natsuki Subaru rolls.

“Subaru, don’t pick on the younger ones. Joshua-kun, I’m sorry! Subaru can be like this sometimes…”

“—Uh, n-no… I should apologize for my rudeness as well. Please forgive me!”

“I? Ouch, ouch, that hurts, Emilia-tan!”

As Subaru attempted to further poke at Joshua, Emilia’s finger mercilessly tugged at his ear. Seeing Subaru’s watery eyes brought a sense of relief to Joshua, and he decided to let the matter rest for now.

Taking a deep breath, Joshua moved toward the dragon carriage—the one pulled by Liger, which, instead of being a dragon carriage, ought to be called a dog carriage due to the canine pulling it.

It seemed there might even be some kind of dog sled race in this world.

“I guess I should consider organizing racing events or something to expand that field.”

To be honest, even though he had come up with modern ideas, they had largely remained just ideas. However, perhaps Subaru should take a more serious approach to things he could replicate with his knowledge.

He had to weigh the benefits and drawbacks of starting horse racing before any other actions.

“What’s wrong, Subaru? You look really troubled.”

“I just had a sudden burst of ideas from my current knowledge. It feels very ‘me’!”

“Is that another new condiment? I like mayonnaise, but I also enjoy the tartar sauce I made afterward.”

“Next, I’m thinking of breaking away from common folk taste for something stronger!”

By the way, the tartar sauce, like mayonnaise, was also stored at Roswaal’s mansion. This was generally well-received by everyone, though it was something that left Subaru with a slight sense of dissatisfaction.

Regardless, as they discussed this, preparations for their return continued, and the dog carriage slowly began to move.

Instead of riding the driver’s platform, Mimi rode directly on the two Ligers pulling the carriage. With her white robe billowing, she laughed cheerfully as she gripped their manes.

“See you, big brother and sister, and Garf too!”

Waving cheerfully as she saw them off, I also waved to a visibly cautious Joshua who seemed on high alert, watching them from the window.

Thus, as the messengers were sent off, Subaru and the others followed two days later.

***

“As for quickly pushing the dragon carriage, it’s a long journey taking more than ten days. Since there’s no particular reason to hurry, let’s take our time to avoid fatigue.”

Otto set the course for their journey, and everyone complied without complaint.

Of the members heading to Pristella, he was the most seasoned traveler, and taking the average physical endurance, it was likely to land on Otto as well. He determined a pace and route he deemed manageable for himself, which would likely result in the safest journey for everyone.

“For the sake of our horse-drawn carriage, I’ll have my full-moon and Patrasche pull it. My plan is not to camp out at all, so we will only bring the bare minimum of emergency supplies.”

“If we just shake around in the carriage the whole time, my body will become wooden, Otto bro!”

“Well then, Garfiel can just jump down and run occasionally.”

“I’ll do that then.”

“So, you will?”

As Otto and Garfiel engaged in their usual banter, Emilia looked on in surprised amusement, marking the start of their journey to Pristella.

Despite various complications, the journey itself proceeded smoothly.

After leaving the Meisers territory and entering another domain, there were a few minor hiccups while passing through mountain gates, but with Meisers’ family crest and Emilia’s presence, most issues were dealt with.

The Royal Selection and its candidates were now widely recognized across most territories.

Of course, this could potentially invite new sparks of trouble, yet on this trip, they encountered no ill-intentioned individuals.

When reckless wild dogs or magical beasts attempted to attack the dragon carriage along the way, Garfiel, dispensing overwhelming violence, smashed through their ranks, scaring away their organized wild instincts with fear.

While proving himself indispensable as a guard, it was the stray magical beasts that ended up being more pitiful in this scenario.

Yet, Garfiel, having shown such a fearsome side, also passed the time by gnawing on the knives he had brought, providing a somewhat childish contrast.

By the way, seeing the moment when strong steel snaps is always quite a sight to behold.

“Hmm. This earth dragon has quite an interesting demeanor. I wonder if Betty would agree too,” Subaru said while seated beside Beatrice, who held the reins.

Surprisingly, it wasn’t just Otto’s job to handle the reins throughout the journey. Thanks to a year of effort, Subaru had familiarized himself enough with the earth dragon’s habits to manage the position, at least on this certain day.

Of course, this was only possible due to the approaching Patrasche and Otto’s earth dragon Full Moon. Aside from these, the only other companions at Roswaal’s mansion were two dogs named Rascal and Peter—whose naming rights go without saying.

“Instead of bragging about your skills, why not take the reins for a bit? Since Patrasche is motherly, she’ll surely treat Betty kindly.”

“I’ll pass, thank you. In fact, that earth dragon’s glare is definitely directed at Betty as an enemy. It’s definitely not looking at her like an ally. That motherly instinct must be a lie.”

“Hey hey, don’t be badmouthing Patrasche! I’ll never allow anyone to speak ill of Emilia-tan, Rem, Betty, and Patrasche.”

“Of course, you include Beatrice as if that were the usual by default!”

“In this case, you would be in the wrong if you said something.”

As Beatrice tried to escape, it was impossible in the confined driver’s platform. Grabbing her extended arm, Subaru pulled her closer and pinned her on his lap. Just as he considered giving her a tickling session, the swaying of Beatrice’s hair brushed his nose, prompting a major sneeze from him—causing the dragon carriage to wobble.

“Hey, Natsuki! Don’t make those weird movements! If we accidentally slip out from the ‘Wind Barrier’s Protection,’ we’ll all end up with severe motion sickness!”

“Sorry, sorry! Betty was being overly lively, so I…”

“Don’t shift the blame to Betty! You were the one… tickling me! Stop it, poof, heh heh!”

Otto let out an exasperated sigh as he witnessed the playfulness from the driver’s platform.

Seeing Emilia chuckle softly, he felt a warmth spread within him.

“Those two really get along well. I never imagined Subaru and Beatrice could become so close like that just a short while ago.”

“I’d say I find it even harder to believe that those two would be apart. Watching Beatrice act like such a brat alongside Natsuki… It gives me heartburn.”

“That’s absolutely true. But I think that’s just fine. We all believe that this smiling face suits Beatrice so well.”

Emilia, smiling serenely, wore an expression of compassion like a sister or mother in Otto’s eyes. Though he had no intention of saying this out loud, he also didn’t want to risk making Subaru smug.

“Well, leave the cheerful bit to those two. Let’s discuss our important topic. I’ve said this multiple times, but it concerns the goals of Anastasia’s faction and our attitudes towards them.”

“Basically, we’re not just creating favors, it’s more than that, right?”

“After a year since the beginning of the Royal Selection, we should be entering the final stages of establishing a foundation. For us, after laying out this current groundwork, we’ll be securing support at the next Western Lord Conference. Other factions have been organized well enough, so their progression won’t differ too much.”

“What about Anastasia’s faction?”

Emilia had been distanced from the details of other factions’ movements for a while.

This was because more time was necessary to teach her the mindset of a ruler from the ground up, rather than burden her with unnecessary information that might stir anxiety within her.

Otto and Roswaal both agreed that it would be acceptable to partially lift these restrictions on their journey.

Thus, Otto nodded and pulled his thoughts together in response to Emilia’s question.

“Firstly, I need to talk about the current support rates for the Royal Selection candidates. Initially, this Royal Selection was understood as having two main contenders: Duke Crusch Karsten and Anastasia Hoshin, where the former was seen as the frontrunner and the latter as opposition. As for Emilia and the other three… to say the least, they were viewed as mere numbers.”

“…Yeah, I can’t deny that. But if you put it like that…”

“Indeed. It’s true that perceptions in the market have changed within this past year. Not only the two main candidates but Emilia has raised awareness along with several achievements.”

Emilia’s most noteworthy accomplishments stemmed from the significant undertakings against the White Whale and the Sloth. While the efforts against the White Whale were led by Crusch’s faction, it was none other than Crusch herself who proclaimed the great contributions from Knight Natsuki Subaru.

When it came to tackling Sloth, despite requiring assistance from both factions, Subaru’s leadership played a crucial role. The merits from both of these events significantly amplified Emilia’s name, sparking interest in someone who had previously remained unnoticed.

At the same time, this also made Emilia’s notorious origin more pronounced, as now her name was acknowledged as much positively as negatively, stemming from the rumors.

While this caused the other candidates in the Royal Selection to garner attention as well, the two beneficiaries of such attention were Felt and Priscilla, both of whom had previously been labeled as unknowns.

Especially, Priscilla Barielle’s actions were remarkable; having inherited her late husband Lipe Barielle’s territory, she cleverly took advantage of the unfavorable conditions of being on the border with the Volakia Empire, which had long been in slight clashes with the Kingdom.

By magically soothing the attitudes of Volakia and earning the allegiance of the surrounding lords, Priscilla worked diligently to recover the battered lands under constant war, managing to show clear signs of improvement in a short timeframe.

In contrast, Felt’s situation stemmed from the territory held by the knight Reinhardt Van Astraea. Compared with other candidates, her starting position was unfortunately weak, considering the knightly name.

While the Sword Saint gathered overwhelming renown and support among knights and common folk alike, that status wasn’t particularly strong as a qualification for a royal candidate. The demeanor of the surrounding lords and their territories was thus tinted by suspicion.

Yet this adverse situation was fractured by the unexpected actions of the girl Felt.

By assuming a position where she could remain undecided about the candidates—meaning she didn’t rely on influential nobles—she gathered people from both exiled and commoner backgrounds.

Felt is adept at unearthing latent ambitions and talents that never had luck on their side. Regardless of the rumors about her being a “Royal Bloodline,” her capability to spot talent and assign responsibilities is, in many respects, an advantageous trait for her superiors.

And thus, ignited by a small spark, the Astraea family and its vicinity soon began to flourish, slowly starting to bring about changes in the watching lords.

Even if it was still a small flame, it certainly left its imprint on history. Those who disregarded this trend didn’t exist among the well-known people of the kingdom.

“Such movements are observable everywhere. As far as great feats are concerned, our faction has done quite well too, but it feels like those two have steadied their footing better. If we had gotten recognition for the ‘Great Rabbit Hunt,’ we might have outshone them.”

“Even Otto-kun’s saying things similar to Subaru. So, does that mean we’re on pretty equal footing now?”

“At least for now. However… there have been changes with Duke Karsten’s faction as well. But we could consider it a favorable wind for us.”

“Favorable for us?”

“Yep. The candidate Duke Crusch Karsten has reportedly changed significantly over the year. Previously, she was active and rigorous in both public and private affairs, with supporters of her predecessor acknowledging her.”

Concerning policy and governance, it seemed each had shifted qualitatively.

The decisiveness she had shown previously had been tempered down, resulting in cautionary judgment. Even though she had been a woman bearing the weight of the dukedom, it was rumored she might have revealed her shortcomings.

Reportedly, she had even pulled her retired predecessor back into the fray to address the grievances of the lords and people.

“At the onset of the Royal Selection, people speculated Crusch would secure the throne due to the merits of the White Whale. However, it’s uncertain what circumstances led to her decline. Emilia, please keep yourself composed.”

“—I understand.”

Emilia downcast her eyes, filling with melancholy from Otto’s explanation.

While it seemed she could not contain sympathy for her political rival, Otto thought it was a dangerous delicateness. After all, they would eventually be in a position to undermine each other. Excessive favoritism could lead to instability.

Such wisdom applied equally across commerce and politics, something Otto had learned in his year of experiences.

“Don’t get too worked up. You will inevitably hear more about this in the future.”

“Yeah. Thank you. I understand your concern, Otto-kun.”

“If that’s the case, I hope you can focus on Anastasia’s faction. They lack a foothold in the Lugnica Kingdom but boast an unmatched backing from the large merchant guild in Kararagi. It rumored they had always considered expanding into Lugnica, so we see the Hoshin Merchant Guild setting up shop there one after another.”

“So, what does that mean? Even if they increase stores, it doesn’t necessarily mean more supporters… Ah, I guess having more people you know boosts awareness?”

“That will be a side effect, but the simpler target is straightforward: they will simply gain more money. However, simple as it is, this financial power translates effectively against anyone. No social creature is beyond economic swaying.”

Aligning yourself with merchants means increasing the number of allies in the economic realm. As long as that economy validates their society, possessing power there equates to possessing both offensive and defensive capabilities against society.

As long as they indiscriminately gather allies, opposing those reinforced with economic power will be an arduous task.

“For this reason, I consider Anastasia’s faction to be the one we must be most cautious counter to. The invitation from their faction… coupled with an impression that it’s likely going to lead to a favor system—do you grasp how intensely mauling this situation feels?”

“…I truly understand that. I’m sorry for acting on my own accord.”

“I’m glad you comprehend. For now, I believe we’ll avoid any careless actions… I think you also grasped that…!”

With a lowered head, Emilia’s resolute words filled Otto with profound respect, which led him to exhale slowly.

From Otto’s simplified explanations, understanding washed over Emilia as she nodded earnestly.

Truly, the world of politics is difficult and intricate.

She already understood that heartfelt declarations of “I’ll do my best” or “Let’s work together” wouldn’t suffice, especially when her focus gets drawn elsewhere, leaving her head spinning.

Although she was pleased to have unearthed aspects previously concealed, her anxiety grew simultaneously.

“You don’t have to carry your worries all alone.”

Otto seemed to have picked up on Emilia’s internal strife from the color in her complexion and spoke.

Lifting her face, Emilia saw Otto fiddling with his gray hair, as he continued,

“Though you’re the center of this situation, that doesn’t mean you have to shoulder every responsibility alone. Just like this dragon carriage.”

“Like the dragon carriage?”

“Right now, the one holding the reins is Natsuki. Observing to ensure he doesn’t slack off is Beatrice. Garfiel is keeping watch from the passenger car, whereas I planned the route for this carriage. Meanwhile, you’re merely traveling toward Pristella, telling everyone ‘thank you for your hard work.’”

As Emilia grasped the essence of Otto’s sentiment, she opened her eyes wide.

At the same time, the roundabout way he expressed himself struck her as amusingly reminiscent of someone.

“Otto-kun, you certainly sound like Subaru in that regard.”

“Wha!? Really? That’s not good… Maybe I’ve caught the bug from hanging around for too long—no, stop that! My imagination is running wild!”

“Hey, Otto! What are you talking so happily about with Emilia-tan? Her precious smile is my staple food, so don’t you dare try and take it away from me!”

The person in question interjected, causing Otto to flinch in shock. Emilia, unable to hold back her laughter, prompted Otto to smile sheepishly.

“Hey! What’s all the excitement about!? What is this? That’s so unfair! Beatrice, hold the reins for a moment. I’m jumping in!”

“No! I can’t do that! Please stop! Beatrice won’t do… Ah, we might overturn! I can sense we’re about to flip!”

Hearing the simultaneous screams from the driver’s platform, Otto sighed reluctantly.

The impatient knight’s limits had likely been reached. It was best to acquiesce and switch places, resolving to check on the earth dragon’s mood personally.

“Otto-kun.”

As Otto made preparations to move from the passenger car to the driver’s seat, Emilia called him from behind. Turning back, he found himself momentarily breathless.

Emilia’s trusting smile pierced deeply into his heart.

“I may cause various inconveniences, but I’ll try my best too. I’m counting on you.”

“—Yes, please do so. I, too, look forward to sharing the spoils.”

“Well, that reply feels quite Subaru-like as well.”

With a wry smile, Otto stepped toward the driver’s platform.

Both Subaru and Emilia seemed to enjoy leading people into manipulation. For Otto, who had a tendency to want to rise to expectations, this duo was fatally charming.

Thus, after the exchange, twelve days after setting out from Roswaal’s mansion, Emilia and her companion successfully arrived at Watergate City Pristella.