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.
&nb
sp; “…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?”
“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.
Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-, Vol. 4 Page 12