After a simple yet peaceful breakfast with Emilia, Subaru headed toward the training grounds.
The sun hadn't fully risen yet, but the mansion already hummed with the rhythm of morning. Subaru's steps were as carefree as ever—until that voice sliced through the air.
"Barusu."
Cold. Sharp. Almost artificially detached.
Ram.
Subaru turned reflexively, his face stretching into a familiar grin. "Yeah? Need something?"
Ram didn't answer. Instead, she dropped a heavy crate into his arms. Subaru staggered under the weight, his knees nearly buckling.
Peering inside, he saw books filled with this world's script—study materials, encyclopedias, novels.
His mouth hung open for a split second before Ram spoke again.
"I've been assigned to teach you literacy. I told you this before. There were… complications, but they've been resolved. So prepare yourself tonight, Barusu."
Her tone brooked no argument. It was as if she'd declared the start of a continental war.
Subaru paused. Swallowed. Then nodded with a small smile.
"Understood, sensei. I'll be all ears during our lesson."
Ram glanced at him sidelong. Something flickered in her gaze—maybe approval. Without another word, she turned and strode toward the kitchen, where Rem waited.
Subaru hauled the crate to his room. As he set it on his desk, a sigh escaped him.
"I already… know how to read."
But this was necessary. To avoid suspicion. To play the role.
Steeling himself, he walked back to the training grounds. Yet one thought echoed relentlessly in his mind:
"Sometimes, the burden of hiding weighs heavier than the knowledge itself."
Upon arriving, Subaru's hand drifted to the artifact Flugel had given him.
He opened his inventory.
There it was—still cold, still silent. But within it, a whisper.
Not a weapon of war… more like a test.
He withdrew the artifact. Flugel's instructions resurfaced in his memory.
Pressing his palms to the crystal's surface, he channeled mana into it.
Then… he imagined.
This time—someone familiar. Someone he knew too well.
A death machine. A nightmare.
Elsa Granhiert, the Bowel Hunter.
The image solidified. Subaru's fingers twitched, summoning Etherfang.
The blade trembled in his grip, his eyes locked onto his target.
The Elsa copy opened her eyes. Her smile was as lethally graceful as ever.
"Elsa Granhiert. Care to dance with me?" Subaru asked, his voice icy and clear.
The copy tilted her head slightly. Her fingers danced toward her daggers.
"With pleasure~ Natsuki Subaru."
A greeting… laced with death.
Power surged within Subaru. The system responded:
[Ding!]
[Mana Blade – Active]
[Advanced Dagger Technique – Active]
[Phantom Drift – Active]
The two figures stood poised. The stone floor held its breath. Even the wind hesitated.
Whoever moved first would unleash the storm.
Elsa struck.
She vanished—reappearing inches away, daggers slicing air. Death's waltz had begun.
Subaru parried with Etherfang, [Advanced Dagger Technique] guiding his counters. He'd fought her before. Memorized her steps.
But it wasn't enough.
"Stronger."
"Faster."
"Smarter."
Elsa pressed forward; Subaru retreated, Etherfang leaving shallow marks. But this dance needed his genius. This wasn't just training—
It was the forging of a new Subaru from the darkness.
Channeling mana to his feet, Subaru exploded forward.
The ground shattered. Stone trembled. For a heartbeat, he disappeared.
Air split. Elsa sensed only a shadow—
Then Subaru materialized behind her.
No hesitation. Etherfang carved wind, deflecting Elsa's dance.
He focused mana bursts into his limbs—gaining speed, pivoting midair. He didn't know how. Only that he had to win.
Elsa faltered. Her wrist shattered. Shoulder split. Thigh gashed. Subaru pressed his advantage.
The copy leapt back. Paused. That mad glint reignited in her eyes.
Her daggers… pulsed with violet light.
Subaru's stomach dropped.
"You taught them MANA, you bastard Flugel?!"
Elsa's wounds began knitting shut. Subaru's composure cracked.
"The creator of this toy must be quite special, hmm?" The copy giggled, voice dripping with venomous curiosity.
Subaru exhaled sharply. "You don't wanna know."
Mana alone wouldn't suffice. He needed Yin magic.
But as he gathered his will—
A shadow blurred.
Elsa.
He hadn't even seen her move. Her technique—
Identical to their tavern fight.
SLASH!
Subaru's wrist split open. Agony lanced through him. Etherfang clattered to the ground.
One-handed now. But his eyes still burned:
No surrender.
He backstepped, raising his left arm. His last resort—
"SHAMAK!"
Black mist engulfed Elsa like a storm. Visibility vanished.
Yet Subaru… could still see her.
The fog was his advantage. For once, he saw more than his enemy.
Pivoting, he struck from her blind spot—
Etherfang's twin flashed. He funneled every drop of mana into its tip.
And threw.
Elsa reacted— Too late.
The blade detonated midair. A mana bomb. The shockwave ripped through the darkness.
Elsa's figure distorted. Shadows splintered.
Then dissolved.
Subaru collapsed. Breath ragged. Body bleeding.
But… A quiet satisfaction settled in his chest.
"I lost before… but not this time."
Blood seeped from his wounds. Yet as he pressed a hand to his heart, he smiled.
He could smell victory. And within that scent…
Lay power.
The remnants of the Shamak spell slowly dissipated across the training grounds.
As shadows retreated from the blackened stone floor—
A sound cut through the silence.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
Rhythmic. Cold. Deliberate.
The approaching figure…
Someone who'd been watching from the beginning.
Roswaal.
"Congratulaaations, Subaru-kuuun~"
His voice trembled with its usual ominous cheer.
"Defeating her—even as a hologram—is quite impressive~"
Subaru said nothing.
Didn't react.
Just breathed, slow and ragged.
Exhaustion had seeped into his bones.
"Now then, Subaru-kun~"
Roswaal stepped closer, his mismatched eyes flicking to the glowing artifact on the ground.
"Where ever did you find such a fascinating toy? Normally, only royal nobility could access items like this…"
He crouched.
Traced a finger over the device's surface.
Then studied Subaru.
Subaru didn't look away.
His voice was ice:
"A gift. Why do you care?"
Roswaal's eyes narrowed slightly. A crack in his sarcastic veneer.
Then—
His tone shifted.
Flatter. More genuine. And utterly chilling.
"Because you… are not as you should be."
Subaru's pupils contracted.
Something twisted inside him.
Roswaal knew.
"The Gospel." That damned book… Hadn't predicted his growth.
His presence here, like this—
It was off-script.
"Care to elaborate, Roswaal?"
His voice held steel, but unease coiled beneath.
His face betrayed nothing. He waited.
Roswaal smiled.
The mask slid back on.
"Ah, ah~ It's hardly important, Subaru-kuuun~"
He clasped his hands behind his back.
"Merely… wished to inform you of a small meeting this noon.
There have been… developments regarding Emilia-sama's candidacy."
Subaru rose slowly.
His shoulders ached, but his voice stayed steady:
"I'll be there. Anything concerning Emilia… concerns me."
Roswaal watched him for three heartbeats.
Then giggled. Turned on his heel.
Left only footsteps behind.
Alone, Subaru slumped to his knees with a shuddering exhale.
His body still burned.
"Channeling that much mana… then detonating it…"
He bit his lip.
"I'm wrecking myself."
But—
No turning back now.
Next time…
He'd be more careful.
He stood.
Tightened the bandage around his wounded hand.
Etherfang still pulsed with residual heat—traces of mana clung to it.
Time to change.
The Subaru smelled bad.
"Of course I stink."
Sweat dripped from his brow.
"Near-death combat… Blood, sweat… Normal, right?"
He reached his room. Grabbed a towel and the spare clothes Rem left for him.
Then headed to the bath.
Steam curled in the dim light. The twins must've forgotten to replenish the firestones.
The air was thick but soothing.
"Meh… First come, first serve."
He sank into the tub.
Hot water melted his muscles like syrup. For the first time in hours—
He relaxed.
"Peace…
What a rare luxury."
Then— The door creaked open.
Footsteps.
A voice soft yet hesitant:
"Subaru-kun? What are you doing here?"
Rem.
Subaru's eyes stayed closed, head lolled against the tub's edge.
Too drowsy to register implications.
"Post-training soak. You?"
His words slurred like warm honey.
"I… came for the same reason."
A pause.
"If I'm intruding… I can return later."
Retreating steps.
Subaru tilted his head lazily.
"İts Fine, Rem~ Mixed baths exist in this world anyway…"
Silence.
Then—
Water rippled as Rem stepped in.
She settled at the far end, towel clutched tightly. Her cheeks were pink.
Minutes passed.
Subaru's breathing evened out—
Until he slid underwater.
He jolted awake, coughing. Blinked through steam—
And saw Rem's silhouette.
His brain short-circuited.
"A-aaa… N-no— I INVITED THIS! WHAT WAS I THINKING?!"
Internal screaming.
"I-I'll j-just go now—!"
He scrambled up, words dissolving.
"Take care, Subaru-kun… Dry off properly."
Rem's voice was calm but strangled.
Subaru fled.
Wet footprints echoed down the hall.
Meanwhile, Rem—
Pressed her burning face into the water.
A muffled scream escaped.
Subaru slammed his door shut. Slid down it like a defeated villain.
His inner monologue exploded:
"WHY DID I SAY THAT?!
REM HATES ME NOW!
IF I APOLOGIZE, WILL SHE FORGIVE ME?!
WAIT— IF I DIE AND RETURN, NO ONE REMEMBERS!"
Then—
A voice dripping with annoyance:
"Keep rambling, and I'll kill you myself."
Flugel.
Subaru froze. "Ah. Sorry…"
A beat. Then:
"W-Wait! DID YOU SEE EVERYTHING?!"
Flugel's mental sigh was exhausted.
"No, you suicidal maniac. I was trying to sleep. Shut up."
Subaru's mouth clicked shut.
(If Flugel was a spirit… how did he sleep?!
…Better not ask.)
He dressed mechanically.
Took a shaky breath.
"Please… let this blow over."
With that thought, he threw himself into the books Ram had given him.
His face was still slightly flushed, his mind still reeling—
But at least now,
He was calm.
Subaru stared at the open page. He recognized the letters.
Could read the sentences. But… none of it made sense.
Frowning, he flipped to the next page.
The wall of meaningless words refused to yield.
"Back in my world, I was only good at STEM subjects…"
He mused internally.
"Engineering, coding, physics…
But literature? History? Critical analysis? That's beyond me."
Then—
As if a lightbulb flicked on above his head—
"EUREKA!"
He launched to his feet.
Fingers snapped. Eyes blazing.
"What if I recreated things from my world that don't exist here?!"
He pressed a hand to his chin,
Mentally bridging the gap between Earth and this fantasy realm.
"This world runs on magic and medieval tech…
Even basic inventions from my time could revolutionize everything!"
Right on cue, that familiar voice echoed in his skull:
"I'll admit—you took your sweet time realizing this,"
Flugel chuckled.
"But better late than never."
Subaru snatched a quill.
Began scribbling feverishly.
"If you knew, why didn't you say so earlier?"
He grumbled, brow furrowed.
"Meh.
You'd have figured it out eventually."
Flugel's tone was breezy, almost amused.
Subaru smirked as he wrote.
"Fair point… Yeah, this could work."
He sketched a crude electric motor.
Simple yet potent.
Beneath it, a materials list:
-Strong magnet
-Conductive wire
-Lightning (!)
Flugel paused. Then, cautiously:
"Oi. The lightning… Explain."
Subaru replied with academic smugness:
"Magnets might be rare or impossible to produce here.
So I'll electrify raw metal to create an electromagnet."
Another beat of silence. Then:
"…That's actually logical. If I recall correctly:
Wrap the metal with conductive wire,
Channel the charge,
Use grounding techniques,
And voilà—custom magnet."
Subaru blinked at Flugel's precise recall.
But he steamrolled ahead:
"Next question, Flugel—where do we apply this electricity?"
Silence.
Flugel didn't answer. The silence was the answer.
Subaru exhaled deeply.
"…Too soon for a power grid, huh?"
Flugel finally spoke:
"We can implement mechanical systems using gears and pulleys.
Manual labor, rotational force... More work with fewer people."
Subaru nodded eagerly. "Where could we implement gears?"
A contemplative pause from Flugel.
"Water wheels... but there are no rivers nearby. Windmills are more feasible. They still grind flour by hand here."
Subaru slammed his fist on the table.
"Flugel, you're a GENIUS!"
Flugel responded with a smug mental sigh:
"Such is the burden of intellect, Natsuki Subaru."
As they feverishly sketched gear systems, the door creaked open.
Ram.
She found Subaru hunched over papers, scribbling madly.
Her gaze was sharp at first— Then softened slightly at his uncharacteristic diligence.
"Barusu. The meeting is about to start."
Subaru looked up from his windmill blueprints. A tired but genuine smile as he stood:
"I'll be right there."
Ram nodded and close the door.
Subaru gave the schematics one final glance—
Interlocking gears, torque calculations, technical notes...
They reminded him of childhood model kits.
But this time— It wasn't just play.
He set the papers down. Stretched with a quiet yawn.
Then— That echoing voice in his mind:
"Visit the village soon. Learn what people actually need.
It'll give purpose to these designs."
Flugel's tone was uncharacteristically earnest.
Subaru nodded. "Makes sense... I'll remember that."
He walked to the meeting hall—
Not with heavy steps, but determined ones.
Unbeknownst to even himself...
He was growing.
All eyes turned as Subaru entered. A beat of silence.
He offered a slight bow.
"...My apologies for the delay. I was studying the books Ram assigned."
Ram gave an almost imperceptible nod.
(Satisfaction glimmered in her eyes.)
Across the room, Rem's lips curled into a ghost of a smile— Warm. Secret. Radiant.
Subaru's gaze drifted sideways.
Emilia and Puck sat opposite Roswaal.
When their eyes met, Subaru smiled first.
Emilia mirrored it instantly.
Her trust shone through— Easing the weight on his shoulders.
The empty seat?
Beside Beatrice, of course.
Subaru claimed it without hesitation.
"I hope I'm not disturbing you, Beako," he whispered in a hushed voice.
Beatrice scrunched up her nose. "Betty just wants this meeting to be over quickly, I suppose."
At that moment, Roswaal cleared his throat.
All attention shifted to him.
The stage was his.
"Thank you all for attending," he announced in his usual theatrical tone.
"As you know, the Royal Selection Conference—which Lady Emilia will participate in—will take place in approximately one month."
The room instantly grew solemn.
"This gathering is crucial for solidifying Emilia-sama's standing. The demeanor, speech, and etiquette displayed before the nobility… These will directly influence our status."
Roswaal paused briefly.
"Thus, I request that all of you prepare accordingly."
As he finished, Subaru quietly raised his hand. Roswaal tilted his head, granting him the floor.
Subaru took a deep breath.
"Status isn't determined solely by manners, speech, or morals.
Yes, those are politically important… But tangible achievements—things we can show the people—
Those will propel us much further."
The room fell silent.
Even Ram had fixed her gaze on Subaru.
Puck turned his head, ears perked in attention.
And… Roswaal.
For just a fraction of a second, his eyes narrowed.
His expression flickered, but his voice remained composed.
"Subaru-kun~ If you have an idea, would you care to share it with us?"
Subaru inclined his head slightly.
"I'd rather show than tell. Which is why… I'd like to visit the village tomorrow."
Roswaal stilled.
He couldn't decipher Subaru's plan.
But… he could sense the steel beneath his words.
His gaze slid to Emilia.
Emilia tilted her head thoughtfully. Then spoke:
"Well… I suppose I can allow it, Subaru. But I don't want you going alone. You're still new here.
And actually… do you even know where you're going?"
Subaru hesitated briefly. He did know. But for the sake of appearances…
"Ah… right. You have a point."
A brief silence settled over the room.
Cold, yet carrying an undercurrent of amusement.
"You just made a colossal fool of yourself," Flugel whispered mockingly inside his mind.
Then—
Rem stepped forward. Her voice was gentle yet firm, as always:
"If that's the case… I actually have business in the village tomorrow as well. Subaru-kun… would you like to come with me?"
Warmth bloomed in Subaru's chest.
If they'd been alone, he would've hugged her without hesitation. But here… they weren't.
"That'd be perfect! Thank you, Rem!"
The genuine gratitude in his voice seemed to lighten the very air of the room.
Emilia let out a soft sigh, a faint smile gracing her lips.
"Well then... that seems like a much more reasonable solution."
Roswaal spoke again, his tone now polished and diplomatic:
"In that case, thank you all for attending this meeting~"
As the gathering dispersed, Subaru rose to leave—
Only for Ram to glide silently to his side.
Her voice carried its usual chill, but with a newfound softness:
"Barusu. Roswaal-sama wishes to speak with you privately. Afterward, I'll be waiting in your room. Our lesson will commence."
Subaru nodded.
"Thanks, Ram. Looking forward to it."
Soon, only Subaru and Roswaal remained in the hall.
The margrave shed his theatrical cadence like a cloak.
His question was razor-sharp: "Natsuki Subaru. What are you planning?"
Subaru exhaled deeply. There was no dodging this.
"You know I'm from another world, Roswaal. The Gospel must've told you. I'll recreate simple inventions from there—things only I can build. This will elevate Emilia's faction."
His eyes burned with conviction.
"So don't get in my way."
Roswaal froze for a heartbeat—then his gaze turned calculating.
"I cannot deny these efforts benefit Emilia's camp. These... inventions could generate substantial income as well."
Subaru merely nodded and turned to leave. "I have a lesson with Ram now."
In his dimly lit room, Ram stood examining Subaru's schematics.
"Barusu. Explain these."
He didn't hesitate. These were no longer secrets—they were promises.
"Devices to make people's lives easier. They'll secure support for Emilia's cause."
Ram's eyes gleamed with understanding.
"So this is how you intend to contribute... To think such vision hid behind that foolish facade. It's... commendable, Barusu."
Flugel's voice echoed smugly in Subaru's mind: "You're welcome~"
Subaru scowled internally. "Yeah, yeah. Can we start the lesson now?"
For two hours, Ram drilled him on Lugunica's language and history.
His linguistic progress was unnatural—as if he'd known the tongue all along.
But history?
Subaru dozed off fifteen times. Each time, Ram jabbed him awake or tapped his skull with the textbook.
As the lesson ended, Subaru clasped his hands and bowed. "Thank you, Sensei."
Ram almost smiled.
"You learn quickly, Barusu. We continue tomorrow. But if you sleep during history again... I'll feed you the book."
Subaru chuckled. As Ram left, her usual stoic mask bore the faintest crack of approval.
Alone again, Subaru returned to his blueprints.
His pencil moved mechanically... until his eyelids grew heavy.
This time, he didn't slump over in self-loathing.
He drifted off dreaming of gears—
And the first thing he'd ever built with his own hands.
(A/N: let's make a deal. Give me your Power Stones. Get new chapter)