章節 9: Trip to the Mansion

Kaoru walked with Subaru in his arms next to Emilia. The atmosphere of the slums, with its darkness and silence, contrasted with the bustle of the day. As they walked along, Kaoru watched Subaru.

What goes through this boy's head? He's putting his life on the line for someone he doesn't even know. He's even more parasocial than I am. A faint smile came across his face at that thought as he closed his eyes briefly.

"Is something wrong, Kaoru?" Emilia asked, curious as she noticed his smile.

"Nothing special" Kaoru replied with a sigh. I just think this guy is a total jerk sometimes... but I think that's part of what makes him nice.

Emilia smiled softly. "Subaru seems like a nice guy."

"He is" Kaoru affirmed.

They reached the market district, now almost empty. Some merchants were closing their stalls, storing goods, and counting profits. Guards moved in the shadows, alert to their surroundings.

"It is quite late. Your maid must be furious, Emilia" Kaoru commented.

Emilia visibly shuddered. "Oh... I hadn't thought of that. I'm sure she's very angry..."

Kaoru shook her head, trying to reassure her. "Don't worry, Emilia. If we explain to her what happened, I'm sure she'll understand."

In the distance, they distinguished a pink-haired girl with red eyes in a maid's uniform, looking around with a mixture of concern and anger.

"Is that her?" Kaoru asked.

"Yes, it's Ram," Emilia nodded, somewhat uneasily.

As they approached, Ram's sharp gaze fell on them.

"H-hello, Ram... I'm so sorry. I know you asked me not to get separated, but I did..." said Emilia with a guilty tone.

Ram frowned, visibly annoyed. "I've been looking for you all day, Miss Emilia! What were you thinking? We're going to be late for the mansion! We were supposed to leave two hours ago."

"I'm sorry..." Emilia looked down, embarrassed. What happened is that... a girl stole my badge and..."

"What?" Ram interrupted, alarmed. "Your badge was stolen?"

"Yes, but I got it back, thanks to them," said Emilia, pointing to Kaoru, who was holding an unconscious Subaru.

Kaoru gave a polite smile. "Kaoru Shimizu, a pleasure. And this sleeper is Subaru."

Ram ignored him completely, turning his attention back to Emilia.

"And why are they with you, Emilia-sama?" Ram asked with an even deeper frown.

Emilia hesitated for a moment. "Well... they helped me. When I went to get my badge, an assassin tried to kill me. Subaru was badly wounded in the stomach and lost a lot of blood. I was only able to partially heal him, and I would like Beatrice to tend to him at the mansion."

Ram watched Subaru for a moment, his expression hardened. Then she sighed. "All right, as you wish, Emilia-sama. But let us hurry. We can't delay any longer."

__________________________________________

Ram climbed into the seat of the carriage and took the reins of the land dragon, giving us a cold look before speaking

"If we take the short way, we'll reach the mansion in a few hours."

Kaoru nodded wordlessly and followed Emilia towards the carriage. As I walked, my mind wandered between the events of the day and the two new knives I now carried inside my pockets.

"That idiot's knives are really good" I thought, remembering the peculiar combat with the emo thief with his tongue hanging out. "Maybe I should look for a weapon that suits me better, something that complements what old Raigor taught me. Being in this world is like living in an anime where I don't want to be a useless secondary; I'll be the MC."

"By the way..." Emilia's voice brought me out of my thoughts. I turned to look at her as she paused, her expression curious and somewhat shy. "You both have... strange clothes? I'm sorry if it sounds wrong for me to say it now."

Kaoru smiled with a hint of irony. "Our clothes? Well, let's just say we have a peculiar fashion sense."

"Peculiar?" Emilia repeated, cocking her head slightly to one side with a slight but clearly confused smile.

Kaoru shrugged and climbed into the carriage. Kaoru placed Subaru carefully on the seats, making sure he was comfortable. Emilia, ever attentive, pulled a blanket from somewhere and placed it over him carefully. Then she sat down next to me, at the other end of the carriage, while Ram had already made the dragon start moving.

The rattle of the carriage began to echo in the darkness of the night. Kaoru looked out, watching the desolate landscape of the slums gradually transform into a more open road. Kaoru settled better in his seat, crossing his arms over his chest and closing my eyes briefly to gather my thoughts.

This world is dangerous, but at least I have a start. Subaru is with me. I have something to defend myself, and... maybe there's something else waiting for me in this mansion that could help me understand how to survive here.

Emilia broke the silence, her voice as soft as the night breeze. "Kaoru, what are you thinking?"

Kaoru opened one eye and smiled slightly. "All that's coming. Because I have a feeling this is just the beginning."

She nodded, seeming to understand, and we returned to silence.

The carriage moved along the winding road in the dim moonlight. Inside, Kaoru pulled out a worn-looking notebook that he carefully kept in his jacket. It was a gift from Raigor, the old man who used to tell him stories and theories while he worked in the capital. According to Raigor, that notebook was special, although he never explained exactly why.

Kaoru crossed his legs, leaned comfortably against the back of the seat, and began to flip through the notes he had written. Drawings of simple diagrams, concepts, and notes on the "Od" and something called the Flow Method filled the pages.

Emilia, sitting next to him, noticed the notebook and how Kaoru seemed completely engrossed in it. Her curiosity soon gained the upper hand.

"Kaoru, what are you reading?" she asked, leaning a little closer to him.

Kaoru looked up, surprised by the question, but then smiled with some satisfaction. "It's magical theories. Notes on the Od and something called the Flow Method. A wise old man in the capital told me about it."

Emilia's eyes sparkled with interest. "Could you tell me a little about it? If you don't mind, of course."

Kaoru nodded, momentarily closing the notebook as he cleared her throat.

"The Flow Method is a technique that relies on the flow of mana through the body to enhance physical capabilities. It is so basic that, in times of stress, most people activate it unconsciously. Martial artists and warriors who have no talent for using magic often specialize in this to survive."

Emilia listened attentively

"For example, Elsa, the assassin we faced, surely uses this method unconsciously. That's explains the speed and precision with which she moved."

"I've never heard anything like this before." Emilia smiled.

Kaoru shrugged. "The rest of what's in the notebook is hypotheses about the Od. Nothing polished or proven, so it's not worth talking about it... yet."

Emilia nodded gently. "I understand."

Kaoru closed the notebook and, after a moment's thought, looked at it with interest. "By the way, Emilia, what magic element do you use?"

"My magic? Well, I'm not specifically a sorceress. I have a spiritual contract, and I use the mana of the atmosphere. But I control all four elements."

Kaoru looked at her, incredulous. "Four elements? Isn't that... unique?"

Emilia shrugged modestly, lowering her gaze. "I guess I have a good affinity with everyone. Puck helped me a lot with that."

"Puck?" Kaoru asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Oh, that's right, you didn't see him." Emilia laughed lightly. "Puck is my spirit. He looks like a cat and is a fire spirit."

Kaoru smiled sideways, imagining the supposed spirit. "A fire cat, huh?"

The carriage continued to move forward as the conversation slipped into other topics.

Kaoru smiled as he rested his head on one hand, watching Emilia with amused eyes. "I see then, Emilia-chan." He paused briefly, letting her words sink in. "You are very interesting."

Emilia, who had been looking out the window, turned her head towards him, surprised by the compliment. "Thank you, I guess... I think you're pretty interesting too, Kaoru." She gave him a warm smile, laden with kindness.

Kaoru pretended to take a direct hit to the heart, bringing a hand to his chest dramatically. "You're going to make me fall in love if you smile at me like that, Emilia!" he exclaimed, closing his eyes and looking to the side with an exaggerated gesture of his free hand.

Emilia was a little embarrassed, and her gaze averted sheepishly. "I-I didn't mean to imply that....."

Kaoru let out a sigh as he crossed his legs, leaning his back against the carriage seat. "God, Emilia, even when you're embarrassed, you're beautiful."

"Kaoru!" Emilia protested, looking down as she played with her hands. "Please, don't say any more strange things.... It makes me not know what to answer..."

Kaoru couldn't help a mischievous smile, and, as if he couldn't resist, he leaned his body towards her a little and carefully took her chin between his fingers, looking deeply into her eyes.

"K-Kaoru..." Emilia murmured, her face slightly flushed.

Kaoru let out a small laugh before he stopped holding her chin and leaned back in the seat, giving her space. "I'm sorry, Emilia-chan. It's really funny, but I don't want you to hate me." His smile became a little softer. "I just like to see your pretty features when you react."

Emilia tried to pull herself together, still blushing a little, as she tried to find something to say. Before she could do so, the carriage's interior window opened, revealing Ram's stern face.

"If you try anything perverted with Emilia-sama, I'll kill you, you pervert." Ram looked at him with narrowed eyes.

Kaoru raised both hands, as if giving up. "Yes, yes, I won't try anything else." His gaze strayed to the outside, where a vast, flat landscape stretched as far as the eye could see. Although, looking at other things... that tree over there is gigantic.

Emilia nodded, following his gaze towards the tree that stood out in the distance. "We're already halfway there," she commented in a calm voice, the blush still visible on her cheeks.

The carriage continued to move forward, the rhythm of the land dragon setting a steady beat as the landscape slowly began to change.

[Time Skip]

The carriage moved slowly through the meadows and woods that surrounded Roswaal's domain. The moon illuminated the landscape, highlighting the dense foliage and small village houses that appeared in the distance, many with lights off and an air of nocturnal tranquility.

Kaoru looked out the window, yawning slightly as she surveyed the small village. And this place? he asked, intrigued by the calm atmosphere.

"This is Arlam village; it is within Roswaal's domain," Emilia answered with a smile.

"I see..." Kaoru let out a sigh, his eyelids heavy with fatigue. He glanced at Subaru, who was still sound asleep beside him, and sketched a faint smile. "If Subaru saw me flirting with Emilia, he'd probably try to kill me... Good thing he's asleep" he thought, amused. His gaze returned to the forest that bordered the village as they drove past, feeling a strange air of mystery in the air.

The carriage continued on until, after a few minutes, Roswaal Manor appeared in the distance. Stopping in front of the massive gates, Kaoru couldn't help but gape.

"This place is gigantic" he thought, impressed by the massive architecture and the elegance of the entrance.

"This place is impressive, Emilia," Kaoru admitted, still marveling at the sight.

"Yes, well... Mr. Roswaal is a very important person in Lugunica," Emilia replied modestly, as Kaoru nodded, still exploring the details with his eyes.

"We're here," Ram announced from the driver's seat, stopping the land dragon in front of the mansion's gates.

Kaoru stretched his arms and stood up, carefully settling Subaru in his arms. "Well, Subaru, it's time to go" he murmured as he carried the sleeping boy.

Standing in front of the mansion, Kaoru looked at it once again with a mixture of awe and anticipation. "Roswaal mansion, huh? Let's see what things will happen here..."