With a shocked expression on his face, Natsuki was pulled back to the earl's mansion by Adam.
"Carter, could you come here for a moment?" Ram called out as they entered, "Lord Roswaal and Lady Emilia wish to see you."
Adam raised an eyebrow and nodded, "Mm."
Before Natsuki could speak, Ram added, "Of course, Barusu should come too. Lord Roswaal and Lady Emilia have summoned you both."
She led them to the reception room.
"Lord Roswaal, Lady Emilia, Carter and Barusu have arrived."
"Oh my~ You two have final~ly arrived. I was getting quite impa~tient." As Ram entered with Adam and Natsuki, Roswaal's face lit up with apparent excitement.
It was all an act, of course. He had always embodied the term "clown" perfectly, and this affected manner was just another of his performances.
Emilia sat gracefully across from Roswaal, with Puck resting on her shoulder. They had been whispering about something, but she politely ended their private conversation when the two entered.
"Yo, Emilia-tan! We're here!" Natsuki bounded toward her, but Puck's intimidating aura pushed him back slightly.
Despite having already taught the boy a lesson once, Puck clearly hadn't forgiven him.
Hiding his embarrassment, Natsuki turned to Roswaal, "So, Roschi, what did you call us for?"
"Subaru, Carter, please sit down." Emilia said. Once they were seated, she continued, "Actually, there's something I need to tell you..."
"We're going to the capital... right? I want to go too!" Natsuki interrupted, his sudden outburst shattering the room's atmosphere.
"See~ that." Roswaal remarked with a knowing smile, as if he'd anticipated this response.
"Yes..." Emilia held her head in distress, looking tired and troubled.
Their contrasting reactions somehow revealed a perfect understanding between them.
It was rather peculiar.
Emilia released a soft sigh, "Listen... this isn't a pleasure trip. It's an important royal summons... yes, very important business!"
She emphasized her tone, hoping Natsuki would grasp the gravity of the situation.
But of course... if he could understand that quickly, he wouldn't be Natsuki.
"I know, I know! It's about the Royal Selection, right? I understand it's a matter that could shake the nation! But still..." He spoke loudly to demonstrate his understanding, then shifted to an earnest plea. "This is a request above all that — please take me with you! Please!"
He dropped to his knees, clasped his hands together, and begged Emilia desperately.
Faced with his desperate pleading, Emilia found herself in another dilemma, unable to refuse.
Ram and Rem remained silent, Puck deferred to her decision entirely, and Adam knew someone would inevitably resolve this situation.
"Isn't this just fi~ne?"
And just as expected, it happened.
Roswaal, noting everyone's silence regarding Natsuki's request, said, "Lady Emilia, you're familiar with Subaru's nature — if we don't allow him to come, he'll certainly cause trouble. Why not simply bring him along?"
Hearing this suggestion, Natsuki nearly burst with joy.
But his happiness vanished in the next moment.
Roswaal continued, "How~ever, bringing Subaru to the capital is solely for treatment, nothing more. It has absolute~ly nothing to do with the Royal Selection, understand?"
Natsuki's hopes of participating in the Royal Selection crumbled into confusion.
"Treatment? What's this about?" He paused, as if recalling something, "Now that I think about it, what Carter and that cat-eared... man mentioned earlier was strange. Am I the one who needs treatment?"
Natsuki's expression shifted as understanding dawned. He quickly examined himself but found no issues — his wounds had already healed thanks to Adam's〘Heal〙ability.
"It's the Gate." Emilia explained, "When you fought the Witchbeasts to protect me and Rem, you forcibly used Yin Magic, remember? The damage isn't physical — this treatment is different. Surely you feel something, Subaru?"
Natsuki lifted his arms and kicked his legs.
He felt no pain, only a weakness in his limbs, as if he couldn't summon his full strength. He'd dismissed it as fatigue from his recent breathing technique training.
Only now, with Emilia's words, did he notice the difference.
"Is it that serious?" He scratched his head casually, "I know my body's in a dangerous state, but why do we need to go to the capital for treatment?"
"Your injuries require a high-level healing arts user." Adam explained, "My healing only works on the physical body. I can't treat something like the 'Gate' — that's why we need that cat-eared man."
Natsuki nodded, "Ah, I thought Carter-senpai could easily fix it."
Adam replied irritably, "I'm not Doraemon — how could I possibly fix everything?"
Roswaal seized the moment to add, "That child is one of the finest Water Magic users in the kingdom~ Lady Emilia went through quite some trouble to secure their help~"
His words seemed calculated to emphasize both the healer's expertise and Emilia's efforts on Natsuki's behalf.
"Wait, Roswaal!" Emilia protested anxiously, "Why are you telling him that?"
"Really?!" Natsuki wiggled with joy, "Emilia-tan, you really did that for me?"
"Th-that's... because Subaru risked his life to protect me!" She stammered, "So I... so I had to help! This is just repaying your kindness — proper compensation for what you've done!"
She explained with a flushed face, her words tumbling out incoherently while Puck teased her from his perch on her shoulder.
This exchange effectively settled the matter of Natsuki's trip to the capital.
"Now then, let's discuss Carter's situation." Under Emilia's gaze, Roswaal dropped his clownish demeanor. His tone turned serious, "The kingdom has issued an ultimatum — the Council of Wise Men requires all Royal Candidates to have Knight guardians present at the Royal Selection ceremony. As a Margrave, I could defy their orders, but doing so would severely damage Lady Emilia's standing with the Council!"
He posed this problem, waiting for Adam's answer.
"What will you do, Carter? What's your response?"
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