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(3rd Person POV)
'Here I thought I was her best friend,' he felt a bit sour, recalling that he was being treated the same way as the original Subaru had been.
'Well, she did hesitate… and not to mention, Roswaal has been pulling the strings behind the scenes. If it weren't for him, Emilia would probably let me participate more in her tasks,' he thought, though he wasn't particularly upset.
'Whatever! I'll just wait and see what happens tomorrow. Besides, this is also an opportunity to meet Priscilla,' he said to himself.
He wanted to confirm Priscilla's personality—one of the candidates in the Royal Selection—and to see how different or similar she was compared to the original timeline.
He commanded his Wind Spirit to search for a woman with orange hair and crimson eyes.
Though quasi-spirits, like Lesser Spirits, couldn't communicate verbally, they could transmit their emotions and had a certain sense of self-awareness.
Because of that, they were capable of performing simple tasks. Soon enough, the spirit guided him into an alley where he saw three thugs attempting to corner Priscilla.
(A/N: They are courting death XD)
"Do you want to mess up your pretty face?" Gon sneered.
"Yeah, if you don't want to ruin that pretty face of yours, you'd better give us all the money you've got," Chin added with a threatening tone.
Kan, meanwhile, just nodded silently.
"Don't make such a racket, commoners… Truly, foolish people pick fights for the most foolish reasons. Though, I guess that's expected from wastes like you," Priscilla smirked, clearly insulting them.
The three thugs fumed with anger at her insults.
"Oh man, didn't I tell you last time to quit stealing and earn money the honorable way?" Suddenly, they heard a familiar voice, and the thieves turned around to see Subaru.
"Huh? Who the he—wait a minute! You're the same guy from before! The one who beat all three of us!" Chin said in shock as he stepped back.
"What should we do now?" Kan asked nervously, glancing at Subaru with fear.
Before they could react further, Subaru moved so fast his body was just a blur, and in the blink of an eye, all three were thrown away like sacks of trash.
"Damn it! Run!" Chin groaned as he stood up, wincing in pain, and ran away, followed closely by the other two.
"There, they're gone," Subaru said, watching their backs before turning his attention back to Priscilla.
"Do you expect me to praise you, peasant? You only made things less enjoyable for me," she said disdainfully, holding her fan with an air of superiority.
"I guess it's just basic decency to thank someone. Though in this case, it should be them thanking me for saving their lives," he said with a smirk.
"Ohooo, you knew? Not bad, peasant," she smirked and continued.
"The world is designed to operate in the best way for me… So, it can only mean that you're meant to be my servant!" she declared proudly, pointing her fan at him.
"Huh?" Subaru looked at her, confused.
How the heck did things go from zero to a hundred out of nowhere?!
Without warning, she summoned her Yang Sword and slashed toward him; Subaru's eyes widened as he barely dodged the attack.
"Hmm… Not bad. Rejoice, peasant! I shall give you a chance to serve mineself!" Priscilla said with a grin as she unsummoned her sword.
"No thanks. Also, slashing at me? You're way too full of yourself," he said, glaring at her with his right hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
"Hmph! I was just testing you. If my servant can't dodge a casual attack from me… then they aren't even worthy of carrying my shoes," she said, stepping forward with confidence.
Her eyes suddenly fell on the Appas he was holding in his paper bag.
"What is this, peasant?" she asked, as if completely forgetting her earlier behavior.
"Great! I've met a blind woman," he snarled, causing her eyes to narrow sharply.
"Apologize, peasant. Even my magnanimity has its limits," she said with a small but sharp glare.
"Nope, I won't apologize. And for your information, it's an Appa," he said firmly.
"Lies! Appas have white flesh! You can't fool me… To think you'd try to deceive me with such an obvious lie!" she said, clearly dissatisfied.
"Oh really?" he smirked, setting the bag of Appas beside him. He grabbed one Appa, tossed it up into the air, and then drew his swords. In a graceful arc, he sliced the Appa.
He caught it as it came down—now peeled—and cut it into several pieces.
Seeing this, Priscilla's eyes shone with a little more interest.
"Hmm, so you were telling the truth… Indeed, you are destined to be my servant," she smirked proudly.
"Nope, I won't be your servant. In fact, I won't be anyone's servant—I am the King of myself and love my freedom far too much, so thanks but no thanks," he said, putting a piece of Appa in his mouth and chewing thoughtfully.
Priscilla's eyes narrowed before she sighed and said, "Whatever. The world works the way I desire. I'm sure you'll soon come to me, begging to become my servant, tail wagging all the while."
'If she weren't a Royal Candidate, I would have given her a taste of my E-rated fists,' he thought, eyebrows twitching in irritation.
"My Lady! You are here!" Alderban said as he entered the alley with Emilia beside him.
"Oh, Emilia, you're here," Subaru said, looking at Emilia, who pouted slightly.
"Didn't I tell you to wait outside? I had to come find you!" she said, clearly dissatisfied.
"Come on, I'm not your servant," Subaru replied, causing Emilia to flinch.
"Ahh, I'm sorry, Zero," she said, bowing her head apologetically.
"Hmm, you waited for me where I'd be. I commend your dedication, Al," Priscilla said suddenly, drawing their attention.
Emilia quickly hid behind Subaru upon seeing another Royal Candidate, while Priscilla smirked knowingly.
"Let's leave, Emilia. And man, you better control your master, or else she might go around murdering people," Subaru said to Alderban, who nodded somewhat absentmindedly.
"Fufu… Zero, I will be waiting for the day you swear your fealty to me," Priscilla said, waving her fan as she glanced toward the waiting carriage.
Emilia flinched and tugged at Subaru's sleeve, asking nervously, "What is she saying, Zero?"
"Nothing. Just some nonsense from a narcissistic woman," he replied, as Alderban stepped in front of him.
"It's not nice to insult my Lady in front of me," Alderban said to Subaru, narrowing his eyes beneath his helmet.
"Whatever. Hey, Miss Orange Hair, catch!" Subaru said, throwing the cut piece of Appa to her. She caught it, looking at him with mild confusion.
Then she smiled and said, "I see, offering me this sweet Appa to curry favor… I would be more pleased if you knelt before me."
Subaru rolled his eyes in exasperation. 'What would she think if she knew I threw the apple at her simply because I wasn't going to eat it and didn't want to waste it either?'
(A/N: He's basically using her as an organic dustbin XD)
Priscilla took a bite of the Appa, nodded in satisfaction, and ignored the fact that Subaru had literally sliced it with a sword before getting into the carriage.
Alderban took the reins and drove the carriage away.
"S-so, Zero, she is…" Emilia looked at him hesitantly, the earlier words of Priscilla having planted seeds of doubt in her mind.
"Oh! If you mean by the fact that she is one of the Royal Candidates, then yes, I know," he said casually, causing her doubts to deepen and silence to fall.
'Does Zero want to leave me? Why? Because I'm a half-elf?' she thought desperately. After all, Zero was her first—and only—best friend, or even friend, if they stretched the definition.
"I've confirmed her personality… In simple terms, she's basically Gilgamesh—just replacing the word 'mongrel' with 'peasant' or 'commoner' in her speeches," he joked, though he knew she wouldn't get the reference.
She nodded silently, and soon they arrived at the inn, bringing the day to a close.
To be continued…
(A/N: GIVE ME ALL OF YOUR POWERSTONES!)