"Felix completely agrees with Crusch Karsten-sama's opinion, nya~!"
Felix suddenly popped out from the side, his cat ears twitching happily, and he deliberately bumped Natsuki Subaru with his shoulder.
"Felix," Natsuki Subaru couldn't help but roll his eyes at him, saying, "Aren't you usually dressed casually too?"
"This time it's different, nya~!" Felix raised his index finger, a rare serious expression on his face, though the twinkle in his eyes betrayed him.
"Su-b-a-ru-chin didn't just provide crucial information about the White Whale, he also brought together the major factions that were previously acting independently. Looking at the results, it's true that Su-b-a-ru-chin was indeed the one who led this operation."
"Did I really…?" Natsuki Subaru scratched his cheek, looking hesitant.
"Of course you did!" Felix suddenly changed his tone, nimbly jumping over to Crusch Karsten's side, counting on his fingers one by one, his tail wagging happily from side to side.
"Felix is in Crusch Karsten-sama's faction, Su-b-a-ru-chin and your group are in Emilia-sama's faction, and there's Anastasia Hoshin-sama's side where Ricardo Welkin, the commander, is in charge."
"Countless people gathered under your command."
Crusch Karsten picked up where he left off, her jade-colored eyes filled with admiration.
Just then, a calm voice came from behind them:
"Indeed. Had it not been for Subaru's masterful planning, neither the subjugation of the White Whale nor the repelling of the Sin Archbishop of Greed could have been accomplished."
"Wilhelm-sensei!"
Natsuki Subaru turned to face the Old Sword Demon, who had approached without him noticing.
"My apologies for the delayed greeting, Subaru-dono." Wilhelm van Astrea bowed deeply, his silver beard trembling slightly with the movement. "Please hold your head high. The accomplishments you have achieved are undeniable by anyone."
"That's right! Your achievements are monumental, little bro!"
Ricardo Welkin, the commander of the Iron Tusk Mercenary Band, also strode over and slapped Natsuki Subaru heartily on the back.
"Whoa, whoa," Natsuki Subaru said, rubbing his forehead helplessly. "You guys are praising me so much, I'm getting embarrassed."
It wasn't like he was someone who liked to stand out.
Ultimately, he just wanted to protect the people important to him.
Thinking this, Natsuki Subaru looked at Emilia's elegant figure not far away, and Rem quietly standing by her side.
These empty titles meant nothing at all.
Wilhelm van Astrea seemed to have seen through Natsuki Subaru's thoughts and offered a gentle smile:
"Sometimes, accepting the gratitude of others gracefully is also a virtue, Subaru-dono."
"Exactly, exactly!" Ricardo Welkin laughed loudly, slapping Natsuki Subaru's shoulder again. "You're just too modest, little bro!"
"Thanks to you, two of the calamities that have plagued the Kingdom of Lugnica for centuries were defeated in one go." Crusch Karsten straightened her back, her jade-colored eyes sparkling with sincere light.
"In this era of the Kingdom's decline, as the Duchess of Karsten, I, on behalf of the Kingdom, extend my sincerest gratitude to you."
"Crusch-sama, you're giving me too much credit…" Natsuki Subaru scratched his head, humbly saying, "The White Whale subjugation was the result of everyone's combined effort. Without your command, Wilhelm-sensei's valiant fighting, and the cooperation of the entire subjugation force, I alone couldn't have succeeded."
"You are too modest." Crusch Karsten gently shook her head. "Had you not provided the crucial information, we wouldn't have even been able to pinpoint the White Whale's whereabouts, let alone pursue its subjugation."
"Information, huh…? That's just knowledge I had in advance as someone who came from another world."
Natsuki Subaru thought to himself, but he couldn't speak the truth aloud.
"Then, at least this one thing, I can affirm." Crusch Karsten took a step forward, her voice firm and powerful. "Although I said it after the White Whale subjugation, today, I want to say it once more—"
Saying this, Crusch Karsten bowed deeply. "Thank you, Natsuki Subaru."
"No, Crusch-sama, it's you…" Natsuki Subaru took a deep breath, responding with rare sincerity. "Thanks to your trust and support, honestly, when I first proposed the alliance, I was worried I'd be rejected."
Speaking of which, as the head of the Karsten Dukedom, Crusch Karsten was known for her noble character and grand political ambitions.
What she pursued was kingdom reform, valuing fairness and justice.
Among the five Royal Selection candidates, Crusch Karsten was perhaps the most suitable person to be king.
Even after losing her memories in the original story, Crusch Karsten instinctively continued to fulfill her noble duties; that noble character was already etched into her very bones.
"Your sincerity and foresight are worthy of my honest response." Crusch Karsten paused, then continued seriously, "The alliance between you and Emilia's camp, I hope, can continue to develop in the future."
"Of course, Crusch-sama!" Natsuki Subaru said with an even brighter smile. "We're comrades who've fought side by side!"
"Sorry to interrupt you two~!" Felix suddenly poked his head out from behind a champagne tower, his fluffy cat ears twitching playfully. "Crusch Karsten-sama, it's about time to greet the other guests, nya~!"
"Mhm." Crusch Karsten gracefully gave a slight nod, then turned to Natsuki Subaru and Rem. "There are other guests I need to greet now. Please excuse me. Thank you for coming today. Let's talk more leisurely another time."
"Understood."
Natsuki Subaru nodded, secretly sighing in relief.
He could finally end this overly formal conversation.
Rem stepped half a pace forward, clasping her hands in front of her dress, and bowed respectfully:
"Please allow Rem, on behalf of Roswaal L. Mathers-sama, to also express her gratitude to you, Crusch Karsten-sama."
"Mhm… Then, please excuse me."
Crusch Karsten slightly gathered her skirt and bowed, her dress shimmering with a soft glow under the lights as she turned to leave.
"Bye-bye, Su-b-a-ru-chin~!"
Felix skipped after Crusch Karsten, not forgetting to wink at Natsuki Subaru over his shoulder.
Wilhelm van Astrea also stepped forward, his silver beard trembling slightly with his calm tone.
"If you ever find yourself in trouble, please feel free to consult me. Now, if you'll excuse me."
"To be thanked so formally by Crusch Karsten... I really can't get used to it."
Watching Crusch Karsten's back as she gradually disappeared into the crowd, Natsuki Subaru sighed softly.
These formal occasions really made him uncomfortable.
Still, maintaining a good relationship with Crusch Karsten should be a great help in the future.
"Rem is truly so happy." Rem clasped her hands gently in front of her chest, her aqua-colored eyes sparkling with joy. "Everyone has finally recognized what an amazing person Subaru is."
"I told you…" Natsuki Subaru said, rubbing his forehead helplessly. "I'm really not that great."
"Rem, why are you even happier than I am?"
"Please, you must go greet the others." Rem looked at Natsuki Subaru expectantly. "Rem wants to see more scenes of Subaru being praised by everyone."
"Whoa, whoa, are you trying to praise me to death?"
Natsuki Subaru said, half-joking.
"If that were truly the case…" Rem suddenly showed a sweet smile. "Then Rem would gladly be praised to death alongside Subaru."
"Hehe, you could call it a love suicide…"
Rem then softly added, her voice laced with a dangerous sweetness.
Although he knew Rem was joking, such a dangerous remark still sent a chill down his spine.
"Whoa, whoa, you really do have the potential to be a yandere, Rem-chan!" Natsuki Subaru said, a dark line appearing on his face as he looked at Rem. But then he sobered up, saying, "But it's true, I should go say hello to everyone. This time, we really did owe a lot to everyone's help."
Just as he was about to move, his peripheral vision caught sight of a striking red figure not far away.
"Huh? Is that Priscilla Barielle over there?"
There, Priscilla Barielle, in a deep-V red gown, was looking down imperiously at a blond noble youth, her ample chest subtly visible beneath the low-cut design of her dress.
"To circle around this one with such a tasteless matter. You truly have no regard for your life, do you?"
"M-My deepest apologies! Priscilla-sama!"
The noble youth bowed his head in terror, apologizing to Priscilla Barielle repeatedly.
"Priscilla... looks like she's in a terrible mood, huh?"
Seeing Priscilla Barielle's arrogant demeanor ahead, Natsuki Subaru couldn't help but murmur softly.
"Yo, brother." Al slowly walked over, his voice, muffled by his metal helmet, carried a hint of friendly warning.
"The Princess is in an extremely foul mood right now, so watch your step."
"Al, what happened? What could make that woman, for whom the whole world revolves around her, get so angry?"
Natsuki Subaru looked at Al, asking curiously.
"Actually, it's nothing major." Al shrugged his shoulders. "She just heard some unpleasant words, that's all."
He paused, looking meaningfully at Natsuki Subaru, then added, "Though, speaking of it, you're also involved in this matter, brother."
"Huh?" Natsuki Subaru blinked blankly. "Me? What did I do? Don't tell me I'm getting blamed for something out of nowhere again?"
"Didn't you notice?" Al said, spreading his hands. "At today's banquet, rumors about you, brother, are quite the hot topic."
"Really?"
Natsuki Subaru scratched his head indifferently.
He never really cared much for such boring noble gossip.
"Well, for better or worse, you're quite the center of attention now, brother." Al patted Natsuki Subaru's shoulder and continued, "If they were all praising your courage and strength, that'd be fine… But you see, some people are saying things like, 'How could a country bumpkin knight defeat the White Whale alone?', 'There must be some hidden truth behind it,' or 'Don't get too carried away,' and so on."
So that's how it is. Even if he became a "hero," there would still be people who disliked him.
Natsuki Subaru had long understood that he couldn't make everyone like him.
Thinking this, Natsuki Subaru looked thoughtfully at Priscilla Barielle, who was still scolding the young noble in front, and slowly said, "Did someone intentionally spread these words to Priscilla's ears?"
"How could that be?" Al waved his hand, continuing to explain to Natsuki Subaru.
"In front of the Princess, everyone naturally only dares to flatter her and say pleasing things. It was that unlucky guy over there who, just before leaving, accidentally let slip those rumors about you that I just mentioned."
"To get angry because of that… Does that mean," Rem suddenly spoke, "Priscilla-sama is defending Subaru?"
"Huh?"
Natsuki Subaru was slightly surprised.
"That arrogant woman, speaking up for me?"
"No matter how I think about it, that's highly unlikely."
"What nonsense!"
An arrogant voice suddenly interjected.
Priscilla Barielle had noticed them at some point and was now walking towards them with elegant strides, her vibrant red skirt swaying gently with her movements. She spoke to Rem.
"Maid, this one heard everything."
"Huh…? Isn't that so?"
Rem tilted her head in confusion.
With a snap, Priscilla Barielle opened the exquisite folding fan in her hand and said:
"This one merely dislikes those narrow-minded fools who only know how to run their mouths."
"What noble virtue."
Rem looked respectfully at Priscilla Barielle and praised her.
"Nay," Priscilla Barielle suddenly snapped her fan shut and pointed towards the trembling noble youth in the distance, a dangerous glint flashing in her eyes.
"That commoner, to dare use the very mouth that has conversed with this one to utter such vile words—that in itself is an insult to this one!
Saying this, her voice suddenly turned cold. "His crime deserves death!"
"Just as I thought, it's still the unreasonable Priscilla."
Natsuki Subaru silently retorted in his mind.
"Let me just state this first, this isn't some tsundere line to hide her embarrassment." Al tapped his helmet with a metallic finger, producing a clear ringing sound. "The Princess is serious about what she's saying, you know."
"H-Help! Someone save me! I-I'm going to be killed!"
At his words, the noble youth slumped to the floor, his voice changing pitch.
"You might as well give up~" Al said, shrugging indifferently. "Anyone who pisses off the Princess is basically a goner~"
"Whoa, whoa, Al, you should at least try to stop her!" Although he knew Al was mostly trying to scare the guy, Natsuki Subaru still couldn't help but interject, "No matter what, it shouldn't be a death sentence!"
"No way," Al shook his head. "If I dared to stop her, I'd be the next one killed."
"You're really useless, aren't you!" Natsuki Subaru complained to Al, then added, "Looks like I'll have to stop her myself."
"Subaru…" Rem's eyes sparkled with adoration. "To be willing to help someone who spoke ill of you, what magnanimity this is!"
"After all, this is about me, and it's Crusch Karsten's celebratory banquet. It would be too unsightly if someone died here."
Thinking this, Natsuki Subaru stepped forward and spoke to Priscilla Barielle.
"Um, Priscilla, I'm the one those rumors were about, right? Since I don't care, why don't you just let him go?"
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