"Haha, what an interesting thing to say—— It is indeed a country——but it's not in a very stable state, af-ter all, the current Lugnica has no king——you see."
Roswaal stared directly at Natsuki Subaru, the exaggerated clown makeup on his face appearing particularly garish under the lights, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned with a hint of a meaningful smile.
"Oh, so that's how it is."
Natsuki Subaru replied calmly, though he couldn't help but complain inwardly.
This guy's smile is getting creepier... It's like he's trying to see right through me.
However, no king, this does align with the original plotline.
It seems this Roswaal fellow is testing me, to see how much I know about the kingdom.
Tsk, what a troublesome guy.
"Subaru, you seem very calm——da~yo."
Roswaal raised his heterochromatic eyes, looking directly at Natsuki Subaru.
"Yeah," Natsuki Subaru said with an air of indifference, "What does having a king or not have to do with an ordinary person like me?!"
Nonsense, of course I'm calm.
Anyway, I'm not from this world, whether there's a king or not has nothing to do with me.
Besides, the most important thing for me now is to find a way to survive, and by the way, help Emilia-chan with the Royal Selection.
"It indeed doesn't affect ordinary people much——" Roswaal, hearing Natsuki Subaru's reply, just chuckled lightly, then continued,
"Actually, the cause of the matter traces back to half a year ago. Around the same time the king passed away, a plague spread through the capital, and all the members of the royal family died from it——you see."
Hearing this, Natsuki Subaru slightly raised his chin and said with a touch of emotion:
"That's a very sad story."
"Yes, it is—— All members of the royal family died——Therefore, we need to find king candidates from elsewhere——you see——Lady Emilia——is one of the candidates for the 42nd King of the Kingdom of Lugnica."
Roswaal narrated unhurriedly.
"What you're saying makes a lot of sense, but what does it have to do with me?"
Natsuki Subaru crossed his arms, responding with a composed demeanor.
"During the Kingdom of Lugnica's royal selection, you suddenly appeared as a foreigner——you see, under circumstances of complete ignorance, you established a connection with the Mathers family through the royal candidate Emilia, so——Natsuki Subaru, what do you have to say~da?"
Roswaal's voice dragged out the syllables, his gaze profound, fixed tightly on Natsuki Subaru, as if trying to see through his eyes into his very soul.
Natsuki Subaru met Roswaal's gaze, his expression calm as he said:
"Although I know my identity is very suspicious, everything I do is guided by my heart!"
From the moment he entered this world, the instant he saw Emilia, he had made up his mind to help this silver-haired girl.
Call it love at first sight, or being smitten by beauty... alright, the latter was the main reason.
But no matter what, he wouldn't let anyone harm her!
"Everything I do is guided by my heart—— What a cool thing to say~da~yo——"
Roswaal crossed his arms on the chair, smiling at Natsuki Subaru.
"I believe Subaru." Emilia, at the side, showed a gentle smile and said to Roswaal,
"Not only did he help me find the insignia, but he also risked his life to protect me. He is a trustworthy person."
"Since Lady Emilia says so, I trust Lady Emilia's judgment." Roswaal looked at Natsuki Subaru and continued,
"You helped Lady Emilia retrieve the insignia——I must reward you well. What do you need——you can ask for it!"
"Nothing much," Natsuki Subaru waved his hand, "It was just a small matter of helping find a lost item."
"This is no small matter——you see." Roswaal gave Natsuki Subaru a deep look, then continued, "The dragon is the symbol of Lugnica, valued to the point that we call ourselves the Dragon Kingdom of Lugnica. Dragon images are everywhere on the city walls and weapons, and among them, this insignia is the most important——you see."
"That's right, the qualification for participating in the Royal Selection——is confirmed by the insignia." Emilia also chimed in, her expression extremely serious, "The insignia is a touchstone to confirm whether the holder is suitable to sit on the throne of the Kingdom of Lugnica."
"Using an insignia to confirm qualifications? Doesn't that mean if the insignia is lost, it's all over?"
Natsuki Subaru asked, feigning surprise.
"The so-called king is one who bears the kingdom on their shoulders," Roswaal nodded and said. "For someone to bear such a heavy responsibility, if they can't even protect a small insignia, it would be too absurd. It would make people unable to imagine why the country should be entrusted to this person——right?"
Hearing this, Natsuki Subaru inwardly complained:
This Roswaal fellow, clearly knowing everything, yet still pretending to be emotional, it's truly speechless.
However, it's best to play along with him at times like this.
He feigned a sudden realization and said:
"If the matter of losing the insignia became public, it would be disastrous. That's why Emilia-chan insisted on handling it herself when looking for the insignia, refusing to seek outside help."
"...Yes, that's how it is——da~yo."
Roswaal spread his hands and said.
"The culprit who stole the insignia was Felt, but the client was Elsa, and that woman also said she was entrusted by someone..." Natsuki Subaru rested his chin on his hand, pretending to analyze, "Looking at it this way, is someone trying to obstruct Emilia-chan from becoming Her Majesty the Queen?"
Roswaal, do you think I don't know the mastermind behind this is you?
However, now is not the time to expose you. After all, I still need to rely on you to get by in this world.
Natsuki Subaru thought to himself.
"Pre-cisely so." Roswaal, hearing Natsuki Subaru's analysis, nodded in agreement. "They want her to lose her qualification as a Royal Selection participant, so they thought of this simple method of snatching the insignia——you see."
"Subaru is a great benefactor to me. Just saving your life isn't enough to repay your kindness, so please, speak freely." Emilia looked at Natsuki Subaru sincerely, a grateful expression on her face,
"As long as it's within my power, I will do it. No, I will definitely do it."
"Thank you, Emilia. I didn't help you for a reward, just because I wanted to. Just consider it... hum, consider it the voluntary labor of an enthusiastic citizen!"
Hearing Emilia's words, Natsuki Subaru's heart couldn't help but warm, but at the same time, he felt a trace of helplessness.
Emilia is such a sweet and naive girl, she wouldn't even know if she was sold out.
However, her innocent appearance really makes one want to protect her.
"How can that be..."
Emilia stood up, looking at Natsuki Subaru with a very serious expression.
Being simple and naive, she felt that since Subaru had helped her with such a big matter, he should rightfully accept a reward.
"That's right——you see, Subaru." Roswaal, who had also stood up, looked down at Natsuki Subaru with his height advantage, the exaggerated clown makeup on his face looking particularly garish under the lights,
"What is it——that you desire? As things stand, I will not refuse. To cover up the fact that the insignia was lost, I am willing to pay anything. Come——what do you want?"
Really, I'm a good person who doesn't seek rewards, but if I refuse too bluntly, it might seem suspicious...
Thinking this, Natsuki Subaru feigned contemplation, then suddenly turned his head to look at Ram and Rem standing nearby, and slowly said to Roswaal:
"Is anything really okay? Then... if I say I want them, that would be acceptable, right?"
...
_____
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