Felt on the Run
"Not bad, it's barely passable now."
Ben held the silverware Subaru had wiped, looking it over left and right, then finally nodded in satisfaction.
"Alright, finally qualified."
"Don't celebrate too soon. Starting tomorrow, you'll begin your kitchen helper training."
"Tomorrow?"
"That's right. It's almost time for Leander's training, so that will be tomorrow's business."
"Eh! Really? Then I'll head out now."
"Be careful on the way."
Ben watched Subaru leave with a smile on his back, then picked up the silver plate Subaru had failed to clean properly and quickly started scrubbing it.
It seemed Subaru still had a long way to go before becoming a proper servant.
.
.
.
Subaru took off his butler uniform, then wiped off the sweat that had appeared from hurrying back to his room with a towel.
Finally, he skillfully put on the sportswear he was more used to.
After tidying up the room, Subaru left and headed west toward the personal guard barracks.
Today was Subaru's fourth day as a servant, and his schedule was gradually settling down.
In the morning, he could barely wake up by himself, then he did morning exercise with the old butler, then started carrying ingredients, helped the maid carry washed clothes, followed by rest time.
Subaru usually took advantage of times when there were fewer people to eat, then took the road Eileen taught him about last night and went around looking for the elusive black mage.
In the afternoon, he did some cleaning-type technical work under the guidance of seniors, then went to the personal guard for two hours of hellish training.
After eating and bathing, at 7 pm the old butler's basic course started for one and a half hours, followed by half an hour of magic guidance from Eileen.
Perhaps because of the friendly environment around him, even though it should have been a very tough life for the shut-in Subaru, he only felt happy and fulfilled.
But such peaceful days finally came to an end today.
"Lady Felt?"
"Eh! Hey, you're here too? You've really screwed me over badly!"
A kitchen knife was pressed to Subaru's neck.
Subaru quickly raised both hands and once again experienced how broken the Divine Protection was.
Although a few days of training gave him some confidence to subdue the big figure behind him who was off guard, the opponent was a royal candidate.
If he didn't hold back and injured her, he'd be dead.
If he held back and didn't subdue her, he'd also be dead.
Subaru didn't want to do something so harmful and useless.
"Wait, wait, I know where Lord Rom is, and I can help you lose the pursuers. For now, just take the knife away. I can't beat you with your Divine Protection anyway."
Subaru thought quickly.
The old butler said the day before yesterday that Subaru injured someone.
Felt was a gentle child, so what could have made her so murderous? And why did she have the Divine Protection of wind yet not run away? Bit by bit, the clues connected, and Subaru had a guess in his mind.
"Let me make it clear first — if you lie to me, you're dead."
"Thanks. Then let's first get away from the pursuers over here."
.
.
.
"It's a good thing like manna from heaven, so why are you so set on running away? Aren't you greedy for money?"
"Hey, you have to look at the size of the manna. Becoming king is a manna that could crush me to death, so of course I avoid it. By the way, haven't we been here before?"
"The Black seems to hate being disturbed during his research, so the secret passages dedicated to him are a real maze. But I have the method Eileen taught me — this time, go right."
The two were now inside the black mage's barrier.
Because someone was lazy, the barrier's exits spread all over the Astrea family, truly achieving the feat of living in bed.
It had to be said Subaru probably had the ability to get along well with lolis (appearance-wise, not by age).
Unconsciously, the relationship with Felt had changed from hostility to intimacy, and Subaru's naturally outgoing and talkative nature gradually showed itself.
"By the way, do you really think I can become king? You know my background, right? Are you really comfortable entrusting the future of 50 million citizens to a slum orphan like me? If I was you, I definitely wouldn't agree.
How can a lone thief guarantee he can be a qualified king who can change the future of 50 million people?
Anyway, if the sky falls, a tall guy will hold it up.
I heard that besides me, there are four other candidates."
"But you have Rein-chan's support, right? From how I've felt these days..."
"I roughly know what you want to say. I've heard about how prosperous the Astrea territory has been since Reinhild took charge, but I don't want to be a puppet king.
And I'm not the kind of person to sit back and enjoy the fruits of others' labor. Why are you grinning so slyly? It's annoying, hey!"
"Sorry, but I suddenly feel Rein-chan's judgment might be better than I imagined."
Smiling broadly at the glaring Felt, Subaru slapped his thigh as if a light bulb went off.
The girl in front of him wasn't just thinking about running away; she clearly understood her situation and considered her limits.
She had her own pride, so she chose effort over enjoying benefits.
"Let's hurry. We've wasted too much time already."
"Although I can't let it go... Wait, hey, stop that!"
As Subaru strode forward, passing Felt, he forcefully stroked her golden hair.
Although the escape had turned it into a messy mop far from clean and neat, the fine texture felt nice to the fingers.
"Stop that! I'll bite you! Enough already—"
Subaru covered his right hand where he had been bitten, while Felt stood aside stomping her foot.
"Although I don't know what misunderstanding you have, my reason for running away is just that I don't want to do the complicated studies required to become king.
Can you understand that? Seeing the pile of books with just basic knowledge stacked almost as high as Lord Rom, how do you think I feel? Also, I don't want to be bound by the fate that guy talks about."
"Alright, alright, then let's go quickly."
.
.
.
Three people came out from the wall beside the departing Subaru and others.
"Reinhild's choice was indeed correct."
Bernie said admiringly.
"Sorry, Subaru's etiquette training is still inadequate. I will properly teach him tonight."
"No need, no need.
Rather, it's precisely because of his differences in this area that he has the possibility to be a bridge between Lord Reinhild and Lady Felt.
Even the most lively Eileen is too restrained around Lady Felt.
Bernie, after a while, teleport them to the gate nearest to Lord Rom.
Winston, tell Leander to move the knights near Lord Rom away."
Otto said.