Chapter 59: Audience with Grand Duke Karsten (Patreon)

Early the next morning, as the first rays of sunlight lit up the streets of the royal capital, Reinhard slipped quietly out of the Astrea family estate with his 'little pet' in tow.

As always, he wore his spotless white knight's uniform, a gentle smile on his handsome face — the standard image of the 'Sword Saint,' Reinhard van Astrea. Today, though, a small black dragon slept soundly on his shoulder.

In Lugnica, the kingdom devoted to the Divine Dragon, dragons were regarded as noble beings. Walking the streets of the royal capital was eye-catching enough on its own, let alone doing so with a dragon perched on the Sword Saint himself.

Since the Sword Saint already had a dragon sword, what was the harm in keeping a small dragon too? As for where the dragon had come from — don't ask. If you did, the answer was always the same: the blessing of the Divine Dragon, Volcanica.

Pedestrians on the road and patrolling guards alike cast admiring glances at Reinhard, stopping one after another to bow — and, naturally, they couldn't help sneaking an extra look at the baby dragon on his shoulder.

Reinhard smiled and returned each greeting, which inevitably slowed his steps. The little black dragon that was Natsuki Subaru cracked open one eye, yawned lazily, and grumbled under his breath:

"Being famous really is a pain. Slow down already — let me sleep in a bit more."

"Yes, understood. Please, rest well."

"You're way too serious about everything... fine, do as you like."

The little black dragon opened its mouth, then said nothing more. Honestly, Subaru wasn't great at dealing with someone who took everything so seriously — it made him feel a little like a wet blanket by comparison. Only when the topic turned to the throne did Reinhard show any real change in emotion.

Wouldn't it be nice if this guy could learn to take a joke?

After passing through several bustling streets, a grand and dignified estate came into view. Unlike the residences of other great nobles, this one was decorated plainly, its lines sharp and severe — clearly the home of a military family.

Well, no wonder they were Grand Dukes — their ancestors had probably maxed out generations' worth of merit points back when the previous king of Lugnica first took the throne, and every bit of it earned in real bloodshed.

What was truly admirable was that the Karsten family had clearly kept their martial spirit alive even now; the guards stationed at the gate all looked sharp-eyed and full of vigor, plainly elite soldiers.

The moment they spotted Reinhard, the captain of the guard stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

"Lord Sword Saint! We had no word of your visit — how may we serve you?"

"I hope to see Lady Crusch. There's an important matter I wish to discuss," Reinhard said with a smile.

"One moment, please!"

The captain didn't dare delay in the slightest, sending someone at once to announce him. Before long, a cat-eared girl with short flaxen hair came trotting lightly out through the gate.

This was another old friend of Reinhard's, also of the Royal Guard — Felix Argyle, chief knight to Crusch Karsten, holder of the healer's title 'Blue,' and the finest healer in the kingdom.

And a catgirl, to boot.

"Long time no see, Felix."

"Ugh, I keep telling you to call me Ferris, meow~ Speaking of which, what a rare visit. Let me guess, Reinhard — you're here to talk with Old Wilhelm this time?"

He blinked playfully, eyes sweeping over Reinhard, and immediately caught sight of the unfamiliar black dragon on his shoulder, a flicker of curiosity crossing his face.

"What's this, meow? Where'd you find such a cute little thing?"

The moment Felix drew near, a distinct feline scent drifted over — and it fell squarely within the range of Natsuki Subaru's cat radar.

A cat!

In an instant, the little black dragon that had been feigning sleep on Reinhard's shoulder was wide awake. Its eyes snapped open, and it spread its wings and fluttered up into the air.

Felix watched as the cute little creature circled once around his head, then settled slowly on top of it, lowering its head to sniff at his flaxen hair.

Where Felix couldn't see, a strange gleam flickered in the little dragon's eyes.

Hm. This was a tomcat...

Despite the cute dress and every gesture practically dripping with girlish charm, Subaru had assumed this was an adorable girl with a modest figure — and instead, it turned out 'she' was packing a little something extra?

The royal capital of Lugnica really was crawling with eccentrics, one had to admit.

Still... a tomcat wasn't so bad either. Based on Subaru's prior experience of cat-watching from afar, male cats tended to be far more even-tempered than females, and rarely caused trouble outside of mating season.

After all, tomcats were generally far clingier than females.

So really, when it came to petting cats, tomcats were the way to go.

And this was a rare thing indeed — a cat that showed him no hostility at all. Both Elio and Puck had hissed the moment they laid eyes on him, but this little tomcat seemed genuinely friendly. He couldn't let a chance like this slip by...

The trouble was, in a situation like this, it was hard to say who exactly was going to end up doing the petting.

"Hey, looks like this little guy's taken a shine to Ferris-chan?"

Felix didn't mind the extra 'accessory' on his head one bit — instead he let out a delighted laugh and, with hands raised in a supremely practiced, impossible-to-resist motion, scooped up the little black dragon still plotting its cat-petting scheme.

The sight made Reinhard's eye twitch, his face taking on the look of a man who'd just seen a ghost.

He watched, helpless, as what might well be the most dangerous being in the world was swept effortlessly into Felix's arms and subjected to a suffocating round of cheek-to-cheek affection.

At first, the little black dragon flapped its wings in protest, its four tiny claws pushing uselessly against its captor — but in the end, it shamefully surrendered to the soft, fragrant embrace of the 'pretty boy,' giving up the fight entirely. It even stuck out its tongue and licked Felix's cheek, shamelessly taking full advantage of the situation.

"Haha... that tickles! You little troublemaker, take this, meow!"

Felix giggled from the tickling, then buried his face in the little dragon's belly in retaliation, rubbing hard. It had to be said — for a boy, he came across as remarkably cute, and there was even a faintly sweet scent about him. As far as Subaru was concerned, the feeling wasn't bad at all.

As for Reinhard, all he could do was quietly turn his head away and pretend he'd seen nothing.

After a moment, Reinhard cleared his throat lightly, interrupting the affectionate scene between Felix and the little black dragon.

"Sir Felix."

"Wh-what?! Sorry, sorry, meow, this little guy is just too cute, meow..."

Snapping back to himself, Felix gave a start, tucked the little black dragon into his arms, and straightened up to meet Reinhard's gaze.

"So, Rein, what exactly brings you here to see Lady Crusch this time, meow?"

"It's like this," Reinhard said, nodding with a smile. "I recently made the acquaintance of a rather special friend. He's asked me to arrange a deal with Lady Crusch — something to do with the White Whale, apparently."

"Huh? The White Whale?!"

Felix's eyes went wide, visibly stunned.

"Come in, quick. Either way, both Lady Crusch and Old Wilhelm are sure to be interested — and, well, this might just be the perfect chance for you and Old Wilhelm to patch things up, meow! Make the most of it!"

"Thank you, Sir Felix."

Reinhard accepted his friend's concern with a small nod; his perfect smile didn't waver in the slightest, but a flicker of warmth passed through the depths of his eyes.

Led by Felix, Reinhard passed through the spotless corridor and into the main hall of the estate.

The hall's furnishings were likewise simple and practical, free of excess decoration. At its center sat a woman in a men's military dress uniform, her long hair a deep forest green, her amber eyes as sharp as a hawk's, radiating both the bearing of a battle-hardened soldier and the natural authority of someone born to command.

She was the 'Valkyrie,' Duke Crusch Karsten.

"Reinhard, it's been a while," Crusch said, giving a slight nod at the sight of him, her voice steady and firm. "Felix tells me you've brought a friend interested in the White Whale?"

Reinhard was about to answer when the little black dragon in Felix's arms suddenly spread its wings and wrenched itself free with tremendous force. Its whole body flickered with ominous black light, and amid a series of creaking, twisting sounds of flesh reshaping itself, a black-haired young man in a tattered coat and a hat appeared in the hall.

"Meow?!"

The cat ears atop Felix's head twitched in shock, his mind going utterly blank. He'd never imagined that the little black dragon he'd been cuddling so affectionately was actually a handsome young man. The instant he recalled what he'd just done to that dragon, his face flushed an unbearable shade of red.

So did that mean he'd spent the last several minutes cuddling a boy? Ferris-chan's purity was facing an unprecedented crisis!

Still, he didn't forget his duty as a knight. In a flash he moved to shield Crusch, his eyes turning sharp, and the guards in the hall drew their weapons in the same instant — the atmosphere turned tense, swords bared.

"Okay, everyone, calm down. I'm not your enemy," Subaru said, raising both hands to show he meant no harm. "I'm Natsuki Subaru. I'm here to make a deal with Lady Crusch. No need to get so worked up."

"Hey, relax, buddy — yeah, I'm talking to you. Put the sword down, it's rude."

As he spoke, Subaru walked over to the nearest guard and reached out to press the man's blade back down with a single finger.

"Natsuki Subaru?!"

The guard's mind went completely numb. He had no idea what game this man — wanted by the Council of Wise Men over supposed ties to the Witch Cult — was playing at, but he didn't dare make a sudden move either. He could only watch, trembling, as the man reached out and patted his shoulder with easy familiarity, cold sweat already soaking through his uniform.

"You're—"

"Yep, I'm the wanted man."

Subaru answered for the guard.

"But I just took out a Sin Archbishop for the people's sake — don't you think that's a little unfair? No good deed goes unpunished, huh. Looks like Lugnica really is going downhill, morals in decline and all that."

Just as the other guards began slowly closing in to surround him, Crusch raised a hand to stop them, her gaze locking onto the smiling black-haired young man, and said slowly:

"I sense no trace of falsehood around you. So then, Sir Subaru, how are we to trust you? Making a deal with a man of unknown identity, wanted besides, is no small risk."

"Ask my brother here." Subaru jerked a thumb at Reinhard behind him. "The two of us have been through life and death together — we're about one oath-taking ceremony short of being brothers. As they say, we didn't ask to be born on the same day, but we sure wouldn't mind dying on the same one. Right, Bro Rein?"

Absurd as it sounded, Crusch's Divine Protection of Wind Indication, which let her sense lies on the breeze, detected no falsehood around Subaru — meaning the claim was most likely true. Still, out of caution, she turned to Reinhard, hoping for confirmation from the Sword Saint himself.

Reinhard met her gaze and nodded solemnly in confirmation:

"I vouch for him in the name of House Astrea. Lord Subaru should by rights be a hero of this kingdom, and he has indeed suffered unjust treatment. Whatever else may be true, he will never be our enemy."

That answer carried tremendous weight. Crusch knew Reinhard's character well enough — the Sword Saint would never do anything to endanger the kingdom. Still, there were things she needed to hear for herself.

"Let me ask you this, Natsuki Subaru," Crusch said again. "Do you have any connection to the Witch Cult?"

"None," Subaru answered crisply. "The only connection I have to them is that I killed one of their Sin Archbishops."

The wind did not stir.

"Is your purpose in coming here to conceal some hidden agenda against the Kingdom of Lugnica, or against my faction?"

"Nope. I just plain don't like that giant fog machine, and figured I'd do my friend a favor while I was at it."

The wind stayed calm.

Something in Crusch's eyes finally shifted. She drew a deep breath, a sharp gleam flashing in her amber eyes.

"Your true purpose, then, is to slay the White Whale?"

"Absolutely certain."

A light breeze drifted past, carrying the faint scent of grass and trees — confirming the truth of his words.

For the first time, Crusch's face showed a complicated expression, shock tangled with wild elation.

If what Reinhard had told her was true, then this Natsuki Subaru might wield power far beyond anything she could imagine. If she could secure the help of a man like this, never mind the advantage it would grant her once the Royal Selection formally began — even the defeat of the White Whale would become a foregone conclusion.

To eliminate the mastermind who'd plagued the kingdom for decades behind the Beloved Children — the Sin Archbishop of Lust — no ordinary man could manage that. It made perfect sense that he'd draw the wary attention of the Council of Wise Men; she understood now, completely, why they'd go to such lengths to deal with him.

This man might, like her, be one of those righteous souls trying to break the kingdom's rigid deadlock and breathe new life into these stagnant waters.

"Felix!"

"Yes, Lady Crusch!"

"Go and fetch Sir Wilhelm! At once!"

"As you wish, meow!"