"Alright, we've all agreed. So let's hear it. What exactly is this about?"
Gojo settled back and looked at Reinhard. The knight's gravity had him genuinely curious now.
Reinhard met each of their eyes in turn. When he spoke, his voice was low and measured. "This concerns the royal family of Lugunica..."
Silence. Everyone traded glances.
Felt stared at Gojo, then at Reinhard, then back again.
"Huh? The royal family?" She blinked. "What's that got to do with me? I'm an orphan from the Slums. Don't tell me I'm actually royalty or something."
She'd meant it as a throwaway joke. Then she saw Reinhard's face. Not a trace of humor. Not a flicker of denial.
"You're... you're not serious." The color drained from her expression. "That look on your face right now. Please tell me you're not serious."
"I am, Lady Felt. There is a strong possibility that you are the sole surviving member of Lugunica's royal bloodline."
Reinhard had barely finished the sentence before Gojo materialized at the door.
"So, funny thing, Reinhard. Let's pretend I didn't hear any of that. I promise I won't breathe a word."
Competing for the candidacy was one thing. They were playing that game for profit, grab what they could and bail. But the royal family? That was a different beast entirely.
Even Gojo had heard the story. The entire royal house, wiped out by some mysterious illness. Every last member, gone.
Anyone with half a brain knew that didn't add up. In the modern world, a nation's leaders didn't just die of "illness" unless they were genuinely ancient and beyond saving. Every cutting-edge medical technique, every back-channel treatment too sensitive to mention publicly, all of it would be thrown at keeping them alive.
And this world had healing magic on top of all that. Ordinary injuries, ordinary diseases? Those were trivial problems. Yet Lugunica's royals had still perished to the last.
Someone had done this. That much was obvious.
The royal family, protected by every layer of security the kingdom could muster, eliminated so thoroughly that the entire nation stood helpless. Whoever had pulled it off possessed terrifying reach. Getting tangled up in that kind of mess was the last thing anyone needed.
But fast as Gojo was, someone was faster.
By the time he reached the door, Felt was already latched onto him. Same spot on his leg. Same teeth. She nearly took his pants down with her.
"Let go! Royal family members aren't supposed to do things like this!"
"Not letting go!" The words came out garbled around a mouthful of fabric.
Gojo sighed, hiked up his waistband, and dragged himself back to his seat with his passenger still attached.
Betty watched him slink back in defeat, her expression brightening like she'd just witnessed something delightful.
"Running away is the act of a coward."
"That's a bold thing for a Spirit to say to her Spirit Arts User."
"Maybe don't leave me behind next time."
"Ah. So that's what this is about. Noted."
He dropped into his chair and turned to Reinhard with a shrug. "Look, by all rights, even if you know something like this, you shouldn't be telling people. However the kingdom handled the royal family's situation back then, I'm sure they exhausted every option. Even if you've confirmed Felt really is the last surviving royal, that's not exactly good news for her."
Reinhard shook his head. "Lady Felt's position has changed. She is no longer simply a potential heir to the throne. She is now one of five Royal Candidates. The significance is entirely different."
"Less of a threat to whoever did it?"
Gojo rubbed his chin, thinking it through. "Even so, it's still a massive headache, isn't it?"
He shot Felt a pointed look, a reminder not to lose sight of why they were here.
She caught his meaning immediately. "Exactly. Whether I'm royalty or not, it doesn't change anything. My family's dead. I never met a single one of them. Right now, whatever 'benefits' this identity brings are nothing compared to the trouble it'll attract."
Growing up in the Slums hadn't given Felt much formal education, but it had sharpened her instincts. Other people might swoon at the idea of being secretly royal. She saw straight through the fantasy. The title was practically worthless. At best, a few nostalgic nobles might offer token support. At worst, whoever had murdered the royal family would turn their attention to her.
The entire kingdom had been powerless against them. What could their little group possibly do?
If she caught whatever incurable "disease" had claimed the rest of the bloodline, it was game over.
What she didn't expect was Reinhard dropping to one knee before her, head bowed.
"Lady Felt, please do not be afraid."
"I swear on the name of the Sword Saint and the Astrea Family: once your identity is confirmed, I will pledge my loyalty to you. I will protect you with my life. Anyone who seeks to harm you will have to pass through me first."
"Hey, Felt." Gojo appeared at her side, voice pitched low enough for only her. "I'm thinking maybe we don't dismiss this out of hand? A top-tier bodyguard, free of charge. That's a pretty sweet deal."
"You were literally the one calling this a headache two seconds ago. Could your stance stop being as bipolar as your personality and your strength?" Felt glared at him.
"Betty, next time you're picking a contracted partner, maybe open your eyes a little wider."
"If Betty could do it over, she'd seriously reconsider." Betty sipped her tea, face perfectly placid.
"You two realize I can hear you, right?"
Complaints aside, Felt was turning Gojo's suggestion over in her mind. He had a point. Reinhard's strength was common knowledge across Lugunica. If the Sword Saint himself was standing guard...
"Reinhard. You say you're willing and able to serve and protect me."
"Then tell me this. When the royal family was being killed off, where were you? If you're so confident you can protect me, why didn't you stop what happened to them?"
A beat of silence. When Reinhard spoke, his voice was quiet, deliberate.
"When the illness first appeared, the court physicians believed it to be an ordinary disease. I was not informed. After the first deaths, I was dispatched to the Sage's Tower to search for a cure. By the time I returned empty-handed, the entire royal family had perished."
The explanation settled over the room. It made sense, in a bitter, helpless sort of way. From start to finish, Reinhard had never been near the royals. He couldn't protect what he couldn't reach. Had he been at their side from the beginning, even the subtlest foul play would have been noticed.
"So your guilt is driving this? You want to verify my identity and pledge yourself to me because you feel responsible?"
Felt's frown deepened.
"Guilt is part of it. But it is not the reason."
Reinhard shook his head. "The full explanation touches on secrets of the royal house. I can only share them after your identity has been properly confirmed."
Felt considered this, and her eyes drifted instinctively toward Gojo.
He was nodding so hard it looked like his head might come loose.
From where Gojo sat, Reinhard volunteering to join them was a windfall. The man's strength and character were virtually unquestioned. Even Emilia, who barely paid attention to things outside her immediate circle, knew his reputation. Having Reinhard backing Felt meant their whole operation gained a pillar of legitimacy no amount of scheming could buy.
Who would hesitate to support a candidate with the Sword Saint in her corner?
"Well, in that case..."
"Hold on. Reinhard, one more thing." Gojo's voice cut in, and Felt snapped her mouth shut, yielding the floor.
"Please."
"I need to understand something. This loyalty you're offering Felt, how far does it go? Are we talking unconditional obedience in all things, legal or otherwise, moral or not? Or does it only extend to things that pass your personal code?"
The question hit Felt like cold water. Her eyes widened, then narrowed with appreciation as she looked at Gojo. She'd almost forgotten to ask. Trust this guy to think three steps ahead.
Their future plans weren't exactly paragons of virtue. If Reinhard objected or tried to intervene, that would be a serious problem.
"I will uphold the principles of justice and my duty as a knight. In all matters that do not violate those two tenets, I will follow Lady Felt's commands without question." Reinhard answered without hesitation, voice unwavering.
Felt chewed on that. Not surprising, but it left a gray area she couldn't quite map. Would their plans cross his lines? Hard to say.
By comparison, Gojo's flexible moral compass was a lot easier to work with.
"I see. The model knight through and through." Gojo smiled. "Well then, Reinhard, we'll be counting on you from here on out."
The signal was clear enough for Felt. If Gojo was satisfied, she could stop worrying.
"So we head to your estate now, you confirm things, and then we figure out next steps?"
"The Astrea family eagerly awaits your arrival, Lady Felt." Warmth returned to Reinhard's expression.
With the decision made, he moved to arrange things at once. Dragon Carriages needed summoning, and someone had to notify Roswaal's estate of the change in plans. He asked them to wait in the reception room and stepped out.
The moment Reinhard was gone, Old Man Rom scratched his bald head.
"Felt, if Reinhard van Astrea is willing to support you, isn't that a good thing? You seemed awfully reluctant back there."
He didn't understand. Any other candidate would have been overjoyed at landing the Sword Saint's allegiance. Not a moment's hesitation.
"Old Man Rom." Felt pressed her palm to her forehead. "You have no idea what we're actually doing."
"Competing in the selection, aren't you?"
"That's just the cover story."
She sighed and glanced at Gojo.
"Seriously though, Reinhard really won't get in our way?"
"Relax. What we're doing doesn't fall under the categories I mentioned." His tone was easy, unhurried. "Besides, it's not like having Reinhard on board guarantees we win."
"Good. As long as he doesn't mess up the plan."
"You lot seem to be scheming something." Rom rubbed his head, curiosity piqued.
"It's nothing major, really."
Rom was the one person Felt never hid things from.
"Remember how we talked about heading to Kararagi..."
"Lady Felt, the Dragon Carriages are ready." Reinhard's voice carried through the door.
Felt's words died in her throat. She mouthed the rest silently at Rom: Later.
He nodded, and neither of them said another word about it.
Reinhard had arranged two carriages, spacious enough that nobody had to squeeze. They set off in a line toward the Astrea estate.
Along the way, Felt sat quietly, a crease of worry between her brows. Gojo, by contrast, was completely at ease, entertaining Betty and Meili, and fielding Subaru's anxious questions about whether he had any hope of learning swordsmanship.
Unbelievable.
He acts like none of this has anything to do with him.
Watching Gojo lounge there without a care in the world made Felt's teeth itch. She had half a mind to climb over and bite him again. This entire situation had spiraled into chaos, and his fingerprints were all over it.
The carriages rolled through the Royal Capital for about half an hour before pulling up in front of an estate every bit as grand as Roswaal's.
"Not bad, Reinhard. Your place is on par with Roswaal's."
"Thank you."
"Speaking of which, Roswaal's got this cute maid who makes incredible desserts. You have anything like that here?"
Gojo surveyed the mansion, already striking up conversation.
"A maid?" Reinhard offered an apologetic smile. "I'm afraid I may have to disappoint you on that front."
...
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