At that moment, Puck landed lightly on Emilia's shoulder, his tone filled with admiration. "Subaru is indeed surprising."
Subaru blinked at Puck in confusion. "Eh? Puck, what are you talking about?"
Puck said with a smile, "It's not just strength and mindset. If we kept fighting, the one to lose might have been me."
Subaru and Emilia looked at each other, both showing expressions of disbelief.
Puck, however, kept them in suspense. "Why not let Tsukasa answer this question for you?"
Coming back to his senses, Tsukasa chuckled and responded with a somewhat condescending attitude, "Haven't you noticed yet? The damage Puck's magic deals to you is limited. Those moves might be effective against ordinary magicians, but before you..."
He intentionally drew out his words before continuing, "As long as you get close, the outcome is decided. Of course, that's assuming you can break through the dense barrage of attacks."
Only then did Subaru realize that, without knowing it, she had already acquired such strength.
Just then, Ram and Rem walked over from both sides like mirror images, their voices perfectly synchronized.
"Roswaal-sama has returned. Please return to the house, everyone."
"Roswaal-sama has returned. Please return to the house, everyone."
Tsukasa, in the air, sized up the twins with interest, muttering, "They certainly know how to pick their timing."
Subaru clearly felt a change in the two maids' temperaments—the previous hint of playfulness had vanished without a trace, replaced by the solemnity and propriety befitting a mansion's steward.
Hearing the sisters' words, Emilia nodded with a smile and stood up. "I'll go to greet him now."
The sisters then turned to Subaru. "The guest is also invited to come along. Roswaal-sama specifically instructed that if you were awake, he must meet with you."
"Eh? I have to go too?" Subaru didn't react for a moment.
On second thought, since she had helped Emilia, it was only natural for the master to receive her.
Puck quietly slipped into Emilia's silver hair, while Tsukasa floated over to Subaru's side, his tone teasing. "Aren't you going to ask what kind of person this Roswaal is?"
"Oh right!" Subaru belatedly grabbed Emilia's sleeve. "Lia, just who is this Roswaal?"
"He's the owner of this mansion... Ah! Did I really never tell Subaru?"
Emilia seemed to suddenly realize something, lightly covering her lips with her fingers as an apologetic blush appeared on her face.
"I'm so sorry. But as for what kind of person Roswaal is..."
She tilted her head, looking a bit troubled. "It's really hard to describe. You'll understand once you see him for yourself."
Subaru couldn't help but press further., "Giving up on the explanation that quickly? Doesn't he have any particularly obvious characteristics?"
"Uh... quite the opposite, actually."
Surprisingly, Puck, Emilia, Ram, and Rem all answered in unison. This synchronized quartet left both Tsukasa and Subaru stunned.
Ram took a step forward, her tone carrying an undisguisable admiration. "Any language would find it difficult to accurately describe Roswaal-sama. However, once you see him in person, you will surely understand."
She raised her chin slightly. "After all, Roswaal-sama is essentially a very gentle person."
Despite hearing her say that, Subaru was still half-skeptical.
The twin sisters exchanged a knowing look, while Emilia tried to smooth things over. "If it's Subaru, you should be able to get along with him... though it might be a bit tiring."
She gently patted the back of Subaru's hand and leaned in to whisper encouragement. "It's okay, do your best."
Now even Tsukasa was interested, his brow arching under the black blindfold. "Heh... seems like this could be interesting."
Without waiting for Subaru to ask more, the group headed deep into the mansion.
After passing through familiar corridors, Ram and Rem led Subaru to the dining room.
At that moment, a childish voice sounded from above the spiral staircase. "Looking from up here... the feeling you give is barely a passing grade, I suppose."
A small figure with curly hair stood at the top of the stairs.
Since Emilia needed to change her clothes and left first, and Subaru had already changed before the sparring on the lawn, she was brought to the dining room first.
Hearing this familiar mockery, Subaru's temper almost flared up, but she quickly took a deep breath and muttered to herself, "Don't get mad. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't have learned Mana Coverage so quickly. I can't get angry."
Surprisingly, this bit of self-consolation actually worked.
Unlike Subaru, Tsukasa, floating nearby, developed an even deeper interest in this manor lord he had yet to meet.
To own such a large mansion and have so many people with such different personalities give such subtle evaluations...
"It seems this Roswaal is indeed worth meeting." He chuckled, his tone carrying a bit of anticipation.
"How rude. To dare ignore Betty, it's simply pathetic."
Beatrice puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction, but Subaru still deliberately ignored her complaints, instead surveying the excessively spacious dining room.
In the center of the dining room stood a long table covered with a pristine white cloth, with exquisite plates already set at several seats.
If she followed common logic, if a place had been prepared for her, it would likely be at the end of the long table, right?
"I'm completely an outsider who knows nothing here." Subaru unconsciously whispered to herself.
"Hmph!" Beatrice immediately caught those words and raised her chin. "Since you know you understand nothing, you should properly lower your head and ask for guidance."
However, Subaru still didn't respond. Instead, she looked up at Tsukasa, who was sitting leisurely in the head seat with his legs crossed.
"Tsukasa, this wouldn't happen to be dangerous, would it?"
Tsukasa rested his chin on one hand, the corners of his lips curling into a smile under his black blindfold. "Oh? What makes you think that?"
Subaru frowned slightly, unconsciously twirling a strand of hair. "Because my intuition is sounding an alarm. I just feel this meeting won't be very simple."