The young knight swiftly bowed his head towards the half-elf and held a hand to his chest in respect for her position.
"It's a pleasure to meet with you once more, lady Emilia-sama. I'm glad to see you safe and sound since our last reunion."
Emilia smiled warmly at the man as her panic calmed and her fears were halted in his presence. "It's very nice to see you too, Reinhard-sama. I'm glad you're fine as well."
"You shouldn't hold me as if I'm your equal by that honorific, lady Emilia. I am but a mere knight in service to my queen's kingdom." The young man corrected gently with an apologetic smile. Felt rolled her eyes and Emilia shook her head at the young man.
Emilia's expression turned serious as she asked. "Did you guys get engulfed in-"
"A blinding light thingie that covered us and dropped us on these chairs here?" Felt cut into Emilia's sentence with a dry expression which surprised the half-elf. "Yea. We were taken away from the roads too."
Emilia glanced at Reinhard in surprise, the knight nodded his head in confirmation that this was indeed the truth.
"I couldn't find a way out of here no matter what I tried, my strength is useless and my entire armada of divine protections are useless, unfortunately."
Emilia widened her eyes in shock at this information. As fear began settling into her heart once more after finding out that the Sword Saint himself couldn't do a thing to help them escape. They would need something stronger than Reinhard's power… they were doomed.
Before Emilia could despair any further, a loud shriek sounded from beside her.
"Subaru, wake up, I suppose!"
Everyone turned their eyes towards the distressed twin-tailed girl as she shook a nasty-eyed boy's jacket frantically. Her eyes washed in worry and woe as the boy gave no indication to reply to her.
Emilia's eyes widened and she immediately jumped and ran towards them with her concern filling her expression as her heart ached in worry for the boy.
"Beako, What's wrong with Subaru?!" The silver-haired lady asked as she knelt and inspected the sleeping young man for any visible injuries.
Emilia quickly held his hand in hers and checked for a pulse. Relief overwhelmed her beating heart as she felt a small pulse from his wrist.
He was alive.
"He's not waking up, I suppose!"
Emilia and Beatrice gazed at the sleeping boy in alarm, worry overcoming them.
"Subaru…" Emilia called out innocently with a disheartened look. Softly shaking the boy with the hope that his stupor might stop and he might open his sharp nasty eyes once again. Her fear increased as she started shaking his shoulders harder with all of her might, concern, and horror overwhelming her as the boy didn't respond to any of her pleas.
"What's wrong with him?!"
"Natsuki-san!"
Garfiel and Otto both ran until they were beside Emilia and Beatrice. Looking at their brother with expressions of torment and panic.
As the four camp members huddled around Subaru's unconscious form, someone from behind the front row spoke calmly and soothingly towards them.
"Do not panic over Subaru-dono, he will be just fine." A whimsical fatherly voice spoke towards the distraught group.
Emilia and the rest looked up to see an elderly man wearing a neat tuxedo, his gray-hair folded to the back with warm, compassionate sharp blue eyes.
"Wilhelm-san? You're here as well?" Emilia asked in surprise, not fully taking in who else was in the room with her.
The tenacious looking man bowed his head in polite respect as he left the talking to the energetic demihuman boy wearing a skirt and sitting beside him.
"Heya! Don't worry about Natsuki-kyun he will be fyine!" The boy with kitten ears moved his hands in paw-like stances as he assured the group with a confident grin. Garfiel raised a brow at the boy's behavior, not understanding why he was acting like a boy, girl, cat, and a human at the same time.
Emilia's eyes roamed away from the well-known healer's form and towards the person sitting next to him. A green-haired lady with beautiful honey-colored irises wearing her signature blue uniform.
"Crusch-san..." Awkwardly and yet curiously, Emilia looked at the girl with sympathy and guilt.
Only she was surprised when the smile said girl gave back was unwaveringly confident.
"No need to be alarmed, Emilia-sama. It seems whoever brought us here managed to return my memories to me. I'm sure Natsuki Subaru-dono isn't awake for reasons that will be explained soon."
Emilia's eyes let up with happiness at the news and the confidence Crusch was showing with her answer. Not as warm and delicate as her amnesiac self but the confident and commanding lady that first entered this election.
"Um… I'm sorry, Karsten-sama but…. What do you mean by 'will be explained soon'? Nobody has such a power like this." Otto interjected apologetically while holding his merchant hat to his chest, shaking by his display infront of such powerful people. But his eyes filled up with a fiery determination to know about his friend's condition.
Before the lady could answer, the small catboy sitting beside her cut in with an amused glance at the petty merchant who dared speak with his lady.
"Bold of you to cut my lady off lil' guy, nyan!"
Otto ignored the snarky healer and kept his gaze towards the surprised noble lady, awaiting his answer.
Luckily, his brother had his back. "Oi, catboy! Don't think ya aren't tha' lil ya hear!" Garfiel growled out as if protectively looking over Otto's shoulder.
The skirt-wearing knight simply fufud a giggle as he gazed down at them. "My, my. So angry at the first interaction. You guys must be acquaintances of Subaru's."
"What's that supposed to mean, I wonder?" Beatrice calmly and elegantly cut in while piercing the amused demihuman with the most bored expression she could muster.
Before the hunched knight could have more fun with the guests, Crusch silenced him with a wave and a glare.
"So sorry~" The healer smiled sweetly and leaned back in his seat. Crusch sighed and returned her gaze towards the group with a polite smile shown on her face.