"Who are you?" Elsa finally managed, her voice hoarse as she stared up at the boy.
The black-haired boy grinned, his sharp orange eyes glinting with mischief as he extended a hand toward her. "Natsuki Subaru," he proclaimed, his tone dramatic, as if announcing himself to an audience. "Practitioner of the spirit arts, student of the great Glacia Academy, hero from another world, and… uh, the Spirit King!"
Elsa blinked, utterly dumbfounded. Half of what he said made no sense, and the other half sounded like the ramblings of a lunatic. Her gaze flicked between his extended hand and his face, searching for some hint of seriousness.
"I'm… not buying any of that," she muttered, pushing herself up without his help. Her movements were steady, no sign of the weakness she'd felt before. Standing tall, she looked Subaru in the eye. "Did you… save me?"
Before Subaru could answer, the sound of approaching footsteps interrupted them.
"Subaru!" barked a familiar voice—the older man from before. "What are you doing—is that girl awake yet?"
Subaru turned his head toward the voice, his grin never faltering. "Nope!" he called back with an exaggerated cheerfulness.
He then leaned closer to Elsa, his smile taking on a conspiratorial edge. "Let's keep things professional," he whispered, giving her a playful wink.
Elsa frowned but said nothing as Subaru gestured for her to follow him. She hesitated for a moment, her gaze shifting back toward the voices in the other room. Something about this boy put her on edge—his strange confidence, his easy demeanor, the way he carried himself like he had all the answers. But she had no better options.
Reluctantly, she followed. Her steps were cautious, her eyes scanning every corner of the house as they walked. Subaru led her down a narrow hallway, his pace light and carefree. He didn't speak, and neither did she.
Eventually, they arrived at a small library. It was modest compared to the grand halls of the academy Subaru spoke of, but it was warm and cozy. Books lined the shelves, their spines worn from use. A faint scent of old parchment and ink lingered in the air.
Elsa stepped inside, her gaze flicking around skeptically. "Why are we here?"
Subaru turned to face her, his hands in his pockets and a lopsided grin on his face. "Because," he said, his tone calm but curious, "we should probably start with introductions."
He leaned casually against a nearby table, his grin softening. "So… what's your name?"
Elsa hesitated. For a moment, she considered giving a fake name, but something about Subaru's open demeanor made her pause. Finally, she crossed her arms and muttered, "Elsa. Elsa Granhiert."
Subaru nodded, as if committing her name to memory. "Well, Elsa, it's nice to officially meet you. Let's figure out where to go from here, yeah?"
The uncertainty in her chest didn't fade, but for the first time in a long while, Elsa felt a flicker of something else—curiosity.
The conversation carried on between them, a quiet yet poignant exchange in the small library. Subaru leaned against the edge of a table, his hands resting casually on its surface, while Elsa sat stiffly on a chair, her eyes scanning the room before settling on the boy.
"So, who are you, really?" Elsa asked finally, breaking the silence. Her voice was tentative, almost suspicious. "Why would you even bother someone like me?"
Subaru tilted his head, the faintest smirk tugging at his lips. "Why not?" he replied, shrugging. But when Elsa's unimpressed expression didn't falter, he sighed, leaning back. "Alright, fine. My dad—Kenchi—he's the one who drilled it into me. Always said it's important to help out people in need."
Elsa blinked, her head tilting slightly as she processed that. "Your father taught you that?"
"Yeah," Subaru said, his tone softer now. "He's… kind of a great guy. Always doing things for other people, even when it doesn't benefit him. Guess I ended up picking up a bit of that." He grinned sheepishly. "Not that I'm anywhere near as good at it as he was."
"That's… noble," Elsa admitted, her voice quieter than before. She studied him for a moment, her sharp eyes narrowing slightly. "You don't strike me as someone from Gusteko. You don't… fit."
Subaru chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeah, that's 'cause I'm not. I mean, don't get me wrong, I've been here for a while, but I'm not exactly a born-and-bred Gustekan."
Elsa looked puzzled. "Then where are you from?"
Subaru hesitated, waving his hand dismissively as if brushing the question away. "Nah, it's complicated. Too much to explain."
Elsa's gaze drifted toward the hallway they'd come from. "Your father… is he one of those men out there?"
At that, Subaru laughed, shaking his head fervently. "Od, no! Can you imagine? Guini as my dad? Or Lublik? Nah, no thanks." He chuckled, but the laughter faded quickly. His expression grew more subdued, and he stared at the floor for a moment before speaking again, his voice quieter. "My parents… they're far away. Really far. Too far."
Elsa watched him carefully, sensing the shift in his mood. "Do you miss them?"
Subaru nodded slowly, his eyes unfocused as though he were lost in thought. "Yeah… a lot, actually. But hey—" he looked up, a faint grin crossing his face, "—maybe that should be one of my big goals in life. Finding my parents. Can't be that hard, right?"
There was a pause, a silence that lingered as his words settled. Then Subaru shook his head, his usual demeanor returning as he stood upright and clapped his hands. "But enough about me. How are you feeling?"
Elsa hesitated, her hands fidgeting in her lap. At first, she wasn't sure how to respond, the question catching her off guard. Finally, she glanced at Subaru, her voice tentative. "I'm… okay. Just okay."
Subaru gave her a crooked grin. "Hey, okay's not bad. Better than 'awful,' right?"
Elsa nodded faintly, a hint of a smile tugging at her lips. For a brief moment, the tension in the room lifted, replaced by something lighter, warmer. She didn't know why, but for the first time in a long while, she didn't feel completely alone or on edge.
The door to the library then swung open with a confident creak, interrupting the quiet conversation between Subaru and Elsa. Standing in the doorway was Lady Irene Azelia, her posture as composed as ever, her piercing light blue eyes sparkling with her trademark confidence. She had her hands casually tucked into the pockets of her ceremonial uniform, her silky bluish-gray hair swaying slightly as she leaned into the frame.
"Subaru," she began with a teasing tone, "I was thinking, time for a game of rackateer. I heard there's a Kagaragan variant with new extensions on the left board—" She trailed off as her sharp gaze fell on the two youths seated in the library.
Her eyebrows raised slightly, and the corner of her mouth curled into a mischievous smile. "Oh? Well, well, what's this? Subaru, already laying down the moves, are we? What's next? Love letters in spirit script?"
Subaru's face immediately turned crimson, and he shot to his feet, waving his hands defensively. "What?! No way! It's nothing like that!" he sputtered. "Elsa's just—just a new acquaintance!"
Irene smirked, tilting her head slightly as she crossed her arms. "Sure, sure," she said lightly, her voice dripping with mock understanding. "A 'new acquaintance.'"
Subaru groaned, covering his face with his hands in exasperation. "Why are you like this?" he muttered, more to himself than to Irene.
Ignoring Subaru's flustered state, Irene shifted her attention to Elsa. Her playful demeanor softened as she carefully stepped past Subaru, her movements graceful yet deliberate. She leaned down slightly to meet Elsa at eye level, offering a small but genuine smile.
"It's nice to meet you," Irene said, her tone warm and welcoming. "I'm Lady Irene Azelia. You can call me Irene, though."
Elsa hesitated for a moment, her sharp purple eyes darting between Subaru and Irene as if trying to gauge the situation. Then, cautiously, she nodded. "It's… nice to meet you too," she said softly.
"Good," Irene replied, straightening up and clasping her hands behind her back. "Well, if you're Subaru's friend, that makes you family, in a way. And family gets treated with respect, even if Subaru here likes to get into trouble." She shot Subaru a teasing glance, causing him to groan again.
"Great, now you're just piling it on," Subaru mumbled, crossing his arms and sulking slightly.
Irene then crossed her arms, her sharp blue eyes focused on Elsa. "So, where are you from, Elsa?" she asked, her voice calm but inquisitive.
Elsa hesitated, her gaze dropping to her hands. "The… south districts of Glacia," she replied quietly.
Irene's expression shifted immediately, her usual teasing demeanor replaced by something much graver. Her brows furrowed slightly, and a faint sigh escaped her lips. "The south districts," she repeated softly, as if tasting the weight of the words. "That's… not an easy place to grow up."
Elsa said nothing, her lips pressed into a thin line as she avoided eye contact. The room seemed to grow heavier, the cheerful warmth from earlier dissolving into an uneasy silence.
Subaru, unsure how to respond to the sudden shift, began to fidget with his hair. His fingers raked through the dark strands nervously as his eyes darted toward the door. He leaned slightly toward it, peeking out into the hallway and glancing both ways as though searching for an excuse to leave.
When he turned back, Elsa was sitting silently, her shoulders hunched slightly, while Irene stood nearby, her expression unreadable. Subaru tilted his head, his brow furrowing in confusion. "What did you say to her?" he asked Irene, his voice light but tinged with concern. "She looks… upset."
Irene didn't respond immediately, her gaze still fixed on Elsa. When Subaru pressed again, his tone turning playful, Irene turned to him and spoke in a firm but polite voice. "Subaru, could you leave us for a moment?"
Subaru blinked, surprised by her tone. He sighed dramatically, throwing his hands up in mock defeat. "Fine, fine. I'll go. You two have your secret girl talk or whatever."
He turned on his heel and strolled out of the room, muttering under his breath about how everyone was "too serious" these days. As the door clicked shut behind him, he found himself wandering the hallways aimlessly, his thoughts swirling. Eventually, he found his way to a familiar room where Guini and Lublik sat, their earlier argument seemingly over.
The atmosphere in the room was tense, the kind of quiet that made Subaru immediately uneasy. Guini sat stiffly, his face twisted into an expression of irritation, while Lublik leaned against the wall, his arms crossed and his gaze distant.
Subaru shrugged, throwing his hands over his head before flopping onto a nearby sofa. "Man, everyone's way too tense lately," he said, his tone light but pointed.
Guini shot him a sharp glare before standing abruptly and storming out of the room, muttering under his breath. Subaru raised an eyebrow, watching the older man leave.
"What's his problem?" Subaru asked, glancing at Lublik.
Lublik sighed, running a hand through his slicked-back hair. For a moment, he didn't answer, his gaze fixed on the ground. Finally, he spoke, his voice low and measured. "The girl you brought in," he began, pausing as though weighing his words. "Bell confirmed something about her."
Subaru sat up straighter, his curiosity piqued. "Yeah? What'd she say?"
Lublik glanced at Subaru, his usually calm expression shadowed by a rare seriousness. "She's a vampire."
Subaru blinked, processing the word. His mind raced, his mouth opening to reply before closing again. For the first time in a long while, Subaru found himself at a loss for words.
"A vampire?!" Subaru exclaimed, his orange eyes widening as he shot up from the sofa. "Like… burns in the sun, sucks your blood, creates zombies, and maybe even stops time? That kind of vampire?"
Lublik raised an eyebrow, his expression somewhere between amused and exasperated. "Where in Od's name did you hear all that nonsense?" he asked, rubbing his temples. "No, vampires don't… create zombies or stop time. They're dangerous, sure, but only at night. They aren't exactly common, either, so finding one just wandering about is unusual."
Subaru blinked, processing the information, before crossing his arms and frowning. "So, what, she's a 'safe' vampire? Like, she just hangs out and doesn't try to drink people's blood?"
Lublik chuckled dryly. "You're oversimplifying, but close enough. Vampires typically have a reputation for being… let's call it refined. Clean, quiet, and non-interventionist. They don't go around stirring up trouble without reason."
Subaru tilted his head, his confusion only growing. "Then why is she out here? And why was she in the snow like that? Isn't it weird for a vampire to just be… you know, stranded?"
Lublik nodded thoughtfully, his arms crossing over his chest. "It's rare, yes. She's young, so it's likely she comes from a vampiric family. If that's the case, her being out here might mean something happened to her… or to them."
Subaru furrowed his brow, shaking his head. "No way. She doesn't seem like a vampire at all. She's just… Elsa."
Lublik sighed, glancing toward the door Guini had stormed out of moments ago. "My father would disagree with you. To him, anything non-human is lesser by default. He believes humans are superior to all other races, and that includes vampires. He's… stubborn about it."
Subaru's eyes narrowed, his tone skeptical. "Then why'd he let her stay?"
Lublik hesitated, his jaw tightening slightly. "Because I told him to. I reminded him that it wasn't so long ago that I saved a certain black-haired boy from the snow, and he relented—begrudgingly."
Subaru blinked, caught off guard by Lublik's rare display of sentiment. Before he could comment, Lublik let out a dry laugh and shook his head. "Why am I telling all this to a kid, anyway?"
The knight straightened, as if trying to shake off the moment of vulnerability, and ran a hand through his hair. "Anyway, has she woken up yet?"
"Yeah," Subaru replied simply, shrugging. "She's in the library with Irene."
Lublik sighed deeply, his shoulders sagging. "Of course she is," he muttered, his tone tinged with exasperation. "I should've guessed."
Subaru raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing," Lublik replied, turning toward the door. "I suppose I'd better make sure things don't get too out of hand. Irene has a way of… complicating things."
Subaru smirked slightly, leaning back on the sofa. "Yeah, good luck with that. She's probably got Elsa doing Kagaragan poses by now."
Lublik snorted, shaking his head as he walked away. "Knowing her? Probably."
The scene shifted to a semi-awkward gathering in the parlor, the tension in the air almost tangible. Guini and Lublik sat side by side, their postures contrasting sharply—Guini stiff and rigid, while Lublik leaned back with a casual air. Irene stood against the wall behind them, arms crossed, her sharp gaze focused on the room's dynamic.
Elsa sat on a modest chair in front of them, her head bowed low, her lips trembling as her hands fidgeted in her lap. She looked small, vulnerable, and unsure, a stark contrast to the stoic figures surrounding her.
Meanwhile, Subaru, oblivious to the atmosphere, was a chaotic blur in the far corner of the room. He dashed around, chasing two glowing orbs—a spirited red one and a playful yellow one. Laughing and shouting commands at the spirits, he darted after them as they zipped through the air. The others made a valiant effort to ignore the raven-haired boy's antics, though Irene cast him the occasional glance, shaking her head with faint amusement.
The uncomfortable silence was broken by Guini, who leaned forward and spoke with the weight of finality. "You may stay here for now," he announced, his voice firm and clipped. "But only because my pupil—" he gestured vaguely toward Subaru, who was attempting to leap for the red orb and missing spectacularly, "—went out of his way to save you."
Elsa's head lowered even further, her small frame almost curling into itself as she murmured softly, "Thank you…"
Guini's sharp eyes narrowed slightly as he continued, "However, this is not unconditional. You will earn your keep."
A long pause filled the room, the only sound being Subaru's distant cries of "Get back here, you little punk!" as he dove for the yellow orb.
Guini's gaze bore down on Elsa, his words cutting through the air like ice. "You will be a maid."
Another pause, heavier than the first.
Elsa didn't lift her head. Instead, her lips pressed into a thin line as her hands clenched tighter. Her voice came out small, trembling, but resolute. "Thank you for not killing me."
Guini faltered for a moment, his eyes widening slightly in surprise at the weight of her gratitude. His reaction was subtle, but the shift in his expression didn't go unnoticed by Lublik and Irene, whose gazes softened with sympathy.
Guini quickly recovered, standing from his chair with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Yeah, whatever," he muttered, brushing off the moment. He adjusted his monocle, his tone turning brisk and businesslike. "You'll be trained. I have a butler coming in from Lugnica—a connection of mine. He'll teach you what you need to know."
Without waiting for a response, he turned on his heel and strode toward the door. His movements were sharp and deliberate, the echoes of his footsteps filling the room.
Irene pushed herself off the wall, her arms uncrossing as she cast Elsa a lingering look. She didn't speak, but her presence alone carried a quiet reassurance.
Lublik, still seated, glanced at Elsa and then at Subaru, who had now successfully wrangled the red orb and was holding it up triumphantly like a trophy. He sighed, shaking his head. "Looks like things are about to get a lot livelier around here," he remarked wryly.
Elsa remained seated, her head still bowed, but there was the faintest flicker of relief in her eyes. For the first time in a long while, she felt a small glimmer of safety—fragile, but there.
As Elsa rose from her seat, Irene caught her eye and offered a subtle yet reassuring nod, her calm presence grounding the moment. Elsa straightened her shoulders slightly, her steps slow and deliberate as she began making her way back toward the room where she had woken earlier.
Subaru, however, caught sight of her as she passed. "Hey!" he called out cheerfully, his sharp orange eyes lighting up as he bounded toward her with an energetic grin. "So, you're staying here, huh?"
Elsa glanced at him, her lips parting slightly before she nodded. "Yes, it seems that way," she replied quietly.
Subaru's grin widened. "That's great! I can't wait to hang out and play some games or something. It's been way too long since I had someone to mess around with. School's so far away for now, and, well… the old man and Lublik aren't exactly the best company for games."
She blinked at his enthusiasm, caught off guard by his casual openness. "You're… a student at the academy?" she asked, realizing the truth in his words.
Subaru nodded confidently, placing his hands on his hips. "Yup! Academy student, spirit arts extraordinaire, and—" he paused, leaning closer with a mock-serious expression, "—future legend of Gusteko."
Elsa didn't quite know how to respond, so she simply nodded again, her expression reserved.
Subaru tilted his head, noticing her hesitation. "No need for the long face," he said, and with a quick gesture, summoned the yellow orb. It zipped to his side and hovered over his left hand, glowing brightly as it spun in a lazy circle.
Elsa's eyes widened as she watched the spirit, its golden glow reflecting in her gaze. Its warmth seemed to radiate outward, its movements playful and fluid. "It's… beautiful," she murmured, unable to hide her awe.
Subaru grinned, holding the orb up as it danced around his fingers. "Pretty cool, huh? These are minor spirits. This one's been with me for a while—he's got an attitude sometimes, but he's useful."
The spirit swirled around Elsa, its gentle warmth brushing against her skin like a soft breeze. She instinctively reached out, her hand stopping just short of the glowing orb.
"They're unique, aren't they?" Subaru continued, his voice proud but not boastful. "They're here to help me when I call. It's a spirit arts thing. Did you maybe… want to play with this one?"
Elsa hesitated, her hand retreating slightly as she glanced around the hallway. "I don't think that's a good idea right now," she said softly, her voice almost apologetic.
Subaru frowned briefly but quickly replaced it with an understanding smile. "That's okay," he said with a shrug. "Offer's always open, though." He gave the spirit a quick flick of his hand, and it spun away, disappearing into the air.
Turning back to Elsa, Subaru gave her a cheerful wave. "Catch you later, then. I'm off to bug Irene—someone's gotta keep her on her toes!"
With that, he walked away, his energetic steps echoing down the hall as Elsa watched him go. For a moment, she stood in silence, the faint warmth of the spirit still lingering on her skin. A small smile played at the corners of her lips as she turned and continued her walk.