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Tanya von DegurechaffEmilia (Re:Zero)Reinhard van AstreaFelt (Re:Zero)Roswaal L MathersNatsuki SubaruCrusch KarstenRem (Re:Zero)Petelgeuse Romanée-ContiRegulus CorneasBeing X (Youjo Senki)

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CrossoverOpen for suggestionsOther Additional Tags to Be AddedIllustrationsMild GorePost-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSDPoliticsMagicCross-Posted on FanFiction.NetAuthor Is Sleep DeprivedOne Day I will probably rewrite this but who knowsCanon-Typical ViolenceMysteryMemory Loss

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English

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Part 1 of Isekai Adventures of a Salaryman Next Work →

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Published:2021-04-07Updated:2022-08-24Words:132,758Chapters:67/?Comments:1,654Kudos:1,699Bookmarks:279Hits:99,072

Tanya starts from Zero

A_Morte_Perpetua_Machina_Libera_Nos

Chapter 16: Awaiting closure

Notes:

I shortened Tanya´s description massively, because I didn´t want to drag down the pacing. I hope it still sheds some light on her specific decisions.

EDIT: 3333 views!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 16

Tanya was quite content with the developments at the royal selection. Her entrance had hopefully been sufficiently grand to make a "large splash in the pond" as Neumann would put it. She had even gone as far as to subtly manipulate the light that fell through the windows so that her face would be illuminated more favourably.

Her careful observation earlier allowed her then to drop the first big bombshell of her speech. By insinuating that she actually did not care about becoming queen she made her claims sound more real and her opposition was painted in a worse light. It appeared like she was only interested in saving the country while the other candidates were indirectly stigmatized as power-hungry and egocentric for only furthering their plans if they could gain influence from it.

Tanya´s real reasons behind fixing the nation regardless if she became queen or not were in actuality far less benevolent than they seemed. It was simply her backup plan. A perfect employee could never be promoted or fired from their position, because they were irreplaceable. That was common knowledge. In case one of the other candidates should become queen then they would not be able to remove Tanya easily, because she was actually useful for them. Also the common folk would support her more easily if they saw her as trustworthy and compassionate.

To ride the waves of her first big announcement would sadly not be enough, so she tried to differentiate herself further from the other candidates by directly attacking them. This was an extremely dangerous strategy, because she did not actually want to antagonize them all at the same time. To fight a war on one front was difficult enough as the conflict between the empire and the republic had shown her. She didn´t need to earn the ire of all four of them at the same time.

Just in case that anyone of those present possessed a crazy "lie-detection-ability" she had tried to use only truths or half-truths during her speech. If half of what Reinhard had told her was true then there surely existed a Divine Protection for that kind of bullshit. This whole magic system here was ridiculous! She would have done that anyway, because telling your version of the truth was always better in the long run, but she had been extra careful today.

It had been another risky manoeuvre to show the crowd some of her memories, but it had been necessary to convince them that she had really the experience that she claimed. Most of her speech had been made up on the spot, but this had been the part that she had meticulously planned beforehand. To reveal such dangerous information was not something that she wanted to leave up to chance.

All scenes that contained actual fighting had been out of the question from the very start of her sorting process. Images that depicted advanced technology like guns or tanks had also been excluded from her speech. These were severe tactical advantages that she would not reveal so soon. If she played her cards right then she could use her superior war-machines to crush any medieval army in an open field. Basically a Dacia 2.0. (Even just the brought a smile to her face.)

The final nail in the coffin had been her offer of diplomatic discourse that strengthened her appearance of a noble, benevolent and most importantly peaceful individual. It served also as an indirect proposal of friendship that hopefully soothed the ire of the other candidates. Again, she was the one that profited the most, because she could learn more about her rivals in an environment that was completely under her control.

Everything had gone accordingly to her predictions until there had been a brief moment of panic when the signal from Alpha Squad outside the windows had turned yellow for a while, but then it had become green again which meant that it had probably been a false alarm. She would ask her battalion at the debriefing.

Now she was busy making small talk with any interested nobles, which were basically all of them. Nobody wanted to miss the chance to talk with "the girl from another world" which was not the worst nickname she had ever been called. Count after count and baron after baron introduced himself to her and she shook their hands and exchanged meaningless banter. It was just like at the damned ball in the Kaiserpalast Visha had forced her to attend.

One especially bold young man even tried to make a marriage proposal, but she stalled him for a few minutes and then excused herself as politely as she could. Seriously, it was way too early to even think about something like this! Not that she would have ever accepted such an offer anyway. Her sexuality combined with the bigoted views on lesbian relationships in both this world and the last condemned her to a life of solitude. That was at least what she believed.

Then after what felt like days, but was likely just a few hours Tanya decided to call it quits and said goodbye to the nobles she had wanted to impress. She was the last candidate to leave the throne room which was entirely intentional. It would be foolish to leave the battlefield undefended to the enemy after all. If the others decided to spread nasty rumours under her nose then she wanted to be there to immediately defuse them before they could become a problem in the long run. Whatever happened in the first few weeks of her candidacy would shape her public image.

Only after the last embers of light had sunken behind the horizon did she return to collect a rather bored Alpha Squad from the roof of the royal palace and flew them back home. The debriefing was equally as dull as she imagined spending hours in the sewers felt like to the unfortunate Delta Squad. No real suspicious activities had been sighted and no one had heard even rumours of a potential attack. Not really surprising, but generally it paid to be a little bit paranoid. Otherwise Tanya would have not survived the Great War.

Before her battalion could drift off to their well deserved sleep she had still an important announcement to make.

"So, for those of you who are unaware... I am not only your employer, but also a royal candidate for the throne of Lugnica."

Shocked silence filled the air. Nobody except Alpha Squad who had listened in on the royal selection had known this.

"Meaning that in the next two years I will face many struggles and difficulties to win the position of queen and rightful ruler of this country. I will offer you once again the option to drop out and return to a relatively peaceful life in the slums. If you choose to remain in my services then you will undoubtedly experience real battles and maybe even come under attack from the other candidates. They will be ruthless! Like wolves they are going to try to rip me apart, but I am no sheep. I will bite back with all my strength and you my beloved battalion are going to be my teeth and claws! I ask you...

Do you want to continue serving the potential future queen of Lugnica, even if that means that the whole world may turn against us?"

This was the moment of truth. After she had hopefully robbed them of false illusions of glory with the uneventful mission today, she needed to know if their initial motivation had faltered. So it came as a pleasant surprise when all of them shouted:

"YES SERGEANT DEGURECHAFF!"

Tanya could only smile at the realization that she had incredible luck with only ever picking the most bloodthirsty maniacs for her troops. These here would make fine meat-shields.

A night of pleasant dreams filled with Visha´s coffee went by and she made her preparations for the meeting of the candidates.

The trick of the whole affair was that she had purposefully not announced when they should arrive to confuse them and raise their insecurity. Nobody liked being late, but arriving to early was also undesirable. What choices would each candidate make? Even such simple decisions could say much about a character and information of any form was key in the war she was going to wage. Were they "early" or "late" persons? That knowledge could determine if they put duty or their own comfort first. Essentially indicating if they were most likely to serve at the frontlines or from a rear position in battle.

All that was left was to wait. With a smile on her lips and a book in her hand she sat down at a window overlooking the main entrance.

"Like mice to the cheese... Come... Give your best... You are going to need it..."

(I wrote a poem again, but it´s worse than the last)

Bonus: An age of Capitalism

She´s a hero of humanity,

With her wit, reason and skill,

Rejected salvation for sanity,

With only her iron hard will.

Not for all of earth´s riches,

Would she have given up,

To gods or demons or witches,

For she foresaw their trap.

Mankind must rule itself alone,

Without false deceivers,

And pretending parasites!

So she spoke from her throne,

To her ardent believers,

And her ever loyal knights.

Kill the faith of those weak-minded,

Destroy their toxic dependence!

Their religion has them blinded,

With hollow lies of ascendance!

A sane man trusts only his mind,

And proves his worth through labour,

He leaves archaic tales behind,

Gains the freedom he has paid for.

We´re strong without gods or kings,

Which keep us weak and small,

We are not their witless playthings,

Now we stand proud and tall!

Believe in yourself and the state,

With a drive that can never be sated,

Master and perfect your fate

Freeloaders will not be tolerated.

Money rules absolute and supreme,

In this paradise of logic and reason,

Success and fortune are no dream,

For all those that fall not to treason.

Notes:

Chapter is a bit later than usual, because I got a headache when I left my house for the first time in a week. I really have no life it seems :) (*sad laughter*)

Are you in similar situations? Other than writing, eating and sleeping I don´t do anything XD

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Creator Chose Not To Use Archive WarningsGraphic Depictions Of Violence

Fandoms:

Characters:

Tanya von DegurechaffEmilia (Re:Zero)Reinhard van AstreaFelt (Re:Zero)Roswaal L MathersNatsuki SubaruCrusch KarstenRem (Re:Zero)Petelgeuse Romanée-ContiRegulus CorneasBeing X (Youjo Senki)

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English

Series:

Part 1 of Isekai Adventures of a Salaryman Next Work →

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Published:2021-04-07Updated:2022-08-24Words:132,758Chapters:67/?Comments:1,654Kudos:1,699Bookmarks:279Hits:99,072

Tanya starts from Zero

A_Morte_Perpetua_Machina_Libera_Nos

Chapter 17: Uneven meeting

Notes:

I am not writing that stupid accent for both Priscilla and Anastasia. Its way too hard for someone who is not a native speaker and looks ridiculous when done wrong. It´s not like most people will miss it anyway.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 17

The first guest to arrive was Emilia. Without a carriage and without a bodyguard as well! How careless was that girl? It looked like she wanted to get murdered! She came into the domain of her enemy completely unprotected and didn´t even try to impress with wealth or status! Only dumb luck could be the reason why she had not already been murdered in the streets if the general populace reacted to her visual appearance the same way the nobles did.

Or maybe the girl was more powerful than she looked? To survive in a world that instinctively hated her must have been no easy feat. Was she concealing an enormous magical aptitude perhaps? Or were her bodyguards so good that Tanya had not even noticed them? Instinctively she checked all corners of the room and enhanced her senses to spot even the faintest of movements in the air.

Nothing. She would have to keep an eye out for these invisible protectors if they even existed.

The silver-haired girl looked friendly enough when she went to personally greet her, but something seemed off about her. She would just keep staring and smiling at Tanya (especially her hair) when she thought she wasn´t looking. One time when Tanya stared back she blushed and averted her eyes to the floor. How strange.

Nonetheless Tanya gave her best to entertain her first guest with seemingly meaningless banter while she secretly hoped to gain valuable information from doing so.

"So Emilia where do you live? I am quite thankful that Reinhard has let me stay here or else I would have to rent a room in a hotel or something like that."

Slowly, she wanted to ease the shy girl into a conversation. The low self-esteem was probably the result of years of discrimination now that she thought about it.

"I, uh, live with Roswaal. He lets me stay at his mansion. It is very, uh, nice from him."

"What made you choose Roswaal of all people? From what I could see at the royal selection he appears to be a rather eccentric man."

"He kind of is? But he was kind enough to help me out in a sticky situation and he is really powerful, I believe."

"Oh, so I heard. The margrave is supposedly the strongest magician in the country. Is that true?"

"Yes? I mean he has control over all six elements which is extremely rare. I haven´t seen him use his powers much though."

All six of them? Interesting. That also meant that he knew shadow magic. Perhaps he could teach her? That would mean she owed him a favour, but the result of possessing a whole new set of abilities that provided her with a crucial understanding of this world´s magic system could be worth it.

"Which affinity do you have?"

"Ah, ehm... Fire and water. And you?"

She had of course expected that question, but giving away this information was meaningless to her. Answering this enquiry would only confuse her enemies more, because they would think that she had used shadow magic when in reality her magic formulae functioned completely different.

"Yin. My element is shadow."

"Wow! That´s also super rare. Say, uh, Tanya... when you came here from your homeland did you bring anybody with you?... Ah, you don´t have to answer if it makes you uncomfortable or anything..."

Her voice trailed off at the end and the poor thing looked rather embarrassed.

"No, it´s quite alright. I came here alone."

"Oh, you must be so lonely then. You surely miss your friends..."

"I never had many friends. When you are in the military you don´t have much time for such things. But yes I miss a few of my comrades."

Was that pity in Emilia´s eyes? No... There was no way that her rival was taking pity on them! Did she really think Tanya´s situation was that hopeless without more allies by her side? Was she already writing her off as unthreatening? How dare she! Well, it was actually good if her opponent underestimated her.

After they had both exchanged a few more pleasantries, a servant approached Tanya to inform her that Lady Karsten had arrived together with Lady Hoshin. Both of them understood at least the importance of a proper entrance, because they reached their destination in splendid carriages drawn by clearly very expensive ground dragons. In contrast to Emilia they also brought their knights with them which should have been common sense.

Crusch was accompanied by a petite and overly friendly cat-girl who Tanya recognized as being called Felix. (This land was apparently strange enough that even a woman could have a man´s name.) Anastasia had Julius with her who matched the stereotypical "knight persona" far better than his demi-human counterpart. Reinhard was there to greet them and went off to entertain them while she was busy with the candidates.

"Well, then it is late enough already. We will have to begin without Lady Barielle."

Just as she was uttering those words the door burst open and Priscilla entered the room with her chin held high and lips pressed together in a condescending smirk. Without saying anything she grabbed a chair and sat down as if was the most natural thing in the world. How had she even gotten into the mansion and found this room without Tanya being notified? Could she teleport?

"That was most fortune timing if I say so myself." she commented drily.

Priscilla only scoffed.

"Of course it is a given that I arrive at the perfect moment. You would have been unable to begin with me otherwise."

Tanya had to fight an internal battle of epic proportions to keep her polite face from crumbling away. This woman was already insufferable even though she just arrived!

"In that case I am very thankful that all of you have accepted my invitation and have graced me with your presence. I am new to these lands as you all know, so it is of huge benefit for me that you are willing to teach me more about our... situation. But enough about my selfish desires, do you have any questions you want to ask first?"

If she wanted them to open up then she needed them to feel like they were in control. Naturally they were not. All who stepped into the same room as the Argent left only because they could be useful for her in the future. Had it not been political suicide to do so, then Tanya could have easily ended all their lives in a heartbeat.

"Yes, I would like to know why you brought a weapon yesterday to the royal selection. It seemed rather strange to me, especially after the guard at the door made it very clear that only knights were allowed to carry them inside the throne room." said Crusch with a stern face.

Her voice was polite, but she seemed slightly upset about the topic. Understandable. Rules were there for a reason and to disrespect them meant to fall outside the boundaries of society.

"Around a week ago I was still fighting a war. Forgive me for my lack of trust, but old habits die hard. To answer your second question, it was allowed to keep it because this blade holds symbolic value for me since my knight presented it to me as a gift."

Crusch nodded sharply. Nobody even looked at the appetizing delicacies on the table, but instead solely at her. To manipulate four attentive and mistrustful people at the same time would be hard, but the Angel of the Reich specialized in the seemingly impossible. So she pulled up one corner of her lips into a cheeky grin and reached for her teacup.

"You should drink something. We have much to discuss."

Notes:

What do you think is the most overpowered authority in Re:Zero?

Which sin archbishop will be the most troublesome enemy for Tanya?

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Creator Chose Not To Use Archive WarningsGraphic Depictions Of Violence

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Tanya von DegurechaffEmilia (Re:Zero)Reinhard van AstreaFelt (Re:Zero)Roswaal L MathersNatsuki SubaruCrusch KarstenRem (Re:Zero)Petelgeuse Romanée-ContiRegulus CorneasBeing X (Youjo Senki)

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Part 1 of Isekai Adventures of a Salaryman Next Work →

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Published:2021-04-07Updated:2022-08-24Words:132,758Chapters:67/?Comments:1,654Kudos:1,699Bookmarks:279Hits:99,072

Tanya starts from Zero

A_Morte_Perpetua_Machina_Libera_Nos

Chapter 18: Fishing for pawns

Notes:

I managed to overcome my temporary writer´s block so I still got the chapter out today.

Also my parents screamed at me for an hour so I am a little late. (Not a pleasant expirience let me tell you)

Chapter Text

Chapter 18

The not-quite-obvious negotiations were proceeding worse than expected. Priscilla Barielle was barely cooperative and spent her time either looking bored while adding nothing to the conversation or letting out a flood of barely concealed insults and mocking comments that also were rather unhelpful. Tanya´s opinion of the insufferable woman had only sunken with each agonizing minute she had to endure her presence. Yes, Priscilla was extremely perceptive and was certainly not stupid, but her general attitude ensured that she would be unfit for any ruling position.

Crush was pleasant enough to converse with, but she seemed far too on edge to let anything of value slip past her lips despite Tanya´s repeated attempts to ease the tension in the room. Social interaction with those that stood on equal footing on the societal ladder was not her speciality. She excelled at conversing with both higher-ups and subordinates, but not with equals.

Anastasia gave the impression of naive happiness and carefree foolishness, but that masquerade was easy enough to see through. There was a hungry glint in her eyes which showed that she was waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. Like a lurking predator who disguised itself as harmless prey.

Lastly, Emilia took nearly no part in the discourse. She looked away when anybody tried to talk to her and fidgeted in her seat uncomfortably. Her shyness in these kinds of situations was palpable.

All in all it was a disappointing endeavour. Nobody had accidentally revealed any critical information; although that was to be expected. They still managed to learn more about each other´s goals and methods of achieving them so it was not a complete waste of time. After a few hours Tanya decided to politely end the meeting and escorted her rivals to the front gates. While she said goodbye to most of the candidates, she bade Emilia to stay behind for a short moment, because over the course of the relatively fruitless meeting a plan had hatched in Tanya´s mind.

The silver-haired girl was at the weakest power position, which not only meant that she was easiest to manipulate, but also that she would be seen as the smallest threat to the other camps. Allying with one of more powerful candidates would be interpreted as a huge danger from the other camps and could provoke an immediate action to eliminate them both or break up the coalition.

"Emilia, I want to propose an alliance of sorts between our two camps."

"W-What?"

"I think we both aid help each other enormously. So I am suggesting that we help each other out in certain aspects of our respective candidacies."

"How? You know that I am a half-elf, right?"

"Yes I do and frankly I do not care. From where I come from demi-humans do not exist at all so I am not compelled by stupid biases."

"B-But what could I offer you?"

"What exactly is your reason for becoming queen?"

"I don't understand. What does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, it is pretty clear that ruling over this kingdom will be extremely hard for you. I assume you have been shunned by the public for your appearance since when you were young? So attempting such a feat like participating in the royal selection must be caused by some ulterior motivation. I ask again... Why do you want to become queen of a country that will never love you?"

Emilia looked very unsure of herself before she took a deep breath and finally answered.

"It´s for my friends... They... I lived in a small village in the Elior forest and one day it... it was frozen. All of them were frozen... I want to save them."

The girl looked down at her tightly clasped hands.

If they were frozen how could they be saved? Would a normal fire not be enough to thaw the ice? And if they did that wouldn´t the villagers be dead anyway? Tanya had seen enough people freeze to death at the eastern front to know that the victims of ice and snow normally didn't just wake up again if you heated them over a fire. You might get grilled meat, but even in her hungriest state Tanya would have never stooped so low. Cannibalism was sometimes the only logical option to get certain nutrients, but the health risks were mostly not worth it. That didn't meant she had not sometimes considered it after five month of constant cold and hard, tasteless bread.

"And winning the royal selection will help you how?"

"Roswaal... he promised that with a few drops of the dragon´s blood I will be able to free them from their prison."

It seemed like Roswaal was puppeteering the unfortunate girl. Tanya felt a rare notion of pity for Emilia. They both had some astounding similarities. Thrust into a mad world hell-bent on destroying them all the while powerful figures tried to manipulate them. The difference between them was that Tanya had succeeded in carving out a path of her own design by fighting back against the forces that tried to conrtol her.

"So you want to become queen for a small quantity of dragon´s blood."

It was not a question; it was a statement.

"No-No! Not only for the blood! I want to help others too! I know that sounds kind of selfish, but I really want to achieve equality for all races and classes. Nobody should get hunted down or seen as lesser because of circumstances that they cannot change."

There was a fire in these amethyst eyes that had burned with such intensity that Emilia had nearly looked like a different person in that moment. Talking about her dream seemed to spark a fiery determination in her that was notably absent from her usual timid persona.

"Well, you´re in luck. That´s exactly where I come in. You see, I don't want to sit on the throne any more than you probably do, but I have a certain advantage over you."

The half-elf gave her a confused look.

"I am not a silver-haired half-elf. Again, I don´t have a problem with how you look as long as you are a decent person, but the citizens of this country don't see it that way. They are ignorant fools who will never accept somebody as their ruler who looks like the witch of envy."

Emilia flinched both at the name as well as the sad truth in Tanya´s words.

"You want equality? I want that as well. Discrimination is stupid and only hinders progress. I swear to you that if I become queen then I am going to empower the demi-human population to a level where they become just as protected by the law as regular humans. To force many able workers out of profitable jobs they could excel at, because they look different hinders the economy massively. This will not only be good for the populace, but also the country at large."

"Yes, but... what does that have to do with our possible alliance?"

"If your goal truly is to bring about equality for all then I am simply better suited for the task. I will not be hated by the public for everything I do and I actually have experience in leadership management. It is the hard truth that when I become queen I will be able to achieve your objectives and aspirations far better than you ever could. I simply am the better option. But there is one thing I could do specifically for you."

Tanya made sure to lean forward and pin Emilia in place with her intense stare.

"I will give you the dragon blood if I become queen."

Stunned silence froze the girl in near comical shock.

"My proposal is that you will support my campaign for the throne from the shadows and in return I will make all your wishes real that you would have tried to achieve anyway. I will create equality in law for all races and classes in Lugnica and I will aim to massively improve living conditions across Lugnica. Furthermore, I am going to procure a few drops of dragon just blood for you. With this action you will not only help your friends, but the whole nation while you won´t have to worry about trying to become queen anymore. Everything you ever wanted can become yours if you help in getting me on the throne. The prize for a good and peaceful life full of accomplishments is that you will leave the throne to me."

"Ah... I... Uh..."

This risky offer had robbed the poor girl of her ability to speak coherently. How tragic.

"I don´t want to sound harsh, but how good are your chances of achieving victory in a battle for this title anyway? Do you really think you will have more luck on your own? It´s not like you don´t have a choice, but I would advise to choose wisely."

These last few words of discouragement had sealed the deal. Emilia had temporarily lost all confidence in herself. This was going better than anticipated!

"How do I... How do I know that you are going to uphold your end of the bargain?"

Clever question. The girl was not as hopeless as Tanya once thought.

"I read in law book that you can swear on the Od Laguna. You will apparently die if you break your promise although I do not know if that is true. We could do that if you wish."

"I don´t know..."

"That´s alright. Even though I have significantly more to lose than you it is still an incredible risk for you. I will give you a week´s time to come to a decision so that you don't do anything you might come to regret."

It was very important to appear trustworthy so as if she had only the girl´s best interests in mind. Not that was even a lie. Tanya truly believed that she had far better chances at fulfilling Emilia´s wishes than the half-elf herself. This was a deal they both would profit from.

"Roswaal... He won´t approve, I think?"

"Would it be acceptable if I talked to him? I am sure we can come to an agreeable solution."

"Well, he insisted that we travel back to the mansion tomorrow morning for some reason. And he has business today so I don´t think you can meet him any time soon."

Taking a risk was always painful for Tanya, but sometimes it was necessary. This had the potential to end horribly, but escape per flight was always an option for her.

"Would you be alright if came back with you?"

Emilia made a confused "eh" sound. It was pretty cute.

"I could stay for a week at the mansion while you think about our potential agreement. Meanwhile I also get to negotiate with Roswaal and we can learn a bit more about how each of us thinks and acts. Don´t you think that sounds like a good idea?"

No, it sounded like a terrible plan. Even to Tanya.

"Why... not?"

"That´s the spirit! Ask the margrave kindly if he would accommodate me for a week. I would be very thankful for that. But now it is getting late. You should make your trip back home and find some sleep. Shall I lend you a carriage to bring you back quicker?"

Overwhelming the girl before she had time to protest was an important strategy in her plan. Emilia was so shy and naive that she could not be allowed to dwell on such important choices. That was also why Tanya didn't want her to be left alone in the following week. Only if she was present would she be able to influence her decision-making process and mould the young half-elf into an ally.

"N-No. I don't believe that will be necessary. See you tomorrow Tanya!"

Very good! The girl had already accepted the reality that Tanya would accompany her back to the mansion. It nearly felt too easy. Could this be a trap? She would need to prepare for that just in case. This night would undoubtedly not hold much sleep for her; that was for sure.

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Tanya starts from Zero

A_Morte_Perpetua_Machina_Libera_Nos

Chapter 19: Arriving strangely

Notes:

Was reading all day so it is later than usual.

EDIT: 4000 Hits! Let´s go!!!!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 19

If you had access to flight, illusion-, optic- and tracking formulas then finding out where somebody lived was a trivial affair. Especially if that someone wore very distinct white clothing and hid her face in public. Following such a person and arranging discreet patrols around her house were child´s play.

So, Tanya could exactly predict when Emilia would leave her house and react accordingly by sending a messenger to enquire about Roswaal´s decision as soon as possible. To the silver-haired girl and her pink-haired maid it must have looked like the courier appeared straight out of the shadows, because of his precisely timed arrival. No second was wasted as the man collected the information and went off to disappear in the next side alley just as Tanya had taught him to do.

Receiving an answer about whether or not Tanya could come back to the Roswaal mansion was made easy, since she already knew the response before Emilia even stepped through the door. Sound enhancing spells worked at astounding distances if you used them in a relatively silent city at night-time instead of a booming battlefield. Tanya made interesting discoveries like that very day in this new world. Honestly the best magician of the country should know better than to have important conversations directly in front of a large window, even if it was closed.

Yesterday, Roswaal had been surprisingly open about the idea of collaboration between his sponsored candidate and "the stranger girl" as he had called Tanya. Luckily Emilia had been wise enough to omit the details of her proposal, because he would have certainly reacted quite different if he knew that Emilia potentially planned to abandon the royal selection altogether. Fury and disappointment would have been understandable responses in Tanya´s eyes, seeing as the man had invested much time and money into the half-elf to participate at all.

Tanya arrived exactly ten minutes later which she deemed as inconspicuous enough. Emilia appeared happy enough to see her and even somewhat excited about a new guest at the mansion. The girl must have been quite lonely. They chatted for a while before Roswaal finished whatever he was doing and came out of the house. Her best guess was that he had needed the time for his extravagant makeup. She would have died of shame if she dressed herself up like this guy. He honestly looked like a clown. How could anybody take him seriously?

Flying was not an option if she wanted to remain relatively inconspicuous; so she took a separate carriage that followed Emilia´s closely. The driver and two of Reinhard´s most experienced guards were the only personnel she brought with her. The reasons were simple:

Firstly, less staff would mean that Roswaal would have to provide for fewer guests which meant that her debt to him would be smaller than if she had brought a dozen meat-shields.

Secondly, the more unguarded she seemed, the easier would she gain trust, because she appeared like she was trusting them. A high security would cause suspicion and send the wrong signals.

Thirdly, even the best soldiers would be next to useless against a fighter who used magic. Her own experience proved as much. One combat mage equalled around two hundred ground troupes and that had been the truth in the empire! Tanya had no idea how powerful magicians in this world were. Especially Roswaal could possibly surpass even a group of veteran. So bringing more people who would die in seconds in any real confrontation was just plain stupid.

She could have brought Reinhard who was allegedly the best fighter in Lugnica, but he was the only one that she trusted to continue the training of her new battalion. He was a very good teacher who would polish her little investments until she would take over to put the finishing touches on them. Her 204th needed to be at peak fighting condition as soon as possible and no day could be allowed to go to waste just because she was absent.

The trip only took a few hours which was surprising when one considered the distance they had travelled. Ground dragons were an astonishingly fast method of transportation, but Tanya would have preferred a train. Perhaps she should introduce this country to the majesty of a national railroad system in the future? She filed that thought away for later evaluation.

Roswaal´s mansion was impressive to say the least. It might have been even bigger than the Astrea estate. The gardens were certainly bigger. Even the front lawn was big enough for multiple football fields. Odd, was only that when the maids presented themselves in the entrance hall there were only two of them. The pink one that had accompanied Emilia to the capital and a nearly identical looking one with blue hair. Were only two people in charge of keeping the mansion clean? Impossible.

"This is your room Lady Degurechaff. Lunch will be served in half an hour. I or my sister will come to notify when it is ready." said the blue one after she shown her the guest quarters

"Thank you kindly. If I am allowed to ask, how many servants are under Lord Roswaal´s employ?"

"Only myself and sister, Lady Degurechaff."

Tanya urgently wanted subordinates as capable as them. Only these two were in charge of the whole house? Magic was the only explanation.

Her room was big and richly decorated which she could appreciate after sleeping in muddy tents for years. Her bed looked delightfully soft which she was also very grateful for. She went to explore the adjoining room when she noticed it.

Something felt strange about that door. Without touching it, she knew that it radiated magical energy. Was it a trap? Carefully she applied a sound suppressing formula to her footsteps to not be noticed and strengthened her passive barrier into an active mage shield. In a flash she ripped open the door and was totally unprepared for what lay beyond.

A giant library was not what she had imagined her restroom to look like. Now that she thought about it... this room was too big to fit into this part of the mansion. It was geometrically impossible for a room this large to be behind the small door near the edge of the building. Was it magic? Could magic distort space? Were there more hidden rooms all around the mansion?

"What are you doing in Betty´s library, I suppose?"

Tanya had been so overwhelmed with the endless possibilities that such magic could create, that she had completely overlooked the little blond girl directly in front of her. Her attire looked incredibly ridiculous and the little crown on her head made her look like a spoilt princess. At least she read in here which was a good sign that the little girl tried to expand her mental horizons. Acquiring and refining one´s theoretical knowledge was important for any worker who took their career seriously. Not that the girl with her impractical haircut and absurd dress looked like she was making herself useful often.

But then other details were registering in Tanya´s magically enhanced brain. Those pupils... were they butterfly-shaped? No normal human had eyes like that. Was she a demi-human? None of the species she had seen in the capital matched the girl´s appearance. If she was indeed not human than her physical form did not necessarily dictate her age. "Betty" could be far older than the twelve or so years she had initially guessed. It was probably best to treat her with the same respect as an adult. Tanya herself was the best example that looks could be deceiving.

"Please forgive my sudden intrusion. I was on my way to a certain room when this door led me unexpectedly into this place. I am Tanya von Degurechaff, pleased to make your acquaintance Miss...?"

"Beatrice. You may address me as that. Now, why are you here? Are you a friend of the annoying elf girl perhaps?"

It seemed like these tow were not on the best of terms. Maybe she could exploit that.

"You could say that. I hope to do business with her in the future. For this reason I am going to stay for a week at this mansion."

"What is this strange magic you are using? Betty has never seen something like this. What element even is that, in fact?"

She had not dropped her mage shield yet so it would be only normal for the denizens of this world to be confused by imperial magic formulae. Still, she would not directly answer that question, because it would reveal too much. By evading it she could hopefully distract the girl.

"I have been told that I have an affinity for shadow."

"Mph... Let me see, I suppose."

The petite girl (she was smaller than Tanya, which gave her some satisfaction) stretched out her hand and touched her just above her heart. Suddenly she could feel some of her mana draining faster than normal. It was not much, especially for someone with as a large reserve like her, but it was noticeable. Was Beatrice absorbing mana from her?

"Are you sure your affinity is shadow?"

"Yes. Was the magician wrong? I hired a professional just for diagnosing me."

"He was not much of a professional then, I suppose. Mph."

"Was he wrong? Can´t I learn shadow magic?"

"No. The imbecile just forgot to notice that you have a talent for light magic as well."

Notes:

You could say that arc 2 has officially begun for Tanya .

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Tanya starts from Zero

A_Morte_Perpetua_Machina_Libera_Nos

Chapter 20: Meeting the unfamiliar

Notes:

Shorter chapters for the next week, because we have finals coming up.

EDIT: 4444 views!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 20

Tanya inwardly groaned at the prospect that she would have to find either two teachers or ask Roswaal to teach her both shadow and light magic. That would mean that she would have to pay him twice the amount of money or whatever else he wanted! Suddenly an idea lit up her mind like a comically large lightbulb. The library! Maybe she could ask Beatrice for books on these two topics. The little girl seemed knowledgeable enough on the topic of magic.

Unfortunately lunch came first. As much as she wanted to learn about magic it would be unbecoming of her position to be too late for her meal. So she made her way to the dining room together with Beatrice and reserved all her burning questions for later.

Inside were all the familiar faces of the Emilia camp except two new ones. One was a floating grey cat (a spirit perhaps?) and the other was a black-haired boy with exceptionally mean looking eyes.

"Oh hey, who is that Nazi loli?" he asked with a grin.

She froze in place and her eyebrow twitched. How dare he call her that! Where did he even learn that word from? Existed Nazis in this world? That was improbable seeing as concepts like democracy or communism were completely unheard of in this feudal society. A fact that she aimed to rectify soon. (Not the communism part, but the democracy one.)

And what in the Kaiser´s name was a "loli"? Some obscure memory told her that she knew that word, but the meaning behind it had been long forgotten. Whatever it was, it didn´t sound like a compliment. She was sure that it hadn't been used in the empire which meant that it came from...

Japan. Oh no. Was he a reincarnate too?

That meant that this unassuming looking boy was extremely dangerous. He potentially knew about technology like guns or airships and modern transportation which meant that he could counteract many of her future plans. She would need to either kill him or sway him to her side. Another reason why an alliance with the Emilia camp was so important.

With all the false calm she could muster she pressed out:

"Hello, I am Tanya von Degurechaff and candidate for the throne. I believe we had not the pleasure of being introduced to one another."

"Hi! My name is Subaru Natsuki and one day I will become the most trusted supporter of my beautiful Emilia. Nice to meet you!" he cheered.

Tanya was baffled by this shameless display of childish innocence. Was he stupid or something? The name at least was a clearly Japanese name so her theory had been correct.

"Our deaaaar Subaru haaaas his way with words you see. It is simply paaart of his charm. He is currently employed as a butler on a probation."

She gave Roswaal a thankful nod for the information. Her trip had already been worth it just for bringing her attention to the existence of this otherworldly boy. What other dangerous secrets were hidden in this land?

"Well, Subaru... my dear maid toooold me that you defended the village quite bravely in our absence. It would have been truly a hoooooooorrific tragedy to lose my loyal subjects if you had not identified the threat. As a sign of my gratitude aaaand in honour of your heroic deed I will grant you a wish. Anything you may desiiiiire..."

"In that case I want my trial period to end and become fully employed here!"

"You know thaaat I would have arranged for that to happen anyway? How could I have let you go from my services when you proved already to be so uuuuseful? After that whole ordeal I thiiiink he you have rather well earned your full employyyyyment, don't you think?"

He smiled more brightly than he had any right to.

"Oh... ah... well, in that case I want to learn how to fight. My magic and sword skills are kinda limited at the moment..."

"Even though that are technically two wishes I will glaaaadly grant your request!"

If Tanya wanted to estimate the threat level of the boy then she needed concrete facts. What could he accomplish? How dangerous were his abilities? Hopefully her interest in Subaru wouldn´t appear suspicious.

"If I am allowed to ask, what exactly happened to warrant such a reward?"

"Rem, I believe you are better suited for explaining the details. Please enlighten our guest about what happend while we were in the capital. Emilia is suuuuurely curious as well."

"Yes Lord Roswaal" replied the maid dutifully.

"Subaru went to the village the day before yesterday and found out with the help of Lady Beatrice that a mabeast had crossed the magical barrier. Later he was able to track down the beast which had abducted several children at this point. Subaru and I managed to evacuate them safely and defeated the one responsible for cursing them. Although I sustained only minor injuries, Subaru was not so lucky. His wounds were healed by Lady Beatrice, but he has been unfortunately cursed. I humbly beg of you Milord, please track down the responsible witchbeasts until night break or I fear for Subaru´s life. It is much to ask from you Lord Roswaal, but else he will not be able to serve you much longer."

Tanya wondered how curses functioned. Were they immediately noticeable? If not than she could use them as a weapon...

"Oh, yeah... that little detail kinda slipped my mind." said the boy in question while he scratched his neck in an embarrassed fashion.

"Worry not my sweet Rem. Even if he was not a valued employee of mine I would not hesitate to save him. It shall be done."

Her respect for the ridiculously dressed man grew a tiny bit when he showed how much he cared for his subordinates. Wasting such a valuable resource would have been shameful. Instead through establishing trust by saving his life would only lead to a better workplace relationship between the two.

"Subaru you dunderhead! If you got hurt the why aren't you in bed instead of sitting here? You should rest!"

"Thank you for your concern Emi, but I wanted to see you in person. Only the sight of your marvellous beauty could truly cure my wounds. Also who says ´dunderhead´ in this day and age anymore?"

Only years of experiencing the most uncomfortable pains prevented Tanya from openly cringing at the clumsy compliment. This boy possessed the social awareness of a rock! Even the poor Emilia had no words to voice her opinion on such idiocy.

"Regardless of how interesting the last few days have beeeeen, I think we should now begin with our meaaal..."

Damn, Roswaal´s voice was annoying. Why did he talk that way? Was it a trick to make other people around him uncomfortable? If yes, then he was very effective.

Notes:

Subaru´s full backstory will be explained later

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Published:2021-04-07Updated:2022-08-24Words:132,758Chapters:67/?Comments:1,654Kudos:1,699Bookmarks:279Hits:99,072

Tanya starts from Zero

A_Morte_Perpetua_Machina_Libera_Nos

Chapter 21: A clueless fool´s view

Notes:

Sorry for a week without updates. School stressed me out too much to write even though I actually did not do anything for my exams. Anxiety was getting to me and sucked all motivation straight out of my head. I hope I get myself together soon.

Wrote this before going to bed so expect typos.

EDIT: 5000 Hits!!!!!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 21

Subaru was in a surprisingly good mood. Maybe it was not all that surprising, he was Subaru after all. If the world gave him no reason to smile then he would invent one. But for any other person it would have been impossible to feel happy in this moment. He was injured, his head felt like it would explode in a few minutes and the curse that had been placed on him would kill him in a few hours. Nonetheless, he couldn´t help himself but feel thankful.

He had done it!

Finally!

After thirteen loops to get here, he had managed to save both the children and Rem at long last. He did not want to see them dead again. He would not- no, could not look into their unseeing eyes knowing that he had failed them. Now they would live. Now they were safe. Because he had saved them! He had been useful! He, Subaru Natsuki, a helpless loser form another world had saved them! Wasn´t that the best feeling in the world?

Hopefully this would be enough to repay Emilia´s kindness. Only a complete angel would take in a suspicious stranger like him and give him a job. Emilia was the best!

It had been disheartening to hear that she would leave the manor so soon after they only got to spend a few days together, but his terrible luck allowed him to relive these four days again and again so he had been able to learn much about her. In general he had learned so much and that was also something he was grateful for. Repeating loop after loop had made sure that he could now read much of the written language of this kingdom. He also knew the layout of the mansion perfectly and he was able to cast magic. Magic! He could do magic! How awesome was that?

Even though it was an ancient truth that all heroes who got transported into new world received unbelievable and unmatched magic powers, it was still exciting to experience it firsthand. Well... he got another superpower already, but it kinda sucked. Return by Death was cool and all... but it really hurt. It really did.

Distracting himself from his gloomy thoughts he idly scratched his bandages and wondered who the blond girl on the other side of the table was. She had introduced herself as "Tanya von Degurechaff" which sounded like a comparatively normal name for this crazy world, but her eyebrow had noticeably twitched when he had called her "nazi loli" and that confused him. Her attire really reminded him of an old german uniform and she held herself in a rather stoic and rigid way that suggested that she was not up for fun or light-hearted banter. That´s where the "nazi" part of the joke came in. He honestly hadn't meant it as an insult.

The "loli" part arose obviously from her short stature and her pretty, doll-like face. Her appearance was not unlike Beako, now that he thought about it. And in the few days that she knew him he already managed to worm his way into her heart. He was sure of it. So why not try to befriend this Tanya loli too? She couldn't be much more of a tsundere then Beatrice. Or Ram maybe. That much was for certain.

But all that was not important, because she had understood at least in part what he had been talking about which should be impossible for anyone from this world. Both the word "nazi" as well as "loli" were entirely unknown here. If Beako, the girl that spent all her time indoors reading (not unlike him), could not recognize the sacred description of "loli" then nobody here could. Nazis were also not present in this world if he was not mistaken, so how had she understood the meaning of his silly joke?

Maybe he was just imagining things. It would only be natural for him to become paranoid from dying so much after all. Or he had simply interpreted too much into a meaningless reaction. Beako had also answered his words that she did not know with reactions of surprise and irritation. That was it what made her so fun to tease.

Still, she was another candidate and rival of his lovely Emilia so he would approach her with caution. But who knew? Maybe they could ally their camps? From what Puck had told him Emilia seemed rather lonely. That was absolutely undeserved for a heavenly being like her! More friends would be good for her; she deserved to be happy. Tanya appeared nice enough. Certainly more so than Ram. (The pink-haired maid was his trusted and unsurpassed bench-mark for meanness.)

Subaru was so deep in thought about all the different ways in which he could make his Emilia happy that he had not realized how intensely he was staring at the object of his desire.

"Subaru! Is something the matter? Are you feeling unwell? Do you need to rest?"

"Uhm,... no? Of course not Emilia-tan! Your adorable face was just distracted me with its unmatched magnificence. I could lose myself in your eyes for hours!"

All females at the table except Rem shot him a withering glare. Ram even scoffed and he would swear that he could hear her say something about "Pervert Barusu having no shame" or something like that. Emilia just blushed at the compliment.

Tanya asked: "Honesty is an admirable trait to have, but are you always this straightforward?"

"Well... I'm an open book! I think the world would be a better place if anybody would just admit to their feelings."

The cute (but not as cute as Beako) blonde continued to look at him with a slightly raised eyebrow and an incredulous look in her eyes like she couldn't believe his words. So naturally in his role as Subaru Nasuki, fool extraordinaire he had to explain it to her.

"You see, it only hurts those closest to you if you keep your emotions closed up all the time. See Rem for example: she always felt inferior to her sister even though that is totally wrong and unfounded. For years she resented herself for no good reason although her sister would probably never encourage such a thought. I have only known Ram for a few days, but I am certain that she loves her twin with all her heart and would never think of her as lesser than herself. Therefore not only did she hurt herself by never admitting her feeling, but also her sister who would not like her thinking like that."

Ram watched with wide eyes and began to turn to her sister with clear shock written in her face. Ooops! He hadn´t meant to expose family secrets like that. Hopefully she wouldn't be too mad at him for telling the truth, but it had to be said. And it would make things easier for Rem to explain in private. Hopefully.

"It is true sister. I never intended for you to be hurt by this, but I knew that I could never be as good or as talented as you. I'm sorry I should have told you..."

Ram threw him a dirty look that promised a confrontation later on. Oh joy...

"Rem, why are you speaking such nonsense? The only person that could even hope to surpass me in the quality of her work and her overall adorableness would be you. I am not saying this as your loving sister, although I will always be that, but from an objective point of view. Even a complete idiot like Barusu is able to see your greatness."

"I already told you Rem that I mean it when I said you are wonderful. I have never seen you as a replacement or a substitute for your sister. We all like you just for who you are."

"It seems as wonders can still happen, because I sadly find myself agreeing with moron over there. We will take about this tonight. Don´t worry."

"T-Thank you..." snivelled a emotionally distraught Rem.

"Oh myyyyy, how unfortuuuuunate." said the clown.

Regardless of how many good things Roswaal had done for him Subaru couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong with the man. A sinister aura was surrounding him that made him hard to trust.

"Whaaat an iiiinteresting issue that we will hopeeeefully be able to resolve soooon. Nonetheless do some of us more pressing matters to discuss. Lady Degurechaff, a word please."

That damned clown was planning something. He knew it!

Notes:

That was not the full Subaru backstory btw. More will be coming. Also his character is slightly different to canon, because he had a different experience in this world. It took him 13 tries instead of 5, because Emilia and Ram weren´t there to help him. In return he never died to Elsa so I guess it evens out XD

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Published:2021-04-07Updated:2022-08-24Words:132,758Chapters:67/?Comments:1,654Kudos:1,699Bookmarks:279Hits:99,072

Tanya starts from Zero

A_Morte_Perpetua_Machina_Libera_Nos

Chapter 22: Suspicious demands

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 22

Tanya´s fellow reincarnate was an idiot. That was the only possible conclusion after his outburst at the dining table. Or he played his part so masterfully that he was indistinguishable from a real one. Whatever the case, she would need to keep an eye on him. Fools or manipulators like him were the most dangerous variables on a battlefield, because you could never predict their actions. They were either not driven by reason or followed plans so insidious that escaping them was barely possible. The best comparison to a person like Subaru Natsuki would be a stray, wrong-triggered grenade that could explode in the most unexpected way at any moment. Truly a unpleasant factor to plan around.

If the boy came under her employ (and he would, of that she had no doubts) then she would to drill this behaviour out of him. To keep him on a tight leash would be necessary not only for his own wellbeing, but also to protect the otherworldly secrets that he possessed. Luckily he seemed quite taken by Emilia which would make it hopefully a little easier to properly break him in. Under the pretence that his work would benefit his Lady he could be motivated rather well.

At least his loudmouthed carelessness would reveal many valuable details about the inhabitants of the mansion. With his unknowing help he had already painted a fairly comprehensive picture of the two twin maids of this place. Tanya had already seen many different demi-humans, but the strange hair colours of Lugnica were hard to accept. Blue and pink! How was that even biologically possible? And honestly who thought that giving two nearly identical looking girls with nearly identical sounding names was a good idea?

Roswaal was even weirder. She knew from spying on him through his window that he could speak without the ridiculous accent and he was certainly not an ugly man under all the layers of makeup, so it made no sense to her why he added it in the first place. Did he want to stand out from the crowd? To make him more "special"? If so, then that unbelievably stupid. He was already the most powerful magician in the country!

Now he wanted to talk to her which was to be expected. Tanya had not come here as a vacation after all. What she had not predicted was the urgency of his request. Discussing political matters with her now directly after she had arrived at his estate appeared unnecessarily tactless and rude. He must have gotten a pretty good reason then to warrant such a diplomatic blunder. The game was turning serious.

"How loooong would you like to stay in this wonderful home of miiiine?"

Tanya blinked. Slowly. And blinked again. That was what he wanted to discuss? What?

"Six days at least. If relationships between and Lady Emilia and I prosper then I could imagine a few days more than that. As lovely as this mansion is Lord Roswaal I fear a longer stay would be unwise seeing as I have my own business to attend to back in the capital."

She had to train her 204th after all. There was no time to waste. Nonetheless would the stay here hopefully teach her much about this world´s magic and other hard to find secrets.

"I am overjoooooooyed that you have taken such a liking to my property, but I must sadly infooorm you that you will have to leave in exactly five daaaays."

"And why is that if I am allowed to ask?"

"In five days I am goooooing on some important errands and it woooould be unforgivably rude of me in my role as your host to leave you alone here." he grinned.

The lie was so obvious that Tanya felt insulted by his bluntness. Sadly, there was not much she could do about it. Maybe if she fed the ground-dragons poisoned fodder then she would be unable to depart... No, resistance was not worth it in this case. Five days would have to be enough for her to sway Emilia and eventually Roswaal to her side.

"If that is what you propose then who am I not to honour your wishes Lord Roswaal. I shall depart in five days if you so choose."

She placed great importance on the fact that he was making her do this to remind him that she did not appreciate his demeanour. What was this man planning? What would happen in five days? Was that a trap? Was he planning an ambush?

"Excellent. Noooow if you could please enlighten me... What exact reason do I have to thank for your visit? Emiiiilia was rather tight-lipped yesterday about the nature of your planned alliance."

Saying the truth would be detrimental at this stage, but lying would cost her much trust later on. Naturally she chose the path in the middle. Half-truths and logically sound distractions that could not easily be refuted would probably be enough to satiate the margrave´s curiosity.

"I suggested for Lady Emilia to unite our camps to boost her popularity and help achieve our mutual goals far easier. As you may know I intend for this country to flourish and grow regardless if I become queen or not, so I am sure that me and Lady Emilia will be able to find a lot of common ground. I also would be willing to offer her my vast experience on tactics and political schemes as a counceller of sorts. The world is a dangerous place and more preparation for perilious situations would certainly do her some good."

"Aaaaaand what would you get ouuuut of the deal?"

Now came the tricky part. If she demanded too much she would seem arrogant and if she demanded not enough then that make her look suspicious.

"That is what I have come to determine with Lady Emilia over the course of the next week, but I already have a few details in mind. For example, as a man with huge magical prowess, in all six elements no less, you surely knew of the value of knowledge. Information is the most precious thing in the world and as such interests me greatly. I had already the pleasure of stumbling over your library and I would be more than happy to visit it again with your permission."

"The Forbidden Library is indeeeeed a spectacular place, but you will have to speak with Beatrice about uuuusing it for your purposes. She is the protector of aaaall of its contents and has the sole authority over this place."

That only strengthened her theory about Beatrice not being a human. No one in their right mind would entrust a place as important as the "Forbidden Library" to a little girl. Why was it called "forbidden" anyway? Whatever was hidden inside must be extremely secretive to be hidden away like that. She needed to talk with Beatrice again.

"Then I will do that. Would that be all you wanted to talk about?"

"Yes, quite. Enjoy your staaaay..."

Tanya felt relief and unease in equal measure when she heard his answer. Relief, because he had swallowed the bait and would hopefully ask not too many questions in the next few days and unease, because his menacing grin seemed to indicate that he knew more than he let on. What a strange man. He was planning something, but she was not sure what. Maybe she would need to eliminate him in the near future.

Notes:

What kind of music do you guys listen to when you write?

For me it´s mostly Bloodborne OST or similarly sad orchestral pieces.

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Chapter 1647 - 24