A HEROIC EPIC STARTING FROM ZERO
1
“There’s a traveling bard in the village?”
A look of astonishment crossed Subaru Natsuki’s face as he repeated the unexpected word. He turned around, cleaning rag in hand, seeming rather awkward in the butler’s uniform he was wearing today (as per usual). The awkward movements he made while washing the window could be chalked up to his lingering injuries from the day before.
Demon beasts had paid a visit to Marquis Roswaal’s manor and the nearest village, Earlham—a crisis that ultimately ended with few casualties, one of them being Subaru, who had earned more than a few painful badges of honor.
With the recent chaos well behind them, life in Roswaal Manor and Earlham Village had largely returned to normal. Subaru’s injuries were mostly healed, and he was starting to help out with chores again, partly as a form of rehabilitation.
“That’s right—a bard! I overheard Ram talking about it when she came back from the village earlier. Have you ever seen a bard, Subaru?”
The girl who answered Subaru had a charming, silvery voice and long, silvery hair. She was so confoundingly beautiful that it wouldn’t seem strange if artists everywhere broke their brushes out of frustration. But one look at her enchanting violet eyes, brimming with curiosity, or the unmasked excitement burning in her pink cheeks, and that frustration would quickly be replaced by adoration.
Subaru certainly thought so, especially during these moments of childlike mirth she had from time to time.
“E M T (Emilia-tan’s a Major Treasure).”
“Huh? Did you say something?”
The confused girl’s name was Emilia, Subaru’s savior and his heart’s desire.
He laughed at the innocent way she cocked her head and said, “Nah, I haven’t seen a bard myself…but you look super excited, Emilia-tan.”
“I don’t look excited—I am excited. Bards sing, dance, and tell stories, don’t they? So this bard probably knows all sorts of stories… Hey, Subaru?”
Emilia clasped her hands together and gazed hopefully at Subaru. The sweet way she called his name, the sparkle in her eyes looking up at him—no man alive could possibly say no to a request from a girl as beautiful as Emilia. At the very least, Subaru couldn’t.
“Okay, I hear you. I’ll wrap things up here and ask permission to go.”
“Sorry to bother you for such a selfish reason.”
“Nah, it’s all good. I doubt anyone expects a lump on the mend like me to do much cleaning anyway, so our date takes priority.”
“Ah, that’s right. Since we’ll be going out somewhere together…I suppose this would be considered a date.”
With a glance at Emilia—who was blissfully unaware of the sinful beauty of her smile—Subaru dropped his cleaning rag back in a bucket of water and left the room. Through the windows in the hallway, he could see Earlham Village in the distance.
“A bard, huh…”
No word evoked fantasy-world vibes more than bard. While he had contained his excitement in front of Emilia, his heart was already racing.
A bard’s cheerful singing voice spun stories of worlds and the people who inhabited them. As Subaru walked down the hallway alone, his anticipation grew with every eager step.
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