"Is Lord Roswaal very strict?" Gojo Satoru propped up his chin, chasing the question with curiosity.
Rem shook her head, a gentle smile appearing on her face. "The master is a very unique gentleman. He treats us very well."
"That's a real shame then. I was thinking that if the opportunity arose, I might poach Miss Rem and open a sweets shop together in the future."
"Coveting a noble's private property is a criminal act, you know."
"Private property?"
"Then let the Margrave give Miss Rem to me as a reward!"
"If that were to happen, the sweets might turn into strange things that would claim your life upon consumption."
"Hey, hey, is it really okay to say something like that to my face?"
"My apologies, guest. Rem is already reflecting on her words."
Facing this maid who was as impenetrable as stone and possessed a bit of a sharp tongue, Gojo Satoru quickly finished off the remaining pastries to express his dissatisfaction. This flavor, which was even superior to the cake shops he'd visited, was truly a rare find.
The simple afternoon tea did not last long. Following Reinhard's polite departure, they also prepared to leave the Royal Capital and head for Roswaal's mansion.
"I hope you won't feel too lonely just because I'm no longer in the Capital," Gojo Satoru said, standing before the dragon carriage and waving to Reinhard.
"If it's possible, even if you are away from the Capital, I ask that you try to show some restraint, Mr. Gojo."
"Just call me Satoru."
"If it's a request from a friend, I suppose I can agree."
"Well, if you're worried about things getting messy, you could always just come with us, Reinhard."
"If the Margrave isn't very friendly, you could help us out, couldn't you?"
"I will be sure to pass your message along to Lord Roswaal," Rem said with a beaming smile as she calmed the ground dragon.
"Miss Rem is using her culinary skills as an excuse to bully people in a rather excessive way," Gojo remarked.
Reinhard offered a gentle smile, as sunny and cheerful as ever. "The Margrave only invited you all; it wouldn't be right for me to visit unannounced. Besides, I still have to maintain order in the Capital."
"However, when you return, I shall properly host you, Satoru—with your favorite sweets."
"It's a promise then!"
Gojo agreed decisively. The two men swung their hands, high-fiving with a crisp smack. Though they hadn't met many times, both instinctively felt that the other suited their temperament quite well.
Watching Reinhard depart, Rem, who was seated at the front of the carriage in the driver's seat, looked at Gojo.
"Mr. Gojo, shall we board? We are ready to depart."
Inside the carriage behind her, Subaru Natsuki and the others were already settled. It was reasonably spacious; four people could easily fit on the two rows of seats. However, before Gojo could take a step, he keenly noticed the look for help Subaru was shooting him.
'Tsk, time for the protagonist to take the stage.'
Gojo entered the carriage with a faint smirk. He grabbed Subaru and tossed him into the empty seat beside Emilia, then audaciously plopped himself down next to Felt, leaning back comfortably.
"Honestly, you actually tried to steal my favorite spot next to Felt."
"Don't think just because you say it like that, it makes it okay!" Felt's indignant voice came from between Gojo and the side of the carriage. Being quite petite, she had been "persecuted" by Gojo's presence, leaving her with barely any space. Her face was flushed as she struggled to push Gojo away.
"You all seem to get along very well," Puck remarked, lying on Emilia's lap with a grin.
"Of course, we've shared life-and-death experiences, right Felt?"
Having finally managed to push Gojo back a bit, Felt looked at him with disdain. "Get away! Show some respect to your creditor!"
"Yes, Lady Felt."
Seeing that Gojo and the others had already started chatting and laughing, Subaru took a secret glance at Emilia and pumped himself up mentally.
'Alright, just be natural like Satoru and go for it!'
Subaru took a deep breath and spoke to Emilia. "Miss Emilia, I'm truly sorry about what happened last time."
The moment the words left his mouth, Subaru regretted his choice of topic. 'What an idiot, who starts off with something that awkward?'
Gojo blinked, watching Subaru's somewhat flustered state with a thoughtful look.
"It's alright. I already know what happened afterward. Thank you—and you too, Mr. Gojo and Felt."
"Eh? Why is it a formal address when it's my turn? Is this isolation?"
"Ah?" Emilia was taken aback, waving her hands hurriedly to show she didn't mean it that way. "No, I didn't mean it like that. I just felt that Mr. Gojo feels a bit more... mature."
"What? I'm the same age as Subaru!"
"Then just call me Satoru, like Subaru does."
Gojo said this while winking at Subaru. Subaru quickly caught on. "That's right, Emilia, just treat us like everyone else."
With Gojo's help, and given that Subaru wasn't exactly a shy person—after all, anyone who could shout in the middle of a street wasn't exactly 'normal'—Subaru successfully struck up a conversation. Soon, the group was chatting away.
Driving the dragon carriage up front, Rem heard the laughter coming from behind and spoke up.
"The journey will take about two days. We will be camping out tonight. The ground dragon's pace is very steady, so you don't need to worry about a bumpy ride. There are snacks and water prepared in the carriage; if you need anything, please let me know at any time."
"There's no need to inform us about the snacks anymore; I'm already eating them."
"I see."
"I hope the guest doesn't eat everyone else's rations for tomorrow as well."
"Huh?"
"You jerk, stop eating! Cut it out already!"
"It doesn't matter, Miss Rem said to let her know if I need anything."
"That is correct. You can tell Rem; I am listening carefully."
Subaru, listening to Rem's wording, suddenly felt something was off. "And then? Is that all?"
"That is all. Surely the guest doesn't think Rem has a way to manifest sweets out of thin air in the middle of the wilderness?"
Rem turned her head, looking at Gojo and Subaru in the back with a gaze as if she were looking at complete fools.
"We're doomed, Satoru!!!"