According to Reinhard, Margrave Roswaal's current residence lay near the Lost Forest of Kremaldy, out along the border.
The Roswaal family had held the title of Margrave for generations, shouldering the duty of guarding the frontier against foreign enemies and the magical beasts that prowled the depths of the forest.
Getting there from the capital by Dragon Carriage took two to three days at a leisurely pace. On foot, considerably longer.
None of that, however, was their problem to solve. The Margrave they'd never met had already arranged everything.
"He even sent a Dragon Carriage for us. Hard to tell if that's thoughtful or if he already knew we wouldn't say no." Gojo mused aloud as they followed Reinhard out of the slums.
"Idiot. Nobody in their right mind would turn this down." Felt walked with her arms crossed, delivering the line with the world-weary gravitas of a seasoned veteran lecturing a junior. "Even without the money, just having someone like that owe you a favor beats the life we've got now."
"Yes, yes. Lady Felt speaks the truth."
The group trailed Reinhard through the capital, passing from the slums through the common district, then the merchant quarter, and finally into the noble quarter before stopping in front of an estate that dripped with wealth.
"This is it." Reinhard gestured toward the grounds. "The Mathers family's residence in the capital. You'll be taking a Dragon Carriage from here to the border estate."
Mid-sentence, Subaru's gaze locked onto something and went glassy. Whatever had caught his eye held him like a magnet.
Gojo noticed the shift immediately. He followed the line of Subaru's stare and spotted a familiar figure standing by a flower bed.
Silver hair. Violet eyes. A face that was young and striking in equal measure.
The girl from the alley. Or, more accurately, Margrave Roswaal's candidate: Emilia.
"You might want to close your mouth before you start drooling." Gojo nudged Subaru with a grin.
"I'm not... shut up, I wasn't..." Subaru wiped his mouth on reflex, then caught himself and scowled.
"Exciting, isn't it? Getting to see her again. Last time you were kicking yourself for not catching her name, and now..."
Gojo kept needling him.
Felt shot Subaru a look of pure disdain. "Pathetic."
"Right, exactly!" Subaru nodded along, then immediately undermined himself with a burst of enthusiasm. "But this has to be fate! This time I'll definitely..."
Gojo shrugged at Felt with a look that said told you so.
"Reinhard."
Emilia had noticed the group gathered at the entrance, Reinhard's red hair impossible to miss at the front.
"Lady Emilia, these are the guests Lord Roswaal invited. I've brought them here so you can depart for the estate together."
She studied Gojo and the others. Something uncertain flickered across her face, but it passed quickly. She nodded with a courteous smile. "I see. Thank you, Reinhard."
Her gaze drifted to the rest of the group and lingered on Felt, the smallest among them.
"About what happened last time..."
"About last time, you're welcome! We drew all the attention on purpose so you'd be safe." Felt cut her off before she could finish, words tumbling out in a rapid stream. "If we'd actually wanted to steal the insignia, we never would've given it back."
In the span of a breath, she'd rewritten history entirely, transforming herself from a thief caught red-handed into a selfless protector who'd sacrificed her own safety for Emilia's sake.
Bald-faced fiction delivered without a blink.
"Gojo, you're really going to let her make all that up?" Subaru muttered. "Second time meeting this girl and you're already throwing your own people under the carriage for a woman?"
"Huh?"
While the two of them bickered, the little blue cat from their last encounter drifted out of Emilia's hair.
Puck yawned and stretched midair, taking his time about it.
"Oh, familiar faces all around."
He did a lazy loop, then floated over to hover in front of Gojo.
"I don't know the details of what happened after we parted ways, but going by the outcome, I owe you all some thanks, meow."
"Don't mention it." Gojo beamed. "Just have the Margrave toss a few thousand Holy Gold Coins our way as a thank-you. That'll do."
"That's not really my call, bleh." Puck stuck out his tiny tongue and spread his paws in an exaggerated shrug.
"Everyone, we've prepared tea and refreshments inside. If you wouldn't mind, please come in and rest for a moment."
A young woman in a black-and-white maid's uniform approached, blue hair cropped short. She curtsied with a gentle lift of her skirt and spoke with quiet courtesy.
Her words had barely settled when Gojo's voice rang out from the manor entrance.
"Come on, all of you, pick up the pace!"
He was already there, waving them forward.
"Hopeless." Felt rolled her eyes. "You could lace the desserts with poison and that man would eat them with a smile on his face."
"I think so too," Subaru agreed, nodding with grim sincerity.
The noble estate was, predictably, extravagant. Compared to every place Gojo had rested since arriving in this world, it existed in a league of its own.
Midday sunlight poured through the windows of an elegant dining room, falling across the table and catching the intricate patterns on the tea set, turning the delicate pastries almost translucent.
Gojo savored a sweetness he hadn't tasted in far too long. His expression bordered on bliss.
"This is wonderful. After tasting Miss Rem's work, I'm already jealous of the Margrave's lifestyle."
"You're too kind." The blue-haired girl, bangs falling softly over one eye, blinked and accepted the praise with quiet composure.
Learning that every pastry on the table had been made by her hands had instantly captured Gojo's attention. He'd spent the better part of their rest peppering her with questions. Her name, her specialties, her favorite things to bake...
Subaru, meanwhile, hadn't made nearly as much headway with Emilia despite his excitement at seeing her again. He couldn't find a topic to latch onto.
"You're this talented, Miss Rem. Ever thought about opening a pastry shop? I'd be there every single day. Spend every coin I had."
Rem lowered her gaze, the faintest smile touching her lips. Her voice stayed gentle and even. "Rem is only a maid of the estate. Being able to serve sweets to the master, to Lady Emilia, and to our guests is more than enough."