Date?

Subaru was in the capital, wearing his Normal outfit, as Witch's Edge was back in the Roswaal Machine, as he was hidding his face, as he saw Crusch as she was in a more normal outfit as she was also hiding her face.

Crusch looked as he spoke. "Why are you hiding you face?".

Subaru looked as he spoke. "I am literally then guy who made the plan to defeat the black smoke, my face was in every news paper, especially when I got the mental form through government, last I went shopping with Emilia as sense I am her bodyguard, and will you can guess that Happened".

Crusch chuckled as she adjusted her hood. "I see. So, you've already experienced the joys of being a public figure."

Subaru sighed, pulling his hood lower. "Yeah, let's just say that shopping trip turned into an autograph session. I don't need that again."

Crusch smirked. "Well, I suppose I should be thankful my household handled the media differently. I didn't expect today to be so... casual."

Subaru looked at her. "You did say I owed you new clothes, so I assumed this was just a shopping trip. Not a date or anything."

Crusch raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Oh? So you don't consider this a date?"

Subaru gulped, realizing he might've walked into a trap. "Wait—hold on—I mean—!"

Crusch laughed softly. "Relax, Subaru. Let's just get the shopping done first. Then we'll see if it feels like a date or not."

As they walked through the capital, Subaru couldn't shake the feeling that today was going to be anything but normal…

Subaru walked with as he spoke. "That day with Emilia I understood how Reinhard feels in daily bases".

As then he saw a red blur ran pass them, as they move to the side as they saw people chasing him.

Crusch raised an eyebrow. "That looked like…"

Subaru sighed. "Great. Another headache."

They turned their heads to see the red blur stop for a second—revealing a familiar figure. "Oi, Felt! What the hell are you running from now?" Subaru called out.

Felt, out of breath, smirked. "Heh, ain't runnin' from something. I'm runnin' with something."

Crusch crossed her arms. "That sounds concerning."

Before Felt could respond, a group of merchants and guards rushed toward them. "Stop that thief!" one of them shouted.

Subaru facepalmed. "Of course."

Felt clicked her tongue. "Tch, it ain't like that! This old merchant tried scammin' me, so I just reclaimed what was mine!"

Crusch sighed. "I assume you have proof?"

Felt grinned. "Nope, but I got Reinhard! That counts, right?"

Subaru groaned. "Why do I feel like I'm about to get dragged into this mess…?"

[Minerva then spoke in his head. "Just ignore the Theft turn princess".

Carmilla then spoke. "D-dont worry, w-we g-got plans f-for your date"]

Subaru spoke in his mind again. "How are you girls ok with me getting another Girlfriend and This is not Date".

[Pandora then spoke in his head giggling. "Darling~ that is dum question, we are sharing you with us already what is few more will do"]

Subaru sighed internally. "You guys are way too chill about this."

[Echidna then chuckled. "Oh, don't act so surprised. You're our darling, and we're very patient."]

[Minerva then scoffed. "Besides, if Crusch makes you happy, I don't see the problem."]

Subaru mentally groaned. "You all are too dangerous..."

Meanwhile, Crusch was eyeing Subaru suspiciously. "Are you spacing out?"

Subaru quickly shook his head. "Nope, just... mentally preparing for whatever nonsense comes next."

Felt, still in the middle of her standoff with the merchants, suddenly pointed at Subaru. "Oi, if you're so smart, why don't you help me out here?!"

Subaru pinched the bridge of his nose. "Of course. I can never have a peaceful day…"

Subaru sighed, rubbing his temples before turning to Crusch. "Looks like our 'totally-not-a-date' is already off to a chaotic start."

Crusch smirked slightly. "Seems so. Do you want to help her?"

Subaru glanced at Felt, who was currently arguing with a merchant over what seemed to be the price of a stolen—borrowed—item. Reinhard stood nearby, looking as patient as ever, but even he seemed slightly exasperated.

Subaru sighed again. "Fine. Let's go see what's going on."

As they approached, Felt immediately pointed at him. "Oi, smartass, tell this geezer that his prices are a scam!"

The merchant, an older man with a well-trimmed beard, looked Subaru up and down. "And who might you be?"

Subaru gave a wry smile. "Just a traveling merchant of words. Now, what's the issue?"

Felt crossed her arms. "This guy's selling a broken magic stone at triple the price. I call fraud."

The merchant scoffed. "It's a rare stone! Even broken, it still has value!"

Subaru raised an eyebrow, taking the stone and inspecting it. He activated a bit of Yin magic, letting it flow through the cracks. Immediately, the stone shattered completely.

"...Yeah, no, this thing was already one breath away from dust." Subaru tossed the fragments back to the merchant. "She's right. This is a scam."

The merchant went pale, realizing that his attempt at deception had failed. "W-Wait, I—"

Crusch stepped forward, her presence alone making the merchant gulp. "Are you trying to swindle the next ruler of this kingdom's dear friend?"

The man immediately started sweating. "N-No! Of course not! A misunderstanding, I assure you!"

Felt smirked. "Heh. That's what I thought. Now, how about we talk about real prices, yeah?"

As the negotiation continued, Subaru leaned toward Crusch. "I think I'm starting to see why you guys wanted me here. Was this some sort of test?"

Crusch smiled. "Not a test. Just an opportunity to see how you handle things. And I must say, you didn't disappoint."

Subaru rolled his eyes. "Great. I love being a problem solver in a fantasy world."

[Pandora giggled in his mind. "That's why we adore you, darling~."]

Subaru felt a headache coming on. This is going to be a long day…

Subaru then looked at as he spoke. "Come let's go Crusch at least things can't get any worse".

Crusch looked at him as he spoke looking at him. "Unless miraculously your disguised are magical taken of noting will happen".

Subaru then spoke too her. "That actually brings me too my Question How did Felt and Reinhard knew it was me".

Crusch looked at as she started too walk as she spoke. "Felt can smell you and Reinhard is Reinhard".

Subaru blinked. "Wait, wait, wait—back up a second. Smell me?"

Crusch nodded as she walked ahead. "Yes. Felt has a keen sense of smell. She said you have a distinct scent, like a mix of metal, ink, and… what was the last thing she said?"

Subaru crossed his arms, thinking. "Oil? Soap? The scent of someone who's constantly running into trouble?"

Crusch smirked. "Something like that."

Subaru sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Great. So, no matter how well I disguise myself, there's always a loophole. And Reinhard… well, he's just Reinhard."

Crusch nodded. "Exactly."

As they continued walking through the capital, Subaru started to relax. The morning's chaos with Felt had settled, and now it seemed like they might actually have a normal outing—if only fate would allow it.

Just as Subaru was about to say something, a gust of wind blew through the street. His hood was yanked off by an invisible force, revealing his unmistakable face to the crowd.

For a second, everything was still. Then—

"IT'S HIM! IT'S THE BLACK SMOKE STRATEGIST!"

"THE HERO OF THE CAPITAL!"

"THE ONE WHO FOUGHT THE SWORD SAINT TO A DRAW!"

Subaru's face paled as people began to gather, excitement filling their eyes.

Crusch sighed, shaking her head. "Well, so much for a peaceful day."

Subaru groaned, grabbing her hand. "Time to run!"

And just like that, their totally-not-a-date turned into an escape mission through the capital, with an ever-growing crowd chasing after them.

Crusch then looked as he spoke. "Wait, you draw with Reinhard".

Subaru looked at her as they were running. "Nope, everyone mixed up Julius with Reinhard".

Crusch nearly stumbled as she processed Subaru's words. "Wait… so you didn't actually fight Reinhard to a draw?"

Subaru kept running, pulling Crusch along as he dodged a merchant cart. "Nope! That was Julius! But apparently, since my name is attached to so many crazy things, people just assumed I pulled off the impossible!"

Crusch sighed. "That explains why the rumors have been spreading so fast. A commoner who tied with the Sword Saint would be a legend."

Subaru groaned. "Great, so I'm basically living in Reinhard's shadow and Julius's now? That's just wonderful."

As they turned a corner into a quieter alley, Subaru took a moment to catch his breath. "Okay… we lost them for now."

Crusch looked at him, arms crossed. "So, what is the strongest person you've actually fought?"

Subaru blinked, thinking for a moment. "Uh… Well, Elsa was terrifying, but Reinhard handled that fight. The Witch Cult was more of a strategic battle. If we're talking pure combat…"

He hesitated before smirking. "Honestly? My toughest fight so far was probably Crusch Karsten."

Crusch raised an eyebrow before smirking back. "Hmph. You really know how to flatter a lady."

Before Subaru could reply, a voice interrupted them from above.

"Oh? What's this? Subaru on a date?"

Subaru's face fell as he recognized the voice. Looking up, he saw Priscilla perched on a nearby balcony, smirking down at them with her ever-present arrogance.

"How delightful. Should I inform your dear Emilia, or shall I assume this is merely a secret tryst between warriors?"

Subaru groaned, burying his face in his hands. "This day just keeps getting worse…"

Subaru pointed at her as he spoken. "You saw what happened yesterday, I am making it up for cutting of her clothes by accident in our battle".

Then another voice. "I gotta say, I wasn't dear but Priscilla told me all about it".

As Subaru saw someone walk up next too Priscilla, a large, muscular man with a disfigured face, always wearing a black Vollachian helmet to hide his extensive scars, which are a result of past injuries; he also has a missing left arm from the forearm down, covered by bandages, and a generally unkempt appearance with tattered clothes, giving him a somewhat rough and bandit-like look despite his loyalty as Priscilla Barielle's knight.

[Insert the image of Al]

Subaru looked at Al, and looked back at him, as there eyes narrows at eachother, as the world it self holds breath.

[Pandora spoke in his head. "So you notices it, he has an Authority"]

Subaru spoke in his head. "Yeah but I am not sure if it a good or bad thing".

The air between Subaru and Al grew heavy, as if an unspoken tension had taken hold of the world itself. The usual smug expression on Al's face remained, but there was a sharpness in his eye that Subaru hadn't noticed before.

Priscilla, noticing the odd exchange, waved her fan dismissively. "Oh? What's this? Two fools staring at each other like lost lovers?"

Subaru ignored her, his instincts screaming that something about Al wasn't normal. Pandora's words echoed in his mind. "He has an Authority."

Al finally broke the silence with a chuckle. "You're lookin' at me like I just kicked your puppy, bro. Chill out. Ain't like I bite... much."

Subaru narrowed his eyes. "Just making observations."

Al tilted his head, his grin widening. "Oh? And what'd you observe, champ?"

Subaru considered his options. He could play it off as nothing, but something told him that Al wanted him to notice. Testing the waters, Subaru smirked. "That you look like you've been through worse than me. Which is saying a lot."

For a split second, Al's expression darkened.

Then, he laughed. "Damn right, bud. Ain't easy being me."

Priscilla yawned dramatically. "*How utterly dull. If you two wish to play this tedious game of veiled words, do it elsewhere. I have no interest in watching you measure your swords—metaphorically, of course."

Subaru sighed, rubbing his temple. "Great, more weird encounters. Just what I needed."

Crusch, who had been silently watching, finally spoke. "Subaru, do you know him?"

Subaru hesitated before shaking his head. "Not personally. But something about him feels… off."

Al just grinned. "Well, ain't that funny. 'Cause I was thinkin' the same thing about you."

The tension thickened again.

Priscilla simply smirked. "How delightful. Two anomalies in the same place. Perhaps this little kingdom is more interesting than I thought."

Crusch then grabbed his arm as he spoke. "Anyway we will going no, it was Pl- nice too meet you Priscilla".

As she started to dragg Subaru away, she felt like something was going too happen if these two stay together a bit longer.

As Crusch pulled Subaru away, he didn't resist, but his mind was still lingering on Al.

An Authority…? Subaru thought. That means he has ties to a Witch, right? But which one?

Priscilla's smug laughter followed them as they walked away. "Running away already? How dull. But do enjoy your date~"

Subaru groaned. "It's not a date!"

Al just waved lazily. "Later, champ. Try not to slice off any more clothes, yeah?"

Subaru twitched. "Why is that the only thing people remember!?"

Crusch, shaking her head, ignored the exchange and kept walking. Once they were a good distance away, she finally spoke. "Subaru… what was that about?"

He sighed. "Honestly? I don't know. But something about Al rubs me the wrong way. And not just 'cause he looks like he got dragged through a battlefield backward."

Crusch frowned. "You think he's dangerous?"

Subaru hesitated. "I dunno. But my gut tells me to be careful around him."

Crusch crossed her arms in thought. "I've never seen you act like that before. I'll trust your instincts on this. But let's not let it ruin today."

Subaru exhaled. "Yeah, you're right. Let's just enjoy the day. No life-or-death battles, no crazy people, just normal stuff."

Crusch smirked. "That's the plan."

Of course, knowing Subaru's luck, things were never that simple.

Then they went too a clothes store, as Subaru was wearing his hood, hiding his face, he didn't need a repeat of what happened, as this was the main point of this hangout yeah Hangout sure let's call to that, Subaru though, as Subaru looked at black dress.

[Satella then spoke in his head. "Buy this one for it seems perfect".

Echidna then spoke as admiring the way it looked. "A beautiful degine".

Minervan then spoke in his head as she was looking at the White one. "One that White and Blue one is way better".

Pandora then spoke. "I agree with her".

Sekhmet yawned as she spoke. "Picked the purple one will like it".

Daphne then spoke seeing a golden yellow one. "Oh I like that one".

Typhon just sigehd as she spoke. "Just good luck Big Brother".

Carmilla then spoke. "D-dont listen t-to them, they a-are saying w-what they like, every girl are d-d-different, and Crusch is the same"]

Crusch looked as she spoke. "Um Subaru you ok".

Subaru looked at her as he spoke. "Yeah I am good".

As then they heard a voice of one of the people there to shop. "Did I hear the girl the man in the hood Subaru".

Subaru instantly tensed up. Crap.

He subtly pulled his hood lower, avoiding eye contact, but the murmur was already spreading through the store.

"Subaru? As in that Subaru?"

"The hero of the Black Smoke?"

"Wasn't he with Emilia-sama? Why is he here with Crusch-sama?"

Crusch sighed and gave Subaru a knowing look. "You just had to jinx it, didn't you?"

"I swear, I didn't mean to!" Subaru whispered back.

Before the situation could spiral further, Crusch took charge. She stepped forward, exuding the natural authority of a noble. "Yes, this is Subaru Natsuki. He is assisting me today. That is all."

The nobles hesitated, uncertain whether to pry further. However, one particularly bold woman smirked. "Assisting you? It looks more like you're on a… date."

Subaru groaned internally. "Can we not do this again?"

Crusch, surprisingly, didn't correct the woman outright. Instead, she glanced at Subaru with an amused expression. "If it were, would that be a problem?"

The crowd whispered excitedly at her words.

Subaru's brain short-circuited. Wait, is she messing with me!?

Meanwhile, in his mind—

[Echidna giggled. "Oh my, Subaru. Are you finally going to stop being dense?"]

[Minerva smirked. "Just go with it!"]

[Satella's voice was gentle. "No matter what, we will always support you."]

Subaru exhaled sharply. This is turning into something else entirely…

He turned to Crusch. "Fine, let's just finish shopping first before I lose my mind."*

Subaru took a deep breath, ignoring the murmurs around them as he turned back to the dresses. "Alright, let's focus. We're here to get you some clothes, right?"

Crusch nodded, seemingly unfazed by the attention they were getting. "Indeed. But now I'm curious, Subaru. Which dress do you think would suit me best?"

Subaru froze. Oh no. This is a trap. This is the classic 'pick the right answer or die' moment.

Inside his mind, the Witches all spoke up again—

[Echidna smirked. "Pick the black one. It radiates elegance, like me."]

[Minerva scoffed. "No way, the white and blue one is perfect. It has a strong yet graceful vibe."]

[Pandora hummed. "Gold would suit her noble aura well."]

[Sekhmet yawned. "Purple. Just go with purple and be done with it."]

[Daphne giggled. "Yellow! It stands out!"]

Subaru rubbed his temples. "You're all not helping…"

Crusch raised an eyebrow. "You look like you're having a mental breakdown."*

"That's because I am." Subaru muttered before sighing. "Fine, I'll just go with my gut."*

He picked up the deep emerald green dress that had caught his eye earlier. "This one. Green suits you—it matches your hair and your natural confidence."*

Crusch blinked, a little surprised. "You… thought about it that much?"

Subaru shrugged. "Well, yeah. I mean, it's for you, so it should be something that highlights you."*

A brief silence followed. The store attendants and bystanders were watching intently.

Crusch gave a small smile. "Then I'll take it."*

Subaru felt relief wash over him—until another voice cut through the moment.

"I knew it! It is Subaru Natsuki!"

Subaru groaned as he turned around to see a group of nobles approaching, one of whom was waving a newspaper featuring his face.

"And he's on a date with Crusch-sama?!"

"Isn't he Emilia-sama's knight?"

"Are they fighting over him?!"

Subaru facepalmed. "I want to go home…"

In the end Crusch dropped Subaru in the Roswaal Machine, as he saw him left. "Today was fun, let's... Hangouts like this again".

Subaru Smirked looking at her. "Sure".

As he walked into the Machine, as he went too Manchine and Emilia looked at him. "So how was it".

Subaru looked at her as he spoken. "It was good, a few saw us but probably means noting".

The next everyone in the Roswaal Machine with a deadpan face.

Subaru blinked as he looked around the room, noticing the deadpan expressions on everyone's faces.

"Uh… guys? Why are you all looking at me like that?"

Beatrice crossed her arms. "You mean to tell me, in fact, that you have no idea?"

"No idea about what?" Subaru asked cautiously.

Ram sighed, placing a newspaper on the table in front of him. "This."*

Subaru hesitantly picked it up and read the headline:

"Subaru Natsuki: Emilia's Knight or Crusch's Secret Lover? Mystery Date in the Capital!"

Subaru felt his soul leave his body. "Oh, come on! It wasn't even a date!"*

"That's not what the article says," Roswaal chuckled in amusement, sipping his tea. "It's quite the scandal you've stirred up, Subaru-kun."*

Emilia pouted, puffing her cheeks. "So, you were on a date with Crusch after all…"

"No, no, no!" Subaru waved his hands frantically. "It was just me making up for cutting her clothes during our fight! That's it!"*

"But you did buy her a dress, didn't you?" Ram pointed out with a smirk.

"Yes, but—"

"And you two spent the day together, just the two of you?"

"I mean, yeah, but—"

"And at the end of the day, she dropped you off and said she wanted to do it again?"

"Yes, but that doesn't mean it was a date!"* Subaru groaned, gripping his hair. "This is a misunderstanding!"*

"That's what all cheaters say," Ram teased.

"I AM NOT A CHEATER!"*

Meanwhile, inside Subaru's mind, the Witches were absolutely losing it.

[Echidna giggled. "Oh dear, Subaru, you're quite popular now, aren't you?"]

[Minerva cackled. "This is hilarious! You just keep digging your own grave!"]

[Pandora hummed. "It's fine, darling~ we don't mind sharing."]

Subaru wanted to scream. "Someone, please help me out here!"*

Beatrice sighed, shaking her head. "I suppose Subaru isn't clever enough to juggle two women, I suppose."*

"Not helping, Beako!"*

"Then what should we do about this rumor?" Emilia asked, still pouting.

Subaru groaned, slumping onto the table. "I don't know, but I have a feeling this is only going to get worse…"

To be continued