Comfort & Friendship

House Karsten is one of the many noble families scattered throughout the Dragon Kingdom of Lugunica, entrusted by the monarchy to govern their territories and ensure stability in their stead.

What sets House Karsten apart from other noble families is its remarkable longevity; it has thrived since before the covenant with the divine dragon and the establishment of the kingdom, making it the oldest noble house in Lugunica.

For centuries, the history of this noble house has been deeply intertwined with that of the kingdom itself, celebrated for its unwavering loyalty to the crown and the royal family.

So much so that the royal family recognized House Karsten as its most devoted subjects, bestowing upon them the lion Crest, which served as the royal coat of arms before it was replaced by the Dragon Crest.

With centuries of loyalty and dedication comes recognition and fame, leading to opportunities. Coupled with capable members and diligent workers, this has resulted in great prosperity.

So it should come to no one's surprise that House Karsten stands as one of the most powerful and affluent noble families in all of Lugunica, managing a vast expanse of fertile land and ranking among the wealthiest.

Their main estate reflects this wealth, being one of the largest and most lavishly adorned residences in all of Lugunica, rivaling even the Margrave of the West and the royal palace.

On one of their many balconies, overlooking the lush greenery and gardens, Subaru leaned against the railing, holding a wine cup from which he took sips, while propping his head up with his other hand, lazily surveying the surroundings.

His sunglasses rested on his forehead as he admired the landscape with his striking azure-blue eyes.

With the sparkle in his eyes and a relaxed smile on his face as he enjoyed his drink, it was clear that he was in a delightful mood.

One might wonder about Subaru's deep connection to nature and the mysteries of the universe. Why does he always take a moment to admire the beauty around him? The answer is straightforward: his Six Eyes.

To the untrained eye, the scenery is already stunning, but Subaru's unique vision enhances everything, allowing him to see even the tiniest details and making the world appear ten times more magnificent.

"Wow, Crusch really knows how to pick the good stuff," he thought as he poured the last of the wine into his cup and took another sip.

While Subaru isn't a heavy drinker, he does indulge occasionally. And Thanks to his Reverse Cursed Technique, his body is naturally purified, and his mind stays clear, so he doesn't have to worry about getting drunk.

In fact, he could drink as much as he wanted without any concerns.

Just then, he heard the sound of the door opening behind him. It was none other than Crusch Karsten, the matriarch of this noble household. She wore a simple yet surprisingly feminine sleeping outfit, a contrast to her usual preference for more masculine attire.

Subaru waved his hands, greeting her with a smile. "Yo, Crusch! Fancy catching you at this late hour."

"Ah, Subaru. I didn't expect to run into you. What's keeping you up so late? Shouldn't you be in your room>" she asked, locking eyes with him.

The moment their gazes met, a familiar flutter stirred in her stomach.

"I could ask you the same question," he replied.

"I think I'd rather hear yours first," she said, moving to the large table on the balcony, where she poured herself a glass of red wine.

"The best pastime hobby ever: admiring the beauty of nature," he responded.

Crusch then joined Subaru on the balcony, taking in the view, which was still captivating despite the darkness.

"I have a rather busy week ahead, and I doubt I'll get another chance to unwind like this for a while," she said, taking a sip of her wine.

Subaru winced at her words. "sheesh, a whole week of work? Sounds tough."

Subaru could empathize with her, as he could relate to her situation. As the strongest Jujutsu Sorcerer, he always found himself summoned to deal with cursed spirits. Between his responsibilities as a clan leader and teaching at Jujutsu High, even sleep could be such a luxury for him.

She nodded, sipping her wine. "It is indeed. The responsibilities of leading a renowned noble house and being a royal candidate keep me quite busy."

Subaru thought for a moment, then spoke up. "I might be overstepping, but as someone who could relate to you, I'd be more than happy to help lighten your load."

Crusch cast a sideways glance at Subaru, her divine protection confirming that he was speaking the truth; he had indeed experienced something akin to her own struggles. This revelation piqued her curiosity even more—what kind of burdens did he carry to make such a statement?

Once again, she was reminded that there was much more to this butler than what appeared on the surface.

She gently shook her head, saying, "I appreciate your thoughtfulness, but I must decline. This is about the White Whale and the Sloth Archbishop, after all."

"Oh, I see," he replied, taking a sip of his drink.

Subaru knew the deaths of the Sloth Archbishop and the White Whale were major events, destined to be recorded in history.

Crusch reassured him that she would handle everything, such as reporting their demise to the Sage Council and announcing who was responsible for both.

Yet, he couldn't help but feel a sense of concern for her, especially thinking about the White Whale. Her forces had failed, and he had to bail her out, which really didn't reflect well on the duchess, especially on her position as a royal contender.

As if sensing his thoughts, Crusch spoke up, "You don't need to worry about me; your focus should be on your victory. You've accomplished what countless others could not and provided a great service to the whole world."

"Are you sure? I mean, I kinda took the glory from you—the one that could have helped you in the royal selection," he replied.

At this, a look of disappointment crossed Crusch's face. "It could have. Defeating one of the great Mabeasts would have solidified my position as the leading candidate in this royal selection…"

She paused, seemingly searching for the right words. It was a rare moment of vulnerability and hesitation from the Iron Duchess, and the weight of her thoughts was evident.

"…Not that I deserve it anyway. After my army's complete defeat, the one who truly deserves it is you, Subaru."

Subaru frowned at the somber tone in her voice. "Hey, I don't want to pry… Is everything okay?"

Crusch fell silent, her glass held loosely as she gazed into the distance.

After a brief pause, the duchess broke the silence, saying, "I'm a failure."

The unexpected statement, delivered with a sharp tone, caused Subaru to flinch. Where was this coming from?

She then started to explain her story, "From a young age, I always felt different from my peers. I preferred activities typically associated with boys—swinging wooden swords, riding ground dragons, and playing in the dirt. The idea of wearing dresses and playing with dolls never interested me at all."

Taking a sip of her wine, she added, "As I grew older, I naturally took on responsibilities that were traditionally seen as masculine. I donned men's clothing and adjusted my demeanor to fit that image. I fought against the Great Rabbit and assumed the role of head of House Karsten."

Reaching for her glass again, she found it empty. "Have you ever heard of the 'Lion King,' Subaru?"

She looked at him expectantly, prompting him to shake his head.

"The Lion Kings were leaders in this kingdom known for their wisdom and intelligence, guiding it to greatness. Since childhood, I have been captivated by this legend, viewing it as a model for my own life."

Taking a deep breath, she pressed on. "When the royal selection began, I aimed to follow in their footsteps. My goal was to break the covenant with the dragon, and the first step was to take on the creature responsible for the countless deaths that had occurred over the centuries—the White Whale."

Her grip on the railing tightened. "I felt assured; my men were well-trained and loyal, I had Wilhelm by my side, and recently, the Iron Fang had joined us. What could possibly go wrong?"

Her teeth clenched slightly. "Everything did. We were caught off guard. The Whale appeared out of nowhere and decimated a significant portion of my men. We were thrown into chaos, disorganized and at a disadvantage. Even when we managed to regroup and I thought we had a fighting chance, the Whale simply undone all our efforts."

She closed her eyes tightly and said, "I know you saved them, but before that, when we were trapped in the fog, I could still hear my men's screams and pleas for mercy. And there was nothing I could do about it. All I could think was, 'I led them into this. I'm going to get them all killed.'"

She slumped slightly, as if a wave of exhaustion had washed over her. "If you hadn't rescued us, we would have died that day. My pride and arrogance nearly caused everything I've worked for to come crashing down."

"That's why I'm a failure. I almost led my men to certain death. I couldn't even take the first step. All my planning and preparation were meaningless because I underestimated my enemy. How can I feel anything but that when I couldn't even succeed at taking the first step?"

Crusch's eyes began to mist, and she felt the dam behind them start to break. She wasn't accustomed to crying; the last time had been when Fourier Lugunica, the fourth crown prince, died in her arms.

If she were honest, she didn't understand why she was sharing her thoughts so openly with him, especially since they had only known each other for a few days.

Yet, there was a sense of safety and comfort around him, and that fluttering sensation in her stomach always emerged whenever he was near. The words just seemed to flow naturally in his presence.

It reminded her of the feeling she had when Fourier was around, when the royal prince would spare the time to visit her.

'Do I… like him?'

She didn't linger on that thought as she felt a hand gently pat her shoulder. Turning, she saw Subaru's reassuring smile.

"Wow. That's a heavy weight on your shoulder, Crusch. I understand that you see yourself in such a negative light, but you shouldn't dismiss your worth like that."

"Sure, you may have been arrogant, thinking you could defeat the Mabeast that took down the last Sword Saint. However, the important thing is that you're still alive, along with most of your men. Instead of labeling yourself a failure, focus on learning from your mistakes to make sure they don't happen again. It really is that simple."

"Is it really that simple?" she whispered. "I don't believe it is Subaru."

He looked at her, patiently waiting for her to elaborate, which she did. "When we reached Flugel's tree, I sent scouts to monitor the area and notify us should the Whale make its appearance. We did this day and night, yet somehow, I messed up. I forgot to send out scouts the night of the attack. And what was the result of that oversight? The Whale caught us off guard."

She locked eyes with him. "A hundred people lost their lives, Subaru. They died because I failed as a leader. What kind of military general forgets such an important detail during operations? My men perished due to my carelessness; my arrogance led to needless deaths."

Tears threatened to spill from her eyes, breaking the dam of her emotions.

Subaru stayed quiet, feeling a pang of sadness for her. In those couple of days, he had come to the duchess for her commitment and integrity, and he wished he could erase that sorrow from her expression.

As he thought of her words, particularly her admission of "I forgot," a realization struck him.

"Crusch, you are blaming the wrong person. The whale is the true one responsible."

"The whale may have been the one to kill them, but my negligence was what ultimately led to it."

He shook his head. "That's not what I meant. Before your expedition, what did you know about the White Whale? Its appearance, strengths, weaknesses, and behavior? Tell me everything you knew."

Crusch paused for a moment before responding, "There isn't much information available aside from its appearance. The only thing known about it is the fog that causes anyone who enters to disappear, and that it has the ability to fly."

Subaru snapped his fingers in realization, "Exactly. You didn't have much knowledge about it, let alone its attacking methods, which means you were ignorant of its erasure ability."

"Erasure ability…?" she murmured softly, wiping away her tears.

"Exactly. The Whale has the power that can erase individuals from existence, making them completely forgotten by everyone if they come into contact with the fog it shoots," he explained.

Crusch stared at him, her expression shifting from sadness to shock as she processed his words. What surprised her even more was the fact that he was speaking the truth.

She understood that her divine protection had its limits; it could only reveal whether someone believed what they were saying to be true, not necessarily the absolute truth itself.

She didn't think he was pulling her leg with this; he didn't seem like the type to do that, nor did he appear to be delusional.

This only confirmed that he was indeed telling the truth.

"That's…" she hesitated, struggling to find the right word to describe such a power.

"Fucked up, right?"

"I wouldn't use such vulgar language… but it does accurately reflect my feelings about it."

"Trust me, I feel the same way." His voice was tinged with disgust as he recalled the first time he witnessed that ability. From that moment, he knew the Whale's fate was sealed, and by his own hands.

He shook off the feeling of disgust and continued speaking to her, "So, I believe that's what happened. You did send scouts, but they were caught and erased by the Whale, leading you to think you hadn't sent anyone and making you feel responsible for the ambush."

Crusch pressed her lips together and glanced down. His reasoning made sense; she had sent scouts before, and now that she was aware of this, there were valid excuses for her blunder.

Still, the loss of her men weighed heavily on her. She always expected some casualties in battle, as military operations rarely go off without a hitch, but knowing this didn't make it any easier to bear.

Suddenly, she felt a gentle hand lift her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. Her honey-colored eyes locked onto his.

"Your men knew of the risks. They understood that fighting the White Whale would lead to their death, yet they chose to fight anyway, driven by their loyalty to you and their desire to do what was right."

"I know you're feeling guilty, and I empathize with you. I've lost people too, but we can't dwell on the past, thinking about the 'what ifs' that serve no purpose. Instead, we should honor their sacrifice and look ahead, ensuring that their loss was not in vain."

He gazed deeply into her eyes. "So, Crusch, what will you do? Will you cling to your regrets and guilt, or will you wipe off your tears, lift your head, and move forward, living up to the 'Valkyrie' given to you?"

Crusch continued to stare into his eyes, and gradually, she felt the guilt she had been carrying begin to wash away, like dirt dissolving in a warm bath. She dried her tears and regained her composure, the determined and confident spark returning to her gaze.

The burdens that had weighed down her spirit and the heaviness in her heart shattered and melted away, leaving her feeling light and liberated.

"You're right. This doesn't suit me, Subaru. I will remember their sacrifices and use them as motivation to push myself forward, to achieve my goals and meet the expectations of my people. A single setback will not define my fate."

Subaru nodded in approval. "That's the spirit! I hope you're feeling better about yourself now."

She nodded in agreement. "I truly am. You have a remarkable talent for comforting others, Subaru. It's a truly invaluable trait."

He scratched his head awkwardly and said, "Aww, you're giving me too much credit, Crushie!"

She raised an eyebrow at the nickname he used, "Crushie?" she asked, puzzled.

He smiled sheepishly, "It's just a nickname. You know, the kind friends give each other?"

"…"

Crusch pondered the term. Friend. Aside from Felix, Wilhelm, and a certain Deceased prince, she didn't have many people she could call that.

With a slight smile, she replied, "I wouldn't mind calling you a friend, Subaru… But since you've so boldly given me a nickname, I think it's only fair I give you one too."

She tapped her chin thoughtfully before smirking, "How about I call you Soubie?"

"Absolutely not!"

Ridiculous! Both Emilia and now Crusch gave him the same nickname! Were they in a conspiracy or something?!

The mock outrage caused Crusch to laugh, which he soon followed suit.

Once they calmed down, his eyes fell on the wine bottle on the table. He picked up a glass from the railing and poured himself some.

"Come on, let's celebrate our friendship with a little wine!"

Crusch reached for her own cup, only to discover it was shattered on the floor.

In her emotional unloading, she must have dropped it without anyone noticing.

"Well, that's unfortunate. Here, you can drink from my cup, and I'll drink straight from the bottle."

Crusch raised an eyebrow at this, "…This isn't really about celebrating friendship, is it? You just wanted to drink, didn't you?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

So, they both enjoyed some wine while engaging in light chit-chat about various topics. Once the wine was finished, they parted ways.

Later, in her room, Crusch reflected on what had happened between them and that fluttering feeling that persisted in her stomach with him around.

Her cheeks were flushed, and she felt hot and sweaty, whether from the alcohol or the realization didn't matter as she came to one conclusion.

Crusch Karsten had developed feelings for Natsuki Subaru.