Re:Zero-Starting Life as a Wind Navigator in Another World

9

Subaru was playing with the pen in front of him, amidst the dull waiting. The silence filling the room was wearing on his nerves and testing his patience. "When will someone arrive?" he muttered. Reinhard had left him alone with the elderly servant. Now he was gone, leaving only Subaru and the silence.

As he sighed deeply, the elderly servant entered the room quietly. He carried a tray and spoke calmly, "Would you like some whiskey?"

Subaru was taken aback by the sudden appearance of the old man and for a moment didn't know what to say. Finally, he replied, "Yes, that would be fine." However, he couldn't shake the feeling that this man was not ordinary. Disguised as an elderly servant, he exuded a mysterious aura and carried a charismatic air. Beneath the servant's attire lay a strong physique, which made Subaru somewhat uneasy. Despite appearing old and graceful, there was a sense of power and danger emanating from him.

Taking a sip of the whiskey, Subaru savored the rich taste that danced on his palate. "Quite a rich flavor," he commented, while the elderly servant simply nodded, maintaining his silence.

As Subaru looked into the old man's eyes, he momentarily delved into his own inner thoughts. "I cannot defeat him," he thought. With the experience of being a swordsman, he could somewhat gauge people's strength from their eyes. Elsa's battle was a stroke of luck; if they had fought without wind magic, Subaru would have been in a difficult situation, as he considered Elsa to be at least an A+ level fighter.

However, the elderly servant seemed to exude even greater strength. Subaru felt a sense of helplessness in his presence. "Is he an S-level?" he murmured, along with his inner voice. There was an aura surrounding the old man, powerful and mysterious. When confronted with him, Subaru's sense of being a warrior became more pronounced, and it was a fact that Subaru could not fully grasp the old servant's true power.

Suddenly, the door opened, and a young girl entered the room. With a faint scent of perfume filling the air, she stood before them, her almond-shaped amber eyes and long dark green hair cascading down to her waist. Her black attire emphasized both her noble posture and natural beauty. There was grace in every step she took, as if she were dancing, filling the room with her presence.

With a sweet smile, she said, "Sorry for the wait," her eyes meeting Subaru's as she spoke. "Do you remember me?"

Subaru was momentarily stunned by the girl's magnificent presence. Internally, he thought, 'Who is this?' as his brain began to work overtime. 'How could I forget such beauty after meeting her? How foolish could I be?' He scolded himself and looked at the girl's face once again. 'Wait, is she?'

Finally, he recalled his first mission from his sponsor: "Rescue the green-haired Valkyrie." He murmured to himself. 'It's her,' he thought. The girl had been wearing armor during their previous encounter, so he hadn't recognized her at first, but now he remembered. The mission had been etched into his memory, and he realized that the girl with green hair was the person he had saved during that mission.

Subaru stood up abruptly, and words tumbled out of his mouth as he began to speak rapidly, "The green Valkyrie... I mean, the lady... um, the girl." But before he could finish his sentence, his words turned into gibberish, and he stopped speaking in embarrassment. His eyes darted randomly, unsure of what to say. Trying to compose himself, a blush appeared on his face, and he inwardly cursed the silliness of his words.

Although the girl seemed a little surprised, she then smiled gently. "My name is Crusch Karsten," she said, chuckling softly at Subaru's demeanor. She must have found his shy behavior endearing, as she simply stated her name and left it at that.

They both sat down at the table, and the elderly servant brought their drinks. Crusch politely said, "You can leave now, Wilhelm." Wilhelm nodded slightly and left the room.