The moment Natsuki Subaru's words fell, the atmosphere in the reception room instantly froze.
To counter the threat of the Witch Cult, he needed the assistance of Crusch's faction. And among all his bargaining chips, the White Whale was undoubtedly the most significant.
Not only can it bring about a monumental achievement capable of altering the landscape of the Royal Selection, but it can also fulfill Crusch's promise to the Sword Demon. Truly killing two birds with one stone, Natsuki Subaru thought to himself.
"Hmm?" Crusch narrowed her eyes with great interest, her long fingers gently tapping the armrest.
Ferris, on the other hand, looked nervously at his master, his cat ears twitching uneasily.
And Wilhelm—
"!?"
In an instant, a heavy and fierce sword aura swept through the entire room like a storm. The paintings on the wall swayed violently, the candlelight flickered erratically, and even the tassels of the carpet were lifted by an unseen force.
Natsuki Subaru abruptly looked up, his gaze fixed on the source of the sword aura.
"...My sincerest apologies. This old man was too immature."
The white-haired old Sword Demon exhaled deeply and slowly shook his head. The expression on his face remained stern, but the knuckles gripping his sword hilt had turned white. He swept his sword aura through every corner of the room, then lightly caressed the sword at his waist, as if ashamed of his loss of composure.
"It's nothing." Natsuki Subaru said calmly, a hint of understanding in his eyes.
He knew very well that Wilhelm's obsession with subjugating the White Whale was to avenge his deceased wife, the former Sword Saint, Theresia. In the previous White Whale subjugation attempt, Theresia had unfortunately perished, becoming an eternal pain in the old Sword Demon's heart, a wound that could never heal.
But the truth of the matter was that Theresia's killer was not the White Whale, but the Witch of Vainglory, Pandora. This cruel truth, however, Natsuki Subaru could not speak of at this moment.
"My apologies for interrupting your conversation." Wilhelm bowed slightly to Crusch, his silver-white hair falling across his forehead. "If you order this old one to leave, I shall do so immediately."
"Unnecessary." Crusch raised her hand to stop him, her long deep green hair swaying slightly with the movement. "I wish for you to stay and participate in the discussion."
Then, she turned to Natsuki Subaru, her amber eyes filled with inquiry. "Knight Subaru, you wouldn't mind, would you?"
"Of course not." Natsuki Subaru nodded in understanding, his gaze lingering on Wilhelm for a moment.
"Then, let us return to the main topic. The words 'White Whale' that were suddenly mentioned just now..." Crusch elegantly crossed her legs, her fingers lightly stroking her chin, her voice becoming somewhat grave. "Can I understand this to mean one of the Three Great Mabeasts, the Mabeast of Fog?"
"Precisely." Natsuki Subaru nodded, his expression serious. "It is that monster which spreads dense fog and roams the skies. I possess information regarding the time and place of its appearance and hope to use this as a condition for our alliance."
"Oh?" Crusch narrowed her eyes slightly, her sharp gaze seeming to want to pierce through Natsuki Subaru's heart. "It seems you already know we are preparing to subjugate the White Whale?"
"From the fully armed elite soldiers I saw upon entering the mansion," Natsuki Subaru shrugged, replying calmly, "coupled with the recent rumors among merchant caravans about the White Whale appearing nearby—connecting these clues to reach this conclusion isn't difficult."
"I see." Crusch nodded thoughtfully, her long fingers tapping lightly on the gilded armrest, producing a crisp sound.
At this moment, Wilhelm stepped forward, his aged yet sharp voice breaking the brief silence. "Forgive me, but this old man has a few questions for Lord Subaru."
"Please speak." Natsuki Subaru turned to Wilhelm, noticing the complex emotions swirling in the other's eyes, his wrinkled hands unconsciously clenching and unclenching.
Wilhelm took a deep breath, his voice low and heavy. "First, it must be confirmed whether Lord Subaru truly understands the value of possessing information on the White Whale's movements."
"For four hundred years, how much blood has been shed on this land because of this Mabeast of Fog? Those merchant caravans, laden with goods, that were unfortunately swallowed by the White Whale's dense fog and disappeared forever; those Knightly Orders of the kingdom, formed to subjugate the White Whale, yet annihilated without even seeing the enemy's true face; and..."
Wilhelm paused for a moment before continuing, "Until a few decades ago, when the White Whale appeared near villages or towns, entire residential areas, along with the elderly and children within, would often vanish without a trace, and the outside world wouldn't even know what happened. The White Whale is by no means merely a massive Mabeast... it is a living calamity."
The air in the room seemed to grow heavier with these words. Ferris's cat ears twitched uneasily, and even the usually composed Crusch frowned slightly.
"The value of this information depends entirely on its credibility." Wilhelm's sharp gaze fixed on Natsuki Subaru, his voice low and solemn. "Lord Subaru, how can you prove that what you say is true? If it cannot be verified, then this information is merely empty talk."
"My thoughts align with Wilhelm's." Crusch smiled faintly, but her amber eyes glinted with scrutiny. "Now is the time for us to hear from Knight Subaru regarding the source and basis of this information."
"The authenticity of the information is indeed crucial." Natsuki Subaru mused internally. But the problem is, this key information all comes from the plot development of the original work, which I can't directly reveal.
Although the current situation has already deviated from the original work, certain major events will still occur according to their established trajectory.
Thinking this, Natsuki Subaru took a deep breath and cautiously began, "Regarding the specific source of the information, due to certain special reasons, please forgive me for not being able to speak plainly."
It's known that, according to the original work's timeline, the White Whale subjugation battle takes place one week after the Royal Selection begins. Three days have already passed, meaning there are still four days until the event. Natsuki Subaru quickly sorted through the key information in his mind.
In the original work, Emilia's faction only secured the support of Crusch's faction by offering precise information on the White Whale's appearance and half the mining rights to the Elior Forest.
"Such a statement from you is truly difficult to believe." Crusch's brow furrowed tightly, her amber eyes shining with scrutiny. "Information without conclusive evidence is like a sharp blade without a scabbard—both dangerous and unreliable."
Wilhelm remained silent, but his sharp eyes never left Natsuki Subaru.
"Subaru-kyun, you can't joke about something like this, meow~" Ferris, at the side, twitched his cat ears and spoke up. After all, how could mere words be convincing?
"Subaru would never lie." Emilia suddenly stood up, her slender fingers gently pressed to her chest, her purple eyes shining with unwavering determination. "I guarantee it on my honor as a Royal Candidate and as a Spirit Contractor."
"Miss Emilia." Crusch raised an eyebrow in slight surprise, clearly not expecting the usually gentle Emilia to vouch so resolutely for her knight. She glanced thoughtfully at Wilhelm beside her.
Wilhelm gave an almost imperceptible nod.
"I know it's difficult to gain your trust immediately at this moment," Natsuki Subaru seized the opportunity, stepping forward composedly, his gaze sweeping over everyone with bright intensity.
Then, he slowly began to speak, "But what I can provide is not just the location and time of the White Whale's appearance, but more importantly—
Information regarding the Mabeast White Whale's special abilities and weaknesses."
"What?!" Wilhelm's pupils contracted abruptly, his sword-gripping hand unconsciously tightening. This detail did not escape Natsuki Subaru's eyes.
"The White Whale's abilities? Weaknesses?" Hearing this, Crusch's expression changed suddenly, a hint of surprise flashing in her amber eyes.
"That's right." Natsuki Subaru puffed out his chest and said confidently, "I believe your understanding of the White Whale is probably quite limited. Or rather, what you grasp is merely the tip of the iceberg."
"I can say without exaggeration that I understand this Mabeast, which has ravaged for four hundred years, better than anyone else present. After all, as one of the Three Great Calamities, the Mabeast White Whale is by no means as simple as it appears. Mastering this key information will significantly reduce unnecessary casualties in the subjugation operation."
It's worth noting that in the original work, Natsuki Subaru only managed to form an alliance by offering the time and location of the White Whale's appearance and mining rights for magic stones. But the situation is completely different now.
After all, information like time and location, Crusch's faction could roughly deduce through long-term observation. Its actual intelligence value is quite limited.
And while mining rights for magic stones are precious, their value pales in comparison to intelligence about the Mabeast White Whale that could sway the battle. The White Whale's abilities and weaknesses that I possess are the real trump card.
It's like in a war between two nations; enemy intelligence is priceless. Natsuki Subaru thought to himself, A strategist like Crusch couldn't possibly fail to understand this point.
Indeed, in the next second, Crusch's reaction indirectly confirmed Natsuki Subaru's judgment.
"You—are not lying." Crusch's voice suddenly softened, a hint of understanding in her amber eyes. She was already seriously considering Natsuki Subaru's proposal.
"This must be her Wind Reading Divine Protection at work..." Natsuki Subaru thought to himself. Crusch's wind-attribute magic granted her the ability to read the "wind of emotions," allowing her to easily discern lies. This talent made her almost invincible in political negotiations, rarely being deceived. However, this ability was less effective against those skilled at concealing their emotions.
"It seems Lord Subaru indeed possesses important information that we do not." Crusch elegantly crossed her legs, her long deep green hair glinting softly in the sunlight, her voice carrying an unprecedented solemnity. "We need to re-evaluate the terms of our cooperation."
Wilhelm's gaze became exceptionally sharp, and he unconsciously took half a step forward. Ferris's cat ears also stood erect, clearly extremely focused on this topic.
Finally broke the deadlock. Natsuki Subaru rejoiced inwardly but maintained a perfectly composed demeanor on the surface, saying, "Regarding cooperation, we still need to wait for one more person."
"Wait for someone?" Crusch's brow furrowed, her long fingers pausing in mid-air.
Just then.
"Regarding that White Whale topic, may I join in as well?"
A clear and pleasant voice suddenly interjected, startling everyone in the reception room. The owner of the voice stepped gracefully into the room, her light purple wavy hair swaying gently with her steps.
Under the astonished gazes of the assembly, she smiled beautifully. "For the one who invited me to be the most surprised, that's truly strange, Knight Natsuki Subaru. I didn't expect to receive an invitation from you~"
"Haha..." Natsuki Subaru scratched his cheek, a smile of a plan succeeding on his face. "You've arrived just in time, Miss Anastasia."
Anastasia, as expected, still came. Since it's a collaboration, of course, we should maximize the benefits. And another point, one more ally means one more chance of success.
"—Anastasia Hoshin." Crusch closed one eye, accurately naming the newcomer. "It seems today's meeting is becoming more and more interesting."
"Thanks for remembering~" Anastasia performed a stylish curtsy, winking playfully. "Although being called out so suddenly was a bit of a scramble, it's too sly to advance the topic without me."
"Such an interesting topic... I can join in too, right?" Although her tone was lighthearted, Anastasia's shrewd eyes betrayed the joy and anticipation in her heart.
Wilhelm asked in a low voice, "Is the Hoshin Trading Company also interested in subjugating the White Whale?"
"Oh my, what a thing to say~" Anastasia covered her mouth and chuckled lightly. "Business and eliminating pests aren't mutually exclusive, you know. Besides... resolving a scourge that has troubled trade routes for four hundred years is a deal the trading company definitely won't lose out on~"
"You said you were summoned..." Crusch's gaze flickered back and forth between Natsuki Subaru and Anastasia. "Was it Knight Subaru who called you?"
Anastasia sat down gracefully, her slender fingers gently stroking the fox scarf around her neck. "Knight Natsuki Subaru said it was a major matter related to the White Whale, so it couldn't be taken lightly. Especially since he has grasped some incredible information about the White Whale~"
"Since everyone is here, why don't we formally begin our discussion?" Natsuki Subaru smoothly took over the conversation, slowly beginning to speak. "Regarding the information on the White Whale, I believe Miss Anastasia will also be very interested."
"Subaru-kyun, you're really stirring the pot now, meow~" Ferris couldn't help but interject.
"This is called pooling wisdom for mutual benefit." Natsuki Subaru said with a smile, a shrewd glint in his eyes. "After all, when dealing with a formidable enemy like the White Whale, one more ally means one more chance of success, doesn't it?"
In terms of strength, relying solely on Crusch's faction and my own power might be enough to deal with the Mabeast White Whale. But the Sin Archbishops of Greed and Gluttony who appear later are not opponents we can handle alone.
To ensure complete success, not only did I invite Anastasia, but I also made another preparation beforehand: I secretly met with Sword Saint Reinhard and, using the pretext of a possible Witch Cult attack, persuaded him to come as backup after our White Whale subjugation battle.
Reinhard has already agreed that after I, Crusch, and the others deal with the Mabeast White Whale, he will personally escort us back to the Royal Capital. This way, even if we encounter a Sin Archbishop, we'll have a sure way to retreat safely. Natsuki Subaru quickly calculated in his mind.
"In that case, then..." Crusch nodded thoughtfully, her amber eyes finally settling on Natsuki Subaru. "Let us begin this meeting anew."
_
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