"Rem's relationship with Sir Wood seems to have gotten quite close..." Emilia said. Even someone as oblivious as Emilia could see that there was something off about Rem's actions, and so she spoke up.
"Rem told me last night that she wishes to leave Roswaal's mansion and become Sir Wood's personal maid."
"Since neither I nor Rem have a formal contract binding us, I can't stop her from leaving if she chooses to."
"Besides, Sir Wood is such an outstanding individual that I believe this will be a good future for Rem."
Hearing what Roswaal said, everyone present looked surprised—not only Emilia and Subaru but also Wood, who seemed completely caught off guard and bewildered.
"Roswaal, what's all this about?" Seeing Wood's stunned expression, Emilia immediately knew that Wood also had no prior knowledge of this matter, so she asked Roswaal.
However, this time, it wasn't Roswaal who answered but Ram, standing beside him.
"Because Lord Wood healed my injuries last night, allowing me to regain my past strength."
"My sister and I are deeply grateful to Lord Wood. Originally, I should have been the one to follow him, but Rem..."
Ram's words were interrupted by Wood, who looked at Rem and said, "I told you before, there's no need for any kind of compensation. A promise is a promise."
"And besides, I don't want to become the substitute for your sister's burden."
"Lord Wood is not a burden for Rem!" Rem said, her voice steady. "This decision is my own. It has nothing to do with my sister or Lord Wood."
"You said it before, Sir Wood, that Rem is just Rem, and that I should simply be myself."
"And now I say that I want to stay by your side. That is my will, and also my wish!"
Wood had no idea how complicated it was to untie the emotional knots that had troubled an oni girl for years.
In the original story, it was Subaru who had managed to untie that knot, causing Rem to devote herself wholeheartedly to him.
Last night, Wood did not only what Subaru had done, but he had also restored Ram's lost powers, entirely eliminating the worries in Rem's heart, leading to this result.
Subaru didn't understand the difficulty of healing Ram's injuries, but he knew one thing for sure: once again, Wood had gotten ahead of him.
Wood's actions last night obviously completed some sort of event, directly maxing out the favorability of the twin oni sisters.
Ram did not reject Rem's wish to follow Wood; in fact, she supported it.
After what had happened last night, Ram felt that Wood, who had a similar past to her own, even if not purely a "good" person, would not harm Rem.
Not to mention, despite knowing it would upset her, Wood had still warned her about Roswaal's potential danger, implying that Rem would actually be safer with him.
As for whether what Wood said about Roswaal hiring assassins was true, Ram couldn't be sure yet. Now that her strength had returned, she planned to investigate that matter on her own.
Truth be told, Ram hoped that everything was just a misunderstanding on Wood's part.
After all, she couldn't deny that besides wanting to repay her debt, she also had other emotions toward Roswaal.
However, to Ram, a devoted sister to her core, even if it was someone she respected and loved like Lord Roswaal, she would never forgive anyone who tried to harm Rem.
After thinking it over for an entire night, Ram decided that it was safest for Rem to stay by Wood's side, who was strong enough to protect her, while she would investigate the truth of what Wood had said.
Ram's restoration of her oni powers added a significant strength to Emilia's faction. Under normal circumstances, everyone present should have been happy.
However, the atmosphere seemed awkward, as if everyone apart from the determined Ram and Rem had something on their minds.
Roswaal maintained a smile on the surface, but deep down, he was filled with doubt. How did Wood manage to heal Ram, something that even he, an archmage who had lived for centuries, couldn't achieve?
And even more troubling was that the Gospel he held hadn't mentioned anything about such an important future event!
Roswaal didn't particularly care whether Ram regained her oni powers—after all, in his eyes, the oni twins were just tools.
But the key now was that Wood's abilities were beginning to make Roswaal wary. The fact that the Gospel provided only vague hints about Wood as a variable was concerning.
As for Emilia, she should have been happy that Ram had recovered and regained her powers. However, seeing Rem now become Wood's exclusive maid left her feeling strangely uncomfortable.
And Subaru? Well, it was much easier to understand his feelings. He was already hopelessly enamored with Emilia, and now the troublesome twin oni maids had just been "won over" by Wood so effortlessly. Subaru felt an intense sense of crisis.
Another fellow transmigrator, Wood wasn't only incredibly handsome but also overwhelmingly powerful, and now he was even winning over the hearts of the girls one after another—how was Subaru supposed to compete?
Rem and Ram were one thing, but from the beginning, Subaru had always focused on one goal: winning over the "goddess" Emilia.
But now, Wood had already become Emilia's knight. If Subaru fell any further behind, he really would be relegated to nothing more than a supporting character.
"Everyone, while Ram regaining her powers is certainly worth celebrating, shouldn't we also have a greater sense of urgency right now?"
"The Royal Selection ceremony started yesterday, and yet, we in Emilia's faction haven't even formulated a battle plan. If this continues, we will be eliminated before we even begin."
In an attempt to change his situation, Subaru spoke up at the dining table, his expression filled with confidence as he tried to use his "game knowledge" to help Emilia gain an advantage in the Royal Selection.
"Indeed. Compared to the other four candidates, our faction does lack significant advantages," Roswaal said, sipping his wine thoughtfully as he began to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of each camp.
Crusch's faction had everything—connections, influence, and support from the kingdom's noble class. If none of the candidates did anything, Crusch would win by default, as she already had the most support among the populace.
Priscilla's Valliere family also had considerable wealth and influence, and though she was arrogant, she was undeniably capable—a sharp contrast to Emilia's naivety.
Even Felt's faction was formidable, with the Astrea family's backing and ties to the previous royal family, which guaranteed the support of the Loyalist faction.
Then there was Anastasia's faction, seemingly the weakest but actually one of the strongest contenders besides Crusch.
The Juukulius family, to which Julius belonged, was also a prominent name in Lugnica. On top of that, Anastasia had the massive advantage of wealth.
As the head of a successful trading company, she could bring economic prosperity to the kingdom, which was crucial for its strength and stability, making her a strong contender.
In comparison, Emilia's faction was the weakest among the five candidates.
In terms of connections, the only noble they had was Roswaal, but he was a marginalized Margrave without money or status, operating on the outskirts of noble society.
Their economic strength was almost nonexistent, given that Roswaal's territory was a poor borderland.
Their only advantage was military power—among the factions, their combat strength was among the best.
Apart from Reinhard in Felt's faction, no one could compare to Wood in terms of sheer strength.
Moreover, they also had Roswaal, whose power was unfathomable, and Ram, who had regained her oni powers.
It was clear that Subaru had thought through his plan the night before. After analyzing the situation of each faction, he took out a map and presented his idea.
"Given our current situation, we should leverage our military strength."
"I have two thoughts. First, we need to understand the prices of goods in surrounding regions and begin trading in some areas to boost our economic reserves for a prolonged effort."
Having played similar games countless times, Subaru was confident in running such a trading model.
The concept was simple—buy low from one city and sell high in another, then bring back some goods from there to sell elsewhere.
By doing this, they could quickly amass wealth from price differences.
Such a business model only worked in a relatively undeveloped world, where issues like inconvenient transportation and limited information meant that the same goods could have vastly different prices in different cities.
"Second, apart from accumulating funds, we should also work on building our reputation and achievements."
"We're already at a disadvantage, and if we fall behind in earning money, it'll be difficult to catch up."
"So I thought about it and realized that the quickest way to leverage our combat strength and gain recognition is by helping the kingdom eliminate dangerous threats like Witchbeasts and bandits."
"I can handle the trading operations, while I'd like Sir Wood, Ram, and Rem to help clear out the threats to the kingdom."
Subaru, full of pride, looked as if he had just proven his value to the team.
Strength alone wasn't everything—now Subaru was the strategist, the "brain" of the team.
Warriors might be strong, but a strategist who could plan battles and win wars was the true MVP!
Subaru's plan was well thought out, and given their current situation, it was indeed the best option for Emilia's faction.
Just as Subaru was basking in his self-satisfaction, Wood stepped in and poured cold water over him: "It's a good plan, but implementing it is going to be difficult."
"Clearing Mabeasts and bandits around the kingdom is doable; Ram has Clairvoyance, and I have detection abilities."
"But making money through trading may not be as simple as you think."
"As you mentioned, the lack of transportation and limited information might make transporting goods lucrative."
"But aside from the potential dangers during transportation, information is key... No, rather, profit margins depend heavily on information."
"Do you know what goods are selling at a high price in each city, and where you can buy goods cheaply?"
"If you don't have this information, executing your plan will be tough. You might even face losses, excluding the transportation cost."
As the young master of the Hoshin Trading Company, Wood's words carried significant weight.
Thanks to Wood's reminder, Subaru suddenly remembered that this was a real world, not a game—he couldn't simply look up the buy and sell prices of goods from a game menu.
Finding out the market prices for goods in each city would be a massive task requiring a lot of manpower and resources.
Moreover, trade prices weren't fixed and could fluctuate.
If they moved large quantities of goods and the prices dropped significantly, it could leave Emilia's already impoverished faction in a terrible financial situation.
Subaru's plan rested heavily on the success of their trading efforts. Without that, his value to the group would be drastically diminished.
After all, he couldn't help much when it came to fighting monsters and bandits.
Seeing Emilia's admiration for him fading, Subaru felt deeply frustrated, and at that moment, Wood spoke up again.
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Don't forget to give Power Stone
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