That protagonist is trash; I could do better!

Rem lowered her head even further, her blue hair obscuring most of her face. Her body trembled as she bit her lower lip and whispered, "Yes."

There was an unspoken sense of distance between them; no one would like someone who almost killed them and caused them great psychological trauma.

Shinji Matou didn't seem to care and asked with a smile, "Rem, are you free tonight to finish the magic I didn't complete last night? I want to learn the language of this country."

"At your beck and call."

Chapter 115 The Clown and the Alliance

Just after finishing breakfast, Shinji Matou was invited to the study by the owner of the mansion, Roswaal, for a discussion.

"I am the owner of this mansion, Roswaal L. Mezas." The man dressed as a clown sat at the desk, a smile on his face, and introduced himself in a strange tone.

Hey.

Shinji Matou sat opposite the clown, sighing inwardly. How should he put it? He should be used to things like this by now. Since it's a Japanese RPG world, he shouldn't expect any serious characters to appear.

However, it was hard for Shinji Matou to accept that the kingdom's strongest mage was dressed like this. In addition, this clown gave Shinji Matou a vague impression of being "perverted".

It was probably his voice.

Shinji Matou thought to himself, he could still recognize who the highly recognizable voice belonged to. Although one cannot associate the character's image with the voice actor, the voice actor who voiced Roswaal in his memory was a professional actor who played frivolous characters.

The role of voicing the Joker is practically tailor-made for that voice actor.

Roswaal, dressed as a clown, smiled with an unpredictable air: "Mr. Matou Shinji, I have heard the details of the incident from Lady Emilia and Ram. First, regarding Lady Emilia's lost badge, I am very grateful for your assistance. Whether it was retrieving the badge or eliminating the infamous assassin 'Bowel Hunter' in the royal capital, these are achievements I can never repay. Therefore, whatever you ask for, as a supporter of Lady Emilia, I have no choice but to accept."

Shinji Matou leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on Roswaal's face: "Emilia should have mentioned the conditions I proposed."

"Of course, from now on you are a distinguished guest of this mansion, and you may freely browse through my treasured books. However, the knowledge contained in the library of Bemezas on the border of the Kingdom of Lugnica is more precious than that of the kingdom's treasury. As a reward, you are only allowed to browse freely for one week, and you are not allowed to touch some forbidden books."

Shinji Matou nodded: "That's enough."

The clown paused for a moment, then chuckled and said, "I didn't expect you to be so easily satisfied. Now all the topics I prepared will be useless."

Shinji Matou raised an eyebrow, signaling to continue.

"Ahem, actually, Mr. Shinji Matou, you are a traveling mage, and your achievement in eliminating the Bowel Hunters proves your strength. Emilia's transaction shows that you love knowledge. In that case, how about we make a deal?"

“Mr. Roswaal, please say that what I seek is valuable knowledge, for which I am happy to exchange.”

"My price is that I allow you unlimited access to the library's books. In exchange, you join our side and help Emilia become the queen of this kingdom. To be honest, compared to other kingdoms' candidates, our preparations are still somewhat lacking, and we urgently need someone like you to join us."

"It's a terrible joke to make an immature girl the king of this country."

Roswaal smiled and said, "Regarding this, the situation in the Kingdom of Lugnica is rather special, as you will learn about it later. What do you think of this deal?"

"..."

After a moment's thought, Shinji Matou nodded: "I will do my best."

"Oh~!"

Roswaal, his clown makeup accentuating his radiant smile, extended his right hand to Matou Shinji, his voice high-pitched and joyful: "Excellent! No, fantastic! I, Roswaal L. Mezas, as the owner of this mansion and as a supporter of Lady Emilia, welcome you to the family, Mr. Matou Shinji."

Shinji Matou suppressed his discomfort and reached out to shake hands with him.

Roswaal called over two maids: "Ram, Rem, come in."

"Excuse me." The blue-haired and pink-haired maids pushed open the door, bowed in unison, and stood to the side.

"Now let's talk about the second matter. I am deeply sorry for Rem's unauthorized attack on you yesterday. Although I'm not defending her actions, the two sisters were attacked by the Witch Cult when they were young and lost all their family members. And you have a very strong witch's aura, which could easily lead people to mistake you for someone associated with the Witch Cult. That's why Rem lost her mind and did something so impulsive. It's all my fault as her master for not disciplining her properly." Roswaal stood up, placed his right hand on his chest, and bowed in apology, his voice serious and sincere.

"This matter is over, and I have no intention of pursuing it further," Shinji Matou said indifferently, glancing at the maid beside him.

Roswaal shook his head: "While there are extenuating circumstances, it is a fact that Rem almost made a terrible mistake, and an unforgivable one at that. Even if you do not intend to hold her accountable, as her master, I have an obligation to punish her."

"You are her master, do whatever you want with her, but I still need her help tonight. Don't be too harsh, at least preserve her mobility and eyesight."

Roswaal chuckled: "You're quite amusing. Since Rem is so important to you, I, as her master, hereby order you, Rem, that your punishment is that while Mr. Matou Shinji is our ally, you will no longer be a maid in this mansion. You will become Mr. Shinji's personal maid, responsible for taking care of his daily life."

Rem bowed and said, "Yes, I understand."

Roswaal turned to Shinji Matou with a smile and said, "Are you satisfied with this punishment?"

“It will definitely be much more convenient for me. There are still many things I don’t know about this country, and I need a local to introduce them to me.”

"I'm glad you're satisfied. By the way, Mr. Shinji Matou, which country are you from?"

"There are many incredible things in this world, some of which no one would believe even if I told them. I hope you will not pry too much into my identity."

Roswaal crossed his arms, twisted his body, and murmured ambiguously, "How mysterious! The more mysterious it is, the more curious it becomes. Ah, I can hardly contain my thirst for knowledge."

This guy really is a pervert.

Shinji Matou's lips twitched; he suddenly regretted forming the alliance.

······

At night, the palatial estate was serene.

Knock knock~

"Come in." Shinji Matou stood on a complex transmutation circle in the room, his expression focused as he carefully controlled the magical energy within it. The transmutation circle would continuously absorb the magical energy of this world and analyze its properties.

Strictly speaking, this world does not have elements. Magic of different attributes is born from magic power. The nature of magic power in this world is closer to the true ether in the Type-Moon world.

Rem pushed open the door and entered, saying respectfully, "Lord Shinji, I have compiled the information about the kingdom and some basic magic knowledge you requested."

There was a cart in the hallway outside the door, filled with even more books than yesterday.

"You've worked hard. Now let's finish the magic we didn't complete yesterday." Shinji Matou stepped out of the transmutation circle and nodded to Rem.

Rem nodded stiffly, "Yes."

Rem sat down in front of Shinji Matou and repeated the steps from the previous night, holding hands tightly and forming a shallow sense of shared consciousness through magic.

In this state, the two can have superficial communication, including conveying their meaning without language and exchanging emotions.

The moment the magic took effect, just as Shinji Matou had expected, he sensed a strong hostility and rejection from Rem's consciousness. This hostility contained fear, like a lone wolf cornered against a hunter.

Although it's much better than last night, it still affects the sense of shared understanding.

"I'm sorry." Rem apologized hastily. Unlike last night when she was angered by the witch's aura and ignored the communication from Matou Shinji, she could sense a peaceful emotion in Matou Shinji's consciousness. Even in the face of her strong hostility, he was not swayed at all.

Like an old man who has seen through the ways of the world, he is steady and peaceful, yet not lifeless.

Shinji Matou didn't pay much attention to the hostility from Rem and said gently, "Rem, relax. Being too tense will affect the effectiveness of your magic, and too much hostility will cause you to reject my mental perception."

I'm very sorry.

After a while, although Rem's hostility lessened, her excessive tension still prevented Shinji Matou from achieving the desired effect. Helplessly, he severed his mental connection, unable to quickly grasp the world's language through mental connection. Asking Emilia or the pink maid Ram for help now was not appropriate.

I need to find a way to get along with this blue-haired maid, or at the very least, eliminate that intense hostility.

Rem looked dejected, but managed a weak smile when she noticed Shinji Matou's gaze.

She acknowledged Matou Shinji as an ally, but she still couldn't ignore the witch-like aura emanating from him.

"In short, tonight you will be the one to tell me about the history of this country, as well as the ins and outs of the Emilia royal selection," Shinji Matou instructed, rubbing his temples.

"Yes."

Rem nodded vigorously, retrieved a book from the cart outside, opened it, and began to introduce it: "Since Lord Shinji and Lady Emilia have formed an alliance, it's most appropriate to begin telling history from when the king was still known as the Lion King. At that time, the Kingdom of Lugnica had not yet made a pact with the dragon..."

Chapter 116 Dark Cuisine

During the day, the lazy sunlight filters through the gaps in the curtains, spilling onto the carpet and providing some light into the dim room.

On the soft bed, the blue-haired maid Rem was fast asleep, clutching a thick book. Her breathing was even, and half of her bangs covered her eyes. When she was calm, her face was delicate and cute, making it impossible to imagine that she was the same person as the madman from last night.

A chair was placed beside the bed, where Shinji Matou sat with his legs crossed, using a notebook to record the history of the Kingdom of Lugnica, the origins of the royal selection, the list of candidates for king, and so on.

After listening to Rem's explanation all night, Shinji Matou had a pretty good understanding of the current situation.

"With the addition of Felt, who was found by the Sword Saint Reinhard, all five candidates for king are now complete, and the official selection of kings should begin soon."

"The selection process will last for three years and will be based on the candidates' contributions and reputation."

"A typical example of Japanese childish politics."

"But it's not entirely incomprehensible, after all, it's a country supposedly protected by a divine dragon, far from natural disasters and man-made calamities."

"Then, Emilia can be considered the worst of all the candidates for king."

"She is a half-elf, and her appearance is similar to that of the legendary envy witch Satella. Her political beliefs are also unremarkable."

"However, if I had to say, of the five king candidates, I personally prefer Emilia's beliefs, which are closer to GCism."

Shinji Matou recorded his analysis in Chinese in a notebook. Much of the content was based on hearsay from Rem, so it's not easy to draw conclusions.

In short, in order to improve Emilia's chances of winning, it is necessary to give her some political lessons. Matou Shinji has already thought of a name for the textbook: "Five Years of Royal Selection, Three Years of Simulation," and the content will be junior and senior high school politics.

Rem fell asleep around midnight while explaining things to Shinji Matou, and she probably won't wake up anytime soon.

Shinji Matou had already mastered the magic of splitting his thoughts, so he could go without sleep for a week without any problems, let alone one night.

"It's about time to go out for breakfast. Let's find more opportunities to interact with Emilia." Shinji Matou stretched and stood up from his chair. He went to the bedside to cover Rem with a blanket and then went to the dining room.

On the red-carpeted corridor, Shinji Matou turned a corner and encountered Ram walking hurriedly. When she saw Shinji, her eyes lit up, and she ran over and bowed hastily, saying, "Shinji-sama, something terrible has happened!"

"What is it?" Shinji Matou frowned. One problem after another. Couldn't a person get some rest? He didn't even fully understand what had happened.

"Come with me, I need your help!"

Without saying a word, Ram grabbed Shinji Matou's right hand and led him to the mansion's kitchen. The kitchen was a mess, with a burnt smell coming from the pots, potatoes that had been partially peeled, and a lot of vegetables soaking in the sink.

Ram complained, "I'm already struggling to manage without Rem. Breakfast isn't ready yet. If this continues, I'll get scolded by Lord Roswaal and lose his trust. I might even become a homeless, pitiful maid."

Ram looked at Matou Shinji with pitiful eyes. She knew from their conversation that night that Matou Shinji was good at cooking.

"Then what I need your help with is..." Shinji Matou pointed to the messy kitchen, both amused and exasperated.

Ram nodded immediately: "Yes, please process these potatoes. Wash them first, then peel them."

Shinji Matou considered for a moment and nodded: "Leave today's breakfast to me. I spent the whole night explaining to Rem about the kingdom's situation and the selection of a king. She probably won't wake up until this morning."

"I see."

When it comes to cooking, this is an area that Shinji Matou excels at. Rather than having a deep obsession with food, Shinji Matou treats cooking purely as an alchemical experiment, strictly controlling the quality of the food, the salt content, the seasonings, and so on.

The kitchen was stocked with a variety of ingredients, including vegetables, fruits, meats, and spices that were luxuries for ordinary people, much like those on Earth.

"Let's begin."