Surprise! I've Transmigrated Again

When the master arrived, everyone took their seats.

As lord of the mansion, Roswaal naturally sat at the head of the table, with two maids standing behind him to attend to his needs.

Emilia, whose status officially surpassed his, sat in the first position on his right, with Natsuki beside her. Beatrice sat in the first position on the left holding Puck, with Adam sitting next to her.

"Well then~ don't be shy~ please enjoy~ yourselves!" As host, only after Roswaal's invitation could everyone pick up their utensils.

This was basic etiquette that even Natsuki knew, requiring no special reminder.

The feast laid out before them was truly appetizing. Having eaten only apples yesterday, this was the finest meal Adam had enjoyed since his arrival.

In his previous world of Konosuba, no one in his party could cook, himself included. They had relied on the Adventurer's Guild for meals — all fast-food fare that was greasy and bland.

While initially novel and tasty, such food quickly became unpalatable.

"Delicious." Adam said sincerely, "This food is excellently prepared and suits my taste perfectly."

"It really is delicious." Natsuki agreed while eagerly consuming his meal.

Though his enthusiastic eating manner might have seemed impolite, wasn't it also the highest praise for the cook?

"Right~! All of this~ was made by Rem." Roswaal declared proudly, gesturing to Rem who stood behind his right side, "Among all the~ servants in the mansion, Rem's cooking is the~ best."

"You praise me too highly." She responded with graceful humility befitting a maid, "Compared to my dear sister, I still fall far short."

"Hmm~" Roswaal gave a light chuckle but said nothing more.

"Miss Rem, might you teach me how to cook?" Adam asked.

Although〚Analyze and Copy〛protested at learning such a mundane skill, he desperately wanted to avoid the guild's greasy fare!

"If Lord Roswaal permits it." Rem replied diplomatically, deferring to her master.

"That's fine~ if Carter wants to, let Rem~ teach you." Roswaal's gaze lingered intensely on Adam.

Though well-concealed, Adam's keen sensitivity detected something in that look that made him uneasy.

Others might have interpreted the look differently, but Adam knew Roswaal was plotting something.

How irritating! Adam's brows furrowed involuntarily.

Roswaal, cunning from his four centuries of life, noticed Adam's displeasure at his affected manner and quickly dropped his frivolous demeanor.

He shifted instead to briefing them on the Kingdom of Lugunica's current state, revealing that Emilia was a royal selection candidate under his support.

"How mysterious~ indeed, you two came to the Kingdom of Lugunica, yet~ you don't even know~ the situation here?"

In his peculiar tone, he explained that during the Royal Selection period, any foreigners visiting the country would be viewed with suspicion. Their sudden appearance and involvement with Emilia, a Royal Candidate, was particularly questionable.

His message was clear: "You're both suspicious figures, and trouble will follow".

Adam hadn't considered claiming to be from Kararagi or the Vollachia Empire — such deceptions would be futile before Roswaal, who possessed The Book of Wisdom (Replica Edition).

If exposed, they would have no way to explain themselves or clear their names.

Given these circumstances, it was better to be straightforward.

"We both come from a small, nameless country in the west." Adam spoke up before the Japanese boy could misspeak, taking charge as spokesperson.

Natsuki continued eating quietly, aware that Adam's diplomatic skills far surpassed his own awkward social abilities.

For now, he simply followed Adam's lead.

But this approach wouldn't help him develop!

Though Natsuki might not have realized it, Adam refused to let anyone remain stagnant.

"Is~ that so?" Roswaal's expression remained unchanged, as if he had expected this response.

Emilia placed the recovered insignia on the table and explained, "This insignia represents the qualification proof for Royal Selection candidates, determining whether a candidate can become the king of the Kingdom of Lugunica — in other words, this is the dragon stone."

"Ah, I see." Though Adam already knew this, he feigned consideration before asking, "So if Emilia had lost this insignia, she would have lost her candidacy qualification, right?"

He was teasing her about Felt's recent theft of the insignia.

"Please don't say 'lost' in a way that could cause misunderstandings — it was just stolen by a child with sticky fingers!" Emilia protested, flustered.

Her attempt to reframe the situation was transparent — trying to minimize the fact that she had lost the insignia.

Lost or stolen — what was the difference? Either way, she had failed to protect it.

Adam remained silent, holding her gaze until she sheepishly acknowledged her mistake.

Puck, watching his daughter being challenged, grew displeased.

"How dare you!" He broke free from Beatrice's embrace, flew to Adam's face, and lightly tapped his right cheek with his fluffy cat paw. Feigning fury, he declared, "You insolent boy, how dare you bully my dear Lia! Do you wish to die?"

Though his words were harsh, his gentle actions revealed he wasn't truly angry. Perhaps he recognized that making Emilia acknowledge her mistakes would benefit her growth.

"I'm sorry." Adam apologized to both of them, but added, "I believe that when one makes a mistake, they shouldn't hide behind excuses. Bravely acknowledging and facing one's mistakes is a quality that a true Monarch must possess."

Right now, Emilia was an unworldly, innocent young girl thrust into a position beyond her current capabilities, her character and abilities not yet matching her elevated status.

Though she understood that her words and actions needed to reflect her position as a Royal Selection Candidate, and she strived to grow into the role, her tendency to avoid acknowledging mistakes was unbefitting of a leader.

This would only discourage her faction's supporters.

So, grow up quickly, Emilia!

"A true Monarch..." Emilia murmured softly, lost in thought.

Perhaps she didn't truly want to become Monarch at all.

Roswaal then expressed his gratitude to both of them for helping recover the insignia, asking them to state their desires.

"Well then~! Anything is possible~ feel free to make any request~!" He made it clear that they could ask for anything within his power to grant.

Here it comes! This was what Adam had been waiting for!

Magic Protection, here I come!

"Let me work in the mansion!" Just like in the original story, Natsuki made this startling declaration.

Adam sighed while holding his head.

This guy had completely forgotten Roswaal's earlier warnings about how getting involved with Emilia would bring trouble. He'd been cautioned about this, yet still...

Well, let him be.

"That's fine." Roswaal smiled and agreed to his request, then asked, "Then~ what would Carter like?"

"I want to have a duel with you, Roswaal!"

Adam's answer was even more shocking than Natsuki's!

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