"There's my wallet. And my phone. The corn potage and ramen and stuff are good too. No damage to my jersey or sneakers either. And naturally…"
Pulling up his jersey, he turned his head with great effort to check the state of his back.
There was no scarring on his middle or lower back, nor were there two knives sticking out of him.
"Phew, thank goodness. A wound to the back is a warrior's greatest shame. As someone who once enrolled in the kendo club, even if I were to stray from the path of humanity, I would never stray from the path of the warrior."
He felt around his unharmed back as he grumbled. He spotted a long hair growing near his shoulder and after a great deal of struggle, finally managed to pull it out after which he exhaled.
"So basically, that's what this is. It's hard to believe, though…"
He blew the hair away with his breath and placed his now empty hand on his jaw as he surveyed the street.
He was still on the same street, by stall only a short distance away from the grocer.
The shady looking owner who had lined up various suspicious looking jars and plates looked at Subaru as though he were a nuisance, but this had no effect on Subaru who leaned against the wall with his arms crossed.
The sun was high and the breeze was gentle. The street was crowded and a lizard drawn carriage would occasionally pass by. Even Subaru was starting to get used to the dust they kicked up by this point, and his only reaction was to gently fan it away from his face.
All traces of injury had vanished from his body, and his already eaten corn potage snack was providing excellent value, since it could be eaten any number of times. And his jaw was completely smooth to the touch,
"Pretty pathetic for me of all people to forget about my special skill."
He had the ability to estimate the passage of time fairly accurately based on the growth of his stubble.
Subaru had a level of self-confidence that bordered on admiration in his technique that made full use of a privilege only available to those with a consistent level of male hormones. He was certain,
―That his facial hair was no longer than it was after he shaved it before heading to the convenience store.
"So it's like that."
He pointed the hand that was touching his jaw forward, and with the gazes of many people including the shopkeeper on him, he snapped his fingers,
"―Looks like I return to my original state when I die."
And came to the conclusion he had previously dismissed as absurd.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
"Return by death, huh… It's like the ability itself is telling me to bite the dust."
[T/N: This is a JoJo reference. Subaru mentions the similarity to Bite The Dust, an ability that appears in JoJo.]
The original was more like a "Win and then repeat" type of ability, so considering Subaru's pattern of losing and returning, he felt that his current situation fit the name better from a literary perspective.
[T/N: The Japanese version of Bite The Dust literally translates to "Lose And Die"]
"To put it more directly… Isn't this something like time travel?"
It was limited, but this could be considered what one would call time travel. In short, Subaru had become a time traveler, something he could only dream of before.
To be honest, the possibility had been bouncing around his head until some ten-odd minutes ago, but he shied away from it due to the harsh activation condition.
He also felt that it was more likely that there was some wandering super healer who happened to encounter them.
And most of all, the main reason he thought it unlikely,
"Generally speaking, temporal magic is considered to be the highest class of magic so it'd be strange for me to have it right from the start. To begin with, even though one may dream of going back in time, it'd be impossible to actually do it. Or so common sense would suggest."
Having said this, he cocked his head wondering what about a parallel world summoning adhered to any sort of common sense.
Thinking of it this way, his earlier feelings of obstinate rejection would also fade away.
"Moreover, if I actually am returning by death, all the strange stuff until now suddenly makes sense…"
His first death, to put it briefly, was when he went to the loot house with Satella.
He had his defenseless stomach torn open and unable to even shout out a warning, he ended up getting Satella wrapped up in this, an absolutely inexcusable development.
His second death was after Felt and Rom were murdered, Elsa had slaughtered him, his resistance completely futile. When he first returned by death, he assumed the discrepancy in time meant it was a different day, but in truth he had returned to the same point on the same day.
His third death had happened recently, he had experienced it some ten-odd minutes ago.
It truly was a pointless death, but he couldn't think of a more fitting one.
For him to actually end up getting killed by random small fry at the very start, it was like every single choice had a BAD END attached to it, and it kind of felt like a poorly designed adventure game.
"Wait, I've died three times in just half a day…?"
Considering human life was generally considered to be something you only got one of, dying three times in the span of half a day truly was nonsensical in every way.
Subaru had certainly lived a mediocre life these past seventeen years, but if one considered that he had avoided death 17 x 365 x 3 times thus far, it was rather moving.
"Or I'm just really bad at staying alive."
He was too used to the comfort of his old world, due to which he could not keep up with the rapid-fire instant death events this one kept throwing at him.
The fact that he kept getting lured into obviously dangerous situations was probably another reason.
"Thinking back to the causes of the first and second time… It was probably Elsa both times."
The first time, the one lurking around in the darkness of the loot house was probably Elsa.
The corpse of a giant old man, that had to be Rom. But it was hard to imagine that Rom would end up dying regardless of Subaru's verbal gaffe.
"Could Felt have been in there… I couldn't confirm that much, huh."
Naturally, Rom was most likely accompanying Felt for her negotiation.
That being the case, she was definitely linked to his death. If things were like the second time, it was very likely that Felt's greed caused negotiations to break down.
"She pointlessly provoked her and ended up getting killed for it, maybe."
Considering her extremely competitive spirit, it was certainly possible.
And right as Elsa had silenced them, Subaru and Satella arrived with terrible timing. This was probably how the first time went.
"The second time was quite a bit simpler, wasn't it. I just happened to be one of the people being silenced."
Thinking of it this way, perhaps Satella ended up arriving there after they got murdered.
He knew about her magical ability, but he doubted that that homicidal maniac would give her time to chant. Satella was probably at a disadvantage 8 or 9 times out of 10.
"Wait, I've been killed by the same person twice. Simply put, Elsa's basically a certain death encounter, final answer. Also…"
Is there even a need to take countermeasures, Subaru heard his now calm mind ask.
Right, why did he have to think about what would happen if he encountered Elsa?
Frankly speaking, the loot house was the only place he ran the risk of encountering her.
And the reason he wanted to go to the loot house was in order to obtain Satella's insignia, and the reason he wanted to do that was to repay her for saving him.
But since Return By Death had brought him back to right after he'd been summoned, this debt had quite literally disappeared with time.
Satella's cold reaction to him on his third time was proof of this.
She did not know him. Meaning he had no relation whatsoever to the Satella of that timeline, and his debt no longer existed.
Meaning he could forget all about this insignia business, and instead focus on avoiding those BAD END flags.
He didn't know why he was granted such an ability, but it was a very valuable skill that would allow him to learn of future developments. He would avoid any dangers he could avoid, that was the right thing to do.
He had obtained something that appeared to be time travel. It would be meaningless if he didn't use it this way.
"Fortunately, I now know that my cell phone is worth quite a bit. Even without relying on Rom, if I can find some shop I can trust and sell it off, I'll be able to create a war chest."
More than twenty holy gold coins, he didn't know how much that was, but he figured it would buy him decent lodgings for quite a while. And then he would sharpen his fangs there until the day he was ready to bite.
"Well, I still have no plan as to what exactly I'll be biting into."
He wasn't exceptionally knowledgeable on any particular subject, nor did he have anything he was passionate about. To maintain a broad, but shallow knowledge of many things, such was the stance of the modern generation, and Subaru was no different.
"Once I sell this cell phone, guess I'll have no choice but to get hired as an assistant at some shop or something while I've still got money…"
He was extremely uneasy about how he would earn a living since he had no job experience, but doing some black labor should at least be better than getting involved in bloodshed. At least he most likely wouldn't end up dying thrice in half a day.
[T/N: Black company is a Japanese term referring to companies with poor working conditions. Black labor here refers to exploitative conditions.]
"It's simple then. The sun will set if I don't get moving right away. Right, old man?"
"I thought you were muttering something for a while, but what's this all of a sudden. Even if you ask me, it's not like I'd know.."
The stall owner next to him responded with an annoyed expression as Subaru looked for agreement.
He had a turban on his head and was running a stall that sold jars and plates. Regardless of Subaru murmuring nearby, it didn't appear to be one that attracted customers.
"Wonder if I should sell my stuff like this… But I wonder if I'd actually make anything if I tried selling things like you, with those crappy jars and stuff. What do you think, old man?"
"Don't say that crap while looking at someone else's merchandise! What's with you?!"
"I'm a man who'll one day be famed for his wealth. You could even call me the cell phone nouveau… Say, doesn't that wrapping on your head itch? Why do you have it on? You balding or something?"
"I don't understand most of what you're saying, on top of which you're being extremely rude! Go away, I've got a business to run here!"
His attitude was cold as he spoke in a strangely feminine manner.
Guess people treat passing strangers the same in any world, huh, Subaru thought as he sighed on the inside.
"But then, there's also some people so kind they help others even when it puts them in a tough spot."
She had something precious stolen from her, and was in the middle of chasing the culprit.
She stopped to save some useless guy she didn't even know, wasted her time healing him, and then tried to leave without receiving anything in return.
And then this kind girl let the useless fellow accompany her for his own self-satisfaction, and ended up dying a horrible death for it.
"Thinking back to the third time, there's a whole lot I learned. Or rather, it'd be pathetic if I didn't learn, but I'm not that stupid."
"What are you saying now?"
"There's probably a pattern here. You could even call it fate. ―No matter how many times it repeats, this will keep happening. For instance…"
Felt stole Satella's insignia all three times.
Rom had been killed in the loot house both the first and second time. Felt had probably died the first time too.
If so, what happened to Satella who most likely arrived at the loot house the second time as well?
She didn't have a burden holding her back, would she have been able to win against Elsa?
"I don't know. And I probably won't know. But there's things I do know."
If he just left things alone this fourth time, Felt and Rom would definitely be killed. And Satella would end up battling Elsa.
So what if those two died? One was a small-time villain who dealt in stolen goods, and the other was a brat who shamelessly tried to pawn off said stolen items at exorbitant prices.
They were both criminals, it would probably be a good thing if they died.
"Aah, I really am a child of the modern era. Even though I absolutely ridiculed these sorts of emotions from behind a computer."
Mercy and compassion were just stupid, that was supposedly what he believed.
At least, he wasn't just pretending as if he did. He thought of himself as a cold hearted person, and that all modern people were like that.
So no matter what situation he ended up in, he wouldn't be particularly moved and wouldn't react very strongly, or so he convinced himself. The death of a few people he knew was no exception to this.
"But still, I don't want that. It feels horrible. Those two aren't good people, far from it. ― But when I know that familiar faces are about to die, I can't just stand by and let it happen"
But in the end, it seemed that was all just an act. A result of his experiences in the virtual world. When the weight of reality set in, his tenets easily crumbled away, that was how flimsy they were.
He wasn't really that firm on these principles to begin with, though, so it was no loss to be rid of them.
"And of course, there's Satella… Or rather, that girl. Can't abandon her either."
Calling that name, Subaru thought to himself that it was most likely an alias.
Thinking back to the first time, she was pretty reluctant to say that name. And then there was their exchange in the third world. It was painfully clear.
To sum up, it seemed she didn't trust him enough. He hadn't built up enough affection and failed the name acquisition event as a result.
"Alright then, I'll do my best to actually learn her name this time."
Subaru started warming up on the spot, and stretched his body to the limit.
"Cha―nCha―Chachachacha!", As Subaru started his radio calisthenics routine, the shopkeeper was already beyond the point where he had anything to say.
Subaru performed routine two in front of the speechless man, and having worked up a good sweat, he turned around and suddenly raised his hands,
"There are times when a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do. ―Isn't that right, old man?"
"Right, right, right, absolutely right, so get out of here."
He'd planned to end it with a posed look, but the terrible reaction caused his face to twitch.
The shopkeeper drove him away with a perfunctory gesture, and Subaru ran off from the stall where he had spent such a long time deep in thought.
Pushing his way through the crowd for a while, he had probably run about 200 meters.
"Well then…"
Subaru stopped and brushed his bangs upward.
He looked here and there in a pointlessly exaggerated manner, and then smoothly placed his hand against a wall to lean on it, after which he closed his eyes and once again smoothed his hair. Then,
"Where should I go to find you, Not-Satella?"
He started his quest with words that didn't bode well for his future prospects.
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Thinking about it, his meetings with Not-Satella relied on a lot of random coincidence.
He did encounter her the first and third times, but the only connection was that both had occurred around this main street (He heard from the shopkeeper wearing the turban that it was commonly called the trading street).
It would have been great if he was at least obsessed with keeping time, but he hadn't done the stalkerish act of recording exactly when he met her.
In the end, it was quickest to think back to the third time's pattern, but,
"Back then, just how long did I spend sulking by that fruit shop?"
He sunk down to the ground overcome by dizziness and spent an unknown amount of time hugging his knees.
It felt like it was only a few minutes, but it also felt like it could have been an hour. Regardless of what the answer was, all Subaru could say was 'I don't know'.
"Should I just wander around this street looking for her…? And just hope my beauty radar works?"
Or maybe his silver-haired hottie sensor.
This ability was completely useless in his old world, but he'd be able to use it to great effect here.
He placed both hands in front of his face and straightened a finger on each, and went "MyonMyon" as a number of people looked at him strangely. He felt like he could sense something, and decided to follow whatever was beckoning to him for the moment.
His surroundings steadily changed into an atmosphere he was familiar with, filling him with thoughts such as "Woah, looks like my sensor's working fine as ever?!", and then he suddenly realized.
―Without realizing it, he ended up leaving the street and was now entering a narrow alley.
"Isn't this where I first met her…?"
It looked very similar, but he was unsure.
It wasn't that different from the path into the slums in terms of atmosphere, on top of which he had only been to the alley of their meeting in the first world, and had never revisited it since.
The second time was clearly in a different alley, and thinking back to the third time, that was yet another dead end. Even if Felt stealing Satella's insignia was a fixed event, which alley she would run into after the fact seemed to vary depending on the situation.
Perhaps it was the same the first two times, but the third time things seemed to have changed slightly due to Subaru's presence.
Having thought this far, Subaru suddenly realized just how shallow his thought process was.
Maybe he could find Felt or Satella now that he was in a familiar alley.
However, that also meant the possibility of a different reunion. In short,
"I'm so damn tired of seeing you, Ton, Chin, Kan!"
Subaru turned around fed up, and found the usual suspects blocking his path.
There was no difference in appearance, clothing, or countenance. Their goal and equipment were most likely the same as well, no progress whatsoever. It was only natural since he was back in the same spot.
"Even though I'm having such a hard time finding Not-Satella and Felt."
The reason he was unable to find them was probably because their actions depended on many factors independent of him.
By contrast, the reason he kept running into these guys was most likely because they were targeting him from the start.
That's why he kept encountering them despite taking a different path each time.
"Now that I've come up with a conjecture that doesn't make me happy in the slightest, what exactly do you guys want?"
"Just what the hell has this guy been muttering about?"
"He probably doesn't get what's going on here. How about we go ahead and teach him?"
Even this conversation between Ton and Chin followed the template exactly, which caused Subaru's mood to sink further. However, he also felt that he couldn't take them lightly just because he was tired of dealing with them.
The clear conditions for the Tonchinkan encounter weren't that demanding, but it wasn't like he had a 100% chance of breaking through. After all, they were the cause of his third death.
Maybe Not-Satella would save him like the first time, or maybe he could beat them on his own like the second time, but he had no guarantees.
Things went really well the second time, but this time wouldn't necessarily go down the same way. There was also a high chance that there was a big event waiting for him after this, and he didn't want to sustain any injuries.
"On the other hand, I wouldn't want to escape by handing over my stuff either, I could use those to negotiate."
The ideal would be to get out of here without sustaining any losses, like he did the second time.
And if he could avoid wasting time like the first time, that would be best of all.
Subaru crossed his arms and cocked his head, wondering if there was some way he could get away from them.
On the other side, perhaps thinking Subaru's attitude meant he was ignoring them despite their seemingly superior position, Tonchinkan's expressions were dyed in hostility
He at least had to make a decision before they drew their weapons.
As he lamented their lack of patience, Subaru figured he would have to go with a surprise attack after all―Suddenly, he remembered the moment of his third death.
As he lay there on the verge of death, all he could do was hear.
Back then, what was it that they were talking about? His dying brain could not comprehend it back then, but it should be possible now.
―Yeah, that's it.
"Guaaaaaards!!!"
Tonchinkan were caught off guard by his sudden call for help, causing them to jump.
The volume was such that it smashed the silence of the alley, and even tore through the hustle and bustle of the main street.
His absurd sensitivity was well known when he took kendo, and had long since stripped him of any shame when it came to screaming.
Something like screaming for help did not damage his pride even slightly.
"Someone―! I need a man―!!!"
"Bastard… Don't screw around! You're seriously yelling at a time like this?!"
"You're supposed to listen to us if you don't want to get hurt, that's how it's supposed to be! You can't just do this without even listening to our demands!"
"Shut up! Who gives a damn what normally happens?! Offbeat, off path, off course, wrong way, they're all on the right track! As if I wanna deal with you guys! I just wanna have some fun with gold and silver haired beauties!"
As Tonchinkan went into a frenzy and stomped their feet, Subaru angrily yelled at them.
Subaru was putting on a defiant act as he verbally attacked them, but although it wasn't showing, a sense of panic was rapidly building up within him. The plan to seek help was based on his very vague memories of his last moments in the third world.
The moment before his consciousness descended into darkness, someone among them had said something like "Guards" and "Run", his shoddy strategy relied on this tiny hint.
There was also the fact that when he beat these guys on his second time, it seemed the people on the street simply turned a blind eye even though they knew he was getting robbed.
"So it was a mistake after all…"
"Trying to scare us like that… I was just a little nervous."
"Just a little bit!"
"A really tiny bit!"
In unison, they denied how pathetic they were in a very pathetic fashion.
The men took a deep breath to calm down as if to regain control of the situation after Subaru's stunt, and then they each drew their weapons.
A knife, a rusty nata, and,
"Why are you the only one without a weapon? Didn't have the money to buy one?"
"Shut up! I'm stronger without one! Underestimate me and I'll beat you to death, you damned brat!"
"If only I had a recording of the second time, I'd love to show it to you."
As he thought back to his flawless overhead throw, he started to bask in his own admiration. On the other hand, his situation was now so bad his mind continually warned of danger.
They had already drawn their weapons, greatly reducing his chances of success.
Forget escaping without any injuries or losses, he wasn't even sure he could make it out of there in one piece.
"Let me go already… I'd rather avoid the pain."
Having died three times, Subaru now understood that it wasn't something you could get used to no matter how many times it happened.
Furthermore, all his deaths until now were horribly painful ones brought about by blades. That sharp pain was always fresh and electrifying, like his nerves were being scraped.
He'd really rather not go through that again, and most of all―
"I've been able to come back from death until now, but there's no guarantee it'll happen again…"
He couldn't be sure that this ability didn't have a limited number of uses.
There was no number engraved on his body or anything, but it was said that even Buddha would get annoyed if you touched his face three times. Assuming that that was the case here, he had already run out of continues. If he pathetically died a pointless death here, his life in another world would reach the BAD END.
"…. In short, the best thing to do would be to run away, even if I get injured."
The most lethal of them was, naturally, the tried and true knife. That nata was terribly rusty, so it'd probably be no different from a normal hit if he blocked it with his plastic bag. The empty handed thug was no problem.
As he watched Tonchinkan approach, he immediately made up his mind.
Subaru was completely focused on Chin, and started counting down in his head as he looked for an opening.
―Three, two, ah, hold on just one moment, three, two…
"―That's enough."
That voice suddenly and clearly tore through the tension in the alley.
Its dignified tone hadn't the slightest hint of hesitation or mercy. All those who listened to it were struck by its overwhelming presence, and were naturally inclined to obey it.
Subaru raised his head, and Tonchinkan turned around― There was a young man standing there.
What first drew their eyes was his red hair that was like a blazing inferno.
Right below were shining blue eyes that could only be described as daring.
His extraordinary good looks only further amplified his awe-inspiring presence, and a single glance was all it took to tell that he was someone of great importance.
He was tall, slender, and well-proportioned, and he wore well tailored black clothing. At his waist knight's sword that despite its simple appearance, gave off an abnormally intimidating atmosphere.
"Regardless of the circumstances, I will not permit any further violence against him. You've gone far enough."
As he said this, he calmly walked past Tonchinkan and stood between them and Subaru,
Both Subaru and the men were left speechless by this excessively majestic act.
But it seemed they had different reasons for their silence.
Subaru had fallen silent from surprise, and because he was anxiously waiting to see how this never before seen development would progress, but Tonchinkan were different, their faces were going pale.
"N-No way…"
Chin pointed at the man, his lips turning purple as they trembled,
"Blazing red hair and eyes blue as the sky… And that sword's sheath with a dragon's craw engraved in it."
He pointed to each location as if to make sure, and then gulped,
"Reinhardt… The Sword Saint Reinhardt?!"
"Seems I won't need to introduce myself… That title is a bit much for me, though."
The young man called Reinhardt muttered in a self-deprecating manner, but the glint in his eyes did not waver.
With his gaze piercing them, the men stepped back as though they were overwhelmed. They looked at each other as if to decide when to run, but,
"I'll leave it at that if you flee. You'd better head out onto the street. But if you wish to use force, I shall be your opponent."
He placed his hand on the handle of his sword, and jerked his chin toward Subaru who was stood behind him.
"It would be three on two in that case. In terms of numbers, you would have the advantage. I do not know to what extent my meager strength can aid him, but as a knight I shall face you."
"Yo-You're kidding! There's no way!"
Reinhardt's declaration caused them to panic, they ran off into the street having forgotten to even conceal their weapons.
They were so panicked they couldn't even make any parting threats like they did the first time. That in itself showed just how extraordinary the man before him was.
"I'm glad we're both safe. Are you unhurt?"
After he watched the men leave, the young man turned around with a smile.
Suddenly, the air of intimidation covering the alley disappeared. Realizing that even that was something the young man had consciously manifested, Subaru couldn't help but fall silent. Most of all.
"To be this cool after doing all that… This is beyond the level of Ikemen."
[T/N: Ikemen basically means attractive guy, but carries certain connotations.]
His face, voice, demeanor and actions, they were all scoring extremely high on the Ikemen index. If he also had a personality and pedigree to match, he had to be doing something evil behind the scenes or the world's balance would be thrown off.
Anyhow, setting aside his heart overflowing with envy, it was a fact that he had been saved. Subaru dropped to his knees and prostrated himself on the spot.
"I am ever so thankful to you for saving my life, please allow me to express my gratitude. I, Natsuki Subaru, admire your gallant spirit…"
"Relax, you don't have to go that far. They felt that they had lost their advantage when it became three on two. It would have been different if I were alone."
"No, judging by how terrified they were, forgot three on one, they'd back down even if it was ten on one… What's with this guy. Is he truly an Ikemen to the core, both body and soul? You're raising my route's flags!"
It'd be a real tearjerker, so a handkerchief would be indispensable.
As he spoke random drivel, Subaru once again took a good look at Reinhardt.
The more he looked at him, the more it seemed like his handsome features were sculpted by God himself, but his outfit didn't really give the impression that he was a guard. Beyond the quality of the materials, his clothing didn't seem very different from those of the general public milling about the street.
"Um, Reinhardt-san… Can I call you that?"
"You don't need to be so formal, Subaru."
"You sure closed the distance smoothly… Uh, thank you once again, Reinhardt. You were the only one who responded to my screams, how terribly lonely."
Considering how many people there were, there was no way he was the only one who heard. Reinhardt lowered his eyes slightly as Subaru lamented the lack of human kindness,
"I don't really want to say this, but it can't be helped. For most people, it would be very risky to antagonize such fellows. In that respect, your decision to call for the guards was the correct one."
"From the way you're talking, you're a guard? You don't really look like one."
"I hear that often. Well, today's my day off so I'm not in uniform, that's probably one of the reasons."
As Reinhardt spread his arms with a strained smile, Subaru retorted internally.
The main reason he didn't seem like a guard was because he seemed like the furthest thing from the somewhat unrefined image the term suggested To add on…
"I believe they called you something like 'Sword Saint'…"
"My family is somewhat special, you see. Every day feels like the weight of their expectations could crush me."
He shrugged his shoulders in a lighthearted manner, it looked like he had a sense of humor as well.
There was already no doubt whatsoever that he was an Ikemen in both body and soul. Subaru couldn't hide his wonder toward this man whose very existence was Ikemen, but Reinhardt stared at him intently,
"You've got unusual hair and clothing, and that goes for your name too… Where are you from? For what purpose have you come to the capital of Lugunica?"
"It's a bit hard to answer that first one. The typical setting of a small country to the east got some backlash so… H-How about further east, then―"
Subaru thought it seemed like a pretty safe answer. But Reinhardt's reaction was stronger than expected.
"East of Lugunica… Surely you don't mean beyond the Grand Cascade, some kind of joke perhaps?"
"Grand Cascade?"
Subaru cocked his head at this unfamiliar term.
He figured it was something like a waterfall, but he was completely clueless when it came to the geography around here. To begin with, he didn't even know how large the capital was. As far as Subaru knew, this Lugunica place only consisted of a trading street, some alleys, and the slum.
Essentially the same level as his old world, that only consisted of his home, his room, and the convenience store.
"Thinking of it that way, I'm basically being a shut-in even in another world, this has already become an inherent part of me… I really am something."
"It doesn't seem like you're trying to trick me, so let's leave it at that. Anyway, it does look like you're not from around here. You must have had a reason for coming here, right? Lugunica is currently in a bit of a complex situation. I can aid you if you wish."
"No, no, it's your day off, right? You don't have to throw it away just to help me out, you've already done more than enough… But while we're at it, there is something I'd like to ask you."
He shook his head at Reinhardt's proposal, and then raised his finger as if he just remembered something. Reinhardt casually nodded, giving him the go ahead.
"I'm not well versed in the happenings of the world so I'm not sure if I'll be able to answer, though."
"Well, what I'm asking about relates to a person I'm searching for, so that's fine. So, have you seen a silver-haired girl in a white robe around here?"
Having surveyed the main street several times, he could tell that Not-Satella's clothes stood out. Her silver hair was rare much like Subaru's black hair, and of course there was her robe with the hawk embroidered on it.
Thinking back, that white robe seemed expensive in its own way. Considering she had an insignia with a jewel embedded in it, he guessed her lineage must have been a prestigious one.
"A white robe and silver hair…"
"In addition, she's super gorgeous. And there's this cat… Well, it's not like she goes around showing it off. That's all I can tell you about her, ring any bells?"
There would be no doubt it was her if the cat spirit was a match as well, but since it was usually hidden in her hair most of the time that was probably too much to ask for.
Mentioning her beauty, he ended up thinking she and Reinhardt who was very handsome himself would look perfect standing next to each other. This arbitrary thought caused a strange envy to well up within him.
"… What are you planning to do when you find her?"
"I'm going to find something she lost, or rather, would it be something she's looking for? Anyway, I'll find it and give it to her."
Of course Subaru didn't actually have it on him right now, and it was even possible that it hadn't even been stolen yet.
Reinhardt narrowed his eyes at Subaru's response, and contemplated for a moment.
"No, sorry. I don't really know. I could help you with your search if you wish, though."
"I can't impose on you like that. It's alright, I'll find it one way or another."
Subaru raised his hands when Reinhardt offered his aid, and then decided that he would wander around the main street for now. If things went well, he might catch sight of her on the street like he did the third time.
If possible, it'd be good to stop Felt on the stop and prevent the theft entirely.
Thinking about what could happen after, he felt that that would be the best way, and became all the more impatient.
"The problem is how to stop her with that agility of hers… Repeated sideways jumps like this to block the road, a zone defense?"
"What unusual movements. For what purpose?"
[T/N: There's some weird sports stuff below here, since I'm not very familiar with sports I have no idea what this is about]
"It's a defensive action to pressure the opponent and snatch away the ball. Despite how it looks, it's a well established defense. Later, you end up participating in a position where you have no effect whatsoever on the ball, it's that kind of ability."
Subaru was someone who, when he participated in dodgeball, would simply stand right by the line in such a way that you didn't know whether he was infield or outfield. It wasn't uncommon for him to go entire games without once touching the ball.
"Anyway, I'd better head to the trading street first."
"Are you leaving?"
"Yeah, I'm going. You really helped me out. I'll definitely repay you someday… Can I meet you at the guard station or something?"
"I believe so, you just have to mention my name. Otherwise, on days off I'm usually wandering about the capital."
"I wouldn't really want to wander around town looking for a man… This isn't an Otome game."
He replied with a joke and suddenly raised his hand, to which Reinhardt responded "Be careful", cool to the very end.
As if those words were giving him a push forward, Subaru successfully left the alley having sustained no injuries or losses.
―Never realizing that blue eyes were on him, appraising him.