"Hey, hey, kid, do you want to buy some apples?"
The fruit shop owner, a middle-aged man with a fierce-looking face, forced a smile as he offered Natsuki Subaru an apple. The scars on his face twisted under his forced smile, making him look even more menacing.
"Before I buy any apples, I'd like to ask you a question, sir—have you seen me before?" Natsuki Subaru asked.
"Hmm..." The fruit shop owner stretched his neck, sizing Natsuki Subaru up from head to toe. "No, not at all. If a guy like you—dressed so weirdly and looking so fierce—had spoken to me before, there's no way I'd forget. So, are you buying apples or not?"
"Looks like it's time reversal after all..." Natsuki Subaru muttered thoughtfully and then looked up at the shopkeeper, who was a head taller than him, and smiled. "Thanks, but honestly, with that scary face of yours, you're in no position to comment on my appearance. Big, muscular, scar-faced man, but that smile of yours just doesn't suit you—it'll scare customers away."
"What can I do?" The shopkeeper crossed his arms with a helpless expression. "I didn't choose to look this intimidating, you know? It's bad for business. Besides, if I don't smile, I might look even scarier. So, are you buying or not...?" His voice trailed off as he looked around and realized that the young man had disappeared.
Angry shouts echoed down the street:
"Figures, just another guy who asks questions but never buys anything. A poor bastard!"
...
By the time Natsuki Subaru arrived at the depths of the slums and stood before the Stolen Goods Vault, the sun was already setting.
Looking at the heavy wooden door, Natsuki Subaru hesitated for a moment. He lowered his hand, which had been about to knock, and instead crouched down, sneaking around the vault to survey the place. After circling it, he returned to the front door.
As expected, a place called the Stolen Goods Vault sounded suspiciously criminal. The owner seemed very cautious—there was no way to see inside from the outside.
"I hope I'm not too late..." Natsuki Subaru muttered, furrowing his brow. Based on the fragments of memory he had recovered, it seemed that in his previous life, he had stumbled upon a murder scene here. The killer was setting up the scene just when Subaru had walked in, and he had been killed to keep him quiet. It also seemed that his companions had met the same grim fate due to his failure to warn them in time.
His last visit to the vault had been three to four hours later than this one, so, by rough estimation, he was right around the time the crime was committed.
Should he go in?
Natsuki Subaru's expression shifted between uncertainty and determination.
He was unarmed at the moment... If he encountered the killer, he'd be in a very bad position. But if he left now to find a weapon, he might miss the chance to uncover the truth.
Damn it, this is careless... Stupid Subaru.
He mocked himself.
But whatever.
What's there to be afraid of? If I die, so be it.
Even if I die, I will still try to save...
At that moment, Natsuki Subaru froze.
Based on his fragmented memories, he seemed to have been trying to save a white-haired girl.
What was her name again?
Why was he trying to save her?
As he pondered, a lazy female voice suddenly rang out behind him.
"Excuse me, young man, sorry to interrupt your thoughts, but could you please move aside?"
A cold chill ran through Natsuki Subaru's body, as though his blood had frozen.
He hadn't noticed anyone approaching.
And yet, here she was, silently behind him.
A bead of cold sweat ran down his forehead as he turned around, seeing a woman of graceful and regal demeanor. Her pale skin, almost sickly white, stood out even in the dim light. Though she wore a black leather coat, it was open at the front, clinging tightly to her body, revealing a figure that demanded attention. Her body was slender but had curves in all the right places—an enviable combination of devilish proportions and angelic beauty.
Her long, waist-length black hair was braided, and she absentmindedly twirled a lock of hair around her finger. As her gaze shifted, a faint, unintentional allure emanated from her.
But Natsuki Subaru wasn't thinking about her beauty at that moment. He knew, with a certainty, that if she had intended to kill him, he would be dead already.
Natsuki Subaru wasn't some legendary martial artist. His battle experience was nothing special—he had survived through dying and reviving, honing his skills and physical conditioning in the process. Although he was more capable now than before, compared to true warriors like Reinhard, he was nothing. He didn't have the skill to notice every little movement or sound like a top-tier fighter would.
But that didn't mean he couldn't use basic combat skills like being alert to his surroundings.
And yet, in this open space, he hadn't even noticed her approach.
Natsuki Subaru turned sideways, slowly stepping back and making way.
"Sorry, miss, I was just lost in thought."
"Is that so? Then may I ask why your smile seems so forced?" The woman casually pushed a lock of hair behind her ear and smiled.
"Don't worry, I didn't do anything to you." She chuckled and moved closer, gently knocking on the door.
"That's for the best," Natsuki Subaru said with a stiff smile, but inside, his anxiety deepened.
This woman was dangerous.
Although he couldn't feel any overwhelming aura of power like Reinhard's, her calmness made Natsuki Subaru even more cautious.
Unlike Reinhard, who was like the sun, this woman was more like a venomous snake hiding in the shadows, ready to strike. Even though her fangs were retracted for now, once she picked her target...
She would strike without mercy.
It felt similar to—
Though he couldn't remember the face of the person who had killed him before, the cold, lethal aura this woman gave off felt eerily familiar.
Natsuki Subaru narrowed his eyes.
—It looks like I've arrived at just the right time.
The wooden door creaked open, and a small blonde head peeked out.
It was a girl with messy short golden hair and rabbit-like red eyes. Her eyes sparkled with excitement, and her small tiger teeth showed as she grinned. Despite her scrappy outfit, her cuteness carried an air of mischief.
A familiar face.
As Natsuki Subaru tried to remember where he had seen her before, the girl noticed him. Her expression immediately shifted from joy to caution, not just toward Subaru but also toward the black-haired woman standing beside him.
"Hey, I don't remember saying you could bring someone else with you. Are you trying to skip out on paying the ten holy coins and just steal the goods instead?" The girl shot a sharp look at the black-haired woman, her red eyes filled with suspicion. Her muscles tensed as she prepared to bolt like a frightened rabbit.
"You're accusing me wrongly," the black-haired woman replied, sounding a little confused as she continued to twirl her hair. "I don't know this person. When I came, I saw him lurking around the door. In fact, I'm more worried that he's your hired thug here to steal and kill."
"Hmph!" The blonde girl didn't seem entirely convinced, but her wary gaze turned toward Natsuki Subaru.
"So, kid, who are you?"
Natsuki Subaru suddenly remembered. He had seen this girl before, in his previous life when he was being beaten by those three thugs, who tried to kill him. She had passed by but hadn't helped him. Instead, she left. It was after that that the white-haired girl chased after her, saved him, and then he had tried to repay her by helping her find this girl.
Although Subaru had some resentment toward the girl for not helping him when he needed it, he understood her decision. After all, he was a complete stranger to her.
Now, facing her question, Natsuki Subaru opened his mouth to answer but hesitated.
What should he do?
Leave or stay?
He knew that even though he was stronger than before, the black-haired woman was still far superior. If he stayed, he would almost certainly die.
Why put himself at risk for a girl he had known for less than a day?
Though she had saved him once, he had died later on helping her. They were square now.
—Yeah, if there was any debt, he had repaid it.
Why push his luck?
Was it really worth it?
Natsuki Subaru felt a dry lump form in his throat.
No, it wasn't worth it.
So...
Sorry.
"I..."
The words he had prepared to say to escape never came out. His body seemed to reject his thoughts and spoke entirely different words.
"I don't expect you to care who I am, but just know this: I'm here to do business with you. And it's a big deal."
"Huh?"
Why was he saying this?
Why was he saying that?
"Let's talk about it tomorrow. I'm not in the mood right now." Thankfully, the blonde girl spoke up, relieving Subaru's anxiety.
Good, he thought. Now, get out while you still can.
He had tried and failed.
But his body rejected the plan once more.
With a smile on his face, Subaru ignored the blonde girl's protests and pushed the door open, walking in. As he entered, he casually said,
"This is a big deal worth twenty holy coins, you know? My time is precious, and I don't want to waste it. If you ask me to leave now, I'll just find someone else."
With that, Natsuki Subaru flashed a grin at the elderly giant sitting in the room, casually pulled out a chair, and plopped down. He then said with a smile, "Bring me a good drink."