I've never actually written a fanfic before. I always felt that any time I wasn't developing my own IP was time wasted. But I am pretty obsessed with Re:Zero and I had fun writing this. I started out with a goal to do two things: to develop better characterization for Subaru and Emilia, and to focus more on the romance angle. I think I did ok with the second one but the first was likely a complete failure.
After reading all the web novels I feel like the story of Re:Zero kind of got lost. I'm not really sure where it's going or if its building up to anything. I was expecting Subaru to go through a standard hero's journey and get more powerful. Honestly by Arc 4 I expected that the ending would have Subaru having gathered all nine Authorities and Emilia becoming the new witch of Envy. I thought that Reinhard would try to kill Emilia 'for the greater good' and Subaru would be determined to stop him. I figured that this would be the ideal ending for a hero's journey because by the end, the weak loser has actually earned his power and is ready to fight the raid boss for the sake of the woman he loves. I know this isn't going to happen and honestly the way Subaru stayed weak after consuming three different authorities is starting to feel pretty contrived to me.
The other problem I'm having with the series is that the romance angle between Emilia and Subaru doesn't get enough focus. Emilia is Subaru's motivation. Almost everything he does he does because he loves Emilia. However, seven arcs in and that romance really hasn't progressed beyond one kiss and Emilia still hasn't made sense of her feelings. She doesn't have to sleep with him but the relationship does need to develop further even if just on an emotional level. I know that she's emotionally a child (and really, why? Why add that to her character? Can we get any love interests in this series that aren't some kind of loli?) but if the author choses to make a romance the main character's entire motivation, then he really needs to devote serious time and effort to that romance. We as the audience need to feel why this girl is worth dying for (repeatedly). Otherwise the romance feels undefined and that makes the main character's motivation feel contrived and arbitrary. The other problem I have with the state of the romance is that I don't feel like it fits Emilia's character as it has been described. Emilia is a powerfully lonely person. She's been alone with Puck most of her life and now Puck is gone. I would have expected Emilia to be super love hungry and desperately anxious to leap into a relationship with someone she trusted as soon as Puck left. I'm sure it would have been a very juvenile relationship, limited to holding hands or something, but given everything we know about Emilia I think it would have made more sense for her to become openly possessive of Subaru, once she was given permission by him to feel that way, than for her to keep him at arms length while she sorts her feelings out.
Anyway, I really did have fun writing this and I hope you enjoy it. I'd love to get some feedback on the story.
*** Note there is no Return by Death in this story ***
When Subaru Natsuki opened his eyes, he was standing on a busy street. Wagons pulled by strange animals trundled slowly up and down the road and people in bizarre clothing walked by. The people's outfits were like something out of a renaissance fair, mostly robes and smocks. Several of the people who walked by Subaru gave him a side-eye as they passed.
Where am I? How did I get here?
"That man is dressed funny, Momma!" A boy laughed, pointing at Subaru. There was no malice in his mirth, he was simply too young to know better.
"Be quiet, Shinji," The woman holding his hand ordered sternly.
Subaru stared at them. The child appeared to be wearing some kind of 'cat ear' headband. Nothing terribly odd about that except for the fact that he had apparently convinced his mother to put on a similar headband since she had cat ears as well. Were they playing a game or going to a comic-con?
The mother forcefully pulled her son past Subaru, glowering at him in suspicion. Subaru only belatedly realized that the way he was staring at the pair in fascination might well have been considered threatening. The boy, Shinji, sensed nothing wrong and waved at Subaru as he and his mother hurried past. The mother continued to glower at Subaru, flicking her ears in disapproval before turning away.
Wait a second… she had flicked her ears? Were those ears real?!
Subaru, his eyes wide, looked more closely at the crowd. Now that he was paying more attention, he realized that lots of people in the crowd didn't look human. They had fur and animal ears and one fellow approaching him right now had an entire wolf's snout covering his face!
The wolf-faced man glowered at Subaru. "You got a problem, buddy?" He snarled. Subaru decided that it really was a snarl when a person opened a mouth that was full of sharp teeth.
Subaru realized that he'd been staring in open-mouthed wonder at the wolf-man and hurriedly shook his head 'no.'
The wolf-man snorted, "I thought not," He turned and slunk up the road, grumbling to himself.
Subaru's feelings of shock slowly transformed into wonder.
Wait a second… I'm really in another world! I'm not the loser I was back home anymore! This is my big chance! I've been summoned here by some kind of destiny! I'm finally going to be worth something, people aren't going to sneer at me or shake their heads with pity when I walk by. I'm not just a NEET. I'm going to wow the people, defeat the Demon King, and marry the beautiful princess! I don't believe it, my every dream is coming true! I'm not a loser anymore!
A feeling of intense joy welled up in his heart. Subaru felt like he wanted to embrace this whole world, if only he could spread his arms wide enough. Subaru couldn't hold it all in: He started to laugh out loud, ringing peals of pure joy.
"Excuse me, sir. Are you alright?" A courteous voice asked.
Subaru quickly came down from his natural high and discovered that a small crowd had gathered around him. The locals were all staring at him with a mixture of concern and trepidation. The only exception to this was the man who had actually spoken: a tall, handsome young man with bright red hair and a demeanor that could only be described as 'polite.' He wore what looked like some kind of uniform and he had a sword belted at his side. The man was looking at Subaru with a mix of kindness and concern.
Subaru folded his arms behind his head and laughed again.
Awesome. Maybe this guy is going to be my first companion on a daring adventure to save the world. I really thought that finding my first companion would have been harder. I better put on a good show to impress him. That should be easy at least, I'm feeling so high-on-life right now that I don't know if I could worry about anything if I tried. I'm not a loser, I'm the fucking hero!
"I'm great!" Subaru said in a cheery voice. "I'm having the best day of my entire life!"
The small crowd that had gathered around Subaru was dispersing, although not without a few rolled eyes. They were either departing out of boredom or simply because they trusted that the redheaded man had the situation well in hand.
The man smiled at Subaru. "I am most happy to hear it. My name is Reinhard van Astrea. Might I have the pleasure of knowing yours?"
"I'm Subaru Natsuki and it is an absolute pleasure to meet you!" Subaru enthused, watching the passing throng of humanity with bemusement. "I'm new in this land, I have no money, no friends, no idea where I'm sleeping tonight, and absolutely no idea what I'm doing!" Subaru laughed.
Reinhard's face grew more concerned. "That sounds… truly terrible," He said, uncertain whether or not to be sympathetic. This 'Subaru' was saying horrible things with a smile on his face. Reinhard concluded that the young man was either suffering from a mental breakdown or he possessed a truly remarkable kind of fortitude.
Subaru gave Reinhard a deprecating smile. "Yeah. It's a little rough but I'll bounce back, don't worry. It's just going to take me a couple of days to get myself situated," Subaru shrugged.
It's not like I really have to worry, Subaru thought to himself. This world is set up just for me. It's a place where I can show off my true potential. I mean, I'm sure the first few levels or chapters or however you want to look at it will be kind of rough, but that'll just be good training. I hope I can get started with the main plot quickly.
Reinhard's eyes widened. "I truly admire your confidence, Master Natsuki. I doubt that I could have such optimism or conviction were I to find myself in similar straits." Reinhard knew that everything good about him came directly from his innumerable Divine Blessings that granted him his magical powers. No one needed to tell him that he would be all but worthless without them, although no small number of people hadsaid that to his face over the years.
Wow, Subaru thought. This guy sounds as insecure as I am. I mean… as insecure as I used to be; I'm better now. Anyway, the guy seems like he needs some sympathy. I'd probably want to cheer him up anyway but if he is going to be my first companion on my quest then I should definitely try to bond with him. He just stands out from the crowd a little too much to simply be another background character. He's probably going to be intimately involved in my own role as the hero. Besides, he really seems like a genuinely nice guy and we all need a little support every now and then.
Subaru shook his head with a grin. "Hey, buddy, don't sell yourself short! Oh, and please call me Subaru, if you say 'Mister Natsuki,' I think you're talking to my Dad. Anyway, you should have more faith in yourself. Honestly, I felt the same way about myself not so long ago. You never know what you're capable of until you're put in the right situation."
Reinhard couldn't help smiling back. "I thank you for your kind words, Master Subaru," Reinhard said. "You mentioned that you were new in the city and have nowhere to sleep tonight. I'd be only too happy to offer you lodgings while you become settled here." He paused, absently touching the satchel hanging at his side. "Unfortunately, my… father has requested that I deliver these parcels to his various acquaintances today and I must comply. Should you visit my home this evening, I would be most delighted to host you."
Oh? I guess he'd not joining my party right now. Too bad. Maybe the main quest doesn't involve him yet, not that I know what the main quest actually is. No biggie. I set the flag. I'm sure that he'll pop up again when the plot is ready for it. I might as well head off and see how I finish this prologue.
"That sounds great, Reinhard. I'm certain we'll meet again very soon and I am totally looking forward to it!" Subaru said, knuckling Reinhard's shoulder with a fond laugh as he walked away, searching for the next plot line.
Had Subaru bothered to look behind him as he walked away, he would have seen Reinhard's face grow worried and indeed alarmed. Reinhard possessed well over a hundred Divine Blessings, more than anyone else in the world. To call Reinhard the single most powerful being on this planet would not have been inaccurate. When Subaru had touched him, two of Blessings had immediately triggered: specifically the Divine Blessing of Judgment and the Divine Blessing of Empathy.
The Divine Blessing of Judgment had always been a valuable tool for Reinhard because it enabled him to know what special abilities a person possessed. It gave him perfect insight into what options an opponent possessed in battle and the relative power of that opponent. Knowledge is power in combat, and perfect knowledge provides ultimate power.
Reinhard had no intention of using any of his Blessing on Subaru. He saw no reason to do so. However, as soon as Subaru had touched him, the Blessing had activated independently and it had reacted in a way that Reinhard could only describe as alarm.
Reinhard van Astrea was beloved by this world. The wisdom of the world was at his disposal and any question he had about the nature of an individual's power should be instantly answered. However, for the very first time, his Blessing had failed him. It had been completely unable to provide any insight about the strange power of Subaru Natsuki. It wasn't that the Blessing hadn't detected any power within him, quite the contrary: Reinhard had sensed immensepower within the young man, easily enough to justify the young man's overwhelming confidence. However, the Blessing had failed to describe to Reinhard any way in which that power could be utilized.
Reinhard had a sudden mental image of a vast deep pool, filled to the brim with overwhelming dark magic; a pool of pure potential. The power was dormant at the moment but it was capable of evolving into virtually anything if it were ever to be triggered.
It was commonly believed that Reinhard never felt fear; that he was immune to fear or unable to comprehend it by merit of his sheer enormous power. Reinhard had often hidden his face whenever this was suggested. The speakers never understood how he felt and Reinhard had wearied of trying to explain it to them.
Others might think Reinhard invincible but he had people in his life that he truly cherished: Julius and Felix. They were his dearest friends, in some ways they were closer to him than brothers. However, they did not possess Reinhard's durability or his resiliency. Reinhard knew fear and it gnawed at him constantly. Reinhard never worried for his own life, as no true knight should. He worried for the lives of others. That one day he would be too slow, too weak, too dumb, or too cowardly to save them and their deaths would be his fault.
Reinhard watched Subaru walk away and wondered if he should chase after him and demand an explanation. Reinhard was a knight of the realm, even on his days off, and to let such a powerful being with completely unclear intentions and mysterious origins wander around the capitol unsupervised was… unwise to say the very least.
Reinhard would have gone after Subaru immediately except for his Divine Blessing of Empathy which had also triggered when Subaru touched him. This Blessing offered Reinhard insight into the minds and emotions of anyone he wished. He sensed in Subaru no bad intentions whatsoever. Subaru's mind was a bubbling cauldron of sheer happiness, excitement, and a wild desire for adventure. It was a mind almost… childish in a way. Reinhard couldn't precisely know what Subaru's desires were but he sensed that they were mainly a desire to accomplish and achieve and to be recognized for such achievements. They were desires such as any proud and motivated child might possess; determined to prove himself special and win acclaim.
This alone did not make Subaru harmless of course, plenty of innocent desires can be twisted into monstrous forms and yet Reinhard sensed no malice in him at all. The owner of so much restive dark power and yet he did not have any desire to inflict harm? Where had he acquired such power and how? Was it a curse? Was he possessed by it in some way? Was it a cruel joke of fate to inflict a kindly young man with a terrible power he could not hope to control?
Or could this be intended, Reinhard mused, Fate having selected the kindly young Subaru Natsuki with care; choosing him as this terrible power's rightful guardian?
Reinhard continued to debate with himself as he watched Subaru vanish into the crowd. Eventually, Reinhard turned away. He had no right to interfere with Subaru without cause. Whatever his suspicions might be he could not bring himself to condemn a young man for some speculative harm that mightbe done at some later date. Reinhard returned to his task of delivering his father's packages but, try as he might, Subaru Natsuki would not leave his mind.
Reinhard resolved that he would search for the young man later.
Subaru walked through town with a smile on his face and a song in his heart, heedless of where he was actually going. He watched everything and everyone with a smile. The wagon drivers yelling at each other, the streaming crowd of people who pushed by him, even the road workers sweeping up animal dung. He watched it all with a fond smile and a proprietary air. This was his world now. Subaru had never felt such overwhelming confidence in his life and he quickly grew addicted to the sensation. He'd show all of them how special he was, it was just a matter of time. He watched everything around him, trying to piece together what the next step in the main quest would be and how he could achieve it. However, Subaru felt no need to rush this. He winked at every look of disdain a passerby handed him. Each doubt, each eye roll would simply make his inevitable victory all the sweeter.
This is amazing! I'm finally going to be somebody special! All those years where everyone thought that I was a loser will finally have been worth it. This is my story. This is my adventure and I'm going to enjoy every moment of it. After everything I went through back home, I have earned an adventure. This world is my world and I absolutely deserve it.
It was right around then that Subaru had an out-of-body experience.
Everything around him froze in place and the world turned gray.
Subaru would never be able to explain quite how he felt in that moment. It was as if something had found him, something that had been looking specifically for him for longer than a human could comprehend. Or maybe it had been with him all along, constantly reaching out for him but unable to make contact. Either way Subaru felt… complete. He felt polished and finished, like a masterful work of craft, long in the making that had finally been perfected.
A moment later, searing pain came crashing down. He felt as if a colossal iron spike had been set on fire and then driven completely through his head. Subaru tried to scream but he was frozen in place and could neither move nor breathe.
In that moment, Subaru knew three phrases as if they were engraved on his heart in letters of flame: 'The Authority of Pride', 'Reason and Judgment' and 'Indomitable.'
Then, without warning, the world restarted around Subaru.
As Subaru stood there, gasping for breath, someone bumped into him from behind. "Asshole," The person spat as he walked around the trembling Subaru.
What the hell just happened? Did I level up or something? Already? I haven't even done anything yet. The Authority of Pride? What the hell is that?
Maybe the world recognized my new amazing self confidence and decided to reward me for it?
Man, leveling up hurts! Now I know where the term 'ding' comes from, because my head feels like a bell that got whacked with a hammer! What is 'Reason and Judgment?' Is that like some kind of new ability?
The moment that Subaru thought this, the world froze around him but at least this time everything didn't gray-shift. That made Subaru feel slightly more relaxed until he realized that he couldn't move either, which made him feel a whole lot less relaxed.
Subaru discovered that he could still move his eyes but that was it. He was as trapped in this frozen moment as everyone around him. A moment later, Subaru realized he couldn't breathe here.
Weird. I'm frozen in place and I can't even breathe. I should be terrified but… I'm just not.
I feel like panicking would almost be silly. I'm better than that. I don't need to panic or worry. No matter what the problem is, I can handle it. I just need to stay calm and think clearly.
Huh. These are really strange thoughts for me. I'm not usually this confident in scary situations.
Then again, Subaru, those kind of thoughts do make sense, Subaru thought to himself. This is your power. You can obviously control it. You may not know how to do it just yet but you'll figure it out. Why would you be panicking? This power bends to your desires the same way as this world one day will. You're the hero. This is your story. Just focus, bend your will to your desired outcome, and the world will follow.
Subaru decided to leave the frozen moment and everyone surged back into motion around him as if nothing had happened.
Subaru's unnatural calm and confidence persisted for a few moments longer and then slowly faded away, leaving confusion and frustration in their wake.
Wait! What the honest-to-god fuck is this?! This is my magic?! Well gee, that's a great power! 'I'm giving you this incredible magic that allows you to freeze everyone and everything around you! Oh, but it paralyzes you too! Bet this teaches you to never hit on the Game Master's girlfriend when you're playing Table-top RPGs, Subaru!'
Subaru's indignation just kept growing. What the hell am I supposed to do with this? I know I'm only level two or something but seriously, I'm the goddamn hero of this world. Give me something useful! How am I going to accomplish anything with this magic?
There's got to something more to this power. Either that or I'm literally getting trolled.
Subaru triggered Reason and Judgmentagain and the world froze around him. Subaru's frustration drifted away like smoke leaving him in an analytical state of perfect calm.
On second thought, Subaru, maybe you're dismissing this power too lightly, He thought to himself. It may not allow you to act inside the frozen moment but it does allow you to think and plan. In any situation, you have all the time in the world to construct the perfect strategy. That is a remarkable power. Whether in the heat of combat or a delicate series of negotiation, every move can be precisely calculated to achieve victory. This is truly a power worthy of a great hero.
Subaru looked at a nearby 'demi-human' who had a wolf's long snout. He wore a tattered old, blue robe and his long, matted fur was visible around his throat and on his forearms.
As Subaru focused on him, his frozen eyes zoomed in on the demi-human as if putting the man under a magnifying glass. He saw the small fleas nesting in his fur. The dirty fur also contained bits of straw and tiny clumps of dirt.
Interesting. It appears, going by the materials in his fur that this fellow doesn't bathe very often. The dirt and straw is likely a suggestion that he sleeps on the street and uses straw as a bed when available. The ratty old robe suggests the man might be homeless.
Subaru glanced at a fat demi-human with a long rat-like tail who had been marching down the street with a faint sneer on his face. This man was wearing a large gem on a chain around his neck and he had numerous jeweled rings on his fingers.
He must be a prosperous merchant to show off wealth like this.
Subaru zoomed in closer.
No. There are black spots on his neck chain where the gold paint has been rubbed off. It's lead, painted to look gold. The gem appears to be fake as well. It's too clear to be a naturally occurring stone. The same goes for the rings. This is not a wealthy man, it's a man who desperately wants people to think that he's wealthy.
Subaru glanced at a beautiful, young human woman who was wearing a flowing blue dress.
It appears that her dress is high quality, compared to the average around here. There are cat hairs on her dress; cat hair in three different colors actually. Her eye shadow looks expensive. There are small rock shards in it. It was probably made from crushed stones of some sort. She's wearing a gaudy wedding ring, this one is real but it's also several sizes too large for her finger. It's tarnished too. The rest of her jewelry is highly polished but not the wedding ring. Curious. Her hands look pretty rough as well; lots of old scars and callouses. She seems wealthy but she works with her hands? Maybe a jeweler or something high end like that? Although it seems doubtful that jewel-crafting would mark her hands like this.
Subaru stared at the woman. He was beginning to get an idea.
Subaru frowned, wishing that he could scratch his chin in the frozen moment.
Alright, Subaru. Let's see if we can put all these details together, Subaru mused.
Her clothes and makeup are expensive so we know she has money. She's young, barely out of her teens so she probably inherited her money somehow. She also apparently has three cats. She's done manual labor with her hands at some point in her life but there's no new cuts or marks on her hands so she hasn't done it in a while.
What does this all add up to?
Subaru thought for a moment.
She married into money. She did manual labor of some kind, maybe as a tailor? Mom used to have some marks like that on her hands when she was working on sewing projects. Then the girl got married and now she has money. Her wedding ring is much too big for her. Maybe it was an heirloom? No, probably not. If it was precious to her then she would have had it resized. A ring that loose is just begging to be lost.
Hm. Maybe she wants it lost? She's not taking very good care of that ring. She clearly attends to her other jewelry carefully, it's all well polished. Her wedding ring is badly tarnished so she clearly doesn't value it. Why not? It's an expensive piece.
Maybe she resents her husband? If she married him for his money, it's unlikely to be a great romance and that would explain why she isn't taking very good care of it but why would she want to outright lose the ring? It's bound to fall off like this. Maybe she wants to lose it so he'll get her a new one? Maybe she's a second wife and she was given her predecessor's ring? OK so her husband is an asshole who recycled his late wife's wedding ring and the new wife probably doesn't much care for the constant reminder that she's a replacement goldfish.
Reason and Judgment gave Subaru no indication of how correct or incorrect his deductions were but Subaru felt like his story was probably pretty close to the truth even if not exactly accurate.
This power is only marginally suited to combat, although infinite time to plan your attacks should not be underrated. Still, in any situation where it becomes necessary to persuade or negotiate, this power will be invaluable, Subaru thought.
Whatever your quest is, fighting will be unavoidable, but just as important is the mastery of soft power: the ability to negotiate and persuade. That allows you to form alliances and build armies. Negotiation is likely preferable to combat in most instances anyway. It would be most unfortunate for anyone to have to die, particularly you.
Satisfied, Subaru willed the world to resume its movement around him.
The crowd immediately flowed back into motion and the well-dressed, young woman drew back from Subaru, looking at him with frightened eyes.
As she hurried away, looking nervously over her shoulder, Subaru realized that he had still been staring at her with rapt interest when the world started moving again.
Subaru felt Reason and Judgment's unnatural calm and confidence start to fade away.
"Hey! Quit blocking traffic!" A fat man snapped at Subaru, grumbling at being forced to step around him.
Subaru stepped into a nearby alley to think more about his newfound ability. He was certain this was the key to the next step in his quest. He just had to figure out how to use it properly.
Subaru walked into the dark alley, deep in thought.
Alright, so I've obviously been called here to do something but I don't know what. I guess that I'm on the right track since I just got my first magic 'spell.' But what do I do with it? And where do I go next? Video games usually have bread crumbs to avoid this problem. I know nothing about this world so where do I go? What do I do? Do I just walk out of town and look for monsters to fight? Maybe I would find a frightened maiden to rescue who would tell me about a marauding dragon or something? Or do I head for the local castle and try to be sucked into some kind of political intrigue over the fate of the kingdom?
Stories are not told like this! Whether it's a game or a novel, the main character is always given some kind of associate who can provide direction and exposition to the audience. Unfortunately, I don't know anyone here. Well, I did meet Reinhard.
Hm. Maybe I shouldn't have let him go off so easily. Maybe helping him deliver that mail was a sidequest? No, he never even implied he wanted help. On the other hand, he did invite me over to his house tonight and I could ask him some questions then… if I had any idea where the hell he lived.
Great work, Subaru. You're making a mess of things in your new world already. This is why everyone thinks that you're a loser.
Subaru was concentrating so hard on his problems that he almost bumped into three young men coming the other way down the alley.
"Hey, what have we got here?" One of the young men, a pale, lanky kid with long, dirty hair, said with a smirk.
Subaru saw the wolf-smiles on their faces and suddenly remembered his school days.
These guys are bad news, Subaru thought. I met a lot of kids like them back when I was still going to school. They're young, dumb, and aggressive. They're as likely to hurt someone as part of a joke gone too far as they are to do it intentionally. Sometimes that can be even more dangerous.
Subaru used Reason and Judgment to pause the scene. His apprehension vanished replaced by disdain.
Characters like these are where the term 'trash mob' comes from. This is a complete waste of valuable time. Unfortunately, the problem still needs to be dealt with.
Well, Subaru, this doesn't look promising, Subaru thought to himself. These three are unshaven and they wear raggedy clothes. They look like they've been living rough. Those bulges under their clothes look specifically like daggers. That's not good. Reinhard openly wore a sword but these guys want to conceal that the fact that they're armed. They use small weapons, easily concealed and easy to use in tight quarters.
Subaru felt a tinge of fear that broke through Reason and Judgment's confidence as he remembered his encounters with thugs and violent bullies back home.
These guys are ambush predators and they think that I'm easy prey. Which probably isn't too far from the truth.
A moment later, Subaru's unnatural calm reasserted itself and he again viewed the situation as if from a comfortable, remote distance. He felt almost like a different person as he strategized.
Reason and Judgment isn't a combat skill, Subaru mused. It could be an advantage in a fight, certainly but trying to fight three armed men using Reason and Judgment would be an act of desperation. You do have one other power: Indomitable. That might be a combat power. But this would be a poor time to try and figure out what it does unless you're cornered. Reason and Judgment's strongest power is to persuade and manipulate by observation so ideally you would use it here to negotiate a ceasefire.
Subaru inspected the men for a long time but he didn't notice anything that would suggest that they were anything other than what they initially appeared to be: common muggers. He did notice that the shortest one was carrying a heavy bag which Subaru suspected to be full of money. The bag had tiny bloodstains on it. Worse yet, the blood appeared to be fresh. It seemed that he wasn't their first meal of the day and that those weapons weren't just for intimidation.
Wait. If they already took a score today, why are they starting trouble with you? You don't look like you're wealthy. In fact, to these people your clothes probably make you look like you just rolled out of bed. These three seem unusually excited too. Perhaps they just took a big score? For whatever reason, they're not thinking clearly. They're drunk on power and excitement and that means they'll be really hard to talk down. Still it's the best strategy you have so you might as well try.
Subaru restarted time with a sigh. "Hey guys! I'm Subaru Natsuki!" He said, forcing an amused smile across his face. He tried to hold onto Reason and Judgment's supreme confidence. "What brings you here? Looking for a dance partner?" He drawled.
The men blinked and their smiles faltered as they glanced at each other in confusion. Subaru's refusal to 'read the room' and be intimidated by three men, one of whom was significantly larger than him, was throwing them off step.
That's it. Recognize that I'm not afraid of you and that my lack of fear should make you apprehensive. Never underestimate the power of a good bluff.
Subaru had been in a surprising number of fights growing up. One thing that he had learned early on was that sometimes acting like you can defend yourself was just as good as actually being able to do it. It makes people wonder if that 'easy target' might not be as easy as it seemed and if they might get hurt in the altercation as well. The longer they deliberate over this the better. The more someone debates if starting a fight over nothing is really worth it, the more likely they are to conclude that it's not.
The three seemed uncertain for a moment but then their faces hardened and they began grumbling to one another.
Uh-oh. I may have misplayed this. I don't need Reason and Judgment to analyze this. These three are insecure, feel disrespected, and have probably been pushed around by bigger fish most of their lives. They compensate for all this by hunting down easy prey. Today they took a big payday, maybe their very first big payday and they feel like big men now. I've made them second guess themselves and that is unforgivable to them. If they don't make me sorry for this, their self-doubt will come back and they'll do anything to avoid that.
Hey guys, maybe we could talk about this over a beer? Believe me, nobody knows more about self-doubt than me! You seriously don't need to beat me black and blue here.
The lanky one whipped out a long knife and pointed it at Subaru. "This is a private way, buddy! There's a toll for passing," He said with a thin smile.
"Sorry, I don't have any money," Subaru answered, trying to sound amused.
"Oh? I'm sure if you were properly motivated you could make a little contribution to our good cheer," The knife wielder said.
Subaru snorted. "Yeah. I'm dressed like this because I'm just rolling in disposable income," He said.
The three glanced at each other dubiously. It seemed for a moment like they might believe that he really didn't have any money. However, the three began muttering angrily to one another.
I know this dance. These jerks feel like that by being broke, I've cheated them out of whatever treat they planned to buy for themselves with my money. It's not the most logical train of thought but it's a common enough worldview for bullies. I'm not going to talk these guys down. That leave me only one choice: go all in on the bluff.
"As opposed to you," Subaru snickered to the knife-wielding thug, "Whom I assume dresses that way because he got dressed in the dark."
The knife wielder gaped at him while his two friends started giggling.
The man with the knife turned and slapped his fellows, "Shut up, both of you!"
Subaru had to go for sheer intimidation: Act like they were no threat to him at all and that the potential risk of attacking him was extreme. If that failed, he'd have to try to fight his way out and that did not look promising for Subaru.
Never underestimate the power of a good bluff, Subaru thought. Unfortunately, I don't have high hopes for scaring them off. Running might be an option, assuming anyone on the street would even get involved and not simply stand back and watch them gut me. I can certainly outrun the little one but outrunning that giant and the knife wielding asshole would be tricky.
I don't have any weapons so I'm not ready for a fight. Unless someone appears to rescue me like a cheap plot-device, I do not love my chances.
"You need to learn to watch your tongue!" The knife wielder said, pulling out a second knife. "Maybe I can help you by cutting a few inches of it off!"
The big thug behind 'dual knives' pulled out brass knuckles and the little one carrying the money bag took out a crude nail festooned club.
Subaru felt his hands trembling and he triggered Reason and Judgment.
He felt his terror dissipate like smoke. He might as well have been watching a character on TV for all the situation affected him.
Well, Subaru, it appears your options are somewhat limited, He thought to himself. If they call your bluff, running is probably your best option. We'll just promise ourselves a reckoning for this liberty later… You could try to activate Indomitable but you have no idea what it does. That not only means that it might not help your chances in the fight but it could just as easily hurt them. If it turns out that Indomitable gives you a ten percent damage reduction but it also roots you in place, it will only serve to make you die ten percent more slowly while 'Dual Knives' carves you up. So let's not trigger that power until we're trapped and desperate.
Meanwhile, never underestimate the power of a good bluff. You don't need to take away their ability to attack, just their will to do so.
Subaru restarted time.
Subaru felt his calm and confidence draining away as he reached inside his pockets looking for anything he could use as a weapon.
He found his flip phone, his key-ring, and a few coins.
Well, it's better than nothing! Subaru pulled out his flip phone, snapped it open, and pointed it at the thugs like the world's strangest knife. The screen lit up as he pressed a button.
"The fuck is that?" Dual Knives asked, staring at the brightly lit screen.
Subaru gave him a cocky smile. "Oh? You never seen one of these before? Well, it's got a bunch of neat tricks. It's going to cost you a few pints of blood to see them though."
"Wait, is that some sort of magic weapon?" The little thug asked, falling back a step.
"Oh, you must be the smart one," Subaru said mockingly. "It's a pretty impressive little toy. Step a little closer and I'll show you," He said, pressing the button and causing the screen to light up again.
The little mugger nervously stepped closer to the big one who was rubbing his chin with a worried frown on his face.
Alright, the Tiny and Jumbo want out of this situation. Good thinking. There's nothing to be gained here and a ton to lose.
Dual knives flashed his teeth at Subaru. "You fucking think that I'm afraid of you?!" He shrieked, raising his knives. "I ain't afraid of no magic!"
"Then you're foolish," Subaru replied quietly.
Subaru triggered Reason and Judgment, pausing the world and giving himself time to think.
Hm. It looks like the big one and the small are ready to sit this fight out, Subaru noticed, That would be great news if Dual Knives wasn't so clearly capable of killing you all by himself.
Dual Knives's stance is badly off balance. At a guess, it looks like his strategy is just to throw himself at the target and then keep slashing until it dies.
He'll be open to counterattacks when he makes that reckless lunge, unfortunately without a weapon there's no way for you to take advantage of that. It's unlikely that trying to bonk him on the head with a flip phone will be all that effective.
Subaru rejected one idea after another while staring at Dual Knives's frozen, snarling face.
Alright, seems you have really one option at this point: Once you unpause the world, switch your phone to camera mode, blind Dual Knives with the flash and then run like hell while they try to figure out what kind of spell you just cast on them.
Subaru couldn't feel terror in the frozen moment, but he could certainly feel frustration.
Why is this situation even happening? Doesn't Dual Knives know that I'm supposed to be the hero here?
Subaru unfroze the moment and quickly switched his phone to camera mode. Duel Knives gave him a slasher smile when suddenly his attention was drawn over Subaru's shoulder. Subaru heard rapid footsteps racing up behind him.
Subaru's face broke into a wolf grin.
The cavalry is here! I'm getting rescued from this 'no win' scenario!
Subaru tried to glance behind him without taking his eyes off Duel Knives. He frowned. The new character running toward him was a teenage girl with blond hair and blood-red eyes. She wore pants with one leg ripped off and a halter top. A red scarf nearly as long as she was tall, streamed behind her as she ran. She was tiny and probably weighed about ninety pounds soaking wet.
This is my backup?!
Unless she's some kind of anime magical girl who can suplex a tank without breaking a sweat, I don't think she'll be much help.
Well, any help is better than none, I guess, Subaru mused. I'll wait for her to attack and then I'll blind Dual Knives with the flash so that he's disoriented and we can take him down together. The other two should run away at that point.
The girl raced down the alley with a fierce grin on her face.
She reached Subaru.
She moved past Subaru.
Then she bolted to the far end of the alley, leaped up the wall using some protruding bricks as stepping stones, swung over the side and was gone.
For a long moment, the four men in the alley simply stared at the wall where the girl had disappeared. Subaru was probably the one most flabbergasted. He felt like a performer whose costar had forgotten her lines and simply dashed off, abandoning him on the empty stage.
Subaru was getting the uncomfortable sensation that his plot armor in this particular scene had malfunctioned.
Dual Knives snarled and lunged at him but Subaru snapped a picture right in Dual Knives's face causing Dual Knives to stagger backwards, rubbing his eyes and wiping his face.
"The fuck did you just do to me?!" He demanded, sounding a bit scared.
"What?" Subaru asked jovially. "I thought you guys wanted to see a sample of my magic. Don't worry, it won't trigger until later."
Dual Knives took a step backwards, his face pale.
Holy shit, he's buying this!
"Stop right there!" A clear voice demanded from behind Subaru.
Subaru turned around and his mind went completely blank. Standing at the alley mouth, Subaru saw the most beautiful girl he had ever imagined. She had shimmering silver hair and brilliant amethyst eyes. She wore a white skirt and spotless white clothes that had purple accents. She stood in the alleyway entrance, tall and proud, pointing at the muggers accusingly.
"Return what you have stolen from me!" She said in a clear authoritative voice.
Subaru blinked and then he looked back at Dual Knives. For a brief moment, the two enemies were united in their shared confusion.
"You stole from her?" Subaru asked.
"No, I didn't!" Dual Knives objected.
"I'm willing to look the other way about your theft but I need the insignia you stole from me returned right now," She stated, holding out her hand.
"You know, dude, if I were you, I'd just give it back to her," Subaru said conversationally.
Dual Knives looked at him incredulously.
Subaru shrugged. "Hey, I'm just saying. I got you pretty good with my 'Sony wand.' If I don't take off that curse, you're going to be really hurting by nightfall. But don't worry, you'll be beyond all worldly concerns by morning."
Dual Knives cringed backwards, his knives trembling. Dual Knives was frantically inspecting his body, looking for some sign of damage. The other two men backed away, clearly ready to run for their lives.
"Give her back her insignia and I'll remove the curse," Subaru said pleasantly.
"I didn't take her fucking insignia! I've never seen her before in my life! Take the fucking curse off me!" He almost screamed.
Subaru frowned. "Are you sure this is the man who stole your insignia?" He asked the girl. Subaru was actually surprised that he could speak so calmly to what had to be the most beautiful woman in creation. He would have assumed that his mind would have gone completely blank and he'd be unable to string two words together. Maybe it had something to do with the calm from Reason and Judgment?
"No, my insignia was stolen by a small girl with blond hair," She replied.
Subaru frowned at the silver haired girl. "So… why did you even accuse them of taking it in the first place?"
The girl blinked at Subaru and flushed. "Well, I saw her run in here…"
"Yeah, she climbed that wall and disappeared," Subaru explained, pointing at the wall.
"Oh no," She whispered, covering her mouth with an expression of dismay.
"Alright! See? I didn't take her fucking thing! So take this freaking curse off me!" Dual Knives demanded.
Subaru raised his phone and snapped another picture.
Dual Knives recoiled from the flash. "What the fuck did you just do?!" He demanded.
"I have suspendedthe curse on all three of you but I have not canceled it," Subaru warned. "Behold! I have captured a fragment of your very being!" Subaru held up the phone and showed Dual Knives the picture.
Lucky me, this picture has Dual Knives recoiling with his eyes bugging out of his face.
"What the fuck does that mean?" Dual Knives demanded, his face pale.
"You have all been afflicted with the 'Creeping Rot' Curse!" Subaru proclaimed. "Each time you shed innocent blood, the curse's grip on you shall grow stronger. When the curse's power is finally unleashed, your flesh shall drip from your bones like wax until you fall over dead! Now go! And pray that you never see my face again!" Subaru roared.
The three thugs ran down the alley, bleating piteously.
Subaru started to laugh. He struggled to hold it in until the thugs were out of ear shot but he couldn't help it. He laughed uproariously.
"Did you really place a curse on them?" The girl whispered, pressing her hand to her mouth.
A voice from beside Subaru said: "Nope."
Subaru glanced to his right and saw a small gray cat. A completely ordinary cat except for the fact that it was talking. Oh, and it was floating in mid air. "I'm sorry to break this to you, guy, but there's no curse on any of them," The cat shrugged.
"Oh, I know that. I don't know how to inflict a curse. They sure seemed to believe it though, didn't they?" Subaru told the cat.
The cat laughed.
"You told them that they were cursed when they weren't?!" The girl said, folding her arms across her chest. "Why? You scared those poor men out of their minds!"
"Because it got them to go away and we didn't have to fight them which potentially could have meant killing them," Subaru answered. "Besides, maybe they'll rethink their lives if they think that hurting innocent people could hurt them too."
Subaru couldn't help but stare at the girl with a foolish grin. She was like some rare, flawless jewel. He noticed that her ears came to delicate points.
An elf girl? This is so awesome! Subaru almost squealed. This is it. This is the female lead. The main love interest in my story. The beautiful virtuous princess who falls in love with me. The person who's always there to congratulate and comfort me. This is so amazing. What does her hair feel like? What does her skin feel like? Heck, I've never even kissed a girl! I wonder how long until she lets me kiss her. Hell, I wonder how long I have to wait until I earn the right to sleep with her! Do I need to defeat some enemies before the plot opens up that option or can I just engage in conversation with her to get her affection levels up? I guess I'd probably have to do both before she takes me to bed. Oh my god, she's perfect! She's gorgeous, she's exotic, and most importantly, she's all mine.
Everything went dark.
When Subaru regained consciousness, he was staring at a pair of white boots.
"Are you alright?" The elf girl asked, crouching over him.
Subaru coughed and pushed himself off the ground, regaining his feet. "Yeah, I think so. How long was I out?"
"Just a minute or two," The elf said, frowning at Subaru. "Does this have anything to do with that strange talisman you're carrying? Are you actually cursed?"
"No, not unless you cursed me while I was napping," Subaru replied, rubbing his face. His head hurt. "What happened?"
"It was probably just some bad energy floating around inside you," The floating cat said, glowering down at Subaru. "Maybe you were having wicked thoughts about someone. That can have terrible consequences on your body, you know. You need to watch that. Who knows? Next time it happens the effects could be much, much more severe."
Subaru heard the threat in the cat's voice and swallowed hard.
Wait, so the cat can read my mind and then it knocked me unconscious when it didn't like what it saw in there? Is that really what happened?
"Since you claim to know so much about curses, I thought about giving you one but my daughter talked me out of it," The cat continued.
"Your daughter?" Subaru's gaze flickered between the cat and the elf girl. He really didn't see the family resemblance.
The cat was glaring at him.
Subaru coughed.
OK, so I feel pretty sure that the cat knows exactly what I was thinking about his 'daughter' before I collapsed. I also have a hunch that the cat's talk about cursing me is not just bluster. I think I better go out of my way to avoid pissing the cat off again.
"Please tell me," The elf said. "Do you know where the person who took my insignia went?"
"If you mean the blond girl, she ran down this alley and jumped over the wall," Subaru pointed.
"Oh no," The elf said in distress. "Do you know who she is? Where I can find her?"
"I'm sorry, I don't," Subaru explained. "I'm a stranger in these parts. You're one of the first people I've met here."
The elf threw her arms down at her sides in a peculiarly childlike gesture of frustration.
Subaru watched her eyes getting watery and suddenly realized that he'd do anything to keep her from crying.
"But I bet that I can help you find her!" Subaru announced.
"How?" The cat asked coldly. "You just said you don't know who she is or anyone in the city so how are you going to help us find a thief?"
"Well, I'm really really really smart," Subaru answered him with a grin, trying to show off for the elf girl.
The cat met Subaru's smile with a glower.
Oops. Being flippant will probably do nothing to endear me to the magic cat.
The elf girl looked at Subaru in confusion. "That doesn't really-"
Subaru triggered Reason and Judgment and the world froze around him. He scanned the alley and especially the wall that the blond girl had climbed up but no useful details presented themselves. He quickly scanned the elven girl and the magical cat.
Interesting. These two are almost impossibly clean and groomed. That doesn't leave me very much to observe about them. Do they use magic to accomplish that?
Subaru shook off the idle speculation.
That doesn't matter right now. It's time to help this girl find her missing insignia. Not only is this almost certainly part of the main quest but there's no way I'm going to allow this living angel to walk away from me. The timing of this meeting is actually perfect. I get to show off my talents to a beautiful girl and she has found the ideal person to solve her problem for her. By chance or fate everything is fitting together perfectly. Unfortunately, this alley gives me very few clues to work with.
Damn it, Subaru thought. Too bad you didn't think to scan the girl when you saw her.
No sooner had Subaru thought this then the girl reappeared in front of his eyes, close enough for him to touch, as did the three thugs, all standing frozen in place. Subaru realized that he had been moved back to the part of the alley he'd been standing in during the confrontation with Dual Knives.
Hm. This is a memory, isn't it? Reason and Judgment must allow you to review things that you've already seen.
Subaru found this pretty exciting. It even began to break through Reason and Judgment's unnatural calm.
Huh. So this ability not only allows me to see details but also to record and playback prior events? That's pretty cool! It even lets me freeze people in poses as long as I saw them in that position once before! So if I happened to walk in on a pretty girl while she was changing…
OK hold up, Subaru, you have bigger problems to solve right now. Besides, thinking about naked girls, especially naked elf girls, is likely to make the talking cat fry you.
Can I still scan people if they're just memories?Subaru wondered. He focused on the blond girl. His gaze instantly zoomed in and he saw all the little details that he never would have noticed before.
You know, Subaru, you might be onto something here. He thought to himself. The teachers always told you that you were stupid. Maybe you weren't dumb, just bored. What if you simply never had a worthy challenge to focus your talents on so we just stumbled along without trying? Maybe you were always secretly brilliant and in this world your talents are finally beginning to flower.
That must be exactly it. Everyone called you a NEET and a loser because you always stayed in our room but the truth was there simply wasn't anything worth going out of your room for. You didn't fail in your old world, the old world failed you!
But you're here now and you can show everyone what you're really capable of. Earth missed out on your greatness and it's not going to get a second bite. This is your world and you're going to claim it for your own! Of course to accomplish such lofty ambitions, you do need a suitable partner… You don't really think that it's a coincidence that you met this beautiful elf maiden just minutes after you arrived do you? Or that a perfect opportunity to impress her and put her in your debt just fell into your lap?
The details of the thief's life easily fell into place.
Subaru restarted the world.
He still felt Reason and Judgment's staggering confidence outside of the frozen moment. It seemed to be lingering a little longer this time.
This is going to be fun. After all, I'm helping a pretty girl find her treasure so I deserve to show off a little, right? Remember watching that funny show about Sherlock Holmes with Mom and Dad? It gives me an idea.
"-answer his question," The elf finished, looking at Subaru skeptically.
"Well, I know that the girl is an experienced thief but not a very successful one. She's been poor her whole life. She grew up in the city, this city I assume but there's no evidence to show that for certain. She's currently between homes and she hasn't been eating well lately. Put all of this together and I'm pretty sure we'll find her in the town slums," Subaru explained, taking a flamboyant bow and looking up at the girl with a grin.
The elf stared at him with wide eyes.
"And just how do you know all this if you say you've never met that thief before?" The cat asked suspiciously.
"I didn't know, I saw," Subaru replied.
Damn, I always wanted to say that!
The floating cat gave a low growl.
Oh, right. Important safety tip, Subaru: stop provoking the magical flying cat.
"What does that mean?" The elf asked quietly while the cat glowered at Subaru.
"Did you notice her shoes and her knife?" Subaru asked.
"What about them?" The cat grumbled.
"Her knife was short and small. It's not a fighting weapon. It's a tool of last resort. Plus she probably weighs a hundred pounds tops. She's not going to fight someone hand to hand for her loot; for her it's a grab and dash. But look at her shoes. They were old, worn out, and have several holes in them. Her entire life depends on her speed, a small cut or stubbing her toe on a rock could be the difference between getting away with the loot or getting caught and hung. Those shoes are her greatest asset in an escape yet she hasn't replaced the damaged shoes with something more reliable. That's the state of her finances right there," Subaru explained.
The elf blinked and shared a wide-eyed look with the cat. The cat shook his head with a groan but the elf girl turned back to Subaru, looking impressed.
"What else?" The elf girl asked.
"We know that she grew up in the city because of her fingernails," Subaru continued, fighting the urge to giggle. "They're slightly discolored and yellow. That's normally a sign of malnutrition as a child. Could be a fungal infection," He admitted, "But I also noticed that her ribs are visible under her skin which suggests she isn't eating very often and her small size suggests that her growth was probably stunted. So if it's malnutrition, where would you encounter that? If she was living on a farm she'd have fresh vegetables regularly, even if they were poor and she went hungry regularly she'd still have a varied diet with essential nutrients. They'd also be able to go into the woods to find food to supplement their diet. She clearly didn't have that so she grew up in the city. So she's in the city but she's poor and she doesn't have a steady roof over her head so that says we should check the slums," Subaru finished with a grin.
Subaru felt dizzy for a moment and Reason and Judgment's confidence finally slipped away.
Damn. I wish that confidence would stick around longer. Maybe I should trigger it again?
The girl and the cat exchanged a guarded look. "He's not lying," The cat admitted. "At least he thinks that he's telling the truth. And he doesn't have any… evilintentions toward you." The cat said in almost a growl.
Subaru looked away in embarrassment. Apparently it was a very tricky thing to try to pick up an empath's daughter.
"If we go down to the slums and look around, we might learn more," Subaru added.
The girl gave him a puzzled look. "…Why are trying to help me?" She murmured. "I'm a silver haired half-elf."
Because I'd do anything to spend a few hours with you! Oh shit. The cat looks like he not only knows what I'm thinking but like he's about to shoot lightning at me.
Subaru paused. "I'm new around here," He admitted. "I don't know where I am or what I'm doing here or even anything about this place. But I think, I hope, that I'm here to do some good. And helping you is the first good thing I've had the opportunity to do so far," Subaru gave the girl a weary smile. He took a step toward her and extended his hand. "My name is Subaru Natsuki."
The girl stared at his hand as if she had never seen one before. Subaru wasn't sure why this seemed so significant to her but doubt, mistrust, and hope were all flickering across her face.
"This is Puck," The girl explained slowly, taking Subaru's hand. "And my name is… Satella," She finished.
"That's a pretty name," Subaru replied.
Satella's eyes widened.
"Alright, shall we head for the slums then?" Subaru asked, beginning to walk out of the alley.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Puck shaking his head at Satella. "Why?" The small cat asked.
As Subaru exited the alley, closely followed by Satella and Puck, he noticed a small bag lying on the ground. He knelt down and picked it up to discover it was the same bag of money that the little thug had been carrying.
Huh. They must have dropped it while they were escaping. So this is what it feels like in real life when loot drops after a battle.
"Subaru, what are you doing?" Satella asked.
"Looks like our former playmates dropped this during their escape," Subaru replied, opening the bag. It had over thirty gold coins in it.
Damn that's a lot of gold! Wait… is it?
Fuck, I have absolutely no idea what a gold coin is worth around here. This bag could be enough to buy a loaf of bread or it could be the down payment on a castle. The muggers were clearly poor but they obviously stole this gold going by the blood stains so who knows how much it's worth?
"Subaru, are you stealing?" Satella asked, looking at him through narrowed eyes.
"No, I am not," Subaru responded calmly. "Those guys tried to attack me for no reason. They dropped this while they were running away. I picked it up and now it's mine. Very different."
"That seems like a very slight distinction to me," Satella said, folding her arms across her chest in disapproval.
"It's actually a pretty broad distinction, Tella," Subaru replied.
She blinked. "What did you call me?"
"Tella? I like giving people nicknames. Do you mind? Sorry, Satella is a pretty name but it's also kind of a mouthful," Subaru answered.
Satella glanced away and pulled some silver hair across her face like a veil. "Tella is fine," She murmured almost inaudibly.
"OK," Subaru frowned.
Why does Satella look so uncomfortable?
"So are we going to the slums or not?" Puck interjected, moving in between them.
"Sounds like a plan to me," Subaru said as they exited the alley and walked onto a broad street. They stood on a tall hill, overlooking the greater part of the city. "Do you guys know where the slums are?"
Puck frowned at him. "No. I thought you knew!"
Subaru made a face at the cat. "No, but I bet I can guess," Subaru looked out over the city and briefly stepped in and out of Reason and Judgment's frozen moment. "I'm betting the slums are that way," Subaru said, pointing down the hill toward the river.
"Are you basing that on anything or did you just pick a direction at random?" Puck grumbled, floating beside Subaru as he started down the hill. Satella silently walked behind them.
"Rich people like to live on top of hills. The air is fresher, the view is better, and best of all they get to literally look down on everyone else," Subaru explained, glancing back at Satella who followed along with her head down. "The other factor, of course, is water. Tella, I'm guessing that you don't have sewage systems or indoor plumbing around here?"
Satella lifted her head and blinked at Subaru. "Um, I'm sorry but I don't know what either of those words mean," She replied.
"No worries, although I'm sure I'm really going to start missing both of those before much longer," Subaru admitted. "Anyway, people need water. They need water to cook, to clean, to bathe. Houses need water so people prefer to live near some clean body of water and most folks would probably be happier if said water flowed throughthe kitchen. Rich people don't care how close they are to their water source because they have servants. How difficult it is to get water into the house doesn't effect rich people since they pay other people to carry it. That's why they can live on hill tops. Poor people on the other hand need to carry water themselves so its very important that a water source be nearby. Wells are cleaner so the houses that are located near a well in a city are going to tend to be more expensive. Rivers are the natural dumping grounds for run off, sewage, and all manner of other nasty stuff. That means that the poorest people live close to the river because that's their only water source."
I sure hope I'm right. Otherwise this will turn out to be really embarrassing.
"For the record, rich people use water enchantments to create and move water through their houses but what you said seems like a reasonable guess anyway," Puck admitted grudgingly.
Close to the river the group entered a part of the city that looked as though it had been through an earthquake. Houses and buildings lay in aggressive disrepair. No building looked completely intact and most had huge holes in them. A few people sat leaning against walls with their heads down, saying nothing and showing no sign of moving. Subaru noticed that everyone was watching him and Satella closely and the attention was not welcoming.
A lone merchant sat at a table by the road with a few baskets of food for sale.
"OK, so we found the slums," Puck muttered from his perch on Tella's shoulder. "Now what, Subaru? Any more bright ideas?"
Subaru sighed. "Well it wouldn't kill you to come up with a few either, Puck!"
"We need to find the insignia," Satella interrupted before Puck could respond. "Where do we start looking?"
Subaru rubbed his forehead. "Tella, what exactly does this insignia look like?"
"It's about this big," Satella said, moving her hands about an inch apart. "It's silver with a red jewel in the middle and the kingdom's symbol emblazoned on it."
"So it's basically jewelry then?" Subaru asked.
Satella nodded.
Subaru scratched his chin. "Well," He murmured. "We know that our blond thief is hard up for cash since she's not eating regularly. She's either impoverished or an addict or both. It's not very likely she'd want to keep a piece of jewelry. Especially down here because that's just begging for somebody bigger and meaner to take it away from you. So… she'd try to sell it."
"Sell it?!" Satella gasped.
"Yeah but I think that might be good for us," Subaru mused.
"How could that possibly be good for us?" She demanded.
"Well, finding one little blond thief in all this mess is going to be pretty challenging. Finding a place where you can buy stolen merchandise has got to be easier," Subaru said. "They need their customers to be able to find them after all."
"I could try asking the spirits," Satella suggested.
"You can do that?" Subaru asked.
I don't even know what that means. I'd prefer not to admit to that, however.
She nodded. "I'm a spirit arts user," She explained. "I can try asking the lesser spirits if they've seen my insignia or the girl."
"OK, sounds like it's worth a try," Subaru said.
Satella looked at Puck. "Puck, why don't you go and sit with Subaru while I speak to the spirits?"
Puck's reaction was one that Subaru was glad he didn't miss, even if it was at his expense: Puck's jaw dropped and he looked simply aghast as if Satella had suggested that he roll around in raw sewage.
"Lia, why don't I just stay here and keep an eye on you while you talk to them?" Puck hedged.
"Puck, you know that the spirits are scared of you. They won't come if you're this close. Go and sit with Subaru for a while. I'll be fine," Satella responded.
Puck looked mutinous but he obeyed. He drifted away from Satella and perched on a nearby stone pillar near the side of the square, deliberately turning his back to Subaru and watching Satella.
I guess I don't blame him. Given the choice between the two of us, I'd rather look at Satella too.
Subaru reached into the purse he found and pulled out his coins counting them again.
Thirty eight coins. I still have no idea what that's worth. I'll probably need to bribe someone down here to find out where people fence stolen property. There's no point in trying to bribe anyone to tell me where the girl is. These people don't trust outsiders. Word would get to the girl that someone is looking for her long before I found her and she'd just hide.
Well, one problem at a time. I have money so I can at least try to buy information.
Subaru looked at Satella. She was standing in the middle of the square with a prayer-like demeanor while dozens of tiny balls of white light appeared and drifted around her.
Well, that sure looks cool. I mean I have no idea at all what it's supposed to be doing but it definitely looks cool!
Puck was still seated on the post a short distance away from Satella, his back to Subaru.
"Puck?" Subaru called. "I'm going to go and talk to that peddler we saw around the corner. Maybe he knows something. I'll be right back."
Puck gave no indication that he had heard Subaru, that he was listening, or that he had any intention of repeating Subaru's message for Satella if she came out of her trance.
Subaru sighed and walked away.
I wonder if Puck would actually try to coax Satella away before I get back. I mean, hopefully Satella wouldn't believe that I simply got bored and wandered off but you never know. I should make this quick.
Subaru walked around the corner and headed over to the peddler's shop. This tradesman's place of business looked much like a child's lemonade stand. It was a small wooden table with food and general goods lying in baskets on the ground behind it. The trader was a tubby man with a short white goatee.
"Hello, sir. What's your pleasure today?" The trader asked.
Subaru scratched his chin. "Maybe you can point me in the right direction?" Subaru asked quietly.
"Maybe. What are you looking for?"
"My boss told me to acquire some jewelry for him," Subaru lied.
"You're not going to find any jewelry stores down here," The merchant laughed. "You're better off looking in Hightown. There's a big-"
"No, no," Subaru interrupted. "The boss wanted me to acquire it. From a person reluctant to sell."
"Oh, I see," The trader nodded calmly.
"Yeah but apparently someone else beat me to it. A sneak thief from down here," Subaru glanced around to ensure that they weren't being overheard. "If I go back to the boss empty handed, my good health won't be worth much. But maybe I can still buy it for him if, for example, I knew where someone might go to sell it," Subaru said meaningfully.
The trade looked thoughtful. "I'm sorry that you're in such a tight spot, buddy. I'd like to help you. But giving you that kind of information means putting myself at considerable risk and I don't know you all that well-"
Subaru took out a single gold piece and let it fall on the table.
The merchant quickly pocketed it. "Go down that way until you find a large building. It's a run down old tavern. Old Rom runs it. He's easy to pick out of a crowd, he's a giant. Tell him what you're looking for and that you've got money. He'll do you right. But take my advice and don't try to con him."
"Thanks," Subaru nodded and walked away.
"-But where did he go?" Subaru heard Satella ask from around the corner.
"I'm not sure, Lia. Maybe he wandered off somewhere," Puck replied with a yawn.
How the heck do you get 'Lia' out of 'Satella'?
"Subaru!" Satella called as Subaru turned the corner.
"Hey, Tella. I was just talking to the local merchant, asking some questions," Subaru grumbled, looking at the cat. He stared at the tiny floating cat with something close to active dislike.
For God's sake, Puck. It would have cost you nothing to repeat my message to your daughter. I'm trying to help Tella and what have you contributed all day? I'm not sure if you were just so indifferent to my presence that you failed to notice I was talking to you or if you're actually so spiteful that you're willing to sabotage Tella's attempts to get her insignia back just to get her away from me.
Puck's face reflected no disappointment that Subaru had returned but neither did he seemed pleased by it.
"So did the spirits tell you anything useful?" Subaru asked.
Satella shook her head. "Not really. They recognize the girl. She comes around here a lot but they don't know where she lives or where she is. I thought maybe if we waited here for a while we might bump into her."
"I'm not sure that's got good odds of working and time isn't something we have in abundance anyway," Subaru said dubiously. "The merchant I spoke to says there's some kind of fence over that way. This girl is going to want to unload the loot as soon as possible. So I think we have good odds of finding her there or at least the merchandise."
"A… fence?" Satella asked.
"Yeah. You know, a person who buys property and doesn't ask where you got it. A crook, basically." Subaru explained.
"That sounds concerning. Should we go find a city guard?" Satella asked.
Subaru shook his head and started walking in the direction the merchant had indicated. "Nah, that'll just spoke `em. If we bring in guards, they might just arrest the fence and if we close down the fence and the thief hasn't brought the insignia there yet, she'll go to ground and we'll never find her."
Satella followed after Subaru, hanging her head. "I can't believe that I already lost my insignia," She whispered.
"Already? How long have you had this thing?" Subaru asked.
"I got it this morning," Satella replied.
Subaru stopped and turned to look at her. "You got it just this morning, and it's already been stolen?" He asked slowly.
Satella nodded her face red. "I know, I can't believe how easily I lost it. I-"
"Were you wearing it or was it in a pocket or something when it got stolen?" Subaru interrupted.
Satella blinked. "My sponsor gave me a purse to keep it in."
"So the thief stole the purse?"
"Yes, but then she dropped it," Satella replied.
"What do you mean 'she dropped it?'" Subaru asked with narrowed eyes.
"I chased the girl and she took out the insignia and dropped the purse," Satella explained.
"Do you still have the purse?"
Satella nodded and pulled a small, purple purse out of her pocket. She offered it to Subaru.
Subaru shook his head. "Just shake it for me, please," Subaru said with a smile.
I don't know if this has anything to do with Reason and Judgment but I'm starting to notice connections that I never would have seen back home.
Satella looked mystified but she obediently shook the purse. A faint clink was heard inside of it.
"You have money in there?" Subaru asked his smile becoming a bit strained.
"Yes, my sponsor gave me two silver nobles to spend. To celebrate my getting the insignia," Satella explained. "Do you want-"
"Nope, that's fine," Subaru said with a sigh. "I'm just thinking that our problem has suddenly gotten much much more complicated."
Subaru covered his eyes and shook his head.
"What do you mean?"
"Tella, please wait here for a second," Subaru said. He glared at Puck. "I'm going to talk to the merchant. I'll be right back," He said sourly to the flying cat.
Puck's expression didn't change as Subaru walked away.
"Puck, why did he say it like that?" Satella asked.
Subaru with dark thoughts running through his mind, wandered back over to the peddler.
"Hey again, can I do something for you?" The peddler asked cautiously.
"Got any clothes? Like a long robe, maybe something hooded?" Subaru asked.
The peddler reached behind him, rummaging around in a trunk. He pulled out a long white robe with a large hood and red triangles emblazoned on the fabric. It looked almost monk-like. "I think this might be the closest thing I got," The peddler explained apologetically. "Women in some sects in Gusteko are required to wear them up. I got one shipped here by mistake."
"That works," Subaru said. "How much?"
"How about three silver pieces?" The merchant replied.
"Done," Subaru said to the merchant's evident surprise.
Subaru knew that the merchant had likely given him a ludicrously high price for the robe and he had expected Subaru to haggle with him. Under other circumstances, Subaru might have done just that but instinct told him he was running out of time.
Subaru dropped a gold piece on the counter and the merchant looked a little confused at this method of payment but obediently gave him seven silvers back.
"Thanks," Subaru said cheerfully. "Great doing business with ya!" Subaru threw the robe over his shoulder and started walking back to where Satella and Puck waited.
While he walked, Subaru thought about the last magic he had acquired: Indomitable. What did that do?
He tried to trigger it and he felt a strange tingling sensation all over his body.
Then his heart tried to explode in his chest.
Subaru fell to his knees, gasping for breath. The tingling sensation had immediately disappeared and his heart muscle throbbed as though it was being squeezed.
What the fuck was that?! What kind of weird power is that? Is it like cigarettes? You use it and you die? What the fuck?
Subaru staggered back to his feet.
OK, the 'Game Master' in this RPG clearly likes messing with me, He thought.