Once they'd settled on a target, finding it became simple: just ask locals where the nearest slum-like area was.
Shichen happened to think of someone here who was a "stranger he was familiar with" — a person who should know the city well.
With three people and a cat in tow, he headed back the way they'd come.
They hadn't gone far when Satella suddenly tugged on Shichen's sleeve.
"Um… Shichen…"
"What is it?" he asked, puzzled.
"Over there…"
Following her gaze, Shichen spotted a lost-looking child up ahead, glancing around anxiously with a face on the verge of tears.
"Is that child… lost?" Satella whispered.
"Seems like it… Are you worried?"
Satella fell silent—that was answer enough.
Shichen knew she was a softhearted do-gooder. She'd refused their help earlier because she didn't want to drag them into trouble.
Normally he wouldn't get involved for just any do-gooder, but this girl was different. Whether for the Divine Fragment she carried or for herself, he couldn't stand by and watch.
"Sigh. For the record, if you help her now, your badge may already have been fenced," he said.
"But… what if she runs around and gets abducted? It's not safe here, is it?"
"Putting others first before yourself?"
"I…"
"Alright, do what you want. Go ahead—I'll cover you," Shichen said with a smile, then couldn't resist ruffling her hair again.
"Shichen…" Satella blinked up at him.
"This time, that was a compliment," he said.
"A compliment?"
"Mm. Sometimes when Est does great, I do this too."
"I see… So you're praising me?"
"The gentle you deserves praise."
"Thank you…"
The three of them approached the child.
It was a little girl of about ten, shoulder-length brown hair, a cute face now full of unease.
"Wh-who are you?" she asked as they stopped in front of her—nervous, but with hope in her eyes.
"Please don't be afraid. We're not bad people," Satella said, crouching with a gentle smile.
"Hehe, that's exactly what bad people say," Shichen teased.
"Shichen, honestly—don't scare her," Satella puffed her cheeks adorably and shot him a reproachful look.
"Don't be afraid," she soothed the girl, who'd shrunk back at Shichen's joke. "I might be meddling, but are you lost? Did you get separated from your mom and dad?"
"I…"
Even with Satella's soft tone, the girl still trembled, on the verge of tears.
"Um… please don't cry… I'm not going to do anything to you…"
Satella's flustered comfort didn't help; the girl's big eyes began to spill little pearls.
"W-what do I do?" Satella looked to Shichen for help.
"What's going on?"
Subaru and Puck caught up.
"Why are you two so slow?" Shichen asked unhurriedly.
"Oh, I was asking Puck about this world—otherwise I won't understand anything. Too much trouble," Subaru said.
"Smart enough. But are you planning to stick around? This world is dangerous," Shichen said.
"Eh? Can we leave?" Subaru asked.
"That, I don't know."
"Then why say that!" Subaru snapped.
"Hehe~"
"Stop laughing, Shichen—what do we do?" Satella asked again.
"What's the situation, exactly?" Subaru pressed.
"A little girl is lost. She's worried and insists on helping," Shichen said, then let go of Est, crouched in front of the girl and smiled. "Hey, kiddo—look here. My hands are totally empty, right?"
The girl's attention was neatly drawn to his open right hand.
"Watch closely… ta-da~"
He slowly closed his fist, then opened it again—revealing a candy in his palm.
"Ah—!"
The gasp wasn't the girl's, but Satella's.
"H-how did you do that?" she asked, amazed.
The girl blinked, staring fixedly at Shichen's hand, trying to see the trick. But of course she couldn't.
"Why are you surprised too?" Shichen chuckled at Satella, then reached out with his left hand to gently stroke her hair again.
"This is candy. Try it—then we'll help you find your mom, okay?"
"Mm!" The girl nodded hard, happily took the candy, unwrapped it, and popped it into her mouth. The sweet taste made her smile.
Little girls were easy to cheer up.
"Um… how did you do that just now?" Satella asked again, curious.
"This? Like so."
He flipped his hand; another candy appeared in his palm.
"Ah!" Satella's eyes went wide and sparkled.
"This one's for you—your reward," he said.
"For me?"
"Mm. Try it—it's very sweet."
"Th-thank you…"
She took it, carefully unwrapped it, and placed it in her mouth. The sweetness spread across her tongue; she couldn't help squinting her eyes in delight.
"So sweet!"
"Right? I can teach you later. For now, finding the girl's parents is more important."
"You said it!"
Then Shichen took Est's hand with his left, the little girl's with his right; Satella took the girl's other hand. The four of them—like a family—set off to find her parents.
"They're looking more like a match by the minute…" Subaru stood in place, staring oddly at their backs.
"Haha—hard to deny," Puck replied with a grin.
"Aren't you Satella's dad? No reaction?"
"Shichen's got a way about him—he won her trust in a flash. And he has no malice," Puck said, lacing his paws behind his head, unconcerned.
"Right…"
Subaru shook his head and followed.
They were lucky—before long, the girl's mother found them (not the other way around). Understandable—together they were eye-catching: handsome and beautiful, black hair and silver hair—hard not to draw attention.
"Thank you so very much!"
"Bye-bye, Onii-san, Onee-san!"
"Bye."
They waved until the girl and her mother disappeared from view; Satella's joyful smile still hadn't faded.
"Happy now?" Shichen asked.
"Mm!" Satella nodded vigorously.
"Sigh. With a personality like that, you'll be taken advantage of sooner or later," Shichen said.
"You helped too, didn't you?" Satella replied with a smile.
"That's different. I'm helping you, not 'others.' You little lass… no wonder Puck calls himself your father."
"Little… lass? You're wrong, Shichen—I'm not little," Satella said, suddenly reining in her smile.
"You're not that big either."
"No—I'm not the age I look. Because I am… a half-elf."
At that, a complicated look rose in her eyes—something like despair and resignation all tangled up.
"A half-elf, huh? No wonder you're so cute. I was just thinking no 'ordinary' girl could be this pretty," Shichen said with a smile.
"Eh?" Satella stared at him, wide-eyed.
"What's wrong?"
"What do you mean 'what's wrong'… I'm a half-elf…"
"I know. Is there a problem?" Shichen asked, as if it were nothing.
"You… you… mmph!"
Satella's cheeks flushed red before their eyes. As if overwhelmed with shyness, she turned away, crouched, hugged her head, and let out an inarticulate squeak.
"Woah… ah…"
"Aiya~," Puck zipped over, cat face teasing.
"What now?" Subaru asked, baffled as he ran up.
Shichen spread his hands. "No idea either…"
"You don't… know…? Ugh—Shichen, you idiot! Triple-grade idiot!" Satella said without turning around, her tone flustered.
"What kind of insult is that? And why are you suddenly yelling at me?"
"I don't know! Who cares! Enough—finding the badge comes first!" Satella stood, refused to look at Shichen, and strode ahead a bit too quickly.
"So… she's embarrassed? Aniki, what did you do?" Subaru asked.
"I didn't do anything. Weren't you watching?" Shichen shot back.
"Really?" Subaru didn't sound convinced.
"Save it—let's focus on the badge… Also, you're going the wrong way," Shichen called to Satella.
"…"
She stopped, turned, and hurried back with her head down—marching past them without a word. She didn't cover her face, so of course they all saw her cheeks glowing red like apples.
"Aniki, you really do have a way with people," Subaru said, eyebrow raised, amused.
"Less chatter. Keep up—it'll be dark soon, and Puck will be useless then."
"Hey now, don't put it like that. I am useful."
"As a mascot, maybe."
"Now I'm offended!"
~~~
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