The Two Gradually Becoming Familiar with Each Other
Although it was only one street away from the main road, that place was filled with a gloomy atmosphere.
The quiet and silent alley felt distant from any signs of life, be it human or otherwise.
Even though it wasn't far from the crowded and noisy main road, the hustle and bustle felt like something from a dream world.
"Of course, if you want to fence stolen goods, it always leads to the slums…"
Muttering to himself, Subaru turned off the main road into a small alley and poked his head into a passage that was said to lead to the legendary slums.
"Whether it's the air or the vibe, the residents here probably have awful personalities. Are we really going in?"
"Weren't you the one who said the Insigna might be with someone here? And that store owner earlier also said the same."
"But did you forget that he also recommended we give up?"
Recalling the conversation at the fruit store, Subaru wore a serious expression.
About thirty minutes had passed since they encountered the little girl and her mother at the fruit stand.
The two now stood at the entrance to the slums, rumored to contain many stolen goods from the royal capital.
Seeing the two as saviors of his beloved daughter, the fearsome-looking shopkeeper had kindly listened to their story.
As a result, they got information about the slums—now more accurately described as a den of villains.
Most people inside were either truly evil, unable or unwilling to be saved by the light, or degenerates who blamed everything on others and refused to live through their own efforts.
"We still have time, so wouldn't it be better to call someone? The police—well, I guess it's the guards here? Let's have those kinds of people search instead!"
"No."
Subaru's suggestion was firmly rejected.
The resolute attitude made Subaru roll his eyes.
"Sorry, but no. I don't think the guards would mobilize over something small like our stuff being stolen… Besides, I have my reasons for not asking the guards."
Emilia tightly pressed her lips together and looked at Subaru with eyes that said, "I can't tell you the reason."
She clearly didn't want to be questioned. Accepting that gaze, Subaru raised his hand lightly in response.
"Alright, so what now? The people in front of us don't exactly look friendly. Are the two of us going to force our way through?"
"Two people and a cat, actually."
To lighten the somber mood, Puck deliberately replied to Subaru in a playful tone.
"Just so you know, my combat level is about the same as three unarmed thugs."
Subaru looked at the raggedly dressed men blocking the path and spoke.
"No worries, we're strong. That said, we don't really have time to sit around and chat. In about an hour, I'll be out of energy."
Puck looked up at the sky.
Following his gaze, the two also looked up and realized the portion of sky visible between buildings was already turning orange.
It wasn't just the dark, damp, and foul-smelling environment of the slums—it was the setting sun.
And that meant Puck's time was almost up.
"Make a decision—are we going forward or going back?"
"Of course, we're moving forward. Beat them up, get the information. If we miss this chance, the Insigna might end up somewhere we'll never find it."
As Emilia said this, she held out her palm—light sparkled from her hand, and then it was released.
A sound like a hardball hitting flesh echoed, and the men cried out and were sent flying.
Fist-sized ice chunks fell.
The ice, created regardless of season or physical laws, soon vanished into the air.
"—Magic!"
The word that best explained the phenomenon came out instinctively.
There had been no incantation, but the magic had clearly come from her palm.
Magic—this was Subaru's first time witnessing it for real.
"It's way less fantastical than I imagined. Actually feels so real it's disappointing."
He had expected something like radiant light or explosive energy, but instead, rough ice chunks suddenly appeared, dealt physical damage, and then vanished—nothing exciting about it.
"You actually attacked them."
"Whether you're a mage or a noble, don't think we'll let you get away with this. Surround her and kill her! It's one against many—she can't win!"
"Oh? And what were you planning to do to my daughter?"
Subaru's thoughts on magic were set aside as some of the men who had been hit by ice stood up.
They drew knives and other weapons, but Puck's angry voice instantly dropped the temperature. The sky filled with ice spikes as thick as arms.
Faced with that, the thugs instantly lost their will to fight.
From them, the pair learned that a thief named Felt had hired them with silver coins to stop Emilia.
Faced with such overwhelming opponents and harboring resentment from their beating, the thugs gave up the information easily.
"The one who hired us is Felt. The stolen item should be in the loot storage. It gets tagged and placed in the warehouse, then Old Man Rom, the warehouse owner, sells it in another market."
"What a strange setup. Aren't they afraid the warehouse owner will run off with the goods?"
"It's precisely because they trust that he wouldn't do that he's allowed to run the place. But even if you say it was stolen from you, he won't just hand it over. You'll have to negotiate for it."
The man tried to laugh at them, but seeing the empty sky, he gave up.
After Puck exposed his lie, he honestly told them the exact location of the loot storage.
"Well then, let's go. But once we enter that alley, we'll need to be even more on guard. Who knows how many people Felt hired. If you're scared, you can stay here."
"What kind of coward do you think I am!? Besides, Emilia isn't exactly a master negotiator either. Let's go—I'll cling to you like a ghost!"
"Shouldn't you be leading if you want to be useful?"
Listening to Subaru's overly dramatic declaration, Emilia let out yet another sigh—who knew how many that made now?
As they headed toward the warehouse, a new problem came to mind.
The reality that both of them were penniless.
"We're supposed to buy it back, huh? What do we do? The item's in their hands, so we're at the mercy of their price."
"We came to reclaim something that was stolen, so why do we have to pay?"
As the problem shifted toward their empty wallets, Emilia suddenly looked troubled.
Her muttered complaint was perfectly logical—but assuming the other side would be moved by logic was naive.
To resolve things smoothly, following the man's information was the smart move, but…
"Though it's a little late to ask, does that stolen Insigna look expensive? If we're going to negotiate, it's better to know its market value."
"…It has a small gem in the center. I don't know how much it would fetch, but I can say it's definitely not cheap."
"A gemstone, huh. That's trouble. I wonder if 30 holy coins would be enough."
Even someone without much knowledge knew that a gemstone could be exchanged for a lot of money.
They were convenient tools.
This world likely didn't have the technology to make counterfeit gems, so if it looked like a gem, it was real.
Which meant gems were naturally a sign of high value.
"Wait, aren't you penniless, Subaru?"
Subaru thought of his almost-dead—or perhaps already resurrected—phone in his pocket.
Maybe because he had accepted that the phone would never be charged again, he was now more willing to owe a favor to the important person before him.
After all, Subaru was beginning to truly believe this wasn't a dream.
"Ahem. Now's the time to show off my traveler-level negotiation skills."
"Why the sudden grand talk? And what's with the heavy nasal breathing?"
"Thanks for ruining my dramatic moment of resolve!"
Even though his momentum was crushed, Subaru quickened his pace to catch up with the figure ahead.
Not wanting to be left behind by the girl charging toward her goal, they walked for several more minutes until they could finally see the loot storage ahead.
Subaru suddenly turned to Emilia and said:
"So anyway, can I handle things from here on?"
Following her logic would likely end in failure, so Subaru reluctantly volunteered himself.
It was his last resort—if used too soon, it wouldn't feel like a trump card.
But missing the right moment could make things worse, so Subaru made the decision without hesitation.
Emilia looked surprised by his offer.
Her straightforward expression was so cute, Subaru thought, just as he prepared to argue against the concern she was about to raise—
"I understand. I'll leave it to you, Subaru."
"I knew you wouldn't say yes easily. I'm not stupid enough to think I've earned your trust just from walking this far. But I have a plan, and I hope you'll belie—wait, what!?"
"W-Why are you so shocked?"
"We were just arguing a moment ago, weren't we? I thought you'd say something like, 'You think I'd entrust something this important to a useless CO₂ generator like you? Even a dog would be more helpful.' Even if it hurt, I was dreaming of that kind of dramatic turn!"
"I'd never say something that harsh!"
Subaru's exaggerated victim act made Emilia angry.
But after a cough, she fixed her purple crystal-like eyes on him.
"And whether it's about the little girl or—"
"Ha!!"
Before Emilia could finish, a loud, full-bodied shout rang out.
The voice came from deep within the slums—the direction the thugs had pointed out.
The two exchanged glances and quickly ran toward the source.