Fine snow drifted through the air, draping the entire world in a heavy shroud of white.
Aomori walked slowly through a small town with archaic architecture. His footsteps on the thick snow were silent. He activated Mind's Eye, silently exploring the unfamiliar settlement. The townspeople seemed oblivious to his presence, looking right through him.
Suddenly, Aomori's brow furrowed. His figure vanished instantly, reappearing inside a dilapidated house. Before him, a balding man had his back turned, pinned to the ground as he frantically tore at a young girl's clothes.
With a simple flick of his finger, the balding man was sent flying like a cannonball. He crashed through a pile of junk and lost consciousness instantly.
Aomori reached out to pull the dazed girl up. After a quick glance, he used Holy Light to weave a white dress and draped it over her before vanishing once more.
In a forest covered in frost and snow, the two reappeared.
"Mm~" The young girl, lifted onto the snow by Aomori's telekinesis, pulled her clothes tight and let out a comfortable hum. Her face flushed a deep red as she looked at him with misty eyes. "So warm... I've never felt like this before. Are you a god come to save me?"
"No, I'm just a passing traveler." Aomori shook his head and placed a hand on her head, stroking her hair. She narrowed her eyes like a content kitten.
She looked to be about ten years old with shoulder-length hair. She was skeletal, likely from long-term starvation, and covered in filth.
"What's your name? Do you have any family left?" Aomori knelt and asked gently.
"Elsa. My name is Elsa. I have no family," the girl said, nuzzling her cheek against his palm.
"Elsa?" Aomori paused. The name was strikingly familiar. He searched his memory and quickly found its owner. He raised an eyebrow. "Let me ask, is this the Holy Kingdom of Gusteko?"
"Yes," Elsa nodded obediently.
"So it really is." Aomori looked at the harmless-looking girl in front of him. It was hard to link her to the ruthless, "warm-hearted" femme fatale he knew.
Elsa Granhiert, the "Bowel Hunter," a top-tier assassin renowned in the underworld.
So this is the world of 'Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World'? This is troublesome. Aomori sighed inwardly. It would be fine if he had arrived at the start of the original plot, but arriving more than a decade early meant much of the lore was still shrouded in mystery, especially since the original work wasn't even finished yet.
At that moment, the system notification chimed. However, the mission tab was filled with [???]. It had been four months since the final battle with the Monster Association, and Aomori had entered a Level 40 Dungeon.
His previous four dungeon trips included two visits to Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? and Level 30 runs of Naruto and Bleach. While his strength had improved, he hadn't experienced a qualitative leap yet; there was still a significant gap between him and God.
Though the Level 40 Dungeon provided no specific intel, the free duration had been extended to one year. Since there were no forced missions, Aomori decided to follow his own will and explore.
He was particularly interested in Divine Protections, the so-called "blessings of the world," which seemed similar to the power God bestowed. Then there were the even more "glitchy" Authorities, which shared similarities with the manipulation of fundamental rules. If he could understand the essence of these powers, he might find a way to deal with God.
He felt a bit of regret that the world's strongest, the "cheat code" himself, Reinhard van Astrea, hadn't reached his peak yet and couldn't provide a proper challenge.
Snapping back to the present, Aomori realized little Elsa was still starving. He smiled. "I'm a bit hungry. Let's go get something to eat."
"Okay!" Elsa's eyes lit up as she nodded vigorously.
…
After exchanging some jewelry from a treasure chest for local currency, Aomori took Elsa to a restaurant for a feast.
Elsa, who hadn't eaten meat in a long time, devoured the food voraciously. Even while eating, her left hand gripped Aomori's palm tightly, as if terrified he would vanish.
"Elsa, slow down," Aomori reminded her. She wasn't a "Cursed Doll" yet, just an ordinary person; eating too much too fast on an empty stomach would be dangerous.
"Mm." Elsa obediently slowed her chewing. After swallowing a piece of venison, she looked up. "Onii-chan, what's your name?"
"My name?" In this magical world, Aomori didn't want to expose his real name to avoid any curses or plots. He thought for a moment. "I am Klein Moretti. You can call me Klein."
Elsa silently memorized the pronunciation. "Klein-nii!"
"Yeah."
"Klein-nii!"
"Yes?"
"Why did you save me? You're... you're not going to sell me, are you?" Her grip tightened until her knuckles turned white.
"Don't overthink it. Saving someone doesn't require a reason, or rather, the act itself is the reason." Aomori patted her head to reassure her.
Her anxiety didn't fade. "But there are many people like me on the street. Why didn't you save them? I must be special, right?"
"Perhaps it's because you and I share a destiny." Had he not known her future identity, Aomori might have just given her some money and moved on.
"Destiny?" Elsa nodded thoughtfully. "Then... does Klein-nii want to marry me as his wife?"
"No, I do not." Aomori cut off her wild imagination. "Just finish your food."
"Oh." Elsa grabbed another piece of meat, but her dark pupils remained fixed on Aomori, flickering with an indecipherable light.
After their meal, Aomori bought new clothes and took her to a bathhouse to scrub away the grime. Once clean, Elsa's skin was fair and her features soft; she was clearly a beauty in the making.
However, before the bath, when Aomori withdrew his Holy Light, Elsa cried out, "No!" She bit her lip and added, "I want that of yours!"
Aomori knew she meant the warmth of the light, but the bathhouse owner gave him a very suspicious look. Luckily, Aomori's Charisma was high enough to prevent her from calling the guards.
Afterward, Aomori purchased spices, clean water, and supplies. For transportation, he acquired a large snow sledge and a Snow Bear. The Holy Kingdom of Gusteko was frigid and perpetually snow-covered; cities were only built on "Holy Ground" that resisted freezing. Outside these spots, the ground was thick ice capped with deep snow. The Earth Dragons common in the south couldn't handle this climate, so Snow Bears or Snow Mastiffs were used instead.
The Snow Bear was stronger and its massive body could shield passengers from blizzards, though it was quite expensive to feed. Preparations complete, Aomori and Elsa, who still refused to let go of his hand, stepped out into the wasteland.
…
The journey across the snow plains was monotonous, but for young Elsa, it was likely the happiest time of her life. She especially looked forward to the morning exercises; if she completed Aomori's tasks, she was rewarded with a "baptism" of Holy Light. For a girl starved of warmth, it was paradise.
Aomori spent time teaching her martial arts techniques whenever the Snow Bear rested. Mostly, he focused on physical conditioning.
"You can't always rely on others, because they won't always be there. Only you are truly worth relying on."
"Mm!" Elsa nodded solemnly, completing her grueling tasks without complaint, often to the point of collapse.
"Alright, take a break. Let's try this." Aomori handed her a dagger.
Elsa took it curiously. As if by instinct, the dagger danced through her fingers like a puppet on strings. Her smile widened. "This is fun."
Her physical technique isn't exceptional yet, but she handles a dagger perfectly on the first try. Does she already have a Divine Protection?
Based on her performance, it was likely the Divine Protection of the Dagger or Short Blade, granting her mastery over such weapons. In the original story, she used the curved kukri blades unique to Gusteko with lethal precision.
From then on, Aomori let her focus on daggers, using the process to study the mysteries of Divine Protections.
Days passed. With proper nutrition, Elsa filled out, no longer looking like skin and bone. Her strength grew by leaps and bounds; she could already take down a lone wolf by herself.
Eventually, they reached the northeast corner of Gusteko, the Sacred Mountain, Mt. Pardochia.
…
Legend had it that all mana in this world originated from the Od Lagna, the source of the world. Spirits were supernatural entities with self-awareness that could interfere the world using mana. Among them were the four strongest, the Four Great Spirits.
Residing on Mt. Pardochia was one of them: the "Spirit Beast" Odglass, representing blessings. It was the only one of the four friendly to humans and maintained a close relationship with the Gusteko royalty, even deciding the appointment of kings.
Aomori, operating on the logic of "we're already here," decided to meet the Great Spirit. After letting the Snow Bear rest, he and Elsa bypassed the royal guards and trekked up the mountain like they were on a stroll.
At the summit, they met the legend. Surprisingly, the Great Spirit looked like a small fawn. Had Aomori not sensed the immense energy within, he would have taken it for an ordinary deer.
"Ah, what a cute deer!" Elsa shouted, pointing. Its meat must be delicious. Recalling the venison she'd eaten before, she started drooling.
"Elsa, don't be rude." Aomori swiped her head, knowing exactly what she was thinking.
"It's fine. Many people react that way when they first see me," Odglass said with a gentle smile and squinted eyes.
No, you just don't know what she's actually thinking, or you wouldn't be so generous, Aomori thought. He smiled. "You are as magnanimous and kind as the rumors say."
"Just a reputation. I do get angry, but those who offended me are no longer able to speak," Odglass said, his smile unchanging. "So, traveler from another world, what brings you to see me?"
Aomori was no longer surprised by people seeing through his origin. "You can tell I'm not from here?"
"Yes, because you carry many powers that are foreign to me," Odglass stated plainly. "This world originates from the Od Lagna; everything carries its scent. You do not."
"I see." Aomori nodded. "I arrived here by accident and seek a way back. I've heard there is another world beyond the Great Waterfall. What does the Great Spirit know of this?"
The world of Re:Zero has boundaries, the Great Waterfall. It is said these formed after the Witch of Envy consumed half the world 400 years ago.
"You may call me Glass. As for beyond the waterfall..." Odglass shook his head. "I know very little. I do not know if it leads to another world. However, I suggest you treat it as a last resort. Even I would not dare venture beyond the waterfall."
"Understandable." If even a Witch could die by falling into the waterfall, Aomori would only check it out after everything else was settled. "One more question: what exactly are Divine Protections and Authorities?"
"Divine Protections are the favoritism of the Od Lagna, blessings upon birth. Authorities are the scepters it grants."
"Are Divine Protections innate? Is it possible to learn them later?"
"In theory, if one receives the absolute doting of the Od Lagna, it is possible."
Like Reinhard, Aomori thought. But as an outsider, I doubt I'll get that kind of affection. He asked, "Is there a way to please the Od Lagna?"
"There is a direct way," Odglass replied. "Restore the half of the world consumed by the Witch of Envy."
"Heh. Got it."