Lillian reappeared on the streets an hour later.
During that time, he had carefully stashed several tablets in various secluded spots. As the saying goes, "don't put all your eggs in one basket." This was for insurance—if something unexpected happened, he wouldn't lose everything at once.
Walking through the crowded streets, he continued thinking about magic. In the early stages, his options were very limited—practically only one path: following Subaru's route. That meant building a good relationship with Emilia and entering Roswaal's mansion. But that was extremely risky.
At Roswaal's mansion, Rem herself was a threat. Lillian couldn't be sure he could gain her trust. If she suspected him of being a spy and killed him, it would be catastrophic. After all, unlike Subaru, who could experiment repeatedly, Lillian had only one chance.
In fact, given Lillian's personality, if someone killed him once, after he resurrected… he would undoubtedly seek revenge. The goal was to prevent the danger of being killed twice by the same person and facing permanent death. For example, in the AOT World, he used Marlo to deal with Bertholdt for this exact reason.
So, if Rem really killed him once, no matter how cute or kind she seemed, he would inevitably find a way to retaliate after resurrecting. But he didn't want to do that—Rem was fundamentally a good person. To avoid this outcome, he couldn't go to the mansion. Moreover, Roswaal wasn't exactly harmless either. Beatrice and Puck posed additional threats.
In this perilous world, risk avoidance was essential. Lillian wouldn't gamble. After careful consideration, he abandoned the mansion route.
Then, as he pondered other options, a few figures appeared ahead. He felt a stir in his heart and immediately followed them.
They didn't notice him tailing them and idly wandered the street for a while before turning into a dark alley. Lillian followed and, seeing that no one else was around, decisively called out:
"Hey, you guys."
The three froze and turned around. "Huh?" They exchanged glances before striding toward him together.
"Are you calling us?"
"That's right."
The white-haired one grinned. "Kid, you've got guts, daring to—"
"Cut the crap," Lillian interrupted. "If you don't want a beating, hand over your money."
Huh?!
The three were momentarily stunned. They had been about to speak, but he had stolen their lines.
Indeed, these three were the thugs who, in the story, mugged Subaru—unwittingly creating the opportunity for him to meet the heroine. They were, without a doubt, key supporting characters. In one loop, they even accidentally killed Subaru—but they weren't particularly malicious, just typical street thugs.
Lillian's reason for demanding money was simple: he needed funds. In another world, no matter what you intend to do, you first need food and shelter. Also, he urgently needed proper clothes for this world. Otherwise, dressed as he was, he would stand out as a foreigner. If he ran into Subaru, his identity as a traveler would be obvious—something Lillian wanted to avoid for now.
"Bastard! You dare cut in on us first!"
"Yeah, looks like we have no choice but to teach you a lesson." The white-haired thug stepped forward, attempting to grab Lillian's collar. But as he approached, his vision blurred, and the next second he was lying flat on the ground.
Though many in this world could easily kill Lillian, his strength was enough to dominate the area. Handling these small-time thugs was effortless.
"Boss!"
The other two froze, seeing their companion fall so quickly. Yet, out of loyalty, they didn't flee. They drew daggers from their waists, staring nervously at Lillian. "You… you bastard! Think we won't kill you?"
"I already said—hand over your money if you don't want a beating." Lillian sighed. In the next instant, his figure blurred. The remaining two were knocked down before they even saw what hit them. Their cries of pain echoed through the alley as they struggled helplessly.
"Stop pretending." Lillian said as he took their money pouches. He hadn't used excessive force; the three could recover shortly.
Pockets secured, he glanced at them, then walked off.
"That's enough."
A crisp voice sounded from behind. Lillian froze and turned. At the end of the alley stood a beautiful girl with long silver hair, wearing a white robe embroidered with a strange bird totem. Her delicate features were framed by blue-purple eyes that radiated a hint of danger.
"I cannot ignore your reckless behavior," she said. "Return the money to them, and I may let you off."
"…What the hell?"
Lillian hadn't expected the heroine Emilia to appear here. The timing was off—Subaru hadn't even arrived yet. Most importantly, she had witnessed this scene. With her sense of justice, she wouldn't just stand by.
"You misunderstand," Lillian said calmly. "These guys are street thugs. They stole from my friend and beat him badly. I'm just taking back what's mine—and teaching them a lesson for my friend. Is that something you need to get involved in, princess?"
"Ah…" Emilia hesitated. "Is… is that true?" Indeed, from her perspective, Lillian didn't look like a villain. The three clearly were thugs, and she had just seen them brandish daggers.
"S-Sorry…" She regained her composure and apologized to Lillian.
"No need, Lia." A boy's voice sounded, and a white cat suddenly appeared before her, spinning mid-air before landing obediently in her hands.
"E-Elf mage?!"
The three thugs on the ground were shocked. The cat nodded, smiling at Lillian.
"Yes. Lia, don't apologize. This sly one is lying to you."
"Huh?!"
Annoying.
Lillian recognized the cat as Puck, knowing its real power. If it wanted to attack, he would only be frozen and shattered—he wasn't a match. Furthermore, it could sense threats and detect lies.
Naturally, Emilia trusted Puck. Her expression hardened with anger. "You're lying!" she said, raising her palm. A cold, bluish light gathered. "Return their money."
"Even if I lied about my friend, they are still thugs, right?" Lillian said. "Teaching them a lesson is fine."
"Of course not! Everyone is equal," Emilia declared. "Even criminals should be punished by the law, not by someone else taking matters into their own hands! What you did is already a crime. And you stole their money too, didn't you?"
"I see… you make a good point. But where are the guards right now?" Lillian knew her ideals—her promise to create an equal world once she became queen. But that world would never exist.
"…."
Emilia froze at his question. At that moment, Lillian suddenly stepped back. Moving along the alley walls, he climbed to the rooftops in a blur.
"Stop right there!"