From the initial excitement and grand ambitions of just having crossed over, to the current state of gloom—Subaru Natsuki didn't even know how to describe the events of the past few hours.
Starting as a "supporting character," then seeing superpowers but failing to get the name of the girl who made his heart flutter, and finally ending up saddled with a massive debt... if this wasn't a world of darkness, what was?
"Relax."
"If you want to be a hero and subjugate the Demon King, how can you expect not to face a little setback?"
"Only these setbacks will make you tougher, your will firmer, and your strength greater..."
Satoru Gojo rested an arm around Subaru's shoulder, his expression as lazy and relaxed as ever. He seemed not to care one bit about the so-called debt; instead, he was tirelessly feeding Subaru "soul chicken soup" (platitudes).
"And then the debt keeps growing because of interest until I can't pay it off for the rest of my life?"
Subaru squinted at Satoru, the angle making his sanpaku eyes look particularly sharp and cynical.
"Hey! What are you two whispering about back there!"
"Hurry up!"
Felt's voice drifted back from the front. The petite girl stood with her hands on her hips, looking back at them with a "fierce" expression.
"Yes, yes, we know~"
Satoru Gojo didn't mind Felt's "hostility" at all, snapping a casual salute with his palm against his forehead.
After settling the debt issue, their current destination was the outermost peripheral area of the Royal Capital. To put it in plain terms: the slums.
The Royal Capital of Lugnica was generally structured like concentric circles. From the center outward, it went: Royal Palace → Noble District → Commercial District → Commoner District → Slums.
As for why they were going there, it was naturally because that's where Felt lived. Because of the debt, Felt absolutely did not trust these two to leave her sight. If they ran away, where would she find them? The Capital was huge, and the population was massive. She couldn't exactly wait for "fate" to let them cross paths again.
Thus, Felt insisted they follow her back to ensure she wouldn't lose track of them.
Under Felt's lead, the three walked for a long time. It took nearly half an hour before they finally reached the slums where Felt lived.
At first, upon entering the slums, it didn't seem like much; the environment wasn't drastically different from the adjacent commoner district. But as the three ventured deeper, the surroundings became increasingly harsh.
Low, dilapidated shacks were squeezed together in crooked clusters, and the ground beneath their feet was thick with mud. In lower-lying areas, pitch-black puddles of stagnant water emitted a foul, rotting stench. In many places, one could even see blatant piles of excrement.
For Satoru Gojo and Subaru Natsuki, who had just come from modern environments, this was the first time they had seen such a sight. Satoru goes without saying; with the sheer scale of the Gojo family, he never had to worry about wealth—he was essentially a true princely figure. While Subaru's family was ordinary, modern living conditions were incomparable to this.
"What a harsh environment," Subaru remarked, catching glimpses of shadows flitting through the broken shacks.
"Sorry for living in such a 'harsh' place," Felt replied irritably, looking back from the lead.
Though she had minimized her losses as much as possible, it didn't mean her anger had vanished.
"I didn't mean it like that," Subaru explained quickly. "It's just my first time seeing it."
"First time?" Felt paused her steps and squinted at the two of them.
"I've felt something was off since before. Whether it's your clothes or your looks, neither of you looks like someone who lives in the slums or even the commoner district."
"You look more like pampered nobles. There's not a single trace of manual labor on your bodies."
"Don't tell me you're runaways who escaped from home? Maybe if I send you back, I'd get a hefty reward..."
"I knew it, my noble aura is simply too hard to hide," Satoru Gojo said, brushing his hair back and looking a bit vain.
"If possible, please find our 'home' for us. At least then we'd have food and shelter," Subaru added, rubbing his stomach. He regretted not eating a few more pieces of cake back at the shop.
Now he was hungry. He was a teenage boy in the middle of a growth spurt; his energy consumption was high to begin with. After all that activity, Subaru was desperate for something to eat. Although his plastic bag contained a cup of noodles and a bag of snacks, snacks weren't filling, and cup noodles required hot water.
Felt looked at the two of them seriously—one whose stomach was faintly growling and the other who was still immersed in his own vanity. Neither seemed to be lying.
Felt curled her lip; it seemed that plan was a bust too.
She led them through the slums, making several twists and turns before ducking into a small alley covered in moss. After finally emerging, the view opened up.
A ditch of water that couldn't be called clear appeared before them, crossed by a rickety small wooden bridge. On the other side of the bridge stood a dilapidated warehouse reinforced with scrap metal—their destination.
Under the glow of the setting sun, even the decrepit slums took on a certain sense of ruined beauty.
"Follow me," Felt said, heading straight for the warehouse. She knocked gently on the door and waited quietly.
A moment later, a series of heavy footsteps echoed from inside. Judging by the sound alone, the person's physique was likely beyond imagination.
"Giant Rat," a deep, booming voice came from within.
"Poison," Felt replied calmly to the nonsensical exchange.
After the code was exchanged, the door opened.
Inside the dim warehouse, the first thing that caught the eye wasn't the furniture, but a towering figure. The silhouette nearly filled the entire doorframe, burly as a rusted iron statue. His large bald head featured strange crimson tattoos, and two extremely long white eyebrows hung down the sides of his face. He wore only a sleeveless, open-front vest that looked like a simple piece of cloth with two holes cut out for arms.
"So... so huge..." Subaru gasped, looking up at the "giant" of an old man.