[User] "Now I understand why people want to love their cats ’til they go bald.”

[Assistant] “Well, if you’re going to be this happy about it, I guess it was really worth super-sizing… Don’t you think so, too?” The cat scratched at his face as if it were embarrassed and winked as if seeking a confirmation.


[User] A silver-haired girl standing at the entrance to the alley looking unfazed.

[Assistant] “Umm…I’m sorry about all of this. It looks like you ended up staying here with me until I woke up, and—”

[User] “Don’t get any ideas about this. The only reason I stayed is because I still have some questions to ask you. If it weren’t for that, I would have left you behind. I mean it. So don’t get any ideas.” Pressing the point, the girl put strong emphasis on her words.

[Assistant] Subaru could do nothing but nod, ignoring the content of whatever she was saying.

[User] “The reason I healed your wounds, and the reason I had Puck serve as a pillow until you woke up—all of that was for me. So I’m going to have you make it up to me, okay?”

[Assistant] “I know you’re trying to build this up and everything, but if you just have something to ask, go right ahead.”

[User] The girl looked sternly at Subaru and shook her head. “I’m not asking, I’m commanding. You know something about my stolen badge, don’t you?” The girl asked, dropping the tone of her voice.

[Assistant] Subaru had to tilt his head in confusion.

[User] “You didn’t hit your head real hard or anything while I was passed out, did you?”

[Assistant] “You were only out for about ten minutes, and no, nothing like that happened. Answer the question.”

[User] “Well…if that’s the case, I’ve got to say I really don’t know. Ha-ha…”

[Assistant] The girl didn’t look particularly crestfallen, but instead nodded. “Well, if you don’t know, you don’t know."


[User] "But, the fact that you know absolutely nothing itself is information you have provided to me, and enough for me to justify healing you." The girl replied, using twisted enough logic to baffle any swindler to describe her complete loss.

[Assistant] Subaru looked on, dumbfounded.

[User] The girl clapped her hands together as if to finish things. "Well, I’m in a hurry, so I’m going to get going now. Your wounds should all be healed, and I threatened those other guys so much I doubt they’ll go near you again, but it’s still dangerous to enter an alley like this all alone. Oh, and I’m not saying this because I’m worried about you; this is a warning: If I see you in a similar situation again, there won’t be any merit to me saving you, so you can’t expect me to do so again." The girl said with machine-gun rapidity.

[Assistant] Subaru remained silent.

[User] She took Subaru’s silence as affirmation, nodded to herself, and turned around to leave. The girl’s long silver hair swayed as she moved, and sparkled fantastically in the dim light of the alley.

[Assistant] "I’m sorry about that. She’s not really honest with herself. Don’t think too strangely of her, okay?" The cat said with a laugh as, having returned to its original size, it jumped up onto the girl’s shoulder. The girl patted its back as if to affirm its touch, and the cat disappeared, slipping behind the curtain of her hair.

[User] Without once looking back, the girl continued to walk on.

[Assistant] As he watched her go, Subaru thought about what the cat had said, about her not being honest with herself, and her intentions. She had something stolen from her, and even though she was in a hurry to get it back, she saved Subaru. Then, after Subaru had passed out, she healed him, and when he woke up, she used terrible reasoning to try to show him that she wasn’t worse off for doing so. "She’s not really honest with herself" was not going far enough. Her efforts were coming up negative in everything, and it was hard to watch. The girl had every right to blame Subaru for getting in her way, but she hadn’t complained even once, and she didn’t even look for an apology. That’s because to her, the only reason she saved Subaru was for her own ends. "If you live like that, you’re just going to keep losing until there’s nothing left." Subaru said as he got up, patted his dust-and dirt-covered tracksuit and started running. Sure, his beloved tracksuit was in pretty bad shape, but on the inside, almost all of his pain was gone. That’s after being kicked and punched as much as he was. Again Subaru was reminded of the otherworldliness of magic, as well as the generosity of that girl who, despite going on and on about having Subaru pay her back, took nothing from him in return.


[User] "Hey, wait!" Subaru called out to the girl just as she had reached the entrance to the alley and was in front of the main road, looking unsure of where to go next.

[Assistant] The girl touched her silver hair and looked a bit troubled as she turned around. "What is it? I’m going to tell you right now, I only have a bit more time to spend dealing with you."

[User] "So a little’s fine, then?! Anyway, what you lost is really important, right? Let me help you look for it."

[Assistant] The girl blinked a few times, surprised. "But you said you don’t know anything…"

[User] "It’s true that I don’t know the name of the girl who stole that badge from you, or where she’s from, but at least I know what she looks like! She’s got blond hair, is sort of like a kitten, and has this canine tooth that sticks out that’s hard to miss. She’s shorter than you and her chest is pretty flat so she’s maybe two or three years younger than you! How about that? !" When he got flustered, Subaru had a bad habit of speaking fast and not really even knowing what he was saying. Right now that bad habit was running at full blast, and even Subaru wanted to distance himself from his own words. The ensuing silence was painful. A cold sweat drenched Subaru’s back, not to mention his hands and armpits, which was followed by heart palpitations, shortness of breath, as well as dizziness, and in addition to feeling faint, his nose stuffed up in an allergic reaction accompanied by a migraine, such that there were problems on every front.

[Assistant] "...You’re strange." The girl said with a hand up to her mouth, tilting her head to the side as if she were looking at some rare animal. With a finger still at her lips she stared at Subaru, sizing him up. "I should say up front that I can’t offer you anything in return for your help. I might not look it, but I don’t have a copper piece on me."

[User] "Don’t worry, that makes two of us."

[Assistant] "Three of us, if you count me… Pretty terrible for us as a group." Added a voice jokingly from the girl’s silver hair.

[User] Subaru ignored it and pounded his chest. "I don’t need anything in thanks. I’m the one who should thank you. That’s why I want to help."

[Assistant] "I haven’t done anything deserving of your thanks. I’ve already gotten something in return from healing you."

[User] Subaru looked at the girl and her stubborn attitude with a weak smile. "If that’s the case, then I’ll help you for my own sake. The reason is…yeah, that’s it. I’ll use you for my ‘one good deed a day’ project!"

[Assistant] "One good deed a day?"

[User] "That’s right. Once a day you do one good thing."


[User] "If you do that, after you die you’ve got a one-way ticket to heaven! If I can do it, then a wonderful life of just eating and sleeping is waiting for me—so I hear! So that’s why I’m going to help you for my own sake.” Subaru felt like turning to himself and asking what the hell he was going on about, but at least he’d managed to make his point.

[Assistant] The girl stood in thought, considering Subaru’s words, when her cat poked at her cheek with its paws.

[User] "I don’t sense any evil intentions from him, and I don’t really think it’s a bad idea, you know? With how large the capital is, it’s way better than going on no clues at all.”

[Assistant] “But if I get him involved…”

[User] “You’re cute when you’re stubborn, but it’s foolish to let your stubbornness get the best of you and make you lose sight of your goals. I’d really rather not think of my own master as a fool.” The cat added its support in favor of Subaru, but the girl was still hesitant.

[Assistant] "Plus, the sun is starting to set. If night falls, I won’t be able to help you. I’m not worried about you handling a thug or two, but…it’s better to be safe than sorry.” The cat dropped its expression and continued in a serious voice.

[User] “Well, it sounds like you’re the one to call if there’s danger! But, wait—according to what you said, you can’t come out at night? Is that one of the deals of your contract or something?” Subaru asked, taking a step closer.

[Assistant] “It’s more like, I may look cute, but I’m a spirit, you know? I use a lot of mana just by materializing. When night falls, I return to the crystal that is my vessel and prepare for when the sun is out again. I suppose you could say it’s the perfect nine-to-five job.” The cat flicked its whiskers with its front paw and said.

[User] “Nine to five? That sounds like a government job… The conditions to hire a spirit sound more severe than I expected…!” Subaru was able to talk naturally about spirits, but that was only because of the analytical power he had as a modern otaku, poisoned by anime and games. Even traits looked down on by the public come in handy sometimes.

[Assistant] “I’m telling you, I really can’t give you anything in return, okay?” However, that last point seemed to have tipped the scales, so after much moaning with a number of buts and stills and ifs she finally conceded.


[User] "Even with all of my experience, I never thought that it would be this difficult…"

[Assistant] "You seem to have a really high opinion of yourself, but I haven’t seen anything from you to prove it. No matter how you slice it, things aren’t going well!"

[User] "Nobody says, ‘no matter how you slice it,’ anymore…" Pointing that out only made things worse, and the girl’s stare grew sharper, at which Subaru shrank away.


[Assistant] Wondering what she’s doing.

[User] While despairing at making absolutely no progress over the past hour, Subaru noticed that his companion, that girl, was standing up by the wall of the alley with her eyes closed, paying absolutely no mind to him. Seeing her lips move as she muttered something a few times, he tilted his head in confusion.

[Assistant] "Oh that? She’s communicating with lesser spirits." Subaru raised his eyebrows in surprise as the girl’s gray cat suddenly reappeared right in front of his eyes.


[User] "I thought that I hadn’t seen you in a while, but you hadn’t gone home or anything; you were here the whole time?"

[Assistant] "There’s still a bit of time left before I have to go. Unlike those minor spirits she’s talking to, I take my job seriously.”

[User] “Well that’s quite honorable of you. …But, what are these uh…lesser spirits again?” Going by the name, I suppose they’re a rank down from regular spirits? Subaru thought.

[Assistant] “Lesser spirits are beings that, in a state prior to becoming real spirits, start to develop some knowledge. If, over time, they gain power and self-awareness, they’ll become spirits like me.” As he nodded, listening to the cat’s explanation


[User] "Wow! That’s so cool! Are all of these glowing things spirits?” …intruded on it without a second thought, breaking the fantasy of it all as he started talking to the girl.

[Assistant] “Ah!” As the girl cried out in surprise, you could see droplets of tears that formed in reaction, sparkling in her eyes. Then the girl’s flustered state spread to the lights around her and…

[User] “Oh, look at that. They’re panicking.” The many lights started to flee this way and that before finally scattering and disappearing into the air.

[Assistant] “…Umm…” Both Subaru and the girl opened their mouths, dumbstruck, searching for where the lesser spirits had gone.

[User] “Just look at what you did! They’re gone! What are you going to do about this? !” Quickly the girl tried to continue what she had been doing, but it didn’t appear the lesser spirits were heeding her call anymore.

[Assistant] “Ah… Um… I’m sorry! It was my first time seeing spirits like that and I got a little excited. I mean, it didn’t look like they were dangerous or anything.”

[User] “It was only safe because I had them under control. If you had done that to an inexperienced spirit mage, it would have been awful. In the worst case, the spirits could have gone berserk and…BAM.”

[Assistant] “‘Bam?’” The girl was trying to admonish Subaru for not taking his actions seriously, but using the word “bam” wasn’t exactly helpful.

[User] “Oh, come on. There’s no way those little sparkly things could be dangerous.


[User] "Do you really expect me to believe that?”

[Assistant] “Well, to put it one way, I may look pretty cute…but it would only take two seconds for me to turn you into a pile of dust.”

[User] “Damn, spirits are scary!” A shiver went down Subaru’s spine in response to the cat’s peaceful-sounding death threat, and he looked back at the girl. “I definitely hope you don’t happen to be so upset you set that cat on me or anything…”

[Assistant] “I would never use Puck for something like that. If I were going to be violent with you, I’d handle you myself… Ugh, it really looks like they aren’t going to answer me anymore.” Failing to establish a second contact with the lesser spirits, the girl, depressed, shook her head powerlessly.

[User] “I suppose it’s not helpful to ask this after the spirits have already gone, but what is it exactly that you were trying to do?”

[Assistant] “I was trying to see if I could get any information from them about what I’m looking for. They disappeared before I was able to ask, though.”

[User] “What, really? !” Subaru was struck speechless by the gravity of his mistake.

[Assistant] “Um, b-but… It did take some time and lesser spirits don’t have the kind of clear awareness that regular spirits have, so I wasn’t really expecting much, but… Okay, I’m sorry, that’s a lie.” The girl’s hesitancy to lie was in conflict with her desire for a positive outlook, so while she tried, she was unable to soften the blow. In fact, her struggle with herself only highlighted to Subaru his own stupidity. At this rate, he wasn’t going to be able to do anything but slow her down. This is bad, both considering the debt I owe and the fact that she’s my one precious connection in this world… I’m gonna do my best to cling to this relationship and not let go…!

[User] “From the look on your face, it looks like you’re up to no good, but…did you think of something? Um…” In front of Subaru, who had found a questionable new sense of determination, the girl hesitated.

[Assistant] Subaru tilted his head and stared at her for a while as she furrowed her brow.

[User] “Ah, now that I think of it, we haven’t told each other our names yet, have we? Should we introduce ourselves?”

[Assistant] “Oh, you’re right. Well then, I guess I’ll go ahead and go first!”

[User] In an overly energetic fashion, in part to help cover up for his previous mistake, Subaru struck a pose and pointed to the heavens. “My name is Subaru Natsuki! The ignorant and unintelligent, forever and everlastingly penniless! Nice to meet you!”

[Assistant] “Well, that doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence, does it? Anyway, I’m Puck. Nice to meet you, too.” As Subaru put out his hand, Puck leapt into it with his whole body for a handshake.


[User] An onlooker would probably think Subaru was trying to squeeze the cat to death.

[Assistant] The girl blinked in surprise at Subaru’s bold interaction. "It’s rare to see someone who’s willing to approach a spirit so easily…and your name is just as unusual. With black hair and dark eyes like that—just where did you come from?"

[User] “Ha, I was waiting for you to ask that question. Given this trope, I’ll have to say I come from a small country to the east!”

[Assistant] “If you look at a map of the continent, Lugunika is the country farthest to the east, so…there’s no country to the east of here.”

[User] “What, are you serious? We’re at the ends of the east?! So…does this make this country my long-yearned-for Zipang? !”

[Assistant] “So you don’t know where you are, you don’t have any money, you can’t read, and you have no one you can count on. I’m starting to think you’re worse off than I am…” While Subaru was shocked at this new development, the girl was also starting to look anxious. With every action she took you could see the element of her personality that made her want to help others. She probably couldn’t help but be concerned about Subaru, who to her was looking more and more to be not only defenseless, but absolutely helpless. The girl looked at Subaru again carefully, from the top down. "Taking another look at you, you actually look like you’re in pretty good shape. Um… Uh… Subaru."

[User] “Huh? Oh. Yep, Subaru. That’s my name.” Having his name called in such a hesitant way for some reason felt like a fresh new experience to Subaru, and he couldn’t help but stumble in his response. After clearing his throat to hide the fact that he was shaken up, he showed his biceps. “I do strength training every day. Since I’m almost always cooped up in my room, I’ve got to do at least that much to stay in shape.”

[Assistant] “I don’t really get what you mean by ‘cooped up in your room,’ but you’re from a high-ranking family, aren’t you? Weren’t you taught some sort of martial art?”

[User] “I’m actually from an extremely ordinary middle-class family, but…what makes you think I’m from a high-class family? Do I exude some refined air of nobility?”

[Assistant] “Well, you do have a bit of a curious air to you, at least.”

[User] Subaru jokingly raised his hands as if to acknowledge the flattery.


[User] The girl suddenly grabbed those hands, and Subaru, taken aback by the suddenness of her touch, had to hold back a squeak from rising out of his throat. "It’s also these fingers of yours, but your skin and hair are part of it as well. These aren’t the hands of a commoner, and your muscles don’t look like the product of hard labor."

[Assistant] Subaru blushed as the girl continued to poke at his hands, but understood.

[User] "Black hair and dark eyes. I hear that is a common trait of the refugees from the south, but the fact that you are here in Lugunika with those traits means that you are able to live a life of luxury. Also, the craftsmanship of these strange clothes of yours is magnificent… So, have I got it right?" As Subaru grew quiet, the girl put on a proud smile.

[Assistant] Feeling admittedly drawn by the bewitching atmosphere she had made fitting of her beautiful smile, Subaru processed the contents of what she just said and made a reluctant face. "If you’re asking me whether you’re wrong or you are right…you’re absolutely wrong, but is there any way I can say it so you won’t get hurt?"

[User] "If I’m wrong, just tell me I’m wrong. If you don’t, it’s just going to be more embarrassing for me.” The girl blushed as her earlier confidence transformed into embarrassment.

[Assistant] As Subaru watched her go silent, he thought about how he was going to explain where he came from.

[User] Looking back on the results of what he had said so far, he felt there was a significant risk in telling the truth.

[Assistant] "You don’t have to think that hard about it, you know? If it’s something you can’t talk about, I won’t question you any further." Seeing Subaru struggling with what to say, the girl came to her own conclusions and didn’t press him.

[User] Given that she had come to his rescue yet again in a way, Subaru grimaced, feeling all the more useless.

[Assistant] "But…really, this isn’t looking very good," the girl muttered, in a now-weaker tone, a clouded expression on her face.

[Assistant] Seeing that the girl could no longer hide how hopeless she felt, Subaru felt a faint flame light up inside himself. "What am I, an idiot? Well, yeah, I am an idiot. Just what have I been doing all this time…" Right in front of Subaru stood the girl who saved his life. Hadn’t he offered to help her out so that he could repay her?


[User] “Subaru?” Seeing Subaru fall silent and looking troubled all of a sudden.

[Assistant] The girl tilted her head and looked at him puzzled.

[User] Watching as with that motion her silver hair tumbled down off her shoulder, Subaru thought as hard as he could.

[Assistant] “I have a few things that I want to check with you, is that okay?”

[User] “Um…okay, yeah. Go right ahead.”

[Assistant] “Thanks. I’m pretty sure I heard you mention it a few times, but this is the capital of whatever country we’re in…right? So, basically it’s the town that has the king’s castle in it, and it’s a really big place, is that correct?” Subaru asked, remembering bits of the conversation that he had had with the girl before.

[User] While Subaru realized that his question must have sounded strange, the girl didn’t interrupt and simply nodded a yes.

[Assistant] “So in this big city, there’s a girl who appears to be making her living stealing things. By the look of her clothes, she definitely doesn’t seem to be that well off… Now this may be obvious, but there’s got to be a place where people like that live.”

[Assistant] “Is there a place where crime is rampant, or something like a slum in the area…? I’m sure it’s hard to exchange stolen goods for money without some connections, so I think there’s a good chance she would have to go back to a place like that.” With the image of the thief burned in his memory, Subaru analyzed her from head to toe, and used all of the knowledge he had about fantasy settings to help form his hypothesis. “So, I think rather than searching around aimlessly, we have a better chance if we aim for that, but… What’s wrong?”

[User] “I was just surprised. You really do have a good head on your shoulders.”

[Assistant] “Well, rather than a logical conclusion, it’s more that it’s a common theme in medieval fantasy, but…if this is all it takes for you to start thinking better of me I have a feeling that I’ve got a long way to go…”

[User] Despite Subaru’s response, he seemed to be taking the girl’s praise rather well. While Subaru scratched at the side of his head to try to keep from showing how embarrassed he was.

[Assistant] The girl nodded several times. “We’ll go with your plan. Let’s go back out to the main road and ask some people if they know of a place that’s like what you described.”

[User] “We’re already really behind as it is, after all.


[User] “Let’s hurry up and get going.” After Subaru and the girl looked at each other and nodded, they headed out of the alley and toward the main road.

[Assistant] “I was just thinking… I know your cat’s name now, but I don’t think you ever told me your name, ha-ha.” While Subaru thought that bringing this up now might have not been the best time, the girl’s eyes widened a bit in surprise.

[User] “…Satella.” She then closed them, and after a few seconds of silence, said…

[Assistant] “Oh?” Subaru, who because of her silence had begun to think that he had made a mistake, was a bit late in reacting to her whispered reply.

[User] “I don’t have a last name, so you can just call me Satella.” In response, the girl turned away from Subaru and continued.

[Assistant] “…That’s in really bad taste, you know,” Puck muttered, though its voice did not even reach the girl’s ears, let alone Subaru’s as he observed Subaru and the girl’s exchange from the sidelines before slipping back under the girl’s silver hair.


[User] Shifting his gaze this way and that, Subaru looked for who they should question first, using the sounds of the bustling crowd as a guide as Subaru and Satella walked back through the alley they were in and reached the main road about ten minutes later.

[Assistant] “Hey, Subaru…” When Subaru looked back at Satella he saw that she had her gaze fixed on something on the other side of the street as she pulled on his sleeve.

[User] “…Do you think that kid is lost?” Adding further weight to his fears, Satella continued, with a serious look on her face.

[Assistant] “…Well, uh…”


[User] Subaru sighed a deep sigh. "Let’s just calm down a minute."

[Assistant] "What are we going to do if she gets up and goes somewhere while we’re dillydallying?! We’ve got to go talk to her right away…"

[User] "You know, that kindness of yours is a great virtue, and given the fact that I myself was saved by that kindness I really don’t want to say this, but do you have any idea what situation you’re in right now?"

[Assistant] "There’s also that my screw-ups are partially at fault, but the thief who stole from you is just getting farther and farther away from us. If we waste any more time here, by the time we catch her, she might already have sold it and then we’ll have no way to get it back.”"

[User] "You’re probably right…but…"

[Assistant] "Then…"

[User] No matter how he thought about it, their current plan should have priority over helping that little girl, but…

[Assistant] "But don’t you see, Subaru? Look at her, she’s crying."

[Assistant] "If you don’t want to stick around with me, that’s just fine. Thanks for everything you’ve done, Subaru. I’ll figure this out on my own…after I help that little girl." Satella trotted off across the street to where the little girl was standing.

[User] "I’m sorry I’m not the one you’re looking for." Said Satella as she knelt down to talk to the girl.


[User] You could tell, even from far away, that being spoken to by a stranger had caused her heart to shrink away, afraid. “I’m sorry if I’m bothering you, but where are your father and mother? Aren’t they with you?” It looked as though Satella had noticed the girl was afraid, and her voice was in a tone that was kinder than Subaru had ever heard it before. However, it wasn’t enough to convey her concern to the girl, who had lost sight of her parents and was now shivering because she did not know what to do.

[Assistant] “Umm… Uh… Please don’t cry. I won’t do anything to hurt you, okay?” Satella tried to keep open the girl’s heart before it shut completely on her, but it didn’t seem to work, and the little girl only shook her head back and forth.

[User] The tears that had welled up in her eyes looked as though they were about to overflow, when…

[Assistant] “Now feast your eyes on this magnificent notched ten-yen coin!”

[User] "Huh?" Satella said, surprised by the sudden voice that had leapt in, and when she looked up, there was Subaru in his gray tracksuit.

[Assistant] Subaru first smiled weakly at Satella’s reaction, and then turned his smile from her to the little girl. The sudden intruder had also surprised her. Subaru then put out his right hand in front of her. “Now, can you see this coin here in my right hand? I bet you can! All right, now I’m going to squeeze it tight. Like this…squeeze squeeze squeeze…”

[User] “Wait, Subaru…what are you…?”

[Assistant] “And would you look at that!” Ignoring Satella’s interruption, Subaru took his fist where he had been holding the notched ten-yen coin and opened it wide for the two to see. When he did, the coin that should have been in his hand was gone. “Wow! The coin I was squeezing is gone! Now where could it have run off to…?”

[User] The little girl blinked a few times and then stared hard at Subaru’s right hand, but whether she looked at the back of his hand or his palm, she couldn’t find it. Subaru, emboldened by the girl’s reaction, nodded, and then reached out with his left hand and gently brushed his fingers through her hair. “Would you look at that! So this is where the coin was hiding.”

[Assistant] When the little girl saw the coin resting between the fingers of Subaru’s left hand, she was stunned. Satella, who couldn’t figure out the trick, was just as confused. Subaru took a magnificent bow before the two and then dropped the notched ten-yen coin in the little girl’s hand. “I’ll let you keep it as a present. It’s special, so take good care of it, okay?”

[User] Subaru looked on with a smile as the little girl held the coin close and nodded vigorously. As he was doing so, Satella poked him in the side.


[User] “Hey, Subaru…”

[Assistant] “Don’t look at me like that. I mean, I’ll admit what I said before was a bit harsh but…”

[User] “How did you do that?”

[Assistant] “Oh, you mean that? You’re not questioning my motives, but how I did the trick?”

[User] Subaru promised to explain the trick later to Satella, who looked very interested, before turning back to the little girl, who was looking very curiously at the ten-yen coin. It seemed like Subaru’s amazing magic had helped calm down her anxiety. Subaru knelt down and asked her a few questions, she answered them quickly and clearly. “I see. So you got separated from your mother, huh. Don’t worry, don’t worry. Just leave it to your big brother and sister. We’ll find her right away!” After giving the girl another pat on the head, Subaru held out his hand to her, and with a little hesitation, she grabbed it.

[Assistant] Satella, who was watching, opened her eyes wide. “You really look like you’re used to this… Subaru, is your profession taming children?”

[User] “When you take it out of context like that, that sounds really, really bad! And no. I’m unemployed.” Technically, Subaru had the incredibly convenient status of being a student. However, given that he hadn’t been going to school lately, and particularly now that he had been summoned to a different world, he didn’t really feel that he was qualified to call himself that anymore. But, regardless… “So, big sister, how about you hold this lonely little girl’s hand? She looks like she could use another friend,” says Subaru with a wink.

[Assistant] The little girl had reached her other hand, the one that was not holding on to Subaru’s, out to Satella. Satella looked surprised for a moment and held her breath, but then let it out and took the little girl’s hand in her own. “Right. Don’t you worry. Just let your big sister handle this. We’ll definitely find your mom, okay?” Satella said, smiling at the little girl as she nodded silently.


[User] Subaru and Satella led the girl along, with her between them, and the three continued down the main road through the waves of people together. “The way we are now, don’t you think there are some people out there who look at us and think that we’re a young couple with our child? How embarrassing!”

[Assistant] “…Huh? Even with the benefit of the doubt I don’t see how anyone would think that you and that girl are anything other than brother and sister…”

[User] “I can’t tell if that’s just a really dry joke, or that’s really what you thought I meant!” As Satella and Subaru went on talking, the little girl between them let a small smile spread across her face.


[User] Fortunately, perhaps because they really stood out as a group, it didn’t take long before they found the little girl’s mother.

[Assistant] In this case, it wasn’t only Subaru who stood out, but also Satella, with her silver hair and extraordinary beauty.

[User] "Thank you so much!" Once the girl’s mother was reunited with her child, she thanked Subaru and Satella several times.

[Assistant] Smiles and plays it off as if it were nothing.

[User] As the little girl and her mother were leaving, the girl looked back and waved good-bye several times.

[Assistant] Waves back. Subaru turned to look at Satella, as she stood beside him waving to the girl, and saw that she had a bright and cheerful expression on her face.

[User] "Now, I get the feeling that we’ve wasted a lot of time doing this, but what does our big sister have to say? I’m sure she’ll find some kind of way to describe this as a means to an end!" Subaru said in an orchestrated manner, snapping his fingers and making fun of Satella’s all-too-kind nature.

[Assistant] Of course, he wasn’t really criticizing her; it was more that he was just poking fun.

[User] After all, Satella had given such a roundabout excuse for why her encounter with Subaru was useful, so he was curious to hear what she would say.

[Assistant] "…It’s simple." In response to Subaru’s teasing, Satella smiled.

[User] "Now we can be in a good mood as we continue to search."

[User] "Even if we got my badge back, I’m sure I would have regretted not helping that girl. Don’t you think it is better to both help the girl and get my badge back?"

[Assistant] It didn’t look like Satella was just saying that to keep her own hopes up. She looked so refreshed she probably believed it.

[User] With that kind of response, Subaru really didn’t know what to say.

[Assistant] He would have to rethink his opinion of this girl.

[User] Not only was she the type of person who was so kind she always ended up losing everything, she also was the type of person who wanted to have it all.

[Assistant] "I see. You’re right. Thanks to your quick decision, we won’t have to say, ‘Sure, we abandoned that little anxious crying girl all lost and by herself, but we were able to get the badge back, safe and sound, hooray!’”

[User] "Well that’s a really negative way to put it." Frowning, then glaring at him as though she seemed to have remembered something.

[Assistant] "But besides that… Why did you help me? I thought you were against helping the girl, Subaru."

[User] "I just wanted to show off my ability to do magic tricks! …Which is, of course, a lie. Didn’t I say so before?"


[User] "I’m going to help you find your badge so I can do my good deed for the day and go to heaven."

[Assistant] "But since you helped the girl, doesn’t that count for your good deed for the day already?"

[User] "That’s a very good argument! But I mean, it’s not like I’m limited to one a day or anything. I can do more. So anyway, I’m going to do enough for tomorrow today! I’m actually planning to get this whole week out of the way!" Subaru had the feeling that he was getting away from the true meaning of this whole “do one good deed a day” concept, but he still tried to make an argument. Satella stood by, shocked.

[Assistant] "Subaru…with a personality like that, you’re going to end up losing everything one day."

[User] "You’re the last person I want to hear that from!" Subaru shouted, flipping her words back toward her, but Satella just tilted her head in confusion. Apparently she really just didn’t get it.

[Assistant] "You really are a nice boy, aren’t you?"

[User] "You know, it kind of bothers me that you’re treating me like I’m younger than you. I know that a lot of people think East Asians are younger than they are, but we really can’t be that different in age, can we?" Subaru thought that by a rough estimate Satella looked to be about seventeen or eighteen years old. Given that Subaru had a rather early birthday compared to others in his age group, he was seventeen and thought that it was possible she could even be younger than him.

[Assistant] "However old you think I am, I don’t think that you’re very close… After all, I’m a half-elf." Satella narrowed her violet eyes slightly.

[User] "…" Subaru was at a loss for words. Seeing his response, a number of complicated emotions flashed across Satella’s eyes. Finally, the emotion that settled was an ineffable mixture of resignation and hopelessness.

[Assistant] "I see. No wonder you’re so cute. After all, it’s like a given in fantasy worlds that elves are always beautiful."

[User] “…Huh?” Subaru finally nodded, having come to his own conclusions about Satella being a half-elf. Satella blinked her eyes several times. Her expectations had completely missed their mark.

[Assistant] "Hmm? What’s wrong?"

[User] "It’s not that anything is wrong, it’s just…I mean…I’m a half-elf, and…"

[Assistant] "Yeah…I heard you the first time." Unsure of what Satella had a problem with, that’s the only way Subaru could think to answer

[User] "….ah." Satella made a strange sound in her throat, before suddenly turning away from Subaru, finding the nearest wall, kneeling beside it, and holding her silver-haired head in her hands. In the face of such an inexplicable reaction, Subaru just didn’t know what to say.

[Assistant] "Take that!"

[User] "Ow! What the hell was that for?"


[User] !" The gray cat, which as always seemed to come and go as it pleased, had punched him in the face with its paw like it was reenacting a fancy fighting move. Puck purred, flicking at his whiskers with the same paw he had punched Subaru with. "I don’t know, I just felt this overwhelming frustration and couldn’t keep it bottled up inside of me.”

[Assistant] "If that’s the only reason, it’s going to be hard to get rid of the feeling that a great injustice has been done to me, but it was a soft and squishy punch, so I forgive you.”

[User] “I mean, I’m not really mad at you or anything. If I had to say one way or the other, I’d say it’s the opposite.”

[Assistant] “The opposite?” said Subaru, confused.

[User] “Yes, the opposite,” Puck said with a nod.

[Assistant] Twisting the ends of her silver hair in her fingers, Satella glared at Subaru. “Subaru, you…nincompoop.”

[User] “Nobody uses the word ‘nincompoop’ anymore, and what have I done to be insulted by you?”

[Assistant] “Hmph. If you don’t understand, that’s not my problem. More importantly, we’ve got to continue our search.” With the subject of Satella’s unreasonableness cut off without another word, Subaru looked irritated, but that irritation evaporated as Satella began to act more friendly and familiar.

[User] “Anyway, that episode with the little lost girl made it painfully clear—isn’t this town just too big to be searching around for something in?”

[Assistant] “Well, it’s the capital of Lugunika. It’s the largest city in the nation. If I remember correctly, there are about…three hundred thousand people who live here, and a lot of others come and go.” Satella answered Subaru’s question in detail and with a hint of pride in her voice.

[User] “I see, I see. Three hundred thousand people, huh. That’s quite a lot… Thanks for the regurgitated information.”

[Assistant] “Urr…” Satella muttered.


[User] “In other words, we don’t have any more room for error. We have already given up a big advantage to the thief, and if we get stuck again it really will be too late. So let’s choose our next move carefully.”

[Assistant] “What do you mean?”

[User] “If we run around without some sort of plan, we won’t get any results. For instance, if we go back to the place where your badge was stolen, we might be able to get more information out of people. Was there anyone who saw what happened?”

[Assistant] “Actually…I think there may have been.” Satella put her hand to her mouth as if she had remembered something and then explained herself to Subaru.

[User] “Do you remember where it was stolen from you?”

[Assistant] “Yes, I think…it was this way.” Subaru followed Satella down the street.


[User] “Wait. No, I have definitely seen this place before.” Seeing the place that Satella had led him to, he scratched the side of his face and smiled a half smile. "This is where I was so confused I decided to go cool my head down in an empty alley, and then had my encounter with thugs A, B, and C…”

[Assistant] “So that’s the situation. I told her, ‘Leave it to me!’ and came over here to see you, Mr. Fruit Salesman.” Subaru spun around and pointed at the owner of a fruit shop on the side of the main road.

[User] “…What, it’s you again?


[User] "I was hoping for a customer, Mr. Broke." The shop owner said with a cold glare that didn’t seem fitting for one who dealt with customers on a daily basis.

[Assistant] "Oh, don’t be so cold, Pops. You were acting pretty nice to me not all that long ago."

[User] "That’s because I thought you were a customer. If I had known you had no money on you, I would have chased you out earlier, like I’m about to do now." He waved his hand as if he was shooing away a bug.

[Assistant] "Oh, come on." Subaru sighed, relaxing his shoulders. "Are you sure you want to treat me like this? Haven’t you noticed that I’m different from the last time I came here?"

[User] "What’s that?" The shop owner said, unsure of how to react as Subaru made a triumphant expression, nostrils flaring.

[Assistant] Subaru stepped aside and held both his hands out to show Satella standing behind him. "Look at that! I brought someone with me! You may have chased me off once you learned I was penniless, but what do you think, now that I’ve brought in someone who just very well may become a new frequent customer of yours?!"

[User] "Um, Subaru…? I hate to say this when you’ve got your hopes up, but I don’t have any money on me."

[Assistant] "Huh, what, really? You’re telling me that we were walking around the capital without so much as a single coin between us?!"

[User] The shop owner gave a sigh as he looked at the two paupers in his shop. "So? What was it that you wanted to say, now that one beggar’s become two?"

[Assistant] "Well, actually, we’re looking for something, and I wanted to ask if you could at least hear us out?"

[User] "That was just my way of saying I don’t have the time to deal with you people! Take a hint!" The shop owner yelled.

[Assistant] "Th-this wasn’t a good idea after all, was it?" Satella said, shrinking away as she tugged on Subaru’s sleeve.

[User] Just when Subaru was about to give up on trying to get any information out of the man, he heard a voice.


[User] Subaru and Satella turned around.

[Assistant] "Are you…the two from before?"

[User] "We are, but…why are you here in a place like this? The only other person here is this heartless, scary-faced man."

[Assistant] "Ha-ha… This is my husband’s shop, so I thought I’d stop by and say hello."

[User] "Your husband’s shop?" Subaru and Satella looked at each other, and then turned back to look inside the shop, their gazes finally settling on the scar-faced man, who had folded his arms.

[Assistant] "Pops…you didn’t kill this woman’s husband and take their shop, did you?"

[User] "What are you going on about? This is my shop, and that is my wife!"

[Assistant] Subaru looked back in shock at the woman, who smiled, looking a bit unsure of how to react. He thought with a worried look.

[User] The little girl who was holding her mother’s hand darted past Subaru to the shop owner, who hugged her and picked her up.

[Assistant] "Oh, look at you! Aren’t you all excited. Now tell me, do you know these two destitute beggars?"

[User] "Beggars? Dear, don’t call them that!" After hearing her husband’s sharp words, the girl’s mother raised her eyebrows and began berating her husband. She then explained how she, her daughter, Subaru, and Satella had come to meet.

[Assistant] After hearing what happened, the Shop owner set his daughter down. "I’m sorry about that. That was not the way to talk to the people who saved my daughter. Please forgive me."

[User] "Oh, don’t worry about it. I mean, it is true that we don’t have any money on us, and…"

[Assistant] "That’s right, old man! I hope you think long and hard about your action…s… Um…your cute face looks pretty scary right now." A look from Satella shut Subaru up.

[User] The little girl reached out her hand to Satella.

[Assistant] "Please, take it." said the mother, placing her hand on Satella’s back, urging her on. "My daughter wants to thank you in her own way."

[User] Satella nodded slightly and then took the flower ornament from the little girl’s hand, and pinned it on the left breast of her white cloak, before kneeling down so that the little girl could see it. "Thank you. I like it very much." As Subaru watched Satella’s brilliant smile from the side, he found himself unable to look away.


[User] Seeing that smile, the little girl blushed and looked away.

[Assistant] The shop owner, watching all of this, cleared his throat. "You saved my daughter. I want to thank you. Ask me whatever you want." With a strong nod, the stern-faced shop owner put on his best smile.

[User] Satella was surprised, but then looked to Subaru and smiled, but it wasn’t the same smile as before. "See, I told you. It really did come around and help us in the end!" She said, as if this odd twist of fate was entirely her own doing.


[Assistant] Even though the street was just one off the main road, the atmosphere was full of gloom. It was still and silent, and there was no sign of any kind of life, let alone traces of people around. The street Subaru and Satella were on wasn’t far from the main road, but the hustle and bustle from before now seemed like a far-off dream. "We heard from that guy that if we were looking for stolen goods, they would be handled and sold in the slums, but…" whispered Subaru as he peered down the street that supposedly would lead them to the slums, “…the air down there and the mood, not to mention the general character of the people down there, are all probably going to be pretty terrible. Are you sure you really want to go?"

[User] "You’re the one who suggested that my badge might be there in the first place, and the owner of that shop said it would probably be there, too…"

[Assistant] "You shouldn’t forget that right after he said that, he added that we should probably give up." Subaru said, reflecting back with a sour face on what was said at the fruit shop. Thirty minutes after unexpectedly reuniting with the little girl and her mother at the fruit shop, and using that coincidence to turn the situation around and gain some valuable information, Subaru and Satella were now at the entrance to the rumored slums, where most stolen goods were said to be brought. After realizing that Subaru and Satella had helped his daughter, the stern-faced shop owner had warmed up to them, and listened to their plight. Because of that, they were able to get information about the slums, but now they were hesitating. "I probably should have mentioned this earlier, but wouldn’t it be better to ask for help? Like, if we asked the police, or…I guess they would be guards in this case…I’m sure if we asked those kind of people to help us search and they sent a team out to find it, this would get resolved a lot more quickly."

[User] "We can’t." Satella immediately rejected Subaru’s suggestion. In fact, she so flatly rejected it that it took Subaru by surprise. "I’m sorry, but…we can’t."


[User] “I also don’t think we can get the guards to act over such a small theft, and…I have other reasons that I can’t ask the guards for help." Pausing for a moment with her lips shut tightly, before looking at Subaru with a look of pleading in her eyes. "I’m sorry, but I can’t say why.”

[Assistant] Realizing that she quite clearly didn’t want to be asked, Subaru raised his hands slightly, conceding. “So, what should we do, then? I suppose we can still employ team tactics with just the two of us.” Said Subaru in a light and joking tone, trying to keep the mood up.

[User] “Don’t forget me!” Replied Puck, who had reappeared on Satella’s shoulder, looking at Subaru and Satella as it wiped its face with its paw. “But we don’t really have the time to just sit around and talk anymore. Even if you want to try those team tactics with two humans and a cat, I’ve only got about an hour before it’s time’s-up for me.” As Puck looked up at the sky, Subaru followed its gaze and saw that most of the sky that was peaking through the buildings on either side of the street had already shifted from blue to orange. The reason the slums seemed so dark and dreary wasn’t only because of the damp and sour smell coming from it. It was getting closer and closer to sunset—which of course meant that Puck would soon reach his limit.

[Assistant] “So whether you decide to go or turn back, it’s best to make that decision soon.” Finished Puck.

[User] “I don’t know what you mean by ‘team tactics,’ but we’ve got to keep going. There’s no way that we can let this chance go and risk having my badge be out of our reach forever.” She then turned to Subaru. “All right, so I’ve decided I’m going, but…the people who live here are probably used to getting into fights, so I want you to be careful, even more than before. If you’re scared, you can just wait here for me to come back.”

[Assistant] “Wait here?! Just how much of a chicken do you think I am?! I’m going! I’m going to stick to you like I’m a spirit who’s come back to haunt you!”

[User] “So in other words you don’t want to be in front. That would really, really make it easier on me, though.” Satella sighed yet again in the face of Subaru’s energetic readiness to flee.

[Assistant] Subaru thought about how, ever since he and Satella had met, he had only made her look troubled. The few times she did smile, the reason had nothing to do with Subaru. It was unfortunate. Given how cute she looked even when she was displaying negative emotions, Subaru thought it would be wonderful if she ever did smile at him. “All right! Let’s do this!


[User] “It’s about time I do something to show you what I’m made of!”

[Assistant] “What are you so excited about all of a sudden? I can see up your nostrils.”

[User] “Well, that was a great way to ruin my display-of-determination scene! Thanks!” Even though he had his energy tripped up a notch from the start, Subaru hurried his pace so he wouldn’t fall behind Satella, his arms flailing back and forth as he rushed to not be left behind by this girl who kept continuing on toward her goal.


[Assistant] “Who, you ask? Me! Yes, me! For some unknown reason, the people here in the slums are really nice to me! Just what unknown variable is responsible for this?! Has my charm stat finally been adjusted?! I haven’t felt so loved since I was in preschool!”

[User] “Has something about me changed from before? Do I, like, have something on my face?”

[Assistant] “Well, you do have your evil-looking eyes, short ears, and flat nose on your face…”

[User] “I could have gone without the evil eyes and flat nose description!” Subaru retorted before hanging his head.

[Assistant] Satella put her finger to her lips and thought. “Hmm… It probably has to do with the way you look and are dressed right now. You’re covered in dust and dirt and there are even traces of blood. The people who live here also have it hard, so they must look at you in pity and can’t help but be kind to you…”

[User] “Right now you’re doing a good job of making me feel as bad as I look! But you’re right! It makes perfect sense! Damn it all!”

[Assistant] “The thugs from before made similar comments, but you really are dressed pretty well, aren’t you?”

[User] “I guess I do stand out, don’t I…?” replied Satella, looking at Subaru nervously, as she rolled down the sleeves of her white cloak.

[Assistant] “Um, I have something I’d like to ask you, but—”

[User] “What’s that?


[User] "This is no place for you and your fancy clothes to be walking around in, young lady, so go on now, get outta here!” Again, Satella was brusquely turned away as she tried to ask someone for help.

[Assistant] “At least you might be a little better off if you take off your cloak…” Subaru suggested.

[User] “…I know, but…” Satella gripped both shoulders of her cloak with her hands, but would not take it off. As Satella looked down, she lightly brushed her hand against the red flower decoration pinned on her left breast.

[Assistant] "Well, don’t worry too much. You can leave this to me. Anyway, with the fruits of my labor, we’ll soon have her cornered, so let’s keep chasing after that criminal. So yeah, with the fruits of my labor, we’ll soon have her cornered! So! Let’s…keep…searching!”

[User] “I understand that you’re happy to be useful for once, but it’s really lame when you put so much emphasis on yourself like that.” Subaru had struck a pose with every pause of his sentence, which he thought was cool, but when Satella put it like that, it just made Subaru seem like he was hopping up and down as if to say, Look what I can do!

[Assistant] Subaru just responded with a weak smile.

[User] “I’m sorry, but I’m already at my limit,” said Puck weakly as he leaned up against Satella’s neck. His gray coat glowed with a weak light, and his figure blurred as if he were going to disappear at any moment.

[Assistant] "The way you disappear kind of looks like you’re dying.”

[User] “I tried to stick around longer than usual because I wanted to protect my precious daughter from this evil-eyed guy hanging around her.


[User] "But when I work myself to the bone, I end up fading away when it’s time for me to disappear.”

[Assistant] “That’s terrible! But leave it to me! I won’t let any dangerous guys near her after you disappear!”

[User] “Wait, does that mean it’s okay for me to wipe you off the face of the Earth before I disappear?”

[Assistant] “No! Not okay!” Subaru shouted, stepping away and hugging himself.

[User] “I’m joking,” said Puck with a small burst of laughter.

[Assistant] Puck looked to Satella, who took from her breast pocket a crystal that was glowing with a green light.

[User] “I’m sorry for pushing you so hard, Puck. I’ll do my best from here on out, so you just get some rest.” The green crystal continued to glow with a faint light in Satella’s hand as she held it.

[Assistant] Puck crawled down Satella’s arm and approached the crystal, then reached out and hugged it to its small body.

[User] “I’m sure you know this already, but be careful, and don’t push yourself too hard. If something happens don’t hesitate to use your od to call me back out.”

[Assistant] “I know, I know. I’m not a child. I can take care of myself.”

[User] “I wonder about that… My precious daughter here always makes me worry when it comes to things like this. I’m counting on you, Subaru.” Puck looked at Satella with affection, the way a parent looks at their child.

[Assistant] Satella blushed, but also looked annoyed.

[User] “All right! Just you leave it to me. You can trust my sixth sense. When it sounds the danger alarm, I’ll get us out of there in no time!” Subaru beat on his chest.

[Assistant] “I really don’t understand half of what you’re saying, but all right. Now with that out of the way, good night. …Be careful.” With a last glance directed at Satella, Puck finally vanished. His small body became a small ball of light, which gradually melted away into the world around it as he disappeared.


[User] As Subaru was getting excited all by himself, Satella ran her hands lightly over the crystal and put it carefully back in her breast pocket.

[Assistant] “Now it’ll be just the two of us…but don’t get any ideas. I can still use magic, you know.”

[User] “Hey, the last time I was alone with a girl was in elementary school.


[User] "I’m not really capable of doing anything. Haven’t you been paying attention to my lack of human skills thus far?”

[Assistant] “You’re totally hopeless, but then again, I’m convinced. …All right. Let’s keep going. But remember, with Puck gone we need to be even more careful than before.” Satella, perhaps shocked by Subaru’s proud proclamation of his cowardice, couldn’t seem to keep up her apprehensions of him, and so tied back up the front of her robe and went on ahead.

[User] “I’ll be the vanguard, so you just keep your eyes on what’s behind us. If anything happens, call me right away. You mustn’t think that you can handle everything on your own. I don’t want be mean…but you’re really weak.”

[Assistant] “Well, when you put it that way, it’s hard to get angry about it…”

[User] Subaru nudged Satella along, even though it looked like she wanted to say something, and the two continued their search.


[Assistant] "You know? It might be that Felt girl. She was blond and really fast, right?”

[User] "Hey, my brother, how’s life?”

[Assistant] “If it’s Felt you’re looking for, whatever she stole is probably sitting in the loot cellar. She usually takes things there, gets them tagged, and then the old man who’s the master there’ll get them sold at a market somewhere else.”

[User] “That sounds like a pretty strange system… Doesn’t anyone worry about the master of the cellar taking off with all of the goods?”

[Assistant] “The reason he’s the master is because people trust him not to do that. But, well, even if you go up and tell him it’s stolen, he’ll probably just say ‘So what?’ right back at you, so you’d better be prepared to negotiate a price to buy it back. After all, it’s the original owner’s fault for being stupid and getting it stolen in the first place!”

[User] the man finished with a laugh.

[Assistant] Subaru was able to get the guy to tell him the location of the loot cellar, so they would probably be able to find it soon, but there was a new problem. Subaru and Satella were both penniless.


[User] “That guy said we should buy it back, but without any leverage, I get the feeling this master guy would wipe the floor with us.”

[Assistant] “Why do I have to pay to get back something I already own…?” As the problem veered back toward their combined lack of funds, Satella looked worried.

[User] She had a point, of course, but it wasn’t like they could expect the loot cellar’s master to agree. In order to solve the matter peacefully, and with certainty, it would be best to follow that man’s advice and try to negotiate. However… “It seems a little late to be asking this question, but that badge you say was stolen from you…does it happen to look expensive? Even if we walk in expecting to be overcharged, it would be impossible to negotiate without having any idea of what it’s worth.”

[Assistant] “…It’s small, but there is a jewel embedded in its center. I don’t know how much money that someone might buy it for, but I am fairly certain it wouldn’t be a small amount.”

[User] “A jewel, huh… That seems like it’s going to be a problem.” Even for people unfamiliar with how much things are worth, a jewel is one of those convenient items that you can tell is expensive at a glance. Subaru doubted that there was the technology to produce imitations in this world, so most things that resembled jewels were probably jewels. In other words, they would all fetch a high price. While none of this new information sounded like good news, Subaru thought there was something strange about what Satella was saying. Even though the badge was supposedly hers, she said that she did not know its value. While it was possible it was something she might have received from someone else, it stuck in his mind. “Anyway, let’s first just find this loot-cellar place. It is possible that we can negotiate a way to buy it back at a reasonable price…” In the worst-case scenario, Subaru had one way to secure funds, although he was reluctant to use it. And he didn’t want to tell Satella until right before he had to.


[Assistant] As they walked, Subaru and Satella spent the next ten minutes talking about various ways they might be able to take back her badge, but nothing seemed to come together. Now that they were in front of the place called the “loot cellar,” Subaru and Satella looked at each other. “This place is a lot bigger than I imagined. Just how well can the market for theft be going these days?”

[User] “I understand them calling it a cellar rather than a shed…if this place is filled only with stolen goods… Either way I’m not sure the people here have any hope of salvation,” added Satella. Of course, as the loot cellar existed as a place to hold items until they were sold, it was unlikely it would be filled to the brim.


[User] It wasn’t a high-storied building, but it was wide enough to the point where it looked as though it could function as living quarters for a large number of people. The building was right up against a tall defensive wall, and was in the deepest part of the slums. "That tall wall behind the building…is that…?"

[Assistant] "I think it’s one of the walls of the city. Which means that we must have come all the way from the city’s center to its edge."

[User] Subaru tried to imagine a map of the city in his mind, given what Satella had said. It was likely that the city was built as a square and had walls like this on all four sides. Additionally, either in the center or on the northernmost side there should be a castle, from which these slums would be positioned far away. Considering that it had been three to four hours since Subaru and Satella had begun their search, the scope of the city seemed to be a little larger than Subaru had originally imagined. "All right, according to what we’ve heard, there should be a master in charge of this cellar who handles all of the stolen goods, but…just how exactly do you want to approach this?"

[Assistant] "We’re going to be direct and honest. We’ll just say, ‘We’ve had something stolen from us, so if you can find it, please return it to us.’"

[User] Subaru tried to explain that that wasn’t going to work, but Satella wouldn’t listen to him. Because of Satella’s personality, Subaru was all too sure things would get complicated if she was the one doing the talking, so Subaru volunteered himself. His backup plan… Well, it was hard to call it a “backup plan” if he was already considering using it, but if things got complicated before he had the chance to put it into action, that would also be a problem. Subaru had made his decision; he wasn’t one to hesitate at times like this. "All right, I got it. But leave this to me."

[Assistant] Satella looked surprised that Subaru wanted to do the talking, and while Subaru was musing on how cute her surprised expression was, he hurried to try to think of a comeback for whatever argument against it Satella would have, but… "All right. I’ll leave it to you."

[User] "Look, I understand that it’s hard for you to let me handle something this important, and I’m not stupid enough to think that I’ve gained your trust, but I’ve got a plan, so if you’d just trust me this once—Wait. Huh?!"

[Assistant] "W-why are you so surprised?"

[User] "Going by everything that’s happened so far, you’d think that this would signal the start of an argument, right?"


[User] "I imagined you’d say something like, ‘Do you really expect me to just let a good-for-nothing like you, whose only ability is to convert oxygen into carbon dioxide, handle something this important? Don’t make me laugh! I’d expect a dog to do a better job than you!’ Then I, while hurt, would use the opportunity to renew my determination!”

[Assistant] "I would never say something that mean!" As Subaru exposed his exaggerated persecution complex, Satella didn’t look all that happy.

[User] Clearing her throat, she fixed her amethyst eyes on Subaru and said, "Of course I would be lying if I said I didn’t think that you were holding me back in any way, and just when I think you’re finally being serious, to my chagrin you say something completely stupid…”

[Assistant] "‘To my chagrin,’ huh? I haven’t heard that in a while." Subaru joked, sighed and relaxed his shoulders, unable to argue back.

[User] "Still, even though you act like a jerk sometimes, it was because of you that we were able to keep that little girl from crying, and I don’t think you’re the kind of person to lie or do anything without thinking about it first." Satella looked back over their much-sidetracked journey thus far. "So…I’ll trust you. …If this all works out I might even think that meeting you was all worth it."

[Assistant] "You know, if instead of that last part you had just looked up at me and said, ‘Please, do your best for my sake,’ I would have been totally pumped up to do this, you know?"

[User] "I can’t force myself to say something like that, but… Good luck." This was a girl who could not bring herself to lie for any reason.

[Assistant] "…All right, I’ll give it my best shot." Subaru broke into a smile before heading toward the entrance of the cellar.


[User] "It’s hard when there’s not any kind of light… Well, considering the purpose of the place, I suppose it makes sense, and it even serves as a metaphor for the dark feeling of guilt in doing dirty business." Subaru stuck his head inside and tried to look around, but not even the light from the moon reached this place in the deepest part of the slums. He couldn’t see an inch in front of his face. As Subaru prepared to go inside, he turned around to Satella. "I didn’t hear anyone answer me, but I’m going to go ahead and go inside, so can you please keep watch?"

[Assistant] "Are you sure? Wouldn’t it be better for me to go instead…?"

[User] "If on the off chance someone ambushes us and you’re the one taken out, then it’s all over. If I’m the one attacked, you’ll be able both to help me, and to strike back. This is the most reasonable way to do this, so please let’s just go with my plan, okay?"

[Assistant] Satella considered Subaru’s plan. After a few moments of silence, she took out of her breast pocket a white crystal, which suddenly shone with a white light. "At least take a light. And call me in whether someone’s there or not."

[User] "I know, I know. Puck told us to be careful, so I’ll be careful. This is really useful, by the way."

[Assistant] "You can find lagmite ore just about anywhere. You really are ignorant, aren’t you, Subaru." Satella, unable to contain her shock, handed Subaru the lagmite ore. The crystal gave off a faint warmth along with its light, which was about as much illumination as you could expect from a candle.

[User] "Okay, well then, I’ll go take a look. I don’t think I’ll be gone too long, but you can go ahead and eat without me."

[Assistant] "Oh, stop being so stupid. Be careful, okay?"

[User] "Gotcha. Also, Satella? Don’t come in until I call for you—got it?" The courage that Subaru had been building up to prepare himself to enter the cellar had pushed him just enough to say her name. Up until now, he had felt too embarrassed to say it, and had hesitated. After clenching his fist together, excited he was able to finally say it, he looked back at Satella.

[Assistant] "...What’s wrong?" Satella was looking at Subaru frozen, with her eyes open wide. This reaction was far different from any that Subaru expected, and so he tilted his head in confusion.

[User] "I’m sorry… It’s nothing. Once we get my badge back, I’ll apologize properly."

[Assistant] "I don’t know what you’re planning on apologizing for, but I’d rather hear a ‘thank you’ instead. It would be even better if that thank-you came along with a smile."

[User] "You dummy." As those two words came out of her mouth, Satella made a little bit of a smile, which Subaru made sure to burn into his memory.


[User] Even with his stupid jokes, Subaru was at last able to make her smile. If all of this turned out well, he would like to see that smile again, in a brighter place. “All right. Will it be a snake or a demon that pops out this time? Given the fantasy setting, neither option is one I can just laugh off…” Subaru joked to himself, and with lagmite in hand, he carefully made his way into the cellar.

[Assistant] In the dim light, Subaru could make out a counter in front of him, across from the entrance. The building must have originally been something like an inn. It looked as though they were using the first-floor bar area without any major changes. On top of as well as behind the counter—which was probably serving as something like a reception desk—Subaru could see a lot of different items cluttered close together. There were small boxes and pots, swords and cheap metallic objects, and many other varied items. It was clear that all of these were stolen items, based on the wooden tags that were attached to all of them.

[User] “The way the system works, if you rounded up all of these wooden tags and handed them to the guards, it looks like they could arrest everyone at once…” However, as was usual with this line of business, there were probably some connections between this place and the not-so-upstanding citizens who offered support. Subaru was suspicious of where most of these stolen items ended up.

[Assistant] Subaru ventured farther into the cellar, looking for Satella’s badge. But just then…

[User] “Hmm?” Subaru suddenly stopped, feeling something strange under the soles of his shoes. It didn’t feel like he had stepped on something hard; it was actually the opposite. Like the ground he had stepped on was clinging to him; like there was something sticky on his shoes. He raised his foot, and touched the bottom of his sneakers. He felt some sort of fluid, something strangely sticky that clung to his fingers, stretching as he pulled them away. It was something that instinctually made him feel uneasy.

[Assistant] “What is this…?” Subaru brought his fingers close to his nose and tried to smell it, but because of the stagnant air inside the building mixing with it, he couldn’t quite pin it down. Unsurprisingly, he didn’t have the courage to try tasting it. After wiping the rest of the substance on the nearest wall, Subaru, urged on by a feeling of unpleasant dread, put the lagmite out in front of him and started forward.

[User] Then, he found the source of the slime.

[Assistant] “…Wha?” Subaru unconsciously let out a foolish sound as he looked on. In the small visible range of his light, what he first saw lying limp on the ground was an arm. Its hand’s fingers were reaching out as if to grab something, but the other end of the arm, at the elbow, was missing the body it should have been connected to.


[User] Moving his light and following along the axis of the arm, Subaru saw a leg farther on ahead—a leg attached to a body. With the exception of one arm, that body had all of its other parts, though the throat area was cut wide open. It was the corpse of a large old man.

[Assistant] “Eek!” Subaru squealed pointlessly as he realized what he was looking at. At that moment, Subaru’s mind had blanked out. His thought processes had completely left him, and his hands and feet had frozen in place. There was a pause, and then…

[User] “…Well, you found it. That’s just too bad. Now I have no choice, yes, no choice at all.” Subaru thought that it was the voice of a woman. The voice was low and cold, the voice of a woman who seemed somewhat to be having fun.

[Assistant] “Gwah!” Subaru didn’t have the opportunity to turn around. As soon as he turned to face the voice, his body was blown away by an incredible force. He hit his back against the wall, and on impact let go of his lagmite, and darkness closed in as it tumbled into the distance. But Subaru wasn’t thinking about that. What now ruled over his consciousness was…

[User] “Gu…it’s…h-hot.” A heat assaulted Subaru Natsuki and completely overwhelmed him.


[Assistant] Feeling the hard texture of the ground against his face, he realized that he had fallen facedown on the ground. He couldn’t move, even when he tried, and he already couldn’t feel his fingers. What he did feel was heat, and it overwhelmed his entire body. He coughed and vomited the blood he felt rising in his throat—the source of his waning life. So much came out that it frothed at the edges of his mouth. With his hazy vision, he could see the ground in front of him stained red.

[User] —You’ve…got to be kidding me… All of this is mine? Feeling as though all of the blood in his body had spilled out of him, he reached a shaking hand to try to find the source of the heat that was burning through his body. As his fingertips reached the large cut in his stomach, he understood. No wonder it felt so hot. His brain must have been mistaking pain for heat. The clean cut that ran through his torso was so deep it had almost cut him in half. Only bits of skin were still holding him together. In other words, he had run right into a checkmate in the chess game of his life. As soon as he realized that, his consciousness immediately began to fall away from him. Now, even the heat that had been ravaging him disappeared, and the unpleasant feeling of touching his own blood and organs vanished as his consciousness continued to fade. The only thing left behind was his body, which refused to follow his soul.


[User] He saw a black boot step down and make ripples in the red carpet of his fresh blood. Someone was there...

[Assistant] "—baru?" He felt as if he heard a voice that rang like bells. That he heard that voice, that he could hear that voice, felt like salvation to him more than anything else.

[User] "!" With a short scream, someone else fell upon the carpet of blood, right beside him. He weakly attempted to reach her as her white hand fell, powerless. He lightly grasped it in his own bloodstained grip and felt the fingers of her hand move slightly to grasp his own.

[Assistant] "Just you wait…" He seized his fading consciousness, pulling it desperately back around to buy a bit more time. "I’m going to…"

[User] Subaru Natsuki lost his life.


[User] "…What’s wrong, my man? You’re staring off into space."

[Assistant] "…Huh?"

[User] The man with the scar twisted his face. "Look, I’m asking you what you’re going to do! Are you going to buy that abble or not?!"

[Assistant] "…Huh?"

[User] "An abble! You want to eat one, right? You started talking to me, and then you suddenly stopped and stared off into space! I almost freaked out! …So, what’ll it be?" The muscular, scar-faced man, put a round, cute-looking red fruit into the palm of Subaru’s hand.

[Assistant] After Subaru looked at the fruit and then back at the man’s face, he said, "No—I mean, didn’t I tell you already? I’m forever and everlastingly broke."

[User] "You kidding me?! I’ve had enough of you wasting my time. Get outta here! I’ve got a job to do. I don’t have time to deal with your nonsense." The man annoyedly pushed Subaru aside and went across to another part of the shop.

[Assistant] Subaru continued to look around, puzzled. "Huh? What? What’s going on?" He was so flustered, it was a miracle he was even able to get a sentence out as he tossed his questions around.


[User] "But this is totally not the time to be reflecting on the state of the setting!" Subaru held his head in his hands and twisted about, and his strange poses of distress were enough to gather curious glances from all around. However, now, Subaru really didn’t have the capacity to worry about that. "After all…it was just night a minute ago, wasn’t it?"

[Assistant] "My stomach…isn’t cut open, is it?" Subaru lifted up the top of his tracksuit and looked at his stomach.


[User] The convenience store bag he held in his hand was also as full as it had ever been, and his cell phone and wallet were where they should be. In every sense of the phrase, he was back to square one. —It was enough to make him feel like he was going crazy. Realizing there were gaps in his memory, Subaru tried to think of what happened right before he had lost consciousness. His stomach had been cut open and he was moments from being killed. He thought that he had heard a woman’s voice. He had found a corpse in the loot cellar, and the person who probably had killed that man attacked Subaru. In that state of near death…

[Assistant] “…That’s right! Satella!”

[User] Satella, who must have been worried about Subaru and entered the building, had also been cut down by the same weapon that took him out. As soon as Subaru realized that, he felt his innards twisting in pain. The feeling of guilt was even stronger than the feeling of pain he had felt when he himself was attacked.

[Assistant] “Wasn’t I told to take care of Satella? !” Subaru thought back to Puck’s words right before he disappeared. The promise Subaru made with that cat certainly wasn’t a joke. Despite the fact that there were at least three times he should have turned back, he had missed every opportunity to do so. Satella had told him as well. If anything happened he was to call her. He didn’t even do that.

[User] “Am I an idiot? Well, of course I am. I don’t even have time to just hang my head depressed like this. I’ve got to go find Satella and Puck…”

[Assistant] Both of them might be dead. When that thought crossed his mind, Subaru shook his head to brush it away. Subaru didn’t have any positive qualities, and he couldn’t make himself useful at all. He was something like a mob character, or at best the comic relief character, and yet he was still alive. If that were the case, there was no way that good-natured Satella, who could use magic and wasn’t honest with herself but was true to her ideals, or that aloof weirdo spirit cat could be dead. At the very least, he didn’t want them to be.

[User] “At any rate, I’ve got to go back to the loot cellar…”

[Assistant] Since that was the last place he was in before his consciousness was cut off, there must be some kind of hint left there. As soon as he thought of that, Subaru moved to act. This was where his quick decision-making could shine. In the previous world, most of that was used in decisions like “I’m not going to school today,” but right now it was important for him to act quickly and cut off all his doubts. However, as soon as Subaru had made his decision and was ready to go…

[User] “Hey, kiddo."


[User] "How about let’s have some fun." Subaru unfortunately had his path from the alley cut off by three men.

[Assistant] Subaru looked at who had talked to him, he couldn’t help but gape.

[User] "Hey, what’s with the stupid look on yer face?"

[Assistant] "I bet he doesn’t realize the mess he’s gotten himself into. How ’bout we tell ’im?" said another man in the group mocking Subaru, as they smiled with sinister smiles.

[User] After staring at the men for a little longer, Subaru felt as though he was being forced to watch a farce.

[Assistant] "Did all of you guys hit your heads on something while I wasn’t looking?"

[User] "In other words, now that you’ve found me alone, you want to get revenge…is that it? I understand that you want to kick me when I’m down, but this is really not the time for me to be dealing with you. You guys…"

[Assistant] "What the hell are you babbling about? Have you lost your mind or something?"

[User] "Now listen here, kiddo. If you just put down everything you’ve got and walk away, we’ll let you go."

[Assistant] "Ah, is that right? Everything I’ve got. Gotcha. I’m in a hurry, so that’s fine with me, really."

[User] "But you’ve got to get down on all fours and act like a dog first! Say, ‘Save me, save me, please!’ too!"

[Assistant] "All right, I’ve had it with you idiots!"

[User] Subaru had already lost it. The men weren’t prepared for Subaru’s sudden change of attitude, and were shaking.

[Assistant] "You’re first! Guys like you who don’t know the preciousness of life can go to hell!" Subaru landed an uppercut on the man’s jaw with all his strength, and then threw a punch into his open abdomen. The man slammed against the wall and was out like a light.


[User] Subaru immediately moved to trip the next man beside him. Unable to react, the kick landed and the man fell over. As soon as he was down, Subaru tackled the remaining man. His tackle aimed low, and with the force of it he was able to carry the man and slam him into the wall. After the man lost his breath from the impact of his back against the wall, Subaru landed another kick to finish him. Subaru then turned around to the man he had just tripped and motioned him with his hand.

[Assistant] “Now it’s one-on-one! Come at me with all you’ve got!”

[User] “Who’re you to act all fair and square with that surprise attack?! You little punk!” The man ran at Subaru and grabbed his collar, trying to push him into the wall.

[Assistant] “Not good enough!” Subaru yelled, and took hold of both of the man’s wrists and pulled them away. Looking at the startled man’s face, Subaru’s expression twisted into a fiendish smile.

[User] “Don’t underestimate the free time of a truant! I spent so much time swinging around a sword because I didn’t have anything better to do that my grip strength is over seventy kilograms of force! I can bench eighty kilos, too!”

[Assistant] The man cried out as Subaru crushed his wrists, and as soon as he had broken his stance, Subaru struck him with his elbow, and the thug cried out. As Subaru spun around behind him and put his arms around his waist

[User] “If I accidentally kill you, don’t hate me too much for this, but I’ve always wanted to try doing a suplex on someone without mats!” Subaru lifted the man up part of the way and then threw him backward. Unable to react, the thug’s head collided with the wall behind them and he slumped to the ground, unmoving. After making sure the other two men were silent, Subaru walked over to the first man he hit, the one with the knife. Although the man had comparatively taken little damage, you could see that he was sweating. As Subaru came closer he tried to pull out his knife. But as he did, Subaru kicked him relentlessly in the face. He was out.

[Assistant] “Hmph! Well that was easy! In this world, evil never triumphs!” said Subaru Natsuki as he struck a pose to celebrate his victory. After checking for sure that none of the men had actually died, Subaru immediately left the alley.

[User] “Even with this, it’s not like the situation has gotten any better. I’ve got to hurry to the loot cellar.” Subaru noticed as he was leaving that there were onlookers who were wowing and gasping in surprise that he had left the alley unscathed. If you realized I was back there, then you should have gone to the guards! Subaru thought as he held back the urge to lecture them. Right now he couldn’t let any minute go to waste.


[User] After having enacted his revenge back in the alley, Subaru headed toward the deepest part of the slums, and when he arrived at the entrance to the loot cellar, the sun had already moved far across the sky.

[Assistant] "F-finally…finally I’ve found it. …It sure took me a long time, damn," Subaru says, wiping the sweat from his brow, and slumping down to rest. He had spent nearly two hours running around before he finally had reached his destination.

[User] "I was just here, so I thought I would be able to find it again without getting lost, but…" Probably the biggest problem was that Subaru couldn’t read any of the signs. Additionally, it wasn’t as if he could mention the name “loot cellar” outside of the slums, so he had to rely completely on his memory.

[Assistant] "Last time we came here I was talking with Satella, and my eyes were on her most of the time, so I guess it’s no surprise I don’t remember the way very well, damn it," Subaru says as he continued to drip with sweat. However, the greatest sin Subaru had to face was now right in front of him. While he was doing his best to ignore it by talking to himself, his heart wouldn’t be fooled. It started to beat louder and louder as his pulse quickened, and Subaru felt his hands grow heavy. His mouth felt dry and his ears were ringing again and again inside his head as though someone was hitting him. The answers that Subaru sought were inside that loot cellar.

[User] For an instant, Subaru had a flashback as he closed his eyes: the old man’s corpse, his own sliced-open abdomen, and the figure of Satella, whom he had dragged into all of this.

[Assistant] "Don’t be scared. Don’t be scared. Don’t be scared. Are you an idiot? …Well, of course I am, but do you think I’m really going to come all this way and then go back empty-handed?" Of course, it wasn’t as though Subaru had any place to return to. Right now, this was the only place that he could cling to. Finding his determination and facing forward, Subaru realized that his knees were shaking as he tried to walk. He slapped his legs to calm himself down and after a deep breath he finally moved forward. In the orange light of the early evening, the rough door to the loot cellar looked as though it was wordlessly rejecting him.

[User] "Is there anyone home?" After pushing away these negative feelings, Subaru knocked on the door and raised his voice. The dull sound rang out, but there was no answer. With uncomfortable silence as his only answer, Subaru became frightened by that very silence and knocked harder on the door.

[Assistant] "Someone…I know there’s someone in there! Come on, answer me! …Please." Clinging to a fleeting sense of hope, hoping and praying that what was happening right before him was somehow a mistake, he beat harder.


[User] Unable to take the force of Subaru’s sudden desperation, the door began to creak and its hinges started to bend.

[Assistant] "Cut it out already! What are you doing, trying to break the door down just because you don’t know the password? !" The door was suddenly opened with a great force, and Subaru, who had been leaning up against it, was thrown back.

[User] Subaru was thrown about five meters from the entrance to the cellar, where he rolled a few times and then looked up, completely startled.

[Assistant] The old man closed the distance between him and Subaru with astonishing speed and lifted Subaru up by the collar. "Who are you, boy?! I’ve not seen you around here before! How did you know where to find this place? How did you get here? Who told you? !"

[User] Feeling his feet leave the ground, Subaru very quickly learned his place. As he was held up by this six-or seven-foot-tall old man, Subaru lost all desire to resist. "My name is Natsuki Subaru, the ever-busy and never-free wandering vagrant…… For now at least, would you be so kind as to put me down? Let’s talk with both our feet on the ground." Subaru added, giving it his all just to squeeze out that indirect request.


[Assistant] Subaru sat on a fixed chair meant for visitors and shifted uncomfortably. There were splinters sticking up out of the seat, and they kept poking him in the rear.

[User] "Why do you keep moving about like that? Are you that concerned about where your balls are?"

[Assistant] "Of course not. My boys are just fine. But, really? That’s the first thing that comes out of your mouth in this situation?"

[User] The old man looked cramped as he bent down behind the counter. "Well, you interrupted my drinking time." When he came back up, he had a bottle of liquor in his hand, and after pouring himself a glass, brought it to his lips.


[User] "I hope you have a good reason for coming here. If not, that’s just terrible."

[Assistant] "The sun’s just started to set and you’re already drinking? You’re going to die an early death if you keep that up."

[User] Holding his chin up with his hand and elbow on the counter, took a quick look around the inside of the loot cellar.

[Assistant] Looking at all of the various stolen items strewn about the room, he couldn’t tell whether they were organized in some way or not.

[User] The old man noticed Subaru looking about, and narrowed his eyes in a knowing way. "So, kid, are you interested in some of these goods?" He said, striking right away at the heart of the matter.

[Assistant] The giant old man, who had given his name as “Rom,” smiled as he poured himself another shot of liquor into his dirty glass. "There are really only two reasons that people come to this place: they’re either bringing something in they stole, or they have some business with the stolen items themselves."

[User] “…Well, one of those is one of the reasons I’m here.”

[Assistant] "One of the reasons…huh. So that means you’ve got some other business being here?" Rom raised one of his eyebrows as Subaru gave a conditional agreement.

[User] Subaru nodded, and then, reluctantly, knowing full well that he probably wasn’t going to be taken seriously, said, "This may sound a bit odd, but… Old man, have you…uh, died recently?" Subaru decided not to add in the details about the decapitated arm or sliced throat.

[Assistant] Old Man Rom opened his gray eyes wide for a few moments before; as if to signal time starting back up again, he broke into a laugh. "Ga-ha-ha-ha! I was wondering what you were going to say! Now I may be an old man with not much time left to live, but too bad, I haven’t died yet! I suppose when you get to this age, I don’t imagine it being that far off, though."

[User] Apparently, Rom took Subaru’s question as some kind of edgy joke, and took out another glass for Subaru. "Want a drink?"

[Assistant] Subaru refused the alcohol with a hand signal, followed up by a "Sorry, not right now." Subaru had managed to get his first question out, but the others inside him were multiplying.


[User] But Subaru could turn the question he just asked on himself. He, too, had been inflicted with mortal wounds as well. Subaru started to think that it had somehow been all a dream. He wasn’t sure he could trust what was inside his own head. Was all of what happened here really a dream? If it was, then how much of it was a dream, and why am I here in the first place? The burning pain Subaru had felt, the warmth he felt from that girl’s touch, the overwhelming pangs of guilt…if they were all just some leftover traces of a dream, then why was he here right now? It would make more sense to say that everything since he’d been summoned to this world in the first place was a dream.

[Assistant] "Rom, have you seen a silver-haired girl around here lately?"

[User] "Silver hair…? No, I can’t say I have. Silver hair’s one of those things that stands out in a bad way, too, so even if my memory’s starting to fail me, I don’t think I would have forgotten if I saw someone like that." Rom said, following up with a laugh.

[Assistant] "Drink." Putting a glass in front of Subaru again. Rom tilted the glass and filled it up full with an amber-colored liquid. Seeing that Subaru did nothing but stare silently at the glass, once more he said

[User] "Drink."

[Assistant] "I’m sorry, but I don’t feel up to it right now. Plus, I’m not so much a little kid that I want to drink to act like I’m cool."

[User] "What are you talking about? Drinking and acting up is exactly what kids like you are supposed to do! So go ahead and take a big gulp and burn up your insides. When you do that you’ll be able to cough up a bunch of things you’ve got stuck inside because they won’t be able to take the heat. So drink!" Said Rom a third time, pushing the glass on Subaru.

[Assistant] All right…here goes!” Subaru tilted the glass and drank all of it in one gulp. Immediately his esophagus began to scream as it was burned.

[User] "Argh! Gah! That’s terrible! It’s hot! It’s so bad! Ugh! Disgusting!" Subaru slammed his glass on the counter.

[Assistant] "You don’t have to say it that many times! Come on!"


[User] "You’re going to lose out on half of the fun in life if you can’t understand how good liquor tastes!” As Subaru spewed out comments along with the heat from the liquor.

[Assistant] Rom yelled at him and drank again, "But still, you should be proud of yourself! That was good form there! So how about it? Do you feel like letting any of that stuff inside you out now?” This time he took the whole bottle up and gulped from it. After drinking about three times as much as Subaru just had, Rom gave a mighty burp and smiled.

[User] “…Yeah! Just a little! Old man, it’s time for me to take care of that one other reason I’m here!” Turning the old man’s smile back with a wicked smile of his own, Subaru wiped his mouth with his sleeve and pointed into the back of the cellar, where it looked like most of the stolen articles of value were concentrated.

[Assistant] “I’m looking for a badge that’s got a jewel embedded in it, and I want you to let me have it.” Subaru told him directly.

[User] Rom’s face took on an air of seriousness.

[Assistant] This was Subaru’s original goal. Other than confirming Satella’s safety, it was the main reason he was here: to retrieve the thing so important to Satella that she would face danger just to get it back. Even while Subaru still felt insecure about the state of Satella’s well-being, he thought that if he could at least get a handle on the state of the badge, he would have a clue toward finding her. After Subaru had stated his goal with all of his emotions thrown behind his words.

[User] “A badge with a jewel… I’m sorry, but no one’s brought in anything like that.” Rom made a difficult expression on his face before replying.

[Assistant] “…Really? Think long and hard about it—you sure you’re not going senile yet?”

[User] “If I can’t remember when I’m at my best with liquor running through me, then I really have to say I don’t know. However…” Just as the last thread of Subaru’s hope was about to be cut, Rom gave him a sly grin.

[Assistant] “Someone’s made plans with me to bring something in later today. I’m told it’s something valuable, too, so it might just be the thing you’re looking for.”

[User] “Is the person bringing it in, by chance…a girl named Felt?”

[Assistant] “That’s exactly the case, but…what? You actually know the name of the thief who took it?”

[User] Subaru couldn’t help but strike a victory pose. Just as he’d thought he had lost all of his leads, things had connected once again. Felt’s name had just come up. Felt, the name of the girl who had supposedly taken Satella’s badge. If that were the case, Felt’s existence would prove Satella’s existence. At the very least, Subaru would be able to be sure that Satella wasn’t some figment of his imagination.


[User] "I was just about to think that my love of silver-haired heroines had made me delusional…"

[Assistant] "I’m sorry to interrupt your strange sense of relief there, but you don’t have any guarantee that you’ll be able to buy back the item, even if she brings it here. If it’s got a jewel embedded in it, it’s going to fetch a high price."

[User] "Ha! You can look around at me all you want, but I’m sorry. I’ve got nothing! I am eternally and peerlessly penniless!"

[Assistant] "Then you’re out of luck!" Rom yelled back, taken by surprise.

[User] "Tsk-tsk-tsk. It’s true, I may not have any money. However! In this world, you do not necessarily need money to obtain things. There’s this wonderful system called ‘barter’—haven’t you heard?" Subaru lifted up a finger in front of his face and waved it back and forth.

[Assistant] Rom didn’t argue back, he just nodded in silence, egging Subaru on.

[User] Subaru dug around in his pants pocket, and in his hand when he took it out was…

[Assistant] “…What’s that? It’s the first time I’ve ever seen anything like it.”

[User] "This object that I now raise up is fantastic magical item that can be used to freeze any object in time! It is called a ‘cell phone’!" It was a compact-size, white-colored, thin-model cell phone.

[Assistant] As Rom looked on amazed at this mysterious item he had never seen before, Subaru quickly moved his fingers and a moment later a white light flashed in the darkness inside the building.

[User] As a loud shutter sound rang out along with the flash, Rom fell back behind the counter. It was such an exaggerated reaction that Subaru couldn’t help but laugh, but Rom was obviously mad.

[Assistant] "What are you doing?! Are you trying to kill me?! Don’t think you can fool me with your funny moves!"

[User] "Wait, wait, calm down. Take a deep breath, relax, and come over here and take a look."

[Assistant] Rom was still red in the face, and it wasn’t because he had been drinking, but nevertheless Subaru held out his cell phone in front of him.

[User] After a doubtful look at Subaru, his eyes opened wide as he looked at what was in front of him.

[Assistant] "This is…this is my face. How did you do that?"

[User] "I told you, didn’t I? This is a fantastic item that cuts out a piece of time and freezes it. Using this item, I cut out a bit of your time, just before now, and sealed it within this device."

[Assistant] Then, Subaru changed the direction of the camera and pointed it at himself, and took another picture.

[User] When he showed the screen to Rom again, it showed Subaru making a peace sign.

[Assistant] "It cuts out little pieces of time, just like that. So how about it? Pretty rare, huh?"

[User] "I can’t get terribly excited about that lame pose of yours, but this really is…hmm…" After insulting Subaru’s pose, Rom looked very intensely at the cell phone.


[User] Subaru made a fist and squeezed it, emboldened by the fact that Rom seemed more interested than he expected. "This is my first time seeing one of these, but…basically, this is a mitia, isn’t it?"

[Assistant] "A mitia?"

[User] Subaru was about to say, “It’s just a flip phone,” but caught himself.

[Assistant] Rom nodded again. "It’s what you call things you can use to do magic without opening up a gate, like magic users do. That said, they’re mostly used as gifts rather than tools…"

[User] So magic items were called “mitia.” Subaru nodded, thinking the word fit pretty well.

[Assistant] Rom, who had continued to look closely at the cell phone, finally put it back on the counter. "I’m not sure I can put a definite price on this. I’ve worked here in the loot cellar for a very long time, but this is my first time handling any mitia. …I can say, though, that it certainly would sell at a high price."

[User] It seemed that rare items commanded attention in any business, even for those working the black market.

[Assistant] Rom’s voice had quickened in excitement, and he rubbed the tip of his chin as he looked down at Subaru. "To be honest, even if it has a jewel embedded it in, exchanging something like this for a purely decorative item really puts you at a loss. You’d be better off trading it for something more expensive… Well, really, you can’t compare it to any of this stolen junk I have here."

[User] For someone involved in illegal activities, it was strange for Rom to give him such a kind warning, and Subaru responded with a weak smile. To anyone else, what Subaru was trying to do must seem stupid. "No, it’s all right. I’ll exchange this mitia for the badge that Felt brings in."

[Assistant] "Why would you go so far to do that? Is that badge really worth more than this mitia? Or are you saying that it’s worth more than money can buy?" Rom asked, unable to come to terms with Subaru’s decision.

[User] Honestly, if Subaru was in the same position as Rom, he thought he might have said the same thing. "Well… Actually, I haven’t seen the badge myself yet, but I don’t think that it could be worth more in money than this cell phone, and I’m sure I’m going to be taking a loss."

[Assistant] "If you understand all of that, why do you want to go through with it?"

[User] "Isn’t it obvious? I want to take a loss."

[Assistant] Rom blinked a few times at Subaru, but at the same time Subaru felt a sense of exhilaration, because this…this was his answer. "I want to pay someone back. I’m someone who always feels like they have to return a favor. I’m one of those modern kids who can’t handle the feeling of being indebted to someone. I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night."


[User] "So, even if I have to take a big loss, I’m going to take back that badge.”

[Assistant] "Hmm… So, it sounds like this badge isn’t actually yours… Is that right?”

[User] “It belongs to a beautiful silver-haired girl who saved my life. I don’t understand why, but it’s very precious to her.”

[Assistant] “But what about that person who saved you? Why isn’t she here?”

[User] “I’m currently looking for her! Actually, right now I’m not even sure she’s not a figment of my imagination that I created because I was feeling down!” Subaru gripped his fist and laughed off his previous anxiety by putting it into words. Subaru was going to get this badge back, and then once again meet that girl. He wanted to see her smile.

[Assistant] “You’re quite the idiot, aren’t you?” Rom laughed as he looked on at Subaru and his determination.