The exploration phase entered the slum and, as usual, seemed to be progressing with difficulties -- or so it seemed, when suddenly, an unexpected development made Subaru useful.

"For some reason, everyone around me is being exceptionally kind. What's going on...? Could it be that my popularity phase just hit!? The first since kindergarten!"

When he was small, Subaru was quite adorable with long hair, often mistaken for a girl. -- When more than ten years pass, it turns into something that's no laughing matter.

"It’s probably just a guess, attached to the idea, but..."

"Let's hear it! Scientifically... no, this is fantasy, so magically! If there's a magical reason, I'd love to hear it."

"It's likely not the answer you're hoping for, but probably your appearance. You're grimy, with traces of blood; the people here seem to have it hard too, so they can't help but be sympathetic."

"Understanding the reason makes things so clear, dammit!"

It made sense why everyone was being exceptionally kind.
There was even an old lady who handed him something like a small dried fruit, saying, "Eat this and stay strong." Nervous, Subaru tried a bite, only to experience a hard texture with a slight sweetness, followed by an overpowering stench that hit him from the inside, making him grimace.

"Oh my gosh! I thought it was kindness, but it was poison! Poison! My whole body is burning hot! This is bad! I might die! Or socially die by stripping!"

"What you received is a Bocco Fruit. Eating it stimulates the mana inside your body, helping wounds heal faster. There's a personal variance in effectiveness, often it's just a placebo, but..."

Seeing the feverish and sweating Subaru, Satella pressed her finger to her lips with a thoughtful "Hmm."

"It looks like, judging by appearances, Subaru has a very high mana circulation. Overconsumption might be deadly."

"I would've appreciated knowing that before eating it! What do I do!?"

"Well... Puck."

Responding to her call, Puck emerged from within her silver hair. His movements were very sluggish, a stark contrast to his usual lively self. Frankly speaking, he looked incredibly sleepy.
Barely participating in the conversation, Puck rubbed his large eyes with his hands and said,

"Whatcha need? I'm about at my limit..."

"Fill your stomach before going to bed. Look, there's a midnight snack right in front of you."

Feeling the sharpness in the way it was said, Subaru noticed that Puck's black eyes were looking at him. At that moment, those sleepy eyes sparkled as if they had spotted something they loved.

"Can I eat it?"

"D-don't hurt me."

He struck a pose in response, hoping he wouldn't be bitten from the head.
Puck responded with an ambiguous "Aye aye," stretching his small body snugly on Satella's shoulder.

"Well then, let's dig in!"

Immediately after, Subaru felt a sensation as if something unknown that had been rampaging inside him was thoroughly sucked out.
It was hard to describe where from. To put it simply, it felt like everything inside him had been forcibly pulled out from all over his body through his pores.

"Thank you for the meal."

Puck placed his hands together, giving thanks. Trying to respond with a "You're welcome," Subaru suddenly felt chills enveloping his entire body.
From hot to cold, the sensation was not just chilly but a cold that seemed to come from deep within his core.
Instinctively hugging his shoulders, Subaru saw Satella give Puck a reproachful look.

"Puck."

"Sorry, sorry, I misjudged it since it's been a while. But Subaru's gate feels weird. It’s unused yet straightforward. So I ended up sucking a bit too much."

Puck bashfully tapped his head, but from Subaru's perspective, it was no laughing matter.
Again, unfamiliar terms like mana and gate came up, but—

"They're probably like MP or something... That must be why it feels so rough after being aspired."

A gaming brain displaying its high level of comprehension here as well.
The real issue is how crucial MP is considered in this world. If MP recovery items are absurdly expensive, then it's a pretty problematic action.

"I'm sorry. I'll let him know properly later."

"He does feel guilty. But I don’t regret it. It was delicious."

Judging by Puck's attitude, reminiscent of a protagonist from some manga, and Satella's gentle reprimand, it didn’t seem to be a serious issue.
That being the case, continuously holding a grudge and shivering would indeed be uncool.

"There’s nothing to worry about, after all the life-threatening heat is gone. More importantly, let's track the criminal whose whereabouts I discovered thanks to my achievement. The criminal whose whereabouts I discovered thanks to my achievement.”

“I know you're happy to have been useful, but repeating it twice is really uncool.”

Although he intended to change the topic, he ended up sounding like a petty person boasting about his accomplishments. Satella looked at him with a face suggesting it wasn’t worth reconsidering, while Subaru gave a wry smile. Just as the two were about to switch gears and head further into the slums—

“Sorry, but I’m at my limit.”

With those words, Puck on Satella's shoulder leaned weakly against her neck. His gray fur shimmered faintly, trembling delicately as if about to disappear.

“It looks like you’re fading out in a rather dramatic way.”

“I’ve been pushing myself quite hard. Since I use mana to materialize, I disperse into mist when I vanish. —Sorry, could you get the crystal?”

“Got it. Sorry for pushing you, Puck. Take it easy and rest.”

Satella took out a green crystal, about the size of her palm, from her pocket. It had a different ambiance from a gem, and according to Subaru's knowledge, it was most akin to a crystal. Puck made his way from her shoulder to the crystal in her hand, embracing the small crystal with his tiny body before looking back at Satella.

“I’m sure you know, but be careful not to overdo it. If it comes down to it, use your od to bring me back to the present world.”

“I understand. I’m not a child, after all; I know my limits.”

“I'm not so sure about that. My daughter is quite questionable in this regard. I’m counting on you, Subaru.”

His smile was full of compassion as he shifted his gaze from the dissatisfied Satella to Subaru.
As Subaru watched them, thinking they looked like a parent and child, he thumped his chest and said,

“Alright, leave it to me. You can count on my fear sensor. If I sense even a hint of danger, I'll bail out immediately.”

“I can't understand about half of what you’re saying, but I’m counting on you.
—So, goodnight. Be careful.”

Finally, he looked at Satella again, and this time, Puck's figure vanished from the world.

As he had said, his form scattered into fragments of light and disappeared. The scene, unimaginable in their original world, sent shivers through Subaru's entire body.

When Puck was gone, Satella carefully stroked the crystal in her palm and securely tucked it away into her bosom.

From the flow of their conversation, it seemed that Puck's original spirit body was now inside that crystal.

"We're alone now, but... don't get any weird ideas. I can still use magic."

Not knowing Subaru's inner thoughts, Satella's cautious statement came as if she felt he was peering into her heart. Surprised by her attitude, Subaru raised his hands and shook his head.

"That's impossible! I haven't been alone with a girl since elementary school. There's no way I could do anything. Haven't you seen my lack of social skills till now?"

"That sounds incredibly trivial, but it's oddly convincing. Fine, let's move on. But be more cautious now that Puck's not here to warn us."

With Subaru's confident stance, Satella seemed disarmed. She tightened the cord of her robe and moved forward.

She turned her head but maintained her position.

"I'll be in front, and Subaru will watch the rear. If anything happens, call out to me right away. Don't try to handle things on your own. It's not like I want to hurt you, but... you're weak."

"That's why I can't hate you... you should have left out the 'you're weak' part if you wanted to stay cold."

The underlying honesty in her words revealed her inherently sweet nature, almost to the point of melting.

Encouraged by Satella's expectant look, they started their search alone.

Though what they had to do didn't change: finding residents in the slums, describing the person they were looking for, and asking if anyone had a clue.

Subaru took the lead in asking questions, growing more accustomed to his role with each inquiry.

"Maybe it's that Felt girl. A quick, blond-haired lass, right?"

The fourteenth man he spoke to after starting his inquiries was the one who revealed valuable information. This was the man Subaru casually approached with, "Hey, brother, how's business?"

Seeing Subaru in his shabby appearance, the brother showed great sympathy and said:

"If it's that girl Felt, the stolen goods should be in the thief’s warehouse by now. They tag them and store them there, and later the warehouse owner sells them off at other markets."

"What a strange system... What if that warehouse owner just runs off with everything?"

"The fact that they don’t do that is why they are trusted as the warehouse owner. But well, even if you say the items were stolen, they probably won't just hand them back to you. You'd have to negotiate and buy them back."

Despite being sympathetic, the man laughed as he nonchalantly imposed the rules of the slum, saying it’s natural since it's the victim's fault for getting their items stolen. He was able to find out the location of the thief’s warehouse from him, making it likely he would soon reunite with the stolen item. However, another issue arose: the fact that both of them were penniless.

"Even if we have to buy it back, what do we do? Given that we have a weak position, it gives off the vibe of an event where they’ll charge us a lot."

"Why do we have to pay money just to get my stolen item back...?"

As the problem hinged on money, Satella started to show a troubled expression. Her spontaneous grumble was certainly valid, but it was also true that their opponents wouldn't understand such logic. To handle the matter smoothly and surely, it would be wise to follow the man's advice. Nevertheless,

"Does that stolen insignia look valuable at a glance? I can't gauge the price, so I can't tell how much they'd overcharge us."

"...It has a small gem in the center. I don't know how much it's worth in money, but I'm sure it's not cheap."

"A gem, huh... that's going to be trouble."

Even someone without knowledge can tell at a glance that this convenient item, a jewel, is an expensive one.
Since there seems to be no technology in this world to create imitations, almost everything that appears to be a jewel is undoubtedly a jewel. Consequently, the price that can be attached to it is also naturally high.
While he understands there's nothing to be relieved about, Subaru is also troubled by the oddity in Satella's words. She said she didn't know the value of the emblem, which was supposed to be her possession.
It's quite possible it was something she received as a gift, but there's still something nagging him.

"For the time being, let's head to this 'thieves' warehouse' and think about it afterwards. Depending on our negotiation, we might be able to get it for a reasonable price..."

In the worst case, it might be a blow to Subaru, but there are still options.
Satella furrowed her brows at Subaru’s evasive words, but Subaru just waved his hand and responded to her bewilderment by saying, "It's nothing."

After walking for about ten minutes, pondering how to manage the funds,
they arrived at what appeared to be the 'thieves' warehouse,' and the two exchanged glances.

"It's bigger than I thought."

"Now I understand why they called it a warehouse and not a shed. If everything inside is really stolen goods as the name suggests, then there's no hope."

Of course, they regularly sell off the stolen goods, so it’s unlikely to be filled to the brim with them.
Inwardly thinking this, Subaru found that the thieves' warehouse, despite its crude name, was waiting for their visit with a surprisingly proper appearance.
The size of the building, by Subaru's estimation, was roughly equivalent to the area of a convenience store, including the parking lot.
Although it was a single-story building, it seemed to have enough space to park twenty cars. Unlike the previous area lined with small, dirty ruins and shanties, this building stood at the very edge of the slum area, backed by a tall fortification wall.

"That tall wall is..."

"It's probably the fortification wall of the royal capital. It seems like we've reached the edge without realizing it."

Subaru absent-mindedly thought about a map of the royal capital in response to Satella’s remark.

Most likely, the area had a square shape surrounded by these high walls on all sides. Inside, either in the center or the northernmost part, there was a castle, while the slums were located far away from it.

He felt that two or three hours had passed since the search had begun, indicating that the royal capital was quite vast. Compared to Japan, which lacked clear boundaries, it was difficult to find something to compare its size to.

"Well, if the rumors are true, there should be an owner inside managing all the stolen goods... but what should our approach be from our standpoint?"

"I'll be honest. I'll say we've had something stolen, so we'll search inside and ask them to return what we find."

He had repeatedly argued that such a rationale would not work, but Satella would not listen.
Fundamentally, she was probably straight-laced. She found it very difficult to accept bent ways of doing things as one of the means.
It was likely because of this very nature of hers that she helped Subaru despite there being no benefit to her.

"Okay, I understand. Then, leave it to me."

Because the possibility of the situation getting complicated was overwhelmingly high, Subaru reluctantly offered to take over.
It was a last resort—though it didn’t feel much like a trump card given how early he had to play it, letting the situation get out of hand by missing the right moment would be a problem. Subaru had no hesitation in making such a decision.

On the other hand, it was Satella who looked bewildered at his offer.
She looked at Subaru, who seemed somewhat confident, with a skeptical look in her eyes.

"Alright. I’ll leave it to you, Subaru."

"I understand it’s not easy to just agree like that. I know I haven’t done anything to earn your trust so far. But I have a plan, so please trust me and—ehhhhh!?"

"W-why are you so surprised?"

"Because the flow of the conversation was clearly going to lead to an argument! I was totally prepared for you to say something like, ‘Trust a good-for-nothing with zero people skills like you? Don’t make me laugh; a dog would do better!’"

"I wouldn’t say anything that cruel!"

Satella was furious with Subaru for his paranoid delusions. However, after clearing her throat once, she fixed her amethyst-like eyes straight on Subaru.

"Admittedly, at this point, Subaru hasn't been useful at all, nor has he done or said anything noteworthy..."

"Wow, what a harsh assessment. I can't argue with it, though!"

"But, I don't think you're thoughtless, and I don't think you're the kind of person who lies."

As Subaru was about to indulge in self-deprecating humor, Satella cut him off with her words. She took a breath and said,

"So, I'm going to trust you, Subaru. ...Even if it's just with the hope that it'll turn out well."

"It'd be more motivating if you didn't end that sentence with the realistic part and instead said, 'Do it for me,' you know?"

"I can't say something impossible like that. But, please do your best."

In every sense, she was a girl who couldn't lie.
Subaru grinned in response to her request and headed towards the entrance of the stolen goods warehouse.
His steps were not light, but he felt as though the faint hope and trust in his back were pushing him forward. If he didn't bring back at least one achievement, he would be completely useless.

As he walked, Subaru looked at the plastic bag in his hand—something that had never been mentioned until now.
Inside it were items he had brought over from the modern world. To Subaru, these were his only possessions worthy of being called treasures. One of these might be exchanged for something useful.
While he didn't know the exact value of the emblem, it was unlikely to be more valuable than a cell phone in this world.
It would be a painful loss for Subaru, but if he used some of his possessions as bargaining chips, the negotiation itself wouldn't be impossible.
This was Subaru's last resort, something he hadn't told her. In this world, these items were of little use. If there was a chance to use them, it was correct to do so without hesitation.

"Uh, excuse me, is anyone here?"

Standing before the door, he knocked on the wooden surface for the time being. The sound that echoed was lower than expected, but there was no reaction from inside.
Feeling uneasy, he placed his hand on the doorknob and found that the door opened easily, as if the lock had never existed in the first place.
Without any light source inside, the interior was completely in darkness in the night. Despite it being a place where stolen goods were gathered, there was a surprising lack of guards.

"Maybe they're on a bathroom break, but... umm, is anyone here?"

He poked his head in to take a look, but the inside was pitch-black, with no moonlight reaching it. Bracing himself against the stagnant air and the musty smell, Subaru stepped inside.
Before starting his search, he turned back to Satella.

"It'd be bad if we're both mistaken for thieves, so can you stay outside?"

"Are you sure? Wouldn't it be better if I went in?"

"I'm calling out like this, so I don't think we'd be attacked out of nowhere. It'd be more troublesome if the owner of the place came back and misunderstood, so please."

Seeing Subaru bow his head, Satella thought for a moment, then reached inside her robe. She pulled out a white mineral.
She extended the mineral towards Subaru.

"At least take this light with you. Whether there's anyone inside or not, call out."

"Got it. I'll be careful. ...So, how do I make it light up?"

"You don't even know how to use a Lagmite? Subaru, you're so ignorant."

With a tone that mixed exasperation and amusement, she lightly struck the mineral in her hand against the wall.
Immediately, the white mineral began to emit a faint light. The light was weak, barely illuminating an area of a few meters, but it was enough to see one’s footing and avoid obstacles.

"Nowadays, most people use magical lamps powered by mana, but this is more handy, and I find it very useful. Just strike it again if it goes out, and it'll light up."

"I see... that's convenient. Alright, I'll take a look inside."

With the faintly glowing Lagmite in hand, Subaru cautiously stepped further inside. He heard Satella's voice from behind saying, "Don't overdo it," and he responded with a raised hand without turning back.

Amidst the hazy view before him as he passed through the entrance, Subaru was greeted by a small counter. The place might have originally been a tavern or some other establishment before it became a hideout for stolen goods. A broken wooden box was placed behind the counter, suggesting that the owner or someone else might have been sitting there.

The counter, which apparently served as a reception desk, had several small boxes, jars, and swords haphazardly placed on it. While Subaru couldn’t gauge their value due to his lack of both knowledge and physical inspection, even to the untrained eye, they didn’t seem particularly valuable.

"It’s obvious, but the pricier items are probably further in."

Next to the displayed stolen goods were wooden tags with carved characters, likely the names of the thieves who had provided the items, based on what the man who told Subaru about this place had said. Collecting these tags and handing them over to the guards could potentially take all the culprits down at once.

"Not sure how prevalent the concept of fake names is, though. And in situations like this, the dark side of the country is usually corrupt and connected with these shady folks."

Suspicious as the final destination of the stolen goods might be, Subaru’s feet carried him further into the building while entertaining unpleasant thoughts typically glossed over in novels or comics. Despite the lack of signs of life, it was clear that the size and value of the stolen goods increased the deeper he went, even in the dim light. The gem-adorned badges were undoubtedly located deeper inside.

With that thought in mind, his steps unconsciously quickened. At that moment—

"Hm?"

Subaru suddenly stopped, feeling something unusual under his shoe. It wasn’t the sensation of stepping on something hard but rather the opposite, as if something sticky was pulling at him from the ground.

When he lifted his foot and touched the bottom of his sneaker with his fingertips, he found a sticky liquid clinging to it. The strangely adhesive substance stretched slightly with his touch, triggering an instinctive sense of discomfort.

"What is this?"

He brought his finger close to his nose to sniff it, but the indoor air was so stagnant that he couldn't quite discern the smell. However, it was obvious that he didn't have the courage to taste it with his tongue.
　Rubbing the unpleasant substance against the wall, Subaru, prompted by the discomfort it caused, directed his light forward. The cause of his unease lay ahead of him.

"... Huh?"

　With an inadvertently foolish voice, Subaru finally recognized "it."
　In the range of the dim light, the first thing he saw was an 'arm' lying carelessly on the ground. The fingers were spread as if reaching for something, yet mysteriously, everything above the elbow was missing.
　Moving the light as if to trace what it was connected to, he saw a leg further in. Fortunately, the leg was properly connected to a torso, and the torso had all the other necessary parts attached.

　—The body of a large elderly man, whose neck had been deeply slashed and was missing one arm.

"Hii"

　The moment he realized the dead body, meaningless air escaped Subaru's mouth.
　At that moment, what dominated Subaru's mind was not fear, despair, or astonishment. An overwhelming blankness seized Subaru's brain, robbing it of all 'thought.'

　A blankness that allowed no room for options like 'run away' or 'stay.'
　Standing frozen, the blankness persisted until his brain fully absorbed the situation before him.
　And this blankness had fatal consequences for Subaru's fate.

"—Ah, you found it, did you? Well, no help for it. Yes, no help for it."

　He thought it was a woman's voice.
　A low, cold, somehow amused woman's voice echoed.

"Gah—!"

　There was no time to turn around.
　The moment he tried to face the direction the voice came from, Subaru's body was struck by a sudden impact and flung away.

　Slammed against the wall on his back, the lagmite was knocked from his hand, and his vision plunged into darkness.
　But Subaru's focus wasn't on that. What consumed his attention was,

"Guh... Ah, hot!"

　—An overwhelming 'heat' that dominated his entire body.

　—This is seriously bad.

Feeling the hardness of the ground against his face, Subaru realized he was lying face down.
He couldn't muster any strength throughout his body, and he had lost all sensation in his hands.
However, an intense heat that made him want to claw at his throat dominated the core of his body.

――Hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, hot.

The moment he opened his mouth to scream, what came out was not a scream but a clump of blood.
He coughed violently, expelling the essence of his life that surged from his throat. He vomited blood so profusely that blood bubbles formed at the corners of his mouth. Through his blurred vision, he could see the ground stained bright red.

――Ah, is all this blood mine?

He was bleeding so much that his fallen body was soaked in it. It is said that the human body contains about 8% blood, and losing one-third of it is life-threatening――but he felt like he had already lost it all.
The vomiting of blood had stopped, but the cause of the burning heat that was devouring his body was still active. The hand that barely moved reached towards his abdomen, and he felt an unbelievable sensation there that made him understand.

――So, my abdomen is torn open.

No wonder he felt hot. He was apparently confusing 'pain' with 'heat.'
A sharp laceration had almost cut his torso in half, leaving it connected by just a strip of skin at the waist.
In short, it seemed he was facing the end of his life.

The moment he understood, his consciousness rapidly started fading.
The heat that had been forcing him to writhe in agony until a moment ago disappeared somewhere, and the unpleasant sensation of blood as well as the feeling of his guts touching his hand—all seemed to be escorted away by his drifting consciousness.

What was left behind was his body, abandoned and refused company by his 'soul.'
With one final effort prompted by his fading consciousness, he slightly moved his body. He lifted his neck upwards.

In front of him, black shoes stepped on the blood-soaked floor, creating ripples.
There was someone there. And that someone had probably killed him.

Strangely, he didn't feel the desire to gaze upon that person's face.
He had no memory of being so apathetic that he would turn a blind eye to someone who would kill him, yet his heart paid no fragment of interest to that person's identity.

The only thing he wished for――was for her to be safe.

"――Baru?"

He felt like he heard a voice that sounded like the ringing of a bell.
Because he was in such a state that he couldn't tell where his ears were or where his nose was, it was more likely to be a hallucination.
Even so, even if he was recreating it from memory, that voice was incredibly pleasant and moved his emotions.

Therefore――,

"――ah!"

A short scream echoed, and the carpet of blood welcomed a new participant.
The fallen body was right next to him, and there was his own arm stretched out limply.
The lifelessly fallen white hand intertwined with his own bloodied hand.

It must have all been a coincidence.

He felt like the faintly moving fingertips had grasped his hand in return.

"……stay alive."

Grabbing the scruff of his departing consciousness, he forcibly turned it around to buy time.
Both the 'pain' and the 'heat' were distant, mere futile howls of a losing dog.

Still, even so――,

"I will, definitely――"

――save you.

In the next moment, Natsuki Subaru lost his life.