――The negotiations were successful, and Rom-ji, who now had the cellphone in his hand, guaranteed it. However,

"I can only arrange the meeting with Felt. Beyond that, you have to handle the negotiations for exchanging the magic item and badge yourself."

"It's a negotiation knowing from the start that I'll be taken advantage of, right? Rom-ji must be able to guarantee the value of this thing too. In that case, it should be a piece of cake."

Looking at Subaru's easygoing demeanor, Rom-ji frowned, as if he wanted to say something. It was probably advice like "Don't let your guard down," or "Don't take the negotiations lightly."

However, seeing Subaru's face already turning red from the liquor he downed, Rom-ji seemed to think that lecturing him would be pointless.

"Well, actually, you're right. If the other party was someone a bit meaner, they might try to take advantage of you beyond just exchanging the magic item... but Felt isn't that crooked."

"No worries, no worries. Rather, Rom-ji, don't you have any better food? This stuff is so bad, it feels like I'm eating garbage."

"You’re eating someone else’s dinner and got the nerve to complain. You’re getting more and more audacious."

While eating something that looked like paste made from beans piled on a simple dish, Subaru grumbled. His initial disgust for the liquor seemed to be forgotten. With Rom-ji pouring more into his empty glass, he sipped the drink, using the beans as a snack.

"For such a big guy, is this little food enough for you? It's not like you live on thin air. Surely, you aren't saying you just need liquor and no food?”

“Don’t you know about the efficiency of the giants? Despite their combat prowess, they eat very little. Back in the days of frequent wars, they stood out everywhere."

Rom-ji's face was stern as he responded to Subaru's simple question. He placed the bottle of liquor, from which he'd been pouring into the glass, directly to his mouth and gulped it down.

"That's why their numbers dwindled. Even in the royal capital, I haven’t seen any other giants."

"They're strong even without eating much? That's amazing. So cool... I feel like I'm gonna puke."

"Here I am sharing a solemn story, and you respond like that?"

There is nothing more disheartening than listening to someone’s misery boasting. Rom-ji gave up trying to tell his story to Subaru, who interrupted by covering his ears, and started eating the beans. The two continued drinking in silence, using the bad-tasting beans as snacks.

The door to the thieves' hideout was knocked on with a distinctive code, not until the sun had begun to set significantly.

As Subaru, who had started to doze off, lifted his face, Rom's huge body agilely moved toward the door in response to the sound.

The door appeared particularly small compared to Rom's massive frame. Pressing his ear against it, Rom attentively listened to what was beyond the door, with a serious expression on his face.

"To the big rat."

"Poison."

"To the skeleton."

"Pitfall."

"To our noble dragon sir."

"Bastard."

Short questions were answered instantly. Those seemed to be signals and passwords. Rom, satisfied, unlocked the door. Watching his back, Subaru internally criticized the tasteless passwords.

"――Sorry to keep you waiting, Rom. The opponent was unexpectedly persistent. It took some time to completely shake them off."

Friendly and proud of her achievements, a single girl slipped past Rom into the hideout. She was a girl with semi-long golden hair, rabbit-like red eyes, and mischievous fangs peeking from the corner of her mouth. Her small frame was clad in ragged clothes that at best could be called practical.

It was brief, but there was no mistaking she was the girl Subaru had encountered in the alley.

Recognizing the familiar girl, Subaru stood up inadvertently. The sound drew her attention, and the girl erased her smile to put on a suspicious expression.

"Huh? Who's that? Hey, Rom. Didn't I tell you not to let anyone in because I brought in a big score?"

"I understand how you feel, but this young lad is here for you――Felt. Well, he's not entirely unrelated."

The girl――Felt scowled even more suspiciously at Rom's answer. As her hand unconsciously moved to her chest, it seemed that the stolen loot was there.

Receiving Subaru's silent gaze, Felt uneasily turned back to Rom and said,

"What's with that guy? ――Don't tell me you sold me out."

"I wouldn't do something so ungrateful. Besides, I don't think it's a bad thing for you either."

Closing one eye, Old Man Rom asked, "Right?" seeking agreement.
Subaru, made to experience the rare unpleasantness of a winking old man, gave a small nod in affirmation.
Then, while still carefully choosing his words for the still wary Felt,

"First of all, let's calm down. I have no ill intent toward you... urglllllll"

Even while choosing his words, he lost to the surging nausea and everything came out of his mouth.

"Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!!"

The sudden disgrace of Subaru throwing up caused two screams to rise.
Subaru, who had dropped to his knees and was clutching his stomach in agony, expelled everything inside his belly.
A blend of the amber color of alcohol and the color of mashed beans resulted in the creation of the worst kind of "art."

"What do you mean 'it isn't a bad deal for me'! This is the worst!!"

"No, the worst is for me! You ate my stolen dinner and drank my sake! The sake is expensive! Super expensive, you know!?"

"Shut up! Don't yell! My head hurts and it's echoing painfully! I'm seriously feeling uggggghhh!"

"Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!!"

Once again, the wave of nausea overcame Subaru's weak spirit, and the screams of the two echoed hauntingly.
Subaru, after expelling everything from his stomach, and then cleaning up the filth he'd expelled, finished airing out the foul atmosphere he'd created. It wasn't until Old Man Rom imposed a 'No Drinking' ban on Subaru that the fuss continued to tear through the evening gloom of the slum.
Night deepened.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

"Alright, now that we've pulled ourselves together, let's get to the negotiations!"

Clapping his hands and trying to refresh the atmosphere of the soured mood, Subaru spoke.
They moved from the counter side of the storeroom to a small table set up in the back of the warehouse. The remnants (smell or stains) of the earlier commotion still lingered on the counter side, and Felt stubbornly refused to negotiate in that spot.
At the same table, Felt sipped from a milk-filled glass offered by Old Man Rom.
The wariness had not disappeared from her red eyes, and now a considerable amount of distrust and discomfort had been added to it. One could already worry about what lay ahead from the very outset.

"Don't make such a scary face, smile, smile. That cute face will be ruined, you know?"

"Don't act so obsequious, pal. Besides, I'm only interested in whether the deal you brought will make money or not. Just get to the point, okay?"

He pressed a finger to his cheek, trying his best to act friendly, but Felt's reaction was cold and dismissive.
Subaru's communication skills seemed to consistently miss the mark in this world as well. Even across worlds, the “Absolute Loner Power” kept Subaru isolated.

"I should have left everything behind, yet that thing won’t let go of me. How ironic. Don’t you think so?"

"Hey, Old Man Rom, you didn’t thin this milk with water, did you? It tastes awful."

"Everyone just complains that the stuff I offer out of kindness is awful..."

Ignoring Subaru who was lost in his own world, Felt and Old Man Rom seemed to be enjoying themselves. Subaru cleared his throat to redirect their attention to himself.

"So, let’s get to negotiations. Hey, Felt. --You have the emblem, right?"

"…Yeah, I have it."

Felt responded briefly but honestly to Subaru's straightforward demand. She reached into her pocket and quietly laid the object she pulled out onto the table.

The emblem Subaru had been searching for—its unique design featured a dragon. It was about the size of a patch from his previous world. While it was hard to determine the material, it looked like it was made of some expensive metal. By Subaru’s reckoning, it depicted a wyvern from the front, with a red gemstone clutched in its mouth at the center of the badge.

The red gemstone at the center of the emblem softly and dimly glowed, leaving Subaru momentarily speechless. Even Old Man Rom, who was assessing its value, fell silent and muttered pensively, "Hmm…"

"Well then—"

It was Felt who broke the silence. Watching as the two snapped back to reality, she pushed the emblem towards them on the table.

"Now show your card. This emblem is well-crafted, and I had to go through quite a bit of trouble for it. If your offer matches its worth, it'll make us both happy, right?"

"While he's testing me with that nasty smile, it's unfortunate, but I only have one card to play. After all, I am a proudly penniless man!"

Subaru thought, as usual, that everyone would make a displeased face as soon as they heard the term 'penniless.'
Putting aside his inner feelings, he played his strongest card as declared.
Seeing the cell phone placed on the table with a thud, Felt showed a bewildered expression just as he expected.
Feeling good about the same reaction as Rom-ji, Subaru activated the camera function on the cell phone.

"NATSUKI Flash!!"

"Whoa, that's bright!"

With a flash of light and a mechanical shutter sound, the image was captured.
Felt looked like she wanted to complain about Subaru's ill-mannered photography, but before she could open her mouth, he thrust the phone's screen in front of her.
Seeing her own image displayed on it, the girl's red eyes widened in surprise.

"This is…"

"Yes, it's you, Felt! This is a magical device that captures time and leaves an image. This is the only card I can play. I'm proposing a barter between this and that emblem."

By playing his strongest card from the start, he advanced the negotiation to their advantage with momentum.
Subaru's tactic was one of the standard strategies in negotiations. In some situations, such a powerful move could determine the course of the negotiation by itself.
However, this also essentially declared that there were no stronger cards to play, which Subaru effectively did verbally.

"I see, that's amazing. So, Rom-ji, how much would this magical device sell for?"

After peeking at the screen and nodding with a 'hmm, hmm,' Felt's reaction was surprisingly bland.
She didn't sparkle with interest nor did she pick up the cell phone. Rather than being interested in its functionality, her interest was solely in the potential price of the cell phone.

"A man's dreams can't be understood by anyone but another man, even in another world! Is that it!?"

"Stop making a fuss, it's unseemly. Have some confidence, will you? So, what's the value of it, Rom-ji?"

Should it be called a brash attitude or oddly masculine demeanor? Felt's composure was unwavering.
Subaru, seeing a girl who seemed two or three years younger than himself, found himself instinctively leaning towards her and felt like calling her "boss."
Putting aside Subaru's lack of manliness, Felt asked old man Rom standing next to her about the value of the mobile phone.
She nonchalantly slid her finger along the side of the phone as she spoke,

"For me, if it's something like a magical device? If that thing with the gem insignia is worth more, then that's just fine. I wouldn't doubt your appraisal on that front."

"Well, I can't imagine how much it would be in terms of numbers. I've never dealt with selling magical devices myself. It is a high-quality emblem, but it falls short compared to a magical device. —In short, this negotiation is quite advantageous for you. That's my conclusion."

"Alright, alright, then that sounds good to me."

Felt seemed pleased with old man Rom's endorsement.
Although the reaction was slightly different from what was expected, the overall goal seemed achievable, and Subaru was also satisfied.
However, as Subaru reached out to proceed, Felt stopped him with a "hold on."

"The cards have been played by both sides. But my bargaining isn't over yet."

"…I'm rather uneasy when someone declares they're going to haggle. Besides, I can't go any higher. After all, I'm a penniless nobody."

"I'm not that wicked either. The old man backs it this much. I acknowledge that this is worth more than the emblem's value. —But it's a lie to say you have no more cards to play."

Subaru was sitting in a chair, being looked down upon by Felt who was standing up.
Her red eyes were wet with sadistic pleasure, and Subaru could only break out in a cold sweat at having his inner thoughts seen through.
He had turned off his cellphone, the most effective card for negotiation.
However, Subaru still had some goods in his possession which likely didn't circulate in this world.
Coins in his wallet and various membership cards could probably be exchanged for money depending on the negotiation. In a pinch, even his tracksuit and sneakers could be considered for conversion into cash, perhaps as a means of technological offering.
The cellphone was merely the ultimate card, and there were still some cards left to play. However, these could serve as the initial investment to support his life in this world going forward, so he couldn't afford to play them unless it was absolutely necessary.

　— If he were told that the cellphone wasn't enough, he would have no choice but to play those cards.

"Don't worry, I told you, right? I don't intend to take anything more from you. I'm satisfied as long as this thing turns into money."

"N-n-not at all? Anxious? I'm not anxious at all? I mean, seriously, what do you even mean by that? I've already played all the cards I can play, you know? There's no reason for me to be scared, or—or—or"

"Don't keep putting so much pressure on yourself and break down! Don't puke! I'll have to call off the deal!"

He was about to throw up from the pressure he put on himself but swallowed the reverse that had reached his mouth back into his stomach.
Seeing Subaru make a guts pose after swallowing it, Felt backed away with a thoroughly disgusted expression.

"It's good it didn't come out, but if what you brought wasn't a magic tool, I'd have kicked you out already for sure."

"If you had said that from the beginning, I would've just knocked you out and ended it all."

The two of them laughed heartily in a manly fashion.
Enduring the pain of his throat being burned by stomach acid, Subaru prefaced with an "ugh" and asked,

"So, what do you mean the negotiation's not over yet?"

"Hm? Oh, it's simple. You're not my only negotiation partner."

Subaru looked confused. To answer that confusion, Felt raised her finger and said, "That's why—"

"To begin with, I took this emblem because I was asked to. They said they'd trade ten holy gold coins for it."

"A previous arrangement for a theft? Ten gold coins—I'm not really sure what that goes for, but..."

Subaru glanced quickly at Old Man Rom, who seemed to grasp his intent and nodded.

"If it's this emblem, I could manage to sell it for four or five gold coins. There's also a possibility of getting only three if it gets devalued."

"So, the buying price is just double, then."

"No, didn't I say holy gold coins? Unlike the gold coins circulating in the market, holy gold coins are made from the rare holy gold, so they are worth almost twenty regular gold coins."

"Over four times as much!?"

"Why are you so surprised? If it were the magic tool you brought me, at the very least, I'd give you twenty holy gold coins. There may be collectors willing to pay even more. It's incomparable."

In this world where the cost of things is hard to understand, the emergence of a currency higher than what he thought to be the best and the fact that it was worth twenty times more was astounding, to say the least.
Unintentionally, he started seeing his cell phone, which had less than ten contacts, as a sacred artifact.
It hadn’t been used much and still looked nice. It was almost fortunate he didn't have many friends.

"Setting aside those little consolations, if this thing is worth so much more, how do you plan to turn down the person who ordered the theft?"

"That's why I said I’d exaggerate."

Felt twisted her cheeky little face into an even more mischievous smile.

"Since you brought out such an insanely expensive item, if they really want the emblem, the other party might throw in additional rewards, don't you think?"

"...So, in other words, if they offer more than twenty holy gold coins?"

"Unless you throw in the rest of your cards to sweeten the deal, the negotiation won’t be in your favor, brother."

Correcting her earlier demeanor, Felt stated this with a completely devious grin.
While Subaru felt the situation turning ominous,

"And where is this person who ordered the theft, and when are you meeting them? Surely, I'll be allowed to join in on the negotiations, right?"

"Of course. If you're the only one at a disadvantage, my profits might decrease too. And don't worry about the meeting place. ― It’s here."

Felt tapped the edge of the table with her fingers and looked up at Old Man Rom while leaning against the backrest.

Being looked at from an upside-down angle, Old Man Rom made a decidedly displeased face and said,

"You, once again acting on your own without consulting me..."

"But hey, whenever you're around, Old Man Rom, most people drop the idea of resorting to violence. Just thinking about fighting someone who looks like you makes them lose the will."

Felt sought agreement, and Subaru nodded affirmatively after glancing at Old Man Rom.

He was nearly two meters tall, a muscular bald old man. There was even the actual precedent of Subaru, who weighed nearly seventy kilos, being effortlessly lifted with one hand, so the possibility of it being just show muscles was highly unlikely. Subaru concluded that in a serious fight, there would be no contest.

On the other hand, Old Man Rom didn't seem to feel bad about the two's assessment and said,

"It can't be helped. You can't do anything without me around. Seriously, it's pitiful. Do you want a refill of milk? I also have some sweets, if you'd like."

He became like a doting grandfather spoiling his grandchild.

With a cheerful Old Man Rom pouring her a brimming glass of milk, Felt was in high spirits. Watching her, Subaru sighed in exasperation and said,

"So, calling that person here from the start means you were fully prepared to negotiate the price even without me."

"Of course. Do you know how much trouble I went through to steal this? And what would happen if someone as weak as me dealt with them alone and got ripped off? I'd be left with nothing."

"Weak, huh..."

Looking at Felt's delicate and petite appearance, it was not an incorrect description. However, after experiencing her tenacity and boldness firsthand, calling her "weak" felt quite inappropriate.

Furthermore, looking back, she had once abandoned Subaru to the brink of death during the troublesome process of stealing the emblem.

He began to feel annoyed, wondering where exactly she was mentally fragile.

"By the way, don't you remember me at all?"

"? Have we met somewhere? Unless it was a really memorable encounter, I haven't got time to remember. Besides, you look pretty nondescript, bro."

"The only thing that stands out is the hair color and outfit," Felt laughed uproariously.

There was no sense of deceit in that attitude, and combined with the disdain for his unremarkable appearance, Subaru was astonished.

In this other world, human compassion might be completely extinct. The mentality that casually forgets about a scene of robbery and murder is proof of that.

On the other hand, there was Satella who helped Subaru in a situation where she gained nothing, and Old Man Rom who didn't kick Subaru out even though he vomited. It's hard to understand.

Individual differences probably exist even in another world. Judging by only the bad parts is truly undesirable.

"Well, Felt's poor memory is fine. So, when is this person you're meeting supposed to come?"

"You're talking in a really annoying way. They said they'd be here after sunset if I finished the job by then... and the sun's already set, so it's about time."

Perhaps the conversation that it should be "soon" was a flag. Suddenly, a sharp, double knock echoed inside the warehouse.

The three exchanged glances, and Old Man Rom asked Felt, "What's the password?"

"Oh, I haven't told them. They're probably my guest, so I'll go take a look."

Springing up, Felt headed towards the entrance. The way she behaved like it was her own home made Subaru shrug at Old Man Rom as if to say, "Is this okay?"

"Well, we're not strangers. It's not like we haven't known each other for long... I'll do something akin to playing bodyguard."

With a bit of excitement, the old man who was happy to be relied upon pulled out a club from the back of the warehouse.

The length was about that of a bamboo sword, and it was probably made of wood. However, thorns stuck out sporadically from the tip, and it looked like it could deliver a fatal blow just from its appearance.

"It's like a spiked bat or something. Clubs really are standard equipment even in another world, huh..."

Receiving fifty gold and a wooden stick is quite the standard in RPGs. The appearance didn't disappoint either, Subaru evaluated Old Man Rom's equipment from a side angle, when Felt returned with an overly friendly smile.

"Yep, they were my guest after all. Come on in, have a seat."

She signaled Subaru to move aside with a hand gesture, and her cordiality was directed at the person behind her.
Wondering if this was the negotiation partner, Subaru took a glance and was slightly surprised.
Because the person Felt had invited was a beautiful woman.

She was a tall woman. Around the same height as Subaru, and likely in her early twenties.
She had a calm and gentle beauty, with soft eyes and a serene expression. Her sickly white skin stood out clearly even in the dimly lit storehouse.
She wore a black cloak, but it was open in the front, drawing attention to her snugly fitting clothes of the same color beneath it. She had a slender yet curvaceous figure.
And like Subaru, she had the rare black hair in this world. Her long hair reached past her back to her waist, tied in a braid, and she played with its end using her fingers.

She had an air of mature seductiveness about her.
To Subaru, she was an uncommon character, with whom he had no connection and very little experience.
In short, he couldn't help but be extremely flustered.

Psychologically outmaneuvered, Subaru inadvertently offered his seat to Felt.
Felt took the now empty seat, with Old Man Rom, armed with a club, sitting to her left, and the tense Subaru standing to her right.
Although the woman received a rather formal welcome, she didn't seem to mind and slightly tilted her head.

"It feels like there are a lot of outsiders here."

"It would be troubling if we got ripped off. This is our way of being cautious. Now, Subaru, a drink."

Unable to come up with a rebuttal to Felt's commanding hand gesture, Subaru went along with her words, overwhelmed by the situation.
He chose a relatively clean glass, poured milk into it, and brought it to the two of them.
The woman gave a small "Thank you" to Subaru, who was serving them, and then looked him over as if appraising him.

"I understand the elderly man's presence, but who is this young man?"

From his demeanor and atmosphere, she probably sensed his inexperience.
Hearing the woman's genuine question, Felt formed a mischievous smirk, as if ready to delve into the main topic.

"This guy is your rival. He's my other negotiation partner."

And with that, the confrontation began as declared.