The weapon that looked the most able to inflict a mortal wound was, of course, the tried and true knife. The hand ax really did have a lot of rust, so if Subaru blocked himself with his convenience store bag, he’d get away with a blunt hit rather than being cut. Of course, the weaponless guy was a safe bet. So Subaru focused all of his attention on Dumber, the one with the knife, and played through his escape in his head.
Three… Two…
“That’s enough.”
That voice suddenly and clearly cut right through the dry tension of the alley. In the voice’s gallant tone there was no sense of hesitation, and no ounce of mercy. Just listening to the voice was enough to be overpowered by its existence, and it was a perfect match for carrying the voice’s owner’s intentions.
Subaru lifted up his head, and Dumb, Dumber, and Dumbest turned around. In front of them was a young man.
What stood out about his appearance, more than anything else, was his flaming red hair. Underneath it were sparkling blue eyes that could only be described as “daring.” His extraordinary good looks helped magnify his sense of gallantry, and with one glance you could tell that this young man was a cut above the rest.
He was slender and tall and wore well-made black clothes, and while it did not have elaborate decor, around his waist he also wore a knight’s sword, which endued him with an inordinately intimidating air.
“No matter what the circumstances are, I will not allow you to perpetrate any more violence against that young man. That is enough.”
As the young man said this, he walked straight past Dumb, Dumber, and Dumbest, and got between them and Subaru.
Subaru was at a loss for words at the young man’s bold attitude, but Dumb’s, Dumber’s, and Dumbest’s reactions were different.
All of the thugs’ faces went pale, and with quivering lips they pointed at the young man.
“That burning red hair and sky-blue eyes…plus that knight’s sword sheath engraved with the image of dragon’s claws… It can’t be…”
The thugs stared on in disbelief.
“Reinhard… Are you the Master Swordsman Reinhard?!”
“Well, I suppose I don’t have to waste time introducing myself. …Although I am not fond of that title everyone gives me. It’s still too heavy for me,” the man called Reinhard muttered with a tinge of self-deprecation in his voice. But the light in his eyes was unwavering.
The thugs, overpowered by the young man’s stare, took one step back. They looked at each other as if trying to determine the best time to escape.
“If you’re planning on running away, I’ll let you off this time. Just head back out toward the main street. However, if you plan on being stubborn, you will have to deal with me.”
Reinhard put his hand on the hilt of his sword and motioned to Subaru behind him with his chin.
“We’re down three against two. They have the advantage on us in numbers. I’m not sure if the little help I can give will be enough to make a difference, but I will do the best I can, on my honor as a knight.”
“Wha-what?! Are you kidding me? This isn’t even a contest!”
After hearing what Reinhard had said, Dumb, Dumber, and Dumbest were completely out of sorts. They scattered like baby spiders, forgetting to even hide their weapons as they ran out onto the main street. Unlike the first time around, none of them threw any insults as they ran. That was a testament to the difference in scale between them and this young man.
As soon as the thugs left the alley, the heightened tension that had permeated it immediately faded away. Realizing that this was something the young man did purposefully, Subaru was again at a loss for words.
More than anything else…
“For you to do all of that and still keep so cool…it’s like you and I aren’t of the same species.”
The level of human purity in his face, his voice, his stance and actions, were all way too high. If his personality and upbringing were also the same way, if he wasn’t doing something corrupt on the side, there was no way it all could balance out.
Putting his jealousy aside, Subaru let out a flat-sounding laugh, and then prostrated himself on the ground.
“You have saved my life, and I, Subaru Natsuki, am forever grateful. I must say that I am impressed with both your honorable intentions and bravery…”
“You’re giving me too much credit. It was because their advantage of three against one fell to three against two that they became unsure of themselves. It would have been different if it was only me against them.”
“No… Given how scared they were of you, even if it were ten against one…or even a hundred against one, I still think they would have run away. But what’s with your gallantry stats?! You’re like a saint both in body and mind. You’re so brilliant I think I’m going to go blind!”
To be honest, there was such a difference in their looks, Subaru really didn’t want to be standing next to him. Subaru examined Reinhard again, but the more he looked at him the more he thought that this beautiful young man had to have been chosen by God.
However, he did not look like he was a guard.
“Umm…I can just call you by your name, Mister, uh…Reinhard…right?”
“I don’t need the ‘Mister.’ You don’t have to be so formal, Subaru.”
“Well, we’re pretty close all of sudden, huh? Anyway, thanks again, Reinhard. You’re the only one who came running when I called. I have to say, it makes me feel a bit lonely that no one else seemed to care.”
Given how many people were out walking on the main street, it wasn’t possible that Reinhard was the only person who heard Subaru call out. But as Subaru complained, Reinhard lowered his eyes slightly.
“I don’t really want to say this, but I think I can understand them. For the majority of people, the risk of interfering when thugs like those are involved is too great. You were right to call for guards.”
“The way you’re saying that…are you a guard, Reinhard? You don’t look like one at all.”
“I get that a lot. I am off duty today so I’m not wearing my uniform, and even I know that the way I look, I’m lacking the sternness of an authority figure,” Reinhard said, spreading both his arms, but Subaru thought differently.
The biggest reason that Reinhard didn’t look like a guard was that he appeared to be far from the lowly, rough sort of idea Subaru had of what a guard should look like.
“Now that I think of it, didn’t they call you something like ‘master swordsman’…?”
“My family’s position is rather special, you see. So I’ve got a lot of heavy expectations placed on me. Every day’s a battle.” Reinhard smiled, shrugging his shoulders. Apparently Reinhard had a sense of humor as well.
Subaru was now completely sure that this guy was the perfect human being. Forget about lamenting to God about the unfairness of it all, at this point, Subaru was just impressed.
“By the way, I thought that your hair and clothes, and also your name are pretty unusual, but… Where are you from? Why did you come to the capital of Lugunika?” Reinhard asked, looking down at Subaru and his appearance.
Given that Subaru’s background was unclear, it seemed to be a pretty natural response for someone who was a guard.
“It’s a little hard to answer that first question. Last time when I said, ‘a small country to the east,’ it didn’t work, so let me rephrase that. I’ve come from a place even farther east than here, a place no one has ever seen before—from the ends of the Earth,” finished Subaru with a glint in his smile. Subaru thought that it was a pretty safe answer, but Reinhard looked surprised.
“Farther east than Lugunika…? You can’t mean beyond the Grand Cascade. Is that supposed to be a joke?”
“Grand Cascade?” Subaru tilted his head with the unfamiliar term.
Cascade…like, a waterfall? Subaru, who wasn’t familiar with the geography of the surrounding area, had no idea what Reinhard was talking about. The only places Subaru really knew in this wo
rld were the main street, alleys, the slums, and the loot cellar.
“It doesn’t seem like you’re trying to fool me or anything, but… Well, that’s fine. Anyway, it looks certain that you’re not from the capital, but you have a reason for being here, right? Right now, Lugunika is not as peaceful as it usually is. It’s falling into a state of unrest. Whatever you’re here for, I’d be glad to help.”
“Come on, it’s your day off, right? There’s no need for you to waste a day off just to help me out, you’ve really done more than enough already. …But, I would like to ask you a question, if I could.”
Subaru shook his head in response to Reinhard’s offer, but then he raised up a finger as if he suddenly remembered something.
“I’m all ears. I’m not a very informed individual, so I’m not sure I can help all that much, though.”
“Well, it’s less of a question and more me asking about a person, so no worries. So anyway, have you seen a silver-haired girl with a white robe walking around in this area?”
Not-Satella’s appearance was one that stood out. Of all of the things about her, the color of her hair and that hawk-embroidered white robe in particular stood out the most. If someone like that was walking around in the capital, there was a good chance that Reinhard, a guard, had noticed.
“A white robe and silver hair…”
“If I were to add anything, she’s extremely beautiful. Also, there’s this cat… Well, it’s not like she’s carrying it around in front of her, but she has one, if that’s helpful.”
If there was someone who was wearing a white robe, had silver hair, and had that cat spirit, then it had to be her. However, the cat was usually hidden away inside her hair, so expecting a sighting that included the cat was hoping for a little too much.
“…What do you plan on doing when you find her?”
“Something she lost…er…I guess something she’s looking for? Anyway, I want to give what she’s looking for back to her.”
Of course, Subaru didn’t have it on him right now, and it was even possible that she hadn’t had it stolen from her yet, but there was no need to complicate things.
Reinhard narrowed his eyes at Subaru’s response, and then silently thought for a few moments before answering.
“Unfortunately, I can’t say I’ve seen anyone like that. If you’d like, though, I don’t mind helping you find her.”
“I can’t ask that much of you. It’s all right, I’ll figure things out on my own.” Subaru lifted up his hand to refuse Reinhard’s request, and then turned to exit the alley and walk along the main street. It was possible that he would run into Not-Satella again, like he did the third time around.
If possible, it might be better to catch Felt and keep her from stealing the badge in the first place. Considering what would happen otherwise, Subaru thought that might be the best approach to take.
“The problem is, considering how fast Felt is, whether I could really catch her or not. In the worst case, I could get some guards to come to the loot cellar, but…”
“Loot cellar?”
“Oh, don’t worry about that. Forget I said anything. It’s just the name of a place an old man I know likes to hang out.”
As Reinhard reacted to his statement Subaru tried to divert his attention and at the same time rejected the idea of getting guards involved. Even if Subaru brought guards with him, with Elsa as an opponent there was a good chance that it would only result in more casualties. That’s just how superhuman that assassin’s skills were.
“Well, if all of the guards here were superhuman as well, it might be a different story… Anyway, I guess I should head back to the main street.”
“Are you going?”
“Yeah, I am. Thanks again, Reinhard. I’ll have to return the favor one day. …Can I meet you again if I go to a guard station or something?”
“I think so. If you just give my name, they’ll know where to find me. I’d love to see you again, so stop by for any reason at all.”
“Have I really done anything, or said anything to raise our relationship score that much? …Anyway, if I ever get stuck or lost again I’ll be sure to stop by,” said Subaru jokingly, waving his hand good-bye.
“Be careful,” said Reinhard, as cool and gallant as ever.
Pushed on by those words, Subaru was able to exit the alley with absolutely zero damage, all the while not noticing just how much the young man with the blue eyes was sizing him up as he watched him leave.
4
Now that Subaru had made it safely back to the main street, he did his best to look for Not-Satella. However, all that he could really do was open his eyes wide and stare at the passing crowd. Using his memories from the third time around, Subaru positioned himself near the fruit store he had become familiar with.
The face of the scarred store owner that Subaru could see out of the corner of his eye was very stern.
“This time our meeting wasn’t exactly the best, was it… But, I know that you really are a kindhearted guy!” Subaru said, giving the villainous-looking shop owner a thumbs-up, to which the shop owner turned his face away from, annoyed.
Subaru drew his thumbs back feeling unloved, and then returned his gaze to the street. As always there were tons of people passing by, of all shapes, sizes, and kinds.
It had been over ten minutes since Subaru had started his lookout, and it had already been nearly an hour since he had started his fourth run.
“I’m not sure I can trust my sense of time, but it would be strange if the theft hasn’t happened yet…” said Subaru to himself, when an anxious thought crossed his mind.
“Hey, old man.”
“What is it, Mr. Penniless?”
When the shop owner came out in front of his store and looked at Subaru, he had already given up trying to hide how annoyed he was.
“Well, it’s true that I am penniless, so I won’t deny that, but… Old man, I’ve got something I’d like to ask you. Have you seen any sort of commotion happen around here lately?”
“You’ve got guts asking me a question without buying anything.”
“Well I know that, but last time… Wait…”
As Subaru was talking he realized why the shop owner was in such a bad mood. The first time around, when Subaru and Not-Satella had visited the fruit shop together they had met again with…the shop owner’s daughter. She hadn’t been saved yet this time around.
“How could I have forgotten about that?! Don’t tell me that I have to go find her first?”
“What are you talking about? Oh, fine. Whatever. Look, kiddo. Those sort of ‘commotions’ you’re talking about aren’t exactly unusual around here.”
“I’m glad you answered my question, but are you serious?!”
Now that Subaru thought about it, the loot cellar was filled with things stolen from all over the capital. If there were that many thefts occurring, it spoke volumes about the level of security in the capital.
“Does this mean I’ve completely run out of options…?”
“However, the most recent commotion wasn’t the usual fare. Someone was using magic and shot off two or three blasts of it. Just look.”
The shop owner leaned forward and pointed to a stall about four spaces to the left. When Subaru followed with his gaze, he saw that right beside that stall was an alleyway, and there were a few holes gouged out of the wall leading into it.
“Oh, wow.”
“There were some icicle-shaped things that were used like arrows, and one of them stuck inside that wall. It disappeared immediately afterward, though.”
Each of the four holes was a little bigger than a quarter. Since they were able to make a hole like that in a stone wall, Subaru shivered to think what would happen if they hit a person.
“This magic looks like it’s on a different scale from the first time I saw it… I wonder if Not-Satella’s a little more upset than usual this time…”
If Subaru approached her without thinking, he might be th
e one on the receiving end of that magic. Subaru felt a cold sweat form on his brow.
“But if that’s the case then I was too late this time as well.”
If the theft had already taken place, it was going to be difficult for Subaru to meet up with Not-Satella on his own. In other words, what he should shoot for now was…
“I need to try to meet up with Felt. If possible, I need to try to catch her before she enters the loot cellar, and then exchange my cell phone for the badge, but…”
Given that was a place at which he had already been killed twice, Subaru wanted to avoid the loot cellar as much as he could.
“If I go too late, then it’ll be what happened the first time all over again. However, if I go and meet up with Rom and wait for Felt, then I’ll end up repeating what happened the second time around…”
What was most important was Felt’s location. Right now, Felt was probably being chased around the capital by Not-Satella. If he could, Subaru wanted to meet up with her before she arrived at the loot cellar.
“Maybe I could just rely on my Return by Death and use this time just to gather information…?”
While that seemed like a viable option, Subaru shook his head and quickly rejected that plan. This was something he realized after experiencing death three times, but every time it was incredibly painful. He didn’t want to experience something like that ever again.
Subaru was anxious about relying on his Return by Death power when he didn’t know how or why it worked. Say Subaru decided to throw away this fourth time around by watching things unfold with the intention of dying afterward so he could reset everything. What if when he did that, his Return by Death didn’t activate because he had run out of the number of times he could use it? No one would be laughing at that end.
“In the end, I’ve really got to cling to life as long as I can. Well, I suppose that goes without saying, though.”
After making his decision, Subaru twisted around to stretch his body. The shop owner didn’t seem too pleased as Subaru did his radio exercises in front of his store, but as Subaru finished and was jogging in place he waved back at him.
Re: Zero -Starting Life in Another World- Vol. 1 Page 15