"Even though I say that, I still can't make heads or tails of it. I didn't even see that guy's attack clearly, and by the time he appeared, it was already night, and that damn nine-to-five cat had already clocked out."
Although Subaru had looked full of confidence earlier, he fell into distress again when faced with the problem of having to confront an enemy.
Just then, Felt darted out as if following the original script. Paying no mind to the two people sitting on the steps, lost in thought, she quickly climbed up a wall and began running across the rooftops.
A while later, the silver-haired half-elf arrived, only to find that Felt was no longer in the alley. She sighed in frustration and then looked at the two people sitting on the steps, asking, "Excuse me, did you happen to see a little girl with blonde hair run past?"
Seeing his sweetheart appear, Subaru immediately put on a grin. He walked over and started using all sorts of words to get closer to the girl, claiming that he was familiar with the girl from before and could definitely help her find her.
Had it been someone more mature, they might have given Subaru the cold shoulder after such a frivolous approach. However, the girl was a bit naive, and she could sense that the person before her meant no harm.
This caused the girl, who had long been subjected to targeting and malice, to feel a flicker of goodwill toward him.
After some back and forth, the shut-in otaku actually succeeded in striking up a conversation, and the two began to travel together.
After some conversation, Subaru finally learned that the girl's real name was Emilia.
Learning his sweetheart's real name left the boy incredibly excited. The two wandered around, and then helped a lost little girl find her family. Seeing that they had grown closer, Subaru posed a question.
"Emilia, what exactly is the thing you lost?"
"...Subaru, it's something very important, but I really can't disclose much."
"Alright. But from here to the slums, and then to Old Man Rom's loot house, it's quite a distance. By the time we get there, it might be dusk or even night. Can you ensure your own safety?"
"Don't underestimate me. I am a spirit user, after all."
But you're just a squishy mage. How could you possibly withstand an assassin's strike?
Just as Subaru was feeling anxious, he suddenly realized, where was that guy?
When he remembered that he should still have a companion, he suddenly noticed Caelus leaning against a fence not far from him and Emilia, calmly watching the two of them.
"Subaru?"
Emilia found Subaru's strange look odd. She looked in that direction, only to find that there was no one there.
"...Emilia, wait a moment. I saw a friend I know. Wait for me here."
After saying that, Subaru quickly ran off. He arrived at a secluded corner and, looking at Caelus standing before him, took a deep breath and said, "Please, help me take care of that guy."
"You're just going to use up your only chance this easily?"
"You're someone who pursues equivalent exchange. I believe that since you've gained benefits from me, you will definitely provide me with something of equal value. That power just hasn't manifested yet. Once it does, perhaps many problems will cease to be problems. What I lack most right now is a stable period in the beginning. Once this danger is resolved, I can become good friends with Emilia, and then I'll have a foothold and a way to survive in this other world. That's why I want you to help me solve these initial problems."
"Alright. Then how do you want me to do it? Should I just take care of the guy directly and bring you the badge, or should I help you put on a show so you can heroically resolve the crisis in front of your girl?"
"...Just help me take care of the guy directly. I'll use my phone to trade for the badge from Felt."
"Fine."
Caelus nodded, and then vanished before Subaru's eyes.
Subaru clenched his fists, his expression filled with excitement. He had already begun to daydream about his wonderful life in this other world once he maxed out Emilia's affection.
Caelus walked through the slums as the System's voice rang in his ears.
["Oh, a poor soul skipped class and didn't meet the Sword Saint destined for him. That means there's going to be a lot of trouble waiting for him later."]
["However, this System is kind-hearted, so accept this mission, my Host."]
[Main quest issued. Main quest: Sin Eater. Objective: Kill at least three Sin Archbishops. Reward: 5,000 ~ 8,000 System Currency.]
["Sloth, Wrath, Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Envy, Pride. Among them, Pride and Envy currently have no corresponding Archbishops. The other five Archbishops are still active in this world, and they possess Witch Factors that are intrinsically linked to the rules of this world... So, go devour them, my Host. The emotions you crave are quite abundant within them."]
Caelus looked at the names symbolizing the Seven Deadly Sins and felt a longing in his heart, especially for the sin symbolizing Gluttony. He wondered if, after devouring Gluttony, he would be able to regain his sense of taste.
Time continued to pass, and dusk approached once more. The sun had reached its time to clock out for the day, only this time, it would not repeat this day.
Subaru and Emilia arrived at Old Man Rom's loot house. Using the information gained from his previous encounter, he successfully passed off the phone in his hand as a magic item that even ordinary people could use, sold it, and exchanged it for the badge Felt had stolen.
Thus, the boy gained his sweetheart's favor. Upon hearing that Subaru had come from a very distant place, was homeless, and did not have a job, Emilia, in order to express her gratitude, took Subaru back to her residence, saying she would bring him to her fief and provide him with a reasonable reward.
Subaru was filled with excitement. In terms of intelligence, he possessed the ability of Return by Death, which allowed him to learn from his mistakes to a great extent. In terms of power, he also had the unawakened gift from another Traveler. Now that he also had the favor of a beautiful silver-haired half-elf, a wonderful life in this other world was already beckoning to him.
"I wonder if Caelus, who is watching from the sidelines, would be jealous if he saw this? Hahahaha!"
Subaru thought to himself, still believing that the Traveler might currently be watching the story of him, the protagonist.
But in reality, Caelus was still in the slums, having just finished reading the memories of the woman named Elsa before him.
A lonely girl who had been coveted due to the beautiful appearance brought by her own bloodline, she eventually slit open the stomach of the man who attempted to force himself upon her, and on that cold night, felt a warmth she had never experienced before.
Obsessed with obtaining that warmth, after being adopted and trained by an assassin organization, she became the infamous Elsa the Bowel Hunter.
She was an assassin who lacked a sense of security and had found a twisted and pathological path of redemption of her own amidst the cold.
"Rest in peace. In the dream of eternal slumber, embrace the warmth that belongs only to you."
Within the ice wrapped in memories, there was no pain on Elsa's face. In her memories, she enjoyed the warmth that this world should have given her, the affection from her parents, the care from friends and family, and the warmth brought by the physical sun or blankets.
Ah, how wonderful.
A fallen leaf, carried by the wind its whole life, had finally landed on the ground, welcoming the warm embrace provided by the soil.
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)