"Ah, the youth of today—so full of energy," Old Man Rom's voice rang out as he and Subaru Natsuki approached.
Felt didn't want to give Gojo Satoru the time of day. She had realized by now that this guy was doing it on purpose, specifically to get a rise out of her. If she actually let him get under her skin, she'd be falling right into his trap. She had no interest in a losing bargain like that.
"Let's go!" Felt aimed a kick at Gojo, which he avoided with an exaggerated, sweeping motion.
"From today on, I'm not going to be so easy to talk to. You'd better pray you can pay back those twenty Holy Gold coins soon, or else I wouldn't mind selling you off to one of those big-shot merchants."
"I hear there are plenty of nobles who... aren't exactly fond of women," Felt added fiercely, trying to use the threat to suppress Gojo's irritatingly smug attitude.
"No, no, no. I only owe ten Holy Gold coins. The other ten are Subaru's debt."
"A real shame, Subaru. At least I'd fetch a price with a noble. If it were you..." Gojo looked at Subaru and shook his head with mock pity.
"Hey! Is that something to be happy about?!"
The group didn't linger at the Knights' Bastion. It was already generous of them to provide shelter for a night; they couldn't stay forever, even if Gojo did find the accommodations quite comfortable.
Felt, however, clearly didn't share that sentiment. In her words: if the authorities decided to cause trouble for her, she at least had a chance to run if she was outside. Staying in the Bastion was basically walking into a trap. There'd be zero chance of escape.
As they left, Gojo acted like he was everyone's best friend, waving goodbye to this person and that—especially Reinhard and Julius. Felt, who had wanted to keep a low profile and slip away quietly, felt like biting him.
The moment they were clear of the Bastion, Felt didn't say a word. With a dark expression on her small face, she bolted toward the slums. Old Man Rom managed just fine; as a giant, his strides were enormous, and even with his age, he outpaced any ordinary person. Gojo Satoru went without saying.
Only Subaru Natsuki was left completely in the dust. Fortunately, Gojo wasn't the type to abandon a teammate.
"I say, Satoru... isn't there a more dignified way to do this?" Subaru managed to squeeze the words out from where he was tucked under Gojo's arm like a briefcase.
"My, aren't we picky. But since you're my partner, I suppose I can accommodate."
Gojo spoke with mock tenderness. He then yanked Subaru up and shifted him into a full princess carry.
Subaru: "..."
Subaru didn't remember the rest of the trip back to the slums. He only knew it was an experience he never wanted to repeat.
Upon returning to the slums, Felt immediately rushed to her little hideout. Compared to the surrounding filth and chaos, Felt's hovel was noticeably cleaner. Clearly, she looked after it.
However, the place was currently a mess, looking as though it had been ransacked. Felt remained silent; she seemed to have expected this. She stepped into the dilapidated shack, feeling around here and digging there. Finally, a small pouch appeared in her hand. A quick shake produced the distinct clinking of coins.
"Hmph. Trying to steal my money? In your dreams!" Felt barked, glancing around her trashed home with disdain. She seemed to have predicted the break-in. She looked much more composed now than during their frantic return.
"One, two, three... fifteen."
"Fifteen Gold Coins?"
"I didn't realize you'd saved up so much, Felt," Gojo said, appearing behind her. He was already counting the coins in the pouch.
"You bastard!!"
"You stole my stuff again!"
In the blink of an eye, the coin purse had somehow migrated to Gojo's hand. Felt lunged at him like a wildcat to snatch it back. This was money she had scraped together with great effort. One had to realize that a family of four could live for an entire year on just five gold coins. Felt mostly stuck to petty pickpocketing on the streets; she didn't dare rob large trading companies for valuables. Amassing this much savings was no small feat.
"Speaking of which, what should we do next?"
Subaru, watching the two bicker, spoke with a helpless expression. "Old Man Rom doesn't have a place to live anymore, Satoru and I have nowhere to stay, and we don't have a way to make money right now..."
Before Subaru could finish, Gojo slung an arm around his shoulder, a radiant smile appearing on his face.
"It's fine. We have Lady Felt here, don't we? I'm sure she wouldn't have the heart to let her most precious assets starve to death."
"After all, we're worth twenty Holy Gold coins. She'll take good care of us."
"Get lost! Don't even think about touching my savings!" Felt hugged her coin purse tight, staring at Gojo with intense wariness.
"We're companions! Even coming from you, Felt, those words hurt my feelings."
"Besides, didn't I say yesterday? I have a plan..."
"Shut up!"
"Whatever your 'plan' is, I bet it involves tricking me out of my savings so you can go buy sweets!"
"I'm telling you right now: that is never going to happen!" Felt emphasized every word with serious gravity, warning Gojo to stay away from her hoard.
Gojo shrugged. "Fine, fine. If you don't want to hear it, forget I mentioned it."
"We'll just do whatever you say then."
"You be the boss, and we'll work for you."
Gojo spoke with a grin, showing no sense of humiliation at the idea of working for Felt.
"But you'll have to solve the housing and food situation. This place doesn't look like it can fit all of us." Gojo pointed at Felt's tiny shack, his smile making Felt want to punch him.
But she also knew Gojo was right; these were problems that had to be solved. Although her interactions with Gojo were mostly bickering and play-fighting, Felt knew deep down that with Gojo's strength, getting money would be trivial for him. With power like his, he could be an honored guest for any noble or merchant he chose. The only reason he was still by her side was because of his kindness.
She couldn't ignore that kindness. Brawling was one thing, but she couldn't actually be arrogant enough to think he owed her anything. Having lived in the slums for so long, Felt never expected anyone to be good to her, except for Old Man Rom.
Survival of the fittest was the only law she knew. She had seen too many people her age die in corners where no one would ever find them.