The negotiation was settled, and Old Man Rom, now holding a mobile phone, confirmed it. However,

“I can only prepare the stage for you to negotiate with Felt. Beyond that, the exchange of this magical tool and badge is up to you,” he said.

“I already know I’m going to get fleeced in this negotiation, right? Old Man Rom, you’ll guarantee its value, won’t you? So it should be easy-peasy,” Subaru casually replied.

Old Man Rom looked like he wanted to say something as he frowned at Subaru’s carefree demeanor.

I assumed it was some advice about not being careless or underestimating the negotiations.

But perhaps he felt that preaching to Subaru, who was starting to blush from the wine he had gulped down, would be wasted effort and said,

“Well, actually, that’s true. If the opponent were a bit more of a nasty piece of work, they might try to take advantage of you for the magical tool and more… but Felt isn’t the type to be that dastardly.”

“Don’t worry, don’t worry. More importantly, Old Man Rom, isn’t there something better to eat? This is so bland it feels like I’m eating leftovers.”

“You’re eating someone else’s dinner, and you dare to complain? You’re getting bolder by the day,” he retorted.

Subaru munched on a mushy paste of beans served on a shabby plate, grumbling away.

Any initial distaste for the wine had disappeared. Now he was taking advantage of Old Man Rom refilling his empty glass to snack on those beans and sip slowly.

“Seriously, with such a big frame, is this all you have to eat? It’s not like I’m living on air; you’re not going to say that as long as you have alcohol, you don’t need food, right?”

“Don’t you know the giant race has surprisingly good fuel efficiency? Despite their combat strength, they require little food. Back when there was a lot of war, that was well-known,” Old Man Rom replied with a serious face.

Rom’s expression darkened at Subaru’s simple question.

He lifted the bottle of wine to his lips and gulped down directly from it.

“That’s why our numbers have drastically reduced. In the royal capital, I haven’t seen other giants.”

“So you’re strong without eating? That’s impressive. Super cool… Ugh, I feel like throwing up.”

“Hey, you can’t have that attitude while I’m speaking with such a worried expression.”

There’s nothing more depressing than listening to someone’s tales of misfortune.

Subaru, covering his ears and interrupting the conversation, made Rom give up telling his tale of woe and both continued to drink quietly, using the terrible beans as snacks.

Time passed in silence as they both drank their unpleasant beans.

The unique code to knock on the Thieves’ Repository door rang out only after the sun had tilted lower in the sky.

Subaru, who had started to doze off, lifted his head as he heard a noise, and Old Man Rom’s massive figure sprang lightly towards the door.

The door appeared quite small compared to the gigantic Rom. He pressed his ear against it, squinting as he tried to listen intently to what was happening outside.

“Big rat…”

“Poison…”

“To the skeleton…”

“Pitfall…”

“To our noble dragon…”

“Piece of crap!”

Short, rapid-fire exchanges were answered without hesitation.

That must have been the signal and passphrase. Satisfied, Old Man Rom unlatched the door. Watching his back, Subaru internally commented on how crude the passphrase sounded.

“—Sorry for making you wait, Old Man Rom. The opponent was unexpectedly persistent; it took time to wrap things up completely,” a girl said as she smoothly entered the repository, passing by Old Man Rom.

She was a girl with semi-long golden hair, red eyes like a rabbit, and mischievous sharp canines peeking out from the corners of her mouth. Her small frame was clad in what could only be described as tattered clothing that allowed for easy movement.

For a brief moment, there was no doubt; this was the same girl he had encountered in the alley.

Seeing the familiar girl, Subaru instinctively stood up. Clumsy, he drew attention, and the girl, noticing, wiped the smile off her face, replaced by a look of confusion.

“Huh? Who are you? Hey, Old Man Rom, I told you not to let anyone in since I’m bringing in a big mouthful!”

“I understand how you feel, but this kid here—Subaru—has business with you, Felt. Well, it isn’t entirely unrelated either,” Old Man Rom replied.

Felt’s expression grew more suspicious at Rom’s response, and it seemed she placed a hand over her chest, suggesting that the stolen prize was likely there.

Receiving Subaru’s unspoken glance, Felt looked uncomfortably at Rom and said,

“What’s up with that dude? —Don’t tell me you sold me out.”

“I wouldn’t do something that betrays my duty. Plus, I don’t think it’s bad news for you either,” Rom replied.

Winking, the old man sought agreement; Subaru experienced the rare and unsettling sight of a winking grandpa and simply nodded in response.

Then, still wary, Felt chose her words carefully, saying, “For now, let’s calm down. I have no ill intentions towards you… or rather, oh no no no—”

And just as he tried to choose his words, he lost the battle against the rising nausea, causing him to vomit.

““Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa——!!””

In response to Subaru’s sudden display of wretchedness, both of them screamed.

Subaru knelt right there, heaving as he expelled everything in his stomach.

The amber hue of the wine and the paste-like beans mixed together, creating an abomination.

“What do you mean there are no bad stories for me! This is the worst!”

“The worst here is me! My dinner and wine were stolen! That wine was expensive! Expensive, you know!?”

“Shut up! Don’t scream! My head hurts and you’re making it throb even more! I feel sick! Seriously, yackety-yack ugh!”

““Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa——!!””

The wave of Subaru’s weakness succumbed once again, echoing the two’s cries.

—When Subaru finally expelled all the contents from his stomach, cleaned up the mess he created, ventilated the foul air he expunged, and Old Man Rom declared “No more drinking,” the hullabaloo continued to pierce the evening darkness of the Poor District.

—The night deepened.

***

“—Well then, let’s shake off that setback and get back to negotiations!”

Clapping his hands, Subaru tried to switch the sour atmosphere to a more favorable one.

They’d moved from the counter side of the Thieves’ Repository to a small table set up further back. Remaining were the traces (smells and stains) of the earlier ruckus, and it was this reason that Felt stubbornly refused to negotiate at that spot.

Sitting at the same table, Felt tilted the glass of milk that Old Man Rom had served.

The wariness hadn’t left her red eyes, now accompanied by considerable distrust and discomfort. It was a bad sign from the very start.

“Don’t have such a scary face; smile, smile! That cute face will be ruined!” Subaru joked.

“Don’t butter me up, dude. I only care whether the story you brought is worth money or not. You can skip the fluff and get to the point,” she replied coldly, completely disregarding Subaru’s friendliness.

Trying to put on the most amicable face he could muster, Felt’s unwelcoming response left Subaru’s soul in despair.

In this world as well, it seemed his social skills would repeatedly fail. Even transcending worlds, Subaru bore the “Absolute Loneliness Power” that isolated him.

“Even though I left everything behind, that one thing won’t let me go, huh? Hehehe, what an irony. Don’t you think so?” he pondered.

“Hey, Old Man Rom, you didn’t water down this milk, did you? It’s awful,” Subaru said.

“Everyone’s saying how awful the nice gesture I offered was…”

Ignoring Subaru, Felt and Old Man Rom were enjoying themselves! Subaru cleared his throat to gather their attention once more.

“Alright then, let’s negotiate. So, Felt—do you have the badge?”

“…Yeah, I’ve got it.”

With a direct approach, Subaru asked, and Felt simply gave a short affirmative.

She reached into her pocket and quietly placed something on the table.

—The badge that Subaru had been seeking. Its design featured a dragon emblem.

It was about the same size as a patch from Subaru’s original world. The material was hard to judge, but it appeared to be made from something precious. The design depicted a dragon facing front, prominently featuring a red jewel in its mouth at the center.

The jewel in the center glimmered softly, leaving Subaru momentarily lost for words as he gazed upon it.

Rom, too, fell silent, simply humming a thoughtful “Hmm” as he examined the badge.

“Alright—”

The silence was broken by Felt, who was holding the badge.

Watching the two of them snap back to reality at her opening statement, she pushed the badge toward Subaru on the table.

“Now show me your card. This badge is quite the piece, and I went through some trouble to get it. If you can put forth something that matches its worth, we’ll both be happy, right?”

“Sorry to burst your bubble, but I only have one card to play. You see, I’m flat broke!” Subaru declared.

It seemed the mere mention of “broke” always drew frowns from everyone.

Subaru mentally cursed the dark cloud of emotions in his chest, declaring his strongest card as he slammed the mobile phone onto the table.

Felt stared at it, bewildered as Subaru expected.

Rom displayed the same reaction as before, which boosted Subaru’s spirits. He activated the camera function on the phone.

“NATSUKI FLASH!!”

“Whoa, bright!”

A flash burst forth with a mechanical shutter sound, capturing an image.

Felt wanted to protest Subaru’s unorthodox photography, but before she could open her mouth, he thrust the phone screen towards her.

Upon seeing her own reflection on the display, her red eyes widened in surprise.

“This is…”

“Yup, it’s you, Felt! This magical tool can capture moments and preserve images. It’s the only card I have to offer! I propose a trade for that badge and this!” Subaru said with excitement.

Right from the very start, he had played his ultimate card, pushing the negotiations into his favor with sheer momentum.

The method Subaru employed was one of the established strategies of negotiations. Depending on circumstances, it could entirely shift the tide of negotiations.

However, it also implied that he had no stronger cards left to play, practically declaring it aloud.

“Wow, that’s amazing. So, Old Man Rom, what do you think it would sell for?” Felt asked after peering at the screen and nodding her head.

With that, her response was unexpectedly lukewarm.

She neither sparkled with excitement nor reached for the phone; her interest lay only in the mobile’s potential monetary value.

“Is it that the romantic dreams of men can only be understood by men, even in another world!? So it is!?” Subaru exclaimed.

“Don’t act like a child, it’s embarrassing! Keep your composure! Have some confidence! So, what’s the deal, Old Man Rom?”

Whether it was a sleazy attitude or just manly bravado, Felt displayed unshakable composure.

Subaru felt himself leaning in a bit for this girl who appeared two or three years younger and thought to himself, “Mighty impressive for a little lady.”

Setting aside the peculiarity of Subaru’s empty pockets, Felt turned to Old Man Rom, inquiring about the phone’s worth.

She seemed genuinely uninterested, sliding her finger along the side of the phone, she remarked:

“If this magical tool or whatever fetches more than that jewel-encrusted badge, then that’s a jackpot for me. I have a discerning eye, you know.”

“Honestly, I can’t determine the price. I’ve never sold a magical tool before. But I’ll say this, the badge is certainly good, but it pales in comparison to the magical tool. —Essentially, this negotiation is quite advantageous to you. That would be my conclusion,” Rom replied.

“I see, I see, then it seems good, right?”

With Old Man Rom’s approval, Felt seemed positively upbeat.

Even if the reaction was slightly off from what Subaru anticipated, the core goal appeared to be accomplished, leaving him satisfied.

However, just as Subaru was about to reach across the table, Felt suddenly halted him with a “Wait.”

“Our card exchanges are done. But I’m not done raising the stakes yet!”

“…Hearing you declare you’d raise the stakes gives me the heebie-jeebies. But I must say, trying to up the ante from here seems impossible. After all, I’m the ultimate broke guy!”

“I’m not that wicked, either. Since this old man’s words carry weight. I acknowledge that you have something of higher value than the badge. —It’s just that claiming you have no other cards left is surely a lie.”

Standing up, Felt held a dominating presence over Subaru, her red eyes glimmering with a sadistic flair, leaving Subaru to break into cold sweat over his thoughts being read.

Having played the most effective card possible, the mobile phone wouldn’t be enough for negotiating.

However, he still had a few goods that likely wouldn’t be in circulation in this world, left up his sleeve.

Coins or various membership cards left in his wallet could be exchanged for money depending on negotiations. If necessary, even his tracksuit or sneakers could be used for technical support, making them valuable.

The phone was merely the strongest card he possessed—there were still some hidden cards left. However, these were initial investments likely vital for his future life in this world, and he couldn’t afford to play them unless absolutely necessary.

—If it came to being told the phone wasn’t sufficient, he’d have to edge toward playing those cards.

“Don’t worry, I told you, right? I don’t have any intention of squeezing you further. I’d be satisfied if this gets turned into cash for me,” she assured.

“D-don’t get it twisted! Not even a bit! Seriously, I’m just trying to grasp what you’re saying. I’ve played what cards I have here, and I doubt any need for panic exists, whatsoever!”

“Don’t put unnecessary pressure on yourself! Don’t throw up! We could call it quits!”

Having forced the pressure onto himself, he was suddenly struck with the urge to vomit again, but he managed to swallow it back down.

Trying to regain composure, Felt took a step back, seemingly disgusted by Subaru.

“For not having been kicked out yet, I’d have chucked you outside if what you brought wasn’t a magical tool,” she remarked.

“If you say that, I would have just knocked you down first and called it a day,” Rom commented.

The two shared a hearty laugh, as Subaru endured the burning pain of stomach acid crawling up his throat, and prefaced,

“So what gives with this raising of the stakes?”

“Huh? Oh, that’s simple. My negotiation with you isn’t my only one.”

Subaru was left puzzled, to which Felt replied, “What I want to get across is that I snatched that badge at someone else’s request. For this single piece, the promise was a trade-off for ten Holy Gold Coins.”

“The request to steal was a prior commitment!? Ten gold coins; I’m not too familiar with the market, but…”

As he glanced over at Old Man Rom, he nodded in understanding.

“For that badge, from my end, I could manage to turn it into around four to five gold coins without much fuss. It could be pressed down to three coins as a possibility.”

“Then simply put, the buying price is doubled.”

“Not quite; did you not hear me say ‘Holy Gold Coins’? Unlike regular gold coins circulating in the market, Holy Gold Coins are made from the rare metal called Holy Gold, and their value is close to twenty gold coins,” Rom explained.

“Over four times!?”

“What are you surprised for? If what you brought is a magical tool, it’d fetch at least twenty Holy Gold Coins. There’s a good chance collectors would pay more. This is no simple matter,” Rom stated.

Although the prices in this world were difficult to comprehend, learning that there was a currency beyond the already considered highly valued gold coins left Subaru flabbergasted.

He couldn’t help but see his mobile, with its fewer than ten contacts, as a sort of divine artifact.

Oh well, since he hadn’t used it much, it still looked pristine. At least he was glad he had no friends.

“Setting aside your heart’s petty consolation, if this one is valued higher, then how do I turn down the individual who requested the theft?”

“That’s why I’m saying I’m raising the stakes,” Felt replied, her cheeky face distorting further into a fiendish grin.

“Since you’ve brought something this pricey, if they want that badge, they may have to offer additional compensation.”

“So, if the client offers more than twenty Holy Gold Coins, I’ll have to play the remaining cards to up the ante, or else it’s game over for me?” Subaru exclaimed.

With a notably devilish demeanor, Felt confirmed, sounding all too cheerful about the fact.

Subaru sensed the mood darkening as he moved to say, “And so where and when does this client plan to meet? Will I be allowed on the negotiating table too?”

“Of course. If you’re at a disadvantage, that would leave my cut smaller too. Don’t worry about the meeting place. —It’s right here,” she asserted.

Pointing at the edge of the table, Felt leaned back, looking up at Old Man Rom.

Under the upside-down gaze directed at him, Rom made a face that suggested disdain.

“You’re going to do this without even consulting me again…”

“Come on, with you around, most people will be scared off from using violence. Just thinking about it makes them lose their will,” she replied.

Felt sought concurrence, and Subaru threw an eye at Old Man Rom before nodding in agreement.

Standing nearly two meters tall, this muscular bald grandpa was quite the intimidating figure. In fact, Subaru, weighing about seventy kilograms, had once been easily lifted with one hand, so dismissing Rom as bluff muscle was out of the question.

If it came to a serious fistfight, Subaru concluded he wouldn’t stand a chance.

Meanwhile, Old Man Rom didn’t seem too put off by Felt and Subaru’s assessment.

“Looks like there’s no choice. Is it that without me you can’t do a thing? What a shameful sight. Want a refill on milk? I’ve got a little sweet stuff around,” he suggested, resembling a doting old grandpa.

With pleasantries exchanged as Rom filled Felt’s glass with milk, Subaru sighed in exasperation.

“From the start, calling your target here means you were planning on negotiating the price regardless of my presence,” he noted.

“Of course! Do you know how much work it took to get that grab? Besides, if a frail figure like me tried to negotiate alone and got stiffed, that would be just my luck,” Felt responded.

“Weak, huh…?”

Given Felt’s petite and delicate appearance, one could hardly argue against that description; yet after experiencing her mental grit and toughness, it became hard to view her as “weak.”

Moreover, remembering that she had once left Subaru behind to face life-threatening danger during the badge theft made him stumble on his thoughts.

Wondering where this fragility was exactly, he began to feel irritated.

“By the way, don’t you by any chance not remember me?” he asked.

“Huh? Did we meet somewhere? Well, unless it was a strikingly memorable encounter, I won’t remember; I’m not bored enough to retain vague impressions. Besides, dude, you look quite plain,” Felt retorted with a hearty laugh.

Having sensed no deception in her attitude, along with the added ridicule towards his average appearance, Subaru was left in disbelief.

Perhaps human affection had entirely faded in this world. The evidence being that she could easily forget witnessing a scene of robbery and murder.

On the other hand, there were those like Satella, who saved Subaru in situations without any personal gain, and Old Man Rom, who didn’t kick him out even after he vomited.

So there must be variance within people. Evaluating based solely on negative traits was truly unproductive.

“Well, let’s forget about how regrettable Felt’s memory is. So when’s this meeting partner going to show up?” Subaru asked.

“Don’t say something so irritating. I said I’d finish work before sunset, and they said to meet here after it sets… Since the sun has gone down, it should be soon,” she replied.

Perhaps the conversation formed a sort of flag.

Suddenly, two sharp knocks echoed from the door in the repository.

The three exchanged glances, and when Old Man Rom asked Felt, “What’s the code?” she said, “Oh, I didn’t tell you. They’re probably my client, so I’ll go take a look.”

Bouncing up, Felt headed towards the entrance.

Knowing the place well, Subaru looked at Old Man Rom with uncertainty, as if asking, “Is this alright?”

“Well, we’re not strangers. We’ve not been acquainted for long… I might as well play the part of a bodyguard,” Rom said.

He seemed a little giddy, delighting in being relied upon as he brought a club out from the depths of the repository.

The club looked about as long as a shinai and was likely wooden. As expected from its pointed end protrusions, it looked fatal if swung at someone.

“What’s that, a rusty bat or something? Guess even in another world, bats are essential gear…”

Receiving fifty gold and a stick is pretty much a standard RPG fare. Seeing the equipment Rom wielded didn’t disappoint in that regard, he mused as Felt returned with an unusually cheerful grin.

“Yep, it was my client after all. This way, have a seat!” she called out.

If metaphorically ordering Subaru to clear out of the way with her body language, she directed her cordial demeanor towards the figure standing behind her.

Upon noticing this possible negotiation opponent, Subaru felt slightly anxious.

Felt had invited a woman of stunning beauty.

She was tall, about the same height as Subaru, likely in her early twenties.

Her features bore a gentle demeanor, and her sickly pale skin stood out in the dim repository.

Wearing a dark cloak, she had it open at the front, revealing a skin-tight matching outfit beneath. She had a finely contoured figure that appeared impressive despite her slender build.

Like Subaru, this sophisticated woman also had remarkable black hair, which she tied back into a braid, casually fiddling with the tip of it.

She radiated an aura that was subtly bewitching, akin to a mature woman who was extraordinarily alluring to Subaru.

She was an entity completely unfamiliar to him, pushing all kinds of buttons in terms of his nervousness.

Feeling psychologically dominated, Subaru inadvertently slipped his seat over to Felt.

Felt then took her seat, placing Old Man Rom with the club to her left, while the nervous Subaru stood to her right.

Receiving a rather imposing welcome, the woman, unperturbed, tilted her head slightly and remarked,

“Seems there are many outsiders here.”

“If I get stiffed, that’d be an issue. This is just a clever trick of our weakness after all. And Subaru, drinks please,” Felt replied, gesturing for him to serve.

Having no rebuttal against Felt’s demands, Subaru followed orders without complaint.

Choosing a comparatively clean glass, he poured milk and set it before both of them.

As Subaru served, the woman softly said, “Thank you,” before scanning him with deliberation in her gaze.

“I recognize the old man over there, but who might this gentleman be?”

From her gestures and demeanor, the woman seemed to perceive that Subaru lacked experience.

Felt, wearing a mischievous smirk, seemed ready to delve into business and declared,

“This dude is your rival. He’s my other negotiation partner.”

And just like that, she initiated the anticipated raising of the stakes.