“—Hey, big brother, don’t just space out. Are you going to eat that Lingga?”

The moment my consciousness awakened, a red, ripe fruit was right in front of Natsuki Subaru.

Looking at it, I recalled that it was also called the fruit of wisdom, and an irrelevant thought crossed my mind.

A forbidden fruit that, when eaten, would cast one out of paradise.

If I took a bite, would it save me from this incomprehensible situation?

“Hey, big brother?”

A middle-aged man furrowed his brows and called out to Subaru, who was unresponsive.

Subaru glanced vaguely in his direction, then, with a start, he jumped up and scanned the surroundings.

It was a busy afternoon on the street, right in front of an open-air stall.

Inside a shop resembling a greengrocer, colorful vegetables and fruits were laid out everywhere, with subtle differences to each, though they seemed oddly familiar.

The street was packed with a throng of people, featuring hair colors that were impossible back in the original world and races that simply defied belief, all bustling about as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Everything was filled with a quiet hustle and bustle, causing Subaru to scratch his head in confusion.

His moving left arm touched his abdomen, and he confirmed that he felt nothing unusual—no sensation of organs spilling out, no marks as if his eyes had been torn apart; nothing unusual at all.

“I-I have no idea what’s going on…”

He muttered this, as nausea and dizziness swelled, causing him to collapse onto his knees.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

“Here’s some water. Can you drink it?”

Receiving the offered crock, Subaru took small sips of the water.

The water was ice-cold, spreading through his dry mouth from the tip of his tongue and providing some relief to his gloomy feelings.

“Ah, this is good. Thanks. —Hey, mister, you’re really a nice guy.”

“Don’t mention it. Imagine if you collapsed right here in front of my stall. It would be no laughing matter if you ate my products and then fell down. Just rest in the shade until you feel better.”

Saying that without a hint of embarrassment, the shopkeeper with the scarf-covered face returned inside.

Subaru watched his departing back while seated on the ground, taking a deep breath as he leaned against the shop’s wall.

It was the gruff-looking greengrocer he had started to get used to, who had helped him when he was dizzy and about to fall.

Despite his rugged appearance, once he deduced Subaru was suffering from heatstroke, he sprang into action, preparing a wet towel and drinking water, and brought him to this shady resting spot.

You should never judge someone by their appearance; sometimes, a burly old man can be a kind soul, while a charming young lady may very well be a serial killer.

“My stomach and eyes should be all messed up…”

Murmuring that, he touched his eyelids and reaffirmed he could feel the light just fine.

He had no wounds on his abdomen, and his left shoulder, which should have been shattered, was perfectly intact. Once again, it seemed all his injuries had been tended to, perhaps left behind at the greengrocer’s shop.

“Still, that was… quite the ordeal.”

He removed his hand from his eyelids and brought it in front of him.

Despite his fingertips not touching anything, they trembled slightly, the sensation gradually spreading up his arms until it turned into a chilling chill that gripped his whole body.

Just recalling it made his teeth rattle, so he nestled his head between his knees, shaking with the terror that loomed closer, even neglecting the noise around him.

A horror that was grotesque, unfathomable, and utterly unreasonable—the very embodiment of despair.

He had never been subjected to such murderous intent, nor had he experienced such painfully brutal violence, nor could he possibly have memories shattered to such a degree.

Having his life and that of an acquaintance snuffed out, Subaru’s heart was crushed beneath that fear, leaving him curled up like this.

Facing such a bizarre existence was something he refused even to think about.

“Stop thinking about it, stop thinking about it, how ridiculous. There’s nothing I can do, I can’t do anything. That’s death, that’s how it ends. Just surviving is already a miracle, right?”

He sought agreement that wasn’t there, desperately pleading for forgiveness.

Visions of the brutally murdered Old Man Rom and Felt, who had been sliced apart, flooded his mind.

Following that came the pain and fear of being cut, crushed, opened, and robbed of light.

Feeling nausea and an overwhelming swirl of negative emotions rising within him, Subaru abruptly soaked his head with the water he had been holding.

While it wasn’t much, it was enough to splash cold water all over his head.

Wiping away the water dripping from his bangs, Subaru repeatedly slapped his face, trying to switch gears.

“Get a grip, yeah, get back on with it. It’s simple, really. Just forget about that place. More importantly, I have a ton of things to do and think about. Like how to survive in this other world. If I dwell on this, I’ll just…”

—Be saved, wanting to repay that debt, even if it meant facing death.

“So, I’m telling you, that’s not what’s happening.”

Despite his efforts to shove her from his mind, the Silver-Haired Girl sparkled in Subaru’s memory.

Originally, most of what had happened to Subaru in this world began with her. Thus, it was impossible for Subaru to talk about this world without her being at the forefront of his mind.

However, recalling her would inevitably lead him back to those painful and despair-filled memories.

His thoughts spiraled through a vicious cycle.

The trembling wouldn’t stop, and the gloomy thoughts continued their endless loop, leaving no glimmer of hope in sight.

What could he do to move forward? How could he escape this stagnation? He couldn’t even grasp that thread at this moment.

“Hey, big brother, how are you feeling? Are you a bit better yet?”

The greengrocer, peering out from his shop, asked Subaru with friendly concern.

Despite his rough demeanor, his kindness shone through, and Subaru resolved that he shouldn’t keep relying on that goodwill. He had to leave here.

“Uh, I think I’m finally a bit settled. I’m sorry for causing any trouble.”

Struggling not to look foolish, he stood up and returned the empty crock to the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper looked as if he wanted to say something, but then chose not to press further.

“I’ll pay you back eventually.”

“No need. Just come buy some Lingga when you’ve got the money.”

Lightly nudging Subaru’s shoulder, the shopkeeper raised his hand and returned to his shop.

Feeling a sense of goodwill towards that forthright attitude, Subaru took a deep breath and stepped out onto the street. People continued flowing by as if nothing had happened while he sulked in his squatting position, and the open-air stalls along the main street bustled on relentlessly.

“…I should head to the Thieves’ Repository.”

That thought vaguely crossed his mind.

He pondered it, but his feet wouldn’t move in that direction. To go that way meant confronting that fear.

If he were to cross paths with “Elsa” again, it would surely mean throwing away the life he had just barely clung to.

Having been summoned to this another world, letting it all end without accomplishing anything, simply fading away—what a miserable, pitiful ending that would be.

“Ha, but if I just run away like this, it’s the same thing.”

A self-deprecating smile formed as Subaru reflected, then he plunged his hands into his pockets and prepared to walk in the opposite direction of the Thieves’ Repository.

That was the conclusion he had come to.

To abandon everything, sinking into a sea of resignation, turning a blind eye to the kindness he had received.

He had lived that way before coming here. Originally, he had always been the kind of person who avoided trouble, finding human connections and debts to be bothersome.

So why was he caving in now—?

“Eh…?”

As he looked up, just as he was about to take that step of escape, a voice of confusion slipped out from Subaru’s lips.

In his wide-open view, the crowd around him began to part and sidestep to avoid him. There were tall figures with reptilian skin, beastmen at Subaru’s waist level, a young dancer with pink hair, and a swordsman hanging six blades at his side,

—And there she was, a girl clad in a white robe, her silver hair swaying as she walked.

The girl cast a glance at Subaru, sidestepping so their bodies wouldn’t touch as she passed by.

Her long silver hair flowed gracefully, and an aroma like that of flowers intertwined with the wind tickled his nostrils. Those amethyst eyes, seemingly unyielding, were already fixed on a path she needed to walk, ignoring Subaru altogether.

Her posture remained dignified, her breathtaking beauty undiminished, the very presence he had longed for was passing right before Subaru’s eyes.

“Whoa—”

Suddenly at a loss for words, Subaru stammered, his throat constricting as he pursued her moving back.

She glided through the crowd with effortless grace. In the midst of his confusion and bewilderment, he called out to her in a nearly tearful voice.

“Hey, wait… wait a second…! Please, wait…!”

For a moment, the look in her eyes turned towards him, her expression cold as if he were a stranger.

To her, this had all only transpired over mere hours ago; if anything, he was just some passing acquaintance. He could very well have been someone who threw caution to the wind, risking her life with his actions.

Even if she might see him that way, Subaru continued racing after her.

He didn’t know how she felt about him. Yet he wished to at least understand.

If he’d have to be hurt by imagined feelings, it would be better to take the pain of reality instead.

“Wait! —Satella!”

He wanted to stop her, but what words did he wish to exchange?

In that moment, when he grasped an answer within himself, Subaru yelled out her name as if it had just popped into his head.

That call cut through the bustle of the street and reached her as she tried to distance herself from him.

The silver-haired girl suddenly halted her steps.

Subaru stepped forward, pushing through the crowd to reach her, placing a hand on her slender shoulder.

“Please don’t ignore me. It really was my fault that I disappeared. But I didn’t understand any of it. After that, I even went looking in the Thieves’ Repository, but I couldn’t find you…”

Surprised by the hand on her shoulder, Satella turned with a look of disbelief.

As he opened his mouth, only a rush of excuses tumbled out, spoken quickly in an attempt to defend himself against the sting of rejection.

That piercing gaze she shot at him might have been the reason behind his flustered rambling.

However, even while facing that penetrating gaze from Satella, Subaru felt both anxiety and relief wash over him.

At first glance, there didn’t seem to be any visible injuries on Satella. Just like Subaru, after that incident at the Thieves’ Repository, she must have received treatment from someone. Perhaps she’d healed herself; whatever the case, the most important thing was,

“I’m sorry for making this all about myself… but I’m really glad you’re okay.”

What he was happiest about was that the two of them had met again like this.

Thinking back, the next thing that weighed on his mind was her companion—Pack’s safety. Subaru felt an overwhelming need to apologize to him.

He had failed to keep his promise as a man. That was a sin he ought to be reproached for.

“You’ve…”

As Subaru’s hurried words stumbled to a halt, Satella’s lips quivered in response.

It had been only a few hours, yet it felt like ages since he had heard that silver-bell voice.

There she was, right in front of him, and even now, he was able to touch her, and yet it felt surreal, as if he finally managed to grasp something that had slipped away.

Yet,

“What do you think you’re doing—?”

Subaru’s relief met with her furious glare as she snapped back.

Her pale cheeks flushed slightly as Satella squirmed away, shaking off the hand on her shoulder and stepping back, lifting her gaze to meet his with fierce hostility.

Unexpectedly severe, Subaru gasped in shock, falling silent.

But, really, it was only natural. How could he even face her after all that had happened?

No matter what criticism came his way, he accepted it with resignation.

Subaru’s resolve was—

“I don’t know who you are, but what’s with calling someone the ‘Witch of Envy’? What’s up with that!?”

The voice from beyond imagination shattered his thoughts to pieces.

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Being hit with such unexpected anger, Subaru felt as if time had frozen around him.

The ruckus faded away. All he could hear were the thundering beats of his own heart and the furious breathing of the silver-haired girl.

Every sound seemed to vanish into thin air—no, it was no mere illusion.

“What…?”

He muttered, awkwardly turning his head around, and then he realized.

In this crowded street, filled with merchants and passersby, every single one was now watching the two of them intently.

A thick wave of unease washed over them, and the crowd held their breath, as if they had been commanded into silence.

It felt as if the conversation between Subaru and Satella commanded all attention in this place.

“What do you mean by that? Stop being silent!”

But Satella would not allow Subaru’s confusion to linger.

With a stern tone, she rebuked him, leaving him unable to mount any proper defense against her accusations.

The issues they were both concerned about seemed to differ greatly.

“I’ll ask you one more time. —Why are you calling me the ‘Witch of Envy’?”

“Well, um, because that’s what you’re called…”

“I don’t know who told you that, but that’s a nasty preference you have. But the real issue here is you calling me that. —The embodiment of taboo, the ‘Witch of Envy.’ It’s a name that’s even hard to utter without hesitation.”

Her disgust was evident as the Silver-Haired Girl threw Subaru into a whirlwind of confusion.

Everyone around them visibly nodded in agreement, serving to amplify the correctness of her stance, thus pushing Subaru deeper into bewilderment.

He didn’t understand what was being said.

All he had done was call her by her name.

Yet, she condemned him for it, and the onlookers confirmed her assertion as correct.

He couldn’t even grasp what was wrong. He was just scolded for something he didn’t realize was a mistake and was left without any clue for reflection or change.

“—If you’re not going to say anything, I’ll be leaving. I don’t have all day.”

With that, Subaru slumped, and she tossed her silver hair aside elegantly as she walked away. He opened his mouth to call after her but found his throat frozen.

If he called her by her name, it would be his second mistake. But then, what should he call her?

That hesitation dulled Subaru’s response.

And thus, he would helplessly watch as events unfolded right before his eyes.

“—!”

A soft gasp came from above, a head taller than Subaru—in front of the stall where the mercantile canopy was raised.

A leap! A petite figure glided gracefully down, using gravity to her advantage as she touched down and instantly burst forward like the wind.

The gust was dressed in filthy rags, with golden hair trailing behind her. She slipped through the crowd with almost supernatural grace, her arm stretching out towards something embroidered with a hawk within its robes.

The contact was fleeting, yet for the wind, those two seconds were sufficient.

The wind rustled the robe, rebounding away from the twisting girl.

“Wait—!”

The silver-haired girl exclaimed in shock, reaching into her robe.

Her eyes widened when she found nothing but air, and as she realized it, she chased after the rapidly retreating wind.

In the wind’s grip lay a shield featuring a dragon emblem, and seeing that, Subaru suddenly shouted.

“Felt!?”

At his call, the wind hesitated, swaying slightly. Nevertheless, it didn’t slow down and darted swiftly from the main street into the narrow alley.

Such swift action. In an instant, his connection with the wind felt surreal. He had barely glimpsed that figure, but it was most likely—

“Damn it! This was just a distraction… Are you in on this too!?”

Caught off guard by the rapid turn of events, the distraught girl exclaimed.

Suddenly, she raised her palm toward Subaru, but immediately changed her mind and dashed down the alley where the wind had disappeared.

“Wait! That’s a misunderstanding! I…”

Desperate to clear up this absurd misconception, Subaru too chased after the shadows of the two figures into the alley.

As he ran, his mind was flooded with bewilderment over this strange circumstance.

The amount of information was overwhelming, his flustered brain couldn’t keep up. Today, he had already encountered near-death experiences twice, leaving him in pure chaos.

“Someone be nicer to me! What’s the point of being summoned to another world!?”

He spat out words of anger against the absurdity, stumbling through the dimly lit alley.

He might have lacked endurance, but in short bursts of speed, he wasn’t behind the two of them. He would quickly catch up and clear up this confusion.

That was the thought he kept in mind as he ran,

“Damn it… there’s a wall!”

As he cursed, Subaru realized before him stood a dead-end alley.

The two figures he had chased down were nowhere to be found. If his memory served him right, Felt’s nimbleness ought to allow her to climb the wall easily. Satella, too, with her magic, should have no trouble scaling one or two walls.

“Climbing is fine, but I can’t see how I could possibly catch up…”

Above all, should the distance widen, he wouldn’t be able to keep running.

Even if he strengthened his basic endurance in a room, it was impossible to do aerobic exercise indoors. Lack of stamina was Subaru’s significant weakness, and here it hindered his resolve.

“If this is a no-go, then how about the Thieves’ Repository? If both Satella and Felt are alive… maybe Old Man Rom is as well.”

He quickly determined he should head there first, hoping to regroup with Old Man Rom.

For now, getting out of this dead end and heading towards the Poor District was his priority. So, Subaru turned around and—

“…No way, this can’t be happening.”

As he turned back, he recognized a figure blocking the entrance to the alley.

Three figures, their appearances ragged and rough, bore the brutish nature clearly reflected on their faces. They seemed more trouble than he could be bothered to describe, standing as obstacles in his way.

Another encounter with the trio of thugs who made the alley their hunting ground was unfolding, marking Subaru’s third brush with trouble that day.

“`

 

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