“Wallet, check. Phone, check. Cream corn and instant noodles, no problem. Tracksuit and sneakers, all good. And of course…”

I lifted the hem of my tracksuit, leaned my head back to check my back, and slowly confirmed that there were no scars around my waist or in the middle of my back, and that there were no emergency situations like having two knives stuck in me.

“Phew, good to know. A scar on my back would seriously be the shame of a swordsman. As someone who was technically a member of the Kendo club, I can stray from the path of humanity but I can’t stray from the path of a swordsman.”

Muttering to myself, I gently touched my unscathed back. I found one long hair around my shoulder, plucked it after a brief struggle, and finally took a breath.

“So this is it. I can’t believe I’m saying this…”

I blew the hair away with my breath, touched my chin with my free hand, and surveyed the street.

I hadn’t changed my location; I was at the corner of a street just a little away from the vegetable shop. Standing next to the shady vendor with all sorts of dubious jars and plates, Subaru remained unfazed, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall.

The sun was high, and the breeze was soft. Main Street was bustling with people, and occasionally a lizard-drawn carriage would pass by. Subaru was slowly getting used to the dust, and the utmost reaction was just a light waving of his hand in front of his face.

There was no trace of injury on me, and the cream corn I had was in a perfectly edible state. The sensation of my fingers touching my chin was smooth without any snags.

“I can’t believe I forgot my own special skill.”

A unique talent I had where I could keep track of time by the growth of my stubble on my chin—something that could only be allowed to those who have a certain level of male hormones. Subaru felt a swell of confidence in his bizarre talent.

— Until he realized that his stubble had not changed from how it was right after shaving before heading to the convenience store.

“So, what this means…”

I pointed my hand forward, snapping my fingers to make sure the crowd, including the vendor, could see, and declared:

“– It seems like I go back to square one every time I die.”

That ridiculous notion that I dismissed was now my conclusion.

—

“Returning from death, huh… what a ridiculous ‘lose and die’ kind of ability.”

In the original story, it was about ‘losing and rewinding,’ but in terms of how I came back after dying, it felt more appropriate to describe my current state.

“If I say it more properly… this is what they call ‘time travel.'”

Although limited, it could be considered as executing what is known as ‘time travel.’ In simpler terms, the current Subaru is a ‘time traveler’ of sorts in this dream.

Honestly, just a little while ago, this possibility had come up, but due to the strict conditions, I was steering clear from this answer.

I still thought it would be easier to believe in a scenario where a wandering super healer just happened to pass by.

Still, considering that the conditions I dismissed as impossible were:

“The time-based magic is an ultimate pattern, so having it from the start is strange, and time travel may be a dream, but realistically, it’s impossible. When you think about it logically.”

After saying that, I pondered what about ‘otherworldly summoning’ would ever be logical.

If I began to think that way, my previously stubbornly denied feelings would surely wither away.

“Moreover, if I consider that ‘returning from death’, it somehow makes all the unnaturalness of the past neatly line up…”

The first death was when I entered the Thieves’ Repository with Satella.

Having my defenseless stomach slashed, unable to cry out to warn anyone, and inevitably dragging Satella into the mess—there was no excuse for that worst-case outcome.

And then the second death was when Old Man Rom and Felt got killed and I was mercilessly slaughtered by Elsa afterward. During the first ‘return from death’, I thought the difference in the sun’s height was a day difference, but in reality, it was me returning to ‘that moment of the same day’.

The third death was just a moment ago, just a little over ten minutes ago.

For the ultimate death, nothing would be more fitting than being killed in vain.

Who could have thought I would get killed by a low-tier enemy in the very beginning? Each choice feeling like a bad end event straight out of a badly designed ADV.

“And I basically died three times in just half a day…”

To think that in life, when normal circumstances allow you only one shot, dying three times in half a day completely overturns every sense of common sense.

For seventeen years, I thought I had lived a pretty ordinary life, but now I feel it’s somewhat profound to think I’ve been dodging death three times a day for these past seventeen years.

“Or maybe I’m just hopelessly bad at surviving.”

Because I haven’t managed to escape the warm, cozy air of my old world, my body hasn’t been able to keep up with the series of instant-death events in this world.

It’s part of why I’ve been drawn into those obviously dangerous places so easily, leading to my frequent deaths.

“From the causal relationship between the first and second deaths… I guess I got taken out by Elsa twice.”

The first time, it must have been Elsa lurking in the darkness of the Thieves’ Repository.

The body of the fallen large old man was definitely Old Man Rom. I can’t imagine how Rom would get killed regardless of Subaru’s blunder at the scene.

“I guess Felt was inside the repository at that time… although I couldn’t verify that.”

Naturally, Rom must have assisted her in the negotiation.

Then, Rom’s murder would undoubtedly involve her. If we line that up with the second exchange, it’s highly likely that Felt’s greed caused the negotiations to collapse.

“It’s possible she provoked someone out of spite and got silenced.”

That certainly sounds like something the stubborn Felt would do.

And then upon successfully silencing him, Subaru and Satella just happened to arrive at the worst possible timing, capturing the essence of the first scenario.

“The second time is more straightforward. I was just there during the silencing.”

Thinking about it, it would mean after Subaru and others were killed, did Satella then visit the repository?

I know her skill in magic, but I doubt that the murderer would grant her the time needed for the incantation. Nine times out of ten, Satella would be at a disadvantage.

“Wait, I’ve been killed by the same person twice. Simply put, Elsa is a guaranteed dead-end character whenever we meet. Moreover…”

There was no need to consider what kind of countermeasures I should take in my mind.

Right, the only place where I might encounter her is quite directly the ‘Thieves’ Repository’.

And the reason for visiting that place is to retrieve ‘Satella’s insignia’, and the aim to recover it stems from a sense of ‘returning the favor I owe her’.

However, for Subaru, who has rewound time back to moments right after the summoning due to ‘returning from death’, that sense of debt has literally vanished into the past.

In the third situation, Satella’s cold reaction told the tale.

She didn’t know Subaru. That simply meant that in this timeline, there was no correlation between Satella and Subaru, signifying the disappearance of the debt that needed to be returned.

In that case, the thought of the insignia should be cleanly forgotten, and I should avoid encountering that threat again—simply a BAD END flag waiting to happen.

I didn’t understand why such a situation like ‘returning from death’ was made to exist, but if I have the ability to know what lies ahead, I should be wise to avoid any mines I can.

That’s the kind of development that comes with time travel. It wouldn’t make sense if it didn’t happen.

“Fortunately, I know that selling the phone would be worth something. I could find a store that looks reasonably trustworthy and sell it off to gather emergency funds without relying on Old Man Rom.”

Twenty or so Holy Gold Coins might be a bit tricky to gauge, but I figured it would at least be enough to cover a few nights at a reasonable inn. After that, I could just sharpen my teeth and wait for my day to take a bite.

“Well, what to actually bite into is still a no-plan situation…”

I don’t have any outstanding knowledge, nor do I have any obsessive hobbies. My stance is just broadly shallow towards all kinds of information. Subaru is no exception to this description.

“Seems like once I sell the phone, my only option would be to get hired as some kind of laborer before the money runs out…”

I am quite anxious about whether I could manage without prior work experience, but even a little bit of a toxic environment would be far better than being at risk of a knife wound. I should be able to avoid situations where I die three times in half a day.

“If that’s the case, then it’s simple. I need to act quickly before the sun sets. Hey, old man!”

“I thought you were muttering to yourself! What’s the sudden shout? Don’t ‘hey’ me. I have no idea what you’re talking about!”

The vendor, who was doing business beside me, looked annoyed by Subaru’s sudden demand for agreement.

He was an odd vendor selling jars or plates while wearing a turban. His shop didn’t look appealing for customers to approach regardless of how Subaru was mumbling beside him.

“Should I just sell my belongings like this too? But can I really make a profit selling this dubious-looking jar along with the rest? What do you think, old man?”

“Don’t say ‘dubious’ while looking at someone else’s wares! What’s wrong with you?!”

“I’m destined to rise as a wealthy man. Call me the smartphone tycoon. …By the way, doesn’t it itch wearing that? Why are you wearing it? Are you bald?”

“That’s completely nonsensical and deeply rude! Just go away, you’re ruining my business!”

The vendor’s demeanor was cold, almost sounding feminine.

Sighing inwardly, thinking that humans’ hearts are the same everywhere when dealing with strangers.

“But you know, even when you’re in dire straits, there are goody-goodies who go out of their way to help others.”

Post the theft of something precious, chasing after the person who stole it…

Helping someone useless along the way, treating them over time, and about to leave without asking for thanks…

A goody-goody meets a crippling end because of helping someone useless.

“The more I repeat this three times, the more I learn. Well, if I hadn’t figured it out, that would be a bit sad, but I’m not that hopeless.”

“What are you even saying now?”

“There’s a pattern, I think. You could even call it destiny. –As I’ve tried it again, this scenario is bound to occur every time. For example…”

In the first, second, or even third time, Satella had her insignia stolen by Felt.

Both the first and second times, Rom got killed in the Thieves’ Repository. It is likely that Felt got killed during the first encounter in the Repository as well.

So, what happened to Satella, who likely arrived at the scene in the second round?

With no burden to slow her down, could she have beaten Elsa?

“I don’t know. I really don’t know. But I understand a few things.”

If I leave things unchecked during this fourth round, without a doubt, both Felt and Old Man Rom will be killed. And there would be a confrontation between Satella and Elsa.

Why does it matter if those two die? One’s a petty thief dealing with stolen goods behind the scenes, and the other’s a shameless young girl trying to sell stolen items at inflated prices.

Both are criminals, and it’d be refreshing to see them disappear.

“Ah, so I really am a modern kid, huh? I mocked that sort of feeling when I was in front of my computer.”

Empathy and mercy? Ridiculous! That’s how I acted.

At least, Subaru didn’t believe he was pretending otherwise. He thought of himself as someone devoid of emotion, assuming that all modern people had a general lack of such feelings.

So, he thought that no matter what circumstances he faced, he’d calmly accept them with hardly any emotional attachment. Losing a few acquaintances didn’t seem to surpass that boundary.

“Yet, I don’t like this. It’s disgusting. Those two are far from being good people. –But knowing that someone I’ve met is going to get killed, it’s impossible to look away.”

In the end, that’s just how it is.

It’s all merely a virtual feeling. Should it gain real weight, it would barely be a shallow magnitude of change.

And it’s not something I’m particularly attached to, so I wouldn’t feel any damage from coming loose.

“Moreover, I really can’t abandon Satella… or rather, that girl.”

Calling out her name, Subaru thought it probably was a false name.

Reflecting back on the first world, she didn’t seem keen on saying that name much. And recounting the third world’s dialogue, it was something he couldn’t help but feel.

It’s a painful reminder of the lack of trust.

He lacked enough goodwill, so he failed the event to gain her name successfully.

“Then, I guess I should work harder to at least learn her name this time.”

Squatting down, Subaru stretched with a loud “Ugh!”

Starting the radio calisthenics with “Yay! Yay! Ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta!” The vendor just stood there, utterly lost for words.

After getting through the second radio calisthenics with a good sweat, Subaru turned to the vendor, raised his hand sharply, and declared:

“There are times men have to act! –Right, old man?”

“Right, right, right! So hurry and go!”

I thought I struck a cool pose, but the vendor’s lack of reaction made me want to cringe.

With a dismissive wave, Subaru ran away from the vendor who had sunk into deep thought.

After a short while pushing through the crowd, he sprinted about two hundred meters.

“Now then…”

Coming to a stop, Subaru ruffled his short bangs in a dramatic action.

While trying to nonsensically appear refreshing, he scanned the left and right and naturally leaned against a wall, closing his eyes and running his fingers through his hair again. Then,

“Where could I meet this fake Satella?”

That rather anxiety-riddled remark kicked off his leap into uncertainty.