After finally settling the score in the alleyway, Natsuki Subaru stood in front of the imposing Thieves’ Repository deep in the Poor District, the sun already setting heavily in the evening sky.

“Y-yeah, I finally found it… Took me a while, damn it.”

Wiping the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, he slumped down in front of the destination he had finally reached.

All in all, it had nearly taken him two hours to get here after running around. He could confirm the time elapsed using the cellphone in his pocket. No doubt about it, two whole hours.

“I figured I’d have plenty of time… I thought so anyway…”

The truth was, not being able to read the signage had proven to be a huge obstacle for Subaru.

With numerous streets that all looked similar in the Royal Capital, and lacking any sense of direction, he couldn’t rely on place names or shop names.

As a result, he had to navigate his way through by recreating his memory in his head.

“Honestly, I was talking to Satella and Pack here and there. No wonder I’m a bit fuzzy on the way.”

After entering the Poor District, Subaru’s difficulties only increased.

Especially compared to a few hours ago, when someone had been kind enough to clean the tracksuit he wore, the locals’ responses had turned cold and somewhat unwelcoming.

Jumping into such an exclusive atmosphere was not something Subaru could manage with his social skills, so even here, he was isolated and without support.

So, he wanted to give himself some credit for making it this far.

Thus, it was time for a reward for his hard work.

“Finally opening it up, Corn Potage flavor! Honestly, I came all the way to the convenience store to get this. You could say this is what caused my summoning to this other world; it’s so sinful!”

Muttering various excuses, Subaru opened the snack bag.

A fluffy sweet aroma wafted out, filling his nostrils with joy. He took out a snack and flung it from his trembling fingertips to his tongue. — Bliss; it overwhelmed his taste buds.

“Delicious… super delicious…! Now that I think about it, I haven’t eaten anything. Super delicious!”

As he chomped down on the snack, he reflected on the journey he had undergone so far.

He hadn’t eaten anything since he missed out on that apple-like fruit. It had been about six hours since then, and he had held up well.

While masking his hunger, Subaru was also aware that he couldn’t disguise his feelings.

His heart raced, faster than usual. The excitement from earlier in the alley couldn’t compare to the surge of adrenaline pumping through his body now.

His limbs felt heavy, and his mouth felt dry despite the snacks. A sharp pain pulsed through his head, accompanied by a high-pitched ringing in his ears that echoed repeatedly.

— Inside this Thieves’ Repository, the answers Subaru sought awaited him.

He involuntarily held his breath as unwanted images flashed in his mind.

The room awash in a sea of blood, the corpse of an armless old man. Himself, slashed open and on the verge of death, and the lifeless body of Satella, whom he had inadvertently dragged into this.

“Don’t be scared, don’t be scared, don’t be scared, me. What an idiot… No, I really am an idiot. After coming this far, how could I leave without looking for the answers?”

After all, there was nowhere left to go anyway.

Gathering his resolve, he tried to move forward only to realize his knees were shaking.

His trembling lower body refused to obey, and he punched his knee, forcing it to settle as he took a deep breath and stepped forward.

In the orange sunlight, the door to the Thieves’ Repository silently seemed to reject Subaru’s visit.

Suppressing the illusion caused by his weakness, he directed his fist towards the door.

“Is anyone there?”

Even as he thought it was a futile hope, he lightly knocked on the wooden door.

Strangely dull sounds echoed inside and outside. Yet what returned to him was a deafening silence, almost unbearable.

That stillness was terrifying, and despite knowing it wouldn’t work, Subaru knocked on the door harder.

“Someone… Is anyone there?! Please, respond… I beg you!”

He didn’t want to see the desperate outcome of dying here.

Wanting to deny the reality he didn’t want to admit, Subaru slammed his fists against the door until it creaked.

His emotions too much for the door to bear, it slowly began to tilt, and the ancient hinges began to warp.

— Just then.

“—What a ruckus!! Are you trying to break down the door without knowing the signal or password!!”

The door in front of him burst open, sending Subaru, who had leaned heavily against it, flying.

He was tossed back nearly five meters from the entrance of the Thieves’ Repository and tumbled awkwardly on the ground, staring wide-eyed up at the person in front of him.

In his astonished gaze, he saw an old man with a beet-red face glaring down at him from the entrance.

A large, bald-headed old man.

His previously white coat had turned brown and discolored with dirt, sweat, and who knows what else, making him look blatantly unclean. A faint, savory stench might just be from that.

Beneath that clothing lay a muscular physique, hinting at surprising strength despite his age.

In conclusion, a big, cheerful old man was standing there.

“What the hell are you! With that unfamiliar face, what do you want! How did you find out about this place, how did you get here! Who are you introduced by!”

The old man closed the distance with overwhelming intensity, grabbing Subaru with his huge palm.

Feeling his feet lifted effortlessly off the ground, Subaru realized he had been overly confident. The earlier situation was a special case. He truly was just an ordinary, mediocre man.

Even the impressive stamina that usually allowed him not to lose, crumbled in the face of such a massive opponent.

Suspended by a two-meter tall old man, he completely lost the will to resist.

“—As a sign of our acquaintance, have one of these.”

Faced with the furious, beet-red face, all Subaru could manage was to throw a piece of Corn Potage flavored snack at him.

—

After a dramatically bad first encounter with fierce impressions on both sides, Subaru found himself invited inside the Thieves’ Repository.

Sitting down in the customer chair next to the counter, he awkwardly adjusted his position.

The rough seat had sharp protrusions causing uncomfortable jabs to his backside. If he reached the point of no return, it could very well pull the trigger on a disaster.

“What are you fidgeting for… Is your ball position that concerning?”

“I’m not worrying about my junk, alright?! Besides, give me back that snack bag! I never said I’d give you all of it!”

Behind the counter, where the store owner usually stood, the large old man was there.

He lifted a bag so small it looked like a joke compared to his muscular body.

“What a stingy kid. To hoard such a tasty thing all to yourself is hell worthy.”

“Yeah, well, what about you, you old man! Eating someone else’s tasty food without permission surely sends you to hell. This attitude of putting your own problems on someone’s else is a bad habit of your generation!”

“Using words I don’t understand again… This is why kids today… so good!”

“Don’t eat it!!”

Leaning forward with outstretched arms, Subaru did manage to snatch the snack bag from the old man’s clutches, but most of its contents had already found their way into the old man’s belly.

Inspecting the few leftovers, Subaru sighed.

“Ah… my precious Corn Potage is gone. I might never chance upon it again.”

“What’s this? Was it such a precious food? Well, I mean, it’s definitely something I’ve never seen before. Why not ask for the duplication magic for the leftovers?”

“Duplicating magic?”

“It’s a spell that can double one thing into two. For living things, you might only replicate the casing, but for food, you could probably duplicate easily.”

The old man rubbed his bald head as he spoke, and Subaru, feeling educated about the convenience of magic, was left both impressed and curious as he subtly surveyed the interior of the repository.

That evening in the Thieves’ Repository—no traces of the catastrophic scene Subaru had experienced remained.

Madly scattered around were the usual oddities lacking any sense of unity that took up the vast space inside the repository.

Noticing Subaru’s gaze, the old man in front of him narrowed his eyes meaningfully.

“Oi, kid—are you interested in the stolen goods?”

With that blunt remark, he hit the nail on the head.

The large old man—known as Rom (he insisted to call him Old Man Rom) was unspeakably smooth in negotiations, largely owing to the golden snack he had just tossed the way of his fury.

Caught up in the unknown flavor lodged in his mouth, Old Man Rom became so enamored that Subaru was swiftly and safely freed from his predicament.

After that, Subaru explained what he needed to accomplish, how he had heard rumors from some middle-aged folks in the Poor District, and successfully gained Rom’s understanding, allowing them to sit across from each other at the counter.

With Old Man Rom resting his powerful arms on the table, he poured some alcohol into a filthy glass while chuckling.

“Well, the reasons folks come here are usually one of two things: bringing in stolen goods or having business with the stolen goods themselves—it’s either one, ya know?”

“That’s true, one of the reasons is that.”

“Only one, huh? So, you got another matter at hand as well?”

Upon Subaru’s conditional affirmation, Rom raised an eyebrow. Subaru nodded and then hesitantly prepared himself for some ridicule while formulating his question.

“I know it sounds ridiculous… but, old man, haven’t you, by any chance, died recently?”

Having his head and right arm lopped off.

He refrained from adding that, as far as he could see, there weren’t any stitches on his neck or shoulder.

Receiving Subaru’s question and gaze, Rom suddenly widened his grayish eyes, then broke into a smile as time seemed to restart.

“Ha ha ha, what on earth are you talking about? I may be an old man close to death, but I haven’t actually died yet. At my age, I don’t think it’s far off, but…”

Laughing as if he had heard a delightful joke, Old Man Rom offered, “Want a drink?” while pushing the glass toward Subaru. Greeted by the strong scent of alcohol wafting from it, Subaru quietly declined while apologizing for his previous remark.

While he did apologize, the growing discomfort only intensified within Subaru.

The Old Man Rom before him—subaru had seen his corpse.

In this very place, in the darkness, with his arm and throat cut by a blade, reduced to a silent body.

Yet, defiantly denying that image, Rom shoved himself into Subaru’s space at the counter.

The fleshy red face was indeed vibrant with blood, starkly different from the pallid, sickly hue given by excessive blood loss.

Rom was undoubtedly alive. That truth could also be applied to Subaru.

Looking back, just like Old Man Rom, Subaru had also sustained wounds that should have guaranteed his death. Yet here he stood, somehow free of any signs that he had met such a fate.

Feeling as though he were losing faith in the state of his sanity, he began to wonder if it was all just a vivid daydream.

“Was all of that feeling just a dream…? Then what parts are real and how the heck did I end up in this world?”

The anxieties he had pushed aside returned, searching for a place to settle.

If all those feelings of guilt, the burning pain of a mortal wound, and the fleeting warmth from the girl’s brief touch were merely remnants of a figment, why was he still here?

If only it could be said that everything had been a dream since he was summoned to this other world.

Being told that everything he had experienced since being summoned had been a dream would make considerably more sense.

“Old Man Rom, have you seen a silver-haired girl around here?”

“Silver-haired…? No, I haven’t. If someone had that distinct an appearance, I wouldn’t forget them, even with my mind going.”

Laughing heartily, Old Man Rom waved it off, yet Subaru’s expression didn’t change.

Noticing the seriousness behind that attitude, Rom suddenly stopped laughing and instructed him:

“Drink up.”

Suddenly, Rom shoved the glass toward Subaru again.

As he tilted the empty glass, a stream of amber liquid filled it up. Watching in silence, Rom said once more, “Drink.”

“Sorry, but I’m not in the mood for that. Plus, I’m not some kid who drinks to look cool.”

“You fool. Calling it childish to be able to drink without feeling bad. Down it and feel the fire ignite in your belly. Eventually, you’ll reach a point where all sorts of things come pouring out.”

“Therefore, drink,” Rom pressed for a third time, pushing the glass nearer Subaru.

Overwhelmed by Rom’s insistence, Subaru grabbed the glass and brought it closer to his nose. The potent scent of alcohol sharp struck his nostrils, making him cough slightly as he cringed.

Yet, alongside that denial, he was also overcome with the impulse to comply with Rom’s demands.

Thoughts swirled in his head: Running away to drink was the epitome of an uncool adult choice.

“Ah, screw it… here we go!”

Tilting the glass, he downed the liquid in one go.

He couldn’t tell exactly how strong the drink was, yet he immediately felt fiery heat blanket his entire body.

His throat stung, and amid that momentum, he slammed the glass down against the counter.

“Urp! Gah! This is awful! Hot! It’s terrible! Ugh, terrible!”

“What are you shouting for, you blasphemer! A fool who can’t savor alcohol misses out on half the enjoyment of life!”

As Subaru expelled the growing warmth, Rom scolded him loudly while similarly gulping down a drink. He didn’t bother pouring it into a glass but took generous swigs straight from the bottle.

Having consumed over thrice the amount Subaru had, he let out a rough belch and chuckled.

“But that was some impressive drinking! Feeling like you might want to spit up a bit?”

“…Yeah! Just a little! Old man, it’s time to fulfill the other objective!”

Turning his face away from the grinning old man, Subaru pointed toward the back of the repository while wiping spilled alcohol off his sleeve. Unlike the shoddy items strewn around, there should be priceless stolen goods stowed away there.

Rom’s face grew serious upon this, and as Subaru witnessed, he declared plainly,

“I’m looking for an emblem with embedded jewels. — I’d like to acquire it.”

That was the original purpose for coming here—beyond confirming Satella’s safety.

The emblem with the stolen jewels belonging to Satella. While he didn’t know the reasons for it, it was essential for her that it was retrieved despite the risk.

He had heard that stolen goods brought here would inevitably pass through this location.

As long as the emblem existed, Subaru would be able to affirm the existence of that daydream he had experienced.

With desperate hope threaded through Subaru’s request, however, Rom’s face clouded as he replied:

“I’m afraid there’s no emblem we’ll have here with jewels in it.”

“…Are you really sure? Think hard! You’re not going senile, are you?”

“I’m in peak condition, thanks to the alcohol. If it hasn’t come out by now, I can only say I don’t know. But…”

As Rom seemed to snuff out his last hope, he grinned mysteriously and added,

“I heard there’d be a large delivery today—if it’s an emblem with jewels, there’s a good chance it’d come in.”

“Could it be… that girl, Felt?”

“What? You even know the name of the one who stole it?”

With a shocked expression, Subaru instinctively pumped his fist in triumph.

The line that had seemed severed had finally connected again.

The name of the girl suspected to be the thief, Felt, emerged in the conversation. That meant it was also likely he could prove that Satella, who had her emblem stolen, really existed.

At the very least, it was fair to say that the silver-haired girl was less likely to be merely a convenient character conjured from his imagination.

“I was starting to panic thinking that my love for silver-haired heroines was somehow reflected in this world…”

“Don’t get too cozy thinking that. Just because you know it came in doesn’t mean you can buy it! Especially with a jewel-studded emblem, it’s likely to fetch a hefty price.”

“Ha! No matter if you try to take advantage of me. I’m broke!”

“That’s not going to work!”

It seemed Rom was ready for negotiations, but Subaru waved his finger back and forth at him.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Sure, I’m out of cash. But that doesn’t mean acquiring things requires money alone. There’s always bartering!”

Rom shut his mouth, any objections fading. In the quiet silence that encouraged him to continue, Subaru rummaged through his pants pocket. Withdrawing his hand, he held—

“What’s this? I’ve never seen it before.”

“This here is a magical device called a ‘cell phone’ that can capture and freeze the passage of time!”

A compact white cell phone. As Rom stared agape at it for the first time, Subaru swiftly input some commands — moments later, a flash of white light lit up the dim store.

Snap! The sound effect rang out as Rom, momentarily blinded by the light, tumbled back behind the counter. Subaru couldn’t help but chuckle at the old man’s exaggerated reaction.

“What was that! Are you trying to kill me?! Engaging in a shady trick! You’d better not underestimate me, kid!”

“Just wait, just wait! Take a deep breath and calm down, then look at this.”

Facing Rom, now blushing for a different reason, Subaru shoved the phone screen toward him.

Rom warily inched backward, squinting at the small display—his eyes widening in surprise.

Reflected on it was Rom’s own face, captured by the phone’s camera functionality. Of course, such technology could never exist in this world.

As Subaru had predicted, Rom was captivated by the screen, his eyes glued to it.

“This is… my face, isn’t it? What on earth is going on?”

“I told you, right? We’re freezing time. I just snatched your moment and locked it inside this.”

As he spoke, he turned the camera to capture his own face.

When he showed Rom the result, now there was Subaru making a peace sign in the display.

“See? That’s how we can freeze moments in time. Normally, this would be used for memorable photos instead of wasting it like this.”

“I see… indeed, this is… hmmm.”

Rom rested his chin on his hand, peering closely at the cell phone.

Having never received so much interest, Subaru sensed he had landed a meaningful strike in negotiations.

To support Subaru’s growing confidence, Rom took the cell phone into his hands, murmuring,

“I’ve never seen something like this before… Is this the famed ‘magic device’?”

“Magic device?”

Subaru cocked his head at the unfamiliar term. Rom nodded in affirmation.

“A device that allows one to use magic without needing to open a gate, even when conventional magic doesn’t apply. Though it’s a rare item, this is indeed the first time I’ve seen one.”

Rom grunted in awe, glancing between the cell phone and Subaru, his voice slightly trembling.

“Surely, its value is beyond measure. I’ve been around this business a long time, but I’ve never handled a magical device before. However… it’s certain this will fetch unprecedented prices.”

It seemed the excitement of witnessing something new and handling a coveted item sparked a tremor in the old man’s voice. With a preparatory pause, he added,

“Exchanging this for things would be a significant loss for you. While I can’t judge the emblem’s worth, it’s unlikely that it exceeds the value of this magical device. If we’re comparing solely on price, you’d definitely fare better off selling this than bartering it!”

Deep in the Poor District, where stolen goods were dealt in secret… Old Man Rom didn’t seem like someone who would offer such advice lightly.

That wisdom was undoubtedly an appealing offer for Subaru.

In this world, Subaru had nothing to his name.

He couldn’t use magic and lacked notable strength. He had no knowledge to speak of, couldn’t even read, and worst of all, was completely broke.

Yet should he manage to sell this phone, he could make at least a dent in his overwhelmingly bleak situation. At the very least, he could avoid the stress of worrying about money for the time being.

With tomorrow’s meals barely within reach of being guaranteed, that was something Subaru craved desperately, a necessity like burping after drinking cola. However,

“Ah, it’s all good. I’ll trade this magical device for the emblem Felt is bringing in.”

“Why would you go that far for it? Is it more valuable than this device? Or does it have some unquantifiable significance?”

Rom seemed incredulous at Subaru’s stubbornness. Assessing the emblem’s worth while also wrinkling his brow at the latter query, there was a hint of mockery beneath his surprise.

Considering the man’s background living in such a place, it was hard to acknowledge the existence of anything more valuable than money, even conceptually.

While he acknowledged that perspective, Subaru shook his head.

“No. Honestly, I’ve never even seen the real thing. If I converted it to cash, it would probably be less than the magical device, and I’d be sure to suffer a full loss here.”

“But if you understand all that, why go through with this?”

“Isn’t it obvious? — I want to lose.”

Rom’s eyes popped wide open for the third time, while Subaru took delight in those reactions.

That was the answer.

No matter how he might struggle to afford his next meal, no matter how dark his future felt, no matter how impossible it seemed to fill a bathtub with stacks of bills, pursuing something that would result in losing was still worthwhile.

“I want to repay her. Debts must be returned. If not, I can’t sleep peacefully. I’m a nervous guy like that; I’m a modern kid. — That’s why I’m gonna get the emblem, even if it means I take a massive hit.”

“Hmm… given what I just heard, it sounds like that emblem wasn’t originally yours, then?”

“It belongs to the silver-haired beautiful girl who saved me. For some reason, it’s a valuable item to her.”

“And where is that benefactor? Isn’t she with you?”

“Currently still searching! Or maybe, just maybe, the one who helped me, or her very existence, is even part of my dream!”

Clenching his fist tightly, Subaru expressed the anxiety he had previously denied and laughed it off.

Given how much had connected right about now, it was impossible for the girl Satella not to exist.

He would retrieve that emblem and surely meet her again.

As he made that resolution, Old Man Rom looked down at Subaru with eyes that suggested deep amusement and mystification.

“—You’re really quite the fool, aren’t you?”

He laughed joyfully, shedding all other emotions, simply enjoying the moment.