A/N: Wow, I was overwhelmed by the positivity after Chapter 1 was released! It meant a lot to me when I read your reviews, especially as this is my first story. I hope you enjoy this slightly longer chapter just as much as Chapter 1!
"Listen, I really need your help."
Subaru stood up and grabbed the golden-haired petite girl by the arm, right before she was about to continue fleeing down the dark alleyway. He noticed her skin was surprisingly smooth, at least for someone who likely slept in makeshift lodgings around the city, anyway.
Meanwhile, the three thieves kept silent. "Ton," "Chin" and "Kan" seemed enraged that Subaru and the girl began conversing. They didn't take their eyes off of the black-haired boy or the increasingly confused girl for even a second.
At any rate, Subaru knew that in order to get out of his current predicament, he needed the cute summoner girl's help. After all, she was armed and the thieves were standing back in her presence, due to what Subaru postulated was either from fear or respect.
Subaru resolved that, no matter what, he would convince the beautiful summoner girl to help him. In order to accomplish that, all he needed to do was explain that these three idiot muggers were dangerous to the both of them. Together, with her blade and his…
"My… what? What the hell can I do? It's obvious I'm useless and powerless right now. I don't have magic or Divine Blessings." Subaru bit his tongue in frustration. Reluctantly resigning to the reality that he probably wasn't the OP isekai protagonist that he wanted to be, he accepted he was the same weak boy back in Japan.
Subaru despised being weak. While he had excelled in school and athletics up until elementary school, his peers began to surpass him in middle school. He sank from the top to the bottom over the course of a few years. No one called him strong, smart, or fast anymore. He had hoped to reclaim those words as his own.
In this resignation, Subaru started to ponder the next best alternative. "If I can't aid in combat, I can still at least offer my assistance with whatever she's dealing with now. After all, she does seem a bit frantic and a pair of extra hands never hurts. I can probably help her."
Subaru sighed. Usually, he'd keep his true emotions from being shown on his face. He'd particularly hide the negative emotions that could even be seen through his eyes. Over the years, he'd grown used to it. Hiding his emotions became easier day-by-day. However, this time, Subaru knew that he had to be sincere. He slowly took off his emotional mask.
Subaru's eyes began to water and his expression turned into a deep frown. If his eyes could physically speak, they would have screamed at the girl to save him. Narrowing her crimson eyes, the petite blonde returned his pleading gaze with a more cautious one.
He could tell that she was about to lose her cool at any moment now, so he quickly started to speak, "My name is Natsuki Subaru! I'm broke as hell and I'm kind of in some trouble! Look, I'm being mugged by these three guys and as pathetic as it is, I can't fight back and I don't want my friend to see me in this condition… Can you please help me?"
The petite girl's red scarf fluttered in the wind as she silently moved her gaze from Subaru to each of the three thugs. After seemingly examining the situation to her satisfaction, she finally settled her gaze back upon his dark, nasty eyes.
"Pffffft hahahahaha!" The girl's small nose scrunched up as she burst into laughter. She placed her right hand on her exposed ribs and struggled to breath. "Man, you're killin' me here, bro!"
"Damn, cute laugh… but why the hell is she laughing in the first place? A kind, beautiful summoning goddess shouldn't laugh like that! Suddenly, the girl yanked her arm that Subaru was holding out of his grasp, and spoke in a rather annoyed manner."
"I dunno what the hell you're talking about, but you gotta work on your bullshittin' skills! Firstly, even though I do have a good head start on the job I'm runnin', I seriously do not have the time to 'help' a shady lookin' guy like you."
Subaru's hope in the feistier-than-expected blonde was immediately voided. She continued in a more matter-of-fact tone, almost like she enjoyed being analytical.
"Like I said, this is the job of a lifetime. It's gonna get me and Gramps outta poverty! Sorry, bro, but you're not more important to me than Gramps is." She looked at him with a hint of amusement. "Also, you said you were broke? Well, welcome to the fuckin' club! You don't look like any of the slumrats I've seen around here, especially with that smooth hand of yours and all. It's obvious that you bunch are running the shittiest scam of a lifetime!
The girl narrowed her deep crimson eyes at Subaru. They had a dangerous glint in them and her aura became more pressurized. Her voice was icy, yet despondent, "Do you know who I am and what I've been through to get to where I am today?"
Suabru could tell that she must have lived through hell, based on her physical condition and clothing on their own. Her eyes also clearly shone with deep passion; the sort of passion that one could only obtain by overcoming the most challenging obstacles in life. Subaru himself simply had too much experience, which was why he was easily able to see the loneliness and sadness that accompanied it. Most would have missed it, but not him. He knew those feelings all too well, after all..
The currently not-so-cute "summoner" stopped her calculated analysis of Subaru's situation and immediately lost her patience, "Look, man, I basically invented this scam! Stop wasting my time and get out of the way… before I make you!" Suddenly, the blonde brandished her blade towards the three thieves and Subaru.
"Shit, I fucked that up! This girl is definitely *not* who summoned me. Why does she think I'm running a scam with those three assholes? I'm bleeding from my goddamn mouth and my finger is broken! Who the hell would go so far just to run a scam?"
The ever-present fire in the girl's crimson eyes seemed to grow even larger as her patience ran thin. Subaru knew by now that his words had failed to convince her, and he was nearly out of options. In fact, he actually managed to make his situation worse.
Thinking fast, Subaru thought back to what the girl had said when she first came down the alleyway, "Like I said, this is the job of a lifetime. It's gonna get me and Gramps outta poverty! Sorry bro, but you're not more important to me than Gramps is."
Her bony rib cage and tattered clothes were already more than enough proof for Subaru, but hearing her basically confirm that she was impoverished really hurt him.
The only thing he could do is to offer something of high value to her, but he didn't have anything except… Subaru felt idiotic for not thinking of it earlier.
While he's only been in Lugnica for probably an hour or so, he'd seen enough to know that technologically the country was basically Medieval. He still had a bit of his world's technology, something that was essentially from the far future: his cellphone. He knew from earlier it was useless as a communication device, considering that he had no signal, but it did have enough battery for a few hours of use and it could still take pictures!
"This is my ticket out of here!"
Subaru quickly reached in his pocket and fished out his silver flip phone. Ordinarily, he'd be embarrassed to even bring it out in public, given that most people in Japan had smartphones. However, Subaru had been the one to convince his parents that he didn't need such a thing, under the false pretense that smartphones were too difficult to handle. In truth, he just wanted to save his parents' money because it's not like he had anyone to text or video call, anyway.
Now with his phone in hand, Subaru made a last ditch effort to avoid getting beaten up, or worse. He pleaded his case, "Look, I realize that I seem suspicious but I swear I'm not with those guys!" He wore a pained expression as he pointed to the three thieves, trying to emphasize his point.
Subaru refocused his attention and continued, "If it's money or something valuable you're looking for, this phone will definitely fetch a good price! If you can get me out of here, I'll verify that it's in stellar condition and I'll show you what it does and how it works!"
The blonde girl slightly lowered her blade. She developed a confused expression, muttering to herself "Self… own?" She cocked her head, trying to decipher what the dark-haired boy had said. "Maybe it's a metia of some kind…"
"This is the second time she's cocked her head like that. Heh, kinda cute. Ah, this isn't the time for that. Besides, she still might not believe me!"
Subaru went on, " I- I promise! Listen, if it seems like I'm lying to you, then you have my full permission to stab me with that cool knife of yours! But please, I'm telling the truth! This thing does have value and I really would rather not get all the bones broken in my body by the three stooges over there!"
The girl's eyebrows furrowed while she looked at the device, before looking at him again. She seemed as if she was ready to reject Subaru, but then he heard an exaggerated sigh.
"Ahhh, shit, fine! But if I think for even a second that you're lying to me, I'll rip you to shreds, man! Even though I'm pretty, I'll have you know I can handle myself with a blade better than most knights can!" She pouted, proudly puffing her small chest. Subaru meanwhile stifled a snicker, doubting the little blonde was that good. "Besides, Old Man Rom will know for sure if you're lying!
Old man who?-
Out of nowhere, the girl grabbed Subaru's arm and dashed into an inhumanly fast sprint. She ran in-between the three thieves as they stood dumbly, shocked that a victim of theirs actually escaped.
Subaru felt like his arm was going to get ripped off from his shoulder joint, but he still couldn't help yelling one last insult to thieves, "See ya later, assholes!" The short, fat thief looked like he was gonna explode while the other two bore a murderous expression.
"By the way, what's your name, blondie?"
As they moved, he could feel his legs get more tired. Through the intense wind which blew in his ears, he heard the girl say, "Felt. Just Felt."
Subaru genuinely smiled when she told him her name.
"Felt saved me. I'll… I'll make sure I can save her one day, too. For now, I'll make sure to get her some money so that she and her Grandfather can get enough food!"
The last thing Subaru saw was a young woman with long, silver hair entering the alleyway, before he was too far away.
Any other day, he would have been head over heels for a silver-haired girl. After all, most of his favorite girls in manga and anime back home had silver hair like that. However, this time, the sight of unkempt golden-blonde hair flowing through the wind controlled– no, dominated his attention.
Felt showed no signs of slowing down. The two had been running for the past half hour towards a location that Subaru had already forgotten, due to his extreme fatigue. Every individual muscle fiber in his legs were burning like they'd been doused in acid. His nerves were screaming in pain, pleading with him to stop and breathe, and, while he had resisted his body's warnings up until now, he could no longer ignore it.
Panting rapidly, Subaru finally gathered enough oxygen to croak out a few words, "F-Felt… please! My legs… they can't take much more of this. I-I need to rest!"
Subaru knew that the crimson-eyed girl was extremely stubborn, based on their interactions in the alleyway. He honestly doubted that she would actually slow down, but, after a few seconds, Subaru heard her speak, her voice fully conveying her annoyance.
"Tch, you're this tired already? Man, I knew you were weak, but I didn't know you were this weak, Surobu!"
"It's Subaru!"
"Pffft. Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Fine, Subaru, if you're so tired we can take a bit of a rest. I doubt that scary witch look-alike will catch up to us at this point, even if I'm being slowed down by you."
Subaru was beginning to suspect that Felt was either physically inhuman, or had some sort of Divine Protection that gave her an unusual amount of stamina. He figured that no one with a lack of reliable meals could be in such good shape.
"We can stop by my den. It's just a few minutes away."
At this point, Subaru actually didn't care where they went, he just needed to rest his legs. "Okay, blondie. That sounds good to me! Thanks!" He flashed his signature thumbs up, smiling at the girl.
The girl frowned when she heard Subaru call her a blondie, retorting with disgust,"Bleh, don't call me that. There's also no need to thank me. I need to check out your metia or whatever before we go further, anyway."
Subaru had never heard that word before. He quizzically asked, "Metia?"
Felt turned around and looked at him like he was an idiot. "Yes, genius. Remember? You swore it was in 'stellar' condition and that you'd show me how it worked! C'mon, you gotta work on both your athletic muscles and your mental ones! Anyway, that metia… I think you called it a 'self hone'?"
"Oh, my cell phone!" He exclaimed in realization. "How did I forget so quickly? I mean, I'm exhausted, but still… Damn, I'm not making the best impression on her, am I?"
As the unlikely duo approached Felt's so-called den, Subaru sped up a bit to walk side-by-side with her. However, he could've sworn that she instinctively moved her body away from him when he got physically closer to her.
"Am I making her uncomfortable?"
Annoyed, Felt turned away from Subaru and exclaimed, "Yes, that! Just show me the damn thing already!"
Subaru obliged and took out his phone from his pocket. He started to explain its basic features, the ones that still worked in this world, to Felt. "Well, this little device is a one-of-a-kind item. It can basically capture and freeze a moment in time. Think of it as something that can instantly create a perfect painting of whatever it's aimed at. All you have to do is point and press, then the picture will appear on the device!"
Subaru demonstrated by opening his phone's camera application and aiming it towards Felt. He told her to look at the device, then once he was satisfied with the angle and her positioning, he pressed the 'capture' button. Smiling at his strangely good photography work, especially since it was done on an old flip phone, Subaru turned the phone around and showed Felt the result.
Displayed on the small screen was a picture that beautifully captured Felt's appearance; at least, Subaru thought so, anyway. Her unkempt, golden hair was in mid-sway from the wind and her small lips were curved ever so slightly upwards. Even the slight stains on Felt's small black top that barely covered her breasts were present in the picture. The only thing that the phone failed to capture was the passion in Felt's eyes. While the crimson color was there, it was lacking the fire that seemed to fuel her.
Felt's eyes widened slightly at seeing her own face staring back at her in such vivid detail. "Well, you don't seem to be lying… But is that supposed to be me? I look much prettier than that!"
Subaru replied without thinking, "Actually, I think the phone did a great job of capturing your natural beauty. You're already cute, and, to be honest, I wasn't sure if a small camera like this would do you justice… but it totally does! You look like a model or something! Though I guess you're right, nothing can beat the real thing. But still, it's damn close! Between you and the picture… the much prettier one is the one standing in front of me. "
Felt's cheeks flushed a deep crimson, almost to the point where her face was as red as her eyes. She immediately looked away from Subaru and practically shouted, "Wh-What are you saying?! That was a rhetorical question!"
Subaru blushed even more deeply than Felt after realizing what he'd said out loud. Rapidly waving his hands back and forth, he quickly uttered, "Sorry! I got a bit carried away there!"
"A bit?" he thought. "That basically sounded like a confession!"
"You see, uh, back where I'm from, I used to admire pictures in my spare time. I was always very detailed with art, especially photography. My dad used to take me every year as a kid to take pictures near Asakusa… so I've always really loved photography."
"I-I don't know what the hell you just said, but just shut up and stop talkin' for a sec!" Felt's blush didn't let up, nor did Subaru's.
Subaru simply nodded quietly and thought it was best to be silent until they reached Felt's den.
After a few minutes of silent walking, the two approached a dilapidated wooden shack near an abandoned brick building. There was an overturned table, a broken bucket, and a makeshift clothesline with a few hung up blankets scattered around the front yard. Using the word "yard" was a stretch, considering its miniscule, run-down condition. A stench of garbage flooded Subaru's nose.
The shack itself was no better, as the wooden planks comprising the structure had begun to rot away, slightly impacting its upright integrity. It required two wooden posts on either side to remain fully upright. The wooden post closest to the shack's entrance also had a tattered blanket tucked behind it, which was held up with three rocks on the roof, overgrown with weeds. Subaru didn't know if the blanket was covering a hole on the roof, or if it simply served to create some makeshift privacy. Only a patchy, muted green couch fit inside the shack. It had a single dirty brown pillow on top of it.
"Felt… do you live here?"
"Uh, yeah? I told you that we'd stop at my den since you were so tired. Don't tell me we could've kept on runnin' to Old Man Rom's place!"
"No… I did need rest, but that's not important now. Are you… okay?"
A bit confused, Felt cocked her head. "Whaddaya mean, do I not look okay?" She turned her gaze away from Subaru's nasty eyes and rubbed the back of her head sheepishly with a blush. "I mean, after all that embarrassing stuff you said about my appearance earlier…"
"No, that's not what I meant."
Subaru failed to blush in return. Right now, he was seriously concerned for the girl. Her clothes, her visible ribs, and her "den" all pointed to a truly difficult life; a life that Subaru couldn't relate to. Sure he was lonely, but at least he was afforded many other comforts in his life.
"I thought my life was so hard, but I never stopped to consider that the life I complained so much about would be a dream for others."
"It's just… I don't know. I see your clothes and your house, and I can't help but worry about you. You mentioned you and your Grandfather had nothing back in that alleyway… you even seem used to to scamming and stealing from people. I just don't think that anyone should have to live this way! You shouldn't have to live this way."
"Your concern helps none of us living in the slums, and your belief that life is unfair for peasants is just one of thousands. I'm not some prissy noble girl who's been served everything she'd ever wanted on a silver platter. I've had to fend for myself my entire life. Besides Gramps, I've been alone and did what I had to do so that I could survive. If it weren't for stealing, I'd be forced to sell my body. Those bastard nobles deserve getting their shit stolen!"
Felt's crimson eyes burned with an inextinguishable fiery passion.
"The nobles don't even see us as people! We're practically just slaves to them! The kingdom doesn't give a shit about any of us! There's a reason why the slums are so big. The job I had today is gonna be life-changing for me and Gramps. We aren't gonna be livin' this way for much longer. That's the difference between me and the other slumrats. I refuse to continue living like this. The silver-haired noble's insignia is gonna fetch at least a few holy coins, and if your metia-cellphone thing can fetch a few gold coins on top of that, then all the better!"
Subaru was left speechless at the girl's tenacity. In the past, Subaru never would have condoned stealing, but he felt disgusted by what the girl had said. If the nobles of this kingdom forced so many people into abject poverty and suffering, then they deserved to rot in hell. Subaru practically spat, "Fuck the nobles."
Felt's eyes widened a bit in what looked like surprise. "Huh? Didn't expect that comin' from your mouth, to be honest. I had you pinned for some lower noble down on his luck."
Subaru couldn't help but smile, "Where I come from, there are no such things as nobles and commoners. Instead, everyone has the same standing and can even vote equally in elections. While it's true that there are still social and class inequalities, it's nothing like this kingdom as you describe it. Honestly, there are very few active monarchies even left in the world."
Felt's eyes beamed with passion and, for the first time, Subaru saw a genuine smile come from the girl. He thought Felt's smile was beautiful and couldn't help but blush a little.
"No such things as nobles and commoners… that's what I want to see for this country. I hate the nobility! I hate knights! I hate this kingdom! I hate everything about it! I'd tear it all down if I could." Felt's passion was palpable to Subaru. However, a frown replaced Felt's sweet smile as quickly as it appeared. "But that's a pipe dream, isn't it? I've never heard of any country in the world that exists as you described it. It's not nice to get a girl's hopes up, Subaru."
Just as Subaru was about to correct her, Felt abruptly clapped her hands and exclaimed, "Okay! Enough rest. I gotta get back before my client shows up! And we need Gramps to take a look at that metia."
Felt took his hand once more and dragged him into a fast run. He smiled, feeling her soft touch.
Felt knocked on one of the two wooden doors deep in the slums. A gruff, deep voice boomed, "For a rat…"
"Poison."
"For a whale…"
"A harpoon."
"To the noble dragon lord…"
"We're bags of shit. Sorry to keep you waiting, old man. I had to deal with an unexpected annoyance along the way." Felt shot her eyes towards Subaru with a slight smile.
Subaru shot back an offended, "Hey!"
"Who the hell is this, Felt?"
Striking his signature pose, the dark-haired boy proudly declared, "I'm Natsuki Subaru! Not only am I clueless, but I'm also broke! Nice to meet you… Old Man Rom I presume?
After a brief, but intense, interrogation by Old Man Rom, who was under the impression that Subaru was trying to get with his granddaughter, the giant, Felt and Subaru finally calmed down. Felt ushered Subaru to show Old Man Rom his cell phone, how it works, and Felt's picture."
"Amazin'..."
"Old man, how much d'ya think it's worth?"
"Tellin' me I look like an old man at my age is the most savage thing anyone's ever said to me. Based on what that metia can do, I'd say it's probably worth fifteen… no, twenty holy coins. Actually, I'm guessin' there're people out there who'd be willin' to pay even more."
Felt's eyes widened when she heard just how much the phone was worth. "Shit, no way! I didn't think for a second it'd be worth close to that amount… That means I can get away with overcharging for it! Yay!"
Heh, what a cute cheer. I don't know how currency works here but based on Felt's reaction, I'd say it's worth a ton!
Old Man Rom smiled at his granddaughter's glee. He slid a glass of milk down to Subaru who quickly took a sip. He still was parched from what felt like his marathon run earlier. "Bleh, did you water down this milk or what, Old Man Rom? There's definitely something wrong with it."
"I give you somethin' outta the goodness of my heart, and you call it gross?"
"Heh, sorry."
Excitedly, Felt exclaimed, "Even if I only get a fraction of what it's worth from ya, Subaru, this is gonna help me reach my goal much sooner!"
Subaru was confused. "Huh? I don't understand, Felt. What do you mean by a fraction?"
"Eh? You're not tryna back out of our deal, right? You promised me in the alleyway I'd get to profit from your metia in exchange for savin' your butt! Don't think I work for free! Old Man Rom and I aren't gonna let that happen!"
Subaru waved his hands quickly trying to dispel Felt's anger and Old Man Rom's confusion. "N-No, that's not it at all. I wasn't planning on making you take just a fraction of it, I was planning on letting you keep the thing. You saved me back there and you're my friend. Most of all, I don't want you going back to sleep in that hellhole you called a 'den'."
It was the first time since Subaru met Felt that he rendered her speechless. She opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, she was interrupted by a knock on the door.
Old Man Rom gruffed, "Seems the client is here."
"R-Right. She's my client, so I'll get the door." Felt walked over and opened the door to the loot house.
A woman with jet black hair and eyes licked her lips. She entered, "Good evening, I'm Elsa." Locking her eyes on Subaru, she asked "and who might I have the pleasure of meeting with tonight?"
Subaru didn't know why, but he had a bad feeling about this woman. A really bad feeling.
And that does it for Chapter 2! Please leave a review and let me know what you think so far. It made me really happy reading your thoughts and feedback last week!
Also, special thanks to my anon friend for helping me polish this chapter. It means a lot to me and I've learned so much from you!
I'll see you all for Chapter 3 :) – susintentions
