Disclaimer: I do not own Re:Zero or Oregairu

Multiple icicles were instantly forming around her and they were very real unlike the illusion he felt around Yukino. They both looked at each other and said at the same time.

"Please return the Insignia you stole from me, it's very important."

"So cats fly in this country? Where do I get one?"

"..."

"..."

"Who are you calling a thief you ..."

"Puck is my father. You can't have him."

"..."

"..."

"Pfft hahaha, his name is Puck?"

"Hey, its a very cute name. Just like me, i'll have you know."

The cat said indignantly but there was no heat in it. At least it was in sequence as a civilized conversation should be.

"Ah, sorry sorry. Its just that Puck is not a regular name for a cat, is it?"

"Cat is just my form. I am a spirit, you knowww."

"Spirit huh. Your temperament is more like a fox than a cat though. What element?"

"Fire. She is my contractor as well as daughter."

So basically found family. He could respect that.

"So why did you think I was a thief?"

"... Two delinquents in the alleyway said that you fought back when they tried to rob you and then a little girl came running and rescued you. She stole my Insignia."

The girl finally said. So that blondie was a thief huh. He started explaining what happened in that alleyway while being unsteady on his footsteps. Being carried with the wind had really shaken him up. If that blondie had been a big buff dude saying 'I am Here', he would have likely deflated and then asked him to eat his hair.

The girl immediately used magic on him which felt like it was healing him.

"Can you tell me which direction she went to?"

"Looks like you are really sheltered. A thief would never go in a straight line to their den so this question is pointless unless you can match her speed. Do you know what she looked like?"

"It happened too fast so I couldn't really see her properly."

"In that case she could stop, walk freely in the crowd in front of you and you wouldn't know."

Note to self. She is powerful magic user with a spirit but weak to thief and assassin types. Was she just unlucky or did someone order the theft fully knowing her abilities? More and more curious.

"Can you get down on your own?"

"I am not superhuman. Can you?"

"Of course. The only reason Puck helped me is because I cannot jump as high as this. He will help you get down as a payment for giving me this advise but don't expect anything more from me. I am busy."

As far as Hachiman was concerned, he had already been repaid with healing so now she was wasting her time instead of continuing the chase. A kind but foolish girl.

"I have a better proposal for you. It seems you are inexperienced so I will guide you on this thief hunt and try to get you to the target before sunset. In return you will tell me about magic for the duration of this hunt. Deal?"

The girl looked at her spirit who nodded.

"I don't feel malice from him, is what I would like to say. I do, but it isn't directed at us."

"... Fine. Deal. But I only know basics. I am a spirit arts user, Puck knows more than me but neither of us know as much as Roswaal."

"Basics will be enough for this."

Hachiman said hiding his shock from the cat's words. I seemed he could only detect emotions but there could be those who could read minds and such. From now on he would have to be careful and avoid an outright lie as much as possible, as there had to be lie detector powers in this world.

They descended in the same alley, Hachiman carried by Puck while the girl just jumped using icicles as her foot holds to slow down and landed while ice skating to diffuse her momentum. The reason they returned here was to get his grocery bag. The other two delinquents were also lying on the ground.

"Did you hit them with ice? I don't see pools of blood though."

"You're mean. I used blunted ice, those sharp icicles are just for threatening others and self-defense."

She said with an adorable pout. He had to hold himself back from patting her head and instead asked.

"Can most people in this country jump from that high?"

She paused for sometime before saying.

"... No. Its because I am a half-elf."

She said that while showing her slightly pointy ears. That explains her beauty, she looked upset though. Elves must be facing discrimination.

"I see. So that is why you have the body and intelligence of a grown up human but emotions of a baby elf because of their longevity?"

"WHAT? Where did you get that from? I am not a child."

"What do you mean? I thought it was obvious! Whether its the defensive mechanism of always pulling out the icicles, or looking for excuses to do the things you want to do. Grown ups do it too but only for self-convincing when there are strong arguments to the contrary. Only when we are children do we do it without reason. You mean this not because you are a half-elf?"

"I am not ... excuses ..."

Was this really supposed to be a secret? She wasn't even on the level of Rumi, more like Kawasaki Keika. He looked at Puck who seemed to be looking guilty. Looks like he unwittingly stepped on some secret land mine. But that would mean her restricted development was a magical curse? He asked to divert her attention.

"By the way, you never told me your name, did you?"

"... Satella"

He felt that if she was going to lie, she should at least put some points into that skill. Even Puck looked at her in shock and then disappointment. Hachiman did not hate her for it though. In this world of magic, there may be curses that needed true name. Now he needed to tell her a false name without lying with a half-truth. Not to mention avoid using her fake name too to not fall into the habit.

"Then I will call you Sa-chan. People call me Hikitani."

The girls expression froze, scaring Hachiman into thinking that girl had lie detector power that was more acute than he realized and his half-truth had been caught. He was ready to apologize or die when she said.

"Its Satella, you know?"

"Wait! I knew you were lying but is it a famous name? That's fraud! Is Satella the name of queen who rules this country?"

"... More like the witch who destroyed three quarters of this world offhandedly. You really don't know anything?"

What witch? That's basically god.

"How did this quarter of the world survive then?"

"The Dragon, Sword Saint and Sage Flugel combined powers to defeat and seal her away."

Puck said while looking at him curiously. So three demigods combined forces to defeat a god and yet god isn't dead?

Wait. Isn't this the backstory of Mushoku Tensei? Three heroes combined to defeat demon god Laplace? Except it was a lie and there were seven heroes, four of whom died in the fight.

"Were there only three?"

Puck looked at him sharply at this. So he knows a lot more than he lets on.

"Forget it. Its Emilia. Just Emilia. Sorry for lying."

The girl guiltily said.

"Lets get going then."

Hachiman knew the thief girl was likely from the slums but he would take his time leading them there. It was both a thank you to the thief for saving him even if unwillingly as well as for his own benefit.

When he said before sunset, he meant he would slow them down instead of speeding the chase so that he can learn from them as much as possible. They would get there right before sunset and then he would get out of there and re-enter the city before dark. He wasn't spending the night in the slums.