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As Subaru's eyes slowly opened, she was greeted by the warmth of sunlight filtering through her eyelids, a sensation that felt like a gentle release from fatigue. It was pleasant and soothing—a feeling she hadn't experienced in a long time. But as she became more aware of her surroundings, something seemed a bit odd.
Her head was resting on something soft and warm, like a comforting pillow. 'Is my head on someone's lap?' she thought, a contented smile beginning to form on her lips. For a fleeting moment, she entertained the thought that maybe she was lying on the lap of the silver-haired girl who had saved her.
"Good morning," a voice chimed from above her. But instead of the soft, feminine tone she was expecting, it was high-pitched and somehow…furry? Subaru blinked her eyes open fully, only to be met by the sight of a giant cat's face peering down at her, grinning in amusement.
In a panic, she jolted upright, backing away as fast as she could. "This can't be right! I thought…!"
The giant cat chuckled, rubbing a paw over its head as though embarrassed. "Oh, come now! You looked so happy, I didn't have the heart to ruin it. Besides, isn't it more fitting?"
The reminder hit Subaru like a bucket of ice water. 'Ah, right. I'm…a girl now.' She could feel her spirits sink again, a gloomy haze settling over her. But before she could get lost in thought, the sound of a soft sigh caught her attention.
Turning to the side, Subaru saw the silver-haired girl sitting nearby, looking slightly amused but unfazed. It was unmistakably the same girl who had saved her. Despite the sharpness in her gaze, her presence was somehow reassuring.
"I'm sorry for troubling you," Subaru stammered, trying to keep her nerves in check. "You…you stayed with me the whole time?"
The girl crossed her arms and looked away, her expression stoic. "Don't get the wrong idea. I only stayed because I wanted to ask you something." Her words were sharp, but her posture relaxed, betraying a touch of softness.
Subaru's heart raced again, entranced by the girl's no-nonsense attitude. She could only nod, taking in the girl's unwavering presence. It was so rare to meet someone who acted out of pure conviction rather than kindness for kindness's sake.
"I healed you and let Puck here keep you comfortable while you slept." The girl gestured to the giant cat, who now looked slightly smug. "So, in return, I need some information from you."
Subaru blinked, her mind still hazy. "I don't remember promising anything that important…"
But the girl cut her off, her gaze hardening. "Do you know anything about the insignia that was stolen from me?"
"An insignia?" Subaru echoed, recalling how desperately the girl had been searching before she saved her. "You mean something like an emblem?"
"Yes. It has a jewel in the center, about this size." She held up her fingers in a small "O" shape.
Subaru could only shake her head. "I'm sorry. I really have no idea."
The girl's shoulders slumped just a little, though her gaze remained resolute. "I see. Well, that's the answer I needed." She glanced away, her tone softening ever so slightly.
After a moment's silence, the girl seemed to steel herself again, standing with a briskness that startled Subaru. "I have to go," she said. "Your wound should be fine now, but next time, avoid walking into alleys alone. I won't be there to save you a second time."
She turned, her silver hair glinting in the sunlight, swaying as she began to walk away. Subaru's eyes followed her, captivated by the aura of this girl who had saved her with no expectation of gratitude in return.
But then, from her right, a chilling voice broke her reverie. "Have we met before?" Subaru glanced over, startled to see the cat—now back to its regular size—staring at her intently, a cold suspicion in its eyes that hadn't been there moments ago. "Because you remind me of someone I have a… bad history with."
"I-I don't think so… I only arrived here today," Subaru stammered, feeling the weight of the cat's sharp gaze on her.
The cat watched her for a tense moment before its expression softened, almost apologetically. "I see. Well, try not to hold her attitude against her. She has her own way of doing things. And, also, don't get too comfortable."
Subaru could only manage a wary nod, her eyes flicking back to the silver-haired girl. "No… I don't mind her attitude at all," she whispered, almost to herself. "She could've left me to die, yet she went out of her way to help, even though I'm just a stranger."
As the girl continued walking away, Subaru felt a pang of urgency rise in her chest. She watched the girl's figure grow smaller, a feeling of helplessness settling over her. This girl, driven by something larger than herself, had extended kindness without expecting anything in return. It was inspiring—and dangerous.
'Anyone who lives like that,' Subaru thought, scrambling to her feet, 'is going to end up losing everything.'
Without a second thought, she grabbed her belongings and took off in pursuit, her long, white hair billowing behind her. She couldn't let this girl face that world alone, not when she knew exactly how much a heart like hers could be broken.
Ō~Õ
"Hey, hold up!"
Subaru's voice echoed down the narrow alley as she sprinted after her silver-haired savior, who turned, her face soft with confusion yet tinted with impatience. Subaru, gasping for breath, managed a crooked smile.
"What is it? Just so you know, I can't spare much time." The girl's tone was curt, and her otherworldly eyes studied Subaru, both wary and indifferent.
"I know, I know," Subaru panted, straightening up. "But I want to help you. You lost something important, right? Let me help find it."
Subaru's words hung in the air, laced with a confidence she barely felt. She forced a grin, hoping to ease the skepticism that now flickered in the girl's gaze.
"But you said you don't know anything," the girl murmured, a delicate frown forming.
"True, I don't know her name or where she went," Subaru admitted. "But I remember her face, and I've got a plan!"
The girl blinked, a spark of surprise lighting up her silvery eyes. Subaru's heart skipped as she realized she was beginning to break through the girl's guarded front. Yet Subaru's thoughts raced ahead, doubting her own words and the strength of the bravado she wore like armor.
"You're… strange." The girl tilted her head, her gaze both curious and guarded. "Just so you know, I can't reward you."
Subaru shrugged, meeting her gaze squarely. "I don't need any reward. If anything, I want to thank 'you' for saving me."
"You… want to thank me?" She seemed genuinely perplexed, a vulnerable honesty in her tone. "I already told you—I've been compensated for healing your wounds."
A softer smile played on Subaru's lips. "Then I'll do it for my own sake. Let's call it… a good deed for the day." She held up one finger, hoping the ridiculousness of the gesture might lighten the mood. Inside, though, she was fighting an internal storm, trying to reassure herself as much as she was the girl in front of her.
The girl hesitated, her expression troubled. She shifted her weight as if weighing the offer, her deep gaze briefly breaking away. Then her fluffy companion—a small, feline creature—extended a paw to prod her cheek, drawing her attention.
"I sense no ill intent from her," the creature said softly, glancing Subaru's way with an amused grin. "She looks expendable. If anything, having a meat shield against trouble could come in handy."
Subaru's smile wavered as the cat's words settled in. 'Expendable and a meat shield, huh?' Not the most flattering label, but fair enough considering the circumstances. A stranger in a strange land, with only this ethereal girl to guide her.
"Fine," the girl murmured at last, glancing away. Her reluctance lingered, yet it was clear she'd made her decision. As the cat gave Subaru a wink before disappearing, Subaru felt a surge of triumph.
As the girl began to move forward, Subaru fumbled through her bag, pulling out a white tome she'd almost forgotten amidst the chaos. The book had forewarned her of the alleyway ambush, and maybe it held more secrets. She flipped it open to the same page she'd read before: 'Thou shalt be robbed, and thou shalt save a maiden.'
Sweat beaded on her brow as the words sank in. She'd been robbed, yes, but she hadn't saved anyone—'she' had been the one rescued.
'Did I do something wrong? Or… is there something dangerous looming ahead?'
"Are you coming or not?" The girl's voice cut through her anxious thoughts, pulling her back to the present.
"Yeah, right behind you!" she called, snapping the tome shut and slipping it back into her bag. Her hands trembled as she clasped them together, watching her savior stride ahead with quiet determination. Fear coiled in her gut, but she pushed it down.
Ō~Õ
An hour passed.
The city's vastness weighed down on them as they searched in vain. They had wandered to the plaza with the grand fountain, the bridges crisscrossing the canal, and even the barricaded doors of abandoned buildings. Frustration crept in as Subaru's attempts to sketch the blonde thief yielded little more than laughs and dead ends. The city was unfamiliar to her, its twisting alleys and foreign signs a labyrinth for her untrained eyes. Even the writing was alien, a script she couldn't decipher despite being able to communicate verbally.
But the physical toll was worse than she expected. Subaru's body—a body she was still growing accustomed to—tired quickly, forcing her companion to slow her pace.
Finally, they climbed to the top floor of a tall building for a better vantage point. Subaru slumped behind the railing, her legs barely holding up, while the silver-haired girl leaned elegantly against the metal, her companion perched beside her.
"I talked a big game, but this town's too big," Subaru muttered, her voice tinged with weary resignation.
"It's the capital, after all," the girl replied softly, turning toward Subaru. Her eyes held a mix of exasperation and bemusement, as though she couldn't quite believe Subaru's ineptitude. Her companion brightened, waving its tiny paws.
"Oh, we haven't introduced ourselves yet! Have we?" Chirped in the cat.
'Should I create a new name for myself?'
Usually, in this kind of situation. After creating a character in a Role-playing game, the player is required to name their character.
If this weren't real, Subaru would undoubtedly name herself as Natsumi Schwartz. However, right now, her circumstances are too unknown for her to act rashly. Subaru decided…
Subaru turned to look toward the girl at her back and smiled brightly.
"Oh, yeah, you're right. I'll introduce myself first then."
Subaru slowly gets up; she points one finger toward the sky and leaning to the side in a pose.
"My name is Natsuki Subaru. Not only am I clueless, but I'm also broke beyond your imagination!"
Subaru then extends her hand in an invitation toward the girl.
Subaru gave her name honestly, deep down Subaru knows she can't replace the beautiful name that her parents have given her, for someone such as her… she was named after star clusters, The Seven Sisters or Pleiades.
"Nice to meet ya!" Subaru cheerfully greets them.
Overall, it's an embarrassing introduction but she has to do it to make people like her even if she has to act like a clown. Her confidence cannot falter if she wants to make people like her.
"When that's all you say, you really do sound hopeless." The girl replies with a frown.
"And I'm Puck! Nice to meet you!" With that, the cat now identified as Puck settled down again on the silver-haired girl's shoulder.
"It's very unusual to find someone as clueless as you. Where are you from?"
Subaru smiles brightly at the girl's question. She has already prepared an answer as she always imagines this kind of scenario in her room back then. Subaru crossed her arms around her chest as she let out a smug smile.
"Well, following the usual pattern, a small island nation to the east."
"Lugnica is the easternmost nation in our continental map. There's no nation to the east here."
Subaru's whole demeanor falters as she panics.
"No way, really? There's nothing east of here?"
"You have no idea where you are, you have no money, you can't read, and you have no one who can help you. You might be in an even more troubling position than I am… um, Subaru, was it?" The girl looks at Subaru in pity.
"Yes, that's my name." Subaru fakes a cough to hide her blush as feels happy that the girl acknowledges her existence instead of mocking her, especially calling her name.
"But you look too pretty, like you have been sheltered your whole life." Puck said as he flew closer toward Subaru, eyeing her up and down. "And your skin is too pale, like you just came out from a… coffin. After hundreds of years. Is it true? Are you really a vampire or a w… sorceress?"
"I… have no answer to that… I used to look well built for someone who is a shut-in." Subaru could only let out a sigh of defeat.
"I'm not sure I understand what a "shut-in" is, but that means you're from a respectable family right?" The girl asked her as she moved closer toward Subaru and grasped her hand. "Your fingers too. They're very pretty. They're evidence that you don't live like a peasant at all."
Subaru could only look dumbfounded as the girl inspected her hand.
"You look like someone who lives in a mansion and has never done any work yourself."
Subaru looks away trying to hide her face that is no doubt blushing now, her hand leaving the warmth of the girl's hand.
Even if Subaru herself is a girl now, which she now thinks, this body looks to be around her previous body age before she was transported to this world, she still isn't accustomed to talking to the girls. As expected of a shut-in like herself.
"I-I use… to have… ah nevermind! I know your cat's name now, but I haven't heard yours yet." Subaru replies as she looks at the girl.
"My name?"
"Yeah." Subaru nodded to the girl's question. She wanted to know her savior's name.
The somewhat pitiful question causes the girl to fall silent for a bit. The girl then looks to the side in silence. Subaru panicked as she thought that the girl perhaps wants to keep her name a secret. Perhaps Subaru has offense the girl with her question, perhaps she's-
"I'm… Satella." The girl whispers.
"Oh?"
The girl closed her eyes before opening it again after a few seconds.
"I'm… Satella."
She repeated without any emotion. Looking ahead pass Subaru. Her attitude suggests as if she doesn't want to be called by that name. It was as if she's putting a wall between her and Subaru. Subaru felt the name was somehow fake, but if the girl's want her to be call like that, then she has no choice but to comply.
Subaru also felt like she couldn't really use that name at all. After all, as a Japanese she was taught to call someone by their surname instead of their personal name. So, she wonders if the girl has a surname. And if she has a surname, then she doesn't have to call the girl by that name.
The girl turns away from Subaru and continues.
"I have no family name. You can just call me Satella."
"I see… Satella…" Subaru gives her a cheerful grin. If the girl doesn't have a surname. Then she will be fine if she calls her by her personal name. "That's a nice name."
The girl looks shocked at the proclamation. Behind the scenes of the exchange, Puck observed both of them from the sidelines, Puck muttered before slipping back under the girl's silver hair. "… You have a terrible taste. But I wonder… Satella and… her huh? But none are either, I hope."
These words did not reach either of them.
"Right, time to get back to asking around!" Subaru let out a cheerful grin and pumped her fist in the air as the girl looked at her with a blank expression.
Ō~Õ
The winding path led them back to the main road a few minutes later. The city buzzed around them with the vibrant sounds of a marketplace—merchants shouting prices, shoppers haggling, the clatter of hooves on cobblestones. Overhead, storm clouds were gathering, turning the sky a dull shade of gray, but no one seemed to notice, all wrapped up in their daily lives.
Just then, Subaru felt a light tug on her sleeve.
"Hey, Subaru…" Satella's voice was soft, almost tentative, as though something strange had caught her eye.
Subaru looked over at her, puzzled. Satella's gaze was fixed across the street, her expression laced with worry. Her hand rose, pointing toward a building nearby.
"Do you see that kid?" she asked, voice barely above a whisper.
Subaru followed her gaze to see a little girl standing alone by the corner of a building, a slight figure who couldn't have been older than ten. She had striking green hair that fell messily around her shoulders, and wore a simple pink dress. Her face, though partially hidden behind her bangs, was etched with anxiety and confusion. She was hugging herself tightly, her small feet shifting nervously on the cobblestone, as though she wanted to move but couldn't quite bring herself to.
Subaru felt a prickle at the back of her neck. "Uh… isn't this a little weird?"
"It's not just weird… she looks lost," Satella murmured, her face pinched with worry. "Poor thing…"
She took a step toward the girl, pulling Subaru with her. Subaru's chest tightened as a small, nagging voice whispered in the back of her mind. The book hadn't mentioned anything about saving a lost child, had it? Why was this happening? Was this child… was she somehow important?
"I know we're in the middle of our own search," she said, voice low. "But do you really think this is a good idea?"
Satella's expression softened into something Subaru hadn't seen before—a tender kindness that was both reassuring and, somehow, unsettling. "Sometimes… you don't think about it. You just help," she said simply. "She looks like she needs it."
Subaru swallowed, realizing there was no arguing with her. Satella had already begun crossing the street, her silver hair swaying slightly in the breeze. She found himself hurrying to catch up, even as her mind buzzed with unease.
As they approached, the little girl looked up, her eyes wide and fearful, almost like a cornered animal. For a fleeting moment, a spark of hope lit up her face, only to flicker out as she realized the strangers before her weren't the people she was waiting for. Her lip began to tremble, and she looked ready to burst into tears.
"I'm sorry, I'm not who you're looking for," Satella said gently, kneeling down to meet the girl's gaze. Her voice was soft, calm, almost soothing. "But it's okay. You don't need to be scared. Are you here by yourself?"
The girl's chin wobbled, and with a small, strangled sound, she began to cry.
"Shhh… it's all right. I promise," Satella murmured, reaching out a hesitant hand, as if afraid of scaring her further. She shot a pleading look at Subaru.
Stepping forward, Subaru gave the girl a reassuring smile, then, with a quick sleight of hand, she pulled a small, worn coin from his pocket and held it up.
"Hey, look here! I've got something special," she said, in a conspiratorial tone.
Both Satella and the girl watched curiously as she closed her fist tightly around the coin. She could feel their eyes on him, hanging onto her every move.
"Now… where did it go?" Subaru opened her hand to reveal… nothing.
The girl blinked, wiping at her tear-streaked face as Subaru playfully scratched her head, pretending to be mystified. And then, with a wink, she reached behind her ear, producing the coin seemingly from thin air. She held it out to her, eyes twinkling.
The girl's mouth fell open in shock, her tears forgotten for a moment. Subaru grinned, basking in her awe, before pressing the coin gently into her palm.
"There you go. That's your lucky coin now. Hold onto it, okay?"
The girl nodded, eyes wide, clutching the coin with both hands like it was a precious gem. Satella gave Subaru a soft smile, her eyes brimming with gratitude—and perhaps, something more.
"Thank you," the girl whispered, her voice barely audible.
With a little laugh, Subaru waved it off. "Nothing to it. Just an old trick."
But Satella looked at him with something between wonder and suspicion. "Subaru… was that… magic?" she asked, her voice hushed.
She chuckled awkwardly, scratching the back of her head. "Magic? Nah, just a bit of showmanship. Old trick I picked up… somewhere."
Her eyes lingered on him, studying him as though trying to see through her, and for a second, Subaru felt a strange, uncomfortable pull. But it was gone as quickly as it came.
Soon enough, they'd linked hands with the little girl, strolling down the busy street in search of her parents. The girl stayed close between them, her small hand gripping theirs tightly, as they weaved through the bustling crowds.
"Looks like you're pretty good with kids," Satella remarked, raising an eyebrow. "Is this some kind of secret talent of yours?"
Subaru let out a laugh. "Hey, let's not go there. Let's just say I have a knack for being the reliable big sibling type," she said, trying to keep his tone light. "Even though… yeah, I'm… unemployed. Shut-in. Otaku."
She shot her a strange look, one Subaru couldn't quite read. "Unemployed? Otaku? I see… You really are a mystery, Subaru."
Subaru shrugged, chuckling. If only she knew how accurate that was.
"Ah! Mama!"
The little girl's voice cut through the din as she let go of their hands, darting forward through the crowd. Subaru and Satella looked up to see her rush toward a tall, dark-haired woman in a violet dress. The woman's eyes lit up as the child ran into her arms, her face breaking into a radiant smile.
Watching them, Subaru felt a strange pang, a flicker of something almost… familiar. A memory, maybe, from a different time, a different life. She shook it off, smiling as she watched mother and daughter reunite, the child's arms wrapped tightly around her mother's waist.
"Looks like she found her," she murmured softly.
"Yeah," Satella replied, her voice warm with relief. "I'm glad we could help."
But as they stood there, something strange happened. The woman looked up, locking eyes with Satella. Her gaze was piercing, her face… expressionless. Subaru felt her heart skip a beat, a chill prickling his skin.
For a brief, unsettling moment, it was as if she were staring right through Satella. And her eyes… there was something cold in them, something almost unnatural. Satella looked uncomfortable too.
She blinked, and the feeling vanished, leaving her standing in the crowd, shaken, while mother and daughter turned and walked away.
Subaru let out a shaky breath, looking at Satella, who hadn't noticed a thing.
"You okay?" she asked.
She forced a smile. "Yeah… yeah, I'm fine." But she couldn't shake the feeling that something was… off.
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TBC
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Author Note:
The orignal author had made Puck act too friendly around Subaru, which was odd. But I tried to fix it here. But he isn't exactly unkind either.
Why is Puck acting not-exactly-unkind? Feel free to drop your thoughts in the review section. The answer will be given in chapter 6, which, by the way, is already completed.