VOLUME 1
Chapter 1-6
It was the first friendly exchange he had in the other world—this heart-warming exchange took roughly an hour.
“—Hold on a moment. What do you mean?”
The search was barely progressing.
Under the cold stare of the young girl, Subaru scratched his head, trying to avoid the unpleasantness.
“To think that we would encounter such a disaster. Even with these eyes of mine we still could not see this coming……”
“It seems that you regard yourself extremely highly, though the results show otherwise. We’re in a fix and can’t really do anything about it, aren’t we?”
“You don’t really hear the phrase ‘in a fix’ nowadays……”
Feeling the gaze of the young girl, whose wording was criticized, turn sharper, Subaru made his body even smaller.
Regardless the fact that they have been on the search for about an hour, somehow Subaru and gang were still in the back alley. Obviously, there was a deep reason behind it. They were many problems that surfaced that made the situation a lot harder to deal with.
Firstly, they didn’t have a feel of the area.
Regarding this issue, he could only say “I was just summoned into this world, so please pardon me.” Somehow, the young girl also seemed to be not familiar with the surroundings, and together, made a hilarious tale about how they trusted in each other to know the area well, wasting a considerable amount of time. Not that the girl who was looking at Subaru was laughing anyway.
Secondly, were the words written in the back alley—which were barely readable.
Though they were engaged in a conversation and did not pay attention, another look at their surroundings showed the existence of something resembling handwritten hieroglyphs a distance away.
As long as it wasn’t a charm to ward off evil that is popular with the locals, it was most probably the standard letters of this world. For Subaru, he couldn’t even read the notice board.
In other words, the one-sided application of the promise of the summoned: the ‘somehow understandable words and letters’.
If the words weren’t understandable, based on the certainty of a dying a dog’s death, it would be hard to take it as unlucky.
“Even so, the difficulty level has absurdly exploded…… The world is not kind at all.”
Far from being perfect, it was found to be incomplete here and there, showing slipshod preparation.
Boo hoo thought the Subaru in disappointment after looking back and realizing he had not found any good places.
Then, he noticed that the girl, who was paying no attention to him and whom he was acting together with, was standing around the side of the wall with her eyes closed.
Looking at her small lips that looked like she trying to mutter something, Subaru tilted his head in confusion.
“I wonder what she’s doing……”
“That’s just her talking to a small spirit.” said a gray cat that suddenly appeared in front of Subaru’s eyes, causing him to raise his eyebrows in surprise.
“I thought I wouldn’t see you. You didn’t go back but were the entire time weren’t you?”
“I have a little time left before the stipulated timing. Unlike the small spirit over there, I doing my work properly you know.”
So doesn’t that mean that it’s in a position a rank lower than that a spirit?
As if to confirm Subaru’s thoughts, the cat flicked its long tail while floating in midair and said,
“A small spirit is an existence that starts of as a conscience before becoming a spirit. As a little bit more time pa.s.ses, its power and self-consciousness will start to grow and become a spirit like me.
Nodding and listening to the explanation, it could be seen that the surrounding of the young girl steadily becomes faintly surrounded by a faint light. Around the young silvered hair girl, was a fleeting glow that resembled fireflies, beginning to wrap around her.
It was a such spectacle that would cause people to think twice about laying their hands on it. Under this supernatural existence, only those that are granted permission exist in the sanctuary. At such a scenery, Subaru—
“This is ama—zing. Are all these floaty things spirits?”
“—Hyaa”
Intruding rather bluntly, Subaru smash the illusory into pieces and called out to the young girl.
In the eyes of the young girl who shouted in surprise, was a reflective glow from drops of tears. And, the glowing things that surrounded the young girl were also influenced by the movement.
“—Oh, they’re panicking, they’re panicking.”
A large number of the lights became panicked and tried to flutter and escape in a flurry, resulting in a large number of them melting into the atmosphere and vanis.h.i.+ng.
“—Ah.”
Both of them opened their mouths in shock, and were searching for the signs of the small spirits.
However,
The fl.u.s.tered girl applied the same procedure as before but there was no indication of them reacting to the call.
“Ah—! They’re gone aren’t they? What do we do?!”
“Uwahhh, I’m so sorry! Well, it was my first time seeing such spirits and I got too caught up in it. And from what I see, it didn’t seem like it was dangerous so……”
“It was fine solely because it was under control. If the same thing just now happened to an inexperienced spirit mage, things would have been terrible. In the worst case, it would have invited a spirit rampage…… and poof!”
“Poof? As in?”
Although the girl wanted to reprimand Subaru for his carelessness, the only word that came out was just a mere “poof”
“Don’t over exaggerate. Is it even possible for such s.h.i.+ning things to be dangerous?”
“Let’s see. For example, I’m so cute…… though in two seconds I can turn you into dust.”
“Holy s.h.i.+t, spirits are scary—!!”
Subaru, who was s.h.i.+vering in fear after hearing such a calm display of malice, looked at the young girl.
“I can’t believe the cat got angry for real after I incited him……”
“I won’t use Pack for such things. If I have to resort to violence I’ll do it myself…… Oh no. It seems that they’re not answering me anymore.”
Failing to contact the small spirits a second time, the young girl tilted tiredly tilted her head to one side, feeling dejected.
“After those spirits disappeared, what were you trying to do, may I ask?”
“I was thinking whether I could ask them if they had any clue about the whereabouts of my emblem. Though they disappeared before I had the chance.”
“Ehhhhhh?!”
Subaru’s realization that his mistake was far greater than he imagined caused his throat to become stuck. Upon seeing that, the young girl shouted an “Ah!”
“B—But well, it took quite a lot of time and those small spirits do not have a conscience as fully formed as spirits so there wasn’t much to be expected…… though saying this would be lying.”
Said the young girl who had an unfortunate honest personality and was self-contradicting, trying to do a follow up but being unable to complete it.
In response to distressed young girl, Subaru once again reminded himself of the degree of his stupidity.
At this rate, it would end with him dragging the girl down all the way from start till the end.
“In terms of morality and of the bonds that are extremely important in the other world, this alone is bad enough. This relations.h.i.+p, it manages to cling onto you one way or another and follows you wherever you go……!”
“Your face looks like you’re thinking of something wicked. Have you thought of something? Umm……”
In front of Subaru, who strengthened his relatively selfish decision, stood the young girl who was full of uncertainty.
Subaru tilted his head, puzzled by the att.i.tude of the young girl who was frowning slightly. However, the one who was able to grasp his thoughts was the gray cat.
“Come to think of it, I haven’t asked for your name, have I? Would you care to do a self-introduction?”
“Oh yeah, that’s true. So let me start off by first giving you my name.”
In an attempt to brush off his mistakes, Subaru courageously pointed his finger to sky and struck a pose.
“My name is Natsuki Subaru! The ignorant but invincible pauper! Nice to meetcha !
“Hearing this alone is enough to make me feel screwed. Yeah, and I’m Pack. Nice to meet you—”
Subaru held out his hand amicably as Pack then proceeded to jump onto it with all his weight and gave a dynamic handshake. From an outsider’s point of view it looked as if Subaru was crus.h.i.+ng Pack with his bare hands.
In response to such a bold way of making contact, the young girl blinked her eyes repeatedly.
“It is really rare to come across a person who interacts with spirits this light-heartedly…… Speaking of rare, so is your name. That black hair and the color of your eyes. Just where did you get them from?”
“Hmpf. I thought you’d never ask. Well, from the pattern, I would say from a small country in the East.”
In stories about the other world, this was a pattern that was over-used: A hidden Zipangu (1) -like village that exists in the eastern part of the world.
With little interaction between other countries, anyone would believe it if you said you washed up from there. It was a promise that was as convenient as magic. However,
“From the world map, the country furthest to the east would be Lugunica…… Though there isn’t any country further east than this country.”
“You’re kidding. Seriously?! The end of the east?! Wait, so we’re at the coveted Zipangu?”
“Right now, he doesn’t know the place that he’s in, he doesn’t have any money, can’t read any of the words, and doesn’t have a person he can rely on. Could it be, that he is in a position more precarious than ours?……”
Seeing Subaru in shock from the unexpected turn of events, the young girl had become restless
Every single movement of hers was leaking out her tendencies to meddle in other people’s affairs. She was most probably dead worried about Subaru’s way of life, which was more than just being too defenseless, it was being too unguarded.
Once again, she stared intently at Subaru, slowly scanning his figure from top to bottom.
“Looking at you like this, your body looks quite well-trained. Umm……Subaru, was it?”
“Huh? Ooh, yes, my name.”
His name being called hesitantly somehow created a new feeling that botched up his reply. Trying to shake off his uneasiness, Subaru cleared his throat and lightly flexed his arm.
“Every day, it’s just muscle training. I’m a half-shut in so I figured I ought to at least do something like this.”
“Umm, I don’t really know what being a shut is all about, but you’re from a rather well to do family aren’t you? You had learned some martial arts before, right?
“Nope, I’m seriously born into a middle-income family…… And where did you get the information about me leaving a n.o.ble household? Did I give out an air of elegance like those from n.o.ble households?
“You did give off a slight air of curiosity.”
“Oh, you actually said something good,” said Subaru as he raised both of his hands in the air jokingly.
Then, the young girl grabbed hold of both of Subaru’s hands while they were still in the air with lightning fast speed. The girl then effortlessly touched his fingers and Subaru’s throat went “Ah—” and froze.
“It’s the same for your fingers, but the reason was because of how your hair and skin looked. It’s because of hands that reflect a lifestyle way too different from the commoners here, and the way you got your muscles doesn’t appear to be from labor.”
His palm was being toyed with caresses and Subaru, while red with shame, accepted it.
His many features that made him not look just like any other foreigner become the topic of the conversation and Subaru marveled at the girl’s observant eye.
As for the girl, in the meantime,
“Black hair and black eyes. Although it seems like characteristics common among refugees from the south, in Lugunica and in this condition it is proof that you have the ability to live a life of luxury. Even the clothes which I had never seen before are made superbly …… How is it? I’m right, aren’t I?”
The silent Subaru and triumphant smile of the young girl. Constantly feeling that such a beautiful appearance is befitting something stirred up by an enchanted atmosphere, Subaru a.n.a.lyzed the content carefully before making a troubled face and muttered
“If it’s between either being right or wrong, I would say it’s completely wrong, though how do say it without hurting her?”
“If it’s wrong, you have to clearly say that it is wrong. I’ll only be embarra.s.sed, won’t I?”
The confidence she had up till now turned into embarra.s.sment just like that and dyed the young girl’s face red. Looking at the depressed girl, Subaru agonized himself over how to explain where he had come from.
Though it would be fine if he honestly said, “I’m a good for nothing that was summoned from another world.” Saying that with that level of summoning would just be a gateway to the success of being recognized as “a mentally unstable guy”.
Looking back at what he had said up till now, Subaru was troubled by the risk of speaking upfront.
“You don’t have to think over it that deeply. If you can’t answer I won’t ask why.”
For the hesitant Subaru, she had made herself accept it and let up on looking for more answers. Although the pathetic feeling that once again followed up caused Subaru’s face to contort, she muttered a “But” and said
“As I thought, it must be quite hard.”
She said this with such a feeble voice unlike anything she had displayed before and her eyes became cloudy.
“…………………………………”
Upon seeing this insuppressible whimper, a tiny unreliable flame was lit in Subaru’s heart.
“Am I an idiot? No, I am an idiot. Seriously man, what was I doing?”
Towards the young girl in front of him he had a debt of grat.i.tude for being his life savior. In order to repay that debt, didn’t he offer her his a.s.sistance? So what’s with the miserable state up till now?
“Subaru?”
Looking at Subaru, whose facial expression changed and fell silent, the young girl curiously tilted her head. Seeing from the corner of his eye her silver hair fall down from her shoulders as she tilted her head, Subaru turned his head in bewilderment.
He recalled the figure of the thief, from when he looked up while being kicked in the back alley. Cutting out that brief scene and finding at least one thing reliable was something he had to—
“There are a few things I want to check with you, is it okay?”
“Eh? Yeah, and……um, go on.”
“Thank you (2). I’ve heard it an umpteen number of times but, this is the imperial capital…… am I right? A town where the King’s castle is located and an extremely huge place?” asked Subaru in bits and pieces, remembering that the young girl had said so herself.
Though knowing that question was a strange one, the girl did not inquire and answered “Yeah” while stroking her chin.
“In this huge city, there is a woman who pickpockets for a living. From her clothes, it’s without question that she’s unable to live a good life…… Of course, there should be a place where this group of people stays.”
“……………”
“Could it be some place with little guarantee for safety or somewhere like the slums……? To turn something stolen into money would probably be hard without a middleman, so the possibility is high.”
The young female thief was burned into his memory—a.n.a.lyzing her figure from head to toe and mobilizing his knowledge about fantasy, Subaru came up with a deduction.
“So with this, I think we have a better chance than just searching randomly…… Whaddatcha think?”
“I’m a little bit surprised. Subaru, you really thought a lot.”
“Nah, it’s more of a relatively logical conclusion or something like the promise of a medieval fantasy. Though even if it was to be looked at again, it’s not enough to compensate for my mistakes……”
Though he agreed with the words of young girl, who was impressed, Subaru was not totally convinced.
Ignoring Subaru, who was scratching his head trying to hide his embarra.s.sment, she kept nodding and said,
“Let’s think along that line. If that’s the case we have to head to the street and ask someone that looks knowledgeable.”
“Well, we’re already taking the long route. Let’s do a general search around the area.”
Both of them looked at each other and reached an agreement. They first left the alley and headed towards the main street. Then, they rushed to places with heavy human traffic. Just before that, Subaru suddenly realized.
“Speaking of which, I’ve heard the name of your pet cat but I actually kinda haven’t heard yours,” said Subaru with a deflated determination in his voice. However, the young girl opened her eyes widely as if she was slightly surprised. Then, the young girl closed her eyes, and after a few seconds of silence said,
“—Satella.”
“Oh?”
Subaru, who was silently cursing the stupidity of what he said, was late in his reaction to the small whisper. Taking that in, the young girl turned her face away from Subaru.
“I don’t have a family name. It’s alright to just call me Satella.”
Such an emotionless voice. While giving her name, she gave off an att.i.tude as if she didn’t like being called by it.
The young girl who had given her name as Satella acted in a way that made him feel very distant, unlike anything she had shown before
Subaru, who wanted her to tell him an easy to say family name if possible, could not even say her name clearly and fell silent.Anyway, I’ll just address her as “you” thought Subaru as he made a worthless decision.
Looking on at the conversation of the two, Pack, who was hiding under the silver hair, casually spoke.
“—You guys have poor taste.” he murmured. It didn’t reach the young girl, not to mention Subaru.
TRANSLATOR’S NOTES
(1) Name of j.a.pan used by Marco Polo
(2) He actually says it in English. Lol