Starting Life In Another World...

Chapter 1 - Starting Life In Another World...

"Sir? Are you okay? You look so pale."

Okay? Okay!? I just found out that I was somehow trapped in a world where there are gigantic demonic beasts that are the size of buildings or skyscrapers, in a world where there is a lunatic cult that loves to torture and kill innocents just for their beloved witch, in a world where the protagonist himself has been mutilated, stabbed to death, decapitated, eviscerated, and cursed!

So I'm clearly very, very, VERY FAR, from OKAY!

That is what I wanted to shout in her face. However, I didn't do that because I didn't want her to become an enemy. The girl who is one of the major protagonists in this story and the girl who has a contract with-

"EMILIA IS MY ENTIRE REASON FOR EXISTING. THERE IS NO REASON FOR ME TO EXIST IN A WORLD WITHOUT HER."

A shiver immediately went down my spine as a hollow, cold and inhumane voice echoed in my mind. An image of a giant monster with golden glowing eyes and fangs that covers the majority of its supposed face also crossed my mind.

Puck...The Beast of the End...

If Emilia's life is forfeit then Puck will go on a rampage, freezing everything that stands in his way. And I don't think I can fight an entity at his level. Not yet, at least.

And angering a monster that can freeze an entire village if he wants to just by existing and standing in place while doing nothing is not something that I found to be wise. Not. At. All.

"I'm...fine, Emilia-dono." I spoke in a slightly strained voice as I shook my head. "Just a little headache." That's not a complete lie. I did get a headache just by realizing where I actually am right now. "Anyway, if you allow me to, I wish to help."

And, as much as I hate to think it and as much as I loathe to say it, I need her help. More specifically, I need Beatrice, the spirit that resides in her mansion's library.

I want to go home. I really do want to go home. I don't want to stay in this dangerous world and for that I will need information and knowledge. I need a magic that is capable of sending me back to my world. If I recall from Arc 4, Beatrice is capable of opening some kind of dimension. Perhaps she could help me find a way home.

If it was me from one hour ago, I would have run away from her, going to another town; another country in fact. I don't care where I end up as long as I'm not staying near her. I mean, look at what Subaru went through because of her! Shit! That crazy clown she lives with is really messed up in the head!

However I did not run away while screaming because, unlike Subaru, I've been given a power.

I have Excalibur, the Last Phantasm, and my strength and perception has been raised to a superhuman level. I deducted that after easily beating those three thugs. I'm not defenseless; I have a weapon and some pure strength that I can use.

This is why I'll dare to take a risk. In here, I'm not a normal human that's weak and fragile...

And if I want to go home...then it's better if I go to the one who's very experienced. This is now the only path I have...the fastest path, to be precise. Get closer to a major character so I can find something useful.

Emilia seems to be taken aback by my sudden offer, her concern turning into a slight wariness.

"Why do you want to help me?" She asked.

Shit, maybe I'm being too forward? Okay, I truly was being too forward! Quick, Aaron! Fix this mess! Find some reason! Anything that's good!

"It's not every day you find a Royal Candidate just by walking around." I said smoothly, making her eyes widen. "I did hear some rumors that there's a Royal Candidate who is – pardon me if this offends you – a Half Elf." I caught the way her body stiffened when I mentioned her race. "In my opinion, it's very interesting."

"I see..." Emilia's wariness seems to have diminished slightly but it is still there. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid that I'm going to have to refuse your offer and-"

"Judging by your non-verbal language, is it safe to say that your insignia was stolen? If so, then it's clearly not good. Allow me to help you, Emilia-dono. Let this knight do his duty."

"Knight?" Emilia blinked. "You're a knight? Whose family do you serve?"

"Self-proclaimed and in training, actually." I added with a small sheepish chuckle. "However, it would be an honor if you accepted my offer to help."

Emilia seems to be troubled even further. However, before she can give me a response, another voice spoke.

"Let him help you, Lia. You don't need to feel so worried."

Then he suddenly manifested on her shoulder. He is probably around the size of her forearm, maybe even more. He had gray hair and floppy ears. All in all, he looked just like a normal cat and he could even be mistaken as one if it wasn't for his tail that was about the same size as his height.

"SLEEP... ALONG WITH MY DAUGHTER..."

Those words resonated in my ears, followed by an image of this supposed little cat turning into a gigantic, monstrous form and I felt my whole body stiffen.

"Spirit?" I murmured in surprise.

"Hoo, what's with that look?" He purred while pawing his face, eyes glinting with mischief. "You're afraid of me? Mister Self-Proclaimed Knight?"

Of course I am! I mean, I know exactly what kind of creature you are! I have seen what you can do when your 'berserk button' is pressed! I have seen your real form and how you can freeze an entire village just by standing on a mansion that's far away!

"Pardon me for being wary, but a spirit that's solid and very sentient like you has a reputation." I replied as calmly as I could.

"Yeah, right." Puck snorted. "Don't try to hide it. I can detect your fear, mister."

Detect my fear? Ah, right. Puck is an empath, if I recall correctly. Damn, this will clearly be more annoying than I thought.

"Normally, I'm not going to be one who accepts a stranger's offer. However, I don't think you need to worry about him trying something, Lia." Puck said as he turned to the silver haired girl.

"Really, Puck?"

"Yeah, that guy." He pointed his paw at me. "He's utterly terrified of me. Like, reaaally afraid." He then shot me a smug and mocking look. "I don't think he will do anything to you with me at your side."

"I have a bad history with spirits so forgive me for my fear." I said dryly. That's not entirely a lie. I'm not a fan of horror movies despite the fact that I'm not afraid to watch them.

Too much shock, in my opinion, and I don't like it.

And a ghost is counted as a spirit, right?

"Well, if Puck says so then…I will accept your help, sir..."

"Aaron." I offered my name. "Just call me Aaron. No 'sir' and the likes." I added. "I'm too young to be called that kind of stuff." I chuckled.

Emilia nodded, giving me a small smile. "Then I accept your help, Aaron."

I nodded back at her before I faced the spirit who was watching over us. "And you, Mister Spirit?"

"Puck." He introduced himself. "Call me Puck. Puck-dono is fine too!" He added while puffing his furry chest out in a smug manner.

"... Puck-dono, then." I let out a small sigh while saying that. "So, shall we move on?"

"Um." Emilia nodded. "Do you know where the thief is, Aaron?"

"No." I shook my head. "But I may know someone who does."

I don't think they are far from here, seeing that two of them were unconscious and that the one that was dragging them along is the smallest one.

"There you are."

I won't deny that I felt a slight satisfaction and pride when the man practically jumped at the sound of my voice. He quickly turned around and when his eyes fell on me he became pale.

"Y-you!" He stuttered while pointing a shaky finger at me.

"I've been looking for you three." I said in a stoic voice as I approached him. Behind him are the two men that I knocked down moments ago. It seems as if they are still knocked out, judging by how they were sprawled on the ground.

Finding them was not hard. I mean, I just needed to ask a nearby merchant if they saw a small guy dragging two unconscious men. And, in a few minutes, I had managed to track and find them.

The thug practically took a few steps back, trying to take himself as far from me as he could. "W-what do you want?" He asked in fear. "W-we're sorry for trying to rob you! S-so p-please don't kill us!"

I'm very tempted to terrorize him further. However, since I esd aware that we are possibly having a race against time, I decide to get to the point.

"I won't if you tell me where the slums that the thieves who usually sell the items they stole go." I said in a nonchalant manner.

"W-w-west!" He squeaked while pointing in a direction. "G-go west from here! J-just go there! Y-you will find it! T-then ask the people in there! They all know!"

"I see..." I slightly furrowed my brows, giving the thug a small glare. "You're not lying, are you?"

"No!" He stammered.

"I see...well, just so I know if you're lying…" I turned to Emilia who was staring at me "Can you bring out Puck-dono?"

"No need for that. I know what you tried to do."

In a flash, Puck appeared on Emilia's shoulder, the cat spirit pawing at his face as he smirked at me, almost as if he was approving my act.

"S-spirit?! T-that's a spirit?!"

If it was even possible, the thug would have become paler. Hell, he was even sweating more. The poor guy looks like he's about to piss himself.

"Yes, Puck-dono is a spirit. And if you are lying, he will curse you and your offspring." I threatened him with a pleasant smile.

"Not like you're going to have any, though. That's my opinion." Puck added with a snicker

"I-I swear I'm not lying!" The thug squeaked in a high-pitched voice. "I-I swear! I swear!"

"Right, right. We shall see to it later. Now, then..." I turned to Emilia who was staring at me and the poor guy. "We have our location, so let's go."

"Ah? Yes."

Both of us began to walk to the area that the small guy had told us about. As we were on our way, I couldn't help but begin to look around.

Watching it as an anime is one thing, but seeing it directly...wow...

I mean, they look so...real...so...touchable... I mean, it's almost like I'm watching people cosplay but for some reason, the way they dress themselves, their appearance, the way they carry themselves.

Dammit, I hate to admit it but it's so...indescribable...but not in a bad way. Instead, it's the opposite...

"Aaron?"

"Hm?" I turned to an Emilia who was looking at me. Meanwhile, Puck seems to have no intentions to hide as he was lazily resting on Emilia's shoulder, observing me. "Yes, Emilia-dono?"

"Are you from a high-class family?" She asked.

I stared at her and tilted my head a bit. "What makes you think that?"

"Well, you have this curious and regal air around you."

She must mean the way I keep on looking around. Well, curious is too light of a word for my current situation. I mean, everything around me is so unreal! I have visited places that look traditional on Earth, but all of them are tame compared to this!

And regal? Well, I guess it's because of this armor, actually. I mean, this is armor for a king, so...

"And your armor..." Emilia suddenly closed the distance between us and began to tap my pauldron and gauntlet. "They're all high quality pieces and I can sense the magic that's coming from them. The silk you wear is also soft and has been stitched in a magnificent way!" She began to caress the fabric around my waist for a moment before she took a step closer to observe my face that was covered by my hood. "And your face…you look like a person who is from nobility."

I blushed at the sudden closeness. Hey, hey, does this girl have no sense of privacy?! Well, she did similar things with Subaru, so...

"Impressive deductions." I said with a cough, trying to hide my flustered state. I took one step away from her to make some distance between us. It seems as if Puck had noticed my embarrassment as he snickered, tempting me to glare back at him but I decided that that wouldn't be too wise, so I ignored him. "Well, my family has...quite a high rank."

And it's true, I'm not meaning to be smug but I do come from a successful family. My father owns a private coal mine while my mother works as a doctor; I'm only a university student that would probably take over my father's business. Meanwhile, my little sister is still in elementary school.

As for my face...well, while I'm not bad looking, I won't call myself handsome. But I am a healthy person, obviously because of my mother who is a doctor.

"So I'm right!" Emilia seems to be very pleased to know that her guess was true. "Then what's your family name?"

I was about to answer her. However, I found myself hesitating. Wouldn't it be better if I blend in in this era? I mean, 'Natsuki' is clearly an uncommon name and 'Wilson' sounds better…but it's also quite foreign.

...

Well, I've always wanted to introduce myself using his last name.

"Pendragon." I answered. "My full name is Aaron Pendragon."

What? Don't look at me like that! It's a royal name! Hey, hey, I know some of you want to introduce yourself using that name too!

"Pendragon..." Emilia rolled the word off of her tongue and Puck seems to have perked up hearing that. His expression remained 'cute' but there was a gleam in his eyes. "I've never heard a noble family with the Pendragon name. Where do you come from?"

It's not just noble, woman, but it's also royal!

"... Well..." I turned away from Emilia and stared towards the front with a nostalgic look. "A land that's far away from here."

"You're not from Lugnica?" She showed a slightly surprised expression.

"Yes, I'm from another continent. My presence here...let's just say I got on the wrong ride."

Not entirely wrong. I never wanted to be here. Although, the ride part is not true.

"And what about you, Emilia-dono?" I asked back. "I mean, I know you're a Royal Candidate but I only heard of that because of the people that I overheard while on my way here."

"Well..." Emilia looked quite uncomfortable. However, she seems to show no signs of an intent to stop. "I...actually come from a forest. Like you have said, I'm a Half Elf, so..."

"If you're troubled then please don't speak any further." I politely interjected. "You have your privacy and I respect that. Sorry if my question is bothering you."

"Ah, y-yeah. Thanks." Emilia stuttered a bit.

There was a silence that had fallen between us as we were both walking through the crowd. The atmosphere that had been light for a moment seems to have turned awkward! Gah! What should I say to her?!

"If it helps, I do not think badly about your race." I said, trying to ease the tension.

"Eh?"

"I mean, it's obviously not your fault that you were born as a Half Elf. Such things can't be controlled. And if there are people who hate you then I think they're being stupid." I continued in a reassuring voice. "Especially if they're also demi-human themselves. They're worse; a bunch of hypocrites." And I truly meant it. A hypocrite that's related in personality may be a bit fine with me but when it talks about race? Now that's clearly something I'm not going to approve.

I caught a glimpse of Puck looking at me with one eye open. I sensed a slight approval in it while Emilia's face showed a mixture of joy and relief.

"I see...that's...very nice of you, Aaron."

"I just behave how people should." I shrugged the compliment off easily. "Those who show blatant dislike to other races because of a sin of the past should be ashamed of themselves."

You can't hide the German people because Hitler is from there. Not all of them are related to him and none of them share his opinion. They only did what they did because people made them do it...although, there are also many who did it because they have a similar mindset to Hitler.

Humans...haaah...

Then I felt a soft and furry object patting my forehead like I'm some kind of pet. I blinked before I glanced up to find a Puck that was showing a satisfied look.

"You clearly have quite a view, boy. I approve of your presence!"

I stared at the cat spirit. And for a second a feeling of dread began to fill my heart at the sudden closeness that I shared with this monster that was in the form of a cat.

Calm down, Aaron, calm down. Puck is dangerous and scary, yes, but that's only if Emilia dies or is threatened. Remember that you have a reason to be wary and fearful. However, right now he's harmless. He won't attack you, not with Emilia on your side.

"Hoo...for someone who looks like he's about to piss himself, you seem to be calming down." Puff stated with an interested voice.

Okay, this cat is really starting to get on my nerves.

"Puck, don't tease Aaron." Emilia admonished the spirit with a small look.

"Ah, lighten up, Lia. I don't think Aaron feels troubled with me above his head, right?"

As if he was emphasizing his point, the cat started to rest on my hood and I felt my eye twitch in irritation. He's clearly enjoying this, isn't he?

"I... do not mind." I responded with a slight pause "Perhaps this can make my fear of spirits lessen." I added while exhaling an amount of breath to calm my nerves.

Right. Puck is dangerous. That is absolutely undeniable. However, it doesn't mean I have to be scared of him, at least when he's in this form. He's bound to Emilia now and can only unleash his real form when their contract is broken due to the death of the Half Elf. His real form is too dangerous, even for Emilia, and there's no way he's going to harm her.

Besides...Puck is an empath and that's an annoying ability. However, being an empath doesn't mean he can know all of my intentions. For example, if you went to meet your higher-up you will feel nervous and slightly fearful since you're afraid that you had made a mistake and you have been fired, but at the same time the people who are lying are usually nervous and are also afraid of being discovered. Does that mean that the employee that is nervous and afraid is lying? No, of course not.

Puck can't detect that I'm fully lying. He's not a mind reader and as long as I keep behaving properly...

Yes...yes...as long as I stay calm...there's no need to fear him...

Yes...

"Still, why did you ask where the slums are, Aaron?" Emilia asked me.

"Because that's where the thief must be." I answered. "This is a capital city. Those who live and work here are surely 'decent' people. There's no way the thief will hide here so she must have gone to the slums." I explained to her and Puck. "Why? Because there's no way she's going to steal stuff that is unworthy. She must steal it because she wishes to sell it. However, it's obvious that stolen goods can't be sold here, so..."

"So she goes to the slums to sell my insignia." Emilia seems to have caught onto my explanation without a problem as she nodded in understanding. "Very good deduction, Aaron." She praised me and shot me an approving look.

"You have a good brain over there, boy." Puck pat my head in a praising manner. "It must be because I'm sitting on it."

I felt my left eye twitch again.

Subaru called Puck cute? He's more of a bizarre creature! Still, that's actually Subaru's idea; I just shamelessly copy-pasted it so I have no right to make any comments.

"It was just a logical conclusion. It's nothing much." I replied to the praise with a chuckle. "By the way, Puck-dono." I called the cat spirit.

"Hm?"

"If I may ask, how old are you?" I asked as I attempted to make some small talk between us to lift my nervousness.

"Ehhh? Asking about my age in our first meeting?" Puck showed a fake shocked expression. "You're very rude!"

"That only occurs for a lady. I doubt you are a female spirit, Puck-dono." I commented dryly.

"How can you say so? Am I not cute enough?"

Puck was floating in front of me and was putting on a cute and adorable look. I felt my breath hitch for a second! Gaah! Say what you want but this...this! This thing is cute! I mean! He practically looks like a kitten!

And to think his real form is the over sixty foot gigantic cat monster.

"Being cute isn't only for females, you know." I said while coughing and turning away, trying to avoid his adorable face "Besides, my instincts told me that you're a male. Am I right, Emilia-dono?"

"Well...you're right, Aaron. Puck is a male." Emilia answered with an amused smile.

The cat spirit puffed out his furry cheeks. "You're no fun, Lia." He pouted. "Well, I guess I will go back to the rock then." Huh? You're leaving? "Manifesting like this takes quite a bit of mana, you know? Don't hesitate to call me if something happens, Lia!"

I watched as the gray cat slowly became translucent before he was gone. To say I was surprised is an understatement. The reason why Puck came out is obviously because he did not trust me.

Unlike Subaru who's sincere, I'm not. I'm far from it, as a matter of fact. I'm sure the reason why he likes Subaru is because that guy is really kind and only had the best intentions for Emilia. So why is he leaving now? He must know that I'm still hiding something...

Is this a sign of trust? Why? I mean...is it my remark about Emilia's status as a hybrid? Well...if I recall correctly, I was indeed being honest about my opinion and...

I inwardly shook my head. If he began to trust me then that's good. However, I'm sure he's still suspicious but at least he knew I'm not a bad person and decided to give me a chance...or a test...

"For someone who claims to be afraid of spirits you seem to talk very well with Puck." Emilia commented. She must have noticed that addressing Puck had become easier for me.

"Puck-dono has shown no offensive or hostile behavior so far so I guess I can be reasonable." I easily said. "I may be afraid but that doesn't mean I can't be polite or try to be friendly with him."

For a moment, Emilia stared at me with an unreadable look before she slowly smiled. "You're not a bad person, Aaron."

I stared at her for a few seconds before I blinked in confusion. "Thank you?" What was that? Did I miss something? How can saying that make her consider me to not be a bad person?

"Let's go then." Emilia fastened her pace and walked in front of me. "The faster we get there, the faster we're done!"

"Well...this is clearly a very shady looking place."

I have seen the slums before. Singapore, while it is indeed a peaceful and clean nation, has a few areas that are inhabited by poor people.

However, the slums over there look like a normal place compared to this one.

Seriously. I mean, the atmosphere was far worse. Heck! The air itself seems to be very dry! It's as if we've gone into a desert after spending time in a hotel!

And the building designs...there are splinters of wood everywhere on the ground and many windows don't even have glass and are covered in rags instead. Heck, some pillars look like they're about to fall down!

This is clearly far from a good place to live... I've never gone to the slums outside of my country but...were they like this as well? Singapore is considered to be one of the cleanest nations, after all, so...

"Let's go, Emilia-dono." I called out to her as she stood at my side. "We better go search for this girl."

"Eh? But we don't know where she is." Emilia said.

"Hmm…you're right. This place is quite big as well."

"Why don't we ask some people?" She suggested.

I glanced at the silver haired woman with a stoic face for a moment. "I don't think that would be a good idea, Emilia-dono."

"Huh? Why?" She blinked and tilted her head in an adorable manner.

I had to hold back the blush that was threatening to appear on my face after seeing this. Now I know why Subaru likes her. I mean, compared to a normal girl, Emilia is clearly on a different level.

"They are people who live in hardship, Emilia-dono, while we are nobility." I answered. "I think that's enough of a reason, right?" We are rich people and they are not. If you asked a random person a question you could get scammed or even have something stolen. We live in different worlds. "Besides, I don't think they will sell out one of their own."

Hearing that, Emilia frowned, letting me see the frustration in her eyes. "Then, what should we do?"

"We ask people, but not random ones." I answered. "Let's see now..." I raised my bag and began to check what I had.

Clothes, bottles of water, my cellphone, my wallet, a portable phone charger, a book, and...Hey, you know what? There's a snack in here! Where it comes from is – ah, yes! I remember! These are the potato chips that Choji Akimichi from Naruto usually eats! I bought these and hid them in this bag because I was worried that Handy was going to steal them!

These things are expensive, you know. They were two and a half Singapore Dollars! And it's not even bigger than the largest Cheetos bag!

"Well, I wanted to eat this later but..." I muttered and shook my head. This is more important than eating a snack! A life is at stake here! It's my life, to be precise.

"What is that, Aaron?" Emilia asked.

"It's food." I answered. "Now... let's find the right guy to ask." I began to look around and quickly noticed the two children that were not far from my position. "Wait here, Emilia-dono." I said as I approached them.

"Huh? Sure."

As I drew closer to them, I could see that what seemed to be the younger child was nervous. He hid himself behind his friend – or brother, maybe – while the other one tensed, also showing that he was nervous.

I immediately gave them the best smile I could to show that I did not mean any harm. "Hello, you two." I kindly called out.

"...Umm, hello?" The older child awkwardly replied.

"There's no need to be nervous." I said with a reassuring smile. "I'm not here to do any bad things to you. As a matter of fact, I came here to give you this." I opened the snacks, allowing the smell to go into the air. I could instantly see the noses of the two kids twitch. "It's food. Here." I extended my arm and held the snacks out. However, instead of greedily taking it, I saw that they hesitated, the older boy shooting me a skeptical look. "Don't worry, they're fine. Here's the proof." I took one of the potato chips and popped it into my mouth. "See? I ate it too."

As I extended my arm out once again, the snack sitting in front of them, the children began to look at each other. The older boy slowly give an uncertain nod to his small friend – or brother – who beamed at him and happily took my snack.

"It's...it's good!" He happily squealed as he stared at the snack in wonder. "Onii-chan, this is delicious! Try it!"

Ah, so they are brothers. And of course the snack is good! I would have to sue the retailer if they weren't! They were two and a half dollars! That's enough to buy a fried rice and drink!

The older brother, seeing that his little brother was happy, didn't hesitate any longer and took the food. As soon as he ate it, he let out a pleased hum. "It's good!"

"See?!" The little brother beamed at me. "Thank you, mister!"

"You're welcome." I said gently, a smile still on my face. "What's your name? Mine is Aaron."

"I'm Samuel!" The little brother introduced himself.

"And I'm Leon." The big brother replied.

"Leon and Samuel." I give them a small nod. "They're good names." I chuckled in a good-natured manner. "Say, Leon, Samuel, can I ask you two something?"

Leon paused in chewing his food. He swallowed the food and gave me a teasing smirk. "Ah, so you're trying to bribe us, eh, sir?"

I let out a laugh and raised my hands in surrender. "You caught me." I said in a joking voice, making Samuel giggle. "Well, there's no need to worry. I just want to ask where Old Man Rom's place is."

I actually wanted to ask where Felt was. However, Felt is still young so she's probably known by many kids here and if I asked for her the children could lie or be suspicious as to why I asked about her. I mean, Felt herself is quite young so...

But if I ask for Rom, that's a different thing. I'm sure they know that Rom is not someone who you should mess with in this area, so it's better if I ask for him.

"Old Man Rom?" Leon blinked. "Why do you want to go there, mister?"

"Let's just say I want to buy something from him. You know how things are in this place. Sometimes there's good stuff."

Leon put on a thoughtful face as I said that and he also nod several times. "Yeah, Old Man Rom sometimes sells stuff that's better than the stuff in the city."

"So, do you mind if you point me in the right direction?"

"Sure! You see that road, mister?"

"Yes."

"Go there. It's a bit far, but you will reach a small wooden bridge. After that you turn right and keep going. After that there will be an open field and from there you take the second turn to the left. Keep going and the biggest house is Old Man Rom's place!"

"I see..." I nodded while rubbing my chin. "Thank you, Leon! You are very helpful!"

"You're welcome, mister!"

With that, I walked back to an Emilia that was waiting for me. I gave her a small wave and a smile. "I found the place."

"Did you ask those children?" Emilia looked over my shoulder to stare at Leon and Samuel.

"Seeing that the thief is quite young I decided to ask those children." I responded. "They would probably know if they live in the same area because these people are like that. They know each other better than the people who live in the city."

"I...see..." Emilia murmured in understanding. "And you gave them food?"

"A small payment. Always give something back to the people who help you to show your gratitude." I nonchalantly waved my hand. "So, shall we go?"

"Okay."

I gave one last look to Leon and Samuel and waved my hand at them, a gesture that they replied to with an equal response, plus a big smile from Samuel. Emelia and I resumed our walk.

Still, I'm a bit surprised that they told me the place even if I did ask the right question. I mean, I was thinking that they were going to stay away from me or run when I approached them. Maybe they would have demanded more things from me.

Maybe they're not as bad as I thought...

As I began to walk to our destination, I couldn't help but feel nervous and scared.

Why?

Because I'm going to meet Elsa Granhiert the Bowel Hunter, a crazy lunatic woman who enjoys watching someone's guts spill all over the floor. Just the thought of that has already made me feel disgusted and troubled.

And what's worse is that she also has the skills to support her deranged tastes. She's pretty good, if I recall correctly. She was even capable enough to fight against Puck. Granted that she survived because Puck's time limit ran out. However, that doesn't change the fact that she's still very dangerous.

"-ron."

She's a skilled killer, one that enters the international list. And it's not just her skills that make her good; she's also a vampire. She can heal herself even after being crushed under a building.

Coming here to face her is suicide. She's a formidable opponent, one that I surely can't beat right now. The result of our fight will be obvious.

But it will be different this time.

Unlike the time it was Subaru who had faced her, it was still the middle of the day. However, it will soon be the afternoon. That's clearly enough time, though. Puck will have more time and I'm sure he can beat her.

"-aron."

It's not just that. Unlike Subaru, I can be more helpful. I know the way Elsa fights as well. I have seen her fight against Reinhard, after all. And I'm also stronger than Subaru, which means our chance of winning is quite large. If Puck manages to freeze her in place, I will be able to chop her head off…I'll see if she can survive that.

Not to mention I will tell Felt to go call for help. She met Reinhard because he was patrolling the area and if she brings him to us then...it will be checkmate...

All I need to do is stay calm. Stay calm and play my role. Everything will be fine. Everything will be fine. Yes, yes, it will be fine.

"Aaron!"

I snapped out of my thoughts and turned to face an Emilia that was now tugging my sleeve. The silver haired girl was looking at me in concern.

"Are you okay?" She asked me. "I've been calling your name for a minute."

"I'm fine, Emilia-dono." I answered with a calm voice. "It's just... I have a bad feeling about this."

"Bad feeling?" Emilia asked, her concern now very obvious.

"Yeah...let's just say I have...some very good intuition for things like this. And while it has failed me in past, the number of times it has saved me from being in a bad situation is larger..."

I need to find a good reason for Emilia to trust me. While I admire and praise Subaru's sincerity, it led him to face many troubles. He couldn't tell Emilia about his rebirth ability and how he could know things that he shouldn't know. However, there should be a better way to tell Emilia how he could know such things.

Granted it will be hard with Puck at my side, but as long as I stay calm and rational...I'm sure I can walk a better path than the one Subaru had walked.

"Really?" Emilia asked again with a curious face.

"Yes. And I can't help but feel slightly worried about this since I have this bad feeling."

Worried is an understatement. I am about to face a deranged serial killer who can heal herself and can also be considered as a superhuman in terms of her speed and power. And it's not just that; she's experienced too. She has been killing for how long? A few years?

And I, who was originally a normal teenager that had just entered college, was going to face that kind of monster.

Yeah, it makes sense to feel worried.

"It's okay."

"Huh?" I blinked and turned to face Emilia. She was gently holding my hand.

"Everything will be okay." She smiled in a kind and reassuring manner. "Whatever's going to come, I'm sure we can get through it just fine."

...

I'm not falling for her...no, I'm being honest. I am not falling for her. It will need more than a look and some positive behavior to make me like someone. I'm quite cynical, after all. My friends say so too. However, Emilia's beauty can be considered to be that of a top model and is almost perfect to the point that she's similar to those who undergo plastic surgery. But it's still not enough.

However, to a young man like Subaru...a man who is genuine, sincere, and had always shut himself in his room, spending time on his own...well, I can see why he fell for Emilia...

Her optimism and kind attitude is...endearing. Do I dare say it was refreshing?

I raised my hand before I placed it on top of her hair, eliciting a blink from her, and then, without a word, I began to ruffle it.

"Eh? Eh? Aaron!"

Emilia squirmed as she tried to pry my hand off of her head. I did so on my own while chuckling. "Sorry, sorry. It's rude of me to be ruffling your hair like that, especially because you are lady."

Emilia began to fix her hair and shot me a small glare at the same time. "What was that for?"

"Nothing. It was for my own satisfaction." I answered with a small grin. "I find your personality and attitude to be refreshing."

It only seems to have further confused her, however, I did not elaborate and chuckled again

"Still, thank you for trying to make me feel better. You're truly a kind lady, Emilia-dono."

"Ah, it's nothing much. I'm just happy to know that you seem fine now."

That's right...I'm not alone. I almost forgot. I have Puck and Emilia on my side. I reminded myself that I'm not alone. I'm sure that if I stay calm and rational, things will be fine. In theory, I am doing better than Subaru.

"Then, let's make haste, Emilia-dono." I said to her while fastening my pace. "The sooner we finish this, the better."

"Uhm!"

Let's see. We just passed the field that Leon mentioned and we passed through the first turn as well. Which means we're supposed to go left which is this way. Then after that, we're supposed to be looking for...

"The biggest house is where the thief lives, Emilia-dono." I informed her while I began to look around.

"The biggest house?" Emilia repeated as she also looked around. "Is it some kind of base or something?" There was a slight wariness in her voice.

"No, as far as I recall there's only two people in there. However, one of them is a giant." I answered, making her eyes widen a bit. "In any case, we better stay sharp and-"

SHAKE! SHAKE!

I cut myself off when I felt something shake the ground. It was small and almost non-existent, but it was still there.

"Emilia-dono, did you-"

"Yes, I felt that too!" Emilia answered before I finished my question.

It was only for a short time and the impact wasn't big...but there was no mistake that, for a small moment, the ground was shaking.

I have a bad feeling about this.

"Emilia-dono! Let's go!" I declared as I began to run.

"Eh? Y-Yes!" Emilia also began to run and followed behind me.

This is it! The first major event that happened in Re:Zero. Stay calm, Aaron, stay calm. You can do this! You can do this!

When I finally arrived in front of Rom's house, I did not waste any more time and kicked the door open with as much strength as I could muster...