Thankfully, My Head Didn't Go Bald... Qipao Rem, Heart Racing
The next morning.
In an inn in the Royal Capital.
"...97, 98, 99, 100! Phew... finally done!"
With the last push-up completed, Natsuki Subaru stood up, unable to help but let out a sigh of relief.
Today, he wasn't wearing his iconic knight uniform, but had changed into a black casual outfit more suitable for physical training.
[Notification: Daily Quest completed, rewards have been distributed.]
[1. Status Recovery
2. Attribute Points +2
3. Random Box]
The familiar system prompt sounded in his mind.
Natsuki Subaru, accustomed to it, wiped the sweat from his forehead, feeling the abundant energy within him.
"Same as always, I'll keep the status recovery for now. Then, I'll add the attribute points to Strength..."
Natsuki Subaru muttered to himself, opened the system panel, and then unhesitatingly added the two attribute points to Strength.
The value on his vision panel jumped accordingly—Strength 114 → 116.
"Time to open the box."
Next, Natsuki Subaru rubbed his hands together and, full of anticipation, opened the random reward box.
Swish!
Resist.
A brilliant light flashed, and inside the box lay... an ordinary blue water cup.
"Hah… As expected, it's this kind of useless thing again."
Natsuki Subaru pursed his lips and helplessly tossed the blue water cup into his system inventory.
Although he had long since gotten used to the unreliability of the random boxes, he couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope every time he opened one.
Flexing his somewhat sore arms, Natsuki Subaru thought back on his training results during this period.
100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, plus a 10-kilometer run every day.
If an ordinary person were to do this set of exercises, they would probably be too tired to even crawl afterwards, but for him now, it had become a daily routine.
"Persisting with this kind of training every day, luckily my head hasn't gone bald..."
Subconsciously touching his thick black hair, Natsuki Subaru's mind conjured up the image of a certain bald hero who could destroy the world with one punch.
If the price of becoming stronger was going bald, that would be too tragic.
Thinking of this, Natsuki Subaru couldn't help but smile.
"It's not bad to get stronger step by step like this..."
After all, his way of growing was completely different from the people of this world.
Ordinary people who wanted to become stronger had to painstakingly cultivate magic and hone their physical techniques day after day, their progress slow and arduous.
But he was different!
The player system had endowed him with unlimited growth potential.
Although the daily improvement seemed insignificant, what if it accumulated for ten days, half a month, a month, or even a year?
Constant dripping wears away a stone; many grains of sand build a pagoda.
This feeling of steadily becoming stronger made Natsuki Subaru feel both grounded and excited.
"Today's daily quest is also done, next..."
Natsuki Subaru looked out the window, sunlight sprinkling on the streets of the Royal Capital, but his thoughts were interrupted by a gentle knock on the door.
Knock knock—
"Subaru, may Rem come in?"
A familiar girlish voice came from outside the door.
"Please come in." Natsuki Subaru responded with a smile.
"Subaru, you must be tired from training. Please use this to wipe your sweat."
Rem pushed the door open, holding a clean white towel in both hands, her blue eyes filled with gentle concern.
"Thank you, Rem." Natsuki Subaru took the towel and casually wiped his face.
Watching Natsuki Subaru train tirelessly every day, Rem couldn't help but say softly:
"Subaru is really working hard. Even after coming to the Royal Capital, you still maintain this habit."
"It's nothing, just daily exercise," Natsuki Subaru said with a smile, "but being praised by Rem gives me more motivation."
He couldn't possibly tell Rem that this so-called daily exercise was actually a mandatory daily quest from the system.
Failure to complete it would result in unimaginable punishment, but the rewards for success—status recovery, attribute point increases, random boxes—these bountiful rewards were irresistible.
"Rem will always be by Subaru's side, protecting Subaru."
Rem smiled faintly, looking at Natsuki Subaru and speaking softly.
"No, I should be the one protecting Rem."
Natsuki Subaru straightened his back, placed his right hand on his chest, struck a standard knightly pose, and a confident smile spread across his lips.
"Rem's hero... is the best in the world!" Rem tilted her small face upwards, her azure eyes reflecting Natsuki Subaru's upright figure, and bloomed with a radiant smile.
"Of course, as a knight, I am very strong, especially when it comes to protecting someone as important as Rem, I will become even stronger!"
Saying this, feeling the surging power within his body, Natsuki Subaru secretly assessed.
With his current physical attributes, although he hadn't actually fought her, he had probably already surpassed Rem.
Although Rem was a descendant of the Oni tribe, naturally possessing a physique and combat talent far exceeding humans, including strength, speed, and recovery ability.
However, in her non-Oni-fied state, Rem's strength was relatively ordinary, relying more on weapons and tactics.
Even so, Rem could still easily wield that massive meteor hammer, a testament to her strength.
And the true power of the Oni tribe came from the horns on their heads; by absorbing mana from the air, they could greatly enhance their physical abilities.
Unfortunately, Rem was born with only a single horn, making her strength somewhat weaker than an ordinary Oni, thus she was more adept at using magic and weapons to compensate for this gap.
Speaking of which, in the original story, it was always Rem who silently protected him.
And now, it was finally his turn to protect this lovely girl.
"Subaru?" Rem's gentle voice pulled Natsuki Subaru from his thoughts, "What are you so engrossed in thinking about?"
"Heehee..."
"Nothing special." Natsuki Subaru came back to his senses, looking at the blue-haired girl who was always worrying about him, and couldn't help but tease, "I was just thinking, I'm such a lucky man to have an Oni's help. Having Rem by my side makes me really happy."
"..." Rem was stunned for a moment, then her fair cheeks flushed a visible red, her hands clenched into fists, her eyes firm yet tinged with shyness,
"Being able to stay by Subaru's side is Rem's honor. Rem will continue to work even harder!"
"..."
A Rem who blushes so easily is, as expected, the cutest.
Watching Rem's adorable reaction, Natsuki Subaru couldn't help but smile, then, at the right moment, changed the subject:
"By the way, Rem, do you have any plans for today?"
"Yes, I need to go out and purchase daily supplies."
"That's perfect, let's go together."
"Eh, but... shouldn't you be accompanying Lady Emilia?"
"Today, Emilia is staying at the inn to discuss the Royal Selection regulations with Roswaal. She said those political topics are boring and told me to do as I please." Natsuki Subaru paused for a moment, then continued to explain, "And... compared to those dull meetings, I'd rather go shopping with Rem."
After all, it was a rare trip to the Royal Capital, so going out with Rem wouldn't be bad.
"Is that so." Rem's eyes instantly lit up, as if she had thought of something more, and she nodded lightly, "Then... Rem will go get ready. Subaru, please wait a moment..."
"No problem."
Watching Rem's hastily departing figure, Natsuki Subaru's lips unconsciously curved upwards.
In this other world, meeting a girl as gentle and considerate as Rem was perhaps his greatest fortune.
The sky was clear and vast, and the bustling streets of the Royal Capital teemed with people.
Bright sunlight灑 (sprinkled/scattered) on the stone-paved road, coating the entire commercial street in a warm golden hue.
Perhaps because of the rare good weather, there seemed to be more pedestrians than usual today.
The cries of vendors from the shops lining the street rose and fell, presenting a lively scene.
However, Natsuki Subaru was deaf to all this hustle and bustle at the moment.
Because his entire attention was firmly captivated by the blue silhouette beside him.
Today, Rem had uncharacteristically shed her usual maid attire and changed into a water-blue qipao-like dress, the silk fabric shimmering with a soft luster in the sunlight.
The tailored cut perfectly outlined her graceful figure, her slender waist barely a handful, yet supporting an alluring curve at her chest that made one's heart race.
The high slit of the skirt swayed gently with her steps, revealing glimpses of her long legs wrapped in white stockings, each step carrying an elegant rhythm.
Looking at Rem beside him, Natsuki Subaru suddenly stopped, hesitating to speak.
"What's wrong, Subaru?"
Rem tilted her head slightly, her blue short hair swaying gently with the movement, gleaming softly in the sunlight.
"Well... we're just out to buy daily necessities..." Natsuki Subaru scratched his cheek, his gaze unconsciously wandering, "Why did you specially change into such a beautiful dress?"
Although Rem in her usual maid outfit paired with white stockings was already cute enough to be against the rules, today she was like a completely different person.
An elegant, otherworldy version of a qipao perfectly outlined her exquisite figure, her long legs playing hide-and-seek.
A delicate pink-laced hair accessory adorned her blue hair, complementing her beautiful face, making her look like a beautiful young maiden who had stepped out of a painting.
"Because..." Rem's cheeks flushed faintly, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her skirt, "Subaru previously said he wanted to see Rem in casual clothes, so I changed into them today. For Rem, this is also a first."
"Uh... so that's how it is..."
Facing the gorgeously dressed Rem, Natsuki Subaru struggled to maintain a calm expression, scratching the back of his head as he spoke.
Indeed, he had mentioned at Roswaal Manor that he wanted to see Rem in casual clothes.
But he hadn't expected that seeing her in person would deliver such a visual impact, far exceeding his imagination.
As they walked, Rem inadvertently caught a glimpse of her long legs, peeking through the slit of the qipao.
Oh no, oh no, this slit height... it's definitely intentional, right?
No, no, Rem is so innocent, she probably just thinks it looks good.
"But... this is too beautiful."
At this moment, Rem was a hundred times cuter than when she wore her maid outfit, causing Natsuki Subaru's face to blush uncontrollably.
After all, Rem like this was simply too dazzling!
"Hmm?" Rem tilted her head gently, her blue hair swaying slightly with her movements, a faint smile playing on her lips, "...Your face is so red, could it be you're shy? Heehee..."
"Hey, th-this is normal!" Natsuki Subaru's old face turned red, and he forced himself to stand straight, speaking in a serious tone,
"Walking alone with such a beautiful Rem is a super difficult challenge for me. I feel like my heart is about to go into overload!"
—Damn it, Rem like this is too much of a foul!
"Pfft..." Rem couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle, her eyes curving into cute crescents, "Subaru is saying things Rem doesn't understand again."
"However... although I don't quite understand, seeing Subaru react like this makes Rem very happy."
Sunlight filtered through Rem's long eyelashes, casting fragmented shadows on her face.
In this instant, Rem's smile was so sweet it was intoxicating.
Natsuki Subaru couldn't help but stare, and even the surrounding clamor seemed to fade away, the entire world reduced to this radiantly smiling blue-haired girl before him.
"Ahem, by the way... Rem." Natsuki Subaru struggled to tear his gaze away from Rem; the qipao outlining her graceful curves made his heart race, and he quickly changed the subject. "Where should we start purchasing supplies?"
"According to the list, let's go to the general store in the central market first."
Rem stepped forward and naturally took Natsuki Subaru's arm, tilting up her delicate face. Sunlight filtered through her long eyelashes, casting fragmented shadows on her cheeks.
"Rem has already planned the most efficient route."
"Uh..." The soft, cushiony feeling from her arm made Natsuki Subaru freeze, and even his voice unconsciously rose a few pitches, "O-Okay!"
Hey, hey, isn't this a bit too close...
Natsuki Subaru wailed inwardly, feeling all the blood in his body rush to his face.
Their intimate proximity made his peripheral vision unavoidably catch Rem's delicate collarbones, and that faintly visible pair of snow-white peaks.
Hastily averting his gaze, yet while silently telling himself to calm down, Natsuki Subaru's eyes unconsciously drifted back.
Rem is really so...
"What's wrong?"
Rem tilted her head slightly, her blue hair swaying gently with her movements.
"Well..." Natsuki Subaru tried to make his voice sound normal, changing the subject, "Many people are looking at you today."
Indeed, since a moment ago, passersby had been casting admiring glances at Rem from time to time.
Having shed her maid outfit, Rem wore a light blue qipao, her blue shoulder-length hair gleaming softly in the sunlight, her entire being radiating a brilliance different from her usual self.
This was hardly surprising, as Rem was already a rare beauty to begin with.
"Eh? Is that so..." Rem blinked her eyes in confusion, her slender fingers gently tapping her chin, revealing a smile as gentle as a spring cherry blossom.
"But in Rem's eyes, I can only see Subaru. Other people's gazes don't matter to Rem at all."
"This..."
Facing Rem's sudden direct hit, Natsuki Subaru felt his heart beat so fast it was as if it would jump out of his chest.
Th-This is too direct...
As expected of Rem, it's a complete knockout...
___
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