chapter 1 part 2

The two continued the small talk as they waited for their fated encounter.

"By the way, what exactly is this insignia? I know it's really important to you, but after seeing it, I can't help but feel underwhelmed."

"You're right. It won't sell for too much, but I can't part with it. I need it if I want to fulfill my dreams."

'Dreams, huh? Is it a magical item of sorts? The gem seemed to glow when Felt had it. Or it's a sign or mark of importance. Satella does look like a noble maiden. Could it be a wedding gift?'

'Well, whatever its importance is, it shouldn't be my problem. All I need to know is that it's important, and the pretty girl needs it back.'

"After this is over, what do you plan to do?"

"I visited the capital with my sponsor's maid. We got separated before my insignia was stolen. Once I get it back, I must return to my sponsor's estate."

"Ho~, does that mean you're a noble of sorts? You do look well dressed and skilled with magic."

"I'm not rea~lly sure how my status ranks, but it's something akin to nobility."

'Ah, transported to a new world, and the first quest I get is to help a noblewoman find her stolen item. Such a typical story trope.'

'Well, it's getting dark. I'll have to learn how this world functions to live in it. Hopefully, Satella can tell me the nearest inn after all this. I've done this once before. I can do it all again.'

"Ha! That must be my buyer! Coming right up!" Felt shouted.

The blonde thief ran towards the door, vibrating in excitement. Her days in the slums were ending! This was the best job offer she took.

She opened the door with her bright smile and excited footsteps to meet the guest. An attack was the last thing she expected.

*CLANG, PSHHhhh*

"Ora, ora. No one has ever parried my blade with magic before. Alas, I'll have to leave no witnesses with the half-devil here."

Standing before Felt was a tall endowed woman wearing a revealing dress and fur cloak. Her right hand was covered in blood as a stone cannon had hit the ricasso of her Kukkuri-like dagger.

Before Felt could greet her buyer, Rudeus had foreseen the woman's betrayal. His Demon Eye saw a future where the young blonde was lying on the floor, bleeding to death. He instinctively shot a stone cannon at the precise location of her swing to save the young girl's life.

Felt fell on her butt and began scootching back before running behind the bar counter. She felt an emotion she hasn't felt in a long time, fear. Why did everything go wrong? This woman was supposed to be her ticket out of there. This was supposed to be the end and a new start. Would her client kill her? Would the girl, from whom she'd stolen from, and the boy help her?

"There's a first time for everything. I assume you're the buyer Felt talked about?" Rudeus asked.

Rudeus, Satella, and old man Rom prepared for battle the moment he parried the attack. Rudeus pointed his staff at the naked assassin, and Rom took out his club behind the counter. Satella summoned six ice crystals around her. Felt was cowering behind Rom. She didn't ask for this shit. She was a thief, not a fighter.

"I can't say the feeling is pleasant, but I'll make do after I dissect your wonderful bowels. Especially the Elf there. I wonder how different your entrails will be!"

"Halt villain! Don't think you can get away after attacking a young girl! Puck!" Satella shouted.

The great spirit manifested above the half-Elf's head with his own set of ice crystals.

"I see you're enchanted by my daughter, but I won't let you near her." Puck declared coldly.

The curvy attacker didn't bat an eye at the potential one versus five. Actually, she seemed even more excited as Puck entered the fight.

"Hoo~. I've never cut open a spirit before. This job is only getting better and better!"

"Hey! Don't pick on the little girl. Don't go walking around kicking little girls, you little sadist. Felt's doing the best she could given her circumstances. Do you realize how terrible it feels to be bullied? Well, I do, and it's nothing good! You should value life more!"

Rudeus preached as he pointed at their opponent. He seemed genuinely incensed by the woman. Though, no one seemed to understand what he was talking about.

"What could you be talking about?" The woman asked.

"I'm in the process of denouncing the evil and hate of this world with brimming justice and chivalry I never knew I had. What I consider unjust is you in this situation, and... NOW GIVE HER HELL PUCK!"

"Despite your looks, you're pretty good with speeches, huh?"

After Rudeus' distraction, Puck conjured a hundred more ice crystals and fired toward the woman. Usually, Puck wouldn't have the mana to fight at this time, but thanks to Rudeus' mana, he had more than enough to cast a few strong spells.

"We still need to introduce ourselves, don't we? My name is Puck. Remember it after you die!"

*Wind Bind*

As Puck fired her ice crystals, Rudeus cast a binding spell to hold the woman in place. Realizing her predicament, she covered her body with her cloak as she erupted into an explosion of icy white mist.

"Did that get her!" Shouted old man Rom

"Don't raise a flag!" Rudeus shouted.

A grounded iceberg appeared as the shattered icy particles settled. What should have instantly killed their assailant glowed bright white and then crashed to pieces.

"One should always be prepared."

With her words, the woman broke out of her ice prison. She twirled her dagger and sprinted across the shop towards Satella. Her cloak vanished into thin air, revealing its purpose as a magical shield of sorts.

"Don't underestimate a spirit arts user!"

Satella conjured an ice barrier to block her strike. Puck continued to rain down heavy artillery from the ceiling.

"For a girl, you're well-versed in fighting!" The spirit taunted.

"Ara? It's been so long since someone took me for a simple girl." Elsa replied.

She cartwheeled away from the spirit mage duo, dodging and weaving through the barrage of ice crystals. As she reached the far end of the tavern, she was stuck in place as a crystal had stricken her foot, cementing her in place.

"I wasn't just randomly throwing those around."

"Could it be I've been defeated?!"

"Goodnight!"

With the combined force of Puck and Satella, their hands shimmered a bright bluest light. Despite having no knowledge of the magic of this world, even Rudeus understood the magnitude of their attack. He presumed it was at least Saint tier, perhaps even Imperial.

A continuous pillar of ice shot from Satella. The assassin looked straight at the icy death, showing no fear. She leaped from its trajectory at the last second and landed on the ice sculpture. Crimson life fluids dripped over the ice wall as she cut her foot off to free herself.

"That felt wonderful! I truly thought I was going to die there."

The gruesome sight of a dismembered body part penetrated everyone present. The cut was jagged with tattered flesh and bone sticking out of the limb and woman. No one had to see a sight so gruesome.

"Even for a girl, I don't find that sort of thing impressive," Puck commented.

"Puck, can you keep going?" Satella whispered.

"Sorry, I'm exhausted. My mana's gone, so I'll disappear in a bit. I underestimated her..."

"Rudeus and I will take care of things so you can rest. Thank you."

"If anything happens to you, I'll act according to our contract. Call me out, even if you must squeeze out my Od."

With those last words, Puck vanished from sight to rest after a hard day's work. It was getting dark outside.

"You're going away?" She disappointedly asked.

She tore off an icicle and attached it to her foot, making a temporary prosthetic.

"Yes, this will have to do."

After tapping her newly made foot, she dashed towards Satella and continued her barrage.

Satella conjured two different ice shields to block each attack. The woman spun around the girl attacking from all angles.

When she found an opening to strike, Rudeus shot stone cannons to cover her elven friend. His Demon eye allowed him to predict her attacks after all.

Yet, the woman was faster. Even with the combined combo of two mages, The assassin sped up, leaping, swinging, and dodging faster and faster. Soon, she was barely visible to the naked eye and landed a spinning kick on Satella, launching her towards Rudeus to catch her fall.

"Here I come!"

With a hearty shout, the giant entered the battle with his giant club, allowing Rudeus to chant a quick healing spell on Satella.

"Felt! You should run while we hold her off. You should take this chance to get out of here."

"What? No! I'm leaving old man Rom. Even you. You saved my life there, so I owe it to stay here and fight!"

"Listen to me, Felt! This isn't the time to argue. You don't look like a fighter, so I doubt you can be much help. You're our youngest, so grab your chance and get out of here!"

"But, what about you? I can't just leave you all!"

"We'll be fine. You said this deal would get you out of here, right? And here, take this. Take this and make a new life out of it."

Rudeus handed the flawless emerald to Felt. She tried to refuse it, but Rudeus wouldn't have it.

"Life is important, Felt! You only get one shot at it, so grab at your one chance and run like hell!"

Rudeus desperately shouted to the girl to save herself. Despite his earlier claims, he knew his limits as a fighter. The assassin was fast. To Rudeus, she seemed faster than Ruijerd himself. He knew his chances to live were slim without cover or space to distance himself.

'I've already lived two lives. The best I can do is to get everyone out of here.'

"But-"

"No buts. I'll make an opening, and you run with your tail between your legs!"

With his pep talk finished and a newly healed and conscious Satella, Rudeus stood up to help the whirl of a giant, swinging wildly at the assassin.

"I'll smash you to pieces!" The giant shouted.

He swung faster and harder, each swing accompanied by a tired grunt. The assassin weaved through his attacks like butter. She was just chilling, waiting for an opening.

*Wind Blast*

The sudden blast of air knocked the woman off balance, allowing the Rom's swing to connect. The assassin twirled in the air, using the momentum of his swing to jump up and land on his still-moving club.

"I was worried for a moment, but you're too slow to catch up."

Indeed, her speed was near sonic as she swung down on the giant's head to split it in two.

While the others couldn't see the woman's movement, Felt activated her Blessing of the Wind. It propelled her speed and cognition tenfold, enough to notice the woman's downward strike.

"Not gonna happen!"

She threw her dagger at the woman, knocking the deadly strike away. However, the force wasn't enough to disarm it as her dagger still sliced the giant's shoulder open.

"Old man Rom!" Felt shouted.

Spurts of blood erupted from the wound. The damage was fatal. If left alone, Rom surely would die. With the sudden blood loss, the giant fell flat on the ground, losing consciousness.

"You little girl. You have neither the strength nor the resolve to fight. You should have hidden in a corner and hoped I forgot about you." The assassin taunted.

She dashed towards the defenseless blonde, ready to carve her in half. Rudeus grabbed Felt's arm and lept aside to dodge. The assassin continued her onslaught, only to avoid a barrage of ice crystals fired by Satella.

The two continued their skirmish, each showing no sign of giving up. With each swing, Satella conjured a shield to counter. With each ice crystal, the assassin dodged or struck it out of the air.

"Alright, we aren't looking too good with the man down. Now's your chance. I'll distract her long enough for you to escape."

"But I can't leave Rom alone!"

"Don't think we're just helpless fools. We'll stop that woman and heal the giant before you know it. Trust me."

Rudeus smiled at the distressed girl. He wanted everyone to survive, but with their main tank gone, the odds of survival were low. His words seemed to reach the girl as she wordlessly nodded while shedding a tear. After confirming his intent with the girl, Rudues lept towards the assassin and fired three explosive stone bullets. Had she paid attention, the woman would have dodged all three, but with her attention focused on the half-Elf's icicles, she could only avoid the first two, then parry the third.

With a blast of red flashes, the explosive stone bullet imploded on the woman's strike, knocking the assassin to the wall.

"Now's your chance! GO!" Rudeus shouted.

With a slight grimace and tears running in her eyes, Felt dashed towards the door at full speed, following the boy's promise that saved her life.

"You okay, Satella?"

"Mhm, I'm handy-dandy."

"Who even says that these days..."

With the two mages reunited, they faced the crumbled wall for the knocked-out assassin. As the dust settled, a large crater with splintered wood jutting from all angles revealed the killer was still alive. Her right arm was torn to shreds from the explosion. The bottom half of her hand had chunks of meat and bone. Loosely connected skin held together her two bottom fingers. Her forearm was covered with bubbling flesh and severe burns from direct contact with the explosion. Yet, her expression showed no sign of discomfort.

"Stay down, and we won't hurt you anymore." Rudeus commanded.

Despite his authoritative tone, Rudeus was quite scared. Despite his fights against majestic beasts more powerful than an assassin, he had little experience fighting people outside mock duels. Even against the vilest people, Rudeus didn't want to kill a living person.

"Ara ara. I haven't felt this much pain in so long. How exciting!"

Her wide smile held strong as she revealed her broken arm, knitting itself together. The instant regeneration shook Rudeus to his core. He knew his capabilities as an intermediate healer. The killer's healing factor was several times stronger than any healing spell he had ever cast. He guessed it was on par with the healing magic Orsted used to repair his chest after his fight with the legendary Dragon God.

Orsted still terrified the young mage. The mere thought of facing another monster with abilities even close to Orsted's strength was...

'This woman is nuts! I could run now if I cast Deep Mist...

He looked to his right to see a tired Elven girl panting with each breath from the exhaustion of her lengthy fight. Despite all the punishment she took dueling the sadist, she still held firm to live, fighting tooth and nail for survival. That strength and resolve to fight things through that clawing grip on what little life she had triggered something inside the frightened boy.

'She's working so hard to fight her. None of this was her fault, but she's struggling to move forward. Is that what it looks like to take life seriously?'

"Would you look at that?" The assassin commented as she brandished her newly healed arm.

'All this time, I've deluded myself into living seriously. I thought I had put in my all, but it amounted to nothing. Paul, Roxy, Ruijerd, and even Eris. They put their lives on the line. They kept struggling and moved forward while I was busy playing Adventurer.'

"I'd prefer you didn't look at me so intently. Present your bowels so I can get them already!"

'If this is what it means to live seriously, then I won't run. I'll fight till the end.'

"And I will get the good ending!"

*Wind Bind, Stone Canon*

As the sadistic woman hurled her blade toward the duo, invisible gusts wrapped around her body. Her lunge halted before the boy and was met with a speeding stone dartling at her torso.

With a swing of her daggers, she sliced the stone in half and disentangled the bind's grips. She tried to leap forward but was only stopped by three icicles stabbing her throbbing side.

Satella had repositioned to her flank, making a crossfire between him and Rudeus. The couple sent barrages of stone and ice at the manic murderer, keeping their distance at bay.

*Stone Canon, Wind Blast, Earth Lance*

Stone Canon to deal lethal damage, Wind Blast for crowd control, and Earth Lance to maintain distance between him and the killer woman. Rudeus repeatedly used the three spells in succession. Despite his rigorous training, Rudeus' physical strength and speed were nothing compared to the superhumans he faced now and before. To compensate, combining wind and earth magic allowed him to reposition and dodge incoming attacks.

The three continued their fight with no party showing signs of buckling up. While Rudeus and Satella managed to hit solid hits with their spells, the woman would smile manically as her wounds stitched together.

'*Pant, pant* How are you holding up?" Rudeus asked.

"I haven't fought like this in a while, but I think I'm still good." Satella replied.

'This woman is nuts. We'll lose if we go on like this. Eventually, Satella and I will run out of mana while our crazed killer shows no signs of wearing down. I need to make a play to stop her right in her tracks. Should I throw out a firework and hope some knight sees it? No, it's getting late, and I doubt any knights would patrol here. Even if someone does notice, they won't make it in time. We need to finish this on our own.'

"Hey, I'm going to try something. We can't keep up with her. Form a shield around yourself and the old man when I signal."

"Alright, I don't know what you'll do, but I trust you."

'Okay, I've only used this spell once before, and I'm sure it's strong enough to blow the entire city away if I put all my mana behind it. I'll have to be careful, or else I'll take out everyone here.'

With his new plan set, Rudeus retreated to a corner, leaving Satella as a distraction.

'First, I'll make some cover just in case.'

*Earth Fortress*

The wooden ground shattered as his earthen spell woven the underground soil to form a protective shell around his body. He clawed at his remaining mana supply, limiting his mana output toward the spell.

*Nuclear Explosion*

Within half a second, a glowing orb of raging flame raged on the palm of his hands. As he fed more mana towards the spell, its color changed from bright red to yellow, blue, white, then finally purple.

This was the spell Rudeus used years ago against the Dragon God Orsted. Without Orsted's Dragon Wyrm Gate, the explosion would have destroyed the entire cliffside, removing Orsted, Nanhoshi, and the Dead End gang. Its full capabilities used now would be suicide. Rudeus knew this, so he ensured to limit the spell significantly. Just enough to vapourize the woman and her surroundings. The Loot House would be destroyed, but that's a problem for another day.

"NOW!"

Rudeus' gut-wrenching scream permeated the Loot House interior. Knowing whatever plans he concocted, Satella jumped and formed an ice barrier in one motion, covering her and the giant bleeding out on the floor. The assassin looked confused. Just what was that brown-haired mage planning?

After confirming the safety of Satella and old man Rom, he released his grip on the weakened force of destruction. It flew through the air rapidly and detonated right at the woman's feet.

*BOOOOOOM CRAAAAAASSSHH*

"AHHHHHHHHH."

"*Cough, cough* Satella! Rom!"

Rudeus woke up from the aftermath. The dust had yet to settle. He couldn't make heads or tails of the sight before him. He rubbed his eyes and called out for his friend and patient.

'Oh god. I might have overdone that. I cut the mana by a tenth, and it still managed to knock my Stone Fortress. I hope Satella and the giant are okay. Where are they? I can't see through the dust, dammit!'

"I'm fine! *cough cough*. Rom-san is fine too."

A pool of terror within Rudeus' stomach dissolved as he heard the angelic bell-like voice of his half-Elf friend. He ran towards her voice and found Satella healing the old man on the ground. Despite the carnage wrought by his spell, both seemed relatively fine, with only minor bruises and burns. Of course, minus Rom's deep shoulder wound.

"That was some rea~lly impressive magic. I've only seen two other mages with stronger spells like that."

"Ha, ha. Is that so? It's like a trump card, so I don't use it that often." He meekly replied.

'Indeed, considering how devastating it was, you can't use it other than as a last resort.'

"How's the giant doing?"

"The cut is deep, but he should be fine if I keep my healing going."

Rudeus only smiled in satisfaction after fighting tooth and nail at his slim chance at survival. He saved everyone he wanted to save and stopped the evil assassin from hurting anyone anymore. He got the good ending.

Speaking of assassins, nothing was left of the woman that assaulted them just ten minutes ago. Did the blast knock her away? Or did the spell instantly vaporize her on the spot? Truth be told, Rudeus didn't want to know the answer, and neither did he care that much.

'So, this is what it feels like to truly live seriously? It's... not a bad feeling. After we heal the man, we find that Felt girl and ask for her insignia back. We did save her life after all, and I did give her that flawless emerald. She'll be able to get out of this shit hole with that. I'll ask Satella a nearby Inn, and perhaps her address and maybe a kiss on the cheek too, then head-'

*Crack, rustle, rustle*

Before he could finish his thoughts, the rubble toppling over caught his attention. He turned to see the crazed woman still alive, sprinting towards him at supersonic speed. His Demon Eye was not enough to react in time to the crazed sprint, as she was too close for Rudeus to cast a spell. He watched in slow-motion as her daggers inched closer and closer toward his abdomen.

"That's enough!"

An authoritative voice echoed the partially destroyed Loot House. With a crash from the ceiling, an elegantly dressed man with flaming red hair appeared between Rudeus and the assassin, blocking the attack with his bare hands.

The woman backflipped several times, creating distance from the stranger that appeared out of nowhere.

"Reinhard-sama?"

"I'm sorry for being late. You did well holding her off. I'll handle things from here."

Rudeus had only met the man a few hours ago. Even then, it was more of a passing acquaintance. He couldn't possibly know Reinhard's strength or proficiency with the blade, yet for some reason, deep within his heart, he felt at ease at the redhead's introduction.

"A-alright, we'll focus on healing the man. Be careful, though. She's crazy strong and can heal!"

Rudeus scurried towards old man Rom and Satella, diligently healing the giant. If Reinhard said he could handle things, then Reinhard could take things.

"Hoh~, I'm blessed with the presence of the sword saint? This day couldn't get any better."

"Black hair, black dress, and twin daggers, you must be the infamous "Bowel Hunter"."

"Ora ora, You know me? I'm flattered to be known by the great Sword Saint."

The Bowel Hunter took a fighting stance as she faced the Sword Saint head-on. Despite her disadvantage, tired from fighting Rudeus and Satella, she looked just as manic and sounded just as excited as before.

"Your opponent will be me, Reinhard, Van Astrea. The Sword Saint."

'Hah? He's just a sword saint? Sure, that's impressive, but that bitch is clearly at King or Emporer level. She'll gut him in two before he knows it!'

'Ah, no, wait, this isn't the world I come from. Their ranks might be a bit different. At least Elsa seems excited to fight him. No matter, I'll have to support him if things go bad.'

"Hmm. Say, will you not be using your sword? I've always wanted to taste its legendary sharpness."

"The Dragon Sword, Reid, is quite picky. The fact that it hasn't left its sheath means you're not worthy of an opponent."

"Instead, I'll face you with this."

Reinhard picked up an old sword belonging to the Loot House. The moment he gripped the old swords, it shined brightly as the years of degradation seemingly vanished to show his reflection on the blade.

"I can't say I'm not disappointed, but this will have to do."

Elsa dashed towards Reinhard at inhuman speeds as her words left her mouth. She was much faster than before her fight with the mage duo. Reinhard didn't seem to care as he perfectly deflected each strike without moving a single step from his position.

*Clang, Clink, Tang*

The sound of steel cashing with each parry reverberated through the roofless building.

'The way he's deflecting all her attacks, he's gotta be at least King level in Watergod Style. Could Reinhard be a powerful swordsman in this world?' Is that what Sword Saint meant in this world?'

"He's only blocking. Why isn't he fighting back?"

"It's because of me. We both draw mana from around us. As long as I need to heal him, Reinhard-sama won't be able to go all out. I'll give you a signal once he's fully healed." Satella replied.

'So even that isn't him at full strength? How strong can this guy be?'

The two continued to dance with their blades. One leaped all over the halls while the other planted on the ground. It was the fight between a fly and a truck.

"Alright, there, I'm done with my healing."

"I don't know what's happening, but do your thing, Reinhard!"

Reinhard smiled at Rudeus' words. As a knight of the kingdom, it was his duty to protect the citizens of Lugunica. How could he ignore the cries of a friend in need? With the healing magic finished, he began drawing ambient mana to finish the fight.

"Oh~Ho. Are you finally taking me seriously? I haven't ever had the chance to be struck down by the Sword Saint himself. What will you show me now?"

"The Swordplay of the Astrea family."

Reinhard sucked the ambient mana dry, channeling all the energy through his blade. Despite its typical invisible nature, you could practically see the raw power of the legendary swordsman.

Elsa smiled as brightly as ever and took her typical double-dagger attack stance.

"Elsa Granhiert." She proclaimed.

"Reinhard, Van Astrea." He replied in kind.

With their courteous declarations finished, Reinhard released the energy built up for his final blow. He released the pent-up energy with a downward strike, splitting the Loot House, the clouds, and Elsa. His blade illuminated brighter than ever before. The world lost its color as Reinhard's sword shined bright blue. The resulting explosion was just as strong, if not stronger, than Rudeus'.

As Rudeus opened his eyes, he was met with a wholly annihilated Loot House. None of its walls, furniture, or displayed items survived the attack as they all piled trash and rubble.

"I thought you were a swordsman, not a suicide bomber!" He shouted in surprise.

"Even if it's from you, that still hurts my feelings, Rudeus." Reinhard cheerfully replied.

The sword Reinhard borrowed was full of cracks and chips. Soon enough, the blade disintegrated into a pile of ash and flew out of his hands on the cold night breeze.

"I'm sorry for pushing you too hard. Rest well."

Rudeus stood up from the carnage and searched for the Bowel Hunter. Both his eyes and Demon Eye claimed she was gone for good. Though, It didn't hurt to be thorough.

"All this from a single sword strike? You're something else, huh?"

"Is it all over now?" Satella asked.

Standing up to meet Rudeus and Reinhard, she held her head, tripped over, and was caught by Rudeus. The constant battle and her healing magic drained her to exhaustion.

"Somehow, yeah. We made it in the end." Rudeus softly replied.

"Oh, thank you, Reinhard, for saving us. We couldn't have managed without your help. I'm guessing you heard my cries for help, friend!"

"I certainly would be proud if that were the case, friend. Though, a certain blonde child led me here. And an enormous explosion, of course."

Rudeus could only scratch the back of his head as his Nuclear Explosion was mentioned.

"He, he. Sorry about that. It was supposed to be my last resort to stop her, but it wasn't enough. So it was Felt who brought her here, huh? I guess we owe each other now."

Reinhard turned around to see Felt hiding behind a remaining pillar.

"She desperately ran around the streets and asked for my help."

"That's..." Satella commented.

"Now, hold on... We might not have made it if she didn't bring Reinhard-san with her. Just look at her scared face. Let's call things even and skip the ice-statue punishment." Rudeus begged.

"I... I wouldn't do anything so cruel. I just wanted to-"

*Crack*

"Rudeus!"

"Oh?"

Behind the pile of rubble, Elsa tore through the demolished building. Her smile was nowhere to be found. She looked annoyed for the first time since the fight with Rudeus and Satella. Squeezing every bit of strength, she dashed towards Satella with her last remaining dagger.

Reinhard ran towards her to intercept, but he was too far. He wouldn't make it in time to save them. All this effort, only to stumble at the end. What a horrible monster he is.

Rudeus reacted to it as well. His Demon Eye told him she aimed at Satella rather than himself.

*Stone Wall*

The rising stone successfully blocked Elsa's strike, preventing her further progression.

"He got in my way again!" She angrily spat.

Reinhard jumped between them with his hands, ready to apprehend the assassin.

"That's enough, Elsa!"

"Soon enough, I'll disembowel everyone here. Until then, keep your guts safe for me."

Elsa leapt out of the destroyed tavern and vanished under the moonlight.

Everyone else sighed in relief as the horrible terror was no longer in sight. Surely she wouldn't dare attack them again, right?

"Well, that's that, I guess. The place is destroyed, but we all made it out alive." Rudeus said.

"Ah! I have just saved you from a terrible assassin. Are we okay with that?" He continued.

"Okay?" Satella asked in confusion. She had never heard of such a word before. The boy's antics didn't help as he held both hands to the sky and waved them around.

"It means, 'Are we clear on that'. So... Okay?"

"Umm, Okay."

"I- your rescuer, am the one who saved your life. Wouldn't that mean you should pay me in kind?"

From the words of the strange boy she accompanied, Satella felt immense disappointment and betrayal. She once thought she had made a good friend, but no. People show their true colors when money is involved. He didn't follow her to be friends. He followed her to be rewarded. She would get this over with and return to the manor.

"Yes, yes, you're right. If it's within my power, I will grant it." She dejectedly spat out.

"In that case!"

With a swift twirl, he pointed his hands toward Satella, snapped his fingers, and said.

"Then please, tell me your real name."

"Ehh?"

Hearing the boy's simple request, Satella was surprised that he just wanted to know her better. Of course, he would know she used a fake name.

'What a dunderhead you are, Emilia!' she thought.

With her right hand on her mouth, covering her bright smile, the girl replied in joy that she didn't lose her good friend after all.

"Emilia. Just Emilia. Thank you for saving me, Rudeus."

Her silver hair shimmered under the moonlight. Those amethyst eyes only highlighted the accented shadows around her. She truly looked like the pinnacle of beauty to Rudeus' mind.

Rudeus could only smile at the sight. Even if he couldn't enjoy women, he could appreciate beauty when he saw it.

'All that hard work, just to learn her name... Talk about an unequal exchange.'

"You're welcome, Emilia. I had a lot of fun tagging along today. Say... you wouldn't happen to know an inn I could staa-"

"Rudeus. Rudeus!"

Before the boy could finish his question, he fell on his back from the physical and mental exhaustion of the battle, leaving Reinhard and Emilia calling out in worry.

"Rudeus. Rudeus! Are you hurt? Did she manage to hurt you?"

'Even when she panics, she's pretty cute, huh? That's half-Elves for you.'

With those final thoughts, Rudeus let the darkness take over as he fell unconscious.