Subaru's a simp.

"That's enou..." The newcomer trailed off when she arrived and saw the result of the recent fight.

The person in question was quite a sight to behold. Indeed, With her hair as silver as the moon's ray on a cloudless night. And With her big, clear purple-blue eyes like amethyst meticulously choosen for their purity. As well as her snow like complexion as if she was kept from being subjected to the sun's rays all her life. The word most appropriate to describe her, and the word Julian himself was thinking of right now, would be innocence.

As Julian was thinking about all kind of things and Subaru was a blushing mess. The girl pointed a finger at them and demanded. "Not minding what you did to these poor men. I'll leave you a chance. I ask you to kindly give back what you stole."

Julian shrugged off her accusation and put one hand in his pocket. "Jumping to conclusion quite quickly, aren't we?"

Bringing his free hand before him, Julian lifted one of his finger and smiled lightly. "Firstly, it was these men that wanted to rob us and attacked first, we just responded in kind. I mean, look at them... Don't they completely look like bad guys?" He tilted his head toward the three unconscious men.

He then lifted a second finger. "Secondly, we didn't stole anything. But we saw a quite suspicious individual passing by just then, should be the one your searching for. Isn't that right Subaru?" Elbowing the ligthly dazed subaru, Julian asked.

"Eh? Oh. Yeah, you're totally right. We totally didn't stole anything."

Whispering the next part, he leaned toward Julian and asked him. "I mean, you didn't stole anything right?"

With a dead serious face, Julian gazed at Subaru. "No, If I stole something. There would be nobody knowing of its existence remaining in this world."

"Uwah, don't say that. It's scary." Subaru grimaced.

Afterward glancing at the pondering girl before them and blushing a bit, he whispered again to Julian. "Say, isn't she super cute? You think she's an elf or something?"

Taking a look himself at the silver haired girl, Julian had to agree. "Indeed, she is. As for if she's a elf or not, depend on the world setting."

Julian was genuinely thinking the first part. As even if she wasn't as sexy or curvaceous as the girls he had met as of yet in his home world. She was definitely as beautiful, or even more than them. And there was something more about her. A sort of natural aura that made you want to protect her. Or maybe not even an aura, just a natural feeling birthed out of her behavior and disposition.

And despite the impression he could give, Julian wasn't actually totally insensible to beauty. It was just that his standard were screwed since he first met Kass and saw her impossibly gorgeous appearance.

In the end, this situation reminded Julian once again that meeting someone through a screen and in person was literally world apart in term of experience.

"Mmh, they don't seem to be lying. What do you think, Puck?"

"They're not lying, I don't sense any malicious intention. But I don't like that guy." A miniature white cat with blue eyes standing on its hindlegs materialized on one of the girl's shoulder and pointed at Julian.

Julian gazed weirdly at the little mascot who he knew to be one of the strongest being in this world. But before he could say anything, Subaru came to his rescue.

"Uh, you don't like Julian? Why? He's a chill dude... Subaru certified!" Subaru made a thumb up.

The little cat, as for him. Eyed Julian from up to bottom and put a paw under its jaw in complentation. "He's too handsome... And he smells weird. You shouldn't stay too much around him." The cat, apparently named puck, added for the girl. Making the later furrow her brows in confusion.

While Julian contemplated on the feeling of being critiqued for his handsomness, he was betrayed by a sighing Subaru. "I'm with you on this point. I mean, why is life so unfair? Aren't we both supposed to be isekai protagonists? So why is his charisma stat so much higher than mine."

At that, Julian just threw a nonplussed gaze at Subaru and defended himself. "Oh, sorry for being born so god damn handsome I guess?" He sighed and shook his head.

Now looking at the furry thing, Julian took an humble expression and used his trump card. "But I think you're exagerating... As if I'm considered as too handsome, then what could you mister possibly be described as? Indeed, as you are much more handsome than my humble self, then I'm afraid our vocabulary to be too limited to explain your magnificience in words."

That's right! BOOT LICKING!

It was his ultimate trump card to get out of tricky situations. He was exposed so much to it in his first life that it involuntarily and unfortunately appeared in his repertoire of skills one day.

Julian waited in tension as his and Puck gaze clashed in a conflict of... He had no idea.

But it seem like he won, as the furry cat looked away and told the purple eyed girl. "Nevermind, he seems like a good enough guy. I take back what I said, you can stay as much as you want around him."

It was a shame he had no glasses, but Julian said it anyway with a devious smile. "All according to Keikaku."

Ignoring the gaping Subaru beside him, Julian wasn't really sure how to procceed with the girl just looking lost. It seemed she had the initiative, and then she lost it. And she didn't know what to do anymore. So he decided to help her a little. "So, weren't you like really in a hurry to get back a stolen item?"

The girl, finally remembering her initial purpose, almost faceplamed herself but decided against it. "You're right, I shouldn't waste anymore time."

Beginning to run, she faltered in her stride just a few steps in.

Stopping completely, her expression faltered for a moment before becoming determined. "But, I can't possibly let these men here like that. Those two looks fine, but this one seemed in a critical state." Crouching before Julian's recent vict- opponent, she uttered.

And indeed, even if his head injury wasn't exactly life threatening. It would become so if it was left unatended for too long, mainly because of infection.

Julian, at this display, shook his head. He knew it was coming. The trait that made Subaru fall so hard for her in canon. Selfless kindness.

He wasn't judging, as it was actually a good trait to have for good karma, even if 'sinners' weren't worth much on the karmic scale.

Still, it was a thing to help people whenever you could. And another to put them before yourself.

So, scratching his head, Julian slowly stepped toward her and at the same time inspected the head injury of the thug with more care than before.

"It's no use, if you don't have something to clean the wound and stop the blood from flowing. Then there's nothing you can do."

"But, we can't just leave him here. What if he die?" The elven looking girl protested.

And even Subaru seemed to agree, looking quite uncomfortable, he added. "Yeah, we can't just let him die like that. I mean, I know he attacked us first. But still..."

Julian, having already raised a brow at the 'we' part. Downright frown at Subaru's words.

He initially wanted to protest, but in the end he decided against it. Subaru's modern morals wouldn't last long in this world anyway.

So, in the end. Julian just sighed and asked to the main heroine of the show this world was based around. "Fine, 'we' will help you save him, as you seem pretty clueless on what to do. But only if you let us hang around you for the duration of your search."

"I accept." The girl immediatly agreed to the request without a second thought.

This almost made Julian smile, as one might think she was just being naive. But he knew not to be fooled. As she was quite strong individual, and her mascot like cat was even more so. She probably thought that her safety was assured.

And indeed, Subaru was thinking exactly that. Making an O with his mouth and sending a secret thumb up in Julian's direction. "So easy!?"

As for Puck, he was just lying lazily on the young woman's shoulder. Not really caring about the current happening. In fact, he seemed strangely quite satisfied by them.

"How are you going to save him?"

Julian thought about it for about a second before smirking. "Just watch... You should watch too." He patted Subaru's shoulder.

Grabbing the target that need saving by the colar and dragging him to a side wall. He made his back and head leans against it and brought the other two unconscious thugs beside him but let them lays on the ground.

Picking up both of the daggers on the ground, Julian barely hesitated before making some superficial cuts on the knocked out lackeys skin. Afterward putting one knife in the actual owner hand, Julian threw the other knife in the dirt a distance away after cutting off a finger of the bulkier thug.

Julian then turned himself toward his distraught public and rolled his eyes at them. "Oye, don't look at me like that. They will not die of blood loss nor did they even felt the pain."

He showed the scene behind him with one arm and explained. "But now, with this set up. We just have to inform a guard of our tumbling into what was probably the aftermath of an internal conflict and boom. Mine and Subaru involvement in the fight will be muddled and these guys will be taken care of. One stone two birds really."

Seeing how Subaru and their new guide wasn't making any move. Julian facepalmed. "Are you really both adults? Because it feel like I'm babysitting some children right now." Why was everyone he was meeting in fictional world so noob.

Oh right, they weren't reincarnator.

"I'm not a child. I didn't even need your help in the first place. Both of you, follow me. I know where the closest guard post is." Stomping one of her foot. The woman-child stormed off with a cold harrumph and a pout.

Both Julian and Subaru met eyes for a moment before the former smiled cunningly and the later showed a bittersweet smile.

The two followed the rather fast pace of the girl for a bit in silence before Subaru asked Julian in a low voice to not be heard by anyone but him. "I know you made that deal with the both of us in mind. But shouldn't we have like, made the decision together? I mean, we're both in the same boat, right?" Subaru asked uncertaintly.

Julian, at that, only gazed blankly at Subaru. "You would have followed her either way, am I wrong? So there was no need to consult you for this."

Subaru waved his hands frantically. "What!? O-Of course I would have ne... Okay I'm guilty. But... didn't you see how she acted? With that attitude, she will always be a loser in life..."

The rest of the way to a guard station was spent in relative silence. Only the sound of the snoring Puck and the chorus of the vibrant city accompanying them.

The group smoothly reported their 'finding' to the guards and led a couple of them to the previous alley. And thus the group of thugs was cuffed up carefully before being taken away to a healer.

They were retained for some questions but quickly released upon always answering that they came after the actual fight so they didn't knew anything.

It was then that they actually began their fruitless search for the stolen emblems throughout the city.

All the while, Julian and Subaru passively helped the girl that yet hadn't told her name to them in her endeavors for taking back her lost item.

–––––

~Some time later

Arriving at a sort of high balcony with an overview of the city. Subaru sat crosslegged before the one of the railing while Julian leaned against a wall with his arms crossed. Both gazing at the impressive view of the city stretching itself to the horizon below.

Their guide was the same, leaning against the one of the railing herself.

"Damn, I thought it wouldn't take too long finding this thief earlier. But this city is just too big." Subaru lamented.

The girl of the group nodded. "It's the capital of the Lugnica kingdom, you two didn't even that? Err..." She gazed at the two boys in perplexity.

"You guys didn't even introduce yourself to each other. Better now than never." Puck tilted his head.

Subaru stood up and dusted himself. "Okay, then I'll guess I'll start."

Smiling toward the maiden. He made a pose with his arm high up in the sky. "The name's Subaru Natsuki! Eternal fool and penniless. Pleased to meet you."

Holding out his hand, Subaru did not receive the handshake he was expecting as it was Puck's furry paw who shook it instead.

"I'm Puck! Pleased to meet you eternal lost case!"

Everyone turned themselves toward Julian, waiting for his introduction. Even if it was really between the girl and the two transmigrators.

Pointing toward Subaru, Julian guffawed mercilessly. "No matter if you were trying to be funny or just honest or even both. Either way, it was pretty cringe."

Skipping past the embarassed and betrayed Subaru. Julian hold out his hand and gazed first at Puck and then the girl. "I'm Julian Håberjorgen-Marquis. If I really had to say something about myself then... I would say that I have an innate difficulty to empathize with people, so please tell me if I ever go out of bound. Pleased to meet you."

After a moment of silence, Puck shook his hand all the same and decided to sat on his shoulder.

"It's rare to see people approach spirit without hesitation. Where are you guys coming from?"

"Oh, we both come from a small goup of islands in the east."

"Lugnica is the eastern most country on the map. There's nothing farther east than it." The girl tilted her head a bit and put a finger to her lips.

Julian step in there. "Well, it's perfectly natural, as we're not coming from this w..."

He was stopped in the middle of his sentence as the world around him froze and darkened. He was stuck in place, not able to move an inch from his position.

He felt something freezing beginning to slither in his gut, reaching toward his heart. It was only when five distinct appendages gripped it that he realized what it was.

It was an hand. A feminine hand, spreading ice across his blood with its hold over his heart.