R1. An Unlucky Half Day
Even for Reinhild, this was the first time experiencing such a situation—becoming a bodyguard under suspicion.
But upon seeing the boy's fearful eyes, she couldn't just stand by and do nothing, because those eyes were filled with the certainty of imminent death.
Reinhild wanted to help Subaru, who bore such a sorrowful gaze.
"From the third loop's perspective, the old man is a good person, but in the first two loops, he didn't seem the type to help the poor. Should I take the gamble or not?"
Listening to Subaru's murmured self-talk, and being familiar with the fruit vendor Kadomon, Reinhild quickly grasped the situation.
She recalled his close friend Felix's teachings.
"Subaru, would you mind coming with me to buy some fruit?"
Reinhild voluntarily led Subaru to the fruit stand.
Initially, she intended to casually pick some fruit, but considering Kadomon's family circumstances and Subaru's persistent chatter, Reinhild ended up buying quite a bit, and naturally helped Subaru ask for a glass of water.
However, judging from Subaru's expression upon returning, it was clear the questioning had not gone smoothly.
After agreeing to Subaru's somewhat unreasonable request, Reinhild followed him further, and the two entered what was known as the den of villains, the slums.
As they walked, Reinhild's expression grew darker.
This was her sin, a consequence of her own past immaturity.
She had first caused the slums to lose the support of certain influential figures; then, allowed the departure of energetic, positive individuals; and finally, ended up sheltering those who had offended nobles out of desperation or committed major crimes in a moment of recklessness.
A few of these people, before Reinhild could bring them back, had fallen into true depravity, which ultimately led to an irreversible situation.
"So, you see..."
Subaru spoke about things Reinhild didn't fully understand but found amusing.
Realizing she had made Subaru worry, Reinhild again reflected on her immaturity.
Quietly, she swore in her heart to protect the kind-hearted boy in front of her.
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Tiptoeing, Reinhild confirmed that Subaru had returned to normal.
She let her heels rest softly on the ground again and stepped back behind Subaru.
As Subaru knocked on the door, Reinhild heard rapid breathing behind it, then the sound of something heavy being picked up, followed by hurried footsteps.
Understanding instantly what was about to happen, Reinhild quickly moved behind Subaru, pulling him back at a pace just enough to dodge the door.
After all, Subaru didn't possess Felix's strange ability to pop his shoulder back into place after dislocation.
That was also when Reinhild first realized just how physically resilient her comrades in the Royal Guard were.
Since then, Reinhild developed a bit of a quirky habit—pulling people away at the last second to spare them injury.
The one who opened the door was the two-meter-tall giant Subaru referred to as Old Man Rom, but Reinhild looked him up and down and confirmed that he was actually Valga Cromwell, one of the three leaders who had instigated the demi-human civil war decades ago and was a top-priority wanted criminal by the kingdom.
"I'm on vacation. I'm on vacation. The person in front of me is Old Man Rom. Just Rom…"
Taking advantage of Subaru stepping between them, Reinhild managed to come back to her senses.
She lowered her raised hand and chanted that mantra in her mind countless times.
Finally, Reinhild exhaled, then cast a rather blaming look at Subaru's back for stepping in her way.
At this point, Reinhild still had no idea that this would be the least shocking thing to happen to her that day.
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Munching on the fruit they'd just bought and drinking the milk Old Man Rom gave her, Reinhild quietly listened to their conversation.
—An Insignawith a gemstone in the center, and exchanging it with a "meteor"?
Could it be that? But that's impossible.
No mere thieves could ever handle such things… ha ha ha…
"It belongs to Emilia-chan. I don't know the reason, but it's something very important to her."
—So it really is the Proof of Kingship. Stealing the Proof of Kingship is a heinous crime of the highest order.
Even being remotely involved could lead to execution.
What should I do? Should I act?
—No, forget it. I'm off-duty today. Besides, Subaru's trying to return the badge to Lady Emilia.
And thankfully, it's her we're dealing with.
As long as we don't meet her here directly, I can easily protect Subaru with my abilities.
Seeing the slightly confused look in the boy's eyes, and recalling their agreement along the way, Reinhild thought for a while and finally decided to let Subaru handle things on his own.
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"Thank you. The flavor is very unusual. But I've eaten a lot of fruit already, so I'll just try a little."
After tasting Subaru's mysterious convenience store food, Reinhild found the texture quite amusing.
But seeing Old Man Rom's gaze, she withdrew her hand and smiled.
Over time, Subaru and Old Man Rom had grown quite familiar with each other, their eyes gleaming as they passionately discussed things like Gundams and tanks—topics Reinhild didn't understand at all.
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Finally, the knock came.
The girl known as Felt burst in, and Reinhild was a bit dazed—for Felt bore the appearance of a royal family that had almost been wiped out.
She even began to wonder if Felt was the kidnapped royal princess.
But then she heard her chatting with Subaru about passwords.
Maybe it was because she'd been shocked too many times today, or perhaps it was due to the overwhelming prestige of the Divine Dragon who had protected this kingdom for 400 years (a being Reinhild considered an idol).
In any case, at the moment she heard the phrase "how to deal with a dragon," Reinhild momentarily lost control of her strength and accidentally crushed the cup in her hand.
Embarrassed, she paid for the damage and then focused on a strong, bloodthirsty aura that had suddenly appeared nearby.
Then, Reinhild sensed the presence of Lady Emilia at the very edge of her detection range.
Perhaps because she'd been so surprised today, when she felt Lady Emilia coming toward them, Reinhild found herself thinking:
'Of course she is.'
In fact, the great spirit Puck had already gone to rest, and Reinhild had countless methods to escape the situation—like cloaking her presence or hiding in the clouds.
But seeing Subaru still negotiating with the others, Reinhild sighed and stayed put.
Partly to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings, and partly because the spirit of a knight did not allow retreat.
Reinhild forced a smile toward Subaru.
Sure enough, when Lady Emilia arrived shortly after, she immediately noticed the very conspicuous Reinhild.
That was because Reinhild had not concealed her presence from any nobles or colleagues.
Facing the misunderstanding in Lady Emilia's eyes, Reinhild steeled herself, stepped forward, knelt before her, prepared to confess and explain the situation on Subaru's behalf.