Emilia's POV:
"Still...I thought you'd be like a cool guy."
"Every man goes through tough moments."
Walking through the busy street of the merchant region, Puck and Arv continued on with their bickering with Puck constantly teasing the poor man for being poor. (LOL)
Emilia silently watched the two of them with a blank expression. Her opinion of the mysterious man was almost the same as that of Puck. She had thought of as a bit charming and reliable, with a hope that she might solve her problems with him, but he turned out in way worse of a position then her. For this, she couldn't help but feel slight pity for him.
Catching the pity in Emilia's gaze, Arv was about to say something but his gaze went right behind her.
Following his gaze, she saw a small girl with green hair sobbing at the side of the road, likely lost.
Emilia: "Hey that girl-"
Arv: "Do we really have the time to help her."
Emilia: "But she's in a bad situatio-"
Arv: "So are we."
Emilia: "Grr...if you don't want to help me that's fine. It was nice meeting you."
Looking at the girl Emilia couldn't control her urge to help her but as soon as she tried to voice her worry about the girl, Arv saw through her intentions and quickly stopped her from helping the lost girl. Angry, she stepped away from him and hurried towards the girl.
Seeing the girl starting to cry even harder after seeing Emilia, I sighed-"It's gonna be long day isn't it?". Puck looked at me and chuckled-"Yup! Lia's always been a kind girl after all! Although as a father, I am quite worried about this trait of hers."
A fa...ther? Do these furballs reproduce? And how the hell is she an elf when her father is a fucking cat? Wait...don't tell me. Did this cat bag an elf?...Yea let us stop right here and help that girl. These were my thoughts before i stepped forward to help Emilia.
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Arv's POV:
"Who would've thought that the girl we just helped was the daughter of the Appa-man..." I murmered. We had stopped at a small stone brigde that was above a water canal. I sat on its side walls with my legs hanging while she stood right beside me, tired from the long day.
"And he would know about who the theif was and where she lived..." Emilia also murmered. Her mind was quite boggled at how lucky they were right now, nevertheless she was still very happy until a thought struck her mind.
"That being said, we still dont know how to address each other." She said.
"Ah, you are right" They had spent almost an hour together but stil didn't knew each others name yet. It was quite comical if you ask me to be honest. Still I really don't want to use my real name in a fantasy world. I really should use a name that would feel cool.
"Then let me start first!" I enthusiastically exclaimed and got off the the stone wall. "My name is Merlin Hermes and i am a foreigner who knows nothing about this world!"
After a moment of silence Emilia spoke up "That's not something to be proud about"
"There's nothing i can do about it."
"Still...now let me introduce myself. My name is..." With a small pause, she looked into the distance and then slowly turned her name towards me. "My name is Satella."
I raised an eyebrow at her strange behaviour and Puck who was floating above me stopped mid-air. Deep within I knew that was not her real name because of Puck calling her 'Lia' and also because of both of their reactions, but chose to say nothing because i was also using a fake name wasn't I?
"Satella hmmm...It's a nice name. Kinda reminds me of 'Stella' which meant star in my homeland." I gave her a small smile.
"Huh? I said my name is Satella!"
"Yeah I heard you in the first time and I also said that it's a nice name."
"Y-you..." Her face faltered failing to form any sort of expression. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and pointed to her ears "I'm a half elf!"
"Oh, that's a surprise, now i know why you are so beautiful!"
"Ugh! You nimcompoop!" She shouted at me flustered because of the sudden compliment.
"Why the sudden insult?! And who even says nimcompoop nowadays?!?!"
"Oooooohhh!!! I can't hold it in!!!" Said the furball before charging straight at my face with his paw softly touching my nose.
"Is it a tradition in your country to physically assault anyone?" I asked a bit annoyed for being punched right after getting insulted.
"Oh I didn't mean anything bad! In fact it's quite the opposite!"
"Huh?"
"Enough talking you dummies! We have work to do!" Emilia started walking with a fast pace leaving us behind.
"Yes ma'am!" And the two 'dummies' followed right behind her.
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Emilia and I stood in front an old worn out tavern in the slums. The place was very similar to the slums found in my country. Smelly, dirty and depressing. The people around looked...scared by our presence. That was quite offsetting to be honest. Must be because of our high class clothing. If that was truly it then I can guess that the nobles here have been...you know what I'm getting at right? That's not good at all. Well who cares honestly, not like I'm the saviour of this world or anything so there is no point in worrying at all, just a waste of my time.
"Well...do we just go in?" Emilia beside me asked with slight wariness, the building was giving her really unsettling vibes. And puck was out of commission too, because it was night after all. It was funny that a Spirit turned out to be a 9-5 worker.
"What else can we do?" I responded before walking toward the door.
"Wait! It's dark, are you gonna go in without any light?" Emilia's voice stopped me on track as I realized that I lacked... A torch!
Holding out my hand I visualized a modern torch and Poof!
Emilia's eyes widened upon seeing bright light concentrating on my palm before forming a strange and unkown cylindrical object with a circular glass at its top.
"What's that Merlin?" Emilia asked with curiosity.
"Oh this? It's a torch. See!" I turned it on and I accidentally turned it on on Emilia's face.
"Ah!"
"I'm sorry!!!"
"Oof! You dunderhead! Just go inside already!!!"
"I'm going ma'am. I'm going"
Pushing the door open I was about to step inside before Emilia's voice called out to me-"Be careful Merlin! May the spirits protect you."
I looked back at her with a smile and then proceeded inside, the door closing right behind me.
The place was pitch black, not a single source of light was present, the only source of light was my torch which turned out to be running on the source of energy within me. Must be mana. I thought as mana is the typical source of energy in practically all fantasy isekai worlds.
My light landed on multiple places, trying to search for anyone, but no one was here and I'll admit, I'm scared shitless right now. I have been tormented by the fear of dark from as far as I can remember.
"Fuuuuckkk this place. I wanna sleep for fucks sake."
Splash
Something wet, my feet landed on something wet.
"W-wha-"
I pointed my light downwards and saw something I never wished to.
Blood.
Pooling on the floor.
"AAAAAHHH!!!"
With a scared fright I fell down on the blood, which stained my clothing. And worst of all... It was warm
Warm...warm WARM! THE BLOOD WAS FUCKING WARM!!!!
I tried to get my flashlight that had fallen on the floor but my attention drifted to the scene it illuminated.
A body. A body of a giant old man with a slit throat and blood continuously spewing out of his mouth. Wait...the blood was still...still flowing out his mouth. That means...the killer has not left this building.
Oh no. No no no no no no nonnonononononononononoNONONONONONO!
As I was about to get up and run away, a voice came out from behind.
"Oh dear~did you see that? Too bad~now I hope you'll let me see your guts as compensation right?~"
A swift strike struck my stomach and I was thrown across the building, colliding with some table and chair before hitting hard on the wooden wall.
My body was aching and my consciousness dangling by a thread, threatening to break and give at any moment now.
It hurts, It hurts,It hurts,It hurts,It hurts,It hurts, it hurts...
I looked down at the tremendous amount of blood that was coming out of my guts, my intestines sprawled outside me. It wasn't supposed to be out! GO BACK INSIDE! IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS!!! MOM! DAD! SAVE ME! SOMEONE!! SOMEONE!!!!!
"Merlin? What was that noise? Are you okay?"
Wait... Satella... No... No don't come in! Run away!
Thud!
With a loud thud, a body, no, her body fell right in front of me. Her lifeless and soulless body fell right in front of my face. Crimson blood staining her silver hair.
With all my last energy, I lifted my hand up and swallowing the immense pain threatening to destroy my mind, I held her hand. It was cold. Too cold.
If only I was smarter, if only I could've thought that this would be a trap then...then...maybe she wouldn't have died so horribly.
A single tear escaped my eyes and flowed down my cheek."Forgive me. Satella. I'm so...rry."
Exhausting his final breath, Arv Shaw had died.
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"I love you"