A Random in Re:Zero

Loop 2 - Part 1

"No." I said, pausing to take another sip of liquor. "I want you to give me the insignia you stole from the silver-haired half-elf."

My words created a silent tension in the air. Suddenly, Felt pulled out her knife and held it against my throat while Rom grabbed his club.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not going to negotiate with you anymore." She said threateningly. "If you value your life, you'd better answer all my questions."

"I think you misunderstood." I remained calm despite the seemingly dangerous situation. "I'm not coming from the owner of the insignia."

"Explain yourself." The knife never stopped pressing against my skin.

"The insignia you stole is very valuable, but you won't get paid for it."

"What are you talking about?"

"That woman who hired you was going to kill you when she was sure you finished the job. Luckily for you, she's not coming. My friend Reinhard is taking care of her."

Felt raised an eyebrow in surprise. Rom held his breath.

"Reinhard, the sword saint?" The giant's voice held fear and resentment.

"Yes, I contacted him this afternoon." I confirmed. "So you two can breathe easy."

"Tch! As if I'd believe you! There's no proof of what you're saying!" Felt didn't trust my words, which reflected the kind of life she'd had up until now.

"Yes, there is, look at my Metia."

"Your what?"

"The device is in my pocket. Handle it carefully; it's valued at over twenty holy coins."

Upon hearing the words 'twenty' and 'holy coins', the little thief and the old giant nearly pounced on me. Felt managed to maintain a calm appearance as she felt around my legs, and within seconds, she found a hard, rectangular lump. Gently, she extracted the smartphone and held it up, looking at it with shining eyes.

"I-Is this worth t-twenty holy coins?" She asked.

"Yes, I just said it. Press that button and you'll see I'm not lying to you."

I instructed her to tap the camera icon. That took her to the photo gallery. The last saved image immediately appeared: Reinhard and me.

"That sword! No doubt about it, he's the sword saint, the strongest knight." Rom said, nodding nervously.

"What does this mean? How can there be an image of you and that guy frozen in time and somehow stored in this thing?" Felt was very confused by the novelty of the photograph.

"It's a special feature of this Metia. It can capture moments in time and store them." I explained with a proud smile. "And that's just one of its functions. If you let me—"

I was going to approach her to show her how to use it, but the knife flew back towards my neck and stopped just before piercing or cutting.

"There are some things I don't understand. How did you know where to find me, and how well do you know the person who hired me to know their intentions?"

"I asked around town for you, and it wasn't too hard to figure out what she wanted. As for her, her name is Elsa Granhiert; they call her the Bowel Hunter. I'm surprised you didn't realize how dangerous it would be to work with her. I suppose you really need the money."

Felt exchanged a glance with Rom. I assumed they communicated using the typical nonverbal language that only works between very close people.

"And what do you offer for the insignia?"

"Your freedom and the old man's." I said coldly.

Before either of them could react to what I said, an explosion occurred, followed by a tremor that shook the place to its foundations.

"What was that?!" Felt asked, holding onto the bar as the tremor passed.

"That was Reinhard doing his job." I replied. "He'll be here soon. You still have time to hand in the insignia, but if you don't, I'll have to rat you out."

Felt glared at me with hatred and fear. She realized she'd been cornered with no chance of escape. Rom muttered a few insults under his breath as he gripped his club and walked toward the entrance, ready to give Reinhard a warm welcome.

"Wait, Grandpa Rom!" Felt yelled at him. "This isn't worth it."

She had resigned herself. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the insignia, its red jewel emitting a constant glow. She extended it toward me, offering it.

"Come on, take it at once!"

"I'm sorry." I said, looking toward the door that opened at that moment.

Reinhard entered the loot house with a worried look that turned to relief when he saw me.

"Elsa was watching this place, did you know-?"

Reinhard's mouth immediately closed upon seeing the royal candidate's insignia in Felt's hand, more specifically, the jewel shining when held by someone qualified. He tried to move forward, but a giant shadow loomed over him.

"Astrea!" Rom practically spat out the word, his face twisting with anger, and he swung his club at the red-haired knight. He was standing to the side of the door, very close to Reinhard.

Despite the unexpected sneak attack, Reinhard easily dodged. The ground erupted, spewing dust and splinters. Rom grunted and raised his club again, but failed to use it.

A precise kick to his sternum brought him to his knees, dropping his weapon as he lost all his strength. Reinhard placed a hand on his head and finished him off.

"Grandpa Rom!" Felt threw herself at Reinhard to protect her only family, but her resistance was completely useless. The sword saint rendered her unconscious with a single move.

I watched the whole scene with a pleasant feeling because everything had gone as I'd planned. But when I realized how cold-heartedly I'd extorted Felt and separated her from Rom (even if only temporarily), I felt a pang of guilt.

"What was your business here, Leandro?" Reinhard picked up Emilia's insignia and looked at me suspiciously. "Is this why you came here?"

"As perceptive as ever." I commented with a wry smile.

"Who are you really? What is your purpose?"

Reinhard advanced in my direction. At that moment, I was a potential threat. If he decided to arrest me, there was nothing I could do to stop him.