My First Time
I feel again. My body aches, and I don't know how much time has passed. My head hurts, but I still hold my cellphone tightly. While I'm lost in thought, a furry sensation runs down my neck.
Almost as if I were lying on a stuffed animal.
Ugh... I didn't think this would have to happen too.
"Are you awake?" I hear a high-pitched, slightly distorted voice.
"Are you okay?" I hear Emilia's voice, contrasting with the probable Puck's.
Felt never appeared; For some reason, it didn't happen as it was supposed to.
I stop worrying about that and open my eyes. I feel my body refreshed, as if that pain was nothing more than a lie.
When I open my eyes, I see the body of a giant cat. Unlike looking cute, its appearance is like something out of a horror movie. A giant plushie with extremely sharp eyes.
"I..." I slowly get up, noticing that my jacket was on my legs. It falls to the ground, and Emilia looks at me with concern.
"Don't move too much; your body had too many bruises," she gestures for me to lie down, but I start stretching my body.
I don't remember all the events; I must use my cellphone to reread everything and jot down all the important and relevant information.
Now what follows is... confirming that Felt stole her emblem.
"Did you heal me?" I put on a big smile. "Thank you very much! Those thieves started hitting me, trying to rob me."
I thanked them as best I could, without being intrusive and being courteous.
Puck looks at me without saying anything. My act is not a lie; I am genuinely grateful for what happened, so he won't realize my real purpose.
"If there's anything I can help with... I'll gladly do it."
Overreacting a bit, I link my hands and place them near my face, showing my gratitude.
Emilia doesn't hesitate for a second; she changes her expression to a serious look. Before speaking, she makes a symbol with her hand, confirming my suspicions.
"Have you seen an emblem about this size?" Emilia shows me her hand, her face displaying concern. Her slightly trembling hand told me it was something important.
Although these are things I already know.
I close my eyes to pretend to think. Saying that I don't know what it is will make Puck discover me, so my only route is to say that I saw it.
Puck is going to be a headache.
I open my eyes, looking directly at a worried Emilia. I smile to give her a good sign, making her eyes light up.
"Yes, I saw it on a little girl with golden hair," my mind could imagine it, on Felt with the emblem.
I have to get through this situation. After all, I don't know if I have the "Return by Death." If I don't, then I'm risking my life in a very stupid way.
I begin to doubt. Going with Crusch or Anastasia is not a bad idea. But in the situation, I'm in, it's impossible for me to reach them. I have no money or knowledge; I can't read or write the language of this place.
If I go with Crusch, she'll ask me how I know so much and suspect me for not having any background. Maybe I can convince her somehow, taking advantage of her ability to detect lies, but she's not a character I know well, even though I feel intellectually aligned with her.
Anastasia would undoubtedly be a good option. Developing an industry would be a possibility considering her significant capital and connections. The problem is that she would seek to take advantage of me, especially because I have absolutely nothing now.
Saying that I come from another world could be an option. After all, if magic is real, then it should be possible. I have ways to prove it, so it would work to make them understand that they should treat me with care.
Emilia is by far the worst option as I see it now. The capital belongs to Roswaal, and although I would have his support for the time being, it also means going through his stupid trials because of the Book of Wisdom.
However, if I look to the future, Emilia will die because of the cult. Puck will try to destroy the world, and Roswaal will commit suicide when he sees that nothing went well.
If that happens, for some reason, if that changes the future's course, if for some reason it's not the outcome Satella wants, and she sends me back to the beginning.
I clench my fists, even though I must make the worst possible choice, I'll have to make it less unbearable. With my knowledge, I can create materials to make money, I can make weapons to protect myself. I can turn the tables and build an organization.
Emilia approaches me excitedly and grabs my shoulders.
"Really!?" She shakes me excitedly; her strength is out of this world. With every movement, I feel like she's going to break my shoulders. I try to move, but I'm interrupted by Puck.
"You're going to break his shoulders at this rate," Puck says, already transformed into his normal form.
Emilia stops. She looks at my pained face and immediately lets go, starting to move her arms in various directions and lowering her head.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! It's just that...!" Emilia blushes, and her ears start turning red.
"Don't worry, there's no problem." I can't help but smile at her genuinely excited performance, unable to hide her emotions.
"Where did you see it?" Puck asks, approaching me with a neutral expression.
Puck seemed to be sensing something. I must think very carefully about what I'm going to say.
I... I'm trying to think of an appropriate answer, but if I say I saw it while I was being attacked by the men in the alley, Puck will figure it out.
Puck gets closer, slowly moving towards me, but I try not to show more than discomfort.
"Puck, don't scare the boy," Emilia takes Puck and pulls him towards her. "Sorry, he's just sometimes overprotective."
Puck smiles as he sees my expression and perches on Emilia's head.
"I wasn't scaring him; I was just checking out that it's a strange face for these lands." Puck starts wagging his tail while looking me in the eyes.
"Hmpf! Could you tell me in which direction the girl went?" Emilia looks at me with concern; her nervousness resurfaces as she slowly rubs her hands.
Puck seems to distrust me. If my plan fails, I'll have to come up with something else.
"Of course. In fact, let me thank you for saving me," I smile gently. "I'm good as a detective; I can help you find your way."
I can't reveal what the way is; that would be too suspicious. Emilia looks at me, seemingly considering it. She hesitates for several seconds, but Puck speaks first.
"Three heads are better than one," Puck begins to float towards me. "I don't sense any ill intentions from him. You could use him as a shield if something happens, and I'm sure he won't bite the hand that saved his life."
Those last words carry surprising weight.
Emilia seems to resign herself to Puck's words, as if she doesn't really want me to accompany her.
"I guess you're right. He seems a bit shrewd, so he might help," Emilia smiles. "So, let me thank you."
Emilia extends her hand and looks me straight in the eyes. I'm not sure what she's thinking, but my attitude must seem strange to her. After all, I completely ignored the fact that she resembles the Witch of Envy.
"I feel the same way. Thank you very much for saving me," I shake her hand delicately; her skin is soft and fine, an otherworldly sensation.
We both decide to leave. There isn't much time, so I head straight for the person most likely to provide information without me having to say much.
But first, I must complete a task.
The green-haired man glares at me, probably because I escaped several minutes ago.
"Why should I tell you?" The man approaches me, trying to intimidate me, but I'm not afraid of him.
After all, I've already completed the first event.
"Daddy!" A green-haired girl runs towards the man, joyful to see her father.
The man smiles and picks up his daughter. The woman quickly thanks us again. This surprises the man, and the woman starts explaining to them, and he apologizes to us.
I wink at Emilia, and she smiles, seeing that her act of goodwill has just paid off.
"Hehe, I knew it from the start," Emilia says proudly.
The man tells us we can find her in the bazaar in the lower districts. We both look at each other and start picking up the pace.
As I walk, I can see that it's not too late; the sun is still up, and it seems like sunset is approaching.
The lower districts aren't all that surprising; I've seen places like this in my own country. Of course, the smell is quite strong, the sand lifts with the wind's movement, and everyone seems to be afraid when they see us.
"It's a bit sad to see such a contrast," I look around, and in the background, you can see the castle and multiple well-maintained houses, while here, everything seems to be falling apart.
"It is sad," Emilia says, mimicking my movements.
At that moment, Puck emerges from Emilia's collar and heads towards me, circling around my head.
"Oh, by the way! We haven't introduced ourselves," Puck flies, before stopping and striking a cute pose. "I'm Puck, an artificial spirit. Nice to meet you."
I look at Puck; in his small form, he looks like a plush toy you could buy from a vending machine, but his eyes are quite sharp.
Emilia seemed to be deep in thought, so I decide to introduce myself before her.
"Pleasure to meet you both. I'm Marco Luz." I bow, trying to imitate the medieval-era bows.
Emilia and Puck exchange glances for a few seconds.
"You don't seem surprised by my existence; many people get scared when they see me," Puck approaches me.
"I don't know much about these things, but you don't look all that terrifying," I slowly raise my hand and pet him as if he were a cat.
Although he can transform into a giant monster, Puck might not be all that bad, as long as he doesn't harm Emilia, of course.
Puck seems to be enjoying the petting. I look at Emilia, who seems lost in her thoughts, trying to figure out what to say.
"I..." Emilia looks around. To avoid speaking too loudly, she leads me towards a small bridge that could be seen in the distance. "Satella… Is my name."
Emilia's lips tremble, but her determined gaze shows that she's trying to say it as seriously as possible.
If I were to run away now, it would be entirely valid; there would be no problem since she said such a thing. I already know what's going to happen, and I don't really want to be involved in this.
"Satella... It's a curious name; we don't use it in my lands, but it's quite lovely." I extend my hand to shake hers.
Emilia looks at me in surprise, her face not showing any emotion, as if she were in total shock.
"My name is Satella. Did you hear that?" Emilia looks at me, surprised. She probably doesn't know what to think.
Puck can't help but be surprised by what Emilia was saying, so he also puts on a serious expression.
"Yes, I heard it..." I look Emilia in the eyes before feigning a fearful expression, adding, "Wait. By hearing your sweet name now, will I have to die?" I quickly look around.
Emilia is left speechless in reaction, not knowing what to say. Puck can't contain his laughter and starts laughing out loud.
"Puck!" Emilia scolds Puck, but he can't stop laughing, lightening the mood. Emilia takes him by the ear, making him wince in pain.
Emilia, upon realizing that I'm still here, blushes slightly, changes her expression to a smile, and takes my hand.
"I'm a half-elf." Emilia looks at me, waiting for a reaction of repulsion.
"I noticed, and if I may say so, that's the reason for your great beauty." I give her a sincere smile.
Emilia falls silent for a while; her ears turn slightly red, causing her to lower her head and turn her back to me.
"You cheeky thing!" Emilia turns her head and smiles sincerely, still blushing, her expression sweet and pure, without any pressure.
Seeing her expression, I want to stop thinking, but now that I've done this, there's no turning back. The sweet moment is quickly overshadowed by the tension as we approach our destination. When we stand in front of the bazaar, I recognize it clearly.
A large house, filled with boxes in front and broken windows. It feels like no one is living in this place.
Felt wasn't with me. So... what if none of this is going to happen?
"Whatever it is, you must hurry; my time will soon be up," Puck reminds Emilia.
Puck explains that as a spirit, he has a specific operating time. We both lock eyes. Emilia seems to be hesitating, but I quickly place my hand on her back.
"Come on, we're already here; we have to go all the way." I look her directly in the eyes, trying to give her determination.
And to myself as well.
"But it could be dangerous; you should leave, I'll take care of it from here," she returns with a worried expression.
"I'm already here; I have to see this favor through to the end." I walk up to the door and knock forcefully.
I knock three more times, and on the third knock, I hit empty air. In front of me stood that golden-haired girl. Her face was pale, and despite the dirt on her, she was quite beautiful.
"Who are you?" the girl asks.
She notices someone behind me and cautiously peeks around. When she sees that the person standing there is the one who stole her face, she turns even paler.
She tries to shut the door, but I stop it with my hands, causing her to step back.
"I'm not giving you anything! Go away!" Her voice sounds exactly like that of a child.
For some reason, I expected something different, but it's quite common.
"Return what you stole, and there won't be any trouble," Emilia says fearlessly.
At that moment, a giant figure appears behind her, a tall, muscular man who seemed to be over two meters tall.
"You'd better leave if you don't want trouble," Rom grabs his mace and swings it to intimidate us.
Emilia reacts, and in an instant, she steps in front of me, giving me a look that tells me to step back. I retreat and let them continue their fight.
I must watch out for Elsa; she could appear at any moment.
Puck emerges from Emilia's hair, adding even more tension to the atmosphere.
Rom's gaze shifts toward Felt. It seems like he knows he can't go up against a spirit user.
"Felt, hand over what you stole."
"Old man Rom! You know I can't do that!" Felt places the insignia on her chest, refusing to comply.
Puck then conjures several threatening-looking spikes, causing Rom to assume a battle stance.
The atmosphere is tense, and Emilia is ready to take them both down. Emilia is very strong, even though she lacks experience; her abilities are nothing to scoff at. Her combat instincts are extremely sharp.
In the dim light, I could make out a counter in front, on the other side of the entrance. The building must have originally been something like an inn. It seemed as if they were trying to use the first-floor bar area with minimal changes.
On top of, as well as behind the counter, which probably served as something like a desk, there is a large assortment of different items cluttered together. There are small boxes and pots, swords and cheap metal objects, and many other miscellaneous items.
All these items were stolen, based on the wooden labels attached to them.
Rom releases his mace, making a small noise as it hits the ground. Felt, upon seeing it, is surprised but realizes they don't have any advantage in this situation.
"There's a reason why we can't hand it over," Felt comments.
"I'd like to hear it then," Emilia seems a bit annoyed, her words leaving no room for ambiguity. "Whatever the reason, stealing is wrong."
We sit down, and Felt begins to explain her situation, saying that she was hired by a powerful person to steal the insignia and that this person had offered her a lot of money.
"That's not important," I interrupt her explanation. "It's something you stole; that's not our problem."
I need her to hurry; if Elsa arrives and my plan doesn't work, I'm done for. I place my hand on Emilia's shoulder, and she looks at me.
"We need to hurry; I have a bad feeling about this. Take the insignia and let's go."
As if it were a bad joke, a cruel and foolish joke. A mature voice begins to echo within the shadows.
"Well, I don't think that's a good idea."
A brief glimmer through the air catches my attention. Since we were both sitting, I kick Emilia's chair. The kukri sails through the air, slicing through the table and embedding itself in the floor.
Emilia quickly assesses the situation and springs to her feet, assuming a battle stance and conjuring several ice crystals. Then, once again, a woman descends from the shadows. Describing Elsa is complex; she's a beautiful woman, but the aura she exudes is different.
Feelings like bloodlust and more, those kinds of sensations are not something you experience often. Yet, for some reason, this woman makes my heart want to leave its place.
She smirks arrogantly, fully confident that she won't have any trouble.
"It's a surprise to see a stranger react this way, but well, I suppose I can still savor your entrails either way," Elsa licks the kukri she has on her right arm.
Emilia says nothing and, without delay, starts shooting crystal spikes at Elsa. While Emilia distracts her, I make a quick decision.
"Girl!" I grab Felt's arm.
"I'm not a girl!" she exclaims, still shocked by the situation.
"There's no time for that. While she fights, you need to call the guards. There's probably one patrolling around here."
Rom looks at me and understands what I mean. He clenches his mace tightly.
"But I don't want to leave old man Rom alone!" Felt appears frightened but also determined.
Rom looks at her and smiles.
"Do as the lad say."
Felt assesses the situation; Emilia and Puck are struggling to restrain Elsa. With a rain of spikes, Elsa has limited mobility, so she's momentarily trapped.
"Run!" I push Felt.
She's the fastest person here, so she'll have to play her part.
Felt attempts to leave the place, but Elsa quickly throws her kukri. Rom reacts and swings his mace at the flying kukri, changing its direction.
"This is getting annoying," Elsa says. She frees her frozen feet and starts moving rapidly in various directions, attacking Emilia and Puck with great speed. Due to the limited space, there are many points to support oneself and evade, so Emilia changes the direction of her attacks quickly.
Rom joins the battle, trying to corner Elsa with his mace. Elsa manages to evade the man's attacks for a while.
"This is the end!" Puck charges his attack towards Elsa. She tries to move, but in the other direction, Rom swings his mace.
Puck launches a large spike at incredible speed, at such a close distance that it completely cleaves through the upper half of Elsa's body, continuing onward and breaking through the wall behind her.
"I'm sorry, this is all I can do," Puck disappears instantly.
"Thank you, Puck," Emilia touches the crystal on her chest, then looks solemnly at Elsa's body. The lower half is on the ground, emitting small amounts of blood as it freezes due to magic.
Emilia sighs and turns in my direction. I approach her, feeling something strange, as if there's something I've forgotten. Rom also appears more relaxed, releasing his club and heading towards Elsa.
"Sorry for getting you involved in this," Emilia looks worried about whether I got hurt.
"So easily?" "Did I overthink this?" I think to myself.
"Don't worry; I didn't do anything," I smile at her.
The feeling of anxiety doesn't go away. I can't believe it subsided so easily.
"That's not true; you saved me when she threw that knife," Emilia takes my hands, using healing magic on me even though I'm not injured. "It must have been a strong experience."
The sensation of mana is refreshing, like entering a sauna after being very cold.
However, that feeling of anxiety doesn't dissipate. I look at her hand, trying to calm my emotions, and place the insignia in her hand.
"Then, with this, it's over."
The moment I say that blood splatters on my body. Still holding her hands, I raise my gaze and see it.
Like that image I saw before.
"Mar... Co," Emilia looks at her chest in surprise. The kukri had pierced her heart and protruded through her chest.
Emilia falls to the ground, and without giving me time to think, I shoot towards the counter. I crash into the shelves, destroying them instantly.
My vision blurs, but I can barely see that Rom has started attacking Elsa uncontrollably. Elsa simply seemed to be toying with him, without any fear.
My survival instinct kicks in, and I try to get up.
"Buarh!"
I spit out a ball of blood that falls to the floor. I try to look down, slowly sensing my situation, and I start to feel desperate.
When I lower my head, I see that a one-meter-long tube has pierced my chest. I try to gasp for air, but I'm unable to. I feel my lungs filling with liquid. My body tries to breathe, but nothing is received.
I keep spitting and spitting blood as my vision becomes increasingly blurred. Slowly, I feel my body losing warmth. The cold first takes my legs, creeping upward.
My eyes stop giving me light, embracing the darkness I deserve. In the end, my second life also caused the deaths of people. In the end, my greed made me do these things again.
"Perhaps I deserve this... The suffering for causing so much pain to people for my ambitions."
Slowly, I hear less, sensing the end, I resign my body and stop trying to exert any force.
"Stop!" shouts an unknown man.
The last sound I hear is my hope.
"You bastard... You're too late."