Initial Integration into Another World
Reinhild once again came to a stop.
Subaru Natsuki was already used to it by now—along the way, Reinhild had already helped four people in need.
Fortunately, Reinhild followed a basic principle: he only helped people facing problems they couldn't solve on their own.
Thanks to this, the two of them could continue making progress toward their destination.
Having finished their meal, they had already passed through three streets.
The cuisine in this world wasn't too different from Subaru's previous one.
One meal had cost Reinhild three silver coins.
The currency here followed a typical decimal system: gold, silver, and copper coins.
"Hello, Lady Emilia. Would you like some help?"
The person Reinhild addressed as "Lady Emilia" was a girl with long silver hair and purple eyes.
She was about a head shorter than Subaru, approximately 160 cm tall.
Her outfit, based on white tones, lacked any ornate decorations; the simplicity of its design only served to enhance her presence.
The only standout feature was the long cloak she wore, which was embroidered with a crest resembling a "magic bird," giving it a solemn air.
"Reinhild!! I don't need help!"
However, Emilia herself wore the expression of a child caught doing something wrong and afraid of being found out by an adult.
Her overly shocked reaction and words made the ready-to-help Reinhild freeze awkwardly in place, and Subaru used the opportunity to grasp the situation.
Standing in front of Emilia was a girl around ten years old, with pale green hair cut to shoulder length—an appearance that invoked sympathy.
Her face, typically capable of sharing joy with those around her when she smiled, now brimmed with unease, seemingly on the verge of tears, spoiling her cute features.
'So that's it... Emilia probably has something she doesn't want Reinhild to know about. But someone willing to help a little girl can't be a bad person.'
Seeing Reinhild silently take a few steps back and Emilia's embarrassed expression, Subaru could roughly guess what was going on.
When asked why, the answer was simple: he used to be the leader of a group of kids, so he was very familiar with such situations.
Subaru hurried to defuse the awkwardness, starting by using a little magic trick he learned from TV to make the girl laugh.
Then he stood up and introduced himself.
Thanks to Subaru's humorous performance, the tense atmosphere dissipated.
"Sorry, Reinhild, I was just thinking about something else just now. Please take care of this girl for me."
"Leave it to us, Lady Emilia. But are you sure you don't need my help?"
"Yes, sorry. The other matter is something I must resolve on my own."
"I understand."
The silver-haired beauty quickly ran off.
Even in that situation, she had chosen to help the little girl first.
Perhaps the people in this world were kinder than Subaru had imagined.
While sighing at the thought, Subaru crouched down in front of the girl.
She was staring at the ten-yen coin used in the magic trick like it was a precious item.
Her uneasiness seemed to have calmed completely thanks to the trick, and she now answered Subaru's questions without hesitation.
"I see, so you really got separated from your mom. That's okay—just leave it to big brother and big sister. We'll find her for you right away."
Subaru patted her head again and held out his hand.
The girl hesitantly took it.
Seeing this, Reinhild looked at Subaru a bit cautiously, but ultimately chose to believe he was a good person.
"Big sister, can you hold this lonely little girl's hand too?"
"...With you here…"
Reinhild, silent at first, looked down at the girl's outstretched hand and then at her hopeful eyes.
She discreetly wiped her slightly dirty hand on her clothes, then gently took the small hand in hers.
"Okay, leave it to me. I'll definitely help you find your mom."
The girl smiled faintly and nodded silently.
With Reinhild and Subaru on either side holding her hands, the trio stepped forward into the bustling crowd.
"If someone who didn't know saw us now, wouldn't they think we're a young married couple out with our child? That's kinda embarrassing!"
"They probably wouldn't. No matter how you look at it, we're not old enough to be her parents. If we were what you described, we'd need to have a newborn baby. So don't be embarrassed."
"You're way too serious."
Amid such conversation, the girl, her hands held tightly, giggled softly.
.
.
.
"Thanks to you, Subaru, we were able to find her family so smoothly."
Reinhild smiled as she watched the girl being led away by her mother.
"No, no, we both stand out a lot. Don't give me all the credit."
"Hm? Oh, I forgot to mention—I had my Divine Protection of Decreased Presence active, so to most people I appear just like an ordinary passerby."
'To avoid people thinking you were talking to thin air, I adjusted my presence slightly though.'
"Suddenly, I feel like you're capable of anything."
"No, there are still many things I can't do."
Reinhild humbly dismissed Subaru's praise.
Even after that, they kept stopping to help strangers.
Two hours later, they finally arrived in front of a grand building.
"Didn't expect so many people lining up for a residence permit."
Subaru sat on a bench, looking at the number slip in his hand.
"Since this is the capital of the Kingdom of Lugunica, it's not only the largest but also the most populated city. Let me think… There are about 325,000 residents, and the population flow each day is quite high…"
In response to Subaru's question, Reinhild explained her city with a somewhat proud expression.
"I see, over 300,000... That's pretty big."
Subaru began imagining what the city of Lugunica must be like based on this information.
A city with that population in a medieval fantasy world would indeed be quite large.
And that number was only for permanent residents—if you added in the adventurers and merchants constantly coming and going, it would be even higher.
"By the way, how long do you think it'll take for the 42 people ahead of us?"
"From my experience, I'd say around 17 minutes and 20 seconds. If you'd like to take a break, feel free—I'll call you when it's your turn."
Reinhild gave an extremely precise estimate.
Subaru could easily imagine how many people Reinhild must have helped settle in this city before.
Perhaps the reason Reinhild reduced her presence was also to avoid being constantly thanked.
Time passed while they chatted casually.
Subaru learned a lot—such as how the continent had four countries, each with its own characteristics and precautions; how each nation had a "Great Spirit"; the difference between spirits and Great Spirits; the meaning of the Divine Dragon; and the current situation in the kingdom, which, as it turned out, had no reigning monarch.