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It was an ordinary day for Reinhard van Astrea. On his day off, he wandered the bustling streets of Lugunica, taking in the lively energy of the capital. He rarely had the chance to do ordinary things like this, most days he felt more like a weapon than a man. His life was usually consumed by orders and duties, constantly responding to problems as part of his role. But today, he allowed himself the simple pleasure of just walking around the capital.
This peace however, was abruptly disrupted.
“Someone please help!”
A woman’s cry for help pierced the air, coming from a nearby alleyway. Without hesitation, Reinhard moved towards the sound. Even if it was his day off, he couldn’t ignore someone in desperate need.
He arrived at his destination and what greeted him was a trio of thugs, standing over a raven-haired woman who was clearly in distress. Her hair was disheveled, bruises were present on her face and her clothes were torn in places, evidence of a brutal beating that had taken place moments prior.
The woman whimpered as one of the thugs, a lanky looking man with colorful hair put his shoe on her cheek, grinding her head into the stone pavement. “That’s what you get for trying to mess with us, you bitch.”
Tears rolled down her face as she curled in on herself, a soft sob escaping her. “P-please…”
Reinhard, having seen enough, decided to step in. “That’s enough.”
Natsumi, through blurred vision, turned her gaze upward towards the young man who had spoken up. His fiery red hair struck out amidst the dull colors of the alleyway, and his azure eyes looked as if they directly reflected the skies above.
The thugs all turned their attention towards the young man, surprised by his sudden intrusion.
The tall, burly thug was the first to speak, something clicking in his mind as he took in the young man’s appearance. “Red hair…And a knight’s sword with scratches made by dragon claws…It can’t be…Reinhard? The Master Swordsman Reinhard?!”
The thug’s words were muffled, as all of Natsumi’s attention was fixed on the knight standing at the alleyway’s entrance.
“Looks like I don’t need to introduce myself. I’ll kindly ask you to leave that woman alone. If you don’t…“ The man rested his hand on the sword’s hilt, the gesture a clear warning. ”I’ll be forced to take extreme measures.”
The tall burly thug yelled out in a panicked voice. “S-screw this! It’s not worth it!”
The thugs all turned tail and fled the alleyway in an almost comical manner. Normally, this would have earned a giggle from Natsumi, but given her current state and what she had just endured, she could only watch their retreating forms with relief.
Reinhard smoothly closed the distance between her and him, offering his hand with a kind smile. “Are you alright, miss?
Natsumi stared at his face, her hero’s face. The one who had answered her pleas for help, the first person to show her kindness after she arrived in this world. She felt a faint blush creeping up her neck and spreading across her cheeks. It was as if she were in a trance, completely mesmerized by her savior, until his voice snapped her back to reality.
“Miss?” His tone was filled with concern, his expression mirroring it.
“O-oh, yeah. I-I’m fine,” she blurted out, heat rising to her cheeks as she realized she’d been staring at his face for far too long. He’s way too handsome! It seriously looks like he came straight out of a fantasy novel!
Natsumi took his outstretched hand as he helped her up. She wiped her tears away before looking at Reinhard with a small smile, a faint blush still present on her face. “T-thank you for helping me, Reinhard-san.”
“You can just call me Reinhard, no need for all the formality.” He replied, his smile enough to send butterflies fluttering in her stomach.
She averted her eyes, her blush deepening. Wow… he closed the distance between us like it was nothing.
Natsumi turned her gaze back to him, her voice timid. “It’s nice to meet you, Reinhard. I’m Natsumi, Natsumi Schwartz. And…thank you. You’re the only one who came when I called out for help.”
“I’m glad I could help, Natsumi. Is there anything else I can do for you?”
“N-no, thank you.”
“I’ll be heading off then. Stay safe and take care, Natsumi.” With those parting words, Reinhard turned and exited the alleyway. Watching his retreating form, Natsumi instinctively reached out a hand toward him, as if trying to hold him there a little longer, her heart growing colder with every step he took away from her.
“I don’t want him to go...”
He was the first person who helped her.
The first who looked at her with kindness.
The first who made her feel safe since arriving here.
She let out a quiet sigh, her arms falling limp at her sides.
“And he’s gone…” she murmured. After a moment, she forced herself to straighten. “I guess I’ll just explore the capital while I’m at it. Maybe I’ll run into him again.”
With that fragile hope clutched tightly to her chest, Natsumi stepped out of the alley and started wandering the streets. She hadn’t gone far before she nearly collided with a small girl, eyes glossy with tears and head turning frantically from side to side. The child looked utterly lost.
“…Hey,” Natsumi said softly, crouching down. “Are you okay?”
Helping the girl find her parents took longer than she expected, but eventually they were reunited near a small apple stand. The man running it, the girl’s father, turned out to be the same apple seller she’d encountered shortly after being isekai’d. He thanked her profusely, pressing an apple into her hands, and after a bit of conversation even offered her a small job helping at the stall.
Natsumi didn’t really understand how the currency here worked yet, but as long as she got paid something she didn’t really care.
By the time she returned to wandering the streets, the crowds had disappeared. Hours had passed since her encounter with Reinhard. She’d searched for some hours, but couldn’t seem to find him.
“It can’t be that difficult to find someone who sticks out like a sore thumb…” she muttered under her breath.
She glanced upwards and froze.
The sky had darkened completely, countless stars scattered across it, their brilliance illuminating the night.
“…Already night,” she whispered, the realization snapping her out of her awe. Anxiety crept in, coiling tight in her chest. “Never imagined I’d be sleeping on the streets…”
She exhaled slowly. Her breath came out as a faint white cloud.
“Wait… what?”
A sudden gust of icy wind tore through the street, sending a violent shiver down her spine. Her teeth chattered as pain bloomed across her face and hands, the cold biting deep into her skin.
“H-how did it get this cold so fast?!” she gasped. “It wasn’t like this a few m-minutes ago!”
She turned on pure instinct, her body moving before her mind could catch up, and stumbled.
“W-what just…?”
Looking back, her stomach dropped as the blood drained from her already pale face.
From the ankle down, her left leg was encased in ice, fused to the stone pavement beneath her.
She tried to scream, but no sound came out.
The cold surged again, far worse than before. It burned her lungs with every breath, stealing the air from her chest as her body began to go numb. The world faded as the freezing agony swallowed her whole, painfully freezing each of her cells.
The last thing she saw was snow drifting gently down from the darkened sky before her vision went dark.
“Hey lady, want an appa?” a rough, familiar voice asked.
“…Huh?”
It had taken Natsumi countless loops to reach this point. After her first meeting with Reinhard, she ended up frozen to death just a few hours later. It wasn’t until far too many loops later that she discovered the cause: A silver-haired girl…and her pet rat. Whenever that girl died, the creature would unleash a freezing hell upon the capital, wiping out everything, including her.
She tried running. She tried fleeing the kingdom entirely. She even tried begging, pleading to whatever god or entity might be listening, to release her from this endless hell. But no matter how far she ran, no matter how much she cried, the cold always found her. Always consumed her. Always killed her.
Eventually, Natsumi realized she had no choice but to keep the silver-haired witch alive. That came with its own set of problems, mainly the crazed, gut loving assassin who kept disemboweling her. But honestly? Compared to the icy, suffocating wrath that awaited her every time that girl died…Elsa almost felt merciful.
And now, after all those resets, all the tears shed, all the dying, learning and failing, Natsumi had reached her current loop. This time, she wanted to see if the knights could defeat Elsa instead.
“...Another failed loop, huh.”
Natsumi let out a tired sigh, watching the carnage in front of her unfold. Countless knights had marched into the slums due to an anonymous tip that the Bowel Hunter had been spotted there, but even the knights didn’t stand a chance against Elsa. They traded blows with the assassin while consistently being gutted by her knives.
“Even the knights don’t stand a chance against her… I didn’t think the gap between them was this big. Speaking of knights…”
A dreamy look softened her expression, completely drowning out the screams and the clash of steel around her. If only Reinhard were here. He would’ve taken down Elsa without breaking a sweat.
She turned her attention back to the massacre caused by Elsa. “Pointless to just keep watching.”
She does feel bad for all the knights that had been sacrificed, but it doesn’t matter. In the end she’ll die and they’ll just resurrect in the resetted world. Next time, she’d just leave them alone. There was no point using them if they were only going to be slaughtered like lambs by Elsa.
Honestly, she didn’t hate Elsa all that much. Yes, she was mainly the reason Natsumi kept dying and looping, but the person she had grown to resent the most was that silver-haired witch and that monster wearing the skin of a cat.
If it wasn’t for them, her first interaction with Reinhard wouldn’t have been erased, as if it had never even happened. If it wasn’t for them, she wouldn’t be stuck in this endless hell, forced to repeatedly try and save those worthless, good-for-nothing pieces of shit.
Natsumi scanned over the battle one more time before letting out a tired sigh and turning around, deciding to leave it at that for now. Natsumi moves to start leaving the scene—when.
“—Oh my~”
Elsa licked the blood from her lips, her kukri blades raised high. Her nearly bored expression twisted instantly into crazed delight, bloodlust overflowing from her. She had finally found a new toy to play with after growing tired of slaughtering the knights. And the identity of that new toy was—
“—Go no further.” An authoritative voice spoke up, one that instantly made Natsumi freeze in her tracks.
She spun around the moment she heard that voice, she already knew who it belonged to. But seeing him there in the flesh, standing fearlessly against that crazed assassin, made a warm feeling rise within her chest.
“…My hero.”
Reinhard van Astrea. It almost felt like a fairy tale, she was being saved again by him. He had first appeared when a group of thugs were attacking her, and now he was here to face Elsa, finally giving her a chance to break free from this endless hell. She hadn’t thought it was possible to feel even more drawn to him… but apparently, it was.
Natsumi returned to the spot where she had watched the slaughter of countless knights, her gaze now fixed on the handsome young knight as he faced the assassin.
“Sir Reinhard!”
“Everyone, please withdraw. That woman is the Bowel Hunter. The sacrifices already number far too many. I don’t want that count to increase.” Reinhard spoke in a calm tone. He sounded both pitying towards the fallen knights who were slaughtered like lambs, and indignant at the one who caused it.
Natsumi stared at him in awe, her heart racing. The confidence he displayed facing Elsa, the calmness in his voice, and the sheer authority he radiated made her feel like she could melt on the spot.
She already knew Reinhard’s nature. His reasoning was just, his beliefs were just, his mindset was just. And now, seeing that nature fully on display again, she couldn’t help but admire him.
“Reinhard van Astrea. From the Sword Saint bloodline, how wonderful!” Natsumi scowled, Elsa’s voice scraping against her ears like nails on a chalkboard.
“I often feel crushed by the expectations.” Reinhard focused his gaze on Elsa, taking in her appearance. “Black hair, black clothes and a blade unique to the northern provinces. There is no mistaking those characteristics. You are the Bowel Hunter.”
“Yes, I certainly am. Oh, goodness. What am I to do? I need to be doing my work, but now I've come face to face with you.”
Fundamentally speaking, this is where I would advise you to surrender, but...” Reinhard looked around, his gaze sweeping over all the corpses which surrounded Elsa.
“You're faced with this slaughter, and you're telling me this? Very kind of you. So kind that it's cruel both to me and to them.”
“—No, I share your opinion. It is impious to their deaths if I am lenient on you. I cannot ask for you to surrender.”
Elsa cheerfully kicked one of the fallen corpses, Reinhard slowly shook his head before turning his gaze to a nearby knight. “Would you mind lending me your sword?”
“No, not at all sir! Please, accept it.” The knight presented a sword, which Reinhard took, adjusting his grip on the blade.
Elsa furrowed her brows, looking confused at Reinhard’s action. “You're not using the sword on your hip?”
“Unfortunately, this sword ascertains which opponents it ought to be drawn for. It's a rather troublesome trait, and it doesn't seem that you've earned its graces. Instead, I will oppose you with this.”
“Hmpf.” Elsa sighs at Reinhardt, who had decided to face her with just a regular sword, and not the legendary sword which rested at his waist. But Elsa's displeasure only lasts for an instant. She immediately changes gears, and feeling premonitions of battle and bloodshed, licks her lips.
“Elsa Granhiert, the Bowel Hunter.”
“Reinhard van Astrea, of the Sword Saint bloodline.”
The battle ended the moment it began. As soon as Elsa lunged at him, Reinhard effortlessly brushed her attack aside, stepped back, and raised his sword. A maelstrom of blinding light erupted, swallowing Elsa whole and obliterating everything in its path. The slash of the man known as the Sword Saint was the exact definition of power.
Natsumi stared at the scene with wide, trembling eyes. Her legs gave out, and she collapsed onto her knees as a single tear slid down her cheek.
Then another followed. And another, until the dam finally broke. Warm trails carved their way down her cold skin as a smile tugged at her lips, too soft at first, before stretching into something desperate. Relieved. Reverent.
Finally, she was finally free from this endless hell. And the one who freed her from it…was him.
It had already been a week since the incident at the loot house, where Reinhard had saved her from that hell which seemed nearly impossible to escape. Natsumi was now eating breakfast at the table, but she was mostly just staring at Reinhard while mindlessly poking at her food with a fork.
“-ey Nats-”
She could honestly stare at him all day.
“Hey Natsum-”
It felt like someone’s calling her, but eh, who cares.
“HEY NATSUMI!” Felt’s shout yanked her from her daze.
“Huh?” Natsumi blinked, finally focusing on Felt, who looked clearly annoyed.
“We were discussing how to expand our camp, ya’ got any ideas?” Felt crossed her arms, expecting something useful.
Oh, right. She was in Felt’s camp now. She’d only joined because Reinhard was here, meaning she could spend every day with him. The camp activities were secondary… but apparently unavoidable.
“Why expand the camp? Isn’t Reinhard enough?” Natsumi questioned. She had seen Reinhard’s strength firsthand, she doubts anyone in this world could defeat him.
“Well, yeah, but we also need other members. We can’t just rely on Reinhard all the time.” Felt replied.
Natsumi wanted to argue, but paused. More members might actually reduce Reinhard’s workload, giving her more time with him.
“Maybe we can try recruiting some people from the slums, or poorer parts of the capital. Those people’s wishes align with that of Lady Felt.” Natsumi suggested.
“That is an excellent idea, Natsumi.” Reinhard chimed in.
Her cheeks warmed at the compliment. A small smile tugging at her lips.
“Let’s go recruit new members, Lady Felt.”
Natsumi’s smile quickly faded, she was usually excluded from important activities and meetings. She was jealous of Felt’s position, always near Reinhard, Reinhard taking her everywhere and even picking clothes for her. How unfair is that?!
She let out a deep sigh, watching the two leave. Felt grumbled and complained while Reinhard carried her like a sack of potatoes.
“It’s so boring here…what do I even do when Reinhard isn’t around?”
She wandered the mansion until she stumbled upon the kitchen. Her eyes scanned the ingredients before an idea popped up in her head.
“I could make mayonnaise! This world probably doesn’t have it yet, and I’m sure Reinhard would love it!”
She found and put on an apron before gathering all the needed ingredients.
“Eggs, salt, a lemon and some oil. I think that’s all if I remember correctly.”
Grabbing a wooden bowl, she began experimenting, determined to bring her favorite condiment into this world.
Natsumi cracked a single egg, letting its contents fall into the bowl, then added a small pinch of salt. She picked up a lemon and squeezed it until the juice dripped into the bowl, mixing with the other ingredients.
Now came the final step, the one she was most worried about. If she added too much or too little, it wouldn’t turn out the way she wanted.
Taking a bottle of oil, she carefully poured some into the bowl. “That… should be about enough?”
She grabbed a wooden spoon and began stirring vigorously. “I’ll nail this on my first try!”
An hour later.
Breathing heavily, Natsumi stood staring at a bowl, looking as though she were on the verge of insanity.
“This…pant…should be the final one.”
The kitchen was littered with bowls, dozens of them, each filled with a failed attempt at the condiment she was determined to bring into this world.
“I’ve been at this for hours! I swear, if this one fails too, I’ll burn this whole mansion to the ground.”
Leaning against the counter, she stared intensely at the bowl before dipping the tip of her finger into the mixture. She brought it to her lips and tasted it. Her body froze as a single tear slid down her cheek.
Throwing her arms wide, Natsumi shouted triumphantly,
“It’s finally done…I BROUGHT MAYONNAISE TO THIS CURSED WORLD!”
Some time later, the mansion doors opened. An irritated Felt stepped inside, followed closely by Reinhard, who wore his usual calm and confident smile.
Natsumi greeted them with a flat expression and monotone voice.
“Welcome back, Lady Felt.”
The moment her eyes shifted to Reinhard, her demeanor flipped entirely. She smiled brightly.
“Welcome back, Reinhard! How was the search for new camp members?”
Felt just deadpanned at her, her gaze shifting between Reinhard and Natsumi.
“Hello, Natsumi. The search went very well. We found three new members,” Reinhard happily said before stepping aside. Standing behind him were three ‘new’ faces.
Natsumi’s expression quickly turned cold, her left eye twitching as she took in their appearance. “Ah…so these things are our new camp members? Couldn’t you have picked better ones?”
“Hey! Who are you calling things?” a lanky man with colorful hair shouted, a vein bulging on his forehead.
“Yeah!” the dwarf snapped in agreement.
“Bleh.” Natsumi stuck out her tongue in disgust before dismissing them. “Alright, ignoring those pests. Reinhard, I’ve made a new condiment called mayonnaise! Care to try it?”
“Mayonnaise?” Reinhard tilted his head slightly. “If you don’t mind me asking, what is it? I’ve never heard of such a condiment.”
“It’s a surprise from my hometown! I’ll introduce it at dinner.”
“I’m looking forward to it.” Reinhard said warmly. “Let’s go.”
The six of them made their way to the dining room. An awkward silence settled over the group as Natsumi continued glaring at the three newcomers, who remained blissfully unaware of her hostility.
Having arrived at the dining room, the three thugs sat together, while Felt took the seat beside Reinhard.
Natsumi walked in with a platter, placing it on the table before removing the lid. What sat on the platter was a mound of an unknown white substance that none of the people present at the table recognized.
“…Is that edible?” Felt asked cautiously.
“What even is that?” the tall, burly thug muttered.
“It’s called mayonnaise.” Natsumi said proudly. “A condiment from my homeland. It’s perfectly safe, just combine it with something else. Like a potato.”
“Don’t you mean tatoe?” the short thug questioned.
“Po. Ta. To.” Natsumi enunciated each syllable, her glare sharp enough to kill.
Thug 3:
“Just grab one and try it.” Natsumi said, irritation seeping into her voice.
Reinhard picked up a potato, dipped it into the mayonnaise, and took a bite. His eyes widened slightly as he swallowed. “This is surprisingly good.”
“Are you sure there’s no poison in it?” Felt asked suspiciously.
“I can confirm it’s completely safe, Lady Felt. I checked using my Divine Protection of Food Inspection.”
“…That’s a thing?” Felt asked in disbelief.
“Yes.” Reinhard replied plainly.
The rest decided to try it as well, curiosity winning out over suspicion. One by one, they dipped their potatoes into the strange white condiment before taking a bite.
“Wow…this actually tastes really good,” Felt admitted after a moment, clearly caught off guard. “Wasn’t expecting that.”
“Yeah!” the short thug chimed in, already reaching for another potato and shoving it into his mouth. “This stuff’s great!”
Natsumi let out a quiet scoff.
“I don’t care.” she said flatly, waving a hand as if brushing their words aside. “I didn’t make it for your approval.”
The room fell silent for a moment as she leaned back in her chair, her expression shifting from dismissive to focused. Her gaze settled on Reinhard.
“Since you’re back.” she continued, her tone lowering slightly, “you should know that something’s been stirring near the borders of the Lifaus and Mathers domains, specifically near the Mather’s mansion.”
Reinhard’s smile faded just a fraction. “What kind of activity?”
“Suspicious movement.” Natsumi replied. “I’ve also heard that the Crusch camp has been preparing to engage the White Whale, specifically near the Lifaus. It might be a coincidence…but I wouldn’t rely on that.”
Reinhard seemed to hesitate for a bit, suspicion flickering in his eyes for just a moment. But it didn’t last long as he nodded and replied to Natsumi. “I see…Thank you for informing me, Natsumi.”
The moment which had been erased replayed in her head, when Reinhard was the only one to defend her when she was on her own and in danger. The warmth in his eyes, his kind smile and the gentleness in his voice. A true hero.
She would make sure that Reinhard van Astrea would be remembered for ages, going down in history as a true hero who everyone will recognize and remember for his great achievements.
Her gaze softened as it rested on him, affectionate, reverent, and frighteningly resolute.
“You’re a hero, Reinhard.” she thought quietly. “And that’s all you’ll ever be.”