Wood's persuasion finally convinced Natsuki Subaru because Subaru himself felt that he relied more on his brains. Even if he followed Wood to the pawnshop, he wouldn't be able to help much.
Wood going alone to the pawnshop made sense. He could get there quickly, and even if he couldn't defeat "The Bowel Hunter," with his cheat-like abilities, he'd still have a chance to restart the situation.
Additionally, since "The Bowel Hunter" belonged to an assassin organization, Wood's suggestion for Subaru to seek out the town's guards for help was a good idea.
Whether Wood could defeat "The Bowel Hunter" or not, having extra help wouldn't hurt.
Of course, Subaru agreed to Wood's suggestion mainly because he didn't want to experience the terror of having his intestines removed by "The Bowel Hunter" again.
As much as the lady in black stockings was pleasant to look at, her twisted personality made everything different. Subaru did not want to go through that horrifying experience a second time.
It would be best if Wood could defeat "The Bowel Hunter." If things went south, Subaru would rather end his life by using his "Return by Death" ability.
After parting ways, Wood followed the directions given by Subaru and headed to the pawnshop in the slums.
Meanwhile, Subaru returned to the town to search for the patrol guards.
Thanks to the directions, Wood didn't waste much time and quickly found the pawnshop, knocking on the door.
At first, Wood could hear movement inside the house. As soon as he peeked through the slightly opened door and stepped inside, he immediately sensed a strong gust of wind coming from above.
Crack!
Wood had just stepped inside when a large wooden club, as thick as an adult's thigh, came crashing down towards his head.
However, Wood reacted just in time. Facing the downward swing of the massive club, he threw a punch in response.
With a crisp cracking sound, the giant wooden club, thick as a leg and cutting through the air, was shattered into pieces by Wood's punch!
Not only did Wood destroy the weapon with one punch, but the powerful impact also sent the massive figure holding the club flying across the room.
"Is this how you welcome your guests? No wonder that kid Subaru was killed by this stick the first time."
"Getting hit by a giant like that… For anyone less tough, it wouldn't just be a matter of passing out."
The giant Rom was sent flying by Wood's punch, his weapon shattered. Meanwhile, Felt, who had been hiding in the rafters, took this opportunity to leap down from above.
With the power of her "Wind Blessing," the blonde girl, already nimble, moved even faster, becoming difficult to catch.
As Rom was sent flying, the girl sprang from above, brandishing a short dagger, aiming to stab Wood in the back.
However, despite her speed, Wood had already sensed her presence the moment he stepped through the door.
As Felt leaped down, Wood reached out with one hand, firmly grabbing her by the throat.
"Stop! We didn't mean to fight you—we just wanted to confirm if you were the one who hired us."
Seeing Felt struggling painfully in Wood's grasp, Rom, having picked himself up, quickly explained.
The pawnshop rarely had strangers visiting, and Felt had arranged to meet the person who hired her to steal the emblem for an exchange.
Since the client had been wearing a hooded cloak, Felt couldn't clearly see their face.
When Wood, a stranger, appeared at their door, Rom and Felt assumed he was their client.
In their line of work, if they showed any weakness, the client might try to negotiate a lower payment.
So, when they saw Wood—whom they thought was the client—they devised a plan to give him a "welcome" and show that they weren't to be messed with, ensuring they wouldn't be shortchanged.
What they didn't expect was that this mysterious "client" would be so powerful.
"I think there's been a misunderstanding. I'm not the person you were waiting for. In fact, I'm here to wait for them too."
"As for the one you were supposed to meet, I believe they go by 'The Bowel Hunter.' A pretty ruthless character."
"With your 'welcoming' approach, I'd say you're likely to end up dead when they show up."
Wood's knowledge came mostly from what Subaru had told him.
And in fact, it was true that "The Bowel Hunter" had no intention of leaving any witnesses. In Subaru's second "Return by Death," both Rom and Felt were killed by her.
Releasing his grip on Felt, Wood let her collapse to the ground, gasping for air. Meanwhile, Rom froze for a moment upon hearing the name "The Bowel Hunter," then confirmed, "The Bowel Hunter? You mean that famous assassin from the north?"
"Why would she hire Felt to steal something? Don't assassin organizations only accept jobs to kill and rob people?"
As the owner of a pawnshop, Rom clearly had some knowledge of the underground world.
And the name "The Bowel Hunter" wasn't unfamiliar to him.
Elsa Granhiert, known as "The Bowel Hunter," was an assassin from the northern lands, infamous for cutting open her victims' stomachs, earning her the chilling title in the west.
Even within assassin circles, she was considered a fearsome presence. If she was the one who hired Felt, her ruthless nature meant she likely wouldn't leave any survivors.
"I don't know why she hired you to steal this item. Maybe someone else hired you, and 'The Bowel Hunter' was just sent to collect it—and take care of you afterward."
"As for what your deal was and what she asked you to steal, I'm not interested."
"I'm only here because someone asked me to be, and partly because I'm curious about 'The Bowel Hunter.'"
It seemed Subaru was determined to recover the emblem for Emilia, hoping to win her favor.
However, considering Subaru's fighting ability against "The Bowel Hunter," he'd probably die dozens of times before succeeding. Wood didn't want to keep reliving the same day, so he decided to confront this "Bowel Hunter" himself.
Rom and Felt weren't sure whether to believe Wood's words, but they had no choice but to listen. After all, they had already seen that they weren't a match for him.
"So, you're really not going to leave? Just so you know, I've never seen this 'Bowel Hunter,' so I have no idea how strong she is."
"If we start fighting, I won't be able to protect you."
Based on their earlier scuffle, Wood could tell that Rom and Felt had some skills, but considering how they were killed instantly in Subaru's previous loop, Wood wasn't sure how strong their opponent really was.
"Don't underestimate me, pal. If I wanted to run, there aren't many people who could catch me."
"And since this 'Bowel Hunter' not only tricked me but plans to kill me, I at least want to see what she looks like."
After chatting for a while, Felt realized that Wood was the person she had bumped into earlier on the street. She soon grew comfortable around him, even chatting familiarly.
While the three waited, the door to the pawnshop was knocked on again.
At Wood's signal, Rom nervously grabbed a new wooden club and cautiously opened the door.
Standing outside was a beautiful young girl with silver hair.
Seeing the girl, Rom hesitated for a moment. It was hard to imagine someone as well-dressed and graceful as Emilia coming to a place like this slum.
However, Rom quickly remembered what Wood had said earlier and readied himself again.
Wood had mentioned that "The Bowel Hunter" was a woman, and a very beautiful one at that.
And it was strange for a girl like this to be in the slums alone.
In other words, this silver-haired girl could very well be the "Bowel Hunter!"
"I'm sorry to bother you, but is this the pawnshop in the slums?" Emilia asked politely, showing no fear in front of the giant Rom.
Rom didn't answer her question, instead stepping aside while gripping his wooden club, ready to knock her out as soon as she walked through the door.
Felt, on the other hand, was ready with her short dagger, prepared for a fight.
Wood, however, remained calmly seated, as if he already knew who the visitor was.
The moment Emilia stepped inside, she spotted Wood and exclaimed in surprise, "Wood! I didn't expect to find you here too!"
Hearing Emilia's words, Rom, who had been preparing to attack, froze in confusion and looked toward Wood.
"She's not 'The Bowel Hunter.' She's the person you stole from," Wood clarified.
Emilia's arrival, and the fact that she had reached the pawnshop before "The Bowel Hunter," was unexpected for Wood.
Subaru had said that only three people were killed by "The Bowel Hunter," which meant that the future wasn't set in stone and could change based on different factors.
According to Emilia, she had been wandering around the slums, lost, but she was drawn to the noise from Wood's earlier fight with Rom, which led her to the shop.
When she saw Felt, Emilia immediately demanded that she return the stolen dragon crest.
Felt, seeing that Emilia was inexperienced, claimed that since she had stolen the item, it now belonged to her. If Emilia wanted it back, she would have to buy it.
Wood thought that if Emilia had any money on her, she might have actually paid for her stolen crest. Unfortunately, she didn't have a single coin.
The crest was incredibly important to Emilia, but Felt only cared about money, so the two naturally began to fight.
Without her companion Puck, a spirit who only remained active during the day, Emilia's strength was greatly diminished. Despite this, she was still stronger than Felt.
However, with Rom's help and the cramped space of the pawnshop limiting Emilia's magic abilities, the fight ended in a stalemate.
That is, until the final guest of the night arrived, causing both sides to halt their fight.
The door opened once again, revealing a strikingly beautiful woman with the rare feature of glossy black hair, something seldom seen in this world.
She wore a daring black dress with a plunging neckline, and her legs, wrapped in black stockings, peeked out from the high slit in her skirt. She was the epitome of grace and seduction, with her looks and figure easily scoring a solid 90.
It was no wonder Subaru had that fearful yet fascinated look when talking about "The Bowel Hunter."
Her beauty alone could easily outshine 99% of the girls Subaru had known in his world.
Although Emilia was more beautiful, her figure couldn't compare, and her clothes weren't nearly as suggestive.
If Wood had to choose between the two, he would likely pick "The Bowel Hunter"—not because he was some sort of pervert, but... well, maybe because he admired her sense of fashion.
As she stepped into the shop, her eyes scanned the room, taking in the number of people, more than she had expected. Then, she smiled—a smile that sent shivers down the spine.
There was something... unsettling about that smile.
"How wonderful. A handsome blond man, a beautiful silver-haired girl, a giant old man, and a little thief. Looks like we have quite the variety here."
"I wonder... Will your intestines be any different from one another?"
Originally, her plan was to use some small talk to get her hands on the dragon crest. But now that Emilia herself was here, she could skip straight to the fun part.
After all, her goal was to strip Emilia of her right to the throne. Killing her would work just as well.
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Don't forget to give Power Stone
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