On the bustling central avenue of the Royal Capital, the crowd surged, and a cacophony of noises rose and fell.
Natsuki Subaru, having just returned from the dungeon and changed into a set of clean, smart casual clothes, quietly blended into the bustling throng.
"Level 34 strength should be enough to handle most situations..."
Natsuki Subaru subconsciously clenched his fists. After grinding monsters in the dungeon and leveling up solo, his current physical strength and combat skills were several times greater than before he entered the dungeon.
"If I were to face Julius again now, I could probably handle him easily without such an intense battle."
A slight smile touched the corners of Natsuki Subaru's lips as the image of The Finest Knight appeared in his mind. But then, his thoughts turned to another, even more terrifying existence.
"Maybe... I could even have a go with Reinhard... No, better not. At least not for now."
Natsuki Subaru sighed lightly and raised a hand to rub his temples.
"That Reinhard fellow is simply a walking monster."
After all, Reinhard's strength had long surpassed the realm of common sense. In this world, Divine Protections were blessings from the world, and an ordinary person might go their entire life without obtaining even one. But Reinhard was an exception, possessing hundreds of Divine Protection abilities. It was less that he possessed Divine Protections and more that Divine Protections actively sought him out. Like moths to a flame, the world would continuously bestow upon Reinhard any Divine Protection he needed.
Thinking this, Natsuki Subaru couldn't help but retort internally: "He's practically the world's darling. There should be a limit to how much one can cheat, right?"
"However..." Natsuki Subaru's gaze suddenly sharpened with determination. "It's precisely because such monsters exist that I must strive to become stronger!"
"Speaking of which, with my current strength, dealing with the Mabeast White Whale and ordinary Witch Cultists should be a breeze. Even facing the Sin Archbishop of Sloth wouldn't be an issue." Natsuki Subaru mused, but then his brow furrowed. "But the Sin Archbishops, their most troublesome aspect is their Authorities..."
It was known that Authorities and Divine Protections were fundamentally different. Divine Protections were blessings from the world, providing various combat aids, while Authorities were special abilities born from a Witch Factor, often capable of directly distorting the rules of reality. Authorities required specific conditions to trigger, but once activated, their power usually far exceeded that of Divine Protections.
"The abilities of the Sin Archbishops vary, but they all have one thing in common: if their Authority's mechanism isn't deciphered, it's almost impossible to truly win..." Natsuki Subaru stroked his chin thoughtfully, quickly sorting through the known information in his mind. The Sin Archbishop of Gluttony has the horrifying ability to devour existence, completely erasing a person's traces from the world. Petelgeuse, the Sin Archbishop of Sloth, his Unseen Hand is a fatal threat completely imperceptible to ordinary people.
"I should be able to see Sloth's Unseen Hands." Natsuki Subaru calmly analyzed internally. As long as I can see those Unseen Hands, there's a way to deal with them. The Sin Archbishop of Sloth's own strength isn't actually that formidable. After all, in the original work, even the ordinary Natsuki Subaru and Julius were able to defeat the Sin Archbishop of Sloth. The real trouble is the Sin Archbishop of Sloth's almost cheat-like resurrection mechanism. That madman refers to several of his cherished Witch Cultists as his 'Fingers,' and has implanted the Sloth Factor within all of them. As long as these vessels exist, the Sin Archbishop of Sloth can revive indefinitely. So, the tactic against the Sin Archbishop of Sloth is clear: first, eliminate all parasitic vessels, and finally, deal with the main body. All in all, dealing with Sloth shouldn't be a problem.
The only one who was most troublesome was still Regulus, the Sin Archbishop of Greed. That guy possessed a nearly invincible Authority, and in the original work, even managed to kill Reinhard. Although, that time it was due to a hostage situation, which prevented Reinhard from resisting. Even Reinhard, with his Phoenix Divine Protection, was helpless against such despicable tactics by the Sin Archbishop of Greed.
"The Sin Archbishops are strong because of their Authorities," Natsuki Subaru muttered to himself. "But as long as a countermeasure is found, they're actually not that difficult to deal with. And I happen to know all their Authorities."
"Speaking of which, in this world, Authorities are greater than Divine Protections... that's a fundamental rule. But that Reinhard fellow, he should be greater than all rules, right..." Natsuki Subaru looked up at the azure sky and couldn't help but let out a long sigh. After all, Reinhard could even confront the world's consciousness head-on; even the Witch of Envy could only barely match him due to the peculiarity of her Authority. In a sense, Reinhard was the one chosen by this world as the protagonist; he, the transmigrator, was more like a player using cheats.
Just as Natsuki Subaru was lost in his thoughts, a dazzling flash of gold suddenly appeared at the edge of his vision.
"Hmm?... Felt?!" Natsuki Subaru's eyebrows shot up in some surprise.
Under the sunlight, that familiar petite figure was darting through the crowd at astonishing speed, her short golden hair like flowing liquid gold, shimmering in harmony with the magnificent golden-yellow gown she wore. But what was puzzling was that she kept looking back nervously from time to time, clearly fleeing from someone's pursuit.
"Tsk, such persistent fellows. They even have people stationed here?"
Hearing Natsuki Subaru's voice, Felt suddenly stopped and turned warily towards his direction.
"Felt, what are you talking about?"
Natsuki Subaru walked over, completely bewildered.
"Oh? So it's you, little bro!"
Seeing it was Natsuki Subaru, Felt's expression instantly relaxed. She placed her hands on her hips and complained discontentedly, "If you're going to greet someone, at least announce your name properly! You made me think those annoying guys had caught me."
"The one who always appears out of nowhere has no right to say such things!"
Natsuki Subaru couldn't help but roll his eyes, but he quickly composed himself and asked seriously, "More importantly, can you explain what's going on right now?"
"You're so fussy, it's annoying~"
Felt pursed her lips and deliberately drew out her tone. "A naggy man like you, little bro, will never grow tall, you know!"
"Hey! What does my height have to do with this!"
Natsuki Subaru retorted reflexively, but then his gaze fell on the magnificent gown Felt was wearing. "Speaking of which, you're still wearing that gown from the Royal Selection meeting... It suits you so well, I almost didn't recognize you at first."
So, has Felt finally realized she's actually a girl too? Thinking this, Natsuki Subaru sized up the golden-haired girl before him. Her short golden hair shone brilliantly in the sunlight, her defiant red eyes sparkled with stubborn light, and her slightly protruding sharp canine teeth added a touch of playful charm. This Felt girl... actually has such a cute side to her. Natsuki Subaru sighed inwardly.
"Huh?!"
Hearing this, Felt immediately bristled like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. She roughly tugged at both sides of her skirt, the expensive fabric wrinkling in her hands. "Little bro, did you hit your head or something? Who would voluntarily wear these restrictive rags! If it weren't for that annoying guy watching, I would have torn this dress into cleaning rags long ago!"
It feels like Felt's resentment towards the gown is about to materialize...
"Annoying guy?"
Natsuki Subaru's mouth twitch slightly as he looked at Felt. "You don't mean Reinhard, do you?"
"Who else could it be but that nag!"
Felt stomped her foot forcefully, her jewel-encrusted leather shoes making a crisp sound on the ground. "He's always nagging in my ear about how royalty must pay attention to appearance, and nobility must have refinement... It's so annoying, I'm about to die from it..."
It really is him. However, having Reinhard as an etiquette teacher... that image is just too incongruous no matter how I think about it... Natsuki Subaru almost laughed out loud, imagining that perfect knight earnestly teaching Felt etiquette.
"I finally managed to sneak out today while he was on duty at the Royal Castle! I'm going to have all the fun I can!"
Saying this, Felt suddenly spun around gracefully, the hem of her gown tracing a dazzling golden arc in the air. Sunlight filtered through the gauze-like fabric, casting a hazy halo around her. Although Felt complained endlessly, this custom-made magnificent gown indeed complemented Felt's lively and agile temperament perfectly.
"You say you don't want it, but your body is quite honest, isn't it."
Natsuki Subaru couldn't help but tease, looking at the cute Felt before him.
Thwack!
Felt, without a second word, kicked out, her movement so fast it created a gust of wind. However, with Natsuki Subaru's current level 34 player strength, an attack of this level didn't even require dodging. He merely sidestepped slightly and easily avoided Felt's attack.
Although, with my current strength, taking a hit like that wouldn't be a big deal, but for Felt to kick so unrestrainedly while wearing a skirt, should I say she's too naive or too defenseless... Natsuki Subaru complained thus in his heart, but on his face, he deliberately feigned an innocent expression and asked, "Why did you kick me?"
"I don't know, I just suddenly felt like kicking you."
Felt revealed her signature small canine teeth, answering frankly, her look of perfect justification as if saying it was only natural to want to kick something round when one saw it.
What kind of reason is that! And why can this girl say it so righteously? Natsuki Subaru complained wildly in his heart, but on the surface, he still maintained a gentle smile. "Although honesty is a virtue, violence is not a good habit, you know! Especially towards a benefactor who once helped you out of a jam."
"Who asked you to meddle!"
Felt pursed her lips, but then her eyes darted around, and a cunning smile appeared. "By the way, little bro, seeing as you're so idle, want to accompany me for a walk around?"
This Felt girl, she clearly wants someone to accompany her but still has to put on an air of bestowing a favor... Natsuki Subaru looked at the magnificent gown Felt was wearing and thought that if she walked around the streets alone, she would definitely attract a lot of trouble. It's still early; accompanying her for a while before heading back to the inn should be fine.
"Oh my, oh my, a popular man like me really has it unexpectedly tough~"
Natsuki Subaru deliberately put on a reluctant expression. "Can't be helped. Allow this gentleman to accompany you for a while."
"Stop being so narcissistic!"
Felt retorted impolitely.
"So, where are you planning to go next?"
Natsuki Subaru asked, looking at Felt in her magnificent gown.
"Anywhere is fine!"
Felt waved her hand impatiently. "The most important thing now is to get far away, the farther the better!"
"Are you that afraid of being caught and taken back?"
Natsuki Subaru looked at Felt's cautious appearance and couldn't help but tease, "Is being with Reinhard that boring?"
"It's not boring... it's super-duper—bo~ring!"
Felt exaggeratedly drew out her tone and continued, "That guy, even if he does nothing, just standing there can make the air feel sticky."
"That's too harsh a way to put it!"
Natsuki Subaru couldn't help but speak up for Reinhard. "Reinhard is clearly such a refreshing and upright knight."
Speaking of which, Reinhard is indeed excessively perfect. Not only is his own strength outstanding, but his manners are also impeccable—polite yet not artificial, powerful yet never arrogant. He's practically the embodiment of perfection, and even a tiny bit more handsome than me... Thinking this, Natsuki Subaru couldn't help but feel a little jealous. But for Felt to despise Reinhard so much... this is probably what they call 'not knowing how good you have it,' right? Natsuki Subaru couldn't help but silently retort, looking at Felt's disgusted expression.
"That's why you guys who only look at appearances are the most annoying."
Felt stomped her foot petulantly, her short golden hair swaying gently with her movements. "Reinhard's perfect knight facade only fools outsiders like you. You'll understand what a super troublesome guy he is if you just live with him for a while."
"My apologies," Natsuki Subaru said to Felt. "The world's cutest girl already resides in my heart, so I must decline your proposal."
"Hmph, nice words."
Felt pursed her lips and looked down, tugging at the hem of her magnificent gown. "You're all the same, just good at saying pretty things. Just look at this ridiculously troublesome dress, and you'll know."
"Eh? Did Reinhard choose this gown?"
Natsuki Subaru carefully examined Felt. "I actually think it suits you very well. It retains your personality yet has a very royal air."
It had to be said, this gown indeed matched Felt very well. The magnificent gold thread embroidery perfectly complemented her flamboyant personality, the cinched waist unexpectedly highlighted her slender figure, and the layered skirt added a touch of elegance befitting a noble young lady.
"Are you kidding me!"
Felt spun around irritably, her skirt flaring out like a flower, but her expression was filled with dissatisfaction. "What's so good about this cumbersome cloth? After putting it on, I can't even do my signature high kick! Last time I wanted to teach that guy a lesson, I almost tripped over my own skirt."
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