Night fell.
Satoru Gojo leaned against the side of the street, looking at the road that was much quieter than during the day. He finished the last piece of honey sponge cake in a few bites and stretched comfortably.
"Hmm."
"The desserts in this world are actually quite good."
Licking his slightly sweet lips, Satoru Gojo brushed the crumbs off his hands and then fished three copper coins out of his pocket.
"It seems I accidentally spent all my money."
Satoru Gojo scratched his head. Now that he was full, a hint of drowsiness began to emerge. However, the three copper coins in his possession were clearly not enough to find a place to stay.
Still, Satoru Gojo felt he couldn't be blamed. After all, as a major sweets lover, it was absolutely impossible for him to see so many unheard-of desserts in this different world and not try them. It was just that the prices of sweets in this world seemed a bit expensive.
Plus, he had bought quite a lot...
Well, it was understandable. In a medieval setting like this, being able to eat one's fill was already good. Sweets were something that brought happiness, a luxury among foods, so it was normal for them to be pricey.
"Honestly, can't heroes lower the price of desserts instead of just fighting witches?"
"Seems I have to figure something out, otherwise I'll be sleeping on the street tonight."
Satoru Gojo took out the last candy from his pocket, popped it into his mouth, and began to think. He stood there as the pedestrians on the street grew fewer and fewer.
"Tch."
"If Suguru knew about this, he would definitely laugh at me."
After thinking for a long time without a solution, Satoru Gojo simply sat down on the roadside steps. In this situation, there was only one way: wait for the dead of night and go to the home of a major noble or merchant. The manors where those people lived would certainly have many empty rooms; he just had to find one.
Anyway, ordinary people wouldn't be able to discover him.
This method was somewhat annoying, though.
As he was thinking, a set of footsteps came from not far away, sounding exceptionally clear on the gradually quiet street. Satoru Gojo, bored, followed the sound and saw several figures dressed in crisp white uniforms approaching.
Leading them was a tall young man with fiery red hair and clear blue eyes. He had handsome features and an extraordinary aura. Every movement he made was like something that should only exist in a painting.
"Hmm?"
As Satoru Gojo noticed the other person, the other person also looked toward him immediately. Their gazes collided in mid-air and met.
Instinct.
The moment their eyes met, the other person's aura entered Satoru Gojo's perception. Under the observation of the Six Eyes, Satoru Gojo could clearly feel an exceptionally pure aura from this young man. This aura contained no malice, yet it carried an extremely powerful vitality and sense of order, like a sharp sword in its scabbard—its edge restrained but impossible to ignore.
Feeling the other person's aura, Satoru Gojo's eyes brightened beneath his sunglasses. He immediately stood up and walked toward them.
"Hey, you guys are the patrol guards, right?"
Satoru Gojo waved at the group with a smile, acting quite familiar.
The red-haired man at the lead had a gentle expression and nodded politely to Satoru Gojo. "We are knights of the Knight Order performing a patrol mission. May I ask if Excellency has a matter?"
Hearing this, a smile bloomed on Satoru Gojo's face.
"In that case, I've found the right person."
Saying this, Satoru Gojo proactively held out both hands.
"Come on, take me away."
"Eh?"
The red-haired knight was stunned, seemingly caught off guard by Satoru Gojo's nonsensical statement.
"It's fine, just arrest me and lock me up for the night." Satoru Gojo let out a yawn. "It's late, and staying up all night isn't a good habit."
"Does Excellency wish to surrender for a crime you committed?"
The red-haired knight stared at Satoru Gojo. Those clear, bright blue eyes seemed to possess a strange power that could reach directly into the heart.
"Well, let's call it that. You can take me back and lock me up, then interrogate me tomorrow." Satoru Gojo held out his hands again, looking like he wanted them to hurry up.
"Although I am not sure why Excellency would lie about committing a crime..."
"But, may I ask if you have encountered some trouble?"
The red-haired knight didn't mind Satoru Gojo's actions, nor did he show any aggressive behavior or impatience. His tone remained peaceful as he looked at Satoru Gojo earnestly.
"If it is something within my power..."
Seeing the other party see through his somewhat perfunctory lie and having no intention of arresting him, Satoru Gojo reached up and pulled his sunglasses slightly down his nose, revealing a pair of unique eyes that even the red-haired knight couldn't help but notice.
"If you insist, I really do need help."
"My name is Satoru Gojo, a traveler from outside."
"Hey."
"Lend me some money."
Hearing Satoru Gojo's words, several knights behind the red-haired knight looked at each other, and one stepped forward, preparing to scold him. In their eyes, this strangely frivolous guy was able-bodied; instead of working hard to earn money, he was here saying such strange things.
However, before they could speak, the red-haired knight held out a hand to stop them.
"My name is Reinhard. Since you are a traveler from outside, why are you without funds? Were you swindled?" Reinhard asked carefully, without showing any other emotions like his companions.
"Not exactly." Satoru Gojo shrugged, his tone nonchalant. "I came here suddenly and didn't have time to prepare."
He didn't explain too much; after all, "world travel" was a bit difficult to understand. Even he was still in the stage of skeptical exploration, although based on the current developments, the possibility was high.
Reinhard listened to Satoru Gojo's reason and didn't speak, appearing to be in thought. Seeing that the other party didn't immediately refuse, Satoru Gojo struck while the iron was hot.
"With your strength, you shouldn't be short of a little cash, right?"
"I can owe you a favor. A favor from Satoru Gojo is quite valuable."
Seeing Satoru Gojo so full of confidence, Reinhard became increasingly curious about this young man. Under the effect of his Divine Protections, even without actively investigating, he could roughly judge that the person in front of him was not lying.