"Whoops."
Subaru Natsuki gave Satoru Gojo a strange look. Great, the rightful owner had found them.
"Satoru, you seem to have caused some trouble," Subaru Natsuki whispered to Felt, who was struggling against a thin layer of ice freezing her to the ground.
"Oh, the weather really is nice today."
"Isn't she your friend? Are we just going to stand here?"
"Sweets? You want to go eat sweets too, right? I knew we thought alike!"
Satoru Gojo gave Subaru Natsuki a thumbs-up, looking entirely in agreement. However, their conversation was like a chicken talking to a duck—completely on different channels. Faced with Satoru Gojo playing dumb, Subaru Natsuki didn't know what to say.
This girl named Felt wasn't exactly his type, but she was still the kind of beautiful girl you only see in anime or games. Seeing such a girl about to be punished by the owner made Subaru Natsuki feel a bit sympathetic. Satoru Gojo blinked but said nothing. It's just that this whole situation was somewhat related to him. They had just become friends, after all. If the owner really wanted to do something nasty, Satoru Gojo didn't mind creating a small opportunity for Felt.
As they whispered, a youthful voice rang out above them.
"Are you two her accomplices as well?"
Subaru Natsuki looked up and saw a small, bluish-grey cat carrying a tiny satchel, floating in mid-air and tilting its head at them.
"A... a talking cat?"
Subaru Natsuki rubbed his eyes; too many startling things had happened today.
"Satoru Gojo, you bastard! What are you just standing there for? Do something!"
Felt was currently pinned. Hearing the spirit's words, she didn't hesitate to drag Satoru Gojo and the others down with her. After all, this guy was the reason she was in this mess.
"Did you hear that, Satoru? Whatever is between you two has nothing to do with me."
Satoru Gojo poked Subaru Natsuki, speaking with an air of righteous indignation. Then he raised both hands toward the cat in the sky to show his innocence.
"It has nothing to do with me, Subaru Natsuki. You should go look for them."
Subaru Natsuki looked at his companion who had quickly distanced himself. He opened his mouth to argue but was immediately captivated by the figure walking from the other end of the alley. In the dim light at the end of the alley, a figure walked against the light. She was tall and slender, her steps light and agile. By the time she stood before them, Subaru Natsuki couldn't look away.
She was a beautiful girl who looked like she stepped straight out of a game's cinematic. Her silver hair, reaching down below her waist, was striking, and her flawless face was like an artwork meticulously carved by God. Especially those violet eyes—they were like deep whirlpools, pulling his soul in.
"Give the item back to me now, and I can let this go. Otherwise, do not blame me for being impolite."
The girl's voice was crisp and melodious, incredibly pleasant to the ear.
"Exactly, exactly. Our Lia is a kind-hearted girl..."
"Puck!"
To have such things said in front of so many people, the silver-haired girl looked a bit embarrassed and hurried to stop the cat's words. Puck waved a small paw by his face and stuck out his tongue, acting cute.
"So you like this type?"
Satoru Gojo narrowed his eyes and smiled at Subaru Natsuki, looking as though he had seen through everything.
"You... what are you talking about? Did I say that to you?"
Having his thoughts exposed, Subaru Natsuki reacted a bit defensively.
"Hey, you two! What on earth are you doing, you bastards!"
Felt was getting anxious watching those two unreliable guys whispering to each other.
"Actually, I think it might be better if you just give the item back," Satoru Gojo said to Felt, glancing at the small cat above.
The silver-haired girl was more direct. She extended a hand toward them, and ice-blue light gathered in her palm. It quickly condensed into several ice shards, only slightly larger than a baby's fist.
"A mage," Subaru muttered.
Satoru Gojo also watched with great interest. After the "Supporting Character Gift Pack" from the system, his Dojutsu could not only observe cursed energy but was now effective against the powers of this world as well. As the girl cast her magic, Satoru Gojo could clearly see through his Dojutsu that there were many special particles in the surrounding air gathering into her palm to form the ice. How the magic functioned was clearly displayed before him.
This was not only the first time Subaru Natsuki had seen magic; it was Satoru's first time as well.
"Bzzzt! Wrong answer. Not a mage, but a Spirit Arts User."
The cat named Puck waved a paw, correcting Subaru's terminology.
"Alright, now hand over the insignia. As long as I get it back, I won't pursue this further."
The silver-haired girl spoke coolly, staring straight at Felt. Satoru Gojo and Subaru Natsuki moved in perfect unison, one to the left and one to the right, leaning against the alley walls and leaving Felt exposed behind them.
At this sight, Felt was so angry her teeth ached. But facing the magic in the girl's hand and her current inability to move, Felt quickly made a judgment. From the perspective of minimizing losses: if she returned it now, at most the mission would fail and she'd lose the hefty reward. But if she didn't, the magic would hit her while she was defenseless. The end result would still be returning it, and she'd likely be injured. Being hurt meant spending more money on treatment and wasting time she could use to earn more money...
Weighing the pros and cons, Felt could only aggrievedly pull the still-warm insignia from her pocket and toss it toward the cat in the sky. She said unwillingly, "Here, take it."
Puck flew nimbly through the air and caught the insignia in his arms before flying back to the silver-haired girl.
"Lia."
The girl took the insignia and examined it seriously. When she saw the light on the insignia glow, she nodded to confirm it was correct and let out a full sigh of relief.
"It's the one. Phew, it's good to have it back. Otherwise, it really would be a headache, nya."