Ren Isana dealt with Elsa and then turned his gaze toward the somber giant, Old Man Rom. "That little girl shouldn't have any problems, and she might even strike it rich. You don't need to worry so much. As for this woman, take her as compensation. If someone comes looking for you, just trade her for the bounty."
After saying his piece, Ren Isana turned and walked away. He didn't have any currency from this world to pay for the things Asuna had smashed, so the lady assassin would have to serve as his payment.
Emilia watched them, thought for a moment, and then hurriedly pulled out a gold coin and placed it on the table. "Excuse us! Please take this as compensation!"
After setting down the gold coin, Emilia quickly followed them out. Subaru Natsuki followed suit, and the group finally breathed a sigh of relief once they were outside Old Man Rom's house.
"Brother, how did you guys get here? And was that magic you used? Is it your cheat ability? Why isn't mine a combat-oriented power?" Subaru Natsuki quickly caught up to Ren Isana and the others, firing off questions with an excited expression.
Now that the situation was resolved and he had encountered people from his home world in another world, he was beyond thrilled. The various fears he had felt since being transported vanished in an instant, replaced entirely by the excitement of meeting fellow travelers.
Emilia followed behind them, her ears perked up curiously. She wanted to hear their conversation and figure out what was going on with them. Asuna slowed her pace slightly to walk beside Emilia.
"Hello there. Let me introduce myself—I'm Asuna. How should I address you?" Asuna stepped forward and greeted Emilia with a polite smile.
Hearing Asuna's words, Emilia nervously spoke her name. "I... I am Emilia. Please look after me!"
This was the first time a girl her own age had proactively asked for her name. Because of her appearance and hair color, she had suffered a great deal of unfair treatment in this country.
Who could blame them when she looked so much like that Witch? Now that someone was greeting her like this, she was actually quite happy deep down. Moreover... these people didn't seem like locals, so perhaps they wouldn't care about those things?
After a moment of hesitation, Emilia decided she would tell Asuna about her circumstances later. But for now... she would just stick to casual conversation.
Ren Isana heard Subaru Natsuki's questions and spoke up. "We weren't passively transported here; we came here of our own accord. Also... you and I might not be from the same world. After all, in my world, there aren't many people your age who are as weak as you."
Subaru Natsuki felt a sudden wave of despair upon hearing Ren Isana's words. So they weren't from the same world after all? He had assumed they were. And these two had come here voluntarily?
"Hiss! Do you mean you've already mastered a method to travel between worlds at will? You can actually cross over to other worlds on your own?" Subaru Natsuki could hardly believe his ears.
Emilia, walking behind them, felt the same way. Crossing over voluntarily versus being transported passively were two completely different concepts. If they came voluntarily, it meant Ren Isana and his companion had a way to enter this world whenever they pleased.
Was this an invasion? Or was there some other reason? A multitude of questions immediately flooded Emilia's mind. No matter how she looked at it, this was a major incident!
Ren Isana didn't plan on wasting too much time in this world. The greatest value here lay in those [Divine Protection] gifts, some magic books, and things like the library belonging to that twin-tailed drill loli, Beatrice.
As for the Witches? Those individuals could be left to Natsuki and the others to handle. He and Asuna were only here to scout for information. Although the Witches were likely top-tier beauties, Ren Isana wasn't strong enough to handle them just yet.
A Witch capable of devouring worlds was not an enemy Ren Isana could face, and he likely couldn't even match Reinhard, given that the man's cheats were simply too excessive.
"That's right. The people of our world can master the means to reach other worlds. Of course, that's only because this world has intersected with ours, giving us the chance to cross over," Ren Isana said without any intention of hiding the truth.
He spoke quite openly about it. After all, even if they knew, what could they do? Ren Isana dared to say these things directly because he was naturally confident in his own strength.
Leaving this world was incredibly simple for Ren Isana and Asuna. If the people of this world truly harbored ill intentions toward them, the next time someone crossed over, it wouldn't just be Ren Isana.
Subaru Natsuki hadn't expected Ren Isana to admit it so frankly. Weren't world-travelers supposed to hide their identities? What was the deal with just blurting it out like that?
"Doesn't that make me look like a total idiot?" Subaru Natsuki was genuinely stunned, no longer knowing what to say.
Emilia finally couldn't hold back anymore and hurriedly asked, "Excuse me, sir, but do you have a specific purpose for coming to our world?"
How could she remain still after learning such things? Since Ren Isana was willing to speak about it, she wanted to clarify their goals.
"Actually, we just came to investigate the situation of this world. My companion and I happened to discover the channel to this world, and our superiors sent us to get the lay of the land," Asuna explained, answering her question.
Emilia was visibly stunned by the answer, unsure if it was truly that simple. Were they really just here for an investigation?
"Emilia! They probably aren't lying. They likely really are just here to investigate. I just woke up and already heard some incredible news!" Just then, a voice rang out as a small cat emerged from the pendant Emilia wore on her chest.
When she saw the cat, Asuna's eyes immediately lit up. She looked at the talking cat in surprise. It was inside the pendant? Could that pendant actually hold living beings?
Moreover, the cat could talk. If Yukino knew about this, she would be overjoyed, Asuna thought, remembering the cat-obsessed Yukino Yukinoshita.
"Hello, friends from another world. I am Puck. My silly daughter has caused you some trouble!" The awakened Puck greeted Asuna and Ren Isana quite naturally.
At the same time, its gaze was filled with curiosity as it looked at the two of them. It was particularly interested in the power within their bodies—a completely different energy system. Beatrice would surely be fascinated if she saw this.
"Hello, I am Ren Isana." Ren Isana stopped and looked at the little cat that had emerged, introducing himself for the first time to the two humans and one spirit.
"Hello, hello. Friends from another world, would you mind telling us more about your circumstances?" Puck looked at Ren Isana and Asuna with a smile, completely ignoring Subaru Natsuki.
Because Subaru Natsuki carried the scent of the Witch, it was likely he had come from the Waterfall. Therefore, there was no need to worry about him for now. Compared to Ren Isana and Asuna, his identity was insignificant.
"Of course. It just so happens I can learn about this world from you as well so I can finish my report. However, this isn't the place for a chat." Ren Isana glanced around; they were still out in the open, which wasn't ideal for a long conversation.
"Please come with me!" Emilia spoke up hurriedly and began leading the way. Ren Isana and the others followed close behind.
After learning about Ren Isana's situation, Subaru Natsuki asked cautiously, "Brother, you guys aren't planning on invading this world, are you?"
Hearing such a question, the corners of Ren Isana's mouth curled up slightly. He spoke slowly, "We aren't that bored. There are quite a few worlds connected to ours. If we invaded every single one, we wouldn't have the energy to manage them all."
He was telling the truth. Managing a world was a massive headache. The spiritual energy recovery on their side had only been going on for a few decades. Although their strength had developed rapidly, governing an entire world was an arduous task.
Didn't most worlds they connected with lean more toward cooperation? They just needed to reap the benefits; as for management, the locals could handle it themselves. They didn't care to interfere.
After all, they were already busy enough as it was. Even if they could conquer an entire world, winning a world was easy, but ruling it was incredibly difficult.
Subaru Natsuki breathed a sigh of relief when he heard this. It was good that they weren't here to invade. He had genuinely feared they were. Ren Isana smiled and ignored him, letting him dwell in his own fantasies.
Following Emilia, the group arrived at a dragon carriage. Standing there was a pair of twin maids—one with blue hair and one with pink. These were Rem and Ram.
"Emilia-sama!" Ram and Rem greeted her in unison as soon as she returned, their movements so synchronized it was impossible to find a flaw.
Seeing the twin maids, Ren Isana couldn't help but take a few extra glances. *Rem-chan is truly incredible. Maids are the absolute best!*
While Ren Isana was sizing up the twins, Asuna walked over to his side and instinctively gave his waist a sharp pinch.
Ren Isana finally retracted his gaze after the pinch. Asuna huffed coldly and whispered, "Don't stare at people like that. It's rude!"
*They're just twins, big deal. And why are you staring at her legs? Do you have such a massive maid fetish? Or is it the white stockings?* Asuna couldn't help but grumble inwardly.
"Ram, Rem, we're heading back," Emilia said quickly before turning to Ren Isana and Asuna.
"You two, please get in. It's a bit small, so please don't mind." After Emilia finished speaking, her gaze finally landed on Subaru Natsuki.
"Sir, thank you for your help today. Ram, please help him get settled. Rem and I will head back first." Emilia didn't have time to chat with Subaru now. She boarded the carriage and signaled for Ren Isana and Asuna to follow.
Ren Isana turned to the conflicted Subaru Natsuki and said, "You should probably find a place to settle down. If nothing goes wrong, this world is likely about to become quite restless."
Having said that, Ren Isana pulled Asuna onto Emilia's carriage. Once they were seated, Rem immediately drove the dragon carriage away, leaving her sister and the unknown man behind.
Subaru Natsuki felt a wave of tension upon hearing Ren Isana's warning. At the end of the day, he was just an otaku. Ren Isana and his companion were clearly powerful, so he didn't dare ignore their words.
"Sir, here is some money. Thank you for looking after Emilia-sama today. I still have matters to attend to, so I will take my leave!" Ram turned to Subaru Natsuki once the dragon carriage was far enough away.
She handed him a bag of gold coins without another word. If Emilia hadn't told her to look after him, she wouldn't have even bothered giving him the money.
Ram performed a maid's curtsy and then vanished on the spot, moving rapidly in the direction of the dragon carriage, leaving Subaru Natsuki standing there alone and dazed.
*She asked you to look after me, and this is how you 'look after' me?* Subaru felt a bit depressed, but looking at the money bag in his hand, he sighed. Although he really wanted to follow them, he knew they had more important things to deal with.
Why would they have time to entertain a small fry like him? He might not even have another chance to meet them again.
However... that guy said this world has intersected with theirs, and that's why they came... which means he might be able to go there in the future? Even if it's not his own world, a modern life should have anime and game consoles, right?
Subaru Natsuki suddenly felt a flicker of hope for the future. He looked at the gold coins Ram had given him. This should be enough to live quite well in this other world. And his talent... since Ren Isana could pinpoint him and track him down like he had a direct connection...
Did that mean there were others in this world who could do the same? The thought filled Subaru Natsuki with a hint of dread. If the people of this world knew he possessed such an ability, heaven only knew what he would go through.
No one paid much attention to Subaru Natsuki. Now that Emilia knew about the impending intersection of worlds, her mind was completely filled with the gravity of the situation.
Ren Isana and Asuna didn't think much of it either. Although the boy possessed the power of [Return by Death], it only seemed to affect the people of this world; it had no effect on Ren Isana or Asuna.
That was why Ren Isana hadn't even bothered to copy it. An ability that only allowed one to track back to a save point in a specific location was actually quite mediocre, especially since it couldn't affect them. To Ren Isana, it was a rather useless power.
Unless, of course, they took Subaru Natsuki back to their world and killed him once to see if time would flow backward there. If it could, then his ability would have value. But that thing was a product of the Witch; who knew what would happen if he copied it?
The space inside the dragon carriage wasn't small; there was more than enough room for the three of them. Once they were seated, Emilia began asking Ren Isana and Asuna about the connection to the other world, while Puck listened quietly from the side.
As Ren Isana explained the situation of the two worlds, Puck suddenly had an epiphany. "It's just like Beatrice's library—suddenly connecting to a certain place without the people inside knowing, while the people outside are aware of it!"
Ren Isana nodded and praised, "Well put. That's essentially what it is. The intersection of the two worlds has become an inevitability, and the passage has already opened on our side."
This was an established fact that no one could change. Ren Isana had never heard of a world being able to disconnect once it had joined with their side via a Dimensional Rift.
If such news existed, Ren Isana and the others would have seen it long ago. In other words, since the appearance of the first Dimensional Rift, such a thing had never happened. There were plenty of worlds far more advanced than this one connected to their side.
Even the world of the Dungeon was higher tier than this one. That world had many gods, at least. This world only had Witches, and while they were strong, they were only at that level.
With their power alone, it was impossible for them to forcibly break the connection between the two worlds unless they directly destroyed the world itself.
But... if they actually tried that, Ren Isana's side wouldn't be happy. To the higher-ups, the appearance of a Dimensional Rift represented another source of resources. How could they stand by and watch a world be destroyed? What a waste.
If the locals didn't want the world, the higher-ups would be more than happy to take it. Although they didn't have enough people to manage everything, it wasn't a problem; they could just support a few local factions to do it for them.
"Excuse me, but if the two worlds really connect, will the people of our world be able to travel freely to your side?" Emilia looked at Ren Isana and Asuna with curiosity.
"Of course. As long as you go there with friendly intentions, you're more than welcome. Actually, the people on our side are quite easy to talk to. Even if you want to go there to study or something, it's perfectly fine," Asuna answered Emilia's question with a nod.
Emilia breathed a sigh of relief. After a moment of hesitation, she asked nervously in a small voice, "Um... in your world... do people look down on those with white hair? Or those... who look very similar to the Witch?"
As she asked the question, Emilia's heart hammered against her ribs. Asuna, however, only looked at her with a literal question mark practically visible over her head.
Asuna didn't know about Emilia's past and asked in confusion, "Why would anyone look down on white hair? Everyone in our world is a silver-hair fanatic. We love it! No one hates it at all. Why would you ask such a thing?"
Asuna was baffled, completely and utterly baffled. This question felt like it came out of nowhere. What did she mean, would they look down on her? Had she been ostracized in this world for it? Such a beautiful girl—who could be so blind?
Silver hair, an elf, white stockings, and a figure that was honestly a bit too good... just who exactly was hating on this beautiful girl?
Is everyone in this world just... blind to beauty, or what?