Re:Zero -Starting Life in Zero

Like petting a cat, Green reached out and ran his hand through Betty's hair, all the way to her slightly puffed-out cheeks, and gently pinched them.

"What the hell, Betty? You're the one who ruined my life, okay?"

Betty was completely bewildered by the question, her beautiful eyes filled with confusion.

She frowned unhappily and asked angrily, "Betty has always protected you. When has she ever done anything to harm you?"

"Now is the time," Green leaned down, his voice low and gentle as he whispered in her ear, "You've made me like you so much."

"...Baka...you're just spouting nonsense."

Betty's fingers tightened around Green's clothes, her smug expression instantly crumbling, and she felt a little embarrassed.

In a corner of the camp, Natsuki Subaru was holding a small notebook, the pen swishing across the paper as he meticulously recorded every word Grimm said, looking as if he were studying some kind of ultimate secret manual.

Green, however, was still not satisfied and intensified his clutching of his chest, putting on a pained and terrified expression.

"Oh no, Betty, I think I can't feel my heart beating anymore!"

"Come on, you're trying to fool Betty again."

Betty turned her face away, but couldn't help but steal a glance at Green to check on his condition.

"Oh, I forgot."

Green slapped his forehead as if suddenly realizing something, his tone full of playful indulgence, "My heart was stolen by you a long time ago."

"Stop it, you idiot! Betty forgives you!"

Betty quickly spoke up to stop him, afraid that he would say something that would make people blush.

The soldiers in the camp huddled together in twos and threes, whispering in hushed tones, their eyes filled with amusement at the spectacle.

"My goodness, Mr. Green is a genius!"

"Wow, that's amazing! It feels even better than magic."

"Look over there, there's another guy copying things down!"

……

The constant chatter reached his ears, and even the usually calm and composed great elf, who had lived for hundreds of years, was finding it hard to withstand the commotion.

She hurriedly grabbed Green's hand and pulled him toward the tent, her voice tinged with a mixture of embarrassment and anger.

"There are too many people here... If you want to say something, go back to the tent and tell Betty alone."

"Pfft—I thought you were shy. Well, this kind of place isn't suitable for a... cutie like you."

woo-

The melodious yet urgent sound of the bugle rang out, abruptly shattering the hustle and bustle of the camp.

A scout riding an earth dragon came galloping through the dust from the side street of Boulevard Freuger—Lifas Boulevard.

Dragon hooves kicked up clouds of dust, his voice a frantic roar: "Enemy detected! Enemy detected!"

"There are two people, and they are less than two hundred meters away!"

The happy look on Green's face vanished in an instant, replaced by a poker face, his eyes suddenly turning serious. He raised his hand and shouted at the soldiers in the camp, "All of you, retreat and await orders! Maintain your formation and do not attack rashly!"

The soldiers parted to make way for each other in an orderly fashion, and Crusch's dashing figure emerged from within.

The longsword in his hand was already drawn, and the magic power he had lost in yesterday's battle against the white whale had been restored to its peak.

"Lord Green, the Karlsten family has no precedent of letting allies face powerful enemies alone. Whether it is the White Whale or the Witch Cult, we have no choice but to meet them head-on with our swords."

Green exchanged a smile with him, then turned and walked to the front of the group. Rem had already rushed over with her flail, following closely behind Green.

That guy, Greed, is not someone who can be overwhelmed by sheer numbers, and besides, Green wouldn't do anything that would send Allied troops to their deaths.

He took a deep breath, his eyes glancing intermittently at the enormous carcass left behind by the beluga whale.

Lazens and the other two thugs, looking like they hadn't slept well, shook themselves over.

"Holy crap, we think we're late!"

Seeing everyone standing there dumbfounded, they immediately woke up from their drowsiness, feeling like they had overslept for military training.

The three quickened their pace to get to Green's side, and the short Ahan also dragged a folding chair from the camp.

……

"Boss, the three of us went to find you a chair, that's why we're a little late."

"Yes, yes, yes... As the leader, how can you stand with everyone else?"

"Please have a seat, boss!"

The three chattered away for a while, then pulled and tugged Green down into a chair.

……

"Hey—it seems like someone's been waiting for us on purpose? They do have some basic manners."

"Really? There are so many delicious-smelling things... Ah... My stomach is rumbling just looking at them, I can never get enough of them..."

Two figures, each exuding a distinctly eerie aura, slowly emerged from the end of the road.

Grimm's eyes were slits, and the dark fairy tale book was already in his hand, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the cover.

The first one to walk over was a short boy of about fourteen or fifteen years old.

His dark skin was covered with a dense network of whip marks and bite marks, and ugly scars crisscrossed the area, making it almost impossible to see a patch of intact skin.

This guy is Rae Badenkatos, the Archbishop of Gluttony.

Shark-like sharp teeth bit into his chapped lips, suppressed swallowing sounds rolled in his throat, and saliva dripped from the corners of his mouth.

"We noticed our pet had been killed, so we came over to check, and what a haul!"

"After all, you killed a beluga whale that had been running rampant for 400 years. I expected you to be well-cooked delicacies, but things have really exceeded my expectations!"

Archbishop Regulus of Greed didn't even lift his eyelids, waved his hand dismissively, and addressed the crowd:

"Rest assured, everyone. I am completely different from him. I hate fighting, and such base desires as hunger and lust are foreign to me. I am here today only to confirm whether any of the women present are qualified to be my wife."

This person was well-proportioned, with a pale complexion that had never seen the sun, but his face was so ordinary that he would be instantly lost in a crowd.

His pace was neither fast nor slow, as leisurely as if he were strolling in his own backyard. Although he did not exude any magic, the surrounding air seemed to freeze, creating a suffocating sense of oppression.

Regulus surveyed the entire room with a scrutinizing gaze, finally fixing his eyes on Green, who sat upright before everyone.

"Hey, can't you stand up and show some respect when someone's speaking seriously? You're just sitting there like you're watching a show, it's really annoying!"

In this situation, Green felt it would be a waste not to put on an act.

He sat regally in the chair, lazily squinting his eyes, tapping his fingertips on the armrest, making a "thump-thump" sound.

His tone carried a hint of mockery and a touch of disdain, much like a host at a banquet, leisurely addressing an uninvited guest:

"Ah~ it's the King of the Harem."