The Twelve Trials Starting from Zero

After all, its true form is one of the four great spirits who have lived for over four hundred years. It has seen countless battles and visited many countries in the world. It has even heard of the legends of the foreign land opposite the Great Falls. A mere visitor from another world cannot shake its resolve.

The "young" Emilia, who was only a little over a hundred years old, found it hard to believe and couldn't help but ask the elf she regarded as her father in a soft voice, "Puck, do other worlds really exist?"

"Well, I have heard that some people have come from the other side of the Great Falls, so it's not unreasonable to believe it for now; but Leah, the important thing right now is not to explore a distant other world, is it?"

"Ah, right..." she realized, then said with a hint of embarrassment and annoyance, "It's all because of you guys, Parker, that I've been talking. Although I've also made mistakes by being led by you, we can't let this continue!"

Hmm, she looks so cute when she blushes, no... I should say she's even cuter...

Drawn by the girl's unexpected charm, Natsuki Subaru was momentarily stunned. Then, he saw the girl turn her gaze towards him and say in a serious tone, "So, tell me now?"

"Huh? What?" I was so nervous that I didn't react in time.

Emilia frowned slightly, about to speak, when Su Qi added, "It's information, isn't it? Natsuki-san, this lady said she stayed to save you because of information, so if you really know it, why don't you tell him?"

“That’s right.” She nodded in satisfaction. “I had something very important stolen from me by that thief. She ran away when she passed through this alley earlier. If you can provide me with valuable information, we can call it even.”

“I see…” Natsuki Subaru thought for a moment, then shook his head helplessly. “I’m sorry, apart from the thief’s appearance—that he was about fourteen or fifteen years old, with short blond hair, red eyes, fangs, short stature, flat-chested, and wearing tattered clothes—I don’t know anything else.”

Emilia's eyes darkened slightly, but she quickly concealed it, nodding gently. "That's enough. Your information was very valuable, just enough to offset the debt of gratitude for healing your injuries. Also, you'd better be more careful in the future and avoid walking through alleys like these, because next time there might not be anyone who can save you... Don't misunderstand, I'm not worried, just giving you advice. Well, we're in a hurry, so we'll be going now. Goodbye."

Having said that, she tossed her long silver hair, didn't even glance at Subaru Natsuki or Su Qi, and turned to leave with a brisk gait.

You lied...

Even without reading her mental fluctuations, Su Qi could easily deduce that she was lying. Because of his earlier obstruction, Emilia had already seen Felt's appearance, so the information provided by Subaru Natsuki was actually worthless to her.

The reason he told such a lie was simply to cover up his true feelings as a nice guy, and to avoid involving others in his affairs.

"I'm sorry, my child is just not well-behaved. Please don't think of her as a weirdo."

Parker bowed to Su Qi and the other person in a seemingly respectable manner, then caught up with Emilia and burrowed into her long hair.

Did he just... leave like that?

Watching the girl's receding figure, Natsuki Subaru suddenly felt a little empty inside, and his mind flashed back to all the little things she had done for him since they met.

Even though he lost something extremely important that might be lost if he delayed, he still stopped to save me; even though he had already done everything he could to save me from a desperate situation, he still stayed and wasted time helping me; even though he didn't need to consider the feelings of a stranger like me, he still pretended to be indifferent to avoid feeling guilty... Such a personality is really disadvantageous and worrying.

Now that he has escaped his own predicament, the girl is in trouble because she saved him. How could he possibly ignore her and comfortably enjoy her sacrifice?

So he rushed out, chased after her through the narrow alley, and shouted at the girl's retreating figure, "Hey, wait a minute!"

Then... he was firmly rejected.

"Thank you for your kindness, but this is my own business and I don't want to trouble others. Besides, you've already repaid my debt of gratitude, so please forgive me for refusing."

After the girl said this, no matter how Natsuki Subaru pleaded or begged, she showed no intention of giving in.

Here, the plot once again deviates from the original work, and the reason naturally lies with Su Qi. If it were just Natsuki Subaru, he wouldn't pose much of a threat, but Puck couldn't fathom his strength and knew too little about him. In these turbulent times, with the badge stolen, he naturally wouldn't want such a person by his daughter's side.

Emilia didn't really want to involve others in her affairs, and now with Su Qi as an unknown factor, plus Parker's opinion, she naturally didn't want to get involved with the two of them anymore, so Subaru's fate was sealed.

"Sigh... I was rejected without any room for negotiation."

Natsuki Subaru hung his head and returned to the alley with a sigh, like a defeated dog.

"With such a fierce face, and having confessed his feelings on the first meeting, it's only natural that he would be rejected by the girl."

Su Qi stood at the alley entrance, speaking as if it were none of his business.

“I didn’t say that…” Natsuki Subaru scratched his hair, somewhat annoyed, “I just wanted to help her, I just wanted to help her and repay her for saving my life just now.”

“Oh…” Su Qi looked at him meaningfully and said, “But besides that, there are some other reasons, right? Someone was stunned more than once just now.”

"Uh……"

Natsuki Subaru paused, then blushed, took a deep breath, and shouted as if he had nothing to lose, "Ahhh, that's right, that's exactly it! After all, she's such an amazing and kind-hearted beautiful girl, what's wrong with a boy liking a beautiful girl? I just have feelings for her, I just want to be with her, I just can't let her go, I just want to help her, is there anything wrong with that? No, right? Absolutely not, right? I just like her!"

"No, that's not true." Su Qi nodded slightly in affirmation. "After all, having experienced something like that, and given that the girl's stunning beauty, it's normal to be attracted to her."

"and many more……"

Natsuki Subaru suddenly became wary and looked at Su Qi, saying, "Su Qi-san, you wouldn't happen to have fallen for Satella too, would you? Let me make this clear beforehand, even if it's Su Qi-san, I will never back down."

"Satella?"

"It's that lady's name. I had to beg her repeatedly before I finally got it."

Silly child, what you asked for was just a fake name...

Looking at the smug Natsuki Subaru with pity, Su Qi shook his head slightly, "Don't worry, Satella's personality is too weak, she's not my type."

"What?!" Subaru Natsuki feigned shock, exclaiming incredulously, "Impossible! There's no way anyone in this world could resist Satella's charm! And I can't accept her being too weak! It's gentleness, kindness, angelic love! In short, Satella is the best in the world!!"

The excessive volume broke through the narrow alley and carried out onto the main street. Instantly, a large number of stares, as if looking at someone insane, focused on Natsuki Subaru. The next moment, a section of the nearby street suddenly cleared as many pedestrians fled in fear.

"Huh? Did I say something bad? Why are people running away from the street, as if they've suddenly seen something terrifying?"

"Perhaps your love was too passionate and burned her."

"Is that so?" Subaru Natsuki was puzzled at first, but then put it out of his mind and said with a hint of smugness, "Hmph, I am confident that my feelings for Satella will never be inferior to anyone else's."

“God…” Su Qi solemnly made the sign of the cross on his chest and said with compassion, “Please save this fool whose reason has been burned away by love. He is still too young, and his life should not end here.”

"Okay, okay, I know I was exaggerating..." Natsuki Subaru raised his hands in surrender, then his eyes hardened and he said seriously, "But Su Qi-san, my feelings are absolutely genuine, without the slightest falsehood."

"I understand." Su Qi also put away his joking attitude and asked seriously, "So, even if Satella rejects you, will you still continue to help her?"

"Of course! Even so, I will protect her in my own way!"

Even if we encounter many unimaginable difficulties later?

Natsuki Subaru frowned slightly. "Su Qi-san, do you know something?"

“I came with you, how could I possibly know? But even so, you can tell just by looking at her, right? Such exquisite clothing, and the emblems on her sleeves, plus the ability to control elves and use magic, Miss Satella is definitely not an ordinary person, at least she is from the noble class, so it certainly won’t be an easy thing for someone like us with unknown origins to be with her.”

“Indeed…” he sighed. “I am not good enough for her right now, I don’t even have the right to get close to her, I know that much. But I will not give up. I want to work hard for her until one day I can stand by her side. As for the difficulties, it would be empty talk to say that I can overcome them now, so all I can say is… I will never give up.”

"Alright, I sense your determination, then..."

"Are you leaving?" Natsuki Subaru's expression darkened slightly as he spoke first. "Su Qi-san, thank you for coming all the way back to see me. Although I'm a little disappointed, I understand that you prefer to be alone, right? Don't worry, you can leave with peace of mind. After this lesson, I will pay special attention to taking care of myself."

His tone carried a hint of melancholy, but his unease had lessened considerably. For now, he had a goal, and he was no longer lost. His unwavering devotion to "Satella" gave him the courage to face the world.

However, Su Qi said, "Who said I was leaving?"

"Huh?"

Natsuki Subaru was bewildered once again. Why did this guy always do things the wrong way?

"Why?" he asked. "Didn't Su Qisang say..."

"Because you're too weak." Su Qi sighed softly. "After all, I'm not some kind of demon. I can't just stand by and watch my only fellow villager go to his death knowing there's a risk, can I? So be grateful to me, Natsuki-san. I've decided to give you a chance to owe me money."

Chapter Eight: You're a real conversation genius!

Of course, he wouldn't really part ways with Natsuki Subaru; otherwise, how could he guide the protagonist and keep a close eye on the plot at all times? The reason he did that before was simply to give Emilia a chance to save the hero, while also shaping her character so that Natsuki Subaru would realize his "sacrifice" and feel grateful to him.

From the very beginning until now, Subaru Natsuki has been caught in Su Qi's trap. In this playthrough, he positions himself as a "mentor to the heroes," meaning he can neither offer too much practical help nor become too distant from them, because only by gaining their trust can he guide them to follow the path he has indicated.

"Owe me a debt?" After hearing Su Qi's words, Natsuki Subaru thought for a moment and asked with some doubt, "Does Su Qi mean that I should owe you a favor in exchange for providing me with help?"

“That’s right, because my principle is equal exchange.” Su Qi said seriously, “No sacrifice, no gain. If you want something, you have to pay an equal price… Right now, you don’t have what I want, so I’ll help you once, and you have to help me once in the future. That’s a fair deal, right?”

“I understand, it’s indeed very fair.” Natsuki Subaru nodded, then added, “By the way, does Su Qi-san know alchemy?”

"Do you think I'm some tiny alchemist? But while I don't know alchemy, I do have some special skills that ordinary people don't have."

As Su Qi spoke, he extended his left hand, and a long, sheathed sword, entirely black and simple yet elegant, swiftly materialized in the void before him and landed in his palm.

"Huh?! What is this?! Superpowers? Magic? Or Yin-Yang magic?!"

Subaru Natsuki was extremely surprised when he thought that an ordinary person like himself had suddenly become an extraordinary being, and felt that his worldview had been somewhat shaken.

The next moment, a clear clang rang out, and a cold light tore through the void, flashing across his vision like a thunderclap and stopping at the side of his neck. A bone-chilling cold spread out, and the terrifying feeling that his head could be severed at any moment gripped his mind, freezing him in place, and raising goosebumps all over his neck.

"This is to prove that I'm not doing business empty-handed."

Su Qi sheathed the long sword that had suddenly been drawn, and a strand of hair that had been cut off was blown by the wind and slowly drifted off the blade.

He then sheathed his sword and stored it in his personal space, saying, "Although the storage ability cannot be used in combat, I personally know a little about swordsmanship. If the opponent is an ordinary person and not equipped with ranged weapons, I am fully confident in ensuring your safety against up to twenty people."

The blade, radiating extreme danger, withdrew from his side, and Natsuki Subaru breathed a sigh of relief. His tense body slowly relaxed, and looking at the hair on the ground, he said with some lingering fear, "To be able to accurately cut a single hair and easily defeat twenty people, Su Qisang's swordsmanship is more than just a smattering of knowledge, isn't it?"

He himself had studied kendo in junior high school, but he hadn't even had time to react to that attack, let alone see the move or its depth. Therefore, he understood that the opponent's kendo skills were definitely not as simple as he claimed.

Su Qi shook his head slightly and said in a serious tone, "In the inner world, people with this level of swordsmanship are not uncommon."

"The Other World?"

"It's a world that exists in the shadows of the surface world, beyond the common sense of ordinary people, and is composed of extraordinary individuals with all sorts of abilities. Natsuki-san should be able to easily understand this kind of setting, right?"

"Huh? Such a world really exists?" Natsuki Subaru asked excitedly. "Then what profession does Su Qi-san have? A martial artist? A psychic? A magician? An onmyoji? Or a Taoist priest, a profession unique to China?"

“Those are more specific classifications. People like me with supernatural abilities are collectively called ability users in the other world. My abilities include a personal storage space, a demon sword bound to my soul, plus my swordsmanship and visualization techniques, and so on…”

Afterwards, Su Qi explained for quite a while before satisfying Natsuki Subaru's curiosity. During their conversation, in order to prevent the latter from having too high expectations of him in the future, he deliberately concealed most of his strength, only telling the latter about his storage space, swordsmanship, demon sword, and his knowledge of occultism.

At the end, Su Qi revealed a "this man has a story" expression on his face, and said in a slightly complicated tone: "For some reason, I have retired from the other world and just want to live a peaceful life among ordinary people. But I never expected to be hit by a truck and sent to another world while drunk and walking at night."

"I see." Natsuki Subaru felt he understood. "No wonder Su Qisang said he wasn't an ordinary person, no wonder he could remain so calm even after being transported to another world. It's because he possesses superhuman strength, right?"

“That’s right. So, Natsuki-san, I’ll provide you with some protection for a period of time to help you adapt to this other world, and in return, you’ll owe me a favor and have to help me out once in the future. What do you think of this deal?”

"Without a doubt, of course I agreed with gratitude. After all, I'm the weaker one, not an idiot." He sighed softly, then asked with some doubt, "But... why was Su Qisang willing to go to such lengths? Was it really just out of kindness?"

"You really can't read the room, can you? You actually asked such a question directly."

"Uh, I'm very sorry. You should be grateful if someone is willing to help, but instead you're making wild guesses in your mind. That kind of thinking is really rude."

"No, one should not have the heart to harm others, but one should not be without the heart to guard against others. You did nothing wrong, it was just a little inappropriate to ask in person. As for the reason, I will tell you... The reason why I helped you to this extent is not only because of the friendship between fellow townsmen, but also because of the investment of personal relationships."

"Investing in relationships?"

"As a fellow time traveler, I initially thought you might also be from the other world, just deliberately hiding it and not showing it. Of course, now I understand that you are not, but I still believe that your time travel was not without reason, so it's worth investing in."

"I understand."

That's how people are; things that are too easily obtained feel unsettling, while things with a reason tied to their interests are much easier to accept, especially for those who are rejected, like Subaru Natsuki.

Now that he had a seemingly logical reason, he felt relieved for the time being. He took a deep breath and extended his hand to Su Qi, "Thank you, Su Qi-san, for giving me the opportunity to owe you a favor. I owe you one, and I hope you will guide me in the coming period."

"It's just an equivalent exchange."

Su Qi also reached out and shook hands with him, saying seriously, "However, let me make it clear beforehand that I am only providing temporary protection for you as a fellow traveler, and the time will not exceed half a month. If you want to pursue that Miss Satella, you will have to work hard on your own; I will not help you."