Night fell.
Satoru Gojo leaned against a street corner, gazing at the roads which were now considerably quieter than during the day. He finished the last piece of honey sponge cake in his hand in two or three bites and let out a long, comfortable stretch.
"Mmm."
"The desserts in this world are actually pretty great."
Licking the lingering sweetness from the corner of his mouth, Satoru patted the crumbs off his hands and fished three copper coins out of his pocket.
"Looks like I accidentally spent all my money, though."
Satoru scratched his head. Now that he was full and satisfied, a hint of drowsiness began to creep in, but the three copper coins on him were clearly not enough to find a place to stay.
However, Satoru felt he couldn't really blame himself. After all, as a major sweet-tooth, it was absolutely impossible for him to see so many unheard-of desserts in this fantasy world and not try them.
It was just that the prices of desserts in this world seemed a bit on the expensive side. Plus, he had bought quite a lot...
Well, it was understandable. In a medieval-style setting like this, being able to eat one's fill was already an achievement. Sweets, which provided such a sense of happiness, were considered luxury items among food; it was only natural they'd be pricey.
"Honestly, instead of just fighting witches, can't the 'Heroes' fight to bring down the price of desserts too?"
"Guess I need to figure something out, or I'll be sleeping on the streets tonight."
Satoru pulled the last candy from his pocket, popped it into his mouth, and began to ponder his options. He remained standing there until the number of pedestrians on the street dwindled further.
"Tch."
"If Suguru found out about this, he'd definitely laugh at me."
After thinking for a long time without a solution, Satoru simply sat down on a roadside step. Given the situation, there was only one way: wait until the dead of night and head to the estates of the high nobility or wealthy merchants. Those manors were bound to have plenty of empty rooms; he could just pick one.
Besides, ordinary people wouldn't be able to detect him anyway. It was just that this method was somewhat... annoying.
As he was lost in thought, the sound of footsteps approached from not far away, ringing out clearly on the increasingly deserted street.
A bored Satoru looked toward the sound and saw several figures in crisp white uniforms walking toward him. At the lead was a tall, well-built young man with flaming crimson hair, clear blue eyes, refined features, and a distinguished aura. Every movement he made looked like something straight out of a portrait.
"Hmm?"
Just as Satoru noticed the other party, the man also looked toward him immediately. Their gazes collided in mid-air and locked.
Instinctively.
The moment their eyes met, the other man's presence entered Satoru's perception. Under the gaze of the Six Eyes, Satoru could clearly feel an exceptionally pure aura emanating from this young man. This aura held no malice but carried an incredibly powerful vitality and a sense of order—like a sharp sword in its scabbard, its edge restrained yet impossible to ignore.
Sensing the man's aura, Satoru's eyes brightened beneath his sunglasses. He stood up at once and walked toward them.
"Hey, you guys are the patrol guards, right?"
Satoru Gojo waved at the group with a grin, speaking with casual familiarity.
The red-haired man at the lead had a gentle expression. He nodded politely to Satoru and said, "We are knights of the Order of Knights on patrol. May I ask if Excellency has some business?"
Hearing this, a smile bloomed on Satoru's face.
"In that case, perfect. I found the right person."
As he spoke, Satoru proactively held out both his hands toward the man.
"Come on then. Arrest me."
"Eh?"
The red-haired knight froze, appearing somewhat bewildered by Satoru's nonsensical request.
"It's fine. Just lock me up for the night," Satoru said, stifling a yawn. "It's getting late, and staying up late isn't a good habit."
"Has Excellency committed some crime and wishes to surrender?"
The red-haired knight stared at Satoru. Those clear, transparent blue eyes seemed to possess a strange power that could look straight into one's heart.
"Well, let's just say I have. You can take me back and lock me up, then interrogate me tomorrow."
Satoru held his hands out again, looking like he was in a hurry for them to start.
"While I do not understand why Excellency would lie about committing a crime... may I ask if you have encountered some trouble?"
The red-haired knight paid no mind to Satoru's antics, nor did he show any aggressive behavior or impatience. His tone remained peaceful as he looked at Satoru earnestly.
"If it is something within my power..."
Seeing that the man had seen through his half-hearted lie and had no intention of arresting him, Satoru reached up and pulled his sunglasses slightly down the bridge of his nose, revealing a pair of unique eyes that made even the red-haired knight take a second look.
"Now that you mention it, I actually do need some help."
"My name is Satoru Gojo. I'm a traveler from afar."
"You."
"Lend me some money."
Hearing Satoru's words, several knights behind the red-haired man exchanged glances. One of them stepped forward, preparing to scold him. To them, this strangely frivolous guy had perfectly good limbs; instead of working hard to earn a living, he was here talking nonsense.
However, before they could speak, the red-haired knight raised a hand to stop them.
"My name is Reinhard. Since you are a traveler from afar, why are you without funds? Were you perhaps swindled?" Reinhard asked considerately, showing none of the annoyance his companions felt.
"Not exactly."
Satoru shrugged, his tone nonchalant. "I just arrived here suddenly and didn't have time to prepare."
He didn't explain much. After all, "crossing worlds" was a bit hard to grasp. Even he was still in the skeptical exploration phase, although given the current developments, the possibility was very high.
After hearing Satoru's reason, Reinhard remained silent for a moment, appearing to be in thought. Seeing that the other party didn't immediately refuse, Satoru struck while the iron was hot.
"With your strength, you shouldn't be short of a little pocket change, right?"
"I can owe you a favor. A favor from me, Satoru Gojo, is worth a lot of money."
Seeing Satoru's supreme confidence, Reinhard grew increasingly curious about this young man. Under the influence of his Divine Protections, even without actively investigating, he could roughly judge that the person before him was not lying.