Re:Zero -Starting Life in Zero

Upon hearing this, Elsa's serious expression instantly vanished, and she casually tossed a strand of black hair that fell over her shoulder.

She moved gracefully to Green's side, her warm breath brushing against his ear, her voice soft and cloying, with a hint of the cold allure unique to a gut hunter at the end.

"Hey—Grimm-kun, are you planning to add some role-playing elements to my request?"

Elsa's fingertips brushed lightly across Green's lower abdomen, her aggressive gaze seemingly imagining the shape of Green's intestines.

Green's breathing became slightly sluggish, and the sensation in his abdomen felt like an electric current coursing through his limbs and bones.

"Damn, there's something wrong with the quality of your clothes! Why is there static electricity?"

Her fingertips traced the grain of the fabric upwards, finally resting on Green's heart, where she could feel its steady, powerful beat even through the cloth.

Elsa chuckled softly: "Grimm claims to be the one doing the training, so why is his heart racing now?"

"Call me 'husband' when someone's around, and 'Grin-kun' when no one's around. Elsa, you're being irresponsible."

Green shamelessly lectured him.

Elsa smiled, leaned down, and her lips almost touched his earlobe, her warm breath stimulating Green's eardrums.

"Grimm, you're really straightforward. But if you could cut off a piece of 'Mother's' intestines and give it to me, I can call you that in private."

Green raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly, disdainfully distancing himself from Elsa.

"You're crazy, you always talk about your guts. What do you need that thing for? To use as a little umbrella? I can't stand using that thing."

The teasing words, however, caught Elsa's eye.

"Haha, this idea is really tempting. Green, we really do get along well."

Green gasped, looking down at the spot Elsa had touched, thinking: This dress is no good.

Elsa looked up, her expression somewhat dazed, her slender fingers stroking her flushed cheeks, as if she were imagining what the umbrella looked like.

"As the raindrops fall, they wash away the blood on the umbrella's surface; the trembling caused by gravity brings the dead flesh back to life. Isn't it beautiful?"

"Ugh, I can't stand you anymore. This is the next step in the plan, so get away from me right now."

Green quickly took a piece of paper out of his pocket, flicked it with his finger and tossed it into Elsa's hand.

Elsa clutched the note to her heart.

"A love letter? Green's actions are really typical of a little boy."

"Shouldn't I write love letters to you in my gut?"

Green chuckled awkwardly and then let out a howl in Otto's direction.

"Otto's gone, why are you still so addicted to moving things? Nobody's paying your salary."

"Here it comes, here it comes."

Otto straightened his soiled clothes and walked over, smiling as he leaned his hand on Green's shoulder.

"Mr. Green, the house is piled high with cakes. Are you planning to resell desserts? Or do you have some inside information that could make you rich?"

"Yes, yes, I'm going to use cake to choke the beluga whale to death!"

Green glared at Otto and led him slowly out of the alley.

Elsa stared at Green's retreating figure, her eyes somewhat unfocused.

She actually quite enjoyed this kind of game where they played family members, like playing house.

He slowly unfolded the note, which read: "Bring Merry to the Carlsten house tonight to see me. We'll set off for the Friguel Tree early tomorrow morning."

Elsa succinctly captured the words "Come see me tonight," and the blush on her cheeks deepened.

"Oh my, it really is a love letter, Grin-kun..."

……

As soon as Grimm entered Crusch's mansion, he saw a half-elf girl sulking at the gate.

"stare--"

Emilia puffed out her cheeks and stared intently at Grin, her silver-purple eyes clearly conveying the words "I'm very angry."

Green had a good memory and naturally knew why she was upset.

They had clearly agreed that day that once he had checked that the streets were safe, he would take Emilia out for a stroll.

Emilia had kept this promise in her heart, counting down the seconds until it finally came.

Without making any excuses, Grimm walked straight up to Emilia and exclaimed in surprise, "This is terrible! The knight returned so late that the princess is practically an old woman now!"

"Hey... don't think you can just brush this off like that. You promised to take me shopping."

Green chuckled and gestured crisply toward the door with his chin.

"Well—let's go now then."

"Really? Okay!"

Emilia turned her head sharply, the pent-up anger in her eyes instantly vanishing, replaced by a gleam as if filled with shattered diamonds.

But her excitement didn't last three seconds before she put on a serious face and adopted a slightly reproachful tone: "I have a lot of things to ask you."

Green's conversation with Crusch today left her feeling heavy-hearted.

Even someone as clueless as her could tell that Crusch's real purpose in inviting her was to obtain information about the white whale from Grimm.

What worried her most was that Green had also offered to join the campaign to hunt down the white whale.

Emilia and Green walked side by side on the stone path, both preoccupied with their own thoughts, without saying a word for a long time.

Seeing this, Green broke the silence: "Amelia, didn't you have something to ask me?"

Emilia slightly raised her head, her voice soft yet earnest: "Hmm... Grin, you're going to hunt down the White Whale to build up my reputation, right?"

Green nodded, his tone frank: "That's part of the reason. After all, not everyone knows that our camp's king candidate is a kind-hearted and responsible young man."

Emilia wore an "I knew it" expression, her brows furrowing even more deeply: "Isn't this... too dangerous?"

"Don't worry, I swear on my life I'll win. Just trust me this once, okay?"

"Of course I believe you."

Emilia's voice was lower, but the worry in her eyes was unmistakable.

"But there's still the Witch Cult... Grimm, you get tired too, you have moments of distraction. Just thinking about that makes me... I really find it hard to calm down."

"Don't worry, Emilia, I have a special move that can only be used once in a lifetime. It can easily kill the white whale and its guardian."

As he spoke, Green exaggeratedly demonstrated several elbow strikes.

Emilia watched Green's comical performance and smiled helplessly, but that smile was quickly suppressed by an even stronger sense of unease.

She gently bit her lower lip, her voice trembling slightly.

"Green, you're lying again... Those three archbishops of the High Sin didn't all appear because of the white whale, did they?"

Grimm was somewhat surprised, as he had never directly answered the question about the reason for the emergence of the Witch Cult when he was negotiating with Crusch and Anastasia.

After all, if he were to lie, Crusch's blessing would detect it.

Emilia observed the changes in Grimm's expression and knew she had guessed correctly.

"So, it turns out I'm partly to blame?"