Reincarnated as a failed hero?! Watch me Defy Fate!

I walked with Envi and Runa toward a quaint little bakery just across the street.

The place had a charming, vintage look—clearly old but well-maintained. As we stepped inside, a cheerful waitress greeted us.

"Welcome to The Buttery Bell! What can I get you to..oh my... are you celebrities? You're all so beautiful and handsome... Ah, I'm so sorry, that was rude of me!" she stammered, blushing.

I glanced at the mirror nearby and had to admit she wasn't wrong. We really stood out in this place.

Envi chuckled and leaned toward the waitress. "You have sharp eyes, lovely lady," he said, reaching out as if to gently pinch her cheek.

The girl blushed even more and fidgeted nervously.

Instantly, Runa stomped on Envi's foot, and I pinched his back.

"Ow!" Envi yelped.

I sent him a telepathic message. "You damned pervy system! Stop flirting with every girl you see or I'll cancel your summon right here."

Clicking his tongue, Envi sighed. "Fine, fine..."

His behavior was more like a sleazy man than a beautiful woman.

I turned back to the waitress and apologized, "Sorry about him. He's just a little too excited to be on vacation."

The waitress blinked at me, her face reddening again as she slowly backed up until her back hit the wall. Confused by her reaction, I took a step closer... and accidentally tripped. My hand landed against the wall right beside her head.

"Ah! I'm sorry about that..."

It looked exactly like one of those dramatic romantic scenes from a movie.

The entire cafe seemed to freeze. Workers and customers began to blush, a few even sneakily took out their phones to snap photos.

The waitress's face turned crimson, her eyes spinning slightly before she fainted in my arms.

"Hey! Are you okay?" I asked, catching her.

"Too... handsome... I can't take it..." she murmured before losing consciousness completely. Her colleagues rushed over to help and carried her into a back room.

Immediately, Runa stomped on my foot and Envi pinched my side.

"Oww! What the hell?!"

"That's what you get, idiot!" Envi huffed.

"Master... you're no better than Envi," Runa said, looking disappointed.

"It was an accident!" I insisted, but they had already walked off to find a table.

I sighed and followed after them.

Soon after, another waitress came to our table and apologized for what happened earlier. She handed us the menu with a polite smile.

The menu was surprisingly impressive. This place wasn't just a bakery—it doubled as a cafe. They offered a mix of Western-style desserts and traditional Japanese sweets. Their signature item was the fluffy pancake, which immediately caught Runa's eye.

They also served a variety of coffee and non-coffee drinks.

Runa and Envi looked delighted. It was their first time seeing such a modern and pretty menu. Aetheria didn't have anything like this. That world still lagged far behind.

I told them to order whatever they wanted.

Runa's eyes sparkled as she ordered a large portion of fluffy pancakes, a croissant, and a parfait. She had such a sweet, childlike taste in food. Watching her made me smile, like a proud parent watching their daughter enjoy herself.

Envi, on the other hand, ordered a bunch of traditional Japanese treats: mochi, dango, taiyaki, and a matcha drink. He seemed determined to dive into Japanese cuisine.

As for me, I chose a slice of cheesecake and an iced coffee latte. I remembered Serena loved cheesecake. I found myself wishing I could share this moment with her.

Looking around, I noticed the cafe wasn't very crowded. It made me wonder how the business was doing. Given the great location, it should be thriving. Why wasn't it attracting more customers?

While I pondered that, Envi and Runa were gawking out the window like excited tourists, watching the bustle of the late afternoon.

I smiled again, seeing how much they were enjoying themselves.

But then, Envi suddenly pointed out the window and called out.

"Hey Nao, look! Isn't that... your mom?"

Startled, I turned to where he was pointing.

He was right. It was my mom. She was entering the same bank I had visited not long ago to open a new account. She was with several well-dressed individuals.

I was confused. I thought she had gone out with some friends. But these people looked like bank employees.

"Didn't Naki say your mom went out with her friends? Are those supposed to be her friends?" Envi asked, puzzled.

"No... those definitely aren't her friends," I replied, standing up quickly.

Envi and Runa offered to come along, but I told them to stay behind and wait for our order.

I promised to return soon, and they nodded.

Then, I stepped out of the cafe and entered the bank.

"Hey Nao, let us know if anything happens!" Envi said via telepathy. Runa's voice also carried a note of concern.

"Don't worry. I won't be long," I assured them.

Once in the lobby, I activated [Eclipse Foresight], using it to see through walls in search of my mom.

Eventually, I saw her enter a room where she sat down and began answering questions from the people in suits.

I read their lips.

My mom was asking for an extension on her loan repayment, which had already reached its due date this month.

They told her the extension was possible, but the interest would be increased by another 20%.

If she paid it off five months from now, the total would balloon to ¥721,227 yen.

My mom was shocked at the 10% hike in interest, but she couldn't protest. It was all stated in the contract she had signed.

So, she had no choice but to accept the terms.

My blood boiled. I gritted my teeth, furious.

"These damned bastards... They just do their jobs without a shred of empathy!"

I knew they were fully aware of my mom's financial struggles. And I also knew they kept pushing her to take more loans whenever they could, trapping her further in debt.

They wanted her to keep paying forever.

I couldn't bear to see her like this, being drained by those bloodsuckers.

Envi and Runa, having overheard my thoughts, also grew angry. But they quickly reminded me not to cause a scene.

I smiled faintly and told them I understood.

Then, I walked toward the room where my mother was... and knocked on the door.

After a while, one of the men opened the door and asked what business I had there.

I calmly told him, "I'm a family member of Takahiro Ayase, the woman currently in that room."

My mother immediately recognized me.

"Eh… Natsuki-san? What are you doing here?"

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