KonoSuba: A Tale of this Beautiful World Vol4

by Dknightodin

The fourth volume of the series.

2. Chapter 1: Northbound

Chapter 1: Northbound

Part 1

The journey would be long. That being the case, Darkness and I decided to take turns driving the carriage. Ordinarily, one would be able to take a caravan to Elroad, but since we were going to be traveling even farther than this, no one really knew what the situation for traveling north was. Was the border closed? Was trade cut off? Was there even a trade route between them, and if so, did it have caravans as Belzerg did? Too many unknowns to make a judgment on, and our "guide" didn't really have an answer either.

"Kazuma," Darkness said as I slipped into the 'shotgun' seat. "Are you taking over already?"

"Not yet," I replied, laying back in relaxation. "I just had to get away from the others."

"I see. Say, Kazuma, what's the plan?"

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"Are we stopping in Elroad?"

"We probably should. As much as I don't mind camping out, sleeping under a roof is also quite nice. Not to mention, it's getting colder."

"We are pretty far north, already."

"Yeah, I suppose it'll only get colder." I shivered at the thought. "Anyways, should be a bit more till we reach Elroad's border, no?"

"We've been riding for a little over a day already; we should be getting close."

Just as Darkness mentioned this, the large gatehouse that divided the two territories came into view. We slowed down.

"Halt," one of the guards said as we approached. "Are you carrying any goods?"

"Nothing for sale," Darkness replied. "We're merely travelers going north."

The man stared at Darkness, slightly tilting his head in the process. "...Lady...Dustiness?"

"*sigh* yes."

"Oh, f-forgive me! It's just we're supposed to stop—"

"It's fine, I understand."

"Ah, my lady, if it's alright with you, we just have to search the carriage—briefly, we'll be quick about it!"

"Go ahead."

The guards went past us and looked under the carriage, the back, top, and finally, knocking on the entrance, inside. After going through their search, they gave us the green light and we were on our way once again.

After some minutes of silence, Darkness looked over at me. "Something wrong, Kazuma?"

"...No," I said dejectedly.

When confronted by the Hero of Belzerg, those guards didn't even bat an eye. Was I really that obscure? Did my deeds not warrant any mention or respect?

Thinking this, I turned away, sobbing quietly.

Sometime later—after getting over my personal crisis—I noticed something.

"Hey, Darkness."

"Hm?"

"I just noticed, but isn't there a lot more traffic heading towards Belzerg? I mean, I haven't really seen anyone else besides us, leaving."

"Hmmm, you're right. Although, that might have something to do with the state of things; I'd imagine a lot of people would be trying to avoid an area in conflict. They've probably heard Belzerg's Demon King has been defeated and decided to migrate here."

Was it really that simple to transfer to another place? Back on Earth, things were a bit more complicated when it came to migration. Could, perhaps, the influx of people actually be refugees? If that was the case, then maybe that's why things were relatively lax...or it could just be one of those things this world did differently. Besides the class divide, I didn't really see many—if any—instances of racial inequality—though, I'm sure it must exist.

About another hour passed until we reached Elroad's checkpoint. As we approached, we could see a lot of carriages and people lined up to leave; they were heading south, towards Belzerg. Like before, we were forced to stop.

"Reason for visiting?" the sentry asked.

"Um, we're heading north," I replied. "Just trying to get through."

"Hm, passage. Alright, we'll need to check the carriage first."

"Umu, go ahead."

The additional guards did so. As they did, the first guard continued his questions, but before he did, he brought a small bell-like item I was (by now) very familiar with; that's right, it was the lie-detecting bell.

"Is there anything you're carrying that we might find suspicious?"

"Not that I know of, no."

The guard waited for a response from the bell, but it remained silent.

"Are you or any of those traveling with you, to your knowledge, planning to do anything to ruin the peace and sow chaos in our country?"

"No. Actually, we're the party that defeated Belzerg's Demon King."

There, I said it. Now was the time to spread the word. Satou Kazuma, Belzerg's hero and Demon King-slayer, was here!

The man stared at me incredulously, and then at the silent bell in his hand. "There must be something wrong with this thing. Hey, Al—"

"There's nothing wrong with the stupid bell! We really are the party that defeated the Demon King, look," I said, pulling out the house pendant. "My name is Satou Kazuma."

"Satou Kazuma? Hmm, are you supposed to be a noble or something? I'm sorry, but I haven't heard of anyone going by that name, nor any foreign houses with such a name either. Then again, it's not like I'm too familiar with foreign houses, anyway."

The guards that were busy checking the carriage, returned. "Everything checks out," one of them said. "Nothing suspicious. Just a lot of booze; are you guys heading to an outing or something?"

If I wasn't so depressed, I'd give that stupid girl a scolding. Why the hell did she decide to pack so much alcohol?

"Well anyhow," the initial guard interrupted, "it seems like you guys are good to go. Welcome to Elroad, please enjoy your stay."

"*sigh* Probably a good time to get a bit of rest," I said as we crept into the town just beyond the gates.

"Umu, probably," Darkness replied. "I do feel a bit stiff from sitting for so long."

Goldleaf was this town's name. On our previous visit to Elroad, we passed through here. It was a small town by Earth standards, probably about the size of a large village, but larger than most towns in Belzerg. From just a glance, it was obvious this town was centered around trade; merchant stalls, stores, and the like were lined up alongside the road, each of these places busy with the influx of people.

"Hey, Kazuma, look," Darkness said, motioning to a nearby building, "an inn. Their stables look large enough to store the carriage and horses. Should we stop there?"

"Umu, sure."

We slowly pulled in.

"I'll go in and set up the rooms." I let Darkness know.

"I'll get the luggage, then."

"Welcome to the Golden Apple," the clerk said as I walked in. "What can I do for you today, sir?"

"I'd like to rent some rooms; do you have any available?"

"Why yes, of course. How many would you like?"

"Two—wait, Gren's here; three to a bed might not be bad, but I should probably get her her own room. Knowing that devil she's with, she's probably had to endure some restless nights. Three rooms, please."

The clerk nodded and then handed me the keys. "There are two rooms at the end of the hall on the right, but one of them, room 11, is a little bit distant; it's on the left, just past the alcove in the center. I hope you don't mind."

I gave the clerk a smile in response. "Perfect, a room away from the others. If Megumin decides to get a bit frisky tonight there shouldn't be any interruptions." My smile grew wider. "What a great start to a trip."

Just then, the rest of the group came in.

"Ah, I'm so tired," Aqua said with a stretch. "Can't wait to take a warm bath and get some sleep."

"Here you are," I said, handing them their respective keys. "I got us three rooms. Gren-san, you have your own; I'm sure having a good rest and some privacy would be nice, huh?"

"A-Ah, I don't really mind...but thank you—"

"Hold on," Aqua interjected, hand on her hip. "If you got Gren-san her own room, where are the rest of us gonna sleep?"

"You and Darkness have the room at the end of the hall, next to Gren-san's."

"And Megumin?"

I averted my gaze slightly. "With me. T-There weren't enough rooms so…"

"Really now?"

Then, thankfully, Megumin spoke. "It's fine, Aqua, I can stay—"

"No, you can't! Can't you see this boy planned this?! I won't stand for it. Megumin, you'll sleep with Gren-san."

"Oi, come on!" I yelled.

"If this isn't one of your plans, you shouldn't have any issues with it."

"Tch." I cleared my throat. Gren-san, I'm sure you want your own space. So, you don't have to agree to her—"

"I'm fine with it," Gren replied, cutting me off. "Megumin-san, it isn't a problem, is it?"

"No," Megumin answered. "I'm fine with it as well."

"There you go," Aqua said with an annoyingly innocent smile. "Now then, where are the baths?"

This bitch…

-Sometime later…

"Haaaaaah," I sighed as I laid on the bed. "Well, at least the beds are nice...and the room isn't half bad either—but nothing beats the comfort of laying down at home. Home?"

That's right, home. It'd be quite a while before I ever saw it again. I thought about Axel and the people there, and suddenly, I felt an odd feeling of sadness.

"Homesick, huh?" I smiled at the thought.

To think that I could call this place home after such a short while. But in this thought, it occurred to me, where would we be staying during our time in the north? No matter what, we'd be staying there for a good length of time.

To take down a demon king one must first take out his subordinates; as of now, we only knew of four of them: Kirby, Anne, Wulf, and some guy who was referred to as "G". We still didn't know if there were more. No, it was more likely that there were more. Belzerg's Demon King had under his employ, eight; it could only stand to reason the Demon King of the North had just as many—probably even more.

I sighed once again.

So many of the comforts I've learned to enjoy, gone...for now at least. There was so much to do...but, everything would be new. Perhaps upon seeing these distant places my initial fantasies about this world could be realized. Real dwarves without fake beards, real elves without fake ears...perhaps even real beast girls that were inhumanly attractive.

I flinched at the unconscious thought that came up; please let them not be like the orcs.

And without much effort, my mind drifted to the thoughts of having some intimate times with beautiful kemonomimi.

"Heh, maybe I could ask the succub—"

Right. They were gone too.

I felt a tear come to my eye. The sweet dreams they left for me would be their last service to me for the foreseeable future. Then I remembered the words Dust told me: "...be sure to check if there are any places like the cafe up there, alright?"

Of course!

With a clenched fist, I swore. "Of course...for your sake and mine—no, for all the men in Axel; I'll make sure to find us a place like that cafe."

I heard the sounds of people walking by, laughing, talking...living. This place was bustling, wasn't it? Despite being many times smaller than even Axel, it felt—by comparison—much busier. Then again I was reminded of a place I called home, this time Japan, and not Axel.

Mom, Dad, and my little brother...I wonder how they were all doing; have they forgotten about me already? Part of me sort of wished they still mourned for me, but mostly, I kinda hoped they went on with their lives.

The recollection of my family made me smile faintly. "Don't worry, Mom...Dad...your eldest has found his place."

This world may not have been everything I was hoping it to be—nor was I doing what I really wanted, but...it wasn't bad, it wasn't bad at all.

"Hmm, all this thinking…. I wonder what the others are up to."

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"Kazuma?" It was Megumin, what did she want?

I got up and opened the door. "What's up? Did you need something?"

She shook her head. "Not really, but I was wondering if you wanted to come along with us."

"Come? Where? You guys going somewhere?"

"Of course," she said, a smile suddenly bursting out of nowhere. "We're finally traveling—and last time we came to Elroad we didn't really get to enjoy the sights; it would be a good time to do that now."

"Ah, I see," I said with a sigh.

"Why is Kazuma sighing?" Megumin remarked with an angry expression. "Could it be that my reason for being here wasn't to your expectations?"

"Of course."

"Eh?!"

"Listen, you go on with the others and have fun. I still have to take a bath."

"W-Wait! Don't you wanna spend time with me?!" she cried out desperately.

Try as I could, I found my sight slowly turning away from her insecure gaze. And in a way as to not escalate, I said, "I will—We will! I'd just like to freshen up."

Megumin's desperate stare disappeared as she looked upon me with a pout. "Kazuma must think I'm dumb. I see how it is. If you want space then I'll give you all the space you want. Humph!"

She turned away and was about to walk off when I stopped her. "H-Hold on. I never said I wanted any space. Still, I would like to take a bath; can I do that without you getting mad at me?"

Suddenly, Megumin's expression changed once more. "Uh-, hm. Sorry," she said in a rather glum tone. "Go ahead. I-I just...wanted to...go out with you."

I scratched my head, then I sighed, yet again. "Hey, don't worry; we can go out later, alright? J-Just the two of us."

"Really?!" she said happily.

"Y-, Yeah. So, don't worry about it and go have fun with the others."

"Alright!" she said, about to take off. But I held on to her arm. "Kazu—?"

"Just don't go out there and cause any trouble; we're not in Belzerg anymore."

"I-, I know that! Geez...what do you take me for?"

"An unstable loli with a penchant for destruction and doing stupid things."

"Are you trying to make me angry?!"

I smiled. "Alright, go on."

Megumin snatched her arm away. "I swear...treating me like a child. I'll forgive these transgressions on the count of your promise earlier."

"Wait, promise? When did that turn into a promise?"

Then she turned away and smiled. "I'll be back. Try not to think about those things too much, ok?"

"Eh?"

Without another word, Megumin ran off.

After leaving Kazuma, I regrouped with the others.

"Is he coming?" Darkness asked.

"No, he said he was going to take a bath."

"Let's forget about that stinky NEET and go have some fun. This is a trade village, so I'm sure there should be good stores around. I wouldn't mind buying some more clothing—not to mention, the drinks here should be different from what we got in the Kingdom."

"Aqua," Darkness interrupted, "you should probably go easy on the drinks; the crate you brought along should be plenty."

Aqua crossed her arms. "Darkness, it isn't like I'm going to drink all of that in one sitting—and I'm not buying just to buy! I'm a connoisseur of fine wines and exotic drinks; I'll buy something that sounds tasty and save it for a good day. You see? This is for all of us."

Darkness let out a tired sigh. "I'm sure there's more to it than that, but I don't think anything I tell you would dissuade you, so…."

"Right you are, Darkness. Anyway, we're wasting daylight here, let's go."

-At a tailor's shop…

"Ohhh, Aqua, that looks really nice on you," I said, staring at the large billowing dress she wore.

"I know, doesn't it? Something like this should be obvious, Megumin; after all, it's donned upon the body of a goddess. I'm more surprised that I could find things that go well with my otherworldly beauty. Actually..." She turned to Gren. "Gren-san, you don't really get out much, do you? I'm sure that stupid devil is abusing you every day, isn't he?"

"Uh, devil? You mean Vanir-san? No, no. He might be a bit demanding, but I'm very grateful for his and Wiz-san's decision to accept me."

"Wiz...that girl is fine," Aqua remarked, waving the thought off with indifference. "No, I'm just talking about that walking pile of excess dirt. Anyhow, since I've met you you've been running around in the same clothing."

"Ah, well...yes...I only have three sets of clothing."

⸻!⸻

"Three sets?!"

"That was two sets more than I had in my youth," I thought. Still, for her to only have three sets of clothing after working as long as she's had...

"No can do!" Aqua said vehemently. "We'll buy you some new clothing!"

⸻?!⸻

"Aqua?!" I whispered loudly.

She quickly turned me away, whispering closely. "Don't worry, I have Kazuma's bank account information, so none of the funding will actually come out of our pockets."

"Huh?! When did you—?"

"These divine eyes aren't for nothing. Who does that boy think he is, hiding such ludicrous amounts of money?! The hoarding of material wealth is a terrible thing, Megumin; all excess should rightfully be given to the nearest Axis affiliate to prevent such sinning from occurring."

"I don't know about that, but I know Kazuma will be mad if he finds out you did this. Anyway, if it's for Gren-san, I don't mind contributing, but—"

"There's no need for you to do something like that. Besides, that boy owes us!"

"Huh?!"

"Did you forget what he made us go through?! I had to wake up early and do lots of hard work for over a month! Consider this payback!"

"That just seems like you're out to spite him."

"So what if I am. He needs to be more grateful for having my presence around him daily; you know, there are billions of people out there that would do outrageous things just to have me around them for a day."

I sighed.

"Um, excuse me," Gren said, getting our attention. "There's no need for you guys to buy me stuff; I have enough money to do so. I'm just fine with the amount I have—"

"Nonsense! There's no way a girl would be fine with just three sets of clothing!" Aqua interjected. "You need to have more! At least ten times that amount—even if you don't wear 'em! Take me for example, I have well over three dozen pieces of clothing, but I prefer wearing my divine raiment instead. Purchasing things has nothing to do with practicality, Gren-san; it's all about being able to flaunt your tastes to those clearly below you."

…T-, This girl was a goddess...right?

After spending a couple of hours getting stuff for Gren, our next destination was a magic shop.

While looking at an item with a discerning eye, the shop owner approached me.

"Hello, Miss, I see this item has caught your attention."

"Umu. Can you tell me about it?"

"Uh, well...sure, but it's not for sale."

"Huh?"

"Well, yes, that item is not for sale. It's for display purposes only."

"An item for display? But I sense an impressive amount of magical power emanating from it."

"Oh? That's not surprising, being you're a mage and all."

"Archmage."

"An Archmage? Oh ho. And so young? You wouldn't happen to be one of those um...what were they called...?"

"Crimson Demon," I replied with a smirk. I stood up straight, tossing my cape back in tandem. "Behold! Thy stands before the Master of Explosion Magic, the Crimson Annihilator, Megumin!"

"Me...gumin?"

"You have a problem with my name?" I said, my eyes narrowing on him.

"Uh—no, no. Heh...I'm just surprised that another Crimson Demon has visited my humble shop."

"Another?"

"Yes. In fact, it's where I got this magic item from."

"Really?" I remarked with curiosity.

Just who was this Crimson Demon?

"Yes," the shop owner said as he smiled in recollection. "Quite the odd story it is, actually."

I waved off his remark. "I don't suppose you could tell me more about this oddly shaped stone you have here?"

"Um...sure. Well, the fellow told me it's a magic item called by many names: The Philosopher's Stone, The Ruby of Death, The Rubedo Gemstone, and even some odd ones like The Succubus' Tears, and The Blood Drinker's Gallstone."

"I want it!"

"I already told you it's not for sale."

"Ugh. Why put something like this on display, then?!"

The owner smiled pompously. "It makes a fine attraction piece, doesn't it?"

"Guhhh, dammit. I really want it; a stone with some cool names, background—and not to mention—it's brimming with magical energy! If one of my kinsmen had it then surely it must be something worth getting. I'll give you something in return!" I quickly said. "A trade! Surely, being the great merchant you are, you wouldn't turn down such an opportunity—especially one from a Crimson Demon."

"Oh? Something like this is priceless; I don't believe you'd have anything I'd be willing to trade for, but it was a Crimson Demon who brought me this treasure. Hmmmmm...alright, let me see what you have."

I withdrew my coin purse and stared at it with hesitation. "Guh. H-, Here."

"What's this?"

"It's a sale ticket to a spa in Alcanretia. I can't recommend anything else in that city, but the spas are certainly top-notch."

The man threw the ticket on the ground. "You think I'd trade something this precious for a spa ticket?!"

"It-It isn't just any spa ticket; that one is a limited edition! See the gold trim?" I said, picking it up and showing it to him.

"Tch. Miss, what do you take me as, a fool?! There's no way I'm giving the stone up for something so useless."

"Dammit, no good. I guess I have to use my trump card. Fine then, I didn't want to have to use this, but"—I pulled out several cards—"here you go."

The shop owner took a glance at them and then ripped them apart.

"Ah! What are you doing?! Each of those cards was one stamp away from a free meal!"

"Miss, if you aren't going to offer anything of value then I fear there's no reason to continue this transaction. Also, if you have no money, I suggest you take your browsing to another store."

"Oh, what an odd stone," Aqua said, suddenly appearing by the man's side.

"Ah! Oh. Are you interested in this stone, miss? I'm sorry, but it isn't for sale."

"Really? Do you mind if I take a look at it?"

Full of apprehension, the owner handed the item over to Aqua. "Please be careful with it, miss; it's a priceless item."

Aqua held the item in her hand, appraising it with one eye shut. "Oh, this is rare indeed," she said, nodding with approval. "Say, mister, would you like to see a magic trick?"

"Magic trick? With this item?"

"Don't worry, I'm an expert at these things, just watch."

"W-Wait."

But before the man could do anything, Aqua was already conducting her trick. She held the stone with one hand while placing her other underneath it. Then, she pressed them together quickly: the stone was gone!

"What?! Where is it? What happened to my magic item?"

"I made it vanish, isn't that impressive?"

"Oh no, not again," I thought.

"Wow, it is. Now, can you make it reappear?" The store owner said with a slightly worried tone.

"What are you talking about? It's vanished; even I don't know where it's at."

"Huh? But t-that makes no sense! You said it was a magic trick; certainly, if you can make something disappear you must be able to make it reappear?!"

"Sorry, but there's no magic or tricks involved here, just a good old-fashioned performance," Aqua said proudly.

"But my item! My priceless item! You thief! I'm calling the guards!"

"Wait, what?! H-Hold on, there's no need to do that."

Part 2

Things were starting to look bad. I thought about leaving before the man could go for the guards, but thankfully, Darkness appeared with Gren before he could go for help.

"Excuse me, what seems to be the issue?"

"Huh? Who are you?" the man asked angrily.

"Darkness, tell this man that I didn't steal his stuff! Look, Megumin was here; she could tell you that I did no such thing!"

"Wait, steal? What's going on here?"

"Are you all together?! Is this some sort of scam—a shakedown?!"

"Sir, I have no idea what you're speaking of, but it looks like one of my companions has caused some sort of misunderstanding. What is it that happened?"

"This woman, here, made a priceless item of mine, vanish! And she claims she cannot make it reappear. Clearly, that's false; what sort of person would have the ability to make something disappear and not have the ability to make it reappear?! Why only an idiot, of course!"

"Aqua?" Darkness said, waiting for her confirmation.

"I-I didn't steal anything! It's true that I made the stone vanish, but I honestly can't make it come back; even I don't know where it went."

"Isn't this the second time you've done this?" Darkness sighed and turned to the man. "Sorry, I can reimburse you for your loss."

"There's no amount you could—"

"Would this do?" Darkness said, holding out a single coin.

The shop owner took the coin in question and inspected it. After a moment, he tucked it into his garment and cleared his throat, brows still knit from the prior episode. "It'll do...barely."

"Thank you," Darkness said, with a slight nod.

We quickly exited the shop afterward.

"What was that, Darkness? What'd you give him?" I asked.

"An Ebony Eris."

"Ebony Eris?" Aqua said with a mildly peeved expression. "What the heck is that?"

"Wait, do you actually not know what that is, Aqua?" I replied, sort of surprised.

"It's currency, right? Another thing that girl got her face printed on. I'll have to speak to her about such vanity the next time I see her."

I sighed. "Ebony Eris are more than just currency: they're effectively political favors. They're practically priceless themselves. Still, Darkness, was that necessary, giving a random person something like that?"

"It's better than having Kazuma find out we caused some trouble. Really, while our journey here may be personal, it's also partially sanctioned by the crown; we'd be careful not to have Belzerg lose face with our actions."

"Should we head back, then?"

"It is getting fairly late."

"Are we heading out tomorrow?"

"Likely; it's up to Kazuma, I suppose."

"Then it would probably be a good idea to turn in a little early."

Aqua sighed heavily. "We barely got to do anything fun."

"Don't worry, Aqua," I said with a smile, "our journey is just beginning; we'll have plenty of opportunities to do so."

"If you say so, Megumin."

"Um," Gren timidly interrupted, "thank-, thank you for the clothing, by the way."

"Don't worry about it," Aqua replied. "A girl needs to look her best at all times."

Gren let out a nervous chuckle. "Right. I just feel a little guilty for making you all spend so much on me."

I sighed. "Consider it a gift from the group for helping us with this task, Gren-san."

"I-, I guess."

Following the decision to head back, we returned to the inn.

As the others prepared to wind down for the night, I decided to check up on Kazuma.

"Kazuma," I said, knocking on his door.

I waited for a response...but none came.

"Did he go out somewhere? Kazuma? Are you in there?"

Nothing, yet again.

"I'm coming in," I said, unlocking the door.

Suddenly, it opened, revealing a tired and mildly frustrated Kazuma. "What is it?" he said as he blocked the door.

"Um, nothing. I was just wondering if you wanted to go now; the others are getting ready to sleep."

"Shouldn't you be doing the same, then?"

I knit my brow. "You didn't forget what you said earlier, did you?"

"Ah, about going out?"

I nodded.

Kazuma yawned. "I'm a bit tired. Can we do this some other time?"

"Oh really? You're tired? Despite sleeping the entire evening away?"

"What of it? You guys chose to go out, I chose to sleep. Isn't that what you do at an inn?"

I groaned. "This man and his attitude. I guess that means you don't want to do anything."

Upon hearing this, Kazuma perked up. "Do anything? What do you mean? Like go on an Explosion trip or something? I'll have you know, I have no intention of letting you—"

"I mean do something together," I interjected, looking away with mild embarrassment. "It's something only the two of us can do...something we haven't done in quite a while, right?"

Kazuma stared at me with a look of surprise. He stepped aside and let me in. "Oh ho, I didn't expect you to be feeling like this way, Megumin."

I dug under my robes and pulled out a notebook. "Japanese. We haven't done any lessons for quite some time. So, if we're not going out, then I want you to teach me some more Japanese."

The look on his face...I could tell he wasn't expecting such an answer.

"You tricked me."

"So did you!" I retorted. "Of course, the only time Kazuma is interested in spending time with me is when it involves lewd things, isn't it?!"

"Do you actually carry that notebook around with you?"

"Of course not! I had a feeling you were gonna object to us going out, so I brought a backup. And stop trying to change the subject!"

"*sigh* Fine, but there's actually something I want you to teach me in return."

"Huh? Me teach you? AH! Could it be?! Have you finally come around to learning explosion magic?! Heh heh. As the foremost expert in the field, I can surely bring your understanding to new and incredible heights, Kazuma. Come, join me; let us set the skies of this world ablaze with the greatest of all magicks."

"Eh, no. I have no intention of learning Explosion—at least not at the moment. But I would like you to teach me a bit about magic in general."

"Magic? General knowledge? Hmm." I rubbed my chin curiously. "Is Kazuma trying to deepen his understanding of it?"

"Sorta. I kinda wanna know more about magic, more like...its concepts."

"Hmmm, I see. Magic Theory is pretty difficult. Crimson Demons don't have any issues around it, but other races find theoretical magic to be something of an enigma. Might I ask why is it you're suddenly interested in pursuing this?"

"Huh? Well, I've always been interested in magic. This really isn't anything new."

"But learning about magic in-depth...is it really necessary? You already have me, so why would there be any reason for Kazuma to want to learn it so badly?"

"Hm, well, I was wondering...after seeing you create some new explosion magic, would it be possible for me to do the same?"

I stared at him in shock. "New magic?!"

"Huh? What's wrong? Is that weird?"

"Eh...well...there hasn't been any new magic for hundreds of years. And as I've said before, I'm not creating new magic, I'm just changing a few things when I cast Explosion."

"So, what, new magic can't be created?"

"Well...it's not that, but… How should I put it? Even the Crimson Demons would have a lot of trouble making a new spell from scratch. For Kazuma…" I trailed off.

"Alright, I get it; you think I can't."

I looked away slightly. "I think Kazuma is capable of many things, but magic isn't exactly one of them."

"Then why are you always trying to get me to learn Explosion?!"

"Explosion is an exception! You have me. If I'm teaching it to you, there's no doubt in my mind that you'll be able to cast explosions great enough to rival my own!"

Kazuma sighed. "Forget it, then; guess I'll just have to ask someone else."

"No, wait! I never said I wouldn't."

"So you will?"

I nodded. "Sure; however, I'm not really certain how much of it Kazuma will be able to understand. Lucky for you, I'm patient." Kazuma stared at me, his eyes and face expressing doubt. "I-I am!"

"Alright. Alright. For now, let's just do some Japanese."

A few hours went by. By now, the lesson was—for the most part—over, but Megumin was still reviewing as she laid on my bed.

"Not bad," I said. "You're getting better. Still, I don't know why you insist on learning the very basics; I mean, me and Aqua are the only ones you'll be speaking to...and none of us would be using such a...stiff...way of speaking."

"I know, but I'd still like to learn it properly—even if I won't be using it that way."

"And the list of words you asked me to translate...why do I get the feeling they're linked to something you're not telling me?" Megumin brought the notebook closer to her face, obscuring it. "Oi."

"There's nothing like that; they're just words I thought would be cool to learn."

In spite of that reasoning being likely, I, for some reason, still doubted her.

"Heart, friends, wound, relic; where did you even get the kanji for these words? And why these?"

"Like I told you, I was just interested in learning how to say these things."

"Hmmm. You'd better not be lying to me."

She twitched, placing the book entirely on her face now. "N-, No."

"Ok, now I know you're lying! Where'd you get these kanji from?!" I said, pulling the notebook away from her face.

"Nowhere," Megumin replied, trying to avoid my stare.

"Nowhere, huh?" I stuck my hand under her robe and pressed it to her stomach.

"HAH?! What are you doing?! S-Stop it!"

"If you don't want me to activate Drain Touch you'd better start talking!"

"W-Wait! Don't do that!"

"Drain—"

"Alright! Alright! A journal! I got it from a journal!"

"The kanji? You got the kanji from a journal? It was written in Japanese, then?"

Megumin nodded, her eyes closed in fear of the possible punishment.

Another reincarnated? Which means…

"A relic?"

"Relic?"

"Yes, a relic! Was there any magical item near that journal? Was there another person?"

"Well...there was an item."

"There was?! W-Where is it now?! What happened to it?!"

"Eh? Um, well…" Megumin looked away once again.

"Oi, Megumin, where is it?" I asked, nudging my hand as a reminder of the earlier threat.

"Guh… I-, Iris has it."

"Iris?! You idiot, why'd you…" I stopped, noticing Megumin's shocked expression; it quickly turned glum. "...S-, Sorry." The room was silent for a few seconds. "Megumin, why'd you give the item to Iris?"

"If it's the item I think it is, then Vanir gave it to her; he had us retrieve it from a dungeon not too far from town."

"Vanir? Dammit. If it's that devil, I'm sure there's some plan behind all this. Iris might be in danger. Perhaps we should go back."

"Are you worried about her?" Megumin suddenly asked. "You are, aren't you? You probably want to head back and rescue her...don't you?" She smiled, but by now I knew it to be a facade. I couldn't let things fall apart again.

I sat up and took a deep breath. "I'd be lying if I said I'm not concerned...but...maybe letting Rain and White-suit know could be enough. And...sorry for calling you an idiot. My bad."

The room fell silent once more.

Then, Megumin sat up. "I should probably go; it's late." She got up, intending to leave.

"Wait," I said, grabbing her arm. She looked back, mildly surprised. "I promised to go out with you...just the two of us."

She looked down, the faint smile returning. "You don't have to do it out of pity, Kazuma. And it was never a promise, so...it's fine, I'll go to sleep." Megumin tried pulling away, but I held on.

"Hey, come on...let me do this. ...sorry I'm such a terrible boyfriend."

"Husband. And you're not terrible...you're just Kazuma."

Both of us went quiet for a few seconds, and in the silence, I slid my hand down to her own—and grasped it.

"I really am sorry. Now...what can I do to make it up to the Master of Explosions, The Genius of the Crimson Demons?"

"#1."

"Huh?"

"#1 Genius. It's #1 Genius of the Crimson Demons."

I scoffed playfully. "Honestly… Well then, what can I do for the #1 Genius of the Crimson Demons? How can I seek thy forgiveness?"

Megumin said something in return, but I couldn't really hear it. "Huh, what'd you say?"

This time she said it clearly, as embarrassed as she was. "K-, Kiss. I-I want Kazuma to kiss me."

"Ah, why do I keep forgetting she can act this way? Cute."

I pulled her close and kissed her, innocently at first, just a peck. But as our tongues grazed each other, it quickly escalated. Before it could go any further than a kiss, Megumin gently pushed me away.

"You...You should probably write that letter to Iris now," she said with a look of satisfaction.

"Huh? B-But what are you gonna do?"

She giggled. "I'm going to bed—in my own room."

"Ugh...yes...why do I keep forgetting she can act like this? Such a temptress."

"Goodnight, Kazuma." She took the notebook and exited the room.

"Haahhhh." I couldn't help but sigh deeply at the turn of events, as likely as the outcome was. Still, perhaps this was for the better; Iris was probably in danger, so getting a note out to those two as soon as possible would've been a good thing to do.

The room had a small writing station equipped with necessary supplies; I walked over to it and sat down.

"Maybe I should write one to Chris as well," I said to myself.

Chris was, after all, Eris, so there was a good chance she'd be able to get a better grasp on the situation—perhaps even resolve it.

A few minutes later, I finished penning the letters. I took a couple of envelopes (which I found in one of the drawers), placed the letters within, and sealed them.

"I'll have to send them out tomorrow," I thought. I sat back in the chair and sighed.

Another reincarnated. I saw a few during the siege of the frontline fort and also during the assault on the DK's castle, but they still remained somewhat scarce. It shouldn't have been a surprise, but somehow hearing about another still filled me with genuine shock. Just how many did this stupid goddess send over?

As I mulled over the thought, another—more pertinent—one came to mind: where was the journal of the Japanese Megumin saw? Did she have it?

"Hmmm." I rubbed my chin, rocking the chair back on its hind legs. "Eh, I'll figure it out later."

Megumin had led me on—as she had so many times before. And so, there was only one thing a young man like myself could do to alleviate the pressing thoughts filling my mind. I got up and locked the door. Hope my imagination was still as sharp as I needed it to be.

-Morning…

"To Belzerg—as quickly as possible," I said, giving the letters over to the clerk.

"That'll be a two eris fee for the expedited delivery."

After handing over the necessary amount, I returned to the carriage.

"All done?" Darkness remarked.

"Yeah." I climbed into the shotgun seat once more.

Shortly after, Darkness popped the reins and we were off down the road.

"You seemed a bit down during breakfast; something wrong, Kazuma?"

"Eh? Nah, just tired; seems I slept a bit too much."

Darkness smiled. "A little odd, hearing that come from you."

"It's not like I'm a stranger to it," I said, waving off her comment. "Problem is, I can usually continue sleeping to have it wear off; obviously, I can't really do that now."

"A responsible Kazuma? I can't say I dislike it...though, having you be a worthless and spineless cretin isn't so bad either."

"Oi."

Darkness smiled. "Truth be told, Kazuma, it is nice seeing you act with some decorum; it's a nice dichotomy."

"Ah, so it's sort of like when you act like a proper lady, not some weird pervert with a questionable fetish."

"Tch—is-is that how you really see me?"

"Of course, why wouldn't I?"

"A proper lady," Darkness repeated to herself, brows knit. She whipped the reins, forcing the horses into a steady gallop. "Just what part of me isn't a proper lady?"

"We really havin' this conversation? You calling yourself proper is like Aqua calling herself a goddess, it's only true at first glance. Anybody who's spent any reasonable time around either of you would know the truth in an instant."

Submitting to this fact, Darkness let out a deflated sigh.

"Anyway, I'm gonna head inside and try and get some sleep. I'll send one of the others to sit with you."

With nothing else said, I headed into the carriage.

Lying on the length of the seat was Aqua, legs kicked over the edge.

"Oi, go keep Darkness company."

"Huh?! Why?! Can't you see I'm resting?! What is it with you and always bothering me when I'm comfortable?! Shoo! Go away!"

"Tch. Unlike you, I have to go and drive this carriage, later on, so get up and go already!"

Aqua turned over and covered her ears.

"Oi!"

As I began wrestling with Aqua, Gren spoke. "I can go in Aqua-san's place, Kazuma-san."

"Not necessary," I replied, as I struggled to get a hold of Aqua. "This stupid girl needs to...go...be...useful."

Finally, I pried her from the seat.

"Noooooo, stop it, you shitty NEET!"

"I actually do things for a living! The only occupation you seem to have is sitting around sucking up resources like a damn parasite! Now go veg out by Darkness, otherwise, I'll cast Bind and plant you upfront. Your choice."

Aqua glared at me, and at that moment, a single meow was heard in the carriage; Chomusuke sat before Aqua, eyes curiously fixed on her.

"Ah, you. What is it, have you finally come to your senses and recognize my authority over you, you foul beast?"

Chomusuke meowed again.

"Humph, I see," Aqua said, crossing her arms proudly. "You'd like me to hold you? Well, I'm not feeling particularly gracious after what this monster did, but I suppose I can have some pity on a wretched beast like yourself. Come," Aqua said, picking Chomusuke up.

"Meow."

"Oh," Megumin said in awe, "I think she's finally taken a liking to you, Aqua."

"Of course, it was only a matter of time before—"

"REOW!" Chomusuke howled, letting out a flurry of scratches.

"AH, WHY?!" Aqua yelled, letting her go.

Chomusuke dropped to the floor and quickly climbed onto my shoulder. Peering down on the assaulted goddess, it let out an angry hiss.

"Guh, why? What did I do to you, you stupid creature?!"

"Oi, quit calling her dumb; that's pretty insulting on its own, but having you say it makes it ten times worse. Now, hurry up and go accompany Darkness; last thing we need her to do is fall asleep or get distracted."

Aqua grumbled, but got up and went.

Finally having the seat to myself, I laid down. "I'm gonna get some sleep; wake me up when it's my turn to drive," I said to Megumin.

"Sleep? But didn't you just wake up? What were you doing all night?"

I knit my brow. The nerve of this girl, acting as if she had nothing to do with my restlessness.

"Nothing, just...wake me up, later...ok?"

"*sigh* Sure."

With her assurance, I turned over and closed my eyes. Although one would find the rocking sensation of wagon travel to be an annoyance, I was already used to it. Because of this, I found myself quickly dozing off.

-Some hours later…

BOOOOOOOOOM!

I awoke with a start as the carriage rattled loudly for a few seconds.

"What the hell?!" I looked around, but I was alone in the cabin.

Megumin? Gren? Aqua? Where the hell were they?

"Darkness!" I yelled out, waiting for an answer: none returned.

As I got up to go outside, the door to the carriage opened, three girls bursting in.

"Out of the way!" Aqua said, pushing me. "Get going!" she yelled, presumably to Darkness in the front.

A moment later, the wagon began moving; judging by the amount of rocking, at a faster pace than normal.

Gren placed Megumin on the seat next to her, the latter, smiling with satisfaction.

"Oi, you cast Explosion, didn't you?"

Megumin gave me no reply and just continued with the same smile.

"You!" I grabbed her cheeks and pulled.

"AHHHH!"

"What reason do you have, casting Explosion in the middle of nowhere like this?! Don't you know it'll attract monsters, you...argh!"

"It hursts! It hursts! AHHWWWO, scthop pwullin mah scheeks, it hursts!"

I let go. "Explain yourself!"

Megumin frowned at me as she rubbed her now reddened cheeks. "It was an emergency."

"Emergency? Like what, was there a monster?"

"It was an irresistible force. The only cure...Explosion," she said with a smirk.

I looked over to Aqua.

"Don't look at me," she retorted.

"Tch. Gren-san?"

Gren gave me a half-hearted smile. "Megumin-san proposed the use of explosion magic, so she cast it."

"Ok, but what was the target?"

Megumin answered. "The sky...unfortunately. WAH! Not mah scheeks again! AH! It hursts! Schtop it!"

"Quit doing things that'll put us in danger, or do I have to drain you to make sure you won't do it, huh?"

"AHHH! OK!" she yelled.

I let go once more.

And again, Megumin massaged her cheeks to assuage the pain. "I've been holding out for far too long; I needed to let one off."

"It's been what, two days?"

"Four."

"Tch. This girl..."

Part 3

"Any reason you have to be up here with me?"

"Just count your lucky stars that I'm benevolent enough to forgive your misdeeds against me and choose to accompany you," the so-called goddess beside me said. "If I left you up here all alone you'd probably get scared and lonely and end up crashing or something."

"I'm more likely to do that with you distracting me. You're probably just up here cause there's no space for you to lay down inside."

Aqua looked away and instantly changed the topic. "Oh, look at that, there's a fire in the distance."

Given that it was nighttime, the road was only illuminated by the light of the moon and stars; I had to use Farsight to see, but even without it, the flame in the distance was easy to spot. I squinted to get a better look.

"A camp?" I said, spotting some figures huddled around the fire.

It was likely, since it was unusual to travel during the night; however, given our experience in dealing with monsters, we chose to forgo this safety measure.

As we closed in, I elbowed Aqua. "Oi, can you get a clear look of what's going on over there?"

"Can't you see in the dark too?!" she retorted, massaging her side.

"I can't see as clearly as you can."

"Years of being huddled in front of a computer screen has finally caught up to you, hasn't it?"

"I'm talking about my night vision, you idiot! Now, can you see anything suspicious?"

Frowning, Aqua looked over. After a few seconds, she shrugged. "It looks like a couple of people sitting down by the fire; what are you so worried about?"

"People aren't the only things with a human form, ok? I just wanna make sure we aren't riding up to a bunch of zombies or monsters."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Have you forgotten that the undead and monsters fear the light?"

Indeed, this was true; however, it seems with the time between our last encounter with the undead, I had forgotten this.

"Besides," Aqua continued, "even if they are a bunch of undead, you have me here."

"Right, I'm counting on you if they are."

"Don't worry, I won't let any pesky undead get away with defiling the sanctity of life."

As we closed the distance, one of the figures stood up and seemingly stared in our direction. Just as I was getting a bad feeling, the figure began to wave, desperately pointing to the others.

"What's going on?" I said to Aqua.

"How should I know?"

I still had an ominous feeling about it all, but if those people needed help, I would feel worse just leaving them without having done anything.

"Oi, I'm gonna stop the carriage. You go and check if they need any help, alright?"

"Huh?! Why me?! This is your idea!"

"I can't do anything if they need healing, you idiot! Or do you want me to learn some healing spells and make you even more useless than you already are?!"

"F-, Fine!"

As our wagon came to a stop, the man who signaled us ran up. "Excuse me!" he yelled, his voice full of desperation. "Would any of you happen to be a Priest?"

"Huh?" Both me and Aqua said in unison.

Suddenly, her hesitation being overshadowed by her pride, Aqua jumped up and proudly said, "I am! I'm a god—"

"Archpriest," I interjected. "She's an Archpriest. Why? Is there someone injured?"

"No," the man said in relief. "Thankfully not. It's my brother's wife; she's going into labor."

"L-, Labor?"

A woman was having a child? Right now? At night? Why were they traveling so late with such precious cargo?

"Sir, please!" the man pleaded, breaking me out of my thoughts.

"Uh, right, give me a sec; we'll be right with you."

"Oh, thank you; I'll go tell the others."

"Umu."

As the man ran over to his group, the carriage door opened; a yawning mage came out. "What's going on? Why did we stop?"

"Megumin? Nothing, just go back to sleep," I replied, then turning my attention to Aqua.

"Wait, what do you mean 'nothing'?"

"It's nothing, exactly what it means—"

"There's a woman about to give birth," Aqua said abruptly.

"Huh?!" Megumin suddenly perked up. "Give birth?! Where?!"

"That group over there," Aqua replied, pointing in the direction. "I'm gonna go deliver that child into this world, and as repayment, I shall tell the parents to have that child become a follower of Axis."

…

"Oi, Megumin, you wouldn't happen to know how to deliver a child, right?" I asked.

"Hey!" Aqua interrupted. "Those people asked for a Priest; I may be a goddess, but while I'm here I must maintain the illusion of a humble Archpriest."

"Weren't you just about to blather your existence as a goddess just a moment ago?"

Aqua ignored me and hopped off the seat. "I'll go and save those people now; you can sit here like the weasley little NEET you are or you can come and be useful as a witness to the birth of a new Axis follower."

I didn't really like her saying such things about me, but I also felt I had a duty to protect unwitting bystanders from being harassed by the patron god of this wayward cult.

"Megumin, you stay here. If Gren and Darkness ask, just let 'em know what we're doing."

"I refuse."

"Huh?"

"I said, I refuse. This is an opportunity for me to learn about something interesting, so I'll go along with you and Aqua. And besides, both of them are sleeping."

"What the heck are you talking about? You know childbirth can take hours, right? Who's gonna tell 'em why the carriage is stopped when they do wake up?!"

But even as I said this, Megumin continued past me.

Seems I would have to tell them myself; after all, I didn't expect I'd be there very long, me lacking any useful skills to help in child birthing.

"Ah, there you all are," the man said as we approached.

Just beyond him were two others, a man crouched beside a woman with a large belly.

"Miss Priest, can you watch her?"

"Watch her? Isn't she giving birth?" I asked.

"Ah, well, she is, but…"

"Not yet," the other man replied.

"Here, sir," the first man said, handing me a bucket. "Can you please bring some water? There's a stream nearby, just over there," he said, pointing in the distance.

"Uh, right, I'll be back," I said and hurried along.

A woman was about to give birth, a child was about to be born; normally this wouldn't really move me, but for some reason, I felt somewhat odd thinking about it, a bit...overjoyed. A child.

My mind was assailed by thoughts of babies. And I instantly recalled the memory of my mother being pregnant with my younger brother, the time at the hospital while I waited with my father, and the joyous expression they had when they brought him to our grandparents. I was just a kid at the time, so my memory of it all was a bit fuzzy, still...thinking about it brought me a mixture of happiness and sorrow. Why did I feel that sadness now, of all times? And why did I even care about this event as much as I did?

Then, I unconsciously thought of Megumin; all our moments, both good and bad sped through my mind. What was our future? Would we remain together? Would something happen? Would she… Would we have children?

In my trance, the bucket slipped from my hand.

"Huh?"

Suddenly, my Enemy Sense triggered and before I could react, my body moved on its own, dodging the surprise attack.

"Auto Dodge," I thought. A new move I learned before leaving Axel; it must've activated as well.

"FLASH!" I yelled. And the entire area in front of me was blasted with a blinding light.

When I first learned it, I made the mistake of activating it while looking in the direction of fire; you see, unlike similar skills in the games I used to play, using Flash blinds everyone in the immediate range, including its caster.

Before me were several other figures; in the darkness of the night, I could only make out their silhouettes—even with Farsight. An ambush?! Wait, was this…?!

"Bandits?!"

"Gahhh!" The man in front of me flailed his weapon as he held his eyes. "Bastard!"

"No way! Another bandit event?! Weren't they extremely rare?! Hold on…"

Then the thought occurred to me; the others were in trouble. I tossed the bucket at the man in front of me and darted towards him activating Drain Touch. Within seconds he went down. The other bandits were still somewhat stunned from the loss of sight. I could incapacitate them, but since they were spread out, it would take some time. Meanwhile, Aqua and Megumin were probably in trouble.

"Dammit," I cursed softly. "No time to think; I gotta act."

I charged the closest two and took them down in similar time to the first. Despite being blind, they managed to get a few glancing blows on me. By now, the effects of Flash were all but gone and the other bandits were steadily closing around me.

As I edged away slowly, I took measure of the situation. Even with Drain Touch, I couldn't put them all down before they overwhelmed me. If I had my bow, I could probably whittle them down enough for the initial strat to work, but thinking that I wouldn't need it, I left my bow and quiver back at the carriage. My satchel was there too, which meant the only thing I had left was…

"Watch it!" one of them said. "I think I just saw him dig into his pocket."

Hearing this, the remaining bandits grew more cautious of my actions.

"Sorry, but I don't have time for you guys. Don't blame me if you get blown to smithereens! TINDER!" I yelled.

The fuse on the small stick of dynamite sparked to life as it left my hand.

Confused about what was going on, the bandits froze, shuffling away from the glowing fuse less than a meter away from their position.

Taking that moment, I dashed away and activated Lurk. A second later, BOOM! The grassy knoll shook with the power of modern explosives.

A minute later, I made it back to the others. I was still hidden due to the effect of Lurk, ready to unleash a surprise attack, but what I saw was unexpected.

"Eh? What? You guys are fine?"

The two men from before were sprawled on the ground. Aqua was standing next to Megumin, her arms crossed in vexation. Megumin on the other hand…

"P-Please, don't hurt me!" the lady yelped in fear. "You!" she yelled, looking at me. "Please, stop her!"

The woman was referring to Megumin, who had her by the collar.

"Oi, what's going on? This was all a lie?" I said, shrugging off her plea.

"It-It was their idea," she stammered, pointing at the unconscious men.

"So, you're not giving birth?"

"Of course not! You really think I'd do something like that with those imbeciles?! Please, let me go!"

"...Oi, Megumin...let her have it."

"My pleasure."

"Wait! Wait! Please, listen!"

I quickly stopped Megumin, who already had her arm cocked back.

"What?" I said.

"You're all strong, probably adventurers, right? But we're weak, we had no choice; if we didn't do this we'd all starve. Please understand, if we knew you were adventurers we'd never try something like this."

I could understand where she was coming from—as wrong as it still was, but it wasn't like I could really do anything but let them go. Even if I was feeling chivalrous enough to turn them in, it was still some distance to the next town and we definitely didn't have enough room in the carriage to transport all these people.

"I'll let you go as long as you promise not to do stuff like this again."

"Of-Of course! You got it!"

"Alright. Megumin—"

BAM! Before I could finish, Megumin socked the lady in the face, knocking her out cold; with the woman going limp, she let her go.

"Oi, what was that? Why'd you knock her out?"

"Cause I felt like it." Megumin dusted herself off and began walking back to the carriage.

"What was that all about?" I looked at Aqua but she just shrugged.

Some hours later, Darkness woke up and switched with me. I wasn't tired, so I stayed up and accompanied her.

"Bandits, huh? I can't believe how lucky you are, Kazuma."

I frowned. "There's nothing lucky about getting an encounter like that; stop mixing reality with your fetish."

"What happened to them, by the way?"

"We left 'em there; not like we could take them with us."

"I suppose you're right. We should inform the authorities once we reach the next town."

"Should be coming up pretty soon," I said, taking a glance at the map. Then I looked up at the sky. "Nearly morning."

"You can tell? It's still quite dark out."

Years of staying up late and pulling all-nighters made discerning the coming of morning second-nature.

"Oi, by the way, Darkness, you sure you can see? It's a little bit brighter out, but it's still nighttime; I can drive till the next town."

"It's fine. My sight might not be as good as yours or Aqua's in these conditions, but I can still proudly say that my vision in low-light isn't terrible."

"Well, I suppose in a fight it wouldn't matter; day or night, you'd probably still miss."

"Guh."

Eventually, we reached the next town, Rainbow Falls; it was another trade village, albeit smaller and more quiet than Goldleaf. Here, we rested; we needed it, but the horses did too, a fact that Darkness reminded me of.

Like its namesake, there was a small waterfall here. The inn was built around it, incorporating the natural feature into an attraction. The basin, in which the waterfall flowed into, was made into a large bathing area. Despite the water being fairly cold, it was refreshing.

After taking some time to look around town, we headed back to the inn and got some rest. The following morning, we left and continued on our journey. We'd repeat this a few more times until we finally reached Elroad's capital five days later.

We slowly rolled into town, taking note of the situation.

"Say, Kazuma," Darkness said as we looked around, "the city looks...a lot more crowded, doesn't it?"

Indeed, the city was bursting with people; a scenery akin to Tokyo's Shinjuku district, a thought I believed I would've never been able to say given the previous visit.

More actors? No. A close inspection would reveal that the vast majority of these people were wandering around aimlessly—as if they had little to no knowledge of the city. Tourists? No. A cursory glance would tell you that a lot of these people weren't well off; their clothes were weathered, dirty, and used. Refugees, then? Yes. Yes, these people were, in fact, refugees.

"Could they be from the North?" I queried.

"Perhaps," Darkness replied. "People seeking refuge… And so many."

Was the situation up north so bleak? Even during the war with the Demon King, I've never bared witness to such a large swathe of migration; was then, similar things happening behind the scenes?

"Should we stay at the inn from before?" Darkness went on to ask.

"Sure."

After a few minutes of driving through the crowded streets, we came upon the previously mentioned inn.

"Excuse me," I said as we came up to the receptionist, "we're looking for a few rooms."

"Ah." The receptionist sighed. "Sorry, sir, we're reserving our rooms for those of...um...more noble standards."

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

He sighed once more. "Listen. I know it may be hard for you to understand this, but we're not taking in any refugees; this isn't a charity house. If you're looking for a place to accommodate you, try the church or a less reputable establishment."

"Oi, I'm not a refugee."

"Oh, you're not?" he said with a cocky sneer. "Pardon me, then. I'm sure you're just a noble who wears drabby clothes."

I will admit that my adventuring attire wasn't the best thing to be wearing when trying to look wealthy, but tying someone's fortune to mere appearance was...short-sighted, to say the least.

I, in turn, sighed and pulled out the house pendant along with Darkness' own. "We're nobles from Belzerg: Satou Kazuma and Dustiness Ford Lalatina, the adventuring party who slayed the Demon King."

The receptionist gave me a wide-eyed stare and then quickly glanced over the pendants. "F-, Forgive me," he stuttered. "It's just with all the migrants we're getting lately… Things have been… Well… All the establishments have been getting overwhelmed by them; we've had to put restrictions in place."

"Sure. Anyway, do you have three rooms we can book? Or two?"

"Uh, y-yes, we do. Would two rooms be fine, sir?"

"Can a single room fit four people comfortably?"

"Yes—it should, sir. And please forgive my conduct earlier."

"Umu. You're lucky I'm a reasonable person, otherwise, I'd have a talk to the prince—of which I'm personally acquainted with."

"Eh? The Prince?! As in, Prince Revi?"

"That's right," I replied with a smirk.

"Ah, Revi-sama…" The clerk shook his head. "I have to wonder what's going through his head at the moment."

"Huh? Did something happen to him?"

"Eh? Ah, well...given the current state of things I can imagine Revi-sama must be feeling a lot of pressure. Without the Prime Minister, Revi-sama has taken care of everything personally. It's been a boon for the nation, however… Well, in any case, I hope you all enjoy your stay. Please let me know if there's anything I or the staff can do for you."

"...umu. Thanks."

After the receptionist handed me the keys, I turned and handed one to Aqua. "Here. And you'd better not complain about privacy or anything."

"Privacy… Humph! The only thing I'm concerned about is you occupying the same sleeping space with any one of us; you couldn't keep your pants on straight even if it meant damning yourself."

"What the hell are you talkin' about? How many times have we slept in the same room since we've arrived here? I know better than to try anything with you—I have standards."

"HUH?! You take that back, you shitty NEET! You think I don't see you staring at my chest when I'm lying on the couch?!"

"O-Oi! I'm only wondering why'd you buy such loose-fitting pajamas like that? That type of clothing only serves to accentuate what little it shows. Stop trying to seduce me, you slut."

⸻?!⸻

As Aqua and I were about to trade blows, Gren let out a gentle cough. "Um...can…can we head to our rooms, now?"

-A few minutes later…

"Um, Kazuma-san," Gren began saying, "does he always act like that?"

"Kazuma?" I replied, while sprawled out on the bed. "Hmmm. More or less."

Aqua was in the bathroom taking a bath and Darkness went to get us some food from the lounge, so, it was just currently me and Gren.

"He seems to be...quite aggressive."

"Heh. Kazuma can definitely seem that way, umu. Well...he can be a jerk sometimes...a lot of the times, but the truth is, Gren-san, Kazuma is really kind-hearted; he's just not good at expressing it."

"Is-, Is that so? I suppose there's truth in your words, Megumin-san; after all, he did save me when there was no need to."

Suddenly, she went quiet. And for a few moments, I thought that would be the end of the conversation, but Gren continued after the short pause.

"Megumin-san?"

"Hm?"

"You and Kazuma-san are married, correct?"

I sat up slightly. "Umu. What about it?"

She paused once more, looking like she was thinking of the correct words to say. "You and Kazuma-san… Do you love each other or was it a marriage of convenience?"

"I love him...and I have reason to believe he loves me too. So no, Gren-san, our marriage—though spontaneous—was and is not one of convenience."

She stared at me with some shock in her eyes and then smiled faintly. "Megumin-san is more mature than she appears."

I frowned. "Eh?"

"Eh—I-I mean, you're much younger than me, but seem to have...a lot of strength. Yunyun-san really speaks highly of you."

"Yunyun?"

"Though she tries to spin her words a lot of the time," Gren said, giggling thereafter. "Megumin-san is really stubborn; she'll never give up on something she sets her sights on, but that's why she's a worthy rival, she'll say."

I couldn't help but smile. Yunyun really is something.

"It's to be expected," I remarked, laying back down. "As the foremost genius of the Crimson Demons it's only natural that many would be attracted to my inspiring aura."

Gren giggled once more. "I see."

The door to the bathroom opened and out came Aqua in some bathrobes. "Alright, Megumin, you can use the bathroom, now."

"It's fine, I'll wait; go ahead, Gren-san, you can go."

"Are you sure?"

"Umu. I'm not even that dirty."

"Laying on the bed like that you'd better not be," Aqua interjected.

And for some reason, I got the urge to mock her, so I rolled on the bed saying, "Ah, oh no, I'm all sweaty and dirty. All of it is getting on the sheets and covers, the pillows we'll be sleeping on."

"Megumin!"

I chuckled.

-Elsewhere…

"More than half the stuff on that tray looks unhealthy, Kazuma," Darkness said.

"Look at the pot calling the kettle black," I retorted.

"T-The majority of this stuff is for Aqua and Megumin! As a noble and Crusader I have to make sure I eat a balanced meal."

"Right. Like I haven't seen you down tons of sweets before. To be honest, your sweet tooth might be worse than either of those two."

"N-Nonsensical lies—all of it!"

"Ah, whatever, Darkness, you go ahead and eat what you want; with the amount of exercise you do I'm sure you'll be able to burn off the excess, anyway. I'm heading back to my room."

"W-Wait!"

"Hm? What's up?"

"Ah, well… Well, why don't you eat with me...for a bit?"

"Huh? Don't you need to bring the others their food?"

"It-It'll only be for a little bit! T-They won't even notice."

"Ho? Isn't that cute, Lalatina still showing me innocent signs of her affection. Doesn't it bother you to be playing the homewrecker, or is that a tag you're also aiming for?"

"You! Of course… Of course I'm not going for something as ridiculous as that," she said, her eyes darting away every so often.

"...Oi."

"I-I'm not! To even suggest such a thing…"

Honestly, did this girl forget the multiple attempts she's tried to make me her own?

"Fine," I said, taking a seat. "It'll save me from having to make another trip to return the tray. So, what are you having?" I looked over her options.

"Salad," she replied, sticking a fork in it.

"Just a salad?"

"Of course not; I'll be having some protein as well."

There was a bit of silence as she began to eat, then I spoke.

"Hey, Darkness."

"Hm? What is it, Kazuma?"

"Do you ever think about how you wanna look?"

"Look? What do you mean?"

"I mean, like your body figure."

"Ah, that. Well, of course; I believe every woman does."

"So, what's yours? I ask cause you seem to keep training despite having such a ridiculous one."

Darkness remained silent, her ears and face growing red.

"Oi, you ok?"

"W-What would...you like…" Her voice, which was already low, trailed off completely. And then out of nowhere, spiked, with her saying, "What would you like in-in a woman?"

Part 4

"Me? Didn't I already tell you; I said I like women with a body like yours...though you could lose some of your definition; there's something sort of depressing about a girl having more muscle than me."

"T-Then just train some more! If you'd like, I can help you."

"No, thank you," I replied, starting to eat my own food.

"What?! Why the quick response?! You could've at least thought about it a bit more!"

"If I trained with you, I'd only become more depressed; there's no way someone like me would be able to keep up with your level of training. Hell, from what Megumin tells me, your regimen is more a torture session than actual training."

"Tch, she spoke?"

"At least try to deny it."

"I am! My training sessions aren't…" She stumbled over her words as I stared at her reproachfully. "In-In any case, I'd change it to something you'd be able to endure."

"You mean handle."

"That's what I said."

"...*sigh*."

"Regardless, Kazuma, I think you should raise your physical strength. It'd be a shame if a man was weaker than a woman; otherwise, there'd be no chance for him to pin a woman down and have his way with her."

"Oi! Now you're just making this about yourself. And I think a guy like that would have more issues to be concerned about."

While I clearly didn't agree with Darkness' reasons for it, she did have a point; I was currently the weakest one in my party, overall. Given that we were going up against stronger enemies, raising my stats directly wouldn't be a bad idea.

"Well, I have some other things I have to do, so I don't know how often I'd be able to join your…'training'."

"Hmmm...well, it shouldn't matter. Even if you attend them once a week, it'll be fine."

"Once a week, huh? I'll see about it. Anyway, hurry up and eat; you still need to bring the others their meal, too."

"Ah, you're right."

After finishing up our food, we both went our separate ways: Darkness to the others, and myself, outside. I wanted to get a good look at what was going on and play some games.

"Geez, this place is crowded," I said, evading an incoming group.

It reminded me a lot of celebrations in the capital.

Suddenly, it began to rain, and trying to get out of it, I ducked into a nearby stall.

"Man, maybe I should head back," I thought.

As I waited for the rain to let up, I couldn't help but overhear the conversation going on near me.

"All these foreigners… What a pain," one of the men said.

The other shrugged as he sported a smirk. "It's better business for the nation; the casinos are bursting with suckers trying to make a fortune."

"I guess, but it's making getting around really annoying."

"Aw, come on, it isn't like we're strangers to little busyness."

"What are you talking about, man? This isn't the usual crowdedness that we have. Those 'crowds' know where to stand and where not to; they're optimal in their pathing."

"You really were born and raised here, huh?"

"Yeah, and what of it?"

The other man chuckled. "A city boy through and through and yet you don't know what real crowds are like. Ironic."

"Oh, shut up; it isn't like I don't know. I just like the capital's crowds better."

"And that's why you'll never get out of this place. See, I'm a sophisticated individual, well versed in the ways of the world; I know a thing or two about places outside of Elroad."

"You make it sound like I haven't been outside of Elroad."

"That's because you haven't."

"And you haven't either!"

"Eh?"

"Don't 'eh' me. You think I don't know? Your trips around the world are only the towns that border Elroad, so quit giving me that 'worldly experience' crap."

At this, the so-called "experienced" man gave a slight cough in embarrassment. "And w-who told you this?"

The other man smirked. "Oh, you know, that girl you're rather fond of—at the restaurant."

"Kirstie?! Gahhhhh! But why?"

"Look, I hate to tell ya, but she's getting rather bored of the same stories, man. Anyway, I'd keep my distance from her; if she's so loose with stories like this, it's only a matter of time before your wife finds out."

…...Rain or shine, I should probably head over to the casino now.

By the time I made it, I was nearly soaked from head-to-toe.

This was the state-run casino, and upon entering, I saw that it was filled with many people, people who appeared far less affluent than during my previous visit. Then again, I couldn't really say much; I didn't really appear affluent myself.

I went up to the "cage" in an attempt to exchange some eris for some chips.

"Welcome to the Eldorado Casino, sir. What can I do for you?"

"I want to play; I need some chips if you don't mind."

"Ok, sir; however, as per new policy I'm required to ask for your name before making any exchanges."

"Huh? Why?"

"It's a new policy, sir, as I just said."

"No, I heard you the first time, I'm just asking why? I wasn't required to give any names last time I came; I'm wondering why that's the case all of a sudden."

The cashier, who was sporting a cheerful smile all this time, suddenly dropped the act and glared at me. "We're overwhelmed with the amount of people wanting to enter the casino and in order to expedite the process we're also having to run some security on our end, happy?"

I was a little stunned by the rudeness she gave me, but quickly shrugged it off. "Kazuma, Satou Kazuma."

She stared at me for a moment, her frown still present, and then looked down at a book in front of her. After a few minutes, she glanced back at me.

"Satou Kazuma, right?"

"Yeah, that's what I said."

"There's a bit of a problem."

"Huh?"

"You're under special supervision and have some...ahem...special rules in place. Restrictions, more like."

"Restrictions?! What the hell?! Since when does a casino restrict their players?!"

She shrugged. "Sorry, but that question is above me. Anyhow, you're only allowed to exchange up to five million eris every week."

"Five million a week?! Oi, I wanna speak to the manager!"

The cashier sighed. "Do you really have to do this, sir? We have a business to run; if you're unhappy, you can take your patronage to another casino."

"Fine! That's exactly what I'll do!" I retorted, storming away soon after.

After spending several hours bouncing between casinos, it came to my attention that I've become somewhat infamous since my last visit. Nearly all the private casinos had banned me from playing, and those that didn't had imposed similar restrictions to the state-run casino.

"Dammit," I swore.

These new rules...they must've been imposed by that shitty prince. I couldn't really blame him though; last time I nearly won a sum large enough to live luxuriously for the rest of my life and possibly my following generations.

As much as I didn't really want to see him, the only way I could see myself getting around these restrictions was to speak to him personally. Though to be frank, it wasn't that I cared about the restriction itself, rather the principle behind it. If I was lucky, then I was lucky; a casino, whose whole premise was based on this should have no say on how much I should win—they certainly didn't mind how much one lost.

I could leave the visit for tomorrow since the plan was to stay a couple of days, but if I wanted to enjoy what little time we could spare, I had to do it today. Luckily, the rain had since long stopped, but unfortunately, it was replaced by humid air, which in turn was exacerbated by the plentiful crowds. Guh, where were the chilly winds of autumn when you needed them?

"Excuse me," I said to the guard who was posted at the castle gate.

"Hm? What is it? If you wish to make an inquiry to the Prince, get in line; there are plenty of citizens waiting to do so."

"Eh? Uh, well, m-my name is Satou Kazuma."

"Yeah, so?"

"S-, Satou Kazuma? The same Satou Kazuma who slew the Demon King."

The guard raised a brow, though he still appeared wholly unconvinced.

"Look, here's my house pendant," I said, bringing it out.

He inspected it for a few and nodded. "Umu. That there is a noble's crest—yet I have no idea who you are. Did you perhaps steal this or maybe you won it in a gamble?"

"I-I didn't—in fact, gambling is why I'm here!"

"Huh?"

"I-I mean I need to speak to the Prince about...some private matters."

"...Mhm, I'm sure you do; you still need to wait, noble or not."

"Oi, come on, I was here about a year ago. You know, with the Princess of Belzerg?"

"Wait! That Princess?! The Dragon Slayer?"

"Y-, Yeah."

"Oh...come to think of it...yeah, you do look familiar." I smiled; it seemed he finally understood how important I was. It should be smooth sailing from here on out. "Weren't you that nobody who was impersonating Belzerg's prince? You kept calling yourself the Princess' brother or something."

"Not by blood! In-In any case, it's important that I speak to Prince Revi. It uh, has to do with...um, the-the Princess!"

The guard gave me a skeptical gaze once more. "Fine. Stay right here, I'll go inform Revi-sama." A few minutes later, he returned. "Revi-sama will see you at once."

"Oh?"

"Right this way, quickly."

After following the guard, we made it to a room that was—by now—very familiar to me, the audience chamber of the throne room. And sitting upon said throne was the sovereign of this country, Prince Revi.

"Revi-sama, I've brought him," the guard said with a bow.

"Good, thank you. You may leave now," the Prince said, waving him off.

The guard bowed once more and then left the room, closing the doors behind him.

"Kazuma-san, you're back," he said with a frown.

"Uh, yeah."

"Why? Is Iris-chan here, again?!" Revi said excitedly.

"Eh, no."

"Oh." With his expectations unmet, his attention waned. "So, then, what brings you here?"

"Your casinos; they have some restrictions in place, ones against me."

"Ah...those. Yes, and what of them?"

"You kidding me? What kind of so-called 'City of Casinos' is this?"

"The kind that still has to make money off its business ventures! It isn't like you can't make any money, anyway."

"Sure, just an amount you can afford to lose. You call yourself a gambler? What a joke."

"Whatever. If that's all you're here for, then you can go."

This prince was just as shitty as ever, but...I knew his weakness.

"Ah, I see. So, I guess when Iris asks me of my adventures I'll just tell her about the one prince that—"

"Alright, alright! I'll lift the restrictions, just don't tell Iris anything bad."

I grinned in triumph. "By the way, I heard you're running things now."

"Now?"

"I mean, yeah; I'm pretty sure it was that doppelganger running things last time, or did I misremember?"

The prince twisted his lips. He couldn't deny the facts, but he also didn't need to like it. "I got rid of the position," he quickly said. "Now, no one is above me; no one will tell me what to do. I take care of issues personally, as you've seen."

"Hm, must be hard."

"Perhaps for most, but this is the way it should've been. When my ascension to King happens—and it'll be soon—I'll garner the attention of everyone, including Iris-chan. I'll make Elroad the most prosperous nation in the world and Iris-chan will become my wife, thus the future of our family and of our nations will be forever guaranteed."

"Wife? Please, my little sister friend-zoned you; you chasing after her is just one-sided and pathetic."

"Guh! You don't know anything. Iris-chan continues to write letters to me on the regular. It's clear that she still holds the possibility of mending our betrothal close to her heart."

"Letters? Was she really writing any to him? Whatever," I said, waving off his remark. "For all you know those letters could've been written by anyone."

His face, for a brief moment, was filled with horror. "I-Impossible! The letters are a correspondence between two members of royalty, no one would think to do such a thing! Besides, I know that Iris-chan wouldn't allow it; she's mature, strong, and just!"

Iris was all of these things, sure, but she was still a young girl; there was an extent to all these qualities. This boy was just infatuated with her. The fact that he didn't know this to be true showed me how little he knew Iris.

"Ah, that so? Well, I wish ya luck with that. Now where's my hand-written letter, I'd like to do something worthwhile while I'm in this city of yours."

"Nation, pleb." He quickly penned a letter and handed it to me. "Here! Now, get out of my sight."

"As you wish...your princeliness," I said with a mock bow and then left.

After I was done from my excursions at the casino and playhalls, it was night. I returned to my hotel room and plopped down on the bed.

"...I should probably take a bath," I thought outloud.

Besides being poured on earlier in the day, I was also sweaty from the subsequent heatwave. As tired as I was, I didn't want to lay down with a dirty body.

*Knock, knock* "Kazuma-san?"

"Gren?" I got up and opened the door. "Yo, what's up, you need something?"

"Um, m-may I come in?"

"Uh, sure." I step aside and let Gren enter. "Um, something wrong?"

She took a second to look around and then turned towards me. "There's something I wanted to tell you."

"Eh? Wait, hold on, Kazuma, this setup is too cliche, too predictable; she's not here to profess her love to you or anything, she's more than likely here to say something completely arbitrary. Calm down. After all, you promised to be faithful to Megumin, to never abandon her trust in you. And besides, while Gren is a fairly nice-looking girl, she isn't worth throwing away all your hard work."

"Kazuma-san, I want to know...what is it you want me to do for you?"

"Huh?"

"What..." She looked away. "W-What is it you'd like me to do...in repayment? Do...you want my...body?"

"Huh? Wait a minute, is she really offering herself to me? Is this just a trick?"

While still pondering this, Gren went on. "If-If it's something like that then...t-then I-I believe I should suffice—please spare my sister!"

"Huh? Sorry, what was that just now?"

"Please spare my sister. I know older, more mature-looking girls might not be your thing, but—"

"H-Hold on! What did you just say?!"

"Uh, I'm sorry, did I...say something wrong?"

"Of course you did! Who the hell said I'm into little girls?!"

"Oh, you're not?"

"No, of course not! Who the hell is slandering me; I'll sue them!"

"Oh, but...everyone…" She looked away and slowly covered her mouth.

"Everyone? EVERYONE?! Who the hell was everyone?! Was it the girls, a group in town? Was it the whole damn city?! Dammit! Why the hell is this rumor spreading?! I'M NOT A LOLICON!"

As I was having a meltdown, Gren sighed in relief. "Thank goodness."

"Wait a minute! Why the hell did you believe such baseless rumors in the first place?!"

"Ah, well… At first, I was fairly skeptical about it, but as I looked into it a bit… A-Anyhow, a number of people began giving me some convincing arguments, so…"

Noticing my despondent gaze, she quickly continued. "It-It's good to know that all the rumors were incorrect, though."

I sighed heavily, and then she said something more.

"To be honest, Satou-sama, I believed you were tricking Megumin-san. After she told me you were a kind person at heart I was sort of doubtful of her word since it clashed with what I've heard about you."

"Megumin said that? Hold on, more importantly… I still don't understand why'd you believe something like that even after I helped you."

"I-I didn't at first, but...all the arguments and evidence…"

"Oi, what evidence?!"

"Ah, well, the first is your relationship with Megumin-san; it's said you've been in a relationship with her before she was legally marriageable. Then there's rumors about you trying to have an illicit relationship with the Princess; given the amount of pull you have with her it seemed fairly credible. Then, there's also a rumor of you visiting a store with a pink-haired girl dressed as a succubus."

"GUH! All-All of that is circumstantial at best; you shouldn't take such things at face value, Gren-san!"

"Ah, yes, forgive me, Satou-sama," she said, bowing profusely.

"Ahem, that aside, what was this thing about repayment?"

"Oh, um… I-I still believe I should repay you somehow, but...certainly you wouldn't be open to using my body—being the kind-hearted individual you are."

"..."

"Satou-sama?"

"Indeed. Of course...you came here fully ready to commit to the act, right?"

Face burning red in embarrassment, Gren stammered out a reply. "I-I mean, yes—but that was before. I wanted to protect my sister."

"Hmmm." I continued to stare at her judgmentally, eyebrow slightly raised.

"Be-Besides, isn't Satou-sama married to Megumin-san?"

"Huh? Ah, well, yeah...but you came here offering yourself, even knowing that, didn't you?"

Seemingly at a loss for words, Gren averted her gaze and timidly backed away. "If...that's what it'll take…" She hesitantly tugged on the collar of her shirt.

"Hold on, Satou Kazuma, you can't allow yourself to fall for such a convenient trap; knowing your luck with these things, someone will just intervene at the—her breasts are almost visible."

As I stared intently, the door to the room opened.

"Kazu...ma?" Darkness said, staring between the both of us.

…

"IT'S A MISUNDERSTANDING!" I quickly yelled.

-Morning…

"I can't believe you," Darkness said as we got breakfast.

"I already told you it was a misunderstanding."

"Tch. If Megumin knew, she would feel terrible. Ugh." I expected Darkness to continue her disgusted attitude, but it was the complete opposite. "To have your husband swear himself to you, only to find out he's taking advantage of the sultry downtrodden girl. How deplorable! Hah! If only it were me!"

This girl is irredeemable.

"Oi, just don't tell Megumin, alright?"

"Don't tell me what?" the familiar voice said.

I slowly craned my neck her way, a nervous smile ever-present. "M-, Megumin. W-What are you doing here?"

"I came down to get my own breakfast since Darkness took a bit long yesterday." The aforementioned looked away with slight embarrassment. "Now then," she said, crossing her arms, "what was it you didn't want to tell me?"

-Back at my room

"I see. No wonder Gren-san came back completely flustered."

I knelt quietly on the floor after explaining the situation, Megumin on my bed.

"You're-, You're not mad, then?"

She crossed her arms, her eyes beginning to glow brighter. "Humph! Nothing happened...right?"

"T-That's right."

She stared at me, her expression halfway between pity and anger. "...Good. Next time you have an issue like this I'll tell Aqua to make it fall off, that way we won't have to worry about it any longer."

"Oi, please don't do that; there'll be far bigger issues I'd have to worry about."

Suddenly, Megumin looked down sorrowfully. "To think she'd do something like that."

"...well, we do know she'd do a lot for her sister, so…"

She looked up at me. "Kazuma, be honest. Were you really going to do something with her?"

"Uh—of course not. If I'm completely honest, the most I would've done was…" Noticing Megumin's brows beginning to knit preemptively, I said, "look."

"Look, huh?" She closed her eyes for a moment, seemingly in an attempt to stem her rising anger. A moment later she sighed heavily. "For some reason, I feel that answer is not as honest as it could be."

I looked away.

Megumin continued. "Question is, what do I do about Gren-san, now?"

"Eh, what do you mean?"

She stared at me, finally replying with, "Nothing."

"Hey, come on, now, Gren's our guide; we need her."

"Do we? You said it yourself, we could just hire a local."

"And Bartholomew-san said to take her."

"So?"

"Oi, what's gotten into you? I get being mad about what just happened, but she's kind of necessary to this whole trip."

"Forget it, then; I'll deal with it myself." Megumin got up and attempted to leave, but I grabbed her arm.

"Hey, don't be rash, ok? Calm down."

Her eyes began to glow. "Are you taking her side?"

"I'm not taking anyone's side, so relax. I'm just saying we need her for the mission, that's all."

Megumin's eyes were locked to mine, never diminishing in their brightness. "Fine." She pulled her arm away and walked out.

"What the hell is going on with her?" I had to ask myself.

Still thinking about it, I got up and laid in bed. I was thinking about Megumin's recent behavior and how peculiar it was. Sure, she was prone to outbursts and Megumin was never the prime example of calm-and-collected, but her sprouts of anger were seemingly becoming more common.

BAM! My door slammed open. It was Aqua.

"Kazuma!" she said rather out-of-breath.

"Oi, what's your—"

"Megumin. Megumin...she's collapsed."

-At the girl's room…

Currently, it was just me and Aqua in the room; Darkness apparently went out with Gren to take care of some errands. Megumin was laying in bed.

"What happened?" I asked, after some minutes of silence.

"Hm, I don't know. I went out to check what the noise I heard was, and I saw Megumin laying on the floor."

"Did she just trip?" I began to think.

"Could have something to do with the headaches."

"Headaches? What headaches?"

"Huh? You don't know? She hasn't told you? Megumin's been getting headaches lately. She's woken up some nights to have me cast healing spells on her."

"What?! She hasn't told me any of this."

"Oh. Hm, that's weird."

"Ugh! When-, When did this start happening?"

"When? Hmmmm." Aqua placed a finger on her chin. "I'm not really sure...maybe a month ago?"

"A mon— How come you didn't tell me this sooner?!"

"Eh? I thought she told you; she usually does, doesn't she?"

I let out an exasperated sigh. "Dammit. Don't tell me this girl is getting sick again."

"Hmmmm, come to think of it, the voices she's been hearing could be related, too."

"Voices?! Oi! What the heck else is going on?!"

Part 5

"Well, that's all she's told me. And I've cast all the healing spells I know. So, it shouldn't be any abnormal effect or a curse."

"Meaning whatever she has is...natural?"

Aqua shrugged. "At the very least, it shouldn't be a curse or some type of evil possession; my holy power would've cleansed her of it."

Both of us fell silent as we pondered on the possibilities. Aqua spoke first.

"Could be something to do with the Crimson Demons; they are a magically modified race."

It could be true; after all, this wouldn't be the first time Megumin had a strange reaction to something: the memory of her "tatoo" came to mind.

"Dammit, we might have to head back to Belzerg, then."

At that moment, Megumin stirred awake. "Ugh." She sat up.

"Megumin, are you ok?" Aqua asked.

"Aqua? Kazuma? What—"

"Oi, why didn't you tell me about these headaches you're getting—and the voices you're hearing?"

She shot a glance at Aqua, and then looked down. "I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry? Don't you think something like that is important? *sigh* Now we have head back to the village to—"

"No, I'm fine!" she shouted. "I'm fine."

"Oi, Megumin—"

"I'm fine! Please. Please don't cancel this for my sake."

"What the hell do you mean, 'your sake'? Of course I'll cancel whatever mission or quest we have for your sake—I would for any one of you!"

Megumin went quiet for a moment. "I… I'm ok, Kazuma...believe me."

I stared at her skeptically, prompting her to insist once more.

"I swear to you...if it gets worse, I'll let you know."

"If it gets worse? If it gets worse it'll probably be too late. You're hearing voices for god's sake!"

"Voice. Only one."

"Megumin… That isn't any better."

She looked away. "It only happens sometimes. And the voice only appears in my dreams so…"

"So, what, some type of nightmare? Visions? Prophecy?"

"...I don't know. Perhaps?"

"...well, the voice might be, but what about the headaches?"

Megumin went quiet, a pained expression on her face. Suddenly, she yelled, "It's just a joke! Got you all!" with a bright smile.

"Oi, you really think you can fool me with such a bullshit smile? Quit messing around! If something ended up happening to you, how the hell could I face your parents?!"

Megumin's smile instantly faded as she looked down. "...sorry."

"Listen to me, we can continue this mission—but, Megumin, you gotta promise me—the moment you feel off, you tell me, ok?"

She nodded silently, still avoiding my gaze.

"Look after her," I said to Aqua. "I'll be back."

"Wait!" Megumin interrupted. "Where are you going?"

"To get you some food; you haven't eaten anything yet, right?" She didn't; she was too busy chewing me out for the situation earlier. "I'll be back. You lay down and get some rest."

After saying that, Kazuma exited the room.

"Megumin." Aqua called out to me.

"Hm?"

"How do you feel?"

"I'm fine. Just a bit dizzy...and frustrated, I guess."

"Frustrated? Hmmm, alright, let's go out somewhere; we've been cooped up in this room for too long."

"But Kazuma, won't he be mad?"

"Who cares what that boy thinks—and since when did he have authority over me, a goddess? If anything, he should be thankful that I make him feel somewhat useful each day. And in any case, it isn't like I'm not doing like he asked; I'll be with you, so it should be fine."

I let out a small chuckle of disbelief. "You're right, but we should at least leave him a letter or something. After all, he is going out of his way to get me some food."

Aqua shrugged. "If that's what you wanna do, Megumin."

I quickly wrote a small letter and placed it underneath the door.

"Ok, let's go."

When we made it downstairs, we froze.

"He's there," I whispered, prompting both Aqua and to duck behind the stairwell.

Of course, if he went to get me something to eat, he'd get it at the lounge.

"Meow." Chomusuke popped from under my hat with a lazy yawn.

"Huh, Chomusuke?"

"It's that feral beast; what's it doing here?" Aqua whispered harshly.

"Hey, Chomusuke, your master needs you to do something."

"Reow?" She tilted her head.

"Distract Kazuma, ok? Make sure he doesn't look our way."

"Meow."

I put her down and watched her scurry off towards Kazuma.

A couple moments later, we watched as Kazuma became distracted by Chomusuke's presence; though he looked around curiously, he didn't find us.

"Ok, now's our chance, Aqua, let's go."

We sprinted forward, but as I shot up, I became overwhelmed by a dizzying feeling and stumbled.

"Megumin?" Aqua said, turning around.

"It's fine, I'm ok, just felt a little dizzy."

"Hmmm, are you sure you're ok?"

I nodded. "Just residual dizziness, nothing more."

Aqua stared at me with slight worry but accepted my excuse. "Alright, let's hurry before that NEET turns around and finds us."

I nodded, after which we both made it out of the inn without Kazuma noticing.

"Wah, it's crowded out here," I said as we looked around.

I thought about using Explosion, but I couldn't do it with Kazuma being so close by.

"Say, Megumin, let's head to the casinos," Aqua suggested.

"Hmmm, but there's nothing for me to blow up over there; why don't we head over to the onion duck conservation? I'm sure by now they've restocked their flocks."

"Then let's head to the casino first."

"Huh? B-But—"

"Listen, when we win big at the casino, we can just pay the conservation back for all the damage; that way, I can win some money, you can let off your explosion, and Kazuma will never find out."

"Hmmm." I rubbed my chin. "Ok," I said with a thumbs up.

The plan was a little risky, but nothing worth doing was ever completely certain. And so, we hit the casinos.

After several outburst, tantrums, and some instances of Aqua—um...cheating, we were thrown out. By the time our escapade finally finished, it was the late afternoon.

"Those dirty cheats!" Aqua yelled angrily. "Don't worry, Megumin, we'll win at the next one. Let's go!"

"Aqua," I said, while we sat at a bench, "maybe it's time to call it quits."

"Huh?! What are you talking about, Megumin?! Don't you wanna unleash your magic?"

"Of course I do, but at this point I guess I'll settle with the plains just outside town. It won't be as satisfying, but I suppose I can find comfort in letting go in a fairly new place."

"What are you talking about, Megumin; this is the perfect opportunity to show everyone how amazing your Explosion magic is. We run into the casino, play a couple games, and if we lose, you just use Explosion while I make off with our well-deserved money."

"Aqua, even I can tell that sounds like a bad idea; I don't even think our status as heroes will save us."

Aqua let out a heavy sigh and then fell back against the seat. "Well, I guess we should probably see what Darkness and Gren-san are up to, they're likely done with the errands."

Gren. Just hearing her name incited some anger in me. I still had some unfinished business with her.

"Umu, lets."

We headed back and upon reaching our room, opened the door to find Darkness and Gren, but also Kazuma.

"There you are," he said with a glare. "What the hell was this?" He whipped out the small note I left behind: "be right back".

"Ah, I see you found it," I said, averting my gaze.

"Don't just look away," he said, lunging at me and grabbing onto my cheeks. "You weren't feeling well, so I went out of my way to remedy that, and you just up and left. And you," he yelled, looking at Aqua, "what part of 'look after her' don't you get?! I thought that was as simple as I could make it!"

"I was looking after! You never said we had to stay here."

"Um, Kashuma," I interrupted.

"What is it?"

"...I'm kind of hungry."

Kazuma's brow twitched. "You seem to be feeling all better, so why don't you go ahead and get it yourself."

"I can't ifsh you keep pincheen my cheeks." As I said this, he pinched them even harder.

"Ow-ow-ow-ow!"

Finally, he let go. "Nothing happened while you two were out, right?" he said, his sight shifting between us.

"By, 'nothing happened', do you mean to Megumin?" Aqua replied, nervously looking away.

Noticing this, Kazuma glanced at me, but I also quickly looked away. "Oi, what happened?"

"Nothing did," Aqua interjected. "Right, Megumin?"

"Ugggghh…"

Kazuma went for my cheeks again.

"AH OK! OK! We got thrown out of the casinos!"

He let go once again. "Oh, is that it? You didn't go off and blow up another farm, did you?"

"Not this time, unfortunately."

As he glared at me, Darkness spoke.

"Um, is it true, Megumin, that you're hearing voices and getting headaches?"

I looked away once more. "*sigh* It's probably just nightmares, but I have been getting some bad headaches lately."

"You fainted, so Kazuma tells me."

I hesitantly nodded. "Umu."

"Any idea what could be causing them?"

I shook my head.

Just then, Chomusuke appeared by my leg. "Meow."

I picked her up. "Well, I'm getting something to eat, so...bye."

"Want me to go with you, Megumin?" Darkness asked.

"No, that's alright, Darkness, I'll be fine."

After I left the room, I began to hear Kazuma scold Aqua. For a second, I smiled, then I remembered Gren; I still had to confront her.

I lifted Chomusuke up in front of me. "Say, Chomusuke, your master is feeling quite upset at someone; what should she do?"

"Reow?" Chomusuke tilted her head.

"Destroy them."

⸻?!⸻

The voice came suddenly, but I recognized it instantly.

"Stop," I said quietly.

"Destroy them. Make them feel our wrath."

"Stop it."

"DESTROY THEM!"

"Shut up!" I yelled. "Shut up."

"Oi, Megumin?"

I turned around. "Kazuma? What are you—"

"I was going back to my room. Who were you telling to shut up?"

"Chomusuke," I replied instantly, showing her to him.

He raised his brow in doubt. "Chomusuke?"

"Mhm." I nodded as if I was trying to convince myself. "She was being too loud so…"

He stared at me, and then looked at Chomusuke. "Hey, since you're smarter than the blue thing, would you keep an eye on your silly master?"

"S-, Silly?" I frowned.

"Oi, Megumin, remember what I told you, alright? If you start to feel off, let me know."

I looked down. "Umu."

He continued to look at me in silence, and then, after a few seconds, walked off.

After making sure he was gone, I hugged Chomusuke.

"Reow."

"Sorry for throwing you out there. I can't have Kazuma see me in bad shape. This trip is important...for all of us. If we go back to Belzerg… If another one of our quests is cancelled because of me…"

I hugged her once more.

"Purr."

"You can't have your master seem weak, got it? It'll reflect poorly on you."

Afterwards, I went down and finally ate some food. When I finished, I thought about heading out to cast Explosion—but casting it alone wasn't enjoyable anymore; I wanted someone there. Not to mention, given the mounting frequency of dizzy spells, going out alone was probably a bad idea.

Because of this, I decided to return to the room.

"Hm? Where's Gren?" I asked, noticing the lack of her presence.

Darkness answered. From the sound of running water, I presumed Aqua was in the showers. "Ah, Megumin, you're back. Gren decided to go out again."

I tried to hide my discontentment, but I couldn't help but frown at the reply. "Out again, huh? Didn't you guys just get back?"

Darkness shrugged. "I'm a little surprised myself, but it isn't like she gets out much back in Axel, right?"

I placed a hand on my hip. "She gets out plenty—running errands for that masked devil."

"What is it, did you want to speak to her?"

"Of course," I replied, now not trying to hide my obvious displeasure.

"Ah, I see; it's about that, isn't it?"

I crossed my arms. "As if it's not bad enough having you chase after Kazuma, now I have to worry about another girl trying to steal him away."

Darkness looked away, her face twitching from an annoying mixture of embarrassment and joy. "H-Hold on, Megumin. I understand your grievance given what happened, but—to be fair—Kazuma told me it was a misunderstanding."

"So, he says."

"And you don't believe him?"

I sighed. "It isn't that I don't believe him, but even if what he said is entirely true, it doesn't change the fact that Gren tried to seduce him—knowing that he's married."

Darkness fell silent.

I continued. "In a way, it makes it worse than what you did."

Darkness looked away yet again, this time with slight remorse. "Sorry."

"Don't worry, I won't harp on it any longer."

"...Megumin."

"Yes?"

"When you do see her, what will you do?"

"Ju—"

"Make her pay."

"Megumin?"

"J-Just make her pay."

"Make her pay?"

"I-I mean I'm just gonna talk to her!" I shook my head, trying to clear my mind. "I'm just gonna talk to her. That's all."

Darkness gave me a concerned look. "Do I have to stand watch? We both know how angry you can get when it comes to Kazuma."

"That's… It's not the same thing, Darkness. Please, let's just… Let's not talk about that."

"Right. Sorry."

"A-Anyways, I'm not gonna do anything to her; I know how important she is to this task."

"That's not..." Darkness sighed heavily. "Alright, just...be careful. Aqua should almost be done, you should take a bath and ease your mind."

"How about you?"

"I'll take one when I get back; I'm going to exercise."

"Ah, ok."

Darkness got up and left the room.

Right on cue, Aqua came out of the bathroom. "Huh? Megumin? Where did Darkness go?"

"She said she was going to exercise."

"Ah. Is everything ok?"

"Huh? Ah, yeah." I briefly averted my gaze. "I'm just gonna take a bath, if you don't mind."

"No, it's fine; I just finished, anyway. I wonder if this place has a bar," Aqua said as she walked off.

A few minutes later, as I laid in the tub, I closed my eyes. The water was warm—and I felt the stress of the day begin to melt away. I had brought Chomusuke into the bath, and she was drifting slowly in the bucket in front of me. Just as I was relaxing, so was she.

"What a day," I said tiredly. "I wish I could've used Explosion; it would've undoubtedly made me feel better. Right?" I said, scooping Chomusuke out of her small slice of Heaven.

"Reow." Her response came out just as tiresome as my own, and within seconds she drifted back to sleep.

I put her back down and then sunk lower into the water.

"Haaaaah." I sighed with relief.

A second later, I heard the door to the bedroom open. I jumped slightly but quickly settled down; only the small waves of my previous movement made noise. My initial instinct was to call out, to ask who came in—who was it—but I kept quiet.

"Darkness-san? Aqua-sama?" Gren; It was her voice. "Megumin...san?"

I remained quiet.

"No one's here." Then, I heard her sigh. "What can I do? Eventually everyone will be back. Hopefully, Megumin-san won't say anything."

"Make her pay."

I won't say anything? How foolish. Did she really take me as the type to be so forgiving and meek? I frowned, and then quickly got out of the tub quickly exiting the bathroom thereafter.

"Huh? Who's there? Megumin-san?!" she yelled in surprise.

"Gren-san, you're finally back."

"Make her pay."

"M-Megumin-san, w-what were you… I called out to you; how come you didn't respon—"

"I've been waiting to talk to you."

"Y-You should put some clothes on first; you'll catch a col—"

"I feel fine, quite warm in fact," I said, knitting my brows angrily.

"Make her pay."

Gren quickly got up and grabbed a nearby towel. "Here, you should—"

I grabbed her and pulled her close.

Her eyes widened, and in them, I could see the reflection of my own brightening crimson eyes. "Gren-san, don't you have something to say to me?"

"S-Say?"

"Umu. I'm sure there's something you'd like to tell me."

"Make her pay."

"Ah, could you...let go of my arm...it hurts."

I tightened my hold briefly, causing her to wince, but quickly let go.

Gren backed away and massaged her arm. "Megumin-san…"

"Please stop playing, Gren-san. You're making me angry."

Make her pay."

"What… What do you mean? Is there something you—"

"Are you really gonna act stupid!" I yelled. "Kazuma. I know you tried to do things with him."

When I said this, she froze and her expression wasn't dissimilar to seeing a ghost.

"Ah, so now you know, now you remember, huh?"

"Make her pay."

"F-Forgive me, Megumin-san, that wasn't my intention."

"No, your intention was to deceive me, wasn't it? To deceive all of us! You knew he was married and yet—"

"No! Please, Megumin-san, that's not what I wanted to do; it's a misunderstanding! It was a mistake!"

"Make her pay."

I shook my head. "I get it. You did everything for your sister. You'd go to any lengths to protect her, right?"

Gren nodded eagerly.

"You'd do anything for her, right, Gren-san?"

Gren paused, her nodding becoming...hesitant. "Megumin...san?"

"MAKE HER PAY!"

I grabbed her neck—and for a split second—thought about pressing down on it...but my grip loosened and shifted towards the collar of her shirt.

Pulling her close, I said, "Apologize then. You have the guts to go to any length for your sister, but you can't even say 'sorry' to someone you've wronged. Coward."

"S-Sorry," she said with fear in her voice and eyes, tears starting to form.

I stared at her for a few seconds and then let go.

Gren collapsed before me.

"Gren-san," I said, looking down at her, "if you go about doing things that way, two things will happen: one, you'll make a lot of enemies, and two, those who drove you to commit those acts will eventually come back and eat you alive. So, if someone extends their hand to you, make sure you don't return the favor by stabbing them in the back."

Gren nodded, letting out small whimpers as her shoulders shook with fear and regret.