BEEN SO LONG.
Chapter 4
"..."
*Meow
His half-lidded eyes staring blankly at the ceiling, unintentionally absorbing the sensation of the hard wood he used as his bed with his hands.
...While trying to ignore the cat on his abdomen.
"Zzzz.. Hmm... Explo...sion..."
Some mumbles came from the girl he met yesterday.
She was pretty... loud and energetic while she's asleep.
She sleeps on the bed.
While he slept on the floor.
They share a inn room.
She was very persistent to sleep on the floor, but at last, she was too tired to fight back.
And he placed her on the bed.
While he placed himself on the floor.
...Why?
He doesn't have a single clue why.
It felt like something pushed him to do that.
Why did they only rent a room?
Again, Megumin was very persistent about it, saying that a room for her was unnecessary and keep complaining about how they should just share a room with her sleeping on the floor.
...So the price will be lower.
And finally, he gave in.
When she doesn't go chuunibyou mode, she really lacks what we called 'Self-worth'.
Although, as he said before, she still sleeps in the bed because she was too tired to fight back anymore when they're already in the room.
He clicked his tongue, rubbing the place where he got injured.
Yesterday, they pay a local priest in a church to heal it, he didn't have the time to heal it with some bondage.
He still got a headache from the way that priest demanded him to pay 2
50,000 Eris just for two wounds that can be healed with time.
But Megumin threatened the priest that she would cast an Explosion Magic on him if he keeps demanding such an unreasonable price.
The priest thought it was a joke, until she starts chanting the spell and a magic circle appears above the church.
He slightly smirked, that's a good memory.
He could feel the cat purrs on his abdomen.
He pats the cat.
It purrs, again.
Where the hell did it come from?
It doesn't matter, to be honest.
It moves.
He could feel it, step by step by its paws he felt on his body, then it reveals itself into his viewpoint.
A black, bat-winged cat...?
Interesting.
He picked it up with both hands, and bringing it above his face.
It meows again.
He smiles slightly.
Been a long time since he's seen a cat.
"Uhh... Oh, Chomusuke? Kazuma?"
Megumin said sleepily as she motions herself onto sitting position, rubbing her eyes with her oversized dress's sleeve afterward.
He sat up too, and looked at her.
A certain sensation creeping up from his tailbone to his neck.
Ah, yes, this is why he doesn't like to sleep on the floor.
"Ah..."
He groaned, moving his shoulders around while bending his own spine.
Not to the point it will actually bent.
"What are you doing? You okay there?"
His temporary(?) companion asked him, looking at him in slight concern.
"Just moving my stiff body around, you know, I hadn't move my body for 7 hours while I was asleep, so yeah."
"Ah... I see."
Chomusuke jumped from his grasp, onto the lap of its... master?
He sighed, still moving his shoulders, even if it's subconsciously.
"That cat is yours?"
"Yep, her name is Chomusuke, she is my familiar."
Familiar? Such a thing exists here?
Huh.
"It's a her?"
"Yes, and don't call her "it", call her "her"."
"Yes, of course."
He stands up, searching for his stuff.
"Well, what's your plan after this?"
He asked her while he makes his way to the cupboard and picks up his stuff, wearing his cloak in the process.
"I'm just..."
She paused for a moment, her fingers subconsciously running through the cat's fur.
"...Gonna follow you."
"Follow me?"
He looks at her with raised eyebrows, tying the string on his cloak.
"Yeah, no one's ever treated me the way you did, and- even though it hurts my pride so much for saying this- I can't really do anything on my own."
She smiled sheepishly, bringing her hands together.
"...Considering I only have Explosion Magic in my disposal."
She actually admit that.
He scrunched up his forehead, looking down.
Honestly, he... actually wanted that.
A person he can call as his companion.
Will she actually be the person he can...?
He let out a breath.
Let's... let's just give it a shot.
'Just don't expect much from this.'
He nodded to himself.
He looks up, and stares at Megumin blankly.
He shrugged his shoulders.
She looks back at him, tilting her head slightly.
"So... can I come with you?"
"If you actually choose to follow me, then listen to what I had to say, that's all."
He said in a relaxed manner, wearing his belt stealthy.
"...Thank you."
She answered quietly, bowing her head.
It might sound weird, but he could feel that she was smiling slightly.
"You're welcome, well, let's go."
He picked up an oversized- for her- cloak from the locker in the cupboard and throws it at her.
"Ah!"
It landed above her, covering almost her whole form.
"You could just placed it besides me!"
"I could."
After a few minutes of bickerings and lots of meow from Chomusuke, they're finally ready.
Kazuma gives the receptionist the key of the room, which she nodded slightly.
"Thank you for choosing our inn as your resting place!"
"No problem."
"It sounds like "Your last resting place..."."
Megumin mumbled to him.
"Sheesh."
After they exited the inn, his only companion asked him.
"So... what are we gonna do?"
"Complete a quest of course."
"Huh? Again?"
He looks at her in confusion.
"Again?"
"I-I mean, I suppose you were already completed a quest yesterday."
"Well, so what?"
"...Nothing."
He stared at her for a moment, which she responded to it by suggesting him to go to the guild hall.
"Oh, about that, no worries."
He picked out something from his satchel, and bringing it to her face.
Her eyes widened slightly.
She was surprised.
"Huh... you can do that?"
She takes the card from his hand, inspecting it in interest.
"Yeah, you didn't kno-"
"YOU'RE LEVEL 25?!"
She screamed out in shock, blinking her eyes as if she was making sure it's real.
"Something's wrong with it?"
"N-No, I mean, you're level 25! T-That's amazing! I just started yesterday, which I already killed monsters more than I can count and yet, I only level up to level 4-"
She stopped suddenly, mumbles could be heard from her, but he couldn't catch what she was saying.
Then, she pointed her staff at him, looking at him like she was more mightier and greater than him.
His face turns into the deadpanned one.
'Here we g-'
"Perhaps your level is far greater than mine, but sculptured these words onto the cells of that brain of yours-"
'What kind of statement is that?'
"-One day! One day! I don't care how long I have to wait, just remember, that one day, I will surpassed you, left you in the dust, make a huge gap between my power and yours! Remember tha-"
"Yes, yes, okay."
He said dispassionately, putting one of his hands into the pocket of his trousers.
"You're done?"
"Yeah, I-I am, but remember it!"
"Yes."
He nodded slightly.
"Well Megumin, let's go."
"To?"
He smiled slightly, looking at her from the corner of his eyes.
"Which one you prefer? A place where we obviously know or a place we never been to?"
She just smirked.
"You just asked me a rhetorical question, didn't you?"
An answer from her, with a bold tone in her voice.
He just snorted.
"Maybe we can get along more than I expected."
"I'm on the same boat as you."
West from Axel...
"Why are we going this way?"
"I want to try West today."
"Which direction you always go anyway?"
"Hmmm... probably North."
They walk slowly, enjoying the serene atmosphere in the forest, and considering it's still morning...
It's sure as hell fresh and cool here.
"Wow, I didn't notice it earlier, but you wake up really early."
Megumin stated to him, paying attention to surrounding her.
"I was?"
"Yeah, I always wake up when the sun's already at its peak."
'12 pm? Really late.'
"How old are you again?"
"12, a week later and I'll be 13."
"Is that important...?"
"At age 13, we could be considerate as adults, at least that's the case in village."
"How about globally?"
"Huh...?"
"Generally?"
"Hmm... probably 14."
He turned his face away from her.
"For fuck sake, that age's still too young."
He mumbled to himself, what a young age to be an adult.
In Earth, kids in that age were nothing but annoying, loud-mouthed, snot-nosed brats.
"By the way Kazuma."
"Yes?"
"Where were you before you... encountered me?"
"Sleeping."
"...Wha?"
"I was sleeping, leaning on a tree, blissfully.
Before you decided to cast an Explosion Magic and surprised me."
"You do know that forest contains a lot of monsters in it, right?"
"Yeah..."
"..."
"...S-"
His eyes widened in realization.
Before they turned back to normal.
He chuckled a little.
"Yeah, have to admit, that was reckless of me."
"But if you didn't do it, we'll never meet."
"That's mean?"
"Huh?"
She looks at him in confusion.
"What do you mean by that, Kazuma?"
"That's mean there must be something we learned, or even earned from our mistakes."
He explained, looking ahead of him in concentration.
Megumin looks at him seriously.
"You don't have to explain it any furthermore, Kazuma, I understand."
"Hmm mm... as expected of a prodigy."
"That's right!"
They walked in silence for a brief moment, it can be turned out to be a longer silence, but-
"Kazuma, why were you explained things to me as that?"
"As what?"
He glanced at her in confusion.
"As like, 'That's mean there must be something we learned, or even earned from our mistakes.' I mean like... just why?"
"Hmmm-"
He hummed, before he abruptly stopped.
A shadow passed before him, it was so fast he couldn't even saw what it is.
But one thing for sure.
He narrowed his eyes, grasping Megumin's shoulder to stopped her.
"Huh? What it i-"
"Do not move, get behind me."
She briefly looked at him, before do as he told and readying her staff, in case a fire power, so powerful one at that, was needed.
He suddenly remembered an information from a foreigner that came from West, because of the foreigner's personality, which is that he likes to adventure and makes rumors, he told the entire guild that a super duper fast, strong, and tricky creature lives in the West's forest nearest Axel.
From the way he told it with a douch face, he doubted it greatly.
He still cringed from the way the foreigner told the story, or the information.
But now...
It's too late for regret.
He draws his sword, which is 'okay' in his hand.
He sighed wistfully, he needs a weapon that perfectly fit him.
"Be on your guard, Megumin."
She 'hum'-ed.
At that moment, he feels like he crashed onto something, being really pressured by it.
Fortunately, he's on guard, so he still stand his ground, although he bended his knees to the lowest point, he's still standing.
When the pressure was gone, alias it is disappeared, as fast as it appeared to be precise, he could remember how it looks like despite just saw it for a brief moment.
Hard as steel tusks, glowing blue eyes, low growling as fierce as a lion, horse-like legs, and mantis-like arms, plus, big ass head.
From its appearance, it looks like those creepy 'invaders' from films he watched.
Or, Aliens.
"What bullshit is this..."
He swiped off his chin, looking around him in suspicion, as if the 'Alien' will comes out of nowhere at any moment.
"What it is Kazuma?"
"You wouldn't understand."
He shook his head at her.
"Khahahaha! Foolish Humans!"
He froze.
'It can talk?!'
This is utter bullshit!
2...? Ehem, yes, 2 months.
...or 3?
Sorry, too lazy to check out calender.
Anyway, an apologize for me for not updating shits for 'kind of' a long time.
I've been reading novels to broaden my knowledge to grammar, plots, characters, you know it.
I don't know when the next update would come but...
Thanks for your patience.
Peace.