The next morning when the quartet emerged into the kitchen, pleasantly chatting amongst themselves while wearing bright smiles, Sena and Wolbach shared a look of slight confusion. Something had their hosts in a terribly good mood, and whatever it was seemed to have happened rather recently.

Regardless, Sena greeted Kazuma and his...shared girlfriends (would it be rude to call them a harem?) appropriately, "Good morning everyone. Might I say, you all seem to be glowing with positivity. Especially you, Kazuma. I believe this is the happiest I've ever seen you...I mean no offense of course."

"No offense taken." Kazuma assured her with a light chuckle, scratching the back of his neck and shrugging his shoulders loosely. "I don't think I've felt this happy in...well, a long damn time. Feels good to feel good, y'know?"

"I couldn't agree more," Sena pleasantly hummed, secretly admiring just how handsome Kazuma looked when he was all smiles. A light chuckle that went unnoticed by everyone else caught the attention of the raven-haired woman, and she shot a warning glare at a rather amused Wolbach.

"Well, given your collective good mood, I can only assume you have quite the day's worth of activities ahead of you," Wolbach commented, pointedly ignoring the former prosecutor's glare and fixing Kazuma and Co. with a curious look. "Do we have another job? Perhaps more errands to run?"

"Nope, today's a free day!" Kazuma chirped, unbothered by how Aqua was snaking her arms around his waist and planting a kiss on his neck. "We can all do whatever we feel like doing! I'd say we've earned it after a string of successful quests, don't you?"

"I agree wholeheartedly. With how well we've been doing as of late, it certainly does feel nice to have the opportunity to get some proper rest in." Darkness hummed as she prepared a fresh pot of tea nearby, turning to glance at the rest of her housemates with a pleasant smile. "I plan on indulging a light workout before catching up on some reading. Do any of you have plans?"

"Other than working on my resume, not really," Sena sighed. "It's just been difficult finding a suitable job in Axel where I can capitalize on my skills. Figures that most job offers in a starter town are targeted towards amateur adventurers and not former royal prosecutors..."

"I'm sure you'll find something eventually Sena! There's gotta be somewhere in Axel that can make use of your skills!" Megumin encouraged enthusiastically, before her already jubilant smile grew a fraction more as she gestured to herself. "As for me, Wolbach offered to take me out to target practice again, and maybe even teach me another spell or two in the process!"

"Eager to learn aren't you, little one? Then again, that's something that's never changed, even when you were but a mere child." Wolbach's smile soon morphed into a somewhat mischievous smirk as she commented, "In fact, if I remember this correctly, didn't you say one of the reasons you wanted me to teach you Explosion was because you thought it would develop your chest to be more like mine?"

Just like that, Megumin's face flushed a bright red as she proceeded to sputter and protest unintelligibly for a few moments before ultimately crossing her arms while her housemates all snickered in sad attempts to hide their amusement. Eventually, Aqua spoke up too, having moved to the nearby stove in preparation to whip up some breakfast.

"Don't be discouraged Megumin, you have beautiful breasts. As far as this goddess is concerned, all breasts are beautiful, be they big or small! So be proud of that body, girl! Besides, at least you're above stuffing your bra unlike a certain poser I know back up in heaven."

"I...I don't really know how to respond to that. I'm-I'm just gonna take my seat for now." Megumin muttered, slumping into the nearest chair before turning and tilting her head at her boyfriend in curiosity. "What about you, Kazuma? Do you have any plans for today?"

Kazuma fiddled with his bed hair as he shrugged. "Eh, I just thought I'd go out for a stroll, maybe stop by the guild for a quick drink, who knows. I'll see where the day takes me."

"That sounds like a nice enough way to start any day. I hope your stroll continues to meet expectations!" Sena replied, offering her host a polite nod and smile before Aqua finished off the first round of scrambled eggs, which was quickly followed up with an additional serving of bacon. After the six indulged in a delectable breakfast, Kazuma went off to his room to finish tidying up before going out for his walk, leaving the women of the household to chat amongst themselves.

Eventually, though, the conversation took on a much more significant tone. Aqua was the one to make the shift after she eyed her fellow girlfriend's for a moment and said to Sena, "Sooo...when are you gonna make a move on Kazuma already?"

Sena nearly choked on her drink, pointedly ignoring Wolbach's following cackle before composing herself and answering Aqua properly. "I...still can't help but feel uncertain. I want to 'make my move' but I'm worried that it's too soon and I'll just upset him. I mean, you've seen how happy he is today! How am I in a position to ruin that?"

Darkness decided to interject the conversation by proposing, "Well, think of it this way Sena: even though you two initially got off on the wrong foot, Kazuma views you as a valued friend, enough so that he allowed you to stay at his house rent free. The same thing can be said about us. Despite us starting out as close friends who made a bad first impression, we managed to turn that friendship into something more. Who's to say he won't do the same for you?"

"Your observation has merit, Darkness, but...I still need time. Once I'm sure I have the strength to ask him myself, I will. Until then, I just have to show my gratitude and affection where I can." Sena replied, sighing a bit before turning to glare at the dark goddess who sat on the opposite side of the table. "Which would be remarkably easier if you didn't snicker at every act of kindness I send his way."

"What can I say? Mortal romance is good entertainment," Wolbach smugly remarked.

"Oh, stuff it, you smelly hussy! It's not Sena's fault she can actually find love." Aqua retorted with a dismissive wave of her hand, before a sly smirk crept up her face as she leaned in, practically whispering to the prosecutor. "Speaking of which, I gotta insist that you confess sooner rather than later, because you're really missing out. Kazuma's an amazing lover~"

Aqua felt satisfied with herself when she took note of the way Sena's glasses fogged up when she added that spicy bit of info at the end. Hopefully that will help motivate the single woman to put herself out there for him.

"T-truly? I, uh, I don't suppose you would be up to elaborating?" Sena questioned with a slightly eager tone. Her otherwise deeply buried perverse side rose sharply at the thought of such lewd possibilities. "N-normally, I would never make such a request, b-but if it'd help me make my choice faster…"

"How about we make a deal? If you confess to Kazuma and he says yes, I'll happily give you some pointers on how to best please him," Aqua suggested. Her upper eyelids then lowered as she provided the single lady with yet another risqué detail. "Just so you know, not only is he an amazing lover, but he's also an eager learner~"

Sena hastily covered her mouth as a short gasp escaped her, following up the motion by retrieving her handkerchief and dapping below her nose to stop the trickle of blood that had escaped before she cleared her throat, nodding hastily. "You have yourself a deal, Aqua. I-I'll let you know when I confess to him, promptly."

"Honestly, is every woman in this household a nymphomaniac?" questioned Wolbach out loud. "You people are starting to make me feel uncomfortable."

"No one's asking for you to join in, y'know! Just mind your own business!" Aqua retorted sharply, sparing the dark goddess a far more irritated look than before. "You don't have to be such a stick in the mud every single day! This is exactly why we didn't get along in Heaven, even before you practiced your stupid dark arts or whatever."

Wolbach's corrupted yellow eyes glowed dangerously at Aqua as she practically hissed, "All I ask is that you keep your sex life to yourself, water goddess. That's not me 'being a stick in the mud', that's me asking you to have some common decency for once in your life. You're far too lax for your own good."

The rising tension between the two gods was more than enough to make the rest of the girls present shrink back slightly, well aware that even with their significantly stronger table, either of the two would be more than capable of turning it to splinters. Hastily, Megumin spoke up, looking between her friend and mentor in desperation.

"C'mon, guys! Knock it off, will you?" She urged, earning her the attention of both goddesses as she attempted to gradually defuse the tension. "Today's supposed to be a chill day, so if you two are gonna argue, you should just...give each other space, ok? I don't want to see either of you get hurt over a stupid argument."

Aqua and Wolbach had nothing to say back to the archwizard's sound suggestion, so they both released their tense breath and agreed to take her advice on the matter. Clearly, nothing will get resolved if they continue going at each other's throats uninterrupted. This really was for the best.

"You're right, little one. Bickering and fighting will get us nowhere. I suppose that means I should take my leave." Wolbach replied slowly, before rising from her seat and making her way out of the kitchen, pausing briefly in the threshold of the hallway and casting Aqua an almost tired look. "Sooner or later, however, you and I have to talk things out. Properly. If the time comes when you're willing, we'll settle this."

Aqua pursed her lips as Wolbach left, a noticeable air of uncertainty lingering as the remaining women proceeded to clean up the kitchen before going their respective ways for the day.

Axel Town was just as lively as always when Kazuma began his morning walk through the streets. While normally not one to engage with others if he didn't have to, the green-clad adventurer was in a good enough mood to where he could comfortably wave and say hi to anyone who gave him the same treatment. Kazuma jokingly wondered if his positive change in attitude had some sort of circle of affect on those he passed by. Nobody had ever been this amicable with him before, especially with all the false rumors that've spread since his arrival. Who knows, maybe his newfound good mood really was rubbing off on others. He's seen stranger things happen in this world.

Still, it's nice to see that the town's doing alright after the attack, things are practically back to normal now! He thought to himself as he continued his stroll with a light whistle, a relaxed smile resting on his face. Hell, with everything this town has gone through, I can't really think of a better place to call my home. A proper home, more than far enough away from Japan.

His good mood nearly faltered for a moment as Kazuma recalled his usual grievances: his parents, his school life, his ill-timed and embarrassing demise. Still, he was able to sweep the dark thoughts away with a quick enough shake of his head, never losing the pep in his step. Not today. Today was gonna be positive, no more dwelling on the past. Only looking forward.

With this new way of thinking underway, Kazuma carried on with his stroll, turning at random intersections whenever he could. Despite trying to avoid familiar landmarks in a conscious attempt to make his walk as aimless as possible, one can only make so many random turns in a circular city before they loop back to recognizable streets. Case in point, it was inevitable that Kazuma would eventually wind up near Wiz's shop for the umpteenth time. Though, truth be told, a part of him had been hoping to visit the kind and busty lich again, so perhaps his walk was a tiny bit preplanned.

Kazuma walked up to the door and cracked it open, stepping inside and offering the nearby shopkeep and close friend a wave. "Heya, Wiz! Morning, Yunyun! How are you guys doing today?"

"Ah, Kazuma! Good to see you again!" Wiz greeted with a bright smile, setting down the tray of trinkets she'd just acquired to return the young man's polite wave. "I'm doing quite well, thank you for asking. I just finished unpacking a fresh shipment of inventions from Vanir. Yunyun, I expect you're having a good day as well?"

The timid Crimson Demon, who'd been bold enough to wait for her rival – scratch that, friend – out in the open, flinched when the attention shifted to her. Regardless, she managed to squeak out, "Oh, um, yes, I am. Thank you for asking, Miss Wiz. Also, h-hi Kazuma…"

"Glad I caught you both here. I decided to go for a stroll today, and I figured I could swing by and see if you two were up to hang out for a spell." Kazuma explained, taking his usual seat at the nearby table while maintaining the conversation. "Didn't have much planned for the day, so I thought why not, right?"

"It's always my pleasure to have you around, Kazuma," Wiz practically gushed, internally telling herself to get a grip already. Once she got a handle on her fierce adoration for the young man, she offered, "Would you like me to make you some tea? Yunyun said she didn't want any, but I'll gladly brew some for you if you want."

"That'd be great, Wiz, thank you." Kazuma confirmed, prompting the lich to turn and start preparing the drinks while the young man glanced around the shop, confusion briefly entering his features. "Hey, where the hell is Vanir anyway? I haven't seen him since the attack a few weeks ago."

"Oh, he's been traveling quite a bit as of late. Business opportunities, by his own description." Wiz answered diligently, glancing at the trinkets nearby as she continued. "He still drops in every now and again to deliver products and handle the shop's paperwork. He's declared me unfit for the latter position, for some reason or another."

Can't imagine why, Kazuma thought as he rolled his eyes playfully. He respected Wiz to the highest degree but, seriously, she was the worst financial planner he'd ever met. And he's met Aqua.

"I'm sure he has his reasons. As big of a pain as he can be, I'd like to think he means well enough." Kazuma replied, mentally reminding himself that such actions typically lined the demon's pockets nicely as an added bonus. "Well, either way, I'm sure he'll be back soon enough. In the meantime, do either of you have any plans in the coming days? Anything exciting going on around town?"

And so the three began to chat with one another, sharing their plans for the week, discussing the goings-on around town, and anything that came to mind really. At some point during the conversation, the entrance bell dinged to signal a guest coming in, and the group turned to see a certain thief make her appearance.

"Well damn, if I knew we were all meetin' here, I would have come sooner!" She snarked, pulling up a nearby chair and joining the trio at the table, turning to Kazuma and smirking. "Well, you're looking remarkably cheerful today. What's got you so pleased, Kaz?"

"Hello to you too, Chris," Kazuma quipped, amused with the spunky girl's penchant for inviting herself into just about any group. "And to answer your question, all I did was spend some quality time with the girls last night. Y'know, the usual."

"Oh, no kidding?" Chris hummed, a mischievous shine appearing in her eyes and Kazuma considered that he probably could have phrased that better as the thief leaned in slightly, as if she was about to make a terribly scandalous statement. "Don't tell me the four of you finally sealed the deal?"

Both Wiz and Yunyun froze at such a thought, with less than pure thoughts crossing their minds in the process. Kazuma faltered for a good while, sighed, and came clean. "Well, I was going to keep that information to myself. But since you asked, yes, we did. And it was fucking amazing."

Chris chuckled a bit at his response, a small part of her mind vaguely disappointed she wasn't the one who got to do the deed, but well aware that such an honor did belong to his proper girlfriends. "Well, I have enough decency not to pry, but I gotta say that I'm impressed. Reaching that level in a relationship shows how much you trust them. It's fantastic progress that I never would have expected from you a year and a half ago. No offense, of course."

"None taken, I was a completely different person back then," Kazuma said, reminiscing his first weeks in this world. He couldn't help but chuckle internally on how he originally thought he was owed a cushy lifestyle like this were some kind of isekai anime. What a mindset he had. "But hey, that just means I've grown as a person, yeah? That's how I like to think of it at least. I imagine those people who spread rumors about me will say otherwise."

"While I obviously hold such people in content, I couldn't agree more with your sentiment." Wiz assured him, laying her hand atop his own and offering a bright smile. "You certainly have grown as a person, and I can speak for all of us when I tell you we're very proud of you for doing so. You have become one of my most trusted friends in recent years, and I will always cherish that."

Again, even though he had lost his virginity, Kazuma was still at the mercy of a sweetheart like Wiz. He tried (emphasis on tried) to hide his flustered state as he downplayed the situation. "C'mon, there's no need to make that big a deal out of it."

"Actually, I can't help but agree with Wiz on this one." Yunyun chimed it, avoiding looking Kazuma in the eyes as her cheeks heated up slightly, her following words soft but direct. "You're one of the few people that actually went out of the way to become my friend, e-even with my bad habits and awkwardness. That's really sweet, and I'm not sure the Kazuma I knew last year would have done that for me."

Before Kazuma could even think of something to say, he was blindsided by a sudden hug from Yunyun who was doing everything in her power to not lose herself to her emotions. "Y-you…you mean the world to me. I honestly can't thank you enough for putting up with me. I…j-just thank you."

Once more, Kazuma found himself grasping at straws for a moment before returning the Crimson Demon's embrace with a quiet chuckle. Yeah, Yunyun always was a hugger, least that one stayed true. "Well, thank you too. I wouldn't be your friend if you hadn't given me a second chance after our initial introduction. Less than stellar, if I'm remembering correctly."

Surprisingly enough, Yunyun actually allowed herself a small chuckle at the memory. "Yeah, I remember alright. Giant Frogs really seem to have it out for you guys, huh?"

"They're a shockingly versatile enemy, alright? None of use expected them to be that dangerous! Who would?!" Kazuma retorted, earning another round of subdued chuckles from the assembled group before he disengaged from the hug, standing and stretching shortly after. "Well, it's been really great catching up with you guys, but I should probably get going. I got one or two more stops to make on my walk before I head back to the mansion to chill for the rest of the day."

Kazuma turned around and was about to take a step towards the door when he suddenly felt somebody pinch his rear. He shot up from the unexpected sensation and whipped back around to find the perpetrator. It wasn't difficult to deduce who it was when Yunyun and Wiz both shared the same look of shock while Chris sat comfortably in her seat, seemingly pleased with herself.

"I...there's no way you just...seriously?" He sputtered, planting his hands on his hips and turning to the thief with an admittedly amused expression. "You really got a thing for testing your luck, huh, Chris? One of these days, you're gonna do something that's worth returning the favor for."

"Like what?" challenged Chris. "You've already paraded my unmentionables for all the world to see on more than one occasion. Besides, as you've been made aware, I've come up with an effective strategy to counter against that. Unless you need a refresher, hm~?"

"You...you're bluffing, right?" Kazuma questioned, cheeks flushing slightly at the thief's implication. Judging from the growing smirk and raised eyebrow, he deduced she was not, and broke off into a nervous chuckle. "Oh wow, no, you're not. Jeez, that's-points for commitment, I guess! Just...wow."

Chris shrugged dismissively. "Thieves like to feel free, what can I say? Besides, I've actually grown rather accustomed to going commando. It makes for a great distraction when you've been caught, I'll tell you what!"

"I don't want to think about what that implies, Chris! I'm pleading ignorance!" Kazuma sputtered as he stomped towards the door, trying his damndest to keep his blush concealed, knowing full well that'd only give the thief more reason to act up. "I'm out! It was great seeing you guys, really! I'll check in again soon!"

Some rushed goodbyes later and Kazuma was out the door and back onto the streets. For some reason, his heart was beating like bongos in his chest, just like whenever things get a little frisky with his girlfriends. The mere notion that this could also happen around any other girl was…concerning for him, to say the least.

Get it together, Kazuma. She just startled you is all, no reason to get paranoid all over again. He chided himself, before trailing a hand down his face and shaking his head, starting back down the street. Chris has a bad habit of getting my heart to race for all the wrong reasons. I really gotta talk to her about that someday soon. For now, though...I'll settle for a visit to the hall.

It didn't take much time for Kazuma to make his way to the guild hall, his good mood returning in full swing by the time he arrived. After saying a few hellos to the other adventurers currently relaxing in the establishment, he made his way across the room to the bounty board, giving it a thorough scan for any jobs that leapt out at him.

"Well hello Kazuma! Fancy seeing you here by yourself for once!"

Kazuma turned slightly to face the unexpected voice, spotting Luna nearby as she approached him. He smiled, and offered a friendly wave as he turned to face her fully. "Hey, Luna! I happened to be strolling by, and I figured I could pop in on my day off to check if any fresh jobs came in. Figured it couldn't hurt to check, right?"

"I certainly don't see anything wrong with that!" Luna chirped as she tilted her head inquisitively at him. "So, how're your girlfriends? Ever since you finally started dating your party, I hardly see you without them. Not that I mean that in a bad way of course. If anything, I actually find it rather adorable!"

"They're doing well, thanks for asking, Luna!" Kazuma replied earnestly, a soft chuckle slipping past his lips. "Yeah, things have been really good lately. As you can probably tell, it's got me in a pretty good mood, so take that as you will."

"Well that's good to hear!" Luna said, closing her eyes and smiling to herself. "One of the best aspects of my job here is seeing young adventurers fall in love with their partners. It happens more often than you'd expect. Although you are the first adventurer I've seen to leave their entire party smitten enough to date you all at the same time. Forgive me for being a tad nosy, but what is that like?"

"It's...definitely out of the ordinary. I'd be lying if I said there weren't unique hurdles to it, obviously." Kazuma admitted, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly as he continued. "Still, I love them, they love me. It makes it a bit easier if you try not to complicate it, you know?"

The blonde receptionist nodded in agreement. "Fair, fair. Still, you should consider yourself blessed by the goddess of fortune herself. Between you and me, most women around here don't look favorably to polyamorous relationships. A lot of 'hotshot' male adventurers have somewhat stigmatized the concept, what with them being explicitly open about wanting to own a harem and all. But so long as everyone has given their consent, there shouldn't be a problem!"

"Oof, yeah, I definitely remember why it was such an odd adjustment period. 'Harem' kinda leaves a bad taste in the mouth, doesn't it?" Kazuma agreed with a slight grimace, painfully aware he'd entertained such prospects mere months ago. Thankfully, he'd long since grown out of such immaturity...mostly. It was still pretty awesome, but he was keeping that fact to himself. "Still, I couldn't agree more with your conclusion. If everyone's game, why not play ball, right?"

"Hmm, indeed," Luna chuckled lightly before shaking her head in mild amusement. "Well, I'd love to do nothing but talk, but I have to get back to work soon. Evil never rests, even when I'm on break. Hopefully I'll see you later though!"

"Naturally. See you around, Luna!" Kazuma replied, offering another quick wave as the receptionist returned to her post, starting to make his way back towards the door. There hadn't been any particular jobs worth grabbing, and he wasn't feeling peckish enough to grab a bite to eat, so it seemed like the best course of action was to make one last stop before heading home to the girls.

At least, that had been the plan before he spotted something near the entrance, a sight that made him pause mid step and falter slightly. A man in a blue suit sat just beside the door, nursing a cup of what looked like tea, his teal eyes locked on Kazuma with an all too familiar look Kazuma could only compare to The Daughter's calculating gaze.

"Ah, Mr. Satou. How…fortuitous that we happen to cross paths," said the man who replaced Sena as the royal prosecutor. But what was up with his speech? It sounded…wrong. The way he dragged his words out and put emphasis on the wrong syllables set off all kinds of red flags. "Still, though, I've been meaning to speak with…you, anyway. Very nice, yes."

"...uh-huh. Nice is a word for it." Kazuma intoned, feeling the slightest bit nervous as he glanced at the nearby doorway, then back at the suited man. "Who are you, exactly, and why have you been looking for me?"

The current prosecutor slowly and deliberately raised the brim of his cup to his lips and sipped loudly. After which he smacked his lips and sighed, two noises that made Kazuma wince in disgust. "Who I am is, perhaps, not as important as why I've been looking for you, Mr. Satou. My…s-s-s-superiors have tasked me with the all too critical assignment of procuring you for a…business proposition, of sorts."

"Business proposition?" Kazuma repeated with a quirked eyebrow, still balancing his curiosity with the multitude of flags being raised by this guy's bizarre behavior. "You have my temporary attention. What exactly are your superiors proposing?"

"Well, now, we wouldn't want greedy outside ears to eavesdrop on us, now would we?" the suited man said back. "Nooo, nooo, we wouldn't want that at all…That's why I am only authorized to inform you of their proposition and consequently bring you to them. Loose lips sink ships as the saying…goes."

"Sorry, buddy, that was the wrong answer." Kazuma snarked, shaking his head in slight amusement as he continued towards the exit with an almost amused smirk. "Tell your employers to send a normal human being to talk to me next time, then I might consider their offer."

"Oh Mr. Satou…I'm afraid you misunderstand," the prosecutor said almost menacingly as he raised his hand, middle finger pressed over his thumb. "They authorized me to take you to them at all costs."

"Oh, did they now? Well, aren't I just shaking in my boots." Kazuma scoffed, crossing his arms and leveling a much more irritated look at the suited man in question. "What exactly do you plan to do to get me there, then?"

Without saying another word, the man snapped his fingers, and immediately Kazuma was bum-rushed out of nowhere by two knights. Before he could even get an accusation out, a burlap sack was thrown over his head to muffle the commotion going on around him as he felt an itchy rope restraining his arms behind his back.

The sounds of shouts and harsh rebuttals were muffled as Kazuma found himself hauled away by two sets of armored arms, practically dragging him for an indeterminable amount of time. Eventually his captors came to a stop, and after what sounded like opening a door, threw him into a room, with one set of hands remaining to guide him to a nearby chair as the other disappeared, likely to stand guard outside of wherever he currently resided.

"Could you please remove that sack from his head?" spoke a young feminine voice just across from Kazuma. "It must be hard for him to breathe in there."

There was a grunt of confirmation, before the sack was indeed pulled away, prompting Kazuma to blink a few times and hastily scan the room in an attempt to get a feel for his surroundings. The room he was in...was actually quite nice. Well furnished with light blue walls. It seemed like a shockingly normal home compared to the dungeon Kazuma was expecting. However, the most surprising aspect sat a few feet away from him, watching him with patient curiosity.

A young girl with blonde hair sat there, her blue eyes scanning him up and down in ever so slight uncertainty. However, her previous expression then shifted to a more composed one as she cleared her throat, greeting him properly with a far too pleasant and polite tone.

"I apologize for the intrusive escort Mr. Satou, but it was urgent that you come here." Standing up from her seat, the young smiled as she formally introduced herself. "I am Belzerg Stylish Sword Iris, princess of the Belzerg Kingdom. We have quite a bit to talk about."