The day had finally arrived for Kazuma and his party to attend the treaty signing in the capitol, and personally see the end of the Devil King's empire. They spent their last day together preparing for the trip, both packing and making sure their equipment was in tip-top shape, just in case. When they made their way down to the carriages to depart, however, they were surprised to find not only their friends and housemates, but notably Wiz and Vanir, who also seemed to be packed.

"Huh. Well, this is certainly unexpected," Kazuma commented plainly at the group, which earned him a couple of eyerolls for his stellar observational skills. His focus quickly shifted to Vanir as he noted, "And look who decided to come crawling back. It's been a while, Van. Would it be too much to assume you missed me while you were gone?"

"I've certainly missed your stellar ideas for 'inventions', if that counts for anything." The demon snarked in reply, though he seemed less than enthused with his current circumstances. "Alas, it appears Wiz and I have been summoned to this ridiculous treaty signing as well, much to my despair. So much hope for a bright future...positively revolting. At least the war gave me a plentiful fill of negative emotions to feast upon!"

"Yeah, well, I'm sure you'll find your next fix sooner or later," Kazuma muttered sarcastically before speaking again on a more serious note. "Anyway, what's this about you and Wiz getting invited along with us? Elaborate, please."

"In all honesty, I can't say for certain. I'm no wiser as to why she was also summoned, but I can recognize it is likely for less than pleasant reasons." Vanir replied, casting the lich a short glance while she chatted with the rest of the young man's party. "For once, our objectives have aligned on that front, I assume. You'll keep her safe while we attend, yes?"

"I'll keep a close eye on her, yeah," Kazuma reassured. He cast the mask-wearing demon a curious look and asked, "Also, assuming they're trying to set you guys up, shouldn't you be more concerned for your own well-being than Wiz's? It's not like you to be protective over others unless there's something to be gained from it. What're you playing at, huh?"

"For once, no games, nor any tricks. While I'm not particularly worried about myself, this entire charade has me...on guard, I suppose." The demon supplied, seemingly earnest for what seemed like the first time in quite a while. "Wiz, while an absolute fool when it comes to managing a business and it's expenses, is still my friend, and while we have enemies on both sides of this little get-together, it'd be nice to know that she has someone to rely on other than myself."

Somewhat taken aback by Vanir's apparent transparency on the matter, Kazuma's eyes widened briefly in momentary shock before he settled himself down just as quickly. "Oh…alright then. That's, uh, nice of you…I guess?"

"Ugh, don't insult me so. I have a reputation to uphold, you know." Vanir replied, though there was an edge of humor to his voice that made the retort feel a lot less hostile than normal. "Well, as fun as this little chat has been, I'm off to my carriage. I'm sure you won't mind that Wiz is riding with you, yes?"

"You peered into our minds again, didn't you?" Kazuma stated, not asked, without batting an eye.

"Oh, did you really expect me not to?" The demon chuckled, offering the adventurer a short wave before sauntering off to find his carriage, leaving Kazuma to scoff in simultaneous amusement and irritation. At least Vanir was still himself, that'd never change.

Now with the mandatory pleasantries with his business partner out of the way, Kazuma could speak more freely to some of his friends. However, before he could make an attempt at conversing with any one of them, he found himself ensnared in a tight hug by Yunyun, who apparently wasn't too keen on letting go anytime soon given the way she was holding onto him for dear life.

"Please be careful while you're in the capital!" She practically demanded, looking to be moments away from tears as she stared up at her friend and lover with obvious fear. "I-I know you're all experienced and you've fought against tough bosses before, a-and this isn't even supposed to be a fight, but if there is one-!"

"Hey, hey, relax! It's gonna be okay, Yunyun," Kazuma hushed while returning the girl's hug and gently rubbing her back. "I'll be fine, trust me. My party and I have gotten out of worse situations before, and that was back when we didn't have this special connection like we do now. I promise we'll play things safe when we get there and be home before long. Okay?"

"O-Okay…" Yunyun muttered meekly, before leaning forward and planting a quick kiss on the young man's lips, leaning back as a fresh wave of scarlet overtook her face. "S-Stay s-safe, and good l-luck!"

Kazuma chuckled lightly and gave the worrisome Crimson Demon a confident grin followed by a solid thumbs-up. This seemed to be enough to temporarily relieve Yunyun, though not entirely. Soon after their exchange, Kazuma was approached by Sena, who similarly held an air of concern, though not to the extreme extent of the archwizard before her.

"Do be careful, Kazuma. While I have no doubt in your abilities, or those of the girls, the coming appointment you have in the capitol is one unlike any that has been seen in Belzerg this millennia." She stated, a nervous look crossing her eyes as she reached out and squeezed both of his hands. "Please be cautious. As much as I hate to admit it, my faith in both attending parties is lacking."

"Hey, I get it." Kazuma said with an almost amused and carefree shrug. "Given our track record for how we handle fuck-ups, I don't blame you for the lack in faith. But I appreciate the concern and, yes, we'll be extra careful this time around. I'll be back real soon."

"Alright, if you say so." Sena replied, a small smile playing at her lips as she kissed Kazuma's cheek, offering him a small nod as she released his hands. "Until you return, then."

Nodding, Kazuma stepped past the guild assistant to approach Chris/Eris. Smirking in a semi-sarcastic manner, the Japanese stretched out his arms and asked, "Offer me your blessing before I head out?"

"You've always had it, but I suppose one more dose wouldn't hurt." The goddess in disguise replied with a smirk, planting a far more intimate kiss on the boy's lips before easing off and flashing him a genuine smile. "Stay safe out there, Kazuma. You're about to witness something even I've never seen before...well, sorta. I've never seen a demon empire fall, as much as I'd like to."

"Thanks Chris…Eris? We haven't had the chance to figure out what to call you now, have we?" Kazuma pointed out. "Maybe we just call you Chris when you're in disguise and Eris when you're out of it? So long as you're in my house, you should be free to be yourself without any prying eyes."

"Thank you, Kazuma. That's...very kind of you, actually." Eris admitted, a quiet sigh slipping past her lips as she shook her head lightly. "Being Chris is second nature, but there are moments where it becomes a touch exhausting. There is some crossover between the two, but...I've always felt a little bad indulging in Chris compared to my true self."

Sneaking a little kiss on the cheek, Kazuma winked at the blushing goddess and whispered, "Truthfully, I found both Chris and Eris to be very cute in their own regards. So maybe don't feel so bad for indulging in a tomboy thief persona. Our night together speaks volumes on that."

"Cheeky bastard." Eris muttered with a smile, before moving away to say her farewells to the rest of the girls. Kazuma chuckled to himself as she watched them all talk, barely noticing a certain goddess of sloth appear beside him.

"Excuse me, Kazuma. May I borrow you for a moment?" Wolbach asked after a beat of silence, prompting Kazuma to turn towards her with a surprised look on his face. "There was something I wanted to talk to you about before you and the others headed out."

Kazuma took a few seconds to study the dark goddess' face as carefully as he could and spoke slowly. "Okay…I may have an idea where this conversation is going but, just in case I'm wrong, I'll let you talk first. So what is it, Bach?"

"Well, I suppose there's no time like the present." Wolbach muttered to herself before clearing her throat and meeting Kazuma's eyes, lacing her hands together before her nervously. "Kazuma Satou, I must confess that I have grown...enamored with you."

To Wolbach's surprise (and slight amusement), Kazuma didn't instantly go slack-jawed like she half-expected him to. Curiously enough, he nodded his head in what looked to be mature understanding before glancing to the side and muttering, "Yup, there's no denying it any longer, Kazuma: you're a harem anime protagonist…"

"...I...don't understand." Wolbach admitted slowly, not allowing herself to feel hopeful quite yet. "Does that mean that you accept my feelings? That you r-return them? I don't...I'm not really familiar with any of this…"

"Huh? Oh! Uh, never mind what I just said, I'll explain it another time," Kazuma hastily clarified. After clearing his throat, he sheepishly rubbed his arm and said, "Anyway, um, regarding your…feelings for me, I don't really know what to say except I didn't imagine I was ever your type. Heh, heh…"

"Honestly, I didn't see it coming either. I couldn't really see myself with anyone, to be frank. I had my reasons, but then...you came into my life." Wolbach replied, the slightest blush rising on her cheeks as she briefly averted her eyes. "Choosing to let me into your party, your family. Treating me with a kindness and understanding I haven't felt in years. Is it really that big of a surprise that I started to develop feelings for you?"

"Well damn," Kazuma uttered while moving his hand away from his arm to rub the back of his head. "When you put it like that, it makes it sound like a no-brainer. I mean, contrary to popular belief, I don't really think about what long lasting ramifications my actions have on others like that. I just try to treat others the way I'd want to be treated and leave it at that. True, I've had my dick moments here and there, but who hasn't, right? Anyway, um…shit, I'm rambling again. Where was I even going with this?"

"I'm sure whatever it was, it would have been very touching." Wolbach snorted, her anxiety dissipating and shifting into what she could describe as genuine joy as took a step closer to her newfound...well, something or other. "I must ask, what did you have in mind regarding our relationship at this level?"

"To be perfectly honest? No clue," Kazuma admitted lamely. "But it's also kinda funny when you think about it. I've been dating three girls simultaneously for several months, have four friends with benefits, and even though we're all in a healthy relationship, I still feel like I know next to nothing about how any of this works or what's the proper conduct. Well, I'm pretty sure we're well past 'proper conduct' at this stage, but still."

"Proper certainly isn't a word that comes to mind, no." Wolbach snarked with a small smile, before she glanced over Kazuma's shoulder and at the cluster of girls saying their goodbyes. She made eye contact with Aqua, who smirked and motioned for her to continue. "W-well, either way. I'm sure we can navigate this well enough. With that in mind, I must ask...perhaps there is a way we could…'seal the deal', as humans say?"

Smirking rather playfully, Kazuma decided that this was a situation best solved with actions rather than words. As such, he gladly obliged and leaned a little upwards to gently ensnare Wolbach's lips into his own. To his surprise, the goddess who'd been on this earth for who knows how long froze up slightly when he kissed her. It was actually somewhat refreshing that someone older than him with a fountain of experience was totally unprepared for something as simple as a kiss. It proved to the young man that Wolbach really was out of the game just like he was back in Japan.

Hey, maybe there's hope for me after all! Kazuma thought to himself as he broke off the kiss. Blushing like crazy, the fallen goddess stared blankly at him while carefully touching her lips with the tip of her fingers. After a moment or two of letting everything sink in for her, Wolbach finally composed herself once again and spoke.

"Yes, well that certainly works, doesn't it?" She remarked with a blazing blush and subdued smile. After a second or two, she seemed to compose herself (to a relative degree) and nodded to Kazuma. "We have much to discuss when you get back from the capitol, but for now...thank you, Kazuma, for giving me the opportunity to find love. I don't plan on wasting it."

"I have complete confidence that you won't," Kazuma said with a smile. He debated with himself for a split second before reaching out to hug Wolbach. Naturally, the hug was reciprocated. "I'll be back real soon, just you wait…"

"I assure you, I'm quite patient." The goddess snarked lightly, before gradually easing back from the hug. "I should say my goodbyes to the others. For now, Kazuma, this is where we must part."

The foreign teenager nodded in understanding, stepping back to allow Wolbach to move over to say goodbye to the girls. No that it was just him and his thoughts, Kazuma shoved his hands in his pockets and pondered over what he got himself into. There was still that part of him that continued to chastise him for actively putting himself and his girlfriends in possible danger by attending this treaty signing. Was it selfish of him to do that or would it have been more selfish not to do this one thing for Iris' sake. Kazuma was still having a hard time figuring that out, and all it did was just put unnecessary stress on himself.

"Kazuma!" A new voice called out, surprising the young man enough to drag him back to reality, turning round to face a surprising sight; his therapist Ms. Gray, who had apparently just arrived. "Wasn't sure I would be able to reach you in time. The fact that you're leaving today slipped my mind completely."

"Oh, hey Gray. Good to see you," Kazuma greeted calmly in spite of the initial confusion. "Wait, today's not my appointment with you, is it? Crap, I need to keep a better schedule!"

"On that, we agree. But no, we don't have an appointment today." Gray assured him, though her words were measured with a certain amount of concern. "I actually wanted to talk to you regarding how you feel about the trip, or rather...facing her again."

Just the mere insinuation of her was enough to silence the room. Everybody looked to one another with shared contempt in their eyes for the Devil King's offspring before glancing back at Kazuma in worry. Though it should have been obvious right from the get-go, it would seem as though the entire group, including Kazuma, forgot that The Daughter would be present during the peace summit as well.

"Oh, right…her," Kazuma uttered back, his stress now accumulating tenfold. "How did I forget she was going to be there? Maybe a part of my mind wanted to forget, who knows…Well, now I feel considerably less thrilled about this whole deal."

"I assumed as much. I didn't think you would be so eager to face her again." Gray remarked, sounding just as troubled as Kazuma felt. "As your therapist, I'm technically binded by my oath, if not my common decency, to remind you that it's not a good idea to confront her. Not like this, anyway."

Kazuma uncomfortably scratched the top of his head and avoided eye contact with the woman. "Yeah, about that…I kinda already made a personal promise to the princess that I'd be there when the treaty gets signed. I mean, she did stress that I wasn't forced to come, but let's just say I have an…obligation to, at the very least, attend."

"I understand. Unfortunately, there will always be exceptions to the rule." Gray admitted with a huff, crossing her arms and pausing for a moment. "So, I'm simply going to advise you of an alternative: do not interact with her unless you absolutely have to. Don't talk, to look, just shut her out completely unless your life is in peril."

"Don't have to tell me twice," Kazuma replied, managing to muster up a little bit of zest into his voice. "Avoiding social interaction is my signature MO, after all. Consider it done."

"Good. I have absolute faith that you'll follow my recommendation to the letter." Gray replied, allowing herself a slight smile as she turned to the rest of the girls. "With that in mind, I assume you three will keep a watchful eye on him and make sure he stays out of trouble."

Aqua stepped up with a fierce, determined expression on her face the likes of which is rarely ever seen on the usually carefree girl. "I may have taken my eyes off of Kazuma once, but I won't make the same mistake again. Even with Darkness and Megumin on my watch, I'll personally see to it that I make sure he's as far away from that bitch as possible. You have my word."

"Then that's all I needed to hear." Gray replied with a nod, before turning to Kazuma and extending her hand. "I'm sure you've heard enough farewells and good lucks. Just...keep yourself out of harm's way, please."

Kazuma offered a smile back and shook the hand of the therapist who'd come to help him learn about himself a little better. "Harm tends to find its way to me, but…I'll certainly do my best to avoid it anyway."

"That's all I can ask for, isn't it?" Gray replied with a dry chuckle, before offering a final resolute nod and releasing his hand. "I'll be seeing you at our next appointment, then."

And with that, the good therapist took her leave. But not before turning back around suddenly and saying, "Oh, and uh, I apologize for simply letting myself in earlier. When I remembered today was the day you'd be leaving, I sort of barged in without really thinking. Again, apologies."

"No apologies needed, doc. Wouldn't have it any other way." Kazuma snorted, watching his therapist leave with a mixed sense of optimism and nervousness. Once she was out of sight, he turned to the girls and managed an eloquent, "Shall we?"

By the time their friends had all said their respective goodbyes to one another, the horse drawn carriage that was scheduled to stop by Kazuma's mansion had arrived with impeccable timing. Of course, there was already another carriage present once he and the four girls stepped outside. Vanir had used his expenses to rent out a fancy, personal ride exclusively for himself. It made the rich young man realize, in hindsight, that he could've rented a more luxurious carriage for himself and his family instead of a standard one. Luckily for him, the girls and lich didn't mind as they were happy enough to simply be with him during the course of their trip to the kingdom's capital.

For the first leg of their journey, things were actually pretty light-hearted. As soon as they pulled away from the mansion and out of Axel, a comfortable calm seemed to settle over the group. It was a bit surprising, given what they were going to be facing, but maybe that was the trick. A gradual build up.

"So…hard to believe the war's finally coming to an end," Kazuma decided to comment out loud. "How long has this conflict been dragging out for, anyway. Does anyone know?"

"Technically speaking, this section of the war has probably been going on for...fifty-ish years?" Aqua suggested, tapping her chin in consideration as she seemingly tried to work out the math in her head. "Before that, the last Devil King was waging more of a passive war. If anyone came near him or his territory, boom. Smited...that, or just violently slaughtered by his goons."

"Wow, really? Damn, war sucks," Kazuma muttered before immediately snorting in light amusement. "Yeah, groundbreaking commentary, I know. Maybe I should write a book about it."

"Oh, men with worse views have tried. And worse words, for that matter." Darkness remarked, folding her hands together and leaning forward with an uncertain look on her face. "Truly, though, I don't believe there was ever a time in my life when I expected to be around during the collapse of the Devil King's empire, much less a contributor to its downfall."

Kazuma nodded, "You and me both, Dark. After our fight with Beldia, I wanted nothing more to do with this war. 'Let someone else resolve it,' I told myself. Although I never expected the big bad king himself to be that someone. Ironic when you think about it."

"No kidding. I mean, having as much power as he did, and just giving it all up on a whim?" Megumin chimed in, looking just as perplexed as her party members. "What could have changed his mind, made him decide to finally give up after years upon years of bloody conquest and fighting?"

"I don't know and, quite frankly, I don't care," Kazuma admitted, leaning back in seat and getting comfortable. "I'm just happy to be done with the whole thing. Besides, given how we've singlehandedly crippled his military leadership, I don't blame the guy for finally seeing reason. Who knows, maybe he got scared of us and that's why he's throwing the towel early. Don't tell him I said that."

"I...I do hope that is the case." Wiz remarked carefully, catching the four's attention. She seemed terribly serious in that moment, with that same look in her eyes from when Hans admitted to killing that man in Alcanretia. "I didn't know the current Devil King well, but he struck me as a man who was happy to let the world burn as long as the ashes never touched his kingdom. Maybe something changed his perspective, convinced him the fighting wasn't worth it."

"I mean, how many options does that leave then?" Kazuma retorted, more curious than ever regarding the bizarre circumstances that were bringing them to the capital. "Is it possible someone just...gave him a wake-up call? I know it's a slim change, given he's been doing his demon thing for a while now, but...can we really rule anything out?"

"Well, when you've been around for as long as I have, you'll come to learn that anything, no matter how unlikely, is possible," Wiz offered sagely. "For all we know, someone from the inside could've finally talked some sense into him. I haven't the faintest idea who, though, but it must've been somebody close to the king. There is always…her, but even I can only suspend so much of my disbelief."

Kazuma...well, he didn't really know what to say to that. Wiz wasn't wrong, naturally, and he sure as hell didn't trust The Daughter anymore than the rest of his party, especially after the whole kidnapping incident. Still, something lingered in the back of his mind. Those itching memories of the small smiles, the genuine chuckles. It was probably just all part of the game, some sadistic ruse…

But there was always the chance for change, wasn't there?

"Well, whether the Devil King had a change of heart or his daughter said something to him, at least we can all rest easy knowing they won't be a problem for us any longer," Kazuma said in an effort to liven the mood. "Now we can finally shift our focus on the real threat plaguing our lives: those damn Giant Frogs! I swear, those things could give the Devil King's Grand Army a run for their money with how resilient they are."

"Ugh, don't remind me! I hate those things!" Aqua instantly grumbled, shuddering as she recalled her many unfortunate run-ins with the creatures. With that, a more relaxed chatter did start to resume, allowing Kazuma to sit back and close his eyes, content with sleeping out the rest of the journey.

Unfortunately, as with many short naps, the teenaged adventurer was eventually jolted awake after the carriage hit a bump in the road. His sudden surprised reaction caused the girls to put their conversation on hold to assess a now groggy Kazuma. As much as he loved naps, they had a bad habit of leaving him more tired and without a sense of time. Such is the trade-off with these sorts of things.

"Uh…sorry, I must've clocked out," Kazuma mumbled while rubbing his eyes. "Anyone got the time?"

"I believe it's been about two or three hours since we departed." Darkness supplied after a moment of contemplation. "We've been keeping a fairly impressive pace, so with any luck we should arrive in the capital by nightfall."

Yawning, Kazuma managed to get out, "Okay, good. Hopefully they'll provide us with a room to sleep in for the night. I think that nap just made me more tired. Stupid insomnia…"

"I'm sure the princess will be more than kind enough to offer us a place to stay for the evening. I can't imagine we'd be attending a treaty signing so late at night." Wiz assured him, tilting her head to glance out the back of the carriage, a short sigh escaping her. "I am quite curious as to why Vanir and I were asked to attend, however. You don't think she plans to have us arrested, right?"

"If she does, I'll have some choice words for her," Megumin stated, clutching her wooden staff. "Those choice words being a part of a chant that channels an Explosion spell of course. Nobody messes with my friends and gets away with it, even if they are royalty."

"As heartwarming as that is, please don't commit terrorism or attempt assassination in the name of friendship. It won't end well for any of us." Kazuma remarked in a deadpan, before addressing Wiz with a more polite tone. "She's got the right spirit, though. Iris will have to go through all of us if she has plans for you. As for Vanir...eh, he can handle himself."

"Assuming the worst comes to pass and they are setting up a trap for us, I'd rather none of you get in trouble for intervening," Wiz stated calmly, hands in her lap and face glancing down. "Should something happen to me, I'm content with going knowing that I finally did some good during my time as a lich. Plus, after my wonderful time with Kazuma…I can safely say I can finally die a happy woman."

"Ok, stow that talk right now!" Aqua interjected, surprising the lich with the ferocity in her voice. "Nothing is going to happen to you, alright? We're all gonna be fine, and this dumb war is going to end without anymore bloodshed. If it takes every ounce of my celestial power, I will make it so! Am I understood?"

"Y-yes Lady Aqua, of course!" Wiz stammered slightly, embarrassed with herself for thinking her friends would be okay with her just accepting her lot in life. "I'm sorry if I worried you for a second. I simply want you to be safe and not labeled as traitors of the kingdom because of me. It'd be awful if that was the last thing I heard before I was exorcised!"

"Don't sweat it, Wiz. I highly doubt Iris would have the gall to label any of us as traitors considering our assistance to the war effort, intentional or not." Kazuma replied, offering the lich a comforting smile. "Like I said, we're in this together. Nobody's getting hurt if we can help it."

"Thank you, Kazuma. And thank you all for bothering to take a chance on an old, undead woman," Wiz said in earnest, eternally grateful to have these people as her new close friends. "Even if Lady Aqua did try to purify me the moment she saw me in that fateful cemetery."

"In my defense, I regret it now…" Aqua admitted bashfully as her teammates sent her matching glares at the reminder of the less than friendly first interaction. "I shouldn't have been so quick to attack you, and I'm sorry. You're one of my closest friends, Wiz, and our party wouldn't be the same without your support."

"It's quite alright, Aqua. I don't hold it against you," Wiz reassured as she placed a hand on the water goddesses knee. "To be honest, I've always had a sneaking suspicion that you liked having me as a friend, especially with how often you'd come visit me just to talk over tea. I wouldn't have been so open about my past if I didn't feel like I could trust you with it. So rest assured that I'm grateful to have you in my non-life as well!"

Once more, the party was left in a lighter state following this declaration, one that managed to resonate until their eventual arrival in the capital of Belzerg. Just as Darkness had predicted, they arrived at dusk, just as the sun was beginning to set. As such, the five of them were feeling fairly tired by this point.

Once the carriage ride came to a complete stop, Kazuma was the first to get up from out of his seat and open the tent flaps to the outside. The scenery that surrounded him at all sides was a sight unlike any he had seen in Axel or Japan. Belzerg's capital was a towering, fantastical metropolis which exuded wealth and power to all who gazed at its architecture. And since they had arrived at night, the street lamps and candle-lit windows on most of the buildings made the capitol shine like a modern city back on Earth. It was truly something to behold.

"Well I'll be damned. This place really is stunning." The young man muttered to himself, before turning and addressing one of his girlfriends with an unexpected bout of enthusiasm. "You said you took a trip here with your father once when you were young, right Dark?"

The crusader blushed fiercely at this and shimmied in her seat with her arms and legs locked closely together. "Oh! I, um, I didn't realize you were actually listening to me that one time. I had assumed you were more interested in draining me of my energy to transfer over to Wiz…"

"I can multitask, thank you. It's one of the few skills I have that I am naturally confident in." Kazuma snarked lightly, before turning his gaze back to the surrounding city, releasing a low whistle. "Guess I interrupted you before you got to tell us how beautiful this place is."

Darkness, to Kazuma's mild shock, was quick to pull herself out of her little moment to comment, "Indeed, it is rather breathtaking, is it not? For as much as I've come to love Axel, it simply does not hold a candle to Belzerg's capital. Just remember, though, we aren't to sightsee; we're here on official kingdom business."

"Yeah, I remember. Still, it's a helluva view to arrive at." Kazuma mused, taking in the stunning sights as long as he could before noticing their carriage came to a stop in a large courtyard just before a particularly large building that he could only guess was some kind of town hall. "Well, guess this is our stop. Anyone see the royal loli nearby?"

"Are you ever going to explain what exactly a 'loli' is?" Asked a familiar voice. "I can't help but feel I'm being mocked somehow."

Kazuma turned in the direction of the voice, spotting Iris and her two envoys from her last unannounced visit standing near the entrance of the hall. Exiting the carriage with his teammates, he elected to shrug his shoulders with a non-committal "eh" before answering properly.

"It just means you're a kid basically. I used to call Megumin that and it drove her crazy. Should've been there to see it, you might've gotten a chuckle out of her reactions like I did."

"Hmm. I suppose I'll have to take your word for it." The princess replied with a slight smile, before turning to the rest of the party and offering a courteous wave. "Well, I'm glad to see you all arrived in good time. We should be right on schedule to start tomorrow morning, then."

"Well if you can't tell, I'm positively brimming with excitement." Kazuma snarked sarcastically, before rubbing his eyes tiredly. "That being said, do you mind letting us get some rest before we start with all the political B.S?"

"Of course. I'm sure you're all in need of some proper rest." Iris allowed, discreetly shushing Claire, who looked moments away from skewering Kazuma while Rain just shot her fellow retainer a nervous look. "Right this way, we have some rooms prepared for you!"

And just like that, Kazuma and his friends entered the hall, painfully unaware that this was the beginning of the end for their story.