Chapter 4

"Insane, you guys."

"Look Kazuma, our new member is set. What do you think of her current attire?"

"Hmm… She looks adventurous. I find it considerable. Good choice of clothes."

Megumin's current attire consists of a robe that looks familiar to her previous one and a piece of black fabric around her chest like Chris wore. A black belt over a short red skirt, a pair of black socks and a collar. Complimenting them is a tiny bag suspended on her belt and a knife sheathed beside the bag.

'Why did she wear a collar…? Odd, must be some weird fashion in this current era.'

Previously, he saw some female adventurers passing by and could see a couple of them wear collars on their necks. From there he could conclude that it is some sort of… accessory in this world.

Hmmm… Megumin wears a hat too, which looks kinda funky.

...is that an eyepatch-

Oh, and a brand new staff selected by the 'best priest' aka Aqua-sama. She is surprisingly good at inspecting staffs. Which he found intriguing and odd.

As she is a goddess, he left the details of how she was able to do such a thing. Must some goddess thing, divine… uhh…

Yeah-

"Who do you think you're talking to? Of course, it's none other than the great fashionista, Chris-sama! Hahahaha!"

...Yep, as expected of Chris, she sure as hell is the Screw Loose. Where did that prideful attitude come from?

Kind, aggressive, cool-headed, greedy, honest, flirty, and now prideful? What next?

Clueless?

Chris, as he said before, is certainly unique.

"How fluffy, with such a thing hanging onto this respected one, it is certainly blessed by the divines."

Aqua being the 'elegant' one she is, keeps making some exclamations with her 'high and mighty' tone. Even he started to feel concerned. Does she often do this in the mirror? You know, talking to yourself and acting the opposite of what you are.

Aqua is literally the definition of the 'antonym of elegance'.

He left the details, too lazy to even think about it.

"Chris-san-"

"Just call me Chris. Do it to them too, it's not like we're strangers or anything, right?"

"Ah, right! Chris, what kind of quests will we fulfil?"

"Well, we often hunt bounties. And some subjugating bandits and monsters. Why did you ask?"

"Well, just curious. I mean, Kazuma-sama-"

"Urkh!"

"Huh? What's wrong?"

What did she call him? 'Kazuma-sama'? Gazes staggered his back, and he should've seen this coming if someone actually called him in such a way.

Ah… here we go agai-

"Kazuma-sama? Pfft, K-Kazuma-sama?"

Chris, please don't, we're currently in the middle of the road! There are people right and left!

"Bahahaha-!"

"Khahahah! Look Kazuma-sama~ ah! What an esteemed one you are!"

Cackled Aqua. And he just sighed, glancing at Megumin who looked at them in confusion. Well, she might as well prepare herself for one hell of a party.

"Huh? What's wrong?"

"Bahahahah-!!"

"Khihihihi-!"

She should've known that such a party consists of insane people who don't know boundaries when they teased someone. It doesn't matter where they are currently at, in the middle of the road, in a restaurant, in a shop, or even in a public bath!

Yes, himself included.

Poor kid. He might have to protect her from such people. He shoots a disgruntled look towards those people. Tsk, such uneducated ones, he feels disgusted-

...

"Pfft, what? Did you realize that you were actually arrogant? Hah! You couldn't outwit me when it comes to this kind of shit bro-"

"Please, for the love of God, shut up Chris."

He groaned. These companions of his are really wild. He feels mentally exhausted by just being near their presence.

"...Why are you guys laughing? I'm so confused…"

Well, maybe not Megumin. Thankfully, she's the sanest one and he feels actually thankful that she joined this turbulent party.

...that's what he thought.

"Hmm… this quest looks decent- What? Requiring strong men? Nope. Sheesh, you only need adventurers to carry your heavy luggage, no need to put such a requirement… oh, the requester is a woman. I see. Must be anxious that her man will get snatched if who came is girls-"

"Hmm… Aha-!"

"Aqua, please stop pretending that you're thinking."

"What's that even supposed to mean?!"

"We all know that is logically impossible."

"Kazuma! You-!"

"Guys! Guys! This one looks decent."

A petite girl appeared before him, and in her hand, there's a 'paper' filled with black ink and such. But weirdly, he actually could read them.

Oh, and this is a paper made out of hides. What an expensive thing for such a minor function.

The rest of them gathered around her and were surprised that the quest was actually good. No, Fabolous is the right word to describe it!

Emergency!

We need urgent help from esteemed Adventurers. We know that the requirement is ridiculously extreme for such a beginner place, but we have no other choices! A group of rampaging monsters emerged from what seemed like a peaceful forest. We thankfully could escape but now that we had discovered such a thing, we couldn't just let them run rampant throughout the region!

We fear that they will destroy multiple villages or even towns!

Last seen at North-West, Endless Forest.

Please, Adventurers. Help!

Requirements: A priest, a mage, a warrior and a tank. Minimum: Level 25.

Location: North-West.

Reward: 10,000,000 Eris.

It looks dangerous. But for their caliber, this is actually decent, hard at most. So he had to admit, Megumin snatched some good shit right from the start when she joined. Ah! What beginner's luck!

But still, logically, this is… too good to be true.

10,000,000 Eris is such an enormous amount of money, and just for subjugating a rampaging horde of monsters?

He feels a lil bit suspicious about such a description. And the fact there's 'North-West' which was a place for a certain group…

Is this an act of reve-

"Let's GOOO!"

"Woohoo!"

They took off like a bunch of kids, and he just stood there for a moment. Ah, what a bunch of greedy bitches, all he could do was shake his head and sighed. A glance to the side and he saw Megumin staring at him, her stiff stature showed that she is indeed excited. But she could hold back!

This is the difference between her and them.

He expected better from Chris though. Who knew that her greedy side actually dominates this time?

"Let's follow them, I fear they might do something reckless if I let them out of my watch."

"Y-Yeah!"

"...Whoah…"

"...Yeah, I know."

"...ah, fuck."

Indeed, this place was named "Endless Forest" not for nothing. Looking at those hanging roots, thick bushes and lush trees, it was as if what was waiting for them inside was full of darkness and mystery. And pain, and trouble, and bad shi-

"What are we waiting for?!"

Aqua was planning to run off like there was nothing in front of her. But thankfully, her companion realized that such a forest is difficult to pass by and held her back by holding her hair.

"A-Arkh!"

"You're a lady, please watch your attitudes. Someone young here needs an example of how to be a good woman."

"I'm an adult-!!"

"L-Like hell- A-Ah! Please f-forgive me Kazuma! I promise I will listen to you!"

It's not like he's overconfident or something, but this woman oddly only showed such an attitude towards him. It feels unnerving for him but oh well, at least her tendency is in control because of such a reason.

He noticed too that Chris looks pretty concerned. Which only happens if things won't go as her assumptions. Well, that often happens. Plus, for such a forest, of course there's almost a certain possibility that things won't go as expected.

Like, look at this big, narrow, dark and gloomy forest! Do you think things will go as expected in such a place? Bah! Right!

"So, Kazuma. Do you have any idea?"

"Well, there's no other choice but to go through it."

"How?"

A question was asked by the new member. He merely smiled and placed his hand on the sheath. The knife is out of its sheath and it's ready to be used by its owner.

"You don't have to worry about that."

Another skill that came in handy at certain times. It's inappropriate to use it in a battle against real opponents, but it's convenient for daily usage. Ah yes, Create Wind. And what's the best part?

He could manipulate it!

A stream of grey breeze coating itself around the razor, and with a mere sweep of his knife, a path was created before their very eyes.

Hmm… for such an insignificant upgrade he put on this skill earlier, the increase in power is actually impressive. You know what? This shit could actually be used in battles!

"Waaha! This is why I could stand you Kazuma! You're annoying but even I have to admit that you are reliable."

"Aah... Sometimes I feel regret when I see you in action. Why didn't I just keep my class as an Adventurer?! Damn it!"

"... What a mechanism to use spells…"

Two exclamations he was used to, and a whisper from their new mage member. He took a glance and said.

"Alright, let's go."

"To where, exactly?"

Chris inquired, and he shrugged.

"Kazuma, you and I know that such a narrow place is practically impossible for a horde of monsters to go rampant, right?"

"Yes. I'm totally aware of that. That's why you guys stay here, I'll check inside-"

"What-?!"

"-150 meters in."

He put his hand up, giving them a half-lidded stare. It's not like a journey through such a site would threaten him. They don't need to be looking tense.

"Just trust me, would ya?"

"...fine."

Finally, the obstacle he had to face, Chris, has relented. Every time she did, he felt relieved. There's no other human being in this world that will get concerned as much as Chris. He could guarantee that.

Like, that one time when they explored a vast land. He just wanted to patrol so he could check the current situation of the place. But she insisted! God, it took like 20 minutes to make her convinced.

He sighed internally. It's nice to receive such a treatment, but it sure as hell is annoying. Not that he minded or even hated it.

In fact, he actually likes it!

"Are you sure?"

The new member asked, and he merely nodded his head. It seems like this one could be convinced rather easily, as she put a surprised façade before having an acceptance look on her face. She's in turmoil though, but he doesn't know that.

Anyway, ah yes, the person he 'respects' the most-

"Alright! Kazuma, you go. I will wait for you here."

Yeah...

Giving Aqua a deadpan stare for a moment, it was ignored by her oddly. He shook his head and gave the rest of the members a nod before entering the dark entries.

...Huh.

This scenery, it's so similar to… that dream. He shook his head and placed his hand on a log, eyes constantly shifting and eyebrows narrowed, lips locked and forehead scrunched.

Be as silent as possible.

A lesson he learnt from Chris. Within an unknown region, he has to be silent, pay attention to the sound ringing near you, even if it's just a single movement. Don't attract any unwanted attention and do not panic.

Required him a month to completely master it. It's difficult!

A minute, and he silently moves forward, one hand on logs and the other on the sheath. Be ready for any possible assaults. Posture in a prepared stance, muscle tense and head in constant turns.

A drop of sweat dripped, and a sudden arrow hit the log beside him.

A glance, a bow sticking out between bushes, a pull, a crouch and a leap.

A stab.

In one second.

A fight in the darkness, where speed defines the winner. What a circumstance he often encountered. Two dots of glimmering green penetrate the darkness itself, and a shriek rang through the space.

"AAAAKH-"

Oh, a pair of archers? He swept them off. And with that, silence once again engulfed the dark, endless forest.

Two severed heads dropped and landed on the thick bushes, possibly lost for eternity. Brown bangs were constantly in motion, the mentioned eyes stared down, and the knife was sheathed.

"T-T-That's-!"

"T-That's the Silent G-Gra-"

They could have gotten away, but they didn't. And they should've seen it coming.

It was such an unfortunate occasion for them.

The last occasion for them, precisely.

A figure covered by the dusk within the forest silently stood on a branch, looking down on the unfortunate corpses. The moist knife was cleaned as the tissue was reddened by the liquid.

The silhouette disappeared, leaving a drenched tissue in its place.

"Ah, Kazuma, you're back! So, what's in there?"

"Turns out, it was just bullshit."

"OH COME ON!"

"Damn it!"

"Fucking shitty scammers pieces of shit wasting my fucking time what assholes-"

Wow.

"ARGH! I CAN'T CAST MY BELOVED SPELL! CURSE THOSE ASSHOLES!"

They stared at the new member in bewilderment, who was still cursing the heck out of them while stomping the ground in rage. What raging emotions and colourful languages.

Perhaps, he was wrong. No, perhaps, they are wrong.

Who said that this girl was just a mere girl? It's scary that the people who got into this party are all insane. And while he finds it outrageous, he wouldn't say that it's hateful. Who said he's not insane either?

"Umm… Kazuma, can I ask for your help?"

"Yes, Megumin?"

"Please accompany me! Once a day, I, a proud Crimson Demon, must cast my Explosion Magic! I can feel it! Its limitless power calls for this self to release it! This world shall know the vandalism it could bring!"

He's not a guy who is skilful at predicting things, but he could see just from looking at her eyes. That she is a maniac.

Those shining, glimmering crimson eyes. It's terrifying that it could emit her insane obsession.

This mage, their new member, is an Explosion Magic maniac.

And the scariest part? They found it out by just seeing her eyes.

Maybe her race was named by the eyes for a reason.

"Hmm… good! Good! I'll come with you too."

"Thank you!"

"You're welcome, Child."

...okay, maybe not her.

"Alright, for the compensation of today's failed quest, I will accompany you to cast this… Explosion Magic."

"Yes!"

Well, at least she's polite.

Megumin hopped through the road that leads back to the town, and they just followed from behind.

"I've found a good spot previously! Let me lead you there!"

Nods were her replies, and she smiled widely.

"Hey, Kazuma. It's so odd that the people I invited are all insane, right?"

"...You're not wrong."

"But why am I enjoying it?"

"I don't know Chris, I don't know. Maybe because you finally met your own species?"

"...Screw you. You do know that you're insane too, right?"

"Of course."

"Are you concerned?"

"Nope."

"...Why?"

Why? Because-

"Because in the first place, all humans are insane. But I'm glad that the companions I met are the ones who could confidently show their insanity."

"...Yeah."

She glanced at the west, and the dawn emits its light brightly. He merely looks forward, stance relaxed and hands on sides.

A slight smile he showed. A big grin the maniac expressed. An amused laugh the thief uttered. A proud smirk the goddess implied.

This party is definitely an odd one.

"We have arrived!"

Megumin shouted out energetically, spreading her limbs to show her excitement. Staff ready in hand and they could see a castle on the hill from their current location.

The mage glanced at them and grinned once again.

"Let me show you the power of this ungodly one!"

"Yes, of course."

"Show me your prowess, Mortal!"

"I, too, am curious."

They just choose to go along with her. It seems like the night will soon occur, as the moon could be seen in the east, but the dawn is still persistent and keeps emitting its orange rays from the west.

Megumin started to make her stance, one foot on the front and the other one behind. Tipping her hat to increase the dramatic scene, and a snicker could be heard from the 'crowd'.

She pointed the staff at the castle, and it began.

And he admitted, it was such a fantastical occurrence.

"Darkness blacker than black and darker than dark, I beseech thee, combined with my deep crimson. The time of awakening cometh. Justice, fallen upon the infallible boundary, appears now as an intangible distortion! Dance, Dance, Dance! I desire for my torrent of power a destructive force, a destructive force without equal! Return all creation to cinders, and come from the abyss!"

Tremendous red magic circles appeared above her. And with just a swing of the staff-

"BURST FORTH!"

They actually emitted torrent of red beams-

"EXPLOOOSION!"

"Magic-"

Boom!

The castle is utterly destroyed. Leaving unironically cinders for them to witness. Megumin collapsed and he just stared at the destruction.

The destruction a mere spell caused.

"Un-fucking-believeable…"

...

...

...

"By the way Megumin, have you memorized the speech before or made it out immediately?"

"...O-Of course! I-I made it out immediately! Hehe… he…"

"Yeah right."

"Like hell."

"Pfft…"

"What?! You guys don't believe me?!"

Aqua and Chris just laughed at her in ridicule, and he just chuckled.

He really doesn't know whether he was insanely unlucky or lucky to have such companions.

But while he will suffer within such a group, he wouldn't say he won't enjoy it.