AN: Big thanks to H3ctic. for taking time to Beta this chapter. Thanks a bunch man!
(flashback)
"Kazuma, do you have a moment?"
Kazuma stiffened up. It wasn't the first time he has been called by his manager, given his track record of being somewhat late (initially from the noise/bus issues) or toiling around a little when his assigned task was complete. As such, he was expecting the worst
"Yes, I do. Something wrong?"
"Not quite," the manager stated, "I was just wondering if you wanted another form of transportation."
"I sure do," Kazuma said, relieved that he was not going to be reprimanded.
"Great," the manager stated, rubbing his hands, "Because boy do I have a deal for you. You see, I just got a newer car, and I wanted to get rid of my current junker as it's just taking up space. I was wondering if you wanted to take it off my hands…"
"I would!" Kazuma replied excitedly, "How much, though?"
"7000Ks"
Kazuma's eyes widened at the deal. Many of the cars he had seen in the catalogs were around 130,000Ks, even for the cheaper ones in a fairly rough condition, with the cheapest he has seen at around 34,000Ks (with no guarantees of it actually running reliably). Even if this was a really old car, it was a great deal, given that it still runs.
"I'll take it!" the boy blurted out, but then remembered the exorbitant legal prices with cars in Japan, "But what about licensing and such?"
The manager looked around a little before shifting a bit closer to Kazuma, "I'm going to be honest; licensing isn't really enforced too strictly in the countryside given how sparsely populated we are outside the capital. As long as you drive safely, no one really cares that much about it. You do need to buy a license plate at town hall, however."
"I see…"
Kazuma had seen his manager's vehicle before (An aging Skoda 120L as indicated by the badge on the rear) when he was leaving work. It was easily identified with the faded red body panels in various parts of the car, in stark contrast with the mostly blue portions of the car, which was heavily rusted. He never sat inside it before, and was quickly overcome by the stench of what seemed to be a mix of rotting wood and vomit as he entered the front seat. That wasn't even talking about the questionable whitish-yellow splotch on the center…
"Apologies for that," the manager apologized as he got into the driver seat, "This was only intended to be my personal vehicle, and my son borrowed it a few times to go clubbing with his friends, heh…"
"It's all good," Kazuma stated, trying to manage some small talk, "Cars are meant to be used, aren't they?"
"They sure are," the manager chuckled as he turned the key in the ignition switch. The four cylinder engine grumbled to life in a dull and surprisingly hushed tone from behind the passenger's seat.
"Anyways, do you know how to drive manual?" the senior continued, pushing the gearstick from side to side in emphasis.
"No," Kazuma stated worriedly, looking at the alien device. He's seen it in Japan before (both in person and in anime), but his family drove the more familiar automatic.
"It's really not that bad," he reassured, his left foot pressing something as he moved the stick left-up, "Just think of the third pedal as a 'go' switch. You let off on it slowly, and when the car shakes a bit you can give it some gas and then release it. Otherwise if you're moving, its used to change gears. Watch a bit as I drive you back."
Kazuma watched intently on how his senpai's feet and hands moved- turning, braking, starting up and hill stop/start. The last one had him particularly intrigued, given how he pulled the parking brake- it was apparently to hold the vehicle in place as they got ready to start.
Eventually they got back to Kazuma's hometown, and parked in a nearby gravel parking lot. From the tape-on clock* just above the climate controls, the trip took them around half an hour, a vast improvement from the public transit.
"So, I'll ask again, will you take the deal?" the manager questioned.
"I'll take it," Kazuma said without hesitation.
"Great!" he smiled, shaking the boy's hand, "I'll deduct the amount from your paycheck. Also, if you're practicing and you stalled a few times, it may be a good idea to rest the car a bit before turning it back on to charge the batteries."
"Right," Kazuma stated.
'The ignition uses the battery after all, makes sense'
"Anyways my wife is coming to pick me up," the man concluded, stepping out of the car, "Try to have a bit of fun when you're learning… Driving is not only a skill, but a form of freedom, knowing that you can get anywhere, anytime. But anyways, see you tomorrow, Mr. Satou."
"You too…" Kazuma started, "But on a random note, why did you decide to sell the car to me?"
"I sold the car to you because you're a great worker with good potential, and as a result I can do less work- I mean help the company out greatly," the manager blundered, "I figured that the car would help you out in that respect."
"Thank you, I hope to keep that up," Kazuma smiled. He had always considered himself to be lazy but brilliant, and it was good that his seniors saw that in him as well.
"Alright. See you tomorrow!"
With that out of the way, Kazuma started practicing the deed of driving himself. He had managed to stall twice due to his unfamiliar feel with the car's clutch pedal on when it actually 'engaged', but otherwise the experience of driving went off without too much of a hitch, as speeding up and shifting gears were pretty much the same concept. Only the downshift was a bit more rough- he tried to practice the 'neutral-throttle-shift-throttle*' he saw his manager do, but was only successful half the time, while the other half gave the car a bump as he engaged the gear.
Kazuma smiled. He was getting the hang of driving, and he loved it. Granted it wasn't a Mercedes or something, but it was a vehicle that drove for him. It was a newfound sense of freedom he wished he had experienced earlier.
-break-
But that was all four weeks ago.
Kazuma was out of work about a week ago- While the fighting for Elektrozadvosk had lasted longer than expected, the government forces were thrown out of the town as the 'chedaki' advanced. As a result of an artillery barrage, a fire started at the factory destroying the power transformers, and while no one was injured/killed, everyone in the factory was out of work (and consequently income) due to the power supply.
On the brighter side, the town somehow correctly recognized Kazuma as the one who put a stop to the noise complaints, and as a result he was rewarded 110,000Ks from the town hall for his achievements, along with various gifts of food and miscellaneous items from grateful locals. Luckily Megumin wasn't identified as the suspect, and as a result Kazuma agreed to allow her to move in. It was still going to be a few days however, as her rent didn't expire yet. They still met up in the meanwhile, sharing food at the cafeteria.
Also in terms of driving, Aqua convinced Kazuma to let her drive in exchange for an illicit supply of free food at her restaurant. Kazuma relented at the concept of free things given his lack of income, but was still reluctant to let her borrow the car too frequently given her either stalling the engine or going rough on the shifter when she drives.
At the current moment Kazuma was eating a burger at the fast food restaurant that Aqua was currently working at. It was almost the end of her shift, and apparently an argument had broken out with another difficult customer for the second time in the shift.
"WHERE THE HELL IS THE KETCHUP, YOU DUMB BITCH?!"
"I placed it on the side! Didn't you see the ketchup packs?"
"WHY DIDN'T YOU PLACE IT IN THE BURGER, THEN?"
"You never specified that! How was I supposed to know?"
"…You dumb whore! Don't you know what the proper way to handle food at a fast food restaurant?" the customer continued unfazed, grabbing a ketchup pack and throwing it at Aqua's face, "Hurry up and do it correctly!"
While Kazuma did enjoy seeing Aqua get herself into blunders, this was too far for him, as this customer was clearly stepping his bounds too much.
"Hey, that's enough-"
"Get away douchebag, I'm about to teach this whore a lesson," the man spat, swinging around, "Or do you want to join her-"
"GOD BLOW"
'!'
Instead of cowering away pathetically as Kazuma was used to, Aqua retaliated at the physical transgression. She landed a punch straight into the customer's gut, completely winding him and knocking over two tables as he fell backwards several meters from the blow. While Kazuma would have called her out on calling herself 'godly', he decided that she lived up to her claims in this instance; even with her divinity and powers taken away, her physical abilities were still very apparent…
The man struggled to get up, coughed a few times before looking at Aqua gravely, "You're dead to me."
'What a piece of work,' Kazuma thought as he watched the man leave. Aqua had checked out of her shift by then and they were getting ready to leave.
"Kazuma-san! Why are the customers so mean?" Aqua now cried as soon as they left the store, "First they don't tip, now they're like this!"
"Dammit Aqua! You don't tip in a fast food restaurant!" Kazuma exasperated. He had explained to Aqua the concept of tipping before, yet she didn't seem to grasp it firmly yet…
"mmmfh…"
"…But you're correct on the customers," Kazuma quickly supported, both in agreement and hoping that Aqua didn't make a scene again, "That guy can go fuck himself…"
"…"
"Yes, Aqua?" Kazuma noticed.
"Thank you Kazuma…" Aqua said quietly, looking down at the ground, "For standing up for me…"
Kazuma paused, "It's alright, I guess…"
He felt like he didn't do much back there. But Aqua still noticed and appreciated it. While the two do have a habit of knocking on each other like an old married couple they still stuck up for each other when it was time to. Kind of like the 'real friends' concept…
"I'm going to wait in the car," Aqua stated.
"Yeah, I'll be back in a bit," Kazuma returned, "Gonna get some food first."
(Later…)
Even for its small size, the strip mall Aqua worked at was well stocked on food and home service items, meaning that they didn't have to leave town for the search for basic necessities.
The 11-mart provided a decent stock of food items, snacks and even beer (something which Aqua blew her meager earnings on frequently, much to Kazuma's dismay), while the toolshop provided enough equipment to do basic repairs on their home's fuse box and the car (given that they had the spare parts).
Kazuma was waiting impatiently in line. Shopping was always one of the most time consuming chores in life, whether it was back in Japan or here in Chernarus. Checking his watch (Another thing which he purchased at the strip mall), a good half hour has already passed. He just wanted to get back home already, and luckily he brought his car. Granted the mall was only a five minute walk from their home (the town was small after all), but Kazuma enjoyed taking the car as their pack mule; While the groceries were not that heavy themselves, carrying them in bags was a strain on the fingers even for the short walk.
"Hey Kazuma, mind checking out these doughnuts?" Aqua stated, popping a bag into his basket.
"Gyah! Where did you come from?" Kazuma blurted in surprise.
"I was sitting in the car before I decided to look for a snack," Aqua stated casually.
"…You do realize that you're spending my money in this instance, right?" Kazuma deadpanned at the sweets Aqua just dropped in.
"…No"
"Dammit Aqua, didn't you earn some money already?" Kazuma questioned.
"I did!" Aqua smiled sheepishly, "But I… don't have it."
"Don't tell me you spent it on beer again…"
"Errr… maybe?"
"…Dammit Aqua!" Kazuma sighed as he placed the items on the counter for the cashier, "Remember, you owe me again-"
They were interrupted by the sound a rapid series of sharp clattering pops and glass breaking. Looking out the store window they could see a masked man firing his rifle into the back window of their car before fleeing. Kazuma and Aqua looked at each other with their mouths open at what just happened- if Aqua was sitting in the car, or if Kazuma didn't get distracted by Aqua, both of them would have fallen victim to that attack…
"It looks like the chedaki just claimed another victim," the cashier stated, shaking his head, "They act like the world is just their home, going off on rampages like that. May god bless his poor soul…"
"Wait, there's chedaki here?" Kazuma questioned worriedly, "I thought we were supposed to be away from the fighting!"
"Yeah, but the chedaki have undercover cells everywhere in the country," Aqua explained, "The ones in South Zagoria are even larger, to the point where they can capture and hold territory."
"She's correct," the cashier agreed, bagging up the last of their items, "Despite the political differences, the militia and the National Party have made vows to keep the population safe, but hit and runs are always hard to stop in remote places like here… and that'll be 1150Ks sir."
Kazuma paid the fee and left the store. Then something clicked in his head.
"Aqua, the guy at the restaurant…!"
"Huh? Oh yeah!" Aqua remembered, snapping her fingers, "The one that actually tipped-"
'Did he actually or was that more of an approach?' Kazuma wondered with the straightest face he could manage.
"No you dolt! The one you just 'God blew' an hour ago!"
'Horrible choice of words, Kazuma'
"Oh, that guy! He probably was a chedaki," Aqua stated, luckily ignoring his 'misphrase', "And knowing them, they probably won't stop until they get their targets…"
Kazuma's eye twitched at the realization. Just one month into the new world and already people are after their heads…
"How can we protect ourselves, then?"
"Ever heard of a 'gun license'?"
"Huh?" Kazuma paused.
"You know, gun license," Aqua repeated, "The piece of paper that allows us to carry the same things as the guy that tried to shoot us…"
"For once Aqua, I think you made a good suggestion…"
"Mou, what do you mean 'for once'?" Aqua pouted, "I'm a goddess; I always make good suggestions to mere mortals!"
Kazuma ignored the statement, setting the bags down to check up on his car, mainly the bottom for any broken parts. There appeared to be a lot of bullet holes in the front passenger area, and despite the liquid draining from the bottom there didn't appear to be anything significant broken underneath the vehicle.
'But where did that liquid come from,' Kazuma thought before he heard an ever familiar goddess shrieking.
"Kazuma! It's horrible, they destroyed my beer! I was going to take a few drinks at home, but now its emptied all over the floor!"
Kazuma looked into the front seat and saw broken glass and a large puddle of liquid. It appears the bullets destroyed the beer bottles and now it was pouring through the holes. Kazuma grumbled in frustration, while he could patch the holes in the bottom by welding sheet metal for a few hours, getting rid of the smell was going to take another few weeks…
(A few days later...)
Upon Aqua's suggestion, Kazuma took the firearms theory test with her. It took another week for the license to come in, as they both passed the examinations (albeit barely).
In the meantime both Kazuma and Aqua went to the certified unlicensed range a few kilometers up north to get used to the hang of holding and firing a gun. It took a few blunders for Aqua to handle her weapon properly and to stop with her side-sweeping*, with the last incident nearly taking off Kazuma's head (the bullet clipped his hair); that's not to say the young man was completely competent, evident from the shoulder bruise after a rifle day. The week costed them around 3000Ks, but made them feel more confident with the PM pistol and the SKS rifle, both of which are very common (and cheap) as the country still had large stocks of older Soviet equipment leftover when the army stood down upon the breakup of the Union.
It was also at the range Kazuma noticed something possibly tied to his luck- If there was a wind kicking up downrange and he was about to fire, he would notice that the wind would stop (or at least die down significantly), before kicking back up after he was finished. Additionally, he was commented on having 'exceptional marksmanship skills', being able to reliably hit the head of a target 400 meters away with the SKS*; even when he switched rifles with Aqua, the results were repeated (while Aqua was still struggling to hit something past the 100 meter mark). It makes him wonder, did he survive the firing range mishaps due to his good luck, or because of Aqua's bad luck with hitting anything?
Additionally, the prospect of obtaining firearms opened up a new series of potential earnings: It was hunting season, and with the fact that there's more land than people meant that animal attacks on livestock (and potentially people) were going to increase, demanding some form of control to be implemented. Furthermore, hides and meat were still sought after and can be sold for decent prices on the market, which made the concept all too appealing for both Kazuma and Aqua as they were trying to find a new way to pad their pockets. It was also needed to supplement the increased expenses as Megumin moved in (which was surprisingly anticlimactic due to the lack of explosives related topics as Kazuma had originally prepared, but the chunni tendencies still persisted).
The original plan was to purchase a hunting rifle (more specifically a CZ 550) from the local sporting store, as they were on sale for the season and ammunition was cheap for the 8mm* models they sold. Unfortunately everyone seemed to have the same plan as Kazuma, given that they were fresh out of stock. Frustrated, the duo entered the store across the street, which was had their advertising labelled as 'Sporting goods and other potentially illegal items'- sure it sounded like a joke, but to Kazuma, it never hurts to try…
The interior was fairly small, but was kept clean and tidy. There were a few shelves of items such as camouflage, vests, pouches and the such, while the weapons were kept behind the front counter manned by a brown haired woman in a woodland pattern camouflage.
"Welcome to my store, how can I-" the woman greeted with a smile before pausing, "Oh, it's Kazuma! Very nice to see you at my shop!"
"Huh? You know my name?" Kazuma stated with some worry.
"Of course I do! You're the one that stopped the noise complaints, so its only natural that I know," she continued, "Anyways, you can call me Wiz. How may I help you?"
'At least it was fame in a positive light,' Kazuma mentally exhaled.
"Well, we're looking something to hunt game with," Kazuma started, "And also something for personal protection…"
"Ah, we have those," Wiz stated, "Although I do ask, what's the situation demanding the protection? Our community is quite small around here, so we'll know quickly if something out of line happens with people we know…"
Aqua explained what happened at the strip mall, with Kazuma clarifying some points. Wiz nodded in understanding, yet she was not surprised.
"It seems that they're infiltrating behind the lines again," Wiz shook her head, reaching under the counter and retrieving a pistol with an overtly long barrel, "Here is a PB pistol, similar in handling like the PMs at the firing range, but with an integral suppressor. It can be fired without the suppressor however, and with its dimensions makes it good for practical purposes."
"…How much?" Kazuma asked, disregarding the comment on the silenced weapons.
"18,000Ks"
To Kazuma, the price was steep, compared to the necessities at least.
"Anything cheaper?"
"Well, we do sell CZ 75s for 14,000Ks," Wiz explained, scratching the back of her head, "But the next shipment won't come in for a few months given the current nature of the country, and 9x19mm rounds are fairly scarce around here…"
'The price has to balance out somewhere does it?'
"Sure, I'll consider the PB," Kazuma sighed, deciding that personal safety came over money, "What about the hunting stuff?"
"What are you looking to hunt?" Wiz asked.
"Possibly anything," Kazuma stated, looking at Aqua who gave a nod.
"Hmm," Wiz thought, scratching her chin for dramatic effect, "Give me a second."
She placed the PB away, and went into the back door. Kazuma's eyes widened when she emerged a moment later, toting what appears to be a relatively dated machine gun (Based off the wooden finish on the stock and pistol grip, if Kazuma was to guess) and placed it on the counter.
"This is a Uk 59, the forgotten Czechoslovakian version of the PK," Wiz explained, placing a bullet onto the counter as emphasis, "This is the L version, with a shorter barrel. Otherwise for your needs, you can see that its bullets are comparable to that 8mm. It's basically a hunting rifle that shoots 600 times a minute, hehe…"
"Wait, are you allowed to sell that?" Kazuma asked, "I don't remember that being allowed…"
"No," Wiz stated sheepishly, "That's why the sign is outside as it is."
"Aren't you afraid that the police will catch on?"
"Well you see, everyone thought the sign was a joke, police included," Wiz chuckled, "As a result I neither get busted by law enforcement nor get much business selling 'illicit' items…"
"…"
'Despite the awful financial decisions, I do respect her refuge in audacity concept…'
"Anyways, do you want to continue taking a look?" Wiz asked, placing the PB back onto the desk and ushering them to take another look at the Uk 59.
Kazuma tried to pick the machine gun up, "It's heavy! Don't you have any rifles like those?" He pointed towards the familiar SKS hanging on the wall.
"Ah, we just sold out of proper hunting caliber rifles," Wiz smiled apologetically, "It's hunting season after all, and in case you're wondering, the SKS is quite underpowered against large game like bears, or even deer at longer ranges."
"It was quite powerful against Kazuma's shoulder…" Aqua muttered, causing Kazuma to shoot her a glare.
"What was that?" Wiz asked.
"Nothing!" Aqua clarified.
"Anyways, when are the rifles coming in?" Kazuma questioned.
"Maybe a month or so."
'Looks like we are limited on choices here if we want to hunt this season,' Kazuma sighed mentally, "How much for the machine gun?"
"79,000Ks"
"That's steep!" Kazuma exclaimed. Granted he could afford it, but it would cost almost all of his money at the moment.
"I thought you would say that, and knowing that you're Kazuma I'm going to ask for a favor," Wiz stated.
"What type?" Kazuma asked in a suspicious tone. Surely this wasn't going to be a one sided deal to cause his demise, right? Or god forbid, sexual…
"One moment please," Wiz said, turning to the backdoor, "Hey Darkness, do you have a moment?"
A short moment later a blonde woman came through the backdoor. She bore a stoic expression, wearing a black Dell t-shirt and beige khakis. Kazuma thought she looked absolutely gorgeous, and could tell even through the loose fitting clothes she had a great body. He shook himself out of it however, as he still needed to stay composed in public.
"This is my friend Darkness, and she's in a bit of a pickle right now," Wiz introduced, "You see she's originally a contractor at a private military company called ION, but due to a squabble and miscommunication she got left behind without any official documents to help her leave."
"That's unfortunate…"
"This is a bit large for a favor, but if you're willing to take her in and help her adjust to civilian life while we sort things out, I'd be willing to steeply discount your purchases at my store," Wiz offered, "I'm asking this because I can't have her get kicked out onto the streets if they shut my shop down from financial problems due to the lack of legal status…"
Kazuma was in a bit of a dilemma at this. Cheaper items were always good, but was it worth the hassle? Megumin didn't cause that much trouble, but its hard to say if his luck would hold up all the time…
"I'll consider it," Kazuma stated flatly, considering the Realpolitik as with Megumin, "We can talk more about it in the cafeteria tomorrow-"
"Thank you Kazuma!" Darkness exclaimed, taking Kazuma into her marshmallowy hell, "When I saw you and your partner haul the little girl down the street, I just knew I had to-"
Noticing the looks from everyone, Darkness paused for a moment, "Ah, sorry for me getting ahead of myself. My name is Darkness, and I hope we can get along well. Thank you for considering to take me in…"
'She seems off… was she stalking us the whole time…?'
"My friend can be… eccentric at times," Wiz stated, clearly disturbed at the turn of events, "But she has a good heart. In fact, she was the one that credited you with stopping the noise complaints, and if you actually did something atrocious, she's not subtle in letting you know…"
"Once again, I'll consider it," Kazuma stated, albeit a bit more reluctantly this time.
"Good," Wiz smiled, "Now, I'm going to offer you the Uk 59 for 49,000 and the PBs for 10,000 at the moment. If you guys struck a deal, I'll reduce it to 38,000 and 8000 respectively."
Kazuma and Aqua looked at each other for a moment. Not so much in thought, more so in 'We should blame each other if something goes wrong'.
"…k" Kazuma finally managed.
"Wonderful! Now, firearms aside, you're going to need the proper clothing as well…"
Twenty minutes later Aqua and Kazuma walked out the store, dressed in flecktarn*, khakis, boots and ammunition pouches. Each had a pistol in their holster, with Aqua carrying their new 'hunting rifle'. The two looked more like soldiers ready to enter a warzone rather than game hunters with the gear, but a wise man always stated, 'You never know'…
"Hey, Kazuma?" Aqua asked.
"Yes, I'm Kazuma."
"…How do you load this thing?"
"That's easy, all you do is look for the charging handle*, and…" Kazuma faltered, upon noticing that there was no visible charging handle on the gun.
"…Shit"
…..
Items Acquired:
1x Uk vz. 59
550x 7.62x54mmR (in 50 round boxes)
2x PB pistol
160x 9x18mm (With ten 8-round magazines)
Various pieces of obsolete surplus kit
Items Lost:
84,800Ks
Some random technical stuff explained, denoted with a star (You can skip these if you want)-
Tape-on clock in the car: The Skoda 120L did not have an interior clock, it was added in a higher trim
Clutch 'engaging': Biting point of the clutch, this is when the engine starts to send power to the wheels, and where most people stall the car
'neutral-throttle-shift-throttle': Proper term is 'double-clutching' (apologies for the direct description monstrosity)
Side-sweeping: When you take a gun, point it forwards and swing it from side to side. A big no-no due to the fact you might accidentally shoot someone
400m headshots with the SKS: Technically speaking not possible in the real world (the manufacturing processes on them were quite loose which caused dispersion problems), used more to emphasize Kazuma's luck
8mm rifle: 8x57mm IS, the post-WW2 designation of the German 7.92x57mm Mauser. Additionally, the CZ 550 came in many calibers
Flecktarn: The Bundeswehr's (Modern German Army) flecktarn pattern is one of the cheapest camouflages on the market, and can be seen frequently in surplus stores or on 'armed civilians' around the world
The charging handle: A unique thing about the Uk 59 is that the pistol grip (Where the trigger is) doubles as the charging handle
….
Notes: Yes, Aqua/the group isn't causing enough trouble this chapter. But seeing that they have a new 'hunting rifle', it's only a matter of time before something goes sour…
Additionally, Chris/Eris was originally supposed to be here, but I figured that her presence wouldn't make much sense for this chapter (As from what I remembered, Chris/Eris befriending Darkness was more of a personal favor as a result of her devoutness/Eris' need for a Crusader joining her faith).
As always, please leave a review! :)
Once again, credits to H3ctic. for taking his time to Beta this… :)