I see the mysterious girl on the ground still not moving an inch. As I was gonna ask if she was alright when another toad popped up from the ground as it spots the girl and proceeds to hop towards its next prey. Out of my daze from earlier, I leapt forward in front of the little girl as the toad descended on her. I launch out my latest ability from gaining this class in a horizontal slash.

"CRITICAL SLASH!"

The giant toad went down in a slump as it breathed its last breathe. I turned around to find the little girl looking up in awe as I was the one that saved her life. I knelt down as I spoke, "Nothing to worry now, why? Because I am here!" Alright, sue me for originality, that felt right and I'm sticking by it.

"E-"

Ah, it seems the young girl is about to respond in kind to her savior. As it is natural for a young maiden to be grateful for their . . .

"Eeewww! Get away! You were swallowed by a toad earlier so your still covered in its slimy intestines!"

Welp, time to head out.

I make to walk away, but that endeavor seemed fruitless as the girl now starts latching onto my foot, not actually keeping me from moving, but I didn't want to cause harm on another person. . . unless the situation calls for it.

"W-wait a moment! I-I didn't mean to say that after you so graciously saved me. So, if you don't mind, could you maybe help me back to town? I depleted all my magic in my spell so if you could carry me back, it would be very appreciated and.. . Ah, wait hold on now. Why are you trying to pry your hands off? I still need aid and . . . wait hold on! You can't leave a defenseless girl all on her lonesome when there could be more toads out here. Now if you would just-" It seemed pointless to try to pry her off at this point. I leaned down and picked up the little, relentless girl and proceeded to walk back to town.

I swear this little girl is persistent.

After a stop by the local bath house, Megumin, as I have learned is her real name (albeit a 'unique' one at that), and I both sat a table in the corner of the guild hall. After I completed my quest for the day, I go to sit at a table for some supper when she also followed me to said table as well.

"So tell me," I begin, "are you as good as you say you are? That spell back showed a lot of power, you know."

Megumin seems to puff out her chest at that last part.

"Mm-hmm, that is but a taste of my power. Now that you have seen the might of my Explosion magic, perhaps I shall grace your party with my abilities and . . ."

"Oh, I don't have a party. I'm flying solo for now."

Megumin stiffens as I take a sip of Neroid juice. Good stuff, reminds of the sparkling wine back when my dad let me try some on New Years, only without the alcohol part in it. As I drink my juice, Megumin composes herself as she tries to take the stage again.

"A-ah, but of course you would have a party. How else could a strong swordsman as yourself not be allied with faithful comrades?"

"Simple. I don't like most people in general."

Seems that shut her up, but not for long as her stomach growled, thus making her blush in embarrassment.

". . . So, would you like something to eat?"

". . . Yes please."

After a nice meal, with company no less, I proceeded back to the stables as I needed rest for more quests to take. Though this time, I had company over for the first time since I got to this world.

"Why are you still following me?"

I about plopped onto the blanket covered hay as I see Megumin in my doorway to my room in the stables.

"W-well, my fine friend, I currently don't have anywhere to stay for the night and was hoping if you wouldn't mind my company for the night?"

I get up in fake shock as I cover my chest and private area.

"You mean to defile me?! How shameless can one little girl be in this world?!"

"?!"

As I make my accusation, this in turn causes surprise and panic as well as embarrassment from being called out, especially at this time of night.

"WOULD YOU KEEP IT DOWN! SOME PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO SLEEP HERE!"

"Tch. Why don't you come over and make me tough guy!"

Megumin's POV

This guy is really something. First, the guy who saved me from being eaten by giant toads accuses me of being some kind of floozy, then gets into a shouting match with another resident of the stables. Regardless, I had nowhere else to go as I also couldn't make enough to sleep in the inn. As I steels my resolve, the shouting comes to a close as Jake turns back to me and repeats his question again.

"W-well, I don't have anywhere to go and there are no other rooms available. Plus, you're the only adventurer that doesn't give me a bad feeling."

Jake looks at me and seemed to be lost in thought for a bit before he lets out a sigh. Am I really that much of a bother.

Then, he scooches to the side of his haystack bed as he turns over on his side.

"Fine, you can take the other side, but don't get any ideas. Got it?"

"Y-yeah, okay."

That was quick, and what did he mean by that 'ideas'? I'm not some harlot. I get on my side of the haystack and face opposite of Jake.

I feel my eyes getting weak with sleep seems to have a great hold on my conscious state. As sleep takes me away a fleeting thought enters my mind.

Maybe he's not so bad after all.

Jake's point of view

I didn't think she would still be near me after seeing my. . . well, me being my very dislikable personality of an amateur fanfiction writer, or some other cliché isekai tropes that I used to hear about back when I was in school from the weebs and otakus I hung around at the time. Now look at me. No! By no means! No!

Now Megumin whispered something.

?! . . .

It's a strange feeling in my chest.

. . . . . .

. . . . . .

I don't understand what it means, just that it gives me a kind of warm feeling, like a nice summer afternoon wind blowing by.

"Explo~sion!"

It's been a week since I met Megumin and safe to say, not at ALL what I expected. Firstly, ONLY USING ONE FREAKING SPELL. I get pride and all, but to dedicate yourself to just a one hit wonder spell that takes up all the magic in your body and be useless without any other means of fighting. Secondly, she seems to always be near when I go on quests and insists that she needs her for the upcoming battles in the future, but I ignored her and proceeded to go about on my quests. With the recent money coming in from even tougher quests that other adventurers wouldn't dare to go near unless they had a death wish. With the added funds, I was able to equip myself with better gear. A chainmail shirt that goes under the light metal chest plate I wore, rugged, black greaves that has an enhancing speed hex cast on it to increase the wearers' speed by 15% with added protection by 5%.

Last to adorn my look was a dark purple hood that covered my head up to shadow my eyes that gives me a mysterious look while blending in with the adventurers and the many gear they all wore. Megumin said I looked like a real adventurer now, and I got to say, it makes me feel giddy with excitement to look like a hero in those adventure fantasy stories I read growing up. With my new gear, I decided to go on a quest I'm sure to be able to do at my level, beating a One-Shot Bear. The receptionist, Luna-san, tried to persuade me to wait until I had a full party to attempt such a task, but I was insistent on doing the job. Everything would have gone peachy keen if only a certain Arch-Wizard didn't tag along just to take my prey from me and the SURROUNDING FOREST WITH IT!

I could only look in disbelief as Megumin smirks from the ground as she was looking at her adventurer's card, giggling at all the experience she gained killing my target.

This girl would be the death of me, I know it.

"W-WAIT A MOMENT! GIVE THAT BACK, YOU VILE VILLAIN!"

Megumin tried her best, but to no avail, I had her adventurer's card in my hand as I selected spells that she could learn at any time she wanted, but she wastes all of it in boosting the power of her explosions. Just as I was about to confirm Megumin's new spell roster when the little crimson demon swiped my pockets and found my adventurer's card.

"Hey!"

She smirks sly-like as she goes over my spells and skills I can learn. I recently been saving my points for more sword skills as well as spells. After one of our quests on the way back to Axel, she explained the concept of explosions just because I asked out of boredom on the trek back. Later, I saw that Explosion was in the list to learn new spells and skills. Now she see's her opportune moment. Her finger already selected the spell and hovered over the confirm part of the card, now at gunpoint per say.

"Hey now," I reasoned, "You don't want to do something you'll regret, little girl."

That got a reaction out of her as her hair shadow her eyes. "Little girl you say? Well then take this!" She hits the confirm on my card.

I do the same.