Author's note: This chapter references the volume 4 short story "Crimson Eyed Rookie Killer." You can find it on cgtranslations if you haven't read it before.

"… I never imagined I'd say this, but toad bacon is amazing."

I was in the dining area of the guild, having the first breakfast of my second life. Despite my misgivings, I took the waitress's recommendation and ordered some toad bacon with toast.

Turns out those big beasts are fucking delicious. I kinda wanna try hunting some now, just to make sure the supply of toad meat doesn't run low.

The neroid swish drink is pretty good too. I took another swig of it–

"Prospective member Kiriya! We have urgent business with you!"

I nearly spit out my drink as someone slammed their hands on my table.

It was the explosion girl from yesterday, and her busty friend. Or are they sisters? Come to think of it, I never asked them, did I?

"… what is it?"

I was a bit ticked off by the rude interruption, but these girls treated me well yesterday so I tried not to let it get to me.

Megumin stood back and crossed her arms in contemplation.

"Last night, after you left, I realized we had made a grave mistake."

Eh?

"Um, how bad is it?"

"It's a matter of life and death."

"Isn't that really fucking bad!?"

A grave mistake… did she hear from Kazuma about what happened in the past, and piece together who I was?

… hold on. She said life and death, but why does Yunyun look embarrassed instead of panicked?

"… what was the mistake?"

"As much as it pains me to say it… we screwed up big time yesterday. In all the commotion of saving you and retreating back to town, it slipped our minds. Hopefully we can reduce the shame by rectifying it now."

Megumin suddenly struck a pose that looked like it was ripped right out of that anime with the buff men.

"My name is Megumin! Master of Explosion Magic and slayer of the Demon King's generals! The number one mage of Axel, and prodigy of the Crimson Demon clan!"

What.

"A-And my name is Yunyun! Megumin's rival, wielder of Advanced Magic and the future chief of the Crimson Demon clan!"

…

… that's right, they have that sickness after all.

I closed my eyes and forced myself to clear my head. Doing that performance yesterday was bad enough, but their little display just now brought up even more embarrassing memories. It was taking all of my effort to not scream out loud.

… okay, I think I'm good now. I opened my eyes again. They were still standing in their poses, looking at me expectantly. According to their introduction they don't seem to be sisters, but I can't help but still see a resemblance.

Ah, they're waiting for a response.

"… that was a really… cool introduction."

They both heaved a sigh of relief.

"And with that, our clan's honor has been restored."

"I-I still can't get used to doing that in public…"

Megumin cleared her throat.

"Well, now that that's out of the way, let's talk about today's acti–"

"Megumin! Where are you?"

Someone outside shouted her name… wait, that voice–! No way, it can't be–

The guild door flew open, and someone walked in–

"Megumin, are you in here?"

Shit–!

"Geh, she found me… uh, yeah, what's up, Aqua?"

"Weren't you going to help me take care of the kids until Kazuma gets back? They all miss you!"

"It's your fault for using too much healing magic and making them go hyper! I don't dislike kids, but there's no way I can handle that for days on end!"

"But you promised Kazuma, didn't you?"

"…"

"And besides, he should be back with the cure ingredient any day now. You can last that long, right?"

Megumin sighed.

"… alright, Yunyun and I will head over there in a moment."

"Hold on, why is it already decided that I'm going with you!?"

"These kids are super friendly, Yunyun. They'd love to play games with you."

"I'm not such a simple girl! … though… I guess that sounds like fun…"

"Well, hurry up, you two! We're starting another game of hide and seek soon!"

And with that, the blue-haired girl turned and left the guild.

Megumin turned back to me.

"So, anyway… er, what're you doing down there?"

I was currently hiding underneath my table.

"I, uh, dropped something."

Dammit, I thought I was in the clear when I made it to this world, but why was she here?

If she catches me, I might get sent back to purgatory, or worse…

…

Wait.

Why is she here? Shouldn't she be working in heaven or whatever?

Was the reason why I spent so long in that mind-numbing place because she was fooling around here and forgot to come get me out!?

That bitch! What kind of goddess just skips out on her duties to play around in the mortal world!?

If it weren't for the risk of getting caught, I'd give her a piece of my mind!

I stood up and brushed myself off.

Megumin looked at me funny, but continued.

"… anyway, looks like we'll have to cancel those activities, but do you want to come to the orphanage too? We could use the help."

"Ah, well, um, I… think I'll pass. It's… well, it's because that blue friend of yours kinda rubs me the wrong way. No offense."

Surprisingly, she didn't seem to mind, and instead nodded along with my statement.

"Aqua is an Axis cultist after all, so it's understandable."

Eh? She's a goddess and she's in some weird cult? What a bothersome girl.

"Well, I guess we'll see you around, then. Oh, and try to be more careful with the quests you choose from now on."

"U-Um, goodbye!"

After bidding farewell, the two girls headed out, leaving me with the now-cold remains of my breakfast.

… that Aqua bitch said Kazuma would be back any day now, didn't she?

I took a look at my current funds. From that goblin hunting quest yesterday, I earned 20,000 eris per goblin, plus a 100,000 eris bonus for completing the quest. That puts me at 280,000 eris, not including my food and board expenses.

… I don't think that's anywhere near enough for me to migrate to another kingdom, especially since I'm rather ill-equipped at the moment, with nothing but a blunt sword and the clothes on my back.

Maybe I should start smaller. I'll work my way up to some decent gear, then try hopping to another city.

Yeah, that sounds more feasible.

… speaking of yesterday's quest, I need to have a word with a certain someone.

"Oi."

When I turned in my quest last night that busty guild lady was off duty, but she's here now, so I can air my grievances.

She wasn't fazed at all by my attitude, and just smiled back. I suppose working with rowdy adventurers requires having a thick skin.

"Kiriya, right? Can I help you?"

"Why didn't you warn me about that big fucking Rookie Killer monster?"

She put on a surprised face.

"Well, its existence is common knowledge, so when you insisted on taking the goblin quest I assumed you were confident in being able to fend it off. My apologies."

"That's…"

… shit, she has a point. If it's common knowledge, then of course she'd assume there's no way anybody wouldn't know.

I was careless in assuming I could just jump in this world without doing my homework.

I took a deep breath, and decided to take a less confrontational approach.

"… sorry. To tell the truth, I'm from a faraway place. Like, a really faraway place. So, I'm not too familiar with… well, a lot of things around here."

"My deepest apologies. I'm glad that you were able to return unharmed."

She seemed to mean that genuinely, rather than just giving lip service. Seems like she appreciated my honesty.

Either that or she's just a really good actor.

"So, are there any other dangerous things I should look out for? Any pitfalls someone raised under a rock might fall into?"

She put a finger on her chin as she contemplated my question.

… I think she's a little past the age where acting cutesy like that is acceptable, but I sensed that it would be best to keep that to myself.

"Well, regarding other quests recommended for novices… if you go giant toad hunting, you should note that they're resistant to bludgeoning damage. On the other hand, they won't swallow you if you're wearing metal armor."

So I'd need to buy both a new weapon and new armor. Guess I can scratch that quest off the list.

"By the way, it might not be my place to say this, but perhaps you should consider finding yourself a party. Even simple quests can be risky when you don't have anyone watching your back."

She wasn't wrong. However…

"I'm not planning on staying here too long, so I don't wanna get any attachments. So, what other quests have you got?"

Maybe once I've settled somewhere far away, I can think about finding comrades…

"How about a harvest quest? The vegetables grew well this year, so the farmers could always use more combat power."

"… something about that sentence doesn't sound right."

Despite the suspicious description, the harvest quest still seemed like the safest option, so I made my way to the farms.

There were a few other adventurers taking this job too, but not many.

The request was simple: harvest the fully grown vegetables.

I get that adventurers are basically workers for hire, but they specialize in combat.

'So, why are they being hired for what sounds like a combat-free job?' I wondered.

"Come here, you little– ouch! Fucking… you goddamn cockbites, get back here!"

Turns out we're fighting the vegetables.

Because of course this world has sentient fucking plants.

I'm starting to think I'd have been better off just trying to sneak into heaven or something.

Today's harvest consisted of potatoes. Round, lumpy brown things that grow underground.

Smack

"Ah, hey! You bastards!"

And that fly out and attack you when you uncover them.

The worst part is that I can't just bash them willy-nilly or that'll ruin the harvest.

Splat

"Gah, the juice is all over my clothes!"

Well, at least I'm not with those poor bastards over there harvesting the tomatoes.

I snatched another potato and tossed it into a cage. As annoying as this is, I suppose in terms of lethality it's much safer.

No surprise high-spec monster trying to ambush me out here, after all.

… as I had that thought, a faint memory resurfaced. It was something Kazuma once pointed out to me while we were watching an anime.

Something about…

"Monster attack!"

… raising flags.

Fuck.

Well, at least it isn't–

"Look out! It's a Rookie Killer!"

Why.

Just.

Why.

Does the universe have a grudge against me or something?

The shout came from the tomato section. I shut the door on my potato cage and hurried over.

The other adventurers had formed a semicircle around the beast. I made my way to the front and sized up the enemy.

I think it was even bigger than the one from yesterday.

But on the other hand, there's over half a dozen adventurers here, including a Priest. I think the odds are slightly in our favor here.

Slightly.

The giant cat was crouched down. It's getting ready to pounce…?

Wait, no it isn't. It's just laying on the ground, and… eating tomatoes?

The hell? These guys are supposed to be carnivores, right?

One of the guys near me held his spear out and inched a step closer.

Snarl

It immediately looked up and bared its fangs, and the guy quickly jumped back behind the line. What a pussy.

… hm? When it looked up, I noticed something strange. The Rookie Killer I met yesterday had yellow eyes, just like one would expect from a cat, but this one has red eyes.

After the spearman retreated, the big cat then went back to its meal, seemingly content to just ignore us.

For a moment, I thought this was another instance of me being out of the loop, but the other adventurers seemed as confused as I was.

"… eh, is this really a Rookie Killer? It's a bit different than what I've heard…"

"It definitely is, I've seen one before… but yeah, it's a bit weird."

As the beast continued feasting on the tomatoes, none of the other adventurers seemed willing to make a move.

… this is getting a little annoying. Plus, I've still got more potatoes to catch. I decided to say something to break the deadlock.

"This guy isn't part of the quest, so we just need to get it to leave, right?"

"I think I like that plan."

"Same. I didn't sign up to fight something like this."

The others agreed with me, but they all continued to stay frozen where they were.

Guess I have to do everything myself, huh?

I drew my pipe-sword and stepped forward. The Rookie Killer instantly growled at me, just like it did to the spearman, but I stood my ground.

To be honest, it's scaring the shit out of me, but if I show weakness, we won't make any progress here.

When it saw that its threats weren't fazing me, it stopped growling, but continued eyeing me.

These creatures are allegedly highly intelligent, which I suppose is believable considering their typical hunting strategy. It's watching me closely, but it still hasn't made any sign that it's going to attack.

It's almost as if it can tell that I'm hesitant to actually strike it.

"Uh… oi! Yeah, you! Get outta here! Shoo!"

In response to my provocations, the Rookie Killer stood up. I could hear everyone behind me take a step back when it did.

Gee, thanks for having my back, guys.

The big cat locked eyes with me… and then turned and starting walking away.

Though I don't know if it was because of my shouting, or because it had eaten its fill.

"S-She did it! She chased it away!"

"Yeah! Victory for the harvesters!"

They all started cheering.

I wanted to chew them out for acting so arrogant when they didn't do jack squat, but frankly I was too relieved to object.

"Yeah, yeah, now let's get back to work…"

I made my way back to the potato section.

"… ah."

The door on my potato cage was wide open.

The dirt-loving tubers I had spent all day collecting were nowhere to be found.

'Slightly below average luck' my ass.

Sigh.

I took another deep slurp of neroid.

I hate this world. After all that time stuck in purgatory I thought I had finally caught a break, but it's just been one bullshit development after another.

… say, maybe I'm actually in hell right now, and the whole escape from purgatory was just an illusion.

Though, I suppose hell wouldn't have food and drink this good.

"Gah, that was horrible. How can such small kids have so much energy?"

Sounds like someone else had a rough day too.

That someone else plopped down at my table.

"Hey, Kiriya, you look like you've had it rough too. Why don't you order us some Crimson Beer so we can both unwind?"

"I don't drink. And you're too young, it's not good for your development."

"Tch, not you too."

I did treat Megumin to a neroid, though. I still owe her for saving my life, so it's the least I could do.

She took an appreciative sip, then sighed contentedly.

"… so, what have you been up to today?"

"Ah, I tried my hand at harvesting. Unfortunately, some weird red-eyed Rookie Killer showed up and I lost most of my harvest. I only earned–"

"What did you say!?"

Megumin suddenly stood up and leaned over the table, her eyes shining brightly. Not figuratively, but literally glowing with a crimson light.

"Eh? Uh, yeah, this Rookie Killer with red eyes appeared and starting munching on tomatoes. And while I was dealing with that, the potatoes I had collected all–"

"Forget about that! The Rookie Killer! What happened to it?"

"Oh, that guy? I shouted at it and it left. A good thing, too, 'cause I didn't like the idea of fighting it, even with all those guys there."

For some reason, Megumin heaved a sigh of relief.

I still don't understand what goes on in that girl's head.

After chatting a bit more, I headed off to sleep. Today wasn't exactly profitable, but tomorrow will be better, right?

Right?

"Why would you do that!?"

The young boy looked at me with eyes filled with anger.

"Nii-san didn't do anything wrong! He doesn't deserve this! Don't you feel bad for him!?"

Those eyes… it felt like he was stabbing me with his gaze.

"I thought you cared about him!"

As he bombarded me with accusations, I…

My pillow was wet again. I thought moving to another room would solve the issue, but this one seems to have a leaky ceiling too.

Maybe I should consider finding a different inn.

Knock knock

What? Who the hell is knocking on my door this early in the morning?

… well, if we're talking about the people I know in this world, there's really only two. Three if I count the guild lady.

And only one of them is bold enough to seek me out.

"Whaddya want, Megumin?"

I called out to her as I stretched and threw on my clothes.

"Eh? How'd you know it was me?"

I opened the door.

"That's a secret. Now, again, whaddya want? It's a bit early to go around bothering people, isn't it?"

"Ah, well…"

Huh. For the first time since I've met her, she's actually acting bashful.

After a few moments, she worked up her courage.

"Actually, I have a request for you."

She took out a piece of paper. It was a quest from the quest board at the guild.

"Here, look at this."

I read the paper.

'Deadly Red-eyed Rookie Killer spotted. Please eliminate it at all cost. 50,000,000 eris reward.'

… that's an insane sum for what's essentially just a big cat. Ah, wait, this is the same one I met yesterday, isn't it?
"You want me to kill it?"

Megumin shook her head.

"It's actually the opposite. Prospective member Kiriya, I want you to save that beast, and not let anyone else kill it."

… what?

"I wanted to help too, but unfortunately I'm still tied up with helping at the orphanage. I'll even pay you compensation to make up for the time spent, so–"

"Wait, slow down. Why the hell am I doing this? Isn't this a dangerous monster that preys on newbie adventurers?"

"Not this one. This rare red-eyed variant is a vegetarian, and won't attack humans except in self-defense."

Vegetarian? If that's true, yesterday's encounter suddenly makes a lot more sense.

But…

"If it's non-hostile, then why does it have such a huge bounty?"

Megumin looked straight at me, her red eyes glowing again.

"Because a selfish noble is angry that he couldn't own it, so he decided that it should die to protect his own pride."

A personal vendetta would indeed explain the illogical bounty.

Though, that aside… the way she talks about it is as if she's personally met this creature before. I could tell this meant a lot to her.

… however, there's bound to be a lot of people gunning for that reward. It's going to be tricky fighting off all of them, not to mention I might make a few enemies in the process–

"Please, Kiriya!"

"Woah!?"

Megumin suddenly grabbed onto my shirt.

"It didn't do anything wrong! It doesn't deserve this! Don't you feel bad for it!?"

… why do those words sound familiar?

I looked again at her crimson eyes, which seemed on the verge of tears.

…

Well, she said she'll compensate me, and I also still owe her one for the other day.

If I make enemies, so be it. I'm not sticking around here anyway.

"… alright. I'll do it."

"Thank you!"

Such a bright smile. He used to smile like that back then, too.

No, why am I thinking about that stuff?

I shook my head to clear my thoughts.

The mission:

– Protect the VIP.

– Don't kill the other adventurers.

– Don't die.

Yeah, I can do this.