You know, I never put too much stock into what happens when people die. Why would I? I expected to have a long, mostly prosperous life. Nothing fancy or extravagant, but just something that was fulfilling at the end of the day. Heart attack via stress isn't really under that category, but it's what I was stuck with all the same. It's a bit funny in a cosmic sort of way, considering where I am now.

After dying in vain trying to save someone's life from a slow-moving tractor (which I, of course, misinterpreted as a truck because that's just how I roll apparently), I "woke up" for lack of a better term. Like I said, I never really thought about what happens after you die, so I didn't know what to expect when I suddenly found myself in what appeared to be a throne room with some JRPG looking Devil King in the middle of conversing with a small audience of what I guess were some of his highest-ranking minions before they all noticed my random presence. I, nor they, had any idea what the fuck was going on, and the language barrier certainly didn't do anybody any favors at the time.

Needless to say, I barely got half a sentence out before my sorry ass was in chains and I was thrown in a dark, cold, and honestly depressing cell. I wasn't quite sure how much time passed before she finally returned. She was tall, with raven black hair that fit sparingly well with her black and purple armor. Her most distinct feature, however, were her bright amber eyes, the same pair that stared me down from the other side of the jail cell.

While booming in that weird, alien language they all spoke, I was able to pick up that she was ordering me to drink some dubious potion of some sort that she slid through the bars of my cell. Seeing as how I was in no position to object, I hesitantly drank it, almost immediately keeling over from a sudden, splitting headache. Thankfully, the moment passed not before long, and the next time that she spoke…I was actually able to understand what she was saying, and vice versa. So that was one problem solved at least.

She explained that she was the daughter of the Demon King, and that I was under suspension of being a spy sent by a kingdom called Belzerg up until the point when they realized I couldn't understand a word they were saying. Post-potion, they seemed to come to the conclusion that I was what they referred to as an "interloper", basically a super-wizard that can teleport from place to place across space and time, which would explain how I didn't know the modern dialect and how I managed to appear in their heavily defended fortress.

I, as calmly and politely as I could, attempted to explain to the imposing woman that I was far from being an all-powerful wizard of any kind and was in fact just an average human from another world who died in a…not so average way. Normally, I'd jump at the opportunity to embellish a little to make myself sound like less of a loser, but something about spinning tall tales to the daughter of a demonic fantasy king didn't sound like the smartest choice at the time. So, instead, I briefly explained what a hikikomori was and told her I was more or less that and died while making a mandatory errand out of the house before I showed up here randomly.

However, as if fate decided today was the day to fuck me over twice, she insited that there had to be something special about me, something that allowed me to breach the magical walls of her father's castle and throne room. As such, she offered me a choice. Join her father's ranks as one of his generals and assist in the war against Belzerg with whatever abilities I may have, or rot in the cell I was in for the rest of my life. Apparently, execution wasn't on the table, funnily enough! Still, the choice I was offered wasn't really a choice, was it?

So that's how I reluctantly joined a dark lord's army as a general-in-training to fight against a nation I didn't know or even care about…I hate my life sometimes.

"Wake the hell up, Satou!" Thundered a muffled voice from outside Kazuma's room, startling the sleep-deprived young man awake as he fell out of his pitifully small bed. He grumbled angrily to himself and swore vengeance on whatever deity had kicked his insomnia up to eleven when he was transported to this world. "Rise and shine, sleeping ugly! We've got a mission, and you're the only one not up!

"I'm comin', I'm comin'!" Kazuma barked in a haze while sloppily dressing myself with whatever clothes he had strewn about, not even having the time to sniff them to check on their freshness as Serena's insistent pounding skyrocketed his anxiety. By the time he opened the door, he spoke, "Sorry my insomnia is such an inconvenience to you!"

"Oh, no. You're mistaken. Your very existence is an inconvenience to me. Your insomnia is just the shitty icing on top." Serena assured the Japanese with a sarcastic smirk, making his blood boil ever so. The priestess had it out for Kazuma more so than any of the other Devil King generals. His best guess as to why is that, before showing up, she was the newbie and had received similar treatment herself. "At least you were smart enough to ditch that stupid tracksuit of yours."

"I like that stupid tracksuit…" he grumbled while crossing his arms and shifting his bloodshot eyes away from Serena. "You guys won't even let me wear it when we're not on missions; I've had to relegate it to pajamas now since you keep getting on my case about it."

"Well, choose less ugly clothing if you want us to quit bitching. Now, c'mon!" Serena hissed, grabbing Kazuma by the wrist and yanking him along as she stormed towards the main chambers where they usually gathered for announcements. "I've already wasted enough time indulging in your blabbering when there's work to be done."

"I still think you guys are wasting your time on me in general…" Kazuma muttered angrily to myself. "I'm just a dude; I can't do shit compared to everyone else."

"I'm well aware of that fact, Satou. We all are at this point." Serena confirmed to him, her irritation intensifying along with her grip on his arm. "And if you don't shape up soon, Akuria's gonna be more than happy to...take care of you."

Kazuma kept quiet after that, something Serena was more than pleased with as he buried himself under a mountain of involuntary fear, doubt, and self-loathing. It was a good thing Vanir was out on a special assignment that week, otherwise he would've unintentionally given the masked smart alek an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet of negative emotions. Kazuma was at least thankful that Sylvia and the Devil King himself didn't give him such a hard time, much to his surprise. Everyone else in the castle seemed to have it out for the "fresh meat".

A few seconds later, the two humans entered the main chambers, Serena releasing Kazuma as they did so. Muttering mutinously to himself, the general-in-training trailed after her over to the large wooden table in the center of the room, around which sat Akuria, Wolbach, Sylvia, Beldia, and the big man himself. To Kazuma's surprise, none of them actively greeted neither him nor Serena upon arrival. It was only after they both took their seats did King Kage lift his head, offering the teenager from another world a small smile and a nod.

"Well, a good morning to you, Kazuma. Or should I say, 'good noon'?" chuckled the Devil King in mirth. "I take it you're still having trouble adjusting to a routine sleeping schedule?"

"Y-yeah, insomnia will do that," mumbled Kazuma quietly as he sat down while avoiding eye contact, not comfortable with all the attention on him. "Uh, with your permission, boss, could I like…b-borrow some money for sleeping potions? Or anything that can knock me out for a good few hours?"

"We have healers and pharmacists on site. If you require treatment you can see them." Akuria assured her "student" crisply, her amber eyes burning holes into Kazuma as she shot him a pointed look. "I figured you'd be at least ildy familiar with the layout of our fortress and the services we can provide after a month, Mr. Satou."

"I try to stay out of other people's business if it can be helped…" Kazuma meekly argued, trying my best not to start anything with his "mentor". He could square up to Serena's shit on account that they were both the only true humans in His Unholy Majesty's army, but everyone else intimidated the hell out of him. Even the amicable ones still tend to put the boy on edge.

"It'd also be easier for him to move around if he had a proper guide, you know." Sylvia chimed in, casting Kazuma a far warmer look than most of the other generals could ever manage. Why she'd taken a liking to me was beyond his scope of reasoning, but he certainly wasn't complaining about it either. "We practically live in a small city, and if I recall correctly, Serena struggled finding her way around as well."

"Yes, but at least I made an effort to familiarize myself with my new home instead of locking myself away in a goblin den," Serena countered, subtly-not-subtly aiming that last part at the hikikomori. "Satou hardly even makes an effort to socialize. He's less of a general and more of a parasite leeching off of our food and housing."

"Yes, because you're such an asset of value." Wolbach finally chimed in, leaning in slightly as she addressed the priestess with an agitated tone. "You certainly talk a big game, considering none of your informants have so much as blinked in our direction within the last six weeks. Be careful with who you call a parasite, Serena."

"Do not test me, Wolbach," Serena growled. "You may be a fallen goddess, but by the powers invested unto me by Regina, I can and will show you the power of Her vengeance…"

"Now, now! Let's all settle down for a moment!" Kage finally interjected, drawing the attention of all in the room. "We have gathered here for a reason, and if it's all the same to you, I'd prefer to get to said reason instead of indulging in a pointless shouting match. So, shall we?"

Nobody dared to object after that. Kage may have been a pretty chill guy despite being the Devil King, but none of the generals wanted to test the true extent of his patience, least of all Kazuma, who'd been nothing but secretly grateful for his kindness towards him.

"Wonderful. Now, onto business...there's been a series of disturbances in one of our local cities. Specifically, Tanzinear." The king intoned, gesturing to the large map laid out on the table, specifically a blue circle not particularly far from the location of the fort. "Nothing too unruly, but frequent enough to at least justify a visit to the governor."

"So it's just a civil dispute then?" questioned Hans the Deadly Poison Slime in his human form (Kazuma had learned that slimes were no joke in this world unlike in most video games he's played back home). "No offense, Your Highness, but aren't negotiations more Serena's forte? I don't see why you need the rest of us for this if it's nothing particularly troublesome."

"I was actually getting to that, Hans. You see, there has been a far more severe incident in one of the border towns. Apparently, a group of adventurers have infiltrated the city at nightfall and attempted to stage a coup. Since the initial message of warning, no further contact has been made." Kage continued, a dark expression of concern sweeping over his face as he did so. "You and Syliva will go there, and fix the situation properly. The rest of you will leave for Tanzinear and await further instructions once there. If Sylvia and Hans require reinforcements for whatever reason, you will move to join them. Any questions?"

"Yes, won't the presence of most of your generals instill further civil unrest?" Beldia asked, his severed head resting comfortably on the table in front of him while his body leaned back and crossed its arms. "If I recall, the annexation of Tanzinear into our land was one riddled with tension all around. Wouldn't having all of us attend give our 'citizens' the wrong idea?"

"Perhaps, but a firm show of power would make it clear that disobedience is not to be tolerated." Wolbach mused from her side of the table, lacing her hands together as she hummed in contemplation. "Still, five generals and a trainee does seem like a bit too strong of a show. Maybe we should reconsider team placement?"

"Capital idea, Wolbach!" Kage complimented, causing the dark goddess to momentarily blush as a result. "I think I'll leave the splitting up part to you all; whoever you think you would work best with, go for it! Teamwork makes the dream work, as they say."

"I suppose that would be the easiest method." Akuria agreed hesitantly, her gaze sweeping past me for a moment before she turned to her father and nodded." Very well. Are we dismissed, father?"

"Yes, you are," Kage nodded, the small smile still adorning his face. "Report back once you've settled the disputes and put a stop to any and all potential insurrections. Meeting adjourned!"

With that, the assembled generals started to depart, standing and making their way towards the exit while already starting to bicker about who would be paired with who. Before Kazuma reached the exit, however, Kage called out to him once more, waving him back over to the table.

"I'm in trouble, aren't I?" Kazuma guessed in slight panic as stepped over to the king he was lowkey kind of forced to serve under.

"Not in the slightest, no! I just wanted to...check up on you, see how you were feeling." The king replied, his smile slipping slightly into a more sympathetic and confused look. "I understand that the last month has provided you with its share of trials, and I just wanted to make sure it wasn't weighing too heavily on you."

"Oh! Uh…I've been hanging in there I guess," Kazuma answered reluctantly, scratching the back of his neck as he tried to prevent this from being awkward. "Mostly it's the culture shock of being in a completely alien world, I think. Well, that, and most of the generals kinda have it out for me since I'm the 'new kid' and have nothing to really offer in terms of powers or stats. So…yeah."

"Mhm. I had hoped that my daughter and the others would be a bit more understanding given your circumstances, but I recognize that they've never been the most emotionally inclined group." Kage mused, some sadness entering his tone as he shook his head slightly. "I do hope that they warm up to you soon. Above all else, we are not just allies here. We are family. Unorthodox, strange beyond words, but a family all the same."

"…thanks," Kazuma said quietly but earnestly, suddenly being reminded of his less-than-stellar home life. Ironically enough, he felt that this Devil King (whom he's only barely gotten to know after a month of living in his castle) was a way better father figure than his actual father. The struggling hikikomori didn't know whether to feel happy or depressed about that. "I appreciate the sentiment, Kage-sama."

"Of course. Well, that was all I had for you." Kage replied, his smile having returned as he offered the young man a small nod and smile. "Please feel free to rejoin your allies, I'm sure they're hammering out an agreement regarding teams as we speak."

Nodding quietly, Kazuma departed, unaware of the concerned frown that plagued Kage's features once he turned around. The rookie general stepped out into the hall where his fellow, more experienced, generals were conversing, seemingly already having come to an arrangement by the time Kazuma joined them. Not that it mattered much to him since he had a funny idea who he was going to be paired up with…again.

Half an hour later, the teams were finally sorted properly, with only a few assorted threats of violence over the end decision. Beldia would lead the first team of Sylvia and Hans to the border town and deal with the usperers while Akuria led Wolbach, Serena, and Kazuma to Tanzinear to check in with the governor. All in all, it could have been a lot worse.

Kazuma had been undergoing rigorous, intense training that he could only imagine was similar to Earth bootcamp during his first month at the castle. And while he has admittedly gained a little bit of muscle as a result, he still couldn't help but feel it was all just grueling exercises for so little gain, especially when he subconsciously compared himself to the rest of his colleagues. Being mostly demi-humans and the sort, it seemed power just came naturally to them, which did wonders for his already low self-esteem. Once again, he thanked his lucky stars that Vanir wasn't around to profit off his negativity.

"If all goes well, we should all be back here by the end of the week." Akuria stated as she addressed both teams just outside the fortress walls, waiting just before their respective wagons. "However, if things don't go according to plan, it doesn't hurt to have a plan in place. Does anyone have any last minute suggestions?"

"I feel as though our current parameters are fair enough, but if you feel it's necessary…" Beldia replied while holding his head, shifting slightly in consideration. "We always have the Slimelauncher."

"Nope, no way. I ain't doing that shit again." Hans interjected, looking thoroughly miffed at the suggestion. "Aside from the fact that it's humiliating, we literally both have people who can teleport. No launching required, right?"

"He has a point, unfortunately. Still, if prior communication is something that either of us need to employ, I'm sure Serena will still be more than happy to give us a list of her contacts." Wolbach chimed in, sparing the priestess and mildly passive aggressive look. "You wouldn't happen to have one on hand, would you?"

"As a matter of fact, I do, thank you very much." Serena shot back with narrowed eyes, passing off a small sheet of paper to Sylvia while glaring at the dark goddess. "I don't understand why you insist on trying to discredit me."

"It's because you fight a coward's war with lies and deceit." Wolbach replied evenly, smirking with righteous self confidence while holding Serena's gaze. "Real warriors aren't afraid to fight for what they believe in, let alone lift a finger."

Serena's eyes sharpened with restrained fury, and a fresh line of insults were prepared on the tip of her tongue...only for her to be interrupted by Kazuma's irritated, deadpan snark.

"For fuck's sake, you guys can't go an hour without fighting, huh?"

Instantly, Wolbach and Serena directed their respective glares at the unamused human who, while feeling pressured, felt the need to address the constant in-fighting. "I'm serious. With how often you two fight with one another, you might as well be five-year-olds! You're both grown-ass adults, start acting your age."

There was a brief beat of silence as six pairs of eyes watched him, and for the briefest of moments Kazuma was worried that he might have finally bitten off more than he could chew. However, those fears were quelled when Hans smirked, a short but genuine laugh bubbling out of him as he jabbed a finger at the priestess and goddess respectively.

"The kid's got ya there, ya can't lie!" teased the slime man as Wolbach and Serena aimed their sharp glares at him instead. "If a sixteen-year-old is calling you out on your age, you know you've done something wrong."

To Kazuma's unyielding surprise, the two women actually seemed the slightest bit embarrassed by his call out, though Serena had switched over to shooting him a withering glare while keeping her head bowed. However, Akuria chimed in seconds later, far less amused with the situation than her fellows.

"That is quite enough, people. Hans: teasing is not appreciated. Serena, Wolbach: quit bickering like brats. Kazuma…keep the comments to yourself. Got it?"

And just like that, the conflict was resolved with a few muttered apologies. Kage made a good point about the group being like a family, but one fact was recognized above all else by Kazuma from day one: Akuria was the boss. When she said drop it, you drop it. Whether it was a healthy mix of respect and fear or just her status, everyone listened to her when she spoke.

"Good," Akuria said with a calm nod, turning her attention away from the group as their personal escorts wheeled towards them. "We're burning daylight, let's go. Everyone with their assigned partners."

With that, the gang separated into their assigned groups and boarded their respective carts. Granted, they wouldn't be going their separate ways for a while down the main path, if Wolbach's map was to be believed. Still, Kazuma couldn't quell the bizarre feeling of dread that had settled in his chest. Sure, he wasn't close with any of these people, but he knew jack shit about their world and the dangers that lurked outside their fort.

Which is why, after a few moments of sitting in uncomfortable silence with Akuria, Wolbach, and Serena in their lavish demon carriage, he decided to ask the former, "So, uh, is there anything special I should know about Tanzinear going in? Like the geography or local wildlife or…?"

"It should be fairly standard, really. A few low-level monsters, nothing that we shouldn't be able to handle if they cross our path." Akuria replied, offering him a brief look of what he could only hope was reassurance. "There's a reason you were assigned to this team and not the other. The border cities suffer monster attacks weekly, not to mention I don't think you're quite ready to repel a coup."

"Me neither," Kazuma agreed matter-of-factly. "That being said, what's my role here exactly? Do I just stand as your bodyguard while you negotiate with the governor?"

"Essentially, yes. You'll get a peek at how we handle negotiations and diplomacy, compared to the more...violent side of the war." Akuria confirmed, grimacing slightly over that last part and shaking her head. "Be thankful that our armies haven't engaged in a siege. I don't think we'd be able to take you on that mission either."

"At this point, we might as well be babysitters for him…" Serena quietly growled to herself, though not quietly enough for Akuria to miss, if the daggers she was shooting the nervous priestess' way was any indication. Even though Kazuma hated to admit it, he felt partially inclined to agree with her on that assessment. When the generals registered his stats on a crystal ball, he was dismayed to find that aside from decent intelligence and abnormally high luck, everything else about him was average. Which might as well have been mediocre compared to his colleagues' stats.

"Well if you're offering to teach me a few party tricks, I'm open to learning." He huffed pointedly, turning in his seat to face the priestess and raising his eyebrows expectantly. "You say you're some kinda priest, but I haven't seen you cast a single spell or anything. So please, o' wise and powerful follower of Regina, show me how it's done."

"Oh, I'm so glad you asked~" the priestess said in a sickeningly sweet tone whilst dark magic swirled around her wiggling fingertips. "This one spell I know, Puppetry, can allow me to control anyone who feels they are indebted to me. And since I got you up this morning and prevented you from getting an earful, you should, in theory, be susceptible to it…"

"That sounds like a load of bullshit if it ever existed, but fine. I'll play your game." Kazuma snarked, leaning back in his seat and holding up his arms in anticipation. "Go ahead, puppet me."

Just as Serena was contemplating on it, she was snapped back to reality when Akuria roughly smacked the backside of her head. "Cease," She hissed venomously. "Manipulate the interloper and I will personally see to it that there are no more followers to the goddess Regina. Am I understood?"

"Y-yes, Akuria." Serena sputtered hastily, shrinking back slightly into her seat under the woman's frightening glare. Akuria felt content for a moment, figuring that yet another conflict was prevented for a time, but such hopes died a moment later as she glanced at Kazuma, and noticed that he actually looked a bit miffed with her.

"You do realize that it's gonna be really damn hard for me to learn magic if none of you ever show many any, right?" He deadpanned with an unamused expression, glancing around the carriage and at the generals he was assigned. "Seriously, in a month's time, I've only ever seen your father's weird shadow stuff, and getting clobbered in the head by one of Sylvia's tentacle-things. How am I supposed to learn what none of you show me?"

"First of all, we would like for you to master your own physical body before you start mastering the art of magic," Wolbach supplied in a sage-like manner. "There should be a healthy balance between strength in spells and strength within; over reliance on one or the other will only gimp you in the long run. Second of all, we'd prefer you'd train first so you can grind monsters to save up skill points for Intermediate Magic at best. Basic Magic has virtually no place in the Devil King's Army and is often discarded for more worthwhile skills."

Kazuma sighed heavily and rubbed his temples, barely retraining his frustration. He understood Wolbachs logic, and recognized that it was fair and solid...but it didn't make his life any easier. Currently, he knew no magic and was decent at best with a sword thanks to the training he was provided. He needed to make strides, and fast, because while Serena was a real pain in the ass about a lot of things, he knew she was dead on when it came to the simple fact that if he wasn't an asset, he was a liability...and liabilities didn't stick around.

"Even so, I still think you guys are putting unrealistic expectations on me," Kazuma admitted openly. This was not a new topic of conversation for anyone amongst the Devil King's court. "I keep telling you all I'm nobody special, but it seems to go in one ear and out the other. Just because I popped into your reality on accident one day doesn't make me some destined child or whatever. It's a cosmic fuckup more than anything."

"As I've said before, there's a reason for everything, Kazuma. You ended up in my father's throne room that day for a reason, whether you believe it or not." Akuria replied simply, though there was the slightest edge of warning to her tone. "Sooner or later, you'll figure it out. Until then, you train your ass off and learn what you can. Either way, you'll have your use to my father."

"Yes ma'am…" Kazuma resigned with a tired sighed while looking down. What did I do to deserve this? I'm honestly not sure which life I'd prefer living in right now.

A few hours down the road, and long after the two carriages split up, Kazuma's group finally arrived in Tanzinear, and with a few hours of daylight to spare, no less. As they stepped out of their carriage, the young man took a moment to admire the town they were in. Honestly, it looked like your standard JRPG medieval city, and, to be completely honest with himself, he was loving the fresh view compared to his old one at the fortress.

What kept Kazuma from completely enjoying himself, however, were the rows upon rows of scared and scornful townsfolk watching them walk by, mummers spreading like wildfire as the group eventually arrived at the governor's mansion. The armored guards at the gate visibly stiffened at their presence, but saluted all the same as they opened the gate for them.

"Well, certainly a warm welcome we're receiving on this day, isn't it?" He remarked sarcastically, for once unbothered by the look Akuria sent his way. "Doesn't seem like they were expecting our visit. Don't suppose your father passed along any of the specifics to you regarding why we're here?"

"He didn't expand upon his initial statement before our departure, no." Akuria replied with an unimpressed look, leveled at both the guards and her trainee. "I'm sure our local governor will be more than happy to provide us with the proper details."

"Alright then. Let's head inside and pray we'll only be using our words to settle matters," Kazuma said with a neutral tone to appease his mentor. It seemed to work well enough as Akuria nodded slightly in agreement and led her group inside the mansion. Stepping into the foyer, they were met with the governor himself walking down a spiral staircase. He was a portly, middle-aged man with a combover, and the second he laid eyes on the generals, he became visibly tense.

"Ah, General! I...wasn't expecting you so soon. Nor with reinforcements." He greeted, visibly keeping his composure despite the slight waiver to his tone betraying his unease. "I-I can assure you, the incidents I reported to your father are being dealt with. Your presence, while appreciated, is not necessary."

"That remains to be seen, Mr. Rowland," Akuria stated without emotion, eyes narrowing dangerously at the sweating governor. "You really should have a better handle on your people if all it took to stir up a hate rally was a couple of disgruntled drunkards."

"Y-yes, I suppose you're right, ma'am. However...I'm afraid things have escalated since then." The governor admitted, his expression faltering as he cleared his throat and elaborated. "Since the dispersal of the first rally and the report I sent to the King, two more rallies have cropped up, this time from a far less disorderly source. N-now, my guardsmen were able to shut both of these assemblies down fairly quickly, but I understand the severity of the situation."

"Quite. In that case, I believe a scheduled public announcement is in order," Akuria said, stepping up to the nervous man as though he invited himself into her home. "We expect to be accommodated accordingly while you and your men make the preparations for tomorrow morning…assuming you can handle that."

"Y-yes, of course. I'll begin dispersing the orders right away." Rowland assured her with a quick nod, before gesturing to the staircase behind himself with a only mildly trembling hand. "Your accommodations are upstairs, along the farthest left hall. There's only three rooms available at the moment, I'm afraid, b-but I can have a fourth prepared shortly."

"You have a room for yourself, don't you?" The Daughter asked rhetorically, smirking rather sadistically when the portly man before her whimpered ever so slightly. "That'll do just fine, thank you."

"O-of course, General. I'll...I'll alert the guard to your specifications. If you'll excuse me…" The governor hastily sputtered, before making his way out the front door with remarkable speed for a man his size. Akuria's smirk held as she turned to her comrades, with Wolbach and Serena looking just as amused and Kazuma a bit less so.

"I know it's not my place to judge how you do your job, but was being a dick to that guy really necessary?" Kazuma questioned with a raised brow and crossed arms. "I'm not saying you should act all buddy-buddy with him, but kicking him out of his own bedroom was kind of a low blow."

"Perhaps, but it's not as though the fool didn't earn it in some respects." Akuria countered, mirroring Kazuma's motion and talking down to him slightly, in a manner she usually reserved for his training. "He allowed sentiments against my father's kingdom to fester thanks to his inaction. If he wanted to put a stop the people's complaining earlier, he would have."

"Maybe so. Still, I doubt that kind of attitude will win anybody any favors, that's all I'm saying," Kazuma mumbled while glancing away from his superior officer.

"We're not looking for favors, Satou. No efficient empire would." Wolbach countered with no real hint of emotion, before stretching and starting for the stairs. "Well, I'm more than prepared to finally get some rest without any more bickering. I'll be down for dinner, until then, try to keep from breaking anything. That goes for you too, Serena."

Said priestess growled under her breath but didn't say anything back as she, Wolbach, and Kazuma went to pick out their rooms. After being rudely shoved out of the way by Serena, who swiftly entered the room he was about to choose for himself, Kazuma grumbled hatefully and walked down the farthest room at the end of the hall, locking the door shut and face-planting on the bed in frustration.

"What a goddamn day…" He grumbled into his pillow, before lifting up his head and sighing heavily. In all likelihood, he wasn't gonna get any sleep tonight. As such, he only had a few options of what he could do instead. He could mull over the day's events into the next morning, but that felt pretty pointless. On the other hand...he could attempt to do some monster hunting on the edge of town when everyone was asleep. "Akuria did say that the monsters around here weren't too tough...I really gotta start to prove myself, too."

With his decision made, Kazuma settled for sneaking out late at night and getting a head start on grinding for levels. After sharpening his sword for a while in preparation, he was called down to join for dinner, a group activity he'd always despised even amongst his family back home. The socially awkward young man could never know when was and wasn't the right time to converse with others over dinner, and the hanging silence that usually filled the air tended to make him uncomfortable. So having to be seated with demonic co-workers who merely tolerated his presence at best didn't improve his stance on the matter.

Luckily, it wasn't the most painful experience in the world, but a part of Kazuma suspected that the only reason everyone stayed so civil was over the quality of the food itself, which was admittedly amazing. An hour or so later, everyone had retired to their respective rooms for the night, and Kazuma packed what he needed for his training session. His short sword, the two healing potions he'd been provided before they left the fort, and the spare map of town.

Y'know, I think this is the first time I've ever snuck out to go do…anything, really! Kazuma idly thought to himself as he minded his weight on the hardwood floor to not stir anyone awake. While he did briefly toy with the idea of simply running away all together, he talked himself out of it. Because other than the fact he'd be hunted down in a completely foreign world all on his own…a small voice in the back of his head asked him how Kage or even Sylvia would feel if he did that. They were the only two people in the castle who ever treated Kazuma with an ounce of respect and hospitality. It just didn't seem right to him.

…Goddamnit, this is what Stockholm Syndrome is like, isn't it?

Shrugging off that thought for another time, Kazuma continued to make his way down the hall and stairs respectively, before just walking out the front door and making his way through town. It was pretty easy even without the map, though that was mostly because there wasn't anyone out save the few guard patrols that he evaded pretty easily. Ten or so minutes later, he'd reached the edge of town and found himself staring at the relatively foreboding woods that lay nearby.

Taking out his blade in advance, Kazuma proceeded into the woods cautiously, eyes peeled for anything and everything. After roughly ten minutes of peaceful, uninterrupted walking, the sound of a twig snapping nearby spooked him into crouching into the shrubbery below him. While he didn't have any skills yet that could enhance his vision, Kazuma was soon able to identify what had made the sound:

A small pack of roaming goblins.

Taking a deep breath in preparation, Kazuma drew his sword, waiting patiently for the goblins to get closer. As they neared, Kazuma was able to get a proper headcount on them two, noticing about twenty of them...which was unfortunately nineteen more than a fair fight would allow. Still, he wasn't gonna level up by sitting around, so as the goblin gaggle slowly moved past him, he gripped his sword, and lunged out at the goblin the furthermost back of the pack.

Kazuma's intended stealth attack miraculously worked (his abnormally high luck likely having played a factor in it), and the goblin quietly dropped dead without alerting it's brothers. As the Japanese teen swiftly crouched back down into his hiding spot, he could feel his heart pumping with blood and excitement. That felt amazing! It was almost like he was playing the role of a stealth-crit build character in an RPG. He figured that, for now, striking from the shadows would be the best way to go about leveling up until he got powerful enough to fight out in the open more.

And so that became the name of the game. Over the next ten minutes, Kazuma darted across the paths, picking off goblins left and right until 20 became ten, and ten became five. Either his luck really was a godly as his trainers had told him, or goblins were dumb as dirt...or a combination of both, frankly. Either way, Kazuma was on Cloud Nine now that he had a proper way to gain experience.

Sadly, all good things must come to an end, for his carelessness caused him to slice the next goblin's neck at the wrong angle, making its death noticeably more loud and gurgling as it slumped over. The four remaining goblins quickly turned around and witnessed Kazuma stuck halfway in a shrub trying to conceal himself when he knew he had screwed up.

"Uh...hey, guys. Beautiful night, right?" He offered with a nervous chuckle, before hastily backpedaling as the four remaining goblins charged him with unprecedented speed. Dodging their swipes as best he could, he managed to find weak spots in their fairly repetitive fighting style, and with a couple of quick jabs, four more goblins lay on the forest floor while a winded Kazuma caught his breath.

"Goddamn…" he said to himself in between breathes. "I am…fucking amazing. Heh…heh, heh. Like, shit, that was kinda badass of me! I think I gained a level or two from that as well!"

Kazuma's celebration was brought to a sharp end as a low, animalistic growl rang out from behind him. Whipping around, his smile fell away as he came face to muzzle with a large, panther-like beast that looked about ready to take his head right off his shoulders with its fangs. A Rookie Killer.

"…I hate this good-for-nothing world."

The beast roared in the young man's face, resulting in him emitting a less than manly shirek and falling on his ass, scrambling backwards as fast as he could as the Rookie Killer stalked closer, fangs glinting in the moonlight as it prepared to do just as its name implies. With his back against a tree, Kazuma covered his face and waited for the (likely painful) end as the creature snarled once more-

"Freeze Gust!"

Only for it to suddenly be trapped in a solid block of ice. Kazuma shook his head in disbelief, slowly getting up to inspect the frozen Black Fang until he was suddenly pulled away by a very irate Wolbach.

"Oh...hey, Wol. Fancy meeting you here...this late...exactly in the right place to save my ass." Kazuma managed under the dark goddess' fiery glare. "L-listen, I know what you're gonna say-"

"No you do not, Satou," Wolbach practically snarled in a manner not dissimilar to the Rookie Killer that was close to making a snack out of him. "For I don't even have the words to express how furious and disappointed I am in you right now."

Despite himself, Kazuma shrank back a little, the slightest stab of regret piercing him. He and Wolbach sure as hell weren't friends, but she was never quite as mean as the others. She was usually patient with him, and maybe even the slightest bit understanding. Bowing his head, Kazuma felt the distinct sting of shame as he muttered a quiet but genuine apology to the goddess.

"There's no excuse for my actions," the young man muttered, the pang of guilt burning his heart. "I'm sorry, Wolbach-sama…"

With his head bowed and eyes fixed on the floor, Kazuma missed that way that Wolbach's angry expression faltered, as the fury melted away into annoyance, then acceptance. Slowly, almost uncertain with the motion, she placed a hand on Kazuma's shoulder and gave it a short squeeze, bringing his gaze back up to meet her own.

"While I don't approve of your actions here tonight, I can at least understand why you did it," said the dark goddess, her kuudere vibes succeeding in easing Kazuma's inner turmoil. "You're trying to better yourself for the team so you don't become a liability to us. That's something I can respect, even if you don't think so yourself. You're still young, Kazuma, practically a baby from my perspective. In time, you will grow up into not only a competent warrior worthy of the title of general…but also a fine adult as well."

"I...thank you, Wolbach. Really." Kazuma managed after a few moments of stunned silence, surprised by the kind sentiment he was receiving. From the day they'd first met, he always expected Wolbach to see him as little more than just some kid. To hear that she expected to see him grow both as a person and a warrior...it meant a lot. "I don't even know what to say, just...thanks."

"You're welcome…but do not convince yourself that you have evaded trouble just yet," Wolbach pointedly told him, pointing a single finger at the frozen monster and disintegrating it with a powerful Fire Blast. "Seeing as how you are a junior among the generals, you are to report yourself to The Daughter and receive punishment for sneaking out after curfew. Welcome to the Devil King's Army, Kazuma Satou."

"Yeah, I figured the other shoe was gonna drop. Understood." Kazuma replied with a sigh, knowing full well that Wolbach's request was fair, and that one nice speech wasn't gonna make them buddies. Still, he couldn't be too upset at the moment. "Thanks for saving my ass anyways. I'm sure it would have been a lot of paperwork to say I got eaten by a big panther."

The fallen goddess managed a small chuckle at that. "Yes, it would have, not to mention how it would also stain the fearsome reputation of the Devil King's finest. A tad embarrassing for everyone involved, no?"

"Oh, I'm a trainee. I'm sure people would cut you guys a bit of slack." Kazuma snorted, before glancing at the ash pile that used to be the Rookie Killer and grimacing. "But it would have been an awful way to go out, I recognize that much."

"Indeed," Wolbach agreed, stopping mid-step to smirk back at the general-in-training. "Oh, and Satou? You were right, I really should act my age around Serena. I don't know what it is about that mortal, but she has this uncanny talent for finding her way under everyone's skin, even for someone who's been around longer than this world."

"Oh, tell me about it. She is a remarkable pain in the ass, I'll give her that." Kazuma agreed with his own smirk, earning him the slightest chuckle from the dark goddess before she could think better of it. "Guess we would be heading back, then? I don't wanna get yelled at more than I have to."

"I can't say I enjoy getting yelled at by my commanding officer either, so your desire is understandable," Wolbach agreed, though the small smirk on her face never left. "That being said, however, it's not a particularly long walk back to the governor's house. And it is a rather beautiful night out. But if you'd rather have me teleport you straight to Akuria so you can receive your punishment now rather than later, I wouldn't fault you…"

"...eh, I think I could use the fresh air." Kazuma replied with a shrug, figuring that it couldn't hurt to take the scenic route. He was gonna get yelled at regardless, so...why not enjoy the little things while he could? "It's nice to be able to see the stars for a change, y'know. Couldn't do that too often back home."

"Hmm…you know, as a former goddess myself, I've had to overlook alt. worlds before," Wolbach said as the two began their walk back to the manor. "Maybe if you described yours a little more in detail, I might be able to peg which one you originated from. My memory is admittedly a little fuzzy but still, no harm in guessing, right?"

"Yeah, no harm at all." Kazuma admitted quietly, letting the calm moment hold as he walked alongside his fellow general back towards the mansion, enjoying the peace while it lasted. Maybe things weren't gonna be so bad in this new world after all.