KonoSuba: A Tale of this Beautiful World Vol3

by Dknightodin

The third volume of the series.

6. Chapter 5: Blessings of a Demon Kind Pt1

Chapter 5: Blessings of a Demon Kind Pt.Ⅰ

Part 1

The following morning Megumin returned. Though the others assailed her with a flurry of questions about her disappearance and wellbeing, Megumin refused to give them solid answers; all she gave them were faint smiles. To me, she said nothing, going as far as to avoid eye contact or even stand near me. Honestly, even for a guy like me...it was a bit much to handle.

As for the preparations I was said to be making, they were instead fulfilled by Heidel and so, there was little point to staying any longer; it was time to leave the capital.

"Aqua-sama, thank you again for showing me your magic acts; I hope you show me more when you all return."

"Of course, Iris-chan; after all, I still have plenty more I can't wait to debut," Aqua said with a pompous smile. "Look forward to them."

"I will." She then turned to Darkness. "Lalatina, please continue to be a good friend and subject. I have no doubt you'll protect Onii-sama and the others, so there's no need to ask this of you. Please come back safely."

"Of course, Hime-sama." Darkness gave a short nod.

"Megumin-nee… Please be well. I can't wait to go on more adventures together."

She nodded silently; because of this, Iris sighed and stared at her worriedly, but nothing else came of this.

Finally, Iris turned to me. "Onii-sama...please come back. I eagerly await more stories of your adventures."

"Umu."

"And don't forget"—Iris drew close, and grabbed my hand—"Be safe."

I instinctively glanced at Megumin. Her eyes were shut, avoiding the scene, but the slight expression she showed was one of major restraint. If her eyes were visible, I'm sure they would've been a much deeper shade of red than normal.

"Uh, umu...r-right."

"Kazuma-dono," Claire said, appearing from around the coach. "preparations are complete. If there's nothing else, I believe it's time for you to depart."

"Sure. Thanks for the help."

"Is… Is that genuine praise?"

"Hey, don't act like I'm incapable of praising," I said sort of listlessly; my response lacked the usual snappiness.

"...Hmm… Farewell then, Kazuma-dono."

"Right, you too."

We boarded the carriage, and after a few more goodbyes, left.

"Umm, Megumin…" Darkness said with mild apprehension.

The three of them were stuck to a seat. Of course, I knew the reason being Megumin didn't want to sit near me.

"Sorry," She said, getting up. "I'll take the seat up front."

"Megumin, hold on, what—"

The door to the carriage slammed shut, and now it was just me, Darkness, and Aqua sitting inside.

"Kazuma…" Darkness looked to me now.

"What?" I replied, though I tried to focus my attention on the going ons outside.

"What do you mean, 'what?'. What's going on between you and Megumin?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Do you really think I'm that dense?!"

"Haven't you've proven that plenty of times?"

Darkness squeaked. "Why you..."

"I don't really know what you've done now," Aqua interjected, "but I know poor Megumin isn't acting normal. She didn't even respond when I told her about the peculiar shaped rock I found outside my room."

"Do you really ask her about such dumb things? Look, I don't know what's going on with her."

Darkness scoffed. "Why don't you try asking her, then?"

I sat up. "Don't you think I have? She just ignores me, and walks off."

"Are you absolutely sure you don't know?" Aqua probed.

"I'm telling you, I don't."

"Something must've happened on the night she disappeared," Darkness said, slowly stroking her chin. "Before then, she was acting normal. Kazuma, think; was there anything odd going on between the both of you the day before?"

"Oh, you mean the day you guys got me locked in my room? No, can't say there was," I said sarcastically.

"I-I mean besides that."

"Eh, just drop it."

"What do you mean 'just drop it'? Doesn't it bother you that Megumin's acting this way? You too, you've also been acting more irritable as of late; why is it?"

"Maybe cause you keep asking stupid questions. Can we stop, I really don't wanna have this discussion right now."

"So, it is bothering you."

I ignored her comment, and looked out the window once again.

She let out a deep sigh. "Fine."

-Later that day; evening…

"Sir," the driver called out, "it's getting late, would you like to pull over for the night?"

"Here?"

"No, Sir; at the nearby town."

Right. Since this was a single wagon and not a caravan, stopping in the middle of the wild would've been dangerous. The natural deterrent of traveling in a large group didn't apply, nor did the ease of switching drivers. Obviously, this meant we'd have to make several stops along the way. Then again, given the party's average level, it was unlikely we'd be attacked by local monsters; having said that, the biggest issue didn't lie in insufficient levels, but in the goddess whose natural talent must've been attracting trouble.

"Two rooms," I said to the inn clerk.

He stared at me, and then at the girls. "Our rooms only have one bed...and they only fit two people."

"That's fine," Megumin interjected.

"It'll be the two rooms at the end of the hall." The clerk handed her the keys. "Have a good night."

"Darkness, I'll sleep with you," She announced. "Here you go, Aqua." Megumin gave her our set of keys.

Immediately after, she disappeared into the room.

Darkness sighed, yet again. "See you tomorrow," She said, joining Megumin in her seclusion.

When the door closed, Aqua looked at me. "I'm taking a bath first."

"Whatever. I'm going to sleep."

-In the other room…

"Megumin…"

"Hm? What's wrong, Darkness?"

"That's what I want to know! What's going on between you and Kazuma? Both of you are being so—"

"Darkness...I'm a bit tired, so...I'm going to sleep."

"Me...gumin…"

I quickly settled myself into the bed; moments later, I felt Darkness do the same. Some time passed with silence being predominant, however, Darkness spoke.

"This morning, when you came back, Aqua healed you; what happened to you last night that you'd need her to do that?"

"..."

"Megumin."

I pulled the sheets higher. "I'm really tired, Darkness. I...don't wanna...speak, right now. Please...just let me rest."

"...If you say so."

I felt Darkness turn away.

Sometime later, after I determined Darkness was already sleeping, I got up and went to the bathroom. I didn't need to use it for its designed purpose, no, rather, I found myself needing a private place to vent the feelings I've bottled up since the trip started, namely, sorrow.

I didn't know how much time passed while I sat crying, but at some point, there was a knock on the bathroom door.

"Megumin?" It was Darkness.

"Y-Yes?"

"Are you alright?"

"Umu, I-I'll be right out," I said, quickly wiping my face. "Give me a minute."

I got up and opened the door.

Without letting Darkness get a clear look, I walked past her, and climbed into bed once more. Even with my back to her, I could tell she was staring at me.

After a few seconds, I heard her sigh, and the door close.

I shut my eyes, but I knew...I wasn't getting any sleep tonight either.

-The following morning…

Once we were back on the road, I looked to Darkness and, more notably, the girl sleeping on her shoulder.

"She didn't get any sleep?" I finally asked.

"I suppose not; though, I was sure she did."

I took another glance at Megumin, when Darkness interrupted.

"Kazuma...I know I keep asking, but…"

I shifted in my seat, and looked back out the window. "...I don't know what you want me to tell you."

"You're not really being forthcoming with us, are you. You may think that because it's an issue between you and Megumin, that Aqua and I don't have any stance in the matter."

"Cause you don't."

"Really?" Darkness knit her brows in anger. "Then I suppose you saving me from Alderp was none of your concern either."

I couldn't really say anything to counter that.

In my silence, Darkness continued. "Kazuma, are we not friends?"

Her saying this made me feel slightly uncomfortable; of course we were friends, but I couldn't really find the courage in myself to tell her what happened; in fact, I was still in disbelief of whether or not it really took place.

Aqua was unusually quiet. She sat with her arms and legs crossed, looking at me with an unsatisfactory gaze.

I frowned. "Oi, what's with that look? You got something to say, too?"

She sighed deeply. "All I have to say is, I'm not surprised."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that because Kazuma-san doesn't have any experience in dealing with friends, much less, relationships, something like this isn't a shock."

"You know, if you're looking to ride with the rest of the cargo all you have to do is ask; no need to piss me off. In anycase, both of you don't need to concern yourselves with my problems; unlike the rest of you, I can handle my own issues."

"If it was something concerning just you, I'd be fine with it, but poor Megumin is suffering as well."

"Then why don't you try asking her about it?"

"I have," Darkness interjected. "And she's just as receptive to it as you are." Her sharp look of disdain, softened. "Kazuma, please, allow us to help."

"Can you stop that, you're making it sound like I have a problem. Anyway, look, I'll deal with this myself; there's no need for either of you to get involved."

Darkness scoffed. "Is that how I sounded back then, when you offered to help me? I can tell from personal experience that this is a genuine cry for help, so stop being stubborn about it and just accept it already!"

"Oi, aren't you being a little aggressive given the context of things? Just shut up and leave me alone… I don't need any help, ok? If you keep pestering me about it, I'll misplace your underwear next time you go bathe."

"A-As if you'd get me with such timid levels of harassment; something like that I'd hardly consider a threat nowadays!"

"H-Hey, you should at least show some worry."

Suddenly, Aqua got up from her seat, smiling excitedly.

"Hey, what's with you? Sit down before you get hurt; you know how bumpy these rides can be."

"No, can't you feel it?!" Aqua said, still smiling widely.

"Feel what? If it's anything you'd get excited over, it's a real cause for concern."

"Alcanretia, we're getting close to Alcanretia!"

"Oi, driver, don't take the next stop."

"No, what are you saying? We should definitely stop there—"

"Did your brain fall out, just now? What nonsense are you saying? There's no way we're stopping at Alcanretia! Besides, it hasn't been very long since we were last there."

"It's been a whole month!"

"And it'd still be too soon! Forget it, the last thing I need is more stress in my life."

Aqua scowled at me, and then planted herself in her seat. "It's no wonder a NEET like you is having issues with Megumin."

I scowled back.

Ordinarily, her comment would be enough to drive me to take action, but in this instance, the fact that it hit a bit close to home, stopped me. Why did I feel there was a grain of truth to what she said?

I turned away from them, and continued looking at the passing scenery; of course, my attention wasn't really on it, but on the things said and done. And so, the ride continued like this, all of us hesitant to say anything to one another.

We passed Alcanretia, and at some point, Megumin woke up.

"Oh, Megumin, you're awake?" Darkness said as Megumin rubbed her eyes groggily.

"Ugh, where are we?"

"We're still on the road," I replied. By now, I had grown tired of sitting, so I laid across the length of the seat.

Megumin stared at me silently, and then got up and stretched.

"I need some fresh air; I'll head up front."

I sat up in frustration. "Oi, come on, how long are you gonna keep this up?"

She cast a glare at me, and then left.

"See?!" I said, looking at Darkness and Aqua. "I don't know what's up with her. Tch, whatever." I laid back down.

"I can't help but feel this is related to something you've done to her, Kazuma," Darkness replied. "Feel like letting us in on some details?"

"...Like I said, I don't know; if I knew something more...then, I'd tell you."

"Really?"

"...Honestly, I think it's just a bout of jealousy."

It wasn't exactly a lie. Then again, I knew for a fact that it wasn't as simple as that; the ring that sat in my pocket proved that to me.

Eventually, the day waned into the evening.

"Ugh." I rubbed my stomach. "Oi, driver, are there any villages nearby? I'd like to get something to eat."

"No, Sir. Unfortunately, from here to the Crimson Village lies open plains home to monsters. I'm afraid our last chance was the villages near Alcanretia."

Therein lies the problem; the villages and towns near Alcanretia were home to Axis Cultists. And staying in one of these places was essentially like staying in Alcanretia itself, minus the luxury...whatever that was. Naturally, I opted to avoid these places, much to Aqua's chagrin.

"Humph, what a shame. If only you stopped at one of the places of my believers, you'd be enjoying a fine meal and appropriate treatment." In the opposite seat, the delusional goddess who said this, opened up a small container. "I can see you're pretty hungry, Kazuma. If you prostrate yourself before me and admit how much of a no-good unbelieving NEET otaku you are, I might consider sharing a bit of this tuna mayo with you."

"I'd rather eat something Darkness cooked up."

The pervert beside her shuddered.

"Besides," I continued, "isn't that the same tuna mayo you made yesterday? Wouldn't something like that go bad?"

Aqua ignored me, and happily shoved a spoonful into her mouth. "Are you really saying that something made by a goddess' hands would spoil? Silly, Kazuma, how many times do I have to tell you my powers are beyond the scope of your imagination?"

"You never said anything like that... But I guess adding another moniker to your already impressive list of useless titles is something too."

"Sir," the driver called out, "there appears to be an inn of some sort up ahead."

"An inn? Out here?"

"Would you like to stop at it?"

"Yeah. I bet you're tired too."

The driver gave me an embarrassed chuckle.

With that settled, we pulled into the inn and dismounted.

"Sir, I'll stay out with the carriage. Have yourselves a good rest."

"Umu, thanks."

I looked up at the glowing sign over the entrance. Hero's Respite.

"I don't think I've ever seen an inn during our previous visits," Darkness remarked, walking over.

Megumin spoke. "That's because nothing like this existed; it seems to be a relatively new structure."

"Come on, let's head in!" Aqua said excitedly.

As I opened the front door, we were immediately confronted by, presumably, the one running the inn.

"Welcome, weary travelers, to the Hero's Respite; the best inn this side of Belzerg! I am the keeper of this hallowed ground, number one proprietress in all the Crimson Village, Pinopi!"

Pinopi, a Crimson Demon like all others, jet black hair and red eyes. Her outstanding features were few, but the ones that did stand out were quite notable...especially her exceptionally long hair which she had tied in a high ponytail...and the set of racks suffocating under her shirt.

"A Crimson Demon? Outside the village?"

"Umu. But I see you already have one of our own in your party. You're Megumin, aren't you? Daughter of Hyoizaburo and Yuiyui."

Megumin gave a brief nod.

"I see." Pinopi smiled. "This must mean that this is the actual party that defeated the Demon King. To think I'd be so lucky as to have you guys visit so soon."

"Hmm, it's lucky that we found this place and all, but what are you doing out here?" I asked. "Isn't it unusual for you guys to leave the village?"

"Ah, well… It's a bit of a long story, but the Crimson Demons have fallen on hard times now that the Demon King is gone. We've gotta expand our ventures outside the village otherwise we won't make it past winter."

"Wait, really?"

"No, but it sounded pretty dreadful, didn't it?"

"..."

"Well, everything but the last part is true. With the Demon King and most of the tough monsters gone, our expertise is becoming less...required. Of course, us Crimson Demons aren't just experts at combat; we're masters of magical arts, and so our main methods of finding service has just shifted a bit."

"I see."

"Anyhow, like I said, my name is Pinopi. Me and my younger brother run this inn together."

"Younger brother?"

"Umu. His name is Onahameru. He handles most of the utility work while I tend to...let's say...customer satisfaction."

Megumin glanced over at Darkness and Aqua. "Do you guys wanna sleep in the same room?"

"Sure." "I don't mind." Each one said, respectively.

"We'll have two rooms, please."

"Ok, two rooms," Pinopi said, sliding behind the counter. "Let me see what I have available." She opened what I presumed to be a ledger.

"Are you guys booked? That's impressive considering this is pretty recent," I remarked.

She closed the book with a smile. "Nope. You guys are our first customers."

"..."

Why was I expecting anything less?

"Right this way, let me show you to your rooms."

We followed her through the atrium and into the inn proper. To my surprise, the inn was stylized in Japanese architecture with the halls decorated with shrine archways, floors covered in dark-grained wood, and shoji sliding doors. The colors, in contrast, were—of course—the iconic red and black of the Crimson Demons.

"Right here, Hero-san; this will be your room."

In front of the sliding doors was a talisman which Pinopi promptly ripped off.

"Talisman? Wait, are you guys having issues with undead?"

"Oh, I didn't tell you, Hero-san; this place was built over a mass grave of demons and monsters slain by us."

I frowned. "You're obviously kidding, right?"

Pinopi shrugged. "Maybe."

"Wait, what do you mean 'maybe'?!"

"In any case, spirits or undead aren't much of an issue to us, so if you spot any, please be sure to tell us."

"Don't worry," Aqua said, butting in, "I'm an Archpriest." Then she turned to me with an annoying grin. "Are you scared, Kazuma? There, there, I'll exorcise your room before we go to sleep. Aren't I such a benevolent goddess?"

I was starting to regret stopping at this place.

Following the Japanese theme, the rooms were practical replicas of those back home...with the exception of needless extras that screamed chuunibyou.

Our hostess then said, "Once you've all settled in, please meet me in the main hall; I'll show you around the place as well as the available amenities."

"Ah, about that," I said, stopping her. "I'm kinda hungry; is there a lounge or foodbar I can get something at?"

"Food?" She said, tilting her head in perplexity. "Ah, that's right, food! Don't worry, Hero-san, we serve only the best food around, part of your all-inclusive package."

"Package? I don't remember purchasing any packages." I couldn't help but think, "What's with this girl?"

Pinopi waved off my comment. "Since you all are our first patrons, allow us to toss this in free-of-charge. Think of it as a gift in commemoration of this occasion."

To be honest, I was a bit wary of everything...this was a Crimson Demon, after all; that being said, I was too hungry and tired to dwell on such matters, and so, I went along with it.

Most of our stuff was still on the carriage, but since we were staying the night, I expected a change of clothes would be needed.

After returning from outside, I laid down on the tatami mat floor, and closed my eyes. It was a long time since I remembered this feeling...a really long time. My room back in Japan was built to modern specifications so, save for the living room, the rest of the house had either wood flooring or was carpeted.

Thinking back on it, the only place that I could remember having tatami flooring as a set piece was my grandparent's home. Boy was it a long time ago. I barely remember anything from back then, but the feeling of lying down on tatami during those warm summer days...that still lingered in my memory.

GRRRRR!

"Ugh…" Then I remembered, I was still hungry.

Having settled in, I exited my room and went to the main hall; the sooner this tour was done, the sooner I'd be able to get something to eat. When I arrived, the others were already there.

"Finally, took you long enough," Aqua said with frustration.

"If you wanted me to get here earlier, why didn't you just come get me?"

"As much as I take care of you, I'm not your mother, so please don't assume I'll be there to hold your hand at every turn."

Was this girl really saying such stupid things?

I frowned, and then turned towards our hostess. "If it's alright with you, let's start this. I'm starving."

Pinopi smirked. "With pleasure, Hero-san."

Part 2

"If you'll follow me, over here is the lounge."

"Wow," Darkness said, "it's spacious."

"Of course. It's suitable to practice your victory poses, threats, and choreography. The furniture has even been enchanted so you can use them as target practice—just in case you need that extra oomph in your act."

"..."

"Pi onee-chan." A young Crimson Demon boy walked in from the other room, and froze. "Ah, customers?!"

Going off of what we were told, this must've been Pinopi's little brother—and little he was, standing around Megumin's height.

"Ah, Hamu-chan, good timing; this is Hero-san and his party mates. Look, even our very own Megumin is here."

"I see… It seems what the diviner said was right; such meetings in life are preordained by none other than the gods."

"Not really," Aqua remarked. "Most of the time we're too busy to be concerned with things like fate."

The goddess who passed off the majority of her responsibilities to her kouhai; just who was this girl referring to, certainly not herself.

Pinopi's brother swept back the long hair in front of his face and posed with the over-the-top flair of the Crimson Demons.

"Welcome travelers, my name is Onahameru, foremost magical technician of the Crimson Village."

"Ah, I forgot to introduce ourselves. I'm Kazuma, Slayer of the Demon King. This is Darkness, our Crusader and heiress to the Dustiness family. This blue thing here is our wayward Archpriest, her name is Aqua. And I guess Megumin needs no introduction."

They nodded in admiration.

"Megumin-san, you have a good party," Onahameru remarked.

"Thank you," She replied with an unusually tame voice.

Pinopi spoke. "Anyway, I'll have Hamu show you the rest of the stuff. I'll go get the food ready."

Food. Just hearing the word my stomach grumble with anticipation.

Pinopi left, and Onahameru turned his attention to us.

"Well then, let me show you the rest of the place. Past the lounge, over there, are the baths."

"Are they mixed?" I had to ask, even under the withering stares from the girls.

"Uhhh, well, they...they can be"—they stared at him as well—"if-if that's what you want!" Onahameru cleared his throat, and continued. "Anyhow, the water used in the hot springs is divine. You see, long ago this very place was said to be the battleground in which the gods and devils waged a harrowing war. The goddess who fought here and defeated the demon forces was said to leave a lasting purifying aura in the area."

"Really?"

Though I didn't believe it in the slightest, I looked to Aqua for confirmation; however, the supposed deity seemed to gobble up the entire story.

"Let's move on." He led us out back. "Over here are the training grounds. You can use this place to practice large-scale combat techniques and spells. Every once in a while there's a surge of monsters and undead in the area, so I'd encourage going all out in an effort to curb the growing threat."

If that was even remotely true, why the hell did they pick such a troublesome spot for a rest area?!

"That's pretty much it. I'm sure Pi onee-chan showed you the rooms, right?"

I nodded.

"Alright then, hope you all enjoy your stay. I have to run back and feed the boiler before it explodes. Cya."

⸻!⸻

Shortly after that alarming statement, Pinopi returned. As I was starving at this point, I decided to stay in the lounge. The others made for the baths in the meantime.

"Ah, Hero-san, I've been looking for you."

"Have you?"

"Umu. I bring good news, the food is here."

I quickly sat up. "Bring me a couple bowls of whatever you got, please."

"Right, I'll be right back, then; just a second."

A few minutes later, she returned with a tray. A lone bowl was sitting upon it, with chopsticks placed upon the bowl itself.

"Here we are, Hero-san; please enjoy."

She placed the tray before me, and stepped back with a courteous smile.

"...Oi, you mind telling me what is this?"

In the bowl was a dried out square of what was undeniably prepackaged ramen.

"That, Hero-san is a prized food item brought to our village by some faraway travelers."

I couldn't deny the authenticity of what she said, but…

I listlessly said, "Itadakimasu."

I would be having prepackaged ramen for dinner...how nostalgic.

-Meanwhile, in the baths…

"Strange," Aqua said. "I haven't really felt any divinity in these waters… Oh wait, now I do. Seems like it just took a few minutes."

The conceivable truth was that my brethren spun a story, and the divinity that Aqua was feeling was likely her own.

"Megumin, you've been awfully quiet," Darkness remarked.

I laid back against the corner of the bath and closed my eyes. "Umu, I'm just enjoying the bath, Darkness."

"That so? The temperature of the water is quite nice, slightly warmer than usual hot springs." Darkness smirked. "In a way, I can use this as a passive form of training. A-Actually, now I wonder how warm it can get? Should I see how long I can hold my breath as well?!"

"Megumin?" Aqua said, getting my attention.

"Hm, what is it, Aqua?"

"Did that hikiNEET do anything to you? If he did, I'll be sure to give him a right beating. You may not be a full-fledged Axis devotee, but you're still someone who's dear to me and the order. All you have to do is give me the signal and I'll make it so that he wakes up with a wet bed every morning."

I smiled faintly. "Thanks, Aqua, but it's ok."

She gave me a concerned frown. "I don't know what happened between you and him, but I can tell, Megumin, you're not your usual impulsive self."

I knit my brow slightly, and sighed. "Kazuma…" Just saying his name made my chest tighten and a knot form in my throat. I swallowed silently, and then went on. "Kazuma...I…He… He-He needs to… I'm…" Frustrated with my inability to get a coherent statement out, I slapped the surface of the water. "I'm waiting for his decision! Kazuma...he has to decide."

"Decide what?" Darkness questioned.

I looked away, and felt my knees tuck themselves close. "...Nothing," I whispered.

I could still catch the concerned faces of both, Aqua and Darkness, but I stayed silent.

"I'm...done. I'm going to bed."

"Wait, Megumin," Darkness called out, but I had already lifted myself out of the bath and made my way to the changing room.

I locked the door, and took the towel laid out in the basket. As I stood in quiet contemplation, I pressed it against myself, my face, and then felt my knees grow weak.

"Idiot," I said under my breath. "Idiot. Why won't you try already?"

Once again, I felt the onset of tears approach, and pressed the towel to my face.

-Elsewhere…

I lay on the futon, staring at the circular piece of metal held between my fingers. The scene that resulted in her ring falling into my possession played over and over in my mind, the words she said, the look on her face. I knew Megumin could act rashly, but this ring, the marriage...it meant too much to her; I could never have expected her to do something like this.

What did she want from me, really? I wish Megumin would just hurry up and tell me, then I could do it and get things back to the way they were. Should I just ask her? Should I just really try and ask Megumin what she wanted from me, what I could do to fix this?

Tired, I put my hands down and just beyond the sliding doors, there she stood, eyes locked to my own, full of the same shock I felt.

"Megumin!" I said instinctively sitting up.

Without a word, she quickly turned away and walked off.

"Wait!" I yelled, but for some reason, I froze; I couldn't find it in myself to chase after her.

I slowly laid back down, and stared at the ring once more.

Why did I feel so bad? Megumin couldn't really be done with me, right?

I clenched the ring tightly, and then stuffed it into my pocket.

Megumin was out of the baths, so it meant the other should've been as well. Perhaps I should take this time to relax; mentally, physically, spiritually, I was drained...tired. A bath in a hot spring would do me well...even if it wasn't blessed.

-Next morning

As I stepped into the lounge, I saw Aqua and Darkness already sitting at one of the tables.

"Odd to see you up so early," I said with a yawn. "Where's Megumin?"

Aqua, who was slurping away at some ramen, stared at me disparagingly.

"She's still in bed," Darkness replied.

I looked away slightly. "I see."

"How's your breakfast, Aqua-sama?" The proprietress of the establishment saw it fit to show herself once more.

"Umu, it's good. You know, I've been missing this; it's sure been a long time since I've had some."

"Oh? Aqua-sama has eaten the food of heroes past?"

"Oh yeah. Ramen is super common where I'm from. This type isn't bad, but the made-to-order kind is better." She slurped up the last of the noodles, and then placed the bowl down.

"Ah, Kazuma-sama, how'd you sleep? No ghosts or undead, I presume?"

"*Sigh* No."

"Then it was a fair night. Would you like some breakfast?"

"Is it more ramen?"

"If you'd like more Heroes Delicacy, we have some more."

I sighed again. "Don't you guys have something like...I don't know, fit for breakfast?"

Aqua stared at me with the same reproachful look from earlier. "I don't know when you got so picky about things like this, but you certainly had no issue eating such foods every morning back in Japan."

"Oi, the situation was different back home, ok? People were counting on me to log in early in the morning. Not to mention, getting those daily quests done early was the best plan. Doing them late could make you regret it; still can't live down the moment I missed out on that limited-edition character because of reset times."

Pinopi looked at us with a slightly confused expression, and then laughed. "I'm sure you've guys have visited some odd places; interesting to hear about such strange customs."

Did a Crimson Demon just call the daily ritual of my past self, strange? I honestly don't know how I feel about that.

"We should probably get ready to head back out."

Darkness nodded. "It's a shame though."

I raised a brow curiously, but Pinopi posed the question in my place.

"Are you enjoying the stay that much?"

"I am, however, I would've liked to experience that swarm you spoke about yesterday."

Of course she did.

"I see. Being a Crusader, fighting against the undead and night creatures must be something of a yearning for you."

"It, It is," She said, squirming slightly.

"Well, if that's the case, why not stay another night?"

I interjected. "Thanks for the offer, but we actually have to be on our way."

"Really? That's too bad. Well, Darkness-san, there's always next time."

Darkness looked down with mild disappointment.

"Anyway, Pinopi-san, didn't you say something about breakfast?" I queried.

"Ah, that's right, I did. We actually have a specialty today, Demon King's Vengeance in Lava Sauce."

"Demon King's… Isn't that the house special of the bar in the village, the one where Megumin's classmate works at?"

Pinopi smiled. "Hero-san, I have no idea what you're talking about."

This girl…

"No, it definitely is. Whatever, I'll have some."

"Alright, one completely original house special on the way."

After eating the completely unoriginal house special, all of us packed up the few items we brought in and headed to the carriage. We said our goodbyes to Pinopi and her brother, and then went on our way. On the way, Megumin was, of course, with us; even though I felt she was strongly avoiding me prior to coming here, after, her efforts to do so were seemingly worse and almost entirely blatant.

A few hours into our trip and amongst the multitude of awkward silences, Darkness spoke.

With a slight cough, she said, "Aqua, want to help me with some of the luggage?"

The goddess of vegging out woke from her pseudo slumber and gifted our Crusader a glance.

"What was that, now, Darkness?"

"The-The luggage, I need some help with it; do you mind?"

"Of course I do. Didn't you see how peacefully asleep I was?"

"Oi, why do you need any help? And anyways, what's up with the luggage, I'm pretty sure we secured it quite—"

"I can help you, Darkness," Megumin interrupted.

"No, no, Megumin, it's fine; I need Aqua for this," She replied.

"I don't wanna," Aqua retorted. "I finally found a really comfortable spot; if I get up, I'm pretty sure I won't be able to find it again."

"Oi, Darkness," I said, crossing my arms. "It doesn't seem like she's gonna budge on this. If you really need help with the luggage, I guess I can—"

"N-No, thanks, Kazuma, but Aqua"—she began pulling on her—"is the only one I can count on—"

"Waaaah, let go!"

"—for this. Come on, Aqua!"

"Stop it, Darkness! Let go! I don't wanna!"

I had no clue why Darkness needed Aqua specifically, but dwelling on it was pointless since Darkness eventually pried Aqua from the seat and took her up front.

This left me in an interesting situation.

From the solitude of the cabin, Megumin and I stared at each other; she quickly averted her gaze. Now I knew what Darkness attempted to do.

Before I could utter a word, Megumin stood up and headed for the door.

"Oi!"

She stopped, and without turning to me, said, "I'm gonna go help them."

"Stop. Darkness already said it was something only Aqua could help out with so don't go getting in her way."

Megumin gripped her staff tightly, and then after a few moments, sat back down. Spitefully, she avoided making eye contact with me.

"Hey, you're gonna keep doing this, or are you gonna actually tell me what's bothering you?"

Megumin stayed silent.

I felt my eye twitch in frustration. "If you're pissed off about something, why won't you tell me what it is?! You think I'm some diviner or something?!"

Finally, she stared at me, a contemptuous look on her face. "I didn't think Kazuma could be so dumb. Maybe you're closer to a goblin than I initially thought."

"My existence to you was in the same vein as a goblin's? How come this is the first time I'm hearing this?"

I expected a reply, but she fell silent once more.

"Oi, Megumin, whatever it is, I'm sorry."

For a moment, I could see feelings of remorse reflected upon her face and eyes. She looked at me and said, "If you don't even know what you're saying sorry for, it's pointless."

"Then help me understand! This is about Iris, right?! If it's about me spending time with her, then I suppose next time I'll limit it, ok?"

When I mentioned this, Megumin's expression became tinged with even more woe.

"It's not...just about that."

"Then, what is it? Tell me."

Once again, Megumin squeezed her staff. She looked down in contemplation.

"I—"

"Don't wanna!" Aqua said, barging into the cabin.

"Aqua!" Darkness shouted after her.

"I don't know why you dragged me outside for no reason! I was nice and comfy, and you ruined it for no reason! I'll remember this, Darkness!"

In the midst of the argument, Megumin stood up, and left.

"Oi," I said, staring at Aqua with scrunched brows. "Are you perpetually tied to causing problems?"

Aqua stuck her tongue out at me, and nuzzled into her previous spot. Darkness took her seat as well, and then let out a small sigh. The faint smile she cast me suggested to me that she knew what transpired while she and Aqua were gone.

I wasn't able to mend the problem between me and Megumin, but at least I was able to get a few words out of her; perhaps this was a sign of things turning around.

A few hours later, the driver informed us of our encroaching approach to the Crimson Village. Looking out the window, I could see it in the distance. I would never say that a trip to the village was for pleasure, but now more than ever, that notion applied.

For me, the entire purpose coming here was to gather the equipment necessary to make our adventure north easier. For Megumin, however, this was a sort of reunion, a catching-up, if you will.

"Hmm, should we stop at an inn?" I asked.

"Aren't we staying at Megumin's?" Darkness replied.

I gave her an unsure look.

"We've gotta stay at Megumin's place," Aqua remarked. "It's been a long time since I've seen Mary, not to mention Komekko-chan."

Mary? That's right, it was the Tranquility Girl Aqua decided to adopt.

Giving the previous conversation more thought, I decided that staying at an inn would only rouse more suspicion; Megumin's parents would probably pick up on the fact that there was something wrong going on between us if it wasn't already immediately apparent.

Eventually, we pulled into the village center and disembarked.

"Sir, are you sure you don't want me to drop you off nearer to the place you're staying?" The driver asked.

"No, we'll be fine, thanks." I handed the driver a sum of cash.

"Oh, Sir, the ride's already been paid for."

"I know, it's just a little extra."

"Oh, thank you," He replied, taking it. "Be well, Sir."

"Umu."

After removing our baggage from the carriage, the coach pulled off and left the village.

Walking from the village center, the passing Crimson Demons smiled and waved at us, treating us like their comrades and brethren—not least of, Megumin.

Subsequently, one of these Crimson Demons was the long time friend of Megumin, Bukorrori.

"Kazuma!" He called out, walking up to us.

"Hey, Bukororri, what's up?" I replied in greeting.

"Not much, just the usual, patrolling." He looked at Megumin. "And how's the little lady of the Crimson Demon Village? I'm not showing you any disrespect, am I, ojou-sama?"

"Disrespect," Megumin repeated mockingly. "When has a NEET like yourself ever shown an ounce of that? I'm surprised you've been educated enough to even know such a word."

"I see you're still the spunky little brat I've always known."

Megumin smirked. "The world may change; Heroes rise, Demon Kings fall, but I, Megumin, Master of Explosion and Daughter of Yuyui and Hyoizaburo shall never change!" She exclaimed, boastfully pressing a hand to her chest.

It almost made me forget the current problems she and I were facing.

"You're one to talk, though," She went on. "Still the same guy who goes out and tries to catch big fish with no bait; how is Soketto ever gonna fall for you with no accomplishments under your belt."

"H-Hey! Shhhhh! Just because you got married doesn't mean you could just say things like that."

Megumin let out a weak chuckle as her genuine smile faded. "S, Sorry."

Bukororri raised a brow, and then glanced at me. "Everything's ok, right?" He queried, turning his gaze back to Megumin.

"Huh? Of-Of course! Don't go making up narratives; you should leave stuff like that to Arue."

Bukorrori grinned. "You're right. Anyway, I'll let you guys be; I'm sure you're pretty busy—as am I. Till we meet again, Kazuma." He waved goodbye to Darkness and Aqua, and then vanished—although by now I've known this to be the magic spell, Light of Refraction.

"C-Come on," Megumin said, and then quickly led the way.

After receiving greetings and praise from more Crimson Demons along the way, we eventually came to Megumin's...house.

"W-What is this?!" She said incredulously. "Where's the house?!"

Before us wasn't the stable-sized shack, or even the modest home that once inhabited this space. The grounds were now occupied by a home larger, more extravagant than any we've come across in the village.

Megumin quickly turned her sight on me.

"What, don't look at me; I haven't been sending bonuses to your family."

"Then how…" Megumin's voice trailed off with a tinge of worry.

Out of nowhere, the front door opened, and the tinier Megumin greeted us with a wide smile. "Onee-chan, welcome home!"

"Komekko?! Where… Where did this come from?!"

She grinned. "Oto-san and Oka-san are home; Onee-chan can ask them."

Entering the now, mansion-sized abode, we were led through its impressive atrium into the living room.

"Oto-san! Oka-san!" Komekko yelled. "Nee-chan and everyone else is here!"

"Wait, Komekko, how did you even know we were coming?" Megumin queried.

"Ah. The house has magical cameras, Nee-chan."

"Magical cameras?!" Megumin screamed. "Installed?! H-How much did those parents of ours spend on something like this?!"

Just then, said parents made their appearance.

"My daughter, I see you've finally decided to come home," Hyoizaburo said with open arms.

"Kazuma-kun, Aqua-chan, Darkness-san, how are you all?" Yuiyui said with her charming smile.

"S-Stop!" Megumin interrupted. "What is all this? H-How did you manage to buy a mansion since the last time we've been here?! And cameras!"

Both Yuiyui and Hyoizaburo gave their daughter prideful smiles.

"Well," Hyoizaburo went on, "you see, after it came to the attention that you were our daughter, I got a flood of customers. In fact, I had so many orders coming through that I couldn't really accomplish it all by myself, so I had to get some help."

"Help?"

"Yes. It's unfortunate, but I had to hire some or else I would've lost a litany of potential customers. I couldn't let the effort that my daughter put in go to waste."

So, that was the situation; because Megumin's dad was no longer the sole potion and craftsman of his workshop, he was finally actually able to make a killing on his products.

"But a mansion? This all seems a bit...excessive."

"Ah, well, the mansion was more like a byproduct of all this. Some time last month, the roof collapsed on the south side of the house. Can't tell you how cold it got those nights."

"Collapsed?!"

"Oi, if something like that happened, how come you guys didn't send us a message? I would've sent some money to cover the repairs."

Yuiyui smiled. "Oh, Kazuma-kun, we didn't want to burden you all with any more problems. I'm sure by now you and my daughter are carrying a handful."

Megumin and I froze. Surely, it wasn't that obvious; we didn't even say or do anything to suggest it.

Yuiyui leaned in. "I'm sure you two weren't planning for it to happen so early, but alas such things happen," She whispered. "I have no doubt that you'll make a good father, Kazuma-kun."

"..."

"Ah, we should probably show you around the place," Hyoizaburo said. "Most of the bedrooms are in the same spots, the kitchen is a little bit farther down that way—"

"And we've got a greenhouse now," Yuiyui added.

"Now Nee-chan doesn't have to worry about food anymore," Komekko said happily.

Megumin sighed, and then gave them a warm smile. "I haven't had to worry about food for a while now anyway, Komekko, but I suppose this is good news for you. No more stealing from the farmers."

That sounded like it was more of a relief for the farmers.

"Now then," Hyoizaburo interrupted, "let me show you the place."

Part 3

"And this is the greenhouse."

"Ah," Yuiyui said as if remembering something, "Aqua-chan, that Tranquility Girl you've planted is over there in the center."

"Mary?"

"Mhm. Komekko, darling, why don't you show Aqua-chan?"

Following her mother's suggestion, Komekko excitedly pulled Aqua along.

"Me and your mother will handle your belongings," Hyoizaburo said. "Why don't you and your friends go relax?"

"Thanks, Oto-san," Megumin replied with a slightly melancholic tone, "but I'm gonna...take a bath. I'm-uh, tired from traveling."

"Hmm, I see. Take your time, then. The mana heater is a super efficient model, so the warm water won't run out."

"Umu," Megumin said, walking off in the same manner as her tone.

"Actually," Darkness said, "I'll help you with the luggage; it's quite a bit."

Yuiyui smiled. "Ever the helpful one, Darkness-san. Very well." She turned to Hyoizaburo. "I'll go ahead, Darling; don't take too long, now."

"Of course." After watching the two of them walk off, Hyoizaburo shifted his attention to me. "So, Kazuma-kun, how's about me and you have a talk after me and the Missus get done with your luggage?"

"A talk? About?"

"I'm sure there's a lot of things to discuss. Anyway, don't worry about it now; go have a look around and make yourself at home."

"Ah, sure."

Megumin's dad then left.

"Should probably go to the smith to pick up Darkness' armor, then again, there's still the matter of him taking a look at Megumin's and mine's equipment."

Processing that thought, I figured now wouldn't be a very good time. Megumin was still acting up and I was pretty tired from the trip.

"*Sigh* Guess I should go find Aqua."

After wandering around for a few minutes, I eventually found her crouching in front of a clearly overgrown weed.

"Ah, Kazuma, look, look; look how big Mary's gotten!"

Needless to say, I didn't harbor any warm sentiments with the Tranquility Girls and their ilk. This one was no different, and yet, I felt a sense of pity when I looked upon her green, female visage.

"Oi, if she's gotten like this so quickly, isn't it likely her roots have spread too far? Maybe it'd be wise to prune her a bit."

Unsurprisingly, the monster stared at me with fearful eyes. And of course...its "mother" threw herself in front to protect "her".

"Don't you dare! You have a habit of being an impulsive brute; this is why so many problems befall you!"

"Stop being an idiot; this thing is dangerous, no matter how 'domesticated' it may be. Look, you infringed on Megumin's parents' kindness by planting this thing here; it's only right that you take the proper procedures to keep it in check. If it was up to me, I'd have tossed this thing into the middle of an active volcano."

Speaking of, were there any volcanoes in this world? I don't think I've seen one since I've arrived here.

"Maybe I should toss you into an active volcano instead!"

As we were about to cross swords, Komekko laughed playfully, and said, "It's ok, Onii-chan, Komekko is taking care of this one."

"Huh? You're the one taking care of it?"

She nodded. Then Komekko turned towards Mary, and without a word, stuck her hand out.

The Tranquility Girl stared at her hand with what I could only describe as a "visibly distraught" expression, and with the same silence, dug up the dirt in front of her revealing a number of her kin's accursed "fruits".

Mary hurriedly piled them into Komekko's tiny hand, afterwhich, in the continued silence, Komekko idly stared at them.

"Hmm...only six this time?"

The plant trembled. "I-I can make more, Ojou-sama."

"Oi, hold on," I interjected. "Are you feeding her these?!"

"The Ojou-sama—"

"Oi, Aqua, your 'Mary' is feeding Komekko poisonous fruit! Do something!"

CHOMP! Before I knew it, Komekko ate the fruit in her hand.

"No, Komekko, what are you—"

"Here," She said with a smile. "Onii-chan can have this last one."

"Ah… Komekko, these fruits are bad for you; you can't eat them."

Once again, Komekko smiled at me. Then she took the fruit and inhaled it.

"K-KOMEKKO!" I turned to the cause of all this, the Tranquility Girl who was staring at the situation with a confused look. "Alright, You, I'm gonna turn you into compost!"

"Wait! Mama!" It cried out.

Without fail, Aqua defended it, and I attacked her.

Even though Aqua was physically stronger, I managed to get around this with a quick blind; the unlimited supply of fine soil around us made it easy.

"Alright, time to do what I should've the first time I laid eyes on you." I conjured the small flame from the Tinder spell.

"W-Wait!"

"No, I'm not falling for any of your tricks! Tind—"

"Please wait!" Mary said, prostrating herself. "Please, let me explain!"

My intuition told me to ignore this unreasonably savvy monster and torch it, but against my better judgment, I stayed my hand.

"I get it," She began. "I understand; you're an incredibly smart individual."

I pressed the flame closer.

"A-AND YOU'RE NOT ONE TO TOY WITH! B-But please understand, the fruit I gave the ojou-sama isn't poisonous."

"Yeah, it's just enticing," I remarked. "Enticing, and has no nutritional value. You really have no shame picking on a small girl?!"

"N-No, it's not that, I swear. We—I...I changed the properties of the fruits."

"To what?" I said, threatening her with the flame, yet again.

"AHHHHHH!" Aqua charged me.

"Get 'im, Mama!"

"BIND!" My rope coiled around her torso, cleanly.

"SACRED—"

"No you don't!" I yelled as I grabbed her by the cheeks. "Unless you want a mouthful of dirt, you're gonna sit there and wait. Seeing as you're not gonna do something about what's going on here, I will."

Aqua grit her teeth. "Just wait till this is over, Satou Kazuma, you're gonna regret ever angering a goddess!"

Ignoring the bottom-feeder goddess, I turned towards the Tranquility Girl once again.

"I'm sorry," She said, bowing profusely.

"You're really shameless, aren't you? Whatever, time to put you in the ground."

"H-Hold it, I was saying; the fruits, I changed their properties!"

"Yeah, and what of it?"

"They're entirely nutritious now."

"...You must really think I'm really stupid. Die and become the xp you're supposed to be."

"N-No, I'm serious. Please believe me; why would I lie at this point?"

"I'm not playing your stupid game!"

"I'm not playing at anything! Look! The Ojou-sama is completely unharmed; she's quite healthy-looking, isn't she?"

I frowned. "And you're saying that's because of your fruit?"

She nodded fervently.

As much as I hated to admit it, the talking plant must've been telling the truth; if she wasn't, it'd be immediately apparent. One of the key side effects of eating a Tranquility Girl's regular fruits was malnourishment. If Komekko was indeed eating loads of these, she'd likely be a sapped husk beneath the creature's roots.

"Fine," I said, releasing the flame. "Hey, Aqua, you can dispel the bind, now."

The moment Aqua did, she pounced on me. "You apostate! I'll curse you with chapped lips and stinky breath; have fun ever getting past first base, you virgin hikiNEET!"

"Oi, you idiot, mind your surroundings!"

Komekko laughed yet again. "Aqua onee-chan and Kazuma onii-chan are really good friends, right?"

Aqua and I stared at each other with mild contempt.

She then crossed her arms and gave me a slight frown. "This boy wouldn't know what to do if I wasn't constantly helping him, Komekko-chan."

"Oi, what are you talking about? Shouldn't someone who claims to be divine be less of a liar?"

"AH! You—"

"Aqua, Kazuma!" Darkness came around the corner searching for us. "There you two are."

"It's the really hard onee-chan," Komekko said, innocently pointing at Darkness.

Clearly embarrassed by the offhand comment, Darkness covered her face. "K-Komekko…"

I pushed Aqua off, and got up. "What's up, Darkness; why'd you call for us?"

"Ah, well, all the luggage has been brought in; we just need to organize it, you know, place it in the rooms."

"Right. Guess there is that. Alright then, let's go."

While walking back towards the house, I stopped.

"Ah, wait, my binding rope; I forgot to get it."

I quickly headed back, but as I approached, I heard Komekko speaking; apparently she was having a conversation with Aqua's Tranquility Girl.

"Ojou-sama, f-forgive me, I-I'll try harder."

"Hmm, I'm still hungry…"

"EEEEEK, please, have mercy! Last time you took a piece out of me it didn't grow back for weeks!"

"Hmm, then make more."

"Ojou-sama, if I sap too much energy from the surrounding plants, t-they'll end up dying."

By now, I had crouched behind some of the vegetation to listen.

Komekko drew close to the Tranquility Girl, her eyes glowing red. "Then, give yourself as tribute; Komekko is hungry."

"EEEEK! Fine! Fine! I'll draw a bit more from the plants! Just please, don't eat me!"

Ah, that's right… I seem to recall this girl having some unusual powers over creatures. Slightly disturbed by what I just witnessed, I turned to leave...and promptly lost my balance.

"OOF!" I fell on the path in front of them.

"Onii-chan."

"Ah ha ha, Komekko-chan."

With a vibrant smile, she walked up to me and asked, "Did Onii-chan hear anything, just now?"

Regardless of my Enemy Sense not triggering, I couldn't help feeling like I was in complete danger.

"N-No, I heard nothing, nothing at all."

Komekko stared at me silently, the same unyielding smile stuck to her face.

"K, Komekko?"

"Onii-chan isn't lying, hmmm?"

"Guh." I looked away.

Finally, she stepped back, and with the same honeyed smile, withdrew my binding rope from behind her.

⸻!⸻

"Onii-chan came back for this, right?"

"Ah, y-yeah."

She extended her hand in the same manner she did with Mary just minutes earlier.

"What?"

"Komekko found it, so what will Onii-chan give me in return?"

"..."

This girl was really something else.

-Sometime later…

I yawned, stretching as I came down the steps that led to the second floor. I was quite dirty thanks to the escapade in the greenhouse and now, having to organize my things. Yes, traces of sweat and dirt covered my body; this was as good a time as any to take a bath.

"Kazuma-kun." Yuiyui appeared before me.

"Ah, yeah? Do you need something?"

She smiled. "Yes, actually; I was wondering if you could help me with dinner."

"Dinner? Ah, well, I don't mind, but I was about to go bathe."

"Oh?" A devilish smirk bore from her smile. "Would you like me to go fetch my daughter?"

"I would rather you didn't."

"*Sigh*what a shame."

Truly, in my wildest dreams, I'd never have thought I'd be turning down a parent's offer to be intimate with their daughter; then again, Yuiyui was far removed from what I even imagined a parent could act like.

"Well then, Kazuma-kun, go on. In the meantime, I'll get started on some basic things."

"Sure."

Given leave, I promptly headed over to the bathroom. I dumped my dirty clothing into one of the baskets, and stepped into the bath proper.

When I entered, the room was already filled with steam; was this what it was like to have a nice water heater? Having warm water all day long sure sounds nice, but I had to wonder if the price for running something that long would be outrageous. Wait, I was thinking about how things ran back in my own world; this one had no such thing as utility billing.

I thoughtlessly sunk into the bath and sighed. "How nice," I thought.

"Ahem, how's the water?"

Opening my eyes from the calm moment, I saw Megumin's dad sitting some distance across from me.

"Ah!" I shot up, and then quickly back down. "S-Sorry! I'll—"

"Kazuma-kun, it's alright. You're the husband of my daughter; as such, you're also my son." Hyoizaburo closed his eyes, and for a moment, I could see his lips tremble. He sniffled a bit, and then regained his fatherly composure. "I've been wanting to have a talk with you; I think this is a good time to have it."

I gulped. "Right, you said as much. What do you wanna talk about?"

"Hmmmm…" Hyoizaburo relaxed, reclining his back against the edge of the bath. "You and my daughter...have you"—he cleared his throat—"done stuff?" He said, nearly finishing in a mumble.

"Done...stuff?"

Of course, I knew what he was getting at, but… Why were Megumin's parents like this?

"Y-Yes. You know." He shifted a bit, and then crossed his arms, maintaining a stern expression.

I looked away slightly. "Like k...kissing?"

The turning of the water interrupted the tenseness, yet again. "K-Kissing? You two 've kissed already?! Wait, what am I saying, of course you have...of course." Again, he cleared his throat. "No, what I mean is...you know, more."

I instinctively leaned away some; Yuiyui was one thing, but Megumin's dad was another. With her, I could expect the suggestive questioning, but coming from Hyoizaburo…the feeling was different; it didn't feel as if he was trying to ease it in as a half-baked joke, rather...it felt like a tentative interrogation.

"More?"

"Yes, more."

"Like?"

Hyoizaburo's lips twisted slightly as his eyes narrowed on me. "More, boy!" He shouted in frustration.

Obviously, I shirked back in fear.

Seeing this, Hyoizaburo calmed himself. "Forgive me, I let my emotion get the better of me. What I mean, Kazuma-kun, is…have you and...Megumin—my daughter...have you two d-d-done...adult activities?"

"Have we…" I looked away, yet again. "Umm…"

SPLASH!

Suddenly, Hyoizaburo was slumped over, head completely submerged underwater.

"O-Oi, Hyoizaburo-san! Hyoizaburo-san!"

-Minutes later…

"Oh my. To think that that husband of mine would faint in the bath. I wonder what he could've possibly seen to cause such a reaction." Yuiyui smiled suggestively.

"H-He didn't see anything!" I retorted, my voice squeaking a bit. "Ahem, I'm pretty sure he fainted cause of the water."

"Perhaps. It seems he isn't accustomed to the warm temperatures just yet. Anyhow, he'll be fine with a little rest. Did you find your bath appropriate?"

"Well, if I'm honest, I didn't really get to wash myself, but I suppose the warm water did something."

"Hmm, I see. No worries, you'll get the opportunity later, I'm sure. Now then, care to help me with the cooking?"

I followed Yuiyui to the kitchen where a pot of rice was slowly boiling to temperature. Several ingredients and kitchenware were idly sitting nearby unprepared.

"Would you prepare the bread, Kazuma-kun? There's some dough over there that needs some kneading."

"Uh, right."

With my skills in cooking, making bread is a simple matter; in fact, making bread is one of the first recipes one would learn in an RPG; in this world, it was no different.

As I was kneading the dough, Yuiyui stood by watching.

Normally, I didn't really mind it much, but this was Megumin's mom; anything having to do with her parents instantly turned the dial up to eleven. That being said, I couldn't really ask her to stop; not only would it be rude, but there was nothing else for her to do at the moment.

Yuiyui smiled. "You seem to know how to rub your fingers in pretty deep, Kazuma-kun."

"...I've...had practice."

She covered her mouth in brief surprise. "I see."

"I-I mean with cooking! D-Don't get any wrong ideas."

Needless to say, I could feel myself burning from embarrassment.

Yuiyui giggled. "Of course, Kazuma-kun; what else could I be talking about?"

After a couple more minutes, we put the dough into the oven to set.

"Next would be this."

Yuiyui handed me a small jar with what looked like some type of jelly inside.

"What's this?"

She smiled vibrantly. "I'm glad you asked. This is a special sauce that runs in the family; we put it in only the best dishes. Typically, that meant only one meal every month or so, but ever since our great windfall, we've been able to enjoy it much more frequently."

"Ah, so you just want me to put it on one of the meals?"

"Yes, but not on, in."

"...In?"

"Mhm," Yuiyui replied with her motherly smile. "Here," She said, handing me some meat.

"Where am I…" The meat in question was rolled up quite tightly, so I wondered where I should put the sauce in.

"Either end is fine, but first take some of the sauce and place it on the tip of your fingers; you can be quite generous with the amount."

After doing what I was told, I took the meat and inspected it curiously. "Uhh, I don't… Should I unroll—"

"Stick your fingers in."

"'scuse me?"

"You have to stick your fingers in to apply the sauce."

"No, I get that, but why like this?"

Yuiyui covered her mouth once more, but this time, trying to hide the growing smile on her face. "I don't get what you mean, Kazuma-kun, this is the way we've always done it in our family."

I got the feeling she was having a show of me.

"...I see." I offered the meat to her. "Why don't you show me how to do it properly, then?"

Yuiyui laughed haughtily. "I couldn't, Kazuma-kun; that'd contaminate the fish I'm preparing."

"What fish?"

Before I could completely finish that statement, she already grabbed one.

"My, my. Seems like it's up to you, Kazuma-kun. Don't worry, even if you mess up a little, Komekko would eat anything and I'm sure Megumin would love anything made by her loving husband."

This woman…

Left with little choice, I hesitantly shoved my finger into the meat.

"Just one finger?" Yuiyui remarked.

"Why should I use more?! O-One should be fine," I replied, my nervousness completely apparent.

Yuiyui giggled. "If you use more, you'll be done sooner."

"Guh." I apprehensively slid in another. "...O-Oi, can I unroll this just a bit—"

"Why, is it too tight?"

"...Y-Yes."

She looked away, but I could see her shoulders shaking slightly. Hitting Megumin's mother was not a good idea in any way, shape, or form, but at this moment I wanted to at least slap her with this piece of meat.

"Kazuma-kun, this is why I said you should apply a generous amount to your fingers. Also, you shouldn't be afraid of a little resistance, it's only natural."

"Ok, are we even talking about the same thing anymore?!"

"Fufufu, whatever could you mean?"

"I don't think I can do this."

"Look, just get through this one, I'll do the rest."

Completely flustered by the lewd reenactment, I shakily dug my fingers into the sauce once again, and dug out a large amount. Sliding my fingers back in, the meat began to squelch from the friction.

"Be sure to reach deeply," Yuiyui said. "You don't want any part of it to have an unbalanced taste."

Eventually, I got through...whatever it was, and true to Yuiyui's word, she took over filling the rest.

"Not bad," She said. "I know my daughter will be happy."

"Oi."

"What? Why wouldn't she be happy to eat something you made for her, or did you have something else in mind, Kazuma-kun?"

"...N, No."

Yuiyui giggled as she had many times before.

After helping with the preparations for a few more things, Yuiyui and I sat down to wait for it all to be done.

"Here you go, Kazuma-kun." She passed me a cup, and poured in some tea.

I took a sip, and exhaled with great relief.

"Is it to your liking?" She asked.

"Umu, it's good."

"I'm glad. I hope that daughter of mine is able to at least give you this much."

"Ah, well… Megumin's a pretty good cook herself."

"No thanks to me."

"Hm?"

"Well, I was neither around to teach her, nor did we have ample ingredients to do so. I suppose she learned all of that out of necessity." For the first time in a long while, I saw Yuiyui's smile fade. "How I wish I was there for her more."

"...Well...it's not like she resents you guys or anything. I think she seems to understand that both of you were kinda' busy."

Yuiyui smiled faintly. "It's not like she would blame us anyways; she was never that type of child. She was always the one to grab hold of her own future. And I see she's taught Komekko the same."

There was a bit of silence between us.

"...Kazuma-kun, I want to thank you. You may not think much of it, but thanks to you, we've been able to be parents a bit more."

"Ah...well...sure, I guess."

"...Forgive me, I'm boring you with such pointless things. I should ask how things are going with you and Megumin, instead."

"...Going? Right, how things are going." I swallowed deeply. "They're—"

"Kazuma," Darkness called out as she came into the dining room. "There you are."

"Darkness, what's up?"

"I was wondering if you could come with me to pick up my armor?"

"Ah, right, yeah, good idea." I turned to Megumin's mom. "Sorry, but I should go do this."

"No, it's quite alright, Kazuma-kun; you've helped enough, go on."

"K, Darkness, let's go."

As I left the house, I felt a sigh of relief. Right then—as bad as it sounds—all I felt I needed, was to get away from all of them...Megumin and her family.

Part 4

I walked quietly alongside Darkness; I was still processing the mess I was in.

"Kazuma," She said, interrupting my thoughts.

"Hm, what is it?"

"Ah, well...thanks for coming."

"What are you talking about, any reason I shouldn't have?"

"No, no, it's...well...I don't know...forget I said anything."

"...If anything, I should be thanking you; I kinda' needed to get out of there."

"Really?" Darkness smiled wryly. "Is Yuiyui-san bothering you again?"

I sighed. Honestly, if it was only her…

"Kazuma," Darkness said with a stern tone, "you need to tell Yuiyui-san how you feel about such approaches."

Well, I didn't really mind them; after all, they put me in situations most guys would agree were favorable. The problem was the one putting me in those situations. Say what you will, having your partner's mom play wingman was an odd feeling, to say the least.

"She's my in-law now, Darkness."

"S-Still! Even if that's the case… Her putting you in those...situations with Megumin is… A parent should have more sense, even more so, a mother."

I glanced over at her. "Speaking of mothers, when do you plan on getting with someone? You're gonna spoil at this rate."

"Ah! W-Why you… If only someone didn't make that so difficult then…"

"Oh, Lalatina ojou-sama still has a crush on me?" Obviously, I said this mockingly, true as it may have been.

"I-I wish you wouldn't tease me on such a premise."

"I'd be more inclined to believe that if you weren't smiling."

Darkness' lip wriggled as she tried to curb her growing smile.

"I would've come anyways," I said, trying to steer the conversation. "It is one of the reasons we came here, after all."

"I guess you're right." Suddenly, she smiled again. "I wonder what's my new armor like?"

"Hmm, I've been wondering that myself. Guess we'll find out once we get there."

After some time walking, we arrived at the smithy.

PRRRING! The doorbell rang as we entered.

"Hello?"

"Ah, customers. Travelers?" Behind the counter was a familiar old man; the original smith of the village.

"Hey, you're the ojii-san from why back when; where'd the other guy go?"

"Other? Oh, you must mean my great great great grandson." The old man sighed. "He passed away just recently, consumed by the creative flames of an ambitious project."

"Wait, what?!"

The old man nodded sorrowfully.

"Ah, I was supposed to receive an armor set from him."

"An armor set? From him?"

"Well, it's from the Royal Smith; your great great...great grandson was supposed to finish it. I guess he didn't get a chance to tell you about it?"

"No, he—"

"Uncle, I'm done eating, you can go back to sleep—oh, customers." The oji-san smith, the one who was supposedly dead was, very much, not dead.

"..."

"..."

After explaining the situation to the oji-san smith, he let out a hearty laugh. "Yeah, that sounds like my uncle alright. Hmmm, not a bad story, but I still have a ways to go before I could go out like that."

"He also said you were his great great great grandson," Darkness pointed out.

The smith laughed once more. "Not quite; he's the eldest brother of my father's siblings. As such, I'm only his nephew."

"You guys…" I shook my head.

"By the way, I don't think I ever introduced myself properly; that's what probably led to this misunderstanding. I bear the name of Carbonimaru, legendary smith of the village."

"Carbo… Umm, Kazuma."

"Kazuma, eh? It's been quite a while."

"Umu. Sorry, but I had a few things I had to take care of."

"No worries, you still kept up your end of the promise and returned. Here for the weapons?"

"Actually, I'm here for her armor set," I replied, pointing at Darkness.

"Hmm, an armor set for her?" He stared at Darkness, and then looked at me with slight concern. "I thought you were with the eldest daughter of Hyoizaboru and Yuiyui."

"I-I am. Well… She's—this, this is Darkness, one of my party mates."

"Ah, I see, forgive me, Kazuma-san."

I sighed. "So, about that armor."

"Oh right."

"It's one that the Royal Smith made."

"Ah"—Carbonimaru crossed his arms—"that one."

"Eh, something wrong with it?"

He closed his eyes, brow scrunched tightly. "Arrrggh!"

Darkness and I scrambled back in surprise.

Then, with a noticeably flustered expression, Carbonimaru said, "No, there's nothing wrong with it. IT'S PERFECT! Can you believe it?! How could a smith of that caliber ask me to finish their work; they're practically mocking me."

"Wouldn't it be something of an honor?" Darkness queried insightfully.

Carbonimaru shot up from his chair. "Honor?!" He yelled, leaning over the counter. "I feel like a damn country bumpkin whenever I stare at the darn thing!" He calmed himself, and took a seat. "Honestly, it's the best piece of work I've had the pleasure of working on. Problem is, because of that, I haven't really been able to convince myself to work on the thing; I feel like anything I'd do to it would ruin it."

"So, you guys do have some inhibitions," I remarked. "I thought you always went out of your way to be as troublesome as possible."

"Now lad, listen here."

"So, going off what you said, the armor isn't ready?"

Carbonimaru frowned in remorse. "Sorry, lad, it isn't."

"*sigh* I kinda' need it soon."

He sighed back. "I figured as much, but I can't seem to find enough motivation to finish it."

I knit my brow in frustration. "In that case, why not send it back to the Royal Smith; I need someone to finish it."

"Now hold on, I can do it; I just need to find the motivation to do so."

"I assume money isn't enough of a motivation?"

"Do you think so little of me, Kazuma-san?! I'm a smith! Working my craft isn't just about making big bucks, ya know?"

"Well, what'll help you get your motivation back?"

"Hmm…" Carbonimaru rubbed his chin in contemplation. "You know...probably another piece of work. Let me see that blade of yours."

As requested, I handed Chunchunmaru over to him.

He quickly unsheathed it, sparking the dazzling flames to life. The blade glowed an incandescent orange as Carbonimaru stared in awe.

"What… What is this? This isn't the blade I gave you."

"Ah, well...the Royal Smith worked on it too."

Carbonimaru gasped as if the last vestiges of life were leaving him. "Why would you show me this?! Are you trying to sabotage me?!"

"Y-You're the one who asked!"

He quickly sheathed the blade, and then wept silently. "You could've told me before I took a look at the damn thing." He handed me back the sword. "Arrrghhh!"

Shocked by his sudden outburst, Darkness and I shirked back once again.

"Would you stop that?!" I yelled.

"I got it, lad! I'm fired up! I'll put the best damn finishing touches on the armor this world's ever seen!"

"Just don't go overboard, alright? Anyway, when can I expect it to be done?"

Carbonimaru sat down, and rubbed his chin once again. "I don't really wanna rush something like this, but I know you've been waiting for it to be done for a long time now. How about...a week?"

"A...a week? That's a bit long. Isn't there any way you can get it done sooner?"

"Hmmm…"

"I heard everything." Carbonimaru's uncle stood at the backroom door.

"Uncle? What are you—"

"Shut it. I can't believe you're causing trouble for the customers. When I first made the decision to give the shop to you I thought I was making a reasonable choice; don't make me regret it."

"Ah, s...sorry."

"You should be apologizing to the customers, not to me." He let out a huff. "You've still got a ways before you can call yourself 'legendary' it seems. Move over, boy; let the true legend of the Crimson Village show you how it's done!" Then, the ojii-san looked at me. "Three days; we'll get it done in three days."

"Three…" I sighed, and then smiled. "Oi, Carbonimaru-san, I know you can do it; I haven't forgotten the awesome work you've done on my partner here. And it was all in a matter of days."

"Ah, Kazuma-san…" His lip quivered as let out a few sniffles. "T-Thank you." He quickly wiped the snot and tears from his face. "Yosh! Alright, Uncle, let's do this!"

The ojii-san smith smiled back at his nephew. "Atta boy, we'll have this done in no time."

"Kazuma-san, Darkness-san, please return in three days; I'll have your armor ready."

With that matter tended to, Darkness and I left the shop.

"Now what?" I said, crossing my arms.

"Would… Would you like to take a walk around town, Kazuma?"

I raised my brow. "You're really merciless, aren't you?"

"W-What do you mean?! I'm just suggesting a short walk, nothing out of the ordinary."

"*sigh* Sure, why not?"

Truth was, as much as I didn't care for Darkness' "walk", I didn't wanna head back to Megumin's house; I still had too many reservations that I needed to take care of, and being in the midst of the main issue wasn't gonna help me do that.

I reached into my pocket, and felt the circular item occupying it.

My chest swelled as I tried to hold back the feelings of nervousness and despair beginning to hound me. Why did I feel this way? I don't think I even did anything remotely deserving of this, but nevertheless, I felt this way. This feeling…I couldn't place it. What was it? Guilt?

The moment I thought of it, the moment that word was uttered in my mind, a feeling of emptiness filled the core of my chest. Guilt. So, that's what it was.

-Back at Megumin's home…

"Megumin, dinner's ready," my mom said as she knocked on the bedroom door.

I stayed silent, curled under the covers. I wasn't hungry.

Seeing that I didn't answer, my mother continued. "There's a lot of food, but if you don't come down your sister will eat your share."

Still, I said nothing.

"...Kazuma-kun helped make some of it; it'd be a shame if you didn't get to taste your husband's food."

"...Save me some," I muttered.

"...I'll do my best...but it'd be better if you came down and ate with all of us."

Kazuma… Was he there? I curled up even more, feeling the tension in my chest and throat grow. If I went, and he was, I didn't know if I could put on a convincing enough facade to fool my parents; it was hard enough when we arrived.

Lucky for me, while thinking about this, my mother left.

I popped my head out, and turned on my back. Kazuma's cooking…

Grrrr…

The thought of it brought my sense of hunger back, not to mention the realization of how little I actually ate these past few days.

I rubbed my stomach. "Guhhhh… Hungry."

I didn't want to confront him...but the thought of eating such tasty food was something I couldn't really sideline. I sat up, and steeled myself; if Kazuma was downstairs, I'll eat quickly and avoid any unnecessary conversations.

"There you are," my mother said as I entered the dining room. "I was starting to think you weren't going to eat."

I quickly took a look around; Kazuma wasn't here.

"Is Kazuma...around?" I asked with a bit of apprehension.

"Hmm, no; he left with Darkness-san a little earlier. I believe he said something about getting her armor from the smith."

"Ah." Feeling a bit calmer, I took a seat.

"Why do you ask, by the way? Would you like to wait for Kazuma-kun to return?" My mother said with a gentle smile.

"Ah—n-no… I-I'm hungry so…"

She sighed, but the smile never left her face. "Well, I was hoping we could all share in a nice dinner since you've returned, but I suppose having a one-on-one with you is fine as well. Come, help me set the table."

I followed her into the kitchen, where she passed me a couple of bowls and utensils.

"Is Oto-san not eating?"

"Your father is a little under the weather, dear; he stayed in the bath too long."

"Ah, I-, I see."

After setting the table, we took our seats.

My mother made a quick prayer, and afterwards, we began eating.

"So," she began, "how's everything going with you and Kazuma-kun?"

I felt myself twitch. "It's...fine. Kazuma...is how he always is."

"That so? Then I suppose there's nothing to worry about."

I took a few more bites of food...though by now, I was starting to feel my appetite wane. "What do you mean?" I said.

"Hmm? Oh, I didn't mean anything by it. I was just worried the two of you may have had some marital issues."

I put my bowl down.

How much did she know? Did she even know?

"Why… Why would you think that?"

My mother looked up with a seemingly longing expression, and then gave me a mildly sorrowful look. "You know, your father and I have had our share of problems, especially early on."

"You did?"

Of course, I knew my parents bickered from time to time, but I couldn't recall a time where they were at odds with each other—especially to the degree Kazuma and I were at currently.

"Around the time you were born, I expected your father to become successful with the shop." My mother smiled faintly. "As fate would have it, things didn't exactly turn out that way."

"You two fought a lot, then?"

"...I wouldn't say things were to the point of us...tearing apart, but…" She let out a great sigh, and then gave me the smile she usually did. "In the end, you were more important to the both of us. That's not to say I didn't love your father, but I often wanted to give you more than what both he and I could provide."

"...I…"

"Don't feel bad, my daughter. Things like that, they're normal; after all, a marriage brings two different people together; it's only natural that they'll have disagreements."

I looked down with a sense of sadness and remorse.

"Oka-san…"

"Yes?"

"I… I'm… I'm full." I pushed myself away from the table, and got up. "I'm gonna head for a walk."

"Hmm, ok. I should go tend to your father. Be safe, my daughter."

I smiled wryly. "Thank you, but it's a little late to be telling me that now, isn't it?"

Warmly smiling, my mother replied, "Not at all." Then she walked over, and hugged me. "It wasn't too long that I almost lost you for good; I won't forget that, nor will I take you for granted. So...be safe."

Though I hesitated at first, I hugged her back. "I'll return," I said, pulling away.

"Go on, then. I'll be here."

I nodded, and then left.

What I aimed to do, I didn't know, but I couldn't bring myself to stay home. Perhaps I should go out and do my explosion daily, but the question was, who could come with me? Darkness was currently out with Kazuma, and Aqua was nowhere to be found.

I found myself sighing at that sad realization. "Maybe I should go to the library."

With few options available, I settled on this.

-Sometime later…

I put my book down, and turned around.

"Oi, how long are you gonna stand there?"

"Ah?! M-Megumin!" Yunyun appeared from behind the bookcase. "W-What a coincidence finding you here!"

"I'm sure. You following me through the village must've been one as well."

"W-W-Wha—how come you didn't say anything?!"

"I was wondering if you were going to get bored."

"You could've said something!" Yunyun whined.

"Always the troublesome girl you are, Yunyun. Nevermind that, what are you doing here? I thought you were still in Axel."

She averted her gaze for a moment, and then answered with a resolute tone. "I-I was running an errand for Wiz and Vanir-san."

"This late? Isn't the shop closed at this time?"

"It-It was a special delivery!"

"Uh huh… I'm certain this has nothing to do with you stalking me; in fact, it wouldn't surprise me if you asked that devil to help find me."

"..."

"Ehhh? Y-, You did…"

Her face growing flush, Yunyun quickly covered her face. "It-It's not true! I was only worried about you! Just a bit!"

"...*sigh*. A shame you're not pining for a bit of romance in your life, Yunyun."

"What does that have to do with anything?!"

"Actually, Yunyun, there is something that I need your help with."

"Huh?"

-Evening…

"Hahhhh, thanks, Yunyun; you're the best."

"You're the worst!" She retorted. "Is my only worth carrying you?!"

"Yunyun, how could you say something like that? I don't just let anyone carry me, you know? The fact that you're doing so means you hold a special place in my heart."

"S-Somehow I doubt that. Anyhow, if you needed someone to carry you, how come you didn't ask Kazuma-san?"

"...He...wasn't available."

Yunyun peeked over her shoulder at me, and now I was the one avoiding her gaze.

"Darkness and Aqua-san were busy too?"

"Grrr, if you don't wanna carry me, just say it!" I yelled, digging into her shoulders.

"Ahhhh, stop that! I didn't say that!" I relented, allowing her to go on. "It's just...I found it a little odd that everyone was busy, especially Kazuma-san."

"...Umu."

She continued walking, me on her back. The silence between us was only interrupted by the humming of the mana lamps and the buzzing of wild insects.

Suddenly, Yunyun spoke. "Say, Megumin, you're ok...right?"

"I'm fine, Yunyun."

"Hmm… I have a feeling...you're not; did something happen while you were at the capital?"

I instinctively squeezed her, but just as quickly, loosened my grip. "No."

"Really?"

"Why? Were you hoping? Trying to get a leg up on me, again? You know you'll never—"

"Megumin's a terrible liar."

"...Nothing happened—"

"Then why do you sound so sad?"

"..."

"If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine, but...you don't have to lie to me."

"..." I laid my head on her shoulder, and hugged her a bit tighter. "Sorry, Yunyun."

Eventually, we made it back to my house. As she was about to put me down, I held on.

"Megumin?"

"...Yunyun...can I stay over at your house tonight?"

"...Umu, sure. Would you like me to tell your parents?"

"...Please."

She placed me down the steps, and went inside.

As I sat waiting, I looked up at the sky. The sun was creeping well below the horizon and the last vestiges of light were being chased away by the encroaching dark. For some reason, this sight resonated deeply with me. I closed my eyes, and then a moment later, Yunyun returned.

"Ready?" She said, crouching down.

I smiled weakly. "My carriage awaits me."

Yunyun let out a frustrated huff.

Then I chuckled. "Just kidding. I'm ready."

Yunyun leaned over and let me climb on her back.

The silence cast itself upon us once again, leaving me to shatter it this time. "Thank you, Yunyun. You really are a good friend."

I felt her stiffen up briefly, then relax ever slightly. She said nothing in return, but knowing this loner, she was probably trying her very best, not to smile.

-Meanwhile…

"Idiot!" I yelled at Darkness. "Was that your idea of romance?! It's no wonder you're still single."

She sighed deeply.

"Oi, are you listening?! I swear this is the last time I go on one of your 'walks'."

Darkness frowned. "Why are you so angry? We managed to defeat the Gore Boar."

"Because it was completely unnecessary! The entire reason we ended up in this situation was because you charged it the moment it came out of the forest! What type of woman does that?!"

"W-What are you saying?!"

"Along with your muscles, that brain of yours must be entirely composed of something dense! Also, the way you sometimes think has me feeling that perhaps you're actually a guy."

Darkness pounced on me. "T-There are some things you don't say to a lady, Kazuma!"

"Remind me what part of you is lady-like? Maybe the only thing is those sets of redeeming features on your chest."

Her knit brow contrasted the growing blush on her cheeks and the slight excited quiver of her lips. "You're i-insufferable, you know that?"

I pushed her off and got up.

"*sigh* At least we can take something back for dinner." I turned to Darkness. "Oi, since this is your fault, carry the boar."

She smirked. "Right. I forgot how weak you are; can't even carry a boar. Makes me wonder how much of a man you actually are."

This bitch…

I pushed her out of the way, and lifted the boar in one fell swoop.

CRRRACK!

Part 5

"Serves you right," Aqua said as I lay on the couch.

"Tch. Just heal me already; my back is killing me."

"Oh my," Megumin's mom said, sitting opposite of me. "To throw your back out at such a young age, Kazuma-kun."

"Heal you?" Aqua crossed her arms. "Did you forget what you did in the garden, I didn't!"

"Ahhhh, fine! I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry, Aqua-sama, for ruining your hair and dirtying your godly raiment. You're the most beautiful and magnanimous—"

"I already said I'm sorry! How long are you gonna stall?! Hurry up and do the only thing you're good at!"

"Humph!" Aqua turned her nose up at me. "Maybe I should just leave you like that so you actually learn to appreciate me."

"Arrrgh!" I buried my face into the couch, and begrudgingly mumbled, "Sorry, Aqua-sama, for ruining your hair and raiment. Can you please heal me now?"

Aqua grinned. "And for being an ungrateful person who fails to recognize the amazingness of—"

"Oi! Come on, aren't you getting carried away now?!"

She stuck her tongue out playfully. "Heal. There."

I sat up and rubbed my back; the pain was completely gone, but a bit of soreness still lingered.

"Honestly… If it wasn't for all the stupid things you do, perhaps I'd praise you more."

Aqua scrunched her brow disapprovingly. "You didn't mean a word of that apology. Darkness, break his back for me."

"H-Hey!"

"Kazuma, are you ok, now?" Darkness asked.

"Umu. Aside from the typical stuff she does, Aqua's healing is top notch. My back is a bit sore, but I can't really complain."

Aqua frowned yet again. "Since you didn't give the full apology, I didn't heal you completely either."

"...You know what, I take back what I said, I can definitely complain."

Yuiyui, who was watching this quietly, giggled. "You all get along quite well; I can see why my daughter decided to remain with you."

"Speaking of," Darkness said, "where is she? I haven't seen Megumin all day."

"Ah, she decided to stay over the chief's house."

Of course she did; in fact, I'm surprised I didn't expect her to do that from the get go.

"The chief's?" Aqua said with slight perplexity.

"Yunyun's," I answered.

"Please forgive her," Yuiyui interjected. "I know how much of a disappointment this must be for you, Kazuma-kun."

"Eh?"

Yuiyui leaned in and whispered, "I'll make sure to create an opportunity for you two."

"That's not necessary, please don't."

She looked at me with a shocked expression, and then attempted to hide the burgeoning grin on her face. "I see; you two are already past that stage."

"D-Don't make assumptions!"

"You're not?"

I looked away.

How could a mother be so shameless around the topic of her daughter's chastity?

Yuiyui clapped her hands cheerfully. "You all must be hungry. The many times you've come, I've been unable to present a suitable experience. This time, allow me to show you the hospitality I've always wanted to. Come, let's eat."

At Yuiyui's offer, we feasted. To my pleasant surprise, Yuiyui's level of cooking was surprisingly good. The food was nothing short of amazing.

We all sat back near-bloated from the amount of food. Komekko, who joined us some part through dinner, managed to eat her fill as well, something I thought an impossibility, till now.

"Ugghhh." I rubbed my stomach.

"Thank you, Yuiyui-san," Darkness said. "That was really good."

"Oh, please, Darkness-chan, think nothing of it," Yuiyui replied with a warm smile.

Looking over at Aqua, this girl was already half asleep like the much younger child beside her.

"Aqua," Darkness said, shaking her slightly, "come on, let's go bathe. Then we can head to bed."

"Ummmu," Aqua mumbled drowsily.

Darkness picked up Komekko, and went on with Aqua.

After they were gone, Yuiyui stared at me with the expression she wore so often.

"I suppose you're headed to bed as well, Kazuma-kun?" She asked.

"Eh, well, I'd like to take a bath too; taking down that boar made me work up a sweat."

"Hmm, well, you should know we have a second bath now just for these occasions. Did you forget where it was?"

"Ah, no, I remember."

The large bath was located on the left side of the house across the hall from Megumin's parents room, and then there was the smaller bath right next to Megumin's room. Speaking of, her room was one of the few that changed location; instead of being situated on the second floor, it was now on the first. The reason for that, I couldn't tell, but perhaps it was, like many things related to the Crimson Demons, whimsical in nature.

And so, I went off to wash up, and get ready for bed.

When I finished my bath, I entered Megumin's room—which by no coincidence, was my room as well. It was dark, save for the dimmed manalamp in the corner; good conditions for sleep.

I yawned, stretching as I did, and then slipped into the futon on the ground. Haaah, I closed my eyes as I sighed with relief. The day might've been sketchy, but a good night's rest will help me forget all my troubles.

"Kazuma-kun."

⸻!⸻

I leapt out of the futon, and brightened the room. Lying in said futon was none other than Megumin's dad.

"W-What are you doing here?!"

"Come, Kazuma-kun, lay down," he said, patting the futon, "it's cold out."

"You still haven't answered my question."

"Umu, and neither did you. Don't think I've forgotten about the bath."

I quickly got into the futon.

"There. Isn't that better?"

"...Wouldn't Yuiyui-san feel lonely without you?"

"Nonsense. There's been times I've had to help my daughters to sleep; this is the same thing."

No, it really wasn't.

"I don't recall needing help with sleep."

"Humph. Don't try to fool me, boy. Every man frets when his significant other isn't near him."

The irony of that statement; I don't know if he was purposefully ignoring the situation or genuinely blind to it. Of course, I didn't dare bring it up.

After this, the both of us lay quietly in the dimly lit room, then, after some time Hyoizaburo suddenly spoke.

"You know, Kazuma-kun, when Megumin was younger she used to be quite the loner."

I raised a brow. That fact wasn't really very surprising. Despite Megumin being somewhat sociable, she has moments where introversion gleans through; in this regard, I feel she and I were quite similar.

"Heh, she used to tell me how she needed no one else, how, 'emotions and relationships were for the weak-willed'."

"..."

I wonder how embarrassed she'd be if she heard him saying these things.

"Haaaah, she's changed so much, my little girl. Heh, did you also know one time she snuck into the men's baths—of course, she only did it so she could bathe with her old man." Hyoizaburo let out a hearty chuckle. "Then there was the time she and Komekko terrorized the farmer's plots; don't think I paid all of them back to this day."

For the better part of the night, Hyoizaburo continued recounting stories of Megumin's misadventures to me. Though I stayed quiet for most of it, it was clear to me that he was happy telling me these.

Finally, when I was getting a bit drowsy, Hyoizaburo's tone changed; he spoke with a stern voice, one reminiscent to when I first met him.

"Kazuma-kun, I love my daughters, my wife...my family. I may not have been there for them every moment I should have, but I do."

Roused by the seriousness of his tone, I began to listen intently.

"You're now the closest person to my first born. ...Kazuma, I know there may come a time where things may be difficult for the both of you, but I ask of you, as a parent and her father, don't betray her feelings for you. My daughter… She's tried her best to get where she is right now, I'm sure you know. You should also know, if you were to betray those feelings, she would be beyond herself in grief. She may not show it, but she would."

Thanks to the seriousness of the topic, both of us fell silent once again.

"...Also, I'd crush you," He suddenly added.

⸻!⸻

Yeah, perhaps it was best if I said nothing.

-The following afternoon...

"Oh? Kazuma-kun, did you just wake up?" Megumin's mom said as I stepped into the living room.

"Ah, yeah." I yawned.

"Did you have a bad night?"

I looked away, remembering what occurred just hours earlier. "Where is everyone?"

"Aqua-chan and Darkness-san or are you talking about Megumin?"

"I-, I guess all of them."

"Hmm, Aqua-chan went out to the garden with Komekko sometime earlier, now I believe they went out. Darkness-san actually stepped out a little while ago; she said she'd be going to help some of the farmers with the harvests."

"No doubt that masochist just wanted in on some action; there's no way she'd pass up on the chance to get roughed up by a bunch of vegetables," I thought; there was no doubt in my mind.

"Megumin…" Yuiyui went on. "Hmm, I haven't actually heard from her since the chief's daughter told me she'd be staying over." Perhaps sensing my concern, Yuiyui quickly remarked, "Don't worry, I'm sure she'll spare some alone time with you soon, Kazuma-kun."

"..." Ignoring that extra comment, I asked, "Where's Hyoizaburo-san, by the way?"

"Oh my, did you two share a warm night together?"

"Please don't say such things."

"Kazuma-kun, I meant nothing negative from it, only that sleeping together brought you two closer."

"That...doesn't sound any better."

Yuiyui covered her mouth in slight embarrassment. "Oh my, now I see." She giggled. "Of course I don't mean it in such a way, Kazuma-kun. It would certainly be a sad tale to tell if my own husband ended up stealing his daughter's."

Why were we even having this conversation?

After giggling a bit more, Yuiyui answered. "My dear husband went off to the workshop. He told me he needed to meet with a long-time client."

"Long-time client? Shouldn't he leave such things to his assistants?"

Yuiyui sighed heavily. "I keep telling him that, but he just says 'there are some things that are expected of me'. Honestly, I believe he simply can't get away from his work." She smiled warmly. "Anyhow, if you need him for something, I'm sure he'll be back fairly soon."

"Ah, no, I was just curious is all."

"I see. In that case, would you like to help me with something, Kazuma-kun?"

"Does it involve stuffing some sauce into a tightly rolled piece of meat?"

She giggled. "No, not this time."

"Alright, what is it?"

"I merely need you to accompany me while I run some errands."

"Errands? Like groceries? Nothing crazy, right?"

"*sigh* Unfortunately, yes. I'm sorry to ask of you such a benign task."

"As long as it doesn't involve fighting some ridiculous monster or going into a labyrinthine dungeon, I'm ok."

Yuiyui chuckled haughtily. "Seems like I won't be able to bring you on the Murder Rat harvest, then."

"..."

Murder Rat? With a name like that, I didn't even wanna know.

"Well then, Kazuma-kun, shall we go?"

A little while later, I found myself in the middle of the marketplace with Megumin's mom.

"Hmmm, Kazuma-kun, what do you think about this?"

"What about it, it's a turnip."

"Do you like them?"

"They're alright. I've had them in broths before."

Yuiyui smiled. "The girls used to eat these on occasion; they loved it when they did."

"Really?"

"Umu. They serve as a good source of filler when all you have is boiled water."

"..."

I regret asking.

"Now I can actually use them to prepare some good food," She replied as we continued our walk through the market.

"Eh, Yuiyui-san."

"Hmm?"

"I was wondering...where'd you learn to cook?"

"Oh?" She tilted her head in contemplation. "I'd like to say my mother taught me, but she died during the war against the Demon King."

"Ah—the Demon King's army killed her? S-Sorry for bringing it up."

"Oh no, she didn't die in the war; she died of a health condition during the war."

"..."

"I seem to recall telling you how my side of the family is fairly frail; luckily, both of my daughters received their father's constitution."

Suddenly, I stopped.

"Kazuma-kun? What's wrong? Oh? You'd like one of these necklaces?"

"Hello, madam, sir, would you like anything? Might I suggest one of these…" The seller trailed off as he saw me grab an item. "Oh? Would you like one of those? That's a local specialty."

Yuiyui approached me. "Kazuma-kun, these are good luck charms we make here in the village."

Of course, I knew what it was. It was precisely because of this that it caught my attention, or rather...paralyzed me.

"N-, No, thank you." I placed the necklace back on the display, and began walking off.

"Kazuma-kun?" Yuiyui said as she trailed behind me. "Are you… Is everything alright?"

I, once again, stopped suddenly.

"Ah...yeah. Sorry. I was just… I had something on my mind."

"...Something...sad?"

I tried my best to put on a convincing smile. "It was just...a memory." But ultimately, I couldn't keep it up.

Yuiyui quietly stared at me, and then gave me a faint smile. "I see," She replied; then she began walking off.

As I now rushed to catch up, Yuiyui slowed down.

"Kazuma-kun."

"Hm?"

"Is there anywhere you'd like to go, something you'd like to do?"

"Huh, what do you mean?"

"We've gotten a few things done; how about we take a moment to relax?"

"Uh, sure."

"So, is there any place...or something you want to do?"

"Any…" I took a moment to think.

Well, if I had my way, there were probably a few places, but none of them would be good answers to give in this situation.

Yuiyui interrupted my thought. "If you'd like, Kazuma-kun, I can take you to a place I usually go to when I have to think on a few things."

"You have a place like that?"

"Of course."

I was surprised. To be frank, I thought with the Crimson Demon's sense of wackiness and chuunibyou, they'd never get to the point where they needed to take a breather.

"But what about the other errands? It's already getting pretty late in the afternoon; will you have time?"

She raised the bag of groceries in her hands. "I've already gotten most of the stuff I wanted to get."

"Oh, that so? Well, if it's not too much trouble…"

"Follow me, Kazuma-kun."

Our walk eventually led us outside the village and into the forest. Given this was the Crimson Demon Village and how close it was to evening, I wasn't very thrilled about taking a leisurely stroll through this hotspot. That being said, I was with Yuiyui; if my experiences told me anything about her, it was that underestimating her savviness and expertise with magic was nothing short of a colossal mistake.

Oddly enough, though we headed deep into the woods, not a monster was in sight. For the average person, this would probably get them to drop their guard, but to me, a seasoned adventurer and long-time gamer, it was a huge flag.

"Nervous?" Yuiyui remarked, seeing me cautiously looking around.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't."

"You don't have to be. There are no monsters here."

The fact that my Enemy Sense wasn't going off supported this; despite it, I still held reservations.

"What makes you so sure?"

"This place… Well...you'll see."

After trekking through the woods for a couple more minutes, we came upon a large opening.

"Here we are," Yuiyui said.

In front of us was a massive crater; its size comparable, though slightly smaller, to one caused by the Explosion spell. Scattered about were pieces of what appeared to once be buildings.

"What...happened here? What is this place?"

Yuiyui smiled. "Legends say this is the sealing grounds of an ancient goddess."

"...Oi, if you're gonna make things up, why even answer?"

Yuiyui giggled. "I'm not...or at least I don't think I am. That's the answer we've always been given about this place."

I was still unconvinced, yet Yuiyui went on.

"Don't you feel it, Kazuma-kun?"

"What, is there something I'm supposed to be?"

She closed her eyes, the smile remaining on her face. "Silence. Complete silence."

I tried to notice what she pointed out, but there were sounds of birds chirping, insects buzzing, leaves rustling...silence didn't exist here. Was she going crazy?

"Umm… I'm not… I can't 'hear' it."

"Not hear, feel, Kazuma-kun."

Feel silence? She didn't take a bad potion or anything, right?

Sensing my confusion, Yuiyui said, "Try channeling mana."

As soon as she said this, the "feeling" hit me. The air around us felt inert, devoid of the usually clean feeling; the air here felt eerily similar to the air of my own world. So, that's what she meant.

"I...can't."

"This place lacks mana...well, in any discernible quantities."

"Why?"

"To tell you the truth, I don't really know, but it certainly makes you think, doesn't it? This is why I come here."

"Doesn't it feel weird, though, you know, not being able to use magic?"

"It does...but as a Crimson Demon, that shift in perspective is enlightening."

"So, the monsters...they don't come because of this?"

"Most of the larger creatures tend to stay away, but that's nothing to say about spirits and the like; they're practically terrified of this area."

"Wait, so…"

She began to grin. "Yes, perhaps there is some credence to the legends...or maybe it's because without mana spirits tend to fizzle away."

"..."

"In any case, don't you feel better?"

"Huh? Well…"

"At the very least, it took your mind off of what was troubling you, didn't it?"

"Ah...I guess."

"So, would you like to head back...or would you like some more time?"

I looked around for a moment, and then said, "No, I think I'm done."

The feeling was nostalgic, but also uncomfortably so. Being here felt like I was stuck between two worlds, both not quite there.

"Well then, let's head back. I'm sure everyone will probably want some dinner soon."

"Right."

Eventually, we made it back to the mansion. As we approached the front door, Yunyun came out...and trailing behind her, Megumin. At that moment, all three of us locked eyes.

Megumin quickly looked away, lowering the rim of her hat in the process.

"Yuiyui-san," Yunyun said with a bow, "I was wondering if Megumin could stay over another night?"

"Oh? What reason does my daughter have to want to stay over another night?"

"Ah! W-Well, she—"

"I want to," Megumin interjected. "That's all there is to it."

"..." Yuiyui stared at her. "Yunyun-chan, would you like to have dinner with us?"

"Wha?! Um, I-I was—"

Megumin interrupted. "We already ate—"

"I was asking Yunyun and Yunyun isn't your name...correct, Megumin?" Megumin fell silent as Yuiyui's pensive gaze fixated on her. "So," she said, her gentle smile returning, "care to come in for dinner, Yunyun-chan?"

"I-I suppose."

"Good."

Megumin's mom entered first, followed by Yunyun, Megumin, and then myself. When we came inside, Yuiyui quickly turned around.

"Yunyun-chan, do you mind if I ask you to help me with a few things?"

"Huh?"

She quickly relieved me of the groceries. "I just need some help with the food."

"B-But I don't—"

"Don't worry, I won't ask much of you," She said, grabbing Yunyun's arm. "Besides, you should already know how to cook; how else do you expect to get to a man's heart?" Yuiyui remarked as she pulled her off towards the kitchen.

"W-Wha-Wait!"

Megumin stood quietly nearby, and then began walking off towards her room.

"Wait," I said, grabbing her shoulder.

"...What is it?"

"Do you really have to keep doing this? I get that you're mad at me, but…"

"...It goes beyond being angry, Kazuma," She replied, looking back at me with solemn eyes.

"Look," I said, pulling out her ring. "Here."

She stared at it with a seemingly longing expression, and then looked away.

"I can't accept it."

I felt a void in my chest like I hadn't for years.

"You can't?"

Megumin's mouth quivered as she fought back the apparent sadness. With a great deal of hesitance, she nodded.

"I...can't. ...Sorry."

She pulled away from my faltering grip, and headed to her room.

"She can't?"

The words echoed in my mind repeatedly, but I failed to comprehend them. Megumin… Was she done...with me?