Kazuma was standing in front of Wiz's shop.

He had just come from the guild where he was told that due to the migratory season of Hawkites and Lizard Runners, there weren't any carriages going to Alcanretia.

He had lost hope of going to the hot springs until he thought about traveling to the Crimson Demon Village by teleport and then walk to Alcanretia from there.

It would be far more energy-consuming than a lazy ride in the carriages, but he would do it for the prize that awaited him in the hot springs…

So here he was in front of Wiz's shop to ask her to teleport them.

It was only after he reached there that he realized how this would all look to her…

The last time he came here was to ask for help with the Destroyer. She didn't ask anything of him for the help, and here he was again, barging into her shop, asking her to teleport them to Alcanretia like she was their cab driver…

Maybe he should act as if he came to the shop to buy something and then invite her to come with them.

Yeah, that might just work!

The only issue would be Vanir's all-seeing eyes, so he hoped that he was not present.

Kazuma gently opened the door… and came face to face with Vanir's smiling face.

"Ahh, just the person moi was waiting for. What have you come seeking here today my boy," Vanir said even though he knew the answer.

Kazuma also knew this but decided to play along.

"Oh, I just wanted to buy some things that might help mages with their magic," Kazuma replied.

"Would this happen to be for a certain Crimson Demon mage?" Vanir said with a smirk.

"Don't you already know the answer?" Kazuma asked.

"Are you implying that moi would look into moi business partners mind? Oh the horrors, do you have such little faith in moi?" Vanir said with mock innocence.

Yeah, you're not fooling me with that look Vanir…

Kazuma asked him to show him if he had anything that might help him.

He actually did have to buy a gift for Megumin for white day. There were just a few days left and he hadn't found anything that she might like in all of Axel.

Of course, he still had to look through Wiz's shop, but he knew he would'nt find anything there either.

Vanir went towards the back of the shop and came back with a small bottle that contained a bluish-grey liquid.

"Well, moi doesn't have anything that may help with a certain 'quest' of yours, but I do have this potion that boosts your stats based on luck for a few minutes," Vanir said as he presented me with the bottle.

He took it skeptically and asked, "What are its side effects?"

"Oh, don't worry, it doesn't harm humans in any way shape or form. Go on and try it, let's see how good your luck is."

I hesitantly drank the bottle and found it tastes too sweet for my liking.

I looked at my card and saw that all my stats had risen by a whopping… 10… they raised from 291 to 301…

Seeing the smile on Vanir's face, he knew that he fell into his trap.

"The only side effect is that it makes people blurt out their deepest, darkest secrets. It took a lot of time to get it right."

Kazuma felt a cold sensation in my stomach as Vanir uttered those words.

He tried to bite his tongue to stop himself, but the more he tried to stop it, the harder it got.

After a few seconds, he finally blurted out, "I like Megumin."

"Oh boy, what delicious emotion- wait, that was your darkest secret? Don't curl up into a ball, half of Axel already knows about that! And here moi was expecting something juicy! Moi don't even want to savor your emotions now."

"Just point me to where Wiz is," he said defeated.

"Oh, she is just lying in the storeroom since moi zapped her with cursed lightning."

"You did what?!"

After getting back to the mansion and convincing Aqua to let Wiz come with us and letting Wiz rest a little, we teleported just outside the Crimson Demon Village.

From there we walked the road towards Alcanretia.

This trip would take a while which meant we would probably have to camp out here for night.

Camping in a place full of dangerous monsters wasn't what I wanted, not because I was scared or anything, it was just that I didn't want to fight monsters.

This trip was supposed to be a relaxing holiday, so I hoped to close the distance to Alcanretia as much as possible during the day.

We were all walking in a loose formation, with me at the front, Darkness and Wiz on the sides, Aqua in the back and Megumin in the center.

Chomusuke was sitting on top of my head and Jarippa was being carried by Megumin-

Wait.

"When did you two get all buddy-buddy?"

"Fufufu, Kazuma, you should know that a being as mighty as a dragon would see potential in being in the company of a great mage like me," Megumin said smugly as she hugged Jarippa a little tighter.

Jarippa was sporting a very disturbed look on his face.

"Still, I would like to know how you achieved that feat," I said as I watched Jarippa getting hugged to death.

"I have my ways," Megumin said mysteriously.

"Believe me Kazuma, you don't want to know," Chomusuke said with a shudder.

Hearing the cat meowing from my head and probably shivering from the cold, I passed her to Megumin who put her under her hat.

After walking for some time and killing a few monsters that got in our way, something caught Darkness's eye.

"... Hmm, someone's there," she said as she stopped.

When we heard Darkness, we looked in that direction…

At the entrance to the forest, a green haired girl sitting on a boulder seemed to have spotted us and started waving.

What was she doing alone there?

I shifted my gaze to the girl's leg.

On her right ankle were blood-stained bandages. She would glance at her right foot from time to time with a pained expression.

She then lifted her head and looked our way.

It was at that moment my Enemy Detection started to slightly buzz.

It was minute, almost negligible, but still there.

She was a monster in disguise…

Wiz also seemed to have realised that, but she was still looking at it with sorrow in her eyes.

"Are you hurt? Hey, are you alright?" Aqua didn't catch on to it though.

I grabbed her as she approached the girl.

"My Enemy Detection skill activated. That's a monster in disguise."

"Huh?"

"It's a Tranquility Girl. I haven't encountered one myself before, but she matches the description," Wiz said as she held Megumin back.

"You could be wrong, you stupid lich. I'll cast a healing spell on that child and show you she's not some Tranquility Girl or whatever."

I kept on trying to hold her back by her shoulder as she said that.

Tranquility Girl. A plant-type monster that won't harm people physically… However, it'll give travelers a strong urge to protect it, the urge luring them to its side was hard to resist. I myself could feel it as it looked at me with such a sad look, but if you become emotionally attached, you'll be trapped until death. It's rumored that this monster possesses high intelligence, but that's still inconclusive. It may sound cruel, but any adventuring team that encounters this monster must exterminate it.

"Ka-Kazuma, that child's smiling while doing her best to hold back tears. She's waving as if to say goodbye. I really feel like going over to give her a hug."

Megumin said that and Aqua took advantage of my momentary distraction and broke free to start doing her healing magic.

"I'll heal your wounds! …Huh? These aren't wounds. These aren't bandages either, just something that looks like it."

After hearing Aqua, I went closer to observe the girl.

The Tranquility Girl was wearing clothes that were common for girls in town.

She was bare footed and was smiling happily as we surrounded her.

Looking carefully, the boulder under her butt was also a part of her body.

Behind the boulder was something like a branch and small fruits were growing on it.

Be it the clothes she was wearing of the blood-stained bandages, all these were mimics to draw the attention of people.

Disguising herself as a girl who couldn't move due to an injury… that's just evil!

I stood before the Tranquility Girl and pulled out my axe and prepared to do what must be done.

"Hey, what are you doing Kazuma? Are you planning to kill this child?!"

When she saw me do that, Aqua hugged the Tranquility Girl as if to protect her.

"I'm sorry Lady Aqua, but it must be done," Wiz said with a solemn expression.

Megumin looked at me with pleading eyes.

"... I-I'm not doing this because I'm a bad person, okay? She's a monster who lures in adventurers, I can't just let her go."

"... Want, kill… me…?" the Tranquility Girl said in a small voice as she reached for Wiz's hand, whose resolve melted like ice cream as she reached back.

Aqua stood before the Tranquility Girl to block my way, waving her fists as if she was a boxer.

She does realise that I can wipe the floor with her, right?

Right?

The Tranquility Girl looked at Wiz, who was holding its hand, and then said to me timidly, "... Want, kill… me…?"

Seeing the teary-eyed girl tilting her head to express her doubt, it felt like a hot knife was tearing away at my insides.

The four people and one monster stared at me.

Aghhh! What do I do? What do I do?!

I can't let her kill other adventurers, nor can I kill her.

Seeing me pulling my hair in frustration, Aqua said.

"Kazuma, when you feel lost and need to make a choice, no matter which path you decide to take, you will regret it later. Therefore, you must choose something that makes you happiest right now."

Hearing her say that, I just stood there, contemplating if I was in the right state of mind, 'cause it somehow made sense to me.

Aqua's dumb logic was making sense to me…

… Seeing how conflicted I was, the Tranquility Girl said in a soft voice, "You look painful… Sorry because I live…"

The Tranquility Girl said as she showed a fragile smile.

"Because I, monster live… Will cause trouble…"

Specks of tears appeared in her eyes.

"Since born, first time, talk with humans…"

It clasped its hands before its chest as if in prayer.

"First, and last time, met with you, wonderful… If, another life… Next time, not monster, will be wonderful…"

After saying its piece, it closed its eyes in resignation.

… After that, we continued on our trip to Alcanretia.

Leaving the Tranquility Girl alive was something that was still bothering me.

I didn't know why but I felt bad that I might be dooming someone just because they wanted to help some girl.

So I told the four that I would be back and ran back towards the Tranquility Girl.

I could maybe persuade her to not ask people for help. Also it was close to the Crimson Demon Village, so I could maybe get them to serve fertilizers or cattle so it wouldn't attack humans anymore.

When I reached there, I could see someone talking to the Tranquility Girl.

I immediately used Lurk and observed the situation from behind a tree.

The one talking to the Tranquility Girl was a lumberjack.

"Ahh… Damn, why must it be so… Sorry, I'm sorry! Forigve me! It's the rule of the lumberjacks which dictates that I must exterminate you upon discovery…!" the lumberjack said on the verge of tears.

I was about to move to stop him when I felt someone tap on my shoulder.

I turned around and my eye met with red orbs.

"Megumin, what are you doing here?" I whispered to her.

"I just wanted to make sure you don't do something you'll later regret-" Megumin said but stopped when the Tranquility Girl spoke up.

"Because I, monster live… Will cause trouble…"

"Since born, first time, talk with humans…"

She repeated the same lines word for word.

"First, and last time, met with you, wonderful… If, another life… Next time, not monster, will be wonderful…"

Even her movements were the same.

It was like she was some NPC.

"Ah… Ahhh… I can't do it! Damn, I can't do it!" the lumberjack screamed as he turned and ran.

We were still hiding behind the tree as we watched the Tranquility Girl.

Didn't she say we were the first people she met?

"Ahhh, failed again. That lumberjack looked quite meaty and would've been great fertilizer…"

… After the lumberjack was out of sight, we heard the voice of the Tranquility Girl speaking smoothly.

There was no childlike innocence or rasp in her voice.

I could feel Megumin trembling with anger next to me.

I decided it was time to cancel Lurk and stepped out from behind the tree.

The Tranquility Girl finally noticed Megumin's and my presence as she just looked towards us for a while.

"Just now, those words, could you, pretend you didn't hear them…?"

"EXPLOSION!"

We had decided to camp after the sun went for his slumber.

"Aqua, can you make a purifying circle around the camp so we won't be attacked at night? And yes, make it weak enough so Wiz doesn't get affected. Don't act so innocent, I saw that gleam in your eyes!" I said to Aqua who started to pout.

I remembered that Aqua might attract undead, so I had thought about it beforehand.

Seeing Wiz's thankful expression, I just nodded to her.

It was then decided that we'll all guard the camp in shifts.

Wiz had told us that she could stay awake all night, but I didn't feel right to let her do all the work, and Aqua didn't have any faith in her so I took the first shift.

I could hear the noises of different animals in the forest as they sang their melodies under the starry sky.

I watched embers fly from the fire up into the air as I petted Chomusuke who laid on my lap.

This is what I had been looking for…

To just relax…

My ear twitched as I heard a small uncomfortable growl.

I looked towards it and saw that Megumin was sleeping while hugging Jarippa.

I would've found the scene very cute if not for the desperation in Jarippa's eyes.

He was practically begging for me to rescue him from the clutches of an evil Crimson Demon girl.

I looked back at Megumin as she kept snoring.

'Yeah, sorry dude, I can't help you', I thought as I smiled apologetically, seeing that, his hopes shattered and he stopped resisting and just laid there, pouting like a kid and looking away from me.

Hey, don't be like that, I would pay money to be in your position!

I turned back to Chomusuke as she sank her claws in me 'cause I had stopped petting her.

"You must be jealous that some new guy just came up and took your place," I said as I started petting her again.

"W-Why would I be jealous you, insolent human." she hissed and scratched my hand.

We stayed there for a while, and just before my shift was about to end, I felt my Enemy Detection stir up.

"Everybody, wake up!" I shouted as I counted over 40 dots on my Enemy Detection.

"Be gone foul creatures! Don't you dare lay your hands on my booze!"

"Sacred Turn Undead!"

Aqua woke up with a start, and without looking, she released a massive attack.

"AHHHHH!"

Wiz could be heard letting out a scream as she started to turn transparent.

Friendly fire! Friendly fire!

Was Aqua just waiting to do that?

"Look! I told you I felt a holy presence around here!" a voice said as it came out of the forest.

He had elf-like features with dark skin.

It didn't take much time to figure out what this was.

Dark Elves.

Wait, he said holy presence.

I looked at Aqua who was looking a little taken aback.

"Finally, our search is over," another elf said as came into the clearing.

"Huh, I didn't know I had followers in elf clans too. Hehehe, see Kazuma, they have been searching for me, and here you are who takes me for granted!" Aqua said.

In the background, Megumin and Darkness were trying to save Wiz who was speaking incoherent words.

"I see a light… it's calling to me."

"Hold on Wiz, hold one."

"Wiz, quickly take my MP, it would surely be painful, but I will endure it."

Aqua's face twitched a little when she heard the voices from behind her, but she kept that gentle godly aura around her.

"Speak, my children. What have you come seeking? What can your goddess do for you-"

"We're not here for you, you crazy priest. We're here for that," the male elf said as he pointed behind Aqua where Chomusuke and Jarippa were seated, enjoying the show.

An arrow seemed to have gone through Aqua as he said that.

"Of course they came here for me. Even divided I am more important than that phony goddess."

"That dragon is one of our sacred deities."

"Kazuma, could you please paint this land with their blood?"

They were here for Jarippa. The thing was I could still feel my Enemy Detection buzzing, which meant they held some ill intent against us, so I asked, "What do you want with him?"

"To free our deity from his mortal bounds of course. After bathing in the fire, he shall ascend this mortal realm, and my comrades and I shall go to heaven."

Dude, even if that was ture, I don't think you'd like heaven very much.

But before I could retort, Aqua decided to take action against the slight against her as she charged at the elf and sucker punched him into the trees nearby.

The tree uprooted and fell on three other elves.

Yeah, I take back what I said earlier, I don't think I can take on Aqua.

"Charge, my comrades. Deus Vult!"

The female elf yelled and all hell broke loose.

Darkness was fighting more than 7 dark elves at once. They tried to hit her but she just tanked their hits, and due to being surrounded, she was even able to hit some of them.

"Kazuma, did you see that? I hit one!"

Why are you so cheerful? You just cleaved somebody in half!

Megumin had climbed on a tree with Chomusuke and Jarippa. Five elves were standing around the tree in a circle. If somebody tried to climb, Chomusuke would just scratch them.

It was a good thing they didn't have any ranged weapons or we would've been toast.

Wiz was lying unconscious in the corner and the elves must've thought she was dead, so they didn't disturb her.

Well, they weren't wrong…

Aqua was acting like the opposite of her kind as she punched and kicked them with holy attacks.

She was maniacally spamming out attacks after attacks.

Her features looked truly demonic.

They were dark elves, so they were taking some damage from her holy attacks, but not as much as undead would.

And then there was me in the middle of it all, contemplating my life choices as I fought for my life.

I was constantly using Dash, as it was my only hope of survival.

I did take out more than 10 elves, but that took me about 100 of my mana and a lot of dodging and weaving.

I turned towards the tree where Megumin was and cast some Intermediate Lightning spells at the surrounding elves.

Lightning x5 [Mana = 116/291]

I helped Megumin get down, and when I turned around, there were only 2 female elves left.

Aqua had cleaned the whole area by the time I had helped Megumin.

"You guys are in big trouble, our chief will be here any moment now. He's bringing our army as we speak. I would beg for mercy if I were you. They all should be on that mountain-"

"Explosion!"

The mountain Megumin had pointed towards went up in flames. Trees were flattened and charred ground could be seen tumbling down in a landslide.

"We surrender! Have mercy on us oh great crimson mage!"

… They changed their tone very quick.

After travelling for a few hours more, we had reached Alcanretia, the sun now rising over the city.

The city was surrounded by water, lying between beautiful lakes and the mountains where the hot springs were situated.

All the buildings had the base color of blue, making it look clean and beautiful, full of vigor and life.

I shifted Wiz's weight a little on my back as she was still unconscious after Aqua hit her with her spell.

Just as we stepped into the city, we were surrounded by people.

"Welcome to Alcanretia!"

"Are you here for sightseeing? To join the cult?"

"Come and get baptized! They say if you get baptized here, nobody from the Eris church can harm you."

"Hey, can I buy your hair? It looks just like our goddess Aqua's!"

"If you're looking for a job, please come to the Axis Cult! We have an opening right now to explain how wonderful the Axis Cult is. We're offering some very attractive compensations right now. If you take this job, you'll get the privilege of calling yourself an Axis cultist! Come, come join us!"

"Come and buy holy water blessed by the goddess Aqua herself! With this, even the Demon King can't harm you!"

"Yeah, this city is still full of weirdos," Chomusuke mused as she peeked out from under Megumin's hat.