Konosuba: A Tale of this Beautiful World
~Volume Six~
Prologue
"YOU IDIOT!" I couldn't stop myself from blurting out.
I had told Megumin to say something believable and that's what she came up with—that she was the Goddess of Wrath and Destruction?!
The man sitting across from us, Caine, had a rather shocked expression adorning his face; suddenly, he chuckled. "M-, Ms. Megumin…even I can tell that's a lie without the help of the bell."
He didn't buy it; of course he wouldn't—no sane person would. Still, some part of me was scared of the possibility that he would; however, my greatest fear wasn't realized and that made me sigh in relief—almost on impulse.
"But wait," I thought, there was some truth to that claim. There was some chance that the lie-detecting bell wouldn't ring—and in that case…
I felt the hairs on the back of my neck begin to stand on end.
Caine spoke. "That's quite an outlandish claim. I don't know if using the bell is even necessary for this one."
"Right?!" I immediately remarked, trying to stop the overwhelming nervousness I was feeling from bleeding through. "Ahhh, I told her to say something believable and here she goes and says something self-sabotaging. Looks like we're down four now."
Caine let out a chuckle.
I pushed the bell in his direction in an attempt to finish our turn, but it was met with Caine stopping it halfway.
"Even so," he began, "rules are rules." He pushed the bell back squarely into our side. "Ms. Megumin, won't you please place your hand on the bell and make that claim once more?"
DING! The bell let out its signature noise as I slammed my palm on top of it.
"Come on now, Caine-san, there's no need for that, is there? We both know that what she said isn't true. Do we really have to waste time by making her say it again?"
Caine stared at me in silence.
I could feel my anxiety boiling over. What would happen if Megumin's situation came to light? What would Caine-san do? How would he react?
Then, I heard him chuckle once more. "Perhaps you're right." He then grabbed the bell, and I could once again feel the anxiety leave my body. "But," he said, pausing yet again, "just for consistency."
The bell came back in our direction, and with it, my anxiety.
"Ms. Megumin," he said, presenting it to her.
I stared at the bell, at Megumin. What could I do? If I tried to stop her from going through with it it would only prove the validity of Megumin's situation, but if I didn't, it could be just as bad. Before I could come up with anything, Megumin had already placed her hand upon the bell and—hesitantly—uttered, "I am the Goddess of Wrath and Destruction".
Silence.
A second passed, but it seemed like an eternity.
Two seconds, yet there was still nothing.
Three. DING!
Then, Caine laughed. "Of course. Of course." It sounded as if he was both relieved and disappointed at the outcome, but nonetheless, he laughed. "Well, it does seem like you two are down four as you said, Mr. Kazuma."
I felt lightheaded from all the anxiety I experienced in the last few minutes, and so I could only let out a half-hearted chuckle in reply.